SUNDAY FUNDAY: WEEK IN REVIEW [5]

SUNDAY FUNDAY: WEEK IN REVIEW [5]

The lovely Cristina over at Girl in the Pages started Sunday Funday as a way to recap the bookish (and not-so-bookish) things that have happened that week. I thought it’d be a really fun way to keep you guys up to date on what I’ve been reading, reviewing, and wanting to read but also to tell you a little bit more about myself outside of my book love. I think I’ll tailor the post each week to what I’ve done but I will always try to include a book haul and a new book or two that I’ve added to my want-to-read list. 🙂

June 23 – 29, 2014

So I had a couple of exciting things happen this week. First, I got a part-time job as a Marketing Aide for the University Press of Mississippi. It’s only for the month of July, but I’m really excited to be back at the Press (I interned there in Editorial in 2011) and to be working in marketing. I ALSO got a part-time job as a Circulation Clerk at Morton Public Library! So I went from having NO jobs to having two. 🙂 I’m pumped to be able to surround myself with books at both of these jobs, and hopefully it means the beginning of more exciting opportunities for me!

Next Sunday will mark the beginning of the Summer Blogger Promo Tour hosted by The Book Bratz. I’m definitely looking forward to getting to know all these awesome bloggers!

Coming up on the blog this week, I’ll be reviewing Say What You Will. I’ll also be (hopefully) doing another The Problem with post along the same lines as my The Problem with Books post. 🙂 As always, there’ll be a Top Ten Tuesday, and I’ll be doing my second Waiting on Wednesday.

Books read: I FINALLY finished Brian Lumley’s Necroscope, which I reviewed HERE on WatchPlayRead. This book took me way too long to finish, but I’m glad I read it, if only because I know my dad was glad I did.

I also read and reviewed Rich Kids of Instagram on the blog..

Yesterday, I started Cammie McGovern’s Say What You Will. I’m over a 100 pages in and I’m really enjoying it so far.

TBR: I’ve got a lot to read in the next couple of weeks. Next up is The Black Hour for WatchPlayRead. Then The Strain for my blog and WPR (I’m reading it before the show premieres on July 13^th!). After that, I plan on reading Everything Leads to You; I’m doing a read-along with Mily at The YA’s Nightstand for the Summer Blogger Promo Tour (I’ll be tweeting my reaction as I go, so follow me on Twitter to see what I think!). The next four on my TBR are in no particular order: The Dream Thieves, Out of the Easy, One Past Midnight, and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

I added A Thousand Pieces of You to my Goodreads TBR. In addition, I was introduced to a new author on FB by a friend, so I’m excited to check out his book, Loafing by La Brea soon.

Non-bookish things I’m excited about:

TEEN WOLF premiered this week!! In case you are interested, I linked up to my recaps of the first three seasons HERE. Today is Soonday (the day before Moonday aka every Monday that there’s a new Teen Wolf episode). If you’re a fan of the show, follow me on Twitter so we can fangirl/boy together! I had a lot of fun reacting with fellow lovers of the show while the episode aired.

Okay, so it’s bookish in that it’s a book-to-movie adaptation, but I’m still pretty pumped about the Mockingjay Part 1 trailer, which I am pumped about.

My big, Lacy, (big sister in the social club I was in at my undergraduate – kind of but not really like a sorority) is coming to visit me this week for the 4^th of July and my birthday (the 7^th in case you were interested!). I’m really excited to spend a few days with her!

Yesterday, I got this awesome new bag at Belk! I’m not usually too girly in that I don’t really get all that excited about clothes or shoes or anything (I’m more of a jeans, band t-shirts, and either Converse or Vans kind of girl), but this bag is so dang cute. PLUS it perfectly fits a book in it along with my other stuff. AND it was on sale. Can’t beat that.

Things you might want to check out:

This hilarious video of Stephen Colbert being pissed off at Amazon

My post about literary Edinburgh on Hardcovers and Heroines

What did you read this week? Tell me about the things you’re excited about in the comments!

