Sunday, March 30, 2014

Reading Rambles {2}: Booktube



Reading Rambles is a sporadic feature in which I ramble about all things bookish and ask you to join in on the discussion.

Today's Ramble:
Booktube
For those of you who don't know, Booktube is the name coined by the book vlogging community of on YouTube. It's thanks to Booktube that I really began to take my book blogging seriously. Before making Life in the Pages, I tried my hand at vlogging, recording some book hauls and meme response videos but they all turned out horrendously. I don't know what happens, but as soon as I hit "record" on my camera, my mind goes blank and I turn into a rambling, incoherent mess. I've come to accept the fact that I was not meant to be a vlogger. Blogging is so much easier.

When it comes to watching Booktube, I have three favorite kinds of videos: book hauls, memes/surveys, and bookshelf tours. I think Tasha of Tashapolis said it best when she explained why she loves book haul videos: it's like watching someone open a gift on Christmas--you get to experience the excitement with them! Book hauls are also fun because I love to see pretty book covers. :) Meme and survey videos are my second favorite kind of video on Booktube because, as I've mentioned before on the blog, I love filling out memes and taking quizzes and surveys, and if they're book-themed, then I'm in heaven! Finally, there are the bookshelf tours. I'm always curious to see all the different types of books people have and how they organize and decorate their shelves. It inspires me to be more creative with my own.


Favorite Booktubers
Books and Quills, a channel run by a girl from the Netherlands named Sanne, is not only my favorite booktube channel but probably my favorite YouTube channel, period. Sanne's videos are always well thought out, fun, and just pretty to watch (I feel bad saying this, but camera quality really matters when making YT vids). She also makes videos with great advice about breaking into and working in the publishing industy.



 Being my second favorite booktuber, what first drew me to Cassidy's channel was a little video called "Let Me Love Twilight." It was so satisfying to hear someone from the Twilight fandom speak out against all the hate in a thoughtful way. It's worth watching whether you're a fan of the books or not; the take away is basically, if you don't like a particular book/movie/TV show/etc, that's perfectly fine; just don't be a jerk about it.



If you do not watch PolandBananasBooks, you really need to add this channel to your to-watch list. Christine's videos are hilarious and full of enthusiastic fangirling!



I think I found Peruse Project through Christine's channel, and in a lot of ways Reagan's videos remind of PolandBananasBooks. The facial expressions and voices this girl makes crack me up!



The Readables, run by a graphic designer named Priscilla, is another one of my favorites because it features such pretty videos! I love how she always includes a pop-up within the video with information about the book she is discussing. Priscilla also has a very cool blog that you should check out, featuring printable designs for booktubers and bloggers.



Kat of Katytastic is another Booktuber with hilarious and entertaining book vlogs. Plus, she has one of the most awesome book collections I've ever seen (so jealous of all those bookshelves!).



Tashapolis is my latest Booktube discovery and I love her videos so much!




So tell me: do you watch Booktube? Who are you favorite vloggers? Do you have a channel of your own you'd like to share?



Saturday, March 29, 2014

Stacking the Shelves {2}

Stacking the Shelves is a weekend feature created by Tynga's Reviews in which bloggers share the books they've acquired over the week.

You guys, I really, really, really need to stop making so many trips to the library! Whenever I'm there, I'm worse than a kid in a candy store. I make a beeline for the YA section, zone out the books I originally came to get, and then browse for a bit. It's the browsing that always gets me in trouble. Usually it starts with me seeing a book spine with pretty font or design. I grab it, scan the summary on the cover flap, and if I like it, in the book goes right into my canvas bag. Never mind the fact that I've already got a stack of books a mile high at home. Or that I already have ten other books in my bag. Or that I'm checking out a sequel to a book I haven't even read yet. I'm an unstoppable monster!

Anyway, the library gods must have been looking down fondly on me this week because I somehow got my hands on a copy of The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender!  It's been on my TBR list for months and I am so excited to finally have the chance to read it! During my browsing, I also picked up a few other books:


1. The Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick
2. Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
3. On Little Wings by Regina Sirois
4. Shatter Me (e-book) by Tahereh Mafi (which I downloaded to my e-reader when I got home because the library didn't have a physical copy)
 
Now the real question is how many of these will I actually finish, haha. 
So tell me: what books did you get this week? Are you reading anything at the moment that you're particularly enjoying?
 



