Top Ten Weird A.F. Book Covers

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Cover Theme Freebie this week for Top Ten Tuesday, so I'm going for Top Ten Weird A.F. Book Covers. Enjoy.


1. Strange Relations

Ummmm, those are some mighty strange relations there indeed.



2. Catflexing: A Catlover's Guide to Weight Training, Aerobics & Stretching

You know, my work out routine has been getting a bit stale lately. Anyone have a cat they can loan me?



3. The Second Experiment

I can't say I've read the synopsis for this one, but I CAN say I would give this a read nonetheless, just to figure out WTF is going on here.



4. Dinosaur Erotica

Now, those who know me know I love dinosaurs in a BIG way, always have. But these dinosaur erotica novels? HELL NO. AND WHY.



5. Liberace: Your Personal Fashion Consultant

Because who wouldn't want to pair knee-high argyle socks with short shorts and a fringed, sequinned jacket?



6. Knitting With Dog Hair: Better a sweater from a dog you know and love than from a sheep you'll never meet

You know, now that they mention it, wearing knitwear from an anonymous random sheep IS rather impersonal.



7. The Finnish Harry Potter Covers

Oh Finland, WHY? I do actually like that this artist has their own consistent artistic style for these books, but I just don't get the noses.



8. The Rifleman

I mean... how unfortunate. But the cover designer here is completely clueless.



9. Hail Hibbler

WHY??!???!



10. But... You're A Horse

*notice human hands on horse*

... I think I'll just leave it at that.

Top Ten Authors I Read For The First Time In 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Authors I Read For The First Time In 2016

1. Jojo Moyes (Me Before You): This year I finally read the much hyped Me Before You (still have to see the movie adaptation though), and it was every bit as depressing as I was told it would be. Heh. It was a good story though and I would like to read more from Jojo Moyes.

2. Charles Darwin (Voyage of the Beagle, Origin of Species): Of course I studied Darwin's ideas ad nauseam in school, but I'd never actually read his books until this year. Origin of Species was a bit dry, but Voyage of the Beagle - in which Darwin recounts his thoughts from his 5 year trip exploring the Southern Hemisphere and developing his theory of evolution - was honestly FASCINATING.

3. Barack Obama (Dreams From My Father): Turns out this guy can WRITE! I listened to the audiobook of Dreams From My Father - narrated by Obama himself - and it was interesting to learn so much about his backstory. Slightly off topic: PLEASE DON'T LEAVE US BARACK!

4. Colleen Hoover (Confess): I finally read my first Colleen Hoover book this year and experienced the full extent of her trademark emotional drama in Confess. I would definitely like to read more from Colleen!

5. Rae Carson (Fire and Thorns Trilogy): I was blown away by Rae Carson's Fire and Thorns Trilogy this year (read my full review here). Queen Elisa is for sure one of my all-time favourite fictional rulers!

6. Laura Ingalls Wilder (Little House Series): Looooved this autobiographical telling of tomboy Laura Ingalls growing up as a pioneer of the northern midwest US in the 1800s!

7. Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man, Saga): 2016 was also the year that I started to explore graphic novels and Brian Vaughan was easily my favourite graphic novel author I read this year. Completed series Y: The Last Man and ongoing series Saga are both excellent!

8. Catherynne M. Valente (Fairyland Series): Catherynne M. Valente is an author unlike no other... though it initially took a while to get into her writing in her Fairyland Series, I came to really love it for its uniqueness!

9. Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Series): I was inspired by Micheline to finally dig into the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Series by Douglas Adams on audiobook this year and while my interest definitely waned as the series went on, I loved my hilarious Douglas Adams experience!

10. Roald Dahl (The BFG, Esio Trot, Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox): Okay, okay, Roald Dahl isn't a new author for me. BUT in some ways it felt like a new experience as I haven't read any of his books since devouring most of them as a wee child many, many years ago. I am about halfway through my Roald Dahl boxset that I got for Christmas last year and thoroughly enjoying every whimsical moment!

