T5W: books that take place in your country

It has been a while since I last posed a t5w post but hopefully life has settled down enough now so that I have a little more time to spend making blog posts. Top 5 Wednesday is a discussion hosted by GingerReadsLainey over on youtube in which we post our top 5 books of a certain topic each Wednesday. This weeks topic is my top 5 books set in my area/country or region. I live in the North East of Scotland so its safe to say I am very limited as to the books that I have read which are set in my area, so I think I'm going to have to broaden this a little to just be books set throughout Scotland. This week has been a really difficult week for books with only one being an obvious choice to me, but without further ado here is my top 5 books that are set in my country.

Harry Potter Series by J K Rowling

Everyone and their mother has read Harry Potter but many people tend to forget that Hogwarts is actually set in Scotland and in fact you can visit and go over the famous Glenfinnan viaduct that you see the Hogwarts Express go across (you know, the one with the flying car?). There's also Loch Sheil which was used various times as a backdrop for Hogwarts and Steall Falls in Glen Nevis which were used for the filming of the dragon battle scene in the Goblet of Fire, and close by is where they filmed the backdrop of the Quidditch matches.. J K Rowling herself wrote parts of the Harry Potter books while in The Elephant House cafe which still remains in the heart of Edinburgh, you can even visit yourself and grab a cup of tea. There is also a Potter Trail Tour that you can go on in Edinburgh which visits this cafe along with the grave in which Rowling got the inspiration for Voldemort.  

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

The world famous play by Shakespeare is set remarkably close to where I live, with some mention of a small town thats roughly 10 minutes from where I live.

The Water Horse by Dick King-Smith

I couldn't talk about Scottish books without putting in something with some relation to the Loch Ness Monster now could I? 

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Yes, I know, I haven't actually read this book yet but I'm grasping at straws here. I don't tend to read a lot of books set in Scotland because one, there arent many, and two, it kind of sucks here so why would I want to read about it? But I have heard fabulous things about this book series and plan to pick it up soon.

On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

Another one that I haven't actually read yet I'm afraid but it is another that I have heard good things about and plan to pick up in the near future. 

T5W: Anti-heroes

So its been a few weeks since I posed a T5W as life got a teeny bit crazy this month but thankfully things have calmed down again and my schedule should be back to normal. Top 5 Wednesday is hosted by GingerReadsLainey over on youtube, and each week we pick our top 5 favorite books that fall under a certain topic. This weeks topic is our top 5 anti-heroes in literature. Anti-heroes are my personal favorite type of character as they feel the most real to me: I like my characters dark and twisty. Flawed characters are so much more relatable than shiny happy perfect ones and all of my favorite books have characters that despite their character faults, do the right thing and save the day in the end. So here are my top 5 anti-heroes and as usual they are in no particular order. 

Severus Snape - Harry Potter Books by J. K. Rowling

Lets be honest here, everyone is going to have Snape on their list. Snape has always been character that I have loved since finishing the Harry Potter series, in the beginning I didn't like him mainly down to the simple fact that I didn't understand the motives behind his actions but when you finish the series the pieces all fit together and you can't help but love him.

Hamlet - Hamlet by William Shakespeare

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the protagonist, Hamlet, is depicted as an antihero. One main factor which gives Hamlet such a label is that he draws sympathy, as well as admiration, from the reader as a result of the pain he feels from losing his father along with the burden of the obstacles in avenging his murder.

Jay Gatsby - The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

Another obvious one here. Yes, he was a liar and a crook and a pretender and, eventually, an accomplice to manslaughter, but he did all of those thinks because of love. There was a time when that seemed kind of noble to me. Yes, now it seems pathetic but it's still impossible to hate him because of how goddamned hard he tries. Sure, he does terrible things and ultimately dies as a result but in the meantime he was striving in an earnest way that makes me uncomfortable to think about.

