A Genre I've Loved in 2014

…And I definitely didn’t expect to. But this year, contemporaries have been some of the books I’ve picked up and fallen in love with. However, this year I’ve been finding some contemporaries that really amazed me. I’ve never been the biggest fan of some contemporaries I'd read before- in the past, I’d read ones that had protagonists that annoyed me, insta-love flooding the pages, and I got tired of the drama in the novels that always overwhelmed the plot line. This year was the year of finding some incredible contemporaries. I found ones that were thought provoking and beautiful, not having drama so much as life journeys and introspection. I also found lighter, fun contemporaries that were entertaining and fun while still having depth and character development. So, I thought I would give my top 5 contemporaries and talk about why I love those.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

This is a contemporary that’s narrated by a kind, awkward, endearing protagonist who has an adventure trying to navigate her life that suddenly gets very complicated. This book was more of a lighthearted contemporary to me, but there’s still a lot of depth to the characters and Lara Jean learns a lot about herself as the story goes on. The sequel is coming out in 2015, and I am so excited!

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

This is a contemporary that my friends told me I had to read, but couldn’t really describe it to me. And, after reading it, I feel the exact same way. I’m not quite sure how to describe the book, but I’ll just say Jellicoe Road is beautifully written, with unique and memorable characters. This is definitely the sort of book I’d want to reread sometime.

Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

This novel is a complex journey, both in a literal sense and also in characterization as Amy and Roger embark on their road trip. I think this book was so special because it had so much detail interwoven that made the story come to life, and I could never predict what was going to happen. The story is a balance of fun moments within the journey as well as moments of contemplation and beautiful storytelling.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I loved this book because of how captivating it was. The story swept me away into the streets of Paris as Anna explored the city, met a wonderful group of friends, and lived her senior year in France. I think that this group of characters is dynamic and each individual is unique, and I loved reading about Anna’s adventures in Paris.

The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes

This story was another contemporary that I found to be more lighthearted and quirky, but with some real character depth and story line developing as it continued on. Lainey is a character that learns more about herself and who she wants to be as the story progresses, and it was a really interesting read because the idea of it was so unique. 

So, there are 5 of the contemporaries I read this past year that I enjoyed. Let me know if you have any contemporaries you read and loved that I might want to read in 2015, and any other sort of end of the year posts you might enjoy reading about. See you all next time!

From the paper world,

V

Top Books of 2014 - Top Ten Tuesday

It's Tuesday, and so it's time for The Broke and the Bookish's weekly feature Top Ten Tuesday! This is a weekly feature with different lists every week to discuss books! If you want to check out Top Ten Tuesday, I've linked The Broke and The Bookish's blog above. The month of the December is always a good time to talk about books that I read and loved, and so today's theme is the Top Ten Books of 2014. I'm going to pick 2 books for 5 genres so that it's a good mix of things. In addition, for any sequels I linked the series page on Goodreads so you can view the entire series. Let me know your Top Ten down in the comments!

Historical Fiction

The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers, the second book in His Fair Assassin

Contemporary

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Science Fiction/ Fantasy

Cress by Marissa Meyer, the third book in The Lunar Chronicles

Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen

Paranormal

Unhinged by A.G. Howard, the second of the Splintered trilogy

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Dystopian/Post Apocalyptic

Endless Knight by Kresley Cole, the second book of the Arcana Chronicles

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons, the first of the Article 5 trilogy

From the paper world,

V

Let's Talk Questions About Posting

I have a question for you book bloggers out there, and you blog readers. It’s a very simple one, but one that I still haven’t figured out the right balance of. How do you know what type of posts to post, and how often? I’ve been posting some interviews and discussion posts lately with Top Ten Tuesdays and reviews, but I never know when how much is too much. That is to say, are two of a certain type of post (i.e. review, list, discussion, etc.) too much to have posted back to back? When is too much too much?

I know this is something that has probably crossed a lot of bloggers’ minds, which is why I come asking for some feedback. And as people who read blogs, what do you like to see in other's posting? There are some regular weekly features that I like to participate in, and then I also try to post either a discussion, tag, review, or something else. So there's some variety, and December is typically one of my favorite blogging months from last year because it was a time to really look back at all of the books of the year, talk about the ones I loved, and then move on to looking forward to next year's books as well. But, I want to make sure that I'm maintaining a balance of posts. 

So, now I want to hear from you. What do you think about posting, and what types of posts you want to see? Let me know in the comments.

