Category: Weekly Memes

Five on Fridays #10

Posted December 12, 2014 / Five on Fridays, Weekly Memes / 0 Comments

Five on Friday displays the the top five things that have been on my mind this week! It could be book-related, but it may be music, movies, TV, personal life, food, etc. Reading slump Okay. I’m going to admit it. I’m officially in a reading slump. The good news is: I know exactly what caused it! I recently developed a more comprehensive Excel sheet to make a reading schedule. It makes it easier to plan when I plan to post reviews and when I should finish books to have everything done in a timely manner. Unfortunately, this makes reading feel like homework. I should be panicking if I can’t finish a book when I’m estimating that I should finish a book! I ended up getting a book in an ARC tour that I just wasn’t in the mood to read, and I kept making myself feel bad and adjusting my schedule to accommodate it. Luckily this ARC tour, On the Same Page, doesn’t require reviews in exchange for the ARCs. I decided to just not read the book and move on. It helped free up my schedule a lot. Last night, I wasn’t in the mood to read at all. So I didn’t! It felt great. I didn’t beat myself up over it. All of my holiday reviews are done except the final two, and I have two weeks to read them. STOP WORRYING. Christmas decorations We are officially done decorating for the holidays! We strung some lights up in our […]

Random Bookish Thoughts: Book Tropes

Posted December 11, 2014 / Discussions, Other Memes, Weekly Memes / 8 Comments

BOOK TROPES. I recently saw all of the BookBlogWriMo posts about common tropes that bloggers love to see in books. In case you’re not aware, a trope is basically a cliche or common theme – in our case, in YA books. I decided to do my own spin-off discussion of this topic, since I think it’s a worthy one of having! I had a Musing Mondays post on “typical YA” and what I mean when I reference that in a review… A lot of this post stems from that discussion. Here are some of my favorite and least favorite book tropes that I see in books, as well as some that I have mixed feelings on. Best friends who finally realize they love each other This is definitely one of my all-time favorites. There’s nothing better than the moment when they FINALLY realize they’re in love with their best friend. Of course, the reader knows the whole time and spends most of the book shouting for them to just kiss already…but you still love it when it finally happens. Any time there’s a childhood best friend in the picture, you can assume they’re going to be the love interest… and you’re totally fine with it. Everyone else who steps in the way, back off please. Favorite books: Damsel Distressed by Kesley Macke, Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, and Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally Self-discovery or realization of powers Dude, this is the best. You know why? Because it gives everyone […]

Top Ten Tuesdays #19: New-to-Me Authors

Posted December 9, 2014 / Top 10 Tuesdays / 9 Comments

Top Ten Tuesdays are hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where we make LISTS of our top ten books based on that week’s prompt… and then we stalk other people’s answers to add a million books to our TBR. The topics are provided ahead of time and can be found here. Today’s topic is… Top Ten New-to-Me Authors of Books I Read in 2014 My big reading years pre-college consisted of mostly binge-reading Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and Private. Up until this year, those were three major authors I loved to read books by (because they had so damn many books out!). I feel like most of the authors on this list are new-to-me but very NOT new to anyone else who has been reading a lot in recent years. 2014 has been the biggest reading year for me since middle school, so here are ten authors I am now extremely excited to read books by. Highlights: I know I’m a little late to the Rainbow Rowell party (and frankly, I’ve barely shown up considering that I’ve only read one book by her.) Sarah Ockler and Emery Lord are two authors I’m anxiously awaiting the new releases from. I should also probably get going on Ockler’s other released books, because I really loved her writing style. Morgan Matson, who easily became one of my favorite authors, also writes under the name Katie Finn. I still need to read those, too! I love that Kasie West writes both contemporary books […]

