Mid year book freak out tag 2020

It has been kind of quiet on the blog here lately.  Between work, enjoying the nice weather, family time, and all the ARCs I've been reading I haven't had much time for blogging other than scheduled posts.  I've read some really excellent books, and plan to get those reviews up soon.  

I've been seeing this post pop up on YouTube and I always liked it.  I thought I'd do an impromptu Tag Tuesday.  I love this particular tag because I can feature some of my favorite books I've read so far this year and let you know about some upcoming releases that I'm looking forward to.

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2020. 
1. A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow.  
1. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this, and if you look back at my reviews in 2018, I read a ton of retellings with mermaids/sirens.  This looked really interesting and I love a good mermaid storyline, but this completely blew me away.  It is not a retelling, and it is so much more than a fantasy story about a girl who is a siren.  It discusses racism, sexism, and so much more.  
2. 
2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2020. 
1. Rage & Ruin by Jennifer L. Armentrout.  
1. This is the second book in The Harbinger Series, and this world is a spin off of my favorite series ever.  This is shaping up to be my second favorite.  I love the characters, the world, and the author.
2. 
3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to. 
1. Jane Anonymous by Laurie Faria Stolarz.  
1. I got a surprise ARC of this in the mail, but I haven't gotten to it yet.  It came out in January, but I tend to catch up on reading my physical books in the summer when I spend more time outside reading
2. 
4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year. - I have a few:
1. Escaping Ordinary by Scott Reintgen
2. The Brightest Night by Jennifer L. Armentrout
3. Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
4. Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
5. Biggest disappointment.  
1. The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix.  
1. This was so hyped up and on the surface looks like something I love.  It's got humor, Stephen King level weirdness and horror, and vampires.  I love all those things in a book, except for a book about vampires, this really fell flat for me.  There was too much of the Stepford Wives overtone and not enough vampire.  This one is going to be hit or miss for people and it was a miss for me.
2. 
6. Biggest surprise. I have two:
1. The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauerneuster.  
1. I wasn't sure I'd like this, but it was a Reese Witherspoon pick and those tend to be pretty good.  While this doesn't have magic, it almost has a magical realism feel for parts of the book.
2. 
2. The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline.  
1. This book was so interesting.  Dystopian books are hit or miss with me but I loved the unique premise of this.  I also loved how much the author put herself and the culture of the indigenous people of North American into this book.  I couldn't stop listening to the audiobook. 
2. 
7. Favourite new author. (Debut or new to you) .
1. Sarah Gailey.  
1. I highly recommend their work, and I'm slowly making my way through their backlist.  They have a unique writing style that I really enjoy, and there is always a diverse cast of characters.  
8. Newest fictional crush. 
1. I am not a fan of this question. I don't really the do whole book boyfriend thing.  If you want men that don't suck read any of the Smartypants Romance books.  There is a good mix of characters for all types of readers.  
9. Newest favorite character.
1. Ava from Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden Mills
1. This book deals with some heavy subject matter but Ava deals with all the crap that is thrown at her with poise and a strength that most people don't have.  Knox would be a good answer for the previous question.
2. 
10. Book that made you cry. 
1. I don't think I've read one this year.  I've read some pretty emotional books that have covered some fairly heavy topics, but I went through my read list and none of them brought me to tears.
11. Book that made you happy. 
1. Girl Code: Gaming, Going Viral, and Getting it Done by Andrea Gonzales and Sophie Houser
1. This is a great non-fiction book about high school girls learning to code.  As a high schooler I would have loved to have had the opportunity that Andrea and Sophie had to learn about coding and technology.  I entered into engineering with some support but not at the same level they did.  This book made me happy to know that girls are getting the support they need to enter STEM fields and close the gender gap.
2. 
12. Favorite book to film adaptation you saw this year. 
1. Honestly I don't think I've seen one this year.  I just listened to Bird Box on audio and I want to see the movie but I don't have Netflix.
13. Favourite review you've written this year.
1. Black Tangled Heart by Samantha Young
1. This book was an emotional rollercoaster.  I really loved it!
2. 
14. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received) 
1. From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
1. This is Jen's first foray into Fantasy and was a surprise release in March.  It is fairly long so I haven't picked it up yet, but I know I won't be able to put it down once I do.
2. 
2. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
1. As is the usual trend I have a ton! I have 3 prompts to finish up for the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge, 20 prompts left for the Popsugar Reading Challenge. I'm doing really well on my challenge reading, and I've got a list of ARCs to read and review. I'll list a few of the ARCs that are coming out in the near future:
1. Unearthed by Marc Mulero (July 26, 2020)
2. 
3. Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles (August 25, 2020)
4. 
   
