Day 27, The Day of the Genre

Day 27 of the 30 Day Book Challenge asks the question that everyone else asks, what is your favorite genre of books?

Why do we have to put labels on things? Can't we all just call them books, and leave it at that? Why make me label what I have?

haha :) But seriously, my favorite genre is kind of specific...

It would be: Historically-based-Mystery-Conspiracy-Action

What....a mouth full. I know. But seriously, give me a book with that and written well, and I am in love. Which is why Steve Berry is my favorite author.

I just love when I get sucked into these books and they're using old clues that might possibly not be there anymore. It is just an awesome ride.

If you know any other good authors that write books like this, please let me know!

What is your favorite book genre?

Day 26 Non-Fiction is Hilarious!!

Day 26 of the 30 Day Book Challenge is all about my favorite kind of non-fiction books.

Did not even have to think about my answer.

It would be memoirs written by comedians. Especially funny, female comedians. My favorites are those by Chelsea Handler!!

These are the ones that I have read and ABSOLUTELY love!

My Horizontal Life

Are You there Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (by Mindy Kaling)

Where is Day 24?? My Favorite Series

I'm so sorry that I haven't posted in two days! I just moved back to my place in my college town, so things have been a little crazy!!

Day 24 of the 30 Day Book Challenge asks what my favorite book series is.

I do really like to read book series, only sometimes I just can't keep up or I just do not really have the ability to get the new books in the series. It can be frustrating.

For this post, I picked the Body Movers Series by Stephanie Bond. I have read the first three and I own the fourth one, I just have not gotten around to finishing it just yet. I believe that there are six books out currently in the series. Even though I am not fully up to date on the series and caught up, these are seriously really good!!

Obviously, she does write romance books, so do not be surprised by some adult content, but there is also a mystery and comedy element to the books that make them really well rounded. I like how the books smoothly move into the next ones and you do not feel like there is a lull in the action of the plot.

They are really a good series that I definitely recommend to anyone! (age appropriate, of course :) )

Day 20: Where Do I Read??

Day 20 of the 30 Day Book Challenge, asks which environment do I like to read the most in.

I read pretty much everywhere. I think my favorite environment to read is a comfortable one. Blankets cuddled up around me. Pillows everywhere. A soft perch to plop down on. Enough light to read, but not too much to make it hurt my eyes.

Also, I prefer quiet. I have tried reading while listening to my iPod, but I end up finding out by the time I'm done reading that what I was listening to was done long before I even noticed. I block out sounds when I start to really get into a book that I am reading, but it is much preferable for me to just have it quiet anyways so that I do not have to worry about getting distracted.

What environment do you prefer to read in?

Day 15 A Book on My TBR List? Seriously?

Day 15 of the 30 Day Book Challenge is kind of crazy. They want me to pick a book on my TBR (To Be Read) list. I have a list of about 800 books. Yea. This is asking a lot.

I don't even know where to start for picking just one off of my list.

I guess the next book that I am the most excited to read would be The Emperor's Tomb by Steve Berry. The only reason I'm really picking this book is because it is the next book of Steve Berry, one of my all-time favorite authors.

Day 13 My Favorite Book From Childhood

Day 13 has me almost stumped. My favorite book from childhood is kind of hard to pick. I have always loved reading, and I would read many different kinds of books and loved so many of them.

The one that I decided on was......wait for it.......

The Boxcar Children #1. I loved this series, and I especially loved the first one. I've read it quite a few times and I can still remember some of the details of the book. This series was one of the first mystery series that I ever read, and probably started my love for mystery. 

Late Post! Day 12 My Favorite Authors

Day 12 of the 30 Day Book Challenge is all about my favorite authors. These are the authors that I will read pretty much anything by, and more than likely love.

1. Jane Austen. I don't care how over-loved some people think Jane Austen might be. I love everything Jane Austen. The only problem is reading and watching all of it! You wouldn't believe how many Austen-based books there are! And then there are at least two different film adaptations for each of her books, and even film adaptations of some of the books based on Austen! It is an obsession for me.

