Sunday Post [5]: What A Strange Week

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @
Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~
It’s a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog. This is your news post, so personalize it! Include as much as you want or as little. Be creative, it can be a vlog or just a showcase of your goodies. Link up once a week or once a month, you decide. Book haul can include library books, yard sale finds, arcs and bought books..share them!

This week:

This week was a little different for me. I had zero ambition and took a break from daily blogging. I got behind of the posts and by the time I got home from work I didn't want to write the post for the next day. So sorry for it being a slow week! I got a new phone and I've been spending most of my time messing around with that. I went to the Tigers game on Friday hoping they would clinch the division but here I am on Sunday still waiting for them to clinch. It's very stressful. 

The library had another book sale so I took huge advantage of that. Overall, it was a very good week. I'm hoping to catch up on my blog posts for this week and maybe post the ones I missed last week. If not, I will post them next month.

This week on my blog:
Monday: When Not To Write a Review
Wednesday: Rewind: January Favourite
Friday: How I Was Changed As A Reader By The Internet

Next week on my blog: 

Monday: Love and Other Unknown Variables

Tuesday: October TBR

Wednesday: September Recap

Thursday: Used Books Need Love Too

Friday: Free Time Friday

Review: In The Woods

Books read this week:

The Likeness by Tana French (finished)

Slammed by Colleen Hoover

New books this week:

Closer pictures:

How was your week?

How The Internet Has Changed Me As A Reader

Before I made a Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, and book blog; I just read. I read old ratty paperbacks that were older than my dad. I bought all of my books used and didn't think twice about it. I just did not think about how my books looked because I thought the only important thing was reading the book and enjoying it.

I realized when I got on Tumblr that it was different. I was different. I saw post after post about how it's a cardinal sin to dog ear books. (Which I do.) I saw people cringe at books in a series being a different edition (?? I was very confused by this.) I saw posts about how hardcovers are the end all be all for book lovers because they are "prettier", I saw people say that anyone that eats while eating are sloppy, post after post was saying that what I did was a cardinal sin.

I didn't know if I was reading all wrong this whole time or if it's just because these people are on the internet and showing pictures of their books all the time. When I first got into the book community, I didn't even know that was a thing.

I've changed because now I see that hardcover copies usually are a little nicer. Neat bookshelves usually are pretty nice. Eating while reading is sometimes a struggle (Even though I still do it.) Basically, I think twice before I do things with my books. Some things will never change, though. I'll always dog ear or highlight in books. I'll probably always snack while reading. And I'll probably still use MY books as coasters.

If I can still read the words in the book, I don't care what I do with the book. That will never change. But I have definitely felt a shift in how I look at books, especially at bookstores.

Has the internet changed you as a reader as well?

Rewind: January Favourite

I had a book blog before I had this one. I made monthly "favourite" posts talking about which books I liked the best. I still do something like that, but it is a little different. I am slowly going to be bringing over a few of my favourite posts, plus my monthly favourite posts so I can make a big post at the end of the year about my favourite books.

Books read: 9

Every month, I am going to post my favourite book I read that month. Since I just started this blog, I was unable to make one for January, so I will do it before the February one in a few days.

My favourite book I read in January was Along Came a Spider by James Patterson.

Along Came a Spider is the first book in the Alex Cross series. This series started out intense and emotional. It had the ability to pull any reader in within the first few pages and it definitely did that with me.

Alex Cross is a black detective and psychologist living in Washington DC. He’s a strong person and a very lovable father. I already love Alex and I’m only two books into the series. I would recommend this book, and this whole series, to anyone that likes mystery, thriller, and crime novels because you won’t regret it.

Fortunately for me, January was a great reading month. Looking through the books I read, I can’t say I disliked any of them. I wasn’t completely thrilled with The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides, but a few days of reflecting on it, I really began to love it.

Honorable mentions: The Narrows by Michael Connelly | 3rd Degree by James Patterson | Something Blue by Emily Giffin

When Not To Write a Review

Lately I've been finding books that I just don't want to write reviews for. There are some that I plan on writing reviews for and then when I go to sit down with my notes, I just don't, and can't, do it. So then I have to think to myself "what is making me not want to write the review?"

Sometimes, I like a book too much to where whatever I write is not going to do it justice and I don't even attempt to get my thoughts down. Sometimes I get half way through a book and I realize that it's going to be one of those books that changes my life and I just need to spend the rest of the book enjoying it instead of analyzing everything. Night Film by Marisha Pessl was one of those books for me. I read it last month and haven't even tried writing a review for it because I just enjoyed it too much. I needed to just enjoy it.

Sometimes, I hate a book so much that I couldn't possibly write a review without it sounding like a big rant. I want my reviews to be nice and well thought out, even if I didn't like the book. I want to rationally discuss what I did or didn't like about books. There are some books where I just can't do that, so I choose not to write reviews. Those books I finish just so I never have to think about them again. I don't want to think about the book and I don't want to write a review. So I don't.