   
   



Original post Chami and Ely at A Book So Fathomless. Original Vlogs IsThatChami and Earl Grey Books.

Tag Tuesday Fall Time Cozy Time Book Tag 2019

I was procrastinating on the long list of stuff I need to get done, so naturally I was catching up on youtube videos and saw this on India's channel and it reminded me that I really loved this tag last year so I brought it back.  I've read alot of books since last year's post so let's see if I can come up with different answers.

Fall is my favorite time of year, but this fall has been really busy.  It is technically still fall until the end of this week, although there is snow on the ground and it has steadily been in the 30's here in Pennsylvania for the last week or so.


India - Life is a Page Turner https://youtu.be/CmaAXaxQ_Tk
Sam's Nonsense // creator → https://youtu.be/Q-4nDR8jXi0


1. Crunching Leaves: The world is full of color - choose a book that had reds/oranges/yellows on the cover  - The Furies by Katie Lowe

2. Cozy Sweater - It's finally cold enough to don warm cozy clothing: what book gives you the warm fuzzies? 
His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik has the most amazing relationship between Captain Laurence and his dragon Temeraire.  I truly love their bond and this alternate history.


3. Fall Storm: The wind is howling & the rain is pounding - choose your favorite book OR genre that you like to read on a stormy day
I'm not really a big re-reader.  I always intend to read books again, but I never do.  Lately I've been favoring romantic comedies, which is strange for me since I'm not big on romance.  Life can be stressful, so a little comedy is a good way to keep things light on a gloomy day. 

4. Cool Crisp Air: What's the coolest character you'd want to trade places with?
Indira Story from Saving Fable by Scott Reintgen.  She becomes the hero in her own book.  I mean what book lover doesn't want to become the hero in their own story.  Her friend Maxi was pretty cool too.


5. Hot Apple Cider: What under hyped book do you want to see become the next biggest, hottest thing? Senior Year Bucket List by J.M. Miller

6. Coat, Scarves, and Mittens - The weather has turned cold & it's time to cover up - What's the most embarrassing book cover you own that you like to keep hidden in public?  This is another great reason to own a kindle.  No one can see what you are reading.  I'm really not a fan of covers with shirtless men on them, which cover's most romance novels.  Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, however while it had a romance, was a weird sci-fi dystopian novel.  I didn't really like it, and this cover is not my favorite.  I'm glad this was the audiobook cover, not a book I was reading in physical copy.


7. Pumpkin Spice: What's your favorite Fall time comforts food/foods?  I'm going with Applesauce.  Every fall we try to go apple picking or atleast get apples from a local farm and I make and can my own applesauce for the year.  I canned 44 pints of applesauce this year and we've already made quite a dent in them.  This year I used Stayman Winesap apples (my favorite), excellent for snacking, applesauce, apple crisp, and pies  I think this year was the best batch of applesauce yet.

Tag Tuesday: The End of The Year Book Tag

Well, it has been quite a while since I've done a tag Tuesday. I usually get my inspiration from youtube and tags seem to have lost their popularity. I saw Ariel Bisset do this tag recently and I really liked it.

I have a ton of books on my TBR, but my focus for the end of the year will be on the ARCs I've received and finishing up the two reading challenges I'm working my way through.

·         Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

o   No, I tend to be a completionist and finish books when I start them.  I did DNF a book this year but I don’t plan on returning to it.  I did start reading Smart but Scattered last year and I pick it up every once in a while but still haven't finished it.  

·         Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

o   I don’t usually read books by season.  I kind of just read what I feel like reading.  Thrillers are great for fall as well as books with witches.  I do have a few of those lined up.

§  The Furies by Katie Lowe

§  Verity by Colleen Hoover

·         Is there a new release you're still waiting for?

o   Beard Necessities by Penny Reid due out November 4th.

