2016 Bookish Resolutions

Reading Resolutions

1. I will purchase books from bookstores instead of online. There are so many cute independently owned bookstores out there that I’d love to support!
2. I will read the books that I own before purchasing new ones. There are so many books lying around my room that I bought and never read, since I got distracted by other new releases.
3. I will continue to support my local library. Libraries are one of the best resources for both readers and bloggers, so I want to prioritize borrowing books over purchasing them for myself.
4. I will read more backlist titles. I’ve been focusing a lot on the new, shiny titles, but older books need some love too!
5. If I’m not enjoying a book, I will put it down for a bit or DNF it. My to-read list is ridiculously long, so there’s no point in forcing myself to finish a book that just isn’t working for me.
6. I will not be ashamed of my reading choices (whether it’s a classic, a new release, a middle grade novel, etc.) and will read what I want when I want.

Blogging Resolutions

1. I will try to be a more consistent blogger, both in terms of posting and replying to comments in a timely fashion. School is ridiculously busy, so I’ll hopefully take advantage of WordPress’ ability to schedule posts and/or use study breaks for commenting.
2. However, I will not feel guilty about taking breaks from blogging. (Or, at least, I’ll try not to feel too bad about it). Blogging is a hobby that I love, but it’s very hard to find time for it during the semester and I do need to prioritize my grades.
3. I will not compare myself to other bloggers, whether that’s in terms of ARCs, stats, or number of followers. I’m so thankful for all of my readers, and I’ll do my best to consistently show that. As long as I’m having fun and sharing my love for reading with others, I consider that to be a “success.”
4. After I finish reading a book, I will start drafting its review. Even if it’s just making a small pros/cons list, this will definitely make the process easier – especially since I have some books in my to review pile that I read weeks ago!
5. That being said, I will never allow blogging to become a chore. I started this blog as a fun way to interact with other people who love books as much as I do, and I don’t want it to turn into a burden or something that I dread doing.
6. I will not participate in or perpetuate any drama or negativity, which I’ve thankfully stayed clear of thus far.
7. I will visit more blogs and leave more thoughtful comments on others’ posts. There are a lot of blogs that I genuinely adore, and I need to do a better job of showing my appreciation for them.
8. I will try to generate more discussion posts and personal posts – I want to get to know you guys better and let more of my personality shine through!
9. I will be more available, whether it’s on this blog, Twitter, Goodreads, or via email, since I want to be able to interact with you guys more frequently.

Here’s hoping that I can stick with these!

Do you have any blogging or bookish resolutions for this year?

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Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope your holidays are filled with peace, love, family, friends & (of course) lots of good books!

Top Ten Favourite Books of 2015 (So Far)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly book meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week, she posts an idea relating to books and encourages other book bloggers to respond with their own top ten lists.

This week’s topic is “top ten books you’ve read so far in 2015.” I’ve had a really good reading year so far, but here are ten that really stood out to me — and, yes, I will actually pick only ten books this week.

Which recent reads have you absolutely adored? Leave me a list or a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post in the comments below.

Mid-May Book Haul

I finally broke my self-imposed book buying ban, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

Purchased:

• The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
• The Wrath & The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
• The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melinda Salisbury
• Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano
• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Giveaway Wins:

• Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley (thanks to @HCCFrenzy!)

ARCs/Review Copies:

• Under the Lights by Dahlia Adler (thanks to Spencer Hill Contemporary & NetGalley!)
• Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman (thanks to Harlequin TEEN & NetGalley!)

Which books have you bought recently?

Be My (Fictional) Bad Boy

Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed something interesting about the way I tend to react to love triangles – or, more specifically, the “choices” involved in the love triangle. I’ve found that I gravitate towards the “bad boys” when presented with an option between them and the boy-next-door/childhood best friend archetype. If given the choice, I’d choose the Darkling over Mal, Morpheus over Jeb, and Warner over Adam every time. I wish I could say that this says a lot about my personality… but, in real life, I’m the exact opposite.

In fact, all of the guys I’ve dated have been close friends. No hate-to-love transformations here, even though I adore those types of relationships in books. Friends-first relationships have the security and stability that I crave, without needing any of the awkward first date questions. They’ve seen me at me best and worst, have listened to all of my random thoughts, and have seen my many, many obsessions. And, despite all that, they’re still there.

So, then, why don’t I like these relationships in the books that I read? It’s not a case of “saving” the “bad boys” through true love or any of that; it’s just that they’re more exciting. I view reading as a sort of escape, a way of living out many different lives and experiences without any of the real-world costs/potential dangers. As a result, I don’t want to read about people making the safe choices that I would make (unless it’s a contemporary romance, since Max in The Start of Me and You is 100% the type of guy I’d go for). With the “bad boys,” the stakes are higher; there’s a sense of danger, and you’re not sure if you should even trust this individual, and that’s what makes the story even more exciting.

