Reading Round-Up

It has been a hot minute since we've posted a Reading Round-Up. Forgive us. We've seen a bunch of great book-related things on the internet that we're excited to share. 

Most importantly, perhaps, given the recent events in Dallas, the continued unjust killing of black men by police in this country, and the growing protests are these three articles: 

Books to Read When Injustice is Overwhelming

13 Soothing Books to Read

Librarian-Created #BlackLivesMatters Book List

Of course, sometimes you just want to cope by picking up a favorite book or series (a la Harry Potter, LotR, a Jane Austen, you know). That's cool too. 

I (Charlotte) am starting to enjoy science fiction and fantasy more than I ever thought was possible. I saw this article of May's best sci-fi picks a couple weeks ago and I've had my eye on The Admiral ever since. Something that's compared to The Martian and Jurassic Park has got to be good.

This computer "reads" books and then creates a graph to show how the books made it feel (happy or sad). It is pretty wild. And it makes Jane Eyre look like book goals with it's constant ups and downs. 

Modern Mrs. Darcy is reading a few books right now solely because they were recommended by her husband and kids. (The book recommended by her husband sounds particularly good.) Do you all read books just because your family/friends ask you to? We're of the opinion that the best kinds of friends are the ones who read your book recommendations! 

Sharing this simply because the title is funny: 31 Books You Need to Bring to the Beach This Summer. Yes! Me, my beer, and my thirty one books. Kidding aside, there are some good ones on there. Love Walked In is one of my favorites. 

Buzzfeed also took to Facebook to share one of their oldies - a list of books to read in your twenties.

Listen Buzzfeed, we're happy for you and I'mma let you finish, but Filthy Casket had one of the best 20's Book Lists of all time.  

ahem. 

We are looking forward to Gilmore Girls with just as much excitement as the next person. Looks like Lauren Graham's new book, in which she talks about the show and her life in between filming the original and the new episodes, is coming out in November. Yes!

Speaking of TV, here's a little something to infuriate us all: a show based on Nancy Drew won't be airing because it's "too female," supposedly. Ugh.

I'm always looking for Harry Potter tattoo ideas, so I was happy to see this list of "insane" HP tattoos and this list of "subtle" HP tattoos (tbh most of them aren't subtle). I am positively smitten with the idea of an outline of Hogwarts for a tattoo! 

Speaking of Harry Potter, we're both in agreement with these people - there should be a Harry Potter Go app (similar to the new super popular Pokemon app). WHAT FUN. Yer a wizard, Harry. 

And since we're sort of on a Harry Potter roll now.... some people think that J.K Rowling is going overboard with all of the Harry Potter-related things she keeps creating. We are not some of these people. Please, Queen Rowling, never stop bringing us to the Wizarding World. Also, if you're a fan, go check this out. Amazing!! And one last HP-post! Here's an oldie but goodie - your Middle Earth race based on your Hogwarts house! (Or just cheat: Gryffindor: Dwarf, Hufflepuff: Hobbit, Ravenclaw: Elf, Slytherin: Wizard.)

This is nice: benefits of being friends with a book nerd. 

We both read this article that assigns literary characters to Meyers-Briggs personality types. We're of mixed opinions overall, but both think there are some discrepancies (Dudley's "sorting" seemed off to me). 

And, finally - obsessed with this Pinterest page for book-lovers.

Til next time!

Liz & Char 

Reading Round-Up

We have failed you, Casketeers! It's been over a month and a half since we've posted anything. The "currently reading" books are already read (or mostly read). As I write this, our blog header still says books are a good antidote to winter's cold nights. It's almost May.

For shame. 

Actually, Liz has been in a really busy season at work. And I've been sick (hospital level sick, so I'm not just making excuses). Together, it's made blogging very difficult. But we're both looking forward to getting back to posting regularly. We've read some good books over the last couple of months, and we're eager (slight exaggeration, possibly) to get reviews up for them.* 

But in the meantime, have you seen some of these bookish links? 

For those of you with a dark or vulgar sense of humor, there's this video of a man who took fake book covers on the subway and recorded people's reactions. Or, a bit tamer but still a little edgy - here are some classic children's books with updated funny titles.

Here's a nice list from Bustle of books with slow starts. Some of these are on our to-read lists. I have mixed feelings on books that start too slow. The Book Thief was super hard to get through simply because the first half of it just dragged on and on and on...  

And check out this wonderful list from Verily that explains various ways reading fiction improves mental health and keeps your brain agile. 

Liz and I often share book-related products with each other and this list was no exception. The pillow chair! The shirt with the anatomy of a book lover! The candle that smells like the Shire! Can't stop!

Both of us adore this apartment that has the feel of a library.

If you love Harry Potter (of course you love Harry Potter), you will likely enjoy this list of potential Harry Potter sequels. Although... the title annoys me because many of these ideas are prequels. Dammit, Buzzfeed! I've often said that I'd really enjoy prequels that focus on the original Order of the Phoenix. I'm also really loving the idea of the seven original books, but from Dumbledore's perspective. (Obviously I don't expect that to happen, but it would be amazing!)

