Bookish & Not-So-Bookish Thoughts

Bookish & Not-So-Bookish Thoughts is a weekly meme hosted by Bookishly Boisterous where you can talk about anything going on in your life-bookish or not! Head on over to link up & join in the conversation.

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1. I donʻt know about yʻall, but new lipstick always make me feel about 100% better about life. I got some new Spring colored lipstick in the mail and I am on top of the world. Even though I hardly ever wear makeup/only my kid sees me in makeup haha.

2. Spring cleaning is upon us and I hate it already! I donʻt know how we accumulated so much stuff but I hate trying to figure out where to put it or what to do with it. Also, every time I try to throw something away, I am overruled so thatʻs annoying.

3. Also, the kid has soooo much stuff! How does one tiny person have SO much stuff?!?! Oh yeah...she has a mother who is addicted to Amazon. Oops.

4. We are finally taking the cloth diaper leap! We bought a bundle of 10 diapers from Amazon (oh look...thereʻs that place again) to get started and to see if itʻs something that we want to do full time. Iʻm kinda obsessed with how freaking CUTE the diapers are! Plus, they were such a good price on Amazon. I canʻt wait to try ʻem out!

5. I am currently reading The Martian by Andy Weir. Iʻm really enjoying it! Itʻs so funny and actually pretty intense, too. Iʻm only about halfway through, but I canʻt put it  down because I really, really want to know what happens in the end! Is the movie as good as the book? Josh and I are planning on watching the movie once Iʻm done with the book.

6. I just finished reading Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern and Iʻm surprised at how much I ended up liking it. Iʻve heard a lot of mixed reviews for it, so I wasnʻt sure if I would like it much at all. Iʻm glad I picked it up. Itʻs a really sweet story.

7. We have been adding to our Hawaiian Language book collection! Since this picture was taken, weʻve added about 8 books to our collection and Iʻm so happy about that! I speak Hawaiian and I really want Honey to speak the language as well, we practice every day using conversational Hawaiian and through reading our Hawaiian language books!

8. Honey has a pretty big collection of 5-Minute Stories books. I like the fact that there are lots of different stories in one book. Honey loves the pictures. We both love that theyʻre short enough for her to actually sit through one (or two). We read at least one story a night as a family. Our current favorite is Precious Moments 5-Minute Bedtime Treasury.

9. I took the kiddo to see the Easter Bunny this week. She was so good! She didnʻt cry and she was in a pretty good mood for the actual picture. Sheʻs been in a mood lately so I was afraid that she might not like the Easter Bunny at all but she did very well. Plus, how cute is she in her little Easter dress?

10. Since cutting my hair, I prefer using it straight...it makes me feel good. But I have a hard time straightening the hair in the back of my head because  itʻs so short. So I had Josh do it for me! It was so funny! It was his first time ever straightening hair (of course) and he was so worried that he was going to burn me. But he did a good job (and no one got burnt). I wish I had gotten a picture though!

11. The internet on my computer has been extremely buggy lately. Sometimes, the router just will not connect to my computer at all! Itʻs super annoying and delaying all of my blogging stuff...like the post that I was supposed to on Wednesday. I think itʻs time for a good router...ours is so old! Suggestions?

12. How about a Throwback Thursday video? So...every year, my high school hosts a Song Contest which is exactly as it sounds. Each grade competes in a singing competition of Hawaiian music. Itʻs broadcast across the state of Hawaii (and now online) every year and itʻs a pretty big/well known tradition here. This yearʻs Song Contest is on Friday. Hereʻs a video of the class of 2008 Senior Women (my class) singing a song about Hawaiʻi during our last Song Contest.

What have you all been up to lately? Whatʻre you currently reading?

Top 10 Tuesday: 10 Books on My Spring TBR

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Head on over to find out how to participate & to check out other peopleʻs Top 10 Tuesday posts!

Top 10 Books on My Spring TBR

1. The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh -- As of right now, this is my most anticipated book in the near future. I cannot wait to get my hands on it!

2. The Lifeboat Clique by Kathy Parks -- I read the first few chapters of this book Epic Reads First Five and my MIND WAS BLOWN. I already bought it, but Iʻve been waiting until the TBR Pile Challenge is over to dive in to it since books published after March 1 are not allowed!

3. This is Where the World Ends by Amy Zhang -- This cover is just straight up beautiful and the blurb sounds great. As far as Advanced Readers go, itʻs gotten mixed reviews but I think Iʻll decide for myself if I like it or not!

4. Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard -- I have only heard great things about this and I canʻt wait to get my hands on it!

5. The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter --  This book sounds so hauntingly beautiful. Iʻm sure that this book will keep me up all night and will probably haunt my dreams but I want it so bad!

6. Nil On Fire by Lynne Matson -- I freaking love the Nil trilogy and Iʻm kinda sad to see it come to an end...but I am also so,  so, so excited to see what happens next! If you havenʻt read the first two books yet, go and read them NOW before this book comes out on May 31!

7. Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories -- Yet another collection of cute love stories from our favorite authors edited by Stephanie Perkins! To be honest, I havenʻt even gotten around to reading the winter stories yet, but who can pass on a good summer lovinʻ story? Not me! This comes out in May, so itʻll be a great Spring into Summer book!

8. The Crown by Kiera Cass -- Kiera is one of my auto-buy authors, so even though I havenʻt quite finished The Heir yet, you know that Iʻll be getting my hands on this one as soon as it comes out. And maybe having it will motivate me to finally finish The Heir, haha.

9. Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton -- ALLLLL of the early reviews that Iʻve seen for this book has absolutely praised it. Historical Fantasy has been my go to genre as of late, so Iʻm pretty excited to see that weʻve got another one to look forward to. Canʻt wait to read it!

