All posts by Emily

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

April 25, 2016 Emily 11 Comments

[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_accordion][x_accordion_item title=”Book Info” open=”false”]Title: Rose Under Fire
Author: Elizabeth Wein
Series: Code Name Verity #2
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publishing Date: September 10, 2013
Length: 368 pages
Source: Sundog Books (Seaside, Florida)
Synopsis: While flying an Allied fighter plane from Paris to England, American ATA pilot and amateur poet, Rose Justice, is captured by the Nazis and sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious women’s concentration camp. Trapped in horrific circumstances, Rose finds hope in the impossible through the loyalty, bravery and friendship of her fellow prisoners. But will that be enough to endure the fate that’s in store for her?

Elizabeth Wein, author of the critically-acclaimed and best-selling Code Name Verity, delivers another stunning WWII thriller. The unforgettable story of Rose Justice is forged from heart-wrenching courage, resolve, and the slim, bright chance of survival. [/x_accordion_item][/x_accordion][cs_text]

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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my writings

the bunny slippers (in which i work up the courage to share my writing.)

April 20, 2016 Emily 20 Comments

SO UM… I WROTE A SHORT STORY.

If you recall, I mentioned it in my last post. This wouldn’t be a first, but this is the first time I’ve shared my writing on my blog. This year in my home school curriculum, I was required to write a short story — totally not a problem, right? I knew I wanted to write a story set sometime in the 1940s, regarding WWII. But there are so many stories and locations you could set a WWII story in, so I was largely overwhelmed and a bit intimidated. Eventually, taking advice and ideas from my parents and pulling from other books/movies/stories I’ve read, I put something together that I think turned out pretty well.

(I asked my dad to help me with a cover… and he had a little fun.)

Research was actually a lot of fun (I watched a 1945 US propaganda film and somehow managed to connect PTSD to what you might know as truth serum from the Divergent series. The world is a crazy place, bookworms.) I would really appreciate any feedback or comments you have for me. You can read the story on my Wattpad (linked below) or in a PDF format (also linked below.)

(Cover courtesy of my dad, the coolest.)

Click here to read as a PDF.

Are you a writer? What kind of stories do you enjoy writing? Are you working on anything in particular at the moment? And how do you work up the courage to share your writing? (Spill all, ’cause I haven’t got a clue.)

lists

currently…

April 18, 2016 Emily 13 Comments

I HAVEN’T DONE A “CURRENTLY” POST SINCE DECEMBER.

And since I took a blog break for three weeks in March, I figured it was time to let you all know what I’m up to these days. (Since I know you so adore reading about your Favorite Bookworm.)

CURRENTLY FANGIRLING about… um, the apparent upcoming MOVIE for my new favorite book, Between Shades of Gray?? THAT’S A THING. I read two of Ruta Sepetys’ books in March, and I’m itching to read her third and most recent novel, Salt to the Sea. She writes beautiful historical fiction, and I can’t recommend them enough. The movie for Between Shades is going to be called Ashes in the Snow, and is set to premiere sometime in 2016. That’s about all we know (that and the cast, which I’m neutral on), so I’m kind of flipping out. I’m picturing some form of The Book Thief meets Unbroken, so that should be cool.

READ THE BOOK THIEF, WATCH THE MOVIE. and curl up in a tiny ball and die. (and if you’d like a repeat, read Between Shades of Gray and Unbroken.) Okay that’s settled.

CURRENTLY WATCHING… Downton Abbey, When Calls the Heart, The Notebook, Made of Honor, Enchanted, Gilmore Girls re-runs. The list goes on. Which is sort of a bad thing because it means I’ve been watching a lot more TV than I should be, being two books behind my reading goal. (Cue panic alarms.) Netfliiiiiix, what are you doing to me?? What can I say? Patrick Dempsey and Ryan Gosling are just more appealing these days.

CURRENTLY LISTENING to… When I’m in a music “meh” mood (aka: all the songs I previously had on repeat suddenly become so last week) (only because when I find a song I like, I never. stop. playing it)… I turn to old Taylor Swift songs. (If you’re interested, that would be the Red album, because I’m not gonna lie, three years past my short-lived obsession, I still think it’s amazing.) Don’t question my music tastes. They’re classics. My family and I have also been hitting up the Disney station on Pandora because…

CURRENTLY ANTICIPATING… setting off for the middle of the Caribbean in exactly two weeks, with Minnie and Mickey and not a care in the world. (Not. A. Care.) It’ll be our second Disney Cruise, and I swear it hasn’t completely set in yet. You can bet on a ton of pictures when I get back. On that note, if you have any contemporary romance-y, light reading recommendations, PLEASE let me know.

