5 Popular Series That I Haven't Read

I love to read. If you told me I had to choose between being able to read or having the ability to watch TV, I would choose reading, no hesitation. After all, I get bored with TV after a while. But reading opens up such a wealth of experiences. Unless I find the book uninteresting, I could read for hours.

I read a lot, and quite often. However, there are several popular book series that I haven't read. I haven't even seen all the movies or TV shows for them. Here's a list of five of those series.


1. Harry Potter 

I listed this one first because I imagine it's going to be the most surprising. My friends are surprised when I tell them I've never read Harry Potter. Of all the series on this list, this is the one which appears to be the most popular among children who are just starting to read them and adults who grew up reading them. So why haven't I read them?

In all honesty, I did read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and watched the movie based on it. I think J. K. Rowling is a very good writer, and I enjoyed it. It was an interesting read, and it did keep my attention.

However, the subject matter doesn't really interest me. I'm not really into books about witches and wizards. And maybe I don't hold the same attachment to them that a lot of other people my age seem to have because I didn't read them as a child. I might pick up the series again someday, because I did enjoy the first one. Right now, though, there's other books I'm interested in reading.


2. The Twilight Saga

This is the second series that's been really popular among my friends. But it's one I've never even turned a page in.

I haven't read this series for the same reason I haven't finished Harry Potter, lack of interest. Except whereas I may finish Harry Potter someday, I've no interest at all in picking up Twilight. I've no interest in vampires. They actually kind of creep me out (the reason why I've never read Dracula). Love triangles (such as the one which from what I've heard of the series is between Bella, Edward, and Jacob) actually are kind of annoying to me. What I've heard of the plot just doesn't interest me as well.


3. A Song of Ice and Fire (also known as Game of Thrones)

Unlike the first two series, this one does sound interesting to me. I enjoy history-based fantasy stories (my own book, Thorn Changer, is very loosely inspired by my readings of the Middle Ages), and from what I've heard, George R. R. Martin works very hard to write his books so they sound like they actually took place. I probably would give it a try, except that my mom has read some of the books, and told me enough about them for me to realize this series isn't for me.

From what she told me, Martin has done too good of a job of making these books seem like historical fiction.

I'm not a fan of obscenities of any form. I try to keep them out of my own writing, and I try to avoid them in the books I read (and if you've ever wondered why on earth I would mention profanities in my book reviews, that's why: I try to mention them so you can avoid them if you wish to). From what my mom has told me, and from what I've heard other people talk about with this series, there is too much swearing, sex, nudity (TV series), etc. for me to really enjoy it.

I don't doubt stuff like that happened back in medieval times. If I'm honest, his portrayal is much more accurate than my own of how life probably was back then (one of the reasons I say Thorn Changer is very loosely inspired by those times). But I like to read books that I could read to someone else and not blush during, that I could leave not and not be embarrassed if someone found it and started reading it.

Another telling thing: my one cousin was embarrassed to watch an episode of the TV series with her father. I'm more conservative about such things than she is, so I think that's a good sign I should leave it for other people to enjoy.


4. The Hunger Games

I've seen bits of the movies (though they never interested me enough to actually sit down and watch the entire thing). Because of all the hype, I actually started listening to the first book on my iPhone. But I never finished it, and I'm not certain I'm going to return to the series.

Honestly, I'm not into dystopia.

I know it's been a hot genre for a while. I know a lot of people who really enjoy this kind of books. But I'm just not interested. Plus, I don't really relish reading about children killing each other. For now, I'll skip this one.


5. The Divergent Series

Of all the series I mentioned, I know the least about this one (although I know precious little about The Hunger Games as well). My sister has watched at least two of the movies, so I've seen pieces of them. I've never picked up one of the books. My friends are more into Harry Potter and Twilight. But I know that in the book people are sorted into different groups based on their skills or something like that. And that the main character, Tris (whose name I had to look up), is consider "divergent" because she doesn't quite fit their sorting mold.

Based on that, I haven't read them because they don't sound very interesting to me. And since I've found other books I enjoy reading, I haven't looked into them more.


