Books to Encourage Acceptance and Equality

America has decided, and in doing so the country has taken one step forward and two steps back, electing a man who is a sexist, racist, ableist, transphobic, homophobic, xenophobic, power-hungry, nasty little man who, despite being a very wealthy businessman, can't afford a more natural looking toupee.

First Brexit and now this. 2016 is looking more and more like the beginning of a dystopian novel. I feel very disheartened today, and I'm frightened for the kind of world we now live in, where it's more acceptable to sexually assault women than it is to use the wrong email address, but I refuse to stop fighting, in the little ways I can, each and every day. If someone says something inappropriate I will forever call them out on it, however annoyed it makes them, and I will always shout out for what I believe to be right. I refuse to let hatred win.

And to all of my American friends, and all American people, who have woken up today feeling unsafe in the country they call home, I can only say I'm here for you - as are the rest of Britain's 48%.

So I'm not going to be gloomy today, instead I'm going to turn to what I always turn to when I'm feeling low: books. Today I'm going to share ten books with you, five I've read and five that are on my TBR, that encourage equality, acceptance and love above all things, because heaven knows we need it today of all days.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: A classic, yes, but a book we can still learn from. I only read this for the first time last year and I fell in love with it, I can understand why so many teachers get their students to read this in school. If more people were like Atticus Finch, the world would be a better place!

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley: Talley's heart-wrenching debut takes place in 1959, when black children were first admitted to previously all-white schools in the US, and focuses on the relationship that develops between two girls, one black and one white. It'll make you think, and given the current racial issues in the US I think it's an important book to read.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers: One of my favourite books of all time and one of the most hopeful books I've ever read. Chambers uses her sci-fi setting to explore race, gender, sexuality, war, peace, family units and what it means to be human. It's exquisite and you need to read it if you haven't already.

Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson and Various Artists: A wonderful graphic novel series starring an American-Muslim girl written by an American-Muslim woman. Read it!

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: This is such a quick read that I think it should be required reading in schools worldwide. It's a wonderful introduction to feminism, particularly for anyone out there you know who keeps confusing feminism for misandry.

The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King: I'm planning to pick this up next, once I finish Lucy Jones's Foxes Unearthed, and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm sure parts of it are going to be heartbreaking but I think it's an important book to read because I know so very little about the history of North America's indigenous people, and I'm very eager to learn.

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor: A novella I'm hoping to read very soon. It's giving me The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet vibes; I've heard wonderful things about Okorafor's stories and I'm really looking forward to the kind of cultures she's imagined in her sci-fi universe.

The Good Immigrant edited by Nikesh Shukla: I had the pleasure of seeing Nikesh Shukla speak at the London Book Fair this year and this edited volume of essays written by immigrants has never been more necessary than it is right now. I've seen fantastic reviews and I'm hoping to get my hands on a copy soon.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson: A novel that takes place in a small English village where a retired British Major strikes up a friendship with a Pakistani shopkeeper over their shared love of literature. When their friendship turns into something more, it's up to him to stand up to the racism and xenophobia in their village. I've heard lovely things about this one.

Kaleidoscope edited by Alisa Krasnostein and Julia Rios: An anthology of diverse YA sci-fi and fantasy stories, featuring characters who are transgender, disabled, LGBT+ and poc.

Stay positive but be sad if you need to be sad. Ultimately, just remember that love trumps hate.

Top Ten Tuesday | Best Books of 2015

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Best Books I Read in 2015', and considering how wonderful this past reading year has been I had a lot of books to choose from. There were a few graphic novels I loved this year too, but to make things a little easier for myself I decided to leave them out and just talk about traditional novels instead.

I've put these in the order I read them because I couldn't possibly rank them, although there are one or two that have made it onto my all-time favourite books list!

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent: This is the very first book I read this year, and it started a year of fantastic reading for me. It's a brilliant read for the winter months, so now is a perfect time to pick it up! It'll break your heart, but it's beautifully written.

My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland: This book made my list because it took me by surprise. I expected to like it - it sounded fun, and I loved the cover - but I flew through it and just loved it. It's such a great urban fantasy read!

Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: Another one that took me completely by surprise and wrung me out so it could collect all of my emotions in a little tin bucket. This is my favourite book of 2015. There. I said it. It's also a book that I'm desperate for more people to read, because other than my friend Natalie @ A Sea Change I haven't seen any other bloggers talking about it and it's so good. Please read it!

