Happy New Year!

If you're reading this blog post, then I wish you a happy and wonderful new year and 2018. I don't have any resolutions, all except applying and getting accepted to college/university, then moving out to start living in the dorms and such, along with finally getting my driver's licence and getting my own car. Also I'm planning on reading a lot in 2018, wheather it's books I have to read for school or for pleasure. And also, though I deleted it, I'm thinking of making another personal blog again, just this time just strictly about my life, though I know darn well that's not going to work, but we'll see.  

Best of 2017-Books, Music, D&D and Life

Hey y'all!

So sorry that I haven't blogged on here in a long time-I've been reading and not doing any book reviews (which is my fault and I'm sorry about that) so this is the last weekend of 2017 and I have to say, this have been the best year I've ever had. Not to say that last year and the other years were perfect, just that this year was the best year I think I ever had. It was filled with exciting things and it got me thinking about the new year. So what happened in the best year that was my life?

1.  I finally graduated from Georgia Military College, and next year I transfer to a four year college. 
2. I've read over 27 books than what I posted on my reading challenge this year-currently reading Crooked Kingdom and I can't put it down. 
3. I went to my first country concert in a long time, the Flordia Georgia Line Smooth Tour 2017, and I enjoyed myself
4. I went on a college tour of Emory University and it was LONG AF
5. I flew on a plane for the first time on Sprint Airlines and I wanna fly to Texas now...because of Southfork Ranch...yeah that's it....
6. My group finished up D&D, but I went on Roll20 and found more people playing D&D and even make some new friends along the way

(From Pintrest)

I'm ready for 2018, and honestly I don't wait it to end, but it has to-when a door closes, another one opens. 

...I'm Gonna be on a Plane

Hey y'all!

So if you notice the title of the blog post, this isn't a book post. This is a diary/life post, because I deleted my personal blog (charmingbrittany) and decided to just turn the one I got into a book/lifestyle blog. So what is so awesome about this post? Well, if you listen to Mr. Dierks Bentley...



(even though I'm not getting drunk on a plane yet...)

I'm going on my first-ever flight (or have already gone on this said flight) and honestly I'm excited and terrified at the same time, but thank god I packed already and is bit nervous (that's why I'm taking me a nice shower and going to bed early) but I will share photos real soon once I come back!!

Another Book Haul

Hey y'all!

So today I went to the library to turn some things in and also grab some more books, mostly because I need some new things to read, and on top of that I'm on a coffee table/self-help/cookbook kick, so while I'm currently reading Perfectly Matched, I thought I'd haul some really good books.

Apartment Therapy: Complete + Happy Home 

So to start off this rocking book haul is a book that talks about homes (aka interiors aka my guilty pleasure) and I've never heard of Apartment Therapy till I got this book and had a little peek-though and started to get a lady boner over the interiors there. 

A Year of Desserts

Oh hello food. I mean desserts. I mean delicious deserts that I really wanna make and eat right now. Because OMG flipping through this book makes me wanna make all of them and eat every single last one of them because they look so good. 

The Nerdy Nummies Cookbook by Rosanna Pansino

I've seen a couple videos on the Nerdy Nummies channel, and I've always wondered what was in this cookbook so of course I picked it up and now I can't wait to see what recipes she has and also maybe make something from this book one day, because all of her recipes look good and the steps look almost fairly easy. 

The Glam Guide by Fleur de Force

Now I've been following Fleur since she started and haven't looked back since (I follow her on Instagram but haven't been watching her videos for a while because of school and stuff) and she came out with this book a couple years ago and now I finally have it and I can't wait to read it, to read her tips about almost everything. 

Balancing in Heels: My Journey to Health, Happiness and Making it all Work by Kristin Cavallari

Just like the Lauren Conrad book (that I'm going to read soon) I've been following Kristin since the Laguna Beach days (she was a bitch on that show) and then when she came on The Hills the final season till now, I've haven't heard from Ms. Cavallari-Cutler till I saw her book and instantly grabbed it. It sounds interesting and I can't wait to read it. 

Beauty Rules by Bobbi Brown

Who's really terrible with makeup? *raises hand* Anyone? Is it just me? Okay...But in all realness right now, I'm not really good at makeup-and I probably never will be good at it, but maybe after reading this book (and with a lot of practice!!!) I'll be really good at this makeup thing...because I'm in my twenties and can't put on eyeshadow worth a damn anyway....

3 Book Reviews in One Post? Yeh Darn Skimpy It Is!

Hey y'all!

So for today's post you get not one, not two, but three book reviews!!! I'm honestly proud of myself, if you can call it that, that I'm going to be book reviewing three books that I've read over the month because normally I'll do it one at a time, but since I've read three books, I thought I'd do a book review on them. So let's get started!!!

