Blogtober Day Eleven: Fall into Fall Book Tag

Hey, bookish friends. We found this fall themed book tag and knew it would be perfect for a Blogtober book tag. This tag was created by Silver Button Books and you can find their post here.

Apple Picking: A bright shiny book on your shelf.

Amanda- Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard. The gold cover is truly so shiny.

Antonia- The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi. This cover is seriously so pretty.

Pumpkin Spice: A book that everyone loved that just doesn’t sit well with you.

Amanda- A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee. From reviews I’ve seen so far, people either loved or didn’t love this book. I didn’t love it and there were some specific things that I really didn’t like.

Antonia- The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I’ve loved some of her previous books but was so disappointed by this one. I couldn’t connect with the main characters and didn’t like the romance at all.

Fall Leaf Tour: A gorgeously written journey.

Amanda- Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers. This is a stunning and lyrical story that I still haven’t stopped thinking about.

Antonia- Stardust by Neil Gaiman. Tristran goes on such a crazy journey throughout Faerie and learns so much about the world and himself. I loved every bit of it.

Pumpkin Picking: A book that reflects the pumpkin you always pick.

Amanda- The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow. I like to pick big, chunky, round pumpkins that will be easy to carve and full of seeds. This book was chunky for sure, and I would say a nice round story with how the plot and characters are all tied together in a satisfying ending.

Antonia- This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El Mohtar and Max Gladstone. I never pick a perfect pumpkin. It always has to be a little weird or flawed. This book was so unique and just a little odd but still so beautiful.

Halloween Costume: A book with a character whose style you admire.

Amanda- For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten. I’m thinking of Red’s cloak, but also, I love the fantasy dresses that sound so pretty.

Antonia- The Other Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn. I LOVE regency era fashion. I think it would be so cool to wear all those gorgeous dresses every day.

Fall Beverage: A book that reflects your favorite fall drink.

Amanda- My favorite fall drink is either hot chocolate or apple cider. So, I have an author instead of a book for this one. Nora Roberts is my go-to when I need a familiar and comforting book that makes me feel warm.

Antonia- The Witness by Nora Roberts. My favorite fall drink is apple cider so I picked a book that I find warm and comforting. This is a very old favorite that I can come back to anytime to make myself feel good.

Corn Maze: A book you can get lost in.

Amanda- I don’t often have an issue getting pulled into the story. But most recently, For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten really sucked me in and I had to stay up late until I finished it.

Antonia- All of them. It’s so easy for me to just lose myself in a book.

Hot Food: A book you waited all summer to read.

Amanda- Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. I preordered this one last year, but it was back ordered from my local indie store. So, I didn’t get it until after spooky season was over. It was the first book I picked up in September.

Antonia- I’ve been so excited for Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan to come out. I love all his books and this one sounds so fun.

What a fun fall book tag! We tag anyone that feels like doing this. Thanks for reading!

Blogtober Day Twenty-Six: The Nightmare Before Christmas Book Tag

Hey, bookworms. Today we have another book tag for your enjoyment. We found this Nightmare Before Christmas one over at Erica Robyn Reads while searching for a fun one. This definitely fits that. This tag was created by The Butterfly Reader. Check out her post here!

Jack – A book character who longs for more

Amanda: Zachary Ezra Rawlins from The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. He misses his chance for more when he was a kid and it lingers into his adulthood.

Antonia: Cress from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. She spends her whole life stuck by herself floating in the middle of space and just wants to see the world and meet people.

Sally – A book character who loves someone so much and actually gets them in the end

Amanda: Amani from the Mirage duology by Somaiya Daud. Forbidden love that ends with a happy ending is always a good time for me.

Antonia: Alina from The Shadow and Bone trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. She’s loved Mal for so long and even though I kind of hated him for most of the first book, I ended up being so happy they got together.

Zero – A book with a loyal sidekick

Amanda: Lehaba from House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas. She’s literally just fire. I adored her.

Antonia: The Outstretched Shadow by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory. Not only is Shalkan the most sarcastic, hilarious best friend but he’s also a freaking unicorn. Like literally. It’s amazing.

Oogie Boogie – A book with one hell of a wicked villain

Amanda: The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty. The villain is trying to retake her city, a place her ancestors used to rule. She was complex and interesting, but took things too far.

Antonia: The Dragon King from The Last Namsara by Kristin Ciccarelli. Seriously, he was just awful.

Halloween Town – A book that’s creepy or has a scary theme

Amanda: The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher. I read this in September and it was creepy and suspenseful and everything I wanted for Spooktober.

Antonia: I never read scary books because I will definitely give myself nightmares.