Javert - Les Miserables by Victor Hugo 

Javert is the ultimate agent of The Law, the true villain of Les Mis, propelled by his own dark past into becoming an uncompromising man. Born to criminals in a prison he feels that it is a man's nature to either break or uphold the law. He is such a believable character because we all know people who adhere to rigis beliefs, and we can see how these beliefs can become twisted in the face of reality, turning an otherwise admirable person into a fearsome foe.

Elphaba - Wicked by Gregory Maguire

Elphaba is the villain as she is the wicked witch of the west but when you read the book you can see how she can actually be considered a hero in her own right. 

T5W: Most anticipated 2015 releases

It's Wednesday again so we all know what that means, it's top 5 wednesday time. Top 5 Wednesday is an event for booktubers and bookbloggers hosted by GingerReadsLainey over on youtube where each wednesday posts and videos are put up in which we recommend our top 5 books in a certain category.  If you are interested in checking out more posts on this topic check out the complete list of wednesdayers. This weeks topic is my top 5 anticipated reads of the year. This topic was a little tricky as unless a new book in a series that I am currently reading is coming out or a favorite author has written a new novel I tend not to keep too up to date with new releases. I have however pre-ordered quite a few books that are coming out this year already so I shall let you know the ones I am most looking forward to getting my hands on.

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga (12th February 2015)

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about reading this book. It is not very often that I actually pre-order I book, I generally wait until it comes out before buying it but this book I just had to have delivered as quick as possible after the release date. The book is centered around a high school student with many problems going on in her life that she is struggling to deal with like her mother not being able to look at her without wincing and being bullied for being a physics nerd in school. She's also suicidal. It is a book that tackles teenage depression and not just from an adults point of view but from a teenager actually living through it and I am very interested to see just how far this book goes. I have heard great things about this book and you all know how much I love a book that goes against the stigma of mental health problems. 

Under My Skin by James Dawson (5th March 2015)

Again another book I am intrigued by. I am a sucker for tattoos, absolutely blooming love them, and I cannot wait to get a few myself and a book centered around a girl who goes against her conservative parents to get a tattoo that leaves her hearing voices in her head? Yeah this is something I am going to need to read. 

All I Know Now by Carrie Hope Fletcher (23rd April 2015)

I have been following Carrie's blog for a while now and her messages are so beautifully poignant that I am so excited to have a little book full of reassurances and lessons from somebody who has lived through this stage in her life and come out of it the other side none the worse.

Dream A Little Dream by Giovanna Fletcher (18th June 2014)

Giovanna's writing is so lovely and there is no better summer read than a book by Fletcher. Her previous two books have been so touching and inspiring, the characters so strong and realistic, that I cant wait to get my hands on this new one.

Beautiful Redemption by Jamie Mcguire (27th January 2015)

You all know how I love my Jamie Mcguire books and the love story of another Maddox brother? There's no way that I'm not going to be reading that book.

Honorable Mentions

There are a few books that come out this year that I don't know much about get so didn't want to add to this list but still would love to get my hands on so I will leave a list below so you can go check the, out for yourself:

None Of The Above by I. W. Gregorio

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Made You Up by Francesca Zappia

The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak by Brian Katcher

Not After Everything by Michelle Levy

Hold Me Like A Breath by Tiffany Schmidt 

T5W: Top 5 Books I Read In 2014

Happy New Years Eve everyone and I hope you are having a good last day of 2014, mine has been pretty great - full of Italian food and shopping - which is a nice way to end the year. 2014 has been a pretty good year for me, the ups have outnumbered the downs for once which to me means it has been a successful year. I really got back into reading this year, I've always been an avid reader pretty consistently since I was about 7 but with 2013 being a pretty rough year for me reading took a back seat as I simply just didn't have time for it up until I finished my Highers in May this year. I had forgotten the joy of discovering new books and had resigned myself to reading old favorites and stuck to my comfort zone which in all fairness wasnt too big - something that happened with all elements of my life not just my reading - but I feel since then I have been more open. Since May this year I feel as though I have completely turned my life around, but more on that in my next blog post.

