May Wrap-Up

This month I read a total of 7 books. Yep, that's a bit less than my usual monthly reads but I've been reading a lot of classics lately and while they do take quite a chunk out of my reading time, I've actually been really enjoying them. Without much delay, let's jump right into it!

7. Death of Wolverine by Charles Soule - 3 stars

This miniseries follows the concluding storyline of one of the most legendary X-Men, Wolverine, across 4 issues full of awesome writing and equally awesome artwork. I had never read an X-Men comic before and what I knew about the characters and the universe was based mostly on what I'd seen in the movies. The story was still pretty easy to follow though and you just can't help get attached to Wolverine/Logan. He's such an awesome character. I would have given one more star if not for the fourth and last issue which somewhat fell kind of flat. Overall though, this was a really good comic miniseries. 

6. The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy - 3 stars

Yes, I've been reading quite my fair share of Thomas Hardy lately. Like many of his novels, this is a drama/romance story set in a small 19th century town. The book follows the interwoven stories of several people who each in their own way are struggling to get the object of their desire, may if be the love of another or a raise in societal status. With its backdrop of 19th century rural life, romance and lingering tragedy, this is one of Hardy's best works. I found myself really enjoying the first half of the book but around the midpoint, things somewhat started to slow down a bit, hence the 3-star rating. This however remains a very poetic and beautiful story about life, society and love and if you enjoy Thomas Hardy's novels, definitely pick this one up. 

5. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis - 3 stars

This installment, the third in the publication order, sees the return of Lucy and Edmund to Narnia. This time, their sullen cousin Eustace accompanies them, somewhat against his will. The two Pevensies are reunited with old friends, including Caspian, as they all embark on a sea journey towards lands both unknown and magical. This was a very satisfying addition to the series and might even have obtained a fourth star if not for the character of Eustace. I understand why it was important for readers to initially find him unsympathetic but in my case I think it worked a bit too well and after a few pages, I just got a bit frustrated with him. It could also be that I was just missing the two older Pevensies. 

4. Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy - 4 stars 

Yep, another Thomas Hardy book! I guess it means I have a new favorite author :) This is so far the most dramatic of the books I've read by him. It follows the story of Tess, a girl born to a peasant family and whose father learns he's of noble ancestry. For her parents' sake, Tess accepts to seek the rich branch of the family to claim kinship. Thus she meets her 'cousin' Alec and what then follows will forever change her life. Some might argue this book deserves 5 stars but Tess, while being a very human and relatable character, isn't quite as strong a female character as I like to read about. I however really enjoyed this book and would like to reread it at some point.

3. Silas Marner by George Eliot - 4 stars

Old and solitary Silas Marner's life is turned upside down when one day someone steals the treasure he'd been gathering and hiding for years. Silas soon afterwards finds an abandoned child in his home and ends up adopting her. Initially depressed by the loss of his treasure, Silas finds new joy in his unexpected fatherhood and thus his life slowly begins to change. If the plot sounds familiar it's because Gabrielle Zevin's novel 'The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry' is loosely based on this book. This was quite a short and quick read and within 200 pages or so, George Eliot manages to explore human nature with her always captivating and occasionally witty prose. This might not be the best book to start with if you're interested in discovering George Eliot's works but if you're already a fan of her books, you might not want to miss out on this one.

2. The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis - 4 stars

This book follows the adventures of Eustace and his schoolmate Jill Pole as they unexpectedly find themselves carried into Narnia, where they are sent on a mission to find the King's long lost son, the Prince Rilian. Their adventures lead them to new friends and foes, and down into the eerie Underland where dark schemes are brewing. This is the first Narnia book without any of the Pevensie siblings but we do get a more mature and brave Eustace as well as lots of scenes with Aslan. Overall, this installment was very fun to read. 

1. Saga Vol. 4 by Brian K. Vaughan - 4 stars 

More space drama, action, sexiness and badass awesomeness. Need I say more? This graphic novel series just keeps getting better and better. There were issues that I enjoyed less than others but overall, this remains a volume that should greatly please fans. 

So that's it for my wrap-up. Is there anything here that you've read or want to read? Let me know in the comments!