How To Be a Heroine by Samantha Ellis: I was really disappointed when this memoir ended. I just really enjoyed it, and if you're a fan of literary heroines I think you'd like it a lot, too. I know some people aren't keen on non-fiction, but I can promise you that this is a truly excellent memoir.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Yup. I finally read To Kill a Mockingbird this year and I loved it. It's such a shame that Harper Lee never wrote anything else. (Yes, I know there's Go Set a Watchman, but don't let publishers trick you - it's not a sequel, it's basically a manuscript of what To Kill a Mockingbird might have been if her editor hadn't told her to write more about Scout's childhood.) In Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear Elizabeth Gilbert talks a little bit about Harper Lee, and how the huge success that was To Kill a Mockingbird made Harper Lee afraid to write anything else because it could never be as good. I wish people didn't ask authors - or anyone in any sort of field - how they're going to 'top' their biggest success. You can't top your biggest success, that's why it's your biggest success, and I hope writers who do well continue to write for their own enjoyment like J.K. Rowling has done.

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison: Another book that is one of the very best I've read this year. It's perfection. I've been wary of high fantasy for a couple of years, I found myself struggling to get into it as easily as I used to, but this I adored. I fell into this world and I was genuinely gutted when it was over. Maia is definitely my favourite character of the year.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters: I bloody loved The Little Stranger, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I read that final page. If you like ghost stories, particularly ghost stories set in old houses, you'll like this.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli: Definitely the best YA book I've read this year, and another one that took me completely by surprise. I knew people were rating it highly but, and I mean this with the greatest respect, I see a lot of readers on Goodreads rate every YA book they read 5 stars, so I was expecting this to be, well, like every other YA book out there. Boy was I wrong. It's so funny and realistic and just a genuinely good book. Loved it!

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton: Like Burial Rites, The Miniaturist is another gorgeous historical fiction debut. I loved it a lot, and I can't wait for Burton's next novel, The Muse.

Winter by Marissa Meyer: I couldn't not have this book on my list. It's not my favourite book in The Lunar Chronicles - that's probably Cress - but it did bring to an end one of my favourite series, so I had to include it!

Which books made your list this week?

Review | Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear

by Elizabeth Gilbert

My Rating:

Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work,  embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.

I came across this book when I saw Jen Campbell talking about it on her YouTube channel; the amount of books I've gone out and bought because I've seen her talk about them is kind of ridiculous. I just can't help it.

I think there is a bit of a stigma around self-help books, though I'm not 100% sure this book is a self-help book. There's advice here for people with any interest in the arts, but it doesn't feel like Elizabeth Gilbert is trying to tell you how to live a creative life, she's simply giving advice and tips that she's learned through her own experiences and the experiences of people she knows. I think that's why I enjoyed the book.

I didn't agree with everything Gilbert said by any means, this isn't the creator's bible, but I don't think anyone will; I didn't go into this expecting it to change my life because I was more interested in reading about another writer's process. That doesn't mean I didn't find any of it helpful, because there are few a tips in here I'd definitely like to try out when I can feel procrastination tugging on my arm, but I think anyone who goes into this book expecting it to be a creative epiphany is simply setting themselves up for disappointment, and being a bit unfair on the book, too!

It's very easy to read. Before this I hadn't read anything by Elizabeth Gilbert, but since finishing it I've picked up one of her novels, The Signature of All Things, to see how her fiction compares to her non-fiction, and also because it sounds right up my alley. Big Magic is one of those books told in really small chapters, each of which is essentially a new story or tip, meaning you can either read it in one go or dip in and out of it whenever you like. For us creative types, this could be a very good book to keep by your bed.

What I loved most about it was the emphasis on just keeping going. There was a lovely section in which Gilbert talked about Harper Lee, and how she thought it was such a shame that the success of To Kill a Mockingbird frightened her from writing anything else because how could it possibly beat that? Gilbert's point is that you don't need to look at your work as the next bestseller, you just need to enjoy making it and put everything you can into it, and I thought it was great advice because, let's face it, pretty much every creative person - whether you're a writer or a painter or an actor or a musician or a florist - struggles with crippling self-doubt. Probably on a daily basis.

Ultimately I really enjoyed this, and I recommend it to any creative person out there!

Monthly Wrap-Up | July 2015 | When in Rome...

I got up to quite a bit last month, so let's get on with it!