It has been incredibly difficult to narrow down my top 5 books that I have read this year as I have read such a wide range of books this year, all of which I rate slightly differently; if its contemporary I want to feel fuzzy inside, I want new adult to make me feel all the emotions, I want fantasy to make me feel like a part of the story. So without further ado, here are my top 5 books I've read in 2014 and as usual they are in no particular order.

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie Mcguire

It will come as no surprise to regular readers of my blog that this book has made it up onto my top 5 reads of this year. I found this book so utterly compelling, it was like nothing I had ever read before and it spoke to me on so many levels I am still struggling to comprehend just how deeply it touched me. Lots of people condemn this book for some of the actions of the characters, and don't get me wrong I am not advocating this type of relationship as being something to romanticise, but I really do love how this book portrays a whole other side to relationships. Although the characters have many a cute moment, it shows how wrong the typical idolised relationship is. Relationships aren't all easy going and perfect, relationships are messy, they are hard work, and they are different for each and every couple.

Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

This year I read the first four books in the Vampire Academy series after caving and watching the movie when I was ill. The third book is by far my favorite in the series so far, although I have thoroughly enjoyed each book. Richelle Mead's writing is so flowing it makes these books incredibly quick and easy to read. I plan to get around to the final two books of the series in 2015.

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover 

Yes I know, I only finished this book in the early hours of this morning but by gosh if I didn't enjoy every second of reading it. This is the type of book I love, books that make me feel, books that make me text my friends at 2am ranting about how the author is the devil or how freaking adorable the characters are. And this book did exactly that. Keep an eye out for a full review as I will be posting one in the next few days if you are interested in reading it.

Just One Day by Gayle Foreman

I read this book whilst on holiday this year and it could not have been a more perfect summer read. I feel like this book changed my outlook upon life quite a bit and it made me realise many mistakes that I was making, that I was letting life pass me by whilst looking forward to the future and ignoring what was going on around me. It made me realise just how much I base my daily tasks upon time and how restricting the concept of time can be, it made me realise that getting lost isn't always a bad thing, and it made me realise that I was being too controlling over my own life and that sometimes you just need to sit back and let life happen.

Will Greyson, Will Greyson by John Green and David Levithan

Again another book that has impacted me this year, can you see a running theme? I really didn't expect to like this book, this was the second book by John Green that I read and whilst I did enjoy The Fault In Our Stars it just didn't really do it for me, and also the fact that it was from dual perspectives was a concern as they generally infuriate me as I tend to favour one character and dislike the other. This book was brilliant, it made me laugh and it made me cry, as all good books do. The juxtaposition of the characters was flawless, they highlighted the others best and worst features in a way it left me questioning myself. The book has just a simple premise but such a beautiful story.

So that's it, that's my top 5 books of 2014. I'd just like to say a massive happy new year to everyone and I hope 2015 brings you everything you could hope for.

My goodreads account: click me!

T5W: Top 5 Winter Reads

Merry Christmas-eve everyone! This weeks top 5 Wednesday is suitably festive and is my top 5 winter reads for the holidays. Top 5 Wednesday is organised by GingerReadsLainey over on Youtube so go check her out if you haven't already. This weeks topic was incredibly easy for me to find books, and ridiculously difficult to narrow down. If you haven't already guessed from the large amounts of festive book tags that I have posted over the last few weeks, I love Christmas. Christmas food, movies, books and songs. Everything. And once school has finished for the term I completely surrender to the crazy that is Christmas. I interpreted this topic as novels set during the holiday season as opposed to those I like to read during winter as I feel I have mentioned them quite a lot recently. Without further ado, and as usual in no particular order, here are my top 5 winter reads.

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle

This is such a great book to curl up with to get you into the holiday spirit when it's cold and snowing outside. It is one of those reads that just makes you want to snuggle up on your couch, a hot cocoa or tea in hand and enjoy the wintery atmosphere.

