Hauls & Unhauls

Weeks in Review | November 4th-November 10th

a week in review

So, I am still trying to get back in the habit of writing here, it is funny how 2 weeks without a computer gets you so out of wack. I should be picking up my new one within the next week, fingers crossed. While I am waiting for that and I was able to borrow one temporarily I thought I would continue on sharing what I read this week, what I acquired, some stats and what I have written.

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

I ended up liking this book so much more than I thought I would. I normally rarely read about celebrities or actors I like in real life, so I always thought, “Why would I care about one that didn’t even exist?”. Well, I have to say that this book proved that point wrong. Within the first chapter I was already hooked. They methods used by the author to tell Evelyn Hugo’s story were wonderful and made it feel so tangible. Not only did the author tell an addicting story of this woman, but she told a story of so much more than that. That is the part of the story I did not expect and loved. The author did some great things with this book and I highly recommend.

5stars

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)

So, since I have been slowly collecting these Hufflepuff editions I have been wanting to reread these stories all over again and tab them up. Well, this week I finally did it because I stopped myself from feeling guilty about rereading when I have so many others I need to get to on my shelf. I am so glad that I stopped caring and did. This story continues to be a 5 star read.

5stars

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2)

So, not only did I reread one of the Harry Potter books, I reread this one as well. I read them both in two days and it was magical. I wish I had more time this week to continue. I think I will go for one a month at least in the next few so I can tab more of my books up. Then when more Hufflepuff editions come out I can transfer them.

5stars

Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters by Anne Boyd Rioux

Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters

If you have been around for any point on my blog you will know I love Little Women with all of my heart. This pasty summer I was lucky enough to visit the house in which it was written. While I was there I picked up this book and I finally read it for Nonfiction November. I found a lot of this book to be wonderful, I learned a lot about Louisa and her family even though I have read about her in the past. Part 2 and 3 are better considered a historiography of the story and how it was viewed as a book throughout time, which I loved! I think some parts I could have done without, but overall I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about this story and the women who penned it.

4stars

The Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman

The Greatest Love Story Ever Told

I happened to put this on hold at my library after watching an interview of these two. While I have been a fan of both of these humans for years I never really read much about them. When it became available I picked it up and dived right in. I really liked the way this book is told as if it is a conversation. You get true picture of their relationship and their personalities. It gives the story life and it made me fly right thorough it. I you are interesting in either one of these humans I highly suggest picking up this comedic memoir.

4stars

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The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Rules of Magic

I have had this book on hold at my library since I read Practical Magic a few months ago. So far I am really enjoying this prequel and I am already mad because I am emotional about the events that have happened already. How does Alice Hoffman get me like this every time I read one of her books? Once again it is a magical story of a family that you can’t held but love and root for.

A Noise Downstairs by Linwood Barclay

A Noise DownstairsI am barely into this book because I am a horribly buddy-reader this week. I have read about 9% and I am already curious to see where this novel goes. I have no doubt that this is going to be a wild book that will cause me to gasp in shock a few times.

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Books Added

The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

The Clockmaker's Daughter
I decided to pick up this novel because I have been hearing so many great things about it. I also feel like I am going to want a larger read for the winter time. I loved that this teased a but of a mystery, but also the fact that it is set in the past and I love a good historical fiction.

“My real name, no one remembers. The truth about that summer, no one else knows.

In the summer of 1862, a group of young artists led by the passionate and talented Edward Radcliffe descends upon Birchwood Manor on the banks of the Upper Thames. Their plan: to spend a secluded summer month in a haze of inspiration and creativity. But by the time their stay is over, one woman has been shot dead while another has disappeared; a priceless heirloom is missing; and Edward Radcliffe’s life is in ruins.

Over one hundred and fifty years later, Elodie Winslow, a young archivist in London, uncovers a leather satchel containing two seemingly unrelated items: a sepia photograph of an arresting-looking woman in Victorian clothing, and an artist’s sketchbook containing the drawing of a twin-gabled house on the bend of a river.

