Tag: book lists

Ten Books I Enjoyed Recently that shouldn’t have been my cup of tea.

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Helllllo readers, interesting Top Ten Tuesday post today that I’m really excited to get stuck into. The idea of today’s post is to highlight books you read in the last year or so that weren’t really your cup of tea but that you surprisingly enjoyed. Seeing as I read SO MANY different books from SO MANY different genres I know I’ve got lots to choose from but I’m going to try to pick just a few of my favourites.

1q84 by Haruki Murakami

I know I haven’t quite finished this but I am loving reading this. It’s so far away from the type of genre that I usually read and yet it’s beautiful, full of fantasy writing and mystical slightly religious themes. Something I would have never have picked for myself but one I am adoring.

microserfs by DOUGLAS Coupland

I bought this for T and he thought it was okay but not the most amazing book ever. I thought it would be right up his street because it’s really quirky but I think he thought it was trying to hard. I however have been really enjoying it. Great book, super clever and geeky it’s a thumbs up from Lizzo.

Once Gone by Blake Pierce

Some of you will know that although I adore thrillers sometimes they are just a little bit too scary and therefore I can’t really deal with them. This however was brilliant and although terrifying I just couldn’t stop reading it. Spot on – 100% worth a read.

THE GIVING TREE BY SHEL SILVERSTEIN

Maybe this will come as a surprise – one because I read it recently, two because it’s on this list. Yes I love children’s books but this type of book doesn’t tend to be my cup of tea. I always want more from books like this but I was surprised to find this was perfect. Unlike the rants on Goodreads I really enjoyed this and therefore it’s making the list.

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52 MEN BY LOUISE WAREHAM LEONARD

So I was sent this book and reviewed it and loved but I didn’t expect to. I thought it would get really tedious really quickly but it ended up being a lovely selection of stories to dip in and out of. I’ve struggled with short stories in 2016 but this one was lovely.

SUGAR AND SNAILS PAPERBACK BY ANNE GOODWIN

I just want to point out that with some of these books it wasn’t that I didn’t expect them to be my cup of tea but instead it was that I didn’t expect to like them as much as I did? This book really connected with me as the tale was told in such a special way – slowly giving you more and more information so you felt almost in the same way as the character in the book who was experiencing the events and feelings. It was a beautiful book and one i really enjoyed.

I FEEL BAD ABOUT MY NECK: AND OTHER THOUGHTS ON BEING A WOMAN BOOK BY NORA EPHRON

I bought this in my local bookstore which has now closed unfortunately. It was a bit of a quick choice from me, but it’s ended up staying with me for a long time and I’ve recommended it over and over. It’s a stunning set of stories that really spoke to me and I’m definitely going to re-read this, this year.

WATER MINUTE MYSTERIES 1-10 BY P. AARON MITCHELL

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Another book that really surprised me this year – it’s full of mysteries that you have to solve. This book really made me think and made me use my brain which doesn’t normally happen when I’m reading. I think with this one I just didn’t know what to expect but I thought it was great really.

LITTLE WOMEN BY LOUISA MAY ALCOTT

I had tried to read this book over and over and over again as a younger reader but it was only this year I finally got round to it. As I had really struggled before I didn’t think I would enjoy it but it ended up being brilliant.

TAMED BY EMMA CHASE

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I picked up this book from the library without really looking at it too much and I ended up absolutely loving it and tearing through it. For a book that is your typical chick-lit kind of romance this was great.

So there we go, ten books from really the last six months I didn’t expect to love but really did. What books have you found a surprise recently? Let me know in the comments!

 

 

Top Ten Debut Books I want to read released in 2K16

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Hellllllllo readers, really struggled with today’s topic. Although I love reading and new books I am often so far behind in the last years reading that I have to wait another six or so months to catch up. Therefore these are ten books I think I would love to read in 2K16 but will probably take me 48348684934 months to get round to! Without further delay the boooooks!

Save Me, Kurt CobaiN by Jenny Manzer

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Not only has this already got fantastic reviews on Goodreads but the blurb and the ideas behind the book really intrigue me – additionally lave me that cover!

