It's Magic Time! Harry Potter Book Tag

I found this tag over on We Live and Breathe Books, and although it seems everyone was doing this back in August, I thought it would be fun to save for when I was doing my Blog Ahead Challenge to have some posts pre-made for November and December.  And really, HP is always good at Christmas time since there is a Christmas scene in every book.  There wasn't a set button I could find, so I made one with my picture from meeting the Weasley twins back in the spring at our local Comic-Con.  This tag was created by Book Roast.



EXPECTO PATRONUM: A childhood book connected to good memories?

 I loved this book so much I did a book report where my mom helped me make a Bunnicula puppet that I still own to this day.  In fact, shortly after I began teaching, the author visited the students at the school where I worked.  I had to meet him and show him my puppet, which he was really impressed with.


EXPELLIARMUS: A book that took you by surprise?

   I didn't ever think this was something I would like.  But I had just begun working at B. Dalton Bookstore, and we were able to strip the cover off of paperbacks that we had to send back when the publisher requested. At the time, there were only 3 or 4 in the series out.  The other employees encouraged me to take the first one home and give it a try.  Needless to say, I was immediately hooked and now am a lifelong HP fan, proud Hufflepuff all the way!


PRIOR INCANTATO: The last book you read?

I actually completed this post back in October, so it was hard to put a book down for this spell. What I ended up going with was what is listed on my blogging calendar for being reviewed right before this post will go up.  I've been reading and loving all the books in the SmartyPants Romance series, and so you'll have to go back to yesterday's blog posts to see how much I might have enjoyed this one!  Now if this isn't the last one I read, it was probably another one in the series.



ALOHAMORA: A book that introduced you to a genre you'd never considered before?

  Okay, so it's probably not a genre exactly, but up until about 10 or less years ago, I was always only into very clean-cut guys.  This is the series that maybe got me reading about tattooed boys with piercings.



RIDDIKULUS: A funny book you've read?

 So, pretty much every book by Emma Hart cracks me up so much!  But, this one was probably one of my favorites, due to its connections to one of my all time favorite tv shows, The Big Bang Theory.



SONORUS: A book you think everyone should know about?

 This is a book that my last school district made a theme for everyone to read one year, and it is short and sweet, and really made me think.  I realized that I do things like when I'm in a bad mood, I take it out on someone without even realizing it.  While I'm still working on not doing these things myself, it has also helped me to realize that someone else may be just doing the same thing and not actually being mean to me on purpose, and that helps just by itself.



OBLIVIATE: A book or spoiler you would like to forget you ever read?

 So if you liked this book,  you probably don't want to read what I have to say about it.  This became a really big seller in the Barnes and Noble where I work for a while, and as it was a print on demand book at the time, we had a lot of people requesting, but it wasn't something we could just get to have on the shelf.  I noticed it was mostly teenagers asking for it, so I decided to get a set of the series for my school library.  Another librarian in the district wondered why I'd ordered them, because they were supposedly erotica.  Um, no.  It's not, yes, there is some sexual stuff in it, but it's not erotica.  I read it because of the other librarian bringing this to my attention.  And wow, it was boring and stupid, and I have no idea why any teen would want to read this book about a middle-aged man, one that isn't even cool in any way shape or form!  So I wish I'd never read it, but I'm glad I did, to know.



IMPERIO: A book you had to read for school?

 I don't feel like I read as many books in school as others had to read, but this is one that I remember reading.


CRUCIO: A book that was painful to read?

 I love dogs.  And this book made me cry so much it hurt at the end!  And even knowing what was going to happen, I went and saw the movie.  It is a book I can never read again and I'll never watch the movie again either.  I just cannot stand reading or thinking about dogs dying. Having had to twice make the decision to put my own dogs down as an adult breaks me to still think about.



AVADA KEDAVRA: A book that could kill (interpret as you will)?

 Left to interpret this one how I would, I am going with the fact that reading and holding this very large, over 400 page book, almost killed my arms.

