Book Review: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Isla and the Happily Ever After

Series: Anna and the French Kiss, #3

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Summary: Love ignites in the City That Never Sleeps, but can it last?

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.

Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love—set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona—is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series.

Review:

Hello, all! I feel like it’s been a million years! But, I’m happy to be back with a new review, my first review of the year! This is actually the first book that I’ve finished this year (aside from rereading The Perks of Being a Wallflower). I’m also reading this other book called The Physics of Immortality, but that isn’t exactly a book for “light reading.”

Isla and the Happily Ever After has been sitting on my shelves since August, even though I already knew I’d love it. Stephanie Perkins’ books are perfection on paper. The third and final book in this trilogy focuses on Isla and Josh, who was a prominent character in Anna and the French Kiss. He definitely had a bigger role to play in this book.

In Isla, we got to see a lot of Josh that I don’t remember seeing in the first book. We also get to know about who he is in general a lot more, since he’s one of the main characters. He was so sweet and perfect and ugh. *Mentally adds him to my never-ending list of book boyfriends*

Isla was… meh. She got really annoying toward the end of the book. I felt there was a lot of unnecessary drama that she created. I could kind of relate to her, though. I’m not really sure how to feel about her. Again, meh.

I LOVED Kurt. I was sad to see that Anna kind of pushed him aside once Josh came into the picture. I’m glad Kurt was able to find the Right Way (*nudge nudge, wink wink*), though. I just wish that Isla had made more friends instead of focusing all of her attention on Josh only.

This book was so exciting, though. I read it in two sittings, and I don’t know why I had the motivation to pick it up, considering I haven’t done something like that in a long time. I feel so spontaneous xD

Of course, we had cameos from Anna, St. Clair, Lola, and Cricket, which was amazing. Unfortunately, they were talked about more than they actually were there.

5/5 stars to this beauty! I love, love, loved this book. I only had a few problems with it, but I’m letting them slide. Overall, this series was fantastic. I think Anna was my favorite, then Isla, then Lola.

What did you think of this series? Are you thinking about picking it up? Let me know!

TBR Tag!

Hey, guys 😀 The lovely Nirvana @ Nirvana’s Pocketful tagged me to do this tag forever ago, and I literally have a list beside me of all of the posts I need to write xD Anyway… better late than never, right? Let’s get started.

How do you keep track of your TBR pile?

When I was a newbie (around June of 2012), I would make lists of series that I wanted to check out, but then I joined Goodreads and just started keeping track of my TBR digitally. I’m a list person (see intro XD), so I would literally end up with a billion lists that had just… accumulated. But they were pretty much lists of the same books. For some reason, I felt the need to have multiple copies of these lists xD

Is your TBR mostly print books or e-books?

Definitely physical copies. I don’t read e-books well, and there are only a few that I’ve actually successfully finished. For some reason, reading off a device bores me!

How do you determine which book from your TBR to read next?

Uhh… heh. I kind of panic about it for a couple days because I’m a really indecisive person. And then I made my TBR wine glass for the unread books I actually own, but I kept forgetting to update it every time I bought a new book… so, uh, I really don’t know how I choose. Sometimes I make other people choose for me XD I’m like, “Here, pick a book!”

A book that’s been on your TBR the longest?

*consults Goodreads*

This comes as a surprise to me, but the book that’s been on my TBR the longest is The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. I tried reading this book and watching the movie, but I couldn’t get into it. It’s the very first book I put on my GR TBR, and that was March 26, 2013.

A book you recently added to your TBR?

Snail Mail, No More by Paula Danziger. I read the first book in this series a long time ago, and it was cowritten with Ann M. Martin, which is why I was interested. Anyway, I just recently (December) found out that there was a sequel and I was just like OMG NO WAY. I’m definitely going to get this from the library soon!

A book on your TBR strictly because of its beautiful cover?

I don’t think any of us pay attention to the “don’t judge a book by its cover” advice… at least in the literal sense xD

The book is Halo by Alexandra Adornetto. Have I thought about this book ever in the past year and a half? No… Have I thought of this author ever in the past year and a half? Uh… no… Do I know what this book is about?

*crickets chirp*

Because this book was only added to my TBR because of its AMAZING cover. I mean, look at that! Look at that.

A book on your TBR you never plan on reading?

*cough* The Golden Compass *cough*

An unpublished book in your TBR that you’re excited to read?

