the secret life of a book blogger tag!

January 27, 2016 Emily 12 Comments

IT IS I, EMILY, BACK WITH ANOTHER TAG. Because I adore tags. And you already know this, so let’s dive in.

(and, like most tags, I tagged MYSELF. But this is such a fun one I’m still tagging people to do it. I’m cool like that.)

How long have you been a blogger? If you count the adorable blog of one audacious eight-year-old I kept for four years… then six years. (Nope not giving you the link, but it’s still around.) In April 2014 I got my dad (who is a web designer which really comes in handy) to set me up with this book blog: a less embarrassing, less sporadic, more public blog for bookworms specifically. I could talk about my cat and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch but I don’t really think you’d like that very much so I’ll keep up with the books.

At what point do you think you’ll stop blogging? NEVER.

No, really! I may not have this one specifically forever, but perhaps morph it into something else? The ultimate dream is to own a bookstore (I’ve picked the location and everything, plus I’ve got a graphic designer in the family so boom: marketing) so I think it would be cool for my bookstore to have a blog. Kind of like an Epic Reads, only online? (Or who knows maybe I can hire some tech-savvy cool bookworm teens to keep up a YouTube channel for me. HOW AWESOME would that be?!) And I definitely want to be an author and I’d like an author website.

What is the best thing about blogging? YOU! I’ve met sooo many awesome fellow bookworms. Just keep basking in your awesomeness, peoples, and keep commenting.

What is the worst thing? What do you do to make it okay? Feeling the pressure to literally read ALL THE BOOKS. I am s l o o o o o o w l y crossing books off my TBR list compared to how FAST I am adding them. I will probably have 1 million books on my want-to-read list by the time I kick the bucket. I *try* to pace myself though. Take a breather and be all “chill Ems chill. you DON’T need to read absolutely everything.” I’ve got be honest though, it hardly helps. Especially when rather mean bookworms tease you about the ending… *cough cough Brooke cough Izel* “SHE’S NOT GONNA DIE IS SHE?!” “Ohhhh iiiiii don’t know… she could…” psshh. just hush.

How long does it take you to create/find pictures to use? Sometimes it takes me five minutes and sometimes it takes hours. Creating pictures is sometimes tough because I’m such a perfectionist so I have to make sure the text is center FIVE times before it’s right OR I can’t get good lighting when taking a photo. #booknerdprobs

Who is your book crush?

Do you want a LIST?! Okay you asked for it.

Maxon Schreave from The Selection series
Arin (I-can’t-believe-I-don’t-know-his-last-name) from The Winner’s Trilogy
WOLF from The Lunar Chronicles (otherwise known as Ze’ev Kelsey… swoon)
Prince Cal from Red Queen
Kile Woodwork
Carter Woodwork (Both ALSO from the selection series) (let’s face it there are a lot of boys in those books)
Stuart from The Mother/Daughter Book Club (and maybe Simon too)
Linus from Finding Audrey
David from The Hired Girl
Levi from Better Off Friends
Four (isn’t he on EVERY girl’s list? C’mon.)

There are more. Let’s face it fictional boys are SO much better. (Because women wrote all of the above, ha.)

What author would you like to have on your blog?

Kiera Cass, Marissa Meyer, Marie Rutkoski, Sophie Kinsella, Shannon Hale, Lemony Snicket, Ann M. Martin, Jennifer A. Nielsen… the list goes on.

What do you wear when you write your blog posts? Well I’m usually in my school uniform, so. Pajamas. (shout-out to all the homeschoolers!)

How long does it take you to prepare? Prepare for what? The apocalypse? (otherwise known as the entire book of Revelations HAHAHA. but really.) Was anyone else confused by this question??

But if I’m supposed to be preparing for a blog post? Fifteen minutes to weeks. It really varies.

How do you feel about the book blogger community?

(yay for two TSwizzle GIFs in a row, no shame no shame.)

I’m obsessed. I have 10x more online friends than offline and I am perfectly okay with that. (Well, as long as I continue to keep my IRL friends.) You’re all awesome and every time I open the computer it feels like we’re all singing around a camp fire singing about books. And fictional boys. And rainy afternoons. And towering bookshelves. And all the FEELS. It’s great.

What do you think one should do to get a successful blog? I don’t know if I’m the right person to ask this question. I think a “successful” blog would be one with lots of thoughtful posts and loyal readers who interact with the blogger. So in that case, I guess I do have a successful blog. My best advice is to post consistently, visit other bloggers TONS (I need to do this more!), and have fun in the comments. It’s a blast. Be yourself!

TAG, YOU’RE IT!

Izel // Trisha // Olivia // Madi

and i tag YOU! please answer these questions on your own blog and link to your tag below. also answer some of the questions below. how long have you been blogging? what’s your favorite part of book blogging?

reviews

finding audrey by sophie kinsella

January 25, 2016 Emily 3 Comments

Title: Finding Audrey

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Publisher: Delacorte for Young Readers

Publishing Date: June 9, 2015

Length: 288 pages

Source: library

About: An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey’s daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother’s gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she’s never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.

