Day 2 Study Challenge

Clean up and organize your study area.

I try to keep my room as clean as I can possibly get it every week, so this wasn't a terribly difficult task. 

How I Read Tag

1) How do I find out about new books?

Online, usually through tumblr or new books from authors I like.

2) How did you get into reading?
This is really embarrassing, but through Twilight. I still the like series just for the memories, but I do realize that it is not good, don't worry.

3) How has your taste in books changed?
I still read really romantic stuff, but I'm reading more manga recently.

2014 Reading Resolutions

It's the end of 2013, and yeah, I  know, I haven't really been review that many books. Mostly because I got all tuckered out by all the books I had reviewed in 2012. There are so many stories that stuck in my mind and that I was experiencing all at once everyday that I thought it would be best if I didn't add more to my hallucinating state. 

My plans for the New Year is to only read books that I am genuinely interested in, and give the most honest and out truth reviews I possibly can, because I miss this connection and habit that I built up to write down my thoughts on a book I just finished. Some books I'm planning to read are:

Allegiant by Veronica Roth (Book 3 of Divergent Series)

My review for the Divergent and Insurgent are hyperlinked. So go ahead and feel free to read my thoughts on the series. 

Summary:

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. 

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love. 

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

from goodreads

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Summary:

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

from goodreads

I've heard really good things about this book, and I have been wanting to read a really cute and girly love story lately. 

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

Summary:

There's a creepy new terror haunting modern-day London.

Fresh from defeating a Jack the Ripper killer, Rory must put her new-found hunting skills to the test before all hell breaks loose…

But enemies are not always who you expect them to be and crazy times call for crazy solutions. A thrilling teen mystery.

from goodreads

I have had this book on my shelf for what seems to be close to a year, and have not been in the mood to read a ghostly story. Hopefully I will get to this book in 2014. 

There are many more indie books of series I want to finish of course, and much more to come. 

Happy reading

Clara

Don't Quote Me (#20)

I made the first three quotes last Friday night when I was bored. I wished I could reword this one a bit. 

Who's addicted?

I was feeling extremely down last Wednesday, and could not believe how black and white my future was, so I decided to do something about it. This is just a picture I made to go with the feelings of last Wednesday.

Scared of Comments?

There's no denying that cyber bullying goes around on the internet. Especially in a blogging community such as the book bloggers. Even though, I have barely seen any rude comments on others blogs, and everyone on here is extremely nice, and we all want to help out each other and become friends, there's always the voice in the back of my mind that brings out all the insecurities I have, and believes that email I get sent when someone leaves a comment says something about my insecurities.

I'm not so much as scared of a comment, as if it would haunt me, but what people think of me, and how they perceive me as a blogger. There's always a chance that there will be a troll, or someone that is just mean-or they are having a bad day and trying to make themselves feel better-and I always feel that rush of what if when I read comments.

Then there are the comments that I have only heard of from people in my school. The ones where because the majority of the teenage population don't know that their are stalkers, and they want to be popular, feel the need to get thousands of followers on instagram, facebook, and twitter. I have know right to call people out and say you are doing it wrong, but I think people should know better than to post photos of themselves everywhere they go of them, and their friends. It seems idiotic to me. The result of these people that put their entire selves on social media is that they create people to stalk them. I have proof that many people in my school have been stalked, and it just seals my point that there is a privacy matter that teenagers don't understand. Being stalked at thirteen is really sad. There is a part of me that thinks those things. The side that I might have put too much information that I should have.

So where am I going with this? I think that comments should be shared lovingly, and to critique. There's a difference from sharing your opinion and antagonizing people. How much you put yourself out there on the internet is on your shoulders, and sometimes we all need a reminder of that. My brief hesitation before reading comments may seem irrational to many, and I know that there are many people that get much worse comments online, but it doesn't stop me from reading comments. Feel free to leave a comment below, and tell me if you hesitate before commenting, or reading comments. Tell me/ask me whatever. 

Don't Quote Me (#16)

This is from one of my favorite books. btw, I won't be getting into Cassandra Clare's first series. I don't have enough love for the prequels to continue. :(

Mark Twain was a hipster...

