The Spring Cleaning Book Tag

Hey everyone! I was tagged by Alys at Alys in Bookland to do this book tag, and as it is my first time being tagged for anything (lol) I felt I had to do it. So lets get started!!

The struggle of getting started: a book/book series that you have struggled to begin because of its size

Definitely Game of Thrones. That being said though, I will be starting it at some point this month. At least that’s the plan.

Cleaning out the closet: a book and/or book series you want to unhaul

The only books I’m considering unhauling are the first two in the Vampire Academy series. I thought the first book was just ok, and I’ve had the second one just sitting on my shelf. I’ve had no interest in picking it up, but for some reason I can’t bring myself to unhaul it.

Opening windows and letting fresh air in: a book that was refreshing

I actually just finished The Giver by Lois Lowry. It was a nice and easy read for me.

Washing out sheet stains: a book you wish you could rewrite a certain scene in

The only book I can think of is Switched by Amanda Hocking. The premise of this sounded so good, yet I don’t think the story was written in a way that the synopsis eluded to. So I would rewrite the entire book.

Throwing out unnecessary knick-knacks: a book in a series that you didn’t feel was necessary

I don’t have an answer for this one. Plus it doesn’t help that I start many series, but need to actually continue them.

Polishing the doorknob: a book that had a clean finish

That would Untamed by A.G. Howard. It’s a novella collection that comes after the official ending of the Splintered series. I say this has a clean finish because the novellas shed light on some plot points that either were just mentioned or shortly explored. Plus the final novella, Six Impossible Things, just hit every feeling while wrapping up and expanding on the end of the series.

Reaching to dust the fan: a book that tried too hard to relay a certain topic

There is nothing coming to mind for this one. Like at all lol

The tiring yet satisfying finish of spring cleaning: a book series that was tiring yet satisfying to get through

I can only think of the Alex Cross series by James Patterson. It’s over 20 books and I’m only on number 11. I feel like I will never catch up, but I honestly don’t mind that. He is one of my favorite authors so this is no struggle for me.

Looking forward to next spring: tag 4 people you want to do this tag

I would tag people, but I don’t know how just yet lol So if you would like to do this tag, you are more than welcome!

Have a great day and enjoy your reading!

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Rapid Fire Book Tag

Hello everyone! Today I bring you the Rapid Fire Book Tag. I first saw this tag on Booktube and decided it was one I would like to do. So without further ado, let’s get into it.

E-book or Physical book?

Physical book with the audiobook accompanying it if possible.

Paperback or Hardback?

I absolutely love my paperbacks!

Online or In-store Book Shopping?

In-store

Trilogies or Series?

Series. I have a hard time letting go.

Heroes or Villians?

Villians. I like it when the bad guy/girl wins.

A Book You Want Everyone To Read

This is a favorite of mine and I just want someone to love it just as much as I do so we can talk about it.

Recommend an Underrated Author

A. G. Howard. This series here is stole my heart this year, and I’m still in love with Morpheus, Alyssa, and Jeb 💚💙❤️ Untamed (the novella collection) is still my favorite book of the year, followed by Unhinged.

The Last Book You Finished

I am so glad I bought this because it was so good. Especially reading it with the audiobook playing.

Weirdest Thing You’ve Used As A Bookmark?

I honestly can not even think of anything. I’m pretty sure I’ve always had bookmarks or at least some type of paper. No wait I think I did use my phone and the remote lol I think my reading got interrupted, and I just picked up whatever was near me.

Used Books: Yes or No?

Definitely yes. Majority of my books are used books. My only critique is that they have to been in good condition, so no cracked spines, water damage, etc.

Top Three Favorite Genres

Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Middle Grade

Borrow or Buy

Buy

Character or Plot

Character. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good plot. However, if I can’t connect with the characters then it’s hard for me to connect with the book. I have to care about the character (whether that’s in a good or bad way) in order to care about the story.

Long or Short Books

Long for sure

Name the First Three Books You Think Of

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, and Beautiful Creatures

Books That Make Your Laugh or Cry

Either one to be honest. As long as the book makes me feel something

Our World or Fictional

Fictional. I like to be able to escape.

