1. Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice: DARCY. Need I say more, friends?

2. Amy from Amy & Roger’s  Epic Detour: I’m itching for a road trip with the windows down and the music blaring…and having Roger next to me wouldn’t hurt. I’d prefer for this 24 hours to be during a very adventurous portion of the trip.

3. Anna from Anna and the French Kiss: Yes, please, I want to go run around Paris for 24 hours (ok, more than 24 hours really). But Anna has the ins with St. Clair sooo you know…I wouldn’t deny myself a companion

4.  Gloria from Vixen: I love this time period and would love to, for 24 hours, explore the world of the flappers. It’d be a little dangerous with all the gangsters at the club but I think I’d manage for 24 hours. I’d love to just get all dolled up in flapper dresses and dance all night.

5. Ginny from 13 Little Blue Envelopes: I want to go on a crazy adventure where I never know what is going to happen next! Particularly with a cute guy by my side!

6. Any of the kids from the Narnia series: Ever since I was little  I dreamed about a secret world in my closet. I want to go to Narnia for a day!

7. Bria from Wanderlove: I would love for 24 hours (ok, maybe more…you know me, I want to be a nomadic wanderer lol) to trek around South America with Rowan and Starling.

8. Carmen from Virtuosity: I’ve always wished that I could have at least some semblance of musical talent.  I’d love to spend 24 hours  (non-mom pressured hours) with her talent and have the opportunity to perform in front of people! I don’t think I could handle that kind of pressure for a lifetime but for 24 hours it would be cool!

9. Aria from Under the Never Sky: Ok, so for most of the novel I would NOT  want to be her (well, besides during some parts when  she is with Perry!) but I’d love to live in her world for 24 hours because the realms sound FASCINATING. One moment you could be in the past and the next you could be at a concert in the present. I’d love to live in a crazy virtual reality for 24 hours and then get myself back to reality!

10. Laura from Little  House on the  Prairie: I’m going to let you in on a dorky Jamie secret.  When I was little I was obsessed with these books and, rather than playing normal things like House or School as a kid,  I would try to beg my sister to play Little House on the Prairie with me. For whatever reason, I was so enthralled with life on the prairie so I’d like to give childhood Jamie 24 hours on the prairie with Ma and Pa!

Book Title/Author

Amazon| Goodreads | Jandy Nelson’s website

Seventeen year old Lennie has her world rocked when her older sister Bailey (who is also her best friend & partner in crime) tragically dies. Still trying to deal with the aftermath, Lennie tries to continue on with life like everything is normal — like she’s still the same shy, bookworm-y, band geek she always was with little to no experience with boys — but she soon discovers that everything is different. In her grief, she finds herself having feelings for two guys. One is her sister’s boyfriend, Toby, who she shares a connection with that nobody else understands. The other is the new guy in school who always seems to show up where Lennie is. Lennie tries to wade through her romantic feelings while dealing with her immense grief and the huge hole of emptiness she feels with Bailey not around.
This book wrecked me! I’m a glutton for punishment and know that I’m going to feel a lot of things reading any books that deal with grief. When done right, I’m a mess and feel like I’m reliving it all over again.  The Sky Is Everywhere is probably the most poignant,  SPOT ON story of grief that I’ve ever read. It pierced my heart and made me feel sorrow but it was balanced by the beauty of Nelson’s words and the journey of healing and of love Lennie also endures. And the thing is, it’s not all doom and gloom like I thought it was going to be but it was quite hilarious at points in times. Some of the things Lennie said, thought and did made me giggle. Case in point:

Joe smiles an embarrassed half smile at Gram and Big, leans against the counter, his trumpet case strategically held over his crotch.  Thank  God I don’ have one of  those. Who’d want a lust-o-meter sticking out the middle  of  their body?

The Sky is Everywhere is probably one of those most lyrical and poetic books I’ve read recently. If you love savoring beautiful passages that make you take pause before you can move on, you’ll love this one.  I will be honest..I don’t often dog-ear books but there were SO MANY passages that I needed to remember that I just HAD TO. They were either just gorgeous and beautiful passages or those types of passages that really put into words some of my own grief. 

“My sister will die over and over again for the rest of my life. Grief is forever. It doesn’t go away; it becomes a part of you, step for step, breath for breath. I will never stop grieving Bailey because I will never stop loving her. That’s just how it is. Grief and love are conjoined, you don’t get one without the other. All I can do is love her, and love the world, emulate her by living with daring and spirit and joy.”

or
“According to all the experts, it’s time for me to talk about what I’m going through… I can’t. I’d need a new alphabet, one made of falling, of tectonic plates shifting, of the deep devouring dark.”

There were so many fabulous characters in this book and I really, more than the romance aspect of this book, really loved the relationship between that of Lennie, her uncle Big and Gram. They were just some remarkable and memorable characters and I loved some of the really tender moments Lennie shares with them towards the end of the book. I DID like both Toby and Joe Fontaine and her best friend but I really loved Big and Gram.

I’ll be honest, at first, I was really confused by this really quick romance between Lennie and Joe. Not so much on Lennie’s part — grief seems to do some crazy things in terms of emotions as I myself experienced — but I didn’t really get nor believe that Joe saw anything that spectacular in Lennie or really knew anything of her….at least from what we knew of the interactions. Later on towards the book it made a little more sense to me but I was kind of suspect of it initially. I did end up really finding him quite swoonworthy because he seemed so genuine but it took a little while for me to get there. There love was the sort of aww inducing, stand-up-and-cheer-loudly romances that I love watching! Poor Toby. Poor confused Toby. I didn’t hate him at all. I felt sorry for him — he was carrying some mighty heavy things and both he and Lennie just really misinterpreted the feelings of sorrow and loneliness they had for something else. It was sad to me.