The Goblin Emperor

by Katherine Addison

Everything, Everything

by Nicola Yoon

Northanger Abbey

by Jane Austen

Skim

by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki

White Trash Zombie Apocalypse

by Diana Rowland

July was a bit of a slower reading month for me as there was almost an entire week where I didn't read at all, but I still think it was a pretty decent month. I know there are so many other bloggers who usually read five books in a week, not a month, but I stopped making myself feel bad for 'not reading enough' a long time ago. All I care about is that I enjoy what I read, and that reading doesn't become a chore.

I enjoyed pretty much everything I read this month - especially The Goblin Emperor, which has quickly become one of my favourite books of all time - and I'm looking forward to reading more fantasy in August!

Darkhaven

by A.F.E. Smith

To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

The Goblin Emperor

by Katherine Addison

Everything, Everything

by Nicola Yoon

Season 2 of Penny Dreadful came to an end in July, and what an ending it was! I'm so glad it's been renewed for a third season, because if that had been the end I would have been pretty devastated. Sadly I did find some aspects of this season a little problematic, primarily with the characters they chose to kill off, but I did enjoy the show as a whole and it's certainly not as terrible as some shows out there (*cough*Game of Thrones*cough*). I'm looking forward to seeing all these characters again, especially my beloved Ethan.

Look at this nerd

Hannibal is now back in full swing and it's so good! I'll be honest Season 3 did start out quite slow, but it was all building up to probably my favourite episode to date, S03E07. It's just fantastic and I really hope someone picks it up because I can't bear the thought of it being cancelled. How can Hannibal, an amazing show, be cancelled while every other mediocre show out there gets to keep returning with the same crappy storylines? It's not right, I tells ya!

And after I read Northanger Abbey I decided to watch the 2007 adaptation, too. I think it was a pretty decent adaptation, although I think they could have made General Tilney far more intimidating than they did. Felicity Jones was a lovely Catherine, though.

Strong hat game this month

Why I Love The Order of the Phoenix

Sexuality in Harry Potter

Upcoming Hiatus

I went to Rome!

My friend Elena and I decided to go to Rome for a long weekend, and it was fantastic! I've been wanting to go to Italy for years, and now that I'm back in the UK I've really missed being there. The people were so helpful and friendly, and the architecture was stunning and the food. The food might be what I miss most. Especially the ice cream.

Vanilla, lemon and apple ice cream

We flew to Rome on a Thursday afternoon which meant we got Thursday evening in Rome to have some dinner - I had a really, really yummy carbonara - and get acquainted with the city. We stayed at the beautiful Hotel Medici (called that because the building used to be owned by the Medici family!) which had the friendliest, most helpful staff and both of us fell in love with the place pretty quickly. Everywhere we went there was the most beautiful architecture, it really is an absolutely stunning city.

Me! This gorgeous fountain was just around the corner from our hotel.

We had three full days in Rome - Friday, Saturday and Sunday - and we were out and about on all three days. On Friday we went to the Vatican, which was amazing. We joined this tour group led by a lady who flitted from English to Italian to French to German like it was nothing, and the woman was an encyclopaedia of Vatican knowledge.

The Vatican and a pretty fountain. The sky was so blue.

We saw the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica while we were there too, and I still can't quite believe that I've seen them. The Sistine Chapel is just... unreal. You're not allowed to take pictures in there (a lot of people still did, which was annoying) and I liked that; you can't do it justice in a picture, you must see it for yourself. It's gorgeous.

We jumped onto a tour bus, too, to try and get an idea of where everything was. It's strange how small Rome seems when you're in a taxi or on a bus, nothing seems too far away from anything else, but when you try walking it... We got distracted by a lot of pretty side streets.

Elena and I on the bus. Such tourists.

On the Friday evening we found the Spanish Steps and had dinner in a lovely restaurant where I had the most amazing pizza. Seriously, it was so yummy. I miss Italian food so much.

World's tastiest pizza.

Me on the Spanish Steps

On Saturday we visited the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, which was equally as amazing as the day before. It's astounding that all these parts of ancient culture are still here; there's even a 2,000 year old door in one of the temples at the Forum, and the lock still works.

It sounds silly but the Colosseum was so much bigger than I imagined. Or rather, I hadn't really considered its presence until I saw it myself. I'm so used to seeing it in films and documentaries that when I first saw it - we stepped out of the metro station and it was right there - it was kind of jarring. There it is, this huge staple of Roman history, surrounded by 21st century roads filled with 21st century cars.