Also, Rebecca of The Library Canary did a discussion post months ago about How Often to Post that I think is really thought provoking and I remember first making me think about post content. I definitely recommend looking into her discussion about it!

From the paper world,

V

The TBR Tag!

Aka the one time I’m actually tagged by someone, (the very wonderful Rebecca of The Library Canary!) I don’t get around to doing the tag for ages. But I digress.

How Do I manage my TBR?

Hmm… I don’t really. I have a massive list of to-read on Goodreads, however in reality I have several designated TBR shelves, and then I select different ones that I am interested in reading from a wide variety of genres and keep those close at hand. That way, whatever mood I’m in, I have a book nearby that suits it and that I’m already interested in reading.

Is My TBR mostly print or e-books? Almost exclusively print.

How do I determine which book from my TBR pile to read next?

I can never tell how I’ll feel from reading one book to the next. It might be I’m suddenly “read all this genre books!” or “I really want something very different and a change of genre” next. There’s no real way to predict it.

A book that’s been on my TBR the longest

I have some copies of The Lord of the Rings I picked up 6 years ago. Oops.

A book I recently added to my TBR

On Goodreads? I am Rembrandt’s Daughter by Lynn Cullen and Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Purchased? The Body Electric by Beth Revis

A book on my TBR strictly because of its beautiful cover?

The Ring and the Crown by Melissa de la Cruz

A book on my TBR that I actually never plan on reading

Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

An unpublished book on my TBR that I’m excited for

Well I’ve got a whole shelf of them I’m excited for on Goodreads

Sequel- Ensnared by A.G. Howard

Debut- The Storyspinner by Becky Wallace

New Book by a Previously Published Author (because I think this is something I tend to not focus on in comparison to debuts or sequels, but I want to talk more about)- Illusionarium by Heather Dixon

A book on my TBR that basically everyone but me has already read

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

A book on my TBR that everyone recommends to me

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

A book on my TBR that I’m dying to read

The Body Electric by Beth Revis

The number of books on my Goodreads TBR (or in my case to-read) shelf

529

I regret nothing.

There's the TBR Tag! I'm going to actually tag a few people as well as say that I would love to hear everyone's answers, so let me know down in the comments! For the people I'm tagging, I tag...

Cassi of My Thoughts...Literally!

Bonnie of A Backwards Story

Juhina and Farah of Maji Bookshelf

From the paper world,

V

Some Favorite Reads

Today I wanted to talk about some of the bookish things I’ve been loving, from books to characters. So, I wanted to talk about the past few months, specifically from August to November. I’ll be doing end of the year wrap ups and such this month (already getting excited!) but since I haven’t been reading as much these past few months, I thought this would be a good way to catch up and share some of the bookish things I’ve loved recently, and if this is something that you all enjoy, I can start doing them periodically to talk a little bit about my reading and what I've been enjoying. 

Books Added to my “Favorites” Shelf

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Ok, it seems a little bit strange to only have had one book to add to favorites. But, 1 out of 6 is alright, and as I’m writing this I’m reading a book that I totally love and might end up adding to my favorites shelf as things go on. But back to Jellicoe Road. Jellicoe Road is a book that I’ve wanted to review ever since I read it, but it’s so hard to put my feelings into the book into words. The characters are so incredibly complex and well written, and I honestly appreciate all of the thought and symbolism and meaning put into the novel. Truly incredible.

Characters I Love

Since the last mini segment was a little paltry, here are my favorite characters from each of the books I read from August- November 25th.

Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre - Kian

Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian - Lillia

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta - Griggs

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins - Kurt

The Young Elites by Marie Lu - Enzo

After Dark by Haruki Murakami - Mari

Brazen by Katherine Longshore - Mary or Fitz

Overall, I think my favorite characters (as in, loved most or all of the characters in the book) was probably Jellicoe Road. I think the most interesting ensemble of characters is definitely from Brazen. 

Favorite Setting

Brazen by Katherine Longshore - 16th century Tudor England

There's a quick look at my reading the past few months! I'll be back soon with several tags I've been meaning to post, as well as more fun end of the year posts!

