Top 5 Wednesday: Authors we look up to for inspiration!

As hardcore bookworms we always come across great books. But how often is it that we come across many books by the same author that are equally amazing? And the authors also tend to be super cool people? The answer (for us at least) is “rarely” but that doesn’t mean there aren’t enough to be put into a top 5 category.

So here’s our list of authors we look up to. Because if we can write stories like them, our life would be set!*

*Completely ignores the fact that just writing really good books doesn’t mean fame because the publishing industry is a fire maze.

Top 5 Wednesday: Books you’ve read because of Bookstagram/Blogging, etc.

Today’s topic is also a super interesting one because we never really realize just HOW much we are influenced by the people around us, especially with the internet. There are numerous ways that news of some book or so gets to us and before we know it, we’ve read it and joined a cult.

So today we will be sharing with you guys 5 of our favourite books that we read because we saw someone else raving about it.

Top 5 Wednesday: Books to read without the synopsis

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It’s been so long since we’ve done a Top 5 Wednesday. We’ve had a super busy year so far but this topic is just so good that we couldn’t pass it up.

So today we’ll be telling you about 5 books that you should be going in blindly because they are just THAT good.

Top 5 Wednesday: Books n’ Tunes

*clap clap*

Sometimes, as it happens, you’re listening to a song. And that song paints a lovely picture in your head. And sometimes, it happens to fit perfectly with the picture a book puts in your head. And then, ta-da, you get the song and the book married off!

I have wanted to do this type of a post for a while now. When a song fits for me, I have an intense need to tell people about it. Intense.
So, beware, for this post will be intense and, will not follow the first T5W rule (i.e. It’ll be above 5). Let’s bang on:

Top 5 Wednesday: People like us

“I see you.
Because in you, I see me.”
~Lisa Schroeder, The day before.

It’s not always that we are fortunate enough to read books that have characters that are relatable in their personality. But when we do find them, we cherish them the most.

A lot of time I feel that writers write characters in a way that we make space for our own voices so we feel like them, but then there are the characters we see our traits in and we recognize ourselves in.

On today’s T5W we talk about 5 characters that have a bit (or maybe more) of our personality.

Raven’s top 5:

#1 Hermione from Harry Potter

I want to say that I am smart like her but really I am just super into reading and researching like her. When I was a kid, I would beg my parents to buy children encyclopedias and then I would read every word in it. I still have them back in India.

Top 5 Wednesday: Authors We’d Want To Meet at Book Expo America & Bookcon

We don’t live in America. We live in a country with a population of 9 million people and that means that… I don’t really know where I am going with this sentence. My point is that we are not fortunate enough to attend things like Bookcons or Book Expo America because it is in AMERICAAAAAH!

So instead we sit on our beds with our laptops warming our legs as we talk about the 5 authors we would have been able to meet IF we were in AMERICAAAAAH!

#1 Maggie Stiefvater

Raven: I am crazy about the Raven Cycle. The last book released on 26th last month and I am currently not in a position to read it and it frustrates me to no end. If I meet her I’ll probably just collapse and cry. What frustrates me even more is that SOME people started reading her series just a couple of months ago and they have ALREADY FINISHED READING RAVEN KING!!! I want to desperately call them fake fans but it’s not right or fair and aaaargh I’m just so angry.

Beez: Maggie Stiefvater is queen. Maggie Stiefvater is queen. Maggie Stiefvater is queen. I love her, I adore her and I will pass out if I meet her.

Top 5 Wednesday: Books we are intimidated by

Imagine you are looking great this evening. You are wearing the most coziest clothing, you are jamming to your favourite music and dancing to the aroma of chocolate cookies baking in the oven. There are birds flying around you cause you are Cinderella and suddenly you’re stepsister comes in, dressed in those fancy clothes and that smug look showing off her unquestionable dominance.

She scares you and makes you uncomfortable, lowers your self-esteem and makes you cringe and hide in the shadows.

Today we talk about 5 books that do the same to us.

#1 The Game of Throne series by George R. R. Martin

Raven: I have read the first four books and had absolutely no trouble tackling them but for some reason I just can’t seem to want to read the fifth book. I did try once, and read about a 100 pages after which I realized that I had absolutely no idea about what was happening… and now even if I want to read it I’ll have to read the summary of the previous four books cause I don’t remember a lot of things. #problemsofreadingfatbooks

Beez: This series requires intense dedication and tons of time- to get fully into and then to stay into. I’m a fail.

#2 Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Raven: I have heard sooo many good things about this book and I really want to read it before I watch the movie but UGH! I just can’t make myself start it because I’m scared that I will be super disappointed.

Beez: Gone girl is the definition of intimidating. It promises to be good, and it’s adult fiction (I like adult fiction), but it’s scary. And the writing is not all that simple. And it just promises this whirl-wind of stuff so I’m scared like what if I’m too dumb and I read it and I don’t get a thing? I’m afraid of being a failure.