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The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side by Agatha Christie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So this was my first Agatha Christie Miss Marple novel and let me say, this book was different than any other novel I've read. First off, it was funny at some parts, and secondly, it had me thinking, challenging me to figure out who did it-I was even thinking that the drug in Heather Babcock's drink was weed once (and I actually ran with that before I realized that someone roofied her, and thus the silly notion of someone slipping some weed in a drink was crushed, though that would be honestly weird and funny for someone to do that) but for the intended victim, Marina Gregg, to go completely crazy and actually do all those things to those pour people (Giesuppe getting shot, Elia Zelinsky dying while taking medicine, sending those horrible notes to herself-like why) and also is completely paranoid about everything to the point that she had to go to an aslyum for treatment because of many things:

1.) She wanted a child of her very own, so she adopted some and tried with her husband (#2 I believe it was) until she finally had one of her own; but thanks to German measles she had developed earlier in the pregnancy, the child turned out to be mentally challenged.

2.) Marina Gregg is insane enough that once someone dies at her own housewarming (or house show), that before the murder actually happened, she had a look on her face when she stared at a painting of a mother being happy with her child, reminding her that she cannot have a child of her own, driving her to insanity and then her saddened death (took a bunch of sleeping pills, which I think she just killed herself because she couldn't take it anymore)

And her husband...Jason Rudd, poor man...he watched over her, watched her go insane and wanted to take her out of the country to protect her, to keep her away from the one that's tormenting her (which was herself, of course-well it looked like it to me). And I also found it weird that Heather actually spilled her drink all over herself, like she really wanted to do it and not by accident.

I actually enjoyed myself reading this book and I want to read more Agatha Christie novels real soon. Also, Marina Gregg reminded me of Niklaus Mikealson from The Originals with his paranoia, but all except his just went to the extreme while Marina's was getting close to getting extreme.


View all my reviews

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How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are: Love, Style, and Bad Habits by Anne Berest
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ever since this book came out, I've always wanted to read it. Now that I've read it I actually enjoyed reading it. It was witty, made me laugh a couple times, got me thinking about some of the points in the book, and also keep some advice in mind. How to be Parisian Wherever You Are gives examples of how the Parisian lives, have parties, fall in love, their style and how they spend a day.

It also have little recipes that the Parisian has in her repertoire, like Lemon Chicken, crepes, and Ile Flottante (Floating Island) and they all sound delicious. The book also mentions style, like What You Won't Find in Her Closet, Au Naturel, and A Mother With Flaws and other things Parisian that makes me want to actually go to Paris one of these days when I have the money to do so...or I'll find a rich man to take me (har de har). But it does make a girl dream, doesn't it?

View all my reviews

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The Best of Thanksgiving (Williams-Sonoma): Recipes and Inspiration for a Festive Holiday Meal by Williams-Sonoma
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Brace yourselves: Thanksgiving is coming....(a week from now, actually)

On Thursday, November 23, everyone will come to the dinner table surrounded by friends and family and eat a great dinner, either at the grandparents' house or having a Friendsgiving, bringing the wine and the foods that you made at home, and not going shopping on Black Friday (even though I must admit the prices are really good on Black Friday, but I digress...) that starts on Thanksgiving, but thank god all stores will be closed when Thanksgiving arrives and then people can eat, be with their families, and have fun.

With The Best of Thanksgiving, Williams-Sonoma brings the forgotten (I say forgotten because it's becoming a forgotten holiday...like WTF y'all) holiday back with great dishes, pictures of food that'll make many foodie drool and make your stomach growl (mine did each time I looked at the recipes and the photos) and makes you want to make some (or all) of these dishes for Thanksgiving.

The cookbook is broken down into thirteen sections for you to read and devour over-from recipes for Boozy Ice Cream, Classic Roasted Turkey, Corn Bread Stuffing with Apple, Ham and Fennel, Mash Potatoes with Herb-Infused Cream and to top it all off, a Apple Crumb Pie. And with that turkey and stuffing you got your cranberry sause and your Turkey gravy complele with drinks (wine for grown folks, coke and kool-aid for the kids-mostly kool-aid) your Thanksgiving meal is complete. I even wrote down a couple recipes from this book and now I really wanna make them and try them one day, see if they're really good (or just one day buy the actual book) and also recreate the table settings in the book, including the cover because I would be there with a bunch of my friends or people dead or alive that I would have Thanksgiving with...like Vox Machina (the whole cast) and Daenerys Targaryen...also Tessa, Will and Jem...oh and I can't forget Magnus and Alec, and of course, Mr. Mayonnaise himself, Stephen Amell (because his twitter is hilarious and it makes me laugh so much) and some others (yep it'll be a big table).

