Top Ten Tuesday : 8th Sept

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is  Ten Finished Series I Have YET to Finish

I just know this is going to be an embarrassing list. There are just so many series I am yet to finish. Here it goes.

1. The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson - I've read the Final Empire and own 2 copies of this series. I know I'll love this series but I haven't completed the series yet
2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - I've read the first book in this series too. Though I'm not sure whether I will be picking it up anytime soon.
3. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare - I've never picked this series up though I've heard a lot about it.
4. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare - Same as the TMI series
5. The Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi - I tried reading Shatter Me once. I just could not get in to it. Maybe I'll pick it up sometime down the line but mostly not.
6. The Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness - I have heard nothing but good things about this series but have never picked it up. I might get to it somewhere down the line this year.
7. The Dark Tower series by Stephen King - I love Stephen King. A lot of his books have some reference to the world in this series but I've never read the series, except for the 1st one. I will definitely read this sometime soon
8. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - I have read the first 2 and a half books in this series. These books are one of my favorite books and I do not know what is wrong with me. I cannot believe I haven't read it yet!!
9. The Healer series by Maria V. Snyder - I have read and loved the Study series by Snyder. I have also read the first in this particular series, Touch of Power, and loved it. I own all of the books in the series. And yet I have not completed this series.
10. The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead - As with many other series in this list I have read the first of the series but have not continued on.

What's on your list?

Top Ten Tuesdays : 25th Aug

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is  Top Ten Books That Would Be On Your Syllabus If You Taught X 101

I thought I would break this list in to parts. I am not going to just list down books in one genre but many. So here goes.

Books That Would Be On my Syllabus If I Taught Fantasy 101

1. The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien - If you know anything about me it is that I love the Lord of the Rings series, the books and the movies. They are the epitome of fantasy in my eyes. The setting for this series is just epic
2. The Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling - This is a series that introduced a lot of people to the magic of books let alone to that of Fantasy. I believe this is a series that will stand the test of time. 
3. Elantris and Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson - You might ask why these 2 books and not Sanderson's more famous Mistborn series or the Stormlight Archive, but I think these books suit this list. It is very, very rare to see a fantasy book that is a standalone, and to see 2 from the same author is just awesome. Sanderson is a genius when it comes to setting up the fantasy world and the characters.
4. The Discworld Series by Terry Pratchett - This series would be in the curriculum because I just love the Discworld series to bits and find it funny. Reports on the Watch part of the series, with special attention to Sam Vimes would be very well received indeed.

Books That Would Be On my Syllabus If I Taught Sci-Fi 101

1. The Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov - I more often read Sci-Fi that is closer to fantasy in its epicness than the Space opera one's. I was bowled over by the sheer scope of this book. It is not everyone's cup of tea, it's not necessarily my favorite Sci-Fi book but it does teach you a lot about how a Sci-Fi book is to be written
2. The Odyssey Series by Arthur C. Clarke - This is one of my favorite books. I reread this series once every 2-3 years. Even though this is a series the books can be read as standalones (though I would suggest reading it in series). This is a series that talks about contact between Human kind and Super intelligent extra terrestrial life. The science in these books is something that we are seeing come true in our lifetime and it makes it a little more relatable.
3. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - Douglas Adams tried to come up with a Sci-Fi Comedy and he ended up with the masterpiece that is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. This book would be part of the curriculum to show that Sci-Fi doesn't always have to be long winded and boring but fun too.

Books That Would Be On my Syllabus If I Taught Classics 101

1. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas - Any revenge story I read is always held up against this classic in my head. Among the books by Dumas this book has always been my favorite.
2. War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells - This is a book that can also be categorized as Sci-Fi but I prefer to think of it as a classic instead. 
3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - I already own 4 copies of this book and reread it every year. Need I say more.

What is on your list?