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

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This book I think will be making the rounds on the blogosphere very soon and it is almost definitely going to be a harrowing read but one I hope to enjoy (if that’s the right word?)

Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace

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Gritty, creepy, supernatural, murderous intentions this sounds interesting, intriguing and very complex but I am so excited to get hold of this as soon as possible *eee*

A Study in Charlotte (A Study in Charlotte #1)By Brittany Cavallaro

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Sherlock back in female form? Yes PLEASEEEE. I’ve heard it’s also got wonderful nods to Conan Doyle which I can’t wait to read!

Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

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This sounds a lot like a bookish version of Easy A which I utterly adored – (I gotta pocket full of sunshineee) this sounds like the perfect summer read and with my TBR as long as it is, it will probably take me that long to get round to it *wails.*

The Girl Who FelL By Shannon M. Parker

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Too many fantastic book reviews already on Amazon not to get a copy of this and start reading!

Fear the Drowning DeeP by Sarah Glenn Marsh

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Witch’s apprentice Bridey Corkill has hated the ocean ever since she watched her granddad dive in and drown with a smile on his face. So when a dead girl rolls in with the tide in the summer of 1913, sixteen-year-old Bridey suspects that whatever compelled her granddad to leap into the sea has made its return to the Isle of Man.

That BLURB – GIMME GIMME GIMME.

Please Don’t Tell by Laura Tims

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Can’t believe I have to till MAY! Murder, deceit, confusion and family all whirled into one along the same feeling-ish as Gone Girl. Can’t wait to my tiny hands on this!

After the Woods by Kim Savage

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Think I might be in a thriller mood?

When a paroled predator attacked Liv in the woods, Julia fought back and got caught. Liv ran, leaving Julia in the woods for a terrifying 48 hours that she remembers only in flashbacks. One year later, Liv seems bent on self-destruction, starving herself, doing drugs, and hooking up with a violent new boyfriend. A dead girl turns up in those same woods, and Julia’s memories resurface alongside clues unearthed by an ambitious reporter that link the girl to Julia’s abductor. As the devastating truth becomes clear, Julia realizes that after the woods was just the beginning.

SOUNDS FANTASTIC!!

The Mystery of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos

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Finally The Mystery of Hollow Places – a spooky, thrilling tale. SO many reviews already that are begging me to read this so I will – as soon as I can anyway!

Right I’m off to cry about how long I’m going to have to wait for all these fantastic looking books! What would you add? What have I forgotten? Let me know in the comments of tweet @littlebookblog1.

Twenty-five things us bookworms are super awesome at

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Twenty-five things us bookworms are super awesome at

Helllllllllo readers, it’s a Friday which means FRIYAY (yes I did just type that and only feel slightly ashamed.) I’ve been having a bit of a writing block kind of month. Reviews are being written thick and fast but these more bookish, talking posts have been more difficult. I had a think and I thought, us readers are really good at lots of things so I wanted to write them all down so we can be super proud of them – enjoy.

1) Letting our TBR list flow over until it’s so long we can barely think about it without our bank balances going into meltdown
2) Walking into the library and checking out double the books we can physically read in the time we’re allowed to read them
3) Being able to read just about anywhere; bath, bed, train, car, standing up, on the bus, we are reading ninjas
4) Spending a good thirty minutes going into the plot/characters/writing style when someone just asks ‘Hey, is this worth a read?’
5) Getting so emotionally involved in plotlines that we get book hangovers and spend the next few days wandering just emotional invested in the finished story
6) Organising and re-organising our books; should it be in colour order? Or authors alphabetically?

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7) Buying a book we already have with a different cover because omgee it is so beautiful and instagramable
8) Spotting someone on the bus/train/tube who’s reading and awkwardly looking over to try and get a glimpse of what they’re reading
9)  annnnnd giving an appreciative nod if it seems like a good one.
10) Having DNF books that we’re still not quite ready to part with but knowing we’re unlikely to ever make it all the way through
11) Contemplating relationships with certain hot mess kind of characters and wondering if they’ll make you breakfast in bed.
12) Staying up till 3am because… just one more chapter then I’ll go to sleep.

