Reflect & Renew: July 2013

Hello readers! Say hi to Reflect and Renew which you will be seeing around here at the end of each month. Inspired by Monthly Rewind at the Perpetual Page Turner. Enjoy! :)

Lately, I've been a bit down in the dumps so I've decided to take some time off from blogging crazily like I did for the past week. Seriously, I don't understand how some people can blog every day ALL YEAR ROUND. Kudos to you because I cracked after a week. I'm still going to be posting reviews of books I've read but I think all the discussions and features and of course, the Book Blogger Challenge will have to wait. I still haven't made up my mind to continue with the Blogger Challenge or not so I can't tell you too much about that.

I think I really needed this time off because I've been pushing myself really hard this month and it's been exhausting. I love this blog and all of you guys but sometimes, you just have too much on your plate and you need to call stop. But even though this blog has been inactive for the past few days, my Tumblr is still going steady and I'm trying to update my Twitter more often as well so you can chat me there. And also, I have a super-secret project I've been working on that I'm really excited about. I can't wait to tell you! But you'll just have to wait! :)

REVIEWS:

Demigods and Monsters by Rick Riordan
The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen
Taylor Swift: The Unofficial Story (Platinum Edition) by Liv Spencer
Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
A Really Awesome Mess by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin
Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne
Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols


DISCUSSIONS:
How Did I Acquire These Books? Part 1

FEATURES:
Spotlight: nRelate
Seeing Double: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Book Voyage: New York City


OTHER:
Confessions of a Teenage Girl | Day 1
I Am A Bedtime Reader | Day 2
Err...I Don't Have Any Friends | Day 3
Please Don't Harm Me | Day 4
Big Girls Don't Cry | Day 5
I'm a Shopaholic | Day 6
My Blogging Quirks | Day 7
What Tickles My Fancy | Day 8

BOOKS NEXT UP ON MY TBR LIST:

The Curse of the Wendigo by Rick Yancey

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
The Summer of Firsts and Lasts by Terra Elan McVoy
All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
Somebody Hates You Up There by Hollis Seamon
Seven Deadlies by Gigi Levangie Grazer
Winger by Andrew Smith

MOST MEMORABLE EVENTS:
Visiting the art gallery -- I loved the contemporary art exhibit and the interactive rooms!
Watching Despicable Me 2! It was so funny!
Going to Stratford and seeing Blithe Spirit!
Walking through an outdoor festival and buying the cutest button pin EVER!
Discovering the best croissants ever.
Spending a very hot day in a very hot car driving around a very hot park
Buying the CUTEST shirts known to man -- not joking.

The 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge!
And having fun with my friends!

MOST PLAYED SONG:

Royals - Lorde

THINGS I CAN'T WAIT FOR IN AUGUST:
Being in the live audience for an episode of The Next Star!
Visiting the amusement park with my friends - again!
Hitting up tons of festivals
Volunteering at the local daycare and the library!
Getting ready to go back to school!


AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE:
As a typography lover myself, I was ecstatic to come upon Debby's post on cover typography.
Brittany has written a great post on commitment (it's even greater because it includes New Girl gifs!). This is a great idea and I'm looking to trying this out in August! I miss that freedom I had before!
I love this article explaining literary techniques using Disney movies! So useful and nostalgic!
This is why I love Random Rantings over at Book Rock Betty. Seriously, every time I see that phrase pop up, I know I'm in for a treat!
Speaking of a treat, check out these ice cream/book pairings! Elena sure knows how to get my mouth watering!
After being inspired by blogging boards on Pinterest (yay! I'm not the only one who does this!), April created this amazing challenge for book bloggers! Go check it out!
I thought I was the only one who went through this! Reem talks about rating a book you know is good but just not feeling.
How do you tell that you're a book blogger? Bec gives us some examples!
Reem makes a second appearance with a great list of survival tips for fictional characters.
Mel shares a great guide to buying eReaders. I definitely needed this!


