Stacking the Shelves: Library and BAM! [3]

Stacking the shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, and it's all about sharing the books that have come into your possession throughout the week.

On Monday, I went shopping. I had been closed up in my house for a week from the snowpocalypse, and Monday was my last day of freedom before returning to school. It was very much needed.

First, I went to my local Books A Million (aka BAM!) and immediately went to the bargain section. Honestly, it's the always the first section I go to. I got four books: Unbroken in hardcover and the other three in paperback. I will admit that the entire reason I bought The Lovely Bones was because I'd never seen this particular cover before.

Unbroken  - Laura Hillenbrand ($7.97)

The Spectacular Now - Tim Tharp ($3.97)

12 Years a Slave - Solomon Northup ($3.97)

The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold ($5.97)

After visiting BAM, I went to the library to return the books in February that I've read and finally pay my overdue book fines that have been piling up since July. I walked around to see if Crown of Midnight, These Broken Stars, or The Winner's Curse, but none were. So I walked to leave and saw Vampire Academy on display and grabbed it, and naturally then went upstairs to the graphic novels and saw Black Widow on display and Anya's Ghost on the shelves and picked them up as well.

Black Widow, Vol. 1: The Finely Woven Thread - Nathan Edmondson
Anya's Ghost - Vera Brosgol

Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead

I already have this book, but it's mass market with tiny font. I decided a few weeks ago that I wanted a different edition, so I ordered a trade paperback version of my favorite novel. While the version isn't attractive at all (if anyone ever comes across a good version of A Tale of Two Cities, tell me because I want one), it is definitely easier to read than a mass market. 

A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

February 2015 Wrap Up

I didn't have the best of luck at the beginning of this month. I tried picking up The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, a book I've been wanting to read for a while, but I wasn't in the right mood for it. I also picked up The Mime Order as soon as it got to my house (and I really loved it), but I couldn't find the motivation to read that and the book I had to read for school, so I put that down as well.

Overall, I put down a lot of good books this month, but life is too short to read books that I don't want to read.

Books: 5

Graphic Novels: 2

Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Maas

full review // goodreads

This was the first book I finished this month, and I have to admit it wasn't my favorite. The story itself was really interesting, and I really loved the plot and the side-characters (aka everyone that wasn't Celeana). The writing style of this book, to me, was very FictionPress. I know that it was originally published there, and I know it was probably edited a lot but it still had a very immature feel to it. That was the main thing that turned me off of this book. The second thing was Celeana. She was just too perfect to me, and we didn't really see any flaws. I kind of hated that. I say all of that, but I am very excited to pick up Crown of Midnight (and maybe Heir of Fire) from the library in March.

Peace Like a River - Leif Enger

goodreads

I had to read this book for my modern literature class at school. It follows the perspective of Reuben Land, a young boy in 1960s Minnesota. As a baby he almost died, and it's a miracle that he lives. A miracle that was performed by his father, Jeremiah Land, who becomes an almost Christ-like figure to Reuben. This novel follows the miracles that take place early in Reuben's life. It is a lovely representation of miracles and blessings in disguise. The writing style is fantastic, but it was hard to get into which is why I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. 

Grace's Guide - Grace Helbig

goodreads

Grace is always a good time. I'm a fan of Grace's youtube channel, and I think that definitely helps when reading this book. If I wasn't a fan, I probably wouldn't have laughed as often as I did or gotten half of the jokes. If you're not a fan, I would suggest getting the audiobook, which I have heard is pretty good. Overall, there is actually some really good advice in here, but I don't agree with all of it (I doubt anyone will because we all have different opinions). A minor thing was that there are a few gramatical errors. In the end, I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

Seconds: A Graphic Novel - Bryan Lee O'Malley

full review // goodreads

This is the first graphic novel that I have ever truly enjoyed. It follows Katie. Katie is a chef and a very successful one at that. Everyone that comes into her restaurant loves her food and loves her. Katie even has plans to open a new restaurant that is all her own. One night, practically everything goes wrong: her ex-boyfriend shows up, her fling with the current chef turns sour, and her best waitress gets hurt. So, when the night is over and Katie returns to her room above the restaurant she finds something that will give her a second chance. THIS GRAPHIC NOVEL WAS SO GOOD. There are darker themes that come up, and they are beautifully dealt with.