From the paper world,

V

Some of the Many Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2015 - Top Ten Tuesday

It's another Top Ten Tuesday, and December is the month many typically talk about all of the books that we read and loved this past year, and all of the books we're looking forward to in the next. So I'm really excited to start this month off by talking about 2015 Releases! I'm going to wait to talk about 2015 Debuts, but for now, I'm talking sequels, new series and books by authors I've read, and even a few authors I've never read but can't wait to pick up their next book! Top Ten Tuesday is a fantastic weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, so I would definitely recommend joining and participating in the weekly themes, linking up, and seeing others' lists! (P.S. All of the books I'm talking about today, as well as most of the books I'll mention looking forward to in 2015, can be found on my 'Can't Wait Books of 2015' Goodreads shelf. This is where I go through and find debuts, sequels, new series, etc. that I'm really looking forward to in the new year. I started this a year ago with my 'Can't Wait Books of 2014' shelf, and loved having that category so I decided to make another one this year!)

Sequels I'm Excited For

Ensnared by A.G. Howard

Dead of Winter by Kresley Cole

Winter by Marissa Meyer

Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins

The Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson

Skandal by Lindsay Smith

Hidden Huntress by Danielle L. Jensen

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

New Series by an Author I've Read

Illusionarium by Heather Dixon

New Release by an Author Whose Books I Haven't Read

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

There's my Top Ten Tuesday! I'll definitely have more posts about how reading was this year, some of my favorite sort of books, end of the year fun, etc! Feel free to let me know about some books you're looking forward to next year!

From the paper world,

V

A Change in the Blog Design

Hello! I thought I'd just say a quick word about the blog design. It's very different, as you can probably tell. I just wanted to try and change up the color scheme a bit, and after a year of blogging, I decided that it was time to change things up a bit. Fun fact, purple is my favorite color, but I'm still most definitely in the stage where I'm changing things here and there, and moving things around to make sure that I end up with the best possible outcome. Seeing as I'm completely inept at formatting and blog layout, it will be an interesting and imperfect procedure, so I apologize in advance. Hopefully by the end there will be a change to the blog design and it will look better than ever! If you have any feedback, feel free to let me know.

From the paper world,
V

Let's Talk Historical Fiction

Ok! So, normally I don’t read historical fiction. Normally I don’t post rambly posts. But, today, I wanted to talk about historical fiction, which is a genre I honestly don’t read much of. However, I’ve been reading a very long YA historical fiction novel lately, and I just have to talk about it and how it’s been making me think about YA historical fiction in general. The book is Brazen by Katherine Longshore, which came out earlier this year and was one that tons of book bloggers were excited to talk about. And I can honestly see why. I’m not going to be doing a review of it right now, but reading Brazen has made me want to talk more about YA historical fiction, what I like about the genre, and more!

So, to begin let’s talk about something specific to Brazen but that indicates something very important to how I read historical fiction, and that is- I must have an interest in the historical time period the book is set in. Brazen, if you are unfamiliar with this book, is set in Tudor England. This is an era that always fascinated me. It was a time of turbulent change, with the glitz and glamour of the old court serving as a background for huge political upheaval and, of course, Henry VIII’s six marriages. I always thought that this was a time of interest to me. Sometimes, I may pick up a novel that I’m not very familiar with the setting of, but that is alright because it takes me to my next point.

Sometimes (and this is not always 100% true, but it’s something I’ve noticed recently) I enjoy reading books about times or people I’m not very familiar with, because it includes the element of surprise. Yes, I know historical fiction is just that- fiction- but I like knowing some aspects of a book but learning more about characters or a time period I wasn’t as familiar with and then researching it more after I read. (Yes, I have done that with one or two books before.) With Brazen, the story revolves around Henry Fitzroy and Mary Howard. I know of Henry Fitzroy but I don’t know anything beyond the basic of he was Henry VIII’s son. So, not knowing anything of what’s happening with those two characters but being familiar with the Tudor court and the other main characters has been interesting. (Oh, and I’ve loved how this book has talked more about how the day to day court life was, but I’ll save all of this for my review of the book later.)

So, in general, I am definitely wanting to read more historical fiction, and talk about what works for me in book genres and what doesn’t. If you have any historical fiction recommendations for me, let me know in the comments, or if you have another genre you want me to share my thoughts on in a more discussion post, comment! Before I go, though, I’ll leave you with some historical fiction novels I’ve read and enjoyed!

My List of Top Historical Fiction and SciFi from the beginning of the year

The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner

Sekret by Lindsay Smith

My Review of Sekret

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

From the paper world,
V

Interviewing Cassi of My Thoughts...Literally! - One Year of Blogging

Today I'm so excited to be sharing an interview I did with Cassi of My Thoughts...Literally! Cassi is an awesome book blogger who I've done several readalongs with and talked with for awhile. Her blog is really fun and she has very thought provoking reviews and great posts! Without further ado...

no. 1 - When did you start blogging?

