So I actually had the backbone of this post ready for me to finish off after work on Friday, but when I got home I just felt so completely drained that I didn’t even have the energy to open my laptop again. I’m going through some stuff in life at the moment that’s making me question a lot of things and it’s really been affecting my sleep. I’m already a bad sleeper (oh how I love sleep, but sleep definitely doesn’t love me!) but the past two weeks have been really bad for my sleep. I’ve been functioning on 2-3 hours of sleep every night for the past two weeks and I think I finally reached the end of my tether this weekend? I just didn’t have the energy to do anything and for the first time in what feels like the last 5 years, I slept in until the afternoon without even trying. Granted, I did end up falling asleep at 5AM, but while I usually wake up again at 9AM, this time I woke up at 1PM! It threw me off completely but I guess my body really needed it? So I know it’s Sunday and this blog post is also a bit bare boned, but I wanted to post it anyway 🙂
It’s time for another Friday Favorites hosted by Kibby @ Something of the Book! This weekly meme is where you get to share a list of all your favorites based on the list of prompts on Kibby’s page. Sounds fun, right? This week’s prompt is: favorite tropes. I thought this was a fun prompt to answer! Before I started writing reviews and taking the time to think about what I’m putting into my brain, I wasn’t aware of these terms for books, like ‘tropes’. All I really knew is that I hated love triangles (lol), but I didn’t realize there was a term for plot elements/lines. That probably sounds really stupid and ignorant (lol again) but I really used to consume books without ever thinking too much about what I read, liked and didn’t like. Thinking about that now sounds really weird and I don’t even know how that’s possible? But like I said, all I really knew was that I hated love triangles LOL So after educating myself over the last few years, here are the first tropes I love that come to mind:
Enemies-to-lovers.
Would it be surprising to see this on a lot of peoples’ lists? Nope (at least it wouldn’t be for me lol). I love this trope so much and if done right always gives me such feels! The tension that runs through these types of relationship changes is always SO charged. Oo, I get goosebumps just thinking about it!
Friends-to-lovers.
This is another one that I love and yes, I know these first two tropes are found predominantly in romance stories but hey, I’m a hopeless romantic and love me a good romance! The tension in this type of romance is always high too, but I love seeing the transition from friends to lover. They’re best friends and then they become more and a lot of the times it’s super sweet.
Villain redemption.
I admit to not having read a lot of books where there’s a a good redeemed villain storyline but there are a few that made my heart melt and my eyes get a little teary. Lookin’ at you Snape!
Brooding characters who are really cinnamon rolls with marshmallow hearts.
Okay this is another one found a lot in romances, but there are also characters in non-romances like this (please don’t ask me right now because my brain is still half-shrouded in a fog. That said, I am so trash for dark broody characters as long as they’re not acting like downright assholes 90% of the time until their marshmallow hearts are shown.
Epic friendships formed during trying times.
I don’t know even know if this is a trope? But I love how really tough times and situations can bring a seemingly random group of acquaintances or even strangers together and strengthen/solidify them as a badass group of friends that will get each other through the craziest adventures. Yes, I admit to thinking a lot about Squad 312 as I’m writing this answer 😂
What are some of your favorite tropes? What about least favorite tropes?Leave me a comment below and let’s chat tropes!
Goodreads: Double Vie (Rose #1) Publish date: 19 June 2019 Publisher: Europe Comics Genre: Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Comic Rating:
Ever since she was a little girl, Rose has had a special and troubling power: the ability to “double” herself and travel outside her body. She always saw it as something wrong with her… until now. When her father is murdered, Rose’s strange ability gives her a chance to find her father’s killer, solve a series of mysterious cold cases, and untangle a centuries-old curse. But maybe some secrets should stay buried…
I want more! What an interesting and peculiar story! It has ghosts, witches, demons, and it’s all wrapped up in the big mystery of her father’s murder and her father’s house.
And okay, honestly? I wasn’t thinking about inconsistencies or things that didn’t sit right in the story when I was reading this one; I was just enjoying the story that was playing out in front of me. In this first issue/volume, we learn about Rose and her ability to leave her body at any time. It seems a little bit like her soul was leaving her body. We see her leaving her body quite a few times throughout the story but I wished that we learned more about why it happened and how she manages to leave her body (especially when it happened the first time when she was a child). There was some narration at the start (which I assume is her father) that explained it a little, but I wanted to know more. I want to say more but I also don’t want to give anything away!
