Waiting on Wednesday (119)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating. This is one of my favorite memes because not only is my TBR pile so much bigger at the end of the night but also the covers are always amazing!

Title: Mortal Danger
Author: Ann Aguirre
Hitting the Shelves: August 05, 2014

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

Edie Kramer has a score to settle with the beautiful people at Blackbriar Academy. Their cruelty drove her to the brink of despair, and four months ago, she couldn't imagine being strong enough to face her senior year. But thanks to a Faustian compact with the enigmatic Kian, she has the power to make the bullies pay. She's not supposed to think about Kian once the deal is done, but devastating pain burns behind his unearthly beauty, and he's impossible to forget.

In one short summer, her entire life changes, and she sweeps through Blackbriar, prepped to take the beautiful people down from the inside. A whisper here, a look there, and suddenly... bad things are happening. It's a heady rush, seeing her tormentors get what they deserve, but things that seem too good to be true usually are, and soon, the pranks and payback turns from delicious to deadly. Edie is alone in a world teeming with secrets and fiends lurking in the shadows. In this murky morass of devil's bargains, she isn't sure who—or what--she can trust. Not even her own mind...

Why I want this: Even though I have yet to read Horde, I'm a pretty big fan of the Razorland trilogy and I don't even like zombie books all that much.  So that's really saying something! I'm also a huge fan of revenge stories so this looks right up my alley! 

Review: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Title: Second Chance Summer
Author: Morgan Matson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Release Date: May 08, 2012
Source: Purchased
Find it Here: Amazon, Goodreads

Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.

My Thoughts: 

There is just something about Morgan Matson’s books that warm my heart, make me happy, and make me cry all at the same time. I don’t what it is. Maybe her writing is just magic like that! I can definitely say I experienced all this and more when I read Second Chance Summer. It’s such a wonderful contemporary novel and a really great summer read!

Second Chance Summer is about a girl, Taylor, who realizes that during her upcoming summer she is going to have to face a lot of people that she hurt five years ago; her best friend who has hasn’t seen or spoken to since that summer and her ex-boyfriend whom she ran away from. Even though there are so other really tough things going on in her life, this becomes her summer of second chances.

I really like Taylor. There’s nothing extraordinary about her and she believes that she doesn’t do any one thing well. She’s the middle child and the middle of everything else; average. She’s also the type of person who always tries to take the easy way out. Throughout the novel she begins to understand that if you do things the hard way, it’s probably going to be worth it and you’re going to learn so much more.

So of my favorite parts of the book were the meals with just Taylor and her dad. As a reader, I really got a feel for her dad’s character and became really attached to him. So naturally it was really hard and sad letting go when the inevitable happened at the end.

I really enjoyed the notion of getting second chances and being able to right something that you know you wronged in the past. It’s a really great message that it’s never too late to say you’re sorry and ask for forgiveness.

If you’re a contemporary lover and enjoy books that make you sad (like me) then I highly recommend Second Chance Summer!

What Does the Bookworm Say? Reading on a Budget

Hey there and welcome to this week's What Does the Bookworm Say?! This week we're talking about reading on a budget. Check out Thuy @ Nite Lite Book Reviews, Nicole @ The Reader's Antidote and Kimberly @ The Windy Pages to see if they are budget readers.

Let's be honest. I wish I had a disposable income to spend as I wish. But like most people I do not. I must be mindful of my spending.  If left to my own devices I could easily spend a paycheck on books but I am a responsible adult and budget my book spending.

I'm completely different now than how I was when I first started blogging.  I used to buy a ton of books just to buy books! I felt like I had to do a book haul every week! But then I got real with myself and when I added it all up I was just spending way too much money on books. And I also realized that I could do whatever I wanted with my blog and I didn't have to do a book haul every week.  Now I do a book haul maybe once a month and I am much happier.

Since I know I'm going to ALA soon and I know I'll be coming home with more books than I know what to do with, I have been making a real effort lately not to buy books whenever I feel like it. The only time I have been buying books is when a new book from a series or author I love comes out, when Barnes & Noble has a coupon weekend, when they are extremely discounted or new issues of graphic novels.  I have been using the library heavily this year and checking on Kindle deals almost daily.