Top Ten Books On My Summer TBR (Help Me Prioritize!)

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Angelfall by Susan Ee

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I've set up polls exactly like this for the past two years (2013, 2014) so that I could get people's input on what I should be prioritizing in my reading schedule this summer (I wish I could read them all, but unfortunately I just don't have the time!). The response that I received these past two years was so great and helpful, so of course I knew I needed to do it again. The above ten books are all ones that I have been putting off reading for what seems like FOREVER. I'm so excited to read each and every one of them, but I need your help in deciding which ones should be at the top of my priority list. Any reasonings for your choice(s) can be left in the comments below. Thanks so much!!

survey services

Top Ten Contemporary Books That Sara Tells Me I MUST Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

For this week's Top Ten Tuesday, I'm teaming up with one of my blog besties, Sara of Just Another Story, whom I have known since almost the beginning of my blog. She's one of my faves even though we very rarely read the same kinds of books. She's more of a realistic contemporary girl, whereas I'm more of a speculative fiction girl. But because we're both into challenging ourselves to go outside our comfort zones - and because I trust Sara's recommendations completely as she is basically my Contemporary Guru - she is here to tell me what contemporary books I MUST read, while I will be telling Sara what fantasy books she needs to read over on her blog. The plan is that this challenge of ours will hopefully play out over the coming months while participating in Epic Reads.

So without further ado, here are the Top Ten Contemporary Books That Sara Tells Me I MUST Read! Take it away, Sara!

1. Crash Into You by Katie McGarry - It was either this one or Pushing the Limits. I am trying to get Aylee to read both. However, Crash Into You is my favourite of the bunch and it is a little bit lighter than its predecessor. Pushing the Limits deals with heavier themes.

2. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick - This will come as no surprise because this is one of my top five contemporaries. It is just SO good. The characters are brilliant, the banter is fantastic, and it has some really great family dynamics.

3. This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales - This is a really great story about a girl who really discovers herself. It's completely unique (I think). And I think Aylee will appreciate this one.

4. Just One Day by Gayle Forman - Seeing as Aylee has recently finished If I Stay and seemed to enjoy it (Aylee's note: It's true! My review will go up soon), I was eager to add this one to the list. This one is also a story of self discovery, but in a good way. It's not an easy journey for readers, but Forman is an incredible story teller. And come on... Paris.

5. The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp - This is an interesting story. The characters aren't very likeable. I am not sure I liked them at all. But, there is something about this one. This one has been compared to The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I sort of see it, but not really.

6. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han - I love this book. It's special to me. Another one that is easily in my top five contemporaries. It's not a complicated story, and maybe a little immature. But it's pleasant all the same. A super quick summer read.

7. My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi - This is a heavy one. But it's well worth the read. I was completely moved by this one. And I think it's WAY underrated.

8. Something Like Normal by Trish Dollar - Another one that is a bit on the heavy side. Not too bad though. It's one of the better contemporaries out there.

9) Dreamland by Sarah Dessen - This one is heavy. But it's SO good. It's so unlike anything by Sarah Dessen and it touches on some very sensitive topics. But I love how it was done, and how realistic it was. So worth the read. (Aylee's note: This will be my FIRST Sarah Dessen read!!).

10. Jelllicoe Road by Melina Marchetta - I have been TRYING to get Aylee to read this book for YEARS!! Haha. This is one of my most favourite novels, and I want her to read this one SO badly. I think it's the book I have been urging her to read the most. Someday. (Aylee's note: Eep! I know, I've been a bit nervous about reading this one because of all the hype and because I know it will be a challenging read. But I think my body is finally ready!!).


Honourable mention: The Silver Lining's Playbook by Matthew Quick - This book is brilliant! So much better than the movie (and I loved the movie).

Check out the fantasy books I'm telling Sara she MUST read!

