Once Upon a Time... there was a favorite retellings post

Once upon a time, in a far away land, there was a newbie blogger. She harbored an undying love for fantasy and magic.
The blogger was a firm believer in happily ever afters, but she did not believe such things came easily or without a price.
The newbie blogger loved retellings because they showed the sweetness of fairy tales and combined it with a harsher, darker tone. In retellings, happily ever after did not come easily. In retellings, sometimes the princess had to save herself. 

Once upon a time, in a far away land indeed, there lived a newbie blogger. One day the newbie blogger decided to venture deep into the world of book blogging. Little did she know this adventure will change her forever. She also did not know the trials that awaited her as she ventured deeper into that traitorous world. In the meantime, the blogger decided she shall share her love for retellings with the world.
The story, as has been foretold many years before, went sort of like this: 

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

A Cinderella\Little Red Riding Hood\Rapunzel\Snow White retelling saga.
Each book is both a continuation to the previous book and a new story.
Four girls, one evil queen, swoony romances, hilarious moments and it all takes place in... the future.
A sci-fi retelling - now this is a new one.
There is also a spaceship involved, heartwarming teamwork, an awesome android and Captain Thorne (*wink-wink*). 

When I read Cinder, I didn't immediately go to read the next book. It was only after a friend of mine pushed me towards this series again that I picked up Scarlet. I'm so glad I did, because this series is beautiful.
It's true, Cinder and Scarlet are a little slow paced (in a way that, surprisingly, didn't bother me all that much), but once you reach Cress... there is no going back, you're with those characters until the end. 

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz continuation\retelling.

Have you ever wondered what if Dorothy Gale came back to Oz?
Well, Danielle has.

What if Dorothy came back? What if Oz changed her and she became... evil? what if it's not the happy Oz from the stories anymore? What if the fate of Oz - and the entire
world - rested upon the shoulders of a 21st-century Kansas-girl named Amy Gumm? 

I love how Danielle Paige completely messes with the concepts of good Vs. evil. I love how this book is both bitter and sweet, good and evil, happy and sad, funny and serious. You just fly through this series. It's fast paced, Amy is *awesome*, the romance is sweet (and it's not the main focus of the story) and it's such an amazing ride in an Oz we thought we knew but we clearly don't. 

Welcome to Danielle's Oz.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

One hundred and one nights retelling.

The first thing you'll notice: gripping writing style.
The second thing you'll notice: a fantastic, strong willed, brave protagonist.
The third thing you'll notice: the evil king. Is he evil, though? That's the big mystery.

The fourth thing you'll notice: beautifully written characters, world and plot.
The fifth thing you'll notice: a sweeping, heart racing, "is it ever going to work out?!" romance.

Not necessarily in that order. 

Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay

A rerelling\more like continuation about the daughter of sleeping beauty. 

I feel like this book is pretty much unheard of. Which is weird because it's really good. Not "amazing" level of good but "that was great" level of good definitely.

We have here a girl pretending to be a boy, a romance you won't be able to *not* root for, action and fantasy and of course... a curse. Because we can't have a retelling without a horrible curse, now can we? 

And that's it for my Once Upon a Time post.
I hope you enjoyed it, at least a little bit.
Making this post made me realize I have to read more retellings. I clearly don't read enough.
What's your favorite retellings? Tell me all about it, I'd love to know. 

Snow White - Christina Grimmie 

"And they all lived happily to the end of their days."
-- The Lunar Chronicles, Marissa Meyer. 

Top 10 Kickass Male Protagonists

A few days ago I did the Top 10 Kickass Female Protagonists, and now I'm back with my Top 10 Kickass Male Protagonists! Without further ado, shall we jump right into it? 

1. Will Herondale from The Infernal Devices.
   Ah Will (*swoon*); charming, sarcastic, tortured, handsome Will.
   #TeamWillHerondale forever and ever. I like Jem, but I love will.
   Will is such a fantastic and strong character. Like most of Cassandra's protagonists, he's a tortured soul, but when he loves... he loves passionately and completely and it both warms and breaks your heart.
   Bitter-bitter-sweet is how I would describe The Infernal Devices.
   
