Genre: Classics Book Marathon

And we are back!!!

As seen from the title, I am going on a classic book reading marathon. I have thirty something books minus Agatha Christie books, I have on my shelf. I am slightly those types of books. And here me, telling you what I define a classic book to be.

A classic book defined for me would a book written in the ancient times until 1980s. Sorry Harry Potter, you are not a classic in my books. Bye.. 🙂

I began to be obsessed with book genre of classics after taking Literature in High School. Thank Mrs. Bailey. Thank you.

There are rules, I plan on keeping while doing reading:

I am not allowed to quit reading a book. I must finish it fully. I can’t quit even if the story is slow, full of language and romance.

I have to rate the story and review it even if its just a sentence or two.

Here are all the books minus Agatha Christie, I plan on reading. There is no order in which I am reading them.

The Tell Tale Heart and Other Writings by Edgar Allan Poe

The Brothers of Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Stubborn Heart by Frank G. Slaughter

Annie Jordan by Mary Brinker Post

The Curse of the Kings by Victoria Holt

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Little Women by Louisa Alcott

Little Men by Louisa Alcott

The Catcher of The Rye by J.D. Salinger

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn

The Paradiso by Dante

All Creatures Great And Small by James Herriot

The Mill on the Floss by George Elliot

Middlemarch by George Elliot

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Plato

Selected Lives And Essays by Plutarch

Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

Othello by Shakespeare

King Lear by Shakespeare

Chariots of Fire by W. J. Weatherby

Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare

Hard Times by Charles Dickens

Not A Tame Lion by Terry Glaspey

Poetry of the New England Renaissance

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

O Pioneers by Willa Cather

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

Howard’s End by E.M. Forster

If you survived that list, make sure to follow my blog. I am so close to 100 followers. Bye. 🙂

Top Ten Books of 2018

Read here if you wish to see what I read in 2018. Welcome back, owlnerds. So I decided to share my top ten books I read last year in no order what so ever. 🙂

1. Fire and Ice: Elementals by Erin Forbes (Review:
   I finished this book in less than 5 hours. Wow. It’s been a very long time since I read a novel in a day. The book itself reminded me a lot of X-men, Harry Potter, and Miss Peregrine’s Home of Of Peculiar Children… It’s probably just me then 😅. LOVE THIS BOOK!)
2. Fawkes by Nadine Brandes Find the review here
3. The Coronation by Livy Jarmusch (Review:
   Wow, just wow. I literally had to lay in bed for a few minutes to return back to reality. This book, just wow. I still questioned why I didn’t read this and why it took so long to read it. The family theme was amazing. I can’t wait to read the sequel. So many emotions, I can’t even describe how much I enjoyed this book. 😀 )
4. Disowned by Sarah Addison Fox (Review:
   One word: Mick. I probably fell for him a bit too fast. But come on. He is caring and protective towards Celeste. This would have been a quick read but sometimes I slow down my reading because there are only the first time reactions in reading something. Now on my top ten books this year.)
5. The Theif, The Damsel, and The Dragon by Angela Watts
6. The Reluctant Godfather by Allison Tebo (Review:
   Love this books so much. Burndee is so humorous. It’s the best. Reminds me of someone, me. 😛 I loved the twist at the very end. I almost forgot to eat something as I was too consumed by this book.)
7. Not by Sight by Kate Breslin (Review can be found here)
8. Love Defined by Kristen Clark, Bethany Baird
9. Beasts of Extradorinary Creatures by Ruth Emmie Lang (Review can be found here)
10. Martin Hospitality by Abigayle Claire (Review:
    This book is to die for… of course not literally. Gemma is a teen mother to be. With a horrible past, she meets the Martin’s who change her life completely. The Martin’s are a country living Christian family.
    This book was balanced with description. Each background of each character was balanced as well. I loved how certain characters tied well with Gemma’s past. Loved how the story didn’t end after Gemma giving birth. Josiah was probably my favorite character. Not only is he protective of his siblings but he didn’t even think of Gemma’s past to be kind to her. I honestly think we need more men like Josiah. This book is probably my favorite so far for this year. Love it so much. )

Thanks for reading! See you next week, owlnerds. 🙂

Author Interiew

Greetings, owlnerds. This week, I am interviewing Niki Chapelway because her new book recently got released.

A Certain Sort of Madness by Niki Chapelway

Synopsis: Alicia Hareton is crazy. But that’s nothing new. Her insanity is inherited from her mother, just like her magical abilities and her blood ties to the strange and alluring world of Amar. She’s spent her life on Earth and yet Amar has always called to her, an intoxicating melody that she cannot ignore. Returning to Amar would put her life in danger, but Alicia has never let such technicalities stop her before.

