Top Ten Tuesday – Books that will make you cry

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Ana

This was probably the worst top ten that I had to choose, I’m such an emotional reader that I find it difficult to find a book that didn’t made me cry. I will try my best to find the ones that made me cry the hardest :p
This weeks topic: Books that will make you cry.

(In no particular order)

The Fault in Our Stars (John Green) – Presented without comment. Okay? *sob* Okay.
The Harry Potter Series (J.K.Rowling) – Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince I wasn’t prepared to loose him, I was too young to be in so much pain, it just broke my poor little heart. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows it wasn’t any of the deaths (major or minor), but rather the very last lines of the very last book. Judge me if you want.
Eleanor and Park (Rainbow Rowell) – I knew this book was going to break my heart. I was right. There were a lot of feels in this one. The characters just became so real to me. I just wanted to hug them and make everything right for them.
Looking for Alaska (John Green) – Oh John Green, is your sole purpose in life to make us all cry?
If I stay and Where She Went (Gayle Forman) – This is actually two books, but both of them made me cry like mad, for different reasons.
Norwegian Wood (Haruki Murakami) – Is utterly heartbreaking. Set in 1960s Japan, Murakami’s most famous work follows a university student named Toru, whose life is altered by the suicides of people he loves. It’s a classic story of love, loss, and overcoming grief to seize life.
Beautiful Disaster (Jamie McGuire) – Sweet Jesus, can we just take a moment here to discuss how this book throws your emotions around? I cried easily 3 times during this book.
Mockingjay (Suzanne Collins) – KILL ALL MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS, WHY DON’T YOU, SUZANNE.
Allegiant (Veronica Roth) – Choking, punched-in-the-chest, dying from asphyxiation sobs.
The Book Thief ( Markus Zusak) – Predictaby enough, Holocaust books tent to end in tears for us. But this gorgeous, captivating account of nine-year old foster child is probably at the top of our pile. What’s more romantic than a starving girl who can’t help but steal every book she comes across? Death’s unsentimental narration makes it all more raw.

Ana

Liebster Award

Posted on May 17, 2014 by Ana

Hello everyone!

First of all, I just want to apologize for being away for so long.
Things have been a little chaotic around here, I’ve moved back to Portugal, yes I’m living with my parents again, which after almost 5 years of living alone can be a little hard to adjust. After 2 months I’m still waiting for most of my belongings to arrived from the UK, which is really upsting. I still don’t have my driving license, which means that I have to be completely dependable of my family and friends (public transports where I live completely sucks big time), it’s so frustrating. I also started a new job, which is exciting and nerve-racking at the same time! And with my spare time I’ve been hanging out with my childhood friends and studying for the upcoming exams (July), so I’ve really didn’t had the time to write a new post with how chaotic things have been.

But I’m back and very excited since I have been nominated for the Liebster Award!

I would like to thank Holly from NutFreeNerd for nominating me for the award. Please go and check out her blog which is amazingly good and inspiring.

Here are the rules:

Share which blogger(s) nominated you.
Answer the ten questions they asked in their post.
Nominate 11 bloggers of your choosing who have less than two hundred followers each.
Ask eleven questions for your nominees to answer.
Contact your nominees!

