Happy Halloween readers! Wouldn’t it be nice when you went trick-or-treating, you received books inside of candy??
In honor of Halloween, today’s Top Five Wednesday is all about characters I’d love to cosplay as or be for Halloween. While I admit that I’m not the biggest costume person, who wouldn’t want to be their favorite book character for a day?
Today’s Top Five Wednesday is all about our favorite covers, but I decided to (pumpkin) spice it up a bit by talking about my favorite covers for 2018 contemporary releases.
Mammoth by Jill Baguchinsky- While Mammoth has not come out yet, my bookshelf is already screaming for a finished copy because of it’s GORGEOUS COVER and GORGEOUS STORY. I really love how the blue and pink work together.
Unclaimed Baggage by Jen Doll- EXCUSE ME BUT IS THERE A THRIFT STORE LIKE UNCLAIMED BAGGAGE WHERE I CAN FIND THIS SQUIRREL? Unclaimed Baggage is a great example where the cover game compleltely influenced me to pick up the book. Plus how could you not love a book about three teens working in an unclaimed baggage store?
It’s every college student’s favorite time of year: textbook shopping time! Yes, it’s time to buy books that you’ll maybe or maybe not use over the next three and a half months. Maybe you’ll get money back for them in a few months or maybe they’ll become really nice, expensive doorstops. Luckily, as an English major, I don’t spend an extreme amount of money on textbooks. Bless you my STEM major friends for your insanely priced books.
Just in time for back-to-school, today’s Top Five Wednesday aks us to create a reading list based on a class of our chouce. I’d love to take a class on YA books one day -not just because I would so buy those books instead of rent them and add them to my personal collection. However,I took a class on graphic novels last semester, which influenced me to add a new minor and of course pick up some more graphic novels!
I’d especially love to take a class about books that were turned into film adaptations, featuring the 5 books below. I think it would be really fun to read the book, watch its adaptation, and compare and contrast. While there are SO many books and movies to choose from, I’m going to be focusing on some of my favorites from my own read pile. Syllabus to come next week.
It’s been a little while since I’ve properly done Top Five Wednesday. While I really enjoy participating in T5W and find it to be a great source for creative posts, I’ve been trying to focus more on original content and the reviews that I’m almost always behind on.
Anyways, today’s T5W is all about a topic that I often find myself thinking about: future classics. It’s interesting to think what makes a book be a classic, and as not the biggest classic fan, it’s sort’ve mind blowing to think about what contemporary books I’ve read will one day be considered classic themselves.
Looking for Alaska by John Green- If this ever becomes a definition, I think John Green will be known as a classic YA author. While all of his books are much-loved, I see Looking for Alaska as his defining classic because out all of his books (with maybe Turtles All the Way Down as the new exception), people seem to relate to this one the most.
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell- Like I said above, I’m not the biggest classic fan, but one of the elements that I think makes a book a classic is it’s eye-opening writing style or story. While I’m definitely in need of a reread, Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor and Park has both cute, romancey vibes and poignancy that will leave give you all the heart-warming and heartbroken feels.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas- A book that I think will be among many T5W posts this week, The Hate U Give has received many awards and honors, and I think being defined as a classic will come one day for its relation to today’s cultural and political climate in the US.
A Very Large of Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi- Okay, I know this book hasn’t come out yet, but I was very fortunate enough to read an ARC of Tahereh Mafi’s first contemporary & semi autobiographical novel, A Very Large Expanse of Sea. Without being too spoilery, I think A Very Large Expanse of Sea stands out for featuring a Muslim teen trying to fight off stereotypes in her American high school post-9/11 and its beautiful, thought-provoking writing style.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng– I think both of Celeste Ng’s books, Little Fires Everywhere and Everything I Never Told You, will be considered classics one day, but I’m going with Little Fires Everywhere BECAUSE IT’S MY FAVORITE. Little Fires Everywhere and Celeste Ng’s writing style just sucks you with its plot and complex characters.
Top 5 Wednesday is a collaborative group of book bloggers from various platforms who love sharing lists on Wednesdays. The T5W group can be found here on Goodreads.
