Top 5...#7

Hello again internet! I'm back with another one of my favourite posts to write, there's something that i just really enjoy about sitting down and writing a post about my top five somthings. Today i thought i'd talk about a group of books i adore reading, classics!

Here we go!

5: Emma by Jane Austen

I adore everything i have ever read by Jane Austen, and while everyone i speak to says that Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility is their favourite Austen novel, there has just always been something about Emma that makes is my favourite of her works. I love the characters, the plot, everything really. Austen said that when she wrote Emma; "I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like." And by describing her in the very first sentence as "handsome, clever, and rich" she was probably going to be right. But i love her. Emma is one of my favourite fictional females and i just love everything about this story.

4: Lord of the Flies by William Golding 

I bloody love this book. Everyone i have ever spoke to about this book has told me that they hated it, and i have no idea why. Maybe it's because they had to read it at school and they didn't like the way it was taught? I don't know, but whatever reason they have for hating this book is lost on me because i think it's one of the greatest things i have ever read. Maybe i love it because, along with the next book on the list, it is my mother's favourite book and that love has been passed down? Or maybe it's because it's just a wonderfully written book which i adore so, so, so much.

3: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Ugh this book. This is my mother's favourite book in the world, and i can definitely see why. I love the way this book is written, the characters, the plot, everything really. This book is one of the few books that has made me want to cry, while still loving everything about it. The first time i read To Kill A Mockingbird i honestly thought i was going to hate it, but i loved it so much, and every time i've read it since i've just loved it more and more. 

2: Dracula by Bram Stoker

This book is hands down one of my favourite books in the world. Vampires have always been something i've kind of obsessed over (Mona the Vampire, Buffy, Vampire Diaries, anything i could find with any mention of vampires) and Dracula truly is the reason the term 'the original and the best' exists. Dracula is perfect okay. There is nothing about this book that i can find that i don't love. Everyone knows the story of Dracula, i'm pretty sure there's more adaptations of Dracula than anything else in the world, but if you've never read the book i couldn't recommend it more if i tried! It's just an incredible book.

1: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D.Salinger

Oh what a surprise, Meghan's put Catcher at the number one spot on a top five! I don't care, it is easily the best book i have ever read in my life and i love it more than anything! Catcher is that book that when you read it you just know that it is going to change your life. I know that seems like such a stupid thing to say but it really did change my life, i first read it at the point in my life where a book really can change everything and mean so much to you that no book could ever compare. I always say that HP changed my life because it made me fall completely in love with reading, but really it was Catcher that made me realise how something as simple as words on a page can make you feel so much and can change your opinions on everything and just ugh i love this book more than i could express in words.

What are your favourite classics?

Meghan x

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Top 5...#6

Hello again internet, i'm back with another of my top 5. Now if you know me even a little bit you probably know that i love John Green both as an author and as a human. So i thought that i would do a top five dedicated to characters in John Green books. Oh i am excited about this!

5 - Alaska from Looking For Alaska

Alaska is the main girl in Looking For Alaska (big shock, i know) and i absolutely adore her character. I love the way she interacts with the other characters, and she is nowhere near perfect in the way she treats people or in the way she acts, but that's kind of what i love about her. I think John Green writes her wonderfully and she is one of my favourite characters from a book ever, let alone just from John's books.

4 - Will Grayson from Will Grayson, Will Grayson

WG, WG was written by John Green and David Levithan, and in all honestly i love every single character in the book. I think the entire thing is incredible. However, the Will Grayson which John writes is one of my favourite characters to read from the perspective of. I adore him. I love the way he talks to and about the other Will, Tiny, Jane, everyone really. He's just one of my favourites and if you read the book he'll probably become one of yours too. (I mean he might not, but i think he will because he's great.)

3 - Pudge from Looking For Alaska

Pudge, Pudge, Pudge. I love you. Pudge is the nickname given to Miles in LFA and is the one who's perspective the book is told. I love that he is obsessed with the last words of famous people, and i love his friendship with his roommate, and i love his friendship with Alaska, i love everything about him really. LFA was the first John Green book i read, and Pudge was the first reason i fell in love with the way John writes. I love everything about LFA and Pudge is likw 90% of the reason. (I mean he gets compared to Holden Caulfield a lot and he's my favourite character ever so maybe that's why..?)

2 - Isaac from The Fault in Our Stars

Oh Isaac, i'm sorry you're not first. If you have ever seen/heard me talk about TFiOS i always, always, say that Isaac is my favourite character, and he is...mainly. I think he is funny, and adorable, and charming, and the best friend anyone could ever have, and he's just a million times better than anyone. So he should probably be first, but he's not, for reasons. But i do love him, in fact i love everyone in this book (it's amazing, go read it if you haven't) and i'm so beyond excited for the movie (plus Nat Wolff who plays Isaac is BEAUTIFUL) and i can't wait to see Isaac come to life, because he is genuinely the nicest character i have ever read about.

And finally, the reason Isaac isn't number one...

1 - Augustus Waters from The Fault in Our Stars

Ahhh Augustus. If you have read TFiOS then you should know why Augustus is number one. He is funny, sarcastic, sweet, kind, amazing, beautiful, and just the best. He is one of the best characters i have ever read about and he makes me laugh, cry, angry, everything. I love him. And i can't wait to see how amazing he is on screen and out of a book. (Ansel Elgort is beautiful too btw) TFiOS has the best written characters i think i've ever read and Augustus is just at the top of a very long list of amazing characters from an amazing book.