10. Map of Fates by Maggie Hall -- I loved The Conspiracy of Us and I feel like I waited so long for this book to be released. Now that itʻs finally here, I canʻt wait to read it!

Whatʻs on your Spring TBR?

Top 10 Tuesday: Books to Read When Youʻre Craving ADVENTURE

Ten Books to Read When Youʻre In the Mood for ADVENTURING

That is basically me like 500% of the time. Except, wait! I am an introvert through and through. I prefer being indoors--leaving adventure to the outdoorsy types. It drives Josh crazy sometimes, but eh...what ya gonna do? Anyway...just because I donʻt want to go on an actual, outdoor type adventure doesnʻt mean that I donʻt crave adventure constantly. Thatʻs where books come in. I find my adventures (and there are many of them) in the pages of books. Here are the 10 best books (in my opinion) to read when youʻre in the mood for a little adventure. {P.S. these books arenʻt necessarily focused on trips or adventures, but they are books that made me feel like I was being transported to another place. They may have some adventure-y elements or they may not. I donʻt even know...itʻs late, lol}

1. The Museum of Intangible Things by Wendy Wunder - Wendy Wunder is one of my favorite authors and I donʻt think enough people read her books but I digress. The Museum of Intangible Things is about two besties who go on a road trip to kinda find themselves and just to get out of their too small town. Just the fact that this is a road trip makes it an adventure, but they also explore a Native American community which I think is pretty interesting.

2. The Islands At the End of the World by Austin Aslan - This book takes place in Hawaii, so basically thatʻs an adventure right there. But when a strange cloud appears in the sky and all electronics suddenly stop working, paradise turns in to an apocalyptic nightmare, thatʻs where the REAL adventure begins. It was interesting to see my Hawaii in a different light!

3. Whereʻd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple - This is one of those books that arenʻt really about an adventure in particular, but it did make me ask (many, many times) what our darling Bernadette was up to! I spent many an hour after reading this book wondering what kind of adventures Bernadette could have been on.

4. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie - Oh, my darling Peter...I am still bummed that Iʻm too old for Never Land, but Iʻm glad that I get to adventure off to Never Land whenever I want! Peter Pan is one of the ultimate adventure books for kids of all ages. I remember reading it as a kid and wanting to explore and run around Never Land forest with the Lost Boys! 

5. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling - I just feel like this book would be incomplete without my first true love, Harry Potter. Every book is a new adventure and every time I read the books I feel like Iʻm right there with Harry, Ron, and Hermione enjoying the journey...well, as much as you can enjoy the journeys Harry and friends go on, anyway.

6. Alienated Trilogy by Melissa Landers - Melissa Landers is AMAZING at writing about adventures of the alien variety and thatʻs why I love these books. I am not an ʻalienʻ person, but I really enjoyed these books simply because I enjoyed the settings and the world building. Also, I want to travel through space to visit Aelyxʻs planet....except maybe not...that would be a heck of an adventure, though!

7. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott OʻDell - Island of the Blue Dolphins was my all time favorite book when I was a kid. In case you havenʻt noticed yet, I love island settings mostly because I think itʻs cool to see what I know represented in books. I loved the idea of being alone on an island and having to fend for myself. Of course, I probably couldnʻt do it in real life so I live vicariously through Karana.

8. A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray - Raise your hand if you want to travel through different dimensions. *Raises hand* I think that it would be so much fun to not only venture through different time periods or different planets but also to travel through different dimensions. How much fun could you have with that?!

9. Nil by Lynne Matson - There I go with the islands again. This is a story about teenagers who get transported from their home lives to an island in the middle of nowhere. On the island, they have 365 days to survive and get out or else. They basically have to learn how to survive on a desert island and try to get out before their time is up. I loved this book so much. And while I definitely donʻt want to be on that island, it definitely was like living an adventure with the characters!

10. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - Sometimes, going on an adventure isnʻt about traveling through space or living alone on a desert island...sometimes, going on an adventure means picking up your entire life to move across the ocean just to go to school. Annaʻs adventure might not be the riskiest and it may not mean fighting for survival but it  is still an adventure!

What books do you like to read  when youʻre craving adventure? Check out other books to suit your mood over at The Broke and the Bookish.

Five Books I Enjoyed Recently That Were Out of My Comfort Zone

Woooow that is a mouthful! Happy Tuesday, people! Iʻm linking up with The Broke and the Bookish today for Top 10 Tuesday.

Ten FIVE Books I Enjoyed That Were Out of My Comfort Zone

1. Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin - I donʻt read a lot of historical fiction. I did when I was younger, but in recent years I simply havenʻt enjoyed the historical fiction books that I have read, but now Iʻm beginning to think that I just havenʻt been reading the right ones. I absolutely loved Wolf by Wolf. It was exciting and interesting enough to suck me right in...and it still hasnʻt released me from itʻs grips. Itʻs the one book Iʻve read this year that I just cannot stop thinking about!

2. The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma - I tend not to read a lot of paranormal fiction either because I have an overactive imagination and my brain turns whatever Iʻm reading into dreams, which means that Iʻll end up having scary dreams when I read paranormal stuff. I went into this knowing what the book was about (and read it only in the day time, haha) and I thought it was great! The writing has a lot to do with why I enjoyed it--it was just a gorgeous novel.

3. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff - Outer space sci-fi books are a hit or miss for me. I either enjoy it (like the Alienated series by Melissa Landers) or they end up on my DNF list. I pre-ordered this one because of 1) all the hype, 2) the gorgeous cover, and 3) the format. I am so glad that I did because I ended up loving this book so much. I canʻt wait for Gemina later this year!