I want to do this so badly, but I'm afraid of screwing it up. 

October Favorites

Favorite Book

My favorite book this month has to be Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. I had a tough time getting into reading with school, but somehow I finished Wintergirls, and love it. 

Favorite Album

Of course, I am a Taylor Swift fan and her new album came out this month, Red. My favorite song as of now has to be Starlight. 

Favorite Author

I found out that I'm a true Laurie Halse Anderson fan this month. I've read Speak, The Catalyst, and this month Wintergirls. I'm just blown away at her writing.

Favorite Book Cover

The second novel from Keira Cass' cover is just amazing. The Selection cover was beautiful too, but this really caught my eye one day. 

Favorite Blogger

This month's favorite Blogger, or Blogger Spotlight is Grace Ma aka The Humble Watermelon. Grace is a Canadian blogger, and one of my all time favorites. Her review are very detailed and love her all around.

Favorite BookTuber

Liddy aka theebookmonster is my favorite booktuber this month, because she's all around wonderful, and her videos make me laugh. She doesn't upload constantly, but her videos are well put together, and her reviews are too. 

Giveaway to come!!!

Hi, guys. I've been blogging for almost a year coming up this holiday season, and I wanted to give back. I'm not sure of what things to giveaway, but they are book/writing related. I'll have another post with all the specific info, but for now all I'm saying is that the giveaway is international. You can live anywhere, as long as the US Postal service can get to you.

What I'm thinking about is one book, a journal, and a gift card. That is one prize out of the three of them. All three of them will have one book, a journal, and a gift card, to be clear.

The giveaway will end sometime in December, and you may enter by commenting below. I will allow people to pre-enter on this post here, but be aware that I have not chosen what to giveaway yet, and there might be somethings you won't like.

I NEED YOUR HELP!!

All I ask is for you to comment below on the book you want, or is on your wish list. I won't be giving out ebook copies, because that is too difficult. If you do that one thing, then technically you're helping yourself, because more than likely I will be putting that in the giveaway.

Please spread the word around about this giveaway!! I will be posting the official Giveaway post in October. 

Review: Of Light and Darkness by Shayne Leighton

I received this novel very unexpectedly because you may know this novel will be a movie, coming out in 2013. For me that's already a warning sign on how good this book will be. Usually novels, that turn into books-which means every movie out there these days- are either incredibly amazing, or down right sad and pathetic of a book, not trying to be harsh, but that's my opinion. So I'm on the later side of things for Of Light and Darkness. I'm someone who can't keep reading a book when they've made up their mind about disliking it. I read up to page 77, and was like "No, nope, no more, I can't handle this." 

I write honest reviews, and I don't get paid to do this either from the recent news about authors paying reviewers. So when I looked up the author of this novel, my thoughts weren't particularly joyous. It maybe a Hollywood actor, who is writing an album, and a ya series, but you have to have flaws in what you do, especially with that much you do. I wouldn't say that her writing was bad per se, but I just didn't enjoy the story. It felt like everything else on the shelves at my local B&N ya section. Some supernatural bimbo falling desperately in love with something that is totally wrong for her.

Characters were a big part of what made me stop. I couldn't keep reading from whoever the red-headed human girl was. She is one of my least favorite characters because of her willingness and self-proclaimed soul mate to her guardian. For me that's incest. I couldn't keep on reading without having my walls up on incest and other things in that area. I just couldn't.

Book Wish List

I have two weeks. You’ll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.

