Keep It Fresh Award

I found this award tag on a friend’s blog (fallinlovewiththesoundofwords) and LOVED it. When you get a chance, check out her blog because it’s awesome! Jackie is a moderator for a book club and does TONS of wonderful reviews!!!

Rules

1. Post the rules before starting and link back to this post as a reference for other bloggers.
2. Part A: Answer each of the fruit questions (each fruit corresponds to a book!) & add pictures plus why you thought that particular book deserves that particular fruit if possible.
3. Part B: Choose your favorite fruit (even if it is one of the fruits in part A). Come up with a question that we didn’t ask and answer it.
4. Part C: Create your own smoothie from the fruits in Part A (imagine a Lemon-Tomato-Apple smoothie ~ yuck), and find a book that would correlate to your smoothie!
5. Nominate as many and anyone that you think are deserving of this award but it would be nice if you nominated a minimum of 5!
6. Notify your nominees of the nomination.
7. The most important rules? Have fun and of course, keep it fresh!

Part A: Fruits

1. Strawberries – Name the sweetest book you’ve read. (e.g. sweet in terms of the characters or if the story takes place in a sweet world… etc.)

This one was easy for me, as I don’t often read “sweet” books.  Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is BY FAR the sweetest book I’ve read.  To me, this was a realistic romance, no love at first sight.

 

 

 

 

2. Coconut – What is a book that you would bring on vacation with you to a tropical destination? (Or if you’re just relaxing at the beach…)  

I have to only choose 1?  We travel a lot, and I always take whatever book I’m currently reading plus whatever book I plan to read next.  But for the sake of choosing something for the challenge…

I am one of the few that has not finished reading the entire series, though I am currently working on it.  I just got the full set in so that I can read it start to finish since it’s been a while since I’ve read the first 3 books! 🙂

 

 

 

3. Pineapple – What is a book that you didn’t think you would like by judging its cover/summary/the first few pages but started to grow on you?

The Vampire Academy!  These covers are terrible, yet I absolutely LOVE this entire series.  The covers tell you nothing about the book…nothing!

4. Orange – What’s the juiciest book you’ve read? (e.g. A book with tons of action, romance… etc.)

This one was a little bit hard for me as I don’t tend to read “juicy” books packed with romance, but after some thought… this series had a little bit of everything!  There was death, action, romance, supernatural, the works!

 

 

 

5. Watermelon – A watery book (e.g. There wasn’t tons of substance to the book/the details were just too watery…etc. Don’t get us wrong though, we love watermelons!)

THE TWILIGHT SAGA… It was like a train wreck

that I couldn’t look away from.  I kept reading

hoping that it would get better, but it never did…

 

 

 

 

6. Dragonfruit – What’s the most unique book you’ve read? (e.g. Unique in writing style, characters, plot… etc.)

Unique book easily goes to any book by Chuck Palahnuik.  His writing style is just like no other! If you have never read a Palahnuik book, what are you doing with your life!  Lullaby is VERY high on my favorite books list!

7. Lemons – Name a book that made you feel sour. (e.g. The emotions were just sour, you just felt sour reading the book, or the book includes sour characters… etc.)

I tried soooo hard to like Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book after it was recommended to me about a million times, but I just couldn’t get into it.  I hate every page that I read and ended up never finishing it.  It seemed like so many people were so into this book…

8. Tomato – What is a wonderful book that you think should be more widely known? Or a fantastic author whom you think deserves more recognition? (Since some may not know that tomatoes are actually fruits!)

Any time I am asked this question, THIS is my answer.  This was such an AMAZING trilogy to me.  I read all three books back to back.  Brent weeks created this amazing world with books that are full of tragedy, grit, and pure awesome!  If you like fantasy and you’ve never read this, I HIGHLY recommend them!

9. Apple – Name a really stereotypical book of a certain genre just like apples which are typical fruits. In the end was that book good or not? (e.g. A very typical contemporary/fantasy book… etc.)

I feel like the Divergent series is what pops in most people’s minds when you bring up dystopian books.  I really liked the first book, felt indifferent about the second, and have yet to read the third because it seemed like such a controversial disappointment to it’s fan base.

 

 

 

 

10. Blueberries – Name a book that made you feel blue. (Any sad, depressing books that you’ve read?)

Can we just talk about how much I adored this book?  The Art of Racing in the Rain is by far the saddest book EVER, but I could not put it down.  It was beautiful, and is a MUST read for any dog owner for sure!!! 

11. Grapefruit – Any bitter books? (e.g. a book that was blue but MORE… do you have any bitter resentments towards characters from a book? Any sour turned bitter emotions? Any uber-hateful villains?)

 

Ok, I absolutely LOVED everything about this book except for Denna!  I hated her… I disliked her as a person, as a woman, as friend, she was just terrible all around, yet Kvothe loved everything about her…  I kept waiting for her to die, hoping for it, wishing for it… but it NEVER came!

 

 

 

 

12. Limes – Name a funny book that you’ve read because limes add flavour and so does humor with every book.

 

 

Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari was everything I hoped it would be and MORE!

 

 

 

13. Banana: A book that despite its mellow flow you are excited to always come back to it. (A book you reread so often you almost know it by heart)

 

This book is my all time favorite re-read.  It’s a super short, hilarious book that not matter how many times I read it, it STILL makes me laugh!

