Top Five Tuesday – Black and Orange Covers

It’s Top Five Tuesday which is hosted by Meeghan Reads, every week we’re given a book related topic and we choose our top five! This month is spooky themed for Halloween, this week we’ve got to find black and orange book covers.

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This has both black and orange so it’s at the top of my list! I really love this cover I think the black makes it look more dramatic and of course the mockingjay is iconic. The Hunger Games is set in a pretty terrifying world where the people are starving and ruled over by an insane population of ‘elite’ money grabbers.

2. Nightflyers by George R.R. Martin

This book has a black cover and the short stories inside are eerie and creepy so it would make a good Halloween read. All the stories are set in the future and in space but they all have scary elements.

3. The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye by David Lagercrantz

This has both black and orange on the cover too! I love this series, it’s always dramatic and intriguing. In this book Lisbeth decides to try to find out more about her traumatic childhood, with Mikael’s help she discovers some disturbing things about her past.

4. The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events) by Lemony Snicket

This has got orange and black on the cover and it looks great on my bookshelf with all the other books in the series! This book is pretty scary, the Baudelaire siblings go to stay at a lumber mill but are put to work, there’s barely any food and when Olaf finds them he hypnotises Klaus via his optometrist friend. Klaus then takes charge of the dangerous equipment and everyone is in danger.

5. The Sword and the Scimitar by David Ball

I read this book years ago before I went to visit Malta, it’s set on the island over Nico and Maria’s lifetime, they’re siblings but were separated by war and slavery. Malta was constantlybeing invaded and attacked by Europeans or the Ottoman Empire and this book shows that history through the eyes of some Maltese citizens.

Top Five Tuesday – A-Z Favourite Characters

U – Ursula Todd (Life After Life)

Ursula lives through different versions of her life in Life After Life, sometimes she can almost remember parts from previous time lines. She lives through WWI and WWII she is incredibly strong but above all she loves her family, specifically her sister Pamela and brother Teddy. Eventually she realises that she can use her reincarnations to try to save them during the war.

V – Visenya Targaryen (Fire and Blood)

I’m not always a fan of the Targaryens but I’ve always been drawn more to Visenya. She’s a true warrior queen, she prefers wearing armour and flying on the back of her dragon to being around people!

W – Frederick Wentworth (Persuasion)

This guy is adorable, he had his heart broken by the love of his life, Anne when she rejected his proposal years before. In Persuasion they find each other again, they still love each other, Frederick is now wealthy, he made his fortune through hard work. He’s blunt and stand-offish at first but eventually we see his soft side.

X – Xenophilius Lovegood (Harry Potter series)

I’m pretty surprised that I found someone with a name beginning with X! Xenophilius is a very quirky wizard, he created the Quibbler, a magazine that highlights all the conspiracy theories of the Wizarding World. A lot of people don’t take him seriously but when Voldermort came back and the Ministry were attacking Harry he stood by him. Also he raised Luna and she is golden!

Y – Yennefer of Vengerberg (The Witcher series)

I haven’t read the Witcher series yet but I loved Yennefer’s character in the show so I know she’ll be one of my favourites when I read them! She’s fierce and strong and fights against the rules that are imposed on her. Yennefer is a badass witch who doesn’t care what anyone says.

Z – Zeus (Greek mythology)

I’m clutching at straws here because Zeus actually annoys me, but I do find Greek mythology fascinating! I love how the Greek gods aren’t perfect and divine, they’re chaotic, ruthless, meddling and even jealous, they seem more real this way, they’re flawed too. Zeus is the most out of control, he’s in charge so he does what he likes, but if you cross him it could have grave consequences, even for the immortal, he will find a terrible punishment for those that anger him.

I am really happy that I managed to find someone for all the tricky letters! I’ve enjoyed this months prompts, I can’t believe it’s nearly October already!

Autumn Reading List

This is a little bit late, but I completely forgot to do this at the beginning of September! I love autumn, especially this time when it’s still a bit sunny but there’s a chill in the air and the trees change to the most beautiful colours. Here’s what I’ll be reading this autumn:

The Girl Who Lived Twice by David Lagercrantz – September

I’ve already finished this but like all the other books in the Millennium series, I loved it. My full review is here.

Maskerade by Terry Pratchett – September

We’re back with the witches Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg. They’re missing a third member of their coven and they follow one of the young women in their town who they think has potential. But she has run away to Ankh-Morpork to become an opera singer. Another brilliant and witty addition to the Discworld series.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy – September onwards

This is a massive book, but I’m determined, I have no idea how long it will take me but I don’t want to rush then get confused! It’s a classic novel, set in Russia. I’m only a little way in but I can follow it so far which is great.

