Booking Through Thursday - Current Events

Its Booking Through Thursday again and this week's questions is a really easy one:

"What are you reading right now? (And is it good?Would you recommend it? How did you choose it?)
 

I am currently reading (as you can tell by the "currently reading" section immediately to the right of your screen) Cinder by Marissa Meyer. Its a young adult sci-fi/fantasy/dystopian... or something like that. I saw someone call it steampunk also, which I dont really know what that means, but what ever. So its all of those things, and it is set in New Beijing, after World War IV, about a 16 year old cyborg girl named Cinder. Its actually a retelling of the fairy tale Cinderella, and though it has some similarities, it has lots of cool differences and surprises to keep it fresh.


I am LOVING this book, just so you all know. I wont say much because I'll have a review up in a few days, but I am enjoying it immensely. I do recommend it to anyone who enjoys sci-fi or even any young adult dystopian. This is a little different than your average, but if you like variety, this is for you!

I chose this because I saw tons and tons of gushing reviews for it, and I was really intrigued by the premise and the cyborg Cinderella thing. Oh and I just love the cover art!  Stay tuned for my review of Cinder coming in the next few days.

What are you reading?

A. :)

Top Ten Tuesday - Authors on Auto-Buy

I just love Top Ten Tuesday (The Broke and the Bookish). :) Its probably my favorite feature to participate in. This week's topic is:

What authors would you have on auto-buy - that you would buy anything they've written, no questions asked?

I love this question! I dont quite know that I have 10 of them but there are actually quite a few authors I'd have on my auto buy list:

7. Stephenie Meyer - I know, I know, she is on everybody's shxt list lately, but honestly I enjoyed her writing even if Bella and Edward sucked. I adored The Host and though I havent purchased/read The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, it is on my list to read regardless, because I am a fan of Meyer

6. Marissa Meyer - Just loving Cinder so much, and I've been on the prowl for anything that has Meyer's name on it. Scarlet shall be mine, and all the short stories in between!

5. Rick Riordan - I think there is only one book of his that I dont own and thats because it is part of a series with like 50 books with a million other authors and I just do not have the time and dedication to get into that. Other than that - I will read anything he's got. Cannot wait for the fall when House of Hades comes out!

4. Suzanne Collins - I just need her to write more. After Hunger Games I am left desperate for another installment, or a new dystopian.. something. Anything, Ms. Collins, ANYTHING!!

3. Nora Roberts - I dont read much romance anymore, but anything that is written by Nora and not by her alternate personality by the pseudonym of J.D. Robb I will read. I already own most of her books, and one day I will own them all. Just love her.

2. Jodi Picoult - I own almost everything she has written, and almost all of the books that I do own, I purchased simply because she wrote them. I will read everything by her. I will!

1. J.K. Rowling - I saved the best for last. I heard some not-so-great things about The Casual Vacancy but I bought it anyway. Havent read it yet - but I will. If Rowling wrote the revised edition of the dictionary, I'd buy it. I will buy and read ANYTHING she writes from now until the end of time, because I am a loyal servant to the Queen. Okay, I know, sounds cult-ish, but its true. She is the Queen and I will always buy what she puts out there, even if the reviews arent great.

What authors are on your list? :)

A.

Review: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

ISBN: 9780061978067
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Publication date: February 28th 2012
Series: Delirium #2
Page count: 375 pages

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

"After falling in love, Lena and Alex flee their oppressive society where love is outlawed and everyone must receive the "cure" - an operation that makes them immune to the delirium of love - but Lena alone manages to find her way to a community of resistance fighters. Although she is bereft without the boy she loves, her struggles seem to be leading her toward a new love."

IN-DEPTH REVIEW:

**May contain some small spoilers**
When I started reading this book, the first thing I thought was - "I don't remember anything from Delirium." I was so annoyed, and afraid I wouldnt enjoy Pandemonium because of it. I was three chapters in and I was praying I'd have an a-ha! moment. Thankfully I did, when 1. I read some reviews on Delirium to refresh my memory and 2. I realized the chapters were titled "then" and "now" and didnt have to keep muddling through, hoping for the best. I could finally keep up!

