Contemporary-A-Thon TBR

Published on February 12, 2019May 16, 2019 by Jessica6 Comments

Hello, loves! Today’s post was supposed to be something entirely different- it was supposed to be a discussion post, but that will be up either later this week, or next week!

Then, I was going to do a Q&A, but I am going to save those questions for next week, so if you have anything you want to ask me, leave a comment down below :)

I decided instead to do a last minute TBR for the contemporary-a-thon! This read-a-thon started yesterday actually, by the time you’re reading this, so I probably already started/finished some books!

This is a read-a-thon hosted by some AMAZING people, so definitely check all of them out!

There are seven challenges, so you can read 7 books, but you can combine challenges and read as many as you want! I’m going to pick a book for each category, but I only plan on getting to about 2-3 books (oops).

1. Read the most recent contemporary book you purchased/acquired

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

I just bought this the order day at a trip to Barnes and Noble: I actually bought three books, but this is the one that I found last. I bought it sort of on a whim, but I have heard such amazing things about it. All I know is that it is a murder mystery novel which is right up my alley.

2. Read book with blurple (blue or purple) on the cover

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Yes, I am still reading this. I sort of put it down for a few weeks, not because it was bad, but because I had other books I needed to prioritize. However, I am finally a good chunk of the way through, and I should definitely finish it in the next couple of days.

3. Read a diverse contemporary (keeping in mind that it is Black History Month!)

A Girl Like Her by Talia Hibbert

This is a romance novel whose main character is black and I believe on the autism spectrum. I read Merry Inkmas but Talia Hibbert and enjoyed it. It was a quick read, so I’m hoping this one is the same, so I can knock it out in a day or two.

4. Read a dark/emotional/hard-hitting contemporary

You by Caroline Kepnes

This is another mystery novel that is about stalking- I’m sorry that my TBR’s don’t have good descriptions of the books, but I don’t usually know a lot going into a book. I think it counts as a dark contemporary, but honestly I don’t know since I don’t know anything about it. I have been putting off watching the Netflix show because I want to read the book first. I don’t think I will be able to finish this one during the week just because it’s a longer one, but I’m hoping to at least start it!

5. Read a contemporary that you meant to read in 2018 but didn’t

The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett

If you know anything about me, you know that I love Jenn Bennett. She writes really cute, fluffy contemporaries, which I honestly don’t even really like to read anymore. BUT, there is something about her writing that makes me fall in love with her characters and want to read more. I have read 3 of her novels, but have not gotten around to this one yet. I really hope I love it as much as the rest of her books!

6. Read a contemporary in a non-traditional format

Someday, Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham (e-book)

I have had the e-book of this novel for probably over a year now. I read Lauren Graham’s autobiography and she is so incredibly funny. Since then, I have wanted to pick up this book, which is her debut novel, I believe.

7. Read a contemporary with some sort of picture on the spine

I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman

I’m away at school and this was the only contemporary I have that sort of fits this challenge- it has a little cartoon person at the top of the spine. I loved Radio Silence by Alice Oseman, and IWBFT has been on my TBR since it came out (maybe even earlier). I have said in multiple TBRs that I would read this and yet I still haven’t- but is anyone even surprised?? So, let’s hope I finally get around to it :)

Leave a comment down below letting me know if you are participating in the contemporary-a-thon :)

Also, please leave some questions down below for a Q&A post! I will try to answer all of them, if I can!

February 2019 TBR

Published on February 2, 2019February 2, 2019 by Jessica8 Comments

The first month of the year is officially over! It was a pretty productive month for me that came with a lot of changes and unexpected surprises- all in a good way! I hope things were good for you, too.

First, a mini wrap-up.

I read a total of 11 books last month, which is the most I’ve read in a while. I’m hoping that I can keep this going for the rest of the year, but as school gets more difficult, that might not be possible. I’m just going with the flow right now.

