2021 Bookish Resolutions

2021 is almost here and I am very much looking forward to the new year. While a lot of this year's problems will persist into the upcoming year, I also have hope that things will get better. That being said, my reading and life habits have changed drastically this year and I have no clue what this next year holds. 

In looking back at last year's resolutions, there were a lot that I didn't achieve. Most of that can be attributed to the pandemic, but some were just because I wasn't feeling them. Based on this past year and what I think my next year will look like, my goals this year are slightly different. Let's go ahead and just dive right in! 

• Reading
• Read at least 1 book
• In the past, my yearly goals have usually been to read 100 books each year. That's about two books every week. While I love the impressive round number of 100 books a year, I think that making my reading about statistics in the last few years has made me enjoy books less. I am going to change that this year and try to change my mindset away from the idea that I need to read a certain amount of books in order to be considered a "real" reader. 
• Don't force reading
• My next resolution, which ties into the first, is not to force myself to read. Due to my high reading goals, I've sometimes felt like I was forcing myself to read a book when I wasn't actually feeling it. This has made me dislike books that I'm sure I otherwise would have loved. Because of this, I want to develop more of a mood-based reading schedule and get back into reading for fun. I will still have monthly TBRs, but they're going to be just general lists of what I want to read next and not strict schedules of what I have to read in a specific order or timeframe. 
• Review less books
• This seems counter-intuitive, I guess, considering I am a review platform. However, I accepted way too many books for review this year that a lot of titles I was really dying to read were pushed to the side in order to review books. Additionally, I would feel like I was forcing myself to read sometimes which further diminished my enjoyment. This upcoming year, I plan on only requesting or signing up for review copies for books that I'm dying to read. 
• Social Media
• Hit 3,500 followers on bookstagram
• This is a goal I had last year that I just about achieved this year. However, Instagram's algorithm is all kinds of messed up so I didn't quite hit it. I don't want bookstagram to feel like a job, though, so I'm not setting a super high follower goal for myself like I might have in previous years. I simply want to hit my original goal from last year and just enjoy taking pictures and engaging with the community again. 
• Consistent blogging 
• Due to how hectic life got this year, I was pretty inconsistent with my usual posting schedule on my blog. I'd like to get back into consistent blogging, even if it's not my usual 3-posts-per-week that I try to aim for. I don't want blogging to feel like a job so I just want to continue putting out consistent yet fun content. 
• Book Buying
• Buy less books
• I dramatically cut down on my book buying in 2020. Whereas in years prior I would average 15-20 books a month (sometimes more, sometimes less), this year I consistently hauled less than 10 books a month. I noticed something with this, too. I was more excited about the books I hauled because I had to be more selective with what I bought. Part of this was because of money but also because I'm just trying to read through my backlist TBR as much as possible. My goal for 2021 is to continue buying less physical books and only buying ebooks when they're a book I really want and are on sale. 
• Unhaul books
• I also want to unhaul books. I wasn't able to unhaul many this year because the pandemic screwed those plans up but I would like to unhaul a decent amount this year. There's just a lot of books I have in storage that I would like to send to better homes.

Well, those are my goals for this upcoming year! I am trying to take a more laid-back approach to reading and content creation as I am quite busy with school and stressed because of life. I want reading to be an escape and something I can do to relax again. Do you have any bookish resolutions for the new year? Let me know in the comments! 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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End of the Year Book Tag: 2020 Edition

Hello everyone! I'm a little late doing this tag this year but better late than never! As I'm writing this, there's about four days left of 2020, though, so I'm squeezing it in last second! Let's go ahead and just dive right in! 

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1. Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

Yes. I won't get around to finishing all of them but, according to Goodreads, I'm currently reading seven books. Ideally, I'd like to finish Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout and maybe one more from that specific list. 

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2. Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

Not particularly. I'm doing this tag rather late this year so I've already moved past this. Oops!

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3. Is there a new release you’re still waiting for?

There are a ton of new releases in 2020 that I am really excited to eventually read, but for now there's none left coming out in the next four days. I am excited to read a bunch of them in 2021 (hopefully!) like These Violent Delights, A Song of Wraiths and Ruins, and so many more! 

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4. What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

I do actually hope to read Deity, Elixir, and Apollyon by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Before finals and the holidays hit, I was reading one of these books in a day so I'd love to finish this series or, at the very least, most of the books in it before 2021 hits! 