Me outside the Colosseum!

We had an audio tour of the Colosseum that was really interesting. One of the things I found most interesting was that there's a huge cross erected in the Colosseum to commemorate the Christians who were slaughtered there. However, there's no evidence whatsoever to suggest that Christians were ever thrown into the Colosseum. They were in danger - Nero started a fire in the city just so he could blame the Christians for it and massacre them - but not necessarily from gladiatorial combat. That doesn't mean they weren't thrown in there, because they may well have been, but any writings claiming such were written approximately 200 years after they were supposedly killed in the Colosseum. I thought it was an interesting fact, anyway!

The cross to commemorate the Christians

I think my favourite thing at the Colosseum, however, was this 2,000 year old mirror we found in one of the display cabinets. The glass itself is long gone, but the rest of it is in pretty amazing condition. We stood and stared at it for about 5 minutes wondering whose face it was that looked back the last time it was used.

After the Colosseum we had some lunch in a little cafe just across the road from where we'd just been.

Elena outside the Colosseum!

Then we were off to the Roman Forum! There was so much to see, and when we eventually left to go back to the hotel and shower and get ready for dinner I'm pretty sure we still hadn't seen it all.

I saw two things at the Forum that were my absolute favourites. Firstly, we found the Temple of Castor and Pollux.

Just look how blue that sky is

I got really excited about this because I love the story of Castor and Pollux, and I didn't even know they had a temple in Rome. Actually I didn't even know they'd have a temple in Italy at all because I associate them so strongly with Greece.

And I also loved this:

At first glance it might not look like much, but just look at what this was 2,000 years ago:

How beautiful does that sound?

We spent our third and final full day in Rome trying to see as much as possible that we hadn't already seen, including the Trevi Fountain, Villa Borghese and a bunch of museums. We did find the Trevi, but unfortunately there's no water in it and they were doing repairs on it, which was a real shame. I hope water leaving the Trevi isn't some kind of omen...

The Trevi minus water :(

But the lack of water didn't stop us from throwing a euro in - apparently if you throw a euro into the Trevi you're guaranteed to return to Rome! Also, fun fact: approximately 3,000 euros gets thrown into the Trevi each day.

Elena throwing her euro into the Trevi

We decided to check out Villa Borghese, which is basically a huge expanse of beautiful gardens, complete with museums, a casino and an open air cinema. It was very cute. We kept stumbling into authors, there!

First we found Victor Hugo...

... and then Elena was very pleased that we found Lord Byron.

Elena, AKA Mrs Byron

I also saw this statue outside one of the museums and I had to snap a picture of it because I thought it was lovely.

And in one of the museums we visited that day we found this statue, which I also loved:

One of my nieces loves faeries, so I had to take a picture of her, and I thought she was beautiful.

I'm going to wrap this up because I feel like this blog post is long enough already, but before I do I have to mention an absolutely stunning ice cream parlour that was just around the corner from our hotel. It was open from around 10pm to around 1am - yep, late night ice cream! - and sometimes people would be queuing around the corner to get in. For just 3 euros you could have 4 scoops of the most delicious ice cream I have ever tasted. Ever.

Just look at some of the cakes they sold:

Just

so

delicious.

Basically Elena and I had a fantastic holiday, and I can't wait to go back to Italy because I'll most certainly be going back!

Beth @ The Quiet People talked about the Importance of Big Issues in YA Fiction

Cait @ Paper Fury asked Does an Author's Behaviour Influence Your Opinion of Their Books?

Micheline @ Lunar Rainbows talked about Book Ginny vs. Movie Ginny for Harry Potter Month

Merin @ Read and Reviewed talked about Keeping Up with Series

Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight asked Does a Bad Ending Ruin a Series?

Faith @ GeekyZooGirl shared her Tips for a Harry Potter Movie Marathon for Harry Potter Month

Rinn @ Rinn Reads shared some Books Set in The Netherlands

Kaja @ Of Dragons and Hearts talked about Harry Potter and Sex for Harry Potter Month

Alex @ The Book Banner shared her recipe for Butterbeer Cupcakes

Cole @ Miss Cole Seeks Publisher shared some of her Publishing Advice from YALC

How was your July?

Review | To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

My Rating: 

'Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.'

