As the New Year Draws Near.....

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't been posting much, I've been studying for my upcoming exams. I want to focus on my exams for the next week or so, so my regular posting schedule won't resume for another week or possibly two. But don't worry, I'm still here!


Anyways, I wanted to talk about our book goals for 2017, and also for the new year.


My Goodreads reading challenge was successful! As of right now, Goodreads says I've read 89 books, which is way above my goal of 50! I am really surprised that I was able to read this much. I had a lot going on, but I guess as a bookworm, I couldn't really give up reading.


For 2018, I think I'll set 50 books as my goal again. I'd go higher, but I want to consider what's going on in the new year, plus changes that I want to make to my reading habits. So first off, I need to focus on school first, and if my reading goal is too high, I might get distracted from my schoolwork. Secondly, I've added some books to my to-read pile that are really thick, like 600-700 pages long, so I don't want to make my goal too high.....I might end up putting books on hold just because they're longer than the average 400-500 page novel. I also need to work on my own novel.....My resolution for 2017 included finishing the rough draft of my novel and let's just say.... that didn't happen! So instead, another resolution will be simply working on my novel at least once every few weeks.


How did you do in 2017? How many books did you read? What are your 2018 reading goals?

The Benefits of Reading Books

Hey everyone, so I know I haven't been super active on my social media and stuff lately. I've had a ton of assignments, and with the end of the semester coming up, I've had to study for tests and exams too. Hopefully once the winter break arrives, I'll be able to post more often!


I was thinking about the benefits of reading books, on a personal level. While I've read lots of articles describing generalized benefits of reading books, citing studies, I wanted to talk about the ways that reading books has personally helped me out!


1) Stress relief: Sometimes, you just have to take a break from what's stressing you out, and read a book. When I write my assignments, I often take little breaks to read and relax. It helps me to keep my focus.


2) Better grades: I've noticed that the more I read, the better my grades at school are! That's remained true throughout high school, college, and so far at university!

While I may not go to a vampire school like Evernight, I'm sure that upon my inevitable transformation into a vampire, my reading habits will continue to assist me as I adjust to life in a vampire boarding school.

3) Empathy: I find that reading has given me increased empathy for others. I'm able to step into another person's shoes in the fictional world, and I think this has assisted me in mentally doing this in the real world. I think reading has made me a better person.


4) Representation: While I'm not of the belief that every book must be diverse, or that authors are under any obligation to represent any group within their works, I must admit that representation within books is an exciting thing for me. I often feel very alone because of some of the groups I fall into, and when I see representation of people like me in books, it eases that feeling a little bit.

Symptoms of Being Human was the first book I read with a genderfluid protagonist. (Also sorry if anyone is annoyed by me talking about gender identity a lot on here and on Instagram....I'm just very alone and it's nice to have a place where people will listen. There's not many people I can talk to about this kind of stuff so it just builds up you know? Also I'd like to show others like me that they aren't alone, and that they can be awesome people and achieve their goals. Anyways.)

5) Goals: Books can sometimes portray characters who I look up to and want to be like in some way. Whether that's being more confident, open, or social, books can give me ideas on how I could change for the better. I also find myself discovering my own flaws through books....sometimes I'll read a character who bothers me a lot and then I realize we share some negative traits in common. I can then easily identify some of my flaws and consider changes I should make to become a better person.



So, what are some personal benefits you've found to reading books? How have books changed your life in a positive way?

50/50 Friday - Book You Were Early/Late to the Party in Reading

This meme is hosted at The Butterfly Reader and Blue Eye Books

This week's topic is book you were early / late to the party in reading

Early 

 

I don't think there's a ton of books I've been early to the party in reading. I mean, maybe Nevermore? When in doubt, answer Nevermore.  

Late

   

There are a lot of books I was late to the party reading. Throne of Glass and City of Bones are two that stand out 

What books were you early or late to the party reading?

Ruthless by Carolyn Lee Adams + Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

 Series: N/A
Author: Carolyn Lee Adams
Page Count: 256
Published: July 14th, 2015
Publisher: Simon Pulse
  4 Stars ★★★★

Ruth wakes up in a pickup truck, unaware of how she got there. She soon discovers that she was taken by a man, and he's transporting her to his cabin in the woods. Her captor thinks that he has the right to kidnap and "fix" or punish girls like Ruth, girls who are "bad". Ruth soon learns that he's done this at least six times before....none of the previous girls survived. Ruth, however, is determined that she will live and bring this sick man to justice. She just has to survive against her captor's guns, unhelpful locals, and the dangers of the forest. 

So this was a great book. I really loved the majority of it! I read most of it in one sitting. This book is fairly short, however the length was perfect for the events that the author described. The pacing was well done, there was never a dull moment. 

This story is told in the present and in flashbacks from both Ruth and her captor's lives. This provided not only mystery but important context to help the reader understand the characters on a deeper level. I found myself both disgusted by Ruth's captor, but also a bit sorry for him. As for Ruth herself, she did have a history of being rude and inconsiderate, however I admired her for her determination and change of heart. 

I feel like some parts of this book were too unrealistic.... people refused to help Ruth when she was clearly in trouble. Maybe I'm naive but I have trouble believing that people would be that heartless. I also think that her captor wasn't depicted as being as cautious and thorough as I'd assume one would be in his situation.... I won't say much else because I'd spoil parts of the book, but I think that someone committing crimes as he did would be more careful. 

Overall this was a great book! If you'd like a short, thrilling book about a kidnapping, this is a great pick. 

Find Ruthless on Goodreads

~ ~ ~ 

 Series: Falling Kingdoms
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Page Count: 412
Published: December 11th, 2012
Publisher: Razorbill
  4.5 Stars ★★★★

Mytica is a continent with the countries Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia. Jonas lives in Paelsia where the people live off of money earned from their wine, while Lucia and Magnus live in Limeros with the "King of Blood", and Cleo is the princess of Auranos. When Cleo's visit to Paelsia ends in tragedy, a chain of events starts that sparks a full-out war. Meanwhile, witches hide in plain sight, forbidden desires plague Magnus, and the Kindred, a set of four magic crystals, are sought after. Who will survive the coming conflict?

I loved this book so much! It was almost perfect, it only lost .5 stars because I feel like some characters rushed into things (i.e Cleo's romantic feelings... can't say much else without spoiling). Besides that, I loved it. 

I loved the different cultures in the different countries. They were so unique compared to each other, they seemed like they could be real places. Injustices suffered by the Paelsian people were heartbreaking and kept me reading on, while conflicts faced by the Limerian and Auranian characters left me conflicted and reading for hours!

I like the way that the author combined magic with medieval-style royalty and castles, along with romantic tension and violence. Yes, this book had a lot of violence, I was actually really surprised by this. However I don't mind fictional violence so I enjoyed the tensions and fear that this created. There were many emotional moments, and a lot of people died. Be prepared when you're reading this to possibly have your heart shattered!

This was a great book! I had some minor issues with it but overall it was really awesome. I recommend this to fans of fantasy books and books with many characters, violence, and multiple viewpoints. 

Find Falling Kingdoms on Goodreads

50/50 Friday - Favorite/Least Favorite Movie Tie-In Cover

50 / 50 Friday is hosted at The Butterfly Reader and Blue Eye Books

This week's topic is favourite / least favourite movie tie in cover

 Favourite 

 

My favourite has to be Beautiful Creatures. I like the way the characters are arranged and I love the colours! 

Least favourite 

The Host by Stephenie Meyer. I think the positioning of the characters, especially the guys, seems really awkward. I'm also not a fan of the glowing O. I think it contrasts too much with the more muted colour scheme of the rest of the cover.