I’m not sure what I was expecting from this book, but gosh that was even better than what I imagined. Here’s the thing: typically with books I’ve read about social anxiety – from the stereotypical shy/introverted girl to a severe disorder like Audrey’s – that involve romance really disappoint. At least, the majority of the ones I’ve read have ended up with an exciting, out-of-the-box male character who pulls the MC out of their comfort zone (and in a lot of cases, go too far and I end up DNFing.) It’s cliche and as much as I hate to admit it, I’ve steered away from these types of books because of that. But Finding Audrey surprised me and I loved it!

This isn’t a romance. The romance is an (adorable) aspect of the book but it’s far from that. In fact, I’d call it a family book. Audrey’s family is hilarious and lovable (I mean, the first page I was just about rolling laughing: “Normal Mum-insane: Mum says ‘Let’s all do this great gluten-free diet I read about in the Daily Mail!'” MY mom (mum? ;)) had us go gluten-free at one point. It was relatable for me!) Audrey’s love interest, Linus, is sweet and swoon-able (is that a word? I’m making it a word) but it wasn’t the main focus.

Pssst. by the way, there’s the really cute book trailer thing you can watch here.

I also was beyond impressed by Sophie Kinsella’s ability to combine a serious issue like Audrey’s (her full diagnosis is “Social Anxiety Disorder, General Anxiety Disorder, and Depressive Episodes”) with humor. That’s hard to do, but Kinsella did it well and amazingly. It flowed well and made me laugh. I sympathized for Audrey and was able to connect with her but I was also laughing out loud. (It’s been a while since a book has made me do that.) That was a nice combination because not every book about disorders or anxiety has to be all seriousness and sad. I think that’s a talent on Sophie Kinsella’s part.

I also loved that Audrey is fourteen. I’ve complained before about it being rare for a YA character to be so young, or an MG character being so old, so this was great. (I’m fourteen myself, and it was nice to have a character my age for once.) Although that brings me to a few of my downers, which is why I’m giving this book four instead of five.

– Audrey is, like I just said, 14. I was worried about the romance for a bit before I finally relented and decided to see what this book was all about. 14-year-old “romances” don’t usually pan out, and I didn’t want to read something that went too far with it or ended up being a flop (middle school drama’s not for me – which is really unfortunate since I’ve got to endure middle school this last semester, ha.) It wasn’t a flop but I don’t think it was very realistic. Or, I should say Audrey and Linus’ relationship seemed too mature for their age. I honestly could see Audrey between 16-18.

– Audrey’s older brother Frank swore several times throughout the book (pages listed at the bottom in case you’re sensitive to that) and it really bugged me. The book was sweet and innocent except for that and I really didn’t think it was necessary.

– I wanted to know more about the “unpleasant incident” that caused Audrey to break down into the state she is when the book starts! The book alludes to what happened (you find out shortly into the book but I won’t say because it is a small spoiler) but doesn’t go into great detail. I understand Audrey didn’t want to talk about it, but at one point Frank, her brother, is talking to a camera and Audrey isn’t around and… I just think there could have been some way to tell precisely what happened. I was disappointed I never got that.

But all in all, this book was a ton better than I expected: the adorable family dynamic, the humor, the seriousness and well-thought out development in Audrey’s condition… it was amazing!

4 stars!

have you read finding audrey? (or any of sophie kinsella’s other books?) thoughts? do you want to read it? can’t wait to hear from all of you!

miscellaneous 'bookish' things, rambles

fun bookish news & book updates!

January 23, 2016 Emily 11 Comments

Hey everybody! Today I just felt like rambling and spilling some bookish thoughts that have been floating around in my brain, so I hope you don’t mind. 🙂 I wanted to do a stacking the shelves, because I have some amazing books on hold for me at the library… but I wasn’t able to get to the library this week. (Boo for not being old enough to drive myself around & the library not being in walking distance. SIGH.)

This week I have begun The Winner’s Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski, annnnd. I’m dead. That’s it. I need to make funeral arrangements, say my goodbyes… because this series is the best thing I have ever read. And it’s killing me.

I’ve got about a hundred pages left in the second book, but I’m really trying to make this one last because the third doesn’t come out till March 29! MARCH 29! The agony. I’m also 99.9% sure The Winner’s Crime is going to end in a cliff hanger too, sooo…. O.0

In OTHER news, there are three things I have found out (this past Thursday and yesterday, so recently this week) bookish-wise and… I’m not sure how I feel about them! But I just knew I had to discuss. (And I want your thoughts too, so please tell me below what you think about these three things making BOOKISH HEADLINES TONIGHT. (Would that not be the coolest TV show ever though?? Like Entertainment Tonight, only “Books Tonight.” *faraway sigh*))

#1 on the things I found out this week… (or rather, saw): THE SIREN by Kiera Cass now has a book trailer.

On Thursday when I got online I saw it had been uploaded on the Epic Reads YouTube channel (which, let’s set the record straight, I am 100% obsessed with) that Kiera Cass’ new book has a book trailer. ACTUALLY, it’s not-so-new. Kiera first self-published The Siren in 2009 before her hit The Selection series, which I love. (Meeting Kiera last May was the bomb diggity, so much so that I’m actually using the phrase ‘the bomb diggity.’) It’s coming out again, only re-publishing by Harper Collins and from what I can understand, will be better-edited and such. I was hyped for it, because… well… KIERA CASS wrote it. And now? I’m internally crying.

