Wednesday, July 24, 2013

The Ins and Outs of Shopping for Books





6. Shopping for Books 

   I have some very strict rules about shopping for books because I am so cheap when it comes to my own money. I typically go to a bookstore every two weeks or so, but rarely buy anything unless I have a gift card. It's all a part of my plan to buy the most amount of books for the least amount of money.

    Barnes and Noble and Books a Million: These are the bookstores I visit quite often. I buy my paperbacks here. I love the discount section at Books a Million, I've gotten tons of really good deals there.

   Ollie's: Yes, it is a discount warehouse store, but they have some amazing books for $2-$3 for both hardbacks and paperbacks. It's so cheap and wonderful I have come out with bags and bags of books for no more than $20. Talk about Heaven.

   Amazon and Barnes and Noble.com: I buy every single one of my hardbacks online because it is so much cheaper than in store. 

   Kindle: I only buy super cheap books for my Kindle and get all of my classics on it. I know I should use my Kindle more, but I am starting to with all the Kindle deals and NetGalley.

   Basically, it just requires a lot of research to get the most out of your money. As of right now I'm grounded from buying books because of the price of BEA for me and my family. I made a deal with my parents that if I read all of my books (around 200!!!) by Christmas that I would get a ton more books as presents. So wish me luck!  

   

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Top Ten: Turn Off Topics

Top Ten is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.





Top Ten Turn Off Topics of Books 

1. All New Creatures: It can be a blessing or a curse if an author invents a new kind of person or a whole new world. Most books I've read lately have been a curse because of this. If an author cannot fully explain everything simply then it leads to confusion and a lot of frustration for the reader. 

2. Mythology: I've read some good mythology books, but they have been a major turn off for me because of all the history behind the story.

3. History: I hate history, like a lot. So if a book takes place during another time era, I probably won't like it.

4. Fairytale Retellings: The fairy-tale was already written, please leave it along.

5. Time Travel and other Sci-Fi Crap: I do not like being confused and I do not like lame action.

6. Adult: Depends on author, but I'm not really into adult books right now.

7. Fairy: I do own a ton of fairy books that I hear are really good, but I haven't really gotten into them yet. 

8. Zombies: I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND.

9. Action: I need my romance.

10. Dystopian: They are all starting to be the same idea.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

The Last Book I Flung Across the Room





4. What is the Last Book You Flung Across the Room?

The last book I flung across the room was... drumroll please, CRUSHED by Sara Shepard. Yes, I know. If you didn't already check out my Crushed Review go do that right this second. Why are you still reading this? I told you to go read the review!

Anyway, the method to my madness, and the reason I flung this book across my bedroom, was how amazingly, morbidly, terribly amazing this book was. This book has redeemed the Pretty Little Liars series for me and really made me go crazy. I finished reading this book at around 1am because I was so addicted. The second I read the part about the burn clinic and the girl who Hanna met there, I freaked out. It was so scary, and twisted, yet still amazing! And then when they got the note to open that shed door, ohmigosh my heart was thumping out of my chest. I still can't get over the ending of this book. By the last page of this book I was so upset that I have to wait until December to get the next book that I did end up flinging it across my room. Please go read this book and this series. Sure there's a lot of stupid parts throughout this series, but this book is pure genius.     

So now that you've read mine, what is the last book you flung across the room? 

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
Along For The RideReleased: June 16, 2009
Publisher: Speak
Page Amount: 383, US Paperback
POV: 1st Person (Auden)
Buy it here: Barnes & NobleAmazon



OVERALL:
Plot-20/20
Characters-20/20
Creativity-19/20
Writing-17/20
Pace-9/10
Ending-9/10
=94/100 A
/5





SUMMARY:
Up all night. Nights have always been Auden's time, her chance to escape everything that's going on around her. Then she meets Eli, a fellow insomniac, and he becomes her nocturnal tour guide. Now, with an endless supply of summer nights between them, almost anything can happen...-Goodreads.com


REViEW:
Sarah Dessen has done it once again. She has wowed me with her beautiful tales of summer. I absolutely loved Keeping the Moon and That Summer was okay, but Along for the Ride is probably my favorite one of her summer books. This book perfectly captured the carefree nature of summer along with how much a few months can change a person. Change mixed with summer always makes for an interesting read. The plot did seem a little loose to me, but I did enjoy this book to be just a character, emotion heavy book rather than a detailed, fixated plot. My only complaint about this book is something that I noticed about the dialogue. Almost every single character in every single conversation says "Really." Not even a "Really?" but a "Really." Every single conversation, I'm not even kidding. I didn't even know that people said really as a statement. If only one person said it I'd have no issue, but everyone said it. Now I realize how much one of my friends says "Really" and everytime I hear it I have a sudden urge to punch a wall. Really.   

