What Does the Bookworm Say? Reading Goals and Challenges

I've been thinking a lot about reading challenges and what I have challenged myself with in the past couple of years.  The Goodreads reading challenge is one that I've always used and set myself with an overall goal of books read throughout the year.  In the past, I've had a year where I completely exceed my reading challenge and another year where I completely fell short.  2014 I just barely made 100 books (total books read: 101). Because I challenged myself to read 100 books in 2014, my choice of which book to read next was often determined by that challenge and how fast I could read it. That means I put that really chunky book I've had my eye on aside; I didn't start reading Outlander when I became absolutely obsessed with the show. I haven't read Amy Poehler's Yes Please yet because it will probably take me more than a few days to get through and in 2014 I didn't want to spend that much time on one book.

Not this year Goodreads challenge. I'm going to go where the wind takes me this year and read what I feel like reading. I don't want to see that number constantly breathing down my neck every time I log in. I don't want to know if I'm behind on my reading. And you know what? There should be no behind or ahead in reading. Reading is reading and this year I want to go on some epic reading adventures. I'm going to read that chunky book even if it takes me a month.

With that being said, a found a really great challenge in 2014 that I'm going to participate in again. It's called the Full House Reading Challenge and it's hosted by The Book Date. It's a really great challenge because you can end up reading a variety of books. Books I would have never read, I read because of this challenge.

It's kind of like a bingo card and she switches it up every year. It really mixes up my reading and it's a nice relief when I get bogged down with all the YA that I read. Even though this is the only reading challenge I will be participating in this year, I still love to participate in read-a-thons. In fact, 'Bout of Books 12 starts on Monday and goes through Jan. 11.

2015 is going to be a good year for me! I'm going to read what I only really want to read and I'm not going to fall into the pit of overhyped books. I'm excited to see how 2015 unfolds and what the year will bring.

Are you participating in any reading challenges this year? Let me know in the comments!

What Does the Bookworm Say? Christmas Traditions

I LOVE Christmas!!! I know it's cliche and that it's a lot of people's favorite holiday but there is just something about Christmas and the holiday season that makes the world feel different to me somehow. Maybe it's the twinkle lights on everyone's houses or that people get into the giving spirit. 

I also love all the family time I get around this time of year! On Christmas morning I open presents with my mom, dad, sister and this year my fiance and then we have a pretty big breakfast and get ready for the day. Then I go to my fiance's parents house and do a gift exchange there and watch as his nephews open presents. Then we go to his uncle's house with all the rest of his huge family. While there, we have cocktails, appetizers and a big family meal! And presents of course! This year we're going to try to make it back to my family's house for desert and more presents! It's going to be a crazy Christmas this year! A lot of running around and a lot of eating! And then to bed early cause I have to work the next morning! 

For more Christmas fun stop by Nite Lite Book Review, The Windy Pages and The Reader's Antidote! What do you do for Christmas? Have a topic you'd like us to discuss? Let me know in the comments! 

What Does the Bookworm Say? My Christmas Wish List

This week for What Does the Bookworm Say we are talking about what we have on our Christmas wish lists'! Go see what my friends want for Christmas this year as well and visit Nite Lite Book Reviews, The Reader's Antidote and The Windy Pages. 

I don't have a whole ton of book on my wish list this year like I usually do because I have been buying a lot of books lately. And by lately I mean within the last couple of weeks. And I mean a whole lot of books. But there are still some books that I do have my eye on. 

1. The Seven Realms Box Set by Cinda Williams Chima

2. Night Film by Marisha Pessl

3. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

4. The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

5. Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald

6. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

That's pretty much all I have on my Christmas wish list this year! What are you wishing for? Have a topic you would like us to discuss? Let me know in the comments! 

What Does the Bookworm Say? Thanksgiving Traditions

Hello bookworms and welcome to a very special discussion post! Today we're shaking thing up a bit, doing thing a little different, taking a break from talking about book and discussing our Thanksgiving traditions! I love getting personal with you guys so I'm super excited about telling you guys how I celebrate Thanksgiving!

Unless you're not an American, most of you know that Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holiday because the only thing you're expected to do on Thanksgiving is eat! And I love to eat all the good Thanksgiving food: turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, dinner roll, green bean casserole, yams chock full of sugar and pumpkin pie!!! I'm getting hungry just thinking about all this!

