15 Days of Being A Book Blogger featuring Day #11: Your 5 Best Posts

Hosted by Good Books and Wine

This isn't an easy one for me, because I don't know if I have written any "best posts" yet or not, but I don't know that I have a few favorite ones that I've written over the last three years and I think I'll share a little insight on those. Most popular posts wouldn't really work out that well for me either, because I don't think I have any. 

So, my five favorite "best" posts are...

If We Were Having Coffee. I was inspired by the lovely Molli @ Book Whimsy and Jaime @ The Perpetual Page Turner (who originally had written a post of this nature), to just take a big risk and put everything out there in probably one of the most personal posts that I've ever put up on my blog. I don't regret one moment of writing it or posting it for everyone to see, because it's a goal of mine to post throughout the year two or three personal posts such as this so that you guys can get to know who I am a little bit better. Plus, I found some solace and clarity in writing it, it helped me to deal with a lot of things that I had needed to take a closer look at and just put it out there, then let go of it. 

Author Interview with Molli Moran. If you didn't already know, I talk a lot about my bestie Molli Moran, a lot on my blog because she's such an amazing friend and she's also one of the most talented NA author's that I know. She's definitely at the top of my list as one of the best NA author's ever, along with a couple of mutual friends too. Earlier this year, I got the chance to ask her a few questions and basically interview her for my blog. We talked about all the "bookish things" and she told me a little bit about what inspired her to become an author and what some of her favorite things were while writing her debut NA southern contemporary romance, As You Turn Away (The Walker Brothers #1). 

I loved being able to do this interview, because I got to share with you guys one of my favorite new debut NA novels, and I also got to promote one of my best friend's books and support her in her dreams of becoming a writer. Right now, she's hard at work writing a new NA southern romance novel, One Song Away and she's also busy posting these swoon-worthy teasers every Saturday where you get to read little snippets from the book itself. If you haven't read As You Turn Away yet, then you really should definitely check it out. It's one of the most amazingly written and emotionally compelling NA contemporary romance novels that I've read in a while. 

Book Blogger Love-A-Thon Challenge: Letter to my Future Self. Again, this was one of the more personal posts that I was talking about and I loved being able to participate in the Book Blogger Love-A-Thon, as much as I could. Writing this future letter to myself, proved to be a little bit of a challenge in how I wanted to go about it, but once I sat down to write it all out the words just somehow sort of came tumbling out of me and it happened in the most genuinely organic way. It took me a years to get to the place where I am in my life and to learn how to be happy with the "me" I am becoming, versus constantly nit-picking at her all the time. It's been tough learning how to let go and let be, but it's been one of the best things that I could have possibly done for myself. So, I was extremely proud of myself, and happy that I was able to share such an open and honest post with you guys.

Book Review for As You Turn Away by Molli Moran. As you can already tell by now, I really LOVED this book for everything it was and everything that it stood for. I am extremely proud of Molli, for pouring everything that she had into writing such a gorgeous and captivating novel that ended up giving me ALL THE FEELS. It's hard to find words to tell you guys how much I really love this book, so I'll just go ahead and quote part of my review and hopefully that will sum up everything nicely for you guys. 

"Beautifully written and full of emotion, As You Turn Away, will leave you breathless. Charmingly sweet and romantic, you'll find yourself getting wrapped up in such a gorgeous love story brimming with self-discovery, courage, and bravery."

Book Blogger Love-A-Thon Interview with Katie @ Worn Down Glories. It's actually kind of funny how this happened really, because neither Kay or I knew that we were going to be paired up, it just sort of happened that way and I couldn't have been more happier because she's definitely one of my favorite people in the book blogging community and she's definitely one of my closest friends. I just love this girl to pieces because she's all kinds of brave and unafraid to be who she is, she's fun to get to know, truly one of the most sweetest and genuine person that I've had the pleasure of getting to know. 

Now that I've shared some of my favorite posts with you guys, what are some of yours? Let me know in the comments below! :)

15 Days of Being A Book Blogger featuring Day #10: Choosing Your Next Book

Hosted by Good Books and Good Wine

How do you guys choose your next book to read?

It usually depends on what I'm in the mood for, because chances are if I'm not in the mood for fantasy then I know that I'm probably not going to finish it if I pick it up next. Most of the time, it goes kind of like this for me...

