Thursday, June 30, 2016

July Fantasy Photo Challenge

Hey Readers. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day of shopping, cleaning and groceries! As you saw earlier I posted about taking part in this super creative photo challenge. In a effort to stay on top of it I posted early. So here we go!

Day 1: One word to describe your favorite book...
So as many of you know To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite book. I chose to use the word Beautiful because it is beautiful. It embodies so much life, beauty and heart. I am so in love with this book. Atticus Finch is the embodiment of the worlds best human and the greatest character in all of literature. I love him so much that I have one of his quotes tattooed on me and one of my children will carry his names. 

Check back for more fun!

July Photo Challenge

Hey readers, I am participating in this awesome challenge, starting tomorrow!!!!!!!
So excited. See my posts here!

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Bookish Date this weekend!

Hey readers, My amazing husband told me last night that it is a date weekend. We have to go into the city to do some major grocery shopping because we literally have coffee and some minor sandwich stuff to eat right now! I am in need of some book recommendations! Please no dystopian or Sci Fi
Thanks readers!

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

New Book Tuesday

Hey everyone. It's another NBT! I just got this in the mail and have been waiting for this book to come out in paperback for well over a year! It is the newest book in the Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole and I cannot wait to read it!!!

Saturday, June 25, 2016

The Importance of a Library



   Hey Readers, I wanted to write about a topic that many believe is going to change due to technology.
Libraries are changing daily. They are trying new approaches to get people excited to read. That may be a reading program that targets a specific age group or some kind of contest or even just some basic rearranging. Libraries are literally the only thing left that are somewhat free. I say somewhat because you have to pay late fee's and or replacement library cards ect.. However, I have been told that by choosing to major in Library and Information Science, that I will not find a job because they are dying off. I beg to differ! The importance of a library is to provide information, knowledge and entertainment to the masses for little to no money. It is used to engage children to read and provide education as well as the responsibility of handling and borrowing materials. They provide computers and internet use to those who do not have access otherwise. They bring joy and entertainment to those of us that enjoy a good book. Yes, technology is advancing daily if not hourly and that is why we need to make ourselves go into our local libraries. All it takes is some attention to them to get people in the doors. Go and check out a few books and talk about about it with your friends and family. It is because of the "instant gratification" that technology provides that is making our libraries lose their spark and ultimately lose money and jobs. I have applied many times to libraries and they simply are not hiring. That may be because they are at capacity but also because in the last year I have seen the population that used to go to the library dwindle down. This is a travesty to those of us who visit regularly.
   I wholeheartedly believe that if we just take that extra time and drive over to our local branches that we will see an incline in programs provided by staff, new books and more visually appealing displays. So I ask you to please, instead of buying a book and or downloading it online. Check out you local library. Not only will you save money but you are saving your library as well.



   These Images were provided by Pinterest and as you can see these are well taken care of Libraries. They have visually appealing display's and a new and exciting layout, It is because of the hard work of the staff as well as their passion for what they do. These pictures can be replicated just by going in and giving back to your community.
It is important that the children of the future are able to have this resource. I cannot tell you how many papers I have written or projects I have done that were successful because I used my local library as my biggest resource. Our children need to be able to use this when its necessary but also be able to use it for themselves.
    For me, the library is a sanctuary!! I walk in and it is sensory overload and I love it! I love the smell of the old books but I also love to get lost looking through shelf after shelf. I love when I walk out with a stack of books in my hand. It is truly my special place. We need to make sure that it stays around for another millennia!
    I urge all of you reading this to go an visit, I bet you wont leave without something and if possible donate! If you have books you read and want to clear space, give them to your library! I recently saw book bag for sale in mine and I spent $15 dollars on it. It was the best money spent at that! I felt wonderful for purchasing it because I was giving back to a resource that constantly provides for me.
 I hope that in reading this you all are inspired to get in the car and visit a branch. Just enjoy it because we don't want ever want to lose them.

