Ten Books You Recently Added To Your To-Be-Read List

Top Ten Tuesday is a blog meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Like many of you know, the infamous TBR list just keeps getting longer and longer, like those colorful connected scarf strings that come out of magician's pockets and just never stop coming. So many books, so little time and money, am I right? Here a few exciting books that are new additions that have recently inched their way up my TBR list:

1. Firefight by Brandon Sanderson
I just read/listened to Steelheart over my spring break (which was EPIC *wink wink*), and wow I am pumped to read Firefight. I like to space out series that I read so that it all isn't over so quickly, but I have to read this stat. It's mandatory that I get my awful metaphor fix from David.

2. The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson
I was so excited to get this book and listen to the author at the Oxford Literary Festival. I have read a book with a teenage transgender character before but never as the main character. The book was about a sibling's reaction to a transgender sister, but I felt it missing something because it wasn't from the transgender person's point of view. Lisa Williamson has created a book with a transgender main character (yay!) and has so much respect for getting the experience as accurate as possible to spread knowledge (double yay!) So I am very very excited to crack this gorgeous book open!

3. Vendetta by Catherine Doyle
This book's a bit different for me, but I'm curious about reading it. Like the last one, I picked this up at the Oxford Literary Festival, and after listening to the author talk, I'm itching to read it. Romance and the mob? I can be down for that.

4. Angelfall and World After by Susan Ee
I have seen this series on book blogs EVERYWHERE. Never heard of it before this year but when NetGalley offered both of these before the final book comes out, I jumped at it. So I'm going to give it a go!

5. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
I keep hearing amazing things about this book and V.E. Schwab, and I finally picked up a copy! I'm really excited to read it. Plus that cover is just so swoon worthy. Be still my cover loving heart.

6. Half Wild by Sally Green
I loved Half Bad. Loved it. The writing, the characters, the way Nathan made my heart ache with sadness. So of course I am psyched to read the sequel. Give me more of that heart ache.

7. I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga
I saw this on someone's TTT a few weeks ago, and it just seemed like a book for me. Mysteries and serial killers? Sign me up! Then lucky me, I found it at a used bookshop. Oh how the cheap book goddess smiled upon me that day.

8. A Magic Dark and Bright by Jenny Adams Perinovic
I've had this book in my NetGalley bookshelf for a while, and I have been waiting for the perfect time to read it. The story seems all dark and mysterious, and just look at the elegant cover. I'm a sucker for a good cover and some ghosts.

9. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Yes, that's right. You read that correctly. No need to gasp and do the old lady clutching her pearls motion. I have never read To Kill a Mockingbird. I never had to read it in high school or college, and I'm pretty sure as an English major that may be a sin. But mainly I have this on my TBR list because my sister reads a ton of my book recommendations, and I rarely read hers. So I am making reading this one a priority! Especially before the sequel comes out.

10. Simon vs the Homo Sapien Agenda by Becky Albertalli
I have been eyeing this book for a long time now. It just looks amazing and right up my alley! I read the first 8 chapters over at Epic Reads, and I need it right now. I just have to wait one more week, and then the book will be in my hands. I can be strong enough to do that, right?


What are your recent additions to your TBR list? Have you read any of these?

Review: The Haunting of Sunshine Girl

Title: The Haunting of Sunshine Girl
Author: Paige McKenzie
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Publisher: Weinstein Books
Release Date: March 24, 2015

I received an e-ARC of The Haunting of Sunshine Girl through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Usually I just let Goodreads to the plot summarizing (I am the worst at summaries), but the description over there actually tells you nothing about the story. And it uses "adorkable" in a serious way. So I can't possibly use it.

Summary (via me)

Sunshine, a quirky girl with a love of old things,  moves from sunny urban Texas to gloomy small town Washington when her mother gets a new job. After already feeling uneasy about the move, she discovers that her new house is a bit creepy. Well, majorly creepy. Haunted creepy. With her mom acting strangely, a new friend Nolan being the only one to believe her, an odd art teacher listening into her conversations, and the ghost in her house becoming more terrifying, Sunshine tries to understand what is happening to her house. And to her.

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl was a pretty fun read. I had never heard of the YouTube channel that the book is based on, but it seemed like a good read so I gave it a shot. In the end, I was surprised about how much I enjoyed this book. For the most part, this is a well-written, gripping story. This book was nothing like the description that I read, and I'm glad! The story's plot becomes more and more complex that it just drags you in and had some pretty good twists that take it beyond the average ghost story.

