Saturday, February 25, 2017

30 day challenge day 13

Hi reading friends! Hope all of you are well today! I just got done posting on my Instagram as well as giving my puppy a bath, packing to travel home, doing laundry and homework. Talk about multi tasking!!! We hit our 2 week mark tomorrow on OSCAR SUNDAY. The Oscars are like a holiday in my house. My husband always laughs at me because I get so mad at certain things that win/don't win :)

Day 13 Your favorite writer
This was easy! I adore Roald Dahl and all that he wrote. My top 3 include
1. James and the Giant Peach
2. Matilda
3. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Talking about his books makes me want to curl up and read. I haven't found a book of his I didn't like, thus far.

What is your favorite Dahl book?!?!

See you tomorrow!

Friday, February 24, 2017

30 day book challenge day 12

Hello friends! I hope all of you are well today. I am feeling 100 times better than I have been the last few days. (thank goodness) I got a lot done today and I have been working hard on my homework and my bookstagram as well. Let me first just say that I gained 25 followers in 1 day! Literally made my whole day! and I have started adding new and fun little quirks to my feed. Thank you to all of you who follow me! ANYWAY...

Day 12 Book  you love and hate at the same time. This was so easy!
I enjoyed this book so much... unless Umbridge was a big part of the chapter. She is literally the devil!!!! She made me so mad that at times I had to stop reading because never in my life have a read a character that made me seethe with anger. You can imagine my elation at the end of the book right?!?
Do you agree that Professor Umbridge was the worst character ever!?!?

see you tomorrow!

Thursday, February 23, 2017

30 day book challenge day 10 and 11

Hi friends! I am so sorry for lack of post yesterday. I was feeling so under the weather and not much better today but I plan on following through with this challenge so yesterday and today will be one post with 2 separate sections! OK HERE WE GO!!!

Day 10 Book that reminds you of Home.
For me that is James and the Giant Peach. This book is so wonderful and my mama loves the story. I remember when I was 9 we moved into a new house that was actually really old and the first week we were there we had no TV. We relied on movies and we frequented JATGP. To this day my mama will sing the songs or quote the movie. Whenever I miss home I read this book!
*** Check out what I made inspired by this story***

Day 11 a book you hated... ok there are so many but I will choose 1!
OMG I hated this book. I think the concept was okay... I guess but using the idea of "Survival of the fittest" with children on an island it so awful. And... also they killed piggy, my favorite character in the entire story gets his head smashed in with a rock! Really William Golding... come on!

See you tomorrow for day 12 readers!

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

30 day book challege day 09

Hi friends! I hope all of you are having a nice Tuesday! We are still rainy and wet here is California but thankfully I have a warm house to stay in! Lets jump into todays challenge

Book you thought you wouldn't like and ended up loving!
When my sister told me about these book initially I was intrigued but figured we have such different reading tastes that it wouldn't be for me. However once I began to read it, I fell in love with the characters and the storyline of each couple. In the Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole each book is focused on 2 particular "creatures" in the lore and each book coincides with the next. So while you are reading one book you may hear about the characters you read about a book or two ago. It is an amazing series that I think everyone should give a try to. What do you have to lose?!?

**I used to have a blog with reviews on each of these books, if you want to read some let me know and  I can upload them!!!

See you tomorrow as we enter 2 digits in this challenge!

Monday, February 20, 2017

30 day book challenge day 08

Hi friends! Happy Monday to all of you. Its so rainy here and my husband and I are unable to make it home to visit family. There is so much flooding here that major highways are closed. Have I mentioned I hate winter now? I used to be a winter junkie and now all I want is summer. Okay enough whining (I'm usually not a whiner, in fact I dislike it!!)
Day 08
Most Overrated book.
I cannot stand this book and it makes me sad. Its very Aria and Ezra from Pretty Little Liars and if that's what I wanted I would just read that... I love Colleen Hoover and think she is a magical author however she has had a handful of books that I just cannot stand
Hopeless
Losing Hope
The slammed series
November 9
I am unsure what it is I dislike so much about these books but I feel like all people do is rave about them and I have no clue why?!?!?

see you tomorrow for day 9

Sunday, February 19, 2017

Book Challenge Day 7

Hi everyone. Sorry I've been MIA Life got busy. I went to the Welcome to Nightvale live show in Sacramento, had to work, and do about a million errands and things around the house. Day 7 is a book that makes me laugh. I picked this one.
I absolutely love this podcast so of course I had to get this book, a friend and I went to the book signing in San Francisco and it was so fun. This book is always good for a laugh, and if I'm feeling down it puts me in a better mood every time.
 

