Category: Musings

First Lines Fridays

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

Okay I always use these Friday Lines Fridays post as a weekly update as well – so just a quick one: my sister-in-law and her family are here visiting us from upstate New York and they watched our kids so my hubby and I could go to the Phantom of the Opera that’s touring right now in Hawaii. While we were waiting for a friend to join us outside of the theater I noticed the sky was the color of cotton candy. 😍 Loved it! It’s been busy around here, I hope you all have had an awesome week. 😘

So back to the lines!

“Lara rested her elbows on the low sandstone wall, her eyes fixed on the glowing sun descending over the distant mountain peaks, nothing between here and there but scorching sand dunes, scorpions, and the occasional lizard. “

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I love Danielle L. Jensen books and saw this pop up on Amazon.com as an audiobook and I was like, wait, she wrote another book I haven’t heard about? WHEN? WHAT? WHY is it an audiobook? 😂😱 But I did find the ebook copy, I bought it, read it in one day and now I need book two. 😭 Review to come soon!

Random Tuesday Update

Aloha everyone – so I didn’t have time to prep a Top Ten Tuesday post. I have family visiting from out of state and they are staying with us so we’ve been busy. So I’m just gonna leave you all some nature photos of my week so far. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do and have an awesome week!

Another amazing sunset this week! 😍

White Plains Beach on Oahu – so many waves today!

I was sitting on the sand and looked up above me and saw this. 😱
So amazing!

I’m in love with it! Now I’ve never caught one in a photograph but is this what a sundog is? 🤔 Or just a sun halo? I was just in awe of it. I felt like I was given a blessing or something. In Hawaii, whenever it drizzles we call it a blessing. I didn’t feel drizzle but there was a lot of ocean spray! 😄

In book related news – here is what I’m currently reading. I’ve heard so many good things about this one:

What are you reading?

I hope you all are having a wonderful week so far and many blessings onto you. 😘

The Reader Problems Book Tag

I saw this book tag on A Little Haze Book Blog and it looked fun. Check out her blog for more fun book tags and awesome book reviews. So let’s get to it!

1. You have 20,000 books on your TBR. How do you decide what to read next?

With that many books, I’ll just pick whatever I’m in the mood to read. By the way, who has 20,000 books on their TBR? Because…wow, that’s a list to get through. 😅

2. You’re halfway through a book, and you’re just not loving it; do you put it down or are you committed?

I put it down and try to pick it back up again. If I borrowed it from the library, I may renew or just return it and pick it up some other time. If I’m reading an ARC, then I try to finish even if I don’t like it, just so I can give it a fair review.

3. The end of the year is coming, and you’re behind on your reading challenge; do you try to catch up? And if so, how?

I’ve already met my Goodreads goal, and I think early in my blogging I put up the Pop Sugar reading challenge, but I’m pretty sure I’m not going to complete it. And it’s TOTALLY ok…🤷🏻‍♀️

4. The covers of a series you love do not match, how do you cope?

Yikes..not sure if I’ve had that problem yet. But if that did happen and it’s a series I absolutely love, I’d buy the series with matching covers and donate the other one not matching.

5. Everyone and their mother love a book that you do not. Who do you bond with over your shared feelings?

Sometimes my hubby, but mostly on my blog – because there are always readers out there who share your feelings. They are out there!

6. You’re reading a book in public, and you’re about to start crying; how do you deal?

I do most of my reading at home so I’ve never dealt with this problem! I’d probably do a laugh/cry kinda thing if it did happen.

7. The sequel to a book you loved just came out but you’ve forgotten a lot of what happens. Are you going to reread it?

I used to reread when I wasn’t a mom and had more time to do so. These days, I usually just jump into the sequel and pray things from the previous book resurface in my brain.

