i missed reading.

Yesterday, it was raining around where I live, which basically forced me to stay in the house, mostly in bed. To add to the whole relaxing mood, I had candles lit up and a cup of tea on my bedside table, while I caught up on my reading. Doing this really made me miss books so much. Sad to say I haven't been reading much lately due to 'real life getting in the way.'

I was able to finish The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (review coming up soon!) and was able to start with Fire on the Blood by Irene Nemirovsky. She is probably one of my favorite writers, as her words are simply poetic, flowing with effortless fluidity. I was able to take in as much pages and chapters as possible, and I am just in love with it so far.

So this post is mainly for me to ask, do you ever feel like real life just gets in the way of things sometimes and prevents you from doing what you actually enjoy doing -- like for instance, reading? Perhaps even blogging? I know I do, and I guess it's just nice to finally catch up on something I really love, because I really did miss it. What are you currently reading right now and how are you liking it so far?

I hope you all had a great weekend!

Bookshelf tour!

I said I was going to do this video a long time ago; finally it's here!

Inspiration: Halloween

As I have mentioned on my previous halloween-themed post, this 'holiday' is one of my favorite events. It is just so much fun -- to be able to dress up as anyone or anything we want without limits (and without anyone thinking you're crazy)

What are your plans this Sunday?? Are you going trick-or-treating? Go to a corn maze or a haunt? Go to a party perhaps? Or maybe you want to have fun at the comfort of someone's house and carve some cute pumpkins!

If you are dressing up, what is your costume?! My friends and I (10 of us!) are all dressing up this year! Yeah, I told you we're all going to embrace this 'holiday' like it's nobody's business. Ha ha ha. Well, no matter what you're doing, I hope you all have a fun and safe one! Here's an inspiration post to well.. get you inspired for Sunday!

Trick or treat!!

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Genre: Young Adult - synopsis

Synopsis: No synopsis for this sequel to The Maze Runner to avoid spoilers.

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Pros: This has pretty much everything I loved in the first book. It is still as exciting, entertaining, and suspenseful. It kept me interested the entire time, wanting to figure out what's the true story behind all of that's been happening. I still find myself rooting for the main character, Thomas, as he is just the type you can easily empathize with. All the other characters -- and the new additions to the list -- are all very likable as they are very complex, and multidimensional.
I still love the way the author, James Dashner, writes as well. He just knows exactly what his readers craves for; excitement and suspense. If you liked the first one, then you will like this one.

Cons: I don't really have a lot of cons for this sequel. There were times that it did become a bit slow for me, but not enough to make me fall asleep -- if you know what I mean. Also, I didn't entirely love this book as much as I did with The Maze Runner, but still, I enjoyed it.

Overall: While it is not as great as the first one, I still really enjoyed this one and loved it to bits. I was entertained and it kept my interest all throughout, and it did not let me down. I can not wait for the final installment! Too bad I still have to wait another year for it..

for the love of Halloween.

I love Halloween. This year, my friends and I are all dressing up and celebrating this fun "holiday" together. Here on the blog, I decided to celebrate it by putting up a list of just some of, in my opinion, the best scary/horror/thrilling reads. I'm a huge chicken; I get scared so easily, but I have to admit, a good horror story here and there is just plain exciting. That may be weird now that I think about it.... Anyway, here are just some of the books that I actually did read (unfortunately) Let's just say that after reading these, I pretty much said goodbye to sleep for a couple of nights after..

the Shining by Stephen King

- Gah. This is the book that made me fear hotels and elevators.. not to mention, creepy looking kids.

the Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
- need I say more?

the Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

- I have to admit, the movie scared me a whole lot more than the book did, but needless to say, this still scared me so much! I read this when I was around 13 or so and I went to my grandparents' house. They had this book on one of the shelves, and for some reason, I just felt the need to torture myself with its horror. Bad idea.

the Hell bound Heart by Clive Barker
- Have you ever seen the 1987 movie, Hellraiser? Yeah, this is the book its based on. Enough said.