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5. Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year?

I honestly doubt it. While I'm excited for the rest of the Covenant series, I don't think it will top my  number one on my current list of favorites. It *may* end up on the list but we'll just have to see! 

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6. Have you already started making reading plans for 2021?

I definitely have! I have an extensive TBR list of books I'd like to read in 2021 and some series I would like to finally finish. I actually have an entire list of reading resolutions for 2021 coming out in tomorrow's blog post! 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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August 2020 Wrap-Up

So August was an interesting month. A lot happened in August and it honestly flew by pretty quickly  for me while simultaneously feeling like I've been in August forever. I had my birthday, visited family, secured an internship, found a new TV show to be obsessed with, and started my senior year of college. A lot happened and things are only just getting revved up for this semester.

Even though I'm remote learning and doing my internship from home, I am busier than ever. Add in my new obsession with binging Criminal Minds on top of blogging and being a book reviewer, I have very little time. In fact, I only read 3 books in August. I wanted to read 3 times that many but at the beginning of this year I promised myself that I wasn't going to force myself to read books when I wasn't feeling it. This month, I was stressed and didn't want to read. Then I found Criminal Minds and didn't want to read. I will say, of the 3 books I read this month, I enjoyed or loved all of them!

I'm hoping to read more in September, but the world is a crazy place right now and reading should always be a fun activity for me so I won't be forcing myself to read. How many books did you read in August? Let me know in the comments down below!

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BOOKS READ

1.

Title: The Dark Tide

Author: Alicia Jasinska
Rating: 3.75 // 5 stars
Review

2. 

Title: Boyfriend Material
Author: Alexis Hall
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Review

3.
Title: Little House in the Big Woods
Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder
Rating: 4 // 5 stars

I wasn't planning on reading this book this month but when I saw it on Hoopla, I was so overcome with a wave of nostalgia that I decided to read the first few pages. That led to rereading the entire book at 1 am. This was one of my favorite series when I was younger (think elementary school) and I used to reread the first three books over and over. I also realized that I never finished this series, so I think it could be really fun to reread the books I have read and then finally finish the series many years later. 

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BLOG POSTS

July 2020 Wrap-Up

Book Review: "The Dark Tide" by Alicia Jasinska

July 2020 Book Haul

Book Review: "Boyfriend Material" by Alexis Hall

folklore book tag

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Let's Talk: "White Stag" by Kara Barbieri

Title: White Stag

Author: Kara Barbieri

Series: "Permafrost #1"

Genre: YA Fantasy

Page Length: 368 pages

Publication Date: January 8, 2019
Date Started: October 31, 2018

Date Finished: November 3, 2018
Rating: 2/5 stars

Goodreads

*I was provided a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest, non-spoiler review*
TW for talk of rape in the book and this review.

Ok...so, I didn't love it. I didn't hate it, but I'm mostly left feeling underwhelmed and disappointed by this book. There were definitely times where I was somewhat enjoying it, but for the most part, I was just let down by this book. I didn't even go into this book with high expectations, so I'm still sad that I didn't love it like I had hoped.

I think, for me, my enjoyment of this book was colored by personal experiences as well as just my own critical reading skills. After taking numerous creative writing courses, studying literature in college, and reviewing books for years, I have a much more critical eye when it comes to books than I used to. I have no doubt that 15 year old me would have absolutely loved this book, but 19 year old me had a lot of issues with it.

I would like to say that my issues aren't really with the plot, though there are a few things I was iffy about. The story itself, if you described it to me in detail, I would probably have said sounded fascinating. And that's the truth: this book was cool and very different than what I've read before. I've never read a goblin book, or one that pulls from Norse mythology. The idea of this book was a good one, but I thought it wasn't executed in a way that showcased this story the best.

That being said, the actual writing is beautiful. I found Kara's writing to be lyrical and, at times, mesmerizing. But, the other technical parts of this story were lacking. The pacing, character development, etc all could have been worked on a lot further. To me, this felt like a first or second draft of a book. And, again, I was provided an advanced copy of the book, so maybe this will all change with the release. But, I don't think that there will be drastic enough of changes between the arc and finished draft to fix these problems I had.