(also, i love basically everyone in Paper Towns and An Abundance of Katherines too, but ya know top 5 can only be 5 people...)

Meghan x

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Bump in the Night Tag

Hello again internet! How are we all today? Good? Oh good! I'm here today with a book tag! This one was created by this lovely person and it is The Bump in the Night Tag! I saw this over on Ariel's Channel and i thought it looked like a fun tag, so here we go!

1) Which are your favourite supernatural/ horror/ scary characters to read about? (e.g vampires, warewolves, witches, monsters, serial killers, murders, etc.)

I adore stories about vampires, they've always been the one supernatural/horror thing that i've been fascinated by and i just love them, however i also love reading about real life serial killers (my MA dissertation is about them) so it's a tie between those two.

2) Which scene from any book would be your ultimate nightmare to have been a part of?

Any part of the Shining, that book has always kind of freaked me out.

3) If you could visit and explore any one scary or evil setting which would you pick and why?

Oh wow this is difficult. Erm, either the world from Dracula because that's one of my favourite books ever, or (if it counts) the Shadowhunter world i'd visit there anyday.

4) Which book was so frighteningly terrible that you almost fell asleep for eternity trying to finish it?

The Great Gatsby. I truly hate this book.

5) Name one book you wish you could pull certain pages out of and swap for others to make it better?

New Moon. I actually really like the Twilight series, i know it's not the best writing in the world and the story is kind of blah but i still really enjoy the series, however i actually kind of hate New Moon and i'd quite like to be able to swap a load of pages of it for some new ones.

6) If you could turn any 'bad or evil' character into a good character, who would you pick and why?

Bellatrix Lestrange. She is one of my favourite characters in the HP series, so i'd kind of like to see what would have happened if she was 'good'.

Quick fire round:

1) Favourite vampire character? Dracula!

2) Favourite werewolf character? Lupin!

3) Favourite witch character? Anna Winters!

4) Favourite monster character? Mr Hyde!

5) Favourite ghost character? Nearly headless Nick...? I read NOTHING about ghosts...

6) Favourite serial killer/murderer character? Valentine! (He totally counts!)

Meghan x

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Most Anticipated Books of 2014

Hello again internet! So today i'm here with the books i'm most looking forward to in 2014. There are so many good books being released next year and these are just the books that i cannot wait to get my hands on!!

(Unless they are a sequel i will put a short synopsis of the book, for sequels i will just mention what it is the sequel to as i don't want to accidently spoil any books for anyone.)

