Top Ten Tuesday Archives - Page 60 of 93

“Spooky” Reads Perfect for October

Oct 29, 2019

This week I’m sharing the books that I think are perfect to read around October and Halloween. Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and Bookish and is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl.

Halloween isn’t really a big thing here in Australia, so it’s always hard to get in that mood. Over the past couple of years, it has become bigger, but even then. Adding to that, I’m not a massive horror fan. Really I hate horror and I avoid watching and reading scary things at all costs. So today I thought I would share with you some of my favourite “spooky” novels that I think are perfect to read this time of year. Like always these are in no particular order.

Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna #1) by Kendare Blake: I couldn’t make this list without putting Anna Dressed in Blood on it. I love this series. It’s dark and so intriguing. It has a great combo of being ‘scary’ but also a novel that anyone can read. It’s one of those novels that tears you apart, but you are totally fine about it.

Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) by Susan Ee: While this isn’t your typical horror book. The Angels in this series are not kind, or beautiful. You don’t want to meet them in the middle of the street. It’s that kind of read that throws everything that you’ve read or know about Angels out of the water.

Teen Spirit by Francesca Lia Block: This is a fantastic book for those just starting to test the waters in horror. It’s always a great book for younger teens. I read this quite a number of years ago now, but I really enjoyed it.

The Vanishing Game by Kate Kae Myers: This one grabbed me from the first page. It’s intense and you never really know what’s going on as a reader. And that’s the best part. It’s spooky and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The reader doesn’t know what’s real and what isn’t. It’s so good.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black: I really love this book. It’s a great combo of vampires and horror. This is the kind of vampire books I like. Dark, inhuman and so well done. The attention to detail is fabulous in this one and I just love falling into this world. Vampires are world known, so making them unique can be hard sometimes and Holly Black did such a good job.

Hotel for the Lost by Suzanne Young: This was such an interesting book. Firstly I’m going to say, it’s not for everyone. But when I read it, I really enjoyed it. The concept of a hotel that is haunted is so common, but it was done so well here, that I couldn’t help but love it.

And there we go. Those are “spooky” reads that I loved reading and I think are perfect to read in October and this time of year. Have you read any of these? What did you think of them? Are you planning to read any of these? Let’s Chat!

Books On My TBR I’m Avoiding Reading

Sep 10, 2019

This week I’m sharing the books on my TBR that I’ve been avoiding reading. Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and Bookish and is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl.

Over the last 3 years, by impulse buying of books has become worse. Buying books that come in at work isn’t unusual for me. Sometimes when I’m processing stock, a book lands in my hand that catches my eye and I end up buying it. There are also those books that everyone is loving and it sounds like my jam, and it sits on my shelf for months on end.

Anyway, today I’m sharing some of those books. Those that I’ve avoided reading. These are in no particular order.

The Diviners (The Diviners #1) by Libba Bray: This has been on my TBR for years since it came out probably. I really don’t know why I haven’t read it yet. I am pretty sure I even have 2 copies. Really I think it’s a combination of things. A lot of people love it, so the hype surrounding the book is massive. And it’s big, it’s nearly 600 pages and normally that shouldn’t freak me out, but it does here.

Spark (Spark #1) by Rachael Craw: This is another one that’s been on my list for a really long time, but I finally picked up a copy a couple of months ago – so I plan on reading it really soon. I don’t really know why I never read this one before. A main reason was not being about to find it in local stores.

Thicker Than Water by Brigid Kemmerer: This is a strange one. I honestly can’t give you the reasons why I haven’t read this. I’ve now read 4 or 5 books from Brigid Kemmerer and I’ve loved every single one. I have a copy of this sitting on my shelf just waiting to be read – I think my plan is to read it before the year ends. I’ve even been reading more romance in the last 2 years.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys: I’ve had this book on my shelf for at least 3 years now, and it’s just sitting there. I adored reading Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, and I think I’ve just been nervous about not liking her other books. Which I don’t think is possible. Especially since it’s about WWII. My hesitation doesn’t make sense to me. At all.

Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer #2) by Laini Taylor: I cannot believe that this is still on my TBR. I don’t understand why. I adored Strange the Dreamer and for some reasons, I’m avoiding reading Muse of Nightmares. None of this makes sense to me.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas: I loved Angie’s first book so much, that it’s made me so hesitant to read her next book. And I don’t even know why. I’ve heard great things about On the Come Up. I brought the hardback of it. I was all prepared to read it and now, I just haven’t it.

Circe by Madeline Miller: Another one that I’ve avoided reading because I loved another book of these so much. In saying that, there are a couple of other reasons why I haven’t read Circe yet. Honestly, I was waiting for the B format to be published so it could at least match my copy of Song of Achilles.

And those are some of the books on my TBR that I have been avoiding to read for a reason or another. What are some of the books that you’ve to avoid to read? Do we share any that’s the same? Let’s Chat!

Books I Enjoyed That Were Outside of My Comfort Zone

Sep 3, 2019

This week I’m sharing the books that were out of my comfort zone, but I loved reading them. Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and Bookish and is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl.

It’s rare that I read out of my comfort zone. Most of the time I slowly move into something different. So this weeks theme was a little hard for me. So I thought I would play with it a little. And share the books that helped me move into something different reading-wise. Anyway, here we go.

Secrets of a Summer Night (Wallflowers #1) by Lisa Kleypas: I know I’m talking about Lisa a lot recently. But before picking up Secrets of a Summer Night I had never really read a historical romance before. And now I can’t stop reading them. They are just so much fun to read and most of the time they aren’t tearing my heart to pieces. They are just fun, couple hour reads, that makes me forget everything happening around me.

Appetites & Vices (The Truitts #1) by Felicia Grossman: This is the second historical romance novel that really helped me step out of my comfort zone. Before I was only really reading contemporary romance, but now I like pushing my boundaries and can’t wait to read more historical romance.

Catching Jordan (Hundred Oaks) by Miranda Kenneally: This is one of the first YA contemporaries books and series that I read and let me tell you, it started a chain. Before this, I only really ever read fantasy or urban fantasy. But after reading this not only did I read more contemporaries but sports romances as well.

Taste the Heat (Love and Games #1) by Rachel Harris: I did a strange thing where I started reading adult romances before I started NA and this was where I started. Rachel Harris got me into reading way more romance than I ever thought I would. Seriously it’s one of my favourite genres’s now.

Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits #1) by Katie McGarry: This is another one of those books that pushed me out of my comfort zone and got me reading more YA contemporary, as well as getting me into New Adult. Katie McGarry’s series has a great balance of being YA but also pushing the boundaries into NA. And still to this day she is one of my favourite authors.

The Love That I Have by James Moloney: If you didn’t know already, I love historical fiction. But for a long time, I was only ever reading YA historical fiction. And this is the book that pushed me out of my comfort zone and into reading more into the adult realm of it. While this is classified as adult fiction, the main protagonist are on the younger side and it was a great bridge for me into reading adult historical fiction.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller: Firstly, if you haven’t read this book please do. Mythology has also been my thing, but for the most part, I’ve mainly read either the original or a modern retelling. And this one really pushed me out of my comfort zone and gosh I am so happy it did. I can’t wait to read more retelling or twists to a classic, but also set during the same time.

And that is it for this week! What are some of the books that you loved, but also pushed you out of your comfort zone? Let’s Chat!