Problem 1: the pacing. Most of the time, I found myself looking at what page number I was on and seeing how far away the ending was. The pacing wasn't done in a way that kept me interested all the time. Background, informational scenes, and their travels or angsty conversations were spread out for a long time, but most of the action scenes were over in a page or two. And a lot of this was split up with inner monologues from our main character that were very repetitive. Frankly, I spent a lot of my time skimming her monologues and most of this book after I hit 100 pages.

Problem 2: sub-par characterization. Don't get me wrong, the characters were the best part of this book in my opinion. But that doesn't mean that I love them. I enjoyed them, but I already can feel myself forgetting about them. I know that if they were real people and I met them in real life, I'd probably like them. But as characters, I felt detached. The bad guy is the bad guy just because...we don't get any information other than when we're told he's the bad guy and has done terrible things. The good guy is the good guy simply because he's not the bad guy. There was more of a feeling that we were being given information and being told to like them rather than forming connections.

Problem 3: too-easy solutions. So there's a lot of life-or-death situations and many problems that the characters face in this book. And, even though there's a lot of death throughout, every situation seems to be remedied pretty quickly. It makes me wonder why we're told a situation is dire if it can be resolved in a couple of pages? This is a common theme throughout the book, especially when it comes to the ending. I just wish that we'd gotten more time with these scenes instead of the inner monologues.

Problem 4: problematic areas. First things first, the way the main character's rape is handled in this book was not the best. It's used more for shock value and to create a cliche tortured main character than anything else. It didn't add anything to the book (as in, you could have taken it out and it would have changed nothing) and I felt like the use of rape was poorly handled. Also, I like Soren and I like Janneke, but I don't particularly like them in a romance together. We're told, even in the description of the book, that they're the possible romantic pair for this book. But, from the beginning, I couldn't get behind it. Janneke is a thrall--aka a human slave who was kidnapped from her home and brought into the Permafrost--while Soren is her master/owner. While she doesn't call him that, he can give her orders, binds her to him, and she's under his protection when they're around other goblins. I just see this as not the best precursor to a relationship? I don't know, I just can't get behind the idea of her essentially being his slave and then them getting together.

Problem 5: the goblins. So, the goblins in this book are supposedly beautiful and tall and badass, but for most of the first part of the book I could only imagine them as 3-foot tall green things? By the end, I kind of put it together in my mind that they were beautiful, but it still confuses me a bit. It felt more like they were fae or elves but didn't want to be in that specific trope so they were then called goblins? I don't know, maybe this was just me.

Problem 6: the tropes. Oh gosh, there were so many tropes. I just felt like we were going through this book ticking items off an imaginary checklist of most-used YA tropes. Don't get me wrong, I love tropes but only when they're done well. And in this book, I mostly found myself rolling my eyes at them or groaning when another trope popped up.

Overall, I'm not sure about this book. I liked the characters in theory and the idea of the story, but the way it was executed was sub-par in my opinion and that left a serious damper on my enjoyment of it. I probably will not continue with the next book, but I do hope that others can find this book more interesting than I did.

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Let's Talk: "Obsidio" by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff Book Review!

Title: Obsidio

Authors: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Series: "Illuminae_Files_03"

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Page Length: 615 pages

Publication Date: March 13, 2018

Date Started: May 26, 2018

Date Finished: July 17, 2018

Rating: 5/5 amazing stars!

Goodreads

Book 1 Review

Book 2 Review

Don’t let the amount of time it took me to read this book fool you: it was awesome! Every summer for the past three years, I’ve fallen into severe reading slumps where I read maybe 5 books over the course of three months. It’s just hard for me to read. But that is the only reason that it took me so long to read this book! 

It was fast-paced and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I read it! Especially the last 200 pages…I couldn’t stop and then all of a sudden I had finished it!

What I loved most about this book was seeing the development that each of these characters had undergone from the first and second books to this one! I can see the character arcs that Jay and Amie wrote and I’m in awe! I just love each and every one of these flawed, beautiful characters so much. 

I thought that it had the right mix of action and suspense and romance. The pacing was perfect and the points of view were on point (haha, see what I did there?). Overall, this book was just so well executed. 


That’s all I can really say without spoiling it but I will leave you with these final thoughts: I thought that Obsidio was a fantastic finale to this trilogy. I’ve been reading this story for three and a half years now and I can’t believe that it’s over. I’ve had so many awesome memories because of this trilogy: I’ve made friends, gone to signings, met the amazing authors, and so much more all thanks to this trilogy! It’s heartbreaking to be finished with it but it’s an extremely amazing feeling to finally know how all of my favorite characters end up! I can’t wait to reread this book because whenever I’ve reread an Illuminae Files book, I’ve always ended up loving it even more than the first time around.