#3 Haruki Murakami books

Raven: His books are so thick! Not only with pages but also with content (I believe) and it’s an adult book and I haven’t really liked a LOT of adult books (probably cause I haven’t read many…)

Beez: I really want to read his books, but I’m kind of scared because I really want to like them but I’m afraid I won’t get it because I’m stupid.

#4 Classics

Raven: Classics always taunt me with their mostly archaic English and dragged plotlines. I have read only 6 classics and even though I have loved all of them (except Silas Marner) I can’t say I’m a huge fan.

Beez: I think the writing of classics, the way they get a little confusing especially with tons of characters with long names and the endless descriptions holds me back from reading them. They’re also slow paced so they require soo much more patience. I’m also very thick.

#5 Hyped books

Raven: Books that are hyped scare me the MOST!

Reason no. 1: EVERYONE seems to love it and that in itself makes me feel apprehensive about whether it is REALLY good or people are just saying so because THEY think that since the OTHER person loved it so they SHOULD love it too…

Reason no. 2: I expect WAAAAAAY too much from those books and am almost ALWAYS disappointed. (Ex: MAZE RUNNER)

Reason no. 3: It kills my DESIRE to want to read so and so book. I mean I know we all love fangirling about books that we love but in the process it kind of loses meaning? I know I recently hyped up The Raven Cycle for a good friend of ours here on WordPress and felt immediate guilt because I know exactly how it feels to be on the receiving end a.k.a too much pressure which turns you off. (Sorry mate!)

Beez: I don’t like hyped books because I know I’ll hate them, or at least most of them. And it’s true, when you see them again and again and again in your feed you sort of just adopt the attitude of, ‘oh yeah, that’s the popular book I’m not reading’. Especially when the book is young adult, I have learnt that I will have issues with it, so I should stay away from it. And if the book is a series, I’m already running away because no. #nottryingtobehipster #justanoldsoul

Tell us yours in the comments below or attach a link for us to check it out!

This is Raven and Beez,

Signing out~

[Top 5 Wednesday was created by Booktuber named Lainey at Gingerreadslainey and you can find other T5W-ers, the topics and guidelines on the Top 5 Wednesday Goodreads Group.]

Top 5 Wednesday: Books with “Hard” Topics

We love books that have dragons and magic and futuristic technology but every once in a while we also love to just sit down and read books that deal with issues that trouble our humanity.

So here is a list of 5 books that deal with such topics and did an amazing job at it:

#1 We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Raven: This book is beautiful! The way it deals with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is so unique and refreshing. It is not at all like how you would expect PTSD to be like. A must read.

Beez: This book deals with a “hard” issue that’s very different- PTSD, for me because I have never gone through anything of that magnitude and it’s effects. I didn’t quite read this with enlightenment of PTSD in mind, but I still got the feel of how crushing the effects are and it was also beautifully written.

#2 Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Raven: This was an issue that I was not really aware of at the time so you can see how reading books surrounding such issues can spread awareness. In this book Will is quadriplegic, a situation in which all four limbs are in paralysis. Even though the book wasn’t from his point of view, you could still see and feel all his troubles through the eyes of Louisa.

Beez: This book has a very controversial issue and while I feel, we got to see not much of the side of the thinking process about Will’s decision, we get to see how that affects his friends and family.

#3 Stay Where You Are and Then Leave by John Boyne

Raven: This book broke me. Anyone who has read my review of the book knows how much this book affected me. It’s set during the World War I and it deals with the after-effects of war on soldiers a.k.a shell shock. I can’t explain to you how beautifully John Boyne has worked with this topic.

Beez: This is another book where you have such a serious topic seen by the eyes of a little boy. It’s amazing and insightful to see how he copes and tries to control things to any extent he can and how his understanding of the war is. And this book doesn’t stop there- it goes on to show how he reacts to his dad’s condition after the war and it’s done beautifully and delicately.

#4 By the time you read this I’ll be dead by Julie Ann Peters

Beez: This book dealt with suicide, depression, getting bullied and going to a fat camp. A lot of depressing stuff and whenever I read it I got under a depressive spell. I cannot vouch for the quality of this book because I read it quite some time ago. But it was a good read and I did connect with her character and did get affected.

#5 Lola Rose by Jaqueline Wilson

Raven: This book is on my TBR.

Beez: This book is an excellent book about the effects of an abusive parent on a child. Lola in this book, takes this very protective and defensive side against her father- she regards him as bad and she is very concerned of him finding them and whenever her mother talks about him, she gets all apprehensive and controlling. I understood exactly how she felt because of the writing by Wilson. Lola is so scared of her father that it’s so important that she keeps her family safe from him, whether it’s his episodes or physically. And along with that, her younger brother shows the other effects of having an abusive parent. A very insightful read.

Special mentions:

1. Wonder by R.J. Palacio [Facial deformity- “mandibulofacial dysostosis”]

2. The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp [Alcoholism]

3. Dreamland by Sarah Dessen [Abusive relationship]

4. One by Sarah Crossan (so darn good) [Conjoined Twins]

Tell us yours in the comments below or leave a link for us to check it out!