That's all, see you next month! :)

What Tickles My Fancy | Day 8

We're past the half-way mark! It's day 8 and it's time to CELEBRATE!

If you've been looking to impress me, today's your lucky day! I'm dishing out 15 (or as many as I can) things about what I look for in a blog. Now I must admit, when it comes to blogs, appearance is number one. I can't help it, I'm aesthetically driven. And if that sounds shallow, yes it is! Without further ado, here is my list of the 15 things I take into consideration when it comes to my blog and other blogs. 

Disclaimer: Sorry if I sound like a condescending butt, I don't mean to! 

1. No neon colored text

Hey, I love all the colors but when it comes down to reading on a screen, neon colors just aren't the most comfortable. No highlighter yellows or greens or pinks or anything that looks like it can be the color for a highlighter.

2. No more than three fonts; otherwise, it's too busy

This was something I read on a blog a while back and it's a great suggestion. You really don't need more than three fonts. It's up to you what those three are but the best combination would be a fun and crazy font (Amatic, in my case), a serif (Georgia) and a sans-serif (Verdana).

3. Sans-serif text for posts

In my opinion, sans-serif is just much easier to read than serif on screen. 

4. A clean sidebar, preferably on the right side of the page

Sidebars are super important but a super cluttered one is a nay. Try keeping things minimum, only having things you really need and if you can afford to do so, some fun widgets! And a sidebar on the right-side is just a personal preference!

5. An archive widget of all your posts

When I find a new blog, the first thing I do is surf their archive. It's how I determine if I want to subscribe to them. If their archive is a good balance of all the things I like to see as far as content in a blog, then I'm clicking ENTER! 

6. An equal balance of reviews, memes, discussions, blog tours and all that jazz

I don't need to explain, do I?

7. A detailed About

I'd like to know who the mastermind behind the blog is!

8. Relatively fast loading

I'm not going to avoid your blog if it's a bit slower to load but it would be nice for it to be quick, wouldn't it?

9. At least five posts on display at a time but preferably, 10 to 15

I like taking the time to flip through old posts on blogs but I don't want to be constantly flipping. I don't want to have to flip every three posts. My index finger will get sore!

10. A rating system

They're the handiest things on earth. Or if you don't have a rating system but you have something like Jamie's post-it note, that's fine too! As long as I can take one glance at it and have a rough idea of what you thought, that's great!

11. A fun and catchy title

The title is what I remember you by. The more times I repeat it, the catchier it is, the better I'll remember you!

12. Big text

Reading off a screen is hard enough as is so don't make me go through tiny 10 pixel font! Make it big and clear! 

13. Cute graphics in your posts

Graphics are super important in your posts because (a) they are super cute and (b) they help break up large chunks of text which is NEVER easy to look at. And I know I'm guilty of not doing this a lot. Yikes!

14. A cute favicon and/or button

This isn't necessary at all but I was running out of ideas.

15. An authentic and unique voice!

By far, the most important! If you have a clear voice, you don't need to have the most aesthetically perfect blog! I'm coming back for you and you only!

Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

Published by MTV Books; July 16, 2013

Hardcover, 288 pages

Received from publisher through NetGalley - thanks!

From the author of the “real page-turner” (Seventeen) Such a Rush comes an unforgettable new drama that follows friends-turned-lovers as they navigate the passions, heartbreaks, and intrigue of country music fame.

Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.

Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again…

- Description from Goodreads.com

I think I've become hooked on Jennifer Echols now. And here's why:

The characters are the most UNLIKEABLE people ever (except for Ace. I love you, man). Three-quarters of the time, I wanted to punch them and kick them but somehow, Miss Echols managed to keep me under control. And uhh, actually like the characters at some points. 

Take Sam, for instance. He is a nice-looking boy, all Southern charm and class but he's known to be a heartbreaker - and don't forget absolutely SELFISH. He really never thinks about other people and when he does, it's always because he gets something from it. Always. But then all of a sudden, he goes all sweet and charming on me. And what happens to all my anger? Flies straight out the window.