 

 

 

Part B: Create Your Own

Pear: A book that was refreshing to read. (A book that got you out of a slump, that fixed everything that was wrong with your last read, or a book that just pleasantly surprised you)

 

 

This could very well change, as I haven’t yet finished the book, but so far I am in LOVE with this book.  It may be a classic (so not very “Fresh” per say) but it’s my current read and I think it’s refreshing in a way!

 

 

 

 

 

Part C: Smoothie 

Ok…I’m going with Coconut-Dragonfruit-Banana!  It actually sounds kind of delicious! 🙂

 

 

This fits that completely!  This is one of my ALL TIME favorites and I would love to re-read it again soon.  It would be a perfect vacation/beach read and I felt like it was completely unique and beautiful!

 

 

 

 

 

Now for the Tagging! 🙂  This is a pretty time consuming tag (or at least it was for me) so I fully understand if you pass on it!

The beautiful ladies of Saigon3 

The lovely Shealea 

The lovely Sammie

The lovely Kate

This adorable Lazy Panda

Of course if you are not tagged, feel free to do the Keep it Fresh tag!  I had so much fun doing this!

 

Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children

Little Nike really enjoys reading time!

So This book was not originally part of my March TBR, but since I heard the movie was coming out I decided I  really wanted to read it this month, and I can say that I was not at all disappointed.  Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs was cute, heartbreaking, terrifying, and all in all awesome.  I read the entire book in just 3 short sittings, and had the hardest time just putting it down.

First things first!  I absolutely LOVED the photograph aspect that the author used for the book.  The antique photos really made the story come to life and brought to light what the author was envisioning as he wrote the story.  Old photographs have always completely creeped me out too, so I feel that the parts of the story that were meant to be a little scary were really amplified when they were coupled with an old creepy photo.  I also felt that this was a new concept (though I could be wrong), as I have never seen this done in a book before.  The copy of the book that I have also includes an interview with the author at the end and he talks about the thousands of photos that he went through to find the ones he used in the book.  Apparently people actually collect old photos like this (creepy!) and you can get them from flea markets or garage sales.  The author stated that some of the photographs were from his own personal collection, while authors were used from other collectors.  It’s sort of weird to think that the photographs in the book are real people from another time.  After reading that part of the interview, it really made me stop and think.  I went back through the book looking through all of the pictures and imagining what the scenario of the picture really was, vs what it is in the book’s story.

Photograph’s aside, I enjoyed the story itself.  The idea that those that come across as a little different, or odd even, could be special.  The book’s Peculiar Children are all special and different in their own way with their own special abilities.  It can be superhuman strength, the ability to make plants grow rapidly with a thought, the ability to give life to something with the correct parts, etc.  Instead of calling them weird or freaks, they are simply peculiar and have their own roles to play in their day-to-day lives.  Some abilities are huge and very different, while others are minor, but each of them are awesome!  I don’t want to give too much of the story away, for those of you that haven’t read the book yet!

I definitely recommend this book, and I plan to finish reading this series at some point.  I’m really excited to see Tim Burton’s film adaptation of the book as well.  I noticed a few minor differences in the movie trailer from the book (as is usual for Tim Burton) but the trailer still looked awesome.  I also read a response from Ransom Riggs regarding the changes, and the author stated that he agrees with the changes and feels that they only bettered the story.  I gave the book 4/5 stars.

• Who else has read the book?
• What were your thoughts?  Did you like/love/hate it?
• Are you going to watch the movie?

I would love to know what everyone else is thinking! =)

 

March Lit-Cube UnBoxing

OK…Can we just stop for a second and admire how amazing this subscription box is???  I’m in LOVE with it!!!  So this is my 2nd box from Lit-Cube, and if you don’t know what Lit-Cube is let me explain!  Lit-Cube is a monthly subscription box for book lovers like me filled with amazing bookish items and a monthly book.  Every month is themed, and the value of the items in the box ALWAYS well exceeds the cost of the box itself.  Each box comes with a readable, a wearable, a snackable, and other various items!!!  It’s $29.99 + shipping/handling each month for the U.S. and they just opened for international shipping as well!!!  So, this months theme was time travel. Let me tell you what amazing things I got in this box!

1.) Readable: Loop, by Karen Akins, hardcover (valued at $18.99)

“At a school where Quantum Paradox 101 is a required course and history field trips are literal, sixteen year-old time traveler Bree Bennis excels at screwing up.

After Bree botches a solo midterm to the 21st century by accidentally taking a boy hostage (a teensy snafu), she stands to lose her scholarship.  But when Bree sneaks back to talk the kid into keeping his yap shut, she doesn’t go back far enough.  the boy, Finn, now three years older and hot as a solar flare, is convinced he’s in love with Bree, or rather, a future version of her that doesn’t think he’s a complete pain in the arse.  To make matters worse, she inadvertently transports him back to the 23rd century with her.

Once home, Bree discovers that a recent rash of accidents at her school are anything but accidental.  Someone is attacking time travelers.  As Bree and her temporal tagalong uncover seemingly unconnected clues- a broken bracelet, a missing data file, the art heist of the millennium- that lead to the person responsible, she alone has the knowledge to piece the puzzle together.  Knowledge only one other person has.  Her future self.

But when those closest to her become the next victims, Bree realizes the attacker is willing to do anything to stop her.  In the past, present, or future.”

2.) Wearable: Dr. Who Quote Tee (valued at $19.99)

Quote: “I am and always will be the optimist, the hoper of far-flung hopes and the dreamer of improbable dreams.”

