Book Haul!!!!

Okay, I totally did not plan buying so many books today...

Yesterday I decided I was going to go to Goodwill today because books there are ridiculously cheap and I have been binge watching booktube videos since yesterday. I've been finding so many new good channels and I've been watching hauls, and yea, I just really wanted to buy books. Hardcovers are $1.79 at my Goodwill. Paperbacks are $0.89. Yea. You can see why I had to go.

Then, I was just looking around on Amazon and making a wish list and then all of a sudden I found some ridiculously cheap kindle books, and I just couldn't help myself....

My books from Goodwill:

Bottom to top: The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern : Literally caught my eye. Most beautiful book cover I've ever seen.

The Other Side and Back by Sylvia Browne : I just freaking lover her and all of her books so I jumped right on this.

Insight: Case Files from the Psychic World by Sylvia Browne : Same reason as the previous book.

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin : Saw the movie. Decided to get the book. Why not?

The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler : Ummm, did anyone else see Jane Austen in the title?? Yea. So did I. I've actually read this before and seen the movie. But still. Needed it on my shelf. And it's really cute.

A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks : Don't have it. Love Nicholas Sparks. Love the movie. Needed it.

The Jefferson Key by Steve Berry : Now that I have this, I only need 5 more Steve Berry books. Including the ebook only books. Yea I have a need for them. A NEED!!! 

And now my Kindle books :)

OMG. So excited. If you haven't heard of Steelheart. Go look it up. Go read the synopsis. And then Go get it. I know you will. 

Next, Beautiful Ruins. I've seen this book everywhere. Library. Book websites. Everyone seems to recommend it. It was cheap and I am interested in reading it, so yea I got it.

And finally, The Last Heiress. I have an Egyptian passion. I should be more specific, an Ancient Egyptian passion. Everything. The pantheon. The pharaohs. Yea. I needed this in my life. It's about Tut's wife. Yup. Yup. Had to get.

I can't wait to dive into these books. Especially my kindle books because I actually have not read a single ebook since I got my nook tablet. What's wrong with me???

Day 29 You don't know them??

Day 29 of the 30 Day Book Challenge asks which author I personally wish was more well known.

I guess Daniel Quinn would be an author that I wish was more well known. I love his Ishmael books and I love the philosophical focus of his writing, but I feel like he is really not that well known. 

Everyone should read his books. You will actually learn something from reading his books, and that is the sign of a book worth the name.

Day 28 First thing I remember....

Day 28 of the 30 Day book challenge is a throwback one. I have to try and think of the first book that I read on my own.

I actually have a pretty bad memory for these kinds of things.

If anything, it is more than likely a Berenstain Bears book that I finished on my own. I read a lot of these books growing up and I really liked them. I still think they are cute for new readers. :)

Day 27, The Day of the Genre

Day 27 of the 30 Day Book Challenge asks the question that everyone else asks, what is your favorite genre of books?

Why do we have to put labels on things? Can't we all just call them books, and leave it at that? Why make me label what I have?

haha :) But seriously, my favorite genre is kind of specific...

It would be: Historically-based-Mystery-Conspiracy-Action

What....a mouth full. I know. But seriously, give me a book with that and written well, and I am in love. Which is why Steve Berry is my favorite author.

I just love when I get sucked into these books and they're using old clues that might possibly not be there anymore. It is just an awesome ride.

If you know any other good authors that write books like this, please let me know!

What is your favorite book genre?

Day 26 Non-Fiction is Hilarious!!

Day 26 of the 30 Day Book Challenge is all about my favorite kind of non-fiction books.

Did not even have to think about my answer.

It would be memoirs written by comedians. Especially funny, female comedians. My favorites are those by Chelsea Handler!!

These are the ones that I have read and ABSOLUTELY love!

My Horizontal Life

Are You there Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (by Mindy Kaling)

Day 25 Nerd Time

Day 25 of the 30 Day Book Challenge asks what the nerdiest book is that I have ever read.

Honestly, I have no idea.

I just really cannot think of something nerdy for some reason that I have read....

I guess maybe the Captain Underpants series that I read in Elementary School would have to be the nerdiest books that I have read. They are pretty funny comics. I guess that is kind of nerdy??

Here are two of the ones that I have read. They even LOOK funny haha :)

Where is Day 24?? My Favorite Series

I'm so sorry that I haven't posted in two days! I just moved back to my place in my college town, so things have been a little crazy!!

Day 24 of the 30 Day Book Challenge asks what my favorite book series is.

I do really like to read book series, only sometimes I just can't keep up or I just do not really have the ability to get the new books in the series. It can be frustrating.

