Stacking the Shelves: The Plastic-y Library Sale Edition

"Stacking the Shelves" is a weekly haul meme that is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It allows book buyers to share their accumulation of books with the online book-loving community.

I bought some books, but this doesn’t break my ban. I knew about this before I started banning myself.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

A Writer’s Reference (6^th ed.) by Diana Hacker

MLA Handbook by Joseph Gibaldi & Phyllis Franklin

In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

Talon by Julie Kagawa

Empower by Jessica Shirvington

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

I went to my town’s biannual library sale and got all of these books for $16!!! I might even go back before it’s over and add some more to this list, but as of this moment, this is all.

Right now, most of these have that nasty library plastic on them. ICK! I plan on cutting it off since it’s not the kind that is permanently glued to the cover. I’ve done this before and it was really easy to get off, minus one little spot on the inside covers where the plastic has been glued to the endpapers. I might make a post about this, just because it was so ingenious that I made my books go from nasty library-esque to pretty newness with only a few snips of my scissors.

All in all, it was a good haul. I was getting worried when I first started shopping, just because I couldn’t find books without the plastic, but once I remembered I could cut it off, I went a little nuts.

Oh, and the writing books are for my profession, not for fun. They were just cheap.

  

What books have you bought/received lately?

Dean Winchester Friday

Dean Winchester (or sometimes Jensen Ackles) Fridays make me a very happy fangirl. You'll see why when you look at the pic.

Well, I think this is just a little too much sexy for one gal to handle.

Harry Potter Party Night Recap!!!

My friends and I had a Harry Potter Party last weekend. Be jealous, my fellow book lovers. Be very jealous. 

Originally, we were just supposed to make one snack and one beverage to have at the party. I went a little overboard, though. Okay, a lot overboard. You’ll definitely see this in the pics.

 

First off, I bought some Ravenclaw pants (Go RAVENCLAW!) from Hot Topic. I already had the Hogwarts/Disney combo T-shirt though. Oh! I also bought some socks from Hot Topic too! You can’t see them, but they say “Mischief Managed” on them. They came in a bundle of five or six pairs. I can’t remember which.

I also decided everyone needed a treat bag once I found the idea on Pinterest. This meant making and buying the following:

Dementor’s Kisses (Hershey Kisses)

Gringotts money (chocolate coins)

A Platform 9¾ ticket

A bookmark affiliated with their House

Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans (jellybeans in a colored foldable printout)

A chocolate frog (chocolate turtles inside a black-and-white, foldable printout)

A golden snitch (a Ferrero Rocher with paper wings)

A Honeyduke’s treat bag

*My roommate also made some customized Hogwarts letters

Then, I decided we needed more craft fun-times besides just making a wand (my roommates’ idea). We made the wands with sticks, hot glue, and paint. They’re very cool.

That meant setting up a potions table with a HELLA lot of glitter and nail polish. I got the vials from Walmart, but they didn’t have corks that would fit (stupid Walmart), so I got clay to mold as a stopper and hot glue to keep it in place. The label went on with Mod Podge and the stopper was made shiny with the Mod Podge, too.

As for the food, I made Pumpkin Pasties with pumpkin pie mix and puff pastry stuff (I cheated, I know) and Butterbeer (in the cute mugs and with cream soda and butterscotch syrup). My roommate made a cauldron cake (it turned out like more of a regular cake shape, though) and a pineapple Hufflepuff alcoholic drink (in the mini-goblets with our names on them).

My other friends made Cockroach Clusters and a flaming alcoholic drink (only one of the drinks actually flamed. FAIL.), a pesto spaghetti dish (it was green, so it counted for Slytherin), and a pumpkin soup, which was actually pretty good.

We also all represented a House, but since there were five of us, two of us decided to be Ravenclaws. My roommate printed out the House sigils and I made some “Wanted” posters based off of Sirius Black’s posters to give the room some added décor. 

She also made navigation signs for the girls’ lavatories, dormitories, the Great Hall (our kitchen), and the luggage rack. I wish she would have made two more for Ollivander’s and Potions Class. Oh well…

Oh, she also made the floating candles you saw at the beginning of the post and a Quidditch pong set-up that I didn’t take pictures of for some reason.

But during all of the crafts, food, and pong, we watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on repeat—no one turned it off for some reason. We stupidly didn’t know the Harry Potter marathon was happening on ABC Family.

I probably forgot something and I’ll remember it later, but for now, this is all I have. Just know that it was awesome. Everyone should have a Harry Potter Party sometime in their life.

Stacking the Shelves: The Mad Swag Edition

"Stacking the Shelves" is a weekly haul meme that is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It allows book buyers to share their accumulation of books with the online book-loving community.

No books this week. Boo. I did get some cool swag, though.

I pre-ordered Gena Showalter’s A Mad Zombie Party, just so I could get this swag pack. Okay, so that wasn’t the only reason. :)

What books have you bought/received lately?

Dean Winchester Friday

Dean Winchester (or sometimes Jensen Ackles) Fridays make me a very happy fangirl. You'll see why when you watch the video.

Jensen Ackles is so fantastic. Jared’s okay too, I guess. But I completely agree with their message. Texting and driving is dangerous and that text isn’t worth the repercussions.

Throwback Thursday: My First Book Review

  I couldn't remember what the first book was that I reviewed on my blog, so I thought it'd be fun to look it up. And of course my review is blugh and the formatting here is all icky, but it's still cool to look back. I've been reviewing books since August 10 of 2010! That's insane!

