Month: December 2015

12 Days of Bookmas – What to buy – The Tech Geek

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Hello! Sorry I have missed a few days and I don’t know if I will be able to fit them in, but I’ve just been super busy and had a wee run in with a spider, which took me out for a whole day. Anyway, I have one last set of recommendations (I know I didn’t make it to 12. Oh well) for all the Tech Geeks out there. 1 – Ready Player One by Ernest Cline If you happen to find someone who hasn’t read this book, then this is the perfect gift. This book is SOO good. I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t love it. It’s about a group of nerds on a massive scavenger hunt in an infinite online universe while a group of corporate A-holes try to sabotage them. It’s also full of 80’s pop culture references. Get it here: The Book Depository, Amazon. 2 – An Ereader I absolutely LOVE my eReaders. Yes. EReaders. I have two. I love them both. EReaders are a fantastic gift to get someone for …

12 Days of Bookmas – What to buy – The Oddball

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If I said I wasn’t a bit of an oddball, I’d be blatantly lying. And books are the perfect gifts for oddballs, because there are so many awesome odd, bizarre books out there that are just amazing. Here are just a few. 1 – John Dies at the End by David Wong You all know I love this book (and I love the sequel even more) and so it’s really no surprise that it would pop up on this list. This book is absolutely absurd and full of penis jokes, but it is also just really entertaining and a whole lot more clever than it’s crassness would have you believe. It is quite a difficult book to explain, but it basically begins when two buddies take a drug called Soy Sauce which allows you to see and experience things beyond your own reality. It’s really awesome. Get it here: The Book Depository, Amazon.   2 – The Library at Mount Char  by Scott Hawkins I read and reviewed this one recently and I can tell …

12 Days of Bookmas – What to buy – The Hipster

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We all have that hipster friend, whom we love, but buying books for them can be a daunting task.  It’s difficult to gauge the right amount of book-induced existential crisis required by the Hipster. So I’m here with a few recommendations that are sure to please your tartan scarf-clad friend. 1 – The Secret History by Donna Tartt This story of a murder, told backwards is more of a why done it? than a who done it? and is beloved by hipster brethren everywhere. Get it here: The Book Depository, Amazon. 2 – The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides Beautiful, mysterious girls, tragic death, perfect prose? Any Hipster would devour this faster than a salted caramel cronut. Get it here: The Book Depository, Amazon. 3 – The Magicians by Lev Grossman Okay, I know this may seem like a odd choice to get a Hipsiter, but TRUST ME, there is no fantasy novel out there more hipsterific than The Magicians. It’s about a bunch of depressed, borderline alcoholic Hipster magicians struggling with the tedium of everyday …

12 Days of Bookmas – What to buy – The Dreamer. #ReadWomen edition

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There’s a certain type of book that attracts the Dreamers. They are dreamlike and magical and worded so exquisitely that they are almost poetry. All the best examples I’ve found of this type of book have been written by women, so I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to incorporate the 12 Days of Bookmas with #ReadWomen. And because the writing is so beautiful, I thought I would let these books speak for themselves. 1 – The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern “You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone’s soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows that they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift.” “Someone needs to tell those tales. When the battles are fought and won and lost, when the pirates find their treasures and the dragons eat their foes for breakfast with a nice cup of Lapsang souchong, someone needs to tell their bits of overlapping narrative. …

12 Days of Bookmas – What to buy – The Detective (or potential future axe murderer)

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Hello and welcome to another Day of Bookmas. Today I will be giving some recommendations for people who like reading about murder for one reason or another. I only started reading mysteries/thrillers about a year ago, but I’ve really enjoyed every one I’ve read, and they are a great choice for gifts. 1 – The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris This book is so fantastic. We’ve all seen the fantastic movie and thought it was fantastic, because who couldn’t love it? But the book is even better. It is written absolutely perfectly. The language is deceptively simple, but it’s perfect. And Clarice Starling is a bad ass feminist. Get it here: The Book Depository, Amazon. 2 – Night Film by Marisha Pessl So this is my current read for #ReadWomen in December, but I feel like it is the sort of book that would make the perfect gift to show your Detective that you love them, or to get on the good side of any potential murderers so they don’t kill you. This is …