Although it was a bit of a slow start, I liked how the process of Rose’s thinking and discoveries unfolded. It wasn’t rushed and not totally implausible. Looking at ‘inconsistencies’ I guess it was odd that the house, its history, and the history of that history was recorded in the archives. Was the detailed history of the house, including the ancient witches curse, in the regional archives because the house had burned down so many times? It seems a lot of people are keeping secrets in this mystery and I’m very curious to know more!
I thought the artwork was well done. This is going to sound weird and I don’t know how to explain it but there was something very European about it. Perhaps it was the setting and the way the characters acted and dressed. It’s not my typical favorite style, but I found I really liked it. It’s a bit dark, and always a little gloomy, but I thought the style suited the story. The story might not be completely original and it isn’t one that you won’t be able to get out of your head, but it was an enjoyable fast mysterious read. I’m looking forward to finding out more.
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC for an honest review. This graphic novel was published on 19 June 2019. Have you read about Rose? Loved it? Hated it? Meh about it? Come let me know in the comments and let’s chat!
First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations.
The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince. Alex is busy enough handling his mother’s bloodthirsty opponents and his own political ambitions without an uptight royal slowing him down. But beneath Henry’s Prince Charming veneer, there’s a soft-hearted eccentric with a dry sense of humor and more than one ghost haunting him.
As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. And Henry throws everything into question for Alex, an impulsive, charming guy who thought he knew everything: What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?
Coming at you hot with an unpopular opinion. Please don’t come for me! We all have different reading experiences, and honestly, I’m just as bummed about it as you probably are!
This is another one of those books this year that has received an insane amount of hype and I got so excited when I came across the last copy at the bookstore two weeks ago that I (obvi) immediately snatched it up. Oh friends, I’m really torn up about how I feel about this book… Did I hate it? No… Did I love it as much as 99.9% of the rest of the book community did? Also, no. I wanted to love this book so much and I’m pretty disappointed that I didn’t. When I thought I’d be zipping through and finishing this in basically one day, I ended up finding it a much slower read than I anticipated. I struggled with the characters and a bit of the politics too (although I surprised myself with how much I know about American politics compared to politics in my ‘home’ country). Though the big turning point for me was really in the last 30% of the book and it made a huge difference in how I felt about the story in the end.
I want to keep this as straightforward as possible so I’m going to focus on what my likes and dislikes are. Starting off first with the dislikes because I want to end my review on a brighter note!
What I didn’t like about it:
I really wished that we had more than just Alex’s POV. I think that the book would’ve been much more enjoyable, and also worth the 450+ pages, if there was more than one perspective. Especially considering that Alex was so far from my favorite character. He was infuriating, childish and annoying. He was also incredibly over the top. I just couldn’t get past Alex’s attitude and it got to me a lot more as the book went on, especially in comparison to Henry’s person.
Although honestly, I thought the majority of the characters were over the top. I felt like there was drama just to make drama sometimes and I actually read a lot of the dialogue as if they were shouting at each others’ faces because their tones were just SO LOUD. Also, I’m sorry but, do people really say “shut up” all the time for everything? Is that really how people talk? Everyone, including the president, came off as just way too much 90% of the time.
How I feel about the characters greatly influences how I feel about a book and unfortunately, for the majority of RW&RB, my feelings were pretty negative. Although McQuiston’s writing style is pretty straightforward and easy to read, it didn’t help that I found the pacing very erratic and the story jumped around a lot. I usually don’t mind text messages and emails thrown into the writing mix too, and while I didn’t mind the emails, the text messages were just confusing. This didn’t add anything to story and it could’ve be done without. Sorry to say it, I thought the book was too long for what it was. A lot could’ve been cut out and I don’t think anything crucial would’ve been missed. 🤷🏻♀️
What I liked about it:
The romance between Alex and Henry was wow. Like, WOW, I was not expecting that heat between them, and their chemistry was off the charts, honey! Towards the latter half of the book, so many beautifully written words were exchanged between them that made my heart swell, my throat close up, and my eyes water. There was so much sweet tenderness between these two and these exchanges were pretty much the only times I found myself genuinely liking Alex. Also, their banter was brilliant! I found myself unable to contain my laughter so many times while reading this book. The many quips were also just too good!