ARC Review: Rich Kids of Instagram

Title: Rich Kids of Instagram

Author: The Creator of Rich Kids of Instagram & Maya Sloan

Genre: Pop Culture, New Adult, Fiction

Publisher: Gallery Books

Publication Date: July 8, 2014

eBook: 336 pages

Stand alone or series: Standalone

How did I get this book: NetGalley

NOTE:I was provided with an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Gallery Books for letting me read this.

Let’s start with a brief synopsis via Goodreads:

Based on the wildly popular blog “Rich Kids of Instagram,” a dishy and hilarious novel about the intersecting lives of the world’s most extravagant, unapologetically uber-rich teenagers.

The “Rich Kids of Instagram” are not your typical well-to-do brats. These “kids” drive Ferraris, fly to their weekend getaways in private jets, and post self-indulgent photos of themselves online as frequently—and as wantonly—as they blow wads of cash. Not to mention that they’re more involved in sex, drugs, and power plays than most people twice their age.

Drawing from the ten most frequent contributors to the popular blog of the same name—which receives an average of 850,000 unique visitors a month and has been featured on 20/20, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Forbes, The Atlantic, Buzzfeed, Gawker, and others—Rich Kids of Instagram revolves around a core group of spoiled young people, from a Southern Belle poultry-empire heiress to a media mogul’s driven daughter and an old-money rifle heir with a Mayflower legacy; to a nouveau riche outsider who is thrust into the members-only universe of the .1%, with scandalous results.

In a world that is smaller, more connected, and more competitive than ever, where nothing is off limits, some kids are just trying to make a buck—or ten thousand. Prepare to be wowed by this saucy, compulsively readable book about the hilarious display of extravagant wealth and the teenagers who have fallen into it.

What I thought:

So if you didn’t know, this book is based on the Tumblr, Rich Kids of Instagram. The tagline of the blog says, “They have more money than you and this is what they do.” Before I saw this book on NetGalley, I’d heard of the blog, but I had never visited. Why would I want to look at pictures from douchey teens bragging about their money? I wouldn’t. I’m not really sure why I requested this book on NetGalley. I suppose, for me, there’s a difference between being forced to look at their wealth and just reading about it, especially if it’s fiction.

I think I sat down to read this book expecting to absolutely hate it, and I did and didn’t. I had my ups and downs with this book. It’s told from the perspective of six “rich kids” who range from total psychotic bitches to strange, new age sorta-hippies. While the kids themselves got on my nerves more than once, Sloan has a knack for creating unique perspectives. I have had problems in the past with books that are told from different, first person perspectives that were indistinguishable, but I was able to tell which of Sloan’s characters were telling the story.

On the other hand, I think there were TOO many characters giving their perspective and backstories and talking about their craziness. I was okay with it when we were reading from Annalise’s (the daughter of a media mogul) and Cordelia’s (a Southern belle who takes Annalise’s dream right from under her nose) perspectives; they were strong woman fighting for what they wanted, even if it wasn’t always in the most respectable way (scratch that, it was never respectable). It was fun seeing things through Cordelia’s eyes, who was constantly upbeat and positive, and then seeing Cordelia through Annalise’s eyes; I actually saw Cordelia as the hillbilly that Annalise saw her as (again, Sloan is great at making perspectives distinguishable) and it made me laugh when Annalise said, “I mean, she hardly speaks English.” Though I liked the two of them, I seriously couldn’t stand Desy (a wannabe pop star who is basically bipolar) and I thought Christian (a foreign royal who wants to design jewelry) was completely unrelatable and boring, as well as a total idiot.

Another thing I didn’t like was that there wasn’t really any concept of time. In each chapter there are several sections; you’ll read a few paragraphs then there’ll be a divider and the next few paragraphs are usually a flashback. You don’t really know how long ago any of this happened, and it made it hard to understand the characters’ changes, the friendships made, and the life lessons learned. In addition to this, I thought the excessive drug and alcohol abuse was a little over-the-top. Of course, I’ve never partied with these people, so I don’t know for sure, but it was pushing the line of believability for me.

