T5W: Books Outside Your Comfort Zone

Top 5 Wednesday was created by Lainey at Ginger Reads Lainey. Here is a link to the Goodreads page if you want to join in on the fun. This group is now run by Sam from Thoughts on Tomes .

This week ‘s topic is Favuorite Books Outside Your Comfort Zone. These are books that you enjoyed that you don’t usually go for. My main genre’s of choice are fantasy, contemporary and romance, so I have chosen books that I wouldn’t usually go for. I am trying to pick up books that are out of my comfort zone as of late so I have actually go options for this week.

5. Carrie by Stephen King 

mr Jonnie Wright

Horror is a genre I enjoy in films and books but I don’t really pick up. However I have wanted to read some of Stephen King’s works for ages but his books tend to be long and intimidating. However when Carrie was re-released I saw that it wasn’t that long and as Carrie (the original) is one of my favourite horror films I decided to pick it up. I gave the book 4 stars, I found it to be a interesting way of story telling and I thoroughly enjoyed  it.

4. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff 

There was so much hype surrounding this book and it sounded so interesting in the way that the story was told; it is a epistolary novel (told through documents etc.) I don’t really go for Sci-fi/Dystopia novels as I tend to get bored half way through; I prefer fantasy. However I really enjoyed this story it was interesting and fun and it was a brilliant way to start my reading year. I gave the book 5 stars on Goodreads and you can check out my full review here.

3. Casino Royale by Ian Flemming 

messer smith

I actually had to read Casino Royale for a university module. I think I was one of the few students on that course to actually read the novel instead of just watching the film (there are differences I promise you). I actually surprisingly liked the novel it was easy to read and I enjoyed reading about James Bond as I have seen all the movies (my dad is a big fan). If you like Spy novels and haven’t considered picking up James Bond you really should. I gave Casino Royale  3.5 Stars

2. Outlander by Diana Gababdon 

Book Perfume

Historical Fiction is just not my jam. However as there is just a little bit of fantasy in this novel I decided to pick it up (finally this is a hefty tome as well). I fell in love with this novel! Jamie and Claire are a new favourite OTP and I adored their relationship. It was a lot grittier, emotional and intense than I expected it to be and I was pleasantly surprised. Outlander got a 4.75 stars (.25 was removed for length).

1. Just Kids by Patti Smith 

Viva Tramp

I got this in HMV on a whim. I don’t think I realised it was a memoir until I actually opened it up. This memoir is by far one of my favourite books of all time. It is so beautiful and heart breaking. I had so many emotions while reading Patti Smith recount her relationship with Robert Maplethrope and his subsequent death. It hurt to read some of the words that were so beautifully written. I cried like a baby (unfortunately on the train where someone asked me if I was okay). 5 Stars on Goodreads. READ IT, it has inspired me to read more memoirs (Hemminway and Warhol) and I am hoping to pick up more about people I find interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

T5W: Most Intimidation Books

Top 5 Wednesday was created by Lainey at Ginger Reads Lainey. Here is a link to the Goodreads page if you want to join in on the fun. This group is now run by Sam from Thoughts on Tomes .

This weeks topic is your top 5 most intimidating reads. For me that can mean one of two things; the size of a book or if your worried it won’t live up to what you have heard about it. I have some books on my TBR shelf that I know I’ll probably enjoy but due to their intimidating size or they are so hyped I don’t want to be disappointed. I have chosen 5 books on my TBR shelf that I want to read but have yet to pick up.

5. Winter by Marissa Meyer

wikia

I love this series but I am not going to lie the final book in this series is a little bit intimidating for me as it is over 800 pages and I don’t want this series to end. I have heard wonderful things about the ending of this series and this is a more of a case of hype worry rather than size.

4. The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

Amazon

We have another 800+ page book on our hands and just looking at the room this novel takes up on my shelf, is really blood scary. This is the Manbooker Prize winner of 2013 and I have heard such amazing things about this book but as it is not a genre I tend to go for, it does up the intimidation factor.

3. Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

Penguin Random House

I loved Tess of the D’Urbervilles when I read it during my A Levels, but I am having trouble getting in the mood to read classics as of late. As much as I really want to get back in to classics I am having a hard time. I think I might re-read Jane Eyre as I know I love it. Far From the Madding Crowd is one of the larger classics in my collection and is probably the most daunting.

2. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Diana Gabaldon

I have heard such good things about this series, and the TV show looks amazing ( I have the first season on DVD although I have yet to watch it). However I have heard that the story is a little slow and for an almost 900 page book, it has meant I have put it off. I do want to pick it up and I do have it on my shelf.

1. IT by Stephen King (most books by Stephen King really)

i09

It is a 1126 page book! Yep thats a lot of pages.

Stephen King as an author that intimidates me all together but this and 11/22/63 are two of the most intimidating reads from King. I have read Carrie and as much as I enjoyed it I remember that it is a complex writing style and it just puts me off picking up more of his work even though I know I would enjoy it.

 

 

 

 

 

Books to Read for Halloween…

The month of October for me is the month of spooky, supernatural and weird and wonderful reads. I don’t usually theme my TBR list (or make a TBR list) but I wanted to read some horror novels last year and failed spectacularly, so I decided to make my TBR this month specific. My TBR includes Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, The Tinder Box by Hans Christian Anderson, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe. Hopefully I will be able to get hold a copy of Dracula by Bram Stoker as well.

She is the Revolution 

While I was researching my list I came across a Buzzfeed article of 18 horror films that were based on books so you can check that list out here.

1. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Ransom Riggs

This is the book I am currently reading, I heard so many good things about it but didn’t really know much about it. When I saw it for £1 in my local charity shop I had to have it. I have not been disappointed so far. The Peculiar Children and monsters alike are fascinating to read about and the images bring the right amount of creepy.

2. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Pinterest

This is also on my October TBR. I’ve heard many a good thing of this novel as a classic and gothic novel. It is also widely considered one of the first sci-fi novels. I love gothic fiction and Halloween is the perfect time to indulge in the genre.

3. Anything by Stephen King

bloody-disgusting

Stephen King has made his name with horror and fantasy and his horror novels are extremely popular. I have read Carrie and as it is one of my favourite horror films I worried about not liking it but I LOVED it. Stephen King’s writing style is beautiful to read and there are plenty to choose from and I doubt you’ll be disappointed with what you choose. Check out Den of Geek’s Top 10.

4. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Amazon

Alice in Wonderland with more soul sucking. This is a dark fantasy novel, that makes us realise that our everyday lives may not be so bad after all. Especially if our other mother has anything to say about it. Gaiman is known for his horror/dark fantasy novels, so if Coraline isn’t your cup of tea there are other options to go for.

5. Horns by Joe Hill

J for Jetpack

This slightly macabre novel has always intrigued me, and this is more on the crime side of gothic fiction. After Ig’s girlfriends murder, he wakes with diabolical powers and horns from his head, what isn’t intriguing about that?

6. Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

Too Many Posts

Tonight’s entrée is human liver. Would you like that well done? Silence of the Lambs is the second novel in the Hannibal and it probably the most well-known thanks to the movie starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. Red Dragon is the first novel in the series if you want to read that one first. It is followed by Hannibal and Hannibal Rising

7. Dracula by Bram Stoker

The Edge SUSU

What Halloween list would be complete without vampires. I know this is another classic but there is a reason they have been around so long. I am interested in reading this novel as it is told in an epistolary form – through a series of documents such as letters, diary entries and newspaper clippings.

8. Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin

Identity Theory

Of course we must not forget the anti-christ! Rosemary’s Baby is another classic and well know horror film, but we are talking novels. This is a physiological horror film focusing on satanic coven’s and anti-christ babies (who doesn’t love that).

9. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

I Heart Reading

I have seen the movie and watched the show on stage – yes I peed my pants. It is a horror novella written in the classic gothic style. I loved the stage show and the movie was okay and I feel that the novella will better than the movie. I have the sequel but not the original which I want to get my hands on.

10.  The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe

Mal Jones

Although not a novel, Poe’s narrative poem is a popular spooky text. The raven is associated with death and therefore the bird of choice during the spooky season. I am a big fan of Poe’s supernatural, gothic style of work and will be reading The Raven over the next few weeks in the run up to Halloween.

 

Top 10 Books of 2014

10. American Vampire  by Jennifer Armintrout

Goodreads

Graf is a vampire and the first visitor in Penance, Ohio in five years where he meets Jessa. No one can get out of the town and supplies are running low and there is a monster in the woods.

I picked up this book thinking it was by a different author. I was kind of dubious about the story when I first started it but as I got into it I read it pretty quickly. It is an easy read and the premise is a good idea and as it is a stand alone novel which actually disappointed me as I didn’t want  it to end.