October 2016 Wrap-Up

It's time to tell you all about the books I read in October! I read a total of 11 books, and only one of them was a reread. 

My reread was The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. Since I had reread Jane Eyre last month I decided it was a perfect time to reread this one (for at least the third time). I've said it several times before and I will continue to say it: Jasper Fforde is brilliant and I never tire of his books. They get better every time I read them. 

There were two books that especially stood out to me as new favorites this month: Crosstalk by Connie Willis which I talk more about here and Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi. I read Furthermore during Deweys 24 Hour Readathon and I thought it was a fun middle grade fantasy, definitely some shades of Alice in Wonderland but creative as well and the writing was very beautiful and poetic. 

My most unique read this month was definitely William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope by Ian Doescher. If you just read that title and thought 'what the heck?', this book is for you! If you are a fan of Star Wars, this book is for you. Basically, this book is for you. I mean, where else will you get to see R2-D2 beep in iambic pentameter? 

There are certain words and phrases that appear on the covers of books that are guaranteed to catch my interest. "Library of Alexandria" is one of those phrases, and that is what drew me to Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine. This is a young adult alternate history novel which features a world where the great library was never destroyed and is now a controlling force in the government, allowing or restricting access to knowledge. Private ownership of books is forbidden and the black market thrives. Sounds fascinating, right? It was good, I liked it but not to the point that I would read it again. I've decided I need to read the sequel before I make my final judgment so you can look for that in the next few months. 

The next three books all fell very middle of the road for me. They all came from Book of the Month club. They were entertaining but I would not read them again and will probably not keep them on my shelves. 

Enchanted Islands by Allison Amend
I think I like the idea of this book better than I liked the actual book. It is a fictionalized account of the true story of Francis Conway, a woman who, with her husband, went to live on the Galapagos Islands on the eve of World War II. At least, that is how the book is advertised. I found it to be more the story of her life long friendship with her childhood friend Rosalie. It traces their journey from rural Minnesota to Chicago and eventually California. I very much enjoyed the relational aspects of this story and it's emphasis on love and friendship and honesty. I also really enjoyed the account of their time on the island. But there were a few things that seemed very out of place, paragraphs that would jump out at me as seeming not to fit with the flow of the novel. I also really disliked the last 50 pages or so. I felt like the characters did not stay true to themselves and in the end the story wrapped up a little too quickly. 

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
A thriller that wasn't all that thrilling. I did read it straight though but only because it was during the readathon, otherwise it would not have kept me engaged. It was too predictable and the characters too expected. Nothing surprised me or caught me off guard. 

Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel
Disclaimer: I am not well versed in highly technical science fiction, it is most definitely not my forte. I liked the idea of the novel and I thought it started strong but it did not keep my interest beyond the first 100 pages. It is written in an interview format so almost everything is dialogue. I really like the idea of the book and the writing style but in the end it just didn't work for me. It was too dry and I felt the characters lacked depth.  

I'm going to finish off with the children's books I read this month. I've been working my way through the Oz series by L. Frank Baum and I read a bind up of volumes 4-6. As always, these books are fun and interesting and always introduce unique characters as well as bringing back well loved ones. I was excited to see that Dorothy and family are finally permanently lodged in the Emerald city, but what will their next adventure be?

Enid Blyton is an author I was introduced to at a very young age but I have actually read very few of her books. I have been intending to read more so I was excited to start her Malory Towers series. This month I read the first two books, First Term at Malory Towers and Second Form at Malory Towers. I said earlier that there were certain 'trigger' words that make you want to read a book. "Boarding school" is another of those magic phrases. These are fun, sweet books following the adventures of a group of girls. There is nothing spectacular about these, they are just light and clean and uplifting. Very enjoyable. 

Overall, it was a good reading month for me and I'm already excited for the books I will be reading in November! Thanks for reading!