I try to budget my book spending because I also like to buy expensive makeup and skin care. So I need to have room in my budget for all these things; and traveling. Love to travel and go on little trips.  So yeah, budgeting is the only way for me to be able to do all the things I love!

Do you read on a budget? Have a topic you would like us to talk about? Let me know in the comments!

Waiting on Wednesday (118)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating. This is one of my favorite memes because not only is my TBR pile so much bigger at the end of the night but also the covers are always amazing!

Title: Ashes to Ashes
Author: Jenny Han
Series: Burn for Burn #3
Hitting the Shelves: September 16, 2014

New Year's Eve ended with a bang and Mary, Kat and Lillia may not be prepared for what is to come.
After Rennie's death, Kat and Lillia try to put the pieces together of what happened to her. They both blame themselves. If Lillia hadn't left with Reeve... If Kat had only stayed with Rennie... Things could have been different. Now they will never be the same.
Only Mary knows the truth about that night. About what she is. She also knows the truth about Lillia and Reeve falling in love, about Reeve being happy when all he deserves is misery, just like the misery he caused her. Now their childish attempts at revenge are a thing of the past and Mary is out for blood. Will she leave anything in her wake or will all that remain be ashes?

Why I want this: I absolutely love Jenny Han and this series! At the end of Fire With Fire I was like "WWWHHHAATTTT!!?!?!? I totally didn't see that coming" because it was crazy!!! And I can't wait to see what happens at the end of the trilogy!! 

'Bout of Books 10 Wrap-Up!

All in all I did pretty well and read most of what I wanted to read.  I started off the read-a-thon with a bang and pretty much read an entire book on Monday.  I still did pretty well throughout the rest of the week but kind of slacked the last couple of days.  But I still got a lot read! 

Total books read: Dear Killer, Since You've Been Gone, Locke & Key, Vol. 4 & 5, Saga, Vol. 1, 2 & 3 and half of Sapphire Blue.

Didn't really touch Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead.  I had only planned on reading Saga, Vol. 1 but it was just so good I ran out and bought 2 and 3 and ended up reading those as well! 

Total pages read: 1594!!!!

Oh wow! It definitely did not feel like I read that many pages!! Crazyness!!! I'm pretty pleased with myself even though honestly I could have finished Sapphire Blue because I had a ton of downtime at work to read it on my phone but I just didn't feel like it. Oh well, I'll probably finish it this week! 

That read-a-thon was great! I can't wait for the next one and I might even participate in the challenges next time as well! Happy reading bookworms! 

'Bout of Books 10: Mid-Week Progress

We have now completed three days of the 'Bout of Books 10 read-a-thon and I've done pretty well.  Since I didn't work until the evening on Monday I was able to start my reading off with a bang and practically read a whole book! 

So here's my reading progress so far!

Monday:

Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell: pg. 92-359 (book completed)

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson: pg. 1-103

Total pages read: 370

Tuesday: 

Locke & Key, Vol. 4: Keys to the Kingdom by Joe Hill: pg. 1-102

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson: pg. 103-114

Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier: pg. 1-110

Total pages read: 223

Wednesday: 

Locke & Key, Vol. 4: Keys to the Kingdom by Joe Hill: pg. 102-146 (book completed)

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson: pg. 114-325

Total Pages read: 255

Total read so far: 848

Waiting on Wednesday (117)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating. This is one of my favorite memes because not only is my TBR pile so much bigger at the end of the night but also the covers are always amazing!

Title: Get Even
Author: Gretchen McNeil
Series: Don't Get Mad #1
Hitting the Shelves: September 16, 2014

Follows the secretive exploits of four high school juniors - Kitty, Olivia, Margot and Bree - at an exclusive Catholic prep school.

To all outward appearances, the girls barely know each other. At best, they don't move in the same social circles; at worst, they're overtly hostile.

Margot Mejia – academically ranked number two in her class, Margot is a focused overachiever bound for the Ivy League.

Kitty Wei – captain of the California state and national champion varsity girls' volleyball team, she's been recruited by a dozen colleges and has dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal.

Olivia Hayes – popular star of the drama program, she's been voted "most eligible bachelorette" two years running in the high school yearbook and has an almost lethal combination of beauty and charm.

Bree Deringer – outcast, misfit and the kind of girl you don't want to meet in a dark alley, the stop sign red-haired punk is a constant thorn in the side of teachers and school administrators alike.

Different goals, different friends, different lives, but the girls share a secret no one would ever guess. They are members of Don't Get Mad, a society specializing in seeking revenge for fellow students who have been silently victimized by their peers. Each girl has her own reason for joining the group, her own set of demons to assuage by evening the score for someone else. And though school administration is desperate to find out who is behind the DGM "events", the girls have managed to keep their secret well hidden.

That is until one of their targets – a douchebag senior who took advantage of a drunk underclassman during a house party, videotaped it on his phone, and posted it on YouTube – turns up dead, and DGM is implicated in the murder.

Now the girls don't know who to trust, and as their tenuous alliance begins to crumble, the secrets they've hidden for so long might be their ultimate undoing.

Why I want this: Wow, that is one super long synopsis.  But definitely intriguing and something I can't wait to dive into! Also, I've been a long time fan of Gretchen McNeil and I've read almost everything she's written.  I still need to read 3:59 but I have it on hold at the library so I'll definitely be getting to it soon! 

Jenny Han and Morgan Matson Signing!

I was so excited to go to the Jenny Hand and Morgan Matson signing! I love both their books and I literally haven't been to a signing at a bookstore in a really long time.  This signing was held at Once Upon a Time in the Glendale area. 

While we waited for the author to get there (their plane was delayed a little bit) the shop girls did a raffle a To All the Boys I've Loved Before journal and two ARCs of some books that they had in the store.  So they drew three names and the first one was mine and the third one was my mom! So I basically won the journal and one of the ARCs! So we were definitely having a good time!

When the authors finally arrived they jumped right into the conversation with the audience and they both read from their books. Jenny read the letter that Lara Jean wrote to Peter and she also told us that To All the Boys I've Loved Before is semi-autobiographical because she used to write letters to boys she likes as a way to get over them except they were never sent.  Morgan wrote Since You've Been Gone off of her childhood best friend because she actually sent Morgan a list of things to do while she was in France one summer.  

I always enjoy listening to all the questions that the audience asks because I would never think to ask some of the questions that they come up with but I love listening to all the answers and gaining a little bit of insight into the authors and their book that I would not have gotten otherwise.  

The authors got right into the signing and were just so so nice. It always shocks me that even though I haven't seen them in over a year they always recognize my face and ask if they've seen me before.  And they totally complimented my kitty shoes and asked me where I got them! I just had such a good time! And that's Thuy talking to Morgan Matson! 

Now I can't wait to go to my next signing even though I don't know when that is. I had such a great time and I love any chance I get to see Thuy, Kimberly and Alethea! Love my blogger friends! 

'Bout of Books 10 Intention Post!

You guys! 'Bout of Books is here and today is the first day! I had quite the headache last night so I didn't get the chance to stay up til midnight and start like I wanted to.  I just woke up around 8 but I'm refreshed and ready to get my reading on! So here's what I'm going to read this week:

Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran

Locke & Key, Vol. 4: Keys to the Kingdom by Joe Hill

Locke & Key, Vol. 5: Clockworks by Joe Hill

Saga, Vol. 1 by Brian Vaughan

Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier (ebook, not pictured)

So that's my goal which I think is pretty attainable! Since I've already started Dear Killer I will be starting my page count with page #92 and use that as my first page for this read-a-thon! Super excited and totally pumped and motivated to knock these books out of the park! Have fun reading bookworms! 

Review: Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

Title: Where the Stars Still Shine
Author: Trish Doller
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Source: Purchased
Find it Here: Amazon, Goodreads

Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.

Trish Doller writes incredibly real teens, and this searing story of love, betrayal, and how not to lose your mind will resonate with readers who want their stories gritty and utterly true.

My Thoughts: 

Where the Stars Still Shine is Trish Doller’s second book and I’m telling you, she hit it out of the park yet again! I had read an ARC of Something Like Normal and absolutely loved it! You can read that review here. So you know I was super excited when I found out she had written another novel. But for some reason it took me so long to get my greedy little hands on a copy!

Where the Stars Still Shine follows a girl named Callie who has lived all over the Unites States, never in one spot too long, because her mom kidnapped her when she was about five years old. Not only has she lived most of her life on the run but she has been hurt over and over again by the people closest to her.

Trish Doller delves into some really deep and hard to talk about subjects: kidnapping, abandonment, mental illness and sexual abuse are all major themes throughout Where the Stars Still Shine. Callie is a really complex and layered character. She grew up with her mom who suffers from a mental illness causing her to make poor decisions and act impulsively. It’s part of the reason why they were always on the run because her mom was paranoid. Her mom also told Callie bad things about her dad and she always believed that he didn't really want her. Which is completely untrue but she has some very ingrained trust issues that make it difficult for her to form normal, healthy relationships. Callie is definitely working on some pretty tough issues throughout the whole novel.

I know I didn't really talk much about the plot of Where the Stars Still Shine but it’s basically about Callie and how her and her mom get caught by the police so she goes back to live with her dad who had been searching for her for twelve years. And then she’s learning how to trust people and form healthy relationships with not only her family but with a Hottie McTottie that she meets. Side note: for a young adult novel, it has a few sex scenes that I normally have not seen in other young adult novels.

Overall, Where the Stars Still Shine is a really great read! It deals with some really deep subjects but not to the points where you feel like you’re drowning. I’d say it’s a pretty good second novel and I’m definitely looking forward to anything else that she writes!

What Does the Bookworm Say? Reading Monagamy

Hey bookworms! Today on What Does the Bookworm Say? we are discussion reading monogamy! Don’t forget to visit Thuy @ Nite Lite Book Reviews, Nicole @ The Reader’s Antidote and Kimberly @ The Windy Pages to see what they have to say about reading monogamy.

In today’s discussion post I will be answering the following questions: Do you read more than one book at a time? Why or why not? Do they have to be different genres? How do you keep all the characters/story lines straight?

My short answer is yes. Yes I do usually read more than one book at a time. Even though as I type this discussion post I am only reading one book and it has been like that for the past week or so. I’m preparing myself for the ‘Bout of Books 10 read-a-thon next week so I don’t want to have too many loose ends when I start (i.e. be in the middle of too many books).

My long answer is that I’m normally reading two or three books at a time. And the most important thing to me is that they each have to be on a different platform. So I’ll be reading a book that is physically in my hands, another book on my Nook or my Kindle app and then usually I’m also reading a graphic novel. To me, a graphic novel is so much different than a regular book and it’s a totally different reading experience. I enjoy reading more than one book at a time because I can always read from my Kindle app on my phone while I’m at work so I can usually get a good amount of reading done. So I usually save all my e-books for work reading when I have down time. If I’m reading a graphic novel, I also take it to work with me and I’m usually able to read the whole thing on my hour lunch break. And then when I’m at home I’m reading a physical book. It’s clearly a whole system I've worked out. Weird, I know!

I don’t think I consciously choose each book I read at one time from a different genre but that’s usually how it happens. But when it comes down to it, I really don’t like to read two books from the same genre at one time. So I’m usually reading a contemporary, a fantasy/dystopian and a graphic novel and the genre of the graphic novel does not matter.

Because I read from two very different genres at the same time I have never had a problem keeping all the characters and the story lines straight. Now if I read the first book in a series and try to read the second book after a year or so; then I really have trouble remembering the story line of the first book.

So what about you? Do you read more than one book at a time? Do they have to be from different genres? Is it easy for you to keep the characters and story lines straight? Let me know in the comments!

