Top 5 Wednesday: Favorite Spooky Settings

TOP 5 WEDNESDAY is a weekly meme created by Lainey @ GingerReadsLainey and is currently hosted by Samantha @ Thoughts on Tomes. Every Wednesday a new topic is listed on the Goodreads group, and you list your top 5 books related to the particular topic.

This week’s topic is…

Favorite Spooky Settings 

Basically any short story by Edgar Allan Poe is perfectly crafted in a dark, spooky setting. 

This is one of my favorite Edgar Allan Poe retellings (“The Fall of the House of Usher”). I think Bethany Griffin captures the most spookiest and creepiest setting in The Fall, which made me love the book even more. 

“The Adventure of the German Student” by Washington Irving is by far my favorite short story written by him. The story centers on the guillotine executions that took place during the French Revolution. It’s a creepy and fantastic read.

Shakespeare could definitely write “spooky” settings, and I think Macbeth is one of my favorite plays where he encapsulates a story of macabre, murder, screeching animals, moving forests, and ominous, chanting witches. 

Jane Eyre is my all-time favorite novel, and I mostly love it because Charlotte Brontë  writes such brilliant and spooky scenes that involve the unknown (possibly ghosts) in the red room, charring lightning strikes, and the cackling of a woman in the attic who likes to light things on fire. 

What are some of your favorite stories with spooky settings?

Top 5 Wednesday: Books That Took Me the Longest to Finish

TOP 5 WEDNESDAY is a weekly meme created by Lainey @ GingerReadsLainey and is currently hosted by Samantha @ Thoughts on Tomes. Every Wednesday a new topic is listed on the Goodreads group, and you list your top 5 books related to the particular topic.

This week’s topic is…

Books That Took Me the Longest to Finish

So a side note about myself. I am a quick reader; I can usually read a 350-paged book in less than 4 to 5 hours. But as a mood reader it is hard for me to just sit down and read any book from my shelf. So on weekends, I usually binge read at least 3 to 4 books. It’s very unusual and rare for me to set a book aside and read it over a weekly or monthly period, but I have done it, and the books below are proof. 

Station Eleven took me 7 months to finish. I loved the book, and honestly I think I did not want it to end. Check out my review HERE. 

I savored Uprooted to the very end. Every chapter was captivating and wonderfully written. I tried to make this book last as long as I could. This was also the last book I read and gushed about with my mom before she passed away. I think she would have loved reading it. Check out my short review HERE.

I had a hard time connecting to My Lady Jane. I really had to push myself to read and finish this book. Check out my struggles in my review HERE.

I think Truest is one of the most underrated books I have read in the last 2 years. It is truly spectacular and heartbreaking all at the same time. Check out my short review HERE.

I read Mosquitoland last year over a monthly period and loved it. I checked my Goodreads account to see if I had written a review, and it turns out I’m still “processing” my thoughts on it. Yeah, I need to get that review up ASAP, because this book deserves all the praise!!! 

What are some books that took you the longest to finish? Is there a reason why it took you so long? 

Top Five Wednesday: Gateway Books to My Favorite Genre

TOP 5 WEDNESDAY is a weekly meme created by Lainey @ GingerReadsLainey and is currently hosted by Samantha @ Thoughts on Tomes. Every Wednesday a new topic is listed on the Goodreads group, and you list your top 5 books related to the particular topic.

This week’s topic is…

Gateway Books to Your Favorite Genre

My go-to genre is fantasy. I love the world-building, the variety of characters that can show up, and more importantly I love the magic that usually encompasses the story. So below, here are my Top 5 Books that I believe are perfect to introduce a new reader to the genre of Fantasy. 

The Night Circus is 387 pages of mystery, kittens, the aroma of Kettlecorn, romance, and intense magic! If you are looking for a good fantasy read, this book will definitely win you over.

The Storyspinner is an engaging, high fantasy read. It intertwines reality, magic, and a badass heroine. Definitely add this to your TBR list now! 

This fantasy series needs no explanation. JUST READ IT! 

The Winner’s Trilogy contains no magic, but it definitely has elaborate world-building and a historical feel to it. The way the two main characters challenge other is intense, gut-wrenching, and beautifully executed throughout the whole series.