What books do you think will be considered classics one day? Any of the above? Share in the comments!
In honor of Top Five Wednesday Rewind Month, my T5W topic for today is a throwback to February 2017. It may be bit of a surprise but I do have interests outside of books… for the most part. While reading is my #1 hobby way of life, you won’t always find me lost in the books. I love watching monthly favorites videos on Youtube, so it ‘ll be fun to channel my inner lifestyle blogger today.
Coach- Many thanks to my mom to giving me this obsession, but Coach is hands-down my favorite brand when it comes to bags. Being that Coach can be a bit on the pricey (but considerably low side for designer) side and I live that #brokecollege student life, the two bags below have both been treat yo ‘self gifts that I bought both at my local Coach outlet. I also don’t mind putting out a bit more money for Coach because I know the bags will last for a very long time. I’ve been using the tote to hold my laptop and personal items when I go to my internship, and the cross-body has been my go-to bag for city trips and days out with friends. I’ve also found that both bags compliment almost any outfit!
Across all of your favorite bookish blogs, this month’s Top Five Wednesday posts are going to be a different in that we’re all going retro! Welcome to Top Five Wednesday Rewind Month. This month I’ll be using T5W posts from the past, i.e. before I joined the T5W family back in May 2017.
My first rewind is going back to July 2016, where one of the month’s topics was “Most Recent Additions to Your Wishlist.” Blame it on finals stress and not wanting to do anything else but read, but my TBR went from about 65 to 90 books real quick at the end of April. Today I’ll be talking about my 5 most recent additions to my TBR.
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor- One of my best friends IRL loves YA fantasy and when she found out that I haven’t read Strange the Dreamer yet, she made me add it to my TBR immediately. I think I’m going to pick this one up later this summer or in the fall closer to the release of Muse of Nightmares.
Ship It by Britta Lundin- Blame Kristin of Super Space Chick’s Booktube video about Book Expo & Book Con on this TBR addition! I love books that incorporate fandom, so Ship It sounds right up my alley. Britta Laudin is also a writer on Riverdale, so that makes me even more interested.
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo- I’ve seen a ton of positive hype around To Kill a Kingdom since its March release, and this is another one that my best friend has thankfully pushed on to my TBR. I’ll take any book with The Little Mermaid vibes! I also really enjoy reading standalone fantasies every once and a while.
Not the Girls You’re Looking For by Aminah Mae Safi – I saw a few bloggers haul this one from the LA Festival of Books. I’ve heard nothing but positive reviews for this diverse read that features feminism and female friendship.
Burn for Burn by Siobhan Vivian and Jenny Han- Being a huge Jenny Han fan, I figured that it’s time to check out her Burn for Burn trilogy with Siobhan Vivian. I also adored Siobhan Vivian’s The Last Boy and Girl in the World two summers ago and Stay Sweet is on my summer TBR. I plan on borrowing the trilogy from my library, but I actually found Burn for Burn among the library’s used books for sale! I think I also saw Fire for Fire for sale, so hopefully Ashes to Ashes will pop up too.
What are some books you’ve just added to your TBR? Share in the comments!
Today’s Top Five Wednesday covers some of my favorite things, fandom items! I love collecting merch—I still trying to figure out how I’ve yet to buy a bookish candle, and I definitely see a book sleeve in my future. I’m going to be focusing on items from a mix of mediums.
Art Work- I definitely don’t have as much artwork as some of my fellow book bloggers do (maybe a potential trip to NYC Comic Con will change this in 2018??), but I appreciate bookish and fandom artwork. Two of my favorite artists are Simini Blocker, who’s featured in the special editions of Fangirl and did an amazing collab with Uppercase for one of their planners, and Charlie Bowater, who’s done a ton of artwork for Sarah J. Maas’s books. She’s helped design the covers for A Court of Wings and Ruin and A Court of Frost and Starlight, as well as creating the map of the Southern Continent in Tower of Dawn. My own favorites include a poster of Kevin Wanda’s Carry On cover design, the fan art in the Target edition of Tower of Dawn, and a gorgeous To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets Sixteen Candles card I received from Jenny Han at Book Con.