Dash and Lily's Book Of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares is the perfect Christmas read. It took me around New York in the busiest time of the year with Dash’s abhorrence versus Lily’s ecstasy for the holidays. It kinda remind me of the movie Serendipity: same Christmas-in-New-York setting with the same non-meetings but with the longing of meeting the one another.

My True Love Gave To Me edited by Stephanie Perkins

Yes, its that beauty of a book that you've seen floating about tumblr, intagram and youtube over the past fer months. I'm sure you're sick to death of hearing people go on about it so i'll leave it at that.

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C S Lewis

This book brings me right back to my childhood. There are so many hidden metaphors that you pick up on re-reading this book.

Christmas With Billy And Me by Giovanna Fletcher 

I adore Giovanna's lighthearted contemporary romance and add in Christmas and you have a winner with me.  

T5W: Top 5 Historical Books

And we are at that point of the week again, scary how fast time flies at this point of the year isn't it? It's the beginning of November and then you blink and BAM 8 days until Christmas! Crazy stuff. Anyways, this weeks Top 5 Wednesday, hosted by GingerReadsLainey over on youtube, is Top 5 Historical Books. I at first was swithering on whether to even do this weeks t5w as I couldn't think of any historical books that I've read as it just isn't something that I tend to pick up, but after a good look at my shelves I was surprised by how many books set in the past that I have actually read. So without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my top 5 historical books.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

For anyone that has seen my blog before, this will be an obvious book for this category. I adore this book and make a point of re-reading it every year, usually during the winter months. Any historical Russian book and I am in there. 

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

I read this book about two years ago now and at first, I'm going to be honest, I absolutely hated it. But during a little reading slump a couple of months ago I gave it another go and was pleasantly surprised.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

What more can I say other than 'Oscar Wilde'? After one of my closest friends expressed her love of his writing I decided to give it a go and was positively hooked.

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

By far my favorite Shakespeare play that I have read up to this point in my life. I had to read this book for school a few years ago and still love it now as much as I did then. I especially love going to see the play on stage.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 

I don't think I need to say much about this book, I'm pretty sure everyone and their granny has read it. 

T5W: Top 5 Re-Reads

So another week has been and gone and that can only mean its time for another Top 5 Wednesday hosted by GingerReadsLainey over on Youtube. This weeks topic is Top 5 Re-Reads. This one wasn't very difficult for me, I have absolutely no problem re-reading books and if ever I am in need of something comforting or I'm in a bit of a reading slump I always turn to a book that I know I love. be warned, you will probably have seen a lot of these books on in past T5W posts. Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my Top 5 Favorite Re-Reads.

Beautiful Disaster by Jaime McGuire

Apparently not one of my T5W posts can be complete without mentioning this beauty recently. You all know by now, I adore this book. It is without doubt one of my favorite books of 2014 and has actually made it up into my all time favorites. I have been craving re-reading this book for months now which to me means its about time to read Walking Disaster, the story from our beloved Travis' point of view. It has been sat on top of my tbr pile for a little while now just taunting me and I hope to get to it at some point before the new year.

Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer

Yes, I know this series get a lot of stick but back about 4 years ago these books were the center of my world. I have lost count of how many times I have read each book, but to put it into perspective I am on my 2nd copy of all of the books (which are also falling apart), not to mention the fact that within the two weeks I was in Spain in 2012 where I only took these 4 books with me, it took me on average a day to finish each book, so the number of times I re-read them within that space of time alone outdoes any other book I have ever re-read. Now I've made new opinions on the series, mostly as a result of the media I have to admit, and they have become a kind of joke, but I owe my entire obsession with books to this series, The Twilight books were like a gateway drug for me. When I was younger I was always given sickly-sweet girly books to read however these books opened my eyes to the world of possibilities out there.

House of Night series by P.C and Kristen Cast

My obsession with these books followed on from my love of Twilight. I was given the first 5 books I think, as a family member had bought them and hated the first novel, and since then I have re-read then numerous times. I have yet to pick up the latest two books or the novellas however as the thought of having to re-read the whole series to make sense of them is a little daunting given my massive tbr pile. Maybe if I can trim down my tbr pile a little I can get back to these.

