It's the End of 2015 Read-A-Thon Day 6

It is Day 6 of the read-a-thon. It's almost to a close, so make sure you get as much reading in as you can! Just to remind you all, the challenges are:

• Read a Red or Green Colored Book
• Read a Book You Wanted to Read All Year
• Finish Off That Series! Read a Concluding Book of a Series
• Read a Sequel Book
• Read a Total of 4 Books

And to remind you also of the give away, here's a little excerpt from Sarah's blog which I believe explains it the best:

Remember if you want to be in with a chance to win a book of your choice up to the value of $15 from The Book Depository head over here and get your name in! The person who completes the challenges the best will win this prize. So also remember to keep your progress updated too!!

Also make sure to check the twitter @Read_Endof2015 use the #Endof2015Readathon for sprints and other fun activities. 

Now, down to the today's challenge...

Challenge #6

Now, I'm sure all of our reading years have been fantastic filled with books that completely blew our minds, but there has to be at least one book that you've read this year that you thought was the worst thing you've ever read (or maybe not that extreme). So, today's challenge is to talk about your Least Favorite Books of 2015.

I didn't necessarily hate this book, but We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. The end completely blew my mind and I couldn't think straight for a couple of days, but the rest of the book was kind of meh for me. I think that was the only book that really didn't do it for me this year.

Now it's your job to post or tweet about your least favorite books of 2015. Make sure to leave a comment below linking to your post.

I hope ya'll are getting some last minute reading in and I can't wait to see all of the wrap ups tomorrow!

Happy reading,

Jayne

It's the End of 2015 Read-A-Thon Day 3

It is Day 3 of the read-a-thon. How are ya'll doing? Just to remind you all, the challenges are:

• Read a Red or Green Colored Book
• Read a Book You Wanted to Read All Year
• Finish Off That Series! Read a Concluding Book of a Series
• Read a Sequel Book
• Read a Total of 4 Books

And to remind you also of the give away, here's a little excerpt from Sarah's blog which I believe explains it the best:

Remember if you want to be in with a chance to win a book of your choice up to the value of $15 from The Book Depository head over here and get your name in! The person who completes the challenges the best will win this prize. So also remember to keep your progress updated too!!

Also make sure to check the twitter @Read_Endof2015 use the #Endof2015Readathon for sprints and other fun activities. 

Now, down to the today's challenge...

Challenge #3

Today, the challenge is to spell out a Christmas/winter word with books. To make a little more challenging, try to use your read-a-thon TBR. Make a post, tweet, or post a picture on Instagram of your submission and put a link in the comments below. This will help us determine the giveaway 

winner.

I have chosen to spell out the word TREE with...

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Relax, I'm a Ninja by Natalie Whipple

Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

The Evolution Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

It is not too late to sign up, so please do. It's a whole lot of fun and I'm having a blast thus far. I hope all of  your reading is going fantastically and I can't wait to check in tomorrow!

Happy reading,

Jayne

It's the End of 2015 Read-A-Thon Day Two

I hope ya'll have had a great read-a-thon so far, I've read over 100 pages thus far, which is good for me. I know I said I was going to have a full out detailed post today? Well, I have had some unexpected life events pop up today and have  decided to just jump into read-a-thon posts and all of the information you need can be found on the Goodreads page. Today is Cheyenne's day, so make sure to hop on over on her blog to see what today's challenges are. I will be hosting tomorrow, so make sure you check in right here. The post will be up around 2:00 pm EST. 

I will be back shortly with read-a-thon posts, a reading and blogging New Years resolution post, and a holidays book haul. I can't wait to get back into the swing of things and I will see ya'll tomorrow!

Happy reading,

Jayne

It's the End of 2015 Read-A-Thon

Now, does anyone remember the It's the End of 2014 Read-A-Thon that I help to host last year? Well, if you do, there is another one happening this year, except for 2015. I've been meaning to post about this for a while now and I've just now gotten to it. Today is Day One, so make sure you check out Sarah's blog since she is hosting today. IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN. I will have a more detailed post up tomorrow, but I wanted to get this up quickly so ya'll know what is going on. I will also have my post for today up later. I just want to spend today hanging out with my family and playing with all of the things I got for Christmas. If you want more information on the read-a-thon, check out the Goodreads page. It's been a while and I hope to get back into the swing of blogging in the new year.