Why does Birchwood Manor feel so familiar to Elodie? And who is the beautiful woman in the photograph? Will she ever give up her secrets?” –goodreads.com

Slipping: Stories, Essays, & Other Writing by Lauren Beukes

Slipping: Stories, Essays, & Other Writing

I came across this author a few years ago when I was either reading about Stephen Kings recommended books/authors or when I was looking at his twitter feed, sadly I cannot remember. Since then I have read 2 of her books and wow, they are a trip. She is a gift author and when I saw this edition on sale I knew I needed to get my hands on it. She is a great thriller writer and I feel like she is not talked about enough at times.

“A Punk Lolita fighter-pilot rescues Tokyo from a marauding art installation. A young architect’s life is derailed by an inquisitive girl who happens to be a ghost. Loyalty to a favorite product can be addictive when it gets under your skin.

In her edgy and satiric debut collection, award-winning South African author Lauren Beukes (The Shining Girls) never holds back. Ranging from Johannesburg to outer space, Beukes is a fierce and captivating presence in the literary landscape.” –goodreads.com

For Better and Worse by Margot Hunt

For Better and Worse

This was my Book of the Month pick of November, the reason I picked this book out of all the others was simply the description. How can I not want to read about a couple that plans the perfect murder and not want to read that happens and ensues from there? Also, I was curious to see how the author portrays their son who sadly is a victim of an awful crime.

Till death do us part

When they fell in love back in law school, Natalie and Will Clarke joked that they were so brilliant, together they could plan the perfect murder. After fifteen rocky years of marriage, they had better hope they’re right.

Their young son Jacob’s principal is accused of molesting a troubled student. It’s a horrifying situation—and the poison spreads rapidly. One night before bed, Jacob tells Natalie he is a victim, too. In that moment, her concept of justice changes forever. Natalie decides the predator must die.

To shelter Jacob from the trauma of a trial, Natalie concocts an elaborate murder plot and Will becomes her unwilling partner. The Clarkes are about to find out what happens when your life partner becomes your accomplice—and your alibi. “-goodreads.com 

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What was the last book you read?

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To Be Read

November TBR | Non-Fiction November 2018

ToBeRead12:17

I have been really looking forward to the month of November for some time thanks to Amy over at Tomes with Tea telling me she is only reading non-fiction in November. Well, if you know me you know I love reading non-fiction. It is one of my top genres to read, it seems more so since leaving university. Since hearing about this I have actually had to hold myself back from reading some of these books because I wanted to save them for this months theme of sorts. Here are the non-fiction books I will be reading this month. Divider

In the Hurricane’s Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown by Nathaniel Philbrick

In the Hurricane's Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown

So this non-fiction focuses on US history during the American Revolution. I have previously learned about the events at Yorktown, but I just feel like I don’t really know enough if that makes any sense. Anyway, I picked it right away as soon as I saw it was a BOTM pick because I know that for this victory to have happened a lot of things needed to line up.

A Delusion of Satan: The Full Story of the Salem Witch Trials by Frances Hill and Karen Armstrong

A Delusion of Satan: The Full Story of the Salem Witch Trials

A Delusion of Satan is a non-fiction account of the Salem Witch Trails this is not the first book I have picked up on the trials. In fact one of my favorite books, The Witches, is on this topic. But, when I went to Salem this summer I picked up this book and as soon as I read the first few pages in the cute little bookstore next to the hotel I knew I needed it. Also, can I just say that the cover is very striking.

Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters by Anne Boyd Rioux

Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters

So another one of my all time favorite books is Little Women and I was happy enough to visit the house in MA where it was written this summer. It was like a dream come true and you can really see the similarities in the book to the house it was written in. Anyway, when I was there I was in the shop and saw this book. It just came out the month I was there and the woman who worked there said she just read it and loved it. So I was sold right away. This book talked about the Alcott family and how the story of Little Women has impacted not only the author, but others as well. It is an interesting aspect of the book to write about.

