2020 New Year New Book Goals

Hey Reader Friends!  Happy almost new year! 

It's already the end of 2019, which, WHAT?!  But that means it's almost the 20's!

Anyway, let's talk about bookish goals.  I have a few things I'd like to accomplish in the new year.

1. I'm going to set my Goodreads goal at 100 books again - and in 2020 I am going to actually meet that goal!  2019 got away from me, and I did not hit my GR goal. 2020 is my year!

2. Get more active in my two favorite book groups on Facebook: The Booket List and Fiction Feud Society.

3. Post on my blog at least 3 times a week.

4. Interact more with fellow bloggers on their blogs, the twitter, etc.


If you are a reader, blogger, etc - what are your bookish goals for the new year? Talk to me in the comments and share your 2020 goals.

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Books on my Winter 2019/2020 To-Read List

Hi everyone - welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.  This week's topic is Top Ten Books on my Winter 2019/2020 To-Read List.

So, reader friends: Here are my top ten books that I am most excited to read this winter!

1. The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon
2. Seraphina - Rachel Hartman
3. Girls of Paper and Fire - Natasha Ngan
4. Kingdom of the Rising Phoenix - Julie C. Dao
5. War Girls - Tochi Onyebuchi
6. The Starless Sea - Erin Morgenstern
7. Empress of All Seasons - Emiko Jean
8. Shit It - Britta Lundin
9. Zombie Abbey -  Lauren Baratz-Logsted
10. Winterwood - Shea Ernsted

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 Your turn, reader friends - what books are you most excited to read this winter? Let me know in the comments!

Dating Profile Friday - Jason Voorhees

Name: Jason Voorhees
Hobbies: Murder, stalking people, wielding my machete.

Likes: Mass murder, machetes
Dislikes: Drowning, people

About Me: I am pretty much invincible. I can go all night long. I enjoy being up at night because that's when I find other people are more vulnerable.  I enjoy long stalks through the woods and occasionally small cities and towns. I spend my free time cleaning and sharpening my machete. If you are down to hang with someone who has a dark sense of humor and lots of toys, let's get together sometime. You can find me in my darkened basement playing with all my toys.  Email me - let's talk: jason.voorhees@aol.com

Dating Profile Friday - Gimli

Name: Gimli
Likes: Charging orcs and killing them with my ax.
Dislikes: Elves.  Legolas is acceptable. The rest are fiends.

About Me: I was heavily involved in the fellowship and assisting Frodo with returning the one ring to Mordor. I have killed many people and befriended many more. I enjoy pints of beer as much as the next dwarf and would happily entertain the idea of having a partner who likes pillaging as much as I.  You may find me among the Glittering Caves. I look forward to our meeting. 

The Bookworm Crush - Lisa Brown Roberts

Title: The Bookworm Crush
Author: Lisa Brown Roberts
Format: Paperback
Rating: 2.5 Stars

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Shy bookworm Amy McIntyre is about to compete for the chance to interview her favorite author, who hasn't spoken to the press in years. The only way to win is to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight, but that level of confidence has never come easy.

The solution? A competition coach. The problem? The best person for the job is the guy she's secretly crushing on...local surfer celebrity Toff Nichols.

He’s a player. He’s a heartthrob. He makes her forget basic things, like how to breathe. How can she feel any confidence around him?

To her surprise, Toff agrees to help. And he’s an excellent teacher. Amy feels braver—maybe even brave enough to admit her feelings for him. When their late night practices become less about coaching and more about making out, Amy’s newfound confidence wavers.

But does Toff really like her or is this just another lesson?

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I picked this book up after hearing so many people in the bookish community rave about it.  I thought "Hey, a book about someone who loves to read and has their own book blog! Awesome!"

What I got into felt more like a steaming pile of meh.

This book certainly had a cute premise - a shy bookworm enters a contest and has to increase her social media following to have a chance to win, and in the process gets a chance to hang with someone she has a crush on while he coaches her to be more outgoing and get more followers.  What we have is a book that isn't as well written as it could be and, to me, has some content that probably shouldn't be in a book marketed towards young adults.  I mean, look, I know teens can handle a lot.  They are smart and capable, and many times they read books for adults as well.  That doesn't mean that they should have content in their books that is much more mature than they are.

I did like the relationship between Amy and her brother - I think the author caught the sibling relationship very well.  I also really liked that the parents were present and active in their kids lives in this book. I've noticed a lot of books lately that have absent parents in books - and to that I say, just because teens are getting older doesn't mean they don't need their parents!

I also really loved that even though Amy had this huge crush on Toff she didn't just give up her friendship with Viv once Amy and Toff started spending more time together, and "dating"/dating.  Too often people get caught up in romantic relationships and leave their friendships at the side.

So far you're probably thinking - okay you loved some of the relationships, so what didn't you like.

Well, see first long paragraph above, dear reader friends! 

In addition, I felt like Toff was too selfish and didn't really care about anyone by himself.  I know teens can be very focused on themselves - it's the way their brain chemistry works.  BUT, even teens can learn how to focus on others more and develop a sense of awareness about people other than themselves - especially older teens. 

I also felt like the writing was subpar, even for a YA book. I've said it before and I'll say it again - teenagers are smart, so write books that treat them as smart! 