Sunday Post #2

Posted December 7, 2014 / Sunday Post, Weekly Memes / 9 Comments

The Sunday Post is hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where you share news about your blog on a weekly basis. It can include what you’ve been reading, what you’ve posted, what’s coming up next, and any books you added to your shelves! Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier (thanks, Around the World ARC Tours!) Vicious (Pretty Little Liars #16) by Sara Shepard Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle A Christmas to Remember by Jenny Hale The Death Cure by James Dashner Bookmark Lit Bulletin for November My December TBR List and November Uppercase Box here Top ten books I’m excited to read in 2015 (TTT) Thoughts and reactions I have while reading Holiday Review: Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares Review: The Scorch Trials Holiday Review: Ex-Mas Positively Beautiful by Wendy Mills (thanks, On the Same Page ARC Tours!) Don’t Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter Snowed In by Rachel Hawthorne Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter Top ten new-t0-me authors read in 2014 My most loved and most hated book tropes (and some I have mixed feelings on) Five on Fridays Holiday Review: Let It Snow Review: Vicious (PLL #16) Holiday Review: A Christmas to Remember

Five on Fridays #9

Posted December 5, 2014 / Five on Fridays, Weekly Memes / 3 Comments

Five on Friday displays the the top five things that have been on my mind this week! It could be book-related, but it may be music, movies, TV, personal life, food, etc. It’s been a while since I’ve done of these! The past two Fridays ended up being busy and I just never got around to it. Ally Ambassador I am VERY excited that I was accepted to be an Ally Ambassador! In case you didn’t know, Ally Carter (author of the Gallagher Girls series) has a new series coming out next year: Embassy Row. I didn’t even have to read the synopsis to know I wanted to read it. Her books are about spies, criminals, and now international conspiracies – so cool. The first book in the Embassy Row series is All Fall Down, and because I was one of the first 100 people to sign up, I get an ARC! Wooo-hoo. I sent them my mailing address and am anxiously awaiting my new pretty. This also means that I should probably read Heist Society, finally… Nadine West I may have an addiction called “spending money I shouldn’t on subscription/monthly boxes.” I like the concept of monthly clothing-related boxes, but I have a body type that doesn’t fit in most sizes. HOWEVER, I came across Nadine West a while back and it’s amazing! It’s the kind of box that sends you a few items and you can send back what you don’t like; only keep and pay for what you […]

Top Ten Tuesdays #18: Books in 2015

Posted December 2, 2014 / Top 10 Tuesdays, Weekly Memes / 15 Comments

Top Ten Books I’m Looking Forward to Reading in 2015 Top Ten Tuesdays are hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where we make LISTS of our top ten books based on that week’s prompt… and then we stalk other people’s answers to add a million books to our TBR. The topics are provided ahead of time and can be found here. Releasing in 2015 Embassy Row by Ally Carter: I was one of the first people to apply to be an Ally Ambassador, so I have a lovely ARC of this one (hopefully) being shipped to me as we speak! I can’t wait to dive in, especially because I’m about to finish my Gallagher Girls reread within the next month. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas: Yes, I STILL haven’t read Throne of Glass. Do not kill me. However, this book honestly sounds more up my alley than ToG does. I am very anxiously awaiting this one. Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen: I didn’t even have to read the summary of this one to know it was an auto-buy. Sarah Dessen is credited for getting me into the YA contemporary romance genre and I binge-read most of her books during one boring summer vacation in Maine. The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West: Yep, I’m a sucker for covers. I STILL have not managed to read all of her books yet, which is surprising… The Distance Between Us was one of my favorite books of the year. I own most […]

December TBR List and Uppercase Box #3

Posted December 1, 2014 / Other Memes, Personal / Information / Etc., TBR Lists / 1 Comment

This is my attempt to show off what bookish goodies I got in my Uppercase box from the previous month, as well as plan out what I’m going to read for the coming month. I don’t usually do too well with planning out my TBRs and sticking to them, but I hope sharing them with you guys will make me more accountable for them 😉 Have you read any of these books? Thinking about joining Uppercase? It’s so fun! Uppercase box is a subscription service with two levels of membership. For the first level, you get an Expert Pick – this is a hand-selected book that the YA experts love and recommend. The Personalized Recommendation box, which is what I have, comes with a book selected just for YOU based on your preference quiz. The boxes are filled with: A book, either chosen specifically for your preferences OR one that is recommended by an expert A gift, like bookmarks, jewelry, totes, etc. (that obviously relate to books!) A personal explanation of the book choice and other similar titles Some discount codes for popular book-buying websites Here are my goodies from the November box! I’m so excited that I got Trust Me, I’m Lying! This one has been on my TBR but for some reason I never got around to buying it or looking into it further. It was recommended because it’s a mix of contemporary and mystery, plus I love the Pretty Little Liars series. The book will keep me guessing until the […]