So I will proceed to answer the questions 🙂

What author have you read the most books by?
I would have to say J.R.R Tolkien. I’m such a huge fan! I have read every single book probably more than once. I do have a special place for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which I make sure to read at least once a year, but my favorite books by Tolkien would have to be Simarilion.
Where is your favorite place to read?
I really don’t have a favorite place to read, I enjoy reading anywhere that I can. I tend to get lost in the world that I’m reading so I don’t really pay attention to my soundings. But I have to say that reading on a Train does have a special space in my heart.
What is your favorite thing about blogging?
I love the fact that I can express my honest feelings about something and there will be someone, somewhere that will get what I’m saying.
Coffee or tea?
Coffee without a doubt. It just tastes so good, it’s relaxing and basically it’s family tradition.
Chocolate or vanilla?
If we’re talking about Ice-cream I would have to say Vanilla.
But if there’s a dark chocolate cake, well I just can’t say no.
If you had to choose only three books to bring with you to an empty island, which ones would they be?
It’s just so hard to choose only three books, there is too many story’s, characters that I love. But for certain I would take Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – I just LOVE the books, there is no words to describe all the feels that this books provides me with.
The second book would be The Fault in our Stars by John Green – it’s just one of those books that I fall in love all over again every time I read it.
The third and final books would be One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez – No review, however laconic or ponderous, can do justice to this true piece of art. Perhaps I can only hint at a few of the striking features of the work that are so novel, so insightful, and which make it such a success in my opinion.
Which fictional character from a book would you most like to date?
Park Sheridan from Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. I feel like we was clearly written to be my partner in good times and in bad, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. 😀
Who is your favorite actor? How about actress?
I have to admit that my favorite actor/actress varies from time to time, depending on the last movies that I’ve watched. But one actor that has never left my top list would be Ken Watanabe. As for my favorite actress I have to say Nicole Kidman.
What is your favorite season?
Winter! I just hate hot weather, I have loads of allergies, I hate sweat, I hate how happy everyone seems to me when it’s warm and sunny outside. So yeah, you get it, I have strong feelings about it.
Do you prefer to read paper books or electronic books on an ereader?
I definitely prefer reading paper books, I like the smell, the feel and the texture. But I’m an avid ebook reader, since it’s much easier and cheaper to get books, I do carry my Kindle with me everywhere.
Which book do you think is the most underrated?
The Adolescent by Fyodor Dostoevsky some people say it is unworthy of Dostoyecsky’s canon on account of not reaching the philosophical heights of The Idiot, other cite erratic shifts in tone between comedy and drama; yet for those wise enough to appreciate the novel’s low-key themes and how deftly Dostoevsky gets across the inner turmoil of a young man hell-bent on finding love and escaping the city, will uncover a gem, I guarantee it.

Question for my nominees:

What is the worst book that you’ve read so far?
What’s your favorite trilogy?
Which book as changed your life?
Which book have you read more than once?
Which book as made you laugh?
Which book as made you cry the most?
Which two books do you wish you have written?
What is your favorite film adaptation of a book?
What is your guilty pleasure?
What do you love the most?
What do you believe in?

(All nomeenies have been contacted)

My Favorite Movie Adaptations

Posted on March 29, 2014 by Ana

I would have to say that books and movies are two of my absolute favorite things.
So when there is a movie adaption of one of my favorite books, count me in… even if it means that I will end up utterly disappointed, mad with world, crying my eyes out (most of the times), making me momentarily loose all the faith in the human race.

Favorite Movie Adaptations (by no particular order):

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy – This is probably my favorite book trilogy, I cannot tell you how much of a nerd I am concerning LOTR. Peter Jackson dusted off the J.R.R. Tolkien trilogy, published in the mid-’50s, in a film trilogy that boasted a first-rate cast and never-before-seen special effects, especially in its creation of Gollum, a CGI creature voiced and embodied by actor Andy Serkis. It won a well-deserved Best Picture Oscar, among others, for the final 2003 installment. I will admit that I watch this trilogy every single month (sometimes more than once :P)