3.) Snackable: That’s It. Fruit Bar (valued at $1.99)

1 Apple + 10 Cherries, That’s it.  These have no added sugar, no preservatives, no Fat, are non GMO, with only 100 calories and 3g of fiber.  They are Gluten Free, All Natural, Kosher, Vegan, and Raw!  =)

4.) Frostbeard Studios Candle (valued at $4.99)

The candle received is their Doctor Who candle in the scent Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey and it’s an amazing smelling candle.  It’s slightly sweet like bubblegum, while still being slightly masculine.  I can’t stop smelling it!

5.) Life Canvass Travel Pocket Journal (valued at $5.99)

I think this is absolutely adorable.  I wish that I would have gotten this years ago as it would have been an awesome addition to all the travels we’ve done around Europe these past 7 years.  It’s beautifully illustrated and has little quotes and prompts throughout the pages.  Super cute!

6.) Hermione Time Turner (valued at $8.99)

This is a replica necklace of the one Hermione wears in the Harry Potter movies and I absolutely adore it.  It has the hourglass in the center, each part spins, and it’s engraved:

“I mark the hours every one, nor have I yet outrun the sun, My use and value, unto you, are gauged by what you have to do.”

There was also a swag bookmark from author B. Brumley showcasing her Faerie series and 10 other others and the Lit-Cube themed card that is in each box.  So all in all I paid $29.99 plus shipping and received over $60 worth of items in my box.  I chalk that up as a win in my books.  If you are interested in Lit-Cube check out their site and try them out.  Like I said, this is my second month of receiving their boxes and they have thoroughly impressed me each time.  They currently have a Gilmore Girls Limited Edition box for GG fans for $39.99 plus s&h.  It’s almost sold out, so don’t wait on that one.  The Limited Editions never last long.  And for those interested in the regular subscription box, April’s theme is Anniversary of the Dragon as it is their 1 yr anniversary, so you know that this will ALSO be a special box.  =)

Review: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

 Ok, so I want to start this review off by saying that I have been putting off reading this book for a VERY long time!  Now that I read it…I’m mad that I have waited so long to pick it up.  Patrick Rothfuss is a genius, and this feels like his 100th book and not his first.  This book was one that my husband chose for me to read, as we each choose 1 book a month for each other, and man am I glad that this is what he picked!

The Name of the Wind is the first book to the Kingkiller Chronicles.  It reads mostly as an autobiography of Kvothe, a once widely famous musician, arcanist, hero, and adventurer rolled into one.  It also occasionally springs into a narrative style story telling (starting and definitely finishing in this way, with the narrative weaved throughout).  The reader gets to learn about Kvothe’s life all the way from his childhood to present day.  His family, tragedies, pain and loss, triumph, and power, you learn it all.

Rothfuss does an amazing job at creating a new fantasy setting.  Though we’ve seen magic before, we’ve NEVER seen it like this.  It’s very intricate and carries such a high amount of depth to it, that it takes time to understand fully what is occurring.  Being that the stories date back to when Kvothe himself is learning about the magic, you get his first hand knowledge and experience with things like bone-tar, sympathy, and calling the names of things like the wind.  Much of the story is told while Kvothe is attending the University, and the education he receives is spilled out very well throughout the pages.

Kvothe’s story is told in sections as the book builds.  You get to see his early years with his family, a traveling performance group known as the Edema Ruh.  They travelled like gypsies from town to town performing plays, songs, and whatever the audience enjoyed.  Being part of the Edema Ruh was like being part of the best of the best of performers.  They were well-known for traveling troupes.  But like any good fantasy story, there has to be tragedy to build on.  Kvothe returns from the woods one day to learn that a group known as the Chandrian has killed his entire troupe, his parents included.  He escapes and is forced to live on he streets begging for money/food/scraps and whatever he can get to survive, until he decides to travel to the University and attempt to enroll.  This is when the story changes!

There are a handful of amazing characters throughout the story that you just simply love, and like any story there are the few that you just hate.  My favorite is of course Kvothe.  His character is one that you just can’t help but root for, even when all of the odds are stacked against him.  And unlike most stories…he doesn’t always win, though he does when it counts most.  My 2 most hated characters are Ambrose, a snobby little rich kid who things he can get away with anything because he just buys his way out of situations, and Denna, the girl who Kvothe loves but aside from EVERYTHING he does for her, she just drags him along when it’s convenient for her.

 

Though we are given stories that tell us how Kvothe has gotten each of his nicknames, we have yet to learn why he is known as the Kingkiller.  One is to assume that he killed a king at some point and time, but it is never confirmed or discussed as to which king he killed. You learn that he is called Kvothe the Bloodless because he was publicly whipped and did not bleed.  Kvothe the Arcane because he is an arcanist who has used arcane magic to bring down his enemies. But what king did he kill???  Hopefully it comes out in a later book as part of his story.

This is definitely a series that I plan to continue reading.  If you haven’t already read it, pick up a copy of The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.  Again, this is the first book in the Kingkiller Chronicles.  I’m going to have to pick up the rest of this series (The Wise Man’s Fear, Doors of Stone, and The Slow Regard for Silent Things).  I gave this book 5/5 stars!!!

 

Review: Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari

Ok, so first off I want to put it out there that this is the FIRST audio book that I have been able to actually sit through without getting distracted.  I absolutely LOVE that Aziz Ansari did the reading for the audio book and added little side notes and tid bits throughout the book.  It definitely made the book for me.  I have tried several audio books in the past while cleaning, taking a bath, cooking, laying in bed, etc and can never give my full attention to the book.  I always found my mind wandering.  Over the last couple of days we took a day trip to France and then a day trip to Belgium and finished the audio book in 2 days.  It was funny and interesting all at once.