The characters did not make me grind my teeth together as much as their words did. Auden is an amazing narrator. Sure, most kids aren't as sheltered as her, but it was believable to me. Auden has spent her life trying to get her mother's attention by getting stellar grades. She gave up her childhood and never even had the rite of passage of a child to learn how to ride a bike. It may seem a little far-fetched, but I just found out that one of my friends missed out on riding a bike too. I really enjoyed reading from Auden's perspective and loved seeing her grow up and learn how to live. She is a really fun girl and I'm glad she finally found out who she really, truly is. Eli is a pretty sweet boyfriend. I like me a fellow insomniac. He had a lot of depth to his character and I liked learning about his past. All the other characters, including baby Thisbe, were amazing. Each of them brought something to the plot and really made this book come alive.  

The ending the book was very simple, but I loved it. It was predictable, but I thought that it was the beginning of a changed, and improved, Auden. That alone made this ending beautiful and I really think all of the characters in this book grew up and changed by the ending. All in all, this is a character heavy book that will capture your heart and make you reflect on your summers.

My Favorite Part: Auden learning how to ride a book.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, it's a great romance with amazing characters.

Thanks for reading! Are you getting your Sarah Dessen reading done this summer?


It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Friday, July 19, 2013

Bedtime Reading Ritual





2. What is Your Bedtime Reading Ritual?

   Nighttime is my favorite time to read to be honest. It's the spookiest time to read a scary mystery book and the funniest time to read a contemporary book. Everything is 100x more amusing at night. Nighttime is my binge reading time where I have to get caught up in the one or two books that I am currently reading. Being the OCD, perfectionist freak that I am, I have to end the day on an increment of 50 pages. It's ridiculous but I have to read exactly 50 to 100 pages a day to be a happy reader.

   I always try to read at night in order to get my eyes tired enough to fall to sleep. I'm kind of like Auden in Along for the Ride and have really bad insomnia in the summer, making it near impossible to fall asleep at night. Nowadays, I've been so busy going on trips and retreats and shopping that I haven't even had a chance to finish my latest book. 

  So now that you've read mine, what is your bedtime reading ritual? 

    





Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Top Ten: Most Intimidating Books

Top Ten is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.






Top Ten Most Intimidating Books

1. The Scarlet Letter: This was the first classic I read and I couldn't get into it. I loved the play and movie but not the book.

2. Divergent: This book scared me at first because of all the rave reviews, which I found out were rightly deserved.

3. Beautiful Darkness: I loved Beautiful Creatures but I was afraid the second book would just repeat the first. It didn't and luckily the long book was a really fast, intriguing read.

4. The Awakening: I picked up this book after loving the Vampire Diaries tv show.

5. Impulse: This book is intimidating for two reasons. 1. It looks long but I read it in 3 days because of the way it is written. 2. It tackles a lot of really intense and tough subjects.

6. City of Bones: I wanted to love this book and it was intimidating. It's a long book and to be honest I really didn't like it.

7. The Kite Runner: Because of the heavy content.

8. Reached: The length and the fact that I wasn't totally in love with Matched and Crossed.

9. Gameboard of the Gods: Sounds really good, but is a big book.

10. The Host: The length and because it has to live up to the Twilight Saga.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Book Related Confessions


1. Make 15 Book Related Confessions

1. I talk to my books...often. What? They deserve to know how pretty they are too...

2. I have never given up on a book, no matter how terrible some are to get through.

3. I read about 60 pages per 30 minutes. I timed myself :D

4. I literally just stare at my bookshelf for fun. 

5. Picking my favorite book is like picking a favorite child. Impossible.

6. I have never read the Harry Potter series, nor do I intend to.

7. I'm not a big fan of the Mortal Instruments series.

8. My bookshelves are organized by genre and then author and then color. It's a very precise procedure. 

9. The Twilight Saga was the first series that started making me want to read.

10. Nancy Drew was my favorite series, and only thing I would read, as a kid.

11. I cannot remember character names no matter what. Especially the guys' names. My reviews take so much longer because I have to look up all the names because I really can't remember them even if I finished the book the day before. 

12. I do read every word when I read unless it is a awful, boring book. *cough* Pretty Little Secrets *cough*

13. I have stained my friend's Betrayed book before with a paper cut. I was so upset I hid the book in her desk with a red pen so she wouldn't know I bled on her book. Yea, not one of my finer moments. I really hope she doesn't this confession...

