The Harry Potter Survey Pt. 2

I know all of you must have been DYING for part two of my Harry Potter Survey so I decided to be nice and post it earlier than I meant to initially! If you missed Pt. 1 of the Harry Potter Survey, you can find it here. Thanks to everyone who commented, I loved chatting with you about books!

And again, if you're interested, you can visit the genius behind the survey, Jasmine at Flip That Page to get more information!

Stupefy

puts victim in unconscious state

(a book with a chapter you couldn't get over)
---
Books usually don't stick in my mind very well but I have a feeling I will never forget that last chapter of Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson. It was so moving and emotional and intimate and seriously, one of the best things I've read EVER. 

Confundo

causes befuddlement or forgetfulness

(a book that generally confused you)
---
My head was swirling when I read Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas. There were so many possibilities to 'whodunnit' and evil Abigail entertained ALL of them. I was guessing who was responsible until the very end and I was seriously so confused at one point that I just decided that everyone did it. Which was, of course, not the case but you'll have to read to find out!

Crucio

inflicts unbearable pain

(a book that was a pain to read)
---
Criminal by Terra Elan McVoy. My feelings toward the main character Nikki were very conflicted. I didn't want to support her actions but I also could not ignore how much she had developed throughout the story. Ultimately, it was painful to see her go through the tough times and while it was wholly her fault, I couldn't help but root for her!

Episkey

heals relatively minor injuries

(a feel good book you enjoyed)
---
On a lighter note, Episkey definitely goes to Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson. It was such a cute and great read! I loved this book!

Expelliarmus

temporarily disarms an opponent

(a book with a swoon-worthy character)
---
Noah from The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. Hey, I know he's a jerk but there's something about him that is so undeniably attractive. He's like, gross and aggravating but charming and nice at the same time. Do you get that?

Impedimenta

impedes target’s progress

(a book that kept you up all night reading)
---
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. I read this until two a.m. one night. I could NOT put this book down.

Silencio

immediate silencing

(a book that left you speechless after reading it)
---
I was left speechless by Uses for Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt and for the worst reason. I just did not get this book at all and I was rather shocked by what I had just read. For SO many reasons.

Legilimens

allows you to delve into someone’s mind

(a book with well-developed characters)
---
This one is hard. Jasmine, why do you ask such hard questions? There are so many books with great characters but ultimately, I'm going to have to go with The Book Thief by Markus Zusak again for this one. It was TOO GREAT.

Levicorpus

a spell that turns you upside down

(a book that changed your mind about a character from the prequel)
---
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling. I'm still not a big fan of Snape and he was still a jerk to Harry but I definitely learned to appreciate him after reading this book. And when he died, I admit I cried like a baby. 

Obliviate

used to hide memories

(a book with a story you can't remember)
---
All the Pretty Little Liars books by Sara Shepard. There are too many mini stories for me to keep track!

Peskipiksi Pesternomi

useless spell

(a boring book that had no effect on you)
---
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. I was looking forward to this book but unfortunately, it came out dull for me.

Reducto

breaks through solid objects

(a book that convinced you to reconsider a certain genre)
---
I'm not into Sci-Fi at all but All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill might make me reconsider. I enjoy seeing time travel play out in this book and while I agree that more research could have helped tighten the science aspect of it, there hasn't been another book that has made me so intrigued in sci-fi!

Rictusempra

tickling spell

(a book that made you laugh)
---
I had a really fun time reading Is Everyone Hanging Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling. Mindy's just such a relatable and likeable person - not to mention, completely hilarious.

Sectusempra

offensive spell that violently wounds the target

(a book that may have scarred you for life)
---
Thanks to The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey, I will never be able to get out the image of someone licking a knife covered in blood. Ick.

Tarantallegra

makes you dance uncontrollably

(a series finale that made you feel giddy)
---
I'm going to have to go with Jasmine on this one: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling. Talk about epic! And that epilogue? Everything I could ever want.

Bombarda Maxima

causes an explosion that breaks through obstacles

(a book that made you explode with feels)
---
The last book I read that made me want to curl up into a ball from all the FEELS was Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. I still get feels whenever that book is brought up. LOLA AND CRICKET. AHHH.

Finite Incantatem

nullifies other spells

(a book you thought you'd dislike, but ended up loving)
---
I ended up loving Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey. I was so opposed to reading this book but when I finished, I was like 'why didn't I read this book earlier?' because I really liked it!

Now it's your turn! Are you a Potterhead? Have you done this survey? And is there any spell you would cast on a book? Any spell that's been cast on you?

