Hi hello and welcome back! It's been quite a while since I've just sat down and written a blog post and I've missed it. 2020 was a rough year (that's putting it mildly) and it took a lot out of me, as it did to everyone else. And then 2021 didn't feel like it got any better, unfortunately. I've been away for a long time but I'm back and hopefully, I'll be sticking around for a while! Today, I'll be doing the A to Z Book Tag from Perpetual Page Turner! Make sure to go and check out her original post if you're interested in seeing her answers. I'm really excited to share my answers and make this my first official post of 2022. Let's get started!
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Author you’ve read the most books from:
I think I can safely say that would be Rachel Caine, may she rest in peace. My first book from her was Glass Houses which is book one in the Morganville Vampires series and I absolutely loved it. I've read all of the Morganville books and have also read several books in her Weather Warden series, Stillhouse Lake series, and the Revivalist series. I had the amazing opportunity to meet her many years ago and I will always treasure that moment. She influenced my life in so many ways and I will be grateful for the rest of my life for her and her books.
Best Sequel Ever:
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas and I will not be taking any feedback on this one. Seriously though, I'm so glad I've finally picked up this series. I can't believe I slept on it for so long! I really loved how Sarah J. Maas handled Feyre's trauma after Under the Mountain and watching her relationship with Rhys and the Inner Circle develop was so much fun. I just...I cannot stress how much I loved this book and I will probably go back and read it as soon as I finish the rest of the series.
Currently Reading:
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco. I got an ARC of this a long long time ago and somehow never read it? And I've seen so much hype around this series (those Fairyloot editions are stunning) so I figured why not pick it up! So far, I'm really enjoying it and I'm excited to see where the story is going.
Drink of Choice While Reading:
Juice, soda, Gatorade. It's mostly juice, honestly. I love me a good lemonade or fruit punch!
E-reader or Physical Book?
I used to be an ebook snob, to be completely honest. I only wanted physical books and when I got a Nook after graduating high school, I actually ended up returning it because I couldn't imagine ever wanting to read an ebook. Nothing compares to the smell and feel of holding a book in your hands, but oh my god ebooks have changed my reading in the best way possible. I love both but for now, I'd have to say ebooks!
Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:
Mor from A Court of Mist and Fury. Mor is just...yeah. She's amazing and I'm so in love with her and she's everything that I aspire to be in life and I would absolutely let her step all over me. No shame. Honestly, she probably wouldn't have given me the time of day in high school but she definitely would have been someone that I crushed on and probably wrote letters to during class.
Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:
Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I picked this up because I wanted to get a feel for her writing before I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which has been incredibly hyped up. I wasn't super sure about it but I wanted to see if I would even enjoy the writing before I dove into this super popular book that everyone was talking about. I'm so glad I took the chance on Taylor Jenkins Reid and I loved this book so much! I ended up reading Daisy Jones and the Six and absolutely loved that as well, so I'm really happy that I decided to pick up a random book by this author and that it ended on a good note.
Hidden Gem Book:
Cursed by the Gods by Raye Wagner. I read this book in 2016, back when it was called Curse of the Sphinx, and I found it thanks to Regan from PeruseProject. If you're interested in my review on this, check it out here! I actually really enjoyed this book and I wish more people knew about it. It's filled with Greek mythology and some romance and the writing is so much fun to read. Finding this book actually led to me being a part of Raye Wagner's ARC team and one of my reviews was on the back of the final book in this series, Fates and Furies. I really do think it's a fun series and definitely a hidden gem that I would love to see more people talking about!
Important Moment in your Reading Life:
Starting my blog. I started this little thing back in 2014 because I wanted to share my thoughts on Legend by Marie Lu and then it just kind of went from there. I never thought anything would come of this but I've had so many amazing opportunities because of my blog. I've become great friends with so many amazing authors, I've been invited to work with various publishing companies and do some really cool posts, I've received ARC's of books and been able to share my thoughts on them, and I've met so many incredible people and befriended them all because I thought "Hey, I want to share my thoughts on this book I just read, why don't I try blogging about it?" I'm still a small blogger, but I've said it for the entirety of my blogging journey, I have big dreams.
Just Finished:
Hard Limits by Suki Williams. This was a TikTok read and I was so happy with it! I'm absolutely loving all of the recommendations that I get from TikTok and this one was no exception. If you're interested in it, please be sure to check trigger warnings before diving in.
Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:
I actually have a list of books that I don't want to read/won't accept for review on my Review Policy page and they are non-fiction, literary fiction, middle grade, religious books, and erotica. I, uh...should probably update this list since I do read a bit of middle grade and I am definitely now a fan of...well, erotica might not be the correct term but I love me a good reverse harem book series. I'm definitely still not a fan of non-fiction and probably won't find myself picking up a book in that genre, just because it's not something that I personally enjoy reading.
Longest Book You’ve Read:
Apparently, it's Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling, which is 870 pages? I had no idea this book was that long and that I was reading it as a kid, oh my goodness. This definitely is my least favorite in the Harry Potter series, but wow I did not know that this book was that long.
