What I’m Currently Reading

Nov12

Just a quick shout out (and MASSIVE thank you!) to Stripes Publishing and @DOYAREADME for sending me a fantastically spooky book! I positively squealed with joy at receiving this ARC!

Here’s the summary:

We’re waiting for you to come and play. Dunvegan School for Girls has been closed for many years. Converted into a family home, the teachers and students are long gone. But they left something behind…Sophie arrives at the old schoolhouse to spend the summer with her cousins. Brooding Cameron with his scarred hand, strange Lilias with a fear of bones and Piper, who seems just a bit too good to be true. And then there’s her other cousin. The girl with a room full of antique dolls. The girl that shouldn’t be there. The girl that died.

Stay tuned for my review! Even though Halloween is over, I can already tell it’s going to be a delightfully freezing read for winter!

Take Part: All Hallow’s Read

Oct15

What could be better than giving a scary book this October?

Neil Gaiman is at it again for this year’s All Hallow’s Read!

Do a spooky exchange with your best friends or maybe co-workers. Long lasting, and zero calories, your dentist will thank you for partaking in reading instead of indulging with Halloween sweets! Every year I love the art they do for this awesome event. Look at how gorgeous that picture is! Doesn’t it make you just want to curl up with something scary? What’s your horror story to read during October? I always run to Stephen King. The Shining is personal favorite of mine. Happy spooky reading!

Happy Banned Books Week!

Sep24

It’s Banned Books Week everyone! Take some time and flip through your favorite banned book or share it with a friend!

Here’s my top five of favorite banned books!

1. Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews

2. Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland by C. S. Lewis

3. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

4. Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

5. Where’s Waldo by Martin Handford

What’s your favorite banned book?

Take Part: Quaterly—Book Riot

Sep11

Hello everyone!

Last month I was extremely lucky to receive Rainbow Rowell’s Landline for July’s Riot Read. I found Quarterly through Tumblr, the website was a bit difficult for to maneuver. Quarterly emailed me wanting feedback as to why I didn’t complete a subscription, I told them how I felt and they gave me a $10 off voucher! I used it on Riot Read. It’s like monthly subscription book club. I was extremely lucky to get a book that was highly sought after, freshly published and right up my alley. But, I have enough books that I am trying to get through so I cancelled and instead signed up for Book Riot’s for their every three month subscription.

It is really awesome getting a big, beautiful parcel in the post.

I do not regret upgrading to a more boisterous parcel. I like getting things in the post and if it supports a book company and I get books out of it—seriously—what’s not to love about it?

This parcel was not a disappointment either! I freaked when I saw the water bottle. I had needed a new one for work. My nalgene needs a good cleaning.

I also got two beautiful custom literary quote prints from Obvious State. The large one is about libraries—I’M IN LOVE WITH IT. The smaller one is from The Great Gatsby. I am not the biggest fan of that book, but I DROOL over the print. It is stunning and meticulously done.

And of course—I got TWO fantastic books! The Salinger Contract by Adam Langer and What We See When We Read by Peter Mendelsund. They look and FEEL amazing! I am very pleased with my switch in subscriptions and I eagerly await the next three months, when my final parcel of the year arrives!

Here’s what I got in total:

What We See When We Read by Peter Mendelsund
The Salinger Contract by Adam Langer
Read Harder Water Bottle
READ sticker
Free ebook of Maps and Legends: Reading and Writing Along the Borderlands by Michael Chabon
A literary button
Two prints from Obvious State – The library one is exclusive to Quarterly subscribers only. My Gatsby print is a lucky extra!

What do you think? It is worth paying money for books one probably doesn’t need? But then again—one can never have too many books…

Top Ten Tuesday (or Wednesday…)

Aug13

I haven’t participated in one of the Top Ten Tuesday’s from the Broke and Bookish lately, so why not this week? I also really like this week’s Top Ten Topic:

Top Ten Books People Have Been Telling You That You MUST Read (whether because they think it’s a “you” book or it’s just been generally recommended so often)

Here goes!

(EVERYONE has been trying to get me to read this for YEARS. The more they tell me, the more I just don’t..read..it…)

This is strictly because of the hype. (plus all my mates are reading it and loving it, but the hype gives me no desire to read it)

Or anything by John Green. Last year I watched one of my best friend die from cancer. I don’t need to revisit the visual throughout an entire book. It doesn’t mean I won’t ever read it, it’s just, not right now.

Either it’s highly recommended, or it’s not recommended at all. Either way, I’ve got too many other books to get through to give it a try.

I read the first two and got so mad and frustrated that I gave up on the third. I just can’t do it.

My former boss turned this book on to me and I started it, but couldn’t get into it quickly. I’m going to give it another go once I’ve finished my other library books.

I’ve bought this book three times (twice for me, once for someone else). I haven’t been able to crack past the cover! The latest version I have, Neil Gaiman was able to sign it, so I will read it! I have to!

This was recommended from a Seattle bookstore staff member. It looks and sounds amazing, I feel terrible that I’ve put other YA books ahead of it.

My last two I am dying to read, but also I don’t want to read at the same time.

They’re finale’s in a series. I guess I just don’t want to say goodbye yet?

I love, love, LOVE this series. It’s ridiculous and amazing and oh, I just don’t want to be heartbroken once it’s over!

10.

This series is fantastic. I love that it doesn’t take place in America and it has a lot of devastation that most YA books don’t lean towards. I know more loss is coming with this last book, and with last year, I don’t want to shove it down my throat. But then I kinda do because I am dying to know what’s going to happen!

That’s my list! What are some of the books on yours?

Take Part: Quarterly

Jul16

I saw this interesting company, Quarterly, on Tumblr a few weeks ago. They operate as a subscription service with ‘curators’. Some of them are celebrities – Nina Garcia, Bill Nye and Pharrell Williams, you get the picture. I noticed Book Riot was participating as a curator, but I wasn’t sure if the subscription was either monthly or every three months. Quarterly emailed me why I hadn’t completed my subscription and I gave them some feedback and I got a $10 voucher for a future subscription!

So then I waited. I scouted. I wanted to make sure I used my voucher on something good.

You see, you don’t know what the curator sends – it’s a surprise!

I went with Riot Read – Book Riot’s monthly book club.

It’s so pretty!

Remember, it’s a secret book that gets sent out – and my jaw dropped when I ripped open the parcel.

Seriously? Did I just get Rainbow Rowell’s brand spanking new Landline?

I did! Riot Read also sent me a lovely little letter and I can’t wait to get started on the book! I am pleased with my first subscription from Quarterly, but I’m not really interested in something that’s monthly. I’ve cancelled my Riot Read subscription and I decided to upgrade to Book Riot’s every three months subscription. I’ll get a book and some goodies! I basically wanted more.

I’m just in time too, as Book Riot’s next parcel will be shipping next month – I’ll let you know what I get! Has anyone else tried Quarterly? How have you found their service and what curator did you subscribe too?