October Wrap Up

Borrowed: 2
Books I Own: 1
Total: 3

End of Days by Susan Ee
The Goldfinch by Donna Tart
Fortunate, The Milk by Neil Gaiman

September Wrap Up

The List
Rumors by Anna Godbersen (Large book/ Life of a book addict list)
End of Days by Susan Ee
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter (TBR forever)

Books I own: 0
Borrowed: 10
Audiobook: 4
Total: 10

Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
Second Life by S.J Watson
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella
Deceptions by Kelley Armstrong
Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman
When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
The Pocket Wife by Susan H. Crawford
The Song of Roland by Michel Rabagliati

September TBR

This is a super late TBR, but I have not read any of these books yet so I figured I could still post it.

The List
Rumors by Anna Godbersen (Large book/ Life of a book addict list)
End of Days by Susan Ee
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter (TBR forever)

Book Haul

My post have been super sporadic lately and I actually considered closing down my blog but I miss posting. I am going to try to keep posting more often but life is crazy right now. 

I went to the library yesterday and picked up a ton of books and I noticed I had forgotten to post my last few hauls so I decided to make one big haul.

Borrowed from the Library

Second Life by S.J Watson (audiobook)

Deceptions by Kelley Armstrong 

Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen (audiobook)

Boomerang by Noelle August

Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham (audiobook)

Missoula by Jon Krakauer (audiobook)

I Was Here by Gayle Forman (audiobook)

Go Set A Watchmen by Harper Lee

The Magicians by Lev Grossman (audiobook)

The Pocket Wife by Susan Crawford 

When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid

How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon

Black Dawn, White Raven By Elizabeth Wein

An Ember in The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

The Song of Roland by Michel Rabagliati

 A Tale of the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki (audiobook)

Borrowed from a friend

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

 

Gifted

End of Days by Susan Ee

What did you get in your mailbox?

August Wrap Up

I have been listening to a lot of audiobooks lately which has helped me read a lot. 

Books I Own: 14
Borrowed: 2
Audiobooks: 5
Total: 16

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion 
These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf 

Stir- Fry by Emma Donoghue
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
She Comes Undone by Wally Lamb 
Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly 
Jessica Darling It List 2 by Megan McCafferty 
Honey and Clover Vol 3 by Chica Umino 
Go Set A Watchmen by Harper Lee
World After by Susan Ee
After Dark by Haruki Murakami 
Perfect Fifths by Jessica Darling 
Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand 
This Dark Endeavour by Kenneth Oppel
Tweaked by Katherine Holubitsky 

Review of Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography

Title:  Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography
Author: Neil Patrick Harris
Source: Borrowed from the library
Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5









Goodreads Summary:
Tired of memoirs that only tell you what really happened?

Sick of deeply personal accounts written in the first person? Seeking an exciting, interactive read that puts the “u” back in “aUtobiography”? Then look no further than Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography! In this revolutionary, Joycean experiment in light celebrity narrative, actor/personality/carbon-based life-form Neil Patrick Harris lets you, the reader, live his life. You will be born in New Mexico. You will get your big break at an acting camp. You will get into a bizarre confrontation outside a nightclub with actor Scott Caan. Even better, at each critical juncture of your life, you will choose how to proceed. You will decide whether to try out for Doogie Howser, M.D. You will decide whether to spend years struggling with your sexuality. You will decide what kind of caviar you want to eat on board Elton John’s yacht.

I am a huge Neil Patrick Harris fan. I loved him on How I Met Your Mother and I have been a fan ever since. I listened to this book on audiobook and he narrates the book and has his husband David Burka also comes in once in awhile. 

I loved learning about his family and how he became an actor. He starts in his childhood and works his way to present day where he and his partner are parents to twins.  He is unabashed and honest about how he came out as a gay actor and how he worried what it would do for his career.  His love for his children, Gideon and Harper and for his partner David is heart warming. 

This book made me laugh out loud and at times made me incredibly sad. I loved this book.

July Wrap Up

Books I own: 5
Borrowed: 5
Audiobook: 3
Total: 10

How to Tell Your Cat is Plotting to Kill you by Matthew Inman
The Martian by Andy Weir
Beautiful Oblivion by Jamie McGuire 
Beautiful Redemption by Jamie McGuire
Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate 
Fall of Giants by Ken Follett 
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly 
What If? : Serious Scientific Questions to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe 
Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris

August TBR

I am keeping this month short again, but I am slowly getting back into a normal reading schedule.

To Read List

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf (Life of a book addict list)

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion 
She Comes Undone by Wally Lamb (Life of a book addict list/ big book)

Book Review of A Paris Affair by Tatiana De Rosnay

Title: A Paris Affair
Author: Tatiana De Rosnay
Source: From the publisher 
Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5









Goodreads Summary:
Does a fruit taste its sweetest when it is forbidden? Is that which is prohibited always the most pleasurable? In this passionate and perceptive collection, Tatiana de Rosnay paints a portrait of the most forbidden of loves, in many different shades—sometimes tragic, sometimes humorous, sometimes heartfelt, always with a dry wit and an unflinching authenticity. 

