Category: Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Spooky Shows to Watch on Netflix this Halloween 🦇

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Today was a Halloween freebie, and so I’ve put together a list of ten spooky shows perfect for a marathon night of watching tv!

MV5BOTQyMDYwNDMyOV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMjM4NTIzNjM@._V1_1. CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA
The first season has just been released on Netflix, and I’m so ready for it. The first episode really sets the tone for what to expect out of this reboot and it’s a completely different kind of show than Sabrine the Teenage Witch – but in a good way. It’s a lot darker, grimmer, and definitely creepier. I’m excited to watch the rest of the episodes.

 

71vJ3kPE67L._SY679_2. STRANGER THINGS
Why is season three taking so long?! I binge-watched the entire first season last year in one weekend and had absolutely no regrets. Stranger Things is a show unlike any other on Netflix (or anywhere else) and it’s popularity is earned. The creepy/mysterious story coupled with the 80s nostalgia and eerily perfect music makes it easy to watch episode after episode.

MV5BMTU4NzA4MDEwNF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMTQxODYzNjM@._V1_3. THE HAUNTING OF HOUSE HILL
I haven’t had the chance to watch this yet, but I’ve been hearing such great things about it and a lot of my coworkers have recommended it to me recently. From what I’ve gathered, Haunting of House Hill is a reimagining of the Shirley Jackson book by the same name. Since this show skips the dark thriller genre and heads straight into horror territory, this won’t be something I’ll be watching alone!

MV5BMzE3MDk0ODkwM15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMzA5NTk5MTI@._V1_4. THE MIST
I watched the film years ago when it first came out, and I was excited to see that Stephen King’s novel was being adapted into a show as well. Unfortunately, it was cancelled after season one, but that just means it will be quicker to get through all of the episodes!

 


Cover._SX1280_QL80_TTD_5. PENNY DREADFUL
Another show I’ve yet to watch, but that has been highly recommend to me by friends. I’ve always been intrigue by the show and it’s synopsis sounds right up my alley. Penny Dreadful is a psychological thriller featuring classical literary characters – such as Dorian Gray and Dr. Frankenstein – in a gothic Victorian England setting.

 

14706800_1144566875624742_492185822543175845_o6. BATES MOTEL
I have to admit: I’ve never seen Psycho. I haven’t watch Bates Motel yet, but everything I’ve seen and heard about this prequel show sounds equal parts intriguing and thrilling. Backstories to villains are always interesting: who wouldn’t want to learn more about the twisted history of Norman Bates?

 

Riverdale-season-3-15363817. RIVERDALE
If you prefer a little murder mystery along with a good dose of high school drama, then Riverdale is the show for you. Compared to the comics, the show and characters are a lot darker and grittier, and I think it’s really well done. From suspense and mystery, to love triangles and budding friendships, there’s a little bit of everything here.

MV5BNTEwYzNiMGUtNzRlYS00MTMzLTliNzgtOGUxZGZiNThlNWYwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjYwNDA2MDE@._V1_8. BLACK MIRROR
The thing I love best about this show is that each episode has it’s own story. Black Mirror is a thought-provoking show about the consequences of modern-and future-technology. Not all of the episodes are frightening per se, but most have some sort of eerie, suspenseful quality to them. The scariest part of the show is just how realistic some of the situations could be. 

81ju7zSjLwL._SL1500_9. THE WALKING DEAD
Is anything more Halloween than zombies? This show has been running for a long time (long enough for me to loose interest) but the first few seasons were so good. Murder, suspense, morally grey characters, and a fight for survival against not only zombies but other humans? What more could you ask for?

 

MV5BODhiODk3NWEtZmNiYi00N2NlLThlN2YtN2VkYTYyMjQxMWEzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjU2NjA5NjM@._V1_10. THE VAMPIRE DIARIES / THE ORIGINALS
Vampires are almost synonymous with the word Halloween, so of course I had to include them somewhere on the list. I’ve never seen The Originals, but I was always a big fan of The Vampire Diaries. Featuring suspense, romance, magic, and lots of supernatural creatures, this a great low-key show to watch.

 

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Author’s I’d Love to Meet

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Happy October! 🎃 Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. The theme for this week was authors we’d like to meet, and as soon as I saw it I couldn’t wait to start writing out my post!

