Top Ten Tuesday: Five Blogs I’ve Followed the Longest and Five I’ve Recently Followed

Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. and is currently being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is “Favorite Book Blogs/Bookish Websites.” I’ve come across far too many nice, talented, and amazing bloggers to ever be able to choose only ten that are my favorite, so instead I’m listing five blogs I’ve followed the longest and five I just recently followed. Be sure to check out their blogs!

The Veterans:

Even though I haven’t met any of these ladies in person, I feel a strong kinship with them because it feels like we’ve been a part of the same community for so long.

1. Rachel @ Confessions of a Book Geek – Rachel and I have been blogging for about the same amount of time and although we don’t read a lot of the same books, I still feel like we mesh well together. She’s currently taking a break from blogging, but be sure to be on the lookout for her return.

2. Cristina @ Girl in the Pages – I believe Cristina and I also started blogging around the same time. I always enjoy her reviews and can always count on her honest opinion.

3. Lipsyy @ Lipsyy Lost & Found – When I think of Lipsyy, I think of Halloween. October is a special time on both our blogs. There aren’t a ton of blogs that devote a lot of time to the horror genre, so I love having her on my reader when October comes around.

4. Holly @ Nut Free Nerd – Holly is one of the most insightful bloggers I follow. If you’re looking to follow someone who is really smart and articulate, follow Holly.

5. Stephanie @ Stephanie’s Book Reviews – Stephanie and I don’t always read the same books, but when we do, we usually agree on them. Also, I just found out we both ship Bellarke pretty hard and I could use some support in that arena.

The Newbies:

I just started following these bloggers recently and am really looking forward to getting to know them more.

6. Wendy @ whatthelog – My first impression of Wendy is that she’s incredibly open. I really admire her for it. She does a very neat thing on her blog where she showcases diverse bloggers which is pretty awesome too.

7. LaRonda @ Flying Paperbacks – I came across LaRonda’s blog thanks to the Comment Challenge. As a cohost, I get introduced to a variety of bloggers and sometimes I come across one that I’m not partnered with, but whom I want to know more, so I follow. That’s what happened here.

8. Dani @ Perspective of a Writer – Dani has such a wide variety of posts on her blog. I’m always so impressed and have enjoyed the interactions we’ve had.

9. Carolina @ Fictionologyst – I’ve only been following Carolina for about a month, but I already feel like we’ve got a really good rapport. She’s got excellent taste in books and music (my TBR and music library have both increased thanks to her).

10. Aimee @ Aimee, Always – Aimee is the last blogger I followed and I don’t know too much about her, but she does have some excellent taste in books and a great selection of posts.

Do you still follow the same blogs from when you first became a blogger? How do you decide who to follow? Let me know in the comments and be sure to leave me a link to your own TTT post, so I can visit.

Giveaway Alert: I am giving away my ARC of Seafire by Natalie C. Parker. I recently just finished it and loved it. I already preordered the novel when I received this ARC, so I’m hoping this copy makes someone else happy. This is a Twitter giveaway, click on the image to be directed to my tweet. Ends 8/16. US only.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Five Book Mash-Ups I’d Like to See

Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. and is currently being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is “Books You’d Mash Together.” I love this topic so much. There are so many books where I would love it if the characters could meet or if certain characters could end up in a different world. Here are five mash ups I wouldn’t mind seeing and reading about. Covers are linked to Goodreads.

*Please note that I’m currently on hiatus and won’t be responding to comments until I come back this Sunday*

1. Zoraida Córdova’s Labyrinth Lost and Lily Anderson’s Undead Girl Gang – I can’t be the only one who’s imagined these Latina witches hanging out together. Not only could Mila and the Mortiz sisters talk magic and spells, they could bond over that time they both brought someone back from the dead.

2. Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows and Holly Black’s The Cruel Prince – One thing I really liked about The Cruel Prince is how ruthless Jude has to be in order to survive the fairy world and it got me thinking, there are not a lot of people who could do the things she did. Then it hit me, what if Kaz and company found themselves in this same world. Could they be ruthless and cunning enough to outwit fairies? My brain says yes and it would be a whole lot of fun to read.