MAGNUS CHASE. And Frozen Hearts by Topaz Winters 😀 I’m really excited for that one.

A book in your TBR everyone recommends to you?

You can probably guess this one: Throne of Glass. EVERYONE tells me to read it. I own it. It’s sitting on my shelf as we speak… er… read. In fact, I can see it now. But have I picked it up? Nu. I mean, I read about fifteen pages, but I wasn’t into it so I just started something else xD

Number of books in your TBR?

You ready for this, guys? Haha, no, I don’t think you are.

There are 472 books in my TBR. There! I said it! *hides*

I have a problem xD

But, you know what? If I could read roughly 100 books in a year, I could get my TBR finished in five years. Unless I add more to it. Ugh.

I’m tagging whoever sees this and thinks it’s interesting, because it’s late (or rather, early xD) and I don’t feel like chasing down ze links! Thanks again to Nirvana for tagging me 😀 I have some more posts planned, so keep an eye out for those!

-littleonion

2014 End of Year Book Survey

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the 2014 End of Year Book Survey! Jamie @ The Perpetual Page-Turner created this awesome survey, and this is my second year participating. I wasn’t sure if I was going to participate this year, because it has been a very slow year in reading for me. My reading count is way lower than last year’s, but hey, at least I read!

I hope you enjoy reading my survey, and I look forward to reading yours if you’re participating 😀

Number of Books You Read: 44
Number of Rereads: 1*
Genre You Read The Most From: Fantasy

*The book I reread was The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. The first time I read it was last year, though, so I’m not sure if it counts.

1. Best book you read in 2014?

This is a tie between Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins and In The Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken. I’m cheating a little, but since they’re from different genres, I think we can let this slide xD Hex Hall is a really fun series, and I’m currently reading the last book in the trilogy. I really love Sophie, the main character, who’s super sassy, and the love interests are LIFE. Plus, the plot is amazing ;D

In The Afterlight was perfection. I’ve read quite a few series finales this year, and this one hands down is the best. My initial post-book feelings haven’t changed, and I’ve had a good couple months to ponder this. I loved The Darkest Minds series, which I started earlier this year. If you haven’t read it and are looking for a good dystopian read, I highly recommend this series.

2. Book you were excited about and thought you were going to love more but didn’t?

I’m really sad to say that I’ve chosen The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan for this category. I talked about my disappointments in my review, but the whole book was just kind of… meh. Don’t get me wrong, there were several enjoyable moments, but I feel like the disappointing moments outweighed the good ones.

3. Most surprising book (in a good way or bad way) you read in 2014?

Definitely The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle. Lauren Myracle is one of my favorite authors ever. Her books are phenomenal… but this one was awful. I didn’t even finish it. I remember being up at 5 AM, reading review on Goodreads about this book when I was halfway through it, and a lot of people had similar feelings that I did. Blah.

4. Book you “pushed” the most people to read (and they did) in 2014?

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken was a book that I raved about after I finished it. It was simply amazing, and I talked about it with everyone, and surprisingly, a few people actually read it (and finished the series, too)!

5. Best series you started in 2014? Best sequel of 2014? Best series ender of 2014?

Best Series: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Best Sequel: Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Best Series Finale: In The Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?

Rainbow Rowell! I’d heard a lot about her in 2013, but I didn’t pick up one of her books until this year, and I LOVED it. Her writing is so eerily relatable and fluffy and ahh. I can’t wait to read more of her books. (And I love how she makes playlists for her books on Spotify <3)

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger. This book wasn’t necessarily out of my comfort zone (although it did touch on topics that are more mature). I know classics aren’t really a genre, but just in general I don’t really read many of them. Anyway, this book was fantastic! I loved Holden Caulfield’s voice and how he reflected on things that happened in the book. Definitely not what I was expecting, but I really enjoyed it.

8. Most action-packed, thrilling, unputdownable book of the year?

Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout. This book was awesome. If you’ve read this series, you pretty much already know why I love Katy (hello, fellow book blogger ;D). One of the only things I found wrong with this book, and I’ve noticed this has been a common theme with a lot of series finales, is the lackluster, brief final battles. What do you think about that topic?

9. Book you read in 2014 that you are most-likely to reread next year?

yolo by Lauren Myracle. Although I’m not a fan of the acronym, I’m really happy that she continued her Internet Girls series. In this book, Maddie, Zoe, and Angela were freshmen in college, and they were all having totally different experiences. I love that Zoe grew even more as a character, and the other ladies were just as awesome.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?