More than that, though, they’re compelling. While the pure evil ones can be fun to read about for a little bit, complicated, morally ambiguous characters are much more interesting – especially when compared to the “good guy” who is inevitably going to be his foil. Maybe they’ve done some inexcusable things (looking at you, Darkling), but they’ve also shown potential for improvement, so it’s hard not to root for some kind of redemption. And, you know, the possibility of snarky banter is higher, and that’s one of my biggest weaknesses.

Although the “bad boy” is a trope, it’s one that I absolutely love. Fictional bad boys, you have my heart (real life ones, though, not so much).

Do you like bookish bad boys as much as I do? If so, who are some of your favourites?

April: A Month’s Worth of Photos

My favourite photo from this month; for more, check out my Instagram (bookish + personal) 🙂

April was a really hectic month for me. I had 6 exams in 7 days (I want to say that I passed them all…. but I’m still waiting on one mark, which is incredibly stressful!) and continued volunteering in a synthetic biology lab.

I also had to say goodbye to my lovely housemates (left + centre above), as this was our last month living together — we’re not going to be living that far away from one another, but it’s going to be really weird living with other people!

Unfortunately, I didn’t get that much blogging done (aside from already-scheduled posts) but I did manage to read 7 books! (It’s truly the best form of procrastination).

Top Books of the Month:

I really don’t know why I waited so long to read Grave Mercy and Mistborn – they were both excellent, had kick-ass female characters, and excellent world-building. And The Start of Me and You was every bit as adorable as I had expected, complete with strong, supportive friendships and sweet book boyfriends.

I also realized just how many unread books I have on my bookshelf, so hopefully I’ll be able to give some of these a read!

Most Exciting Moment:

I went to see The Griswolds and WALK THE MOON for the Talking is Hard Tour and had such an amazing time! While I bought tickets because I adore The Griswolds, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked WALK THE MOON too – they had such an infectious energy to them, and I loved their positivity!

I also got to meet The Griswolds! They’re such sweethearts, told me that I have the coolest hair (even if it got destroyed by the pouring rain), and gave the best hugs. To say that it made my month is probably an understatement, so I’m really excited to see them again in June! ❤

Song Obsessions: 

• The Wolf (live version) by Mumford & Sons
• Red Tuxedo by The Griswolds
• Shake Me Up by The Mowgli’s
• Renaissance Girls by Oh Land!
• America’s Sweetheart by Elle King

Other Obsessions: 

• Baking! I’ve always loved to bake, but procrastibaking reached new highs during this exam season.
• I started watching The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and it’s safe to say I’m hooked. Even if I can’t look at Pinot Noir the same way…
• Ukulele. I’ve been wanting to learn for ages, so I finally caved and bought one! I’m in love with my little red uke, even if I can only play Riptide by Vance Joy so far.
• Parasitology. I know, that probably sounds really weird, but I took a course on parasites this past term and found it completely fascinating (even if it kind of scared me away from travelling to certain places).

Quote of the Month:

“I once read in my physics book that the universe begs to be observed, that energy travels and transfers when people pay attention. Maybe that’s what love really boils down to–having someone who cares enough to pay attention so that you’re encouraged to travel and transfer, to make your potential energy spark into kinetic energy.” – My Heart and Other Black Holes

What have you been up to this month? And what are you looking forward to in May? Let me know in the comments below.

This Month in Books: May 2015

I’m slightly scared for my poor bank account, since so many excellent looking books come out this month! Here’s hoping I have time to read them all…. As always, if you’re interested in one of the books, click on its cover image to be taken to its Goodreads page.

May 1

May 5

May 12

May 19

May 26

Which new releases are you most looking forward to reading this month?

2015 Bookish Resolutions

Happy New Year, everyone! 🙂 As some of you have probably noticed, my posting and commenting has become rather sporadic over the past few months, due to the heavy demands of university courses. So I figured what better way to determine what changes I want to make in terms of my blogging and reading life and to hold myself accountable for them than some new year’s bookish resolutions?

