Top 5 Tuesday | Favorite Fantasies

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the amazing Bionic Book Worm!

Today’s Top 5 is all about fantasy stories and it was so hard for me to choose only five because 98% of what I read is considered fantasy – lol. Here’s my attempt at choosing my faves…but just know this changes on a monthly basis depending on what I’m reading!

The Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare

SURPRISE. The Shadowhunter Chronicles is of course on my list of all time favorite fantasy series. The world is rich, unique, and so amazing. Angels, demons, mundanes. Vampires, Werewolves, Faeries. Magic. Battles. Death.

Harry Potter by JK Rowling

I don’t care if Harry Potter has been around for decades. It will never get old. The Wizarding World just has a tendency to make me feel at home and I will not stop waiting for my letters to Hogwarts (Or Ilvermorny or Beauxbatons). My wand and school regalia are prepped and waiting for the day.

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Cycle is urban fantasy, but I’m putting this on my list because I’m obsessed with the magical Virginia suburbs from this series. The main crew is dysfunctional, angsty, and full of pent up energy. They’re adapting this into a SyFy series and I literally can.not.wait.

The Remnant Chronicles by Mary E. Pearson

A doomed land, a magical prophecy, fierce lady heroes, swoon-tactic male leads. The world building in this entire series, as well as the spin-off books, is so rich and intense – and amazing. The first book is written in a very “whodunit/Clue” way, where you don’t know which character fits what role (prince or assassin?) and it’s UH-MAZE. Please read.

The Stormheart Series by Cora Carmack

So far only book one is out, but that first installment is filled with magical storms, hottie stormhunters, a runaway princess, and a very mysterious/eerie villain (like so creepy he lays with dead people for fun. WTF?) I can’t wait to read the sequel – it comes out August 2019!

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What did you think of my picks? Do we have any favorite fantasies in common? Any I should add to my list?

Top 5 Tuesday | Main Males

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the amazing Bionic Book Worm!

Today’s Top 5 is probably my favorite topic so far. I get to talk about my Book Boyfriends in ALL their glory and you are not prepared for how hard I’m about to fangirl. Please be warned that you will see a lot of all caps and text screaming as I share my love for these fictional men.

Jace Herondale from The Shadowhunter Chronicles

In case you didn’t already know, the #1 LOML is Jace Herondale. He first shows up in The Mortal Instruments and makes appearances in all of Cassandra Clare’s later books. He’s a sarcastic, half-angel warrior and I’m obsessed. If I have a book boyfriend type it’s the self-sacrificing hero with maximum-level wit & humor. He is also a fellow Gryffindor and I approve. See below for more evidence that Jace is an amazing, magical warrior-angel.

Simon Randell from The Empirium Trilogy

Simon is a new addition to my favorite male leads list. He’s also my favorite Slytherin love. If you’re into moody, bossy heartbreakers who do whatever it takes to get their end game, you will love Simon. *Side note: I DIE for baby Simon. This series has some time travel involved and seeing Baby Simon transition to adult Simon GIVES ME LIFE.

Nik Malikov from The Illuminae Files

Introducing my Hufflepuff boyfriend, Nik Malikov. He’s meant to be the comedic relief in Gemina & Obsidio (those books get INTENSE) and his humor DOES SOMETHING TO ME. He is also part of a Russian Mob family and has tattoos galore and I’m here for that sort of thing. Everyone needs a Nik Malikov in their life.

Rhysand from A Court of Thorns and Roses

Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court. That is all. He is the definition of a feminist and will do anything to protect his family. He might need way more time to primp than I do, but I love him. He’s a great male lead.

Finian de Seel from Aurora Rising

I’m SO obsessed with Squad 312. It was hard for me not to cheat and do a 2-for-1 combo here with Tyler and Fin, and my heart told me that Fin was my main man. He’s an alien tech whiz with white-blonde hair and dashing wit. Yeah, he can be kinda annoying sometimes, but he is the Ravenclaw I want around!