Of Neptune by Anna Banks. I didn’t like this book, and everyone was confused about the fact that Anna Banks was continuing this series. Like… everything had been resolved. Whyyyy? But, I must admit, this series had some fine covers. Just look at this!

You can’t go wrong with this. These covers are so beautiful ❤

11. Most memorable character of 2014?

This is a really difficult one. I’ve read about so many memorable characters, but one of the most memorable is Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I don’t know why. Maybe because he’s a bit more relatable than characters in fantasy and dystopian books. I really loved Charlie, and I actually watched the movie this year, and OMG. Logan Lerman is life xD

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?

I honestly don’t have an answer for this one. I didn’t really read anything by poetic authors (like Lauren Oliver) this year. I’d say The Infinite Moment of Us, but one: I didn’t like that book. Two: I didn’t finish it. And three: I felt like Lauren Myracle was trying too hard to sound philosophical and poetic and stuff. I hate it when authors try to do that, and it’s much better when it flows naturally (hello, Lauren Oliver).

13. Most thought-provoking, life changing book of 2014?

Leap Day by Wendy Mass was pretty thought-provoking. It was written so amazingly. There was the main character, Josie’s POV, but then there were also the POVs of several other people Josie encountered. Their POVs were short, but they were all interesting and I was left slightly in awe. I think that by writing about several other characters alongside Josie, Wendy Mass makes her readers realize that everyone is going through something. Everyone is dealing with something difficult in their lives. I really liked that message.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to read?

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. I haven’t finished this series, but I was so surprised to find that I actually liked it when I was done!

15. Favorite passage/quote from a book you read in 2014?

“He’s not feeling well,” Clary said, catching at Simon’s wrist. “We’re going.”

“No,” Simon said. “No, I—I need to talk to him. To the Inquisitor.” Robert reached into his jacket and drew out a crucifix. Clary stared in shock as he held it up between himself and Simon. “I speak to the Night’s Children Council representative, or to the head of the New York clan,” he said. “Not to any vampire who comes to knock at my door—”

Simon reached out and plucked the cross out of Robert’s hand. “Wrong religion,” he said. -Cassandra Clare, “City of Heavenly Fire”

16. Shortest and longest book you read in 2014?

Shortest Book: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Longest Book: Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

17. Book that shocked you the most?

Champion by Marie Lu. I’m not going to say much, but let’s just say it had to do with a character…

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)?

RUBY/LIAM. KATY/DAEMON. SOPHIE/ARCHER. THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS.

19. Favorite non-romantic relationship of the year?

Sophie and Jenna from Hex Hall. I love those two ❤

20. Favorite book you read in 2014 from an author you’ve read previously?

Teardrop by Lauren Kate. She and I had a rocky start with her book Fallen, but I really enjoyed Teardrop. I’M SO MAD THAT THIS SERIES GOT A COVER CHANGE. *sobs* The cover was so beautiful…

21. Best book you read in 2014 that you read based solely on a recommendation from somebody else/peer pressure?

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. I really enjoyed this book, and it was recommended to me a little while ago ^-^ I haven’t finished the series, but I was spoiled when I read a review >.> Le sigh.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014?

Levi from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Need I say more?

23. Best 2014 debut you read?

I said pretty much the same thing in my 2013 Survey, but I haven’t read any books that debuted in 2014! :O

24. Best world building/ most vivid setting you read this year?

Frostbite by Richelle Mead. For some reason, the world building in this book stuck with me a lot. I liked the change in scenery.

25. Book that put a smile on your face/was the most fun to read?

Fruits Basket Vol. 1 by Natsuki Takaya. This manga series was introduced to me by a friend, and it’s just such a fun, cutesy series, though it does have its darker undertones. I haven’t finished it yet, but I did watch the anime and ahh ❤

26. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2014?

In The Afterlight. This book was just… TEARS. Tears.

27. Hidden gem of the year?

This one was a little difficult, but I’m going to go with Ask The Passengers by A.S. King. I haven’t heard too many people talking about this book, and I definitely want to reread it.

28. Book that crushed your soul?

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. This book was indeed soul-crushing.