Searching for the Amazons: The Real Warrior Women of the Ancient World by John Man

Searching for the Amazons: The Real Warrior Women of the Ancient World

So this book I happened to find browsing my local bookstore one day. I happened to go through the world history section and this caught my attention. I was always interesting in the Amazons. There are one of the few strong women groups that are talked about in history. As the quote goes “For most of history anonymous was a woman” I wish I knew who said this, but it is very true.

From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty

From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death

So this is not the first time this book has been on my TBR, but I really want to read this since reading the first book she has written. This one is less on a memoir and more about death and how other cultures around the world have their own views and customs when dealing with death. I am curious to see how other cultures view death.

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What are you reading this month?

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Lists & Recommendations

#Blogoween |The Sacrifice

Blogoween

Prompt:

Monday 22nd: The Sacrifice
Which characters or creatures would die first if they were in a horror movie?

Amy from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Image result for young Amy alcott limes

While I adore Amy when she is an adult, as a child she is quite annoying and does not always listen to the rules. I feel like she would be sneaky and do something that she thinks would help her and then back fire pretty quickly. As you can see from this meme of the Little Women, this is a very famous quote of hers when she is younger, it kinda proves my point.

Cath from Fan Girl by Rainbow Rowell

Image result for Cath from Fan Girl writing
Check out the awesome illustrator Susanne!

 

While I love Cath and relate to her a lot, I feel like her head might be plotting her fan-fiction while she should be on watch. This would lead her to be distracted and then end up being her downfall sadly. You can see in this awesome illustration by Susanne she is so engrossed in her fan-fiction and not thinking about anything else.

Amelia Bedelia from the Amelia Bedelia series

by Peggy Parish

Image result for amelia bedelia

While Amelia Bedelia is a very loved childhood staple that I can relate to, chances are she would be given instructions and would misunderstand by taking a phrase to literally and then end up in a not so good situation. As you can see by her image, she is a very happy and kind lady, I hope I am wrong about this one.

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What book character do you think would not make it through a horror movie?

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Let's Talk

#Blogoween | Bookish Monster Bender

Blogoween

Prompt:

Tuesday 9th: Bookish Monster Bender
You’re transported into a random book but a bad surprise awaits you. Everything is horror and death, because the story is now a monster version of what you know. The objective is to create a monster bender version of book characters. You can choose who you want and imagine a dark horror version of them and their novels.

So the first book that popped into my head was Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Chances are that is no surprise to you, it is always the book I think about first. Anyway, I was thinking an interesting twist on this story would be if our dear Beth became a zombie.

SPOILERS AHEAD! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Image result for beth from little women

So in the story little women Beth, one of the four sisters, tragically dies from an illness about halfway through. She is very young and she is one of the kindest and sweetest souls. As you can see in the image above, she looks very ill. She has dark circles and is very pale. Most zombies are described as having pale skin and their eyes are darkened and sunken. So it would not be hard to imagine Jo turns to discover that Beth has died, but then an hour later while her sisters and Marmee are preparing her body. Her eyes spring open and lock eyes with Jo. Jo, who had slept on the couch in her room and kept her company day and night.

Now, the story changes. There is no loss, but the family now needs to care for ailing Beth in a whole different way. They now need to track down brains of freshly passed individuals or even animals. They need to keep her occupied and under control in the house. How would they explain her absence or the accountant of death, but people can see the shadow of her at night due to the flickering flame?

Would the family continue to be the family that are, or would this terrible secret change them?

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I know this might not be quite what the prompt wanted, but I thought it was an interesting idea. It is fun to think what would certain characters do if they were faced with something like this.

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Lists & Recommendations

Recommendations | Fall Books 2018

RecsSince the start of September, I have been wanting to share my favorite books I love to read in the fall. This time of the year I start to read more and hide away inside as the weather gets colder. The following books I think are perfect to read this time of year.

