Hey, lovelies! Apologies for not posting yesterday. I haven’t had time to write a whole bunch of May posts in one day like I did last month, but I GOT THROUGH EXAMS. Also this next week is VACATION TIME (!!!!) for my family and I, so that’s exciting! Good thing though – I’ve got all the book reviews for May written. So you won’t run out of book recommendations! And one post has got three in one. Like those shampoo, conditioner, and body wash soaps at the store.
the books!
I read seven books this month, and I should like to include Code Name Verity in this stack, which makes eight, because I finished it on May 1st. If I started it on May 1st, then it wouldn’t be counted. Make sense? No. Well too bad. Oh, oh – and I re-read FOUR. FOUR glorious re-reads. Re-reads are very important to me. If a book isn’t worth a re-read, then it isn’t worth the read. Of course, the re-reads this month were all Kiera Cass books in preparation for the HEIR, which debuts May 5th, which will be signed by the Kiera Cass and given to a #1 fan named Emily on May 6th (eeek!! Still can’t believe that!), but it still counts for something.
Lovely stack, really. If you notice one missing, it’s because I read Crunch on my Kindle. I do use my Kindle, I do. It’s not my best friend, as you can see, but I do use it. I’m adding a drop-down bar for where I talk about the books since it takes up too much space of the post. 😀
[learn_more caption=”Click to hear about the books!”]#1: Crunch by Leslie Connor: First book read in April! I reviewed it last week and gave it 3.5 stars! I don’t like using half stars, but I felt like it wasn’t a three star, and it wasn’t a four star, so what else I could do? It was teetering between “I loved this book!” and “Kind of mediocre.” (As seen on my review policies page here.)
#2: Dauntless by Dina L. Sleiman: You’ll be getting this review this Monday, folks, and I do believe I added some really pretty pictures of Dauntless hanging out in my dad’s garden. Tell me, WHAT is more beautiful than flowers and books?? No, don’t answer. (EDIT: That would be cats and books.) Pretty good, pretty good. Dauntless got 4 stars!
#3: This Means War by Ellen Wittlinger: I don’t want to give away too much, since I did a mini review for this miniature book (it was really really short!), but short doesn’t mean bad. It most certainly does not. 5 stars! Plus this was a historical fiction (cold war vibes, people!) so that was fantastic.
#4: Keep Smiling Through by Ann Rinaldi: Moving onto WWII historical fiction. I love a good WWII historical fic. I do mean LOVE. I DEVOUR THEM. Buuuutttt but…. not this one. I gave it 3 stars. But does that mean I don’t want you to read it?? NOOOO. You must, you must read it. It got 3 stars for the… well, I’ll explain in the review. Still. Read it for yourself, alright?
#5: Serendipity and Me by Judith L. Roth: Awwww. Sweet, sweet, sweet! Just so sweet! And can we admire the cover? ADORABLE. Get a lollipop and maybe some tissues and get reading! 5 stars!
#6: Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr: Oh. Um… this was really sad. The whole book was written in a sad mood. But it was so BEAUTIFUL. Why do I choose books that make me cry?! I gave it 5 stars, but… buuut… it was so saaaad. I also took some beautiful pictures for this review, though, so that’ll balance it out, yes?
#7: Princess Academy by Shannon Hale: Sweet flying pancakes. This was awesome!! I haven’t reviewed it, but I’ll probably give it 4 or 4.5 stars, because it was so creative! So… so wonderful! Agh! So glad I read it.
#8: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein: Holy cow holy cow holy cow holy cow holy cow holy cow holy cow. My brain hurts from thinking. My eyes hurt from crying. My heart hurts from breaking. WHY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF. This is THE best historical fiction I’ve read since The Book Thief. Yes. That good. Very heavy material. Little bit of language. But AMAZING. 6 stars. What? That’s not a rating? OH WELL. (And in case you were wondering why I haven’t been answering any comments… I WAS BUSY READING & THEN RECOVERING FROM FINISHING THIS BOOK!!)[/learn_more]
the blog posts
What were you guys excited about this month?? Well, let’s see. Well, you LOVED For the Bookish’s blogoversary, but I think you reeaallly liked my first-ever-giveaway (of course you did! Who doesn’t love free BARNES & NOBLE GIFT CARDS??) annnnd in second place for the most views, What The Mother/Daughter Book Club Taught Me. That’s exciting! I loved that post! My personal favorite post was Authors Appreciating Readers. What about you? Which was your favorite post from April?