29. Most unique book you read in 2014?

The Archived by Victoria Schwab. Although I wasn’t a fan of this book, I loved Mackenzie’s powers, which were super unique. If I remember correctly, she could touch any surface and see memories/what happened there from a certain time… it was pretty awesome.

30. Book that made you the most mad?

Again, I’m going to have to go with The Blood of Olympus. Argh. So many angry feels.

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2014?

Ah, this is a difficult one. Mainly because I can’t quite remember when I discovered some of my favorites! But here are some of my newer favorites:

the writing hufflepuff
The Loony Teen Writer
Books, Tea and a Onesie

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2014?

My favorite review of this year is my review for The Blood of Olympus. I really love my new reviewing format, and I think I was so organized and I’m giving myself extra points because I remembered all the points I wanted to make without taking notes while reading.

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?

I think my Dystopian Themes In Music post was a pretty interesting discussion, and I still think about that topic a lot. Sometimes books and music fit hand in hand ❤

4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

Does BookBlogWriMo count? XD I loved participating in that, and what’s great is that I got to meet more fantastic book bloggers ^-^ I also went to an author signing with three science fiction authors earlier this year, which was pretty fun.

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2014?

I think the best moment in my bookish life this year was going to Barnes & Noble for the first time. If you didn’t know, I actually hadn’t gone to a Barnes & Noble until earlier this year, because I lived much closer to an indie bookstore. But, I started going to B&N, and life changed. Drastically. XD

6. Most popular post this year on your blog?

This year, my most popular post has been my review for The Blood of Olympus 😀

7. Post you wish got a little more love?

Hmm, I’m not sure. I’m pretty happy with the attention my posts have gotten this year 😀

8. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, bookstores, etc.)?

Barnes & Noble (see #5).

9. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

Sadly, I didn’t complete my reading goals that I’d set, which was 115 books. I read less than half of that, which is sooo disappointing, but homework got in the way D: Oh well. Hopefully I’ll do better next year!

1. One book you didn’t get to in 2014 but will be your number one priority in 2015?

This is a difficult one. Probably anything by Cassandra Clare that came out after CoHF. I saw a few signed copies of The Bane Chronicles at the bookstore and just about died :O

2. Book you are most anticipating for 2015 (non-debut)?

THE MAGNUS CHASE BOOKS. That’s set to come out in 2015, right? It better be >.>

3. 2015 debut you are most anticipating?

I don’t think there are any debuts that I’m anticipating for 2015.

4. Series ending/sequel that you are most anticipating for 2015?

That’s hard, too, but only because so many series endings for books I’ve read came out this year. Maybe the last book in the Bloodlines series, although I haven’t finished Silver Shadows, so no spoilers!

5. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging life of 2015?

For my reading life, I really want to get back to a place where I can just pick up a book and not have to force myself to do so. This year has been the year of reading slumps for me, and it hasn’t been enjoyable. I think part of the reason is that I’ve been reading a lot of books that just haven’t been doing it for me.

6. A 2015 release you’ve already read and recommend to everyone?

I can’t answer this question, because I haven’t read anything that’s due to come out in 2015. But if you have, what do you recommend?

That’s all for the 2014 End of Year Book Survey! I’m so glad that I decided to participate in this. I hope you all have a happy New Year, and I’ll see you in 2015!

BookBlogWriMo: The End

Hey, everyone! I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving 😀 A couple days ago was the last day of BookBlogWriMo, and I can’t believe it’s coming to an end! I did miss some posts toward the end, but I think I did alright. It’s been a little crazy, and I’ve been doing a lot of homework, and after all of that, I really didn’t feel like typing! I’ll reply to any comments and catch up with your posts soon, but for now, it’s time for me to catch up on my own posts! XD Let’s get started! 11/26 — Cheating On Books: TV and Movies

This is pretty easy for me to answer, because I don’t actually follow any shows at the moment. It’s really hard for me to follow TV shows for some reason… I have no idea why! But that doesn’t mean I don’t cheat on books… with the internet xD I haven’t been reading nearly as much as I used to, and I don’t know why. I haven’t been in the mood to pick up a book D: Hopefully this changes, but I have no idea when it will.

11/27 — Authors You’re Thankful For

I am thankful for so many authors. I think I’ll make a list of my top five, because if I don’t limit myself to that, the list will never end!