It's confusing, all right! I never know what to expect from the characters. Are they going to tolerable or are they totally going to make me blow my top? Sometimes, the way the characters switch from mood to mood feels completely off but it's too much of a breather for me to complain.

And come on, who can resist Jennifer's writing? It runs smoothly and easily and at times, it was almost lulling me to sleep, to forget the issues I had with the characters.

Great, easy read! But I agree with the other Jennifer Echols fans, read this AFTER you've already established yourself as an Echols lover!

My Blogging Quirks | Day 7

My lucky number: 7! And now here are some BLOGGING confessions.

Just because I need a pop of color, I made another graphic. It's really time consuming but I can't stop. Oh, and excuse some of the quirks you may have already read about in My Bookish Confessions. I was struggling.

1. I always write my reviews in one sitting.

One thing about me when it comes to my studies is that I always write all my essays at once (most of it, at least). I think it's just good for me to get down all my ideas and then once that's done, go back and edit. The same thing applies to my blog, I guess. Since the beginning, I've always written all my reviews in one sitting. I just can't NOT do it. But a little part of me suspects it has a little to do with the guilt I feel over not being as active as other bloggers so when I do write reviews, I'm just really eager to get them out. 

2. Once I'm done, I'm DONE.

As soon as I type that last word, it's straight to publishing. I don't edit (mostly because I edit along the way) and I don't look over. What's done is done, right?

3. I like spontaneity.

Which is my excuse to why I don't schedule (re: #7). But I do like spontaneity and working on my OWN time. I have enough deadlines for school and it's definitely not in my interest to add more. Of course, I have some sense of when to create new material but it's not pin-pointed so if something comes up, my schedule is flexible enough that I can really do it any other day.

4. I like to write my reviews as soon after I've finished the book as possible.

Again, this is because I am a strong believer of getting out all my ideas all at once. Like a brain dump. And with books, I'm just really bad at remembering details in general so now that I've started reviewing, I just need to get to that computer!

5. I like making little improvements to my blog. 

When it comes to aesthetics, my perfectionism kicks in. It just has to look perfect which is why the way my blog looks is never enough for me because perfect is not an actual thing I can achieve. I won't lie though, I'm pretty darn proud of how my blog is now but just wait a few weeks and something will get tweaked and changed.

6. I can never bring myself to cross-post.

I don't like cross-posting and I've never done it. Probably never will. It's not that I have an aversion to posting reviews on Goodreads and such, it's just that I feel like I should have different material to go on Goodreads so it's not like I'm copy and pasting from my blog. Not that I judge others when they do that, it's just not for me. But then because I'm not willing to write two different reviews, I skip on posting to Goodreads completely.

7. I've tried scheduling but I just...can't.

I'm actually very good at scheduling for school. My agenda was well-used this year and it was all a great success. But when it comes to blogging, I just can't schedule. I mean, I've tried but I don't follow it. Oh well.

8. I LOVE making graphics for my posts (clearly).

Ever since discovering PicMonkey, I've gradually become more and more obsessed. Like I've said above, it takes up a lot of time but I just can't help it. I like making graphics. Period.

I'm a Shopaholic | Day 6

Day 6 of the Book Blogger Challenge and now, we're on the same page. SHOPPING.

My parents should have known living near a mall would not have been good for their daughter. Because I go absolutely NUTS in malls. I'm a shopper okay? And I can't help it. I just want to buy everything: socks, shoes, candle holders and ESPECIALLY books. I hate to admit it but I'm a shopaholic. Thank goodness I'm not living on my own yet - imagine how absolutely wrecked I'd be.

I first realized this when I was ten and at that time, I wasn't really interested in shopping for candle holders - not my style - I was more interested in book shopping. I would pull my parents to the bookstore every time we passed by and it was honestly magical. I would sit and read for the longest time until, of course I had found a book I wanted to buy. At first, it was the odd fairy book and my mum and dad happily obliged but after my birthday came and gift cards to stores rushed in, it was three books a day and often, at least one was a book I bought simply for the sake of buying. 

