Book Review - Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the  OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.








Okay. It's been about a week since I finished this gem of a book, I'm ready to attempt a review for it.

Ready Player One starts with one of the best prologues I have ever read.  We learn about a contest being held upon the death of the creator of the most immersive virtual-reality technology ever to hit the market, the OASIS.  James Halliday has an obsession with all things 80s, and with a video will broadcast inside the reality-numbing VR game, he drops the bombshell that his entire fortune - over 200 billion dollars, and the rights to the OASIS universe itself - will be left to the first player to find an obscure easter egg hidden somewhere inside the game.  After informing players that they'd need exhaustive knowledge of his favorite decade's pop culture, his death sets off a resurgence in 80s fashion that consumes the world.  This novel manages to be both a Farenheit 451-esque dystopian commentary, and an ode to the decade that birthed power ballads, cheesy movies, and the beginnings in video game advancement.  And, most shockingly, it is done well.  Very, very well.

Book Review - Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or a performance. It's the closest you'll ever find to magic in this world . . .

Welcome, welcome to Caraval―Stephanie Garber’s sweeping tale of two sisters who escape their ruthless father when they enter the dangerous intrigue of a legendary game.

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.



When I first heard about Caraval, I wasn't as intrigued by it as so many others seemed to be.  But as more and more early reviews started trickling in and raving about the book, I admit to being swept up in the hype.  Even though I was skeptical, I just had to see what all the fuss was about.  I'm happy to say that I won't be the Black Sheep reader here.

Caraval is one of the most atmospheric books I've read in a long time.  It's basically what would happen if Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory and Alice In Wonderland had a demented love child.  There are so many twists and turns in these pages that I got mental whiplash just trying to keep up, and it was so much fun.

Book Review - Shadow And Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

Shadow and Bone is the first installment in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy.

Book Review - The Darkest Part Of The Forest by Holly Black

In the woods is a glass coffin. It rests on the ground, and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives....

Hazel and her brother, Ben, live in Fairfold, where humans and the Folk exist side by side. Tourists drive in to see the lush wonders of Faerie and, most wonderful of all, the horned boy. But visitors fail to see the danger.

Since they were children, Hazel and Ben have been telling each other stories about the boy in the glass coffin, that he is a prince and they are valiant knights, pretending their prince would be different from the other faeries, the ones who made cruel bargains, lurked in the shadows of trees, and doomed tourists. But as Hazel grows up, she puts aside those stories. Hazel knows the horned boy will never wake.

Until one day, he does....

As the world turns upside down, Hazel has to become the knight she once pretended to be. But as she's swept up in new love, with shifting loyalties and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

The Darkest Part of the Forest, is the bestselling author Holly Black's triumphant return to the opulent, enchanting faerie tales that launched her YA career.

I read my first Holly Black book, Tithe, as a teenager. I loved it. I loved the dark atmosphere, the edgy main character, and the danger-tinged romance. To my teenaged self, it was everything I could have wanted for my own life, and I all too willingly and enthusiastically devoted an entire afternoon to it.  Now, a whole decade later, those things I loved about Black's style the first time around are what caused the most eye-rolling this time.

Book Review - The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

Nemesis (n.)
1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome;
2) A person’s undoing;
3) Joshua Templeman.

Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman hate each other. Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. Hate. And they have no problem displaying their feelings through a series of ritualistic passive aggressive maneuvers as they sit across from each other, executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company. Lucy can’t understand Joshua’s joyless, uptight, meticulous approach to his job. Joshua is clearly baffled by Lucy’s overly bright clothes, quirkiness, and Pollyanna attitude.

Now up for the same promotion, their battle of wills has come to a head and Lucy refuses to back down when their latest game could cost her her dream job…But the tension between Lucy and Joshua has also reached its boiling point, and Lucy is discovering that maybe she doesn’t hate Joshua. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.

Right off the bat, The Hating Game is engrossing and humorous.  Its narrator, Lucy Hutton, is such a fun and spunky young woman.  I absolutely loved being inside of her head for the all too short length of this novel.  She's so sweet and goofy, but also fierce AF when she needs to be.  When we first meet her, she's ritualistically engaging in childish little games with her nemesis, Josh Templeman, who happens to sit at the work desk directly across from her own for five miserable days a week.  It's the interractions between the two that make for such a great, addictive read.


If you didn't already know by the synopsis, it wouldn't take long to realize just how quickly their dynamic could switch from passionate hate to just plain passion.  They have that quality to them, that prickliness, that only the best love-to-hate tropes manage to capture and explore, and while it's all too easy to see why Lucy despises Josh so much in the beginning, it's equally easy to see how that could morph into sexual tension and lust.  So when it does, there's really not much to do but sit back and enjoy the ride.

Because oh, what a ride it is.

Empire Of Storms by Sarah J. Maas - Book Review

The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don't.

As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

Aelin's journey from assassin to queen has entranced millions across the globe, and this fifth installment will leave fans breathless. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?






2016 hasn't exactly been the best for me, reading wise.  I've spent the entire year going through short spurts of reading frenzy, only to fall back into a debilitating slump immediately after.  The Throne Of Glass series has a soft spot in my heart for successfully kicking me into a frenzy with each new installment, so it was with much anticipation that I picked up Empire Of Storms.

I don't want to say that I disliked the latest ToG book, because it still managed to get me reading again.  But I definitely wasn't as enthused with it as I had been hoping.  I attribute that to repetitive scenes and phrases, unecessarily graphic sex scenes, and the complete absence of my favorite character of the entire series.

Book Review - Heatless by Marissa Meyer

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland and a favorite of the unmarried King, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, she wants to open a shop and create delectable pastries. But for her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for a woman who could be a queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the King’s marriage proposal, she meets handsome and mysterious Jest. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into a secret courtship.