I actually for once don't have much to say about a book. It was so much better than the first in the series. Delirium was so boring for me. I thought Lena fell flat, I thought her love with Alex fell even flatter. I didnt believe any of the story or connect with any of the characters.

THANK GOD Pandemonium was not like that. Lena evolved in the second installment and quickly. In the first few chapters of "then", when she was still just over the border into the Wilds, she was still very flat for me. I couldnt connect with her emotions, but once she began growing stronger, accepting her grief as a part of her and moving on, I felt like I could relate to her better.

I dont know - maybe it was just me but I was even more interested in the world in Pandemonium, in the plot and storyline. I always found the whole premise intriguing, but when I read Delirium I was so disappointed with where Oliver took it. Now I'm happy with Pandemonium and where she took it, and Oliver has redeemed herself for me.

The story progressed quickly, and I felt every single one of Lena's emotions. It annoyed me a little that Julian was so... I don't know. Weak, maybe? I guess I just dislike weak characters. But what would a book be if every character was strong and independent?

I felt SO MUCH more in tune with Lena and Julian's love story, of their tentative reachings-out to each other, etc. Even when Lena didnt want to love him because of Alex, she knew she did and eventually stopped fighting it.

I know many people have been talking about the ending. Unfortunately, I knew what was coming because I had read some reviews containing spoilers, so I wasnt exactly surprised. I was a little surprised at how it happened, and that it happened in the LAST PARAGRAPH OF THE BOOK!! And I desperately want to get my hands on Requiem to find out what the hell happens, but all I can say in this regard is that I am 100% team Julian. That is all.

Oh, a few stray thoughts - to those readers who say Lauren Oliver's writing is awful... What?! She writes beautifully, regardless if Delirium was slow. Slow or not - she's still a great writer.

Also, I'm very intrigued by the way Oliver addresses homosexuality in the story. I love that Lena's take on her friends' relationship is one of tolerance, and that it doesnt focus on their differences. It is ironic though that it still exists in the world that Oliver has created, and gives me little hope for the real world's future of tolerance. I mean the book doesnt tell the future, but thats the whole point of dystopia isnt it? This is where the world is headed if we cant get back on track.

One last stray, this book is slightly reminiscent of one of my favorite books ever, The Giver by Lois Lowry. In the world Lowry creates, feelings, colors, seasons, pain, differentiation, it all doesnt exist, so in my mind it is an extreme version of the Delirium story, where Oliver focuses on love being the root of all evil, not knowledge of feelings and the world in general, but I still see similarities. The spark of this thought process was when I realized that Oliver uses "the procedure" to administer the "cure" and Lowry uses pills to stop the "stirrings" and pretty much turn people into robots - or better yet, ZOMBIES! Like Lena calls the cureds.

Oh and might I add, there was virtually nothing about this book I didnt like.

SUMMARY OF MY THOUGHTS:

I enjoyed this book very much. I love Oliver's writing, and the plot moves much quicker in this book than it did in Delirium. I liked Lena's new love interest and the progression of their love story, and I connected very much with all of characters, especially, finally, with Lena.


RATING: ★★★★

You may be wondering why I loved this so much and only gave it four stars. First, I'd like to say it really should be a 4 1/2 stars but.... I dont know how to make half a star (if anyone has any idea let me know!) so there you go. But the reason this doesnt make five is probably my own fault, because I already knew the ending of the book, so there was no jaw-dropping holy sh*t moment for me. It may be a little unfair because the book didnt do that, I did, but it is what it is. I did like this book a lot, cant wait for Requiem in 12 days, and I recommend this to you YA lovers who havent read this one yet!

For those of you who have read it - what did you think? Do you agree or disagree with the points I made?

A.

Feature and Follow Friday

Its F&F Friday again, hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. Visit their blogs to find out how to participate!

This week's featured blog is: Jelly's Insider - make sure you pay a visit!

Parajunkee wants to to know:

We always talk about books that WE want. Let’s turn it on its head. What books have you given other people lately?
 

