The other day I was looking up at my shelves and I realised something. There are so many books on my shelves that I either picked up and hated or I know i'll never actually read it. Some of the books were given to me by relatives or I picked up a few years ago in 'fill a bag for a pound' sale at either my school's or local library. A couple I actually own copies of and I just don't see the point in having too copies because I'm not that found of them. So I've been going through my books and I've decided to do an unhaul. Now these are my own opinions so I'm sorry if your favourite book is in this list but we are all entitled to our own opinions, right.

Right then, this list is made up of books and it really has shortened my tbr. Not by a lot but it does help a little bit. Shall we begin?

• The House of Spirits, by Isabel Allende 
• Ten Days to Zero, by Richard Ashley 
• The Princess Plot, by Richard Bole 
• The Greatest Knight, by Elizabeth Chadwick 
• The Sixth Wife, by Suzannah Dunn 
• Jane Boleyn, by Julia Fox
• When Christ and his Saints Slept, by Sharon Penman 
• The Ruby in the Smoke, by Phillip Pullman
• Secrets of the Tudor Court, by Darcy Bonnette
• Death Force, by Matt Lynn 
• The Healer's Keep, by Victoria Hanley
• The Lady and the Unicorn, by Tracy Chevalier 
• Burning Bright, by Tracy Chevalier 
• No Going Back, by Matt Hilton 
• The Pleasure's of Men, by Kate Williams 
• Dear Silvia, by Dawn French 
• The Husband's Secret, by Liane Moriarty 
• The Secret Countess, by Eva Ibbotson 
• The Light of the Oracle, by Victoria Hanley
• Night World, by L.J. Smith 
• John Thomas and Jane, by D. H. Lawrence 
• The Maze Runner, by James Dashner 
• The Plumed Serpant, by D. H. Lawrence 
• "Who Could That Be At This Hour?" - All The Wrong Questions, by Lemony Snicket
• Cold Comfort Farm, by Stella Gibson 
• Heretic, by Bernard Cornwell
• Devil's Own Daughter, by Meg Hutchinson 
• The Horse Whisperer, by Nicholas Evans 
• The Code of Romulus, by Caroline Lawrence 
• Op-Centre: Divide and Conquer, by Tom Clancy 
• Bread and Chocolate, by Phillipa Gregory 
• Triptych, by Harin Slaughter 
• Elegy For A Lost Star, by Elizabeth Haydon 
• Payback, by James Barrington 
• Spellbinder, by Mark Shirrefs and John Thomson 
• Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer
• The Murder Bag, by Tony Parson 
• Eclipse, by Stephenie Meyer
• The Secrets of Vesuvius, by Caroline Lawrence 
• Hex Hall, by Rachel Hawkins
• Spy Girl: Once Upon A Time, by Carol Hedges 
• The Queen's Fool, by Philippa Gregory 
• The Boleyn Inheritance, by Philippa Gregory
• Arbella: England's Lost Queen, by Sarah Gristwood

My second week of Top Five Wednesday and this week I'm going to talk about the five books that I loved that are taken from genres I don't usually read. Because of these books I've actually started to pick up more from their genres. Usually I go for either fantasy or science fiction but I like to change things up slightly at times.

Now, let's get started.

All I Know Now, by Carrie Hope Fletcher 
I hardly ever read non-fiction unless its to do with school but I picked this up because it's Carrie and I've loved her Youtube videos for as long as I can remember. This is a self help guide, once again something that I would never read, but I loved it. I really really did. It was just like having her talk to me. It was rather perfect.

Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell
Contemporary books are something that I rarely read. Sure I'll pick them up occasionally but I've never really loved them. But Fangirl really sounded like something I could enjoy and relate to, even though I'm not at uni yet and I don't have a twin sister. It opened this whole new genre up to me and I know now that I want to read more of.

Passenger, by Alexandra Bracken
Even though I adore science fiction and fantasy, one genre ... well sub genre ... that I never seem to read is time travel. I know that there are quiet a few genres out there that fit into this genre but it's something that I never read. In fact, I can't actually remember reading a time travel book before reading Passenger. It was so different to anything else that I know I'll probably pick up more. Not all the time but occasionally.

