The Sunshine Blogger Award #2

I’m FINALLY getting around to posting this one but Thank you so much to Lindsay at Paw-Some Reads for tagging me with my second Sunshine Blogger award. Check out her awesome blog for great book reviews and other fun book content!

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.

Lindsay’s Questions:

What is your favorite genre to read?

It used to be romance but I think I have to admit now that it’s fantasy. Fantasy that has romance in it is my most favorite.

Would you rather read a great plot with average characters or a boring plot with amazing characters?

Ah! What a question…I’ll go with boring plot with amazing characters because maybe the characters can somewhat salvage the story! Haha

Do you have any pets?

Does a bat decoration from the Target store count? My son insists it’s his pet and he’s named it Miko, it even comes with his own cage! HAHA…on a serious note, I lost my sweet baby girl, Sky last year. I don’t think I’ve recovered yet – we miss her dearly. The kids want another pet but I don’t think I’m ready.

What has been your favorite read of 2019?

There have been SO many good ones!! But I’ll say Serpent & Dove because it’s my most recent favorite.

What was the last movie you watched, and did you like it?

I watched Moana couple days ago with my kids since it was on the tv and I LOVE the movie. As for new movies? i don’t get out much. 😩

Who is your favorite fictional villain?

My brain is drawing a BLANK but I say it’s due to the sinus pressure in my face (ugh HATE being sick)…so let’s go with my fave from the tv series Game of Thrones, the Night King. Even Cersi was pretty bad-ass, I hated her and loved her villainous ways!

How do you feel about audiobooks?

Don’t like them. I have no focus and patience for them.

What’s your dream job?

An author? At least that used to be my dream job. Right now a travel writer would be nice too…been stuck in Hawaii since I gave birth to my son seven years ago! I have the travel bug…BADLY.

Do you watch booktube/who are some of your favorite booktubers?

I only know one booktube duo so far and learned of them through Instagram – they are called AudioShelf!

Do you review books that you DNF?

Nope – and if it’s an arc on NetGalley, I think I DNF’ed one and reviewed it on NetGalley but not on my blog.

Would you rather read outside by the pool on a sunny day or inside curled up with blankets on a rainy day?

Blankets on a rainy day! A sunny day by the pool would probably mean I am IN the pool because it’s so dang hot in Hawaii. I overheat too quick haha.

And that’s my answers! So here are my question and yes some are inspired by Halloween:

What are your plans for Halloween?
What’s the spookiest book you’ve ever read?
What is your favorite Halloween movie?
What’s your favorite candy?
Where was the last place you went to on vacation/holiday?
What is your favorite romance trope? (Enemies to lovers? Friends to lovers?)
Do you dress up for Halloween? If yes, what will be your costume this year?
How many books have you read so far this year?
Do you keep a reading journal?
Name one thing that is challenging about blogging?
Do you buy books online or in a physical store?

I’m tagging:

Chelsie @ My Reading Escape

Sarah June

Nadya @ Pop of Geek

Nicole – The Anatomy of a Bookworm

BiCoastal Confessions

And remember you are not obligated to do this tag at all! It’s just for fun and only if you feel like it. Would love to see your answers. ☺️

First Lines Friday (9/27/19)

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!

Happy Autumn and Aloha Friday everyone! Wow…what a September so far. Was trying to get my son better because he had a cold, and we finally got a handle on it last week. He’s much better but his little sister got sick this past weekend. So off to the doctor we went yesterday and she has an ear infection. I feel like I’m coming down with whatever she has and trying desperately not to. It gives me an excuse to read though! I’m definitely more in the mood to read than review though. 📚

Here are my lines for today:

“The gravedigger’s children were troublemakers. They chased chickens through the neighbor’s yards, brandishing sticks like swords, claiming that the fowl were monsters in disguise.”

🤔

I got this book in OwlCrate’s September box that graced my mailbox this past weekend! AND instead of the black cover I got a white cover. It’s gorgeous. I don’t have the black cover to compare but I think both covers look amazing and I’ve heard good things about this book. Can’t wait to dig in…but I will dig in AFTER I read Serpent & Dove, because I really need to read that book. HAHA…have a wonderful weekend everyone!

First Lines Friday (09/12/19)

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!

Happy Friday the 13th everyone! 🌕 Isn’t it also a full moon tonight?

My son was down with a cold for half the week, so that’s what I was dealing with. But it gave me time to read since he finally rested a little.

