You May Say I'm A Reader

CURRENTLY READING (#58): THE RAFT BY S. A. BODEEN

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Tue, 03 May 2022 11:38:00 +0000

“I felt an overwhelming need for reassurance, for someone to tell me everything would be okay. That I would be okay. But no one did.”

“The flotation device was still in my lap, but I didn’t even try to put it on. I couldn’t make myself look at it. None of this was real, none of it. Everything was fuzzy. Dull. None of it could possibly be real.”

By Wildweasel339

“My heart pounded a little as I crossed the avenue. I’d never realized that I did everything in Honolulu with someone, either AJ or my parents. Come to think of it, everything I did, I did with someone. Even on Midway, when I was alone, people were never very far away.”

Facts:

Title: The Raft

Author: S. A. Bodeen

Publisher: Square Fish

First Publication Date: 21 August 2012

Format: Paperback

Pages: 256

Goodreads Rating:

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Adventure, Survival, Suspense, Action...

First Lines

The dude with the lime-green Mohawk and dark wooden plugs in his earlobes looked down at me, the long silver needle in his rubber-gloved hand pointed directly at my face.
"Wait." I swallowed and gripped the arms of my chair.
Jutting out one hip, he rolled his eyes. "Do you want your nose pierced or not?"
"Yes, just... Can you tell me something worse?" I pointed at the needle. "Something that is worse than that?"

Synopsis:

Robie is an experienced traveler. She's taken the flight from Honolulu to the Midway Atoll, a group of Pacific islands where her parents live, many times. When she has to get to Midway in a hurry after a visit with her aunt in Hawaii, she gets on the next cargo flight at the last minute. She knows the pilot, but on this flight, there's a new co-pilot named Max. All systems are go until a storm hits during the flight. The only passenger, Robie doesn't panic until the engine suddenly cuts out and Max shouts at her to put on a life jacket. They are over miles of Pacific Ocean. She sees Max struggle with a raft.

And then . . . she's in the water. Fighting for her life. Max pulls her onto the raft, and that's when the real terror begins. They have no water. Their only food is a bag of Skittles. There are sharks. There is an island. But there's no sign of help on the way.

“The falling lasted forever, my arms windmilling in the void. I wanted to stop moving. Stop the noise. Stop the wet. Stop the cold. Stop the blowing. Stop everything.”

CURRENTLY READING (#57): THE BLACK COATS BY COLLEEN OAKES

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 12:26:00 +0000

"It’s a shame...that sometimes even the strongest women are not strong enough to endure the wickedness of average men."

"When a trauma comes from a human hand, it marks you forever. There is a long black road between the assault, revenge, and recovery, and unfortunately, you will walk it alone."

Promotional illustration by Christopher Doehling

"Men, protected by their positions, are getting away with murder and abuse and assault. So please don’t let me hear you say it that HE didn’t do anything!"

Facts:

Title: The Black Coats

Author: Colleen Oakes

Publisher: Harper Teen

First Publication Date: 12 February 2019

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 400

Goodreads Rating: 3,71

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller...

First Lines

"Grapeland, Texas. 1972.

Robin Peterson always knew when there were football games. Her parents' brick house stood across from the school, where only a field of wildflowers separated her front yard from the lights and the noise of Grapeland High. On Friday nights, she could hear the chants of the cheerleaders from her bedroom window.

'Are you ready?'

No.

'I said, are you ready?'

Still no.

Robin would play her music loudly to drown out the noise, but That accompanying sound track of Texas life always filtered through — the stomps of the crowd vibrating down from the stands, the smell of burnt hot dogs wrinkling her nose. She stared defensively back toward the school as the melodic strains of 'Man in Black' by Johnny Cash spun on the record player."

Synopsis:

Moxie meets Female of the Species in this powerful, thrilling, and deeply resonant novel about a secret society of girls who plot revenge on the men who hurt them.

The enigmatic Black Coats have been exacting vengeance on men who have hurt girls and women for years. The killer of Thea's cousin went free, and Thea has just received an invitation to join the Black Coats' balancings—acts of revenge meant to teach a lesson. Justice for Natalie has never felt so close.

But as the balancings escalate in brutality, Thea’s clear-cut mission begins to unravel and she must decide just how far she is willing to go for justice.

Because when the line between justice and revenge is paper thin, it’s hard not to get cut.

"I’ve begun to think that scars can’t be erased with more scars."

BOOK TRAVELING THURSDAYS (#12): BOOK TRANSLATED FROM ANOTHER LANGUAGE

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 19:22:00 +0000

"And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

*Book Traveling Thursdays is hosted by Cátia at The Girl Who Read Too Much and Danielle at Danielle's Book Blog. Go to the Goodreads Group and participate!

The Book

Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The Little Prince by Rinian

The Original Cover

My Country's Cover (Spain)

Favorite Covers

The "Look at my beautiful little sword" section.

The "Versions of a classic" section.

The "A kid and his fox" section.

The "I'm blue nananinanana" section.

The "Others" section.

Least Favorite Covers

The "Drugs got me like" section.

The "Drop your make-up look, king" section.

The "Why, though" section.

The "Oh so fucking terrifying" section.

The "Others" section.

1. They said "let's put everything on it."

2. The Little Michael Jackson.

3. "You've been hit by. You've been struck by. A smooth criminal"

4. That's a chicken, sir.

CHARACTER DRESS UP (#5): SNOW WHITE

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Sat, 29 Jan 2022 17:06:00 +0000

“Lips Red As The Rose, Hair Black As Ebony, Skin White As Snow.”

― Snow White

Welcome to Character Dress Up, y'all! Just clap your hands with joy and let's get on with it!

Everybody likes to dress-up as fictional characters in their everyday life, amirite? So, as the gentle soul that I am, I'm gonna help you to achieve the perfect fangirl (or boy) looks! 'Cause why the hell not.

*Disclaimer 1: I was inspired by the feature Dress Up That Cover created by Kim at Divergent Gryffindor. Check it out, it's really cool!

*Disclaimer 2: If you have something similar on your blog, it's not my intention to copy, I just don't know everything that's going on on the interwebs.

*Disclaimer 3: I'm not recommending those items or websites in particular, I'm just giving ideas. I would prefer not to include fast fashion clothing, but I know it's more available to everyone. If you're able to buy second hand I would recommend it!

Characters: Snow White by mioree-art & Male Snow White by Lju-chan

Top
Skirt
Shoes
Headband
Necklace
Earrings
Bag

Watch
Belt
Pants
Polo
Bag
Shoes

Would you have styled it differently? Do you have some ideas of which character should I do next? If you want to do the Character Dress Up with me I would love to see your posts! Link them in the comments below!

CHARACTER DRESS UP (#4): MR. & MRS. CLAUS

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Wed, 25 Dec 2019 14:30:00 +0000

“Santa Claus has the right idea: visit people once a year”

― Victor Borge

New feature on my blog! Welcome to Character Dress Up, y'all! Just clap your hands with joy and let's get on with it!

Everybody likes to dress-up as fictional characters in their everyday life, amirite? So, as the gentle soul that I am, I'm gonna help you to achieve the perfect fangirl (or boy) looks! 'Cause why the hell not.

*Disclaimer 1: I was inspired by the feature Dress Up That Cover created by Kim at Divergent Gryffindor. Check it out, it's really cool!

*Disclaimer 2: If you have something similar on your blog, it's not my intention to copy, I just don't know everything that's going on on the interwebs.

Chris Wood

Characters: Mrs. & Mr. Claud

FOR HER

Hat
Socks
Boots
Sweater
Belt
Skirt
Jewelry
Bag

FOR HIM

Hat
Belt
Bag
Sweater
Jeans
Scarf
Boots

MY FAVORITE (#1): CHRISTMAS MOVIES

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Wed, 25 Dec 2019 00:03:00 +0000

"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear."

5. THE HOLIDAY

"Iris, if you were a melody... I used only the good notes." Miles

4. THE FAMILY STONE

"Christmas is not "clothing optional" this year - we have a guest." Sybil Stone

3. JINGLE ALL THE WAY

"I want the Turbo Man action figure with the arms and legs that move and the boomerang shooter and his rock'n roller jet pack and the realistic voice activator that says *five* different phrases including, "It's Turbo time!" Accessories sold separately; batteries not included." Jamie

2. HOME ALONE / HOME ALONE 2

"This is my house, I have to defend it." Kevin McCallister

1. EDWARD SCISSORHANDS

"You see, before he came down here, it never snowed. And afterwards, it did. If he weren't up there now... I don't think it would be snowing. Sometimes, you can still catch me dancing in it." Kim

WEIRDEST CHRISTMAS BOOKS

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 23:11:00 +0000

"One can never have enough socks. Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn’t get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books."

Professor Dumbledore

A VERY UNDEAD XMAS

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies: A Book of Zombie Christmas Carols by Michael P. Spradlin

Do they even have vocal cords?

The Undead That Saved Christmas by Lyle Tinics (Editor), Gary McKenzie (Contributor)

Jesus's unauthorized biography.

A VERY WEIRD XMAS

Tillie and the Weird Christmas Tree by Heather B. Moon

That tree is not weird, it just has a bearded creep hiding on it. Run, Tillie, run.

There is Something Weird in Santa's Beard by Chrissie Krebs

Crabs. It's probably crabs.

A VERY FURRY XMAS

Jingle Bell Prowl, Jingle Bell Howl and Jingle Bell Growl by Misha Carver

I love animals, these girls reaaaaally looooveeee animals.

A VERY MURDEROUS XMAS

The Last Christmas of Mrs. Claus by Alex Wilson

He kept visiting women on the naughty list, she wasn't going to take it anymore.

Murder for Christmas by Thomas Godfrey (editor), Gahan Wilson (illustrator), Robert Louis Stevenson (contributor)...

He only worked a day every year and complained that he was too tired, she wasn't going to take it anymore.

A VERY CREEPY XMAS

New Year by Alan Blackwood

Clowns shouldn't celebrate Christmas. Clowns shouldn't live. I fucking hate clowns.

Alcoa's Book of Decorations by Conny von Hagen

What the hell is this poor creature? Why it's still alive? Kill it. Kill it with fire.

