Bout of Books 8.0 Wrap Up

Bout of Book's Blog

Bout of Books took place during a busy last week of summer. The last bout of books was during my last week of high. Sadly this time I didn't even have class and still got less reading done. Overall I had a fun last week of summer and my college life is getting off to a good start although I wish making friends was a little bit easier. 

I read a total of 275 pages in 9 hours and 48 minutes over the course of 7 days. That is approximately 39 pages per day. 

Book Finished: 

Book Started:

Book Review: The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen (no spoilers)

Book: The Moon and More
Author: Sarah Dessen
Publication: June 4th, 2013
Source: Local Library
Rating: 5/5 stars

Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.

 Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo's sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.

 Emaline's mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he's convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

 Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she's going?

 Sarah Dessen's devoted fans will welcome this story of romance, yearning, and, finally, empowerment. It could only happen in the summer.

My Thoughts:
Sarah Dessen has written another amazing novel. I'm sad I had to wait almost 3 whole months to read this book, but with college I just didn't have the time. Come August I had the time again to really indulge in reading and I'm glad I took the time to sit back and relax and enjoy The Moon and More.

First off I have to gush about Emaline's name. I really loved the name choice and I think it fit her perfectly. It probably doesn't help that I have always been in love with the name Emma so I fell in love with Emaline instantly just for that fact alone. I also loved Emaline's personality. Emaline has a strong personality and isn't afraid to tell you how it is.

I related to Emaline in a lot of ways. Emaline is going off to college at the end of summer and although her college is close like mine she still is worried about change. That is what I'm having the hardest time coming to terms with right now is how much my life if going to change. Everything changes for Emaline over the summer when her relationships get complicated and her father comes to town with her little brother Benji.

Luke's character was great. I imagined Luke as a down home country gentlemen. He was really hot in my mind which probably helped me like him. I saw in Luke that he was a guy that was polite and he was willing to go out of his way for his long time girlfriend Emaline.

I liked Theo also although he was much more nerdier in my mind. I think he was a great addition to the novel and he kept things interesting. You need to read this book for Ivy alone. She was a different character and kept the novel interesting.

The Moon and More had the great relaxed feeling of all of Sarah Dessen's book. I felt like when I picked up this book I was having lunch with a friend. I really related the this novel more than I have related to some of her other novels. The Moon and More was an amazing novel and I recommend that everybody read this novel now. It had such a great story and I couldn't get over how much I loved the characters.

Thanks


Rachael

The Book Chat Chick Lit

Hosted by Sweet Green Tangerine

This week I'm the cohost of The Book Chat and this week we are talking about Chick Lit. 

I have been a fan of Chick Lit for Years. I love Chick Lit for the fact that it is about real life. 

My favorite chick lit authors are: 

Kristin Hannah

Sarah Dessen

Emily Giffin

Debbie Macomber

My favorite book by Kristin Hannah is easily Firefly Lane and its squeal Fly Away. I can't stop talking about those amazing books. 

I actually just finished Sarah Dessen's newest book The Moon and More and it was amazing. Some of my other favorite books by Sarah Dessen are Just Listen, Lock and Key, Someone Like You, Dreamland, The Truth about Forever, and Along for the ride. I have only hated one book by Dessen and that was Keeping the Moon otherwise I love her as an author. 

I literally can't even pick a favorite book by Emily Giffin. She has wrote 6 amazing books. 

Debbie Macomber is a romance, chick lit author. I really like her Cedar Cove series and her Christmas novels. 

4. And the rules are here.  If you could just copy and paste these at the bottom of your post before the link widget.

To join in...

1. Please follow the host and co-host

2. Visit a few other book chat links and show some support.

3. Link back here in your post.  Or use the button provided.

4. Old posts are always welcome if you have blogged on the topic before.

Book Review: All I Need by Susane Colasanti (no spoilers)

Book: All I Need
Author: Susane Colasanti
Publication: May 21st, 2013
Source: Local Library
Rating: 3/5 stars
Summary (from Goodreads):

The last night of summer is only the beginning.

