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Monday, June 30, 2014

Liebster Award!

OH.  MY.  GOODNESS.  I've been nominated for the Liebster Award!  Thank you so much Jamie from I'm a fangirl, hear me roar!  I've been blogging for a reaaaally short time (say... I don't know... like 3 months!) and honestly didn't expect anyone to read stuff that came from my strange mind.  So thank you to all of my followers who read my posts!  You're awesome!

Here are the rules for this award:
You need to:
1.  List 11 facts about yourself.
2.  Answer the 11 questions that the person who nominated you asked.
3.  Nominate 9 bloggers with less than 300 followers and leave them a comment letting them know they've been nominated.
4.  Ask 11 new questions for your nominees.
5.  No renominating the blog that nominated you!
(For a more extensive explanation click HERE)

So let's get started shall we?

The 11 facts about me:
1.  Reading is basically my only hobby.
2.  I am a total chocoholic, shoeaholic, bookaholic, and appleholic.
3.  I have two kitties, Tiger and Smokey, who are sisters.  And yes, they are adorable :)
4.  I've been to 4 countries (counting the one I live in - the US).
5.  I have a weird obsession with pens.
6.  I always end up putting too many books on hold at the library and they appear by the stack.  Sometimes I have to give them back before I've read them because there just wasn't any time!
7.  My TBR list is 2,526 books long.
8.  I have an extremely eclectic taste in music - ranging from heavy metal and Volbeat to country and Taylor Swift with everything in between.
9.  I love love love singing.
10.  I'm aspiring to be a writer.
11.  I adore all Marvel movies.

The answers to the questions:
1.  If you could go anywhere, where and why?
~ I'd love to go to Paris, France.  It's always been a dream vacation of mine.  I love the French cuisine and all the sights must be amazing!  I may just move there someday!

2.  Would you be A.) A fulltime Fangirl/Fanboy or B.) Die a horrible death?
~  I pretty much am already a fulltime Fangirl so I guess that.  I don't really want to die a horrible death - who does? *shudders*

3.  Did you really hate my last question?
~  YOU HAVE TO ASK?!?!?!  In case you didn't grasp my subtly, that was a yes, thank you very much.

4.  If you could take credit for writing any book, which would you choose?
~  I hope you mean which book I wish I had written... I'm not really the kind of person that steals other people's thunder...  I wish I would have written the Shatter Me trilogy by Tahereh Mafi.  Why you ask?  Weeeeell... I guess I just love the story and it's on the same wavelength as my own thoughts/daydreams (and NOW you know what goes on in my head). 

5.  Which celebrity would you like to drop kick in the face?
~  Justin Beiber!  UGH!!  I realize that he's growing up in front of the whole world and such but really?

6.  I know you're really not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but if/when you did what book had any amazing cover and turned out to be a great book?
~  The Shatter Me trilogy by Tahereh Mafi has beautiful covers (I know my grammer is terrible, no need to rub it in now.  But it's late and I'm tired.  What do you expect?).  I also love the covers for the Graceling trilogy by Kristin Cashore, Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell, and Finding What Is by Tabitha Vohn.  They're all such good books - I'd recommend them to most anyone :)

7.  What's your biggest pet peeve?
~  When I'm nice and polite to someone and they just can't return the favor.

8.  Which faction would you be put into?  Notice I said faction not if you're divergent or not.
~  Yes I did notice!  I think I'd be Erudite mostly because I love learning.  Knowledge can lead to so many doors and is so helpful.  I always strive to learn as much as possible.  A really close second is Dauntless.  I really didn't know which to choose... 

9.  What's your favorite blog to read?
~  I follow and love so many!  I enjoy watching Saloni's videos though at My Fantabulous Bookshelf.

10.  Did you hear they're making a High School Musical 4?!?!?!?! (P.S.  a random post on Tumblr said this, so may or may not be true, but in case it is I'll make you excited for it)
~  Yes!  I actually saw a couple tweets about it a couple hours ago!  I've only seen the first though so I'll have to watch the rest.  I thought the first one was just ok so we shall see.

11.  Which book character do you most relate to?
~  I hate it when people ask me this question!  I've read about so many characters!  I can relate to almost all (unless they're really wise or old because I haven't reached that point of my life yet) because of my overactive imagination.  I can slip into any character's world quite easily which makes reading a thrill :)  So I really don't know I guess!

