"I Dare You" Book Tag

Bet you can't guess where I got the idea to do this tag! Or maybe you did, because I always do the tags from her blog because I like them so much. You should totally follow Nose Stuck In A Book if you haven't already, she's great and has a lot of bookish content!

The Rules

• You must be honest
• You must answer all of the questions
• You must tag at least 4 people (this one I can't really do but for everyone else go ahead!)

* I tried to answer all of these to the best of my ability, but being at school makes some of these a bit hard!

1 - What book has been on your shelf the longest?

There's so many. And I'm not at home to look at all my books at the moment to actually see the books and figure out which has been there longest. I'll edit when I get home next.

2 - What is your current read, your last read, and the book you'll read next?

Current - Lord of Shadows, Last - Tales From the Shadowhunter Academy, Next - Reign of the
Fallen/Shadow of the Fox.

3 - What book did everyone like, but you hated?

I used to really like them, but now I find John Green books sort of overrated. I want more magic and realistic characters in my stories. It shows sometimes in the books that he doesn't fully understand the characters he's trying to make. At least that's how I see them. Also his books weren't really in my normal genres so maybe that has something to do with it.

4 - What book do you keep telling yourself you'll read, but you probably won't?

Half the books on my TBR list honestly. Like the Dark Tower series. I only have the second and third. Might just read a quick synopsis and then watch the movie. I have so many books that I need to read so those will always be at the end until I can find the first one to start it. I also have a few diet books that I probably won't get to, at least not any time soon.

5 - What book are you saving for your retirement?

Any of the books that I haven't read by then/any books that come out by the time I'm retired. I really don't have any books that I'm saving for that time, and only being 21 years old makes that seem like hundreds of years away for me. I might never retire.

6 - Last page -> read it first or wait 'til the end?

I will wait. The only time I will read the last page before reading a book is if I wrote it, or someone is forcing me to/paying me to. That's it. I just want to read, I won't spoil a book for myself. People who read the last page first give me anxiety because YOU'RE RUINING THE BOOK FOR YOURSELF! But to each their own I guess!

7 - Acknowledgement: Waste of paper and ink, or interesting aside?

Honestly I love it. I think it's great to read the other people who were there to help create the wonderful book I've just read (normally don't read it if I didn't like the book that much). It's also something personal from the author so I like that aspect as well.

8 - Which book character would you switch places with?

Honestly, with the types of books that I read, I don't know if I'd want to switch places with them. They are always having attempts at their lives or they are charging straight into a battle...which I just could not do. I guess I could say that I'd want to trade places with someone from the Iron Fey series, at least then I could get some cool powers!

9 - Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life? (place, time, person?)

Thinking about the Hunger Games trilogy makes me think of three separate people. My aunt Rachel - who told me to give the books a chance. My friend Ashley S. - who sat beside me in lunch and watched me read/gave me vague spoiler-ish things that would cause me to read faster. And my friend Ashley B. - who let me come over her house to watch the first movie.

Then Ashley B., Ashley S., and I went together to see the Catching Fire premiere in theaters. It was a stressful night because we didn't buy the tickets until that night and they were almost sold out, but then the theater opened up another screening for the premiere so we were all good.

10 - Name a book that you acquired in an interesting way.

So I've had two different posts about my local library having $10 book sales. You just bring a bag (or take a paper one from them) and fill it with books. Then you pay $10...which is such a deal if you find really good books. Which is what I did a few times.

One time at a one of these book sales I found a 50th edition of the Hobbit. it was gold with green runes on the edges and had a box that it can slide into. I was SHOOK when I saw it there. And it wasn't a library book they had in circulation because it didn't have a tag on it. So I shoved the right into my bag and it still sits on my shelf in my Tolkien section.

11 - Have you ever given a book away for a special reason to a special person?

Honestly...no. I don't know many people who want books. Most of the people that I know personally that like books, buy their own books, and I don't know most of the books that they would like that I could give them. That's the problem sometimes with friends who like books, they get them themselves. And the ones that don't like books...well you see the issue there.

12 - Which book has been with you most places?