§  I’ve been waiting for this book for years. This is book #6 in The Winston Brothers series and is probably the most awaited story for fans of the series.  The story follows a couple that has been side characters in the other books, and I was lucky enough to read an ARC of their origin story and I’m dying for this one.  I have to know how this heartbreaking story ends.

·         What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

o   All of these check off a reading prompt for one of the challenges I’m doing.  Its looking like I overbooked myself for September and October with ARCs so I haven’t been reading many of the books on my TBR outside of those.

o   RedSister by Mark Lawrence

§  I’ve not only heard that this is an awesome book but it fulfills a reading challenge prompt that takes place at an abbey.  This is supposed to have assassin nuns and that is a trope I’m into.

o   Dragonsworn by Sherrilyn Kenyon

§  I love this series, but I keep putting off reading it because I was so let down by the last book.  I read an excerpt of the next book in the series and it is exactly what I expected from Kenyon’s writing but you need to read this one first.

o   Catharsis by Travis Bagwell

§  I don’t actually know what this one is about except it is a LitRPG book.  I don’t know much about LitRPG, but based on recommendations from fans of the genre this is a good one.  I grabbed it on sale from the kindle store earlier this year so we are going to give it a go.

·         Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year?

o   This is a tough one.  It would probably be easier to answer what I expect to disappoint me.  There are so many things I hope that will be favorites.  I have a bunch of new to me author’s coming up in the Penny Reid Smartypants Romance universe, but I expect to really enjoy those.  The books I have on my challenge TBR lists are all things I really want to read. 

o   If I had to pick one I’m going to go with The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi.  I’ve really enjoyed his other YA cli-fi/dystopian books and I’m hoping this one is just as good.

·         Have you already started making reading plans for 2020?

o   I have a few ARCs that come out in early 2020 so if I don’t get to those by the end of this year I will get to them first thing in January.  I’m also looking forward to a few new releases in 2020.

o   I have participated in the Popsugar Reading Challenge for the last few years and the list of challenges usually comes out in late November or early December.  I start penciling in titles for the prompts as soon as the list comes out.  I also plan to keep up with Book Riot’s Read Harder yearly challenge.  It is always fun to join the discussion boards on goodreads and facebook to see what other people recommend and see if I actually read what I planned to.

o   These are the books I’m looking forward to in 2020

§  The Prized Girl by Amy K. Green due out in January 2020

§  Ashlords by Scott Reintgen due out in January 2020

§  The Borgia Confessions by Alyssa Palombo due out in February 2020

§  The King of Crows by Libba Bray due out in February 2020

§  Hollopox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend due out in February 2020

§  Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner due out in August 2020

Tag Tuesday Mid-Year Book Freak Out 2019

Well it is that time of year again, and I thought I would revive Tag Tuesday.  It might only be for this Tuesday, but I've been seeing this pop up on YouTube again and I really liked this tag last year so here we go.

Original post Chami and Ely at A Book So Fathomless. Original Vlogs IsThatChami and Earl Grey Books.

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2019. 

The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy, #1) by Katherine Arden. I love this series. I love the mythology and the characters. I just got the 3rd book in on audio and I can't wait to find out how it ends.

2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2019. 
The Obelisk Gate (The Broken Earth, #2) by N.K. Jemison. I read The Fifth Season late last year and it was excellent, but this was even better. The conclusion was great as well, I highly recommend the series.  I want to read it all over again.

3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to. 
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon.  This is one of my most anticipated fantasy books of the year.  It came out in February, and was recently on sale so it has joined my growing TBR of books I've bought but haven't read yet.  It also has an amazing cover.  It is something like 800+ pages so I need to get through my growing review pile and give myself a good amount of time to commit to this one.

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.

The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang.  The Poppy War was one of my favorite books of last year, so I'm really looking forward to finding out how the story plays out.  I desperately want to request an ARC, but the audiobook of The Poppy War was so good, I think I'm going to wait and get it on audio and buy the e-book when it comes out in August.

5. Biggest disappointment.  

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple.  I think this was disappointing because it came so highly recommended.  I listened to the audiobook and perhaps that swayed my opinion, but I found the characters to be annoying instead of enchanting and funny.  The story was a bit too ridiculous for realistic fiction.  I think I fell into the hype and my expectations were much higher.  I see why so many people like it, but this just wasn't for me.

