Hi everyone! Well, February has come and gone, and now we are a week into March. That means spring is on its way!! February was a pretty uneventful month for me, personally, but after the January I had, I really appreciated the peace. Also, on February 10th, it was my blog’s 2nd anniversary! Of course, I totally forgot, and so I didn’t do anything. I do just want to say though, thank you all so much to all of you who have followed, liked/commented on, and visited my blog. I really appreciate each and every one of you, and all your kind words and support for me these past two years has really meant a lot! I’m looking forward to seeing all the wonderful things that this next year of blogging brings. 🙂
I feel like I had a pretty great blogging and reading month! Altogether I read six books in the month of February.
BOOKS READ
– Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
– A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
– Safe House by Meg Cabot \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
– The Coronation by Livy Jarmusch (ebook) \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
– To All the Boys I Loved Before by Jenny Han \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
– Breakfast at Tiffany’s: A Short Novel and Three Short Stories by Truman Capote \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️
STANDOUT BOOK OF THE MONTH
Safe House, which is book #3 in the 1-800-Where-R-U series, by Meg Cabot, really blew me away! It had that classic, Meg Cabot sass, with so much suspense, action, and mystery, and I completely devoured this book.
BOOKS REVIEWED
Dreaming with God by Sarah Beth Marr \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Safe House by Meg Cabot \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
BOOK HAUL
I picked up two books this month! First, I received an ARC of Where the Fire Falls by Karen Barnett from Blogging for Books! Then, I was at the Dollar Tree, and found If Only by Richard Paul Evans. I haven’t heard a lot about this book, but everything that I have heard has been good, and I’ve really enjoyed some of his other books, so I’m sure I’ll enjoy this one, too!
MISCELLANEOUS
This month, I participated in some Top Ten Tuesdays:
- Top Ten Books on my TBR I Still Haven’t Read
- Top Five Favorite Quotes About Love
- Top Ten Books I Could Reread Forever
I also shared some of my anticipated reads on Waiting on Wednesday:
In February, I also had the chance to participate in the super fun and love-filled InLoveAThon!
This month’s Movie Monday was A Walk to Remember.
Some other posts I wrote this month were:
The New Disney Princess Book Tag
That wraps up February. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store for March (hopefully warmer weather)!
Thanks so much for reading!
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It’s Top Ten Tuesday again! It’s a weekly bookish list hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl! This week’s topic is:
Favorite Book Quotes
I think it’s so fitting that this is this week’s topic, because just the other day, I was thinking about book quotes, and how there’s so many really amazing quotes out there. Also, instead of explaining why I like each of these quotes, I’ve decided to just let these quotes speak for themselves. And, on a side note, just know that I tried really hard not to just make all these quotes from L M Montgomery, because I could have. 😂 Alright, let’s get started!
1.
“It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.”
– L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
2.
“We mustn’t let next week rob us of this week’s joy.”
– L. M. Montgomery, Anne of the Island
3.
“If we spend all of today thinking about tomorrow, today will be gone, and we will have missed it.”
– Robin Jones Gunn, 17 Wishes
4.
“Stories let us see and hear and feel what someone else does,” she explained. “They build bridges to the other islands. That’s why stories are so important. They create true empathy.”
– Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase
5.
“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book. And then there are books like An Imperial Affliction, which you can’t tell people about, books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like betrayal”
– John Green, The Fault in Our Stars
6.
“The thing is that people only get hurt—really hurt—when they’re trying to play it safe. That’s when people get injured, when they pull back at the last second because they’re scared. They hurt themselves and other people.”
– Morgan Matson, Second Chance Summer
7.
“if you hate the one who hates, you could risk becoming like the one you hate.”
– Fredrik Backman, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry
8.
“We look not at the things which are what you would call seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal. But the things which are not seen are eternal.”
– Madeleine L’Engle, A Wrinkle in Time
9.
“It’s the choosing that’s important, isn’t it?”
– Lois Lowry, The Giver
10.
“So Matilda’s strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone.”
– Roald Dahl, Matilda
I hope you enjoyed reading some of my favorite quotes. I’d love to read yours!