Thoughts on Book Adaptations

As a kid, I loved movies. Honestly though, what kid doesn't? As an adult, they have lost quite a bit of their appeal. It's rare that I will sit and watch a movie instead of reading a book and generally, I am not a big fan of movie adaptations of books. There are a few exceptions. I love Anne of Green Gables (the first two parts, not the third, bleh!). I think The Lord of the Rings trilogy was very well done. To Kill a Mockingbird is an excellent film (and Gregory Peck, yes please!). I also have to mention The Scarlet Pimpernel with Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour. So good, just so so good. But even these movies that I love, if given the choice between the movie or the book, I would still always pick the book. 

There has been a lot of buzz surrounding the upcoming Netflix adaptation of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. This series has long been at the top of my list of books I would like to see made into a good film or television series (emphasis on the word good) and I am looking forward to seeing how well done it turns out to be (fingers crossed). 

So the question of the day is: What other books or book series would make good movies, mini series, or television shows?

The Thursday Next Series by Jasper Fforde

A detective show with a twist. You have a female protagonist who is smart, witty, and fierce and a mix of literary characters from Hamlet to Jane Eyre to Mrs. Tiggywinkle. How could that not be entertaining? (Side note: I'm not going to mention anything else by Fforde but I just want to say that any of his books would make excellent shows.)

The Enola Holmes Series by Nancy Springer

This is a middle grade series about the little sister of Sherlock Holmes. I know there are a million Sherlock adaptations out there, some good, some less good, but I think this one has potential to reach a different audience. Enola is very much her own person. She is creative, thinks for herself and follows her own path. What young girl wouldn't love that in a show?

Blackout and All Clear by Connie Willis

I'm thinking epic mini series for this one. Time travelers that get stuck in London during the blitz and are unable to get back home? Time travel, World War II, and London. That's a winning combination right there.

What books would you like to see adapted into film?

November 2016 TBR

Okay, disclaimer, I am really really bad at sticking to TBR piles. I am always distracted by all the other things I need/want to read and I freely admit that I am a mood reader. This month I am only putting a handful of books on my TBR knowing that there are other things I will pick up along the way. So without further ado, here are the books I am determined to get to this month:



The Secret Keepers 
by Trenton Lee Stewart

I know nothing about this book other than it
 is a new middle grade book by the author 
of the Mysterious Benedict Society series, 
which I loved! I have been hoping for a while 
that he would write more books so I looking 
forward to seeing what this new one is all 
about.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

by Susanna Clarke

This is another book that I don't know much 

about. I know it has something to do with magic.

I also know that it has been sitting unread on my

shelves for several years now and that I should 

finally get around to reading it. Also, it is massive

 so hopefully it is worth my time.

A Confederacy of Dunces 

by John Kennedy Toole

This is the book that was chosen by one of you!

I am pretty sure this novel has been on my radar since long before I even joined goodreads

so I am excited to finally read it!

And that's it for this month! I know, only 3 books is kind of lame but I hope to read many many more. Only selecting 3 in advance gives me the ability to pick and choose the rest as the month progresses.

What are you most looking forward to reading in November?

Top 5 Wednesday 10/26/16

And we're back with Top 5 Wednesday! (Insert spiel about T5W yada yada information more words etc...check out the goodreads group here) 

Today's topic is spooky settings. I don't actually read a lot of spooky books so I'm going to focus more on atmospheric settings or books where the environment or setting takes on a character of its own. So here we go, in no particular order:

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
This is the ultimate atmospheric novel. Both the land and the weather seem to reflect the mood of the characters and if you haven't read it, it's MESSED UP! (But in a good way...kind of...)

The Moor by Laurie R. King
Mystery novel. What is it about Scotland and the moors that seem to say stormy and spooky? Seriously, can you think of a novel set on the moor that is happy and light?

Beauty by Robin McKinley
A retelling of Beauty and the Beast. This one is not spooky at all but it has an amazing castle that takes on a life of it's own. The halls and passages seem to move and shift to lead characters in certain directions. 

For a very broad category I'm going to say anything Dystopian. I love reading dystopian novels but the thought of actually living in a world where they hold The Hunger Games or Big Brother watches you...chills...