• Blog Tours (the review books from the tours that I need to think about first.)
• 
  
• Review Books & ARC's (top priority because I've made prior commitments to read and review them on the blog.)
• 
  
• Netgalley & Edelweiss (these are the eGalley's that I've gotten for review and they are definitely on the top of that list of tbr next for that reason.)
• 
  
• Library Books (this is pretty self-explanatory.)
• 
  
• The "ME" Books (these are the books that are usually the ones I've bought or already have on my shelf or on my Kindle that I really need to read and just want to read. I try to read at least a couple of these a month.)

For me, the chances are, if I'm not at all in the mood for the next book that I'm reading or choosing to read, whether it be a specific genre, type, whatever - then I'm just not going to be attracted to it or want to really read it. I don't like to force myself to read books, because then I know that it's definitely going to affect the way that I feel about them afterwards, and I want to be as fair as I can in my judgement and give the book a fighting chance. 

What about you guys? Let me know in the comments below. :)

15 Days of Being A Book Blogger featuring Day #09: Why Do You Blog About Books?

Hosted by Good Books and Wine

So, why do I blog about books?

I thought I'd share the skinny with you, on why I started blogging about the books that I love reading so much. 

Reading has always been an escape for me and it's been a wonderful, fantastic adventure too. I've met many a swoon-worthy handsome guy, traversed through some amazing dimensions, fell in love with many a character, and dreamed many dreams within the pages of all the books that I've read and I wouldn't trade a minute of it for anything. Books have been the best thing to happen to me, in more ways than one they may have saved my life. They gave me reason to believe in something, encouraged me to never give up until I've acquired what I wanted, and helped me to discover some things about myself that I never really knew existed. But, I think the most important thing to me, is that they helped to save one of the most amazing and precious friendship's that I could have ever been blessed with. 

Before, when I was diving into my books and reading everything that I could get my hands on, I never thought about blogging about what I was reading. It wasn't until I was browsing through Goodreads that I came across a review written by a book blogger and I followed the link back to her blog. I can't remember who that blogger is at the moment, but I can remember how it felt to be awoken to a whole new world that revolved around the book community and thought how amazing it would be if I actually started one of my own book blogs. So, I thought about it for a while and kept it in the back of my mind, then about a week and a half or so later I decided that I wanted to create my own blog where I could talk about the books that I love and why I love reading them.

I've always been a bit of a book-geek, like that anyway. As long as I've known how to read, I've always loved having my nose stuck in a book. I would read pretty much anything that I could get my hands on from Hank the Cow Dog to the Baby-Sitter's Club, Sweet Valley Twins, Sweet Valley High, Christopher Pike, and so many other's it was unreal. I used to practically live in our local public library every single summer and would check out the maximum number of books allotted to a patron and read through them quick like flash and then go back and check out another batch of them. It wasn't until the summer I turned 15 and I discovered V.C. Andrews and pretty much EVERYTHING changed for me about the way I love to read books and why I love to read them.

In a Throw Back Thursday post, I talked about why I loved V.C. Andrews as much as I do and why her books and the stories that she told (herself) inspired me in so many ways that it was unreal. I had so much fun blogging about that and expressing my love for her beautiful haunting talent that I wish so many more readers could get to know in the same intimate way that I did. I don't feel as if it's an over-statement at all for me to say that her books literally changed the way that I read forever! For me, to say that these books changed the way that I look at life, gave me a new perspective on controversial subject matter, dared me to step out of my comfort zone and redefine my whole way of thinking, and changed the way that I read books forever would be a true statement. 

More than anything I love to read about cast of multi-faceted, brave, spirited, passionate, and strong-willed characters that allowed me to feel with them, instead of just for them. I honestly don't feel as if there are near enough of them in young adult literature and I wish there were. I would love more than anything for more young adult author's to write them, so that I could immerse myself into their world and fall in love with them. I wish they would be unafraid to write more about reality, instead of sheltering from the harsh realities of the world around and trying to shelter from the ashes and the pain. I want more healthy relationships written into this wonderful world of YA fiction, even if they do start out unhealthy, I would love for them to end up healthy by the end and for the use of love triangles to be a little less than as prevalent as they are. 

Don't get me wrong, there are many wonderful YA authors out there who write strong, kick-ass, phenomenal female heroines, but it would be nice to see a little bit more. Don't be afraid of the controversial, embrace it the same way that V.C. Andrews did and throw caution to the wind and just write it, be proud of it, and share it with the world. I love visiting many worlds and meeting new strong spirited characters that authors like Robin LaFevers, Sarah J. Maas, Suzanne Collins, Heather Demetrios, Kendall Kulper, Leigh Bardugo, etc. This is pretty much why I love blogging about books and why I started blogging in the first place, because without this blog I don't think I would have been introduced to these authors or would have taken a chance on their books, if it hadn't been for the book blogging and the booktube community. 

