Its been called to my attention that I'm not on bloglovin multiple times, so I figured I might as well claim my blog there. I am now on bloglovin and you can follow me! Comment if you do follow me :)
The New Button! Grab it Now ;)
Okay so I just created a cool new button for this blog. You can grab this button now from this post and it will always be available at the side of this blog. I hope you enjoy!
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Sidekick Showcase Saturday #1: What a Brat
And I pick...........
Clarisse La Rue
From the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series by Rick Riordan
Picture of Leven Rambin who plays Clarisse in the Sea of Monsters (2013) movie.
I have always from the very beginning found Clarisse to be a quite annoying character. She seemed to take pleasure in bullying Percy and being really bratty towards everyone. It was frustrating honestly. In the first few books of the series I pretty much hated her, but as the series continued and we came to the last book, I began to feel truly sympathetic for her. She became a real hero by the time the series ended and I don't think I ever thought I would even slightly like Clarisse, but the truth is now i do.
Quote from Character
“I started to walk away, but she [Clarisse] called out,
Clarisse: "Percy?"
Percy: "Yeah?"
Clarisse: "When you, uh, had that vision about your friends..."
Percy: "You were one of them," I promised, "Just don't tell anybody, okay? Or I'de have to kill you."
A faint smile flickered across her face
Percy: "Yeah?"
Clarisse: "When you, uh, had that vision about your friends..."
Percy: "You were one of them," I promised, "Just don't tell anybody, okay? Or I'de have to kill you."
A faint smile flickered across her face
Clarisse: "See you later."
Percy: "See you”
Percy: "See you”
This dialogue is from The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan and definitely brought a smile to my face when I read it.
You comments are encouraged :) Link your post down below if you want to participate!
Impeccable Reviews: Switched by Amanda Hocking
I just finished this book yesterday and I wanted to post a review as soon as possible. I hope you enjoy! ;)
The synopsis is really what caught my eye about this book. The characters are definitely a very interesting bunch. Our main character Wendy throughout the book is just very confused and struggling to adapt to the new life that has been put in front of her. I sense potential in her to development into another very strong YA female character in the next books in the series. The character that I loved the most and felt the most sympathy for, was Rhys though, who is a manks (the book explains this term and its connotations later on). He is just one of those cute and funny male characters that you can't help but love. He made me grin multiple times during this book. The character development, I feel was well done. Wendy, Finn, and Rhys all grew as characters and by the end of the book, I had a new understanding of all of them. Again, we quite often in YA books have that mysterious, sexy boy that the female main character always seems to be attracted to. In this book, that boy was Finn, who was very good at hiding his emotions and being fairly irksome in the beginning, but by the end you see his true feelings come out and I started to actually really like him. Even though, I still think that something about him is not quite right (or maybe its just me?).
The writing style was nice. It really allowed me to gain a good understanding of Wendy's feelings and thoughts. The plot line of the story really reminded me of a paranormal version of the Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot, which I read two years ago and thoroughly enjoyed. The book left a lot of unanswered questions for me. There is this secret that everyone seems to be keeping from the main character and I am foreshadowing it will cause a real turn of events in the next books in this trilogy.I do kind of wish there had been a little bit more world building in the story because the idea of this Trylle world in general is very unique and interesting, but by the end of the book I still did not have a very good picture of the world of Forening was. Its okay though, because I think this was done by design and Amanda Hocking was setting up for the next books.The ending was really when the story dove into the action and it was honestly pretty nerve racking. The last few pages were not the ending I was expecting, and it has made me very unsure about the events that will take place in the second book Torn, but I really want to read it soon.
All in all the book was amazing! I really enjoyed it and I gave it a 4 out of 5 star rating on goodreads. I am excited to see where this trilogy will end up.Comment below your thoughts, and if you have read the book or would like too.
Have a spectacular day!
Stacking The Shelves Wednesday: January #1
I have accumulated quite a few books this month so far and I thought I would make a post showing what I have bought. This is my first Stacking the Shelves post and I think I will try to do one every other Wednesday. Maybe you guys can help me decide what I should read first.
AND MOST EXCITING OF ALL!!!
I know I have a serious problem. No need to tell me.
Have a spectacular day!
