Top Ten Goals/Resolutions For 2015

This week on Top Ten Tuesday we are declaring some resolution for 2015. I cannot believe it is time to make resolutions again. I'm changing a few things because I did accomplish a lot of my goals for 2014. However, some of them I failed so I'm trying some new things and also doing some of the same. I hope next year goes as well as this one. Happy Reading

1) Read 75 Books - Normally my goal is to read 100 books each year, but I've felt the pressure this year like never before to keep reading and stay on track. I really want to have less pressure, but still read as many books as possible. Maybe this will help with my slumping problem as well?

2) Reduce my TBR pile by at least one book - I have way too many books on my shelves that remain unread. Either by donating or reading I need to reduce that number. Even if it is only one book less at the end of the year, I need to reduce this number. (I'll let you know what that number is soon, but I still need to add my Christmas presents to my total)

3) Keep a better blog/vlog schedule - This year things have been on and off with the schedule. I disappear and reappear so in the upcoming year I would really like to be more consistent with my posts and videos.

4) Make more time for reading - I really want to make more time for reading and spend less time mindlessly perusing the internet. As fun as that is, it isn't very productive.

5) Finish/Catch up on Series - Same goal as last year because I barely accomplished it this time.

6) Watch 25 movies and 25 TV Seasons - This is a yearly goal for my because I struggle to keep up with TV and film references. Maybe I'll learn a few more this year.

7) Do fitness stuff more often - I think this is the standard new year's resolution.

8) Be more adventurous - I'm a bit of a homebody and an introvert so in the upcoming year I'd like to go out more and do new things. I don't know what or with who, but I want to put myself out there a little bit more!

9) Rate/Review every book I read - Even if I just write two lines on Goodreads, I want to record my thoughts on what I read more thoroughly for future reference.

10) Book/Quote Jar - In the upcoming year I want to read cord my initial thoughts or favorite quote from a book immediately after finishing it to add to my book jar. Then at the end of the year I'll be able to look back on my initial thoughts on the books I read in 2015. I talked about this a little more in my Repurposing My TBR Jar video.


My Last Top Ten Tuesday -----> Top Ten (Plus) Anticipated Books of 2015

Top Ten Books of 2014

Check out which books were my favorites of this past year!

Reviews: 

Everything Leads to You: http://goo.gl/pH692q 
Ignite Me: http://goo.gl/JvYq4H 
Scarlet: http://goo.gl/2AOP3p
Mortal Heart: http://goo.gl/fzWfbk
Sabriel: http://goo.gl/Ao8fM3
Throne of Glass: http://goo.gl/iIm0xB
Blue Lily Lily Blue: http://goo.gl/Ok7PQ8
The Dream Thieves: http://goo.gl/nefnyK
The Winner's Curse: http://goo.gl/Nzqhdj

Review - Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

   

**This is the third book in the Raven Cycle Series and there may be spoilers ahead.**

Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy YA
Series: Raven Cycle #3
Hardcover - 391 pgs
Published by Scholastic Press 
Source: My Purchase
Add it // Buy it
Rating: 5/5

There is danger in dreaming. But there is even more danger in waking up.

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.

The trick with found things though, is how easily they can be lost.

Friends can betray.
Mothers can disappear.
Visions can mislead.
Certainties can unravel.

Where can I  possibly start with this book? As I've mentioned so many times, I love this series and this book was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. It did not disappoint either. After this book, I’m beginning to realize how heartbroken I’m going to be when the final book comes out.

In this installment we get more answers and more questions. Finally I felt like we were moving toward more resolution and  Even though I love The Dream Thieves I didn't think we got any closer to finding Glendower. This book changed all that. It seems like the hunt is finally on!

Throughout this series the characters have been my favorite part and nothing changes that in this book. There is a great balance between all the perspectives and I love how you can see them all changing. The hunt for Glendower is no longer a fun activity. There are higher stakes, especially with Maura underground and Adam’s sacrifice, and the characters’ development reflects it.

My heart can’t take too much more of these little romances Stiefvater sets up though. My heart breaks and soars throughout these books and I am dying to know how this is all going to play out. The final book needs to hurry up and be released!

This series is one I’ve read over and over because I enjoy it even more the second time around. The prose is lovely, the characters complex and interesting, and the story is mysterious and unique. I just cannot wait for the last book! I just need it right now!