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Little Women and Other Novels by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women and Other Novels

If you have been reading my blog for any time at all you will know that I love the Little Women series by Louisa May Alcott. Reading this series is like going home for me. It is cozy, warm, and full of love.

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Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

Practical Magic

While this novel is something I only read a few months ago, it has become one I really enjoy and I see myself rereading. When I was younger I would rewatch the movie adaptation of this novel a bunch of times in the fall so I see this as a perfect Fall read. Also, if you watched the movie, this is actually very different, but very good.

DividerLying in Wait by Liz Nugent

Lying in Wait

Lying in Wait is such an atmospheric novel, it is creepy, dark, and almost cold. It is a wonderful thriller. Liz Nugent has easily become one of my favorite authors when it comes to thrillers. Her writing style is very refreshing and different than others of her genera. If you want to know more about this specific book I write a review you can find here:REVIEW | Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent.

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The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

The Haunting of Hill House

The Haunting of Hill House is one of my favorite, if not my favorite horror novels. It is more psychological and leaves a lot of the monsters and surprises to your own imagination. I feel like that makes this novel so much more impactful. This is another novel that is atmospheric, you feel the story starting light and airy like Summer and it slowly morphs into something else. Just like Summer turns into Fall.

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The Witches: Salem, 1692 by Stacy Schiff

The Witches: Salem, 1692

While this is a non-fiction account of the events of the Salem witch trials, I think it is best to read in the Fall. The reason I see this is because I find that I always want to read more about dark periods of history this time of the year. I am not sure why, but I think it is because the days are getting darker and I want to read more intense reads. I will point out that this nonfictions read like a novel, it is not just a list of facts strung together. I think it is perfect for those who want to read more nonfiction, but tend to become bored or bogged down by these types of books.

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Hauls & Unhauls

Book Haul |July & August 2018

BookHaul12:17

Hello everyone, today I thought it would be a fun idea to share the books I picked up over the last few months. I am thinking from now on it might be the best if I do seasonal hauls since my book buying has slowed down so much instead of not posting about them at all. Some of these I bought myself and come I was gifted by friends and family. Anyway, here are the books I picked up this summer!

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The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcase by Stuart Turton

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

I am very excited to read this, I keep hearing such nice things. At first I was so confused as to why my copy said 7 1/2 instead of 7, as it turns out in the U.S. it is called 7 1/2 as to not get confused with the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. How interesting publishing can be at times. It feels like the who Sorcerer and Philosopher situation again.

“At a gala party thrown by her parents, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed—again. She’s been murdered hundreds of times, and each day, Aiden Bishop is too late to save her. Doomed to repeat the same day over and over, Aiden’s only escape is to solve Evelyn Hardcastle’s murder and conquer the shadows of an enemy he struggles to even comprehend—but nothing and no one is quite what they seem.

Deeply atmospheric and ingeniously plotted, The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a highly original debut that will appeal to fans of Kate Atkinson and Agatha Christie.” –goodreads.com

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Clock Dance by Anne Tyler

Clock Dance

I picked this up so I could take place in the Barns and Noble book club. I liked this book a lot more than I did the previous book club pick. At times I was a bit bored of it, but as the story progressed I liked it more and more.

“Willa Drake can count on one hand the defining moments of her life: when she was eleven and her mother disappeared, being proposed to at twenty-one, the accident that would make her a widow at forty-one. At each of these moments, Willa ended up on a path laid out for her by others.

So when she receives a phone call telling her that her son’s ex-girlfriend has been shot and needs her help, she drops everything and flies across the country. The spur-of-the-moment decision to look after this woman – and her nine-year-old daughter, and her dog – will lead Willa into uncharted territory. Surrounded by new and surprising neighbours, she is plunged into the rituals that make a community and takes pleasure in the most unexpected things.

A bittersweet novel of hope and regret, fulfillment and renewal, Clock Dance brings us the everyday life of a woman who decides it’s never too late to change direction, and choose your own path.” –goodreads.com

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The Bird’s Nest by Shirley Jackson

The Bird's Nest

I feel like I am going to quickly start growing a Shirley Jackson collection. Ever one of her novels and short stories I pick up I end up loving so much. Her writing is beautiful and it is creepy in such a way that you almost create the “monsters” in your own head. It is truly beautiful writing.