I love how encouraging and kind, all of my fellow bloggers and booktuber's have been. They are pretty much amazing and the community is full of discussions, such a passion for books that it's unreal and completely off the charts awesome, and the social media connections make it a lot of fun to discuss books and recommend books and just meet new people and get to know them. Plus, books and the love of books are healing in so many more ways than one, just ask my bestie Molli @ Book Whimsy, who is now at the top of my favorite list of amazingly talented and beautiful authors that I love more than anything. 

In short, I love to blog about the books that I read, because it opens up so many doors for me. It has created so many amazing friendships, mended them, and encouraged me in a lot of ways to keep on going even when it feels like the whole world is about to bottom out on you. It's one of the best decisions that I've ever made with my life, even though it sometimes feels like it's a bit of burden, I take my breaks when I feel like I need them and then I regroup and post some pretty good things. :)

That's why I love to read and blog about books, why do you? Let me know in the comments below, I am curious. :)

15 Days of Being A Book Blogger featuring Day #08: Appealing Blog Things

Hosted by: Good Books and Good Wine

Things that make blogs appealing for me, personally are...

Nice Clean Design. I like the blogs that I follow to have nice neat designs, because it makes it easier for me to navigate through it, and easily reviews and various posts without having to take forever. 

De-Cluttered Sidebars. I like it when the sidebars are de-cluttered and don't have a lot of widgets and other things taking up a lot of space and causing the loading time to take forever. That's kind of a turn off for me.

Discussion Posts. I love a really good discussion post, with a lot of comments that are hitting on points and bringing the topic home. It's a lot of fun to participate in these and sometimes you meet and get to know other bloggers as well, through them.

NO CAPTCHA. Please turn this off, because it's a pain in the tookus. 

Minimal Use of GIF's. I don't mind it when blogger's use GIF's in some of their posts, but it can get out of hand when there's more GIF's than the review, for instance. So, I would rather see a more minimal use of them, than over-excessive. 

Originality. I love it when the blogger has originality in the way they blog, the type of posts they put up, and just in general. It helps to spice up the blog and it makes it more interesting to read, instead of just reading blog after blog with the same thing, but variations on it. 

Regular Features. I love it when blogs have regular features that are unique to the blogger behind the post/feature. Kind of like how Rachel has her Book Watch post that highlights all of the upcoming books for the week and her Reading Pile posts, because these kinds of awesome posts can update you on things that are coming out and books that you might not have known about, but could potentially be interested in.

Personality. I really enjoy it, when I find a blog that tells me a lot more about the person behind it, other than what kinds of books that they love to read. I love seeing the more personal posts showing through and getting to discover their little quirks and whatnot.

Detailed Reviews. I love a good review that is detailed enough to tell me all about the book, the characters, and whether or not the synopsis worked or didn't without giving away any spoilers. This is definitely important to me, because these are usually the things that help me decide on whether or not I want to take a chance on the book. 

Honesty. I love it when bloggers are honest in their reviews of books, discussion posts, and whatnot, because it shows that they aren't afraid to really say what they think. I also enjoy how it's well thought out and now just slapped together all dodgey and whatnot.

Social Media. I like when blogs are super organized and have easy accessible ways to follow them, via Facebook, Twitter, GFC, email, or however else, without you having to hunt through their blog for them for ages.

Regular Updates. It's nice to come across a blog, where the person who is maintaining it takes enough to care to update on a regular basis, even if it's only two or three times a week - you can always count on them to always post at least that much. It makes me a little crazy, when it tends to be super sporadic side of things.

Less Meme's/Cover Reveals and More Other Posts. I like blogs that don't just rely on meme's, cover reveals, and filler posts to keep their bog updated. I would love to see more other types of posts, like book watches, discussion posts, guest posts (author or other blogger's), etc. I mean, I don't mind the occasional meme/cover reveal/blitz posts, but not all of the time to sustain the blog itself.

Review Archives. These are good things to have, even though I'm absolute rubbish at keeping mine up-to-date, because these tell me the kinds of books that you like to read and it also tells me what you think about them. Who knows, it might also help me decide if I want to read the book or not. 

Variety. This is a good thing to have, especially with a book blog.

So, what are some of the things that appeal to you on blogs? Tell me in the comments below, because I'm curious to know. :)

15 Days of Being A Book Blogger featuring Day #07: Blogging Quirks

Hosted by: Good Books and Good Wine

What are some of your blogging quirks?!