A VERY MONSTROUS XMAS

Ho Ho Horror by Steve Rossiter (editor), Kathryn Hore, Cameron Trost...

That ho has green hands. That ho is probably very, very sick.

Invasion of the Christmas Puddings by Jeremy Strong

Everyone's fear came true.

Krampus: The Devil of Christmas by Monte Beauchamp

I think this nice demon it's about to eat that nasty child.

A VERY WTF XMAS

The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus: The Mathematics of Christmas by Hannah Fry, Thomas Oléron Evans

Sure Hannah and Thomas... Sure. Give me a little of whatever you're smoking.

Buff Hitler Gets White Socks for Christmas by Hastings Cavendish

This is one of the best / worst things I've ever seen.

Christmas Letters from Hell: All the News We Hate from the People We Love by Michael Lent

Those psychos look like they like to eat people raw.

A VERY PUNNY XMAS

Stocking Stuffers by David Laurents, Leigh W. Rutledge (Contributor), Tom Caffrey (Contributor), Lars Eighner (Contributor)...

I don't know if I love more the dirrty title or that George Michael looking dude's intense gaze.

Big Package by Opal Carew

This one doesn't even try to pretend. Big Package. It's about dicks. This book has big dicks on it. Dicks.

Baby, Let It Snow by Beverly Jenkins, Elaine Overton

Maybe it's just my filthy mind with this one, but come on... It's too easy.

A VERY CORNY XMAS

Blame It on the Fruitcake by Michael P. Spradlin

I live for this "Did you just ran me over with a fucking sled? Love it!" moment.

Holiday With A Vampire: Christmas Cravings / Fate Calls by Maureen Child, Caridad Piñeiro

Do vampires celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ too? Crazy.

Cowboy Christmas Redemption by Maisey Yates

That dog is soooo over it. "Redeem already dude, I have to pee."

A VERY SEXY TIMES XMAS

Unwrapping Hank by Eli Easton

Even the dog is not amused "Hank, like, just stop it."

I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus by Reanna Pryce

Kid, go to sleep. Santa is giving your daddy his present. The present is his penis.

Snowman With Benefits by Marshall Thornton

I don't know what to think about humanity anymore, honestly. Freaky shit.

FANDOM MASHUP (#6): FICTIONAL SLYTHERIN CHARACTERS

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 02:03:00 +0000

"You could be great, you know, it’s all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that."

*Fandom Mashup is a feature created by Micheline at Lunar Rainbows Reviews. Even though she doesn't do it anymore, I'm still gonna because it's a great idea. Join me if you want to!

Rupert Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Pulvis

"You have no idea how much thrashing you is going to improve my day."

Maybe when you think about Giles the first thing that comes to mind is the dude being surrounded by dusty old books, so that would put him in Ravenclaw, right? No ma'am.

Rupert "Ripper" Giles has an interesting past, think of him as his young self, with his Dark Magick and his demons or whatever. But most importantly, think of him suffocating a human Ben so Glory can die. Yep, Slytherin all the way.

Sansa Stark from Game of Thrones / A Song of Ice and Fire

Akeyna

"Sometimes when I’m trying to understand a person’s motives, I play a little game. I assume the worst."

When we meet her she's so cute, and young and full of teenage annoyance, that we think she could never be the clever and resourceful badass she's later in the story.

Maybe the world has made her the way she is, maybe all the bad shit has made her a Slytherin, or maybe the stupid teenybopper we though she was, was never real. She wanted to be the queen since the beginning, after all.

Megara from Hercules

Teo-Hoble

"My friends call me Meg; at least they would if I had any friends."

She doesn't need no man with rippling pectorals to save her, she can do it on her own. Self-preservation is her middle name, even to a fault.

She can be sarcastic, closed off, cynical, harsh and almost cruel, but her experience has made her this way. She doesn't trust easily, but when she does, she's gonna go for a swim to the fucking River Styx for you.

Inara from Firefly / Serenity

garrypfc

"So would you like to lecture me on the wickedness of my ways?"

She's rational, resourceful and a perfectionist. Everything she does is done flawlessly and with detail. She controls everything about her appearance, because she has to. And she's good at it.

But she's also mysterious and perceptive, which she will use to her advantage. She can manipulate someone with the other person not even realizing it. It comes with the job, I guess.

Loki from Marvel Cinematic Universe

Akreon

"I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose."

He's cunning and shrewd and quick-witted and all of those fancy words that Slytherin people are known for. He's also narcissistic and arrogant and really ambitious. He thinks he deserves the world, and he's going to make sure the world knows it.

His power is basically a form of manipulation and he loves it. For goodness sake, he's the God of Mischief, what else can he do? Besides, he obviously looks fabulous in green and gold.

TOP 5 SATURDAY (#1): BOOK TO MOVIE ADAPTATIONS

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Sun, 22 Dec 2019 03:02:00 +0000

"Books and movies are like apples and oranges. They both are fruit, but taste completely different."

Stephen King

*Top 5 Saturday was created by Mandy at Devouring Books. Read what books that became movies she wants to read!

Divergent Trilogy

"I want to be brave, and selfless, and smart, and kind, and honest."

DIVERGENT, INSUERGENT and ALLEGIANT written by Veronica Roth

DIVERGENT directed by Neil Burger and written by Evan Daugherty & Vanessa Taylor

INSURGENT directed by Robert Schwentke and written by Brian Duffield, Akiva Goldsman & Mark Bomback

ALLEGIANT directed by Robert Schwentke and written by Noah Oppenheim, Adam Cooper & Bill Collage

WINNER

WHY

The books were pretty good, and they had some controversial endings I enjoyed 'cause I'm a sadistic weirdo.

But the movies were kinda a hot mess, honestly. And it doesn't help I don't like either of the protagonists faces. I don't know why, they just annoy me. Serious critique right here.

Room

"When I was a little kid I thought like a little kid, but now I'm five I know everything."

ROOM written by Emma Donoghue

ROOM directed by Lenny Abrahamson and written by Emma Donoghue

WINNER

WHY

I don't know which one of the two to choose, because I'm an indecisive bitch. Oh, well.

Having read the book beforehand, which made me really uncomfortable and emotional, I thought the movie wouldn't affect me that much. I was wrong. With the movie yet to end I had already spent like 5 full minutes bawling in my bathroom. Nice.

The Hunger Games

"You don’t forget the face of the person who was your last hope."

THE HUNGER GAMES, CATCHING FIRE and MOCKINGJAY written by Suzanne Collins

THE HUNGER GAMES directed by Gary Ross and written by Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins & Billy Ray
CATCHING FIRE directed by Francis Lawrence and written by Simon Beaufoy & Michael deBruyn
MOCKINGJAY, PART I directed by Francis Lawrence and written by Peter Craig & Danny Strong
MOCKINGJAY, PART II directed by Francis Lawrence and written by Peter Craig & Danny Strong

WINNER

WHY

I loooove the movies, I mean, I wanna marry Jennifer Lawrence, but the books were fan-fucking-tastic.

Although that moment with the Hanging Tree song and the people walking towards The Capitol, ready to fuck them up, still makes me wanna do the three finger salute to the world.

Dracula

"I am longing to be with you, and by the sea, where we can talk together freely and build our castles in the air."

DRACULA written by Bram Stoker

DRACULA directed by Francis Ford Coppola and written by James V. Hart

WINNER

WHY

For a book that's called Dracula, I noticed an odd lack of Dracula in it. Outrageous.

The book is good, don't get me wrong, but it didn't deliver what I expected. Mostly a sexy ass Dracula with cool glasses.

Romeo and Juliet

"Good night, good night!
Parting is such sweet sorrow,
That I shall say good night till it
be morrow."

ROMEO AND JULIET written by William Shakespeare

ROMEO AND JULIET directed by Baz Luhrmann and written by Baz Luhrmann & Craig Pearce

WINNER

WHY

Sorry Will, but as much as I love you, this is one of my favorite movies and I had to choose it.

Everything, from the 90's moment aesthetic, the amazing blend of modern and old, to Leo Dicaprio's fucking gorgeous crying face is perfect.

CURRENTLY READING (#56): THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES by MINDY MCGINNIS

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Mon, 20 May 2019 17:32:00 +0000

"You see it in all animals - the female of the species is more deadly than the male. - Except humans."

"But boys will be boys, our favorite phrase that excuses so many things, while the only thing we have for the opposite gender is women, said with disdain and punctuated with an eye roll."

Official Trailer

"Do no harm. Be nice. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
But what if I don’t want to catch the flies? What if I’d rather see them swatted?"

Facts:

Title: The Female of the Species

Author: Mindy McGinnis

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

First Publication Date: 20 September 2016

Format: Paperback

Pages: 341

Goodreads Rating: 4.23

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller...

First Lines

"This is how I kill someone.

I learn his habits, I know his schedule. It is not difficult. His life consists of quick stops at the dollar store for the bare minimum of things required to keep his ragged cycle going, his hat pulled down over his eyes so as not to be recognized.

But he is. It’s a small town."

Synopsis:

Alex Craft knows how to kill someone. And she doesn’t feel bad about it.

Three years ago, when her older sister, Anna, was murdered and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best—the language of violence.

While her own crime goes unpunished, Alex knows she can’t be trusted among other people. Not with Jack, the star athlete who wants to really know her but still feels guilty over the role he played the night Anna’s body was discovered. And not with Peekay, the preacher’s kid with a defiant streak who befriends Alex while they volunteer at an animal shelter. Not anyone.

As their senior year unfolds, Alex’s darker nature breaks out, setting these three teens on a collision course that will change their lives forever.

"Some might think me too harsh. But some men should be marked. I’m fit for that task."

THE GEEK IS COMING (#7): A GAME OF THRONES COMMENTARY (8x03 - The Long Night)

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Tue, 07 May 2019 00:45:00 +0000

"Not today."

Arya Stark

Game of Thrones 8x03 Promo

SPOILERS, OBVI.

(I know. Really late. Sorry.)

I'm not ready.

'The Long Night'. It surely is gonna be long.

Sam has the same 'oh shit' look on his face as we do.

Bran doesn't give a flying fuck, as per usual.

Why are most of the main characters in first line of the battle? Go back! Don't you dare die on us!