Skye wants to meet the boy who will change her life forever. Seth feels their instant connection the second he sees her. When Seth starts talking to Skye at the last beach party of the summer, it’s obvious to both of them that this is something real. But when Seth leaves for college before they exchange contact info, Skye wonders if he felt the same way she did—and if she will ever see him again. Even if they find their way back to each other, can they make a long-distance relationship work despite trust issues, ex drama, and some serious background differences?

 Teen favorite Susane Colasanti returns to the alternating-voice style of her beloved debut When It Happens in this Serendipity-inspired story about summer, soul mates, and the moments that change our lives forever.

My Thoughts:
I went into this book not expecting much. I was just looking for a great summer book. I have read a couple other books by Susane Colasanti and I always come away feeling somewhere in the middle. I didn't hate the book, but I didn't love it either. All I Need was unfortunately no different. If I could pick one word to describe this book it would be Cheesy. If I could pick one word to describe my feelings about this book it would be disappointed.

I started this book as a break from Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen when the book was going through a rough, slow patch. I figured All I Need would be a quick read because it would be so good, but I found myself struggling with this book also. Skye and Seth were not the best characters. I just felt that they were both really flat and boring. I think they both needed some major development because I felt no connection to either one of them.

Skye and Seth's relationship was a big part of why this book was so cheesy. They got to together really quickly after meeting and it was like they were suddenly in love. Instant Love all the way with this one.

I will recommend All I Need, but as I discussed above this book is very cheesy. I could recommend many more contemporary fiction where you will feel so much more connected with the characters and invested in their story rather than how I felt through this book. I felt like I was reading the book just for the sake of reading it. I liked this book, but didn't love it.

Thanks


Rachael

Fairy Tale Read-a-Thon Sign Up

I'm so excited to announce my participation in this read-a-thon. I hope this time I'm actually reading fairy tales books. Hopefully Robin Hood Themed for Classics Retold. 

This read-a-thon is going to take place from Sunday September 1st until Saturday September 7th. That is 7 full days of fairy tale reading. 

I will be in class that week, but I know I will have time to squeeze some amount of reading in so click on the picture and head on over to Debz Bookshelf to join. 

Rachael  

Top 7 Resources that Make My Blogging Life Easier

Top Ten Tuesday is Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Let me start off this post by saying I can't wait to read everybody else's take on this wonderful topic. There are so many resources in the blogging community to take advantage of. I came up with 7 resources that make my life a bit easier. 

1. I have said it once, but I will say it again. My library is my favorite place to get books and the most often place I get books from. Unfortunately I will be moving to a new library come fall. I'm going to look into my university library, but will most likely get signed up for a library card at the public library. Even though it is 15 dollars a year it will save me more money than buying all the books I want to read. 

2. Goodreads is my 2nd favorite resource. Goodreads is a good place for me to cross post my reviews. My favorite concept of Goodreads is the fact it allows me to store what books I have read, what books I want to read, and stay updated on what my friends are reading. Before Goodreads I would always browse the book store and remember titles I wanted to read. Often times by the time I was ready to read the book I had forgotten the title. Sometimes I found the title again, but more often I didn't so the book wouldn't get read. Thanks to Goodreads I have an overflowing to be read pile. 

3. Blogging may feel like a solitairy activity, but it isn't. The blogosphere has a whole community. My next favorite resource is the blogging community. I have met so many people through this blog and I have learned so much from the community. Those colors in my reviews wouldn't have been possible without a post from a fellow blogger to get me started. I have learned many other tips and tricks along the way thanks to this wonderful community. 

4. Collage Mix makes my blogging life easier by being an easy to use site when I can upload my own pictures and put them together in the way I want in a matter of minutes. That way I can have the post up sooner and have more time for reading. 

5. I think we all have the feeling that there is so much to do on our blog, but we don't want to take the time to do it. Bloggiesta sets three days aside where we all can get our little projects done together. I'm looking forward to the next one because I have a long list to tackle. Starting with the review archive.

6. A Novel Challenge is the site where I found most of my reading challenges on. Although I joined way too many I'm glad I didn't have to scour the whole internet to find them all. 