For Better and Worse by Margot Hunt – September/October

A married couple face a threat to their children and instead of letting the police deal with it, they take matters into their own hands. Natalie would do anything to protect her family but can they get away with their crime? I’m pretty excited about this!

The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan – October

A heartbroken man, Anthony, spends his life collecting lost objects, hoping to one day reunite them with their owners, but he dies before completing his task. He leaves his house to his assistant Laura who is recently divorced and incredibly lonely. But she finds solace in Anthony’s lost things and getting them back to the people that miss them. It sounds like such a beautiful book already.

Big Sky by Kate Atkinson – October

It’s been nine years since the last Jackson Brodie novel, Jackson is still a private investigator and he’s living in a quiet seaside village with his dog and occasionally his teenage son. But as always things take a turn for the worse and Jackson comes across a sinister network that leads back to old mysteries. I love all of Kate Atkinson’s books and I’m sure this won’t be an exception.

Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett – November

We’re back in Ankh-Morpork with the City Watch. There’s been some suspicious murders in the city, it’s strange because the Assassins Guild isn’t responsible, there appears to be no motive and a strange clay has been found near the crime scenes. I really enjoy the Watch stories, they’re so chaotic!

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski – November

The first Witcher book! I love the tv series so I’m very excited to read all of Geralt’s adventures. This is a group of short stories following Geralt as he fights monsters and discovers that maybe not all monstrous looking things are evil.

Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye – November

This is a Gothic retelling of Jane Eyre. Jane Steele sees a lot of similarities between herlsef and her favourite character Jane Eyre. She too has a horrible aunt and schoolmaster, they call her wicked and she believes it’s true. When she flees she leaves her tormentors dead behind her. A classic turned into a revenge story, yes!

Top Five Tuesday – A-Z Favourite Characters

P – Pippa Courtenay (Tudor Legacy series)

Pippa is Minuette and Dominic’s youngest daughter. Her and her twin, Kit, grew up alongside Princess Annabel, they’re so close they’re more lile triplets. Pippa has a unique ability to her siblings, she can see into the future, she has visions of certain events and helps to guide Annabel towards what she knows must happen. She’s intelligent, kind and will do anything to protect her family and her country.

Q – Quaithe (ASOIAF)

This is a pretty random pick, but I couldn’t think of any other Qs! Quaithe is a strange figure who approaches Dany in Qarth. She tells her different mysterious prophecies and tries to give advice. I love that kind of thing and trying to guess what it all means.

R – Robbie Turner (Atonement)

Robbie’s story breaks my heart. He gets accused of something and goes to prison just before WWII breaks out. He’s given the choice to join the army and ends up fighting to get across France to Dunkirk before the troops evacuate. Before he was arrested he wanted to become a doctor so he might have ended up in France healing soilders instead of fighting.

S – Star D’Alespie (The Seven Sisters series)

Star is probably the sister I relate to most so far, she’s naturally quiet and reserved and she loves books and old things. She’s been in the shadow of her sister CeCe nearly all her life, but she’s finally grown apart from her and found her own path. I loved watching evolve.

T – Tyrion Lannister (ASOIAF)

This man is definitely one of my favourites. He’s so witty and clever but Tyrion does care. He’s been bullied and mocked all his life by everyone including his family. He has such a hard time and when I read his chapters I just want to hug him!

The Girl Who Lived Twice by David Lagercrantz

“I will be the hunter not the hunted.” – Lisbeth

Following on from the last book in the series, Lisbeth is still trying to track her sister’s movements while staying hidden herself. She ends up in Russia and has managed to hack in to cameras around Camilla’s house. Meanwhile back in Sweden Mikael is working on his story about the stock market crash. But he’s bored and uninspired, he can’t find an answer to his questions so he decides to take a break. But because he Mikael Blomkvist, he gets dragged into a mystery anyway. A homeless man died but a doctor who had seen the man often suspects fowl play. The man kept to himself and as far as she could tell there was no reason to murder him.

I realised how much I had missed Lisbeth and Mikael when I started reading this. They’re both so determined and intelligent yet chaotic, I forgot how fascinating they are. Lisbeth hasn’t told anyone where she is or what she’s up to, she works well on her own but Mikael is really worried about her, he’s searching for signs of her everywhere.

“He was fed up with it. He was tired of the news in general, tired of all the depressing political developments around the world.” – what a mood!

I felt like we’re back at what this series does best, we have a mystery, it’s possibly political but none of the pieces fit together. Lisbeth and Mikael make a brilliant team even though they’re not together. The jumps from one character to the next are seamless, it’s not confusing or difficult to follow and it keeps a nice pace to the book. It becomes incredibly tense and dramatic as the story goes on.