Cath is determined to choose her own destiny. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

When I first heard about this release months ago, my face lit up.  My grin matched Cheshire the cat's toothiest, and my eyes glinted like the Mad Hatter at one of his fantastic tea parties.  Every one of my childhood Wonderland-inspired fantasies danced in my mind.  Hands itching to get ahold Heartless as soon as possible, I pre-ordered it and waited with bated breath to finally, finally have this treasure in my life.

The idea of a prequel starring none other than the execution-happy Queen Of Hearts back when she was nothing but a hopeless romantic piqued my interest in a big way.  I am a sucker for villains with depth.  To get to follow Cath and see just how she went from the relatively happy daughter of a Marquess with dreams of opening a bakery to Mrs. "Off with his head!" herself was a pleasure, a rare bookish treat.  One I would highly recommend to any fan of Wonderland, fan of villainous backstories, or fan of just a really good book.

Book Review - Don't Let Me Go by J.H. Trumble

Some people spend their whole lives looking for the right partner. Nate Schaper found his in high school. In the eight months since their cautious flirting became a real, honest, tell-the-parents relationship, Nate and Adam have been inseparable. Even when local kids take their homophobia to brutal levels, Nate is undaunted. He and Adam are rock solid. Two parts of a whole. Yin and yang.

But when Adam graduates and takes an Off-Broadway job in New York—at Nate’s insistence—that certainty begins to flicker. Nate starts a blog to vent his frustrations and becomes the center of a school controversy, drawing ire and support in equal amounts. But it is the attention of a new boy who is looking for more than guidance that forces him to confront who and what he really wants.

J.H. Trumble’s debut, DON’T LET ME GO, is a witty, beautifully written novel that is both a sweet story of love and long-distance relationships, and a timely discourse about bullying, bigotry, and hate in high schools.

YA Epidemics - So Much Angst

*YA Epidemics is an original feature started on my old blog,
 PaperFantasies. Each post singles out and highlights one annoying
cliché/trope prominent in many YA bestsellers. While I'll be bringing
a few of my favorites over to this blog in coming weeks, I chose to debut
a brand new Epidemic on The Bookaholic.

Don't you hate it when you make a bagel for breakfast, and it burns, and it obviously means your day is going to be hell, and probably your year, and just maybe your whole life, because you were seriously looking forward to that bagel?  But, just like everything and everyone else, it betrayed you in the end.  You are Bagel-less.  Forever alone.  Doomed to eat your blackened breakfast to nourish your blackened soul.  Because everything sucks.

Yeah, me too.


Certain YA might as well be renamed The Emo Handbook, because the sheer level of teen angst in them is astronomical.  It would almost be comical if it weren't so damned annoying.

Book Review - Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

In her New York Times bestselling and Morris Award-winning debut, Rachel Hartman introduces mathematical dragons in an alternative-medieval world to fantasy and science-fiction readers of all ages. Eragon-author Christopher Paolini calls them, "Some of the most interesting dragons I've read in fantasy."

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.




Seraphina boasts perhaps the most uniquely fleshed-out take on dragons that I've ever read.   It is a beautifully written novel with some wonderful characters and breathtaking scope for its genre.  It's the type of book that I ardently wish I hadn't been bogged down in a stubborn reading slump for the majority of, because I certainly would have devoured it greedily under normal circumstances.

Intoducing Myself

Hi, all!  My name is Kelly, and I'll be blogging on here as another Bookaholic for awhile.

Well, while some of you may know me from my years-dead blog, PaperFantasies, my guess would be that most of you don't.  Since I hope to be making a lot of new wonderful bookish friends in my time here, let's get to know each other!

First and foremost, I'm a book lover.  There is nothing as comforting to me as being surrounded by my treasured novels.  It's like having hundreds of friends with you even when you're all alone.  I've cried with these characters.  I've laughed with them.  I've joined them on their countless journeys and slowly unlocked myself along the way, and I've fallen in love with them.  A lot of them.  A whole lot of them.  I'm a bit of a fangirl for these book boys.  (You've been warned.)

Back on my other blog, my signature posts were an original series of mine called YA Epidemics. 
Every other week or so, I would highlight the most annoyingly cliche aspects of my favorite genre in what I like to tell myself was a humorous, entertaining way.  I intend to bring that series back here, mixing some of the old topics I've already discussed with new.  I'll try to review at least one book a week, and throw in one or two other bookish posts along with it.

During my extended hiatus, I never stopped missing this wonderfully vast, diverse online community of likeminded book lovers.  I never stopped missing that warm sense of acceptance, or how often other amazing bloggers would help lead me to my next favorite series.  And I especially never stopped missing how much closer to the books I felt through blogging and reviewing.  I've managed to keep a small part of that alive through my friendship with Pixie, the original admin of The Bookaholic, and I can't wait to immerse myself in the joys of book blogging once again.

So if you'll give me a chance, my promise to you is to try to be another of your trusted reviewers.  To write posts that will make you laugh, make you think, and to do my best to be a positive footnote to your day.

Comments and discussions will always be welcome here.

-Kelly

Blogging Update: I'm back!!

Well I just wanted to make a short little post here to update y'all on a few things. It certainly has been a long hiatus for me from the blogging world but I'm very happy to say that, "I'm baaaaaaacccccckkk!" 

It's been a crazy time and life definitely got in the way causing me to take a semi permanent break from blogging. Between work and some family things going on I just couldn't find the time and had gotten pretty down on myself about it. Suffice it to say I was in quite a funk, I really wasn't even reading much at all *gasp* I know,  I know, very poor life choice on my part.

But don't worry I've come to my senses and gotten back to my old ways! Once I started planning and getting my blogging schedule figured out it was obvious that I missed it more than I initially realized, so I'm super pumped to be back in the groove! 

