September Reads

Another month has passed and even though I have been exercising, I haven’t listened to my audiobook. I was too busy catching up on Youtube and I have this tendency if I’m near the end of something, I won’t finish it, so I won’t be done with it. It is a really bad habit and I am trying to get out of it. I will for sure be done with the last Airhead book this month for sure. No more putting it off. I’m not finding it that great anyway. I wanted to share some older reviews that I’m not sure if I have shared on this blog before. If so, it has been a really long time and I thought you guys might enjoy it on the months that I have no books to review. It is kinda like revisiting old favorites or hate its. Let me know if you like this or not. I am going through my Goodreads and sorting by oldest reviews first. I think this will be a lot of fun! Oh, btw, I have read 429 books since I started counting in February 2009. Apparently, there are a number of books that I never put the date that I read them on. We shall go through them first.

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book so much with all of its plot twists and drama.

City Girl by Lori Wick

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Best book in the series

Pregnancy: For The First Time Moms, What They Don’t Tell You by Darell Spice

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Not very helpful if you know the basics.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So SHOCKING!!

A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It was the best book about Royalty that I have ever read.

I also apparently barely wrote about the books that I didn’t bother putting a read date for. It is a good sampling to see what kinds of books that I like and enjoy for better recommendations. I really loved The Luxe series and I am so sad that I read all of them. They were my guilty pleasure books in high school. I really love anything that has to do with ages of luxury like the Victorian age or the roaring 20s. I just love all that glitz and glamour. I think I was born into the wrong time era. I would have loved to live during that time and been courted.

With Love,

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June Reads

I am so happy to have two books off of my to-read shelf at home this past month. I currently sit at 30 books to-read from my personal library. I don’t tend to reread books, so these are all books that I bought or were bought as gifts for me brand new that are sitting on my to-read shelf. I am still working on my to-read Goodreads shelf, which currently stores 700 books. I know that I cannot read all of those and I might not be interested in them anymore. I have been slowly going through it book by book, page by page and have found that some of them I have read and just forgot to switch it from to-read to read. Others, I am no longer interested in. I think I have currently combed through 120 titles to keep on my shelf. I am happy to have two physical books out of the way that I did very much enjoy.

Hope in a Jar by Beth Harbison

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I don’t read that many adult books. I have been sticking to the YA novels, because I really love reading most of them. However, I have been getting into adult books lately and this one was the best mix of YA and Adult together. The book occurs in flashbacks from middle school and high school and goes back into the reality of being in your 30s. It was a quirky book with so many layers to it. It is very much a coming of age story and you get to play detective to see why two best friends from high school drifted about over one event in their lives. I did not see it coming and I don’t want to spoil it. This book goes DEEP without giving you all of the details. I won’t say that I was invested in any of the characters. The book doesn’t go deep enough for that. It just skims the surface of every character and no one really has that much dimension. It was still an enjoyable book and I do recommend it for those days that you just want to read a book without feeling guilty about it being chick lit.

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow. It only took me 16 days to read this book. I was obsessed with reading it. From the first chapter, Dessen hooked me right in and her familiar story arc didn’t seem old and tired. I really enjoyed the characters and how the story flowed. I stopped watching Netflix, because I enjoyed this story more. It takes a really good book for me to chose it over my current obsession Lost Girl. I could relate to the main character Em with her daddy issues. I have a similar tale with my own biological dad. It might have been the familiarity that got me hooked, but it was the way Dessen made her main character so human that kept me reading. She didn’t state every few pages that Em was “beautiful” or “smart”. It is implied in the way she goes about finding solutions and her attitude towards her brother. Dessen doesn’t need a “beautiful” man character that all the boys in the book flock to. Maybe that’s why I enjoyed it so much. Em is such a real girl, a real character that I didn’t feel like anything was forced about her. Yes, there were some cringe worthy moments that I wished she would have reacted differently, but it made her more real that she didn’t react in the most ideal way. She is for sure one of the more reserved characters in Dessen’s novels.

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I am unsure of how many books I will be reading in the future with school occupying a lot of my spare time. I think I will either be reading or watching my shows on Netflix and only binge watching my Youtube shows once a week. Youtube has been a major time suck recently and I need to cut down on it. I have never been obsessed with social media before and Youtube seems to be the one that I enjoy most. If I cut down on that time, I believe that I will be able to read a book a month. I am also subscribed to Audible now and I am enjoying the last book in the Meg Cabot series Airhead as I walk on my manual treadmill. Combining reading and exercise is keeping me motivated to workout at least twice if not three times a week at 30 minute intervals. I am already looking through my to-read list for the next book that I should listen to. $14.99 a month is not that expensive for an audiobook if it is also your exercise program.