Most of these five series I haven't read because of a lack of interest. And whereas I might read Harry Potter in the future, and possibly even Divergent and The Hunger Games (if I can convince myself to try dystopia), I don't plan on ever reading Twilight or Game of Thrones.

But like I said, I don't know a lot about them. If there's a reason you love one of these series, please let me know.

Have you read any of these series? Do you think I should read them? What about them do you like, and think I might as well?

None of the links above are affiliate links (although of course if you buy Thorn Changer, I get some royalties). I'm not going to try to get you to buy books I haven't read myself and enjoyed. I provide the links so you can find out more about them if you wish (and so I don't have to make this post super long by giving a short overview of each).

2015 Book List Update!

We're already in May now, can you believe it?

I thought I'd update my list with short blurbs about the books I've already read, and let you know which ones I'm still working on.

Read:

1.  Paper Towns by John Green
 I really enjoyed this book, it was a cute story about a boy finding his friend who goes missing. Read my review here.

2. Mistwood by Leah Cypress
This book was very good as well. The ending took me by surprise (I love it when that happens).

3. Egg & Spoon by Gregory Maguire
 The first of the Maguire books I've read, and my favorite. Set in Russia (at the beginning of the 20th century I believe). I love how he interwove Russian folklore into the story.

4.  If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Very sad, but very good. It's about a girl whose entire family is in a car wreck, and as she lingers between life and death, she needs to make one of the hardest decisions of her life. Read my review here.

5. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White (I know it's an oldie, but I don't think I've ever read it)
It was a cute story, but I found myself disliking Wilbur. He was so selfish throughout!

6. House of Wonder by Sarah Healy
A story about two twins, one with Autism and one who wants desperately to leave the hometown only to get drawn back to it, and their mother's abuse-laden past. A sad but good story.

7. Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
 I did not care for this book at all. It was a chore to finish it. You can read my review here.

8. Asylum by Madeleine Roux (I'm branching out and trying another horror book)
This one was so creepy, but I did like it. Not one I could read at night, or in the house by myself though. Read my review here.

9. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire
Really interesting take on the Cinderella story. I enjoyed it, although I wish the ending was different.

10. Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire
A twist on the Snow White fairy tale. It was good, but I didn't like it as much as Confessions...


Still to read:
 
1. Phantastes by George Macdonald
2. The Fablehaven Series by Brandon Mull

3. Extravagant Grace: God's Glory Displayed in Our Weaknesses by Barbara Duguid
4. Money: Master the Game by Tony Robbins
5. 10% Happier by Dan Harris

6. Make Your Own Rules Diet by Tara Stiles
7. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

8. 30 Days to a Clutter-free Life by Ruth Soukup
9. Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
10. The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman

11. The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli
12. Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull

13. Aurora Abroad by Karen Kiefer
14. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
15. Missing Sisters by Gregory Maguire

Thanks for reading my update! Have you read any of these books? What did you think? What are some other books you suggest I read? Let me know in the comments!

January 2015 Library Haul!

Okay, so I went to the library and got out a couple more books. Sometimes I feel bad for going to the library, instead of buying the books, because I know how hard the authors and everyone else involved must have worked on them, and it doesn't feel quite fair that I'm reading them for free.

But the truth is, I don't often reread books, and I don't have a lot of space for them (not to mention owning shelves on shelves of books is something that would definitely stress me out).

As I mentioned before, I also like to get books out of the library to try an author I've never read before and see if I like his or her style.

So I justify borrowing library books because that's what they're there for anyway, and if I really, really like a book and plan on reading it again, I can purchase it on kindle. So if you struggle with thoughts and guilt like that as well, I encourage you to be at ease about it. It's better you read a book from the library, decide you love it, and then go buy it rather than buy it, hate it, and end up tossing the book and wasting your money.

Okay, enough of that stuff, here's what I got out this haul!

 Paper Towns by John Green

Again, I'm trying out books by authors I've never read. I heard about this book through Amazon's Omnivoracious newsletter (I believe in was in a top list of something).

The title intrigued me (although I originally miswrote it down as "Paper Towels"). I really get what they say about coming up with an awesome title, because a lot of times, that's what grabs me in.