Major book hangover because of:
Honestly? I can't remember! I've had books that I’ve loved and felt like I could never read another book as good as that one again but does that count as a book hangover? I don’t usually have a problem going from one book to the next, especially if I’m going from a book I really didn’t like to a new book.
Number of Bookcases You Own:
I don't have any, sadly. I had 3 or 4 when I lived with my mom but they all broke when we moved and I never got any to replace them. Almost all of my books have been sitting in the basement for years and I'm so sad that I don't have any shelves to display my beautiful books. Maybe one day I'll be able to have my dream wall of bookshelves!
One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:
Scream for Us by Molly Doyle. If you know, you know 👻
Preferred Place To Read:
In bed. I've been doing a ton of reading on my iPad (Kindle app) lately and sometimes (not all the time because he's a butthead) Sora will come and lay with me while I read. It's nice to have a little portable space heater snuggle up to me while I read through my current book.
Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:
"Don't let the hard days win." I'm sure we all know what this is from at this point, right? I love Mor so much and when she said this, I actually started crying. I've been through a lot with cancer and recovery and every day is a bad day for me. Between my horrendous mental health and constant pain and PTSD from cancer, I can't remember having a truly good day where I don't experience something that just sends me into a bad mental state. But this quote just...resonates with me. I'm trying every day to not let the hard days win, if not for me then for what Mor would want for me.
Reading Regret:
Here Lives a Corpse by C.L. Matthews. This was...not good. I try to stay at least somewhat positive about the books I read but this one made me so uncomfortable to the point where I felt like I needed a shower after reading it. I did a small review after and this about sums it up: "I felt uncomfortable at the fact that I was reading such spicy scenes that involved a 17-year-old girl and that is probably the main reason I won’t be continuing the series. It just felt weird to me and I don’t know if I’m alone in my feelings, but that’s my own opinion." So, yes, I wish I hadn't read this, and I won't be continuing the series. I also don't recommend this book, sadly.
Series You Started And Need To Finish(all books are out in series):
The Shades of Magic trilogy by V.E. Schwab. I know, shame on me, and I don't even have a good excuse. I'm about halfway through A Gathering of Shadows but I'm gonna have to restart for sure. But that's fine because I do remember loving book one! I just, you know, need to finish all three.
Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:
Vicious by V.E. Schwab
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Unapologetic Fangirl For:
This shouldn't be a surprise but V.E. Schwab. My favorite book of all time is Vicious, with The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue being a close second. I just connect with her writing so much and I love the way that she tackles her books and the way that she speaks about writing. I love the worlds she builds and the way that she writes like she wants to destroy you but also bring you hope at the same time.
Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:
In an attempt to make this post about something other than my love for V.E. Schwab and her books (we all know Gallant is my most anticipated release of 2022) I'll say Book of Night by Holly Black. I've heard so much buzz about this and I absolutely loved her Folk of the Air trilogy so I'm sure this will be a book I fall in love with as well!
Worst Bookish Habit:
Starting books and never finishing them. Or even starting a series of books and never finishing them. I'm a mood reader so even if I'm in the middle of a book and I don't feel like reading that book anymore, I'll stop reading and pick something else up and then forget entirely about the first book. I also tend to buy multiple copies of the same book (even in languages I can't read) but I don't necessarily think that's a bad habit!
Starting books and never finishing them. Or even starting a series of books and never finishing them. I'm a mood reader so even if I'm in the middle of a book and I don't feel like reading that book anymore, I'll stop reading and pick something else up and then forget entirely about the first book. I also tend to buy multiple copies of the same book (even in languages I can't read) but I don't necessarily think that's a bad habit!
X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:
I don't have a bookshelf so I used my Kindle and counted 27 books until I got to Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M. Valente. I've heard really good things about this one and I really need to read it at some point!
Your latest book purchase:
The OwlCrate special edition of Gallant by V.E. Schwab. But is anyone really surprised that it's a V.E. Schwab book? I definitely plan to get a few more copies of this because there is no way that I will ever own just one edition of a V.E. Schwab book, honestly.
ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):
"This is exactly the way I like it. I am a harmless phantom, floating below the radar of perception, granting me a ghostly existence that permits me to freely engage in my unusual extracurriculars. People don’t see me, and I don’t really see them. It’s better for everyone that way."
"No matter how much of an individual you are, no matter how unique and different and nonconformist and antiestablishment, you can’t deny the inescapable effects that society has on everyone, including you and me."
"The living are dangerous. They inflict pain. They’re so fueled by greed, a lust for useless material shit, a smoldering desire to fit in . . . and they’ll hurt and betray and destroy whomever they must in order to get anywhere close to all of it."
"“I don’t have fun. I have moments of satisfaction in between long bouts of plain existence. That’s it."
"A montage of all the little things I’d ignored, all flashing through my head to the accompaniment of the Saw theme music that plays whenever the plot twist is revealed at the end of each movie."
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And that's it! Wow, this was such a fun post to come back to (I had started it last year but never finished oops) and now I finally get to share it. Having not posted for so long, I'm afraid to come back, if I'm being honest. I don't know how consistent I will be but I do know that I missed doing this and that I want to be better about keeping up with this little blog. Let me know some of the books you've been reading lately because I always need more books to add to my TBR. Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you in the next chapter, friends!
