Monday, March 31, 2014

Top Ten "Gateway" Books/Authors In My Reading Journey

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish blog


When making this post up, I decided that instead of listing authors that introduced me to a particular genre, I would list authors that have helped me be a reader my entire life, by listing authors that helped me move into each age group! :)

Top Eleven "Gateway" Authors In My Reading Journey


Board Books and Picture Books




Probably the first books I ever "read" (Had read to me!) were her books! I love all of them, but Barnyard Dance was one of my favorites! :)



The Berenstain Bears! I think most people have probably read or had them read to them, these books! I love them!



Madeline was a book I remember wanting to have read to me over and over again! And then when I got a little older, I remember reading it! :)



The Little Critter books were ones that helped me learn to read! I love them!



All of the books above I remember having my Mom read to me! :)


Beginning Reader and Middle Grade


The Little Sister books were a few of my first "real" books I read by myself! I remember getting very excited going to the library and finding the ones I hadn't read! And then when I got a little older, the Baby-Sitters Club were a few of my first "big kid" books! :)


Madison Finn was my favorite when I was younger, I love them! I remember my Mom handing me one of them and loving it, then I remember going to the bookstore and getting them when they released every time! (Fun Fact: When I was making this post, I found the authors blog and she mentioned that she is writing a new Madison Finn book! The 11 year old in me was very happy! I'm going to have to read it when it releases then! (: )



The Saddle Club books were a favorite of mine when I was younger, they were fun! The library used to not have all of them, and I remember the day a person donated the whole series to them! I was very happy to get to read them all!



Young Adult


The Christian books by her were a few of the first YA books I ever remember reading, and I love them! I don't think I ever read the final book, though. I think I need to read it! :)

Gallagher Girls! I think I read the first two GG books before I read most of the other YA books available at the time, and I'm happy I did! They have been a major part of my reading journey and I love them! :)

Graphic Novel and Manga




Not only were the Amelia Rules! books a few of the first Graphic Novels I have read, but they have been ones that have been favorites over many years now! When I read the last one last year, I may have teared up (Just like the GG books!)! I love them a lot!

I think The Palette of Twelve Secret Colors was the first Manga series I read, and if they weren't the first, they were very near to it! They were fun and I'm happy that this author was what first introduced me to Manga books! :)

All of the authors and books mentioned above have very special places in my heart and they have helped me be the reader I am today! I love them all! :)

What books have been part of your reading journey?! What authors/books are on your TTT?!

March 2014 Recap


Reviews:
Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg
Lost in London by Cindy Callaghan
Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood by Varsha Bajaj


TTT and WOW Posts:
Top Ten Popular Authors I've Never Read
WOW: Hung Up
Top Ten All Time Favorite Books in X Genre
WOW: Elusion
Top Ten Books on My Spring 2014 TBR List
WOW: Strobe Edge Vol. 10
WOW: Grimmtastic Girls #1

Other Posts:
Marvelous Musical Friday 14
Marvelous Musical Friday 15
Marvelous Musical Friday 16
Marvelous Musical Friday 17
List of the Week!: Things I'm Looking Forward to in Summer! (New Feature!)
Marvelous Musical Friday 18
Beach Reads I'm Looking Forward to in April, May, June, and July! :) (I had a lot of fun making this post!)

Song of the Month:

Let it Go by Idina Menzel from Frozen

I had this as a Marvelous Musical Friday pick one week, but I had to mention it again! Love this song and this movie a lot! :)

What Happened Last Month and What's Going on Now:
Um, I don't totally remember everything that happened last month, just that it went by very fast!  I watched Frozen in the theater for the first time last month and became a major fan of it! My parents bought the DVD for me and I then watched it another 500 times (I'm kidding. Just 200. (; )! I may have gone on a Manga binge rereading my favorite series again. I launched a new blog feature (Listed above!) that I'm happy with, being a fan of lists and all that! I reorganized my bookshelves. (Thinking of doing a bookshelf tour, would any of you be interested in that?) I found a few new craft blogs finally! I'm thinking of beginning a craft blog (Don't know yet!) And besides a lot of boring things that are probably only interesting to me, that I'm not going to list here (Because the things I already listed are fascinating to you all. They are fascinating, right? (; ) that's my March in a post! :)