Thanks for reading!
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Title: The Coronation (Tales of Tarsurella#1) by Livy Jarmusch
Pages: 460
Genres: YA, Contemporary, Christian
Summary
Prince Addison is only several weeks away from inheriting the Kingdom of Tarsurella. The entire Palace is ablaze with excitement, as the Royal Family prepares for the event of a lifetime. Despite the exciting event which is near at hand, Addison and his younger siblings (all seven of them!) must carry on with their daily activities.
Addison’s sisters, Princesses Bridget, Chasity, and Hope, have their struggles with being iconic European starlets of a modern day monarchy. The teen heiresses grace magazine covers, smile for photoshoots, and gracefully glide through important interviews–until a certain American popstar arrives on the scene. Kennetic Energy, the wildly popular band from the United States, is chosen to play at Addison’s Coronation. David Carter, the band’s handsome lead singer, fumbles through awkward moments with Princess Hope–in front of the cameras. When an embarrassing rumor sparks that Princess Hope is dating the young fellow, she is determined to get the band fired from their Royal gig.
Meanwhile, Princess Chasity is dealing with her own fragile affairs of the heart. Her new security guard, Hanson Fletcher, is completely captivating, yet entirely frustrating. She attempts to keep the entrance of her heart firmly protected, while following the wisdom of Proverbs 4:23. But can she be successful in guarding her heart, from her security guard?
What I Thought
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review. A big thank you to the author!*
Going into this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew it was about a royal family from the fictional, European country, Tarsurella, and that it was faith-based, and that was it. So, as I started to read it, I was instantly intrigued with the plot, and I had no idea how intense this story was going to get!
One of my favorite things about this novel was the setting. It’s been so long since I’ve read a good royalty story, and The Coronation had all the best parts of one. I loved how it was set in modern day, yet Tarsurella itself was so enchanting and, at places, just like a good, old-fashioned fairytale.
Another thing I loved about The Coronation was the characters. The royal family is rather large, so I was worried I would have trouble keeping track of everyone, but once again, Livy Jarmusch has managed to create such unique characters, that I had no trouble keeping track of not only the entire royal family, but every other character as well. Everybody had their own unique personality and style, and I loved that! I also appreciated how firm in their faith some of the characters were. Several of the characters’ faith and hope in God was so inspiring and encouraging. This book definitely reminded me of a cleaner, yet more dramatic/action packed, Christian-based Princess Diaries, which made me so excited!
I’m also looking forward to seeing where the budding romances will lead as the series continues. There are so many cute moments between certain characters already. Despite how much I love all the potential relationships, I also loved the emphasis placed on the fact that you don’t need a boyfriend/girlfriend to complete you.
One thing I didn’t care for in this book, however, was the stereotypical portrayal of Muslims and Middle Easterners. It was disappointing and did not sit well with me that the only characters of that religion and ethnicity that were in this book were portrayed as villains and extremely evil.
Overall, though, I really did enjoy this book! The Coronation was such an adventure, and I can’t wait to read its sequel, The Rebellion! I would recommend this novel to anyone look for a fun and adventurous book. It’s also perfect for fans of Meg Cabot, who are looking for a cleaner, faith-filled alternative.
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Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature started by Breaking the Spine that puts the spotlight on upcoming releases!
This week’s pick is:
Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orïsha #1)
RELEASING MARCH 6TH, 2018!
Tomi Adeyemi conjures a stunning world of dark magic and danger in her West African-inspired fantasy debut, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sabaa Tahir.
Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.
But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.
Now, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.
Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers—and her growing feelings for the enemy.
I’ve heard some pretty incredible things about Children of Blood and Bone so far, and the book hasn’t even released yet! This book sounds so good and the cover is so gorgeous. I have a really good feeling about this one!!
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It’s Top Ten Tuesday again! It’s a weekly bookish list hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl! This week’s topic is:
Books I Could Reread Forever
So, the books for this week’s list include some of my favorites that I either want to reread, or are books that I have reread and still want to reread again! Okay, here we go:
The Book Thief
I first read this book back in 2014, and it quickly became one of my favorite books. The Book Thief is just so beautifully written, the characters are so memorable, and I just really adore everything about this book. For the past couple of years, I’ve been meaning to reread it, but I haven’t yet. I really hope to actually get to rereading it this year!
