Tag: discussion

Clearing the Hoard: Update and Month 3

DeAnne1 Comment

This challenge was created by Caffeinated Fae in an effort to reduce the number of physically owned but unread books in her collection. Make sure to head over to her post (linked above) to check it out.

Another month has already gone by! In total this past month I read six physical books, though one of them wasn’t on my TBR shelf (The Forever House) as it was a re-read. I did finally get to The Cheerleaders, but alas I didn’t love it so it will be going to my local bookstore so someone else can love it. The rest of them have been moved to my read shelves.

As for this coming month, I do have a couple physical ARCs to get to, but I’ll also be trying to tackle a few more physical books on my TBR shelf. I am still making my way through Robots vs. Fairies one story at a time, and currently have the audiobooks for the following books:

-The Devouring Grey
-Trail of Lightning
-When the Moon Was Ours
-Night Music

Fingers crossed that I get to them this month, if not I’ll probably keep moving them forward until I do!

What are you hoping to get off your TBR shelves?

Happy reading!

February 2020 Wrap Up

DeAnne2 Comments

January seemed to go on forever, and February was over in the blink of an eye. It was only two days shorter, but man, it flew by. It was a good reading month, but not a great reading month. I’m always hoping to read more than I do, but so far this year I’ve been slower than usual. Without further ado, let’s get to what I read!

In total I read 19 books. Of those 19 seven were physical or kindle books and 12 were review books. I will be unhauling one of the physical books but the rest have moved to my read shelf.

For ratings it was still a pretty good month. I had six books that were three stars, 10 that were four stars and 3 five star books!

Now if we are going to talk about my challenge to brought in less books than I read, I just barely succeeded this month (keep in mind that the only books I count for this are books I purchase which I have not read at the time of purchase). I read 19 books and brought in 17 books, but I did end up reading two of the books I brought in, so that was good.

I’m hoping to read even more in March and to continue that trend as the year progresses. And of course, we will most likely see more examples of Calypso trying to help with my pictures!

Happy reading!

Can’t Wait Wednesday 3/3/2020

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Can’t Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings based on the meme Waiting on Wednesday by Breaking the Spine. In this weekly post people share a book that they’re excited about being released.

Today I want to talk about I’ll Be The One by Lyla Lee. There are so many buzzwords that make me want to read this one immediately such as a plus sized main character and Kpop. Unfortunately I have to wait until June, but it’s going to be a long wait!

Skye Shin has heard it all. Fat girls shouldn’t dance. Wear bright colors. Shouldn’t call attention to themselves. But Skye dreams of joining the glittering world of K-Pop, and to do that, she’s about to break all the rules that society, the media, and even her own mother, have set for girls like her.

She’ll challenge thousands of other performers in an internationally televised competition looking for the next K-pop star, and she’ll do it better than anyone else.

When Skye nails her audition, she’s immediately swept into a whirlwind of countless practices, shocking performances, and the drama that comes with reality TV. What she doesn’t count on are the highly fat-phobic beauty standards of the Korean pop entertainment industry, her sudden media fame and scrutiny, or the sparks that soon fly with her fellow competitor, Henry Cho.

But Skye has her sights on becoming the world’s first plus-sized K-pop star, and that means winning the competition—without losing herself.

Happy reading!

Rapid Fire Book Tag

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I was tagged by Jenny at JenJenReviews to do this tag. Let’s see how this one goes.

E-Book or Physical Book?

I read both and don’t really dislike either, but physical typically wins.

Paperback or Hardback?

Again, both are in my library but hardbacks are definitely going to last longer.

Online or In-Store Book Shopping?

Why do you keep asking me these questions? It’s hard to choose! Online is great because it’s a larger selection, but I love the instant gratification of going to the bookstore.

Trilogies or Series?

Trilogies. I like the end to be in sight, and sometimes series go a bit too long.

Heroes or Villains?

Villians, I have a bad boy complex.

A book you want everyone to read?

Don’t Read the Comments by Eric Smith. 100%

Recommend an underrated book?

Persuasion by Jane Austen, I feel like it gets overshadowed by Pride and Prejudice (which I also love) but it’s a wonderful story.

The last book you finished?

Heart of the Matter by Ruth A. Casie

The Last Book You Bought?

The Flying Saucer Mystery by Carloyn Keene, I’m trying to fill the holes in my collection.

Weirdest Thing You’ve Used as a Bookmark?

Probably a receipt.

Used Books: Yes or No?

Absolutely!

Top Three Favorite Genres?

Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Fantasy

Borrow or Buy?

Buy, but I do utilize my library too.

Characters or Plot?

Plot, while I love complex and deep characters I need the plot to move.

Long or Short Books?

Short, but I’ll read both.

Long or Short Chapters?

Short to medium, too long will make me lose interest.

Name The First Three Books You Think Of:

The Ten Thousand Doors of January
Snug
The Forever House

Books That Makes You Laugh or Cry?

Laugh for sure.

Our World or Fictional Worlds?

Fictional Worlds

Audiobooks: Yes or No?

Yes!

Do You Ever Judge a Book by its Cover?

I try not to, but I can’t say it doesn’t happen.

Book to Movie or Book to TV Adaptations?

Depends on the length of the book, but typically TV since it can cover more.

A Movie or TV-Show You Preferred to its Book?

Stardust. I didn’t really like the book, but loved the movie.

Series or Standalones?

Standalones.

Whew, that’s all there is! If anyone would like to do this one feel free to consider yourself tagged!

Happy reading!

Writing Update: February

DeAnne2 Comments

So if you’ve been following my blog at all you know that NaNoWriMo last year was not the best for me. It was my third year doing it and the first time I failed.

Yep, that’s about how I looked when I threw in the towel. For whatever reason I just couldn’t get myself to write as much as I needed to. I know part of it was the fact that November was so busy, but still, it was rough.

Since then I’ve been trying to get more organized and decide just what I want to work on. I have so many WIPs that sometimes I get pretty scattered. I’ve now gathered up all of my notebooks that contain scene ideas and character notes, so I know where all of them are. I’ve also moved all of my writing to one place where before it was in a few different places.

I think my next plan of action is to pick only a couple of my WIPs to work on. I know, you may be screaming at me to pick one and only one, but my use doesn’t work like that. It’s very very fickle and likes to change its mind. I do want to concentrate on only a couple though, so I need to decide which ones are the highest priority.

I’m also thinking about participating in Camp NaNoWriMo in April so that I can work on something existing and not have to wait until November. I’m still a little undecided on that as April is usually a busy month for me.

So that’s where I am, besides some light editing and streamlining I haven’t done a ton of writing, but preparation is a good thing.

What are you working on? Happy writing!

Kindle Deals You Should Check Out – 2/23/20

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If you’re anything like me, you probably check out kindle deals every once in a while. I love picking up some books here and there for a great price and if I end up loving them then there’s a good chance I’ll pick up a physical copy of them.

Sometimes kindle deals (and those in Kindle Unlimited) can be a little hit and miss, so I compiled a few that I’ve read and enjoyed and are currently at a great price. Please keep in mind that some of these are limited time deals, so make sure to double check the price before purchasing them.

Temporary Wife Temptation
By: Jayci Lee
Current price: $3.99

Garrett Song is this close to taking the reins of his family’s LA fashion empire…until the Song matriarch insists he marry her handpicked bride first. To block her matchmaking, he recruits Natalie Sobol to pose as his wife. She needs a fake spouse as badly as he does. But when passion burns down their chaste agreement, the flames could destroy them all…

Pines
By: Blake Crouch
Current Price: $1.99 (or Kindle Unlimited)

Secret service agent Ethan Burke arrives in Wayward Pines, Idaho, with a clear mission: locate and recover two federal agents who went missing in the bucolic town one month earlier. But within minutes of his arrival, Ethan is involved in a violent accident. He comes to in a hospital, with no ID, no cell phone, and no briefcase. The medical staff seems friendly enough, but something feels…off. As the days pass, Ethan’s investigation into the disappearance of his colleagues turns up more questions than answers. Why can’t he get any phone calls through to his wife and son in the outside world? Why doesn’t anyone believe he is who he says he is? And what is the purpose of the electrified fences surrounding the town? Are they meant to keep the residents in? Or something else out? Each step closer to the truth takes Ethan further from the world he thought he knew, from the man he thought he was, until he must face a horrifying fact—he may never get out of Wayward Pines alive.

Gilded
By: Christina Farley
Price: $3.99

Sixteen-year-old Jae Hwa Lee is a Korean-American girl with a black belt, a deadly proclivity with steel-tipped arrows, and a chip on her shoulder the size of Korea itself. When her widowed dad uproots her to Seoul from her home in L.A., Jae thinks her biggest challenges will be fitting into a new school and dealing with her dismissive Korean grandfather. Then she discovers that a Korean demi-god, Haemosu, has been stealing the soul of the oldest daughter of each generation in her family for centuries. And she’s next.