The bottom line:

Rich Kids of Instagram is a sometimes interesting, sometimes boring and annoying look into the lives of those who have WAY more money than me. It is a super quick read. I was able to completely distinguish between the SIX different perspectives, but I did prefer some to others and I thought there were a few too many. I’ve heard if you like Gossip Girl, you might like this book, but I’ve never read or watched that so I can’t be sure. I don’t think I’d really recommend this book.

Rating: 5 – Take it or leave it

Reading next: Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern

Mockingjay Part 1: Teaser Trailer

You guys! The first teaser trailer for Mockingjay Part 1 was released yesterday, and OH MY GOSH is it incredible. A lot of people were really upset that it wasn’t an actual trailer for the movie, but I thought it was a brilliant piece of marketing. It’s very simple and understated, but it is also quite powerful.

President Snow (Donald Sutherland) sits on a white throne while Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) stands next to him. The pair are dressed in perfectly clean, brilliant white. Snow delivers a decidedly grim speech to the people of Panem:

Since the dark days, our great nation has known only peace. Ours is an elegant system, conceived to nourish and protect. Your districts are the body; the Capitol is the beating heart. Your hard work feeds us, and in return, we feed and protect you. But if you resist the system, you starve yourself. If you fight against it, it is you who will bleed.  I know you will stand with me, with all of us, together, as one. Panem Today, Panem Tomorrow, Panem Forever.

Watch the trailer below and fangirl with me!

My favorite part of this trailer is that it makes us all out to be citizens of the Capital. What a great marketing tool. Are we citizens of the Capital, brainwashed and obsessed with appearances and material items, or are we citizens of the districts, ready to rebel and break free of this oppressive system? It’s an ingenious trailer, and I am seriously impressed.

The look Peeta gives at the end of the trailer gave me chills! Snow knows that the rebellion is happening whether he wants it to or not, so he’s not trying to stop it. The speech is a threat, first and foremost. He begins by offering protection and food and a system meant to provide for its people. But then he turns cold and scary. He will destroy those who rebel against the system. He will not stand for it. Peeta stands beside him with his head held high. If you look closely, however, you notice that his tie has a point on it so sharp it could seriously wound him if he lowers his head.

Can’t wait for the movie! What was your reaction to the trailer? Are you as excited as I am?

Life of a Blogger: Favorite sports teams

Life of a Blogger is a weekly meme hosted by The Novel Heartbeat. You can see the full list of topics HERE.

Today’s topic is favorite sports teams.

This isn’t a hard topic for me at all. My dad was born in Chicago and he raised both my brother and me as all-around Chicago fans.

My teams are:

 

The Chicago Bulls; The Chicago Cubs; The Chicago Bears; The Chicago Blackhawks

I’m a Chicago fan, plain and simple. I have been to about 7 Cubs games (two in Chicago and Atlanta, and one in Pittsburgh, Houston, and Arlington). I was at the 1991 Chicago Bulls Championship game (okay, I was 1 and slept through half of it, but I was there and so was Michael Jordan).

I will say that I much prefer basketball and baseball to football and hockey. I will watch all four of these, but I have more fun with basketball and baseball. I’m a huge Bulls fan. That’s my favorite of the four. I have a couple of Bulls shirts (a D Rose one being my favorite). It physically pained me when D Rose got hurt AGAIN this season. I need him to get back on it and to get better knees, okay? I love me some Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer, too.

 

I’m not a college sports fans at all. I’ve never gotten into any of them, so I’m just a pro-sports kind of girl.

Are you into any sports teams? Who do you support? If you’re a Miami Heat fan or an Atlanta Braves fan, get off my blog! Haha. Just kidding… sort of. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Isla and the Happily Ever After

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine in which we share a book that we are eagerly anticipating!

This is my first time participating in Waiting on Wednesday, so I thought I’d share a book I’ve already said I cannot wait to read. I’ve already read and reviewed a 5 chapter sneak peek, and OH MY GOODNESS, I CAN’T WAIT.

Publisher: Dutton (Penguin Group)

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Release date: August 14, 2014

Synopsis from Goodreads:

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.