WWW WEDNESDAYS : 19th Aug

This is a weekly book meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words and I thought it was a great Idea. So WWW WEDNESDAYS… is a weekly event where you share (1)What you’re currently reading, (2)What you recently finished reading, and (3)What you think you’ll read next.... And here goes

Q1) What are you Currently reading?
A1) I am currently participating in the Bout of Books 14.0. And I am reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for this read-a-thon. 

Q2) What did you recently finish reading?
A2) I just finished reading Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King. I am not sure what I think about the book. This was not the story I am used to from King. It lacked that creepy horror element that he usually puts in his books, but it was a good crime thriller. So points to King for doing something with this book that he doesn't normally do.

Q3) What will be your next read?
A3) I am completely clueless as to what I will read next. I might just pick up The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, part 2 of the Hitchhiker's Guide or I might pick something up that catches my fancy at that time. I am someone who doesn't plan her reading, partly because I fail so brilliantly at following them.

What are you planning to read next? 

Top Ten Tuesdays : 18th Aug

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Of Your Auto-buy Authors

1. Brandon Sanderson - I had only heard of the Final Empire a couple of years ago. And then I read it. Since then I've bought most of Sanderson's Adult Fantasy books that have come out except for The Words of Radiance. I am willing to buy anything this man writes. And unlike other fantasy writers Sanderson cranks out books quite frequently which is a boon to fans of his writing.
2. Neil Gaiman - He's also one of my most read authors. I just love his writing. He is also on the list of authors I would love to meet. I had the opportunity to at least see him virtually last year at Comic Con. It was one of the best days. I am still catching up with buying his books, especially Sandman, but I do buy anything that he releases.
3. Patrick Rothfuss - I haven't even read The Name of the Wind in it's entirety and I was compelled to buy the next installment in the series. I am looking forward to his writing a lot more books.
4. A.S. King - I have read all the books A.S. King has written, Please Ignore Vera Dietz being my favorite, and I own all of them except a couple of them. She is one of my favorite authors who cannot really be fit in to a genre in my head. 
5. Keigo Higashino - He is one of my most recent finds. I read Devotion of Suspect X by him and it was one of the few crime thrillers that has still stayed with me. Any book of his that is translated to English I will buy.
6. J.K Rowling - Do I even need to explain why? I am happy with her Cormoran Strike books but I will always have hope that maybe one day she will write about Harry once again
7. Laini Taylor - The Daughter of Smoke and Bones was one of my all time favorite reads of last year. The love story of Akiva and Karou is one of the most beautifully written romances out there.

Now I am going to list authors who are no longer alive and releasing any books. But I do buy their books whenever they are available. And I would also buy their books without a doubt if they were still alive and writing.

1. J.R.R. Tolkien - One of my favorite books is the Lord of the Rings. If there are any unpublished manuscripts out there and they find it and publish it I am buying it in an instant
2. Douglas Adams - I had never heard of a comic Science fiction book before. But The Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy was the most funniest books I've read so far. 
3. Terry Pratchett - I can't believe there will no longer be any more Discworld novels. Especially the Watch books. I am still collecting his books though. So I still have quite a few of his books to read which is a plus.

Who are your auto buy authors?

WWW WEDNESDAYS : 12th Aug

This is a weekly book meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words and I thought it was a great Idea. So WWW WEDNESDAYS… is a weekly event where you share (1)What you’re currently reading, (2)What you recently finished reading, and (3)What you think you’ll read next.... And here goes

Q1) What are you Currently reading?
A1) I am currently between books at the moment. I just finished reading a book yesterday and I'm agonizing over which book to pick up next. Right now the choice is between The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black and The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson. I am leaning towards The Final Empire for the time being and might decide to pick that up.

Q2) What did you recently finish reading?
A2) I just finished reading A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis. I really enjoyed this book. It is based in the 18th / 19th Century in America. The protagonist is a lady of society who has been locked up by her family in an insane asylum while she is with child. I am not really great at summarizing the book so I would suggest you read it here.

