Tag Archives: april

April 2016 Wrap-Up

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Goodbye 2016, because you are just flying by! Another month, another wrap-up. This month was productive in some ways, but then again I also watched a lot of anime this month which prevented me from both reading and writing, so… maybe not as productive as I wanted it to be.

What I Read

Books I Started But Didn’t Finish

  • Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews – book #5 in the Kate Daniels series. I’m really enjoying it so far and the mystery behind what’s making the Masters of the Dead not be able to control their vampires anymore.
  • Asylum by Madeleine Roux – Scary things are too much for me, and add pictures to this and I’m freaked out. I’ll finish it one day!
  • Splintered by A.G. Howard – I’m really liking this Alice in Wonderland retelling a lot so far, with its goth/punk features and purple font. I definitely want to finish this soon!
  • The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – Yes, I’m finally starting this book and so far I’m enjoying it. It definitely has an atmospheric feel to it so far and I’m really interested to see how the story unfolds.
  • Water’s Wrath by Elise Kova – The fourth book is finally out and I started it and I’m so excited to read iiiiiiiit. I’ll definitely finish this soon.
  • The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows – I’ve wanted to see what this book was about for a while, and I’m enjoying what I’m reading so far.
  • Binge by Tyler Oakley – I started this sometime last year, and I picked it up for Genrethon this year, but only read a chapter. I’ll finish it one day!
  • Paper Hearts, volume 1: Some Writing Advice by Beth Revis – I can always use pointers and tips when it comes to writing, so I decided to pick this up this month given I participated in Camp NaNoWriMo.

Books I Got This Month

I HAVE NO CONTROL.

I SWEAR THAT’S ALL. *flops under pile*

Discussions I Held

Top Ten Tuesdays & Top 5 Wednesdays

Writing Related

Well, I participated in Camp NaNoWriMo this month and it was less than spectacular. I still got some writing done, which is good, but not enough to my liking.

Fun Things

fof-button-2016

So as for Flights of Fantasy, I’ve read another three fantasy-esque books/novellas, bringing my total up to 22 books! I’m probably going to pass my goal of 30 books, but that’s okay.

Life Updates

  • So I went to the author signing for Erin Bowman & Jodi Meadows out at Brookline Booksmith near Boston and it was a really fun event! Not only was the bookstore charming, but I got to get books signed and pictures taken with the authors, who were super sweet.
  • IMG_2954
  • More cute clothes from maurices is a wonderful feeling when you’re so used to not being able to find a lot of cute, flattering things.
  • We were going to adopt my coworker’s cat, but we ended up giving her back after a few days because a) I had bad allergies to her, b) my bird was not a fan, and c) she didn’t seem happy here, which means we weren’t happy, either. It was sad, but I’m okay with it because I’d rather her be happy and me not die of a stuffed nose.

So this month just seemed like it was full of memes and fun things, which isn’t horrible or anything, but I think it’s because of the challenge of Camp NaNoWriMo that made it difficult for me to post any more discussion topics or more reviews. I hope to remedy that for next month, though!

Let’s Chat! ≧◡≦

What was your favorite book you read this month? Mine was definitely The Raven King. (ALL THE FEELS.) What are some of your bookish delights? Did you participate in Camp NaNoWriMo? If so, tell me how your progress went!

April 2015 Wrap-Up & May TBR

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Another month has come and gone. I can’t believe it’s already May.

In the month of April I read a total of four books. That’s not bad considering I was mostly focused on Camp NaNoWriMo the past month, so reading wasn’t really an option for me.