AND HAS ANYONE HERE WATCHED MERLIN?? I’M GOING CRAY CRAY OVER THAT SHOW AND I’M JUST IN SEASON 2.

This is Raven and Beez,

Signing out~

[Top 5 Wednesday was created by Booktuber named Lainey at Gingerreadslainey and you can find other T5W-ers, the topics and guidelines on the Top 5 Wednesday Goodreads Group.]

Top 5 Wednesday: Rainy Day Reads

It’s a gloomy, rainy day and you’re life source has been sucked out. The only thing that can help you now is a good cup of tea and a great book. So here we are, as usual, helping you out. Here is a list of 5 books that we believe are perfect reads for a rainy day:

#1 Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Raven: This is such a relaxing and sweet read. Neal will warm you up, paint on your walls and cook delicious food for you. What more do you need right?

Beez: Landline will make your heart go loosey-goosey and Neal will warm your socks all the way up your heart. I’ve read this book twice and I am never going to stop reading this. It’s the perfect book to clutch close to your heart and get trapped into. And the ending will get you trembling with happiness.

#2 The terrible thing that happened to Barnaby Brocket by John Boyne

Raven: Barnaby Brocket is adorable! His journey is refreshing and the people he meets make you want to travel the world.

Beez: Oh this book is wonderful. It’ll warm your insides with Barnaby’s quirky journey and the amazing characters he meets on his way and you’ll smile like there’s sunshine in this world.

#3 Giant Days by John Allison

Raven: This graphic novel will make you laugh a LOT! It’s perfect for rainy days. You can finish it all really fast and you will never be satisfied because you will keep craving for more of these wonderful characters. This book is like being on drugs. (The series is ongoing)

Beez: Another book with so many wonderful and fun characters and hilarious parts that will very much thaw your heart (and also an actual line in the book). This book is a graphic novel so you have art to go along with it. It’ll make you laugh till tears well up in your eyes.

#4 Between the lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

Raven: The most sweetest and adorablest (I made that word from scratch) book in the whole world. I remember waking up and finishing it off in an hour! So good. Oliver will make you smile.

Beez: What’s better than a fairy tale on a rainy day? With illustrations. And an adorable prince and a girl protagonist full of agency (that she uses) and wonderfulness.

#5 Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Raven: I haven’t read this yet but it sounds like something I would read on a gloomy day.

Beez: Stargirl is like a magical book without any actual magic. It’s beautifully refreshing and it’s perfect for a rainy day.

Tell us yours in the comment below or paste a link of your post for us to check it out AND PLEASE TELL US YOUR FAVORITE KIND OF TEA!

P.S. My (Beez) favorite tea at the moment is Peach tea. I love fruit teas. Raven isn’t big on tea but due to my persistence in asking she has revealed it to be black tea- I don’t like black tea *frown*.

This is Raven and Beez,

Signing out~

[Top 5 Wednesday was created by Booktuber named Lainey at Gingerreadslainey and you can find other T5W-ers, the topics and guidelines on the Top 5 Wednesday Goodreads Group.]

Top 5 Wednesday: Least favourite book from our favourite series

There are so many series out there that we love as a whole but to be honest there is always that one book from your favourite series that was not as good as you would have liked it to be.

This is a list of 5 books from our favourite series that we didn’t like the most.

#1 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets from The Harry Potter series

Raven: This was a good book too I mean, I love ALL of Harry Potter but if I HAD to choose then this will be the one.

Beez: Yeah same as Raven. I think one of the reasons is that we didn’t know a lot about what it was building to, and we learnt about the significance later on. But it was still good.

#2 The Sea of Monsters from Percy Jackson and the Olympians series

Raven: Just like Harry Potter, I loved ALL of Percy Jackson but yeah…

Beez: I can’t remember what happened… I’m growing old.

#3 None from The Raven Cycle

Raven: Don’t question us.

Beez: Maggie Stiefvater is god.

#4 Crocodile Tears from Alex Rider series

Raven: I haven’t read the entire series yet.

Beez: I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much. I don’t remember it so clearly but I remember not being so attached while reading it.

#5 Mockingjay from The Hunger Games series

Raven: I loved Hunger games and Catching fire because there was so much going on! And I loved the ending of Mockingjay but the beginning felt sooo slow. That’s the only reason I chose this.

Beez: The starting of this book was getting nowhere. I still liked it very much but in comparison to the action packed blind racing other parts, this pales. The end was brilliant though.

That concludes our list of books we did not like as much as compared to the rest of the fabulous series. Tell us yours in the comment below or leave a link to your post so we can check it out!

This is Raven and Beez,

Signing out~

[Top 5 Wednesday was created by Booktuber named Lainey at Gingerreadslainey and you can find other T5W-ers, the topics and guidelines on the Top 5 Wednesday Goodreads Group.]