I highly, highly recommend this trilogy…especially the audiobooks! I think my next read through with definitely be 100% from the audiobooks because they really are masterpieces in themselves! 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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June 2018 Wrap-Up!

Hello everyone and welcome to another wrap-up! I'm not gonna lie and say that this month was great for me in terms of posting or reading. It actually kinda sucked. I did end up reading 6 books, but none of them were on my TBR and 4 of them were rereads. Hopefully July will be a better reading month but I'm just really struggling with this reading slump. It's not that I don't have time to read...it's just that when I have the time to read, I want to do other things like take a nap or watch Bones. Anyway, let's just dive right in!

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BOOKS READ

1.

Title: Persuasion 

Authors: Jaymin Eve & Jane Washington

Rating: 5/5 stars

-REREAD-

2. 

Title: Seduction

Authors: Jaymin Eve & Jane Washington 

Rating: 5/5 stars

-REREAD-

3.
Title: The Sound of Snowfall
Author: C.L. Stone
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
-REREAD-

4.
Title: Fallen Crest High
Author: Tijan
Rating: 3.75/5 stars

I had really high hopes for this book after reading Tijan's other book, Ryan's Bed. Unfortunately, I didn't find it met my expectations. However, I did really enjoy this book. I plan on continuing on with the series to see if it gets better. It's easy to binge this book and I was up until 2 hours past when I normally went to bed to read it, so that says something for my enjoyment. I like the premise of the story and I'm excited to read more! The only things that I had problems with was, at times, it was hard to connect to the characters and sometimes things seemed unrealistic or unexpected in a way that isn't probably. Otherwise, I did enjoy this story quite a bit!

5.
Title: 5 Fathers
Author: Kate Morgan
Rating: 3/5 stars

This was a fun read, but not really memorable. It was a bit of a let down but I enjoyed it while I read it. I have a feeling that because of the ending, I will want to read the second book. Overall, I thought the smut was on point but the plot and characters could use some work.

6.
Title: A Portrait of Pain
Author: Jane Washington
Rating: 5/5 stars
-REREAD-

This was such a fun reread and I already miss this world and these characters. I love this series so much and I'm already looking forward to my next reread. There's just something about it that's so different from all the other books I've read. 

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BLOG POSTS

May 2018 Wrap-Up!
May 2018 Book Haul!
Top 5 Wednesday: Summer Reads
Blog Tour Review: "Dive Smack" by Demetra Brodsky
Sabaa Tahir Book Tour Experience

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MOVIES/TV SHOWS
I logged more hours watching TV and movies than I did reading (*hides behind a couch*). When I'm in a reading slump, I usually just want to watch Netflix more than read, so that's pretty much what I did all month. A whole lot of Netflix and Hulu.

First, I finished my binge of White Collar with the last two seasons. I was surprised that the final season was only 6 episodes. In fact, I'm still crying inside because I definitely wanted it to be a lot longer. Also, just the series ending in general made me cry because while it was a happy ending, it was also sad!

Next, I saw the new Tomb Raider. I've seen the ones staring Angelina Jolie and I've really liked them, so when this one came out I knew that I had to see it. My family bought it on AppleTV and we watched it one afternoon. I thought it was an excellent prequel to the Lara Croft movies and has definitely helped me understand those better.

After that, I binged straight through seasons 1 and 2 of Bones, and most of the way through season 3. What can I say, I love this show. It was always one that interested me when I was younger and now that I saw it on Hulu, I've started binging it. I'm obsessed and I don't care. There's also plenty of material for me to watch (12 seasons of it). I'm already thinking about the next time that I'm going to be able to watch it.

Lastly, I watched The Sixth Sense with my dad's side of the family. I thought I was gonna be super scared because they compared it to The Shining, but it wasn't that scary. There were some freaky moments but after a lot more of the movie, I wasn't scared.

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Well, thanks for reading! Hopefully July will be a better month in terms of posting and reading! I have a large stack of review books to be getting through so there will hopefully be a lot of reviews coming soon!
xoxo
Lauren

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Top 5 Wednesday: Book Series I Won't Finish

And we're back with not only another Top 5 Wednesday but also another controversial post! I adore reading/watching controversial posts/videos. I love seeing how other people's opinions disagree with my own. It's just fun. And it's helped me become more of a critical reader when people point out things they noticed that I maybe did not. That being said, today I'm going to be talking about a controversial point of my own: book series that I'm not going to finish.