Fuck. Shit. Nope. Ghost, what the hell are you doing there? Go to sleep.

Melissandreeeeee Queeeeen!

'Let me light your swords really quick.'

Valar Morghulis, bitches!

I'm too excited, I need to relax.

I still ship Davos and Melissadre, by the way.

Melissadre being all mysterious and confusing, as we like her. Missed you, girl.

The Dothraki are going for it. Maybe you should stay put, you crazy enormous savages.

Give fire to men and they go all macho. Sigh.

So... Jon and Dany are chilling on top of a mountain... Go down to fight beside your army... Motherfuc...

Oh crap. Where are all the lights going? Oh crap.

Jorah? You ok? Which colour are his eyes? Which fucking colour?!

Oh well, I guess the Dothraki race is kinda dead now.

My heart is about to pop and it's only been 15 min. This is going swell!

That's a fuckload of zombies.

And now... Dragons. God, I love this show.

"Stick them with the pointy end." Yass.

There are like three dudes protecting Bran. Lol.

Fucking fast editing. WTF is going on?

Nooooo Eeeeedd! And then there was one.

So nice of the Unsullied to protect the retreat. Who says that they don't have balls?

'Really? Lighting the trenches with arrows? Bitch, please.' by Melissandre.

Faster would be better. (Browncoats still remember)

Wight barbeque is what's for dinner.

Someone should have thought of bringing Monopoly or something to the crypts. These people look bored.

"I'm going to go now." I mean, were you even here?

Oh oh. Is he sacrificing wights to put out the fire?

Yep he is.

Aaaand meanwhile? Everybody inside is just lounging about, apparently.

Now that the undead dudes were distracted, was a pretty good time to attack them with those flamming arrows. Do I have to teach these Winterfellas the art of war? My God.

'World War Z', anyone?

Is someone cool dying? I don't know! Even the characters don't know!

Jaime and Brienne fighting together like good Bffs. So sweet.

Arya saving asses everywhere. Fuck, she's so cool.

I mean, I love Davos as much as the next sane person, but he's being pretty useless... There's still room in the crypts and someone has to bring the Monopoly...

Big brother Clegane going to rescue little sister Arya makes me believe in unicorns and angels.

Here comes the fucking zombie giant. Of course.

Damn you, you grotesque deceased giant. Don't ever touch Lyanna Mormont again, or I swear to God...

Fuck my life. Not Lyanna. Even when she was broken she was more complete than most of us.

She died a hero, destroying men's brains as she did when she was alive.

Is really weird and distressing seeing Arya being afraid. Don't like it. Stop it.

"Swift as a deer. Quiet as a shadow. Quick as a snake. Calm as still water." Syrio taught her well.

The tension! My heart is racing. Is this how I die?

This is becoming a scary movie and I'm here for it.

Arya, the Hound and Beric running for their dear lives, with a bunch of zombies wanting to eat their faces.

Demi Lovato said it best: "If I ever did that, I think I'd have a heart attack."

Yes, this is definitely how I die. And it's fine by me.

Beric Dondarrion sacrificing himself to save Arya and serving his purpose. Sad times.

"And blue eyes..." (Honestly, at the moment I didn't realize 100% what it meant, I was just trying not to pass out.)

"What do we say to the God of Death?" "Not today, Satan, not today."

With all honestly, I had completely forgotten about the existence of the cannon fodder of the woods.

Bran is important or whatever.

I know 'the night is dark and full of terrors' but I don't see shit. What dragon is doing what?

Not dracarys, girl.

Fan of the Night King just strolling around the battlefield like he doesn't have a care in the world.

He's a chill dude in general. Pun totally intended.

Nononononononononono. NO.

Don' t want no Lyanna wight. Don't want no Edd wight. Don't want no scrub.

Here they come, The White Walkers, looking like a cool Icelandic rock band kinda deal.

The dead are rising in the fucking crypt. Who knew?

What in the icy hell are doing those horrid zombies? Attacking my baby Drogon? Fuck no.

Maybe Daenerys should have taken some self-defense classes... Just sayin'...

Jon: 'Fuck Sam, fuck everybody, I gotta save my kooky three eyed raven of a brother.'

Are you fucking for real, Theon? Not only you just have a couple of suckers fighting beside you, but you also have a shortage of arrows? Are you new? Come on.

Well, not so boring anymore in the crypts.

Shit! Ned isn't going to revive all headless, right? That's too fucked up, right? RIGHT?

When Tyrion kisses Sansa's hand... Jesus Christ. A moment of real kindness in the middle of the Apocalypse.

I'm not crying. You're crying.

I can't with this music, these images, these emotions. Fuck's sake.

Some more characters we love are going to die and it fucking sucks.

Damn, I'm getting sad for realsies.

Calm the fuck down, bitch. Lol.

"Theon. You're a good man. Thank you." And he sacrifices himself, being the hero he always wanted to be.

I guess there's not calming down today. Oh, well.

Fuckity fucking fuck of all fucks. Arya.

What the...

WHAT

Ice zombies exploding everywhere.

Arya has killed the Night King and I think I've just orgasmed.

And... Happiness is over.

Jorah falls, protecting his Khaleesi, like he's always done.

And Drogon is every pet in the world, comforting his human when she needs it.

Nope. There's no way I'm surviving through the night.

Wait, it's not over! We can suffer a little bit more.

Melissandre has fulfilled her destiny at last, so she turns to dust.

I guess my Davos and Melissandre ship has totally sinked. Or has gone with the wind. 'Cause she's dust. Get it? GET IT?

Don't judge me, I'm hurting.

Today six beloved characters and some frosty bitches have died.

Don't worry, there are three episodes left, they can still kill some more. Great.

Thank you for an hour and a half of complete anxiety, I really appreciate it.

I was definitely not ready.

THE GEEK IS COMING (#6): A GAME OF THRONES COMMENTARY (8x02 - A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms)

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 19:43:00 +0000

"I know death. He’s got many faces. I look forward to seeing this one."

Arya Stark

Game of Thrones 8x02 Promo

SPOILERS, OBVI.

Jaime you're fucked.

Daenerys calm yo tits, your father was nuts.

"I see one man with one hand." Guuurl.

Sansa and Dany bonding over dead families. Cute.

"The things we do for love." Damn, boy! No fucks given.

Brienne defend your BFF! Jamie, the honorable king-slayer-sister-fucker.

Jon being all like: "Please, don't let them ask me, pretty please..."

That look Daenerys gives Jorah... Tyrion pack your shit.

Being a blacksmith is hoooot and Arya agrees. They're fucking each other with their eyes!

Don't underestimate Arya. Ever.

Well... Gendry is horny now...

Here it goes, the most awkward conversation ever. And this show has had its share of awkward conversations.

"How do you know there's an afterwards?" I think I've actually heard Jaime crap his pants.

Lannister bros broing out. Nice.

"Dying in my own bed at the age of 80, with a bellyful of wine and a girl's mouth around my cock!" Say what you want about Tyrion, but he's consistent.

When the thought of your undead self ripping apart your sister gives you tingles, you know your next family reunion is gonna be uncomfortable. Or a fun time, whatever.

Is Jaime in lurve with Brienne? That look says yep. My wishes say nope (T+B).

Podrick and his proud mamma!

Ok... Not so much.

Jaime letting go of his cocky self and asking Brienne for a job proves how much he has changed. Brienne being a sympathetic hardass is why we love her.

Is Jorah trying to steal Tyrion's role as Hand of the Queen?

Of course not, 'cause he's Jorah and he's adorable (and sexy).

"Someone taller." Lol

Ohhhh! Sansa and Dany are becoming friends! That's lovely!

"What about the North?" Or you know... Frenemies.

Theon and Sansa's hug. God, he's going to die.

Everytime Davos appears my heart is happy. That means something bad is going to happen, for sure.

Shireen flashbacks. Don't cry.

A crow-wildling reunion! Wiiiiii!!

"The big woman still here?" I'm gonna eat his face, he's so cute.

There's a fuckload of people on that assembly. Party!

"That’s what death is, isn’t it? Forgetting. Being forgotten." I really felt like thinking about the meaning of life and death and not sleeping tonight, anyway. Thanks, Sam.

So... I did't tell you before just 'cause, but that undead dude knows where I am at all times because this creepy mark and shit. Oopsie.

Fuck Dead-Eyed-Bran! Of course you're using him as bait and not hiding him! Are you people stupid?

You don't know if dragonfire can hurt them? Not so smart now, Bran!

Tormund! You charmig enormous red-haired you!

We could cut the tension between Jon and Dany with a chainsaw.

The usual: "I have to break up with you because you're my aunt and I'm your king" foolishness. If I had a nickel...

Missandei and Greyworm are so beautiful as a couple... They're both soooo dead...

He's like the soldier who shows his fiance's picture just before an attack. Dude, don't. You gonna blow up.

Is that Ghost? Someone had a little bit of money for this episode...

"Now our watch begins." Imma cry.

That's a party I would love to be in! Someone pass me some wine before the Ice Apocalypse comes.

The sucking on a giantess tit story is so marvelous. I can't and I won't.

Fuck. I love Arya and the Hound together so much.

OMG! Gendry and Arya are about to have sexy times! OMG!

Arya is naked! She's like my little sister! My eyes! My eyes!

"I'm not the red woman. Take your own bloody pants off." Power top.

"Fuck tradition." Feminist Tormund. Yaaasss!

Shit. Is Jaime going to knight Brienne? Shiiiit!

What an emotional episode. God. This show is going to kill me.

He's doing it. He's doiiiing iiiit.

"Arise, Ser Brienne of Tarth, knight of the Seven kingdoms." I'm so proud of her, she deserves it so much.

She's going to die, isn't she?

Like hell Lyanna Mormont is going to hide. Do you even know her?

Podrick has a beautiful voice and a colossal penis. He's husband material.

Oh crap. Fuck. Fuck. Fucking fuckidity fuck fuck. Shit.

He's telling her everything.

"My name. My real name is Aegon Targaryen."

Breath. Breath. Breath.

If looks could kill Jon would be dead. Again.

They're heeeereee.

On the next episode of Game of Thrones... Shit is about to go down.

Fuck this episode. Fuck this show. I have goosebumps.

