Thoughts|| Stealing Snow.

Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige
2 out of 5 stars.

Goodreads Description: Seventeen-year-old Snow has spent the majority of her life within the walls of the Whittaker Institute, a high security mental hospital in upstate New York. Deep down, she knows she’s not crazy and doesn’t belong there. When she meets a mysterious, handsome new orderly and dreams about a strange twisted tree she realizes she must escape and figure out who she really is. Using her trusting friend Bale as a distraction, Snow breaks free and races into the nearby woods. Suddenly, everything isn’t what it seems, the line between reality and fantasy begins to blur, and she finds herself in icy Algid–her true home–with witches, thieves, and a strangely alluring boy named Kai, none of whom she’s sure she can trust. As secret after secret is revealed, Snow discovers that she is on the run from a royal lineage she’s destined to inherit, a father more powerful and ruthless than she could have imagined, and choices of the heart that could change the fate of everything…including Snow’s return to the world she once knew.

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I was given an opportunity by the publisher Bloomsbury USA Childrens via NetGalley to read this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! The release date for Stealing Snow is September 20th.

Stealing Snow is a re-imagining of the Snow Queen fairytale. I am not really familiar with that fairytale, so I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book. I loved Paige’s series Dorothy Must Die, so I was excited to get my hands on her new book. Sadly, Stealing Snow fell really flat for me. I enjoyed the beginning of the story when Snow was in the mental hospital, but then once she goes to this new world of Algid it started to go downhill for me.

I found it so hard to connect with the characters and the story. I found myself having a hard time liking them and caring about them. I felt disconnected throughout the entire book with the characters and the story. Toward the halfway mark nothing really happened, but I pushed through it. Not a lot was going on and at first I thought it was just going to have a slow start, but then it just kept the same pace to the end. It lacked excitement and world building.

The romance was a bit weird for me, especially because there is three love interests. I’m not a huge fan of love triangles, but three love interests seems too much. I will say that the twist at the end was a surprise to me and I’m a little curious about what’s going to happen with that. Overall though, it just did not live up to my expectations. I wanted so badly to love this book as much as I love Paige’s other series, but it was not for me. I am glad I was given the opportunity to read this book though and maybe you will like it better!

In case you missed it;
Book Haul|| August.
The Light Trilogy|| Title Reveal.

I hope you have a great day!

Book Haul|| August.

HEY!

I’ve been trying to do good with not buying books and I think for the most part I think I did really good this month with not buying so many. I don’t feel so bad about buying the little that I did, because I actually read three of them and they didn’t sit on my bookshelves collecting dust like some others have. 😛

Amazon:

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling – review.
The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson
With Malice by Eileen Cook – review.
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover – review.

I preordered It Ends With Us when the price was only $7, so that was an awesome deal and The Beauty of Darkness was on sale on Amazon for $8.75! WHOA! I couldn’t pass up that amazing deal! I still need to read the other books in the series though. I seen With Malice around the blogosphere a lot and Harry Potter…duh! Had to get that one!

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Book Outlet:

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken
Colour This Journal by Hinker Books

How I managed to only get three books from Book Outlet this month is pretty amazing, lol. They haven’t had the best selection lately, but I did snag these three books. The last one is actually a journal with coloring pages inside. There were more books on their site that I did end up wanting toward the end of themonth, but I decided to not get them. I have enough books right now and I am trying to promise myself that I won’t spend so much money (unless it has to do with the wedding). I’ve been wanting to read the Mara Dyer and the Darkest Minds series, so when I seen Book Outlet had the second books, I decided to get them. I also been eyeing this journal for awhile and finally got it when they were having a sale on coloring books.

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Other Books:

Modern MonstersModern Monsters by Kelley York
You Are HereYou Are Here by Jennifer E. Smith

My friend Hannah sent me these two books after she read them. Earlier in the month I sent her a ton of books (I think I sent her 12 books!) that I didn’t want anymore, so we exchanged books. I am really excited to read these. She also sent my furbabies a ton of things!

The Secret Sea by Barry Lyga

Last year I was pushing I Hunt Killers by Lyga on everyone, lol. It’s one of my all-time favorite series now and I wanted everyone to love it as much as I do. WELLL….I won a signed copy of his new book and I was so stoked! He gave me an option of having a signed copy of the UK version of I Hunt Killers or his new book, so I emailed him back and told him I wanted his new book! This was all back in May. His new book is now released (it released last week) and I now have a signed copy, yay! 😀

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E-Books:

The Archived by Victoria Schwab
Conviction by Kelly Loy Gilbert
The Girls by Emma Cline
When We Collided by Emery Lord
Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn
The Cellar by Natasha Preston
Room by Emma Donoghue

I think I did pretty good with e-book buying as well. I know I usually get a ton, but this time it wasn’t as bad. I have been dying for Forget Tomorrow and When We Collided to go on sale! They finally went on sale this month for a $1.99 and I was stoked. All of these other ones I got on sale for $2.99 or less as well, except The Girls. I got that one for $9.99, because I was dying to have it. I got the e-book version, because at the time the hardcover was so expensive and I refused to pay over $18 for it. The e-book price actually went up to $13.99, so I am glad I snatched it up when it was only $9.99! I hate paying so much money for e-books, that’s why I wait until they go on sale. Even $9.99 seems like a lot to me, when a ton of hardcovers on Amazon are $10 and some change.

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Nerdy Post:

I got my first Nerdy Post (Instagram: @nerdy.post), which is a fandom based subscription service that sends out hand lettering art and other goodies (bookmarks, pins, magnets, stickers, notepads, posters, etc.). Everything is designed by Alexis (creator of Nerdy Post). I was sad that I missed their Harry Potter one, but I was so stoked that I got their Doctor Who box (tube). Doctor Who was their theme for August. I signed up again for September, because the theme is going to be SUPERNATURAL! I miss my boys! Anyway, onto my Doctor Who Nerdy Post!

Art Poster – quote from the 11th Doctor
Magnet – quote from the 4th Doctor
Bookmark – quotes (front & back) from the 10th and 12th Doctors
Pocket notebook – quote from the 11th Doctor
Sticker – quote from the 9th Doctor
A postcard that you can color yourself
A button/pin of the 9th Doctor (there were 4 different ones sent out and I got 9)

Random:

I got some signed bookplates from Colleen Hoover and I am SO stoked to put them in my CoHo books! I also ordered a It Ends with Us bookmark from Boookmarky on Etsy and they sent me a It Ends with Us Pin for free! I was so stoked about that. I am obsessed with their bookmarks. The front and back of the bookmark has quotes from the book. My cat ColbyJack photobombed my picture. He kept rolling around when I was trying to take pictures, lol.

