Thursday, January 30, 2014

BOOK HAUL [January 2014]

Now that the combined chaos of the holidays + my birthday are over, I am free to buy ALL THE BOOKS! once again. January's purchases include:



1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins [Hardcover, to match the last two books in the trilogy]
2. Timepiece (Hourglass #2) by Myra McEntire
3. Infinityglass (Hourglass #3) by Myra McEntire
4. Unhinged (Splintered #2) by A.G. Howard
5. Shades of Earth (Across the Universe #3) by Beth Revis [Paperback, to match the first two books in the trilogy]
6. Staying Strong - 365 Days a Year by Demi Lovato
7. Hollow City (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #2) by Ransom Riggs
8. Hogwarts Library Bind-up (Includes: Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them, Quidditch Through the Ages, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard) by J.K. Rowling


. . . . 

The new year is off to a great start, book-buying wise! Have you guys acquired any new and/or exciting reads lately?

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

TAG: Goodreads


I am back with another TAG! This one was created by SpiralBookMark on Youtube, and consists of questions that relate to your Goodreads page.

To view my profile, click here.



1. What was the last book you marked as "read?"


Technically speaking, the last book I marked as "read" was Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, which I reread before picking up it's sequel, Hollow City. The last book I read that was not a reread, however, was Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay.

2. What are you "currently reading?"


Hollow City by Ransom Riggs, book two in the Miss Peregrine series.

3. What was the last book you marked as "to-read?"


That would be Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral, a novel told in photographs, pictures and words. I have heard a lot of great things about this book, and adore stories that are unique in their telling and presentation. I look forward to picking this up sometime soon!

4. What book do you plan to read next?


I honestly do not know. I never make a monthly TBR list, simply because I like to be free to choose a book I am in the mood for, rather than being forced to read something just to complete it. There are a few books at the top of my list, however, which include: Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler, The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, and Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

5. Do you use the star rating system?

I do. Sometimes I wish we were able to give half stars, because it is extremely difficult to decide which rating to give a book that is balancing on the border between two different scores. As far as what my different ratings mean:

5 s = An AMAZING read. Beautiful writing/reading experience, all wrapped up into one!

4 s = Missing that special something(s), but still too excellent to receive anything less than four stars.

3 s = Great plot/characters/other, but lacked the follow-through.

2 s = Poor writing, theme, characters, ECT. Not very memorable.

1 = Completely unremarkable in every way.

6. Are you doing a 2014 Reading Challenge?

I am! Last year I challenged myself to read 40 books - then 60. I ended 2013 with 82 books read. This year, I have challenged myself to complete 70 books. 

7. Do you have a wishlist?

I have a list of books that I consider a "priority buy;" ones that I am anxious to get my hands on and do not want to forget. Other than that, I keep a general wishlist in my head.

8. What book do you want to buy next?


I have already pre-ordered Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) by Tahereh Mafi, which comes out next week so, technically speaking, it could be considered my next "buy." I would also like to purchase both Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo and The Archived by Victoria Schwab sometime in the near future.

9. Do you have any favorite quotes?

I have several:

"I'm happy. Which often looks like crazy." — David Henry Hwang

"I read a book one day and my whole life was changed." — Orhan Pamuk

"Generally speaking, books don't cause much harm. Except when you read them, that is. Then they cause all kinds of problems." — Pseudonymous Bosch

"Happiness is an accident of nature, a beautiful and flawless aberration." — Pat Conroy

"So many books, so little time." — Frank Zappa

"It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well have not lived at all - in which case, you fail by default." — J.K. Rowling

10. Who are your favorite authors?

J.K. Rowling, Tahereh Mafi, Ransom Riggs, Rick Riordan, Sarah Dessen, Cassandra Clare, John Green, Patrick Ness, Beth Revis, Michelle Hodkin, Veronica Roth, and Alexandra Brakcen. Just to name a few. :)

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Teaser Tuesday [January 28]



Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. All you have to do is grab your current read, open to a random page, and share two teaser sentences (that don't give too much away).