View all my reviews

All in Good Taste by Kate Spade New York

All In Good Taste by kate spade new york
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

All in Good Taste was a really fantastic book. I loved the photos and the quotes that pop at you. The ideas for the parties (and kid's parties as well) were also very fun to read. I'm a twenty-something year old girl and I couldn't help but love everything they covered in this book. I imagined the parties I would throw in my amazing apartment one day, having many friends over and throwing the parties that are in the book, along with actually making some of the recipes in the book. Even though you can't call this a cookbook, it does give you some great ideas on what to serve at your next party and they ever sprinkled a little bit of cocktail recipes in the book as well.

View all my reviews

A 'I Think This is Gonna Be a Very Long Book Haul' Book Haul

Hey y'all!

So first off, I can't believe that I haven't posted anything since August (me terrible blogger because of school and life and me being boring and playing a shit ton of games on Roll20 and D&D) but I'm back and I have lots and lots of photos of books that I have brought over the couple of months and today you get to see what books I've gotten over the two months

All in Good Taste by Kate Spade New York

So I LOVE Kate Spade New York (even though they're bloody expensive and I have to drool at their purses and shirts) but All in Good Taste is honestly beautiful. I love the typography, the photos, even the drawings they have that just makes the book more special-they even have recipes that sound good, like cheese fondue (I can't cook, so reading the recipes makes me want to learn how to cook and actually maybe one day have friends over to enjoy the food). 

How to be Parisian Wherever You Are: Love, Style, and Bad Habits by Anne Berest, Audrey Duncan, Caroline de Maigret, and Sophie Mae

I've always wanted to read this book-this book has been on my TBR for a very long time when it came out and I'm finally reading it. It's a really a good book (a bit of some spoilers for my book review coming soon) and it does have some advice and really good photogentic pictures. 

Lauren Conrad: Celebrate by Lauren Conrad

Ahhh Lauren, LC, the girl I watched when Laguna Beach was on, then you went to The Hills and from the Hills you've written two book series, and now you're writing self-help/ideas books, like Beauty and now Celebrate. I'm going to read you when I get done with Kate Spade or the Parisians, because you have great style and I love the way you write and explain things. Also I am going to buy the rest of your books one day. 

Williams-Sonoma: The Best of Thanksgiving by Williams-Sonoma

Guys...THANKSGIVING IS COMING. Even though the stores are skipping pass this wonderful holiday (why stores WHY), this book talks about the elegance of Thanksgiving (well to me it is) and it has a bunch of recipes (like the rest of the books) and I can't wait to read you as well. 

Perfectly Matched by Maggie Brendan

I've read this first book of the Blue Willow Brides series and just loved it, loved it so much that I wanted to read more of them. And then I found this one at the library and I just HAD to get it. Its the last book anyway but I don't care-I WANT TO READ IT. 

The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side by Agatha Christie (a Miss Marple Mystery)

Soooo....true story....I've never read an Agatha Christie novel. I've listened to the audiobook of the Murder on the Orient Express (and I will see that movie, dammit) and that was it. Then I picked this one up and I was interested in it...though I'm still confused how the girl died by drinking something. that wasn't meant for her. No spoilers please I'm still reading this and figuring it out.

Servant of the Bones by Anne Rice

My second Anne Rice novel that I haven't read yet, but it might be next year when I read it, along with the other books that are on my long TBR list. Servant of the Bones sounds like a really good book, espically when it deals with n angel. 

The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion by L.J. Smith

Even though the show spawned eight seasons, I refuse to watch it, even though right now I'm currently watching the spinoff the Originals on Netflix. I like the book version better, mainly because I can imagine things in the book instead of picturing the show version of the book...even though I have a Stefan bag (#noshame-that was back when the show came on and it was really good).

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Never owned a copy of the book until now. That is all. 

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I've seen the movie but I never ever read the book before-until now. I'm glad I grabbed this version of Jane Eyre and I will read this one along with Wuthering Heights soon..really soon. 

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

I've read this book once-just once-and I DNFed it. Now I'm going to read it again, mostly because this book got be back writing in diaries again, even though they're online and everyone can read them. I have seen the movie and it was really funny, and I've always wanted to read the books too. 

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

Ahh, Louis...such whining, Louis....are you tired of listening to this? I've been listening to that for 400 (I think) years now...

Oh hello nolstalgia, my old friends Louis, Lestat and Claudia. I've missed you since I've seen the movie when I was young, and now I have you in book form so I can read you over and over again, as long as I wish. You would be a Halloween book, but any year and any day to me I'll get to read you and enjoy you, and join you in your adventures. 

A Fantasy Book Haul and a New Blog Annoucement!

Hey y'all!