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What did you think of my picks? Do we have any main males in common? Any boys you think I’d love?

Top 5 Tuesday | I Could NOT Put These Books Down

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the amazing Bionic Book Worm!

Today we’re talking the top books I could not put down. You are probably going to see a lot of familiar titles on this list, because I definitely rave about my favorites whenever I can (so they probably made some of the my other top 5 lists).

Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

The Illuminae Files is one of my favorite series is ALL TIME. It has crazy artificial intelligence, aliens, evil space corporations, and ALL the sassy characters. My favorite is the second in the series, Gemina. The stakes are high, Nik Malikov is the best, and did I mention the aliens?!

A Court of Mist & Fury by Sarah J Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a solid 3-star book in my opinion, BUT the sequel is such an amazing book. There are unexpected twists & turns, hot faerie boys, and so much emotion. And did I mention the hot faerie boys?

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Another series that I’m obsessed with. I couldn’t put down any of these books, but the first book is my favorite. Rich boarding school boys, feminist badass heroines, and tons of magic.

Roar by Cora Carmack

This series is about magical storms, a princess with epic powers, and a kingdom that needs saving. I’m SO excited for Rage and all I can think about is Prince Cassius, Aurora, and probably the most creepy villain I’ve ever encountered.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

This series involves X-Men like storm powers, one of the WORST betrayals I’ve ever felt, and a monarchy that is just dying to be taken down. While the series has its ups & downs, the first book is amazing. I could not stop reading.

BONUS: Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

If you know me, you know I cannot go one post without talking about something Shadowhunters-related. So, I’m adding a bonus section to talk about my love for all things Cassie Clare. There were so many to choose from, but I went with Lord of Shadows because it’s an EPIC sequel. I lie awake at night thinking about how my heart was ripped out of my chest at the end…

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What did you think of my picks? Do we have any of the same unputdownable books? Any I should consider?

Top 5 Tuesday |My Mind Is Blown By These Books

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the amazing Bionic Book Worm!

Today we’re talking mystery & thrillers and I’m so hyped because these are some of my favorites. The only downside is they are definitely hit or miss with me. I can either figure everything out half way through or I’m completely thrown and shook by the end. Here are the top 5 that get me guessing!

Shutter Island

I read this book right before the movie came out (because, yes I’m the person in the theater who says “that didn’t happen in the book”) and I remember just how crazy I thought the reveal was. The twist is UH-mazing and the mental asylum setting keeps the creep factor at level 100.

Copy Cat

If there was ever a way to get me off social media and the internet it was this book. The premise is the main character is being stalked by a person pretending to be her. Someone sets up a fake Facebook account, knows her Amazon account info, and even tracks down her kids. The ending is crazy and I was seriously freaked about my online presence for a good while.

The Couple Next Door

A husband and wife have a baby. Said baby goes missing after visiting the next door neighbors. Of course people’s morals & histories are questions. You find out some interesting things about all the characters. And of course, the ending is MIND. BLOWING. I was completely wrong about how this was going to end, and that alone makes it better than half the other thrillers I’ve read.

All The Missing Girls

I loved everything about this book. It’s suspenseful, intriguing, and is written in REVERSE   chronological order. You’d think that would be impossible to read let alone write, and that it would give everything away, but it works. I was so obsessed with this story and figuring out what happened to all the missing girls. So. Good. Please read.

The Girl On The Train

An unreliable narrator. Sketchy happenings between the ex-husband, his new wife, and the baby. Throw in some alcohol and a few blackouts and you have yourself an amazing thriller! This one is a bit more predictable than the others on my list, so it gets the bottom spot, but I still loved it and would recommend it to any thriller lover.

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What did you think of my picks? Any that you’d recommend?

Top 5 Tuesday | Favorite Fictional Friendships

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the amazing Bionic Book Worm!

