Hufflepuffs Unite!

Top Ten Tuesday was originally started by The Broke And The Bookish, where a topic is given every Tuesday and the blogger then produces a top ten list of books to fit the weekly subject. The hosts are back from their break, and I’m very excited to connect with other Top Ten Tuesday partakers. The topic this week is ‘Top Ten Book Recommendations for Hufflepuffs‘. Being a Hufflepuff myself, I thought this would be an easy list to put together, and I wanted to steer clear of making a list of just contemporary novels, so I’ve tried to mix it up a bit, and choose books that have characters I believe carry the traits of a true Hufflepuff…

Everything, Everything

In this book, I feel like Maddy is a true Gryffindor, but I find some Hufflepuff traits in Olly. He is so patient when it comes to being able to see Maddy, and loyal to their relationship, even with what Maddy is going through.

Fangirl

LEVI IS MY HUFFLEPUFF FICTIONAL HUSBAND! He is the happiest character I have read this year, and I just can’t see him being sorted into any other house!

Everything I Never Told You

Towards the end of this book, our main character Lydia floats between houses, but her dedication towards everything she does in the beginning is inspiring, and puts her possibly as a Raven-Puff for me.

The Rosie Project

Another character who I consider to have Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff traits! Don Tillman is exceptionally clever, but it’s his dedication to the cause that I admire. Once he sets his mind to something he won’t stop until he finds what he’s looking for! Good at finding things is another Hufflepuff trait!

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

I could’t make a list without a bit of Harry Potter! I chose Goblet of Fire because this is the first time we see proper action from everyone’s favourite Hufflepuff, Cedric Diggory. I feel like this is an important book for Hufflepuffs to read, because it shows that even though we are not necessarily known for it, we can be brave and fight just as well as anyone at Hogwarts!

Alice in Wonderland

I put Alice on here because of her use of logic to find things. When she falls down the rabbit hole, she uses intellect to find her way into Wonderland itself, and continues to learn and find on her journey.

 

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them

Another book where one of our main character is a Hufflepuff! Newt embodies the true Hufflepuff perfectly, and shows us again, like Cedric, that Hufflepuffs are able to fight and stand up for what they truly believe in. Also, if this doesn’t prove Hufflepuffs are good finders, I don’t know what does!

 

The Time Traveler’s Wife

Being a time traveler isn’t easy, and Henry is so patient throughout his journey. He meets Clare, and knows he falls in love with her in the future, but in those times when Clare is younger, the patience he has to practice, to wait for his true love, is impeccable!

All The Bright Places

Towards the end of this novel is when one of the main characters, Violet, really shows her Hufflepuff side. Even after major events (no spoilers) that happen, Violet still stays dedicated to the project her and Finch were working on, and loyal to their friendship and love for one another.

 

I know there’s only 9 here, but I hope there is nice selection here for us Hufflepuffs to choose from. Please let me know if there are any others that you would recommend for us Hufflepuffs out there!

Until next time…

Jade 🙂

Why I Love Book Blogging

Top Ten Tuesday was originally started by The Broke And The Bookish, where a topic is given every Tuesday and the blogger then produces a top ten list of books to fit the weekly subject. The hosts are currently on a break from TTT, so I’ve decided to go back through the topic archives to find things to write about until we begin again for real. The topic this week is Top Ten Reasons I Love Book Blogging. I’ve been book blogging for almost 2 and a half years, and while I’m not the most amazing book blogger known to man, I like to think I have contributed a small amount to the book community! I wanted to talk about what I have learnt and loved over the last two and half years and how it has improved my reading experiences for the better.

Connect with other book lovers

This is possibly my favourite thing about being a book blogger. I get to read and comment on other people’s posts, and people comment and have discussions with me about the stuff I post, and it’s so amazing to be able to talk to other people who love books just as much as I do.

Talking openly and honestly about books

While book reviews are not necessarily my most popular posts, and they can sometimes be extremely difficult to write, it is the main reason I started blogging. I love being able to share my opinion about the book’s I’ve read, whether it’s through a review, on a Top Ten list, or commenting on other blogger’s posts. I also think it’s so important to be honest about your opinion of that book, because that way you are being honest to your readers. Book bloggers and some of the most honest people I’ve spoken to!

Talking about books with people who listen

A lot of people in my life are not as passionate about books as I am, so it’s great to be a part of a community who understands what it’s like to be a hardcore book nerd! The worst thing is trying to talk about a book you’ve enjoyed to someone who doesn’t read, and feel like you are forcing books and reading down their throat. Like with my first point, the book blogging community is such a great place to discuss books and know that people are actually listening and enjoying what you’re saying.

Expanding my TBR

This can also be a great problem, because I cannot read fast enough to keep up with all the books I add to my TBR! I love receiving book recommendations, or reading about a new book that I can add to my to read list. I would say 90% of my TBR has been books I have discovered since being part of the book blogging community!