Wednesday, March 26, 2014

WoW {3}: In the Shadows by Kiersten White and Jim Di Bartolo

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme in which bloggers discuss the upcoming releases they're excited for. Hosted by Breaking the Spine.
 
From Goodreads:

From the remarkable imagination of acclaimed artist Jim Di Bartolo and the exquisite pen of bestselling author Kiersten White comes a spellbinding story of love, mystery, and dark conspiracy, told in an alternating narrative of words and pictures.

Cora and Minnie are sisters living in a small, stifling town where strange and mysterious things occur. Their mother runs the local boarding house. Their father is gone. The woman up the hill may or may not be a witch.

Thomas and Charles are brothers who’ve been exiled to the boarding house so Thomas can tame his ways and Charles can fight an illness that is killing him with increasing speed. Their family history is one of sorrow and guilt. They think they can escape from it . . . but they can’t.


Laini Taylor recently posted some photos from this book on her blog (her husband, Jim Di Bartolo, is the illustrator) and it looked so pretty that I immediately had to add it to my to-read list! Di Bartolo also illustrated Laini Taylor's Lips Touch: Three Times story collection. The illustrations really enhanced the stories and I can't wait to see more of his work in In the Shadows. I haven't read Kiersten White before but I know lots of people love her Paranormalcy series, so I'm hoping I enjoy her writing, too.

Release Date: April 29, 2014

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Things On My Bookish Bucket List


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic:

My Bookish Bucket List

1. Meet J.K. Rowling. Not only do I love her for writing my favorite book series of all time, but I think she's just a lovely, wonderful person in general. She's my idol, the author who made me to want to write magical stories.

2.  Write and publish a book of my own. I've wanted to be a writer ever since I was old enough to create and write down stories of my own. I became pretty discouraged with the whole idea while I was in college, but there's a part of me that still hopes that maybe one day I'll write a story people will love.

3. Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and/or Leavesden Studios. Do I even need to give an explanation?

4. Read a gigantic classic. Like Les Miserablés. Or Anna Karenina. Or War and Peace.

5. Have a library room in my future home. It's my dream to have an entire room filled with nothing but books (and a cozy place to sit and read them, of course). It would also be fantastic if I could get sliding ladders on my bookshelves, too.


6. Attend BEA. Everyone has been talking about their plans for BEA for the last couple of months and I am so jealous of all of you who get to go!! Unfortunately, it's not a trip I can afford to make this year. It would have been such a cool way to celebrate my first half-year of blogging. Sigh. Oh well. I will start saving my money and hopefully I will be able to attend next year! :)

7. Go to Leaky Con. Are you beginning to notice a trend here? All I can say is Harry Potter has had a huge influence on my life, so I guess it makes sense that the majority of my bookish wishes would have something to do with it. Leaky Con sounds like so much fun and I really hope I get to go someday!

8. Visit Shakespeare & Co., The Strand, and The Last Bookstore. I. Love. Bookstores. These are just a few of the cool ones I've heard bloggers and booktubers talk about and I want to see them all. If you have any other suggestions of bookstores (or libraries) I need to see, let me know in the comments!

9. Buy all the pretty, different editions of my favorite books (including reprints, foreign covers, etc). I know it's entirely ridiculous to buy multiple copies of the same book (as many people--mostly family members--have pointed out to me), but I can't help it! Some people collect classic cars, some collect antiques...I collect books.

Annnnd, I'm totally blanking. So I guess I'll stick with my top nine bookish wishes for now. :)



Saturday, March 22, 2014

Stacking the Shelves {1}

I am so excited to be doing my first ever Stacking the Shelves post today! For those of you who don't know, Stacking the Shelves is a weekend feature created by Tynga's Reviews, in which bloggers share the books they've acquired over the week.

My first post is going to be rather short as I only had a small haul this week. I've been on a self-imposed book buying ban for the past couple of months, so most of my books have been coming from NetGalley and the library. Let me know if we're reading any of the same books! :)



From the library:

  1. The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkowski 
  2. Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland
  3. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
I made a trip to the library yesterday afternoon and somehow ended up with all bluish-green books. Weird!