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The Book ♥ Tag

Hey Guys! So today, I have another book tag for you! I'm doing the Book ♥ Tag, which was created by YouTubers booksandquills and Jean Bookishthoughts. You can check out their original tag video here. Before we start, one thing you should know about me is that romance isn't a genre I read specifically from. I do enjoy some romance in my books though and that's what I'll be basing my answers on.

1. Who is your favorite literary couple?

For this one,I have to pick Alana and Marko from the Saga graphic novel series. Not only are they ready to face the wrath of the entire universe just to be together, but they also bring out the best out of each other. What I also really love about them is that they have full confidence in each other's strengths. Marko for example would die for Alana but he still lets her fight her battles because that's the best way he can show his love for her. They are portrayed very realistically and show that love doesn't have to be sugar-coated to still resonate strongly with readers.  

2. Your Top 3 fictional boyfriends (or girlfriends!)

Jem Carstairs

The first one just has to be Jem Castairs from the Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare. I know a lot of you actually prefer Will Herondale from that series but I'm on team Jem forever. He's kind, loyal, just the right amount of tragic and... he plays the violin! I mean, come on! 

Number two would be Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. Mr Rochester is the very definition of dark and brooding and while not big on physical demonstrations of affection, in the end he makes his actions count. And did I mention dark and brooding? 

Number three would be Gabriel Oak from Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. He stays true to his love throughout the book, even choosing to let her go when it seems to be the best for her. Discover more about Gabriel and this story from my full review of this book here.

3. What's a romantic trope you wish people would stop using?

Ugh. It has to be that thing when the guy will pretend he no longer loves the girl because he's trying to make their separation less hard on her because for some reason being with him would be dangerous to her or something like that. New Moon anyone? Come on, how many of you actually bought it when Edward 'dumped' Bella? Frustratingly enough, this trope shows up in one of my favorites series as well (no, NOT Twilight). In the Mortal Instruments, again by Clare, something similar happens between Clary and Jace just when things seem to start going well for them. Frustrating much?!

4. Which literary couple are terrible for each other?

Tess and Angel from Tess of the d'Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy. The love Tess has for Angel is so obssessive it would make Bella's reaction to Edward's departure actually look sane. Without getting too much into the plot, Tess initially learns trust and love through Angel but eventually, her feelings for him end up taking over her life entirely, ultimately sealing her particularly tragic fate. Theirs was quite the cursed romance but the book is actually very good so I would totally recommend it. 

5. Best romance book to movie adaptation?

Like I said, I don't really read romance books so for this one, I'm going to pick a romantic relationship that translated well from the book to the screen. I'm going to pick Snape's love for Lily from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (part 2 for the movie). In the short screen time devoted to their relationship, I think the movie really managed to deliver all the feels you would expect from the book.

6. What is the best book to read to your boyfriend/girlfriend?

It would have to be something entertaining without being cluttered with too many action or violence. I would pick anything from Haruki Murakami. There's something really soothing with his writing which I think would be awesome for a book being read aloud. If I had to settle for one of his books, I would go with 1Q84. It's also a little bit weird, which would make for a great discussion afterwards.

7. Which book would you say is your favorite on a first date?

It would have to be a book that would have a bit of the things we both love. So it would have to be a book with is rather flexible in terms of its genre. I think Harry Potter would be the perfect choice. Plus it's fast paced and would be fun to buddy read as well. 

8. Best book to read after a break up?

I would pick Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson. This book shows how Amy slowly comes in terms with loss and grief while going on an unexpected road trip with family friend Roger. This book was really fun and beautiful and have all the elements to cheer someone up. To find more suggestions of books to read when you're in need of a cheer up, check out my post on 'Books for when you're feeling kind of meh'. 

9. What is your favourite same sex or queer couple in literature?

Magnus and Alec from the Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. While Alec isn't quite my favorite character, Magnus is an awesome character, if not my favorite of the entire series. Plus, they have such a beautifully written relationship. 

I love how realistic their relationship is, even if their world is full of magic and demons. Like, they fight, struggle to understand each other and even hurt each other unintentionally but they also try very hard to stay true to each other and to their love. Their romance might actually even be more interesting than that of the main characters. 