That is all for my August book haul! I think I actually did a lot better on the book buying front. I didn’t buy as many as I usually do (only 7 and the rest were given to me!) and the books that I did buy myself were all really discounted (aside from HP)! I am pretty proud of myself.

Have you read any of the books that I got this month? Feel free to link me to your haul posts, so I can check out all the books you got this month!

In case you missed it;
The Light Trilogy|| Title Reveal.
Friday Finds #57.

I’ll be back in a couple days with my August wrap up. I hope you have a great day!

The Light Trilogy|| Title Reveal!

The title of the long-awaited sequel to the award-winning, best-selling Shattered Blue has been revealed! Get ready for the next installment in The Light Trilogy, RENEGADE RED! You can now apply to receive a reviewer ARC of Renegade Red on author Lauren Bird Horowitz’s website! Thanks for playing along in the title reveal game, RENEGADES! Stay tuned for more exciting RED reveals by subscribing to the THE LIGHT LETTER and following Lauren on social media.

Connect with Lauren Bird Horowitz
Website – laurenbirdhorowitz.com
Facebook – Lauren “Birdaileen” Horowitz
Twitter – birdaileen
Instagram – birdaileen
ARC request
Sign up for THE LIGHT LETTER

I hope you had fun playing along! I personally cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of Renegade Red! It’ll be released to the world on March 15th 2017! So mark your calendars! If you have not read Shattered Blue yet, I highly recommend it! You can purchase the paperback for under $10 on Amazon and the e-book is only $3.99!

I hope you have a great day! 🙂

The Light Trilogy|| Title Reveal Game LAST clue.

HEY GUYS! 🙂

LAST CHANCE! Here is your LAST clue to the title of the brand new sequel to the award-winning, best-selling Shattered Blue. Make your guess here or on any of author Lauren Bird Horowitz’s social channels!

Connect with Lauren Bird Horowitz
Website – laurenbirdhorowitz.com
Facebook – Lauren “Birdaileen” Horowitz
Twitter – birdaileen
Instagram – birdaileen

CLUE #1.

CLUE #2.

CLUE #3.

LAST CLUE.

I will be updating this post throughout the course of the day with new clues! Don’t forget to also head over to Lauren’s social media accounts (linked above) to make your guesses! If you have not read Shattered Blue yet, I highly recommend it! You can purchase the paperback for under $10 on Amazon and the e-book is only $3.99!

HAVE FUN AND GOOD LUCK GUESSING! 🙂

The Light Trilogy|| Title Reveal Game.

HEY GUYS! 🙂

I am so stoked to tell you guys all about this title reveal game that Lauren is hosting on her social media channels! The Light Trilogy kicked off last year with Shattered Blue, which was one of my favorite books of the year! I raved about it so much to you guys and all over social media. It is now time to reveal the title of the second book in the trilogy and I am so stoked! I am taking part in this reveal game and also hosting it on my social media accounts and my blog. So without further ado…

Calling all of Callum’s Pixies and Judah’s Rebels… Calling Sasha’s Sisters and Noa’s Poets…  it’s time to reveal the TITLE of BOOK TWO of THE LIGHT TRILOGY!

Starting tomorrow morning, August 29, we kick off our TITLE REVEAL GAME, where we will  reveal the next book’s title in pieces. You’ll get new clues throughout the day here and on author  Lauren Bird Horowitz’s social media channels and her website and you can log your guesses anywhere! So Channel your inner Sasha and be the first to solve the puzzle!

Connect with Lauren Bird Horowitz
Website – laurenbirdhorowitz.com
Facebook – Lauren “Birdaileen” Horowitz
Twitter – birdaileen
Instagram – birdaileen

I will be doing a new post tomorrow to kick off the title reveal game and I will be updating that post throughout the course of the day with new clues! Don’t forget to also head over to Lauren’s social media accounts (linked above) to make your guesses!

If you have not read Shattered Blue yet, I highly recommend it! You can purchase the paperback for under $10 on Amazon and the e-book is only $3.99! Book cover below linked to Amazon.

I hope you have a great day and stay tuned!

Friday Finds #57.

FRIDAY FINDS showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased). Hosted by Babs at Babs Book Bistro.

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Hey!

I hope everyone had a good week! I am so glad that it’s finally Friday. I am looking forward to my next two days off work. I read halfway through Ruin and Rising this week and I am pretty stoked about it. I am hoping that I can finish it this weekend. Once again I haven’t been adding a lot of new books to my TBR. I added a few though. Here are the books that I added to my Goodreads TBR shelves recently. You can see more of my TBR over on my Goodreads account over here and feel free to add me as a friend!

Into White by Randi Pink

Into White sounds like a really interesting book and it sounds different from a lot of diverse books I’ve seen out there. I can’t wait to read it! I’m posting the Amazon description of this book, because the Goodreads one didn’t really say a whole lot about it.

Amazon Description: LaToya Williams lives in Montgomery, Alabama, and attends a mostly white high school. It seems as if her only friend is her older brother, Alex. Toya doesn’t know where she fits in, but after a run-in with another student, she wonders if life would be different if she were . . . different. And then a higher power answers her prayer: to be “anything but black.” Toya is suddenly white, blond, and popular. Now what? Randi Pink’s audacious fiction debut dares to explore a subject that will spark conversations about race, class, and gender.

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The Naming of Girl by Rhonda G. Willams

Warning, this book description is kind of long. The Naming of Girl sounds so good though and I need to get my hands on this book and read it ASAP!

Goodreads Description: You’ve met Scout Finch, Ellen Foster, and Ruth Anne Boatwright (Bone): Now meet Girl Brown, the spunkiest nine-year-old in all the South. Girl lives with Tracie, her guardian, who smokes so much pot she “can’t remember a thing,” and Antoe, who is “big like a grown-up” only he is Girl’s best (and only) friend and playmate. She spends most of her time taking care of Antoe and making sure they both keep out of Chuck’s way. Chuck is Tracie’s disabled Vietnam vet boyfriend who is fighting his own demons with too much whiskey and too much heroin and he hates what he calls “sassy-mouthed” kids. And Girl is the sassiest of them all with a mouth like a sailor on leave, and fingers so sticky she can clean out the local Woolworth store in a heartbeat. Life begins to spiral out of control when she finds a friend in the only African-American girl in her class, Cerese Miller, and begins to spend time with the Millers against Chuck’s demands. Things take an even grimmer turn when Chuck is thrown in jail for beating up Cerese’s older brother, Brady, and Antoe is mysteriously sent away. Girl sets off on a journey to find Antoe that leads her to some unexpected allies in a monastery of Carmelite friars, and from Brother Joseph, she is able to piece together the heartbreaking truth about her parents. After Brother Joseph takes Girl back home, there is an unexpected death that she may or may not have had something to do with, and Brother Joseph offers Girl the opportunity for a different life. 