When I was kid, hosting Thanksgiving used to be passed around between my family members so one person wasn't responsible every year. It was really fun but it was always a little bit different every year. Now that I'm older, my aunt and uncle have taken it over because they love hosting Thanksgiving. My aunt is Indian (as in from India) and it give her the opportunity to invite her whole family over as well. It turns into this big event and sometimes there are as many as fifty people there! They even make two turkeys! One regular turkey and one spicy turkey! Now I have to have spicy turkey every Thanksgiving! So we have appetizers, the dinner, desert and coffee and that's pretty much the whole day. 

As for black Friday shopping the next day, I don't do that. I usually work the next morning pretty early and so does my fiance. Just another regular day at the office. I may stop by the mall after work, but usually everything is already picked through and the sales are all gone. I'm more of a cyber Monday person.

So those are my Thanksgiving tradition! Go see what Nite Lite Book Reviews, The Reader's Antidote and The Windy Pages do on Thanksgiving! What are some of your tradition? Have a topic you'd like us to discuss? Let me know in the comment! 

What Does the Bookworm Say? Review Writing Process

Yeah this is a week late but I went out of town last weekend and just didn't get around to writing this post before I left. In my opinion, posting it a week late is better than not posting it at all. If you want to read what my friends already wrote about their review writing process you can check that out at Nite Lite Book Reviews and The Reader's Antidote! 

The way I write reviews now is leaps and bounds different than how I wrote them when I first starting blogging (gasp!) five years ago! When I first started blogging I would read a book as fast as I could and then I would write the review maybe a few weeks later. The problem with that method is 1. I read the book so fast I didn't give myself a chance to enjoy or even process what was happening.  2. After waiting a few weeks to write the review, and reading so many book in between, I would forget all the characters names and basically everything that happened in the book. 

Now, as a more experienced blogger, I know that my reviewing process starts when I start reading page one. As a reader and a reviewer with a full time job, my time is precious and I pay especially close attention to the first one hundred pages. Every book I read is given the same chance and that chance is to grab my attention in the first one hundred pages.  I feel like after one hundred pages I can get a good feel and grasp on the plot and the characters. This is also when I decide if I will DFN (did not finish) a book or not. If I decide to continue with the book and finish it (which is the case with most books) then right after I pass one hundred pages, I write an evaluation based on those one hundred pages. This gives me a chance to write down my initial thoughts of the book before I forget. I also write down the names of the major players. Then I finish the book as usual. When I write my review I have my initial thoughts down on paper which makes writing a full review much easier because I am able to remember more of the book. 

Often, when I read a book that I love, I have a hard time saying exactly what I loved about it. So usually in books reviews where I just say that I loved it, I also write a summary of the book. I don't always write a summary because that's what the synopsis is for and I always include the book's synopsis from Goodreads. But sometimes there is more to that synopsis so (sometimes) I like to write a summary. I really go back and forth with this and sometimes I feel like writing one and sometimes I don't. It depends on the book and my mood. 

My format is pretty simple. I like to say right off the bat, in the first paragraph whether I liked the book or not. Then I sometimes give a summary or not. Then I go straight into my one hundred page evaluation and copy it straight off the page from when I wrote it down because this is my true initial reaction before reading the remainder of the book. After the one hundred page evaluation I get into the meat of my review and at that point I'm reviewing the book as a whole. Characters, plot, atmosphere and ending. In the last paragraph I say again what I said in the first paragraph of whether or not I liked the book. 

I find that writing a review is a lot like writing a paper in college just a much shorter version. In the beginning you have your introduction and your hypothesis. In the body you prove your hypothesis and in the conclusion restate your hypothesis and wrap it up. That's exactly how I approach writing a book review. 

Wow that was long. I hope you got to the end! If you did, what do you think about having a review writing process? Have a topic you want us to discussion in a future edition of What Does the Bookworm Say? Let me know in the comments! 

What Does the Bookworm Say?: Fall Book Releases

Hello bookworms! This week’s What Does the Bookworm Say is a very exciting discussion! I love talking about books that are coming out and books that I can’t wait to get my hands on! It’s all the anticipation of a new story and a new world to dive into!

This week we are talking about our most anticipated fall reads!