Speaking of Harry Potter... I'm not above a little self-promotion now and then. Go check out my list of Harry Potter-inspired baby names.. Part 1 and Part 2. (And while we're on the topic, check out this post about literary baby names over on Barnes and Noble.)

We might need to check out some of these historical fiction novels based on real women. 

Here's a list of "inspiring books to read when you're feeling lonely and need some cheering up." I've read three of the books: Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Martian, and Why Not Me? I can't comment on the others, but I can say that Perks will most likely not cheer you up. The Martian was pretty awesome, but is about a dude who is stranded and alone, so I don't know if it'll necessarily help with feelings of loneliness.... but Mindy's book, yes, will cheer you up. Good books, nonetheless. 

And here's a super cute little bookish DIY project, in case you're in the crafting mood. 

xoxo

Liz & Char

*Oh, and quick announcement: I really did not like the flirting book, so I am no longer writing reviews of the chapters. I even brought it to the library to donate. If you need help flirting, look elsewhere. <3 

Reading Round-Up

Hello! It's the happiest and merriest and most wonderful time of the year! (Current events notwithstanding.) With the end of the year comes a steady flow of "Best Books Of 2015" posts, which makes for some good reading! Check out some of our favorites here, as well as some other terrific book-related posts! 

Because we're conceited buttheads, let's start with Charlotte's post about her favorite books over on THL. Any you've read make the list? 

Have you seen NPR's book concierge yet? It's pretty fabulous! We highly suggest you take a peak and see if ya strike a fancy to any of those killer books (The Tsar of Love and Techno made the list, of course!).

Reading Harry Potter is even better when you're an adult. Check out what this writer over at Bustle has to say about the evolution of lessons she learned from Harry Potter.

Have you considered writing your own book? What do you think of these tips on creating a writing plan?

Buzzfeed selected their favorite fiction books of the year, and while we think there are some stellar-sounding books on that list... it's a bummer that it's mostly just contemporary fiction. More books! We want more books!

Came across this list of books that will make you more interesting on Pinterest and totally love it! We've read a few of them ourselves, and some are on our list of Books to Read in Your Twenties!

We've had our fair share of assigned and/or recommended reading throughout high school and college, and we've definitely kept some of our favorite texts! So we thought this article on books you'll want to read again as an adult was intriguing. Are there any books you'd like to re-read as an adult? Charlotte thinks it'd be great to reread Animal Farm (first read in sixth grade, about 12 years ago) and Liz would love to reread Heart of Darkness.

Charlotte is personally of the opinion that LOTR and HP are on the same level, and that no other books can compare, but here, read this article about books that are allegedly as enchanting as the HP series.

Check this out: every 16 year old in Sweden will be given a copy of We Should All Be Feminists. How great! (Also, related article.)

December means Christmas means gift guides means gift guides specifically for book lovers means gift guides specifically for lovers of Harry Potter means gift guides specifically for people who have chosen Hermione Granger as their favorite HP character. Enjoy. (Swooning over this one.) We also loved this list of gifts for English majors - not aptly titled! It's a list of gifts for writers and for book lovers alike! Liz is fond of that dope ass reading lamp and Charlotte likes the "Shhh" light.

Loving the winners of Goodread's best books!

Here's an article that lists books with "unexpected hot sex scenes." "Hot" is relative, tho.

We also liked The New York Times list of 100 notable books of 2015.

I love the holidays and we don't mind the occasional YA book, but.. damn, some of these books sound corny.

Ah, this was sweet. Authors share the books they're thankful for.

And, oh! Are you Catholic? Or do you like Pope Francis? Or do you want to live like Jesus, hollah?! Today starts the year long Jubilee of Mercy, and Pope Francis has suggested reading Dante's Divine Comedy. Charlotte's read Inferno, and Purgatory and Paradise are on the list! This year is the year!

Best Book Quotes! Throw it on a poster, bro. 

Do you have a kid who loves graphic novels? Or, maybe you love them! Mighty Girl has compiled a list of terrific graphic novels.

Really, really enjoyed this article explaining how a few literary characters got their names! Coming up with names for characters is no easy task. 

And finally, from Modern Mrs. Darcy, a list of books that you *should* have read in high school, but are worth reading now. (As part of a reading challenge! we love reading challenges!)

And that's it for this round! 

Stay tuned for a list of our favorite books we've read this year! 

xoxo

Liz & Char

Reading Round Up

Hey hey. We know things have been a little slow over here lately. Liz is busy at work and Charlotte is busy constantly being sick. We do have a nice line up of reviews planned for later this week/early next week though, so don't fret. 

In the meantime, here's a terrific bunch of book-related stories from around the web:

First and foremost, did you all hear that Entertainment Weekly has published some of the first pictures from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them?! We're both very excited and Liz has proclaimed that Eddie Redmayne has never looked better and Charlotte has decided she must read the book before the movie is released. (Also, check out America's version of  the word for non-magical people. It's different from the UK's "muggle." Don't know why.)

In related news, Queen Rowling has announced she's working on a children's book. She's said this before, so it makes us nervous, but we're going to throw caution to the wind and let ourselves be hella excited. 

