TAG: TOTALLY SHOULD'VE BOOK TAG

Hey, guys! Today I was meant to be putting up a Top 5 Wednesday but I wasn't really feeling this week's topic so I decided to do a tag. I wasn't tagged in this tag but I saw Katytastic's video and thought it was really cool so I'm doing it anyway. It's the "Totally Should've" book tag, created by emmmabooks (original video here), and goes through a bunch of different scenarios you think totally should've happened with certain books/series.

1. Totally should've gotten a sequel

For this one I'm going to have to go with The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead. Now, I get it, this world has gotten 12 books so far, do we really need any more? Well, I think yes. This book was a pretty big disappointment for me but I think my biggest issue with it was that there was a huge about the world revealed and it kind of got pushed to the side and I think it really needed to be explored. It's hard to go into without spoilers but I think this world needs a little bit more to deal with that big plot twist. 

2. Totally should've had a spin off series

Everyone I've seen has said the same thing for this so this is pretty unoriginal but I'm gonna have to say the Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling. Now most people say that they'll just take any spin-off, but I'd have to disagree. While I'd probably read any spin-off, sure, the one that I really, REALLY want is a Marauders era spin-off. I need it like air.

3. An author who totally should write more books

Erin Morgenstern. Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure The Night Circus is, currently, her only released novel? I thought that book was honestly so wonderful and imaginative. Then once you consider it was only her debut novel, you can see all the possibilities of what she has left to achieve. I really hope she releases more books because she can (hopefully) only improve.

4. A character who totally should've ended up with someone else

So as not to repeat books (because lbr, I would say HP again and Harry/Ginny, ugh), Aelin/Celaena from the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. I know the series hasn't ended yet but it seems Maas is trying to make it clear who Aelin is going to end up with and I'm not about it at all. 

5. Totally should've ended differently

I didn't want to go with an obvious answer but it still annoys me so much that I have to use it for this, and that is: The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. Mockingjay was a mess and I didn't think it was a satisfying ending at all. Also, that epilogue was so, so bad.

6. Totally should've had a movie franchise

The Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness! I'd be very, very hesitant about it if it was made into a movie because characters being able to hear each others thoughts and I'm always worried about how that will translate to screen. But otherwise, I think this series would make such a good movie franchise. It's really fast-paced and gripping and just everything it needs to be translated really well into movie format.

7. Totally should've had a TV show

The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. I know we already got a movie (which I actually loved a lot, to be honest) but that flopped and I'm still hoping for it to get the same second chance as The Mortal Instruments with a TV show. I think so many elements of the story would work so, so well in an episodical narrative and I just NEED IT. PLS.

8. Totally should've had only one point of view

I honestly can't think of anything for this question. All books that I have read with more than one perspective have had a good reason to do so and I can't imagine them working otherwise. So I'm just gonna skip this question, oops.

9. Totally should have a cover change

I've mentioned her so much in this tag but I just can't not use her for this question but literally ALL of Richelle Mead's books. Okay, Soundless and the Age of X series covers aren't actually that bad but basically all of her other ones just aren't that great. The Vampire Academy/Bloodlines covers are truly horrible, though. I would give so much to have good cover changes for those books. Everytime they re-design them, they essentially keep the same design and change the colouring or crop of it. 

10. Totally should've kept the original covers

The Curse of the Bond Riders trilogy by Karen Brooks. I've literally never heard anyone talk about this series. It's a small series by an Australian author but I loved it (well, the two books I've so far read of it). The first book came out with this really lovely, simple cover design and I really loved it. Then not long after the release of the second book, the covers got re-designed and it is impossible to find them in the old covers. The new ones aren't bad but I just loved the old ones so much. It saddened me greatly.

11. Totally should've stopped at book one

I'm gonna go with a series I haven't finished (and that's kind of the point). The Divergent series by Veronica Roth. I read the first book and enjoyed it a whole lot. Got to the second one and stopped halfway through and have still never found the drive to pick it up again. From what I've heard, the third book is even worse. Despite issues with the idea of the story, the first book was quite compelling and all of that flat-lined in the second novel so I definitely wish it had just ended on book one.

And finally, I tag anyone wearing a purple item of clothing, go!

Do you agree/disagree with any of the things I thought totally should've happened? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!

- J, xxx

A Clean Slate + T5W: Fandoms!

Hi all! Happy new year!

I thought I'd start this by talking about my lack of activity on this blog (feel free to skip right to the T5W though). My last post was almost 2 months ago! What! And before that, my posts were sporadic at best. I had a very, very busy last semester and honestly, I just wasn't reading so I didn't have much to talk about on here. As soon as I was done with that, I went right into doing NaNoWriMo and once again, didn't read much. I think in October and November, I read a combined total of 5 books. So yeah, it wasn't great. You shouldn't be surprised to know I also failed my 2015 reading challenge, as well. After that I was working a lot and Christmas was hectic and yeah, basically just life happened. 

But now it's 2016 and time for a clean slate. I'm starting fresh and not concerning myself with what happened in 2015. I'm focusing on maintaining my reading (and hopefully reaching my 100 book goal I failed last year) and being more active on this blog. I'm going to try and work out a schedule. I figure it's better to do this now while I'm still on holidays from uni and can try and find a rhythm before having to add studies on top of that. Let's hope this all works out!

Anyway, now onto the Top 5 Wednesday portion of this post. I'm a little late on this week's but better late than never. T5W is always a good way - for me, anyway - get back into the swing of blogging. And this week's is focused on top 5 fandoms and that's basically perfect for me! I will add that I am taking this as top fandoms I've been active/very invested in, rather than which fandoms I think are the best. As always, Top 5 Wednesdays was created by gingerreadslainey and for more info, here's the Goodreads group! So, without further ado:

#5: Vampire Academy

I can't not include this series. I mean, I have a tattoo dedicated to it and I have literally read most of the books more times than I can count (I tend to re-read them at least once a year). I can't even explain how much I love this series. It was also one of the first ones I ever read fanfic of so that's an interesting fact. It's also one of the series I read in my early teens that I still love dearly now. 

#4: Star Wars

The release of The Force Awakens has just re-awakened my love of Star Wars and reminded me how much I love this series/franchise. I can't remember a time before Star Wars for me. My Mum is a big sci-fi fan so I grew up watching the movies. The prequels were being released when I was quite young and they were what made me fall in love with the series, so say what you will about them but they are very special to me. But yeah, the whole franchise holds a special place in my heart and I'm pretty sure they are why I love sci-fi so much.

#3: Harry Potter

I don't feel like this one needs explaining but I will. Harry Potter was the first series I ever got really, really invested in. I literally grew up watching the films and reading the books and they're just so tied to my childhood that I will love it to pieces no matter what. From a fandom stand point, though, my first fanvideo I ever made (oh yeah, I made a lot of those fyi) was of HP. The fic in this fandom is endless and amazing. I went to the midnight screenings of the last two movies and there was a really wonderful atmosphere created amongst the fandom there and I loved it.

#2: Lord of the Rings

While I do absolutely love the books, I was introduced to LOTR via the movies. I mean, I was about 6 when Fellowship of the Ring came out so can you really blame me? But like Star Wars got me into sci-fi, LOTR is probably the reason I love fantasy so much. Despite being so young, for some reason I was allowed to watch the movies when they first came out and I was absolutely obsessed. I adored everything about them. I read the series when I was about 8. Of course, things went over my head but for an 8 year old to stick through those dense books, I think you can see how in love with the story I was. The movies are literally my favourite movie series ever. I've seen them multiple times and I never get bored. Also, I have a tattoo in Elvish, aw yis.

#1: BBC's Merlin

This show, guys. THIS SHOW. Look, I can talk at length about how I think this show missed it's potential and how the writing quality dwindled over the course of it's five seasons but that doesn't take away from the fact that I was OBSESSED with this show. Like I have never been obsessed with anything before. I started watching when it was in its second season and it hooked me in from then until it finished. It finished over 3 years ago now and I still can't get away from it. I made and watched so many fanvids. I read SO much fanfic. I even wrote ones too. To this day, the only fanfic I've ever published online was a Merlin fanfic (no, I will not link it, haha). I was also very active within the fandom on Tumblr. I have fanart from it on my wall. This show and the fandom that came with it are so, so special to me so that's why it got #1 place.

So, there you go, guys! I could really mention so many more fandoms (*cough* Star Trek, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Teen Wolf, The 100 *cough*) but we will be here for awhile. I've been in the fandom game for a long time now. But what are some of your favourite fandoms? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!

- J, xxx