Thanks for reading and Merry Christmas,
Jayne

The TBR and Unread Books Tag

Sorry I didn't post last week. I've been buried under a mountain of homework with a cold. Anyway, today I bring to you the TBR and Unread Books Tag orignally created by Danni Darling and I was tagged by Sarah @YA Bookaholic back in May so...


1. How many unread and read books do you have?

Read: 42 (not counting the family bookshelf)
Unread (24 also not counting the family bookshelf)
*Please keep in mind that I recently started collecting books and I plan on both categories getting VERY big


2. The book that has sat the longest on your shelves?

Out of my read books, Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins box sets. I got them at the same time.
Out of my unread books, Stormchasers by Jenna Blum.

3. Number one book on your TBR that you want to read but haven't gotten around to yet?

It's a tie between The Help by Kathryn Stockett and We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.

4. A book you want to rad more than anything, but don't own yet?

Hands down, Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout and the fourth book of The Arcana Chronicles by Kresley Cole. I loved the first few books in both of these series and I CANNOT wait to get my hands on either of them.

5. A book you don't remember buying but haven't read yet?

I don't have an answer for this one because I remember where each and everyone of my books came from.


6. A book you have that you don't think you'll get around to reading but haven't gotten rid of yet?

Probably Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. I started reading it one year for English class, hated it and did not finish. I had to use notes online for my project. I like to give every book a second chance, but I'm not so sure about this one.

7. A book you feel guilty about not reading yet?

The Help, most likely. I was in a time crunch during my first attempt and I started to enjoy it, but didn't have enough time to finish it, so I just never have.

8. A book series you've heard about non-stop, but have no interest in reading?

I talked about these two in the Unpopular Opinions Book Tag, so if you read that post, I'm sure you know what I'm about to say. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon  and A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin.

I'm sure everyone and their mother has already done this tag, so I will not be tagging anyone. I hope you enjoyed and I will see ya'll soon with another post!

Unpopular Opinions Book Tag

Once I saw this tag on YouTube, I thought, "YES! FINALLY!" It's great when we tell people of our favorite reads, but it's not often we get to warn people of the books we hate. This tag was created by TheBookArcher. I did a Top Ten Tuesday a while back about Books I Cannot Stand. In that post, I sugar coated things a little, but I'm going to be a little more...transparent in this one.

DISCLAIMER: I don't mean to offend anyone with my opinions. They are just that, opinions. Everyone is entitled to them. You do not have to feel the same way I do about a particular book, author, or character.

1. A popular book or series that you just didn't like.

There are a few, but the series I HATE the most that I feel is very popular with the majority of the book community is Matched by Allie Condie. I cannot express in words how much I despised this book: the characters were insufferable, the plot was way too predictable, the world building was lacking, and I didn't like the writing style. I did read Crossed, which I did like better than the first book. I didn't even read Reached, I read the first few paragraphs and decided it wasn't worth it. Some other honorable mentions:

• Divergent by Veronica Roth
• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (it wasn't too bad though)
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding 
• Animal Farm by George Orwell

2. A popular book or series that everyone seems to hate, but you love.

People don't necessarily hate this book series, but I just haven't heard tons of love for it, which is the Razorland trilogy by Ann Aguirre.

3. A love triangle where the main character ended up with the person you did NOT want them to end up with or an OTP that you don't like.

I am not caught up in the Throne of Glass series (I have only finished up to Crown of Midnight) and I have wanted her to be with Chaol, but where things are headed, I'm sure she'll get with Dorian. Also (SPOILER...kind of) I don't like Magnus and Alec together. I think they are a bad match.

4. A popular book genre you hardly reach for.

Classics. I just don't find them appealing.

5. A popular or beloved character you do not like.

It's not that I don't like this character, it's that I didn't like her as much as I was expecting to, Lola from Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. Don't get me wrong, I loved that book, but I was expecting to really like her, I just felt sort of "meh" about her and I didn't like a lot of her decisions.

