Meme

A to Z Bookish Survey

/ beckireads / 7 Comments

So I saw this on a LOT of blogs on Sunday, and thought it looked kinda fun.

On the 9th August Jamie from The Perpetual Page-Turner posted a meme called ‘A to Z survey’. It’s a bit of fun where she poses a series of questions which correspond to the letters of the alphabet.

I’ve also provided Goodreads links in case you want to look up any of my choices.

Author you’ve read the most books from: Laurell K. Hamilton – I’ve read 30 books by her. [Goodreads]

Best Sequel Ever: Because It Is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin [Goodreads]

Currently Reading: Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck [Goodreads]

Drink of Choice While Reading: Whatever is close to hand, which most often would be Coca-Cola.

E-Reader or Physical Book? Physical Book I’m afraid, even though they do take up a lot space.

Fictional Character You Would Probably Have Dated in High School: Harry Potter. Need I add more?

Glad You Gave This Book a Chance: The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien [Goodreads]; I didn’t think it would interest me at all.

Hidden Gem Book: The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede [Goodreads]

Important Moment in your Reading Life: Being read to by my Mum every night when I was little.

Just Finished: The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith [Goodreads]

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read: Stuff that potentially contains gratuitous violence. Don’t mind the psychological stuff, but too much violence and gore is a definite no for me.

Longest Book You’ve Read: The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien [Goodreads] as I read it as one book.

Major Book Hangover Because Of: Don’t think I’ve ever had one of these. Or, at least I can’t recall it. That’s good, right?

Number of Bookcases You Own: 3, although one of them contains my manga and comic collection.

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times: The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce [Goodreads] Yes, I know it’s a series rather than a single book, but you can get it in a single bind-up (or at least you could).

Preferred Place to Read: Funnily enough, in front of the TV.

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read: The Sandman [Goodreads] has a lot of great, interesting quotes. But my favourite in a lot of ways is probably:

People think dreams aren’t real because they aren’t made of matter, or particles. Dreams are real. But they are made up of viewpoints, of images, of memories and puns and lost hopes…- The Sandman Volume One Preludes & Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman, p. 148

Reading Regret: Almost all the books I was forced to read in school, at sixth form and university. I’m sure there are some I would have liked had they not been required reading.

Series You Started and Need to Finish (all books are out in the series): The Temeraire [Goodreads] series is probably the only one, but I’m a bit nervous to continue it as I LOVED the first book so much.

Three of Your All-Time Favourite Books: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen [Goodreads], The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks [Goodreads], & Temeraire by Naomi Novik [Goodreads]

Unapologetic Fangirl For: Tamora Pierce [Goodreads]

Very Excited for This to be Released More Than Any Other: The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead [Goodreads]

Worst Bookish Habit: Probably the fact that I will use anything as a bookmark. I have been known to use tables, the remote, another book, plates, drinks, food… The list is endless.

X Marks the Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book: Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll [Goodreads]. My shelves are organised alphabetically, with some of my faves having their own bookshelf.

Your Latest Book Purchase: That would be my last Amazon order, of which 4 books have arrived – Tiger’s Curse [Goodreads], I Hunt Killers [Goodreads], Biting Bad [Goodreads], & The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden [Goodreads].

Zzz-snatched Book (The Last Book That Kept You Up WAY Late): Erm… Affliction by Laurell K. Hamilton [Goodreads] I think.

I might not have written/designed this meme but if you decide to answer it/have already answered it please leave me a link so I can read your answers too.

Sunday Post (14) & Showcase Sunday (6)

/ beckireads / 7 Comments

*

*

*

*

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  It was inspired in part by the In My Mailbox meme. It’s a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

*

*

*

*

 

This week I started the one review a week schedule. It’s really taken some of the pressure off. Unfortunately, it is also the only post that went up this week – opps!

Lucky (my border collie) was shorn last Sunday for the summer, and he still smells clean which is a bonus! 😀

This week has been a quite, but good one.

This Week on The Flutterby Room

Next Week on The Flutterby Room

  • 15th August – Oath Bound (An Unbound Novel, #3) by Rachel Vincent

Any New Books?

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits, and Tea. Its aim is to showcase our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders each week.