Wolf by Wolf, by Ryan Graudin 
A couple of years ago I used to adore historical fiction, I'm a bit of a history geek so it was always something that i'd read but I hardly ever read it now. Especially not alternate universe historical novels. My knowledge of what happens usually causes me to hate it in some way and I just sit there thinking "why?"
But Wolf by Wolf drew me in immediately and I devoured it in a matter of days. It was beautiful and even though it is outside of my comfort zone, I know that it is something that I will think about for years.

Me Before You, by Jojo Moyles
I am not someone who enjoys reading a sob story. Chick lit has never been my thing. I'd rather read some space opera than sit sobbing in the corner about some doomed relationship, because that is how these books will usually go. I picked this up because of the film trailer and I thought it might be a quick read. Who would have known how many tears I shed over this. I'm not a crier so I don't know how that happened. Reading this, really took me out of my comfort zone .... in a good way.

So there we go, my top five books that took me out of my comfort zone. What books took you out of your comfort zone yet you loved them?

-IAMGEEKINGINGER!
Book Total of 2016 - 51
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I'm currently in the middle of writing my March to June Book haul because I haven't written one in forever! And I've just realised how much money I am spending on books when really I should be saving up considering that in a little over a month I move to London and will be completely independent so .... yeah .... I think I need to  go on a book buying ban.

Now I know that I'm not going to be able to stop buying books. The only time I was able to do that was from November till about February but I did buy a few in that time because it was christmas and I needed to save up for going to New York and Iceland but whilst I was away I did buy some books. But that was part of the money that I'd saved up so it was allowed .... yeah, it was. But since then I have been so stressed that I keep buying a load of books and yes, it makes me so happy to see all these beautiful books sitting on my shelves but I can't afford it so time to go on a book buying ban.

Yet I recently came across a new challenge called the Read Five Before You Buy. Basically, if you haven't heard of it, you read five books and then you can go and buy a new book. I think that this is something that will really motivate me to continue reading so that I know at some point I'll be able to buy a book! There are so many books coming out soon in the next few months that I will be buy no matter what, even if I am in a book buying ban, so by having this then I'll be able to save up some credit so that I can buy them and just not buy books for no real reason.

Now I'm not going to class any review copies that I've requested as buying books because I like doing this stuff for authors because it really can be so helpful for them to get honest opinions. But I won't buy anything! Deal? Deal!

Since I've just hit my original reading goal for the year I'm going to start this Read Five Before You Buy challenge starting from fifty and I think I'll save up the books that I've read for when I want a book really badly. That seems fair, right! Hopefully I'll be able to stick to this!

Please tell me that i'm not the only one who needs to go on a book buying ban. Let me know if you are!

-IAMAGEEKINGINGER!
Book Total of 2016 - 51
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So, June has come and gone and that means that it's another month closer to me going off to Drama School!!!!!!!!! AHHH!!!! Excuse me whilst I silently die in the corner from excitement. This month I was able to get a surprising amount of reading done. No, I didn't complete my reading challenge for the year like I thought I would but that's fine by me. I'll do it next month.

This month I was able to read eight books and considering that I was revising and taking exams for the most of the month, I'm impressed with that. There was a mixture of good and bad books this month, I quite liked a few but others I was slightly put off by or they just weren't my cup of tea. So shall we get started?

The Darkest Part of the Forest, by Holly Black
Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries' seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once. 

At the centre of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking. 
Until one day, he does .... 

As the world turns upside down, Haze; tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?
This book was different, completely unlike anything I've read revolving around Fae. It was set in the modern day but still had a hint of the old through the creative writing of Holly Black. The characters were believable and I fell in love. It was beautiful hence why I gave it *****

The Walking Dead, Volume One: Days Gone Bye, by Robert Kirkman 
The world we knew is gone. 
An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept through the world causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. 
In a matter of months society has crumbled. There is no more Government, television or sense of security. 
In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to truly start living. 

For me, this was a reread. Something short that allowed me to take a quick break from the endless amount of revision. It passed the time and fully immersed me into the world of The Walking Dead. Hence why I gave it ****

The Rest of Us Just Live Here, by Patrick Ness
What if you aren't one of the chosen ones? The ones who fight the zombies, or soul eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death? 
What if you're like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and finally have enough courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again. 

Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this weeks end of the world, and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your life. 

I loved the fact that Patrick Ness was able to poke fun at the idea of the "chosen one" but it still had the usual flare of his writing. It was so good. Yes, the writing was  fairly simplistic in comparison to some of his works but it was lovely. Hence why I gave it ****

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, by Holly Black
Tana lives in a world where walled cities known as coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. And once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave. 

