31 Aug 2017

BLOG TOUR: I HATE EVERYONE BUT YOU by Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin // #Excerpt

31 August 0 Comments
Hello and welcome to my blog tour stop for

I HATE EVERYONE BUT YOU by Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin!

Today I have an excerpt from the book for you so be sure to check it out below.

I HATE EVERYONE BUT YOU

Authors: Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin
Series: N/A
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: September 5, 2017

 Summary:
Dear Best Friend,
I can already tell that I will hate everyone but you.
Sincerely,
Ava Helmer
(that brunette who won’t leave you alone)

 We're still in the same room, you weirdo.
Stop crying.
G

 So begins a series of texts and emails sent between two best friends, Ava and Gen, as they head off to their first semesters of college on opposite sides of the country. From first loves to weird roommates, heartbreak, self-discovery, coming out and mental health, the two best friends will document every moment to each other. But as each changes and grows into her new life, will their friendship be able to survive the distance?
Purchase:
Continue reading...
Continue Reading
No comments: quickedit
Tags: , , , ,

30 Aug 2017

#Discussion: Tips and Tricks For First Time Convention Goers

30 August 1 Comments
The first time I went to a large convention, I was pretty scared. What do I bring? What do I wear? Mostly just “WHAT??” It’s overwhelming, a little confusing, but mostly I was too prepared and it ended up making me not fully enjoy myself while I was there. I’m a veteran now for events and conventions - not just bookish ones but also comic conventions and professional networking conventions. In honour of the bookish convention Love N. Vegas coming up (in Las Vegas!), here are some of my tips for going to a convention for the first time.

When Going to a Convention...

Understand that every day is going to be a long day. And the second day is going to feel even longer. Plan on this. Wear comfy shoes and clothes that you can sit and stand in. If you aren't comfortable wearing and walking in heels for 8 hours, don't wear them. I typically wear either tennis shoes or Sperrys. I also wear leggings or jeggings with a nice top or blouse (usually sleeveless so I can show off my tattoo tbh). I try to stay away from graphic tees unless they are book related just because I 1. don't own a lot of them and 2. am meeting a lot of authors and want to look profesh in my photos so I can post them on LinkedIn.
shoulder bag with items that you need to bring to a convention including a water bottle and wallet
Make sure you pack your bags with all the essentials!

Plan Your Day... Tentatively

Make sure you know what is available and what you FOR SURE want to do and keep those times blocked off to do those things. But don't be too discouraged if for some reason something falls through. Have back up plans so that you are doing something else instead. Make sure you schedule a time to eat (this is where granola bars come in handy though) and to just relax and recharge. You don't have to be doing something every second of every day, but it is nice to get to different panels or authors if you have the chance.
Continue reading...
Continue Reading
1 comment: quickedit
Tags: , , , ,

28 Aug 2017

BLOG TOUR: Mighty Jack and the Goblin King by Ben Hatke

28 August 0 Comments
Today I am a part of the blog tour for 

MIGHTY JACK AND THE GOBLIN KING by Ben Hatke!

I have a review of the first two volumes for you so make sure you check that out below!

MIGHTY JACK AND THE GOBLIN KING

Author: Ben Hatke
Series: Mighty Jack #2
Source: Sent from Publisher
Publisher: First Second Books
Publication Date: September 5, 2017
Rating: 4/5 stars

 Summary:
The garden behind Jack's house has gone wild with creatures set loose by the magic beans Jack and his kid sister Maddy planted. One particularly mean creature has kidnapped Maddy and carried her off. Now Jack and his neighbor Lilly must follow her to a world between worlds beyond the vines and stalks, where giants grind the bones of human children to feed their beast in the castle up above, and a fearsome goblin king rules down below. It'll take more than Lilly's bag of concoctions and tricks, and more than one hero, to rescue Maddy, reunite Jack's family, and bring them all safely home again.
Purchase:
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free and decided to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.