8. You do not want anyone to borrow your books. How do you politely say no when someone asks?

This is so hard because I’m the only one who buys books among my friends and family. 😩 So I usually let them borrow because I want them reading something! lol

9. You have picked up and put down five books in the last month. How do you get over this reading slump?

Take a break and not read for a few days. Watch TV shows, I just binged the 1st season of Euphoria on HBO without meaning to! I realized I didn’t read for or write a blog post for two days and it was kinda nice. It helped me jump into a few books I was struggling with and write posts that I’ve been meaning to.

10. There are so many books coming out that you are dying to read. How many do you end up buying?

I don’t. I have kids, lol, money goes to their needs first. Thank god for my public library, online library, and recently – Book Outlet (so many discounted books)! It’s been a lifesaver and I just learn to be patient.

11. After you purchase all of these books that you’re dying to read, how long do they sit on your shelf before you read them?

I usually read them right away but lately the TBR list has grown very long and ARCs usually are a priority for me to finish.

I hope you enjoyed this book tag post, just to switch it up a bit from book review posts. Feel free to do it if you feel like it and if you do, please drop your links in my comments so I can see your answers. 😘

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Check out her awesome blog to check out other Top Ten Tuesday topics! This week’s topic is Cover Redesigns I Loved/Hated (submitted by Rachelle @ Shell’s Stories).

Shatter Me by. Tahereh Mafi

Definitely love the redesigned cover more, it’s so pretty. Looking at them side by side, wow, what an upgrade the new design is!

Throne of Glass by. Sarah J. Maas

The original is pretty but the redesign is much more fierce!

The Luxe by. Anna Godbersen

I read this a long time ago and don’t remember much about it. But I just saw the redesigned cover on Book Outlet and had to wonder if it was the same Luxe I read! It’s so different. I don’t love the redesigned cover.

City of Bones by. Cassandra Clare

I remember buying City of Bones when it was first published and I’m partial to how the original looks more vibrant. So I’ll say I like the original better, the new one looks so bland.

An Ember in the Ashes by. Sabaa Tahir

I thin both these covers look great in their own way. I think I’m more drawn to the first one because of the lettering and colors. For some reason I’m not feeling the red coloring in the new design.

Shadow and Bone by. Leigh Bardugo

I love both covers but the original just embodies the mood of the series I think. Dark, a bit steampunk and Russian inspired.

Vampire Academy by. Richelle Mead

I love the redesigned cover more for sure. I love instead of Rose’s face, we get a rose dripping in blood.

Judith McNaught Books

This goes for all Judith McNaught books, but I had all the books that didn’t have a woman on the cover and I really loved that about her books. So I’m definitely going for the original versions.

Jane Austen Books

I don’t think you can go wrong with Jane Austen book covers! I mean look at these beauties! I can’t compare them to the original, but I bet even the original cover is amazing.

Harry Potter – by. J.K. Rowling

Remember the original? For the middle grade kids that read the original, it’s a totally charming cover. I’m sure there are lots of versions out there but yes I definitely love it with redesigned covers.

Leave me your link to your top ten or top five in the comments! Would love to read your post. 😘

First Lines Fridays

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

It’s the first Friday in August guys and girls! Wow, is this year going by so fast. We are in hurricane season and there is a hurricane that is now a tropical storm just traveling south of our islands. In a few days another hurricane which will also become just a storm soon will go north of us. So I’m just monitoring the news but not too worried about it.

In the meanwhile I have started a book today and here is the first lines:

“The calming echo of a holy chant filtered down from the sanctuary and into the cellars. It was late afternoon, just before Vespers, a time where psalms to the gods were given up in an effortless chorus.”

Can you guess what it is?

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It’s intriguing so far but I’m only on page 27. Hoping to get further tonight!

What are you reading this weekend? Have you read this book? What did you think? Leave me a comment, I’d love to hear from you.

Monthly Wrap Up: July 2019

And here we are at the end of another month! Wow! Time flies when you are reading and reviewing books. 😂 I didn’t realize it was the end of July until my hubby asked me what today was!