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The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

I love the book cover of The Thousandth Floor. It sounds really interesting and something that I might really like.

Goodreads Description: New York City as you’ve never seen it before. A thousand-story tower stretching into the sky. A glittering vision of the future, where anything is possible—if you want it enough. Welcome to Manhattan, 2118. A hundred years in the future, New York is a city of innovation and dreams. But people never change: everyone here wants something…and everyone has something to lose. Leda Cole’s flawless exterior belies a secret addiction—to a drug she never should have tried and a boy she never should have touched. Eris Dodd-Radson’s beautiful, carefree life falls to pieces when a heartbreaking betrayal tears her family apart. Rylin Myers’s job on one of the highest floors sweeps her into a world—and a romance—she never imagined…but will her new life cost Rylin her old one? Watt Bakradi is a tech genius with a secret: he knows everything about everyone. But when he’s hired to spy by an upper-floor girl, he finds himself caught up in a complicated web of lies. And living above everyone else on the thousandth floor is Avery Fuller, the girl genetically designed to be perfect. The girl who seems to have it all—yet is tormented by the one thing she can never have.

Have you added any new books to your TBR? Feel free to link me to your posts if you have one or leave a comment letting me know what new books you added to your TBR.

I hope you have a great Friday and weekend!

WWW Wednesday #30.

WWW Wednesday is a weekly MEME hosted by Taking on a World of Words. Simply answer the following questions.

 The three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

*Goodreads linked below.

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Hey!

I am currently slumping pretty badly right now. I haven’t been in the mood to read and the books that I did read ended up being not that great, so it pushed me further into this reading slump, sigh. I need to get out of it! I have so many books to read! I’ve also been going through a lot this month and so many things floating around in my head; it’s kind of making it hard to let it all go and read. My mind wanders too much to these other things happening in my life that I can’t focus on what I’m reading. I have done a little bit though since my last WWW post. Here is what I’ve been reading in the past couple weeks.

Currently Reading:

Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige
Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

I am halfway through Stealing Snow and so far I am not really enjoying it like I hoped I would. It’s been a really slow start. I am also finding it hard to connect with the characters. I don’t want to DNF it though, because it took me awhile to really get into Dorothy Must Die (Paige’s other series) and I ended up really enjoying the entire series; so hopefully it gets better for me. I am about 100 pages into Ruin and Rising. I’m stoked to be back into this world and so far I like this book. It already seems to be a bit better than Siege and Storm was.

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Recently Finished:

With Malice by Eileen Cook
The Last Star by Rick Yancey

I rated both of these books 2.5 out of 5 stars. They weren’t that great. They were actually pretty boring the majority of the time. I did a review of With Malice, which I will link at the end of this entry. The Last Star was such a disappointment, because I really loved the 5th Wave and the Infinite Sea. I don’t know what happened with this book besides the fact that nothing happened. I was so bored that once I stopped the audiobook, I had forgotten most of what even happened not even five minutes later. I expected a lot out of both of these books and was let down.

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Reading Next:

Slammed by Colleen Hoover
Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley

I am honestly not sure what I will be reading next. With this reading slump that I am in, I don’t know what may happen. I usually fly through CoHo books, so I may give Slammed a try. I am also next in line for the audiobook of Highly Illogical Behavior at my library, so that may be my next audiobook.

What are you currently reading? Recently finished? Reading next? Have you read any of these books? Let me know and link me to your posts if you have one!

In case you missed it;
Thoughts|| With Malice.
Random|| Picture Post Update.
Platform 9 3/4.

I hope you have a great day!

Thoughts|| With Malice.

With Malice by Eileen Cook
2.5 OUT OF 5 STARS.

“Don’t you get it? Who we are is what comes out when shit goes bad. You can’t tell anything about a person when things are great. If you want to really know someone, be there when everything goes to hell.”

Goodreads Description: It was the perfect trip…until it wasn’t. Eighteen-year-old Jill Charron wakes up in a hospital room, leg in a cast, stitches in her face and a big blank canvas where the last six weeks should be. She discovers she was involved in a fatal car accident while on a school trip in Italy. A trip she doesn’t even remember taking. She was jetted home by her affluent father in order to receive quality care. Care that includes a lawyer. And a press team. Because maybe the accident…wasn’t an accident. As the accident makes national headlines, Jill finds herself at the center of a murder investigation. It doesn’t help that the media is portraying her as a sociopath who killed her bubbly best friend, Simone, in a jealous rage. With the evidence mounting against her, there’s only one thing Jill knows for sure: She would never hurt Simone. But what really happened? Questioning who she can trust and what she’s capable of, Jill desperately tries to piece together the events of the past six weeks before she loses her thin hold on her once-perfect life.

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I seen With Malice around the blogosphere/bookstagram a lot and I seen a lot of good things about it. I finally got my hands on a copy and I was actually a bit disappointed. I liked it at the beginning, but then it started to go downhill for me. There isn’t a whole lot for me to say about this book, sadly.

It seemed really promising at the beginning and I was dying to know what happened. I felt like it took forever to get to the real details of what happened. Everything leading up to the big reveal was pretty boring and not that exciting. I felt like the big reveal wasn’t even that great. I think I expected way too much out of this book and I was let down a lot. I didn’t really care for Jill much either. There were times that it was interesting and even though it wasn’t the best story, I still kept reading because I still wanted to find out what happened. I cared enough to see it through to the end even with it being boring at times.

Overall, it was just an okay read for me. I felt like it could have been a lot better and I didn’t like the ending. I was expecting some huge thing, but it was actually not that great and it was a let down. I watch a lot of Investigation Discovery shows, so I was kind of expecting some crazy murder conspiracy or something. That was not what I got. You may like this book better though! It just wasn’t for me.

“People don’t want to be that kind of person, but push anyone far enough, and they’ll fight back.”

Have you read With Malice? If so, what did you think? Do you plan to check it out if you haven’t read it?

In case you  missed it;
Random|| Picture Post Update.
Platform 9 3/4.

I hope you have a great day!

