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Recently a post went around Facebook where you asked your friends to request Top 5 lists from you. 

Of course, the first person on mine asked me to list off my Top 5 books. 

That's like asking me to name my favorite child! 
(hint, it's actually one of the cats)

I think I've figured out what to put on my list.

IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER: 

​

The Hobbit

This book was one of my first forays into a more grown up form of fantasy novels. I probably didn't grasp it "properly" at that age but I enjoyed it enough to read again over the years. 

No, I haven't seen the movies. The book is NOT 3 movies long and I've refused. 



​The Giver

This book was my first glimpse into the world of Dystopian Fiction (even though didn't know what to call it then) 

Again, I haven't seen the movie because I hold the book in such high regard and it's a bit of nostalgia for me. 



Darkfever

This isn't the first time I've recommended this book. 

Because it's fantastic. 

The "love story" is totally unhealthy but the characters are so engaging you end up cheering for them. The world-building is fantastic and the writing is beautiful.



​​The Scarlet Letter

I know. I actually liked a school assigned book. 

It's actually one of the few I read most of the way through. I've written several papers for English classes (both mine and others ha!) about this novel. 



​The Clan of the Cave Bear

BEFORE YOU DOWNLOAD JUST BECAUSE I SAID I LIKED IT

Trigger warning for a rape scene. It's short but totally makes sense for the characters and plot development. 

I've read this book so many times I can't remember. The rest of the series was very meh and this book works fine as a standalone!

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As I zoned out during a more boring part of the newest season of Orange Is The New Black (and, seriously, what the hell was season 5 anyway?) I plugged the show title into Amazon to see what's out there. 

I came across this gem: 

You guys. YOU GUYS. This is awesome. 

So, of course, I immediately fell into the "customers also bought" rabbit hole (because that's how Amazon gets you!) and decided to share my newfound knowledge with the world. (Give this post a share if you see your fandom listed!)


I know The Walking Dead is a massive fandom and I wasn't surprised to see y'all have your own cookbooks. I'd be wary to make anything considering the amount of human flesh consumed in the show...but you do you. 

Breaking Bad is another show that lit up my Facebook feed constantly. I don't think you'll learn how to cook meth with this book (you have the Internet for that anyway) but dessert is definitely a good thing to know. 

Personally, a good burger is the way to my heart. Bob's Burgers is one of my favorite animated adult shows. I feel as though I'm a mixture of Tina and Louise...with enough Linda thrown in to keep things stable. 

This post would end up obscenely long if I kept listing all of the wonderful books I found last night AND today. 
​You can Eat Like A Gilmore or enjoy some True Blood Eats and Drinks 

Whatever you choose, do me this favor? Post a picture on Instagram and hashtag it #FandomFood SO I CAN SEE YOUR CREATION! 

Maybe it will inspire me to create a fandom themed book of my own. (No promises, but that would be cool right?) Hmmm 

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So, when I opened my BookBub email and saw several retelling novels recommended . . . I had to share with you all! 

At least one is on my To Be Read list! So they already get a nod from me. 

BONUS!

If you're reading this on the day it's posted, these are on sale!!

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We aren't going to talk about the fact that I have literally hundreds of books on my Kindle cloud unread . . .

Or that sometimes I take a look at the list and go "you know what I should reread?" 

I'm constantly adding to my Amazon Wishlist anyway. I try to earn the money through surveys and the like or I'd make my poor husband go broke.

Here's a peek at what I'm saving up for at the moment.

Don't have a Kindle? NO PROBLEM! You can download the FREE Kindle app on several devices. Check it out! 

Don't think this is the end of the list! These are just the highlights!! I have several (smaller dollar amount) books on there as well and will probably be adding to it frequently. 

Let me know if you want to see what else is on my list OR talk about what's on my immediate To Be Read list! 

First of all, my husband rocks. He pampered the hell out of me over the weekend. He kept the kids away so I could read all morning, got me my own hotel room for the night so I could read in peace, and then treated me with a 1 hour massage the next day. 