While this book isn't scary per se, some moments were just bone-chillingly good! (Though I was reading it at 1am on a rainy night in the pitch dark. So the ambience may have been a factor.) These were my favorite parts of the story! Paige McKenzie really shows some storytelling talent in leading the reader through some great spine tingling suspense. I still have chills from the bathroom scene.

Honestly I only really liked Sunshine about 40% of the time. She just really annoyed me. While I love unlikeable narrators, it takes a lot for me to get past an annoying one. Sunshine has this focus on being "not like everyone else" which is fine, but she repeats it over and over again. I get it! You are odd and quirky! Give it a rest already! And yet she keeps going on and on. It just hit on a major character pet peeve that I have.

But I did enjoy her character when she interacted with people. Her relationship with her mom is so sweet and at times super heart-wrenching. In the beginning of the book, you can definitely see how adorably close they are, and it just makes it harder when their relationship shifts during the haunting. Sunshine and Nolan's friendship is a lot of fun too. They are both a little odd but make friends with each other. I loved watching their friendship grow and how Sunshine became more confident around Nolan. But one of my favorite relationships is between Sunshine and the little girl ghost. I don't want to give too much away, but it is really interesting to see how their interactions with each other change over the course of the story.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5. Good story! If I wasn't annoyed with Sunshine, I would have enjoyed it more, but the plot and ghost parts were fantastic. 

Review: Ask the Dark

Title: Ask the Dark
Author: Henry Turner
Genre: YA, Thriller, Contemporary
Publisher: Clarion Books
Release Date: April 7, 2015

I received an eARC of Ask the Dark through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary (via Goodreads)

Billy Zeets has a story to tell.

About being a vandal and petty thief.

About missing boys and an elusive killer.

And about what happens if a boy who breaks all the rules is the only person who can piece together the truth.

Gripping and powerful, this masterful debut novel comes to vivid life through the unique voice of a hero as unlikely as he is unforgettable.

I am honestly shocked about how much I enjoyed Ask the Dark. Shocked, guys. Because this book was just that good. It's been weeks after I have read it, and I am still thinking about it!

I will admit that I had a rocky start with it. Ask the Dark is written in first person with a fairly strong dialect, and it took a long time for me to get used to the accent that Billy's voice is written in. But once I got really into the story, it became a lot easier to read because I got used to how Billy talked. You see, there is one detail that is included at the end that makes the book's writing style way more understandable: Billy is telling the story into a tape recorder. So the writing is exactly like how he spoke. I sort of wish this was included in the beginning.

Since the very beginning of the story, the reader knows that Billy is the one that finds the killer, and this just adds to the immense suspense in this thriller. And that suspense is what really makes this book. I actually found myself talking out loud in the dark while I read this. Lots of "Don't go in that house!" and "No, Billy! No!" and simply "Oh my god." It was like when you are watching a movie and you cover your eyes because know that something is going to happen, but you can't because it is a book! As Henry Turner's first book, I am honestly excited about any other thrillers that he creates in the future. Because wow that is some awesome storytelling.

Let's talk about Billy, shall we? We shall because he is so damn interesting. Billy is a young boy who used to be a major trouble maker in the neighborhood--trashing cars, egging houses, stealing--until he promised his dying mother that he would stop acting that way, stop looking for trouble. But the reputation stuck with him. So when he starts when he starts to piece together who is taking the boys from his neighborhood and what is happening to them, he knows that no one would believe him. In fact, some people blatantly tell him so.

The main reason why I love Billy is because he is such a real and dynamic character. He is labeled as trouble, and I will admit that he does get himself into a lot of it, but he secretly has such a big heart. He has so much going on in his life: he is the only one trying to save his family's financial problem. But the problem is that Billy is still just a fifteen year old kid and can only do so much. He is stressed and just trying to do all that he can, even debating breaking the promise he made to his mother about staying out of trouble. So when Billy starts noticing odd incidents and clues, he has so much going on that he doesn't fully realize just what he has found. The reader gets to go along with Billy through these discoveries and struggles, and it was nail-bitingly good.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5. It was really fucking good. Szcuse my language.