How was March for all of you? Anything fun planned for April? :)

Review: Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood

Review: Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood by Varsha Bajaj

What thirteen-year-old Abby wants most is to meet her father. She just never imagined he would be a huge film star--in Bollywood! Now she's traveling to Mumbai to get to know her famous father. Abby is overwhelmed by the culture clash, the pressures of being the daughter of India's most famous celebrity, and the burden of keeping her identity a secret. But as she learns to navigate her new surroundings, she just might discover where she really belongs.
-summary and cover via Goodreads

Plot: Very good! I don't think I have ever read a book that mostly takes place in India before now, but I really enjoyed it! It was interesting to learn all the things that Abby does while she is there! The whole  idea of the book is fun! When she finds out her Dad is a Bollywood star and then goes to visit him in India was fun! It was good and I love it!

Characters: Abby is a very relatable protagonist. From the first few pages I knew that I would like this book and her character, too! The way she thinks and reacts to things are ways that I understand very well! Her Mom and Grandparents were wonderful! And her Dad was fun! I like her Grandmother Tara a lot! And Shiiva was a very good character in the book! And then Shaan, her crush was darling! All of the characters were wonderful!

The cover: I like it! It's not my favorite cover ever, but it does get your attention and the girl on the cover fits how I picture Abby in the book!

Overall: This book got my attention when I heard it described as "Girl finds out Father is basically Bollywood's Brad Pitt!" I thought that might be a fun and interesting read and it was! If you want to read a book that takes place in another country and is fun, interesting, and very enjoyable, then I recommend this book to you! :)

Would I recommend it?:
Yes! If you're looking to read a book that takes place in another country and want to read about a likable main character, too, then read this book! :)

I checked this book out from my library

Authors Website: http://www.varshabajaj.com/
Age Range: Middle Grade
Series?: No.
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company


Friday, March 28, 2014

Beach Reads I'm Looking Forward to Reading in April, May, June, and July! :)

I have been thinking about going to the beach a lot recently, and while thinking about that, my mind absolutely has to think about what I will be reading at and on the way to the beach! And I don't know about you, but when Summer gets here I begin to crave YA books with romance in them! There's just something about Summer that has me wanting those kinds of books! :) And I went on Goodreads and was looking at my TBR list on there, thinking how perfect a lot of the books look for that! And how pretty the covers are for them! :) I thought it would be fun to make a post about it! And here they are! :)

(I know a lot of, if not all, of these books have things in them besides romance. This is just me saying that I think these books looks perfect for the beach or anytime, and that I thought it would be fun to write a post about them! (: )

I'm going to list these below in the month they release! :) And all release dates and covers are from Amazon!

April:


The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith It's a new book by Jennifer E. Smith, I would be worried if I wasn't looking forward to it! :) April 15th

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick Looks like a good read! :) April 15th 

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord I have been reading very good reviews about this book! April 15th


Summer State of Mind by Jen Calonita You've probably heard me mention this book and my love of Sleepaway Girls, the first book, before now, but I'm just looking forward to this one a lot! :) April 22nd

The Last Best Kiss by Claire LaZebnik I have not read any of the authors previous books, even though I have heard a lot of good things about them! And this one looks fun! :) April 22nd

Don't Call Me Baby by Gwendolyn Heasley I like the premise of this book a lot! :) April 22nd



Catch a Falling Star by Kim Culbertson That summary got me! I just want it! :) April 29th

May:

Apparently May is a big book month for me! :)


Royally Lost by Angie Stanton This book has a premise that just makes me want to read it! :) May 6th

