June in Review

Me after seeing The Fault in Our Stars opening weekend.

To me, June always flies by. Always. In contrast, July seems to last a lifetime. However, this year, it seems especially true. We were two-thirds of the way through June before I even realized we were past the first week. I did not accomplish as much as I hoped I would have, I'm hoping to make up for that in July.

Books I Read in June:
We Were Liars by E. Lockart
Split Second by Kasie West
Real Live Boyfriends by E Lockhart

This reading month was not as fantastic as the previous month. I would like to think that's due to the two weeks I worked two jobs and did not have time for anything else, but really I just didn't feel like reading a lot this month.

Life Things That Happened in June:
1. Had the two jobs, felt exhausted all of the time with no time for fun, finally quit the job I hated and felt relieved.
2. Went on short camping trip with fiance's family. Fun!
3. My friend Katie came to visit from New York! I missed her so much and it was fantastic to see her!
4. I finally started on the road to planning my wedding. It's turning out to be quite a bit more than I expected.

Songs I Loved in June:
1. "I Wanna Get Better" Bleachers
To be fair, I've loved this song since my friend Kayla introduced me to it. However, I started to love this song even more this summer.
2. "Dangerous" Big Data
I heard this song one day and I was like, "I like this song. I like driving to this song."
3. "Boom Clap" Charli XCX
Featured in The Fault in Our Stars movie, I fell in love with this song slowly then all at once. Hah, but seriously, this song is so upbeat and catchy. I find myself singing and dancing to it all of the time.

Movies/TV Shows I Saw in June:
1. The Mindy Project
I started watching this at my fiance's apartment one night and loved it. I then proceeded to sign up for a free trial of Hulu+ to watch it.
2. X-Men
I'm just going to cover the whole series. I finally jumped aboard the X-Men train at the end of May and have caught up to see the new movie. I don't know how I went so long without watching anything from this series. So good.

What did you read this past month? Or listen to or watch? Let me know in the comments; I am always looking for recommendations.

June Favorites

Hey, everyone! I can't believe it's already the end of June (or Sunday for that matter!) This month just flew by! Here are some favorites from this month!

Not pictured: Perfect Scoundrels and Hex Hall 

Favorite Books
Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter (Review here)

Shades series by Maureen Johnson (Review of The Madness Underneath here)

Hex hall series by Rachel Hawkins (Review of Hex Hall up soon!)

Favorite Music
Kill your heroes- AWOLNATION

This song is my favorite of theirs that I've heard. I've become really fond of AWOLNATION recently.

Global concepts- Robert Delong

This song reminds me of my anthropology class I took over the summer. Plus, it's a really interesting song.

Cruise remix- Florida Georgia Line ft. Nelly

One of my friends declared this"The Song of Summer". And it's so ridiculous I can't help but agree.

"Cups (Pitch Perfect's "When I'm Gone") by Anna Kendrick

I've never seen the movie Pitch Perfect, but I really enjoy this song because it's just so catchy.

Events
Trip to St. Louis to spend time with friends.
Got back into reading at the end of the month.
Not a favorite, but survived my first inventory at work.
Got my apartment!

Things I'm looking forward to in July
Spending the fourth with Kelly and possibly his family
Leaving for Philadelphia at the end of the month with Jessica!

What are some of your favorites from this month? Let me know in the comments! 

Bout of Books Readathon

Hey, everyone! Final exams are over and it's finally summer! (I think, I'm not quite sure). If you don't know what Bout of Books is, read below:

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, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th 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 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Since one of my goals for 2013 was to participate in a readathon, I thought this one would be perfect since it is the week before my summer class starts! Unfortunately, I will be working Monday through Wednesday and unpacking Thursday and Friday with another graduation to attend on Saturday, I may not have a lot of time for reading. But I will definitely have more time than I have since February. 

One way I plan to counteract my busy life is to read books on my phone! I have the app for the Nook on my phone so I read on the go better! So the first books I will be reading will be from there, which will definitely get me through the three days I work, if not all week. So here's the list of books I definitely plan to read:

1. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (I have this started on Goodreads, technically, but I haven't)

2. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Then I have three other physical books I hope to read over the course of the week:

1. Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Cater

2. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson (Rereading in preparation for...)