Twilight
Twilight is such a comfort read to me, and honestly, I just don’t get tired of this book! It was one of the first YA books that I read, and it’s the reason I really fell in love with YA in general. I’ll always have a special place in my bookish heart for Twilight. ❤️
Eleanor & Park
I read Eleanor & Park for the first time just last year, so this is not one that I have reread yet. That being said, it’s only been a year and I already want to reread it! This book was just so good and I could not put it down. It’s one of those books that I think about often, even though it’s been a year since I read it.
Matilda
Matilda is one of those books that I just don’t think I will ever get tired of. Ronald Dahl’s writing is so witty and clever, the characters in Matilda are so memorable, and the actual story is just wild, and I love it! Plus, it’s all about a little girl who just loves books so much, and so Matilda has always been someone I could relate to, because books are just so wonderful, and it is genuinely wonderful to read about someone who has such a strong appreciation for books.
Anne of Green Gables
The fact that Anne of Green Gables is on this list should come as a surprise to no one, lol. I just love Anne of Green Gables so much! I seriously think the entire series will never get old to me. At this point, Anne of Green Gables is more than a book, it’s a way of life! 😂😜
Anything Nancy Drew
Another series that will never grow old to me is Nancy Drew. These books have been such a huge part of my reading life that, just like with Anne of Green Gables, they really are a part of my lifestyle, as weird as that sounds. This is a series that just makes me super nostalgic and is the epitome of a comfort read. Nancy Drew books are the original favorites in my reading life, and because of that these books will forever have a shining spot on my bookcase.
The Secret Garden
Every spring, I get the strongest desire to reread The Secret Garden. I feel like it’s such a perfect book to read during the spring months, and I just really adore this book! And then, of course, I always want to watch the movie as well…😉
Christy Miller series
I love the Christy Miller series! The books are so readable and you just can’t help but fall in love with Christy and Todd and all their friends. I’m still holding onto hope for a movie someday, but in the meantime, there’s enough books in this series to keep me busy reading and rereading!
Holes
I can’t believe I only read Holes for the first time last summer! After being a fan of the movie for years, I’m so glad I finally read the book, because I loved it! It’s one of those books that as soon as you finish it, you just want to go back to the beginning and start rereading it again, and that is so rare for me. So, while I haven’t reread this book yet, you can bet that I will be very soon!
Second Chance Summer
Second Chance Summer is yet another book that I only read last year, but just loved so much that I can’t get it out of my mind! This book broke my heart, but I just loved it so. It’s one that know I’ll reread again in the future!
There’s my Top Ten Tuesday! I’d love to read yours!
Thanks so much for reading!!
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Hey everyone! Today it’s time for another Movie Monday. Movie Monday is a feature on my blog where I compare and discuss books and their movie or television adaptation!
This time I’m discussing the 2002 movie, A Walk to Remember based off the book of the same title by Nicholas Sparks.
Title: Safe House (1-800-Where-R-U #3) by Meg Cabot writing as Jenny Carroll
Pages: 272
Genres: YA, Paranormal, Mystery, Contemporary
Published by: Simon Pulse (March 1, 2002)
Summary
Ever since Jess was struck by lightning, she’s had the power to find missing people. And everyone wants a piece of her powers….
In Safe House, Jess and her psychic abilities are being blamed for the murder of Amber, a beloved cheerleader. But when more cheerleaders start disappearing, Jess may be able to save her reputation by finding the murderer—before it’s too late.
What I Thought
As many of you probably know, I love Meg Cabot. I’m terrible at picking favorites, but I’ve never hesitated to say that Meg Cabot is one of my favorite authors. She just has a way with writing such sassy and relatable characters, as well as books with incredible, fast-paced plots. Safe House is no different!
This is the 3rd book in the 1-800-Where-R-U series, and it did not disappoint! These books definitely need to be read in order, but each book in the series also has its own separate story and mystery. I found this book’s mystery to be particularly gripping. There were so many plot twists that I totally didn’t expect, and I simply could not put this book down!