My Final Thought: I really enjoyed The Sky is Everywhere! I’d highly recommend it to lovers of contemporary YA who love lyrical and poetic prose that makes you feel ALL OF THE THINGS and then some. You’ll find yourself just stopping every now and then to savor it. I’ve read a lot of books dealing with grief but this one was honestly one of those most true and genuine stories that just pierced my heart and made me experience the same gut wrenching, inner turmoil that Lennie does. I cried a lot during this book, for a lot of personal reasons, but also because I came to care so deeply for these characters and their pain, their mistakes, their sorrow, their bright speckle of hope become my own.

You Might Also Enjoy: If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman, The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen, Please Ignore Vera Dietz by AS King

Book Review On A Post It:

Book Title/Author

Amazon| Goodreads | Megan McCafferty’s website

The second installment of the Jessica Darling series sealed the deal…although I can pretty confidently say I was ready to declare FAVE SERIES EVER status when I read Sloppy Firsts. But, oh, Second Helpings reaffirmed the series as my favorite coming of age story with it’s hilarity, wit, memorable characters, acute observations and insights into what it means to be a teenage girl. I’m annoyed at myself for leaving this series hanging despite for being madly in love with it.

Second Helpings sashays us through Jessica Darling’s senior year of high school and the perils of finding a college, dealing with the mess between she and Marcus Flutie (ow ow! ) who she hasn’t talked to since things ALL THE THINGS went down, & all the crazy fun antics with the Clueless Two. And it NEVER GETS OLD. Seriously, there are so many new and fabulous characters introduced, we get to see more of some characters who weren’t as developed in Sloppy Firsts (Gladdie Bridget! Len!) and of course we get to revisit the characters that are at the heartbeat of this novel. I grew to really love Gladdie and Bridget in this one! Gladdie is a riot!

HOLY MANNA FROM HEAVEN! The Marcus/Jessica tension that Megan McCafferty delivered was INTENSE. I would be reading certain parts and just be squeezing the life out of my book…willing them just to be together!!  I get goosebumps just thinking about some of the parts! The You. Yes. You. part, the bathroom of the funeral parlor part, etc. etc. I could go on. AND THE ENDING OF THIS ONE. OMG. My heart can’t take it. You giveth and you take awayeth, Megan McCafferty. I also felt like we got to KNOW more about Marcus and I fell deeper into my fictional romance with him.

In this one, I have to be honest, I found myself often frustrated with Jessica and her actions but I still loved the crap outta here. She’s the best friend that you just want to smack and be like “DUDE STOP BEING A DUMBASS!” but you still love her. She was a little more whiny and woe is me but then I realized — oh dear god, I was totally and, still am probably, like that when things get hard and messy and confusing. And I’d say her situation was pretty damn complicated.

My Final Thought: Coming back to this story was like coming back to college after summer break and seeing old familiar faces — excitement buzzes as you flit about to see people you haven’t seen in months, your friendships don’t miss a bit and you start right back where you left off. It feels like home more than you ever realize before. The LOL moments are fantastic, the Marcus/Jessica tension is to die for & I fell more and more in love with this series and feel a kinship to Jessica Darling, who no doubt, would be my bff if I lived in Pineville.  Definitely my favorite series ever! Like I get close to joyful tears when I think about these books. GAHHH! Prerequisite for friendship from now is going to have to be that people have read and at least kind of enjoyed these books. Bonus points if you are obsessed.

 Review On A Post-It:

Wow! I haven’t done a Retail Therapy post since February when I showcased those beautiful library pulls and cabinets. I came across this Pride & Prejudice themed mug on Pinterest a few months ago but there was no link to where it was from. After a bit of searching I found them on ETSY! Surprise, surprise…all good things come from Etsy!

I have so many favorite lines from Pride & Prejudice (see: my top ten favorite quotes) but I just DIE when I read this part of the book. So when I saw this mug…BING BANG BOOM. Totally buying it. The Etsy shop that sells these, Brookish, is a Jane Austen themed shop that sells some other really great things.  I also thought the Darcy quote onesie was ADORABLE. Pretty sure I’m buying this mug for one of my bridesmaids who loves Pride & Prejudice as much as I do!

Disclosure: I am in no way affiliated with Brookish. I stumbled upon these on my own and wanted to freely share my find!

I love when you read a book thinking that it will probably be just a decent read but you begin to read and realize that you have a gem in your hands–a gem that you end up really loving. A Long Long Time Ago & Essentially True was that kind of experience for me.

Pasulka skillfully intertwines the two threads of the story until they become one–inextricably bound by Poland’s history and the hope of a better future. The stories are told in alternating chapters. I’ve read books where the transitions feels awkward and jumbled and I find myself forgetting or getting bored with one storyline. Pasulka delicately handled these transitions in a way that made sense. She ended the chapters right where they needed to end and I was able to effortlessly glide through the book. I really appreciated this.

The first of the story lines revolves around Pigeon and Anielica Hetmanski and their love story which is sweet and innocent but tragic in ways. The progression of their relationship was one of my favorite parts of the story. Their love story is forever changed by World War II (this isn’t a war story, I promise) as they must deal with the immediate dangers of war along with the rebuilding in the aftermath. The second storyline springs forward to modern Poland with Baba Yaga (the granddaughter of Anielica) as she comes to the city after the death of her grandmother and tries to grapple with her culture and finding her place in Krakow. Baba Yaga is a endearing heroine in my mind as she grows. I found her so relateable as a young woman–she isn’t strong in a traditional sense, she isn’t sure about herself or her future, and she sells her self short time and time again.

My only major qualm with this gem of a book is this: I don’t mind when an author sprinkles the native language of the characters into the narrative as long as I am able to deduce the meaning of the word from the “context clues.” (oh hey there 5th grade language lessons.) I feel like the author used way too many Polish words and it wasn’t always clear what they meant.

I would highly recommend this debut novel. Her writing is magical in itself and her characters are alive and complex. There are beautiful little mini love stories throughout but not in the mushy gushy way–so real you could mistake them for the stories of your own grandparents or great grandparents. This book is full of wit, wisdom, and hope–all needed to balance the heartbreak and tragedy. It pays homage to the lives of those who had to live through the War/Communist regime and the generation who had to move forward with those pieces.