I plan on taking one or two with me because my original plan of pre-ordering The Crown – the last book in The Selection series by Kiera Cass – on my Kindle failed. It’s available on May 3, when we’ll be somewhere in the middle of the ocean with no Wi-Fi. Which I’m totally not complaining about. But I have a feeling someone (*cough* Brooke *cough* *cough*) maaaay be holding some things over my head. So there is that. (Unless said someone reads Mother/Daughter Book Camp, which *also* is available on May 3, but I’m super blogger and I has read it already as an ARC and it was amaaaaazing… just saying, guys, you’re gonna love it.)

CURRENTLY JEALOUS ABOUT… my best friend Brooke, who, frankly, is Bookworm Queen, met James Dashner last week and got a signed copy of The Winner’s Kiss by Marie Rutkoski. I’M DROOLING, guys. Considering the fact that I’ve only (thus far) read a hundred pages in The Maze Runner, I’m not screeching in envy over the fact that she met the James Dashner but she did get me some swag, so that’s cool. I JUST REALLY NEED THE WINNER’S KISS IN MY HANDS RIGHT NOW. I died in the ending to The Winner’s Crime. Died. So read the last in The Winner’s Trilogy on my behalf when you’re at my funeral, okay? Has anyone read it yet?? Has anyone read any in the series? TELL TELL.

CURRENTLY WRITING… I’m kind of stressing out over a short story I’m writing for school, but it’s also one of the most fun projects I’ve had to do academically. I had a bare-bone plot line (1940’s… somewhere in the US) for several weeks and really had no clue where I was going with it, and then somehow or another my narrator turned into a pair of bunny slippers?? My brain is a crazy place, but I *think* it’s going to come out okay. Once it’s all polished and ready, I’ll post it on my Wattpad for you to read. (I’m also messing around with a novella I’m hoping to complete this summer, which is also posted on there — totally and 100% cheesy and maybe-not-so-great, but hey, I’m dipping my toes into the writing process at least.) So you can keep up with all that here.

these are my bunny slippers, which I’m unhealthily attached to. Whilst looking about my bedroom, my eyes landed upon these dingy, fuzzy ole chaps and I thought “I know! I shall have them tell the story!” so there you have it.

CURRENTLY READING… um. three books. *shields eyes in shame* Here’s the thing: I don’t read multiple books at once. It stresses me out. If you can do it, go you. I don’t multi-task well in general. (Which is a shame, because I’m always thinking about multi-tasking. In the middle of one book I’m planning on the next one.) But since, like I said before, I am two books behind schedule (… again), hopefully it will help?

I am: listening to The Maze Runner by James Dashner (much to the prodding of Izel and Brooke), reading Cinderella’s Dress by Shonna Slayton on my Kindle (I’ve hyped it up so much in my head to the point where it’s very anti-climatic), and I’m reading Passenger by Alexandra Bracken (only the prologue, so no generalizations yet.) And I just finished skipping around the collection of novellas in Stars Above by Marissa Meyer. (A companion to the oh-so-wonderful The Lunar Chronicles. It was great to be back in that world again.)

So that’s what I’m currently up to. What have you been watching recently? Reading? Writing? Anticipating? Eating?? (I’m hungry, spill.) Talk to you in the comments, bookworms!

Uncategorized

stacking the shelves #34

April 16, 2016 Emily 8 Comments

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.)

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.

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!

lists, recommendations

contemporary recommendations so sweet your teeth will hurt.

April 15, 2016 Emily 6 Comments

I AM QUEEN OF LIGHT, SUGARY CONTEMPORARY READS.

Just bow down to your leader and thank me later. (By showering me with chocolate and bookstore gift cards, preferably.) In fact, just Tuesday night my best bookish friend Brooke (who is Queen of action-packed fantasy and dystopian books) came to her Queen begging for recommendations. (It’s a symbiotic relationship, Brooke and I. She makes me read action books I wouldn’t normally read, and I present her with a tear-worthy romance.)

Since March and April (thus far) have held horrible book slumps (I mean, just horrible really — I blame my severe case of spring fever), I was thinking that maybe I’m not alone. As much as I love a dystopian or fantasy or sci-fi crazy adventure, sometimes they get so overwhelming that I need a brain break. And contemporaries do the trick.