4. Maternity Leave by Julie Halpern - I recently started reading more Adult Fiction and I think that this book was my ʻgatewayʻ book. I read it shortly after giving birth to my daughter thanks to a review in Parentʻs Magazine and I ended up enjoying it quite a bit...mostly because it was a book that I could relate to. And thatʻs when I realized that I was getting old :P 

5. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda - This book wasnʻt out of my comfort zone per say but, prior to reading this, I did not read a lot of LGBT books simply because there werenʻt a lot available or because I wasnʻt interested in the plot. Last year, I decided to actively add more diverse books to my reading repertoire and I really enjoyed it.

I could only think of five (and even that is probably stretching it) books that were out of my comfort zone which I enjoyed. I enjoy a variety of genres and pretty much will give anything a try. 

What are some books youʻve read recently that you were surprised to enjoy?

2016 Love-A-Thon :: Mix & Match

The Love-A-Thon is up & running--and goinʻ strong! Check out my introduction post for more info about what the Love-A-Thon is and all that jazz. Now itʻs time for my first Mini Challenge--a bit late because, you know, LIFE...but here it is!

The Challenge: We all love books, but there are other things weʻre passionate about too! Mash-up a non-bookish hobby/passion/talent/fandom with your bookish life. Do it through pho1tos, art, videos, etc. Get as creative as you like!

My favorite thing, aside from reading, is DISNEY. I love all things Disney--the movies, the music, the parks, the merchandise...everything! I even worked at Disney through the Disney College Program for a few months back in 2013. Basically, Disney is LIFE. For my challenge, Iʻll be singling out a few of my favorite Princesses (and probably a fairy) and recommending some books for them.

Rapunzel --> Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Rapunzel is my number one truest of all true loves, favorite princess of all time. Sheʻs smart and a little sassy. Sheʻs daring and brave, but a little shy. Sheʻs so, so creative. And most of all, sheʻs kind enough to always see the good in others. In so many ways, sheʻs everything Iʻm not and everything I wish that I could be. Anyway, for Miss Punzie, I would recommend the book Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. There are a lot of themes in this book that Rapunzel could relate to--being stuck inside of the house all her life (or tower...same thing), meeting a strange boy and falling in love (FLYNN RIDER <3), and wanting to know what more is out there in the world. I really enjoyed Everything, Everything and I think itʻs one Punzie would have liked, too!

Bonus Picture of me with Rapunzel & Flynn back in 2013!

Belle --> The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Tying with Rapunzel for first in the favorite princess category is every bookish girlʻs favorite Princess, Belle! I canʻt remember a time in my life when I havenʻt loved Belle...I mean, even as a child my bedroom was Beauty & the Beast themed and Belle has been a constant fixture in my life ever since. Anyway, this one couldʻve been easy since we know that Belleʻs favorite book is one with far off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, and a prince is disguise but I wanted to be a little different. I think Belle would love The Hunger Games trilogy by Susan Collins because thereʻs a little bit of everything that Belle enjoys...minus the magic spells.

 

Ariel --> Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Rounding out my top three favorite Disney Princesses is the Little Mermaid aka Ariel! She is my favorite character to meet at the Disney parks because itʻs always fun to swim under the sea to visit her...sheʻs so bubbly and sweet and so much fun! Whenever I think of Ariel, I think of romance which is why I think Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins would be the perfect book for Ariel. I think sheʻd love Isla and Joshʻs story and all the happy beginnings and endings. This is definitely a book that she would gush over for days.

 

Tinker Bell --> Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

I couldnʻt make a Disney themed list without my main fairy and all time favorite Disney character, Tinker Bell! Fun Fact: Did you know that Tink was part of the original Disney Princess line up before Disney franchised the fairies and gave her all her own products/franchise stuff? Cool, huh? Anyway, Tinker Bell, in her essence, is sassy and sheʻs mean sometimes (especially to stupid Wendy birds). She has a short temper and she gets jealous easily. But sheʻs a loyal friend to Peter Pan (and to her fairy friends at Pixie hollow). For her, I would recommend Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. Mare Barrow is sassy and sheʻs mean sometimes...she definitely has a short temper but she is loyal to the people that she loves. Tink would relate well to Mare.

Thatʻs it for this challenge! Do you like Disney? Who is your favorite Disney character? What books would you recommend for any character on this list...or of your choosing? Iʻd love to hear your opinions in the comments!

Book Review: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Weʻre doing things a little differently this weekend because itʻs the 2016 Love-A-Thon Weekend! I am super excited to be joining in on this fun way to get to know and leave a little lovinʻ for fellow book bloggers, bookstagrammers, & booktubers. There will be a post talking alllll about that tomorrow! 

Title: The Wrath and the Dawn
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Publication: May 2015, G.P. Putnamʻs Sons Books for Young Readers
Links: Goodreads - Barnes & Noble - Amazon
Rating: 4.75/5 Lollies
Review: Khalid, the boy-king Caliph of Khorasan is known as a murderous monster. Every day, he takes a new bride only to have her killed at dawn. When her best friend, Shiva, falls victim to the monster, Shahrzad (Shazi) volunteers to be his  next bride with plans to avenge Shivaʻs death. Of course, things change once Shazi is in the den of the beast. Shazi enchants Khalid night after night with her stories in hopes that he will spare her life but knowing each night could be her llast. As Shazi gets to know the boy-king she realizes that he is nothing as she imagined or as the rumors paint him to be.

I attempted to read this book once before but I couldnʻt get into it simply because I didnʻt have enough time. I am so glad that I decided to give it another try because I just loved this book! Like, I did not ever want to stop reading this book. It made me feel all the feels...and Iʻm pretty sure that I cried a little (or a lot-no judging!) when the book ended. I also refused to read the last two pages of this book for a good 5 minutes because I did not want it to end. I need the next book ASAP. Okay, thanks.