My first ever post was November 6th, 2009. It's hard to believe that was five years ago. But I was really lax about it for a really long time. I forgot it existed and I would only blog if there was a specific book I wanted to talk about. But then I found the whole book blogging community last fall and my first post back was October of last year. That's when I developed my format of reading a theme each month. So I like to think I've been in an on-again off-again relationship with blogging for five years but it really stuck a year ago.

no. 2 - How did you come up with your blog name?

I wanted something that was a play on words with literature. And like the general population, I misuse and misunderstand the word literally. When I came back for good I thought about changing it but these literally are my thoughts and I'm so self-deprecating that keeping it gives me something to laugh at myself about.

no. 3 - What is your favorite part of blogging?

Definitely the community. I've met so many amazing people through blogging. The people I interact with on a daily basis either don't read or don't read as much as I do so it's great to find people who have similar interests. I love commenting on others blogs to share thoughts with one another, chatting with people on Twitter, and doing readalongs. I've even met a few folks at events and stuff. Plus I've found so many amazing books through recommendations from fellow bloggers!

no. 4 - What is the post you're most proud of?

I think the post I am most proud of is my review of The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman. It's the final book in a trilogy which I love, and I was so happy with the way I was able to gush about the book without giving too much away. Plus it was my first ever book review on BookTube. I have since fallen off the video-making train but I was really proud of myself for that video.

no. 5 - What is something you're looking forward to in your next year of blogging?

There are few things I'm looking forward to. The first is just continuing to grow within the community. To meet new people and to continue interacting with those I have build a rapport with this past year. But I am also really excited about redesigning my site. I've been thinking about it for awhile and I really want to customize things so it's more unique to me. I love seeing the creativity within the community and I really want to put my own spin on my site.

no. 6 - Author whose books you always want to pick up?

This would have been so easy a year ago (and a gigantic list) but I've picked up books by so many authors I had wanted to read this year. There are still a lot of Fantasy authors that I want to check out like Patrick Rothfuss, Garth Nix, and Robin McKinley. And very soon I will be taking Marie Lu and Gail Carriger off the list but they are still currently ones I want to read.

no. 7 - Cat person or dog person?

Cat person. I used to be a dog person but it was only because I never owned a cat. They're so much easier to take care of and when it is your cat they are incredibly affectionate. My cat is a little too affectionate sometimes! I'm pretty obsessed with her, it's a little sad! But I do still love dogs.

 no. 8 - Favorite music to sing along to?

My iPod is full of cheesy pop music, soundtracks from musicals, and Disney music. Those would probably be my favorite things to sing along too. Also I like to listen to music at work and tend to listen to 90's and early 2000's boy bands and bubble gum pop. It makes me feel very nostalgic.

no. 9 - Favorite series or feature on your blog?

 I think my favorite feature is what I call "Crossing Over" where I recommend an adult book based on a similar YA book and vice versa. I think there is too much focus on these age group specifications in the blogosphere but for me you can appreciate a book regardless of the way it's shelved at a bookstore. I haven't done one since July. Maybe I should do one this month!

no. 10 - If you could instantly be teleported anywhere in the world, where?

Where wouldn't I teleport? I've always wanted to visit Russia so I would probably teleport to St. Petersburg if given the chance. But with it getting colder by the day that may be pretty miserable. I'm always cold to begin with so maybe somewhere a little warmer. Peru, perhaps? I've always wanted to visit Matchu Picchu so maybe there.

Thank you so much for stopping by, Cassi! Definitely go visit her blog, she interviewed me awhile ago (complete with hilarious gifs and super cool blogger stuffs) and her blog is great. Thank you again, Cassi!

Guest Post by the Wonderful Rebecca of The Library Canary- Tips for Beginner Bloggers! - One Year of Blogging

Hi I'm Rebecca and I blog over at The Library Canary! First of all, I want to thank Violet for letting me invade her blog today and also congratulate her on her one year blogoversary! *throws confetti* One year of blogging is such a huge accomplishment! Violet is one of the nicest bloggers I know and I’m so happy to be able to celebrate with her. And now, for my guest post:

Hello new bloggers! Just started a book blog? Have a bunch of questions that you’re scared to ask or don’t know where to turn? I’m here to help! We all go through that new kid phase. The phase where you look around and everybody seems to know what’s going on except for you. You have a million questions floating around in your head, but you’re either too embarrassed to ask them or have no idea who would know the answer. Hopefully this post helps with some of those questions and always feel free to ask me or Violet!

What is an ARC?

