Heather Hobbs's Blog, page 3

Top 5 Wednesday – Characters You’d Want as Family

It’s time for Top 5 Wednesday! This week’s topic is a fun one – Characters You’d Want as Family!

Hermione from Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling – Hermione is my favorite; I would love to have her as a family member! And while we’re on the topic of Harry Potter, I wouldn’t mind being related to Harry, Luna, Neville, or any of the Weasleys either.

Kolya from City of Thieves by David Benioff – I like Kolya because he has the ability to bring humor to bleak situations, making them more bearable.

Anne from Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery because life is never boring when Anne is around.

The Gilbreth kids from Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. – Being an only child I think it would be fun to have a boatload of sibling.

Bernadette from Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple – I wouldn’t want her to be my parent but I’d sure like having her around to keep things interesting.

Which literary characters would you like to have in your family?

Top Ten Tuesday – TV Shows!

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic: In honor of fall TV, do a TV-themed topic! I was originally going to somehow tie in a book theme with this (being that this is a book blog and all) but instead I’m going with TV Shows I Discovered This Year.

Some of these are NOT new – I just happened to start watching them a lot later than everyone else!

New Girl – I actually watched the first season of this when it debuted and really liked it. My husband had never seen it and we couldn’t find anything good on TV so we decided to watch an episode. A month later and we’d watched all 5 seasons! (Thanks, snow days!)

Making a Murderer – I’ve recently started watching Netflix and they have so many interesting shows! My coworker insisted I watch this and I was hooked by episode 2. With the recent news that Brendan Dassey’s conviction was overturned I’m sure there will be another season of this.

Stranger Things

Stranger Things – Okay, I LOVED this. This was another Netflix binge watch (sensing a theme yet?) and it was so good. The best way I can describe this is: mix together Goonies and E.T. and then make it really creepy.

FARGO

Fargo – If you haven’t seen this (and don’t mind violence) you need to watch this ASAP. Both seasons are fantastic. They manage to pull in some really great actors, too.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – First of all, the theme song is the best. This is a really quirky show and it cracks me up. Tina Fey is one of the producers – she also appears now and then – and if you watched 30 Rock you’ll like this, I think.

The Jinx – I watched this while I had a free HBO trial and oh my God, this guy is bizarre. Watch this, then check out All Good Things with Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst. And then be weirded out forever.

Bob’s Burgers – I am not usually a cartoon person. I don’t watch Simpsons, Family Guy, or any of those shows. But Bob’s Burgers? YES. This is such a funny show. Tina is my personal favorite but the entire family is bonkers and it’s fantastic.

Breaking Bad – Another Netflix show. We just finished the first season – so far so good!

Playing House – This is super funny. The seasons are pretty short so you could definitely binge watch this without it taking up your entire life.

Andy Samberg and Melissa Fumero

Brooklyn Nine-Nine – This has been on for a few years but I just started watching it. I didn’t care for it the first time I watched it but now I’m hooked.

So there you have it – I watch way too much TV. As far as what I’m looking forward to, I cannot wait for Gilmore Girls to come back! Can. Not. Wait.  Oh, and Sherlock. I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for new Sherlock episodes.

What are your favorite TV show discoveries?

Classic Remarks – Diverse Classics

Happy Friday!  It’s Classic Remarks time! Check out Pages Unbound to see the rest of the 2016 topics!

This week’s topic: Recommend a diverse classic. Or you can argue that a diverse book should be a classic or should be included in the canon.

As an English Literature major, I had the opportunity to take some really interesting classes including African American Literature, Native American Literature, Language & Culture, etc. So I’m going to list three titles that I really enjoyed that are already classics or will be one day (maybe)! Here we go…

Invisible Man by Ralph Emerson: This won the National Book Award for Fiction in 1953 and rightfully so.

First published in 1952 and immediately hailed as a masterpiece, Invisible Man is one of those rare novels that have changed the shape of American literature. For not only does Ralph Ellison’s nightmare journey across the racial divide tell unparalleled truths about the nature of bigotry and its effects on the minds of both victims and perpetrators, it gives us an entirely new model of what a novel can be.

As he journeys from the Deep South to the streets and basements of Harlem, from a horrifying “battle royal” where black men are reduced to fighting animals, to a Communist rally where they are elevated to the status of trophies, Ralph Ellison’s nameless protagonist ushers readers into a parallel universe that throws our own into harsh and even hilarious relief. Suspenseful and sardonic, narrated in a voice that takes in the symphonic range of the American language, black and white, Invisible Man is one of the most audacious and dazzling novels of our century.

Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich: If I recall correctly, we read 4-5 of Erdrich’s titles in the Lit course I was taking and I really would recommend them all. Love Medicine won numerous awards and is Erdrich’s first novel so it’s a good place to start!

It is the unforgettable saga of two families and how their destinies intertwine over the course of fifty years on and around a North Dakota reservation. Here is the book that heralded the arrival of a major voice in American literature.