Broadening genre horizons and discovering new authors

Since I have started book blogging, I have read so many different genres that I never would have even considered before. I have explored fantasy to a much fuller extent, and even dipped my toes into the classics as well. I have definitely found my ability to read further has developed immensely, and I can’t wait to see what else I discover! Sci-Fi is next on my list!

Encourage me to read more

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been in a reading slump… most of you? I thought so! I usually go through one at least once a year, and it’s typically during the summer months when I have the most time to actually sit and read! Reading blog posts about what people have been reading and how much they have been reading is so encouraging for me to sit and read as much as possible. It may be my slightly competitive nature, but I like to be able to read a decent amount each month, and being encouraged by other book bloggers, and writing about books myself, is a great help!

Practice writing skills

I like to think that my writing skills are good enough, but most people, myself included, find that the more they write, the better they get. Just like with anything, practice makes perfect. Writing is quite a big part of my life, and while I don’t write novels (maybe in my dreams!) I do have to write essays for my uni degree, and of course I write on my blog, and the more I do it, the easier it gets. The more I read, the more I pick up new words and language devices I can apply to my own writing, and I can certainly see a development from my first blog posts to now!

Being creative in different ways

Blogging has really pushed me to expand my creativity! I believe I am creative person; I’m studying a creative degree at a specialist creative university, and yet sometimes I do struggle to think of post topics that will be interesting to read and that I have plenty to write about. It’s important for me to be flexible in my creativity and apply it to all forms of artistry, including writing and design, and blogging has definitely pushed me to exercise my creative muscles!

Recommending books to other readers

I love being able to use my status as ‘book blogger’ to recommend books to other people, whether they are fellow bloggers, or friends and family. I have come to find that if you say you blog about books, people tend to trust your opinion more. Again, going back to an earlier point, I don’t want to seem like I am forcing my recommendations onto people, but it is a great feeling to recommend a book to someone and then have them come back saying they absolutely loved it!

Share books that may help others

This final reason kind of ties in with the one above: I like to share books that I feel will have some impact on another person’s life for the better. We all know books are one of the greatest forms of escapism and learning, and reading certain books in the past has really helped me get through some of the tougher times in my life. If anyone is struggling with anything, or wants to find a way out of their mind for a while, I am happy to recommend books that have helped me, or books I have heard help others. There are plenty of books I turn to if I need to find comfort or escape, and if I need to learn about a new something in my life, and I believe that everyone can find books that do just that for them.

What’s your favourite part of book blogging? Are there any on this list that you can relate to? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time…

Jade 🙂

A Bit of Book Redesign Needed…?

Top Ten Tuesday was originally started by The Broke And The Bookish, where a topic is given every Tuesday and the blogger then produces a top ten list of books to fit the weekly subject. The hosts are currently on a break from TTT, so I’ve decided to go back through the topic archives to find things to write about until we begin again for real. The topic this week is ‘Book Covers I Want To Redesign‘. I did a post a few weeks ago about my favourite book covers, so here is the reverse. These are book covers I have come across over my many years of reading that I have been barely able to look at, hiding them away on my shelf and giving them away as soon as I have finished reading them. Unfortunately, some of these books have been really enjoyable, and I hate it when I am deterred from a great book because of the design. Also, lots of books now have different editions with different cover designs, so I will mainly be focusing on the covers that I have personally come across that I would like to redesign if given the chance…

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

I have heard so many good things about this book, and I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the cover has never appealed to me as something I would want to read. It gives off some really odd vibes, I would probably stick to something a bit more simple and focused on typography rather than introducing a weird atmosphere with the inclusion on a standing cow!

 

 

 

Her by Harriet Lane

Since I first laid eyes on this cover, I hated it! It took a lot to pick it up in Waterstones, and I mainly did because it was the next best mystery and ‘Book of the Month’. The description intrigued me, which seems to override my hatred for the cover, but I really didn’t like having it on my bookshelf. It clashed with everything, and stood out for all the wrong reasons. Worst of all, when I got round to reading it, I didn’t even enjoy it that much. I was glad to get rid of it!

 

 

The Confessions series by James Patterson

I loved this book series! It was absolutely brilliant, and made me want to read more and more of Patterson’s writing. However, one of my pet hates when it comes to cover design is using people on the cover. It detracts from what a reader loves doing, which is using their imagination to picture the character’s appearance. If there is already someone on the cover, then how am I meant to have any input into what this character looks like? Don’t even get me started on movie tie-in editions!!

 

The Selection Series

Don’t get me wrong, on first glance, these covers are really pretty, and I’m not necessarily saying that I dislike them completely. I do however, dislike the use of people on the cover! What is wrong with designers eradicating reader’s imaginative ability and giving them what they think the character should look like? No, just no, please stop!

