24-Hour Read-a-Thon

I've been seeing these 24-hour Read-a-thon's all over the place and I thought they looked incredibly fun and I wanted to join in. So, fully stocked with yummy iced coffee, Flamin' Hot Cheetos, my reading glasses for when my eyes get tired, and plenty of water...I'm ready to do this!

* It is 5:00 pm on Friday, July 21st. I have officially started my Read-a-thon. As I type this I am currently listening to the audio book of 'Talking as Fast as I Can' by Lauren Graham. I only have about 20 minutes left on this one, but it's still reading!

Up next I'm going to jump into 'The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue' by Mackenzi Lee. I'm only about 60 pages in and I look forward to finishing this fun and funny story. I'll keep updating as I go along :0)


* It is now 8:36 pm and I'm only at page 231 in Gentleman's Guide. This book is dragging and wordy and I really wish more were happening at this point. Feeling this way at almost halfway through isn't giving me a lot of hope. I'm going to put this one down right now, because if I keep trying it will be the only thing I read this whole 24-hours.

I think I'm actually going to pick up a graphic novel, next. I just got 'Spell on Wheels' in the mail today and I'm really excited to read it.


* Took a short break to make myself some dinner. It was buffalo shrimp and it was delicious. Just before eating I finished Spell on Wheels and I loved it! I need more, which makes it extra sad that I couldn't find any evidence that they are going to make any more of them.

Now I'm trying to choose between 'Throwing My Life Away' by Liz Czukas, 'It Happened One Doomsday' by Laurence MacNaughton, and 'Matchpoint' by Elise Sax.


* It's 7:42 am and I just woke up. I only ended up making it until just after 1 am last night, then I crashed hard. I finally decided on 'Matchpoint' and read 60 pages before I passed out. It's the second in the series of these mystery/romance books and I'm definitely enjoying it. It's got a lot of humor, but there is also murder. So, you know, it balances. Hopefully, now that I'm well rested, I should be able to fly through the rest of this in a couple of hours and pick up my next book!


* It's 12:27 pm. I just finished 'Matchpoint' and I forgot how funny this series is. It's been ages since I read the first one and this one was just as good. I took a break for food (Kodiak Cakes, those things are the best!) and such for a little bit this morning. As much as I love reading, it seems my attention span for just sitting and reading constantly, is not very long. I had to walk around and find people to talk to. It helped. Only 4 1/2 hours left in my 24 hours, so I'll be picking something else up and depending on length I might be able to finish it :0)

* 5 pm on Saturday, I made it! I read a 'Spell on Wheels' (which I loved), 'Throwing My Life Away' (this was super cute and I adored it), and 'Matchpoint' (funny and I will likely pick up the next one in the future). I finished the audiobook of 'Talking as Fast as I Can' (and it was amazing!) and read almost halfway into 'The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue' (which I'm not sure when I'll actually get to finishing). Total page count is 913 pages.

This was really fun, but also tested my patience. Apparently I am not good at doing things consistently for many hours at a time, but I'm pretty proud of what I did end up reading and I think I am up to doing one of these again in the future!

June Book Haul + July TBR :0)

What I Got 

+ 

What I'm Reading

June Book Haul:

Shuffle, Repeat by Jen Klein [Review]

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica

The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss by Max Wirestone [Review]

The Astonishing Mistakes of Dahlia Moss by Max Wirestone

Altar of Bones by Philip Carter

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

July TBR:

One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

God Save the Queen by Kate Locke

Throwing my Life Away by Liz Czukas

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

Perfect Ten by L. Philips

Switched by Amanda Hocking

It Happened One Doomsday by Laurence MacNaughton

What books did everyone else pick up in June? What's everyone planning to read this month?

Mid Year Book Freak Out

I've been seeing this tag all over booktube and was really into it. I don't have a booktube channel, but I DO have a book blog, so I figured I could work with that. Technically it is a tag, and technically no one has actually tagged me for this, but I really like it and want to do it anyway. With the internet anything is achievable :0)

So far in 2017 I have read 40 books, which has already surpassed my Goodreads goal for the year and, at the rate I've been reading, I think I might be able to hit 80 before the year is up! This is my first attempt at a tag, though it's not my first go at a book round up sort of thing, so I think we'll be okay. Here goes nothing!

1. BEST BOOK YOU’VE READ SO FAR IN 2017?

I had so much trepidation going into this book and I don't really know why, but in the end it didn't matter, because this book knocked it out of the park for me. I loved the characters, I loved the story, and I LOVED the circus!

2. BEST SEQUEL OF 2017 SO FAR?

I've only read three sequels this year and none of them really wowed me, but of the three P.S. I Still Love You was definitely the front runner.