I don't usually tag people on these, I figure if you want to do this you will.  If you decide to join in, I'd love to have you stop back by and drop me a link to your post so I can check it out.  If you just want to share what your choice for one of these would be, please feel free to leave me a comment with that as well!

Cleaning Up My TBR: Down the TBR Hole #4

And even though I should have had lots of time over my Christmas break, I didn't get anymore of these done, so here we go!

This meme was started by Lost in a Story.  Here is how it works:

• Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
• Order on ascending date added.
• Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
• Read the synopses of the books
• Decide: keep it or should it go?

Because I have so many to do, I'm going to try to do this weekly, and do 10 at a time. 


1.  The Darwin Conspiracy by John Darnton:

From the author of the bestselling Neanderthal comes this novel of gripping suspense and scientific conquest–a page-turning historical mystery that brilliantly explores the intrigue behind Darwin and his theory of evolution.It’s 1831, and aboard HMS Beagle the young Charles Darwin sets off down the English Channel for South America. More than 150 years later, two ambitious scholars pursuing their obsession with Darwin (and with each other) come across the diaries and letters of Darwin’s daughter. What they discover is a maze of violent rivalries, petty deceptions, and jealously guarded secrets, and the extraordinary story of an expedition embarked upon by two men. Only one returned–and changed history forever. 

My thoughts:
So, I read and enjoyed the book mentioned at the beginning of this synopsis.  And this sounds like an interesting retelling of what we know about Darwin, as well as probably even bringing to light some lesser known facts.  I feel like this is one I don't want to forget that I'm interested in, and maybe some day I'll be interested in this type of book again.

Verdict:  Keep


2.  Ask Again Later by Jill A. Davis:

Emily has a tendency to live with one foot out the door. For her, the best thing about a family crisis is the excuse to cut and run. When her mother dramatically announces they've found a lump, Emily gladly takes a rain check on life to be by her mother's side, leaving behind her career, her boyfriend, and those pesky, unanswerable questions about who she is and what she's doing with her life. 

But back in her childhood bedroom, Emily realizes that she hasn't run fast or far enough. One evening, while her mother calls everyone in her Rolodex to brief them on her medical crisis and schedule a farewell martini, Emily opens the door, quite literally, to find her past staring her in the face. How do you forge a relationship with the father who left when you were five years old? As Emily attempts to find balance on the emotional seesaw of her life, with the help of two hopeful suitors and her Park Avenue Princess sister, she takes a no-risk job as a receptionist at her father's law firm and slowly gets to know the man she once pretended was dead. 

From the brainy, breezy writer who "writes like a professional comic" (The Onion) and is "hard to stop reading once you start" (USA Today) comes a laugh-out-loud tale that confirms you can recover from your parents, the bad habit of missed opportunities, and men who romance you with meat. When opportunity knocks, it's time to stop running and start living.  

My thoughts:
Well, as much as I enjoyed the other book I read by this author, Girls' Poker Night, I'm not sure this synopsis grabs me enough that I'll search it out to read.

Verdict:  Toss


3.  The Willow Files Vol. 1 by Yvonne Navarro:

""I like you. You're nice, and you're funny and you don't smoke, and okay, werewolf, but that's not all the time. I mean, three days out of the month I'm not much fun to he around, either." -- Willow" When Buffy the Vampire Slayer arrived in Sunnydale, she befriended a bookish, insecure girl named Willow. As a Slayerette, Will uses her computer prowess for good, hacking into electronic government files and researching obscure rituals on the Web. But Willow's love life is severely lacking, consisting of an unfulfilled crush on her friend Xander and a short-lived fling with a deadly demon she met over the Internet.

Through her often life-threatening experiences with the Slayer, Willow gains the confidence to just be herself in the peer pressure-filled world of high school. And when her first real boyfriend, Oz, turns out to be a bit..."unusual..".in his own right, Willow is just the girl to prove that love really is blind...and a little scary.   

My thoughts:  Okay, if you saw my review of the new book Slayer last weekend, you would have seen that I have a TON of Buffy the Vampire Slayer books.  This is one of the few I was unable to get my hands on, but am always on the lookout for.  