The trailer… isn’t… good. In fact, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry while watching it. I was excited to see it because the trailers for the books in the selection series (well, The One and The Heir – NOT The Selection) were amazing. But I guess the budget for this one wasn’t quite as much? That is to say: my excitement for The Siren was lessened by this book trailer. (And how disappointing is that?!) Anyway… tell me what you think about it. (You can watch it here.)

NOW for #2, which is a little more exciting: Netflix is set to premiere 13 episodes of A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, based on the book by Lemony Snicket (aka… well… I won’t say ’cause you should read the books before you know his REAL name…) this coming year! 🙂 I have several thoughts: a) Neil Patrick Harris is said to be starring as Count Olaf which… should be… interesting? Meh? Jim Carrey played the rather odd role of Count Olaf (which was great for Jim Carrey) in the 2004 movie, so it will definitely be different. I’m just not sure I see Harris as a Count Olaf. Who knows?? b) I’m hoping the show will be less cheesy than the movie. The movie also didn’t cover everything the books did, but since there will be 13 episodes I’m assuming the show will because the books also have 13.

If you haven’t read these books, you definitely should. I’m thinking I’ll re-read them – even if the show isn’t set in stone yet – simply because it’s been a few years and I’ve forgotten a lot about them. They’re pretty short, too, so I may read a few in a week and take a break and then again another month.

(Also: I read the books before Frozen even came out but now I can’t stop thinking Count Olaf as the lovable snowman Olaf… not the weird, evil guy with a thing for eyes. VERY different but now I can’t stop it!)

And last but CERTAINLY not least (which I am most excited about!) … YTV will be premiering a new Anne of Green Gables movie this February 15! I hadn’t heard about this at all until I saw it just last night on Hannah’s blog. I was thrilled! The 1985 TV series is loved, but I’m willing to give this one a chance. Martin Sheen wouldn’t be my first choice for Matthew (purely based on looks, okay? I’m biased) and it’s definitely going to be different. But Ella Ballentine looks like a positively adorable Anne — plus she’s my age and I think it’s exciting that this new version of the books could bring up a new generation of fans! Best of all: L.M. Montgomery’s granddaughter is producing the movie! The fact that the producer is related to Lucy Montgomery makes me trust them 10 times more.

(You can watch the trailer here or above.) I will definitely be watching this!

what books did you read this week? and what do you think of the bookish news? 😉

books

double interview with brooke!

January 22, 2016 Emily 16 Comments

Hi everybody! Most of you (I’m sure!) know one of my best friends Brooke by now. She’s my favorite pen pal (okay, so she’s my only pen pal. She’s still my favorite) and bookish friend who I met on my blog! (#17869 on why blogging is the best.) Today I’ll be doing an interview with her… but it’s a bit different because this is a DOUBLE interview! (Which means Brooke will be asking me a few questions as well.) If you follow my on Goodreads (go do that here for lots of updates on what I’m reading – I’m addicted), I asked you on Wednesday for any questions you had for me or Brooke. Brooke and I will be asking each other questions we came with ourselves, and your questions as well!

OH and I almost forgot the best part: you can finally put a face to Miss Brooke! 🙂 If she hasn’t commented on your blog, it’s only because she hasn’t discovered it yet, because Brooke comments on practically every blog. Meaning if you’re a blogger who comments on my blog frequently… she has probably visited you. And if you have no clue WHO Brooke is? You can thank me later for telling you about her. (She’s the coolest friend.)

So Brooke, you blushing yet? (It’s my life goal, I promise.)

Meet BROOKE!

Do you recognize those peoples beside Brooke?? Do you?? DO YOU? Yep, that’s the AH-MAZE-ING Marissa Meyer – author of The Lunar Chronicles – and Kiera Cass – author of The Selection series. Brooke’s a lucky duck. No scratch that. Marissa Meyer & Kiera Cass are. (Cause unlike me, they’ve met Brooke in person. Grr.)

Emily: Hey Brooke! I thought I would probably start off with a question relating to a little bit about yourself: what’s your family like? (Also just like a general overview of yourself.) 🙂

Brooke:

Haha. Well, I have two older brothers, one older sister, and one little sister. I have two neices and one nephew on the way! My dad retired in 2015 from the air force. I have lived in Hawaii, Japan, Guam, and New Mexico. We are currently in between moves. I’ve been homeschooled all my life, and I am in 8th grade. Umm….. I don’t really know what else to say. Haha Now for my first question, what books are you most excited to read this year?

Emily:

Let’s see: January 26 – The Siren by Kiera Cass, February 2 – Stars Above by Marissa Meyer, February 9 – Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard, March 8 – A Tyranny Of Petticoats, March 29 – The Winner’s Kiss by Marie Rutkoski, May 3 – The Heir by Kiera Cass, Mother/Daughter Book Camp by Heather Vogel Frederick… I can’t think of any past that at the moment but I’m sure there will be! Now for my question for you: If there was any fictional character you could live with, who would it be?

Brooke: Hmm…. probably Hermione Granger (Harry Potter), or Annabeth Chase (Percy Jackson). What author(s) have a similar writing style to yours?

Emily: Rachel Coker and Ann M. Martin. They both write beautiful historical fiction books that are poetic and powerful, and I’d dream of writing like that someday. I think I write like both of them even now, just because it’s natural to take the same writing style of the books you read. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Brooke: Well, in ten years I would be 23…. I see myself a new graduate from college and working. I don’t know totally what I want to do but it’ll probably be something book related( publishing or something like that). What are your favorite movies or TV shows?

