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Currently…

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It’s been four months since I last did a “currently” post, so I thought the time had come to let you guys all know what I’m up to outside of reading again. 🙂

LISTENING TO

  • “Every It” // Caitlin Mahoney
  • “Don’t Be Shy” // Cat Stevens
  • “There She Goes” // The La’s
  • “Cheek to Cheek” // Ella Fitzgerald (Fred Astaire’s original version is fine, but Ella does it best.)
  • The 2005 Pride & Prejudice soundtrack (“Dawn” is my favorite. Wait, scratch that. Every song in this movie is my favorite. Just get me some tea and some Mr. Darcy and I could cry listening to it.)

WISHING FOR

  • My dad’s sweatshirt. I keep stealing it, and then he gets annoyed with me… but it’s SO SOFT. Now I have to go and buy a $30 sweatshirt just like my dad’s, and who has the money for that? That would buy three brand-new books!

EATING

  • Pizza. I honestly spent a good chunk of my Christmas money on two or three boxes of pizza. My cravings are just too strong to seperate us. I have no regrets in life.

(I’ve been dying for an excuse to use this GIF ^ and I did it. I finally got to use it and now my life is complete.)

  • Lots and lots of chai tea. I’m not much of a tea person, but chai is so addicting. (Oh coffee dear, you know you’re still #1.)

WEARING

  • Puffy jackets in thirty degree weather one week, short sleeves literally three days later. It’s as if Georgia has these intense teenage girl mood swings and she’s like “you know guys, I’m HAPPY let’s make it SNOW” and then she gets ticked off the next day and makes it seventy degrees and rainy. Someone get Georgia some chocolate and make her happy again.

WATCHING

    • Timeless: a time travelling trio (a soldier, pilot, and historian) set off after a terrorist attempting to destroy America. aka an emotional plot twisting roller coaster featuring epic historical costumes.

  • This Is Us: awwww, too much cuteness. Though right now I’m mad at every character accept Toby and Jack. They can do no wrong.

  • Gilmore Girls: let’s be real though, when am I not. (Currently skipping all episodes that don’t include Milo Ventimiglia – who currently plays Jack on This Is Us – because again, he can do no wrong. No matter what show he’s on.)

 

ON MY TO-DO LIST

  • Quit scrolling through apps and pick up a book again.
  • Delete cat photos to make storage space on my phone. (My cat is just way too photogenic. LOok at tHIS pReCIouSneS. I have a problem, I know.)

If anyone is wondering, his name is Thomas O’Malley (“O’Malley” for short), after the heroine of the Disney movie The Aristocats. He likes water (if the sink/shower is running or the toilet lid is up, he will be soaked) and pipe cleaners and cuddles. 

WRITING

          “I flew six flights up, until breathlessly, I pushed myself through the door of Apartment 21B. The glass doors that led to our balcony at the end of the living room proved quite a view: raindrops running down the glass, the tiny balcony covered in potted plants and ivy, cars crawling in traffic below, our beautiful city skyline, and a grown man hunched in a black windbreaker on a thin iron bar. It was as if I were looking at a painting or photograph, colors bleeding in the rain.” 

– snippet from an admittedly melodramatic but exciting scene in my WIP that I had a blast writing.

ANTICIPATING 

  • This new skirt I ordered from thredup.com (which is an online thrift store that I spend way too much time browsing.)

  • Going to Disney World next month (!!!!!!!!!!!!)
  • A new episode of Timeless on January 16. (The withdrawals are getting to be too much.)

That’s all the time I have for today (seriously – it’s 6 PM and I haven’t finished my science lesson… hehehe. *dies*) But before I go, the winner of the Salt to the Sea giveaway is… Jonathan! He’s great, and any one person who gets as excited over a Ruta Sepetys book as he does deserves a blog follow, so go check him out. (And then go get your hands on a copy of Salt to the Sea if you haven’t read it yet. That would be the obvious next life choice.)

So long for now (until I’ve finished reading my *sigh*ence lesson…)

Emily

 

lists, Uncategorized

4 Books You Should Be Reading This Winter

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Georgia just got its first snow of the season. I’m laying in bed, under three blankets and cozy socks on, tea with milk and honey on my nightstand, Spotify playing in the background, candle burning nearby… *contented sigh* Honestly, does life get any better? No. No it does not. Except maybe if I was finishing the novel I’m pulling my hair out over, which I’m NOT going to mention because it’s driving me crazy. Then life MIGHT be better.

That being said, if you’re curled up by the fire with tea or coffee or hot chocolate or whatever floats your boat, still lacking something in life this year (and you already have Jesus ’cause he makes everything better, even more than chocolate I must admit)… then allow me to make your life better. I don’t know what you’re doing with your life and it’s not my place to judge, but if you haven’t read any of these four books, I’m totally judging you.

