Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme/original feature hosted by
The Broke and the Bookish.
Click the link to go to their site to see the original list for today
plus links to a whole slew of other blogs. After you read mine, of
course.
Today's topic is: The top ten things that make my life as a blogger/reader easier
1. Goodreads
I was writing reviews on GR for a couple of years before starting this blog which was great practice for creating my own review site. It's also how I met a lot of my blogging friends. And it is definitely helpful for most weeks' TTT as it gives me a way to shift through the hundreds of books I've read when trying to find the perfect ones for my lists. It's also helpful when searching for books to feature for WoW posts. I have to admit I'm on GR way less now that I have this blog, but I still find it an invaluable resource.
2. The library
As most of you know, I've worked at my public library for going on 8 years now. There is no way I'd be able to read as much as I do if it weren't for the library and its awesome free-ness. My city has an amazing library system where all of the (many) branches are linked together, so you can order literally almost any book, movie, cd, audiobook you want and have it delivered directly to your library. It's awesome.
3. Other bloggers
Um, bloggers are freaking awesome. It is so fun to be a part of this community of like-minded people who quickly accept newbies into their fold. I LOVE YOU PEOPLE!
4. Netgalley and Edelweiss
Is there anything in this world more awesome than these two sites? Just thinking about all the amazing books that await me on my Kindle everyday just makes me giddy happy. I love getting to read some of the most anticipated books early. It rocks in a way very few things do.
5. Bloglovin
This site makes finding out what my favorite bloggers have posted so easy. I love to scroll through recent posts.
6. Half Price Bookstore
So in a few select cities in the US there is a magical place called Half Price Books which is seriously the most amazing second-hand store ever. In my Northeastern city there are 4 (2 close enough to go fairly regularly). Every time I go in there I make a beeline right to the clearance section where books are only $1 or $2.
7. Twitter
I'm not on twitter as much as I should be because I find it kind of exhausting, but it is a great way to connect with the community and to find out what everyone's up to.
8. Audiobooks
My commute is about to get a lot longer and my life a LOT busier, so I just ordered a bunch of audiobooks from the library. I know I'm not going to be able to read nearly as much as I do now starting in one week, but at least with audiobooks I can "read" while driving.
9. Blogger
I know it's not everyone's favorite, but I like my set up and find it easy to use. Personally, I hate having to enter in my name, email address, and website - it's a lot to type - just to leave a comment and like that you don't have to do that with Blogger.
10. Kindle Fire
I was definitely one of those people who swore that I could never love an e-reader, but once I started requesting books from EW and NG it became a necessity and now I heart it so hard. I love having hundreds of choices at my fingertips and being able to read in bed in the dark. Plus I have my Netflix on my KF and all sorts of fun games. I love it. It is probably my favorite possession.
Those are the things I find helpful as a reader/blogger and I'm willing to bet most are the same ones other bloggers find helpful. What are your tools of the trade? Link me up!
Hey
lovely GFC and new followers, please follow me by Bloglovin as we all
know Google Reader has gone/is going by the wayside. (I like to follow
back, so please let me know if you're a new follower--and leave a link!)
Thank you!!!
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Stacking the Shelves (21) 8.31.13
Stacking the Shelves is a weekly feature hosted by Tyngas Reviews. This meme allows us to share the books we've recently added to our shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! *Clicking the link of a book's title will take you to Goodreads.
After a teenager fathers a baby he moves in with his karate-obsessed uncle.
Unthinkable by Nancy Werlin
I've owned the book Impossible (the first book in this series) for about 2 years now but haven't read it. I need to get on that.
Relativity by Cristin Bishara
I'm really excited for this one. I love books that follow multiple planes and this one has 9!
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
I'm so excited for this book about college aged girls that sounds absolutely nothing like typical "NA". Plus fan fiction!
The Waking Dark by Robin Wasserman
Several people in a small town go mad and commit murders on a day that is coined "the killing day." I'm not exactly sure what this one is about beyond that, but it looks creepy and dark.
The Hive by Gill Hornby
Mom mean girls and queen bees. I love books that take an honest look at female friendships.
Cherry Money Baby by John M. Cusick
A trailer park girl who plans to marry her high school sweetheart after high school gets swept up in a visiting starlet's life.
The Daylight Gate by Jeanette Winterson
A group of witches in 1612...or something. It's Jeanette Winterson so it's bound to be pretty awesome.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Waiting on Wednesday (20) The Geography of You and Me
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Publisher: Little, Brown
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Number of Pages: 352
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they're rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.
Lucy and Owen's relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and -- finally -- a reunion in the city where they first met.
A carefully charted map of a long-distance relationship, Jennifer E. Smith's new novel shows that the center of the world isn't necessarily a place. It can be a person, too.
Why I'm Excited:
I'm sure this is going to be extremely popular this week, but I don't care. This just sounds so charming. I loved This is What Happy Looks Like and this sounds like another great romance. I love that the narrative includes postcards and emails--I adore epistolary writing. I'm not crazy about the cover, but I don't think it's horrible. I just love a good contemporary YA romance...I may have mentioned that, you know, a billion times.
What are you waiting for on this Wednesday? Link me up!
Hey lovely GFC and new followers, please follow me by Bloglovin as we all know Google Reader has gone/is going by the wayside. (I like to follow back, so please let me know if you're a new follower--and leave a link!) Thank you!!!
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Top Ten Tuesday (21) Most Memorable Secondary Characters
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme/original feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Click the link to go to their site to see the original list for today plus links to a whole slew of other blogs. After you read mine, of course.
Monday, August 26, 2013
How My Life is About to Change
As most of you know, I'm starting my semester of student teaching today. Well, today is actually my student teaching orientation and tomorrow is my first day in the classroom. I'm excited and scared and, frankly, kind of ready for my graduate school program to be over with so I can call myself a real teacher and join the thousands of out-of-work teachers looking for a job. So I'm on the last leg of my master's degree journey and I know that it is going to be a stressful, extremely busy time in my life as I've decided to try to hold on to my current job on a part-time basis so I can, you know, eat.
Because I know there is a good chance I'm not going to have any time to myself, I know this blog is will probably suffer during this semester. I've spent the last week pre-writing some of the memes I participate in and writing some reviews, but I know there is no way I'll be able to keep up with this blog in the way I have in the past four months since I started it.
I just want to say I love all of my new blogger friends and being a part of this community. I appreciate every person who stops by and reads my little corner of the blog-sphere and the conversations we have in our comments and on Twitter. I'm going to try to keep up with it all as much as I can, but I have to be realistic about the amount of free time I'm going to have between teaching full time, helping with the school play (which is so bad-ass--my corroborating teacher runs the drama program and I get to help teach an acting class!), holding down two part-time jobs (I'll never relinquish my spot at the library), and my own class course load (I have to take some sort of student teaching seminar and also a special education case study class). Just thinking about it all makes me exhausted. But it is only for four months and after that I'll probably be unemployed so I'll have plenty of time to devote. God, I hope that's not true...
Anyway, thank you for all your support. Again, I love my place in this community and will do my best to keep in touch.
Wish me luck!!!
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Stacking the Shelves (20) 8.24.13
Stacking the Shelves is a weekly feature hosted by Tyngas Reviews. This meme allows us to share the books we've recently added to our shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! *Clicking the link of a book's title will take you to Goodreads.
I'm beyond excited about a few of these. I definitely plan on spending this last weekend of freedom holed up in my bedroom reading.
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
I have to admit I've been shying away from most paranormal for the past couple of years, but this one sounds bad-ass.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Waiting on Wendesday (19) Tsarina
Author: J. Nelle Patrick (AKA Jackson Pearce)
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: February 27, 2014
Synopsis from Edelweiss. Link to Goodreads:
When the Constellation Egg disappears, Natalya sets out to find the egg and save her beloved Alexei, the tsar-to-be. But is thwarted by a handsome, dark-haired Red named Leo who has plans of his own for the egg, and for Natalya.
Swirling with mysticism, Natalya’s heart-stopping journey through Russia is perfect for fans of Libba Bray’s A Great and Terrible Beauty.
Faberge eggs, Russia, the Romanovs. This book sounds awesome. That cover is amazing. The synopsis references Libba Bray. The heroine's name is Natalya (which is close enough). I cannot wait to get my hands on this.
What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Link me up!
Hey lovely GFC and new followers, please follow me by Bloglovin as we all know Google Reader has gone/is going by the wayside. (I like to follow back, so please let me know if you're a new follower--and leave a link!) Thank you!!!
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
New Blog Design
So you've probably noticed that I have a brand new blog design thanks to the lovely Stephanie over at Hopeless Romantics. She contacted me via email to let me know that she does work on blog banners but wants to get into whole blog design and that she had something in mind for my little blog.
I was pretty hesitant at first. I'm not really up on HTML code and other such things (hence the pretty lackluster blog design I was rocking before), but she made it really easy and I absolutely love it. I love my new header and background and I love finally having the little buttons for Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, etc. which I couldn't figure out how to do for the life of me.
Long story short: She is completely awesome and I wanted to post something with my sincere thank you to her.
Top Ten Tuesday (20) Things that make life as a blogger/reader easier
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme/original feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Click the link to go to their site to see the original list for today plus links to a whole slew of other blogs. After you read mine, of course.
8. Audiobooks
My commute is about to get a lot longer and my life a LOT busier, so I just ordered a bunch of audiobooks from the library. I know I'm not going to be able to read nearly as much as I do now starting in one week, but at least with audiobooks I can "read" while driving.
9. Blogger
I know it's not everyone's favorite, but I like my set up and find it easy to use. Personally, I hate having to enter in my name, email address, and website - it's a lot to type - just to leave a comment and like that you don't have to do that with Blogger.
10. Kindle Fire
I was definitely one of those people who swore that I could never love an e-reader, but once I started requesting books from EW and NG it became a necessity and now I heart it so hard. I love having hundreds of choices at my fingertips and being able to read in bed in the dark. Plus I have my Netflix on my KF and all sorts of fun games. I love it. It is probably my favorite possession.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Just Like Fate (Early Book Review)
Just Like Fate
Authors: Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Number of Pages: 304
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Caroline is at a crossroads. Her grandmother is sick, maybe dying. Like the rest of her family, Caroline's been at Gram's bedside since her stroke. With the pressure building, all Caroline wants to do is escape--both her family and the reality of Gram's failing health. So when Caroline's best friend offers to take her to a party one fateful Friday night, she must choose: stay by Gram's side, or go to the party and live her life.
The consequence of this one decision will split Caroline's fate into two separate paths--and she's about to live them both.
Friendships are tested and family drama hits an all-new high as Caroline attempts to rebuild old relationships, and even make a few new ones. If she stays, her longtime crush, Joel, might finally notice her, but if she goes, Chris, the charming college boy, might prove to be everything she's ever wanted.
Though there are two distinct ways for her fate to unfold, there is only one happy ending...
So while I really am enjoying this craze, I do have to say that I found Just Like Fate to be a bit lacking when compared to the other two parallel worlds books I've read this year. Just Like Fate is a very simple story, and while there is nothing wrong with that per se, it's hard for me to not compare it to the Pivot Point and Parallel whose concepts were just frankly more interesting.
*I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.*
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Stacking the Shevles (19)
Stacking the Shelves is a weekly feature hosted by Tyngas Reviews. This meme allows us to share the books we've recently added to our shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! *Clicking the link of a book's title will take you to Goodreads.
So this was my last full week at work. As many of you know, I start student teaching in a little over a week, and while I've decided to keep my office job on a part-time basis, I'm so excited that this will be the last week of my career (hopefully) where I will have to sit in front of a computer day in and day out (although it's been good for my blog).
Book-wise, I have some pretty great titles to share with you all this week.
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