Out of those 11, 5 were poetry collections and 6 were actual novels. Usually I don’t read this much poetry in one month, I try to spread it out. However, I got a lot of ARCs and review copies so I wanted to read them ASAP.

Also, I only read one physical book this month which is definitely new to me. I usually only read a few ebooks/audiobooks a month, but those are basically all I read in January. Like I said, January was full of surprises.

The TBR

February is the first month of the Booktube Games, which I am participating in! If you don’t know, it is a month long reading challenge where everyone is put into a team based off of a fictional place. The goal is to read as much as you can, and the team with the most amount of pages read wins.

I’m team camp half-blood (which is obviously going to win), and I’m so excited!

I planned a TBR out of 6 books, but I plan on reading a lot more- I just wanted room to read whatever I’m in the mood for.

It by Stephen King

I have owned the physical copy of this book for a long time now, but it’s so intimidating because it’s over 1000 pages! But, I finally got the audiobook on Libby, so I want to listen to it. I think it’s the only way I’ll get through the whole thing.

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

If you don’t follow me on Instagram or Twitter (which you should), then you wouldn’t know that I am hosting a Shades of Magic read-a-long with my friend Aza! This month we are starting off with A Darker Shade of Magic (obviously), and I’m so excited! This book is one that is extremely hyped by the community, so I hope it lives up to that!

If you want to join us, be sure to use #SOMreadalong to update your progress :)

Sadie by Courtney Summers

I am actually group reading this with a few people on Twitter, so this is one of the first books I plan on getting to this month. The cover is stunning, the story sounds amazing, and literally everyone loves it. I heard the ending will make you cry, and that’s what I’m always looking for in a book if I’m being honest!

Circe by Madeline Miller

This is camp half-blood’s group read for the games, and if you read it within the first week, you get double the page count! I am not entirely excited about this one (it’s not something I would pick up on my own), but hopefully I end up enjoying it.

Gerald’s Game by Stephen King

Another Stephen King book is on here, oops. I just finished reading On Writing by him, and I loved it so much. That book really changed the way I view writing, so I need to get a move on and actually read his books!

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Finally, I want to read Starfish, which is a book I started last month. BUT, because of my weird ebook/audiobook kick, I couldn’t pick up any physical books. I definitely want to get to it this month, though. Summer Bird Blue was my favorite book of 2018, so of course I need to pick up other books by Akemi!

What are you reading this month? Are you participating in the booktube games? Definitely let me know in the comments (and what team you’re on)!

December 2018 Wrap-Up

Published on January 1, 2019 by Jessica1 Comment

Hello everyone and Happy New Year! This is my first post after Blogmas, and I’m feeling great. I’m inspired and I have so much to share this year. I can’t wait to see where I go.

Today’s post is a simple wrap-up because December was actually a pretty good reading month for me up until the end. I read a total of 9 books, which ended my year with 65 books read. I didn’t beat last year, but I’m okay with that. My goal for 2019 is 52 books! Hopefully I can get more than that :)

The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas

Oof. Where do I even start? I wanted to like this book, and I tried. I really did. But the characters were just so unlikeable and I honestly didn’t care for the plot at all. I had high expectations for it, too. But I just couldn’t get myself into it.

Rating: 2/5 stars

What Happened by Hillary Clinton

This is a memoire by Hillary Clinton talking about what happened in her campaign and sort of what went wrong. I really enjoyed this audiobook and I found the story so interesting. I am very interested in politics, so this story was very important to me. I highly recommend it if you want to know more about the 2016 election.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Pillow Thoughts by Courtney Peppernell

This is a poetry collection that I wasn’t entirely sold on. The poems just didn’t connect with me all that much, and I felt like they were too simple. They didn’t have that rawness and depth that I look for in poetry.

Rating: 2/5 stars

Yesterday I Was the Moon by Noor Unnahar

Luckily, after that last one, I picked up a collection I actually enjoyed. These poems were so powerful and important. I felt the emotions behind each one, and I was able to be empathetic and connect to them, even if they didn’t relate to me personally. I loved it.