30 day book challenge day 07

Hi friends! We are one week into the challenge!! I can't believe its been a week now!! So lets just get into this!
day 07 Book that makes you laugh...
I tend to not laugh while reading, maybe I'm concentrating too hard or maybe I haven't read a funny book... Of this I am unsure, however while reading Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters I found myself giggling at my favorite character in the series Tyson. He reminds me of my little brother Dylan. They have the same funny temperament, and the same big heart. When Tyson is talking to Percy and says "everything's better with a brother" that is literally something my awesome baby brother would say!

See you tomorrow for day 8

Saturday, February 18, 2017

30 day book challenge day 06

Hello, hello, hello! Its been a crazy day here in my town. The rain has caused so much flooding and damage that all major highways out of town are closed... I am so bored!!!! My husband almost didn't make it home yesterday from his training program. Thank goodness he did! Anyway we are at day 6 so lets get into it!
Book that makes you sad...
The Fault in Our Stars is one I never would have picked up. Howrver, a lady I worked with who was a survivor herself told me that she personally hadn't read it but that other survivors had and loved it so I thought "okay I'll try". I am so happy I did. This is a love story unlike anyone I had ever read. These two hopeful and sick souls don't let cancer define them. They embrace themselves and each other. Hazel and Gus are a force to be reckoned with and many literary couples can't compare to these warriors. I adore this story but I have to say, I don't think I have ever cried so hard at a book in my life... Great read, I always recommend it!
day 7 tomorrow :)

Friday, February 17, 2017

Bookstagram Shoutout!!

Hi again friends! I wanted to share some book love and I know this looks a bit jumbled but I love how this collage came out! I am giving a shout out to 6 beauties
@bookishgirl89
@booksnbeachgal
@bookstagram13
@faeirlybookish
@sophieisnotanerd
@abookishsoutherbell

I look forward to posts from these ladies. When I see that they shared I get on my Instagram app and like immediately! Maybe check them out!!

30 day book challenge day 05

Hello everyone. Its friday! We made it!! So today I have a Lularoe party to go to and more laundry than I can imagine!!! Anyway that's enough adulting for right now lets get into today's prompt.
Book that makes you happy.
Alot of books make me happy but when I read this prompt I thought of a book that was a staple in our house growing up
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales is so creative and so funny. I love the quirky twist for each tale and look how cute he is!! I don't own a copy of this book...yet but since my husband and I are trying to have a baby I plan on adding that to his/her library!
see you tomorrow!!

Thursday, February 16, 2017

30 day book challenge day 04

Hello and happy thursday!!! Has this week been really long for anyone besides me?!? Oh my gosh it has been the longest week ever.
Today is day 4 and our prompt is...
Favorite book in your favorite series.
Mine is The Haunted in The Hollow Series. It just dives deeper into the the mystery behind Abby's best friends death, her relationship with Caspian and learning more about Caspian. Its such a cool concept for a story and literally my favorite series!
check back tomorrow!!

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

30 day challenge day 3

Hello readers! Its been a busy day for me and I'm sorry my post is so late!!! Today is day 3 of our 30 day challenge and today is...
My favorite series!!!!
as you can see I chose The Hollow Series by Jessica Verday. This series is so wonderful. Its a bit on the younger side of of the YA spectrum. Its about a girl who loses her best friend and she spends a lot of her time in the cemetery. While there she meets a beautiful stranger named Caspian Crane. A whirlwind romance begins between the two and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow intertwines within their love story. Its a paranormal romance mixed with a classic ghost story!
I adore these books. It is a series I recommend to everyone. I even had my 17 year old God Daughter read them when she was 14!!!

Check back for Ashleys post and for tomorrow's!!!

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Book Challenge Day 2

Hey everyone! It's Day 02- A Book That You've Read More Than 3 Times
I picked A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray, anyone who knows me knows about my love affair with this book.
This book has been one of my favorites for about 13 years and I have read it at least twice a year since my mom bought it for me all those years ago. I was in the biggest reading slump I've ever been in when I got it and fell in love with reading all over again. It's such a wonderful story full of magic and mystery, and I always recommend it to everyone. I'm going to share with you my all time favorite part of the book, there are mild spoilers so if you don't want any spoilers don't read any further!

