Tag: PercyJacksonandtheOlympians

Audiobook Recommendations!

mylifewithbooksblog6 Comments

Hello! I am back after my two day hiatus after the busyness that was the winter Biannual Bibliothon. While it was loads of fun, it was a little draining but over the weekend I recharged and am ready to blog! Lately I have been listening to a lot of audiobooks, I think I listened to about 4 this past week, and have been loving them, so I decided to share a few audiobook recommendations with you guys and some tips if you are just starting out. I hope you enjoy!

Audiobook Tips for Beginners:

  1. Choose An Audiobook That You’ve Read the Physical Book Of – When it comes to your first few audiobooks, I find that it is a lot easier to ease into the world of audiobooks when you listen to a book you have already read. When adjusting to audiobooks, it can be difficult to retain all the info you hear while listening to the story, so my advice is to start of listening to a favourite book of yours!
  2. Free Audiobooks! – If you aren’t sure if you will like audiobooks, try borrowing them from your library. And I don’t mean borrowing the 30+ disk set, but borrowing from their online selection. Lots of libraries have links on their websites to online libraries where if you use your library card, you can electronically borrow books and audiobooks on your phone or computer, and they are free!
  3. Don’t Waste Audiobook Time – There are so many times throughout the day when you could be listening to an audiobook. So instead of watching mindless YouTube videos while getting ready, press play on an audiobook! You can also listen to them while walking around, driving, doing mindless tasks, etc, etc. Don’t waste perfectly good audiobook time!

Now for my audiobook recommendations!

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

fangirl_coverdec2012

Not only do I recommend this physical book, but the ebook is so much fun! I get the exact same feel as I do when I physically read it, and listening to the book come alive just brings so much more to the story. This is one I am actually currently listening to, and it is nice to discover the world of Fangirl in a different medium.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan

Image result for percy jackson and the olympians series

I don’t have a specific book recommendation for this one, but really any of this series would be amazing on audio. I have only listened to the fourth in full, and snippets of some of the others but listening to the fourth was a blast, and the person who voiced it did a great job of giving each character a different voice and making the journey so much more fun!

The Selection by Kiera Cass 

selection-cvr

Listening to The One on audiobook was really good, I felt the tension between the characters and really felt the emotion I felt while reading the physical book, which is obviously what you want from an audiobook. While it did sound a little robotic, I quickly got over that and became so incredibly invested in the story. I can only imagine that the first book, The Selection, would be just as good!

Peter Pan by James M. Barrie

51aQASyBXfL._SX296_BO1,204,203,200_

Really, I think that any children’s book would be magical in audiobook format. I listened to this book during the Biannual Bibliothon, and it was fun listening to Wendy, John, Michael and Peter’s adventures in Neverland. Again, it brought the story to life in a way like a movie would, and while I was walking around and listening to this book I would get so invested in the story I would wander around for hours. Also, it is really short (about 5 hours or so) so a perfect first audiobook!

Those are a few audiobook tips and recommendations for any of you considering giving audiobooks a try, or for any of you who just were in need of some more recommendations. I hope you enjoyed this, and make sure you check out my last blog posts: 2018 Biannual Bibliothon Day 7: Write a Book Recommendation + my Day 7 Reading Update! 

Thanks 🙂

Other Places You Can Find Me:

Twitter:@zoermathers

Pinterest: @zoermathers

Summer Reading Recommendations!

mylifewithbooksblogLeave a comment

Summer is within arms reach so make sure you have your sunglasses, sunscreen and a pile of books ready to be read. If you need some help figuring out which books to read though, here are a few recommendations that are perfect beach reads!

since-youve-been-gone

Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson – This book is the perfect summer romance story to indulge in during the summer. It follows a girl named Emily whose best friend, Sloane, has mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind only a summer bucket list for Emily. As Emily sets off to complete this list, in hopes of it leading her to Sloane, she runs into some unexpected new friends that help her live an unforgettable summer. I love Morgan Matson books, but this one is definitely by favourite and I recommend you read it if you love contemporaries like myself!

Image result for paper towns

Paper Towns by John Green – I am not a huge John Green fan, but I didn’t mind Paper Towns and I thought it was a great beach read. It has a summer adventure and fun characters to follow so it is definitely worth a shot. Paper Towns follows this boy named Quentin, who is determined to find the girl he has been pining after for years, after she mysteriously disappears. Along with a few friends, they work together to follow the clues Margo left behind, to figure out where in the world she is. There is also a movie adaptation of this book which is also entertaining so I recommend you watch it after you read the book if you already haven’t!