What I Liked:
-Khalid. Seriously, I would feel weird if I didnʻt mention him right away. Khalid is my newest book boyfriend and I am obsessed with him. THE WORDS HE SAYS...ugh. And THE THINGS HE DOES...double ugh. I just freaking love him. And I loved him from the beginning even though I knew he was a murderous crazy person. I wonder what that says about me? Hmmm...I especially love him because there is so much more to him than what meets the eye. I just want to hug my poor, tortured baby and tell him that heʻs gonna be okay.
-Actually all the characters. I found all the characters to be extremely well-written and interesting. They werenʻt one-dimensional characters at all. Every single one had layers and layers of information yet I still donʻt feel like I *know* them. Even the characters that I hated were written in a way that made me want to hate them.
-How the story was reimagined. Iʻll be honest, Iʻve never read A Thousand and One Nights and I donʻt read a lot of books with Persian or Arabic influences. After reading this, though, I am definitely going to pick up more books like this! What I enjoyed most about the book is that the author took elements from the culture and from the story and made her own world with it. Itʻs original, but still true to itʻs roots. i love that!

What I Didnʻt Like:
-Tariq. Yes, he was well written and interesting and whatever. I just donʻt like him in general. He can go away now. #TeamKhalid
-Certain parts of the story were a little slow, particularly toward the middle. I tended to skim through those parts. A lot of the action doesnʻt happen until you get further into the book which can make some parts seem to drag on.

I really, really enjoyed this book. It was interesting and well written. I absolutely fell in love with the characters. I just did not want this book to end at all. I borrowed it from the library but I plan to order a copy for my shelf ASAP. Tell me again how Iʻm supposed to wait until May for the second book?!

#LfBReadathon Update

Aaaaand thatʻs a wrap! That Love for Books Readathon is officially over. I need to thank Jessi over at Novel Heartbeat again for hosting this readathon! Now that Iʻve got my first one under my belt, itʻs time to participate in more!

I gotta be honest...my TBR goals were a little lofty. I had 6 books on my TBR but only completed 3, which is still good, in my opinion, but I could have done better. Ah well...we had a few unexpected guests this week so it was #worthit. Anyway...letʻs see how I did...

Goals.

1. Read for at least 30/day. [check! I got a lot of reading time in, especially while putting the kid to sleep]

2. Involve Honey in the readathon [Check! If I wasnʻt reading to her out loud from whatever I was reading, we were in her library reading her books.]

3. Connect with fellow bloggers via twitter, blog comments, and following new blogs [Semi-check. I didnʻt get to post on twitter as much as I wanted to, but I did find lots of new blogs to follow and I tried to participate in the challenges as well!]

Reading Log

Monday, February 8

Books Read: Immaculate-Katelyn Detweiler, Nil Unlocked-Lynne Matson

Pages/Time Spent Reading: About an hour and a half in all...canʻt remember how many pages.

Comments: Finished Immaculate this morning and started on Nil Unlocked!

Tuesday, February 9

Books Read: Nil Unlocked-Lynne Matson, Stars Above-Marissa Meyer

Pages/Time Spent Reading: 60 minutes

Comments: My BFF came to visit so I didnʻt have time to read at all...I did get some reading in at the end of the day, but thatʻs about it.

Wednesday, February 10

Books Read: Nil Unlocked-Lynne Matson, Stars Above-Marissa Meyer

Pages/Time Spent Reading: ~60-70 pages of Nil Unlocked (About 1.5 hours in all)

Comments: Today was a busy day and we were on the road a lot so I didnʻt get to read much...I wish that I could read in cars without getting carsick. Made a bit of a dent in Nil Unlocked.

Thursday, February 11

Books Read: Nil Unlocked-Lynne Matson, Stars Above-Marissa Meyer

Pages/Time Spent Reading:  2 hours, roughly 100 pages

Comments: Finished up Nil Unlocked today! It was sooo good...I need the next book like ASAP

Friday, February 12

Books Read: Landry Park-Bethany Hagen, Stars Above-Marissa Meyer

Pages/Time Spent Reading: 60 pages in Landry Park, 30 pages in Stars Above

Comments: I got to spend a little more time reading today, yay! But it was back on solo mommy duty so...yep. Finally got to start Landry Park. Iʻm actually re-reading this so that I can read the sequel soon.

Saturday, February 13

Books Read: Landry Park-Bethany Hagen, Stars Above-Marissa Meyer

Pages/Time Spent Reading: 10 pages of Landry Park, 1 story in Stars Above
Comments: Today was a busy day and I seriously slacked on the whole reading thing. Did get some reading in with the baby, but thatʻs about it.

Sunday, February 14

Books Read: Stars Above-Marissa Meyer

Pages/Time Spent Reading: Finished the last 30% of my ebook!

Comments: I finally finished Stars Above! Iʻve been reading about 1 short story a day for the week but Iʻm glad Iʻm finally finished! I am sad to see it end, though...I need more Captain Thorne in my life please and thank you.

Conclusion

What we can get from this is that I am the worst at keeping track of how many pages that I read. Plus, when I read on my Nook, it never gives me an accurate page count so I have a hard time keeping track. I am glad that I read 50% at least of what I wanted to read and Iʻm even more happy that I completed my goal of reading for at least a half an hour every day. I canʻt wait for the next readathon!

If you participated in the Love for Books Readathon, did you achieve your goals and conquer your TBR list? 