“The next slide is titled: ‘Exploring your sexuality: Healthy, but does it have to be with the Prince of England?’ She apologizes for not having time to come up with better titles. Alex actively wishes for the sweet release of death.”
I loved Prince Henry. Hands down, he was my favorite character and half the time I found myself wanting to bundle him up and keep him safe from the nastiness in this world. I also really liked a few side characters like Nora, Pez and Bea. They were quirky, hilarious and surprisingly strong pillars of support. They were also so unapologetically themselves.
This book also raises a lot of important topics that are prominent in today’s social dialogue and agenda. Sexual identity, race, and inequality are just some of the big issues this book covers. And honestly, even though the ending is predictably fairytale-esque and sappy, it also left me feeling so lifted, happy and light. Reading this book did leave me with a feeling of hopefulness and I think that’s one of the best things about it. The interactions in this book are so open and all of the people in Alex’s life are so supportive of his coming out (in fact, it seems that a lot of people suspected or “knew” about him before even he knew about him). It was a really positive discussion surrounding LGBTQIA+ issues, about not having to hide who you are and be vilified for it, and while maybe we’re not to that level yet, I have no doubt that the younger and future generations will be able to take the important steps to creating platforms for openness and discussion. I really wonder if or when that’ll ever happen in Indonesia and it makes me a little sad that there’s an even longer way to go for LGBTQIA+ people here to find a place where they will feel loved and accepted for who they are.
To round all this up, I basically wanted to share the quotes that gave me so much life and made me feel everything! Some of the romance and lines were super cheesy but it still managed to make my heart melt. Feast your eyes on the goo:
“I thought, this is the most incredible thing I have ever seen, and I had better keep it a safe distance away from me. I thought, if someone like that ever loved me, it would set me on fire. And then I was a careless fool, and I fell in love with you anyway. When you rang me at truly shocking hours of the night, I loved you. When you kissed me in disgusting public toilets and pouted in hotel bars and made me happy in ways in which it had never even occurred to me that a mangled-up, locked-up person like me could be happy, I loved you. And then, inexplicably, you had the absolute audacity to love me back. Can you believe it? Sometimes, even now, I still can’t.”
“Thinking about history makes me wonder how I’ll fit into it one day, I guess. And you too. I kinda wish people still wrote like that. History, huh? Bet we could make some.”
“To every person in search of somewhere to belong who happened to pick up this book, I hope you found a place in here, even if just for a few pages. You are loved. I wrote this for you. Keep fighting, keep making history, keep looking after one another.”
So, that’s it. I hope that I wasn’t too harsh or bruised anyone’s feelings with this review. If it isn’t clear, I didn’t hate this book, I just didn’t love it like everyone else. It was just okay for me, and while I was really looking forward to loving it, I’m okay with that. If I could just read the latter half, especially the last 30% of the novel, then I would’ve given it a higher rating. If it was just the email exchanges and only the romantic bits of this book, I would’ve rated it even higher still. The sweet romance was undoubtedly my favorite part of this book–it was heart meltingly sweet– and if there was one reason that I’d remember this book it’d be for the amazing romantic quotes. 😍
Have you read Red, White & Royal Blue? Anyone feel the way I felt about it? (Lol 😂) Leave a comment down below and let’s chat!
Goodreads:The Great Alone Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance Rating:
Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.
Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if it means following him into the unknown.
At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the Allbrights’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources. But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves.
Kristin Hannah is fast becoming an absolute favorite. This was my second book of hers, the first being The Nightingale, and both have been solid five star reads for me. She has a way of making me feel a deep emotional connection and investment in her characters and their lives. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a big crier and in this book, once the tears started at about the 80% mark, they pretty much kept flowing until the end. Hannah paints anenchanting and terrifying portrait of the Alaskan wild, and a family that struggles with the darkness in their lives that mirrors their surrounding environment.
“This state, this place, is like no other. It is beauty and horror; savior and destroyer. Here, where survival is a choice that must be made over and over, in the wildest place in America, on the edge of civilization, where water in all its forms can kill you, you learn who you are. Not who you dreamed of being, not who you imagined you were, not who you were raised to be. All of that will be torn away in the months of icy darkness, when frost on the windows blurs your view and the world gets very small and you stumble into the truth of your existence. You learn what you will do to survive.”