We all have them, even if we don't think we do. I know I have a few little crazy ones that stick with me and have this tendency to niggle away at my thoughts and somehow sort of affect the way that I blog in general. Some are silly little things and some really have this way of giving me thoughts. 

So, yeah...my blogging quirks for you!

Post Formats. I like for all of my posts to have a specific format, like my review posts are done all the same way, my WoW posts, my Top Ten Tuesday, etc. They're all formatted pretty much the same way, because I like for there to be a little bit of structure to my blog and for the posts I make to look half-way good.

Pre-Scheduling  Posts. In the past I've been incredibly rubbish about it, but here lately I've been getting a lot better. I've been really working on trying to get at two weeks worth of posts scheduled ahead of time, that way I don't get behind and feel like I have to massively play catch up like crazy or that I've forgotten that I was supposed to post this review or participate in that blog tour. 

Reviews. Reviews. Reviews. I don't always write my book reviews immediately after I finish reading a book, because I'm the kind of person who likes to sit for a few days and mull over what I've just read. I don't know, it's just part of the way that I process things. I need to be able to put all of my feels into coherent thoughts instead of jumbled up messy gibberish and OMG's. I also don't always write reviews for every single book that I read, but I do try and at least rate them on Goodreads and write a couple of sentences about whether or not I liked the book.

Reading Challenges. I am absolutely horrid at keeping up with reading challenges in pretty much any capacity. The only one that I've actually been able to stick to is the Goodreads challenge and that's because the site itself takes notes and marks down the books that I've gotten through and tells me how many more I need to read to meet my goal. I know, I should really try to get better at this.

Comments. Sometimes I worry about whether or not my posts are being read, because I don't get that many comments and I don't know if people are passing them by or if they're reading them and just not leaving a comment. I know this totally goes both ways and in order to get comments you have to be good at leaving comments. Obviously, this is something that I definitely need to work on. At the beginning of this year, I was doing pretty good with it, but now I've been sort of slacking off and I need to motivate myself to get back into the swing of it.

Netgalley and Edelweiss. I am so behind on my reviews for these, that it's not even funny. I really need to get on the ball with this and make sure to take a particular month and dedicate it to both these sites, the e-galley's I have for review, and the time to write and post the reviews for them. 

Archiving Reviews. I am awful about updating my review archive and making sure that my coordinating Pinterest board is updated as well. I don't know, but I just am. 

Booktube + Blogging. I love to film vlogs featuring the books that I've received for review, the books that I've bought, and/or checked out from the library. But, sometimes, it gets hard to always find the time to do this. Plus, between doing that and also trying to keep up with blogging in general, it's just hard. I feel like I'm sacrificing one for the other and I don't really like that, so I usually just end up choosing the blog over booktubing for the moment.

Social Media + Blogging. I am not the worlds greatest at remembering to schedule my tweets, facebook, and Google + posts for the posts that I've already scheduled ahead of time. This is definitely something that I really need to work on, loads. When it comes to blogging, page views, and getting the comments - social media is definitely the way to go.

So, those are just a few of my blogging quirks, what are some of your's? I'm curious to know what they are, so share in the comments below. :)

15 Days of Being A Book Blogger featuring Day #06: How You Buy Your Books

Hosted by: Good Books and Good Wine

How do you purchase your books?

Do you usually purchase them in a local bookstore, an Indie bookstore, or online at various places like Amazon, Barnes&Noble, or Half Price Books?

I have so many books that it's absolute craziness, trying to find the space to put them all up. Sometimes I have to double and triple stack them on my shelves, just to get them all to fit only because it's hard for me to part with any of them. I mean, I will if I have to, don't get me wrong. I just don't like having to do it though. 

Making room for new books to go up on my shelf, now that's actually good motivation for me to finally decide that's what I'm going to do. Especially, when I'm lucky enough to pop off into my local bookstore, which is Books-A-Million and check out the goodies on their shelves, to see if they're having another one of their awesome buy 2 and get 1 free sales or to see if they have something I've been wanting for a while on their bargain shelf. That's pretty much how I shop for books these days or I like to rummage through the thrift shops and a few garage sales here and there, to see if I'm lucky enough to run onto anything that I might need or want in general.