The In Between - Olivia Pierce*

full review // goodreads

Ugh. My month had gone so well until this book. Not to say that it was terrible (I gave it 2.5 out of 5 stars), but I don't want to talk about it again. I just don't. It wears me out to think about this book.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

goodreads

After that last book, I needed a pick-me-up because I felt that if I didn't read something I loved, I would get slumpy. So, I picked up an old, childhood favorite. I don't see how I couldn't give it five stars. This was my first reread of the year! One down, nine to go! If you haven't read the Harry Potter series yet, you should. Go. Quit reading, and find a copy. Now.

The Hound of the Baskervilles

goodreads

For some reason, I had trouble with this book. It wasn't because it was bad because it was actually really good. I have just been really fatigued lately, and getting through any kind of reading was hard. Also, I just wasn't really in the mood to read this. Literally the only thing I've been in the mood to read has been Outlander but I'm so tired that I can't even do that. However, I would highly recommend this series of graphic novels to anyone who wants to start reading the original Sherlock Holmes novels because they are very true adaptations of the originals.

What were your favorite reads of this month? Tell me down below!

Happy readings!

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

2015 Goals Update #2

I have created a Google spreadsheet with all the books I've read this year. You can check it out if you want. I am constantly updating the two goals tabs as well.

The goals I completed in February were:
8. a funny book - Grace's Guide
20. a book at the bottom of your TBR - The In Between
27. a book you can finish in a day - Seconds: A Graphic Novel
33. a book from your childhood - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
34. a book with a love triangle - Throne of Glass
41. a book by an author you've never read before - Peace Like a River

That makes 12 of the 52 goals that I've completed so far! That's so insane! I feel so productive actually tracking all of the books I read.

I re-read one book in February, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
I read four new-to-me authors: Sarah J. Maas, Leif Enger, Bryan Lee O'Malley, and Olivia Pierce (this also happened to be my TBR jar challenge for this past month).

I am so happy with the amount of reading I've done this month. It hasn't been the best content-wise, but I am hoping to fix that in March.

How have you guys been doing on your goals for 2015? What are they?

Tell me down below!

Happy Readings!

High Five! - 2015 Book Blogger Love A Thon

#LoveAThon is a weekend event hosted by Alexa Loves Books to share the love in the book blogging community.

 Book

• OUTLANDER - I'm currently reading this 'un and watching the TV show. #THEFEELS Did I mention Jamie yet? Because Jamie. Also, I love reading it on my iPad because it feels more laid back in the sense that every time I close the book I don't think I didn't make any progress. But let's all take a moment and appreciate Jamie. I mean, just look at him. He's gorgeous.

Genre

• Fantasy - I may be currently obsessing over everything Outlander and my new pocket Jamie, but I honestly think that the answer to this category will always be fantasy. I re-read the first Harry Potter book, and I recently read Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. I want more of everything fantasy all the time.

Author

• There's so many that I love, but currently this one has to go to Jennifer Niven. Last month, I read All the Bright Places. All I want is for her to write more YA contemporary. I will read it all. Every last one. Her storytelling and way of creating such real characters hit me in the feels at least a gazillion times. If you haven't read it yet, you need to.

Blogger

• Books Keep Me Sane - First off, her layout is to die for (it's that good). It makes me think "marauders" and I have a weird obsession with Rowling's crew of guys. She reviews a lot of books that I think about reading and maybe even buy but just end up never reading, and her reviews usually push me to actually read the book or stop worrying about finishing it anytime soon.

Bookish Merchandise / Book-related site

• I don't really have any book merchandise, but recently I've been swooning over crafted van's etsy shop and all of their wonderful bookmarks. I want so many. I just have to decide on a few that I really like before buying them. Those are the ones I'm currently obsessing over. I think I might just get the postal set. So cute!

2015 Book Blogger Love-a-Thon

QUESTIONNAIRE

1. What’s your name?

Monica

2. Where in the world are you blogging from?

Tennessee, U.S.

3. How did you get into blogging in the first place?

I found BookTube, but I knew that I didn't want to do that. I then heard one vlogger say "and check out my blog" and I immediately did and then started my own.