Image result for the mortal instruments series

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare – Since its summer, start a new series! I recommend The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare because it is fantastic, and even if you have already read it, re read it! There six books in this series, and the first one, City of Bones, follows a girl named Clary whose mother disappears and we follow her as she sets off on a journey to find her. Along the way, she realizes the world she lives in is really a world of demons and angels, and discovers that she has more to do with this world than she thought. This series is action packed and has a great cast of characters so I really recommend you jump right into this series and enjoy the fun ride!

Image result for percy jackson and the olympians series

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan – This is also a great series to read during the summer because is witty and extremely fast paced. You also learn a lot about mythology in this series, considering it is based around Greek mythology. The first book of five is called The Lightning Thief, and it follows a young boy named Percy Jackson who discovers he is the son of a Greek god and is being accused of stealing Zeus’s master lightning bolt. Now he has to go on a quest to find the real lightning thief along with two friends, Annabeth and Grover, and find the bolt before the end of the summer solstice. I love, love, love this series and think it is something anyone can enjoy!

Image result for pride and prejudice book

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – I am currently reading this along with Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare, and I am really enjoying it so far! It takes a few pages to adjust to the language, but once you have you don’t want to stop. Pride and Prejudice follows the Mr and Mrs Bennett and their five daughters, and how they find love during this completely different era. There are witty characters and romances and I cannot wait to continue diving into the book!

Those are all of my summer reading recommendations and I hope you enjoyed. Don’t forget to check out my last blog post: Reading/Writing Update!

 

Favourite Childhood Books!

mylifewithbooksblogLeave a comment

I wasn’t as much of a reader when I was younger then opposed to now, but I did read and enjoy a variety of books so I thought it would be fun to share them!

Geronimo Stilton  – I was obsessed with Geronimo Stilton until about grade 4 when my teacher told me I should start reading higher level books. This made me pretty mad considering how much I loved the series but I listened to her, and if I didn’t I would probably still be reading Geronimo Stilton now. Their adventures were just so fun and entertaining, and reading a book where instead of people, rodents filled the world was intriguing.

The Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne – I don’t know anyone who disliked this series because it was such a great children’s series! It was jammed pack with adventure and awesome characters, and even added some history in a way that didn’t feel like a boring history lesson. The Magic Treehouse series definitely kicked off my love for mythology and just world history in general.

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot – I read these when I was about 10 and I have to say that these are definitely not appropriate for 10 year olds. Other than that, I really did love this series and always had so much fun reading in awkward Mia’s point of view. I also really enjoyed the movies then, and also now! I recently purchased the first 3 books in The Princess Diaries series and I am excited to read them again after 5 years.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan – Like The Princess Diaries, I read this series when I was about 10 because that was the year I really got into reading, and was reading 24/7. This series is actually what got me into reading thicker chapter books and introduced me to the fantasy world. Percy Jackson is such an awesome character to follow, along with the rest of the cast, and the world is so intriguing while also educational because of the mythology.

Those are 4 of my favourite series growing up and if you read any of these when you were younger definitely comment down below! Don’t forget to check out my last blog post: Reading/Writing Update!

Fairy Tale Book Tag!

mylifewithbooksblog4 Comments

I decided to create a new tag that associates fairy tales with books, and while this has most likely been done already, I wanted to make my own! It was very fun to make so I hope you enjoy it 🙂

Beauty and the Beast – Pick a book where love triumphs everything.

There were a few choices for this one but overall I am going to have to say Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead because despite everything that happens (not going to spoil anything) to Rose and Dimitri, they still fight through it and we really do see that their love for each other is stronger than any obstacle thrown at them…if you have finished the series you definitely know what I mean!

Cinderella – Pick a book with a beautiful cover change.

Anna and the French Kiss had an absolutely terrible cover before the new one which I now really like. The old cover had the Eiffel Tower in the background, a close up of a park bench with 2 people sitting on it and their hands almost touching. Long story short it is definitely one of the worst covers I have seen but the cover change is very nice so it is all good!

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves – Pick a book with a large cast of characters.

Definitely going to use this one to talk about The Mortal Instruments because the whole series has a great and diverse cast of characters. We have Clary, Jace, Simon, Isabelle, Alec and Magnus as the main people we follow and I honestly love all of them (not all the time though…) and I find it very fun following them on their adventures. They are hilarious and unique in their own ways and I could read in their POV’s forever and ever and ever.

Sleeping Beauty – Pick a book that put you to sleep.