I dont give a lot of books, as gifts or for lending but the most recent gift I gave was to my loving boyfriend for Christmas and I gave him The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga. This is havent read but my boyfriend doesnt read much but he loves the Walking Dead show and I desperately want him to read more, so I gave it a shot. He's had it for months and has maybe read a few chapters -___-

My cousin has been reading all of the books in the Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare, and has been loving them. These I have read, and enjoyed thoroughly, and cant wait for the movie!!

What books have you given lately?

A.
 

Waiting on Wednesday

Let's keep it short and sweet this week! Waiting on Wednesday - Breaking the Spine. What I'm waiting on:

The Elite by Kiera Cass

Release date: April 23, 2013

 

Really intrigued by this whole series, though it vaguely reminds me of the Chemical Garden trilogy by Lauren DeStefano. Cant wait to read it!

 

What are you waiting on?

 

A. :)

Top Ten Tuesday - Favorite Characters in My Favorite Genres

Whew, feels like I've been gone forever. I've been sick since the end of last week - and I still am, but I couldnt stay away!!

Its Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's top ten list is your top ten favorite characters from a particular genre.

I decided to stick with an extremely broad genre so that I may include all my favorite books (I'm such a cheater lol): Young adult fiction (some on the list might actually be considered middle grade, but I dont care! They are young adults too, haha)

My Top Ten Six

6. Clary Fray from The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare. I like Clary for the most part. She was stubborn and kind of weak, which isnt my thing, but she doesnt take no for an answer! - most of the time. I feel bad for her in the first few books....and the last few. Boy she's really got it rough, huh? She doesnt give up though. She knows what she wants and she's going to have it.

5. Jacob from The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer. Okay, I'm not saying I love Twilight. Like many others, I've since fallen off of the Twilight band wagon, but you cant regret something you once enjoyed. I mean the books arent bad. Meyer isnt a bad writer. I actually loved her sci-fi novel, The Host. Bella sucked, and Edward sort of sucked too. But the books were good. And in Breaking Dawn when Jacob got to narrate part of the book, I fell in love. I didnt like him in the first three books at all. Then BD came along and here we are: Team Jacob!

4. Katniss and Gale from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I've heard people complain about them too, but considering the world they lived in, I think they werent half bad. Frankly, Katniss is BAD ASS and Gale - movie AND book Gale is HOT.

3. Percy from The Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan. I've heard that a lot of people don't like Percy because he's annoying, immature, etc. but I kind of love him. He's hysterical for starters. But he loves his friends and family, and though he does stupid things - often - he always manages to come through in the end!

2. Jonas from The Giver by Lois Lowry. I liked Jonas a lot, mostly because of the bravery he shows at the end of the book. The Giver is one of my favorite books, period, so its not just Jonas that I love. Its the whole book!

1. Obviously, my very favorite character from my very favorite book(s): Hermione Granger from The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling. How can you not love her? She's so intelligent and hungry for knowledge. She loves her friends but she knows how to stand up for herself, too.


What characters made your lists?

A.

For the love of books

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly feature hosted by a blog of the same name. Visit BTT to find out how to participate.

This week's topic is: you guessed it - LOVE! In honor of Valentine's Day, BTT has asked:

"Not the kind of “love” question you’re expecting for Valentine’s Day. No, what I want to know is:
What do you love most about reading?"
 

This is a pretty easy one for me. I love being absolutely immersed in the story, the characters, the world. Even in a book I didnt love, I find myself missing the characters and the world they come from when I am done reading.

Let's take Hogwarts for example. AN ENTIRE WORLD, people! Sometimes I even miss #4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey!! How can you not? Honestly, if I'm having a rough day, I either pop out an HP book or pop in an HP movie (depending on my level of upset-ness) and dive right in. Its a place that can always make me feel at home when I feel like I dont belong in my own world.

Let's not pretend that bloggers aren't real people. We all have our problems, our issues, because as much as we blog, real life never goes away. For me, and I'm sure many other people, sometimes a book is also a getaway. Whether you need a trip to another state, country, planet, or alternate universe, a good book is always there to lend a hand. Hell, sometimes a bad book is there to lend a hand, too.