#1: THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US by Kasie West: I confess, I’m slightly biased considering this gem is fresh on the mind – it’s the last book I finished – but it’s so darn cute I had to share. I finished it on Sunday afternoon, in two or three sittings because it was the easiest book to fall into. To be honest, it’s not a book I’d prefer to be seen in public reading (the cover and title are just so cheesy, but you know what? Everybody needs a little cheese in their life), but gosh it’s adorable! The main character is hilariously sarcastic. There’s a quirky doll shop and mysterious mother and a boy who brings the girl hot chocolate on a daily basis. (Um. Yes please?)

#2: ONE by Sarah Crossan: This one in particular is much heavier content-wise than the rest of the books on this list, but nonetheless every bit as contemporary and sweet. I’m an official self-proclaimed fan of Sarah Crossan. Everything she writes is pure poetry; which is ironic because this is, indeed, written in prose! It’s very fast since the pages are short and snappy (the book is in prose), but if I haven’t convinced you yet? The main characters in this book are sixteen-year-old CONJOINED TWINS. Interesting, no?

#3: SECOND CHANCE SUMMER by Morgan Matson: Prepare yourself with tissues before delving into this one, mm-kay? If you looked up “summer read” in the dictionary, this is the book that needs to be featured in the definition. What I loved most about this one is the family dynamics; the father/daughter relationship is so refreshing to see in a young adult book.

#4: ALSO KNOWN AS by Robin Benway: If you’ve ever read or heard of the ever-popular Gallagher Girls series (the first book is known as I’d Tell You I’d Love You But Then I’d Have to Kill you – whoo, what a title!), this is very similar. Teenage girl spy meets normal boy, wishes for a “normal” life, falls for said boy, and wow there’s your plot. I remember reading this one in a day last September, because it’s definitely a fun one you can fly through. Maggie’s personality and narration is sassy and sarcastic, and there were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. There was some language and a few scenes I found unnecessary, but other than that, I loved this book! (and if you’re interested, there’s a sequel – Going Rogue, also plenty cute.)

So there are my favorite picks for a fluffy read. READ ALL THE FLUFF, BOOKWORMS.

I will gladly accept any other contemporary recommendations, because really good ones in this genre are hard to come by. What books do you read when you’re in a book slump or in a summery mood? Have you read any books on this list? Any by the authors? Don’t keep things to yourselves, bookworms. Tell all in the comments!

tags & awards

the book lover’s tag (wherein emily runs out of blogging ideas and turns to tags. again.)

April 13, 2016 Emily 13 Comments

I’M A LAZY BOOK BLOGGER, SO.

I shall turn to tags. I scoured the internet until I found one that was appealing enough, and I thought this one would be fun because it tackles a lot of serious bookworm issues that we really must discuss. I mean, eating and reading? Shameful or a must? Breaking the spine? Definitely shameful. Let us dive into the tag (and answer some of the questions below, because I want to hear what you think!) 🙂

(pssst. and even though I’m tagging myself, I’ve decided to still tag a few of you because it looks like so much fun.)

1. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC PLACE FOR READING? My bed, 99% of the time. Sometimes, in nice weather, I’ll opt to go outside, because I don’t last for long. (Bugs and smells and neighbors wanting to chat and being uncomfortable and wind, all that.) Sometimes, in nice Emily moods, I’ll read in the living room, but it depends if I’m okay with my family making noises and/or trying to talk to me (I love you guys, I really do) so my bedroom it is.

2. BOOKMARKS OR A RANDOM PIECE OF PAPER? Fun story! Ten-year-old Emily dog-eared (and spine-bent, but we’ll get to that later) all of her books. At the time during the horrid phase of braces, she had to have four teeth removed. After three or four visits to the dentist, each time bringing a book along, and each time being caught dog-earing pages by a nice lady dentist, said lady dentist would hand her a post-it note. After that Emily realized her eighth deadly sin and began collecting every bookmark she found in a tin by her bed. And now I have dozens. So bookmark. No one runs out of bookmarks in my house anymore.

3. CAN YOU JUST STOP ANYWHERE OR DO YOU NEED TO FINISH A CHAPTER? I prefer to stop at the end of a chapter; or at the very least a break in the chapter. But I’m not totally picky, so I can pick up a book wherever I left off if need be.