My goal for July was to read less books than I did in June. So let’s see if I accomplished my goal:

Looks are deceiving! Haha, I read more books than what is shown here because I pre-scheduled posts for August already. So in reality I read more books than I did in June. 🤦🏻‍♀️ But that’s okay because I’ve been reading some amazing books lately! 😍 I do think I need some more adult romance or just some good adult fiction to read so if you have any suggestions, please drop them in the comments.

Usually I list the titles and my ratings and a link back to the post but I’m pressed for time today and wanted to get this post out before I forget. Check my archives to see my reviews!

My in-laws are visiting in 2 weeks so I’ve been reading and writing posts that are scheduled to publish in August while they are here. Also, my son starts school on Tuesday so today I’ll be labeling all his school supplies since tomorrow is meet & greet and I can drop his things off to his classroom. August will be crazy busy!

With that said, and before I run off to do errands today – I just wanted to share some of my favorite photos I took this month. They are unfiltered and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did taking it that day.

A vibrant pink and purple sunset in Hawaii
My kids and I spied a double rainbow the other day!
My son enjoying the view from the ground.

Just a little sneak peek into my life outside of read and reviewing books. 🥰

Okay I hope all of you have a wonderful day or night and please, drop your monthly wrap up links in my comments section so I can read yours! And as we say in Hawaii, ALOHA…(hello, goodbye, love…)

The Sunshine Blogger Award

Thank you to the fun and amazing book blogger A Little Haze Book Blog for nominating me for my first book blog award ever! 😘 Check out her blog, it’s filled with awesome blog posts and book reviews that always makes me smile!

What is the Sunshine Blogger Award?

The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to those who are creative, positive and inspiring while spreading sunshine to the blogging community. 

How does it work?

  • Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.
  • Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you.
  • Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
  • List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.

Questions from A Little Haze Book Blog:

What is the first book you ever remember buying?

I don’t have a memory of the first book I ever bought. But I have a memory of my older sister and I, who loved Judith McNaught romance novels, but were too embarrassed to buy them (we were in high school at the time and thought we’d be judge for reading romance novels 🙄). I remember we were in the aisle at Waldenbooks trying to decide who would take the book to the cashier, because we were buying a “romance” novel. 😂 We ended up both walking up to the cashier together, I just don’t remember what book it was!

Have you ever read any book that changed the way you see yourself or how you see the world? If so what book and why?

I just read the arc for Frankly in Love which tackled the issues of growing up Asian-American. There were a lot of things in that book that made my heart ache because I saw myself in Frank Li. It’s amazing when you see yourself in a character, it puts to voice a lot of conflicting things I thought of as a child. The book also made me appreciate my parents and their own journey in life 1000% more.

What is your most unpopular bookish opinion?

I’m not in love with the Shadow and Bone Trilogy. 🤭 I know so many people that is in love with the Darkling and this trilogy and I read book one, barely got through book two and I have no interest to read book three. The Darkling does nothing for me. 😩🤷🏻‍♀️ But do I want to see the series come to life on Netflix? Sure! Because the series might be better for me, if it was brought to life visually on screen.

What is your favourite thing about book blogging or blogging in general?

I like that I get to meet fellow book lovers! Everyone has been so welcoming in the book community. Thank you to my followers for following me!

What is your favourite ever quote from a book and why that quote?

This one is so hard. I can’t pick a favorite ever, but I’ll pick one of my favorites that I have dog-eared in a book on my shelf. I usually don’t EVER dog-ear book pages but this one I did for some reason, so I must have really loved it.

“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.” 
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

I love Jane’s spirit, she’s a fighter. Even with her abusive past and things go wrong with Mr. Rochester, she stays strong.

If you could only ever read books by one author for the rest of your life, what author would that be?

One author for the rest of my life?! Hard question. I’ll choose Sarah MacLean. My first love is romance and they always make me happy, so why not choose an author that will make me feel happy the rest of my life.

What is your favourite genre to read?

Automatically I’d say romance but I’ve been reading mostly fantasy young adult lately but it HAS to have romance in it.