2. Steve Berry. I just love every one of his books. I don't know how he comes up with all of the amazing quests that his main characters go on. And all of that historical information and all the different places that they visit throughout the world. I just can't get enough.

3. Stephanie Bond. I'll admit, I started reading her books because that would be my name if I was married to James Bond. Silly, I know, but I found a really good author from that bit of silliness. I love her romance novels :) Especially the ones that involve murder mystery.

These are my main favorite authors that I read all the time and even put forth the effort to own most books by each author!

What are your favorite authors? Are they ones that you just HAVE to own all of the books of??

Day 10 Five Absolutely Great Film Adaptations

Day 10 of the 30 Day Book Challenge is all about Great Film Adaptations. This is a very difficult subject for many book lovers. Movie adaptations are a very touchy subject for many book lovers, especially since MANY movie adaptations are horrible. To find 5, I thought I would have a problem, but actually I didn't :)

1. Pride and Prejudice (The BBC Version with Colin Firth) I had to be specific about the version of Pride and Prejudice because there are about 6 versions of Pride and Prejudice, and some of the other ones are NOT true to the book. There is barely a word changed or a sentence missing or added in this version. It is true to the book in the best possible way. Also, it has a handsome young Colin Firth in a wet shirt. Seriously, WATCH IT!

2. In Her Shoes. This one does have a few differences from the book, but it does not detract from the real meaning of the book. It focused on the sisters and their relationship, which is the heart of the book and I think that they did a wonderful job on the movie. I definitely recommend them both!

3. Lord of the Rings. I am putting all three together because otherwise they would be almost the whole list! Peter Jackson did a wonderful job at giving the Lord of the Rings the film adaptation that the epic deserved. The really are a different world and they are a beautiful world too.

4. Harry Potter. Now, obviously not ALL of the Harry Potter films are great adaptations. Just talk to any HP fan and you will quickly find that out. The two that stick out to me the most as the best adaptations are Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Oder of the Phoenix. These two really captured each of the books for me. I was just as excited as Harry at first going to Hogwarts and I was just as angry at the situations that happened in the Order of the Phoenix.

5. Bridget Jones's Diary. I actually think that the movie surpasses the book in this one. The book was funny and relatable, but the movie was even more so! They did a wonderful job picking the actors and I think they really got the neuroses of Bridget very well. :)

These are my favorite film adaptations. Are there movie adaptations that you were like, "Yes! They got it right!" about??

Day 9 Favorite Quotes About Books

For a difference from Day 8, Day 9 of the 30 Day Book Challenge is all about my favorite quotes ABOUT books.

They are all pretty self-explanatory. They are about books. I love books. I think we can get 4 by adding two and two together. :)

“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” 
― Jorge Luis Borges

“Books are the ultimate Dumpees: put them down and they’ll wait for you forever; pay attention to them and they always love you back.” 
― John Green, An Abundance of Katherines

“So many books, so little time.” 
― Frank Zappa

“If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.” 
― Oscar Wilde

“Some things don't last forever, but some things do. Like a good song, or a good book, or a good memory you can take out and unfold in your darkest times, pressing down on the corners and peering in close, hoping you still recognize the person you see there.” 
― Sarah Dessen, This Lullaby

“I can never read all the books I want; I can never be all the people I want and live all the lives I want. I can never train myself in all the skills I want. And why do I want? I want to live and feel all the shades, tones and variations of mental and physical experience possible in life. And I am horribly limited.” 
― Sylvia Plath

“A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading.” 
― William Styron, Conversations with William Styron

Day 8 Favorite Quotes from Books

Day 8 of the 30 Day Challenge is all about my favorite quotes from books that I have read! I love quotes, but I never had really thought too much about quotes from books as I read them. 

My ALL TIME favorite quote from a book is probably one that is a little bit over used and loved by many people but I cannot help it. 