You will be moved. I’m just warning you.

*THIS REVIEW WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED ON 7/15 but WordPress ate it when I transferred from Blogger to WP. BOO.*

I am a quote FIEND. Seriously. I love quotes of all kinds — things that make me laugh, things that encourage me, things that make me nod my head in agreement, things that are wise, things that are sad but true, things that set me free, and things that are just too damn beautiful. I love words.

I even have a quote book.  It’s a strangely private thing. I feel like all my feelings, experiences & the summation of who I am is bound up in this notebook in some way.

So, obviously, this is my favorite Top Ten List of all time. I tried to choose different quotes than I picked last year for this TTT. That list included quotes from Sylvia Plath, Jack Kerouac, Jay Asher, Jane Austen & more!  Check it out! If you want some lovey-dovey, squishy quotes — check out my wedding readings from literature post with quotes.

What a treacherous thing to believe that a person is more than a person.”
― Paper Towns by John Green
I just love this quote. It’s so, so true. I’d elaborate but it’d become a discourse.

“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life”
― On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Last year I had another Kerouac quote on my list (the “mad ones” quote) but I just have always loved this one. So simple.

“Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering.”
― The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
I put this on last year’s quote list AND on my wedding readings from books list and you know what…this quote is going on our wedding program! So naturally I just had to have it on here. It makes my heart all mushy gushy.

“Wanderlust is like itchy feet. It’s when you can’t settle down. But Wanderlove is much deeper than that . . . it’s a compulsion. It’s the difference between lust and love.”
― Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard
As all of my frequent readers and friends know, I suffer from wanderlust and would be happy being a nomadic traveler for the rest of my life. But when I read this book I LOVED the concept of “wanderlove”.

In the darkness, I take one of his hands into my lap and squeeze it. He squeezes back. His nails are bitten short, but I love his hands. They’re just the right size.
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
SWOON SWOON SWOON. The “his nails are bitten short, but I love his hands. They’re just the right size.” Isn’t that what it’s all about? Loving someone despite themselves. Loving the imperfect things that make them perfect.

“When did we see each other face-to-face? Not until you saw into my cracks and I saw into yours. Before that, we were just looking at ideas of each other, like looking at your window shade but never seeing inside. But once the vessel cracks, the light can get in. The light can get out.”
― Paper Towns by John Green
His words just get to me. This one in particular. It just is SO true when it comes to really SEEING people.

“The best discoveries always happened to the people who weren’t looking for it. Columbus and America. Pinzon, who stumbled on Brazil while looking for the West Indies. Stanley happening on Victoria Falls. And you. Amy Curry, when I was least expecting her.
―Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Talk about swoonworthy passages. But in my experience, that always does happen a lot…I find the things I need the most when I’m not looking.

ineffable, adj. these words will ultimately end up being the barest of reflections, devoid of the sensations words cannot convoy. Trying to write about love is ultimately like trying to have a dictionary represent life. No matter how many words there are, there will never be enough.”
– The Lover’s Dictionary: A Novel by David Levithan
This book just needed to be plastered in my quote notebook. Every single dictionary entry. Some of these passages were just so achingly beautiful.

“I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.”
― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
This was another one that I considered using for the wedding. I was thinking about this the other day..WHEN did I know I loved Will? When did I know that I’d marry him? It’s impossible to pinpoint for sure. One day it just WAS. No obvious transition. No sudden change in appearance. It was like it had always been that way.

“But man is not made for defeat,” he said. “A man can be destroyed but not defeated. ”
– Old Man And The Sea) by Ernest Hemingway
I love this when I’m feeling defeated. I just read this and kick that nagging defeat squarely in the nads.

Tell me if you love any of these quotes! Share a favorite one with me!

Aside from Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty (which has made me laugh more than any other book ever), this is THE funniest book I have ever read so far in my life. Just know I don’t throw bold statements out there like that very often. I have to really mean it.  I am not the type of person who laughs out loud too often while reading a book. However, this book had me laughing out loud several times and managed to get me nasty looks at the library. I decided it would be best to read this in the comfort of my own room after that.

Why did Laurie Notaro resonate so well with me?

I think this is basically due to the fact that I felt like everything she was saying was all the things that I think on a daily basis. Her commentary surrounding people and situations were eerily similar to what goes on in my own head when things happen in my life. The difference is between our thoughts is that she is alot more hilarious than I am and can write a heck of alot better than I can!

She takes simple things that happen in daily life–things that irk you or make you upset–and turns them into this hilarious story that has you nodding your head and thinking “Oh my gosh, something so similar happened to me” or “I do that do!” etc. She literally creates these images from a simple interaction with a person or a situation and brings to life this comic event that you can’t help but laugh about.

In general, I just love when someone can make something ordinary/boring/uneventful and turn it into something hilarious, meaningful, or beautiful. Laurie has it down to a science. She can make any seemingly common encounter into one that has you snorting and giggling. Even the things I couldn’t necessarily relate to per se were still incredibly funny. That’s the beauty of Laurie Notaro. She can take things that we has woman go through (dieting, money, relationships, etc.) and delicately let us see the humor in ourselves as we face similar situations, emotions, or events.

I have to share my favorite line of the book: (maybe because my best friend thinks it describes me perfectly.):

In this particular part, she is talking about how she is not a people person and how she is labeled as “mean” sometimes.

Now, I really need to point out that I am not indiscriminately mean; I am not mean to people whenever the mean mood strikes me. I feel that I must be provoked first, although my husband disagrees. In all honesty, I really wouldn’t even identify myself as a mean person; rather, I would classify myself as a Pointer-Outer of Extraordinary Acts of Incredible Foolishness and, on Occasion, Rudeness. Some people, including my husband, would call these experiences meltdowns, but I would rather consider them Opportunities to Enlighten.

I will read every book written by Laurie. I will!

