Category: Features

The Currently Reading Shelf

Posted June 6, 2016 / Discussions, Features / 13 Comments
The Currently Reading Shelf

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 […]

Bookmark Lit Bulletin – May 2016

Bookmark Lit Bulletin – May 2016

The Bookmark Lit Bulletin was created to wrap up each month and prepare for the next. I share my life happenings, book haul, books I read and reviewed, posts I shared, challenge updates, and more from the previous month. I also let you know what may be coming up on the blog in the coming month. You can read past bulletins here and learn more about the feature here. I was on a kick where I read way too many books at once and didn’t finish anything until May 5th. Kind of weird for me! I will say that ACOMAF was the main reason for this. I loved it but it took foooorever to read, then it gave me a nice book hangover. It was totally worth it though. Definitely a slow reading month overall. I brought so many books on vacation and ended up reading a total of less than 200 pages. At least it was nice on the beach! Average rating for books read in May: 3.54 stars All book covers link to their Goodreads pages  Best of the Best  •  Pleasantly Surprised  •  Disappointed    All of the books read this month: Average rating for books reviewed in May: 3.88 stars Thank you Ginger (my newly revealed Secret Sister!) for such a wonderful summery package. Adorable sticky notes, delicious candy, a book I’ve been coveting (First There Was Forever by Juliana Romano), a great smelling candle, and summery chapstick! It’s so wonderful knowing your identity now too 🙂 Won in a giveaway // The […]

Top 10 Underrated Contemporary Romances

Posted May 28, 2016 / Book Challenges, Book Lists, Features / 8 Comments
Top 10 Underrated Contemporary Romances

As you (probably don’t) know, one goal I had when starting this blog was to feature recommendation lists for people seeking new books to read within different topics. Top Ten Tuesday kind of took over for this area for me, which is perfect, but sometimes I like to create my own. The Contemporary Romance Challenge hosts a monthly topic to partake in. Past topics this year:  Anticipated Early ’16 Romances • Recs for Newbies • Favorite Tropes • Favorite Contemp Romances Ever Here’s May’s topic: Underrated Contemporary Romances I have to say, I tend to follow the trends within romance. I don’t go out on a limb much because I’ve gotten SUPER picky about the romances I like and don’t like. I have generally found that self-pubbed romances contain too much angst for me (with the exception of one series you’ll see on this list!!), so I don’t read them unless they’re highly recommended to me. I’ll split this up into different “age groups.” Young Adult New Adult Adult  

Super Fitting Book Covers

Posted May 27, 2016 / Discussions, Features / 15 Comments
Super Fitting Book Covers

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 […]

Netflix and Books Tag!

Netflix and Books Tag!

Hello there! My friend Erica from Novel Ink and I wanted to join forces to create a book tag. We know how much bloggers love binge-watching shows AND reading books, so we combined the two! We’ve selected a TV show to match each prompt and we invite you to change the shows to once that fit YOU, if you’d like. Then, just choose the best book or series to match it. General rules for the tag: Choose a book or book series that best matches the prompt provided Feel free to change the TV show if you’d like it to reflect YOUR preferences! A blank set of the prompts is located at the very bottom in the scroll box Feel free to use our header graphic with the usual credits Link back to us and tag some friends to join in! It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia • Unlikeable character(s)   Winning by Lara Deloza | The characters are all very shifty and I loved reading it so much. I feel the same way about everyone on It’s Always Sunny. They’re all terrible people and I love them. Vampire Diaries • Your ship sank or didn’t happen   The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins | I’m okay with Peeta in general but Gale had my heart for some reason. I’m a sucker for the childhood-BFF-turned-boyfriend trope, okay? I actually am only a few seasons into Vampire Diaries but am not prepared for the ship changes. Damon is hot though so I’m not mad. Friends • Best cast of characters/friendships   […]

Bout of Books 16 Wrap-Up | Clean Sweep ARC Challenge Midpoint Check-In

Posted May 15, 2016 / Book Challenges, Features / 1 Comment
Bout of Books 16 Wrap-Up | Clean Sweep ARC Challenge Midpoint Check-In

