Saturday, August 29, 2015

The Quoteables [August 29]


The Quoteables is an original, weekly (sometimes bookish, sometimes not) meme in which I share a few of the quotes that I have been loving.



This week's quote is:

"At times the world can seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe us when we say there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough and what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events may, in fact, be the first steps of a journey."

— Lemony Snicket

Thursday, August 27, 2015

August Favorites [2015]

I'm back with another Monthly Favorites!



Book(s): 


The Nightmare Charade (Arkwell Academy #3) by Mindee Arnett

This series has mystical creatures/beings, some Arthurian legend stuff and takes place at a magical boarding school. Love! The Nightmare Charade is the last book in the trilogy and I have been eagerly awaiting its publication for quite some time. I really enjoyed the conclusion and it was definitely my favorite read of the month.

Music:


"Search Party" by Sam Bruno



 "Fight Song" by Rachel Platten

TV/Movie(s): Scorpion (CBS)


"SCORPION, inspired by a true story, is a high-octane drama about eccentric genius Walter O’Brien and his team of brilliant misfits who comprise the last line of defense against complex, high-tech threats of the modern age. As Homeland Security’s new think tank, O’Brien’s “Scorpion” team includes Toby Curtis, an expert behaviorist who can read anyone; Happy Quinn, a mechanical prodigy; and Sylvester Dodd, a statistics guru. Pooling their extensive technological knowledge to solve mind-boggling predicaments amazes federal agent Cabe Gallo, who shares a harrowing history with O’Brien. However, while this socially awkward group is comfortable with each other’s humor and quirks, life outside their circle confounds them, so they rely on Paige Dineen, who has a young, gifted son, to translate the world for them. At last, these nerdy masterminds have found the perfect job: a place where they can apply their exceptional brainpower to solve the nation’s crises, while also helping each other learn how to fit in." — Via the CBS website.
 
I am OBSESSED with this show (as well as Elyes Gabel as Walter O'Brien).

Jewelry: Bracelets

Here are a few of the ones that I have been wearing:


Constellation bracelet from ?
Rose-Gold Circle bracelet from Walmart
Chevron bracelet from Forever21

Nail Polish: "Cute As a Button" by Essie


Website: Fanfiction.net

I love fanfiction and this is the perfect site to find any type of story/crossover you could ever want! I've had an account for a while but have only recently started uploading my own stories so, if you're interested, you can find my stuff here.



What have you guys been loving this month?

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Teaser Tuesday [August 25]


Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jenn of A Daily Rhythm. 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 comes from a reread:

Minho shrugged off Newt's hand and started his usual rant of sarcastic remarks, but Thomas had already tuned out, his heart's pace having kicked in to a rapid series of almost painful thumps. All he could think about was what had been tattooed on is own neck. That he was to be killed."

The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner #2) by James Dashner

Monday, August 24, 2015

Bout of Books 14 Wrap-up

Bout of Books

Bout of Books has come to an end and, with it, one of the most successful weeks I've had, reading-wise, all year! I only managed to complete a few books but, overall, I did more reading that I have done in quite some time. This post will be a review of my week. To see my original Progress Post, you can click here.



Day One:

One day one, I continued reading the book that I had been working on in the weeks leading up to Bout of Books: Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott, calling it a night after 97 pages. I also participated in the "Fictional World Travel" challenge.


Day Two:

One day two, I finished reading Fire and Flood and picked up Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan, which I had just received in the mail. I read 157 pages in total on day two and participated in the "Book Scavenger Hunt" challenge.


Day Three:

Since Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes is such a big book, I decided to go ahead and pick up The Nightmare Charade by Mindee Arnett on day three, reading 150 pages in total. I also completed the "M.A.S.H." challenge.


Day Four:

Because I had Thursday off from work, I decided to use the day to catch up on some schoolwork and cleaning, only reading about 28 pages in total. I read Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes and The Nightmare Charade on-and-off, completing the "Four Seasons Book Covers" challenge as well.


Day Five:

I continued reading both books on day five, getting through 82 pages and completing the "Character Soulmates" challenge.


Day Six:

On day six, I began and finished reading Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Titans Curse graphic novel in between reading Greek Heroes and The Nightmare Charade. I read 153 pages in total and completed the "Road Trip" challenge.


Day Seven:

Day seven was my most successful reading day, by far. I had another day off of work and used my free time to finally finish The Nightmare Charade by Mindee Arnett, having read 245 pages in total just before Bout of Books ended at midnight. I also participated in the "What to Read Next" challenge.


Stats:

Total # of Hours Read: 13.75
Total # of Pages Read: 912
Total # of Books Read: 3(.5)
Total # of Challenges Participated In: 7

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Overall, I think I did pretty well. Like I said, my reading has not been the greatest this year, so finishing 3.5 books in one week is an accomplishment. Hopefully this will continue! Though I did not set any goals for myself, I am glad that I was able to finish the three books on my TBR and took part in every single challenge that was hosted. Thanks, Bout of Books, for another great read-a-thon!


Did you guys participate? How did you do?