Emily: AHHH I REALLY LIKE THIS ONE. As much as I adore books (adore is an understatement, but I think everybody already knows that), I do love talking about movies/TV shows I like. LET ME THINK: movies… You’ve Got Mail, anything with Tom Hanks, any Jane Austen book-to-movie adaption, The Giver, Divergent (the first one, not the second one), THE BOOK THIEF (READ THE BOOK FIRST), Back to the Future, Ever After, Leap Year, Do You Believe… I should probably stop now. TV Shows: Boy Meets World (Girl Meets World not so much), Full House (not my favorite-favorite, but it never gets old), GILMORE GIRLS, When Calls the Heart, and Heartland. I’d like to start watching Once Upon a Time next. 🙂 Meet an author (say… J.K. Rowling or another big-name author you’ve never met before) OR meet an online friend? (like meeee!)

Brooke: This is such a hard question! Well, meeting J.K.Rowling or Rick Riordan would be awesome, but I would have to choose an online friend. What are the names of all your different pets? (I struggle to keep them straight)

Emily: No biggie. I struggled for months to keep your family straight. XD Okay, here goes. Two cats: Mittens (male) and Maisy (female.) One dog: Beasley (male – we’ve had him for three months, love him so much!) Three turtles (yellow-belly slider turtles): Squirt (mine), Tutu and Zoom (my sister’s). And then four fish: Alpha (Beta fish – HAHAHA GET IT. Alpha and Beta are the first two letters of the Greek alphabet… heehee), Gil, Speedy, and Flo. And a snail, Gary. (Like Spongebob’s snail.) 😉

Brooke, would you tell me a bit more about getting to meet Kiera Cass and Marissa Meyer??

Brooke: I met Kiera Cass back in May when she was touring for The Heir. The book signing was three or four hours away from where I lived so we decided to make a day out of it. We went shopping before hand and arrives at the bookstore a few hours befor hand and ate a café next door. Then we had to wait a little longer. I sat in the second row cause the front row was to intimidating. Listening to her talk was great. And she personalized my books, which was great. Back in November I went to see Marissa Meyer. I was so excited. I had bought the tickets a few months before hand. The atmosphere was so much differnt then the Kiera signing. There were a ton of people dressed up and the staff was great. When the doors opened my dad and I made our way to a table which was near a podium. We had no idea where she was going to be speaking so we didn’t know where to sit. While waiting for it to start I made a button and walked around. They had the costume contest next and introduced Marissa. It turned out we had sat in the perfect spot! She spoke a few feet away from me. She was so cool. It was so fun. I was number 29 in line. When it was my turn I was so nervous. I had a lot of books so we got to talk for a bit. I commented on Winter. She talked to me about my Harry Potter shirt, and it turns out we are from the same house! She asked me about the Cinder necklace I was wearing and how I made it. And then I took my photos with her and was on my way! It was the best.

Now for the questions from you guys on the Goodreads!

From Izel: if you could spend a whole 24 hours with each other, where would you meet and what would you do? 🙂 Emily: We’ve talked about this one. (Very good question though!) I feel like when we meet, it will either be months planned in advance or a last-minute thing, like “My family’s driving through, let’s meet!” BUT if I had absolutely any choice I’d love to meet Brooke at an author-signing or big book convention! Then I’d be soooo hyped. Meeting an author AND Brooke?! OH YEAH. Also, having a sleepover sometime would be amazing.

Brooke: That is such a great question Izel! I would love to meet her at a young adult book festival (such as y’all fest) or an author signing. It would be so mugh fun. And then afterwards we could have a sleepover and talk about the event. But I would also love to just go to a bookstore and browse, chat, and shop. And afterwards get tea at starbucks. Doing anything with Emily would be fun :).

From Stormsiren99: awesome! Ok here’s a question: What is your favorite childhood book? 🙂 🙂 🙂 Emily: The Boxcar Children or Nancy Drew series were the first “chapter books” I got into around 7-8 years old, and The American Girl books and The Mother/Daughter Book Club were ones I got into a little bit later. 🙂 Although the EARLIEST would have to be If You Give a Pig a Pancake or Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? 😉

Brooke: Thanks for the question Stormsiren99. American Girl was one of my first chapter books. I got into those when I was about 8 or so. And then for my 9th birthday I got the first book in the Harry Potter series. I fell in love with it. It really fueled my love for fantasy, And the rest is history :).

From Olivia: Do you think “once upon a time” is cliche/overused or do you like it? Emily: I think it’s kind of a classic, at this point. I haven’t read many books that start with it, but I feel like if I began a book with those lines it would probably end up being a more sarcastic, dry humor-type book (think the narrator of The Series of Unfortunate Events or The Book Thief) than a fairy tale if that makes sense. (?) Does it…? I don’t know if that does or not. Not even sure if that was the answer you were looking for… oops. 🙂

Brooke: Awesome question Olivia! Once upon a time is so cliché but when used the right way it can really add to the story.