My nominee's:
The Last Page At Midnight
Tanya at A Book Paradise
The Bookwhore Diaries
Beatrice at Confessions of a Pinay Bookaholic
Kirsty at Studio Reads
Rochella at iamaloserkid reads and reviews
Trinity at The Midnight Princess
The Misses at Fangirling misses
Blaze at Shadowhunters' Library

Questions for my nominee's:
1.  What are your favorite genre's?
2.  What is one food you absolutely hate and will never willingly eat it again in your life?
3.  Has an amazing book been ruined for you just because of a bad ending?
4.  What book/series are you most ashamed that you haven't read yet?
5.  Have you ever solved a Rubik's cube?
6.  What is the craziest food you have ever eaten?
7.  Which do you like better?  Warm or cold weather?
8.  If you had to choose between being forever blind or forever deaf, which would you choose?
9.  Paperback, hardcover, or ebook?
10.  What is the last song you've had on repeat you loved it so much?
11.  Have you ever read a book that is widely hated but you loved it or vice versa?  If so, what book?



Also, I'm sorry for going dark on all of you lovely people but for the past week, I was on vacation!  I had so much fun :)  It's good to be back though.  I'll probably be posting a book review later tonight or early tomorrow morning.  I really need to catch up on my reviewing!

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday #2

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish.  Every week, The Broke and Bookish post a new topic that that week's top ten lists are based on!  This week's topic is Top Ten Books on Your TBR List!

I'm really not that organized so I don't have a specific TBR list but some books I've been wanting to read are as follows:

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Teardrop by Lauren Kate

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider


There are of course, a LOT more on my list.  With a TBR list 2,452 books long, I have quite a few books to read!  I may have a itsy bitsy book problem...

What are your TBR books for summer?

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Book Review Sunday: The Help by Kathryn Stockett


Goodreads Blurb:
"Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women - mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends - view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't."




Some spoilers ahead!

Going with Goodreads rating scale, this is actually a 3.5 to me.

I really did love this book. I don't usually read books from this time period and it's really cool to have a glimpse into the lives of these people. I find it horrendous, the opinions people had back then. But I also find it fascinating how they could possibly reason that African Americans were less than them. It completely baffles me. Which is exactly the reason why I liked it so much. It portrayed the lives of these women and what they had to submit to everyday because that was simply their life.

When the 'book' came out in the book and all the ladies read it, I could barely hold back my laughter. I know it's wrong but I couldn't help but be amused by the fact that these 'fine Southern ladies' had their actions thrown in their face and they were completely confuzzled and outraged.

One of the things I didn't like about it was that it ended rather abruptly. Yes, Miss Skeeter went up north to a new job and the book made a difference. And then it ends. There isn't much closure for the rest of the maids besides the fact that Minnie is free from her husband and such. I wish there would have been some sort of epilogue or something. But nope.

Also, it just wasn't one of my favorite stories. It was really good, but it didn't strike a chord with me. We're like this *holds two fingers together* but not like this *crosses fingers*.

So 3.5 stars!


“You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” 


“Ever morning, until you dead in the ground, you gone have to make this decision. You gone have to ask yourself, "Am I gone believe what them fools say about me today?” 


“All I'm saying is, kindness don't have no boundaries.” 


“Wasn't that the point of the book? For women to realize, We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought.” 


“Ugly live up on the inside. Ugly be a hurtful, mean person.” 


“Once upon a time they was two girls," I say. "one girl had black skin, one girl had white."
Mae Mobley look up at me. She listening.
"Little colored girl say to little white girl, 'How come your skin be so pale?' White girl say, 'I don't know. How come your skin be so black? What you think that mean?'
"But neither one a them little girls knew. So little white girl say, 'Well, let's see. You got hair, I got hair.'"I gives Mae Mobley a little tousle on her head.
"Little colored girl say 'I got a nose, you got a nose.'"I gives her little snout a tweak. She got to reach up and do the same to me.
"Little white girl say, 'I got toes, you got toes.' And I do the little thing with her toes, but she can't get to mine cause I got my white work shoes on.
"'So we's the same. Just a different color', say that little colored girl. The little white girl she agreed and they was friends. The End."
Baby Girl just look at me. Law, that was a sorry story if I ever heard one. Wasn't even no plot to it. But Mae Mobley, she smile and say, "Tell it again.” 


“I always order the banned books from a black market dealer in California, figuring if the State of Mississippi banned them, they must be good.” 


“Sorry is the fool who ever underestimates my mother.” 


"All my life I'd been told what to believe about politics, coloreds, being a girl. But with Constantine's thumb pressed in my hand, I realized I actually had a choice in what I could believe.”

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Stacking the Shelves #2

First of all, I know, I know, I neglected my newly made schedule in which I specifically said that I would post reviews on Sunday's and Thursday's.  And I missed Thursday.  Sorry about that... yeah I had final exams... not fun.  I'll be better! :D



Now onto the Stacking the Shelves post!  Stacking the Shelves is a weekly event hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  It features books you've recently added to your shelves, be it from the library, bookstore, or ebooks.