2014 Reading Goals
Picture from: mycutegraphics.com
So I have done my 2014 Resolutions post, but I decided I was going to dedicate another post just for my reading goals of this new year. I hope that by making this post it will some how motivate me to accomplish all these goals by the end on 2014.
Read 50 Books
This is pretty basic and self explanatory. You probably already know this if you read my 2014 Resolutions post. If you want to follow my progress check out my Goodreads (there is a link always at the side of the blog)------->>>>>
Read at least 5 Books by a Variety of Ethnicities, Not just Caucasian Authors
Again I explained this already in my 2014 Resolutions post so go check that out for a more in dept explanation.
Read at Least 1/4 of the Books Currently on my TBR Shelf
I mentioned in a earlier post that I had about 60 books on my TBR shelf and I did not want that number to reach 100, so I am challenging myself to read at least 1/4 of them, which would mean I have to read at least 15 of them.
Start and Finish the Harry Potter Series
Yes, yes..... I know..... I am probably the only person on this earth who still has not read the Harry Potter Series. And no, I have not seen the films either. This year I am determined to read the whole series and find out why everyone loves it so much. It probably will not become my ultimate favorite though because the Percy Jackson Series will ALWAYS hold that spot.
Start and Finish the Twilight Series
Yet again another series I am SUPER late on but I still want to see what the hype is/was about. Let's be honest I used to look at the Twilight books and movies and be like "Eeewww vampires and werewolves what kind of story is that", but ever since about the year ago I watched Breaking Dawn Part 2 in theaters with my friends who dragged me there (And yes the first Twilight movie I watched was the last one), I found out it actually had a very interesting story line with pretty cool characters. So, now I am set on reading the series just to see how it goes.
Read 7 Non-School Required Classics
Now in school we read a classic every six weeks and most of them are very good books, but there are many other classics that a lot of people love that I think I should at least give a try. Some of them definitely being The Great Gatsby, Wuthering Heights, and To Kill a Mocking Bird. Have any recommendations? Comment down below ;)
So that is my current list of goals so far. It might increase in the next month or so. Who knows? Tell me if you have any reading goals and what they are in the comments.
Have a spectacular day!
Book Blogger New Year's Challenge: {Day 12} How do I plan on getting more followers this year.
This year I plan on really trying harder to interact and relate with my audience to gain followers. I feel like the best bloggers are those who incorporate these elements of interaction and cordiality into their content and make you genuinely feel like you want to read more of what they post to support them. I would like to actually listen to all the feedback I can get from my audience and improve my blog based on what others who view it enjoy and want to see more of. So far I have been trying reply to comments more often and comment on other people's blogs and sometimes even following the blogs I find that I really like. I just want to really improve my content and be more consistent with posting. Maybe I can even try and decorate this blog more and make it a little more enjoyable to the eyes. Hopefully over the months of this year, I can eventually accumulate some more followers that enjoy and support this blog, but I am also thankful for the followers I have already.
New posts and updates coming soon! What do you plan on doing to get more followers this year? Also, I probably will not be doing tomorrow's challenge because 1) The joy of public schools has been bestowed upon me *sarcastic voice* 2) Frankly I don't actually have a legitimate blogger horror story yet, but I am looking forward to reading and commenting on other people's stories.
Have a spectacular day!
Book Blogger New Year"s Challenge: {Day 11} TBR Shelf: How Many?
How many books you ask? Well I haven't actually taken the time to count them all, but I do have quite a bit. So, this is in no way an exact number. I also don't have anywhere near what some people have and I kind of hope I do not reach the over 100's mark, as many people have, but at the rate I continue to buy more books than I read, I feel like the number is inevitably in my future. But currently I have around........
60
books on my TBR shelf. I am hoping to challenge myself to read at least half of these books this year, but I will get into my 2014 reading challenges and goals for myself in a later post this month.
How many books are on your TBR Shelf?
Have a spectacular day!
Book Blogger New Year's Challenge: {Day 8} YOUR FAVORITE BOOK BLOGGER MOMENT.
I have not been book blogging for very long as I said in my last post, so my favorite moment is probably not that spectacular to most. Nevertheless, I believe my favorite book blogger moment so far is when I got my first follower and comment. It's very pleasing to know that someone actually took the time to read something I have posted on the internet. It always excites me to receive a new email to my phone notifying me that someone has commented on my post. I am very thankful for all the comments and feedback I have gotten and for every follower so far because it just makes me want to continue posting and trying to improve my content.
