My Month In Books: October Edition

The month  filled with ghouls, ghosts and candy is officially over. October as I may have already mentioned is my favorite month (mainly because my birthday falls in it) but also because of the great atmosphere it exudes. Although October is known as the spooky month, I didn’t jump into the season by reading horror (cause I’m a pansy and scare to easily) but even if I didn’t read any horror, I read a lot of great books this month and here they are!!giphy
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The Book Buying Tag

I’ve been meaning to do this tag for awhile now but blogging itself took a backseat to the chaotic nature of life. But I’m back (hopefully)! School has been in session for the past three weeks and I’ve managed to balance school, applying to colleges my various extracurricular and volunteer work somewhat and am no longer going crazy (i think…it’s too early to tell). Anyway my hiatus is over for the most part and I’ll be posting more regularly now! The lovely Iman over at Muggles and Mundanes tagged me for the Book Buying Tag what feels like forever ago and I’ve finally gotten around to it. So without further ado here it is.Read More »

Get To Know Me Tag

I spotted this tag over at the Wanderlust Reader blog and it looked like a lot of fun so I decided to try it out!

Books

CAN YOU STOP READING AT ANY TIME, OR DOES IS HAVE TO BE A CERTAIN PAGE OR CHAPTER?

I can stop reading at any time, I don’t have to finish the page or chapter or even paragraph. I’ll just mark the page I was on and start from the top when I come back to it.  

DO YOU EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING WHILST READING?

I sometimes snack or drink while eating but I can’t read while eating lunch or dinner.

ONE BOOK AT A TIME OR SEVERAL AT ONCE?

At this given moment I am reading 4 book at once. I don’t mean to read several at once but whenever I put a book down for awhile sometimes another one catches my eye and I can’t wait to finish the one I’m already reading and then it goes on and on until I’m reading 5 books at once.

CAN YOU READ LISTENING TO MUSIC OR WATCHING TV?

I am very easily distracted especially when listening to music with actual lyrics or a TV show. I usually listen to classical music or movie scores if I’m reading somewhere with lots of people and noise to tune them out. I can’t watch TV and read at the same time, I’ll either become super engrossed in the books and tune the show out completely and miss everything or watch the show while the book lays open on my lap forgotten.

READING AT HOME OR EVERYWHERE?

I can read anywhere, I love reading at home (fewer distractions) but if I have to be out and about all I need are some headphones and a place to sit.

READING OUT LOUD OR IN YOUR HEAD?

The only time I read out loud is when I’m reading to my brothers before bed otherwise in my head.

DO YOU READ AHEAD OR SKIP PAGES?

I hate accidentally spoiling myself so I try not to look ahead even a couple lines so that doesn’t happen. But the one instance in which I’ll break that habit is when characters are breaking into someones office and rifling trough it or something, in situations like that I always look ahead a few paragraphs or even pages to see how it turns out then double back and read it.

BREAKING THE SPINE OR KEEPING IT NEW?

I love breaking in the spine of books cause it shows that you love the books and that you obviously have it read more than once, it also makes handling the book a lot easier.

DO YOU WRITE BOOKS OR JUST READ THEM?

I started writing A book, it’s been progressing at a slow pace but it’s happening.

FIVE FAVORITE BOOKS:

Outlander

The Martian

A Court of Mist and Fury

The Name of The Wind

THE LAST BOOK THAT YOU READ?

Silver Silence – Patricia Briggs

ABOUT ME

NAME: Ikram

NAME MEANING: Honor, Hospitality, Generosity

HAIR COLOR: Naturally it’s a very dark brown, but after putting henna in it a couple years ago in the sunlight it’s a very bright red.

EYE COLOR: Dark Brown

MY BIRTHDAY: October 5

HEIGHT: 5’0 (I’m actually 4’11.75 but I always round up cause 5’0 sounds better)

PLACE OF BIRTH: Seattle, Washington

STAR SIGN: Libra

BEST FEATURE: Eyes

PIERCINGS: Just my earlobes although I do want more

TATTOOS: None at the moment but I wouldn’t be opposed to getting some in the future

RIGHTY OR LEFTY: Righty

PETS: None. I’ve always wanted a cat but my mom is super allergic  but hopefully someday.