That’s what you do to enemy agents. It’s what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine — and I will do anything, anything, to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again.
He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I’m going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France — an Allied Invasion of Two. We are a sensational team.

 from goodreads

[From the back of the ARC]

Varen Nethers is trapped in a perilous dream world -- a treacherous and desolate realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life. Isobel Lanley, plagued by strange visions and haunted by the nightmares of Varen's creation, is the only one who can save him. Isobel knows that her only hope lies within a Baltimore cemetery. There, in the early morning hours of Edgar Allan Poe's birthday, a mysterious stranger known as the "Poe Toaster" will make his annual homage at the legendary poet's grave. Only the Poe Toaster holds the key to the way between worlds. But even greater dangers lie ahead for Isobel. An ancient evil, draped in veils of white, is watching, challenging her for Varen's affections. When Isobel finally finds Varen, he is no longer the quiet and brooding boy who once captivated her, but a dark force, powerful and malevolent.

from goodreads

At the beginning of the summer, Clio Kaid was one of a hundred teens brought to a secret Army installation. But it was no ordinary camp and they weren’t ordinary kids…

Picking up where “Solid” left off, Clio and her friends realize that they aren’t ready to go home; they’re determined to stay on campus and continue their journey of self- discovery. But someone doesn’t feel the same way and will do anything to drive them away – even kill. Friendships will be tested, abilities will evolve, and more secrets will come out as the teens race to stop the killer before he sets his sights on one of them…

from goodreads

The Extent of My Procrastination

I procrastinate, more than I should, but I still do. I think I've mastered away of Procrastinating while having everyone else believe that everything is under control, and nothing is "wrong".

I didn't really post much last week, more because it was my first week back to school, and also because I haven't had a school and blogging schedule routine like I did at the end of the last school year. If you want to know my routine then well here it is. I write a list of posts I'm going to write from Monday to Friday, sometimes I post an In My Mailbox on Sunday. Usually I don't have many ideas for when I haven't read a book in a while, That takes up to four days, believe it or not, to just think up of ideas to write the next week. Then on the weekends sometime unknown I'll sit down like I'm doing now and write for about three hours. I'll read other people's blogs, get distracted and watch book tubers, or blank out and start daydreaming.

Now I love blogging, and especially book blogging because there are so many nice people out here in this community I'm very glad I've never gotten a rude or mean comment before, but I know it will come someday. I know there aren't people that read my blog only, or have read all of my posts and that encourages me to make better ones so that you do.

I'm a writer, somewhat. I thought I was going to just be a reader after this summer of constantly wanting to read, and kind of dreaded writing at parts, but I

Thoughts on ereading, ebooks, and ereaders

Lately I've been seeing around youtube book vloggers and sometimes on bloggers talk about the new day and age of reading, ereaders. We all have Kindle, Nook , iPad , and ect. many places. Or at least if you live in a large community or city. The lightweight device that can hold you entire library and more is a fairly new development and has gotten a humongous hate and love.

So I'm going to back track and tell you about the beginning of ereaders for me. This might take a while,and if you don't really care there are many book reviews of great novels on this blog, go check those out. Now, I was very skeptical like most book lovers about what eink and a kindle would be like for the future of books. I worried that in a decade or less that there will no longer be bookstores and libraries. I worry that there will be a time wear they relate books as a machine and not a paper story with a cover,  freshly printed smell, and smooth pages. That is still very worrying now, and I can totally see where you are coming from if you don't like ereaders.

Don't Quote Me (#4)

I think we can all agree on this one. 

Have I ever said how much I love Theodore Roosevelt?

Hey Theodore Roosevelt, remember that time someone tried to assassinate you, but you just laughed and proceeded to give a 90-minute long speech with the bullet lodged in your lung, where it remained for the rest of your life? Or when you tore up 

In My Mailbox (#1)

He stole a kiss from the wrong girl…
Left without a soul, 17-year-old Dariana Sanders waited to die. There was nothing left to live for, nothing to feel besides the aching cold that never stopped. Her parent’s marriage was in shambles, and her brother, the only one who understood, the only one who knew how to make the cold go away, was gone forever. The only thing Dariana knew with absolute certainty was that nothing could possibly be right again. Enter Lewis Axel Nialls. Luckily for her, impossible is right up his alley. He can save her from the forces that wish to destroy her. Of course who’s going to save him, from her? 

 from goodreads

Clio Kaid may be 17 and just beginning the last summer before her senior year, but her life is anything but typical.

She's just discovered she was genetically altered before birth and is now headed to a top-secret Army campus to explore the surprising results of the experiment.