    For Review: 

    1. Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine
    2. Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian
    I'm especially excited to read Best Kind of Broken because Katelyn of Kate's Tales of Books and Bands gave it a glowing review! Also, since finishing Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster, I've really been wanting to find some more good New Adult fiction.


    Wednesday, March 19, 2014

    15 Times the Struggle was Real (Bookworm Edition)


    Sometimes, being a reader is hard. These are some of those times.
     Inspired by this post on BuzzFeed. 



    1. Having to return that library book you're still not finished with because you've reached the renewal limit.
    "But...but...I just need it for a few more days!"

    2. Forcing yourself NOT to turn around and spend the money you just earned from selling your books at Half Price Books at Half Price Books.
    This whole being-a-responsible-adult thing sucks.

    3. Checking out the maximum number of library books but still having more books you wanted to check out.


    4. Goodreads being down while you're at the library/bookstore and you can't remember what book was next-up on your TBR list.
    "I think the author's last name started with an A...? No, maybe an E..."

    5. Having less than $2 on your B&N/Kindle/e-reader gift-card-of-choice. If you just had a little more you could at least buy a bargain e-book.
    Le sigh.

    6. Lending a book out to a friend and spending the next month (or longer) in a constant state of book separation anxiety. "Why did I let them borrow it? Have they seriously not finished it yet? What if they lost it and are too embarrassed to tell me? What if they spilled something on it? What if they dog-ear the pages?!"
    "WHY THE HELL DID I LEAVE THE DUST JACKET ON?!"

    7. Reading in bed and having to constantly change positions because your arms get tired from holding the book. So you flip onto your stomach, but then your elbows get sore from holding up your body weight. So then you roll to the side but can only see the page angled toward you, so you read with one eye squinched shut. Eventually, you end up in the position you started in and repeat the process all over again.
    CassJayTuck has a hilarious video demonstrating this very problem.

    8. Reading in a room with the TV blaring and you cannot for the life of you concentrate on your book because your attention is continually drawn back to the TV, even if you couldn't care less about whatever's on.
    Even commercials distract you. Thanks a lot, brain.

    9. Carrying an armload of books around the bookstore and having to calculate the price of them all in your head and make the agonizing decision of which ones to put back.


    10. Having to put down your book in a hurry without anything to bookmark your place.
    Do not dog-ear, do not dog-ear, DO NOT DOG-EAR!

    11. Buying an e-reader so you can pack lighter for your travels...but ending up taking five physical books anyway.
    Hey, you need options. And your books will be so lonely on your shelf if you don't take them.

    12. Being so far behind in a book series that you're wary of getting on social media for fear of spoilers.
    "I see book spoilers. They're everywhere."

    13. Loving a book that everyone else hates.

    "But that book is terrible!"

    14. Hating a book that everyone else loves.
    "I can't even..."

    15. Being so excited to see the premiere of a book to movie adaptation only to realize the movie is horrible.
    "It could have been so great if it weren't for [insert actor(s)/director/screenwriter's name here]."



    WoW {2}: Gilded Ashes by Rosamund Hodge

    Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme in which bloggers discuss the upcoming releases they're excited for. Hosted by Breaking the Spine.



    From Goodreads:

    Orphan Maia doesn't see the point of love when it only brings pain: Her dying mother made a bargain with the evil, all-powerful ruler of their world that anyone who hurt her beloved daughter would be punished; her new stepmother went mad with grief when Maia's father died; and her stepsisters are desperate for their mother's approval, yet she always spurns them. And though her family has turned her into a despised servant, Maia must always pretend to be happy, or else they'll all be struck dead by the curse.

    Anax, heir to the Duke of Sardis, doesn't believe in love either—not since he discovered that his childhood sweetheart was only using him for his noble title. What's the point of pretending to fall in love with a girl just so she'll pretend to fall in love with him back? But when his father invites all the suitable girls in the kingdom to a masked ball, Anax must finally give in and select a wife.

    As fate would have it, the preparations for the masquerade bring him Maia, who was asked by her eldest stepsister to deliver letters to Anax. Despite a prickly first encounter, he is charmed and intrigued by this mysterious girl who doesn't believe in love. Anax can't help wishing to see her again—and when he does, he can't help falling in love with her. Against her will, Maia starts to fall in love with him too. But how can she be with him when every moment his life is in danger from her mother's deadly bargain?