But besides the curious title and the interesting cover, I got a first hand recommendation. When I was checking it out of the library, the clerk said it was her favorite book ever. And considering she works in a library, I suppose she's read quite a few books to be able to judge (unless she got sick of books from staring at them all day, which sounds impossible to me).

 If I Stay by Gayle Forman

I really can't remember why I wanted to read this book now. I think I heard about it through Omnivoracious, but honestly I'm not sure. It was on my list of books to read, so I decided to get it out this month.

Looking at the cover, it sounds and appears to be very intriguing. After reading the back cover, though, it sounds like a rather depressing book.

I'm not sure if I would've gotten it out if I'd read more of what it was about online first. But since I have checked it out, I'll give it a go and see if it's something that interests me. I usually like books with a happy ending, and honestly this book doesn't sound like it will have one. I'll read the first few chapters though, and see what I think.

Mistwood by Leah Cypress

This was another book I heard was very good (and again, I think it was through Omnivoracious, but it was another one that had been on my list for a while, so I can't remember for sure where I heard about it).

I've heard Leah Cypress is a good author, but I've never read any of her work before. If any of you have, were there any of her books that you really loved?

The cover really intrigues me. I think it's very pretty and mysterious at the same time. And the title is interesting too. When I read the back cover, it immediately sounded like the type of book I love. I'll probably read this very soon.

Egg & Spoon by Gregory Maguire

So I didn't realize until I got this out that it was written by the author of Wicked. I've never read Wicked, but I've heard enough of the story to know it sounds really neat (I put that book on my list for this year, along with some other books by Maguire). I really like the cover of this book too. It looks very whimsical and fun.

It's set in Russia, and that intrigues me because I haven't read many stories that take place in Russia before.  From reading the blurb inside the front cover, it sounds like it might be similar to Howl's Moving Castle  by Diana Wynne Jones, which I really enjoyed.

That's all I got out for this month. If you read my 2015 book list, though, you know there's many more book hauls to come (and honestly, they're probably all be library hauls, as I'm checking out a bunch of authors I've never read before). I hoped you enjoyed it!

Have you read any of these books? How did you like them? What other books would you recommend I read? Let me know in the comments!

Book List for 2015!

All right, so it's a new year, and it's time to read a whole bunch of books! I've been massing a list, and here it is if you're interested:

1.  Paper Towns by John Green
2. Mistwood by Leah Cypress
3. Egg & Spoon by Gregory Maguire
4.  If I Stay by Gayle Forman
5. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White (I know it's an oldie, but I don't think I've ever read it)

6. House of Wonder by Sarah Healy
7. Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
8. Asylum by Madeleine Roux (I'm branching out and trying another horror book)
9. Phantastes by George Macdonald (one of my favorite authors, he wrote The Princess and the Goblins)
10. The Fablehaven Series by Brandon Mull

11. Extravagant Grace: God's Glory Displayed in Our Weaknesses by Barbara Duguid
12. Money: Master the Game by Tony Robbins
13. 10% Happier by Dan Harris
14. Make Your Own Rules Diet by Tara Stiles
15. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

16. 30 Days to a Clutter-free Life by Ruth Soukup
17. Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
18. The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
19. The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli
20. Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull

21. Aurora Abroad by Karen Kiefer (I've already read this and loved it, I want to read it again this year)
22. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
23. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire
24. Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire
25. Missing Sisters by Gregory Maguire

As you can see, there's a big variety here. Some are children's books, some are non-fiction, and some are YA. I like a lot of different types of books (honestly, there aren't many genres I don't like), but I often stick with YA fantasy, so I decided to branch out this year and make sure I get some other types of books in as well.

I'm going to read as many as I can of these. Granted, I doubt these will be the only books I read for 2015 (and I may find that I don't like some of them and don't finish them). But for now I'll be working off this list, and see how it goes. A lot of these I'll probably do reviews on, so I'll let you know what I think of at least some of them. Thanks for reading!

What books are on your list to read this year? Any suggestions for me to add to mine? Let me know in the comments!