Ann M. Martin & R.L. Stine: Ann M. Martin is the author of The Baby-Sitters Club, and R.L. Stine is the author of the Goosebumps books, two series that really opened me up to the world of reading toward the end of elementary school. I loved these series, and I read several books from them. They were mysterious and relatable and amazing! I’d totally go back to read them.
J.K. Rowling: I think JKR was a given—she’s incredible. Harry Potter is one of my favorite series ever, and I’m so thankful to have read it. I can’t even put my feelings into words, but thank you, J.K. Rowling. Thank you 😀
Lauren Myracle: Lauren Myracle’s books are fantastic. Simply amazing! I’ve only had a bad experience with one of them, but the rest were perfection. I’ll always be a huge fan of her stories, and whenever she releases a new book, I’ll be the first one in line to buy it 😀
Lauren Roedy Vaughn: As far as I know, Lauren Roedy Vaughn has only written one book, OCD, The Dude, and Me, but it was phenomenal. So, so amazing. Danielle, the main character, was so funny, and Ms. Vaughn also took the time to leave a comment on my review of her book, which was amazing! I was so excited when I saw it, haha. Definitely waiting on her next novel!
Rick Riordan: This man deserves a round of applause, because his books are simply incredible. I’ve loved nearly every one of them, and I’ve read quite a few of his books. Riordan’s books opened me up to the children’s fantasy genre, and I’ve found quite a few books through the PJO series.

Those are just a few of the authors I’m grateful for! I don’t even know if I could fit all of them into an entire post! xD

11/28 — Book Pet Peeves

I have quite a few bookish pet peeves, but I won’t bore you with a really long list xD

Mary Sue characters: You guys know what I mean. The character with zero personality, nothing about them stands out, and the only thing they seem capable of doing is acting rashly before thinking. Ahem. I bet you can think of a few characters like this.
Love triangles: If they’re done right, love triangles can be really good! But… they can also be annoying, especially in the case of certain books, where the main character just strings along one of the people involved the “triangle” for his or her own personal gain. Ugh.
Main characters: This probably sounds like a really weird pet peeve to have, and you might have heard me mention this before, but I usually don’t like the main characters I read about. I’ve noticing that the majority of the main characters are female characters, so maybe there’s a trait that authors add to their characters that makes me cringe away from them… or maybe it’s coincidental. Or maybe I just prefer reading from the male’s POV!

11/29 — The Future of Your Blog

I really have no idea where this blog is going! I’m starting to think it has a personality of its own, so maybe it’ll take a turn xD I’ll definitely keep blogging about books, but I haven’t been reading much 😦 Alas, there are many other things to blog about, so I won’t leave my blog hanging!

11/30 — #BookBlogWriMo Wrap-Up

#BookBlogWriMo was an amazing “challenge” to participate in! I’d wanted to do something like this last November, but I had limited internet access, so it wasn’t possible at the time. I’m glad I stepped up for the challenge, but I’m also glad that it was so relaxed, so I didn’t have to worry about missing some posts.

Thanks once again to Brittany @ Book Bumblings for creating this really fun challenge and all of the prompts! And now, here are some other #BookBlogWriMo posts from fellow bloggers ^-^

BookBlogWriMo Week 2 — Molly @ Woven Magic Books

BookBlogWriMo Day 29 — the writing hufflepuff @ The Writing Hufflepuff

Let’s get narcissistic! — Sam @ A Blast of Random

#BookBlogWriMo – #ShowMeYourShelves — Laura @ Blue Eye Books

BookBlogWriMo Day 22: Shelfie Time! — Topaz @ YA Asylum

That is all for now! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read my posts, and I’m looking forward to yours! I think I’ll finish up some homework now 😉

-littleonion

BookBlogWriMo: How Do You Deal With Book Hangovers?

Hey, everyone, and welcome to #BookBlogWriMo day twenty-five! We’ve come far! Today’s topic is about how we deal with book hangovers, and, well… I didn’t know there was a way to deal with them! XD Usually for me, I just let them pass, but if I don’t do anything about it, I could accidentally fall into a reading slump (pretty much where I’m at right now xD).

Some other things I might do to make the big bad book hangover go away:

Usually when I have a book hangover, it’s because I read a book that was too good and am stuck in that world, or it’s because I may or may not be angry over the events that occurred in a book.

The number one thing I try to do in a book hangover is just picking up another book. That usually gets me motivated enough to forget about my previous issues.