I got up at 5am on a Saturday to read books.  

I'm pretty sure that solidifies my geek status. 

I read for just over 18 hours...with a few breaks to eat (although I tried to eat while reading) and shower. 

I finished "Limbo" by Dima Zales. This was given to me to review through the same program that gave me "Oasis," the first book in the series. It was pretty good. I don't normally pick up sci-fi but the plot and relationships are interesting enough to keep me engaged. 

Next up, I picked up Volume One of the Night World collection....a book with the first 3 singles in it. I'd forgotten just how much I love these books. I closed the volume and found myself sad that I didn't have the others. I gladly would have read the entire series that day. 

I had a NetGalley release copy of "Just a Girl" by Ellie Cahill. Remember that book "Call Me Maybe" I LOVED? Same author! 
​
After that, I read books 4-6 in the Rebekka Franck series. I guess you'd call it crime something? I don't know the exact genre. I think they're translated from Danish...so there are a few spots where the translation doesn't totally work but I could make sense of it. 

I ended up going to bed close to 11pm. So, I didn't make it the full 24 hours...but 18/19 hours and over 1600 pages is still pretty damn impressive! 

I have another readathon (Bout of Books) coming up the second week in May! I'll be making those posts soon. 

As I type this, my clock is clicking over to 5:17am and I've decided I've probably lost my mind. 

Because only someone missing a few marbles would wake up at 4:45am JUST TO READ BOOKS ALL DAY right? 

Meh. I accept this. 

I'll post at the end to wrap up, but you can follow me on Twitter (@KasMorin) or Snapchat (Kasmorin) to keep up with my updates!! 

​Now then....

I confess...I don't have Kindle Unlimited. 

Hold your gasps of shock. 

It's not that expensive, I know. But having to pay for books forces me to slow down on my reading and only choose books I KNOW I want to try. 

But I do notice when "Read on Kindle Unlimited" pops up. So if YOU have a subscription, here are 5 books I enjoyed that you can go read right now! 

I tried to cover a handful of genres. If you like this post please let me know by showing some love on social media and I'll be sure to have a Part 2 in the future! 

1) The Darc Murders Collection
This one came up on my 10 Most Recommended Books/Series post. It's awesome and it's always nice to show some Indie Author love! 

2) Gods of Anthem
I did a spotlight post on this book once. It's fun and not your typical "zombie book." 

3) The Bitches of Everafter
​I definitely read this during my surgery recovery so don't take my word as gospel...but it was a fun twist on the classic "fairy tale retelling" trope. 

4) The Allure of Julian Lefray
This author (RS Grey) writes some awesome comedic romance. It's witty and amusing with just the right amount of spice. Most of her books are Unlimited or free through the Lending Library. 

5) Read No Evil
This was one of the first "I can get free books on Kindle???" books I read. It's weird and creepy but definitely awesome and chilling. 

My first readathon of 2016 is officially over. 

Bittersweet. 

I did some cleaning/organizing this week and endured a 2 day migraine so my reading wasn't quite as impressive as it has been in the past. 

But, I did kick some book butt.

I finally finished Winter, the final book in the Lunar Chronicles. It was beautiful and the perfect ending to this series. The fairy tale aspects were woven quite well into a modernized story and I was able to close the book with a huge smile on my face. There's a prequel I haven't read and more books set to come out by this author so watch here because I'll probably read those too. 

I jumped into The Power of Six, book 2 in the Lorien Legacies. I'm really enjoying this series. It's a neat little trip into a fantasy world where aliens aren't ALL evil or all insanely powerful. The first book (I Am Number Four) is where you should start. 

Next, I picked up a NetGalley read. This novella was short and sweet. Another fantasy (duh) with shifters and witches, The Scarlett Legacy, is apparently one of many books by different authors based in the same setting. I'll let you know if I read any others, but this was a nice palate cleanser. 