 That's usually why I have a hard time not finishing a series. If I didnt love a book, I usually miss it anyway when I'm finished, and find myself going back for more of the characters I somehow came to love despite the lack of a good story or whatever was wrong with the book.

What do you guys love about reading?

A.

W.W.W. Wednesday

W.W.W. is a weekly feature hosted by Should Be Reading. Visit their site to see how to participate... or just see below because its pretty self-explanatory. I usually do Waiting on Wednesday, but I feel like I'm running out of things to be waiting on so I'm skipping this week until I do some more book-searching.

• What have you just finished reading?

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
I enjoyed this book alot - I posted a review on it recently - check it out, and let me know what you thought (or if you havent read it, if you're thinking about reading it).

• What are you currently reading?

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Enjoying it aso far but I'm only about 50 pages in. This is much shorter than Beautiful Creatures so hopefully I'll move through it a little faster.

• What do you plan on reading next?

Well last week I was determined to read City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare, but when it came down to it, I picked up Pandemonium. So I'm not making any promises but I think I am either going to read Fever by Lauren DeStefano (especially so I can go pick up Sever) or Cinder by Marissa Meyer because the amazing reviews this book is getting are starting to get to me. Oh the pressure!!!

 

 

 

So what reads are on your list this week? Have any of you read my picks? What did you think - I'd love to hear from you!

 

Happy Reading :)

 

A.

 

Top Ten Tuesday - Red Hot Romances

Just in time for Valentine's Day, The Broke and the Bookish is hosting their weekly feature, Top Ten Tuesday, and this week's topic is: Top Ten Favorite Romances

I love this because it is right up my alley. Now-a-days I'm much more diverse but I used to ONLY read romance novels. My Top Ten came very easily to me this week. Keep in mind I am very big on series so some of these may be a list of a series, which means I loved ALL of the books (its kind of like cheating on the "top ten" aspect of this whole thing haha):

     10.     The Virgin River Series by Robyn Carr: There are about 20 books in this series (not an exaggeration) and I loved especially the first 6. I wont lie - I stopped around book 12 or so, but they are all so wonderful.

      9.     The Grace Valley Series also by Robyn Carr: I was introduced to these books AFTER I read the first few of the Virgin River Series and there are only three books in this series, but I adored all three.

      8.     The Madaris Family Series by Brenda Jackson: If any of you read my last week's "Top Ten Memories" post, you'll know that Brenda Jackson is the author that got me back into reading a few years ago. This one has about 15 books in the series, and again, no lie, I probably only read the first five, but they were great nonetheless.

      7.     The Invincible Women Series by Francis Ray: Oh my goodness, I have to say that unless you are a strong-minded person, maybe you dont want to read these books. They are amazing, but they openly address many issues such as abuse/rape, adultery, sexuality, etc. I loved these books and I actually did read all of the books in the series.

 

      6.     Topaz by Beverly Jenkins: I am not entirely sure if this is part of a series - it may be, for all I know (which is sad because I love Bev J. and have read many of her novels), but this book stood out for me as a historical romance and I loved it!

      5.     The Black Ops Series by Cindy Gerard: This is actually a spin-off from one of Gerard's previous series. I didnt love the series before this one, but I am obsessed with The Black Ops Series! Its action-packed and thrilling but exactly the right amount of romance to keep me swooning!

(I'm sorry but my top four are Nora Roberts novels/series)

      4.     The Three Sisters Island Series by Nora Roberts: First let me say that Nora Roberts is my hero and no one will ever surpass her in romance writing for me. These are the first Nora Roberts books I ever read and I fell in love instantly! I like a lot of her works better than these but since they were my first, I have to list them.

      3.     The Circle Trilogy by Nora Roberts: This series is a supernatural one which is unlike many of the books Nora writes (usually her books have ghosts but nothing special). This one sports a witch, a time traveler and a vampire as some of the main characters. The first book in this series is very slow, and it took me a few months to pick up the next one, but when I finally did, I was blown away. I actually reread the last few chapters of the third book SEVERAL times because I was so in love with it. Now that I think about it, I think I need to read them again.

