Back to Blogging?

It was never my intention to leave this blog to essentially die.  However life got in the way, and I didn't have anything I really wanted to write one post.  So I'm hoping to get back to blogging.  Now there are no promises that I'll be able to be consistent with this, but I'm exited to hopefully be back for 2016.  I have at least one post idea.  I might do a lot of reviews on here.  I also might review some of the shows I watch in 2016.  If there is anything you want to see, let me know.

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

Rules:
1. Thank the blogger that nominated you and link back to their site.
2. Post the award’s logo on your blog.
3. Answer the ten questions you’ve been asked.
4. Nominate 10 other bloggers.
5. Set 10 new questions for your nominees.

I was nominated by Alyssa! Thanks for tagging me, and definitely go check her out!
Questions:

1. Name one of your blogging or reading resolutions.
• One of my reading resolutions is to read a wider variety of books.  I was stuck in a contemporary rut throughout 2014, and I want to read some fantasy and science fiction again.
2. Do you use the Yearly Goodreads Reading Challenge? If so, did you accomplish it in 2014?
• Yes I use the Goodreads Reading Challenge, and I accomplished my 2014 goal! 100 books in 365 days.  Not too shabby!
3. What was your anticipated book of 2014? Did you get to read it?
• I guess my most anticipated book of 2014 was Isla and the Happily Ever After, and I read it the day I got it.  I didn't know about a lot of 2014 releases because I had just joined the book blogging community so I don't have a lot to chose from.
4. What was your anticipated movie of 2014?
• The Fault in our Stars I guess.  I'm not a big movie person so I really wasn't looking forward to any movies.  However in 2015 it's Paper Towns for sure!
5. Name three anticipated book releases for 2015.
• I only get to pick three! Sheesh that's going to be hard. I'm going to go with The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord, Tonight The Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales, and Winter by Marissa Meyer.  However I'm also looking forward to the new books coming out by Rainbow Rowell, Jennifer E. Smith, and Katie Finn
6. What book are you currently reading?
• Currently, I'm reading nothing.  I finished Mark of Athena last night, and I was tired so I didn't start my next book, but that will be The Kiss of Deception.
7. What is your favorite thing about blogging?
• It's easier for me to get words out.  That's honestly why I made a blog.  I tend to have a hard time explaining myself.
8. What is your favorite tv-show at the moment?
• Doctor Who.  It's always Doctor Who
9. Who is your bookish OTP?
• Eleanor and Park is the first that comes to mind.  Ron and Hermione also work.  I don't have a whole lot of ships that I feel very strongly about but those two are probably my two OTPs
10. Currently reading?
• See answer 6 :)

My Questions:

1. What is your favorite read in 2014?
2. If you could tell everyone to read one book (besides the obvious answers like Harry Potter) what would it be?
3. Did you set a Goodreads Reading Challenge for 2015?  If so what is it?
4. What was the worst book you read in 2014?
5. What are you currently reading?
6. Do you DNF books?  If so what books have you not finished?
7. If you had to live in a dystopian world, which one would you choose, and why?
8. What are your top 5 OTPs? (can be books, TV shows, movies, etc.)
9. When did you start reading?  What book first got you into reading?
10. Why did you become a part of the book community?

I tag

Kasey from The Book Angel

Paige from PagebyPaige

Authors I Want To Meet

For a while, I had been thinking about my "bucket list" of authors I would want to meet.  Most of them are my favorite authors, some of them have a random reason, and others I just think they would be interesting people to have a cup of coffee with.  So here are some of the authors that I would love to meet.

Ernest Cline
In 2014, I read Ready Player One, and it easily became one of my favorite books of all time.  I would love just to sit down and have a cup of coffee with him to pick his brain on how he even came up with this world and this concept.  I would love a minute to pick his brain.  I'm sure we could talk video games for hours, and I would absolutely love it!

Eric Smith
Eric Smith is someone who I have communicated with a bit because of reviewing book for Quirk, and to be honest, he just seems like a lovely human being.  He always sends the nicest emails.  I would love to just chat with him about books, and thank him for being an awesome and amazing human being.  I've read his book, The Geek's Guide To Dating, and I loved it!  I feel like he's another author who I would love to just chat with.  I feel like it would be so much fun.

Jennifer M. Eaton
 She is someone I just want to meet so that I can thank her.  She was the first author that I ever got to do a blog tour for.  I just want to see her in person so I can genuinely thank her for that experience, and if she is a hugger, give her a hug.  She seems so nice, and I would just love to meet her in person.

Emery Lord
I loved Open Road Summer, and I also follow Emery Lord on Twitter.  She seems to be incredibly funny, and I just feel like she would be a lovely person to meet.  I just feel, as with many of the other authors on this list, that she would be a great person to just sit down and chat with.  However I'm also so excited to see where her career goes so I would just love to meet her to show my support.

This is in no way a complete list, but essentially here are some authors I want to meet and I also wanted to say some nice things about authors as well!

Review | We Should Hang Out Sometime

I got this as a review book from Netgalley, and these are my honest opinions.

We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist

Genre: Non-fiction, Humor, Contemporary

Pages: 336

Synopsis (From Goodreads):

A bright, poignant, and deeply funny autobiographical account of coming of age as an amputee cancer survivor, from Josh Sundquist: Paralympic ski racer, YouTube star, and motivational speaker.