Rating: 4/5 stars

What We Buried by Caitlyn Siehl

This collection was just breathtaking. I bought this because I was attending a reading for Caitlyn and Amanda Lovelace (author of The Princess Saves Herself in This One). I fell in love from the moment I heard Caitlyn read a poem. She was amazing. I really, really recommend this one.

Rating: 5/5 stars

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

This is a book I read for one of my classes last semester, so I don’t want to judge it. I read it solely from an analytical point of view.

Merry Inkmas by Talia Hibbert

I’m starting to get into the romance genre and so I decided to pick this one up because the ebook was free. I am so glad I did. It was a quick read but filled with a lot of cute moments. I really enjoyed it.

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

I heard a lot of good things about this one, but again, I just didn’t like it. The love story was just so cringe worthy and unrealistic to me. It’s a big “insta-love” and I hated it. That’s probably my least favorite trope ever. I loved Natasha’s story a lot, and I would have preferred just reading about her, and not the love story.

Rating: 2/5 stars

Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi

This is another book that I wanted to love so so bad. I have been putting it off for so so long because I was scared I wouldn’t like it, and unfortunately my fears were right. I just didn’t connect with it and I honestly don’t really remember the plot at all and I read it so recently. Nothing stood out from it to me.

Rating: 2/5 stars

As you can see, my reading was sort of all over the place this month. Lot’s of ups and downs. Let me know what you thought of these books if you’ve read them, or what you read this month!

24 Hour Read-A-Thon Recap // Blogmas Day 23

Published on December 23, 2018May 16, 2019 by Jessica6 Comments

As some of you know, if you read my last TBR post, I just did a 24 hour read-a-thon with two amazing people! It was a lot of fun, and I definitely want to do more in the future :)

Let’s talk about how I did!

The TBR:

What I read:

I had about half of Emergency Contact left (200 pages or so), and I managed to finish it at around 11:30 at night. I kept alternating between listening to The Sun is Also a Star and reading Emergency Contact. Luckily, the The Sun audiobook was short, and since I listen at 2.5 speed, it took me less than 4 hours.

I finished it at about 7:30. It took me a long time to finish both because I took a lot of breaks and went out a couple of times throughout the day, but at least I managed to read 2 of them!

I started Dumplin’, but only got about 3 chapters in!

I’m definitely still counting this as a win because I managed to finish 2 books. I’m definitely happy with that.

I also had so much fun!

This was a lot of fun, as I’ve mentioned! If you want to see more 24 hour read-a-thon posts, let me know! Or if you want to participate the next time I do one, definitely let me know, and I can make sure I announce it first :)

Mental Health Book Bingo TBR // Blogmas Day 21

Published on December 21, 2018December 22, 2018 by Jessica10 Comments

I have an exciting announcement! This January, I will be a host for the Mental Health Book Bingo with a group of lovely people! I can not wait, and I am so honored to be a part.

If you haven’t heard of it, it’s basically a bingo board that has a prompt on each box, and the goal is to read 5 books during the month of January (to make a line- diagonally, vertically, horizontally, etc). They each feature representation of different mental illnesses, or are related to it.

Make sure to follow the twitter to keep up with updates and participate in various chats and sprints with us! Also, use the hashtag #mhbb to post your own updates!

The rest of the hosts are:

Wendy // whatthelogsaid

Inge // ingeswonderland

Laura // bbliophile

Lili // UtopiaMind

Ayah Assem // DystopianCitzn

Sar // readtorecover

My TBR

I am going to be a bit of a rebel when it comes to my TBR. I actually won’t be following the typical bingo line because 2019 is a no-buy year for me, so I had to choose books that I own or have accessible to me- this means whatever I can get on the Libby app or from kindle.

Also, I chose more than 5 books because I’m a mood reader, and need some options!

