Top 5 Tuesday: My Top 5 Book To Screen Adaptations

Top 5 Tuesday was originally created by Bionic Bookworm and is now hosted by Meeghan Reads. Each week a topic is chosen and participants have to choose five books to meet the topic.

This week topic was a freebie, so I have chosen my top five book to screen adaptions. I’m not basing this off how closely the adaptation mirrors the book, simply off how much I enjoyed it.

1. The Host by Stephanie Meyer

I absolutely love both the film and book and desperately need to give it a reread and rewatch soon!

2. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

One of my all-time favourite trilogies that I never tire of watching.

3. Partners In Crime by Agatha Christie

Specifically, the 2015 BBC series starring David Walliams and Jessica Raine.

4. The Stranger by Harlan Coben

I actually preferred the Netflix adaption to the book…

5. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

I don’t think I will ever tire of watching this film.

Happy Tuesday!

– Elanor ☺

New Year, New Me: My 2022 Book Resolutions

Good morning and happy January!

Today, I wanted to share a few of my New Year’s Resolutions; all book-themed, naturally! So, without further ado, here are my resolutions for 2022:

1. DNF any book I am not enjoying
2. Focus on reading books for enjoyment, rather than to meet a “goal”
3. Read the books I own before buying any more
4. Donate any books which I no longer want to read or don’t intend to reread at any point

Here’s to hoping that I can stick to these resolutions! Do we share any of the same goals for 2022?

– Elanor 😊

Books I’ve Read This Month: December 2021

Happy New Year!

I had intended to upload this post on New Year’s Eve, but I was hoping to finish my current read first…

In December, I only read three books, however, I thoroughly enjoyed all three; definitely quality over quantity!

1. You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle

I was really excited to read this as I’d heard great things. However, for the first few chapters, I wasn’t very impressed; I didn’t like Nicholas or Naomi. BUT THEN. From the “surprise” onwards, I was hooked! I grew to love both main characters and I genuinely could not put the book down. And it has to be said, the ending was perfect.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

2. The Yearbook by Holly Bourne

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I have to say that it did not disappoint. I was hooked by the story and loved how Paige grew as the book went on. I particularly liked how the book drew me in; reading it felt like I was back at school!

Rating: 4 Stars

3. You’ll Be The Death Of Me by Karen M. McManus

Once I started reading this book, I finished it in almost one sitting; I couldn’t put it down. It kept me guessing the whole way through and everytime I thought that I had worked something out, I was wrong. The only thing I didn’t love was the ending; I like it when books have a nice tidy ending with no loose ends and this one didn’t feel quite final.

Rating: 4 Stars

Which books did you read in December?

– Elanor 😊

Top 5 Tuesday: Books On My Christmas 2021 Wishlist

Top 5 Tuesday was originally created by Bionic Bookworm and is now hosted by Meeghan Reads. Each week a topic is chosen and participants have to choose five books to meet the topic.

Today’s topic is my top five books on my Christmas 2021 wishlist and I’ve found it a struggle to pick only five! After much consideration, I have chosen the following five books as being “top” of my wishlist:

1. The Mystery Of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict

2. The Hobbit Trilogy Location Guidebook by Ian Brodie

3. Ace Of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

4. Native American Myths & Legends by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz

5. Lies Like Poison by Chelsea Pitcher

I’m trying to hold off from just buying them for myself until I’ve cleared some of the unread books from my shelves!

What books are on your wishlist this year?

– Elanor 😊

Waiting On Wednesday: You’ll Be The Death Of Me by Karen M. McManus

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly book meme that was originally created by Breaking the Spine and has since been linked with Can’t Wait Wednesday by Teresa at Wishful Endings. Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme that showcases upcoming releases that we are absolutely dying to get to!

Karen M. McManus is one of my all-time favourite authors and each of her new book releases is an instant buy for me!

You’ll Be The Death Of Me is her latest book. I believe it is due to be released on 2nd December 2021 (or at least that’s when my preorder is due to arrive) and I can’t wait!

