Month: September 2015

Finding My Groove with Audio Books

Posted September 30, 2015 in Features / 27 Comments
Finding My Groove with Audio Books

Despite the fact that I’ve been reading since before I could actually “read” (when I was a toddler I was quite fond of carrying around picture books and “reading aloud” to anyone who would listen, which is to say I would make up stories I thought went with the picture) I haven’t actually listened to an audio book until the last month. I started a new job which requires a 1.5 hour commute each way, and I cannot for the life of me read without getting motion sick. It was the perfect opportunity to start venturing into the world of […]


The Book We’ve All Been Waiting For: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo | ARC Review

Posted September 28, 2015 in Reviews / 7 Comments
The Book We’ve All Been Waiting For: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo | ARC Review

My Review “Greed may do your bidding, but death serves no man.” Have you ever read a book that totally and completely changes your opinion of an author? For me, Six of Crows was that book. Sure, I enjoyed the Grisha Trilogy well enough. It had some elements I liked, but it didn’t set itself apart, didn’t situate itself as an out-liar in my mind among the copious amounts of other YA fantasy that I read. So I admit to being nervous and more than a bit skeptical when I started Six of Crows (although my excitement was peaked after […]


Second Chances and Second Glances: Spin Offs

Posted September 16, 2015 in Discussions / 17 Comments
Second Chances and Second Glances: Spin Offs

A trend in the YA community that I’ve seen gaining more and more traction is spin off series and stand alones, with several well-known authors choosing to continue a peripheral character’s story or expounding upon other elements of their fictional universe with a new cast of characters. It’s familiar to readers, and many readers find the prospect of getting to see a secondary character they loved have their story continued a wonderful treat. I’m personally on team pro-spin offs, as I’ve not only read many spin offs, but oftentimes I’ve enjoyed such spin offs even more than the actual series […]


When Tragedy Becomes Incredibly Important: Violent Ends by Shaun David Hutchinson | ARC Review

Posted September 14, 2015 in Five Star Reads, Reviews / 4 Comments
When Tragedy Becomes Incredibly Important: Violent Ends by Shaun David Hutchinson | ARC Review

My Review When I was at ALA this summer, I was pitched this book by an editor at Simon & Schuster when I asked specifically for heavier contemporary recommendations. The editor had worked on the collection himself and was SO excited about it, and it’s one of those instances in which I’m seriously glad that I asked for recommendations because it may not have been a title I would have picked up myself. I’m so glad that I spoke with that editor at ALA because this book is so intense and so bold in what it does: it doesn’t essentialize […]


Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy | ARC Review

Posted September 9, 2015 in Reviews / 7 Comments
Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy | ARC Review

My Review I guess sometimes the perfection we perceive in others is made up of a whole bunch of tiny imperfections, because some days the damn dress just won’t zip. Dumplin’ is a book that completely took me by surprise this summer. I found out it was being signed at ALA and, despite the fact that YA contemporary isn’t always what I reach for first, found myself drawn to it. The simple cover, the tongue in cheek tagline (Go Big or Go Home)…I had a feeling Dumplin’ was going to be a hot mess or utter YA perfection. I need […]


Month in Review: August 2015

Posted September 6, 2015 in Month In Review / 8 Comments
Month in Review: August 2015

Books I Read This Month: Reviews This Month: The Accident Season (3 Stars) Trouble is a Friend of Mine (2 Stars) What Happened to Goodbye (3 Stars) My Life Next Door (4 Stars) Everything, Everything (4 Stars) Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between (2.5 Stars) Stats: Total Books Read: 5 Total Novellas Read: 1 Rereads: 0 Favorite Book Read This Month: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo hands down! I actually started this in July but was buddy reading it with the bf so it took longer than normal to finish, but I’m glad I got to savor it- it’s […]


Book Buddies Review: Nantucket Blue

Posted September 3, 2015 in Book Buddies Reviews, Reviews / 3 Comments
Book Buddies Review: Nantucket Blue

Cristina and Lauren Read: Book Buddies is a discussion style review I participate in every other month with my friend Lauren who runs the blog Bookmarklit. We choose a themed book for the month, read it, and the have a discussion where we both discuss themes and aspects that really stood out to us. Book Buddy Reviews are posted during the last week of the month.You can see our review in a Q&A format with half posted here, and half on Lauren’s blog!   1) How big of an impact did the romance aspect of the book have one you? […]


Firewalker (Worldwalker Trilogy #2) by Josephine Angelini | ARC Review

Posted September 1, 2015 in Reviews / 4 Comments
Firewalker (Worldwalker Trilogy #2) by Josephine Angelini | ARC Review

My Review It’s no secret that Firewalker was my most anticipated ARC of the year. I raved about Trial By Fire this January, and I adored the unique world that Angelini created that was a mixture of paranormal and science, with a dash of steam punk thrown in for good measure. It was different and complex and featured one of my favorite, and seemingly underrepresented, paranormal creatures: witches. You can imagine my immense emotional upheaval upon finishing this book and not deeming it worthy of 5 stars, or even 4 stars, but rather relegating it to the rather mediocre side […]