Friday, September 30, 2016

New Releases: October 2016

 Oct. 4

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Illustrated Edition by J.K. Rowling, illustrated by Jim Kay
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2)

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #2) by Rick Riordan
The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #2)

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Replica (Replica #1) by Lauren Oliver
Replica (Replica, #1)

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple
Today Will Be Different

Genre: Fiction

Fear the Drowning Deep by Sarah Glenn Marsh
Fear the Drowning Deep

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Aerie (Magonia #2) by Maria Dahvana Headley
Aerie (Magonia, #2)

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang
The Wangs vs. the World

Genre: Fiction

When the Moon was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore
When the Moon Was Ours

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Four Letter Word (Diry Deeds #1) by J. Daniels
Four Letter Word

Genre: Romance

Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
Holding Up the Universe

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

The Universe of Us by Lang Leav
The Universe of Us

Genre: Poetry

Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History by Sam Maggs, illustrated by Sophia Foster-Dimino
Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History

Genre: Non Fiction - History

The Wall of Storms (The Dandelion Dynasty #2) by Ken Liu
The Wall of Storms (The Dandelion Dynasty, #2)

Genre: Fantasy

Everyone We've Been by Sarah Everett
Everyone We've Been

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Prince: Purple Reign by Mick Wall
Prince: Purple Reign

Genre: Biography

Feeding Hannibal: A Connoisseur's Cookbook by Janice Poon
Feeding Hannibal: A Connoisseur's Cookbook

Genre: Cookbook

Spare and Found Parts by Sarah Maria Griffin
Spare and Found Parts

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig
Last Seen Leaving

Genre: Young Adult Mystery

Girls Like Me by Lola St. Vil
Girls Like Me

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Oct. 11

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
Small Great Things

Genre: Fiction

Iron Cast by Destiny Soria
Iron Cast

Genre: Fantasy

Bound By Blood and Sand by Becky Allen
Bound by Blood and Sand

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Goldenhand (Abhorsen #5) by Garth Nix
Goldenhand (Abhorsen, #5)

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Hag-Seed (Hogarth Shakespeare) by Margaret Atwood
Hag-Seed (Hogarth Shakespeare)

Genre: Fiction - Retelling

Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing by Jennifer Weiner
Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing

Genre: Memoir

Beast by Brie Spangler
Beast

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

The Secret Horses of Briar Hill by Megan Shepherd
The Secret Horses of Briar Hill

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

The Midnight Star (The Young Elites #3) by Marie Lu
The Midnight Star (The Young Elites, #3)

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

What Light by Jay Asher
What Light

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Still Life with Tornado by A.S. King
Still Life with Tornado

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Oct. 18

Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Gemina (The Illuminae Files, #2)

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

Royally Screwed (Royally #1) by Emma Chase
Royally Screwed (Royally, #1)

Genre: Romance

A Study in Scarlet Women (Lady Sherlock #1) by Sherry Thomas
A Study in Scarlet Women (Lady Sherlock, #1)

Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery

Rose and Thorn (Ash and Bramble #2) by Sarah Prineas
Rose & Thorn (Ash & Bramble, #2)

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Tamed Us and Took Over the World by Abigail Tucker
The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Tamed Us and Took Over the World

Genre: Non Fiction

A Plague of Swords (The Traitor Son Cycle #4) by Miles Cameron
A Plague of Swords (The Traitor Son Cycle, #4)

Genre: Fantasy

Oct. 25

The Blood Mirror (Lightbringer #4) by Brent Weeks
The Blood Mirror (Lightbringer, #4)

Genre: Fantasy

Screwmates by Laurelin Paige and Kayti McGee
Screwmates

Genre: Romance

Glitter by Aprilynne Pike
Glitter

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

A Darkly Beating Heart by Lindsay Smith
A Darkly Beating Heart

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Certain Dark Things

Genre: Fantasy

Kingdom of Ashes (Nightfall #1) by Elena May 
Kingdom of Ashes (Nightfall, #1)

Genre: Fantasy



Wednesday, September 7, 2016

T5W: 5 Book Characters I'd Want as a Family

Top 5 Wednesday

This was a surprisingly hard topic - I can think of quite a few book characters I'd like to have as boyfriends - but characters I'd want as part of my family? That was a bit tough. So is it any surprise the majority of my picks are from Harry Potter?

In no particular order:

5) Jo March from Little Women - Sister
Image result for jo little women

We all know that Jo is the best character from Little Women - she's smart, bookish, and playful. She's the character I'm most like so it would be nice to have a sister who I could talk about books with - then again we might be too similar and would just end up competing with each other.

4) Amy Dunne from Gone Girl - Aunt
Image result for amy dunne

Okay, hear me out on this one - if Amy Dunne was your aunt and somebody fucked with you, you know she would take care of it. And by take care of it I mean murder the bastard. The only downside would be that if you crossed her, you'd end up in a ditch somewhere with your brains blown out. Still, having Aunt Amy around is bound to have its perks. 