   
2. Jace many-last-names Lightwood from The Mortal Instruments.
   Oh Jace (*swoon*); Sarcastic, beautiful, self-destructive Jace.
   I admit, I think I love Will just a little bit more than I love Jace.
   There, I said it. But I DO love Jace. A lot. So much. Every great hero has a weakness. Like superman and Kryptonite, Jace and ducks (The ducks thing... it gets me every time).
   
   
3. Barrons from Fever.
   Barrons is the perfect love interest for Mac. They are both explosive in their own kind of way. And together... *fireworks*.
   Barrons is pure, raw power. Intimidating is his first name. Once you get to know him... well, *swoon* (and yes, I'm going to swoon quite a lot before this list is over. Prepare yourselves).
   
   
4. Percy Jackson from Percy Jackson and the Olympians (and The Heroes of Olympus).
   Fun fact: Percy was my first book boyfriend.
   I love Percy. He constantly makes me laugh, and I always hope for a happily ever after for him and Annabeth. Those two have been through hell and back for each other (literally).
   Percy Jackson - the greatest hero (and the one who didn't have to die tragically to be called so).
   
   
5. Leo Valdez from The Heroes of Olympus.
   Leo is just plain awesome. You're in a pinch? Call Leo, he always has a plan. And if he doesn't, he'll think of one in no time.
   Leo is hilarious, funny, awkward in a charming kind of way and extremely resourceful.
   And awesome - did I mention awesome?
   
   
6. Dimitri Belikov from The Vampire Academy.
   Rose & Dimitri - another power couple. I freaking love those two. Dimitri is the definition of kickass.
   
   
7. Artemis from Artemis Fowl.
   You thought physical power is only what it takes to be on this list? Think again. Artemis is a genius. Sherlock Holmes level genius. He doesn't need physical strength. He can do some serious damage with his mind alone.
   Not to mention, he's a criminal. and 12 in the first book. Intrigued yet?
   
   
8. Ash from The Iron Fey.
   Oh Ash (*swoon*). I love Ash (*swooning again*). Honestly, I don't know what to say other than: Ash is amazing, Meghan (our protagonist) is amazing, the plot is amazing, the characters are all amazing, and the romance is balanced so well with all the fantasy and action.
   You want to read this book - it's amazing (as I think I mentioned).
   
   
9. Pack from The Iron Fey.
   Two swoon worthy guys in one series - a rare thing.
   While Ash is more in the icy-tortured-hero kind of way, Pack is more in the fiery-hilarious kind of way.
   I love Pack. I love Ash. They are both so different and you can't help to love them both.
   
   
10. Baz from Carry On.
    I didn't need Carry On to fall in love with Baz. I fell in love with him in Fangirl. Carry On only made me love him more. 

And that's it for my Top 10 Kickass Male Protagonist.
What about you? Do you have your own list of Top 10 kickass male\female protagonists?
Feel free to do this fun top 10.
And thanks again to Regan from PeruseProject for giving me the idea to do this myself. 

See you in my next post (:  

Pillar - Frontline  

"I try not to think. It interferes with being nuts."
-- Leo Valdez, The Heroes of Olympus      

       

Top 10 Kickass Female Protagonists

Ragen from PeruseProject literally just uploaded her 'top 10 kickass literary females' video.
Ever since doing the Top 10 things I would want with me during the Zombie Apocalypse, I've been wanting to do another one.
It's so much fun, don't you think? 

So here I am with my top 10 most kickass female protagonist (as of middle of 2016, because you know how things like that can change).
Shall we?

1. Kady from Illuminae.
   If you haven't read Illuminae... where have you been the past year? It's the coolest book in creation. And Kady, let me tell you, is one hell of a kickass-sarcastic-fantastic protagonist. You do not want to miss her, trust me on this.
   This girl is *strong*. She never gives up and always - always - fights for what (and who) she believes in.
   Plus, did I mention it's the coolest book I ever read?
   
   
2. Tess (Tessa\Theresa) from The Infernal devices. 
   I love Tess. she is a truly amazing, beautiful and strong character.
   She's strong willed, brave, always speaks her mind and never gives up.
   Her strength and will get her through anything.
   Whoever said a strong characters are necessarily physically strong? Tess is just as strong as every protagonist on this list.
   