Top Ten Books from My Childhood that I Love

Top Ten Tuesday is a blog meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Oh childhood favorites, how I love you. I read a lot as a kid. Library day was the best day. School book fairs were a gift from the heavens. I would even make excuses to my friends that my mom or dad wouldn't let me come hang out just so I could finish a book. Yeah reading was a big deal to me. Books were such a major part of my growing up, and even now the books form my childhood still have a huge impact.

1. Shade's Children by Garth Nix
Garth Nix has written many series, but the stand alone Shade's Children will always be my favorite. I have reread this book so many times, and I still just love it. The book is dark and exciting and has characters that really stick with you. Honestly, it would make the best movie.

2. Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card
The best. Ever. That's not even sugarcoating it. This book was such an important book in my reading life, and I have such a place in my heart for Ender Wiggin. Ender's Shadow was also the first and best parallel book that I have read. Just amazing.

3. Sweep series by Cate Tiernan
Okay so I totally thought I could be a witch when I was younger. Like really. And I am going to say that it was all this series fault.

4. Everworld series by Katherine Applegate
I inhaled these books. Since they were so thin, I would buy one, and almost by the time we got home, I was done and ready for the next. I loved how the books switched between characters and explored different mythologies.

5. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Oh my heart, this series! I will be honest: I never finished the series, but I would love to some day! But all the same, I loved the magic in the stories and how big and wonderful the world seemed.

6. Ashbury/ Brookfield series by Jaclyn Moriarty
I have already talked about this series, but it was such a good one! All of the Ashbury/ Brookfield books constantly left me laughing too loudly in public places. I actually really want to reread them again soon.

7. Everything Meg Cabot!
I had such a Meg Cabot phase. I couldn't get enough of her books and thank goodness there were lots of them to feed my obsession. My favorites out of all of them were the 1-800-WHERE-ARE-YOU series, the Mediator series, and All American Girl (or what I like to call "The book that got me into ska")

8. Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew
I loved mysteries growing up! I hunted through the school library trying to get all that I could, and I couldn't get enough. Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys were always my favorites. I got a collection of the first five of each as a gift and loved them.

9. Lois Duncan
This woman was a goddess of thrillers to me. I would stay up all night reading them and then continue to stay up thinking about all the twists and details. I still have never read her famous I Know What You Did Last Summer but I loved Ransom, The Third Eye, Locked in Time, and Stranger with my Face.

10. Simon Pulse's Romantic Comedies
My heart might mostly be filled with paranormal, fantasy, and thriller, but I have a special place for romantic comedies. While not exactly masterful works of art, Simon Pulse's romantic comedies (recognizable by the cartoony covers) were so fun and adorable! My favorites: 30 Guys in 30 Days, She's Got the Beat, and A Novel Idea.


What are some of your childhood favorites? Have you read some of mine?

Traveling with Books

This week, I am heading on a trip to the UK to check out grad schools, and I'm soooo excited for some reading time during all those plane, train, and bus rides. Reading a book while traveling is probably one of my favorite things about going on a trip! In fact I'd say it's an necessity. You have to be sitting on a plane for a long time or waiting for a train or resting your feet in a cafe after walking around or my personal favorite of avoiding conversations with the random person next to you. Yeah, it's pretty useful. The book is the ultimate traveling must-have!

But then I've ran into the tech-age old question: book or e-book? You see I am fairly new to the e-book world because I only just got an iPad to read them on. So this really wasn't a situation that I've run into yet. But while packing for my trip, I had this "oh no" moment where I had two books in one hand and my iPad in another, completely unsure of which route to go. I'm sure other book lovers have this problem too, and so I thought I would share my main benefits of taking each.

• No distractions. No temptation to get sucked into mindlessly looking at blogs or scrolling through Tumblr.
• Where else am I going to put my ticket without it getting lost?
• If an e-reader battery dies, then I lose all my entertainment. I can't forget to charge a book!
• Speaking of forgetting. If I leave my book on a train, it would suck, but I probably wouldn't sob angry tears like if I left an e-reader or iPad.
• I just love having a physical book with me. There is something satisfying it.

• One lightweight device full of e-books instead of trying to pack multiple heavy books because I have and I will.
• The indecisive core of me can have many options to choose from based on my mood.
• Durable-ish. My books tend to get a bit beat up rolling around in my bag. My iPad at least has a cover to protect it.
• I have to take my iPad anyway do school work. So two for one?
• Let's face it. I am going to walk into a bookstore at some point and buy a book anyway. It's just my nature. Might as well lessen that load by just reading an e-book in the mean time.