Josh Sundquist only ever had one girlfriend.

For twenty-three hours.

In eighth grade.

Why was Josh still single? To find out, he tracked down the girls he had tried to date and asked them straight up: What went wrong?

The results of Josh's semiscientific, wholly hilarious investigation are captured here. From a disastrous Putt-Putt date involving a backward prosthetic foot, to his introduction to CFD (Close Fast Dancing), to a misguided "grand gesture" at a Miss America pageant, this story is about looking for love--or at least a girlfriend--in all the wrong places.

My Rating

My Thoughts

I absolutely adored this book.  I had been in quite a reading slump lately, and I read this book in about 24 hours.  I tend to not enjoy non-fiction, but Josh Sundquist's writing style was witty and humorous. I would definitely recommend it especially if you're looking for a really witty and humorous non-fiction book.

Holiday Gift Ideas | Books for your Nerdy Bookish Friends

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Since the book is all about college life and writing fanfiction, most readers and writers would enjoy this because let's be honest, most of  us have problem read or written at least one fanfiction in our lives. 

The Geek's Guide to Dating by Eric Smith

This is a super fun book.  If you're looking for something to get as a joke for one of your nerdy friends, then this would be a great gift.  It's a funny humorous read that almost any book nerd would enjoy.

William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher

This definitely a great book for your literary friends.  Not only is it based on one of the greatest movies for nerds to watch of all time, but it is also written in Shakespearean verse! How awesome is that for your favorite nerd?!

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

This is a great Christmassy read, but I think you can read it all year round.  It has a lot of big and colorful language in it.  So your favorite word nerd would probably really enjoy this. It's a cute fun light read that's perfect after all of the Christmas 

festivities are over.

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

To all of us nanowrimoers, this book is fantastic!  It's all about someone getting their first novel published, and for those people who love the publishing industry.  This will be a fun read for them.

Review | In Real Life by Lawrence Tabak

In Real Life by Lawrence Tabak

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary

Pages: 288

Synopsis (From Goodreads)

Fifteen-year-old math prodigy Seth Gordon knows exactly what he wants to do with his life—play video games. Every spare minute is devoted to honing his skills at Starfare, the world's most popular computer game. His goal: South Korea, where the top pros are rich and famous. But the best players train all day, while Seth has school and a job and divorced parents who agree on only one thing: "Get off that damn computer." Plus there's a new distraction named Hannah, an aspiring photographer who actually seems to understand his obsession.

While Seth mopes about his tournament results and mixed signals from Hannah, Team Anaconda, one of the leading Korean pro squads, sees something special. Before he knows it, it's goodbye Kansas, goodbye Hannah, and hello to the strange new world of Korea. But the reality is more complicated than the fantasy, as he faces cultural shock, disgruntled teammates, and giant pots of sour-smelling kimchi.

What happens next surprises Seth. Slowly, he comes to make new friends, and discovers what might be a breakthrough, mathematical solution to the challenges of Starcraft. Delving deeper into the formulas takes him in an unexpected direction, one that might just give him a new focus—and reunite him with Hannah. 

Rating

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book.  I thought the story was very unique, and it was unlike anything I had read before.  It was a fun light read.  However I felt like maybe the second half of the book dragged on a bit longer than it needed to or some part was a bit slow or unnecessary.  There was just a small detail about the book that I didn't like, but I can't necessarily put my finger on it.  Overall it was a very good book, and I would definitely recommend picking it up sometime.

Ghostwriting- Today's Book Drama

First thing that I feel like I should get out of the way is that yes, I watch Zoella's YouTube channel, and I like a lot of her videos.  However, I am trying to be unbiased about her right now so please bear that in mind.

Is it disappointing that she did not write the book on her own?  A little bit.  Is it the end of the world?  Absolutely not.  I think Victoria Schwab said it well by saying that this could have all been avoided by saying it was co-written rather than giving the ghost writer no credit.  However, all of the people giving Zoella no credit and saying that she can't write is ridiculous.  You don't know what she did, and you cannot automatically assume that she did none of the work.  If she was proud enough of it to share it with you, then I am willing to bet that a lot of it was her own work.  Yes, she had help. Yes, the help should have been credited, but that is not a reason to slander her.  To be perfectly honest, her publisher probably didn't want her to say she had help because generally when books are ghost written, it isn't publicized that they didn't write it.  I find it absolutely ridiculous what people are saying about her.  She is a human being and should be treated as such.  I understand that you are frustrated with her.  I get that, but that's no reason to be that anonymous person on the internet who just says terrible things.  If you're disappointed in her, that's fine, but don't go on the internet and complain about it on Twitter.  That's not going to change anything anyway.  Normally I stay out of drama, but when I saw her name trending on Twitter, I thought I would scroll through, and you know what? I feel bad for her.  She has anxiety issues and as someone with anxiety, I wouldn't want to be going through that.  With all of the other problems with youtubers lately, is having a book ghostwritten really the worst thing she could do?  Seriously, look at some of the bigger problems we have in the world and take a moment to think if it's really important.  You need to remember that venting your frustrations is fine, but keep in mind that there is a person on the other end of that screen.

Essentially I can spew all of the cliches that I use with my children when I teach, but I don't feel like I need to.  So just keep in mind.  It's okay to be upset, but it is not okay to slander someone as a person because of one thing.