    You guys, I am so excited that there are only two weeks left until the release of Gilded Ashes! Ever since finishing Cruel Beauty, I've been dying to read more about the world Rosamund Hodge has created. While I'm a bit sad that this novella will not be continuing the story of Ignifex and Nyx, I'm sure that I will love Anax and Maia's story just as much. Fairy tale retellings are quickly becoming my new favorite YA trend!


    Tuesday, March 18, 2014

    Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Books On My 2014 Spring TBR List


    Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely ladies at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic:

    Top Ten Books On My 2014 Spring TBR List


    1. A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller. This is at the top of my list because it is currently sitting on my dresser, waiting to be read. As it's a library book, I'm determined to read it soon. Laini Taylor also gave it a nod on twitter recently, and if she likes it I'm sure I will, too!

    2. The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton. If you've been following my blog for a while then you know just how excited I am for this book! I think I've included it on at least two other 2014 most-anticipated lists. And the release date is almost hereeeee!

    3. Liv, Forever by Amy Talkington. This is a case where the cover immediately drew me to the book (and the summary sealed the deal).
    4. Gilded Ashes by Rosamund Hodge. As you may have noticed, I absolutely loved Cruel Beauty. Even though Gilded Ashes is not about my beloved Ignifex and Nyx, I'm still super excited to read Hodge's novella.

    5. Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman. World War II stories have been frequenting my TBR list since finishing The Book Thief. So excited for this one!

    6. The Archived by Victoria Schwab. I've been seeing this book crop up a lot on my tumblr dashboard lately and it sounds really interesting!
    7. The Museum of Intangible Things by Wendy Wunder. This book sounds like a great get-ready-for-summer read: best friends on a road trip across the US.

    8. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. After seeing all the hype surrounding this series, I've finally decided to give it a go. I really want to see what's up with this Juliette/Warner ship everyone loves. And I may also have been swayed by Tahereh Mafi's YouTube channel--she's hilarious!

    9. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers. I'm obsessed with The CW's Reign, which has made me want to get back into historical fiction. I've heard lots of good things about this series.

     10. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. With Dreams of Gods and Monsters coming out in April, I really need to get on the ball and reread DoSaB so I can catch up in time to read the last book.

    What books are you all looking forward to reading this spring?


    Thursday, March 13, 2014

    The Liebster Award

    Earlier this week Stephanie from Her Reviews of Books, Movies, and Everything nominated me for the Liebster award (Thanks Stephanie)! From what I've gathered, the award is really just a way for bloggers to give recognition to blogs that they love, but that may have smaller followings than more well-known blogs. It's a great way to be introduced to new blogs you may not have heard of before and spread the book blogging love! :)

    Once you're awarded, you're tasked to write eleven facts about yourself, answer the questions created by the blogger who nominated you, and then nominate eleven bloggers of your choice. To read my facts, answers, and to see who I nominated, follow the "read more" link! :)


    The Rules
    1. List 11 facts about yourself.
    2. Answer 11 questions chosen by the person who nominated you.
    3. Ask 11 new questions to 11 new bloggers. They must have less than 200 Bloglovin followers. (You cannot renominate the blog that nominated you.)

    11 Facts About Moi
    1. My love of manga and anime lead me to study Japanese all through high school and part of college. (My favorite manga/anime of all time is Sailor Moon, in case you were wondering.)

    2. My favorite bands are Paramore and Muse. I've seen each of them twice in concert (best concerts of my life).

    3. I've been to nine midnight releases: for the Deathly Hallows book release, the last three Harry Potter movies, all the Twilight movies (except Twilight because I was in high school and it was on a school night), and The Hunger Games.

    4. When I was little I was absolutely obsessed with books about volcanoes, earthquakes, and tornadoes. My favorite movie was the made-for-TV film, Night of the Twisters. My parents even taped it for me so I could watch it whenever I wanted! Despite the fact that all of these things absolutely terrified me and gave me nightmares, they still fascinated me and I wanted to learn all about them. I became so obsessed with learning about storms that a family member gave me a field guide to clouds. I would take it with me on car rides and try to figure out what kind of clouds were in the sky that day. Now that I think about it, it's kind of amazing I didn't grow up to be a meteorologist!