Christmas Booktube Readathon Wrap Up

 Just a quick vlog style update and wrap up from the Christmas Booktube-a-thon. It includes all my progress and what I read. It's a bit late, but I wanted to share since I had such a good reading weekend and a lot of fun. 

Series Review- Infernal Devices Manga Adaptation

by Cassandra Clare  & Art by HyeKyung Baek

  

A manga-adaption to the prequel of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series, The Infernal Devices is the story of Tessa Gray, a sixteen-year-old American girl traveling alone to Victorian London who runs afoul of the city's sordid supernatural underworld. Rescued by the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, Tessa quickly finds herself caught up in an intrigue that may very well destroy her new friends - including the two enigmatic young men, Jem and Will, who have taken her under their wing...

Genre: Paranormal Manga Adaptation 
Published by Yen Press
Add it// Buy it
Series Rating: 4.5/ 5 

If you like the Infernal Devices or manga series or both, I imagine you'll love this. I did. I haven't felt like reading recently, but I really wanted to read this as soon as I bought it. It hasn't solved my lack of reading desire, but it really helped.  These are just fantastic adaptations of the original series. It gave me all the same conflicted feelings as the original series. It made me laugh and cry just like the novels did as well! The entire series is adapted and the whole plot is included. Even if you haven't read the original novels, you can enjoy these without any problems and they are fun to read after reading the entire series as well!!

Part of the fun in this adaptation, for me at least, was since it is a manga adaptation, the art made the story a bit dramaticized. If you've read manga, you probably know what I mean. Every exclamation is more surprising and every declaration of love is more heart-wrenching. I loved every single panel. Actually I was more conflicted about the love triangle in this adaptation than I was during the original series.

The art is delightful as well. I think it is fantastic they kept the same characters on the covers as the originals. Its just a nice detail. Overall the art is simple with the right amount of dialogue and detail without being overwhelming or confusing. Actually, the only problem I had with the entire series was the format of the books is opposite of normal manga. That is to say, the books read front to back which took a little getting used too since all the other manga I've read go back to front.

I gave the first two book four stars and the final book five stars. I wish the Mortal Instruments were adapted in this same way. Right now, they are not, but maybe in the future. Here's hoping!

Pre-Christmas Book Haul

I'm so sorry to have been gone so long! What better way to come back though, than a book haul! I've been exhausted since Thanksgiving while trying to get ready for the holidays and it is the busiest time of year at work. So I've just been collecting books rather than talking about them and reading them. 

Somehow, without meaning to, I've picked up so many books in the first two weeks of December. There were so many Black Friday deals and other sales going on right after December started. Check them all out! 

Books Mentioned: 

From Quirk: 

The Resurrectionist by E.B Hudspeth

Jane Austen Cover to Cover by Margaret C. Sullivan 

S by J.J. Abrams 

Book Outlet:

Death Sworn by Leah Cypess

City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster

Fire with Fire by Jenny Han

Tin Star by Cecil Castellucci 

Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Falling into Place by Amy Zhang 

Infernal Devices Manga Adaptation 

Better World Books

Conjured by Sarah Beth Durst 

Defiance by C.J. Redwine 

Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins 

Landry Park by Bethany Hagan 

Happy Reading! 

Booktube-a-Thon TBR (Christmas Version)

It is that time of year again! It is time to read read read books over three days. This is my TBR for this weekend which I may or may not stick to! Enjoy. 

Books Mentioned: 

Persuasion by Jane Austen 

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater 

The Curiosities by Various 

The Assassins Blade by Sarah J. Maas

Review - Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Genre: Sci-Fi Retellings
Series: Lunar Chronicles 2
Hardcover - 452pgs
Published by MacMillan 
Source: My Purchase
Add it // Buy it
Rating: 5/5

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Let me set a little scene up for this review. You may remember I gave Cinder a rather wishy-washy review a few weeks ago after I finished it. I wanted to love the book, but overall I had mixed feelings. It didn't stand up to the expectations I had going in because of hype, even though I knew I shouldn't let that taint the experience for me. The predictability of Cinder also really bugged me even though I knew it was a retelling.

So I had a few problems with Cinder but still wanted to move forward with the series. I started Scarlet with lower expectations a few days later. Let me tell you book two was a revelation for me!