This week we’re talking the best fictional friendships and apparently I’m a sucker for a good team dynamic. I love a great group of friends that balance each other out – the sass machine, the leader, the rule-breaker, the softie. It’s like Breakfast Club in a bunch of different settings!

The Gangsey from The Raven Cycle

Richard Campbell Gansey III and his group of rich boy prep-school friends are life. If I were Blue, I’d want a group of Raven Boys all to myself, too. Gansey is the old-soul. Ronan is the rebel with a sailor’s mouth. Adam, the misfit with magic. And Noah, everyone’s favorite smol cinnamon roll. I need them in my life!

Emma Carstairs & Cristina Rosales from The Dark Artifices

Emma and Cristina are my definition of friend goals. Cristina is definitely the mom of the crew – always level-headed and reminding you to bring a jacket. She balances out Emma’s sassy, fiery ways and they always have each other’s backs. Who wouldn’t want to be one-half of a badass, demon-hunting duo?

The Inner Circle from A Court of Thorns & Roses

If you say you don’t like Cassian, Azriel, Mor or Amren it’s probably because you haven’t read this entire series. They’re ancient warrior beings who also have snowball fights, get drunk together, and have some serious issues they need to take care of. But, I wouldn’t have them any other way. Sign me up to be part of the crew

Beta Team from The Kingmaker Chronicles

Who wouldn’t want to be friends with a bunch of hottie, sass-machine soldiers? Carver, Kato, Flynn and Griffin are loyal, fierce, funny, and would die for the ones they love. And did I mention that they’re all hotties with bodies? Because, that’s an important thing to remember.

The Fab Five from The Remnant Chronicles

The “Fab Five” is the unofficial name I’ve dubbed Rafe and his band of special-ops soldiers – Sven, Orrin, Tavish, and Jeb. They hunt, cook, tell stories, love some fine- linen-crafted shirts, and can kill a man using just their hands. They risk their lives to save Rafe and Lia all while stealing my heart and making me want to be part of the team.

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What did you think of my picks? Do we have any of the same fave friendships? Any that I should be reading about ASAP?

Top 5 Tuesday | Books Set In My Country

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the amazing Bionic Book Worm!

This week is all about favorite books set where I’m from. I’m from Southern California, so there are tons of books I could choose from that are set all over the United States. You would think that makes this easier, but it actually made it so much harder! So, here’s what I actually ended up choosing.

The Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare

Are you guys sick of me bringing up how much I love the Shadowhunter books? Well, just get used to it, because I can’t stop, won’t stop. ANYWAY, The Dark Artifices take place (mostly) in California! The Institute is in Malibu, the Shadowmarket resides in Pasadena and there are tons of other landmarks up and down the California coast the team visits. It was so much easier to envision scenes in my head because I’ve visited them before!

Percy Jackson & The Heroes of Olympus Series by Rick Riordan

Imagine a world where demigods are real, the Gods run big corporations like Amazon, and national parks and tourist attractions actually hide some seriously magical creatures and objects. Rick Riordan’s world of mythology is one of my favorites, and even though these are meant for younger readers and I’m well past the age bracket, his dad jokes and magical America will always be one of my favorites. Can I join Camp Half-Blood? Because I’ll totally move across the country for that.

Under the Dome by Stephen King

To be fair, I love anything Stephen King writes and he usually sets his novels somewhere on the east coast/Maine. BUT, I’m gonna go with Under the Dome for this list because I devoured this book in less than a week. A small town city full of dark secrets, corruption, and bat-sh*t crazy people is totally my vibe. The ending is not the best, but everything leading up to the last few chapters is so so so good.