Final Thought: Laurie Notaro will be my go-to girl for a humorous read that always seems to have me going “OMG! I’ve thought that/been through that/feel that” the whole time. She is able to see the humor in the mundane and in the times we take ourselves to seriously and retell it with her wit, snark & keen insights. I highly recommend this for people who are looking for a short, quick funny read that brings a lot of truth packaged in a highly snort-inducing package! You don’t need to read straight through as they are just short stories from her life.

My Review On A Post- It:

You May Also Like: Jen Lancaster

Anyone else know of any good humor books/authors similar to this??

Book Title/Author

Amazon | Goodreads | Anna Carey’s Website

Disclosure: The publisher sent it to me in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way  swayed or affected my opinions on the book. My honesty & credibility as a reader is more important to me than that.

It’s 2032 and 98% of the population has been wiped out thanks to a deadly virus and complications from the vaccine created to stop it. Eve is one of the survivors living in the New America and lives in a secluded all-female boarding school with other orphans where they are groomed to be teachers and artists and the like. Eve’s all set to graduate and start her training to be an artist until she learns the very shocking reality of what these schools are really about and what happens to graduates when they leave. Armed with this knowledge, she decides to escape – even if that means facing a world of unknown after the aftermath of the virus. A world she’s been taught to fear full of men, rabid dogs & gangs that will bring harm to her. 

I absolutely devoured this book. It was undeniably a white knuckles, bated breath kind of page-turner for me. I was so enraptured into this landscape that Anna Carey paints in Eve. I could see every rusted bridge,  every house that had been overcome with the wild & scenes of every day life that had just been abandoned and left there — just waiting for their owners to come back. It was grim, unsettling & downright chilling. Eve’s escape into this world, contrasted with her memories from her childhood & time at her school, highlights this even more. I read this book so quickly as I wanted to learn more about this world through Eve’s struggle to escape and find safety & answers to what she had learned her real fate was.  Every twist and turn and jolt of action had me reeling until the very end. An ending at which left me screaming, “WAHHHH!” and so very happy I had Eve’s sequel – Once – in my possession.

The romance of this book is one that I loved but I didn’t necessarily believe fully which I’ll explain below. The good part of it, for me, was how pure and innocent it felt. How it can just knock you off your feet and delude your senses. I really loved Caleb and I just got the warm and fuzzies watching her experience these feelings of love/lust for Caleb. I also thought, beyond the Caleb/Eve relationship, that I just adored Eve’s relationship with the young boys. Oh, my heart. Parts of this book, in relation to love, were just SO SO beautiful.

“I had once read, in one of those pre-plague books in the library, that love was bearing witness. That it was the act of watching someone’s life, of simply being there to say: you’re life is worth seeing.”

But, friends, I have to honest with you. I had some issues with aspects of this book despite how quickly I devoured it & how I truly did enjoy it. It’s one of those books that felt like a whirlwind summer fling. It was this passionate, dizzying and thrilling ride but when I sat down to think about it and digest…I realized I saw some major problems that I couldn’t ignore — no matter how much I had been blinded by my thrill ride with the story. It wasn’t as perfect as I initially thought it to be when I was all lovedrunk.

Eve herself confused me. I got the sense, from the short glimpse of her life at school, that she was so naive and brainwashed. So I had my eyebrows raised when she so easily got the cajones (seriously, like 30 pages in) to even get out of bed and snoop around..let alone actually rebel and try to escape. I felt like there was nothing about her that we had learned that made me BELIEVE that she’d do that.  Everything we had been shown about her seemed contrary to her character…but at the same time this big REVEAL was so so soon in the book that she didn’t even feel developed to me yet. We just knew what we were told — top student, naive, idealistic, etc.  Granted, I suppose if I saw what she did and realized my fate, that I’d run like hell too. But I just even thought she was too brainwashed and naive that she’d think there was some explanation for it and not leave like a bat out of hell.

The OTHER part of her that confused me was that, after a lifetime of being indoctrinated with this fear of men, she pretty easily trusted Caleb. I mean, yeah, she was wary but I don’t feel like she was wary enough as someone who was so fearful of men and hadn’t seen a man in so long. At the same time, I thought that maybe her being repressed from the male species for so long made her even MORE susceptible to that curious attraction that just makes you fall head over heels & giddy. I think of those times in my life and so I can KIND of see it. It still made it hard for me to fully believe because I just felt like everything we knew of her just unraveled. I didn’t believe that someone that had been so brainwashed would just get over it that quickly. And also, you are running for your life because of what you’ve found out and you are in danger yet all you can think about is a boy?? More than anything else.

I just feel like, because the revelation happened so soon, I never got to really see WHO Eve was. I just saw a girl who were were told was one way and all we see is something totally different VERY quickly..and I never felt much growth or character development that made up for that.

Also, without getting to spoilery, there were some confusing parts about the setup of this world and why things are the way they are. How did the virus come to be? What did the antidote do? Why do these girls get this intense schooling if their fate is what it is? I have a lot of why’s about the logistics of all of it that I’m hoping will be answered.

My final thought: Eve kept me turning the pages with it’s chilling premise, vivid world building & action-packed journey. I couldn’t put it down and it broke my heart in all the right places. While I really enjoyed my whirlwind inhalation of this book, there are some character development issues with Eve, the main character, that I just couldn’t ignore, and some really hole-y world building in terms of WHY the world is the way it is.  It was a good, enjoyable dystopian read that I think those who are loving  the fast paced, romance inclusive variety of YA dystopian will like — if they can look past some of the development issues.I liked it but I can’t say I thought it to be a 5 star, perfect read as many others did! I’d probably recommend some other dystopian books before this one!

Review On A Post-It

You May Also Like: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, Delirium by Lauren Oliver

What did YOU think about this book?? Let’s talk about it! If you haven’t read it, is it on your TBR?

This is with the assumption they will do the books justice! I only picked 8 because I only really felt REALLY strongly and could picture these so much in my head!

1.Legend by Marie Lu — Any film producer who could mess this up is an idiot. If done right, this could be incredible. The whole June and Day cat and mouse game, the worldbuilding that would translate well, all the action..AH.