Mini Book Reviews Week 4

I know, I know...I have been seriously slacking with the book reviews. Itʻs been like 2 weeks since Iʻve done one. But, to be kinda fair, I havenʻt been doing a good job with the whole reading thing in general. Darn you reading slump and people coming to visit! Ah well...hereʻs to hoping that next week will be better...enjoy these for now!

P.S. Did yʻall see my new rating scale?! Iʻm kinda excited about it...itʻs on the side bar :D
P.P.S. Iʻm trying this new thing where the synopsis of the book is in italics. Iʻm hoping it makes it a little easier to differentiate between my review and the synopsis. Let me know if that works for you guys, please!

Title: The Emperor of Any Place
Author: Tim Wynne-Jones
Publication: October 2015, Candlewick Press
Links: Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Goodreads
Rating: 3.5/5 Lollies
Review: When Evanʻs father passes away suddenly, Evan discovers the last book that he had been reading--a journal written by a Japanese soldier during World War II. A rich story of two young men develops as Evan reads the journal and learns of his own connection to the writer. Essentially a book within a book, this is an interesting tale of war, family, survival, and love mixed with a dose of Japanese myth and lore. The FIRST thing that you need to know about this book is that itʻs a mix of historical, contemporary, and paranormal fiction. Itʻs a strange mix, but it works somehow, but I donʻt think that I would have liked the book as much if I had gone into it not knowing that thatʻs what itʻs about so...yeah. I enjoyed the format of this book and how it went back and forth between Evanʻs POV and Isamuʻs journal. This book reminded me a lot of Lost but with Japanese lore mixed it. It was definitely an interesting read! Check out my full review here.

Title: Nanny Returns
Author: Emma McLaughlin, Nicola Kraus
Publication: 2009, Atria Books
Links: Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Goodreads
Rating: 2.5/5 Lollies
Review: This story takes place about 10 years after the events in The Nanny Diaries. In that time Nanny has married Ryan (aka Harvard Hottie) and theyʻve spent most of their time abroad where Ryan does humanitarian work. Now that theyʻre back home in the City, itʻs time to settle down--theyʻve bought a fixer-upper, Nanny has started an HR consulting business, and Ryan wants to start a family. Nan is not so sure about the whole family thing. When Grayer X shows up on Nanʻs doorstep shortly after her arrival home, Nanny is sucked back into the Xes world, which only makes her further question whether or not she wants to be a mom. This book was okay. The one thing that I really love about Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus is that their writing is excellent. Their books are so easy to read and easy to get through, definitely a must if you just want a quick read. I am still not a fan of Nanʻs character. I was expecting to see some sort of character growth because of the time gap between books, but I felt like it was the same old Nan. Sigh...will she ever grow up and become an actual adult who makes actual adult decisions? The world may never know. Check out my full review here.

Title: Immaculate
Author: Katelyn Detweiler
Publication: 2015, Viking Books for Young Readers
Links: Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Goodreads
Rating: 4/5 Lollies
Review: Mina Dietrich is an average 17 year old who is trying to get through her senior year of high school with her friends and her boyfriend by her side. That is until she meets Iris, a seemingly crazy old woman who tells her weird things, and she ends up pregnant...and a Virgin. Soon, she loses one of her best friends who thinks that sheʻs a liar, her boyfriend who is positive that Mina cheated on him, and even her dad is convinced that sheʻs throwing her entire life away. Add to that the fact that the general public (and media) have caught wind of this shenanigan and Mina finds her life completely turned upside down. I liked this book a lot. The premise was interesting enough to suck me in and the writing was excellent enough to keep me interested. This was a great and quick read that kept me wanting to know more. I donʻt think there was a dull moment at all in this book! I loved that this book wasnʻt religious, even though there were religious parallels (obviously the story of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ). It did talk about faith but without getting too involved with religion. All the characters, I found, were likable but I enjoyed Minaʻs parents (especially her mom) the most. Check out my full review here.

Title: Nil Unlocked
Author: Lynne Matson
Publication: 2015, Henry Holt and Co.
Links: Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Goodreads
Rating: 4/5 Lollies
Review: Things have changed on the island of Nil, Rives-the Cityʻs new leader-can feel it, but heʻs not sure if the change is a good or bad thing. What he does know is that heʻs going to figure out the islandʻs secrets before his 365 days are up-or heʻll die trying.  When Nil newcomer, Skye, drops in knowing a lot more about the island than your average Rookie, Rives realizes that she may be the key to unlocking Nilʻs secrets. The second book in the Nil trilogy by Lynne Matson DID NOT DISAPPOINT! Seriously, there was no sophomore slump here. This book was great. I read Nil last year and couldnʻt remember a lot of the plot points, but was reminded of quite a bit in just the first few chapters here. I thought that the plot was so interesting. This story focused on Nil itself and I loved how a lot of Nil mysteries were rooted in Pacific Island culture and lore. I really loved how the teenagers were beginning to feel connected to the spirit of Nil...the islander in me smiled, haha. I also really liked the characters--especially Skye and Rives! It was so interesting reading the story from both of their POVs, it made the story feel more complete somehow. I NEED THE THIRD BOOK NOW. That is all. Check out my full review here.

Bookish & Not-So-Bookish Thoughts

Like every Thursday, Iʻm linking up with Bookishly Boisterous. Head on over to share your own bookish or not-so-bookish thoughts!

1. That is like 500% me. Oops.

2. Speaking of...today, I bought Red Queen and Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard in  hardback..even though I own both of those in ebook form on my Nook. Why? Because Costco was selling a signed first edition of Glass Sword for $10.99 and I didnʻt want it to be lonely on my shelf. I obviously have issues.

3. I have been buying way too many books on my Nook lately. I have a few gift cards from my birthday so at least Iʻm not actually spending too much but Iʻve already got so many books that I have to read...ah well. The more the merrier, right?