Elizabeth Richmond is almost too quiet to be believed, with no friends, no parents, and a job that leaves her strangely unnoticed. But soon she starts to behave in ways she can neither control nor understand, to the increasing horror of her doctor, and the humiliation of her self-centred aunt. As a tormented Elizabeth becomes two people, then three, then four, each wilder and more wicked than the last, a battle of wills threatens to destroy the girl and all who surround her. The Bird’s Nest is a macabre journey into who we are, and how close we sometimes come to the brink of madness.” –goodreads.com

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Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi

Emergency Contact

I need to find out if I end up liking this book or disliking it. Every person I have seen who has read this has either liked it or disliked it and there seems to be no in between. I want to know where I fall.

For Penny Lee high school was a total nonevent. Her friends were okay, her grades were fine, and while she somehow managed to land a boyfriend, he doesn’t actually know anything about her. When Penny heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it’s seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can’t wait to leave behind.

Sam’s stuck. Literally, figuratively, emotionally, financially. He works at a café and sleeps there too, on a mattress on the floor of an empty storage room upstairs. He knows that this is the god-awful chapter of his life that will serve as inspiration for when he’s a famous movie director but right this second the seventeen bucks in his checking account and his dying laptop are really testing him.

When Sam and Penny cross paths it’s less meet-cute and more a collision of unbearable awkwardness. Still, they swap numbers and stay in touch—via text—and soon become digitally inseparable, sharing their deepest anxieties and secret dreams without the humiliating weirdness of having to see each other. –goodreads.com

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Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

The Secret Life of Bees

I received this beautiful education of Secret Life of Bees, I have always wanted to read this book so I am very happy to have my very own copy in such a beautiful edition.

K is for Kidd. Set in South Carolina during the tumultuous summer of 1964, The Secret Life of Bees also ushered young Lily Owens, a girl transformed by the power and divinity of the female spirit, into the canon of modern-day heroines. Lily and her fierce-hearted black “stand-in mother” escape the racism of their hometown and find refuge with an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters, whose world of bees, honey, and the Black Madonna is mesmerizing.” -goodreads.com

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The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle

The Dinner List

This was my August Book of the Month pick, I read the description and I had to have it. I mean a book where Audrey Hepburn shows up to have birthday dinner is a book I need to read.

“We’ve been waiting for an hour.” That’s what Audrey says. She states it with a little bit of an edge, her words just bordering on cursive. That’s the thing I think first. Not: Audrey Hepburn is at my birthday dinner, but Audrey Hepburn is annoyed.”

At one point or another, we’ve all been asked to name five people, living or dead, with whom we’d like to have dinner. Why do we choose the people we do? And what if that dinner was to actually happen? These are the questions Rebecca Serle contends with in her utterly captivating novel, THE DINNER LIST, a story imbued with the same delightful magical realism as One Day, and the life-changing romance of Me Before You.

When Sabrina arrives at her thirtieth birthday dinner she finds at the table not just her best friend, but also three significant people from her past, and well, Audrey Hepburn. As the appetizers are served, wine poured, and dinner table conversation begins, it becomes clear that there’s a reason these six people have been gathered together.

Delicious but never indulgent, sweet with just the right amount of bitter, THE DINNER LIST is a romance for our times. Bon appetit.” –goodreads.com

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Kathleen and Frank: The Autobiography of a Family by Christopher Isherwood

Kathleen and Frank: The Autobiography of a Family

I have been slowly making my way though Isherwood’s books. I love his style of writing. It is always raw, but also they are always about everyday people in their own life. But, they seem so much more than that. While there is a lot to support that many of his books are based off of things that happened in is own life, this is actually labeled as an Autobiography.