2. Take A Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg — I actually see this as more of a tv show that follows these characters through school. A Glee meets Smash meets all the teen dramas we love.

3. Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty — I could see this, despite not having read the rest of the series, being a great tv show. I’d be down with a little Jessica Darling each week for sure. She’d be that snarky, awesomely smart character I always love!

4. Losing Clementine by Ashley Ream — I have this thing for really offbeat movies and I think this could be really great if done well. Definitely an indie flick with unknown cast. I can see it so well. It’s dark and could translate really well into film.

5. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater – I need to do a re-reading of this book because I wasn’t as in LOVE with it as others but mostly it seemed like I just was in the mood for something lighter. I feel that I didn’t enjoy it because of stress..I’m telling you…sometimes it REALLY isn’t the book…it’s me. Anywho, I could see this SO vividly as being a movie. Some of the scenes she described…ahhhh.

6. Ten Things We Did And Shouldn’t Have by Sarah Mylnowski – This would be suuuuch a fun summer movie!!

7. The Body Finder series by Kimberly Derting — I see this as a tv show that’s a cross between Veronica Mars & Medium.

8. Eve by Anna Carey: I haven’t reviewed this (but will soon as I just finished it) yet but I honestly could see it being a very interesting movie. I could picture the havoc of 98% of the population being wiped out and how things would look after that. There would be good action & tension for sure.

Do you agree or disagree with my picks? What are some of yours? What, in your mind, makes a good book to movie transition?

Want this whole outfit. Fits my style well.

Borneo Rainforest Canopy Walkway

Green Monster Smoothie…with spinach! Actually tasted pretty good..need to perfect it though. Will LOVED it and he’s sometimes hard to get on board with healthy food.

PS. If you want an invite to Pinterest..send me an email! And let me know if you are on Pinterest so I can stalk your boards!

This is what happens:

I start reading the first book and I get sucked in by its awesomeness, the world, the characters lives or whatever else I happen to find particularly attractive about said book. I’m a ravenous, reading beast and I can’t get enough of the start to a series.

I finish the book and I FREAK OUT about how I NEEEED to read the next book. I feel like I can’t sleep until I have the next book. I can’t stop talking about it. I have this insatiable need to KNOW WHAT HAPPENS.

But then, and this is where I seem to have problems, is the actual act of picking up the second book in the series. Somewhere between finishing the first one and walking over to my bookshelf I get lost. I’m not even talking about sequels that just aren’t out yet. I’m talking about sequels that I HAVE SITTING ON MY SHELVES or can easily go buy or get from the library. I get so amped up about continuing on with the story and then….nothing. It’s like I get so distracted by other shiny things that I just move on and forget about them. WHO DOES THAT?? I mean, I can’t even explain to you how ready I am to read these second books and then suddenly….it’s 10 months later and I’m like “OH YAH. I was dying to read that sequel…and then I don’t know what happened.”

It drives me BATTY because I wait so damn long and then can’t remember what the first one was all about!

Taking a quick glance at my bookshelf, here’s some of my currently abandoned series that I WANT to finish:

• Jessica Darling series – WHICH I’m currently remedying as we speak. I was MAD about this first book if you read my review of Sloppy First. I wanted to smooch it and hug it and share with it a milkshake with two straws in it. Jessica Darling’s inner monologue and often humerous, poignant observations often made me laugh out loud. And I can say that I’m not normally a laugh-out-loud-while-reading-a-book kind of gal. I’m a big crier when I read books but gut-busting laughter and snark is only reserved for this series. SO WHY WHY WHY am I NOW, 9 months later, reading the Second Helpings??
• Harry Potter: Errrm. You guys. I totally read the first book a long, long time ago when I was in middle school. All I remember is something about a train and some weird platform and Hogwarts. THAT IS ALL.  What is wrong with me? I LOVED the first book way back when. I need help. I’m probably going to have to re-read the first book.
• The Shade series by Jeri-Smith Ready – I am really picky when it comes to the paranormal books I read BUT my friends (namely: one of my blogging bffs Jen from Makeshift Bookmark) were OBSESSING over this series. Well, I gave into peer pressure and totally enjoyed Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready. I was SO ready to read Shift, which Jen so lovingly sent to me, but then I had read a review book and then…what? WHAT HAPPENED? How could I dooooo his when I was freaking back flipping with the prospects that Shift would bring?
• Little Blue Envelopes – I didn’t LOVE 13 Little Blue Envelopes but I truly did want to read the second book!
• Bumped series: The lovely Pam from Bookalicious sent Thumped to me months ago and I was SOO excited to read it because I really did enjoy reading more of a satirical dystopian novel. Bumped was so different to me and I really enjoyed it!
• Kingdom of Xia series: I seriously LOVED Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon. I really don’t read much fantasy because I’ve always thought I just wouldn’t like it so I was pleasantly surprised when I flew through this and wanted to continue on with this story.
• Delirium series: I really enjoyed Delirium by Lauren Oliver. I wasn’t sold at first but I warmed up to it and then devoured. Pandemonium made my top ten YA books I had to read in 2012 and WHY haven’t my grubby paws been all up on this book like an 8th grade boy at a dance??
• Seeds of America series: I LOVED Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. I typically don’t read Middle Grade Literature but THIS was one of my all time favorite historical fiction books ever. I can see it becoming one of those books that teachers integrate into their curriculum. I bought Forge the day it came out and never read it….I have issues.
• Percy Jackson series: I read the first two and just stopped…only because I wanted to break up my reading of the series with some adult books. And then I just never got back into it…
• Millennium series: I really did enjoy The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I just never felt any urgency to pick up the second one but I look at it on my shelf and want to kick some ass with Lisbeth again.
• Crank series: I read Crank YEARS ago…way before blogging…and that was in 2010 when I started. I thought it was so interesting. I even own Glass but just never have gotten to it.

This is just what I found on my shelf at a quick glance. I don’t even want to know the ones I missed or that I just don’t even own. It’s PATHETIC.

