Review: A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

It’s 1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma’s reception there is a chilly one. To make things worse, she’s been followed by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her entanglement with Spence’s most powerful girls—and their foray into the spiritual world—lead to?

Belated Book Haul!

It's been such a long time since I've made a book haul and this haul is a long time coming! These are a few books that I've collected since the last one I made (which you can find here). I'm so blessed that the majority of these books were sent to me by either the author or a company so thank you so much to everyone who sent these to me.

This is a much smaller pile but they are books I am so excited about so let's get into it!

Get to Know Bookish Terms

Just like any other community, the book community has it's own jargon, slang and terms that are obvious to everyone on the inside but a little confusing to everyone on the outside, particularly the acronyms. However, this can make it confusing for new readers to get into the groove of things when they don't know what everyone is saying and what we mean when we say certain terms. Even for me, a reader who took a massive nearly 10 year break, when I got back into the community, there were a lot of new terms that took me a while to fully understand what they meant. 

So I chose a good number of terms whose meanings I think aren't 100% obvious, separate them into sections where they would relate to one another, and I'm going to define the terms. Hopefully a lot of new readers will find this helpful!

5 Popular Ways to Organize your Bookshelf

A bookshelf is something unique and special to a bookworm and it's so fitting that the way the bookshelf is presented and organized be both of those things as well.

I want to go over the most popular ways I've seen readers showcase their books. All of these are great options for bookshelves of any size and can work for any reader.

This or That Book Tag

Yay! Another book tag! This is such an interesting tag because I think it lets you see what kind of reader I am in a more detailed way so I'm really excited to show you my reading habits and opinions through this! 

5 Places to Buy Cheap Books

One of the hardest things we have to go through as book lovers is how expensive books are to buy! New books are so expensive and the prices just seem to be escalating, some close to $30 just for one book. Even older books in hardback are still not cheap, ranging from $15-$20, especially if they're from popular series or authors. Paperbacks are cheaper but even then, the prices seem to just not be for those of us who want to own the books we love but have a budget. Especially those of who don't want to spent $30+ for just two or three books. 

Nearly all of the books I've been buying lately, however, have been at a greatly discounted price - both old and newer releases. It's one of the most satisfying feelings to be able to own a book and knowing you got a great deal on it so I want to share where I go to buy cheap books. 

Of course, the library is always an amazing option but I did not include that on my list because I want to highlight places where you can go to own books you really want. Also, there are a lot of great discounted book stores that I'm not including simply because they don't exist in my city or anywhere near me. So my list only includes the places I have personal access to.

Reader Problems Book Tag

It's been a while since I've done a book tag and I've been missing them! They're so fun and a great way to get to know me as a reader. Especially this tag. So let's get right into it and enjoy.

Book of the Month YA: September Unboxing!

Discussion: Return to the Book Community

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors

For me, a favorite author isn't just someone I enjoy one book of - even if it's one of my favorites. They're authors I have enjoyed multiple books of and/or plan on continuing reading future books. At the same time, its not an author whose books I all enjoy. A favorite author is an auto-buy author. Even if there are a few of their books that I didn't like, I would still continue buying more of their books just because I know its more likely than not that I will want to read their writing, worlds and am most likely to enjoy them.

Summer Break Wrap Up

It's time for a wrap up of everything I read during my summer break. So much has happened this summer in terms of books/reading. I got back into reading, first off! It had been years since I have read for pleasure (which I will discuss further in a future post) and I'm so glad I decided to pick up my favorite hobby again. I created this blog! Which has been such a great addition to my life with all the great people I've met and how much it reminds me of how much I used to love book blogging when I was younger. Now, lets get into the books!

University Book Tag

School (and more specifically, college) is back in session! I started today as well. So let's 'celebrate' this new school year in style. With a book tag! This tag was originally created by ViktoriaReads. 

Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Ninety-five days, and then I’ll be safe.

I wonder whether the procedure will hurt.

I want to get it over with.

It’s hard to be patient.

It’s hard not to be afraid while I’m still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn’t touched me yet.

Still, I worry.

They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness.

The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don’t.

Review: The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2) by Maggie Stiefvater

If you could steal things from dreams, what would you take?

Ronan Lynch has secrets. Some he keeps from others. Some he keeps from himself.

One secret: Ronan can bring things out of his dreams.

And sometimes he's not the only one who wants those things.

Ronan is one of the raven boys - a group of friends, practically brothers, searching for a dead king named Glendower, who they think is hidden somewhere in the hills by their elite private school, Aglionby Academy. The path to Glendower has long lived as an undercurrent beneath town. But now, like Ronan's secrets, it is beginning to rise to the surface - changing everything in its wake.

Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

On a day that started like any other…

Mia had everything: a loving family, a gorgeous, adoring boyfriend, and a bright future full of music and full of choices. Then, in an instant, almost all of that is taken from her. Caught between life and death, between a happy past and an unknowable future, Mia spends one critical day contemplating the one decision she has left—the most important decision she’ll ever make.

Simultaneously tragic and hopeful, this is a romantic, riveting and ultimately uplifting story about memory, music, living, and dying.

Review: The Iron Daughter (The Iron Fey #2) by Julie Kagawa

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

The Blogger Recognition Award

I want to start off by thanking Gemma from Gemma's Bookshelf for nominating me! Please go check out her blog. She reviews and talks about all things books. You can see how much effort she puts in each of her posts and how much she loves what she talks about.