That’s everything I’ve got for now! Let me know what you do to get out of book hangovers, or if you’re in one right now 😀

-littleonion

BookBlogWriMo: Catching Up

Hey, guys! This is my second time trying to type this… my pages love to restart just before I get the chance to hit “save draft”… The struggle.

But how have you been? I know I’ve missed quite a few days of BookBlogWriMo, but I wasn’t in the blogging mood so I decided to wait until I was. Fortunately, I’m back, and I definitely have some catching up to do, at least three or four days, plus I want to get some posts scheduled to avoid this kind of thing for the duration of BookBlogWriMo. I can’t wait to catch up with your posts 😀 Instead of writing a bunch of posts, I’ll just consolidate them all into one. I’ll try to keep this short!

Before we get into that, though, I wanted to quickly talk about Mockingjay Part 1, which I was lucky enough to see on Saturday! I got up early and went on Saturday morning, and it was so worth it! I loved every bit of that movie, and the actors’ performances were brilliant. What did you think of this movie? Hopefully I’ll have a review up soon!

It’s time for BookBlogWriMo 😀

11/21 — #FlashBackFriday: First Reviews

Oh, my goodness… This is going to be so embarrassing. I’m scared to go back XD One of my first “reviews” (if you could even call it that) was a review for the middle grade read Change of a Dress by Maya Gold… I’d like to think I’ve definitely improved since those days! That was back when I was first testing the waters of book reviewing. That was posted March 12, 2013. Those were the days… xD

I was going through my older posts and found some of my Book Batches (a short segment where I would list all the library books I got every week), and I’m absolutely mind blown… Mainly because I’m pretty sure I read almost every book I checked out from the library. These days I barely have any time to read! Let alone read multiple books in a week!

11/22 — #ShowMeYourShelves

I’m quickly judging my shelves to see if they’re decent enough for everyone to stare at… I think it should be fine… XD Time to pull out my handy camera.

Here’s how my shelves look at the moment:

It’s so hard to capture a full picture of all my entire bookshelf! But here it is in all its glory. I think the first two shelves are my favorites, just because they hold all my EXTREMELY PRECIOUS books.

Here’s a close up:

And I don’t know if you noticed, but I finally own my entire Harry Potter collection in hardcover! Meaning that HP is the only series that I own double copies of (due to the fact that I own some of them in paperback).

11/23 — Book Boyfriend Criteria

This is a bit of a challenge! I think I’ll list a few of my book boyfriends and write some of their traits to see what my book boyfriend criteria consists of

Ron Weasley (Harry Potter): Ron is funny. He’s goofy and not super serious (though he’s very capable of being serious). He’s also funny sometimes without even meaning to be (“Why couldn’t it be follow the butterflies?!”).

Leo Valdez (The Heroes of Olympus): Leo is a jokester. He reminds me of the Weasley twins in that way. He’s super funny, but he has his sensitive side as well. And although he’s probably a deep character, I think the fandom sometimes makes him out to be… too deep xD

Simon Lewis (The Mortal Instruments): Simon is another really funny character. He undergoes quite a bit of development in his series, though, and instead of being there just for comic relief, he’s got his own issues going on, too. (I’m seeing a trend: I like funny guys xD)

Liam Stewart (The Darkest Minds): Liam is just a sweetie. I love Liam. He’s so sweet to his friends and caring and protective and adorable. Gah! Even though I totally ship him and his lady friend in TDM… can I have a Liam?

Adrian Ivashkov (Vampire Academy): Where do I even begin? I mean, it’s Adrian. He’s hilarious, but he’s super deep. May or may not be a bad boy xD Anyone else imagine Ian Somerhalder as Adrian? o.o

Daemon Black (Lux): … where do I even begin? I can’t really go into detail about Daemon without feeling like I’m spoiling those who haven’t read the Lux series, but to those who read and loved Lux… I think it’s obvious why he was included on this list XD

So, in short, my book boyfriends must be funny, but sweet and serious-ish. Sounds about right!

11/24 — Reading Cave Fantasies

I love this prompt! We’re asked to describe what our reading nooks would be like… I actually have a board on Pinterest dedicated to this xD But mine would be a room with at least two large windows with window seats. I’d want mini shelves on the window seat, with maybe a panel that covered the books from sun damage. Comfortable sofas are a must. An ottoman and a coffee table, too. And… well… what’s a reading nook without books? I’d have built-in shelves against the walls, but I’m not sure if I’d want them to be ceiling-length, mainly because I wouldn’t be able to reach anything at the top XD Let me include some pictures of alternatives:

Sliding bookshelves wouldn’t be so bad…

I’d completely forgotten about this one!