However I do feel rather out of the loop, so bear with me these next few weeks while I get caught back up on all the latest info as far as new books, authors, events, and all the other bookish news that's floating around goes. I'll be updating my Goodreads account which has been severely neglected, and tweeting it up to let y'all know what's new on the blog!

I'm hoping to have some fun stuff here for y'all to read, possibly some guest posts from some of my favorite bloggers as well as discussions and whatnot. So stay tuned for lots to come!

Love and bookish wishes,

Review: Age of Miracles

Please take a moment to read the note at the bottom of this review. Thank you! <3 <3  

Title: Age of Miracles
Author: Karen Thompson Walker
Category/Genre: Apocalyptic, Sci-Fi, Fiction, YA


See it at Goodreads


“It’s never the disasters you see coming that finally come to pass—it’s the ones you don’t expect at all,” says Julia, in this spellbinding novel of catastrophe and survival by a superb new writer. Luminous, suspenseful, unforgettable, The Age of Miracles tells the haunting and beautiful story of Julia and her family as they struggle to live in a time of extraordinary change.

On an ordinary Saturday in a California suburb, Julia awakes to discover that something has happened to the rotation of the earth. The days and nights are growing longer and longer; gravity is affected; the birds, the tides, human behavior, and cosmic rhythms are thrown into disarray. In a world that seems filled with danger and loss, Julia also must face surprising developments in herself, and in her personal world—divisions widening between her parents, strange behavior by her friends, the pain and vulnerability of first love, a growing sense of isolation, and a surprising, rebellious new strength. With crystalline prose and the indelible magic of a born storyteller, Karen Thompson Walker gives us a breathtaking portrait of people finding ways to go on in an ever-evolving world.


Age of Miracles probably would have never happened for me if it hadn’t been for Kara’s recommendation of it-- I mean, she insisted on this title until I found myself putting it on my wish list and then before I knew it, she’d gifted it to me (I believe if I remember correctly it was for my birthday or Christmas in 2013). But you know how most of us are… we can get some of our most-wished books and they can still end up sitting on our shelves for months due to books and books stacking up to be read.

Well, I finally sat down and picked it up. And I’m so so so so glad I did. (I’m sorry I let it sit on the shelf collecting dust for so long though.)

This may sound a bit funny to you, but I’m practically prepared for an apocalyptic situation. Whether it’s zombies, heavy war fall-out, environmental, or whatever. If I should find our world in a crumbling state that required us to shut down, close up and be stocked up to last a while, I can nearly safely say my home would be ready depending on the situation and timeframe. Probably not anything as far as going into some bunker, but enough to lock down and be stocked up.

But that’s the problem. Someone isn’t ready for just everything, right? Especially something as sudden and drastic as the rotation of the earth slowing, changing the gravity, affecting so much else like hours, environment, tides, weather, and more. Who could really expect something like that? After all the years of global warming research or years of dealing with tensions of war or even years of strange experimental science? It was a complete blindside!

And this is where Age of Miracles picks up. Julia, a young eleven-year-old girl, growing into her adolescence and a curious mind, tells the strange story of this phenomena that Karen Thompson Walker weaves for the reader. Making sure not to leave out any details. Julia even includes the sad deaths of the falling birds-- because the gravity is different after the slowing of the earth as she tries to explain-- and the odd illnesses that people get, and I sympathize with her worries and her deep sense of only wanting to help anything and everyone she can try. I also get a sense of motherly protectiveness when she begins her first crush, and has other experiences that crush me (I don’t want to go into too many details afraid of spoilers) and relatable experiences as a growing pre-teen. I liked that Walker tried portray to Julia’s growth and life moving forward despite the current Armageddon.

Age of Miracles was one of the last reads I finished before 2014 ended. I’m glad I ended the year off on such a good note with this fantastic book. A tragically sad one, but beautiful. The way it ended openly, leaving the reader with many questions and thoughts still left me satisfied because it leaves you to your own conclusions. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys end-of-the-world type reads, fiction, family drama, teen drama, contemporary, or surrealism.




Speaking of end-of-year reads: This may very well be my last review for The Bookaholic unless I guest post for Taylor from time to time. I’m making my final move to blog over at Great Imaginations and I hope to see you all there as well. You can still contact me at the provided places in the contact section if needed or find me on Twitter or Goodreads. The Bookaholic has been up for four wonderful years. I’ve been blogging for four wonderful years. I can only hope to continue doing fantastic things for many more.

Thank you everyone for the continued support. <3 <3

 

Announcing Big Changes For The New Year

The last year, The Bookaholic has seen its fair share of changes including picking up a co-blogger, a new look, and a bit of neglect (sadly). The blog has also grown quite a bit when it comes to followers and views--and I appreciate that--and I've met some wonderful people through my last four years of blogging. I also absolutely had a blast going to BEA 2014 in NYC for my first time and meeting so many people in person (and traveling to NYC for my very first time, also flying in a plane for my first time ever--which was AMAZEBALLS). But okay, I'm starting to get off topic and I tend to do that when I get super excited and I'm writing out this post as I go along straight from the page instead of writing it out first and posting later when it's actually ready like I normally do. Ha!

Back to the topic: Over the last several months, I've been under a lot of stress. I'm a writer, too. Some of you don't know that because I don't really advertise much. I'm only a small-time gal. And I'm not some fantastic piece of work, trust me. I just love what I do, and I'm trying to get better. The only way to get better? Write, right? I can't do a lot of that, and then blog and read as much as I want without some help. I had a book releasing, another in the works for NaNo, another I'm trying to get finished and polished for later this spring. The stress was eating me alive. I got into a lot of reading slumps. And blogging slumps. That's why The Bookaholic became neglected. It got to a point where I almost thought I was going to have to quit entirely... My passion of blogging and sharing my love of books had died. It became more of a chore than a love. That's a terrible thing, and I was afraid to admit it to anyone.