However, when her mother is captured due to her reckless actions, Alicia will do anything to rescue her. That includes trusting her grumpy, sarcastic imaginary friend, who claims he doesn’t know her and doesn’t seem that imaginary anymore. Or that trustworthy. Together, with the help of her cousin and a band of misfits, they partake in an extremely ill-advised heist on the faerie court in order to find a way to defeat the most powerful mage in all Amar, who also happens to be Alicia’s grandfather. But not everything in the faerie court is as it seems, and soon this unlikely group finds themselves fighting for their lives as well as the lives of those they love.

In a world of madness and magic, the lines between lies and loyalty are blurred and sometimes the only option you have left is to let the insanity loose.

Author Bio: Nicki has been writing since she was eleven years old. She published her first book A Week of Werewolves, Faeries, and Fancy Dresses at the age of fifteen, one year after she finished writing it. She enjoys reading, writing, swimming when she can, and fangirling (in other words: obsessing over other peoples’ stories almost as much as her own). She also enjoys watching TV, her favorite movies and TV shows include Doctor Who, Avengers, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Nicki currently resides in Ohio with her family of eight and two dogs, Rylie and Zoey.

 

The interview section:

1. If you didn’t write full time, what would you do for work? I would probably choose to be a Police Detective, maybe even get into the FBI, working to solve crimes. I’ve also had stints where I wanted to be a journalist and an actress. Writing kind of lets me do all of those at once which is why I chose it.
2. How long on average does it take you to write a book? Um… I’m going to say about six months to get the first draft done. Some books I’ve managed to write in less time than that and others have taken waaaay longer.
3. What is your favorite part of the writing process? The brainstorming that takes place before I even start writing. Where I figure out the world, the plot, and the characters and what sort of relationships they will have. During that time, I can convince myself that this writing thing might not actually be such a bad idea after all.
4. What is your least favorite part of the writing process? Honestly, they all take turns. It tends to be whichever one I’m doing at the time. But probably editing.
5. Does writing energize or exhaust you? Haha, well it really depends on when you ask me. When I’m actually writing, the words are flowing, and everything is coming together then yeah, I’m energized. I’m so energized I could probably recharge a battery. But any other time… my brain will die from the sheer exhaustion.
6. What is your writing Kryptonite? Procrastination, definitely. Nine times out of ten that’ll be what is standing between me and finishing my stories.
7. How long did it take to write this book? This book is actually the quickest full-length novel that I’ve ever written. It took me only four months to get out the first draft. Then about two more months to get past the main edits and rewrites.
8. Who is your favorite character(s) in your book? That’s a tough one. I love all of my characters and all for different reasons. I definitely relate to Alicia the most and Dante is the most likely to be married by me, but… I’m going to have to say Eugene. He’s just too adorable for me not to love him with all my heart.
9. What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book? It really depends on the book that I am writing. I have spent hours, days, weeks, lifetimes researching anything that has any sort of historical background. Which is why I tend to avoid writing historicals because I would never get them done. Most of the time the research is done in the middle while I’m writing and suddenly I wonder if my character would actually die from that gunshot wound so I have to take a quick break to visit my good friend Google. I did do quite a lot of research for my latest WIP, though, which is based off of Irish mythology. I spent a few days before I started it, gathering information about the various types of faeries.
10. Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want? Is it all right if I say both? I suppose I try to be original mostly, but there are a few tropes that I just can’t resist.

And that’s it, folks. Comment down below, what author I should interview next.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oct. 8 Niki Chapelway

Dystopian Recommendations

Welcome back, this week I am recommending dystopian reads. Comment down below if you have any suggestions of dystopian books.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a seemingly ideal world. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver does he begin to understand the dark secrets behind this fragile community.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Synopsis: CINDER, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She’s reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she finds herself at the center of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen – and a dangerous temptation.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Synopsis: When 16-year-old Katniss’s young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12’s female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives, some of whom have trained for this their whole lives. , she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Synopsis: In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Synopsis: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Synopsis:
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.
Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive. Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying. Remember. Survive. Run.

Matched by Ally Condie

Synopsis: Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one…until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion.

See ya next week. 🙂

Books recommendations for LOTR fans

Welcome back. This week, I am recommending 8 books if you enjoyed reading/watching the Lord of Rings.

Comment down below what book recommendations I should do next.

 

A Wizard of Earthsea

I actually found this from a book recommendation for the LOTR. A win-win.

