Tag: blogging

20 Questions Book Tag

I saw this book tag on a few blogs but finally decided to do it after seeing it just recently on Nen & Jen check out and follow her lovely blog for more awesome content!

Let’s do this!

How many books are too many in a series?

I think it depends on the series – some just need to stop at three if it’s becoming repetitive or the writing/editing is suffering (I’m looking at you Anita Blake series 😅). In YA Fantasy or Sci-Fi, I love a good, solid, well written trilogy but lately I am in love with duologies. It keeps the story tight and exciting. But for historical romance novels with a whole family and each family member has a story to tell, I want each sibling or whoever to have their own book. So it depends!

How do you feel about cliff hangers?

I used to hate them, because I hate waiting a year for the sequel. Like why do you have to torture us?! 😂 But now that I blog about books, I have so many books on my TBR list, it makes the time go fast reading other books, and now I don’t mind them so much. Out of sight, out of mind haha…

Hardback or paperback?

I’m not picky anymore. Just give me books.

Favourite book?

I don’t have just one…I just have too many I love equally.

Least favourite book?

I don’t have a book I totally dislike. I mean there are a few, but not at the top of my head.

Love triangle…yes or no?

I love them when the girl picks the guy I want her to end up with. 😂

The most recent book you couldn’t finish?

I don’t know why but I just cannot push on to read Ruin & Rising by. Leigh Bardugo. I barely got through Chapter 1! And I just don’t have a desire to finish. I borrowed it twice already and both times I didn’t finish.

A book you’re currently reading?

The last book you recommended to someone?

Outside of my blogging, I recommended, Frankly in Love, by. David Yoon to one of my besties who is looking for more Asian authors.

Oldest book you’ve read (based on publication date)?

I think it has to be Pride and Prejudice. I’m pretty sure I’ve read older stuff in high school and college, does William Shakespeare count? Or Beowulf (wasn’t that a poem? 🤔)? Haha but the one I enjoyed is Pride and Prejudice.

Newest book you’ve read (based on publication date)?

I read a lot of eARCS that haven’t been published yet, but for published books, I’ll say Vow of Thieves by. Mary Pearson that was published on Aug. 6th. And I’m just looking at my NetGalley list.

Favourite author?

I have too many: Mary Pearson, Sarah J. Maas, Madeline Miller, Jenn Bennett, Sarah MacLean, Lisa Kleypas, Karen Marie Moning….way too many haha.

Buying books or borrowing them?

Mostly borrow because of cost and space but I’ve been buying more because I’m trying out book crate subscriptions. And I told my hubby I finally want a nice big book shelf in the house. I didn’t plan on one because my kids would pull off the books. But I do love our library!

A book you dislike that everyone else loves?

Very unpopular opinion but The Grisha series. 😞 I tried but for some reason, it doesn’t interest me.

Bookmarks or dog-ears?

Bookmarks!

A book you can re-read over and over?

Lisa Kleypas books I’ve re-read a lot when I’m in the mood for historical romance. But I also love the A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Can you read while listening to music?

I have two children. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’ve learn to read while listening to gaming youtube videos, Dan TDM videos, baby shark videos, Peppa Pig, Blippy…🤦🏻‍♀️💆🏻‍♀️

Multiple POV or one POV?

No preference, I love both, as long as it’s done well!

Do you read a book in one sitting or over multiple days on average? 

If the book is good, then in one sitting (well…actually that’s what I used to do before kids-so I’d say in one day because my kids do come first). But if a book is slow-paced, it will take me a few days.

Who do you tag?

Anyone who wants to do this tag! No pressure. 😘

Thanks for reading my post! Hope you enjoyed it and if you do any book tags, please put your links in my comments. I love reading book tag posts!

First Lines Friday

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!

Aloha Friday everyone! It’s the LAST Friday of August, hooray! The closer I can get to cooler weather here in Hawaii, the better, except that may not happen for another 2 months. Yes, it’s usually hot and humid even on Halloween – it makes trick or treating really gross.

Speaking of Halloween – I already got decorations from Target, yup and my daughter, bless her sweet little heart, loves pumpkins. She’s been playing with our pumpkin decorations all week and it’s still summer. It’s hot, I’m tired and I’m just trudging through this heat, staying on top of my son’s homework and yesterday I had to take everything out of the closet because we might have termites in the floor. Yup. SO much FUN – not. It was exhausting but I definitely got to throw out things, and I’m going to donate a lot of stuff too. I guess it’s time to rip out the carpet (This house is only 6 years old! ugh 😩) like my hubby and I have been planning and put the nice flooring we’ve been wanting to since we bought the house.