This week's teaser is brought to you by Ransom Rigg's new book, Hollow City:

"And the farther away she got, the faster it spun, like there was an invisible cord unreeling from it that stretched between us, and if she went too far it would snap—and kill me. I wondered if this strange, sweet pain was love."

Hollow City (Miss Peregrine #2) by Ransom Riggs (page 106-7)

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Teaser Tuesday [January 21]


Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. All you have to do is grab your current read, open to a random page, and share two teaser sentences (that don't give too much away).



This week's teaser:

"One damaged soul in exchange for thousands of netherling lives. It's a fair trade."

Unhinged (Splintered #2) by A.G. Howard (page 76)

Monday, January 13, 2014

Bout of Books 9.0: Day seven

× On day seven I was reading....




☆☆☆





Technically, I completed Timepiece the day after Bout of Books ended (a little after midnight), but am still counting it because I PLAY BY MY OWN RULES. This book was great, though a bit more confusing than the first one. Doctor Who/Star Wars references, FTW!

× Day Seven Progress:

Finished reading Timepiece (Hourglass #2) by Myra McEntire (Total Books = 3)
Read for: 4 hours (Total = 24)
Read 198 pages (Total = 991)
Completed the Bookish Wedding challenge at Harley Bear Book Blog


» Bookish Wedding Challenge:

For day seven's challenge, we were asked eleven questions; all dealing with a make-believe bookish wedding, featuring you and your fictional spouse, as well as your guests. Here were my answers:

1. Which fictional character would you marry? Will Herondale. Because... Will Herondale.
2. Who would be your Maid of Honor or Best Man? Cassie Sullivan as my Maid of Honor. We would be besties, no doubt.
3. Which fictional world would you want to get married in? Hogwarts. On the grounds, near the lake. And as far away from the Whomping Willow as possible...
4. Who would you pick to play the music at your wedding? Simon Lewis from The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.
5. Who would be your photographer? Lily Garcia from the Hourglass series by Myra McEntire.
6. Who would you sit at the singles table (and hope they'd fall in love)? Chubs from The Darkest Minds. I don't care who else is sitting there with him; I just want him to find lo-oooove.
7. Who would be your flower girl or ring bearer? I think Poppet and Widget Murray from The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern would be adorable as the flower girl and ring bearer; with their red hair and general twin-ness.
8. Who would you want to plan the bachelorette/bachelor party? Magnus Bane. He throws some pretty awesome parties. Though I think I would have someone else supply the drinks...
9. At the wedding, who would be the first on the dance floor? Dexter from This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen.
10. Who would give a speech or toast? I feel like Peeta would give a great speech. He's very in-tune to what people want to hear, and can be very heartfelt and honest.
11. Who would catch the bouquet or garter? I don't know why, but I imagine Madame Maxime tossing the competition out of her way and using her size as an advantage.
. . . . 

Another Bout of Books come and gone... How did you guys do? Did you make your goals? Despite not setting any of my own, I am pretty happy with my progress and overall achievements this time around. Until next time!

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Bout of Books 9.0: Day six

× On day six I was (still) reading....


Author: Myra McEntire
Series: Hourglass #2
Publisher: Egmont USA
Release Date: June 12, 2012
Pages: 325
Format: Hardcover
Average Rating: 3.87



I spent the majority of day six bruising my ankles—and working muscles I did not even know I possessed—whilst ice skating, so the bulk of my reading was done a bit too close to midnight. I am hoping to finish Timepiece on day seven.

× Day Six Progress:

Continued reading Timepiece (Hourglass #2) by Myra McEntire
Read for: 2.5 hours (Total = 20)
Read 89 pages (Total =793)
Completed the Book Staging challenge at Midnight Book Girl


» Book Staging Challenge:

For this challenge, we were asked to take a picture of a book we are either currently reading or have recently finished, alongside some objects that describe what the book is about. I chose Hourglass by Myra McEntire. WARNING: horrible quality picture is horrible.