3. The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

So that's what I plan to read this upcoming week for the readathon! Truthfully, I will be happy if I get through the two books I have on my phone, but I will be ecstatic if I make it through all five books on my list!

I am also going to try to do daily update posts, but I will be updating my Twitter, so be sure to check that for updates. Goodreads, too!  

Are you participating in this readathon? (Sign up here!) If so, what are you reading?  

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten 2013 Debuts

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme run by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week, there is a new topic and you make a list based on that topic. This week's topic is "Top Ten 2013 Debuts I'm Looking Forward To" This actually took some research because I am generally not good about keeping up with new releases and debuts- something I hope to be better about this year. 

1. The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd Jan. 29th. 
I mentioned this book in my new releases for January post. It looks really interesting and I'm excited to see how it will turn out. 

2. Pivot Point by Kasie West Feb. 12th 
What if you could see both the outcomes to any choice you make? As someone who is a constant planner/worrier, I find this concept fascinating. 

3. Dualed by Elsie Chapman Feb. 26th 
In order to survive, you have to destroy your alternate- a genetic copy of yourself. Looks super action-packed. 

4. The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett Mar. 5th 
This also looks really good. I really enjoy books about enchanted boarding schools. 

5. The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller May 7th 2013
This is the exact opposite of what you would expect from a typical YA novel. A popular girl who is a nerd deep down. I'm excited to see how the author plays this. 

6. Triangles by Kimberly Ann Miller June 18th 2013
This looks like a fun summer read with a dark place. It takes place on a cruise ship and she ends up living a ton of alternate realities. 

7. Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor July 30th
This looks like a fun girly read with a dark twist.  


8. Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger Feb. 5th
This isn't a debut novel; however, it is her first YA novel so that is kinda the same thing. Summary reminds me of Gallagher Girls, so I am really excited to read  it.  

9. Cinders & Sapphires by Leila Rasheed Jan. 22nd
This is another not debut but first YA novel. This mystery looks really appealing and I'm excited to read it. 

10. Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger March 5th
This story looks really unique and I'm excited to read it! 

These are the debuts/first YA novels I'm looking forward to in 2013. What books are you looking forward to? 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Anticipated Books of 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme run by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week, there is a new topic and you make a list based on that topic. This week's topic is the most anticipated books of 2013. Let's get started! 

1.  House of Hades (Heroes of Olympus #4) by Rick Riordan October 2013
This is easily my most anticipated book of 2013, and if you've read Mark of Athena, you know why. I'm really excited to see how Riordan continues the series after the events of MoA. 

2. The Madness Underneath (Shades of London #2) by Maureen Johnson February 26th, 2013. 
I read the first book in this series last year around Halloween, and as someone who usually doesn't enjoy paranormal, this is an auto-recommend for me. I can't wait to read the rest of the series. Plus, Maureen Johnson is one of my favorite authors. 

3. Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society #3) by Ally Carter February 5th, 2013
This series is fantastic! I enjoy reading about all the Cons that Kat and Hale do and watching there romance *hopefully* blossom. I don't know if this is a trilogy, but I have high hopes for this book. 

4. Severed Heads, Broken Hearts by Robyn Schnieder June 4th, 2013
I've been following Robyn on the internet for awhile now, in addition to reading her Knightly Academy series published under another name. I'm really excited for this book she has coming out to see more of her hilarious wit. 

5. Emerald Green (Ruby Red #3) by Kerstin Gier Fall 2013
This series was originally written in German and is slowly being translated into English. The last one is due for fall 2013, and I know I will be excited to read it when it arrives. 

6. Shades of the Earth (Across the Universe #3) by Beth Revis January 2013 
I know I have yet to review A million suns, but I am really excited to see how this series concludes. 

7. The third book in the Divergent series by Veronica Roth 
Although I am not one hundred percent sure this book is coming out in 2013, I adore this series and I am excited to see how it progresses. 

8. The Elite (The Selection #2) by Kiera Cass April 23rd, 2013
I really enjoyed The Selection when I read it over the summer and I am excited to see how the process continues in the next book. 

9. Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School #1) by Gail Carriger February 2013
When I was browsing through Goodreads, this book popped up and the title reminded me of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series as did the summary. And apparently she has another series out that is based int he same world, so I will definitely have to check those out too. 

10. The last Gallagher Girls book by Ally Carter
Speaking of which, the last Gallagher Girl book is expected to be published in 2013. So I am obviosuly excited for that.

This took a lot less time than I thought. I guess I have a lot to look forward to in the new year! 

What books are you looking forward to being released in 2013? 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books/Authors I'm Thankful For

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme run by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week, there is a new topic and you make a list based on that topic. This week's topic is Books/Authors I am most thankful for. 

1. John Green
If you haven't read a John Green book, get thee to a library and do so. They are phenomenal and will change your life. I'm most thankful for Paper Towns and The Fault in Our Stars. 

2. Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice was the first "classic" novel I read, and therefore expanded my love of literature. If it hadn't been for that, I wouldn't be the reader I am today.

3. J.K. Rowling/ the Harry Potter series
Harry Potter was the first series I "got into", meaning obsessed with. There was definitely a time in my life where I read and read again the books obsessively. I wouldn't be the reader I am today without them.

4. Rick Riordan
He puts out maybe two books a year and they'll stick with you for all the time in-between. Love his incorporation of mythology and writing style

5. The Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
This series is one that I grew up too. It's awesome and I'm thankful that she is still putting out books.

6. Paper Towns by John Green
As mentioned above, I am thankful for all of John Green's work. However, I am especially thankful for Paper Towns, since I found it very relevant to my life when I was in high school.

7. The Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene
This is one where I haven't read all the books, but I am thankful for Nancy Drew as a character, teaching young girls that they can go solve mysteries. 

8. Ally Carter
I am thankful for Ally Carter writing books about girls who do awesome things all the time, like being spies or pulling heists. I'm excited to read more from her. 

9. Maureen Johnson
I am thankful for Maureen Johnson being a witty writer who is able to switch it up easily and for making me laugh on Twitter on a consistent basis. 

10. Lastly, I am thankful for my parents for reading to me early, for encouraging me to read on my own, and (almost) never censoring my reading. 

The Semi-Charmed Winter Book Challenge

Hello, all! I decided to participate in the Semi-Charmed Winter Book Challenge from November 1st-January 31st. You can find out more here. The first check-in post will be on December 1st, so check back then! Since I am a little late to the party, I thought I would include at least one of the books I have read this past month. 
Here's the list. I'm only listing the ones I know for sure as of right now, so this list will definitely be updated. 

5 points: Read a book written by an author you have never read before. The Stranger by Albert Camus
5: Read a book you already have at home but haven’t gotten around to yet (from the library, from a bookstore, borrowed from a friend, on your e-reader, whatever). The City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
10: Read a book written in the decade that you were born. 
10: Read a book that takes place in the state/province where you were born. If you were born outside the U.S. and Canada, read a book that takes place in the country you were born.
15: Read a book titled The _______'s Daughter or The _______'s Wife. 
15:  Read a book that was originally written in a language other than English. Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier
20: Read a book with a number in the title. This could be an actual digit or a number like “hundred” or “thousand.” No arbitrary numbers are allowed (e.g. several, few, many, couple).
20:  Read a book set during Christmas or another winter holiday.
20: Read a book written by an author who shares your initials.
25: Read a Pulitzer Prize winner or finalist for fiction.
25:  Re-read a book. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
30: Read three books from three different genres (e.g. romance, historical fiction, horror, biography, etc.). Remember, the books used for this category cannot count for any other category. 
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera (philosophy) (Is philosophy a genre? Because otherwise I would stick in as literary fiction)
The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan (fantasy)
My third will probably be a contemporary young adult romance. I just don't know which one yet. 

I didn't fill out all of these, in part because it's going to take me some time to find all of these, and also because I find it highly unlikely that I will finish this challenge because of school. 

Happy reading! 