3. NEW RELEASE YOU HAVEN’T READ YET, BUT WANT TO?

This one may be cheating a little bit, since I already have this on my kindle and have read the first couple of chapters, but of the June releases this is the one I am most excited about!

4. MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASE OF THE SECOND HALF OF 2017?

Adorable title, adorable cover, and a premise that is totally up my alley. I cannot wait to get into this one!

5. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT?

I picked this one up almost immediately after reading and enjoying the heck out of the first book in the series, but this one just didn't work for me. It didn't really hold my interest and I almost didn't even finish it. The series had such a strong start for me, but after reading this one I'm not so eager to read through the rest right away.

6. BIGGEST SURPRISE?

I had an audiobook credit I needed to use and this popped up on my recommended list. I decided to give it a go, but I wasn't really expecting much. Well I was very pleasantly surprised. I loved the crap out of this book and promptly purchased the adorable paperback copy as well as the sequel, which I plan to read very soon!

7. FAVORITE NEW AUTHOR (DEBUT OR NEW TO YOU) ?

This book was awesome! I had never read anything by C.B. Lee before, but I am such a fan now and I can't wait for the second book to come out!

8. NEWEST FICTIONAL CRUSH?

Oliver Flagg, be still my heart!

9. NEWEST FAVORITE CHARACTER?

Coco Chanel Jones, hands down! I dare anyone to read this book and not fall in love with Coco Chanel Jones. She is sassy, fierce, and fabulous. I think she needs her own book!

10. BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY?

I think this one is kind of a no brainer.

11. BOOK THAT MADE YOU HAPPY?

I know I said Oliver was my newest crush, but I kind of have two, and Lincoln is the other one. He wasn't the only thing I loved about this book, though. Anise, her best friends, her dad, and her cousins all made this such a wonderful book and I was all smiles when I turned that last page!

12. FAVORITE BOOK TO MOVIE ADAPTATION YOU’VE SEEN THIS YEAR?

I've seen a couple of adaptations this year, but this was definitely my favorite so far!

13. FAVORITE REVIEW YOU’VE WRITTEN THIS YEAR?

I loved this book and in turn I loved writing a review for it. Spies, lies, and guys loving guys (what could be better? Or rhymed in a more delightfully cheesy way?)

14. MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK YOU BOUGHT OR RECEIVED SO FAR THIS YEAR?

For obvious reasons... *swoon*

15. WHAT BOOKS DO YOU NEED TO READ BY THE END OF THE YEAR?

And The Magicians series by Lev Grossman!

A lot of great books so far this year, so not so much, but I can't wait to see what's to come the rest of this year :0)

Coming Up For Air by Miranda Kenneally

Coming Up for Air by Miranda Kenneally

Release Date: July 4th, 2017

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

*eGalley provided by publisher for honest opinion*

Swim. Eat. Shower. School. Snack. Swim. Swim. Swim. Dinner. Homework. Bed. Repeat.

All of Maggie’s focus and free time is spent swimming. She’s not only striving to earn scholarships—she’s training to qualify for the Olympics. It helps that her best friend, Levi, is also on the team and cheers her on. But Levi’s already earned an Olympic try out, so she feels even more pressure to succeed. And it’s not until Maggie’s away on a college visit that she realizes how much of the “typical” high school experience she’s missed by being in the pool.

Not one to shy away from a challenge, Maggie decides to squeeze the most out of her senior year. First up? Making out with a guy. And Levi could be the perfect candidate. After all, they already spend a lot of time together. But as Maggie slowly starts to uncover new feelings for Levi, how much is she willing to lose to win?


Miranda Kenneally has been a favorite of mine since I read Catching Jordan years ago. To this day, Catching Jordan is my favorite of her books, but Coming Up for Air is a close second for me. I loved how this story, which I heard is the last one in the Hundred Oaks series, kind of mirrors Jordan's story. Once I turned the last page it definitely felt like we came full circle. 

I'm such a fan of best friends to more romances, and even before they started the more stuff, I loved the relationship between Maggie and Levi. They were so fun and adorable together. Everyone should be so lucky to have such an awesome best friend. This one revolves around the sport of swimming, and I know next to nothing about competitive swimming, so it was cool to learn a little bit while I was reading. I had no idea it was so intense. Competitive swimmers have some serious dedication.

This was another Miranda Kenneally win for me. Loved the whole story and the epilogue at the end!

The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss by Max Wirestone

The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss by Max Wirestone

Publisher: Redhook

Release Date: October 20th, 2015

If it were up to me this book would be called Hilarious Things That Happened That Were Not At All Dahlia's Fault -- or HTTHTWNAADF, for short.