#4: ABSOLUTELY TRULY BY HEATHER VOGEL FREDERICK

Absolutely Truly, in one word, it the “coziest” middle grade wintry book. Just look at that gorgeous cover. (Please take a moment to appreciate my mad iPhone photography skills. And the fact that, even having moved six months ago, wherever I live, my neighbors still probably know me as “that girl who takes pictures of books in her backyard.” That awkward moment when I made eye contact with a guy next door was WORTH IT. Now excuse my introverted self as she hurries back indoors.)

A tiny town named “Pumpkin Falls,” an endearing character named “Truly,” a rag-tag team of friends, a small bookstore with first edition books and a mystery surrounding it – what more could one contemporary middle grade need?! As an added bonus, anyone who knows me or has followed FTB for a while knows how much I adore Heather Vogel Frederick, and when the sequel to Absolutely comes out on January 30 (!!) I’ll be the first to snatch it up.

#3: ALWAYS EMILY BY MICHAELA MACCOLL

I read Always Emily last January. I’m always interested in the concept of writing fictional stories surrounding a main character who actually existed. It’s one thing to write about a fictional character who briefly runs into real people, but an entire book about Emily Bronte? Impressive! Michaela MacColl pulled off every detail beautifully. The mystery in the book kept me hooked – can you think of a better plot perfect for holding your breath, cozied up under blankets while it snows outside, than a murder mystery? There’s also something about nineteenth-century historical fiction that makes me think of winter. Besides, a main character with a name like “Emily” is bound to be phenomenal.

#2: BALLET SHOES BY NOEL STREATFIELD

Is it the tender classic children’s story voice, or the graceful ballerinas, or the way my copy of the book smells vaguely of peppermint that makes me correlate Ballet Shoes with winter? I sat here thinking and thinking about why this one needed a place on this specific list, but I still can’t place my finger on it! Ballet Shoes is the first in the Shoes books, and the rest of the books are on my TBR for 2017 – maybe even this winter, because I would love to revisit Pauline, Petrova, and Posy again. Whatever the exact reason Shoes makes me think of winter, its cover does pop in the snow.

#1: BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY BY RUTA SEPETYS 

(When it snows in Georgia, you take your slim opportunity to take pictures of books in the snow and run with it.) Here’s a heads-up: Between Shades of Gray is bound to rip your innocently beating heart out and proceed to stomp all over the poor pitiful bodily organ with its vicious boots. Meet Lina, a fifteen-year-old Jewish girl in 1941 shipped off to a frozen wasteland described as “the coldest reaches” of Siberia. Through her art and gift of storytelling, she sets out to make sure her family’s story is not forgotten. If the setting alone isn’t enough to give you goosebumps, Ruta Sepetys (whom I rave about all. the. time. on For the Bookish) is amazing with words. The book is, as my March 2016 review puts it, “raw, realistic, and memorable.” Also: perfect for the winter months.

What are your favorite books to read during winter? Are you a cold weather person? DO YOU GET SNOW WHERE YOU LIVE? (The real question is whether you’re so done with snow, or get giddy over the first sign of flurries. Then I could probably guess what region of the country you live in. 😀 )

Emily

P.S. So far in 2017, I’m doing good with my Wednesday/Saturday blogging schedule. I’ll be back Wednesday with another rant, and the winner of the Salt to the Sea giveaway! Don’t forget to enter. 😉

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2017 Bookshelf Tour

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It’s crazy to me that For the Bookish has been around long enough for me to have a 2014, 2015, 2016, and now 2017 bookshelf tour! Feel free to visit my previous bookshelf tours I’ve linked, but do ignore the cringe-worthy photography and books aligned in uneven heights. (Whyyy, Emily. No. Match the height of those books, girl.) I would like to take this moment to point out that my bookshelf gets prettier and prettier every year. Much like its owner, right? (Plot twist: I’m actually my bookshelf. I’m snow white, am frequently holding books, half the time am a disaster, and always stay in my room… but we get prettier with age.)

Describe your shelf and where you got it from. I have a Billy bookcase from Ikea. I have just enough books (a little over 300) on the shelf for it to be tight to even fit one more book, but not enough to fill an entire second bookshelf. Maybe a second shorter bookshelf would do?

Voila! My bookshelf, in mint condition after I hauled out a duster and reorganized the shelves. (which takes waayyyy longer than you might think. honestly, where do bookworms find the time?)

How do your organize your books? By genre, and then height. The issue with this setup is that if I own two books by the same author, but one is taller than the other, I’m forced to seperate them. Separating an author’s books does bug me, but a too-tall book sticking out in the middle of a shelf is worse.