      2.     The Chesapeake Bay Series by Nora Roberts: This one has four books in the series and this is another one that I adored, especially when book four came out much later with the story of Seth, who was just a child in the first three books.

      1. and last but not least: The Gallaghers of Ardmore Trilogy by Nora Roberts: This is probably one of my favorite series ever, not just romance series. Its set in Ireland, which makes me love it already, but its got faeries and a lovely historical backstory. This is the series that made it imperative for me to visit Ireland before I die. It is a must!

I loveeee romances, though I dont read that many any more. Have you read any of the ones I've read? What did you think of them?

Cant wait to see everyone else's list.

Happy reading :)

A.

Blogging Partners - Your thoughts?

Hello blogging friends!

I've been thinking about something over the past few weeks and I figured the best way to get some answers is to ask the people who know best: YOU.

I see a lot of you have group blogs and I love the dynamics - the group posts, group reads, review by different people with different opinions.

I'm really interested in starting another blog - a group one - in addition to this individual one, and am actively pursuing that idea. What I want to know is for those of you who have group blogs: how do you share the responsibility and who you have a policy as far as what each of you posts or can post (like editing or proofreading eachother's posts before they go up)? What do you like about a group blog and what are the challenges?

For those of you who have individual blogs: What do you think about the group blogs you do follow? Do you agree with me that having different viewpoints on one blog is dynamic and interesting or do you dislike it for some reason?

I'd love to hear what you think about this topic.

With that being said - I AM looking for  a blogging partner/partners and though I have no experience with  GROUP blog, I am excited for that experience. If you are interested or know anyone who is, let me know!! Leave a comment or e-mail me at here.

Happy reading!

A.

Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

ISBN-13: 9780316042673
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: December 2009
Page Count: 563
My Rating: ★★★


Synopsis:

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

 In-Depth Review:

I have mixed feelings about this book. Let me start by saying overall - I liked it a lot, and cant wait to read the next one. There were some low points to the book, but not enough that it took away from the story. When I was reading the review before I read this book, I saw some people nit-picking on the writing style. I'll address this by saying: WHAT?! Garcia and Stohl's writing styles are magnificent. I didnt have a single problem with their writing, detail, grammar - the editing was perfectly fine. I did have a few issues with some of the dialogue but this is something that I feel happens in every book, and doesnt bother me much.

When I started this book I decided to take notes, which ended up looking like one big run on sentence in one big running commentary. The first thing I wrote down when I started this book was why I couldnt figure out how Ethan and Lena went from passing eachother in the hall to Ethan running after her in a storm, taking her home and hanging out on the border of Ravenwood. Someone please tell me how this happens? I know they "feel like they know eachother" or whatever, but then further into the story, things get awkward and they act like they DONT know eachother that well. That was something that left me feeling a little weird while reading the story. A couple of things like this bothered me throughout, but I dont want their to be any spoilers, so I wont specify. But what I'm getting at is that I felt like they just jumped into a relationship, a story, a "we're in this together" with barely any time to get to know eachother.

I had a problem with the fact that Ethan seemed almost completely unafraid and eager to find things out, meanwhile Lena was sulking in her room and causing monsoons. What the hell Lena!? Grow up!

I didnt hate the book though, I actually enjoyed it very much. I thought it was really interesting finding out about Wate and Duchannes family trees and taking a few well described trips back to the Civil War. I flew through this book at first actually. It ended up taking me about a week and a half to read it but that was because of my schedule, not because of the slow pace of the book.

I very much enjoyed having this book written from Ethan's point of view. Some reader's didnt love this aspect because it was different. On the contrary, I liked this aspect a lot because it was refreshing, nice to have a different point of view, especially because I dont think I could have dealt with bratty Lena as the narrator. She was too busy being mad about not being a normal kid to grow and be a dynamic character. She was annoying, point blank. A few things were left unexplained that again I wont mention specifically, but I'm really hoping the next book goes more in depth.

I also loved that Lena writes all the time - on her hand, in her notebook, on her ceiling - as a writer, it was something I could relate to.