In 2012, I was going through a reading slump. I had just finished my first year of graduate school for English Literature, and I was in the dire need of a good book. I could go on and on about how great this series is, but trust me, it’s amazing in every way.

Top Five Wednesday: Characters I WOULDN’T Want to Trade Places With

TOP 5 WEDNESDAY is a weekly meme created by Lainey @ GingerReadsLainey and is currently hosted by Samantha @ Thoughts on Tomes. Every Wednesday a new topic is listed on the Goodreads group, and you list your top 5 books related to the particular topic.

This week’s topic is…

Characters I WOULDN’T Want to Trade Places With

1. Katniss from The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
2. Rick Grimes from The Walking Dead graphic novels by Robert Kirkman
3. Cassie from The Fifth Wave series by Rick Yancey 
4. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth 
5. Lynn from Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis 

 

What are some characters that you would never trade places with?

Top Five Wednesday: Books You Want to See as TV Shows

TOP 5 WEDNESDAY is a weekly meme created by Lainey @ GingerReadsLainey and is currently hosted by Samantha @ Thoughts on Tomes. Every Wednesday a new topic is listed on the Goodreads group, and you list your top 5 books related to the particular topic.

This week’s topic is…

Books You Want to See as TV Shows

All hail the writers, husband and wife behind Ilona Andrews, who have created the most innovative, heart-pounding, swoonworthy, kiss-ass heroine series. The Kate Daniels series needs to be a TV show RIGHT NOW! READ IT, PEOPLE! YOU WILL LOVE IT, AND WITH EVERY BOOK YOU WILL WANT MORE OF KATE AND CURRAN.  

 

I cannot rave enough about this series. It is perfection at its finest. The writing is magnificent, the characters jump right off the page, and the story is so heart-wrenching and wonderful. This needs to be a TV series or at least a movie ASAP!

 

I want a Steampunk TV show on air NOW, and I think this series would be a great way to go about that dream. 

About five years ago, I was obsessed with this book series. Because of the humor and quirkiness in this series, it is definitely TV worthy. 

I would love to see this book unfold into a TV show, and hopefully see how Kit and Nat live after Speare’s final chapters. 

Top 5 Wednesday: Books I Will Never Read

TOP 5 WEDNESDAY is a weekly meme created by Lainey @ GingerReadsLainey and is currently hosted by Samantha @ Thoughts on Tomes. Every Wednesday a new topic is listed on the Goodreads group, and you list your top 5 books related to the particular topic.

This week’s topic is…

 Books I Will Never Read

Alright, I tried to read this book, and I almost ripped my own brain out. I think once I got to page 20, I threw the book across the room. This book and series is not for me! 

When I saw that Allegiant had multiple points-of-view, I predicted the ending, and asked my brother if I was right. I am so disappointed with the predictability of this book, and refuse to read it. 

I have tried to watch the show, but I’ve only made it through half of the first season. Sadly, I have do not care for the story or any of the characters, so no Outlander books for me. 

I’ve read four Jane Austen books, and I’ve only liked one (Pride & Prejudice). I just cannot put myself through the torture of Emma. Sorry, Austen Fans. 

I just never see myself settling down to read this 500+ paged book. NO WAY! 

What books have you decided that you will never read? 

Top 5 Wednesday: Books You Want to Read Before the End of the Year

TOP 5 WEDNESDAY is a weekly meme created by Lainey @ GingerReadsLainey and is currently hosted by Samantha @ Thoughts on Tomes. Every Wednesday a new topic is listed on the Goodreads group, and you list your top 5 books related to the particular topic.

This week’s topic is…

 Books You Want to Read Before the End of the Year

I’ve heard people raving about this book, but I’ve also heard that this book made people cry. I want to read this book, but I also don’t want to cry. See I’m in a conundrum here. Hopefully, before the end of the year, I’m in a mindset that has prepared me to read The Serpent King. 

Stalking Jack the Ripper has been on my radar for quite a while, and I have been lucky to be invited to be part of the book’s blog tour. I cannot wait to read this one soon! 

I love Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniel series. Whenever a new Kate Daniels book shows up, I buy it, read it in one day, and then patiently wait for the next book in the series. If you love urban fantasy, a sassy and strong heroine, and awesome banter between two crazy-about-each-other-characters, definitely pick up this series. 

