Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Bookish Halloween Costumes!

Happy Halloween everyone!! Are you doing anything fun tonight? Unfortunately, we're expecting lots of rain, so I may not get many trick or treaters and I am very sad about that. So I may end up watching more Stranger Things (or possibly HalloweenTown 2) and eating all the candy I bought for kids lol. And probably finish Bad Girls Don't Die because I was too spooked out to finish it last night. Seriously, I had to go look at kittens on Pinterest before I could go to sleep.

Did you dress up today for work/school/running errands? I did a low-key cat lady outfit, but mostly it's just my normal clothes with a bit more makeup than usual. :D And today's The Broke & The Bookish TTT topic is perfect if you want a bookish costume. I gathered these mostly from Pinterest so don't have links. (If your pic is shared & you don't want it to be, please contact me & I'll take it down immediately!)

Love this Princess Jellyfish group cosplay!! Especially since they did a before otaku version and after stylish.

Super comfy Arthur cosplay (he was my favorite as a kid), a creepy cute Coraline with her friend, and a seriously adorable Matilda. I've never read Matilda, I should change that...I love the movie!

What a great way to take your littlest one along! This Where the Wild Things Are family is my favorite.

Into mischief? Pippi Longstocking, Sherlock Holmes, or Harriet the Spy are perfect for you!

And of course, no bookish costume list is complete without some Harry Potter goodies. These Snape & Luna teens are perfect, they've got the attitudes down!

And a bonus: when you can't decide on a specific book, just go as a book fairy! (I'm hoping they chose carefully which books to use for this costume lol.)

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Most Interesting Titles

On The Broke & The Bookish today, they're sharing interesting/unusual/unique book titles. This should be a fun and easy TTT topic, so let's get started and see! And share your favorite titles with me too!

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

Mallory Hates Boys (And Gym) (review)

Three Days to Never

Snotgirl

Gossip Girl, Psycho Killer

Jack the Bodiless

Jenny Pox

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

Sideways Stories From Wayside School (review)

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Book Boyfriends

I'm a little biased because I think I have the best book boyfriend in real life already. :) But I guess I'll stick to fictional guys for The Broke & The Bookish's Top Ten Tuesday this week. You can check out my first post on this topic, way back in 2013, and I'll try not to duplicate any of the guys for this one.

1. I could have made all the guys in CL Stone's Ghost Bird series #1-9, but I'll just put them as 1 group together lol. I wouldn't be able to pick my favorite anyways, they're all awesome in their own way.

2. Colby from The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour-I love that his story ends up not being just about the girl, but about how he grows and becomes more himself in the end.

3. The Will from the Saga series graphic novels -there's just something about him I love. Oh, maybe it's Lying Cat. :)  (Baby Lying Cat is by Dumpy Little Robot and I neeeeed her!! No fibbing!)

 

4. The guys in Krista & Becca Ritchie's Addicted/Calloway Sisters series but especially Lo -he's always there for Lily, even when his own addictions threaten to overtake him. He always makes sure she's taken care of. Plus, he's into comics and super heroes.

5. Matt Finch in Emery Lord's Open Road Summer -country music, roadtrips, best friends, tragic back story, broody guys...can't get any better than that!

6. Levi from Fangirl by the fabulous Rainbow Rowell -he missed my first list by a year, but he should definitely be at the top. Do I even need to explain this one? No, I didn't think so...I'll just leave my favorite quote for you instead.

"Look at you. All sweatered up. What are those, leg sweaters?" [Levi]

"They're leg warmers." [Cath]

"You're wearing at least four different kinds of sweater."

"This is a scarf."

"You look tarred and sweatered."

7. Clark in The Unexpected Everything -really I could put any of the guys in Morgan Matson's books, right? But Clark is a super nerd, a secret writer (just like in my favorite Christopher Pike book hah), there's a scavenger hunt in the book, and this was the last one I read. So Clark it is.

8. George in A Room With A View by EM Forster -had to include at least one classic, but I haven't read many lately (need to change that, I think) so it was kind of hard. 