"I added the pocketwatch because the book deals with time travel, the "I heart heart The Doctor" pin because Doctor Who is mentioned several times, the masquerade mask because everyone is hiding something, and the "I'm not crazy" notebook excerpt because Emerson spends the majority of the story trying to decide whether or not she actually is."

. . . . 

2 more hours until the end of Bout of Books. GO! GO! GO!

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Bout of Books 9.0: Day five

× On day five I was reading....


Author: Myra McEntire
Series: Hourglass #2
Publisher: Egmont USA
Release Date: June 12, 2012
Pages: 325
Format: Hardcover
Average Rating: 3.87



Day five did not go as well as the others. My eyes were killing me (I had pink eye - hastag, teacher probz...), I was sick with an upper respiratory infection, and I just did not feel like reading. Was I upset about this? Absolutely not. Considering how much I have already put in to Bout of Books this week, I figured a day of non-reading was deserved. I did pick up Timepiece, the second book in the Hourglass series by Myra McEntire, during work and read for about an hour, but that was it. I also did not complete any challenges.

× Day Five Progress:

Started reading Timepiece (Hourglass #2) by Myra McEntire
Read for: 1 hour (Total = 17.5)
Read 38 pages (Total = 704)
Completed 0 challenges

. . . . 

Two days of reading left; how is that possible? See you tomorrow!

Friday, January 10, 2014

Bout of Books 9.0: Day four

× On day four I was (re)reading....




☆☆☆☆





Despite being sick, I was able to get in a few hours of reading just before bed; completing Harry Potter a few minutes shy of midnight. Not only is this my second read of the read-a-thon, but it is also my second time this week finishing one of my 2014 reading goals. Huzzah! The book was just as magical as I remembered, and I really enjoyed delving back into the world of Hogwarts.

× Day Four Progress:

Finished reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (Total books = 2)
Read for: 3.5 hours (Total = 16.5)
Read 146 pages (Total = 666)
Completed the Double Date challenge at Writing My Own Fairytale
Completed the Poem challenge at Pen in Her Hand


» Double Date Book Challenge:

For this challenge, we were asked to pair two books from our bookshelves that go well together; ones you would recommend reading back-to-back.

"How fun! I have just realized how many books on my shelves compliment one another…

I think I would have to choose Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik. The second is like a contemporary retelling of the first; though not so much so that you notice it right away. It took me a little bit to realize, and once I did, I enjoyed picking out all of the parallels and comparing/contrasting the characters. Both are great stories!"

» Poem Challenge:

This challenge was a bit more complicated. We were asked to choose a book. Then, a number. We would then take the book, open to a random page, count down our chosen number of lines and then in that many words - fourteen times. After that was done, we would take those fourteen words, change two of them if we wanted, and create a poem! Here is mine:

"I chose I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak, my first completed read during Bout of Books.

My number was 8.

My fourteen words were: and, laughter, I, spades, lips, stay, tasting, faster, crowd, why, doors, interrupted, regret, the.

I changed “the” to “close,” and “spades” to “move.”

Interrupted lips,
I stay –
tasting laughter and
regret.
Why?
Crowds move faster,
doors close."
. . . . 

 Happy reading!

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Bout of Books 9.0: Day three

× On day three I was (re)reading....


Author: J.K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter #1
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: January 1, 1997
Pages: 309
Format: Paperback
Average Rating: 4.37



× Day Three Progress:

Began reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Read for: 4.5 hours (Total = 13)
Read 163 pages (Total = 520)
Completed the Introduce Someone to Your Favorite Genre challenge at Doing Dewey


» Introduce Someone To Your Favorite Genre Challenge:

For this challenge, we were asked to introduce the other BoB participants to a few books from our favorite genre; as a way to spread the love and offer up some new reads for those that were interested. Here was my response:

"I do not have a specific genre in mind, but I really love books that are the perfect blend of action and romance; where the character’s feelings do not take away from the crazy plot, but add to it. I love them because, if you are someone like I am, you are always on the look-out for a bunch of kick-butt, fast-paced action scenes with a little fluff mixed in for good measure. A few books that I have stumbled upon within the last year that meet these requirements are:
Percy Jackson & The Olympians by Rick Riordan, The Maze Runner by James Dashner, the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness, Across the Universe by Beth Revis, Divergent by Veronica Roth, The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken and The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey."
 . . . . 