The blurb of the book is as follows:

“Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be close. Now all they have in common is Carlton High and the beginning of a very bad day.

Type A Ivy lost a student council election to the class clown, and now she has to face the school, humiliated. Heartthrob Mateo is burned out–he’s been working two jobs since his family’s business failed. And outsider Cal just got stood up…. again.

So when Cal pulls into campus late for class and runs into Ivy and Mateo, it seems like the perfect opportunity to turn a bad day around. They’ll ditch and go into the city. Just the three of them, like old times. Except they’ve barely left the parking lot before they run out of things to say…

Until they spot another Carlton High student skipping school–and follow him to the scene of his own murder. In one chance move, their day turns from dull to deadly. And it’s about to get worse.

It turns out Ivy, Mateo, and Cal still have some things in common. They all have a connection to the dead kid. And they’re all hiding something.

Now they’re all wondering–could it be that their chance reconnection wasn’t by chance after all?“

I am yet to read a book by Karen M. McManus that I haven’t loved and I’ve already read some great reviews of this book so my expectations are high!

I can’t wait for my copy to arrive!

– Elanor 🙂

Books I’ve Read This Month: November 2021

Good morning!

November was the month in which I finished my 2021 Goodreads Reading Challenge! I also managed to read 4 really great books!

1. The Wedding Party by Tammy Cohen

I found this book really difficult to get into, but I stuck with it and ended up enjoying it. My prediction as to who was killed was correct (for once) but there were some aspects to the plot that I definitely didn’t see coming!

Rating: 4 Stars

2. The Fallout by Rebecca Thornton

I really enjoyed reading this book. The plot made it a little hard to read at times but I couldn’t put it down. One of the things I liked best about this book was the way everything was tied up at the end; all the questions I had were answered, which is rare!

Rating: 4 Stars

3. The Shelf by Helly Acton

I absolutely loved this book!!! I can’t even begin to describe how much I adored it, but I gave it a go in this review.

Rating: 5 Stars

4. Take A Look At Me Now by Miranda Dickinson

This was such a fun read about following your dreams. It made me really want to visit San Francisco! I absolutely loved the ending, it couldn’t have been more perfect. I would have liked an epilogue, maybe with a wedding scene though…

Rating: 4 Stars

Which books did you read this month?

– Elanor 🙂

*REVIEW* The Shelf by Helly Acton

Let me just start by saying that I LOVED this book! I am genuinely struggling to find the words to describe just how much I adored it, but I’m going to give it a go.

The Blurb

“Amy can’t believe she didn’t see this coming. Well, not THIS. How could anyone anticipate being dumped on TV?

Everyone in Amy’s life seems to be getting married, having children and settling down (or so Instagram tells her), and she feels like she’s falling behind. So, when her long-term boyfriend surprises her with a dream holiday, she thinks he’s going to finally pop the Big Question. But the dream turns into a nightmare when, instead, she finds herself on the set of a Big Brother-style reality television show, The Shelf.

Along with five other women, Amy is heartlessly dumped live on TV and must compete in a series of humiliating and obnoxious tasks in the hope of being crowned ‘The Keeper’.

While inside the house, will Amy learn that there are worse things than being ‘left on the shelf’?“

My Thoughts

Once I started reading this book, I simply could not put it down. I loved most of the characters (others grew on me) and as the book went on, I was torn over who I wanted to be crowned ‘The Keeper’.

Most of all, I loved the message of the book; that you don’t need a partner to find happiness, you shouldn’t settle for someone for the sake of appearances or expectations and that you and your own happiness should always come first. The focus on the impact of social media is also something which stuck with me after reading; how easy it is to believe someone has the perfect life because of their social media image and how important it is to just simply be kind.

This book was so unlike any other that I have read. From the plot, to the characters, to the themes running through it, it was a simply enthralling read.

Overall, this is a fun, fast-paced book, one with a strong message and is one which I would recommend to anyone.