Also, because I’m nice and I LOVE reading other people’s blogs (turns out I’m not just a blogger, I’m also a blogling! (aka: person who reads blogs)), here are some of a few of my favorite posts on blogs I follow from April!
- Jessica @ Bookish Serendipity has some wonderful advice for new bloggers!
- Cait @ Paper Fury has ten things we SHOULD tell writers. (Which I LOVED.)
- Daisy @ A Bookish Flower tagged me in The Teenage Girl Tag. (Which I love and need to do!)
- Audrey @ The Measure of a Book has a list of WONDERFUL children’s books that I’ve grown up on!
- Ana @ Butterflies of the Imagination took a hiatus this month, but SHE WROTE 50K IN 18 DAYS & I’M SO PROUD. (And a teensy bit jealous!)
- Trisha @ Forever Trisha reviewed One for the Murphys which I was so excited about because I loved it and she loved it and YAY!
upcoming in may…
(april showers bring may flowers!)
As I mentioned before, I AM MEETING KIERA CASS IN FOUR DAYS. FOUR. DAYS. Which means The Heir comes out in about THREE. And can you just all stop and watch the beautiful trailer for The Heir that came out on Thursday?? (You can also watch it here.) I think know my mom is sick of hearing it, but it’s SO EXCITING.
Do you think I’m excited? I’m pretty excited.
Also all of the books mentioned that I read in April will be posted with their reviews here in a few weeks… and I’m doing a guest post on Inside Out Magazine in their culture & creativity section soon! Not sure when, but I’ll keep you posted. That was pretty exciting, as it’s one of my favorite blogs and I was so excited when the executive editor emailed me! I also hope to have a few guest posts of my own (well, from other people, of course), visiting with us in May, so stay tuned!
I hope everyone had a lovely April and an even better May!
I want to hear from you – what books have you read in April?? Favorites? Favorite blog posts? (On FTB and other blogs!)
Thanks for the shout out!! Like Brooke, I’m as red as a tomato right now. Our schools doesn’t end until June. I still have to write my monthly recap. Only 26 more days till my birthday!! Polaroid Camera here I come. This weekend is basically my blogging weekend. What’s funny is that I have a notebook full of book reviews which I type up.
Great job on the magazine!! I will definitely have to check them out.
Ok, so the Heir. I’m going in total fan girl mode. I’m so happy!!!! Except, I haven’t read the series. Whenever I want too, it’s never available. It’s been on my wishlist for the past 6 months, but I still can’t get it.
My brother’s coming home on the 9th. Finally!!!! I don’t miss him as much as I used too, but it can still get to me sometimes.
Haha! Well, you deserve to be bragged on! All of you! 😀
Wow. That’s a long time. But you probably start later than I do.
I bet you’re excited! I got an Instax Mini 8 for Christmas, but I recently ran out of film and I just cannot bring myself to pay $20 for 20 pictures, or 30 for 50. I’ll just have to wait 5 months, for my birthday! 😛 There are more important things to buy. Like… you said it, BOOKS.
Thanks! I’m so excited about it.
ME TOOOO. OMG, Trisha, you have to get them somehow! You could probably order them on Amazon. 🙂
Aww, that’s great! <3
I’m glad you liked princess Academy. Now you need to read the rest of the books in the series.
Eek! I can’t wait for the 5th! That’s when I get the Heir! Ill (most likely) be seeing Kiera on the 12th. So excited. I have no idea what id say though. Does anyone here have advice for me and Emily on what to say when your at a signing? Or what to except? This would be my first signing!
I hipe you get my letter today. That way you’d get it before you left and could write a reply when you are on your trip.