SIBLINGS: I have 5 siblings. One older brother and 4 younger; two sisters and two brothers.

KIDS: None

ARE YOU MARRIED: Single as a pringle

DREAM JOB: Being an Author or a Screenwriter

HOBBIES: I write poetry for fun, I also like writing lists.

FAVORITES

FILMS: The Mummy (1999 version), The Princess Bride, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

SONGS: My favorite song is always changing based on my mood so here are a list of my favorite artists instead.

Imagine Dragons

Lorde

Coldplay

Aerosmith

The Eagles

Billy Joel

One Republic

Ed Sheeran

Harry Styles 

TV SHOWS: I love watching TV so I have lots of favorites

Game of Thrones

Outlander

The 100

How I Met Your Mother

Frontier

The Tudors

Gilmore Girls

Stranger Things

Dark Matter

The Magicians

The Crown

I’m sure I can think of more but these are all great and 10/10 would reccomend y/all check out.

YOUTUBERS:

I don’t spend as much time on youtube as I used to but the few people i always make a point of watching are Phillip DeFranco, Fact, as well as Booktubers such as Sasha from Abookutopia, Christine from PolandBannannasBooks, Jesse from JesseTheReader, Kat from Katytastic, Lilly from LilliycReads and Emma from Emmmabooks.

FOOD: French fries and Lasagna always top the list

DRINKS: Coffee! And Iced tea or lemonade

RESTAURANTS: I’m allergic to eggs so I always have to be super careful about what I eat because most people don’t know whether certain items contains eggs or not but I do love Chick Fil A and Sonic.

SHOPS: I tend to buy most of my clothes from Forever 21 but my favorite shope is of course Half Price Books!

ANIMALS: Cats, Koalas

PERFUME: I don’e have a favorite

COLORS: Teal

MUSIC GENRE: Alternative, Classic rock

DO YOU

BELIEVE IN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT? Absolutely, I think it’s possible to fall in love at first sight but you realize it as you get to know them better.

BELIEVE IN GHOSTS? No

BELIEVE IN ALIENS? Yes, this world is to large for us to be the only intelligent species

BELIEVE IN SOULMATES? Not really.

BELIEVE IN HEAVEN AND HELL? Yes!

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF? Sometimes but nowhere near as much as I should

WHAT

IS YOUR FAVORITE/WORST SUBJECT AT HIGH SCHOOL

Favorite: English, History

Worst: Physics!

IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY, WHAT WOULD YOU BUY?

A house with an entire room as a library, as well as setting some away for my college tuition

IS SOMETHING YOU WISH YOU WERE TALENTED AT?

I always wished I had continued learning how to play an instrument, I took a few piano lessons when I was younger and then decided to play the flute but I ended up dropping that too. I also wish that I had learned another language, I already speak English and Somali very fluently as well as being able to read and write Arabic but I’ve always wanted to speak Italian (my mother knows it) but never learned.

IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?

Their smile. 🙂

ON TOP OF YOUR BUCKET LIST?

Travelling is huge on my bucket list, especially Europe. I’d love to sometime in the future set aside time to just make my way across Europe starting in England and just explore the history.

IS YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT?

Starting to write my book. The idea had been marinating in my head for awhile but I had never actually sat down and written anything down and when I finally did was a huge accomplishment for me.

SOMETHING YOU LOOK FOR IN A PARTNER?

Compassion is a very essential trait as well as confidence and a sense of humor.

SOMETHING YOU DISLIKE?

Long advertisements in front of videos

FAVORITE FAIRY TALE?

Beauty and the Beast

RANDOM FINAL QUESTIONS

SEASON? Autumn

FURTHEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN FROM HOME?

I lived in India for three years and that was a 36 hour flight from Seattle to Seoul to Mumbai and then finally to Hyderabad. The return flight 3 years later to Texas was pretty much the same length from Hyderabad to Abu Dhabi to Chicago to San Antonio.