 

Random|| Picture Post Update.

Hey!

I have hit a bit of a reading slump, which is driving me crazy! I am currently in the middle of four books (one is a an audiobook) and I have not been in the mood to read. I haven’t updated here since Monday, so I figured I would do another random picture post. On Monday I updated all about my trip to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and I’ll link that at the end of this post in case you  missed it.

I mentioned how I was visiting my childhood best friend as well as going to Harry Potter world. Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure not only have Harry Potter world, but they have a ton of other attractions and rides. All of the rides we went on were fun, but they were mostly 3D multi-dimensional rides. The big roller coasters we weren’t able to ride, because by time we go to the second park (Islands of Adventure) it had rained, so a lot of the rides were closed down for a bit. I am planning to go back to Islands of Adventure maybe toward the end of the year, so I can really enjoy that park since I didn’t get to do much this time around thanks to the crappy weather at the end of the day.

I am really good friends with Lauren (she wrote Shattered Blue), so I took a copy of Shattered Blue with me on my trip and got a ton of pictures around the parks. I thought it would be cool to get a picture with Curious George holding the book. He pretty much snatched it out of my hands and played around with it, lol. And below are just some random park pictures. I didn’t take a ton of pictures of everything, because I was just trying to enjoy the day and not to worry about getting a ton of pictures.

I am a sucker for sunsets and taking pictures of them. We drove through this town called Lake Wales and I fell in love with it. We drove through it at sunset and the sunset covered the entire town and it changed everything to bright orange and it was so awesome! It lit up the entire town. There was also the brightest double rainbow I have ever seen, because of the sunset reflecting off it. I couldn’t get a very good picture of it since I was in the car, sadly. If I ever move anywhere, I would move to Lake Wales LOL. The town was nice and the town at sunset sold me.

My friend, her boyfriend, the fiance, and my younger sister went Pokemon hunting a lot throughout the weekend. There is this really cool park/garden where they live in Lakeland and it was so pretty. I twas full of different flowers and awesome little statues. It also had this huge lake (maybe why they call it Lakeland 😛 ) that was in the middle of the park. It was a Magikarp nest and I probably got hundreds that weekend. Here are a few pictures from that park.

We ate at this place called Mellow Mushroom on Friday night and that was so good! On Sunday we went to this place called Toojay’s and they had really good food. We also checked out the park again to do some more Pokemon hunting. They had this cute little zen garden type little area and I was totally digging it. It looked so relaxing in there. In the back where all the leaves are is a little waterfall (close up waterfall picture next to it). When I buy my own house one day, I want to recreate this.

On Sunday we also went to this shop called Rocket Fizz and they sold all kinds of old school candy and sodas. I ended up getting a ton of salt water taffy. Did you know that Reese’s came out with new peanut butter cups, but with Reese’s Pieces inside? I FINALLY FOUND THEM! It took going all the way to Lakeland to find them, but I did and they were amazing and everything I hoped they would be. And here is a picture from opening my first chocolate frog. My card was Salazar Slytherin. My sister got Helga Hufflepuff. I still have another chocolate frog to open! I want a Dumbledore card!

I believe that’s all the pictures from my weekend in Lakeland/Orlando. I had so much fun and I am so glad I was able to meet up with my childhood best friend again after so many years. I can’t wait to hangout with her again! I have some other pictures to share with you as well…so here we go!

Craftedvan has this new subscription service called Craftedvan Read Happy Plan and every month for about $10-12 they send you bookmarks! I love their bookmarks, so I wanted to give it a chance. They had just started it and this was the first package. The theme was “sea creatures”. Included was a card that says “just keep swimming reading” and on the back it tells you what’s inside. The bookmarks were sushi, a crab, and an octopus holding a bunch of books. I decided to give next month a try too, because I loved it so much! I also got a wooden “#currentlyreading” bookmark from another shop called Nook & Burrow. I made Harry Potter a birthday hat when it was his birthday last month.

I had that engagement photo shoot and I got some of the pictures back. I’m still waiting on the disc with all the others, but here are a couple of the ones that we got back. These two pictures below are definitely my favorite ones so far.

I went to the beach last night to go Pokemon hunting and I took this picture and I am obsessed with it. It’s my new favorite picture I’ve taken, lol. I also watched the moon rising out of the ocean (obviously not literally out of the ocean, but it looked that way – I wish my iPhone took good pictures, because you couldn’t really tell what it was in pictures). It was the coolest thing ever! The moon was huge and bright.

And last but not least, the furbabies. I also have to post pictures of my furbabies. It’s not a proper picture post without them! October, she discovered the bathtub for the first time. She usually just peeked inside it, but she finally figured out that she can jump inside. Dax, we took him to the dog park while we Pokemon hunted and he was stoked. ColbyJack and I, this was the night I got back from Orlando. I missed him!

That’s all for this post. I hope you enjoy all of my pictures! Feel free to add me on Instagram.

Instagram: heyyitsashley – personal Instagram account
Bookstagram: foreverbookish_ – book Instagram account

Hopefully I can get out of this reading slump and get these books I started read. I hope this weekend I can catch up on reading. If I can finish these books, I’ll have a review up of With Malice and Stealing Snow next week. Crossing my fingers! In case you  missed it, linked below is my post from Harry Potter world with a ton of pictures.

Platform 9 3/4.

I hope you have a great Friday and weekend!

Platform 9 3/4.

HEY!

Over the weekend I went to visit my friend in Lakeland and we all went to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. In case you didn’t know, they are the home of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter! I was SO excited to finally get a chance to go to Harry Potter world and experience the books (and movies) in real life. I got to do a ton of things, but I am already planning my next trip to do what I could not do. It started to rain, so it was a lot harder to get to see the second half of Harry Potter world, but I did get to do a lot. I didn’t have a chance to go inside every single shop, which was sad. Like I said though, I plan to go back ASAP and go inside every shop!

Diagon Alley!

We started at Universal Studios and that’s the home of Diagon Alley. You go into a little whole in the wall and when you walk in you see all the amazing-ness of Diagon Alley. All the buildings and shops were amazing. It all looked so fun! Gringotts Bank was a ride, so we were able to go inside and tour the building as we waited to get on the ride and that was awesome! The ride was really fun. A lot of the rides we went on were 3D multi-dimensional, so it made the experience really awesome.

I went into Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes to look around. I ended up not buying anything, next time! I went to Ollivanders and got my wand! I got Luna Lovegood’s wand. I got butterbeer, which was really good. It was really sweet though. I also got pumpkin juice, which I haven’t tried it yet.