My birthday party is today so I need to go get ready for that( and tidy up my room a little 🙂 ).
oh and I forgot to say how sorry I am about your grandma. Which side was she? Mother or Father? I hike your doing okay. I rememer how devestated I was when my grandma died. We had known it was coming ( she stopped eating and drinking) and my mom kept me and Claire out of the house as much as possible that day but it was still a shock. When’s the funeral? Are you going to make it. I hope you can.
And I wanted to ask you about your trip? How long is it goign to be and where are you all going? The Heir trailer is pretty cool! I like how she called America and Maxons relationship a fairytail. Because even though many things got in the way( Aspen( I don’t like him), Maxons Father, ect.) I always thought they where perfect for each other. I got so mad at them in the books. ;p . I would glare at them and was constatly screaming at America to stay away from Aspen. I mean come.on. whew. I just realized I was totally ranting there ;p . I plan on rereding the series tomorrow.or Monday. That way I’ll be able to go from The One straight to the Heir.
I got your letter! I’ll put it in the mail Monday. Because of my great-grandma’s funeral, we’ll be leaving for our trip late Monday afternoon or night, depending on what time/when the funeral is.
I talked more about it in my letter.
YOU ARE??!! EEK. I’m so excited for you!! I’ve been thinking I’ll tell her my favorite scene in the books and then I need to think of a good question to ask!! Also, Brooke: GO TO unlocktheheir.com and you can read the first 12 chapters of the Heir. The more people who tweet #UnlockTheHeir the sooner each chapter is unlocked, but you don’t have to tweet it. Chapters 1-7 are unlocked right now, and I’ve read all of them!
I hope your party is fun!
Again, more in the letter! (You’ll probably get the letter Thursday.) 🙂
I LOVE THE TRAILER. It’s so cute! I love the albums Eadlyn is looking through and the videos…. aggh!
Oh, I know. Look at my review (nope, not an actual review, more like constant rambling!) for The Selection series and I feel the exact same way!!
I re-read them all last week and it felt like the first time all over again!
I’ve never been to signing either. I guess you should just tell her how much you like her books.
It’s my first signing. I’m so nervous!
Squee! YOU ARE MEETING KIERA CASS!! *flails forever and always* I’ve only read The Selection, so far, but I loved it and I’m going to finish the series this year. Well, um, finish the FIRST part of the series since more books are coming out. xD I love those covers, too. They’re like some of my favourite covers. Pretty dresses FTW!
I love Code Name Verity! Do you need tissues after finishing! CHOCOLATE? EMOTIONAL TRAUMA COUNSELLING?!! *cries just remembering*
Also, thank you for sharing my post!! SQUEE!!
YES I AM. I AM SO FREAKING EXCITED, Cait, it’s not even funny!!!
Also, it’s MY FIRST BOOK SIGNING EVER and I’m a ball of nerves!! I feel like the next few days will never end! 😀
Ohhh, more feels. Code Name Verity killed me. (Oops that was a bad pun.) I just… I just… ahhh. Also I’d like to tell you that I looked up your review for it (because I figured obviously Cait The Master Book Easter certainly did not miss out on The Best Book Ever) and I was so confused by the quote “Kiss me, Hardy” and then AHHHH. It hurts!
Did you go on unlocktheheir.com and read/watch the sneak peaks? They also have a 2 chapter sample on iBooks that I read a couple of days ago. 2 DAYS!! And 1 day until the 1989 tour starts! So much excitement!
YES, I DID! AHHHH and of course it ended on a cliff hanger!!
I KNOW! How exciting is that?? What an exciting day! 😀
Yay for being done with school! I still have about two months left *sighs*, but I know that it will probably go by really fast. I am so glad you enjoyed Code Name Verity. Even though the language did bother me a bit, it was so painfully honest and the writing was so raw and beautiful that it’s quickly become one of my favorite books. I really want to read Dauntless, The Princess Academy and This Means War. And I might try Keep Smiling Through. Thank you so much for the shout out, Emily. I appreciate it-especially since I took such a long hiatus. xP It’s so awesome that you’re going to write something for that magazine, Emily. Congrats, and I’ll be looking out for your post!