Another thing I loved about Safe House, alongside all the other books in this series, is the characters. Jess, especially, is such a great main character. She’s independent and can stand up for herself and yet she’s also such a fun and sassy teenager. She’s so realistic, and I really liked that.
Also, this series also touches on mental illness. Jess’s brother, Douglas, has schizophrenia. I feel like this is especially notable because this book was originally written in 2002 before diversity in YA and the normalization of mental illnesses really took off. That being said, my only disappointment in the book was the inclusion of the r-word. However, I only remember it being used by the “mean girls,” and, like I said, this book was written in 2002, and that derogatory word was around a lot more, and many people did not think of it as negatively as they do now.
Something else I really appreciated about this book, and the entire series, is that while the premise of the mysteries are such serious topics (kidnappings, murders, etc.), these books never become too much. While there are some definite tense moments, there’s plenty of funny moments to counteract that, which allows this series to have that Meg Cabot charm. The humor and the mystery are so perfectly balanced out.
Overall, I really loved this book! It was a great addition to an already great series. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun and intense mystery, who appreciates sassy characters and tons of wit.
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Hi everyone! Today I’m going to be doing The Goodreads Book Tag! I’ve seen this tag floating around on so many different blogs, and it always looks like so much fun, so I’ve finally decided to do it!
What Was the Last Book You Marked as Read?
The Coronation by Livy Jarmusch! This was the last full book I completed for the #InLoveAThon, and I really enjoyed this one. I’m looking forward to starting its sequel, The Rebellion, very soon!!
What are You Currently Reading?
I’m a little over halfway done, and I’m really enjoying To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han! It really is just as good as everyone says it is!!
What was the Last Book You Marked as ‘To Read’?
The last book I marked as ‘To Read’ on Goodreads was The Life She Was Given by Ellen Marie Wiseman. I haven’t heard much about this book, but I saw it at Target the other day, and thought it looked interesting!
Do You Use the Star Rating System?
Absolutely! It helps me keep track of how I felt about specific books. I’m still waiting for those half stars though…
Are You Doing the 2018 Reading Challenge?
I am! Although, I’ve lowered the number of books I want to read to 35, as opposed to my usual 50-55, because I don’t want the pressure. I’ve already talked about this in my Reading and Blogging Goals of 2018 post, but I want to focus more on the number of pages read, as opposed to the number of books. Lately, I’ve found myself skipping larger books, so I could read through more smaller books and I’ve decided I don’t want to do that. I want to read what I want to read, without worrying too much if I’m on track or not. 🙂
Do You have a Wishlist?
Doesn’t everyone on Goodreads?? I currently have 132 books on my ‘to read’ shelf. There’s just so many books and so little time!
Who are Your Favorite Authors?
I have so many!! Just a few of my favorite authors include Meg Cabot, LM Montgomery, Morgan Matson, Sarah Dessen, and Ransom Riggs, just to name a few!
Have You Joined any Groups?
I have joined a few groups, but I don’t actually interact too much, and most of them are dead groups anyway. If you have any recommendations for some fun and active groups, please share them with me!
How Many Goodreads Shelves Do You Have?
I have nine shelves, which isn’t too many. I always say I’m going to get super organized, and make a bunch of shelves sorting each book into different categories, but I’m lazy and haven’t done that yet. 😜
This was such a fun tag to do! I tag anyone who wants to do this one!!
Thank you so much for reading!
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Hello! Last week (and a bit of the week before that), I participated in the #InLoveAThon, which was a Valentine’s Day-themed readathon! The readathon was hosted by Cristina from cristinasjourney, it went from February 9-15, and the goal was to complete seven of the ten available challenges. If you’re interested, click here to check out my intended TBR and all the details for it. Today, I’m going to share with you all how I actually did!
So, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to complete seven challenges, but I’m actually okay with that, because I still read a HUGE amount for me, and I am honestly so pleased with how well I did! 💪🏼📚
Okay, here’s what I read:
▸ Read a classic love story.
