Bookish Quote of the Day!!

Ten Audiobooks To Get You In The Mood For Halloween!!

It's no secret that I LOVE AUDIOBOOKS!! I think that audiobooks can be the perfect way to enjoy bone chillingly, scary books. So, why not listen to an audiobook as Halloween draws nearer to help you get into the mood for this festive holiday?!

Check out the following article posted on Bustle's website titled, 10 Chilling Audiobooks To Get You In The Halloween Mood by E. Ce Miller to help you discover the perfect bone chilling book for you!

9 Unique Literary Costumes For Halloween!!

I love the 9 literary costumes mentioned in an article I discovered on Bustle's website titled 9 Obscure Halloween Costumes From Literature by Charlotte Ahlin. In the article, Charlotte Ahlin writes:

October 31 is nearly upon us, and time is running out to come up with an obscure Halloween costume. If you don't think of something soon, you're going to end up going as a cat again. Or worse, you'll get suckered into a group costume as the character who no one else wanted to be (I mean, who really wants to be Peeta to someone else's Katniss?). You need a smart costume that says "I read books" and also "I don't mind explaining this costume repeatedly all night long." So if you're in the market for a totally unique, annoyingly clever Halloween costume, here are a few obscure literary looks that you can try.

I love the idea of dressing up as The Invisible Man (or more accurately, the invisible woman, in my case) OR as Behemoth, the black cat, from The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov for Halloween.

Which Scary Story Should You Be Reading Based On Your Horoscope?

As always, I find articles written and posted on Bustle's website to be fun to read and the article titled, The Scary Story To Read Based On Your Zodiac Sign by Charlotte Ahlin is no exception! In the article, Charlotte Ahlin writes the following:

It's that time of year again: everyone's drinking gourd-flavored coffee and warding off violent clowns in the streets. Orange has become temporarily fashionable. Halloween is almost upon us, and now is the time to read horror stories, as assigned by your horoscope. So here is the one scary story to read, based on your zodiac sign.
Look, I understand that astrology is a... soft science at 

best. Some might even argue that it's not a science at all (although I feel like Victor Frankenstein could maybe get behind it). But last I checked, zombies and vampires weren't real, either. Sorry to disappoint. If you're going to suspend your disbelief for long enough to get thoroughly freaked out by monsters, ghosts, and masked madmen, you might as well go the whole nine yards and start making decisions based on your astrological sign. It's more fun, anyway.

 Based on my Zodiac Sign (I'm a Gemini), my scary story choice is 
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. I haven't read this novel yet, so may just have to add it to my ever growing reading wishlist!

Until my next post, happy reading!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!!

Check Out These Stunning Libraries!!

I came across an article titled 7 of the World’s Most Stunning Libraries on Samantha Brown's website! In the article, it says the following:

When I travel, I always love exploring unique places like churches and libraries. Not only are they completely captivating in their beauty, but they tell a story rich in history, art and culture. One that teaches us to appreciate things we sometimes take for granted. Like books for example! When was the last time you just strolled through a library enjoying the sight of wall-to-wall books?

In honor of back-to-school season, I put together this list of pretty amazing libraries around the world. Wherever you or yours are going back to school, I hope they have a great year and visit the library often! Yep, I’m such a nerd!

Click on the above link to see which stunning libraries made the list! I've wanted to visit the George Peabody Library in Baltimore, Maryland at Johns Hopkins University ever since I learned about it a few years ago. Plus, of course, visit many other fabulous libraries that can be found around the world.

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

In Praise of the Stepmother by Mario Vargas Llosa

I finished reading In Praise of the Stepmother by Mario Vargas Llosa this morning. Mario Vargas Llosa is a Peruvian writer who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2010. 

Frankly, I'd never even heard of Mario Vargas Llosa until it was announced that he'd won the Nobel Prize for Literature. So, in an effort to become more acquainted with new to me writers that have won major literary prizes, I chose to read one of Mario Vargas Llosa'a novels during the month of October as October is when the Nobel prizes are awarded.

Honestly, I didn't enjoy reading In Praise of the Stepmother by Mario Vargas Llosa very much. I don't have a problem with reading erotica per se in novels, so wasn't turned off because erotic overtures are presented in this novel... It's just that I thought In Praise of the Stepmother was a very weird, odd novel in general.The language used by the author as well as the weird fetishes and grooming habits of Don Rigoberto were just so bizarre to read about. There's also pictures of artwork throughout the novel and also chapters intermixed in this novel that seem to have nothing to do with the story whatsoever. These chapters that have nothing to do with the major plot were more interesting to read than the main storyline itself.