So the books I read this past month were:

  • “None of the Above” by I.W. Gregorio. A book about a girl who, after having painful intercourse, goes to an ob-gyn and learns that she is intersex. It’s a story that really opened my eyes to the topic and made my heart swell with compassion for those who deal with these kinds of things. I rated it 5/5 stars. Read my review!
  • “Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda” by Becky Albertalli. A story about not-so-openly gay teen, Simon, and how his secret emails between him and another boy from his school (code name: Blue) are threatened to be leaked if Simon doesn’t help the guy threatening him get a girl to go out with him. I loved this book so much. It had me laughing and squeeing and I just couldn’t stop turning the page. Highly recommend. I rated it 5/5 stars. Read my review!
  • “My Heart and Other Black Holes” by Jasmine Warga. A trigger of suicide follows this book. A girl makes a suicide pact with a boy. The date is nonnegotiable and as the two become closer, the girl realizes that maybe there is more to life than what her father has done or what she potentially could be. I rated it 5/5 stars. Read my review!
  • “Clockwork Angel” by Cassandra Clare. The prequel to The Mortal Instruments, this book follows Tessa as she discovers the Shadow World, and also just what she is and what it means for her now that she knows. We also follow Will and Jem, two Shadowhunters who work at the Institute in London and how there’s a war about to brew between them and someone very powerful. I rated it 5/5 stars. Read my review!

I had a good reading month in terms of content and how much I enjoyed the books I read, either for the subject matter or the characters or plot.

Now, I didn’t complete my TBR Jar Challenge, which was to finish a series. Heck, I didn’t even read the books on my TBR for April. So that was a flop. Oh well. I’m okay with it because I was having a really hard time reading wise last month, so… I just said eff you to the TBR and read what I wanted.

For the rest of April, I did quite a few discussions, as well as a movie review and a book unhaul (and haul). The discussions I held were:

  • We Need Diverse Books – A topic about how we need to read more diversely, whether that’s in subject matter (LGBTQIA+, religious minority, disability, etc) or from an author of color or different gender.
  • Always Having a Current Read – I talked about always having something that you’re reading, whether you started it that day or a year ago. But sometimes it can feel restraining to read so many books in one month or trying to reach a goal of reading a set amount of books in one month.
  • Do You Ever… – I talked about wanting to just toss away the books you planned on reading for the month and reading whatever the hell you like. And wanting to literally read every single book on your shelf at the same time. And rearranging shelves. It’s a hard life, bro.
  • Giving Honest Reviews – I talked about the importance of always giving an honest review. Sometimes people will try to bribe for a positive review, but really giving your honest opinion is the best thing you could do for yourself and the author.

April was a fairly productive month. I’m rather proud of myself for having done so much this past month here on my blog.

Now for the May TBR! So I do have just a few books I really want to read in May, and they are:

  • “An Ember in the Ashes” by Sabaa Tahir. This book has been wicked hyped up and I’m really excited to read it. It’s about a girl, Laia, and how she goes undercover as a slave to try to free her brother from captivity. And it’s also about a solider, Elias, who’s very reluctant to be a soldier and wants his own freedom. Eventually the two meet and their destinies intertwine.
  • “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J Maas. Of course I’m getting this book! Loosely following the tale of Beauty and the Beast, this book follows a girl named Feyre and how she is a hunter for her family (you don’t hunt, you don’t eat) and one day she accidentally kills a faerie in his animal form and she is taken away to essentially be a prisoner. This comes out May 5th.
  • “The Heir” by Kiera Cass. This is twenty years from the original Selection story where it follows Princess Eadlyn and her own Selection story. Once the Selection begins she discovers that maybe finding her own happily ever after won’t be as impossible as she had originally thought. This comes out May 5th.
  • “P.S. I Still Love You” by Jenny Han. The sequel to “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” (I did a review), this book follows Lara Jean and how she fell for Peter, even though they were pretending. And when a boy from her past returns to her life, she falls for him, too. Can it be possible to love two people at once? Love is never easy, but maybe that’s what makes it amazing. This comes out May 26th.

So those are the books I plan on reading in May. As for my TBR challenge for the month, it is to read a book that’s not a novel. So, since I’m still working on the “Assassin’s Blade” novellas, I’m including that.

I also may or may not read more Cassandra Clare books as reading “Clockwork Angel” really got me wanting to continue, but we’ll see. I may just focus more on my writing this month so I don’t overwhelm myself with reading.

Accompanying video: April 2015 Wrap-Up & May TBR

What are your reading plans for May? Let me know!

April Book Haul

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I don’t think I went crazy this month… Maybe? I’m not sure. But here are the books I got in April! I did get physical and ebooks.