So yeah that has been my favorite blogging moment so far (I know boring right?). Hopefully I will be able to experience more memorable blogging moments this new year of 2014. Be sure to tell me your favorite book blogging moment in the comments or a link to your post.
Book Blogger New Year's Challenge: {Day 7} TOP TEN BOOK BLOGGER PET PEEVES.
Yes I know this is a day late. Sorry but its here now.
I have not been blogging for too long but I have been reading other peoples blogs for quite a while. This list is not going to be very lengthy or detailed but here are my top three book blogger pet peeves.
1.) SPOILERS IN REVIEWS
It just really irks me to look at a review for a book I really want to read and find spoilers because I feel like an emotional experience has been stolen from me
2.) Links that take you to random sites
Every once in a while I will run into a blog that makes you think this link will lead you to something you want to see but it actually leads to a random website or ad probably just to benefit themselves.
3.) Unnecessary repetitiveness
Now I understand if you repeat things for effect. That is perfectly fine. On the other hand, if you have words such as like or you know in every other sentence or you repeat words over and over for no apparent reason it starts to get annoying. Fortunately not too many blogs I have come across do this.
Those are pretty much my current book blogger pet peeves. I hope you can relate with some of them. Feel free to comment with your own pet peeves
Have a spectacular day!
Book Blogger New Year's Challenge: {Day 6} BEST BOOK OF 2013
Okay so I think I have a tie.
Both of these books were just PERFECTION. I would recommend them to anyone. They are now some of my all time favorites. I can't wait for their sequels next year!!!
Have a spectacular day!
Book Blogger New Year's Challenge: {Day 5} WORST BOOK OF 2013.
This was VERY hard to choose. All the books I read during 2013 were great. But if I had to pick the worst out of them I guess it would be........
As I explained in my review of the book it was not that bad. I actually really liked the ending and the characters, but it just was not spectacular. In the review I gave it a 3.5 star rating. I guess I had been expecting a little too much from it and it just could not provide. I would still recommend it though because its a fun, light read.
Tell me what your worst book was
Have a spectacular day!
Read-a-Thon: Bout of Books 9.0
The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 6th and runs through Sunday, January 12th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 9.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team
So yeah as you have probably guessed I am going to participate in the Bout of Books 9.0 Read-a-Thon. I am very pumped and excited! Even though school starts back up for me on the Tuesday of this read-a-thon, I am still going to try my best to read as much as possible. Her is a quick over view of what I plan to read below and I will not be able to do daily updates but I will definitely have an update on Friday and the last day :) Also expect to see me on the twitter chats.
What I Want to Finish The During the Read-a-Thon
Let me know if you are participating and what you plan on reading.
Have a spectacular day!
Book Blogger New Year's Challenge: {Day 4} THE BOOKS OF 2014 I WON’T MISS.
2. Panic by Lauren Oliver
3. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
4. Cress by Marissa Meyer
5. Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi
Those are the books I can't wait to read this year! Feel free to comment the books you are looking forward to or a link to your post if you are doing the Book Blogger New Year's Challenge. Also tell me request and if you want any reviews for these books.
Have a spectacular day!
2014 Resolutions
The year of 2014 has finally begun and I am very excited to see what new joys and achievements this year will bring. I am eager to begin this year with a fresh new start, so I have compiled a list of New Year Resolutions I hope to accomplish by the time 2015 rolls around.
1. Read more!
Sadly with high school starting and stress from work overload, I have not been able to read much at all this year. But I think I am getting used to school and I will be able to manage my time better to allow myself more time to get reading done. If you have not already seen my little goodreads widget down the side bar,
------------------------------------------------------->>>>>>>>>>
my goal is to finish 50 books in the year of 2014. It definitely will be a challenge but I am up for it.
2. Blog more!
I have many times tried to blog consistently on this blog, but it just seems to never really work out. This year will be different though, because I am determined to blog more and hopefully build my audience and interact with you guys some more. School is pretty intense a times so I hope to have a post up at least 1-3 times a week. In the summer I will probably try daily posts or some other fun new things. You can always request what you would like to see in the comments.
3. Reviews, reviews, reviews
There is not really much more I can say about this except I need to do A LOT more reviews on this blog. Any recommendations?