I originally purchased this book thinking that it was a comedy book.  I didn’t bother reading the synopsis because, well… the author is Aziz Ansari.  My husband and I love his stand up and his TV series Master of None, so it was an impulse buy based on the author.  Once we started listening to it though, we were surprised to learn that Aziz Ansari was discussing a serious topic that he put a lot of time and effort into researching.  He traveled the world to research different cultures and their outlook and statistics and dating, romance, and simply the opposite sex.  The statistics covered in the book were shocking and even more so were people’s outlooks and thoughts on the way that relationships today should work.  It really makes me appreciate the fact that I found my husband early in life and that almost 11 years later we are still completely happy and going strong.  I couldn’t imagine this whole dating through social media/smart phones that seems to be the norm of today.

I would definitely recommend this book if todays dating scene and other cultures outlook on it interest you.  I honestly had no clue what I was getting into when I started the book, but was quickly sucked in when people’s outlooks on marriage, dating, and initial contact was being discussed.  I also recommend getting the audio book if you love Aziz Ansari as much as we do.  Him reading his own book really made this a whole new experience and I honestly don’t know that I would have liked the book as much if it would have been read by someone else.

I gave Modern Romance 4 Stars and I definitely recommend it (especially the audio book version of it) to all who love Aziz Ansari!!!

Ambrosia Volume 1: Baja, Mexico

     Ok, so I read this book last week and have to admit that I absolutely LOVED it.  This book is for any traveler that’s also a foodie.  From what I understand, they plan on releasing a whole series of these, with Volume 2 being Denmark!  I plan on adding them all to our collection as they are visually beautiful, the interviews are so interesting, and as if that weren’t enough already, you get the bonus of the chef’s favorite recipes or recipes that are staples within their restaurants.  When I finished reading this, I simply wanted to buy a plane ticket to Mexico and travel to each of the restaurants and try the food they described.

     Ambrosia Volume 1: Baja, Mexico calls itself a new print magazine, and if this is true, this is one of the best quality magazines I’ve ever purchased.  The writer states that the best way to get to know a location is through it’s food, and this volume gives you all the best eateries in Baja, Mexico.  Ambrosia gives you a first look at each chef that is featured through a one on one interview discussing various topics like how they got started cooking, how they opened their restaurant, or their favorite menu item even.  Along with the chef interview, you also get 1-2 recipes from each chef.  I tried a shrimp taco recipe, substituting corn tortillas for the jicama tortillas used in the recipe, and it was phenomenal.  There are also beautiful and vibrant photos throughout the book showing pictures of the food, different areas within Mexico, the chefs, fish markets, the ocean, etc.  It’s simply a beautiful book that is well worth the read.

     The writing style is set mostly in a question/answer interview style.  Each section starts with a small paragraph about the next chef and their restaurant/area.  It then gives a 2-4 page interview of the chef, and then 1-2 recipes that are a specialty or favorite of the chef’s.  It’s a very quick and easy read, being only 141 pages in full and some of those pages being either recipes or pictures.  It’s very visually appealing as well.   After finishing this book, I was ready to hop on a plane to Mexico and start a trip traveling from restaurant to restaurant named within the book tasting the foods discussed because everything sounded amazing.  I highly recommend this book to any and all foodies, as well as to those with a passion for cooking.  I hope that there ends up being more than just a Volume 1, as I would LOVE to add the other Volumes to my own collection.

     I personally gave this book 5 stars and will continue to highly recommend it.  🙂

The Liebster Award Tag

Thank you to the lovely Casey at AdoptaBookAUS for nominating me for the Liebster award! Pop over to her Blog and check it out, she’s awesome!!!

 

This award is a simple way of finding new blogs and getting to know smaller blogs that are out there.  If you’re nominated just take the badge/button above and post it on your blog!

The rules:

• Acknowledge the blog that nominated you and display the award.
• Answer 11 question that the blog gives you.
• Give 11 random facts about yourself.
• Nominate 5-11 blogs you think are deserving of the award that have less than 200 followers.
• Let the blogs know you have nominated them.
• Give them 11 questions to answer.

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Questions:

• What Author do you own the most books from?
  • Hands down, without a doubt, Stephen King.  He is my ABSOLUTE favorite author and I own close to 30 of his books (including 3 copies of Doctor Sleep: the original one I purchased, the copy he signed, and the UK cover because it’s so pretty)!!!

• What started you reading?
  • When I was a little girl, my mom hated reading so much that she made me read her my bedtime stories instead of it being the other way around.  She swears that is why I love to read.  Reading is just something that I’ve always enjoyed.  It’s the cheapest, and easiest, way to travel to another place.

 

• What started you blogging?
  • Curiosity? I’m not really sure on this one.  I’ve never wanted to be an author, so it’s not like I feel that I need to get my shoe in somewhere, or to have a place to sort out my thoughts.  I think it mostly started with my book reviews.  I do a handful of reviews for a company each month for up and coming authors, and what better way to share them with others?  There have been some amazing books that I’ve read through this review program that didn’t get shared because I didn’t have a place to share them.  At least with a blog, someone else might find them interesting and read the book too.  So I guess you could say my love of books and wanting to share that love.  There are so many good books out there, and I know that often times I wouldn’t know about certain books unless other told me about them.