With Love,

April Reads

I do not believe that I will be reading anymore books this month, so I am going to be posting this a little bit early. I will probably have three books read next month, because of this. The one book that I managed to read this month was very long and I read it for an hour most nights in April. It is the first book that I gave 5 out of 5 stars in a long time. This was a book off of my own bookshelf. I am one book behind so far on how many books that I want to read this year off of my actual bookshelf. That is why I already have my May book picked out: both of which are from my book shelf. I am hoping to squeeze in another ebook in May as well.
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don’t know what to say. This has probably been the best book that I have read this year. I love the POV of a man. It is so original in a female dominating YA Romance voice. It is unique and I loved seeing the world in the eyes of a 16 or 17 year old boy. I love the pace of the book. It kept the plot moving forward at an even pace. At some points, we are picking daisies and I’m enjoying that pace. When the action starts, it really goes fast. This book hooked me in from the very first chapter. I am invested in the stories and the characters. I want to know what happens next. This author really knows how to build a world and give the reader something tangible to hold onto (the Civil War) while adding in mystical elements. I went into this book not really knowing what it was about. I never would have guessed witches! It was so unexpected to me as an unassuming reader who didn’t read any spoilers. There are so many surprises in this book to me. I highly enjoyed it and I recommend it. I might read the next book on Audible. I want to hear that Southern drawl.

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I am very happy to have read this book this month and I will be getting more books in this trilogy. I might “read” them on audible. Yes, I have decided to subscribe to Audible. I plan on signing up in May. $14.99 for an audio book isn’t that bad and I pay 10 to 12 on a paperback anyway. I figure that I deserve it, since I no longer subscribe to any beauty subscriptions. I am also hoping that it will motivate me to exercise for 15 minutes every night. I want to get fit and healthy again. I would only allow myself to “read” when I am exercising or doing laundry or cleaning or whatever. I want the book to last the whole month for that price.

With Love,

February Reads

I am sorry for not posting these past two days. Dean was vomiting and had diarrhea. It is so heartbreaking to have a sick child and not being able to do anything about it. He is finally eating and going back to normal today. I called out of work yesterday to be with him. I only managed to read 1 book this month with my test (I PASSED!) and everything going on in my life. I am hoping to finish 3 books in March: my regular 2 and my make up book. Hopefully, I can stay on track this year!

The Legend of the Blue Eyes by B. Kristin McMichael

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Eh…That’s how I feel about this book. It wasn’t a waste of time, because I did enjoy the book. I will not continue the series and buy the next installments. If I ever came across them for free, I would read them, but again, I would not purchase. This was a quick read for me, but didn’t teach me anything about this big legend that this girl is supposed to be. I thought that we would at least get to hear about the legend, but the book doesn’t go into any details besides taking one boy as her protector from each race. So, I don’t get how one of them gets their own spinoff series where they take off away from Arianna. Besides that, I enjoyed the boy craziness of it and Arianna coming to terms with who she is. No one will tell her anything so she naturally acts out, but some how still comes out unscathed and unpunished. I guess, she can’t really be punished being a legend and all. Eh, I have nothing more to say. It was okay and I can check another book read off of my kindle.

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With Love,

January Reads

I read two books in January, which was my goal. I think it will be tough to finish two in Feb since it is a shorter month and all. I really enjoyed both of the books that I read and I plan on reading the comics that Dan gave me to borrow next month instead of a kindle book. I am also taking my test in February, so I might not reach my two book goal. That is okay though. March is a long month if I need to catch up.

The Iron Legends by Julie Kagawa

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have already read the first two stories, so I was really interested in the last story and all of the extras. I really enjoyed the last story. It was nice to see the friends back together again. All of the characters play so well off of each other. I love that Megan and Ash’s love is solidified finally. No more trouble in paradise…or so we thought. I still cannot believe how fast IT happened. You have FOREVER Megan, no need to settle down so soon into your marriage. I’m still mad that we as readers were not invited to the wedding. Puck definitely would have crashed it. Her marriage needs to be a short story about that to make me happy. I love the extras and they were really interesting. I loved the Grim commentary. He is a cat after all. I have the Iron Prince, but I plan to read that in the next few months. I want to pick a different paperback for Feb. I highly recommend if you love the series.
Stalk Me by Jillian Dodd

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was the best book that I have read in a long time. The story wrapped me up in one chapter. One chapter and I was hooked. I wanted to read this book all the time, but at the same time, I read it slow and savored every word. I will be reading the second book, but this one was ah-mazing and it was free. You cannot beat free and this one was a winner in a pile of slush. Because let’s face it, most of the free books on Amazon are horrible. Now and then, I find stories that I really enjoy or those that frustrate me. I really like Keatyn. She is relatable, but then again not. She’s too pretty to be able to relate to her on all levels. I love where the story is going. Although, the next book seems to be more about boys than the stalking. I hope I see a little bit of excitement in the next book besides all the “gorgeous” guys in it.
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With Love,

December Reads

I am so happy that I was able to keep up with my two books a month pledge. I have some New Years Resolutions to share with you in the new year for all areas of my life. I want to continue to read two books every single month next year. I think that it is a good balance for me. I’m not sure how I’m going to do when I have a college course to take in September and scheduled assignments, but we shall see. I think that I can still keep to it. December was a really great book month. I really enjoyed both books and I want to pick up the next ones in each series.