Why I can’t wait:

I mean, do I really need to explain this one. I LOVED Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door, and I CANNOT WAIT to have Josh back. I also really like Isla as the narrator so far. Also, Cricket will be back, you guys. He’s one of my absolute favorite book boyfriends, so I’m ready to swoon all over again. Also, Annette from Booknerderie is going to come up so we can go buy the book and read it together. It’s going to be a fangirl party and I’m definitely looking forward to that.

Top Ten Tuesday: Book cover trends

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the Broke and the Bookish. Today’s theme was:

Ten Book Cover Trends (or just elements of covers) I Like/Dislike {can stick to one or the other or both!}

Below are 8 of the cover trends I like and 3 that I don’t like. I’ve put a few examples to illustrate what I mean.

1. Pretty typography – by pretty I don’t mean swirly, wedding invitation fonts. I hate those. I just mean interesting use of typography

2. Bold colors – book covers don’t use enough bold colors. I also like when book covers are black and white with some color

3. Simple graphics – the book cover doesn’t need to be full up and busy for me to notice it.

4. Related to the plot – I love when you’re reading a book and suddenly you realize what the cover means

5. Photography – you know, I used to not really care for these, but there’s been several covers lately that have a photo and some cool type, and I like them. But it has to be done right. I still don’t like some of them.

6. Soft covers – this doesn’t really have to do with the design, but you know those covers that feel nice and soft? They are the best.
7. Drawn covers – I like when it looks like the cover has been drawn by hand. These always seem to be really interesting and sometimes very intricate.

8. Combination of things – I don’t know what to call this. I’m just going to put the cover for The Last Banquet below and let it speak for itself.

Trends I don’t like (I’m not including examples because, honestly, I just don’t want to save any of them on my computer. Ha):

1. Couple silhouettes – generic, romance-y books tend to have a silhouette of a couple of the front. Boring.
2. Fancy fonts – I don’t like swirly, elaborate fonts. Never have.
3. Generic faces – it seems to be called whitewashing of covers. Blah.

What about you? What are some of the cover trends you like? Ones you don’t?

 

TEEN WOLF

Okay, I know this is a book blog, but I am so freaking excited and I need more people to be excited with me. I’m fangirling like crazy. Season Four of Teen Wolf premieres tonight on MTV at 10/9c. AHH. Okay, I’ll calm down.

Anyway, this post is for anyone who might be interested in learning more about Teen Wolf or anyone who watches and needs a refresher. If you are so inclined, I’ve recapped all of the seasons of Teen Wolf so far over on WatchPlayRead.

WARNING: THERE ARE SPOILERS. LOTS OF THEM.

Season One

Season Two

Season Three, Part One

Season Three, Part Two

Also,

Are you excited about Teen Wolf? Follow me on Twitter so we can live chat when Season Four premieres later!! I’ll be reviewing the episode on WatchPlayRead later this week. Check out the trailer below so you can get pumped up like me.

SUNDAY FUNDAY: WEEK IN REVIEW [4]

The lovely Cristina over at Girl in the Pages started Sunday Funday as a way to recap the bookish (and not-so-bookish) things that have happened that week. I thought it’d be a really fun way to keep you guys up to date on what I’ve been reading, reviewing, and wanting to read but also to tell you a little bit more about myself outside of my book love. I think I’ll tailor the post each week to what I’ve done but I will always try to include a book haul and a new book or two that I’ve added to my want-to-read list. 🙂

June 16 – 22, 2014

I had an interesting week. I had a very interesting opportunity came up that I don’t know much about but I am freaking out over. Fingers crossed something amazing happens with that.

I also joined up with the Summer Blogger Promo Tour hosted by The Book Bratz, and I’m super excited about it. I’ll be getting to know 8 other amazing book bloggers and each Sunday, starting July 6, I’ll be posting something (an interview, collab, etc) about/with each of those bloggers. I’m really looking forward to that!

Some posts on my blog this week you might be interested in:

I was nominated for a second Liebster Award by the lovely Rachel at Confessions of a Book Geek.