THE GEEK IS COMING (#5): A GAME OF THRONES COMMENTARY (8x01 - Winterfell)

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Mon, 15 Apr 2019 19:16:00 +0000

"You want a whore, buy one. You want a Queen, earn her."

Cersei Lannister

Game of Thrones 8x01 Promo

SPOILERS, OBVI.

God. It's finally here.

I think I'm going to cry. Or pee myself. Or both.

Naaanaaa nananana nananana nananaaaaa. This song gets me every fucking time.

The King and Queen arriving in Winterfell, cool parallel with season 1. But this time they're cooler and have a ginormous entourage.

The look Arya gives to Jon is the definition of LOVE. Say something to him!

Arya and the Hound. The reunion.

Gendry + Arya 4eva

Tyrion and Varys: The Comedy Hour. Gotta love 'em.

Sooooo... I'm guessing they don't adore Daenerys in the north.

Nobody told these people about the dragons or what?

Remembering Viserion. Crying.

Bran is still dead inside I see. Cute.

Sansa not fangirling over Daenerys is everything. Lol.

Bran being all business. Relax, dude.

Someone give Lord Umber a hug. And a cookie.

Lyanna Mormont fucking shit up as always. Yasss girl.

Sansa's stank face hating on Daenerys. She's sooo over her.

"What do dragons eat, anyway?" "Whatever they want." Lol.

"The last time we spoke was at Joffrey's wedding. A miserable affair." "It had its moments." Sansa being badass is the only Sansa we need.

Sansa is like "bitch, please", at the thought of Cersei helping them. She's the only smart cookie around here.

"I used to think you were the cleverest man alive." And bye.

"How did you sneak up on me?" "How did you survive a knife through the heart" Complicated lives these two have had.

Finally, the hug of all hugs. I'm not crying, you're crying.

"Once or twice." The liiiiieeees.

Yara! You're still alive!

"But first I'm gonna fuck the Queen." I don't think so and also ew.

Who's that dude? I don't remember anything.

Cersei loving elephants is cute as fuck.

"You want a whore, buy one. You want a Queen, earn her." Yaaaasss Queeeeen.

Execute the asswhole. Please.

Nooooooo Cersei! Don't do hiiiiim!

Bronn with some whores. No surprises here.

"How does he sleep with no eyelids?" Asking the important questions.

Bronn: "That fucking family." A Game of Thrones summary.

Karma is a bitch. And so is Cersei.

Everybody wants elephants, everybody.

Gurl, your taste in men, though.

"I'm going to put a prince in your belly." Ew, really.

Theeeoooon! Go to Winterfell and complete your redemption story!

"What is dead may never die, but kill the bastards anyway."

If someone hurts Davos I'm gonna be piiiiiissed.

Daenerys and Jon being cute and shit.

And Davos, Tyrion and Varys presiding the "We ship Dany and Jon really hard Fan Club".

Jon trying to ride a dragon is me trying to ride my life.

Emilia Clarke's eyebrows need their own spinoff.

Jon, girls and caves, a love story.

The look on Drogon's face: "Don't you dare fucking my mommy."

"You left me here to die." "I robbed you first." Another necessary spinoff.

Arya and Gendry being cute and shy and awkward kills me and then gives me life.

"I always knew you were just another rich girl." "You don’t know any other rich girls." The flirtation!!!!

Jon is so in luuurveee with Dany.

"Soooo I killed your family... Sorry?"

Bran chilling and looking creepy the entirety of the episode.

"So your girlfriend is a murderous bitch and stuff."

And that's how you decide to tell him the most important thing in his life? Tact, dude.

"You gave up your crown to save your people. Would she do the same?" Don't think so.

I don't think Jon is realizing he is having sexy times with her aunt yet.

What are Tormund and friends doing now? I don't remember anything.

"I've always had blue eyes!" Tormund, I've missed you.

Poor kid! That's sad and creepy and all kinds of wrong.

The eyes! The eyes!

Fucking shit. That scream almost gave me a heart attack.

The Walking Dead: Middle Ages

Who Dat? Melissandre, Jaime, random new character, random old character?

Jaime and Bran. Oops. Well... That's awkward.

CURRENTLY READING (#54): THE DEAD GIRLS OF HYSTERIA HALL by KATIE ALENDER

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 18:31:00 +0000

"“Delia, don't get too attached to this place, okay? It's not like you can stay here forever.” Can't stay forever, eh? Wanna bet?"

"I'm not the beach-going type. the thought of being crowded into an endless sea of sun worshipers was the opposite of tempting - give me wizard school any day."

Fan Made Trailer

"Hysteria Hall, the word hysteria originated from the Greek hystera, meaning ‘womb.’ Female hysteria was a blanket diagnosis applied to women for everything from schizophrenia to having too many opinions."

Facts:

Title: The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall

Author: Katie Alender

Publisher: Point

First Publication Date: 25th August 2015

Format: Paperback

Pages: 329

Goodreads Rating: 3.96

Genres: Young Adult, Horror, Paranormal, Mystery...

First Lines

"Every fairy tale starts the same: Once upon a time.

Maybe that's why we love them so much. We all get to be part of that story. Just by existing, you get your once upon a time. It's part of the deal.

What's not part of the deal, it turns out, is the happily ever after."

Synopsis:

Delia’s new house isn’t just a house. Long ago, it was the Piven Institute for the Care and Correction of Troubled Females—an insane asylum nicknamed “Hysteria Hall.” However, many of the inmates were not insane, just defiant and strong willed. Kind of like Delia herself.

But the house still wants to keep “troubled” girls locked away. So, in the most horrifying way, Delia gets trapped.

And that’s when she learns that the house is also haunted.

Ghost girls wander the halls in their old-fashioned nightgowns. A handsome ghost boy named Theo roams the grounds. Delia finds that all the spirits are unsettled and full of dark secrets. The house, as well, harbors shocking truths within its walls—truths that only Delia can uncover, and that may set her free.

But she’ll need to act quickly, before the house’s power overtakes everything she loves.

"The dead and the living don’t belong together,” Theo said. “That’s why you hear stories about haunted houses. Because no matter what the living do, they flaunt their life. They can’t help it."

TOP 10 TUESDAY (#23): BOOKS ON MY FALL TBR LIST

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Tue, 19 Sep 2017 20:55:00 +0000

"I'll have enough books when they fill my room like the stars fill the sky."

E.V. Fairfall

*Top 10 Tuesday was created by the blog Broke and Bookish, if you want to see all the topics, past and future, you can go here.

1. They All Fall Down by Roxanne St. Claire

"Great, Yoda wrote the directions."

Synopsis

Every year, the lives of ten girls at Vienna High are transformed. All because of the list.

Kenzie Summerall can't imagine how she's been voted onto a list of the hottest girls in school, but when she lands at number five, her average life becomes dazzling. Doors open to the best parties, new friends surround her, the cutest jock in school is after her.

This is the power of the list. If you're on it, your life changes. If you're on it this year? Your life ends.

The girls on the list have started to die, one by one. Is it a coincidence? A curse? Or is the list in the hands of a killer? Time is running out for Kenzie, but she’s determined to uncover the deadly secret of the list...before her number’s up.

2. And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga #1) by Kiersten White

"The last time she was up here, she had been... staring up at the sky and dreaming of stars. Now, she looked down and plotted flames."

Synopsis

No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwyla likes it that way.

Ever since she and her brother were abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman sultan’s courts, Lada has known that ruthlessness is the key to survival. For the lineage that makes her and her brother special also makes them targets.

Lada hones her skills as a warrior as she nurtures plans to wreak revenge on the empire that holds her captive. Then she and Radu meet the sultan’s son, Mehmed, and everything changes. Now Mehmed unwittingly stands between Lada and Radu as they transform from siblings to rivals, and the ties of love and loyalty that bind them together are stretched to breaking point.

3. Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

"Dead kids are put on pedestals, but mentally ill kids get hidden under the rug."

Synopsis

Caden Bosch is on a ship that's headed for the deepest point on Earth: Challenger Deep, the southern part of the Marianas Trench.

Caden Bosch is a brilliant high school student whose friends are starting to notice his odd behavior.

Caden Bosch is designated the ship's artist in residence, to document the journey with images.

Caden Bosch pretends to join the school track team but spends his days walking for miles, absorbed by the thoughts in his head.

Caden Bosch is split between his allegiance to the captain and the allure of mutiny.

Caden Bosch is torn.

4. The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender

"I'm not the beach-going type. the thought of being crowded into an endless sea of sun worshipers was the opposite of tempting - give me wizard school any day."

Synopsis

In this asylum, your mind plays tricks on you all the time…

Delia’s new house isn’t just a house. Long ago, it was the Piven Institute for the Care and Correction of Troubled Females—an insane asylum nicknamed “Hysteria Hall.” However, many of the inmates were not insane, just defiant and strong willed. Kind of like Delia herself.

But the house still wants to keep “troubled” girls locked away. So, in the most horrifying way, Delia gets trapped. And that’s when she learns that the house is also haunted.

Ghost girls wander the halls in their old-fashioned nightgowns. A handsome ghost boy named Theo roams the grounds. Delia finds that all the spirits are unsettled and full of dark secrets. The house, as well, harbors shocking truths within its walls—truths that only Delia can uncover, and that may set her free.

But she’ll need to act quickly, before the house’s power overtakes everything she loves.

5. The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons

"We are strong and proud and beautiful and there are not enough stars in the night sky to measure our worth. I will honor my mother and take care of my family. Yes, I think. I am just a woman."

Synopsis

This is the story of Aya, who lives with a small group of women on the run from the men who hunt them, men who want to auction off breeding rights to the highest bidder.

In a world where females are scarce and are hunted, then bought and sold at market for their breeding rights, 15-year old Aya has learned how to hide.

With a ragtag bunch of other women and girls, she has successfully avoided capture and eked out a nomadic but free existence in the mountains. But when Aya’s luck runs out and she’s caught by a group of businessmen on a hunting expedition, fighting to survive takes on a whole new meaning.

6. Heartless by Marissa Meyer

"It is a dangerous thing to unbelieve something only because it frightens you."