Synopsis: Ged, the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, was called Sparrowhawk in his reckless youth.
Hungry for power and knowledge, Sparrowhawk tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death’s threshold to restore the balance.

Lord Brocktree (Redwall #13)

Synopsis: Salamandastron, under the guardianship of old Lord Stonepaw, is under threat from an enemy of immense and terrifying power. Ungatt Trunn, the wildcat who can make the stars fall from the sky, has attacked with his Blue Hordes and is determined that the fortress should be his. The mountain’s defenses are weak and it seems that nothing can stand in his way. Nothing, that is, but the badger Lord Brocktree, who is drawn to Salamandastron by an undeniable sense of destiny. But if he is to rescue the mountain from Trunn and his verminous hordes, he must gather about him an army capable of defeating them in battle.

The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger’s Apprentice #1)

This is the first book of the series. It a great read for all ages. This is another book I recommended on reading the LOTR.

Synopsis: They have always scared him in the past — the Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger’s apprentice. What he doesn’t yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. The exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied…

The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander

Synopsis: Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper, and his friends are led into a mortal struggle with Arawn and his deathless warriors. Taran must wrest the black cauldron from them, for it is the cauldron that gives them their evil strength. But can he withstand the three enchantresses, who are determined to turn him and his companions into toads? Taran has not foreseen the awful price he will have to pay in his defense of Prydain…

King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green

Synopsis: King Arthur is one of the greatest legends of all time. From the magical moment when Arthur releases the sword in the stone to the quest for the Holy Grail and the final tragedy of the Last Battle, Roger Lancelyn Green brings the enchanting world of King Arthur stunningly to life.

On the Edge of Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson

Synopsis: Once, in a cottage above the cliffs on the Dark Sea of Darkness, there lived three children and their trusty dog Nugget. Janner Igiby, his brother Tink, their crippled sister Leeli are gifted children as all children are, loved well by a noble mother and ex-pirate grandfather. But they will need all their gifts and all that love to survive the evil pursuit of the venomous Fangs of Dang who have crossed the dark sea to rule the land with malice and pursue the Igibys who hold the secret to the lost legend and jewels of good King Wingfeather of the Shining Isle of Anniera.

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Of course, I pick this book series. One: Lewis and Tolkien were best friends. Two: It’s a great series.

Synopsis: NARNIA…the land beyond the wardrobe, the secret country is known only to Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy…the place where the adventure begins. Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the professor’s mysterious old house. At first, no one believes her when she tells of her adventures in the land of Narnia. But soon Edmund and then Peter and Susan discover the Magic and meet Aslan, the Great Lion, for themselves. In the blink of an eye, their lives are changed forever.

Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1)

This book has been criticized for copying Tolkien. And of course, I am going to add it to the list. It’s a great book. Don’t allow people’s review avoid reading this beauty.

Synopsis: Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders?

That’s all folks. See ya next week! 🙂

 

Bookish/ Writing Q & A

1) Are there any books which have inspired the style or plot of your books?

C.S. Lewis Narnia series, Sir Gawain and The Green Knight by J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Giver by Lois Lowry, The Odessey by Homer, etc.

2) What is your least favorite and/or favorite trope in books (ex. damsel in distress)? And why? The perfect female character. I hate books with that. Seriously, people, we need to write realistic characters, not perfect. A character with flaws or insecurities. The chosen one. Yes, I have written about it. Let’s be fair, we may all have written about it but over time it gets boring.
3) Do you come up with the characters for your story first or the plot? Or both? I usually come up with the plot and the characters will follow. Usually, I have the whole story landed out in my mind. From the beginning to the end.

4) Pick a favorite character from a book you have read and a favorite character from a story you have written. If both of those characters were to face off in an epic duel, who would win and why?
Why?????? Favorite character from a book. Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter.

Favorite Character from one of my stories: Daisy from A Prisoner of Scales.

Reasons why I chose them because they are intelligent, they both have magic but in different ways. Luna uses a wand, she is a witch. Daisy is a druid with magical powers and she is twelve years old. They are weird and intelligent.

Honestly, a battle between each other would be really close. It would be hard to see who win. Daisy could since she may have powers even I don’t know about. Luna could because she is awesome when I reading the Harry Potter books. A tie maybe? But to save my character’s ego, I would say Daisy.

5) What is your favorite book/book series?”

My favorite book would be always The Odyssey by Homer. Don’t get me wrong. I could choose any modern book but this classic stole my heart. Favorite book series would be Lord of the Rings come on people. You should know that by now.

And there you have it. Enjoy! We will do another Q&A when I get to 100th blog post.