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Bout of Books 14 [Progress]

Bout of Books

Instead of doing seven individual updates, I have decided to combine my progress from the week into one, convenient post! Check back for daily updates and visit the Bout of Books blog for more information.



[ Day One ]

Continued reading Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott
Participated in the Fictional World Travel challenge

# of hours read on Day One: 1.5 (total = 1.5)
# of pages read on Day One: 97 (total = 97)
# of books read on Day One: 0 (total = 0)
# of challenges completed on Day One: 1 (total = 1)


[ Day Two ]

Finished reading Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott
Began reading Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan
Participated in the Book Scavenger Hunt Challenge

# of hours read on Day Two: 2.5 (total = 4)
# of pages read on Day Two: 157 (total = 254)
# of books read on Day Two: 1 (total = 1)
# of challenges completed on Day Two: 1 (total = 2)


[ Day Three ]

Continued reading Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan
Began reading The Nightmare Charade by Mindee Arnett
Participated in the M.A.S.H. challenge

# of hours read on Day Three: 2.5 (total = 6.5)
# of pages read on Day Three: 150 (total = 404)
# of books read on Day Three: 0 (total = 1)
# of challenges completed on Day Three: 1 (total = 3)


[ Day Four ]

Continued reading Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan
Continued reading The Nightmare Charade by Mindee Arnett
Participated in the Four Seasons Book Covers challenge

# of hours read on Day Four: about 25 minutes (total = 6.75)
# of pages read on Day Four: 28 (total = 432)
# of books read on Day Four: 0 (total = 1)
# of challenges completed on Day Four: 1 (total = 4)

NOTES: Because today was my day off of work, I decided to use the time to catch up on schoolwork, cleaning and visiting with family. Unfortunately, this left very little time for reading. Hopefully I can get caught up tomorrow!


[ Day Five ]

Continued reading Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan
Continued reading The Nightmare Charade by Mindee Arnett
Participated in the Character Soulmates challenge

# of hours read on Day Five: 2 (total = 8.75)
# of pages read on Day Five: 82 (total = 514)
# of books read on Day Five: 0 (total = 1)
# of challenges completed on Day Five: 1 (total = 5)


[ Day Six ]

Continued reading Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan
Continued reading The Nightmare Charade by Mindee Arnett
Began/finished reading Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Titan's Curse (Graphic Novel) by Rick Riordan
Participated in the Road Trip challenge

# of hours read on Day Six: 2 (total = 10.75)
# of pages read on Day Six: 153 (total = 667)
# of books read on Day Six: 1 (total = 2)
# of challenges completed on Day Six: 1 (total = 6)


[ Day Seven ]

Finished reading The Nightmare Charade by Mindee Arnett
Continued reading Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan
Participated in the What to Read Next challenge

# of hours read on Day Seven: 3 (total = 13.75)
# of pages read on Day Seven: 245 (total = 912)
# of books read on Day Seven: 1 (total = 3)
# of challenges completed on Day Seven: 1 (total = 7)

BoB 14: What to Read Next

Bout of Books

Today's Bout of Books challenge is "What to Read Next," hosted by Sarah Reads Too Much! For this, we must recommend three books that we have read this year; books that we feel other readers will enjoy.



1. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab: This has been my favorite book of the year so far! With multiple Londons set in separate dimensions, magic, great characters and an interesting plot, this book provided a really fun (and intense) reading experience.

2. The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons: If you're looking for a new, Dystopian read, then this book is for you! In this society, women are treated as "stock;" being captured, groomed and sold to the male population. All of this—coupled with a fierce/stubborn main character—help to make the book extremely interesting and difficult to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed it, from beginning to end.

3. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas: TWO fantasy recommendations from me? Unheard of! Once again, I found myself impressed by a book from the fantasy genre. This one has a female assassin, a kingdom ruled by a crazy tyrant, magic, mystery and a deadly competition. Definitely a must read if you're into action and choices that could be the difference between life and death.

Saturday, August 22, 2015

BoB 14: Road Trip

Bout of Books

Today's Bout of Books challenge is "Road Trip," hosted by Steph in Wonderland! For this, we must list books that take place somewhere we would love to visit.



1. Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard [Philadelphia]

2. The Nine Lives of Chloe King by Liz Braswell [San Francisco]

3. Percy Jackson & The Olympians by Rick Riordan [New York]

4. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins [Paris]

5. Divergent by Veronica Roth [Chicago - I've already been there once, but I would LOVE to go back!]

6. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab [London]

Friday, August 21, 2015

BoB 14: Character Soulmates

Bout of Books

Today's Bout of Books challenge is "Character Soulmates," hosted by Blue Books and Butterflies! For this, we must play matchmaker; pairing two characters from two separate books/series that we feel would be "Ship-able."



Pair #1: 

Tella Holloway (Fire and Flood) + Perry (Under the Never Sky)

Ship Name: Pella

In Fire and Flood, Tella is attracted to Guy; a strong, no-nonsense lover of nature. Perry possesses a lot of the same traits. Plus, he's tall, dark and handsome, which is definitely Tella's type. I can see her following Perry around as he navigates the wilderness, completely entranced with his knowledge of survival. And I think that Perry would enjoy Tella's sarcasm and wit. They are both loyal and protective of the ones they love and would probably get along splendidly.


