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Showing posts with label musing mondays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label musing mondays. Show all posts

Monday, February 27, 2012

Musing Mondays (20): Book Series


MUSING MONDAYS…is a weekly event hosted by Should Be Reading where MizB will ask a book/reading-related question, and you answer with your own thoughts on the topic


  • Do you read books that are part of a series?
  •  Do you collect all the books in the series before starting? What if the series is brand new, and the only book that’s been published so far is Book one? As subsequent books in the series are published, do you go back and re-read the preceding books?
It seems that most new YA and MG books that come out today are part of a series (and yes, I'm probably exaggerating), not that I'm complaining...so YES I definitely read books that are part of a series! It can be tempting to want to wait until all books in a series are published before actually starting that series, simply because it can be really hard to have to wait a year or more for new books to come out...but, I'm really just not that patient ;D

If a series is new and interests me then I'll go ahead and read book one and impatiently,  and hopefully eagerly, await the next book. But I must read book one before I ever read any other books in a series. I know some people have no problem reading a series out of order, but I just can't do that. And of course, I've been late to the party when it comes to many series, like The Hunger Games series, and was lucky enough to have all the books in the series available to me when I began book one. As far as re-reading earlier books in a series as newer ones are released, it really depends on how much time passes between releases. 

Annnnd speaking of book series, here a few YA and MG series that I love and you may not have heard of but really should give a read:

LEAVE LINKS TO YOUR MONDAY MEMES IN THE COMMENTS. IF YOU'RE A NEW FOLLOWER LET ME KNOW SO I CAN FOLLOW YOU BACK :)

Monday, February 6, 2012

Musing Mondays (19)


MUSING MONDAYS…is a weekly event hosted by Should Be Reading where MizB will ask a book/reading-related question, and you answer with your own thoughts on the topic


Did you do any reading in lieu of watching the football game, yesterday, or were you foregoing reading to watch the game? If you read a book (or books) what did you choose?


I'm not a football (or any sports) fan, so normally I'd never spend my time watching a game, but every year we celebrate my dad's birthday (Feb. 1) on Superbowl Sunday so I couldn't really escape the game. In my family, among the males, football is sacred and Superbowl Sunday is practically a holiday so our Birthday/Superbowl celebrations are always fun and full of LOTS of yummy food. However, after half-time (which is when we did cake, ice cream, and presents), I had enough football and retreated to read. I was able to finish reading Cold Cereal, a MG book by Adam Rex and I wanted to start Fairy Blues but I actually fell asleep at like 9pm. I worked earlier on Sunday and I've been sick so I think it all just caught up with me and I was exhausted. But my dad had a great birthday, the guys enjoyed the game and I did finish a book, so all in all it was a good day.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?! DID YOU WATCH THE BIG GAME OR GET A CHANCE TO DO SOME READING? LEAVE LINKS IN THE COMMENTS :)



Sunday, January 29, 2012

Musing Mondays (18)


MUSING MONDAYS…is a weekly event hosted by Should Be Reading where MizB will ask a book/reading-related question, and you answer with your own thoughts on the topic

How far along are you in your current read before you start thinking about what you’ll read next?

Well, since I have my book reviews scheduled (not necessarily written, just scheduled) a couple months in advance, I'm constantly thinking about what I'll be/should/need to read next. Although, just because I'm always thinking of my next fix read doesn't mean I don't give my full attention to my current read. And, of course, sometimes *coughallthetimecough* I deviate from my schedule if a new book catches my attention and has me thinking about it all the time ;)

LEAVE LINKS TO YOUR MONDAY MEMES IN THE COMMENTS
AND HAVE A HAPPY READING WEEK :)

Monday, January 23, 2012

Musing Mondays (17)


MUSING MONDAYS…is a weekly event hosted by Should Be Reading where MizB will ask a book/reading-related question, and you answer with your own thoughts on the topic


Why do you think that the Young Adult genre is so popular with even the adult readers? Do you read YA books, yourself?
Most books I read and review are considered YA. Recently I participated in the YA Authors Appreciation Event where I discussed why I love YA and the impact my favorite YA author (Lauren Myracle) has had on me as a reader. Here are a few excerpts from that post that explain why YA still appeals to me, a twenty-something, and I think many adult YA readers feel the same way...