4. How did you come up with your blog name?

Regan from PeruseProject was the first (and currently one of my favorite) booktubers, and one of my favorites is Sam from Thoughts on Tomes, so I squished them together and found that "Tomes Project" was available.

5. What genre do you read and review the most on your blog?

YA Fantasy and Contemporary

6. What other types of posts do you do on your blog, apart from reviews?

Stacking the shelves, #FridayReads, lists (Top 5s and 10s), and I am currently working on an online bookshop review.

7. Best blogging experience so far?

Twitter. Goodreads. Finding people. Finding new books. It's the best.

8. Favorite thing about the blogging community?

Everyone is so nice and welcoming.

9. Name the 5 books you’re most excited for this 2015!

A Court of Thorns and Roses, Winter, All I Know Now, Queen of Shadows, A Darker Shade of Magic

10. What’s an underrated book or series that you think everyone should read?

Kiki Strike. It's a middle grade series about an eclectic group of Girl Scouts who live in New York and discover a secret city underneath Manhattan.

11. Which book boy or girl would be your book BFF?

Paige Mahoney (The Bone Season). Or Levi (Fangirl).

12. Apart from reading, what are your other hobbies or interests?

Doodling, writing. Applying for scholarships, stressing.

13. Apart from book shopping, what else do you like shopping for?

Clothes! Tea! And snacks. And just walking around Target.

14.At a party, the DJ suddenly changes the song - and it’s your song. What song would be playing?

Explosions - Ellie Goulding

15.Pick out either a book you want turned into a film/TV show, or a film/TV show you want turned into a book.

The Bone Season should be a TV show because a movie won't do it justice.

Stacking the Shelves: Outlander

Stacking the shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, and it's all about sharing the books that have come into your possession this week. This week, I have one beauty that I've been wanting to read. 

"Sing me a song of a lass that is gone

Say, could that lass be I?

Merry of soul she sailed on a day

Over the sea to Skye . . ."

I looked up the ebook version of Outlander because who wants to carry around an 850 page novel? 

Not me, that's for sure.

So, the version on iBooks, which I prefer to kindle since I have an iPad, was only $1.99 and I could instantly have it to read. Sounds great. But before purchasing it, I wanted to make sure I had an interest in it myself and not just an interest in everyone that loves it, so I downloaded the first episode (free on iTunes, FYI) and fell in love. Also note, I've been singing the theme song relentlessly since watching it (because I have downloaded that too).

Now, I have a week left in February, read 3 of the 9 books on my TBR for this month, and 850 pages of Outlander to finish. 

I can do it! . . . Maybe.

#FridayReads - 20 Feb 15

This weekend, to finish off my week snowed in and missing school, I plan to finish Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I am currently on Chapter 10: Halloween, well in reality I am currently watching the first episode of Outlander (free on iTunes, FYI) and deciding if I want to buy the $1.99 ebook version of the book (as of 10 minutes into the show, I am leaning towards yes).

So after finishing Harry Potter, I will either start Outlander by Diana Gabaldon or Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I'll have to see how I feel about the show, but I have a strong feeling that I'll end up in Scotland rather than New Beijing.

Happy Readings!

Top 5 Friend Groups You Want To Be Part Of

"Top 5 Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Goodreads hosts Lainey and Mindy. You can find the goodreads group here.

5. Kiki, Ananka & co.

An intelligent daughter of book hoarders, the clever and mysterious (and strikingly tiny) superspy, an inventor genius, a chemist, a hacker, and a master of disguise. If that doesn't sound awesome, just wait, there's more! It's a story of five (essentially delinquent) Girl Scouts that discover the secret city underneath Manhattan and end up solving a mystery. It's a middle-grade that everyone should read. (And apparently is a trilogy, which I didn't know until looking up these characters).

4. Patrick, Sam, and Charlie

These characters aren't my favorite, but I would still love to be in their friend group if even just for a day. Sam, Patrick, and their friends seemed like so much fun (minus the drugs), and honestly just seem like they would be fun people to be around. (Also, can we talk about how no one in this cast even relatively looks like they are in high school?)

3. Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson

These guys are great. Grover is kind of annoying, but the pure-awesomeness of Percy and Annabeth make up for it. Although, much like my number one, I would really want to be a demi-god, and that would make being a part of this group even more awesome. (Because I wouldn't want to be a Little R.E.D. aka Rachel Elizabeth Dare, even though she is super useful, she was kind of annoying.) Also, props to whoever drew this. It's my new favorite thing,

2. Q, Radar, and Ben

These boys. Oh my goodness, I love them. They're the classic nerds/band geeks that I connect with so well. They're hysterical, and they honestly seem like the guys I would hang out with. They have such pure, unadulterated humor and ways of high school (unlike Charlie & co.) or at least the ways of high school that I'm familiar with. And to be a part of the road trip in this book with these boys and Lacey. It would be so much fun. And exciting.

1. The Golden Trio (or Neville, Luna, and Ginny because they'd be fun too)

I feel like this is definitely going to be somewhere on at least 90% of people's lists. Because it's obvious. Which is why I tacked on Neville, Luna, and Ginny because secondary characters are amazing, and Neville Longbottom is one of my all-time favorite characters from the Harry Potter series. If I wanted adventure and fun times, then I would definitely go with the golden trio, but I almost feel like Neville, Luna, and Ginny would be more fun.

The In Between by Olivia Pierce - Book Review

The In Between - Olivia Pierce

Published: 26 November 2014 - Full Fathom Five Digital

Pages: 344 (Kindle)

Goodreads Rating: 3.40/5

Buy it: Kindle, Nook (Free!), & iBooks

Goodreads

Tara Jenkins and Justin Westcroft used to be childhood BFFs. Now in high school, Justin’s a popular, all-star athlete, and Tara spends her days admiring him from afar. But when Tara saves Justin from nearly drowning in a freak accident, he’s unable to get her out of his mind. In no time at all, Tara and Justin fall deeply in love. And even though it’s only high school, they seem destined for a Happily Ever After.

Until tragedy strikes and this time, Justin’s not so lucky. Tara passes through her days as a shell of her former self: Justin’s dead, but she can still feel his presence, and she can’t seem to let him go.

But there’s a reason for that, and it’s not just grief: Justin is In Between, and he’s still holding on.

They say that when someone saves you, you’re tied to them for life. But what about in the afterlife?

This book felt like mass produced "teen romance" (though it is published by Full Fathom Five, so I don't expect much else). I didn't even know that it was published by Full Fathom Five until I started putting together this post, and I instantly realized why Olivia Pierce's author page just says: "Olivia Pierce lives In Between . . . the East and West Coast of the U.S." and didn't tell me anything about who she is as a person.

Okay, because I have so many things to say about this book, I want to make sure the two biggest positives are clear. I like the writing style of this book because I think that it fits the age (16) of the two main characters. Pierce presents a very interesting idea of the afterlife; however, I do wish that she had expanded on it more, but the expansion she had I felt was sufficient for this particular novel.

However, those were not enough to "save" this novel for me. Pierce stuck her idea of afterlife into a very overused and cliché setting: average girl has been in love with star athlete for forever and key event happens to bring them together with the splash of best friend who thinks this is a terrible idea and ex-girlfriend who is out to get new-girlfriend. This novel is in dual-perspective for the sole reason that is Justin's death (not even a spoiler because they put it in the synopsis) and they honestly don't even feel necessary until his death halfway through the novel.

My main problem with this novel are the characters. My biggest problem is with Tara, but by the end of the book I honestly have problems with all of them (something I've never really experienced in a book before). However, for the sake of this review I will only discuss Tara and the underlying problem that I have with all the other characters. Tara is incredibly weak and a terrible example of what a girl (or anyone) in a relationship (with anyone, not just romantic) should be. She is so incredibly dependent on Justin, and at multiple points in the novel, she thought about killing herself just so that she could be with him again.

And with the other characters, my underlying problem is that in the second half of this book, there are so many out-of-character actions by not only a few of the characters but practically all of them. Name a character in this book, and (9 times out of 10) I can give you an OOC moment that happens.

Overall, I was not impressed with this book. I think that it could have been something completely different than what it was if it had been written and/or published by someone else.

Goodreads Review

Top 10 Tuesday - Ten Book Related Problems I Have

"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish to share lists (because we love them) about books and bookish things.

