TTT: Reading Munchies

The only thing better than reading is finding that niche of snacks to have at arms length. Let’s face it, when you sit down to read, you need to your supplies at the ready so you don’t have to move for hours on end (only me?).

In addition to my needing a blanket, socks, pillows, ambiance music, and maybe a candle, you also need snacks. (Of course this is the rare occurrence when I can nestle into my book and go no where….as opposed to when I’m reading on the bus, in the breakroom, at the dinner table). These are my top munches to have on-hand to enhance my reading environment:

1. Hot Chocolate. I have an addiction to mugs and a hot chocolate maker at my expense. Hot cocoa is my favorite and I could drink several cups in one sitting (too much to switch mugs between refills?)
2. SODA. I admit it…I am a sodaholic. I love all kinds and it’s a plus if it’s caffeinated with vanilla/cherry. Soda over ice is a must for this list!
3. Reeses Peanut Butter ANYTHING. Or just plain peanut butter? Reeses are my favorite candy and I can eat a million. Peanut Butter Cups. Reeses Stix. Fastbreak. All of the above PLEASE.
4. Pickles. GIANT Pickles. Sure, they aren’t the most tidy of treats to eat whilst reading…but it’s worth the effort.
5. Pizza Bagels. (Bagel Bites) Whatever you call them, I still love Pizza Bagels, basically I’m eight years old. I’m so weird with the pizza sauce proportions, that I’m forever eating Pizza Bagels. Thus, they are on my list of things I love to munch on while eating!
6. Peanut M&Ms. Am I the only one that dislikes regular M&Ms? They are just a smidge too bitter for me. SO Peanut M&Ms are my jam. And if I could have an unlimited supply whilst reading, I’d forever be happy.
7. Pasta. (Why are there so many P’s on this list?) I love spaghetti, white cheddar and shells, lasagna, basically all the pastas while I’m reading….loading up on carbs for the upcoming readathon? I don’t know why, but I love it (also a messy reading snack).
8. Chips. Preferably Cheddar & Sour Cream Ruffles, Sour Cream & Onion Lays, Fritos, or Salt & Vinegar Lays.
9. Milkshakes. I’m weird about milkshakes, I like to be able to drink them through a straw…I don’t care how you spin it, if you have to eat it with a spoon IT’S ICE CREAM. So a good chocolate/peanut butter milk shake is AMAZING.
10. Grapes. Red Grapes to be specific. The ultimate fruity munch that you can eat a million of in one sitting.

PHEW. Made it through ten which is SO MANY munches. What does everyone else like to eat while reading? Do you eat while reading? Or do abstain to make sure your books remain pristine?

Thanks That Artsy Reader Girl for hosting!!

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TTT: Books I Enjoyed That Are Outside of My Comfort Zone

These are books that are/used to be outside my cushy genres that I know and love, i.e. historical fiction, dystopians, contemporary romances, cozy mysteries. A lot of these I read in classes and was given the assignment to read a book in a specific genre or off a reading list, others were ones that I picked up on my own but was very skeptical about them. I’m trying to be more open-minded with my book choices, because as always, books can surprise you.

Books outside my comfort zone:

• Written In-Verse, And We Stay
• Graphic Novels, El Deafo
• Short Stories, One More Thing
• LGBT Protagonist, Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda
• Horror, Unbreakable
• Difficult Subject Matter, Unwind
• Travel Biography, Wild
• Western Romance, Second Chance Ranch
• Biographies, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?
• Psychological Thrillers, Gone Girl

Thanks That Artsy Reader Girl for hosting Top Ten Tuesdays!

TTT: Books I’ve Read That I’d Like in My Personal Library

Books that I’ve read, loved, and haven’t bought…..yet. Because this list be all about the well loved books that haven’t made it to our shelves yet. Whether it be we got them from the library, a friend, admired them from afar…we want them, we need them, we have to get them. Maybe they are a little too pricy, or we’re feeling particularly broke at the moment, or we’ve run out of shelf space (the constant culprit), and if none of these were a factor, these are the books I’d run out to grab tomorrow:

Thank you, That Artsy Reader Girl, for hosting Top Ten Tuesdays!

TTT: Favorite Tropes

• 

  FAUX-MANCE
  -> ROMANCE

• 

  LOVE TRIANGLES

• 

  OFFICE ROMANCE

• 

  VILLAINS

• 

  SPONTANEOUS
  ROAD TRIPS

• 

  ENEMIES->LOVERS

• 

  CHARACTER REDEMPTION

• 

  ALMOST-KISSING
  COVERS

• 

  LOST & FOUND

Thanks to the lovely That Artsy Reader Girl for hosting!

TTT: Things That Immediately Make Me Want to Pick Up a Book

This week on Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl), we are discussing what makes us want to pick up a book…which let’s be honest there a MILLION. But today we’re narrowing it down to ten. And we’re using that LOOSELY. And clearly, this list will be in whatever order they pop into my brain, because it’s difficult enough to just list ten, let alone deciding on the NUMBER ONE reason you pick up a book. This was a CRAZY fun list to put together…and yep, it’s a tad long…but honestly…it could’ve been longer!!

1. THE COVER.

I’ll admit it: I judge books by the covers *raises hand*. I love a gorgeous cover. Not to say I WON’T pick up a book without a nice cover…but I have been known to drool over a fair few aesthetically pleasing books. Bonus points if it has any sort of embossing!

2. NERDINESS.

I’m a sucker for books with a lot of pop culture/book/music/tv references. The characters feel like my people.