Review: The Spiritglass Charade

This book is the sequel to The Clockwork Scarab (check out my review of it HERE), so if you haven't read that book, you might want to check it out first, unless you don't care about spoilers.

As this is a sequel, it kind of necessitates spoilers for the first book.

The Spiritglass Charade starts up where the other book left off pretty much. The villain who was killing the girls, known as the Ankh, is supposed to be dead, but even after more than a month has passed, Mina isn't so sure of that. Before she can ponder that thought too much, though, she and Evaline are summoned before Princess Alix, who not only wants to thank them for their service before in foiling the plans of the Ankh, but also has a new request of them.

It seems a dear friend of the Princess, Willa Ashton, convinced her missing brother is still alive, has starting seeing mediums in order to contact her dead mother and discover her brother's whereabouts. Worried that it's a ploy to either strip Willa of her fortune, or drive her insane, Princess Alix asks the girls to investigate.

As they prepare to visit Willa and attend one of the seances, Mina is confident that she can point out exactly what tricks the charlatan is using. After attending, though, Evaline is not so sure that there isn't something more than tricks going on, especially when she learns that the vampires have returned.

And of course, they still have Dylan Eckhert to help find his way back to his time period, not to mention Pix and Inspector Grayling to contend with...

This was an amazing read, and an excellent sequel to the first book. I really enjoyed the character development. With the vampires and spiritualism, the book did take a creepier turn than The Clockwork Scarab.

Again, my biggest problem with the book was the amount of swearing in it (not a ton, but as I've mentioned before, I'm not a fan). There was also a creepy incident with the object called a spiritglass which I'm not sure was necessary.

I do recommend it, though, if you like historical steampunk type books (and of course, if you loved The Clockwork Scarab, you don't need me to tell you to go check it out).

I got it out of the library, but if you already know you want to own the book, you can find The Spiritglass Charade* on Amazon in print, audiobook, or Kindle format.


 *This is an associate link, meaning if you purchase through it I get a referral fee but it costs the same as if you had just gone and ordered it through Amazon.

Review: Hollow City

After reading the first book in this series, I knew I had to get the second one out. (If you want to read my review on Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, just click HERE. Don't worry; I'll be here when you get back).

Like his first book, Ransom Riggs uses vintage photographs to help him tell the story (a feature I consider rather freaky and pretty awesome at the same time). Hollow City is a continuation of the story from the first book.

I got it out from a digital library on my kindle (thus the kind of shiny photo of the cover, I discovered how hard it is to take a good picture of a book cover when you're reading it from your kindle).

Because it is a continuation of Miss Peregrine, I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up spilling some spoilers for the first book. So if you haven't read it yet and care about such things, I recommend reading Miss Peregrine first and then coming back to the review...

Okay, are they gone yet? Let's get into the book.

So if you remember at the end of Miss Peregrine, Jacob and the rest of the gang were on their way to the mainland, in search of another ymbryne to help Miss Peregrine get out of her bird form.  Hollow City describes their search for other loops and the other ymbrynes, their continued battles with the wights and hollowgasts, all while trying not to draw too much attention to themselves. And throughout all this, Jacob is still trying to figure out how to use his skill in seeing the hollows and learning how to fight them...

I really liked this book as well, and thought it was a rather good sequel to Miss Peregrine. I didn't like it quite as much as the first book (maybe because I already knew what the format was, and the newness of the vintage photos as part of the story wore off a little for me?). It was a little shorter, or felt a little shorter, so of course I wanted a longer book. I thought it was very well done, though, and again I was rather surprised when it was over (what? no way I read it all already...).

One thing I did really like was that there was less swearing in this book (I think it was maybe five words, maybe). Some of you probably don't care about things like that, but for those who don't like swearing, I figured you might like to know.

I didn't see the ending coming at all, which was another feature in its favor. I don't know about you, but I hate it when I can predict the ending two chapters into the book. Hollow City, though, was awesome enough to provide a realistic ending (when I looked back at the clues, it all made sense) while keeping the twist/shock factor alive.

It was a great book, and I'm eagerly awaiting the third one.