Audiobooks: Yes or No

Yes. They especially help with long books plus pronunciation.

Do You Ever Judge a Book By It’s Cover?

Not really

Book to Movie or Book to TV

If it’s being adapted, I tend to always want to read the book first (unless I didn’t know it was a book first). As far as movie or tv, I would watch both so I don’t have a preference.

A Movie or TV Show That You Preferred to the Book

I think so far, I’ve always chosen the book. That being said, there could be one coming soon that could change that.

Series or Standalones

Series. As I said earlier, I have a problem letting go.

That is all the questions! I hope you enjoyed this. If so, leave a comment or question about any of my answers and I will get back to you. Have a great day 💚

The Rivals

Dani at Perspective of a Writer created a meme to show off our favorite characters. This week’s topic is The Rivals. The description: “Feature two characters who are in total competition with each other. Think love triangles, bromances, female relationships!” This is easy for me. The first two who came to mind are Jeb and Morpheus from the Splintered series by A. G. Howard. I absolutely LOVE this series. It is an Alice in Wonderland retelling centering around Alyssa, a 16 year old girl whose mother is in a mental institution and her father tries to take care of her as well as her mother. Jeb is her next door neighbor and also her best friend. Morpheus is a character from Wonderland you just have to read to understand (he is also my favorite character from the whole series.) Jeb and Morpheus have a small rivalry that gradually grows during the series, and of course it revolves around Alyssa. The way A. G. Howard chose to resolve it makes me so happy. The images below show Morpheus, Alyssa, and Jeb.

WWW Wednesday 6/26/19

Hey everyone! I’ve decided to try and do some daily posts to make sure I stay active on here. So today I’m starting with WWW Wednesday. This meme comes from Taking on a World of Words, and all I have to do is answer the three questions: What are you currently reading?, What did you recently finish reading?, and What do you think you’ll read next? So lets get started!

What are you currently reading?

Girl standing on a rock ledge with spaceship overhead
The Exalting by Dan Allen

I am technically currently reading 7 books, but this one is the most current. The Exalting is a SF/F story about two people, Dana and Jet, from two different parts of the world. The odd chapters are from Dana’s perspective, and the even chapters are from Jet’s perspective (at least so far). Dana is a 17 girl with abilities from Xahna, and Jet is from Avalon and is an air pilot in the Believers service. This was just published in May, and I’m actually reading it for review. I acquired this from BookSirens. I’m not that far into it, but I’m liking it so far.

What did you recently finish reading?

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

My last “finished” book was actually a DNF, so I went with my actual recently finished book which is Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. Fantasy has always been my favorite genre, but after reading this I’m currently getting into Science Fiction (as seen by my currently reading). I really enjoyed this book, and I will definitely pick up the rest of the series. I gave it a full 5 stars.

What do you think you’ll read next?

The School for Good and Evil: Quests for Glory by Soman Chainani

I’m participating in 4 readathons next month, so my July TBR currently sits at around 17 books. Will I get to all of them? Probably not. However, Quests For Glory is first on the list, and I couldn’t be more excited. I absolutely adore this series, and can’t wait to see what awaits Agatha, Sopie, and Tedros next. I’ll also pick up The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang since I will try to knock out two books at a time to try and make good progress.

I’m interested to see what everyone is reading or has read. If you have done this, leave a link in the comments, and I’ll come check it out. Have a great day!

Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag

I’ve been watching a lot of booktube lately, and I’ve seen this tag going around. So I decided to join in, and answer the questions about how my 2019 reading year is going since I started reading again this year. Here we go!

Question 1) Best book you’ve read so far in 2019

That has to be Untamed by A. G. Howard. This is sort of like a novella collection for her Splintered series, but it also wraps up the entire series as well. I had such an emotional connection to these characters that it was hard to believe it was the last book in their journey. So good, and i am definitely reading it again some day.