I didn't want to quit though. The thought only nagged me. I mean, all the hard work I'd done through the years? It broke my heart mostly to think I could just let it go like that. So, when Lyn of Great Imaginations made an offer, I began to consider some things. Then, well, more encouragement came (and maybe some begging... Lol...) and now I can make this announcement:

As of now, I'm going to be guest blogging at Great Imaginations! You can read more about it at this post.

What does it mean for The Bookaholic?

For now, The Bookaholic is still in operation. I will still be posting here, though maybe not as regularly as I'd intended for the year. I haven't yet decided if I'm going to somehow share the same reviews that I do share there when I post (or if I just share a link where you all can go read the reviews I post when I'm putting a guest review up). I'm not considered a co-blogger (yet) at Great Imaginations, but if/when I make the permanent move over to blog there, I'll be sure to definitely let you all know.

What does it mean for Taylor (my co-blogger)?

Taylor is still my co-blogger. I've had a discussion with her over this decision already as we do text when we can. Taylor also has a very busy schedule with two jobs so I understand that life gets in her way and she's not capable of keeping a steady schedule. She's welcome to post when she can and I'm sad that things didn't work as planned for us to blog together the way we wanted. We did come to agree that even if I leave the blog at any point, I don't mind her taking it over as a single individual to use for a place to share her reviews if she wants... otherwise, she can just rebuild her old blog again. Solely her decision.
For now, like I said above, as long as I'm still around, Taylor is still around also when she's available. 

Will The Bookaholic still do any challenges/features?

I'll participate in what I can. I hadn't really planned on hosting anything. If I get any ideas to host something, I might... depending on the timeframe. It may be something I run by the others first though to see if they want to feature first. :)

Are you excited?

YESSSSS!!

I really am. I feel the passion for blogging and reading again. I'm just so happy!


Here's to an awesome year!!!

Welcome to 2015!

Before I get started with this post, let me first say that it’s been a rocky year here at The Bookaholic. I know that. It was one of the most horrid reading years I’d had in a long time also--only tapping out at 26 books for my total. My schedule couldn’t quite help it, but it still made me feel awful at times, and I ended up some pretty bad slumps whenever I did actually have time for reading.

The good news is that the new year is bringing me a lot of changes along with a lot more different reading opportunities. I see myself even making some huge goals for the coming year, and I’m super excited to be sharing some news sometime in the coming weeks. You may notice a different pattern to the blogging, too.

I don’t want to list all the books I’m planning to get to this year-- but for the next five to six weeks I’ve already scheduled enough to keep me going:

Heir of Fire
Gone Girl
A Court of Thorns and Roses
The Fiery Heart
Salt & Storm
Messenger of Fear
I’ll Give You The Sun
Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke

My total goal for 2015 is to read 175. This includes a month-long re-reading challenge I’ve constructed for myself (I love going back to visit old favorites!) that I haven’t quite set in stone on exact books, but would love to re-read the HP series, Winter girls (Laurie Halse Anderson), and The Historian (Elizabeth Kostova). My goal also includes another reading challenge called Flights of Fantasy (http://www.hello-chelly.com/2014/12/flights-of-fantasy-reading-challenge.html) because I want to read more fantasy books this year--and I love fantasy--and Brandon Sanderson--so I’m going for it. I’m setting myself to read at least 15 for that challenge. Hey… those books are super long most of the time, so I’m going to set that bar kind of low for now. Haha..

I hope your year has started off good already! I look forward to all of the excitement and good luck with the reading everyone!

 

Pixie's Bookish Resolutions for 2015

Hello! 

As you all know, 2015 is fast approaching. Was it just me or did this year go by a lot faster than it ever has before? Maybe it's because I had such an insanely busy year, I don't know, but I really hope that things are a bit slower for not just myself, but others as well, in the coming new year. I'm sure we could all use the time to slow down just a tad, right? :) 

This week, I wanted to change things up and post a Bookish Resolutions list for myself before the rest of the year slipped on by instead of doing a Top Ten Tuesday post. I was going to wait until next week to put this post up, but after checking on the topic for TTT, I wasn't too interested so I decided to go on and put this post up now. I also happened to notice that one of the TTT topics is also a Resolutions post, and I'd had no idea until hopping over there earlier-- but still, I feel the necessity in linking back to The Broke and the Bookish before I get into my own post anyway. 

So, what are Bookish Resolutions? Well, we all know what New Years' Resolutions are, right? They are exactly that, except in relation to books and blogging. Simple enough. I'm not really a big believer of resolutions in general. They get broken so often. I haven't made any proper ones in years. But I guess I will try to go for them this year and see how well it turns out. 

(They must be laughing at my attempt of making resolutions for the coming year. They're not that hard to keep. Geesh. I can do it! Haha!)

* My biggest bookish resolution for the 2015 year is to blog more. --

2014 was a hard year for me keeping track of everything--writing, reading, blogging. I fell into some rough slumps with all of them. I was late on a book release. My writing was off. A reading slump had me in a funk and caused me to have the worst reading year ever (I barely hit twenty-five books this year) and this depressed me deeply. I didn’t want to do much blogging because I was ashamed, and quite frankly, didn’t have much to put up because of the slump. 

With all that whiney mess out of the way, the good news is I feel myself already changing for the better. My slump has slowly gone away already with a few good reads--and the desire to read again--and all I want to do is get back into the swing of things. So yes, the most important resolution for 2015 is to build myself back up and blog more. Some of you may not remember, but there was a time when I once blogged several times a week before this bad year struck, and I’d like to see myself get to a point of that again I hope. I want to love my passions again properly.