 

• Your favorite fictional couple?
  • Do I have to pick just 1?  If I can only pick 1 I choose Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice for the simple fact that they did not have that love at first sight that seems to be the trend in every book.  Lizzy hated Mr. Darcy, while he simply tolerated her because of her family.  It was a love that grew over time.  A love that he had before her, and one that she denied him up until the very end.  I really liked that about their love story.  If I can pick more than 1… Just kidding…that list could go on for days.  I’m pretty easy to please when it comes to fictional couples!

 

• A book you hate that everyone else loves?
  • Twilight, in fact…the whole twilight series!  I admit that I did read them all hoping that they would get better…but they didn’t.  It was like a train wreck that I couldn’t look away from.  I just KEPT.READING. thinking, “surely this will get better!”  Not to hate on Stephanie Meyer though because I absolutely LOVE The Host.  I. Just. Can’t. with Twilight.

 

• Books that made you want to throw them across the room (because of anger or feels)?
  • ANY book in the Song of Ice and Fire series (Game of Thrones)!  George R. R. Martin is the absolute WORST!  If you’ve never read these books… STOP reading this answer because it may or may not spoil things for you… that being said, EVERYONE DIES!!!!  Actually let me rephrase that for a second…EVERYONE YOU LOVE DIES FIRST, the ones you hate live on for hundreds of pages, sometimes several books, before they DIE, but in the end…HE KILLS EVERYONE!!!  I literally yell “WHAT THE F?CK???” over and over while reading these books.  I get so angry at times that I have to shut the book, set it down, and take a week or so break to read something happy.  But in the end…I LOVE these books so much.  They just really put me through every emotion while reading them!

 

• Favorite book quote?
  • “It’s hard to be wrongfully accused, but it’s worse when the people looking down on you are clods who have never read a book or traveled more than 20 miles from the place they were born.”  -Patrick Rothfuss (The Name of the Wind)

 

• Favorite underrated book?
  • I actually have 2 books series for this question.  The first is The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks… if you’ve never read it before and you like reading fantasy, you’re welcome.  The second is David Wellington’s Vampire Series (13 Bullets, 99 Coffins, Vampire Zero, and 23 Hours).  This is not vampires like you’re used to today.  This is vampires in the most gritty and horrifying way.  These are vampires from your childhood nightmares!  I highly recommend reading both Week’s and Wellington’s books.

 

• If your house was flooding and you could only fit 5 books into your backpack to save them, what would they be?
  • ONLY 5????  How is this humane???  Gosh….  ok…here goes:
    • My collectible Lord of the Rings book
    • My signed Doctor Sleep book
    • My Folio Society Alice and Wonderland set
    • My cloth bound Dante’s Inferno because it’s BEAUTIFUL.
    • My cloth bound Great Expectations because it too is BEAUTIFUL.

For the record…I think that question fave me anxiety.  That was SUPER hard.  I think I would drown trying to run from shelf to shelf  trying to decide which books to “save.”

Who do you like more: Batman or the Joker? Superman or Spiderman? Iron man or the Hulk?

• Ok…Batman, Spiderman, Ironman for these reasons…
  • Batman simply because he doesn’t have super powers, he just an angry person with a lot of money.
  • Spiderman because superman just always annoyed me… I honestly don’t care for either…
  • Iron man because he’s played by Robert Downey Jr who ages like a fine red wine! =)

 

• What’s your favorite book? *evil cackles*
  • What kind of human being are you?  What book worm has simply 1 favorite book?  What kind of question is this? Ummm…..can I refuse to answer this because we could be here all day.  Are we talking favorite book in each category? Ok, ok…if I can choose only 1 book to be my favorite I would have to pick… So I typed that and then just sat and though for about 5 minutes…so I will pick my top 3:
    • 1. The Shining by Stephen King
    • 2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (I have only read the first 2 books…don’t shoot me, I’m working through them now)
    • 3. Pen Pal by Dathan Aurbach
  • This was VERY hard to select only 3… I just want to point out that this was an EVIL question! =)

 

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11 Random facts about me:

1. I have lived in Germany for 7 years and am moving back to America in April.  I’m not even sure that I will know how adjust back to the states.  It’s so different from what we are used to here, but I am super excited to be able to shop on Sundays and to be able to go to Target again.
2. My absolute favorite thing to eat is soup.  I will eat soup even when it’s 100+ degrees outside.  #sorrynotsorry
3. I married my best friend when I was 19 and we never looked back.  We have the best relationship and I couldn’t imagine a life without him.

1. I have 2 dogs and a cat that are like my children (we do not plan on ever having actual children).  We have a 9 year old greyhound/bull terrier rescue named Kesi, a 4 year old rotweiler named Lucien, and a 2 year old munchkin cat named Nike Pharos of Tiny Legs.

1. I read anywhere between 3 and 8 books a month depending on how many reviews and evaluations I accept.  This month I have 1 evaluation and 2 reviews on my plate so far, and not sure that I will take much more because I have a huge pile that I want to read for fun!
2. I absolute LOVE to cook, but so does my husband.  Oftentimes we fight over the kitchen or who gets to cook dinner that night.  haha.
3. Coffee, Wine, and Chocolate are the way to my heart.
4. My favorite movie that I watch over and over again is The Sweetest Thing.
5. My favorite T.V. show is Supernatural.