Question 2) Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2019

Going with another book in the Splintered series, and that is the second book called Unhinged. This series is an Alice in Wonderland retelling, and Splintered, to me, sets up the whole wonderland retelling experience. Uhinged, however, takes place back in our world, and focuses more on character development. You find out things that about the characters, and not just the main ones, that really shapes the tone of not only the book, but the series as a whole.

Question 3) New release you haven’t read yet, but want to

Shifting to another series, I want to read A Crystal of Time by Soman Chainani. I have fallen in love with his The School for Good and Evil series since reading the first book back in January. This is a middle grade series following two girls, Sophie and Agatha, who come from the village/town of Galvadon. Every four years, two fourteen year old children are whisked away by the School Master, who drops one child off at the School for Good, and one at the School for Evil. Sophie, 14, does everything possible to be chosen for Good, while Agatha, also 14, would rather stay home. The day the School Master changes how they both view life, love, friendship, and even themselves. I am currently on book 4, which I will be reading next month in a readathon. A Crystal of Time is book 5 that came out in March. I couldn’t tell you what it was about because I haven’t looked myself lol I didn’t want to be spoiled by anything that could have happened in book 4.

Question 4) Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

This has to be Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell. I read Carry On back in April, and fell so much in love with it that I bought Simon and Baz bookmarks shortly afterwards. I just thought it was the cutest story, and I just can NOT wait until October to get my book (yes i pre-ordered it). Also, I’m excited for the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire illustrated edition that also comes out in October, which I will be pre-ordering soon.

Question 5) Biggest disappointment

That would have to be Switched by Amanda Hocking. It wasn’t a bad book per say, but it definitely was not what I thought it would be. It was a let down for me because I guess I had this whole other premise on what I thought it was going to be about, and it was nowhere close what I thought. I rated it 2 stars. Just not my cup of tea.

Question 6) Biggest surprise

I have to give this one to Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. The reason being is because it is historical fiction. Fantasy/Sci-fi is my go-to genre when it comes to books. This book would have never been in my radar if I didn’t need to fulfill a Goodreads challenge. It actually took me a long while to get into it. I liked it from the jump, but again it was hard to pick up because it isn’t my usual genre. That being said, it got 5 stars from me. I fell so in love with this, and I actually teared up at some parts because I loved the characters so much. This is also the book that lead me to realize that audio books really help me get a through I otherwise would have struggled through reading physically.

Question 7) Favorite new author (debut or new to you)

Techinally, everyone I’ve mentioned so far is new to me because I’m just getting to back to reading. However, my new favorite author is actually a husband and wife duo writing under the name Ilona Andrews. I have fallen in love with everything written so far. My favorite so far is the Hidden Legacy series (new release in August that i’m excited for). Nevada and Connor…yes please. I also love the Kate Daniels series and The Edge series, but Hidden Legacy series takes the cake.

Question 8) Newest fictional crush

Morpheus from the Splintered series. I love him with my whole heart. I read 80+ books so far this year, and no one has been able to take his top spot.

Question 9) Newest favorite character

Derek Gaunt from the Kate Daniels series and Bug from the Hidden Legacy series are tied, but for different reasons. Derek is a character I want to protect from harm (this is so weird due to what his character is lol) and Bug is just a lovable, sarcastic character that makes me laugh all the time.

Question 10) Book that made you cry

I haven’t read a book this year that made me cry. I have teared up a few times, but nothing that made me ugly cry. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe came extremely close though.

Question 11) Book that made me happy

Most of the books I’ve read so far have made me happy, so it’s hard to narrow it down to just one.

Question 12) Most beautiful book that you’ve bought (or received) so far this year

This would have to be Carry On. The paperback edition of this is so gorgeous, and I had to have it in that edition only.

Question 13) What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

What I need to read are the arcs I have (that I’m am so grateful to have) because those have deadlines. What I want to read is most of the physical books I already own because I tend to mostly read ebooks, while still buying books lol I need to read what I own.

This will be great to look back on and see if my answers still hold up. Will I be able to find a book that makes me cry? Will someone take the top spot of book bf from Morpheus? Will I make some kind of progress in reading from my shelves? Only time will tell. Have a great day ❤