It is the story of Christopher Isherwood’s parents, the winsome and lively daughter of a successful wine merchant and the reticent, artistically gifted soldier-son of a country squire. They met in 1895 outside a music rehearsal in an army camp and married in 1903 after Christopher’s father returned from the Boer War. Frank was killed in an assault near Ypres in 1915; Kathleen remained a widow for the rest of her life.

Their story is told through letters and Kathleen’s diary, with connecting commentary by Isherwood. Kathleen and Frank is a family memoir, but it is also a richly detailed social history of a period of striking change— Queen Victoria’s funeral, Blériot’s flight across the English Channel, Sarah Bernhardt’s Hamlet, suffragettes, rising hemlines, the beginning of the Troubles in Ireland—the period that shaped Isherwood himself.

As a young man, Isherwood fled the tragedy that engulfed his parents’ lives and threatened his own; in Kathleen and Frank, he reweaves the tapestry of family and heritage and places himself in the pattern. –goodreads.com

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Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women and Other Novels

My mom was so kind to get my this edition of my favorite book and book series, Little Women. Now I am so excited to read this series all over again. I am hoping I can in the next year or so.

“This beautiful collectible edition presents three novels from one of the most beloved American authors: Louisa May Alcott. It includes her most famous and cherished classic, Little Women, about the lives of four sisters in Civil War–era America, as well as its sequels, Little Men and Jo’s Boys” goodreads.com 

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What was the last book you acquired?

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Lists & Recommendations

Recommendations | Classic Literature

Recs

So if you have seen my most recent Week in Review, A Week in Review | July 9th – July 15th, you will know that I have been reading, and enjoying, Anna Karenina. I have been wanting to read this large classic for what seems like years and I finally had enjoy guts to take on this 1000+ page Russian Classic. Now with reading this it had me thinking a lot about classics and why I like them. For me I find them more “domestic”, they talk more about home life or about individuals. There is less of a major plot element and it is character driven. Also, I love history and I love reading a book from another period because it really give you a look into the lives of those who live there. These are the books that were popular, this is what people read in their free time if they had any.

So I thought, hey why don’t I share some of my favorite classics? So here I am today to share my 5 favorite classics.

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A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

A Study in Scarlet

I really do love any of the Sherlock novels and short stories I have read. I love how not only does this give a peak into the time period, but it also takes a bit of a look at human nature and really makes you think, “Wow, are we really this predictable?” Also, who is not down to read a murder mystery?


A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

A Clockwork Orange

So, this book is a weird one. It is more of a modern classic and is so vile that it was actually outlawed in multiple countries. Trigger warnings: rape, violence, language, and more that I cannot remember. The reason why I like it is because it make you think about the fact that we see individuals who do these horrible things as monsters, but we cannot forget they are human. I feel that sometimes when we say someone is a monster that we also forget they are an evil human, we need to remember that someone of the same species is capable of doing this horrible things. In some way I feel saying someone is a monster allows us to compartmentalize this behavior as something that cannot happen in the human world, but it does. I hope that makes sense.


Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women

Now back onto a more happy novel/series is Little Women, this is my all time favorite book and series. I loved this family since I was a young, young girl. It taught me that it was okay to love books and learning, it was also to do things that were “not lady like”. It also showed  me that war broke up families, but hope kept them together. It taught me about death in a respectful and unthreatening way. It is so odd to have a book that taught you so much, but at the time you don’t really notice it. At the time it was just me following a family through their lives.


The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

The Woman in White

I loved that this book seemed to be a ghost story, but also told a story of love and honesty. While this book is over 600 pages I few through this, but a fun way to read this is to read it like when it was originally published as a serialized book in a news paper. Due to this interesting way of publication there are many cliff hangers and a lot of action when though you are following someones live. I was gripped from the start of the book until the end.


The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

The Picture of Dorian Gray

This is a very short classic that not only teaches you about morals and perception, it is also a bit of a scary story. Since originally reading this I have read it a few times and each time I find more symbolism than the last. The writing is blunt, but beautiful.

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What is your favorite classic?

