August's To-Read List!

I have so many new books to get through and I'm really excited to start reading these next month.

I asked on Goodreads for people to recommend me their favourite fairytale/princess story and these were a few that were suggested. Please let me know what your favourite book of that genre is too :)

Robin McKinley is an author that I've only recently discovered through her book “Beauty”, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Since reading that, I've fallen in love with her writing. I can't wait to read her other books.

“The Hero Strikes Back” is the second book in the series"Hero" by Moira J. Moore. I was orginally put off by their cringe-worthy covers and titles but I encourage you to give this series a go! “Resenting the Hero” had been one of my favourite books that I've read this month! 

And since I'm going through Game of Thrones related withdraw symptoms I decided to get to work on this massive book! 

 

Love Triangles: Yay or nay?

Guys, it's happened again. The character I wanted the girl to end up with didn't end up with her. By now, I'm not very surprised. I seem to usually route for the loosing side of the love triangle.

But it made me think... Does anyone actually like love triangles? I know I don't. They just frustrate me. Sure, it's quite fun being “Team whoever” but apart from that? It's usually pretty obvious who the girl is going to end up with, so we have to watch her string along another guy. It's pretty boring to read about because they happen all the time now. I feel like I already know what's going to happen when a love triangle comes into the picture and it makes me want to bang my head against a wall. 

How do you feel about love triangles? If you like them - let me know why. :) 

Team Guy Who Almost Hit Bella With A Car

(Team Ian Somerhalder? I actually haven't read VD...)  
Team Ducky  

Summer Lovin' Read-A-Thon: Tears on My Pillow

 

“Tears on My Pillow” Participation Post: 

Share a quote from your current read or tell us about a book that really pulled on your heart strings. What was it about that book/quote that made you cry?

Books can make me cry, though for different reasons. The first reason is obvious: if a book is sad. This usually involves a death of my favourite character - it seems that my favourites always die. This became a running joke when me and my friends watched Lost. Other reasons are if the book's ending is bittersweet. If it's happy/sad that usually has me crying. If I feel a connection the characters, that is. The third reason is if it's just incredibly sweet. I'm a sucker for a happy ending and, seemingly, a bit of a wimp. Happy movies tend to make me cry more than sad ones do. 

 

I'm going to focus specifically on Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend. A friend lent me this book and, at first, I didn't have high expectations of it. However, I quickly became enthralled and when I finished I realised what an exceptional book it was.

This book tells of a tale of a young boy's imaginary friend. The imaginary friend, Budo, had been around for five years - much longer than imaginary friends usually last. This is because Max needs Budo more than most kids usually need their imaginary friends. And when a kid no longer needs their imaginary friend, they disappear, they die.

Matthew Dicks creates a fascinating, detailed world that belongs to these imaginary beings. I loved how they only possessed the abilities that their human friends thought up for them. Budo could walk through walls because Max imagined that he could, but it was very rare thing for an imaginary friend to be able to do. Some imaginary friends had yellow skin and crazy hair, one imaginary friend was just a hair bow! This world was so interesting to read about.

This book really made me cry at the end. It falls under category two: a bittersweet ending. When I gave the book back to my friend, I ending up crying all over again and she had to laughingly comfort me. 

It was so beautiful because the character ends up confronting the thing he fears most of all, all for the sake of friendship.

Mega Challenge: Help needed!

So my favourite group on Goodreads has announced that they will be doing a MEGA CHALLENGE for the month of July! I'm so excited - I love this type of thing!

You can check out the group and its challenge here: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1385523-mega-month-challenge

For one of the challenges, you have to make up the word B-U-D-D-Y-R-E-A-D-S using titles of books. So, for example, Alice In Zombieland would count as the "A".

I have therefore put it to you dear followers (....dear conductors?) to help me out with this! Have you found a book that you really enjoyed that begins with any of these letters? Please leave a comment and help me out! It's actually harder than you think!

I will update the list below with the name and the blog link of the person who recommended me the book. I've filled a few numbers myself but feel free to tell me to scrap a letter in favour of a better book. I'd be so thrilled if you could help me with this!

All books must be Young Adult!

So far:

B - Breathe by Sarah Crossan

Recommended by Monique LeBlanc @ http://moniquesmobooks.blogspot.co.uk/  

 

U - Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

D - Delirium by Lauren Oliver 

D -

Y -

R - Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

 Recommended by Delaney @ http://theawkward-ness.blogspot.co.uk/
Thanks!

E - Eden by Keary Taylor

A - Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

D - The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

 Also recommended by Delaney @ http://theawkward-ness.blogspot.co.uk/
Thanks!

S - Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins

Maybe:

E - Erasing Time by C. J Hill

Also recommended by Monique LeBlanc @ http://moniquesmobooks.blogspot.co.uk/  

 This just depends on whether or not I can get it. It ships from America and, as I live in England, it might take a while to get here! However, will use this if I find no other E! Thanks again!

Still needed:

Letters D, Y, E

Here's my read list if you want to check if I've already read it first: http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4553625?shelf=read
(Using the search bar will make it easier) 

Leave your blog link if you're recommending books! :)  

Favourite Books

What makes a book your favourite?

Is it the world in which it is set? Is it the author's descriptive flair? Is it the characters? It is the message that you are left with? Or a combination of all these things?

To me, a book becomes a favourite when you can't exactly work out WHAT makes it become one. It's something you can't put into words – something you can't even put into sound, unless it is a high-pitch “Eeeeeeeeeeee!” It is the feeling when you put it down and think, “Wow”. It's the feeling after that when you jump up, find the nearest person or quickly text your friend, demanding them to read it or discussing with them what you thought.

It's instinctive.

This book has oomph. Something that speaks to you – and continues to speak to you days, months, years after you've read it.

Is it perfection? Well, no. A book will always have flaws for, similar to the people who write them, books are not perfect. But a favourite book is near perfect to you, even if it might repulse or bore others. Perhaps you even know it has many flaws, yet you love it anyway, regardless.

Here is a few books that rendered me to squealing or aww-ing or grinning.

Let me know what makes a book a favourite to you. :)

Favourite Books

Martha's favorite books »