• Buying Books

Isn't this everyone's? Even though one can never really have enough books, one's wallet does.

• Binge-Watching BookTube Videos

I could be reading. I could be doing productive things, but instead I watch book hauls on YouTube and end up wanting to buy more books. It's a vicious cycle, really.

• Not Finishing Books

Basically, Book ADD. I'll start one book that I got, then get another one (that I'm more excited about) and forget that I ever started the first one when I put it back on the shelf. Getting more library books and letting the books sit off of the shelves when I haven't finished them has helped with this substantially. 

• Hoarding Books

In the same boat as "buying books" I never get rid of books I don't want anymore, nor can I bear letting my sister's old books just sit in a box, so I put them on my shelves even though I have no idea what they're about. I need to unhaul books. I really do.

• Forgetting Library Book Due Dates

I currently have about $3.40 in library fines, and since I don't have to actually talk to anyone at the library (self service stations and a holds shelf not behind the circulation desk) I always forget about paying the fine. I honestly think that fine will end up rolling over to my children (those poor souls).

• Getting Too Excited

This goes hand in hand with "not finishing books" I can be reading five books at once just because I just keep picking up more books that sound interesting.

• Over Hyping

I am the worst. Since I binge watch BookTube videos on the weekly, I am constantly putting books on pedestals and setting expectations in my mind that they will never be able to meet. 

• Cover-Buying

Also known as: Oh, this is a pretty book. I now want to read it without knowing anything. Then, I end up getting distracted by how pretty the cover is that I forget I'm supposed to be reading a book.

• Trying to Organize My Bookshelf (which isn't really even a bookshelf)

I re-organize my bookshelf at least two to three times a month because I just can't decide what I want to do with my bookshelf because it isn't really even a bookshelf, it's a cabinet.

• Letting Books Sit Around

Otherwise known as: I was excited about this book when I ordered it, but it took so long getting here that I am no longer excited. I need to wait until I am excited in order to read this book. And then I never do. *cough* The Mime Order *cough*

Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley - Book Review

Seconds: A Graphic Novel - Bryan Lee O'Malley

Published: 15 July 2014 - Ballantine Books

Pages: 323 (Hardcover)

Genre: Graphic Novel

Goodreads Rating: 4.02/5

Buy it: Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Noble

Goodreads

Katie’s got it pretty good. She’s a talented young chef, she runs a successful restaurant, and she has big plans to open an even better one. Then, all at once, progress on the new location bogs down, her charming ex-boyfriend pops up, her fling with another chef goes sour, and her best waitress gets badly hurt. And just like that, Katie’s life goes from pretty good to not so much. What she needs is a second chance. Everybody deserves one, after all—but they don’t come easy. Luckily for Katie, a mysterious girl appears in the middle of the night with simple instructions for a do-it-yourself do-over:


1. Write your mistake
2. Ingest one mushroom
3. Go to sleep
4. Wake anew


And just like that, all the bad stuff never happened, and Katie is given another chance to get things right. She’s also got a dresser drawer full of magical mushrooms—and an irresistible urge to make her life not just good, but perfect. Too bad it’s against the rules. But Katie doesn’t care about the rules—and she’s about to discover the unintended consequences of the best intentions.


From the mind and pen behind the acclaimed Scott Pilgrim series comes a madcap new tale of existential angst, everyday obstacles, young love, and ancient spirits that’s sharp-witted and tenderhearted, whimsical and wise.

This is the first graphic novel that I've been truly blown away by. With the graphic novels I've read, I haven't really felt anything. There was no deeper meaning, nothing I had to ponder after finishing. That was quite the opposite with Seconds. The title Seconds demeans many things: a second serving, a second chance, a second glance at someone you thought was gone from your life.

All three of the above apply to Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novel. Now, I haven't read as many graphic novels as many reviewers, so I'd take this with a grain of salt, but only a grain because I believe that anyone, no matter how much experience they have, can recognize a piece of art when you see one.

The art style in this book is beautiful and the most so that I have ever seen in a graphic novel. The plot becomes darker and deeper than one would expect at first glance, but it is so meaningful. O'Malley creates a main character that feels like she could be a real person, something I've found hard to come across in graphic novels.

My Goodreads Review