Which one do you guys like to take on trips: books or e-books? What are your random benefits for taking it?

Eight Books For Readers Who Like Great Minor Characters

Top Ten Tuesday is a blog meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This one was so open ended that it made thinking of a good topic very tough for me, and honestly I was going to skip it because my mind was a complete blank. Then all of a sudden this came into my mind: minor characters. A good minor character can really make me love a book, especially if I'm not a huge fan of the main character. They always bring just that something else that really adds to the story. Also while writing this, I noticed that great minor characters are usually found in books containing lots of characters in it too. It's like a buffet of favorites to pick from!

1. Harry Potter series- Harry Potter has the best minor characters. It's a fact! There is at least one minor character in the series that you can relate to or even love because they are so unlike you. My favorites: Remus Lupin (favorite character ever) and Neville Longbottom.

2. Ashbury/Brookfield series- So I loved this series when I was in high school. It's funny, easy-read, and contains lots of hilarious side characters. My favorites: Sebastian in A Year of the Secret Assignments and Toby and Sergio in The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie.

3. Red Rising series- My love for Red Rising is bordering addiction now, and one of the reasons is the minor characters. They are complex and interesting and sometimes the biggest little shitheads ever. My favorites: Harmony, Matteo, Mustang, and of course Sevro (hint: he's the little shithead).

4. The Raven Cycle series- Hrmm now this one is tough because of the multiple narration going on, and that kind of makes me hesitant to call people minor characters. If you consider Blue the main main character, then yes there are some kick ass minor characters in the series. My favorites: Noah and Persephone.

5. LOTR and the Hobbit- This is probably the classic awesome minor characters book. Mostly because there are a bizallion! My favorite: Sam!

6. Holes- Throwback to a favorite middle school read. Holes has some quirky characters that inhabit Stanley's cabin at Camp Greenlake and some other admirable ones from the flashbacks. My favorites: Zero, Magnet, and Kissin' Kate Barlow.

7. The Maze Runner series- Oh wow, the minor characters in this series really stole the show for me. Thomas could be a bit whiny, so having a good character to throw in a sarcastic comment or be the voice of reason really kept my attention. My favorites: Newt, Minho, and Brenda.

8. The Graveyard Book- Can't find better characters than ones in a graveyard! My favorites: Silas and Liza Hempstock.

And that's all I can think of right now!

What are your favorite books with awesome minor characters? Or maybe do you have a different favorite from some of the book I listed?

Review: Hinges: Book 1 Clockwork City (Hinges #1)

Title: Hinges: Book 1 Clockwork City (Hinges #1)
Author: Meredith McClaren
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: March 10, 2015

Summary (via Goodreads)

HINGES is a fantasy webcomic, turned graphic novel, about a doll named Orio and her troubling companion Bauble. New to the city of Cobble, Orio must depend on help where ever she can find it, but her assigned familiar Bauble has other interests. And as the two explore the walls of their city, they find that they are not the only new arrivals. In a place that runs like clockwork, it only takes a little disruption to upend a city.

I am very excited to be reviewing a graphic novel today! Yes my blog is young, but this is my first graphic novel on here, and I am very VERY excited. I have such a deep love of graphic novels, and I am psyched to be starting out with a good one.

Hinges is gorgeous. Seriously, so gorgeous. The line art is simple but elegant, almost cartoony but so intricate, which is just something that I love. The characters and backgrounds are beautifully drawn. Each character's face is so expressive, which really works well in such a quiet comic. Also there is the coloring, which adds so much to the tone of the graphic novel. I love it's nice subtle hues that make the entire comic look delicate and sometimes mysterious.

This being the first book in the Hinges series, the story centers around introducing Orio to the city of Cobble and finding her a job. Also the main focus is the growing relationship between Orio and her odd--a companion type creature--Bauble. Where Orio is silent and meek, Bauble is rambunctious and causes Orio a lot of trouble while she is trying to find work. Bauble also has some questionable intentions when it comes to Orio's clock, a pocketwatch inscribed with her name that given to her when she was created. But by the end of the book, they develop an understanding that is heartwarming.

All that being said, I was a bit confused about some of the plot. Like Orio, it is very quiet book. The only dialogue we get is from other characters. So the scenes with Orio and Bauble rely very heavily on actions. While I did enjoy that, I just felt like I didn't fully grasp why certain things happened, even after a second reading. However, it might be explained in later books.