Reading Resolutions

1. I will purchase books from bookstores instead of online. There are so many cute independently owned bookstores out there that I’d love to support!
2. I will read the books that I own before purchasing new ones. There are so many books lying around my room that I bought and never read, since I got distracted by other new releases. This year, I’m hopefully going to make a nice dent in that to-read pile!
3. I will read all of the books that I’ve agreed to review. I have a few eARCs from Netgalley and review requests from authors that I need to read soon (or should have read a while ago), and I feel so guilty for leaving them this long.
4. After I finish reading a book, I will start drafting its review. Even if it’s just making a small pros/cons list, this will definitely make the process easier – especially since I have some books in my to review pile that I read weeks ago!
5. If I’m not enjoying a book, I will put it down for a bit or DNF it. My to-read list is ridiculously long, so there’s no point in forcing myself to finish a book that just isn’t working for me.
6. I will not be ashamed of my reading choices (whether it’s a classic, a new release, a middle grade novel, etc.) and will read what I want when I want.

Blogging Resolutions

1. I will try to be a more consistent blogger, both in terms of posting and replying to comments in a timely fashion. School is ridiculously busy, so I’ll hopefully take advantage of WordPress’ ability to schedule posts and/or use study breaks for commenting.
2. I will not compare myself to other bloggers, whether that’s in terms of ARCs, stats, or number of followers. I’m so thankful for all of my readers, and I’ll do my best to consistently show that. As long as I’m having fun and sharing my love for reading with others, I consider that to be a “success.”
3. I will never allow blogging to become a chore. I started this blog as a fun way to interact with other people who love books as much as I do, and I don’t want it to turn into a burden or something that I dread doing.
4. I will not participate in or perpetuate any drama or negativity, which I’ve thankfully stayed clear of thus far.
5. I will visit more blogs and leave more thoughtful comments on others’ posts. There are a lot of blogs that I genuinely adore, and I need to do a better job of showing my appreciation for them.
6. I will be more available, whether it’s on this blog, Twitter, Goodreads, or via email, since I want to be able to interact with you guys more frequently.

Here’s hoping that I can stick with these!

Do you have any blogging or bookish resolutions for this year?

2014 End of Year Book Survey

Happy New Year, everyone! ❤ Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner has created another end of year survey, so I just had to fill it out – it’s a great way to look back on the reading year and reminisce about favourite titles!

Number Of Books You Read: 112

  

Number of Re-Reads: 3 – Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door, and The Book Thief
Genre You Read The Most From: Contemporary

1. Best Book You Read In 2014?

This is SO hard to answer… I had a wonderful reading year, so I’m going to cheat a lot for this one.

Series:

• 2014 release: Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater / The Young Elites by Marie Lu / Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
• 2014 debut: The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
• Previously released: The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas

Standalone:

• 2014 release: Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan
• 2014 debut: Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
• Previously released: In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

 

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell. Easily my biggest disappointment of the year, since the Perfect Killer wasn’t nearly as competent as I was expecting.

 

 3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2014? 

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson. It was nothing like what the synopsis promised: lots of filler and an instalove-turned-love-triangle made it a very difficult read.

 4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2014?

I push all of my favourite books on my friends, so this is a tough one… I convinced my roommate to finally read The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, though, so I was extremely happy about that.

 

 5. Best series you started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014?

Best series: Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Best sequel: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Best series ender: Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor

 

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?

Marissa Meyer or Laini Taylor. I binge-read both of their series, and fell in love with their writing styles and creativity.

 

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

Virgin by Radhika Sanghani. I don’t tend to read new adult novels, but this one came highly recommended by friends and didn’t disappoint!

 

 8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

The Young Elites by Marie Lu. I read it in one sitting, and loved how dark it was.

 

 9. Book You Read In 2014 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

My True Love Gave To Me by Stephanie Perkins. I read an e-ARC copy before its release in October, so I’m planning to actually read it over the holiday season next year.

 

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?

 

11. Most memorable character of 2014?

The Darkling from The Grisha trilogy. He was so complex and intriguing, and I absolutely loved reading about him.

 

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor. She has such an amazing way with words; it’s like magic.

 

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2014?

Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang made me think a lot about the effects that all of our actions and words, no matter how small, can have on an individual. Isla and the Happily Ever After was a more introspective read: Isla’s deep-rooted insecurities, uncertainty about the future, and fears that she’s not worthy of love are ones that I had been struggling with, so it really forced me to examine where these stemmed from.

 

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read? 

Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I had heard so many excellent things about it and was worried that it wouldn’t live up to the hype. I then proceeded to binge-read the first three books in the next few days, so I suppose that tells you how it went.

 

 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014?

“Meeting your soul mate is like walking into a house you’ve been in before—you will recognize the furniture, the pictures on the wall, the books on the shelves, the contents of drawers: You could find your way around in the dark if you had to.” – I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

“You are the only person who can build emotional barriers, but you’re also the only person who can topple them. Other people can’t knock down the walls you’ve built, no matter how much they love you. You have to tear them down yourself because there’s something worth seeing on the other side.”  – Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

“Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there’s no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic.” – Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

 

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2014?