Kate's Book Club Summer Reading

So I realize this is going to be a lot of posts in a couple of days, but Kate at katesbookclub is holding a summer reading challenge going on that you can read about here. After much deliberating and research on choosing books, I ultimately decided to do it. Here are the books I have (mostly!) decided on:

1. One Book Recommended By A Friend.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfield. I borrowed this from my boyfriend at the very beginning of the year and I still have it.

2. One Book That Has Been Sitting On Your Shelf For Over A Year.The Luxe by Ana Gobbersen. Back when my parents had first discovered that Half-Priced Books was a thing, my mom bought me this because she thought I might like it. I have yet to read it.
3. One Book You Read A Long Time Ago And Don't Remember.The Boyfriend List  by E. Lockhart. I listened to the audio book of this years ago, but never really  progressed with the series from there. I decided I might want to read the second one in this series only to discover that I do not remember a thing.
4. One Book From Your To Be Read List.Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I'd been wanting to read this for awhile, and considering recent events, I find it high time I do so.
5. One Book You've Never Heard Of.Past Perfect by Leila Sales. It took me the longest time to find this one. I was just sitting around wondering what I could possibly find that I hadn't heard of. Then I realized I already had one book I hadn't heard of.
6. One Classic.Either Emma by Jane Austen or This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I've been wanting to read Emma for ages- it's one of the few Austen novels I haven't read. However, the only Fitzgerald I've read is Gatsby and I'd like to read more, so I may read that instead.
7. One Book You Started But Never Finished.
The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray. I have tried to get through this book twice and have yet to succeed. I like to think I remember the first two well enough to not have to reread them. 
8. One New Release.
Insurgent by Veronica Roth. I bought this when it first came out for my Nook and have yet to read it. 
9. One Book That Is Outside of Your Typical Genre.Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi. This is another it took me awhile to find. I settled on this because it appears to be an autobiography of sorts, which I'm not inclined to read and it is a graphic novel, which I almost never read. 
10. One Chunkster (A Book That Is Over 400 Pages).When I look at my bookshelf, two books stand out as chunksters,  Gone With The Wind and The Tea Rose. Since I have finished GWTW, I will read The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly. 

Are you participating in Katesbookclub's Summer Reading? If so,w hat are you reading? 

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It’s a fun way to get to know fellow bloggers while simultaneously enjoying the fun of a list!
This week's Top Ten Tuesday is "Good Beach Reads". One of the great tragedies of my life is the fact I do not live near a beach. However, when imagining myself on a beach, I can see myself reading these books.


Top Ten Beach Reads
1. L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad
I reviewed this not so long ago. It is just a light and fun book for the beach.

2. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ann Brashares.
An oldie but a goodie. Four girls magically fit into one pair of pants, so as they spend their first summer apart . Another light read wit some depth.

3. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
One thing you will learn rapidly about me, dear reader, is that I greatly enjoy travel books, especially during the summer where the bulk of my travelling will be occurring. This is one of my favorite travel books, and the book that started my love for Maureen Johnson. Definitely recommend.

4. Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
I started this series last winter, and have been really enjoying it. It's another nice light read for summer, even though it takes place during the school year.

5. Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell
Another one of my favorite travel books, however it is underrated. Shows the importance of going with the flow and that you can't plan out your entire life.

6. Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski
A girl communicates with her freshman year self in an attempt to change her current situation. What could possibly go wrong?

7. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Out of all of John Green novels, this is perhaps the best in terms of a summer read. It is a road trip novel and is downright hilarious.

8.  The Summer of Cotton Candy by Debbie Vigue
A girl working in an amusement park for the summer. Really light and fun.

9. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
Based of Jane Austen's most famous novel, Bridget Jones is hilarious.

10. I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter
Although this is another that takes place during the school year, it is a really fun book, though the series does get progressively darker.

What are your top ten beach reads? Do you agree/disagree with any of my choices? Share in the comments!

WWW Wednesday #1

WWW Wednesday is a meme created by Should Be Reading  To play along simply answer these three questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you finish reading recently?
• What do you think you'll read next? 