   
3. Cassie from The 5th Wave.
   I admire Cassie. The whole world basically went to hell yet she's still fighting. Still believes in the power of humanity.
   Everything and everyone she ever knew is either dead or captured, the world is ending and aliens are in control... a normal person would crumble. Not Cassie, never Cassie. She keeps her sarcasm to the maximum, never goes down without a fight and does everything in her power to get back what was taken from her.
   
   
4. Juliette from Shatter Me.
   Juliette evolved so much from Shatter me to Ignite me. From a scared girl in a cell she became so strong and confident. She has so much power, so much strength (both physical and emotional), but in the beginning she was too afraid to anything about it. Once she started to control it, to understand it, Juliette has evolved. Igniting everything in her path.
   
   
5. Rose from The Vampire Academy. 
   Ah, Rose. Amazing, strong, fantastic, sarcastic - did I mention strong? - Rose.
   Probably my most favorite of the list. What she goes through in the series... *shaking my head*. She's so strong, and I'm not talking just about physical strength (as you probably noticed).
   Read the books. I urge you.
   
    
6. Cinder from The Lunar Chronicles. 
   Cinder is another example of a character who evolved. It makes it so much more believable when you see the character becoming strong, rather than being immediately invincible.
   Like Juliette, Cinder went from a scared girl to a strong, confident young woman.
   Looking back at Cinder from book 1 and comparing her to Cinder of book 4... wow, she went through so much.
   
    
7.  Mac from the Fever series.
   I LOVE Mac. I know I said Rose is my favorite of the list but... no, I think it's Mac. Yes, dfinitely Mac.
   Mac brings 'kickass' and 'strong' to a whole new level. And did I mention sarcasm? Most of the girls on this list are extremely sarcastic.
   Mac also doesn't start as strong. Every book, she changes and evolves even more. She even jokes about it herself as she calls herself Mac 2.0 or Mac 1.0.
   Mac is truly amazing - her personality, her strength.
   You want to read this series, trust me.
   
   
8. Sadie from The Kane Chronicles.
   Sadie is just plain fantastic. I love this girl. And she's only 14 - I can't even begin to imagine what she'll be like at 16. Probably both scary and amazing (Carter would agree with me on the scary part).
   For me, Sadie is by far the best female protagonist Rick has ever created.
   
    
9. Katniss from The Hunger Games. 
    I tried, I really did, but I don't think it's possible to make a list of 'kickass female protagonists' without including Katniss in it.
   Me and Katniss may have our differences (and there are a lot of them), but I can't deny she belongs to this list.
   I mean, the girl did survived two hunger games, a world war, bombs and countless of other stuff.
   
   
10. Lia from The Remnant Chronicles. As of now, I only read The Kiss of deception. But I can already tell Lia is a strong girl. I wouldn't have guessed that at the beginning of the book. By the end of the book you're left opened mouthed, staring blankly at the pages, thinking: "oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god". Inside of Lia the princess there is Lia the warrior. And I can't wait to meet her in the next book. 

What do you think of my list? Would you add anyone?
Feel free to do this fan Top 10 challenge (:
Coming soon: Top 10 kickass male protagonists.

Fireflight - Unbreakable

"Destiny wasn't exciting or romantic or epic. It was annoying." 

-- Stealing Snow, Danielle Paige.  

The Snack Food Book Tag

Who doesn't love snacks? 

I know I do. 

Thing is, I never snack while reading.
I snack when I watch movies and TV shows, but never when I read.
Why?
Because when I read, I'm somewhere else. Somewhere where I don't need to eat or sleep. I'm in a different reality, where I can't concern myself with such mundane things.
If I eat while I read, it will ground me to reality.
And, let's face it... when you're so far deep into the story, you really don't have time for any other distraction other than turning the page. 

I may not snack while I read, but I love reading. And I love snacks. And besides, the questions of this tag are way too fun to pass.

I wasn't tagged by anyone but when I saw this tag on Kat's website (The Impossible Girl blog), I just knew I had to do it too.  
Ready? 