Since Saturday I didn't have a D&D game, I decided to go to Barnes and Nobles (my third home after Cinderella's Castle at Magic Kingdom and my house) because I had a itch for some new books. because after reading Johannes Cabal, I was in a book rut. So I went and brought these amazing books that might hopefully break me out of my reading slump.

The Assassins's Blade: The Throne of Glass Novellas by Sarah J. Maas

I'm a huge fan of Sarah J. Maas and her two book series, Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses, and I've wanted to get the whole book series so bad after I've read Throne of Glass twice (might read it the third time). This is the beginning of the Throne of Glass novels (along with the others) and with Tower of the Dawn (Chaol's book? AWE YISSSSS) coming out really soon, I thought I get a hop on reading the series again, starting with The Assassins's Blade, and I'm currently reading it right now and I LOVE IT SO MUCH. 

Crown of Midnight: A Throne of Glass Novel by Sarah J. Maas

The second book of the Throne of Glass novels and I can't wait to read this one-also this book series actually gave me some inspiration for my current character I'm playing in Storm King's Thunder, Elektra Nightbreeze, my wood elf rouge assassin (and I'm not good like Liam O'Brien who plays Vax'ildan on Critical Role).

The Legend of Drizzt Book II: Exile by R.A. Salvatore

Now I couldn't leave B&N without grabbing my favorite drow and my favorite fantasy author! They didn't have the first book of this series (I didn't ask that's why) but I picked up this one and I have a feeling it's gonna be fantastic, especially with those Illithids that Drizzt's about to fight...

The Legend of Drizzt Book III: Sojourn by R.A. Salvatore

HAD TO GET THE THIRD BOOK. Because who dosen't wanna read more about our favorite drow ranger and his awesome panther Guenhwyvar? And yes, this is them coming into the light for the first time EVER and I can't wait to read this!!!

So my new blog annoucement (well it really isn't a new blog, I just haven't used it in a very long time)

So I decided to use a old blog that is just...sitting there like USE ME PLEASE and it was supposed to be a writing blog where I show off my writing (it might be that, I don't know yet) but then I decided to make it my randomized thought/somewhat of a personal blog. 

So if you wanna and visit the blank blog (I'm gonna post something on there really soon) its https://charmingbrittany.blogspot.com/  if you wanna just follow it and whatnot

Book Review: The Fall of the House of Cabal by Jonathan L. Howard

The Fall of the House of Cabal by Jonathan L. Howard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book...this book, this book, this book. The last novel of the Johannes Cabal novel...

It was FANTASTIC. I loved every bit of it and I really want Jonathan Howard to write more from this series because I'm starving for more and I just wanna read more about Cabal and Horst and Leonie and Zarenyia-everyone. And splitting it up to five parts...OMG I LOVED EACH AND EVERY PART. Espically the Great Detective part, when Horst became human for a moment and ate bacon while they were investigating the death of Maximilian Maleficarius, which was saddening and also a bit funny because of Horst eating the bacon...but I have to say, the star of the book has to be Madame Zarenyia, my sister from another mister.

Even her quotes were funny and spot on:

"You’re telling me,’ muttered Zarenyia, drifting at the edge of consciousness. ‘Johannes has one, you know. Terribly clever with it. He got me my sweater. Lots of fish. So many fish.’ Her voice faded into sub-vocalized semi-words."

"Hello darlings!“ said Zarenyia as she breezed back into Satan’s throne room, a shambling, scuttling sound in her wake assuring her that Ratuth Slabuth was following. ‘Forms signed, bona fides authenticated. You will be delighted to hear that I am now declared a legal visitor to the scenic heart of Hell. Hooray for me!"

"Scrawny creatures, aren’t they? Still, a soul’s a soul.’ She sighed. ‘I am making myself ever so available, and I’m getting for my troubles is a lot of frightened looks and scuttling. Haven’t they ever seen a gorgeous woman before?"

"Do you suppose this is part of the trap, too?’ Zarenyia weighed up the possibilities. “I must say, as traps go it’s a little bit lazy, isn’t it? Tiny it short in the bait department. Why would we want to go in there?’ She squinted, her inhuman senses apparently able to make something out of the pervading shadow. ‘Oh, it’s all right, after all. It’s not trying to get us to go in. It’s letting something out. Much better."

And the ending, when Horst because of dhampir (yay!!!) and I FINALLY found out that woman in the coffin's name (Berenice, what a lovely name) and I really do reconmend this series a whole lot!!

View all my reviews

Book Review: Someone to Watch Over Me by Lisa Kleypas

Someone to Watch Over Me by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I haven't read a romance novel in a long time, and I wanted something different to read while I'm reading the other books I'm currently reading at the moment, and Someone to Watch Over Me came at the right time and I loved every single moment of it. I honestly cheered for Grant and Vivien/Victoria, because he stupidly thought she was Vivien the courtesan, which turned out to be her twin sister-trust me, I was shocked myself when I read that part-and then reading how they slowly but surely fall in love...