These aren't all of the series that I'm abandoning, but they're the top ones that I think people would be interested in seeing. I also have read a lot of ebooks over the years and found new favorites and new books that I just dislike, but I'll be keeping those books out of this post simply because I'm too lazy to go through my kindle library.

That being said, let's go ahead and jump right in to the top 5 book series that I won't be finishing!

At number 5 we have the Doon series by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon. This is one that I'm not 100% sure if I'm abandoning, but it's been a while since I've read the first once. I own the second and I genuinely liked the story when I read it, but I've forgotten most everything that happened. If I wanted to continue reading the series, I'd have to reread book 1 and then another 3 books, which isn't improbable, but it's most likely not going to happen in the near future.

For number 4, I decided to pick The 5th Wave trilogy by Rick Yancey. I read the first book and enjoyed it when I did, however, not only has it been a very long time since I read it, but I also wasn't thrilled with some parts of the writing style. I don't have any desire to finish the series at the time being, but I may reread book 1 at some point (because, again, I did enjoy it) and find myself reaching for the rest of the trilogy. Again, this is doubtful but it could, theoretically, happen.

At number 3 we have the Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children trilogy(?) by Ransom Riggs. This is another case of me reading the first book and enjoying it, but my feelings have declined as time has worn on. I have no desire to read the rest of the books and, while the movie isn't 100% true to the book, I much prefer the movie. I have absolutely no desire to read anymore of the books in this trilogy. They just weren't for me. 

And for number 2, I decided to go with the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth. I really enjoyed the first book, which is why it's still on my bookshelf, but when I tried reading the second, it fell flat. I couldn't make it past 100 pages before I had to DNF it (back before I even knew what DNF-ing was). After all this time, I just have zero interest in continuing on and finishing this trilogy. 

And finally, at number 1, I have The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. I think for me personally, I went into this book with too high of expectations and not at the right time. I just really didn't enjoy it at all. I had to force myself to read it most of the time and I thought the writing style was not for me. I have zero interest in reading the rest of the books in the series and I already unhauled my books last summer. It's just not my thing.

Well, those are my top series that I won't be finishing! I'm sure I'll have an updated list in years to come, but hopefully not. Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for a new book review coming Friday and a new book tag on Sunday! 

xoxo

Lauren

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Follow this blog by clicking "Follow" on the right hand column! Add me to your Google+ Circles on the left hand column! New content every month from Reviews to Hauls to Tags! Don't forget to check out all the other parts of this blog by following the different links at the top of the page! 

Follow my Instagram here. New giveaway will be posted in late May!

Get 10% off of HD Movie Codes (sponsored by Movies Anywhere) when you use "INFLUENCER" at checkout! *I do not receive commission from HD Movie Codes--I just want to save you some $*

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Let's Talk: "Furyborn" by Claire Legrand Book Review

Title: Furyborn
Author: Claire Legrand

Series: "Empirium" #1
Genre: YA High Fantasy

Page Length: 512 pages

Publication Date: May 22, 2018
Date Started: May 12, 2018

Date Finished: May 17, 2018

Rating: 5/5 stars

Goodreads
Series Website

"Follows two fiercely independent young women, centuries apart, who hold the power to save their world...or doom it.

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed...unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable--until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world--and of each other."

*Non-spoiler review*

Holy shit I loved this book. It was phenomenal. I had high hopes going into this book and boy did it not disappoint. It was long and action-packed and I loved it.

If you aren't aware, this book alternates perspectives every chapter. The first perspective is from Rielle in Celdaria and the second is from Eliana, a thousand years later in Orline. I've definitely grown over the years and have started liking multiple-POV books more than I used to and this one was amazing. I always felt connected to the characters and I know that these ones will stay with me for a long time.

Things I Like About This Book:

• morally ambiguous characters
• the complex side characters that aren't there just to further the mains
• the magic and lore
• Simon and Audric (be still my beating heart)
• the fact that there were cliffhangers almost every chapter
• EVERYTHING!

Things I Didn't Like About This Book:

• the fact that there wasn't more for me to read immediately?