It’s a beautifully written, intensely atmospheric and heartbreaking story of family, love, hope and survival. I thought Hannah’s writing style in this was a lot more descriptive than in The Nightingale, but it isn’t over done and you don’t get bogged down with all the information about a place you almost can’t imagine because of how wild and foreign it is. The writing really helped me immerse myself in the Alaskan setting, which obviously plays a very significant part of the story. I honestly can’t imagine this book being set anywhere else.
“… home was not just a cabin in a deep woods that overlooked a placid cove. Home was a state of mind, the peace that came from being who you were and living an honest life.”
As much as the setting makes the story, so did the characters and I really loved (almost) all of them. Leni was a beautiful main character. Her growth throughout the story was so wonderful to experience that at times I almost felt like a proud little mama hen. That said, it was also very sad. She deals with so much loneliness and isolation, and endures many trying moments with her father, but she always proves how strong and resilient she is by finding new ways to survive. Leni’s tender and innocent love for Matthew (and his for her) was a bright light amongst the dark tones of the story, even when it set me on edge sometimes because I just knew something bad was going to happen (I was right 90% of the time btw). On the other hand, I found myself growing increasingly frustrated with Cora. I’m sorry if it sounds harsh, but Cora was weak and what made it worse was that she would often be purposefully provocative in public! Why would you not only put yourself in that situation but risk putting your daughter in danger with that kind of destructive behavior? Cora and Ernt’s relationship was so incredibly toxic and felt extremely suffocating at times. They were such selfish and immature characters and my heart really broke for Leni because she was such a good, loving and kind daughter.
Although the Allbright’s take center stage, I thought the other characters were also well developed. Matthew Walker, Large Marge and Tom Walker were such heartwarming characters and I became so attached to all of them. We learn about their ‘before-Alaska’ lives and their family history which really made connecting with them even easier. Though sometimes that made this an even more difficult read to get through because there’s so much emotion involved, and it already isn’t an easy read to begin with. A lot of bad things happen through the majority of this book, but I will say that the heartache, frustration and fear is so incredibly worth it in the end.
There was so much life in this novel, I know that I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon. Kristin Hannah is a wonderful storyteller and I’m sorry that I don’t have better words to describe what an amazing book this is and all the things it’s made me feel. You just have to read it for yourself, but be prepared for your feelings to get put through a shredder! Content warning: physical abuse, alcoholism, PTSD
Have you read The Great Alone? Loved it? Hated it? Meh about it? Leave a comment below and let’s chat! 🙂
I posted about joining the Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge earlier in June and as is pretty standard with my lazy ass, I have been really horrible at tracking my progress. Honestly, I’m just really bad at keeping up with challenges, lol–it’s not so much the reading that’s a struggle for me but the tracking (excel files hate me as much I hate them). But I’ve been thinking about the challenge lately because I just finished reading one of the books on my list and I was wondering how I’ve done so far. If you want to see a recap of what books I set for the challenge, check out my original post!
what I’ve finished so far:
Short & sweet: Read a book with less than 100 pages (or a book you can finish in one sitting) – The Woods, Vol. 1: The Arrow by James Tynion IV | (my review)
On the bandwagon: Read one of the most read books right now on Goodreads & New voices: Read a debut novel – Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens | (my review)
In the friend zone: Read a book that a friend has recommended – The Flatshare Beth O’Leary | (my review)
Armchair traveler: Read a book set in a destination you want to visit – The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Seeing as how I’ve not ‘intentionally’ read these books over the last month, I’m happy to see that I’ve almost ticked off half of the challenges. I still have a ways to go but hopefully my confidence isn’t misplaced when I say that I think I can complete this challenge 😃 The only book I’m nervous about picking up (again) is The Goldfinch because its been sitting half-unfinished on my shelf since February. I started it for a group/buddy read but it was admittedly the worst reading month–my book slump was epic and trying to force myself to get through this wasn’t ideal. BUT I’m hoping to get it read before the movie comes out this September. The trailer is beautiful and I’m so excited to watch the movie; plus, it’s also really good motivation to finish the book!