 

 

 

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Marueen Johnson and Robin Wasserman

Again with the people on the cover! I know most Shadowhunter books have included people on the cover, but they have been done in a way that still leaves a lot up to the imagination, such as not showing faces, and adding more details to focus on. Here, however, most of the cover is face, and it’s not how I want to picture the particular character. Don’t use people on the cover!!

 

 

 

Confessions by Kanae Minato

So a book cover that doesn’t have a single person on it, and I don’t know what it is about the book, I just feel it looks like not a lot of work has gone into it. Don’t get me wrong, I understand someone has probably worked hard on the design, but I feel like they could have done a lot more with it.

 

 

 

 

Organ/Soul Reapers by Shay West

These books are amazing! I was sent them by the publisher and was completely blown away by the storyline and character development, and the writing in general was amazing for an author is not very well known, but the cover definitely did not do this justice. Everything from the photography and image editing to the use of typography would have definitely put me off if I had seen it in a bookshop! This is the perfect example of why we shouldn’t judge books by their covers!

 

 

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

More people on the cover! Need I say more? It just puts me off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth

There are many different covers for the Divergent series, but the covers I read were the kind I would steer clear of in the book store. The images were not well put together, using stock imagery for the most part, and the typography really didn’t do it any justice either!

 

 

 

 

Me Before You

Okay, so the cover design is nice for this one. It’s cute and the colour and typographic choices were well made, but the reason I would redesign this cover is because it gives off the wrong vibe for the story. It makes it out to be an adorable contemporary where two people fall in love and live happily ever after, but there is so much more to it than that, and I just don’t feel like it is fully communicated through either version of the cover.

 

 

What do you think? Are there any here that you disagree with, or any books on your shelf that you would jump at the chance to redesign? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time…

Jade 🙂

Books I’m Dying To Read

Top Ten Tuesday was originally started by The Broke And The Bookish, where a topic is given every Tuesday and the blogger then produces a top ten list of books to fit the weekly subject. The hosts are currently on a break from TTT, so I’ve decided to go back through the topic archives to find things to write about until we begin again for real. The topic this week is ‘Books I’m Dying To Read‘. I have an ever-growing TBR list that has plenty of books that I am desperate to read, and these are the ones at the top of my list…

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

I have heard so many good things about this book, and it’s sitting on my shelf waiting to be read, but I know it’s the first in a duology, which means I want to have plenty of time to binge read both books!

 

 

 

 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass

Another first book in the series which I need to find the dedication to read all in one. I prefer to read a series together rather than scattered, and I’ve been into stand alone novels at the moment, but I do want to get to this one soon!

 

 

 

 

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson and Robin Wasserman

I must revisit the Shadowhunter world soon, I’m having withdrawal symptoms… After finishing Lord of Shadows which was a massive book, I took a bit of break, but I think I’m ready to dive back in very soon!

The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon

I absolutely loved Nicola Yoon’s first novel, and I am desperate to read this one as well! I read Everything, Everything in a day, so I’m hoping to whizz through this as well, but as with many of the books on this list, I need to find some time to actually sit and read them!

 

 

 

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass

Another Sarah J. Mass book I haven’t started for the very same reason as ACOTAR! Which series to read first is the question…

 

 

 

 

 

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

I absolutely loved Fangirl and I really want to find out how Cath wrote the ending of Carry On. I was intrigued by the snippets throughout Fangirl and would love to read the story in it’s entirety!

 

 

 

 

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

I’m not gonna lie when I say I brought the book for the cover! However, after hearing all of the amazing things about this book, and it’s sequel, I must pick it up soon (so I don’t feel as guilty about buying it just for the cover!)

The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith

I’ve been on and off with thrillers at the moment, but this is one I definitely want to read! Again, another start to a series, so I need to find that time to read them all, and I know the fourth book is on it’s way shortly as well, but I really need to be in the mood to read a lot of thrillers to start this one.

The Night Stalker by Robert Bryndza

I read The Girl In The Ice, which is the first in the Erika Foster series, but I loved that one so much, and the only reason I haven’t picked this one up is because it’s so expensive to buy (I can’t even find it second hand anywhere at a decent price)!

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

And finally, yet another book which has a book to follow. I know this is a duology, but the books are quite chunky, but I have heard great things, and want to get to it really soon!

 

 

 

 

 

What are some of your favourite books on this list? Are there any books you are dying to read?  Let me know in the comments!

Until next time…

Jade 🙂

Captivating Covers

Hello fellow bookworms! Since coming back to blogging, I’ve been trying to build my post schedule a bit more to give you all the most content I can without bombarding myself with work, but one thing I did really miss writing was Top Ten Tuesday.

What is Top Ten Tuesday?