If you're a reviewer, what book was the first one you reviewed on your blog/channel/whatever media outlet you use? Sound off in the comments!

***

Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles #2) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.Sometimes life-ending.Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.
_________________________________________________
I know that I've gone on endlessly about this October 12th book release and it's probably getting really tiring for all of you who haven't read the original book Beautiful Creatures because once you've read the first you will completely understand my die-hard fandom.
So here's my review of Beautiful Darkness and you won't hear any more about this book until it's release date (I have not sworn to this, so be prepared for disappointment):
Be Warned SPOILERS May Lie Here
The second installment of the Caster Chronicles series will captivate you from the first line. There's a roller coaster of unsuspecting romances, mysteries and betrayal that all come unraveling around the small area of Gatlin County, keeping Ethan Wate from mending the gap that's been growing stronger between him and Lena Duchannes- a Caster with major mojo. Her guilt will haunt you while Ethan's story will make you fall for the poor mortal boy all over again.
And fall I did. Ethan's poor plight had me in tears for almost half of the book. I couldn't help but think, "Why? Why must this happen to such a wonderful couple?" But I know that Kami and Margaret had beautiful reasons.
The plot constantly caught me by surprise and I loved the book so much for that because lately there has been too much repetition in paranormal novels. The introduction of two other love interests (for whom I will not say) is painful but welcome and kept me screaming "MORE! I need more!" which made me powerless when it came to putting the book down. I had to finish it and I did so in less than 12 hours, a major feat if you ask me.
So all-in-all, the secret Caster world and it's twisting ways are addicting and the ending will have you begging on your hands and knees, ready to become Kami and Margaret's slaves, for the next installment in this life-altering series.
5/5 stars

*Be sure to pick up Beautiful Darkness in stores October 12th, and if you haven't read Beautiful Creatures grab that as well!

TTFN

Waiting on Wednesday: Stars Above by Marissa Meyer

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, what's really got my pages in a twist is...

Stars Above

Marissa Meyer

(The Lunar Chronicles Novellas)

Publication Date: February 2, 2016

Hardcover, 304 pages, Feiwel & Friends

Genres: YA, Sci-Fi, Fairytale Retellings

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads

The enchantment continues. . . .

The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories - and secrets - that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?

With six stories - two of which have never before been published - and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer's upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

My Thoughts

I definitely want to buy this book to add it to my collection, but I'm not sure if I'll actually read it...

What book are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Shadowhunters TV Trailer

ABC Family dropped the Shadowhunters TV show trailer last week.

I’m pretty excited about it. Especially Matthew Daddario.

Here’s the trailer, in case you missed it:

What are your thoughts?

Bye, Bye, Bye... Bye, Bye.

Hey, peeps. I just wanted to let you know that I will not be dropping off of the face of the earth after today. My posts will be a little sporadic, simply because of the amount of schoolwork I’m having to get done in the next week and a half-ish.

I may end up posting some stuff, and I’ve got some pre-scheduled stuff ready to go already, but for the most part, October is going to be a little slow here on the blog.

Thanks for understanding and I’ll see you more in November! ;)

Which Team Are You? : The A Court of Thorns and Roses Edition

I basically just post a book series every week and have people vote on what team they are. I know the YA Sisterhood does the YA Crush Tournament, but I just want to find out how much you guys like one love interest over another, in one series.

The last poll was over Team Jase, Beck, or West from Gena Showalter's The Original Heartbreakers series. Team Jase won! 

So for this edition of “Which Team Are You?” I’m going to ask you who your pick of hunky man-flesh is from the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas. 

You can choose from:

1) Tamlin

or 2) Rhys

I’m Team Tamlin. Tamlin is the good guy. –Ish. Rhys is just too much of a party-boy, all-for-himself type.

If you had to choose one, who would it be, and why? If you haven’t read the book (How is that even possible!?), who do you think sounds more appealing from the A Court of Thorns and Roses summary below:

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it... or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Which Team Are You?

	Team Tamlin
	Team Rhys

abcpoll.com free polls

***Please note that I stop checking the poll the Friday before the new poll comes out (on Sunday). Also, please only vote once so everyone’s vote counts, unless you need to vote for both guys. I give you permission to do that because sometimes choosing is tough.***

**Also note that these are not my images. I found them online.

Stacking the Shelves: The Mostly Free, But Also Bought Edition

"Stacking the Shelves" is a weekly haul meme that is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It allows book buyers to share their accumulation of books with the online book-loving community.

So many books. And four of them are copies of each other.

Wild Iris Ridge by RaeAnne Thayne
Wyoming Strong by Diana Palmer
A Mad Zombie Party by Gena Showalter
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

I got Wild Iris Ridge and Wyoming Strong from Harlequin as a free promotion thing. You know those forms you fill out that are in the middle of the romance novels to get books? That's what I did. Not sure if I'll do it again, though. Wild Iris Ridge is the seventh book in a series I don't really have any interest in reading.

And, because I went to Leigh Bardugo's signing, (The recap for this is here!) I had to buy Six of Crows. And I had pre-ordered A Mad Zombie Party a month or so ago because I wanted the free swag that is still not here.

 I may have received a lot of books this week, but my book ban is still in place. I bought these books before I decided to go on one and the other books were free. Technicalities are good excuses, right?

What books have you bought/received lately?