June Wrap Up 2015

Hey, so it's my last wrap up until I get home in August! I can't believe I leave for Japan in about 5 hours....It's crazy!!  I ended up reading 7 books this month.....I have no idea how that happened...but I did!! I did read 4 little books this month...but I read a few chunkers as well, so let's get started!!

Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass) by Sarah J. Maas: 5/5 Stars

I really loved this book. At first I had a really hard time getting into it, but once I got into this world again, it felt like I was surrounded by old friends in a familiar place. So much happened and I'm nervous as hell for the 4th book Queen of Shadows in September (I believe it comes out in September....XD). Some serious shit is about to go down. I'm so excited. XD

Lucinda's Secret by Holly Black (Spiderwick Chronicles): 4/5 Stars

I finally decided to finish off this series, so I started off with this one. I enjoyed it, but I still wish I had read it when I was younger...Not really too much to say about it. XD

The Ironwood Tree by Holly Black: 3.5/5 Stars

I thought this was the weakest of the 5 books. I thought it didn't really accomplish anything until the end. Again, nothing to really say.

   The Wrath of Mulgarath by Holly Black: 4/5 Stars

And then I finished the last book. I thought it was a pretty solid ending to a pretty solid children's series. All in all, I did really enjoy this series!

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas: 4.5/5 Stars

After having finished Heir of Fire, I needed some more Sarah J. Maas. I knew this book was going to be more like a paranormal/fantasy/romance book, and I knew that was just what I needed. It was exactly what I needed, and I flew through this book.  I liked the characters and the really strong world building.  That being said, I had a few problems with it.  The last 100 or so pages were boring as hell...And then there was a point in the ending and I just looked at the book like...seriously? But I was able to overlook it all because it was addicting...Super addicting.

Dragon's Nest (Dragons of Deltora) by Emily Rodda: 4/5 Stars

I really wanted to get these books done and over with. I really have a lot of problems with these books...but I'm in too deep and I need to finish them (plus I own them all anyways).  This is the first book in the second companion series to Deltora Quest.  I thought the book was ok. Nothing really to write home about. I still have a problem with the age of the characters. The characters are older (Leif is 18ish) and they make the same kinds of choices and have the same types of conversations an 8-12 year old would have. If the characters were those ages, it would have made more sense...but they aren't...and it's weird.     

To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han: 5/5 Stars

I really REALLY enjoyed this book. It was the right book at the right time. I really don't like contemporary, but I thought this book was cute and fluffy and I really did like the relationship between the sisters.  I thought Lara Jean was cute in a quirky way (Ha) and I enjoyed her innocence.  I really liked how easy this book was to read and get into. 

And that's all I've read this month!  I am 105 pages into P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han and I'm enjoying it, just not as much as the first one.  I'm going to be posting what books I'm taking to Japan next. See you there!

Bye!  

June Wrap up (2014)

June was an awesome month for reading!! I read a lot of children's books, but I also read a lot of really good YA books too! In total I read 7 books!! Wow!!

Black Star, Bright Dawn by Scott O'Dell: I read this book a LONG time ago and loved it. I love anything that has to do with Alaska, Huskies and the Iditarod. This book had all three things~ After rereading it, a lot of it felt random, and there are a couple of conflicts that come up that I didn't even know were problems...but for a children's book, it's ok. ^^

Going Bovine by Libba Bray: One of my favorites this month...still thinking about it and it makes me randomly sad....I didn't know this book was going to give me such strong feels! I had to fight back tears because I was in public!!! >___< But when I wasn't trying not to cry, this book was hilarious!! Cameron, Gonzo and Balder are hilarious, the situations they get into are hilarious, and Libba Bray is a brilliant author. I bet she is a hoot to hang out with. XD This book has a VERY strong message in it and I think people really do need to read it. So....READ IT!!!

Moriah's Pond by Ethel Footman Smothers: This is another reread for me as well. My mom got it for me because it has my name on it, but I was really young when I read it and I didn't really remember what it was about. It wasn't as wonderful as I remembered, but I did still enjoy it. This was the first book I ever read that wasn't written by a white dead guy and it was the first book I had ever read that was written in a dialect.

Mr. Popper's Penguins: Uh, this book....I think I read it at least 10 times when I was younger. I love penguins and this book was hilarious when I was little and it made me really want a pet penguin. I wanted to read this again because I was vague about what happened (I guess that is the theme of this month: Vague details about childhood books XD). People in this book accept things way too easily! \>__</ But I still found myself laughing out loud at penguin shenanigans. XD

Island of the Blue Dolphin by Scott O'Dell: Another foggy childhood reread. This book is depressing!!! I had no idea!!!! Still mostly enjoyed it, but holy hell! I had to read an upbeat book after reading this one (I picked up the penguin book for a good chuckle). Yikes.

Wonder by RJ Palacio: My favorite book of this month! I cried, but happy good feeling tears. I haven't had those kind of tears in a long time! It felt good. ^^ I think everyone should read this book. It's so sweet and real. For more on my thoughts, read my review!~

Wake by Lisa McMann: This is actually the first book I got this month and it wasn't what I expected at all...but it was pretty good. ^^ But for more on that, I have a review on it. ^^

That's is everything I read this month! Until next time!! Bye!!