*Chocolate covered Pretzels - A book couple you never thought would work\get together*

I have to go with Juliette and Warner from Shatter Me on this one too.
I mean, usually when you have a love triangle, both of the guys (or girls) are set to be a love interest. In shatter me, it was "Adam, Adam, Adam" all the way, while Warner was set up to be their mortal enemy. But then, in the second book, things started to switch completely. Don't get me wrong, I totally ship Juliette and Warner (never particularly liked Adam, even before the third book). How it happened, though, was just very unexpected. In the kind of way that I was "what? really? wow, I did not see them coming. But... well, I have to admit, they do make a swoon worthy couple." 

*Prungales (see what I did there? The name is a trademark so I couldn't use it) - An addictive book you can't get enough of* 

The fever series by Karen Marie Moning should come with the warning: "be prepared to walk into an addiction path." 

During the week I marathon the first 5 books in the fever series, I was walking around all giddy, excited and basically bookaholic.
They do say a good books increases happiness (it's a very scientific fact). The fever series did more than just increase my happiness.
*Happy sigh*, just thinking about it makes me all excited again! 

When I finished the first half of the series I all but declared: "That's it, I'm moving to Ireland." 

*Trail mix - A book with a variety of characters*

For me, a book with more than 2 POV's can get frustrating. How can you connect with the characters if there are so many of their POV's you can hardly keep track?
So I usually don't get into a book with more than 2 POV's.
But then I read The Lunar Chronicles. Slow paced, yes, but once you hit book three, you're a fan. No going back.
As the series goes on, we follow more and more POV's and... well, it works. It really does. And that's coming from someone who doesn't like more than two POV's.
The Lunar Chronicles was such a great series. 

*Fruit Bowls - An unpredictable character* 

Hmm... Hmm... Hmm...
I can't believe it, but no one comes to mind.
Maybe I've never read an unpredictable character?
Yeah, right. Not possible. I'm sure there is someone but I just can't seem to remember.

Okay, I have one in mind. Maybe not exactly unpredictable but more like... unexpected?
Mark Blackthorn from The Dark Artifices. 
Unexpected indeed. I can still remember that scene I nearly fell off the couch... *shaking my head*. Spoilers. My lips are sealed.

*Nut bur - Your go to book* 

Can you guess what it is?
If you guessed The Mortal Instruments, then you guessed right.
If someone asks for my recommendation, my first thought is TMI.
If someone asks what is one of favourite books ever, my first thought is TMI.
If someone asks what my go to book is, my first thought is - you guessed it - TMI. 

*Popcorn - A character you can't help but like*

I actually don't like Popcorn.
I know, *the horror!*
Whenever we go to the movies, I always order nachos and avoid the Popcorn.
Sorry to disappoint all the Popcorn lovers out there!
I'll answer the question anyway because it's a fun one. 

I know I shouldn't have, but I loved the darkling from Shadow and Bone. When I got spoiled that he-- well, those of you who read the books know what I'm talking about... I couldn't - I wouldn't - read the rest of the trilogy. I knew how it was going to end and I... I just didn't want that. *sigh*. I admit, I was too far gone into the darkling spell. 

And that's it for the Snack Food Book Tag.
I had fun. Did you?
Well then everyone, have a great June reading (:
And I'll see you in my next post.
Which will be soon. 

I tag: 

• Esther from chapter adventures
• Alexandra from milky way of books 
• Cody from literary-ly obsessed 
• And anyone else who feels like doing this tag - consider yourself tagged! (: 

3 doors down - Round and Round

"The problem was she believed in happily ever afters, and the truth was much more bitter. She couldn't pick the boy in this story, and she couldn't pick herself. She had to pick the rest of the world, because she was the only one who could." 

-- Last Stand (The Black Mage 4), Rachel E. Carter.   

Most anticipated releases for the second half of 2016

I do a monthly most anticipated books, but when I saw every blogger in the world - Okay, I'm exaggerating. Mostly every blogger in the world - doing this post, I thought: "huh, why not? Sounds like fun. Or torture, depends how you look at it, because it'll just remind you these books are not in your life yet. But still: fun, right?"  

I managed somehow (with great difficulty) to narrow it down to 5 books. For the rest of my most anticipated books I'll just say: "It doesn't mean I anticipate you any less!" 