I no longer have reservations about this series. Almost immediately I was sucked into this book. The beginning caught my attention much faster and Scarlet’s story reinvested me in the series. The mystery surrounding the Lunars becomes even more suspenseful and has even higher stakes in this book. I loved the new characters we added to the story in this book and cannot wait to see where they go in the future.

Overall, I was much more impressed with this book. Meyers melds the two main story lines together so well and all of the character’s voices are distinct. There are a lot of character point of views to cover and they all feel complete and necessary. Overall I enjoyed this book even more than Cinder and now I’m thrilled to move forward with the series!

I’m planning on starting Cress with a glass of wine in the tub tonight and I’m super excited.

#FridayReads and Reading Challenge

Wondering what I'll be reading this weekend? Curious to see what challenge I'll be using to kick start my reading this week? You are in luck! I've made a video all about it!

Unfinished Book Series

There are so many series to read! I have started a lot already, but I have so many on my shelves I need to finish. It is a big problem. This is just a quick compilation of the series I've already started and cannot wait to finish. 

Series Mentioned: 

Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater 

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead 

The Darkest Mind by Alexandra Bracken

The Winner's Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski 

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas 

The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey 

The Old Kingdom Series by Garth Nix

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman 

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige 

Let me know what series you need to finish! I know there are plenty more on my TBR shelf I need to work on. It's tough and I hope I can finish even more in the new year. 

Top Ten (Plus a Few) Books I'm Looking Forward To In 2015

Once again it is time to make a Top Ten Tuesday about the books you are thrilled to get your hands on in the coming year. Thank you to the Broke and the Bookish for hosting this meme because I spent an evening getting overexcited to discover new releases and anticipate sequels to some of my favorites.

There are so many exciting books coming out in 2015!! In fact, there are so many books being released in 2015 I couldn't pick just 10. Since I was going to pick more than 10 anyway, I decided to just list them all. Go big or go home! I went way over this week, but I hope you'll forgive me since I also included lots of beautiful covers in this post.

November Wrap Up (2014)

This month has been a great reading month in terms of content, but a bit dismal in terms of numbers. I only read five books this month. They were all rather large books and I loved all the books I read. However, everything I read was finished in the first half of the month. Since then I've been slumpy and haven't been reading anything. I'm rolling with the slump for now, but I'm hoping I'll get over it soon. I love to read this time of year, but right now I am just not feeling it. Wish me luck in December! I hope you have had a lovely start to your holiday season.

Books Mentioned: 

The Archived by Victoria Schwab 

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer 

Elizabeth the Queen by Sally Bedell Smith 

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater 

Cress by Marissa Meyer

Review- Jane Austen Cover to Cover by Margaret C. Sullivan

 

Genre: Non-fiction
Hardcover - 224 pgs
Published by Quirk Books
Source: Review Copy from Quirk 
Add it // Buy it 
Rating: 5/5

Jane Austen’s six novels are true classics, still immensely popular some 200 years after their first publication. But although the celebrated stories never change, the covers are always different. Jane Austen Cover to Cover compiles two centuries of design, from elegant Victorian hardcovers and the famed 1894 “Peacock” edition to 1950s pulp, movie tie-in editions, graphic novels, foreign-language translations, and many, many others. Filled with beautiful artwork and insightful commentary, this fascinating and visually intriguing collection is a must for Janeites, design geeks, and book lovers of every stripe.

In true Janeite fashion I cannot fix upon the page or the cover that made me fall in love with this book. It may have been the moment I opened it! When I stumbled onto a twitter post that gave me the chance to review this book, I jumped on it. It is appealing to the Jane Austen fan that I am and my bibliophile side simply because it is a book about beautiful books.

First of all, the physical copy is so delightful to read and look through. The interior and pages are bright and colorful with so many quotes and interesting facts about Austen, her characters, and her books thrown in between the covers. Within the collection of Austen's book covers, there is a history of publishing and readership of her books as well. The stories of the covers and pictures are so interesting. I loved to see the cover trends based on time periods and popularity of the works. The pictures are beautiful and I found so many beautiful covers I wish were on my shelves! My favorite is probably the Peacock edition like so many others, but I also loved some of the more modern sets like the Penguin Limited Editions.

