Good Golly Miss Holly

Daily Dose #26

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Mon, 28 May 2012 08:27:00 +0000

I love that so many people have taken this meme under their wing and are enjoying the theme. It's brilliant to pop over to random blogs and catch some inspiring images. If you'd like to participate in Daily Dose, simply pull together some images you find magical and hope to inspire your readers with, then share the link below.

Yay for Flintstones inspired hair clips.

Mmm, Macaroons!

Pretty, pretty... Mockingjay Ring.

I must have a pair of floral Doc Martens!

♥ holly

TGIF // Ugly YA Cover Art!

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Fri, 25 May 2012 05:33:00 +0000

TGIF @ Greads // What are some of the worst book covers that hold the best stories inside? Don't be embarrassed show us your cover! TBH, I really struggled to find any novels in my favourites pile with terrible covers. What you're seeing below is a list of average covers that are actually easily dealt with once you peek inside the book. I guess YA really is renowned for it's quality cover art, if not it means I'm subconsciously totally vein and only reading books with beautiful covers.

1. And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky

A particularly plain cover. It does slightly represent the text at hand (love, typewriter) but it doesn't seem to have done very well in capturing the attention of the reader. Something a little bit more fun would be suited to this novel.

2. The Implosion of Aggie Winchester by Lara Zielin

TBH, this one looks like it was self-published and the cover art put together by a person with zero design experience. Although it does represent the content in a way (Goth, Prom).

3. Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah

This one kept me extremely entertained on a roadtrip awhile back yet I made sure to hide the cover from the general public as it looks heaps childish.

4. Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Another cover that looks like it was designed by someone with very little experience. If it weren't for Jennifer Echols name on the cover, I'd assume this was a self-published novel.

5. Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott

I read this one such a long time ago but I can recall wondering why the cover looks so damn awkward. I expect so much more from an Elizabeth Scott novel!

Q: Which of your favourite books have the worst of covers?

In My Mailbox #87

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Sun, 13 May 2012 06:09:00 +0000

Another week has gone by and it's once again time for In My Mailbox. All of the following books are thanks to the lovely Nomes at InkCrush due to our combined addiction of book swaps. I'm even more excited about The Catastrophic History after seeing it IRL as it just looks so darn cute and I'm glad to have another Aussie YA in my hands thanks to Preloved. I am a tad worried about Audition. somehow I completely missed the fact that it's written entirely in verse but I guess I'll give it a go anyway. In other news, my pre-order of Insurgent STILL hasn't arrived which has left me waiting at the edge of my seat! That's all for this week, BYE!

This Week I Received:

Preloved by Shirley Marr

Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe
The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

Q: Which of these books would you read first?

In My Mailbox #86

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Sun, 06 May 2012 05:48:00 +0000

Over the past couple days, I've noticed many book bloggers have chosen to replace one of my favourite features due to the recent controversy surrounding The Story Siren. While I can totally understand the backlash, I am opting to continue with this week's In My Mailbox post as it's one of the reasons I believe this community has thrived and a major influence on why I started my own blog. I'm still assessing whether I'll continue reading Kristi's blog but for now take a look at the books I received this week, you may just find something to add to your wish-list :)

This Week I Received:

Green Heart (Green Angel #1-2) by Alice Hoffman
Burn Mark by Laura Powell

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Whisper (Riley Bloom #4) by Alyson Noel

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard
Fated (The Soul Seekers #1) by Alyson Noel

The Glimpse by Claire Merle
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Messy by Heather Cocks, Jessica Morgan
Impractical Jokes by Charlie Pickering

Summer and the City (The Carrie Diaries #2) by Candace Bushnell

Q: Will you continue to participate in the IMM feature?
♥ holly

Top Ten // Books I'd Like To See Made Into A Movie

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:30:00 +0000

It's time for another edition of Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by The Broke and The Bookish). This week's topic revolves around those mysterious book to movie adaptations and highlights the books I'm hoping will be transformed ASAP.

1. Perfect Chemisty by Simone Elkeles

It seems like all my picks are romance-related... I guess chick-lit films aren't as successful or challenging to make as a dystopian. Don't get me wrong I love the current craze following in the footsteps of The Hunger Games but when all that dies down, can we please turn PERFECT CHEMISTRY into the irresistible films it deserves to be :D

2. Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty

I hear this one is currently being scripted so lookout for your next dose of Marcus Flutie in the the form of a rather popular actor as shown below.

3. Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz

I'm guessing this rather popular series hasn't been made into a film yet due to it's similarities with Twilight but it's so much more than that. I'm yet to complete the series but hopefully it wraps well and catches the attention of producers.

4. Any Sarah Dessen Novel

Okay, so that Mandy Moore film based on Someone Like You and That Summer was pretty awful... but think of how much Sarah Dessen's novels have improved since those dark days. It probably won't happen but I'd love to see who would be cast as Owen in Just Listen or Wes in The Truth About Forever. Please Make This Happen, People!

5. Slam by Nick Hornby

I read this one such a long time ago, I'm surprised it's not already a film considering almost all of Nick Hornby's other works have been successfully adapted into film most notably About A Boy. An Education & my personal favourite Fever Pitch.

6. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Just looking at the props as shown below makes me super keen for this movie, we haven't had a good American in Paris flick in such a long time. Who doesn't love the idea of falling in like at boarding school.

7. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

I'm pretty sure the trekky fans would eat us alive for entering their SciFi universe with a Young Adult adventure but it'd be worth the risk to see Amy and Elder on the big screen.

8. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

The perfect mixture of misery and longing with a love triangle thrown in for good measure. Plus, it wraps with a wedding, woo for Belly!

9. Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty

With the success of Tomorrow, When the War Began, Hating Alison Ashley & Looking for Alibrandi, it makes perfect sense to follow in the tradition of popular Aussie YA adaptations and flip Jaclyn Moriarty's hilarious teen series into a film starring our fave local actors.

10. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Another perfect romance, I don't know why this one hasn't been picked up yet. It manages to take a cliche of meeting on a plane and falling in love to a whole other level <3

UPCOMING BOOK TO MOVIE ADAPTATIONS;;

I also stumbled upon a quite a lot of movies already in the works and they just so happen to be a few of my favourites, yay! I can't wait to see each of these films hit the cinema and create waves amongst the blogosphere and beyond! Follow the links to keep track of them on your IMDB watch-list.

2012 // The Lonely Hearts Club, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Shiver.

2013 // 13 Reasons Why, Beautiful Creatures, The Duff, Dash and Lily, Delirium, Forgotten, The Future of Us.

2014 // Heist Society, Here Lies Bridget.

2015: A Great and Terrible Beauty, Divergent, The Scorpio Races.

Q: What books would you like to see made into a movie?

May Reading Pile

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:11:00 +0000

With the recent controversy floating around the blogosphere, it's become even more clear how important it is to give credit where credit is due and for that reason, I must give mention to Starry Sky Books as a major influence for this particular feature. I've always wanted to broadcast my monthly book choices but never really found the right way to go about... so please read on to see what I'm planning to read in May :)

At the moment, I'm roughly mid-way through Going Too Far as it was leftover from last month's reading pile. It hasn't yet hit that point of brilliance I've come to expect from Jennifer Echols but I'm sure it'll be a winner by the time I write my review. I'm super psyched for The Perks of Being a Wallflower, I've been meaning to read it since a friend recommended it as her favorite book ever so with the recent announcement of the movie, I thought it best I read it before seeing the film.

It probably doesn't make sense to select such a large quantity of books each month when I have almost zero chance of completing them all but for me, it works. I find if I have a selection to choose from that is regularly updated, I don't ever get bored or overwhelmed by my bookshelves. I highly recommend it to others especially if you use the ratings on goodreads as a guide to what is likely to be a more enjoyable read. Out of these three, I think I'm most interested in reading The Survival Kit even though it doesn't seem to be gaining the popularity it deserves. I just love the idea of a pre-determined playlist and a few other goodies being left behind to ultimately help the pro-tag solve a mystery of sorts.

As I'm currently attending a few classes, I haven't exactly been giving my full attention to blogging or reading and it's shown in my reading challenge. I'm currently six books behind which is roughly 9% overall but hopefully I'll be able to fly through Gimme A Call in record time as I hear it's marketed to both Middle-Grade and YA which will most likely make it a fast-read... I'm thinking. It may also help that I've been waking up super early due to the chilly weather in Melbourne (6 Degrees / 42 Fahrenheit), I find the best defense against early morning chill is a good book and an electric blanket to keep warm. Plus it makes the whole day run a lot smoother when you've been buried in the perils of other people's lives.

Q: What are you going to be reading this month?

Top Ten Tips For New Book Bloggers

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Tip One // Getting Started

As you're currently reading a post for new bloggers, I'm going to assume you are in the process of building your blog. When I was at this stage, I remember wondering whether I had the chops to participate in a community of so many amazing people. I just to want to get it out there that we're all just regular people with a love for books and you don't really need any special skills although a basic writing ability and a few hours to spare each week will help!

Tip Two // Why YA?

This is a question many of us have asked ourselves especially those who are no longer within the recommended age bracket of the Young Adult genre. It's a complete mystery to me and many others as to why it seems to have blown up in the bookstore and blogosphere. The truth is, no one really knows but let's enjoy the community of like-minded individuals while it lasts unless YA Books aren't really your calling and you're only jumping on the bandwagon to become a successful blogger. In that case, build your blog around your daily life or basically any passion or interest you have as there is likely to be a following out there somewhere!

Tip Three // Socialize
Once you've got the basics of your blog sorted, you may start to wonder how to build interest. Well, it all comes down to socializing. Spend lots of time commenting on other blogs and you may just make some friends along the way, it's also the perfect way to gain inspiration for your next blog post, just remember to always give credit to the original blogger. Don't forget to create a Twitter or Facebook account that links to your blog so we can get to know you a little bit better!

Tip Four // Followers

It may seem like blogging is purely a game of building followers but you'll soon realize that the GFC Widget isn't a very clear representation of readership at all. Most blogs with a large following have either hosted a giveaway or have simply been around for yonks! The best advice I can give you is simply do not pay attention to the little or large number on your sidebar as you'll only to start to hate on it... just make sure it's easy for readers to follow your blog in a variety of ways i.e. email subscription, rss or bloglovin.

Tip Five // ARCs

At first, you may be tempted to request review books but in my opinion, it is best to wait until you have your reviewing format down-pat. It's entirely up to you but my advice would be to start off reviewing your own books or those you can obtain at the library. Once you're comfortable with your skills, you'll be able to build a great relationship with publicists by reviewing each and every book sent out to you in a timely manner and you'll become much more successful in the end.

Tip Six // Advertising

We would all love to turn our hobbies into a paid career but unfortunately blog earnings are extremely slim and some advertising will actually turn away readers. For the most part, a small button on your blog sidebar won't bother followers and they are now really easy to install thanks to Google AdSense and many other blog advertising websites.

Tip Seven // Design

You may find it a little time-consuming but the design of your blog is extremely important. For your first layout, a freebie self-install that represents your personality should do the job just look for something that personifies the topics you hope to discuss. Try to avoid overcrowding your sidebar or choosing a font that is hard to read as these are huge pet peeves in the world of blogging.

Tip Eight // Quality vs. Quantity

It may seem like you're already behind the eight-ball but as a newbie blogger you'll have plenty of motivation and ideas for posting on your blog. Try to strike while the creative iron is hot by scheduling a few quality posts in advance while also not becoming too reliant on fluff posts unless that's what you're going for.

Tip Nine // Vlogs
If you have the confidence to blog via video recording then I say give it a go. There is nothing better than popping by a random In My Mailbox post and instantly getting to know the personality behind a blog. It isn't an essential skill but totally worth giving it a go at some point.

Tip Ten // Real Life
It's extremely easy for blogging to take over your life so remember to take a step back every now and again to analyze the amount of time you're devoting to your blog and whether it's having a negative effect on your social life. In the end, you'll be the only one to notice if you've gone on hiatus for a week, month or even a year so don's stress too much about taking regular breaks throughout the year.

Top Ten Tuesday is organized by the lovely people at The Broke and The Bookish.

Review: The Ivy

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Authors: Lauren Kunze, Rina Onur

Released: 31st August 2010

Genre: YA Romance

Rating: **

Challenge: ABC Reading Challenge

Links: Goodreads, Amazon

Summary:

Congratulations! You have been admitted to the most prestigious university in the world. Now what are you going to do?

Callie Andrews may not have money or connections or the right clothes, and she may have way too many complications in her love life, what with

 Gregory  the guy she loves to hate ...
 Evan  the guy she'd love to forget ...
 Clint  the guy she'd love to love ...
 and Matt  the guy she really should love ...
 all vying for her attention.

But she has three fantastic roommates (best friends or her worst nightmare?) and a wholesome California-girl reputation (oops) and brains and beauty and big, big dreams. Will it be enough to help her survive freshman year at Harvard?

My Thoughts:

I had rather high expectations of The Ivy as it's one of the few YA novels to venture into the realm of the college lifestyle. Other than the fact that it was set at Harvard, The Ivy could easily have been transposed to a high school drama involving boys, friendships and partying. It reads much like a love-letter slash guidebook and is worthy of quite a few eye-rolls especially when the protag keeps jumping from love interest to love interest within mere pages of her devotion.

Overall, I feel college is a huge niche and I can see great things for it in the future of YA but for right now, I'll be sure to steer clear of the fluff.

In My Mailbox #85

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 03:57:00 +0000

I'm really excited about Holier Than Thou this week, it isn't often that I find a character who shares my first name. It's even better to find another awesome Aussie YA. I also can't wait to read comedienne Corinne Grant's memoir especially after the amazing Tina Fey won me over with Bossypants. It's been a long time since I've received such a haul in one week, YAY for lots of new books!

Holier Than Thou by Laura Buzo

Metro Winds by Isobelle Carmody

Storm (Elemental, #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

The Winds of Heaven by Judith Clarke

Lessons in Letting Go by Corinne Grant

Q: What's In Your Mailbox This Week?

5x5 Q's w/ Vanessa & Isalys from Book Soulmates!

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Welcome to another edition of 5x5 Q's, this week we're chatting to Vanessa & Isalys from Book Soulmates!

Q: What would you most like to accomplish in the future?

Vanessa: Finishing school and getting my BA...possibly in education or history.

Isalys: Change careers and pursue something in either history or publishing *sigh*

Q: What would you buy with a million dollars?

Vanessa: First, I'd share it with family and then buy my own house.

Isalys: A private island? Cuz that would be awesome. If not, then I'd also share it with family and then move to London.

Q: What is your favourite snack food?

Vanessa: Sunflower seeds

Isalys: Goldfish crackers

Q: What is your #1 Guilty Pleasure?

Vanessa: I'm hooked on the show Gossip Girl...one episode was all it took :)

Isalys: I'm a member of Shoe Dazzle (it's like a shoe club). Next to books, shoes are my other weakness!

Q: What's on your wish-list?

Vanessa: Divergent, Embrace and Grave Mercy.

Isalys: Insurgent, Shine and Before I Wake.

-----------------------------------

Now, it's Isalys' & Vanessa's chance to ask me a few questions...

Q: Name something that always cheers you up when you're down? I really, really wanna say LMFAO but that wouldn't be very accurate. Maybe a combination of chocolate, Gilmore Girls and PJ's?

Q: What scares you? I'm actually creeped out pretty easily, most recently I attempted the skywalk tour at Grand Canyon and was just a little too chicken to walk across the glass bridge walkway but c'mon it's a pretty steep drop!

Q: If you could have ANY car (money no object), which one would you get? I've actually had my eye on a VW Bug for quite some time. Not only are they super cute but they also hold childhood memories of playing Punch Buggy and getting hit in the arm multiple times at random.

Q: What is a food that you cannot live without? Hmm, I think I could get used to not eating almost any particular food after awhile but I would really miss french fries if they became a rarity.

Q: Do you have any blogging pet peeves? Sure, I'm not exactly a fan of filling out those word validation forms when leaving a blog comment. I'm also turned off when a blog has a crowded sidebar or a font that is hard to read.

Be sure to let me know if you'd like to participate in 5x5 Q's!

Friday Finds #2

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 06:30:00 +0000

Is anyone else a little tired with Waiting On Wednesday? It's so damn popular that I feel a little break is needed on my part. Instead, I will now be paying a little more attention to FRIDAY FINDS, brought to us by the lovely people over at Should Be Reading. Basically, it involves sharing the books that you've discovered in the past week or so!

Recently Discovered:

The Boy Book by Ruby Oliver // Believe it or not, I only just got around to reading The BF List and while it wasn't as hilarious as I hoped, it was still a worthy read and I can't wait to pick up the sequel.
Emma Hearts LA by Keris Stainton // For quite some time now, I've been keeping my eye on a little UK author by the name of Keris Stainton. She now has quite a following and is one of the few authors that I have managed to read each book as it has been released.

Casey Barnes Eponymous by EA Rigg // These days, I rarely accept self-pub novels to save myself all the drama of negative feedback but this one was hard to resist. From the cute and eye-catching cover to the mention of a music junkie for a protag, this sounds like the perfect novel for me!

The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life by Tara Altebrando // I've always loved the idea of competing in a scavenger hunt and what better way than to live vicariously through a YA novel or better yet, maybe this will finally inspire me to cross it off my bucket list.

Let me know of the best books you've recently added to your wish list.

ABC Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 06:00:00 +0000

I am terrible at challenges, I can barely recall ever actually completing a reading challenge so I decided to completely avoid them this year. That was, until I discovered the ABC Reading Challenge... not only did the pretty graphics pull me in but the idea that I'll be able to complete the challenge with books I already have on my reading pile. If you're also wanting to participate, check out Gripped Into Books!