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
Coming out: August 2, 2016

I'm not sure whether I'm most scared or most anticipating this book.
I've had a rocky ride with Colleen's books.
It went somewhat like this:
Slammed was... Okay. But I didn't particularly liked it or wanted to read the second book.
Maybe Someday was oh SO good. An all time favorite. AMAZING. FANTASTIC. BEAUTIFUL.
Ugly love was enjoyable but... I had my issues with it.
Confess - I had some hard times with confess. Some big issues.
Never never - I can't believe why Colleen doesn't write more paranormal\fantasy\mystery books. She's beyond amazing at it! Never never was great.
November 9 - This book was slowly killing my emotionally. I honestly couldn't take it. It wasn't the book, it was me. 

So, you see, I really have absolutely no idea what I'll get in It Ends With Us.
You never do with Colleen's books. 

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
Coming out: August 9, 2016

I never read anything by Jay Kristoff.
Scratch that. I never read anything solely by Jay Kristoff.
I read Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman, which was... mind blowing. As in, the kind of mind blow that leaves your mind blown and scarred forever. 

The author - Jay Kristoff - is so funny. But don't let that fool you, because he's also evil.
I don't know what, but something is going to happen in page 553 of Nevernight. Something big. Something big enough to make Harper Collins UK to intervene and offer emotional support. You can check it out here.
What do you suppose happened in page 553? O_O 

One more thing: If you pre-order the US edition of Nevernight, it'll be signed! I all but ran to pre-order the minute I heard about it. 

Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige
Coming out: September 20, 2016

I love the Dorothy Must Die series by Danielle Paige.
A fun, twisted retelling. The kind of retelling that takes 'good' and 'evil' to a new level.
And now Danielle is coming with a snow white retelling. The first book in a new series.
I love retellings, I love Danielle Paige writing.
I'm reading it. No questions asked.

The Hammer Of Thor by Rick Riordan
Coming out: October 4, 2016

The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase book 1) really disappointed me.
I'm a huge fan of Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson and The Kane Chronicles are both an all time favorite.
So when I found myself having a hard time getting into The sword of summer, not really laughing at the jokes and not really connecting with the characters... It was more than just being disappointed. It was being sad. Because it's your favorite author, and you want to love this book.
So what does The Hammer of Thor doing here?
Towards the end of the book, things got better for me. I really started to get into it, into the plot and characters.
And then came out The Hidden Oracle, and it was a big improvemetnt. Not yet back to being 'amazing' but I really enjoyed it.
So yes, this book may disappoint me again, but what can I say, I'm still highly anticipating it. 

 Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

                                                  Coming out: October 18

I think I came off a bit crazy on twitter with how much I'm dying anticipating this book.
Some books can really make us readers go crazy.
For me, this is one of them.
Especially when you see so many people getting the ARCs.
Don't despair though! Just remember, we'll get the finished copies. *A weak attempt to cheer us up*.
Five... more... months... 

And that's it for my 'most anticipated releases for the second half of 2016' post. Wow, that's mouthful to write. 

What about you who are possibly reading this? Did you also do this post on your blog? What's you greatest, most anticipated book releases of 2016?
Let me know (: 

I Bet You Don't Curse God - Christina Grimmie 

"Part of being alive is having life change us. The people around us, the events we live through, all of them shape us. And that's what I think you're afraid of. Maybe not of dying. But of this you, the you you've become, ceasing to exist."  

-- Illuminae 

The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - Book Review

The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publication date: June 7, 2016
My rating: 4 stars

Maybe I've gone too long without reading (three months, people! Three excruciating months), but this book had me captivated from start to finish.
I don't think it's the case, though; my heart was pounding so hard in my chest and my mind is still whirling, trying to form coherent thoughts. To say The Long Game left me speechless would be an underestimate.
I feel like I ran a marathon. An emotional one. A treacherous one, full with twists and turns. In the dark.
Yes, I think that describes The Long Game best. 

If you don't know who Jennifer Lynn Barnes is, she's a YA mystery-thriller author who knows how to combine romance, humor and action-mystery in the best kind of way.
You should check out The Naturals - the first book in The Naturals series. Or you can start with The Fixer - the first book in The Fixer series. 

Being it the second book in The Fixer series, I can't tell you all that much about it without spoiling anything. So... read it and then come back and tell me all about it. Believe me, you'll have a lot to say.
Okay?
Great (:
Let the spoilers begin. 