And there you have it. See you on day four!

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Bout of Books 9.0: Day two

× On day two I was reading....




☆☆☆☆





Completing I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak means that I can now, successfully, cross off one of my 2014 reading goals while simultaneously achieving my first read of Bout of Books 9.0. I quite like this. Two birds with one stone, and all that.

× Day Two Progress:

Finished reading I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak  (Total books = 1)
Read for: 5 hours (Total = 8.5 hours)
Read 234 pages (Total = 357)
Completed the Reading Tactics challenge at Sarah Says Read


» Reading Tactics List Challenge:

For this challenge, we were asked how we find time to read during Bout of Books; the tips and tricks to completing those extra pages. My response:

"Admittedly, reading can be kind of tough for me during the week, and even on the weekends, because I have so much going on. Thankfully, I work at a daycare and am able to get a good 2+ hours of reading in while the toddlers are sleeping. Other than that, I try my best to avoid TV and other distractions; reading late and taking small breaks here and there so I do not get bored or tired. Because school started up again for me this week, it has proven a little difficult, but I am always willing to make time for reading whenever I get a spare minute."
. . . . 

I am already off to a better start than I was during the 8.0 read-a-thon. How are you guys doing? Reading any good books?

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Teaser Tuesday [January 7]


Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. All you have to do is grab your current read, open to a random page, and share two teaser sentences (that don't give too much away).



This week's teaser, courtesy of Ed Kennedy: 

"It's three in the morning, I'm playing the Proclaimers too loud for their own bloody good, and I'm pretty sure I have to go and kill someone. My life has really become worthwhile, hasn't it?"

I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak (page 81)

Bout of Books 9.0: Day one

× On day one I was reading....


Author: Marcus Zusak
Series: N/A
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Release Date: October 1, 2002
Pages: 357
Format: Paperback
Average Rating: 4.11



In an attempt to read for BoB and knock out a personal challenge of 2014, I picked up Marcus Zusak's I Am the Messenger during day one of the read-a-thon. I only made it about a third of the way through, but it is a relatively average-sized book so I am not too worried about running into trouble with my reading later on this week. I really like Ed's character, and the ways that he reacts to the situations he is thrown into are simultaneously hilarious and heartwarming. So far, so good. :)

× Day One Progress:

Read for about 3.5 hours
Read 123 pages
Completed the Book Buying Spree challenge at Bookish Comforts
Completed the Mad Libs Challenge at Cheap Thrills


» Book Buying Spree Challenge:

For this challenge, we were given an imaginary situation in which we won a virtual spending spree—to the amount of $100—and were asked to list the books that we would buy with our prize. Here were my choices:

1. The Princess Bride (Paperback) by William Goldman – $8.95
2. Warm Bodies (Paperback) by Isaac Marion – $12.24
3. Sisters Red (Paperback) by Jackson Pearce – $8.99
4. Cinder (Hardback) by Marissa Meyer – $15.02
5. Mystic City (Hardback) by Theo Lawrence – $14.14
6. The Silver Lining’s Playbook (Paperback/Movie Tie-In Edition) by Matthew Quick – $13.61
7. Angelfall (Paperback) by Susan Ee – $7.99
8. Romancing the Bookworm (Paperback) by Kate Evangelista – $18.20

Total = $99.14


» Mad Libs Challenge:

If you have ever played Mad Libs, then I am sure you have a general idea of how this goes. Given a list of words to match with a corresponding book title, you insert your choices to complete a short story. Here is my entry:

Character name: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Adjective #1: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Adjective #2: Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff
Item: Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Occupation: I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak
Act of violence: The Kill Order by James Dashner
Adjective #3: Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
Noun #1: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Noun #2: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

I just read the greatest book!