This is a double review as I will be talking about Volume 1 and 2 of the MIGHTY JACK series by Ben Hatke! This is a graphic novel series and I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for some good fun and an honest to goodness time.
Continue reading...
Continue Reading
No comments: quickedit
Tags: , , , ,

25 Aug 2017

Last 182 Days of 2017 TBR: Whoops I Am Behind

25 August 2 Comments
So I have been pretty MIA on here and in the reading world in general because, not going to lie, I'm super busy. I intern every day and read there constantly so when I come home I really don't feel like picking up a book and I use the weekends to study for the GRE, hang out with friends, and other errands. All in all, these are just bad excuses because I should be more active. But I should be more active, should be promoting books, should be using my voice to create change. So I will be doing more of that in the future.

 Since I'm only at 32/104 books for my reading challenge for the year, I thought I'd talk a bit about the books that I want to read to finish off my challenge and this year. I'm going to list them and give mini synopses with longer explanations for the books I'm really excited to read. I'm very behind on releases so I will not be talking about things that have yet to come out because at this point I can't care about them unless I've been sent a copy for review.
Continue reading...
Continue Reading
2 comments: quickedit
Tags: , ,

20 Jun 2017

ARC #Review: AFTERCARE INSTRUCTIONS by Bonnie Pipkin

20 June 5 Comments

AFTERCARE INSTRUCTIONS

Author: Bonnie Pipkin
Series: N/A
Source: eARC via Publisher
Publisher: Flatiron
Publication Date: June 27, 2017
Rating: 4/5 stars

 Summary:
In the tradition of Jandy Nelson and Rainbow Rowell, a big-hearted journey of furious friendship, crazy love, and unexpected hope after a teen's decision to end an unwanted pregnancy

 “Troubled.” That’s seventeen-year-old Genesis according to her small New Jersey town. She finds refuge and stability in her relationship with her boyfriend, Peter—until he abandons her at a Planned Parenthood clinic during their appointment to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. The betrayal causes Gen to question everything.

 As Gen pushes herself forward to find her new identity without Peter, she must also confront her most painful memories. Through the lens of an ongoing four act play within the novel, the fantasy of their undying love unravels line by line, scene by scene. Digging deeper into her past while exploring the underground theater world of New York City, she rediscovers a long-forgotten dream. But it’s when Gen lets go of her history, the one she thinks she knows, that she’s finally able to embrace the complicated, chaotic true story of her life, and take center stage.
This powerfully immersive and format-crushing debut follows Gen from dorm rooms to diners to house parties to auditions—and ultimately, right into readers’ hearts.
Purchase:
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and decided to review it. This in no way impacts my opinions of the book.

 This was really enjoyable and I loved the story and the characters but I wasn't a huge fan of the format with the flashbacks being in script. I think I would have enjoyed it more without that aspect. But I still really liked it! I think if you are a fan of heavy contemporary novels, this is one for you. The characters, the story, everything really worked for me.

I really liked the concept. I think some people will find it to be "controversial" but I think the topic itself was handled in a really fantastic way. It was clear that Gen had a clear understanding of what was going to happen to her and that she MADE THE CHOICE HERSELF. I liked that we never felt like she was forced or pressured to make one decision or the other, either in terms of sex, her future, or having an abortion. I felt so confident in Gen and her choices that even if I didn't agree with everything she did (like, for instance, getting extremely drunk when she shouldn't have), I still respected that she made the choice herself.

 I liked the community she surrounded herself with and that she had problems with another girl Because of a Boy but it wasn't JUST because of that. I think the conflicts in this one were really well handled. I also thought that the supporting cast was really excellent. I liked that her friends (and not friends) all had their own motivations and interests and I could tell the difference between them all. Although I would say that when we are first introduced to her cousin I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I think it was partly because of the procedure Gen had just gone through.

 The one thing that was meh to me was the flashbacks done in script format. I found that it took something away from the story and made me think of it as a story rather than staying in the moment and being there with the characters. I wasn't a fan and thought that without these scenes I would have enjoyed the story a bit more -- or even if they had been written in the same format. I am not a fan of changing formats within books and I don't like reading scripts so that is probably what did it for me.

 I think there is something for everyone in this book: first love, loss, tough decisions, family, and friendship. I highly recommend reading this one but be warned that there are Heavy Topics in this one. I think this is one that people will either love or hate so I am glad I was in the "Love" section of that one!
Continue reading...
5 comments: quickedit
Tags: , , , ,