IF YOU COULD LIVE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHERE?

I would be fine anywhere in Scotland or England, but here in the US I’s love to live in LA.

SWEET OR SAVORY?

Sweet

LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

A few days ago an article I had read on The Washington Post had me laughing so hard I started crying.

IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE A FRIEND OF YOURSELF?

Of course I am a joy to be around.

SCARY MOVIE OR HAPPY ENDING?

Happy ending, I don’t do horror very well.

HOW YOU WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR FASHION SENSE?

Weird. I love throwing different patterns together and wearing bold and bright colors.

ARE YOU COMPETITIVE?

Not really

DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN A SINGLE SENTENCE:

A vertically challenged, quiet teen. 

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL?

My parents ❤

IF YOU COULD GIVE YOUR YOUNGER SELF ADVICE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Enjoy the moment you don’t need to know everything

I hope you enjoyed this tag! I’d love to hear your thoughts! Do we have things in common?

Happy Reading!

 

Summer Biannual Bibliothon TBR

Hey, everyone! As you maybe able guess from the title, I am going to be participating in the Summer Biannual Bibliothon reading challenge. I will also be doing the blog challenges and am super excited to be able to take part. Since the Bibliothon starts tomorrow this is a great time to set up my TBR and share the 6 books I will be reading over the next seven days!

Group Book:

Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh  

flame in the mist

Read From the Hosts Favorite Genre and Read a LGBTQIA+ Book

Historical Fiction: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Leegentlemans guide

Read a Book That Has Been or Still is Banned:

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie 

absolutelyrue

Throwback Challenge – (Read a Group Book)

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerrie Maniscalco

stalking jack the ripper

Read a Book to Movie Adaptation:

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K Rowling

 potter4

Read a Book You’ve Seen Somewhere Other Than Booktube:

The Black Prism by Brent Weeks 

theblackprism

Are you taking part in the Biannual Bibliothon? 

Happy Reading!

Game of Thrones Book Tag

I am obsessed with Game of Thrones! I am a bit of a latecomer to this fandom (I was only 11 when the TV show premiered back in 2011)  but I binge watched the first 5 seasons last year in the months leading up to season six and although it is a relatively new discovery for me it didn’t take long for the show to sweep me off my feet. Like countless of others I have been highly anticipating season 7 premiere tonight and have spent the week preparing by rewatching all of season 6 and I’m so ready for the premiere. I saw this tag earlier today over at Thrice Reads blog and knew I had to have a go but this tag was originally created by the BiblioNyan and you should definitely check out both of their posts!

winter is here.gif

HOUSE LANNISTER: HEAR ME ROAR lannister

Name a book that you originally loved, but upon a re-read realized that it wasn’t so great after all.

My reading tastes have changed drastically over the years and there are plenty of books that upon a re-read I didn’t like as much. But one that immediately comes to mind is The Mark of the Tala by Jeffe Kennedy. I remember reading it years ago and loving it but once I decided to re-read it last year, my opinion had changed. I think it may be that I’ve become a touch more critical as a reader but I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

HOUSE STARK: WINTER IS COMING starksig

Name your most anticipated book release for 2017.

My most anticipated release for the rest of 2017 would have to be The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan. I love the Magnus Chase series and am super excited for the next installment. Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas is also a close second

HOUSE TARGARYEN: FIRE AND BLOOD targaryen

Name a book that you felt completely slayed with fantastic characters, plot, pacing, etc.

Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfus is a perfect book. The plot is great and keeps your interest, the pacing is absolutely perfect even though it would seem like it would be a little slow since the books are huge and the characters have a special place in my heart.

HOUSE BARATHEON: OURS IS THE FURY barratheon

Name a book that ended with a cliffhanger ending that genuinely pissed you off.

That cliffhanger at the end of Lord of Shadows was both saddening and infuriating. I was pissed off mainly because I would have to wait 2 years to address everything that happened at the end and to find out what happened.

HOUSE MARTELL:  UNBOWED. UNBENT. UNBROKENmartell

Name a book or book series, that’s been on your TBR since the dawn of time.

