Tag Archive | reading

Photo blogging #challenge January 2019 #books #photoblog

The theme for January’s photo blogging challenge hosted by http://hoohaa.com/ was BOOKS. I thought it would be a no brainer for me because books are my life. I read all the time. HOWEVER, I realized with this challenge that I do not take pictures of my books. The pictures that I took this month are not very creative/artistic, but they do tell stories about me.

Without further ado, here are my pictures on the theme.

I love reading and I have a Kindle unlimited subscription so that I can read lots of books. My goal on Goodreads is to read over 100 books over the course of 2019. Can you guess what my favorite genre is?

I like the feel of physical books, but I have a Kindle too. When I made the jump to digital books, I was unsure how I would feel about it. Fast forward to now, I love my paperwhite. On a good night, I am snuggled with a blanket with my Kindle in hand.

Talking about a different type of book, this is a sticker book that I use for decorating my planner. I have To-Do lists a mile long and using decorative stickers helps jazz it up. My favorite brand is MAMBI (Me and My Big Ideas). They always have super cute stickers. Their Free Spirit book was a recent release to their sticker book collection. I like the style because it uses a lot of the colors I like: blue, grey, pastels, and rose gold.

One of my goals in 2019 is to have better time management, especially when on social media. A guy at work was giving this book away and I took it. I am looking forward to reading and gaining some insights to put into action this year!

These are my pictures for this month’s photo challenge.

Check out the website to see the other bloggers’ submissions and interpretations of this theme.

20 Questions – Book Tag #booktag #bookaddict #amreading

Sep25

Hey everyone and happy Tuesday to you all!

I saw this tag over Galit Balli’s blog-Coffee n Notes and I thought I would participate since I have not done one of these is a long while.

How many books are too many books in a series?

If the series is about the same couple, then 3 is my max. If the series is about a large family of siblings and extended family with each book being about a different character’s romance? As long as the stories are varied (don’t rehash the same plot), there is no such thing as too many.

Image result for give me all the books meme

How do you feel about cliffhangers?

I hate cliffhangers in series! Detest them with a passion! If a book has a cliffhanger, the author needs to tell me before I buy the book. I will decide if I want to wait and buy all the books to complete the story or leave it.

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Hard copy or paperback?

Paperbacks. Hardback books get heavy and I like to read on my back. Almost put my eye out one time…

clumsy-jumping-off-dock

Favorite Book?

ALL time favorite: A Wrinkle in Time. #allthefeels #loveiseverything

A least Favorite book?

I cannot remember the name. If I don’t like a book, I put it out of my mind and forget it completely.

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Love triangles, yes or no?

I hate love triangles like I hate cliffhangers. Love triangles annoy me because I like to mentally prepare myself for who will be end up with who by the end of the book. In a love triangle, I don’t know who to root for. My heart cannot take it.

The most recent book you just couldn’t finish?

It was A SEAL’s Oath by Cora Seton. I usually like her books but this one was not doing it for me. I might try to read it again another time. I have not deleted off my kindle, so there’s that.

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A book you’re currently reading?

I am reading Dragon Craving: Emerald Dragons book 3. I wanted a book about dragon shifters and I have read other books by Amelia Jade.

Last book you recommended to someone?

I recommended Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter to a friend who said they wanted to read a suspense.

The oldest book you’ve read?

I think Jane Eyre. It was published in 1847.

The newest book you’ve read?

6+ Us Makes Eight by Nicole Elliot. It was published in May 2018. Despite what you might think, it was not as cheesy as it sounds.

Favorite Author?

Who has just one ???? I love so many: Cara Bristol, Terry Bolryder, Tessa Dare, Jasinda Wilder, Amanda Quick, Anna Hackett

Buying books or borrowing books?

I am 50/50 on this one. I buy A LOT of books, but I also borrow just as many from the library. That being said, I still have not signed up for Kindle Unlimited yet.

A book you dislike that everyone seems to like?

Probably The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. I mainly dislike it for the length. I like reading books in one sitting. This book is too long for me to do that. Plus I don’t like books with the time travel element in the plot.

Image result for sorry not sorry meme

Bookmarks or dog ears?

I don’t usually use bookmarks, because I read in one sitting. But if I needed to, I would definitely use a bookmark!

A book you can always re-read

Wrinkle in Time, any of my Amanda Quick books, any Terry Bolryder or Cara Bristol books

Can you read whilst hearing music?

Nope.

One pov or multiple pov’s?

I love a multiple POVs told from a third person point of view.

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

I read books in one sitting. I have to finish otherwise I cannot think about anything else. I obsess over it until it is done.

One book you read because of the cover

There are too many to choose from because I do this ALL. THE. TIME. It works out for me sometimes. Like with the entire Dragon series by Terry Bolryder. But there are times, when I will include in my review that they need to pick a different cover..

Wow, that took longer than I expected, but I am glad I finished it. If you love books like me and want to do this too, consider yourself tagged! If you do take on this tag, don’t forget to link your post to me so that I could read your amazing answers!!!

Seven Deadly Sins of Reading

Jun14

Tag: Seven Deadly Sins of Reading

I was tagged by Romance4thebeach to participate, and it has taken me a while to get my act together to respond.

Defined as: An intense and selfish desire for something.

What is your most expensive book?

I am a cheap person when it comes to buying book. I usually by books at thrift stores and the clearance rack at bookstores or in compilations on Amazon. My most expensive book that I can remember is Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. It was a book club choice and had a long waiting list at the library. I have not started it yet but I think I will read it next weekend.