However, I do plan on reading 5-6 books, so I will still be doing my part :)

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga (Depression Rep)

Made You Up by Francesca Zappia (YA w/ MI)

When We Collided by Emery Lord (Free space)

Girl In Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow (PTSD rep)

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan (2018 Release)

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman* (Anxiety Rep)

Group Read- Not Chosen Yet

I really encourage all of you to participate, even if you only read one book! It’s so important to read about all types of diversity, and this is a fun way to do it. Also, make sure to stay up to date by following the Twitter, where a lot of fun things will be happening :)

24 Hour Read-A-Thon TBR // Blogmas Day 19

Published on December 19, 2018May 16, 2019 by Jessica4 Comments

I am doing a 24 hour read-a-thon tomorrow with my friend Amanda, and I am so excited! I plan on doing a few of these while I’m on winter break because I’ll have a lot of time, and it’ll be nice to get more reading in.

I have so many books I want to get to, so this will be helping me out a lot! Let’s just jump into the TBR.

Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi

This is my current read, and I really want to finish it ASAP! It’s not my favorite read right now, but I’m enjoying it enough to keep reading. I’ve had this on my TBR for far too long though, so I really want to finish it.

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

I have the audiobook for this one, and It’s about 8 hours long. Since I listen to them at 2.5 speed, it’ll take less than 4 hours, so I definitely think I can do this! I’ve been meaning to read this for the longest time, too. Everything, Everything was okay, but I’ve heard nothing but amazing things for this one!

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

I finally got the e-book on the Libby app, but I only have about 7 days left to read it, so I definitely want to get to it ASAP. The movie just came out on Netflix, and I’ve been using all of my self-control to not watch it yet. It’s been rough, but if I finish it soon, then I can finally watch it!

EXTRA:

The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic

If I manage to finish the other 3 (highly unlikely), then I want to continue this one! I only read about 1 or 2 chapters of it, but I’m really enjoying it so far. I probably won’t get to it, but just in case, it’s on the list!

If you’ve read any of the books below, leave a comment letting me know what you’re thoughts were! See you tomorrow :)

2019 TBR- Books I Want To Get to ASAP // Blogmas Day 14

Published on December 16, 2018May 16, 2019 by Jessica1 Comment

Hello everyone! I missed two days of Blogmas because of school and other reasons, but I’m putting up 3 posts today (so make sure you check out the other 2 which should be up a couple hours after this one) to make it up to y’all!

I know I told you guys that for 2019, I’m not buying any new books- I am solely going to read the books I own but haven’t read yet, and will use the library more often. So, I thought that I would do a post about the books I definitely want to go to in the new year!

This is a long one, so I won’t be giving any explanations, sorry! (also these are not in any order)

Gerald’s Game by Stephen King

The Diviners by Libba Bray

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Afterparty by Ann Stampler

Someday, Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham

Killing Sarai by J.A. Redmerski

You by Caroline Kepnes

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

My Sister’s Grave by Robert Dugoni

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavalaro

The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith

The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

The House by Christina Lauren

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman

An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter

I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman

The Impossibility of Us by Katy Upperman

Sadie by Courtney Summers

Broken Things by Lauren Oliver

Becoming by Michelle Obama

I am so so excited about all of these books, and I can’t wait to look back on this list at the end of the year and see how well I did! Leave a comment letting me know which ones I should get to ASAP :)

November Wrap-Up // Blogmas Day 8

Published on December 8, 2018December 7, 2018 by Jessica7 Comments

Everyone in the book community seemed to be having a really bad reading month at the start of November, while I was flying through books so quickly. The beginning of my month was great (reading wise) and then slowly it started to get worse and worse.

I still managed to get 7 books in, which I’m really pleased with!

The Selection by Kiera Cass

I picked this book up (finally) because I was in a bit of a slump, and needed something quick and fluffy to pull me out of that. That is exactly what it did. It was cute, and I enjoyed following the story. I’m not sure yet if I will continue on with the series, but it left on a cliffhanger and I want to know the rest, so I might one day. The writing wasn’t the best, but this book was exactly what I needed.