Another wonderful thing about this book is I know I'll be able to read it and look through a lot and learn something new every time. I started out trying to read the whole book, but I kept stalling after a few pages. Instead a few days later I flipped through it reading pages that interested me and skipping the ones that didn't. A few days after that I did the same thing again. After several peruses through the book, I feel like I've gotten a lot of knowledge and enjoyment out of the book without sitting down to read it straight through. It was so much fun to find my copies of Austen's novels as well.

This would make an excellent Christmas gift for any Austen fan in your life. The book is fun and interesting plus it can be enjoyed again and again. I would highly recommend it!

*The publisher sent me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Three Series I've Missed Out On

You may have noticed from the posts on this blog I love young-adult fiction and consume quite a bit of it. Yet as much as I love young-adult books, they usually occur in sets of three (or more!). Committing to a new series is hard especially since I already have so many unread on my shelves. It is impossible to read every series that comes out since time is limited. Plus there are always new books and series being debuted.

Therefore, today I'm going to list three series I haven't read and I don't believe I am going to make an effort to read them. These are popular series, but they are not very appeal to me or I've tried to read them in the past without any luck.

Because I haven't read these books, I have no idea if these series are amazing or terrible. This is not a reflection on the merit of the book or their authors. For me, these series are not as appealing as some others I already own or want to purchase so I don't think I'll be picking them up.

1) Mara Dyer Trilogy by Michelle Hodkin - I've heard a lot of talk about this series, but it doesn't really appeal to me. Even though so many people have been waiting so long for book three, I haven't jumped on the bandwagon. I don't think I'll be picking this one up just because it doesn't sound amazing to me and I've heard very mixed reviews. I have the first book on my Kindle though so you never know.

2) The Selection Series by Kira Cass -  While coming up with this list, I wasn't sure if I wanted to add this series or not. The three books in this series do appeal to me, but I've borrowed them in various formats from the library and I never read them when I have them. HOWEVER, I want The Heir on my shelves so badly, that cover is gorgeous, so it might happen eventually.

3) Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld  - For me, dystopians is not my favorite. I like it occasionally, but I don't reach for it without encouragement. This series is one of the original YA dystpoians and I doubt I'll ever pick it up even though so many people really rave about it. I do plan on picking up some of Scott Westerfield's other books, but this one is not as interesting to me.

  

Let me know if I'm missing out or if I must check these series out!

Book Scenarios Tag

This one was filmed a little while ago and I just found the footage on my computer. This tag was a lot of fun! Thanks to the creator Lindsay Hearts Books for making this tag. Questions are in the video description. 

People Mentioned:

Lindsay Hearts Books: http://goo.gl/uPU2U5

Katytastic: http://goo.gl/uUR7cN

Books Mentioned: 

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick 

The Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix 

Making Sense of the Troubles by David McKittrick 

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan 

Persuasion by Jane Austen 

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Sanctum by Madeline Roux

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Top Ten Books on My Winter TBR

This week on Top Ten Tuesday the topic is one I'm not very good at. I constantly make TBRs then never follow them. I'm a mood reader, but I still try to make lists of books I want to read now! So we shall see how this list pans out. Even though I want to talk about all the cool new released coming in the new year, mostly this list includes books I already own since the holiday season means I'll be shopping for other instead of myself and I need to reduce me enormous unread book pile.

1) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - This book has been on my Kindle for a few months. I really want to read it, but I don't want to be sad. Also there are a lot of people who tell me this is their favorite book and that is a lot of pressure! I want to read it and I want to like it. So I'm not sure if I'll make it to this one. I keep putting it off.

2) Blood Promise by Richelle Mead - This book has been on my TBR for what seems like forever even though its only been about a year. I really like this series and need to power throught the last three books.

3) Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - I need to finish this series! I enjoyed book two, but since I read it so long ago, I forget a lot of it. Not many people have made it through this series, but I intend to!

4) Legend by Marie Lu -  So many people love this series. I think I might have spoiled the entire series by accident on Tumblr the other day. Even so, I'm going to try to read it without thinking about that too much.

5) The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - Every TBR I create I say I want to finish this book. I am making progress! I've made it through a dozen stories in the last couple weeks and I have a goal to read The Hounds of Baskerville by Christmas.