And I just realized these books are considered horror. Maybe I'm getting into that genre after all.

If you prefer just to get your own copy, instead of borrowing from the library, you can get Hollow City* on Amazon in print, audiobook, or Kindle format.


 *This is an associate link, meaning if you purchase through it I get a referral fee but it costs the same as if you had just gone and ordered it through Amazon.


.

Last minute gift ideas for readers

It's hard to believe tomorrow is Christmas. Where did those four weeks between now and Black Friday go? Fortunately, I got all my shopping done already (very unusual for me), but if you're still scrambling around trying to find a gift for the bookworms in your life, here's a few ideas that any reader (or at least I) would love to receive:


1. Kindle books

Instant gift. You can buy it and have it delivered right to your reader. Just go to the page of the Kindle book you want to order, and click on the button that says "Give as a Gift." It will direct you to a page where you can enter his or her email address and complete the order. The cool thing about it is, you can even set up when you want the book to be delivered. So you could buy it tonight, but set it up so it doesn't show up in the inbox until tomorrow morning. Or you can have it delivered to you in order to pass it on yourself. You can even add your own message. Pretty neat, huh?

Some books I suggest considering are:

Let Them Eat Cake* by Sandra Byrd

Aurora Abroad* by Karen Kiefer

The Clockwork Scarab* by Colleen Gleason

DragonSpell* by Donita K. Paul


2. A subscription to Oyster

I confess, I haven't tried it out myself yet, but Oyster is a subscription service that allows you to read as many books as you want (including many new releases) for about $10 a month. You can check it out HERE.


3. An Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

You can pick one of these up at your local CVS (and most grocery stores sell them as well). While some people don't like the idea of giving gift cards, it does allow your reader to choose what books he or she wants. Gift cards work well for those who have very selective tastes when it comes to books. 


4. A bookmark

For those who still love the feel of a book in their hands (or who refuse to join the e-book world entirely), bookmarks are a beautiful (and sometimes quirky) way of marking where they are without creasing the pages or ripping off part of a napkin. Most stationary stores (think Hallmark) are sure to have a selection with either beautiful pictures or fun sayings on them.



5. A fuzzy blanket

I don't know about you, but I love snuggling under a warm, soft blanket when I'm getting ready to delve into the pages of a book. And many stores, including Walmart and JCPenney, sell the 50''x60'' ones which are the perfect size (well, unless you're really tall).



What other gifts would you suggest for book lovers?


 *These are associate links, meaning if you purchase through them I get a referral fee but they cost the same as if you had just gone and ordered them through Amazon.

Review: The Clockwork Scarab

This was another book I picked up in my library haul.

I was pretty sure I'd like this book. I heard about it from a Booktuber, though I can't remember which one it was now, and the concept really intrigued me.

Basically, this book tells about the adventures of the fictitious female relatives of Sherlock Holmes and Bram Stoker. Alvermina Holmes (Mina for short) and Evaline Stoker, from vastly different backgrounds and family situations, form an uneasy alliance when  Princess Alix asks them to search out why so many young women of London society are turning up dead.

Having inherited her famous uncle's skills of deduction, Mina is cautious and analytical, detail-oriented and logical, believing there is always a reasonable explanation for anything that appears to be supernatural. Whereas fiery and impetuous Evaline, descended from a famous line of vampire hunters, knows the stuff of her brother's book is more than just merely fiction.

The girls must learn to work together if they are going to figure out what's happening to these young ladies and bring the villain to justice, all while trying to figure out what the scarab has to do with both the murders and the strange appearance of Dylan Eckhert, a young man who claims to be from the future. But all this might prove difficult if the one responsible is a certain member of society...

I really enjoyed this book. In fact, the only negative thing I have to say about it was that there was some swearing in it, which as I've mentioned before I don't like. I didn't expect it to be a steampunk type book, but it worked well with the storyline.

I loved the characters of Mina and Evaline. The novel switches between each of the girls' point of views, and Ms. Gleason did a wonderful job keeping the plot moving while keeping the suspense up the whole time. And the addition of Inspector Grayling and Pix as both antagonists and allies for Mina and Evaline kept things interesting. 