6. Biggest surprise. 

When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities by Chen Chen. I'm not a big poetry reader, but this was really approachable and straightforward. I didn't enjoy all of the poems, but I found it easy to read and I surprisingly liked it.  I read this for a reading challenge prompt, and I was dreading it because poetry often makes me feel inferior because I just don't get it.  His writing is beautiful and you could feel the emotion he put into them.  It was a surprise to me because I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would.  

7. Favourite new author. (Debut or new to you) .

Katherine Arden and N.K. Jemison, while they both write completely differently I love their styles and want to read all of their books.  Daisy Prescott is a new author to me, but her style is similar to Penny Reid and I can tell I'm going to love her.

8. Newest fictional crush. 

Reese Forster from Teardrop Shot by Tijan.  I really enjoyed this book and I love a decent guy in a romance. 

9. Newest favorite character.
Trinity from Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout.  This is a spinoff of one of my favorite series and I really love the main character.  She doesn't let things get in her way.

10. Book that made you cry. 
I'm not a big crier when it comes to books.  I may shed a tear or get that feeling, but I never sit there and just have a good long cry because of a book or movie. Two books that brought some strong emotions through were:

Things We Never Said by Samantha Young 

Boyfriend Bargain by Ilsa Madden-Mills

11. Book that made you happy. 

Romeo and/or Juliet: A Chooseable-Path Adventure by Ryan North. This book is hilarious! I read it for one of the reading challenges I'm doing, and it is awesome. The illustrations are great and the different paths are amazingly funny. 

12. Favorite book to film adaptation you saw this year. 

Maybe Ready Player One because it was the only one I've seen not because it was the best.  This adaptation really disappointed me the first time I watched it because I loved the book so much.  The 2nd time I watched it I appreciated it for what it was, but it left so much out and changed some of my favorite scenes.  It kept the general premise of the book, but certainly wasn't the best adaptation of all time.  We don't go to the movies very often and when we do it is to see stuff like The Lego Movie 2 or other cartoon/kids movies.   We prefer to watch movies at home where the kids can move around, things can be paused, and snacks are in abundance.  I was late to the game watching this because we usually wait until things are on HBO on demand and sometimes they take forever to get there.

13. Favourite review you've written this year.

My series review of The Illuminae Files.  I really loved this series.  The audiobooks were amazing, as were the print books.  I highly recommend both formats.

14. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received) 
Verity by Colleen Hoover.  I think this cover is gorgeous.  This is another book that falls into the pile of books I've bought but haven't read yet.  I'm looking forward to getting to it.  

15. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

So many!  I have 12 prompts to finish up for the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge, 25 prompts left for the Popsugar Reading Challenge, and I've got a ton of ARCs that I need to get through by the end of the year.  I've read or listened to 87 books so far this year so here's hoping I can be just as successful in the 2nd half of the year.

Check out my July TBR for a list of what I plan to read this month and this is a small sampling of what is on my TBR for the rest of the year (in no particular order):

• The Whisper Man by Alex North (coming in August)
• The Chestnut Man by Soren Sviestrup (comin in September)
• The Hanged Man and the Fortune Teller by Lucy Banks (coming in September)
• The Burning Shadow by Jennifer L. Armentrout (coming in October)
• The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
• The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore
• His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
• The Library Book by Susan Orlean

Tag Tuesday: Out of My Comfort Zone Book Tag

As per usual, I was watching BookTube and this tag caught my attention. I really love Julie's vlog over at Pages and Pens. She has similar reading tastes to me, and I get alot of good recommendations from her, go check out her video here. I was also happy to hear that this tag was created and inspired by vloggers that I actively watch and enjoy, go check them out too.

Emma’s Video (creator): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kod0Z... Hardback Hoarder (inspiration): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URKD3...

I really love the concept of this tag. I've been participating in the Popsugar reading challenge for the past 2 years because I found myself in a reading rut, always reading the same thing over and over. I found myself getting bored reading the same basic story time and again. When I found the challenge in 2017, I was able to still read books I wanted to read, but branch out and read things I never would have read before. It forces me to read out of my comfort zone and I really love it. There is a goodreads group and a Facebook group and the members are lovely and always have great discussions and give the best suggestions. I also love that the only rule to the challenge is that you read books, there aren't any rules and no one to police your challenge list. It is purely for fun. The 2019 list just came out and I'm really excited about it.