4. DO YOU EAT OR DRINK WHILE READING? … yes. In fact, sometimes I can specifically remember the snack I was particularly fond of at the time of the book, because, as C.S. Lewis once said, “Eating and reading are two pleasures that combine admirably.” (The man was a genius, I tell you.) When I read The Selection Trilogy in three days straight, I probably went through four boxes of lime popsicles. It’s really very convenient to read on one’s Kindle while snacking (read: NO LIQUIDS) because there’s no pesky pages to be flipped.

5. MUSIC OR TV WHILE READING? As we’ve established before on the blog, I am super woman and I can block out any distracting noise. I read in the car when the radio is inevitably on. I read in the living room while my dad has his nightly routine of watching the news. I can make do anywhere. It’s a trait I believe all bookworms need. It really comes in handy, you know. (Of course I prefer silence, but non-bookworms are loud creatures. We must make do.)

6. ONE BOOK AT A TIME OR SEVERAL? Every now and again, I try reading several… and then it drives me up a wall. I feel so unfocused and overwhelmed. That said, I have several exceptions: 1) I often read a book and listen to an audio book at the same time. (Like now, I’m listening to The Maze Runner while reading Cinderella’s Dress. And you can’t get any two more different books, let me tell you.) 2) I’m also reading Stars Above, because it is a collection of novellas. So I can skip around and read one short story and not read a whole novel straight through.

7. DO YOU PREFER TO READ AT HOME OR ELSEWHERE? There’s no place like home. I do enjoy sitting in a Starbucks or wherever with a book, but I’ve come to the realization that I don’t like strangers watching me read. My family and our two balls of fluff don’t count. Watching Emily read is a regular hobby of theirs.

8. READ OUT LOUD OR SILENTLY? I love reading out loud! Fun fact: when I was younger, I would read out loud while walking the perimeter of my room when I got uncomfortable in my bed. When I was even younger, I would apologize to my stuffed animals when I decided to read in my head because they’re enjoying the book too. Nowadays, it’s silent all the way.

9. DO YOU READ AHEAD OR SKIP PAGES? I … have skipped pages in the past. But I promise you it hasn’t been done in quite a while! I am a devout no-spoiler person. (Even though Pinterest has ruined like FOUR deaths for me and I’m not even sure which book-to-movie adaptations the people come from, ack.)

10. BREAKING THE SPINE OR KEEPING IT NEW? Why is this even a question??? I broke my spine-bending addiction three years ago, and I am a changed bookworm. Keep it like new, hello.

11. DO YOU WRITE IN YOUR BOOKS? I do write my name and the year on the title page, but other than that, it’s a no-no. (What if one day when I’ve written a Great American Novel and everything and someone finds an old MG book in a used bookstore with a penciled in name “Emily 2011” and WOW you’ve got like a million bucks because it’s ten year old Emily (insert last name here)’s book omg– I mean, right???)

I’m not sure how many people I’m supposed to tag, but I’m going with five because that’s a nice number.

TAG, YOU’RE IT: Izel // Katie Grace // Madi // Olivia // Grace

I hope those tagged can join in! And feel free to do this if I didn’t tag you; after all I just decided to randomly do it without being tagged, so go for it. 😉

Tell me, bookworms, have you ever bent a spine before? Do you eat while reading? And how many bookmarks do you own? Can’t wait to chat with you all!

books

confession time: long books kinda terrify me.

April 11, 2016 Emily 13 Comments

I LIKE BIG BOOKS, I CANNOT LIE.

Glorious pages with long plots and major twists and generally just BOOKS THAT MAKE ME SLOW DOWN. Let’s face it, finishing a book can be sad. It’s that whole “do I make it last so I can enjoy it longer or finish so I can finally find out what happened to so-in-so because ohmergod, is he really dead?!!”

But I have a confession. This bookworm is easily intimidated by gargantuan books that are hefty and heavy and long. I have noodle arms, okay?? Furthermore these things won’t fit in my purse! (On that note, ladies, can we please start a petition for cute bags that truly fit all the necessities – you know; journals, books, pens, the like?)

There are two reasons I am terrified of long books:

#1: GETTING BEHIND ON MY READING GOAL.

Example: Sue over here has met her goal of 100 books. (And everyone’s all like “Go, Sue! You’re super human! Yay Sue!”) Fanny, on the other hand, missed it by a daunting thirty books. (Cue everyone going “aww” for Fanny and “you’ll make it next time, don’t fret dear bookish baby.”) BUT FANNY READ 70 CLASSIC, MASSIVE, CHALLENGING NOVELS. And Silly Sue read 100 CHEESY, SHORT, EASY YA BOOKS.