The Chapel Wars by Lindsey Leavitt I like the authors other two YA books a lot and this one looks good! :) May 6th

Fool Me Twice by Mandy Hubbard This one looks like fun! :) May 6th


Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae It's in Italy, that's an automatic plus for me, and it looks fun! :) May 6th

How to Meet Boys by Catherine Clark This one just looks good and isn't the cover of it darling? :) May 6th

Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn I have already had another blogger tell me that they love it, and it looks good! And I like the cover of it! May 13th


Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel This one is really intriguing with the whole Peter Pan retelling part of it! I'm interested in trying this one! :) May 13th

The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes This one looks different and interesting, too! :) May 20th

Now & Forever by Susane Colasanti This kind of book is one that has to be on my TBR pile! May 20th

June:


My Faire Lady by Laura Wettersten This is a me book! Just look at that cover of it! :) June 3rd

Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore I like the authors first book, Taste Test, a lot (My review)! And this one has a very fun looking premise to it! :) June 15th

17 First Kisses by Rachael Allen Looks good and I like the cover of it a lot! June 17th

July:


WildFlower by Alecia Whitaker This one has the whole Taylor Swift thing going for it! And I need to read it! :) July 1st

On the Fence by Kasie West I like The Distance Between Us a lot (My review)! Just finished a reread a month ago of it! Looking forward to reading another book from her, too! :) July 1st 

The Bridge From Me to You by Lisa Schroeder Looks good! And the cover of it is interesting! July 29th

All of these books look fabulous! Any of these books ones you're looking forward to?! :)

Marvelous Musical Friday 18


Wake Me Up by Aloe Blacc



Love this song and this version I prefer the most! :)

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: Grimmtastic Girls #1

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine blog


This Wednesday I'm Waiting on: Cinderella Stays Late (Grimmtastic Girls #1) by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

The authors of the hit Goddess Girls series put a fun and girly twist on another super-popular theme: fairy tales!

Once upon a time, in faraway Grimmlandia...

A Grimmtastic girl named Cinderella is starting her first week at Grimm Academy on the wrong foot. Cinda's totally evil stepsisters are out to make her life miserable. The Steps tease Cinda, give her terrible advice about life at the academy, and even make her look bad in front of her new friends, Red, Snow, and Rapunzel! But when Cinda overhears the Steps plotting a villainous deed that could ruin Prince Awesome's ball, Cinda, her new friends, and a pair of magical glass slippers have to stop them--before the last stroke of midnight!

-summary and cover via Goodreads

This book looks fun! I love fairytale retellings and this looks like a good one, too! And yeah, I know it released yesterday, but I haven't gotten it yet, I'm allowed to have it as WOW then! :)

This book released March 25th 2014

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

List of the Week! Things I'm looking Forward to in Summer!


This feature is probably going to be posted on Thursdays from now on either every week or every other week! :)

I've been thinking of doing this feature on the blog for awhile now (I LOVE lists! Reading and making them!), where I'll make a list every week, listing movies, books, or music that I love! Or maybe I'll do a list ranking things! Or maybe I might do a list like today, where I list things I'm looking forward to in Summer this year! It has been horribly cold this Winter here in Florida (and yes, I hear all you people up north laughing at me!) and while it has been warm the past week, we're going to get another burst of Winter this week. Which has me dreaming of Summer days! Here is a list of things I'm really looking forward to in Summer this year!

1. Not having to wear jackets when I leave the house!

2. Being able to wear Summery dresses again!

3. 4th of July events!

4. Going to the park and walking around!

5. Going to the beach again!

6. The feeling of lazy days... (not that I get that many lazy days, but you know!)

7. Wearing flip flops again!

Okay, I'm not going to list anymore today, but I have a few lists thought of for the next few weeks, too!

Do you like this feature I'm doing?! :) And feel free to make a list in the comments if you want to! :)

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: Strobe Edge Vol. 10

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine


This Wednesday I'm Waiting on: Strobe Edge Vol. 10 by Io Sakisaka

(The summary has spoilers for previous volumes!)