Thanks for reading!

 

Rebel of the Sands Book Review

I finally finished it. I am so excited to share it with you all. I found this book while watching videos from the Booktube community. I am so happy I found it. This book is probably my second favorite book this year so far. 🙂

Let’s begin:

Title: Rebel of the Sands

Summary: Amani, a girl with a gun and a plan begins to find a way to escape Dustwalk a back country town. She knows she must escape or she will be forced to get married. Meeting Jin in a shooting contest changes her life forever. Thrown into a world of rebellion and magic. Amani will never look at life in the desert the same again.

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Magic

Author: Alwyn Hamilton

Author bio: Awyln Hamilton was born in Toronto and spent her childhood bouncing between Europe and Canada until her parents settled in France. She grew up in a small town there, which might have compelled her to burst randomly into the opening song from Beauty and the Beast were it not for her total tone deafness.  She instead attempted to read and write her way to new places and developed a weakness for fantasy and cross-dressing heroines. She left France and went to Cambridge University to the history of art at King’s College, and then to London, where she became indentured to an auction house. She has a bad habit of acquiring more hardcovers than is smart for someone who moves house quite so often.

Language: Mentioning of cursing, only one real incident of cursing

Romance: There is only one scene of kissing but the reason why is so funny. XD I laughed out, it was hilarious.

The book itself takes place in the middle east aka desert. I love the world building in this book. I wished this story would never end. Just throw me in that fictional world, please.

I noticed that I am good at finding out the plot twist before it happens. Which I managed to do in this book. It felt too easy. I am just saying.

I would rate this book a 4.9. Mainly because I felt “the plot twist” came a bit too late in the story. Giving the effect that it had no purpose in this story. Maybe should have waited until the next book.

 

 

 

April Goals

We are now a quarter of the year done.

I have read thirty-two books out of my hundred goal.

I have done two out of fifteen of my New Year’s Resolution.

This year has gone fast. Spring is here.

For the month of April, I am planning on doing Camp NaNoWriMo. Here is my profile.

Hopefully, I will get at least 5,000 words done.

Camp NaNoWriMo is a virtual writer’s retreat, designed for maximum flexibility and creativity. There are  “camp” sessions in both April and July. For each month, writers are willing to tackle any writing projects and try to get a certain amount of words done in a month. Word count can be as small as 30 to 1,000,000 words.

My reading goal, this month is around eight books.  I would do more but this month is a crazy month.

I am also doing a sugar and gluten free diet as well.

Any plans for this month?

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

Book Series I haven’t finished yet

This series are books I have started but never actually finished the series.  Please don’t judge me.

1. Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
2. Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery
3. Divergent Series by Veronica Roth
4. Six of Crows series by Leigh Bardugo
5. Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo
6. Candain West series by Janette Oke
7. Earthsea Cycle series by Ursula K. Le Guin
8. Redwall series by Brian Jaques
9. My America series by Patrica Hermes
10. Ranger Apprentice by John Flanagan
11. Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene
12. Hercules Poirot by Agatha Christe
13. The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
14. The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson
15. The Giver Quartet by Lois Lowry
16. Hornblower Saga by C.S. Forester
17. The Maze Runner by James Dasher
18. Kane Chronicles series by Rick Riordan
19. Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
20. Miss Peregrine’s by Ransom Riggs
21. The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini

Any book series you haven’t finished? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for Reading!

P.S. Check out this survey, I am doing. It would be most appreciated.

This or That Book Tag

I found this book tag at Kris’ blog

QUESTIONS:

1. Reading on the bed or the couch? I usually read in bed but you can also find me reading an ebook on the couch any day.
2. Male Main character or female main character? I like both. I usually read female main characters. Its hard to find any male main characters. If you know any books with a male POV, let me in the comments below.
3. Sweet snacks or salty snacks when your reading? I usually have chocolates when I am reading.
4. Trilogies or Quartets? Trilogies alway!
5. First person point of view or third person point of view? Third Person point of view
6. Reading at night or in the morning? I am more active at night but you can sometimes see me reading in morning. If I really obsessed with the book I am reading.
7. Libraries or bookstores? I usually get most of my books at the library. Its inexpensive besides having dues to the library. XD
8. Books that make you laugh or cry?
9. Black books covers or white book covers? I own more black book covers so…
10. Character driven or plot driven? It will always be plot driven. I can’t stress enough. I only pick up a book if the plot is interesting. It’s not even about the book cover either.  I don’t care how popular or good looking the characters are. Plots are the best. 🙂

 Thanks for Reading!