Christmas Town – A book that left you feeling warm and fuzzy inside

Amanda: The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune. A man goes to an orphanage filled with some of the more dangerous supernaturals. He isn’t sure what to expect. He finds a family and I loved every page of this book.

Antonia: Anything by Julia Quinn. Her books are just so funny and I always love the romance.

What’s This? – A book that took you by surprise

Amanda: Furyborn by Claire Legrand. I actually pulled this book out of my ‘to be unhauled’ pile and it was a 5 star read for me.

Antonia: The Martian by Andy Weir. I watched the movie first and really enjoyed it but it’s outside of my normal book genre so I was not expecting to love it as much as I did. Mark’s voice is just amazing. I really felt like I could hear him while reading this.

That’s all the questions! Feel free to consider yourself tagged if this looks like fun to you! Happy Spooktober!

Blogtober Day Eight: Halloween Creatures Book Tag

It’s been a while since we’ve done a book tag here, but Blogtober is the perfect opportunity for a new and fun one. There are a bunch of great ones out there for Halloween but we liked this one the best. Let’s get right into it!

Rules

1. Answer all prompts.
2. Answer honestly.
3. Tag 1-13 people.
4. Link back to this post.
5. Remember to credit the creator. (Anthony @ Keep Reading Forward)
6. Have fun!

Witch: A magical character or book

Amanda- The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. I read this in August and I still can’t stop thinking about it. It was so many stories within one story that all connected to one another. The writing was beautiful. Plus, it’s about a magic library world.

Antonia- The Dark Witch by Nora Roberts. We all know how much I love Nora, particularly when she gets into magic. I love how in depth this book gets into the magic aspect.

Werewolf: The perfect book to read at night

Amanda- Literally any book. I don’t save specific books only to read a certain time. It’s more about format for me. Ebooks and audiobooks at night in bed and physical reading during the day.

Antonia- I also don’t have specific books that I read during different situations.

Frankenstein: A book that truly shocked you

Amanda- Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power. The twist at the end was wild. I know some saw it coming, but it was way weirder than what I predicted.

Antonia- Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake. I had many problems with this book but the twist at the end was so good. I couldn’t believe it.

The Devil: A dark or evil character

Amanda- Lada from The Conquerer’s Saga by Kiersten White. She’s not evil, but she will do literally anything to reach her goals and I love her for it.

Antonia- The Darkling from The Shadow and Bone trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. He’s one of the villains we love to hate. He’s just so well written throughout the entire series.

Grim Reaper: A character that shouldn’t have died

Amanda- Without spoiling anything, I will say that a certain adult from These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling didn’t have to die and I’m still seriously mad about it.

Antonia- The thirteen from Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas. This scene killed me. Even the second time I read it, I bawled like a baby.

Zombie: A book that made you hungry for more

Amanda- The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin. I read this trilogy in like four days because I just needed to know the whole story.

Antonia- I always want more of my favorite characters. The Age of X series by Richelle Mead is a big one for me though because she never continued the series after book two.

Gargoyle: A character you would protect at all costs

Amanda- All of my babies from The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman except Justin. I literally don’t care about him.

Antonia- Blue from This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El Mohtar and Max Gladstone. Not that she needs protecting from anyone but I just love her so much.

Vampire: A book that sucked the life out of you

Amanda- Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust. This story sucked me in and wouldn’t let me go until I got to the end. I got lost in this story, so deeply invested in the characters and their goals.

Antonia- Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa. This series pulled me in so hard and gave me so many feelings. I can’t wait to read the last book.

Ghost: A book that still haunts you

Amanda- For this one, I tried to make sure to pick a book that I read before 2020 because I’ve read some great books this year that I can’t stop thinking about. So, I have a few. Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin, Ashlords by Scott Reintgen, and Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro are some from last year that I still have on my mind often.

Antonia- Flamecaster by Cinda Williams Chima. I vaguely remember finishing this book but can’t make myself read the rest of the series because I still can’t get over what happened at the beginning. I’m devastated.

Demon: A book that really scared you

Amanda- The Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab. There were many moments that had me nail biting and gripping the pages in fear for the characters.

Antonia- I don’t read many spooky books because I’m a wuss but when we were teenagers Amanda and I read The Devouring by Simon Holt and that series gave me nightmares.

Skeleton: A character you have a bone to pick with

Amanda- Dara, freaking Dara, from the Daevabad trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty. He was one of my favorites in the first book, but by book three he was not on that list anymore. I was happy with how his story ended, but I wanted more from him.

Antonia- Evie’s mom from The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I mean come on! Every choice she made just caused so many problems.

