Category Feature Posts

Aug 5 2014
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Top Ten YA Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic Books!

top ten tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

 I’ve wanted to put together a dystopian/post-apocalyptic list for a while now, mostly because I’ve read so many of them (it’s true. I lost most of 2013 to these novels… I regret nothing). I figured at the very least I’d be able to save people some time by presenting the ones I liked the most. I realize the dystopian genre did not start with the Hunger Games (or with YA in general, for that matter), but as they are my favorite representations, my list will be very YA-centric.

Top Ten YA Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic Books!

The top row represents my absolute favorites – the ones I can recommend with 100% confidence. Hunger Games is a given, but my favorite on the list is actually Partials by Dan Wells. The bottom row represents the ones that I enjoyed thoroughly, but know many readers who didn’t feel the same way. As a side note, I actually didn’t give The Testing of very high rating, but loved the second book enough to include it on this list. Also, The Selection by Kiera Cass would have made the list had the third book not been such a disappointment (I feel like it still deserves an honorary mention, though). I have I read so many mediocre dystopians that it’s nice to be able to pay homage to the ones I feel were above par.

 What’s dystopians/post-apocalyptic books would make your list?

by Niki Hawkes

Aug 3 2014
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July 2014: Review Recap!

Review Recap

Although I started several amazing books, I only actually finished 2 novels throughout the entire month of July. I am a bit horrified at this. Considering I average 2.5 novels per week, 2 per month is just pathetic. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever read so little in a month, even when I was going through my Masters program. I blame 1) starting a new business with my husband and 2) a Wii game called Fortune Street that I’ve been playing with my mom several times a week. I certainly can’t blame the amount of excellent books in my TBR!

 However, all is not lost! If you caught my Book Review Conundrum post, you’re aware that I have over a dozen books that still need to be reviewed, so at least this month’s review posting wasn’t as sad as my reading habits.

Book Reviews:

Crashed by Robin Wasserman
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Crashed by Robin Wasserman – 3/5 stars

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi – 3.5/5 stars

Prophecy by Elizabeth Haydon – 3.5/5 stars

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
The Jewel by Amy Ewing

Cinder by Marissa Meyer – 4/5 stars

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson – 4/5 stars

The Jewel by Amy Ewing – 4.5/5 stars

And my favorite:

The fiery heart

The Fiery Heart – 5/5 stars!

 Top Ten Tuesday Features:

Niki’s Top Ten Blogging Confessions

 Top Ten Movies and TV Shows

Top Ten Series I’d Take With Me on a Deserted Island

Top Ten Authors I Own the Most Books From

Waiting on Wednesday Features:

 Escape Reality Book Club:

August’s Selection:

How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier

How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier

That sums up my month! How was yours?

Aug 2 2014
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Stacking the Shelves – July 2014 Edition!

Stacking the shelves

Hosted by Tinga’s Reviews

Stacking the Shelves is probably my favorite book blogger feature. I absolutely love looking at all of the great books other readers bring home and equally love sharing my own haul! Here’s a look at the books that stacked my shelves this month:

Hardcopies:

1

 This month I surprised myself by sticking to my Read 4, Buy 1 challenge. I’m excited about all of these books, but of course, Silver Shadows is going to get top priority!

Ebooks:

Yeah, totally an eclectic ebook category this month…

Library:

2

 Even though I want to read these, I sadly won’t get around to all of them. I don’t know what it is about libraries, but I find myself requesting things constantly that I don’t have time for just because I know I want to read them eventually. Less effective.

Audio:

 Even though I read constantly, there’s something nice about being able to devour a book while focusing on something else. I listen to them on walks, while doing dishes, while cross stitching, and even as I fall asleep. Audiobooks rule.

ARCs:

September 23, 2014
October 14, 2014
September 2, 2014

 I have been clamoring for copies of these for months – so excited!!