Rating: 4/5 I really loved Hinges. It was very beautifully done, and I am going to search for the webcomic just so I can continue the story!

Review: Emissary

Title: Emissary (Legends of the Realm #1)
Author: Thomas Locke
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Fleming H. Revell Company
Release Date: January 6, 2015

I received a copy of Emissary through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary (via Goodreads)

Hyam is a likeable lad who will make a fine farmer someday. But he carries a burden few can fathom. As his mother slips toward death, she implores him to return to Long Hall, where he spent five years as an apprentice. It was there that Hyam's extraordinary capacity for mastering languages came to light--and soon cast him into the shadows of suspicion. How could any human learn the forbidden tongues with such ease? When Hyam dares to seek out the Mistress of the Sorceries, her revelation tears his world asunder. 

He has no choice but to set out on the foreboding path--which beckons him to either his destiny or his doom. An encounter with an enchanting stranger reminds him that he is part hero and part captive. As Hyam struggles to interpret the omens and symbols, he is swept up by a great current of possibilities--and dangers.

Emissary is was a good fantasy read. It didn't exactly blow me away, but I did enjoy it. The beginning was incredibly rushed, and information was sort of just thrown at me. But once I got into the story, it was flowed fairly well and was entertaining. Hyam's world is a fascinating world of different races, kingdoms, and forms of magic. The descriptions of the settings were gorgeous, especially the elf kingdom. Seriously, I want to live there. The world was probably my favorite part. Locke does an amazing job of building an in depth world with interesting magic systems and complex kingdoms.

However, there were times when I just got so lost in the plot. There were some details that just didn't make sense or were not fully developed. After Hyam's first battle, I got really confused by what happened actually happened. So I actually reread the entire chapter over just to see if I missed some explanation. I didn't. It just wasn't there. Later, it was sort of explained but it just wasn't enough. And that is how I feel about a lot of the plot: sort of explained but just wasn't enough. Plot details are introduced and dealt with, without any aftermath or something to make it feel resolved. Even now, I am a bit frustrated remembering all the points.

Hyam is a honest but incredibly intelligent farmer, but of course that isn't all he is. As he discovers his powers and his hidden ancestry, Hyam still keeps his honest and hardworking spirit, always treating people fairly and testing the boundaries of his power to understand it. I really loved how Hyam showed so much respect toward other people and brought them into his group. I especially loved his interactions with Trace, a wise but hilarious mage, and Meda, a tough female soldier.

Originally, I loved Hyam and Joelle, and I thought they would be great together. During the first part of the book, Hyam and Joelle switched off as narrators for each chapter, telling their own stories while separated. Once they met, however, Joelle's narration was phased out. I loved reading Joelle's sections and thought she was so amazing and strong, trying to build up her powers to escape the long hall. But once Hyam and Joelle actually met, I didn't understand their dynamic and saw less of the Joelle I saw in earlier chapters. All of a sudden, she is whining and chasing after Hyam, and then just constantly reduced to a love interest role. Who is this person? There were times when she was training and I could see the original character that I saw shining out a little, but then POOF she was gone. Add that to how their entire relationship is treated in the book. Ugh. It was just disappointing.

On a final good note, Dama! Dama is Hyam's wolfhound in the story, and she was amazing. But that might be my extreme love of the giant, gorgeous animals showing.

Rating: 3/5 Overall, Emissary was a good read. I wasn't a huge fan of the plot problems and Joelle's vanishing personality, but the world was intricate and the story was engaging. Plus wolfhounds.

Stuff and Things: Book Hangovers

I am in recovery mode. My head is a bit fuzzy, I don't want to do anything, and I feel like something's missing. All the signs are there. Yep, it's a book hangover.

Now ending a good book and a book hangover are two different things. With simply ending a book, you feel like you accomplished something, and while you liked the book and maybe wish there was more, you can go about your day and maybe even ride that reading high by picking up a new book later.

But with a book hangover, oh no, my friend, it is not that easy. You are unsure that you actually finished the book because it just keeps going in your cotton stuffed head. You feel the dull pain like someone punched you in the stomach a few hours ago. You have the same feeling like when you open the fridge and just stand there because you forgot what you came there to get. And these feelings last all day, sometimes more! Honestly, it is what I think a Dementor's Kiss probably feels like.