Q3) What will be your next read?
A3) If I decide to pick up The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black my next read would be the Final Empire. I have already read the Final Empire but I am determined to complete reading this trilogy so I need to reread the first book to move on to The Well of Ascension and The Hero of Ages. If I pick up The Final Empire then I will move on the next 2 books in the series.

What are you planning to read next? Happy Reading!!

Top Ten Tuesdays : 11th Aug

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten authors I've Read the Most.

If I like a book I tend to read a lot of the books written by the same author, one after the other, at a stretch. I actually have a worksheet listing out the books I've read and need to read. You can scoff at me but it really helps with list making, which is another favorite pastime of mine (other than reading of course). I also read a lot of Manga, in which a series is usually more than 10 volumes long. I'll just list a few of them at the end of this list. I will mostly write about the authors of Novels in this list.

1. Dean Koontz  - 29 Books. I discovered Dean Koontz when I was in college, at a second hand bookstore. One of the first books I read was False Memory and I really fell in love with the story and the pace of the story. After that I just went on a spree of reading his books. I think what I like about them is that they thrill me and they do not take up too much of my time. I usually finish his books in 2 days.
2. Neil Gaiman - 29 Books. I LOVE Neil Gaiman. This number includes his short story books and also Sandman. Some of my favorite books by him are - Coraline, Stardust and American Gods.
3. Stephen King - 28 Books. My favorite King novel is IT. I was scared of clowns before but after IT its escalated to being a phobia.
4. Agatha Christie - 27 Books. Agatha Christie is the queen of crime novels. My fave of course is Miss Marple. I have a whole post dedicated to her creations, you can read it here.
5. Terry Pratchett - 16 Books. Among the Discworld novels, The Night Watch series is my favorite. His books are one of the funniest books I've read.
6. James Patterson - 12 Books. I used to read a lot of Patterson in my teens. My fave was the Women's Murder Mystery Club
7. Robin Cook - 12 Books. I grew up on Robin Cook. My favorite books are The Sphinx and Chromosome 6.
8. JK Rowling - 12 Books. What list is complete without a mention of Rowling. I have read her Potter series, the companion books and The Cormoran Strike books that are out.
9. Michael Crichton - 9 Books. My fave books are - Jurassic Park, Lost World & Sphere. Oh and The Andromeda Strain.
10. Jeffrey Archer - 7 Books. He is one of my favorite authors. And my fave book by him is As the Crow Flies.

Coming to some of the Manga I've read - 

• Naoki Urasawa - 20th Century Boys, Monster
• Himoru Arakawa - Fullmetal Alchemist
• Fuyumi Soryo - Mars, Eternal Sabbath

Some honorary mentions are - A.S. King, Arthur C. Clarke, Brandon Sanderson and so on.

WWW Wednesdays : June 25th

This is a weekly book meme hosted by Should Be Reading and I thought it was a great Idea. So WWW WEDNESDAYS… is a weekly event where you share (1)What you’re currently reading, (2)What you recently finished reading, and (3)What you think you’ll read next.... And here goes

Q1) What are you Currently reading?
A1) I am currently reading 77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz.The last time I wrote this post I was reading another of Koontz's books. I am liking 77 Shadow Street more than I did Darkest Evening of the Year. Though this book is not as great as the one's I've read previously I still like it. It somehow has a bit of The Shining feel to it, mostly because it has got to do with an old building and its previous tenants.

Q2) What did you recently finish reading?
A2) I recently finished reading Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. I had watched this movie when it first came out and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was the same with the book. I cried at the end.It is a good children's book.

Q3) What will be your next read?
A3) I had begun reading Lips Touch by Laini Taylor but was side tracked by other books. I just was not able to read a book to its end a few days back. 77 Shadow street has brought me out of that mini slump. So I am thinking of reading another Koontz book (maybe Strangers) or a Stephen King book (probably The Stand).

What are you planning to read next? Happy Reading!!