I also did a post on The Problem with Books which got a lot of attention! I loved how many people were able to relate to it, and I’ve got another “The Problem with” post in the works. If you have any ideas for a discussion post or a “The Problem with” post, definitely let me know in the comments! 🙂

Not my post, but I thought this post about YA fiction over on The Atlantic was extremely well-written, and I agree with it 100%. Here’s a quote I especially liked:

“YA doesn’t need rescuing. All it needs is a change in the way people talk about it.”

Books read: I’m reading Necroscope by Brian Lumley this week. It’s taking a lot longer than I thought it would. I’ve got less than a hundred pages left now!

TBR: Nil by Lynne Matson, which was described by A.N. Willis on Twitter as “Lost meets The Maze Runner, with a welcome dose of romance (shirtless surfer dudes aplenty)”. I mean, YES, please!

I also finally got To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han and Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour from the library.

AND I won this ARC of Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern from Happy Book Lovers through a Twitter giveaway! Can’t wait to read that one.

AND I won a copy of The Sting of Summer by Katherine Over from a Goodreads competition. Woo! Lucky week for me.

Non-bookish things:

So I’M FREAKING OUT about the Teen Wolf premiere tomorrow night on MTV (10/9c), and I recapped Season One and Season Two on WatchPlayRead. The Season Three recap will be up tomorrow so watch out for that.

I also revisited David Wong’s John Dies at the End on WPR, too!

On Monday, I went to the movie theater to see “Rise of the Cybermen” and “The Age of Steel” (two episodes of Doctor Who from when David Tennant was the Doctor) on the big screen. It was AMAZING. It was incredible to see these two episodes on that huge screen. And David Tennant. Especially David Tennant.

Non-bookish things I’m excited about:

TEEN WOLF. TEEN WOLF. TEEN WOLF. I’m excited. If you’re a fan of the show, first, tell me in the comments, and then follow me over on Twitter because I’ll probably be live tweeting my reaction as I watch. 🙂 Just watch the trailer. It. Looks. Epic.

Liebster Blog Award: Take 2

Recently, I was nominated for a SECOND Liebster Award by the wonderful Rachel over at Confessions of a Book Geek. Thank you so much, Rachel! If you would like to read the answers from my first post as well as find out the rules for the award, you can check it out here. I’ve cut a few of the questions from Rachel’s post as I answered some of them the first time or in other posts.

1. What is your preferred reading format? E-book, paperback, hardback?

I’m going to be pretty specific: I prefer floppy paperbacks. You know the ones that when you open them to the middle, they just flop open and stay that way? Yeah, they’re the best.

2. If you could only recommend one book for another to read, what would it be and why?

Goodness, this is hard. I’ve probably recommended this book at least a hundred times on this blog, so I’m just going to go with that one (though really it would depend on what type of books the person likes, etc.): The Humans by Matt Haig (you’re not surprised, are you? Ha). I pretty much try to mention this book at least once a week. Haha.

3. One of the recent themes of Top Ten Tuesday was: if you like this TV show/film, you should read this book. Provide a book recommendation based on your favorite film or TV show.

Well, first, I’m going to link to my TTT post from that week. Now for this question: As I’m so freaking excited for the premiere of Teen Wolf on Monday, I’d recommend Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater if you like Teen Wolf. 🙂

4. What is your opinion on commenting on blog posts?

I’m the type of person that if I relate to something or enjoyed reading something, I want to tell you. So I enjoy commenting on people’s blog posts if I like the post. Sometimes I’ll just like the post if I’m kind of in a rush or don’t know what exactly to say but still like the post.

5. What is your most anticipated read of 2014?

I’m going to give you two. First, Ian Rankin wrote a stage play called Dark Road that I saw in Scotland right before I moved home. It is being published in book form next month, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. Second, Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins (duh). This shows you how wide ranging my book tastes are.

6. We all know about blogger hype, which book have you read which did not live up to the hype?

Dorothy Must Die.

7. Name one author whose books you will always read.

Ian Rankin. Hands down. I’ve read every single book he’s ever published, and I would read his grocery lists.

8. There are certain bloggers whose opinions I value, when they give a good review I will go out of my way to read that book. Name a blogger whose opinions you value and explain why?