Kristen Simmons is one of my favorite authors in the YA community. I cannot wait to read her new book, Metaltown, and rave about how awesome she is some more. Plus this cover is artistically BEAUTIFUL. 

HOLY MOTHER OF BOOKS, DAT COVER! I am a cover fanatic, and yes, I will buy a book based off its cover, even if I do not know the synopsis. But I’ve read this synopsis of this book, and it just makes me want to read it even more. The synopsis had me at, “Thrust into the glamour of Victorian London…” GIMME! GIMME! GIMME!

What books do you hope to read before the end of the year? 

 

Top 5 Wednesday: Books You Feel Differently About

TOP 5 WEDNESDAY is a weekly meme created by Lainey @ GingerReadsLainey and is currently hosted by Samantha @ Thoughts on Tomes. Every Wednesday a new topic is listed on the Goodreads group, and you list your top 5 books related to the particular topic.

This week’s topic is…

Books You Feel Differently About

I read P.S. I Like You as an ARC a month before it’s release date. And I don’t know if I just wasn’t in the mood for a YA contemporary novel at that time, or if I was having an off-day, but I didn’t give this book a very high rating. However, the more I think about the story and the characters, the more my heart grows fonder of West’s writing. 

I read A Tale of Two Cities in high school as a required reading. I remember hating it. However, as I grow more into loving the Victorian period, I think about how genius this book is and what a great impact it had on the nineteenth-century, as a whole.  

Twilight is the main book that began my obsession with Young Adult Literature; however, every time I re-read this book or even think about it, I become more indifferent about its themes and the characters’ motivations. 

I feel more passionate about this collection of poems today than I did when I first read them for my undergraduate English class. Every time I think about these poems or re-read them, I fall deeper in love with studying the origin of fairy tales (Grimm brothers) and analyzing these poems with a feminist lens.

I have re-read Since You’ve Been Gone multiple times; it’s my go-to book to cure my reading slumps. And every time I re-read it, I fall more and more in love with Emily and Frank’s friendship/relationship. Similar to my first reading experience of Since You’ve Been Gone, I am still not a big fan of Sloane or the flashbacks involving Sloane.

 

What books do you feel differently about after you’ve had time to think about them or re-read them? 

 

 

Top 5 Wednesday: Most Unlikable Characters

TOP 5 WEDNESDAY is a weekly meme created by Lainey @ GingerReadsLainey and is currently hosted by Samantha @ Thoughts on Tomes. Every Wednesday a new topic is listed on the Goodreads group, and you list your top 5 books related to the particular topic.

This week’s topic is…

Top 5 Most Unlikable Characters

Catherine Earnshaw from Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Catherine is my #1 unlikable character in Literature. She is spoiled, spiteful, and infuriating. I will never understand the love that people have for this book or Catherine.

Lola from Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Lola is my least favorite character out of the Anna and the French Kiss series. She is too self-involved, and I just think Cricket deserves someone better than her. 

Clare from Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between by Jennifer E. Smith

UGH, Clare is the worst! She is constantly the “negative Nancy” in this book. She is probably the most depressing and nerve-wracking character I have ever read.

Sloane from Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson

I LOVE THIS BOOK. I have re-read it 5 times, but I will be honest with you, I cannot stand Sloane. She is the complete opposite of what a best friend embodies. I’m just glad Emily finds Frank to make up for Sloane’s horrible behavior. 

Mare from the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard

Mare is one of the most unlikable characters depicted in the fantasy genre. As a whole, even though I love the covers of this series, this series is just all action and no substance.  Mare is a flat character, and she is the hardest heroine for me to connect to or even root for.

What are some of your most unlikable characters?

Top 5 Wednesday: Favorite Books Outside Your Comfort Zone

TOP 5 WEDNESDAY is a weekly meme created by Lainey @ GingerReadsLainey and is currently hosted by Samantha @ Thoughts on Tomes. Every Wednesday a new topic is listed on the Goodreads group, and you list your top 5 books related to the particular topic.

This week’s topic is…

Favorite Books Outside Your Comfort Zone

My go-to book genres are fantasy, magic realism, and lately contemporary (side note: in the summer I become obsessed with contemporary novels). But one of the genres that I rarely read but usually end up loving are graphic novels. Here are a few of my favorite graphic novel series/books. 

What are some of your favorite books that you have read outside your comfort zone?