* Read the older, unread books on my shelf. --

I have a fairly large TBR shelf. Who doesn’t, right? But I think it’s time to stop ignoring the many books that have been sitting on my shelf for quite some time, either gifted to me or bought because I’d really wanted them to begin with anyway, and read them as I’d intended. I’m going to reserve a month in 2015 to read them. A special “knock out those TBRs” month. I’m pretty sure I won’t get to them all in one month, but it would give me time to take care of a lot of them. 

* Participate in more challenges/read-a-thons --

I loved doing these anytime I could. I hope to be able to get around to doing more this year. 

* Read more genres/categories I don’t normally read --

Mostly I would like to pick up more MG and more Adult Fiction (sometimes this would include erotica, but when I say ‘adult’ it does NOT mean always sexy times.) 

* Only request ARCs I know I really want and will read/review --

I’ve made mistakes in the past before and would take on too many ARCs, which then caused too much pressure on me. I would still read/review them, but it became exhausting and chore-like after a period of time. I’d end up with a good portion of dislikes, too. I don’t want to take this process anymore. I don’t, either. But this is going to be a continued  resolution to remind myself I can’t let myself take on more than I can handle. 

* Get to know other bloggers/Get social --

I’m already pretty social on Twitter (I hope?), but I’m always up for chatting and getting to know other bloggers anytime. I’m horrible at commenting sometimes I know and I plan on working to make that a bit better for 2015. 

* Read some of the great classics I should have already read by now --

I turned thirty back in September. There’s that whole “books you should read by the time you’re thirty” thing, and I know I haven’t exactly, so I’m going to start getting to some of those. Maybe I’ll have them read by the time I’m thirty-one at least.

* Watch and compare more book adaptations --

If I Stay, The Maze Runner, Horns, The Giver, etc.. There are actually many books I haven’t read that have movie adaptations (and I haven’t seen the movie either) or instances where I’ve read the book and haven’t seen the movie or vice versa and would love to take the time out for both. I like to look at the movies with a different viewpoint, but it would be fun either way to sit and do a comparison review once a month or something. 

* Get to at least one or two book signings in 2015 --

Living out in the middle of nowhere makes it incredibly hard. If it hadn’t been for BEA earlier this year, I still wouldn’t have been to any yet. This was my first year ever meeting any of my favorite authors and going to signings. It was EXCITING! I’ve made it my life mission to constantly check on schedules for particular authors, even if it means a bit of a drive and stay in a hotel or something, so that I can get around to some more meet and greets over the coming years. This year I’m really really really hoping to get the chance to meet Stephen King-- which is a life-long dream in general. This isn’t just a resolution, but part of the bucket list. So keeping fingers crossed he’ll make a stop somewhere, sometime. 

* No more excuses for not reading everyday! --

I will always make it a point to set aside a time to read at the very least 25 pages from a book every single day so that I can say I’m reading something. Even if it’s that minimal page count, it’ll count for something, though of course if I’m enjoying the book I’m sure I’ll read much more than that. 

* I plan to read no less than 70 books in 2015 --

This is important to me. 2014 was so shitty to me as far as reading that I feel like I have a lot of making up to do in 2015. I only read 25 books this year. That is barely a quarter of what I normally read each year in the last decade. So I’m buckling down in 2015 and making myself a promise: No less than 70. My goal is at least a hundred. But I’ll be okay if I don’t get there, as long as I make it to my intended seventy mark to make up for this year’s horrid number. Lol. 


And these are my bookish resolutions for 2015! 
Do you have any? 

Don't forget this will run as a Top Ten Tuesday topic as well later this month, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. 

Review: Belzhar

Title: Belzhar
Author: Meg Wolitzer
Category/Genre: YA, Contemporary, Fantasy, Magical Realism


See it at Goodreads


If life were fair, Jam Gallahue would still be  at home in New Jersey with her sweet British  boyfriend, Reeve Maxfield. She’d be watching  old comedy sketches with him. She’d be kissing  him in the library stacks.

She certainly wouldn’t be at The Wooden Barn, a therapeutic boarding school in rural Vermont, living with a weird roommate, and signed up for an exclusive, mysterious class called Special Topics in English.

But life isn’t fair, and Reeve Maxfield is dead.

Until a journal-writing assignment leads Jam to Belzhar, where the untainted past is restored, and Jam can feel Reeve’s arms around her once again. But there are hidden truths on Jam’s path to reclaim her loss.

From New York Times bestselling author Meg Wolitzer comes a breathtaking and surprising story about first love, deep sorrow, and the power of acceptance.


Let me start by saying that Belzhar has one of the covers I can’t seem to stop staring at. It’s one of my favorite covers in the last few years for some strange reason--despite that I don’t think there’s anything different about it really, but it’s just out there, and it sticks out particular to me. If I hadn’t picked it up at BEA, I still would have grabbed it up immediately from a bookstore without bothering to find out what it could be about first. And I didn’t know at the time of pick-up what it was even going to be about, I just felt inexplicably drawn to this title and wanted it badly. It was at the top of my list of must-haves for the cover alone. I know… how wrong of me as a reader, right? But it happens to the best of us. 

When I pulled myself from my reading slump recently, I knew which title I was going to go for: Belzhar. The cover was calling to me again from my shelf, and I had to know if the contents inside was just as good. I’d finally learned what it was supposed to be about by then, too, and it sounded intriguing. Reviews from my peers were up and down though. Half seemed to really like it, and the other half seemed to really dislike it. So I was stuck at a crossroads on which side I could end up on. 

From the start, I adored the story. The details and background into The Wooden Barn were interesting, along with the variety of the characters. I also really liked how the story drew parallels to The Bell Jar and each character had their own little world. It had a strong beginning to the introduction of each individual and their tragedies, along with the development of their personalities. 