What is your least favourite genre to read?

Horror – sometimes it’s so good it scares the life out of me. It’s a love/hate thing but I try to avoid it most of the time. 😳😣

What is your opinion on open-ended books?

Depends on the book I think. I’ve read some that let me super frustrated. I want to know what happens…

Have you ever bought a book based on its cover alone? If so what was the book and what about the cover drew you in?

All the time. I bought Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton because of the cover. It’s purple and black with a tree with no leaves. There are red petals falling down and I love the font of the title. I love the color combo and the withered looking tree, it’s such a mood. I also haven’t read it yet. Haha…but I love looking at the cover.

Bloggers I’m Nominating (and you are totally not obligated to do this book tag! It’s just for fun but I’d love to see your answers. ☺️):

11 Questions for those Tagged:

  1. What is a book or book series you can re-read over and over again?
  2. What is the book that made you fall in love with reading?
  3. Because I know it’s hard to choose just one, what characters would you name as your ultimate book boyfriends OR girlfriends?
  4. How long have you been blogging and what made you start in the first place?
  5. What is the best book you’ve read so far in 2019?
  6. What is a book that has been sitting on your shelf, unread, for the longest time?
  7. How do you feel about Audiobooks? Love it or Hate it?
  8. What is your favorite genre and why?
  9. What are you currently reading?
  10. Name three music artists, songs or albums that could be the soundtrack to the book you are reading right now?
  11. Where is your favorite reading spot?

Summer Bucket List Book Tag

I saw this book tag post on a few blogs this week so I wanted to try it. I clicked back to the original creator and fell in love with her blog, Read By Tiffany. It’s so beautiful, #bloggoals for real! This looks fun, let’s see how it goes and you can try it too.

The Rules via Read By Tiffany
  • Link back to the original creator in your post.
  • Feel free to use any of my graphics in your post, or create your own!
  • Tag 5 other people at the end of your post, and let them know you’ve tagged them. 

It’s not summertime if you aren’t reading a Sarah Dessen novel. A lot of her books are set by the water, usually a lake. The Rest of the Story takes place at a lake town in the height of the summer season as it approaches the 4th of July. It’s about family, summertime in a lake town, finding yourself and yes – falling in love! Perfect beach, lake or pool reading material. 🏖

This book comes out in December! But I read it as an eArc provided by NetGalley last month and can I just mention that there is a part in the book that is just…🔥🥵😍 and nothing really happens in this scene but pure tension and talking. But I was fanning myself, seriously. It’s a modern re-imagining of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park. Hearts, Strings, and other Breakable Things should really be a summer book with all the heat in it but I guess it will be melting hearts in December. 😉

Another eArc provided by NetGalley that I just finished is The Lady Rogue by the wonderful Jenn Bennett. This one you don’t have to wait long for as it is being published on September 3, 2019. This has adventure through Turkey and Romania with our main characters going on a treasure hunt. The dialogue between Theodora and Huck is so much fun and they constantly bicker because they have strong feelings for each other. If you like Vlad (Dracula) legends and stories about roughing it in a foreign country in the 1930’s – then you will love this book.

In a time of Marie Antoinette and the Palace of Versailles…how could I not be starstruck by such excess of that time period? This book was enchanting indeed, from the hot air balloon rides, decadent nights gambling and playing in the gardens at Versailles and falling in love. Enchantée left me starstruck.

I am Frankly in Love with this book. It explored racism, how to bridge two cultures when being American and Korean. It made laugh, it made me sad and it made me cry. It’s funny and yes it has romance as well. A friends to fake lovers to lovers scenario. Though light-hearted at times and heavy as well, I read this book in one day. I read the ARC courtesy of winning it on Bookishfirst.com but it will be out September 10, 2019. It’s one of my favorite books this year!