The last thing I have to address is the ending. I think that the ending could have been way worse and honestly leading up to the very last page, I thought it was going to be. I was expecting it to be anticlimactic, and trust me, it didnt end the way I expected it to and it confused me a lot, but I was pleased with the ending and anxious for what happens next. I just cant imagine being in Lena's shoes and being able to get through it.... I wont elaborate, but for those of you who have read it - I'm sure you agree.

Final thoughts....

Like I said, there were some low points in the book for me, but the authors made me feel Ethan and Lena's inner turmoil, I felt like I was IN the story. The plot and characters were so original and unique and they kept me wanting more every time I had to put the book down.

Rating: ★★★

This one gets four stars (*see edit below) from me. I enjoyed it and cant wait to read the next one, and encourage fans of YA and supernatural novels to pick it up too!

Have any of you read this? What did you think? Do you agree or disagree? I'd love to hear what you think!

A.

EDIT:  After careful consideration of this book after reading this book, I've decided to drop the rating from a four-star to a three-star rating. I did enjoy the book, but shortly after moving on to another book, I realized I had little desire to continue on to the next book and was actually confused and annoyed about some aspects of this book. I did still enjoy the book, as my three star rating shows, but I didnt love it.

Feature and Follow Friday - Mardi Gras Madness

Feature and Follow Friday once again, hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. Visit each blog to see how to participate!

 

This week's Featured blog is: Adria's Romance Reviews. Make sure you check her out and follow her blog!

 

This week's question is:

 



"Q: Happy Mardi Gras! If they were throwing the HOTTEST books off of a Mardi Gras float - what would you do to have them throw to you?"

 

 Hahaha, I can tell you right now, even a book is not worth flashing my goodies for. Then again, leave it to me to have way too much to drink and in my drunken little head I will be convinced I NEED that book and have to flash the goods to get it. If I was sober however, I cant see myself doing much of anything.
But I mean really - who stays sober at Mardi Gras!?!

What would YOU do?

 

Happy Reading!

 

A.

WoW and W.W.W.

It's Waiting on Wednesday hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and W.W.W. Wednesday hosted by Should Be Reading.

First thing's first: what am I waiting on? Can I be honest here and say I have NO IDEA! I've been out of the blogging/reading world for a while and I feel like I just dont know what's going on. The only thing I'm excited about is for Hana, Annabel and Raven by Lauren Oliver to come out in paperback. This was one that was only available by e-book, and though I have a kindle, I dont really use it. I know, it seems sounter-intuitive to not use something I have to read something I want. But I own Delirium and Pandemonium and I plan on purchasing Requiem so it only seems right to complete the collection.

 

Delirium Stories: Hana, Annabel and Raven

by Lauren Oliver

ISBN-13: 9780062267788

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Publication date: 3/5/2013

Pages: 224

Age range: 14 years

 

 

Its also W.W.W. Wednesday, where you share what you've recently read, what you're currently reading, and what you plan to read next.

• I'm currently finishing up Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Should hopefully be done with it today and will be posting a review some time this weekend,a nd hopefully going to see the movie next week!
• By today I will be reading City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare. I hate to say this but I don't really feel like reading this right now, but I have goals to accomplish and series to finish. This is the closest I will come to wrapping up a series since the next book has not been released. Im going to try to read it as quickly as humanly possible so I can move on to something else.
• After City of Lost Souls I am either going to read Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver or Fever by Lauren Destefano. I cant decide which I want to read more, but I'm currently leaning toward Pandemonium, another that I want to wrap up as soon as the next is released. We shall see.

 

 

What are your Waiting on and W.W.W. picks this week? Mine are starting to get old cause I dont get through books fast enough. I've been reading BC for over a week now, ugh.

 

 

Happy Reading!

 

A.

Top Ten Tuesday - Bookish Memories

This week's Top Ten list is your top ten bookish memories. I have to say that after seeing some other blogs, I'm feeling a little discouraged by this topic. I've only been blogging for a month now, I have yet to recieve (or even request) an ARC, I've never been to a conference (waahh), never been to a signing (much to my disappointment).