So I’ve been on a weird spectrum with the books I’m reading. It’s either ya dark fantasy or light contemporary ya books lately. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’m trying to finish up the contemporary stuff so I can just be all in with the darker themed books. It’s getting me in the mood for Halloween, which is one of my favorite holidays. Here are some lines from a book I am dying to read:

“There’s something haunting about a body touched by magic. Most people first noticed the smell: not the rot of decay, but a cloying sweetness in their noses, a sharp taste on their tongues.”

🤔

I’ve heard amazing things about this book and yes I have the physical copy on my shelf! Have you read it? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear from you.

Have a wonderful weekend fellow readers and bloggers!

Lover – Book Tag

I found this super fun book tag from Sara @ The Bibliophagist . She created it and it is inspired by Taylor Swift’s new album Lover, which I was playing all of last week. Check out Sara’s blog for more amazing book content!

Rules:

Link back to the creator, Sara @ The Bibliophagist!
Answer the questions!
Tag whoever you want and link back to the person who tagged you!

I Forgot That You Existed: a book from your childhood that you don’t remember anything about

♪ it isn’t love, it isn’t hate, it’s just indifference ♪

Required reading – I forget at what age, 5th grade? Something like that, but all I remember is the cover because of the dogs and that’s it.

Cruel Summer: the worst book you’ve read this summer

♪ it’s blue, the feeling I’ve got and it’s… it’s a cruel summer ♪

It’s not horrible, I just couldn’t get into this one! 😒

Lover: a bookish relationship that’s perfect exactly the way it is

♪ can we always be this close forever and ever ♪

Because I just love Lara Jean and Peter K. together. They just make sense. 🤷🏻‍♀️💕

The Man: a book with a badass female main character

♪ if I was a man, then I’d be the man ♪

Lara from The Bridge Kingdom – I’m scared of her and ready to see how much she kicks ass in book 2. 😅 I’m actually reading at eArc of Diamond City right now and the protagonist, Aina, actually is more scary badass than Lara, but I’m going with what is published.

The Archer: a book with great character development

♪ I see right through me ♪

A lot of characters in this book show growth, it’s an awesome book. I read it as an arc but I now need a physical copy to re-read it.

I Think He Knows: your fictional crush

♪ he got my heartbeat skipping down 16th Avenue ♪

Rhysand – High Lord of the Night Court. 🖤

Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince: a book set in high school

♪ waving homecoming queens, marching band playing, I’m lost in the lights ♪

A high school enemies to lovers, next door neighbors, love story.

Paper Rings: a book with a happy ending

♪ I like shiny things, but I’d marry you with paper rings ♪

I’ll go with THE classic happily ever after, no not Cinderella….Pride and Prejudice. A thousand times, yes.

Cornelia Street: a setting you’ll never forget

♪ “I rent a place on Cornelia Street,” I say casually in the car ♪

I just finished this book recently and I won’t forget it for sure. It’s a retelling of one of my favorite childhood stories Twelve Dancing Princesses. I love the setting, the whole vibe, a house by the sea, with a creepy curse, a mystery, and horror. 😱

Death by a Thousand Cuts: a book that broke your heart

♪ I can’t pretend that it’s okay when it’s not ♪

I was not okay at the end of The Shadow Glass. Was there no other way? 😭

London Boy: a setting that plays a big role in the story

♪ show me a gray sky, a rainy cab ride ♪

The setting in We Hunt the Flame is vital to the story – the Arz, a cursed forest is what prompts the protagonist to go on a treasure hunt. I loved the setting in this book!

Soon You’ll Get Better: a book that made you cry

♪ what am I supposed to do if there’s no you? ♪

I went into this book laughing and contemplative, then it hit me in the end with a sad event. It was kind of out of the blue and I was like…what? 😢

False God: a book with a well-written sexy scene

♪ I know heaven’s a thing, I go there when you touch me, honey ♪

I read two books in August with sex in it (I swear I used to read more books with sex in them 😂🤷🏻‍♀️) – I’ve been in YA bookland for awhile I think…so I’ll go with The Spitfire, an adult historical romance.

You Need to Calm Down: a book featuring an LGBT romance

♪ shade never made anybody less gay ♪

The most recent LGBT book I read and reviewed recently is Mooncakes. It’s a super cute graphic novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Review to come.

Afterglow: a great second chance romance

♪ why’d I have to break what I love so much? ♪

In The Lady Rogue, Theo and Huck are so cute especially when they are bickering. 😂 But they are totally meant to be together, despite what happened in the past.

