Top Ten Tuesday

This post is part of the Top Ten Tuesday weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish.

July 31: Top Ten Characters I’d Like To Switch Places With For 24 Hours

10.  Sansa Stark -Because I don't think she appreciated how awesome it would be to be married to Tyrion Lannister. (A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin)

9. Frodo Baggins - I think 24 hours in the shire would be heavenly. (The Lord of the Rings by. J. R. R. Tolkein)

8. Celia Bowen - For being able to create beautiful illusions and spend a night at the Night Circus. (The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern)

7.  Robert Langdon - You know 24 hours in Langdon's shoes would be a wild ride. Plus the amount of knowledge that man has about the coolest things is amazing. (The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown)

6. Lucy Pevensie - She spends the most time in Narnia. (The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis)

5. Violet Baudelaire - She's smart, inventive and has some great siblings. (A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket)

4. Yvaine - A day as a star. (Stardust by Neil Gaiman)

3. Katniss Everdeen - Knowing she doesn't die in the Hunger Games makes being her for a day more appealing. I'd love to be great at archery. (The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins)

2. Daenerys Targaryen - You would be the mother of dragons. Come on, its dragons! (A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin)

1. Ginny Weasley - Because being part of the Weasley family would be the best day spent in someone's shoes. (Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling)

   

Olympics: London 2012

So I'm a bit of an Olympic freak. I love the Olympics! Here are some of my favorite pre-games stories and fun crafty things I found around the web this week.

Not Olympics related but these are some of the coolest images of secret subways I've ever seen. I'm imagining Neverwhere by  Neil Gaiman taking place in some of these (Flavorwire).



 
Adorable London Tube map baby bib.


These are great shots of some Olympians (Flavorwire).

Cute Olympic party ideas: A Small Snipet and Parents

 

 Cute Olympic animal note cards. These hippo ones my nephew would love!

New Books this Week

Books that were just released or coming up soon that look good to me!

 This week I'm featuring the follow up to last year's A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, a children's book by Glee's Chris Colfer, and my favorite book of 2012 in paperback.

Shadow of Night

Deborah Harkness

Publication Date: July 10, 2012 by Viking Adult

"Together we lifted our feet and stepped into the unknown"—the thrilling sequel to the New York Times bestseller A Discovery of WitchesDeborah Harkness exploded onto the literary scene with her debut novel, A Discovery of Witches, Book One of the magical All Souls Trilogy and an international publishing phenomenon. The novel introduced Diana Bishop, Oxford scholar and reluctant witch, and the handsome geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont; together they found themselves at the center of a supernatural battle over an enchanted manuscript known as Ashmole 782.
Now, picking up from A Discovery of Witches’ cliffhanger ending, Shadow of Night plunges Diana and Matthew into Elizabethan London, a world of spies, subterfuge, and a coterie of Matthew’s old friends, the mysterious School of Night that includes Christopher Marlowe and Walter Raleigh. Here, Diana must locate a witch to tutor her in magic, Matthew is forced to confront a past he thought he had put to rest, and the mystery of Ashmole 782 deepens.
Deborah Harkness has crafted a gripping journey through a world of alchemy, time travel, and magical discoveries, delivering one of the most hotly anticipated novels of the season.
(From the publisher).

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell

Chris Colfer, Brandon Dorman (Illustrator)

Publication Date: July 17, 2012 by Little, Brown Young Readers

Alex and Conner Bailey's world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairytales.

The Land of Stories tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about.

But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought.
(From the publisher).


And because it was one of the best books I read last year, check it out in paperback if you haven't already read it:

The Night Circus

Erin Morgenstern
Publication Date: July 3, 2012 (Paperback) by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

 (From the publisher).

Once upon a time...