Anyway enough of that – this weekend is the LAST birthday celebration for my son, he had two weeks of cake, fun with family visiting from out of state, more cake and now with our Hawaii family, we are going to hang out in Waikiki for Labor Day weekend to celebrate his birthday with them. Ladies and gents, I will be getting a margarita or Mai Tai or mojito or something tropical that will make me feel like I’m on vacation, because…I deserve it. 🏝🍹⛱ (honestly I’m so tired of the sun though haha)

With all THAT said…sorry…lol…

Can you guess this book?

“Candlelight reflected off the silver anchor etched onto my sister’s necklace. It was an ugly piece of jewelry and something Eulalie would never have picked out for herself.”

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Intriguing! Has anyone read this book yet? Did you like it? Let me know in the comments below and I hope all of you have an amazing weekend!

Ultimate Book Tag

Another fun book tag post from A Little Haze Book Blog! Check out her book blog for more book tag ideas and enlightening book reviews. Let’s see how well I do answering these questions:

1. Do you get sick while reading in the car?

I never used to but I haven’t tried it in forever since I’m always the one doing the driving lately!

2. The Harry Potter Series or The Twilight Saga? Give 3 points to defend your answer

Twilight

  • According to my Goodreads Read list, I’ve read 2 Harry Potter Books. I don’t even remember the second one. It’s not for me.
  • I read Twilight so long ago but I loved the whole ordinary girl gets noticed by a vampire and a werewolf. I was addicted to this series.
  • It has romance! I love romance – did Harry Potter have any romance in it? I don’t even know!

3. Do you carry a book bag? If so what is in it?

Nope, I have one bag filled with my essentials, and no room for a book. Plus I’m always with my kids and they never leave me alone enough to actually read in public.

4. Do you smell your books?

Um yes…doesn’t every book lover smell books? 😂 I love it new, I love it old.

5. Books with or without illustrations?

Obviously without illustrations for novels but I read a LOT of children’s books and soon middle grade books for my son. He’s moving onto graphic novels so I’m trying them out too.

6. What book did you love while reading but discovered later it wasn’t quality writing?

Long ago (I act like I’m a dinosaur sometimes 😆) – long ago, in late 1990’s, when I was in college, lol… I started reading Lauren K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series. It’s urban fantasy, and I thought it was really good, different, Anita Blake was a badass vampire slaying private investigator, it was addicting, kinda racy, a little kinky, sexy if you like seeing someone hook up with shape-shifters, ya know…but then each book after the first few started sounding the same. And Anita didn’t only now have a vampire lover and a shape-shifter lover…she had a few…like soon all the story was about who’s turn it was for her to have sex with and I gave up. And look, I don’t even mind sometimes if a book doesn’t have quality writing, but when it’s a series and the newest book reads like the last book, then we have a problem. I gave up…and I just checked goodreads and it says there are now 26 books in the series!! I think I gave up at book 10.

7. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share!

Not that I can think of.

8. What is the thinnest book on your shelf?

The Little Prince by. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

9. What is the thickest book on your shelf?

Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning

10. Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future becoming an author?

I started writing in the 6th grade, writing some teen romance novel. I wrote in diaries since the 4th grade, journaling until I was about…33 – when my kids came, I found no time to write. But when I thought to tell my parents when I was young I wanted to be a writer/author…my immigrant parents said “what do you mean, writing? What is that? You can only be a doctor, lawyer or nurse.” 😂 SO…I wrote and wrote for years privately, never really finishing a story because I didn’t believe I could I think. I had a few blogs years ago to just write about what was going on in my life – especially when I was wedding planning. Did some paid blogging jobs also, which was was surprising and fun. But never sat down and finished a story. Instead I just read a lot, worked in a library (to be near books), and finally told myself to start a blog again to do book reviews since all I do is read so much. Will it happen? I don’t know. Maybe. My friends keep trying to encourage me, which is nice. But we shall see…

11. When did you get into reading?

I remember being fascinated with the Disney version of Cinderella at like 5 or 6. But getting INTO reading, like…when my addiction started? I’d say middle school when I read teen romance novels that my older cousins handed down to me. 😬

12. What is Your Favourite Classic Book?

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and of course, Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen.