If you like fantasy/history/mystery type books and have some time over the Christmas holidays for reading, I recommend either finding it in your library or book store and giving it a go. I already read the second book, and I'll get the review up for it soon.

You can get The Clockwork Scarab* on Amazon in print, audiobook, or Kindle format.


 *This is an associate link, meaning if you purchase through it I get a referral fee but it costs the same as if you had just gone and ordered it through Amazon.

Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

If you've read my library haul post, you'll remember me talking about this book. In fact, I actually finished this book before I even posted my library haul.

When I first got it out, I almost returned it because, to be honest, the cover kind of creeped me out, and I wasn't sure I was going to like it. I thought it was going to be a horror story, and I do not like horror. But I decided to try the first couple of chapters, and it turned out to be a very interesting book.

Miss Peregrine is about a boy named Jacob. All of his life, Jacob's grandfather Abe Portman, a survivor of the Holocaust, has told him these incredible stories about the children who lived in the safe house with Abe in Wales, children with extraordinary gifts. Abe has even shown Jacob pictures of these children.

As Jacob grows into a teenager, he begins to doubt his grandfather's stories, believing the pictures to be fakes. But when Abe is murdered one night, Jacob comes face-to-face with one of those monsters. Doubting his sanity, he finally decides to visit Wales, find the house his grandfather stayed at, and put this whole thing behind him once and for all. But when he arrives, Jacob finds that there may be some truth to Abe's old stories after all...

This book was amazing. I finished it in a couple of days, grabbing it up when I had a few minutes. The characters were so believable, and the way the author worked in the vintage photos to illustrate parts of the story made it seem real. Instead of being creeped out, the pictures held my fascination, blending with the prose to make one fascinating tale. I had never seen something done like this before, but writing the story from the pictures is really cool.

The one thing I didn't like about the book was the fair amount of swearing. But other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would definitely recommend it.

I'd never read anything by Ransom Riggs before, but I really like his writing style. I thought his idea for this book, using the vintage photos and telling a story with them, was so creative and unusual, and he pulled it together very nicely. I'm excited to see it when it becomes a movie next year. And I've just learned he's written a sequel, which I can't wait to check out!

You can get Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children* on Amazon in print, audiobook, or Kindle format.


 *This is an associate link, meaning if you purchase through it I get a referral fee but it costs the same as if you had just gone and ordered it through Amazon.

Day 30: Congrats! and my thoughts on Nanowrimo

It's over.

And if you reached your goals this month, congrats!

And if you didn't, whether because of illness, unplanned misfortune, struggling to find time, just plain procrastination, etc., you got practice in for the next challenge.

As to my thoughts on Nano, overall I had a blast. I felt so productive all month long, and got a lot more written than I would have if I hadn't had this deadline. But there definitely were some pros and cons for me.


Pros:

1. Like I said, having the set deadline really helped in my productivity. It helped me learn new time management skills to fit in the writing, and by blogging and telling you all how I did, it kept me accountable to get it done.

2. The short time period of thirty days helped me. Since I knew it was only a month, it kept me motivated to get the work done and to just keep writing even when I didn't particularly feel inspired.

3. Even though the people at Nanowrimo recommend you start with a brand new idea to keep the creative juices flowing, using the time instead to finish my manuscript helped me break past the feelings of stuck-ness and not wanting to work on it I had been experiencing prior to the challenge. And the time crunch really helped in coming up with important elements in the story.


Cons:

1. Since there was so much to write in such a short period of time, I really didn't have a lot of time to get other projects done (like the manuscript I want to put on Kindle).

2. It's also really hard to catch up on the challenge if you get sick and are too ill to write (fortunately, I only got a cold and had minor stomach trouble, I can't imagine what it must have been like for those who had the flu during Nano).

3.  It can be really tempting when you're pressed for time to just write random words to fill up the quota, since the emphasis here is word count and not actual story (I didn't do this, but I did overhear a girl mentioning this to someone else).

Overall, though, I would do this challenge again. It really helped with my manuscript, and the challenge does help in developing other important skills such as organization and time management. If nothing else, it's writing practice, which is always a plus.