**I refer to Myracle's YA work specifically in this post, but my opinions ring true for YA in general as well**

"Lauren Myracle’s YA novels opened my eyes to the awesomeness, beauty, humor, and enlightenment that YA has to offer...

Myracle’s work was really the catalyst that changed the way I viewed YA. Before I read YA on a regular basis, I believed that YA books either fell into two different categories: strictly serious/intense and lighthearted/humorous/fluff. But Myracle’s books prove that YA can be both serious and funny in the span of a single book, a single chapter, heck, a single page, and, in Myracle’s case, it can be seriously funny! Furthermore, her books prove that YA can be, and most often is, smart, sophisticated, sharp, witty, eloquent, powerful, and meaningful. And one of the most important things Myracle has shown me through her work is that just because it’s called Young Adult doesn’t mean it’s just for young adults...

When I first began reading Myracle’s books and many other YA books, I often found myself thinking 'Wow! 17 year old me could totally relate to that' or 'I felt the same way as a teen!'. But the more YA I read, specifically the more of Myracle’s work I read, the more I began to realize that even at twenty-something I could relate to what these YA characters are going through. Even now in my late twenties, so much of what her and other YA authors’ characters go through, moves me and touches me, not just because 17 year old me could have related or understood, but because 27 year old me still feels it, gets it, experiences it...

Whether a YA novel has vampires, werewolves, magical abilities; whether it takes places 100 years ago, 100 years from now, or today, it’s all about capturing the moments, experiences, and feelings that change its characters, cause them to evolve and mature. In a way, every YA story is a coming of age story; a story about growing-growing up; growing wiser; growing older. And do we ever really stop growing? Do we ever stop needing stories like these, like so many found in YA, to remind us we are not alone?"

So that's why I read YA and why I think so many other adults read and enjoy YA. What about YOU?! Why do you read YA? Or why don't you read YA? Why do you think YA is so popular among adults?

LEAVE LINKS TO YOUR MONDAY MEMES IN THE COMMENTS. IF YOU'RE A NEW FOLLOWER LET ME SO I CAN FOLLOW YOU BACK :)


Monday, January 16, 2012

Musing Mondays (16)


MUSING MONDAYS…is a weekly event hosted by Should Be Reading where MizB will ask a book/reading-related question, and you answer with your own thoughts on the topic

What devices –if any– do you read books on? Do you find it enjoyable, or still somewhat bothersome? Or: If you only read the print books, why haven’t you chosen to read on any devices?


I've used a Kindle for over a year now and recently upgraded to a Kindle Fire...which I LOVE! It took a while to get used to the Kindle and reading ebooks, but now I really enjoy ebooks. I still loving reading physical books of course, but ebooks are so convenient and usually really affordable. Plus, the Kindle Fire is just an awesome device :)





Monday, January 9, 2012

Musing Mondays (15) and It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (12)


MUSING MONDAYS…is a weekly event hosted by Should Be Reading where MizB will ask a book/reading-related question, and you answer with your own thoughts on the topic


Are there any “raved reads” –books that everyone seems to be talking about– that you’re hoping to get read this year, yourself? What books are they, and why are you hoping to read them? Is it because you want to say you’ve read it? Or, would you have chosen to read it, even if you’d discovered it yourself, and no one was raving about it?


There are quite a few "raved books" that I'm determined to read this year...
I recently finished The Hunger Games and am eager to read the other two books. This series has been raved about for several years, but what really prompted me to finally start them was the upcoming movie adaptation. I really want to see the movie but when a film is based on a book, I always try to read the book first.