    

6) Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Mariller - This book has been recommended to me so many times and I really want to check out this series. There are retelling elements and fantasy elements! I just started it, but I've started about a million things recently so I hope I get to this.

7) Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - Everyone loves this book and I really want to read it. Somehow I've just ignored it sitting on my shelf even though it sounds amazing. Hopefully while I'm trapped inside due to snow and cold I'll check it out.

8) Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert - This book has the honor of being on my TBR pile the longest according to Goodreads. I really need to read this and I always tend to pick up more classics in the winter so it seems like a good thing to add.

9) The Will of the Empress by Tamora Pierce - Already started this one too! I like it so far, but again need to finish it before I start yet another book.

10) The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss - This is the most iffy book. I'm not sure if I'll get to this one, but I want to try it over my Christmas break from work since I'll have a lot of time to just sit and read without distractions.

    


Last Week's TTT -----> Top Ten Sequels I Can't Wait for

Five Reasons to Check Out the Library

One of my favorite places in the world is my local library. You may know this because of my many library hauls where I talk about all the amazing books I've picked up recently. (1, 2, 3, 4) I love to visit and spend time there and everything about it I find relaxing and wonderful.  Recently though I was talking to someone who mentioned they don't like the library. I was shocked and confused! Not like libraries! So I thought I'd make a quick list of reasons why you should check out the library. 

Source

Fall Time Cozy Time Tag

It is almost time for winter, but I had to squeeze this Fall Time Tag in before the change of seasons since Fall is my favorite. It competes heavily with summer, but since my birthday falls in Fall, the autumn always wins.

Top Ten Sequels I Can't Wait To Get

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and the Bookish. This week is the Top Ten Sequels We Cannot Wait to Get! This is a great topic and one that is really easy since there are so many series I am in the middle of right now! 

The amount of waiting I am doing right now for sequels is unacceptable! There are so many amazing things set to come out rather soon, but not soon enough! This time I have a mix. There are five sequels listed that are upcoming releases. The other five are books I just haven't gotten my hands on yet. Sadly two of my upcoming releases do not have covers yet, but the others have AMAZING covers so I think you'll be ok. 

I'm just doing covers this week since all of my descriptions will be: I loved this book! Give me the next one! 

   '

4) The Raven Cycle #4 - There isn't even a title for this book yet and I haven't finished Blue Lily, Lily Blue, but I am dying for the last book already! I know I am probably going to need it immediately no matter how the third book ends. 

5) Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas- Technically I already own this book, but I haven't put my hands on it to read it yet so I am throwing it on here because I want to read it so much! 

Previously released: 

  

 

My Last Top Ten -----> Books I Want to Reread

Cleaning Up These Used Books

A couple of weeks ago I spent an afternoon cleaning up some of my used books. I've purchase a good chunks of my books second hand and enjoy cleaning them up and taking stickers off of the books to help clean them up. I spent an few hours one afternoon working on these books. It can take a lot longer if you have several library copies to work on or if you only have a few stickers to take off, the process can go much faster. 

My Supplies:  Books Hair Dryer Paper Towels Goo Gone Kitchen knife  (I've also used an exacto knife for this) Scissors

Other Things Needed: Patience  A TV episode Tasty Beverage Time Requirements 2-3 minutes per sticker 8-10 minutes per Library covering

Top Auto-Buy Authors

There are a few authors on my shelf I will buy books from no matter the cost or if it is going to be hard to get! I love these authors no matter how many or few books they've published so far. I have authors on this list who have published a lot and other who have only published one series. Check it out if you are interested in some of the authors are my absolute favorites. 

Review - Everything Leads to You by Nina Lacour

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

Hardcover: 307 pgs (Hardcover) 

Published: May 2014 by Penguin 

How I got it: Borrowed Library Copy 

Add it // Buy it 

Rating 5/5 

A wunderkind young set designer, Emi has already started to find her way in the competitive Hollywood film world.

Emi is a film buff and a true romantic, but her real-life relationships are a mess. She has desperately gone back to the same girl too many times to mention. But then a mysterious letter from a silver screen legend leads Emi to Ava. Ava is unlike anyone Emi has ever met. She has a tumultuous, not-so-glamorous past, and lives an unconventional life. She’s enigmatic…. She’s beautiful. And she is about to expand Emi’s understanding of family, acceptance, and true romance.