Somewhere Only We Know is a sweet story that made me hungry! This book is one of my other faves this year. It is a cute romance story about a K-Pop star and an ordinary guy. They spend a whole day together and yes – fall in love while traipsing around Hong Kong. If you want a very fun, light-hearted read, this one is definitely for you!

Spin the Dawn was a breath of fresh air for me. It’s a fantasy novel with magic and a cutthroat fashion competition. The drama! The fashion! There is intrigue, magic, romance, a quest and adventure. If you want a little bit of everything, then add this to your TBR list.

There are so many books I read that fit this criteria but I went back into my archives for books I read this year and chose A Curse So Dark and Lonely. What better obstacle to conquer than trying to help break a curse? And doing it while dealing with Cerebral Palsy? This is a Beauty and The Beast reimagining and it’s really good. It’s book one in the series and I’m excited for book two.

This isn’t my original pick for this category, it would be Somewhere Only We Know or Frankly in Love because of the Asian cuisine that I love featured in it. So this is my third choice, The Gilded Wolves, which is actually a heist story set in industrial Paris. Already you know Paris has a reputation for amazing cuisine but there is a character in this book, Laila, who always has sugar in her hair and is baking amazing desserts. So because of that, this is my choice for a book with delicious food! 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

You don’t get more inspiring than Angie Thomas’ newest book On The Come Up. Bri wants to be a rapper and she’s so good at writing rhymes but she has to overcome some issues at home, school, the industry and the neighborhood to really succeed. Can she do it? Can she rise above it all? This embodied my love of hip-hop, and it explored race and socio-economic issues. By the end I felt as inspired as Bri to reach my goals!

And that’s it!

You know…after doing this tag, I realize I need more contemporary, light-hearted, summery books to read! Everything I seem to read has been dark lately. 😆

I’m not going to tag anyone only because I’ve seen so many bloggers doing this tag already and I don’t want you to be tagged again. If you didn’t do it yet, I’d love to see your list! If you do make one, post your link in the comments below and I will check it out. This is one way I add to my TBR list, I love reading these book tag lists and find books that interest me. Please, recommend me more light-hearted romance novels please! I need them. 😘

Top Ten Tuesday: Auto-Buy Authors

This Top Ten Tuesday topic is Auto-Buy Authors. Let’s see if I can come up with ten authors. I say that because I downsized a lot when I moved years ago, and stopped buying books! I mostly borrowed from the library and then couldn’t wait for new releases to show up in the catalog so I bought ebooks. But I’m back to buying physical books again. Yay! 💃🏻

Sarah J. Maas – I can honestly say I wasn’t totally on board when I read Throne of Glass. But I kept up with the series because I thought Celaena was a cool character. It got better with each book. It kind of lost me again at the last book, but I think by then I was just way more invested in the A Court of Thorn and Roses series. That’s when she became an auto-buy author for me. I look forward to her new series, Crescent City and can we also get a Cassian/Nesta spin off, please?

Holly Black – I love faerie stories and who kicked off my love for them? Why Ms. Holly Black herself. When I read Tithe, I was so intrigued, I devoured all Fae stories from then on out. I never read her middle grade books, but everything else of Holly’s I’ve read and loved. And she’s in top form with there The Folk of the Air Series with Jude and Cardan. Absolute auto-buy.

Lisa Kleypas – my first love will always be romance novels. And after my favorite Judith McNaught stopped writing them there was a huge void to fill. Then I stumbled upon Lisa Kleypas. I absolutely love her historical romance novels. Her contemporary ones aren’t on the same level, but if it’s a historical romance, it’s an auto-buy for sure.

Sarah MacLean – And when Lisa Kleypas started writing contemporary, I needed someone to fill the hole for historical romance and I tried a few. Many were misses, but one lady hit it – Sarah MacLean. Her books are passionate and fun, fun, FUN. Absolute auto-buy.

Jenny Han – I’m sure I’ve loved all her novels since the Summer series and can we talk about the aesthetic of her book covers? So pretty. Okay I didn’t love the Summer series as much as my best friend did, but I liked the story-telling, the whole two brothers in love with the same girl theme is not for me. Obviously my fave will be To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before because, Lara Jean and Peter K!

