Top Ten Tuesday: Intimidating Factors

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Intimidating Books

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

1. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand & 2. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

Yes. I have read both of these. I was highly encouraged by a friend and they each took a solid month to finish. Well worth it, but they definitely aren't re-reads.

3. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy & 4. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

I have tried to read Anna Karenina so many times, I've lost count. It's just one of those books that everyone should read, but the page count is long and the Russian names are confusing.

Name of the Wind has an intimidating page count. However, I have heard nothing but good things. Most likely I will pick this up in the future and give it a try.

5. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski & 6. The Fire and Ice series by George R. R. Martin

Ok, if you have ever tried to read House of Leaves, you understand where I'm coming from. It's not a physically easy book to read. I honestly find the premise interesting, but the layout of the book is confusing and I've never made it through.

The HBO Game of Thrones series is SO GOOD! I so desperately want to read the series, but I am stuck on book one. So much detail. So many expendable characters. It makes my head spin!

7. Under the Dome by Stephen King & 8. The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien

I have wanted to read Under the Dome since it's release. Now that the TV show is coming out, I really want to read it. However, this baby has a hefty page count that keeps me from picking it up.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy has been a series that I have wanted to read for a while. I tried reading the Hobbit once and found myself confused and bored and move on. I would still like to re-try this series another time.

9. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte & 10. Paradise Lost by John Milton

I feel like I have this connection to Emily Bronte. Does that sound weird? I'm not sure what I'm in store for when I pick this up, but I will definitely do so in the future!

Confession time...I'm kind of obsessed with story of creation. There is definitely more to the story, but I've heard that Paradise Lost is a beast to get through (no pun intended). Not sure if I'll ever get to this one.

So, what books seem intimidating to you? Any chance that you'll conquer your fears? 

Reading Reflections: June 2013

Books Read: 
The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller
Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo

Total Number of Books Read This Month: 2

Total Number of Books Read This Year: 24

Favorite Read: The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller

Highest Rank: 4

Lowest Rank: 3.5

Overall Reflection:
Well, another slow month in reading terms. I had a bit of a tough time transitioning out of school mode. I also had a large list of things to tackle...things I kept putting off to finish my final weeks of school. Surprisingly, Siege and Storm really put me in a reading funk. It was one of my highest anticipated books of 2013, and I was rather disappointed in it. The Summer I Became A Nerd was a light and fun read. I anticipate more reading and reviews for the month of July. Hope you all are enjoying the summer!

Lola's Lounge: Tablet Talk

 I would like to take a moment to discuss tablets. Several months ago, I made the plunge and bought my first ereader. After much deliberation, I finally decided to purchase a Nook Glowlight (pictured below). You can read my decision-making process here. There's a great article that compares ereaders here, if you're interested.

Photo found here

I can not believe how skeptical I had been up until that point. After just one book, I fully embraced the ereader. Books were cheaper, lighter, and I was no longer living in fear of being eaten alive by my endless stacks of books. I especially loved how I could easily organize my books (i.e. read, tbr, galley's, etc...) I knew it was only a matter of time before I purchased a tablet. There are three major tablets that I had my eye on...The Nook HD, The IPad, and of course, The Kindle.

Photo found here

 I won't lie, the main element I based my decision on was price. There is a great in-depth article here that compares all of the tablets. Barnes & Noble currently is running a special on their Nook's. So, I bought the Nook HD+ 16 GB for $149 (originally priced at $269). Here were some of the reasons why I chose the Nook HD+ :

1. Price

2. Size

3. No Adds

4. All of my B&N purchases are available

5. Expandable storage

6. In-house support

Photo found here 

Overall, this has proved to be a great purchase for me. My tablet is practically another appendage. The apps are fun. I especially love the word games. ;) I love reading magazines on the tablet, some of which are even interactive. I love how portable the tablet is...it's like having a mini laptop. I can go online, watch movies, check my email, play games, and more! The only downside is that I have been distracted from reading. I really need to get back to my reading roots. 

I would love to hear from you! Do you own a tablet or ereader? If so, what kind? Are you happy with it? If you could make your purchase again, would you get the same thing or would you get something different? If you don't have a tablet or ereader, why not? Which one would you buy...or should we all just stick to paper books? Let me know your thoughts!

Top Ten Tuesday: Summer Reads

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books At The Top Of My Summer TBR List

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Published February 21st 2012
Add on Goodreads

The Book of Broken Hearts

by Sarah Ockler 

Published May 21st 2013

Add on Goodreads

The Bitter Kingdom (Fire and Thorns #3)
by Rae Carson
Expected publication: August 27th 2013
Add on Goodreads

Conjured

by Sarah Beth Durst 

Expected publication: August 27th 2013 

Add on Goodreads

Eleanor & Park

by Rainbow Rowell

Published February 26th 2013

Add on Goodreads

Star Cursed (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #2)

by Jessica Spotswood 

Published June 18th 2013

Add on Goodreads

This Is What Happy Looks Like
by Jennifer E. Smith
Published April 2nd 2013
Add on Goodreads

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2)

by Marissa Meyer 

Published February 5th 2013

Add on Goodreads

Smart Girls Get What They Want
by Sarah Strohmeyer
Published June 26th 2012
Add on Goodreads

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

by Neil Gaiman

Published June 18th 2013

Add on Goodreads

What books are on your top ten tbr list this summer? 

Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo

Book Summery (Via Goodreads): Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.
The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

Book Review:
*sighs* I was so. looking. forward. to this book. So what happened? The pacing was a bit off...Like there wasn't a cohesiveness to the story as a whole. Despite the large amount of action in the first third of the book, it just didn't hold my interest. I honestly didn't become super interested until the last third of the book. I felt disconnected from both Alina and Mal. There just wasn't much engaging to me as a reader. I mean I understand that they have history, but really what else was keeping them together? So what did I enjoy? Learning more about the world that Bardugo created, new characters, the Darkling (who is as evil as ever), and the time spent at Little Palace. Despite some let-downs, I still plan on picking up the next book in the series. If you've read this, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Favorite Quote:
“I took a breath. "Your highness-" 
"Nikolai," he corrected. "But I've also been known to answer to 'sweetheart' or 'handsome'.” 

Cover Art Commentary:
I love LOVE this cover! Can we just take a moment and be grateful that this series did not get the mid-series switcharoo? These covers are just too awesome for words!

Rating: