For any of you who live in Colorado, this is an amazing event! It is totally free to attend, just make sure to register! I will definitely be there as a volunteer. There will be many amazing authors, cool panels, and an epic booksigning party at the end! Plus, there will be food trucks for lunch!
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One of the most famous fictional (or are they?) characters in books and movies are vampires. Whether they are sparkly and romantic or feral and highly dangerous, vampires are fun to read about. So, here is a list of books that will not disappoint you in regards to vampirism! Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead In this book, there are two major types of vampires: the Moroi and the Strigoi. While the Moroi are considered the "good" vampires, have the ability to use magic, and only drink donations of blood given to them, the Strigoi are evil and kill for the blood they need. The mix of humans and Moroi vampires are called Dhampirs. Since Dhampirs are naturally faster and have better reflexes than the Moroi, they are trained to be Guardians for the Moroi. St. Vladimir Academy is where both Moroi and Dhampirs attend to train for their futures. Lissa Dragomir and Rose Hathaway are best friends who have, somehow, escaped from the Academy and have been living on their own for the past two years. While one is a Moroi and the other is a Dhampir, both work together to protect each other from the dangers they each face. That is, until they are caught and thrown back into St. Vladimir Academy. This novel has the best of both worlds in regards to the various ways vampires are portrayed. Whether you already like vampires or despise them based on previous encounters with vampire novels, you will enjoy this book. It is funny, witty, and entertaining. With the amazing plots and fantastic heroines you won't be able to help being sucked into this novel. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead Bloodlines is the enthralling spin-off series of Vampire Academy that follows the adventures of characters we did not see much of in the previous series. Rather than Rose and Lissa, this book follows an alchemist named Sydney. Alchemists are a group of humans with magical abilities who strive to protect vampire secrets along with human lives. However, Sydney's last encounter with vampires was not a positive one, especially considering how her allegiances are now being questioned. Sydney is not surprised when she taken from her own bed in the middle of the night, thinking she is going to be punished for what happened, but she is shocked when she finds out the true reason. The royal Jill Dragomir is in mortal danger, and Sydney has been called upon to protect her. As soon as they are sent off to human boarding school, they know this mission will not be as easy as it first seemed. This is the perfect novel to pick up as soon as you finish the Vampire Academy series. It has the same qualities, but new characters and a fresh story to be told. It contains all the snarky banter, strong heroines, and thrilling action that is deeply loved in its companion series. If you enjoy reading about variations from the traditional vampire and learning more about the world set in Vampire Academy, then this is the perfect book to sink your teeth into. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black Tana lives in an alternate world where vampires not only exist, but are known to exist by humans. To deal with the problem of vampiric overpopulation, the U.S. government has created places called Coldtowns, quarantines for vampires (that have been caught by bounty hunters) and humans (who desire to be changed into vampires). The catch is, once you have entered a Coldtown, you can never leave, whether you are an innocent human or a venomous vampire. Tana is the type of person who would never consider visiting a Coldtown, until the fateful morning when she wakes up the morning after a party as one of the sole survivors of a massacre that had taken place the night before. The only other living people in the house are her ex-boyfriend and a mysterious boy, both of whom she has to save before the sun sets and the vampires come back for an after-snack. If you want a new twist on the cliched vampire stories, then this is the perfect book for you. From the very first page, you are immediately transported into a new world with different norms and new rules. There are many great novels, but nothing like this urban fantasy that mixes in vampires, drama, and road trips in a fantastic blend called The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. Another great aspect of this book is how there are different types of relationships, rather than only the stereotypical one that we see in a lot of literature. Next time you stop by the library, make sure to check this book out as your next victim! Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst Pearl is your typical sixteen-year old vampire: mostly evil, favors blood over hamburgers, and is deathly afraid of sunlight. That is, until the night when a sparkly unicorn magically appears and stabs her through the heart. Strangely enough, she survives being staked, and acquires new abilities as well. No longer is she bound to spending her waking hours in the night, and she, for the first time, begins feeling emotions she thought belonged only to humans. With her new abilities, Pearl is now expected to attend high school in order to lure an entree of humans as the King's feast to a ball. However, things get complicated when she finds herself in friendships with humans and when her new conscience comes into play. At first, this book can be brushed off as another cliche vampire novel. However, this is hardly the case once you open the book. Right off the bat, you will be shocked by not only how unique this book is, but the harshness and honesty of it as well. Plus, it has something we don't see in many books- unicorns! This is definitely the book for you if you enjoy snarky humor, are prepared to face a few mind-blowing plot twists, and want an extra level of depth in terms of what it means to be human (or a vampire for that matter). Twilight by Stephanie Meyer Of course, we have to end this with one of the most influential vampire novels of all time, Twilight. Bella Swan has just moved to Forks, Washington in order to live wither her dad. However, things get a little shaken up in this small town when she meets the mysterious Edward Cullen. It is clear from the beginning that they can never be together, but as Bella's feelings grow more intense with every day, she can't help but be drawn to Edward and find out what his secret is. With all odds against them, they still find themselves unable to resist each other. But with Bella's safety in danger, there is no guarantee that they will make it through what life throws at them. Although Twilight does have a not-so pretty reputation by many, it is still one of the most influential books in Young Adult history. There are many cliches and the writing is not at the same level as something you would read for a school assignment, but that is the beauty of it. The best way to enjoy this book is to read it when you want something light and fluffy that will not only keep you entertained, but leave an imprint on your heart forever. This is a beloved classic to many, and for good reason! Twilight will not leave you disappointed. After all, it is a love story with a bite! Hello! Welcome back to my blog, and I am so sorry I haven't updated in a while! Things have been super crazy with college and then going straight to Idaho for a missions trip. I haven't had much free time for anything, not even reading. Plus, I have had no internet for the past week. With this said, I am super excited to get back to reading and posting again! Thank you all for being so patient! So with all the buzz around Pokémon Go, I thought it would be fitting to do a book tag revolving around it. In case you do not know what Pokémon Go is, it is a game (or app) for your smart devices where you are forced to go out of your house to find various pokemons! Once you reach level five, you are able to go to various gyms and fight other players. The way this works is that the creators of this game have imposed another layer over a GPS system (like google maps basically) so that when you are playing the game it uses actual locations and such that you can go to. In the words of my mom, it is "basically geocaching with those pokemans". I am sorry if my descpription was a little off, but there is tons of information out there in case you are interested in learning more about the game. I would also like to say that the original TAG was created by PuffyBooks on YouTube. Definitely go check out her video! Also, I am only doing the first ten books in the TAG because of how many questions it has and I don't want to overwhelm you all with a super long post! I might end up doing a second part later, but this is all I am doing for now. I hope you enjoy! 1. Pikachu: What was the first book series you remember collecting? The first book series I remember collecting is definitely The Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne. I remember saving up money to buy more of the books and always begging my parents for the next one in the series. The Magic Treehouse series is definitely what fed my passion for reading at a young age and look where I am now. This book series is loved by so many children and older people (who read them as children) for a reason: they are amazing. I would go as far as to say that the series is the best literature for children out there. Yep, I said it. 2. Bulbasaur: What is your favorite magical creature from a book? Ooh, this is a hard one. There are so many fantastic fantasy books out there. I am going to stick with all the dragons from Eragon by Christopher Paolini and the rest of the series. There aren't enough dragon books out there, and I love dragons to death. They are just so cool! Imagine being a dragon rider, wouldn't that be epic? I mean, yes it would be a little terrifying, but totally worth it. If I didn't choose dragons, though, then I would go with mermaids (even though they are TOTALLY real). 3. Charmander: What is your favorite book where fire plays an important role? I choose.... Divergent by Veronica Roth! I mean, it does have fire on the cover after all. I didn't hop on the Divergent bandwagon until a couple months ago, but I absolutely loved it. Even if there is not obvious fire in the book, I didn't want to just choose Catching Fire like I figure a lot of other people will. Anyways, dauntless inclused a lot of playing with fire, so there you go! 4. Squirtle: What is the last book that made you cry? Guitar Noted by Mary Amato. If you fancy reading more about this very rare experience, then I suggest you scurry on to my review for this amazing book. Most of you that follow my posts are probably aware of how hard it is for me to cry because of a book, but somehow this novel did it. It was amazing and I loved feeling so connected with the book in this way. It was such a great read and if you have not read it yet, then go read it now. I love it so so much. 5. Pidgey: What is a book that "flew away" from you (got lost)? Um, there are probably a lot of books that I have lost but don't know about considering the vast amount of books I have in my home. However, I do recall one experience of lending The Hunger Games to my younger brother and him losing it for about a week. It was probably the worst week of both of our lives. Trust me, I made sure he knew that he would never lose a book of mine again. The good news is that he learned his lesson (after spending hours upon hours searching for the book) and he will NEVER AGAIN lose a book of mine. (: 6. Jigglypuff: What is your favorite romance/chick lit book? Is this seriously a question? How can one be expected to choose? I mean, 50 Shades of Grey aside (just kidding! I don't actually mean it), there are a lot of really great romance books out there. Buuuuuuuutttttttttttt if I had to choose only oneeeeeee, then this time I will go with Misbehaving by Abbi Glines because I gave it the highest rating out of all the other romance books I read this year. Yes, I do remember thoroughly enjoying that super cheesy read. I know there are tons of other great romances that I have read, but I am not at home currently so I am going with this one. 7. Poliwag: What is a book that you didn't think you would enjoy but surprised you? Okay, so I am going to do the reverse of this question because there is a specific incident I have in mind; What is a book that you thought you would enjoy but ended up not liking at all? Okay, so now it's story time. Two years ago at the Colorado Teen Lit Conference, my friends and I found this book called Valhalla by Ari Bach and it sounded absolutely amazing. In fact, my friend bought it and promised to let me borrow it later. A couple months passed and my hype for the book never died down. Eventually, it was almost time for the next year's CTLC and I was determined to read the book before I went back. So I picked up a copy from my library and got to reading it. Let me just say, it was not pleasant in the slightest sense. I could not get past the writing and the way the story was told or any other part of it. I was so in love with the premise of the book, but it did not feel like I was reading a story but rather like I was being told a series of events. It was such an awful experience for me that I could not get past the second chapter. Yeah, that was my horrendous experience. I am so glad I never ended up buying the book like I was planning. I would have been thoroughly disappointed. (BTW: I am not trying to bash on this book or anyone else's opinion on the book- I am only telling my experience with it.) 8. Golem: What is a book that scared you as a child? Well, I didn't exactly read this book as a child, but that's because I am not really into horror and so I never really read anything scary when I was younger. However, I did read one pretty creepy book last year. I have to say, I did enjoy it despite how terrible it is. This book is The Merciless by Danielle Vega. It is definitely not your average horror book. It deals with being possessed by demons and a group of Christain girls trying to "save" this one girl they think is possessed. It also includes crucifixion and various means of trying to cleanse the soul. It is super radical and will give you the worst case of the shivers you can experience. Yep. 9. Slowpoke: What book felt like it would never end but you tried finishing it anyways? I am going to start this with saying that I was in the midst of a huge reading slump while reading this book. I honestly think I would have had a different experience with reading The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black if I wasn't in a reading slump. Despite the awful slump I was in, though, I did really enjoy the book. I am so glad that I ended up pushing through because it was a good read. I'm just saying that it wasn't as amazing as it could have been for me due to the fact that I was literally forcing myself to read. 10. Krabby: What book made you angry? A book that made me crabby is The Art of Not Breathing by Sarah Alexander. The book was okay, but there were a lot of acts in the book that made me really upset. Yes, I read the YA genre, but that doesn't mean I enjoy reading about super irresponsible children or getting creepy vibes from various characters. I liked the overall concept of this book, but I did get many many many weird vibes from it and some of the choices that characters made just pissed me off. There is more ranting about this in my review. I'm not sure if others feel the same way, or if the majority of people think it is the epitome of modern art or something, but it just wasn't my style. Okay, well thank you for sticking around this long! I know many of you are playing Pokémon Go so I hope this was enjoyable to read! Like I mentioned earlier, these are not all the questions, but I did not want to make this post too long so I cut it down to only ten. If you would like a part two of this book TAG then let me know. I tag anyone else who is up to this challenge and wants to post this TAG on whatever social media platform you blog on! Comment down below your favorite Pokémon or a book that goes along with this tag! See you (metaphorically) next time! (:
Hello! So, I have been addicted to playing this game lately. It's called Town of Salem. It is a super-fun game about a this town (really just a group of people) trying to survive in the midst of the mafia and a serial killer. At the beginning of each game, you are assigned a role. Nobody else knows what role you are unless they are in the same category (so if you are mafia, then everyone else in the mafia will know that you are). Each role has different abilities and a different task. The goal for you is for your team to win by being the last ones left at the end of the game.
Anyways, I have been addicted to it and it has been bugging me because it has been eating up reading time. (It's not really helping the reading slump that I have been in.) So, I decided to combine this game and books together to make a book tag! YAY! Most of the questions are going to be about various roles in the game, and then I will answer with a book that has the role in it or reminds me of the role. If it doesn't make sense now, then I am pretty sure it will make more sense once you start reading the actual tag. So, let's get to it! Classic Mode. What is your favorite classic book that has no mythical creatures or magical elements? Okay, this is kinda hard. I enjoy a lot of classics, but I am probably going to have to go with Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. It was one of the first classics I read and I absolutely fell in love with it! I never got bored with this book, and was honestly surprised by some of the twists and turns. Plus, I absolutely love learning more about that time period and how various people acted during those times. Medium. Name a book where a character can speak to ghosts (or the dead). I haven't read too many books like this (maybe there are lots of this type of books out there and I just haven't read them for some reason?) but the one book that comes to mind is Shadowland by Meg Cabot. I know I know, this is an older book (by YA standards), but oh my lord I love this series so much. Meg Cabot was my all-time favorite author when I was younger, back before the revolution of what YA books have become today. Anyways, this books gave me all the feels and there needs to be more people who have read these books so we can talk about the feels AND HOW THE SERIES ENDED BECAUSE HOLY CANOLI. Yes, it is so exciting that I needed to use all caps. Anyways, good book about a mediator and it has a cute romance. Read the book. Godfather. Name a book where a villain was a great organizer of crime. The feels. For this one, I am choosing my favorite childhood book: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. Let me tell you, this books made me feel all the feels. I had my first ship in this book (this was back before "shipping" even had a name lol). It was the first big book that I had read. It made me love reading to the point where I become the bookworm I am today. But, the most relevant to this question, it had awful, creepy, terrible antagonists. Magpie terrified me to no end and never ceased to creep me out. Capricorn, the main villain, was (obviously) the worst leader of crime. And he is probably one of the most organized antagonists that I have read about to this day. He is definitely the godfather of all books. Jester. Name a book where a character was just begging to be killed. Twilight. By Stephanie Meyer. I'm pretty sure we can all agree on this one. Throughout the entire series, Bella constantly puts herself in danger. Then she literally asks Edward to kill her and make her a vampire. Not much else to be said here. She is the ultimate book jester. (Don't hate me I still love Twilight!) Vigilante. Name a book where someone decides to take the law into their own hands. I am definitely going with Night Speed by Chris Howard. Although Alana starts out as a legal enforcer of the law, some events make it so that she is now on the opposite side. Despite the warnings and how it hurts other people, Alana chooses to take the law into her own hands and get justice where it is due. She goes undercover and seeks out the stem of the problem. This explanation probably sounds really vague because I am trying to describe it without giving away any spoilers. My point is to just go read the book. It is my favorite book for a reason after all. READDDDD ITTTTTTTTT. Executioner. Name a book where someone is set on killing a specific target. Definitely The Bodies We Wear by Jeyn Roberts! This book is crazy good and I love it dearly. In this book, the world has been taken over by a new drug called Heam. It controls most people, and once you take it you are pretty much excluded from society. When Faye was younger, her and her best friend Christain were forced to take Heam. Although Faye survived, Chritain did not. Since then, Faye has intensely trained in combat and has tracked down the gang members who forced them to take the drug. She is set on killing them. That is, until she meets a boy named Chael. This is definitely on my top-ten list and everyone should read it! Serial Killer. Name a book with a crazy (perhaps murderous) character. For this one, I am going with The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. And no, I am not just saying this because it has a giant knife of the (new) cover or the work knife is in the title. I chose this one because when I was thinking of this question this one particular scene in the book came to mind. *SPOILERY SECTION* Remember when Todd encountered that one spackle? And how out of nowhere he just started murdering him like crazy? Well, yeah, that's the scene I am referring to. *NO MORE SPOILERS* That is pretty crazy and murderous to me, especially since it came out of nowhere. All Any Mode. Name a book that has just about any type of character in it. For this question, I chose The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness. It is literally about a bunch of mythical/fantasy creatures in the world (along with the regular, old humans). Pretty much any fictional character you can think of is in this great book. If there is any book that covers all the bases, it is definitely this one. Witch. Name a book with witches/wizards/anything else like this. Um, isn't this one obvious? Harry Potter!! I mean, who would choose anything else? (Besides someone who would want to be original and not just talk about the same book over and over again.) The Harry Potter is wonderful and great and amazing and if you have not read it yet then I don't know what your problem is, but you need to get to it. Like right away. Right now. Go. Get the book. Do the reads. Vampire. Name an awesome vampire boooooooook. I think I will have to go with The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black for this one because it has such an unique take on vampires and I have not read anything like it before. While there are some of the basic, legendary traits of vampires in here (can't go out in sumlight, can be killed by a wooden stake, etc...), there are a lot of unique twists! For one thing, everyone in the world knows that vampires exist. Another is that while they are stronger than the average human, they are not Edward Cullen strong and can not throw trees around like it is nothing. I really enjoyed this book and the new perspective it brings on vampires. Werewolf. Name a great werewolf book. For this question, I chose a book that was on Wattpad a while ago. I believe it is published now, but it is definitely my favorite werewolf book out of all the ones I have read. It is called Teacher's Pet and her Wattpad username is hotstuff101. Okay guys, I decided to actually do some research (scrolling back to the very first book I have in my Wattpad library, oh my!) and found out that this book is now published as an ebook. The author's published name is Darlene Gibbs. Anyways, I read this book when I was like 12 or 13 and thought it was the coolest thing ever. I am not sure if I would like it as much now that I am older and have read a lot more books, but I remember really enjoying it. In fact, that is my first Wattpad book and the what got me hooked on Wattpad. So, yeah, I really liked this book when I read it and you should perhaps check it out. But don't hold me accountable if you don't enjoy it. I am still recommending you see what it is about. Besides, there aren't too many werewolf books out there anyways. Arsonist. Name a book where a character likes to play with fire (literally or metaphorically). The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Katniss is the arsonist. She literally gets set on fire and this theme continues throughout the rest of the books. She is 'the girl on fire'. Who else would I choose for this question? Yay! You made it through this hella long post. I am proud of you. Thanks for reading this and I hope you enjoyed! Are any of you Salem lovers like me? Leave a comment below about your favorite role or a book that you would have chosen instead! I don't have anyone specific to TAG for this, so if you want to do this, then I TAG YOU! Yeah, you! Thanks again for reading, and I'll see you next time! Hello! I have great news. Today was my last day as a junior in high school, which now means I am officially a senior! Woo-hoo! As a way to reminisce as well as celebrate my junior year, I decided to compile a list of (most of) the books I enjoyed most during my junior year! Please remember that I did not start tracking which books I read until the beginning of 2016, so I am doing my best to remember all my fave books from earlier on in the school year! The list is organized from the chronological date in which I read them (or at least as close as I could get). Let's celebrate a great (school) year, and an even greater one ahead! Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen (okay, technically I read this the summer before Junior year, but I'm counting it anyways.)
The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord (pretty sure I also read this over the summer, but it is amazing and close enough) Almost by Anne Eliot Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout Life and Death by Stephanie Meyer Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella Cinder by Marissa Meyer Divergent by Veronica Roth Night Speed by Chris Howard I know... nine books does not sound like that many books. Honestly, I wasn't able to get back to reading a lot until I transferred schools and they were actually decent about homework. However, since it is summer, I plan on reading A LOT more! (With the exception of when I go up to a college for a good chunk of the break.) I am hoping to knock out a lot of books that I have been dying to read and especially catch up for all the missed time due to the slump of this month! Thanks for reading this post, and congratulations to everyone who survived another year of school! Make sure to reward yourself with lots of books and reading! Have any recommendations of books I should read? Feel free to recommend! If there is a book that I have not yet posted a review on, then there is a good chance that I have yet to read that book! Thanks for reading, and enjoy your summer! Guys, I have a problem. You see, I've been reading this book called The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. I fell in love with it after the first couple of chapters and expected to finish it with flying colors. However, that has not been the case. Not too long after I started the book, teachers began piling on the homework because seniors were leaving soon. You see, this would normally just affect the seniors. But I was in almost all senior classes. So that meant all of my classes were having finals and such while I was reading this book. Due to this, it got pushed to the side. I have been trying to get through it for over two weeks. This is not okay. Recently, I have set down my foot and decided to just get through this dang book already. But it's too late now. I am so far in this reading slump that I have barely been able to get through ten pages a day for the past three or four days. It honestly is really pathetic.
So, I plan on pushing myself through this book. I loved it at first, but now it's getting kind-of annoying to me. You see, I don't know if it's because I honestly am not enjoying this part of the book or if the reading slump is just making it worse than it actually is. I don't know. Anyways, what do I read when I'm finished with this book?! I really want to read more until I finally defeat this reading slump, but I don't want to end up hating books I read during the slump that I might have loved otherwise. Ugh. The. Struggle. Is. Real. In case you didn't read all of this post, or my thoughts are not coherent enough to understand (seeing as how upset I am right now), I will leave you a basic summary. Summary: 1. Started book 2. Loves book 3. School happens 4. Book gets pushed to back burner 5. School lightens up again 6. By now, too deep in reading slump 7. Can barely read ten pages a day 8. Going to try to push through this book 9. But don't want to hate this book because reading slump 10. Don't know what I can read after this book to get rid of slump 11. Don't want to hate any other books because of slump 12. Struggling so hard. Help! I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been put in this position! What are your guys' horrifying slump stories? Any tips to get rid of them? Please help! Summer has finally arrived and school is almost out. We all know what this means... more reading time! With that being said, it's always nice to have a TBR pile nearby so you never run out of reads when they are desperately needed. Summer is also known for being the perfect weather for cute contemporaries. So, I have compiled a list of my favorite contemporary books that I recommend for anyone who wants a super cute read!
Anna and the French Kiss trilogy by Stephanie Perkins A problem with many YA romance novels is that they just skim the surface of a relationship. Rather than having characters that actually converse and fall in love, the book just says "and then they fell in love" and you are supposed to believe it. Anna and the French Kiss does not stick to this ridiculous expectations. The story takes place at an American Boarding School in... *drumroll*... Paris! Anna is not very thrilled when she is first "shipped off" to Paris for her senior year, but that changes when she befriends Etienne St. Claire. This is a great cutesie romance that also has a main character with a charismatic personality, beautiful friendships, an incredible setting, delightful humor, a great writing style, and a book that one can never grow bored of. The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord The premise of this book is about a girl who is recovering from the death of her first boyfriend. Sounds like a big sobfest, right? Well, that is actually not how this book turns out at all. Of course there are sad moments, but it is so much more than that. It is about finding life after the death of a close one and accepting that it's okay to love new people too. It is funny, cute, and romantic. If you aren't already sold on this amazing novel, then maybe you will be once I mention all the other note-worthy: an emphasis of friendship and family, lovely writing style, realistic, lots of girl-power, NERDINESS (mentions of Firefly!), uplifting story, and it is relate-able to many different people. Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella Yet another super-cute book. This novel focuses on fourteen-year old Audrey who suffers from anxiety and is making very slow progress with her therapist. However, things start going better after she meets her brother's friend Linus. He helps her work through her fears in a way nobobody else could. Books like this are usually a hit-or-miss because either there is insta-love that magically cures the main character or the disorder is unaccurately portrayed. This book has neither. Although there is a big romance aspect in the novel, the main focus is on Audrey and her getting better. It is a hilarious read with cute twists and turns and by the end you won't help but be proud of all the progress Audrey has made. Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon Maddy has lived her entire life locked in her house because she is allergic to everything. She is used to living in a world where she can't go outside and her books have to be packaged a certain way before reaching her. But things get shaken up when a cute boy moves in next door and Maddy finds herself taking risks that she never did before. This book is absolutely adorable, unique, and an all-around great read. Between the funny dialogue and sweet romantic development between the characters, you won't be able to put this book down. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick Samantha and Jase may be neighbors, but they come from completely different worlds. Jase's family is loud, messy, and affectionate, and Samantha's family is the exact opposite. Samantha is constantly warned to stay away from the Garrets, but she can't help but admire them from afar. Despite their differences, they can't help falling for each other. This cute story not only has an emphasis on romantic relationships, but friendships and family relationships as well. It is well-written, fun, inspiring, and the perfect summertime read! To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han Lara Jean is used to keeping quiet about her crushes, with the exception of writing a note to them, sealing it, then hiding them in a box underneath her bed. But one day she discovers that her letters were somehow sent out and all of her previous crushes have now read the letters she addressed to them. When past crushes begin confronting her, Lara has to provide an explanation to these boys, and thus a very romantic comedy ensues. This is yet another novel that has a super cute romance but also a big emphasis on family bonds. This book brings out laughter, joy, and the bliss of crushes and first-love. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell Cath is a fangirl. She spends a lot of time writing fanfiction and obsessing over Simon Snow. Being a fan is her life. That is until her twin sister, Wren, breaks the news to Cath that she doesn't want to be roommates in college. Thus, Cath is thrown into the real world and is left to fend for herself. Told in alternating chapters between Cath's life and her fanfiction, this book is a purely enjoyable read. The terrific writing, intricate story, and humor in this book combined make an incredible story that is not only relate-able but will also stay with you. Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen Sydney has always been in the background of her family life, thanks to her older brother Peyton. When Sydney meets the Chathams though, she finally feels like she fits in. Especially when it comes to Mac Chatham. Sarah Dessen is known for her meaningful stories, and Saint Anything definitely holds true to this. Behind all the cute moments and light-hearted fun, there is the heartwarming story that proves the saying "family doesn't have to be blood". Excited for new releases? So am I! Check out my top ten releases for next month! Yay! Comment and tell me which books you are looking forward to reading! (Each title is linked to its goodreads page.)
1.) A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas 2.) The Way Back to You by Michelle Andreani 3.) The Crown by Kiera Cass 4.) Ruined by Amy Tintera 5.) The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye 6.) Wanderlost by Jen Malone 7.) The Square Root of Summer 8.) Unrivaled by Alyson Noel 9.) The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You by Lily Anderson 10.) Crisanta Knight: Protagonist Bound by Geanna Culbertson As a booknivore (carnivore of books), we know the struggle of finding the perfect prey. Whether the book was just not well written or not up your alley, it can be very upsetting to have wasted numerous hours devouring a book that didn't live up to the ideal prey expectations. So, I have taken the liberty of compiling a list of how to find the perfect prey to satiate your bookish needs.
Step 1: Identify your favorite flavor of books Whether it is contemporary, fantasy, or dystopian, it is always super important to know what you like to read. Even if it just one of those phases- say you've been reading a lot of contemporary books lately- it is crucial you track down the exact genre you want to read. Step 2: Find the ideal characteristics of your prey (Er, I mean book...) Seeing as there is a wide variety of genres within genres (or subgenres if you want to be specific), knowing exactly what you want to read about is very important. If you are not quite sure what you want to read about quite yet, then research! Look at top books within the genre you have and see if anything sounds interesting. Even if you don't want to read that specific book, there are more than likely other books with very similar topics. It shouldn't take too long to find what seems to be the ideal target of your hunt. Step 3: Get to know your prey before you eat your prey Before you go gallivanting about with your precious resources, research your target. Maybe the description or the cover is amazing and looks delicious, but what if the insides taste icky? Reading time is sparse enough as it it, nobody wants to throw it out the window for a bad book. This is why you pull out your handy-dandy laptop and start pulling up as many reviews as you can. Goodreads, booktube, and book blogs are excellent resources to use when going through this in-depth process. Once you are satisfied with the results of your search, you are fit to continue on with your hunt. Step 4: Gather your hunting materials Ideally, a booknivore would have a book fund ready for whenever there is the need for a splurge. However, these funds can easily be depleted with only a single trip to your local B&N. That is why there is this step. Do whatever you must do in order to gather all the required materials. Membership card to your preferred bookstore, money, and your game face. Nothing should stop you from gaining these materials. Do NOT let anybody or anything get in the way of your long-awaited meal. Step 5: Go into the jungle. Stalk down the prey. This task requires the maximum amount of focus you are capable of. Losing focus is often the downfall of booknivores: so many tasty snacks around and not enough room in your tiny arms to hold them all! Remember: you are on a mission. Track down the YA section of the bookstore (which you are probably already familiar with) and then proceed to stalk your prey. There may be many books in the way, but I have faith that you will be able to locate the exact book you came for. Once you have that yummy book in the exact position you want it, snatch that sucker up before somebody else does! Do not loiter around the books for too long, or else your mission may go astray. Prance right up to that cash register and provide the required materials to pay for your feast. Once the book is in your possession, you are able to move on to the best part of Step 6: Eat This is the moment you have been waiting for. Your prey is finally in your hands, and you can't help but take a lick your lips in anticipation of the tasty treat you have waiting for you. Gently, open the front cover of your book and proceed to turn to the first chapter. This is where you take over. You have done this before, and you have perfected the art of reading. Enjoy your delicious treat and make sure to add your own review when you are finished so you can help fellow booknivores on their quest for yummy bookies! Congratulations!! Let's be honest. We all get out of control with book buying sometimes. But this is not a place to judge for that. In fact, here, we embrace it. Binge buying totally pays off in the end. Just think how pretty those books will look on your bookshelves! Imagine the satisfaction of finally buying that book that has been on your list since forever. Well, book conferences are no exception for this. I ended up spending over $100 on books (eek! Don't tell my mom!). I don't regret it though. I have been wanting many of this books for a while, and now was the perfect opportunity to indulge. I also got some books for free though, so this post will be separated into two parts. Books I Bought: Books I Received for Free: Curio by Evangeline Denmark Night Speed by Chris Howard (ARC) Dandelion Iron by Aaron Michael Ritchey Lady Renegades by Rachel Hawkins Skinny by Donna Cooner To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han Fairest by Marissa Meyer Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld Through to You by Emily Hainsworth A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas I was also lucky enough to meet Evangeline Denmark. It was awesome talking to her about booktube and blogging and she ended up giving me some Curio swag! I also met up with Aaron Michael Ritchey again and talked about his latest book and when he is next going to give a workshop at the library! Of course, both of them also signed books for me.
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