Saturday, July 18, 2015

Burn, Re-Write, Re-Read

Alright so I've seen this going around on Twitter a lot lately, and I thought why not give it a shot. And because I'm a glutton for punishment I'm going to do ten different rounds. Yes that's right, ten rounds of book burning, re-writing, and re-reading! However, I will be breaking it up into two separate posts. So lets get to it!

Monday, July 13, 2015

Maniac Monday #3

#otspsecretsister, Camp NaNoWriMo, and more!

Welcome back to another Maniac Monday! This week, I'm going to talk about the #otspsecretsister tag, my progress with Camp NaNoWriMo, and a few other things!

So to start with, I want to go over this amazing thing that is happening over on Twitter that goes by the #otspsecretsister tag! What exactly is it, you wonder? Well, it's this amazing thing that Brittany, Amy, and Alyssa started that pretty much runs like a six month long Secret Santa event, except it's for book lovers!

What exactly do you do for this Secret Sister event? You would need to head over to any of their blog pages and read over the FAQs first, after doing that and making sure that its something that you have the commitment for, check out their blog page for the Round 3 sign ups and send them an email with the required information. Please note that they must know you in order to be able to sign up for this event. If this sounds like something you might like to do, but don't yet know any of these three lovely ladies, start using the #otspsecretsister tag, talk to them, and get to know them. They are a pretty fun group and not at all scary so don't be shy!

If you want to check out any of their blog pages or check them out on Twitter, you can find them here:

Brittany:
Twitter: @bookaddictguide
blog: http://www.bookaddictsguide.com/

Amy:
Twitter: @trippingbooks
blog: http://www.trippingoverbooks.com/

Alyssa:
Twitter: @WithTheBanned
blog: http://bookstakeyouplaces.com/

Now I realize, I still really haven't answered what exactly one can expect from joining #otspsecretsister so here it is. By joining #otspsecretsister you get to make new friends who love books just as much as you do. So by signing up for this event, you will get your own secret sister as well as be someones secret sister. Throughout a span of six months, you will send your sister sister goodies, cards, pick me ups, and basically anything else that you can think of. When you sign up, you pick a price range that works best for you, and each month you should be sending your secret sister some goodies that will equate to that amount. However, while its fun to send and receive cool items and books, this event is really about getting to know other people and sending cheerful notes. So definitely remember to send those thoughtful letters/cards/etc to your secret sister just to let them know you are thinking about them! So that is what #otspsecretsister is all about. Sending another book lover some cheer and letting them know that you are thinking about them! It's going to be great fun and I seriously can't wait until I get my Secret Sister!


Camp NaNoWriMo:

This month I'm attempting to work on Camp NaNoWriMo with a goal of writing 50,000 words during this month. However, at day 13, I'm so far behind its not even funny. But I'm not going to give up. Even if I don't make it to 50,000 words written this month, I will have written more words than I originally had so that is still very much a win for me.

I've been mostly working on my Original Fiction novel for this goal, but the other night I hit a small snag and decided to begin working on my Harry Potter Fanfiction novel again. I was pleasantly surprised when a section that I've been hung up on for quite some time began working itself out and suddenly the chapter was almost done! Tonight, I'm hoping to work on my stories a bit more, maybe finish off that chapter I was working on last night and maybe see if I can get my Original Fiction story to play nicely.

Book Update:

So the other day, my boyfriend surprised me and decided to take me out for lunch and then we were going to go hang out at the zoo and just have an "us" day. However, after lunch, we decided that it was much to warm and gross outside to spend a lot of time out so we decided to hit the Mall of America and just wander around. To make this better, I got to stop into Barnes and Noble, talk about a lucky girl!

Of course, its extremely tempting walking through the many rows of books and even worse when I make it into the YA section. I was only going to buy one book since I still have so many sitting around my house, waiting for me to pick them up, but then I ended up with a dilemma between which book I should get. So I wandered up and down the YA section, picking up a bunch of books (that I still so badly want), but then I came to Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas and after all of the hype and excitement and amazing things that I've heard about it from my Twitter friends, I knew that this had to be the next book for me.