1. City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare. OMG i don't think i can even explain how excited i am about this book being released and finally being able to read more from the series! If you add the excitement of this book to the excitement of The Bane Chronicles then i don't think i'll actually make it through 2014 without exploding from excitedness. This book is set to be released on 27/05/14 and believe me i will be counting down the days!
2. Birthright by Cate Tiernan. I really love Cate Tiernan, and i don't think this book will be any different. "Vivi has known the truth about her family - and herself - since she was 13. But that doesn't mean she's accepted it. Being Haguari isn't something she feels she'll ever accept. How can she feel like anything but a freak knowing that it's in her genes to turn into a jaguar? Now 18, Vivi's ready to break away from the traditions of her heritage. But all of that changes with the shocking, devastating deaths of her parents and the mysteries left behind. Vivi discovers family she never even knew she had, and a life open with possibility. New friends, new loyalties, and even romance lay ahead - but so do dangers unlike anything Vivi ever could have imagined." This book is set to be released on 7/1/14.
3. No one else can have you by Kathleen Hale. This book sounds like it's going to be something that i really am going to love, and i cannot wait to get to get lost in this story. "Small towns are nothing if not friendly. Friendship, Wisconsin (population: 688) is no different. Around here, everyone wears a smile. And no one ever locks their doors. Until, that is, high school sweetheart Ruth Friend is found murdered. Strung up like a scarecrow in the middle of a cornfield. Unfortunately, Friendship's police are more adept at looking for lost pets than catching killers. So Ruth's best friend, Kippy Bushman, armed with only her tenacious Midwestern spirit and Ruth's secret diary, sets out to find the murderer. But in a quiet town like Friendship - where no one is a suspect - anyone could be the killer. Ahh it just sounds so good! This book is also set to be released on 7/1/14.
4. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs. A sequel to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Chidren? Erm YES PLEASE! I am so in love with this story world that Ransom Riggs has created and i can't wait to read more about it! This book is possibly the book i am second most excited for from next year, right after the new Mortal Instruments book!
5. And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard. This book sounds so interesting to me, and i cannot wait to finally read this book! "When high school senior Paul Wagoner walks into his school library with a stolen gun, he threatens his girlfriend Emily Beam, then takes his own life. In the wake of the tragedy, an angry and guilt-ridden Emily is shipped off to boarding school in Amherst, Massachusetts, where she encounters a ghostly presence who shares her name. The spirit of Emily Dickinson and two quirky girls offer helping hands, but it is up to Emily to heal her own damaged self." I cannot wait to read how Hubbard tells such an intriguing story in both verse and prose. SO EXCITED! This book is set to be released on 28/1/14.
6. Deeper by Robin York. "When Caroline Piasecki's ex-boyfriend posts their sex pictures on the internet, it destroys her reputation as a nice college girl. Suddenly her once-promising future doesn't look so bright. Caroline tries to make the pictures disappear, hoping time will bury her shame. Then a guy she barely knows rises to her defense and punches her ex to the ground. " Now this book doesn't really sound like the kind of book that i would usually feel drawn towards, but there's something about it that really makes me want to read it. Hopefully it will be as great as the synopsis' make it sound. This book is set to be released on 28/1/14.
7. Alienated by Melissa Landers. Now i'm not the biggest fan of alien stories, but this one sounds so good that i just can't wait to read it, maybe this will be the book that changes alien stories for me! "Cara Sweeney has been hand picked to be the first ever host in an alien exchange programme with the L'eihr. Aelyx is the L'eihr exchange student sent to live with Cara, and although L'eihr's and humans have nearly identical DNA, Cara thinks Aelyx couldn't seem more alien, and she's certain about one thing: human boys aren't this good looking." So yeah although i've never really been into alien stories, i'm really excited to see where this story goes and how the friendship/relationship develops between Cara and Aelyx. This book is set to be released on 4/2/14.
8. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson. "The pre-Sloane Emily didn't go to parties, she barely talked to guys, she didn't do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend - the one who yanks you out of your shell. But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just...disappears. No note. No calls. No texts. No Sloane. There's just a random to do list. On it, 13 Sloane-selected definitely-bizarre tasks that Emily would never try...unless they could lead back her best friend." So this sounds like it could be a really good summer read, and i'm excited to read about the different tasks that Emily takes on. This book is set to be released on 13/5/14.
9. We Are The Goldens by Dana Reinhardt. Okay, so listen (or you know, read) this: "When Nell and Layla were little, Nell used to call them Nellaya. Because to Nell, there was no difference between where she started and her adored big sister ended. They're a unit; divorce made them rely on each other early on, so when one pulls away, what is the other to do? But now, Nell's a freshman in high school and Layla is changing, secretive.  And then Nell discovers why. Layla is involved with one of their teachers. And even though Nell tries to support Layla, to understand that she's happy and in love, Nell struggles with her true feelings: it's wrong, and she must do something about it." I think this sounds so interesting, and the whole teacher relationship thing is something i always find interesting to read about, and this book just sounds really interesting to me. This book is set to released on 27/5/14.
10. (Don't You) Forget About Me by Kate Karyus Quinn. This book sounds so fascinating to me! "Welcome to Gardenerville. A place where no one gets sick. And no one ever dies. Except there's a price to pay for paradise. Every fourth year, the strange power that fuels the town exacts its payment by infecting teens with deadly urges. In a normal year in Gardenerville, teens might stop talking to their best friends. In a fourth year, they'd kill them." Ugh it sounds so up my street! I'm really looking forward to reading this next summer! This book is set to be released 10/6/14.
11. Finally, The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu. "Everyone has a lot to say about Alice Franklin, and it's stopped mattering whether it's true. The rumors started at a party when Alice supposedly had sex with two guys in one night. When school starts everyone almost forgets about Alice until one of those guys, super-popular Brandon, dies in a car wreck that was allegedly all Alice's fault. Now the only friend she has is a boy who may be the only other person who knows the truth, but is too afraid to admit it. Told from the perspectives of popular girl Elaine, football star Josh, former outcast Kelsie, and shy genius Kurt, we see how everyone has a motive to bring - and keep- Alice down." I think this book sounds really intriguing and i can't wait to read a new, exciting book with multiple perspectives. This book is set to be released on 10/6/14. 

Meghan x

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Because Feelings Matter TAG

I saw this tag going around on BookTube and i thought it would be quite fun to do. This is the original tag, if you wanted to check that out :)

1) What book has made you feel confident either about yourself or your life?

So the obvious answer i can think of for this question is Girls Under Pressure by Jacqueline Wilson, as i read it at a time when i hated basically everything about myself and i felt a lot like Ellie, and reading how she overcame how she felt and that she started to love herself made me feel a lot better about myself, and when i'm feeling down i like to read that book again to cheer myself up a bit. I also feel a similar way about Unbearable Lightness by Portia De Rossi.

2) What book has made you sympathize with the characters?

Well the obvious answer would be The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, so yeah i'm going to go with that. I think if you can read TFiOS and not feel really bad for basically every character i applaud you because this book made me feel so bad for so many people. And Hazel saying "I do." at the end just makes it hit home how bad i feel for everyone.

3) What book made you feel anxious?

No book has really made me feel anxious, i guess the closest to feeling anxious i've gotten is when i was reading The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult. I was just found myself on edge a lot (which sounds silly now that i've written it) throughout the book because i wanted to know who had killed him but then i didn't want to know, and then i didn't want her to be found in Alaska, and everything made me feel a lot of different things mainly just because of what the book was about.

4) What book has made you feel annoyed?

Oh where to start...A few books have made me feel annoyed, but i think the one that annoys me the most is New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. I HATE the way Bella acts in this book (well in all the books really, but especially this one) particularly when Edward leaves. Yes i get that you're sad that your boyfriend has left you but seriously get a grip. There are pages where Stephenie Meyer has literally just written the name of the month because Bella is in such a state of despair that she can't do a single thing! Ergh i just really hate this book because of how annoying and insufferable i find Bella in it.