Paranormalcy by Keirsten White

I still remember the first time I read this book a few years ago and to say I enjoyed it is an understatement. It was one of those books that makes you want to shout to the world to read it, pass it out to all your friends so that they can experience the story, and jump back into the world all at once. I have re-read this book countless times, but not recently so I am unsure as to whether I would enjoy it as much now that I have grown up a bit so I'm reluctant to pick up the rest of the series.

Frostbite by Richelle Mead

While I have only just finsihed reading this book I can say without a doubt that I will be re-reading it at some point in the future. While the first book left me feeling a little dissapointed as it was lacking that special something that hooks me into a book, Frostbite did just exactly that, it filled the need that Vampire Academy created, and ensured I was completely consumed within the world. And not to mention Adrian. (for more info check out my review of Frostbite)

So that's it for this weeks Top 5 Wednesday, if you want to check out other peoples take on this question just go to the Goodreads page. Stay tuned for next weeks Topic which is Top 5 Historical Books. In the mean time, feel free to have a look at my Goodreads page to see what I've been reading, or over on my Tumblr page where you can see what I've been loving. 

T5W: Top 5 Series Titles

Welcome back to another Top 5 Wednesday where each week there is a new different topic, and if you're interested you can get more information over on goodreads. This weeks topic is our top 5 favorite series titles. I originally thought this week would be quite difficult as so many series just use the same name as the first book, but its surprising how many I found. In no particular order, here are my top 5 series titles. 

Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

These books are EVERYWHERE, and I'm afraid to say I haven't picket them up yet (massive tbr pile anyone?) but the premise of the novels excites me so much. Sci-Fi fairy-tale retellings? Eh, yes please. 

Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

Everyone and their grandmother has heard of these books, and if you haven't, where the heck have you been? You are missing out my friend. I grew up reading these books, I'm pretty sure I got to around the 11th one, each time I went to the library I would root around for the next one and god forbid if they didn't have it in. 

Darkest Powers by Kelley Armstrong

These books have intrigued me for quite a while now and I have only recently added them to my extensive tbr pile. The books all have some mixed ratings over on goodreads, and I'm excited to get reading them. From what I've gathered its a series split into two trilogies, The Darkest Powers and The Darkness Rising, all centering around supernatural scientists and the subjects that they have experimented on. 

Seven Realms by Cinda Williams Chima

Again, another series that I've heard great things about but have yet to purchase. I don't know an awful lot about the plot of the series but from what I've heard it revolves around a man who used to be a thief and is now a wizard who is helping a princess to defend her right to the throne. I have to admit, I'm just hoping for another strong female protagonist from these books.

The Grisha by Leigh Bardugo 

And finally, another fantasy series. I do actually own the first book, Shadow And Bone, of the series but have yet to read it although I've been hearing many people rave about this series recently. It has some mixed reviews over on goodreads and I'm hoping that I will love these books. They center around a teenage orphan whose life changes when she has to harness a power she never realised she has in order to save her best friend. 

Check out my goodreads page

T5W: Top 5 Books Over 500 Pages

This weeks top 5 Wednesday is the top 5 books I have read that are over 500 pages long. Looking through my favorites I have realized that I need to start picking up more lengthy books. I have quite a few on my tbr pile so perhaps i'll be picking those up sooner rather than later.  So without further ado, in no particular order, here are my top 5 books over 500 pages:

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J K Rowling - 607 pages

Without a doubt my favorite book in the series. For me, this is the book where everything began pulling together.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth - 525 pages

I absolutely loved this book. For me, Divergent was a bit of a struggle to get through but the character development in Insurgent really made it for me. I have yet to finish Allegiant (I have issues finishing series' plus I couldn't bring myself to read it during study leave after I finished Insurgent)

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy - 817 pages of brilliance

One of my all time favorite books. Reading this book makes me want to live. This book is just comfort to me. When the days get short and the nights get cold, I always go back to this book.

