Kindle Daily Deal: Shattered Blue!

Hey everyone!  I am so excited to share with you that today and today only, Shattered Blue is a Kindle Daily Deal on Amazon!  For only $1.99 you can open a portal to a new world and read the magic that is the writing of Lauren Bird Horowitz.  **Click on the image for the Amazon link!**

There is also a great giveaway going on today to pair with the daily deal flash sale!  If you buy a copy of the book today, you have a chance to win a set of the new Harry Potter Funko Pops!  How awesome is that?!  **Click on the photo for more information about the giveaway!**

Seriously you guys, this book is so awesome!  I read it for the first time in December and since then have read it two more times.  I rated it 5 stars and marked it as one of my top faves of 2015.  Read my original review here.  In fact, I love this book so much I bought it in every format available!

 

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble: Halloween Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  Each week there is a new topic and this week’s topic is: Halloween themed freebie.  Since it is a Halloween freebie I have decided to put forth one of my favorite Halloween topics – WITCHES AND WITCHCRAFT!  I’ve always had a HUGE fascination with witches and witchcraft so this week I will be sharing some books and movies (and TV shows) involving witchcraft.

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling – Of course Harry Potter is all about witchcraft and wizardry so they go perfectly with this list whether you want to read the books or watch the movies.  Both are great choices for Halloween.

All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness – I have only read the first book in the series but it was really good!  Not only are there witches but there are also vampires and other supernatural creatures.

The Crucible by Arthur Miller – Witchcraft and witch trials… What could be more appropriate?  If you don’t like reading plays, then check out the movie featuring Winona Ryder and Daniel Day-Lewis.

The Witching Hour by Anne Rice – I haven’t finished this one but it has been getting good and eerie.  This is a long one though.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl – I’ve seen mixed reviews on this series but I really enjoyed the book series and the movie of the first book.  There is light and dark magic and rather than calling themselves witches, they prefer to be called casters.

The Cousin’s O’Dwyer trilogy by Nora Roberts – Witches and Ireland?!  Yes please.  This is a good series about a family of witches who are fighting the same evil force their ancestors before them fought against.

American Horror Story: Coven – A whole season of AHS devoted to witches and witchcraft.  This season isn’t as creepy as previous AHS seasons but still really good.

Hocus Pocus – And of course any Halloween movie list would not be complete without this gem.  This is a movie that must be watched every year.  I’m saving it for Halloween day and am SO excited to watch it for the millionth time.

The Craft – Another great witch movie.  This one is creepy at times and for me, a classic for Halloween.

Practical Magic – I absolutely LOVE this movie!  I have lost count of how many times I’ve watched it.  Every time I have tried to grow out my hair it was because I aspired to have the long, beautiful locks of the Owens sister’s hair.  I love the story, acting, setting… everything.  You could also read the book by Alice Hoffman but I personally didn’t care much for the book.

Witches of East End – There were two seasons of this on Lifetime based on the book by Melissa de la Cruz.  I didn’t include the book though because I liked the show a lot better.  It is pretty cheesy, especially Ingrid, but it’s still an enjoyable witch series.

What are some of your favorite Halloween themes/books/movies?

The Harry Potter Book Tag

I saw this tag yesterday on Kristi @ Hidden Staircase and I knew I just had to do this tag!  Harry Potter is one of the best things in my life.  Even though I’m behind on other tags and awards, I just couldn’t let this one slip by!

The Questions

1. Favorite book?
   Hmm that’s a tough one. I’m going to have to go with #1 – Sorcerer’s Stone. When I first read this book after it came out, I immediately fell in love with this world and all of the characters.

2. Favorite movie?
   Definitely Goblet of Fire. This is probably the one that I have watched the most. I remember when I was a sophomore in college watching this in my dorm at least 10 times.  I still love watching this one.

3. Least favorite book?
   I’m going to have to agree with Kristi and go with Chamber of Secrets. To me, it just wasn’t as interesting as any of the other books.