Last month I was lucky enough to pick up a brand spanking new hardcover copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at a local thrift shop. I was literally jumping up and down excitedly, I think I might have scared the poor sales lady a bit. But, we're talking about a brand new, never been cracked open before, hardcopy of a book that usually retails for no less than $35. I love it when I find good deals like that and it's one of the three that I actually needed to complete my hardcover collection of those books too.

Generally if it's a book that I KNOW that I'm going to want to have on my shelf and/or it's part of a series that I'm already collecting or just a brilliant stand alone in general, then I'll probably end up ordering them online through Amazon, because it's a little bit cheaper that way and I can usually get two books for the price of what one would be in an actual store. Other than that, I'll most likely wait and request them from friends and family for either my birthday or Christmas. I used to get lucky and was able to buy a few of them through my local library, but I don't think they're selling books much anymore these days.

Lately, I find myself buying books for my Kindle, because it's a lot easier that way than it is to find the actual space in my room to put up new books. Not that I don't love new books, because I do and I'm totally addicted to their smell, but like I said it's more of a space saving thing in the end. 

So, yeah...tell me how you purchase your books in the comments below. I'm totally curious to know. :)

15 Days of Being a Book Blogger featuring Day #05: The Tear Jerker's

Hosted by: Good Books and Good Wine

Have you ever read a book that made you sob like crazy?!

Maybe they've made you rage-y sob, maybe they've made you ugly sob, or maybe they were so achingly beautiful that you couldn't help but sob loads. Whatever the case, these are the books that pretty much stay with me, because of all the FEELS. I love books like these, because they are the ones that get up underneath your skin and dare you to FEEL SOMETHING, anything really and they just eat away at your thoughts and wreck your heart in a TON OF GOOD WAYS. 

These are the books that remind me why I love to read so much, in the first place. So, I thought I would share a few of my "tear jerker reads" with you. :)

The Fault In Our Stars
John Green

“I'm in love with you," he said quietly. 

"Augustus," I said.

"I am," he said. He was staring at me, and I could see the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you.” 

Oh my lord. Talk about a book that wrung my heart out from the inside out and squeezed until it burst and shattered within. The Fault In Our Stars, is the first John Green book that I've read and I fell head over feet in love with this story. The story is just as beautiful and brave as the characters are revealing and inspiring. It's so hard to put into words ALL THE FEELS that this book gave me. I fully admit, I ugly sobbed like crazy throughout this whole entire book and I don't feel ashamed for it one bit. It is such a captivating story full of so much hope, love, and life that you can't help but cry from the sheer beauty of it all. And the lyrical style of writing, is just absolutely breathtaking. It's stunning, really. Passages like, "There are days, many of them, when I resent the size of my unbounded set. I want more numbers than I'm likely to get, and God, I want more numbers for Augustus Waters than he got. But, Gus, my love, I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn't trade it for the world. You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I'm grateful," will stay with me forever because they were so beautifully written and so gorgeously illustrated. And the movie, was just as gorgeously devastating as the book was, but it was so good. I don't often get to say that about the book-to-movie adaptations, because I'm usually afraid of them for the most part, only because I don't want a book that I love and cherish to not be represented on film in the truest sense the book itself was. This is definitely one of the exceptions, because oh my lord, this was stunningly heartbreaking and just as hopeful and captivating as the book ever was. 

Far From You
Tess Sharpe

“I don't say what I'm thinking. I don't tell him how lucky he is, that he can just sit there and admit it, sheepish, but unashamed. Like it's his right. Like it's okay, because she's supposed to belong to someone like him, instead of someone like me.” 

I love that Tess Sharpe, was amazing enough to write such a gorgeous story of beautiful bravery, love, and the acknowledgement of pain. Far From You, is such an intensely captivating story that will leave you reeling from ALL THE FEELS. I couldn't help, but sob throughout this book. It's full of intense emotion, characters that will slip underneath your skin, and cause you to shiver with from all their pain and frustration, to feel with them as they take you on their epic journey. For me, personally, this isn't just a book that you read and put back up on your shelf. This is pretty much a book that you feel all the way through and it just stays with you...hauntingly beautiful like a lingering melody hanging in the air. I just feel like there should be more books like these in YA literature or in any literature genre, really. These are stories that can and do happen to people in real life and they're written so well that it's easy to forget that what you're reading is fiction. It makes them even more powerful and that's pretty amazing to me. 

I love incredibly raw poignant stories that touch nerves and makes you feel things, all kinds of things that you normally wouldn't feel on an ordinary basis. Just love...this book is so full of it in many kinds of ways and perhaps, that's probably the most beautiful thing about it.