*Full Review (with spoilers)*

This book was way more hardcore regarding action and deaths than The Fixer and The Naturals series.
What Tess went through in this book... there was a point I seriously wondered how she's still standing. Tess is a strong character, but I had no idea how she was ever going to get through this.
Things went insane quickly, and only escalated from there.  

Unlike with The Fixer (the first book), when I basically predicted what was going to happen and wasn't as emotionally invested in the story, this book was full of 'giving me a heart attack' moments. I was all the way in with TLG - completely invested in the story and characters. 

My heart was pounding like crazy. I felt like I was right in there with Tess the whole time. And then came the big plot twist, the one we have in every Jennifer bok, delivering the finish blow. 

Oh. My. God.
I can't even.
TLG was a roller-coaster of emotions. I was afraid for Tess. I was afraid for Henry. I was afraid for Emilia. I was afraid for Vivvie. I was even afraid for Priya. The only person I wasn't afraid for was Asher because he wasn't there. And all I wanted to freaking murder that terrorist with my bare hands.
I'm not a violent person, but that terrorist was Evil with a capital E.   

81% in I just had to put the book aside and take a breath. I was pacing back and forth, on edge, trying to calm myself.
Sometimes, at a certain point in a book, you just have to put it aside, compose yourself, do something else, organize your thoughts and come back to it refreshed.
The emotional torture was up in the sky with this book. I just had to put it down and try to relax before coming back for some more emotional torture.
Not that it helped, because I couldn't stop thinking about the book. So I ended up picking it right back up.  

Can we please talk about the big betrayal?
Because I'm freaking the hell out here.
That moment, when Henry captured Tess with the terrorists - minutes after their movie worthy kiss, may I add - I'm pretty sure my heart stopped beating for a second.
I did not - I could not - see this one coming.

Honestly? I don't know whether to pity or despise Henry. I think it's both. I get it, I understand - they took advantage of his fragile state of mind but still... still.
"I won't let anything happen to you."
*Laughing bitterly* Oh, really? She watched people murdered in front of her very eyes, had been through hell and back, lied, betrayed and manipulated the people she cares about so no more get killed and not to mention She had been hurt and held on gunpoint the whole time.
Do not make promises you can't keep, Henry. All it does is make me despise you more for what you've done. 

But then... then, he jumped in front of a bullet to save Tess.
He loves her. She loved him. I love them both individually and together. But what he did - what he let happen - is unfathomable. 

"This secret stays with us," I said, tailing my fingers over his jaw one last time. "But Henry? You and I are done." 

I expected nothing less. I can't forgive him either. Not now, not after everything that happened. 


I love more than just the romance, the fantasy, the humor, the light and fun moments in books. I also love the bonds - the bonds between friends, the bonds between family. And the bonds in The Long Game (Tess & Ivy, Tess & Adam, Tess & Vivvie & Emilia & Asher, even Tess & William) warmed my heart. 

In a Jennifer Lynn Barnes style, just when you thought everything is finally over - the bad guys lost, the good guys are alive (more or less) - another piece of the puzzle is revealed, another mystery, a part of an even greater mystery, connected to a much bigger puzzle. 

Jennifer Lynn is quickly becoming a mastermind of weaving a perfect story of mystery and action that makes your mind spin and your heart beat faster.
And I do mean it in the best kind of way.



                                                  Fall Out Boy - The Phoenix

"Tess, has anyone ever told you that you're an absolute vision when you're plotting something?" Asher Rhodes shot a lazy grin in my direction. 

"Henry, my god man, tell Tess she's pretty as a picture when she's preparing to unleash her wrath on the delightfully unsuspecting father of one of our classmates."  

"Kendrick?" Henry Marquette said.  

"Yes?" I replied without taking my eyes away from the street.  

"You're utterly terrifying when you are plotting something." 

          -- The Long Game

Top 10 things I would want with me during the Zombie Apocalypse

So I saw this blog doing a list of top 10 things you'd want to have with you in case of a Zombie apocalypse outbreak, and it made me wonder: what would I want with me during a zombie apocalypse?  