This girl MARA DYER ends up in the middle of a BEAUTIFUL conspiracy. Turns out her ancestors were pirates, and she might be the key to finding the PAPER HOURGLASS. It’s a mythic artifact that disappeared centuries ago, and now a shadowy group of MESSENGERS are looking for it. No one knows what uncovering it might do, but these guys are willing to KILL for it.

I won’t say anything else. But believe me, if you like MONSTER stories with CIRCUSES and CITIES you have to read this one.

. . . . 

How did your first day go? Here's to a week of non-stop reading!

Saturday, January 4, 2014

BOOK HAUL [collective]

Between purchasing gifts for my family and being forced on a book-buying ban in anticipation of both my birthday and Christmas, I have not really had enough books, money or time to put together a new haul. So, two and a half months later, these are the books that I either picked up randomly throughout the holiday season or were given as a gift:



1. Reboot by Amy Tintera
2. Unbreakable by Kami Garcia
3. The Eye of Minds by James Dashner
4. Don't Close Your Eyes [Bind-up of books 1-3 in the Dream Catcher trilogy] by Lisa McMann
5. Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
6. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
7. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
8. I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak

NOT PICTURED (because I forgot):

9. Divergent by Veronica Roth [Hardcover, to match the last two books in the trilogy]
10. Beautiful Redemption (Beautiful Creatures #4) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl [Paperback, to match the first three books in the series]


. . . . 

Santa must have read my Christmas Wish List; a few of those books were ones that I have had my eye on for quite some time. Which books have you picked up recently? Any recommendations for me now that I am allowed to buy books for myself again?

Thursday, January 2, 2014

December 2013 Wrap-up [spoiler free!]


Well, helloooo there! I realize this is the third day in a row that I have posted something and you have all probably succumbed to shock, but today I am here to give you my December 2013 wrap-up. Once again, I only managed to read a record-breaking four books. I blame the holidays...




☆☆☆





1. The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan. While I found the beginning a tad slow, the multiple POVs confusing and Broody Luc annoying, the story, setting, characters and complex politics surrounding the different creatures and groups were extremely interesting/exciting, and I had no idea where the story was going 80% of the time. Our female lead, Ingrid, is incredibly strong and independent; making up for Luc's indecisiveness with bravery, loyalty and kick ass-ery. Even though I only gave this book a rating of three out of five, I really am looking forward to book two (due to come out sometime in 2014).




☆☆☆☆☆





2. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. Oh, goodness. Where to begin? I had been putting this book off for the longest time and finally, finally picked it up. Was it sad? Yes. Did it rip my heart out, throw it on the ground and stomp it into oblivion? Yes. Did I regret not picking it up sooner? Abso-freaking-lutely. Even though it is a very sad, extremely upsetting and raw story, I absolutely enjoyed every bit of it. Zusak has a knack for creating real, heartbreaking situations that simultaneously make you happy and tear you up inside. So, kudos to you, sir. I am in love with your book.




☆☆☆





3. Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle. I was determined to finish this book before Christmas but, alas; I just... didn't. Looking back, I would have to say that my favorite story of the three was Maureen Johnson's, The Jubilee Express; which was surprising, considering how much I love John Green's writing. Unfortunately, with three separate stories and only 350 pages, it was difficult to get a good feel on the characters, and I often found myself unable to really connect with them (Addie in particular). Overall, it was a cute/fluffy story that really helped to put me in the Christmas mood; despite finishing it after the holiday had ended.




☆☆☆





4. Unbreakable by Kami Garcia. After completing Let It Snow, I was not really in the mood for a huge, monster read; especially considering how close we were to the year's end. So I grabbed Unbreakable. While it was not exactly WOW-worthy, I did really enjoy the creepy, paranormal vibe of the story. Very reminiscent of Anna Dressed in Blood.



. . . . 

December Stats:

Read 4 books (and finished the year with 82)
Read 995 pages (and finished the year with 30,071)


Upcoming Releases:

Unhinged (Splintered #2) by A.G. Howard -- January 7, 2014
Hollow City (Miss Peregrine #2) by Ransom Riggs -- January 14, 2014



Which books did you start/finish in December? Did you complete your goals for 2013?