It is quite past the season for summery contemporary books, but I picked one up recently since I was in the mood for something light. It sounded like a good way to extend my summer! While contemporary isn't a genre I reach for often, I do love them when I pick them up. This book has a lot of hype surrounding it so my interest was piqued but I remained unconvinced it would thrill me when I brought it home from the library.

Top Ten Books I Want To Reread

Before this year, I rarely reread this book. I was so preoccupied with reading books that had just been released and new books! I ignored some of my favorite books from the past for so long! So this year I started rereading books and it is glorious! Anyway this Top Ten Tuesday topic is top ten books you want to reread. A lot of these are on this list simply because I want to reread the entire series of books attached to them, but other have made the list because I want to experience them again and try to catch more the second time around.

1) Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

2) Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare 

3) Eon by Alison Goodman 

4) A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

5) Trickster’s Choice by Tamora Pierce  

6) Defiance by C.J. Redwine
7) Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan 

8) Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst 

9) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern 

10) The Hobbit by J. R.R. Tolkien 

This has been a hectic week so no pictures or fancy list making this time. Next week will be back to links and fancy list making! Happy Reading!

October Wrap Up

This month has been a confusing reading month. The whole month I felt like I wasn't making any progress in my reading especially toward the end of the month. I had a major book hangover from one of the books I read and could not read anything for the last 10-12 days of the month. Even so I read 11(I say 10 in the video because I forgot one) books this month which seems unreal to me! I'm finally getting out of my reading funk and finally spent some time reading today.

Books Mentioned: 

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour
The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan 
Red Flannel Rag by Peggy Anne Shifflet
Saga Vol. 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
Linger by Maggie Steifvater
Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers 
Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers
The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan (Graphic Novel Adaptation)
The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (Graphic Novel Adaptation) 
Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke
The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G, Wells

**In the interest of transparency I did win a copy of Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers from the publisher, Harper Collins Harcourt, but the thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

#FridayReads (17)

I've been in a bit of a slump ever since I finished Mortal Heart. I'm really hoping to change that this weekend though and I started reading some books today to be proactive. If your interested to see what I chose check out my first #FridayReads video. Hopefully this will fix my reading problems!

Top Ten Books/Movies To Read Or Watch To Get In The Halloween Spirit

This week the topic for Top Ten Tuesday is all about your favorite books and movies to get in the Halloween spirit. I love this topic. Not only is fall my favorite season, Halloween has some of the best mood setting movies and books. As always, the Broke and the Bookish host Top Ten Tuesday.

Movies 

1) Hocus Pocus - Sistas! This will always be in my number one choice for all things Halloween! This movie is fantastic. It has witches, zombies, magic and a talking cat plus lots of laughs. All of this is wrapped up nicely with classic 90's style of course. It is a little spooky, but not scary so of course I love it!


2) Practical Magic - This movie has Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman and I think it is so underrated! It follows two sister witches who have taken very different paths in life and love. They need to work together to fix a breakup gone wrong. Again it has lots of magic and gets you into the Halloween mood so well. Some of my favorite movie quotes come from this movie as well.

 My darling girl, when are you going to realize that being normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage!'

3) Sleepy Hollow - I'm going to squeeze my favorite TV of the moment in here as well. Sleepy Hollow is a great show that is loosely based on the story by Washington Irving. There is an amazing amount of intricacy and planning going into this show. I love it. 

4) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone- Even though this series is all about wizard, I associate the movies mostly with Christmas, but the Halloween feast and troll scene is classic. Plus any excuse to watch Harry Potter is a good one. 

5) The Mummy - This is another one of my favorite movies and the creepy nature makes it ideal for the week of Halloween. Plus is features a librarian who is confident in who she is and a dashing fortune hunter. What more could you ask for? 

     

Books

6) Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake - If you like Supernatural, you will love this duology. Cas reminds me of the Winchesters so much and that's part of the reason it is so perfect for Halloween. This book is filled with supernatural situations and paranormal creatures. Lots of fun for the holiday! 

7) The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells - This read is a creepy fest! 

8) Virals by Kathy Reichs - Again this is a great story with creepy, paranormal creatures in it. I don't think it gets enough attention, but this is a great YA series. 

9) The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey - I haven't read this book yet, but I think it sounds like the ultimate Halloween read. There are monsters galore it sounds like and I'm anxious to read this one. 