Synopsis

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland and a favorite of the unmarried King, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, she wants to open a shop and create delectable pastries. But for her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for a woman who could be a queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the King’s marriage proposal, she meets handsome and mysterious Jest. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into a secret courtship.

Cath is determined to choose her own destiny. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

7. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

"You do not write your life with words...You write it with actions. What you think is not important. It is only important what you do."

Synopsis

The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming…

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

8. Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening (Monstress #1) by Marjorie M. Liu (Writer), Sana Takeda (Artist), Rus Wooton (Letterer, Designer)

"To quote the poets... we're fucked."

Synopsis

Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900's Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers.

9. Ruthless by Carolyn Lee Adams

"I will not be a victim. I will not think like a victim. I am going to avenge all those little girls. I am going to win."

Synopsis

Ruth Carver has always competed like her life depends on it. Ambitious. Tough. Maybe even mean. It’s no wonder people call her Ruthless.

When she wakes up with a concussion in the bed of a moving pickup trick, she realizes she has been entered into a contest she can’t afford to lose.

At a remote, rotting cabin deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Ruth’s blindfold comes off and she comes face-to-face with her captor. A man who believes his mission is to punish bad girls like Ruth. A man who has done this six times before.

The other girls were never heard from again, but Ruth won’t go down easy. She escapes into the wilderness, but her hunter is close at her heels. That’s when the real battle begins. That’s when Ruth must decide just how far she’ll go in order to survive.

Back home, they called her Ruthless. They had no idea just how right they were.

10. Sanctum (Asylum #2) by Madeleine Roux

"You can’t do over what’s already been done, but you sure can undo it. Not easy, but you can undo it."

Synopsis

Dan, Abby, and Jordan remain traumatized by the summer they shared in the Brookline asylum. Much as they'd love to move on, someone is determined to keep the terror alive, sending the teens photos of an old-timey carnival, with no note and no name.

Forsaking their plan never to go back, the teens return to New Hampshire College under the guise of a weekend for prospective students, and there they realize that the carnival from the photos is not only real, it's here on campus, apparently for the first time in many years.

Sneaking away from sample classes and college parties, Dan and his friends lead a tour of their own—one through the abandoned houses and hidden places of the surrounding town. Camford is hiding a terrible past, and the influence of the asylum runs deeper than Dan ever imagined.

11. Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo

"And there's nothing wrong with being a lizard either. Unless you were born to be a hawk."

Synopsis

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

12. Relic by Gretchen McNeil

"I have no idea why you would bring a controlled substance for which I do not have a medical license onto government premises. I’m going to have to ask you to leave."

Synopsis

For Annie Kramer, the summer before college is bittersweet—both a last hurrah of freedom and the last days she'll spend with her boyfriend, Jack, before they head off to different colleges. So she and her friends plan one final adventure: a houseboating trip on Shasta Lake, complete with booze, romance . . . and an off-limits exploration of the notorious Bull Valley Mine.

The legends of mysterious lights and missing persons on Shasta Lake have been a staple of sleepovers and campouts since Annie was a kid. Full of decrepit bridges that lead to nowhere, railroad tunnels that disappear into the mountains, and terrifying stories of unexplained deaths and bodies that were never recovered, Bull Valley Mine is notorious and frightening—perfect for an epic conclusion to their high school lives.

The trip is fun and light—at first. But when a deranged stranger stumbles upon their campsite, spouting terrifying warnings and pleas for help, it's clear that everyone is in danger. And when their exploration of the mine goes horribly wrong, Annie and her friends quickly discover that the menace of Bull Valley Mine doesn't stay at Shasta Lake—it follows them home.

As one by one her friends fall victim to this mysterious and violent force, Annie must do whatever it takes to discover the ancient secrets of the mine and save her friends . . . if she's not already too late.

BOOKMARK MONDAY (#18): PENNYWISE / IT

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 19:53:00 +0000

"Everything's a lot tougher when it's for real. That's when you choke. When it's for real."

*Bookmark Monday was created by the awesome blog Guiltless Reading. Check it out and participate!

I have coulrophobia, which is the technical word for "I shit my pants when I see a clown", so I'm probably not gonna watch this movie ever, but I had to involve myself in this frenzy somehow... So there you go! Here are some Pennywise / It bookmarks for your enjoyment and absolute terror!

CURRENTLY READING (#54): SLASHER GIRLS & MONSTER BOYS by APRIL GENEVIEVE TUCHOLKE (editor)

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 17:28:00 +0000

"Not all monsters are filled with darkness."

Carrie Ryan, In the Forest Dark and Deep

Mr.Bunny Man by Amiexa
Bird Girl by cannan90

"Teenage girls know more than we're given credit for. We sense danger even when everyone's telling us it's fine, he's a perfectly nice man, an upstanding member of our community, have you tasted his sugar-cream pie?"

Nova Ren Suma, The Birds of Azalea Street

Facts:

Title: Slasher Girls & Monster Boys

Authors: April Genevieve Tucholke (editor), Stefan Bachmann, Leigh Bardugo, Kendare Blake, A. G. Howard, Jay Kristoff, Marie Lu, Jonathan Maberry, Danielle Paige, Carrie Ryan, Megan Shepherd, Nova Ren Suma, McCormick Templeman, Cat Winters.

Publisher: Speak

First Publication Date: 18 August 2015

Format: Paperback

Pages: 416

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Horror, Short Stories, Anthologies...

First Lines

"When the police questioned me—same as they questioned Paisley and Katie-Marie—they didn't want to hear about the birds. They weren't paying attention. None of the adults around here ever did."

Synopsis:

For fans of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Lois Duncan, and Daphne Du Maurier comes a powerhouse anthology featuring some of the best writers of YA thrillers and horror.

A host of the smartest young adult authors come together in this collection of scary stories and psychological thrillers curated by Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’s April Genevieve Tucholke.

Each story draws from a classic tale or two—sometimes of the horror genre, sometimes not—to inspire something new and fresh and terrifying. There are no superficial scares here; these are stories that will make you think even as they keep you on the edge of your seat. From bloody horror to supernatural creatures to unsettling, all-too-possible realism, this collection has something for any reader looking for a thrill.

Fans of TV’s The Walking Dead, True Blood, and American Horror Story will tear through tales by these talented authors:

Stefan Bachmann, Leigh Bardugo, Kendare Blake, A. G. Howard, Jay Kristoff, Marie Lu, Jonathan Maberry, Danielle Paige, Carrie Ryan, Megan Shepherd, Nova Ren Suma, McCormick Templeman, April Genevieve Tucholke, Cat Winters.

"The flirty old moon eased his way across the warped and sooty floorboards and kissed my bare toes, turning my feet as luminous as the skin of cinema stars."

Cat Winters, Emmeline

COVER CHARACTERISTIC (#19): CARS

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Sun, 30 Jul 2017 19:37:00 +0000

"Money may not buy happiness, but I'd rather cry in a Jaguar than on a bus."

Françoise Sagan

*Cover Characteristic is a book meme hosted by Sugar & Snark. Check it out and participate!

8. Tunneling to the Center of the Earth: Stories by Kevin Wilson

Summary:

The stories in Kevin Wilsons collection are populated by the strange and the fascinating:

Grand Stand-In is narrated by an employee of the Nuclear Family Supplemental Provider-a company that supplies stand-ins for families with deceased, ill, or just plain mean grandparents.

The young boy in Birds in the House is assigned the task of judging a bizarre origami contest, in which his father and uncles are competing for his grandmothers estate.

And in Blowing Up On the Spot the story singled out by Ann Patchett for Ploughshares, a young woman works sorting tiles at a Scrabble factory after her parents have spontaneously combusted.

Kevin Wilsons characters inhabit a world that moves seamlessly between the real and the imagined, the mundane and the fantastic.

Southern gothic at its best, laced with humor and pathos, these wonderfully inventive stories explore the relationship between loss and death and the many ways we try to cope with both.

7. Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

Summary:

In the hopeful 1950s, Frank and April Wheeler appear to be a model couple: bright, beautiful, talented, with two young children and a starter home in the suburbs.

Perhaps they married too young and started a family too early. Maybe Frank's job is dull. And April never saw herself as a housewife. Yet they have always lived on the assumption that greatness is only just around the corner. But now that certainty is about to crumble.

With heartbreaking compassion and remorseless clarity, Richard Yates shows how Frank and April mortgage their spiritual birthright, betraying not only each other, but their best selves.

6. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Summary:

John Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of the Great Depression follows the western movement of one family & a nation in search of work & human dignity.

Perhaps the most American of American classics. The novel focuses on the Joads, a poor family of sharecroppers driven from their Oklahoma home by drought, economic hardship, & changes in financial & agricultural industries.

Due to their nearly hopeless situation, & in part because they were trapped in the Dust Bowl, the Joads set out for California. Along with thousands of other "Okies", they sought jobs, land, dignity & a future.

5. Looking for Jack Kerouac by Barbara Shoup

Summary:

It wasn't Duke Walczak's fault that I took off for Florida, like Kathy thought. The truth is, we started getting sideways with each other on our class trip to New York and Washington D.C. nearly a year earlier—which, looking back, is ironic since she was the one dead set on going.

In 1964, Paul Carpetti discovers Jack Kerouac's On the Road while on a school trip to New York and begins to question the life he faces after high school. Then he meets a volatile, charismatic Kerouac devotee determined to hit the road himself. When the boys learn that Kerouac is living in St. Petersburg, Florida, they go looking for answers.

4. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe

Summary:

Tom Wolfe's much-discussed kaleidoscopic non-fiction novel chronicles the tale of novelist Ken Kesey and his band of Merry Pranksters.

In the 1960s, Kesey led a group of psychedelic sympathizers around the country in a painted bus, presiding over LSD-induced "acid tests" all along the way.

Long considered one of the greatest books about the history of the hippies, Wolfe's ability to research like a reporter and simultaneously evoke the hallucinogenic indulgence of the era ensures that this book, written in 1967, will live long in the counter-culture canon of American literature.

3. Crash by J.G. Ballard

Summary:

In this hallucinatory novel, the car provides the hellish tableau in which Vaughan, a "TV scientist" turned "nightmare angel of the highways," experiments with erotic atrocities among auto crash victims, each more sinister than the last.