This week four of the six books I ordered from Amazon arrived 🙂

  • Tiger’s Curse (The Tiger Saga #1) by Colleen Houck [Goodreads]
  • I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent #1) by Barry Lyga [Goodreads]
  • Biting Bad (A Chicagoland Vampires Novel #8) by Chloe Neill [Goodreads]
  • The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden (The Coincidence #1) by Jessica Sorensen [Goodreads]

That’s it from me this week. I hope you’ve had a good week; let me know how your week went in the comments below.

Sunday Post (13) & Showcase Sunday (5)

/ beckireads / 8 Comments

*

*

*

*

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  It was inspired in part by the In My Mailbox meme. It’s a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

*

*

*

*

This week I came to the rather sad conclusion that I won’t be able to publish two reviews a week on the blog and will instead have to return to one review a week. My “reading slump” has totally destroyed the two month cushion I had built myself, and I can no longer keep up with two reviews every week. This makes me sad, but hopefully things will improve.

Apart from that, this week has been a good one.

This Week on The Flutterby Room

Next Week on The Flutterby Room

  • 8th August – A Witch Alone (Winter Trilogy #3) by Ruth Warburton

Any New Books?

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits, and Tea. Its aim is to showcase our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders each week.

I popped into Waterstones yesterday and I had to buy this book. It sounded really interesting.

  • The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith [Goodreads]

I know this book is really by J. K. Rowling (who doesn’t by now?), but that’s not actually the reason I picked it up. I picked it up because I heard two great reviews about the book from people I trust (a blogger and a vlogger, who will be thanked in the review) and I fancied something a little different to shake things up.

Top Ten Tuesday (28)

/ beckireads / 11 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They’d love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

*

*

*

*

This weeks Top Ten topic is …

Top Ten Nine Favorite Beginnings/Endings In Books

I’m going to focus on the beginnings side as the endings could be kinda spoiler-ish, and I want to encourage people to try these books. As well as not potentially spoil the ending for anyone reading them now. Some of these will probably be quite popular, but oh well. Oh, and I’m not limiting myself to middle grade or young adult or adult or “modern” or “classics”. It will be a mix.

Quotes are in no particular order. Enjoy 🙂

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling (MG) [Goodreads]

Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you’d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they didn’t hold with such nonsense.
(Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling, Bloomsbury (London: 1997), p. 7)

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen [Goodreads]

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
(Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Oxford Children’s Classics (Oxford: 2010), p. 1)

White Cat by Holly Black (YA) [Goodreads]

I WAKE UP BAREFOOT, standing on cold tiles. Looking dizzily down. I suck in a breath of icy air.
(White Cat by Holly Black, Gollancz (London: 2010), p. 1)

A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton [Goodreads]

TWENTY-THREE STORIES UP AND ALL I COULD SEE OUT the windows was grey smog. They could call it the City of Angels if they wanted to, but if angels were out there, they had to be flying blind.
(A Kiss of Shadows, Bantam Books (2001), p. 11)

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (YA) [Goodreads] [review]

After a year of slavery in the Salt Mines of Endovier, Celaena Sardothien was accustomed to being escorted everywhere in shackles and at sword-point.
(Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, Bloomsbury (London: 2012), p. 1)

The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan (YA) [Goodreads]

THE PIPE UNDER THE SINK WAS LEAKING AGAIN. IT WOULDN’T have been so bad, except Nick kept his favourite sword under the sink.
(The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Breenan, Simon and Schuster (London, 2009), p. 1)

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (YA) [Goodreads] [review]

Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she’d been told that she would kill her true love.
(The Raven Boys, Scholastic (London: 2012), p. 1)

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs [Goodreads]

I didn’t realize he was a werewolf at first. My nose isn’t at its best when it is surrounded  by axle grease and burnt oil – and it’s not like there are a lot of stray werewolves running around.
(Moon Called by Patricia Briggs, Orbit (2008), p.1)

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (YA) [Goodreads] [review]

Here is everything I know about France: Madeline and Amélie and Moulin Rouge. The Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, although I have no idea what the function of either actually is.
(Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, Speak (2010), p. 3)

And just for a bit of fun, if you’re thinking about picking up The Raven Boys here are 10 more reasons why you should!

Those were nine of my favourite opening lines. What are your top ten beginnings/endings in books? Let me know in the comments below, or link back to your Top Ten post so I can see what makes your list.

Sunday Post (12)

/ beckireads / 4 Comments

*

*

*

*

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  It was inspired in part by the In My Mailbox meme. It’s a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

*

*

*

*

This week has been a pretty good week on the whole. I managed to get some reading in – although not as much as I would like – and I was more active on the blog. In real life, I got to spend a brilliant Wednesday with my parents 🙂 I also got my renewal form for my driving licence, which was kind of scary because it was almost 8 years ago that I passed the test. Eek.

This Week on The Flutterby Room

Next Week on The Flutterby Room

  • 29th July – Doll Bones by Holly Black
  • 2nd August – Angel Dust by Sarah Mussi

Well, that’s it from me for this week. Thank you for stopping by. Please leave a comment below and let me know what you’ve been up to this week, and I’ll comment back.

Top Ten Tuesday (27)

/ beckireads / 9 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They’d love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

*

*

*

*

This weeks Top Ten topic is …

Top Ten Words/Topics That Will Make You NOT pick up a book

I’m afraid this week will just be a list from me as I’m not good at searching for quirky/funny pictures. Sorry.

  1. For fans of X. Or some variation thereof. Invariably the book with the sticker that contains this wonderful statement is NOTHING LIKE the book they are comparing it to. NOTHING. Or, the ‘X’ is a book I don’t like so I’m left wondering if the sticker is accurate or not. Either way, that book is probably NOT going home with me.
  2. Period drama. This isn’t always true, but period genre is generally something that is more miss than hit for me. I’m okay with alternate histories where more modern attitudes are shown by the characters, as these seem to be pulled off better.
  3. Science Fiction/Fantasy. This may seem a little strange seeing as I LOVE THE HITCHHICKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY and quite a few of Isaac Asimov’s books but – and this is a big but – modern books in this genre seem to be pretty much miss for me. I think because they quite often blur the line between fiction and fantasy with their science, and that just kills my interest.
  4. Horror/gore. It’s just not my thing. I did quite enjoy the HANNIBAL LECTER SERIES, but that was more psychological than anything. I don’t like the out-and-out horror, with lots of violence, torture, and gore.
  5. Retelling of book X. If I liked the original, why would I want to read a re-telling when I could read the original? If I didn’t like the original, why would this sell the book to me? Just saying.
  6. Second person narration. I know that this is technically cheating, as second person narration is not a word or topic BUT it is the thing most certain on this list to guarentee I will not read a book. Ever.
  7. Religion. I’m happy to read books with angels/demons/gods just as long as the author is not too heavy with their religious ideology. I don’t like feeling like the Bible/any other religious text is being rammed down my throat or the author is trying to convert me. To be on the safe side, generally I try to avoid.
  8. Time travel. I’ve never seen this done well.
  9. Travel in general. I’m including not just round the world trips, but also road trips. For me (generally) books that are very travel based seem a bit…well, forced. Sometimes it seems to be the only way that character A will meet character B, and they’ll fall in love whilst having adventure on the way… Although, to be fair, I do love some books which involve travel like the REVENANTS TRILOGY by Amy Plum, INK by Amanda Sun, and ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins.
  10. Classics/Modern Classics. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule but I can quite honestly say that I have read all the books in this category that I’m interested in – and some I soooo wasn’t. My dislike of classics is probably due to the fact that you cannot study English Literature without being forced to read some god-awful books, most of which are usually classics of some sort.

What are the top ten words/topics that make you NOT pick up a book? Let me know in the comments below, or link back to your Top Ten post so I can see what makes your list.

Sunday Post (11)

/ beckireads / 4 Comments

*

*

*

*

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  It was inspired in part by the In My Mailbox meme. It’s a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

*

*

*

*

Sorry this post is late, and if any links aren’t working. I wrote this post today, and late on at that. This week has not been the best one for me, but things are looking up. You may have noticed something a little different about the blog, and that is because I’ve changed the font and the background. This is all thanks to my Mum who decided to be awesome 🙂

This Week on The Flutterby Room

Next Week on The Flutterby Room

  • 22nd July – Destiny Kills by Keri Arthur
  • 26th July – Mercy Burns by Keri Arthur

Well, that’s it from me for this week. Thank you for stopping by. Please leave a comment below and let me know what you’ve been up to this week, and I’ll comment back.

Sunday Post (10) & Sunday Showcase (4)

/ beckireads / 5 Comments

*

*

*

*

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  It was inspired in part by the In My Mailbox meme. It’s a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

*

*

*

*

Sorry this post is late, and if any links aren’t working. I wrote this post today, and late on at that. I really needed to do stuff like book the dog in to get groomed before he cooks in the heat (as it is, he’ll have to hang on until August) and I lost the stupid card with the telephone number on so I had to convince the parentals to drive me out there.