5) Which book has made you feel disappointed?

I'm going to go with Geek Girl by Holly Smale because i honestly thought that i was going to love this book and then it was just kind of a let down over and over again...

6) Which book has made you feel confused?

Confused? Hmmmm? I'm not sure i've ever really been confused by a book, and if i have i can't remember it. I guess Evil Star by Anthony Horowitz confused me a bit, but i think that's mainly due to the fact i read it before Raven's Gate (Evil Star is the second book in the Power of Five series, Raven's Gate is book one.) so that left me a little confused.

7) Which book has made you feel satisfied?

I'm going to say 2 very different books for this. First off i'm going to say Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan because this book was exactly the kind of book i wanted and needed to read at the time that i first read it. I was in a bit of a reading slump and this book made me realise why i love reading again. It's funny at times, sad at times, made me laugh, made me cry, and i honestly love every single thing about this book. The second book is The Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger because it is my all time favourite book and i think i read it at the right time in my life. I read it at that time in a person's life where a book can just feel right and like this book could change your life and that a book can just mean so much to you. Catcher is my favourite book and it means more to me than any other book and every time i read it i feel satisfied knowing that this book is something that i can come back to over and over again and no matter what it's there for me[?] (that sounded better in my head i think...)

8) Which book has made you feel like you really related to the character? 

I'm just going to name a few books where i really related to a character (maybe i'll expand on them some day) :
Harry Potter, The Catcher in the Rye, Girls Under Pressure, Girl 15 series, Will Grayson Will Grayson, Looking For Alaska, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, 13 Reasons Why, City of Ashes, Kiss, Oh My Goth, and many others really..

Meghan x

Twitter - @meghannalicee
Instagram - @meghannalicee

Book Haul #1 - Oxford and Birthday...kind of.

It's been about two weeks since i finished BEDA and wrote my last blog post and i've missed sitting down and writing something everyday, but it's also been nice to not think about what i'm going to write and making sure i put up something before the day ends. 

So as i said in one (or a few) of my posts during August, the 27th was my 21st birthday and i went to Oxford for a few days, which was amazing and i got to watch Rocky Horror live which was one of the best things ever! And i also got to go to Blackwell's which is my favourite bookshop in the world. Then when i got back i went shopping and, of course, bought a few more books. So i thought now would be the perfect time to do something i've wanted to do since starting this blog: A BOOK HAUL! (the capitals were needed to express how excited i am...obviously.) 

Let's start with the books i bought in Oxford. I only got a few because we were walking around all day and then obviously had to go get ready for the show, but i'm really excited about the books i picked up there.

The first book i found was For Esme ~ with Love and Squalor and Other Stories by J D Salinger. Salinger is one of my favourite authors and although i've already read this and i have it on my kindle i just couldn't walk out of Blackwell's without making it mine. I love that this copy matches both of my copies of The Catcher in the Rye (where this one is blue, they are red) and i can't wait to re-read this with the added bonus of it being a physical copy!

This next book is one i am beyond excited to read! Wittgenstein's Mistress by David Markson sounds so so so so so so good and i can tell that i am going to adore this book! I originally picked it up because, as a philosophy student, i love Wittgenstein's theory of language games and was convinced that if this book named him in the title then it was definitely a book i at least had to check out. The story follows a woman who is convinced that she is the last person alive on earth, and is apparently so convincing that the reader will start to believe her. It sounds so good and i cannot wait to read this!

AH!!! I AM SO EXCITED! I'm really really really happy that i decided to finally pick up this series! This is obviously The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare and i am so ridiculously excited to be able to read these straight after i finish my re-read of The Mortal Instruments. I was a little annoyed that Clockwork Princess was taller than the first two books in the series, but then i noticed the most magical words in the world: collector's edition. Ugh, no two words could make me buy a book faster. This edition has a fold out family tree at the back, which is beyond exciting to me. I am sooooooooo excited to finally be able to read these books!

 

Every Day by David Levithan was the first book i bought when i got back from Oxford. I've heard so many good things about this book so i am really excited to read this (what a surprise) and i love the bright orange cover that it has, the only cover i had seen before i found this was the black and white cover with the two people(?) but i like this cover a whole lot more. I'm intrigued by the story, i watched a web series that had a similar storyline and i enjoyed that so hopefully i'll enjoy this one too.

United we Spy by Ally Carter is the sixth and final book in the Gallagher Girls series, and i adore this series so i am really excited to see how it ends. This copy has a bonus short story called 'A Gallagher Wedding' so i am stoked to read that because i really do love this story and i just can't wait to do a full re-read of the first five then finish with this. It's going to be a fun autumn/winter!