Bout of Books 16 Wrap-Up Bout of Books is coming to an end late tonight, so here’s my big wrap-up post. Check out my original sign-up and TBR options or look at the daily progress I made if you want specifics. The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 9th and runs through Sunday, May 15th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 16 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team Goal: Read ARCs and required reading books (3-6) I did well! I was hoping to read between three and six books during this challenge. I was reading a lot of books at the same time, so it was nice to finally start finishing a few of them off. My total numbers for Bout of Books are below, as well as the books I ended up reading for this challenge. Final Numbers Number of books finished: 5 Number of books still reading: 2 2 ARCs and 3 regular books Clean Sweep ARC Challenge Midpoint Check-In Check out my original sign-up post here! May 1st through 31st 24 Hour Readathon on May 21st Use #CleanSweepARC Hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Kristin @ Addicted to Happily Ever After […]

Blog Tour | Cover Colors: Ask Me How I Got Here

Posted May 13, 2016 / Book Reviews, Cover Colors, Features / 6 Comments
Blog Tour | Cover Colors: Ask Me How I Got Here

MORE LINKS: Indiebound | iBooks | The Book Depository Cover Colors I ended up doing two different book-based looks here. I couldn’t resist doing my usual one based on the cover of the book. She’s on the beach and it has that great red color. I chose a beachy look using those colors first. Outfit based on the cover Ask Me How I Got Here Beach by bookmarklit featuring John Robshaw Outfit based on the character Then, the main character runs cross-country in the story and decides to stop running after her experience. I’m not a runner by any means, but I knew I needed to make a cute running/workout outfit for her when I saw those SHOES. Loooove. (She references purple Sauconys in the book but I loved these too much!) Ask Me How I Got Here Run by bookmarklit featuring flower pattern shoes Mini Review I was so excited about Poisoned Apples last year and it truly didn’t disappoint. Clearly I can count on Christine Heppermann to write stories and poetry that appeal to my feminist soul. This story, written in verse, definitely did. Abbie is a cross country runner who gets a new boyfriend, gets pregnant, and decides to have an abortion. Pretty heavy stuff! Abortion is not a topic discussed often in general, let alone in a YA novel. I would love to see this told in a standard novel format instead of verse, but I think she did such a great job with it regardless. I never […]

Why Are You So Far Away?

Posted May 11, 2016 / Book Lists, Features / 14 Comments
Why Are You So Far Away?

Like most bloggers, I get pretty darn excited when I see what books have been acquired and promptly added to Goodreads. Sometimes I read synopsis and think OH MY GOD I NEED IT NOW. Why is 2017 (or even 2018) so freaking far away? I want them in my hands. Immediately. I’m sharing some of the books I’m reallllly excited about that aren’t publishing for what feels like millions of years. (Is this title here an exaggeration? BARELY. MILLIONS OF YEARS I TELL YA!) So, in other words, here are some of the books coming out in 2017 and 2018 that I’m a bit too jazzed up about. Some of them don’t even have a real synopsis yet and exactly zero of them have a pretty cover to share here. So please enjoy my makeshift covers and JOIN ME in impatiently waiting for these booooooks. Comics Will Break Your Heart by Faith Erin Hicks • “the story of two teenagers who find out that their families are the authors on opposite sides of a legal battle over the creation of a comic that’s about to be turned into a big-budget Hollywood movie” BYE. A Line in the Dark by Malinda Lo • It’s a “murder mystery about the shifting boundary between young and adult and the half-seen spaces where friendship slides into love, where love twists into jealousy, and where life crosses over to death.” EEK. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black • This has been on my TBR forever because DUH Holly Black. I’m […]

Bout of Books TBR and Tracking

Bout of Books TBR and Tracking

Bout of Books 16 is Coming Tomorrow! I signed up for Bout of Books again! What else is new? I love participating even if my reading doesn’t increase as much as I always think it will. At least it motivates me to finish some things! More details on Bout of Books: The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 9th and runs through Sunday, May 15th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 16 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team Goal and TBR Original goal: Read only ARCs during Bout of Books! Newish goal: Read ARCs and required reading books (whoops?) So I wanted to get a good start for the Clean Sweep ARC Challenge this month by reading only ARCs during Bout of Books… but it looks like that will get derailed. Based on books I just got and books I NEED to read, my TBR will be a little stricter and a little less ARC-oriented. I plan to read between 3 and 6 books this week! This TBR is subject to change because I may read/finish these earlier than I thought. Let’s see what I’ll be potentially picking from: Because they’re ARCs I […]

I’m a Fake Fantasy Reader

Posted May 5, 2016 / Discussions, Features / 60 Comments
I’m a Fake Fantasy Reader

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 […]