28th Dec 2011 - 1st Jan 2013

A = ~~Amazing Grace by Megan Shull~~
B = ~~Bossypants by Tina Fey~~
C = ~~The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg~~
D = ~~Dear Dylan by Siobhan Curham~~
E = The Espressologist by Kristina Springer
F = ~~The Future of Us by Jay Asher~~
G = ~~Good Oil by Laura Buzo~~
H = ~~Holier Than Thou by Laura Buzo~~
I = ~~The Ivy by Lauren Kunze~~
J = Jenna and Jonah's Fauxmance by Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin
K = ~~The Karma Club by Jessica Brody~~
L = ~~Love-Shy by Lili Wilkinson~~
M = ~~My Ridiculous, Romantic Obsessions by Becca Wilhite~~
N = ~~Never Have I Ever (The Lying Game #2) by Sara Shepard~~
O = One Lonely Degree by C.K. Kelly Martin
P = The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Q = Queen Kat, Carmel & St Jude Get a Life by Maureen McCarthy
R = ~~Revived by Cat Patrick~~
S = ~~Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood~~
T = ~~Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt~~
U = ~~The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin~~
V = Viola in Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani
W = ~~Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten~~
X = The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June by Robin Benway
Y = Young, Loaded & Fabulous by Kate Kingsley
Z = Zelah Green by Vanessa Curtis

Wish Me Luck!

Waiting On Wednesday #59

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 05:30:00 +0000

Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols
July 10th 2012 by MTV Books

Why? It's Jennifer Echols! She took me by complete surprise with Forget You back in 2010 and I'm now working my way through her back catalogue. Truthfully, I'm not all too sure how the element of flying will play out as I've never actually read or even heard of a YA novel with a similar theme. I'm keen to read the early reviews but if all goes well, I should be pre-ordering this one rather soon.

Summary: High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever.

But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business—until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers—and the consequences could be deadly.

Engrossing and intense, Such a Rush is a captivating story from an author with a rising star.

Let me know what books you're most looking forward to buying in the next couple months.

How Fast Can You Read?

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Hmm... Ever wondered whether you're able to read faster than the average person? I've certainly been curious to see whether the amount of books I go through has improved my reading speed so when I spotted the Staples Speed Reader Challenge at Radiant Shadows, I could hardly resist.

It turns out, after three attempts my score is fairly dependent on how interested I am in the text. My score significantly improved when Alice In Wonderland popped up, proving that I should finally make an attempt to read the childhood favourite.

Overall, my score fell just below the average college student. Roughly 279 words per minute and 12% faster than the national average.

What Does This All Mean? I Could Read:

Harry Potter in 4 Hours
Lord of the Rings in 28 Hours
Catch 22 in 10 Hours
Nineteen Eighty-Four in 5 Hours
The Fountainhead in 18 Hours
The Grapes of Wrath in 10 Hours

It also means, I'd be able to read 3 books on a Sony Reader before recharging.

Take the test for yourself, then pop back over here to share your score :)

Rewind & Review // April Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 04:30:00 +0000

Rewind & Review is a brand new feature from Ginger @ Greads. I instantly knew this would be the perfect challenge to attempt as I have a whole heap of older books I've been promising myself I'll read sooner rather than later. Hopefully I'll be able to turn this into a regular feature but I'll wait to see how successful the books are this month before committing.

Both books I'm attempting to read this month have been hanging around my shelves since late 2009!

First up, we have Tangled by Tish Cohen which you can tell from the title, is based on lies and whether it's worth telling them. I actually won this book in a giveaway and I recall also receiving a cardigan with the book, I guess it has an important part in the story-line at some point. I'll find out soon enough.

And for my second choice, I've selected Tangled by Carolyn Mackler. I received this one through a book swap from the lovely Nomes over at InkCrush. I guess I never got around to reading this one as I've seen quite a few average reviews particularly those saying the book is not what it seems despite the attention-grabbing cover.

That's all for this month in Review & Rewind. Let me know what older titles you're hoping to read next!