12 Days of Bookmas – What to buy – The Leader of the Rebellion

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Hello everyone, and sorry again for missing a day, but I have been pretty sick for a couple of days. Anyway, I’m okay now and here with a bunch of Dystopian recommendations to inspire the future Leader of the Rebellion that you know. Also I know the photos are a bit weird, but I wasn’t feeling particularly inspired and I really love my gingerbread garland and this chair – which I totally made (well, assembled, but did so better than my husband and that’s what matters). Anyway… Books! 1 – The Hunger Games – Ridiculously fluoro editions Okay, yeah. The Hunger Games is a pretty obvious choice when it comes to dystopia, but these super bright fluoro editions (which are actually much brighter than in this photo) is a little less obvious, and just so awesome. Get them here: The Book Depository: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay. 2 – Red Rising by Pierce Brown Now this book is quite similar to The Hunger Games, except it’s far more grown-up (bloody and violent) and set …

12 Days of Bookmas – What to buy – The Fairy Princess (or Prince)

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Everyone knows someone (or is someone) who is obsessed with fairy tales. And fairy tale books are so great to give as gifts because you can never have enough beautiful editions of fairy tales or enough fairy tale retellings. 1 – The Snow Queen, Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Edition I don’t think I really need to explain why this would make such a great gift. I mean, JUST LOOK AT IT! It’s so pretty and girly and sparkly and it is the absolute perfect gift for a fairy tale fiend. Get it here: The Book Depository, Amazon. 2 – A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas This is one bad ass retelling of Beauty and the Beast, which if you haven’t read, you should probably go out and buy it for yourself because it’s awesome! Really awesome. Get it here: The Book Depository, Amazon. 3 – The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter This is a little book of very dark fairy tales by the amazing Angela Carter. If you’re looking for fairy …

12 Days of Bookmas – What to buy – The Artist

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Hello everyone, and apologies for not posting some recommendations yesterday but I did the biggest experiment I have ever done at work and I was just far too exhausted when I got home to take photos. But today I have a great bunch of recommendations for those people out there who love beautifully illustrated books. 1 – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Illustrated by Anna Bond There are so many beautifully illustrated versions of Alice in Wonderland out there, and who doesn’t like a beautiful copy of Alice in Wonderland? No one. Matching (sort of) the Puffin in Bloom series of children’s books, this edition is full of beautiful and vibrant illustrations with a bit of a folky feel. If this edition isn’t doing it for you but you like the idea of giving a beautiful edition of Alice in Wonderland, you can always check out my Five Beautiful Editions of Alice in Wonderland post. But if you do like this edition, you can get it here: The Book Depository, Amazon. 2 – The Resurrectionist: The Lost …

12 Days of Bookmas – What to buy – The Witch/Wizard

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Hello, and welcome to my second day of the 12 Days of Bookmas where I will be recommending books to buy for yourself, or for others whom you deem worthy of presents. Today I will be giving you ideas of amazing presents for the Witch of Wizard in your life. 1 – The Illustrated Harry Potter This edition of Harry Potter is an absolute must have for anyone who enjoys Harry Potter. It is one of the most gorgeous books I own. I was expecting it to be beautiful when I bought it, but I wasn’t expecting it to be as beautiful as it is. I don’t think anyone could be disappointed to find this in their stocking. You can get it here: The Book Depository, Amazon. 2 – Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass This series is one that’s been around for years, and I only got into it this year. This book would be a fantastic buy for someone who you want to (subtly) turn into a complete bookworm. I’ve already forced this upon …

12 Days of Bookmas -What to buy – The creature of the Night

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So, Bookmas is a thing I started last year, where I give a bunch of book recommendations for Christmas. For 12 days I will be giving book recommendations, with a different theme each day. Starting with the least Christmas-esque one: What to buy the Creature of the Night in your life (i.e. what to buy horror fans). 1 – The Road’s Classics Edition of Dracula by Bram Stoker This edition of Dracula is BEAUTIFUL. And everyone should read Dracula at least once in their life, and who wouldn’t be over the moon to receive this edition in their stocking? Get it here: The Book Depository, Amazon. 2 – NOS4R2 by Joe Hill This book deserves to be on this list for two reasons: 1) because it’s awesome, and 2) because it’s about a kind of immortal, Christmas-obsessed serial killer. Pick this one up this Christmas for your loved ones here: The Book Depository, Amazon. 3 – The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman Another one I have raved about. I read this book about 6 months …