But of course, things can't be quite that easy because then I see The Winners Curse by Marie Rutkoski and I suddenly couldn't decide! I've heard great things about both of them and they were both really high on my wish list of books and I just didn't know which one to get. So then my boyfriend finally comes up to me and sees me with both books in my hand and asks me how much they are. I tell him, and was completely expecting him to tell me to only get the cheaper one, but instead, he surprised me and told me to get both! I am now the extremely happy owner of both Throne of Glass and The Winners Curse and I can't wait to begin reading them!

Anyways, I think this is where I'm going to leave it for this Maniac Monday post! If you have any questions at all, want to tell me how amazing these books are, send some words of encouragement for Camp NaNo, or just talk, feel free to leave a comment! 

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Under the Empyrean Sky by Chuck Wendig

*Image and Summary taken from goodreads.com

Book: Under the Empyrean Sky (Heartland Trilogy #1)
Author: Chuck Wendig

Summary: Corn is king in the Heartland, and Cael McAvoy has had enough of it. It's the only crop the Empyrean government allows the people of the Heartland to grow? And the genetically modified strain is so aggressive that it takes everything the Heartlanders have just to control it. As captain of the Big Sky Scavengers, Cael and his crew sail their rickety ship over the corn day after day, scavenging for valuables, trying to earn much-needed ace notes for their families. But Cael's tired of surviving life on the ground while the Empyrean elite drift by above in their extravagant sky flotillas. He's sick of the mayor's son besting Cael's crew in the scavenging game. And he's worried about losing Gwennie? his first mate and the love of his life? forever when their government-chosen spouses are revealed. But most of all, Cael is angry? angry that their lot in life will never get better and that his father doesn't seem upset about any of it. Cael's ready to make his own luck . . . even if it means bringing down the wrath of the Empyrean elite and changing life in the Heartland forever. 

Release Date: July 30, 2013
Rating: 3/5

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

To Be Read Tuesday #2

Welcome to the second To Be Read Tuesday! This week I'm going to discuss the series that won as the next series I need to read, The Raven Boys.


So I've ever only heard great things about this book and I've contemplated it before, but I have always put it aside for some other book. Now after the urging of a few different friends, this book and the others in this series have found their way to the top of my To Be Read list. So what am I thinking about this book?

One, that cover! Like seriously though, whoever designed this book cover knew exactly what they were doing. It's eye catching and intriguing. Everything about this cover really screams out to me. From the wisps to the large Raven and what looks like eyes on it wings, I don't have a single fault against this cover. It definitely hints towards a darker book, with some intrigue, and some mysterious aspects to the book. I feel like this book will have some surprises in store for me. 

Two, the summary. The concept of this book is just fantastic. I love that a group of soon-to-be dead people walk by and that the main character has never seen them before, but this time, she does. And in doing so, it attaches her to four boys she never would have originally found herself hanging with. From there, we get to know a little bit about the four boys that I feel like are each going to take a piece of me with them. But really the thing that gets me most from the summary, is that we know that something is wrong, and that our main character is either the killer or has found her one true love in the boy she sees as the soon-to-be dead. So much is left open and I'm really not sure what I should expect for this book other than the fact that I'm sure its going to be a great read. 

And three, four boys means four times the heartache and possibly falling for each of them in their own way. Like seriously, how is my heart supposed to handle this? 

So there you have it, my thoughts about The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. 

Ashes to Ashes by Melissa C. Walker


*Image and Summary taken from goodreads.com

Book: Ashes to Ashes
Author: Melissa Walker

Summary: A timeless and romantic ghost story that will haunt readers long after the last page is turned.

When Callie's life is cut short by a tragic accident in her hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, her spirit travels to another dimension called the Prism. Here she meets a striking and mysterious ghost named Thatcher, who guides her as she learns how to bring peace to those she left behind. But Callie soon uncovers a dark secret about the spirit world: some of the souls in it are angry, and they desperately want revenge. These souls are willing to do whatever it takes to stay on Earth, threatening the existence of everyone she ever cared about.