Defined as: Extreme anger.

What author do you have a love/hate relationship with?

Eve Langlais. I need her to write faster or longer books. Or give me little short cyborg stories to tide me over until she gets the next book finished. From the first book, I fell in love with her cyborg series. But the book is over too soon! I need more. I don’t want to leave the world she created, but the book is finished and I have to wait months before I get the next book.

Defined as: Intense over-indulgence.

What book have you devoured over and over with no shame?

Dangerous, Ravished, Rendezvous and pretty much any of those one word title books by Amanda Quick that she wrote the 90s. Her heroines are pretty much the same independent women with ingenious ideas that may not always go according to plan. Thank goodness there is a strong, silent, honorable hunk of hero to assist. It was all that I wanted my own romance life to be. And to a certain extent, I think that I display some of the characteristics of Quick’s heroines. And my hubby is very similar to Quick’s heroes.

Defined as: a reluctance to work or make an effort.

What book have you neglected to read due to laziness?

Any books from the Outlander series. I was excited about getting into her books because my friend said they were “awesome!”. I went to Amazon to buy it and saw it was 800 pages. Nope. Nope. Not for me. I like to read a whole book in one sitting. So the most I can read is about 500 pages a day. I am not trying to read a book like it’s a job. I got tired thinking about reading Outlander.

Defined as: satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.

What book do you talk about most in order to sound like an intellectual reader?

I think that I sometimes drop Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte into a conversation to let people know that I do not JUST read trashy romance novels.

Defined as: a strong sexual desire.

What attributes do you find attractive in male characters?

I love an alpha male. He is intelligent, witty, has a touch of a bad attitude, and comes across as a little cocky, but no one can argue because he has it going on. However, he becomes a softy in the hands of the heroine. He takes care of what is his and is fiercely loyal. While being rich (i.e. billionaire status) does not have to be part of the equation, it does help if money no object.

Defined as: a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck.

What book would you most like to receive as a gift?

So, I have to admit that I am a little greedy. I cannot just choose one book. I would LOVE it if someone would gift me the rest of the Billionaire’s Obsession Series by J.S Scott. I have read Simon, Sam, Max, Travis, Jason, and Tate’s stories. I NEED the rest. Even the ones that have not been published yet. I know the stories are going to great.

I nominate any bloggers that reads this to participate if they so desire. Let me know if you do this challenge because I would like to read your answers. Leave your link in the comments below.

How would beauty change you?

Jan8

Beauty (The Beauty Series)

Scale of 1 – 5: ♥ ♥ ♥

Has ever been something that you wanted and you thought if you had it all your troubles would be over? What would you do if someone offered it to you? How deep is your desire?

Eve thought that if she lost weight, she would be pretty. And if she was pretty, all her troubles would be over. She would have friends that she wanted, the boy that she wanted, the life that she deserves.

Through a twist of fate, she has the body she always wanted. She is skinny.

But nothing ever comes without a price.

What is her price? As long as she stays the person she is, keeps her personality the same, she is able to stay skinny. It would seem to be a simple thing: stay a good person and stay slim.

And then we find out what low she is willing to go just to grasp the life of person she thinks that she wants to be. And as her problems snowball, her body begins to gain weight. As Eve spirals out of control, she has to make definite decisions about what should be important in her life.

What leads to true happiness?
What good is a friend if he or she is fake?
What good is a friend if they do not have your best interests in mind?

Beauty (The Beauty Series) was the worst case scenario for someone who has a chance at something they desired their whole life. It seems that every possible bad decision, Eve made it. All the while she was trying to justify why it was okay. She believed that she could beat the system as if her actions had no consequences.

Beauty (The Beauty Series) was interesting in a very dark way. It could almost be seen as a cautionary tale. In Eve’s case, her desire was weight-loss, but I think that “weight loss” could be a metaphor for any item that you desire with your whole being and you’re willing to sacrifice your life for that.

Some things we feel are worth the sacrifice, but we end up losing more of ourselves in the pursuit of that goal. So, was it worth it?

***warning: this book contains drug abuse, rape, and other disturbing acts

Noble Birth – Brenda Novak

Jan1

Of Noble Birth

The main characters for this romance novel are Nathaniel and Alexandra.

Nathaniel was born with a disabled arm and almost died as a baby by his father’s hands. His mother died soon after giving birth to him and so the maid took him to raise as her own child. Needless to say, he has serious emotional issues. Alexandra starts the story as a seamstress escaping a physically abusive stepfather. Her mother died leaving her with an alcoholic stepfather who was a mean drunk.

The story was very convoluted to me. The synopsis that I read on Amazon did not fully prepare me for the emotional roller coaster that was their romance. Nathaniel kidnaps Alexandra because he thought she was his half-sister. When he finally he believes she is not his sister, you can cue the romance.

Every time I thought their problems were over, something else would happened to separate the couple. Nathaniel’s main nemesis is the father that will not claim him. Knowing that your father tried to kill you at birth will do that.

This romance in a nutshell:

Found love!

Torn apart!

Together again!

Torn apart!

Together again!

Book over. The end.

Because of the highs and lows of the book Of Noble Birth, it seemed longer than it was. Their love was tested so many times that it made me tired. At one point, I was like “Something else is happening. When is this book going to end?”

However, if you like long drawn out romance novels, then you will like this book. This is the type of book you choose when you have the entire day to read.