For this post, I picked the Body Movers Series by Stephanie Bond. I have read the first three and I own the fourth one, I just have not gotten around to finishing it just yet. I believe that there are six books out currently in the series. Even though I am not fully up to date on the series and caught up, these are seriously really good!!

Obviously, she does write romance books, so do not be surprised by some adult content, but there is also a mystery and comedy element to the books that make them really well rounded. I like how the books smoothly move into the next ones and you do not feel like there is a lull in the action of the plot.

They are really a good series that I definitely recommend to anyone! (age appropriate, of course :) )

Day 23 Oh How I used to Hate you...

30 Day Book Challenge, you challenge me!! Haha :)

A book that I used to hate, but not any more...

I guess I kind of have to say Twilight. Only because I hated it before I read it. I know! I'm such a judger!!!

Once I did read the books, I did actually like them more than I thought I would have. The only reason I DON'T love them still is because of Bella. I'm pretty sure she is on my list of characters I hate. If I forgot her, I'm sorry, but she is like number 2.

I just cannot like her, but I do like the books. Mainly because of Edward. I love him. :)

Day 22 I used to Love you

Day 22 of the 30 Day Book Challenge asks what book did I used to love, but don't really love anymore.

I think the books that would probably fit this most would be the RL Stein Fear Street books. I used to read those a lot when I was younger, and I even owned quite a few myself.

I just don't really feel like the books would really interest me at all anymore. They are just not as mature as some of the other horror books that I have read. They are just a different level of reading and maturity than I am at right now.

Are there any books that you used to really like and just don't anymore?

Day 21 That's Disturbing...

30 Day Book Challenge still going strong. Today is all about a book that I've read and found disturbing.

There was immediately one book that came to my mind.

The Lucifer Effect by Phillip Zombardo.

Now, I have yet to finish this book, but that is mainly because the book was kind of disturbing. If you do not know, this book is about how people are capable of doing horrible things like genocide.

The book includes details about the Abu Ghraib situation in the Middle East, genocide in Africa, as well as the Stanford Prison Experiment that Zombardo was in charge of in the 1970's.

This book delves into the fact that we are capable of horrible things, even if we are otherwise good people.

Have you read this book? What book was disturbing for you to read?

Pretty Little Liars: A Guide on How to be the Worst Parent Ever

So I happen to LOVE Pretty Little Liars! I love the television show. I am currently reading the books, and I love those too. There are obviously some differences between the books and the show, of which the main thing that I have noticed is between the parents on the show and the parents in the books.

Now I don't know if the show executives just realized that you cannot have parents that are ridiculously neglective, and just horrible. Here are the things I have noticed wrong with the parents of Pretty Little Liars in the books. Be aware, there may be spoilers and you may get mad at just how stupid these parents are.

Hanna's Parents:
-Mom: I actually don't really have anything wrong with her mom in the show or in the books. She does kind of kick Hanna out of the house, but only for a few moments so that Hanna can understand that it was not okay what she did. Yes, it is awkward that she dates the cop, but she does it for Hanna, which I feel is very motherly.
-Dad: Where to start with the Dad?? Umm.....I ABSOLUTELY HATE him. I don't particularly like him in the show, but he is not around nearly as much as he is in the books. Now I do not understand why any parent would think that two step-sisters have to love each other and actually consider themselves family. Now, if they were half-sisters, that is understandable. Then at least they would share a parent. Forcing two people who do NOT like each other to spend all of their time with each other is NOT going to make them like each other. It is going to make them HATE each other even more. DUHHH! Also, he absolutely does not recognize how hard Hanna is taking everything. She lost her best friend, who tried to KILL her, and then ended up dead herself, and Ali's body was found, AND someone (who she finds out is her best friend) is stalking her and sending her threatening notes. I just don't understand how he is do dumb about his own daughter.

Aria's Parents:
-Mom: Who in their freaking mind is going to blame their child for keeping a secret about their father having an affair. All a child wants is their parents to be happy and together. It also does not help that her father ASKED her to keep it a secret. That is not something that you blame your child for. That is something that you blame your creep of a husband for and burn all of his things. And when your daughter tells you about how she tried to defend your honor, you do NOT kick her out of the damn house!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also, do not date creepy guys who are hitting on your daughter behind your back.
-Dad: Don't cheat on your wife and make your daughter cover it up for you. Also do not get your former student pregnant. That's about it.