From Trisha: What are your two bookish pet peeves? Emily: I hate hate hate not finishing books. (Otherwise known as DNF – Did Not Finish.) It makes me feel so unsettled. (Even though I used to be the QUEEN of DNFing in elementary school.) And watching the movie before the book. Ask my parents. I get so mad when they watch the movie without reading the book. *sigh*

Brooke: When people dog ear pages and only watch the movie are two major pet peeves of mine. I have a ton though. ;p

From Trisha: If you could go anywhere in the world, where and why? Emily: Either Germany because my grandmother’s side of the family dates back to coming to America in the 1500s after agreeing with Martin Luther during the Protestant Reformation. Their castles – The Funderburk castles, or pronounced in German something like “Vonderburgh” are still there! Also Bath, England: because Jane Austen’s house, duh.

Brooke: I would go to England. Because as I mentioned earlier I’m a big Harry Potter fan so I would love to visit all of the HP sights. And of course it would be awesome to see all of the historical monuments.

i really hope you all enjoyed this post! let me know in the comments below if you have any more questions for us, we’d be happy to answer them! and answer some of the questions from above in the comments! 🙂

lists

my favorite (rainy-day specific!) bookish movies

January 20, 2016 Emily 9 Comments

I have a confession to make: sometimes – only sometimes! – I prefer movies over books. It’s a rainy afternoon and I know I ought to make myself some hot chocolate or tea or something of the sort and sit down and RELISH the amazing bookish afternoon, but but but… I don’t. (GASP.) Sometimes I’m just in the mood for a movie, you know?

So I have compiled a list. This list is the list of my favorite bookish movies. Some of them are book-to-movie adaptions and some are simply books that involve a bookworm protagonist or author, etc. I’m here to help you in case you are having trouble coming to terms with the fact that our poor bookworm eyes can’t always focus on words. (It’s a shame, really, I know.)

*Note: there are many movies (such as… The Giver or Divergent) that aren’t always rainy-day preferred for me. On rainy days I like funny, sad, more bookish movies as opposed to book-to-movie adaptions that involve more action. So bear that in mind while reading. 🙂 There are book-turned-movie films that I enjoy just as much, but these are the ones I’d be in the mood for on a chilly, rainy afternoon.

(Think this is the prettiest GIF I’ve ever seen.)

becoming jane.

AHHHH JANE AUSTEN. My love for her has only grown within the past four years. I love her books (well, the one I have read, and the others I’ve seen films for – I really need to change that GRR) and I was fascinated by her own life even before that. This movie isn’t 100% accurate on her life, though it is a possibility, as many historians believe she was involved with a Mr. Tom Lefroy. Plus, if you compare the actors (Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy – YESSS) to the actual pictures of Lefroy and Austen, it’s spot-on! (This makes me happy.) Oh and you may recognize McAvoy from another book-to-move adaption: The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe? Mr. Tumnus anyone? (He’s… better-looking in this one, I promise.) XD

miss potter.

Do you know the story behind the famous Miss Beatrix Potter and her little Peter Rabbit?? Do you? DO YOU?? I bet you don’t. (And if you do, go you.) I actually haven’t seen this one in a while, but my goodness the tears. THE TEARS. Grab a box of tissues, some chocolate, and settle in for this adorable story. I’m seriously considering naming my daughter Beatrix one day. (And my son Peter, wouldn’t that be adorable?? BOOKWORM NAMES YES.)

the book thief.

This book is a ten star out of five for me. I feel like it’s something absolutely everyone can enjoy: young, old, boy, girl, whoever you are. YOU NEED TO READ IT OK. And then after you’ve read it, go watch the movie. Of course, there are flaws (that is to say, it’s not a six-hour EXACT replica of the book in movie-form) BUT it is amazingly well-done for a book-to-movie adaption. I read the book a little over two years ago and I reeealllly need to give it a re-read. I was just stunned by Markus Zusak’s perspective and narration. The writing was pure poetry. (Confusing at first, but so is the movie. Even the narration was translated well, I think.)

(As an added bonus: my favorite Emily Watson plays in both Miss Potter and The Book Thief. I like her for her name, of course.) (*Not Emma Watson, even though she’s cool too. Because that’s what Google keeps thinking I mean.)

austenland.

Hilarity and romance. My biggest weakness. (Romantic comedies aren’t the best book genre for me, but 100% for these in movies.) I recently reviewed this book (here) and… to be perfectly honest? … I kind of liked the movie better than the book!! I mean, it’s just even better that Jennifer Coolidge and Jane Seymour star alongside several others. (One of which my favorite actor from a loved movie, Leap Year, which isn’t book-related but plenty cute.) Just… prepare to roll on the floor laughing, alright?!

what are your rainy-day bookish movies?? (i know for sure you’ll remind me of some i missed, so i’d like to hear from you!)

reviews

the heir and the spare by emily albright

January 18, 2016 Emily 3 Comments

Title: The Heir & The Spare

Author: Emily Albright

Publisher: Merit Press

Publication Date: January 18, 2016

Source: The Fantastic Flying Book Club

About: Family can be complicated. Especially when skeletons from the past pop up unexpectedly. For American Evie Gray, finding out her deceased mother had a secret identity, and not one of the caped crusader variety, was quite the surprise. Evie’s mom had a secret life before she was even born, one that involved tiaras.

In this modern day fairytale, Evie is on a path to figure out who her mom really was, while discovering for herself what the future will hold. Charged with her late mother’s letters, Evie embarks on a quest into her past. The first item on the list is to attend Oxford, her mom’s alma mater. There, Evie stumbles upon a real life prince charming, Edmund Stuart the second Prince of England, who is all too happy to be the counterpart to her damsel in distress.