Sarah Dessen – Sarah Dessen was a staple for me in my college years. I was going through a lot of changes and there is something special about Sarah Dessen books. I can relate to her stories so well. They are about complicated families, and complicated feelings usually. She’s still an auto-buy after all these years.

Jenn Bennett – I stumbled upon Jenn Bennet because of the cover of Alex, Approximately, which I adored. I love the dialogue between her characters. I’ve read four books of hers now and I think it’s time to add her on my auto-buy list.

Karen Marie Morning – speaking of historical romances. Karen Marie Morning wrote this highlander books before her Fever Series and I loved it. Love her alpha male Highlanders who could wield druid magic and travel time. And then she wrote Darkfever and that was it – she’s been an auto-buy author for a long while now.

Christi Caldwell – another historical romance author that I stumbled on but this time with a Kindle Unlimited account where I could devour most of her books. And she has a lot. Christi Caldwell never seems to stop writing it seems. I love most of her books, though some fell flat for me too, but I’ve enjoyed her Wicked Wallflower series a lot. So she’s an automatic read for me on my Kindle Unlimited account.

Kristin Hannah – I read The Nightingale when it first published then devoured all her books. She is one of my favorite authors. I have yet to read The Great Alone and I will excuse that because I had a year old baby when it published and my mother-in-law told me it was a bit heavy and dark. But I will read it soon!

Who’s on your auto-buy author list? Let me know in the comments below – I’d love to hear from you!

My First Audiobook Review

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Childish Spirits

Author: Rob Keeley

Link to Review: Starting Small Reads Blog

My actual review on this audiobook is posted on my children’s book review blog because it’s more for middle grade/young adult. But honestly, I think it would be good for adults who enjoy a mystery as well, hence why I’m cross-posting it.

The book itself is good, but I also wanted to talk about my experience with audiobooks.

Do you like to listen to them?

Before reviewing this audiobook, I tried two other ones. One of them was with my trial through Audible and I borrowed Sorcery of Thorns. I did not enjoy the ten minutes I listened to. Yes, only ten minutes! I couldn’t concentrate on the scene and the narrator’s voice was not getting me into the mood to listen. I felt so lost and I had heard so many good things about the book, I didn’t want to ruin my experience of it so I stopped.

But I didn’t want to give up on audiobooks. So many people I know enjoy them, I wanted to see if I would like them too. I thought it could help dwindle my TBR list if I could just listen to an audiobook while I drove or while I cleaned the house. I was wrong…

I borrowed another book, not with my Audible credit, since I only had one left. I used Overdrive (online library) and borrowed The Belles. It took a few days just to get to almost half way into the book. My son would listen in on the audiobook whenever he caught me, and he’d start asking question and then my daughter would join in with her babbling. I’d lose concentration and I’d end my session. 😞 Did I finish that book? No…but I remember the main character’s name was Camilla, I think…and there were lots of scenes with fashion and beauty elements. The narrator’s voice did a good job – but I seriously would have finished that book quicker by reading it.

The book above, Childish Spirits was short and the narrator was great. Ghost stories also have an oral history so that helped my frame of mind as well. It was perfect as an audiobook especially for someone like me who apparently has a short listening attention span! Seriously, audiobooks remind me of college lectures – and they put me to sleep. Oh the torture! So maybe I associate audiobooks with sleep and lectures? 😂

My verdict on audiobooks? I think they are great for children’s books or short stories. But for regular young adult and adult fiction, so far it’s not for me. I still won’t say I truly dislike them because someone suggested I listen to a memoir audiobook, like Michelle Obama’s bestseller. I will try it and see if it changes my mind. So far I’m not a big fan of them.

What do you think about audiobooks? Are you a fan? Or not? Any audiobooks you could recommend? Leave me a comment below, I’d love to read your thoughts!