This year – 2016 – I have a goal for myself to read 100 books. Last year I aimed for 50 and got to 70, but it was my first year setting a reading goal for myself and this year I wanted to really work for it. Yet the thing I am realizing is that I am very tempted to reach for the shorter books on my shelf first. It was a goal of mine this year to read more classics. I used to read more of them, but lately since starting my reading challenge and being a part of the bookish community – resulting in knowing all the things about all the releases and ARCs and giveaways and hype – I’ve been lacking in the area. Right now I am a book behind schedule because I’ve started Persuasion by Jane Austen. It’s a little under three hundred pages, but strictly speaking word-wise, it is a massive book to get through.

#2: LOSING INTEREST.

Anyone who knows me knows I am a fan of The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. (Obligatory shout-out to my bookish besties who all but forced me to read it.) Winter, the last installment in the series, was an alarming EIGHT HUNDRED & TWENTY-SEVEN pages. (Yes, that is my beautiful copy featured in the photo above. Isn’t that number beautiful?) But when I saw the length of the book, I thought I might get bored. (To anyone who has read this series — I KNOW, I know, Crazy Emily, what was she thinking?)

But Winter was an exception to the often true rule that some books can really s l o w in the middle. (Or beginning or end, if they are too lengthy.) You don’t always NEED 827 pages to cover everything. Sometimes there will be unnecessary scenes in a book that don’t add to the story, and thus makes the reader bored. (Byyy the way – just so you know, with Winter, EVERYTHING WAS PERFECTION. I’m not biased, pfffft, no way.)

With those two points made, I’d also like to highlight the two reasons long books are GOOD. We shouldn’t fear them!

#1: THEY LAST LONGER.

Like I said before, finishing a book (especially a series, particularly if you’ve been waiting for the last release for year(s)) can be sad. Finishing a great book puts me in a major “there is nothing better than this flawless beauty” book syndrome. (Also Known As: the [dreaded] book slump.)

So long books force Emily The Speed-Reader (not really, more like Emily The Never-Stop-Reader, if that makes sense – I don’t read fast, I just read a lot) to take her time. I’m not gonna lie, I was proud of myself for finishing 827-page-Winter in six days. (Thanksgiving week, thank you very much, when I had family duties, ugh. (Kidding, kidding, my family’s awesome. When they don’t interfere with my reading.)) But if Winter had been as long as the previous books in the series – about 500 pages – I likely would have read it far faster.

#2: LONG BOOKS DON’T MISS A SINGLE DETAIL.

On the flip side of the second reason I fear long books – books having unnecessary scenes – longer books also don’t miss a single beat. Because if a book is too short, they can be lacking in some key points, or end with too many loose threads. But long books? They cover everything. (*cough* Winter *cough cough* GO READ IIIITTT.) (No no lemme rephrase that: you may want to start with CINDER, the first in the series. Okay? Okay.)

Do big books intimidate you, sweet bookish friend? What advice do you have to get over our [irrational] fear of longer books? Do you have anything to add to my list? Are there more pros or cons for you?

books

march mini reviews: part i.

April 8, 2016 Emily 4 Comments

DURING MY MARCH HIATUS, I SPENT THE FIRST TWO WEEKS TAKING A BREATHER FROM BLOGGING… AND READING.

I landed myself in a major reading slump for half of the month, and it stunk. I simply couldn’t bring myself to read anything. After reading eight books in both January and February, this was a big bummer.

When I finally got the reading itch again, I had some catching up to do. And I read eight books in two weeks. Everybody give it up for Emily, who started pulling her hair out at the thought of catching up to her speed reading bookish bestie Brooke, who read waaay too many books in March. But I DID IT, and I am here today to tell the tale. I bring you a collection of March mini reviews, part one.

BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY by Ruta Sepetys: oh. my. word. In March, I read two of three of Ruta Sepetys’ books (the second review coming next week), and adored them both. Between Shades of Gray felt like a cross between Code Name Verity and The Book Thief, which, I might add, are BEAUTIFUL books I could talk about forever. I loved the fact that this story (Miss Septetys’ debut novel) was based on her own Lithuanian ancestors and their experience in WWII. The true stories and eye-witness accounts that Ruta Sepetys researched and heard in preparation for the novel really came to life. This book was raw, realistic, and memorable. I know for sure that it’s a new favorite! five stars. ★★★★★

HOPE IS A FERRIS WHEEL by Robin Herrara: I feel like I may have enjoyed this book when I was younger, but… it was just a meh for me. It’s the first Middle Grade book I’ve read in a long time. In elementary school, I was apart of The Hellen Ruffin Reading Bowl. Many of the books on the lists each year are award-winning and great books, so when this one landed the list a year or two ago, I knew I should read it. The main character was ten and adorable, but frankly, she got on my nerves. I hated the ending. I get that it was a “left up to the reader” type thing, but it very much frustrated me. I did like the poetic-type feel to the book, but.. it all felt so mediocre. three stars. ★★★✩✩

WOLF BY WOLF by Ryan Graudin: {the following is an original review from Emily herself when she finished this book at 1:10 AM on a Sunday night. enjoy the fresh-off-the-last-page review.} For a good part of that book, I thought “this is great. Four stars probably.” But then THE ENDING! My heart was pounding and I was (am) wide awake at 1:10 AM in the morning. I’m so hyped up and amazed! Ryan Graudin writes beautiful, poetic writing with SO MUCH INCREDIBLE action and intrigue and mystery and super abilities and a dash of sci-fi mixed with historical fiction. (If that hasn’t convinced you, I don’t know what will.) I’m in awe. And maybe slightly delirious because it *is*, after all, now 1:11 AM. But all things considered. This. Was. Amazing. five stars. ★★★★★ (edit: one of the things I loved about this book was that it is a sci-fi and historical fiction cross-over! So if you’re new to either genres, or just love both like me, pleeeeaaase give it a try! TRUST me, it is worth every page – and it’s the first in a trilogy, published just last October!)

Keep a lookout for part two of my March mini reviews! Did you read any 3 or 5 star books in March? Which were your favorites?

monthly recaps

an ode to march: here’s to being sick & book slumps. {march 2016 recap}

April 6, 2016 Emily 17 Comments

MARCH DIDN’T LIKE ME MUCH THIS YEAR.

I landed myself in a horrible reading slump, so I didn’t start reading regularly until halfway through the month. By that point, I was way behind on my reading goal, and freaking. out. (Just ask Brooke, who coaxed me through it with advice and pep talks.) But, by the end of the month, I had read eight books and lived to tell the tale.

(Click on the covers to see my Goodreads review.)

HOPE IS A FERRIS WHEEL by Robin Herrara ★★★✩✩
BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY by Ruta Sepetys ★★★★★
DEFEATING DARWINISM by Phillip E. Johnson ★★★★✩
WOLF BY WOLF by Ryan Graudin ★★★★★
OUT OF THE EASY by Ruta Sepetys ★★★★✩
THE SIREN by Kiera Cass ★★✩✩✩
ROSE UNDER FIRE by Elizabeth Wein ★★★★★
THIRTEEN REASONS WHY by Jay Asher ★✩✩✩✩

BEST BOOK? Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein. This is the companion novel to Code Name Verity, which I LOVEEEE to the moon and back 120000 times. I’ve been meaning to read Rose Under Fire and my. word. I am so glad I did! I beg you to read Elizabeth Wein’s books.

WORST BOOK? Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. No. Just… no. I spent the entire book wanting to throw it across the room, but that wouldn’t do because I listened to an audio book on my phone. Too bad.

So… all in all, March was a pretty good reading month. I also read eight books in January and February, but I’m still a book behind my reading schedule, sigh. Considering I didn’t finish a book until March 14, I’d say I did pretty good for playing catch-up the last half. April is a pretty booked month already (ha ha ha) – I’m in the home stretch for school, but there’s still a lot of work to do – but there is a cruise (!!!) to look forward to at the end of the month. So wish me luck!

IN OTHER NEWS?

Well, March also included: coffee (or frappuccinno) dates with my freckled-face sister, Easter (which meant snazzy church dresses, chocolate, chocolate and guess what – more chocolate!), going to the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, seeing the Allegiant movie with my friend (*cringe*), and starting Downton Abbey, yippee.

she didn’t know I was taking this, shh. and this is me in a 2-story library with
10,000 books, WHHAAAT.

here we have a photo of Biltmore – isn’t it beautiful?!

The last end of March had my entire family down in the dumps – quite literally, as my parents and sister all caught a stomach bug, and I just got over an awful sinus infection. Here’s to an even better April – and plenty of April shower rainy afternoons perfect for reading!