What is love, anyway? Ninako Kinoshita's friends tell her it's one thing, but Ninako wonders what this mysterious feeling really is. When she meets Ren Ichinose, the handsome, enigmatic guy that all the girls worship; her life takes an unexpected turn. With just a few words and a smile, he changes her world...Ninako loves Ren, but seeing Ando get hurt while protecting her makes her feel sad and confused - to the point where she turns Ren down when he confesses his love for her! Has Ninako lost her chance with Ren? Or will they find a way to be together?
-summary and cover via Goodreads

This has become one of my favorite Manga series and I'm both sad that's ending, and happy because I finally get to find out how it ends! :) And look at the cover of this one! I need it!

This book releases June 4th 2014 by Viz Media

Monday, March 17, 2014

Top Ten Books On My Spring 2014 TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish blog


All but three of the books mentioned below have not released yet, but I'm looking forward to all of them a lot!
Top Ten Books On My Spring 2014 TBR List




I haven't gotten this book yet, but it's very high on my TBR list over the next few months! Love the first one! :)


Amelia Rules! is one of my favorite GN series ever, and I'm looking forward to reading another book by this author! :)


This book looks fun and I think it's one I'm going to enjoy! :)


Just look at the cover of it. And read the summary of it. This is a me book! ;)


Looks fun! :)



Like her other two YA books a lot and this one looks good! :)


Love Sleepaway Girls and am looking forward to this one!


The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and This is What Happy Looks Like are two of my favorite YA books! And this one looks really good! :)


This book is one that had to go on my TBR list after reading the summary of it! Italy? Fun? Boys? Yep, I need to read it! ;)


I have been hearing a lot of good things about this one! And it looks fun! :)

What books are on your TTT? Are you looking forward to reading any of the books I mentioned here?! Have you read any of them?! :)

Review: Lost in London

Review: Lost in London by Cindy Callaghan

A tween's foreign exchange experience lands her in London luxury and some hot water as well!

Twelve-year-old Jordan isn't unhappy, but she's definitely bored. So when she gets the chance to take part in a London exchange program, she's thrilled to ditch her small town in Delaware and see the world across the pond.

Unfortunately, Jordan's host sister in London, Caroline, isn't exactly enthusiastic about entertaining an American girl. Despite the chilly welcome, Jordan finds herself loving the city and Caroline's group of friends, who are much nicer than Caroline herself.

And then a major misstep leaves Jordan and Caroline trapped together overnight inside Daphne's, the world's largest department store. Given they have complete access to all the fancy shoes, designer dresses, and coolest makeup around, there are worse places to be stuck. But when the girls fun has not-so-fun consequences, Jordan's wish for excitement abroad turns into a lot more than she ever bargained for..
-summary and cover via Goodreads

Plot: The plot of this one is fun! I really wish Daphne's Department Store was real, because I would LOVE to go there! I love books set in other countries, and London is always a plus! It was neat to get to read about the tourist spots there! My Mom and I would love to go there one day!

Characters: They were fun! Jordan (Or J. J.) was a good character in it! I didn't really like Caroline at all, but her friends were fun!

The cover: Love it! Bright covers like that make me happy and this is neat looking, too! :)

Overall: If you want a fun MG book set in another country, then this one would be a good pick for you! :)

Would I recommend it?:
Yeah, if you love books that are set in London, I definitely recommend it!

Authors website: http://cindycallaghan.com/
Age Range: Middle Grade
Series?: No.
Publisher: Aladdin

I checked this book out from my library.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Marvelous Musical Friday 16


Fixer-Upper from Frozen


Next to Let it Go, this is my favorite song from Frozen! :) Do you all like this one, too?! :)

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: Elusion

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine blog


This Wednesday I'm Waiting on: Elusion by Claudia Gabel & Cheryl Klam!