A Game of Thrones is, funnily enough, a book that has been in my TBR pile forever and will probably continue to be for awhile. I’ll probably read the series once all the books have come out and I’m craving some GOT later on once the series has come to an end.

HOUSE BOLTON: OUR BLADES ARE SHARP bolton

Name the most graphic or disturbing book that you’ve ever read.

I usually read YA and Romance and so far have yet to come across a book that disturbed me so I don’t have an answer for this.

HOUSE TYRELL:  GROWING STRONGtyrell

Name a book, or book series, that gets better and better with every re-read.

I don’t re-read many books but the few I do get better every single time. I always find something new in Harry Potter when I re-read it and it somehow reaches new heights of greatness each time.

I hope you enjoyed this tag. Are you a fan of the book or the show? Are you watching the premiere tonight? I’d love to know!

Happy reading (or watching)!

To DNF or not To DNF: Series Edition

When asked to describe my reading style the most accurate representation would be obsessive or very committed. Once I start a book I have to finish it whether I’m into it or not. I always hold out hope that no matter how badly (for me) it begins or seems to be going I have to keep reading just in case it manages to redeem itself. Basically, DNFing books are not my strong book. I very rarely truly DNF books usually I stop reading them and come back to them sometime later and grit my teeth and finish them. But today’s topic is not DNFing books but rather series.

If you thought DNFing books are hard for me series is a thousand times harder. The problem that I had with lone books is compounded. Instead of just thinking the book will get better I remain convinced that the series might get better as the books go on, usually, that is not the case. And that is how I get stuck in book slumps. I have a hard time letting it go even as I lose interest in a series. There are other instances in which I really liked the first book but the second or third one just puts me off but I keep reading just in case it gets better but usually it doesn’t and that means I wasted my time reading something I pressure myself into reading rather than wanting to because I’m interested in.

And that brings me to this question, Is this just a me thing or do you guys have trouble letting go of the potential to a series even though you’re not really interested in it anymore? 

Happy Reading!

Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag

We are now halfway through the year so now is the best time to step back and look at what we’ve accomplished in the past six months and what better way to do that than with a tag. I’ve seen quite a few people do this tag both in the blogosphere as well as on Booktube and it seemed like a lot of fun so here is the Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag.

Best book you’ve read so far in 2017?

I can never name just one book, but some of the best books I’ve read so far this year are Lord of Shadows, A Court Of Wings And Ruin, A Conjuring Of Light and the Wise Mans Fear.

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2017?

The best sequels I’ve read this are without a doubt Lord of shadows and the wise man’s fear, both were phenomenal books and 10/10 would recommend everyone read.

New release you haven’t read yet but want to?

I really, really, really want to read Windwitch but I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. I haven’t been in the right mood to read it but I definitely want to get to it this year.

Most anticipated release for the second half of 2017?

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas and Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan are the ones I’m most anticipating. Both Maas and Riordan are on my all time favorite author list and I’m hotly anticipating both of their upcoming releases.

Biggest surprise?

I was really excited to read Daughter of the Pirate King, but I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it turned out to be. I can’t wait to read the sequel next year and return to this pirate filled world.  piratelife

Biggest disappointment?

Mercy Falls by Patricia Briggs has such high ratings and so many people love this series but I just couldn’t get into it.

 

Favorite new author?

I read Michael J Sullivan’s Riyria Revelations series earlier this year and more recently Age of Myth and I love all of his books. He has definitely become a new favorite author of mine and I look forward to reading all his new and old books.

Newest fictional crush?

While I loved a lot of the books I read this year I sadly have not found a new fictional crush but I shall keep searching and hopefully, I’ll find a crush-worthy character later on in the yearsearching.gif

Newest favorite character?

Alosa from Daughter of the Pirate King is a badass redhead who knows her way around weapons and is extremely clever, you don’t want to get on her bad side.

A book that made you cry?

If you read Lord of Shadows and didn’t shed at least a couple tears, that is a true feat of amazingness. That book broke me and it was so emotional especially the ending.