Plus, Don Rigoberto's second wife, Doña Lucrecia, has an inappropriate relationship with her preteen stepson, which put me off big time even though the son initiated the sexual relationship between them. The son, Alfonso, seems evil on the inside, despite looking like an angel on the outside.

The following is a plot summary for In Praise of the Stepmother by Mario Vargas Llosa from Amazon:

With meticulous observation and the seductive skill of a great storyteller, Vargas Llosa lures the reader into the shadow of perversion that, little by little, darkens the extraordinary happiness and harmony of his characters. The mysterious nature of happiness and above all, the corrupting power of innocence are the themes that underlie these pages, and the author has perfectly met the demands of the erotic novel, never dimming for an instant the fine poetic polish of his writing.

I am giving In Praise of the Stepmother by Mario Vargas Llosa 1 star out of 5 stars. I will skip on reading another novel by Mario Vargas Llosa in the future.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Turned (The Vampire Journals, #1) by Morgan Rice

I finished reading the eBook edition of Turned (The Vampire Journals, #1) by Morgan Rice on my Kindle earlier today. Turned (The Vampire Journals, #1) by Morgan Rice is a young adult novel and is (I think) the 8th paranormal novel I've read this year so far! 

I'm not sure why, I've been on a paranormal kick this year as I'm normally not drawn to the paranormal genre... But when I came across Turned (The Vampire Journals, #1) by Morgan Rice on Amazon's website, I found that I liked the cover of this novel and the storyline sounded intriguing... Vampires are perfect to read about during the month of October with Halloween right around the corner. Besides, how could I resist obtaining this novel for FREE?  Below is my honest, unbiased review of Turned (The Vampire Journals, #1) by Morgan Rice.

Turned (The Vampire Journals, #1) by Morgan Rice has a 4 star rating on Amazon, but I didn't think it was all that good to merit such a high rating. I've read many other vampire novels that are so much better written. First off, Turned (The Vampire Journals, #1) by Morgan Rice needs some editing work. Secondly, it's slow to start and doesn't pick up until several chapters into the novel. Thirdly, the novel is lacking in depth. The characters seemed two dimensional and the storyline was very black and white... Fourthly, the main character, Caitlin Paine, has major instalove with two of the male characters, which I find ridiculous. And, lastly, the ending was very open ended as there are more novels in the series. 

I thought this novel was okay, but definitely not great. I won't be reading the rest of The Vampire Journals Series or any other novel by Morgan Rice in the future as I didn't find the author's writing that engaging.

The following is a summary for Turned (The Vampire Journals, #1) by Morgan Rice from Amazon:

In TURNED (Book #1 of the Vampire Journals), 18 year old Caitlin Paine finds herself uprooted from her nice suburb and forced to attend a dangerous New York City high school when her Mom moves again. The one ray of light in her new surroundings is Jonah, a new classmate who takes an instant liking to her. 

But before their romance can blossom, Caitlin suddenly finds herself changing. She is overcome by a superhuman strength, a sensitivity to light, a desire to feed--by feelings she does not understand. She seeks answers to what’s happening to her, and her cravings lead her to the wrong place at the wrong time. Her eyes are opened to a hidden world, right beneath her feet, thriving underground in New York City. She finds herself caught between two dangerous covens, right in the middle of a vampire war.

It is at this moment that Caitlin meets Caleb, a mysterious and powerful vampire who rescues her from the dark forces. He needs her to help lead him to the legendary lost artifact. And she needs him for answers, and for protection. Together, they will need to answer one crucial question: who was her real father?

But Caitlin finds herself caught between two men as something else arises between them: a forbidden love. A love between the races that will risk both of their lives, and will force them to decide whether to risk it all for each other…

I am giving Turned (The Vampire Journals, #1) by Morgan Rice a rating of 2.5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Top Ten Tuesday --- Top Ten Character Names I'd Name My Children After

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Here are the Ten Characters That I'd Name My Children After:

1. Margarita from The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
2. Anna after Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
3. Lolita after Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
4. Scout after Jean Louise 'Scout' Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
5. Holly after Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
6. Augustus after Augustus Waters from The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
7. Colette after Colette Iselin in Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender
8. Lee from East of Eden by John Steinbeck
9. Bela from A Hero of Our Time
10. Palmer after Palmer LaRue in Wringer by Jerry Spinelli