I picked up Ensnared, the final book in the Splintered Trilogy, after a dismal failure at another NetGalley book. (I got 75% of the way through and was so bored I abandoned it for Ensnared)
This was a great way to round out the Splintered story. Want to talk about happily ever after? That's this one. 

I've had Snowbound sitting in my Kindle library since 2013. After I read, and loved, the Wayward Pines Trilogy I decided to give this author another go. 
It was okay. More horror and action than anything else. The suspense was almost too much and I got burned out on it toward the end. Which is why....

...the final book I picked up was a romantic comedy by RS Grey called Scoring Wilder. This book had me giggling throughout. I kept reading bits to my husband because he kept asking "What? Oh, book?" when I laughed out loud. It was definitely a good way to end the readathon. 

After reading so intensely for 7 days I feel like I need a bit of a break. So I'll be reading at a more leisurely pace while trying to run a first round of edits on my already written novel. 

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post! I'll be sharing what it was like my first day waiting tables (hint: embarrassing)

Yesterday was the official start of the Bout Of Books Readathon!

Annnnd I sucked. I barely did any reading. 

Okay, so most of what I read was fanfiction. DON'T JUDGE ME!

I also did some cleaning up in the kitchen. The day ran away from me. 

Today, however, I vow to do better and finish "Winter" by Marissa Meyer. I'm going to move on to "The Power of Six" by Pittacus Lore. 

I know this changes the list I'd posted, but these two are library books that are due literally the day after the readathon ends so they take priority.

​NOW, on to the game for today!

We're playing "Would You Rather" today! Book Edition! You can put your answers in the comments! I'd love to see what you choose!

Would you rather:
Lend books to someone who dog-ears pages or to someone who reads with cheesy Cheetos fingers?
Dog-ears pages. At least that isn't going to stain pages or give me ants. 

Would you rather:
Be able to meet one character of your choice or meet one author of your choice?
AAAHHHH Probably an author. I'm afraid the character wouldn't live up to how I've built them in my head.

Would you rather:
Never be allowed in a book store again or never be allowed in a library again?
I'm already "not allowed" in book stores (my bank account says so)

Would you rather:
Have to choose one of your favorite characters to die in their book or have to pick one of your favorite couples to break up in their book?
Break up! I've read the dying character books TOO MANY TIMES. No.

Would you rather:
Be required to read Twilight once a year for the rest of your life or The Scarlet Letter once a year for the rest of your life?
The Scarlet Letter! I actually love that book.

​Now then...

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The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 4th and runs through Sunday, January 10th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 15 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

IT'S BOUT OF BOOKS TIME!

I don't know why...but this is my favorite Read-a-thon. Maybe it's because it's pretty active on social media or maybe because it's one of the first I ever did...in any case, it's that time again!!!

That time when I read books about like normal with a little extra push and call it a special time.

Here's what's on my list (in no particular order):

​Ensnared by AG Howard
It's become a thing for me to read a Splintered Series novel during Bout of Books...so I'm keeping that going with this one.

And With Madness Comes The Light (Experiment In Terror 6.5) by Karina Halle
This is actually a novella in the series but a necessary read. I'm currently addicted to these. I regret nothing. 

Come Alive (Experiment In Terror 7) by Karina Halle
Of course I have to go into the next full length novel. Duh.

Marvel Zombies: Volume 1
I bought this graphic novel for my husband for Christmas and I was very patient in allowing him to read it first. MY TURN!

Snowbound by Blake Crouch
I got this when it was free and I've been holding on to it since 2013. I loved the Wayward Pines trilogy by this author so I need to give this a go.

Friends Without Benefits by Penny Reid
I was gifted this by a Secret Vixen (Santa). I liked the first one and definitely recommend you pick it up.

Dear Professor by Blaire Drake
I was gifted this piece of smut from a quickie giveaway on Facebook. I have no expectations except it's "hot" and "easy to read" so....there's that.

TBR Jar Pick
This will be random and chosen during the event from this list.