1. I can’t listen to just 1 type of music, or just 1 band or musician, I have to have a variety.  I have Spotify and just keep a HUGE playlist on shuffle in my car that I update periodically.
2. If I’m super stressed out I will do 1 of 2 things: 1. Go for a LONG run and put it in the pavement. 2. Take a super hot bubble bath and read a book.

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Hope you all enjoyed this!  I tag Shealea at that bookshelf bitch Kate at ohkatereads and Kent at DirtySciFiBuddha

Take the time to pop over to their blogs as well and check them out!  They are fantastic! =)

I can’t wait to see everyone’s posts.  Thank you Casey for the tag! =)

 

Lit Cube Subscription Box

So I just realized that I never posted my Lit-Cube review on here.  I put it on my IG, my FB, and youtube…but somehow it slipped my mind to put it on here (fail…I know)!  So, if you haven’t heard of Lit-Cube before and you are a bookworm like myself, check them out.  As you can see from the picture posted above, they are AMAZING!  They are a monthly subscription box that is $29.99 + shipping.  Every box comes with a readable, a stackable,  a wearable, and more and every month is themed.  February’s theme was classic romance, while March’s theme is time travel.

This was my very first Lit-Cube box and I am in love with this company.  The items in the box well surpassed the cost of the box being that one item in the box was $45.  I felt like everything fit the theme of classic romance perfectly and every item was something that I would use.  I’m definitely keeping this subscription box for sure!  So here’s what I received in my February box:

1. Readable: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen with an exclusive cover design that was printed for Lit-Cube.  Love the exclusive minimalist style cover and LOVE the book.  (Valued at $14.99)
2. Snackable: Lavender Lemon Truffles by Jack Valley Truffles.  So the only thing negative I can say about these is that there wasn’t more as there was only a package of 2.  These were SOOOO yummy!  They were the best lemon truffle I’ve ever had with just a touch of lavender.  If you want to try them, they are on etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/JackValleyTruffles (Valued at $3.99)
3. Wearable: Exclusive Austen-Inspired Perfume by FictionFragrances.   I received the Elizabeth Bennet Fragrance.  It is a little sweet, but SUPER light.  Has light floral and fruit scents too it.  I really loved the way it smelled.  It is a roll on perfume that is the perfect size to keep in your purse.  Check these out at https://www.etsy.com/shop/fictionfragrances (Valued at $9.99)
4. Exclusive Item: Wuthering Heights Wallet by Chick-Lit Designs.  This was the item that I was DYING to see. We had no clue what the item was, only that it was a collaboration with Chick-Lit designs.  This is another MUST SEE shop.  Chick-Lit Designs has some of the BEST phone cases I have EVER seen.  They all look like book covers and have slots to hold cards and money built into them.  I have been eyeing a couple that I can’t decide between for a while and then they announced that she would be creating an item for February’s box.  This wallet is THE CUTEST thing EVER!!! Go check out her stuff. It’s a MUST for any book lover! https://www.etsy.com/shop/chicklitdesigns (Valued at $44.99)
5. Magnetic Bookmarks by HappyHelloCo.  This was yet again another design created for Lit-Cube’s February box.  These were ADORABLE Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy magnetic bookmarks.  There are TONS of different bookmarks in their shop, so feel free to check them out as well.  I adore these things, plus they are SUPER practical.  https://www.etsy.com/shop/HappyHelloCo (Valued at $4.99)
6. Pride and Prejudice 5X7 Art Print. A really cute print that says: “I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” -Pride and Prejudice.  I would totally put this print up in my library room. (valued at $5.99)
7. And of course, ever Lit-Cube box comes with a themed Lit-Cube card.  You can see it in the top left corner of the picture sitting on top of the book.  Some people collect them and I suppose that you could also use them as a bookmark. =)

So, as you can see my box came with over $80 worth of items inside when I only paid $29.99 before shipping.  I think I paid $5 for shipping, so that was not bad at all.  I think that they only ship to the US and Canada right now, but I’m sure if enough people outside of those areas bug them enough they may change it. =)   There are still 2 days left to order the March box which is Time Travel Themed.  They did let out that there will be something from Frost Beard Studios and “just what the Doctor ordered” inside the box.  I can’t freaking wait.  I hope that it was a Doctor Who reference as I am a huge fan of Doctor Who as well. I’ll keep posting my unboxing reviews on here for you all as well.

Also, stay tuned as I will be posting some book reviews VERY soon.  I have a couple in hand that I am reviewing for a couple of different authors, so once finished I’ll post them on here as well.  Hope you all are having a fantastic day!

Link to Lit-Cube if this is a subscription box you can’t live without: http://www.lit-cube.com/?ref=d43ab110ab2489d6b9b2caa394bf920f

The Ultimate Book Tag

For today’s blog I’m going to complete The Ultimate Book Tag.  This tag was created by  Chapter Chicks.  No one tagged me to complete it, but I seen a couple of accounts complete it and really enjoyed it, so I figured I would complete it too! =)

• Do you get Sick when reading in the car?
  • No, thank God!!!  I have been on WAY too many several hour car rides that would have been horrible without a good book in hand.  What do people do on long car rides if they can’t read?  I mean, what kind of life do they live???

• Which author’s writing style is completely unique to you and why?
  • I think Chuck Palahniuk’s writing style is so different from any other author’s that I’ve read.  It just comes across so raw and edgy, I mean he wrote Fight Club and Choke if you don’t know who he is.  His books are always so dark and there’s always this twist to them that only he could spin in the way that he does!