3. Susan Dennard’s Truthwitch and Robin LaFever’s Grave Mercy – It is my firm belief that Truthwitch‘s Safi and Iseult would make a perfect fit in Grave Mercy‘s nunnery for assassins. Think of all the bad guys that could be expelled with their magical powers.

4. Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and Maurene Goo’s I Believe in a Thing Called Love – I truly believe in my heart of hearts that if Lara Jean and Desi really existed, they would be really good friends. I see so much of my younger self in these two characters and experienced so much second-hand embarrassment while reading their stories. I have no doubt these two would end up getting themselves into really hilarious and awkward situations and I’d smile my way through the whole thing.

5. Alison Goodman’s The Dark Days Club and Tarun Shanker & Kelly Zekas’s These Vicious Masks – I love all the powers those in These Vicious Masks have, but I think I would like it even more if it was combined with the demons that feast on people in The Dark Days Club. Plus, can you imagine the brooding standoffs between Sebastian and Lord Carlston? I can already see Helen and Evelyn rolling their eyes.

Would you like to see any of these mash-ups as well? Let me know in the comments and be sure to leave me a link to your own TTT post, so I can visit.

Top Ten Tuesday: Popular Books that Lived Up to the Hype

Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. and is currently being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is “Popular Books that Lived Up to the Hype.” This ought to be a fun topic for everyone. Hype is a funny thing. It can make you want to read a book and it can turn you away from one. It can set up a book for failure with unrealistic expectations or turn you into a cynical bookworm who becomes surprised when the book is in fact good. I have been in all these situations and am still not sure how I really feel about hype. I’m torn between two extremes. I’ve been disappointed, but have also been introduced to some amazing reads thanks to hype. Here’s a list of books that I think are really deserving of the hype, so if you haven’t picked them up yet, I’d encourage you to do so. Covers are linked to Goodreads.

1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas – I feel like we talked about this book long before its release and still, nothing prepared me for its emotional impact.

2. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo – I wasn’t even planning to read this one despite the hype because I never finished the Grisha Trilogy (still haven’t), but I won an ARC, so I dove in and it’s one of the best fantasy books I’ve ever read.

3. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli – I can’t believe I went to so long without reading Simon. I had so many expectations because so many bloggers love this one and I’m happy to say that I fell head over heels in love with this book.

4. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab – Schwab is one the most talented fantasy writers out there and anything you pick up by her is going to be amazing, but this one might by my favorite. The world-building and writing astounds me.

5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak – Everything you’ve heard about this one over the course of the last ten years is true. I still think about this book even though I read it once years ago and it remains one I hold really close to my heart.

6. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – Enchanting. Mesmerizing. Fantastical. There are not enough words to describe how beautiful this novel is.

7. When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon – This might have been the most talked about book on my Twitter feed last year. I saw so many people defend it fiercely and I didn’t know how I was going to feel, but it turns out it was amazing and I still shake my head trying to figure out why anyone could dislike a character like Dimple.

 8. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katharine Arden – This one was kind of on my radar because everyone was talking about it, but I was kind of afraid it would end up being disappointing. I am so happy to be wrong.

9. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black – I picked this one up based on the hype alone. I’m not a fan of fae and I’ve only read one other book by this author, but gosh darn it, this one was just as good as everyone said it was.

10. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi – Perhaps the most anticipated read in YA history. I remember adding this to my TBR months and months in advance and after finally picking it up, I can say that it was just as epic as I imagined.

Do you agree with any of these picks? Which book do you think lived up to the hype? Which book didn’t? Let me know in the comments and be sure to leave me a link to your own TTT post, so I can visit.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I’ve Kept for Sentimental Reasons

Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. and is currently being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is “Books with Sensory Reading Memories (where I was, what time of year it was, who I was with, what I was eating, etc.).” This was a tough topic for me, not because I don’t associate certain books with certain memories, but because it doesn’t occur to me that I’ve linked them to a certain time in my life until I am rereading them. This doesn’t happen often. So for this week’s topic, I’m listing books on my shelf that I have kept for sentimental reasons and not necessarily because I intend to reread them. I’ll probably give most of these away at some point, after all the sentimental feelings dissipate. Covers are linked to Goodreads.