3. TRAVEL.

It’s no secret I LOVE to travel. I want to see all the things…so books that take place in other countries have become one of my favorite past times. When I’m not traveling, I like to read about OTHERS traveling. Not to mention it helps me scout out where I’d like to go some day.

4. ROADTRIPS.

Separating this out from Travel because it’s a more specific branch of traveling books, and I think I’m more likely to pick it up? I’m a sucker for roadtrips and all things spontaneity, so there’s a bonus for both.

5. BOOKS ABOUT BOOKS.

Is it a secret that readers like to read about other readers? It’s like a weird Inception like fetish…but I love it! I feel so accomplished and well-read when I understand the references. Now that I think about it…this might be number one…or at least Top 3.

6. FAVORITE AUTHORS

Can I count auto-buy authors? Is that a cheat? Well if it is: I’m Cheating. There are a number of authors that I will read anything by and I love them all. They never disappoint (much). They wrote it, I’ll read it.

7. LOVE STORY.

I DO read books without a love story…I do…I promise. But on the otherhand…what’s reading without at least a HINT of romance? Even if it’s just a tad….or more than a tad….I’m sold. It’s not a requirement…but it is definitely a plus!!

8. TOPICS.

There are certain topics that I LOVE and will read anything and everything about it (WWII; Titanic; Anastasia; Fitzgerald; Jane Austen). I like the various points of view, the twists, the dynamics. It’s fun to see different perspectives.

9. VILLAINS.

Is it too much to ask to just have a real stellar villain? I love them. I love to hate them. I love when they own how awful they are. I love when they get redeemed. I find them so interesting and sometimes I just REALLY want them to be happy (or give them a hug). SO if a book has a very well-done villain, or is more villain-centric, I’m all for it!!

10. QUICK WIT.

I devour books with witty/snarky characters. Might be because I consider myself fairly witty at times (and snarky the rest of the time). But it also makes for a really fun read. And I’ve found several authors that do it very well!

TTT: Audiobook Love

Thanks to That Artsy Reader Girl for hosting Top Ten Tuesdays week after week (even if my TTT doesn’t always happen)! This week we are giving some love to our Favorite Audiobooks. SO EASY. If you don’t know, I’m an avid listener of Audiobooks whilst I drive (which I do a lot of with my new library being slightly farther away). So I have ALL the recommendations. Each of these are so great to listen to, and some of these narrators I’ve tracked down in other series/books because I liked them THAT MUCH. But these are where I discovered them. Try them all and let me know if you like them as much as I do!

Happy listening!

TTT: Books with fewer than 2,000 ratings on Goodreads

Kicking off my return to blogging with a TTT, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Because it’s Tuesday, I need a list to make, and it’s just plain fun!

We are highlighting books with fewer than 2,000 ratings over on Goodreads. Well, I’m cheating a bit with a couple titles which have about 3,000…but who cares! :D These are not widely rated, but should be read often because I truly love them, and they are something special. And there’s a little bit of everything, so there’s that!

TTT: Most Bingeworthy TV Shows of All-Time

Most Bingeworthy TV Shows of All-Time. That’s quite the list we are compiling this week! I know if I’m not reading, I’m binge-watching some TV show (or four) in addition to my must-have shows that are piling up on my DVR, and I’m sure I’m not alone! Here are my favorite shows so binge-watch (because once through wasn’t enough!)

Here are my personal favorites to keep you company while awaiting the new seasons to start up (A Million Little Things here I come!).

Thanks That Artsy Reader Girl for hosting!

TTT: The Best of Required Reading

In honor of school starting back off for most (NOTE: I am beyond thrilled that this no longer includes me), this week we get a Freebie of sorts…anything related to school/learning. So I decided to shout-out to my favorite required readings over my many school years. There are always those ones that we dread and hope to never return to (SEE: The Chosen One, Crime and Punishment, Beowolf, and The Jungle). BUT occasionally, your English Teachers/Professors did something right and you were left with something truly amazing, some of which remain some of my favorite books. I’m eliminating Gatsby because I feel like it somehow worms it’s way onto every list I create. But I tried to include books from every age group (I didn’t want to cheat and use all books from my Undergrad & Grad programs), so I’ve got a wide variety!

So many thanks to the teachers that made me love reading and love required reading, not all of them were miserable…in fact most of them weren’t. Hope everyone has a happy school year!

HONORABLE MENTION: Jurassic Park by: Michael Crichton

Thanks to That Artsy Reader Girl for hosting Top Ten Tuesdays each week!

TTT: Books to Pull You out of the Reading Slump

Everyone has reached that terrible reading slump that seems never ending, and no matter what you do, you just can’t seem to get out of it. WELL. This week all of us are giving books that have rescued your fellow readers from that dreaded slump. So if you are in a dry-spell of books lately, pick up any of these and BELIEVE ME, you will not be sorry. Some of these reintroduced me to some amazing literature (that I proceeded to throw at anyone who would listen).

Also: Apparently I need a good cry to get me out of my reading slumps because some of these definitely had me weeping by the end (see: Perks, I was Here, Before I Fall, Me before You) or laughing hysterically (see: Curious Minds & Size 12 is Not Fat). Not to mention some of my all time favorite YA Series that reminded me why I love Young Adult literature so much. These are all the firsts in the series’ but BELIEVE me, they only get better.

Happy reading, all! And let me know what books get you out of your slumps (because I’m sure eventually I will work myself back into one [as they always seem to come back]).

Thanks to That Artsy Reader Girl for hosting Top Ten Tuesdays each week!