Most of my books have been with me to a lot of places if I'm currently reading them. I keep them in my bag, even if I don't have the time to read. It's a comfort to me to have a book with me at all times. It all depends on the time of year I am reading in too because I don't go to as many places in the summer as I do in the winter (which I feel is opposite compared to most other people).

13 - Any "Required Reading" you hate in high school that wasn't so bad two years later?

Not any that I've found again two years after but I thought reading the Hobbit in high school was going to be a drag but I ended up loving it and now I'm a Tolkien girl! I also really liked the short stories from Washington Irving that I read in high school. Rip Van Winkle and Sleepy Hollow were something that I found intriguing and I remembered the plots easily for class discussions.

14 - Used or brand new?

Both, I'm not picky on the types of books I get as long as it stays together while I read it. I have had books that fall apart in my hands. And while that might show that it's been loved, I also feel that it's a sign that the book wasn't taken care of during the many times it was read.

15 - Have you ever read a Dan Brown book?

Nope. Don't think I will, but I might watch the movies off of his books. I mean like the plot is interesting...but I would rather have more fantasy and magic tied into the books that I read.

16 - Have you ever seen a movie that you liked more than the book?

Game of Thrones, just because those are too long to read and I really like the show. I know there's a lot of stuff wrong/controversial but I love Arya and dragons sooooooooooo. I hope that this counts. I can't think of any movies I like more than the book.

17 - Have you ever read a book that's made you hungry, cookbooks included?

No, I mean sometimes the food sounds good, but it doesn't make me hungry. I also don't use cookbooks that often because I'm in college so all I make is pasta and instant mashed potatoes. However, now that I'm typing this I'm getting hungry so I'm going to go eat after this.

18 - Who is the person whose book advice you'll always take?

Honestly, anyone on Book Twitter that I know has actual facts behind their reviews/feelings towards books and authors. Also, my friends Seth and Emily because they know the good stuff.

19 - Is there a book out of your comfort zone (outside of your usual reading genre) that you ended up loving?

My comfort zone really includes everything except romance and non-fiction. And I really don't read anything outside my comfort zone except for my school-work...and I can't say that there is a lot of those that I liked so much to say that I loved it. I can say that a book I just read for my French World class "Une si longue lettre" was really good. I would suggest anyone who wants to learn more about a different culture/religion to pick this up. There are English translations (and probably other languages) available online.


Agree with me? Probably not.

Photo/Gif creds: Han Solo, Hunger Games books, Arya, Matilda, books, 

90's Kid Book Tag

So I saw this tag on Nose Stuck In A Book, and I wanted to try it, just like all the other tags she does.

While I may have only been born in 97, I still enjoyed many of the fads of the 90s while growing up because the early 2000s were a lawless land. Don't believe me? Go google the top fashion.

THE RULES

*copied from 'The Literary Phoenix'

1. Please, please, please steal this tag and spread it around! I only ask that you link it back to The Literary Phoenix so that I can see everyone's answers!
2. Freeze tag was all the rage in the 90s. Tag someone (or many) you think would have fun with this!
3. Have fun!

*anything in asterisks are my personal feelings/memories with each 90s fad because I have many a story*

Pokemon

A GBA game and trading card game where you balled pocket monsters and strived to catch them all. Back in the day, there were only 150 Pokemon. *my mom didn't let me watch Pokemon so I didn't get to play until Pokemon Go came out, my favorite is Vulpix*

The author you need every book from: Julie Kagawa. I love all of her stories. It started with the Iron Fey series, and now I have at least one book from each of her series. Here's to getting them all!

AIM

AOL Instant Messaging - how 90s kids communicated with their friends after school before everyone had a cell phone. *I actually never used AIM because I didn't have friends during this fad*

Book that connected you with your best friend: I read a lot of books that my friends also read. However, Twilight is a reason why my roommate Emily and I got along so well. We both read the books during important/difficult times in our lives and when we met, we both mentioned that we liked it, and there began our Twilight Trash adventures and movie binges. (also Seth but I met him through Emily because of Twilight and just her in general lol)

Furby

Creepy needy robots you could teach to talk and were probably demon possessed. Somehow these made a comeback? *Furbys scare me and I'm glad my mother never got me one*

Book that seemed like a good idea but was actually a monster: MOBY DICK. The premise is good, but I hate the book and let the furbies eat it.

