Delicious Reads

nevillegirl tagged me for a Halloween-themed blog meme, all about BOOKS! :) I jumped at the chance to participate, of course, and I'm just going to go ahead and say now that I tag all of you. (Yes, you, reading this post.)

1. Apples
Ah, healthy food. It is deep, meaningful, and probably won a lot of awards but, um, it really isn’t your thing.

What Is the What by Dave Eggers. Interesting read, for the most part, but it was a little long and the writing style didn't click with me. It wasn't a bad book, just not my cup of tea.

2. Milk chocolate
This is the book that you’d recommend to absolutely EVERYONE.

Ooh, SO MANY. Harry Potter, Eleanor & Park, The Fault In Our Stars, etc. Basically just go to the five-star list on my Goodreads and you'll see all of my choices.

3.Black jellybeans
WHY DO THESE EXIST?!

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander, Girl In the Arena by Lise Haines, Trash Can Days by Teddy Steinkellner, to name a few.

4. Chocolate kisses
Aww…this novel had the best romance.

Other than the obvious ones (Eleanor & Park and The Fault In Our Stars), Cress was adorable. I won't give any spoilers, but two characters in particular stole my heart. I ate it up in just a few days.

5. Gummy spiders 

Eek! You made sure to check under your bed every night for a week after reading this scary one.

TV shows scare me more than books do ("Torchwood" being one, though even that didn't give me nightmares or anything). The scariest book I've read would have to be Asylum by Madeline Roux. I was reading one of the creepiest parts at two in the morning, by the light of a dying flashlight, when everyone else was asleep. Em Garner's Contaminated series, Coraline by Neil Gaiman, and No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale were a few others.

6. Jumbo lollipop
This took you forever to get through, but hey! You did it!

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare. That book is a freaking BRICK. It didn't help that the beginning was slow, either, but the ending made up for it. :)

7. Cotton candy
Admit it, you loved this when you were younger. (You probably still do.) Think: children’s or MG fiction.

Oh gosh, there were tons. But two series that really stand out to me (other than Harry Potter) are the Ramona series and the Thoroughbred series. I reread Ramona like there was no tomorrow and read close to 40 of the 70+ Thoroughbred books.

Feel free to answer the questions in the comments, or write a post of your own! :)

20 Things You May Not Know About Me

Nevillegirl tagged me a while ago for a "20 Things You May Not Know About Me" tag, and because I've been a terrible blogger lately, I'm only getting around to it now. *sigh* But I did do it eventually, so that's got to count for something, right? Anyway:

1. How tall are you?

Five feet and five and a half inches, last we checked. I used to be the shortest person amongst my friends for the longest time, but I'm at least half an inch taller than my BFF now and several inches taller than my mom. Of course, being tall(ish) comes with responsibilities, so when my dad's not around, I'm the designated grab-things-from-the-high-shelves person.

2. Do you have a hidden talent? If so, what?

I manage to make a spectacular mess in the kitchen, even when making something as simple as a bowl of cereal. I'm good at organizing things, but I'm not good at keeping things clean. I can carry lots of things at once, but I usually end up dropping at least one of them.

3. What’s your biggest blog-related pet peeve?

Bloggers who don't respond to comments! What's up with that? Also, I hate it when I can't subscribe to follow-up comments. Drives. Me. Insane.

4. What’s your biggest non-blog-related peeve?

Hiatus. I'm not a patient person.

5. What’s your favorite song?

Of all time? "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars. Recently? "Out of the Woods" by Taylor Swift. (I really like Taylor Swift.)

6. What’s your favorite Etsy store that isn’t yours?

I don't use Etsy. :P

7. What’s your favorite way to spend your free time when you’re alone?

Reading and writing!

8. What’s your favorite junk food?

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. And cookies. And ice cream. And doughnuts. I also really like hot chocolate and coffee drinks (but not plain coffee--blech).

9. Do you have a pet?

Yes! A little shi-chon named Scout. And she is, without a doubt, the best fit for our family. She's spunky, playful, snuggly, energetic, and just a little crazy. She definitely has a personality, and she won't hesitate to jump onto the top of the couch, walk over to you, and whack your head with her paw to get a treat. But say "mailman" or "UPS" and she goes berserk!

10. What is your top favorite nonfiction and fiction book?

 

 Fiction: Harry Potter. Non-fiction: Um . . . I guess I Am Malala.