The top shelf: dystopian/high fantasy/fairy tale retellings.

What is the thickest/biggest book on your shelf? Jane Austen: Four Classic Novels. For obvious reasons, because it has four Jane Austen novels inside. The book that is in fact only one book and still the longest is Winter by Marissa Meyer, at a whopping 827 (Bible-thin) pages.

The classic shelf. That card stock leaning in front has an Abraham Lincoln quote on it: “My best friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read.”

What is the thinnest book on your shelf? Still probably Clifford’s Graduation Day, but if we’re going by novels/chapter books here, it would be Number the Stars by Lois Lowry.

Is there a book you have received as a birthday gift? Many! The most recent would be the BEE-YOU-TIFUL tenth anniversary edition of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, given to me by my grandma. The bonus content is amazing, and THAT COVER. Pinch me.

Is there a book from a friend on your shelf? Challenger Deep from Brooke and Izel, the dearest online friends one could have (this one was a Christmas gift, too.) A friend of mine in the fifth grade also gave me a signed copy of Pies & Prejudice by Heather Vogel Frederick, which (understandably) is my favorite in the Mother/Daughter Book Club series. Oh, and Fairest by Marissa Meyer was given to me by a friend.

Most expensive book? That’s hard to say. I rarely pay more than $20 for a book, and most of the hardbacks are close to that price. (Though I buy most of my books used or on Amazon, which is a goldmine for cheaper books.) I try not to complain about pricey books though, because I understand the blood, sweat, and tears that writers put into writing novels. Authors definitely aren’t paid enough, and it’s important to buy new to support the authors you love. Books are worth every penny.

The last book you read on the shelf? Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman. The tears! The horror! The joy! The PLOT TWISTS!

The historical fiction shelf, made up of 90% WWII books. How cute is that hand painted sign? I bought it in a little art shop in Puerto Rico.

Do you have more than one copy of a book? I’m a book hoarder, so that’s a definite yes. Hold onto your hats, folks. Ahem. I have two copies of Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, Charlotte’s Web by EB White, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen, Emma by Jane Austen, Persuasion by Jane Austen, Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen, three copies of The Giver by Lois Lowry, and three copies of Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. I wish I had more duplicates, honestly, because different editions of books are so fun to compare.

Do you have a complete series? Of course! They are as follows: The Main Street series by Ann M. Martin, The Hagenheim series by Melanie Dickerson, The Selection series by Kiera Cass, The Giver Quartet by Lois Lowry, The Family Tree series by Ann M. Martin, and The Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer A. Nielsen. (The latter three  all in hardback, I might add.)

This is a miscellaneous shelf. I have some Christian fiction on the left, and the rest are middle grade books – The Babysitter’s Club, Wendy Mass books, The Mysterious Benedict Society, and a Series of Unfortunate Events book up top.

What is the newest edition to your shelf? Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin. That ending though. I’m dying for the next book. (Quite literally dying… if I lived in the middle ages. Colds are the worst, but at least they give a valid excuse for laying in bed all day.)

What is the most recently published book on your shelf? I don’t know these things. I haven’t bought a recently published book (as in, released within a week or month or purchase) in a while. Maybe Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard? It was published in February 2016.

The oldest book on your shelf? Publishing-wise, the Bible. Copy-wise, an ancient copy of Macbeth my great-grandmother owned, dated 1927 in the front. (Her parents probably owned it before her, because she was only a few years old in 1927. That’s several generations of owners, how neat!)

A book you won? An advanced reader’s copy of Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes. I won it back in the summer through an Epic Reads giveaway.

This is the bottom shelf and the messiest. I stick bibles, devotionals, guides, biographies, general nonfiction, and the occasional library book down here.

A book you’d never let out of your sight? My signed copy of Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys. Or any signed book, really.

Most beat-up book? Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards. I’ve owned it for seven or eight years, and the entire book is falling apart. The spine has been taped and bandaged up multiple read-throughs.

Most pristine book? Certainly my new signed copy of Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys! It’s signed and my new shiny baby book. NO TOUCHING.

A book from your childhood? An abridged version of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. It was the first classic I ever read and got me hooked on them, so I owe a lot to the March girls!

A book that doesn’t belong to you? My friend’s copy of While You Were Gone by Amy K. Nichols. I used this same answer for last year’s bookshelf tour, but I promise I haven’t borrowed a book for a whole year. 😉 My friend re-lent it to me recently. As soon as I’ve finished with some school-required reading, I’m diving right in!

A book with a special/different cover? (ex. leather bound, soft, fuzzy, etc.) I’m in looooove with this copy of Pride & Prejudice. It’s not hardcover, but not quite paperback either. But it’s not leather! It’s bendy but tough and ahhhhh it’s just perfect. Why aren’t all book covers made like this?