Review: Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Annabel Green is "the girl who has everything" — at least that's what she portrays in her modeling shoots. But Annabel's life is far from perfect. Her friendship with Sophie ended bitterly, and her older sister's eating disorder is weighing down the entire family. Isolated and ostracized at school and at home, Annabel retreats into silent acceptance. Then she meets Owen–-intense, music obsessed, and determined to always tell the truth. And with his guidance, Annabel learns to just listen to herself and gains the courage to speak honestly. But will she be able to tell everyone what really happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends? 

Review: Devotion for Love or Honor by Isabella Harron

Devotion is a different kind of teacher/student romance with slow-burn and many obstacles. This is not a high school bully, or drama, but a man trapped between his senior year of high school, the commitments he made and the woman whom he fell hopelessly in love. Time for Ryan and Jenny has not been on their side, and the first few years of loving each other, they spent more time apart than together. But, love triumphs and after she is no longer his teacher, married and he has escaped his duty of honor what they have left is a love story. Two people who should not have fallen, but did and they reach their happily-ever-after. 

Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

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

Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. 

Thomas was sure that escape from the Maze would mean freedom for him and the Gladers. But WICKED isn’t done yet. Phase Two has just begun. The Scorch.

There are no rules. There is no help. You either make it or you die.

The Gladers have two weeks to cross through the Scorch—the most burned-out section of the world. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them. 

Friendships will be tested. Loyalties will be broken. All bets are off. 

There are others now. Their survival depends on the Gladers’ destruction—and they’re determined to survive.

Top Ten Tuesday: Couples

Welcome to my first Top Ten Tuesday! I decided to do my first one about what is usually my favorite part of the books I read. Romance! I've been on a reading hiatus for a few years so I haven't read many of the current popular books. Who knows, maybe once I've read more series and books, my list will change a lot. But the couples I've chosen now are near and dear to my heart and come from books that have a big part in my book loving heart. They're from all genres within the YA category. Let me know what you think of my list and who would make your list!

Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from New York Times bestselling author, National Book Award finalist, and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. 

Read it.

And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

"'There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark's Eve,' Neeve said. 'Either you're his true love...or you killed him.'"

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them — not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He has it all — family money, good looks, devoted friends — but he's looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

Fourth of July Book Tag

Happy 4th of July! To celebrate Independence Day I thought this book tag was perfect and appropriate. This tag was originally created by Talking Leaves on youtube. I created the visuals because I thought this tag was too good for it not to have pretty images to go along with it.

Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

You can't stop the future. You can't rewind the past. The only way to learn the secret. . . is to press play.

Clay Jensen doesn't want anything to do with the tapes Hannah Baker made. Hannah is dead. Her secrets should be buried with her.

Then Hannah's voice tells Clay that his name is on her tapes-- and that he is, in some way, responsible for her death.

All through the night, Clay keeps listening. He follows Hannah's recorded words throughout his small town. . .

. . .and what he discovers changes his life forever.

Aladdin Book Tag

Since the new Aladdin movie has come out and was such a success, I thought this book tag was perfect to celebrate.

I found this tag on Cornerfolds and Brooke's Reviews and Sweeps but the original creator of the tag was Du Livre! This is such tag has such beautiful images so lets get started.

Review: The Devouring by Simon Holt

The Vours: Evil, demonic beings that inhabit human bodies on Sorry Night, the darkest hours of the winter solstice.

When Reggie reads about the Vours in a mysterious old journal, she assumes they are just the musings of an anonymous lunatic. But when her little brother, Henry, begins to act strangely, it's clear that these creatures exist beyond a madwoman's imagination, and Reggie finds out what happens when fears come to life.

To save the people she loves, Reggie must learn to survive in a world of nightmares. Can she devour her own fears before they devour her?

Bone-chilling, terrifying, thrilling...what are you waiting for? 

The Devouring is an engrossing tale of terror that will have you wondering: what if your worst fears became your living nightmare?

Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Can Anna find love in the City of Light?

Anna is happy in Atlanta. She has a loyal best friend and a crush on her coworker at the movie theater, who is just starting to return her affection. So she's not too pleased when her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year. But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna meets some cool new friends, including the handsome Étienne St. Clair, who quickly becomes her best 
friend. Unfortunately, he's taken--and Anna might be too. 
Will a year of romantic near misses end with the French kiss she's been waiting for? 

Book Haul! (20 Books)

So recently, I went to the annual Half Price Books Clearance Sale in my city. It was my first time there and honestly, walking in a seeing the size of the room, stacks and people was so overwhelming. I got a little basket at first but near the end, I had to switch to an entire cart. But I was able to find so many books and authors that I had spent years wanting to read and a few sequels that I've been missing.

Review: Torn (Trylle #2) by Amanda Hocking

"When Wendy Everly first discovers the truth about herself—that she’s a changeling switched at birth—she knows her life will never be the same. Now she’s about to learn that there’s more to the story...

She shares a closer connection to her Vittra rivals than she ever imagined—and they’ll stop at nothing to lure her to their side. With the threat of war looming, her only hope of saving the Trylle is to master her magical powers—and marry an equally powerful royal. But that means walking away from Finn, her handsome bodyguard who’s strictly off limits... and Loki, a Vittra prince with whom she shares a growing attraction.

Torn between her heart and her people, between love and duty, Wendy must decide her fate. If she makes the wrong choice, she could lose everything, and everybody, she’s ever wanted... in both worlds.

As a special gift to readers, this book contains a new, never-before-published bonus story, “One Day, Three Ways,” set in the magical world of the Trylle."