13. In school was your best subject English or another Language Arts subject?

English and History

14. If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated, what would you do?

The only person who gifts me books is my mother-in-law! If someone did give me a book I hated I would donate it to the library haha.

15. What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or The Hunger Games?

There are so many books on Amazon by indie authors similar to Harry Potter, but with a female protagonist. I’ll mention The Culling Trials (Shadowspell Academy Series).

16. What is your favourite word?

So hard to pick one. But one of my favorites is “Mana” – in Hawaiian it means “power”, the power inside of you or the power of nature, etc…

17. Are you a Nerd, Dork, or Dweeb? Or all of the above?

A book nerd for sure. Sometimes a dork, but aren’t we all? Dweeb…hmmm, what exactly is a dweeb?

18. Vampires or Faeries?

You really going to make me pick? Because I think my love for both them are EQUAL. Now would I want to get with a vampire or Faerie? I might like the lure of Faerie much more…they seem to have a lot of fun. 😂

19. Bookmark or Random Piece of Paper?

Both, because I love bookmarks but always lose them! I blame my daughter though, she takes them from me.

20. Love Triangle or Forbidden Love?

I love a good love triangle if it’s done well. I love anything with “love” in it. 😅

21. One book at a time or several books at once?

I used to only read one book at a time but when I started this blog I wanted to have all these posts ready to go and then I signed up for NetGalley and now I read several books at once. It’s taken awhile for me to get used to it and sometimes I get overwhelmed and take a break from reading. Hopefully I can get back to reading one at a time.

22. Can you stop reading at any part of the book or does it have to be the end of the chapter?

I shoot for end of the chapter.

23. Do you write in your books?

Nope. The only one I ever wrote in was my paperback copy of Jane Eyre but ever since then I don’t do it.

24. Can you read while listening to music or watching TV?

I can read while my kids watch tv – does that count? 😂 but I prefer quiet.

25. Do you read out loud or silently in your head?

Silently but sometimes when the writing is just so beautiful, I read a passage out loud to just appreciate how wonderful it is!

BONUS QUESTION: Physical book, e-book or audio book?

Physical and ebooks and NO to audiobooks. I don’t have the concentrate needed for audiobooks.

And that’s another book tag! If you think this was fun and you want to do it, feel free to leave me your link in my comments. I would love to read your answers! Happy reading book lovers!

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…)

Monthly Wrap Up: June 2019

I was so busy this weekend, I almost forgot it is the last day of June! There has been so many things going on.

I went back to school shopping for my son, attended a library book sale this weekend and sometimes I feel I just can’t keep up. I hope July is less busy for me because August is going to be super crazy with back to school and my in-laws coming to visit.

So let’s see what I read this month:

I think I did pretty good! I feel like I need to read less in July just to give myself a break.

Sweetbitter by. Stephanie Danler – 4 stars

The Bone Witch by. Rin Chupeco – 4 stars

The Heart Forger by. Rin Chupeco – 4.5 stars

The Shadow Glass by. Rin Chupeco – 4.5 stars

Sky Without Stars by. Jessica Brody & Joanne Rendell – 3.5 stars

Enchantee by. Grita Trelease – 4 stars

The Storm Crow by. Kalyn Josephson – 4.5 stars

The Lovely War by. Julie Berry – 4.5 stars

The Orphan’s Song by. Lauren Kate – 4 stars

The Culling Trials (Shadowspell Academy) by. K.F. Breene & Shannon Mayer – 4.5 stars

Heartwood Box by. Ann Aguirre – 3.5 stars

Testimony From The Perfect Girl by. Kaui Hart Hemmings – 4 stars

Legendary by. Stephanie Garber – 4.5 stars

On The Come Up by. Angie Thomas – 4.5 stars

Dream Keeper by. Amber R. Duell – 3 stars

Crown Of Feathers by. Nicki Pau Preto – 4 stars

Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things by. Jacqueline Firkins -4.5 stars

Spin The Dawn by. Elizabeth Lin – 4 stars

Crown of Coral and Pearl by. Mara Rutherford – 4 stars

Sorcery of Thorns by. Margaret Rogerson – 4.5 stars

Oh and we can’t forget the children’s books I read….

You can find these reviews at Starting Small Reads.