7. Bloglovin is a great website for reading blogs. I love the fact that after I have read a post it is taken out of my feed so I always know which posts I need to read. You can follow me on bloglovin'. The button is on the sidebar. 

Bout of Books 8.0 Progress

It  is time to announce my participation in Bout of Books 8.0. Bout of Books is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading Paranormal. CheckBout of Book's Blog for more information.

Day 1 August 19th

Made some great progress in The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen as I had a boring day at home. Probably won't get as much done tomorrow as I will spend the day at my neighbor's house where I wish I could have been at today. I started my reading late today because I had a dermatology appointment this morning. I'm getting closer to not having moles on my face.

I started my reading day at 12:02 to 12:39 and I read from pg 243 to pg 255. Then I read from 1:07 to 1:11 and I read from pg 255 to pg 257. After a little break I came back to reading at 2:48 until 3:19 from pg 257 to pg 267. I read some more from 4:02 to 4:38 and I read from pg 267 to pg 289. Then I read from 4:57 to 5:29 from pg 289 to pg 313. My last reading time of the night came at 7:41 to 8:43 from pg 313 to pg 339.

Then I wasted two hours trying to set up office on my mac when I need a new access code. Can't help, but think how many pages I could have got read in that time. My goals are a bit behind for today.

Pages Read: 96
Total Pages Read: 96
Time Read: 3 hours 22 minutes
Total Time Read: 3 hours 22 minutes
Books Finished: 0

Day 2 August 20th

Didn't read as much yesterday as I had a busy day at my neighbor's house. My sister and I also got some school supply shopping done. My brother starts school today, my sister starts school tomorrow, and I move into college on Friday. City of Bones tomorrow.

I started my reading day from 8:22 to 8:32 reading from pg 339 to pg 346. Then I read from 6:00 to 6:24 reading from pg 346 to pg 358. Then we did school supplies and I came back to reading at 9:26 to 11:07 reading from pg 358 to pg 392.

Pages Read: 53
Total Pages Read: 149
Time Read: 2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time Read: 5 hours 37 minutes
Books Finished: 0

Day 3 August 21st

Saw City of Bones today and it was amazing. Mortal Instruments Fans this movies follows the book amazingly and did a great job with the movie. The actors are amazing and this movie does not disappoint. I can't wait to get started on the next book of the series.

I started my reading day at 9:32 to 9:49 and reading from pg 392 to pg 399 in The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen. Then I read from 5:51 to 5:56 from pg 339 to pg 402. Then I read from 7:25 to 8:42 from pg 402 to pg 435. That finished off The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen. I really liked the ending and I can relate to the main character Emaline so much.

Pages Read: 43
Total Pages Read: 192
Time Read: 1 hour 39 minutes
Total Time Read: 8 hours 16 minutes
Books Finished: 1

Day 4 August 22nd
I didn't read anything today. I spent time with people because I was leaving for college the next day.

Day 5 August 23rd

read from 10:04 to 10:24 from pg 8 to pg 26 in If I Stay by Gayle Forman

I moved into college on this day. It was a busy tiring day. I learned my roommate is strange as all get out, but I'm hoping that I'm able to live with her as a dorm mate no friendship necessary. She is not a party animal by any means in fact she prefers to stay in the room All day. She doesn't want to make friends and is okay with just having me was a friend although I plan to be out of the room all the time. It shall be an interesting experience. I just wish I got a person that was a little bit more normal.


Pages Read: 18
Total Pages Read: 210
Time Read:  20 minutes
Total Time Read: 8 hours 36 minutes
Books Finished: 1

Day 6 Aug 24th

read from 10:48 to 11:34 from pg 26 to pg 70 in If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Found myself two friends, was bored out of my mind, and had a fun night seeing a comedian.


Pages Read: 44
Total Pages Read: 254
Time Read:  46 minutes
Total Time Read: 9 hours 22 minutes
Books Finished: 1


Day 7 August 24th

read from 12:33 to 12:42 from pg 70 to pg 76
read from 10:16 to 10:33 from pg 76 to pg 91

Nothing was going on Sunday so I hopped in the car and went home. I went shopping with my mom for possible furniture for my dorm room and we also looked at step stools to get up to my bed. After lowering my bed I'm proud to say one works. I think an oversized chair is my best option to go under the bed right now.