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Books I’ve Read This Month: October 2021

I went into October with high reading expectations; I had set myself a TBR and fully expected to have completed my 2021 Goodreads Reading Challenge before the end of the month. Oh boy, were my expectations wrong.

October was a seriously slow month in terms of reading…

I have no idea why or how it happened, but I only read two books from my TBR and I have been ‘currently reading’ another since the month began.

Throughout the month of October, I only read the following books:

Autumn Leaves: A Chick-Lit Anthology

I picked this up after reading a review of it and I thought that it would be a fun Autumnal read. In truth, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped. I found some of the stories too short; they only just seemed to get going when they ended (sometimes quite abruptly). However, I did enjoy some of the stories and my favourite was Run To You by Laura Greaves.

Rating: 3 Stars

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks

I read this when it was released a few years ago and I knew it would be the perfect Halloween reread. I enjoyed reading it just as much the second time; it’s such a fun, cute story.

Rating: 4 Stars

Here’s to a better reading month in November! Which books did you read in October?

– Elanor 🙂

Halloween-Themed Quiz Questions

Happy Halloween!

Today I thought it would be fun to share a few Halloween quiz questions! I love a good quiz and I hope you all enjoy this one! I’ve tried to include a range of questions so there should be something for everyone.

Questions

1. Is a pumpkin a fruit or a vegetable?
2. Halloween House was the original name of which well-known Disney film?
3. Her maiden name was Woolstonecraft. When she married, she wrote which famous horror story?
4. Hallowe’en Party is a novel by which famous English mystery writer?
5. Which famous children’s author has a book called The Witches?
6. In Harry Potter and the Philospher’s Stone, the Halloween Feast is interrupted by the presence of what in the dungeons?
7. What was Bram Stoker’s original name for Count Dracula?
8. In The Chronicles of Narnia, what is the name of the ‘White Witch’?
9. The Worst Witch is a book series by which author?
10. What name is given to the religious practice of driving out evil spirits?
11. What is the name of the oldest Baudelaire sibling in Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events?
12. Pumpkinheads is a graphic novel illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks and written by who?
13. True or False: it is possible to grow a pink pumpkin
14. Traditionally at Halloween, young women would toss what over their shoulder in the hope that it would fall in the shape of their future husband’s initials?

Answers

1. Fruit
2. Hocus Pocus
3. Frankenstein
4. Agatha Christie
5. Roald Dahl
6. A troll
7. Count Wampyer
8. Jadis
9. Jill Murphy
10. Exorcism
11. Violet
12. Rainbow Rowell
13. True
14. Apple peel

How did you do?

– Elanor 😊

Books I’ve Read This Month: September 2021

September ended up being a pretty slow month in terms of reading. Despite having a towering TBR pile consisting of more than thirty books that I am looking forward to reading, I only read 4 books throughout the month.

Having said that, three out of the four books I read were five star reads, so quality, not quantity as they say!

1. The Dog Sitter by Zara Stoneley

I loved this story from beginning to end! This was one of those stories that I found myself completely immersed in; from the setting to the characters, to the plot, I absolutely adored it.

Rating: 5 Stars

2. The Skylight by Louise Candlish

This was a Quick Reads short story that I found by chance. The blurb intrigued me and I’m glad to say that the book didn’t disappoint! It had me hooked from page one! I haven’t read any other books by this author previously, but I would definitely read another.

Rating: 4 Stars

3. Her Last Holiday by C. L. Taylor

This book had me hooked from beginning to end! The storyline was completely not what I expected, but that made it an even better read. Some of the characters I liked immediately, while others grew on me over time; it was definitely a book of surprises. I’d think twice about booking myself onto a retreat after reading this!

Rating: 5 Stars

4. Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

I absolutely adored this book; even more so than I had expected to! From the plot, to the characters, to the style and format of the book, I loved every page. However, now that I’ve read this, I desperately want to go on a roadtrip…

Rating: 5 Stars

What was your favourite read of the month?

– Elanor 🙂