Title: The Retribution of Mara Dyer

Author: Michelle Hodkin

Release Date: November 04, 2014

Mara Dyer wants to believe there's more to the lies she’s been told.
There is.

She doesn’t stop to think about where her quest for the truth might lead.
She should.

She never had to imagine how far she would go for vengeance.
She will now.

Loyalties are betrayed, guilt and innocence tangle, and fate and chance collide in this shocking conclusion to Mara Dyer’s story.

Retribution has arrived.

I haven't had a chance to read the second Mara book but I have definitely read the first one and I know it's a trilogy I am going to want to finish.  I really think that I need to read the first one again and then read the second one right before the third one comes out. It's probably the best way to do it!!!

Title: Exquisite Captive

Author: Heather Demetrios

Release Date: October 07, 2014

Forced to obey her master.
Compelled to help her enemy.
Determined to free herself.

Nalia is a jinni of tremendous ancient power, the only survivor of a coup that killed nearly everyone she loved. Stuffed into a bottle and sold by a slave trader, she’s now in hiding on the dark caravan, the lucrative jinni slave trade between Arjinna and Earth, where jinn are forced to grant wishes and obey their human masters’ every command. She’d give almost anything to be free of the golden shackles that bind her to Malek, her handsome, cruel master, and his lavish Hollywood lifestyle.

Enter Raif, the enigmatic leader of Arjinna’s revolution and Nalia’s sworn enemy. He promises to free Nalia from her master so that she can return to her ravaged homeland and free her imprisoned brother—all for an unbearably high price. Nalia’s not sure she can trust him, but Raif’s her only hope of escape. With her enemies on the hunt, Earth has become more perilous than ever for Nalia. There’s just one catch: for Raif’s unbinding magic to work, Nalia must gain possession of her bottle…and convince the dangerously persuasive Malek that she truly loves him. Battling a dark past and harboring a terrible secret, Nalia soon realizes her freedom may come at a price too terrible to pay: but how far is she willing to go for it?

A brand new fantasy series that I'm so excited to start because I have never read anything that involved jinnis before.  Everything about it just sounds amazing!

Title: The Vault of Dreamers

Author: Caragh O'Brien

Release Date: September 16, 2014

The Forge School is the most prestigious arts school in the country. The secret to its success: every moment of the students' lives is televised as part of the insanely popular Forge Show, and the students' schedule includes twelve hours of induced sleep meant to enhance creativity. But when first year student Rosie Sinclair skips her sleeping pill, she discovers there is something off about Forge. In fact, she suspects that there are sinister things going on deep below the reaches of the cameras in the school. What's worse is, she starts to notice that the edges of her consciousness do not feel quite right. And soon, she unearths the ghastly secret that the Forge School is hiding—and what it truly means to dream there.

I've been a long time fan of O'Brien's so when I heard that she was coming out with a new book I knew I would be on that train immediately! I haven't read a good dystopian in a long time and I hope this is it!

Title: Blood of my Blood

Author: Barry Lyga

Release Date: September 09, 2014

Jazz Dent has been shot and left to die in New York City. His girlfriend Connie is in the clutches of Jazz's serial killer father, Billy. And his best friend Howie is bleeding to death on the floor of Jazz's own home in tiny Lobo's Nod. Somehow, these three must rise above the horrors their lives have become and find a way to come together in pursuit of Billy. But then Jazz crosses a line he's never crossed before, and soon the entire country is wondering: "Like father, like son?" Who is the true monster?
The chase is on, and beyond Billy there lurks something much, much worse. Prepare to meet...the Crow King.

The conclusion to another series that I just absolutely love! The second book left on such a massive cliffhanger I am literally chomping at the bit to get my hands on this book!

That's all I have for you this week bookworms! What are some of your most anticipated releases for this fall? Let me know in the comments! 

What Does the Bookworm Say?: Books and Music

Hey readers! Welcome to this week's edition of What Does the Bookworm Say! This week we will be discussing books and music. Don't forget to hop over to my fellow bookworm's blogs: Thuy @ Nite Lite Reviews and Kimberly @ The Windy Pages.

Do you listen to music when reading? What kind? Or is silence better? Bonus points if you make a playlist for your current book (if you have one).

Back when I was in high school and college, I used to be able to study, read, do homework, write a paper or anything while there was any kind of music playing. On my super old iPod I used to have playlists that were just for studying or writing a paper.  But now that I'm older, I prefer music without any words or just silence.  

When I was in college, I thought that the only music that didn't have words or lyrics was classical. Then my friend introduced me to Explosions in the Sky. And they are awesome! There is just something about instrumental music that is just so powerful.  It can pretty much become whatever you want it to be because there are no lyrics to define it.  To me, it become much more personal. 

As much as I always wanted to be a music person, I've just never been one.  And now I really don't care.  I've always preferred talk radio over any music station and I would much rather listen to podcasts than a playlist.  So if I'm not listening to country music, I'm listening to talk radio, instrumental music or podcasts. I'm also definitely not someone who makes playlists for books, but I think for those who do that it's really awesome! 

What Does the Bookworm Say? Book Trailers

Hey there! Welcome to this week's What Does the Bookworm Say discussion.  This week we're talking about book trailers and whether we love them, hate them or just don't care.  Don't forget to visit my friends Thuy @ Nite Lite Book Reviews and Kimberly @ The Windy Pages and read their two cents on book trailers.

In all honesty, I never watch book trailers.  It's not that I think that they're bad or they're stupid or anything like that, I just never realized that book trailers are that big of a thing. Are they? Are they made often? Who makes the book trailer? The publishing company or the author? Where do they post them and how do I find them? Youtube, Facebook or the publisher's website?

In research for this discussion post, I had remembered that Richelle Mead posted something on her Facebook about a teaser trailer for her upcoming release Silver Shadows (which I'm super excited about) so I went back and I found the trailer so I could watch it.  And I really liked it! Now looking back I realize they have all kinds of book trailers for the whole Bloodlines Series! So if you haven't seen the recent book teaser trailer for Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead then here it is!!




I think book trailers are something I could definitely like.  I'll definitely start keeping my eyes open for more book trailers in the future and maybe start posting some of them here at Books Unbound!

What do you guys think about book trailers? Yay or nay? Let me know in the comments!

What Does the Bookworm Say?: Blogger Burnout

Hi! Welcome to this week's What Does the Bookworm Say! This week we'll be discussing blogger burnout and how we deal with it when we're experiencing it. Don't forget to check out this topic of discussion at Nite Lite Book Reviews (and her beautiful new blog design), The Windy Pages and The Reader's Antidote. 

So the questions is whether or not I experience blogger burnout and the answer to that is yes. No wait....that's a BIG YES! 

When I first started my blog I absolutely loved it and I was so into reading and blogging all the time! I went strong with it for about two years! I started experiencing my first bout of blogging burnout after my grandma passed away.  I just felt like I couldn't do any of my normal things, especially reading and blogging! So usually when I feel like I have a bout of blogging burnout coming on I usually just let it come and try not to completely neglect my blog.  But the most important thing that I usually realize that I love blogging and reading so much more than not doing it which is why I keep coming back to it! I just end up missing it so much that I just have to do it!! And even though on day sometime in the far, far future I probably won't be a blogger but I will always be a reader! 

I wish I had more of a system to overcome blogging burnout but I really don't.  I usually just let it run it's course and then get back to it when I feel like writing a post. 

What about you guys? Have you ever experienced blogger burnout? Do you have a topic you would like us to discuss? Let me know in the comments!!

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!

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!

What Does the Bookworm Say? Cover Changes: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

This week on What Does the Bookworm Say? we are coming back to the topic of cover changes.  Last time we talked about Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead so if you missed it, you can read that here! This time we're talking about The Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater; Shiver, Linger and Forever. Also, to read more about cover changes don't forget to visit Nite Lite Book Reviews, The Reader's Antidote and The Windy Pages! 

Sadly I have not had the opportunity to read this series yet but it is something that I would like to read eventually.  As much as I want to I just don't think Shiver and I are meant to be.  I cannot tell you how many copies of this book I have purchased and they either don't make it my house or they somehow get lost in my room or a friend never returned it but needless to say I own Linger and Forever but cannot get my hands on a copy of Shiver. It's the funniest thing! But I digress. 