This book was simply phenomenal. I loved every second of reading it and I never wanted it to end. I swear, the last 150 pages or so were such a fast read for me. I didn't even have time to comprehend that I was near the end before it was over. 

Each chapter alternated perspectives so it felt like a cliffhanger at the end of each and I loved that so much. It was a long and action-packed book, but because of my connection to the characters and the cliffhangers that I wanted to know the resolution of, I never felt overwhelmed or bored while reading. 

These characters were all flawed in their own ways. I can't wait for book two so that I can see how they all continue living because I just want them all to succeed, even if I know that's probably not possible. I think I connected more with Eliana than I did with Rielle, but I loved both of them nonetheless. I also can't decide if I like Audric or Simon more, but I know I'd definitely take both of them to bed if given the chance.

The magic and lore in this book was just so fun to read. Yes, it was complex, but I felt like I was never confused or in the dark. I'm not going to spoil anything so I'll leave this section by saying this aspect of the book was amazing.

All in all, I loved this book. I can't wait for the next one, which Claire just finished writing a few days/weeks ago. I only hope that arcs are printed soon so that I can try and trade for one because I need to know what happens. 

I highly recommend this book and you should definitely read it when it comes out! Who knows...maybe this will be one of the books that I giveaway over on my Instagram in the upcoming weeks? Follow me to find out!

Buy Links

Amazon
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Author Links

Website
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Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for my Fierce Reads Tour Experience + a new book tag and more!

xoxo

Lauren

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Top 5 Wednesday: Favorite Villains

Hello all! I know that I didn't post a Top 5 Wednesday last week and I apologize...I totally forgot about it until it was already Thursday. I had an excuse though: it was the day after I moved home from college and I had a lot to do (such as unpack all of my books and sort my bookshelves). However, I'm back this week with a super exciting Top 5! As I stated in my last T5W, this month we all got to pick our topics in part of a T5W rewind. This week I decided to go with Favorite Villains. 

I am super excited for this one because I just love to hate so many characters. I mean, they're definitely bad people, but I just love reading about them! This is definitely different than the antagonists that I hate with a burning passion, though. Let's go ahead and jump right in!

Number 5 is Seraph's stalker from the Seraph Black series. I know their identity and I know the entire storyline from the very beginning to the end of the series, but I also don't want to spoil anything about who it is because it is somewhat of a big reveal. At the base, in the first book, they are Seraph's stalker. Throughout the books, we see inside their mind and inside their motivations, as well as into their past. It was really quite compelling.

Coming in at number 4 we have Loki from a whole plethora of Marvel movies and comics. I just really love Loki, okay. He was always such a fun villain to watch and I always smile when I see him in a movie. Tom Hiddleston also does an excellent portrayal and I couldn't be happier. 

At number 3, I chose Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker from the Star Wars movies. I think he's definitely one of my favorites because we see his growth from a little boy into Darth Vader. I also love that, while he was a part of the dark side, he chose a path of good eventually, even if it was only minutes before his death. 

For number 2, I decided to pick Voldemort from any of the Harry Potter movies. I feel like this list wouldn't be complete without him. He really was the first "villain" that I truly encountered because I read HP so long ago. I think that he's on this list mostly because we saw his backstory and his growth into Voldemort, and I always find it fun to see how a villain became who they are. 

And finally, at number 1, we have AIDAN from The Illuminae Files trilogy. Of course, AIDAN borders right on the line between villain and good guy, but he has definitely done some villainous things. It's hard to truly judge AIDAN, though, because he was programmed the think the way he does. Still, I loved his character in Illuminae and I can't wait to see him in Obsidio. 

Well, there you have it. Those are my top 5 villains that I love! I left off some villains that I just absolutely loathe, such as Maeve, Umbridge, Amarantha, and those of the like, simply because I don't even love to hate them. I just hate them outright. Overall, this was fun to do and I'm excited for the topic that I have picked out for next week!

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Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for some upcoming posts such as my Fierce Reads Tour Experience, Furyborn review, and a potential giveaway!

xoxo

Lauren

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Follow this blog by clicking "Follow" on the right hand column! Add me to your Google+ Circles on the left hand column! New content every month from Reviews to Hauls to Tags! Don't forget to check out all the other parts of this blog by following the different links at the top of the page! 

Follow my Instagram here. New giveaway will be posted in late May!

