Category: Life Of A Reader

Official TBR

8/10/2016

I've been getting into the very bad habit of starting books and not finishing them. Not because they aren't good - I just don't finish them. Annoying.

This pile consists of the books I want to concentrate on. This is not counting Gloria Steinem's book (i.e. look at my snapchat!), Wendy Walker's All is Not Forgotten, and ebooks I need to review. It's ambitious, but I think I can do it!

Please comment your support below lol

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30 Bookish Facts...About Me!

8/9/2016

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I don't usually do personal posts - although, I think my reviews get plenty personal haha But I found this one via the Lost in Literature blog. It originated with Cait @ Paper Fury and everyone was invited to join in - so here I go!

30 BOOKISH FACTS ABOUT ME
YOU DIDN’T EVEN KNOW THAT YOU WANTED TO KNOW

Look! It's Nine! I love me some Nine (Doctor Who fan girl, right here). Anyway - let's move on....

1) Currently reading? I've been picking up stuff left and right. So much left unread. Currently: All is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker and On the Move by Oliver Sacks

2) Should’ve read, like, yesterday? Everything. Literally.

3) Book that impacted you? Everything I read impacts me in one way or another, but here are two that come to mind. First is True Crime Addict by James Renner because it terrifies me to think that someone could literally vanish and not be found. It's creepy, amazing, and terrifying at the same time. The other book is Asking for It by Lilah Pace because it is the first book, for me, that dealt with the taboo of the rape fantasy and I believe Pace did it very well. It floored me with its honesty.

4) Hyped vs backlist titles? Some hyped - but I usually buy and read much later, definitely backlist when I find an author or series I think I'll like.

5) Current series crush? All I've been reading are series books! What am I not in love with!? Ugh. Um, currently The Others series by Anne Bishop, the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews, and the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. Oh and any cozy mystery series involving books, authors, or bookstores. Yup. Catnip.

6) How strong is your self-control around books? Non-existent

7) Plot vs characters? I am a sucker for a well-written character. Sometimes, if the plot isn't all that wonderful, a great set of characters can push it through. Can you really have one without the other though? Hm.

8) Would you write under a pseudonym? Heck yes. It would be another female name or a really ambiguous one like "C.M. Fae" or something. Or maybe a simple C.M. Ortiz will suffice *wink*

9) Would you marry your bookshelf? Yes. Any day.

10) Do you ever get sick of reading? Not really. I get sick of what I'm reading sometimes.

11) Random bookish memory? I tend to recall memories of my mother, who does not know English and is not a reader (I am the only one in my family who is, really), taking me to a local thrift store once a week or every other week so I could pick out some books. There was always a huge selection and I did pick books that were way beyond my age of understanding - but I always devoured what she bought me, and she not once limited my choices.

12) Character you relate to? Probably the closest are: Sera from Never Been Kissed by C.M. Kars (No, I did not write it lol) - mostly because she is the right amount of geeky, introvert, and caring - and NOT because of the romantic elements of the book; also, Cath from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell because of her fangirlish, geeky, and anxiety-ridden ways.

13) Do you own bookish merchandise? I don't! Aw, this makes me sad. I do have Harry Potter Funkos. Oh, and Cthulhu! Those count, yes?

14) Controversial opinion? I think there is too much drama in the world (and hate) because people believe every thought they have needs to be said. I'm all for speaking your mind, but wish we were all more mindful about what actually gets said.

15) NOTP? (book relationships that I do not like, and therefore, ship) I am sure they exist and I am only repressing them.

16) Why didn’t I love this? Eh...this one is a difficult one for me because I'm a rather good judge of what books I'm going to choose to read and like.

17) Hardcover vs paperback? Paperback

18) Do you ever like villains? Oh yes. It's a love/hate thing.

19) Cringeable reads? Oh, let me count the books! lol There actually aren't that many, but sometimes a few tend to slip through. Some are: The Wager by Rachel Van Dyken, The Billionaire's Intern by Crystal Kaswell, One of the Guys by Shiloh Walker, and 50 Shades of Grey series. I read the first one, and that was enough.

20) Where do you get your books from? From a variety of places: thrift stores, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Abe Books.

21) Haunting read? I have yet to read a book that scares me. Nothing against scary books because I love them. But I'm a horror fan, so it's difficult to creep me out.