How was your March, bookworms? Read any good books? 🙂

giveaways

two giveaways for two years of for the bookish!

April 3, 2016 Emily 37 Comments

TODAY IS A VERY SPECIAL DAY, BOOKWORMS.

Two years ago today, lonely little ole me decided she had had enough. No one in her school or her family or her extra curriculars read books. NO ONE, I say. Waitwaitwait: let me rephrase. No one read the books she read. And that made her sad.

And somewhere in her brilliant little head (which is, I may add, still brilliant today, bookworms), she thought: “I know! I shall start a blog for fellow BOOKWORMS.” And since little ole me lucked out with a dad with an awesome job, she sat him down on the couch one night with her laptop and said, “I want a website.” So little ole me’s father, who is the internet genius (it says so on his website and license plate, I kid you not), built her a beautiful blog. And the rest is history. (As you know.)

SO, UM, you may have noticed something a little different about my blog theme?? IT HAS BEEN BORN ANEW. I know I get many compliments on my old theme, but I thought it was time for something fresh. I was half-convinced one could never replace my old theme, but look, the internet genius did it again. I’m kind of sort of obsessed with my new blog design.

Unfortunately, when my dad helped me redesign FTB, we also moved my URL (as in, I own forthebookish.com not forthebookish.insert-web-creator-here.com) to a new host, and in doing that, I lost all my email subscribers! So it would mean a ton to me if you all could resubscribe to my blog and have your favorite blog posts in your email again. I lost all of you, so tell your mom and your dad and your friends and your friends’ friends that Emily would really really adore you if you entered your email there. (Not to mention that if you do, you can be entered in the giveaways below!)

OHHHH and that reminds me: did you see the title up there?? Hmm? That’s right: I’m bringing you not one but two giveaways for two whole years of For the Bookish. But first *ahem* a word.

As cheesy as this may sound, I wouldn’t be blogging if it weren’t for you! Half the fun is not just writing posts and designing the blog and all the technical stuff… but chatting with YOU, dear bookworms. I have made so many wonderful friends – some of them I even like to think of as best friends – through book blogging. I’m so thankful for this experience and hobby. So here’s a little shout-out to all my “regulars,” the ladies who are sweet enough to subscribe, comment, share, email with me, fangirl with me, and just always be around for a chat. If you’re not following these blogs yet (those that are linked), I don’t know what you’re doing.

Izel ♥ Grace ♥ {The Other} Grace ♥ Ana ♥ Katie Grace ♥ Brooke ♥ Lu ♥ Trisha ♥ Madi ♥ Amanda ♥ Olivia

(I’m sorry if I forgot anybody; you’re all fab, darlings, just fabulous.) (oops – oh look, my wolfgang is showing. MDBC humor for you wormies.)

NOW, enough of the sappiness! Are you ready to WIN SOME FREE STUFF? (because i don’t know about you but i am, which stinks, because it wouldn’t be right to enter my own giveaway.) (even though i’m awesome and always deserve free books, *hint hint*)

… but first. le rules.

GIVEAWAY RULES:
Please read the following rules carefully before entering the giveaway(s).

The giveaways are open April 3 – April 24, 2016.
I will email the winners, but if he/she do not respond within 48 hours, I will have to pick a new winner(s).
The Thrift Books gift card giveaway is open internationally. I will send the gift card via email.
The necklace giveaway is open to US residents only. I will have the necklace shipped directly to the winner from Etsy.
I reserve the right to disqualify any entry if I find that anyone is not following the rules accordingly or is cheating the system. (Rafflecopter.)
I am not responsible for stolen or lost packages.

$10 THRIFT BOOKS GIFT CARD:

thriftbooks.com is an online used bookstore, with free shipping on orders of $10 or more to US or Canada residents. I have personally ordered from this store before and love it! ENTER BELOW:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MINI BOOK NECKLACE:

Many of you will probably recognize these mini book necklaces from Cait’s Etsy shop! For those of you who aren’t aware, these mini book necklaces come with whatever book cover you want. When I email the winner, I will need their address and cover preference. Please note that I will be shipping the necklace directly to the winner from Etsy, to avoid double shipping costs. ENTER BELOW:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck to everyone who enters the giveaways! I will be announcing the winners on April 25th. In the meantime, look forward to FTB’s regular posting schedule on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays — I’ll be back Wednesday with a March recap! 🙂