In My Mailbox #84

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 04:30:00 +0000

Hey Guys! It's been a couple months since my last In My Mailbox so I hope you'll forgive me for the huge list of books below. Basically, I just got caught up with other things and slowly but surely this feature has gotten out of complete control in hardly any time at all. By the time, I receive my next five or so books I'm hoping to set up a really cute photography edition of IMM. Keep an eye out :)

----------------------------------------------------------------

Books Received:
A Gift for My Sister by Ann Pearlman
A Million Suns by Beth Revis
The Alchemy of Forever (Incarnation #1) by Avery Williams
Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber
Choker by Elizabeth Woods
Dancing to the Flute by Manisha Jolie Amin
Dead, Actually by Kaz Delaney
Dear Dylan by Siobhan Curham
Deadline by Chris Crutcher
Free-Falling by Nicola Moriarty
Freshman Year & Other Natural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin
In Darkness by Nick Lake
Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle
The Little Shadows by Marina Endicott
Love-Shy by Lili Wilkinson
Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Q & A - 5 Year Journal
Queen Kat, Carmel & St Jude Get a Life by Maureen McCarthy
Revived by Cat Patrick
Spoiled by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan
These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Unrest by Michelle Harrison
Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler & Maira Kalman

Q: What books did you receive in the mail this week?

About Me

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 09:34:00 +0000

Hey, I'm Holly! I blog about my daily life, books and almost anything that catches my fancy. When I'm not reading, I like to cook, watch movies and listen to music. Some of my favourites include...

Books: Across the Universe, Anna and the French Kiss, Bossypants, Divergent, Forgotten, The Hunger Games, Just Listen, Perfect Chemistry, Shiver.

Movies: The Castle, E.T, Edward Scissorhands, Grease, Home Alone, Little Miss Sunshine, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Uncle Buck, The Wizard of Oz.

Music: A Day To Remember, All Get Out, Bayside, Blink-182, Brighten, I Am The Avalanche, Manchester Orchestra, Paramore, Say Anything, Taylor Swift.

Television: Gilmore Girls, Home and Away, The Mentalist, Modern Family, Parenthood, Pretty Little Liars, The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

People: Alexis Chung, Chloe Moretz, Dallas Green, Emma Stone, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jennette McCurdy, Josh Thomas, Max Bemis, Ryan Gosling, Zooey Deschanel.

Contact:

hollytaylor@optusnet.com.au

Goodbye, March!

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 08:38:00 +0000

real life updates

Hello All! I'm loving the brand new month in review feature for 2012. It does a really great job at reminding me of all the stuff I've managed to accomplish and highlights the best bits.
I'm glad to be back from my hiatus, in the break I travelled to LA, SF & LV. I'll be sure to document my adventures shortly.
Is anyone else participating in Fat Mum Slim's Photo Challenge? I'm slowly getting into the swing of taking a word-inspired photo every day and I can already feel my skills improving immensely.

books recently read

Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood - I've been working my way through some of the best Aussie YA lately and this one just so happens to be my favourite. So darn adorkable. YAY for lists!
A Million Suns (Across the Universe, #2) by Beth Revis
The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler - This novel caught my attention from the get-go, who wouldn't want to see their facebook page of the future. I felt like these two brilly authors could've done a whole lot more with their initial great idea... it left so much more to be desired.

movies most enjoyed

The Hunger Games - Yes, it's true. I've finally seen The Hunger Games along with about half the world according to those box office earnings combined with all those tweets about the movie.
In Time
The Art of Getting By - A cute indie flick about YA's falling in love and figuring out their lives. It just so happens to star two of my fave people... Freddie Highmore & Emma Roberts.

musically inspired

I Am The Avalanche - Slowly, slowly this band has crept up on me and is now a contender for all-time favourite. I find myself listening to their new record on shuffle for hours on end. They also put on a great live show where I just so happened to relive my teenage moshpit memories, yes I did get literally squashed by an overzealous crowd but it was all in the name of fun.
Taylor Swift
A Day To Remember - This band is a bit of an unlikely choice for me, I'm absolutely in love with about half their tracks and cannot stand the rest... really weird. Anyhow, I just so happen to be sporting an ADTR band tee at this very minute...

fave blog posts

Top Ten // Bucket List

Wish List // Spring Books

Peace, Love & Cupcakes

Daily Dose // Friday on my Mind

all i'm thankful for ♥

pinterest // smart playlists // american candy // freebies // gps navigation // baseball inspired tee's // the aussie accent // pretty little liars // myfitnesspal // being vegetarian for a day // bacon // punk rock // my comfy bed // a neverending pile of books // tori & dean

Peace, Love & Cupcakes // Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 06:01:00 +0000

Thanks to the lovely peeps at Source Books, I have a copy of the debut tween series, Peace, Love and Cupcakes to giveaway. In addition to this delectable novel, I'm also including a Cupcake Club measuring spoon for any future baking efforts that may or may not be inspirited by this particular book.

