Top Ten Tuesday: My Top 10 WOW Endings

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018.

This week’s topic is a freebie so I decided to use a past topic that I’ve never done before. I decided this one would be fitting since we are almost to the end of 2018! The following are some books that had endings that made my jaw drop or cliffhangers that just made me want to scream haha!

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The Wicked King by Holly Black

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The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

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Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

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Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

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Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

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Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

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Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

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LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff

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I didn’t want to spoil anything so you’ll just have to read these books to find out what made me freak out! haha. I did, however, link to my reviews so you can check those out if you want! I hope you have a lovely week! 🙂

xx,

Amy

Top Ten Tuesday: My Favorite Platonic Relationships

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018.

I really love this week’s topic about our favorite platonic relationships! This was a pretty easy one for me… so here we go!

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1) Tori & Charlie from Solitaire by Alice Oseman:

Tori is Charlie’s older sister and you can just tell how much they love and support each other. I also love their dynamic seen in the webcomic, Heartstopper!

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2) Will & Jem from The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare:

This was my first obvious choice. They are my favorite parabatai in the Shadowhunters universe and nobody can tell me otherwise!

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3) Kora & Nova from Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor:

These two sisters have a rather tragic story line and it will forever tug at my heartstrings.

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4) Rielle & Remy from Furyborn by Claire Legrand:

Remy is the cutest little bro and I adore how fiercely he loves Rielle. I will riot if anything ever happens to him.

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5) Cassidy & Jacob from City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab:

These two are my favorite ghost-hunting duo. And the fact that Jacob is Cassidy’s ghost BFF makes it 1000x’s better.

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6) Caledonia & her crew from Seafire by Natalie C. Parker:

This book has some of the best sisterhood I’ve ever read and the friendships have left such a lasting impression on me.

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7) Inej & Nina from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo:

Another obvious choice, but really… these ladies are badass and I know they would die for each other.

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8) Rhy & Kell from Shades of Magic by V.E. Schwab:

Rhy and Kell’s sibling relationship is one of my all time favorites. Rhy is Kell’s found family and it just warms my cold, dead heart how far Kell is willing to go to protect Rhy.

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9) Alex, Lula, & Rose from the Brooklyn Brujas series by Zoraida Córdova:

These magical sisters deserve all the hype. I love how these girls know everything about each other and would walk to the ends of the earth for one another.

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10) Mirabella, Arsinoe, & Katherine from Three Dark Crowns series by Kendare Blake:

Ok, so I know these three sisters are technically supposed to hate each other and, ultimately, kill each other… but maybe that’s why I’m so damn invested in their stories!?

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That’s it for this week’s top ten! Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you are having a lovely week! ❤

xx,

Amy

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I’m Thankful For

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018.

It’s almost Thanksgiving in the USA and today’s topic is a “thankful freebie”. So I felt it was only appropriate to mention some books that I’m super thankful for. These books have touched my life in some way that I’ll forever be grateful!

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Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

I figured this one would be obvious so let’s get it out of the way first, shall we? 😉

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Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

 Attachments was the first book I read by Rainbow, and it was during a time in my life when I wasn’t reading a lot. This book has always stuck with me and has opened the door for me to explore more contemporary books.

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Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

This series is either a love it or hate it kind of series, but it’s the first YA high-fantasy that I got into and paved the way for me to explore more high fantasy stories.

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Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster

I will forever be grateful for Jen Lancaster’s hilarious memoirs. They really got me through some dark periods of my life.

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The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

This will most likely be my favorite book of 2018. Seeing the Southeast Asian rep in this book meant so much to me and I could relate so much to the characters.

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Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

Okay, so technically this graphic novel isn’t out yet, but you can read the entire thing for free on tumblr and Tapas. In fact, the content in the webcomic is ahead of the content that’s going to be published in Volume 1, which is slated to drop in February 2019 (Note: Alice self-published Heartstopper Vol. 1 in October 2018 via her Kickstarter campaign. So if you see physical copies floating around the book community, chances are that’s the copy you’re seeing!) Heartstopper is such a heart warming and pure story about two high school boys who fall in love. I am literally obsessed with their story. It’s just full of so much good.

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The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

The Poppy War is a very dark book but it’s such a damn page-turner, and the fact that it’s R.F. Kuang’s debut novel blows my mind. This book meant so much to me because of the Asian culture rep and I admire all the research R.F. Kuang put into it.

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The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

2018 was the year that introduced me to Holly Black, the queen of faeries, and I will always be thankful for that blessing.

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Legendary by Stephanie Garber

I buddy read Legendary with Melanie and, to be honest, this was probably one of my favorite buddy reads of all time. I had to much fun snap chatting with her and gushing over Chapter 13. ❤

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Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

Warbreaker was the first adult high fantasy story I read and I’m so glad I finally took the plunge.

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Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

I wanted to cry ugly big, fat tears when this book was over. It was so heart warming, heart wrenching, funny, and full of so much good. I wish I could read it again for the very first time.