The Ten Authors I Own The Most Books From

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Megan Whalen Turner - 4 Books

Own 4 and Read 0 Megan Whalen Turner books. Need to get to The Queen's Thief Series!

J.R.R. Tolkien - 4 Books

Own 4 and Read 4 J.R.R. Tolkien books. Classic.

Rick Yancey - 5 Books

Own 5 and Read 4 Rick Yancey books. Still need to finish up one of my favourite series, The Monstrumologist!

Patrick Ness - 5 Books

Own 5 and Read 4 Patrick Ness books. Still need to read More Than This and I'm excited because Patrick Ness is definitely a fave!

Rick Riordan - 5 Books

Own 5 and Read 5 Rick Riordan books. I binge read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series earlier on this year. I had fun with these!

John Green - 5 Books

Own 5 and Read 5 John Green books. I binge read his books in May in what I have dubbed The Great John Green Read of 2014. It was a great experience!

Meg Cabot - 6 Books

Own 6 and Read 0 Meg Cabot books. I picked up the entire Mediator Series second-hand a number of years ago and I'm just waiting for a good opportunity to binge read them.

Richelle Mead - 6 Books

Own 6 and Read 1 Richelle Mead books. There was a great deal on the Vampire Academy boxset back when the movie was released, so of course I snapped it up. I have only read the first book so far, but I'm looking forward to getting back into the series!

Cassandra Clare - 9 Books

Own 9 and Read 9 Cassandra Clare books. The Mortal Instruments Series was only completed a couple months ago, but Cassie already has a number of new Shadowhunter trilogies planned to add to this list. Something to look forward to!

J.K. Rowling - 13 Books

Own 13 and Read 13 J.K. Rowling books. Well, obviously! You guys know I will buy and read (and LOVE) anything Queen Jo writes, no matter what it is.

Top Ten Favourite TV Shows

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Books are my first love, but I have quite a few TV shows that I love, as well. The following is a list of my top ten favourite TV shows that I have watched so far. I'm always looking for a new favourite TV show though, so if you know of any that you think I might like, please let me know in the comments!

1. LOST

Every now and then, a show comes along that changes the way we view TV, that revolutionizes what TV used to be and makes it into something MORE. This was LOST. And I was HUGELY obsessed with it while it was on the air. You have never seen an introduction more epic than the Pilot for LOST, nor have you likely come across a show that had as many confounding mysteries, surprising twists and WTF moments. For the uninitiated, LOST is best watched back-to-back binge-style as the plot can get quite hard to follow if you watch it over a longer period of time.

2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Anyone else grow up watching Buffy and used to pretend you were a bad-ass vampire slayer of extreme strength and agility? No? Just me then. Oh, how I adore Buffy! Sure, some of the earlier seasons were pretty cheesy, but the characters were ALWAYS the best. Of special note is the Season 4 episode, "Hush", and the Season 6 Emmy-nominated all-musical episode, "Once More With Feeling". I could watch those episodes ad nauseam.

3. Breaking Bad

I binge watched the entire series of Breaking Bad earlier on this year and it was immediately apparent that yes, what people say is true: it really is one of the best TV shows ever. Breaking Bad has possibly the most incredible character arcs I've ever witnessed in a TV series. It is truly a remarkable story and I don't hesitate to recommend it to everyone I know.

4. Six Feet Under

I've never given much thought to death before - I generally avoid it as a rule - but Six Feet Under, centred around a family-run funeral home that begins each episode with a death, definitely got me thinking about mortality in a very profound and moving way. The characters are incredibly flawed, but I can't help but like them anyway. Six Feet Under also features the most perfect series ending to a TV show ever, so it's a MUST watch.