About the Book:

Cupcake Club: Peace, Love & Cupcakes by Sheryl Berk, Carrie Berk | Quiet fourth-grader Kylie Carson is sort of an outsider--she's constantly bullied by popular girl Meredith and has no friends, until her new drama teacher encourages her to start a cupcake club at school: Cupcakes for a Cause will raise money for the new EcoCenter. Soon, Kylie and other misfits are baking up a storm.

Entrant Info:

To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below
The contest is open to everyone--worldwide
The winner will be notified by email

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Top Ten Books On My Spring Wishlist

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:00:00 +0000

It's time for another edition of Top Ten Tuesday thanks to The Broke and The Bookish. This week's topic looks at novels to be released between March 20th and June 19th or what is better known as "astronomical spring" according to google. Be sure to let me know what's at the top of your spring wishlist.

1. Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

2. The List by Siobhan Vivian

3. Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe by Shelley Coriell

4. The Story of Us by Deb Caletti

5. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

6. A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

7. Thumped (Bumped #2) by Megan McCafferty

8. Slated by Teri Terry

9. Preloved by Shirley Marr

10. Holier Than Thou by Laura Buzo

Q: Which of these books are already sitting on your wishlist?

Friday on My Mind

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:00:00 +0000

1. Hello, Ray Bans! I adore you and your Virtual Mirror Assistant for allowing me to try on as many pairs as I like from the comfort of my own home!


2. Okay, so I may be slightly addicted to Reese's Puffs but they are just so delicious in a "Candy for Breakfast" sort of way.

3. Oh, How I wanted to switch lives with Sabrina. ♥ HARVEY.

4. IHOP, seriously need to spill the recipe to their Loaded Baked Potato Soup. For now, I'm willing to settle with this version but c'mon, it just ain't fair!

5. TOM TOMS TOMS. I swear, I couldn't go two steps in California without spotting a pair of these babies and in so many different pretty fabrics. MUST HAVES :)

♥ holly

My Bucket List

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 07:15:00 +0000

If you've been by my pinterest account lately, you may have spotted an evergrowing bucket list filled with goals ranging from complete silliness to others that are easily attainable, see below for a a few of my recent faves.

1. Over the years, I've spent hours upon hours drooling over the most artful of tattoos yet I know the minute I get my own, I'll instantly tire of it and want to get it removed. Alas, I'm still totally undecided on whether this'll actually happen in the long run.

2. I've been thinking about this one a lot lately. Somehow, I doubt I'll be able to make it work at this point as I've heard many a story of couples who work full-time and are still unable to make their repayments. Let's hope it happens for me in the future sometime.

3. I still can't believe this lady isn't much a fan of touring, I'd die at the chance to travel for a living. Although, I have heard their is a major bidding war amongst the top aussie touring companies so hopefully she'll be heading our way soon.

4. Just the thought of pizza in Italy is to die for although over twenty hours on a plane pretty much clears this from my immediate goal list.

5. Okay, so this may be an unrealised dream from the age of about fifteen but c'mon, who doesn't drool at the thought of this one :D

6. After recently attending my first dress-up party, I'm now in love with the idea of hosting my own. Bring on Halloween 2012.

7. I have longed to complete this goal for quite some time yet I still haven't been able to make it happen. In the same vein, I'd also love to blog 365 days in a row but I'm really far from it at this point. Any tips?

8. From the very beginnings of Paramore, I've wanted to follow in Hayley Williams footsteps with her many variations on red hair. I'd like to think the current craze on brightly coloured hair is slightly inspired by this particular lady.

9. Believe it or not, I've never experienced a professional manicure. If I spend anymore time on those beauty blogs, I'm sure they'll finaly inspire me to make the leap.

10. I was hoping to complete this goal while recently in California but unfortunately tickets were all sold out. Maybe one day :)

Q: What's at the top of your bucket list? ♥ holly

January // Wrap-Up Post

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:29:00 +0000

real life updates

Hey Guys! I'm here to introduce my brand new feature for 2012. I felt my blog was lacking a little in personal interest so it'll be one of my main goals to improve on in the new year. Hopefully this post will not only inspire you to check out some of my recent blog posts but also a few of my favourite things around the interwebs. Be sure to also check out my feature on Friday Favourites whenever it decides to make an appearance.
In other news, I'm taking my first overseas trip EVER! YAY for LA. I'm planning to hit up Disneyland and a few other places but most of all, I'd love to hear your recommendations on all things travel in the US of A.