Shortest: Fortunately, The Milk by Neil Gaiman (114)

Longest: Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor (613)

 

 17. Book That Shocked You The Most

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas. That ending!

 

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

Blue/Gansey (The Raven Cycle) and Chaol/Celeana (Throne of Glass)

 

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Blue and her Raven Boys (though, really, that could also be a romantic relationship….)

Celeana and Rowan from Heir of Fire

Reagan and Dee from Open Road Summer

 

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

The Young Elites by Marie Lu. Since I’ve already mentioned that one, I also really loved Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan.

 

21. Best Book You Read In 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. I’m sad to say that I was the black sheep on this one, since I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would.

 

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014?

Carswell Thorne from Cress. Matt Finch from Open Road Summer.

 

23. Best 2014 debut you read?

A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller. Between the gorgeous cover, equally beautiful prose, tenacious heroines, dreamy police constables, historical fiction setting, feminism, and art, I was completely enchanted.

 

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

The Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo. Between beautiful keftas and elements of Russian folklore/mythology, I could easily picture the inventive world of Ravka.

 

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord. Lots of banter + sweet love interest + strong female friendships + road trip.

 

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2014?

Isla and the Happily Ever After really hit home for me, since I related so much to Isla… which, naturally, lead to countless tears on my part. Blue Lily, Lily Blue also made me cry because of a certain courtroom scene that was so touching and lovely.

 

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan. It’s adorable, quirky, and explores love in all its forms.

 

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

The Assassin’s Blade! I fell wholeheartedly in love with Sam Cortland (even though I knew it was a bad idea) so the ending completely broke my heart.

 

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?

A Little Something Different by Sandi Hall. It tells your typical boy meets girl / girl meets boy love story from 14 different perspectives, ranging from a Starbucks barista to a squirrel, and these perspectives don’t include either participant in the relationship.

 

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

Ruin & Rising by Leigh Bardugo. It was a solid 4-star read, so I definitely enjoyed it, but I was really frustrated by how the ending didn’t fit with the dark, serious tone of the book. I also may still be a bit bitter about a certain character’s fate…

 

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2014? 

I can’t remember whose blogs I discovered this year as opposed to 2013, but I can say that I honestly love you all and love reading your bookish (and non-bookish) thoughts. 🙂

 

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2014? 

My reviews of The Boundless and Isla and the Happily Ever After.

 

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?

My discussion about why I love negative reviews.

 

4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

I didn’t get to participate in any actual bookish events this year — here’s hoping that I can make time for that in 2015!

 

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2014?

Honestly, it’s so hard to pick just one favourite blogging moment of 2014, since I’ve really enjoyed all of the interactions that I’ve had with each and every one of you.

In terms of bookish things, I sent my first request to a publisher regarding a review title (The Boundless) and it was approved! It was so nerve-wracking and so exciting at the same time.

 

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

My Top Ten Tuesday and Waiting on Wednesday posts were really well-received in general, and Ticker was one of the more popular reviews of the year.

 

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Any of my reviews, since they always seem to receive less love than the Top Ten Tuesday/Waiting on Wednesday posts.

 

9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

Book outlet! My wallet isn’t quite as thrilled as I am about it, though. 😛

10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

I did! I surpassed my goal of reading 100 books this year for the Goodreads Reading Challenge, and I also successfully completed the First Reads Reading Challenge by reading more than 10 “new to me” authors.

 

 

 

 

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2014 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2015?

Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King. It’s sitting on my bookshelf right now, so I really have no excuse not to read it soon!

 

 

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2015 (non-debut)?

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord, Winter by Marissa Meyer.

 

3. 2015 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard and More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera.

 

 4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2015?

RAVEN CYCLE #4. Even if it is probably going to make me cry so much.

 

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2015?

In my reading life, I hope to re-read more often and read more books that are outside of my comfort zone. In terms of blogging, I’d like to post more regularly and interact more with all of you – I’ve been awful for commenting and visiting blogs in the last little while, so hopefully I’ll fix that!

 

6. A 2015 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:

I haven’t actually read any 2015 releases yet!

 

This Month In Books: December 2014

December is finally here! I’m so excited for the Christmas season, and many of the books listed here have found their way onto my wishlist this year. As always, if you’re interested in one of the books, click on its cover image to be taken to its Goodreads page.

December 1

December 2

December 8

December 9

December 15

December 18

December 22

December 23

December 30

December 31

Which new releases are you most looking forward to reading this month?