But the mystery behind Vivien/Victoria was...well, how can I put it....the mystery behind who wanted Vivien dead was a really stupid one. I mean, to hire a Bow Street Runner to do it? Really? Like...I thought the Lord Lane would hire someone from the street to do it...but to actually get a Bow Street Runner to do it? I was actually appalled by it, because it seemed to me that he didn't want to kill Vivien himself after what she did to his son and grandson, so he hired someone else to do it-and it was someone Grant knew....

At the end I loved the book and would really recommend it to anyone.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Brothers Cabal by Jonathan L. Howard

The Brothers Cabal by Jonathan L. Howard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book...this book right here made me laugh-like bust out laughing-while also shocking me and making my mouth drop. I loved this book out of all of the Cabal novels I've read over the months that I've read them, so what is this book about?

Well...Horst is back. Back back. Back from the Dead back. And the ones that brought him back-the Ministerium Tenebrae-wants him to create vampires for their army of the undead, so they can create a country for the undead. Then that's when the voice of Horst's ripper-that's what I call it (I used to watch/read wayyy to much Vampire Diaries and the Originals)-started whispering in his mind like Phury's did in his book, wanted to do it, to drink the blood from the table, in the wine glass and in the bowl. But he didn't and escaped with the help of the Dee Society, and then he met Miss Montgomery's Flying circus.

While they were getting aquiented, they were attacked by zombies, a werebadger, obelisk, and a stone spider *in which I screamed because I hate spiders so much* and then as Horst tells this story to his brother Johannes, he asks him to help him destroy the Ministerium. Though Johannes reluctantly said yes, the two packed up Cabal's things to meet up with Miss Montgomery's trio of fliers and went to the rondevous point and met with serveral....how shall I put this....members of each religious group, some were witches (the Sisters of Hecate or the Hades one, I believe) and others were fighters, and before they attacked the Ministerium, they had a meeting, where Cabal explained that the Red Queen was none other than Lady Orfilia Nimuka, daughter of Count Merchal, and on top of that, Rufus Maleficarus is alive and walking...or so he thought.

The Mirkavian battle started, and everyone brought their best warriors out, but the Ministerium lost, even when Horst and Cabal, along with Alisha, went inside the castle to kill Rufus and Lady Misericorde. Cabal tricked Rufus, who turned out to be the Eriskghal Working and trapped him in Rufus's body, while Alisha died-killed by dopplegangers, and Horst killed them all by listening to his inner ripper and killed them all.

But the ENDING though....Johannes found the book he was looking for, and then asked Horst about the Fountian of Youth and the Philsopher Stone.....but when Ninuka was alone and randomly talking to the urn....THAT was freaky enough.

So I really do recommend this book and the whole series if you haven't read it yet!

View all my reviews

Dear Cold, GO AWAY

Nose running...throat hurting.....getting a headache....oh dear god no...I'M GETTING SICK

*If only I got sick this fabulously like Lady Mary but sadly I'm not. Because I'm thinking that I don't wanna get sick god dang it. 

I don't get sick-well, I try not to. But since it got hot and it's a bit cold in my house, I'm starting to feel sick, which sucks. So I might just chill, finish reading the Brothers Cabal and also finish bingewatching...

 *yeah i can't stop watching this show have no idea why 

Definally need to finish watching this

...and finish watching this before Defenders come out

I wish this cold of mine can go away but I'll just have to wait and take some medicine (or all the medicine) to get better.

Tag: 100 Books the BBC think most people haven't read more than 6 of

So I was tagged by Olivia of Meanwhile in Rivendell (in which I say thank you again!!) and I thought I'd do it!

The original tag here

The Rules:
1. Be honest.
2. Put an asterisk next to the ones you have read all the way through. Put an addition sign next to the ones you have started.
3. Tag as many people as these books that you have read.

Books:

1.  Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen *

2.  Gormenghast Trilogy -  Mervyn Peake
3.  Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë
4.  Temple of the Golden Pavilion - Yukio Mishima
5.  To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee 

6.  The Story of the Eye - George Bataille
7.  Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë 
8.  Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell 
9.  Adrift on the Nile - Naguib Mahfouz
10.  Great Expectations - Charles Dickens 

11.  Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
12.  Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13.  Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14.  Rhinoceros - Eugene Ionesco
15.  Baron in the Trees - Italo Calvino

16.  The Master of Go - Yasunari Kawabata
17.  Woman in the Dunes - Abe Kobo
18.  Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19.  The Feast of the Goat - Mario Vargas Llosa
20.  Middlemarch - George Eliot
21.  Gogol's Wife - Tomasso Landolfi
22.  The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald *

23.  Magic Mountain - Thomas Mann
24.  War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25.  Ferdydurke - Gombrowicz
26.  Narcissus and Goldmund - Herman Hesse
27.  Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky * (it was for class that I read that)
28.  The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck*
29.  Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll *
30.  The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame 

31.  Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy 
32.  The Jungle - Upton Sinclair
33.  Tom Sawyer / Huck Finn - Mark Twain  
34.  Emma - Jane Austen

35.  Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe
36.  Delta Wedding - Eudora Welty
37.  The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini* (read it in high school for class)
38.  Naomi - Junichiro Tanizaki
39.  Cosmicomics - Italo Calvino
40.  The Joke - Milan Kundera
41.  Animal Farm - George Orwell* (read for class)
42.  Labyrinths - Gorge Luis Borges
43.  One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44.  A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45.  Under My Skin - Doris Lessing

46.  Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery 

47.  Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48.  Don Quixote - Miguel Cervantes
49.  Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50.  Absalom Absalom - William Faulkner
51.  Beloved - Toni Morrison
52.  The Flounder - Gunther Grass
53.  Dead Souls - Nikolai Gogol
54.  Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen*
55.  My Name is Red - Orhan Pamuk
56.  A Dolls House - Henrik Ibsen
57.  A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens 

58.  Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59.  The Idiot - Fyodor Dostoevesky 
60.  Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61.  Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck* (read in school)
62.  Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63.  Leaves of Grass - Walt Whitman
64.  Death on the Installment Plan - Celine
65.  Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas 
66.  On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67.  Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68.  Pedro Paramo - Juan Rulfo
69.  Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70.  Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71.  Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72.  Dracula - Bram Stoker + I'M GOING TO FREAKING READ THIS BOOK DAMMIT
73.  The Metamorphosis - Kafka
74.  Epitaph of a Small Winner - Machado De Assis
75.  Ulysses - James Joyce

76.  The Inferno - Dante * (read it in class last year)
77.  Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78.  Germinal - Emile Zola
79.  To the Light House - Virginia Woolf *
80.  Disgrace - John Maxwell Coetzee

81.  A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82.  Zorba the Greek - Nikos Kazantzakis
83.  The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84.  The Box Man - Abe Kobo
85.  Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86.  A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87.  The Stranger - Camus
88.  Acquainted with the Night - Heinrich Boll
89.  Don't Call It Night - Amos Oz
90.  The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton

91.  Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92.  The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93.  Gravity's Rainbow - Thomas Pychon
94.  Memoirs of Hadrian - Marguerite Yourcenar
95.  A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96.  Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
97.  The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98.  Hamlet - William Shakespeare 
99.  Faust - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 
100.  Metamorphosis - Ovid

Books read: 12

Books started: none because I'm reading Cabal at the moment but i've brought some of the books and are waiting for me to read it

People I tag: anyone who wanna do it

Book Review: Johannes Cabal the Fear Insitute by Jonathan L. Howard

The Fear Institute by Jonathan L. Howard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So this book of the Johannes Cabal series was different than the last two-mostly because they were in the Dreamlands looking for the Phobic Animus (in which THERE WASN'T ONE) and also because it felt like I was on a D&D adventure with Cabal and his companions. So what happened in this book?

Well three men came to Cabal's house to employ him to go to the dreamlands to retrieve this Phobic Animus. Cabal thought about it and after a day he said yes, and the four of them went to visit a poet that had the Sliver Key, and once he died, off they went into the dreamlands. Sadly throughout the adventure that I cannot remember because I took a break from reading this, but for the rest of the books I will be keeping a journal of all my thoughts:

Shadrach, and Corde died, Miss Smith and Cabal had a very nice conversation, they found a dead hermit's body and Cabal used necromancy to bring his skull back, the fight on the boat, and one of the Fear Institute People died.

Cabal is scared of cats, though I'm convinced there were Khajits in the book and Corde died, then Bose revealed himself to be Nyarlothotep, and sent Cabal through a dream, where he basically dreamt that his experiments worked, brought that girl in the casket back to life and then died WHYYYYYYYY.

Cabal also changed into a ghoul, didn't like it, so he made a laboratory so he could make an elixir to make himself hooman again. But the ghoul's leader took it from him, drank it, and became hooman, but then for some reason Cabal was knocked out, and a weird man came and took him home and took care of him. Now whoever he was knew the house intimately knew where everything was, and when Cabal woke up, he's like "You're supposed to be dead...."

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Book Review: Return to the Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz

Return to the Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have to say, this book is better than the first book, which is weird for me because normally the second book don't do well than the first. But when I started reading this book, I was instantly hooked all the way to the last page. So the Descendants of the Disney Villains (Maleficent, Cruella de Vil, the Evil Queen, and Jafar) Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos, are quite happy in Auradon-going to Auradon Prep, playing for the Auradon Knights, making friends, even dating King Ben-but of course, did you think their happiness was going to last?