However, toward the end of the middle and the last portion of the read is where it began to fall flat. This is where I begin to pick up minor details (and some annoyances) that just felt off to me mostly. I didn’t particularly like the characterization of DJ--the girl with the ‘eating problems’ because well, I didn’t feel like she was displayed properly as someone who deals with this. From my own personal experiences, DJ’s character was certainly treated like a joke in my honest opinion… and I would’ve like more from her so that a reader could understand. If the author wanted to portray characters dealing with real issues, then portray them. Otherwise, maybe DJ shouldn’t have felt like such a forced character. This is only my opinion naturally. I did like that she was open in her feelings and sexuality later. I just wanted MORE. 

It’s such a hard book for me to review without revealing spoilers. I kind of want to talk about THAT ENDING but I can’t. It just didn’t satisfy though. I feel like it could’ve been more also though. It was a good twist, I’ll give it that. But I do feel it would still have more impact had it been what readers thought it was going to be from the beginning. Maybe some changes--but I didn’t feel the impact. And the twist disappointed in the long run leaving me to feel deflated and blah when the last page turned. I still had more questions of the characters and their stories, too. So yeah... 

The romance, though slow and subtle throughout, was strange for the most part. I couldn’t connect. When it happened toward the end of the middle I was just left feeling “okay.” I liked him as a character overall and was glad to finally know his story as well, but it was underwhelming to say the least. 

Saying all of this, you’d think I’d hated the book. But I didn’t. There was an odd sense of likeness throughout and I never wanted to put the book down because I had the desire to keep reading this odd story, up until the end as I said above. Mostly, I just really like the general idea and the Bell Jar theme of the overall piece. It’s a book I will still keep in my thoughts for a long time and will continue to recommend to others when looking for something different to read. 


I would definitely read more from this author in the future, for that I'm certain. :)

ARC Review & Discussion: The Darkest Part of the Forest (Read-A-Long)

Title: The Darkest Part of the Forest
Author: Holly Black
Category/Genre: YA, Contemporary, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
Release Date: January 13, 2015

See it at Goodreads

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?



Lyn of Great Imaginations and I recently read The Darkest Part of the Forest and then had a fun discussion review on it! Today we are sharing our thoughts on the read, and as you can see had slightly different experiences. I always love having read-alongs like this and sharing our discussions since it gives an edge to the review process and changes the pace sometimes. :P

From my perspective, you can tell that I really loved The Darkest Part of the Forest. It was one of my favorite reads of the year, and I was so excited after finishing it. I will be highly recommending it to many!

Lyn: Alright! Pixie and I did a co-reading of Holly Black’s The Darkest Part of the Forest. Now we’re co-reviewing the book together!

Alright, Pixie! You seemed very whipped up over the book. What was your overall take of the novel?

Pixie: I was immersed into the story from the very first page! I seriously could not stop reading this book. Haha.

Lyn: I LOVED that the book started with a glass casket. That is one of my top attention-grabbers: anything that sounds like it could be ripped right out of a D&D game. Big plus there.

Pixie: Yes! There were some very easy visuals because the descriptions were amazing.

Lyn: This was my first Holly Black novel, so I was very nervous about picking up this novel, since I had no previous exposure to her writing. Is this your first HB book?

Pixie: No. I’ve been a big fan of hers for years. She was one of my first YA authors after I picked up Melissa Marr in my early twenties. :)

Lyn: How did it compare to her other books?


Pixie: DPotF had a more contemporary vibe to it. I liked that. Despite the fantasy elements, it felt as if she gave her characters (and world) a more modern approach.


Lyn: I do love some contemporary fantasy. I suppose you could label this urban fantasy.

I suppose I should come out and be honest - I wasn’t crazy over this book. I gave it three stars. :( Womp Womp. The descriptions were beautiful and I really loved the plot, but the characters were very dull and flat for me.

Pixie: LOL, don’t feel bad. I gave it four stars. I don’t think it was her best (Coldest Girl in Coldtown still wins, I’m almost sure), but I liked the story and world-building for the most part. My biggest complaint were the characters also. I felt they could have used more. Especially in the romance.

Lyn: The romance REALLY killed it for me. I am very critical when it comes to pairing, and I seemed to get side-tracked by the constant “Who does s/he like more/the best?” The whole “let’s play fantasy pairing!” issue really killed a lot of my enthusiasm. I know it sounds horrible, because I so loved the whole GLBT angle, but it just didn’t end up working for me. I wanted more fae and court life.

Pixie: Oh I agree! I almost want to say that if it were longer or more detailed in some areas to better explain some things, it’d be even better for that area. It can be difficult for stand-alones in my opinion to gain some perspective for romances. I think I could’ve done without a romance and would’ve loved the whole general story.

Lyn: I have to give props to the author for writing a stand alone. I love my series, but it seems that a multi-book series is all the rage right now. I think it would have helped if the book was longer. There was quite a bit going on for such a short page count.

Pixie: Major props to her. I’m the same way. I love stand alones. :) I always find myself going to Holly Black’s books because that’s what she writes a lot. Fantasy and stand alones. But I agree, would’ve been nice seeing more. Or maybe I’m just selfish and wanted more of that pretty writing. Lol.


Lyn: I am excited to read The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, so I have a basis of comparison. The descriptions were awesome, but the writing left something to be desired. It almost felt like this was a short story that the publishers pushed to become a novel, so the writing felt a bit forced. Maybe it was just boredom setting in, but I really didn’t feel the heart of the writer in this one, you know?

Pixie: I understand what you’re saying. I have seen her writing through the course of the years and it does come off a bit differently here. I’m excited to see what you think of Coldest Girl!