11. What’s your favorite beauty product?

Lip gloss, since that's all I really use. :P

12. When were you last embarrassed? What happened?

I can't remember when I was last embarrassed, but I remember the last time someone else was embarrassed in front of me. At the Ren Faire a couple weeks ago, a boy ordered food from the stand I was working at. He was maybe sixteen or seventeen, and when I handed him his food, I said, "Enjoy!" He must've been expecting me to say, "Have a nice day" or something, because he said, "You, too," then immediately blushed and started babbling, "Well, you're not eating the food, so I guess you wouldn't enjoy. I mean, you might like the food, but you're not eating it now, so that doesn't really make any sense . . ." It went on like that for a while, before I interrupted and started talking about how the food he'd ordered (Scotch eggs) was my favorite thing there so he wouldn't feel so awkward. But he was still bright red when he left. I felt so bad for him.

13. If you could only drink one beverage (besides water) for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Butterbeer, for sure!

14. What’s your favorite movie?

Besides all the normal book-to-movie adaptations I always mention ("Harry Potter," "The Fault In Our Stars," "The Hunger Games," etc.), I really like "The Way, Way Back" and "What If."

15. What were you in high school? Prom queen, nerd, cheerleader, jock, band geek, valedictorian, loner, artist, prep, et cetera?

Being homeschooled, I have no idea. :P Out of all of those, probably nerd.

16. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

London! It'd be so cool.

17. PC or Mac?

*skips question because computer terminology baffles me*

18. Last romantic gesture from a crush, date, boy/girlfriend, spouse?

The male love interest in Beneath the Moon and Stars bought the female love interest hardback copies of her favorite books, just because. He definitely knows the way to her heart.

19. Favorite celebrity?

Jennifer Lawrence, because she's so delightfully dorky, awkward, and hilarious. But nobody can deny that Benedict Cumberbatch is an amazing actor, too.

20. What blogger do you secretly want to be best friends with?

All of you! *sends virtual hugs to all the bloggers*

Tag, you're it!

OTPs

Having recently started using Pinterest more often, I've had fandoms on my mind. Specifically OTPs.

What is an OTP?

An OTP--or a One True Pairing--is a couple from a book or TV show that you "ship" (meaning that you support an existing couple, or want two characters that aren't in a relationship to fall in love). However, I don't think you should be forced to choose just one, so here are my several true pairings.

Couple: Rose and the tenth Doctor

Book/TV show: "Doctor Who"

Couple name: Tenrose

Why I ship them: He showed her the universe, she held his hand. The Doctor has a dark side, a tragic past, and is often lonely, but Rose was the bright spot in his world. They battled aliens, saved lives, and protected the future. They made the perfect team, and might just be might top OTP.

Couple: Sherlock and Molly

Book/TV show: "Sherlock"

Couple name: Sherlolly

Why I ship them: Similar to Sheldon and Amy's relationship on "The Big Bang Theory," Sherlock is oblivious to Molly's attempts at romance, and it frustrates us Sherlolly shippers like nothing else. Molly is willing to do anything for the consulting detective. Heck, (highlight for spoiler) she even helped him fake his own death and managed to keep it a secret for two years. And while it seems as if Sherlock will never come to his senses (such as in the embarrassing Christmas scene in "A Scandal In Belgravia"), shots of Sherlock giving Molly tender looks that she doesn't notice, such as these, gives us some hope.

"Sherlock" headcanon

Couple: Neville and Luna

Book/TV show: The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Couple name: Luneville

Why I ship them: The two oddballs, the misfits, the ones who never really had friends before Hogwarts and the DA. They're both so sweet and kind and brave. They'd be perfect for each other.

Couple: Hazel and Augustus

Book/TV show: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Couple name: None (because most of the TFIOS fans say that Hazel and Augustus are so great together, they don't need a name.

Why I ship them: These two are smart, sarcastic, funny, and adorable together. Gus was the first person to get Hazel to do things since she was diagnosed. They even fangirl/fanboy(?) over books together. How cool is that?!

***SPOILERS FOR "Gilmore Girls"***

Couple: Luke and Lorelai

Book/TV show: "Gilmore Girls"

Couple name: Javajunkie (quite possibly the best couple name ever)

Why I ship them: This explanation could be kept to simply, "he makes the coffee, she drinks the coffee," and that would be enough. But I think part of the reason why these two are so freaking perfect for each other is because they're both extremely loyal and willing to drop everything they're doing to help the other. Luke kicked customers out of his diner and closed it in order to give her a ride to the hospital when her father collapsed. Lorelai worked at the diner for no pay so Luke could plan his Uncle Louie's funeral. Luke is like the father Rory never had, and Lorelai is usually able to get him to crack a smile, or at least wear a different baseball cap. And they both put up with each other's annoying quirks, which is probably one of the most important things in a relationship.

You can totally see it in the way he looks at her . . . and she's completely oblivious.

***END SPOILERS***

What's your OTP?