I have always been a fan of Tatiana De Rosnay's books since I read Sarah's Key.  I am not usually a fan of short stories, but I enjoyed this collection. This is a collection of short stories about adultery set in modern day.

The start of this book threw me off at first since her books are normally set in a historical setting so when the book mentioned a cell phone it caught me off guard. The book was split between men and women committing adultery. In some  stories both parties were married and in others only one was married and the other was single.

There is eleven stories and each of the women in the story has a different perspective of their marriage and how they find out that their husband has cheated on them. There is revenge and sadness and sometimes even humour. 

I liked all of the stories and I am looking forward to her future work. 

Book Unhaul (Part 2)

Here is part two of my giant unhaul :)

The List

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen
That Summer by Sarah Dessen
This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
Someone Like you by Sarah Dessen
Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen
Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
World Without End by Ken Follett
Interview with the Vampire By Anne Rice
The Vampire Lestat By Anne Rice
The Queen of the Damned By Anne Rice
The Vampire Armand By Anne Rice
Memnoch The Devil By Anne Rice
The Tale of the Body Thief By Anne Rice
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Atonement by Ian McEwan
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio
The Book of Negros by Lawrence Hill
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
The Bro Code for Parents by Barney Stinson
A Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs
The Outlander by Gil Adamson
A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson
The Last Song by Nicholas Evans
The Time Travelerer's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Woods by Harlan Coben
The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho
The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho
The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho
Dark Horse by Tami Hoag

Total: 34

Another Book Unhaul (Part 1)

I have been MIA again lately. Life is crazy busy, but I had the weekend off so I decided yesterday I was going to do an unhaul.

I thought it would be small, but once I started I wanted to go through every single shelf and be strict with myself and get rid of any books I no longer have an interest in reading at this time or I know I will not re-read.

The List

Dante's Inferno by Dante Alighieri
The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
CandyFreak by Steve Almond
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Light in August by William Faulkner
Consumed by Benjamin R. Barber
Olive Kitteridge by Katherine Strout
The Women in White by Wilkie Collins
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Emma by Jane Austen
Northhanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
The Bishop's Man by Linden MacIntyre
The Little Horse of Iron by Lawrence Scanlan
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Fugitive Nights by Joseph Wambaugh
Finnegan's Week by Joseph Wambaugh
Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan
Code to Zero by Ken Follett
Hornet Flight by Ken Follett
Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Vixen by Jillian Larkin
Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen
Sekret by Lindsay Smith
Skandal by Lindsay Smith
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Burned by Ellen Hopkins
What We Keep by Elizabeth Berg


Total: 30

Book Haul

My amazing husband took me to Bookoutlet for our wedding anniversary and I picked a few books out.

Bought New
The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness
Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover 
After by Anna Todd
Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky 
This is not a Test by Courtney Summers 
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch
Trouble by Non Pratt
Waking the Witch by Kelley Armstrong 
No Humans Involved by Kelley Armstrong 

For Review
A Paris Affair by Tatiana De Rosnay 

What's in your Mailbox?

June Wrap Up

June was another flop for me. Life has been super busy and I have not been reading lately to top it off. 

The List
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly (big book/TBR forever/ book club book)
Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin (Life of a Book Addict

Books I own: 8
Borrowed: 1
Audiobooks: 4
E-Books: 1
Total: 9

Where We Belong by Emily Giffin 
Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt 
A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty
Superfreakonomics by Steven D. Levitt 
Trinity by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm 
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
On The Pleasure pf Hating by William Hazlitt
Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky 
A Paris Affair by Tatiana De Rosnay 

July TBR

The List
Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin (Life of a Book Addict/ started)
These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf (On my TBR since 2012)

I am keeping this list extremely short since my reading has been lacking a lot lately. I hope to read more than these two, but if I only get to these two then I am ok with that.

May Wrap Up

I did not do a lot of reading done in May. I had emergency surgery at the end of April and I was off work and I could not concentrate enough to read. I hope to read a lot more in June.

The List
On the Pleasure of Hating by William Hazlitt (The Life of a Book Addict list)
The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler (for review/ebook)
Weightless by Sarah Bannan (for review/ebook)
The Unfortunates: A Novel by Sophie McManus (for review/ebook)
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly (big book/TBR forever/ book club book)

Books I Own: 6
E-Book: 1
Audiobook: 3
Borrowed: 5
Total: 11

Oxygen by Carol Cassella
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters 
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling 
The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins 
The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
The Unfortunates: A Novel by Sophie McManus 
The Sculptor by Scott McCloud 
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater 
Redeployment by Phil Klay
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
Where We Belong by Emily Giffin

June TBR

May was a flop for reading for me which I cover in my May wrap up. I hope that June is a better reading month for me than May was. 