4. I signed up for the Love for Books Readathon over at Novel Heartbeat and Iʻm doing pretty well, even though I may have made my goals a little too big, haha.

5. Iʻm sure youʻve all heard about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child being released in book form this summer. Am I the only one who couldnʻt breathe for a moment or two after reading all about that? 

6. My Best Friend from my Disney College Program is in Hawaii and came to visit me! We spent the day at Disney Aulani (because when youʻre a Disney person, where else are you gonna go?) floating around in the lazy river and hanging out in the hot tub. Honey had a great time and I was so excited to see Meagan! Just a few more months until we are reunited again for her wedding!

7. My Aunty and cousin are also visiting this week. They get in tomorrow afternoon and are staying until next Friday. I am so excited to see them! 

8. All this visiting does not give me a lot of time to read, though. Or blog for that matter. But itʻs ok....Iʻd rather spend my time making memories anyway.

9. I am always looking to extend my daughters book collection...not that she needs it, she owns hundreds of books and sheʻs only 6 months old, hah. Anyway, what are your favorite kid book recommendations? 

10. Ah...the kid has awoken for a midnight snack. Better get her back to bed! Goodnight :D

3rd Annual Love for Books Readathon!

I am super excited to be participating in my first ever readathon! The Love for Books Readathon is hosted by Novel Heartbeat. Be sure to head over there to see what itʻs all about...and definitely sign up, it seems like itʻs going to be fun!

Here are the rules:

• The Love for Books Readathon run from Monday, Frebruary 8 at 12:01am through Sunday, February 14 at 11:59pm
• There will be a small giveaway at the end of the readathon for all participants!
• You can sign up & join in at anytime, but in order to be eligible for the giveaway, you must sign up by February 9.
• To join, all you have to do is make a sign up post (like this one) and then link up over at Novel Heartbeat. You can put your goals and/or progress (required for final giveaway) in your signup post or on a separate post. All are welcome to join, even if you donʻt have a blog!
• In order to qualify for the grand prize, you must have a progress post so that we can see that you participated.
• Books do not have to be of the romance genre. It can be anything you like!
• Follow along on twitter and tweet your progress using the #LfBReadathon hashtag!

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My Reading Goals

-Read for at least 30 minutes each day for myself.

-Involve my daughter in the readathon as well...sheʻs only 6 months old, but itʻs never too early to foster a Love for Books!

-Connect with fellow bloggers by: 

*commenting on blogs

*participating on twitter/through tweets

*following new blogs

My Readathon TBR

 

Realistically, I donʻt think Iʻll get through all of these in a week because Iʻm getting a whole bunch of visitors, but hey--dream big!

Iʻll be posting daily updates on twitter: @taysherrrx as well as a midweek and end of the week update here on the blog. Let me know if youʻre participating, too and if youʻll be updating via twitter-Iʻd love to follow your updates!

Bookish & Not So Bookish Thoughts

Itʻs Thursday and you know what that means...Iʻll be linking up with Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous and sharing some bookish and non-bookish thoughts.

1. Kiera Cass, author of The Selection series and The Siren (which was released on January 26) aka one of my favorite authors of all time re-tweeted a picture of my kid. So basically, my kid is now twitter famous! But seriously, I was so excited when she RTʻed the picture of Honey checking out The Siren, I may have jumped up and down squealing for joy while said kid looked at me like I was crazy.

2. News flash, kid: Your mother is definitely crazy. And a fangirl. So, sorry Iʻm not sorry.

3. I am currently reading two books, which is very much unlike me but I had to go with two just for now. I first started reading Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor but it was making me dream weird dreams so I also had to pick up Nanny Returns by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus to help balance everything out. Welcome to Night Vale is about a strange town in the dessert called Night Vale where weird things happen all the time. Nanny Returns is the sequel to The Nanny Diaries, which I read a few weeks ago and NEEDED resolution from, so hereʻs my resolution :D

4. So did you guys see that thing about the old Pottermore test possibly being wrong due to the need to keep houses equal for the house cup on the old Pottermore website? Itʻs probably old news but I just heard about it and promptly freaked out because WHO AM I IF I AM NOT A HUFFLEPUFF?! I retook the new and improved quiz, fully prepared to cry, but that wasnʻt necessary. I am definitely a Hufflepuff.

5. At 5 this morning, some woman was outside on the street screaming in front of the house of one of my neighbors. Since our bedroom window faces the street, we heard everything. Apparently, the womanʻs girlfriend was inside the house cheating on her with the lady that lives there. So she was screaming and hitting a car with a bottle...at 5 this morning. I mean..REALLY?! Honey was already half awake but I was trying to nurse her back to sleep and that definitely did not help. Next time someone wakes up my kid, THEY are going to be the ones to put her back to sleep. J.K. I donʻt want those crazies in my house.

6. But seriously people, donʻt cheat. Donʻt cheat on your partners. Donʻt cheat on your homework. Donʻt cheat during games. Just donʻt cheat. Cheating gets you nowhere and it only ends up hurting you and/or the people you love.

7. How do you decide what youʻre going to read next? I had a TBR jar once upon a time but I epically failed at using it. If I didnʻt like the book that I picked, I would keep picking until I got one that I wanted (see, cheating is bad). I am more of an emotional reader and normally Iʻll just go with whatever I feel like reading depending on my mood.

8. I feel like all of my most anticipated 2015 reads are coming out this month. Which basically means that I will have no money for anything. lol...Oops!

9. Was that ecard made by my child?! Haha...just kidding, herʻs would say that sheʻs tired, too. My kid is the queen of fighting her sleep. Itʻs almost like she hates missing out on things...not that sheʻll miss much cause Iʻm not very interesting when sheʻs sleeping. Anyway, in addition to waking up at 5am, she also took only 3 naps today that lasted 30 minutes each...maybe. So yeah, Iʻm tired.