CREATE A RULE: Choose one genre/category of books that you frequently talk about in tags and don't use ANY books from that genre for answers. For my rule I'm staying away from YA Fantasy which is mostly what I tend to read.

• A book that is an exception when it comes to genres or elements in books that you don't typically like.
• I usually don't like non-fiction especially biographies, but Born a Crime was excellent. I think because Trevor Noah wrote with his sense of humor which I enjoy made it enjoyable.

• A book you enjoyed from a genre you previously held some stigma about.
• We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, as I said I don't read alot of non-fiction especially, feminist non-fiction.  I didn't find this overwhelming or overbearing.  I kind of expected a feminist book to tell me I wasn't being a good feminist because of this and that, it wasn't like that at all.  This was a great little book and kind of broke down reality vs perception of feminism and how you can be a common sense feminist or an extreme feminist or somewhere in the middle.  I really enjoyed it and learned a few things too.  

• A book you didn't know was actually out of your comfort zone until you started reading it. 
• The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi was a tough read for me. I've really liked other books he's written and this involve a bunch of stuff I'm interested in, this just dragged on for me. I'm just not into bio-punk I guess.

• Pick a friend or BookTuber that motivates you to pick up books you might not normally be interested in. What is one book out of your norm that they convinced you to give a try? 
• There are so many. Hardback Hoarder, Chelsea Dolling Reads, Peruse Project, Emma Books, Books and Lala, Pages and Pens, and Katie Loves to Read, there are more but lately they are my go to. They all read some genres that I like and some that I don't, so I'm always finding something interesting from them.  
• I picked up Walk on Earth a Stranger which is a historical fiction with a twist, recommended by Regan at PeruseProject and loved it.  I loved the whole series.

• A book that is out of your comfort zone that you would like to read. 
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, clearly this is one of the greatest books ever but I've never read it. I don't love classics, but I do feel a bit of an obligation as a reader to read the great works of literature.  I'm putting this on my TBR for 2019.

• A book or genre so out of what you normally read that you'll probably never give it a(nother) chance.
• Erotica, I'll read contemporary romances once in a while but it isn't my go to. I read one by an author I really like, and while the plot was good, I just didn't care for the construction.  I much prefer her contemporary works.  

Tag Tuesday: Plan With Me Book Tag

So as usual I get most of my Tag Tuesday ideas from Ali at Hardback Hoarder (What's My Page Again // creator → https://youtu.be/4BKKJKbkSZk). I love her vlog and she picks the best tags. I'm not a super big planner, but I do have a date book and I try to keep my phone's calendar updated with my life events. As for reading, I do try to plan out what I'm going to read atleast for my challenge prompts but I'm not super strict about it.


1.) Pay day! -A book you would buy right now. Cost doesn’t matter!
I'd repurchase all of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Darkhunter books in hardback so my set matched. The first half I have in paperback and the rest are hardback and it bugs me that they don't match.
2.) Pay a bill A book you would get rid of right now
The Man Who was Thursday by GK Chesterton I really didn't enjoy this book. It is sitting in my pile of books to donate to the library. Fortunately I got it at the library book sale and only paid $1 for it, maybe less so it wasn't a great loss on my part. I read it for a reading challenge and it served its purpose.
3.) Doctor appointment -a book that makes you feel better when you are down
Anything by Penny Reid. Her Knitting in the City Series or Winston Brother's Series always puts me in a good mood or pulls me out of a slump.
4.) Meeting -a book or series you felt obligated to read because of the hype
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, it seems everyone has read and loved these books.
5.) Lunch date a book or series that you feel in love with because a friend recommended it to you.
I don't have alot of reader friends, so I'm going to go with a booktuber recommendation. I picked up Rae Carson's Walk on Earth a Stranger because of Regan over at PeruseProject. I loved the series and Regan's historical fiction recommendations.
6.) Work/school week a book that was hard to get through - Ruin of Stars - I really liked the first book, unfortunately this one just didn't meet my expectations for the conclusion of the series.
7.) Gym day a book that gets your heart pumping because it was such an exciting page turner.
Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout. This was a book I started one evening and stayed up until the early morning to finish. I couldn't put it down.