Seven Deadlies: A Cautionary Tale by Gigi Levangie Grazer

Seven Deadlies: A Cautionary Tale by Gigi Levangie Grazer

Published October 17, 2013 by Blue Rider Press

Hardcover, 256 pages

Received from publisher through NetGalley -- thanks!

Perry Gonzalez is an aspiring writer and her sights have been set on Bennington. Even though she's only fourteen, Perry's already starting to think about her application to Bennington, like tutoring the snotty rich kids in her neighbourhood to earn the money to get there. From her experiences, Perry weaves together her Bennington application with seven short stories of seven children she's tutored, each representing one of the seven deadly sins.

My first impression of this book was that it was really weird. And I wasn't sure if I liked that at first but as the book progressed, I think I did come to enjoy it. 

Firstly, Seven Deadlies has a very original idea. Sometimes, I'll be reading a book and it'd just occur to me how pure genius the author is for coming up with such a great idea. And the genius of Gigi Levangie Grazer definitely clocked me over the head while I was reading. I've always been really interested in the seven deadly sins and for someone to go ahead and write morality stories about them, so to speak, in a fun away is so smart! 

However, I felt this book was, at times, a bit too juvenile for me. I don't think I would really classify it as Young Adult. It feels very Middle Grade to me at times. There were definitely some moments while reading this book when I just felt I was too old for this, for reading about the 'Judas Brothers'. 

As the book progressed though, I managed to get over that initial hiccup and really appreciate and enjoy the wackiness of the stories. Seven Deadlies is very much a book you should not take too seriously. If you're the type of reader who doesn't like unrealistic storylines or humor, then this probably isn't the book for you. But if you are the type of reader who likes that, I think you'd have a fun time with this book! When I learned to stop being so uptight about everything, I had a blast reading this book and letting out my inner child. 

To be honest, there's not much else to say about this book! It wasn't amazing but I definitely don't regret my decision to read this book either. It was a light, fun read and if you're looking for something to help break up all the serious books you've been reading, I'd reccommend this one! Each story was unique and hilarious and provided a very clear representation of each sin. The ending threw me in a bit of a loop and I'm still a bit confused why it was necessary but other than that, this book was pretty good!

children 9 and over who enjoy bizarre stories and who might need a lesson in behaviour. If you're a fan of short stories and don't mind the ridiculousness of some of these stories, this is a good pick for you too! 

Weekly Recap: October 27-November 2, 2013

I've noticed that many bloggers do a recap at the end of each week and since I actually love reading those posts, I thought I'd start doing it as well!

I'm starting to run out of ways to start this portion... But basically, this week was REALLY frantic because it's the last week for any assignment we do to count towards our first report card which goes home on the fourteenth. Everyone's averages was posted and thank GOODNESS, I'm doing well in all of my classes. 

Now that THAT'S over, I can finally relax and catch up on New Girl and Once Upon A Time - both of which I haven't watched in a long time.

1. Pinhole cameras. I finally got my prints done and while my test was so much better, it's over! 

2. Chocolate bars. I didn't go trick or treating this year but I bought a box of chocolate to celebrate and I can't stop eating them. This is not good...

3. Hazelnut macchiatos. I've probably earned the title of Starbucks-a-holic by now but everything in that store is too good to resist! Especially the hazelnut macchiatos. Mmm.

4. Sunny days. After so much rain this week, I'm definitely wishing for the sun to come back out.

5. Stay The Night by Zedd ft. Hayley Williams. This song really brightened my mood this week.

My second Novel Report post! Check out what I'm reading this week!

I reviewed The Rule of Thirds by Chantel Guertin which was so adorable!

My Writers Unite! Introduction also went up this week and I was so happy to see so many people participating in NaNo as well! Go writers!

And finally, a post celebrating Halloween. It's not too late to give a looksy!

Epic Reads introduce the Book Shimmy awards. I'm SO EXCITED.

The Perpetual Page Turner shares ten Halloween costumes inspired by books. Maybe save this for next year?

Lesley writes a letter to the unread books on her shelves. I'm sorry too, my darlings.

How do you survive an apocalypse? Gillian has all the answers.

Nikki writes a gorgeous review for The Book Thief and explains, better than I ever could, why I love this book so much.

All you NaNo participants: here are some tips from Susan Dennard to help you get through the 30 days!

Stormy shares pictures of where she reads.

Eve at PaperGrey discusses the three types of feelings when you finish a series. 

The Book Smugglers make a list of SO MANY GREAT books to read for Halloween.

And finally, I was featured in an interview at Read Books and Live Green! Cal is so nice and friendly so I HIGHLY suggest you hop over and give her a blog a visit!

Now, it's time for you to sound off! What went on in your week? What music did you listen to? Any interesting posts you want to share? Really, go ahead and talk about anything you want!