Booknerderie, Girl in the Pages, and Drifting Pages (though she hasn’t posted many reviews; I know her irl and we discuss books on Skype all the time). There are several more, but these are the ones that came to mind right away.

9. What is your favorite part of blogging? The book tours, the reviews, the memes, the community…?

The community, hands down. I love being able to discuss books and reading with so many people. I’ve also made a couple of really cool friends, like the seriously awesome Annette at Booknerderie. We talk pretty much every day, including watching and discussing So You Think You Can Dance at the same time. That’s what I was hoping for when I started my blog: finding new books and new people to love.

10. What’s your favorite of your own blog posts?

Hmmm. Either my Love Letter to Books or The Problem with Books. I like discussion posts. I need to do more.

11. What’s your favorite word and why?

Pandemonium. It’s just a great word.

12. How long do you spend reading blogs each week?

A lot of time. I don’t know. I’ll just guess around 30 minutes to an hour a day.

13. When is your favorite time to blog?

The morning.

14. Why do you think people blog?

I don’t know why other people do, but I can tell you why I blog: Books and reading are my main passion in life. One of my favorite things is telling people about the books I’ve read and loved. I also LOVE when my friends come to me for book recommendations because they trust my judgment. What better way to do that as often as possible than on a blog? I get to tell people about the books I love and find new books to love through other people.

15. How long does it take you to compose an average blog post?

It depends. If it’s a TTT or meme like that, it usually takes between 15-30 minutes. A review usually takes a little longer, mostly because I write it, leave it alone for a while, then come back and reread it to make sure it makes sense and isn’t just me rambling (it’s usually just me rambling anyway).

16. What do you think makes a good blog?

Passion. If I can tell how much you loved something (or didn’t), it’s going to make me want to check it out. If I can feel your passion through your words, chances are I like your blog.

I also enjoy having discussions in the comments, so bloggers that take the time to respond to my comment and have conversations about the books/posts instead of just posting it are my favorites. I try to respond to every comment. 🙂

17. How do you find new blogs to follow?

I find a lot of new blogs to follow through Top Ten Tuesday. Also, if a blog I already follow and like links to another blog, I usually click through to check them out and follow if I like what they post.

18. Would you ever stop following a blog? Why?

If a blog I follow consistently posts reviews for books that I am just not interested in, I might unfollow; I might not though if I like their reviews or the way they write because I might end up trying a book I wouldn’t have originally. I would definitely unfollow if a blogger was rude to their followers for some reason or if they posted something that was offensive to me.

19. When do you find it most difficult to blog?

It’s not difficult for me to blog at any specific time or anything, but it is difficult for me to blog when I didn’t like a book. I have difficulty giving a book a low rating even if I didn’t like it. I know that’s stupid, but I am generally a pretty nice person (at least I try to be), and it feels like I’m insulting an author, especially since they put their heart and soul into writing that book. I’m getting better at this. I will never actually give a book a higher rating if my opinion doesn’t match it; I just feel bad doing it. Haha.

 

Blogs I’m tagging! Feel free to answer what questions you want. I know there’s a lot.

Booknerderie

The End of the Chapter

A Bibliophile’s Style

Howling at the Muse

Thoughtful Third Thursday: June 2014

The lovely Selah at A Bibliophile’s Style co-hosts Thoughtful Third Thursday (T#)  each month.

You can either pick your current read or use the theme they’ve set out. This month’s theme was:

Favorite childhood read.

There were a lot of books I could have chosen, but I think the one that’s stuck with me the most is J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. I’m really glad that Selah introduced themes into T3 because if she hadn’t, I would have had to try to find a corresponding quote from Necroscope and I don’t know how well that would’ve worked out.

I’m not really into fashion, and I pretty much always wear jeans/short with band t-shirts, so Thoughtful Third Thursday is a little difficult for me. Then, I remembered this quote!

“It is not in doing what you like, but in liking what you do that is the secret of happiness.”

I recently saw one of my favorite bands, Hands like Houses, live for the third time and bought this t-shirt. It’s kind of a win-win. I get to participate in T3 and still wear a band t-shirt! Haha. 🙂