3) Dumbledore from Harry Potter - Grandfather
Image result for dumbledore

I feel like if Dumbledore was my grandfather, he would amuse me as a kid with simple magic tricks like conjuring up bubbles that never popped or making my teddy bear sing to me. Then, as I got older he would pass on his words of wisdom whenever I got into trouble. Plus, he would have a never-ending supply of sherbet lemons. 

2) Remus Lupin and Sirius Black from Harry Potter - Uncles
Image result for remus lupin sirius black

This pair would be such great uncles - Uncle Sirius would be the fun one and levitate the kids off the roof while Uncle Remus would be the slightly anxious one and be the one the kids went to when they inevitably got hurt. And yes, in my scenario, they are a couple.

1) Fred and George Weasley from Harry Potter - Brothers
Image result for fred and george weasley

I've never known what it's like to have a brother and I think having the Weasley twins as older brothers would be such a blast! Of course, they would probably tease me a lot and play pranks on me all the time but they'd also be really protective and have my back when I really needed them.

Top 5 Wednesday Goodreads group.

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

TTT: Top 10 Books I Wish Would Be Made into TV Shows


In celebration of all the new fall shows about to debut, this week's TTT is all about TV. I don't really watch a lot of TV..or at least, I try not to. I am guilty of binge-watching the occasional show on Netflix. (Did you guys see Stranger Things? It's incredible!) So my list is all about the books I want to see on the small screen. In no particular order (except for #1 because it is my actual #1 pick): 

10) Fables comic book series
Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile

This amazing comic book series is about fairy-tale characters living in exile in modern-day New York City and trying to get back to their homeland. I think it was greenlit at one point to be made into a TV series but it never got off the ground. 

9) Saga comic book series
Saga, Volume 1

Another amazing comic book series, Saga is an epic space opera that also incorporates elements of fantasy. Two people on opposing sides of an intergalactic war fall in love, have a child together, and go on the run. If ever adapted for television, I feel it would be right at home on the Syfy channel.

8) The Drakon series by Shana Abe
The Smoke Thief (Drakon #1)

An historical fantasy romance series about a race of shape-shifting dragon people called the Drakon. While Shana Abe did a brilliant job with the books, I feel like a television series could really expand the world and give it a kind of Game of Thrones feel to it - while still focusing on the romantic aspect. 

7) The 5th Wave series by Rick Yancey
The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave, #1)

Yes, it was already adapted to the big screen and, while it wasn't a bad film, I feel The 5th Wave might gain a bigger audience with a TV series. 

6) Salem's Lot by Stephen King
'Salem's Lot

Salem's Lot has actually been adapted a couple of different times into miniseries and made-for-TV movies - but none of them have gotten this terrifying vampire novel quite right. Now, in this golden age of television, I feel like it could be perfected. 

5) The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
The Shining Girls

The Shining Girls is about a serial killer who can travel through time and one of his would-be victims who seeks revenge. It is one of my favorite books of all time and I think it would make an incredible mini-series. Netflix would probably do it justice.(It looks like it's being adapted for film, but I think it would work better as a TV series.) 

4) Vampire Academy/Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead
Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, #1)

The Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series would make for incredibly fun, soapy, dramatic television. It's too bad the film bombed because it's unlikely they'll try to adapt it again on the small screen. Then again, it worked for The Mortal Instruments...

3) Beauty and the Beast 
Beauty and the Beast

Okay, this one is going to take a bit of explaining: A few years ago, around the time when The CW was set to release their Beauty and the Beast show, another network announced plans for a different Beauty and the Beast show, one that would have more of an 'epic fantasy' feel to it. I was SO STOKED for this show...but it never saw the light of day and I have no idea what happened to it. I can't even remember what network it was supposed to be on. A Beauty and the Beast show with an epic fantasy flair? I would watch  the shit out of that! Sadly it wasn't to be and I have to content myself with the upcoming release of the live-action Disney remake coming out next year. (Which I am so excited for!!) Who knows? Maybe the movie will spark an appetite for Beauty and the Beast stories and someone will develop a new show...

2) A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)

Well, speaking of epic fantasy with a Beauty and the Beast feel to it...I definitely want to see an adaptation of ACOTAR at some point but I'm torn. I don't know if it would make a better movie or TV series. Can I have both? 

1) Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)

Is anyone surprised that this is my #1 pick? The Harry Potter series needs to be adapted for television, like, yesterday. Of course, no adaptation will ever live up to the original book series and the movies will always have a special place in my heart, but the HP books would be perfect as a television series. And it wouldn't have to end with adapting the seven books - they could have spin-offs about the Marauders and the four Hogwarts founders, and Dumbledore's early years...there's just so much potential!

What books do you want to see adapted to the small screen?

Top Ten Tuesday is an original bookish meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.