• Harry Potter Series or the Twilight Saga?  Give 3 Points to defend your answer.
  • Ummm is this EVEN a question?  Harry Potter.  Twilight does not even begin to come close, sorry Twilight fans.  I mean, don’t get me wrong…I read the books.  But the writing is horrible (Sorry Stephanie Meyer).  I LOVED The Host, and I feel like that book redeemed her for me, but the Twilight Saga was just not that great in my opinion.  That being said, Harry FREAKING Potter is amazing!

• Do you carry a book bag?  If so, what is in it (besides books…)?
  • I do not carry a book bag, but I do almost always have some sort of book on me (whether it be my actual book or my tablet) in my purse.

• Do you smell your books?
  • Do you not?  It’s a normal thing!  I swear!  Yes, yes I smell my books.

• Books with or without little illustrations?
  • This one doesn’t matter matter to me.  I do enjoy when a book has beautiful illustrations, but I don’t necessarily need illustration to make a book.

• What book did you love while reading, but discovered later it wasn’t quality writing?
  • Twilight.  I had JUST gotten back into reading again and a friend suggesting that I read the Twilight books.  While reading them, I enjoyed them.  After reading them and reflected back and thought to myself…what the hell did I just spend all that time reading that for?

• Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share!
  • It’s not necessarily a funny story, but when I was little…my mom HATED reading so much (she still does) that she would make me read books to her at bedtime, rather than read me bedtime stories.

• What is the thinnest book on your shelf?
  • Free Range Chickens by Simon Rich.  It’s freaking hilarious!!!

• What is the thickest book on your shelf?
  • I think it’s Under the Dome by Stephen King.  I have a hard back copy of it and it’s just HUGE.

• Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as being an author?
  • No. I wish I did, but I don’t.  I tried once and I couldn’t put anything together.  I think that the hardest part is to think of something original with all the fun and exciting things that I’ve read.

• When did you get into reading?
  • I’ve always been into reading.  After high school, I took a bit of a break from it other than my studying, but I picked it back up and never looked back .

• What is your favorite classic book?
  • I don’t know that I have a favorite classic.  I have always loved most things Shakespeare, The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, Animal Farm by George Orwell, and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

• In school was your best subject Language Arts/English?
  • Yes.  I was actually in AP English once I got into High School.  I’ve always been really good at writing papers.

• If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated…what would you do?
  • I would say thank you and later trade it in for something that I hadn’t read before.  There is an amazing used bookstore here in town that gives store credit for books. =)

• What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to harry potter or the hunger games?
  • I actually recently read a book that was a lot like the Harry Potter series called The Gallery of Wonders by Marc Remus.  I did a review on it for an author and found it to be very similar to the idea of Harry Potter.  It is meant for ages 8-14 and is full of life lessons.  It’s going to be a 6 book series I believe is what I read as well.

• What is a bad habit you always do (besides rambling) while filming?
  • I say “ummm” and “like” a lot.  I did grow up in Southern California though, so “like” is a huge part of my vocabulary.

• What is your favorite word?
  • I don’t know that I have a favorite.  I do say “awesome” a lot.

• Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb? Or all of the above?
  • I’m definitely kind of a nerd.  I always have my nose buried in a book and I play video games with my hubby from time to time as well.

• Vampires or fairies? Why?
  • Can I pick both?  I’ve read books with both of them where I’ve liked and disliked both.  If I can only pick one though, I have to say vampires, and not the sparkling Twilight version.  David Wellington wrote a vampire series where vampires are your literal worst nightmare…not something you want as your boyfriend, and it’s awesome.

• Shape-Shifters or Angels? Why?
  • Again, can I choose both?  Ummm…. Shape-Shifter I guess because they can be anything or anyone!

• Spirits or werewolves? Why?
  • Werewolves because they are awesome!

• Zombies or Vampires? Why?
  • Vampires, zombies are mindless human munching machines.  No thank you!

• Love triangle or forbidden love?
  • Most stories  seem to have a love triangle in them than they do forbidden love, though I have read a couple with forbidden love that are really good.  I think Love triangle though.

• Full on romance book or action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in?
  • Action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in.  Full on romance books do 1 of 2 things to me. 1.) They make me feel EXTREMELY uncomfortable while reading them, or 2.) They bore me half to death.

So that is my Ultimate book tag.  Feel free to complete it as well and tag me in it so I can see your answers.  I would love to know your opinions on some of these.  Thanks for reading!  Hope you all are having an awesome week!!!

I’m Lost.in.a.Book

Hey everyone!!!  My name is Tiffany (lost.in.a.book) and this is going to be my new blog for all things bookish and my life for anyone who cares to take part!  To start this awesome blogging life off I’m just going to give you all 25 facts about myself, you know…just a way to get to know the face behind the words you’ll be reading! =)