Pages Read: 21
Total Pages Read: 275
Time Read:  26 minutes
Total Time Read: 9 hours 48 minutes
Books Finished: 1

Bout of Books 8.0 Sign Up and Goals

It  is time to announce my participation in Bout of Books 8.0. Bout of Books is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading Paranormal. Check Bout of Book's Blog for more information.

I'm also going to post my goals in this post. Bout of Books happens to be happening in my final week before I go off to college. I move into my campus on August 23rd and begin classes on August 26th. I want to get a lot of reading done during Bout of Books Week. 

General Goals:

I want to read 3 books

I want to track how much time I spend reading (I did this for the last bout of books and it was really interesting to see how much time I read)

The Books: 

Starting this Readathon on pg 243 of The Moon and More

Beat the Heat Readathon Wrap Up

Hosted by Antie Spinelli Reads and Phantasmic Reads

What a readathon. Thank you to the hosts of this readathon for extending the readathon through the 18th. I was able to finish two more books during this readathon. I really do hope you host this readathon for the same length of time next year. It was such a great way to get a lot of reading done. Guess what I actually completed my goals. I wanted to finished 3 books and start another one which is exactly what I did. 

I read 1166 pages in 21 days which is about 56 pages per day. 

Book Finished:

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

All I Need by Susane Colasanti

Books Started: 

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

Thanks to the hosts. I loved participating.

Rachael 

The in the Middle Reading Challenge Wrap Up

I completed my own challenges as of July 17th, 2013. I didn't realize how many short books I read until I start tracking them. I have doubled my original goal for the Quick Fix Challenge. I thought I read a lot of in the middle books, but most books seemed to miss the deadline. 

This challenge will return next year, but I know to make the goals higher such as 20+ books and I want to make the page numbers go to 450 because that way all books will fit into some sort of reading challenge. Below are the 15 books I read for The In the Middle Reading Challenge. 

1. Paper Towns by John Green (305 pages)

2. Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult (369 pages)

3. Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas and Micah Sparks (356 pages)

4. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (313 pages)

5. 16 Lighthouse Road by Debbie Macomber (363 pages)

6. 204 Rosewood Lane by Debbie Macomber (379 pages)

7.  Redemption by Karen Kingsbury (348 pages)

8. Cinder by Marissa Meyer (387 pages)

9. Splintered by A.G. Howard (371 pages)

10. 311 Pelican Court by Debbie Macomber (384 pages)

11. 44 Cranberry Point by Debbie Macomber (384 pages)

12. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen (344 pages)

13. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (371 pages)

14. 50 Harbor Street by Debbie Macomber (362 pages)

15. Fly Away by Kristin Hannah

Outdo Yourself Challenge Wrap Up

My goal for 2013 was to read 50 books and as of July 31st, 2013 I officially completed that goal which completed this challenge. I will continue to update this challenge for the rest of this year, but this post marks it as complete. Below are the 50 books I read so far this year. I'm happy to say I have only disliked two so far. 

1. Remembering Christmas by Dan Walsh

2. The Christmas Bus by Melody Carlson

3. On Top of Concord Hill by Maria D. Wilkes

4. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

5. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

6. Paper Towns by John Green

7. Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult

8. Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti

9. Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks

10.  Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas and Micah Sparks

11. Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

12. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

13. 16 Lighthouse Road by Debbie Macomber

14. Doomed by Tracy Deebs

15. Across the Rolling River by Celia Wilkins

16. 204 Rosewood Lane by Debbie Macomber

17.  Redemption by Karen Kingsbury

18. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

19. The Host by Stephenie Meyer

20. Glitches by Marissa Meyer

21.  Marvel Fairy Tales by C.B. Cebulski 

22. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

23.  The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

24. The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick 

25. And Then I Found You by Patti Callahan Henry

26. Splintered by A.G. Howard

27. 311 Pelican Court by Debbie Macomber 

28.  Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

29. 44 Cranberry Point by Debbie Macomber

30. Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn

31. Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C. Bennett

32. Happy Birthday Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel

33. Firefly Lane by Kristen Hannah

34. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

35. That Summer by Sarah Dessen

36. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
37. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
38. The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
39. Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff
40. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
41. My Teenage Dream Ended by Farrah Abraham
42. Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
43. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
44. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
45. Towering by Alex Flinn
46. Sisters in Sanity by Gayle Forman
47. 50 Harbor Street by Debbie Macomber
48. Fly Away by Kristin Hannah
49.  5-B Poppy Lane by Debbie Macomber
50. Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Book Review: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare (no spoilers)