Even In Paradise
Chelsey Philpot

"I could not tell you now, then, or really ever who I loved more-only that I did love her, and him and them all with a fierceness that I didn't know that was possible. They say there is nothing like your first love, but they have little to say about loving two people at the same time-or an entire family."

THIS BOOK. OH, THIS BOOK. I don't even know where to begin with, Even In Paradise, because this was just one of those wistful beautiful cries. This was one of those achingly beautifully written books, that makes you feel all sorts of things while you're reading it. It's hard to put into words exactly what I felt for this book and these characters and the journey each of them took. There is so much more to this emotionally intense story, than just a fleeting moment in one's life where they were caught up in such a dizzying frenzy of wanting to belong and then realizing they had come and then overstayed their welcome. It's almost hard to sum up these feelings without borrowing a line from the book itself, "I don't belong here, Sebastian. I'm just a visitor who stayed too long." It's a story of so much more than just survivor's guilt, wanting to escape the pain that you feel you're trapped in, experiencing love for the first time, traversing the waters of a friendship that you feel will always be there that's been built on half-truths and lies, and being enamored with the things that you can't have - the beautiful people - and being accepted into their circle. It's about hope, love, loyalty, friendship, discovering who you are and where you belong in life. It's a book about a precious moment in your life that you will never forget and always look back on fondly, even if it only lasted for a mere moment of your life. It isn't a story that's riddled with regrets, it's a story of what is just is and it's a beautiful one.

"It's only in hindsight that we can point, as easily as finding a town on a map, to the moments that shaped us - the moments when choices between yeses and nos determined the people we became.

I have no illusions. Even knowing everything, I would have chosen the same."

It was such a fantastic cry, that I might have to experience it all over again!

So, those are my Tear Jerker's, what are some of yours? Tell me in the comments below, because I'm extremely curious to know. :)

15 Days of Being a Book Blogger featuring Day #04: Book Flinging Time

Hosted by: Good Books and Good Wine

Haven't you ever read a book that you kind of just wanted to fling across the room, because it caused you to rage so bad that you nearly blacked out?! 

It's been a while since I've actually flung a book across the room, but last year I read a couple that I couldn't help but chuck. I mean, they were just a hot mess. I loved the idea behind the synopsis, don't get me wrong, and the author wrote the story in a really pretty poetic and lyrical way, but for some reason a number of things just didn't sit well with me. I had issues with the first book that I was hoping the second book would resolve, but sadly it didn't. It only exacerbated them and made them worse. 

I'm not usually one to tear down an author or their books, but I'm also not afraid to say whether or not I liked the book too. I wouldn't feel like I was being honest if I had to sugar coat how I feel all the time about a certain storyline, a couple of characters, or how the book read overall. If it doesn't sit well with me, then it just doesn't and there's nothing that I can really do about that. 

So, with that being said, let the book flinging begin!

Temptation (Temptation #1)
Karen Ann Hopkins

Last year, I was lucky enough to be on a blog tour featuring Karen Ann Hopkins two books, Temptation (Temptation #1) and Belonging (Temptation #2), and I was excited because the synopsis and the idea of getting a little peek into the Amish was definitely something that I was interested in. Temptation started off alright, but the further I got into it, the more frustrated I became with the book. There were things that just glaringly rubbed me the wrong way and there were things that I wish had been written differently. There were issues with the two main characters and their romance, even if some of it was written very soft and pretty, the issues were still there and they just wouldn't go away. What started off to be a promising series, just ended up getting worse. 

Belonging (Temptation #2)
Karen Ann Hopkins

And what I had hoped would be resolved in Belonging, sadly wasn't at all. For one, the relationship was extremely unhealthy, and I didn't like the fact that the characters had this way of tearing one another down or demanding the other change, when they weren't willing to at all. That type of thing right there, will definitely turn me off of a book or series quicker than anything. But, there was so much more that just stuck in my craw, as well. The Amish community that Rose was so adamant about playing house in, the naivety, the judgement coming from Noah - all of that and so much more - snowballed into my chucking both books across the room out of frustration.

With all of that being said, there were a couple of good things that came out of these novels and that was, the beautiful writing style of Karen Ann Hopkins and Hunter. I wish that Rose would have given herself a little more time to get over Noah, before jumping into something with Hunter and giving him the false hope that she would let him be good for her because he was. He was so much better, so much more supportive, and healthy. This was another thing that was so disappointing about the novel. However, just because these two books didn't really sit that well with me, doesn't mean that you might not enjoy them or the characters.  I would encourage you to read them and decide for yourself. 