1. GEORGE R. R. MARTIN
Although this list is not in any particular order, I have him on top because this man seems to be near impossible to meet. The only appearance he’ll be doing for his upcoming book, Fire and Blood, is a signing in New Jersey. I’m really hoping that once he finishes and publishes The Winds of Winter, there will be more opportunities to see him.

2. LAINI TAYLOR
Laini was at this past BookCon, and while I had intended to go to her signing, I had another event at the same time, so I gave the ticket to my mom to get my books signed. My mom said she was so friendly and took the time to talk with each person, and I think of all the signings I ended up missing, that was the one I regretted the most. Thankfully, Laini has an appearance at a bookstore not too far from me next week, and I’ve already reserved my spot to meet her!

3. LEIGH BARDUGO
I would love for the chance to meet this Queen of Young Adult Fantasy. She’s one of the most popular authors, and so tickets for her signings/meet and greets always sell out super quickly. I really hope she goes to BookCon again next year so I can finally meet her!

4. ROSHANI CHOKSHI
She has quickly become one of my favorite authors and I was so glad to see her name listed under the authors list for YALLFest! Meeting her is already top of my list for things to do while I’m there, and probably one of the events I’m most excited about. 

5. TESSA DARE
I always talk about how much I love her books and how she’s the author I always recommend to Historical Romance newbies. She’s truly one of the reasons I really became to enjoy reading books in that genre, and I would love nothing more than to meet her. 

6. KATE QUINN
Another author whose books are one of my absolute favorites. Her books are always so well written and researched, and after her most recent release, The Alice Network, I’m itching for more by her! I hope one day there is an opportunity for me to see her in person

7. J. K. ROWLING
As the author of the Harry Potter series, there’s no way I wouldn’t include her on this list. She’s another author who’s rarely seen out in the wild (at least for signings) and I would do anything for the chance to meet her.  

8. ADRIENNE YOUNG
Sky in the Deep was one of the best books I’ve read this year, and it quickly became one of my favorites. I was equally excited when I saw that she would also be appearing at YALLFest and that I would have the chance to meet her!

9. JENNIFER ARMENTROUT
She seriously impresses me in the way she can write books of all genres and age groups. I think have everything from her YA contemporaries to her YA paranormals, from her NA contemporaries to her adult romances. I’ve been wanting to meet her for such a long time now and I hope it happens one day soon. 

10. SARAH MACLEAN
Another HR author whose books really got me hooked on regency romance. Her books are some of my favorite in that genre. She’s going to be at KissCon – what appears to be a romance novel convention – next spring right near me, and after looking at the list of authors appearing, I think I may try to attend!

Are any of your favorite authors on my list? If you could meet anyone, who would it be? Let me know in the comments below!

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Bookish Merch

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Today’s theme was a focus on our favorite bookish blogs/websites, but I tweaked it a bit and decided to do my favorite places to buy bookish merchandise (read: candles). I am absolutely obsessed with buying bookish candles: they smell great, they looking amazing on my bookshelves, and I love adding them to pictures for Instagram. 

1. WICK AND FABLE
These are probably my favorite candles. Most of the candles I’ve bought are from this website, and there are so many more I’d love to purchase! They have a huge selection to choose from, the labels are always pleasing to the eye, and the scents are wonderful. They also sell bookish teas and have monthly themed boxes. [x]

2. ICEY DESIGNS
Even though full-size candles are awesome, they’re not so awesome for my wallet. I’ve bought the three-piece 2oz tins from this shop and they are marvelously. In addition to candles, they also sell a bunch of other bookish items including journals, pencils, pillow covers, and enamel pins – which are my newest bookish obsession. Monthly theme boxes are available as well (I got the Ember in Ashes one and it everything in it was amazing). And in case you haven’t hear, Hafsah’s (the shop owner) debut We Hunt the Flame comes out in the spring and it’s one of my most anticipated books for 2019! [x]

3. SPIDEY SCENTS
I actually just got my first few candles from them and I was very impressed. They smell great, the labels are atheistically pleasing, and the tops of the candle have glitter! They came wrapped in pretty tissue paper that was held together by superhero stickers, which I was ecstatic about. I will definitely be purchasing more from them in the near future! [x]

4. FLICK THE WICK
I’ve only purchased two candles from this shop so far, but there are so many more items that I would love to buy from them. There’s such a large variety of bookish candles to choose from, and they also have monthly themed boxes for purchase. [x]