    5. I got my driver's license when I was sixteen but didn't drive again until I was twenty-one. Driving is scary! Too many crazy people on the roads!

    6. I own multiple copies of my favorite books because I have no self control.

    7. My favorite TV series at the moment is Reign on The CW. I don't even care that it's totally inaccurate--it's so good! Last week's episode broke my heart.

    8. My biggest dream is to work in publishing and/or write a book of my own someday.

    9. The dorm I lived in in college looks very much like Hogwarts and holds "Hogwarts Week" every November, a whole week is dedicated to Harry Potter. They screen all the movies, have HP-related activities (like wand-making workshops, wizard dueling, and fanfiction readings), and end the week with a quidditch match. It was a truly awesome place to live for four years.

    10. My favorite colors (in case you couldn't tell) are purple and pink.

    11. I am currently obsessed with Ellie Goulding's music. Halcyon Days is probably the most listened to album on my iPod right now.

    Questions from Stephanie
    1. If you could bring only 1 physical book (no more) to a deserted island, which book would you choose?
    Ah, I see what you did there! Limiting it to one physical book so I can't cheat and say I'd bring my Nook! ;) That makes this question significantly harder to answer. But...I think I'd have to go with one of the Harry Potter books. Either five, six, or seven since they're the meatiest and would still be interesting after rereading them multiple times.

    2. If you could only eat 1 type of food for a week what would it be?
    Pasta/noodles. :) I'd just go to Noodles and Company and try a new dish each day.

    3. What is your all time favorite book? That book that you love more than anything and you have probably reread it more than once...
    Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. I've read it at least ten times and still manage to swoon over Edward and Bella's romance every time.

    4. Which author(s) are you flailing over the most right now?
    Recently, it's been Rosamund Hodge and Stacey Jay. I absolutely loved their Beauty and the Beast retellings!

    5. What book gave you your latest book hangover?
    Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay.

    6. Which movie that is based off a book has been your favorite adaptation?
    It's a tie between Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

    7. What is your favorite genre to read and why?
    Paranormal Romance because it combines my love of love stories with my fascination with the supernatural. And having vampires or werewolves or fairies or demon hunters in your story automatically makes it more dangerous and interesting!

    8. If you could meet any (1) author today and get them to sign your book, who would it be?
    It's my dream to meet J.K. Rowling. I admire her so much.

    9. Which social media is your favorite? Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram?
    Tumblr! :P

    10. Which "being" would you rather be? A mermaid, a witch/wizard, a fairy, werewolf, vampire, or something else?
    A witch. I've wanted to be one since I nine years old reading my first Harry Potter book. Still waiting for my Hogwarts letter...

    11. What do you enjoy doing when you aren't reading or blogging?
    I love watching movies. It's the next best thing to reading a book.

    Questions for My Nominees
    1. What is the first book you remember reading on your own as a child?
    2. What is your favorite bookish memory?
    3. Physical books, e-readers, or both?
    4. Which literary character do you most relate to?
    5. If you could write, produce, and direct a mini series or film adaption of a book, what book would you choose and why? Who would you cast?
    6. Name a film adaptation you would like to see redone.
    7. You're planning a dinner party filled with your favorite authors. Who do you invite?
    8. Who is your fictional crush?
    9. One day you wake up to find yourself living in a fictional world. Is it supernatural, dystopian, a fantasy world, or something else?
    10. In your chosen fictional world, you get to have one superpower/strength/skill. What is it? (Think Alice's clairvoyance in Twilight, Katniss's skill with a bow and arrow in The Hunger Games, Hermione's intelligence in Harry Potter, etc.)
    11. What book are you most looking forward to reading in 2014?

    I nominate:
    Lucy of Paperbackd
    Kim of The Nomadic Book Hoarder
    Missie of A Flurry of Ponderings
    Kelly of Pretty Little Reader
    Katelyn at Kate's Tales of Books and Bands
    Lauren of Northern Plunder/Books and Tea
    Rebecca of The Booker
    Stephanie and Jessica of These Paper Hearts
    Mara of Book Marauder
    Renuka of Eternal Books
    Marisa of Books Beyond Measure


    Thanks again, Stephanie, for nominating me! :D