"You love the boy body and soul, plainly, directly, as he loves you, 

and no other word expresses it. 

You won't marry the other man for his sake."

"It isn't possible to love and to part. You will wish that it was. You can transmute love, ignore it, muddle it, but you can never pull it out of you. 

I know by experience that the poets are right: love is eternal."

9. Mark Darcy from Bridget Jones -I reread these last year and had completely forgotten how much I loved them. (And the movies) Darcy is one of those perfect men that can't possibly exist, except he's a little bit cynical and condescending so you know he actually could be real. And Colin Firth is Mark Darcy, isn't he?

10. I've run out of book boyfriends oh noooo!! So, tell me your favorite that I may have missed on here!

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Best Reads of 2017 So Far!

It's a freebie week over on The Broke & The Bookish for Top Ten Tuesday so I decided to make it easy on myself and do my 10 best reads for 2017 so far. I've read 85 books this year, which has me well on target for my Goodreads challenge of 100 books. (I'll probably cap out at around 150 actually, with the BSC books.) I won't include rereads in this list, so that means I've only got one 5 star book for this year. But lots and lots of 4 stars.

1. Some Kind of Perfect by Krista & Becca Ritchie --this was the last book in the Calloway/Addicted dual series and it was, like the title, absolutely perfect. I'll be reviewing this whole series soon, but I'll just say it is destined to be a favorite series for me.

2. Paper Girls vol 1 & 2 by Brian K Vaughan --I always love his comics, so it's no surprise that I loved this new series as well. Set in the 80s, it's got lots of fun nostalgia along with the suspense and intrigue.

3. Princess Jellyfish vol 3 by Akiko Higashimura --I just spoke about my love for this series yesterday and volume 3 did not disappoint.

4. Leave Me by Gayle Forman --ever want to run away from your life? Of course you do. We all do. This book explores what happens when a mom does exactly that and what the consequences are.

5. Three Days to Never by Tim Powers --my boyfriend bought me this book as it is one of his favorites and then waited anxiously to see what I thought of it. Luckily, I loved it. It's a good mixture of science fiction, actual science, fantasy, and time-travel.

6. I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak --I started reading this several years ago, after I loved The Book Thief so much, but then never got into it for some reason. My dad read it this year and told me I needed to read it, so I borrowed his copy and devoured it. The ending will leave you all twisted inside but it's worth it! Maybe everyone can live beyond what they're capable of.

7. Snotgirl vol 1 by Bryan Lee O'Malley --this is one of those ones that my sister picked out for me, based solely on the cover, and I ended up really enjoying. I'll review it soon, but the premise seems ridiculous at first: a fashion blogger with striking green hair has allergies. Seriously, that's it. But I promise it's more than that!

8. A Week of Mondays by Jessica Brody --I just reviewed this book last week but I really enjoyed it! It's a great, light read and definitely recommend it.

9. Motor Girl by Terry Moore --I've made clear my love for Terry Moore's graphic novels before, so it's a given that I'll enjoy his new series too. I'm actually excited to read this as all one volume, instead of the single issues, I think it'll be even better and more cohesive that way.

10.Texas Homecoming by Maggie Shayne --if you're looking for a good old-fashioned romance series, Shayne's Texas & Oklahoma Brands (2 different series, but cross over a bit) are the way to go. Cowboys, bad guys, women that need rescuing, cute babies, it's all there.

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books I Had a Hard Time With

I'm happy to get back into The Broke & The Bookish' TTT and this week's topic should be pretty easy...or hard? Hmm...

1. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami -this book was so incredibly intriguing and definitely kept my interest but at times it was also very confusing. But my biggest problem with it? This book is huge and heavy! If you decide to buy it, go for the 3 volume set instead of the single. It'll save your wrists lol.

2. House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski -when this book came out in 2000, I felt so smart and sophisticated reading it. A year later, when I still hadn't finished it, I felt like the village idiot. I struggled off and on with it for another year or two, until I finally admitted defeat and realized I wasn't the only one who couldn't finish this confusing mystical tome.