OK, I probably shouldn't have taken money from a mysterious eccentric to solve a theft, given that I'm not a detective, and that I am sometimes outwitted by puzzles in children's video games. I probably shouldn't have stolen bags of trash from a potential murder suspect. Arguably-- just arguably, mind you-- it may have been unwise to cos-play at an event where I was likely to be shot at.


But sometimes you just have to take some chances, right? And maybe things do get a little unfortunate. What of it? If you ask me, an unfortunate decision here or there can change your life. In a positive way, just so long you don't killed in the process. Admittedly, that's the tricky bit.

I picked this one up on a whim. I've been taken with mysteries as of late and this one had the added draw of geekiness and laughs, so I decided to give it a go and I loved it. Dahlia Moss is hilarious. I genuinely laughed out loud throughout the story and was thoroughly charmed by Dahlia and the other characters that popped up all over her world. 

I don't personally have any experience playing an MMORPG,because of this, and the fact that a large part of this story revolves around such a game, I was a little concerned it would affect my enjoyment of the story. It did not. In fact, I particularly enjoyed hearing about the world of Zoth and how these games unfold. Dahlia comes across a lot of people during her time playing detective and they were all so darn entertaining. I was especially charmed by Dahlia's roommate Charice. I never knew what she was going to come up with next, but it was always hilarious and oftentimes very helpful. And she had some of the best lines. 

I don't know if I'm completely sold on the romantic direction this series seems to be taking, but that may also have something to do with the fact that I was hoping for an endlessly awkward law enforcement office to get his moment in the sun. I refuse to give up hope. There is still time!

I actually listened to this one on audio book and it was a phenomenal listen. The narrator did a fantastic job with all of the characters and I'm sure her delivery contributed in large part to all of those times I laughed out loud. I haven't decided if I'm going listen to book two or read it, but I did order physical copies of both books, because I need to have them around for subsequent re-reads. 

Go forth and follow along as Dahlia tries to uncover the 'Bejeweled Spear of Inifinite Piercing'!

*Cover image and synopsis from Goodreads

Girl Out of Water by Laura Silverman

Girl Out of Water by Laura Silverman

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: May 2nd, 2017

*I received an e-copy via Netgalley for an honest opinion

Anise Sawyer plans to spend every minute of summer with her friends: surfing, chowing down on fish tacos drizzled with wasabi balsamic vinegar, and throwing bonfires that blaze until dawn. But when a serious car wreck leaves her aunt, a single mother of three, with two broken legs, it forces Anise to say goodbye for the first time to Santa Cruz, the waves, her friends, and even a kindling romance, and fly with her dad to Nebraska for the entire summer. Living in Nebraska isn’t easy. Anise spends her days caring for her three younger cousins in the childhood home of her runaway mom, a wild figure who’s been flickering in and out of her life since birth, appearing for weeks at a time and then disappearing again for months, or even years, without a word.

Complicating matters is Lincoln, a one-armed, charismatic skater who pushes Anise to trade her surfboard for a skateboard. As Anise draws closer to Lincoln and takes on the full burden and joy of her cousins, she loses touch with her friends back home – leading her to one terrifying question: will she turn out just like her mom and spend her life leaving behind the ones she loves

I loved that this book was, at it's heart, about family and what it means. Anise could be completely bratty and self-centered at times, but when it really came down to it she was there for her family. She came to learn that everything isn't just about her, but that there are other people whose feelings and needs matter. Since she has always lived in the same place, I think it was really great to see her plopped in the middle of somewhere completely foreign to her and watch her figure out a little more about herself and about life. I also really appreciated the fact that her mom never showed up in the book. I think that would have been too cliché and unrealistic, but even though she never came, I like that we got to see Anise sort out her relationship with her mother and come to terms with it in some ways. I loved the attention shown to the importance of friendships and being there for people, even when it's not the easiest choice to make. There were definitely times that Anise didn't always make the right choice, at least initially, but she did a lot of growing up during this story and it was an awesome thing to read.

The romance in this was absolutely adorable and Lincoln is one of the best characters I have read in a contemporary YA novel. I loved his attitude and the way he took on life despite the curve balls it has thrown him along the way. He is just an all around nice guy, but not in that boring way nice guys can sometimes be portrayed in books and movies. He is funny and spontaneous and here to take on life. Anise definitely grew from the short time she knew him in this novel, and I feel like she will grow to become an even better person for having him in her life.

Contemporaries are a favorite of mine, but even so, I can still get pretty critical. Especially when stories just start sounding like different shades of the same basic premise. That was not a problem with Girl Out of Water. It felt new and exciting, and I had so much fun reading it. Definitely recommend!

*Cover image and synopsis from Goodreads