The first book I read for the readathon was Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote. Honestly, I was a little disappointed in this one. It wasn’t bad, but because so many people adore the movie, I was expecting more from this book. I kind of felt disconnected from the story the entire time. I’m still curious to watch the movie, however, because I’m wondering if it’s one of those rare cases where the movie is better than the book?!
Pages read: 106
▸ Read a book that has your favorite romantic trope.
The next book I read was A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks, and I absolutely devoured this one! It’s quite different from the movie, but I loved it just as much. Check out my review for it here!
Pages read: 240
▸ Read a book from your favorite romance author.
Meg Cabot is one of my all-time favorite authors, and Safe House is just another example of why! This book was so intense and there were so many plot twists, and yet Meg Cabot was able to also write such sass, humor, and wit in this book, and it somehow all fit together so effortlessly.
Pages read: 273
▸ Read a book with a prince/princess.
The next book I read was The Coronation by Livy Jarmusch, and I’m honestly so impressed with myself for getting this one done! It was the largest book on my TBR for this readathon, and I just didn’t think I would be able to finish it in time, but I did! 🎉 I really enjoyed this story, too! It’s been so long since I’ve read a modern-day prince/princess book, and I really adored this book, especially its characters.
Pages read: 460
▸ Read an original fairy tale and watch the Disney movie or a film adaptation.
So, since I didn’t get the chance to watch the movie adaptation (I was too busy reading to watch movies, lol 😜), I guess I technically only half-completed this challenge, but I’m going with it! I read Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault, and this particular version was translated by Arthur Quiller-Couch. According to Quiller-Couch himself, he originally translated Sleeping Beauty, and the other fairy tales in the collection, word-for-word, but decided he was unhappy with how they turned out, and decided to rewrite them his own way. So, I’m not sure how much of the actual story he changed (I only have the Disney movie to go by, lol), but I really enjoyed reading it. I also really appreciated the writing style, and the beautiful illustrations included!
Pages read: 21
▸ Read one of the hosts favorite Contemporary/Historical Romance books.
Okay, and the last book I started, but didn’t get to finish, was To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han. I didn’t get too far into this one when the readathon ended, but even though the readathon is over, I’m still really enjoying this one, and am so glad to have finally picked up this book! To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before has been heavily hyped for some time now, and it’s definitely been living up to its hype for me!
Pages read: 64
So, altogether I read 1,164 pages!! That is definitely a new record for me to read that many pages in just a week!
I’m so proud of how much I read during this readathon, and I’m so glad I decided to participate! It was so much fun! Also, this readathon really showed me how much I enjoy reading in the morning, before breakfast. This is something I started doing during the readathon, to squeeze in a bit more reading time, and it’s been something I’ve continued to do even after the readathon has ended, because of how much I enjoy it. So, yay to that, too! 🎉📚
Let me know if you participated in the #InLoveAThon, and if you did, how it went for you!
💖💕💖💕💖 Thanks so much for reading!! 💖💕💖💕💖
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Title: A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
Pages: 240
Genres: Romance, Fiction
Published by: Grand Central Publishing (Oct., 1999)
Summary
Every April, when the wind blows from the sea and mingles with the scent of lilacs, Landon Carter remembers his last year at Beaufort High. It was 1958, and Landon had already dated a girl or two. He even swore that he had once been in love. Certainly the last person in town he thought he’d fall for was Jamie Sullivan, the daughter of the town’s Baptist minister.
A quiet girl who always carried a Bible with her schoolbooks, Jamie seemed content living in a world apart from the other teens. She took care of her widowed father, rescued hurt animals, and helped out at the local orphanage. No boy had ever asked her out. Landon would never have dreamed of it.
Then a twist of fate made Jamie his partner for the homecoming dance, and Landon Carter’s life would never be the same. Being with Jamie would show him the depths of the human heart and lead him to a decision so stunning it would send him irrevocably on the road to manhood…
What I Thought
A Walk to Remember is a book I’ve been meaning to read for quite a while now. I really love the movie, and I had heard that it was very different from the book, so it’s one that I’ve always been curious about. I’m so glad I finally got a chance to read this book!
the calico books 