Emily's Parents:
-Mom: ABSOLUTELY DO NOT SEND YOUR DAUGHTER AWAY IF SHE SAYS/YOU FIND OUT SHE IS GAY. Your child is your child. You should accept them no matter what. I do not care what you personally believe. Also do not put your daughter into a specific niche if they do say they are gay. They are still themselves, they just happen to like people of their own sex.
-Dad: Pretty much the same things. Seriously though, just because she is gay, does not automatically mean that she likes tea like every other lesbian or that she loves a show about gay women. Grow up people.

Spencer's Parents:
-Dad: Don't let your wife push you and your whole family around. Be a man for god's sake.
Now the mom...
-Mom: I can not say enough things about how much I hate this woman. I really can't. I HATE her. She absolutely shows favor to her older daughter. She disowns and ignores Spencer. They cut her off financially. They do not allow her any type of excuse or possibility of anything that would look bad on them. She blames Spencer for someone painting horrible words on their house. They ignore her when she is in the house. They do not invite her out to dinner with the rest of the family. They purposefully shut her out when her grandmother suddenly does not acknowledge Spencer in the will. When Spencer gets caught kissing Wren, they completely shun her and remove her from the barn. They TELL her to cheat to win the Golden Orchid Essay contest, and then when she tells the truth they pretend to be shocked and punish her quite severely. I can go on and on. Pretty much everything that this woman does is to put Spencer down and to honor Melissa. Which is just wrong.

So there you go. If you want to be the most horrible parent that you possibly can, then you should definitely do everything that these parents have done to their daughters who have had really hard times. What are some of your opinions on the Pretty Little Liars books vs the show??

Day 20: Where Do I Read??

Day 20 of the 30 Day Book Challenge, asks which environment do I like to read the most in.

I read pretty much everywhere. I think my favorite environment to read is a comfortable one. Blankets cuddled up around me. Pillows everywhere. A soft perch to plop down on. Enough light to read, but not too much to make it hurt my eyes.

Also, I prefer quiet. I have tried reading while listening to my iPod, but I end up finding out by the time I'm done reading that what I was listening to was done long before I even noticed. I block out sounds when I start to really get into a book that I am reading, but it is much preferable for me to just have it quiet anyways so that I do not have to worry about getting distracted.

What environment do you prefer to read in?

Day 19 Late again! and Underrated

Hello lovelies!

Day 19 of the 30 Day Book Challenge was about what book I think is really underrated.

One of the reasons I think I forgot to put this post up yesterday would be that I am absolutely at a loss about a book that I think is underrated!

I just really cannot think of anything that I have read and was like, "Wow. Why doesn't EVERYONE love and read this??"

The only book that I can possibly think of, would be The Red Tent by Anita Diamant.

I don't think that this is really a book that males will find interesting or useful or powerful, but I DO think that every woman should read this book. This book retells the mysteries of womanhood that have been lost to us since the past.

This book is definitely about the power that a woman, any woman really, has. A woman doesn't have to be a queen to be powerful in this book, and that is something that every woman should understand.

It is a beautiful, powerful, even painful book.

Is there a book that you think is painfully underrated??

Day 18 Soooo Overrated!!!

Day 18 of the 30 Day Book Challenge asks which book I think is completely overrated.

This is actually a book that I have never read. I'm sorry, but I have not read this book mainly because I feel like it is really over-hyped.

The Hunger Games.

Stop be mad and yelling!!

Seriously though, when was the last time you saw a book this hyped?? The answer is Twilight. And I actually really liked the Twilight books, it was the movies that were a complete disaster. I want to read about a love story of two people that should not be together and how Bella almost dies a few times. Her almost dying definitely made it better! (In my humble opinion) However, why would I want to read about a bunch of kids trying to kill each other? Give me a really good answer and maybe, just maybe, I might read the books and/or watch the movie.

Also! Have you seen your local Wal-Mart? Does yours have a HUGE display blocking part of the aisle for just freaking Hunger Games merchandise? Well mine does. Not appreciated. Not really appreciated at all.

Obviously, there seems to be an obsession with the dystopian society novels today. Clearly this says a lot about our own society, but that would be for another discussion and probably a lot of people's topics for English theses.

Eventually, I probably will read this series, but for now I am just going to sit back and watch the hype spiral.

Day 17. Why can't I just like this book??

Day 17 of the 30 Day Book Challenge is all about a book that I have read, and do not like, even though I want to like it.

Now, most people who know me and hear my nerd side come out a lot will probably be shocked by this answer, but the book that I just cannot bring myself to love nearly as much as the one before and after it is.....

The Two Towers by J R Tolkien. Gasps! Yes! I know!!! I'm horrible....

But I just cannot bring myself to like it nearly as much as the other two books. Don't get me wrong, there are some really good parts in the book! (The second half of the book anyways...)