 

None of these things have happened in my life yet, as I'm not the experienced blogger many of you are. :(

 

I only have a few memories really, and they are more personal:

 

1. When I first started reading again: I was a big reader in elementary school, and I was a huge nerd and not afraid to show it. Then some time around the 7th or 8th grade it was completely uncool to read, and things changed majorly. My friends didnt read, my boyfriend didnt read. I secretly loved English class but I super-bombed in 11th grade because I mean really - who does homework?. Sigh...
   So when I graduated and moved to Pennsylvania when I was 18, I was reading a Cosmopolitan magazine and you know how every month in the back of the mag there is a little excerpt from whatever book they've deemed worthy? Well, I decided to read it instead of skipping over it like I usually do. It was a romance by Brenda Jackson. I forget what the book is called, but I know I still have it (I'll probably never get rid of it). The excerpt was so intriguing, I ran out and bought it. Finished it in a  day and went and got the sequel. Then the next one and the next one, and for a while I was on a Brenda Jackson kick because I hadnt been in the bookish world in years, so I hadnt a clue on what to look for. I slowly branched out, rediscovered my love for books, and here I am five years later with an actual TBR shelf with over 50 books on it, a book blog I love, and an obsession I have no desire to cure myself of. So thank you - Brenda Jackson for re-opening one of the most important doors in my life today!
2. Another great memory I have is reading the Harry Potter books for the first time. This is a bittersweet memory because halfway through my reading of these books fell into the time in middle and high school when it was no longer cool to read. I remember buying the first book at a book fair. I dont know why. I was like 10 years old or something and my mom had given me money for a book. That was the one I wanted, and I got it - I read it once and I was hooked. I loved Harry, my parents loved Harry, they took me to see the movies, etc.
   I then remember the last time I picked up an HP book again before last year. I was in 7th or 8th grade, and I had done really bad in a couple of my classes (it was cool to slack off remember?) and so did my little cousin. My mom then banished us to our room for the summer, and said the only thing we were allowed to do was read books, otherwise we could just sit there and think about "what we'd done". I read half of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and I think my cousin read A Series of Unfortunate Events. My mom eventually got over this a few weeks into the summer, made us write a "report" on what we'd read, and called it sufficient punishment. I never picked HP up again that summer... or ever - until last year. I was back on my reading kick and needed to finish. I didnt know what I was missing, and now HP is the only series I've read more than two times, I own all books and movies, and when ever I'm feeling like it, I pick up one or pop in the other and enjoy a trip to Hoggy Hoggy Hogwarts.
3. This memory is a vague and simple one, but I remember that when I was in 5th or 6th grade, my mom worked in my school - she was the front desk receptionist. I remember staying after school and sitting at my mom's desk reading books while she worked until it was time to go home (this was before that was uncool). I remember my teachers and my mom's co-workers commenting on how they couldnt believe I'd just sit there and read quietly but I loved it. I'm a momma's girl through and through and the idea of books + my mommy gives me a warm fuzzy-comforting feeling just thinking about it. :)
4. Buying my neice her first book ever. :) She is only 4 months old now, but I'm sure you understand my need to instill a love of books in the younger generations. I know what its like to lose something so great because the encouragement and peer pressure is coming from the wrong side. I hope my neice will encounter the kind of "peer pressure" we have here in the blogging world where one begins to feel like they arent reading books fast enough or arent learning enough or sharing their love of books enough. With that being said, I bought her an Elmo squishy book so she can chew on it too when she is teething, but I hope my sister and the rest of her family will read it to her, and I will continue to buy her books endlessly. She is going to HATE me come Christmas time! It's clothes and books for you little missy!
5. Buying my brother his first REAL book. My brother is nine years old now and I know I didnt buy him a squishy book when he was a baby (mainly because I was 14 when he was born!) but when he started learning how to read on his own and read for pleasure and with understanding, he became interested in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books and let me tell you, I all but RAN to the book store to buy him a book. I think he only made it half way through, understandably I suppose, but it was a joyous moment for me seeing him read, understand, enjoy and share what he was reading.
6. I remember being obsessed with James and the Giant Peach. I can barely even remember the plot of this story but I clearly remember being so obsessed to the point where I had basically memorized every word in the first few chapters and could recite them on command. This was another one I had gotten at a school book fair and am glad for my mom always giving in to my love of books and sending me with money every time there was a fair.
7. Starting a blog again. Some time last year I had a successful blog, but due to, you know, life, I fell off, deleted it and began again. I'm loving every second of it and this time, even if, you know, life comes around, I've realized its okay to take a break and go back when you can.