5. MCL
This shop has been on vacation for the longest time thanks to being feature in Buzzfeed for their now-famous Hogwarts sorting candle. Since their items just came back, I haven’t yet bought anything from their store, but everything looks so amazing! They have create-your-own adventure candle story that I would love try out. In addition to candles, they also have bookish body products such as epsom salts, sugar scrubs, and bath bombs. [x]

6. ALCHEMY & INK
Another shop that has been on a vacation for a time, but I’ve been eying these candles for such a long time. The just had a restock last week, but unfortunately due to a technical glitch, I missed out on all the candles I really wanted. They also sell enamel pins and I can’t wait to add some of them to my collection. [x]

7. TOTALLY WICKED CANDLES
I love this shop, if only because it’s one of the only sites that sells a Sansa Stark candle, which is one of my favorite candles on my shelf. But besides my King and Queen of the North candles, they have a lovely selection of other bookish candles. I hope to eventually add more of their merchandise to my shelves. [x]

8. CANTERBURY ROAD CO
I have quite a few of these candles, and while they smell nice and look great on my bookshelf, I’m not the biggest fan of their labels. They have a new Uprooted candle that I absolutely need! [x]

9. NOVELLY YOURS
Another shop that I haven’t yet bought anything from, but my mom somehow got a free sample candle at BookCon (seriously, where did she find these things?!) and it smells so good. They also have themed monthly boxes available for purchase. I’ve casually browsed the website and one day I’m sure I’ll end up buying something! [x] 

10. IN THE WICK OF TIME
Yet another shop that doesn’t yet grace my shelves, but I’m sure that won’t last long. I’ve looked around their shop quite a bit and there’s a whole bunch of candles that I would love to purchase, especially that Direwolf one! [x]

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Color Book Covers

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is books with your favorite color feature on the cover (or in the title). I never really like the color pink growing up, but now it’s definitely one of my favorite colors! I didn’t realize how many things I had that were pink/rose gold until someone at worked pointed at that all my stuff matched.

Pink Covers

 

ALEX & ELIZA by Melissa de la Cruz | ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins | LADY HELEN AND THE DARK DAYS CLUB by Alison Goodman | NEVER HAVE I EVER by Katie Heaney | THE PRINCESS DIARIES by Meg Cabot | REBEL BELLE by Rachel Hawkins | REIGN OF THE FALLEN by Sarah Glenn Marsh | ROSEMARKED by Livia Blackburne | SOMETHING BORROWED by Emily Giffin | THIS SHATTERED WORLD by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Top Ten Tuesday: Frequently Used Words in YA Fantasy Titles

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Today’s theme was frequently used words in titles of a genre of choice. Let me tell you, when I saw the theme I knew exactly what I was going to do! There are so many titles in Young Adult Fantasy that sound very similar, the same few words seem to be used over and over again. Here are some the words I find are most frequently in YA Fantasy titles!

1. QUEEN
Examples: The Queen’s Rising, The Star-Touched Queen, Red Queen, The Hundredth Queen, The Queen and the Curse

2. FIRE
Examples: Ice Like Fire, Trial by Fire, Girls of Paper and Fire, Heir of Fire, Spindle Fire

3. DARK/DARKNESS
Examples: One Dark Throne, Gathering Darkness, Our Dark Duet, The Beauty of Darkness, The Queen of Air and Darkness

4. BLOOD
Examples: Isle of Blood and Stone, Days of Blood and Starlight, Blood Passage, Silver in the Blood, Frostblood

5. KINGDOM
Examples: Crooked Kingdom, Kingdom of Ash and Briar, Falling Kingdoms, To Kill a Kingdom, The Bridge Kingdom

6. SHADOW
Examples: Shadow and Bone, The Shadow Queen, Lord of Shadows, From the Earth to the Shadows, Queen of Shadows

7. BONE
Examples: Children of Blood and Bone, Ink and Bone, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Ivory and Bone, City of Bones

8. CROWN
Examples: A Crown of Wishes, Crown of Midnight, The Crimson Crown, The Crown’s Game, Three Dark Crowns

9. ASH/ASHES
Examples: An Ember in the Ashes, Ash Princess, Snow Like Ashes, Ash & Bramble, Kingdom of Ash

10. SONG
Examples: The Song Rising, Song of Blood & Stone, Song of the Current, This Savage Song, Wintersong

It’s funny how many of the titles I used as examples could have been used more than once! Which words have you noticed are used frequently in Young Adult Fantasy titles? Let me know in the comments!