I like how a few times the story touched on the damaging effects the media can have. The hate campaign towards Johannes and Catrin’s dealings with negative reactions to her journalism. Social media has become this terrifying place where horrible people can sit safely behind a screen and tear down others for fun. It needs to stop.

I am so sad that this is the last book in the series, I will miss Lisbeth and Mikael a lot! The tension and action towards the end is so dramatic, I couldn’t put the book down. The whole series has shone a light on how dangerous our world is, there are secret threats everywhere when it comes to governments and spies. How much can we really trust our leaders? My bet is not at all! But there are still good people like Lisbeth and Mikael, Bublanski and Sonja who give us hope.

Top Five Tuesday – A-Z Favourite Characters

K – Klaus Baudelaire

The poor Baudelaire siblings have a terrible time after their parents die, they’re moved from one awful place to the next but they stick together always and try to make it through. Klaus loves books and libraries, he is always able to find comfort in reading.

L – Lisbeth Salander

Lisbeth also had a really tough upbringing, she is a complete badass and a genius. Her hacking abilities allow her to track down criminals and help solve mysteries and scandals. Lisbeth never gives up, not when she’s severely injured or being hunted down by dangerous people. She can be standoffish and obsessive but she’s brilliant!

M – Margaery Tyrell

Margaery is clever and manipulative, when she took Sansa under her wing, although it was partly for her family’s gain I believe she did actually care about her.

N – Neville Longbottom

I always felt so sorry for Neville and how much he got picked on but he overcame that and grew in strength. In the Order of the Phoenix when he learns to do all the defensive spells, he has so much doubt in himself but by the end of the year he’s fighting side by side with Harry and the rest.

O – Oberyn Martell

I mean what a badass! My favourite thing about Oberyn is that he doesn’t care at all about what anyone else thinks. He does what he wants and when me meet him he wants to avenge his sister’s death.

The Familiars by Stacey Halls Review

The Familiars is set in 1611-1612, Fleetwood is a young noblewoman, she has had multiple pregnancies but none of them have gone to term. She has recently discovered a letter from her doctor to her husband stating that another pregnancy may kill her. Yet she is pregnant again, Richard didn’t care, he would rather have an heir. Fleetwood is desperate to find help, she meets a young midwife, Alice, by chance and their lives become intertwined. When Alice is accused of being a witch Fleetwood tries desperately to save her, it could mean a death sentence for all of them if Alice isn’t there to help with the birth.

“Women carried life and death in their stomachs when they conceived; it was a fact of our existence.”

Fleetwood is treated awfully by her husband, he knows that another pregnancy would kill her but he chose not to tell her and is still obsessed with having a child. Then he ignores her worries and tries to control everything. However there is an air of mystery in the story that makes me eager to read more.

“The king is not a supporter of women trying to make their way in the world any way they can: helping neighbours, and driving off sickness, and trying to keep their children alive.” – Alice

I love that Fleetwood and Alice team up to run away from the witch hunters. It makes me shudder to think what women went through during James I’s reign. The treatment of women in this age makes me so angry.

Fleetwood’s sass knows no bounds! I was so proud of her when she was investigating and trying to save Alice. She is an absolute badass, she’s riding around the countryside, heavily pregnant, threatening people who are lying about Alice. She’s determined and brave in a society that constantly puts women down or tries to kill them.

“The realisation was lapping at my edges again, the knowledge that without Alice, I may as well have a rope tied too.”

This book is very well written, Fleetwood’s feelings and pain are so vivid that I felt everything with her. I wanted so desperately for her to succeed and survive along with Alice. I strongly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and anyone who loves strong female characters.

Top Five Tuesday – A-Z Favourite Characters

F – Fleetwood Shuttleworth

What a name! I recently read The Familiars and Fleetwood was such a strong and fierce character, she never gave up and risked everything to save her friend from being executed for being a witch. Fleetwood herself thought she was going to die but she never gave in, she fought to save herself, her baby and her friend Alice.

F – Frieda Klein

My favourite fictional psychotherapist! Frieda is very clever, she’s creative and protective ober those she loves. She’s naturally an introvert but attracts people who are in trouble to her life. Frieda’s friends would also do anything for her.

G – Granny Weatherwax

Granny is a witch in the Discworld novels, she is so funny. I love her because of how stand-offish she is and her friendship with Nanny Ogg her fellow witch is hilarious.