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her ex boyfriend who has now been infected and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana faces a race against the clock to save the three of them in the only way she knows; by going straight to wicked heart of Coldtown itself. 

There was something about this that sent thrills going down my spine. Holly Black's writing created this gripping world with a twist that I did not see coming. And then ending, it was left in such an open way in which I could interpret it however I wished. Truly it was a breathtaking piece of work that deserved *****

Queen of Hearts, by Colleen Oakes
As the future Queen of Hearts, Dinah's days are filled with an endless repetition of teas, tarts and humiliation at the hands of her cruel father, the King of Hearts. The one highlight coming from the future Knave of Hearts, Wardley, her childhood friend - and love of her life. 

Yet mere weeks before her coronation, Dinah's world is turned on its head and she is forced to unravel the tangled web of madness that is held before her before she loses her own head to a clever and faceless foe. 

I have to admit, this took a while to get into. But once I was past the first thirty pages or so, I found that I couldn't put it down. Really, I didn't expect to enjoy an Alice in Wonderland retelling as much as I did and that is why I gave it ****

The Walking Dead, Volume Two: Miles Behind Us, by Robert Kirkman 
An epidemic has spread rapidly across the world, causing the dead to rise and feed from the living. And Rick Grimes is discovering how difficult it is to keep those he loves safe from people he once new. Characters live and die as they brave a treacherous landscape filled with new villains. 

Another reread to pass the time when I felt like I was about to head into a reading slump. Surprisingly I didn't love this as much as I did the first time round. I don't know why, but I just didn't click with it Sure it was the same as before and expanded up the Walking Dead universe but it just didn't feel the same. Hence why I gave it ***

Rats, by James Herbert
It was only when the first bones were discovered, flesh picked clean, that people began to fear for their lives. For millions of years, rats and man have been enemies but it seems that now the scale has finally been tipped. 

This isn't something that I would immediately pick up but I wanted a change and I was surprised at how easily I found it to finish. The chapters were short and it wasn't too scary, just the right amount of suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat. And that's why I gave it ****

Kat in Zombieland, by Gena Showalter. 
A short story in the Alice in Zombieland series based around the character Kat and her time as a witness. 

I quite liked the first three books in the Alice in Zombieland series, it was interesting. Not a retelling like it claimed to be but still, interesting. I hatted this short though. Kat just isn't the sort of character that I could like, her personality was too in your face and the writing was just poor. And it didn't really add anything to the plot line either. Maybe it would fit in with the final book in the series but it was dull really and I wouldn't recommend it. Hence why I gave it **

What was your favourite thing you read in June? 

-IAMAGEEKINGGINGER! 
Book Total of 2016 - 48 
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I was scrolling through the booktube the other day and I came across an old video by Katytastic in which she talked about her top ten owned authors and well .... I decided to steal this idea.
Sorry Kat .... not that you'll ever read this or anything but still. Sorry for being a thief.

These books actually make up 108 of my total books which is kind of impressive really. And some of these books aren't even my favourite authors too. Some of my favourite authors I don't actually own that many copies of books of. But I know i'm going to be picking up some more because I want to take them with me to uni and not damage my precious hardbacks in the process. Hehe, see what I did there? Please tell me someone noticed my little pun!

Anyway, on with the post.

1. The author whom I own the most books of (who may just be one of my favourite authors) is the Late, Great Terry Pratchett. I own an astonishing 38 books of his. These books include the majority of his Discworld series novels. As well as a few companion novels to this about the world. One stand alone book called Johnny and the Dead and a novel that he did with Neil Gaiman called Good Omens. The reason that I own so many of his books is actually because they belonged to my dad; because he is his favourite author. I have now taken proud ownership of them and I will continue to expand the collection until we own every book that he wrote.

2. The author whom I own the second largest amount of books is ..... J K Rowling. I own 22 of her books. Now I know what you are thinking. Alisha, she hasn't published 22 books. But there is a reason for this. I have the first editions of Harry Potter in hardback as well as books 1 to 4 in paperback and an extra copy of Order of the Phoenix in Hardback. They were left for me by a relative because she knew I loved them so much. I also own her three companion novels; Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them, Quidditch Through the Ages and The Tales of Beadle the Bard (which I have two copies of). As well as this I have a book which she co wrote about the film series called Film Wizardry. I also have a copy of the Casual Vacancy. And a hardback and paperback of A Cuckoos Calling as well as a hardback copy of The Silkworm.