OMG IS THERE A MORE PERFECT BOOK? This is Marvel's graphic novel version of Jane Austen's Emma. Marvel + Classics = Happy Meghan! I'm going to read this really soon, because it's pretty short and it's a graphic novel so it's not really going to take away from the two books i'm currently reading. I am so excited for this!

omg. Okay, so apart from the Harry Potter series, The Mortal Instruments is probably my favourite series and i LOVED the film (and i may have been slightly devastated at the City of Ashes news) and when i saw this in Ben's video (benjaminoftomes) i knew i had to have it! So as soon as i saw it i grabbed it and basically ran to the counter to pay. It's such a good book, seeing how the book was turned into the movie, and with a few pictures of Jamie Campbell Bower thrown in how could it not be a good book? ;) (Also, if you like books and you watch YouTube, go watch and subscribe to Ben - he's definitely one of my favourites and he's just a wonderful human.)

Much like the book above, as soon as i saw this i had to have it! It's such a cool little guide to all the characters and things you need to know, and as a massive fan of the shadowhunter world, this book makes me all kinds of happy.

So i actually really love the first two books in this series, and yet i've never even thought of buying this book, but when i saw it in the shop yesterday i knew that i wanted to read it and find out what happens between Jess and Fred. Girl, 16 Pants on Fire by Sue Limb is the final book in the trilogy and i am going to start reading this when i finish this post, because it's a pretty easy, quick read and i just need to know if Jess and Fred last, you know?

I don't really know a whole lot about this book. I know that it's about a couple who really want a child, and then they discover this orphan boy who's lost his memory, so they take him in and then weird things start happening...i think? Either way i am very intrigued and excited by The Orphan by Christopher Ransom. Always good when a book is centered on a creepy child.

Again, i don't know a whole lot about The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes but i know that it sounds super good! From what i remember, it's about a girl who gets attacked and lives, who then goes after the man who attacked her, who she believes has killed many other girls, but he shouldn't exist...at least that's what i get from the back of the book... I know that this sounds like a book i want to read and that would be really interesting to me. I love creepy books, and crime books, and i think this will combine the two very well. 

So that's the end of my first book haul :) I had fun...Hopefully i will start blogging in some form of routine from now on, i just don't know what that will be yet.

Meghan x

Twitter - @meghannalicee

Instagram - @meghannalicee

End of BEDA

At the start of the month I decided to try to blog every day throughout August and for the first 26 days I managed to get up a post every day, and I'm pretty proud of myself for that. The 27th was my 21st birthday and I spent that day and the next in Oxford with no wifi so I didn't get to make a post for those two days, but I had the best time ever! And then when I got back from Oxford I got sick, I've felt so crappy for the past 3 days so I haven't really had any motivation to make a blog post. So I guess I ultimately lost my challenge of blogging every day, but I still really enjoyed trying it out, and who knows maybe I'll try it again another month. For now though I think I'll stick to one or two posts a week.

I'm also thinking about starting up a YouTube channel so I can start being more involved with the BookTube community, so maybe that will come along soon? 

Anyway, thank you to the people who have read my blog at all this month, and I'm excited to carry on with this blog :)

Meghan x

Twitter - @meghannalicee

Instagram - @meghannalicee

Reading Habits Tag!

Hello again! I'm back with yet another tag! I saw this over on Ben's YouTube channel and thought it might be good to do for today's post. This was created by TheBookJazz and is all about your reading habits...obviously... so here we go!

1 - Do you have a certain place at home for reading?
Not really, no. I kind of just read wherever/whenever i can. I prefer reading either on my bed or sat in the library (the library being the spare bedroom that my parents filled with my books and two incredibly comfy chairs...).

2 - Bookmark or random piece of paper?
I tend to always use bookmarks, just because i really like them and have quite a few. Also bookmarks are usually pretty/interesting and just seem to make the whole reading experience a little bit more enjoyable even when you hate the book.

3 - Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter/a certain amount of pages?
I can stop reading whenever really. I prefer it when it's at the end of a chapter as that's just a natural place to stop if you're going to stop reading, but i can stop reading at any point.

4 - Do you eat or drink while reading?
It really depends on whether i'm thirsty/hungry at the time. It's not something i have to do while i read or anything.

5 - Multitasking: Music or TV while reading?
It really depends on what mood i'm in. Sometimes i like listening to music as a i read, other times i want it to be as quiet as possible. I don't really ever read while watching TV though, because i get distracted far too easily for that.

6 - One book at a time or several at once?
A mix of both really. If the books are the same genre/similar in any way i don't like reading them at the same time, but if they're completely different then i read a few at a time. Unless i'm really, really into a book, then i only read that one.

7 - Reading at home or everywhere?
I do the majority of my reading at home, but i like reading other places too especially if i'm not really into the book as a change of location might help. I read a lot when i'm on trains as well, that's the only kind of transport i can read on without feeling sick.

8 - Reading out loud or silently in your head?
Silently in my head. I hate reading out loud.

9 - Do you read ahead or even skip pages?
Not usually no. If i'm hating the book then i tend to flick to a later page just to see if it gets anymore interesting, but 99% of the time i just read it through.

10 - Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?
If it's paperback i don't really care either way, it's harder to keep them looking like new, but i like keeping hardcovers looking like new. If i love the book i tend to be a little disappointed if the spine is a mess though.

11 - Do you write in your books?
Not usually. I write and highlight in my philosophy books because i kind of need to do that for uni and writing papers and stuff, but i don't read in my 'normal' books. Apart from one copy of The Catcher in the Rye, i sometimes highlight and write little notes in that because i have two copies, and Catcher is my favourite book ever and i find it hard to explain why most of the time, and having that helps because i can show people how certain parts make me feel.