Sometimes, I read a book knowing from the start that I'm not going to be writing a review. We all need these books once and a while. If every book I read needs to be analyzed, them I'm not going to enjoy reading as much. So maybe one book a month is just a laid back book that I don't analyze. I just read. It's made reviewing more fun for me and it's made reading more fun for me.

If I don't feel like writing a review for a book, I don't. I don't do it because I won't be into it and the review will reflect that. I want my reviews to be fun but not sloppy. I can't do that if I don't care about writing the review. We all need to take breaks from writing reviews sometimes.

So, how do you decide when you're not going to write a review?

Sunday Post [4]- New Ways to Read!

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @
Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~
It’s a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog. This is your news post, so personalize it! Include as much as you want or as little. Be creative, it can be a vlog or just a showcase of your goodies. Link up once a week or once a month, you decide. Book haul can include library books, yard sale finds, arcs and bought books..share them!

This week:

I worked a few days so I didn't get much reading done on those days, but Thursday was my birthday! I had tons of fun and got some awesome presents. The rest of the weekend I just laid back and read a lot on my new Kindle. Saturday night we went to Outback and it was just a fun night. It was a fun week and even though it was a tad stressful at work, it was still a good work week. 

This week on my blog:

Monday: Review: Since You've Been Gone

Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday

Wednesday: Wishlist Wednesday

Thursday: [Day off for my birthday]

Friday: Birthday Book Haul

Saturday: My Favourite Place to Read

Next week on my blog:

Monday: When Not To Write a Review

Tuesday: Twitter Reviews 

Wednesday: Flashback to January Favourites

Thursday: How I Was Changed As a Reader By The Internet

Friday: Review: And Then There Were None

Saturday: Monogamy or Polygamy When It Comes To Reading Books?

Sunday: The Sunday Post

Books read this week:

In The Woods by Tana French (finished)

Kept by Jamie Fuchs (finished) short story

Love and Other Unknown Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander (finished)

Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

Taken by Jamie Fuchs

Pages read this week: 823

Total pages: 1874

Goal: 6,000

Looking at it now, I don't think I'll be able to read 6,000 pages this month. Next month I'll set my sights a little lower. But I like having something big to aim for.

Favourite Place to Read

BOOKISH DISCUSSIONS

If I had to think of the one place where I just get into the zone of reading, what do I think of? Do I think of Sunday mornings with a cup of coffee? Do I think of Friday nights when I know I have the whole weekend ahead of me to do nothing but read? Do I think of long car rides across Michigan? Or do I think of the chair in the living room?

The surprising answer is in the car. I love reading in the car. If I'm going on a long trip, I'll take a few books with me and just read in the car while listening to music. 

I don't have my license so anytime I'm in the car, I'm not driving. I am free to read as much or as little as I want. I usually read in the car no matter where I'm going, even if it's just a trip to the store in the middle of the night. 

I don't get car sick so looking down at my book does not affect me the way it affects some other people. I could sit in a car for 6 hours and read the whole time and not feel queasy once. It's a great skill and I'm glad that I have it.

I just love reading in the car. I used to live 2.5 hours away from my boyfriend so the trip would get very tiring, especially if I was running on little sleep. To keep myself awake, I would talk to him and read. Now that I am living here, I'm not going on long car rides anymore but I do still read in the car.

I am really glad that I have the ability to read in the car as much as I can. I know not everyone can. So, what is your favourite place to read?

Birthday Book Haul!

Yesterday was my birthday and of course I got a ton of books and more money for books that I want. I figured I should do a book haul (or birthday haul) to show what I got!

From my internet friends:

Brittany got me the cutest duck birthday card. I have no idea where she found it but it was such a fun card to read and she got me Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover. Yesterday I got a book in the mail and had no idea where it came from. It came with a note from Brittany and I had NO idea that she was getting me the book. I am so excited to read it. I also got One for the Money, Two for the Dough, Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich from an awesome pal, Dakota


From my boyfriend's mom:

I opened a shoe books and saw all of these books. I think you can see a pattern though. Yes, two people got me One, Two, and Three. I'm giving one set to Grey's mom because she likes the series as well. She also got me Four to Score, Finger Lickin' Fifteen, Sizzling Sixteen, Smokin' Seventeen, Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich, and 1st To Die by James Patterson. The cupcake has a fake candle on it than I can blow out and it sings the birthday song. It's too cute.




From my boyfriend:

The shirt is a David Price shirsey (shirt jersey). He's a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and I really like him. He also got me a $50 Amazon giftcard.
Aaaaaand a Kindle!!