Friday, June 24, 2016

Book Recommendation

Hi readers! I wanted to do a post on a series that I have been reading for a few years.. But first, let me explain why I chose to talk about this series. My sister from another mister, Jamie and I were driving down to Roseville California to go clothes shopping for summer. On the ride down she kept mentioning this author Kresley Cole and how amazing her books were. Jamie has always been a reader and I was still quite picky about what I read. During the conversation she described details about the characters that left me feeling excited. I knew I had to read these books. Little did I know that they would become a beloved favorite of mine!

I know the covers look like something you would see a middle aged single woman read but OH. MY GOSH! This series is spectacular! It follows quite a large group of characters whose lives intertwine with one another. They are all different creatures in what is called "The Lore" and each book follows a particular couple. there are Witches, Vampires, Demons, Berserkers, Valkyrie and so much more. I am currently reading book 12 Lothaire. It is about a Vampire who is centuries old and his bride Saroya is possessing a young and naive southern girl named Ellie. I am about halfway finished and I cannot put it down. Jamie and Ashley can read each of these books in a day, they cannot put them down and I wish I read as fast as them because its a wonderful series, The newest book is not pictures but is called Sweet Ruin and it was released last year and just came out in paperback on June 21st!!! My copy is in the mail shipping via Amazon! I know that my description of these will not do justice to how Jamie and Ashley would describe them however, as you can see I am excited enough about them to share and I hope that you will give them a try!

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

New book tuesday

Hey everyone it's another NBT!!! I am so excited and ready to read these books!! Has anyone read them?

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Coming Soon...

Hey readers, I wanted to do a post on books that are coming out soon. Some will be brand new, some will be new formats but all of these that I share will be books that I am beyond excited about!

First on my list is Sweet Ruin by Kresley Cole.
The Immortals after Dark series is one to be celebrated. My sister Jamie got me hooked on this series. Just listening to her talk about what the series was about, with pieces of information going all over the place, was inspiring. It will FINALLY be released in paperback June 21st!
Cat Winters is a fantastic writer and her book In the Shadow of Blackbirds is one that I am absolutely in love with. I just read the Synopsis of Yesternight and I am beyond excited. Funnily enough it will be released on my wedding anniversary
October 4 2016 cannot get her soon enough!
I loved the first book in this series and I jumped at the chance to buy book 2. I just found out that book 3 will be released September 13 2016!!!

So thats it for now! Hope all of you are as excited as I am!



When a book comes into your life.

Hey readers! So I wanted to do a post on something that I believe to be very real. Have you ever been so stoked on a book that you buy it, sit down to read it and become bored? I do that all the time. Why does this happen you ask? I believe that it is because you are meant to read certain books at certain times. There are millions of books, waiting to have their spines cracked and pages turned. However if its not your time to read it, then that is something you have to accept. I will share a list with you of books I tried to read at one point in my life and were not able to finish or restart them until later on!


  • Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Album
  • A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
  • The Alchemist book 1 by Michael Scott
  • Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard
  • Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke
  • Lothaire by Kresley Cole
So there is a small list of books that I am positive I had to wait for the right time in my life to read. Hope this helps you if you have the same problem :)

Saturday, June 11, 2016

The Tokyo Cover Girls By Jackie Amsden

I was approached by a young woman who saw one of my reviews on the book Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard. She asked Ashley and I if we would be willing to read her book. Of course we jumped at the chance. You will be seeing my review as well as Ashley's.

Jess, a seventeen year old model who was no stranger to the business. She was known as what the industry calls "commercial" She is a force to be reckoned with. Modeling is not her first love but she is doing it to save up for law school and in Tokyo she could make double what she could in the U.S.

Hailey, also seventeen. a sweet yet ditzy girl coming from an overprotective family wants to be a famous designer. For her modeling is her foot in the door to begin designing high fashion.

Blake, a gorgeous bombshell of a girl based out of Sacramento CA. She comes from a rough home life and models to make money and get the hell out of dodge.

These three girls are ready for the ride of their life, but the ride is the scariest one you can imagine. After being asked to participate in a competition by a company called Satsujin these girls will be tested in ways they never imagined and sometimes competition can be deadly...