Massive June Book Haul!! (2014)

I was VERY bad this month....VERY VERY bad.....I need to curve my book buying swerve in July (which I already seem to have failed miserably.....oops....but I digress). Here is what I got in the month of June and the first day of July.....XD (Most of these were thrift store books. There are a few from Amazon and one from Book Outlet).

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb: I had watched a video where Regan and maybe Raeleen talk about this fantasy book, so when I found it on my lunch break (I was looking for a book because I left mine at home....) I knew I had to get it. I tried to read the first couple of pages, but I was like "woah...dense..." We'll see how I feel about it when I get back into my fantasy kick.

Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind: Another book I had heard about on Regan and/or Raeleen's channel and I grabbed it on my lunch break. Not craving too much fantasy right now, but I know I will read it at some point (also, it is HUGE!!!).

Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster: I received the third book last year through a Goodreads giveaway and it looked like something that I would totally love: Paranormal steampunk romance....Yes please!! Oh and it takes place in London. Epic win!!! >w< Hopefully I love this series. I really want to be a fan of this series. DON'T DISAPPOINT ME!!!! \>_____</

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs: Thanks to Jesse from Jesse the reader, this book has been at the top of my wish list for quite some time. I finally bit the bullet and bought it off of Amazon because I couldn't find a hardcover anywhere...I REALLY wanted the hardcover...It's so beautiful. <3

The Eye of the Word by Robert Jordan (the graphic novel by Chuck Dixon and Chase Conley): I had been wanting to read The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan (due to my guy friend's request and seeing it pop up everywhere) but let's be real....those books are 1.) Hella huge, 2.) Super dense 3.) Has a million and a half characters and 4.) The series is super duper long....I am one who gets easily confused in fantasy books, so I thought what a better way to see if I can manage the series than by trying the graphic novel (which I didn't know existed until I looked up Robert Jordan on Book Outlet and found it). The art is decent and I'm excited to read a graphic novel. I have read comics and manga, but never a graphic novel. And it's hardcover!!! >w<

  

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson: I finally have all three of the books...but I have this one in hard cover and the others in tall soft covers. But it is soooooooooooo shiny....@-@ I love it. Shiny.....

Supernatural--Bone Key by Keith R.A. DeCandido: This is the 4th book in the Supernatural series? I have no idea what this is about. XD

Supernatural--Witch's Canyon by Jeff Mariotte: This was the first book I picked up that was Supernatural themed. It is the second book in the series and Sam (The guy on the right if you aren't familiar with the show) looks like a total douche on this cover. Just saying. I laughed at this cover for quite some time...still laughing actually. XD I hope this is good.

The Sword of Angels by John Marco: I am soooooooooo good at reading covers and blurbs.....I fail so hard sometimes....So. I found this fantasy book at work, thought it looked cool, checked real hard (apparently not hard enough) to see if it was the first in a series, and bought it thinking it was (which if you have guessed by now, it isn't). Well, I was wrong (XP). It is the third book in a trilogy....it even says "the stirring conclusion..." right on the bloody cover...and it has the first two books printed on the cover and on the inside of the cover...I'm dumb. XP Still looks pretty cool though.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield: I had heard about this book on someones Youtube channel and it sparked my curiosity. I never put it on my wishlist though because it was never a high priority. I found it at work while I was cleaning the $1.49 bin and was like, "I want this book!!" But we aren't allowed to hid things or claim things, so I had a friend put it away so I didn't know where it was. About three days later I was digging though the bookshelves (I didn't even remember this book was here) and I found it! I was shocked that it was still here because there was a lot of book buying going on the last couple of days and I figured it would be gone after it was put back on the shelves. but it wasn't and now it is mine! It had a nasty Borders sticker on the cover that has made the cover sticky, but I'll deal. XD

And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini: I was shocked when I saw this book (brand new) on our shelves at Goodwill. I thought it would be gone when I went shopping the next day. But oddly it wasn't. A Thousand Splendid Suns was gone, but not this one...I was shocked. My sister doesn't like reading, but she RAVES about Hosseini's books, so I picked it up to try (and mostly to get my sister reading again XD). I love the cover of this book. The colors are gorgeous and it is so velvety soft!~ <3

Supernatural--War of the Sons by Rebecca Dessertine and David Reed: Three Supernatural books within days of each other...pretty awesome if you ask me! Sam looks less douchy on this cover, but these covers are awful. XD

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane: I had been curious about this movie for a while, but I never saw it, and I never picked up the book. But I saw it at a thrift store for 39 cents and decided to try it. Plus Leonardo DiCaprio is on the cover. XD

The Spiderwick Chronicles--The Field Guide by Tony Diterlizzi and Holly Black: I never read these books as a child, and I always thought they looked pretty cool, so when I found a hard cover version of the first book, I got it. I am super excited!!