Top Ten Tuesdays #17: Winter TBR

Posted November 25, 2014 / TBR Lists, Top 10 Tuesdays, Weekly Memes / 6 Comments

Top Ten Books On My Winter TBR Top Ten Tuesdays are hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where we give our top ten books to answer each prompt. The topics are provided ahead of time and can be found here. Highlights from my winter TBR list! I’ve been looking forward to some of these for a while, but I am officially making the time to read them this winter! For once I have a real TBR plan. I’m going to try to keep up with it as much as possible, but still allow myself to read what I want, when I want. Without further ado, here are the ten books I’m MOST excited for on my winter TBR (lets say the books I plan to read in from now through January). Four of them are holiday reads, two of them help finish up the Private series finally, and four are just regular ol’ books I want to finally read! My True Love Gave to Me by Stephanie Perkins Even in Paradise by Chelsey Philpot Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo Ex-Mas by Kate Brian Let It Snow by John Green When Joss Met Matt by Ellie Cahill Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally Mistletoe by Hailey Abbott Ominous & Vengeance by Kate Brian

Sunday Post #1

Posted November 23, 2014 / Sunday Post, Weekly Memes / 0 Comments

The Sunday Post is hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where you share news about your blog on a weekly basis. It can include what you’ve been reading, what you’ve posted, what’s coming up next, and any books you added to your shelves! Eeek! I can’t believe I finally moved over to self-host! I’ll be posting some more information about my switch once I’ve gotten the hang of everything, but guys – this is the best. If you’re thinking of self-hosting but have literally NO idea where to begin, I suggest you check out Book Host. Ashley of Nose Graze makes it SO easy. She’ll answer all of your stupid questions and transfer everything over for you with ease. You can expect a post from me sometime within the next week with my experience and some highlights. Top ten sequels I’m dying to get my hands on My last WWW Wednesdays Part II of the Getting to Know You Blog Hop – my other hobbies and why I blog 20 things you might not know about me! Yolo (Internet Girls #4) by Lauren Myracle White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1) by Jennifer Armentrout The Maze Runner (#1) by James Dashner Book Nerds Unite Giveaway! Top ten books on my winter TBR Part III of the Getting To Know You Blog Hop – my favorite movies and music Five on FridayOne Past Midnight by Jessica Shirvington Book Buddies Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo Biggest Flirts by Jennifer Echols

WWW Wednesdays #18

Posted November 19, 2014 / Weekly Memes, WWW Wednesdays / 5 Comments

WWW Wednesdays are hosted by Should Be Reading, where we answer three questions each week: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What are you planning to read next? I’m still plugging along through The Scorch Trials. I’m not as enthused about it compared to The Maze Runner, but it’s still interesting enough. I feel like by the end of this series it’ll be more about the journey than the destination, but I still REALLY want to know what the fuck is going on. My goal is to finish the series by the end of the month; sometimes I think it would be better for me to just read the books instead of listen to them. Oh well. For my current read, I just started Biggest Flirts, in The Superlatives series. I’ve had the ARC for the second book, Perfect Couple, on my Kindle for months. I obviously wanted to read book one first. I’m enjoying it so far. I don’t like the trope of “I don’t need a boyfriend and will remain emotionally detached from boys until this one boy changes my mind,” but I’m hoping there will be a more unique take on the book based on the plot summary. We’ll see! Eeep I finally finished One Past Midnight and really liked it! It was definitely a unique take on the parallel life concept that I love so much. I feel like the book got started very quickly, which was nice, but I wished there […]