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

Oh hi, just me again talking about the Raven Boys, how much I love them, and this entire series. Who wouldn’t want to live in a Virginia town that sits on Ley Lines, is full of magical caves that hide demonic presences and not-so-dead Welsh princesses, and not to mention the feisty psychic ladies of 300 Fox Way. I could skip the gross summer heat of the Deep South, but for Gansey I would suffer. I’d also brave the hornets for one day in Cabeswater.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I’m throwing it way back to high school days with this pick, but To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic that depicts the deep south, racism, and inequality in America so vividly. There’s a reason this book is a classic and teens read it in school every year – it’s a must-read.

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What did you think of my picks? What are your favorite books set in America? Any I should add to my TBR list?

Top 5 Tuesday | Pretty Book Spines

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the amazing Bionic Book Worm!

This week we’re talking favorite spines! Spoiler alert, most of mine are going to involve Shadowhunter paperbacks because I LIVE FOR THE ARTWORK. I promise to add in a few others for the sake of being a fair and equal book lover.

Paperback Spines of The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassie Clare

Just look at how beautiful this end-of-the-world New York City scene looks. The details! The characters! The font! I just love this set So. Much. It’s one of my favorites.

The Red Queen Series by Victoria Aveyard

I love the Ombre coloring and the blood-dripping crowns on the spines. I’m excited to finish my collector’s editions set – they’re entirely different colors!

Paperback Spines of The Infernal Devices Series by Cassie Clare

I don’t think I need to say much about these spines. They’re amazing. I  could fill an entire bookshelf with just Shadowhunter books and it would be the prettiest thing ever.

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

They’re fairy tale retellings and even the spines show it! My favorite is Winter – that apple glows. 

Paperback Spines of The Dark Artifices

I don’t have the entire set yet because the paperback version of Queen of Air and Darkness isn’t out yet, but I’m an LA girl and this beach pier scene speaks to me. 

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What did you think of my picks? What pretty spines am I missing? Any that we agree on?

Top 5 Tuesday | Favorite Fierce Females

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the amazing Bionic Book Worm!

Today’s topic is Badass Females! I was so excited I went a bit overboard with my list and decided to do girl crews, because when there’s one feisty female there’s usually a crew of equally amazing female friends who bring their own heat.

Aelin & Her Court – Throne of Glass Series

After the end scene of Kingdom of Ash how can I not include Aelin Galathynius and her court of femme fatales – Manon, Lysandra, Yrene, Elide, THE ENTIRE 13 (I’m not sobbing…you are). The ladies of this series deserve to be at the top of this list.

Lia & Her Rahtan – The Remnant Chronicle Universe

If you haven’t read The Remnant Chronicle Trilogy or the spinoff, Dance of Thieves, you should. Lia is the definition of runaway bride. She makes her own destiny and has a female warrior crew that you will want to be part of.

The Shadowhunter Ladies

Where do I even start with this universe. Clary, Izzy, Emma, Livvy, Dru, Tessa, Charlotte, Cecily…the list goes on and on and on. All the female shadowhunters are 100% the most badass warrior ladies with the best fashion sense you can ever image. Who wouldn’t want to be a part angel/part human demon hunter? Please sign me up to drink from the Mortal Cup.

Kady & Her Illuminae Crew – The Illuminae Files

Kady, Hanna, Ella, and Asha are all amazing ladies in their own ways. Two hacker geniuses, one take-no-sh*t-from-no-one fighter and a healer with a heart of gold. It’s refreshing to see the world being saved from evil space corporations and aliens not just by magical powers, but by talents & brains. 100% read these if you haven’t. SCI-FI GOLD.

Cinder & Her Lunar Ladies – The Lunar Chronicles

A Cyborg, a Princess, a Farmer, and a Computer Whiz. They have nothing in common except being FIERCE AF and wanting to save the world from evil moon beings. I love the ladies in Lunar Chronicles. They’re witty, smart and so loyal. They do it all well being the most adorable, precious things ever. And if you need more convincing to read this series – they’re all based on fairy tales!

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What did you think of my picks? What badass ladies am I missing on this list?