I just have one book this week that came to me via the ebook library!

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

I've read Julie Kagawa's other series (The Iron Fey series) and am in the middle of reading The Iron Fey's companion series The Call of the Forgotten.  Seeing that she had written another series, I just had to read it!

What have you added to your shelves this week?

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday #2



Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine.  It features a book every Wednesday that haven't been released yet and you're anxiously awaiting!  My book this week is:

Wings by Elizabeth Richards (the third book in the Black City series)

Goodreads Blurb:
Following the cliffhanger ending of Phoenix, Natalie finds herself separated from Ash and unexpectedly reunited with her parents, including the father she thought was dead. But she can only think of Ash. She hasn't heard a word of him since she and Elijah were brought to the underground headquarters of the Sentry Rebellion. But she vows to find him.

Ash, meanwhile is back in Black City; it's the perfect place to hide from the Sentry government. But not for long. He won't give up on Natalie or bringing an end to the terrible reign of Purian Rose.

A pulse-racing end to an exciting series.

Publication Date: 6/12/14


Okay okay I know it comes out tomorrow but it's been a crazy long and anxious wait so I thought I would share it with you!  And right now there are cries of outrage... :D

What have you been waiting for?

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday #1



Ok so Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and Bookish.  Every week, The Broke and Bookish post a new topic that that week's top ten lists are based on!  This week's topic is favorite books so far this year.

I ended up with 12 books (2 of those are actually series') because I couldn't possibly choose!  I won't even bother numbering them - they're all equally amazing in my eyes!


I actually just recently reviewed this book.  I received it as a R&R books from the author and absolutely loved it!  See my review HERE.


When I read this book, it literally touched my soul.  It does an excellent job in my opinion of bring out the goods and bads of humanity and how a boy named August broke down every barrier.  See my review on GR.


This is the fourth book in the Violet Eden series.  Ever since I picked up the first book on a whim, I've been obsessed.  Honestly, I don't know what else to say... it has an amazing storyline and everything!  See my review on GR.


This actually includes the rest of the series as well (Scarlet and Cress).  I love the concept of this book and I'll often catch myself gaping, ranting, laughing, or crying while reading this series.  It sucks me in!


After hearing so much about the Bloodlines series and the Vampire Academy series, I decided to give it a shot and I'm so grateful I did!  Sydney and I - we're like this *crosses fingers*.  I really should have read VA before this book (and ultimately the series) but I ended up reading them sort of at the same time.  I actually have the fourth book in this series (The Fiery Heart) sitting on my shelf waiting to be read!


Who didn't see this coming??  Yeah I was so excited for the movie and basically bawled the last half of the book and the movie.  Yeah.  Okay.  This book was so emotional for me which is a sign that I really connect with the book which is what I want in a 5 star book!  See my review on GR.


This is the second book in the Throne of Glass series.  Maybe I just have a thing for assassins but this series and basically any series with an assassin in it draws me in like a bee to honey!  I'm beyond excited to read Heir of Fire!!  See my review on GR.


I just loved the ending of this.  It wasn't the typical ending to a dystopian book.  It was more focused on Juliette (the main character) and her personal growth.  Of course that left a lot of questions about what happens to the rest of the world but you can't have everything right?  I did a review on this one too a while back.  See it HERE.


I just did a review on this one on Sunday.  See it HERE.  I guess the idea of this book is enough for it to be on my list.  The whole Shadowhunter thing is so different that anything I've read before.  Also, the humor in this book is just my speed!


This is the final book in the Covenant series.  From the minute I picked up the first book, Half blood, I was hooked.  Jennifer L. Armentrout's writing always seems to draw me with in intense action, lots of romance, and witty humor.  See my review on GR.


I don't know WHY I didn't read these books sooner but I cringe at what I was missing.  I've only read them all once so I couldn't possibly pick a favorite out of the series so this is a representation of the whole series!  If any of you haven't read this series, GO READ IT!  See my review of the whole series on GR.


This is the second book in the Courier's Daughter series (the first book being Defiance).  I picked up the first book on a whim and I'm glad I did!  The plot never slows down and the idea is just so different.  I really don't know how to describe this one's awesomeness!  See my review on GR.


So there are all my favorite books/series' so far this year!  What are some of your favorites?

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Review Sunday: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare


City of Bones is the first book in the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.
Goodreads Blurb:
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know... 

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.



Several of my friends recommended this series to me and after seeing the hype that was created by the upcoming City of Heavenly Fire release, I decided to give it a shot.  Can I just say how glad I am that I did?  When I add books to my TBR list, they can get in line behind 2000 other books.  This series, however, got special treatment because of the hype and was moved to the front of my list.  Now you're asking "Why Laura, how could you let yourself be manipulated into reading this book sooner than other books that were probably just as good?"  Weeeeell... I don't think I can answer that actually.  So let's just get down to the review.