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Well that’s it for this week’s top ten list! I hope you have a wonderful holiday if you’re in the US, and if you’re traveling I wish you safe travels!

xx,

Amy

Top Ten Tuesday: Backlist Books I Want to Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018.

This week I’m bringing you my top 10 backlist titles that I want to read. What’s a backlist title? It’s pretty much any book that did not come out this year. So I decided to mix up some classics with some books that came out within the past few years!

1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
2. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
3. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
4. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
5. Emma by Jane Austen
6. The Shining by Stephen King
7. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
8. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
9. Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
10. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

 

That’s it! I am really hoping I can carve out some time in 2019 to read all of these highly acclaimed books. Do we have any in common? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

xx,

Amy

Top Ten Tuesday: My Favorite Horror Films

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018.

Happy (almost) Halloween! Today’s topic is anything creepy/Halloween themed. Recently I shared my favorite atmospheric/paranormal reads, so this week I wanted to share my favorite scary movies. Keep in mind I am not a horror movie expert. A lot of my picks are main-stream movies or may not even have the best reviews. But they definitely scared the crap out of me when I was a kid and I still enjoy watching them!

Halloween (1978)

All hail Jamie Lee, our OG Scream Queen. This is such a classic slasher film.

The Shining (1980)

More psychological suspense, this movie really got me to love horror films. It’s not my favorite but I love the iconic bar scene.

The Ring (2002)

This is probably my favorite horror movie of all time. It checked off all my horror-loving boxes and the cinematography is stunning.

Pet Sematary (1989)

I remember watching this as a kid and thoroughly freaking myself out. The aunt in the attic still creeps the fuck out of me.

Child’s Play (1988)

I don’t know why but I love scary doll movies. We need more.

Candyman (1992)

I feel like no one ever talks about Candyman, but Tony Todd is such an icon and this movie deserves all the hype. It’s a twist on the Bloody Mary game, but instead you say Candyman in the mirror five times. It’s the perfect sleepover horror film.

Scream (1996)

Scream is such a fun movie and IMO revived the teen slasher genre (filled with cliches and all!)

The Sixth Sense (1999)

I love all the Easter eggs in this movie and you really have to give it credit for having the biggest twist in cinematic history.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

This is probably my second favorite horror film of all time. I love that it’s about serial killers outsmarting FBI agents. But it’s also such a beautiful movie and the sequels/prequels do not compare in the slightest.

The Craft (1996)

This is such a perfect witchy movie that I’m pretty sure Faizura Balk was born to star in.

 

Well I hope you enjoyed my list! Do you enjoy horror films? I really need to watch more. I recently finished The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix, and I gotta say, I was disappointed. I thought it started out strong but then things got really boring for me. But overall I’m glad I watched it and I still think it was very well made!

I hope you all have a wonderful Halloween!

xx,

Amy

Top Ten Tuesday: Big Books!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018.

This week’s topic is “longest books I’ve ever read.” I didn’t really like the topic because the majority of “big” books (to me) that I’ve read were around 600’ish pages. So instead I’m going to share the 5 big books I’m looking forward to reading this year as well as 5 big books I previously read.

5 Big Books I’m Planning to Read:

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon: 848 pages

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas: About 1,000 pages (According to the author)

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare: 720 pages

Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare: 701 pages

Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare: 720 pages

5 Big Books I’ve Previously Read:

Winter by Marissa Meyer: 827 pages

It by Stephen King: 1,116 pages

11/22/63 by Stephen King: 849 pages

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling: 870 pages

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling: 759 pages

 

Apparently this is the year of Cassandra Clare books for me! And I am SO HYPE for Kingdom of Ash! But I hope this was a fun topic for you. I don’t even know if these are the longest books I’ve ever read, but I used Goodreads to quickly look up their page numbers. I have no idea if it’s accurate! LOL. 🙂

xx,

amy

 

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Atmospheric Paranormal Reads

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018.

Happy October, friends! This is my favorite month and I am so excited for all the decorations, festivities, and spoopy books! I decided to change up today’s topic and instead share with you some of my suggestions if you’re in the mood for an atmospheric read that contains paranormal elements. These might not necessarily be horror, but they all have some sort of paranormal or magical themes, which fits the overall ambiance of October! Also I love a good, atmospheric book during this season.

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw:

I adored this haunting tale about sisters who were accused of witchcraft and drowned, and how every Summer Solstice they come back to take a girl. The Pacific Northwest setting is so perfect and I just loved the small town vibes.

Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moïra Fowley-Doyle:

This is a tale about friendship and being careful what you wish for. So many good woodsy vibes set in Ireland.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater:

Friendships, ghosts, and legends. I’ve only read the first book in this series but I love how Maggie Stiefvater builds her worlds.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden:

This book is a wintery, Russian folklore enthusiast’s dream. It’s definitely a slow burn, but you’ll seriously feel like you’re transported to a snowy farm house surrounded by magical woods. You can’t get much more atmospheric than this!