What are you currently reading?
Right now, I'm reading two books. I'm still making my way through Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. It's very long and I'm a little over halfway through.  I also just recently started The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman, better known for his Dark Materials trilogy. I'm only a couple chapters in and there has been a lot of action thus far.

What did you finish reading recently?
I just finished L. A. Candy by Lauren Conrad last night. You can find my review here. If you're too lazy to read my review, here's a summary: It was average.

What do you think you'll read next? 
I hate this question because I have trouble predicting what I'll be in the mood for. After I finish GWTW, I hope to start some of the books I'll have to read next fall. Other than that, I may read more Nancy Drew next or one of the other books I have checked out from the library.

What are you currently reading? Do you have as much trouble deciding what to read next as I do? Have you read any of these books? Comment below and let's chat!

I Read Nancy Drew books and I'm 19

If any of you follow me on Goodreads, then you will know that I have been slowly making my way through the original, yellow-covered Nancy Drew mystery series. I have read the first five and have the next two out from the library, not to mention the dozen or so I bought from the library a few summers ago for a nickel a piece or some outrageous price like that. I plan to read the first ten, and then either continue on in groups of ten or perhaps only read the ones I own. However, since Nancy Drew books are aimed at girls a good five years younger than me at the very least I feel I should explain my reasoning for wanting to read them.

Let's begin with what started my love for Nancy Drew, the video games by HerInteractive. One day, for reasons that are no longer known to me, my mom felt compelled to buy The Secret of the Old Clock video game, which at the time was the newest in the video game series. We installed it on our computer, and both took turns playing it. I really enjoyed it so next time we were at Target, I begged her to buy a four pack of Nancy Drew games which included the first two, then four and five (The third game, for whatever reason, was not in this four pack). We installed all of those on the computer and I eventually went on to beat all of those and to build quite a collection of Nancy Drew Games.

After beating Secret of the Old Clock, I decided to read the book of the same title, the first book in the series. I then read the second one, The Hidden Staircase. I really enjoyed them both. However, when we moved, I became consumed with other things and forgot about my love for Nancy Drew. This love was rekindled last summer and has been growing since then.

Now that I have more time to read, I have decided to at least try and read through the next five I have left this summer. I like the books. The writing is very simple and they follow a distinct pattern. They help young children practice reading. And though I can finish one in three hours, I still want to keep reading them simply because they are the cotton candy of  my reading options. I won't be reviewing the books individually, because that would be silly, but I may review the series as a whole, from what I've seen of it.

My Banned Books Week Post

Apparently, because I like books I am obligated to make a Banned Books Week post. So here is goes.

I really, really don't care. I'm not pro banning books, but I fail to see why we need to make a big deal about it. I could understand banned books day, but a week is just a little excessive. Plus, all these books get famous for being banned, not for having high quality material. Like Twilight. Really guys? We're going to promote Twilight as banned book? As if everyone hasn't already read it. Most of the banned books are read in school for English class, hence the reason they rushed into the limelight to be banned. I'm looking at you, The Sun Also Rises, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Catcher and the Rye, The Great Gatsby, 1984, The Color Purple, The Lord of the Flies, Animal Farm, just to a few. Some have sex in them. Some have violence in them. Some have sex and violence in them. It's pretty much the same with television.

Also, they sometimes ban books so that you will actually read them. Funny story, they banned Silas Marner  so that the teens would actually read it. And guess what? They did.

Reading a banned book does not make you cool or rebellious. Especially since it probably isn't banned in your area. Are you doing something against the law? No. Reading makes you cool, kids. No matter what you are reading.

What am I Reading? #2

Well, it is Monday.

Right now I'm going through a few series. I'm reading The Thursday Next series and the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy. The book I'm currently reading and have a bookmark in is Duty and Desire of the Fitzwilliam Darcy series. I'm on the final book of The Thursday Next series, which is The Well of Lost Plots. I'll probably read that next then review the series as a whole.

I'm also working my way through the first ten books of the Nancy Drew series, which was inspired by HerInteractive's Nancy Drew video games. Right now, I'm on The Bungalow Mystery. The books are all written in a similar format and basically have the same ending (Spoiler: Nancy solves the case. Every time.) But, the books are cute and they are very relaxing for summer.