Musing Mondays - June 23rd

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by Should be Reading

Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…
• Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

I just finished reading a book by Dean Koontz - Darkest Evening of the Year - last week. A couple of years ago I discovered Dean Koontz and went through around 15-20 of his books. I just could not get enough of him. Around the same time I was also very infatuated with Stephen King's writing. Both these writers write some of the creepiest books of all time. Both of them have different styles of course. Koontz's writing seems more supernatural in nature where as Stephen King's books delve deeper into the dark recesses of Human nature.

I enjoy both styles. Anything that makes me think and if this thinking leads me to be a little (OK maybe a lot) scared, I absolutely love. I  know of quite a few people who will not touch a horror book with a 10 foot pole. But these books also sell like hot cakes? Why do you think that is? I mean why do we intentionally read books that scare us so much we want to sleep with a night light on?

For me - it is the excitement. These books just get my adrenaline kicking, and not in the way a good thriller does. And these books are about a side of us that does exist - the darker side. We all have it. But these stories remind me that we can overcome that side and gives me hope. That is what these books boil down to - the world has horrors, that is true. But there is also good in the world. the good doesn't always win over the bad but it does enough times to make it worth living.

I know a lot of people might say I am reading too much in to a horror story, but this is how they make me feel and that is what is important.

Musing Mondays

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by Should be Reading

Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…
• Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

My Musings - 
Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s) -
I recently got Winger by Andrew Smith as a gift from my sister. I absolutely love this book. It is so pretty to look at and the story was great too. This book has illustrations in it and I just love any book with whacky illustrations in it.
Another book that I got for myself was the beautiful UK edition of the Mistborn Trilogy.

This buy has a bit of a story behind it. I already have a box set of this series. Specifically this one...

I got this Box Set as a gift from my sister for my birthday last year. She had asked me what I had wanted and I told her this was what she could get me. So when I saw the UK edition at my local bookstore I was tempted to buy it. But I was hesitant as I already owned it. Don't get me wrong I don't mind the cover of the mass market paperbacks, but the UK edition was a bit bigger and the paper of better quality.

A month ago my uncle gave me a voucher for the same bookstore that had the box set I wanted. This is a second hand store where you get store credit when you return or sell your books. But when I took the voucher to the store they did not have the set. So I used up a bit of the money to get other books. But I still had money left. This Sunday I headed to the store to give away a few of my books and also the voucher and there it was, beckoning to me. So I just bought it, along with a few other books. I basically spent 250 bucks (~4$) on 7 books.

I do not mind having 2 sets of the same book, especially one I am extremely fond of. The other book that I really love and have 2 sets of is Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit. I am planning on getting the Hardcover edition of these books because this is a series that is my all time favorite.

Do you guys have any books that you have 2 sets of? Or a book that is just a cover buy?

WWW Wednesdays...

I stumbled across this weekly book meme hosted by Should Be Reading and I thought it was a great Idea. So WWW WEDNESDAYS… is a weekly event where you share (1)What you’re currently reading, (2)What you recently finished reading, and (3)What you think you’ll read next.... And here goes

Q1) What are you currently reading?
A1) I started reading Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor and I am LOVING it!! I am about 200 pages in and the story has just sucked me in.

Q2) What did you recently finish reading?
A2) I recently finished reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. As you can surmise from my previous answer I just could not wait to get my hands on the next book. I am so glad this is a series that is complete. I have always heard great things about this book but I was apprehensive about picking t up. One of the reasons was because this was an unfinished series. And now there isn't anything holding me back :)

Q3) What do you think You will read next?
A3) I will probably read the last installment in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy - Dreams of Gods and Monsters. You might ask why I say "probably" and not "definitely", but I think the last books in a series are my kryptonite. I usually have to force myself to pick them up. This way the world and the story still exists for me. I just recently completed the Poison Study series after having read the first 2 books close to 7 months ago.. Even though I had all the books. And I have the last book in the Feed trilogy by Mira Grant. So I am keeping my fingers crossed that my stupid habit doesn't surface this time around and I get to read the 3rd installment - Dreams of Gods and Monsters.

What about all of you . What are your reading plans for the week?