Anyway, that’s all for now! I’m getting kind of tired, so I probably won’t schedule anything right now, but I can’t wait to read your posts! Let me know your thoughts on these prompts, and I’ll see you later 😀

-littleonion

BookBlogWriMo: #TBT — Best Books of 2014

Welcome to day twenty, everyone! I can’t believe we’re nearly done! Today’s prompt is about the best books of 2014, and despite the disappointments I’ve had this year, I’ve started/finished a lot of great series, but I’ll try to keep this down to my top ten reads this year. This list is in no particular order, and if you click the book titles, you’ll be taken to the book’s Goodreads page where you’ll find its summary 😀

Origin (Lux, #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Ask the Passengers by A.S. King (I originally rated this book 3/5 stars, but I’ve been thinking about this book a lot recently and am strongly considering rereading it.)
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds, #1) by Alexandra Bracken
Hex Hall (Hex Hall, #1) by Rachel Hawkins
yolo (Internet Girls, #4) by Lauren Myracle
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (I read this book a few years ago but reread it this year.)

I couldn’t even reach ten books! That’s not to say I’ve only read eight good books this year, I just didn’t want to put more than one book from a series on this list. Nevertheless, I haven’t read as many books this year as I did last year. I think I’ve read 44 books this year…? *cough, cough*

But, those are a few of the best books I’ve read this year. What are the best books you’ve read? Do we have any books in common?

-littleonion

BookBlogWriMo: #WaitingOnWednesday — TBR Books

Hello, everyone, and welcome to #BookBlogWriMo day nineteen! This is the second time I’ve tried to write this post, because my page was mysteriously restarted and WordPress didn’t automatically save the last draft 😦

Anyway, today’s prompt is about the books on our “to be read” lists. Now, to keep this simple, I’m going to use only the books I own, because if I use the books on my Goodreads TBR… well… that list would be extremely long. *cough, cough*

So without further ado, here are some of the books I need to read.

First on my list, we have Isla and the Happily Ever After, which is book three in the Anna and the French Kiss trilogy, by Stephanie Perkins. I love these books so much, and Isla came out ages ago! I still haven’t read it, and I’m ashamed Dx But I know I’m going to love this book, because the other two were awesome. I wasn’t into Lola’s story as much as Anna’s, but they’re still both awesome characters, and I’m excited for what’s in store for Isla.

First Isla, and now this?! What is the world coming to? This book is Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead, which is the fifth book in the Bloodlines series. Guys, this came out in July. What was I doing in July that was so important that I couldn’t take some time out of that month to read this? Ugh. But seriously, I think the last time I waited a million years to read a Richelle Mead book, I literally put in my review “what was I thinking waiting so long?” XD

I actually started Silver Shadows, but I must not have been in a reading mood. I remember bits and pieces, but I think it’ll be enough to pick up where I last left off. I definitely have to start it before the last book comes out.

Next on my list is Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins, the third book in her Hex Hall trilogy. I love these books. So, so much. The main character, Sophie, is so hilarious, and Archer ❤ *fangirly squeals* I definitely have to finish up this series, and then I have to start the spin off…

Next up is Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. Yes. I know. I know. I should have already read this book, and I started it, but… then I stopped it. I’ve heard a million awesome things about this series, and I’m really hesitant to read this. You know all about my hype issues xD But there it is, sitting on my bookshelf, right on top of…

…The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. I just realized that this list is pretty much a list of books I should have read a long time ago that I never got around to xD Everyone raves about this book, and I’m so curious to know what it’s about! Usually with hyped up books, I go in knowing almost nothing and having huge expectations. When I read this, that’s probably what my mindset will be xD

The Diviners by Libba Bray has been on my TBR for about a year now. I think it’ll be a year in the beginning of December xD This book is so big and intimidating and it just makes me want to run. In the opposite direction. But one day I’ll tackle it. It sounds really interesting, and I haven’t heard many reviews, so bonus XD

Those are some of the books on my TBR list! What books are on yours? Do we share any books? Let me know!