Meghan x

Twitter - @meghannalicee
Instagram - @meghannalicee

The Literary Identification Tag

Hello there! I'm back again today with another tag, this one comes from the lovely Tiernan over on thebooktuber. I really enjoyed watching him and others do this tag so i thought i'd give it a go myself! Here we go!

(I totally should have looked at these questions properly, but i had a Harry Potter day and now it's nearly 11pm and i need sleep...so this should be fun!)

1 - What fictional character is most like you? (personality)
I'm really not sure about this, i tend to think about this a lot, and everytime i come up with an answer it changes depending on how i'm feeling. I think the most accurate one i can think of (and when i say that i can think of it i actually mean my friend Ashley on skype...) is slightly cheating, but probably a mix of Charlie and Sam from The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Charlie is kind of how i've been since i was about 10, but Sam kind of represents how i felt through most of uni. So yeah, that was kind of cheating but it was all i could come up with.

2 - What character would you most like to play in a book-to-movie adaptation?
Now before i went to see City of Bones i would have said Isabelle from The Mortal Instruments, but i think she was played so wonderfully that i take that back. The only other person i can think of is maybe Anna from the Winter Trilogy? I really love those books and i think it would be fun to play a witch.

3 - What character do you physically resemble the most?
Every time i read Girls Under Pressure (and the other books that follow those characters) i imagine Ellie as looking like me. Maybe it's because i relate to her character more than most others i read and that book almost feels like i could be her, but partly just because the way she is described reminds me of myself.

4 - What is a quote from a book that hits home/describes something in your life really well?
'Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.' - The Catcher in the Rye.

5 - What character do you have the most sympathy for?
I'm going to go with Isaac from TFiOS. He loses basically everything. He loses his eyes, girlfriend, best friend. I just want to find him and give him the biggest hug in the world.

Meghan x

Twitter - @meghannalicee
Instagram - @meghannalicee

Book Band Tag

This tag was created by PerformingBookFelf on Youtube  and i saw Jack on JackEatsBooks do it and i thought it looked like a fun idea, and so here is my answers to the band, manager, groupies, name, and title of the first single. This was so much fun to do, however it was so freaking hard to decide on the different characters and coming up with a band name was always something i wanted to do, but coming up with one using book titles was so much harder than i expected it to be. Also, i think that some of the characters i've chosen play different instruments in their books, but i just ignored that part and came up with a band that i would love to go see play live.

Okay, here we go!

Band: 
(I'm pretty sure there was only meant to be four members, but i wanted to make a band that i would love)

Singer :  Robbie - The Confessions of Georgia Nicholson. I mean he's already in a band, he can sing, write songs, and add an extra guitar if they want it. He's just one of the most perfect characters to have in a band really.
Pianist : Jace Wayland - The Mortal Instruments. He plays piano, and he's just all round wonderful, so why wouldn't you want him in a band?
Guitarist : Daniel Grigori - Fallen. He's hot...i'm sure he'd be pretty good at being the moody, hot guitarist in a band. I think he'd fit in quite well with Jace and Robbie as well.
Bassist : Fred - Jess Jordan Series. I just really like Fred from this series, i'm pretty sure in the books he either plays guitar or drums, but i think he'd make a pretty good bassist for this band.
Drummer: Draco Malfoy - Harry Potter Series. I just really liked the idea of Jace and Draco being in a band together...this decision was entirely made by the fangirl part of my brain.

Band Name : I've gone with the name 'Catching Winter' merging together Catching Fire and A Witch in Winter. It's not the greatest name in the world but i think it might work?

Manager : Okay, i've gone for Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I think that he'd be able to get stuff done, and i just think he'd be a wonderful manager (and friend) to the guys in the band.

Groupies : I went with kind of obvious ones for this, but thinking up groupies was hard! Okay, so we have - Alec Lightwood who'd be there for Jace, Georgia Nicholson who'd be there for Robbie, Jess Jordan who'd be there for Fred, Isabelle Lightwood who i think would just be there for the fun, Clary Fray who'd be there for Jace, Luce Price who'd be there for Daniel, and i also think they'd be a band that Jade and her friends from Oh My Goth would probably like so they'd all be there too.

First Single : So i've gone for 'I'd tell you i love you, but then i'd have to kill you' because i think it would make a pretty good name for a first single. It kind of has a Fall Out Boy/Panic! at the Disco kind of vibe in my head, so maybe it would be a good route to go down.


That tag was a whole lot of fun! It was harder than i originally thought it would be, but it was so much fun to think of all the different parts!

Meghan x

Twitter - @meghannalicee
Instagram - @meghannalicee 

Top 5...#4

After watching City of Bones last night, I'm inspired to do another top 5, this time listing my top 5 book to movie adaptations. This could be fun :)

5: The Perks of Being A Wallflower

For me, this was probably the most true to book adaptation of the ones in this list, and I love both the book and the movie, but for some reason (that escapes even me) i can't bring myself to rank it higher. Maybe it's because I like a bit of 'creative license' or whatever when it comes to book adaptations, or maybe it's because this is the book/film that makes me break down into a mess of tears each time I read/watch it? Either way I think this is an amazing adaptation, and I highly recommend both book and movie to everyone, because they are both spectacular! 