City of Glass by Cassandra Claire - 541 pages

Yes I know, again with The Mortal Instruments, but I just can't help myself I love these books! 

The Host by Stephanie Meyer - 620 pages

Like most other teenagers I was once infatuated with the Twilight series, but after growing out of it I tried my hand at Meyer's adult book and I have to say I adore it. 

Check out what I'm up to: Tumblr 
Check out what I'm currently reading: Goodreads

T5W: Top 4 Rebellion Groups

And so Wednesday rolls around again, and with it it brings another Top 5 Wednesday. This week we are going to talk about Top 4 Rebellion Groups. Yes, top 4 as I don't feel comfortable recommending books that I honestly didn't enjoy/haven't gotten around to reading yet so I'm sticking with 4. This was a tough one for me and has made me realize that I need to expand my reading scope a little but thankfully I have discovered a few good books by watching/reading top 5's from other people in the community which you can find here in the complete list of wednesday-ers. 

This week there were a few obvious books that came to me straight away as honestly I'm pretty sure they will be on everyone's lists, but a few more I had to think about quite a bit. This week there is no particular order to my choices as I found it quite hard to choose favorites, so without further ado, lets get started. 

The Circle - The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Claire

A group of Shadowhunters formed by Valentine Morgenstern who rebelled against the Clave in an attempt to purify the world for humans.

Dumbledore's Army - Harry Potter books by J K Rowling

This was probably the most obvious choice on the list as I'm pretty sure everyone and their mother (i'm pretty sure that's the wrong analogy but lets just roll with it) has read the series or at very least watched the movies, but how could I not include this iconic group of students who stood up against the evil Umbridge?

District 13 - The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Way too many spoilers could come out of me describing this to you, so instead I will just urge you to go read the books. Do it. You won't be disappointed.  

The Divergents - The Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth

Four, Christina, Tris, Tori and many more individuals classed as Divergents as they cannot be placed into one niche rebel against the Erudite, Dauntless and most importantly the system in an attempt to get outside the fence. 

So what are your top 5 rebellion groups? Leave them in the comments below! xx

Check out what I'm up to: My Tumblr
Check out what I'm reading; My GoodReads

T5W: Favorite Couples

So I have decided to give Top Five Wednesday a go, and this weeks topic is Top Five Favorite Couples. This has been a very hard 5 for me to pick and there is a good chance that it will have changed in a few months so I might do an updated top 5 at the start of next year. Lets get started then shall we?

5. Clary and Jace - The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Claire

I can honestly say that this is the most complicated relationship I have ever read about and I am extremely thankful that I lead an incredibly dull life in comparison. I was hooked on this relationship from the get-go.

4. Ron and Hermione - Harry Potter series by J K Rowling

I grew up with the Harry Potter series and identify a lot with Hermione, so to see her FINALLY get together with Ron after years of waiting, still makes me very happy. I just love how their relationship builds over time and that there is none of that irritating insta-love that is incredibly apparent in many books.

3. Luce and Daniel - Fallen by Lauren Kate

I have only read the first two books in the series at this point so I can only refer to them, but by god do I love these books. Luce and Daniels relationship truly captivated me. I found Passion very difficult to get into, but plan on trying my hand at it again in the near future. 

2. Travis and Abby - Beautiful Disaster by Jaime McGuire

Putting it simply their relationship is a hot mess. Their love is intense, unstable, and incredibly dysfunctional but thats what made me love its so much. I just feel like this is such a real and genuine portrayal of how some relationships are and although they are messy, they can work. I have even given in to my dislike of books narrated from a diffrent perspective and bougth Walking Disaster which is the same story but from Travis' point of view.

1. Tris and Four - Divergent series by Veronica Roth

What can I say about this relationship that hasn't already been said? I just..just read the books. Trust me.

So what are your top 5 couples? Leave them in the comments below! xx

Complete List of Wednesday-ers click here