This is another raved about YA title and I'm super excited to finally read it! I just recieved a copy as an R.A.K gift. Honestly, if this book and it's upcoming sequel hadn't of been so positively reviewed and talked about I probably wouldn't have added it to my TBR pile.






This book has also been raved about and people seem to either love it or have not been impressed by it. I think this is one book that I would have eventually found on my own whether or not it had been talked about so much. 








It's Monday! What Are You Reading... hosted by Book Journey, is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!
Recently Read

Under the Never Sky
Veronica Rossi
WORLDS KEPT THEM APART.
DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.
Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.
Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.
If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers
Fracture
Megan Miranda
Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine -despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it? Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

Currently Reading
Notes to Self
Avery Sawyer
Two climbed up. Two fell down.
One woke up.
In the aftermath of a traumatic brain injury, Robin Saunders has to relearn who she is and find out what happened the night everything changed.
Reading Next
Slide
Jill Hathaway
Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.
Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.
Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.
Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.
Hatter
Daniel Coleman
There's nothing wrong with a touch of madness. - Cheshire Cat
In a kingdom that doesn't need saving, a young man ignorant of social norms is the unlikeliest of heroes. And despite his extreme dislike of confrontation, Hatta knows his destiny is to mend a rift that doesn't exist.
On the other end of the spectrum is Chism, a young Elite soldier who thrives on conflict. How will this rash, obsessive soldier aid the child-like Hatta in his journey?
Throw in the Cheshire Cat, Queen of Hearts and other familiar characters as they emerge to fill their eminent roles in the tangled ascent into madness of literature's most lovable lunatic.

WHAT ARE YOU READING THIS WEEK? THIS YEAR? LEAVE LINKS TO YOUR MONDAY MEMES IN THE COMMENTS!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Musing Mondays (15)


MUSING MONDAYS…is a weekly event hosted by Should Be Reading where MizB will ask a book/reading-related question, and you answer with your own thoughts on the topic
What is/are the first book(s) you’re reading for the new year?

My first reads of 2012 will be...

Under The Never Sky
Veronica Rossi
Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.
As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.
They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers a barbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY.

Don't Fear the Reaper
Michelle Muto
Grief-stricken by the murder of her twin, Keely Morrison is convinced suicide is her ticket to eternal peace and a chance to reunite with her sister. When Keely succeeds in taking her own life, she discovers death isn’t at all what she expected. Instead, she’s trapped in a netherworld on Earth and her only hope for reconnecting with her sister and navigating the afterlife is a bounty-hunting reaper and a sardonic, possibly unscrupulous, demon. But when the demon offers Keely her greatest temptation—revenge on her sister’s murderer—she must uncover his motives and determine who she can trust. Because, as Keely soon learns, both reaper and demon are keeping secrets and she fears the worst is true—that her every decision will change how, and with whom, she spends eternity.



Catching Fire
Suzanne Collins
Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the annual competition described in Hunger Games, but the aftermath leaves these victors with no sense of triumph. Instead, they have become the poster children for a rebellion that they never planned to lead. That new, unwanted status puts them in the bull's-eye for merciless revenge by The Capitol...










WHAT BOOKS WILL YOU BE READING FIRST IN 2012?!
LEAVE LINKS TO YOUR MONDAY MEMES IN THE COMMENTS. IF YOU'RE A NEW FOLLOWER LET ME KNOW SO I CAN FOLLOW YOU BACK ;)

Monday, December 26, 2011

Musing Mondays (14) and It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (11)


MUSING MONDAYS…is a weekly event hosted by Should Be Reading where MizB will ask a book/reading-related question, and you answer with your own thoughts on the topic