The zombie apocalypse is upon us!
Quick, you only have time to grab 10 things to take with you on the journey before escaping the house to find a safer location.
What would you want to have with you? 

1. Supplies (food, water...). Even if I'll live long enough to survive the zombies, I would still die without food and water.
   
2. A gun and a knife (not that I know how to use them - with zombies roaming around I probably regret not taking any lessons - but at least I know the basics of what to do with them if a zombie came at me, right...?).
   
3. My family (my mom, dad and sister). I won't survive the zombie apocalypse without them. You can only survive an apocalypse like this with a team on your side - and the most important teammates are your family (because you know you can always trust them, not matter what).
   
4. My kindle + a few books (What can I say, a reader is always a reader. We will read to the end!).
   
5. A survival book (how to survive in the forest\desert\in the wild). See? Books can very well save your life in the middle of the zombie apocalypse.
   
6. Medical supplies (Just as important as food and water. Without hospitals and without available medicine... even a non-deadly wound can become deadly).
   
7. A teammate with experience in the medical world. A teammate like this would be most valuable. Wrapping a bandage is good and all, but I have no expertise beyond that.
   
8. Some magical items (no one said magic wasn't allowed. If zombies are real, I choose to believe so is magic ;) ).
   
9. A guide book of 'how to survive the zombie apocalypse' would be much appreciated.
   
10. A large but comfortable backpack (where will I put all those things, after all? ;) ).
     

So this is my item list of surviving the zombie apocalypse. What's your item list? 
Mine is mostly based on the few books\movies\TV shows\anime I saw about zombies;
Izombie (TV show), The Walking Dead (TV show), Warm Bodies (movie), World War Z (best zombie movie EVER), World War Z (the book the movie is based on), High School Of The Dead (best zombie anime EVER).  

Zombie movies\TV\books can get pretty gruesome, so it's really not for everyone. But it's also, for some unreasonable reason, very thrilling and addictive.
*Shrugging* go figure. 

What zombie movies\TV shows did you watch? What zombie books did you read? 

Feel free to do this challenge and see what your item list for the zombie apocalypse is.
I should probably go check and see if I have all those items. You know, just in case ;) 

Pilothill - The Uprising 

"No. I can survive well enough on my own - if given the proper reading material."  

 -- Sarah J. Maas, Throne Of Glass. 

The ultimate Game of Thrones Tag

Between fighting a reading slump and trying to think of new posts for my blog (no easy task when you can't actually read), I've been seeing some fun tags going around and I seem to want to do them all.

A few days ago I did The Outlander Tag (quick update: I'm currently on season 2, episode 2. *sob-sob* poor Jamie). And now it's time for the Game Of Thrones Tag.
Do I love Game Of Thrones? Oh yes, I do. 

The only big role is mentioning the creator, who is... *drum-rolls* the Oran-gutan librarian. 
Secondary Rules (but no less important) are answering all the questions and tagging more people to keep it going. 

I found out about this tag from the impossible girl blog (Doctor who fans ;) ). 

So, now that we cleared that up, It's time for the actual tag.  

Part 1 - The Book Questions

"We do not sow" - A book you would not be willing to invest in 

I'm sorry, Julie. I absolutely loved the Iron Fey series and The Immortal rules and The Lost prince series are on my TBR (I so need to get to them), but Talon... I just couldn't get into this book. I managed to read half of it before finally giving up. It was just so slow paced and the insta-love... no, sorry, I just couldn't. Insta-love just insta-ruins it for me.   

"Fire and blood" - A book that produced strong emotions in you'

'Produced' is a nice word. Now, 'a book that destroyed your heart and then jumped on what was left' is a more accurate way to describe what Clockwork Princess and The Fault In Our Stars have done to me. 

I had awkward encounters while reading those books.
When I was in the middle of TFIOS, my sister just walked into the living room and saw me crying and laughing hysterically. I probably looked like a crazy person, because she backed away slowly.
And when I finished Clockwork Princess, my mom just called and she nearly had a heart attack because of how I sounded. I doubt I made any sense with all the tears and hysteria I was in. 

I love these books. They shattered my heart but I absolutely love them (go figure). 

  

"Winter is coming" - Your favourite winter read

I never got the whole: favourite summer\winter\spring\autume read.
I'm a mood reader. I read according to my moods and... well, my reading is not really influenced by the weather.
I don't really have a winter read in mind, then. 