1. Undercover by Beth Kephart

2. Chime by Franny Billingsley

3. The Assassin’s Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

4. Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore

5. Shug by Jenny Han

6. Beauty by Robin McKinley

7. The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

 8. Savvy by Ingrid Law

9. The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

10. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Have you ever kept a book for sentimental reason? Let me know in the comments and be sure to leave me a link to your own TTT post, so I can visit.

Only a couple of days left to sign up for the Summer 2018 Comment Challenge for the month of August if you haven’t done so already. We pair bloggers and you spend the month getting to know one another through comments on each other’s blogs. Join us and make a new blogging friend. Sign-ups for August are open through July 26th. Click the image to the left for all the info.

Top Ten Tuesday: Short Stories on my TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. and is currently being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is “Favorite Novellas/Short Stories.” I am terrible at reading novellas and short stories. I always say I’m going to, but I never get around to them. I can literally count the number of these kinds of books I’ve read on one hand. Which means this topic is a little impossible, so instead I’m sharing ten short story collections (and one novella, that’s Prime Meridian) that are on my TBR. Covers are linked to Goodreads.

1. A Thousand Beginnings and Endings by Various

2. All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages by Various

3. Prickle Moon by Juliet Marillier

4. Prime Meridian by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

5. Star-Touched Stories by Roshani Chokshi

6. Toil Trouble: 15 Tales Of Women Witchcraft by Various

7. Rags & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales by Various

8. The Assimilated Cuban’s Guide to Quantum Santeria by Carlos Hernández

9. Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman

10. The Girl of Fire and Thorns Stories by Rae Carson

Have you read any of these? Any of these on your TBR as well? Let me know in the comments and be sure to leave me a link to your own TTT post, so I can visit.

Have you signed up for the Summer 2018 Comment Challenge for the month of August yet? Join us and meet a new blogging friend. We pair bloggers and you spend the month getting to know one another through comments on each other’s blogs. Sign-ups for August are open through July 26th. Click the image to the left for all the info.

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Books in 2018 So Far

Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. and is currently being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is “Favorite Books in 2018 So Far.” This was an incredibly hard list to put together. Despite the fact that I’ve only had six five-star reads through June, I’ve had a ton of four-star ones and narrowing that number down to four was almost impossible. Still feel like I’m leaving some incredible reads out. Covers are linked to Goodreads.

1. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland – Alternative history with zombies. Discusses racism and white supremacy. Features a protagonist that is rash and brash and wonderfully multi-layered. Read my review here.

2. The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – Can’t get over how Silvia-Garcia managed to juggle three very different perspectives so well. Part historical fantasy, part romance, if either of these are your thing, you ought to give this one a shot. Check out my review here.

3. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo – This book made me want to give poetry another go. Acevedo’s novel in verse undid me and put me back together again. Read my mini-review here.

4. Monstress, Vol. 2: The Blood by Marjorie M. Liu and Sana Takeda – I am so enamored with this graphic novel series. I don’t have a lot of experience with this medium, but Monstress continues to impress me.

5. Peluda by Melissa Lozado-Oliva – I bought a book of poetry for myself? This is pretty much unheard of, but after watching various YouTube videos of slam poet Melissa Lozado-Oliva, I had to own this.

6. When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon – I finally got to this one in 2018 and am in love with both of the lead characters. I wouldn’t mind spending another couple of books in Dimple and Rishi’s world. Read my review here.

7. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black – I was so surprised by this novel and the hype was real! I am dreaming about the sequel to this one. Read my review of this enchanting fairy book here.

8. Bruja Born by Zoraida Córdova – I loved this witchy sequel so darn much. The moment I can preorder the third book, I’m doing it. Read my review here.

9. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden – This author’s writing is amazing. I was enamored from start to finish and am so excited to finally get to the sequel. Read my thoughts here.

10. Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson – If you’re looking for twisty books that shed light on important issues too, you need to be reaching for this author’s books. Check out my review here.

Have you read any of these? Any of these a favorite read in 2018? Let me know in the comments and be sure to leave a link to your own TTT post in the comments, so I can visit.

Signups for the Summer 2018 Comment Challenge for the month of August are now open! Join us and meet a new blogging friend. We pair bloggers and they spend the month getting to know one another through comments on each other’s blog. Sign-ups for August are open through July 26th. Click the image to the left for all the info.