Mugs- I’ve been trying to limit my fandom mug collection for the sake of bookshelf space (I don’t drink out of them) and watching my spending—I’m still trying to figure out how I avoided buying mugs at Dear Evan Hansen and Carousel. And I know one of these days when I walk past the Hamilton store in NYC, I’ll be buying the Aaron Burr-inspired mug. Anyways, my mug collection includes Hamilton, Waitress, Book Con, and Ron Swanson. I always have Ron’s turned out on my shelf so you can see his face!
Funkos- I started collecting Funkos a few years ago when I received Katniss and Ron Weasley as Christmas gifts. I currently have 15 Funko Pops along with a Funko keychain and pen (check out my full collection here), and while people have definitely surpassed my collection, I want to just collect figures that are very near and dear to my fangirl heart. I’d love to add the rare/highly-priced Friends ones to my collection (I think they’re long overdue for an update or second series), and I’m not-so patiently waiting for the second wave of Parks & Rec. I’ve been pretty good about not buying any Funkos since Christmas, even though I was VERY tempted to buy the Hot Topic exclusive of Tom and Jean Ralphio from Parks and Rec. However, this somewhat buying ban will surely end when I see a Luna Lovegood with her Gryffindor Hat in a store or magicially pop into my Amazon shopping cart.
Bookish Pins- My bookish pin collection really comes from all of the bookish events I’ve attended. While most of them have come from Book Con, I’ve picked a few at Barnes & Noble Teen Book Fest and Jennifer E. Smith’s signing. One of the reasons I preordered A Court of Frost and Starlight is because of the awesome Night Court enamel included in Bloomsbury’s preorder campaign.
Preorder goodies- Speaking of preorder campaigns, I feel like publishers have really stepped up their game when it comes to their amazing preorder campaigns. I’ve preordered Sarah J. Maas’s ACOMAF, ACOWAR, and Empire of Storms—my favorite preorder goodie is the ACOTAR tote bag from ACOMAF– and Leigh Bardugo’s Wonder Woman: Warbringer. My copy was signed and I received a poster of the book’s cast. Sandhya Menon is currently running an awesome preorder campaign for From Twinkle, With Love, and my most recent preorders include Siobhan Vivian’s Stay Sweet, Morgan Matson’s Save the Date, and A Court of Frost and Starlight.
I love how today’s T5W focuses on bookish things instead of books themselves because I really enjoy talking about more-so fandom content. What are some of your favorite fandom items? Share in the comments!
You know those blurbs that say The Hunger Games meets The Fault in Our Stars meets Percy Jackson meets Harry Potter meets Game of Thrones meets Outlander meets Stranger Things? Okay, so maybe you haven’t seen that exact synopsis, but books blurbs tend to use other books or media that will entice readers to pick up said book. Today’s Top Five Wednesday is all about mash-ups that would make me want to pick up a book.
“A mix of Jenny Colgan’s Meet Me at the Cupcake Café and Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”
The similarities don’t end in the authors’ first names. While I’ve predicted a To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before spinoff series following Kitty, I’d love to have a book with an NA-aged Lara Jean opening up her own bakery! Anyways, I’d love a mash-up of Meet Me at the Cupcake Café and To all the Boys I’ve Loved Before with a character with a family as great as Lara Jean’s and opens her own bake shop like Issy, who also has a great support system.
“A mix of Sex and the City and Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl”
Okay hear me out on this one. I want a mash-up of Sex and the City for its female friendship and four best friends alongside Cath’s passion as a fangirl and love for the Simon Snow series. Now picture four best friends and fangirls living in New York City, going to book stores, cookie dough cafes, author events, and more together. How awesome would that be??
“A mix of Morgan Matson’s Since You’ve Been Gone and Jennifer Mathieu’s Moxie”
Moxie does feature female friendship, but I’d love a book where two female best friends, like Sloane and Emily (expect without the whole disappearing thing), team up together and spark a feminist revolution in their town during the summer. Because summer contemporaries are EVERYTHING.