Mummy: A book you would preserve through time

Amanda- I hate to repeat books on these things, but I have to say The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern again. I think this book will be loved for many years to come.

Antonia- Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. Honestly these books are just so well written, especially for children’s books. I love everything about them.

Creepy Doll: A cover too scary to look at

Amanda- There are two books and neither of them are out yet. Horrid by Katrina Leno and Blessed Monsters by Emily A. Duncan.

Antonia- Since I don’t read anything remotely close to horror, I don’t have any book covers that creep me out.

The Monster Mash – It’s fun to be with friends on Halloween! Tag your friends here:

Alana @ The Bookish Chick

Avhlee @ Tea Cups and Torn Pages

Ari @ Bookish Valhalla

Blogtober Day Twenty-Six: Would You Rather Book Tag

Hello, friends! Antonia & I have been tagged by the always lovely Avhlee @ Tea Cups and Torn Pages for the Would You Rather Book Tag. This seems like a fun and easy post to add to our blogtober lineup. So, here we go!

Read only standalones or trilogies?

Amanda- At the moment, standalones. I’m having trouble getting into any fantasies I pick up, so series are mostly off the table for me right now.

Antonia- I like both for so many reasons depending on my mood.

Read only female or male authors?

Amanda- I’m all for females supporting females, but some of my favorite books are by men.

Antonia- I honestly don’t pay attention to whether an author is male or female but I do tend to pick up more female authors.

Shop at Barnes & Nobel or Amazon?

Amanda- Barnes and Nobel. I try not to use Amazon if I can help it.

Antonia- Agreed^^ Though I’ve been trying not to buy books lately.

All books become movies or T.V. shows?

Amanda- T.V. shows. I love movies, but I’m a sucker for a great t.v. adaptation.

Antonia- TV. It’s so much easier to include all the little book details I want included.

Read five pages per day or five books per week?

Amanda- Five books each week. That’s about what I read currently.

Antonia- I wish I still read five books a week but I’m definitely closer to five pages a day right now.

Be a professional reviewer or author?

Amanda- Becoming a published author is my dream.

Antonia- Author

Only read your top twenty favorite books over and over or always read new books you haven’t read before?

Amanda- Always read new books.

Antonia- Top twenty.

Be a librarian or bookseller?

Amanda- Librarian. I would love to support authors, but helping kids find books they are going to love would be so fulfilling.

Antonia- Librarian sounds like so much fun.

Only read your favorite genre or any genre except for your favorite?

Amanda- Tough…every genre but my favorite.

Antonia- Uhhh.. I’m not sure I have a favorite right now so this one’s hard. I’ll pick every genre but my favorite too.

Read only physical books or eBooks?

Amanda- Ebooks because If I  had to only read physical books I wouldn’t be able to read as much as I do.

Antonia- Much as I like eBooks, I still much prefer physical books.

That’s all for the questions today friends! Feel free to consider yourself tagged if you’d like to participate in this one! Or you can leave your answers in the comments.

Blogtober Day Ten: Hocus Pocus Book Tag

Hi, lovelies! Antonia and I are here with another fun Spooktober themed book tag. Who doesn’t love Hocus Pocus? This movie is a total classic and I was excited to see that it has its own book tag. It’s the perfect post for Blogtober. I found this tag over at Romance Book Binge. Let’s get to it!

A great trilogy

Amanda- One of the best trilogies I’ve read this year so far was definitely the Book of the Ancestor trilogy by Mark Lawrence.

Antonia- One that I’ve been most excited about recently is the Chronicles of the One trilogy by Nora Roberts. The first two books were amazing and the last comes out in December. I. Can’t. Wait.

Winifred Sanderson: A book with a truly evil female villain.

Amanda- All I’m going to say is House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig.

Antonia- The first one that comes to mind since I’m rereading it is Levana from the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. She’s definitely a little crazy.

Sarah Sanderson: A book that uncannily attracts children.

Amanda- Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chockshi is a great middle grade series that I want everyone to read.

Antonia- The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis was one of my parent’s favorites, one of my favorites and now my nephew loves them too.

Mary Sanderson: A book that is just plain silly.

Amanda- I laughed all the way through The Disasters by M.K. England.

Antonia- The BFG by Roald Dahl is by far the silliest book I’ve read.

Max: A book that is trying really hard to be cool, but doesn’t always succeed.

Amanda- The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

Antonia- The House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Cast were equal parts interesting storyline and too much teenage angst.

Dani: A book that isn’t afraid to tell it like it is.

Amanda- I just finished this one and adored it. A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro.

Antonia- Crank by Ellen Hopkins. It was the first book I was introduced to that didn’t sugarcoat things like drugs and teenage pregnancy.