But seriously, I took a two YEAR break in the middle of reading this book. Obviously, something was not going right here. I couldn't help it either!!! It was just soooo boring! I couldn't take another chapter about Aragorn and Gimli and Legolas running around trying to find Merry and Pippin. I just could not read any more about it.

I love the movie, but even the movie is slightly boring when they are doing that, but luckily the movie goes back and forth. The book does not.

As a Lord of the Rings fanatic, it is probably blasphemy for me to not like this book as much as the others, but I do still respect the book. I just cant love it as much as the others.

Is there a book that you want to love, but for some reason or other, you just can't??

Day 16. I will never read you!!

Day 16 of the 30 Day Book Challenge wonders about which books you would never, ever read.

I actually had a hard time trying to think about which book I could say I will never read. I don't want to commit to never reading anything, because you never know. I just don't even think about books that I'm not interested in usually. Why think of them if I'm not going to read them??

I could only come up with one book that I never, ever plan on reading. (Though reading this book would help me out with the Tea Book Challenge!)

That book is War and Peace. Thank goodness that I never had a literature class that made me read this book!!! If you don't know, War and Peace just so happens to be 1392 pages. Yep. You read that right. Don't get me wrong, I can do it. I read all three Lord of the Rings books. Over 1400 pages. (I had the version with them all together). I just never want to read this book.

I have seen the movie. It had Audrey Hepburn in it, it was pretty much a no-brainer for me to watch. I'm kind of obsessed with her. No big. So I DO know what the book is about, and I would fall asleep after trying to read a page. Of this I am 100% sure. I'm sorry, but it is just not something that grabs my attention! I understand that this is a classic novel and people rave about it in the academic literary world, but it is just not my cup of tea.

Another good reason not to read it, Leo Tolstoy. He is the author, if you were not aware. I did not even like The Death of Ivan Ilych. I did not really like it, or get it. If I don't like your book that is only 88 pages, how on earth do you think I am going to like your 1392 page book?? I would probably go looking for a cliff to jump off of. (Just being a drama queen! I promise I won't jump off a cliff. I'm afraid of heights!)

So there it is. The book that will never be on my shelf to read. What book do you know that you will never read?

Day 15 A Book on My TBR List? Seriously?

Day 15 of the 30 Day Book Challenge is kind of crazy. They want me to pick a book on my TBR (To Be Read) list. I have a list of about 800 books. Yea. This is asking a lot.

I don't even know where to start for picking just one off of my list.

I guess the next book that I am the most excited to read would be The Emperor's Tomb by Steve Berry. The only reason I'm really picking this book is because it is the next book of Steve Berry, one of my all-time favorite authors.

Day 14 All About Regrets

Day 14 of the 30 Day Book Challenge asks what book you regret not having read sooner than you did.

Usually, I don't really ever regret reading a book later than I originally planned. When I read it, I read it and that's fine with me. Just as long as I read it, it's all good.

If there is one book that I probably will regret not having finished sooner, it will probably be My Ishmael. I started reading this book after getting it soon after reading Ishmael. I own it and have it somewhere, I just haven't finished.

I'm sure the book will be amazing. The first one was. It blew my mind.

Day 13 My Favorite Book From Childhood

Day 13 has me almost stumped. My favorite book from childhood is kind of hard to pick. I have always loved reading, and I would read many different kinds of books and loved so many of them.

The one that I decided on was......wait for it.......

The Boxcar Children #1. I loved this series, and I especially loved the first one. I've read it quite a few times and I can still remember some of the details of the book. This series was one of the first mystery series that I ever read, and probably started my love for mystery. 

Late Post! Day 12 My Favorite Authors

Day 12 of the 30 Day Book Challenge is all about my favorite authors. These are the authors that I will read pretty much anything by, and more than likely love.

1. Jane Austen. I don't care how over-loved some people think Jane Austen might be. I love everything Jane Austen. The only problem is reading and watching all of it! You wouldn't believe how many Austen-based books there are! And then there are at least two different film adaptations for each of her books, and even film adaptations of some of the books based on Austen! It is an obsession for me.

2. Steve Berry. I just love every one of his books. I don't know how he comes up with all of the amazing quests that his main characters go on. And all of that historical information and all the different places that they visit throughout the world. I just can't get enough.

3. Stephanie Bond. I'll admit, I started reading her books because that would be my name if I was married to James Bond. Silly, I know, but I found a really good author from that bit of silliness. I love her romance novels :) Especially the ones that involve murder mystery.

These are my main favorite authors that I read all the time and even put forth the effort to own most books by each author!

What are your favorite authors? Are they ones that you just HAVE to own all of the books of??