Oh. My. Gosh!! This book was absolute genius. It was somewhat reminiscent of the Pretty Little Liars collection as it had the same unknown entity, fierce girls who are looking for answers in all the wrong place, mystery, mayhem and high fashion. I really liked all of the characters and felt myself connecting with each one in some way. Each girl added something much needed to their groups dynamic. Although the girls friendship didn't flourish until later on you can tell that they were not shallow or dumb. they were three girls trying to survive. This book had twist after twist and I could not for the life of me keep up as to what was going to happen. The ending was such a cliffhanger that I am hoping for more!

The only thing I had a hard time with was the setting. I am very unfamiliar with Japanese culture and only know little bits and pieces from Ashley so some of it was able to understand. The rest was nothing I had ever really read about. However, I love that it was set in such a well known place that wasn't in the United States. It added a whole new dimension to the story.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars, thumbs up what have you. This is a book that needs to be sent to Harper Collins to be published. It was a work of sheer brilliance. I recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery, with some girl power added for good measure. Jackie, this is truly a wonderful book and I am honored that you requested I read it! Cannot wait to read more!

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Books I wish I could have enjoyed

Hey Readers. I was watching the remake of the iconic Carrie, starring the beautiful Chloe Grace Moretz. When asked if she read the book she responded with "Yes I would have the book with me on set and compare date and time of the book to the script. I wanted to be Stephen's Carrie." In hearing that reply I was inspired to do this post. So here it is, Books I tried reading and could not enjoy no matter how hard I tried.

I have been told my entire life, from my mama that this book scared her so bad, that she had to sleep with her light on. Naturally that would inspire most people to read it. The first attempt was in 6th grade and I got about 30 pages in, became bored and took it back to the library. I have not attempted it since. I am a firm believer that you are meant to read a book at a certain time. Maybe my time with this novel will be soon, or maybe I will not read it until I am old and gray. My only hope is to read at least one of King's Novels.











This is a book that I think, had I pushed myself, could have enjoyed. However I was so emotionally bothered by the first chapter that I had to put it down. I have not picked this book up again and I don't think I ever will. If you have not read this book it is about a girl who is kidnapped and murdered. She is trying to inform her family from the other side of what happened to her and who took her away. The event happens at the end of chapter 1 and I began to cry because it was so real. I felt frightened and bothered. Just writing about it is making me anxious. Many people love this book and Sebold is a fantastic writer. I mean, lets be honest if it bothered me enough to feel afraid that is some damn good writing.







I heard people rave about this book. I decided to watch the movie instead of read the book. However I began to read it and it was so boring. The leading woman is brilliant don't get me wrong but it was just so hard to keep up with after awhile and just not worth the time.















I bought this book for the cover, which for me is rare! I ended up giving it to my God daughter to see what she thought as she is a huge reader and she loved it so much she ordered the rest of the series. I got about half way through and I was so bored I couldn't go on. The concept is great, the characters were strong but for me it was a little too young. I love YA books but there comes a point where I can't relate to anything in the book, so why read it.












I see this book all over Instagram. I also have been told it is a fantastic series but I could not get into it at all. I did love that the lead was named Penryn, She was named after a town 35 minutes from my hometown and she mentions that in the book. I am not a dystopian reader. After The Hunger Games it became so over used, it was all you really saw at book stores. I wanted to like it but this book fell short.













I know I know! Its Harry Potter and how can i say that but lets be honest, this book of the entires series was sooooooooo boring. It felt half assed and rushed. I love this series as a whole, but this book left me so unsatisfied. AND.. for the finale of this wonderful collection...really?!?














I got halfway through this book and was so annoyed by the characters that I couldn't continue on. I think that the idea is fabulous but the execution was poor.














Colleen Hoover is a brilliant writer but this book was so not like her other novels and by the time I finished reading it I felt like I just finished an Ellen Hopkins novel. I was emotionally drained and I couldn't read for days.
















Well that is all for now. There will be another one of these I am sure as I am extremely particular as to what I read. I hope all of you enjoyed this!

Saturday, June 4, 2016

Current Reads for June 2016

Hi readers! Today I woke up extremely early for no reason at all so I am blogging like crazy now!!! I was reading a little this morning and I realized I have a whole mess of books in progress. Didn't i just post about my bad habits? Well old habits die hard and here is what I am reading as of now!