Waiting by Ha Jin: This book was very popular when it released and won a National Book Award though I’m not sure it’s considered a classic at this point?

Every summer Lin Kong, a doctor in the Chinese Army, returns to his village to end his loveless marriage with the humble and touchingly loyal Shuyu. But each time Lin must return to the city to tell Manna Wu, the educated, modern nurse he loves, that they will have to postpone their engagement once again. Caught between conflicting claims of these two utterly different women and trapped by a culture in which adultery can ruin lives and careers, Lin has been waiting for eighteen years. This year, he promises, will be different.

And I also highly recommend anything by Khaled Hosseini. I didn’t read him in my Lit classes but his books are amazing.

Which diverse classic (or should-be classic) novel would you recommend?

I hope you all enjoy your long weekend!

August 2016 Reading Recap

Another month gone by, another reading recap post to write!  In August I read three books, keeping me on track to complete my Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of reading 30 books this year.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah : I loved this book! For some reason I stopped reading it after the first chapter originally. A few months later I picked it up again and couldn’t put it down. This is one of those put-a-box-of-Kleenex-next-to-the-bed books. I’m sure this will be made into a film at some point.

The Drop by Dennis LeHane: I really like Dennis Lehane books and this was no exception. I usually read the Kenzie and Gennero titles but this was only $2 on Amazon so I grabbed it. It’s fairly short and if you haven’t read any of his books, this is a good place to start. I haven’t seen the movie yet but I’d like to (Tom Hardy + Cute Dog = I’m in.)

Wool 2 by Hugh Howey: I read the first book (well, short story) last month and had to get this one right away. Howey really does a great job with bringing these characters to life, especially considering the short length of these stories. I’ve got #3 downloaded and ready to read!

I have somehow been talked into joining a book club starting next month so we’ll see how that goes! We’re reading a book called The Nest, which I’m not particularly excited about but maybe it’ll surprise me – has anyone read it?

Until next time!

Blogger Recognition & Versatile Blogger Awards!

Let me start with a THANK YOU to Av8tor1988 from Inside My Minds for nominating me for a Blogger Recognition Award and Michael J. Miller from My Comic Relief for the Versatile Blogger Award nomination! I’m going to post about both below!

Starting with the Blogger Recognition Award, Av8tor1988 nominated me back in June so (a) apologies for the late post on this and (b) yay! Inside my Minds is super fun to read – we both participate in Top 5 Wednesday and Top Ten Tuesday AND this blog has lots of Harry Potter love going on, which I great – you should definitely check it out!

Here are the Blogger Recognition rules:

Write a post showing the award
Give a brief story of how your blog started
Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers
Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog
Select 15 other blogs you want to give the award to (more on this at the very bottom of the post!)

As far as how this blog started, I really just wanted a way and place to talk about books! It seemed like a lot of fun – and I was right! I haven’t been doing this for very long so I’m not sure how useful my advice will be but…

Don’t worry too much about what people will think of your posts. Write about what interests you. If you follow me, you know I do a lot of book memes (Top 5 Wednesday, Top Ten Tuesday, etc.) Some bloggers hate these (both reading and writing them). I happen to have a lot of fun doing them. Blogging should be fun so do what makes you happy!
Interact with other bloggers! I’ve had so many fun discussions and gotten a ton of book recommendations this way. This whole blogging thing is so much more fun when you have blogger friends to interact with!

Okay, now on to the Versatile Blogger Award! Thank you Michael for the nomination! As you can probably guess from the blog’s name, My Comic Relief focuses on comic books! Michael puts a ton of work and thought into his posts and I really love reading them. He also loves Ghostbusters, which is awesome!

Versatile Blogger Award Rules:

Thank the blogger who nominated you
List seven fun facts about yourself
Nominate up to fifteen other blogs you’d like to share this award with

Fun facts…

I have two dogs. One is a large 10-year-old Australian Shepard and the other is a tiny 2-year-old Shih-poo (half shih-tzu, half miniature poodle). I’ve actually always been a cat person but I love these two rascals.
I’m originally from Michigan. I live in Colorado now but run into people from MI at least once or twice a month. There is some sort of migration going on, apparently! I miss the water but not the humidity or mosquitoes.
I’m obsessed with TV shows/movies about dancing. Even if it’s a horrible movie (and let’s be honest, a lot of dance movies are), I have probably seen it at least twice.
My lucky number is 56. I have no reason for this.
I love to travel. If I ever win the lottery I’ll probably spend most of it on travelling. I keep trying to get my husband to try out for Wheel of Fortune because he’s really good at it and I want him to win me a trip J
I love theater! It costs a fortune but I really love going to the theater. I try to go at least once or twice a year. There is a rumor that Hamilton is coming to my area next year so I’m hoping to make that happen!
I love classic books and movies! When I was younger I had a list of the top 100 books and the top 100 movies and tried to work my way through them. I haven’t read/seen them all yet but I’ve got a pretty good chunk of them done!

