Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Want to Read and Don't Own

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
I don't read everything I own (unfortunately) and I don't NOT read everything I don't own either. The first part are books that are published and I don't have or have read yet. The second part are ones that haven't even published yet, but I already have grabby hands for.



This was published today and I want it NOW. 

Hungry by H.A. Swain

I got it from the library, but never got around to reading it. This is the title of my life so obviously I need it.

The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

Sometimes you just need a tough contemporary in your life.

The Break-Up Artist by Philip Siegel

I need to own this cuteness and wouldn't it look so pretty on my shelf?

Between the Lives by Jessica Shirvington

This sounds like a hit or miss and I so hope for a hit.


Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein

YAAAAAAS! 

This Shattered World by Meagan Spooner and Amie Kaufman

Disney, I thank you.

Invaded by Melissa Landers

Again, thank you, Disney. This comes out next year so I'll be starting off the second semester right.

Cut Me Free by J.R. Johansson

I'm kind of hyperventilating on how perfect this sounds. 

Wildlife by Fiona Wood

A wilderness story about friendship and love? Yes, please.

I know I never hit on what each was about, but that's why I put the links in the titles! Goodreads will give you all the information you need and you can get little commentary right here. What are books you don't have or read yet?

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Happy Birthday to Me Giveaway!

In ONE week, it'll be my birthday.


This is a biggie. I'll be 18 years old. A week after, I'll be spending time in Nicaragua. During the week I come back, I'll be SKYDIVING. A few days after that, I'll be moving into college in Tampa. A week after THAT, I'll be starting classes. TWO weeks after that, my brother is getting married and my little sister is turning 15 years old (driving permit age!). It's a lot of changes for this girl at once. Decisions and changes are probably my biggest kryptonite-like things in my life. But it's all happening. And I'll try to embrace it. Because apparently, I'll be an adult. 

I reblogged this on my Tumblr here.

Money decisions (I just bought my first laptop) might be a looming presence in my life right now, but since it is my birthday, I want to spread the love. As a college student, who knows if I'll ever be able to again. Hence, today's giveaway. 

THE PRIZE: Any $10 book from The Book Depository or Amazon (free shipping for both, no worries). OR two of the following books.


Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook (ARC)
Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller (ARC)
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (Paperback)
Manor of Secrets by Katherine Longshore (ARC)
To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han (ARC)
Something Real by Heather Demetrios (ARC)
Ashes to Ashes by Melissa Walker (ARC w/bookmark)
Just One Year by Gayle Forman (Hardcover)
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (SIGNED Hardcover)

THE RULES: Must follow me. (that sounds powerful, huh?) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for being in my life!

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Rewind & Review: June 15 - June 29

Hosted by Shae Has Left the Room
These past two weeks have been...un-summery, or non-summery, whichever one. Shouldn't summertime be fun? I'd like to consider ME, this Summer, to be fun. But I find myself looking forward to the start of school, not only because I'm moving, but also because I seem to get more things done in the fall/spring. Summertime makes me agitated. School orientation, work, worrying, work, sleeping, work, and more BLAH. Thankfully, we have nice publishers in the world.

Books I Received: 

Books I've Read: 2?

What I'm Reading Now/Next: 

Upcoming Blog Posts:*
  • Top Ten Tuesday: Classics
  • Review: The Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne
  • Then and Now: What Do You Want to Be? 
  • Top Ten Tuesday: Blogging Confessions
  • Thank you, Morgan Matson
  • Review: On the Fence by Kasie West
*Subject to change

Bookish (and not-so-bookish) Happenings: 
  • I had orientation for my university and I realized I'm a school dork. The best part of it all was registering for classes! 
  • I loved my book mail. Publishers rock. 
  • I put so many amazing books on hold at the library for my vacation next week. Open Road Summer, Wild Magic, A Mad Wicked, Folly...just to name a few! 
  • I RAN A 5K! I've done an unofficial one in my neighborhood before, but this time, I did the Neon Vibe 5k with one of my childhood best friends. Tutus and neon colors, ya'll. 
Then we celebrated with food.
How's your summer been?

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Rewind & Review: May 5 - May 17

Hosted by Shae Has Left the Room
*points excitedly to the pretties*

Books I Received: 

Books I Bought:
Books I Read: 2

What I'm Reading Now/Next: 
Previous Blog Posts: 
  • Top Ten Tuesday: Friendship Books
  • Confessional: Commitmentphobe 
  • Review: The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes
  • Top Ten Tuesday: Freebie
  • Waiting on Wednesday #8
  • Review: Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern
*Subject to change

Isn't it kind of sad that I really have had no more happenings to speak of? I now have two jobs and was offered two more interviews for other jobs, which I'm not sure I'll take a third, but it's still exciting. And...yeah. That was it. I'm feeling like I'm in a life slump. Meaning, I'm in a blog slump, an exercise slump, a motivational slump, and everything slump. It's pretty cruddy. I WANT OUT. 

Have a great end of May!

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Rewind & Review: April 21 - May 4

Hosted by Shae Has Left the Room
With the blur of graduation, sickness, and vacation, I honestly can't remember too much that's happened  before this past week. I do have to say that I'm so not looking forward to real life settling in again. However, I have new books to keep me happy.