Lyn: Same here! Is there anything else we want to cover?

My take away from this is flat characters that i wanted to like in the worst way, but the plot was awesome and the description of the fae and the magic of the forest was very dazzling.

Pixie: That is almost my same take, except I think I was a bit more enchanted than you by the book. :P Other than that, I don’t think there’s really anything else I have to discuss without
putting in spoilers and I don’t want to go doing that. Lol.

Lyn: So agree!


 

Pixie's Rating: 4



 

Dual Review: Made For You

This a two part review coming from both of us today since we read this title together!

Title: Made For You
Author: Melissa Marr
Genre/Category: Contemporary, YA, Realism, Mystery, Fantasy

See it at Goodreads

Bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely books Melissa Marr’s first contemporary YA novel is a twisted southern gothic tale of obsession, romance, and murder. A killer is obsessed with Eva Tilling. Can she stop him, or will he claim her?

When Eva Tilling wakes up in the hospital, she’s confused—who in her sleepy little North Carolina town could have hit her with their car? And why? But before she can consider the question, she finds that she’s awoken with a strange new skill: the ability to foresee people’s deaths when they touch her. While she is recovering from the hit-and-run, Nate, an old flame, reappears, and the two must traverse their rocky past as they figure out how to use Eva’s power to keep her friends—and themselves—alive. But while Eva and Nate grow closer, the killer grows increasingly frantic in his attempt to get to Eva.

For the first time, New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr has applied her extraordinary talent to contemporary realism. Chilling twists, unrequited obsession, and high-stakes romance drive this Gothic, racy thriller—a story of small-town oppression and salvation. Melissa’s fans, and every YA reader, will find its wild ride enthralling.

Pixie's Review

Melissa Marr is perhaps one of my favorite authors EVER. Ever. Ever.

I was a bit star-struck when I met her finally at BEA. She’s such a huge inspiration to me and my own writing, and I’ve absolutely adored everything I’ve read of hers through the years. Picking up Made For You possibly had me slightly worried in the beginning because this time around, it was a little more special. This was probably one of the books I’d been anticipating most throughout the year, or at least at the very top of that list of a short list of books, and from a reviewer’s perspective I didn’t want to give it any different treatment either. I’m not. After finishing it, I can be honest with my review, just like I can be honest when I say Johnny Depp has his ups and downs in his roles. So that’s good and a bit of a relief on my part. If I felt like I couldn’t give my full, honest opinion, I wouldn’t have even posted my thoughts.

But here I am.

Made For You was certainly a different read for me from what I’m used to with Marr. And it wasn’t the best I’ve picked up from her. Maybe it was because of the Contemporary aspects, not quite the fantasy I adore in her usual style, but I still enjoyed it. There was an addictive quality to the story that kept me flipping the pages to find out what was going to happen next--and I was held in a constant suspense. My biggest issue was I predicted the mystery pretty early on, but I’m always a good guesser at these things and so when I realized I was right later, it took so much out of the supposed twist I felt a bit of a disappointment.

I really enjoyed the presence of the parents and their interactions. We didn’t have our usual absentee parents (though I thought that was how it was going to be at first) for a teen, and instead had some interactive ones. They were obviously still trying to learn about their child. And that was pretty realistic in my opinion. A teen changes and grows a lot through those years. Communication is key.

The romance didn’t do it much for me. I liked it to an extent. It was cute. It built up nicely even, but I felt the background lacked some. I wanted to know more and had some burning questions of why’s. But there were interesting pieces put in that left me feeling like FINALLY, NORMAL TEENAGERS. NORMAL RELATIONSHIPS. So for that, I really enjoyed the realistic aspects of the story and character developments.

I felt like Marr may have wrote out of her comfort zone for this book when I finished reading. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. I rather enjoyed reading something different from her. I hope she continues to deliver work in other styles and genres and shows that she can do whatever she likes. It takes a lot of skill to do that. It wasn’t my favorite Marr novel, but I still read through it rather quickly and enjoyed it. I’d certainly recommend if you enjoy mystery and unusual contemporary with fantastical elements.

Pixie's Rating:

Taylor's Review

Well it's no secret that Melissa Marr is one of my absolute favorite authors! If you know me even a little bit that's a fact that is well known lol. I adore her books there isn't a single one I've read over the years that I haven't liked. But not only that, she's just an awesome person! I love her personality and she's such a big inspiration and I am determind to meet her one day in person!! That being said, I was pretty darn jealous of everyone who went to BEA this year and got to meet her. And when I say "pretty jealous" I really mean Wicked-Witch-Of-The-West green with envy lol.

But anyways, lets talk about this book Made For You!

As soon as I read the synopsis I was immediately intrigued, of course because it was Melissa Marr it went right on my TBR list and I featured it on one of my Waiting on Wednesday posts as well. The thing that caught my attention the most was the fact that it's something totally different than any of the other books I've read by Marr, I love her Wicked Lovely series with a passion and all of her other books lean more towards the fantasy realm but this one is a contemporary type, which I do happen to be a fan of as well.

I'll go ahead and say it wasn't the best book I've read by her, but even so it still strongly held my attention and I couldn't put it down because I was ready to see what would happen next in the story! And like Pixie mentioned in her review, I figured out the mystery fairly early into the book and I kept my fingers crossed that I'd be wrong when it was all said and done, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. So there was a little disappointment there because I was hoping for more of a twist and that the mystery aspect wouldn't be so predictable.