Even when they started to get weird messages about going back to the Isle of the Lost?

At first, they thought it was their parents sending them that message-but Maleficent's a small lizard, sleeping away in a little glass, and Cruella, Evil Quen and Jafar? Nowhere to be found. Then Carlos found the DarkNet, where there was a photo of the four of them, calling them the 'AntiHeros' and have a red X over their faces including over King Ben. So the four of them decided to go back to Isle of the Lost, but after the dance.

But it took some planning, especially when Jay had an interview with Jordan and tricked her into wishing he had the keys to the royal limo (like why Jay why) but once they went to the dance for the Auradon Knights and had to fake that they're sick, they went to the limo to go back to the Isle of the Lost.

They were stopped by King Ben that was coming back from Camelot because they were having a dragon problem and thought the dragon was Maleficent, but towards the end it wasn't. He was wondering why they have the limo and how Carlos can drive a car, but once Mal explaned what was going on, he let them go back to the Isle.

When they went back to the Isle of the Lost, they started looking for their parents. Jafar left Iago at the Junk Shop, but Jay did try and steal Anthony Tremaine's watch, but slipped it in his pocket, Mal went back to Bargain Castle only to find her things left untouched, so she took a backpack and packed it with her things, the Evil Queen left her heart box, and Cruella left her fur coats.

So where were they?

Underground. Looking for their talismans-The Golden Coba, the Ring of Envy, the Dragon’s Egg and Fruit of Venom.

So once they met the AntiHeros Club, they went to find the four talismans before their parents do. And they did, even though they had some obstacles, but they passed them. Then at the end, it turns out the purple dragon wasn’t Maleficent, but was Mad Maddy’s grandmother, Mim, and they stopped her before she destroyed anyone else. And then they returned to the Auradon, and everything was back to normal….for now.

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Book Review: Black Canary #2 by Brenden Fletcher, Annie Wu

Black Canary (2015-) #2 by Brenden Fletcher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Issue #2 was a bit different, mostly because it was just about Black Canary teaching her band how to defend themselves and then Bo Maeve appears, and honestly I don't trust that girl for some reason. I really, really don't. Then the husband (in which I DON'T APPROVE OF) appears out of no where and attacked Dinah, even though he was in a mask and she was shocked that it was him (I was honestly looking for Oliver, but....DAMMIT OLLIE WHERE ARE YOU?)) but I enjoyed it, even though this review was short.

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Book Review: Black Canary #1 by Brenden Fletcher, Annie Wu, & Lee Loughridge

Black Canary #1 by Brenden Fletcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is honestly my first comic book I've ever read before, and I've always wanted to read about a superhero, so while I was at my comic book/gaming store after D&D (yeah I play that....) and I was waiting for my ride, I rifled through the comics till I saw the tab for 'Black Canary'. I was kinda shocked at first-I only know about the Black Canary from Arrow, and seeing her having a comic book....well, I just had to get it.

So in this comic Dinah is in a band called Black Canary, and her bandmates call her D.D for short. They are known as the Most Dangerous Band in America because in every show they ever play, the venue gets destroyed each time because the bad guys are always showing up, and Dinah has to protect them...but it turns out the bad guys are coming after Ditto, a silent girl who can't talk, but she can play.

The group don't know why they were after Ditto, but Dinah swore on protecting them, though she was only on their EP tour with them for a couple shows before she's off again. So she decided to teach her bandmates how to defend themselves, using guns and martial arts.

I enjoyed this comic so much that I'm planning on getting all of them and the Green Arrow ones (might need to read the earlier comics so I can understand Oliver/Dinah's relationship).

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Book Review: Johannes Cabal the Detective by Jonathan L. Howard

Johannes Cabal the Detective by Jonathan L. Howard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Johannes Cabal, a necromancer of little infamy, is a detective in this one after he escaped from the Mirkarvia-well, after he stole a book from the library *mini-heart attack*, was forced to bring back the leader of the Mirkarvian people, but he turned into a cannibal (really, Cabal, did you think? Nope), and then ran off after defeated Count Marechal in a duel. Cabal then scared a man named Herr Meissner, stole his idenity and got on a ship named the Princess Hortense...

WHERE MY OTP MEETS AGAIN *throws confetti everywhere*

That's right-Leonie Barrow, daughter of Frank Barrow, studying to be a criminologist, was on the Princess Hortense, and they sat at the captian's table, having a lovely dinner, until it all ended the moment M. DeGarre was killed, and Cabal was nearly thrown off the aeroship. Thus the mystery began to find out who killed M. DeGarre and who wanted to throw him to his death.