Hogwarts Express || Hogsmeade

We did some other rides at Universal Studios aside from Harry Potter things and they were fun. After doing some rides, we hopped on the Hogwarts Express to go to Hogsmeade! The Hogwarts Express was one of my favorite things. I was so stoked to be riding it and they showed shadows of Ron, Harry, and Hermoine on the other side of our door talking and then the dementors came. It was so fun! The people in our cart with us probably thought I was crazy. I was just so excited!

When we got to Hogsmeade we walked around a bit and then I went into Honey Dukes and got some chocolate frogs and Gilly Water. I haven’t tried the chocolate frogs yet, but I plan to tonight! I wanted to see as much as I could even with the crappy weather toward the end of day, so I didn’t have time to try them.

And……..HOGWARTS!

Hogwarts ended up being a ride, so we were able to go inside and tour Hogwarts while we waited to get on the ride. I was SO STOKED! It was pretty dark inside Hogwarts, so sadly I wasn’t able to get a ton of pictures. I was also too busy looking at everything and enjoying it all and pictures weren’t at the top of my list. Next time though, I plan to try to at least snap a few more. The ride itself was pretty awesome and one of my favorites.

We also got to do a few of the rides at Islands of Adventure after looking around at Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. Since it rained during this half of the day, a lot of the rides were closed so we didn’t get to do a ton at this park. We plan to go back to this park only in the near future, so we can really experience Hogsmeade, Hogwarts, and the rest of Islands of Adventure better. I’ve been to Islands of Adventure before, but it was so long ago and way before Harry Potter world was there. I was still stoked that I was able to do a lot even for the weather at the end of the day. I did almost everything I wanted to do.

I hope you enjoyed this post! I wanted to get a lot of pictures, but I was just having so much fun and enjoying everything that I ended up not taking too many. I’ll probably do another picture post soon with pictures that aren’t of Harry Potter world and about the rest of my weekend.

I hope you have a great day!

Friday Finds #56 & the weekend.

FRIDAY FINDS showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased). Hosted by Babs at Babs Book Bistro. *All linked to Goodreads*

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Hey!

It’s finally Friday and I am sooo happy! I’ve been dying for the weekend to get here, especially this weekend. I just have to survive work today and I am freeeeee! More on why I am dying for the weekend to happen NOW toward the end of this post. Let’s talk about books! I haven’t been adding a ton to my TBR shelves lately. I am trying to be really picky and cautious with what I add, because I am just drowning in books that I own to read and books I want to read. Here are three books (with descriptions) that I added to my Goodreads TBR shelves recently. You can see more of my TBR over on my Goodreads account over here and feel free to add me as a friend!

The Girls by Emma Cline

I didn’t really know much about this book, but then I was watching an Epic Reads YouTube video and they talked about how it had to do with the Charles Manson “cult”. I say cult in quotations, because I have strong feelings about it. To where I actually don’t feel like it was a cult at all and I maybe even defend him a little. Anyway, I’ve always been fascinated by Charles Manson since I can remember. So I added this to my Goodreads TBR and I also bought the e-book, because I couldn’t resist. I can’t wait to read it.

Goodreads Description: Northern California, during the violent end of the 1960s. At the start of summer, a lonely and thoughtful teenager, Evie Boyd, sees a group of girls in the park, and is immediately caught by their freedom, their careless dress, their dangerous aura of abandon. Soon, Evie is in thrall to Suzanne, a mesmerizing older girl, and is drawn into the circle of a soon-to-be infamous cult and the man who is its charismatic leader. Hidden in the hills, their sprawling ranch is eerie and run down, but to Evie, it is exotic, thrilling, charged—a place where she feels desperate to be accepted. As she spends more time away from her mother and the rhythms of her daily life, and as her obsession with Suzanne intensifies, Evie does not realize she is coming closer and closer to unthinkable violence, and to that moment in a girl’s life when everything can go horribly wrong.

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Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Dark Matter sounds like it’s going to be really awesome. I read Crouch’s series Wayward Pines and I loved it so much. I am definitely looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of Crouch’s new book! If it’s anything like Wayward Pines, then I know it’s going to be so amazing!

Goodreads Description: “Are you happy with your life?” Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.” In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable–something impossible. Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.

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Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner

Jeff Zentner…do I even have to say more? The Serpent King was amazing. It’s definitely one of my favorite books of the year. I will read anything that Zentner puts out. Is it March 2017 yet?! Goodbye Days sounds like it’ll be really good and I am stoked.

Goodreads Description: Carver Briggs never thought a simple text would cause a fatal crash, killing his three best friends, Mars, Eli, and Blake. But now Carver can’t stop blaming himself for the accident and even worse, a powerful judge is pressuring the district attorney to open up a criminal investigation. Luckily, Carver has some unexpected allies: Eli’s girlfriend, the only person to stand by him at school; Dr. Mendez, his new therapist; and Blake’s grandmother, who asks Carver to spend a “goodbye day” together to share their memories and say a proper farewell. Soon the other families are asking for their own goodbye day with Carver—but he’s unsure of their motives. Will they all be able to make peace with their losses, or will these Goodbye Days bring Carver one step closer to a complete breakdown or—even worse—prison?

Have you added any new books to your TBR? Feel free to link me to your posts if you have one or leave a comment letting me know what new books you added to your TBR. 🙂

And now to why I am excited that it’s Friday…I am off to Orlando today after work! I am going to be staying the weekend with my childhood best friend; who I haven’t seen in almost 12 years! WHAAAT!? We lost contact so long ago and then maybe 2-3 years ago we got back in touch (the story of how that happened is pretty crazy and our friendship is pretty much fate!) and now we are finally going to hangout. LONG OVERDUE! So what’s the story? She doesn’t have any social media, so I could never find her over the years. One day I was scrolling through Pinterest in the “everything” section, which is basically where it gets updated every time someone (and I’m sure there are millions of Pinterest users/pins) on the website pins something. Well…I happen to scroll past one of her pins! What are the freaking odds? Out of millions I happen to stumble upon one of hers at random. We happened to be online at the same time, because that’s how it is. It’s a live feed of people pinning things at that moment. The last time I had talked to her was probably eight years before the day I found her again. I told you, our friendship is fate and we were always supposed to be friends.