Soon, Elusion® will change the world and life as we know it.

A new technology called Elusion is sweeping the country. An app, visor and wristband will virtually transport you to an exotic destination where adventure can be pursued without the complications—or consequences—of real life.

Regan is an Elusion insider. Or at least she used to be. Her father invented the program, and her best friend, Patrick, heir to the tech giant Orexis, is about to release it nationwide. But ever since her father’s unexpected death, Regan can’t bear to Escape, especially since waking up from the dream means crashing back to her grim reality.

Still, when there are rumors of trouble in Elusion—accusations that it’s addictive and dangerous— Regan is determined to defend it. But the critics of Elusion come from surprising sources, including Josh, the handsome skeptic with his own personal stakes. As Regan investigates the claims, she discovers a disturbing web of secrets. She will soon have to choose between love and loyalty…a decision that will affect the lives of millions.

Suspense, thrills, and romance fuel this near-future story about the seductive nature of a perfect virtual world, and how far one girl will go to uncover the truth behind the illusions.

-summary and cover via Goodreads


This book looks interesting! And I love the cover of it! Pretty!

This book releases March 18th

Monday, March 10, 2014

Top Ten All Time Favorite Books in X Genre

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish blog

This weeks TTT was to recommend books in x genre, I picked Contemporary books, both MG and YA! I used to read almost all Fantasy, but in the past year I have been reading more and more Contemporary books, I thought it would be fun to have that genre be my TTT this week, right? :)

Top Ten All Time Favorite Books in the Contemporary MG and YA Genre!






















All of these books are really good! I think I forgot a few favorite ones, though... What books made your TTT ? :)

Marvelous Musical Friday 15


And yet again this post goes up on a day that is not Friday! 

I'm Only Me When I'm With You by Taylor Swift



One of my favorite Taylor Swift songs ever! Do you all love it?! :)

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: Hung Up


This Wednesday I'm Waiting on: Hung Up by Kristen Tracy!

Can you fall in love with a voice? This witty romance, told entirely through phone calls, chronicles the tale of a wrong number gone right.

It all started with a wrong number. The voicemails Lucy left on James’s phone were meant for someone else—someone who used to have James’s digits. But then when James finally answers and the two start to talk, a unique bond forms between the two teens.

Gradually Lucy and James begin to understand each other on a deeper level than anyone else in their lives. But when James wants to meet in person, Lucy is strangely resistant. And when her secret is revealed, he’ll understand why…

-summary and cover via Goodreads

This book looks like a lot of fun! I'm always looking for books like this one and I'm looking forward to reading it! And I know this book released yesterday, but I still think of it as a WOW because I haven't gotten it yet!:)

This book released March 4th from Simon Pulse

Monday, March 3, 2014

Top Ten Popular Authors I've Never Read

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish blog

Now a few of the authors books below I have tried to read, I just never finished them. And a few of the authors below I would like to read, eventually! And I know a few of you may never tweet to me again after reading this post, and finding out that I haven't read these books before.

Top Ten Popular Authors I've Never Read

Now let's get the biggest author out of the way! 
1. J. K. Rowling
Yes, I have not read Harry Potter. Do I want to? Eventually, yes. There's just a lot of pressure with reading it now that I don't want to right now.

I have tried Divergent and I didn't really like it... *runs from angry mob* There was a lot of violence (I knew there would be, but if I love a book enough I'm able to get past it.)  in it and I wasn't loving the book enough to keep pushing through it.

Now, this is one I would like to try eventually! I have heard A LOT of good things about her books and would like to try and read them eventually! :)

4.   Rick Riordan
I got the first Percy Jackson book from the library and plan on trying it! I think I might like it! :)

5. Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games... I may try it eventually, but I don't feel like crying uncontrollably right now.

6. Jeff Kinney
I have heard good things about the Wimpy Kid books and bad things, but it has just never been high on my TBR pile.

