Friday Finds (March 28)

FRIDAY FINDS showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list. Whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).

 

I’ve read several of Atwood’s books in tha past and enjoyed each and every one, so hopefully I will enjoy this just as much!

Although I’ve read this before (when I but a mere teenager), I recently picked up a copy that has both volumes in one and am keen to reread the adventures of Arthur, Merlin and Co.

Audrey is keen for me to read this novel as she’s a fan of the author’s other work.

I found this a while ago in a library book sale and thought it sounded interesting. I’m unfamiliar with her work so am keen to discover what it’s all about.

I’ve long had an interest in true crime and the Yorkshire Ripper case is one I’m not overly familiar with, hence my interest in reading this particular tome.

I’m a huge Murakami fan, so finding a copy of this book for a mere 50cents in a local op-shop was a particularly wonderful moment!

I hadn’t heard of this YA series until I arrived in Australia and I’ve been meaning to read it ever since. Hence why I’ve checked out all seven books from my local library!

~ Clicking each book will reveal why I’ve added it to my to be read list ~

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What books have you added to your TBR list this week?

Teaser Tuesday (March 11)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along with Teaser Tuesdays! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers!
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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The Black House
by Peter May

Of all the books I’ve read in recent times, this has been one of the best. On the face of it, it’s just another stereotypical crime novel (moments of suspense, the odd twist and a gruesome autopsy scene) but the Outer Hebridean setting and complex, realistic (loveable) characters elevate it above your bog-standard crime thriller. As such, I can whole heartedly recommend it not just to fans of this genre of storytelling, but for anyone who loves a fantastic piece of fiction.

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So, what’s everyone else reading at the moment? Go on, give us a tease…

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• Teaser Tuesday (Feb25)
• Teaser Tuesday: Concealed in Death

 

Teaser Tuesday (January 21)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along with Teaser Tuesdays! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers!
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak

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So, what’s everyone else reading at the moment? Go on, give us a tease…

Ten books I’d like to read in 2014

Not being one who keeps an eye on the list of upcoming books, trying to come up with ten I’d like to read throughout the year ahead has been surprisingly difficult. Initially I began browsing the release lists on sites like Amazon, GoodReads and Barnes & Nobel but the sheer volume of romance and dodgy fantasy fiction eventually overwhelmed me into approaching my list a little differently.

Last year, I wrote a post that showcased the BBC’s ‘100 Books you must read before you die list‘. After studying the list it transpired that I only had twenty books to read before I’d read every single one of them, so I decided this year was as good as any to start polishing off those missing twenty books. Rather than just fill my list with these titles, I figured the best option would be to choose three of them to kick-start my literary adventures for 2014:

I then decided to give Meadhbh the option to choose a few books for us to read. After much deliberation, babbling and a seemingly endless series of questions, she decided upon:

And then, given her love of all things literary, Audrey requested that she choose a couple of books to read in 2014:

Following the (most welcome) input from my various people, I was left with only three books for me to decide upon. Obviously, there needed to be at least one Charles de Lint, which left only two. Eventually, after much deliberation, I remembered seeing the new JJ Abrams novel in a bookshop during my trip to Melbourne. Being a fan of his film work I realised that this needed to go on the list and, to prevent any further frustrations, realised I could add not one, but two de Lint books to the list:

Whether or not I read any of these books is something only time will tell, but it is rather wonderful to have the beginnings of a list for me to work through over the next twelve months! :)

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Previous installments of the Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Challenge:

| Day One | Day Two | Day Three |
| Day Four | Day Five | Day Six |
| Day Seven | Day Eight | Day Nine |

~◊~

Other wonderful bloggers participating in the Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Challenge:

| Marci, Mental Health and More | Many of Us |
| Looking for Lucy |

If I’ve missed you from the above list, please let me know in the comments field below and I’ll add you as soon as humanly possibly so everyone can read your magnificent responses! :)

Four favourite movies (or TV Shows) of 2013

~ in no particular order ~

~ 1 ~

The Day of the Doctor | Written by: Steven Moffat

How could this not be on my list? Over the last twelve months it’s been mentioned countless times on this blog and, as the date drew closer, my excitement levels continued to rise, eventually reaching fever point the evening before the worldwide simulcast event. Perpetually worried that it would be pants, my fears were appeased within minutes of the show beginning as Steven Moffat and the cast and crew had shaped one of the best episodes of Doctor Who in quite a number of years. This isn’t just one of my favourite television/movie moments of the year, but one of my highlights of 2013, period!

~ 2 ~

Star Trek: Into Darkness | Directed by: JJ Abrams

The first film in JJ Abrams’ rebooted Star Trek franchise was one of the last films I saw before becoming homeless again in 2009. As such, the memory of this extremely good sci-fi action film is closely intertwined with my memories of that brutal period of my life. Approaching it’s sequel, Into Darkness, I was aware that it may resurface some unpleasant memories, but I also hoped that it would become intertwined with the new direction my life was entering. Fortunately, the latter proved true. Although not quite as good as the first film, Into Darkness was an excellent blockbuster movie that had me entertained from the word go.

~ 3 ~

Once Upon a Time | Created by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz

I’ll be honest, I watch a lot of television. Not only is it one of my primary coping mechanisms but it’s a field of entertainment that I’ve always dreamed of working in. Amidst the random fare that I’ve watched over the last twelve months there were some obvious stand-outs: Game of Thrones (S3), Nikita (S3) and Parks and Recreation (S4), but the show that most captured my imagination this year was Once Upon a Time.

I initially began watching this show because of the presence of Robert Carlyle – one of my favourite actors – but was soon swept away by the strong female characters, intricate storylines and sheer sense of fun the show offers.

(PS…I still have to catch up with season 3, so no spoilers please!)

~ 4 ~

Iron Man 3 | Directed by: Shane Black

Although last on this list, this is probably my favourite film of the year, mainly because I had more fun watching this gleefully over-the-top comic book adaptation than I had with any other film or television product of the last twelve months. Filled with exceptionally well realised set-pieces – the attack on Stark’s home, the barrel of monkey’s sequence, the CGI overload of the finale – I dare anyone to sit through this film with a bored expression on their face!

Teaser Tuesday (December 10)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along with Teaser Tuesdays! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers!
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

◊~~~◊~~~◊

When God was a Rabbit
by Sarah Winman

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So, what’s everyone else reading at the moment? Go on, give us a tease…