Am I the only one that has this problem? If you don’t have this problem, how do you tackle your series? Read them one after another so you don’t forget? Or do you space them out? I can’t keep track of them ALLLLL. Maybe that’s the problem…too many series out there!!

Amazon | Goodreads | Kelly Armstrong’s Website

Disclosure: The publisher sent it to me in exchange for an honest review along with its sequel — The Calling. This has in no way  swayed or affected my opinions on the book. My honesty is more important to me than that.

What’s It About: Sixteen year old Maya lives a pretty normal life in her small medical experiment town outside of Vancouver with her adoptive parents. Years after she witnesses a death under unusual circumstances, even more strange things start to happen to Maya — things like mountain lions being drawn to her, a mysterious guy moves into town and seems to have a fascination with her, outsiders start poking around the town, etc. She’s never really questioned her origins or the motives of her town until now.

I definitely enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I’ve never read the author’s previous works but I received this in the mail and decided I was in the mood to delve into a paranormal world. I’m not a HUGE paranormal reader, as readers of this blog probably know,  but I do try to dip my toes in from time to time because I do enjoy the genre but I’m wildly picky. I guess I just have a hard time wading through the not-so-good Twilight wannabes to get to the unique and wonderful paranormal books. This book definitely surpassed my expectations and I was thoroughly impressed and sucked in to this story.

The interesting thing is that, though there were clearly portions of this book where paranormal-y things happened, most of the book did not seem paranormal at all. I have a feeling this will change in the second book but mostly I forgot I was reading a paranormal book because it mostly took place in the “real” world rather than a paranormal world and there were only bits and pieces revealed of the paranormal tilt to this book. I was so intrigued as Armstrong slowly unraveled some of these elements though I predicted a lot of the things.

I loved the uniqueness of the Native American folklore that was incorporated into this story as well as the setting — I loved the forest and the mystery of this weird town. Have you ever seen The Village? Well, in The Gathering we don’t know exactly WHAT the town is up to that she lives in but you know there is SOMETHING off. I found myself reading quickly and furiously on my flight because there was just SO MUCH I wanted to know about this creepy little town and the creepy little mountain lions that seem to always show up wherever Maya is.  Also, I couldn’t help but be drawn into the storyline with Rafe and Maya but I’m not sure where I stand on him. I secretly want her to be with a certain somebody else. BADLY. Speaking of that someone else, I wonder what his deal is??

I have to admit the ending made me a bit stabby because revelations were far and few between, while the mystery and intrigue was page turning and could make one ravenous for answers, and the ending just ENDED. Holy cliffhanger. I swore pages were ripped out of my copy because I couldn’t believe it would just end like that. Throw me a freaking bone and give me at least ONE answer. I won’t be waiting too long before I read the second book — The Calling — because I need some answers to all the crazy things happening.

Final Thought: The Gathering was the perfect read for my travels. It kept my attention with its well crafted mysteries surrounding the town and Maya’s true origins. While sometimes it seemed like not much was happening, there were just so many riveting aspects of the story that had the power to make me able to tune out the screaming baby three rows behind me and the sweaty man overtaking half of my seat. It was unique and refreshing and I’ll be picking up the second book for sure because I really enjoyed it. But that pesky little cliffhanger…GRRRRRR. It just seemed to be abrupt and WAHHH. I’ll stop whining now and read the second book.

Review On A Post-It:

What did you think if you’ve read this one? I need to talk about it with somebody!! If you haven’t read this book, is it on your radar? Are her other series good? ALSO, any recs for any other good paranormal books that someone who isn’t “well versed” in the genre might like??

SO,  because all of you readers are all so wise…I’m going to sporadically lay out my DNF books on the metaphorical table for you all and let you help me decide if I should just MOVE ON and release the books or maybe reconsider  them. So, vote either reconsider or release and maybe provide some compelling reasons for why I should reconsider or release OR at least just tell me what your general thoughts on the book were that might help me in my decision?

You guys know me pretty well so I think  this will be a good way to weed out the ones that truly need to stay in the DNF graveyard and help me sleep better at night without all those pesky DNF books haunting me.

So, here are the rare few books I’ve put down recently:

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Why I Picked It Up: The cover was pretty (shallow Jamie!) and it was about ghosts and I love ghosts. Not real ones though.

Why I Put  It Down: I just was NOT clicking with the characters at all. I felt like I should be more excited about what was going on and I just was not.

One Day by David Nicholls

Why I Read  It: I had heard so many good things about and I was sure I would really love it!

Why I Put It Down: I felt so bored reading it. Granted I didn’t get far into it but I just dreaded  picking it up and didn’t read for a week until I finally just switched to a new book.

Everything We Ever Wanted by Sara Shepard

Why I Picked It Up: It’s Sara Shepard! The publisher sent it to me! AND  because it was set near my area in the Main Line near Philadelphia. Oh and because it had promise of family drama…and that’s always intriguing.

Why I Put It Down: I got a quarter through and there was SO Much Drama going on but I just didn’t care. Not at all. I was pretty let down and started watching copious amounts of Netflix to avoid picking this one up.

So give me your opinion, friends! Reconsider or release?

Why would I do this when I have so many books to read and limited time to read and do all the things I want to do in life?

I.DON’T.KNOW.

This past weekend, while at the home of the lovely Anna from Anna Reads, we had a conversation about not finishing books we start. I learned that Anna isn’t afraid to DNF books she isn’t in to and she learned that I am one of those people who just cannot make myself put down a book once I start reading it…no matter how not into I am or how long it’s taking me to finish. It’s honestly rare for me to put something down. We had a nice conversation about it and she lovingly reminded me that life is too short to read books I don’t like. I made a promise of sorts that I’d try harder to put books down when I’m not into them.

I don’t know WHY I feel so compelled to keep reading books I don’t even like but I’ve come up with a few reasons why I think  I do this:

1) I feel as though it’s going to redeem itself at some point and I don’t want to miss out on that.I just think that maybe at some point it will just COME TOGETHER and click for me.