6. A popular author you can't seem to get into.

Most definitely Sarah J. Maas and Andrew Smith. I've read Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight, but I wasn't as blown away as other people and I just don't have any motivation to read any Andrew Smith books.

7. A popular book trope you are getting tired of seeing.

Teen girls with brown hair that some life changing event happens to and she understands what is going on pretty quickly and kicks butt/she knows exactly what is going on and kicks butt. Very specific, I know, but for once, I want to see our main character have NO IDEA what they are doing, not really have anyone to help them figure it our, and are so bad at fighting, they win fights (sometimes) by mistake. I want to see a protagonist who would act 100% normal. And parents who have clue what is going on what so ever or who are never there. It annoys me. WHY DO ALL YA PROTAGONISTS HAVE TO NEGLECTFUL OR CLUELESS PARENTS???

8. A popular series that you have no interest in reading.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, I even have no interest in either of the shows. Sorry.

9. They saying goes, "The book is always better than the movie," but what movie or TV show adaptation do you prefer more than the book?

One hundred percent, The Hunger Games movies. Don't get me wrong, I love the books, but there is only so much we can see from Katniss's perspective. The movies do a fantastic job of expanding the universe and helping the audience see the magnitude of the situations presented in the story and how far things really went. I also love what they've to represent the Capital visually and all of the futuristic inventions. In my head, it looked very weird, but it all made sense when I saw on screen. Although, the Percy Jackson movies were pretty great adaptations... just kidding. I literally wanted to punch myself in the face just writing that, even if it was a joke.

If you have similar feelings, let me know in the comments so we can form a club and defend ourselves against the haters! Truly, these are only my opinions and if you do not agree, totally cool! I would like to tag:

Sarah @ YA Bookaholic

Wil @ My Bookish Empire

Girl Online by Zoe Sugg Review and Thoughts on Ghost Writing

Girl Online
Author: Zoe Sugg
Page Count: 352 
Publishing Information: Atria/Keywords Press 

I had not idea GirlOnline would take off the way it has - I can't believe I now have 5432 followers, thanks so much! - and the thought of opening up to you all about this terrifying, but here goes...

Penny has a secret.

Under the alias of GirlOnline, she blogs about school dramas, boys, her mad whirlwind family - and the panic attacks she's suffered from lately. When things go from bad to worse, her family whisks her away to New York, where she meets the gorgeous, guitar-strumming Noah. Suddenly Penny is falling in love - and capturing every moment of it on her blog.

But Noah has a secret too. One that threatens to ruin Penny's cover - and her closest friendship - forever. (Goodreads)

Before I even start this review, I feel that it is necessary to address the scandal surrounding this book. If you are unaware, there was quite an uproar about Girl Online being ghost written. Personally, I didn't know much about what was going one, and if you are on the same boat I was, these articles at The Guardian and The Telegraph explain it beautifully.

I do not think that anyone should attack or be angry at Zoe for having a ghost writer. I think people would be surprised to see how many authors use ghost writers. And, personally, I don't think the book was entirely ghost written. I think Zoe's ideas were there, she just needed help putting it on the page. When I read the book, I could see Zoe's personality shine through at moments, because I watch her videos pretty regularly. I'm not saying ghost writing is okay because I like Zoe as a person, I'm saying it because ghost writing shouldn't be a big deal. It happens all the time, more than we know and most ghost writers don't want to be recognized for writing the book. That's why they're ghost writers! I believe that Zoe did have a part in the writing process because someone cannot really capture what it is like to have anxiety unless they have it, which I can verify having anxiety myself. Honestly, I don't care who wrote this book or any other book for that matter, all I care about is if I enjoy it and I did enjoy this story.

Now, moving on from that little rant, I really enjoyed Girl Online. I loved the characters, how they were all unique with their own little quirks, even the most minor of characters, and I found myself driven to find out what happens next. I thought both Brighton and New York City were captured perfectly. Although I predicted the little twist at the end, it didn't stop me from enjoying the book. A solid 3.5 stars and I most definitely will be picking up the new book. A very cute, funny, and enjoyable contemporary.