The Dollhouse Asylum
Mary Gray

I read the Doll House Asylum by Mary Gray last September and even though I ended up giving it three stars on Goodreads, I felt like it was still book-flinging worthy. It's not that it was a horrible book, but it wasn't the most memorable either. There were just things about this novel that I felt were frustrating and borderline rage worthy, if that makes any sense at all. Despite being a little interesting and compelling, the issues that I basically ended up having with it were, Cheyenne and her blind obsession for Teo absolutely drove me bonkers, the whole time I was reading. It was just so hard for me to connect with this character, no matter how hard I tried too, I just couldn't seem to do it. That's pretty much a deal breaker with me, when it comes to whether I like a book or not. I have to be able to connect with the characters in order for me to truly enjoy the story and get a sense of purpose out of what I'm reading. 

I mean don't get me wrong, there were still some smaller things that held my interest and wowed me. The book held definite potential to be so much better than it turned out being and I was saddened that it ended up being a bit of a let down for me. I really really wanted to like this book so much, but instead it just sort of ended up falling a bit flat for me. However, for fans of the dark and sinister mythological tales, it is the perfect story to entertain you. I would recommend at least giving it a try and seeing what you think first, don't just take my word for it. Even if this was an "almost-book-induced-flinging" for me, it might not be for you and you could end up really liking it. So, I would definitely say, give it a try.

What was the last book that you flung across the room? Let me know in the comments below, because I'm totally curious. :)

15 Days of Being a Book Blogger featuring Day #03: Book Blogging BFF's

Hosted by: Good Books and Good Wine

I cannot lie, I have the best group of blogging besties anyone could ever ask for. True facts. This group of girls are so incredibly supportive, amazing, and just a ton of fun to blog with and just basically gossip about anything that we like. I honestly don't know what I would do without them in my life, seriously. And out of the five of them, three of them are these amazingly talented authors, who write some of the best books that I've ever had the pleasure of reading. These girls are just phenomenal, I mean they are always there for me when I need someone to talk to, whether it's ranting, crying, or just being silly. I can always count on them. They're just fierce like that!

So, if you haven't gotten to know them yet, definitely hit them up on their blogs, on twitter, on facebook...anywhere social media basically and get to know them!

Molli @ Books and Whimsy

I've known Molli @ Books and Whimsy the longest and she is just this amazing, bright, bubbly girl who has so much to offer. She's incredibly talented, if you didn't already know this about her yet, she released her debut NA romance novel As You Turn Away (The Walker Boys #1) earlier this year, and she is planning on releasing a new novel in the works for later this year. So, you don't want to miss out on either of those, because they are amazing just like she is. Side note: If you would love a chance to read and review As You Turn Away, you can request a review copy of it here for the next six months. 

M and I have so much fun gossiping about books, life things in general, and all of the tv addictions that we have. Hi, Doctor Who anyone!? She's just been a really fantastic bestie to have in my corner, because she's has given me so much advice on life stuff, books, blogging, and just anything in general really. She always has my back no matter what and the best thing about her, is that she isn't afraid to call me on things when she thinks I need it. That's pretty much the mark of a true friend in my book. Blogging about books is really what brought us closer than anything else and it's something that I am truly thankful for. 

So, if you don't know who Molli is, then go check out her blog, hit her up on Twitter, message her on Facebook, and check out her Instagram. 

Kay @ Worn Down Glories

I met Kay through Molli, about a couple of years ago, but we didn't really start talking and getting to know each other all that well until last year. I just love this girl so much, because she's so brave and fierce, and amazingly sweet. She's been through so much and the best thing about her is that she's completely not bitter in the slightest. I don't really know that many people like her, but it's one of the things that I admire the most. She's got fantastic taste in books, she's really kind, and totally genuine. She's just been a lot of fun to get to know over the last year and I honestly don't know what I'd do with her, sometimes. If I need a smile, all I have to do is check my Facebook or Twitter page, and see that she's posted and that's pretty much all it takes for me. 

I just don't know what to say, she just has one of the biggest hearts that of anyone that I've ever met. We might not talk every single day, but when we do it's so much fun to gab away with her on Twitter. If you don't know who she is, then you should definitely check out her blog, hit her up on Twitter, message her on Facebook, and check out her Instagram. Don't forget to friend her on Goodreads too. She's totally crazy for Gale Hawthorne from the Hunger Games and she writes some of the best Hunger Games fan fiction that I've ever read. I don't know, I just think she's super incredibly amazing and I love it when she blogs, because it's not just her love of books that she shares - it's her life and the things that really mean something to her, so it's like you're getting so much more than just thoughts on books. Like I said, she's just so real and genuine, it's just refreshing.