4. Classics?
Yes I plan to read more classics this year, hopefully at least one a month. So my classics reading goal will be 7. I already have a list that I really need to jump on.
5. Non white authors
A few months ago Rincey from rincey reads on YouTube created a very interesting video called Why You Should Read Diversely which I HIGHLY recommend you check out. It basically just describes why you shouldn't just stick to whatever is popular and hyped up but make an effort to branch out and experience the writings of authors who are not just American, English or Caucasian.The video really enlightened me to realize that pretty much all the books I have been reading are by white american authors, which there is nothing exactly wrong with that since they are very talented and I love their books, but I also want to give other writers a chance. Not just the authors on display at books stores, but the ones that are Latino, Asian, African/African American, Middle Eastern etc. This year I want to read at least 5 books by non white/american/english authors. Again you can check out the video for more information.
6. Writing
I have been wanting to write a novel and get it published since I was eight years old and I feel now I am fully ready to pursue this goal. I will be looking for new inspiration and at least trying to work on my writings daily. I might even post some excerpts up on this blog. Wish me luck!
7. Stop procrastinating
This is probably the most important resolution I need to stick to because I seriously have a problem. Once I have a lot of work I know I have to do, I immediately shut down and do anything but what I am supposed to be doing. Then before you know it, I am up late the night before frantically trying to finish the project. I have realized this needs to stop and I plan on taking this into effect this year. This goes back to managing my time and scheduling what I have to do so I can actually GET IT DONE.
So those are my resolutions for 2014 and I really hope I can achieve all of them. Let me know what your new year resolutions are and if we had any in common. Also like the new header?
Have a spectacular day!
So those are my resolutions for 2014 and I really hope I can achieve all of them. Let me know what your new year resolutions are and if we had any in common. Also like the new header?
Have a spectacular day!
Top 3 Books of 2013
Now I have to admit with 2013 being the first year I started high school, I have had very limited amounts of time for me to read. Despite this, I still was able to squeeze in a few books here and there and my top three books of 2013 are definitely some of the best books I have read in my lifetime.
3. The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone
I actually read this book for school over the summer. Even though it was a huge load of a book and lets be honest, sometimes kind of difficult to get through, I loved it! The book basically a portrays the life of the famous artist, Michelangelo. It starts with Michelangelo as a young child and ends at his death. When you have actually read through the whole book, you gain a very strong sense of accomplishment and you get very attached to the characters. This is especially true for Michelangelo. By the end of the book I actually found myself crying that he was dead and very reluctant to accept that the book was over. Now whenever I hear his name, I feel as if I knew him personally and understood him. I suggest you check out this book as long as you can just power through it because it if an amazing experience when you finally do.
2. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
This book was just so fantastic! It really did surprise me! In the beginning I thought the concept of creating a story from old creepy pictures was very unique and intriguing. Also before reading it I knew the book would be about a boy, Jacob, who finds out that his grandfather's rather unrealistic stories which he has told Jacob since he was very young were actually real, and this is pretty much exactly how the book started out. Even as interesting as this already was, I was very unsure about where the story was going to end up, but the way it did was just PERFECT. The ending ultimately just took this book to a whole new level. It was all just so heart racing, action packed, nerve racking, but beautifully done at the same time! I definitely, definitely, definitely recommend this book to those who love unique YA books especially paranormal and fantasy lovers. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book to come out this month!!!
And last but not least
*Drum Roll*
1. House of Hades by Rick Riordan
If you don't already know the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and The Heroes of Olympus series have to be my favorite books of all time. Rick Riordan is just amazing because with each book the story just continues to get better and better. I was dying to get my hands on this book since the hugely devastating cliff hanger in the last book (The Mark of Athena) and when I finally did, the book was literally flawless. This book contained so much great character development that we really got to understand and love most of the characters even more than before. Then the plot itself jumped straight into the action from the very beginning and stayed that way until the end. The last book, The Blood of Olympus comes out this fall and I cannot wait! There is really not much I can say about the plot without spoiling he whole series so if you have not read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan, I suggest you start immediately! You will not regret it.
Those are my top 3 books of 2013. Feel free to share yours in the comments. I hope to have at least two more posts up by the time the weekend is over which are already very overdue.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
HAPPY READING!
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