A book that is your favorite color? Main Street #1: Welcome to Camden Falls by Ann M. Martin. Pink is everything.

A book that’s been on your shelf the longest and you still haven’t read it? The longest a book has been on my shelf without my reading it is four years… oops. That would (still) be Dancing Through The Snow by Jean Little.

Any signed books? The Selection and The Heir by Kiera Cass, The Merchant’s Daughter by Melanie Dickerson, Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, Pies & Prejudice by Heather Vogel Frederick, Half a Chance by Cynthia Lord, Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Dead Fred, Flying Lunchboxes & The Goodluck Circle by Frank McKinney, Countryside by J.T. Cope IV, Second Chance Summer, Since You’ve Been Gone, and The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson, Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys.

Those are all the questions for now! I’ll be back with them again in 2018. These questions are under the “bookshelf tag.” Since no one tagged me for them, I won’t be tagging any other bloggers, but feel free to use them on your blog.

Have you read any of the books you spotted on my shelf, or any mentioned in my answers? How many books do you own? And how do you organize your bookshelf? 

Emily

 

 

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I Need Books Again. (Hello, Internet, I’m Still Here!)

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Hello, internet! Long time no talk. I haven’t blogged since September because I’ve been positively swamped. I love all of the activity this fall has brought with it, but there hasn’t been much time to slow down and write about it. School, bonfires, lots of getting-together with friends, baking, vet visits, shopping, errands, more school, piano lessons and festivals, novel-writing… never a dull moment lately. 🙂

I can’t promise consistent blogging until life slows down a little, but I’ll try my best to post at least once a week. (And I still love chatting with you guys even if I’m not blogging, so email me through my contact page anytime.) If you have any blog topic suggestions, let me know! What do you want to read about?

I’ve been struggling to think of blog topics I could tackle when I finally had a minute to sit down and write this and finally decided to share the books I’ve been dying to read. I’ve gotten behind on my school reading so my leisure reading has been pushed to the side for now. (Hopefully over Christmas break I can get caught up!) But my TBR is always growing. Have you read any of these books or do you want to?

– Jane Austen, The Secret Radical by Helena Kelly

– Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

– Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

– The Bookshop On The Corner by Jenny Colgan

– A Portrait of Emily Price by Katherine Reay

– The Sweetness by Sande Boritz Berger

– The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure

– Miss Emily by Burleigh Muten

I look forward to talking to you guys below! Here’s well wishes for perfect fall weather wherever you are, and plenty of books to keep us busy. 🙂

Emily

 

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Currently

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LISTENING TO

  • “She (For Liz)” // Parachute
  • “Meet Virginia” // Train
  • “Something in Common” // Free Energy
  • “You Got Me” // Colbie Caillat
  • “Thoroughly Modern Millie” // Sutton Foster (Broadway Musical)
  • everything on “Red” Deluxe (because it’s FALL) // Taylor Swift

WISHING FOR

Approximately one thousand five hundred & twenty six dollars for everything I want to buy, which includes:

  • one of Hannah Everly’s new 2016 fall line skirts
  • a tipped bow blouse from Loft
  • Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes
  • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (the Barnes & Noble hardback 10th-anniversary edition)
  • a lifetime supply of Jelly Belly’s buttered popcorn flavor
  • Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

LOOKING FORWARD TO 

  • FALL!
  • Gilmore Girls Netflix revival
  • Blog post ideas to write
  • FALL!
  • sleeping in tomorrow
  • Baking the first batch of chocolate chip pumpkin muffins
  • FALL!

EATING

No need to worry, folks, none of the following has been spilled on the sacred books. (yet)

  • everything pumpkin flavored
  • a “chai tea latte with a pump of pumpkin” (Starbucks)
  • Frontega Chicken Panini (Panera Bread)
  • lots of jalepeno pimento cheese
  • Mom’s Best “Jungle Berry Crunch” (the organic version of Cap’n Crunch ha)

WEARING

This shirt from Amazon, which is a nod to a Taylor Swift song and books.

readers

WATCHING

  • Win a Date With Tad Hamilton! (CAN I HAVE A PETE)
  • Hitch
  • Life as We Know It (Josh Duhamel my favorite.)
  • Gilmore Girls (I’ve started the first season *back* over)
  • Last Man Standing (reruns with my mom.)
  • Heartland (season NIIIIIINE)