For me, I get typically get book hangovers in three scenarios: reading an amazing book too fast, reading a whole series too fast, or finishing the long awaited final book in a favorite series. Case in point: me right now. I chose to read an ARC of Ask the Dark which I was sort of iffy on but thought I would give it a shot, and then it just blew me away! I ended up reading it all in one night and couldn't sleep because I swore that every sound outside was a serial killer about to get me. And now I am a disaster!

And still after all of the book hangovers that I have faced, I still don't have any quick cures for it. Regular hangover I can do (sleep, water, spicy V8 juice, and lots of mindless tv), but I have discovered nothing for a book hangover. Do I jump right into another book? Do I take a three day breather? Do I have to drink some sacred tea while sitting in a bookstore? I have no idea. Eventually it will go away, but until then I am in recovery mode.

Do you get book hangovers? How do you cure them? Tell me you secrets!

Monthly Rewind: February

Monthly Rewind is a monthly blog feature that looks back on each month, including a bit about each month from me, blog posts, books I've read over the month, and my five monthly favorites.

February was chaos. It just seemed like everything that could possibly happen this month did, and it all went by so fast. Like the Flash fast. Birthday fun, massive group project, getting into grad schools, car breaking down, work camping retreat: blinked and they disappeared. Probably just because things were sooooo busy but it seemed like february barely happened. But things look to be settling down. Well for a millisecond because I am off to look at grad schools in the UK next week (Yes!)

As for books this month, my enthusiasm for reading with all of the stuff I had to do we just: "eh." So I read a bit, but mostly enjoyed turning my brain off at the end of the day with tv.

Books read this month: 3
Silverwood, The Raven Cycle, Emissary

Book reviews: 1 (ha yeah)
Favorite book of the month: The Raven Cycle
Read and Run Challenge: Ha! I honestly forgot I was doing this, but I will try to make progress this month.

TV: Parks and Recreation
It's over! How? WHY? And that last season with everything between Ron and Leslie, I sobbed like no tomorrow. Actually the entire season tugged at my heartstrings in the best and worst way. Parks and Rec was such an amazing show, and I am going to miss it. I would totally recommend giving it a go if you haven't. The first season is a bit rough to get used to, but stick with it. The characters are amazing. It's so fun but heartwarming. Leslie Knope will become your hero. Then soon you will be an emotional post Park and Rec trash like me.

Food: Sparkling Water
I know, I know. As pretentious as that sounds as my favorite of the month, it's true! I tend to just drink water, coffee, smoothies for breakfast, and that's it! I don't like sodas because they taste so sweet and the whole being awful for you thing. So I never get that fizz. Well, until I started getting sparkling water as a treat. Do I sometimes feel silly buying water? Yep. Do I really love it. Hell yes!

Beauty/ Fashion: Essie Matte Nail Polish
I don't think I have ever painted my nails so much in one month. I love the way this matte top coat makes my nails look, especially over navy blue and army green.

Music: Soundtracks

Soundtracks are my go-to concentration music, and because of how this month went, they were my go-to staple music of the month. For me, I can't read with normal music because the words distract me. So exciting movie soundtracks keep me awake and focused without distracting me. My main soundtracks have been: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Attack the Block, The Dark Knight, and Pacific Rim.

Person/Thing: Check, Please!
So when I said I was a bit lacks on reading this month that didn't include web comics. Really, I had never actually read web comics until this month, but I stumbled upon this one and loved it! Check, Please! is the story of Eric Bittle (or Bitty) and his adventures in college and on the school hockey team. You will love Bitty. He is amazing and he might have a pie baking addiction.  The rest of the characters are just too hilarious for words too. Plus I learned quite a few things about hockey that I never knew! Give the comic a shot!


How was February for you all? Any favorite you want to share?

Top Ten All Time Favorite Books (From the Past 5 Years)

Top Ten Tuesday is a blog meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Tough question! The original topic says past three years, but I couldn't do it. I tried! I really did, but it just felt so wrong not including a few of these. Even then it was hard to narrow it down. Thank goodness five was an option too! Oh and I threw in a comic too.

Top Ten All Time Favorite Books (From the Past 5 Years)

1. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
2. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
3. Half Bad by Sally Green

4. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
5. The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line (Veronica Mars) by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham
6. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

7. A Hero at the End of the World by Erin Claiborne
8. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
9. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
10. Hawkeye by Matt Faction and David Aja


Can you narrow down your favorite books of the last 3 years? Or do you have to expand it to 5 years like me?