14. I'm very OCD and have to be on a even multiple of 50 page number before I can go to sleep. 

15. The majority of my books are contemporary.


Sunday, July 7, 2013

Neferet's Curse by P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast




Neferet's Curse by P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Neferet's Curse (House of Night Novellas, #3)Released: February 19, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Series: House of Night Novellas, Book 3
Preceded By: Lenobia's Vow
Followed By: TBA (About Kalona)
Page Amount: 146, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person (Emily aka Neferet)
Buy it here: Barnes & NobleAmazon


OVERALL:
Plot-16/20
Characters-18/20
Creativity-18/20
Writing-18/20
Pace-7/10
Ending-6/10
=83/100 B
/5


SUMMARY:
The White City, 1893: In turn-of-the-century Chicago, with the World’s Fair bringing bustle and excitement to her home city, sixteen-year-old Emily Wheiler should be reveling in her youthful beauty and the excitement around her. But her whole life changed when her mother died, leaving her to be the Lady of Wheiler House. Her father, a powerful bank president, is at the center of an important social hub for the booming young city, and he needs Emily to do everything her mother would have – to be a good hostess and make sure the mansion runs smoothly. As Emily uneasily tries to replace her mother, she also longs for more… for love and a life of her own. When a handsome young man notices her at one of her father’s parties, it seems that her hopes may finally be coming true. Until her father forbids her to see him – or any other man – and starts revealing a darkly violent side that even he can’t understand. At last, afraid for her life and with nowhere to turn, Emily is Marked by a vampyre and brought to the Chicago House of Night, where she begins a magickal new life that should allow the wounds from her past to heal. But as she gains strength, and a powerful new name, she carries a dark need to wreak vengeance on the man she trusted most.-Goodreads.com

REViEW:
I have loved every other House of Night novella as well as the series but I don't think I can say I loved this book. It was a good book but it didn't blow me away like some of her other books have. This book didn't really have a plot to it. It was written in journal entries, but they just seemed disjointed and leading nowhere. I actually skipped over a bunch of parts, which I rarely ever do, because it couldn't hold my interest. The whole book consisted of Emily's father's "burning gaze" and what dress she would wear to next social event. It became kind of repetitive to me because of this. The book only started to speed up when the ending and the action regarding her father happened.   

The characters were enjoyable in this book. Emily was an interesting character but I still don't know why she thought she was going mad. I mean I get that she was going through terrible things, but she seemed pretty fine to me. I think her dad is the one with the issues. I liked how her dad seemed to progress from drunk to incredibly insane. It kind of showed the progression of his insanity. Honestly, after this book I give Emily/Neferet some credit. Not much, but some.

The ending was one of the best parts but it made me a little angry. I felt pity for Emily and really wish she could have just ran off with Arthur. I felt really bad when she got raped by her father, but I knew it was coming. I hate to say it, but if it had happened sooner in the book I probably would have enjoyed this book more. Anyways, I wish there was more of a focus on why and how she was marked and wish that this book had more of a backbone to it.

My Favorite Part: Towards the very end when Emily actually had proof of her father's madness.


ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, it's an interesting backstory for House of Night's most malicious villain.
Will I be reading the next book? I would love to know more about Kalona's background. 

Thanks for reading! Please follow me on Twitter and Facebook! (Go to Contact Me page for more details!)

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Friday, July 5, 2013

All I Need by Susane Colasanti


All I Need by Susane Colasanti
All I NeedReleased: May 21, 2013
Publisher: Viking 
Page Amount: 340, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person (Skye and Seth)
Buy it here: Barnes & NobleAmazon

OVERALL:
Plot-19/20
Characters-19/20
Creativity-18/20
Writing-19/20
Pace-10/10
Ending-10/10
=95/100 A
/5






SUMMARY:
Skye wants to meet the boy who will change her life forever. Seth feels their instant connection the second he sees her. When Seth starts talking to Skye at the last beach party of the summer, it’s obvious to both of them that this is something real. But when Seth leaves for college before they exchange contact info, Skye wonders if he felt the same way she did—and if she will ever see him again. Even if they find their way back to each other, can they make a long-distance relationship work despite trust issues, ex drama, and some serious background differences?.Goodreads.com

REViEW:
I'm not one for cheesy, idealistic relationships. That made me leery to start reading this book. I was lucky enough to meet Susane and she was so amazing and nice in person I had to read this book. Covers and titles can be deceiving, I should have learned from Anna and the French Kiss. Sure this book started out very romantic, but that just drew me into the book and made me fall for the characters. This book is a short little read with not a super strong plotline, but that was okay. The main focus was placed on Seth and Skye's relationship, which, contrary to my predictions, was not perfect. I loved that. Seth and Skye fought about things I have fought about with some guys in my life. It was very realistic because of the disagreements. The setting of the story was absolutely gorgeous. I loved the beach scenes and the roller rink. It was very detailed and had a lot of meaning behind it. This book wasn't all gumdrops and rainbows, but still maintained that summer vibe that so many books fail to achieve.