10. We have been trying so, so, so hard to get her on a routine with sleeping. Look, I donʻt care if sheʻs awake 2 or 3 times a night to nurse...we mostly dream feed anyway. I donʻt care if sheʻs not sleeping through the night right now. I just want her to get the sleep that she needs instead of spending the whole evening being grumpy. I know itʻll take some time, but Iʻm hoping this whole routine thing works.

11. Iʻm pretty sure that only moms get excited when a kid poops. TMI? Sorry! Haha. But seriously, my kid hasnʻt popped in a day or so and Iʻm getting a little worried. Plus an overtired kid who is also constipated is not my favorite thing.

12. I havenʻt finished one book at all this week and Iʻm feeling a little guilty. Iʻm feeling a bit of a reading slump coming along, but Iʻm gonna treat this like a cold and just push through it and keep reading. Iʻll make it out alive...hopefully.

Whatʻs going on with you all? Do you have any crazy neighbor (or just crazy people in general) stories you wanna share? Iʻd love to hear ʻem...mostly because I want to feel like Iʻm not alone with the crazies, haha.

Top 10 Historical/Futuristic Settings I Love to See In Books

As is the usual, I am linking up with the ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish for Top 10 Tuesday! This weekʻs topic was Historical/Futuristic Settings that I love seeing in books and I couldnʻt decide so Iʻm doing both!

Top 6 Historical Settings I Love Seeing In Books

Iʻve never really been in to Historical fiction books. I canʻt even tell you the amount of Historical books that I DNF. But I think that I just wasnʻt reading the right historical fiction books. Iʻve come to love quite a few historically based books recently...here are some of my favorites!

1. World War II Era - This is actually a more recent love affair. In the past month alone Iʻve read two Historical fiction books based around World War II and I am itching to get my hands on more. In fact, Iʻve got Ruta Sepetysʻs newest release Salt to the Sea currently sitting in my Barnes & Noble shopping cart ready to check out as soon as Iʻm done writing this post. I think this is a particularly interesting era in historical fiction because it is such a rich time in history with so many things to write about. I canʻt wait to read more WWII Era books!

2. Monarchy Era Hawaii - I am probably cheating quite a bit because a) I am FROM Hawaii and b) Iʻve grown up reading historical books about Hawaii and c) I studied Hawaiian history for quite some time, but still...this is definitely a favorite of mine. As a child, I loved reading the Royal Diaries book about Princess Kaʻiulani...in fact, itʻs currently sitting on the bookshelf next to me because itʻs still one of my favorite books of all time. I love seeing how others interpret my culture and how these books portray Hawaii. Of course, I am extremely picky about books that depict the Hawaiian culture and that era because being Hawaiian is so much of who I am and I think itʻs so important for people to get that era right. There is definitely a need for more historical fiction books based in Hawaii...who knows, maybe Iʻll be the one to write those books.

3. Polynesia in general - Polynesian history is so diverse and rich and vibrant that there are an endless amount of stories that can come from ancient polynesia. From stories of gods from different islands, to navigating between islands, and when foreigners discovered the islands...there is so much culture to talk about! One of my favorite Polynesian authors is Albert Wendt...most of his books are about life in old Samoa and the myths of Samoa...I highly recommend checking him out. My favorite Albert Wendt book is Pouliuli...I reread it at least once a year.

4. Ancient Grease - Itʻs no secret that I love all things Greek...especially ancient Grease. I love Greek mythology and I love stories about Greek mythology. Iʻm not sure that thereʻs much else I can say! Give me a good book based in ancient Grease and I will love you forever.

5. Early-Mid 20th Century America - Weʻre going to blame my obsession with American Girl Samantha for this one. As a child, I lived for the Samantha books, mostly because I didnʻt have a Samantha doll of my own but I could own all the books, so I did. Her story takes place in 1904, a time when womenʻs rights and progress was just becoming a ʻthingʻ. Iʻve always thought that this period of American History was so interesting because there was so much going on. So much history took place in just a matter of decades and books about this era help me grasp that part of history much better than just learning about it from a text book.

6. Russia under the Romanovʻs Rule - Yet another interest that has been carried over from childhood. I adored Anastasia when I was younger...I devoured every book that I could about her, yes including a Royal Diaries book. I was obsessed with the Royal Diaries books, but I digress. This period of Russian history, and especially the monarchy at the time, was so interesting and so, so heartbreaking. Itʻs certainly a story that will live on forever.

Top 4 Futuristic Settings I Love Seeing Books

1. Space Travel! - I keep thinking that I would love to see space travel become a thing during my time here, but I also I know that I would be too much of a scaredy pants to actually do the space travel thing. That doesnʻt mean that I canʻt enjoy space travel from the safety of my home library, though. I love seeing space travel because everything is so unknown that it allows authors to create an entire world from scratch and that allows audiences to expand their imaginations, too.

2. Dystopian - I know, I know...dystopian fiction has been the it thing for so many years now and I definitely feel like itʻs been a bit played out and we may be ready for a new thread. That doesnʻt mean that I donʻt like dystopian books, though. I enjoy it because thereʻs a possibility that it is a serious look and what our futures may hold. I also feel like there are so many different worlds that can emerge from a dystopian society that although it may feel similar to other dystopian books, it probably wonʻt be.

3. Utopia - I actually havenʻt read a lot of utopian books, but I think the concept of them is interesting. Utopias are kind of the opposite of dystopian books. Utopian books portray an ideal society, while dystopian books portray a corrupt society. I think itʻs so interesting to compare the two, especially knowing that society can go either way. I think Iʻm going to have to pick up a utopian book soon because Iʻve gotten myself intrigued, haha.