The cover is so cute and I love the Kindle so far. It's what I wanted most so I'm glad that I got it. I ended up buying a few books and getting a few books that were free just to try them out.

It also should not surprise anyone that this was the first book I bought. I will one day get a physical copy but for now, this is perfect for me.

So altogether, this is what I got for my birthday (with $200 from my dad.) It was a great birthday and I had a ton of fun. I also loved my presents and apparently have more on the way.

Wishlist Wednesday [2]

Wishlist Wednesday is hosted at Pen to Paper! It's simple: Write about a book that is on your wishlist. Crying can be involved. Then link back to Pen and Paper and look at other people's posts! Maybe you'll find your next favourite book!

My birthday is tomorrow!! So this is a book that I'm hoping to get for my birthday. This is going to be a little different because I've actually read the book. Twice. I just don't own it and I really NEED to so I can read it again and hug it and just cry over it. I read this book twice in one month. I laughed, I cried, and I couldn't wait to read it again. I gave it five stars and wish I could give it 6+ stars. So which book has created such a hole in my heart while it's been gone?

At twenty-two years old, aspiring musician Sydney Blake has a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her good friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter cheating on her with Tori—and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by her mysterious neighbor, Ridge Lawson. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the daily guitar playing he does out on his balcony. She can feel the harmony and vibrations in his music. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either: He seems to have finally found his muse. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one…

It does not surprise me one bit that this book has an almost 4.50 rating on Goodreads with over 30,000 ratings. It's that good. If you see this book, I recommend getting it. It'll make you feel a wide range of emotion, and I don't know about you, but that's what I look for in books. This book is so strong in so many different ways. And it comes with a soundtrack!! Seriously, it's awesome. Get this book. Buy me this book. I will have 15 copies of this book and not complain about it. I love this book and I will cherish it forever.

Top Ten Tuesday [2]

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted at Broke and Bookish. Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Ten authors I've only read once but NEED to read more:

I only recently read this book and I already want to read it again and also read her previous book. This book was so strong and I've been told the first one may be even better. I'm not sure it is possible to be better than this, but if it is then I need it in my life RIGHT NOW. It took me nearly a year to finally read this book and I regret waiting that long to read it. It's seriously awesome. I recommend it to everyone. 

Seriously though, how did it take me this long to read Agatha Christie? This book made me create a shelf on Goodreads "5 stars is not enough" I can't stop talking about this book. It was a wild ride and I'm still in shock from it. I loved this book and everything about it. I can see why it's still a HUGE book decades after it was first published. I can't wait to get my hands on another book because if her other books are half this good, then I can see why she's so famous.

This book ruined my life. It made me laugh. It made me smile. It made me cry until I felt like I was running out of tears. This book made me FEEL so much. It was beautifully written and I can't wait to read another book. She just came out with another book and I need to read it really soon. I am so glad that I gave this one a try because it lived up to the hype. I hope that the other books by Jandy Nelson are this good.

I have three of her books but never seem to read them. I loved this book. It was fun. It was light. But it was also sad and happy and interesting. I felt invested in every character. I want so badly to pick up another book by her but other books get in the way and I keep saying "okay I'm going to read this book next" and then I go to the library and decide to read those books first. I WILL read another book by Jennifer Weiner by the end of the year. Someone hold me to it.

I've tried to read another book by her but I was in a slump and couldn't get into it. But this one was SO good. It was her first stand alone novel and I was shocked that it was her first. I personally think there are certain authors that just need to do all stand alones and there are some authors that need to do only series. I've heard nothing but great things about her series' but this book was also fantastic, so maybe she's an author that can pull off both and succeed. As much as I wish this was a series, it went really well as a stand alone. I WILL read another book by Slaughter by the end of the year as well.

Any author that can write a book like this and write it well enough for me to actually enjoy it, then I must read something else by them. I'm not sure what drew me to this book. I remember being at the library and picking it up and going "is this.... is this a real book?" and so I HAD to read it. For science or something. And weirdly, I actually liked this book. It was really well written. Nutting is very talented. I'm not sure if she actually has any other books, but if she does, I would definitely read it.

This book was heartbreaking. It was sad and scary and so realistic. I think that's what I liked about it most. It was real. It felt real. Never once did I feel like it was made up. I've read two non fiction books about kidnappings and this one was as real as those. It's almost scary how good this was. I NEED to read another book by Donoghue. As soon.

I actually wasn't a huge fan of this book. It was fun but it was a little strange. The more I think about it though, the more I think it was actually really clever and fun. Months after reading this book, I found out that it's part of an animal mystery series. There is a duck book. I need the duck book. If I find another book by her, I'll definitely pick it up. I'm hoping they are all as funny as this one was.


I am done after eight authors. After going through my read books, I've found out that I read a lot of books from the same authors. I've read three Janet Evanovich books THIS MONTH. So that should tell you something about how often I stray away from authors I like. Hint: not often.