Review: Golden by Jessi Kirby

Title: Golden
Author: Jessi Kirby
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: May 13, 2014
Source: Purchased
Find it Here: Amazon, Goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Parker Frost has never taken the road less traveled. Valedictorian and quintessential good girl, she’s about to graduate high school without ever having kissed her crush or broken the rules. So when fate drops a clue in her lap—one that might be the key to unraveling a town mystery—she decides to take a chance.

Julianna Farnetti and Shane Cruz are remembered as the golden couple of Summit Lakes High—perfect in every way, meant to be together forever. But Julianna’s journal tells a different story—one of doubts about Shane and a forbidden romance with an older, artistic guy. These are the secrets that were swept away with her the night that Shane’s jeep plunged into an icy river, leaving behind a grieving town and no bodies to bury.

Reading Julianna’s journal gives Parker the courage to start to really live—and it also gives her reasons to question what really happened the night of the accident. Armed with clues from the past, Parker enlists the help of her best friend, Kat, and Trevor, her longtime crush, to track down some leads. The mystery ends up taking Parker places that she never could have imagined. And she soon finds that taking the road less traveled makes all the difference.

My Thoughts:

I have not been disappointed by any of the books that I have read by Jessi Kirby.  So I knew that it was about time that I finally read Golden because it was going to be a real treat! 

Golden is about Parker Frost and how she has done everything right and everything planned out for her future.  She's gotten good grades, never missed any school and accepted to all the right colleges.  Everything is going just as her parents have always planned until she is tasked with mailing alumni their senior journals and she finds the journal of the town tragedy, Julianna, she wrote before she died.  Even though she knows she should do the right thing and put it in the mail, she just can't help but take it for herself and read it.  

Julianna's story is so sad but it resembles Parker's very closely.  Parker and Julianna do what their parents expect and want them to do instead of doing what makes them happy.  In Julianna's case, it led her to unhappiness and a very young death.  Parker sees that she is also trapped by feeling that she must do what is expected of her but realizes that it might not be to late her to listen to her heart. I love stories that might encourage teenagers to think outside the box because there are other options than going to college or just doing what your parents think is best.  

I definitely loved Golden and the mystery surrounding the accident what Julianna and Shane.  I thought this was a different turn for Jessi Kirby and she did is very well.  I can't wait to see what she's going to write next! 

Waiting on Wednesday (116)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating. This is one of my favorite memes because not only is my TBR pile so much bigger at the end of the night but also the covers are always amazing!

Title: The Dark World
Author: Cara Lynn Shultz
Series: Dark World #1
Hitting the Shelves: May 27, 2014

Paige Kelly is used to weird--in fact, she probably corners the market on weird, considering that her best friend, Dottie, has been dead since the 1950s. But when a fire demon attacks Paige in detention, she has to admit that things have gotten out of her league. Luckily, the cute new boy in school, Logan Bradley, is a practiced demon slayer-and he isn't fazed by Paige's propensity to chat with the dead. Suddenly, Paige is smack in the middle of a centuries-old battle between warlocks and demons, learning to fight with a magic sword so that she can defend herself. And if she makes one wrong move, she'll be pulled into the Dark World, an alternate version of our world that's overrun by demons-and she might never make it home.

Why I want this: I read both of Cara Lynn Shultz other novels, Spellbound and Spellcaster, and I really loved both of them. Now I'm super excited to read her new series! I'm always on the look out for something new and exciting especially from authors whose works I've loved previously. 

Review: To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Title: To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Author: Jenny Han
Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Source: ARC
Find it Here: Amazon, Goodreads

To All the Boys I've Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

My thoughts:

I love Jenny Han. She writes the cutest, sweetest stories. Some of them are moving, some of them are funny but all of them are page turners that I just can’t get enough of. I love Jenny Han and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is another Jenny Han book that I loved.

Lara Jean is the main character in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and it’s all told from her perspective. Everything changes for Laura Jean when her older sister (Margot) of 2 years moves away to college. Since their mother passed away when they were young, Margot naturally took up the role of mother which is something that Lara Jean is trying to take over now that her sister is gone. Margot also left behind her boyfriend that Lara Jean had a huge crush on only a few years before. While Lara Jean is trying to navigate all these new changes, someone find the letters that she wrote to the boys she loved before and mails them out!

Even though Lara Jean can be a really immature character at time, I think it really works for her. She’s babied by her sister for most of her teenage life and didn’t really have to do anything for herself until her sister moves away. I think it’s really going to work for her character arc at the end of the series. Now that Margot is gone, Lara Jean seems to be seeing everything new again and is experiencing everything very differently. Her eyes are really opened to what really goes on in high school.

I really enjoyed this love triangle because it seemed very realistic to me. It really shows how something you want is just out of reach or that you waited just a little too long to say something. Josh doesn’t ever admit that he had feelings for Lara Jean back in the day until he accidently receives her letter. Peter doesn’t realize how awesome Lara Jean is until after he completely hurts her feelings. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before really shows the difficulty of navigating relationships.

I really loved To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and I will be eagerly awaiting the next book! Jenny Han in definitely on my A-list of authors I must read no matter what!

April Book Haul!

Hey there! Welcome to this week's Stacking the Shelves! This awesome meme is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and we get to show each other the books we acquired this week whether bought, from the library or for review!

Bought:

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

Batgirl, Vol. 1: The Darkest Reflection by Gail Simone

Saga, Vol. 1 by Brian K Vaughan

Locke & Key, Vol. 4: Keys to the Kingdom by Joe Hill

Locke & Key, Vol. 5: Clockworks by Joe Hill

Shelf Decoration!

Bout of Books 10 Official Sign Up!

I was literally just thinking to myself the other day that I need some sort of read-a-thon to get my reading groove back! Bout of Books popped into my brain and I was like YES!!! There's a read-a-thon happening this month and I'm so excited!! If you're unfamiliar with Bout of Books, here's what it's about:

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, May 12th and runs through Sunday, May 18th 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 10 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. 

- From the Bout of Books team

This read-a-thon comes at a perfect time because it starts literally two days after my cousin's very stressful wedding is over. I just looked at my 2014 Goodreads challenge and I'm 3 books behind in my goal of reading 100 books this year so I really need this. I plan on reading a least three books and three graphic novels. I think it's attainable.

Do you like read-a-thons? Are you planning on participating? Let me know in the comments!

April Wrap-Up!

You guys! I can't believe it's May already!! Where did April even go! It was a crazy, crazy month and was able to go to so many great events! And I got some really great books!

I was able to attend the LA Times Festival of Books for one day and there were so many authors there! And so many people.  I finally got the chance to get my books signed by Sarah J. Maas and the rest of my Lunar Chronicles signed by Marissa Meyer.  I also went to a discussion talk with Stephen Chbosky of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Ava Dellaira who wrote Love Letters to the Dead which I also purchased later that day! 

The rest of the day my boyfriend and I stood in line for The Grilled Cheese Truck.  And let me tell you it is not worth standing in line for 2 hours.  Overall we had a really great day! 

I also got the chance to go to WonderCon!!! It was so much fun! I hung out all day with my friend Thuy who blogs over at Nite Lite Book Reviews. We walked around all day, visited the books, attended a panel and got some comics signed! 

We ended up seeing a lot of Gail Simone who writes the New 52 Batgirl volumes. After searching around the booths we finally each found a paperback copy of Batgirl, Vol. 1: The Darkest Reflection and we also got them signed! 

Look! It's the back of Thuy's head with Gail Simon! HAHAHAHA!!!! Good times. 

And then I went to Stagecoach this past weekend and let me tell you it was quite the experience! Luckily it wasn't as hot as I was expecting it to be but it was really dusty and dirty. It was three whole days of being outside, watching a whole bunch of great musicians and browsing all the interesting booths they had.  And of course, there was a lot of drinking! 

Since I just got back from Stagecoach on Monday I feel like I'm still recovering from it! But it was well worth it. Here's hoping that May will be a little slower!