22) Highly anticipated upcoming release? Lauren Graham's and Anna Kendrick's memoirs or whatever they're calling them :D

23) Annoying character qualities? Being whiny, too co-dependent, boring, superficial, a jerk with no redeeming qualities or moments, entitled, self-centered, and did I mention boring? And characters that do not change. Grow a little, people.

24) Least favourite genre? Historical romance

25) Best tropes? Oh, let me count the ways to my little trope-y heart. I love the following: enemies to lovers, geek/nerd women and the hot guys who love them, sometimes friends to lovers, and plus-size women and the men who love them (is that a trope? I dunno, but I like it). And I don't know if it counts, but books about books, bookstores, authors, bloggers, etc. are my love!

26) Rereading? I re-read quick "guilty-pleasure" reads when I'm feeling down, but I don't reread often.

27) Have you abused a book? No! The most abuse a book gets is tumbling around in my purse/totebag.

28) Series you quit on? Hunger Games (I only read the first one, and didn't care for it much, but love the movies!). and the Divergent series (I read the first one, and don't care for the others...or the movies).

29) Wish it wasn’t a standalone? No! I have enough series! Standalones are welcomed in my little bookish world.

30) Bad bookworm side-effects? Being broke from buying all the books I can. Next day book-hangover after staying up way too late reading. The FEELS that I get from these damned wonderful things called books <3

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Where I've been....

4/18/2016

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Hey there! Long time no see...

Heh.

Yeah...I've disappeared for quite a bit, but I am here to let you know why. It's what happens to readers sometimes. I was and still kind of am in a bad reading slump.

Not my graphic...but really fitting to the feelings...

I tried to get into what I was reading, but I kept starting books and then not finishing them. It left me feeling horrible, really. It somewhat started with Karen Marie Moning's 3rd installment of the Fever series. The end left me reeling - and I didn't know how to feel. I will be reviewing it for those of you who have read it or don't mind spoilers. Coming up soon, I promise.

Then this weekend I finished the 4th installment and I am very close to finishing the 5th one. I am hoping to keep on the reading band wagon and that the 5th book doesn't lead me right back into another slump because I heard that it's the last one about Mac *tears*

I also have so many books that I need to review from Netgalley...

I WANT to read them all - it was just that slump took me out of my rhythm. I really dislike it when that happens.

So, I'm here to tell you that I'm not gone and to keep expecting reviews and other posts. I'm just getting over the horrid slump that once in awhile gets all readers (right? It's not just me, RIGHT???).

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Thrift Books vs New Books

11/20/2015

I'm currently writing this as I sit with my face hurting - damn sinus problems. So - bear with me.

Before I started working, all of my books came from thrift stores, library book sales, and garage sales. I didn't fathom getting my books any other way. There's quite nothing like looking through books and finding that one that's been on your wish list. And wait, it's also for 99 cents! Score! I remember finding Wicked, the creme-colored large paperback edition, for 10 cents at my university library's book sale! And how about the time I got Sylvia Plath's Unabridged Journals for free from the public library's librarian (they were culling old book copies). Finding a great book for a great price made me feel really good.

Then I started working, and hey, I realized I could afford new books. New books that no one had ever read before - it was something I had really not experienced before. I was able to walk into Barnes & Noble and (usually with a coupon in hand) pick any book I wanted. I could browse and see what got my attention, or I could go down my wish list and see if I could find the books I know I wanted. It was a different kind of treasure hunt - one I could control. It was nice to have some control when it came to my love of books.

Used books give you a history when you acquire them. There's marginalia, the smell, and sometimes people have left something of themselves behind, a bookmark, a pressed flower, etc. New books give you a chance to create history.

Required Reading: What Do You Remember Reading for School?

10/23/2015

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I haven't thought about required reading in a very long time (I graduated with my Masters in 2011). So, when I came across this topic in Vivatramp's 100 More Book Blog Post Ideas it brought back a wave of book memories - some wonderful, some not so much.

I've always been quite a "rebel" when it came to my reading. I have read what I've wanted (even if it was "inappropriate") since I can remember liking to read. My parents didn't dictate what I could read and I felt that school shouldn't have to either. I would do as much as I could to do well in the class - which often meant not reading the assigned book.

I know, I know.