1. I was born in Oklahoma, but raised in California.
2. I’ve spent the last 7 years living abroad in Germany and have loved every minute of it, though we will be moving back to America in April.  I’m extremely sad to be leaving Europe, but I am sooooo excited for things like Target, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Barnes and Noble, shopping on Sundays, shopping after 8pm, etc. =)  It’s the little things in life!
3. I have no children and no plans to ever have children, though I do have pets: 2 dogs, Kesi is my 9 yr old bull terrier/greyhound mix and Lucien is my 5 yr old rottweiler, Nike Pharos of Tiny Legs who is my papered Munchkin Kitty (yes I own a papered cat), and Totes Magotes who is my tortoise that I have no idea how old he is.
4. I have 2 degrees (Administration of Justice and Counterterrorism), 2 certifications (Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) and Makeup Artist (MUA)), and served a term in the military, though I am highly considering going back to school and being a career student because I STILL don’t know what I want to be when I grow up!
5. I decided to get my Makeup Artist Certification mostly for myself.  I sell Younique Makeup and I wanted to learn all the different techniques of applying makeup.  I mean…I get paid to play in makeup and take selfies…so why not better my skills, right?  I also get paid to write book reviews and book evaluations from time to time.  I thoroughly enjoy doing both.
6. I currently have purple hair and love it!
7. I have been married for 10.5 yrs and planned to stay married for 100 more!  My husband is my best friend, who always encourages me to just be me and not care what others think!  I love that he encourages me and supports just about everything that I want, or want to do.  I often talk to friends who are married that can’t say the same and I am thankful everyday that I found someone that I can say that for. =)
8. I’m kind of a nerd!  I am rarely found without a book on me, I enjoy playing video games with my hubby, I like watching superhero movies, and am a huge Doctor Who fan.  What can I say!
9. My favorite author of all time is Stephen King.  I have yet to find something he’s written that I dislike.  I also got to go to a reading of his when Doctor Sleep came out and was surprised at how funny and laid back he was. Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club) is a VERY close second favorite!!!
10. I love to cook, and can make just about anything, but I can’t bake to save my life.  I don’t know what it is.  I can follow a recipe step by step for cookies, and while they do taste good…they look horrible.
11. My favorite thing to eat is soup and sandwiches or a really awesome, fresh salad.  Also, it could be a million degrees outside and I would still be eating soup.
12. My dream is to have an amazing library of my own that is just stacked floor to ceiling with all of my favorite books to read.  I’m doing pretty good at getting this started as I have 4 shelves that are approximately 6 ft tall and they are overflowing with books.
13. While living in Germany I have not only traveled all over Germany, but I’ve traveled to the following countries: France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Ireland, England, Wales, The Canary Islands, China, Australia, the Czech Republic, Netherlands, and Switzerland.  I have also been to Canada and Mexico.
14. I love to wait to watch a TV series until its further into a season so that I don’t have to wait so long to watch the following episodes.  I also am totally not ashamed to binge watch an entire series on Netflix or Hulu.
15. My all time FAVORITE TV show is Archer.  If you’ve never watched, stop reading this RIGHT NOW and watch an episode.  You’ll thank me later.
16. I’ve learned throughout life that good friends are hard to come by, and great friends are like elusive unicorns. If you meet one, NEVER let them out of your life!
17. I have 5 younger brothers and no sisters, named Derrick, Trevor, Tyler, Darren, and Tyler… and no, I didn’t name Tyler twice.  My parents divorced after having me and both remarried and had more children, each naming one Tyler!
18. I really LOVE working out once I get to the gym…but sometimes the struggle is real to just get there.  I just started a workout program called Charlie Mike and I am 3 days into it.  It’s no freaking joke…I can barely move at the moment.  Did you know that you could be sore IN YOUR ARMPIT???  I sure didn’t until yesterday…
19. Once we move back to America, I plan to enroll in school again and maybe find a job working for a local used bookstore.  I currently volunteer at our local used bookstore here and LOVE it.  The owner loves me enough that she “pays” me in books for my time.  I call that a win/win!
20. Something that my husband and I have been talking about for years now is opening up some kind of lounge or bar.  Recently we’ve been discussing opening something book related too.  I see a very fun future for us!
21. I recently made it a goal of mine to read a minimum of 1 class literature book a month for this year since I haven’t read very many of the classics.  For February I read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and I absolutely adored it.  Mr. Darcey has to be my absolute favorite male character of all time.
22. I absolutely love all things thriller/horror…but tend to scare the sh!t out of myself because I will either read a horror book, or watch a horror film, while my husband is away (his job takes him away a lot for 2 weeks at a time). Then it turns into me locking all the doors and jumping at every little noise I hear.  Books that got me the worst were The Shining by Stephen King, Pen Pal by Dathan Auerbach, and Afraid by Jack Kilborn…
23. I did not drink water regularly until I was around the age of 20-22.  My husband basically ONLY drank water and thought I was weird.  I drank gatorade and found that to be a perfectly suited substitute for water in all my infinite, youthful wisdom.  Now, I can’t imagine a day without water!  My drink routine usually consist of 1-2 cups of coffee in the morning, tons of water all throughout the day, green tea in the evening.
24. Speaking of coffee…I’ve drank coffee since I was 4 years old, so it may officially just be part of me.  My grandmother used to let me have a small cup of coffee with her in the mornings when I was young and it was just a habit that stuck with me forever.
25. And last, but certainly not least, my ALL TIME favorite relaxation method is a HOT (my husband refers to the temperature as Mordor) bubble bath with a good book. I always take a cup of hot tea and a bottle of water with me, occasionally a glass of wine.  I can soak in the bathtub for hours as long as the book is good.

So, for those of you that stuck it out and read my entire first blog post, Thank You!  I plan to be writing my book reviews on the blog, and then sharing anything else that I find interesting, so feel free to follow me and join in on my crazy day to day life.  If you are a reader too, feel free to join me in my reads and share your book opinions too!

My Current read is The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.  I’m only about 70 pages in and can already tell that this book is going to be amazing.  Have any of you read this book? What were your thoughts?  I’ve only heard good things, so I’m excited to find more time to really just dive in. Well guys, thanks for reading!!!  Until next time.