A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel - a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the thirties. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man's struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming-of-age story, an anti-racist novel, a historical drama of the Great Depression and a sublime example of the Southern writing tradition.

Yeah, yeah, I know, the whole world and his wife has read this. In fact nowadays I'm pretty sure babies emerge from the womb already having read it, but I didn't get around to this classic until this year.

But why? I imagine to hear you ask for the sake of this review. Why has it taken you so long to read the most stupendous book of all time? Didn't you do English Lit at uni? What's the matter with you?

Well, friend, I'll tell you. First of all, I'm British; I was born and raised, for the most part, in England, and in England you tend to look at British authors. I read Shakespeare, Charlotte Brontë and Seamus Heaney at school, and though we did branch out into international authors when I reached my GCSE years, the American book chosen for us was Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. In fact nobody at my school read To Kill a Mockingbird.

When I did my A Levels I read a little more American Literature, this time Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, and I loathed it. I know everyone loves it, but I just couldn't stand it. It's so depressing - yes, I know that's the point - but the practical part of me couldn't help thinking 'dude, just move house!' throughout the entire novel. I had to force myself to finish it, and sadly, though it shouldn't have, it put me off American Lit for a while.

And the third reason I didn't get around to it until this year was for the simple, stubborn reason that everyone told me I should read it. Hyped books make me very wary, because so often we can build ourselves up to expect one thing and then be incredibly disappointed when we get something else entirely. I wanted to read To Kill a Mockingbird, but only when I could go into it with no expectations or preconceptions whatsoever; the same reason I didn't read Rebecca until last year.

So now that I've read it, did I love it? Yes. I really, really did.

I was almost disappointed when I realised how much I'd enjoyed the book, like I was just 'conforming' or some other ridiculous notion, and then I realised how stupid that was. Some people are cruel enough to say that other people say this is their favourite book because they want to sound smart, and while that may very well be true in some cases (but who cares if it is?) the fact of the matter is some books are well-loved for a reason, and this is one such book.

I found Harper Lee's writing so comforting and welcoming, and it settled in me like a delicious roast dinner on a cold day. Scout is a charming protagonist, and she and Jem both felt so real to me; I felt as though I was reading a book by a woman who hadn't forgotten what it was really like to be a child.

And then, of course, there's Atticus, who frankly I was incredibly attracted to. What can I say? I like an older man.

I adored the cast of characters Lee created, from the Finches to Boo Radley to Tom Robinson, and I was surprised by how lovely the book was. When a book is described as an anti-racist novel or an anti-sexist novel or an anti-any sort of 'ist' novel, it can be difficult not to expect it to be incredibly heavy handed, to knock you over the head with its message so hard you see stars. I didn't feel that with this book at all, and I think a lot of that has to do with it being a coming-of-age novel. 

When a story is told through the eyes of a child, who is still learning the difference between what is and isn't right and what she believes is and isn't right, any message the book is trying to convey immediately feels all the more authentic because we can see how the characters reach their ultimate conclusion of how they perceive the world. Had the book been from Atticus's point of view, I think it would have been incredibly preachy to the point of disbelief. It's hard to believe anyone could be as perfect as Atticus, but we can believe he might seem that way through the eyes of his children.

I loved this book, but I don't think I would have if I'd read it when everyone was telling me to. I needed to approach it in my own way at my own time, and I encourage any of you who haven't read it, but are considering it, to do the same. And if you have no intention of ever reading it, that's fine. This book might be a well-loved classic, but don't force your way through a book you don't think is for you when you could be reading something else you love.

Top Ten Tuesday | They See Me Haulin'...

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is the 'Last Ten Books That Came Into My Possession', and because I can't control myself I'm always acquiring new books.

I got back from Rome last night after an amazing holiday and I'm back at work tomorrow. I'm pretty tired, but it felt wrong to miss out on Top Ten Tuesday!

From my most recent backwards, here are the last ten books I've bought:

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee: I only read To Kill a Mockingbird for the very first time last month, but I loved it and not long after I finished it I pre-ordered a pretty hardback copy of Go Set a Watchman and it arrived today! I'm looking forward to seeing what adulthood made of Scout.

Wytches, Vol.1 by Scott Snyder and Jock: I love Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque's American Vampire series, and when I heard Snyder was writing another graphic novel series about witches I had to have it. This is another one I pre-ordered, and it arrived the day I left for Rome so I'm looking forward to reading it!