It’s going to be so much fun hanging out again with her after so many years! I pray it’s not awkward, but I don’t think it will be. We still text and stuff since I found her again. We will also be going to Harry Potter World on Saturday and I am BEYOND stoked about that. I have been dying to go and it’s finally happening! I can’t wait to drink all the butterbeer, pumpkin juice, and eat all the chocolate frogs! And of course ALL THE Harry Potter things! 😛 I am also excited to go on some roller coasters. It’s been so long since I’ve been on one! Universal Studios also opened up a new King Kong ride and I am stoked! Expect pictures posted on both of my Instagram accounts, so follow me so you can see them as it’s happening!

Instagram Personal: heyyitsashley
Instagram Bookstagram: foreverbookish_

I will most likely also be doing a blog post next week of my experience at Harry Potter World, so be on the look out for that and more pictures.

In case you missed it;
WWW Wednesday.
Thoughts|| Every Exquisite Thing.

I hope you have a great Friday and weekend!

WWW Wednesday #29.

WWW Wednesday is a weekly MEME hosted by Taking on a World of Words. Simply answer the following questions.

 The three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

*Goodreads linked below.

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Hi!

It’s been awhile since I’ve done one of these. I didn’t feel like I was reading enough (or as fast enough) to do this type of blog post for awhile, so I skipped some Wednesdays. I am back though, because I feel like I am doing pretty good this month so far. Here is what I’ve been reading over the last week/week and a half.

Currently Reading:

stealing snow by danielle paige
with malice by eileen cook

I am currently reading Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige and With Malice by Eileen Cook. I was approved on Netgalley for the Stealing Snow ARC. So far it’s interesting. I’m not blown away by it though, but I’m only a little over 30% into it, so I have a ton more to read. I seen With Malice floating around quite a bit, so I decided to finally get myself a copy. It sounded so interesting and so far I am pretty intrigued and I can’t wait to get further into it.

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Recently Finished:

it ends with us by colleen hoover – REVIEW.
harry potter and the cursed child by j.k. rowling – REVIEW.
every exquisite thing by matthew quick – REVIEW.

I loved all three of these books and I highly recommend them all. Lots of feels. You can check out my reviews (linked above) for more about them!

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Reading Next:

ruin and rising by leigh bardugo
the last star by rick yancey

I am trying to finish the series that I have started and haven’t finished/caught up with. I made a list and the list is kind of huge and overwhelming. Since I am trying to finish series, I am finally going to read these two books. For The Last Star, I will probably listen to the audiobook though since I listened to the audiobook for the other two books in the series. I’m kind of nervous about The Last Star, because a lot of people were disappointed and I loved the first two books. I loved Shadow and Bone, but I wasn’t that big a fan of Siege and Storm. I am hoping that Ruin and Rising is a good ending to the series.

What are you currently reading? Recently finished? Reading next? Let me know and link me to your posts if you have one!

I hope you have a great day!

Thoughts|| Every Exquisite Thing.

Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick
4 out 5 stars.

“Sometimes you just have to pick a direction and make mistakes. Then you use what you learn from your failure to pick new, better directions so you can make more mistakes and keep learning.”

Goodreads Description: Didn’t you ever just simply want to…stop? Star athlete and straight-A student Nanette O’Hare has played the role of dutiful daughter for as long as she can remember. But one day, a beloved teacher gives her his worn copy of The Bubblegum Reaper—a mysterious, out-of-print cult classic—and the rebel within Nanette awakens. As the new and outspoken Nanette attempts to insert her true self into the world with wild abandon, she befriends the reclusive author and falls in love with a young, troubled poet. Forced to make some hard choices that bring devastating consequences, Nanette learns the hard way that rebellion can sometimes come at a high price.

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It’s so hard to put together my thoughts and feelings about this book. I really want to write a review on it, but then I am not completely sure what I want to say. I apologize in advance if none of what you read makes any sense or if it’s not very good.

I really liked the message that I got from reading this book. To be yourself, your authentic self. Some people live their lives trying to be what other people think they should be. When you look in the mirror, do you see yourself or do you see what everyone else wants you to be? Do you do things for yourself or do you do things because people want you to do those things? It’s actually hard to tell the difference these days, especially with different things floating around the internet and TV/movies.

“And then one day you will look for you in the mirror and you’ll no longer be able to identify yourself—you’ll only see everyone else. You’ll know that you did what they wanted you to do. You will have assimilated. And you will hate yourself for it, because it will be too late.”

It’s also okay to quit things. I know you go through life and people say “nobody likes a quitter”, etc. etc. It’s okay to quit things though, especially if it doesn’t bring you the happiness that it once did. Nanette is struggling throughout the book with so many things in her life, especially with trying to be herself but also to make her family and friends happy. If you don’t like something anymore, then that’s okay.

“Just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean you have to do it.”

I wish that The Bubblegum Reaper was a real thing, because I want to fall in love with the book like Nanette and some other characters in the book did. At times the book did mirror some of the Bubblegum Reaper though and Nanette really thought the book was written for her. I like when I connect with a book so strongly that I feel like it was for me.

I laughed so much while reading this book. I fell in love with the characters and some of the friendships that developed in the story. I also teared up quite a bit. This book made me reflect on a lot of things in my life and sometimes I did feel really connected to it. There were a few times where I wasn’t sure about the book and where it was going though. At times I loved it more than anything and then other times I was wishing it were finished. So it was back and forth, but overall I really enjoyed the book. I liked the story and the message so much. I felt like it was really important. I even had a dream about this book last night, so I think it did leave a lasting impression on me. I recommend it!

Have you read Every Exquisite Thing? If not, do you think you will?

In case you missed it;
Thoughts|| Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Thoughts|| It Ends with Us.

I hope you have a great day!

Thoughts|| Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, Jack Thorne
5 out of 5 stars.

Goodreads Description: It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children. While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

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There’s been a lot of mixed reviews and feelings on this 8th Harry Potter story. Some people love it and others just plain hate it. You have to go into this book knowing a few things and number one being that it’s a script. There’s not going to be a lot of explanations of things. You’re not going to get a ton of information and you have to really create everything in your head yourself. I know a lot of people were complaining about how it was a script. It tells you it’s a script right on the front cover of the book.

The old characters are not completely similar to how they were in the other books. You have to remember that in this story, they are grown up now. They are married. They have families. Harry Potter is 40 years old, so of course he isn’t going to be like the same kid he was in the other books. People grow up. People change. When you have kids in real life, I’m sure that changes a person too. So the characters are not going to be the same as you read them before. It’s also fast forwarded to when they are all older, so you don’t get to see what their lives were like leading up to the events in this story.