Evie can’t resist her growing attraction to Edmund as they spend more time together trying to unravel the clues her mother left behind. But, when doubts arise as to whether or not Edmund could ever be with an untitled American, what really ends up unraveling is Evie’s heart. When Evie uncovers all the facts about her mom’s former life, she realizes her mom’s past can open doors she never dreamed possible, doors that can help her be with Edmund. But, with everything now unveiled, Evie starts to crack under the pressure of new family responsibilities and the realization that her perfect prince may want her for all the wrong reasons.

Nopeity nope nope. I hate to be such a downer in a review, but this book was just not for me.

Let me start from the beginning: as a follower of the Fantastic Flying Book Club, I got an email about the blog tour and the book. (You can submit an application for the book you want to receive an ARC of and if you are chosen, you get to be apart of a blog tour promoting the book with reviews an such.) It’s such a fun website and I’ve been apart of it once or twice before. I was stoked for The Heir & The Spare. I mean, the cover alone looked amazing.

I was expecting a Princess Diaries meets The Prince and Me. (And it really was just that. MINUS the plot.)

(But let’s face it those movies – and book – are classics and can’t be re-created.)

But either a) I misjudged the cover and synopsis or b) it’s very misleading or c) IT’S JUST NOT FOR ME. And I think it’s a mix of the latter two because I have many complaints.

#1: It’s cheesy. Like, Ghouda-Swiss-Cheddar-Colby-Jack-Monteray-Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cheesy. And normally, I don’t have any problem with this because I love cheesy. I EAT IT UP. (Pun intended.) But then there’s a difference between cheesy and plot holes, and that’s where this book falls apart I think. (Though cheese DOES have holes in it, right? Ha. Ha. Ha… okay never mind me.) This is the main issue, because underneath comes a whole slew of problems that really only leaves the synopsis. It’s a tough one, this book. :-/

#2: There’s no setting, and quite honestly I feel that zero research went into the book. The main character, Evie, attends Oxford University in England. I was thrilled because I love books set in England! I’m just in love with the idea of all things British, and I was excited to learn a bit about the scenery and setting and such. But… NOTHING seemed to tell me “different setting here, she’s in a big name school in a different country” because based on the descriptions (or lack thereof) Evie could easily be in a plain college in Nowhereville, USA. And that was a total let-down. As for the research portion, Evie’s love interest is the PRINCE of England. I think more detail about how a commoner from America would fit with a royal of another country would go well together would have been much better, because… PRINCE Edward didn’t seem to have a royal thought in his head about it.

#3: Insta-love guys. Mega insta-love. I haven’t read a book with such insta-love before, truly. Evie looks at this guy and she’s all “dear lord he looks tasty” and I do mean it was that fast and silly-like. This goes along with the cheesiness, but I wouldn’t have a problem with that if it didn’t go so fast. And while we’re on the topic of romance, it did not sit well with me. Evie and her love interest didn’t seem to have a relationship so much as she had a kissing-fling with him, and that highly annoyed me. It was a whole drama-saga-up-and-down-rollercoaster type “relationship” (if you want to call it that, but I digress) and it exhausted me.

#4: The main character seems too immature for her age. Evie is nineteen in the beginning of the book, and turns twenty about half-way through. But she’s so daft and rash she bothered me, a fourteen-year-old. She had no further aspirations for herself: she considers dropping college and returning home to Seattle at one point. But she attends Oxford University. I assume you have to work very hard to make it to a university like that, but she considers dropping it like a hot potato just because exams and relationship are “too much.” It drove me bonkers. And I also have a more personal complaint as well: Evie had no respect for herself. She goes way far way fast with this prince of hers, but still doubts his feelings for her and whether or not they are, in fact, boyfriend/girlfriend. Um. WHAT.

It frustrated me so badly I can’t even express myself in a single post. Moreover the fact that she wasn’t the smartest character when it comes to relationships, I hated it because personally I feel that’s a bad example for any reader who picks this book up. I just hate characters who spend the book wondering what their relationship status is. Because that’s why it’s a personal opinion of mine: that shouldn’t even be considered a plot. I believe relationships should be taken far more seriously and with much more care, and it Irritates The Heck Out Of Me. *rant over*

I did enjoy a few things. Evie is a likable character. Lemme put it this way: she craves Netflix marathons, sweatpants, and pizza. And she’s an avid fan of Jane Austen and other classic novels. The story itself is nice enough; easy to get into, and very short. So if you’re looking for a very light romance go for it. Frankly my dear… I just wasn’t attached enough to the characters or book to care about anything. (if you caught that go you!) Wasn’t my cup of tea.

2 stars.

so what do you do when you read a low-rated book? how do you feel about cheesiness? and tell me: british accents do make everything better right?!! oh and the princess diaries or the prince and me? 🙂

stacking the shelves

stacking the shelves #29

January 16, 2016 Emily 14 Comments

Hi everyone! I’m sorry I missed my post yesterday; it’s been a busy week and I had a friend over yesterday. (Pizza, ice cream, and a marathon of Love Comes Softly movies, anyone?) But this week has been a fantastic week book-wise, and I’m excited to show you the ones I got! (A small stack, but an awesome stack nonetheless.)