4: I Am Number Four

I have no idea why I love this movie so much, but I really do. I was so happy that this got turned into a film and I think that might be why I love it so much? Maybe? Whatever the reason the book and film both make me happy. I think Alex Pettyfer plays a wonderful Number Four and I just really love getting lost in this story, whether it be by page or screen. I've never really been into books about aliens, but this is one of the few that really stole my heart. It might not be the best in the world, but it's one of the books (and one of the films) that just makes me really happy. And that's all I want from it.

3: The Hunger Games

Now before I get into this I just want to say that the whole part about Peeta's leg being changed for the film still really annoys me, but I understand why they did it. Okay, now that's covered...I really love the adaptation of the Hunger Games and I cannot wait for Catching Fire to be released!! I adore this series, and the film made the world so real for me that I don't really care about any changes they've made (depending on what they do with Catching Fire and Mockingjay...). I love the world Suzanne Collins made and seeing that comes to life makes me really happy.

2: City Of Bones

Omg I really, really, really LOVED the film. SO MUCH LOVE. Even the parts they changed from the book (like the whole Simon/rat/vampires scene) I loved, because as much as I love the book (and believe me that is A LOT) I thought the changes made the film flow much better, and made the film more realistic...you know as realistic as a film about Shadowhunters, Demons, and Downworlders can be... I love this book more than most things, and I can tell that as soon as I get my hands on the DVD of this film it will be constantly on repeat. (Also I'm going to see it again next week, so I'm a very happy Meghan). This is just easily one of my favourite things to happen as far as book to movie adaptations goes and I'm really excited to see what they do with City of Ashes and co. 

1: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Now I love all the Harry Potter films, I don't care. Anything HP related I love, and I know a lot was changed/missing in the films but I'm fine with that because I realised a long time ago that for me they could just be two separate things. The books and the movies. Since then I've loved the films even more. For me the two Deathly Hallows films were the best adaptations in the series, possibly because they were the most beautifully shot, or because the build up to the battle was brilliant, or just because I knew it was ending and it made me sad and therefore more attached? Whatever the reason I thought they were outstanding. I loved everything about them. I wish I could just put all the HP films on here because I honestly love them all to death, but DH definitely wins best adaptation in my eyes.

Meghan x

Twitter - @meghannalicee

Instagram - @meghannalicee

City of Bones: MOVIE

Just going to say there may be some spoilers of the film/movie, just so we all know where we're at. :)

OMG I'M SO IN LOVE.

This is the kind of excitement I've only ever experienced with Harry Potter movies and now I'm sat here with the same feelings over City of Bones. I absolutely loved the movie! There were times when I kind of made a WTF face at the screen, but I went in knowing it would obviously not be the same as the book, and now in my head they're two separate things - just like Harry Potter is for me. I missed the diner part, and the vampire scene was different, but ultimately I really, really loved the film!

Jace and Alec were played perfectly and I fell even more in love with Jace than I was before. 

I don't want to say anymore because anyone who is a fan of the book should definitely go see this film! Even if you don't like the book/haven't read the book you should see this film. It's really great.

(Also, I will be fangirling on twitter, if you want to join me :] )

Meghan x

Twitter - @meghannalicee

Instagram - @meghannalicee

House Pride

I was talking to one of my friends the other day and we got onto the topic of Harry Potter, as we often do, and when I asked what house they belonged to our other friend thought I had gone crazy. He said that Hogwarts isn't real and so obviously we don't belong to any house, and oh boy was that the wrong thing to say.

My friend is a very, very, proud Ravenclaw and I've never seen someone get shot down quite as fast as she shot down our friend. Now I am an incredibly proud Slytherin and, on more than one occasion, have gotten into pretty heated arguments with some of my close friends about the Hogwarts houses. 

I do have a point to this... All these conversations and arguments have made me think about the house pride that we all have for the houses we identify as, this became worse for the people I know when Pottermore came around because then we finally got sorted. Now for me being sorted was great because it solidified what I always knew - i am a slytherin. However one of my best friends has always thought of herself as a Gryffindor was sorted into Hufflepuff, and I have never seen such disappointment in one person. So why is it that being a part of these fictional houses means so much to us? I mean I wear my Slytherin hoodie at least three times a week, and it's one of my favourite things in the world, but why? I have a hoodie from the uni I've just graduated from which I never wear, and I really miss that place, but when I wear my Slytherin I feel a sense of pride and belonging that doesn't happen with my uni hoodie. 

Maybe I'm just nostalgic for HP, or maybe it's just because I grew up with Harry and Hogwarts? Whatever it is I love the pride that's found in the Harry Potter fandom and I'm proud that I'm a part of something so massive.

Slytherin forever <3

(Also, I joined bloglovin' if you would like to follow me on there that would be lovely :] )

Meghan x

Twitter - @meghannalicee  

Instagram - @meghannalicee

City of Bones Review

At about 2am this morning I finished my re-read of City of Bones and I realised again why it's easily one of my favourite books and why I love everything about it so much.

Not only is Jace one of the best characters to ever exist, the rest of the characters in this book are so amazingly, wonderfully written that even after one read you know them so well. Alec is probably my second favourite character in this series, I love his relationships with Jace and Isabelle, and I love the development of his relationship with Clary. He's just a really great character. Clary, Isabelle, Simon, and Luke, while I'm not exactly any of their biggest fan, I do still like reading about them, and I what I love so much about this book is how diverse their individual voices are. I love the conversations that happen between the characters, and how they all talk to, and react to, the different characters. 