Did you get any books for Christmas? If so, what were they? If you didn’t, what books are you most looking forward to reading (and/or buying) in the new year?
I was a very spoiled and lucky girl this Christmas because my parents and brothers got together and bought me a brand new Kindle Fire!!! Yep, I have the best family evah! In celebration of my new "toy" I bought myself a few ebooks that were on sale: Destined, The Poison Diaries, and Exiled. I also took advantage of the new Kindle Lending Library and borrowed The Hunger Games...yes, I am very late to THG party but I'm totally loving it so far. I was also lucky enough to get a brand new paperback copy of THG from my brother and his girlfriend, which is awesome since I don't actually get to keep the Kindle version. My grandma also gave me some book buying money for Christmas so this week I will blissfully be book shopping online! Not exactly sure which books I'll buy, but I think I may get a couple of books I haven't had the chance to read and maybe a few pre-orders...any suggestions?! 

WHAT BOOKS DID YOU GET?!



It's Monday! What Are You Reading... hosted by Book Journey, is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!


I Recently Read
Awkward
Marni Bates
1/1/12
Mackenzie Wellesley has spent her life avoiding the spotlight. At Smith High, she's the awkward junior people only notice when they need help with homework. Until she sends a burly football player flying with her massive backpack and makes a disastrous - not to mention unwelcome - attempt at CPR. Before the day is out, the whole fiasco explodes on YouTube. And then the strangest thing happens. Suddenly, Mackenzie is an Internet sensation, with four million hits and counting. Sucked into a whirlwind of rock stars, paparazzi, and free designer clothes, she even catches the eye of the most popular guy at school. And that's when life gets really interesting..
Read my 4 Cupcake Review
Tempest (Tempest #1)
Julie Cross
1/17/12
The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun. That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future. Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.
But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him. Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.
Look for my review on 12/28/11
Currently Reading
The Hunger Games (THG #1)
Suzanne Collins
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister Primrose, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before — and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love
Reading Next
The Way We Fall
Megen Crewe
1/24/12
It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in. And then you're dead. 
When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back. Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest. Because how will she go on if there isn't?


WHAT ARE YOU READING?!
LEAVE LINKS TO YOUR MONDAY MEMES IN THE COMMENTS. IF YOU'RE A NEW FOLLOWER LET ME KNOW SO I CAN FOLLOW YOU BACK :)

Monday, December 19, 2011

Musing Mondays (13) and It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (10)


MUSING MONDAYS…is a weekly event hosted by Should Be Reading where MizB will ask a book/reading-related question, and you answer with your own thoughts on the topic

What’s one book you always recommend to just about anyone?

Hmm, good question. I'm not sure if there is one book that I would or do recommend to everyone. I read and review mostly YA and MG books and these are usually the types of books I'm asked to recommend, often by parents. When it comes to MG and Children's books I always recommend the Harry Potter series first and if a child (or even adult) has read these then I recommend the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, The Heroes of Olympus series, and the Fablehaven series. I also often recommend the Children's and MG books that I grew up loving, such as Anne of Green Gables, Pippi Longstocking, The Chronicles of Narnia.
As for YA recommendations, I recommend Lauren Myracle books to a lot of teenage girls and older female readers. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is one that I cannot recommend enough to those who have not read it and I do find myself recommending this series to just about everyone, even younger readers. Other books I recommend to younger and older readers alike are The Neverending Story, The Princess Bride, The Graveyard Book, The Book Thief, and I Am The Messenger.



It's Monday! What Are You Reading... hosted by Book Journey, is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!
What I've Recently Read

Indulge (Warm Delicacy #2)
Megan Duncan
Claire's heart is torn between her first vampire love, Dmitry, and the Blood Mate, Arrick, that she is eternally bonded to with a powerfully deep and emotional connection. A vengeful vampire is haunting her steps, after Claire killed their mate. An ancient evil threatens to rip her world apart. With the danger of war looming on the darkening horizon, will Claire find the strength to fight back and protect those she loves? Even if it means embracing the darkness inside her? Is it worth it to become the evil she fears, in order to destroy it?
Such a great second installment! Read my 5 Cupcake review HERE
Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus #2)
Rick Riordan
Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa tol him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring and bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth.
Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem - when the Voice took over he mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for and evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wished she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams.
Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery - although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially infront of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely - enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart.
Beginning at the "other" camp for half-bloods and extending as far as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment of the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophesy of Seven.
Ok, technically I'm still reading this but I'm thisclose to being done and I'm LOVING it!
What I'm Hoping To Read This Week
Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1)
Marissa Meyer
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.
Tempest
Julie Cross
The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.
That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.
Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.
But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.
Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