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

2014 challenges [+ 2013 review!]


2013 has come and gone and it is now time to create a new list of goals that we would like to accomplish in the coming year. Personally, I will not be making a list of resolutions like I did last year because I always end up pushing them to the side a few months after I make them; which, lets be honest, is actually kind of depressing. So, instead, I have comprised a list of bookish (and not) challenges that I would like to complete by 2014's end. But, before that, a review of the reading goals that I had set during 2013.


2013 Review:

Reading Challenge -

1. Read 65 books: I completed this goal—and my original goal of 40—several months before 2014; finishing the year with a grand total of 82 books (plus 5-6 novellas which were not included in that count).

2. Read at least one classic: Unfortunately, I did not get around to finishing this goal. I picked up quite a few books from a library sale over the summer that I had every intention of reading, but ended up being distracted by newer, more exciting reads. Perhaps classics are not a reading goal I should force myself to complete, but rather something that I pick up when I feel like it.

3. Read at least three books that have been on my physical TBR shelf for a while: I was SO. CLOSE. Reached by Ally Condie and The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey were two books that had been sitting on my shelf for quite some time, staring me down every time I bypassed and grabbed another book. I was also planning to pick up Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick—which is the oldest book on my TBR shelf—but was not really up for getting back into the story at that time.

4. Read at least three books/series from the Science Fiction genre: I have stated it on this blog a thousand times, but I made this goal because I have a bad habit of writing off all Science Fiction books as clichéd or boring. Due to this goal, however, I discovered quite a few amazing series this year that fall under that genre, including: the Across the Universe trilogy by Beth Revis, books one and two in the Chaos Walking trilogy, and The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey.

5. Finish ten series/trilogies: Whoop, whoop! To see the entire list, click here.

6. Read The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak: I honestly did not think I would finish this book before 2013 came to an end. The Book Thief was so intimidating going into (which is one of the reasons I put off reading it so long in the first place), but when I finally did pick it up—during the first few weeks of December—I fell in love.


Overall, I would definitely call this year a success, reading-wise. I have always had a love for reading, but it was not until the middle of 2012 that I actually started collecting books and viewing my thoughts and opinions as more than just a hobby, and rather as something that I generally enjoy doing and consider a passion. My collection has grown so much in the last two years, and I have discovered so many amazing books and series through BookTube, my blog, Goodreads and the bookish community that I foresee nothing but continuous growth for the future. I absolutely enjoy discussing my opinions and hearing the thoughts of others as they pertain to certain books, raving over gorgeous book covers, reveling in sneaky book snippets, and counting down the favorites of a certain genre. But, most of all, I enjoy reading, and I look forward to the worlds and characters I will discover in 2014; whether those worlds are new or old; just beginning or coming to an end.


2014 Goals:

Reading Challenge -

1. Read 70 books: I think this is manageable, considering the number I ended the year with in 2013.

2. Read three books that have been on my physical TBR shelf for at least six months: This widens the time-gap and gives me more of a choice when it comes to completing this goal.

3. Reread three books (not including Harry Potter): Honestly, I do not think I reread any books in 2013 and I would really like to rediscover some of my favorites; particularly those that have sequels/conclusions being released in the near future.

4. Finish ten series/trilogies.

5. Read I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak: I loved The Book Thief so much that I decided to check out some more of Zusak's work, and this book has received a lot of great reviews.

6. Read Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen: Another book I have heard great things about.


Harry Potter Reading Challenge -

It has been a few years since I have read the entire series, altogether—usually I just pick out my favorites and reread those—so I would like to rediscover the world and characters and magic as a whole, rather than in bits and pieces. Also, I have yet to watch the final two movies (ouch, my childhood...), so I am hoping this helps me jump the hurdle of not wanting them to end.


. . . . 

And there you have it! What goals are you setting for yourself this year, reading or otherwise?