"What frightens you?
What makes the hair on your arms rise, your palms sweat, the breath catch in your chest like a wild thing caged?
Is it the dark? A fleeting memory of a bedtime story, ghosts and goblins and witches hiding in the shadows? Is it the way the wind picks up just before a storm, the hint of wet in the air that makes you want to scurry home to the safety of your fire?
Or is it something deeper, something much more frightening, a monster deep inside that you've only glimpsed in pieces, the vast unknown of your own soul where secrets gather with a terrible power, the dark inside?
If you will listen, I will tell you a story--one whose ghosts cannot be banished by the comfort of a roaring fire. I will tell you a story of how we found ourselves in a realm where dreams are formed, destiny is chosen, and magic is as reals as your handprint in the snow. I will tell you how we unlocked the Pandora's box of ourselves, tasted freedom, stained our souls with blood and choice, and unleashed a horror on the world that destroyed its dearest Order. These pages are a confession of all that has led to this cold gray dawn. What will be now, I cannot say.
Is your heart beating faster?
Do the clouds seem to be gathering on the horizon?
Does the skin on your neck feel stretched tight, waiting for a kiss you both fear and need?
Will you be scared?
Will you know the truth?"

30 day book challenge day 2

Hi again!!! It is day 2 of the 30 day book challenge and I decided on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban! This book is pure amazing! Of all 7 HP stories this one stuck with me. So much so that I have Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs tattooed on my ankle in my bookish rose tattoo. Sirius Black is a phenomenal character with so much intensity. For me this book is so much more than part of a series. Its such a staple for me. It has so much creativity and spunk. I can literally go on and on with it so there it is. My day 2! See you tomorrow!!!

Monday, February 13, 2017

Book Challenge Day 1


Hi everyone!
Ashley here, as promised, for day 01 of the 30 Day Book Challenge.

       Okay so, Day 01-Best Book You Read last Year. For me It would definitely be Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton. I read the first chapter when Penguin Teen released it on Facebook to promote the book and as soon as I read that I knew I had to preorder the book. I was not disappointed, I couldn't put this book down and finished it in about a day. Alwyn Hamilton has a lovely writing style and she has created such an amazing world within her story here and I am eagerly anticipating Traitor to the Throne. I preordered it the second it was available, but sadly while it has been released in the UK it is not yet in the US. So anyway, if you haven't read this book yet give it a try.

30 day book challenge...Day 1

Hi everyone! As promised here is Day 1 of the 30 day book challenge. Each day is unique and fun! Some books will be more loved than others but I hope you enjoy following us on the bookish journey!
Day 1: Favorite book you read last year...
For me that has to be It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover. First off let me just say that the message behind this is strong and the social issue is very tough and can be a hard subject for a lot of people. So be warned before you decide to read it, read a spoiler free review for some extra details.
I could not put this book down!!! I was in love with Ryle minus is major flaw which was heartbreaking because he was so amazing until then. I loved the relationships between characters and of course Hoover is such a page turner of a writer I was left wanting more!!
check back tomorrow for day 2!!!!

Blog Challenge

Hi friends! Ashley and I are going to be taking part of this! We are starting this week and posting a picture and a blurb that fits each day! Please check back, like and comment on our posts! We love feedback!!!

see you soon💜

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Between Two Worlds By Tyler Henry

***This is an audio book review and discussion***

Hi friends!! Hope all of you are well! I have been doing so much lately between school and life! I have been in the worst slump. Its really sad because all I used to do was read and now... I have only read 2 books this year!!! So I decided to rent or buy and listen to audio books and they have been my saving grace!!! I wanted to talk about the one I finished yesterday!
~First off this is a an autobiography of the 20 year old medium based out of Hollywood, Tyler Henry. I watch his show Hollywood Medium, and while I am a skeptic I am very much in love with the aura and presence of this young man. His boyish charm is infectious and the emotion in his eyes during a reading seems genuine. When I heard he was writing a book I knew I would have to read it. When I found out he was narrating it for the audio book I had to listen!

Tyler Henry grew up in a conservative Christian household in California. At age 10 he began his journey of mediumship as he knew a family member who was will with cancer was going to die one night. When he told his mother what he believed was about to happen, before they left she received a call that the family member had passed... As time continues through his story, Tyler talks of learning to use his abilities, being bullied, a near death experience, his most impactful readings and the final chapter is a Q&A of some frequently asked questions.