3. My third most owned author is actually my favourite author. Can you guess who it is?
J R R Tolkien.
I have 9 copies of his books and I'm going to buy some more because there are actually a few that I do not own and I want to keep my rather rare hardbacks at home. Well I say that they're mine, they were my dad's but he has entrusted them into me.
I have two copies of the complete editions of The Lord of the Rings. Both of which contain all three 'books' and the appendices. One in hardback and one in paperback. I then have two copies of the Hobbit. One in hardback, one in paperback. Next I have paperbacks of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King. I also have a copy of Tales from the Perilous Realm in paperback and The Silmarillion in Hardback.

4. You may think I'm a bit of a horror fan for this, but the most of these books were my dad's that he has now given to me. I have 8 different books all by Stephen King. I have IT, Rose Madder, Bag of Bones, Insomnia, Four Past Midnight, Needful Things, Doctor Sleep and Dolores Claiborne.

5. After this comes Bali Rai, good old Bali Rai. And I can proudly say that all 7 Bali Rai books are in fact signed. I have two copies of Rani and Sukh. The copies of (Un)arranged Marriage, Killing Honour, City of Ghosts, Angel Collector and Fire City.

6. Even though I am not her biggest fan, next on this list comes Cassandra Clare as I own 7 of her books. I have two copies of City of Bones (one in e-reader form and then a paperback) and then copies of the rest of the Mortal Instruments series.

7. No matter how hard I try, I still can't get through this series because the books are just so huge! But  that doesn't mean that I don't own 6 of this authors books. I own: Rogue; A Game of Thrones; A Clash of Kings; A Storm of Swords: Steel and Snow; A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold; and A Feast of Crows all by George R. R. Martin.

8. These 6 books actually belong to my Mum but she doesn't have a bookshelf so I thought I'd put them on my shelf and now they're mine. By Dan Brown I own Angels and Demons, Digital Fortress, The Da Vinci Code, Deception Point, The Lost Symbol and Inferno.

9. Now on to a lady who is swiftly becoming one of my favourite authors. She's never going to take over from Tolkien but she wrote a pretty amazing series known as The Lunar Chronicles. Hence why I open 6 copies of her works. This lady is Marissa Meyer and I own copies of Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, Fairest, Winter and Stars Above.

10. Although I really really dislike this author, for some reason I own 5 different copies of his works. This author is John Green and I own copies of Paper Towns, Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, and Will Grayson, Will Grayson.

So there are the top ten authors that I own. Anything you find surprising in this mix?

-IAMAGEEKINGGINGER!
Book Total of 2016 - 48
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So this is my first Top Five Wednesday and I'm rather excited to be apart of it. I've been umming and ahhhing on whether I should do this, but I finally gave in and just thought 'why not!' After all, it is a great way to meet so many other readers!

Something that has long been on my mind is places that I adore, both fictional and nonfictional, that are barely mentioned in literature. So I thought I would mention the top five settings that I want to see more of.

Sorrento, Italy. I had the pleasure of getting to going to Italy a few years ago and for the first four days of the trip I stayed in a place called Sorento which is in the Bay of Naples. It's the home of Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius, well that area in Italy anyway. I fell in love with this place yet I haven't actually read a book that is set there. Someone please recommend some book that is set in this beautiful place. Then finally I will be at pease.

Iceland. Earlier this year I was able to go to Iceland and it is such a beautiful place. So untouched by pollution and modernisation. It was just breathtaking and it is the sort of place that I could see a fantastic book being written. Some sort of fairy tale considering the mythology and beliefs that the country has. To be able to explore that further would be just amazing. Surely there must be some books about it out there?

New York, America. Another place that I have been to and fallen in love with for a completely different reason. It was the business of the city, the claustrophobic sense to it with the thousands of people pushing against one another to get to places. I loved that. And though I have seen many TV shows set in New York, I can't think of a book. I'm sure I've read many but none seem to spring to mind. How odd is that?

Ireland. One of my favourite book series for a very long time was based in Ireland and although it was only a back drop for the events that took place. I fell in love with some of the imagery created and I just feel that so few books are actually set in this country, a country that has such a ripe history and beautiful surroundings that I'm sure could easily help sculpture an amazing book.