Binx: A book series that just won’t die.

Amanda- Welll, I’m currently rereading the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. So, I think that’s pretty fitting.

Antonia- Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James is one I wish disappeared into a black hole forever ago.

Ice: A book with a character that’s dumb as a rock.

Amanda- Scam from the Zeroes trilogy by Scott Westerfeld, Deborah Biancotti, & Margo Lanagan. He gets it together, eventually.

Antonia- Winter from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer is one who definitely isn’t all there but eventually you learn it’s less her being stupid and more that she’s just crazy.

The Black Flame Candle: A book or series you wish you could resurrect.

Amanda- I actually sort of am resurrecting this series. I just found The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa and borrowed it from Antonia. So, I’m hoping to reread these soon.

Antonia- The Age of X series by Richelle Mead. As far as I can tell this series is never going past book two because of low sales and that really pisses me off.

Headless Billy Butcherson: A book that’s not as bad as people make it out to be.

Amanda- Again, but Better by Christine Riccio. I know this book has flaws, but I liked it anyway.

Antonia- Beastly by Alex Flinn. I think the terrible movie had an adverse affect on peoples opinions of the book.

Winifred Sanderson’s Spell Book: A book with a mind of its own.

Amanda- The Disasters by M.K. England

Antonia- The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

Garry Marshall: A book with a cameo.

Amanda- I actually recently buddy read Hope and Other Punchlines by Julie Buxbaum. She totally made a reference to another one of her books (Tell Me Three Things) which totally made me laugh.

Antonia- Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. I don’t remember exactly which books but a couple of them make subtle references to the Kane Chronicles and vice versa.

That’s all the questions for this one! We loved this tag, it was so fun to think of books for these questions. Now we’re off to watch some Hocus Pocus of course.

Now, we shall tag some lovely bloggers to also participate!

 

 

Blogtober Day Two: Are You Ready For Sweater Weather?

Hi, lovelies! Antonia and I are going to do our best to participate in Blogtober this month. So we’re kicking off the month with the Autumn book tag: Are you ready for sweater weather? We were tagged by the always wonderful Avhlee @ Tea Cups and Torn Pages. Without further delay, the questions!

1. Hot Chocolate: What is your comfort book?

Amanda- Looking for Alaska by John Green, for sure. I just get all the feels.

Antonia- I feel like I have so many but probably The Obsidian Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory.

2. Pumpkin Carving: What is your favorite creative outlet?

Amanda- I like to write when I can find the time.

Antonia- This one’s tough because I love creative things but I’m not actually all that creative. So I love to crochet and paint and craft but the results never come out the way I want them to.

3. Falling Leaves: Changes that appear bad but you secretly love?

Amanda- The seasons. I complain about them changing but actually love it.

Antonia- I definitely have to agree with Amanda on this one.

4. Pumpkin Spiced Latte: Something you love that others tend to judge?

Amanda- Reading? Hah, most people don’t read like I do.

Antonia- Well my husband likes to judge the shows I watch but really he secretly likes them too.

5. Bonfire Night: What makes you explode with joy?

Amanda- Family and friends. I just got to see the wonderful Antonia for the first time in almost a year, and that made me explode with joy.

Antonia- ^Agreed. Seeing Amanda and her perfect baby, and all my nieces, nephews and siblings that I don’t get to see too often because I live on the other side of the country. I can’t think of anything better.

6. Fright Night: Favorite scary film or book?

Amanda- I do not like scary things at all. So, pass.

Antonia- Nope! I guess Stranger Things cause it’s definitely a little spooky but I love it.

7. Halloween Candy: Favorite thing to eat?

Amanda- Kit-Kat minis.

Antonia- Dark chocolate.

8. Scarves: Your must-have accessory?

Amanda- …A book? I don’t go anywhere without one.

Antonia- Hmm.. I guess just my jewelry. I never take my rings off and hardly ever change my necklace or earrings.

9. Fire: A book or film that burns your soul?

Amanda- The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow. I read this recently and I just can’t stop thinking about it. The story drew me in and blew me away at the same time.

Antonia- Most recently I think Skyward by Brandon Sanderson did this for me. This book gave me all the feelings.

10. Toffee Apples: A book or film that seems one thing but really has a different inside?

Amanda- The Arsonist by Stephanie Oakes. This book seemed to be a fun mystery with two kind of weird kids. But it turned out to be so much more than that.

Antonia- His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman. This seems like just a middle grade fantasy story but has some more serious themes mixed in that really make you think, even as an adult.

That’s all we have for you today folks! The Are You Ready For Sweater Weather? Book Tag has been fun! Hope you all enjoyed this post! Feel free to do it and say we tagged you!