8.) Date night a book with your favorite romantic couple.
Fight or Flight by Samantha Young, this is a more recent release but Ava and Caleb quickly rose to the top of my favorite couples list. Samantha writes some of my favorite contemporaries and I always love her couples, my original favorite couple was from another one of her books
9.) Vacation a book or series you would want to binge on if you had all the time in the world.
The Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson, I've heard so many good things and I feel like I'm going to like it. I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

10.) To Do List - A book that you keep meaning to get to but don’t have the time for
The Daughter of Smoke and Bone Series. I bought them at Bradley's Book Outlet last year because they were there and I keep hearing great things. After finishing Strange the Dreamer I really want to get to them, but they keep sitting on my shelf.

Tag Tuesday: Finally Fall Book Tag

If you saw my last tag Tuesday post you know I love fall. It is my favorite time of year. This fall has been really crazy, it was 90 degrees one day and 40 the next. It's been super rainy so we haven't had those beautiful sunny autumn days to transition us from summer to fall. The leaves stayed green well into October and because it got cold so fast everything just kind of died and didn't get pretty and change colors. This fall was a bust but hopefully this tag won't be. 

I just watched Chelsea from Chelseadolling reads video of this tag and it seemed appropriate and fun. She is one of my go to youtubers for contemporary recommendations. Check her video out and her channel in general.

Chelseadolling Reads video - https://youtu.be/-QQxkIn1biw

Tall Tale's original video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNUc-... 

QUESTIONS: 

1. In fall, the air is crisp and clear: name a book with a vivid setting!  This is probably an odd pick but I loved this book so much!  I felt transported to the time and places when I read it so I'm going with The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.   I listened to the audiobook and it was one of my favorite reads of 2017.  I bought my own copy and while I don't re-read things often this is one I can see myself re-reading.

2. Nature is beautiful… but also dying: name a book that is beautifully written, but also deals with a heavy topic like loss or grief.  Ryan's Bed by Tijan.  Tijan is a relatively new to me author, but I had to read this when it came out.  It tells the story of twins, after one has committed suicide and the other is left to deal with the aftermath and her own grief.  I really loved how this was handled and how it was written.

3. Fall is back to school season: share a non-fiction book that taught you something new.  I'm currently reading Pittsburgh Irish: Erin on the Three Rivers for the Popsugar Reading challenge for a book about my heritage.  I'm 3rd generation Irish and this book is really interesting and I'm learning a ton about my Irish heritage that I never knew before.  I never met my Irish great-grandparents, but I'm learning all about how the Irish settled Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas of Pennsylvania.

4. In order to keep warm, it’s good to spend some time with the people we love: name a fictional family/household/friend-group that you’d like to be a part of.  - I would love to be a member of the Knitting in the City knitting group.  These women are so fun and I feel like I would be friends with them in real life, plus they could help me with my knitting.  I never could quite figure it out.  This series and its "sister" series The Winston Brothers by Penny Reid are awesome!

5. The colourful leaves are piling up on the ground: show us a pile of fall-colored spines! These are all books I've recently acquired that I haven't read yet and they are all red, orange, and yellow.

6. Fall is the perfect time for some storytelling by the fireside: share a book wherein somebody is telling a story.  I can't think of a more epic story than The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.  While this is quite the undertaking to read, it is so worth it.  I really enjoyed the magic system, the characters, and the plot.  

7. The nights are getting darker: share a dark, creepy read. Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafon was pretty dark and creepy.  There are these creepy puppet things that really got to me and when someone asks me about a creepy read I'd recommend this one.  It has classic horror elements mixed with European Gothic style and I loved it.

8. The days are getting colder: name a short, heartwarming read that could warm up somebody’s cold and rainy day. - Paintbrush by Hannah Bucchin was such heartwarming YA contemporary.

9. Fall returns every year: name an old favourite that you’d like to return to soon.  I don't re-read books that often.  I used to when I was a kid, but I find I have so many new books I want to read I don't often feel the need to re-read old favorites.  I would like to re-read Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor soon, I just bought my own copy recently.  Muse of Nightmares just came out and I loved Lazlo and Sarai so much.  I can see myself re-reading that one soon.