ON MY TO-DO LIST

  • finally tackle my TBR
  • write a letter to Brooke
  • write a letter to my new pen pal Justice (who I met at the workshop)
  • invite my little sister to a sleepover in my room (she’s not reading this, shh)
  • watch Roman Holiday 
  • ask my dad to fix my sidebar so that the *all* the books light up when you roll over them
  • avoid bookstores and online shopping so as not to risk spending my hard-earned money
  • keep up with the online typing games… so I can finally learn to type ;P (procrastination at its best)
  • flip through the driver’s manual my dad keeps bothering me about *cue “When Daddy Let Me Drive” by Alan Jackson*

WRITING

(I’m too lazy to write a synopsis so here’s the gist)

  • 17-year-old girl named Bea
  • Mentally unstable/depressed (?? undecided by the writer who is putting off research, ha) father
  • Moves in with eccentric grandmother to keep an eye on dad
  • Quirky town, quirky neighbors (think Stars Hollow or Camden Falls)
  • Boy named Eli
  • discovers things about her mother
  • Cute coffee shops
Tell me everything that you’re currently writing/eating/obsessing/crying over/wearing!

Emily

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Currently…

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Well hello there bookworms! It’s been a while. I know. I’m sorry. Life has been crazy. We’re talking supreme cheese pizza with olives and pineapple and bacon and sausage and the whole nine yards crazy. Since my summer isn’t going to settle down anytime soon, I’ve decided to switch up my blogging schedule. Instead of three times a week, I will be blogging on Wednesdays and Saturdays. My posts will be more spread out but hopefully more consistent and a better quality. I’ve missed chatting with you all so much! Here’s what I’ve been up to. Let’s catch up in the comments. 🙂

CURRENTLY FANGIRLING about… the fact that Wonder by R.J. Palacio is going to be a movie with JULIA stinking ROBERTS as Auggie’s mom! Um??? SoOOOoOO many MG and YA adaptations have been announced recently (Red Queen, Between Shades of Gray, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and more I’m probably forgetting) and I’m just over here like

and then to all the teenagers who look at me odd when I talk about stuff nobody hears about:

youllsee

CURRENTLY WATCHING… I’ve read a mere two books thus far in June (the shame, the horror, the guilt — I know) so you’d think I’d be binge watching Netlix. But alas I’ve even betrayed my own life support. I’m looking forward to seeing Finding Dory because I have been on top of that one since before anyone knew it was a thing. I’d like to watch more Downton Abbey with my dad but I just haven’t had a chance to fully invest myself in the show. So in the meantime, Gilmore Girls reruns it is ’cause: Jess.

(Telly recommendations welcome, I beg of you.)

CURRENTLY LISTENING to… I will refer you to my complete favorites list on Spotify (x) where I have been compiling every song that has caught my ear in the past two years. Scroll to the bottom for the most recent listenings, which include “Just be Held” Casting Crowns, “Can’t Stop the Feeling” Justin Timberlake, “Save My Heart” Jason Reeves, “Baby Girl” Sugarland, “Keep on Lovin’ You” Steel Magnolia and just about a thousand others.

CURRENTLY ANTICIPATING… oh sweet pancakes guys. For the past four years, I have been stalking and fangirling over Miss Rachel Coker. Her books are amazing, her photography is inspiring, her words are like chocolate, her wardrobe is to die for. I’m pretty sure my family is sick of hearing me talk about her. And I get to MEET HER in August. At a writer’s workshop. In her home. For a whole weekend. With several other girls I’ve met online. *And* her adorable sister Hannah Everly (the one who makes the skirts.) I’m a little excited maybe. Just a lil bit. Expect photos. And blog posts. And fangirling. I might just die y’all. RIP me.

CURRENTLY READING… My ten year old self is through the roof right now. I have been waiting for a sequel to The Candymakers by one of my favorite childhood authors Wendy Mass for five years. It’s going to be here AUGUST 2ND. And I have an ADVANCED READER’S COPY. I’m thinking I’ll give the first book a re-read since it’s been five years, and then onto the sequel!

giphy-9

CURRENTLY READING… ignore my “currently reading” widget. I’d update it but at this point I’d have to update it everyday because I’ve been so off about my books lately. I HAVE NO DISCIPLINE. None. No self control. #moodreader (ha. more like all-around queen procrastinator.) SO. I’m not reading a Jewish memoir of a man who survived a Nazi imprisonment camp. Oh noo. I’m reading Pippi Longstocking. (For the thousandth time. No shame.) Riveting stuff. But hey, if that’s what it takes to get through this month with a respectable number of books read, then so be it. (Let’s face it, not gonna happen.)

CURRENTLY WEARING… only the shirt made for me. The manufacturers were all “Oh hey you know that girl Emily? This shirt is for her.”  Thanks mom for the sweet surprise. Extra fries please yo. (Dipped in milkshakes because that’s the only way to eat them.)

fries

Thus concludes this blog post of “Emily Being Sporadic and Ramble-y and Probably Boring Her Readers.” I didn’t know how much I missed blogging and being myself to all of you sweet bookworms. There was so much to say! Do tell me what you’ve been currently up to! I MUST CATCH UP. Since we established that I’m going to die upon meeting Rachel Coker we need to say everything that needs to be said prior to my departure.