All of you TMI fans out there are looking at my 4.5 star review and going "WHAT?!?!  That's so close to 5 stars and you just... just... NO!"  Well let me explain myself.

I can see where all the hype is coming from.  This book caught my attention right away what with the 'invisible people' and all.  And JACE!  Oh Jace, you may just be the love of my life and I've only known you for however long it took me to read this book... 3 hours?  *sighs*  And Clary.  I can't tell you how much I love her.  She just so... realistic.  And totally clueless which was adorable :D

Annnyyyyway back to the point.  I docked half a star because I felt like there wasn't enough explaination when it came to the Shadowhunter world.  Like there were the scenes in the library where stuff was just thrown at you and you clung desperatly to the edge of the cliff trying to soak it all up...  Yeah.  I think there's a prequel series right?  The Infernal Devices?  Or something or other?  So maybe that's all better explained in those books.  Either way, I just felt slightly overwhelmed and I only managed to hold onto a few tidbits of info that seemed relatively important.

Other than that teensy little problem, I loved it!  The plot twists and action at the end were INTENSE man!  Crazy.  I can't wait to read the next one!

Warning:  some spoilery quotes ahead

“Have you fallen in love with the wrong person yet?'
Jace said, "Unfortunately, Lady of the Haven, my one true love remains myself."
..."At least," she said, "you don't have to worry about rejection, Jace Wayland."
"Not necessarily. I turn myself down occasionally, just to keep it interesting.”


“Is this the part where you start tearing off strips of your shirt to bind my wounds?"
"If you wanted me to rip my clothes off, you should have just asked.” 


“Don't touch any of my weapons without my permission."
"Well, there goes my plan for selling them all on eBay," Clary muttered.
"Selling them on what?"
Clary smiled blandly at him. "A mythical place of great magical power.” 



“Don't order any of the faerie food," said Jace, looking at her over the top of his menu. "It tends to make humans a little crazy. One minute you're munching a faerie plum, the next minute you're running naked down Madison Avenue with antlers on your head. Not," he added hastily, "that this has ever happened to me.” 


“Out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw Jace shoot her a look of white rage - but when she glanced at him, he looked as he always did: easy, confident, slightly bored.
"In future, Clarissa," he said, "it might be wise to mention that you already have a man in your bed, to avoid such tedious situations."
"You invited him into bed?" Simon demanded, looking shaken.
"Ridiculous, isn't it?" said Jace. "We would never have all fit."
"I didn't invite him into bed," Clary snapped. "We were just kissing."
"Just kissing?" Jace's tone mocked her with its false hurt. "How swiftly you dismiss our love.” 


“The boy never cried again, and he never forgot what he'd learned: that to love is to destroy, and that to be loved is to be the one destroyed.” 

The Fault in Our Stars Movie + Exciting Wendy Higgins Update!!

So guess what I saw yesterday?!  The Fault in Our Stars!  I BAWLED basically the last half of the movie.  My friend actually asked if I was okay at one point or if I needed to step out of the theater for a minute.  Like I was going to do that and miss the movie!  So anyway, as you could probably tell, I loved it.  It was just perfection like the book.  I know a lot of you don't really like book to movie adaptions because the directors leave out crucial scenes that they don't think the movie needs or messes up the characters or whatever else but this movie was really good!  Yes, they had to cut out some parts Highlight for spoiler(I especially missed Gus and Hazel selling the swing set.  The swing set was shown but not the ad or anything.  How it was directed was just beautiful.  If you loved the book I can almost guarantee that you will love the movie.)That's how good it was.

Here are the IMDB(movie), Goodreads(book), Amazon (book), and Amazon (movie) links!

Have you seen TFIOS yet or read the book?

Now for the exciting news about Wendy Higgins!  This was on her website!

"You see, I said I would never write this *particular* story, and I truly did not think I would.  Many of you have begged me time and time again to write more of the Sweet series from a certain character's point of view and I could NOT see it happening.  The thought alone was overwhelming because this character exhausts me and challenges me and tests my limits in the best possible way.  I didn't think I'd ever be able to tell his story.

Until the trilogy ended.  And I missed him more than I could possibly imagine.  I started to kind of crave having him in my head again, and I couldn't stop thinking about it.  So I wrote my agent who wrote my editor, and we weren't sure if it was going to happen, but IT HAS!  They want it!

I'm writing a complete novel from Kaidan Rowe's point of view!!"

Read more HERE.

I'll also be posting a book review later today... I feel like I should get on a regular schedule of posting so that'll be starting today!  I'll be doing book reviews on Sundays and Thursdays and possibly on Monday's if I read a lot that week!
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