10) The Fall by Bethany Griffin - A retelling of the Fall of the House of Usher? What could get you into the Halloween spirit faster? I've heard great things about this book and cannot wait to pick it up! 

 

My New Project - Broadening Horizons

Recently I’ve realized most of the books I read are fantasy and usually YA fantasy. Personally, I don’t think this is a bad thing. I want to read those genres and I enjoy them immensely. However, I want to push my boundaries and expand my horizons. I would like an effort to explore genres I’m not familiar with and read books that are outside my comfort zone. I’m going to be trying out six new genres by reading two books from each over the next six months. Check out my video below for a better explanation and a list of the genres (and a few books) I’ll be trying.  

Also I mention in the video I need suggestions for books in these genres since I’m just starting to venture into them. If you have suggestions for good examples of these genres, please let me know. I’d love to hear about them! 

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Happy Reading! 

Would You Rather? - Book Tag

Recently I did the Would You Rather tag over on my Youtube channel. I decide which books I want to survive a raid of my bookshelf, which books I want to keep in certain circumstances and more. It was a lot of fun! Check it out! 

Top New Series I Want To Start

The constant stream of new ne of the many reasons I have a love/hate relationship with young adult. This week on Top Ten Tuesday the Broke and the Bookish have asked us what new series we want to start.

I've tried to pick series that have really caught my interest over the last year or two, but there are a couple older ones that I'm very excited for.


1) Avalon by Mindee Arnett - When you can get the chance to bring back Firefly in any way, shape or form, how do you resist? I am dying to start this series and want to read the first book before the next one is published.

2) The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepard - I've been a bit obsessed with historical fiction lately and I love retellings so this series really can't go wrong for me.

3) Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - This is another historical series I am really excited to get my hands on. Sadly, I don't own it yet, but I've heard nothing but good things. This one is WWII era instead of medieval but still very appealing.

4) Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis - I don't normally jump at dystopian or apocalyptic stories, but this one sounds different and very interesting. I've heard it is violent so I'm a little hesitant to start it though so this one might take a little while for me to pick up.

5) The Remnant Chronicles by Mary E. Pearson - This fantasy series has some really great reviews and a really interesting premise. I have already started reading book one, The Kiss of Deception, and I'm enjoying it very much.

6) Paper Gods by Amanda Sun - Another series that sounds so interesting! This one is about a boy who draws things that come alive! Why wouldn't I want to read this. Plus the covers are gorgeous.

7) Between Series by April Genevieve Tucholke - Both of the books in this series have cool names and the story sounds creepy. This isn't on the top of the list, but I'm still very interested in it and have heard good things.

8) Firebird Series by Claudia Gray - Technically this series hasn't even started yet, but I am so excited for this book. It sounds like Doctor Who with a cool twist and a female heroine. I'm pumped!

9) Wait for You by J. Lynn - I've slowly been building up my stock pile of this series and have a large collection of unread Jennifer L. Armentrout books in my collection. I really need to start and finish all of these series.

10) Dark Caravan Cycle by Heather Demetrios - The first in this series, Exquisite Captive, just over a week ago. This take on jinnis sounds so interesting and I really want to check it out soon.

   

Review - Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

Genre: Historical Fiction
ARC: 464 pgs
Comes out: November 4th 2014
Published by HMH 
Series: His Fair Assassins #3 (Final) 
Add it // Buy it 
Rating: 5/5 

Annith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own.


She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind doesn't mean she has...

I won a free ARC copy of this book from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Goodreads, but this is an honest review with my own thoughts and feelings. 

I made a comment at the end of my Dark Triumph review that Annith's story would have to be truly phenomenal in order to top book two in this series. It was. It truly was fantastic and I am so full of stuff I want to say I don't know where to start.

Raven Cycle Fangirling

The latest installment of The Raven Cycle, Blue Lily, Lily Blue, by Maggie Stiefvater is coming out on Tuesday!! That is only two days away and I just got my shipment notification that my copy is on its way! I am a total fangirl over this series and was introduced to it just over a year ago. Today I'm going to be trying to convince you to read this book and start this series just in time for book three to be released. I have three basic reasons why you should check it out and if you still aren't convinced, check back in a little while and I'm sure I'll think of more reasons.