And to end this month I did something bookish! Yesterday and today I attended the Friends of the Library Annual book sale here in Hawaii. And yesterday everything was 50% off! Today, was the last day and everything was only 50 cents each! So I went both days and came away with these:

This is a two day total of……$14!!! Woohoo! Now…I wish I went on opening day, because the regular sale prices for these books were already like $1-5 each, which I would have paid. I used to attend this book fair when I was single and had lots of time on my hands. Now with my kids, I just wouldn’t take them – it’s held in a high school cafeteria, no A/C, some fans, some open doors, lots of time perusing and lots of sweating bodies. I live on an island so it’s been hot and humid.

One of my besties, J, came with me yesterday and we got a chance to peruse the tables for a good hour. I decided last minute to go again today but had no babysitter, so I took my 2 year old daughter with me, and my hubby took our son to swim class. She lasted about…15 minutes…I pushed it to 30 minutes, but by then she wouldn’t even enter the aisles with me. 😂 She wanted a lady bug book and there was none to be found! So I grabbed whatever covers appealed to me today. I’ve read a bunch of these already, but I wanted to re-read them. Next year I’ll plan for going on opening day, with no kids in tow and a ice cold bottle of water.

As for everything else, I’m trying to read, review, and enjoy summer with my family but I feel like everything is so rushed. School starts in 4 weeks! I have house guests in 6 weeks and soon it’ll be Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. 🎃🎄😂 You know how there is that Mid-Year Freakout Tag circling the book blogging world? I am freaking out…but not about books…or my TBR list…just about LIFE. 😂

How did you do in June? Read anything fabulous? Are you ready for the second half of the year? Let me know in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you!

Happy Reading! 😘

Weekly Wrap-Up: Blogging, Reading, Bookstagram

Aloha everyone – it’s finally the weekend!

I have been tinkering with this blog the past two days, trying to make it look the way I want and getting frustrated. I also debated on whether to take it to wordpress.org, pay for hosting, to give me more freedom, etc…and I did. I “created” a site last night and wasn’t liking it. And I might give up on it (after one day 😂), so much to freedom. To think I built my own website, Freshman year in college, from scratch ugh…my friend pointed out that was 20+ years ago. Thanks friend. 😘 Guys and girls, I suck at it. Or I just don’t have the patience for it anymore lol – these templates and widgets are so convenient!

Image via Giphy

I’ll let that website simmer and stew…until I figure out what I want to do with it!

What I Read This Week:

What I’m Reading Right Now:

  • The Shadow Glass (The Bone Witch #3) by. Rin Chupeco
  • The Lovely War by. Julie Berry
  • On The Come Up by. Angie Thomas

On My TBR List:

  • Nocturna by. Maya Motayne
  • Girl of Glass by. Megan O’Russell
  • Ivory and Bone by. Julie Eshbaugh
  • Crown of Feathers by. Nicki Pau Preto
  • The Gilded Wolves by. Roshani Chokshi

On My NetGalley TBR List:

  • Heartwood Box by. Ann Aguirre
  • The Lady Rogue by. Jenn Bennett
  • The Grace Year by. Kim Liggett

Let’s hope I finish reading all of these books! Sometimes I’m too ambitious. Lately I’ve been reading while working out on the elliptical machine in my room. I need to exercise (ain’t getting any younger and my blood pressure keeps getting higher 😫) and reading while I exercise makes the time go by much faster, thank goodness. ❤️

📷 Do any of you bookstagram?

I love the book community on Instagram because I learn about a lot of new titles that way. Plus some people just have skills with a camera! I wish that was me, I love the book photos. 😊 I’ve been lazy about taking good photos but I’m going to try my best and step up my game. It’s fun finding props to use and it gives me an excuse to buy a bouquet of fresh flowers for my dining table. I use those blooms for my book photo shoots so it’s a win-win! Follow me on ig @ylmpastmidnight to check out my bookstagram photos and leave me your ig in the comments below so I can follow you too!