10. Which book would you give to someone as a symbol of your affection? 

To show someone my affection, rather than give them one book I would give them my collection of Christopher Pike books. Many of you wouldn't recognize this author but he was among the pioneers of YA back in the 80s and remains my favorite author ever. Most of his books are today out of print and it was by pure luck that I found this Canadian girl who was selling her Pike books on eBay. I bought the whole lot of them and had to wait for three months to be able to hold them in my hands. Today, these books are the most precious elements to my book collection. To give them to someone would be my most symbolic way of showing my affection to that person.

So that's it for this tag. If you enjoyed it, feel free to do it on your blog as well. Just don't forget to link it back to my post :)

Also, as you can tell if you're a follower, my blog has recently gone through a little make-over. I'd genuinely love to hear your thoughts on my blog's new look. Do you like it? Do you hate it? What do you think of my post font? Share your thoughts in the comments or send me an email by clicking on the big envelope icon in the top right of the page. I'd really love to get your honest feedback :)

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Books I wish existed... but which don't actually exist

Do you have books which you would love to read but which don't actually exist? It could be a new installment in a series that you loved but which has already ended or a completely new book which you believe would be awesome but which hasn't actually been written yet. Here are a few of those dream books of mine which I'm still hoping someone would actually write. 

A Harry Potter prequel... or sequel. 

Teddy Lupin and Victoire Weasley

Hell, I would even settle for a spin-off. Just take me back to Hogwarts please! I guess it would be cool to visit the world of Harry Potter set in modern times, that is, years after the events of the main series. The book wouldn't even have to be about Harry. It could be about any witch or wizard, so long we get to revisit the Harry Potter universe again. I mean, just imagine a book about Teddy Lupin and Victoire Weasley. How cool would that be? 

The final A Song of Ice and Fire book

Fan art for the last book's cover

Yes, this is something that's actually going to happen... eventually. But for the time being, with the penultimate book still not finished and a TV show that will soon overtake the books, that last ASOIAF book almost seems like a book nerd's fantasy. Right now in 2015, it kind of feels like this series is never going to end. Also, it's kind of depressing to know that eventually the TV will end up spoiling the series' ending. Although by the time we get there, we'll all probably be too excited to actually care... 

A good mermaid book

The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen

I love mermaids. Always have. The Little Mermaid, written by Hans Christian Andersen, is in fact my favorite fairy tale ever. Also, Ariel from Disney's The Little Mermaid happens to be my favorite Disney Princess. Usually, when you like something, you also like to read books about it. Unfortunately, that's not the case with mermaids. I've never come across a good mermaid book. Most of them tend be be sappy romances bordering on downright stupidity. To be honest though, it's kind of difficult to write about mermaids without sounding completely silly. However, I'm still hoping that one day, someone will end up writing a book which will be as beautiful as Andersen's tale. 

A new Brontë book

juniperbooks.com

There will never be a new book written by the Brontë sisters and that's kind of sad. I've yet to read all of their books but I've loved everything I've read by them so far. I'm almost afraid to get to all their books because I know at some point I'll be done with them and then there'll be no more walks in the moors, Gothic mansions and awesome governesses. That is, unless someone finds an unpublished manuscript tucked into a wall of the Brontë home or something.

A good Alice in Wonderland retelling

Puffin Chalk Edition

Those of you who read my Birthday Book Haul post probably already know that I'm a little obsessed with Alice in Wonderland. For my 22nd birthday I actually had a book-shaped caked done with a fan art of Alice and the Mad Hatter printed on the cover... Edible wishful thinking?! Anyway, recently there has been more and more fairy tale retellings, many of which are in fact quite good. I mean, have you read the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer yet? That series is so good! It even has a retelling of The Little Mermaid in the form of a spin-off short story called The Little Android. Now I'm just waiting for Alice to get the retelling treatment and while I know books like that already exist, none has really struck me as particularly good. The good news is that Marissa Meyer is currently working on an Alice in Wonderland prequel centered on the Queen of Hearts, so there's that I guess.

So that's it for the books I wish existed. What books did you wish someone would write? Tell me in the comments below!

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