5. Skins

Skins is a bit like Degrassi in that it centres around a group of troubled teenage friends who all have their different issues to sort out. Except you know... compared to Degrassi, it's actually really well written and acted and is GOOD (ouch... sorry Degrassi). I can't say that I was able to identify with many of the characters on Skins because I had a very different adolescence than these teens, but I still can't help but have such fondness for them all. And PLEASE don't even think about watching the much inferior MTV US remake of the show! Stick with the original UK show!

6. Downton Abbey

I've made no secret of the fact that I LOVE period drama series and Downton Abbey was the one that started off that obsession! The show veers into soap opera territory from time to time, but on the whole, it's a fabulous show with fantastic sets, costumes, characters, and storylines. It's basically impossible not to become completely engaged in these characters' lives from the get-go.

7. Veronica Mars

While some may classify Veronica Mars as just your typical teenage drama, don't be fooled: Veronica Mars is film noir at its finest and appeals to teens and adults alike. This show was SUPER under-appreciated while it was on the air, leading to its premature demise, but thanks to a very successful Kickstarter campaign, it was risen again! Oh, but lets pretend Season 3 never happened.

8. Freaks and Geeks

You may recognize James Franco, Jason Segel, and Seth Rogen from the short-lived Freaks and Geeks. It aired for one season only, but produced some of the best and most realistic coming-of-age episodes in that time. You can't help but love these outcasts!

9. Game of Thrones

I have never watched a series more epic than Game of Thrones. Is there any other show like it that compares to its cast of thousands, its ambitious sets, its ruthless killing of main characters? I know not of one. Game of Thrones was definitely the impetus behind my newly re-found obsession with high fantasy and it's crazy how excited I get for each new episode.

10. Planet Earth

Planet Earth is without a doubt the most breathtaking and awe-inspiring nature shows of all time. Not into nature shows? Well, you'll be into this one, trust me. It is absolutely the most comprehensive and ambitious showcase of life on Earth out there and you WILL be blown away by it.

Top Ten Blogging Confessions (with Beauty and the Beast GIFs, just 'cause)

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

1. I can’t read a book in one sitting. I don’t understand how people can do this! I can't sit still for that long and I need breaks while reading.

2. I don’t write discussion posts because I’m convinced I have no opinions that are original and thus I have nothing to add.

3. I have only read a fraction of the books I own. Part of me feels shame over this, but part of me is EXCITED at the prospect.

4. For the life of me, I just CANNOT bring myself to DNF a book, no matter how much I'm not feeling it. I JUST CAN’T!

5. I feel a small amount of anxiety at the prospect of lending my beloved books out to family or friends because I know they won’t take as good care of them as I do.

6. I am jealous of bloggers who are eloquent writers and who can put into words thoroughly and beautifully exactly how they felt about a book.

7. For the life of me, I don't understand how anyone can call those rude, overly-confident, and possessive love interests their book boyfriends. Just no.

8. Sometimes I skim. As I say, I cannot bring myself to DNF books, so if I’m really not feeling my current read, I’ll skim it to the end.

9. When I finish a beloved book series, sometimes I feel like I’ve lost a part of myself.

10. I am someone who truly believes that being a reader makes you a better person. Reading encourages you to empathize with characters that may have had different life experiences than you have and gets you to see things from their point of view. And that’s always a good thing.

Top Ten Unique and Beautiful Uses of Typography

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish) is Top Ten Book Cover Trends I Like, and while there are a few trends that I could have featured, in the end I decided I would focus on my #1 favourite cover trend: books in which the title is featured prominently with interesting typography.

I love love LOVE it when the cover designer creates an entirely unique font to use for the book's title and makes sure that it is the absolute focus of the cover. Not only does it bring attention to the title of the novel, but if done well, the unique typography can give you an idea of what the book will be about by setting the tone.

The following are 10 of my favourite examples of unique and beautiful uses of typography. I decided to feature covers that the readers of this blog would likely not have come across to keep it interesting, but there are of course a ton of YA covers with gorgeous typography that I love, as well. Enjoy! And let me know which one is your favourite!