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Hauls & Unhauls

Book Haul |April 2018

BookHaul12:17This month I have to admit, I bought a ton of books. I am not sure why, but for some reason I caught the book buying bug and I could not resist. Some of these books were picked up a thrift shops while others were bought at chain bookstores, online retailers, and independent bookstores. I will say the thing we all say when we haul books, I am excited to read all of these books. I cannot wait to read them, it is true. While it might take me some times to get to all of them, I do no regret adding them to my collection. I threw together my instagram stories to create a video, but if you just want a list of the books I picked up, that is at the bottom of the post. So please feel free to explore both or one. It is totally up to you. Without anymore delay, here are the books I picked up in April!

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The Books

The Red Pony by John Steinbeck

Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Tin Man by Sarah Winman

The Honey Farm by Harriet Alida Lye

Circe by Madeline Miller

World Without End by Ken Follett

All the Ever Afters by Danielle Teller

The Pisces by Melissa Broder

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

In the Days of Rain by Rebecca Stott

Four Past Midnight by Stephen King

The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer

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What book(s) did you add to your TBR recently?

Have you read any of these?

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TAG | Valentine’s Day Book

TagTimel12:17Hello Everyone! Today I am coming to your computer, tablet, or phone with a holiday themed tag. I was tagged by the lovely Amy over at  Tomes with Tea, you really need to check her out. Thank-you again!

The Rules

1. Link back to this post and mention Taiwo @ Stuffed Shelves as the creator of this tag.

2. Link back to the person who tagged you and thank them!

3. Answer the questions (of course!)

4. You can use Taiwo’s graphic if you want but please mention them as the person who made it.

5. Tag 5-10 other bloggers.

The Questions

1. What book(s) have you been given as a gift that you loved?
I have to say that the best bookish gift I have gotten would be Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. If you have been around my blog, you know I LOVE this book/series. My aunt gave me a copy when I was very young and I fell in love with the story and characters. To this day if I am upset I start to read this classic and I instantly feel better.

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2. What book(s) would you like to give as a gift to someone else?
If I were to give a book gift it would be personalized for that person. In the past I have given my bf nice copies/collectors editions of his favorite manga. I have given my mom non-fiction books about World War II. But, if I had to say a single book that I could recommend generally to a bunch of people it would have to be Jackaby by William Ritter. Many say it is a mixture of Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes. If it is fun read that is the start of a series. The books are short, but packed. I have not once been disappointed by any of the books in that series.

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3. If you could gift a random person any bookish item, what would it be?
I would give everyone a bookish mug. Everyone can use a mug, specially with a sassy saying taken from the pages of a book. (I didn’t want to steal Amy’s idea, but darn her answer is great!)

4. If you could gift a random person any non-bookish item, what would it be?
If I had to gift someone a non-bookish item I would give them a comfortable blanket. I don’t know one person who has complained about having a plush and soft blanket before.


5. What do you say when a person gives you a gift you don’t like?
It honestly depends on who it is and how close I am to them. I know for me I would want someone to tell me if they do not like something so I can give them a receipt and they can return it and get something better. I also know that some people don’t ask or say anything so I always gift with a gift receipt. That way no one is put in this situation. Let’s just say if I am close to that person I am going to say something. 

6. Mention a book based around Valentine’s Day.
AI honestly don’t know a single one… oops. 

7. Mention any two tips for blogging as a gift to other bloggers and to those who may want to start a blog.

  • Never write about anything you are not interested in. It is your blog fill it with things you love. 
  • Never force yourself to write, I have seen great bloggers burn out because they turned something that was a fun way to communicate into “work”. Find what works for you, but make sure to never over pressure yourself. Just because someone else is doing something does not mean it is right for you.

8. Link to some posts by other bloggers that you loved or were very helpful.
I could go on forever, but I would have to say the most helpful and fun blog posts I have found have been:

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Now, I know that Valentine’s Day is now over, but these questions are great. I tag anyone to continue this past the holiday!

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