Top 5 Tuesday | Book-To-Movie Adaptations I Need In My Life

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the amazing Bionic Book Worm!

This week we’re talking about books we need to see on the big screen. There are already so many great book series that have been adapted that I thought it would be hard to choose, but some of my favorite worlds are still only paper and ink right now – so read on to see my picks! And if you’re with me, let’s start our own production company and make these come to life.

The Illuminae Files – Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

I read The Illuminae Files last year and let me tell you…they are SCI-FI GOLD. The writing is so unique, the characters are amazing, and the story is high-energy and action packed. I really need to see this series come to life as a trilogy movie series. The crazy AI system known as AIDEN, the evil corporations, the flesh eating aliens. I NEED IT.

The Remnant Chronicles – Mary E. Pearson

Picture this: An opening scene where two characters are shrouded in darkness. One is talking about how he found his runaway bride, the other about how he found his hit. Cut scene to two beautiful men – one is prince, one is a killer. BUT YOU DON’T KNOW WHICH IS WHICH. Now throw in a haughty, magical princess who needs to save her kingdom and an evil dictator. This is the making of a great book series (seriously, read them. Mary E. Pearson is a genius) and a stepping stone for a great movie adaptation. As you can see, I’ve thought about this more than I should have.

The Lunar Chronicles – Marissa Meyer

Disney Princesses and fairytales in space. Throw in some moon aliens, magical alien powers, and adorable cinnamon rolls and you have the makings of an epic movie series.

The Red Queen Series – Victoria Aveyard

This series is like Game of Thrones but X-Men style. People with special powers are battling it out for control of the land. People die, the betrayals are real, and you will have all the feels. I need to see Mare and Cal on the Big Screen.

The Daughter of The Pirate King Duology – Tricia Levenseller

There needs to be more pirate movies. I can only watch Will Turner and Captain Jack Sparrow so many times. If you’re looking for the female version of Jack and his crew, read these books. And then help me convince someone to turn them into movies!

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What did you think of my picks? What book-to-movie adaptations do you want to see happen? Any we have in common?

Top 5 Tuesday | Reasons I Love Reading

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the amazing Bionic Book Worm!

We’re getting self-reflective with today’s topic – why I love to read! To be honest, I’ve never actually thought too much about this. Usually I just say “because it’s fun”, so it was interesting putting this one together!

Because It’s Fun

Okay, I know I just said this is my go-to response, and it seems like a copout, but I really do find reading a good book fun. I can immerse myself in so many different new worlds and meet people I could never imagine, so yes. It is fun. Gotta flex that imagination muscle as much as I can!

Because I Can Do It Alone

I’m a total introvert. If I can do it alone, I probably will. And since you don’t need another person to sit down and read, it’s perfect for me. I can literally take a book anywhere with me, crack it open, and people won’t talk to me. It’s the best.

Because I Can Learn About Myself

Do you ever just read a line in a book, pause for a second, look out into the void and think “wow…this is totally me.” Well, I do that a lot and it’s one of my favorite things about reading. Who knew total strangers can recreate pieces of you that you didn’t even know you couldn’t explain about yourself. An example from The Raven Cycle Series by Maggie Stiefvater that describes me EPICLY: “…she felt one thousand years old. She also felt like maybe she was a condescending brat. She wanted her friends who were also one-thousand-year-old condescending brats. She wanted to live in a world where she was surrounded by one-thousand-year-old condescending brats.”

Because Books Teach Me New Things

Whether it’s historical fiction, a text book, a sci-fi space race, or my favorite fantasy fae stories, there’s always something new to learn. I love digging into other people’s perspectives of the world through their writing. You always come out the other side seeing the world a little differently.

Because Book Boyfriends

Okay, if you tell me you’ve never fallen in love with a fictional character, who are you even? Finding new characters you love, love to hate, hate but secretly love, and all the rest is always so fun for me.

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Why do you love to read? Do we have any in common?