Day 3 My Favorite Book Characters!

So for Day 3 of the 30 Day challenge, it asks what your favorite book characters are. This is going to be a little bit of an overlap with some of my favorite books, because one of the things that makes me love a book so much are the characters! I also don't really like picking the obvious characters that most people would automatically pick.

So here they are :)

1. Sam Gamgee from Lord of the Rings. I LOVE Sam! I just think he is so cute! I love how he is so loyal and, personally, I think he is just so strong of a character! I even think that he is stronger than Frodo (GASP! I know!!), but he has to be. He is just so pure and I really love that about him.

2. Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter. This is not the obvious character that everyone would automatically think of, but I just can't help but think she is totally awesome! She is just so weird and out there, but a totally good person. I just love her character, it's crazy - I know, just like her :)

3. Spencer Hastings from Pretty Little Liars. Okay, just bear with me here. I am on a little bit of a Pretty Little Liars book binge....the first four in four days and I am about to order the next four from the library. But seriously, I love Spencer's character in the books. I love her in the show too, but just not as much as the books. In the books she's more of a badass, which I LOVE! Class, smarts, and a bit of a rebel streak? You go girl!

4. Poe from Secret Society Girl. In the first book, I hated him. In the second book, I thought that he had kind of redeemed himself. And by the third book, I loved him. The thing I love the most about this character, is the depth of the character himself. Every book you learn more about him, it is like peeling back layers, and yea he may have made some bad decisions. *cough* Almost ruining his, now girlfriend's life *cough* But he totally makes up for it in his devotion to her :) And I totally think he's dreamy. But I digress.

5. Christoper John Frances Boone from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. First off, if you haven't read this book...Go. Now. READ IT. Christopher is different from the other kids, he has asperger's. It is a mild form of autism, and because of it, he has no understanding of human emotions. Reading the book from his point of view, you get such a sense for the character and throughout the story you really feel for him. He's the kind of character that really sticks with you and teaches you something, and that is why he is one of my favorites.

These are just a few of my favorite characters, because I pretty much have a favorite character from every book!! Do you like, or even dislike, any of these characters? What are your favorite characters??

Spotlight Sunday!! Book Challenges

So every Sunday I would really like to do a Sunday Spotlight. It will be about whatever has really caught my attention and what I kind of want to shine a light on. It probably won't always be about book related things, but most of them will I'm sure. :)

This Sunday, what I really wanted to put a spotlight on would be the book challenges that I am a part of and going to do/try. I really like book challenges because they really push you to accomplish more in reading more books, reading different books, and even really looking at the impact books have made in your life.

There are a couple challenges that I am going to be doing:

1. Goodreads.com 2012 Reading Challenge

Even though I am starting the challenge half-way through the year, I have decided that I really want to try and finish reading 50 books by the end of the year! I go back to classes in September, so it's going to be interesting to see how many I can finish! If you have a goodreads account, I definitely recommend checking out this challenge and picking out how many books you want to read by the end of the year and you can choose any number you want! (And if you don't have an account, I TOTALLY recommend getting one! It is a HUGE book community :)  )



2. 30 Day Book Challenge


I found this challenge from http://heckyeahtumblrchallenges.tumblr.com/post/6376613719/30-day-book-and-literature-challenge . Every day for thirty days, you answer a certain question such as -favorite author, -favorite books, etc. I definitely want to try doing this challenge! It will definitely be a lot of work updating this everyday, but I like the challenge of doing that! I'm hoping to start this challenge on Wednesday, the 1st :)



3. Tea Books Reading Challenge


I found this challenge on a fellow blog, http://the-book-garden.blogspot.com/p/tea-books-reading-challenge.html This challenge is probably going to be the hardest actually. In this challenge you try to read as many books over 700 pages as you can and then you have different Tea labeled levels for how many you have read. My REAL challenge for this will be finding books large enough that I am actually interested in reading...we're going to have to see how this goes, but I love tea and books, so I thought it would be fun to try!




Are you a part of any book challenges? Have you tried any? Feel free to link any book challenges that you really liked!!

Book Clubs...Are They Worth It??

I will admit it. I used to think that book clubs were for stay at home moms or older adults who needed something else in their lives to occupy themselves. Which is exactly how they are portrayed in the media.

BUT...is that what they really are?

Today, there are SO many more options for book clubs. There are the social media outlets to connect everyone all at once. Skype, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, etc. With the internet, there is no longer so much of a need to all get together at someone's house and make snacks and sit around a living room to talk about a book.

I am currently in two different book clubs on Goodreads.com. If you want to check them out they are Basically Books and Reading With Tequila. I actually really love my book clubs! I don't always like the books that the pick, but the thing that I love the most, is that I get to read books that I would never have otherwise picked out for myself and sometimes find some real gems!

I have always been a very big believer in widening your gaze and opening your mind to further options and possibilities. Everyone always has their favorite genre and author and books, but there is always room to expand your horizons. Maybe you won't like the book, then don't finish it if you don't want to. Put out on the discussion that you didn't like it. It's as easy as that.

You don't have to read all of the books. You don't have to finish them all. But you should at least try to try new things and see what else you might like.

You are never going to know if you like something else if you never try it!

Things I am Loving!!

So there are a few things that I've really been loving lately! There are some things that just make reading more enjoyable. These are just a few of the things that have been making reading easier and more fun even for me the past few weeks :)

(Sorry the picture is sideways, I don't know how to change it)

The NUMBER 1 thing that is making my reading so much easier and fun are my new bookmarks! Now I have been a LONG time reader and the number one problem that I seem to ever have is finding a GOOD bookmark. Seriously, how hard should it be to find a good bookmark? Usually, I just end up using whatever scrap paper to keep my space in my book, (I absolutely hate folding down corners on books, it bothers me and I feel like it ruins the pages). BUT my amazing mother found me these amazing bookmarks! They are just soooo cute, and they are pretty much the perfect bookmark for me. You can put them on the top of the page, on the side, wherever and they are thin enough that they do not put an indent in the pages either. Either way, I'm totally in love with these bookmarks, now if only I could find a set with penguins :)

The next thing that I am really loving, is my local library. My local library has a system where they are connected to a bunch of other libraries in our area. So even if my library does not have a book, more than likely, another library in my area will! As a broke college student, the library is my best friend. I unfortunately cannot afford to buy all of the books that I want to read and I obviously still want to read them, so the library has become my best friend. It is also very convenient, because my library has a website that you can do everything from. I don't even have to go to the library until my books are ready for me to pick them up.

The final thing that I am really loving right now, is one of the books I own. It is The Charlemagne Pursuit by Steve Berry. Steve Berry just so happens to be my FAVORITE author! He writes Mystery/Thrillers. The thing that really keeps me so interested in all of his books is the connection to historical people, places, and artifacts. This book is about the pursuit of a possible original culture, which involves information collected by the Nazis, a book found in the Roman emperor Charlemagne's tomb, and Antarctica. I love it. It has totally taken over reading my other books.