Ha ha ha…Insurgent by Veronica Roth. I really loved the first book in this trilogy, Divergent, but the second one was such a let down! It was slow and nothing too exciting happened. I also felt as if the writing declined slightly and I also didn’t really enjoy where the story went and how some of the characters dealt with certain situations…

Red Riding Hood – Pick a book with a “big bad wolf” in it.

I am also going to use this to sneak in some Harry Potter because honestly, Voldemort is the villain I least want to meet. In the books and movies he just unnerved me so much and he is definitely the worst of all villains. Just the way he looks with his nostril slits and pale skin, and just how cruel and insensitive he is scares me more than a wolf that’s for sure.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Pick a book with a world that sucked you in.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan! I find the world in this series so intriguing because of all the mythology. We never actually leave the real world, but Rick Riordan throws in the right amount of mythology to make it a place you never want to leave. Overall, Greek Mythology, to me, is the extremely interesting and I always love to read about it.

That was my Fairy Tale Book Tag and I hope you enjoyed it! If you do this tag definitely tell me because I would love to see all your answers for the questions!

 

 

 

Favourite Series by the Genres

mylifewithbooksblogLeave a comment

I am a huge fan of so many series but I decided to pick my favourite from each genre so here are my all time favourites! BTW I do use some not as popular genres to fit in all of my favourites…I just had to add them all.

Fantasy: The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare – I absolutely LOVE the Mortal Instruments series so much, therefore making Cassandra Clare my all time favourite fantasy author as well. I love her easy writing and how it just flows nicely together. She makes wicked characters and epic worlds and honestly, her books are just a gift to read.

High Fantasy (yes): A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas – Yes, this is going to be separate from the regular ‘fantasy’ genre because Sarah J Maas is such freaking fantastic writer that I had to add in here. A Court of Thorns of Roses is by far one of my favourite reads of this year because it was magical, epic and just perfection.

Sci-Fi: The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer – I don’t read much sci-fi but the Lunar Chronicles is definitely the way to go. This series incorporates fairy tales, awesome characters and just overall an amazing story line. These books are so much fun to read and Marissa Meyer just has such a captivating writing style!

Dystopian: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi – Again, I don’t read a lot of dystopian but the Shatter Me trilogy kept me entertained from beginning to end and I really just love these books. They are fun, gripping and just really easy reads. Plus Warner…

Middle Grade: Harry Potter by JK Rowling – YES this is counting as middle grade because technically it is along with fantasy AND I wanted to add my other favourite middle grade series in here too. But yeah! I am obsessed with Harry Potter, obviously, because how could you not love this epic world that JK Rowling has created?

Mythology: Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan – This has mythology and mythology is a genre so bam. Percy Jackson was the first series I read and the series that got me into reading so not including it would be a crime. Plus Rick Riordan has a way of creating the most lovable and amazing characters so…

Contemporary: Anna, Lola and Isla by Stephanie Perkins – Okay, so the titles of these books were waaay to long to put altogether but technically speaking this is a contemporary trilogy…I mean the stories all tie in together right? Anyways, I love all these books so much. They have awesome characters I relate to, they have Etienne and Cricket and they also just have cute scenes that make me all warm and fuzzy!

Those are all my favourite series/trilogies and I hope you enjoyed! Don’t forget to comment some of your favourite series below as well 🙂

 

Top 5 Favourite Series

mylifewithbooksblogLeave a comment

I really like making “Top 5…” lists so here is my top 5 favourite series! Don’t forget to check out my last post and comment what your all time favourite series is.

  1. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare – I don’t know if you’ve noticed…but I am obsessed with the Mortal Instruments series. It is such a fun and amazing series with fantastic characters and an overall intriguing story line. I first read this series around 3 years ago and it has been my favourite series since then.
  2. Harry Potter by JK Rowling – It’s not a favourites list without Harry Potter on it! Harry Potter is such an AMAZING series that I love to read over and over and over. If you have NOT read this series for some reason please do because it will definitely change your life and view on reading.
  3. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead – I absolutely LOVE Vampire Academy. This series is just so interesting and easy going and I loved every second of it when I was reading the series. Every end of a book kept me on my toes and wanting more desperately. I just love when books do that because it makes me want to continue with that series!
  4. Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan – This book series will always be on my favourites list for two reasons. 1) It was the series that opened the doors to reading for me and 2) it is just so darn fantastic. But seriously, Percy Jackson is one of my FAVOURITE main characters ever. He is sassy, sarcastic and amazing in all ways.
  5. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas – I have only read the first book so far in this series (out of 2) and it literally blew me away. It was a phenomenal book that made me want to keep reading and not stop. Sarah J Maas has such a beautiful writing style and unique storylines that I always enjoy. I cannot wait to pick up the second book in this amazing series!