(And because we simply cannot post a Reading Round-Up without a plethora of HP/Rowling related stories, check out this stellar review of "Career of Evil," Rowling's newest book published under pen name Robert Galbraith. After such praise, the book is certainly on our radar.)

Charlotte loves Gretchen Rubin's books but never read Happier at Home after hearing much of it was a reiteration of Rubin's first book. But! After happily finding this old post, maybe it's a must read?! The idea of shrine-like areas filled with things we love throughout a home sounds wonderful.

Bustle threw together a list of books that ambitious women ought to read. What do you think? (Charlotte thinks there's a fine line between ambition and selfish, predatory, shark-like behavior, but she's willing to read some of these if they offer good advice.) 

Both of us loved this post of tattoos inspired by books. Liz already has a pretty awesome idea for one, and Charlotte is... trying to think of one.

If you like powerful, emotional stories, hop on over to this list of books that are just sure to make you cry. We can personally attest to the cry-factor of several of them.

The Royal We is a book that neither of us would read without prompting, but Charlotte is reading the first few chapters to gauge interest. We do love Lauren Graham though, so it's exciting that she's involved.

Do you love YA? Check out this list of most-anticipated young adult novels coming out this month!

They are turning the extremely popular self-help book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, into a television show. Weird? Not weird? What do you think?

Khloe Kardashian wrote a book and it seems as though it's not all bad.

One more HP link: here's a list of fan fiction you might want to read if you love HP. 

And we'll leave you with this awful, awful idea of building a Hunger Games theme park.

xoxo

Liz & Char  

Reading Round-Up

Ciao bellas. Thanks for all the Filthy Casket love the last couple of weeks. We're getting good feedback, and nothing makes us happier. (Okay, maybe books make us happier. And puppies. And Star Wars. But nothing else!)

We've got a great bunch of book-related links from around the interwebs!

Liz is a huge Alice in Wonderland fan. Are any of you? Check out this list of little known facts about the Mad Hatter.

We've dissed romance novels quite a few times on this blog, but here's a list of 13 such books that allegedly must be on every woman's list. Maybe we'll have to give them a chance?

Strand Book Store is keepin' it real, telling us what book we could buy instead of wasting money on America's beloved Pumpkin Spice Lattes. (Also, how perfect is "coffee industrial complex" ??????)

We literally expelled lots of laughs out loud while reading this Twitter war between two book publishers.

Charlotte may or may not be addicted to lists, and after reading this, she's considering making her own list of books to read in the winter. (You're forewarned.)

Do you love plot twists? Or do you loathe them? Are you known to google the plots of the books you're reading to avoid heartache? If you love them, you might be interested in these books with killer plot twists. (Not literally killers. We think...)

Did you love Friends? (Mixed opinions over here.) If so, check out this list of novels that might be right for you!

Maybe you're Christian, maybe you're not, but this list of books that are influenced by the Bible is stellar. Superman! Harry Potter! The list goes on. 

We all know Buzzfeed loves quizzing us! Hop over and take this quiz to see which series you ought to read (based on your favorite Harry Potter character, of course!).

Not really into reading fiction? Depending on your reasons, maybe you'll enjoy one of these books for people who tend to hate novels.

It would be weird and very self-promoting to link to our own superb list of books to read in your twenties, wouldn't it? Alright, so we won't mention that...

;)

If you like Russian literature, maybe you'll fancy giving one of these books a read?

Here's a really helpful list of YA books coming to stores this season, if that's what you dig.

And we enjoyed this list of short novels you could read in a day, although... not entirely convinced that all of these are quite that short. Maybe 2-3 days.

And that's all for this time. Stay tuned.

xoxo
Liz & Char

Reading Round-Up

Howdy. We've got some great reviews coming up this week, but first(!) check out these book-related links from around the web!

Do you have a dog? Or, or! Are you thinking about getting a pup? Click on over to this list of books about dogs. Gretchen Rubin, list-maker, said that she enjoyed the memoirs even more than the how-to books, so maybe a few of these books would be good even if you're not considering a new pet love.

We've already shared this over on our facebook page, but in case you missed it, take a gander: 43 Books You Won't Be Able to Stop Talking About. (Charlotte is a little pissed that Harry Potter isn't on the list.)

We all find it hard to make time for reading when we're super busy, but what if you're a parent? Is it possible??? Check out this blogger's take right here.

Did you know that certain books are banned in prisons? What do you think - is that okay?

Loved this Reading Challenge! (Although... is it weird that they just posted this with only a few more months to go in 2015?) Thinking we might need to make our very own Filthy Casket Reading Challenge for 2016!

Mindy Kaling's new book is out (a FC review will pop up sometime in the next couple of weeks, swear it) and apparently it's terrific.

And how about some oldies but goodies? 

It's almost always a good idea to sit down with a cup of hot chocolate and read oft-hilarious reviews of Twilight.

Ten Books You Must Read to Your Daughter.

And last but never least! We're both big fans of Emma Watson (Liz especially), so this list of books she's mentioned could be a nice starting place for a future reading challenge.

That's it for now! Keep your eyes peeled for some of our upcoming reviews this week. One of them is a review for a book about pie. Everyone loves pie. 

-Liz & Char