-littleonion

BookBlogWriMo: Your Favorite Subgenres

Hello, people of the blogosphere and beyond! Welcome to #BookBlogWriMo day eighteen! Today’s prompt is about our favorite subgenres. Now, I actually had to look this one up to see if I would be listing the correct categories that are actually listed under “subgenre.” And I learned quite a bit (thank you, Wikipedia! ~~What a trustworthy source.~~)

Young Adult Fiction
Science Fiction
Dystopian
Post-Apocalyptic
Supernatural/Paranormal (listed under “horror” and “speculative fiction)
Fantasy (speculative fiction)
Urban Fantasy
Magic Realism
Time Travel

Now, if you want to get really specific, some of these are actually subgenres of subgenres:

Children’s Fiction

Young Adult Fiction

Speculative Fiction

Science Fiction
• Dystopian
• Post-Apocalyptic
Horror
• Supernatural/Paranormal
Fantasy
• Magic Fantasy
• Urban Fantasy

Anyway, sorry to get to specific… I’m just a list person XD What are your favorite subgenres? Do we have any in common? I have a sneaking suspicion that we do ;D

-littleonion

BookBlogWriMo: Days 16 & 17

Hello, everyone, and welcome to #BookBlogWriMo day seventeen! I apologize for not posting yesterday. I was really lazy and didn’t feel like typing anything… I definitely regretted not scheduling anything for yesterday! XD I look forward to catching up with your posts and seeing what you have to say about yesterday’s and today’s topics.

Sunday’s prompt was about our least favorite book blogging things, countering Saturday’s prompt.

You mean… I’m supposed to have things that I don’t like about book blogging? Absurd!

Just kidding xD There are a few things that I’m not particularly fond of. Like when you get that feeling that you need to put up a book review. I don’t know if you get this feeling, but I’ve been feeling like this a lot, especially since this year hasn’t been my best year in reading. I know I don’t focus solely on book reviews, but when I go a month or even more without writing a review… it makes me feel guilty.

*Cough, cough* Anyway… moving on…

Another thing I don’t like about book blogging is the fact that I can’t write a short review to save my life! All of my reviews are dreadfully long (and some are very disorganized XD). I guess they’re more for me, so I can release all the feels xD But I do want to work on writing shorter reviews, though I have a feeling that won’t be any time soon.

But other than those two things, I can’t think of anything else that bugs me about book blogging. I’m probably forgetting something that I’ll remember in the future, and then I’ll mentally facepalm, but oh well.

Day seventeen of #BookBlogWriMo is about our favorite book tropes. I only knew a vague definition of what a “trope” was before looking it up, but I was definitely headed in the right direction. Here are just a few things I could never get tired of, no matter how cliché they may be:

Resurrection: I love books with the whole resurrection romancey story line. You know the drill. Boy and girl meet. Girl dies at a certain age. Boy spends the rest of his life finding girl. Boy finds girl in present day. Girl thinks boy is familiar. Let the drama commence! Sometimes it does get on my nerves, but there are quite a few books that I’ve read that feature this storyline.
Schools for the Gifted: Like Hogwarts, or Hex Hall, etc. Even Camp Half-Blood qualifies. I love this kind of thing. I would love to go to Hogwarts or any of those places. I bet Twilight would have been more awesome if she went to a vampire/werewolf boarding school…

Boarding Schools: I love boarding schools. I’ve never been to one, but based on every single book about boarding school I’ve read, I’m down xD More specifically, though, I like boarding schools based in New England, c. 1920. And it’s not like I’ve even read that many books that fit the criteria, but I love this style.
Wizards: I suppose I’m using “wizards” to represent lots of “supernatural” things, like vampires, or werewolves, stuff like that. I love fantasy. If I had to choose a genre that I’ve read the most of, it would probably be narrowed down to fantasy or dystopian.
Journal Format: I’m not really sure if this counts, but I love books that are written in the journal or diary format, or even letter format, like The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I have no idea why I like this so much, but if you tell me to read a book and also say that it’s got one of these formats, there’s a pretty good chance that I’d pick it up without even seeing what it’s about.

That’s all I have for you all today! Let me know your thoughts on what your least favorite book blogging things are, and what literary tropes you like 😀 Until then,

-littleonion

P.S. Mockingjay, Part I comes out very soon! Will you be going to the midnight premiere? I’ll be seeing the movie the day after it comes out, so I’ll definitely be talking about that soon!