Another thing, this script is based on J.K. Rowling’s story. She didn’t write this script. Things aren’t going to be exactly like the other books. The writers of the script can’t jump in Rowling’s head and get her characters perfect. It’s basically the same idea when Hollywood producers and script writers take books and turn them into movies. They aren’t going to be exactly the same. There are going to be added things in this story that weren’t in the other books, but you have to remember…the world changes as the years go by. Is our world the same as it was twenty years ago? No. So you really have to go into reading this book knowing all of these things.

I personally loved the book so much. I loved the story. I loved being back into this magical world. I loved getting to read about some of my favorite characters and meeting some new characters that I absolutely fell in love with. Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy’s friendship was one of my favorite parts of the story. It was a fast paced read and I’m sure that’s because of the format of this book. I laughed a ton. I even cried a whole lot more than I ever thought I would! I thought it was an awesome story. If you’re hoping for something exactly like the other books, you’re going to be disappointed. You need to take this script/book as it is and enjoy it for what it is. I thought it was a perfect edition to the Harry Potter series.

What are your thoughts on the Cursed Child? If you haven’t read it, do you plan to?

In case you missed it;
Thoughts|| It Ends with Us.

I hope you are having a great weekend! I can’t believe it’s already Sunday. I am praying today goes by as slow as possible! I am not ready to go back to work tomorrow. I am off to read Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige. I hope I love it as much as I do the Dorothy Must Die series!

Thoughts|| It Ends with Us.

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
4 out of 5 stars.

“There is no such thing as bad people. We’re all just people who sometimes do bad things.”

Goodreads Description: Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true. Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place. As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened. This is going to be a short review for It Ends With Us. I’m not really sure what I want to say and I don’t want to say too much. I highly suggest going into this book not knowing a single thing. I read the description of the book a long long time ago and completely forgot it come release day and I’m glad I did.

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It Ends with Us is a very important book and I believe that everyone should read it just for that reason alone. I myself really loved this book; it made me laugh and it made me cry. That’s all of CoHo’s books though. She knows how to write good books. I was instantly sucked in from the very beginning. It was hard to put down and I found myself sticking tabs on my favorite parts every other page almost.

The characters were relatable and likable. Lily was probably one of the strongest characters I’ve ever read about even when she didn’t always feel that way. I had a love/hate for one and I struggled with my feelings toward them as much as Lily did. This book was heartbreaking and it definitely shattered my heart. CoHo is good at doing this to me though. I pick up the pieces after every book only to have them lying on the floor again. I don’t want to give too much away, so I am just going to leave at that I loved the book.

I will say though, it wasn’t my favorite Hoover book. Maybe Someday still holds that spot. I can’t exactly pin-point why it wasn’t, but I just had stronger feelings for other books than this one. That doesn’t mean it takes away my love for It Ends with Us. Like I said, it’s a very important book and I think every single person in the world should read this book. I loved the book, just like I have all her books so far. Hoover knows how to write. She knows how to suck you in and keep you there and at the end of the book when your heart is in a million pieces, you’ll still want more.

“All humans make mistakes. What determines a person’s character aren’t the mistakes we make. It’s how we take those mistakes and turn them into lessons rather than excuses.”

Have you read It Ends with Us? If so, what did you think? If not, do you think you will?

I hope you have a great day and weekend! 🙂

August TBR.

Hey!

My track record with monthly TBRs is never good, but I actually feel confident with my book choices for my TBR this month. I feel like it has a mix of a lot of different things, so I think it should be fairly easy to stick to it. Crossing my fingers though, because I swear I abandon my list every month or only read a couple from the list. Onto the books that I chose for my TBR…

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover – I’m already almost halfway through it and I really like it so far. I already knew immediately that I would be starting it on release day (yesterday) and that’s exactly what I did!

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling – I want to read this right away, because I know everyone is reading it right now and I want to try not to get spoiled. The best solution to that is to just read the book as soon as possible.

Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige – I am so stoked that I was approved by Netgalley to read the eARC of Stealing Snow. I really enjoyed the Dorothy Must Die series so far, so I am excited to read Danielle’s new book!

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardguo – I previously mentioned how I made a list of series that I started and haven’t finished or caught up to the most current book in the series. I want to try to incorporate them into my reading the rest of the year, so I can try to finish and get caught up. So this month I am going to read Ruin and Rising.

With Malice by Eileen Cook – I’ve been seeing this book around a lot and I am dying to read it, so I couldn’t resist finally getting myself a copy. I am so stoked to read it. I’ve seen a lot of good things about it.

I am hoping that I can get through all of these books and even a few more. I feel extremely guilty with this TBR, because they are all new purchases (minus Stealing Snow and Ruin and Rising). I’m really trying to stick to the books that I own and stop buying books…it’s so difficult though, lol. I am going to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure this month (next weekend) to go to Harry Potter world! I am so stoked! I have about a three hour car ride there, so I should hopefully get in some reading on the way there and back! 😀

What is on your August TBR? Have you read any of these?

In case you  missed it;
Top Ten Tuesday|| Books I’d buy right this second.
Recap|| July.

I hope you have a great day!

July|| 2016 read my books challenge.

Hi!

I’ve been taking part in Maren’s (The Worn Bookmark) read my books challenge over on her blog, where I read the books that I already own versus only new books. I made a TBR jar of all the books I own (NOT including books I bought and will buy in 2016). My goal is to read 30 of my already owned books from that TBR jar aside from recent purchases.

# Books read in July: 5
# Books read year to date: 12/30

My Kind of Crazy by Robin Reul – REVIEW.
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Shattering Glass by Gail Giles
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I have been doing really bad with this reading challenge this year, but in July I actually did really good! I was able to read five books toward this challenge. One (To Kill a Mockingbird) I started myself and finished it as an audiobook. I actually enjoyed all five of these books, so that was a huge plus as well! You can see more books in read in July in my recap post linked below. 🙂

In case you missed it;
Top Ten Tuesday|| Ten books I’d buy right this second.
Recap|| July.
Book Haul|| July.

I hope you have a great day!

Top Ten Tuesday|| Books I’d buy right this second.

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

Ten Books You’d Buy Right This Second If Someone Handed You A Fully Loaded Gift Card

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Hey!

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a Top Ten Tuesday post! I think my last one was in the middle of June, oops! Today’s topic is ten books that I would buy right this second if someone handed me a fully loaded gift card; I am going to go with books that are already released for this post.

