I love declaring that I’m going to binge a book series and then abandoning it halfway through. Not usually for lack of interest or anything, but just other books popping up and getting in the way! I make these grand plans and create my binge-filled review posts, then they sit in drafts forever because I don’t ACTUALLY binge the series. This has happened in more ways than I can count – physical book binges, audiobook binges, fantasy books, contemporary books, super-long series, super-short series, and everything in between. Unsuccessful Binges Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas Started: June 2016 /// Books read so far: 2 I randomly pressed play on the audiobook one morning and blitzed through book one, then moved on to the novella book afterwards. I don’t remember why I lost steam, but I remember just wanting to switch to a lighter audiobook afterwards. I definitely plan to get going on this one again really soon, but it’s not exactly the binge I had in mind. I have a review post drafted for the first three books and then will post one for the next three books in September, when Empire of Storms comes out. Then, I’ll read the final book with everyone else the following year! The Islanders series by Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant Started: June 2016 /// Books read so far: 1 I brought this one along on vacation with me and it took surprisingly long to read. It was honestly not super engaging for me, but […]

I listen to a lot of audiobooks – usually about 3 or 4 a month, depending on their length. Oddly enough, I don’t really review or rate the audiobook element in my book reviews. I focus on the same things (plot, characters, pacing, etc.) and only mention the narration if it was BAD. I love when people share more information about the audiobooks specifically, so I’m not sure why I don’t. Hence the reason for today’s post! I want to share some of my favorite audiobooks and audio narrators that I’ve read since I started listening to audiobooks a couple of years ago. Tried-and-True Favorites Julia Whelan I’ve listened to the most audiobooks by Julia Whelan – with good reason! She’s done a great job with Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books, in my opinion. I’ve listened to half of One True Loves and all of After I Do as audiobooks. She also narrated Tease and Of Beast and Beauty, which I generally enjoyed too. The only thing I don’t really like about her is her “male voice” impression. It sounds weirdly breathy or something. Tim Curry THE BEST. Second to only another guy on this list. I looooved his narration for the Series of Unfortunate Events. I did my whole reread of this series via audio. Some of the books were narrated by “Lemony Snicket” and most were done by Tim Curry. He was absolutely amazing and I loved every millisecond. Even Carmalita Spats. Will Patton I tried really hard to read this […]

I’ve chatted before about some of my favorite places to read (please ignore the utterly terrible graphics from my early days! Good god.) Today I’ll be sharing a little update to that post featuring a few Instagram pictures over the years. I’m highlighting my favorite places to read during the summertime, because there’s nothing better than reading outside! Check out some of my pictures and let me know where YOU like to read during the summer! Pool Chris’s parents have a gorgeous pool at their house and I spend a LOT of time reading there and floating around. I grew up reading in the pool with my mom every summer, so I’m experienced at not getting my book wet! I like to lounge on a float and read, but sometimes I walk around inside the pool with book above water. ☀️??? First swim time! . . . #book #bookblogger #bookstagram #instabook #ireadya #read #reading #currentlyreading #bookworm #bibliophile #currentread A photo posted by Lauren @ Bookmark Lit (@bookmark_lit) on Jun 19, 2016 at 1:28pm PDT #Sunday ??☀️ A photo posted by Lauren @ Bookmark Lit (@bookmark_lit) on Jul 5, 2015 at 12:05pm PDT Let’s see how many of these I can read while floating around the pool all day ☀️? #15beautifuldays A photo posted by Lauren @ Bookmark Lit (@bookmark_lit) on Jun 14, 2015 at 11:58am PDT Porch We moved out of our old apartment because I needed a porch to read on. I love having the ability to go outside and sit […]