Also, if you are into Netflix’s adaptation of Locke and Key and want to read the source material, the first 5 volumes are currently available through Kindle Unlimited. I listened to the fully casted audiobook version of the story, but have been reading the graphic novels now that the show is out. It adds a whole new dimension to the story to see the original art.

Happy reading!

Can’t Wait Wednesday 2/19/20

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Can’t Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings based on the meme Waiting on Wednesday by Breaking the Spine. In this weekly post people share a book that they’re excited about being released.

This week I want to highlight The Silence of Bones, a book I have been hyped about and eagerly anticipating for months. I love everything I’ve heard about this book and will definitely be preordering it or picking it up on release day.

1800, Joseon (Korea). Homesick and orphaned sixteen-year-old Seol is living out the ancient curse: “May you live in interesting times.” Indentured to the police bureau, she’s been tasked with assisting a well-respected young inspector with the investigation into the politically charged murder of a noblewoman.

As they delve deeper into the dead woman’s secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder.

But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly.

June Hur’s elegant and haunting debut The Silence of Bones is a bloody tale perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco and Renée Ahdieh.

Doesn’t that sound amazing? I can’t wait to read it!

Happy reading!

Announcement & Shout Out

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Today I want to take some time to give a shout out to the people who recently made me my new banner and logo/icon. You may have seen some of the changes and I wanted to devote a post to thanking them!

My banner, the incredible and whimsical path of wandering books, was created by Mir at https://fangirlpixieblog.com/! You can find her at her blog, on twitter or at her etsy shop FangirlPixieJar!

The other change you may have seen was my icon/logo which my cousin A.J. made for me. With this I did want something different but still whimsical and he was great to work with for that. He can be found on instagram at @realajlogan, contacted by email at aj@imlhlife.com or by phone at (971)344-7469.

Both of these artists were amazing to work with! They communicated with me amazingly and customized everything to what I was wanting until I was happy. Be sure to reach out to them if you’re looking for great graphics!

Clearing the Hoard: Update and Month 2

DeAnne1 Comment

This challenge was created by Caffeinated Fae in an effort to reduce the number of physically owned but unread books in her collection. Make sure to head over to her post (linked above) to check it out.

So here we are, in month 2! If you want a refresher of what books I had selected and my reasoning, etc, head on over to my previous post. In that post I had selected five books and I read….one of them. Oops.

To be fair, my audiobook loan for The Cheerleaders expired shortly after I wrote that post and I only just recently was able to check it out again, so it will definitely get finished this month. The others (besides Battlefield Ghosts, which I finished) will maybe be added to this months list. Besides those I did manage to remove 3 other books from my physical TBR which were The Witch Boy, Norse Mythology and The Ten Thousand Doors of January. So while I didn’t get to all the ones I picked, I did get 4 physical books off of my TBR.

This month (besides those from last month) I would like to get to The Devouring Gray and Dragon Pearl, which I finally had come in from the library. Other than that I’m not going to make a list since I do have carry overs from last month.

So while January didn’t go exactly as planned, there were still four books from TBR to Read and that’s not too shabby. We’ll see what this month brings!

Happy reading!

Flashback Friday Challenge

DeAnne1 Comment

After writing my #FlashbackFriday post last week I got to thinking that I would really like to do some rereading of those favorites, so what better way to do it than to incorporate it into a challenge! With all the books I need to read this year this is probably going to be a form of torture, but I also think it’s going to be fun. Each month (or so) I’ll pick a few titles from my shelves that are specifically tied to when I was younger and give them a reread. We’ll just have to see how it goes, fingers crossed!

Now let’s get to the ones I picked for the first round of this. I’m pretty much always in some stage of a Nancy Drew reread, so I picked up the next original mystery I’m on in my reread, #11 – The Clue of the Broken Locket, and I picked up the next one in the files that I need to get through #3 – Smile and Say Murder.

Next is a reread of L.J. Smith’s Night World series, though I’m still salty about the fact that Strange Fate, the finale has never been released. At think point I’d just like an outline to see how things end. This month I’m going to start with book one, which used to be titled Secret Vampire (not my favorite in the series, but the starting point).

The other one I’m going to pick up is probably not known by anyone, it came out at the same time R.L. Stine’s Fear Street series was out and from another similar series that was being started. This one is The Forever House by Mark Rivers. My best friend and I both have fond memories of this one and I haven’t read it since I was a teenager, so I figured it was time for a reread.

So, that’s going to be the first group of books I pick up and reread. We’ll see if they still hold their places in my heart as they did when I was younger. I’m sure some opinions and feelings may change, but we’ll see!

Happy reading!