I had trouble coming up with an idea for my first blog post. I wanted to start off with an awesome book review from one of the many books I have received from Librarything for early reviewers. It's a great way to find new authors and read up-and-coming books. So I sat down and few weeks ago to read one of the titles I received, The Talisman of El by Alecia Stone. I'll save that review for anther day, but let's just say I was disappointed. Both with the book, and also that my blog plans were not to be. I really don't want to start out reviewing a book I'm not passionate about, because in the end, that's what this blog is mostly about. I love to read, and I want to share the amazing books I've read with others.

So instead of reviewing one book, I decided to make a list of the 5 best books I've read so far in 2012. Some of these are re-reads and some were brand new finds for me. My family were generous in gifting me with most of the 30 odd books I requested for Christmas. I'm still working my way through them.

Best Books of 2012 (so far):

5.  Incarceron  and Sapphique by Catherine Fisher


I began reading Incarceron just before the end of the year, and followed it closely by the sequel Sapphique in January. These books can be described as steam punk-esque post-apocalyptic  young adult fiction. I was attracted to them for several reasons. One of the two settings in the book takes place in what appears to be the 18th century, one of my favorite historical time periods. The book also features the interesting concept of a sentient prison that has control over its captives. Overall the books were well written with engaging characters, although I think the author made the mistake of changing one of the main protagonists too much in the sequel. She became almost unlikeable when you were really supposed to be rooting for her.  Still, they are a great example of the imaginative YA fiction that is every where these days.

4. Wicked and Son of a Witch by Gregory Macguire

If you haven't read The Wicked Years series by Gregory Macguire you really should. Wicked inspired the Broadway musical of the same name, although the book is not a fluffy and fun as its staged counterpart. The books are quite adult in theme and content. Wicked has really prominent political messages throughout, mostly dealing with racism and the nature of evil. Son of a Witch is my favorite of the first two novels because I find the character of Liir, the son of Elphaba aka the Wicked Witch of the West, to be flawed and wonderful at the same time. You want to love him, but Macguire also makes it plain what Liir's shortcomings are. He has a fascinating journey. These were re-read for me and I am looking forward to finishing up the series with the next two titles: A Lion Among Men and Out of Oz.

3. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

When I got a new smart phone in March, I took the opportunity to get all the fabulous e-reader apps, and download all the free e-books I could get my hands on. Anne was one of those classics that I really wanted to re-read. I made several attempts as a child to get into the Anne series, but failed every time. I remember telling my mom that they were just too descriptive and I needed some more plot, please! Now reading them again through adult eyes I can definitely see why I should have loved them! I had watched the Megan Follows movies and Road to Avonlea was one of my favorite shows as a child, so I knew what to expect. Anne does not disappoint. It should be noted that I have a soft spot for spunky red-headed girls in books (Ginny Weasley is by far my favorite. I don't think my husband will let me name any future children after her, though I am going to put up a fight).

2. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin

1. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

I am listing these separately although they of course are both part of the hugely popular A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels and the basis for the HBO hit TV series Game of Thrones. As a fantasy book lover, I knew I would like them, but I didn't know just how much. Martin's writing is some of the best I've ever read. He created a world full of the most enjoyable and interesting characters and plots that keep you hooked. I'm listing Game of Thrones as my favorite for a few reasons. Firstly, if you don't enjoy fantasy you should still read this book for the plot alone. Secondly, the fantasy elements are not as prominent as in some other books in the genre. There are dragons, zombies and some magic, but the books read more like historical fiction than fantasy in many ways. But the plot of the first book; well, I don't want to spoil anything but the mystery grips you and doesn't let go. It reminded me of some of the Harry Potter books, the ones with twists and turns and many schemes afoot. ASOIF is much grittier and adult than Harry Potter, and that is another reason it may attract non fantasy lovers as well. I'm currently working my way through the third installment, A Storm of Swords. Warning: these books are very long and you will want to read the whole series once you start so clear off some time in your book schedule.

Welcome to my blog! 

This is my spot for book reviews and everything related to books. I'll fill up these pages with old books and new and books I'm getting excited about. I'll also post links to cute book related things, and other forms of geekery that I find on my internet adventures. Follow me on Twitter and check out my Pintrest too!