I am still on such a Pretty Little Liars Kick. Season 6, which I only have 3 episodes left came out n Netflix on Wednesday. However I am finding that the first 3 books were so crazy I couldn't put them down, with this one I am a little bored...BUT I will finish it strong and continue to collect the books!!














I am having, again a hard time continuing this book. I am super pumped for the long awaited movie and it happens to be by my idol Tim Burton. What I am finding hard about this book for the 2nd time around is that Riggs' is extremely wordy, to the point where its almost like a tangent. He draws away from the overall plot line I noticed while I was reading some of it last night. The concept for this story is fantastical and deserves a well written story.











I am undecided on this story so far. I love the narrator. It reminds me of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I feel as if this girl Ava, is an old woman, well into her years and wise as hell and she is telling her story through those old eyes who have seen the world yet she remains in the body of a girl. I haven't gotten far at all and I probably sound like an idiot for those of you who have read it!












So... I love Colleen Hoover. A lady I used to work with mentioned her to me when she was still unheard of and I had no interest in reading any of her books, However... my best friend Sharon, let me borrow her copies of Ugly Love, Confess, and Maybe Someday. They had me at hello, for lack of a better saying. She has a way of writing the most wonderful men (Ridge, is my favorite) and somehow making you sympathize with the leading ladies, even if you are super jealous. I am only about 80 pages in and I am unsure of this book. I have heard people rave about it, but my bestie who got me into these books was unsatisfied so.... I am still on the fence. I am a little bummed out and wont give away any spoilers but the lead and Aria Montgomery from Pretty Little Liars have more in common than meets the eye...






These books though. I love Cassandra Clare as an author. I think that her ideas and characters are bad ass! However I am having the hardest time getting into this book!!! I devoured City of Ashes and City of Glass (that one is my favorite) but this one so far has got the most boring start... I asked my bestie about it and she said "I wish I could tell you I loved this book" which is now all I keep thinking about when I sit to read it, however I have heard others say that this is one of the best so I need to push myself to finish it. I am also head over heels in love with Simon Lewis, so any chapter with him in it is a saving grace for me!


















So, this is it, I have 4 books in progress and I am having a hard time falling in love with them. It happens. I may be in a mild slump and just pushing myself too hard to try and get into them. Check back for reviews on these books and more!

Friday, June 3, 2016

The coffee book tag


Hey friends, so I was on my wordpress blog and saw this awesome girls post. Its a coffee themed book tag and I am going to be posting it here and on my kelseys365daychallenge.wordpress.com
ok here we go


Black: A series that's tough to get into but has hardcore fans.
I think I am one of the few people in the world who cannot get into this series. I have only tried a couple pages but it just isnt my thing!!!
Peppermint Mocha: Book that gets more popular during the winter or festive time of year...
This is an amazing series and I find myself wanting to read it during the holidays!
Hot Chocolate: Favorite childrens book: 
This is by far the best childrens book to date for me!!!
Double Shot of Espresso: A book that kept you on the edge of your seat from start to finish...
Starbucks: Book you see EVERYWHERE...
I see this book all over instagram and in stores. It does not sound like a book I would like but the urge is becoming too much and I just may need to try it!
The Hipster Coffee Shop: A book by an indie author... I dont have one because I cant think of an indie author that I have read... :(

Oops! I accidentally ordered Decaf: A book you were expecting more from...
I really enjoy the works of Colleen Hoover but this book was the one book of hers that just bummed me out. It wasn't the normal Colleen Hoover book where i fell in love with every character and the plot, when I finished this i felt exhausted and did not want to read for days

The Perfect Blend: Name a book or series that was both Bitter and sweet, but ultimately satisfying.
This series is amazing and my all time favorite, but I have to be honest that when I finished it I was left with happiness and sadness and I didn't really know how I felt, but overall this was AMAZING


Green Tea: Name a book or series that is quietly beautiful

 Oh gosh these books are wonderful..........

 and terrifying and leave you wanting more

Chai Tea: Name a book or series that makes you dream of far off places.
 If you haven't given these a try its a must. I also am kind of in love with percy!


Well that's it! I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did!!!!