From the bottom we have… *drum roll please*

JACKABY by Wiliam Ritter: Okay, I’m really not sure about this one. I thought it was a regular historical fiction, and then I realized it has something to with supernatural things and a detective. (?) It definitely looks interesting, and the cover is absolutely amazing, buuuut. I don’t know what to think of the synopsis. Is there anyone who has read it who can tell me a little more about it?

THE WINNER’S CURSE by Marie Rutkoski: Remember last week when I accidentally got the second book in the Winner’s trilogy, instead of the first? I GOT THE FIRST ONE! Yaaaaay. I’m excited to see what this is all about. The dresses on the cover look very enticing. PLUS: THESE PAGEEEEES. What do you call these?? I don’t even know, but I’d like to see books have them a lot more. I haven’t even seen a lot of people talk about them, but they’re SO BEAUTIFUL. anyway. did I mention I liked the pages?

ALL FALL DOWN by Ally Carter: AHHHH ALLY CARTER. I’ve heard so much about her and this series and I am thrilled to have this. I’ve been wanting to read it for almost a YEAR now I think.

SWIPE by Evan Angler: you guys keep talking & talking & talking & talking about this book and I WANT TO KNOW WHYYYY. (ok maybe that’s an exaggeration but my point is that I’ve heard it’s awesome and I don’t want to be left out of the awesomeness.)

Also — I wanted to talk about my 100-book challenge for 2016! How many books are you trying to read this year?? And how many have you read so far? I’ve read 4, so I’m on track but I would like to have read more… this past week I read Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella (which was amazing by the way!) and Austenland by Shannon Hale.

what books did you read this week? which books did you get this week? tell me below!

lists, miscellaneous 'bookish' things

12 bookish fantasies

January 13, 2016 Emily 2 Comments

Bookworms will be bookworms and as a bookworm I can safely admit that I have had… er… rather impossible fantasies that I am positive we all wish were true. Because let’s face it, fiction is so much better than reality. (Take that, Taylor Swift song ‘Sweeter Than Fiction.’) But hey, there’s always our imagination right?! And books… we can hold onto the books… sigh.

#1: One whole day all to myself. That looks like this.

Please?? Pretty pretty pretty please? With sugar and a cherry on top? For my birthday then. Christmas? *sigh* *whispers* this is my happy plaaaaaace. If every single day looked like this life could not get ANY better. Except maybe if all of you were sitting with me while we read and every now and then (when I am at a GOOD STOPPING PLACE) we could talk about the books. Let’s plan a date ok?!

#2: Unlimited bookstore money.

UNLIMITED. UNLIMITED I TELL YOU. No no no. I mean twelve dozen shopping cart unlimited. LET’S FILL MY ROOM WITH BOOKS. I don’t want to see my floor. begone, carpet! Just walls and walls and walls of books. Just raid the bookstore. Just toss everything in. Make a list of which ones I most want to read and BOOM. (because teenager + $10 a week allowance + limited babysitting money = way too small book budget.)

#3: NO INTERRUPTIONS.

This kinda goes along with #1, but it’s totally different. So I’m in the car or in the living room with no coffee or tea and no rain. I suppose I’ll take that if I can read with 0 interruptions. I’m not trying to be rude, I promise. And I suppose, maybe, ok if I forget to do my chores or something of the sort I should put my book down. So in that case it’s my fault. But EXCLUDING that?

you’re out of luuuuuck.

#4: Audio books should totally come with paperbacks.

Yup, this is totally impossible and probably unlikely, but we need to fix this problem:

my dad’s got a picture of me stirring dinner on the stove with my book in hand. WHO ELSE, raise your hand.

#5: Book therapy.

For when you finish that series that kills you. (LITERALLY kills you.) When you’re going through book withdrawals all alone. I’m talking book therapy groups. I’m talking scenarios like “My name is Emily, I am a book addict, annnnd I have not mourned over [insert fictional person’s name here] in two whole hours.”

#6: NO ONE is allowed to say this.

“It’s just a book.”

NOOOOO OOOONE.

#7: Exercise should be like this.

“ONE MORE ONE MORE & I CAN EAT THAT BOOK UP.”

ok ok but in my true fantasy world I wouldn’t have any physical activity (besides my fingers, obvs, so I can flip the page) but rewards like the #1 bookish fantasy? I’d be doing 100 sit-ups.

#8: nooooooo spoilers.

ever ever ever ever ever ever. & ever.

#9: Cats at your disposal: ALWAYS. (or dogs. your choice.)

To cuddle when you need comfort. Real humans may not do the job, but if it’s furry I’m hugging it.

#10: Bookshelves that are always beautifully & neatly organized.

This is EVERYONE’s dream, right? On that note why don’t I switch this to whole houses? (’cause I guess that fantasy isn’t just a bookworm fantasy.) But I mean really. NEVER RUN OUT OF SHELF SPACE.

#11: always have a book with you.

So you never ever in a billion years forget. (and please please, stores, can you just start fitting every single purse to size of the average book? possibly bigger to fit multiples? Kay thanks.)

#12: Authors. More author events EVERYWHERE.

so what would be on YOUR bookish fantasy list?? did i miss anything? tell me below!

reviews

austenland by shannon hale

January 11, 2016 Emily Leave a comment

Title: Austenland

Author: Shannon Hale

Series: Austenland #1

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Publishing Date: May 29, 2007

Length: 197 pages

Source: Library

About: Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane’s fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen;or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It’s all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

This book was all fluff and positively adorable. I watched the movie two(ish?) years ago and it was hilarious, so I sort of knew what to expect already and I was curious as to how similar the book and movie were. (They were almost exactly spot-on which was great.) It’s a light book and 100% easy and care-free so there’s that.