I would like to make an honorable mention, though.

I'm reading this right now. It wouldn't be fair to put it on the list if I haven't officially read the book. But from what I've read so far, I would put it on the list if I had already finished it. I'm already sucked into the book and can't wait to find out what happened. I can see why Tana French is so popular. 


SO, have you read any of these authors? Have you read any of the books I read? Any recommendations for these authors?

Review: Since You've Been Gone

Book: Since You've Been Gone
Author: Anouska Knight
Genre: Chick lit/ Romance
Published: July 27, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin HQ
Own or borrow?: ARC provided by publisher

How do you learn to love again? In one tragic moment, Holly Jefferson s life as she knows it changes for ever. Now to the external world, at least she is finally getting back on her feet, running her business, Cake. Then she meets Ciaran Argyll. His rich and charmed life feels a million miles from her own. However, there s more to Ciaran than the superficial world that surrounds him, and he too is wrestling with his own ghosts. Will Holly find the missing ingredient that allows her to live again and embrace an unknown and unexpected tomorrow? [Via Goodreads]

Netgalley provided me with this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very cute. It was light and fun. There wasn't much that I didn't like about this book. It had the perfect blend of sadness, happiness, humor, romance, characters, plot, and everything else that makes me like or dislike a book. 

I live for tragic stories. The boyfriend has gotten so used to me saying "I loved this book!" and his response is "how many people died?" It's weird. It's probably not normal. But that's just how it is with me. In this book, Holly's husband died two years earlier and she's still trying to move on from it. She hasn't gone on dates or tried to find another boyfriend since then. She's been too focused on her work and trying to keep her late husband alive. Then in comes Ciaran Argyll. At first, I wasn't sure if I'd like him. He's the typical super rich guy that gets everything that he wants. He's also so much more than that.

I've come to realize that chick lit books that I've found rarely have insta-love and this is no different. I didn't feel like the relationship was forced. In fact, the one problem I had with the book was that it was at times a little slow getting to the romance. I was just like "KISS ALREADY" at least twice. But that's what made this book realistic. Holly was still heartbroken over the loss of her husband, so she didn't want to rush into anything. Ciaran didn't make her. 

When the romance did come in, it was adorable. It was fresh. I didn't feel like I was reading about the same couple but set in a different country. I felt like this was a couple I had never read about before. They were strong together. They are good together. I loved them together. I liked Holly and I liked Ciaran and I loved Holly and Ciaran.

I think the strongest part of this book was that Holly still kept her business a main focus even after she was with Ciaran. How often do women get into relationships in books and then you never hear about their career again? Holly was a strong character for so many reasons, but this is one that really stuck out to me.

Would I buy this book and read it again? I really think I would. It is a good, light read. It's cute and fluffy and just what I needed at the time. Plus, the cover is so cute. I love the light blue and I love the cake on the front. That's what made me interested in the book at first. I'm glad I read this and will be looking for it in stores.

Sunday Post [3]: Finding Time to Read

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @
Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~
It’s a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog. This is your news post, so personalize it! Include as much as you want or as little. Be creative, it can be a vlog or just a showcase of your goodies. Link up once a week or once a month, you decide. Book haul can include library books, yard sale finds, arcs and bought books..share them!

This week:

I worked four days this week. I was so tired basically all week, but it was really good! I worked a 12 hour shift and two four hour shifts. I am still trying to get used to going to work regularly, but it's definitely worth it. I also got my first paycheck which I was super excited about. I even got more reading in than I thought I would. I have read during my lunch breaks at work and read as much as I can at home. I'm slowly learning how to find times to read now that I actually need to do that. We're only four days away from my birthday so I'm getting very excited about that.

This week on my blog:

Monday: What I WantTo See From More Women Characters

Tuesday: Why I AmThankful for John Green Even If I Don't Like His Books

Wednesday: Review:We Were Liars

Thursday: AreEndings of Books More Important Than The Rest?

Friday: Review:Eleanor & Park

Saturday: TreesofReverie Read-a-thon sign-up

Next week on my blog:

Monday: Review: Since You've Been Gone

Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday

Wednesday: Wishlist Wednesday

Thursday: [none it's my birthday so I'm taking a day off]

Friday: Birthday Book Haul

Saturday: Favourite place to read

Sunday: The Sunday Post

New books this week:

A few of my library books came in that I've been waiting for!

-In The Woods by Tana French

-Cinder by Marissa Meyer

-Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

Books read this week:

Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich (finished)

Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich (finished)

In The Woods by Tana French

Goals for this week:

-Get even more reading done than I did this week

-Finish two library books

-Have a fun birthday

Pages read this week: 618

Total pages: 1051

Goal: 6,000

Stephanie Plum books read this week: 2

Total books: 3

Goal: 8