new online discoveries

Pinterest - I'm pretty sure if this were the only website in the world, I'd be pretty happy. Basically it's got a whole other level on We Heart It which happens to be one of my previously adored photography websites but now I find myself spending all my time categorizing to my hearts content at none other than Pinterest. Don't ask me how to pronounce the name but basically, it's a dream board gone wild. Get ready for an extreme hit of inspiration.
TripAdvisor - The best and worst website for pre-travel arrangements. The fact that basically every attraction/hotel/restaurant has both glowing reviews and terrible ones, makes it almost impossible to decide on what to add or remove from my must-see list anyhow it's still holding my interest and actually inspiring me to visit so many more places around the world.
The Dainty Squid - This girl has inspired me in so many ways since first discovering her fashion minded blog. Basically, she chats about her everyday life in the most interesting of ways and I aspire to be like her on a daily basis because she manages to update just about every 12 hours and her content is always worth reading.

books recently read

Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl - I always tread very carefully when it comes to paranormal novels. They seem to either be hit or miss with me and this one just happens to be a big winner. No wonder it's got 40,000 raving reviewers on Goodreads.
Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten
Bossypants by Tina Fey - I'm really glad I finally got around to reading this one, it's an insight into the life of a female comedian and how she managed to get so damn popular. Plus it's extremely entertaining.
Never Have I Ever (The Lying Game #2) by Sara Shepard
Amazing Grace by Megan Shull - This one didn't exactly win me over but at least it was extremely fast-paced. If only it were a little more complex :S

movies most enjoyed

Chalet Girl (2011) - Surprisingly entertaining despite the ever so corny film poster. Although, I'm still not keen on ever attempting to ski again.
The King's Speech (2010)
Hugo (2011) - Does anyone else find it unusual to see this film winning over both critics and fans alike? I actually thought this one was a little quirky but anything with Chloe Moretz in a starring role can win me over pretty easy.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
The Descendants (2011) - As a fan of The Secret Life of the American Teenager, I was stoked to see Shailene Woodley in her first feature film but this movie goes on to be so much more amazing than I anticipated. I'm pretty sure this one will be ranking with my best of 2012 list even though it's only January.

Fave Blog Posts

Daily Dose // National Popcorn Day

Bookish Recommendaiton: 5 Year Q&A Diary

The Best of 2011 // Books, Music, TV & Movies

How Many Books Will You Be Reading In 2012?

Recipe // DIY Smoothie Cubes

all i'm thankful for ♥

quirky recipes // cool gusts of wind // diy craft tutorials // miniscule advertisement earnings // calorie counters // amazon // the sunday newspaper // high interest rates // dog walking // ebay // non-bookish blogs // creative outlets // gravy // using my free time for reading // opi nail polish // blase travel buddies

Recipe // DIY Smoothie Cubes

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 08:07:00 +0000

Today, I'm stepping a little bit out of the norm in terms of blog topics with a fun and fruity recipe. I was inspired to create my own version of Smoothie Cubes while browsing my newest obsession, Pinterest (follow me here).

You may have spotted a rather expensive variety of frozen smoothie cubes at your local supermarket. Basically, the idea is to have yoghurt and frozen fruit in convenient cubes for creating a breakfast smoothie.

I scoured the kitchen for fruits suitable for use and came up with frozen berries and a very ripe banana. If tempted to make this recipe again, I'd be very keen to try out different flavour combos but for now I'm steering clear of the ruby red apple and lemon, I found at the bottom of the refrigerator.

Simply place a heaped tablespoon of yoghurt in each muffin tin and top with desired fruit. Cover with cling wrap and pop in the freezer overnight.

Smoothie Cubes

What You'll Need:

- Texas Muffin Tray

- Cling Wrap

Very Berry Smoothie

1/2 Cup Fresh or Frozen Berries
3 Tablespoons Vanilla Yoghurt

Banana Bash Smoothie
1 Ripe Banana, Sliced
3 Tablespoons Passionfruit Yoghurt
3 Teaspoons Honey

Method

Scoop a tablespoon of yoghurt into each muffin tin.
Top with desired ingredients.
Cover with cling wrap and pop in freezer overnight.

Once frozen solid, pop out of muffin tray for use in a mixer with added oats and milk or simply juice on it's own. Freeze any leftovers in a zip lock bag.

Daily Dose - Australia Day

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Taylor) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:29:00 +0000

I love that so many people have taken this meme under their wing and are enjoying the theme. It's brilliant to pop over to random blogs and catch some inspiring images. If you'd like to participate in Daily Dose, simply pull together some images you find magical and hope to inspire your readers with, then share the link below.

♥ holly

All images found on We Heart It!