3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak -difficult in a different way, due to its subject matter. A book about books and words and the power they can wield. (Review)

4. In Dubious Battle by John Steinbeck -the only Steinbeck book I didn't immediately get sucked into and actually didn't finish. I started it this summer and maybe just wasn't in the mood for serious what with all the moving stress so I decided to set it aside and maybe pick it up again later.

5. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood -from my review: "I can't really say I enjoyed reading it, but I'm glad I did. This book depressed the heck out of me. There are no positive aspects to it, at all." I haven't watched the Netflix series yet and after hearing friends talk about it, don't know if I ever will. (Review)

6. Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz -this is one that I absolutely loved the first time I read it as a young adult but when I tried to reread it last year could just not get into it. It seems I've outgrown Koontz books, alas.

7. 1984 by George Orwell -like The Handmaid's Tale, this is a difficult theme, especially with what's going on in the real world now around us. (Review)

8. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee -the standards were just too high for this one. I liked parts of it and even had a list of favorite quotes, but when it was time to write a review for it, I couldn't do it. Some authors are only meant to have one book and I think Harper Lee might be one.

9. The Cursed Child by JK Rowling -nothing would have been good enough for us rabid Harry Potter fans and unfortunately Rowling's story about young Albus Potter fell short. After reading it, I just felt like it was a fanfic story that I had already read. Speaking of fanfic, After the End by The Sugar Quill, is a truly outstanding story of the trio after the end (duh) of the war and features many of our favorite characters that JKR had previously killed off. Highly recommend.

10.American Gods by Neil Gaiman -another that I reread recently from my youth, because I had heard about the new show. Which I still haven't watched but heard is excellent. This book will hold your interest but it's a dense, detail heavy story. And you will want to research more about ancient gods and folklore.

TTT: 10 Books I Would Buy Right NOW!

Oh man, another great topic on The Broke & The Bookish for Top Ten Tuesday! You've got a fully loaded gift card, no strings attached, and can only buy books. What will you buy? For me, it would be a lot of beautiful classics and sets, plus a few randoms thrown in. And writing this post has made me really want to start collecting these for real!

1. Harry Potter --I own the regular US hardbound set already, but of course I could use want more! I really like this set in the trunk but I love them all really. I definitely want the next illustrated edition, my sister bought me the first for Christmas last year, so I hope she gets the hint that she has to keep buying them as they come out lol.

2. Anne of Green Gables --I own the paperback set thanks to my dad & stepmom, but there are sooooo many beautiful editions out there, it's hard not to want them all! I mean, just look at this gorgeous set by Jacqui Oakley! ModernMrsDarcy did a great job of gathering up some of the beauties for us, you should check it out!

3. Jane Austen set --I've got almost all the books but they're all used, random copies I've picked up. I'd love to have a full matching set. This one by Penguin is perfect, although I don't think it's all of her books? I would hate to have only half of them in that type and others in another, you know what I mean? Also, JuniperBooks kills it with the beautiful sets!!

4. On the JuniperBooks note, I NEED the Penguin Drop Caps series. I mean really, how amazing would that look on my bookshelf?? And so many wonderful titles included. 

5. I also found this Puffin Children's Classics set that's lovely. I'm going to need more room for my classics.

6. John Steinbeck --I couldn't find a specific set that I liked, which made me sad. But I really, really, really want a matching set of his books. I mean, he's my new favorite author and his books are starting to feel like home to me, so I can't have these ragtag miscreant copies laying around lol.

7. The Ghost Bird Academy series by CL Stone --I know I've mentioned in passing how much I love this series, but really it is so, so good. And weird, a little weird. But good weird. I read the first book in March 2014 and since then, I've read it 5 times! I have them all on my Kindle but I'd really like the paperback copies too.

8. Delirium's Party: A Little Endless Storybook by Jill Thompson --(we're getting into the random books now) I love Neil Gaiman's Sandman but even more, I love the Little Endless. They are just so adorable and serious and sweet and Delirium is my favorite. I have the first one but I never bought the second.