H – Harry Potter

I still can’t get over how Harry grew up to be kind and accepting having lived with the Dursley’s for his whole life. He has his off moments, but he tries his best and stands up for his friends and himself and what he believes in, I learnt a lot from him.

J – Jackson Brodie

Jackson seems to always find trouble wherever he goes. He’s an ex policeman turned private investigator but his life is a bit of a mess! What I like about Jackson is that he’s a nice person but not in an annoying way, he tries to do what’s best for those around him and help his clients.

Top Five Tuesday – A-Z Favourite Characters

It’s Top Five Tuesday which is hosted by Meeghan Reads, every week we’re given a book related topic and we choose our top five! This month it’s another A-Z this time our favourite characters. We start with letters A-E, I for some reason found this more difficult than I thought, I think it’s because my memory is terrible…but here are my picks for this week:

A – Tiffany Aching (Discworld novels)

Tiffany is a trainee witch, her books were the first Discworld novels that I read becuase they were aimed more at children. Witchcraft was frowned upon where Tiffany grew up until she started openly practising it. She is strong and independant and proud to be a witch.

B – Brienne of Tarth (A Song of Ice and Fire)

This pick will come as no surprise, Brienne holds a special place in my heart. I am in constant awe of her emotional and mental strength, as well as her badass fighting abilities. She has been bullied and ridiculed her whole life just becuase of how she looks but she still carries on being herself and fighting to protect the innocent.

C – Cersei Lannister (A Song of Ice and Fire)

Okay so in contrast Cersei is kind of a bad person, but I just love this woman’s sass and inner strength. All Cersei wants is to break away from the men in her life and rule in her own right as Queen, she has that power when Tommen is on the throne, but she could have used it better. My girl is a mess and I think that’s what I relate to most!

D – Fitzwilliam Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)

I didn’t know that was his first name until I looked it up…no wonder everyone just calls him Mr Darcy! He’s mysterious and brooding, but not a complete arsehole! He cares about his family and realised he needed to change his behaviour when Elizabeth critisised him for being rude, respect.

E – Eliza Makepeace (The Forgotten Garden)

Eliza lived in the late 19th and early 20th century, she had a tough upbringing, she lost her mother, father and twin brother when she was a child, then her mother’s family tracked her down and adopted her. But her aunt and uncle were cold and sometimes cruel. Luckily she found a friend in her cousin, but Eliza’s favourite thing to do was explore and make up stories. Eliza is a free spirit, an author and she has such a kind heart.

The Folklore Book Tag

When Taylor Swift announced her surprise album a few weeks ago I was so excited! The album is so beautiful and probably my favourite from Taylor. I wasn’t tagged for this but I saw Orangutan Librarians post and really wanted to do it, I’m also glad I found a fellow Swifite!

THE RULES

Link to the original creator: Ilsa @ A Whisper Of Ink
Tag at least 3 people.
Declare the rules and list of prompts in your post
Thank whoever who tagged you and link to their post

“I hit the ground running each night, I hit the Sunday matinee.”

Such a great opener to the album, it’s uplifting but feels nostalgic at the same time.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

I read this book in June and I was so invested in it but because it’s a prequel I thought I knew roughly how it would end but I was still stunned and sad. The book also has a lot of folk songs in it and music is an important part of Lucy Gray’s life and her part in the Hunger Games.

“When I felt like I was an old cardigan under someone’s bed. You put me on and said I was your favourite.”

This is probably my favourite, it’s beautiful and poetic and it was the first song on the album that I listened to repeatedly. So many of my favourite lyrics come from this song.

The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

This books is so beautiful, it’s set in different time periods but in the same house. It’s partly narrated by a ghost who stays at the house and watches over the residents. We see glimpses into her life too and how she died. But it made me happy to know that she cared for the people that lived in the house and that she had found peace there but sad because her life ended so tragically.

“There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen. She had a marvelous time ruining everything.”

I love the story this song paints, a woman causing chaos in a rich town for fun.

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

This is such an incredible read, it’s set on a planet that scientists tried to terraform for humans to eventually live on it, but things went wrong and instead of monkeys evolving at an accelerated pace, spiders rule this planet. It’s not scary in any way, just very clever.

“I think I’ve seen this film before, so I’m leaving out the side door.”

Good duets are my jam! The harmonies and lyrics are so gorgeous.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Honestly, I have denied the existence of this terrible story since I read it. It’s not canon to me and I think most HP fans feels that way. It’s a screenplay but the characters that we know and love are not accurate, the plot is terrible, it might be better as a play but I found it almost insulting to read.

“And if I’m on fire, you’ll be made of ashes too.”

The underlying rage in this song speaks to me!