ME!: your all-time favorite book

♪ I promise that you’ll never find another like me ♪

Going off the books I’ve re-read a lot the past few years – it has to be this series, for now…😬

It’s Nice to Have a Friend: your favorite friends-to-lovers book

♪ something gave you the nerve to touch my hand ♪

I feel like every Sarah Dessen novel could be a Taylor Swift song! What do you think? I can’t say this is my favorite, but the most recent friends to lovers I’ve read all year.

Daylight: a book with a positive message

♪ you gotta step into the daylight and let it go ♪

Okay I looked at my list of books I’ve read and geez…do I need more upbeat, happier reads! I mean most of what I read has a positive message whether the characters go through some crazy obstacles in life. But Vow of Thieves…had it all for me, it was an emotional rollercoaster, yes, it made me cry more than once. I love the characters, main ones, secondary ones…the message of strength, keep fighting, don’t give up. Kazi is MY hero. I’m glad she got her daylight in the end.

Tagging:

A Little Haze Book Blog

Kitty Marie’s Reading Corner

nen & jen

….and if you like doing book tags like I do, and I didn’t tag you, go ahead and try this one out! 😘

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!

This week’s topic is:

Books I Enjoyed That Are Outside of My Comfort Zone

(i.e., a genre you don’t typically read or subject matter you’re not usually drawn to)

I just got done reading this eARC of Mooncakes which is a graphic novel and I hardly read graphic novels. I saw awesome reviews for this one and gave it a try and LOVED it! I have a review on it coming up this week!

I don’t read middle grade books but I love Catherine Doyle and decided to give it a try. And I was not disappointed!

I’m not a big mystery fan, but I enjoy this series by indie author K.A. Miltimore who reached out to me to read and review her books. I love the supernatural characters and paranormal elements in this series. It always makes me want to move to a small town in Oregon. 🤔 And eat strangely shaped delicious pastries…😬

My comfort zone for the fantasy genre is more young adult fantasy which are broken up into trilogies and so when I borrowed this book I wasn’t sure what to expect. The Priory of the Orange Tree is a hefty book clocking in at 800+ pages. I read it in one week and I felt like it went slow because I couldn’t connect to the characters as I wanted to and I wanted more dragons really. It was pretty epic in scale, the world building , the length, the weight of the book (I felt like I was carrying around a newborn baby!).

I’ve been easing into reading sci-fi but I still enjoy reading it more as a space opera type books. It has to have romance and I definitely prefer it in as a young adult book. If it gets too technical, it loses me, so give me a book with action and emotion, like The Honors series and I can get into it.

Once in a great while I have the urge to read a book like Gone Girl. It’s not my favorite genre, but sometimes, just once in awhile, I need a good scare or freak out – I don’t know why! 😂 Last year I read Sharp Objects because I heard Amy Adams was going to star in the tv series. So I read the book beforehand and ugh…..it’s disturbing and just what I strangely wanted at the time. TOTALLY out of my comfort zone.

I read this one years ago when it came out in 2008 and I was working in a college library at the time and I borrowed from our collection. There was so much hype over it and so I read it and the whole series afterwards. What I really enjoyed about it was the computer hacking and revenge aspects but geez…it has a lot of disturbing scenes.

Apparently I’m digging deep in my Goodreads READ list to finish this topic…😅 but I read this 10+ years ago?! And I wasn’t into dystopia yet, Twilight was SO big that year, I remember falling in love with Vampires (again, you know there is always a cycle haha)…and I picked up this series and was like…whoa. It was just so different from all the vampire stuff I was reading, it was a breath of fresh air.

Bully romances…I actually liked book one Broken Legacy of this series, but after book two I decided to give up on the series and probably bully romances in general. I love the romance genre, it is what made me fall in love with reading in general. But I can take only so much unhealthy relationships in the romance genre. 😂

Reverse harem books are definitely out of my comfort zone – I tried this series because I love indie author Jaymin Eve, I liked book one but by the time I got to book four I stopped. I couldn’t make myself read book five. I just can’t do the whole one girl, five brothers relationship. 😅 It’s just way too much sharing for my taste. I can deal with a love triangle but more than that…it’s too much for me.

That’s my TTT today! I look forward to reading your lists ~ are any of these out of your comfort zone as well? Let me know in the comments below!

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.”

⤋

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! 😘