Paper and Fire by Rachel Cline
Riders by Veronica Rossi
Vicious by V.E. Schwab
Rebel of the Sands by Alywn Hamilton
We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchison

Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
And I Darken by Kiersten White
Ivory and Bone by Julie Eshbaugh

This post was actually really hard to do with books that are already released. I feel like I already own a lot of the books that I really want to read that are out in the world already. There are a ton of books that I read and loved that I don’t own physical copies of, because I read them on my Kindle. Here are some of those series/books that I read and don’t own physical copies of that I want to buy right now!

The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth
The Hunger Games (Book 1) by Suzanne Collins
The Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness
Percy Jackson & the Olympians by Rick Riordan
The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan
Falling Kingdoms series by Morgan Rhodes

If you were handed a fully loaded gift card right now, what books would you buy? Feel free to link me to your post, so I can check them out!

In case you missed it;
Recap|| July.
Book Haul|| July.
Tag|| Goodreads.

I hope you have a great day!

Recap|| July.

Hi!

I was feeling kind of slumpish toward the beginning of July. I did manage to read more than I had first anticipated though! It was a slow start, but the last two weeks I was reading a lot. I was also pretty busy with other things going on in my life throughout July. I’m sure you all know that Pokemon Go released in July and I do admit that it took over quite a bit of my life in July. I was going out a ton more because of it. I was happy to be getting out though, because I’m usually a homebody.

I also started to make an effort to go to the gym at the end of June and into July and that took up more of my time. I kind of stopped going the last couple weeks, so I HAVE to get back into it ASAP! I need to fit into my wedding dress. I have this feeling that I gained some weight since I last tried it on, sigh. I also stayed a weekend in West Palm Beach with my cousin and did engagement pictures. Staying in West Palm Beach was a lot of fun and taking engagement pictures wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. Let’s just hope they come out good! 😛

Anyway, now for my recap. You can find a full list of these books and the other books I read this year over here. All will be linked to Goodreads below and I will also link to individual blog posts for them if I did a review.

DNF Books:
These are the books that I did not finish throughout the month of July.

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

I may possibly pick this up again when I can get a finished copy. I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I had a lot of issues with this, but a big one came from the fact that the footnotes (there are footnotes in this book) at the end of the chapter instead of at the end of the pages they corresponded with. It made it difficult for me to read and enjoy the book, because I was annoyed with it. It was also pretty boring and confusing. Some details and descriptions were a little ridiculous and unnecessary; like all the metaphors. I only read 14%, but I want to pick up a finish copy and see how that reads with the footnotes and see if I like it better. Check out my thoughts over here.

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Physically Read Books:
These are the books that I read by myself (not audiobooks) throughout the month of July.

my kind of crazy by robin reul – REVIEW. – 5 out of 5 stars.
I loved My Kind of Crazy so much. It is now one of my favorite books of the year. It was fun, it was sad, it made me laugh, it made me cry. I loved the characters and the story. At times it gave me The Serpent King vibes, which I actually loved because I loved The Serpent King SO much. I HIGHLY recommend this book! I think the paperback is a little over $7 on Amazon! Feel free to check out my review for more!

gemini by sonya mukherjee – REVIEW. – 4 out of 5 stars.
I was given this ARC for review and I really liked the story so much. It’s about conjoined twins, which I never read about before. It was interesting, fun to read, and even a bit sad as well. It was so good though and I highly recommend checking it out! It was released this month, so get your copy. Feel free to check out my review for more!

being jazz: my life as a (transgender) teen by jazz jennings – REVIEW. – 4 out of 5 stars.
This is a memoir written by Jazz Jennings, which talks about her life as a transgender teen; basically the title of the book. 😛 She knew at a very young age that she was a girl trapped in a boy’s body. This book documents her life growing up until right now and her struggles with being transgender. I enjoyed the book and it was interesting getting to see more about her. I started watching some of her TLC reality show when it first aired, but then for some reason never continued with it. The book was really good though and I do recommend reading it! Feel free to check out my review for more!

uglies by scott westerfeld – 3 out of 5 stars.
I’ve been wanting to read this series for so long now. After not knowing what to read next, I chose this book out of my TBR jar. I liked the book, but it didn’t blow me away. The characters were okay, but I didn’t completely connect with them. It was interesting and different, but at times a bit boring. It was still a good book and I plan to continue with the series, hopefully it’ll get better.

shattering glass by gail giles – REVIEW. – 4 out of 5 stars.
I hadn’t seen too much about this book, except one of my blogger friends loved it and it sounded really good. Overall, I liked the book, it was pretty crazy at times. I was kind of disappointed with the way that it ended. The description from the beginning tells you that these kids kill a boy (“Simon Glass was easy to hate. . . . I guess, really we each hated him for a different reason, but we didn’t realize it until the day we killed him.”), so the book is basically about what happened before the murder and the end is the murder. After the boys kill Simon the book ends. Nothing else. That was it. And that was disappointing. I wanted to see the aftermath. You kind of get an idea of what the aftermath was like, because before each chapter someone (or one of those boys) write vague things that happened after the murder before it gets back into the story. I would have liked more though and not the vague snippets before each chapter. It was still really good though.

anna and the french kiss by stephanie perkins – 4 out of 5 stars.
I thought this was such a fun fast read. I flew threw it and I really enjoyed it. It was defintely something I needed. I really liked the characters and the story. It also had me laughing quite a bit. I also so badly want to go to Paris now, lol. I can’t wait to read the other books in this series if they are as good as this one was!

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Audiobooks:
These are the books that I listened to the audio versions throughout the month of July.

wildflower by drew barrymore – REVIEW. – 5 out of 5 stars.
Wildflower is defintely one of my new favorite books. Drew Barrymore read the audiobook herself and it made it feel so much more real. It was fun listening to her stories and learning more about her and her family. I was laughing so much and I even cried a lot more than I thought I would. Loved it so much! I can’t wait to get a copy for my bookshelf! Feel free to check out my review for more!

to kill a mockingbird by harper lee – 4 out of 5 stars.
I’ve never read To Kill a Mockingbird before until this month. I’ve always wanted to read it, but never got around to it. I am glad I finally did! I started off reading it on my own and then decided to finish it by audiobook. I really enjoyed this book and the characters. The story was so well written and it had me laughing and tearing up quite a bit. There were some things that bored me a little, but overall I really enjoyed it and I think it is a really important book that everyone should read. I plan on checking out the audiobook for Go Set a Watchman really soon! I believe Reese Witherspoon actually reads the book for the second book.

Have you read any of these books? What books did you read in July? Feel free to link me to your recap/wrap up posts!

In case you missed it;
Book Haul|| July.
Book Haul|| July E-Book Haul.
Tag|| Goodreads.

I hope you have a great day!