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
- This to me is the ultimate 'vampire' book. I was about 15 when I read this, having liked the movie. There's just something creepy about this one for sure.

Pet Sematary by Stephen King
- This book is so underrated. It is probably one of my favorites from Stephen King, and I feel like not a lot of people give it much credit. I recommend this one if you really do like horror. It's a wonderful (err horrific) read.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding
- This isn't exactly in the horror genre, but in my opinion, the idea is still pretty scary.

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What are some of your favorite scary novels? They don't have to be horror, but just something that really scared you? And of course, happy Halloween!! :)

Why I Love Book Blogging # 2

I have always been a huge book worm. However, starting a blog devoted to books and reading made the word, "book worm," mean and weigh so much more! Through book blogging, learning and discovering new things have become much more of a regular, if not a daily, occurence. First off, I feel like I'm a lot more open to new ideas now than I was before. I'm also more open to hearing other people's opinions on books. I have tried out so many new genres, authors, and titles. I picked up books that I would never even have considered in the past. And with book blogging, I have also become much more aware of the book industry; author events, book releases, and general news. Before, I was pretty much clueless with the industry. I mean who knew authors actually respond to emails, publishers send out reviewer copies, and that some book bloggers are actually considered as "Press??" I know I didn't.

Reading has also turned from just a simple hobby that I do for fun, to something I'm incredibly passionate about, and that has become very 'educational' and helpful for me. With discovering new books and reviewing them, I think a lot more critically, without bias. This, I truly believe, helps me greatly with a lot of different things in everyday life. With writing, with my job as a tutor, with school.. it really does make a huge difference.

Generally, I just feel as if my "book knowledge" so to speak, has become more broad than I ever expected it would be. I have gained more knowledge, and the best part is, I still continue to do so everyday.

So I wonder, are you like me; Has reading, writing, and books in general changed or evolved into something else for you since you started book blogging? Have you tried out genres you never thought you'd ever try? And are there things that book blogging and reviewing taught you that you are able to apply in your everyday life? Do share.

Why I Love Book Blogging # 1

I constantly talk about books. A LOT. The problem is, with the exception of my boyfriend -- and no offense to my friends who are going to read this post (haha sorry) -- nobody else here reads "for fun!" That's very sad for me because well, who am I supposed to talk to when I want to rant or rave about something I've read or get all excited about an upcoming release or book event? Nobody really wants to hear me chat and chat about the same topic.. over and over again

Book blogging is awesome for this very purpose. I can talk freely about books whenever I want, and the best part is, I get to hear back from people -- you, of course!! -- who are equally (and some that are even more) interested and passionate about the same thing I am. This to me, would probably be my number 1 reason for loving blogging about books. What's yours?

The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler

Genre: Young Adult

Synopsis: When her mother moves them from the city to a small town to open up a cupcake bakery, Penny’s life isn’t what she expected. Her father has stayed behind, and Mom isn’t talking about what the future holds for their family. And then there’s Charity, the girl who plays mean pranks almost daily. There are also bright spots in Hog’s Hollow—like Tally, an expert in Rock Paper Scissors, and Marcus, the boy who is always running on the beach. But just when it looks as though Penny is settling in, her parents ask her to make a choice that will turn everything upside down again. A sweet novel about love, creativity, and accepting life’s unexpected turns.

Rating: 3 stars

Review: One word -- cute. It's definitely not a favorite, and I might not even remember this in just a few months from now, but during the time I was reading it, I was entertained. Sometimes, I just want a light read to get me through a hectic week. This served that purpose well, and for that, I gave it 3 stars.

The idea of reading a book about cupcakes and a bake shop is just irresistible to me. I love baking, and even "catered" (I use this term very loosely) a party and an event before. Having said that, it hooked me right in because of the cute and fun premise. The characters were interesting; though not memorable, they were likable. Overall, it's just a light, fun, and quirky read. Not everyone is going to have time to read this, and not everyone is going to like it, but for the reasons I stated above, go ahead and give it a chance.