Verdict:  Keep


4.  Five Seasons of Angel: Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Discuss Their Favorite Vampire:

by 

Glenn Yeffeth (Editor), 

 

Don DeBrandt (Contributor)

, 

Michelle Sagara West (Contributor)

, 

Marguerite Krause (Contributor)

, 

Peter S. Beagle (Goodreads Author) (Contributor)

, 

Candace Havens (Goodreads Author) (Contributor)

, 

Jacqueline Lichtenberg (Goodreads Author)(Contributor)

, 

K. Stoddard Hayes (Contributor)

 , Amy Berner (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Nancy Holder (Goodreads Author)(Contributor), Josepha Sherman (Contributor), Laura Anne Gilman (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Laura Resnick(Contributor), Jennifer Crusie (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Joy Davidson (Contributor), Don Kerns (Contributor), Roxanne Longstreet Conrad (Contributor), Steven Harper(Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Jean Lorrah (Contributor), Abbie Bernstein (Contributor), Chelsea Quinn Yarbro(Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Sherrilyn Kenyon (Goodreads Author) (Contributor)
In this thoughtful, witty look at the acclaimed "Buffy" spin-off, five science fiction and fantasy writers discuss their favorite vampire. 

My thoughts:
Honestly, and this goes back to the last book as well, I never end up reading a lot of these nonfiction types of BTVS or Angel series books.  So not sure I need to look for this one. 

Verdict:  Toss


5.  Buffy the Vampire Slayer Supernatural Defense Kit (Comic #13) by Andi Watson, Jason Pearson, and Cliff Richards

:

Here it is, fight fans -- the last rounds of the epic Buffy vs. Selke battle royale, and the conclusion of the Bad Blood story line! Collecting issues #17-19 of the hit comics series, watch as the Selke moves closer and closer to finishing off the Slayer. And Buffy has to come to grips with her dark side...literally! If that`s not enough for you, how about a gigantic fight to the finish in the middle of Downtown Sunnydale? Miss this one, and you`ll be kicking yourself later!

 

My thoughts:

Again, if you read my review, you'll know that I wasn't a huge fan of the comics, so this one will probably not be one I'll need to pick up either.

 

Verdict:  Toss

 

6.  Undead TV:  Essays on Buffy the Vampire Slayer:

When the final episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer aired in 2003, fans mourned the death of the hit television series. Yet the show has lived on through syndication, global distribution, DVD release, and merchandising, as well as in the memories of its devoted viewers. Buffy stands out from much entertainment television by offering sharp, provocative commentaries on gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and youth. Yet it has also been central to changing trends in television production and reception. As a flagship show for two U.S. “netlets”—the WB and UPN—Buffy helped usher in the “post-network” era, and as the inspiration for an active fan base, it helped drive the proliferation of Web-based fan engagement.In Undead TV, media studies scholars tackle the Buffy phenomenon and its many afterlives in popular culture, the television industry, the Internet, and academic criticism. Contributors engage with critical issues such as stardom, gender identity, spectatorship, fandom, and intertextuality. Collectively, they reveal how a vampire television series set in a sunny California suburb managed to provide some of the most biting social commentaries on the air while exposing the darker side of American life. By offering detailed engagements with Sarah Michelle Gellar’s celebrity image, science-fiction fanzines, international and “youth” audiences, Buffy tie-in books, and Angel’s body, Undead TV shows how this prime-time drama became a prominent marker of industrial, social, and cultural change.

Contributors. Ian Calcutt, Cynthia Fuchs, Amelie Hastie, Annette Hill, Mary Celeste Kearney, Elana Levine, Allison McCracken, Jason Middleton, Susan Murray, Lisa Parks 

My thoughts:  See above thoughts.