Talk to you guys below! Go! Flock!

Emily

 

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by the book tag

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What book is on your nightstand now? Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard. I got this way back in February (face it, months go by before I read a book I get. What can I say? It’s so easy for them to get lost on my mess of a bookshelf!) Glass Sword is the sequel to Red Queen. Honestly, Red Queen felt like a cliche melting pot of every dystopian ever written buuut it’s so hyped up that I *want* to like it. I’ve also been told Glass Sword is even better than the first.

What was the last truly great book you read? Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys. OH MY GOSH, guys. This. Stinkin’. Book. I could dedicate a whole blog to it cause adqihdoi;gu23hfkal. I adore Ruta Sepetys, mm-kay?? This book has four different perspectives from teenagers in Nazi-occupied Europe. The story centers around a ship called the Wilhem Gustloff that sinks at the end of WWII. The death toll was nine times the size of Titanic, yet no one seems tot talk about it! I had never heard of the ship prior to reading the book.

I’m so grateful Ruta Sepetys chose to write a book around a maritime tragedy that more people need to discuss. Her characters and writing and everything is just AHHHH so flawless. I’d love to write a book half as great as Ruta Sepetys’ someday and I’d recommend her books to anyone and everyone. READ IT.

(If you’re interested in learning more about the story and the time and setting, you can watch this video below. I’d also tell anyone who hasn’t read much historical fiction to start with this book. You’ll be hooked.)

If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know? This is such a hard question to answer because there are so many authors I’d love to sit down and talk to but… Jane Austen. There’s not much that’s known about her for sure since she was a very private person and went by “A Lady” as her byline until she died. Even still, I feel like we’d be kindred spirits. 🙂 (And face it, we all want to know who inspired Mr. Darcy. Tom Lefroy, anyone?)

What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves? I honestly can’t think of a single thing. I’ve got Christian fiction, YA, MG, devotionals, writer’s guide books. Nothing too out of the ordinary for your Predictable Emily. (???)

How do you organize your personal library? I organize my shelves by genre, and then by author. For the most part I have genres such as “Historical fiction” rather than “Christian fiction,” “Middle Grade” or “Young Adult” because I try to start with as broad a genre as possible. From there I situate my books in the narrower genres and then try to keep authors’ books together.

bookshelf

What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read? I could legitimately name at least a hundred books I’ve been meaning to read and haven’t, so if you’re actually interested in the answer to that, you can visit my fifteen-page TBR list here. As far as books I wouldn’t readily admit to having read? Any Kasie West book. I promise they’re adorably innocent, fun books, but oh my lordy the covers. *cringe* I would rather not be seen in public with those, thanks.

Disappointing, overrated, just not good: what book did you feel you are supposed to like but didn’t? Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing? I really dislike DNF’ing books but sometimes I just really can’t waste my time on something that I’m not enjoying. (Or just plain shouldn’t be reading.) The last book I DNF’d was 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson, simply because I have no clue what possessed me to pick up a MG romance contemporary. Eh. (“Middle Grade” and “romance” just don’t suit well together.)

What kind of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of? I have a big heart for any historical fiction – from the moment I laid eyes on my first Kit Kittredge book. I stay away from paranormal.

If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be? The Bible.

What do you plan to read next? A Tyranny of Petticoats by a multitude of authors. The book is an anthology of fifteen historical fiction short stories and I’m so hyped for them. You can probably guess which fine ladies I’m there for. (Elizabeth Wein and Marissa Meyer, Rulers of Books.)

I wasn’t tagged for this tag (since I’m such a rebel) but it was so fun that I had to tag some friends. You’re it!

Izel // Jonathan // Amanda // Faith // Olivia

Well bloglings, what about you? What are you currently reading and what’s next on the list? Any books you’re embarrassed to read?? (Do tell; we won’t judge your skeletons in the closet.) And which writer would you meet?

Emily

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vacation recap!

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I’M BACK, BOOKWORMS!

It’s been twelve days. Twelve glorious days of vacation and I’ve come back six books behind my reading goal with a major Disney hangover. I’m also drowning in piano recital pieces and wrapping up the school year. Help.

Coming back from vacation is a bit like taking down a Christmas tree – no one likes to think about it. But being back home does mean I have wifi again – which means I can talk to all of you, because I’ve missed my bookish buddies! I refreshed my email once we stepped off the ship (if you weren’t aware, my family and I enjoyed a magical trip aboard the Disney Fantasy Cruise), and I was stunned by all the bookish happenings that I missed! WE HAVE SO MUCH TO DISCUSS, book nerds.