And that’s all I got for today ~ what are you reading? Do you have trouble making your blog look the way you want, like me? 🤔 I hope you all have a wonderful relaxing weekend. Happy Reading! 😘

What I’m Reading

Or trying to attempt to read… The TBR list is growing on my shelf (hard covers), and also in my NetGalley and Overdrive accounts. That’s a good thing, since I’d rahter have books to read than nothing at all. 😉

The Hardcover Books ❤️ I got these gorgeous books at the library – it’s always a long wait for someone as impatient as me. But wait, I must! Going to start these soon:

Isn’t she gorgeous? This is one thick, heavy book, coming in at 827 pages! 😱 I have to find the right time to dig into this one – after my early Easter Egg hunt party I’m hosting this Sunday should be good.

I’ve heard lots of good things about this book and I hope it lives up to the hype.


I am intrigued with this series because of Zara’s interaction or “relationship” with her ship, Nadim! Yes, I thought I was going crazy that I was kind of falling in love with her ship. A ship. But think of them as big whale space pets that can talk – sounds confusing, I know, but that’s what my son said it sounded like when I tried to explain to him what Nadim was. My son is six 🤷🏻‍♀️😂. But it’s a unique intergalactic adventure and I can’t wait to read this one.

My NetGalley list is growing but I’m trying to finish up these two I picked up on a whim:

I’m trying desperately to finish this book. But it is not for me, yet I’m determined to finish. I think my problem with it is the main character – I just don’t care for her.

I was drawn in with that pretty cover and I thought I was in the mood for a young adult romance, but by Chapter 17, I found myself reading one chapter and then putting it down. I’m going to finish today and send in my review because I really do want to move onto my other NetGalley reads.

This one looks promising – it hooked me at Michaelangelo, the Sistine Chapel and secret societies. It reminds me a bit of The Da Vinci Code, which I obsessed over when it first released.

Having visited the Vatican 7 years ago, it reminds me of that amazing trip and just the glory of that fresco in the Sistine Chapel. So I hope this is a good one full of action, the setting is perfect for a thrilling adventure!

And last but not least – the books on my Overdrive:

I just finished this one yesterday and it was pretty good! It has romance, steamy sex scenes, and a pretty fascinating world out in space. This is definitely a series I will be continuing when the sequel comes out. Check out my review here.

Have you read any of these books? What are you reading now? Leave me your comments below! 😘

Reading Past Midnight

I haven’t kept a blog in years so I’m a bit rusty at this but I have lots of time to relearn how to do all this.  Bear with me!

I’ve created blogs about my life, blogs about my crafting (when I used to do a lot of crafting) and I’ve always wanted to do a book review blog, so why not start now?

Ever since I was a pre-teen (back in the early 90’s) and stumbled upon my older cousin’s Teen Dreams young adult books, I was hooked.  Then came Sweet-Valley High and books by R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike!  Wow, I’m really taking myself down memory lane here.  I can see the library at middle school just at the front of my mind, the smell of the paperback books, that sense of calm perusing the library shelves.  And then L.J. Smith wrote The Vampire Diaries and I wasn’t only hooked, I fell in LOVE, hard.

If that shows my age, so be it!  I know the story has been made into a successful tv series, but I was 12 when that book came out.  Those Salvatore brothers – swoon.  And Elena and her friends – loved them!  I read and re-read all of her books, over and over and over again, well into my late 20’s.  My original copies of the books fell apart and I bought the new editions.

Many years later, now I’m a mother of two children, E is 6 going on 7 this year, and L just turned 2.  I went from a working woman to a stay-at-home mom.  It’s been filled with challenges, fun times, hard times and I’ve never had my sleep cycle tested so much until I had kids.  Some nights I’m just crazy exhausted, but I’m getting back into the groove where my sleep cycle is getting back to what it was pre-kids.

Yet even through life’s changes and challenges – the one thing that stayed constant is my love of books.  I read.  I read so much.  I started logging how much I read on my GoodReads account and last year I read 60+ books alone.  Why so much?  Reading online through the kindle app in the past few years has given me chances to read while putting my kids to sleep.  I still love physical books but leaving the lamp on all night – past midnight – wasn’t ideal for me, my hubby or my kids (wherever I parked myself to sleep at night for the past 6 years haha).  Reading on my iPad is so convenient – I’m usually reading past midnight while everyone sleeps.  Hence the title of my blog.  Appropriate, don’t you think?

I read a lot of romance and young adult genres lately, it used to be more varied.  I had phases growing up: mysteries, horror, suspense, thrillers, fantasy, but lately I just want to read happy endings.

If you have recommendations on new romance and young adult books you think I’d like, please let me know in the comments below!  I’m always looking for new books to read.  post