My favorite part of the book was when Leonie saw Cabal do some necromancy when they were following Cacon and found him dead. Though she was shocked, the answer Cacon told them were shocking in a way-he was killed by a woman with a venomous dagger. But at the end of that conversation, when they finally left the poor man to die:

Cabal: I am unsure whether to thank you or demand n explanation.
Leonie: The former, I hope. As I’m not so sure why I didn’t just grass you up like the scum you are.
Cabal: That’s uncanny. Are you channeling your father right now?
Lenoie: Please, Cabal. Please don’t mention my dad, or I’ll full guilty that I didn’t just do the right thing and stitch you up like a kipper. Even my dad doesn't talk like that. He would have understood not giving you up to the Mirkavians. He’s not a great fan of Capital Punishment. But he’d never understand why I didn’t just hand you over to Constable Don Juan back there. Go then Cabal. Just shoo. I’m done with you.

Like...I couldn't even. But at the end the both of them survived, Leonie in the hospital trying to remember before she finally does and told the police the whole tale....and that is where our story ends, if you wanted to know about that weird short story I didn't get, the Tomb of Umtak Ktharl, though I only got the part that some old giant or sorcerer came back to life and somehow Cabal knocked him out? But I really loved this book like the first one and I already put the other two on hold so I can get them and read more of this series because I love it so much already.

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Book Review: Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard

Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was recommended this novel by a friend and all it took was three pages for me to be hooked. So when Johannes Cabal, a necromancer or scientist, goes down to hell like a fly MFer and makes Satan a deal: he can get one hundred souls in exchange for his. But he had to do it before the next Walpurgisnacht, or Satan will kill him.

Oh, and did I mention he had to do it by a traveling carnival?

So with his brother Horst Cabal, the Cabal Brothers are out on the road with their devilish carnival, collecting ninety-nine souls, getting rid of a necromancer named Rufus Maleficarus (what kind of name is that anyway?), Johannes getting stuck in the pocket time universe made me giggle a bit, Ratuth Slabuth nearly destroying the carnival because he was bored, then....then they came to Penlow on Thurse on April 29....

A day where I ship Cabal x Leonie because they met and I got happy....

Till the end...when sweet Leonie signed her life away to save her father. But thank god Cabal burned her and another woman's forms so they wouldn't be in Hell when they die. But when Horst burned to death and died because he wanted to save his brother and I was so mad at Johannes...but I got over it when he saved Leonie and Lea (I think that's her name).

So I really do recommend this book because IT'S SO GOOD AND FUN AND YOU'LL HAVE FUN READING IT!!!

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Book Haul-5/10/2017

Hey y'all!

Today...today was a good day-did a little shopping and picked up a couple books at Ollie's Bargain Outlet (ya know, that store with the commercial and the line 'Good Stuff Cheap'?) and this is where I found these four books, which was good for me since I really wanted them so badly, even though I only the books from different book series. 

City of Ashes, book two of the Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

This is book two of the Mortal Instruments, and after I got done reading City of Bones, I swore I wouldn't read the whole series. But then seeing them and the new Shadowhunter novels coming out, makes me wanna read them right now. Also, I am thinking of watching the show as well, even though I've only seen one episode of the show on Freeform, and I might wanna watch the whole entire thing...if I can find it on Netflix or watch it on demand. 

City of Heavenly Fire, book six of the Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

So this is the last book of the Mortal Instruments (that's how stocked Ollie's are: they had the first two books and then the last book) and I like the original covers better than the other ones, though the new ones are alright. 

The Hiltons: The True Story of an American Dynasty by J. Randy Taraborrelli

So to balance out the fantasy novels, I thought it's time for me to get a biography-and I'm a sucker for anything fashion-y, historical or facts about someone, so I brought The Hiltons. I've always wanted this book since it came out, and I waited so long to buy it till now. And the good thing is, it only costed 3.99 and it's in hardback, so it'll look perfect on my makeshift bookshelf.

Gathering Darkness: A Falling Kingdoms novel by Morgan Rhodes

Once again, I found a part of a book series that I really really want to read. I fell in love with the cover (as usual because covers make or break the book-well to me anyway) and the person on the cover looks like a rouge and ironically, I play a rouge in Storm King's Thunder (my sorceress died in the body of a rhemzhor...NOT GOOD.) and I just had to get it.

Book Review: Blood of Elves: A Novel of the Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski

Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you have played the Witcher games or love dark fantasy, then this book is for you. Though it took me a long time to read it, I enjoyed every last bit of it-I was on the adventure with Geralt and Ciri when they was traveling with Triss and had to protect her when she got sick, then it broke off and I saw Dandelion again and seeing my wifey Yennefer of Venegerberg....*le sigh* but all in all I love this book so much and would read all of these books when I find them.

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