So, I rebelled against titles like The Great Gatsby, and Frankenstein without knowing what they were about. I have yet to fully read The Great Gatsby *gasp*, but Frankenstein actually came back to haunt me when my freshman level English literature class assigned it. I wanted to start off well, so I read it - and I LOVED IT. I still love it. I look back and kind of wish I could apologize to my high school senior level English teacher - even though I did get an A in the class...

Then there were other books assigned during high school: The House on Mango Street, Rebecca, and Of Mice and Men. For some reason, these books I read cover to cover. Maybe because The House on Mango Street, and Of Mice and Men are super short stories? That would be appealing to high school me. Rebecca, however, was not a short read. It did, however, intrigue me. It seemed scary - thrilling. But, why Rebecca, and not Frankenstein? Was it because Rebecca had a female at the center of the story? That is a connection I am just now realizing. I love a "good" female protagonist. It didn't hurt that we also got to watch the movie in class.
Then there are the books I was told to read in college. Friday Night Lights is probably the one I most disliked having to read. Football in Texas. I know I know there's some importance to it, but Freshman me did not care...and I doubt I'd care as much as that now. But I read it for my HISTORY class, and I wrote about it, and I passed.

Then...then the wonderful happened. My last semester I had one class that I had to take to graduate, but I was on financial aid so I had to fill up my schedule with 3 more classes. I took an extra psychology (my major) course, decided to treat myself (because it is a treat) with two literature courses, Intro to American Fiction and Native American Literature. I had them both with the same professor, Dr. Deane Mansfield-Kelly and they were glorious.

I remember reading (yes, actually reading) Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy (a mother daughter writing duo), and The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (we watched the movie too!) the most, I enjoyed both books, especially Monkeewrench. In fact, I still read books by P.J. Tracy because of this class. Dr. Kelly was so enthusiastic about, not just reading, but the genre she was teaching. She specialized in detective fiction and I thought that was the coolest thing ever. She had a framed cover of Hound of the Baskervilles in her office. The lady rocked.

I have always been interested in the Native American culture, so naturally the decision to take her other course was a no brainer. I got to read books like Love Medicine, Ceremony, Blue Dawn Red Earth, and so many others. But the books that stood the test of time with me were Louise Erdrich's The Beet Queen and Sherman Alexie's Reservation Blues. Both gorgeous in their own tragic ways. Alexie's works in particular have come to hold a special place in my soul. I recommend everyone read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian because it is one of the few books that can have me laughing one second and sobbing the next. His words are easy to read, but so difficult to digest. Beautifully tragic. One of my deepest wants is to one day meet Mr. Alexie, but I'm afraid to as well because how does one speak words to someone so eloquent?

But I digress.

Every book, whether I read it or not has affected me in one way or another. Positively and negatively. The important part is that if it weren't for assigned reading, I wouldn't know what I love and what I dislike. I never would have found Sherman Alexie if it weren't for wonderful Dr. Kelly assigning it to the class.

It's never too late to meet a good book.

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Official TBR

30 Bookish Facts...About Me!

30 BOOKISH FACTS ABOUT ME
YOU DIDN’T EVEN KNOW THAT YOU WANTED TO KNOW

Where I've been....

Hey there! Long time no see...

Heh.

Yeah...I've disappeared for quite a bit, but I am here to let you know why. It's what happens to readers sometimes. I was and still kind of am in a bad reading slump.

Thrift Books vs New Books

Required Reading: What Do You Remember Reading for School?

Want to receive monthly highlights from Book Fidelity? Sign up!

Categories

Archives

Official TBR

30 Bookish Facts...About Me!

30 BOOKISH FACTS ABOUT ME​YOU DIDN’T EVEN KNOW THAT YOU WANTED TO KNOW

Where I've been....

Hey there! Long time no see...Heh.Yeah...I've disappeared for quite a bit, but I am here to let you know why. It's what happens to readers sometimes. I was and still kind of am in a bad reading slump.

Thrift Books vs New Books

Required Reading: What Do You Remember Reading for School?

Want to receive monthly highlights from Book Fidelity? Sign up!

Categories

Archives

30 BOOKISH FACTS ABOUT ME
YOU DIDN’T EVEN KNOW THAT YOU WANTED TO KNOW

Hey there! Long time no see...

Heh.

Yeah...I've disappeared for quite a bit, but I am here to let you know why. It's what happens to readers sometimes. I was and still kind of am in a bad reading slump.