The Harry Potter Series – I grew up reading these series and I LOVE the books and the movies, some a little more than others, still I love them. Though they occasionally suffered from being too close to a literal interpretation of the books, the Harry Potter movies by and large proved that a fantasy series could be brought to the big screen in glorious, engaging, humanized detail and satisfy the vast majority of its all-ages readership.
I’m a big fan o J.K.Rowling and I’m thankful to her every single day for welcoming me to the wonderful world of literature.
The Notebook – I like to consider Mr.Sparks one of the biggest romance writers of our generation.
The heartbreaking 2004 adaptation of Mr.Sparks’ first novel about a lifelong, tortured love affair made Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams instant stars. Subsequent Sparks books-to-films have not fared as well. As a Notebook book fan, I have to say that the movie in my honest opinion the movie is really faithful.
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – So.. An adaptation and a Hollywood re-make. I wouldn’t usually touch this with a ten foot barge poll and initially I got on my high horse and said, ‘No.. Not even going to watch it when it comes to DVD.’ Having seen the Swedish trilogy I was already annoyed because I believed they just didn’t come up to scratch to the extraordinary trilogy of books by Stieg Larsson. What made me give it a try was what my two of my friends said, both lovers of the book too, when they came back from watching it at the cinema. They said it was good and that they really enjoyed the watch, but I wasn’t inclined to believe them. Then I asked, How did it end?’ ‘It ended as it did in the first book.’ they told me. Well.. this grabbed me. The Swedish films missed out this part, which devastated me because it missed out one of the most interesting character developments that then make the next two books so interesting. The American version’s dedication to the preservation of the literature and even the locations and settings is something that blew me away. I loved the story from the books an this film doesn’t mess with it. Brilliant.
Requiem for a Dream – Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream is arguably one of the best anti-drug films to come out of Hollywood in the past few decades. Based on the acclaimed Hubert Selby Jr novel of the same name, the film explores addiction in its purest form. The beauty of the film is that it itself is an addiction that sucks you in with its brilliant script, soundtrack, characterization, and cinematography until you’re hooked, and then the inevitable happens. Like Trainspotting, the film projects the effects that drugs has on the mind on screen, but unlike the Danny Boyle classic, there is no bleak humor, there is no comic relief at all. This film simply injects itself into your veins and stays there for a very long time.

So far these are the ones that make my Top 5 favorites.
I do have to say that I’m looking forward to a few movie adaptations coming out this year, such as:

The Fault in Our Stars,
Divergent,
The Maze Runner,
The Giver,
Gone Girl,
Mockingjay.

The Fault in Our Stars – Book Review

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Ana

Rating:

This book as become one of my top favorites.
I just can’t get over how amazing it was.

John Green has been critically acclaimed for some time within the writing community, but only lately some of his novels like ‘Looking For Alaska’ and ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ have managed to achieve mainstream success.
Green typically writes books for young adults, and more often than not, they end in tragedy. But not the kind of tragedy that leads you into a depression, instead it’s one that makes you analyse life in a way that makes you appreciate what you have. See, it’s Green’s subtle talent to translate his thoughts into relatable words and make you believe that what happens in his books could have happened to you. He writes for you rather than to you, and he presents the events in such a way that you don’t feel like you’re reading someone else’s story.
When I first jumped into The Fault In Our Stars I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting myself into, considering that so many people were recommending it to others and that it had such an unbelievable rating. I’ve fallen into the trap of people recommending popular books that left me wondering why they were so successful in the first place many times before.

The Fault in Our Stars is about a young cancer-ridden girl, Hazel Grace Lancaster. Surviving on borrowed time, Hazel’s story takes an unexpected turn when she meets Augustus Waters, a handsome young man who fought cancer himself. While cancer is a touchy topic from any angle, Green masterfully uses that to his advantage as he explores the love story of people who literally have to appreciate every moment and the end result is beautiful.

The Fault in Our Stars is an exceptionally powerful story. It is told completely from Hazel’s point of view, and her unconventional thoughts on her disease and experiences are surprising and refreshing.

Augustus is also a fascinating character, perhaps partially because the readers aren’t in his head, and he’s therefore more of a mystery than Hazel. He’s definitely eccentric, and he proves this early in the book when he puts a cigarette in his mouth. He explains he never smokes, but says it’s a metaphor: “You put the killing thing right between your teeth, but you don’t give it the power to do its killing.”

I just have such strong feelings about this book, that I can’t seem to find the right words to write.

I totally recommend this book, is such an amazing read, full of love, laughter and the inevitable tears.

This was my first John Green novel. I Loved it with a capital “L”. The exquisite and emotional story tugged at me in ways very few novels have. I can probably tick them off on one hand, honestly. Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters are like two star-crossed lovers in my mind. Fated, but their infinity together is unfairly small. Bound together by cancer, they bond, not just with each other, but with the idea that they will not live forever, so they must live now. And live they do.