Sword-Dancer by Jennifer Roberson: This was in the young adult section of a thrift store I went to, and I didn't know what to think of it....Still don't know if it is young adult or not (not that it really matters all that much), but it sounded really interesting and like it was going to be a really good fantasy read, so I got it! Plus, I kind of like the old looking fantasy cover.

Isle of the Dead (Dragons of Deltora) by Emily Rodda: April Brooks from Youtube has been raving about Emily Rodda and Deltora Quest (which is (I believe) a bind up of all the books, but it is hella expensive, so I guess I am getting them all individually). I found this one and the other book for super cheap. I have no idea where these go in the scheme of things (there are A LOT of different Deltora series and I don't really know what goes where).

The Sister of the South (Dragons of Deltora) by Emily Rodda


 Well that's everything I bought this month (and the first day of July). I really do need to curve my book buying swerve, but we'll see what happens. I really hope I can do it this month. XP Until next time!! Tootles!!



Regan's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/PeruseProject
Raeleen's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/padfootandprongs07
Kat's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Katytastic
April's channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwsaI0SG82I59jibp1eO-qg
Jesse's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/jessethereader

I was bad...MASSIVE June Book Haul 2014

So, I have been hella thrifting lately, and in doing that, I have acquired a lot of books.....oops......XD A lot of the books are from Goodwill. Some are from our annual flea market and the rest are from Half Price Books (which isn't really thrifting, but it IS second hand). So let's do this thing!!

The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan: I have never really read an Amy Tan book before, but I am really trying to read more books that have different cultures than mine. I am an Asian Studies Major, so what a better book to read. XD

 
I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella: This will be my second Sophie Kinsella book, and I am kind of excited for it. It sounds like it is going to be a hilarious mess!! I need some hilariously messy book. ^^ It's a nice break from my complicated dystopians and fantasy books.

The Ear, The Eye and the Arm by Nancy Farmer: This book had been plaguing me for weeks. Always in the wrong spot...I always had to move it. So I finally picked it up to see what it really was. Nancy Farmer? She wrote a book Regan from Peruse Project loves. Futuristic Zimbabwe? Uh.....yes please!! This book is beautiful and full of mythology...All of the hot shapes!! 

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon: This book has been floating around the interwebs a bit and I just saw that I recognized the title and put it in my shopping basket. It looks like it is going to be a good book. Hopefully a bit suspenseful!~

Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton: I...don't really know why I bought this book....Something new? I like pirates and I have heard Michael Crichton's books are really good. Also, this book reminded me of Erika from The Perks of Books. I don't know if she's read it, but I just thought of her when I saw it. ^^

Black Star, Bright Dawn by Scott O'Dell: This was my favorite book by Scott O'Dell. I have always had an obsession with Huskies, Eskimo culture and the Iditarod, and I could never find this book in any library when I was younger. They had to send for it...and I devoured it. I am currently reading this now and loving it!! It's beautiful!~

Sing Down the Moon by Scott O'Dell: I don't remember if I read this book. I also love Native American culture and I'm sure I will love this book. This seems a lot darker than the other books I have read by him, so I am totally intrigued.

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan: I have book three now!! Slowly getting the rest of the series!! Found this one at Goodwill and it was in really good condition, so I was very happy to have it. ^-^

Magyk by Septimus Heap: Another book from Connor's channel. I don't know what it's about, but I know it is fantasy!!! Yay!!

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han: I thought the premise of this book was hilarious, but it wasn't really my cup of tea. I am not a huge fan of contemporary books...but I saw it at Half Price and decided that I wanted it. So it was totally an impulse buy. XD

Graceling by Kristn Cashore: This is a book I have been lusting over for a long time, and I could never find it at Half Price. But this time I just happened to look up and there it was! Yey!!

Mr. Popper's Penguins: This used to be one of my favorite books when I was little. I also have an obsession with penguins...and it's probably because of this book....XD Well it helped at least. XD $1.99...I couldn't resist. Plus I'm have been wanting to read books from my childhood lately, so I thought this fit in perfectly!

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson: Another book I had been lusting over for a long time and always hear Regan talking about and could never find it. Well I found it!! Totally randomly!!! I was so excited I squealed!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone: Again another book I have been lusting over for a long time and finally found! $4.99!! Yay!!! It's brand spanking new, but it has this weird scuff on it, which is why I think it ended up at Half Price, but it doesn't bother me any! So excited!

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan: Oh yeah! I finished my collection!! XD I was so excited when I saw this for cheap at Half Price! Now I have them all!!! Horray!!! I want to re read this series again sometime soon...I don't know when, but soon. ^^

Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella: I have already read this book a long time ago, but for some reason, I gave it up. I don't know why because I really liked it. I found it at a rummage sale for 50 cents and decided to put it back in my collection. I do want to read it again at some point..probably this summer. XD 


Well, those are all the books I got so far. I am going to try and read more than I buy...actually I'm going to try and not buy any books at all...it's going to be really hard, but I'm not going to buy any more for a while. A.) because I have no more room in my book shelves and B.) I need to save my money. That's all for now, so bye!! 

Erika's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ThePerksOfBooks/featured
Regan's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/PeruseProject/featured
Connor's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/NodinBookinIt/featured