James Ballard, his friend and fellow obsessive, tells the story of this twisted visionary as he careens rapidly toward his own demise in an intentionally orchestrated car crash with Elizabeth Taylor.

A classic work of cutting edge fiction, Crash explores the disturbing potentialities of contemporary society's increasing dependence on technology as intermediary in human relations.

2. Christine by Stephen King

Summary:

A supernatural tale about girlfriends, boyfriends and a car called Christine.

Christine was eating into his mind, burrowing into his unconscious.

Christine, blood-red, fat, and finned, was twenty. Her promise lay all in her past. Greedy and big, she was Arnie's obsession, a '58 Plymouth Fury. Broken down but not finished.

There was still power in her - a frightening power that leaked like sump oil, staining and corrupting. A malign power that corroded the mind and turned ownership into Possession.

1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Summary:

Jay Gatsby is the man who has everything. But one thing will always be out of his reach ...

Everybody who is anybody is seen at his glittering parties. Day and night his Long Island mansion buzzes with bright young things drinking, dancing and debating his mysterious character.

For Gatsby - young, handsome, fabulously rich - always seems alone in the crowd, watching and waiting, though no one knows what for.

Beneath the shimmering surface of his life he is hiding a secret: a silent longing that can never be fulfilled. And soon this destructive obsession will force his world to unravel.

CURRENTLY READING (#53): GIRL, INTERRUPTED by SUSANNA KAYSEN

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Thu, 20 Jul 2017 17:40:00 +0000

"Every window in Alcatraz has a view of San Francisco."

"Crazy isn't being broken or swallowing a dark secret. It's you or me amplified. If you ever told a lie and enjoyed it. If you ever wished you could be a child forever."

Movie Trailer

Facts:

Title: Girl, Interrupted

Author: Susanna Kaysen

Publisher: Random House Vintage Books

First Publication Date: 1993

Format: Paperback

Pages: 168

Genres: Non Fiction, Memoir, Biography, Psychology...

First Lines

"People ask, how did you get in there? What they really want to know is if they are likely to end up in there as well. I can't answer the real question. All I can tell them is, it's easy.""

Synopsis:

In 1967, after a session with a psychiatrist she'd never seen before, eighteen-year-old Susanna Kaysen was put in a taxi and sent to McLean Hospital. She spent most of the next two years on the ward for teenage girls in a psychiatric hospital as renowned for its famous clientele—Sylvia Plath, Robert Lowell, James Taylor, and Ray Charles—as for its progressive methods of treating those who could afford its sanctuary.

Kaysen's memoir encompasses horror and razor-edged perception while providing vivid portraits of her fellow patients and their keepers. It is a brilliant evocation of a "parallel universe" set within the kaleidoscopically shifting landscape of the late sixties. Girl, Interrupted is a clear-sighted, unflinching document that gives lasting and specific dimension to our definitions of sane and insane, mental illness and recovery.

"I told her once I wasn’t good at anything. She told me survival is a talent."

BEST COVERS OF THE MONTH: JUNE 2017 (Part II)

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Mon, 17 Jul 2017 22:46:00 +0000

"There are books of which the backs and covers are by far the best parts."

Charles Dickens

Marriage of a Thousand Lies by S.J. Sindu

13 June 2017

"Even if the gods are real, I don't think they can liberate us."

All the Secrets We Keep (Quarry Road #2) by Megan Hart

13 June 2017

"A lot had happened over the past year. Loss, renewal, beginnings, endings. Most of all, though, love. They'd all found love."

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew J. Sullivan

13 June 2017

"It’s quite a library, anyway, I’ve begun to think of it as more graveyard than library. End of the line, you know. Where book-of-the-month club comes to die."

Midnight at the Electric by Jodi Lynn Anderson

13 June 2017

"I think that's what you say when you can't have something you want, isn't it? You say you don't want it in the first place."

Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios

13 June 2017

"I gave you my heart on a silver fucking platter and you ate it, piece by bloody piece."

The Witch Who Came In From The Cold (The Witch Who Came In From The Cold Season 1) by Lindsay Smith, Max Gladstone...

13 June 2017

"They thought they were so different, Flame and Ice. Enemies always do. The Soviets and the West, they were the same. They looked at each other and saw monsters; they looked at themselves and saw men."

Shattered Minds (Pacifica) by Laura Lam

15 June 2017

"The police who came to the Green Star Lounge wanted to interview her about what had happened, but she put on the ‘I’m-an-unhinged-Zealot’ act, flying spittle and all, and they left her alone pretty quickly."

Godblind by Anna Stephens

15 June 2017

"Rilpor will belong to Blood again and, after it has fallen, all the world will know my wrath."

Transformation (Transcendental Trilogy #3) by James Edwin Gunn

20 June 2017

"The invasion began a million or more long-cycles ago, but the galaxy is bigger than minds can encompass, and information crawls across interstellar space if it moves at all. The Galactic Federation was slow to recognize the nature of the danger."

Two Roads from Here by Teddy Steinkellner

20 June 2017

"I sat outside Coach's office with a feeling like my brain was about to give birth to a radioactive midget."

Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones

20 June 2017

"To sleepwalk is to be inhabited, yes, but not by something else, so much. What you’re inhabited by, what’s kicking one foot in front of the other, it’s yourself."

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss

20 June 2017

"Only an idiot would bring an important letter out in the rain."

Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory

27 June 2017

"The problem with getting old was that each day had to compete with the thousands of others gone by. How wonderful would a day have to be to win such a beauty contest? To even make it into the finals?"

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

27 June 2017

"God bless the book people for their boundless knowledge absorbed from having words instead of friends."

Aftercare Instructions by Bonnie Pipkin

27 June 2017

"No one will hurt us. This is the most bullshit advice adults ever give. There’s so much that will hurt us; it’s how we take care of ourselves afterward that matters. The aftercare."

The Waking Land by Callie Bates

27 June 2017

"This is why magic is dangerous. It lures you in. It makes you curious."

COVER CHARACTERISTIC (#18): FORTUNE COOKIES

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Sun, 16 Jul 2017 17:51:00 +0000

"Everybody, even those that don’t like Chinese food, knew that you had to eat the cookie for the fortune to come true. And so he did."

Justin Swapp, The Magic Shop

*Cover Characteristic is a book meme hosted by Sugar & Snark. Check it out and participate!

6. The First Book of Tasteless Fortune Cookie Fortunes by Joe Wang

Summary:

Everyone loves fortune cookies... right? Well, just wait until you read these!

Joe Wang worked for 36 years at a famous Chinese fortune cookie manufacturing company writing fortunes -- like the ones you get in cookies at Chinese food restaurants. At his company, fortunes had to be approved by the Fortune Approval Committee. Over the years, for various reasons, the Fortune Approval Committee rejected certain fortunes. Secretly, he collected these fortunes.

This book contains some of the fortunes rejected by the Fortune Approval Committee as `Tasteless,' meaning offensive, tactless, insensitive or just plain vulgar.

5. Confucius Jane: A Novel by Katie Lynch

Summary:

On leave from college, Jane Morrow has a new job, helping out in her uncle’s fortune cookie factory, and a new roommate—her precocious 11-year-old cousin. Though surrounded by her loving family and their close-knit Chinatown community, Jane feels like a colossal failure. Writing fortunes is a kind of poetry, but Jane is penning words of wisdom for strangers while wondering if she will ever have the guts to move on with her life.

When Jane meets medical student Sutton St. James at her local noodle shop, sparks fly. Sutton stands at a career crossroads: surgical residency or stem cell research overseas? The first is what her father, former Surgeon General and “America's doctor,” has planned for her, but the latter might help find a cure for her mother’s debilitating MS. Neither would make either of them comfortable with their daughter's sexuality. Sutton’s only certainty is that she has no time for a relationship—yet neither she nor Jane can deny the chemistry between them.

Jane opens a whole new view of family to Sutton, a powerful counter to Sutton’s cold, sterile upbringing. Sutton inspires Jane to be more ambitious and to dream again—and challenges her to have faith in herself. But can Sutton and Jane overcome a scandalous secret that threatens to keep them apart?

4. Tastes Like Murder (Cookies & Chance Mystery #1) by Catherine Bruns

Summary:

Sally Muccio’s had her crosses to bear: a cheating ex-boyfriend, crazy Italian parents, and an unfaithful husband, just to name a few.

After her divorce, she returns to her hometown to start a novelty cookie shop whose specialties include original fortune cookies, served with a sprinkle of foreshadowing. But there’s no warning when her ex-husband’s mistress drops dead on Sal's porch, and police confirm it’s a homicide.

Determined to stop her life from becoming a recipe for disaster, Sal takes matters into her own hands. With two very different men vying for her affection, dead bodies piling up, and a reputation hanging by an apron string, Sal finds herself in a race against time to save both her business and life—before the last cookie crumbles.

3. Fortune Cookie Devotions by Michelle Taylor

Summary:

Fortune Cookie Devotions is unlike any other devotional. Don't let the title fool you. This is one meaty book. Each week of devotions is followed by weekend challenges that are sure to stretch and grow you. This collection of devotions and challenges will strengthen your daily walk, encourage, inspire, and motivate you. Learn how to live the life that God has designed for you.

Uncover your personal adventure and purpose through the weekend challenges and activities throughout this book. Don't live your life as if you are waiting for the fortune cookie at the end of a Chinese meal. Bite into Fortune Cookie Devotions now to discover how much more is in store for you.

2. Miss Fortune Cookie by Lauren Bjorkman

Summary:

Disregard all previous good fortunes.

Meet Erin. Smart student, great daughter, better friend. Secretly the mastermind behind the popular advice blog Miss Fortune Cookie. Totally unaware that her carefully constructed life is about to get crazy.

It all begins when her ex-best friend sends a letter to her blog - and then acts on her advice. Erin’s efforts to undo the mess plunge her into adventure, minor felonies, and possibly her very first romance.

What’s a likely fortune for someone no longer completely in control of her fate? Hopefully nothing like this:

You will become a crispy noodle in the salad of life.

1. Sweet Misfortune by Kevin Alan Milne

Summary:

Sophie owns a chocolate shop where she sells Misfortune Cookies-dipped in bitter chocolate they contain messages she handwrites each day such as "Your car seems fine now, but just wait...it will eventually be a source of frustration and unexpected delay."