Perfect for fans of Gayle Forman's If I Stay and Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall, this thoughtful and suspenseful novel will have readers eager to read the sequel, Dust to Dust.

Release Date: May 5, 2015
Rating: 4/5

Monday, July 6, 2015

Maniac Monday #2

So this weekend, I sort of failed at posting anything on my blog. I would love to blame the holiday on this, but sadly that doesn't even come close. I spent my holiday on my computer at home so really I shouldn't have any excuse however, I do have a few good ones. One, its Camp NaNoWriMo and I seriously need to get going on it, even after spending the majority of my day working on it on Saturday. And two, I spent all day Sunday doing stuff for another website that I'm on. It was a lot of fun and I wouldn't have changed it for the world, but doing that meant I didn't write my blog entry. Oh well, I'm here today and that's all that counts.

What are some things I'm looking forward to this week? Well, I've got some fun posts coming up, including, The Raven Boys, my top ten summer reads, and my favorite book to movie, as well as some other fun topics so keep your eyes out for that.

Other non-blog related news, I will be spending a good portion of my time writing for Camp NaNo and hopefully catching up on word count since I'm currently sitting about 10K behind but I know that I can do it, I just have to remember that a first draft doesn't have to be good... the words just need to get on paper. That's probably one of the biggest things I struggle with. I want it to sound perfect right away even though that's not always possible so I just have to take things slowly and forget about the need to be perfect and just let it all flow out.

In reading news, I'm currently making my way through Ashes to Ashes by Melissa Walker as well as reading Under the Empyrean Sky by Chuck Wendig and they both seem to be taking me by surprise a bit so I'm really looking forward to finishing them up soon. I'm also really excited because I was able to talk my boyfriend into watching The Maze Runner with me this weekend, and we both actually liked it, even though he had told me he wasn't going to watch it. So I was a bit surprised when the next day, he came home from work with the rest of the books in the series (I already had The Maze Runner, just haven't read it yet). And things get even better that he actually wants to read the series, but he wants to wait until I've finished reading them. Guess this means I need to put time aside soon and get to those books so he doesn't have to wait too long for them.

What is currently on your reading list? Have any of them taken you by surprise yet?

Friday, July 3, 2015

July To Be Read List and June Wrap Up

June was an exciting month for me! I got more active over on Twitter and met a bunch of lovely bloggers. I came up with theme days for my blog and even read and reviewed a few extra books than I had originally planned on. So lets take a look at what I had managed to do during the month of June.

For book reviews:
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Wicked Business by Janet Evanovich
The Shadow Revolution by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith

And a list of my non-book review posts:
My Favorite Pairings
Ten Book Series You Should Read if you Haven't Already
My Announcement for Theme Days
Series Sunday #1- Harry Potter
Maniac Monday #1

So altogether, I would say that June was a really successful month for me! I had a lot of fun reading and reviewing new books and also coming up with some fun new things to do with my blog.

Now onto my hopes for July!

I have a lot of books that I'm looking forward to reading this month and I've already managed to get one done! You can check out my book review for the newly released Wicked Charms by Janet Evanovich and Phoef Sutton here! So what other books I'm I hoping to read this month?

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab
Under the Empyrean Sky by Chuck Wendig
Blightborn by Chuck Wendig
In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

I also have a bunch of others that I would like to read as well, but my main focus will be to get through those four books. Beyond the reading and reviewing aspect of my blog, I would like to maintain my daily themes throughout the month and have a new post everyday! This shouldn't be too hard to do as I've already got the topics figured out for each day.

Have you read any of the books on my to-read list? What did you think of them? Also, do any of you have any fun posts or book reviews planned for July?

Favorite Friday #1

As a big reader, there is nothing like finding that amazing spot to just hangout with a good book and maybe a drink or two. That is why, for my first Favorite Friday, I am going to talk about my favorite places to read!