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13) Being a regular at the local library and always ALWAYS trying to get other people to use them; C’MON FREE BOOKS!”£¬”£
14) Getting up in the morning and thinking hair wash, breakfast, contour makeup maybe; then spending all that time reading and having to get ready in minus two minutes.
15) Never panicking when a friend is late to a coffee date cause you know – always carry a book
16) Losing keys, shoes, phone but never EVER losing a book
17) Reading 38583238583 books on the go because ya know there’s always another to read right?
18) Having a well constructed answer when someone ultimately asks the question – ‘So, what is your favourite book?’

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19) Using anything for a bookmark; train ticket, receipt, another book we make it work!
20) Pondering wildly on different endings to books when they don’t quite go our way.
21) Always knowing the quickest way to the local bookstore just in case of bookish emergencies
22) Having a dedicated book for when the reading slumps kick in; Alice in Wonderland, or HP we all have one
23) Always having an opinion (whether good or bad) as to book-to-movie adaptations
24) Knowing truly which Harry Potter house you should being/ have done the pottermore quiz #Ravenclaw
25) Knowing that reading is pretty goddamn cool and being proud to call yourself a book worm.

Gah isn’t it great to be a reader? Agree/disagree let me know in le comments. What would you add?

Top Ten Tuesdays: Ten finished series I have yet to finish.

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It’s Tuesday and we all know what that means; another Top Ten Tuesday’s post; *eeee * I love completing these lists but I must admit it seems to just flag up how many more books I need to read and I’m still not getting round to them all (slumps.) Today’s list focuses on series and I’m not a big series reader. The only one I’ve read is HP which is a bit ridiculous and there are so many out there I might have to finally get round to them

1)       The Lord of the Rings by J. R. Tolkien

After writing another TTT on books I thought I would never read my Dad implored me to rethink this one. We read it together when I was a lot younger and none of it made a lot of sense (especially with my Dad falling asleep mid-chapter.) However, I think it’s time to finally give this another go, especially as I have all of the books stacked on my bookshelf back in Silvy.

2)       The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

These books have and continue to do the rounds on wordpress and I feel I’m really missing out. These books have featured a number of times on my TTT lists and I think it’s one that has to be checked off of the TBR pile.

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3)       Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

I’m struggling a little with this list because many series books seem to be fantasy which is a genre I quite openly struggle with (despite it being my most requested review genre.) I didn’t realise that the film (Confessions of a Shopaholic) was originally a book, but now I know there’s a series there is definitely some binge series reading to be done.

4)       1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

This is such a cheat because I’m already halfway through this book but if I don’t finish it I think T will kill me (bless him, he has an open adoration for this author.) Although I have all the books in one it definitely still counts as a series and being over 1300 pages I want, no, need to get this finished.

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5)       Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene

JHSFSJKHFSJHJ I adored Nancy Drew, but my love for her came through a number of computer games, which I thought were brilliant, rather than the books. I’ve read a couple but want to get them all read and maybe reviewed for you lovely readers.

6)       The Maze Runner by James Dashner

This is a series that I rarely see reviewed and I’ve seen negative comments about the film. I’m intrigued to read and find my own opinion of them both.

7)       The Selection by Kiera Cass

Another book series that is continually cropping up on WP; I want to know if it lives up to the hype that has been built around this book.

8)       The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

This is a book that appears to have divided the book blogging community. It seems to be a marmite series; some love, some hate. Which side will I be on? God knows but I want to find out.

9)       The Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth

You might have noticed that many of these series I have yet to start let along finish so this could be a list that takes a bit of time. My Dad is currently reading/watching these (I can’t remember which) and whenever I go home he mentions it. If it’s something he suggests I pretty much always read it.

10)   The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Another series that seems to have divided opinion; I’m intrigued as always and I haven’t read the Twilight series so this will be my first encounter with this author.

So ten series I am almost all yet to start but interested to see what I can learn and read and enjoy hopefully. What would you add or take off from my list? Let me know in le comments.