Pair #2:

Amy Martin (Across the Universe) + Bellamy Blake (The 100)

Ship Name: BellAmy (I did not realize how complicated a Ship name for these two would be when I originally paired them up...)

Bellamy likes a strong, independent woman who is not afraid to speak her mind (in theory, as the TV show is a better example of this than the actual book), as evidence by his relationship with Clarke Griffin. Amy is very strong, clever and stubborn. Her life has not been easy, and I feel like she and Bellamy would be able to bond over their past experiences and work through them together. They would also challenge one another, which would be funny to watch; I can see many heated arguments, stubborn silences and lovely make-up sessions in their future!

Thursday, August 20, 2015

BoB 14: 4 Seasons Book Covers

Bout of Books

Today's Bout of Books challenge is "Four Seasons Book Covers," hosted by Kimberly Faye Reads! For this, we must find book covers that correspond with the four seasons.




1. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen [Spring]

2. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson [Summer]

3. Compulsion by Martina Boone [Fall]

4. My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins [Winter]

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

BoB 14: M.A.S.H

Bout of Books

Today's Bout of Books challenge is "MASH," hosted by Rocky Top Real Talk! For this, we are playing a game of M.A.S.H with a bookish twist.



I did all of this on paper but, because the pictures didn't turn out the greatest, I'll just go ahead and list everything here:

M.A.S.H.

Spouse:

1. William Herondale
2. Voldemort
3. Bellamy Blake
4. Percy Jackson
5. Augustus Waters 

Transportation:

1. Broomstick
2. Portal
3. Flying Car
4. Spaceship
5. Hippogriff

Place of Residence:

1. Hogwarts
2. Panem
3. London Institue
4. Camp Half-Blood
5. The Glade

# of Kids:

1. Two
2. Zero
3. Twelve
4. One
5. Three

Job:

1. Auror
2. Keeper for the Archive
3. Camp Councilor
4. Soldier
5. Unemployed

Pet:

1. Pandora
2. Gargoyle
3. Owl
4. Tracker Jacker
5. Hippocampus

Best Friend:

1. Magnus Bane
2. Simon Lewis
3. Nagini
4. Harry Potter
5. A Zombie

 My final results are:

I live in a shack at Hogwarts (Hagrid's hut, maybe?), am married to Augustus Waters (I mean.... he's no Will Herondale, but is still pretty awesome), have no kids, am unemployed (Yikes. Though, maybe Dumbledore could hook me up with a teaching position or something), travel around on a broomstick (yes, please!), have a Pandora for a pet and am best friends with Magnus Bane.

Wowza.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

BoB 14: Book Scavenger Hunt

Bout of Books

Today's Bout of Books challenge is the "Book Scavenger Hunt," hosted by The Book Monsters! For this, we must hunt for books that match the criteria given by our host.



1. A book that begins with "B" (for Bout of Books):


(The) Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus #5) by Rick Riordan

2. A book you're planning to read/are currently reading for Bout of Books:


Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott

3. Blue Book(s):


4. Books from your favorite genre:

Just ONE genre? No way, José; that is too difficult a choice!


The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken [Dystopian]
Across the Universe by Beth Revis [Science Fiction]
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen [Historical Fiction]

5. A book on your TBR shelf/your TBR shelf:

Here is my TBR "shelf" in its entirety.

Monday, August 17, 2015

BoB 14: Fictional World Travel

Bout of Books

Today's Bout of Books challenge is "Fictional World Travel," hosted by Between Library Shelves! For this we must list 3-6 books that take place in a country that is not our own.



I live in the United States, so here are my six choices:



1. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare [London]

2. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake [Canada]

3. The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan [Paris]

4. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs [Wales]

5. Cinder by Marissa Meyer [The book takes place in "New Beijing," which is thought to be in or around China]

6. Across the Universe by Beth Revis [Space ;)]

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Bout of Books 14 TBR & Goals

Bout of Books

I rarely ever create a TBR—the books I read are usually based off of the mood that I am in—but, for some reason, I found myself mapping out the next week and figured I would give it a shot!

TBR:


1. Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott - I started this book at the end of July and my limited amount of free time has kept me from reading it so, of course, this will be the first book that I will aim to complete.

2. The Nightmare Charade (Arkwell Academy #3) by Mindee Arnett - A new release that I have been looking forward to! This book will also count toward my 2015 goal of completing five series, as it is the last in a trilogy.

3. The Titans Curse (Percy Jackson & The Olympians Graphic Novel #3) by Rick Riordan - Something to fall back on, just in case I'm in the mood for some light reading.

Not very extensive but, with how my reading has been lately, I think I will find these three books challenging enough to keep me going.

Goals:

As far as goals go, I have none.




Are you guys excited for Bout of Books? I know I am!

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Bout of Books 14

It's that time again!

Bout of Books

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 17th and runs through Sunday, August 23rd in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 14 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team



Between working two jobs and going to school, I haven't had much time for reading......... BUT. I will give it my best shot! See you there?