I just moved a few months ago, actually, it will be a year in October, and I'm still learning each day of different places in the house and outside that make nice reading spots. Of course, laying in my bed and curling up with a book before I go to sleep is always a wonderful feeling, but someday's, it just doesn't work for me. I get tired out from just laying there all day, or I get restless and can't get comfortable. So recently, I've taken upon myself to find better places to read during the day when my bed just doesn't do it for me. So far, I have found a few new wonderful places to hangout and read.

The first place, is the lovely library I have in my house.

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Wicked Charms by Janet Evanovich


*Image and Summary taken from goodreads.com

Book: Wicked Charms
Author: Janet Evanovich and Phoef Sutton

Summary: Murdered and mummified more than ninety years ago, bootlegger Collier “Peg Leg” Dazzle once found and re-hid a famous pirate’s treasure somewhere along the coast of New England. A vast collection of gold and silver coins and precious gems, the bounty also contains the Stone of Avarice — the very item reluctant treasure seeker, Lizzy Tucker, and her partner, Diesel, have been enlisted to find. While Lizzy would just like to live a quiet, semi-normal life, Diesel is all about the hunt. And this hunt is going to require a genuine treasure map and a ship worthy of sailing the seven seas . . . or at least getting them from Salem Harbor to Maine.

Greed is eternal and insatiable, and Lizzy and Diesel aren’t the only ones searching for the lost pirate’s chest. There are people who have dedicated their entire lives to finding it, and are willing to commit murder or make a deal with the devil, just to hold the fortune in their hands. One of those people may even be Wulf, Diesel’s deceptively charming and enigmatic cousin. Wulf desires the Stone of Avarice. He also desires Lizzy. It’s hard to say how far he’s willing to go to gain either one.

It’s a swashbuckling adventure full of raiders, monkeys, minions, and mayhem. Lizzy and Diesel are going to have to do everything they can to keep their heads above water and hope they are living a charmed life.

Release Date: June 23, 2015
Rating: 3.5/5

This book was received though NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. In no way does this influence my thoughts on the book. 

After reading the first two books in this series, I wasn't sure how much I was going to like this one, after all, it seemed like they followed a general plot path and didn't shake things up much. However, I was pleasantly surprised from the beginning of the book. 

Top Ten Thursday #1

Today we are going to look at the top ten books I'm looking forward to being released later this year. (that was a mouthful)

So without further ado, here are the top ten I'm looking forward to!


Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday #1

For my first Waiting on Wednesday, I thought it only appropriate, that I talk about the one book that I'm most excited for, Soundless by Richelle Mead!

*Image and Summary taken from Goodreads

Summary: For as long as Fei can remember, there has been no sound in her village, where rocky terrain and frequent avalanches prevent residents from self-sustaining. Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom. 

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink and many go hungry. Fei’s home, the people she loves, and her entire existence is plunged into crisis, under threat of darkness and starvation.

But soon Fei is awoken in the night by a searing noise, and sound becomes her weapon.

Richelle Mead takes readers on a triumphant journey from the peak of Fei’s jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiugo, where a startling truth and an unlikely romance will change her life forever...
 

To Be Read Tuesday #1

This week on To Be Read Tuesday, I'm going to talk about Those Secrets We Keep by Emily Liebert.

*Image and summary taken from Goodreads

Summary: On the surface, Sloane has the perfect life—an adoring husband, a precocious daughter, and enough financial security to be a stay-at-home mom. Still, she can’t help but feel as though something—or someone—is missing....

Hillary has a successful career and a solid marriage. The only problem is her inability to conceive. And there’s a very specific reason why....

As the wild-child daughter of old family money, Georgina has never had to accept responsibility for anything. So when she realizes an unexpected life change could tie her down forever, she does exactly what she’s always done: escape.

When these three women unite for a three-week-long summer vacation in beautiful Lake George, New York, even with the idyllic location as their backdrop, the tensions begin to mount. And they quickly discover that no secret can be kept forever....