Bout of Books 9.0

I AM DOING A THING. AGAIN.

I really enjoyed myself during the last Bout of Books—which was, coincidentally, the first read-a-thon I had ever participated in—and while I do not think I will be setting any specific goals for myself this time around, I definitely plan on having fun. And lots of it.

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, January 6th and runs through Sunday, January 12th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 9.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Will you be participating? I hope to see you there!

❄ TAG: Winter Wonderland ❄

In an attempt to get myself—and this blog—in the Christmas spirit, I thought I would participate in JackEatsBooks' Winter Wonderland book TAG! Oooooh, wintry~

(Also, its been about a week since I've posted anything...)



1. What book is so happy and sweet that it warms your heart?

Sarah Dessen seems to have a knack for writing heart-melting novels so, really, any of her books would do just fine (particularly Along for the Ride or The Truth About Forever). Epic Fail by Clare LaZebnik—a retelling of Pride and Prejudice—is also one of my favorite fluffy, contemporaries reads.

2. What is your favorite book with a white cover?

While I did not love Eleanor & Park as much as everyone else on the planet seemed to, it is still a fantastic book and I absolutely enjoyed its incredibly real look at high school, first love, and the complexity of family and friendship.

3. You're sitting in a nice comfy chair, wearing a onesie with a lovely, warm hot chocolate; what MONSTER read are you reading?

Probably either Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare, Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl or one of the Harry Potters.

Oddly enough, I do not seem to have too many "monster" reads, as most of my books average at about 300-350 pages. Huh.

4. It started snowing, so you decide to have a snowball fight! What fictional character would you love to have the snowball fight with?

William Herondale. Without a doubt.

5. Sadly, your fire is beginning to go out. What book would you tear the last few chapters out of to throw into the fire?

Normally, I would not condone ripping anything out of a book but, since this is hypothetical, I think my answer would definitely have to be Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins; the last book in the Hunger Games trilogy. That whole book, really, had me so angry that I would gladly throw it into a fire for this TAG - particularly the last few chapters.

6. What book is so close to your heart that you would gift to someone this Christmas who hasn't read before but wants to get into reading?

This Christmas I am giving my sister the first three books in the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare and one of my brothers the Maze Runner trilogy by James Dashner, as both series are the perfect combination of suspense, adventure and heartbreak. However, both of my siblings read (albeit, not much), so if I were to give a book to someone who has never really "read" before, then I would hand them Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. This book was the start of it all for me, and I feel like it is the perfect beginning for new readers of all ages.

Teaser Tuesday [December 10]

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 The Book Thief:

"That's the sort of thing I'll never know, or comprehend—what humans are capable of."

— The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (page 25)

November 2013 Wrap-up [spoiler free!]

To say that I have been in a rut, reading-wise, this month would be a colossal understatement. Lingering colds coupled with painful headaches have left me sick, bedridden, and in absolutely no mood to read. Hence the four books.

☆☆

1.Velveteen by Daniel Marks. Probably not the best book to begin November with, Velveteen was most definitely my least favorite read of the month. Though the premise, in its simplest form—ghost-life in purgatory—was interesting, the actual follow-through, development, characters, and romance were so awful that it completely took away from the crazy/creepy serial killer vibe and made the story unbearable. It took me almost a week to get through this 464 page book and, after finishing it, I practically had to force myself to pick up another. If you are into cheesy, clichéd, annoying paranormal romances about Insta!Love and whiny female leads, then this book is for you. To see my full review, click here.

☆☆☆☆☆





2. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. Finally, amiright? Aliens purging Earth of the human race is a pretty classic and overused Sci Fi idea, but this story was so interesting and complex that I remained impressed from start to finish. I absolutely adored the characters and found the dual POV—usually confusing and/or annoying—really helpful in keeping the story fresh and action-y. Cassie's sarcastic, cynical voice and humorous remarks were fun to read and really helped me relate to her character, placing her at the top of my (ever growing) favorite female characters list (Velveteen, she is not). It did take me a little longer to warm up to Evan (with only one chapter from his perspective, it was a little hard to get to know the guy), but I got there eventually, and I absolutely adored Ben. The writing was so beautiful and descriptive and my only regret was that it took me so long to pick this book up.

☆☆☆☆☆

3. The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider. This book, comparable to those of John Green and Rainbow Rowell, was sweet, funny and witty; a tale of friendship, high school, love, tragedy, and how we define ourselves. The characters in this story were complex individuals, each with their own untold stories, and were so relatable and reminiscent of my own high school peers that I could actualy imagine them as real people. Ezra was a great narrator and I found myself completely falling in love with his character and story from the very beginning; feeling every betrayal and heartbreak as if it were my own. This book was, without a doubt, my favorite read of November and definitely one of my favorites of the year. Miss Schneider, I look forward to reading more of your work.

☆☆☆☆☆





4. The Shadowhunter's Codex by Cassandra Clare and Joshua Lewis. While this might technically be considered more of a "guide," The Shadowhunter's Codex delves deeper into the Nephilim world than we have ever been - with explanations of why, exactly, the angel Raziel created the Shadowhunters in the first place, a detailed explanation of the variety of Downworlders and demons, the importance of choosing the perfect weapon and how one should go about asking a Warlock where their mark is. The written-in comments from Simon, Clary and Jace are a unique and, let's be honest, completely hilarious addition, the illustrations were absolutely gorgeous and, though I am pretty sure my eyes glossed over during the more monotonous, information-y parts, I really enjoyed learning (and relearning) a bit more about the Shadowhunters and their history. I would definitely recommend this book if you are a fan of Cassandra Clare and are interested in discovering more about the elaborate, complex world of the Nephilim.

. . . .

November Stats:

▫ Read 4 books (and 53 pages of another)
▫ Read 1,556 pages

Upcoming Releases:

▫ Fracture Me (Shatter Me #2.5) by Tahereh Mafi -- December 17, 2013
▫ The Initiate (Divergent #0.2) by Veronica Roth -- December 17, 2013



What book(s) did you read in November? Did you have a favorite?