N'SYNC

90s quintessential boy band. You may have heard of Justin Timberlake? *I know few songs from this band but I know most of the memes....ITS GONNA BE MAY*

Book that you hated to say Bye, Bye, Bye to: The Host by Stephenie Meyer. I loved it so much and I thought the story was so interesting, also I wanted to follow Wanda more and see more of her working the world around her in a new body.

Slimed

Getting green slime thrown on you, courtesy of the show Figure it Out. Also apparently still a thing at the Kid's Choice Awards? *this is still on my bucket list*

A book that everyone loved but you hated: I mean, most books that I liked, everyone that I know also liked it. I don't know many people that liked the few books that I hated. Most people know the books that I dislike.

I will put a side-ish note here that there are books that I will not read due to stuff other reviewers say about it/or the author. One of them is The Black Witch. From honest reviews I have found about this book it's just not good, and problematic, and the fans of the book and author attack the reviewers who didn't give it a 4-5 star review so I don't want to be a part of any group like that. I see the book all over the internet so I guess that this one can fit this category.

Oregon Trail

90s computer game you could usually play at school, which was great. It taught us people used to die a lot of gruesome, messy deaths. *I only heard about this game like last year at some point because they made it a mobile game*

A book that made you wish you died of dysentery: For Whom The Bell Tolls get's this spot, hands down. I had to read this book for an English class in high school, and I liked the first two summer reads my professor assigned so I went into For Whom The Bell Tolls with hope, but THAT DIDN'T WORK OUT. The book was so boring to me and the way Hemingway wrote made me wish I was suffering any other way than by him.
*I looked up what dysentery was and I'm shook*

Mixtape/CD

Back before everyone had music on their phones (remember, we didn't have cell phones!) folks would rip their CDs and make mixes for each other. *my mom made my sister and I mixtapes to play on our little personal CD players. It was great. I honestly remember the rise of all the music sharing and streaming and it seems so far away*

3 books you recommend to anyone, anywhere, no matter what:

1. The Iron King from the Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa (I could literally talk about this and it's spin-off series for the rest of my life).
2. The City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (as well as the rest of the Shadowhunter Chronicles because the characters are good and so is the story).
3. Life and Death by Stephenie Meyer. (I'd say Twilight but while I love the series I love Edythe just a bit more)
4. *I just wanted to extra one* The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. (I love these books too and I'm sort of sad their hype has died down but at the same time I understand why)

Dial-Up Internet

You know how it's annoying when you aren't on LTE? IMAGINE WAITING 10 MINUTES FOR INTERNET TO START AND ANOTHER 20 MINUTES FOR GOOGLE TO LOAD! *I can honestly say I don't remember having dial-up...maybe I just wasn't allowed online during the time my mom had it. I always remember not waiting too long for things. Then again I was young and maybe I just don't remember the passage of time that well*

A book that took FOR FREAKING EVER to read: Lord of the Rings. I've only made it past Fellowship of the Ring as of this being posted so you know it's going to be a long time before I ever come out with a review or just any type of post about them. But I still love Middle Earth.

Kenan Thompson

He's that guy who's been on SNL forever. Also Mighty Ducks. Good Burger. Keenan and Kel. All That. Everything. *I watched like none of these...I know I've seen GB but I blocked that the hell out of my brain*

The book you see referenced everywhere and is in everything, but that's okay because it's awesome: The Shadowhunter Chronicle books go here again! Almost every blog and bookstagram that I follow have mentioned them and that's okay because I love them too.

Thumbs Up, Seven Up

A game where most the class closed their eyes and seven people tapped someone's thumb and you had to guess who did it without peeking. *I still love this game and will also say yes to playing it again*

Book where you peeked just REAL quick at the ending because you don't like guessing games: I don't do this because it gives me anxiety. I watched a friend read the ENTIRE last page of a book before starting it and my heart actually stopped in my chest.