The characters were pretty perfect in this story. There was Skye, one of the narrators, who was very tied up in all the high school drama. She was in high school where her two best friends were fighting and where all the college applications were just waiting to be completed. She's young, younger than Seth, a swoon worthy, smexy, college boy. I'm sorry that was unprofessional... But who am I kidding? Seth is a guy that any girl would love to go out with. Some complications ensue regarding the age difference, but I love how they figured it all out and figured out how to keep their relationship going.  

This ending was the perfect conclusion to sunny, summer romance. I loved what Seth did at the end. My heart swooned. I would marry any guy that did that for me. By the end of this book, I felt lucky to have been a part of this relationship. Even though I was just an observer, it felt as if I was lucky enough to fall in love at the same time Skye did. From the first page I knew that this was going to be the book of the summer, and it really truly was.

My Favorite Part: The relationship between Seth and Skye is one that I want to have.

ALL iN ALL:

Do I recommend this book? Yes, it is the perfect summer romance.

Thank you for reading! How did you feel about this book?


It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Crushed by Sara Shepard

Crushed by Sara Shepard
Released: June 4, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: Pretty Little Liars, Book 13
Precended By: Burned
Followed By: Deadly
Page Amount: 338, US Hardback
POV: 3rd Person
Buy it here: Barnes & NobleAmazon

OVERALL:
Plot-19/20
Characters-18/20
Creativity-18/20
Writing-18/20
Pace-10/10
Ending-10/10
=93/100 A
/5



SUMMARY:
In the thirteenth Pretty Little Liars novel, the secrets are more crushing than ever...It's springtime in Rosewood, but while everyone else is searching for the perfect prom dress, Hanna, Spencer, Emily, and Aria are on a different kind of hunt: They're looking for A...Hanna puts her campaign for prom queen on the back burner to volunteer at a burn clinic, where one of A's victims is recovering. Emily digs into Ali's past at the mental hospital with some very crazy consequences. Spencer contacts an amateur private eye to help her stalk her stalker. But when their sessions get a little too private, they may forget to keep their eyes on A. And Aria's worried that A is even closer than she thought. When her dark secret from Iceland comes to light, she discovers that maybe, just maybe, the one person she's been trying to hide the truth from has known all along. The liars are finally taking the fight to A. But no matter what they do, A's always one step ahead, ready to crush the girls completely..Goodreads.com

REViEW:

Wow. I never would have thought after 13 books that a series could still leave me on the tip of my chair. Of course I never would have said this about the last book. The last few books have been good, don't get me wrong, but so many unnecessary  pointless, stupid plot turns and new characters just made me want to scream and throw the book at a wall. I thought this series needed to end like 3 books ago. Not after this book. This book has redeemed this series for me! It was so good and focused in on the main mystery as the plot, which is why I picked up this series in the first place. I still cannot get this book out of my mind. It was creepy and really freaked me out while reading at night. IF you have given up this series because of all the foolishness in the last few books, please pick it up again for this book. It really is amazing.

The characters were much, MUCH better in this installment. The main storyline focused on the mystery from start to finish, but each of the four little liars had their own job to nail A. Usually, I end up hating some of the individual stories, but not this time. Each of them made sense for the story and all contributed to the plot. Hanna and the burn clinic. Like oh my gosh. That storyline blew my mind into pieces at the end. Ahh it was so good! And a good lead for the mystery. Emily took the mental Iris out of the mental institution. It sounds a little far fetched, but Iris had some information about Ali. Spencer and the conspiracy tracker was a little strange but not too crazy. And Aria. Honestly, I liked to see how the Iceland thing blew up in her face. I love Aria, but I'm glad that storyline is finished. Anyway, the characters' stories all tied together at the end and that was really a big improvement. 

This ending is still stuck in my brain. I can't get over it. Just oh my gosh! It's so creepy and just plain amazing because of it. Sure, it should be expected with this series, but it just reinforced my love of this series. The mystery is still going and I have a feeling it will be a shock when it is finally revealed. Shepard isn't stupid, she is definitely going to leave our jaws dropping at the end of the last book. That is a promise. 


My Favorite Part: How suspenseful this book was and how the plot was based on the mystery.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes it's probably one of the best!!!!
Will I be reading the next book? I kinda HAVE to! What? It's kind of an addiction.

Thanks for reading! This series is nearing a end...


It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥
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