I only have seven for today but considering each one is like a chapter itself, I'd deem it sufficient. What are your greatest bookish memories? Any that are sappy and personal like more, or do you have more fun ones?

 

Happy reading!

 

A :)

In My Mailbox [2]

Time for In My Mailbox again everyone! Hosted by The Story Siren, IMM is a weekly feature where bloggers can show off what they've bought, were gifted, what ARCs they received, etc.

No one buys me books, and I dont really receive ARCs yet, so all of my books have been purchased, and over the last 1-2 weeks I've bought (too many!!):

 

 

1. The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott
2. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
3. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
4. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
5. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

 

I went a little crazy this week with buying books :/ Which is funny because I also made a goal at the beginning of the year that I would read three books from my shelf before I bought one book. That totally didnt happen. I have no will power against buying books. I probably wont read any of these books next after I'm done with Beautiful Creatures. Let's be real, if anything, I'll probably be running out to buy the next in that series, before anything. I know, I have a serious problem. I always buy more books than I can read at a time. I can't help myself.

 

What came in your mailbox this week!?

 

A :)

Waving the White Flag - Changing my goals for the year.

Well, I made some pretty ambitious goals this year on how many books I want to read and what books to read. The biggest goal I made was to read 100 books this year. Okay, I am sorry. I completely underestimated the challege of reading this many books in one year.

I am here to dramatically drop that goal - I am waving the white flag. And I commend those of you who read that many books per year, and more. You are amazing!

As for the books I intend to read, I'm not really going to change that because the specific goals are not that difficult.

The only other thing I would like to amend is that I said I would finish all of the books on my shelves from my 2012 TBR pile and finish all the series I began in 2012 (and prior) up to the latest releases. I would still love to do this, but this brings my list well past my new goal. So I will try, I promise. I will get as very far as I can.

My new goal for the year (I cringe as I say it because it so much lower than the ambition I had before) is: 40 books this year.

I am a little disappointed in myself, but I will be okay.

How many books do you average per year?
I'd love to hear about your book goals and how you are keeping up with them!

A <3

Feature and Follow Friday - Lost in your favorite world

It's Feature and Follow Friday again hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. Simply visit these pages to join in, follow the featured blog, answer the question, and visit and follow other blogger's pages! Its a great way to gain followers and meet new friends.

This week's featured blog is Take Me Away, who just so happens to have an answer similar to mine. I have a feeling this particular will be a popular one today!

The question this week is:

Q: What is the first thing you would do if you woke up to find yourself in your favorite book?

Thats a pretty tough one. As many of you may already know, I am obsessed with Harry Potter, so if I ever woke up inside a different book, I would know that the fates dont know me very well...
If, however, I did find myself inside a Harry Potter book, Jesus H. Christ, how would I choose? Sadly enough, I'd probably join up with Hermione and take some extra classes, and hang out in the library because I'm so intrigued by the world of wizardry created by Rowling. I would definitely want to try a little quidditch, though I think my lack of coordination would fail me there. I think I would also like to visit Hagrid and take a walk through the Forbidden Forest.

But what is the FIRST thing I would do? Gosh, I cant choose just one. Honestly, it might be to visit Hogsmeade - it would be a delight to see and explore. I know that Hogwarts is the main setting of HP but Hogsmeade is an extension, a whole wizarding community with full with the Three Broomsticks and butterbeer, and, and, and..... Oh I could go on forever.
Next I'd go to Hagrid's, then some Quidditch, and I'd do all of those things first because I know that you wouldnt be able to get me out from the library or away from my favorite character Hermione for ages. :))

Whats your favorite book, and if you woke up inside of it, whats the first thing you would do?

Make sure to visit and follow lots and lots of blogs linked on Parajunkee's View to make new friends, and they can follow you back!

Happy Reading!
Manda C. :)