And lastly, I am going to mention my ultimate spooky setting. Abandoned Hospitals (especially mental hospitals). I have no book to use as an example because WHY WOULD I READ SOMETHING SET IN AN ABANDONED HOSPITAL?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Nightmares for life...seriously...

*shudder*

I'm just going to leave you with that...

Readathon Wrap Up

We made it! We competed another 24 hour readathon. This was my third Deweys and I can't even begin to express how much I look forward to these events.(I am already planning ahead for the next one in April!) This year I managed to stay awake for 22 hours, I took a two hour nap at around hour 17. So I spent 21-22 hours reading. In that time I completed 3 books and started 3 others, and read a total of 1267 pages. 

I started the day with Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi. I had purchased this book and set it aside specifically for this readathon and I was not disappointed. This book was fantastic! It is a middle grade fantasy that tells the tale of Alice, a colorless girl in a colorful world. The writing was poetic and the story creative. My only complaint was that it wrapped up a little too quickly in the end but I thought the book was great and would highly recommend it!

After that I decided to go with something completely different so I picked up The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware. This is a thriller about a woman on a cruise who witnesses a murder...or does she? I liked this book, the story was fairly interesting and fast paced. But overall I thought the characters fell a little flat and the story was a little predictable. An engaging read but it's not something I would read again. 

I needed something light and easy after that so I chose First Term at Malory Towers by Enid Blyton. Originally published in 1946, this is the first book in a series set in a girls boarding school and tells the adventures of a small group of girls as they learn about friendship and making right choices. It was exactly what I expected and I enjoyed it. 

Those were the three books I read in their entirety during the readathon. I also started reading Second Form at Malory Towers (book #2 in the above mentioned series), I started a reread of The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, and made it almost all the way through William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope. Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Shakespeare had written Star Wars? Well you should because someone mused on that idea once and created something brilliant and hilarious. 

That's all I have for you today. I hope you also had a great weekend and read a good book or two (or three or four or...you get the point...). Thanks for reading!

Readathon TBR - October 2016

Readathon begins in less than 24 hours and I am so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So the question remains, how do you select books for readathon? The key is variety. I like to have around 20 options that I can choose from the day of the readathon. I don't lay out a specific list of 3 or 4 books I have to read because it is supposed to be fun, but limited options are important because I don't want to waste time perusing my bookshelves when I could be reading. I know a lot of people recommend having short stories and graphic novels on hand. I'm not a huge fan of either of those things, so find what you like and again, variety is key. I also look for books with bigger print that will read fairly quickly. I want to feel like I am making progress. I tend to go for shorter books, often middle grade. I do like to throw in some non fiction, as well as something comical and something that is just out of the ordinary. During the readathon I usually read one or two books straight through in the early hours. As it gets later and I get tired I tend to shuffle between multiple books. Just remember, have fun and do what works for you. You determine what success is!

Here are the books I have selected as potential reads:

God Save the Queen by Dorothy Cannell - A fun cozy mystery, if I need something light and humorous.
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware 
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch - These two books I don't know a whole lot about. I received them both from Book of the Month Club and have heard good things about them. Seems like they will be fast paced, thriller type reads if I need something to pull me in quickly.
Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi - Middle grade fantasy. This book has had so much buzz around it the last couple months so I decided it would be a good readathon selection. This will probably be what I start with tomorrow.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - Another book with a lot of buzz that has been sitting on my shelf for quite awhile now...I should really get to this one soon...
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett - I think this one has been on my readathon stack twice now. I think the third time may be the charm though.
William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher - Star Wars if Shakespeare had written it. I said pick something out of the ordinary...
A Little Princess and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett - It is really sad that I have never read either of these books.
The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carmen - Another middle grade fantasy. This one has been on my radar for a long time. Hopefully I will finally get to it this weekend!
First Term at Mallory Towers, Second Form at Mallory Towers, and The Island of Adventure by Enid Blyton - I have been wanting to read more of Blyton's books so this seemed like the perfect opportunity. 