Are you participating in the Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge? If you are, how’s your reading progress coming along? Let me know in the comments and let’s chat!
Omg, is it only Wednesday?! Welp, my brain keeps tricking me into believing it’s Thursday and that there’s only one more day standing between me and my beloved weekend. Well, on that note, it’s time for another WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be talking about:
What did you read last?
What are you currently reading?
What will you read next?
What did you read last?
This weekend I finished reading The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (solid 5 stars!) and in the very early hours of this morning, I finished my first read for The Reading Rush: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. Y’all, I’m really sorry to say this, but I didn’t love it as much as everyone else seemed to and trust me, no one is more disappointed about it than me. While the last 30% of the book really shifted my feelings about it and I did leave the book feeling, lifted, warm and happy, it still wasn’t enough for me to give it more than 3½ stars. I’ll be posting my review for both these books in the coming days, so keep your eyes out for it! Finishing RW&RB means I can tick my first prompt for the RR challenge: ☑️Read an author’s first book!
What are you currently reading?
I’m putting all my other reads aside for now and I’m focusing on these next three reads, which are also for The Reading Rush this week, not to mention my buddy read for TIHIAI is coming up this Sunday so I really gotta get going with this read! Here’s the list of challenges that I’m reading these books for:
After my current reads, I still have two other books (three if you count reading seven books for the challenge), plus my buddy read for A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult. The other books and prompts for the RR challenge are:
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo: Read a book you meant to read last year The Green Mile by Stephen King: Read and watch a book to movie adaptation The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein: Bonus/ Read 7 books
What are you currently reading? Have you made good progress on your Reading Rush TBR? Leave me a comment and let’s chat 🙂
It’s that time of the week again, friends! We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s prompt is: settings I’d like to see more of. I think one of the reasons many of us love reading so much is because stories have the ability to transport us to places so far removed from our realities, whether they’re real existing places or fictional worlds that are so well built that they pretty much feel real. I mean, when you’re bogged down by #thatadultlife and can’t afford to travel to places you’re desperate to visit, there’s no better feeling than immersing yourself in a book that takes you there for a comparatively small price. 😉 Here are a few settings I’d like to see more of!
Magical Libraries à la Sorcery of Thorns Who doesn’t want more magical libraries? Especially if they’re full of magical books like in The Great Libraries of Sorcery of Thorns?! I would even take the grimoires that have all the evil power and can do bad things to a person. I’ll take it!
Caraval The world of Caraval is honestly like a dream. But not only full of really beautiful, fun and magical things but also dangerous and sinister things. How gorgeous is this cover of the Taiwan edition?!
Red London of ADSOM I’m tempted to even say that I want more of all the Londons from ADSOM? But I don’t think I’ll go that far. I just want more of Red London and Rhy, Kel, Lila and Alucard. Lol but really, I’d love more of this shade of london.
London Below of Neverwhere I fell so in love with the otherworldly London Below. It was so cool to see this ‘other side’ to familiar stations and locations from when I used to live in the UK (and often visited London to meet friends). I’d love to spend more time in London Below and explore its dark and dangerous side some more!
Alaska So maybe my view of Alaska is still on the more ‘romantic’ side but after reading The Great Alone, I’m not unaware of the harsh reality of living in such an environment. In my mind it’s a combination of terrifying nature and impossible beauty, especially with the Northern Lights! I’ve honestly always had this weird thing for Alaska!
Edinburgh, Scotland I’ve only been to Edinburgh but in the almost-two-years that I lived in Norwich, I think I went up to visit the city four times? I couldn’t get enough. It’s such a beautiful city and I often miss the magic of it, although I get to experience it when I read books set there. I especially love when a book talks about a place that I’ve been to, seen, or heard of in real life. It makes it feel extra special 🙂
New York City It’s manic but there’s a certain energy to NYC that so many people fall in love with. In reality I get incredibly overwhelmed with all the people around me, so what better way than to experience more of the city through a story? I find that stories in NYC are always so upbeat and full of hope 🙂
New Orleans. This is another ‘weird’ one on my part lol I think back in the day when I started reading romances of the steamier variety I read a few that were set in New Orleans and I basically ended up falling in love with my impressions of this city. It’s old charm, superstitions, vibrancy and food! I definitely always end up wanting to read more of this city.