What starts as a gimmick, turns into a surprise hit with customers. But when her ex-fiancée moves back to their small Washington town, he is surprised at how bitter and unhappy Sophie has become.

He proposes a bet--she must place an ad in the paper that simply states "Wanted: Happiness." If at least 100 people respond, proving happiness isn't a myth, she agrees to a date with him. If not, he'll leave her alone forever.

Sophie is convinced she'll win, but fate has other ideas when a reporter at the paper is intrigued by the ad as a story and posts it in newspapers across the country.

HYPE OR LIKE FRIDAY (#2): FICTIONAL COUPLES I DIDN'T LOVE

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 18:55:00 +0000

"It is far better to be alone, than to be in bad company."

George Washington

*Hype or Like Friday is a weekly meme created by Jillian, Larkin from Wonderfilled Reads, and Britt from Geronimo Reads. Check out the Goodreads Group and participate!

Rachel Green & Joey Tribbiani from Friends

adavis57

Joey - "Ooh... I can't believe I'm kissing you. I'm kissing Rachel!"

Rachel - "I know, I'm her!"

God no! Come on! A shit-ton of nope. Keep being F.R.I.E.N.D.S, for fuck's sake.

Willow Rosenberg & Kennedy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Willow by Hyzenthlay89
Kennedy by zapharach

Willow - "I just — I still don't get it. Why you like me. I mean, you don't even know me."

Kennedy - "Have you seen you?"

A little while ago you almost destroyed the world for Tara, girl! And Kennedy is blah.

Peeta Mellark & Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games

kathrynlillie

Peeta - "You love me. Real or not real?"

Katniss - "Real."

He's sweet and all, probably too sweet. I feel she could eat him alive. Team Gale.

Bella Swan & Edward Cullen from Twilight

Maggy-P

Edward Cullen - "I don't have the strength to stay away from you anymore."

Bella Swan - "Then don't."

He's a creepy stalker vamp and she's just too bland for words. Meh.

Cersei Lannister & Jaime Lannister from A Song of Ice and Fire / Game of Thrones

Pojypojy

Cersei - "Everything's changed! You come back after all this time with no apologies and one hand and expect everything to be the same?!"

Jaime - "What do you want me to apologize for?!"

Cersei - "For leaving me!"

I know you're both beautiful, but the ick factor is big in this one. Twincest is a no for me.

Joey Potter & Dawson Leery from Dawson's Creek

ubegovic / ubegovic

Joey - "You think every Joey has a Dawson and every Dawson has a Joey?"

Dawson - "I hope so...for their sake."

BFFs falling in love, so cute! But Dawson is soooo boring. Pacey & Joey 4eva.

BEST COVERS OF THE MONTH: JUNE 2017 (Part I)

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Tue, 11 Jul 2017 20:25:00 +0000

"Books are carnival rides for your imagination."

Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons

The Idiot by Elif Batuman

1 June 2017

"An amazing sight, someone you’re infatuated with trying to fish something out of a jeans pocket."

A Hole in the Wind: A Climate Scientist's Bicycle Journey Across the United States by David Goodrich

6 June 2017

"After the passage of several years, I find that even now, I can remember where I was that summer, almost hour by hour."

Breaking (Burning, #2) by Danielle Rollins

6 June 2017

"The last time I saw those hands, they were wrapped around a tumbler of whiskey in her daddy’s office. Now Devon holds a syringe. Her knees are bent, like she’d crumpled to the ground after it happened."

Grief Cottage by Gail Godwin

6 June 2017

"I don’t know how long I sat with my back to the door before I felt a change in the air that caused me to tense up. The tension was close to fear, but not the usual kind of fear. This was a brand-new sensation."

The Answers by Catherine Lacey

6 June 2017

"I was still new to this kind of adrenaline, the immediate release of anger instead of gnawing on it like overdue gum."

Dividing Eden (Dividing Eden #1) by Joelle Charbonneau

6 June 2017

"I'm worth more than the few coppers you have in your pockets."

This Impossible Light by Lily Myers

6 June 2017

"So maybe home is something that changes as we do, something that expands and contracts with time and loss."

Liberty: The Spy Who (Kind of) Liked Me by Andrea Portes & Joel Silverman

6 June 2017

"What we are looking at right now, you and I, is a very, and I mean very fancy restaurant in Moscow. This is, like, where Vladimir Putin has his lunch, when he’s not bare-chested fishing, bare-chested invading neighboring countries."

Grim Expectations (Infernal Devices #3) by K.W. Jeter

6 June 2017

"My words knotted in my throat. 'She is dead, you heartless mummering bastard' – unspoken, but cried out in silence."

James Potter and the Crimson Thread (James Potter #5) by G. Norman Lippert

9 June 2017

"Considering how everything could have gone if puppet Voldy and Dumbledore and Snape-a-doodle hadn’t shown up when they did, he decided that he did probably owe Millie and her friends his thanks the next time he saw them."

Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children #2) by Seanan McGuire

13 June 2017

"A single revelation does not change a life. It is a start."

Virology (Shock Pao #2) by Ren Warom

13 June 2017

"Rotten fish stench grabs Amiga's nostrils, shoving its way in beside the almighty reek of sweaty bodies and filthy walls. Talk about uninvited visitors."

Want (Want #1) by Cindy Pon

13 June 2017

"'I took a leap of faith', she said to me. It was my turn to jump."

The Changeling by Victor LaValle

13 June 2017

"A bad fairy tale has some simple goddamn moral. A great fairy tale tells the truth."

The Suffering Tree by Elle Cosimano

13 June 2017

"No matter where you are raised or what name you are given, you will endure. You will swim, you will dance, and you will love without fear."

Soleri by Michael Johnston

13 June 2017

"Maybe tomorrow. Maybe then I’ll be able to steal a glimpse of the world beyond these walls."

COVER CHARACTERISTIC (#17): MARILYN MONROE

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Sun, 02 Jul 2017 22:24:00 +0000

"We are all of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle."

*Cover Characteristic is a book meme hosted by Sugar & Snark. Check it out and participate!

I LOVE Marilyn Monroe, her beauty and her vulnerability, so this week was a great one.

I've tried to choose some of the most original book covers, but of course I couldn't leave behind some of my favorite pictures of her, so I had to have a honorable mentions section too. Oh, well.

Do you like Marilyn Monroe? Of course you do... Which are some of your favorite covers that feature her beautiful face? Tell me in the comments!

6. The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog, and of His Friend Marilyn Monroe by Andrew O'Hagan

Summary:

Meet Maf: The hilariously opinionated, well-read, politically scrappy, and complex canine companion to Marilyn Monroe.

In November 1960, Frank Sinatra gave Marilyn Monroe a dog. His name was Mafia Honey, or Maf for short.

Born in the household of Vanessa Bell, brought to the United States by Natalie Wood’s mother, and given as a Christmas present to Marilyn the winter after she separated from Arthur Miller, Maf was with Marilyn for the last two years of her life, first in New York and then in Los Angeles, and he had as much instinct for celebrity and psychoanalysis as he did for Liver Treat with a side order of National Biscuits.

Marylin took him to meet President Kennedy and to Hollywood restaurants, to department stores, to interviews, and to Mexico for her divorce.

Through Maf's eyes, we see an altogether original and wonderfully clever portrait of the woman behind the icon—and the dog behind the woman.

5. The Marilyn Monroe Story by Joe Franklin

Summary:

This is a new release of the rare and very collectable first book entirely devoted to Marilyn Monroe.

This edition includes all of the original text and photos.

"The Marilyn Monroe Story. The Intimate Inside Story of Hollywood's Hottest Glamour Girl" was the first book written exclusively about Marilyn Monroe. It was originally published in 1953 by the Rudolph Field Company. It was published as a Hardcover with a color dust jacket and also as a Paperback. The original book was 63 pages with 39 gorgeous black and white photos of Marilyn Monroe.

The author, Joe Franklin, is still a renowned talk show icon who started his career in New York over half a century ago. In 1953 he worked closely with M. M. on what was to become the first biography of Norma Jean Baker who, at the time, was just 27 years old.

The casual remark, “It’s about time someone wrote the real story about Marilyn Monroe” led to the writing of this book. It reveals the heart and soul of the girl who surely is America’s sweetheart and heartthrob. Her struggles for success and her studied endeavors to achieve happiness is told in a simple, frank, always warm manner. Just the way Marilyn would want it to be told.

The book is at home with Miss Monroe from her early childhood until her appearance in the movie “How To Marry A Millionaire.” As you read, you’ll laugh and sigh with the pretty, plucky girl who cracked the hard shell of Hollywood to become one of the greatest box office stars.

4. Goddess: The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe by Anthony Summers

Summary:

Marilyn Monroe. Her rollar-coaster life. Her deception - shrouded death. Her divided secret life. Her legion of lovers. Her intimacies with JFK and Bobby Kennedy. Her mafia connections.

This is the one book that tells the whole naked, deeply moving truth about the all - too-beautiful talented, and tormented woman who played a role in public and in private that was too much for flesh and spirit to survive.

3. Blonde: A Novel by Joyce Carol Oates

Summary:

In her most ambitious work to date, Joyce Carol Oates boldly reimagines the inner, poetic, and spiritual life of Norma Jeane Baker -- the child, the woman, the fated celebrity and idolized blonde the world came to know as Marilyn Monroe.

In a voice startlingly intimate and rich, Norma Jeane tells her own story of an emblematic American artist -- intensely conflicted and driven -- who had lost her way.

A powerful portrait of Hollywood's myth and an extraordinary woman's heartbreaking reality, "Blonde" is a sweeping epic that pays tribute to the elusive magic and devastation behind the creation of the great twentieth-century American star.

2. Unfinished: A Graphic Novel of Marilyn Monroe by Elizabeth Periale

Summary:

Why does Marilyn Monroe continue to be our iconic American goddess? A question explored in “Unfinished.”

In words and pictures author and illustrator Elizabeth Periale brings a new perspective to Marilyn Monroe. "Unfinshed” focuses on Marilyn from a female perspective, including touching on her many health issues.