So, go give her some love, ya'll!

Angie @ Disquietus Reads

I got to know Angie from Disquietus Reads last year through both Molli and Kay and I have had an absolute blast getting to know her and becoming her friend. I LOVE THIS GIRL SO MUCH! Seriously, I can't even...we have SO MUCH in common it's unreal. We got to bond over our love for General Hospital, it was crazy because there for a little while we were shooting our random thoughts on the show back and forth to each other via email and Twitter. Hi, Carly and Franco = Dysfunctional Love! (A - I think they might be on a mission to put Carly and Sonny back together! lol). She's got amazing style, great taste in books, and she's not afraid to just say what she thinks and whatever is whatever. I so love that about her, seriously. 

This girl is just lots of fun in general. Whenever I need someone to vent to, talk to, or someone to make me laugh or smile, A's there to do the job. If you don't know this awesome chick, then you should definitely check out her blog, hit her up on Twitter, message her on Facebook, friend her on Goodreads, and check out her Instagram. Seriously, she's a epic whirlwind of fun, sass, and so much spark wrapped up into one giddy ball of amazing! She's got this epic love for all things Veronica Mars, we instantly bonded over Logan and Veronica. I just feel like I can pretty much talk to her about anything and she won't judge me, plus she's cool with my little crazy insecurities. 

I love it when she blogs about the books that she reads or expresses her love for a certain author, because that means I'm almost always introduced to a new book or author that has to go on my auto-buy list. Her taste is THAT good ya'll. Dude, go chat her up, if you haven't already. 

What are you waiting for?!

Marie @ Ramblings of a Daydreamer

I love Marie Landry, she's definitely one of my favorite author's and one of my really good friends too. What's not to love about this woman?! She's smart, insanely sweet, and definitely supportive in a lot of ways. I feel lucky to have gotten to know her through Molli (sensing a patter here or what?! lol), over the last year. I love it when she blogs, because not only does she share her writing, but she also shares her love of all things Doctor Who/Sherlock, a little bit of who she is and where she comes from, and some just amazing bookish things too. It's a lot of fun chatting with her via Twitter and Facebook, when we get the chance and there's the occasional email here and there too.

I've had the pleasure of getting to beta read two of her books, After The Storm and Blue Sky Days (which, she has re-released and was originally her debut novel). Both of these books were so amazing, but really ANYTHING that she writes is going to be incredible because she's just THAT talented ya'll. Right now, she is hosting a Blue Sky Days Relaunch Blitz + Giveaway that you DO NOT want to miss out on. She's even re-designed the cover for Blue Sky Days and it's absolutely stunningly beautiful. 

What can I say about this woman, I just love her to pieces and I'm glad to call her one of my close friends, because I feel like I could tell her anything that she would listen and support me no matter what. That means a lot to me and I hope she knows I would do the same thing for her too! If you want to get to know her and share the love check out her blog, find her on Twitter, catch up with her on Facebook, and friend her on Goodreads.

Psst, ya'll...go give her some love because she's awesome like that!

Jessica Sankiewicz

And last, but certainly not least at all...I got to know Jessica through both Molli and Marie. This girl is just tons of awesome! I just love chatting with her on Twitter and shooting novel length emails back and forth (I think it's my turn this time!). She's another one of my favorite author's, but she's also one of my close friends too. I love being able to gab with her about books, writing, my jewelry creations and crafting, and just watching her giddy with excitement over Conan O'Brian and Billy Joel. I swear, this girl has a knack for just cracking me up. Oh, and she also loves MLP as much as I do! lol. Yep, it's true, we're totally kids at heart when it comes to this. 

This girl is just so full of sass and spark, that it's hard to contain her one tiny little package. She's just the absolute sweetest person that I know and I totally feel blessed to have her in my life as one of my closest friends. It doesn't matter what's happening, what life as has thrown my way, or what's going down...she's always there with a smile and an encouraging thought. She's open and honest and just brilliant in a lot of shining ways. Plus, thanks to one of her characters (Adrienne) from her book If Only We, I found the courage to pursue one of my dreams and I love her even more for this. 

Guys, you totally have to get to know her if you don't already. Check out her awesome blog, follow her on Twitter, check her out on Facebook, and friend her on Goodreads. 

And those are my Blogging Bestie's, tell me who are yours?!