In listening to this I was hooked just by the way Tyler spoke of his gifts. Even in times of his life when having his abilities was more of a burden than a gift, he never wavers in believing that he was chosen by some divine force to be a conduit of information, a messenger. His personality is very sweet and warm and the tone of his story is one of great appreciation. He is wise beyond his years and it shows through his story.

I gave this book a 4/5. The only thing I was missing was more. The story was only 8 chapters long. While I know he is only 20 I would have loved to hear more about his personal readings with peers when he first learned about his abilities!

Thursday, February 2, 2017

The Ultimate Book Tag

Hi readers! Here is a really cool tag I found on +Savannah Bookswithbite blog. I loved all the questions so now I will be doing the same!!

The Ultimate Book Tag!

Do you get sick reading in the car?
Usually No, I am not a carsick person, however lately I have been so carsick!!! I am unsure why but I tell you what, I do majority of the driving in my family. My husband has a very tough job and he drives 12 or more hours a day. I don't mind doing it but its nice when he drives and I get to read...if I'm not carsick :)

Which authors writing style is unique to you and why?
This is such a tough question. On one hand I could say Harper Lee because To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite book or I could use Roald Dahl as he is my all time favorite author. I think in the spirit of this tag I am going to choose someone that has very recently spoken to me and that is Cat Winters. Her writing is enchanting. She takes historical fiction, adds a supernatural or some sory of spooky undertone and makes art.

Harry Potter series or Twilight Saga, give 3 points to defend your choice. I HATE TWILIGHT!!! I read it 2 or 3 years before Hollywood butchered the story and butchered is putting it nicely so I choose Harry Potter for these 3 reasons...
  • Hagrid is life
  • Witches are badass
  • the story as a whole is so much more in all areas of writing.
Do you carry a book bag? If so what is in it besides books?
Yes I do! I have my chargeable book light, chapstick, my kindle and charger and my books :)

Do you smell your books?
No, I used to because some books smell really good but no I just kind of stopped... I guess...

Books with or without little illustrations.
I LOVE books with any illustrations.

What book did you love while reading but discovered later it wasn’t quality writing?
The Twilight Saga.

Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share!
The movie adaptation of Matilda came out when I was about 7 or 8 I think and I remember wanting to be just like her. So I got all my books out and started at page 1, I would get bored and throw it away. I did that for a few hours and realized I hated to read and why am I wasting time when I could watch another movie!!!

What is the thinnest book on your shelf?
The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy By Tim Burton <3

What is the thickest book on your shelf?
Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as being an author?
I write better than I read. I have been told for my entire life that I need to be a writer. I prode myself on my writing abilities.

When did you get into reading?
Not until I was 14 and had to read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I hated reading until then.

What is your favorite classic book?
I hate this question because I don't read classics. I have tried so many times to savor them and see the beauty of them because they are the basis of literature but I get so wrapped up in trying to understand them completely that I lose interest and become frustrated. So I guess To Kill a Mockingbird because its the only classic that changed my heart.

In school was your best subject Language Arts/English?
English, Debate and Journalism.

If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated…what would you do?
I would keep it!!! Its a gift and I love all presents!!! and someone took the time to choose that for me so why throw it out?!?!

What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or the Hunger Games?
I can think of a million lesser known series that deserve to be read but none of them are life either HP or THG...

What is a bad habit you always do (besides rambling) while filming?
I don't have a booktube channel but I do host live feeds via Instagram and I say Ummmm a lot.

What is your favorite word?
Compassion

Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb? Or all of the above?
well... my mama calls me dork frequently, I call myself a nerd but haven't been called a dweeb yet...

Vampires or Fairies? Why?
Vampires, but certainly not the Cullens. I mean the saddest Vampires in all land Louis, Lestat and Claudia from Interview with a Vampire (which I actually read and disliked, but I ADORE the movie)

Shapeshifters or Angels? Why?
Shapeshifters because I have only read the Hush Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick and it was ok...

Spirits or Werewolves? Why?
Spirits, gimmie a good old fashioned ghost story anyday!!!

Zombies or Vampires?
I HATE ZOMBIES!!! so overrated!!!!

Love Triangle or Forbidden Love?
Forbidden love, the triangle thing is becoming so over played.

and finally, full on romance or action packed with a few love scenes?
I am a sucker for a crazy good romance!!

Hope you all enjoy this and stay tuned for more tags!