The List
The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler (for review/ebook)
Weightless by Sarah Bannan (for review/ebook)
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly (big book/TBR forever/ book club book)
Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin (Life of a Book Addict)

Review of The Unfortunates by Sophie McManus

Title: The Unfortunates
Author: Sophie McManus
Series:  Standalone
Source: From the publisher for review
Release Date: June 2 2015
Rating: 2/5









Goodreads Summary:
Cecilia Somner’s fate hangs in the balance. A larger-than-life heiress to a robber baron’s fortune, once known for her cruel wit as much as for her tremendous generosity, CeCe is now in opulent decline. Afflicted with a rare disease and touched by mortality for the first time, her gilded, bygone values collide with an unforgiving present. Along with her troubled son, George, and his outsider wife, Iris, CeCe must face the Somners’ dark legacy and the corrupting nature of wealth. As the Somner family struggles to find a solution to its troubles, the secrets and lies between CeCe, George, and Iris grow entangled. CeCe’s world topples, culminating in a crime as unforgettable as it is unexpected.

I am really not sure what direction this book was trying to go in. It starts off really slow and I was not quite sure the story was trying to tell me and I don't really know what genre this is suppose to be or trying to be. 

The characters are not likeable and I have never met anyone like George before and I really hope I never do. George is a terrible person. His mother always bails him out of everything and he says he loves his wife Iris but I don't think he truly understands love. The way he treats Iris is terrible. CeCe is George's mother  and one of the narrator's of the story and she is suffering from a disease similar to Parkinson's disease and she is very old fashion and does not want people to know she is sick. Iris is George's wife and she comes from a completely different background from George. There was a lot of minor characters who appear and disappear from the story. 

We start the story with finding out CeCe will be heading to a trial drug program away from home. She starts to change slowly and gets a new perspective on her life and on her son, George. CeCe is not a fan of iris, even though Iris has never done anything to CeCe besides not being from old money. Iris learns some of the truth about George when his mom is no longer there to bail him out. She sees a whole new side of him, but she still allows him to treat her terribly as she attempts to shelter him from what he's done while also trying to keep her personal and work life together,  The story is a little sporadic and it jumps all over the place. 

Overall I was not a fan of this novel. I had a really hard time getting into the story and I felt the characters were not realistic, however I do assume that there are characters who act like George and CeCe, but I have not met them and I do not know anyone who has.  I'm glad I checked this out as it is her first novel, but I just did not connect to the story.

Stacking the Shelves

Borrowed from the Library
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige
Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein
Empire of Night by Kelley Armstrong 
Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke by Anne Blankman 
Solitaire by Alice Oseman 
Sculptor by Scott McCloud 

Borrowed from a Friend
Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire 
Beautiful Oblivion by Jamie McGuire
Beautiful Redemption by Jamie McGuire 

What did you get in your mailbox?

Spring Unhauling

I was off sick so when I started to feel a little better I did a little spring cleaning. I got rid of a ton of books and my husband took care of cleaning out most of our kitchen cupboards.

Here is what I am unhauling: 

Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts
Rage Within by Jeyn Roberts
The Future of Us by Jay Asher 
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga 
Rot and Run by Jonathan Maberry 
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto 
The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe
The Lives We Lost by Megan Crewe
Angelfall by Courtney Allison Moulton
Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho
Eona by Alison Goodman
Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter 
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter 
Glimmerglass by Jenna Black
Beautiful  Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl 
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles 
Plague by Michael Grant 
Hunger by Michael Grant 
Lies by Michael Grant 
It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini 
If We Kiss by Rachel Veil 
The Awakening (The Vampire Diaries, #1) by L. J. Smith 
The Struggle (The Vampire Diaries, #2) by L. J. Smith 
The Fury (The Vampire Diaries, #3) by L. J. Smith 
Dark Reunion (The Vampire Diaries, #4) by L. J. Smith 
Frozen by Robin Wasserman 
Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles 
Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles 
The Bandito Massacre by Peter Edwards 
Stone in the Sky by Cecil Castellucci 
Rodie: My Life on the Road with Coldplay by Matt McGinn
Where Rainbows End by Ceclia Ahern 
The New World by multiple authors, edited by Christopher Golden 

Where I have been

My post has been super sporadic and my read books in April was only eight and the reason for that is I has emergency surgery just over a week ago and I have been off from work since. The pain medication I have been on has been making me super tired plus the surgery itself has been painful and my recovery has been a lot slower than I would like.

I am returning to work Monday since I can finally move around without too much pain. I move a lot slower than normal, but I can sit up without being in horrible pain. I went to the emergency room and they found something not quite right with my right ovary so they told me to come back the next day for an ultrasound after giving me some pain pills and sending me home. I went back the next day and found out I needed emergency surgery and I needed to stay overnight.

Since I have been sick I have not been reading or doing much of anything but sleeping so I hope to get caught up soon! 

What have you been up to?