Rating: 4/5 stars

My Husband’s Wife by Jane Corry

This was a buddy read I did that month, and it was a wild ride. It started off super slow and I wasn’t enjoying it as much as I had originally hoped. But, by the middle, I found myself intrigued by the plot, and I enjoyed the ending enough. I also hated all of the characters, but in a good way. They were all horrible and evil, but I sort of liked that. Definitely not my favorite mystery/thriller, but it was decent.

Rating: 3/5 stars

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

Wow. After the last book, this one was just flawless. I enjoyed it so so much, and I definitely want to re-read it soon. I listened to the audiobook and I was just so invested in the story, I couldn’t stop listening. I am a sucker for character driven stories, and this is exactly what this one was. It was just incredible, and the plot twists were so good. Might be one of my favorite thrillers right now.

Rating: 5/5 stars

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

After reading Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, I was a little hesitant about picking up more books by Becky. I wasn’t really a fan of Simon (but I LOVED the movie). I decided to give her a chance anyways, and I’m so glad I did. I absolutely adored this book. It was so pure and real, and it just made my heart happy. I literally listened to the whole audiobook in like a day, I just couldn’t stop.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

Obviously, I’ve been in a huge mystery/thriller mood, and I wanted to pick this book up before the movie that comes out at the end of this month! It was incredible. I loved it and was so hooked from beginning to end. The concept was so amazing, and I wanted so much more. It’s a short book, so I read it fairly quickly, but I wish there was more to it, because I was definitely not done.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

I’m not going to say much about this book- it was a requirement for class, so I never give my opinion on these.

Rating: N/A

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

The last book that I picked up was Radio Silence and it was an incredible way to end the month. I know so many people adore this book, and I really wanted to read a book by Alice Oseman. I own I Was Born For This, too, so I definitely want to get to it ASAP after reading this one. I loved the character development and the storyline. It was so unique but really interesting.

Rating: 5/5 stars

That’s it for the books I read this month! Let me know if you’ve read any and what your opinions are. I’d love to hear them :) See you tomorrow for Blogmas Day 9!

December TBR // Blogmas Day 1

Published on December 1, 2018November 28, 2018 by Jessica5 Comments

Hello everyone! Welcome to Blogmas day 1. Yes, I am taking part this year. this is going to be my first year doing Blogmas and I’m so excited about it. I pre-wrote so many posts and there are a ton that I’m so excited for you guys to read.

To start off, I thought I’d do a December TBR since this is the last month of the year. There are a couple of books I really want to get in before the year is over, and I’m hoping to get to 60 books read!

The TBR

What Happened by Hillary Clinton

This is my current Audiobook read that I was hoping to finish in November, but it’s just so long. I’m almost done with it, so I know that I will finish it really soon. I’m really enjoying it so far because I’ve always been interested in politics, so it’s cool to learn about some of the behind the scenes of campaigns!

Birthday Girl Penelope Douglas

I got this book as a recommendation from some friends on Twitter, and it’s another book that I’m currently reading. I’m not too far along into it yet, but so far I’m not loving it. It’s a romance novel where the MC starts to like her boyfriend’s dad, and that’s all I know! I hope I start to enjoy it more as I get deeper into it.

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

This is a book I’ve had on my TBR for literal YEARS. I’m finally promising to read it because I have the audiobook, so it should be a quick read. I’m also trying really hard to narrow down my TBR before I allow myself to buy anymore books, so this is how I’m going to do it!

Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi

I know, I know. I promised to read this book so so many times. And I will. I swear. That is all I have to say about this one.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I just bought this book in a pretty paperback edition a couple of weeks ago, and I want to read it ASAP. After I finish the first two books, this is going to be the one I pick up next! I’m so incredibly excited for it.

Merry Inkmas by Talia Hibbert

The last book on my list is another romance novel! I’m participating in the read-a-long that Chandler Ainsely is hosting for this book (which starts tomorrow), which is why I know I will be reading this one! Plus, the e-book was FREE. I just really hope I enjoy it.