Top Ten Tuesday was originally started by The Broke And The Bookish, where a topic is given every Tuesday and the blogger then produces a top ten list of books to fit the weekly subject. The hosts are currently on a break from TTT, so I’ve decided to go back through the topic archives to find things to write about until we begin again for real. The topic this week is ‘Favourite Covers‘. Studying graphic design, I am constantly attracted to books because of their beautiful covers, resulting in a lot of ‘cover buys’ but I do still hope to enjoy them when I get to reading them! Here are just a few of my favourites…

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

It’s just so gorgeous, the metallic, shiny cover caught my eye immediately, and the dual colour spine is beautiful (it looks lovely naked as well, I must say!)

 

 

 

The Infernal Devices Books 1-3 by Cassandra Clare

Not only are these covers really pretty, especially in person, they are also extremely good books as well, highly recommend!

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Was this a cover buy? Um, maybe every so slightly, it was the first thing that caught my eye when I first saw it, but after hearing it was based on the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, I had to have it! I love the Alice stories and I am very excited to read this one!

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

I cannot get over how incredible this cover design is! The paperback is beautiful enough, but the hardcover had me in a weird trance making strange noises because I just couldn’t get over how anyone can create something this amazing! The hardcover comes with a jacket made of some sort of plastic/acetate material, which is printed on, with gaps to see through to writings on the actual hard cover. Definitely a cover buy, although I have heard it is a very good book as well!

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

I always get so excited seeing this book in the store, not only because it’s such an amazing book(!!) but also because the cover is just on point and really captures the story. I was so upset when they replaced the cover with THE MOVIE TIE IN EDITION! WHY? WHY? WHY??!!!!

 

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

There is no denying that this was a cover buy for me, but I would hate to buy a book and not even like the premise for the book, I’m just… er… waiting for the right time. I will read it, it does sound like an interesting story, but the Waterstones Special Edition is beautiful and shiny and ahhhh!

 

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them Screenplay by JK Rowling

Why are MinaLima such perfect designers?! Everything they have done for the Harry Potter series, and now this, just shows how much attention they pay to the smaller details! This is another book that is so incredibly shiny, I can’t help but stare at it (also another one that is particularly captivating naked!)

 

All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders

The colours, the pattern, the typography, is just divine when it comes together like this! This was possibly a cover buy, but I hope to enjoy the story as well.

 

 

 

 

The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon

Why are all of Nicola Yoon’s books so damn beautiful?! Honestly, I love the colours with the white background which makes them so attractive!

 

 

 

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Vintage Classics edition)

And finally, one of my all time favourite classics, and this is my favourite cover out of the many editions I own of this book! It’s minimalistic, very simple but so striking and beautifully designed!

 

 

 

 

 

I have 48 books in my Beautiful Covers shelf on Goodreads, so narrowing it down to 10 was pretty tough, but I managed, just about!

What are some of your favourite covers? Any of your beauties on this list? Also, is anyone else a cover buyer like me (it’s sometimes unfortunate, but rarely!) Let me know in the comments!

Until next time…

Jade 🙂

Top Ten Tuesday: The Small Things In Life

Top Ten Tuesday was originally started by The Broke And The Bookish, where a topic is given every Tuesday and the blogger then produces a top ten list of books to fit the weekly subject. The topic this week is a thanksgiving freebie, so I have chosen ‘Ten Small Things In Life I Am Thankful For‘ so here it is (in no particular order!):

1. Tea

 

2. Books

 

3. Harry Potter

 

4. My Mum’s Homemade Macaroni Cheese

She puts peas in in and crushes crisps on top!

 

5. My Family

 

6. My Friends

 

7. The Fact That I Am A Healthy Human Being

 

8. My Bed

 

9. My Education

 

10. My Job

Okay so some of these aren’t the smallest things, but they are things that I am thankful for, and frankly, addressing things like this makes life feel so wonderful and makes me feel thankful that I am alive and I am able to have freedom in what I want to do with my life.

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate it!

Jade 🙂

Top Ten Tuesday: The Cat Naming Ceremony

Top Ten Tuesday was originally started by The Broke And The Bookish, where a topic is given every Tuesday and the blogger then produces a top ten list of books to fit the weekly subject. The topic this week is ‘Top Ten Characters I Would Name My Cats After‘ so here it is:

1. Courfeyrac- Les Miserablés

 

2. Draco- The Harry Potter Series

 

3. Fred- The Harry Potter Series

 

4. Jasper- The Twilight Saga

 

5. Aberforth- The Harry Potter Series

 

6. Percy- The Harry Potter Series

 

7. Rubeus- The Harry Potter Series

 

8. Gus- The Fault In Our Stars (also the Theatre Cat from Cats!)

 

9. Luna- The Harry Potter Series

 

10. Matilda- Matilda

 

All cover photos taken from Goodreads. Click on a book cover to see its Goodreads profile.