There is quite a big difference between books and movies though (as we allll know!) and that is the characters! Sure, in the movie I understood Jane’s obsession with Jane Austen and how all her relationships went sour… but I didn’t really know her as well as I would have had I read the book first. But truthfully this book was so light and short I’m still not sure I got to know Jane all that well. She was very flippant and indecisive and that really got on my nerves. The whole book was basically Jane questioning herself.

I did love the 3rd-person narration though. It was kind of odd, because this is a contemporary novel yet the main character goes on a vacation where everything is 1816-style and “Austenesque.” (Hence the name Austenland!) It was an interesting setting, something I’ve never really read before.

The romance is the main center of the book of course, but since I’d already seen the movie I knew how it’d end. Still… it didn’t really develop until about two-thirds of the book. This was part love triangle but it was SO frustrating. Jane is a lovable character but also so irritating! (Think America Singer in a different book and much less developed.) The ending was very sweet and AHHH SO ADORABLE. It’s been so long since I watched the movie and I missed the romance between Jane annnnd… The Unnamed Suitor.

Also… one of the guys in the story really looked more like this:

(On the right)

Annnnnd I imagined him like this:

(on the right)

Yeeeahhhh. The first guy is from Austenland the movie and the second is from Becoming Jane. Guess I’m getting my Austen-related movies confused. XD (On a sidenote, Becoming Jane is amazing.)

Also: being at least a little familiar with Jane Austen and her books (Pride & Prejudice primarily) would probably be smart before reading this book so you could appreciate the jokes and actual setting a bit more. This Austen fan prides herself in reading P&P (stumbling through the words but hey I did finish) in the fifth grade so it was pretty hilarious and relatable.

Sooo… overall, this book was iffy. There were some pretty fun parts, I liked the narration, the ending was perfect… but I did have some complaints.

Three stars!

so tell me! how do you feel about jane austen? (fitzwilliam fan over here! haha! … ha… ha) do you think this is something you’d read? have you seen the movie?

stacking the shelves

stacking the shelves #28

January 9, 2016 Emily 10 Comments

OH. MY GOOOOSH. I have such a FABULOUS stack you guys I am ridiculously excited. Wait. No. No, that’s not even the word for it. I am downright GIDDY because ohhhh mah lordy at the hype. It’s a great stack, really.

ILLUMINAE by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff: You have no idea how many times this one’s popped up in my Goodreads feed. Seriously, I’ve seen nothing but good reviews and squeals for it! (Which exciting but also makes me a *teensie* bit worried because what if I don’t like it???) I haven’t read any books by these two authors – even though I want to! SOON! – this book looks so interesting. REAL cover love too. And the way the book is written in files and such, it looks so cool! Excited is an understatement.

MAGONIA by Maria Dahvana Headley: Another one I’ve heard so much about! I’m also *teensie* bit worried for this one but that doesn’t lessen my excitement! This cover is also absolutely gorgeous and intriguing… even the title is pretty-sounding. And the main character’s name! “Aza Ray.” All of it looks so good.

FINDING AUDREY by Sophie Kinsella: Another one I’m anxious for. I’ve heard a mixture of things about this one, so I’m excited to see what I think! Plus the main character, Audrey, is 14, which is exciting because like I said in my review for The Hired Girl, there aren’t a ton of 14-year-olds in YA. Though I’m interested to see how the romance pans out as the MC is so young. Eep!

AUSTENLAND by Shannon Hale: I have a confession to make: I have seen the movie for this but not read the book! IT’S NOT MY FAULT THOUGH I PROMISE. I watched the movie two years ago (I need to re-watch it ’cause it was hilarious, by the way) and didn’t even realize it was a book. When I did figure this out, I was stoked! It wasn’t until later that I realized this book is by Shannon Hale, author of The Princess Academy series! So I will be thoroughly enjoying this one, I’m sure. It’s pretty short, and if the movie is any indication, it should be a fun romance. 🙂 Plus: c’mon, it’s called Austenland. The MC is obsessive over Jane Austen. I’m into it already.

“I memorized the first three chapters of Pride & Prejudice when I was 13.” XD

THE WINNER’S CRIME by Marie Rutkoski: ‘kay, picked this one up from the library, excited to start it because I recognize the cover… only to realize it is the SECOND in The Winner’s Trilogy, not the first. Oops. (Epic Read’s book nerd problems, anyone?) So I won’t be reading this one until the first book is on hold at the library for me, but hopefully soon? (I put it on hold Wednesday.) Thank goodness I didn’t start reading it!

SWIPE by Evan Angler: Brooke has raved about this book for so long and evidently whilst looking at the book on Goodreads, several of you have read it as well! Since so many of you that I trust loved it so much, I’m expecting good things from this one!

tell me about the books YOU got this week! and have you read any of the books in my stack?? i want to hear from you!

P.S. I’ve had some technical difficulties with my contact page – I know several of you have used it and I never got your emails – but my genius dad fixed the issue and you can contact me there now! (And this time, I WILL get your emails and I promise to answer them.) 🙂