A Book that made you happy?

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne was such a fun book to read, there were plenty of lol moments in the book and a good romance always makes me happy.

Favorite book to movie adaptation this year?

I haven’t really watched all that many movies this year let alone adaptations but I would have to say Beauty and the Beast was a great film. I mean it is a fairy tale so I think it falls under the scope of a book adaptation and it was super fun.

beauty and the beast.gif

Favorite review you’ve written?

I would have to say my ACOWAR review because I had been anticipating it for so long and I just wanted to get my feelings for the book out there and see what other people thought as well.

Most beautiful book you’ve bought this year?

They say a picture worth a thousand words so I’ll let the cover speak for itself.

Summoner-cov.jpg

What books do you need to read by the end of this year?

I definitely want to read The Lies of Locke Lamora, The Black Prism, Windwitch, Traitor to the Throne and Wintersong before the year is out, hopefully along with many others as well.

How has your bookish year been going so far? I’d love to know!

Happy Reading!

 

Netflix and Books: A Recommendation

I’ve watched a lot of TV over the past couple weeks…and when is say a lot, I really mean it. I’ve completely caught up on two shows, started and finished another one and am on the third season of another show I recently started. Suffice it to say, I’ve spent quite a bit of time staring at a screen over the past weeks. I haven’t been reading as much as I’d like so I thought a good way to put these hours spent on Netflix to good use would be to recommend some new books as well as Netflix shows.

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Geekerella Review

geekerellTitle: Geekerella

Author: Ashley Poston

Release Date: April 12, 2017

Publisher: Quirk Books

Page Number:  320 pages

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Synopsis:

Cinderella goes to the con in this fandom-fueled twist on the classic fairy tale.

Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom. Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first.

Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.

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The Coffee Book Tag

I love coffee, I’m honestly addicted and can’t go a day without my fix. So what better way to mix my two obsessions-coffee and books– than with a tag. So here it is The Coffee Book Tag.

Black: Name a series that’s tough to get into but has hardcore fans

1322638442outlander20thann3inOutlander has one of the most hardcore fan bases ever and those books are the definition of intimidating. With nine books in the series already and none shorter than 800 pages this series scares off a lot of people but once you start reading you become obsessed with the series and will most likely become a hardcore fan.

Peppermint Mocha: Name a book that gets more popular during winter or a more festive time of year.

harry_potter_and_the_sorcerers_stoneHarry Potter is a great book to read during the winter holidays. The movies are always on a constant loop during the holidays and the general vibe of the book just matches the winter festivities. I always have to re-read these books during this time. 

 

Hot Chocolate: What is your favorite children’s book?

alicewonderland22I’ve gushed about Alice in Wonderland way too many times on this blog but it was one of my favorite children books and I basically read it on repeat. Another childhood favorite was the Little House on the Praire series. I never watched the T.V show but I loved reading the book I fell and wished I could live in that time period

Double Shot of Espresso: Name a book that kept you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

19186075-_sy540_I read A Conjuring Of Light recently and that book gave me so much anxiety. I was convinced throughout the whole book that my beloved characters would die and there were so many moments that had me holding the book in a death grip because they were in a precarious situation.  

Starbucks: Name a book you see everywhere

whendimplemetWhen Dimple Met Rishi has been everywhere recently. I see people who have ARC’s talking about it all the time and it has me super hyped to read it when it finally comes out. 

 

Oops! I accidentally got decaf! Name a book you were expecting more from.

into the dimI was really disappointed by Into the Dim when I read it last year. It was marketed as a YA Outlander and it fell a little short for me. The entire book was really predictable and I guessed all the plot twists from a mile away. I went into the book with really high expectations and I was a little disappointed by the end.   

The Perfect Blend: Name a book or series that was both bitter and sweet but ultimately satisfying.

dawnstudy1Dawn Study was bittersweet for me. The first book Poison Study came out ten years ago and Dawn Study just came out and the end to this saga was amazing and everything I ever wanted. 

I hope you enjoy this tag! Do you like coffee? What do you think of my answers? 

Happy Reading!
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