Winter/Christmas/Snow. I love everything about this type of setting. Despite living in the tropics, I love the cold and snow and I especially love the feeling in the air when Christmas rolls around (in Western countries), when it’s cold but everything feels extra warm and cozy. There’s a feeling of comfort that comes from these settings and I love experiencing it through books, especially if I can’t IRL!
What settings would you like to see more of? If you’ve done a TTT this week, leave your link in the comments and let’s chat favorite locations!
It’s time for another Goodreads Monday, a weekly meme started by @Lauren’s Page Turners that invites you to pick a book from your TBR and explain why you want to read it. Easy enough, right? Feel free to join in if you’re feeling it!
There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the truth. This is how it happened. How I went from being Peter Pan’s first—and favorite—lost boy to his greatest enemy. Peter brought me to his island because there were no rules and no grownups to make us mind. He brought boys from the Other Place to join in the fun, but Peter’s idea of fun is sharper than a pirate’s sword. Because it’s never been all fun and games on the island. Our neighbors are pirates and monsters. Our toys are knife and stick and rock—the kinds of playthings that bite. Peter promised we would all be young and happy forever. Peter will say I’m a villain, that I wronged him, that I never was his friend. Peter Lies.
Why do I want to read it?
The story of Peter Pan wasn’t necessarily my favorite growing up (because I remember it scared me a little lol) but I always found myself drawn back to the many movie adaptations of it over the years, even until now. Hook used to always creep me out a little but as I grew older, I became more curious about him. Where did he come from? Why did he hate Peter so much? And of course, his history with that croc! The movies don’t really cover it all that much, but also, they always show Peter off in the best light. The book blurb sounds like Henry exposes a sinister side to Peter Pan that I’m actually really interested in seeing. The Lost Boy sounds deliciously dark and I’m excited to read from a traditional ‘villain’s’ POV.
Have you read The Lost Boy or is it also on your TBR? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and let’s chat books!
Over the last week I’ve been seeing so many people in the book community talking about The Reading Rush. If you’re like me and have never heard of this challenge before, here’s a little bit on what it’s about:
“The Reading Rush is a week long readathon for book lovers all around the world. For one week readers gather together to read as much as they possibly can and to participate in challenges and giveaways online. Starting in 2019 the Reading Rush introduced a website, in order to allow anyone taking part in the readathon to track their reading statistics and come together in a central place. The Reading Rush started as the “BookTubeAThon” in 2013.”
You can find out more and sign up on their website. So, this totally sounds like fun, right? When I read more about it and looked up the prompts, I immediately felt the urge to sign up and join in on the fun, but I’m really not so great with sticking to TBRs and completing challenges, plus I feel that work is going to be a little bit hectic next week so I felt apprehensive about committing my time when I’m not sure I could do it. That said, I also started to get excited thinking about what I’d choose, so I decided to do a post of what I’d be reading for The Reading Rush, if I joined. 😉
The Green Mile by Stephen King. For some reason I’ve been thinking about this book/movie a lot lately. I still haven’t read the book and it’s been years since I watched the movie, but I remember how much I cried in the end.
Bonus/ Read 7 books!
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein If by some miracle I am able to finish one book per day(ish) and will be able to manage a seventh book, I’d pick this one to fulfill the prompt for a book with a non-human main character.
So there you have it, book friends! Books that I would read for The Reading Rush if I were to participate in the challenge! Honestly, I’m still really tempted to sign up and try even though I might only end up reading only two or a most three of these books! What do you think? Should I just say to hell with it and sign myself up?! 🙃
Are you joining The Reading Rush? If you are and you’ve posted about it, leave me a link in the comments. I’d love to see what books you’ve chose to do! Also leave me your username so that if I *do* sign up, I can follow you!
Thanks The Geekish Brunette for nominating me for this award! Head on over to her blog (via the link above) and check her awesome reviews and posts! I got so super excited when I saw that I was nominated for something on the blogosphere, so I don’t know why it has taken me so long to respond to this nomination! It’s not that I didn’t want to, I think for some reason I’ve just been intimidated (I know I’m weird)?! Like, do I have 11 blogging buddy/friends that I can nominate? But that weirdness has passed and now I’m just excited to do this. So… HERE WE GO!