That is all for my TBR! I don’t know how much reading I will actually get done because of finals coming up, but I hope I can get through at least 4 of them. Plus, after finals, I will be home for a month and I’ll have plenty of time.

Let me know in the comments if you’ve read any of these and what your thoughts were!

Currently Reading + Future Reading Plans

Published on November 20, 2018November 20, 2018 by Jessica2 Comments

***This post is going up late and I actually finished 2 of the books I talk about, but I’ll give reviews of them in a wrap-up

I didn’t post a TBR this month, mainly because I’m taking part in NaNoWriMo, and wasn’t sure how much time I would have for reading- but I’m actually managing pretty well.

But if I’m being honest, I sort of hate TBRs. I just never really stick to them, and I hate feeling like I’m forced to read certain books.

With that being said, though, I actually do plan out what books I’m going to read next in my mind. I like to have some structure in my life (even if it’s just me faking it till I make it).

Anyways, I thought I would share what books I’m currently reading with you, as well as what I plan on reading next- which is totally subject to change!!!

Currently Reading

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My Husband’s Wife by Jane Corry

I’m currently buddy reading this with my lovely friend, Kimberly. We both agreed that it had a bit of a slow start to it, but if you push through, it gets really interesting. There are definitely a few things that I don’t really love about it, but I’ll probably post an in-depth review of it once I’m done (or I’ll talk more about it in a wrap-up).

It’s a mystery/thriller that I honestly don’t even know how to explain because so much is going on and I feel like I wouldn’t do it justice, but definitely check it out and give it a shot!

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

I picked this up on my last trip to Barnes and Noble because I heard it was being turned into a movie/tv show (I can’t remember which) and I wanted to read it before then! It’s been on my TBR for so long, and now is the perfect time to read it.

It’s another mystery/thriller- there’s a tend here- but I’m not really familiar with the plot. I’m only on chapter 2, so I can’t really say much about it, but I wanted to read it after hearing multiple Booktubers talk about it and how much they loved it!

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

Oh, look- another mystery/thriller. I had been waiting for this audiobook on the Libby app for so long. The hold line was SO. LONG. But finally, it’s my turn to borrow it!

This is a pretty recent release that I’ve heard so many people talk about. It follows a woman with agoraphobia (which is something I really like to read about) who watches her neighbors through her window. One day she sees something she’s not supposed to, and a ton of secrets get revealed.

I’m really loving this so far! The audiobook is great, and it’s a good way for me to distinguish it from the other two thrillers I’m reading.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

I’m reading this for one of my classes, and like almost all required reading, I’m not really enjoying it. I never would have picked this up on my own. It’s just one of those classics that I find really boring, personally.

There are a ton of classics that I really enjoy, but this is just not one of them. It’s honestly pretty hard to follow with all of the different characters, and the storyline is a bit confusing. It’s not the worst book I’ve read, but it’s been hard to get through since I’m analyzing it for academic purposes.

Next Up

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman

I read Summer Bird Blue by Akemi and absolutely adored it! It is definitely a character driven novel, not a plot based one (just letting you guys know), but I love that. I am a sucker for good characters and that is one of the main things I look for in a book.

I can’t wait to dive into this one because I have a feeling I will love it even more!

I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman

This has been on my TBR since before its publication. I follow Alice on so many platforms and she is just the sweetest human ever.

I finally got my hands on a copy of this book, so I want to read it ASAP! The cover is stunning, and the plot just gives me some warm vibes.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I know for a fact that I will be picking this up soon because I am actually going to buddy read it with Taryn from Taryn and Her Books! This has been on my TBR ever since I read Caraval (which was so so long ago now) because I know people compared the two.

I’m not a big fantasy reader, but I can’t resist circus stories! Besides, this book is just so gorgeous.

I hope you guys enjoyed this post! Let me know if you want to see more like this in the future :)