New Zealand. This is final setting is one that I have wanted to go to for a long time, primarily because of the beauty of the scenes that could easily be Middle Earth. Since I'll never be able to physically step into the breathtaking world that was created by Tolkien, I need to read more things set in New Zealand just so I can see the landscapes and fully feel as though I was in Lothlorien or Erebor with some of the best characters I've had the pleasure to read.

So, there is my list. Do we share some of the same settings? What top five places do you want to see more of in Literature? Feel free to let me know.

-IAMAGEEKINGGINGER!
Book Total of 2016 - 48
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What You Need To Know:
Title: Diary of Anne Green the Girl Witch: Foundling Witch
Author: Max Candee
Number of Pages: 159
Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Mystery, Adventure  
Series/Standalone: Diary of Anne the Girl Witch
Publisher: Independent Books
Publication Date: 7th December 2014

The Plot:
Anna Sophia has always known she was different. But it wasn't until now that she knew how different she was.

The night of her 13th birthday, Anna wonders about her past in the impossible circumstances that she was found: a baby, tucked among a pack of bear cubs in the wilds of Russia. And then she receives a letter from her mother that reveals a whole new world to her. And as she learns more about her secret abilities, she finds out that her neighbours are hiding something of their own: a plot to harm Anna and her friends.

My Thoughts:
This was a short read that should have passed relatively quickly; sucking me into a world of magic and tragedy that didn't take me through some of the twists that I first thought of. Initially it had the innocent light, airy voice that would have been perfect for younger readers. All I felt was that it was a little bit slow. I know its a Middle Grade books but that doesn't have to mean that it's slow initially.

Anna was supposed to be thirteen years old but once again the voice was much much older. Yes, it could have been the hint of maturity that was supposed to be given to a girl growing up in an orphanage; someone who has to act older than they actually are. But it was just a bit odd really. She had this gut instinct that wasn't easily fooled that would not exist in a girl that young. Sometimes she acted in a childish way and then she was almost an adult again. It would have been a lot better if she had been about fifteen or sixteen years old. Then she would have been a far more believable character.

This story turned on its tail and suddenly became a thriller. A very loosely cut thriller. So many of the plot points were washed over far too quickly and they were loosely sown together. Sure it would work for kids, but the equivalent of the writing would have suited only the youngest kids in the Middle Grade category. Sure it was a good idea but wasn't executed well.

Review:
I'm not going to gush over it, it was okay but not wonderful. It's not something that I could see my self recommending to others but well, it could be something that could kick someone into reading. It wasn't amazing but I'm sure that there are some people out there that this really appeals to. I'm just not one of them. Hence why I gave it ***

-IAMAGEEKINGGINGER!
Book Total of 2016 - 47
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Okay, I'm guilty. Arrest me if you must but I know that I'm not the only one guilty of this crime. So I'm ready to say it ..... I read more than one book at once.

It feels good to get that off of my chest.

I've never really know a time when I haven't read more than one book at once. When I was younger I used to constantly read the Harry Potter series on repeat. Hence why I'm so obsessed with it. But whilst I was reading them I would have a knew book going on at the same time.It was just something that felt natural so I thought why not do it. I find myself still doing it today. If I'm having to read something for College then I will continue to read something else for pleasure at the same time. Or I may just pick up two books and start reading them around the same time. I was doing that at the start of the year because of how big Winter, by Marissa Meyer was that I knew that I would need something else on the side to top me up on my train journeys since I wasn't going to take that beast into College with me.

Surely I can't be the only one who does this?

Now one thing that people always say to me when they see that I'm reading more than one book at once is "don't you get confused?"
Usually, no. I'm used to learning lines for scripts or songs so I have the sort of brain that can remember the difference between two books if I'm reading them at the same time. But if I'm reading something that's very similar then, in the long run, I may get a bit confused. A prime example of this being The Hunger Games trilogy, I was reading something else at the same time as I was reading this trilogy and truthfully I can't remember what happened. That might be because it wasn't something I adored but it could also because I was reading something at the same time.

But that's the only case I can actually think of in which that has happened.

What do you think? Please tell me that I'm not the only one who reads more than one book at once.

-IAMAGEEKINGGINGER!
Book Total of 2016 - 47
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