“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. ” 
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

           -I love Lord of the Rings and this is pretty much my favorite sentence from the whole thing. It screams adventure to me, and really kind of tells the mood of the books too. It's dangerous, but it something that must be done some times. 

"If you alone found out what the lie was, then you're probably right—it would make no great difference. But if you ALL found out what the lie was, it might conceivably make a very great difference indeed." — Daniel Quinn

          -This is a quote from Ishmael, which is a book that I really loved. I think that the idea of making a difference in the world is something everyone should aspire to, and this book makes you feel like you can do it. If only we could get everyone to open their minds and listen, we could all find out the lie.

“One loses everything when one loses one's sense of humor.” 
― Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead

         -Another beautiful book, The Fountainhead has many quotable parts in it. I think that this quote is just universal. I happen to love to laugh and I think that a sense of humor is one of the most important things someone can have to ensure a happier life.

These are some of my favorite quotes from books that I have read. Is there a quote from a book that you just love? Let me know your favorites!

Day 6 The Best Book I've Read this Past Year

For Day 6 of the 30 Day Book Challenge it asks what the best book is that I have read in the past year.

I actually have not read that many amazing books this past year, mainly because I had to read so many for school and I don't always finish them or like them.

I would have to say....

The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran.


Now don't judge, I know it's not like a classic novel that everyone raves about, but I happen to really like it.

I have an obsession with Ancient Egypt and this has furthered by interest!

I loved the characters. The subject. The court intrigue worthy of the court of Henry VIII. I loved everything about the book and I cannot wait to read more from this author!!!

What is your favorite book that you have read in the past year??

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??

Day 1 of 30 Day Challenge!

Day 1: Your 10 Favorite Books of All Time

This is definitely going to be a hard one! They are not in any specific order.

1. Harry Potter Series: I am just going to lump them all into one because I cannot choose between them all! I grew up, literally, on Harry Potter. They absolutely HAD to be on this list.

2. The Fellowship of the Ring: This is my favorite book of the Lord of the Rings series. I wouldn't put all of them together because I actually didn't really like The Two Towers- I was so bored with it I took a two year break in the middle of reading it!! The books are amazing though and I really love this one because it sets up the whole world and it's just a beautiful book.

3. Wide Sargasso Sea: This was a book that my Senior year Novels class teacher gave to me. It was a wonderful book! This is a book that tells you how the original Mrs. Rochester became the crazy locked up woman of Jane Eyre. You really feel for the character and I really like that it goes into how someone turns crazy.

4. A Series of Unfortunate Events Series: I love this series! It is so much fun, all of the things that they go through to find out what really happened and everything.

5. The Black Jewels Trilogy: I know that there are more books now, but when I read them there were only three. I love the world of these books and it is such a roller coaster ride as you go through her life.

6. The DaVinci Code: LOVE it! It's amazing and I just cannot help loving the quest that Langdon goes on and I think that it really can open your mind if you let it.

7. Old Magic: This is a book by an Australian author that I found and I have probably read it 5 times or more. I love it more every time. It is magic in the real world and then they end up going to the past to fight a powerful wizard. I can never get enough of it and I have been dying for them to make a movie of this.

8. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler: If you haven't read this, you should. It is sooo cute! Two kids decide to runaway from home and they do it be living inside of a museum! I want to live inside of a museum...Then they discover something and search for the truth on a possibly famous work of art.

9. The Alexandria Link: This is the second book in the Cotton Malone series. It is about searching for the lost Library of Alexandria (which happens to be an obsession of mine). It was my first Steve Berry book and I cannot help but have it be my absolute favorite!

10. The Fountainhead: This book may be epically long, but it is more than worth reading. If you haven't read any Ayn Rand, then read any of it. Her books are full of philosophical ideas and they really make you think, which I love!

There are some other books that are TOTALLY worth being on this list, but I am pretty happy with the ones that I have :)

What are your 10 favorite books of all time? Have you read any of these? Did you like them too?

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.