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33 Freshman Year Experiences

Hey guys! My first year of college just wrapped up last Tuesday and I had a blast. I adored every second of it and I'm so happy with the choice of college I made. I met a lot of amazing new friends that I can't wait to see this summer and next year. I took a lot of amazing classes and learned a lot about writing, publishing, and so much more. I can't wait for next year and what it might bring, but for now, I'm going to enjoy this summer and time I have with my niece.

I thought I'd list some things that happened during this school year. A friend of mine did this on Facebook and I felt really inspired to do my own post. Without further ado, here are 33 experiences, things, and events that I witnessed in my freshman year of college, both good and bad. 

1. Moved away from home and said goodbye to my family
2. Traveled through Chicago by myself for the first time
3. Hit 1,000 bookstagram followers
4. Met some amazing friends that I will cherish forever (you know who you are)
5. Joined a coed service frat (#fratboy?)
6. Started water polo
7. Saved enough for a new camera
8. Watched The Greatest Showman
9. Endured multiple job rejections
10. Lost a friend to suicide
11. Joined choir
12. Got an arc of Furyborn
13. Went ice skating at Millenium Park
14. Visited the Bean for the first time
15. Went to Adler Planetarium for the first time
16. Taught my friends how to dive into the pool
17. Endured a semester of creepy crawly centipedes in my room
18. Lost weight & avoided the freshman 15
19. Cried
20. Watched seasons 1&2 of Stranger Things back to back with Paige
21. Ate a lot of Ben N Jerry’s
22. Experienced virtual reality
23. Got a bunch of free shit
24. Lost another friend to a freak accident
25. Switched my minors 3 times
26. Fell even more in love with writing and English
27. Got thrown up on...twice
28. Went to formal at the Crystal Gardens at Navy Pier 
29. Realized a history degree is not the path for me
30. Got my textbook signed by the author (nerd alert?)
31. Finally got a tapestry (only took 2 years)
32. Outlined and started drafting my fantasy novel
33. Got all my books signed by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Looking back at this list helps me see just how much happened during this year. I've changed so much and I can't wait for what next year might bring!

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Follow this blog by clicking "Follow" on the right hand column! Add me to your Google+ Circles on the left hand column! New content every month from Reviews to Hauls to Tags! Don't forget to check out all the other parts of this blog by following the different links at the top of the page! 

Follow my Instagram here. New giveaway will be posted in late May!

Get 10% off of HD Movie Codes (sponsored by Movies Anywhere) when you use "INFLUENCER" at checkout! *I do not receive commission from HD Movie Codes--I just want to save you some $*

Get 10% off your first order, plus 50 rewards points, when you use this link to purchase a personal aromatherapy diffuser from Monq

Get 10% off your first order on A Court of Candles when you use this link.

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~~~

May Preview

Hello everyone, I'm trying a new thing on my blog to let people know about the upcoming month and all the exciting things that are happening. In this new post, I'm going to be talking about a few exciting posts that I'll be writing in May as well as some of my anticipated book releases and other events that are going to be happening! Let's go ahead and jump into it! 

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First, I'm going to start with my TBR for this upcoming month. There are a lot of exciting releases that I can't wait for as well as a lot of books that I've been meaning to read for a while. I do plan on reading other books than the ones on this list, but I'm not sure what those other ones are at the moment. I think I'm just going to see how the month takes me and I'll go from there! 

The first that I am going to talk about is my book of the month for May and that is A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas. This is my second most anticipated book of the year and I can't believe that I'm going to have it in my hands in two days. 

Next, I want to read Furyborn by Claire Legrand. It's one of my most anticipated releases of this year and I've had an arc of it for a while now, but I've been putting off reading it because I didn't want to wait a year and a half for book two. I'm so excited to finally read it, though!

Then I want to reread Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff so that I can move straight into Obsidio. I love this series but it's been almost 2 years since I read the sequel and I want to be fully refreshed before I go into the final book. Plus, I want to put off my heart breaking just a little bit longer. This series just means so much to me and I want to be able to experience it knowing everything that has happened and not forgetting anything. 

I also want to read is When Evil Comes to Play by B.L. Brunnemer. This is the fifth book in her YA RH series and it's one of my favorite series out there. I've been anticipating this book for so long and I can't wait for it to release on May 4. 

The last book I have on my TBR is Cinderella Boy by Kristina Meister. I got an e-arc of this through Netgalley and it sounds like such a cute, fun read. I think it'll be perfect for the beginning of summer and I'm very excited to get into it this month. 