This graphic novel also shines a light on Marilyn's gifts as an actress, a talent that tends to be side-stepped in the many previous and sensational accounts of her life and death.

1. Marilyn's Red Diary by E.Z. Friedel

Summary:

Marilyn's Red Diary is shocking, funny, scandalous and sad but always brutally honest.

Marilyn Monroe is caught between intellectual giants - her award-winning playwright husband Arthur Miller and her dashing politician boyfriend Jack. Then along comes Jack's fiery brother Bobby.

The world's dream girl relates her intimate adventures with many of the era's who's who.

Marilyn's Red Diary is a touching portrait of a hard-working, extremely bright woman, trapped in her own sensuality and, tragically, born far ahead of her time.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Marilyn Monroe by Barbara Leaming
My Story by Marilyn Monroe, Ben Hecht, Joshua Green
Marilyn Monroe: The Biography by Donald Spoto

Marilyn Monroe: A Case for Murder by Jay Margolis
Marilyn: Her Life in Her Own Words: Marilyn Monroe's Revealing Last Words and Photographs by George Barris, Marilyn Monroe
The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe by Donald H. Wolfe

The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe by Sarah Churchwell
Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters by Marilyn Monroe, Stanley Buchthal...
Monroe by James Spada

TOP 10 TUESDAY (#22): SERIES I'VE BEEN MEANING TO START

noreply@blogger.com (you may say i'm a reader) — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 16:25:00 +0000

"The worst thing about new books is that they keep us from reading the old ones."

Joseph Joubert

*Top 10 Tuesday was created by the blog Broke and Bookish, if you want to see all the topics, past and future, you can go here.

It's about damn time!

Which are some of the series you need to begin like yesterday? Tell me in the comments!

BOOKS I OWN

6. The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking #1) by Patrick Ness

"We are the choices we make."

Synopsis:

Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise.

Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee -- whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not -- stumble upon an area of complete silence.

They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden -- a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.

But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought?

5. Discount Armageddon (InCryptid #1) by Seanan McGuire

"Never tell anyone to be careful, never ask what that noise was, and for the love of God, never, ever say that you'll be right back."

Synopsis:

Ghoulies. Ghosties. Long-legged beasties. Things that go bump in the night... The Price family has spent generations studying the monsters of the world, working to protect them from humanity—and humanity from them.

Enter Verity Price. Despite being trained from birth as a cryptozoologist, she'd rather dance a tango than tangle with a demon, and is spending a year in Manhattan while she pursues her career in professional ballroom dance. Sounds pretty simple, right? It would be, if it weren't for the talking mice, the telepathic mathematicians, the asbestos supermodels, and the trained monster-hunter sent by the Price family's old enemies, the Covenant of St. George.

When a Price girl meets a Covenant boy, high stakes, high heels, and a lot of collateral damage are almost guaranteed. To complicate matters further, local cryptids are disappearing, strange lizard-men are appearing in the sewers, and someone's spreading rumors about a dragon sleeping underneath the city...

4. The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) by Brandon Sanderson

"You should try not to talk so much, friend. You'll sound far less stupid that way."

Synopsis:

A thousand years ago evil came to the land and has ruled with an iron hand ever since. The sun shines fitfully under clouds of ash that float down endlessly from the constant eruption of volcanoes. A dark lord rules through the aristocratic families and ordinary folk are condemned to lives in servitude, sold as goods, labouring in the ash fields.

But now a troublemaker has arrived and there is rumour of revolt. A revolt that depends on criminal that no-one can trust and a young girl who must master Allomancy - the magic that lies in all metals.

A word of mouth success in the states the Mistborn trilogy has, this year, broken onto the New York Times Bestseller list. The time is ripe for its success to cross the Atlantic.

3. And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga #1) by Kiersten White

"The last time she was up here, she had been... staring up at the sky and dreaming of stars. Now, she looked down and plotted flames."

Synopsis:

2. Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening (Monstress (Collected Editions) #1) by Marjorie M. Liu (Writer), Sana Takeda (Artist), Rus Wooton (Letterer, Designer)

"To quote the poets... we're fucked."

Synopsis:

1. Shadow and Bone (Shadow and Bone #1) by Leigh Bardugo

"The problem with wanting, is that it makes us weak."

Synopsis:

BOOKS I DON'T OWN (YET)

6. Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1) by Danielle Paige

"I didn’t know what was worse: to have your shot and screw it up, or to never have had a shot in the first place."

Synopsis:

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado - taking you with it - you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little bluebirds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still a yellow brick road - but even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm - and I'm the other girl from Kansas.

I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.

I've been trained to fight.

And I have a mission.

5. A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1) by V.E. Schwab

"I'd rather die on an adventure than live standing still."

Synopsis:

Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.

Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.

Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.

4. The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

"She wasn't interested in telling other people's futures. She was interested in going out and finding her own."

Synopsis:

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.

His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

3. The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1) by Marie Lu

"Be true to yourself. But that's something everyone says and no one means. No one wants you to be yourself. They want you to be the version of yourself that they like."

Synopsis:

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings.

Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was.

Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation.

He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can.

But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle.

But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

2. The Archived (The Archived #1) by Victoria Schwab

"It takes at least three assassination attempts to scare me off. And even then, if there are baked goods involved, I might come back."

Synopsis:

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was: a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often violent Histories from waking up and getting out.

Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn't just dangerous—it's a constant reminder of those Mac has lost, Da's death was hard enough, but now that her little brother is gone too, Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking.

In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself may crumble and fall.

1. The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1) by Alexandra Bracken

"We'll just have to try to make better mistakes tomorrow."

Synopsis:

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something frightening enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that got her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.”

She might have survived the mysterious disease that had killed most of America’s children, but she and the others emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they could not control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones. When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life.

She is on the run, desperate to find the only safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who have escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at having a life worth living.

You May Say I'm A Reader

CURRENTLY READING (#58): THE RAFT BY S. A. BODEEN

“I felt an overwhelming need for reassurance, for someone to tell me everything would be okay. That I would be okay. But no one did.”

Facts:

First Lines

Synopsis:

CURRENTLY READING (#57): THE BLACK COATS BY COLLEEN OAKES

"It’s a shame...that sometimes even the strongest women are not strong enough to endure the wickedness of average men."

Facts:

First Lines

Synopsis:

BOOK TRAVELING THURSDAYS (#12): BOOK TRANSLATED FROM ANOTHER LANGUAGE

"And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

The Book

Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The Original Cover

My Country's Cover (Spain)

Favorite Covers

Least Favorite Covers

CHARACTER DRESS UP (#5): SNOW WHITE

“Lips Red As The Rose, Hair Black As Ebony, Skin White As Snow.”― Snow White

CHARACTER DRESS UP (#4): MR. & MRS. CLAUS

“Santa Claus has the right idea: visit people once a year” ― Victor Borge

FOR HER

FOR HIM

MY FAVORITE (#1): CHRISTMAS MOVIES

"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear."

5. THE HOLIDAY

4. THE FAMILY STONE

3. JINGLE ALL THE WAY

2. HOME ALONE / HOME ALONE 2

1. EDWARD SCISSORHANDS

WEIRDEST CHRISTMAS BOOKS

"One can never have enough socks. Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn’t get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books."Professor Dumbledore

A VERY UNDEAD XMAS

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies: A Book of Zombie Christmas Carols by Michael P. Spradlin

The Undead That Saved Christmas by Lyle Tinics (Editor), Gary McKenzie (Contributor)

A VERY WEIRD XMAS

Tillie and the Weird Christmas Tree by Heather B. Moon

There is Something Weird in Santa's Beard by Chrissie Krebs

A VERY FURRY XMAS

Jingle Bell Prowl, Jingle Bell Howl and Jingle Bell Growl by Misha Carver

A VERY MURDEROUS XMAS

The Last Christmas of Mrs. Claus by Alex Wilson

Murder for Christmas by Thomas Godfrey (editor), Gahan Wilson (illustrator), Robert Louis Stevenson (contributor)...

A VERY CREEPY XMAS

New Year by Alan Blackwood

Alcoa's Book of Decorations by Conny von Hagen

A VERY MONSTROUS XMAS

Ho Ho Horror by Steve Rossiter (editor), Kathryn Hore, Cameron Trost...

Invasion of the Christmas Puddings by Jeremy Strong

Krampus: The Devil of Christmas by Monte Beauchamp

A VERY WTF XMAS

The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus: The Mathematics of Christmas by Hannah Fry, Thomas Oléron Evans

Buff Hitler Gets White Socks for Christmas by Hastings Cavendish

Christmas Letters from Hell: All the News We Hate from the People We Love by Michael Lent

A VERY PUNNY XMAS

Stocking Stuffers by David Laurents, Leigh W. Rutledge (Contributor), Tom Caffrey (Contributor), Lars Eighner (Contributor)...

Big Package by Opal Carew

Baby, Let It Snow by Beverly Jenkins, Elaine Overton

A VERY CORNY XMAS

Blame It on the Fruitcake by Michael P. Spradlin

Holiday With A Vampire: Christmas Cravings / Fate Calls by Maureen Child, Caridad Piñeiro

Cowboy Christmas Redemption by Maisey Yates

A VERY SEXY TIMES XMAS

Unwrapping Hank by Eli Easton

I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus by Reanna Pryce

Snowman With Benefits by Marshall Thornton

FANDOM MASHUP (#6): FICTIONAL SLYTHERIN CHARACTERS

"You could be great, you know, it’s all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that."

Rupert Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Sansa Stark from Game of Thrones / A Song of Ice and Fire

Megara from Hercules

Inara from Firefly / Serenity

Loki from Marvel Cinematic Universe

TOP 5 SATURDAY (#1): BOOK TO MOVIE ADAPTATIONS

"Books and movies are like apples and oranges. They both are fruit, but taste completely different."

Stephen King

Divergent Trilogy

WINNER

“Lips Red As The Rose, Hair Black As Ebony, Skin White As Snow.”

― Snow White

“Santa Claus has the right idea: visit people once a year”

― Victor Borge

"One can never have enough socks. Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn’t get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books."

Professor Dumbledore

"Not today."

Arya Stark

"I know death. He’s got many faces. I look forward to seeing this one."

Arya Stark