7. Tahereh Mafi
You all (Or at least 99% of you reading this right now.) LOVE this authors trilogy, and I know you all want me to read this, and I might eventually!

8. Kiera Cass
I would like to read this authors trilogy! :)

9. Cassandra Clare
I think I tried one of her books and didn't like it, and I know a lot of you like it, but I guess you all know I'm weird by now.

I would like to try his books, but from what I have been told, if I don't like to cry a lot, this authors books may not be ones I would like.


I know a lot of you will tell me I need to read these books! Let the peer pressure begin.
And,
What popular authors have you not read? :)

Review: Better Off Friends

Review: Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can’t be just friends, but these two are. They hang out after school, share tons of inside jokes, their families are super close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan’s friends. They are platonic and happy that way.

Eventually they realize they’re best friends — which wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t keep getting in each other’s way. Guys won’t ask Macallan out because they think she’s with Levi, and Levi spends too much time joking around with Macallan, and maybe not enough time with his date. They can’t help but wonder . . . are they more than friends or are they better off without making it even more complicated?

From romantic comedy superstar Elizabeth Eulberg comes a fresh, fun examination of a question for the ages: Can guys and girls ever really be just friends? Or are they always one fight away from not speaking again — and one kiss away from true love?

-summary and cover via Goodreads

Plot: I really love it! I like how the book began when they first met in Middle School, then went through a few years of them together as friends! I love when books show how characters meet, instead of just jumping to the present day! I really love how at the end of every chapter there was a page or two of Macallan and Levi talking, generally about what had happened in the past one. It made it fun to look forward to the end of each one and getting to read them talking about it! :) I usually have a hard time with sad things in books and Macallans past had a lot of sadness in it, but I was able to enjoy this book a lot, even with that, and I truly doubt that it would be a problem for anyone else. The only even slightly negative thing I'll mention is that the 3rd quarter of the book began to slow down a little bit for me, but I think that was just me (might have been because I was getting tired, I stayed up too late reading this book! But that's also a good thing! I rarely find books that make me want to put off going to bed! (: ) and not something that anyone else would have problems with at all.

Characters: Macallan was an awesome character in this book! I love her personality and how she doesn't put up with anything from anyone, even Levi! (Or I should write, especially Levi! (; ) The whole time I was just hoping they would end up together! Levi was amazing! I love him and I want a Levi of my own! Levi was perfect the first half of the book and even though I was... unhappy with how he was acting the 2nd half of the book, I still liked  him a lot and hoped he would realize how he was acting. Their bantering together was really fun! The love they had of that TV show, Buggy and Floyd had me smiling through out the book! (And may I mention that I would love it if that show actually existed? (: ) The other characters in the book were wonderful, too! From Levi's Mom, Macallan's Dad, Uncle Adam, and Danielle, I loved them all! :)

The cover: I love it! I love that it actually has to do with the book, the swings are part of the book! :)

Overall: If you're looking for a book that will keep you up past your bedtime, a friendship story that is written really well, a book that will have you smiling through out it, or really anything at all, then I recommend this book to you! I was up too late reading and I managed to finish it in less than 24 hours! And for me in the past few months, that's really saying something about how good this book is! I highly recommend this one! :)

Would I recommend it?: 
YES! Amazing characters + Fun plot + Humor = An amazing book that you all need to try! :)

I won an ARC of this book from the publisher and that did not affect my opinion at all.

Authors Website: http://www.elizabetheulberg.com/
Age Range: Young Adult
Series?: No.
Publisher: Point, an imprint of Scholastic Publishing

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Mavelous Musical Friday 14


Yes, it's not Friday. But I forgot to make up a post yesterday, but I have now! :)

Let it Go by Demi Lovato


Last week, I had the original version of Let it Go as my Marvelous Musical Friday post! This week I thought I would have the Demi Lovato version as it! I prefer the Idina Menzel version of it, but this one is good, too! And I love the lyrics to both! And the Demi one is a little different. :)