As far as nominating others, I’m going to take a page from Cover2CoverMom’s book, er, blog, and open this tag up to anyone who thinks it sounds interesting/fun! [Semi-related note, Cover2CoverMom is a really fun blog to read so check it out!]

That’s all for now!

Classic Remarks – March Sisters

 

Happy Friday! I’m excited to start participating in a new Friday meme by Pages Unbound called Classic Remarks! Here is the description:

Classic Remarks is meme that poses questions each Friday about classic literature and asks participants to engage in ongoing discussions surrounding not only themes in the novels but also questions about canon formation, the “timelessness” of literature, and modes of interpretation. 

This started in July so I’m a little late to the game but that’s alright! Topics for the entire year have been posted to check out the page to join in the fun!

This week’s question: Which March sister from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women is your favorite and why? Do you agree with the way their lives played out?

Jo is definitely my favorite March sister – I even had a cat named after her when I was younger! When I read this book as a teenager, I loved that Jo was intelligent, creative, and spoke her mind. And she loved reading and writing[image error] My least favorite sister is definitely Amy (did anyone pick Amy as their favorite?)

As far as how Jo’s life played out I, of course, wanted her to marry Laurie. I came across an article on Mental Floss about Little Women  and found tidbit #6 particularly interesting:

Alcott, who never married herself, wanted Jo to remain unmarried too. But while she was working on the second half of Little Women, fans were clamoring for Jo to marry the boy next door, Laurie. Alcott wrote in her journal, “Girls write to ask who the little women marry, as if that was the only aim and end of a woman’s life. I won’t marry Jo to Laurie to please anyone.”

As a compromise—or to spite her fans—Alcott married Jo to the decidedly unromantic Professor Bhaer. Laurie ends up with Amy.

Who is your favorite March sister?

Top 5 Wednesday – Favorite First Sentences

This week’s T5W is a fun one: Favorite First Sentences!

1. “Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board.” – Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston – I think this is such a beautifully written line.

2. “I’m pretty much fucked.” – The Martian by Andy Weir – Give this a read if you haven’t already (the movie is good too!)

3. “The Grandmother didn’t want to go to Florida.” – A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flanner O’Conner – I know a lot of people don’t care for them, but I love short stories. And Flannery O’Conner writes a mean one. Grandmother definitely should have avoided the trip to Florida.

4. “If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this: In love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are.” – The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. I’m about halfway through this book and I’m really enjoying it!

5. “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.” – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling – The first line of my favorite series.

Those are some of my favorites – what are yours?

Top Ten Tuesday – Rewind

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is a freebie of sorts: Go back and do a topic you missed over the years.

I’ve decided to do Hilarious Book Titles because I’m in a silly mood; plus who doesn’t love a hilarious book title? There are a lot of websites out there with funny/bad/ridiculous book titles – these are some of my favorites:

 

So true.
I love that this is the second edition.

I stumbled across her show on TV once and it was about as wacky as this book title.

So…nothing?

I could seriously do this all day but I’ll stop now :)   Enjoy your Tuesday, everyone!

 

July Reading Recap

I’m officially at 18 of 30 books for my Goodreads Reading Challenge, putting me 1 book ahead of schedule. I really don’t know how people read 100 books a year! This month, I read:

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes: I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading the sequel. I could pretty much tell where the book was going but it was still a page-turner. I know there was some controversy surrounding both the film and the movie (which I haven’t seen yet) – I’m wondering what others thought about the book?

Wool by Hugh Howey: Okay, this doesn’t really count as a book but…I’m counting it anyway. This short story is the first of five in the Silo Series. Mankind lives in a giant silo because the air outside is toxic. People can look outside via a camera feed but the lenses have to be cleaned…which involves going outside (aka a death sentence, which is why they make criminals do it.) Sheriff Holston has doubts about whether the air outside is actually toxic but to know for sure he has to go outside. This story left me with so.many.questions. So I’ll be reading the next installment asap!

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater: I can’t recall why I wanted to read this but it was on my to-read list and was affordable on Amazon Kindle so there ya go. (I think maybe a friend recommended it?) It reminded me a little of Twilight but focused on werewolves instead of vampires. The average rating on Goodreads is 3.78 and people seem to really love it or really hate it. It’s just not my cup of tea.

That’s it for July! If you do a monthly recap on what you’ve read, feel free to post a link in the comments section!

Tuesday Talks – Unhauling books?

It’s time for Tuesday Talks! If you would like to participate, you can join the Goodreads Group to see all of the monthly topics!

This week’s topic: Do you unhaul books and if so, how often?

I typically do an annual unhauling of books in the spring – which is also when I clean out my closets!

Reasons I unhual each year:

To make room for more books!
To get rid of books I wasn’t crazy about (I like to keep physical copies of books I really love)
Multiple copies of books thanks to friends/family gifts

Some years I have a ton of books to give away and other years I hardly have any; it really just depends. I usually donate the books to my library (many libraries have a “friends” bookstore that will sell your unwanted titles.)

How often do you “spring clean” your bookshelves?