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

Most of ASOIAF makes me cry but this book is probably the most emotional. Two words: Red Wedding.

“I’ve never been a natural, all I do is try, try, try. I’m still on that trapeze, I’m still trying everything to keep you looking at me.”

Another of my favourites, it’s so soft almost like a lullaby and again the imagery is perfect.

The Boleyn King by Laura Andersen

This is a historical AU where Anne Boelyn gives Henry VIII a son so he doesn’t have her killed. William grows up with Elizabeth and Anne lives to old age and at the start of the book Henry dies so it’s the perfect book for me!! I love all the new characters in it as well.

“Just like a folk song, our love will be passed on.”

The lyrics are so cute in this one, it’s also very relaxing.

The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton

Me and my sisters used to love these books, some of the copies we have were my Mum’s so they’re even more precious. I miss the Famous Five and their adventures, I think my favourites were when they went to explore the small island near their home, they had the whole place to themselves.

“But I can see us lost in the memory, August slipped away into a moment in time, ’cause it was never mine.”

So chill and gorgeous, it makes me want to sway along.

Atonement by Ian McEwan

This book is set mostly during the summer, on a hot summer’s day in 1935 the Tallis’ are having a dinner party but the evening takes a dark turn. I’m actually re-reading it at the moment!

“And my words shoot to kill when I’m mad, I have a lot of regrets about that.”

This is probably the most ‘me’ of all the songs, I feel very connected to it and it makes me quite emotional.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

This book is a tough read but it captures perfectly the isolation and loneliness you feel when depression takes over.

“You showed me colours you know I can’t see with anyone else.”

This song has beautiful melodies but I don’t connect as much to the story.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling

I remember when I first read this staying up late to finish it and being heartbroken by the ending so then I couldn’t really sleep. It definitely affected me for days, especially knowing that the next book would be completely different because Harry wasn’t going back to Hogwarts.

“And isn’t it just so pretty to think all along there was some, invisible string, tying you to me.”

This is a pretty song, I’m not sure I believe in fate but this song could convince me!

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

This book! I was struggling with anxiety and wasn’t feeling motivated at all even reading wasn’t as fun but then this book came into my life, it is phenomenal and one of my favourites ever.

“You’ll poke that bear ’til her claws come out and you find something to wrap your noose around.”

This reminds me of I Did Something Bad with the lyrics about witches, but it’s slightly less angry. I absolutely love it.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Katniss is a fierce and brilliant but also blunt and stand-offish. She’s Panem’s hero but she doesn’t want to be, the power and responsibility that comes with troubles her. The trauma Katniss suffers is awful but she steps up anyway to try to save everyone.

“Only twenty minutes to sleep, but you dream of some epiphany. Just one single glimpse of relief, to make some sense of what you’ve seen.”

This song is so beautiful and it makes me cry almost everytime I hear it.

Lost Among the Living by Simone St James

It’s set in 1921, Jo’s husband disappeared in WWI and she is still mourning his loss but she currently works for his aunt, travelling through Europe with her acquiring art work. When they return to England Jo sees her husband’s childhood home for the first time. She is also haunted by his cousin’s ghost. It’s a chilling tale, the whole atmosphere makes you feel cold and on edge.

“I’m only seventeen, I don’t know anything, but I know I miss you.”

The country feels of this song make me happy!

Brienne of Tarth and Jaime Lannister from ASOIAF

These two give me life, when they’re separated in AFFC but still keep thinking about each other, it’s adorable because they don’t realise how in love they are.

“But I’m a fire and I’ll keep your brittle heart warm.”

This gives me chill vibes and the lyrics are once again beautiful.

Tyrion Lannister from ASOIAF

Tyrion breaks my heart, he has been bullied and treated like rubbish his whole life by strangers and his family. I would definitely protect him with my life, Tyrion is incredibly clever and funny, Westeros needs more people like him!

“You knew it still hurts underneath my scars from where they pulled me apart.”

This song is gorgeous, I love the melody and it’s definitely one of my favourites.

Versions of Us by Laura Barnett

This is about those ‘what if’ moments and how three characters lives could have turned out if they had chosen different paths. It sounds right up my street, I love the idea of parallel versions of ourselves but it was quite difficult to follow and I had to keep reminding myself what was going on.

Rating the songs:

This is quite difficult because I love so many of them, I’ve gone from favourite to least, here you go:

cardigan

this is me trying

mad woman

mirror ball

epiphany

hoax

exile

betty

the 1

the last great american dynasty

my tears ricochet

august

seven

peace

invisible string

illicit affairs

I’m tagging anyone that wants to do this, I had so much fun making this post and listening to the album endlessly!