9. On that same note, I'd also get the rest of the Absolute Sandman sets I need. I have the first 2 and they are gorgeous and big but there are 5 total and I don't have that kind of extra money usually.

10.Clubbing, Burnout, & Water Baby graphic novels to complete my Minx Comics set --unfortunately, this line of graphic novels geared towards younger girls didn't last very long but it put out some really great stories. My favorite is probably The Plain Janes but I liked them all and just need these last 3 to complete my set.

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Things Books Have Made Me Want To Do

I thought this week's TTT post on The Broke & The Bookish would be hard at first, but then I started thinking and it all just came to me. (Don't you love when that happens?) Books are made to make you think and wonder and want, so here are a few that have made me want to DO MORE. Most of these link back to my reviews, so be sure to check those out for a more in-depth analysis of each book and WHY I want to do more.

1. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson --this book is begging you to go on an epic roadtrip! All of Matson's books make me want to have an amazing summer too.

"Tomorrow will be better."

"But what if it's not?" I asked.

Then you say it again tomorrow. Because it might be. You never know, right? At some point, tomorrow will be better." 

2. The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson --yes, I had to add 2 of her books. They're just so darn good! This one made me want to do an awesome scavenger hunt with my sisters. So much, that I actually already created a list (for our mall) and plan on doing it soon. :)

3. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson --it made me want to create things. Anything...crafts, words, music, passion. I want to be that passionate about things, people, feelings.

"Or maybe she thinks other forms of nourishment are more important."

4. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson --yep, I had to include both of her books as well. I don't know what it is about her writing, but she ignites that spark of creativity like no other author I've ever read.

(Kandinsky: "Composition 8")

5. Just One Day by Gayle Forman --go on a big trip by myself and become someone else, even if it's just for one day. 

I may have pretended to be someone named Lulu, but I had never been more honest in my life. Maybe that's the thing with liberation. It comes at a price.

6. The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour --start an 80s rock girl band and go on an epic roadtrip tour up and down the coast.

7. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck --ugh this book, it gets my heart and it wrings it all up and lays it out in the sunshine to bask in the glow and warmth of its words. I want to live that simple life like Mack & the boys, be inspiring and respected like Doc, run an enterprising and successful whorehouse like Fauna okay not that last one lol. And OMG why didn't I know there was a movie??!

8. Kristy's Great Idea: The Baby-Sitters Club #1 by Ann M Martin --start a baby-sitters club, duh!

9. For Real by Alison Cherry --go on an Amazing Race-esque adventure with my sister.

10.Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto --become a Crafter (capital C) again.

"The sensation that my brain cells were multiplying was exhilarating."

11.The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern --tell stories, create beautiful artwork and sculptures. Actually, I started handsewing (I do not sew at all, so this was a miracle in itself) a Blythe dress/costume based on this book. I should really finish that and take some pictures soon!

TTT: 10 Books Set Outside the US

I'm not sure how hard this week's Top Ten Tuesday topic on The Broke & The Bookish will be, but we'll see how far we get! I have a feeling most of these will be set in England, what do you think?

1. Anna & The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins--set in France. this one was easy, it was the first I thought of and I'm sure it will be on everyone's list. I still need to buy a hardbound copy of this (I gave mine to my sister lol).

2. For Real by Alison Cherry--set around the world, lots of different countries. If you love The Amazing Race, this is absolutely the book for you!

3. Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery--set in Prince Edward Island, Canada. I don't know if it really matters that this series is set in Canada, but I'm going to count it anyway lol. I love this book so much! I really need to finish the series soon.

4. The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett--set in England. I forgot how much I loved this book until I reread my review! I need to try to find the movie again.

5. Harry Potter--you know where it's set and I don't have to tell you why I chose it. ;)

6. Saga series by Brian K Vaughan--set in outer-space & lots of different worlds. It's not called an "intergalactic love story" for nothing.

7. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes--set in England (I think?). I loved this book and the movie so much. I think the setting really helped in this case too. Especially the castle and Lou's breakdown (one of the scenes that I wish they had put in the movie).

