Top 5 Wednesday - Badasses

1. The first badass character that comes to mind for me is Rose Hathaway from the Vampire Academy series. Rose is a dhampir, a half vampire warrior tasked with the job of protecting her best friend, the Dragomir princess. Rose is a sassy, butt kicking force to be reckoned with...and stragoi had better watch out. There are two things in life Rose Hathaway excels at - breaking rules and kicking butt.

2. The second badass character that comes to mind is Celaena Sardothien from the Throne of Glass Series. Celaena is an assassin, but not just any assassin, she is the assassin of Adarlan. But unlike many badass characters Celaena also appreciates the finer things in life. She is passionate about books, music, dance and owning some pretty extravagant gowns. Because who said you can't look amazing and still be deadly. She also holds some pretty powerful secrets.

3. Tessa Grey from the Infernal Devices, is not a badass is the same way that Celaena and Rose are. Rather than weilding a sword or other sharp and pointy objects; Tessa uses her intelligence and her determination to help and do the right thing. Tessa is fiercely passionate and loyal to those she cares about. Tessa uses the skills she has and doesn't back down.

4. Number four goes to the brothers of The Black Dagger Brotherhood. These guys are tough, take no shit and no matter how many times these vampire warrior's (I'm detecting a bit of a theme in my choices) get beaten down, they get back up and keep fighting. Yet despite all their strength they love each other strongly and don't fight for themselves but for others. These brother may terrify most who cross their paths but they are also capable of great feats of kindness and sacrifice.

5. Annja Creed is an archaeologist in the Rogue Angel Series by Alex Archer. Annja however, is not your everyday scholar...she is the reincarnate of Joan of Arc and wields Joan's magical fixed sword....which she can pull of out of thin air as the need arises. Annja travels the world as a part of her job and along the way helps to right wrongs and over come the greed of others. Annja is both a skilled fighter and highly intelligent. Their is nothing she can't accomplish once she has set her mind to it.

Top 5 Wednesday - Buzz Words

This months T5W task is to pick your top five buzz words or words that guarantee you buy a book. T5W was created by Lainy from Gingerreadslainey.

5. Discover/ investigate - if a book has the word 'discover' or 'investigate' written by either the publishing company or in the books blurb I'm always interested. You can always guarantee a book with 'discover' or 'investigate' is going to have something new and exciting happening to a character.

4. Best selling author/ award winning - I think this is self explanatory. If a book is written by a best selling author or award winning then the book is probably going to be good... people don't generally buy or give awards to books that suck...like I said, self explanatory.

3. This isn't really so much a buzz word as a buzz question...books that contain rhetorical questions really sell a book for me...it makes me feel like they are speaking directly to me. Cheesy...yes, but also true. if a book has something like 'can she overcome the challenge?' well then I have to read to bloody find out whether 'she can over come the challenge?' 

2. Normal/ ordinary - I know what your thinking...really you see the word normal and you have to read a book?... well yeah, why? because if a book has the word normal or ordinary describing it, it has probably had something written about how it this book and it's story are anything but normal and ordinary. I'm pretty sure this classifies as reverse psychology.

1. Thrilling - I love books that pull you in and make you invested in the plot, the characters, the world and everything else in between. If a book is being sold as thrilling, and not just because they are a thriller or mystery, then I have to read the book to find out why this book is so thrilling. What is it that has dragged others in, and will it be just as thrilling for me.

Top 5 Wednesday - Fandoms

For 2016 I have decided I will participate in as many Top 5 Wednesdays as possible. For January 6th the T5W topic is Your Top 5 Fandoms.

For me this topic started off relatively easy, two stood out more then any other but then things started to get difficult. How could I pick one over another when as fandoms by default I loved them all. So to make things easier on myself and not too unfair I figured I would go with the first 5 fandoms I every had.

1. This one was the easiest to pick and is perhaps on most lists and that is Harry Potter. I love all things HP whether it be books, movies, games, quizzes, or just hearing someone make a HP reference. HP fans are an unspoken unified group of people who bound instantly over a shared love of the series. Match J.K Rowling's great writing with a great group of fans and who wouldn't want to be apart of this fandom.

2. Heartland. This is probably a very different fandom than what most would chose (its not overly popular), and this series involves rescuing abused and neglected horses. Heartland is both a book series and a tv show (that is up to season 9). I started to read this series when I was about 11 or 12 and not long after I finished reading them the tv show began. Horses and books are my two great loves in life so its probably not surprising that a combination of the two made it onto my top 5.

3. The fandom which is probably the one that I am most greatly a fan of is anything relating to Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters, specifically for me, The Mortal Instruments. These books were ultimately what made me discover that their was more to books, tv shows and movies than simply watching and reading them. After I finished the original trilogy of TMI I went looking for more anything of Cassandra Clare and that was when I discovered how far the love of a series can go through the creation of fandoms.

4. The Lord of the Rings quickly became a favourite of mine following the first 10 minutes of the first movie. After that I had to watch the next two and know about the books these fantastic movies were based off. Granted the books are little more slow but still the world and the characters are a great and unique bunch.

5. I was originally introduced to Stars Wars, begrudgingly, by my father who insisted it would be a great bonding activity to force his family to watch the movies with him. All six! We had to watch them in the original release order, you get the full effect that way, but by the end of the first one I had to know more. I am curious to see where the next set of movies go considering George Lucas once said that Star Wars was the story of Darth Vader, because Darth Vader isn't in the latest movies...but I guess I'll just have to wait and see.