Books I Received:

Books I Bought: 




Books I Read: 3

What I'm Reading Now/Next: 

Previous Blog Posts:
Upcoming Blog Posts:*
  • Top Ten Tuesday: Covers I'd Frame as Art
  • Where You Are
  • Review: Chapel Wars by Lindsey Leavitt
  • Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Almost Put Down...But Didn't
  • Waiting on Wednesday #6
  • Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
*Subject to change

Bookish (and not-so-bookish) Happenings:
  • I visited my grandparents and they're incredibly cute. When warning my grandpa not to fall, my grandma said, "Honey, you fell once when you fell in love with me and that was enough." 
  • PRINCESS DIARIES IS GOING TO HAVE A SPINOFF. I repeat, my fangirling wishes have come true. 
  • I talked to Sara Raasch (author of Snow Like Ashes) and not only is she incredibly nice, a fan of gifs, and funny, but she also said that she's excited to hear how I like the book EITHER WAY. Unless she's a good liar, she was sincere in saying she wanted to hear the good or the bad. 
  • I was reminded that unless they're close friends, 99.9% of the time, I'd rather hangout with adults than peers. Teenagers *makes face*
  • BEA tweets are now more popular *cries*
  • I had embarrassing mishaps such as almost getting into a stranger's car and arriving at a shady beach rental, 30 min away from where I was supposed to be.
  • I graduated.
  • NEW BOOKS
How was your last two weeks?

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday #5

Hosted by Breaking the Spine
A while ago, I showcased several Disney-Hyperion titles that I am extremely excited to get my hands on this year. This week, I thought I'd put the spotlight on Harper. Spoiler alert: 2014 is going to rock.

Title: Snow Like Ashes
Author: Sara Raasch
Publication date: October 14, 2014
Imprint: Balzer + Bray
Series: First in trilogy

A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.


Why? Magic, a girl warrior, wars, kingdoms, and in love with her best friend...I AM FLAILING.


Title: The Jewel
Author: Amy Ewing
Publication date: September 2, 2014
Imprint: HarperTeen

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty––because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence . . . and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.


Why? Trained as a surrogate for the royalty? I want this. I want this SO MUCH.


Title: Don't Touch
Author: Rachel M. Wilson
Publication date: September 2, 2014
Imprint: HarperTeen

A powerful story of a girl who is afraid to touch another person’s skin, until the boy auditioning for Hamlet opposite her Ophelia gives her a reason to overcome her fears.

Step on a crack, break your mother’s back. Touch another person’s skin, and Dad’s gone for good.

Caddie can’t stop thinking that if she keeps from touching another person’s skin, her parents might get back together…which is why she wears full-length gloves to school and covers every inch of her skin.

It seems harmless at first, but Caddie’s obsession soon threatens her ambitions as an actress. She desperately wants to play Ophelia in her school’s production of Hamlet. But that would mean touching Peter, who’s auditioning for the title role—and kissing him. Part of Caddie would love nothing more than to kiss Peter—but the other part isn't sure she's brave enough to let herself fall.

Perfect for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson, this debut novel from Rachel M. Wilson is a moving story of a talented girl who's fighting an increasingly severe anxiety disorder, and the friends and family who stand by her.


Why? I seem to be drawn into books involving disorders. They fascinate me. 


Title: Kiss Kill Vanish
Author: Jessica Martinez
Publication date: October 7, 2014
Imprint: Katherine Tegan Books

Valentina Cruz no longer exists.

One moment, she was wrapped in Emilio’s arms, melting into his kiss. The next, she was witnessing the unthinkable: a murder in cold blood, ordered by her father and carried out by her boyfriend. When Emilio pulled the trigger, Valentina disappeared. She made a split-second decision to shed her identity and flee her life of privilege, leaving the glittering parties and sultry nightlife of Miami far behind.

She doesn’t know how to explain to herself what she saw. All she knows now is that nothing she believed about her family, her heart, or Emilio’s love, was real.

She can change her name and deny her past, but Valentina can’t run from the truth. The lines between right and wrong, and trust and betrayal, will be blurred beyond recognition as she untangles the deceptions of the two men she once loved and races to find her own truth.


Why? The two men in her life committed a crime and now she basically makes me her own witness protection program. Sounds good? YES.


Title: The Swap
Author: Megan Shull
Publication date: August 26, 2014
Imprint: Katherine Tegan Books

“YOU BE ME...AND I'LL BE YOU.”

ELLIE spent the summer before seventh grade getting dropped by her best friend since forever. JACK spent it training in “The Cage” with his tough-as-nails brothers and hard-to-please dad. By the time middle school starts, they’re both ready for a change. And just as Jack’s thinking girls have it so easy, Ellie’s wishing she could be anyone but herself.

Then, BAM! They swap lives—and bodies!

Now Jack’s fending off mean girls at sleepover parties while Ellie’s reigning as the Prince of Thatcher Middle School. As their crazy weekend races on—and their feelings for each other grow—Ellie and Jack begin to realize that maybe the best way to learn how to be yourself is to spend a little time being someone else.