Blanca y Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore:

Blanca y Roja is one of my favorite reads of 2018. I legit felt like I was right there in those woods with the del Cisne sisters. This book pulls inspiration from well known fairy tales and haunting legends.

Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft:

This is an anthology of several short stories, many of which are super atmospheric and will transport you right into the magic. Some worlds are more brutal than others, and some of the themes can be very heavy, but they are so worth the read.

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand:

All I’m going to say is that this entire book takes place on an island, with dense woods, where there’s an unknown killer/entity hunting people.

Labyrinth Lost and Bruja Born by Zoraida Cordova:

Labyrinth Lost is the first book and it’s probably the more atmospheric out of the two. These witchy books follow bruja sisters through some very strange and unusual places.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart:

We Were Liars is another book that takes place on a secluded island that has its own secrets. This isn’t my most favorite book, but I know so many people love it! But I really loved the eerie, isolated vibes.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling:

Let’s just always assume Harry Potter will make it on most of my lists. LOL. But, yeah, it’s pretty self explanatory why!

Well, that’s it for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday! I am wishing you all the best October reads, and I can’t wait to hear what you all end up reading this month. ❤

 

xx,

Amy

Top Ten Tuesday: Books By My Favorite Authors That I Still Haven’t Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018.

Hey, friends! This week’s topic is just another reminder that I have way too much on my TBR! Some of these authors I’ve loved for forever, and some are authors who I have read only a few books from but I want to keep reading more!

1. A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir
2. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
3. Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
4. Two Dark Reigns by Kendare Blake
5. Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas
6. Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter
7. The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
8. Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
9. Lethal White by Robert Galbraith
10. The Shining by Stephen King

Do we have any in common? I am hoping to get to these this fall/winter! ❤ I hope you’re all having a great week so far. I can’t believe September is almost over!

xx,

Amy

Top Ten Tuesday: My Fall 2018 TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018.

Fall is going to be such an epic book release season! I’m in awe of all the amazing books coming out. I was very privileged to have received and reviewed some fall ARCs, so here are some of my favorites (linked to my reviews): Muse of Nightmares, Escaping From Houdini, Sawkill Girls, Toil & Trouble, & City of Ghosts.

Below is my top 10 list of anticipated fall releases. I know there are many others I’m anticipating, but the hype is real with these for me! Also I want to note that I have not read any ARCs of these books!

1. The Lost Sisters (The Folk of the Air, #1.5) by Holly Black
2. Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton
3. Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa
4. Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, #7) by Sarah J. Maas
5. Vengeful (Villains, #2) by V.E. Schwab
6. Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
7. The Silence of the Girls by Pat Baker
8. Wildcard (Warcross, #2) by Marie Lu
9. Lethal White (Cormoran Strike, #4) by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)
10. Two Dark Reigns (Three Dark Crowns, #3) by Kendare Blake

I’m legit hyped these are coming out soon! I actually already have Two Dark Reigns and Girls of Paper and Fire (ARC) but I haven’t read them yet. However I plan to in October! What are you excited to read this fall?

xx,

Amy

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Bingeworthy TV Shows

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018.

This week’s topic isn’t my favorite because I don’t watch a lot of TV (we got rid of cable) but below are my favorite shows to stream. I’ve binged these shows more times than I can count, and it’s usually on in the background when I’m doing stuff around the house. These shows help me relax and put me in a good mood! (I didn’t include more “serious” shows I love such as Better Call Saul or Game of Thrones.)

Parks and Recreation

This show got me through a really difficult stage in my life when I was bedridden, recovering from an illness that still impacts me to this day. I’ve since binged it so many times and the jokes will never get old.

Bob’s Burgers

I think I’ve seen all the episodes, like… a thousand times. This show is, hands down, the one show I always put on when I’m cleaning the house or folding laundry.

The Office

I know The Office is a bit older (and I like to pretend the last season didn’t happen) but I still love the deadpan humor. Give me all the Jim and Pam moments, please.

Rugrats

Rugrats is on hulu and all is right in the world. Except for you, Dil. I don’t watch any episodes with Dil because he’s literally like the Scrappy Doo of that show.

Hey Arnold!

Another Nickelodeon favorite of mine that’s on hulu! I love how diverse the cast is and how it showcases inner city kids. My favorite episode is the one about the haunted train and the snow day.

Rick and Morty

It’s crass and gross… I love it.

Shaun the Sheep

This show doesn’t have any dialogue so you’ll have to pay attention. It’s sooo cute. It’s by the creators of Wallace & Gromit!

Downton Abbey

This show is such a damn pleasure and the fashion is goals.

Gilmore Girls

Cozy cozy cozy. And let’s talk about how it makes me want to drink a million cups of coffee.

I Love Lucy

The jokes from Lucy will always hold up to this day. I love her so much. My favorite episodes include the one where Lucy has to fly home with a giant wheel of cheese that she disguises as a baby, and the one where she gets locked in a meat freezer.

What shows to you like to binge? I admit, I’m a bit clueless on the new fall line-up, but if it’s on hulu, Amazon Prime, or Netflix, let me know!

xx,

Amy