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I have a few exciting posts coming up in the month of May. If you don't know, my post schedule is Sunday, Wednesday, Friday with occasional posts on other days if it's celebrating a book release. The most notable of the upcoming posts that I have planned are my A Court of Frost and Starlight book review, my Furyborn book review, a book tag that I am currently creating right now, and a wrap-up for my freshman year of college with tips for upcoming students and things I loved about it. 

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May has always been an exciting month for book releases and there are so many releasing in the coming weeks. The ones that I have listed here are not all of them, but they're the ones on my radar. Obviously, I don't have the money to get all of them, but they're still all pretty exciting. 

On May 1st, we have a whole plethora of books releasing. I think we all know which one I am most excited about, but there are a few others that are also out on this day that are pretty exciting. We have mostly fantasy books here, but there's a science-fiction thrown in as well. 

On May 4th, we have a novel by an independent author releasing. It's one of my most anticipated releases of the month and I can't wait to have it in my hands! 

Releasing on May 15th, we have the following two books. One is a new release about dragons and traitors while the other is a long-awaited conclusion to a popular series. 

On May 22 we have one of my most anticipated books of the year releasing. This is the first book in a new fantasy trilogy about prophecies, magic, and so much more. I can't wait for it to be released for the world to read. 

On May 29 we have two more of my anticipated books releasing. I can't wait to have them in my hands. I've already read and reviewed one of them, but I'm still so excited for its release so that I will finally have people to talk to about the events that happened!

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May is hopefully going to be an exciting month filled with lots of events and things to do. I know for sure that a lot of people are looking forward to something at the end of the month in particular, but I sadly, will not be able to go. 

First things first, my last day of classes is on May 1st. My last final portfolio is due on the 8th and I will be moved back home on the 9th. In 10 days I will be reunited with my niece and family, my friends, and my amazing bookshelves. If you can't tell, I'm very excited to be done with all these final papers and such and for summer to be starting!

On May 10th, I am officially beginning my novel. It's the day after I get home from college and I'll have everything outlined by then. I'm using a program called Pacemaker to help me stay on track with my word count. At the moment, I have it set to 150,000 words (equivalent to 600 pages), by my birthday on August 10th, but I am not sure if it's going to take that much to write the story. That is the max that I am setting for it, though. 

I will also be starting back up my BookTube channel. Now that I have a new camera, I am even more motivated to do it. I can't wait for my first video to go up. I have some big plans for this channel that I think you all will enjoy! 

There's also the Fierce Reads tour which is happening. I might be able to go to one of the signings, but it's not for sure yet. It's likely that I won't be able to, but I'm still keeping my thoughts optimistic. I'd love to meet Taran Matharu and get all of his books signed. 

I am also going to be starting back up at work towards the end of the month. If you aren't aware, I'm a lifeguard at a country club and it's my dream job. I can't wait to be back with my coworkers and back making money.

Book Expo and, with it, BookCon begin at the end of May. I wish that I had the money to go to New York City to attend, but it's just not possible. If it were in Chicago like it was the first time I went, then I would be able to go but at the moment I just can't. Still, I'm excited for everyone else who is getting to go and hopefully I'll be able to trade a few of my arcs for ones that they pick up at the con. 

Other than that, there's not much else going on in May. I'm hoping to visit my dad and grandparents as well as see Infinity War. I think primarily my focus this summer is writing my novel, reading, and working. I want this summer to be productive and I can't wait for all the possibilities it will bring!

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Thanks for reading! Here's to a fantastic May.

xoxo

Lauren

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Follow this blog by clicking "Follow" on the right hand column! Add me to your Google+ Circles on the left hand column! New content every month from Reviews to Hauls to Tags! Don't forget to check out all the other parts of this blog by following the different links at the top of the page! 

Follow my Instagram here. Giveaway at 1k followers!

Get 10% off of HD Movie Codes (sponsored by Movies Anywhere) when you use "INFLUENCER" at checkout! *I do not receive commission from HD Movie Codes--I just want to save you some $*

Get 10% off your first order, plus 50 rewards points, when you use this link to purchase a personal aromatherapy diffuser from Monq

Get 10% off your first order on A Court of Candles when you use this link.

Subscribe to Owlcrate using this link and get a discount off your first box using AVIREADS

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link

~~~