Why? I haven't read a MG book in YEARS, but I've always wondered about this scenario and I can't help associate this with Freaky Friday, which I adore. Book, come to me.

What Harper books are you waiting for?

Note: All titles, that I know of, except for The Jewel are now available on Edelweiss as of yesterday! 

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Top 10 Books for People Who Like Reality TV

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
This week, we get to pick Top 10 books that would be good for people who like X, such as The Naturals for people who like the TV show Psych. As you can see, I chose the topic reality TV, my guilty pleasure.

If you like reality TV...



 Something Real by Heather Demetrios
I always knew reality TV wasn't actually REALITY, but I am now way more suspicious while watching my guilty pleasures after reading this. This is such a horribly good take on reality TV. 

You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle
I wasn't much of a fan of this while reading, but have appreciated it more as time goes on. The concept, however, is still very intriguing.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
One word: Duh. 

Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway
Technically, not reality TV. I love Robin Benway and in this, a girl becomes famous after her ex-boyfriend writes a song about her and it becomes a hit. She still has to deal with fame and all the crud along with it. 

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
While I didn't like this as much as the one before, this involves an actor in disguise, which is like reality TV, okay? *starts singing Happy by Pharrell*


The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
Again, technically not reality TV. But she's a PRINCESS. We get to read her diary, she has a bodyguard, and part of the royal family. 

It's about an actual actress, but hey, reality TV is mostly scripted anyways. 

All-American Girl by Meg Cabot
Another normal girl-turned-famous story. It counts.

The Selection by Kiera Cass
I actually didn't like this, but MAN, just like reality TV, it's so sickeningly addicting. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS. And yes, it does involve a reality TV aspect of competition. 

Airhead by Meg Cabot
Cabot rules this story plot, how did I never notice this before? 

Do you watch reality TV?

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Books and Me: A Look-Back

A few weeks ago, I posted a Top Ten Tuesday post about my reading journey, what authors and books have been key points in progressing as a reader. Yesterday, I had my open house for high school graduation. One of the highlights of the party was the slideshow my dad made of all the different pictures of me with family and friends through the years, highlighting various memories. So I realized I wanted to mash the two together. Instead of showing the authors and books through my "reading journey," I'd go fully nostalgic on the books I remember the most growing up (okay, with authors added at the end). Beware.

I couldn't find my family's copy even though it better still be with us, but that book definitely looked used. Mom incorporated "Bible class" into our homeschooling and this was my "textbook" of choice. I've always been a sucker for illustrations.

Tiger and Tom-Early age
"And Other Stories for Boys" HA! Mom used to read to all of us kid frequently at night before bed. Those stories? Only one boy was present, so yes, girls can like them too. 

The How and Why Library: My Stories - Mother-daughter bonding
THIS BOOK. There's a whole series, but this specific one was my favorite. My mom used to read this one to me all the time. Classic. 

The Princess and the Kiss-Elementary grades
Another great memory I have with reading is my mom reading great (and illustrated) storybooks to my younger sister and me. Obviously, my mother has played an instrumental part in my love for reading (which I already knew and appreciated). 
Other books include: Pink and Yellow, You Are Special, and The Three Trees

American Girl-Elementary school
As you can see, Samantha and Addy were my favorites. I always liked to think that Samantha and I were alike, but I loved Addy's time period and the focus on civil rights. During that foolish period of rebelling against Sunday naps, I would sit in the corner of our "school/book room" and read this series. 

Mandie series-Elementary/MG grades
Oh, Mandie. I loved this series and all the characters so much. I actually read this around the same time as my younger sister and we shared in the excitement together. The bad part is that the author only got to the first book in the spin-off (where Mandie goes to college) before she dies. My heart still yearns.

Elizabeth Gail series-Elementary/MG grades
The only other elementary/MG series I remember reading and LOVING. So many boys, so much tension for me in this. Of course, I look back now at the books and cringe at how awful the writing is (or maybe that's all MG?). But I don't care because I'm keeping those until I can force them on my own kids.

Adult authors-Middle school
I didn't even bother to list them all because I basically read every single book off my mother's shelf. I didn't know any books for my age group and craved romance. Hence, my mom's Christian adult books.

Janette Rallison-Early high school (?)
Hey, we're starting to get to present time period! In, I think, early high school I started reading Janette Rallison and others like her (Sarah Dessen, Meg Cabot, and so on). I finally found books in the teen section of my library that looked interesting.

Ally Carter-High school (?)
I couldn't NOT add Ally Carter in here. Duh. After lots of contemporary, I found The Gallagher Girls. Yes, still contemporary, but with a twist. 

Suzanne Collins-High school
Since I added Ally, I had to add Suzanne. The woman who showed me that there was more to reading than contemporary in high school. 

Blogging-Present
Don't we look so cute? In 2012, Shae pressured me to start blogging. So I did. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I would end up with an eclectic taste of books, some favorites being sci-fi and fantasy and dystopian (i.e. Seraphina, Under the Never Sky, The Lunar Chronicles),

What are some books you loved growing up?

Note: I couldn't find acceptable pictures in that time period I wanted for each book, but hope you enjoyed!