When I was twelve and I was cleaning out my bookshelf, I realized just how many books I hadn't finished yet. And I bought them like, two years ago. At that point, I just said to myself 'this has to stop'. Because that right there is an unhealthy addiction. I was wasting money on books I didn't even want to read! That's crazy! Ever since then, I've been much stricter on my book-buying habits and I get most of my books from the library, instead of buying them. Occasionally, a book will catch my attention and I'll buy it but for the most part, libraries are my friend. 

But even though I don't buy books often, I still visit the bookstore tons! And I don't really have a system when I visit though I have to say, I make a beeline for the YA section as soon as I step into the store. Furthermore, when I do end up buying a book,  it's not because I had planned what books to buy when I go the bookstore (unless I have to get it for school). It's more like 'I have the money, there's a bookstore, let's go in and see'. I like being able to flip through books and finding new ones that I wouldn't have known about otherwise. I like taking my time and stumbling upon a hidden gem - I roam the entire space. 

So there's my not-all-relevant-to-the-subject answer! Share your thoughts in the comments! xxx

Big Girls Don't Cry | Day 5

I'm a third into the 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge! Hip hip HOORAY!

Recommend a tear jerker.

See, the thing is I don't actually cry while reading. I just physically cannot. While my heart might be aching, my eyes are most likely dry. But I don't need to cry to determine a tear-jerker. I know one when I read one! 

The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence

Possibly one of the best books I've read this year, this touching story about the unlikely friendship between a socially awkward teen and a grumpy old man is MIND-BLOWING. The quirkiness of the book makes it like no other and I promise, once you read the end, you'll be bawling. I nearly cried. Just goes to show how amazing a true friendship can be.

Please Don't Harm Me | Day 4

It's Day 4 of the 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge and I hope you guys are still as excited about reading these as I am about making them.

Please don't kill me, book lovers when I admit that I have actually flung a book. Not across the room but across the floor. And it was only ONCE. I promise you.

This is the book.

But in my defense, the book was really disgustingly detailed. And even though it's been, like, two months since I've read this, I'm still EXTREMELY grossed out. Besides the sex scenes that made me cringe, there were the characters whom I didn't find likeable at all. There was very little development on the MC's part and frankly, Sam was just as big of an ass as all the other guys Anna dated. The pacing was weird and I just really did not enjoy this book. And so I flung it across the floor in exasperation. I'm not proud of it but in honour of honesty, there you go. The story of the time I flung a book.

And I promise there won't be another!

Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne

Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne

Published by Sourcebooks Fire; July 2, 2013

Paperback, 262 pages

Received from publisher through NetGalley -- thanks!

They Said It Was An Accident...

Sawyer Dodd is a star athlete, a straight-A student, and the envy of every other girl who wants to date Kevin Anderson. When Kevin dies in a tragic car crash, Sawyer is stunned. Then she opens her locker to find a note:

You're welcome.

Someone saw what he did to her. Someone knows that Sawyer and Kevin weren't the perfect couple they seemed to be. And that someone—a killer—is now shadowing Sawyer's every move...

-Description from Goodreads.com

I'm always looking for great thrillers to scare myself with at night and after reading the synopsis for Truly, Madly, Deadly, my hands were already shaking. Unfortunately, Truly, Madly, Deadly did not live up to its first impression. The book had a lot of potential but in the end, it fell flat.

Sawyer was a likeable character and you felt bad for the poor girl. She's adjusting to a new mom, a new house, a possible new sibling all while coping with the death of her boyfriend, Kevin. But at the same time, I felt like Sawyer lacked depth which made it hard for me to feel any emotion for her while reading. Of course, that most likely is a result of the third-person narrative which I don't think worked in the author's favour. 