This Week on The Flutterby Room

Next Week on The Flutterby Room

  • 15th July – Dead Ever After (Southern Vampire Mysteries #13) by Charlaine Harris
  • 19th July – The Bell Between Worlds (The Mirror Chronicles #1) by Ian Johnstone

Any New Books?

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits, and Tea. Its aim is to showcase our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders each week.

The final book of my Amazon.co.uk order arrived this week, and I got approval for another book on NetGalley 🙂

  • Oath Bound (Unbound #3) by Rachel Vincent [Goodreads]
  • The Woken Gods by Gwenda Bond [Goodreads]

I’d just like to say thank you to Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry for letting me read The Woken Gods.

Well, that’s it from me for this week. Thank you for stopping by. Please leave a comment below and let me know what you’ve been up to this week, and I’ll comment back.

Top Ten Tuesday (26)

/ beckireads / 10 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They’d love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

*

*

*

*

This weeks Top Ten topic is …

Top Ten Best/Worst Movie Adaptations

Well, this should be interesting as I don’t really tend to watch book to film adaptations. Not really my kind of thing. Although to be honest, I haven’t really watched a lot of films recently.

The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien/ The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

I really enjoyed THE LORD OF THE RINGS both as a book and a film. Peter Jackson did a good job of capturing Tolkien’s world. I actually saw this film multiple times at the cinema, I was a little obsessed.

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien/ The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

I haven’t actually read Tolkien’s book yet, but I really enjoyed the film. I do plan on reading the book at some point.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl/ Beautiful Creatures (2012)

I read the book so I could watch the film, and then I ended up not watching the film >.<; Opps?!

The Hunger Games by Susan Collins/ The Hunger Games (2012)

I watched the film before I read the book, and really enjoyed both.

Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption by Steven King/ The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Saw the film loved it, then years later I read the short story and loved it too.

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov/ I, Robot (2004)

I can’t remember in which order I watched/read these but this is one of the rare sci-fi books I like. The film was pretty good too. The Three Laws of Robotics are awesome, and well thought out.

Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding/ Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)

I read the book as part of my undergraduate course and it wasn’t my cup of tea, and then I saw the odd clip of the film and it wasn’t my cup of tea either. I wouldn’t like to say if this was a good or bad adaptation.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote/ Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

LOVE this film, I’ve also read a bit of the novella and it’s very different from the film.

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult/ My Sister’s Keeper (2009)

Read the book first, and although the film isn’t faithful to the book it is a good film.

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare/ Romeo + Juliet (1996)

I read the play and watched the film for my GCSE English. It’s definitely not my favourite of Shakespeare’s plays – I honestly think a lot of people forget/ignore how young Juliet is. The 1996 film is the best adaptation of the play for film I have seen.

PLUS, an extra that isn’t out but that I am tempted to see.

City of Bones of Bones by Cassandra Clare/ The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)

*

I really struggled writing this list as to be honest. What are your top ten best/worst book to film adaptations? Let me know in the comments below, or link back to your Top Ten post so I can see what makes your list.

Sunday Post (9) and Sunday Showcase (3)

/ beckireads / 8 Comments

*

*

*

*

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  It was inspired in part by the In My Mailbox meme. It’s a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

*

*

*

*

This Week on The Flutterby Room

Next Week on The Flutterby Room

  • 8th July – Affliction (An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Novel #22) by Laurell K. Hamilton
  • 12th July – The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

Any New Books?

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits, and Tea. Its aim is to showcase our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders each week.

Three new books arrived for me as physical copies this week, and I got approval on NetGalley for one book.

  • Affliction (An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Novel #22) by Laurell K. Hamilton [Goodreads]
  • Ink (The Paper Gods #1) by Amanda Sun [Goodreads]
  • The Eternity Cure (A Blood Eden Novel #2) by Julie Kagawa [Goodreads]
  • The Weight of Souls by Bryony Pearce [Goodreads]

I’d just like to say thank you to Angry Robot for letting me read The Weight of Souls.

Well, that’s it from me for this week. Thank you for stopping by. Please leave a comment below and let me know what you’ve been up to this week, and I’ll comment back.

See you next week.