There are so many awesome posts out there about being a book polygamist vs. book monogamist, and I LOVE them. Everyone’s reasoning for one over the other is fascinating to me and I will always read your posts on the subject. This is not exactly a post about reading multiple books at once. This is about that “currently reading” shelf on Goodreads. I have to say, I am anal retentive about keeping that shelf nice and clean.  For me, the “currently reading” shelf consists of the books I am legitimately currently reading. I’m always reading one audiobook and one “real” book. Sometimes I read one physical copy, one ebook, and one audiobook. So at the most, my shelf is only going to have 3 books on it. I keep my “currently reading” shelf very tidy and up-to-date. If I haven’t picked the book up in a while or am thinking of quitting it, it’s off the shelf ASAP. Sometimes I start a book I want to read… and then something comes in from an ARC tour, or I realize I didn’t give myself enough time to finish it before a blog tour review is due. If I’m already reading a physical copy and an audiobook, I likely won’t keep a third book on there (unless I have an ebook going at the same time – which happens sometimes). I can’t handle the idea of having very old books on there. If you’re a reader who can pick up a book, start it, and then let it sit for months or even years […]

I love book covers (surprised? No and no and no and no.) and clearly find any excuse to show them off. I’ve been thinking lately about why certain covers are chosen (or even changed) for different books. I love when the book cover is more than just pretty – it actually captures what’s happening inside the book perfectly. You see a badass woman on the cover and she’s kicking ass under the cover too. A cute couple sitting on a beach and that actually happens in the book. I just love it! There’s something great about a pretty cover, obviously, but it can be even better when a book cover perfectly matches the interior of the book too. The Lost and Found by Katrina Leno I loved this story so, so incredibly much. I’m eager for this book to join the world in about a month because I know so many others will be as charmed as I was. I love how the cover reflects the two pairs headed out on road trips, as well as some of the “lost and found” items mentioned throughout the book. A cute and appropriate cover! {Edit: the cover has been changed. I’m not pleased about it but decided to keep this original cover here!} True Letters from a Fictional Life by Kenneth Logan This book is about a lot of things, but I love the eye-catching cover that focuses on one specific element. And honestly? It’s not even that big of a piece of the story. It […]

It’s time I admit it. I’m a contemporary girl and I don’t know how to change that. In 2015, I read 93 contemporary books (51%) and… 18 fantasy books (10%). My breakdown is otherwise mostly even between genres, aside from contemporary. If someone asks me what kind of books I read, though, I always say “mostly contemporary but I like fantasy too!” It’s kind of true, but honestly? I read more mystery books last year. In 2016 so far I’ve read pretty similarly. I’ve got about half contemporary, and mystery + fantasy are tied for second with a low amount. My biggest issue with fantasy most of the time? The mix of world-building, action, and character development has to be just right for me to stay super engaged with the story. I seem to like lighter fantasy books, where the world is not too hard to understand, or the “fantasy elements” are kind of understated. I’ve read a few complex ones and enjoyed them, but I usually lean towards paranormal or lighter fantasy compared to high fantasy. I don’t even really know what this means. I just know it’s true, without fail, that I will get easily confused and disengaged if I can’t understand the magic system or world-building. There are some books (Truthwitch) that managed to keep me engaged even when I was confused. Some other element – like the writing style or characters – made me want to keep reading. Other books (Red Queen) were impossible to get through for a while […]

I’ve recently gotten into reading some more mystery/thrillers than usual. I’m not a person who likes to be creeped out while reading, so I used to avoid them. (Notable exceptions are obviously two of my all-time favorite book series… whoops?) There’s just something fun and appealing about them lately. My Goodreads shelf is over 150 books strong for this genre, but I’ve only read a handful. So… as much as I enjoy reading them lately, I find it VERY hard to give them a strong rating. Usually this comes from a few different factors that I’ll talk about below. Don’t get me wrong – I’ve really liked quite a few too! There are some elements that I consider read-bait for me, too. Let’s chat about young adult mysteries, mmmkay?I have three main issues when I read YA mysteries. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve generally enjoyed most of the books I’m going to talk about below… but some major elements of each story just don’t work for me. It’s been obvious across a few books and I’ve noticed it a lot lately. Examples:   When • Gone Too Far Arguably my biggest issue lately is that I cannot connect to the characters. The main reason I can’t connect with them is because I’m naturally suspicious of everyone. Usually I can get comfortable with the main character because, chances are, they’re not a suspect. I suspect EVERY side character of being involved (because come on, how many times has it been the best friend who […]