BookBuddy-A-Thon

To give myself a little push back into the book blogging world, I decided to join a read-a-thon. I was actually approached by my blogging friend, Wil, who asked me to be his buddy for the read-a-thon, and of course I said yes! It's a very casual read-a-thon, so there isn't a lot of pressure about it which is good because it takes place during my first week of classes for this year. This read-a-thon was created by Cold Tea and Crumbs as well as Elena Reads Books. There are only five challenges.

1. Pick 3 books and have your buddy pick one for you to read (Wil chose Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo for me)

2. Buddy read a book (We will be buddy reading Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein)

3. Read a book with you buddy's favorite color on it (Wil's favorite color is orange, so I will be reading Poison Princess by Kresley Cole, the new editions)

4. Read a book your buddy rated 5 stars (I will be reading We Were Liars by E. Lockhart)

5. Read any other book you want (I will either be reading Maus by Art Spiegelman or Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay which I've already started)

The read-a-thon will take place September 7-13th. That's next week, so if you want to participate, grab a buddy and figure out which books you are going to read. Your buddy doesn't have to be a blogger or booktuber, they can be anyone; your mom, sister, best friend, a new friend, ANYONE! Just have fun and I will let you know how I did at the end of the week!

Wow...It's Been A While

If you haven't noticed, I've been gone for about four months. Honestly, I thought about quitting. Blogging was becoming a chore and I was having a hard time coming up with content. But, I've been thinking it over, and decided that I wanted to start blogging again. So, no, I haven't fallen off the face of the planet or something, I was just taking a little break.
Ya'll probably have been wondering what I've been up to. I've been spending the summer doing various things with my nieces and nephew while they came to visit, I've acquired an obsession with The Sims, I've been working on a novel, and (weirdly) I've read more since I stopped blogging. I guess I just had more time.
So, yes, I'M BACK! I've got tons of posts lined up for ya'll and I will be posting once a week to get back into the swing of things. Thanks so much for understanding that I just needed a little break and I am so excited to get back into the book world!

Have I Fallen Out of Love?

You probably have all noticed that there's been a lack of posts since 2015 began. I don't know what happened. I just did not post for reasons that I feel like I need to explain. I have been thinking nonstop about my blogging life for the past few weeks, feeling bad for not posting and a thought occurred to me... have I fallen out of love with book blogging?

I would love to scream no from the mountaintops and tell the masses that I will jump head first back into blogging and get back at it. The only problem is...I can't. I have determined that I have not fallen out of love, blogging and I have just hit a rough patch in our relationship.

There are few reasons why I have not been posting and I thought you all deserved to know why I've been so absent.

The first one is that I have not had the motivation to post. I have not thought to myself, "I feel like blogging." And I feel like I should have thought that. I should be driven to blog and become the best blogger I can. And I do want to be the best I can, I just haven't felt like it. Does that make sense? To me, it doesn't and I feel like I'm being an idiot and I just need to start blogging again and stop being lazy.

The second being I have no idea what to post. Lately, I haven't been reading as much as I would like to, so reviews are out of the question. (And honestly, I find it boring to write reviews unless I have opinions on the book that I think are very important. Sometimes, I feel like there are enough opinions on books out there that no one will pay attention to mine). Of course there are the monthly wrap ups and hauls to do, but what do I do in between? When I get tagged or nominated, I always do those posts, but what if no one tags or nominates me? There'll be nothing to post.

And third, life gets in the way of things sometimes. Commitments to my family, friends, and school work take the forefront. Things happen that I am in no control over and I have to deal with it, which means pushing the things that I love to do to the side.

When I started blogging, I did not want it to become a chore. I made this blog to make friends and tell my opinions and to have fun. Unfortunately, it has become a chore for me and I put pressure on myself to keep blogging. I feel like if I don't, I'll upset people. Then I think, "Jayne, you're being stupid, you don't have that much of an impact on people's lives."

But I am not going to stop blogging. I legitimately want to keep blogging. When I read other blogs or talk to my blogging friends and people who comment, it makes me happy and I love posting things that are fun (much different from these). I want to keep blogging, so I'm going to.

My comeback may take a while to come as I find things I want to post about and as I pull myself out of the metaphorical coma I have been in lately. Please help me out by telling me things you would like to see posts about in the comments below! Thank you so much!