John Green doesn’t keep The Fault In Our Stars all sobs and heartbreak. He somehow knows what it’s like, that to have cancer, you must have a sense of humor about life and all the things in it. So many scenes, or small quotes from the characters themselves had me laughing out loud. I quickly fell in love with all of them.

One of the things that I most loved about this book is the realistic concept, rather than a, “Surprise! You’re cured!” approach I think some authors would take. There is no happily-ever-after in this story. There is only before and after. Green is not afraid to make his readers feel, or think. And that’s what The Fault In Our Stars does: it makes you think, about life, death, mortality, the Before and the After, and what you are making of your life now.

Basically what I’m saying is, this book deserves the highest praise and I bow down its greatness and John Green.
I just have such strong feelings about this book ❤ ❤

Ana

Top Ten Tuesday – Fictional Characters that I’d crush on

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Ana

I’ve been reading a lot of top ten Tuesday posts from other bloggers and some of them have inspired me.
This weeks topic: Top Ten Fictional Boys I Would Crush On If I Were Also Fictional or if they were real. The only problem is that I just don’t know if I can narrow it down to ten. These authors know how to create some very attractive gentleman.

(In no particular order)

George Knightly (Jane Austen’s Emma) – I know that most people go for Mr.Darcy, and I though we would be in my top ten, but giving it a second though, Mr.Knightly is a much better choice. He is everything that Mr. Darcy should be and a little bit more. He’s funny, sweet, loyal, he wants to help the people that he loves be better and guess what? He’s smart enough to marry is best friend.
Park Sheridan (Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor & Park) – First of all, he’s half-Korean. I just can’t being to describe how much I crush on good looking Korean guys. 😛 Park is such a great character. He likes comic books, awesome music taste, great sense of style. He’s the sweetest, cutest, most interesting fictional boy that I’ve ever had the pleasure to read. I can’t even being to describe my feelings for him.
Augustus Waters (John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars) – Augustus Waters is the boyfriend I always wanted and the boyfriend I was (am) also scared to love so much. He’s sweet, he’s sarcastic, he introduces you to video games and makes them really dirty and hysterical, and the most important, he’ll be there for you in the hard times. He is the guy who gives up his own Make-A-Wish request to make sure you got to live your life’s dream. He’ll waste no time because he knows that’s the one thing he can’t give, so he makes sure that all the time you spend together is worth it. But the one true thing that makes Augustus probably one of the best is that he’ll truly love you until the very end.
Etienne St.Clair (Stephanie Perkins Anna and The French Kiss) – It’s really hard not to love Etienne. He’s an America boy with a British accent and French name. He may be a little bit on the short size, but that doesn’t really matter, since he’s so smart, interesting, charming and totally sweet. I just can’t help myself but smile when thinking about him.
Jase Garrett (Huntley Fitzpatrick’s My Life Next Door) – There isn’t much to be said about Jase, but the fact that he is very much perfect. He’s sweet, funny, beautiful and sexy, caring and hardworking.
Peeta Mellark (Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games) – This catch of a man is clever and classy, rebellious and realistic. With his sharp wit and determination, Peeta is a natural leader who is man enough to let the strong lady in his life shine. Most importantly, he possesses that most underrated of human qualities: kindness. I just find Peeta such a good person and let’s not forget that he bakes!
Ronald Weasley (J.K.Rowling’s Harry Potter) – I think that has a boyfriend, Ron would totally be the type to make sure you didn’t take everything so seriously, and let’s face it, if you’re even slightly as high strung as Hermione can be at times, you totally need someone like Ron in your life to remind you not to sweat the small stuff! He’s fiercely loyal and unafraid to stand by his friends, even when it means putting his own life on the line, and I’d say that makes Mr. Ron Weasley quite the catch indeed!
Gilbert Blythe (Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables) – Gilbert is one of the most wonderful men ever written about, period. From the time he was about thirteen, he has wanted one thing: Anne Shirley’s love. He is most girls’ idea of “the perfect man,” one who waited for her for years. He’s so funny and smart and sweet and handsome. Love him.
Tobias Eaton/Four (Veronica Roth’s Divergent) – Tobias is the bad boy fantasy of my list. He’s tall and dark, has deep blue eyes, and a full lower lip (YUM!). He’s mysterious, quiet, and likes to think of things first before he does something. He’s also intelligent and loving.
Daemon Black (Jennifer L.Armentrout) – Daemon is great, that said there isn’t much more to be said. Sexy and arrogant and brooding and hilarious with a very sweet and compassionate side.