WHAT ARE YOU READING THIS WEEK? WHAT BOOKS DO YOU ALWAYS RECOMMEND?! LEAVE LINKS TO YOUR MONDAY MEMES IN THE COMMENTS :)

Monday, December 12, 2011

Musing Mondays (12) and It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (9)


MUSING MONDAYS…is a weekly event hosted by Should Be Reading where MizB will ask a book/reading-related question, and you answer with your own thoughts on the topic

What kind of books do you like to read? 
Why? Provide specific examples.
Well, since this is a YA and MG book blog, I mostly read those kinds of books. But I do read a variety of genres within YA and MG. When it comes to MG and even Children's Lit. I read mostly Fantasy and Paranormal, such as:

When it comes to YA, I read a lot of Fantasy, Paranormal/Sci-fi, and Contemporary (usually with a splash of humor). Such as:
But I also read a lot of YA "issue" books (books that focus on a specific issue), such as:
Why do I favor these kinds of books? I have no idea! I guess the fantasy and paranormal books offer an escape from reality, while the contemporary and issue books allow me to view the world through many perspectives.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading... hosted by Book Journey, is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

Last week I read...

Titan Magic
Jodie Lamm
Mute, heartless, and tormented by auditory hallucinations, Madeleine Lavoie never questions why her family has hidden her from the world. But the night her brother casts her out, she learns the mysterious voice she thought existed only in her mind is no delusion, and no matter how hard she tries, she can never disobey it. Now Madeleine must find her own voice in a cacophony of powerful tyrants, monsters, and gods. If she fails, she will forfeit her life and the lives of everyone who loves her. But if she succeeds, she may finally gain the ability to love someone in return.
READ MY 4 CUPCAKE REVIEW HERE

Reveal
Brina Courtney
Shay Tafford is not normal. Being a cryptid is not normal. Seeing ghosts is not normal. Her father’s disappearance is not normal. Lucky for Shay, Hugh isn't normal either. So when he enters her life through her dead best friend Shay knows he may be her only chance at a normal life. A life she is desperately searching for.
READ MY 3 CUPCAKE REVIEW HERE

This week I'll be reading...
Indulge
Megan Duncan
Claire's heart is torn between her first vampire love, Dmitry, and the Blood Mate, Arrick, that she is eternally bonded to with a powerfully deep and emotional connection. A vengeful vampire is haunting her steps, after Claire killed their mate. An ancient evil threatens to rip her world apart. With the danger of war looming on the darkening horizon, will Claire find the strength to fight back and protect those she loves? Even if it means embracing the darkness inside her? Is it worth it to become the evil she fears, in order to destroy it?

Awkward
Marnie Bates
Mackenzie Wellesley has spent her life avoiding the spotlight. At Smith High, she's the awkward junior people only notice when they need help with homework. Until she sends a burly football player flying with her massive backpack and makes a disastrous - not to mention unwelcome - attempt at CPR. Before the day is out, the whole fiasco explodes on YouTube. And then the strangest thing happens. Suddenly, Mackenzie is an Internet sensation, with four million hits and counting. Sucked into a whirlwind of rock stars, paparazzi, and free designer clothes, she even catches the eye of the most popular guy at school. And that's when life gets really interesting...

LEAVE LINKS TO YOUR MONDAY MEMES IN THE COMMENTS. IF YOU'RE A NEW FOLLOWER LET ME SO I CAN FOLLOW YOU BACK :)