Book: City of Glass
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Mortal Instruments Book #3
Publication: March 24th 2009
Source: Local Library
Rating 5/5 Stars
Summary (from Goodreads):

To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

 As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the third installment of the New York Times bestselling series The Mortal Instruments.

*may be spoilers of previous books in the series*
My Thoughts:

These books just keep getting better and better as I go along in the series. City of Glass started out a bit slow, but it didn't stay that way for long. This book had me on the edge the whole time I was reading it and when I put it down I couldn't wait to pick it up again. City of Glass was the best book in the series yet in my opinion.

City of Glass is placed in the beautiful city of Idiris. So far in the series Idiris has been a land that is talked about, but we never had a clear vision about the city. When Clary enters through Lake Lyn we are transported into the land of Shadowhunters as Jace, Clary, Simon, Isabelle, and Alec continue the quest to defeat Valentine.

This novel was epic had so much action going on at all times. Jace and Clary's relationship really changed over the course of this novel. The Lightwood family went through a difficult time. Valentine kept the action and evil going. I loved every second of it. Blood was shed in this novel, but it wasn't shed for no reason.

Overall this book had a great ending. I really enjoyed the ending. I understood some of the reasons as to why Cassandra Clare did things she did in the novel when I discovered she originally meant The Mortal Instruments to only be a trilogy. I'm really glad she decided to continue. It is now going to be 6 books. This novel was full of twists and turns and had it parts where you were really happy for the characters and really sad. I never knew what emotion I was going to feel next. City of Glass is my new favorite for The Mortal Instruments Series and I love this series.


Thanks

Rachael

TBR Readathon A Month Long Readathon Sign Up, and Progress

I so wish I discovered this readathon earlier in the month. I have done 2 posts over the past couple of weeks of all the books I want to read before I start college next Friday August 23rd. This readathon would have been a great way to combine those posts. Instead I will post my reading list again and hope to complete as much as possible within the rest of this month. Books that were on my original pile for August are crossed off on the list below.

1. Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

2. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

3. All I Need by Susane Colasanti

4. The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

5. The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley

6. City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

7. The Forestwife by Theresa Tomlinson

8. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

9. If I Stay by Gayle Forman

10. Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah

11. The Choice by Nicholas Sparks

12. Child of May by Theresa Tomlinson

That's it can I do it in one month. I hope so. I will cross books off in this post as I go. Pay attention to my other readathons for page updates. This one will just be book updates. I will do a wrap up post at the end of the month. I have two weeks and lots of books to finish so wish me luck and happy reading. 

Rachael 

A to Z Book Survey

Hosted by Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner

Author you’ve read the most books from:

Janette Oke is my most read author. I don't read Janette Oke anymore, but I read her in middle school. I read the entire Love Comes Softly Series twice which is a 12 book series. I also read the Cadian West Series by Janette Oke. She is a great author, but I can't seem to get into her current books she is writing with another author. 

Best Sequel Ever:

This is such a hard question, but I would have to answer Fly Away by Kristin Hannah. Although Fly Away was not better than the first book Firefly Lane. It was still incredible and so emotional. 

Currently Reading:

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare. I'm almost done. 30 pages until the finally.

Drink of Choice While Reading:

Usually just water if anything. 

E-reader or Physical Book?

I really love my physical books. I have so far boycotted the ereader movement and have NOT bought myself one. Although I do listen to audiobooks on my computer. 

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:

This one is kind of hard, but I have a bookish crush on Jace from the mortal instruments right now. I don't know if I would ever actually date him, but who knows. 

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen. This book will be reviewed in September for Classics Retold. It had a really great ending although I wasn't sure I was going to like it at the beginning. 