Speaking of bookish things, i kind of overestimated myself and thought i could read but read all of one chapter on the trip and now i’m sitting here sort of like

and DON’T cross me and tell me “Oh but sweet Emily, don’t you know you never have time to read on vacation?” just don’t say that. Because people say that every time I go on a trip and I never believe them. and I never will. I shall insist on taking three books with me on every vacation because what if? What if I am monstrously bored and zip through three books, hmm? And what if that one time I believe you and am not supplied I get bored?? TELL ME.

I made up for it, however, by breezing through The Crown by Kiera Cass when I got back. It is the last book in The Selection series, Fandom Blessed By Emily’s Fangirliness For Two Whole Years, and it just hit shelves on the 3rd. It may not be my favorite in the series, but I was a ball of feels by the end. THE LAST ONE. Oh and I’m reading Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys at the moment. I’ve been forewarned to not get too comfortable. I also almost shipped two people but we already know that ship’s gonna sink. Ha ha ha ha.. hahaha. (no one gets my book puns BUT SHOUT OUT TO THE GREATS WHO DID.)

Do talk to me below and tell me everything I’ve missed – the ARCs and releases and authors and reading challenges! 🙂

In the meantime, I thought I’d share some photos as a recap from my trip.

ship

Our beautiful ship before we boarded!

salttothesea

Of course I had to take a picture of this. GET IT. SHIPS. SINKING. 

olaf

My sister and I met Olaf on Disney’s island Castaway Cay.

sunset

The sunsets had to be my favorite part of the night.

dessert

Here I am with my dessert, “Princess Aurora’s Sundae.” 

belle

and obviously I had to meet my favorite princess. What bookworm doesn’t love Belle?

I’ll be back Friday with a tag for you wormies! DISCUSS below: do you still insist upon coming supplied on vacation? Do you read on vacation? DO YOU READ IN THE CAR? (I can because I’m abnormal super bookworm Emily, huzzah.) And did ya miss me?? (pssh why bother. of course you missed me.)

Emily

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review: rose under fire by elizabeth wein // and giveaway winner announcements!

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I HONESTLY DON’T KNOW HOW I COULD WRITE AN EVEN REMOTELY COHERENT REVIEW FIR THIS MASTERPIECE, BUT I WILL TRY.

I’m a sniveling mess, thank you very much.

Rose Under Fire is the companion novel to Code Name Verity. You don’t have to read Code Name Verity first but I would recommend it. (You won’t need to have read Code Name Verity either in order to read this review. So continue on, my spoiler-free friend.)

I put this book off for SIX months after I bought it last September, just as I did with Code Name Verity almost a year ago. I was so largely intimidated by this book. I was 100% sure that it would rip my heart out and smash it to smithereens, just like with the first. To put it simply: I just wasn’t ready to go through all that again. It took me a long time to recover from Code Name (here on out referred to as “CNV”), and I expect it will take me a long while to recover from this one.

Elizabeth Wein is the best historical fiction writer I have ever come across. Her research is perfection. Her words are so beautiful and poetic I physically couldn’t stop. I’m not sure if anyone can relate to this, but I just adore Elizabeth Wein’s work so much that it makes my whole body ache, and I’m breathless because she is just fabulous.  You can really tell that every single word was given a lot of thought. If you intend to read an Elizabeth Wein book, do so with a box of tissues and a few hundred chocolate bars in a sad attempt at keeping your heart intact. But I really don’t care who you are, I will recommend her books to my very last breath. I think EVERYONE should read these.

Every character had so much depth, and that’s not even the right word for it. Karolina and Roza and Lisette and Anna and Maria and the stinking Commander and Nick and everyone in between. And MADDIE. Oh, my MADDIE CAMEOS.

There were so many characters, but did I ever get them confused or lose track of them? Nope. Because Elizabeth Wein is pure genius. The way she weaved together every one of her characters – some of them real people who survived the Nazi concentration camp Ravensbrück, all of them based on the real accounts and survivors – are such captivating and beautiful people and all I want to do is hug them and snuggle with them and feed them cake to their cute little hearts’ content.

And little ROSIE. Rose was such a flawless main character and I adore her. Of course she is not perfectly flawless – she does indeed have her flaws and her struggles – but that is what makes her flawless in my mind. She’s just so darn lovable. She’s believable and realistic and deep. I couldn’t get enough. Already I want to re-read this book, and I’m sure that I will. (And now I definitely need to re-read CNV.)