Follow Clio and the other teens as they develop fantastic super-abilities, forge new friendships, find love, and uncover a conspiracy along the way.

from amazon

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (#2)

It's Monday! What are you reading? meme started by bookjourney.

What I Read:

This past week I took a couple of days off of reading my to-do list and started reading a bunch of fanfiction. ;(

What I'm currently reading:

I started reading The Hobbit last week, and on and off again read it. Sadly I'm only on chapter three. I find it difficult to read the book quickly like I do with most books because of how much fillers are in it. 

I was sent a request to read Solid by Shelley Workinger and I started reading it. I am only on the second chapter, but it seems promising. I hope to have a review of it later this week, or next.

What I hope to read in the future:

I started Matched months ago, and it has been in the back in my mind for a while. I am hoping to read it next week! :)

May books be in the future!!

So May is coming around and there may be books in the future. Get it? Yeah cheesy huh? Well here are the books I plan to read and review this month:

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

As you may guess, if you follow my blog that I usually don't stick to this list only. I might add a book, or take out a book due to time or unlike-ability. I hope you understand and this is just a guideline for me and for you. What books are you going to read in May?

Review: Survival by A.M. Hargrove

 

Book: Goodreads Amazon Website
Author: Website Twitter Amazon Smashwords 

As you may know from the list of book reviews I have done that I love young adult/paranormal romance novels. This is exactly what I thought I wanted to get myself into after I finished Nevermore by Kelly Creagh because I just love the genre. I didn't know though that I'd come out in a faze and wondering is this really the future of young adult novels. I'm ashamed to say that I could not finish this book because it was just too unreal to me. It was like watching ice melt, you knew exactly what was going to happen.

A.M. Hargrove, I loved the effort in creating the Vesturon aliens and the background knowledge of everything. I love how the author didn't really shy away from issues that are in their world true to ours in a way and how she took the novel step by step at a time. Most of the time I was confused by the pacing of the book and how things went. I love the first part of the book, Maddie's story. Then later the novel fell short on the big things that I wanted to happen or thought I wanted to. The author's writing was very strange to me. The dialogue felt very stiff, I didn't flow like a normal conversation and maybe it's just because aliens were speaking English and that was intentional? I don't know. I do love how she incorporated the slang and differences from the humans and the Vesturon. I was very interested in their species and felt like she could have added more, though I love all the tech stuff the author added.

Writing to Wednesday: Birthday

So it was my birthday recently and it wasn't anything different. Besides the fact that it was also the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and that my pregnant fish gave birth around the same time I was born it was quite mundane. I wouldn't say that growing is mundane though because if you really notice how we change over a few weeks to years it's quite drastic how the world changes us.

You may be asking what I got for my birthday and well I got a new ipod touch charger because the old one was breaking. If you guys didn't know I check on the blog every morning before I go to school on that thing and try to answer all of your questions or just feedback. I also got a book. What book? Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I recently saw a review on it on Youtube (bookswithcourt) and it was really drew me in. The only thing I didn't like about getting the book was that Barnes and Nobel needs to stop reorganizing their shelves so often. It gets on my nerves at time when the young adult section is on one side, but all the new young adult novels that recently came out is on the other. It took me forever to find it and I personally don't really like their kiosk for finding books. The keyboard didn't work!

June Books!!

So it's that time of the month (lol, not that). Here are the book this month that I will hopefully will be reviewing:

Heist Society by Ally Carter
The Book Thief by Makus Zusak
Matched by Allie Condie
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Envy by Gregg Olsen

I am very excited this month because I get out of school, so there will be more time to read. Also there are some new features I am excited about doing. So far, nothing is announced, but please stay tuned to Read'n'Write. I have many projects going on and would love to share them you. If you have read any of these books already please leave your review or opinion on them in the comments. If you follow me, I'll follow you. Let's spread the love shall we? Yeah. So if you have any book you'd like me to review please leave it down in the comments. :) I hope you have some amazing books you'll be reading this month or summer. 

Book Reviewed

The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson
Heist Society by Ally Carter
Common Criminals by Ally Carter
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Envy by Gregg Olsen
Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Believe by E. Leighanne Grimm-Weever
Uglies by David Westerfield