Have you guys seen the new covers for Shiver?! This is one of those cases where I wonder why are they trying to fix something that's not broken? The original covers are beautiful! They're so mysterious with wolf in the background and whimsical with the little hearts in the trees. It's what draws me to this series! 

The new covers definitely lost all the whimsy and it's just so generic.  Why did they have to put a girl on the cover? They left the wolf and the lack of trees make it seem less foreboding.  I like that the original cover looks more like a thicket than a forest which definitely brings more to the mysterious table.  I don't think covers should be changed unless it's bringing in a new element that the original cover was missing.  I feel like a cover change for the Wolves of Mercy Falls series is unnecessary.

What Does the Bookworm Say? Negative Reviews

The topic this week is “Do I write negative reviews?” Don't forget to check out this topic at Nite Lite Reviews, The Reader's Antidote and The Windy Pages.

The simple answer to this question is yes! I don’t think there is anything wrong with a negative review. When an author puts their work out into the world, it’s natural that there are going to be some people who absolutely love it and some people who don’t like it as much and maybe even hate it.

When it comes to writing a negative review, I usually take more care and choose my words more carefully than if I were writing a positive review. I try to be very concise so that my words aren't twisted or taken out of context.

I think negative reviews are really important and I usually want to tell my readers why I didn't like a book. Whether a book had no plot, really annoying characters or a stupid love triangle; these are thing I like to talk about in a negative review even though these likes and dislikes are based purely on opinion.

When it comes to reading reviews, I always read the negative reviews because I really want to know why some readers did not like the book! I always want to weigh the book and the bad before I buy a book. And by writing a negative review I hope that I can help out another reader weigh their pros and cons before purchasing.

The only thing I really have to say about negative reviews is that I'm all for them! I like to write them and I like to read them! 

What do you think about negative reviews? Do you like to read/write them?

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

What Does the Bookworm Say? Favorite TV Shows

I'm so excited for this topic because I watch a lot of TV. Let's just be honest! Watching TV is so easy and there is just so much to watch! I don't have cable or anything so maybe I don't watch as much as I think or as much as I could. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Resurrection: This show just started on ABC so if you haven't watched it yet you can probably catch up on all the episodes on Hulu! I really love this new show because it's so mysterious! There is so much going on and so many unanswered questions already! I hope enough people watch it so that it will stay around for a few more seasons.

2. The Mindy Project: One of my favorite comedies right now is The Mindy Project! For some reason I love all things Mindy Kaling and I think she's just incredible! It's only in the second season but I'm so excited for where it's going and I can't wait for it to come back this week!!

3. Downton Abbey: I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Downton Abbey! I watch this with my mom and sister and we can't get enough! Even though not a lot is going on, I've become attached to the characters and I pretty much hope the show never ends! And Maggie Smith is brilliant, as always!

4. Criminal Minds: I've watch Criminal Minds since day 1 and have loved it ever since! There's just something about serial killers that fascinates me! I especially love the episodes that are really violent and bloody but I don't know why!

5. Scandal: I LOVE SCANDAL! There's so much DRAMA!! I really hate it when people cheat on each other but for some reason I'm always rooting for Olivia Pope and Fitz! Maybe because the First Lady is so scheming and underhanded.  But it's so good and I am wrapped every week!

Honorable Mention: Parks and Recreaction, The Black List and Gray's Anatomy

Don't forget to check out the other bookworms and see what they like to watch: Thuy @ Nite Lite Reviews, Kimberly @ The Windy Pages and Nicole @ The Reader's Antidote. 

What Does the Bookworm Say? New Adult

What Does the Bookworm Say is a bi-weekly discussion post hosted here! To see what some other bookworms say on the topic you can read their posts at Nite Lite Book Reviews, The Windy Pages and The Reader's Antidote! 

So sorry for the late post guys! I've been sick and since it's spring break work has been pretty busy. This week we're talking about the genre New Adult.  

I guess I first heard about New Adult about a year or so ago.  I was confused as to whether or not it was considered YA or not because I was reading about it on a lot of YA blogs.  So I wasn't really sure what it really was. 

So, according to my understanding, it's written like YA but it's for a more mature audience because of the sexual content.  These New Adult novels are usually contemporaries following characters that are college aged.  

Even though I still haven't read a new adult novel (I planned to read one by now but it didn't happen), I have two that I really want to read and will hopefully do so soon!

I would really like to see a New Adult fantasy novel! Now that would be something that I would definitely read! 

Right now, New Adult is usually published by indie publishers.  This makes them a little bit harder to find in hard copy but also very cheap in e-book form.  Hopefully, sometime soon the big publishing houses will see how well New Adult is doing and start publishing some New Adult novels. I really think New Adult can be something big and exciting in the future! 

Do you guys like/read New Adult? Let me know in the comments!

What Does The Bookworm Say? Booktube

Hi! Welcome to this week's What Does the Bookworm Say? Today we are talking about our thoughts on Booktube, the Booktube community and who are favorite booktubers are. Also stop by Thuy @ Nite Lite Reviews, Kimberly @ The Windy Pages and Nicole @ The Reader's Antidote and check out their thoughts on Booktube.

Booktube is something that I have stumbled on pretty recently; as in within the past year. For those of you unfamiliar with Booktube it is a community of people on Youtube who make videos primarily about books. And it is a thing you guys. It is a BIG thing! I have seen it grow and evolve over the past year exponentially and more and more Youtubers are joining the Booktube community every day.

Through my travels of Youtube, I've noticed two very different types of Booktubers. There are the Booktubers who love read books and love to get book recommendations. They love fangirling over books that they love and the overall tone of their videos is always happy! I love watching people like that. They’re optimistic about sequels to books they love and they understand that book to movie adaptations are just that: adaptations. They have high hopes and the look on the bright side.

Then there are those Booktubers who have not quiet mastered the art of the critical review and sound like they’re complaining all the time. Nothing can be just right for them. They don’t like this cover or that love triangle which is all fine and good but when you’re talking about it in front of a camera you really have to get the tone right or it comes off as whining and complaining. Do you want some cheese with that whine?

If you start watching Booktubers for any consistent amount of time you will notice that they all talk about the same few books, always. For instance, right now I can’t watch a booktube video without hearing something about these four books/series: Vicious by V.E. Schwab, Under the Never Sky Series by Veronica Rossi, the Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu or The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Braken. Every. Single. Video. Granted these are all really great books and series but switch it up a little bit seriously! Booktubers need to get some new favorite books!

Another aspect I don’t really like about booktube is review videos. I have found that I would much rather read a book review. That way, if I haven’t read the book, I can skip parts of the review that I think might give something away. I can’t do that with a video review. If I skip to three minutes in, I might find myself lost.

The best types of videos to watch are book hauls, monthly wrap-up videos and for some reason I really like Q&A. Here are five of my favorite Booktubers and a great way to become introduced to the booktube community.

1. Little Book Owl
2. booksandquills
3. The Readables
4. Ermahgerd Berks
5. PeruseProject

Thanks for reading our discussion this week! Do you keep up with the booktube community? Are you a big fan? Let me know in the comments!

What Does The Bookworm Say? Cover Changes and Vampire Academy

Cover changes are usually hit or miss for me.  Some of my absolute favorite covers are changed halfway through a series and I get really mad about it! So now I have three hardcover books in the old cover and now your changing the covers for the last 3 books but your going to release the first 3 books in paperback with the new covers so at least some of your books match the rest of them in the series.  So frustrating!! Then there are other time when I just think that a cover is so ugly that I hope and pray that they will change it eventually because I feel like that ugly cover is keeping people from reading this AWESOME book!

The latter is literally what happened with me and Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. I can't tell you how many times and over the course of how many years I picked up Vampire Academy in the store and put it back on the shelf because that cover is SO ugly! When I finally did buy it, I was embarrassed to read it in public because of that hideous cover!

The first one is the copy that I had originally. Who is that one the cover! Is is supposed to be Rose? Why does she look like Angelina Jolie? Why is it such a close shot of her face? At this point I even welcome the movie cover as a much better alternative to the first one. I don't even usually like movie covers but I would take it over this!  The second cover is okay and in person, the face is really fogged in the background and the VA really stands out.  So the new covers are a little bit better and that's all I can ask for at this point. 

What do you think of the Vampire Academy cover changes? Let me know in the comments!! And don't forget to stop by Thuy @ Nite Lite Book Reviews, Kimberly @ The Windy Pages and Nicole @ The Reader's Antidote and see what they think about Vampire Academy cover changes!