Valentine...what can I say about Valentine? I don't think I've ever loved an hated a 'villain' quite as much as him. I loved, loved, loved his whole story in this book (btw it's so hard writing about one book in a series when you love them all so much...) and I hate him so much for everything he does with Jace and Clary.

Ooh speaking of Jace and Clary, their relationship is one of my favourites to read. I love when they first meet, and when they go to the Vampires, and Magnus Bane, and in the greenhouse, and it still makes me sad that Valentine kind of ruins all of that. One day you'll be together babies, don't worry <3 

Ugh I just love this book so much, and whole series, so much and I cannot wait for Wednesday when I finally get to see this world come to life! 

Meghan x

Twitter - @meghannalicee

Instagram - @meghannalicee

Favourite Fictional Characters

Most of today has been spent looking after my niece and nephew, and now I'm catching up on Dexter and re-watching Hannibal. So I thought I'd make a post about some of my favourite fictional characters. 

Draco Malfoy Harry Potter Series

Jace Wayland The Mortal Instruments

Peeta Mellark The Hunger Games

Dracula 

Holden Caulfield The Catcher in the Rye

Clay Jensen Thirteen Reasons Why

Katniss Everdeen The Hunger Games

Luna Lovegood Harry Potter Series

Dakin The History Boys

Charlie The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Alex A Clockwork Orange

Percy Jackson 

Anna Winterson Winter Trilogy 

Seth Winter Trilogy

Alec Lightwood The Mortal Instruments

They're the only ones I can think of right now, but they're definitely some of the best characters I've come across and I love them all for different reasons but I love them all a whole lot. 

Meghan x

Twitter - @meghannalicee

Instagram - @meghannalicee

Top 5...#3

Today I thought I'd do another top 5, and this one was probably the hardest one to work out, but it's one that is definitely going to have 5 of my all time favourites because I'm going to list my top 5...Harry Potter books! (I am aware there's only 7!)

5: The Prisoner of Azkaban 

I adore this book. Sirius is one of my all time favourite characters from everything, and this book definitely started that love. I just love everything about the story, and I love the relationships that form between Harry and Sirius and Harry and Remus. 

4: The Deathly Hallows

I think this is the HP book I've probably read the most (other than the book in the number one slot.) and I just adore everything about it. I love the the story of the three brothers and it's just a wonderful book to read, apart from Snape... Oh Snape :'(

3: The Half Blood Prince

Snape baby, I love you. I love this book. When it came out I remember my friends that were into HP at the time (there wasn't that many...) were all so sad about Dumbledore, but I was never his biggest fan, so this book doesn't make me as sad as most people I've spoken to about it, but it is definitely one of my favourites. I love everything about it. 

2: The Philosophers Stone

This book started it all and I love it more than pretty much everything because it's basically the reason I'm who I am today. Harry Potter is the reason i like the stuff I do today and it's the reason I love books and reading so much and this is the book that started all that off. I love this book and I owe this book a lot.

Finally....

1: The Goblet of Fire

Oh Em Gee I love this book more than basically everything in existence. It's my favourite of the HP books, it's my favourite of the films, it's just my favourite everything. I love everything about this story and ugh I just love it. Cedric, baby, I love you more than basically everyone. This is just the most perfect book in my eyes. 

Meghan x

Twitter - @meghannalicee

Instagram - @meghannalicee

The Book Alphabet

So I thought I'd try and do the a-z of book titles today. I think I've done pretty well, there's only two letters that I couldn't find a book for. Here we go! :)

A - Abandon by Meg Cabot

B - Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl 

C - City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

D - Death Note vol.1 by Tsugumi Ohba 

E - Eragon by Christopher Paolini

F - Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

G - Gothic Fantasy by Edwin Page

H - Holes by Louis Sachar

I - Inferno by Dan Brown

J - Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier

K- Kiss by Jacqueline Wilson 

L - Lisey's Story by Stephen King

M - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs 

N - Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell

O - Oh My Goth by Gena Showalter 

P - Passion by Lauren Kate

Q - Quidditch Through the Ages by J K Rowling

R - Rapture by Lauren Kate

S - Sister by Rosamund Lupton

T - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

U - Unbearable Lightness by Portia De Rossi 

V - Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre 

W - Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

X - I don't have one for this...

Y - You Don't Know Me by David Klass 

 

Z - This is the other one I didn't have one for.

I think 24/26 is pretty good? 

Meghan x

Twitter - @meghannalicee

Instagram - @meghannalicee

Movie and TV covers

II'd say that about 99.9% of my books have the regular, original covers but occasionally one with a movie or tv cover slips onto my bookshelf, and I thought I'd share the few that I have. 

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Parade's End by Ford Madox Ford

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist 

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Bind up of the first two books in the 'confessions of Georgia Nocolson' series by Louise Rennison 

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl 

Books 1-4 of 'The Vampire Diaries' by L J Smith

The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien (this is my 2nd/possibly 3rd copy of this book)

Meghan x

Twitter - @meghannalicee

Instagram - @meghannalicee