10. Fall is the perfect time for cozy reading nights: share your favorite cozy reading “accessories”! - Warm fuzzy socks, a blanket, and a cup of hot tea.  Can you tell I'm always cold? 

11. Spread the autumn appreciation and tag some people! - I tag anyone who takes the time to read this, leave your answers in the comments or a link to your post.

Tag Tuesday Fall Time Cozy Time Book Tag

I love the fall, especially if the sun is out and it isn't raining. The leaves are colorful and that means pumpkins and Halloween.  My house is a spectacle during October, we have lights and music, and all things spooky.  I love it!  I was catching up on videos and I saw this on Ali's channel and thought it would be a perfect tag. I love Ali's channel so go check her out.


Ali - HardbackHoarder https://youtu.be/No3maib3clw
Sam's Nonsense // creator → https://youtu.be/Q-4nDR8jXi0


1. Crunching Leaves: The world is full of color - choose a book that had reds/oranges/yellows on the cover - I'm going with City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty.  I haven't read this one yet but it certainly has all of the colors on the cover and it has been on my TBR for a bit.  I do plan on getting to it at some point.

  

2. Cozy Sweater - It's finally cold enough to don warm cozy clothing: what book gives you the warm fuzzies? - Something by Penny Reid.  If I'm in a slump or a bad mood I read one of her books.  They are funny, well written, and always have a happy ending.  Penny knows how to write a good contemporary and I fall in love with her characters every time.  I highly recommend The Knitting in the City and Winston Brother's Series.

3. Fall Storm: The wind is howling & the rain is pounding - choose your favorite book OR genre that you like to read on a stormy day - I pretty much always like a good fantasy or mystery on a gloomy day.  As long as I have a warm beverage, usually tea, a blanket, and a book I'm happy.

4. Cool Crisp Air: What's the coolest character you'd want to trade places with? - This is a tough one, there are so many good characters out there to choose from.  I'm going to go with Annabeth from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Hero's of Olympus series.  She's smart, strong, and pretty much awesome all the way around.  Plus I love Greek mythology and she's a demi-god.  She gets to go on some awesome quests to save the world.  I know this series is YA/middle grade but I really enjoyed both of them.

5. Hot Apple Cider: What under hyped book do you want to see become the next biggest, hottest thing? - I had a hard time with this one.  Most of the books I read lately get alot of hype and for good reason, or they are hyped up and I didn't like them.  Alot of books I gave 5 stars to recently are older and were hyped at some point.  I don't hear about The Diviners series a ton so I'm going to go with that one.  I highly recommend the audio.  January Lavoy is amazing and I love the series.

6. Coat, Scarves, and Mittens - The weather has turned cold & it's time to cover up - What's the most embarrassing book cover you own that you like to keep hidden in public?  I read on my kindle or listen to audio books most of the time so this really isn't an issue.  Anything with a questionable cover or that I might not want people to know I read, I read on my technology.  While not an embarrassing read, I will say that this book sparked a ton of discussions while I was reading it.  I read The Shack for the 2017 reading challenge, and since I actually took it with me in public right around the time the movie came out people were talking about it.  Anything involving politics and religion always sparks interesting conversations.


7. Pumpkin Spice: What's your favorite Fall time comforts food/foods?  - I'm not a pumpkin pie person, I just don't like it.  I am however, an apple pie person. Give me apple pie, apple crisp, or anything with apples and cinnamon, add some vanilla ice cream and we are all good.  Yum!

Tag Tuesday: Guilty Reader Tag

I found this over on Milliebot Reads Blog when I was looking for tag ideas.  I follow Millie and you should too.  

Links to the original posts

Chami's original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYlDg... Ali's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLsaz...

Have you ever re-gifted a book?

No I don't think so.  I'm not a big regifter in general.  I've given lots of books as gifts, and I've donates books and given them away.

Have you ever said you’ve read a book when you haven’t?

I never finished Dracula or the Lord of the Flies.  I read most of them, but I'm honest about never finishing them.  For Lord of the Flies I had to read it for school so I probably told my teacher and my mom I finished it.  I just got my copy of Dracula back, and I plan on reading it at some point.

Have you ever borrowed a book and not returned it?

No, I turned them in late all the time, but I always paid my late fees.  My son on the other hand likes to lose his books at school and we've had to replace a couple.