8. The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer--set in New Beijing, France, Africa, the moon, and a bunch more. Obviously, the places are super important for these books. Especially the moon.

(pic from when I got to see Marissa Meyer talk at my local library) 

9. Shades of London series by Maureen Johnson--set in London, duh. ;) The first book is my favorite, a retelling of the Jack the Ripper murders. Bonus: the girl is in American going to a boarding school in London, love!

10.Just One Day by Gayle Forman--set all around Europe (and a bit of US). I just put the first one in the series, because I loved it so much more than the second. (Willem's story) But, put together as a whole, with the short story, they are wonderful. This is a book all about growing up and finding out who you are and adventure and love.

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Facts About Me

I am so bad at these kinds of lists, but I'm going to try my hardest for The Broke & The Bookish's Top Ten Tuesday. :) So in no particular order, 10 facts about me. And if you want to know something specific, please ask! I'm an open book. (Get it? Book? heh.)

1. I'm left-handed. I didn't learn how to use right-handed scissors until 9th grade, when a science teacher took pity on me and showed me how to hold them differently so I could use them. I'm still not very good at it. Along with those 2 facts, I am horrible at cutting straight lines or circles. My kindergarten teacher failed me lol.

2. I have been rereading the entire Baby-Sitters Club series since I started this blog (one of the main reasons I started it) way back in 2011. I make all of Claudia's outfits in Polyvore, which is my favorite part. You can see my master list here of all my reviews and other posts concerning the BSC. I haven't gotten very far, just finished #53. I'm going to try to get better at that these next few months though.

3. I recently changed my blog name from Give a Hoot, Read a Book to See Jenn Read (to match all my social media). I didn't realize that this would break all my links, everywhere. :/ (It also broke my search feature and I can't figure out how to fix it!) I am very slowly fixing those. Very slowly. I need to spend a quiet afternoon at the library and work on that.

4. I have 3 sisters (1 bio, 2 step), 1 stepbrother (technically 2, but I don't ever see 1), 1 stepsister-in-law (again, technically 2 lol). I love them all, lots and lots, and would do anything for them. And I'm super proud of all of them. *gushing*

5. I haven't had a Dr Pepper (or any fully caffeinated drink besides tea) in 2 years exactly this week. I hate it. Dr Pepper was my coffee in the morning and I was seriously addicted to it. Yeah, I feel better blah blah blah...but I miss it!! These Timehops pop up routinely lol.

 

6. I am a born and raised Texan. I live between Dallas & Fort Worth. I do not own any of the following: a cowboy hat or boots, a horse, a pickup truck, a gun, a confederate flag. I do not want any of the previous except maybe cowboy boots. :) My mom did own a truck though. I've never seen a Cowboys game, although I did have a Girl Scouts sleepover in the old stadium once. I do listen to country music, along with rock, rap, pop, classical, and lots more. I will NOT be voting for Trump. I love bbq and Tex-Mex. I do not drink sweet tea, gross. I say y'all. A lot.

7. I'm one of those weirdos who really loves Taco Bell. I could eat it 3 times a week and not care. And this is the part that drives my sister crazy: I get the exact same thing every time lol. Chicken quesadilla meal with a bean burrito (no sauce, no onions).

8. Even though my sister and I are 4 years apart (I'm the 2nd one back in this pic with all 3 of my sisters), people think we're twins all the time. And we don't even think we look that much alike lol. (I think it's more how we act.) We can always tell when people are going to ask, because they'll start looking back and forth between us with this confused look. We always say we're going to say "yes, we are twins" but we never do. Facebook also constantly tries to tag me as her, but not the other way around!

9. If you forced me to name a favorite book right this minute, I would probably say Harry Potter. But then I would want to add Anne of Green Gables or Amy & Roger's Epic Detour or Strangers in Paradise or Cannery Row or or or....don't make me choose!

10.Since I can't come up with a last fact, I'll point you to my bio page to read more, semi-interesting, things about me. :D