Dunkaroos

These were basically just Teddy Grahams dipped in frosting, which is still a wonderful snack idea. *while I did like these, I really only remember eating the Shrek edition of them...and now I want them again*

You ideal bookish snack: Honestly anything. I could be eating my dinner while reading. As long as I don't get too much on the pages I call it a good day. But I do like having tea, cider, or hot chocolate when I read.

Scary Stories to Tell In The Dark

Collections of short stories that would scare any sensible kid! Plus, there were illustrations... *yea screw these I like watching Buzzfeed Unsolved but not these lmao, just the photos give nightmares*

A book that kept you up all night: I've never read something so scary to keep me up all night if that's how we want to go. But I have stayed up late reading The Iron Knight (Iron Fey #4) and The Lost (Witch and Wizard #5) before.

Bill Nye the Science Guy

Basically the coolest thing you got to do in science class was watch Bill Nye. He has a Netflix show again! *I never watched him in class until like a clip or two in college...which is weird but yea*

A book that taught you something new: I read a book for one of my history classes about the French Revolution (which is one of my favorite time periods) and it talked about EVERYTHING that lead to the revolution. Before I had only known about how it affected the royal family because I was a big fan of Marie Antoinette.

Now, while I don't know a lot of other book blogs (I need to start looking up others and make more friends in the bookish community) I can't tag anyone outright, but if you want to do this, do it! Let me know as well because I wanna see all your answers!

À bientôt!

Photo/Gif creds: vulpix, furby, N'SYNC, John Cena getting slimed, mixtape CD, shadowhunters, Shrek dunkaroos, Bill Nye,

Bookish Alphabet Survey

So I just love all the tags that Nose Stuck In A Book does, so here's another one I'm doing from her!

It's a bookish survey from A-Z, I'm excited to do this too! Get me thinking about all my books again (when am I not thinking of them all though right?)


Author you've read the most books from:

Cassandra Clare, I have read 33 of her books (this is because I do each novella as it's own book and not the collection as one). The next most-read author is Julie Kagawa, and I hope to read all of hers in the coming years because I love her and her books.


Best sequel ever:

I honestly can't think of a sequel...I've read tons of them but I can't think of one that stuck out SO greatly that I would say it's the best ever. Mainly if I like a sequel, I like the whole series. I guess the only one that I can say I really liked is Catching Fire from the Hunger Games Trilogy.


Currently reading:

As of publishing this post I am reading: Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare.


Drink of choice while reading:

I love drinking either tea, hot cocoa, or apple cider. I like warm drinks while I read, but I occasionally will have one or two of them iced. Just depends how warm/cold my reading area is and how I'm feeling.


E-reader or physical book:

I like them both. I really don't have anything against reading an e-book. I have a kindle and it's just I have so many physical books that I want to read first before my e-books that I have on there.


Fictional character you probably would have dated in high school:

Oh so many.


Glad you gave this book a chance:

The Host. My aunt, who I trust with book opinions, said she had a hard time getting through the first few chapters and stopped reading it. But I really liked the Twilight Saga so I gave Meyer's other book a chance, and I was really glad that I did. That book almost made me cry.


Hidden gem book:

I really only read a lot of mainstream books, I don't know if anything I have read is a 'hidden gem' book. I guess I can say the Call of the Forgotten Series by Julie Kagawa is something of a hidden gem to me. It's a spin-off from the Iron Fey series (also by Kagawa) and I feel that not many people have read it. But I love it.


Important moment in your reading life:

When I read a book faster than another kid in my class. It was a bet I had in fifth grade with a kid in my class. One day we both realized we were reading the same book and he bet me I couldn't read it faster than him. I finished it that day when I went home and started a new book the next day. He was SHOOKETH. Also the day I finish the book companion to Aquamarine in one day during fifth grade again. I was a fast reader back then.

Of course I didn't really read again until the seventh grade when I read Witch & Wizard for a school project and then my full love and passion of reading started to bloom.


Just finished:

By the time of this post being published I have just finished: Tales From the Shadowhunter Academy. You can find my review of it here.


Kinds of books you won't read:

Just because I like having action and adventure and magic in my books, I don't tend to read non-fiction or romance novels. I want something that will take me as far from reality as possible. Not to say I haven't read non-fiction and romance novels, or just novels/stories that don't surround magic and mayhem, but they aren't my first pick. The summary really has to grab me for that.


Longest book you've read:

I went back through my Goodreads profile since 2013 to find the longest book that I have read. Goodreads should have a button with the stats to show the shortest and longest books just right there. It'd be so cool.

The longest book is Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind (over 800 pages). I had to read the book for my Fantasy Literature class my senior year of high school. I really liked the class and while the book was tedious during the class, I've grown to have an appreciation for it in my years.


Major book hangover because of:

That would be Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy at the moment. I had to take two days to process what I had read by the end of it. I normally don't get book hangovers because I just dive into the next one on my shelf, but every once in a while one book will stop me in my tracks.


Number of bookcases you own:

I have one actual bookcase in my room. Then a have a smaller one that only fits my movies. The other books in my room are in a set of drawers if they don't fit on the small ledge that lines on of my bedroom walls. It's an interesting set up. Check out my bookstagram to see what I'm talking about!


One book you have read multiple times:

Witch & Wizard by James Patterson. I've read it about two and a half times.


Preferred place to read:

My room. I can curl up in my bed with the covers on and read until I can't feel my lower back. When I'm not at school I can have a cat cuddling with me too so that's always fun!


Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you've read:

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” - Neil Gaiman (from Coraline)

I actually haven't read Coraline, I've seen it, but I really like this quote.


Reading regret:

I don't have any regrets when I comes to books and what I've read over the years. I don't think people should regret what they read, or when they read it.


Series you started and need to finish (all the books in series are out):

The Galahad series. I've read the first two in a volume edition. It was a really interesting concept I just haven't been able to find the other two volume editions at any book stores and I want to get the volume editions so my books all match.


Three of your all-time favorite books:

1. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
2. The Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa
3. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer


Unapologetic fangirl for:

The Twilight Saga. Shame me all you want. I'm vampire trash and I'm proud of it!


Very excited for this release more than all the others:

The next Iron Fey-esque book by Julie Kagawa that has been heard to be in the works. I'm shaking with excitement!


Worst bookish habit:

Just shoving my books into bags and purses. I need to invest in a book sleeve for when I go places. I'm tired of looking into my bag and seeing my headphones all tangled with the pages because I'm an animal.


X marks the spot: start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

The 27th book on my shelf is:

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa. I just love her so the fact that I get to talk about her books some more in a blog post is just fun.

I was at school and literally texted my mom to count my books for me too, and when I said to send a selfie of her with the book she just sent one with the book against her shirt...she's no fun! But thankful I have a mother that will do a weird favor like that for me!


Your latest book purchase:

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa. It was released on October 2nd and I preordered it to get to my school by the 2nd. It's more beautiful in person than I thought it would be.


ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):

I haven't spent nights reading since I was younger. I really like my sleep nowadays. But one of the books that just kept me up so long was The Lost by James Patterson. It was the last book in the Witch & Wizard series and I teared up at the ending.


Well, back to reading I go!

Let me know if you do this too! I'd love to see what you come up with for each letter.

À bientôt!

Photo/Gif creds: alphabet, catching fire, stopwatch, wizard's first rule, heart, reading cat,

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy - A Book Review

Anyone who knows me knows that I love the Shadowhunter Chronicles. It's a great story with mystery and intrigue, so any part of the story I want to get my hands on. When I had the chance to get Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, I did, and it was a great choice. I love Simon, he's one of my favorite characters in the whole story/world of Shadowhunting, and the ending of City of Heavenly Fire hurt my soul because of all the things that happened to him. (If you haven't read COHF yet you don't want to read TFTSA)

The stories within the collection lead you through the two years of Simon's time in the Shadowhunter Academy (hence the full title). I loved seeing a different side of the world I have grown to love so much and to meet new people that I hope will be seen in future books (looking at you Clare).

However, just like any other Cassandra Clare Shadowhunter book, there was heartbreak, death, and so many emotions. EVEN A BABY! I will try to be as vague and spoiler-free as I can but know I'm not promising anything to you.

I gave all the novellas 5 stars, just because that's how I felt about them. I love the world, I felt that it was all really well written, and I connected with the characters. Sooooooo, five stars for all! *Oprah voice* Everyone gets five stars!

I liked the difference at the beginning of the elites and the dregs, and by how the end of it, thanks to Simon, there was almost no difference between them all except the Ascension (which I will get to later because I have some WORDS on that).

I felt it was just right for Simon's character, who has been through so much, to stand up for the mundanes in the Academy and for Downworlders, because he's been both at one point in his life. Why would someone who has been a mundane, then a vampire, then a mundane again NOT stand up for basically everyone? Doesn't make sense, especially with my boy, so I'm glad that's not how it went.

I also like how by the end of the book, I had a new ship that I saw building from the middle of the stories and to the end. Though it wasn't like...stated in the books...it basically was and I'm ready for their journey. MarisolxJon

And while this was covered with Simon, I liked how there was a story within that also focused on Magnus and Alec. They are such a dynamic pair of characters, and it also featured the whole Lightwood family getting along so that's a fun little twist.

I also liked how it showed Simon feeling sad about people he didn't really know, because of the Blackthorns. It was difficult because I have read Lady Midnight already so I knew the stuff he was trying to figure out during the Parabatai ceremony of Julian and Emma, but for me it made it that much more interesting to start Lord of Shadows too, which is sitting on my desk back in my dorm room.

Catarina was a wonderful, refreshing character to have. She wasn't as tied to the Shadowhunter world, so she didn't really care about watching her mouth and I agreed with like, all the things she said. She was blue, and just done with everyone. It was also great that she kept referring to Simon as Daylighter, because it was a part of him, and that part of him helped him, and will in the future help him, become an even better Shadowhunter.

NOW WE MOVE TO ASCENSION! I was nervous that whole time. What was going to happen? Who was going to get hurt? It was all going so smoothly, so something HAD to go wrong...right? YES! It's Cassandra 'I murder all you love' Clare! It was RUDE to do what she did, but at the same time, I understand it, because it helped Simon pick out his Shadowhunter name and all that, but still. My man George deserved better!

I know Lord of Shadows doesn't follow Simon or any of the others from the Academy, but I'm still excited to read it. I'm just lucky I have friends who will let me borrow their books for extended periods of time because I suck at reading sometimes.

On to the next Nephilim adventure!

Have you read Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy? What did you think? Who is your absolute favorite character/couple within the whole world? Mine is Charlotte Fairchild/Branwell and her marriage with Henry Branwell.

À bientôt!

Photo/Gif creds: main cover, story covers, star gif, shadowhunters,

Reading Challenge 2018 Completed!

Yay! Another year in the bag! I made a small goal this year, due to the fact I thought I was going to be in another country and just a lot busier. But I completed it, which still needs to be celebrated.

So, by small goal, I mean I only gave myself a goal of 15 books this year. Not too hard, but like I had said before, I thought I was going to be in another country, and also, novellas are wonderful for raking in reads during the year. Maybe next year I’ll go up to 20 books. That’s how many that I was able to read last year, going over my other goal of 15 books, reading 16 by the time of this post's publication, and by the looks of it, I am going to go well over the goal again this year. I have a vocab-building book from one of my classes, and I plan to read at least one more book before the school year ends. So that's at least two more.

It almost seems to me that I chose the smaller numbers so I can have that wonderful feeling of going above and beyond the amount that I had originally wanted to do. But just hitting the challenge might be what I do next year.

Also side note, I love the fact that the reading challenge had like an orange/red look to it because orange is my favorite color.

Because I read mainly scholarly books and many novellas in one edition, I don't have a lot of reviews out for this year. But here are two that tie into the books that I read this year so far!

Death Cure review
Fault of our Intuitions (a post I made about a quote in one of my French Revolution books I read for a class)

À bientôt!

Photo/Gif creds: challenge photo,