2) Friends loved it and I feel like I need to keep trying  so that maybe I’ll see the awesome they see.

3) I hate starting something and not finishing it.

4) I’ve stuck with books that took a while to get into and they’ve turned out to be some of my favorite books.

5) I’m always afraid that it might be a mood thing. What if I put it down thinking I don’t like it but it’s really NOT the book, it’s just my mood or i’m distracted. I touched on this a little bit in a post entitled “It’s Not You, It’s Me.”

6.  I feel guilty because a publisher sent it to me so I feel I must at least finish it…even if that means a not so good review.

I can’t seem to just pry my little fingers away from the book I’m reading and just move on. I think it would make me a more efficient blogger if I were to cut my losses on books that are just not for me.

Are you able to put books down easily or is it a struggle for you like it is for me? If you are able to put a book down, how do you determine it’s time? A certain number of pages? Do you just KNOW you aren’t going to like it? Do you find that you will pick books up again that you have put down?

So, here I am, lovely readers…I’m going to make a vow to TRY and curb my compulsion to keep reading books even if I am not enjoying them.  I think it will go very nicely with some general life changes I’m making to make my life simpler and do things that I truly want to do.

I THINK I’ve come up with a way that will slowly help me learn to mark books as DNF and move on. I’ll be posting about it tomorrow and I’ll need your help. So make sure to stop back tomorrow and help me!! I’m excited to kick this habit!

YAY ME. Making resolutions and things to better my quality of life

Disclosure: I purchased this book with my own cash money.

Take A Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg follows the lives of four talented musicians as they face the pressures of their senior year at their uber competitive performing arts high school. Senior Showcase, college applications & auditions, pasts that won’t go away, confusing relationships, dissolving friendships…Emme, Sophie,  Carter & Ethan experience it all.

I have this love/hate relationship with books that have  more than two perspectives. It has to be done right for me. Sometimes characters really fade into the background or fold into each other or don’t tie in well together at all. Take A  Bow didn’t suffer from any of those things. Each character and their perspective were developed and whole and I found myself so connected with these characters and their journeys. There was something so relatable to me with each one of these characters — their flaws, their triumphs, their naivety, their growth. Even Sophie, who was my least favorite character, jumped off the pages for me. I loved that each perspective just catapulted me into this competitive and cutthroat world of theirs where I could feel mounting pressures and the passion behind it all. The best part of all — the perspectives we gained of each character through the eyes of each other.

The standout characters, combined with Eulberg’s magnificent storytelling abilities, make this one that I honestly couldn’t put down. I was so absorbed in the stories and wanting to see how each conflict in the story would be resolved that this was a quick read! It was that cute, quick read that I needed in between some pretty heavy novels but I’d be remiss if I let you think that’s all it was. It was such a heartwarming story with humorous scenes & fabulous secondary characters.

The only thing, for me, it was one of those times as a 26 year old woman this book felt a little too young for me. I don’t know what that’s all about since I read tons and tons of YA and even the occasional middle grade book but it definitely just felt younger than most of the YA I read.  Maybe it’s that the perspectives were THAT spot on or maybe, as a friend who shared the same gripe suggested, that the prologue of the book started off with them as high school freshman and it kind of throws you off and makes it seem younger. Not sure but had to be honest here.

My Final Thought: Take A Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg charmed the pants off me! It was such a quick and delightful read with characters and storytelling that just draw you in. It, for me, was a cute, lighter book (but not fluff!) that was  exactly what I needed between some of the angsty reads or dystopian worlds I’d been reading about.

You May Also Like: Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez – if it’s the musical aspect you crave!

Review On A Post-It

I have this one friend who really has not gotten the memo about this.

A typical conversation goes like this:

Her: “OMG have you read/seen this?”

Me: No..but I plan on reading/seeing it.

Her: “OMG you will not believe what happens! The main character DIES at the end! And so and so end up together but only after this HUGE TWIST happens.”

Me: *bangs head against wall*

I mean, I feel as though I am very cognizant, when talking about books and movies, about the fact that not everybody has read or seen what I’m talking about. I would never want to give away a major part of a book that somebody hasn’t read yet.  It is particularly hard if it is a series that someone spoils as you invest so much time in reading it. I WANT TO FEEL THOSE THINGS FOR MYSELF. I WANT TO BE SHOCKED OR BAWL MY EYES OUT BECAUSE I DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING!! And when you just carelessly throw out those spoilers, you strip me of that! Note:  I do realize it’s possible to truly slip or just not realize that you just spoiled something. In which case, I’ll still be stabby but I can forgive.

I’ve found the Internet to be the biggest source of spoilers. I have been bombarded with spoilers of all kinds on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and even things such as Yahoo news. I log in to Facebook for my daily dose of stalking and my news feed has been hijacked by people posting a major spoiler about a season finale that I have on DVR waiting for me! It drives me nuts…but such is our informational society.

But while I do try to not blatantly announce spoilers (and to not throttle those  who do so with a shoelace), I’ve found it difficult as a book blogger to grapple with how to tread on the spoiler front…

When it comes to reviewing books, I have consciously made an effort to not put spoilers in my reviews or at least if I do…I clearly label them as such. That’s just a decision I made for myself when I started blogging. Others choose to include spoilers in their reviews and that’s ok too…although I always prefer to be warned or at least know that’s their review style. But sometimes, even when I try to be spoiler-free, it’s HARD. Like during Top Ten Tuesday posts when I might talk about shocking endings or conversations on Twitter amongst bloggers about a book or when there is a HUGE THING that needs mentioning in a review because you can’t stop mentioning it.  And then there’s the questions of what constitutes a spoiler?  Does it count as a spoiler if it’s a REALLY popular book (a la Harry Potter or Twilight)? Or is it just too damn bad if you happen upon a spoiler because you took the chance of being on Twitter or the blog or wherever? 