WHAT IS THE SUNSHINE BLOGGER AWARD?
The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to those who are creative, positive and inspiring while spreading sunshine to the blogging community.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.
Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you.
Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.
1.) What book has had the biggest impact on your life?
Wow, talk about starting it off with one of the toughest questions to answer! You’re killing me, Joanna! 😂 Lol it’s so hard to pick just one book, so I’m going to go with the first one that comes to mind and that’s Persuasion by Jane Austen. I read it at one of the lowest points in my life and I was feeling 100% hopeless. I picked Persuasion up on a whim and it basically ended up being my therapy. I screamed, I cried, and then I laughed and felt a spark of hope again. It helped me move on.
2.) What was your last book hangover?
My last book hangover was probably Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Robertson. Lucky for me it was only a *very minor* hangover, but I still wondered what to do with myself and what book I should pick next after finishing that one. I’ve been working on pushing myself through book hangovers this year and so far, I’m doing pretty alright! *knock wood*
3.) Favorite book quote and why?
Again with the tough questions! LOL I’m going to pick just one out of many favorites:
“It matters not how strait the gate How charged with punishments the scroll. I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”
Invictus – William Ernest Henley
I struggled a lot (and still do) with self-confidence which greatly affected my mental health. That doubt meant I let people make decisions for my life that led me down paths that I wish I hadn’t taken. When I first read this poem it knocked me off-kilter and reminded me that I am the person in charge of myself, not anybody else–I’m my captain and master. I know that sounds totally cheesy, but it really pushed me to take charge of my life and even if I go down a difficult path, it’s because of my decisions and not someone else’s.
4.) What is your favorite color and what book cover best shows it off?
My favorite color is anything pastel (seriously). I recently saw this cover edition for Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult and it’s so stunning. I already have the physical book but I would honestly just buy this edition because it’s SO gorgeous (I’m trying to be good though lol).
5.) Favorite book boyfriend/book girlfriend?
THERE ARE SO MANY but right now it’s Leon Twomey from The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary. He’s so sweet & caring. I love how he respects Tiffy and is so considerate of her history.
6.) Do you prefer standalone or series?
I prefer standalones more because 1) less time crying into my pillow waiting for the next book to come out and 2) less money spent trying to get all the books (kinda looking at you Maas with ToG)! Waiting around for the next book in a series is always torture.
7.) Who is your favorite villain and why?
I rarely like villains but if I had to choose I’d say Holland Vosijk from the Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab. He’s so evil through the whole series, and honestly I hated him for so much of it, but by the end of the series I really couldn’t help feeling sorry for him and everything that he experienced. It changed him completely in the worst way and it’s just heartbreaking.
8.) Do you like morally grey characters?
Sometimes? If they’re anything like Victor from Vicious then it’s a definite yes! Because it’s just fun to experience their skewed compasses and most of the time they’re not necessarily evil just… slightly gone astray? 😂
9.) What got you into reading?
I started reading trying to escape bullies when I was in middle school. They never ventured into the library though so that’s where I found myself 90% of the time, getting lost in worlds that took me out of my discomfort and anxiety. So really, I have to thank you, bullies!
10.) Favorite book-to-movie adaptation?
Hmm… I really tend to not watch movies based on books I’ve read because I don’t want to be disappointed, so I’m not sure I really have an appropriate answer for this one. That said, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit are some of my all time favorite movies although I haven’t read the LOTR books… but I’m making that count! Lol
11.) What is your least favorite book genre?
Horror. I am a total chicken. I just can’t do it. The ghosty supernatural thing is just not my jam! Give me anything else and I’ll work through it and gladly. But it’s a big fat no to the supernatural lol
My Questions:
1) What is your favorite book genre? 2) What book do you wish would be made into a TV series/movie? 3) You need to escape your house (for some reason) and can only bring 3 books in your bag. What books would you take? 4) Why did you start a book blog? 5) What was your last 5-star read and why? 6) What’s a destination you want to visit because of a book you read? 7) If you could read any book again for the first time, which book would it be and why? 8) Do you read books in another language? If yes, what language? 9) Which fictional character do you think is most like you? 10) Which fictional world would you most like to visit or live in and why? 11) What popular book and/or author do you hate?
dinipandareads 
