Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these, but I couldn’t resist this week’s topic (though I’m a day late with it).
Winter TBR!!!
Umm… so… I’ve neglected my blog for a bit because of the Thanksgiving holiday, but I think I’m back now, and I shall herald my return with a TBR that I’ll probably neglect soon after starting on it. 🙂
Let’s start with the ARCs, which I’ve promised myself that I’ll prioritize:
It’s Friday. (Thank God!) Here’s a tag post.
It’s been a long, exhausting week and I’m tired and cold and grumpy. But hopefully I’ll feel better by day’s end because I have a coupon for the bookstore! 😀
Anyway, the tag.
It was created by Emma, the Bookish Underdog, who also tagged me for it. Gracias chica!
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
I picked it up because I like the cover, but I bought it because I was curious about the story and the author. I read it in 2015 because everyone was raving about the author back then, so I got swept up in the hype.
I wasn’t excited for this story when it was announced, but, out of curiosity, I bought a copy of the special rehearsal edition when it was published. I delayed in doing so because I wasn’t sure if I wanted a Harry Potter story that to me was not part of the “canon.” But because of the negative reviews it has received, I decided to give it a try.
I unintentionally waited a year before reading it and am glad I did. By then, I was desensitized from the mixture of reviews it had received as well as the hype. And because of that, I liked the story and appreciated what it sought to accomplish.
Goodreads summary:
The Eighth Story. Nineteen Years Later.
Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.
It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places. (Goodreads)
Long ago, back in August, I participated in several readathons and tried to use them to catch up on the Saga volumes I own. The following are my reviews on the three volumes I read.
Saga is a popular comic book series about a couple from warring planets who fall in love and have a baby, a major taboo. Their union signify a possible end to the war and show that it’s possible for both sides to have compassion for each other. The couple’s respective governments would like to hide such a fact, so they send bounty hunters after the couple and their child to get rid of them.
Saga, Vol. 4
Genre:
Sci-fi; fantasy
Quick summary:
I continued the story with volume 4 in which Alana briefly takes a job as an actress and Marko becomes a stay-at-home dad. These roles place a strain on their relationship and they begin to move apart, which culminates in a tense ending that fractures their union.
Meanwhile, an assassin of sorts kills Princess Robot and kidnaps her baby, which unhinges Prince Robot IV even more when he’s briefed about what happened; and Gwendolyn and Sophie try to find a cure for The Will unaware that they are being hunted.
I forgot how I learned about this comic book. I bought it in a 2-for-1 deal at Barnes & Noble so it’s possible that it was just the cover and synopsis that caught my attention. Such is usually the case with comic books. If someone hasn’t recommended a comic book to me, then I’ll buy one based on the cover art and the illustrations within. As I’ve said in this Weekend Reads post, my interest in comics is driven by my love of illustrations. They are often what keeps me returning to some stories.
Birthright, Vol. 1: Homecoming by Joshua Williamson, illus. by Andrei Bressan with colors by Adriano Lucas
Genre:
Fantasy
Quick summary:
The Rhodes family lost their youngest son, Mikey, on his birthday. His father was out playing catch with him while his mother and older brother planned his surprise party. But when he went into the woods to find a ball his father threw at him, he instead found a world called Terrenos and learned that he is the prophesied Hero who would save Terrenos from the God King Lore, a powerful being that terrorizes the world and its citizens.
While Mikey is in Terrenos, his family in the real world is ripped apart by his disappearance. But a year after his disappearance, the police calls Mikey’s parents and older brother to the station to identify an unusual man who claims to be Mikey returned from a world called Terrenos. They are all shocked and wonder why is he dressed like “a Lord of the Rings reject.” Mikey’s mother refuses to believe the oddly dressed man could be her lost son, but Mikey’s father and brother recognize him and help him to escape the police’s confines and join him on his quest to defeat five mages currently in the real world so that the doors to Terranos will be closed forever.
What’s on Your Nightstand is a monthly meme hosted by 5 Minutes for Books on the last Tuesday of every month that summarizes what you’ve read for the month, what you’re currently reading, and what you plan to read next. For my posts, I also include articles, music, art, TV shows, and whatever else I did in the month.
October was a weird month. It seemed to both fly past me quickly yet plod at a slow pace toward its end. October was also a fun month filled with lots of work and travel and fun times at concerts with friends. I also decided in that month to try to save more, though in making that decision, I also ended up spending more too. I guess it wasn’t a great decision to make. For me, it’s usually best that I just go ahead and do a thing instead of making and stating my decision. When I make the decision, sometimes I end up doing the opposite of the decision. It’s frustrating. I frustrate myself.
…because I didn’t expect to be hauling books anytime soon.
It’s Saturday. I should do a Weekend Reads post, but I don’t know what to write about, and I should post a book review, but I’m procrastinating on doing those. I have loads to review, but it’s been more than a month since I’ve done one and now I feel intimidated by the thought of crafting one. I read the books and noted what I’d like to discuss, but I don’t know how to start and fear that whatever I write will be crappy.
That’s my mood right now: “everything I create is crappy” mood. It doesn’t help that this is NaNoWriMo and I’m participating (unofficially) and I already think the story I’m working on is crappy. I typed 5,000 words and then decided to start over from a different character’s POV because I ran out of steam. The character I switched to feels better to continue with, but it’s the antagonist and, and, and…I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m freaking out as I’m typing the story yet hoping it will all work out.
Anyway, I need to get these reviews out but until I stop procrastinating, here is an unexpected book haul. All of this is because I had coupons and saw awesome or discounted books while travelling. (Totally not my fault.)
Quick note: All book titles will be linked to their Goodreads page since I don’t give much of a synopsis for some of them.
Zezee with Books 