What books have people spoiled for you? Have you accidentally spoiled a book for somebody? How do you feel about spoilers in reviews? What do you think constitutes a spoiler?

Tell me what you think! And I promise, I’m not always so ranty although it seems between this and my rant about bookish stereotypes this past week that I’m ultra ranty. I blame it on being sick  & also wedding stress. Yeah, that’s right, I’ll play the wedding stress card.

*Originally posted 6/25 (my 2nd review ever!) on my blog but didn’t migrate over in my WP switch*

Oh, Ed Kennedy. I feel your pain sometimes. Ordinary, no talents, no expertise, no grand accomplishments. Everyone around you is doing great things and you just remain stagnant. All the days run together and become unable to be distinguished from one another.

I don’t really know what expectations I had for this book. I had LOVED The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It was moving, felt honest, and unique. I guess I think maybe my only expectation for this book was to be moved.

The general storyline was intriguing enough. Our ordinary “hero” Ed finds himself smack dab in the middle of a bank robbery along with a couple of his smartass friends. After this incident he finds his world rocked when a mysterious playing card shows up at his door with 3 names and addresses on them. And there begins his journey as “the messenger”..

As the messenger, his life intersects with strangers and familiar people alike that he must figure out what message he needs to deliver each particular person. Some of his messages are quite easy to figure out while others even put him in danger. And meanwhile the question still remains– who the mysterious person is that is behind the cards?

Zusack manages to deliver a moving story that becomes the ultimate message, in my opinion, for humanity. I feel like sometimes I need a good reminder that anyone, no matter how ordinary you are, can do something good to help someone and that it is just a matter of having the confidence in yourself to do so. I love thinking about how interconnected we all really are.

I loved the development of Ed throughout the story. It gave me great joy seeing the confidence he gained with each message and I loved how he handled every lesson from each person that he touched. I also found the cast of characters that he interacted to be dimensional as well and I could picture them in my head and see different scenes play out.

In all, I really enjoyed it. Did I love it as much as The Book Thief? Absolutely not. But they are totally different books which I just think is a testament to how incredibly powerful Zusak can make every story whether it’s about a girl during the Holocaust or an ordinary joe like myself.

Book/Author

Goodreads

The Last Echo, the third installment of The Body Finders series by Kimberly Derting,  was by far the CREEPIEST & most thrilling (and my personal fave) of the three books. In the first two books, Violet has used her ability to hear echos from the dead to solve murders on her own. But in this book, she’s working with a team – an underground government agency if you will – with special abilities similar to her own that we were introduced to at the end of Desires of the Dead. Working on these cases with this group seem to get her into even more trouble!

As in The Body Finder & Desires of the Dead, every few chapters we get inside the head of who Violet is tracking down. This time around was THE creepiest ever. I honestly kept shuddering while reading the killer’s perspective in this one because it was just psycho killer movie type creepy to me as he hunts down girls from a local college. I wasn’t frightened but I definitely got the heebie jeebies for sure by being in his delusional mind. Though I thought one of the big things that happened to Violet was a little predictable (but then again I’m always guessing what’s going to happen in movies and tv shows), I compulsively had to read to figure out how this killer would be caught. I felt like a crazed detective that can’t eat or sleep until the case is cracked.

I loved learning more about Rafe and Sara and the rest of the gang. Although, my biggest issue with how this storyline was done  is that I wish we could have learned more about them and their abilities but hopefully we’ll get to learn more in the next book. I thought this storyline was interesting and made for some ultra tense moments that were eluded to at the end of Desires of The Dead… although I was a little distraught at the lack of Jay in parts of the book. I LOVE ME SOME JAY! But the parts he was in were worth it..especially a sexy little scene.

Let me just say the ending – SHOCKING. Cannot wait for the next book to see how THAT all plays out!

The Final Thought: If you want thrilling mysteries that involve supernatural elements & a tinge of romance, this is a great YA series for that! These books are always very quick reads and always keep my attention. The Last Echo did NOT disappoint for me as it upped the thrills and creepiness factor. I flew through it and couldn’t put it down until the very end…which left me with my mouth open and anxiously awaiting book 4! My crime drama show loving heart can’t help but love this series because they are a cross between Criminal Minds, Medium & a dash of Veronica Mars for good measure.

You Might Also Like: Clarity by Kim Harrington

 Review On A Post-It

PS. I’m looking to find even more YA mysteries that are either contemporary or have some supernatural elements (I already know a ton of paranormal mysteries). Recommendations??

So I was talking to somebody at work about reading and how I blog to which that person responded, “How do you have time to read so much? Yeah, I sure don’t have time in my life for reading.”  The way they said it, and I can read this person like a book, basically meant: “Aww that’s so cute that your life isn’t full of important things that you have time to do something as insignificant as reading a book. That’s adoraaaable but I actually DO THINGS”

They might as well have pat my head or pinched my cheeks or have done something else really condescending to make me feel like reading isn’t a valid choice for my life.

Of course I’m at work so I have to play it cool so on the outside I’m like, “Ok Fiiine. I must get back to my desk.”

 But on the inside I’m really like

 Because the thing is…

YOU HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME THAT I DO! You just choose to use it differently.

So when you are

or

or

Just remember that you could be CHOOSING to use that time to read.

But in all serious, do you ever feel like people think you don’t have a life because you read? I mean, my life is so well rounded — I travel, I go dancing, I frolic in forests etc etc! I do so many things but during my free time, when I’m faced with a choice,  rather than watching sixteen hours of Jerry Springer or spending 17.7 hours laughing my face off looking at gifs on Tumblr (no I totally didn’t do thaaaat)…I choose to use my time to read. Not all the time but it’s this little thing called “making time”…you know…when something is IMPORTANT to you you tend to make time for it.

I get this sort of thing all the time when people realize how much I read. I feel the need to dispel myths…especially when people try to act like reading is this quaint little hobby reserved for people with nothing better to do or for the socially inept.

NOT TRUE.

Ok, whew, I feel much better. I can go back to being my normal self tomorrow…