The Fab Life by Mercy Amare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really loved this book and I want to get the next book in the series. It has everything: romance and mystery. I enjoy the stalker element of the story and that we think we caught them, but in reality, he or she is still out there. I just love celebrity stories. I always had dreams about being one. Really cliched, I know, but who doesn’t when they are a kid? Honestly, I still have vampire dreams. I’m just a paranormal freak. I ate this book up and was said when I turned the last virtual page. I’m waiting for a discount on Amazon to get the next book. I decided that in 2018, I can spend $2 a month on an e-book. $2 is what you pay on a magazine that you read and throw away, so I won’t feel bad sending them to a friend after, donating it, or simply deleting it. I read this story for free on Amazon. It is still free, so I highly recommend that you grab it while you can. You will not be disappointed.

The White Aura by Felicia Tatum

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It has been a hot minute since I loved a book as much as I loved this one. I devoured the pages and finished reading it in two or three nights after Dean had gone to bed. I didn’t know what was really happening, but that fact only pulled me more into the story. I actually enjoyed going from one POV to another POV every chapter, back and forth between the two main characters. I felt drawn to both of the main characters and the others involved in the story as well. I am curious about everyone and I want to know everyone’s story. I can guess the elephant in the room though. I know that Ms. White Aura is going to be the decedent. It is pretty predictable. I would have loved it to be the best friend or someone unexpected. Making it the girl that he is in love with is too predictable. Now, I don’t know this for certain, but I have a strong hunch. I will be picking up the next book in the series. I am very excited for the next book. I am only allowing myself to read one kindlebook a month in the new year. I have tons of paperbacks that need to be read.

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I am looking forward to the next reads of January. I have already started two paperback books and two kindle books. Maybe, I’ll have four done in January, but I think that’s asking for too much.

With Love,

November Reads

I only finished two books this month, but that’s alright with me. I’m just happy to be reading books and being able to finish one with everything that I have on my plate. I was just nominated for a middle level Round Of Applause Award, which is worth $50 at my place of employment. I’ll be getting my Visa Giftcard in the mail, so there will be some kind of haul. Maybe clothes, but I haven’t decided yet. I also have some other work-related exciting news, but I cannot share it yet until it gets announced at my work. I know some of my coworkers read my blog. Let’s get into the post!

Beneath the Glitter by Elle Fowler

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is one of the best written book by a famous person. Almost on par with Hilary Duff. It’s hard to imagine them actually writing this though. It doesn’t list a ghost writer, but there has to be one, even Hilary Duff was transparent about that one. The book was entertaining and I want to read the sequel to see what happens next. The ending gave away the “who done it” aspect though. If it was supposed to be a cliff hanger, it wasn’t. Other aspects of the book makes me want to read the sequel though. In reality, I find the Fowler sisters lacking recently. Elle makes zero videos and I always found Blair too annoying to watch.
Ready or Not by Meg Cabot

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this one as much as the first one. For once, the sequel was just as good as the original. I might even have liked this one better, which is saying a lot. It was the perfect amount of humor and teen angst to make things interesting. Throw in a few surprises and you have a really great book in your hands. I don’t think there is another book after this one, but it makes me want to read another Meg Cabot and even a Sarah Dessen book. There is just something about YA that has me coming back for more. I highly recommend this book and the author. It was quite refreshing and a nice break from reading the Shopaholic books.
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With Love ❤

October Reads 2016

I managed to finish two books in October and I was SO CLOSE to finishing a third. Oh well! I’ll probably have three for next month then. One is a paperback and the other was a kindle freebie. I love getting free books on my kindle, even if they aren’t very good. I’ve made a sizable hit on my personal to-read library at home. Any books that I finish and I don’t love (or weren’t presents), I will consign for 2 dollars. It’s worth getting a little bit of money out of books that you’ve only read once and I have a small apartment. I need to downsize EVERYTHING. The good news is that I’m moving next year! I’ll def show what the apartment looks like empty. Once I complete a room the way I want it to look (styled and furnished and everything), I will show it on my blog. Good things coming next year!

Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I feel so-so about this book. All of the character development from the last book was all gone. Honestly, it felt like the first book never happened. The ending was satisfying, but she was shopping again. Honestly, I’ll read the third book, but if the plot line is the same: gets in debt and miraculously gets out of debt in the end; I will not read another book. It’s like the same story told over and over again, just slightly different the second time around. I might try a different book from this author if they just keep rehashing the Shopaholic story. But honestly, her mom’s a bit of a shopaholic herself. 🙂

A Spy Like Me by Laura Pauling

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I really liked this book in the beginning, but it was almost too long to keep my attention. Add to the fact that the book was all over the place and just really confusing. You don’t know what’s real and what’s not. You don’t really have an idea of what’s going on at all and if you do, the plot totally changes and you are lost again. This book wouldn’t be so bad if you gave the reader just a little bit of information about where the book is leading you to. You think it’s one thing, but it’s another and another. It’s just too all over the place for me to really enjoy it. It was a break from my usual fantasy novels, but I won’t buy the next one in the series. It wasn’t a great start that would make me want to read another unfortunately.
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With Love ❤

September Reads

I managed to read two books in September, which I did meet my goal of two books a month. I have reached my goal while working full time, being a mom, and taking a self study course. I’m pretty damn proud of myself if I do say so. I’m currently half way through two other books, so October could very well be a four book month. That’s my goal anyway. But whose counting? Here are the two books that I managed to read this month:

Chicken Soup for the Soul: I Can’t Believe My Dog Did That!: 101 Stories about the Crazy Antics of Our Canine Companions by Jack Canfield

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There were some really cute stories in this book. A couple were boring, but the rest were very entertaining. I enjoyed reading this book, which didn’t take me too long to finish. My friend Lisa from Kmart bought me this book for Christmas, because she knew how much I loved reading and my dogs. I understand the appeal of reading Chicken Soup for the Soul books now that I know that they all aren’t religious books. For some reason, I thought they were religious. Where they religious books at one point? This book was a nice break from my usual fantasy YA reads. I might pick up another bowl now!

All-American Girl by Meg Cabot

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If there is a sequel (WHICH THERE IS!), I am definitely reading it. I really loved this book and it was a quick and easy read. I read it in 5 days of pumping, so it only took me four hours to read it. I recommend this book for young girls and fans of a really good romantic YA. It was also very humorous as well. Even if you are not a big book person, you would really enjoy this book and I’m sure that it sounds amazing on audible, which I am considering. Getting audible, that is. So, I can download a book on my Ipod and listen to it while I am at work. We are allowed to listen to music, so I don’t see why not. I’m going off on a tangent here, so I’ll just say read it for fun.
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With Love ❤

August Reads

I managed to finish three books this month and almost finished a fourth! I think it might be possible to finish four books in September, but I am not making that my goal. I’m just happy to manage two a month with working full time and being a mom. Now, I’ll be adding taking a college online class to that. It’s a good thing that the class is a self-study with no homework. I just have a exam to pass, which I chose December 9th at 2:30 pm, but I have to be there at 2 for check in. You get all of these supplies with your books like flash cards and practice test. I’ll make a blog post next week about it and talk more in-depth then. Here are the three books that I managed to read!

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have to say that Lauren Oliver really redeemed herself in my eyes. I really disliked Before I Fall and I didn’t have high hopes for this trilogy. I have to say that I loved this novel so much, because it wasn’t what I expected. It isn’t a cliche or similar to anything that I have read before. It is a very unique story that had me guessing at every page. I didn’t want to ut this book down and I finished it in a week. I ate this book up and cannot wait to read the next book in the series. I was really mad at the ending of this book, though. It is bittersweet and I wish it would have ended the way I wanted it to. But then, I would complain about a predictable ending. I had zero expectations going into this series and now, I don’t want to leave.

Shearwater Part One by Derek Murphy

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I didn’t realize that when I started this book, I was only getting half of the story. The other half is supposedly coming out in November. I will tell you already that I am looking forward to reading the rest of the story. I was just getting into the story, when it stopped. The beginning is very long and feels it. I do feel like this resembles Twilight, but I have hope for this book. I really enjoyed the mythology and how it was weaved into the story. It wasn’t heavy handed, which was nice. It is a pleasant story, but I would not recommend reading this until the full story is out. It feels half finished.

The Long Road Home by Lori Wick

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoy books by Lori Wick and this one was no exception. It is a little darker than some of her other books, but the women are always in danger and need rescuing by men. That is one thing I don’t enjoy. I want a strong female that doesn’t need to be saved by a man. Otherwise than that, I liked the book well enough. It is a Christian novel, so prepare yourself for some Bible verses. This book shoves God down your throat less than Wick’s other novels. I will be finishing the series and they are very clean reads that anyone at any age could enjoy and understand. I’m starting to read more “adult” books and less YA.
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With Love ❤