Physical Books

  • “None of the Above” by I.W. Gregorio. A book about a girl who finds out she is intersex, this book covers a topic about something I’ve never even heard of. I had to pick it up.
  • “Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda” by Becky Albertalli. A not-so-openly gay Simon is being blackmailed by someone at school to help him win a girl’s affections. If he doesn’t, Simon’s secret emails between him and a guy from his school by the code name Blue will be shared on the Internet. Yesssssss.
  • “My Heart and Other Black Holes” by Jasmine Warga. A girl finds a suicide partner and though there’s a set date for it, the closer they get, the more she realizes what it might mean to live. Powerful message and powerful story.
  • “An Ember in the Ashes” by Sabaa Tahir. This book is being super hyped and even has a movie being made of it. A girl who becomes a slave to find her brother; a soldier who wants freedom. A fantasy world and cool things collide. Yes.

Okay, so I won a crap ton of ebooks from the Spring Fling Giveaway that was hosted by Sarah Dalton, but first let me list the ebooks I bought (there’s two) then the rest was all won.

Ebooks

  • “The Whitechapel Fiend” by Cassandra Clare. This is the third installment in the Shadowhunter Academy series, and even though I have yet to start this series, I just want to keep up and get them all. So, yeah, it happened.
  • “Talon” by Julie Kagawa. I had been debating with myself for a long time on if I wanted to get this, and then I saw a $2.99 sale, so I jumped on it. People turning into dragons is just something I’m drawn to, clearly.

Okay, now the rest of these ebooks I won for free, so yay for that!

  • The Blemished Series by Sarah Dalton. This consisted of the complete series, which is five books. I’m interested to read about it because I’ve never heard of it, but it sounds kind of cool. Genes control if you get an education and a right to a normal life? Intense.
  • “Somewhere Only We Know” by Cheyanne Young. Where dreams start to become reality, this book sounds like it’ll be an interesting read.
  • “Falling from the Sky” by Nikki Godwin. A story about a guy who lost his father and the boy he meets thereafter. I’m actually really excited to read this one.
  • “The Edge of the Woods” by Ceinwen Langly. A story about a girl trying to find freedom and acceptance in a society that doesn’t really allow it, she wants to escape to the woods and a boy who promises that freedom if only she’ll cross the border.
  • “The Body Electric” by Beth Revis. This was the one I was most excited about, and I’m excited to read it. A girl who has the ability to walk through people’s dreams and let them relive their memories is suddenly shown memories of hers that she’d rather not remember. Her memory is being altered and she’s unsure of who or what she can trust.
  • “Obsidian Eyes” by A.W. Exley. A girl goes to an academy where she is looked down upon and she discovers a guy who is building weapons. They have to work together to make sure that the weapons don’t fall into the wrong hands, but will their new friendship be able to save both of their lives?
  • “Beyond the Fortuneteller’s Tent” by Kristy Tate. A girl goes into a fortuneteller’s tent to hear what has to be said and ends up leaving into another time period: Elizabethan England. She must survive this new land in hopes of getting back, but will she?
  • “Turning on a Dime” by Maggie Dana. The first African American girl to be in the Olympics for equestrian riding finds herself thrust through a portal and is sent back through time where people of color were kept as slaves. She meets a girl who is rather bold in riding horses bareback and the two form an unlikely friendship.
  • “Meritropolis” by Joel Ohman. In a world where those who have the highest scores in the System thrive, while those with lower scores are punished, a boy who’s a High Score seeks vengeance for his brother’s death, no matter the means necessary to do it.

Oh! And I got one audiobook because of an Audible credit!

  • “The Way of Kings” by Brandon Sanderson. This is a beheamouth of an audibook, and I don’t even know how that’s possible. It’s over 45 hours long, but it sounds really cool with near-invincible warriors, wars, lords doubting their sanity, and a girl who is planning to steal when she’s given hints as to the real cause of the war. Cool stuff, yo.

OKAY THAT’S IT. Wow. 20 books. Okay, so there were a lot of books this month, BUT in my defense: I didn’t buy most of them. Yay for saving money!

Accompanying video: April 2015 Book Haul