The last 7 books are potential rereads:
The Bad Beginning and The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket - I need to reread these before the Netflix show comes out in January.
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde - Just finished rereading Jane Eyre so if seemed like the perfect time to reread this one.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Been wanting to reread this one all year.
Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis - It has been years since I read this and it is definitely time for a reread. In case you don't know, Lewis (famous for his Chronicles of Narnia) also wrote a science fiction trilogy. This is the first one. Read it.
The Golden Key and The Wise Woman by George MacDonald - Fairytales


I will not be updating this blog during the readathon, but if you want updates throughout the day be sure to follow my facebook page, ElizabethAnne Reads. Best of luck to everyone participating in the readathon!!! Remember you determine what success is for you! Have fun and happy reading!

Readathon Prep

We are taking a break from Top 5 Wednesday today to discuss a very important topic: Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon !!!!! Readathon has become one of my favorite days of the year and I look forward to it with almost as much anticipation as I do Christmas. AND readathon happens twice a year so that's a plus! I know there are several different readathons out there but the only one I participate in is Dewey's. It happens twice year in April and October and this will be my third time participating. The goal of Dewey's is to read as much as you can in 24 hours. This is going to look different for everybody. For me, I am single and have no kids so I can commit my entire day to reading. If you have kids maybe it means spending more time than average reading to or with them. If you work weekends maybe it means committing a solid three or four hours to reading. Just read more than you normally would and have fun. It's also become a big online party for booklovers around the world who spend time not only reading, but cheering on others and in general, sharing the experience. Introvert party!!! Today I'm going to give you just a few tips for how to prepare for a readathon and things to think about in advance.

1) Book selection: Plan ahead! I come up with a stack of around 20 books to choose from. I know I will not read that many but I also know that I do not want to spend an hour staring at my shelves in the middle of the readathon so I give myself a limited number of choices. Planning ahead gives you time to get books from the library, download them to your Kindle, or even place an Amazon order or make a trip to the bookstore if needed. (We'll be talking more about the specifics of book selection on Friday.)

2) Do chores ahead of time! If I'm going to spend a Saturday reading I want to make sure my space is reasonably clean. I don't want to be distracted thinking about how I need to vacuum, the pile of paperwork sitting on my desk, or the laundry. Take a little extra time throughout the week before to accomplish those things that need to be done so you can have a guilt free weekend. (Or you can rent a hotel room somewhere and let someone else do the cleaning.)

3) Food! Food is a critical (and fun) part of readathon. Plan for at least one solid meal, don't just snack all day. The options here are as various as the books we will be reading. Make something the day before that you can reheat, put something in the crock pot in the morning, have materials on hand to make quick sandwiches or wraps or burritos. Have healthy snacking options, fruit and vegetables, cheese and crackers, trail mix of some sort. Have drink options as well. I like hot chocolate for mornings and evenings and peach ice tea during the day. Most definitely have some treats throughout the day. I recommend dark chocolate, it has the added side benefit of supposedly helping you stay awake. 

4) Be comfortable! I live in the northwest so for me it's all about cuddling up and (hopefully) watching it storm outside. Comfy clothes (aka pajamas), blankets, and candles all make the day more cozy. Have multiple reading locations as well: different chairs, couches, I even like to lay on my stomach in bed although I don't recommend that once you start to get tired. 

5) Lastly, don't feel guilty about giving in to tiredness. I have tried twice to make it through all 24 hours without sleeping. The first time I gave up at about hour 20. The second time I technically stayed awake for the full 24 hours but the last 4 I was in zombie mode and I'm pretty sure I just sat on the couch and didn't actually read anything. This time I am planning to sleep for four hours or so in the middle. My start time is 5am (which I love because I am a morning person), so the plan is to sleep from roughly 10-2. That way I'll still get to be here for the end of the readathon. 


That's all the advice I have for today. On Friday I'll talk more about selecting books as well as letting you know what I'll be reading. Next Monday will be a readathon wrap up post. I will not be blogging during the readathon but I will be updating my facebook page, ElizabethAnne Reads, so be sure to follow me there if you want to know what I'm reading/eating/etc. Have a great week and as always, Thanks for reading!