4. Heightened Technology - For this one, I was specifically thinking about Time Travel and Teleportation, but I went with ʻheightened technologyʻ because there are so many things that I feel would come with these two. Iʻm thinking robots and loads of machines doing basically everything for humans, like Wall-E. These books are interesting because they can either highlight the benefits or disadvantages of having so much technology and I think that a technological overload is a very real thing the future holds.

What are your favorite historical or futuristic settings in books? Share some of your favorite reads that feature this settings!

Mini Book Reviews Week 002

Alright...technically, this is supposed to be week 3 of Mini  Book Reviews, but since I dropped the ball last week and didnʻt get around to doing one, itʻs week 2! Hold on to your hats, people, because Iʻve got like six books coming at ya this week! That being said, Iʻm changing around the format this week so that I can fit all six books in without taking too long...cool? cool.

Soundless by Richelle Mead
About the Book: Soundless is about a girl named Fei who lives in a village atop a mountain where everyone is deaf. Their only way of communicating with anyone in the outside world is through a zip line--they send down precious metals from their mines and the ʻline keeperʻ sends up food rations. But as people begin to lose their sight and their production of metals decrease, so does their food rations. This sends Fei and another villager, Li Wei, off an adventure down the mountain to see whatʻs up and to try to make everything right again.
My Thoughts: I gave this book a 2/5 stars. Going in to this book, I was pretty sure that I wasnʻt going to like it. I had heard a lot about it from people I follow on instagram, booktubers, and book bloggers and it just didnʻt seem like it was my type of book. I picked it up anyway because everyone was just raving about it. I should have listened to my instincts because I really did not care for it at all. See my full review here.

Donʻt Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout
About the Book: Samantha wakes up with absolutely no memory of who she is. She doesnʻt remember where she was or the night that she and her best friend Cassie went missing. She doesnʻt remember anything at all, but Sam is convinced that she has to remember that night because Cassie is still missing and she may hold the key to figuring out what happened.
My Thoughts: HOLY COW I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. I ended up giving it 5/5 Stars. This book was such a thrilling read with twists and turns that kept me guessing right up until the end. Like, I would think one thing and then BAM, something else comes out of left field and smacks me in the face. I have to say that the writing is definitely what drew me in to this book. This was my first Jennifer L. Armentrout book and Iʻm glad that I finally took the dive--Iʻve only heard amazing things about her and her writing, Iʻm glad that it met...even exceeded...my expectations. This was truly an addicting read that kept me guessing up until the very last page. See my full review here.

Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir by Stan Lee, Peter David, and Colleen Doran
About the Book: This is a graphic memoir about Marvel legend Stan Lee...need I say more?
My Thoughts: This quick read introduces readers to the life of comic legend Stan Lee. I think it is a great overview and peek into the life of a legend. It follows Stan Lee's life through his childhood where he discovers his love for writing, as he enters in to the comic world, and where he is currently. I loved getting to know him through this form. The artwork was also so beautiful. I just wish that some of the stories had more detail or were more fleshed out but I know that would have been difficult in this format. Overall a quick and fun read perfect for children and casual Marvel or comic fans. I gave it 3/5 Stars.

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
About the Book: After everything that Nastya, a former piano prodigy, loved is taken from her all she wants is to start over--that includes attending a new school where no one knows who she is or her story and deciding to go mute. Josh Bennett is a boy at her new school who has lost everyone he loved. Something pulls them together from the first time Nastya sees him at school and soon their lives are tangled up in each other. But the secrets between them hold them back.
My Thoughts: I ended up giving this book a 4.75/5 stars. I honestly loved this book so much. The writing was flawless, the characters were so well written and had so much depth, it gave me ALL THE FEELS, and best of all--it was unpredictable! It kept me intrigued until the very end, something that I find so important when Iʻm reading a book. It did get points knocked off because of how a certain event in the book was handled, but that was entirely a personal preference. See my full review here.

Golden by Jessi Kirby
About the Book: Parker is a high school senior who has always done everything right--she gets good grades, listens to her mother, and is on the fast track to a full-ride scholarship to Stanford. But Parker has never did the unexpected and went against the current of her life. However, after discovering a journal the belonged to Julianna Farnetti--a town legend and tragedy--all of that changes. Parker finds herself on a journey to find out what really happened on the night that Julianna and Shane disappeared.
My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book and gave it a 3.5/5 stars. I thought it was a cute, coming-of-age story about the choices we  make and the consequences that follow. The life lessons in this book were on point. Unfortunately, the book (particularly the ending) seemed a little rushed to me and I would have loved more depth and detail about what happened. It just seemed to me like the story didnʻt really end. See my full review here.

The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma
About the Book: Violet is a ballerina with a secret about what happened the night her best friend, Orianna, was arrested and charged for the murders of two girls, but sheʻs not about to give up the life that she has become accustomed to to save her friend. Amber is a girl convict and Oriannaʻs new cellmate at Aurora Hills Secure Juvenile Detention Center. Told in two points of view, this is the story of two girls, the secrets they keep, and the girl who connects them.
My Thoughts: As of the time of this writing I literally just finished this book and havenʻt had the chance to even rate it on Goodreads yet, so Iʻm literally just going to write this on the fly. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Itʻs a haunting tale of teenage girls and what theyʻre capable of. This book borders on YA contemporary and paranormal thriller, which I thought was a weird combination but Nova Ren Suma somehow made it work! The writing was absolutely gorgeous. If I had to give it a rating right now, Iʻd give it a 4.5/5 Stars because it was a gorgeous novel, I just wish there was more Orianna!