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius: I was hardly going to come home from Rome without a new book. I tried desperately to find an Italian version of Angels & Demons by Dan Brown, purely because I really like the film and I liked the idea of owning a book set in Italy in Italian, but I couldn't find a copy. I found a little copy of this, however, in the gift shop at the Colosseum and fell in love with it. I've never owned a book of philosophy, but I started flicking through this and I couldn't resist it. Some of it's really funny and some of it's incredibly thoughtful. I'm going to enjoy dipping in and out of this.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey: I found a brand new hardback edition of this for just £2 in The Works, so I snapped it up! I have yet to read any Yancey, but I've heard primarily good things.

The King's Mistress by Claudia Gold: I also found a hardback edition of this in The Works for just £4, and I picked it up for the simple reason that it's about a woman I'd never heard of. I like historical nonfiction and I love my historical ladies, but as much as I'm a history enthusiast I know very little about the whole Georgian and Regency periods so I thought this book might make for an interesting read!

The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan: I'll be honest, the main reason I picked this up is because of the gorgeous cover. I have the hardback edition, and the cover is even more stunning beneath the dustjacket. I do also love the sound of plot and I've heard a lot of great reviews, plus it turns out one of the author's favourite children's books is Roald Dahl's The Magic Finger, which is also one of mine. I'm looking forward to reading it!

Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier: I already own this and I've already read it, but I decided to treat myself to the VMC edition to match my copy of Jamaica Inn.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier: Same again here, I've read it and owned another copy but I wanted this pretty one!

Uprooted by Naomi Novik: So I've heard nothing but amazing things about this one, including a rave review from my lovely friend Natalie, and I so rarely come across standalone fantasies that I couldn't resist buying this stunning hardcover. I'm reading it right now, and enjoying it so far!

The Secret Life of Aphra Behn by Janet Todd: This is another piece of historical nonfiction all about Aphra Behn, a woman who wrote novels, plays and poetry during the 17th century. She was also employed as a spy in Antwerp by Charles II, and was good friends with his mistress, Nell Gwynn, an actress whom she dedicated one of her plays to. Basically she's one of my heroes and I can't wait to learn more about her.

Which books made your list?

The Cinderella Book Tag!

I saw Mel @ The Daily Prophecy do this tag and I just had to join in because it's adorable!

Evil Stepsisters

A book with a character you hate

Heathcliff is literally the worst. He's a fantastic character, but a terrible human being.

Prince Charming

A book with a gentleman

Atticus Finch: the original DILF.

Look at that dapper bastard

Cinderella

A character that is graceful, kind and defiant

I really like Agnes. She's often accused of not having enough gumption, but it's nice to see a heroine with a quiet kind of strength. When her family is destitute she becomes a governess, despite both her parents and her sister doubting her capability, and she sticks with the job even when it's tough. If you haven't read Agnes Grey I recommend checking it out, particularly if you're a fan of subtler classics like Persuasion.

Fairy Godmother

A character who always has someone looking out for them

If it wasn't for Samwise Gamgee - the ultimate hero - Frodo would have died as soon as he stepped foot out of The Shire. Thank God Frodo has Sam.

Helpful Creatures

Something that makes you happy when you're sad

It's not a book, I know, but I absolutely love The Mummy. Next to Beauty and the Beast it's my favourite film, and it always makes me smile. I could watch this movie over and over and never get bored, and it's never failed to cheer me up!

Ashes

A book you didn't care for

I really, really, really didn't like Legend. June and Day were basically the same person with different genitalia, and Marie Lu spent way too much time explaining what everyone was wearing. It just wasn't for me.

Pumpkin

A character with a transformation

We all always knew that Neville was a hero, but Neville's transformation was one in which he realised what he was capable of doing himself. He went from the little boy who was terrified of his Potions Professor to the young man who slays horcruxes in a cardigan because he's Neville Longbottom.

Impossible

A book with an ending you didn't see coming

Just Breathe

Something that inspires you to be courageous

Something else that isn't a book, but is based on a book! I love the music from the Little Women musical, and this song in particular has always filled me with gumption.

Happily Ever After

A book with a perfect ending

Everything about Signal to Noise is perfect, and I desperately want more people to read it because it's so good.

I tag:

Natalie @ Orchestrating a Sea Change

Mallory @ The Local Muse

Deanna @ Deanna Writes

Micheline @ Lunar Rainbows

Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight