Talking Bookworm – Page 2 – The Talking Bookworm

A to Z Bookish Survey

August 18, 2013 Veronica Porras (TTB)

I was looking through my reader dashboard on wordpress and I saw that Perpetual Page Turner (Jamie) had created this book survey. I saw this and I was like… why not? This looks like fun!

Author you’ve read most books from:

Richelle Mead. 10 books.

Best Sequel Ever:

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

Currently Reading:

Don’t Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter

Drink of Choice While Reading:

Water/Coffee/Tea

E-reader or Physical Book?

Both. I own a Nook HD+ and I love it! I also love physical books, so really it depends on my mood.

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:

This is a hard one because I really don’t know, but if I had to think really hard I would say William Herondale. My weakness in high school was dark hair, light skin, tall guys. I think they might still be my weakness.

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. After reading City of Bones, I had vowed to stay away from anything Cassandra Clare, but I decided to see if this trilogy was different and oh boy was it. I loved it.

Hidden Gem Book:

The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler

Important Moment in your Reading Life:

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot is what really got me into reading. I was a 7th grader at the time, and I fell in love with the series.

Just Finished:

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter (I’m doing the Gallagher Girls Read-a-Thon, so there is a lot of Ally Carter in this survey.)

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:

I won’t read New Adult Novels and Bi/Gay romance novels.

Longest Book You’ve Read:

The Beginning: Born At Midnight and Awake at Dawn by C.C. Hunter. 819 pages. 🙂

Major Hangover Because Of:

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris (Such a good book, but aw man did it give me a hangover.)

Number of Bookcases You Own:

I guess I could say two, but I don’t really have “real” bookshelfs.

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Preferred Place To Read:

The living room. The couch is so comfy.

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

“Outside, the ocean was crashing, waves hitting sand, then pulling back to sea. I thought of everything being washed away, again and again. We make such messes in this life, both accidentally and on purpose. But wiping the surface clean doesn’t really make anything neater. It just masks what is below. It’s only when you really dig down deep, go underground, that you can see who you really are.”

– What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Reading Regret:

The Duff by Keplinger

Series You Started And Need To Finish(all books are out in series):

The Shadow Falls Series. (I’m still halfway through the 4th book. I can’t seem to pick it back up. I don’t want the series to end.)

Three Of You All-Time Favorite Books:

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

Unapologetic Fangirl For:

Richelle Mead. I met her back in May during her Gameboard of the gods Book Tour. I was nice and polite, even though internally I was thinking while I was staring at her “Where do you come up with all these wonderful stories… Can I look inside your brain so that I can know what happens with Bloodlines and GofG?!”

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:

THE FIERY HEART by Richelle Mead

Worst Bookish Habit:

Leaving books open when I have to do something hence damaging the spine. Oops.

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

Sophomore Switch by Abby McDonald

Your latest book purchase:

I bought four books on gohastings.com, a website that sells used books among other things. The four books I bought were Clockwork Angel, Ruby Red, Fixing Delilah, & Graceling. Oh and I bought Of Poseidon from the Barnes and Nobles Nook Store.

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

The last book that made me lose sleep was Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry. I stayed up until 3am. 😀

Book Spotlight

Book Spotlight #8: Angelfall by Ee

August 8, 2013August 11, 2013 anjieeeb

This week’s Book Spotlight will feature Young Adult Paranormal/Fantasy/Sci-fi:

I really enjoyed Angelfall! The theme of the novel was a lot darker than I am used to reading, and sometimes I would get so creeped out that I had to stop reading. It definitely shed a darker light on angels, as opposed to the light, bright, and goodness they are usually associated with. Angelfall is a great novel. Just a heads up, it contains unexpected plot twists, and a slight cliffhanger.

Book Title: Angelfall

Author: Susan Ee

Originally Published: May 21st, 2011

Goodreads Summary:

It’s been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco where she’ll risk everything to rescue her sister and he’ll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

WWW

WWW Wednesday’s (August 7)

August 7, 2013 Veronica Porras (TTB)

W.W.W. Wednesday’s is hosted by Should Be Reading. To play along all you have to do is answer three simple questions: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish? What do you think you’ll read next?

1. What are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading an ARC, Killer Image by Wendy Tyson, and I’d Tell You I Love You, But I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter.

2. What did you recently finish?

I just finished reading Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris. It left my heart in pieces. I want to read Unbreakable, the sequel, but I have no means to get it yet.

3. What do you think you’ll read next?

I will be reading Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter.

What are you currently reading?

Tuesday Meme

Top Ten Books I Wish Could Have Had Sequels

August 5, 2013August 5, 2013 Veronica Porras (TTB)

Thank you The Broke and the Bookish for this wonderful Tuesday Meme

Hello fellow book readers! Today’s topic is one I am very excited about because I used to read a lot of stand alone novels in the past. There are so many books that I wish had sequels and I can now share with you all what they are. Below are the books Anjie and I wished had a sequel:

Veronica’s List:

1. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

2. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

3. Love Story by Jennifer Echols

4. Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

5. Boundless by Cynthia Hand

Anjie’s List:

6. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

7. The Host by Stephenie Meyer

8. Requiem by Lauren Oliver

9. Before I Go to Sleep by S.J Watson

10. The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks

Now, it’s your turn to share. What are some books you wish had a sequel?

Random

The Gallagher Girls Series Read-a-Thon!

August 3, 2013August 3, 2013 Veronica Porras (TTB)

Hello lovely readers. I, Veronica, will be partaking in The Gallagher Girls Read-a-Thon, hosted by Books As You Know It!

I am very excited to participate in this Read-a-thon because I will be able to share this lovely series with you guys and I will be preparing myself for the last book in the series, United We Spy, which comes out the second week of September.

The last time I read the first book in the series was about 5 years ago… That is a very long time!

If any of you would like to participate in the read-a-thon, you can still sign up! The last day to sign up will be August 4th! The Read-a-thon begins the 5th of August with the first book in the series. Here is the calendar for those who want to know.

Read-a-Thon Calender:

July 29th-Aug.4th:

SIGN UPS

Aug.5th-11th:

I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have To Kill You
August 12th-18th:
Cross My Heart and Hope To Spy

August 19th-25th:

Don’t Judge a Girl by Her Cover

August 26th-September 1st:

Only the Good Spy Young

September 2nd-8th:

Out of Sight, Out of Time

I hope some of you will join me, and if you haven’t read the books use this read-a-thon as an excuse to buy them and read them! Join in on the fun!

Tuesday Meme

Top Ten Auto-Buy Authors

July 30, 2013July 31, 2013 Veronica Porras (TTB)

Thank you The Broke and the Bookish for this wonderful Tuesday Meme

This week, I am doing a Top Ten Tuesday that has been done in the past and not the one we are supposed to be doing this week because, I can’t seem to think of enough endings or beginnings that “wow’d” me. Instead, I will be doing Top Ten Auto-Buy Authors.

Veronica’s List:

1. Sarah Dessen – Some people say that she is the Queen of YA Contemporary and I can see why the shoe fits. She has written over 10 books and each one unique in its own way. She is able to capture the struggles and changes that go through a teenage girl’s life perfectly in different scenarios and circumstances. Her books are never fluff to me. They always teach me something and that is why I love them.

2. Richelle Mead – She is sassy, she is sarcastic, and she’s funny as heck! The main characters are always funny in their own way, Rose with her “I’ll kick your butt” type of funny, Sydney’s “I am smarter than thou and why must I deal with you people” funny, or Adrian who is an honorary member of AYE. Her readers cannot help falling in love with all of her characters.

3. Sarah Ockler – Her books are so realistic and fun to read (fun as in it will make you feel many things) that I never stop to think twice and automatically buy her books. Her books aren’t just about love relationships, family and friendship are important themes in each of her books and I love her for that. We need more YA books that make family important.

4. Ally Carter – She writes about Spies and Thieves. That’s all you really need to know. If you are a fan of the USA Network and shows like White Collar and Psych, pick up any book by this author. You won’t be disappointed.

5. Morgan Matson – Ms. Matson is up there with Sarah Ockler and Sarah Dessen. She writes phenomenally. I don’t know how she isn’t that famous yet.

Anjie’s List:

6. Rick Riordan – I know I may be a little too old for his books,especially the Percy Jackson series which came out when I was in the 8th grade. I read the PJO series when I started college, and I fell in love! I love the characters he created, and I love how he included mythical education into his books!

7. Cassandra Clare – Besides the fact that I have a theory that she hates the Herondales, her writing is simply beautiful. The Infernal Devices is simply my favorite trilogy ever, and my reasons are many. The plot that she created, the words she penned, and the characters that she brought to life are only a few of the reasons why I am such a big fan of CC.

8. Lauren Oliver – She became one of my favorite authors because her writing is also beautiful! Her writing is so poetic that I feel as if I am reading a poetry book and not a novel. Even though I don’t agree with some of the plot in the Delirium trilogy, the books surprised me, and I loved that she wrote it to what she believed the characters would do and not what the fans wanted them to do (which is definitely the easier route).

9. Nicholas Sparks – He is my favorite contemporary author and that’s saying a lot from me. I have all his books and I love most of them. He’s a great writer and even though some plots are tragic, he truly makes you feel what the characters feel in the books.

10. Veronica Roth – I love her personality and her relationship with her fans! I think she’s an amazing writer as well! Divergent was an instant favorite and I can’t wait to see more from her in Allegiant and her future books!!

Special Review, YA Paranormal

ARC/Special Review: Severed Stone (Souls of the Stone #0.5) by Kelly Walker

June 25, 2013June 15, 2016 Veronica Porras (TTB)

I want to thank Net Galley and Kelly Walker for giving me an ARC of the Severed Stone. I greatly appreciate your generosity. I was given this ARC in mind that I would give a honest review of the book.

Goodreads Summary:

Their story should have been a fairytale, but someone is playing a dangerous game that can only end in heartbreak.

When Ciorstan awakes alone in a field, far from home and more than a little confused, it won’t be the strangest thing to happen that day. Ignoring both her intuition and a mysterious but handsome stranger’s warning, she allows a dashing prince to take her home to his palace. Agreeing to marry the prince was her second mistake. Her next one will rip an entire kingdom apart. Sometimes, true love can be a tragedy with devastating consequences.

SEVERED STONE is a prequel novella, 155 pages in length and can be read at any point during the Souls of the Stones series. (But because it is designed to answer questions posed in Cornerstone and Second Stone, it may be more gratifying after reading those titles first.)

Review:

I want to start of by saying that I have not read Cornerstone or Second Stone. I decided it would be safe to read this novella since it is a prequel, and can be read at any point while reading the series. I do feel as if I was missing something as I was reading it though. I believe I was expecting more on the lines of The Infernal Devices since that is also a prequel, but I do have to keep in mind that TID is a trilogy.

The writing in the Severed Stone was good, but I wasn’t blown away. I felt like everything happened really quickly. The first third of the book I was enjoying, but then once Fidwen got involved, it was all just chaos. It was one thing after another and I was left with so many things in my head at once. I like where the story went but, I just feel like it could have been executed a little bit better. I am being very nit-picky at the moment just FYI. The chaos I felt within the novella could have been solved by adding a few more pages about the brothers and the queen and less about her in the gowns and the rainbow of girls that were to help Ciorstan out with her transition into the royal life.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t a great one either. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. Some parts were cute and Cirostan’s creepy mother added to the haunting feel of the novella, which I loved. I think this book would have worked better as a novel than a novella.

Rating: 3.5/5

Random

Day 22 of the 30 Day Book Challenge

June 22, 2013 Veronica Porras (TTB)

We are at day 22! How did it become day 22 already?! Oh Dear. Sorry that I haven’t been updating this regularly but in the end, I will have done all of them. Now without anymore nonsense… here we go!

Day 22: Book you are currently reading

“For me it will have to be books I am currently reading. Those are: Legend, Under the Never Sky, Severed Stone, Clash, and I have a feeling I’m missing a few. These days I seem to be picking up a lot of books at once. That is not a good habit. At all.”

Reviews, YA Paranormal

Short Book Review: Boundless (Unearthly #3) by Cynthia Hand

June 18, 2013June 15, 2016 Veronica Porras (TTB)

Goodreads Summary:

The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California – and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfill her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.

In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must decide her fate once and for all.

Review:

I’m going to start off by talking about the epilogue. What the heck was that?! I even slept on it, hoping that in the morning my dislike of the epilogue would die down, but it has only intensified. People say that the epilogue of Clockwork Princess was bad, this was worse. Much worse.

This book had so many twists that once you start it, you will not be able to put it down. It had been a while since a series had done that to me. Boundless along with the rest of the Unearthly Trilogy sucked me in and I was gone. I had to keep reading. I neglected all of the other books I had been reading.

Clara and Christian came a long way, and Tucker broke my heart. So did Christian. I was surprised by how much I ended up loving Jeffrey. I think I can say that I almost love all of the characters equally. Cynthia Hand did a good job with making the reader become attached to every character. This book left me sad, with a pain in my chest, and it is not a story I will easily forget.

The Unearthly Trilogy is one of the best series I have ever read.

Rating: 5/5

Rating System:

1/5: I hate it.

2/5: It had some redeeming qualities but overall, not a good book.

3/5: I like it /A fun read.

4/5: I really like it, but something is missing.

5/5: I love it! It’s as close to perfection as it can get!

Tuesday Meme

Top Ten Books At The Top Of My Summer TBR List

June 18, 2013June 17, 2013 Veronica Porras (TTB)

Thank you The Broke and The Bookish for this lovely meme.

This week we have Top Ten Book At The Top Of My Summer To Be Read List. There are a lot of books I wish to read this summer, some I already own but I haven’t gotten to yet, and some that I wish to buy in the near future.

1. The Moon and More By Sarah Dessen

I don’t own this book… yet.

2. Crush Control by Jennifer Jabaley

I own it. Hopefully I will get to it soon.

3. Savannah from Savannah by Dennise Hildreth

Currently reading this book. So far, it is really good!

4. The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker

Just ordered from amazon. Haha. It’s on its way!

5. Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald

I don’t own this book.. yet. 🙂

6. Dare You To by Katie McGarry

I need this book. I still have to buy it.

7. Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood by Abby McDonald

Another book I need to buy. Oh Dear.

8. Legend by Marie Lu

I own it. It’s staring at me… telling me… READ ME.

9. Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

Another book that is telling me to READ it.

10. The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller

I also have to buy this one. Early Christmas present? Anyone?

What are some books you want to read this summer? 🙂