I had such a hard time to narrow it down to just ten and I know that I’m probably missing some very important names in here, but this is really difficult. 😛
I would love to know your fictional crushes are! So that I know that I’m not alone with my obsession with fictional man.

Ana

20 John Green Quotes that Will Inspire You

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Ana

John Green has become one of my favorite writers and I absolutely LOVE all of his book.
I think that he writes so beautifully, it just makes everything better.
So I decided to share with you, (whoever you are – thank you for reading), some of my favorite quotes from Mr.Green books.
Enjoy!

“The marks humans leave are too often scars.” — The Fault In Our Stars
“What is the point of being alive if you don’t at least try to do something remarkable?” — An Abundance of Katherines
“It is so hard to leave—until you leave. And then it is the easiest goddamned thing in the world.” — Paper Towns
“Those awful things are survivable because we are as indestructible as we believe ourselves to be.” — Looking for Alaska
“If you don’t imagine, nothing ever happens at all.” — Paper Towns
“As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.” — The Fault In Our Stars
“You don’t remember what happened. What you remember becomes what happened.” — An Abundance of Katherines
“What a treacherous thing to believe that a person is more than a person.” — Paper Towns
“At some point, you just pull off the band-aid, and it hurts, but then it’s over and you’re relieved.” — Looking for Alaska
“Grief does not change you, Hazel. It reveals you.” — The Fault In Our Stars
“We need never be hopeless because we can never be irreparably broken.” —Looking for Alaska
“He wanted to draw out the moment before the moment—because as good as kissing feels, nothing feels as good as the anticipation of it.” — An Abundance of Katherines
“That’s the thing about pain, it demands to be felt.” — The Fault In Our Stars
“You can love someone so much… But you can never love someone as much as you miss them.” — An Abundance of Katherines
“That’s always seemed so ridiculous to me, that people want to be around someone because they’re pretty. It’s like picking your breakfast cereals based on color instead of taste.” — Paper Towns
“My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations.” — The Fault In Our Stars
“I can’t tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity.” — The Fault In Our Stars
“I’m starting to realize that people lack good mirrors. It’s so hard for anyone to show us how we look, and so hard for us to show anyone how we feel.” — Paper Towns
“Maybe okay will be our always.” — The Fault In Our Stars
“I may die young, but at least I’ll die smart.” ― John Green

And, I have to say, yes! yes it will.

Thank you John Green for being super amazing!

Top Ten Tuesday

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Ana

Hello!

Hope everyone is having a good week.
So, I’ve decide that every Tuesday, from today onward, I will write a Top Ten post. It can be about anything that I like or hate. So please look forward to it, so that we can discuss our opinions.

I will be starting with, TOP TEN BOOK COUPLES!

All book addicts have their favorite book couples and if you are like me, the list keeps getting bigger by the day.
But, I still have my all time favorites and here is some of them;

Elizabeth Bennet & Fitzwilliam Darcy – Pride and Prejudice,
Hazel Grace Lancaster & Augustus Waters – The Fault in Our Stars,
Margaret Hale & John Thornton – North and South,
Wendy Everly & Loki Stadd – The Trylle Trilogy,
Anna Oliphant and Étienne St. Clair – Anna and the French kiss,
Peeta & Katniss – The Hunger Games,
Tessa & Will – The Infernal Devices,
Severus Snape & Lily Evans – Harry Potter,
Eleanor Douglas & Park Sheridan – Eleanor & Park,
Aragorn & Arwen – The Lord of the Rings.

I just love them all and I know that Snape and Lily aren’t actually a couple, but it’s my favorite one-sided love.
Let me know your favorites book couples and if there is any book that I should read with a great couple.