I think the relationship between Amy and Toff was a bit forced. I personally felt like they didn't really have enough in common or enough chemistry with each other to really have a romantic relationship.  Thinking someone looks good is not enough of a reason to have a romantic relationship with them.

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Okay reader friends - I am curious to know what you thought of this book. If you've read it, drop a comment down below! 

Holiday Book Recommendations

Hi reader friends!  It's that time of year when a lot of people are celebrating holidays where they like to give people presents.  So, if you have someone you know who likes to read, here are some book recommendations that may help you find something they will love!  (This list can be handy for birthdays and other events as well!)

* When Dimple Met Rishi - Sandhya Menon
* From Twinkle, With Love - Sandhya Menon
* There's Something About Sweetie - Sandhya Menon
* I Believe in A Thing Called Love - Maurene Goo
* The Way You Make Me Feel - Maurene Goo
* Somewhere Only We Know - Maurene Goo
* Listen to Your Heart - Kasie West
* Lucky In Love - Kasie West
* Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda - Becky Albertalli
* The Upside of Unrequited - Becky Albertalli
* They Both Die At the End - Adam Silvera

* Coraline - Neil Gaiman
* The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
* The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin
* The Evolution of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin
* The Retribution of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin
* Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo
* Siege and Storm - Leigh Bardugo
* Ruin and Rising - Leigh Bardugo
* Six Of Crows - Leigh Bardugo
* Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo
* Truthwitch - Ssusan Dennard
* Windwitch - Susan Dennard
* Bloodwitch - Susan Dennard
* The Young Elites - Marie Lu
* The Rose Society - Marie Lu
* The Midnight Society - Marie Lu
* Legend - Marie Lu
* Prodigy - Marie Lu
* Champion - Marie Lu
* Divergent - Veronica Roth
* Insergent - Veronica Roth
* Cinder - Marissa Meyer
* Cress - Marissa Meyer
* Scarlet - Marissa Meyer
* Winter - Marissa Meyer
* The Maze Runner - James Dashner
* The Scorch Trials - James Dashner
* The Death Cure - James Dashner
* Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs
* Hollow City - Ransom Riggs
* Library of Souls - Ransom Riggs
* The Golden Compass - Philip Pullman
* The Subtle Knife - Philip Pullman
* The Amber Spy Glass - Phillip Pullman

* Warcross - Marie Lu
* Wildcard - Marie Lu
* The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
* The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas
* Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell

* The Lightening Thief - Rick Riordan
* The Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan
* The Titan's Curse - Rick Riordan
* The Battle of the Labyrinth - Rick Riordan
* The Last Olympian - Rick Riordan
* The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan
* The Son of Neptune - Rick Riordan -Rick Riordan
* The Mark of Athena - Rick Riordan - Rick Riordan
* The House of Hades - Rick Riordan - Rick Riordan
* The Blood of Olympus - Rick Riordan - Rick Riordan
* The Lightening Thief Graphic Novel - Rick Riordan
* The Red Pyramid Graphic Novel - Rick Riordan
* The Sea of Monsters Graphic Novel - Rick Riordan
* The Titan's Curse Graphic Novel -Rick Riordan
* The List Hero Graphic Novel - Rick Riordan
* The Throne of Fire Graphic Novel - Rick Riordan
* The Son of Neptune Graphic Novel - Rick Riordan
* The Serpent's Shadow Graphic Novel - Rick Riordan
* The Sons of Sobek - Rick Riordan
* The Staff of Serapis - Rick Riordan
* The Crown of Ptolemy - Rick Riordan
* The Sword of Summer - Rick Riordan
* The Hammer of Thor -Rick Riordan
* The Ship of the Dead - Rick Riordan
* The Hidden Oracle - Rick Riordan
* The Dark Prophecy - Rick Riordan
* The Burning Maze - Rick Riordan
* The Tyrant's Tomb - Rick Riordan
* The Tower of Nero - Rick Riordan
* The Red Pyramid - Rick Riordan
* The Throne of Fire -Rick Riordan
* The Serpent's Shadow - Rick Riordan

* Midnight for Charlie Bone - Jenny Nimmo
* The Time Twister - Jenny Nimmo
* The Blue Boa - Jenny Nmmo
* Charlie Bone and the Hidden King
* Charlie Bone and the Wilderness Wolf - Jenny Nimmo
* Charlie Bone and the Shadow of Badlock - Jenny Nimmo
* Charlie Bone and the Red Knight - Jenny Nimmo

* The Bad Beginning - Lemony Snicket
* The Reptile Room - Lemony Snicket
* The Wide Window - Lemony Snicket
* The Miserable Mill - Lemony Snicket
* The Austere Academy - Lemony Snicket
* The Ersatz Elevator - Lemony Snicket
* The Vile Village - Lemony Snicket
* The Hostile Hospital - Lemony Snicket
* The Carnivorous Carnival - Lemony Snicket
* The Slippery Slope - Lemony Snicket
* The Grim Grotto - Lemony Snicket
* The Penultimate Peril - Lemony Snicket
* The End - Lemony Snicket

* American Gods - Neil Gaiman
* Every Heart a Doorway - Seanan Mcguire
* Down Among the Sticks and Bones - Seanan McGuire
* Beneath the Sugar Sky - Seanan McGuire
* In An Absent Dream - Seanan McGuire