I liked the way Marr portrayed the romance in the story, it was one of the more realistic ones I've come across in quite awhile and I thought it was well paced and didn't just happen all of a sudden. I'm not a fan of the whole insta-love thing at all. But at the same time I do wish there had been a little something more to it, maybe that's just my inner hopeless romantic side coming out. But I couldn't help feeling like it was lacking a little bit, and there were some questions I would have liked to have answers to. But as far as characters go, I thought they were very well written and they grew and developed well throughout the story.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, it was a nice quick read and it was cool to see one of my most favorite authors step out and do something different. If you're a fan of mystery and contemporary I would definitely recommend giving this a read! And of course becasue I love her other books so much if you haven't read any of them I very highly recommend those as well!

Taylor's Rating:

 

           

 

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

Guidelines

1. Thank the blogger that nominated you and link back to their website.
2. Post the award's logo on your blog.
3. Answer the ten questions you have been asked.
4.Nominate ten other bloggers and ask them ten other questions.

 
I was nominated by Bekka of Great Imaginations! Thank you so much! I love surveys like this, and I really needed something fun and different to put on the blog this week anyway while I wait for some reviews to come through soon so this worked out perfectly. Have a look after my answers to see the list of questions and who I nominated!

　

　

1. What is your biggest reading pet peeve?

Only one? Really? Ugh. I have a few though. If I had to choose from dog-earing to touching a book’s pages with greasy food hands to being interrupted constantly, I guess I would choose the interruptions. I HATE being interrupted while I’m lost in a book--especially if it’s good and all I want to do is just sit there and be immersed in it. “What are you doing?” DUH I’M READING. LEAVE ME ALONE.

2. Do you prefer paperback, hardcover, or ebook?

Hardcovers are prettier on the shelves, I’ll say that. But paperbacks are cheaper and easier for me to hold/tote around. So I do prefer paperback…but I generally hate the wait on them to release if the book released in hardcover first (it takes about nine months before it will come out on paperback after hardcover and sometimes I just can’t wait that long, dang it). Ebooks are great for when I just really need a space saver or have no other option, but on a personal level I read them a lot slower--the screen hurts my eyes after so long--so unless they’re ARCs, I usually don’t get them too often.

3. What is the very first book you remember reading?

I read Green Eggs and Ham with my dad when I was maybe 4 or 5? If you’re talking my first big, ‘grown-up’ title, it was The Shining when I was around 11. Still, there were many books before that one. I always remember being a reader.

4. If you could experience reading one book for the first time again, what book would you pick?

Harry Potter. I have many beloved favorites, but I think that’s the one series I would love to experience “first time” feelings for all over again because it’s HARRY POTTER. Enough said.

5. What is your favorite cover trend? Show some examples.

I love covers that show objects more than people I think. And darker shades. I’ve always loved Melissa Marr’s covers. Flowers or unusual looking bugs. Fantasy covers are usually eye-catching for me. Masks. Here are some of my latest most favorite covers in the last few years:



　

6. If you had to pick one genre to read for the rest of your life, which would it be?

Wow that’s tough. If I say Fantasy, that’s not exactly being too specific, is it? I guess it could toward any of its sub-genres like Contemporary Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy, Epic…etc.. If that counts--that’s what I’d pick. I could probably find enough enjoyment out of that for the rest of my life. Haha. Although I would miss a lot of my regular Contemporary romances and horror that I read regularly as well. Boo.

7. Who are your top three authors?

Rude Bekka is rude.

Melissa Marr. Stephen King. Laini Taylor.

This changes sometimes. Though Marr and King are always in my top two at least. And Taylor is always in my top ten at least. It’s so hard narrowing a top three.

8. What has been your favorite read this year?

I’m not finished with it yet, but I’m pretty certain it’s going to be Dreams of Gods and Monsters. Lyn gifted it to me before BEA and I’m just starting to get around to it in the last few weeks (I know, sad) and though I’m a bit slow reading it… I LOVE IT.

9. What book or book series would you like to see made into a television show?

I was going to say Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but the more I think on that the more I realize I’d rather that be films--more of a budget so it can have the effects and makeup it needs. Television show though, I was really holding out hope for that Delirium (Lauren Oliver) show. Or maybe a do-over with Vampire Academy and turn that into a show.

10. Tell us one weird fact about you.

Ha! One.

Okay then…

I have a bit of OCD. Not self-diagnosed or anything like that-- it’s an actual issue, and while I joke around about it and stuff, it’s not really a joke in the end. I have to have certain order with things. People can’t take books off my shelves. I must take them myself, and then they can look, hand them back to me and I’ll put them back. Dishes can’t go in the left side of the sink until they are rinsed properly (because rinsing is done in the right side only). Etc… There’s a list I don’t want to get into really on everything. Lol. But yeah, that’s my “weird” fact. I do get picked on for it, but oh well. I used to get bothered by it, but I don’t so much anymore. Now I’ve just learned to joke around mostly while continuing to keep up with my own routine.

　
　

So that’s it!


　

Who do I tag?

Well I tag my co-blogger, Taylor, for sure! I want to see her answers pop up here sometime soon at least.

I also want to tag Lyn of Great Imaginations. Jessie of Ageless Pages Reviews. Christina of Reader of Fictions. Alexia of Adventures in Reading. Nikki of There Were Books Involved. And the other five tags can just go to anyone else reading this that want to do it! :P


My questions:

1. Tell us three interesting facts about you.

2. What’s your favorite memory that involves books/reading?

3. Who are your top five fave authors?

4. What’s the worst book you read this year?

5. What’s the best?

6. Who is your favorite character of all time? (If there hasn’t been a film and you could cast them, would you? If so, who would you choose?)

7. What book would you choose to turn into a movie or tv show right now if you could?

8. What covers usually catch your attention? Give examples.

9. If you had to reread your favorite book only for the next two years anytime you wanted to read, or give it up entirely for the rest of your life and read a new book instead--except the new book could be really bad--would you?

10.What’s the worst thing you could do to a book out of these: fold pages, spill food/drink, read in the bathtub, write inside, or bend the spine back?