Have you ever read a series out of order?

I know I read Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter Series out of order.  I started with Dream Hunter, then read a couple of the later ones.  Eventually I went back to the begining and have read them in order since.

Have you ever spoiled a book for someone?

Probably, but I didn't mean to.

Have you ever doggy eared a book?

I'm sure I have at some point in my life, but I've always been a big fan of bookmarks.  I know I had a big collection of them as a kid and I know I will use whatever slip of paper I can find these days if I can't find my bookmark.  I'm a big e-book reader as well so this mostly isn't a problem for me.

Have you ever told someone you don’t own a book when you do?

Only if I forgot I owned it.  I have a bunch of books in storage that I am slowly reclaiming.  My memory isn't always accurate on the books I do and don't own.  If I did it wasn't intentional.

Have you ever told someone you haven’t read a book when you have?

I'm typically pretty honest about the books I read.  I'm not embarrassed by the books I've read and I'll tell you my honest opinion on them if you want to know.  That's why I'm here isn't it?

Have you ever skipped a chapter or a section of a book?

I know I did with Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare on audio.  I put audio books on when I go to sleep then I go back to my bookmark the next day and relisten to the parts I missed.  I didn't do that with this one.  I wish I had because I know I missed a ton of stuff.  I just wasn't motivated to do so with this.  I want to go back and read this in physical form because I just had a hard time paying attention to the audio.

Have you ever bad mouthed a book you actually liked?

Not that I recall.  I try to point out the good and bad in all books, but if I liked a book I'll defend it.

The Halloween in July Book Tag

I saw this on Pages and Pens today and it is perfect for me. I love Halloween and I've read my fair share of creepy books. I started my journey into horror with R.L. Stine and similar books in 3rd or 4th grade with the Fear Street Series. I love mysteries and thrillers. Most of the time I think things are greusome or disturbing and it takes alot to scare me. I love a good pshycological thriller in book or movie format. The original creator is Krystal over at The.Book.Gypsy on Instagram. Check out Julie's video here and Krystal's post here

1. What book gave you the creeps?

Marina by Carlos Ruis Zafon

This book was creepy and haunting. It has a gothic horror vibe while still staying in the YA realm. I loved it. I really loved the writing style and the audiobook was that much more disturbing, especially since I didn't know it was a horror book. The marionettes or puppets or whatever those things were, still creep me out. Go read it to see what I mean.

2. What book gives you the best Halloween vibes?

Halloween Children by Brian James Freedman and Norman Prentiss

This is super creepy and set on Halloween. If you are into the horror genre this is right up your alley. This is not for the faint of heart, it gets pretty gruesome towards the end.

3. What’s your favorite vampire book?

Children of the Night by Dan Simmons

I read this years ago, I'm talking mid to late 90's, but it still sticks with me as one of my favorite vampire books. It features a child who is a medical anomaly and may hold the key to cancer and AIDS. It is set in Romania and features ties to the original Vlad Tepes. I really enjoyed it. I actually prefer older vampire books from the 90s and prior.

4. What book scared you so much you had to sleep with the light on?

I don't really have a specific book for this one, but if I had to pick something I would have to be something from Stephen King. I started reading King at an early age, probably in middle school. If it wasn't King who gave me nightmares it was R.L. Stine's Fear Street series which I loved in elementary school. I remember begging my mom to buy me his books from the Scholastic book order every month at school and devouring his books anytime I got my hands on them.

5. What’s your favorite book about witches/goblins/ghosts/demons?

The Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

I love this trilogy. This involves a witch and a vampire couple, lots of magic and history. It is well written and I love it. I can't wait to see the screen adaptation.

6. What book do you wish was scarier than it was?

I struggled with this one as well since it takes a good psycological plot to really get me, but after scouring a couple of scary book lists I found one.  I'm going with Cell by Stephen King.  I didn't particularly care for Cell.  I thought it was kind of dumb, but I found it on a list of Books that gave me Nightmares.

7. What’s your favorite book that takes place in October?

The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding: A Fiendish Arrangement by Alexandra Braken

This is a middle grade book, but it is set around Halloween, involves a fiend, and was really fun. I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. I didn't think it was particularly scary, but it was a great middle grade read for the fall season.