Now I’m also itching to read the real stories of Ravensbrück survivors; Elizabeth provided several pages of references in the back of the book. And the AUTHOR’S NOTE. I am forever in awe of Elizabeth Wein and her magic way of words. I’m not even exaggerating in the slightest. She is amazing. I beg you to read these books because I could talk for hours about them with you. You’re missing out if you haven’t read them yet.

I will warn younger and/or more sensitive readers that this book has some heavy content. There is foul language and, as I’m sure you can imagine and expect, horrific details from real accounts of Holocaust survivors. If you set out to read this book, I just want you to be aware and keep in mind these things.

TEN BILLION STARS, to the moon and back. five stars. ★★★★★

Have you read any Elizabeth Wein books? What do you think of them? And if you haven’t, what are you waiting for?
… and finally, because I know what you’re all really reading this for… the giveaway winners!

The winner of the mini necklace from Paper Fury Ink is Hayden Beth! And the winner of the $10 Thrift Books gift card is Faith Potts! Congratulations, ladies! I’ll be emailing you with more info today. 🙂

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stacking the shelves #34

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HEY WHAT’S UP HELLO? 

I had no clue how to start this blog post, so there you go. I got a lot of books to read this week. I’m kind of overwhelmed — not to mention the fact that I’m reading four books at once, so that’s crazy. (Yeah… ignore my “currently reading” widget for now. I am reading The Maze Runner, but alongside three others, which would be…)

           

I also have not three or four… but ELEVEN books to talk about this week. I have a serious problem. This is no joking matter. I need help. Or just someone to encourage me. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?? In an attempt at not making this quite so long (because eleven, geez, Emily went crazy this week), I won’t go into *too* much detail into each book. Oh, and side note: I didn’t get all of these books this week. If you’re subscribed to my blog, last week you may have gotten a stacking the shelves in your inbox, but I accidentally scheduled it to post – meaning it wasn’t finished and since I got more books after those listed in the STS you may have read, I didn’t mean for it to be sent out. So some of these are last week’s pick-ups, and the others are from this week. I mean, eleven in one week would just be obsessive, pssshh. (it has happened before, but not this week, OK??)

(*EDIT: I am disincluding the following in the picture: Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes – DNF at 60 pages, Breakfast Served Anytime – finished, 2 stars, On the Fence – finished, 3 stars. I forgot about them in the photo and decided not to worry about them.)

  sts

All titles will link to their info on Goodreads.

PASSENGER by Alexandra Bracken: Time-traveling. Beautiful cover. I’m sold. I’ve heard very mixed reviews about this, so I’m anxious to read it. It’s also pretty popular lately, so I’m intrigued.

THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner: Do I honestly have to explain this? I’m catching up, bookworms. I promise. I’m about a hundred pages in. I have 99 questions, so does the main character, so he’s no help. All I know that there is an unconscious girl and a boy with a death wish, essentially.

STARS ABOVE by Marissa Meyer: This is a companion collection of novellas (short stories) to The Lunar Chronicles. (Which, if you haven’t read, I don’t know what you’re doing with your life.) Here is my review for the first in the series. Honestly, I adore being back with these characters, but… none of the stories add anything to the series?? I feel a bit like a traitor because everyone loves this, but I just feel frustrated because it’s simply retelling things that we already know happened. Meh?

INK & BONE by Rachel Caine: The series of this book is called The Great Library, and from what I can gather, books are banned from this world? Plus, total cover love. C’mon.

ink

FOUR by Veronica Roth: a novella featuring the total swoon-worthy love interest of the Divergent series, so it should be a fun one.

THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater: My first Stiefvater! I’m excited. I’ve heard good things. Interesting synopsis.

SHE IS NOT INVISIBLE by Marcus Sedgwick: Brooke said it’s pretty good, so obviously it is. I’ve been warned it gets a bit creepy, but I can do a *tad* creepy. Sister and younger brother go in search of their missing father. Here’s the catch: sister is blind. Interesting concept, and I’m not gonna lie: cover love. (again.)

UGLIES by Scott Westerfield: I’ve heard much of this one for a loooong time. It sounds… okay? Honestly when I saw my library had it I thought “Oh, so-in-so and so-in-so have read it, so I’ll give it a shot.” We’ll see! I surprise myself, right?

CINDERELLA’S DRESS by Shonna Slayton: I’ve been dying to read this for months and months, guys, you have no idea. The funny thing is, it’s not an overly popular book or anything — I’ve just hyped it up SO much in my head for so long that now, being 18% into it (e-book), I feel… let down. I mean, WWII fairy tale retelling mystery?! It has a lot to live up to just based on its genre. Hoping it lives up to my expectations.

THAT WAS A MOUTHFUL. What have you been reading? Which books did you get this week? Have you read any of the books I acquired? Here’s to a successful reading week, wormies!

Emily