On the other hand, I love Winter. Winter is my favourite season. 

"Family. Duty. Honour" - A book about strong family ties

Hmm... um... hmm... wow, nothing comes to mind. Strong friendships ties? I can count many unbreakable and beautiful friendship ties (like Juliette & Kenji from Shatter Me). But family ties... for some reason, nothing springs to mind.
Hmm... maybe, Percy Jackson (Percy and his mother have a very strong bond) or Mac from the fever series (she and her parents and she and her sister also share a strong bond). 

"Growing strong" - A book you had low expectations of but that grew on you

I picked up Rush (by Eve Silver) and Ruby Red (by Kerstin Gier) on a whim. I really didn't expect much of them, but they surprised the hell out of me and gave me so muh more. 

Rush I saw in the bookstore - there was a two for one and my sister picked up some book so I had to pick one as well but there really wasn't anything I haven't read already there. And then I saw Rush. I picked it up without much thought, not sure I'll even like it. But from the moment I read the first line - it was love at first sight. I stayed up until morning to read this book - could hardly take any breaks while reading. Let me tell you, the synopsis does that book no justice. It's addictive - you won't be able to stop reading.

Ruby Red I heard about before. All I knew about the book is that it had to do with time travel. That's pretty much usually enough to sell me (I'm a fan of everything time travel, if you didn't know), but I didn't have much expectations of it.
How wrong I was - what I got was sweeping story I could not get enough of. 

"Ours in the fury" - A book that made you furious

I'm so mad, so furious, *so mad* about this book - that I try to pretend it doesn't exist. Which is so hard because I loved this trilogy. 

If you had asked me this question a few days ago, this spot would have been occupied by Allegiant (Veronice Roth). Now? now my anger and sadness is focused on The Last Star.
Seriously, Rick? Seriously? 

"Unbowed. Unbent. Unbroken" - A book you have unwavering devotion to

There are many books I have unwavering devotion to. But none quite like TMI series by Cassandra Clare. This book series will forever be a part of my heart. 

"A lanister always pays his debts" - A book you feel indebted to

Percy Jackson is one of my most memorable books from when I was younger. It's the series that really got me into fantasy. I remember reading books ever since I was 8, but I remember becoming a book reader ever since I read Percy Jackson.
Those books will forever be a part of me and my childhood.

Part 2 - The Fan Theories

Who do you want to win Game Of Thrones? 

Basically, who am I rooting for\who I don't want to die?
Arya. Daenerys. Tyrion. Jon snow.
Those are my ultimate four, the ones I want to see get out of this alive and happy. Is it too much to ask? With games of thrones, I think it is.
You better not kill any of those four off, G.R.R Martin, of I'll be coming for you. 

Who do you think will make it to the end and who do you think will die? 

Honestly, Who knows when it comes to game of thrones?
This series has no hesitation of killing off major characters in the story in the most unexpected ways. Before you know it, they're dead and you are left to pick up the pieces.
I want Jon, Arya, Daenerys and tyrion to make it to the end. Then again... I get the bad feeling at least one of them might die (no, please no!)
I won't be surprised if it'll end with:
And they all died happily ever after. The end.
No,wait, I will actually be surprised. And crushed.
But G.R.R Martin won't do that to us... right?
*laughing* yeah, right. 

Part 3 - My Game Of Thrones

Would you win or die?

LOL! I probably won't survive the first episode. If I'm lucky, maybe a whole season (doubtful). I have more chance surviving The Hunger Games than Games Of Thrones. 

What house are you?

According to this quiz, I'm a Stark!

Good news: the Starks are honorable, good and brave people, wise, stubborn and know how to fight.
Bad news: Starks tend to be hunted down, killed, be separated for long periods of time, killed some more and basically constantly suffer.
But on the bright side, out of all the houses... I'd rather be a Stark. 

Who I tag? 

All my fellow blogger friends and everyone else who wants to do this tag! (: 

Sia - Freeze you out

"Dragons don't do well in captivity." "How do you know this?" "That's what I do... I drink, and I know things." 

-- Game of Thrones. 

Oh, Tyrion!