Currently Reading & Book Haul:

Happy Saturday!

I wanted to update you guys on what I'm currently reading. I'm reading three books right now. It's crazy I know. I have never read more than one book at a time before. I'm still trying to finish Panic before the month is over. I only have about 100 pages left in Cinder, and I'm almost 200 pages into The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. Hugo is a very interesting book. It is made up of hand drawn pictures and prose. I will post some pictures of the artwork, but first let's admire the cover.

I love the cover. Not only is it beautiful, but it relates to the story. Hugo is a young boy who works on the clocks in a busy Paris train station. His father and him worked on all types of little trinkets. Until one day, his father discovered an extremely unique treasure that will consume his life. His father died unexpectedly, so now Hugo must continue on in his father's footsteps to figure out the mystery behind the treasure and his father's death.

Now time for the mini book haul. I recently placed an order from bookoutlet.com and Amazon. I was so surprised that I found all of these books for such a great deal. Without further a do, here are my new books : )

Click on any of the titles, and it will take you to the book's summary.

Born Of Illusion by Terri Brown

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Poison Princess by Kresley Cole
Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

I have two more orders coming from book outlet. I will post them as soon as I get them. So be on the lookout for that.

Until next time,
Bre

Top 10 Tuesday:

Hey guys! It's that time again. Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is top 10 things on my bookish resolutions.

10. I have to read Harry Potter.
Everyone has read HP except for me. I want to be a Potterhead, or at least get all the references.

9. I want to have a smaller TBR pile.
I don't think I can put myself on a book buying ban, so I just need to read more : )

8. I want to finish A Game of Thrones.
Game of Thrones is a beast. I started it, but I'm only 50 pages in. It will be my first adult fantasy book I have ever completed.

7. I want to learn more about blogging.
I love looking at other people's blogs because I get tons of ideas. I need to figure out html and other nifty tricks.

6. I want to have 500 page views.
When I started my blog, my goal was to reach 500 views. I thought that number was setting my goal too high, but I currently have almost 400 views. I just can't believe I have already hit that many. Thank you guys for reading my posts. It makes my day : )

5. I want to attend the Decatur Book Festival.
Every year there is a book festival near my house, and I have to go this year. I have never been, but I heard it is awesome. Last year they had over 100 authors there, like Jennifer L. Armentrout, Abbi Glines, David Levithan, Rick Yancey, etc. I haven't seen a list of the author line up for this year, but I can only imagine who will be there.

4. I want to start my own YouTube channel.
I have been watching YouTube for about 2 years. (And by watching I mean religiously watching people's videos every time they post..a little obsessed maybe but who cares lol) I have been talking about doing this forever. I just NEED to do it.

3. I want to read at least 40 books this year.
Last year I read right about 40 books, so I thought it was a good goal for myself.

2. I want to read more new adult books.
Don't get me wrong I love YA, but I get tired of reading about younger people all the time. New adult focuses more on college level issues. It is also more sexy than YA so added bonus. Haha : )

1. I want to read more diverse authors.
It is important to me to stay knowledgeable about all kinds of different people. I read too many white authors. I need more perspective in my life.


Until next time, Bre

Top 10 Tuesday:

This week on top 10 Tuesday we are supposed to list ten books on our spring TBR(old or new). The Broke and the Bookish host this meme every week. Click their name to check out their list.

10. Harry Potter
I need to read all the books this year, so I better get started. 
Have you guys seen the new box set? It is amazing.

9. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

I read Anna and the French Kiss last year,and really enjoyed it. The last book in this companion series comes out in May. It is called Isla and the Happy Ever After. These books are just cute and fluffy contemporary reads. Perfect for a nice warm Spring day.

8. World After by Susan Ee

World After is Angelfall's sequel. I'm in love with this series. Even though I have only read the first book, I feel confident in saying that it is one of my favourites. 

7. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
I talk about this book all the time. I'M SO EXCITED : )

6. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
I have heard great things about this author. She has another contemporary coming out soon. This book is about two families who live next to each other, and they are total opposites. I have heard it is kind of a Romeo and Juliet type of thing. Either way I can't wait to get to it.

5. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The movie is coming out soon, so I need to get on it. I'm a little hesitant because I know I will cry like a big fat baby. The story follows two teenagers battling cancer. Hello waterworks!

4. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

This book is supposed to be awesome. It has gotten a lot of hype in the book community. The main character has a lethal touch and two love interests. WHAT? Although there is a paranormal aspect to the story, I have heard it is heavy on the love. 

3. Me, Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Another cancer book....This one is supposed to be funny. I'm interested to see how Andrews makes a very serious topic humorous. The cover is so colourful. It just screams, "Read Me!"

2.City of Ashes by Cassandra Claire

This is book two in the Mortal Instruments. I loved City of Bones, and I want to jump back into the world she created. I miss Jace, Clary, and especially Simon. He is my favourite. If you haven't picked up City of Bones yet, what are you waiting for? It's a great read.

1. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

I need to know what happens to Katniss and Peeta. I don't want the trilogy to be over, so I have put it off for far too long. I don't necessarily have a team, so I will leave you guys with a picture of Finnick and all his glory : )

Until next time,

Bre

Kiss me, I'm Irish Book Tag:

Happy St. Patrick's day! I watched Shannon 's video on YouTube, and it looked like a lot of fun. The original tag was created by Snoggin on Sunday Books.

The premise of the tag is to pair up an "Irish" word with a book. It seems really fun and festive so let's get started.

Kiss Me I'm Irish Book Tag questions

Words-

Green-a book with a green cover

Blarney- a book that deceived you into either liking it or was overhyped and you ended up disliking it

Guys, I was super pumped about Panic, but I don't like it. I'm trying to get through it, but it is putting me in a kinda reading slump.

Brogue- (dialect) a book where one of the characters has an accent

It was a little hard to read Jim's parts, but after awhile it became easier. I personally loved that Mark Twain wrote his dialogue that way. It really gets the reader connected to the character.

Leprechaun-a book you enjoyed when you were a little person

I loved this series back in the day. 

Pot of Gold-a book that cost you a lot or is of great value to you

This series is important to me because it really got me back into reading. 

Four-leaf clover or shamrock-four leaves=more than one book. Pick your current or old favorite series 

This is a new favourite. I'm on book 3, and I'm hooked. Who doesn't love sexy aliens?

Magic-a book that you found magical or a book where you enjoyed a magic element that was found in the storyline 

It's not technically magic, but it's about mind reading. I personally think that's magical; ) I was super surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I got it for free on my kindle, and it was awesome. 

Kiss-Your current favorite book pairing or you're all time favorite book pairing

I love Penryn and Raffe : )

Luck-a book on your shelf that you will luckily get to...someday

I've had this book for a long time. It sounds awesome. 

Jig-a book that if you don't currently own but if could get a hold of it-it would make you dance with joy. (Can be a book that isn't released yet or a book you'd really like to own)

I NEED THIS ASAP : )

Rainbow-That's you! Lead other booktubers to this "pot of gold" tag-Tag your favorite friends to do this tag!! :D 

I don't have anyone to tag but you should do it if your interested.

Until next time,
Bre

#Friday Reads + Library Haul

#Friday Reads is a book hashtag that was created on Twitter. The hashtag will bring up what people are reading for the weekend all over the world. I decided it would be cool to feature it on my blog.

So this weekend I am reading Panic by Lauren Oliver. I'm currently 130 pages in, but I'm just not super into it. I might start a book I got from the library.

The books from the library and their summaries from Goodreads:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Golden boy Ezra Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting for them—a single encounter after which everything that really matters will happen. His particular tragedy waited until he was primed to lose it all: in one spectacular night, a reckless driver shatters Ezra’s knee, his athletic career, and his social life.No longer a front-runner for Homecoming King, Ezra finds himself at the table of misfits, where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is unlike anyone Ezra’s ever met, achingly effortless, fiercely intelligent, and determined to bring Ezra along on her endless adventures.But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread. And now he must consider: if one’s singular tragedy has already hit and everything after it has mattered quite a bit, what happens when more misfortune strikes? Robyn Schneider’s The Beginning of Everything is a lyrical, witty, and heart-wrenching novel about how difficult it is to play the part that people expect, and how new beginnings can stem from abrupt and tragic endings.

In 1923, fifteen-year-old Hattie Shepherd flees Georgia and settles in Philadelphia, hoping for a chance at a better life. Instead, she marries a man who will bring her nothing but disappointment and watches helplessly as her firstborn twins succumb to an illness a few pennies could have prevented.  Hattie gives birth to nine more children whom she raises with grit and mettle and not an ounce of the tenderness they crave.  She vows to prepare them for the calamitous difficulty they are sure to face in their later lives, to meet a world that will not love them, a world that will not be kind. Captured here in twelve luminous narrative threads, their lives tell the story of a mother’s monumental courage and the journey of a nation. Beautiful and devastating, Ayana Mathis’s The Twelve Tribes of Hattie is wondrous from first to last—glorious, harrowing, unexpectedly uplifting, and blazing with life. An emotionally transfixing page-turner, a searing portrait of striving in the face of insurmountable adversity, an indelible encounter with the resilience of the human spirit and the driving force of the American dream, Mathis’s first novel heralds the arrival of a major new voice in contemporary fiction.

 

She calls herself Calexa Rose Dunhill—names taken from the grim surroundings where she awoke, bruised and bloody, with no memory of who she is, how she got there, or who left her for dead.She has made the cemetery her home, living in a crypt and avoiding human contact. But Calexa can’t hide from the dead—and because she can see spirits, they can’t hide from her.Then one night, Calexa spies a group of teenagers vandalizing a grave—and watches in horror as they commit murder. As the victim’s spirit rises from her body, it flows into Calexa, overwhelming her mind with visions and memories not her own.Now Calexa must make a decision: continue to hide to protect herself—or come forward to bring justice to the sad spirit who has reached out to her for help...

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer Book Review:

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

 Released September 27th, 2011

Published by Simon and Schuster

Pages: 466

My Star Rating: 4

Goodreads Rating: 4.13

Challenges: book over 400 pages

Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.

She’s wrong.-Goodreads

Michelle Hodkin's writing is a perfect mix of humour and beauty. I laughed out loud a few times while reading this book, which rarely ever happens. I enjoyed Mara as our main character. She is spunky and realistic. If I was in her shoes and people were dying all around me, I would think I were crazy too. I liked her family with the exception of her father. He really annoyed me because it seemed like he put work first. Her brothers were awesome. An issue I had with the book surrounded her younger brother. Why was he texting Noah? How did Noah know where he was taken? That whole situation was just super confusing. 

Noah is super cute. He seems like the stereotype hot guy with the big head, until we really get to know him. I loved his relationship with Mara. The back and forth banter is the best. I officially have a book crush on him. 

I enjoyed how all throughout the book, we are left in the dark just like Mara. We don't know if things are real or not. I felt like we were really able to connect with her because we were just as confused as her. My biggest issue with the story is the last hundred pages or so. Noah and Mara's relationship did not have to go to the next level so quickly. It seemed rushed. And that twist at the end was crazy. I wish it was a bit more developed, but I did really enjoy it. I couldn't put the book down. When I wasn't reading, I wanted to be. Overall, I would highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a creepy, mind boggling read. I need to get the second book because the last book in the trilogy comes out some time this year.
Until next time,
Bre

Wishlist Wednesday:

Wishlist Wednesday is hosted by Pen to Paper. It is a great book blog, and if you want to go check them out here is their link: Pen to Paper Book Blog. This meme was created to let bloggers feature a book that they are super excited about getting, whether the book is a new release or if it would just be new to them.

A book I'm super excited for is......

Don't You Forget About Me by Kate Karyus Quinn

Published by HarperCollins Teen

Release Date: June 10th, 2014

Pages: 336

Goodreads Rating: 3.97

Welcome to Gardnerville.
A place where no one gets sick. And no one ever dies.

Except...
There’s a price to pay for paradise. Every fourth year, the strange power that fuels the town exacts its payment by infecting teens with deadly urges. In a normal year in Gardnerville, teens might stop talking to their best friends. In a fourth year, they’d kill them.

Four years ago, Skylar’s sister, Piper, was locked away after leading sixteen of her classmates to a watery grave. Since then, Skylar has lived in a numb haze, struggling to forget her past and dull the pain of losing her sister. But the secrets and memories Piper left behind keep taunting Skylar—whispering that the only way to get her sister back is to stop Gardnerville’s murderous cycle once and for all.-Goodreads

Oh my gosh! I've never read a book by Quinn before, but people have said that her writing is creepy and adventure filled. I have so many questions. What is the town infecting the teens with? Why teens? How does no one ever die besides during the fourth year? I need answers!
Let's talk a second about the cover. It is beautiful. I love how the words are a part of the branches. It just makes me want the book for my shelves. What do you think?

Until next time,
Bre