“A mix of The Devil Wears Prada and Ashley Poston’s Geekerella”
Okay this is definitely my most out there mash-up, but it can work as such: A girl begins working for a food truck connoisseur in hopes of getting a recommendation for a top-notch culinary school. Add in working for her boss being not such a piece of cake and a cute Harry Potter fan of a guy stopping by everyday, and my pre-order would already be in!
“A mix of Hart of Dixie and Emery Lord’s The Start of Me and You ”
I enjoyed Hart of Dixie for its small-town, Southern charm and I feel like that setting would mesh really well with a book like The Start of Me and You. After facing some personal struggles, girl enters for small Southern town for a fresh start and relationship opportunities.
Top 5 Wednesday is a collaborative group of book bloggers from various platforms who love sharing lists on Wednesdays. The T5W group can be found here on Goodreads.
Today’s T5W topic and my own anticipation for some 2018 releases has made me consider what mash-ups have inspired me to add books to my TBR. Below are some of my anticipated 2018 releases whose mash-ups made me immediately add it to my TBR shelf on Goodreads.
Love à la Mode by Stephanie Kate Strohm
Mash-up: “Chopped Teen Tournament and Kids Baking Championship”
Food Network’s Baking Championship series is among my favorite TV shows, and I especially loved this past season of Kids Baking Championship (reminder that I still need to try and make a unicorn cake). I also like putting on Chopped while I’m writing, so once I got to this mash-up, I knew I was sold. The book follows Rosie and Henry as they attend a prestigious cooking program in Paris who must cook like never before while sparks fly between them.
Love & Other Carnivorous Plants by Florence Gonsalves
Mash-Up: “For fans of Becky Albertalli, Matthew Quick, & Ned Vizzini
Okay I admit that Becky Albertalli alone sold me on this mash-up, but I did enjoy Matthew Quick’s Silver Linings Playbook a few years ago. The book has been described as a darkly funny debut about a 19-year old student at Harvard who’s been consumed by love and grief. SIGN ME UP FOR ALL THE COLLEGE-AGED PROTAGONISTS
Would you be into some of the above mash-ups? What are some of your own? Share in the comments!
Today’s Top Five Wednesday is all about our favorite jokesters or funny characters. The five characters below may or may not be considered, but they’ve become memorable characters for me for their humor and smart remarks (some which are featured below).
Jesper from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo – GIVE ME ALL OF THE ARTWORK AND PILLOWS WITH THIS PLEASE:
” “Has anyone noticed this whole city is looking for us, mad at us, or wants to kill us?”
“So?” said Kaz.
“Well, usually it’s just half the city.” ”
Scott from We Are Still Tornadoes by Michael Kun and Susan Mullen – I think Scott’s sense of humor could be hit or miss from some readers, but for me, Scott’s jokes instantaneously cheered me and Cath up. We Are still Tornadoes is my most recent read that’s made me laugh out loud.
Levi from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell – I hold many Fangirl quotes close to my heart, but one that instantly pops into mind is one of Levi’s gems:
” “Have you met Cather?” Levi said to Reagan, his face still shining with amusement. “She spits hot fire.” “
Thorne from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer – Each character in the TLC gang has some sort of standout trait, and for Thorne, it’s his jokes in all the right and wrong moments.
Polly from Something Like Happy by Eva Woods – Something Like Happy is one of those heart-breaking, yet heart-warming novels, and the latter feeling results from Polly’s quick remarks. I still have this one flagged in my copy:
” “She waved at him as he limped on, brows knit fiercely and shoulders pumping forward.
“Oh, I love you, Dr. McGrumpy! I definitely won’t look up your kilt if you collapse!”
Who are some of your favorite literary jokesters? Share in the comments!
Today’s Top Five Wednesday is all about our favorite bookish mentors or teachers. While I could go on and on about my love for Professor McGonagall and Lupin, we’re encouraged not to talk about our HP mentors–do I sense a future T5W post for discussion???
Surinder from The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan – I love how Surinder pushes Nina to open up her shop and encourages her to do what she wants in her life. I also love her humor, and I think she needs to move to the Highlands ASAP to reunite with her best friend.
Fangirl Fury 