4. Parts of the books/movies that make you cry?
   Oh boy… I don’t even know where to start! Of course I cry when a character I love dies. But I’m also a sucker for those awesome friendship moments and you can’t help but feel all the love.  I definitely tear up during those parts.  Harry’s had such a rough life and it’s so heartwarming to see him have those special moments with his friends and the people who love him.

5. Favorite character?
   I love Professor McGonagall. She is such a badass both in the books and movies. Dame Maggie Smith does a fabulous job of playing her!

6. What would your Patronus be?
   Mine would probably be a horse. I’ve always loved horses and they are such powerful animals.

7. If you could have the Resurrection Stone, the Invisibility Cloak, or the Elder Wand, which one would you choose?
   I would so want the Invisibility Cloak! How awesome would that be to be invisible?! I would love to play tricks on people and my cats.  Hilarious!

8. What House would you be in?
   Gryffindor

9. If you could meet any member of the cast, who would it be?
   I would kill to meet Maggie Smith or Alan Rickman! I love them in nearly everything I have ever seen them in, especially Harry Potter.

10. If you were on the quidditch team, what position would you play?
    I think playing chaser would probably be the most fun. I grew up playing basketball and I think that position is fairly similar.

11. Were you happy with the ending?
    Yes, for the most part. There were a few characters I wish could have made it to the end but otherwise I was happy.

12. How much does Harry Potter mean to you?
    From the beginning, Harry Potter has been such a big part of my life. I had always loved reading but from the moment I picked up Sorcerer’s Stone when it came out, I devoured every book in that series shortly after each book was released. It became the first series that I HAD to get the books when they came out.  I remember when Deathly Hallows was released.  My cousin’s from Kansas City were in town and we all went to Target that night to pick up a copy the one time they opened for a midnight release!  It was incredible and sad all at once because it was the end of something so wonderful.  I hope to one day share my love of reading and Harry Potter with my future kids.

And now, I tag all of you who have great love for Harry Potter!

30 Day Book Challenge – Day 27

Day 27: A book you wish you could live in

Yes!  I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time!  I love envisioning what my life would be like if I lived in the world these books are set.  I’m sure many people do.  I love it so much that I’m also using the same world for my other blog’s movie challenge which is the same question but with a movie instead of a book.

Since the beginning I’ve been a huge Harry Potter fan.  I fell in love with the books and when the movies started coming out, I fell in love with those as well.  Even though it is basically the world we currently live in but with magic present, this is what I would pick for this question every time.  I love all of the places like The Leaky Cauldron, Platform 9 3/4, the Hogwarts Express, Hogwarts itself, Hogsmeade, etc.  Going to school at Hogwarts would have been so much more interesting than anything else our muggle schools have to offer!  Can you imagine having a gentle, half-giant named Hagrid teaching you about the care of magical creatures?  Or being on your house’s Quidditch team?!  What could be better?  Of course you’d have to deal with the pesky issue of Voldemort but that’s okay!  I love the world that J.K. Rowling has created in this series and want more than anything for it to be real!

30 Day Book Challenge – Day 26

Day 26: Favorite side character

So I’m going to do a top 5 today instead of a single character.  I couldn’t just think of one side character that I love the best.

First off we have Brennus from the Premonition series by Amy A. Bartol.  His character first appears in the second book of the series, Intuition.  I normally don’t like the villain of the story but there is just something about Brennus that makes me love him.

Next we have Professor Minerva McGonagall from the Harry Potter series.  I love her personality and her little remarks here and there.  And she is the head of Gryffindor House so what could be better than that!

Next we have Henry Crawford from Mansfield Park.  I also chose him as my favorite side character from a movie on my other blog as well.  I wish so badly that he could have been a decent man and ended up with Fanny Price.  But alas, he is a narcissistic ass and Fanny can see through his charming front.

My next favorite side character is from The Wheel of Time series.  Loial, son of Arent, son of Halan.  He is introduced in the first book of the series, The Eye of the World, and continues to be present throughout the series.  He befriends the main characters and is just loveable overall.

Last but certainly not least, we have Matthew Cuthbert from Anne of Green Gables.  I think that Matthew is quite possibly the most loveble character ever created.  Such a sweetheart.