ARC stands for advanced reader copy. These are copies of a book that a publisher prints prior to the release date and prior to the final editing process. That means that you may find a few more typos in them and things may change slightly in the final copy. These books are printed for promotional purposes and typically distributed to bloggers (that’s you!), librarians, book sellers, etc. You may have heard the term galley thrown around as well. They are the same thing.

How do I get ARCs?

There are a couple of different ways to request ARCs. You can email the publisher requesting a physical copy of the book. Usually these emails are found on the publisher’s website within their publicity section. Or you can get on Netgalley and/or Edelweiss and request digital review copies. These are ebooks that will be sent to your e-reader if you are accepted for a copy. Finally there are book conferences like BEA (see #3) and ALA (American Library Association), among many more.  

What is BEA?

Another term us book bloggers use a lot. BEA stands for Book Expo America. It’s a conference held once a year at the end of May, typically in New York (though I believe they are moving it starting in 2016). BEA is a magical place where you can meet all your blogging friends, network with publishers, meet your favorite authors, and get lots of ARCs. It’s a book lover’s paradise. If you can make it happen, I highly recommend going. It is an amazing experience!

What is a meme and should I be doing them?

Memes are these things like Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and Waiting on Wednesday hosted by Breaking the Spine that book bloggers can participate in. Basically you write a post based on whatever that meme’s topic is (some change week to week like TTT and others stay the same like WoW). Then you go back to the host’s blog and add your link to the linky. The purpose of memes is to participate in the community. They are a great way for new bloggers to drive traffic to their blogs and a way for you to get to know other bloggers in the community. That being said, I encourage you to only participate in one to two memes per week. Any more than that and your site starts lacking original content which is what a lot of people are looking for.

Blog Tours, Cover Reveals, Book Blitzes, etc.

I remember when I was a new blogger and I first heard about blog tours. I thought, “let’s sign up for all of them!” Wrong, wrong, wrong. If you want to be part of a tour every once in a while that’s fine. Cover reveals and book blitzes (which is basically where you just put up the cover and synopsis on your blog) every once in a while, fine. But please, whatever you do, do NOT make this your only content. These are the posts I skip over the most when going through my reader. Especially cover reveals and book blitzes. They’re just boring, to be honest. I want to read reviews or discussions or other creative content. So please, if you’re going to do them, keep them to a minimum.

Which social media sites should I use?

Twitter. Hands down, Twitter is the best social media site to use when it comes to promoting your blog. Every month, I get the most traffic to my blog from Twitter. But it’s not just about that. Twitter is a great way to make friends with other book bloggers! See a conversation going on between some bloggers you follow? Jump in! This is how I made most of my blogging friends. Don’t be shy! We don’t bite, I promise.

Other than Twitter, I have a Facebook page and I also utilize Pinterest which drives some, but not a lot of traffic to my blog. I also have a Youtube channel that all my vlogs get posted to.

How can people follow my blog?

This is important. There’s a lot of different ways for people to follow you. There’s RSS feed, email subscription, Bloglovin’, Feedly, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc. The list goes on and on and on. I try to give people as many options as possible. So I recommend getting these things set up. Make it easy for people to follow you as well. I have social media buttons on my blog so all people have to do is click once and they’re good to go. Don’t know how to make one? There’s TONS of tutorials out there. That’s how I did mine!

Which brings me to the next question I know you all have. 

How do I make my blog pretty?

Blog design. Not my strong suit. BUT there are tons of bloggers who are very good at it and are nice enough to put up tutorials and blog tips for us like Ashley @ Nosegraze and Stephanie and Jessica @ These Paper Hearts. And when in doubt, Google it. Seriously, there are so many tutorials out there. It might take some time to figure it all out (god knows how many hours I've spent cursing my computer or trying to figure out how to write one tiny line of code), but it’s doable.

And my last and final tip for you: have fun! This is a new hobby of yours. Hobby being the key word there. Don’t make it feel like work. Make friends, read good books, gush over said books with said friends. Keep it chill. If you don’t feel like blogging or you don’t have time, don’t stress over it. It’s your blog. Make it your own, be yourself, and the rest is sure to follow. Hope this helped you all! Happy reading and happy blogging!


Thank you so, so much to Rebecca for guest posting on the blog today! Rebecca is an absolutely fantastic blogger who posts wonderful reviews, thought provoking discussions, and so many other wonderful posts! Be sure to check out her blog, and thank you again to Rebecca for stopping by! Your post is so thoughtfully written and definitely helpful!
-Violet