Hidden Gem Book:

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah. I know this was the answer for question 2, but I can't stop talking about this amazing book. This book was a one of a kind and I can't wait to reread it. 

Important Moment in your Reading Life:

I would say an important moment in my reading life is the online library accounts. Before I knew about the online account I would always bring the name of a book in and request it through the librarian, but the online account is a simple way to request and renew books. I love the online library account and use it so much I have my library card memorized. 

Just Finished:

Scarlet by A.C. Gaugen

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:

I really don't like historial fiction, but if you have a good book to recommend I would be willing to give it a try. 

Longest Book You’ve Read:

The Year I Turned 16 by Diane Schwemm. I read this in July of 2011 and it was an amazing book. 

Major book hangover because of:

Fly Away by Kristin Hannah. I just couldn't get over how amazing this book was and it made it really hard to start another book. 

Number of Bookcases You Own:

I'm not a book buyer which I have mentioned in multiple posts. I do own 1 bookcase except it houses movies instead of books. 

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I count this as one of my favorite books and I'm sad I still can't get my sister to read it. 

Preferred Place To Read:

I really love to lay on the couch and read or I like to lay in my bed and read until my eyes are falling shut. 

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:

“You don't love someone because they're perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they're not.” 

― Jodi Picoult, My Sister's Keeper

We all have our flaws, but we love each other anyways and this quote explains that perfectly.

Reading Regret:

I regret not reading Divergent earlier in the year. Here's a sneak peak it is going to be on my September TBR list along with Insurgent.

Series You Started And Need To Finish(all books are out in series):

Cedar Cove Series by Debbie Macomber. I love this series and can't wait to finish it. 

Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:

Firefly Lane, The Time Traveler's Wife, and Twilight

Unapologetic Fangirl For:

Kristin Hannah. She is so amazing I can't stop talking about her.

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Worst Bookish Habit:

I'm pretty careful with my books I check out from the library. I love them so much. I would have to my worst habbit with paperback is sometimes bending them back too far. 

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

NA

Your latest book purchase:

NA

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):

I would have to say City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I couldn't wait to finish it and I have to admit I was a bit disappointed by the ending. 

The New Library Opens and I want to read all the Books

I'm going to take pictures of the inside to share next time I go, but for now here is your sneak peak at this beautiful library.

This library is about 10 minutes away from where I live so it is a little bit farther than my regular branch, but this library has a much better selection and I think I will be switching to this library for when I'm on vacation from college.

Anyhow the library opened yesterday August 6th, 2013 and my sister and I were there at 11:30 for the ribbon cutting ceremony. We never dreamed so many people would come to celebrate the opening of a library we have been waiting so long for. Apparently many other people have been waiting a long time also.

We were excited because we knew they would have a great selection of books and did I mention that this building is just absolutely gorgeous. Yesterday was not a great day to sit around and read, but I looked at the seating and it looks like a place I would love to spend hours and hours at just reading. Libraries are for reading right?

Here's the six books I got yesterday at the new library. I was going to the checkout with only 4, but saw 2 more while waiting in line and I just had to grab them. 

The advantage of the new library is their books are not yet on the holds list so The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen and All I Need by Susane Colasanti were sitting at the library waiting to be checked out. So although I was number 10 on the hold list for Sarah Dessen's book and 3 on the hold list for Susane Colasanti's book I was able to check them both out and cancel my holds. I was so happy and excited to have them in my hands. 

The other books are just so awesome I had to pick them up. I got Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah, The Choice by Nicholas Sparks, If I Stay by Gayle Forman, and City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare.

Here is the full stack of all the books I have checked out from the libary. I'm feeling in the need of a really good readathon to get all these books done. I'm currently 197 pages through City of Glass by Cassandra Clare. Then I will probably read Dessen or Colasanti's book. I really do need to read The Forestwife by Theresa Tomilinson and The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley for Classics Retold. The Choice and Magic Hour will be my least priority of this stack because they can be renewed. 

Think I can read all these books in three weeks. Cheer me on because I sure hope I can read every book on this pile. 

Rachael