Anyway, thank you for taking the time to read all these updates, and for keeping me accountable. Part of the reason I was able to complete Nanowrimo was because I knew I had people watching out for me, who I would have to tell each day how I did. Thank you, and while I won't be posting as frequently as I have been during this challenge, I do hope to post something once a week, whether it's about writing, reading, books, or something else I'm interested in and think you might be as well.

Until then, keep on reading, writing, and dreaming.

Library haul!

I thought it might be fun to post something this month other than my Nanowrimo updates, since posts like this one are going to be more like my normal posts on this blog (although honestly I'll probably be posting about a lot of different things, I have a lot of interests). I thought you might be interested in my recent library haul.

A couple of days ago I checked a couple books out of the library. I love using the library to check out books by authors I've never read before.

I also love it because it allows me to determine whether I really like a book enough to want to read it over and over before I get my own copy. I am a big believer in conserving the earth's precious resources, and by borrowing books from the library instead of just going out and buying books, we can help make the most of them. Especially if you have never read the genre or author before. It's a great way to try out new books, and the best thing is that, if you don't like it, you just return it instead of having books you'll never read again littering your shelves (or the trash), without the hassle of trying to sell them on Amazon. It's also a great way to read some new books if you don't have a lot of money to spend.

So here are the books I checked out. 






THE CLOCKWORK SCARAB by Colleen Gleason

I forget which one it was now, but I learned about this book through a Booktuber. And I confess, I already started it before posting this haul (I always want to read my books as soon as I get them). I thought it sounded really interesting. I love the Sherlock Holmes books, and this series based on his niece sounded very interesting. The other main character is supposed to be related to Bram Stoker, but I'm not sure who he is (is he the author of DRACULA? That would explain it, I'm not into horror novels).

 
THE SPIRITGLASS CHARADE by Colleen Gleason

I checked this book out because it was the next book after THE CLOCKWORK SCARAB. Since the first book sounded like something I'd enjoy, I decided to take a gamble and check out the second one as well.












WHY CAN'T I GET BETTER? by Dr. Richard Horowitz

I had Lyme Disease a few years ago, and although I'm better now, it took me a while to recover from it (I still suffer some residual symptopms at times, but considering that it has caused some people to be bedridden, I'm very blessed I didn't have Lyme any worse). But I heard about this book and thought it sounded interesting. It's good to read something educational every once in a while, right?

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN by Ransom Riggs

Another book I heard about through a Booktuber (I think it was Jesse the Reader in a tag he did). The title sounded interesting to me, so I checked it out without even knowing what the book was about. When I picked it up, the cover kind of creeped me out, so I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it or not. I finished reading this one, and actually thought it was really good. (Is there a sequel? Please tell me there's a sequel!)




That's all I checked out this time. So far I think I made very good choices. I've enjoyed both of the ones I've read/started reading.  I've never read anything by these authors before, but I really like their style and the stories themselves. They just found themselves another fan. :)

Any suggestions on other books I should try?

Nanowrimo time!

If you haven't heard of it, go ahead and search for Nanowrimo right now (well, maybe wait until after you finish reading?).

Nanowrimo is short for National Novel Writing Month. It's this awesome month of words, determination, hard work and adrenaline that comes every November since 1999 (they also have a couple of months in the summer too).

That all being said, this year I decided to hop into the pool of amazing creativity. I'm going to give it my best shot to write those 50,000 words in one month.

And I'm going to tell you all about it.

Although normally this blog will only have posts about once a week (don't worry, I won't take all your reading time), for this months I'm shooting for daily updates six days/week (I don't plan on writing on Sundays, but that may change).

Now let's get to the good stuff: what am I working on this month? Actually, being true to my rebel self, it's not even a brand-new novel. I'll either be working on a book about the women from the Bible, which I'm not even sure will be 50,000 words, or a novel that I already started (with 60,243 words) that needs about 50,000 words to finish it. When I begin writing tomorrow, I'll let you know for sure. Okay, I'm out for now. See you tomorrow!