 What books stacked your shelves this month? :-)

by Niki Hawkes

Jul 29 2014
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Top Ten Authors I Own the Most Books From!

top ten tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

My apologies for posting this TTT so late – it took a surprising amount of time and effort to round up all of these amazing titles. Before you view the photos, you need to know that I am a book hoarder. If you don’t believe me, this slideshow presentation should alleviate any doubt. I tried to keep the focus on the authors I’ve actually read the most books from, not just collected. I think my collection of Mercedes Lackey, Terry Brooks, and Anne McCaffrey books might surpass a couple of these here, but I haven’t had a chance to read them all yet… #booknerdproblems 

Top Ten Authors I Own the Most Books From!

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I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into my library. :)

by Niki Hawkes

Jul 21 2014
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Top Ten Series I’d Take With Me on a Deserted Island

top ten tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I’ve modified this week’s topic a bit because the original (Top Ten Characters I take on a Deserted Island) definitely would’ve been a mix of my Top Ten Book Boyfriends and my Top Ten Favorite Female Characters so I decided to take a different route entirely and present my:

Top Ten Series I’d Take With Me on a Deserted Island

Kind of a hodgepodge, isn’t it? These titles represent my lengthier book favorites across a few different genres. While series length doesn’t necessarily coincide with excellent books (although there is a relation… authors who write better tend to get longer publishing deals), I decided to be strategic with my choices and take the series that provided the most long-term enjoyment. It pains me not to bring some of the shorter ones, but I think I’d get tired of them sooner. I should clarify that if a saga consists of multiple series, I’m counting them as one as long as they have continuity. That might be considered cheating, but I don’t care – I want to bring ALL the books.

What series would you take? :)

by Niki Hawkes

Jul 15 2014
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Niki’s Top Movies and TV Shows!

top ten tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

That’s right, bookish people do have interests outside of reading… cinematic adaptations of books count, right? ;)

Niki’s Top Movies and TV Shows!

Movies:

Epic. That one word sums up pretty much everything I loved about these three films. Add that to the gorgeous visuals of the world building and the overall fantasy feel, and I am in love. I could watch the extended Lord of the Rings trilogy all day every day… it’s my favorite.

While I love fantasy epics, I also will always hold dear these animated features. As far as animation goes, these are actually pretty different from one another (at least in my mind), which is why all three of them landed on the list – I consider them the best in their categories.

 I am a sucker for romantic comedies but not the slapstick crude ones that seem to have been flooding the market for the last five years. Call me crazy, but I don’t think a romantic comedy has to be overdone (or outright stupid) to be entertaining. Lucky Seven is one I don’t think many people have heard of, but I love the story (and Patrick Dempsey). While You Were Sleeping and Dirty Dancing are my mom’s favorites and somewhere along the way they’ve become mine too.

TV Shows:

All of these I have discovered it within the last year and oh my gosh I can’t get enough! I am patiently waiting for the second season of the Bitten, am almost ready to watch Serenity, and am in the middle of season two of Battlestar… I want to know why I haven’t bothered watching them before now – they’re crazy good!

 I can’t even put into words why I love Gilmore Girls so much. I’ve watched the season countless times but every time I do I fall in love all over again. White Collar is one that I’ve discovered within the last year and there’s not a thing I don’t like about it. I’ve always been fascinated with crime-solving shows but have been too squeamish to actually watch them. White Collar has all the mystery without the gore. Picture a television version of Oceans Eleven – awesome, right? And of course I couldn’t have a TV list without mentioning Friends – it was such a big part of my life for so long that it will always be one of the greats.

  Gargoyles is an incredible animated show that I love for the story (and, in part, the nostalgia). It’s one of those that I think is entertaining for adults while still being appropriate for kids. So You Think You Can Dance is easily my favorite competition show – I love dance. Vampire Diaries was my favorite show for the longest time (team Damon, baby!), but I’m sad to admit my excitement for it has diminished within this last season… I still stand by the first three or four seasons, though.

 After composing this list, I realized that my movie/TV preferences really aren’t that different from my reading preferences. I like epic science-fiction/fantasy, love stories, and humor. I’m nothing else if not consistent . :-)

What movies/shows made your list?

by Niki Hawkes