Verdict:  Toss 


7.  Tales from the House of Bunnicula series by James Howe:

Dear possible reader of this book, 
I want to be a writer, just like my uncle Harold, who wrote a bunch of books about our friend Bunnicula. So I wrote this story. And boy! Did I ever get into trouble! My friend Delilah stopped speaking to me because I put her in my book. Uncle Harold stopped speaking to me because I didn't put him in my book. A writer's life isn't easy! 
But back to my story: It's about how a talented and lovable (not to mention smart) wirehaired dachshund puppy named Howie saves the world from a disgusting, evil menace named...oops, that would give away the story. But trust me, this menace is disgusting and evil, all right!!! 
Your friend, Howie

My thoughts:
So, I'm doing a whole series with this one, and I only included the synopsis from the first book above.  I LOVED the original Bunnicula series, and Howie the wire-haired dachshund puppy was of course one of my favorite characters, seeing as how I love all things dachshunds.  However, these are very young kid books, and seeing as how I have no reason to read them anymore, I'll probably not ever need to get to them.  So, this will remove 6 books at once from my Goodreads TBR.

Verdict:  Toss  


8.  School's Out Forever (Maximum Ride #2) by James Patterson:

The heart-stopping quest of six winged kids--led by fourteen-year-old Max--to find their parents and investigate the mind-blowing mystery of their ultimate destiny continues when they're taken under the wing of an FBI agent and attempt, for the first time, to live "normal" lives. But going to school and making friends doesn't stop them from being relentlessly hunted by sinister spies, who lead Max to face her most frightening match yet: a new and better version of herself.   

My thoughts:
So, I think I may have started this one?  But didn't get too far.  I liked the first book in the series, and I feel like this is one I might want to return to some day.  However, since this is a pretty popular and well-known series, I don't think I have to keep it on my TBR list.  If I ever feel like reading it again, I will not need this to remind me.

Verdict:  Toss

  
9.  Upside Down Inside Out by Monica McInerney:

Eva Kennedy is in a rut. After seven years of working at her uncle’s Dublin delicatessen, her artistic aspirations have slipped by the wayside and her latest relationship has fizzled. Whatever happened to the Eva who was going to be someone? Hoping to shake things up and find inspiration, Eva takes a break and ventures to Melbourne, Australia, to visit her old friend Lainey, who, for fun, gives her an exciting new identity. Eva is now exotic and adventurous and . . . not herself.

Joseph Wheeler is a successful London designer. Unfortunately his firm is thriving at such a high level that he doesn’t have time to actually design anymore. And his love life is nonexistent. 

In Australia on business, Joseph meets Eva, and the sparks fly–even as Eva is stuck pretending to be someone she’s not. Little does she know that Joseph has some secrets of his own. . . .

When what starts as a holiday fling quickly blossoms into something more, Joseph and Eva discover that romance can turn life upside down and inside out at the bottom of the world. 

My thoughts:
Now this one sounds a lot like the types of stories I'm reading and enjoying now.  So I think it's one to keep on my list, because it's not a well-known one, at least not that I know of.

Verdict:  Keep
 

10.  The First  Assistant:  A continuing Tale from Behind the Hollywood Curtain (Lizzie Miller #2) by Clare Naylor and Mimi Hare:

The further fortunes of everyone's favorite assistant as she struggles to keep her footing on Hollywood's slippery slope 

In The Second Assistant, readers fell in love with smart, witty East Coast girl Elizabeth Miller. Now that Lizzie has been promoted, can she still keep her pumps firmly on the ground in the city of stars? With a viperish subordinate after her job, the world's hottest teen starlet to keep out of trouble and a boyfriend on location with a beautiful actress, she certainly has her hands full. 

The satire is sharper than ever as Naylor and Hare take another wry and hilarious look at the wheeling, dealing, schmoozing, and snubbing that make Hollywood the cutthroat capital of the world. The First Assistant is a lesson in how to survive in a town where tonight's Oscar frock is tomorrow's laughing stock.

My thoughts:
So, I still haven't read the first one, although I own a copy of it. so I am going to remove this from my TBR, and if I ever get around to reading the first one, and I like it enough, then I'll go find this one.

Verdict:  Toss 

It looks like I'm getting rid of 12 books from this list, even though I only officially have 10 listed.  But yay!  Have you read any of these?  Would you suggest I keep any I got rid of?  Or should I get rid of any that I kept?  I'd love to know your thoughts!