As a reader, I'm never really ecstatic about reading a third-person narrative. I think this must be the third time I've said this this week but I"ll say it again: in order for a book to be good for me, I have to love the characters and be able to relate to them. Third-person creates a distance between me and the MC and obviously, it's harder for me to build a connection (though when it's used well, I'm a fan of third-person too!). For this book, I think the author chose to use third-person so that the reader is more like a spectator, watching the mystery unfold from the sidelines. Almost as if you were watching another episode of 48 Hours. It worked for me at the beginning - I thought that the emotionless writing added an eerie ambience to the book. As the story progressed, I needed more than just the mystery to propel the book. I needed emotion. If I'm not attached to Sawyer, why do I care if someone is ruining her life? And because this is a fictional character, I do not feel guilty or ashamed I said that. 

But I think it all comes down to one major aspect of the book: the mystery. I would have been fine with the detached narration and the ish characters if the mystery had been better done. The idea that someone is watching Sawyer and committing crimes that seemingly help her is incredibly intriguing. It has a lot of promise but unfortunately, execution wasn't strong. It didn't take me very long to figure out who could be committing these crimes - especially not after the You're Welcome note and a certain character's shifty behaviour in every single scene. 

Furthermore, the ending wasn't very strong either and left a lot of questions. In my opinion, the ending is one of the most important parts of a mystery. You really have to explain and wrap all the loose ends created during the middle. And that was another thing Truly, Madly, Deadly was lacking. I wanted to know how the crimes were committed in more detail than simply explaining what was used to kill the person. How did the killer manage to slip unseen and put these crimes into action? With the last crime, we weren't provided any information at all and that was the crime that was probably the hardest for the killer to execute. I would have at least liked to have known how the heck the killer was able to sneak in there unseen. Does he/she possess an Invisibility Cloak? Secondly, how did the killer manage to stalk Sawyer's every move without her knowing? Especially in the vast and empty neighbourhood Sawyer lives in. And really, I just don't understand why the killer did this. The end was just so out of character and it seemed like it came out of nowhere.

But despite all this, the book was pretty good. Even though the mystery wasn't too strong, I had a blast reading about all the crazy antics the killer was up to. The idea behind the story was interesting and I liked the character dynamics with each other. I wouldn't suggest this to a mystery fan but if you're interested for something to pass the time, this one is a great choice!

Err...I Don't Have Any Friends | Day 3

Day 3 of the 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge - these days are passing by fast!

Today's question is: who are your blogging BFFs? Well, ain't this a bit awkward for me? Truth is, there isn't any blogger who I know really well. And that probably stems from the fact that I don't spend as much time interacting with other bloggers as I want to. Look, I'm not opposed to commenting; it's just that, I'm bit of a lazy bum. And especially when school comes around, I think about all that homework I have to do and my blogging duties and I'm like, UGH. So yeah, I'm not a big commenter. And that's pretty much the main way you get to meet people around here (or so I've read). 

But now it's summer and I don't have to go to school anymore. I'm really trying to make good use of my free time. I'm doing a lot more blogging and I'm commenting a lot more. And I'm getting to know some of my favourite bloggers better and you know what? They're not as scary and intimidating as I thought they were. I mean, they still are but now that I have actually TALKED to them, it's like, cool you're an actual person. 

Sometimes, I still get a bit self-concious and I re-edit my comments/tweets like ten thousand times but hey, at least I'm talking, right? And that's a huge accomplishment for someone who at the very core is shy and EXTREMELY nervous. I'm used to always having a solid group of friends and now, here I am in the blogosphere not knowing anyone. And that's actually terrifying for me. Because there's this one part of me who loves meeting people and is all 'YAY, LET'S GO TALK TO BLOGGERS!' but then the other half is like 'Slow down, honey. No one's going to like you.' There's always this tug-of-war between the two sides and I'm never sure what to do. Though I can say that up until now I ended up shutting my mouth more often than not. Just sometimes you can't help it, you know? 

With this summer though, I've really tried pushing my boundaries. I'm really trying to open up to more people. Because I want to change my attitude but also because I am selfish and I want more friends. But in my defense, every single time a blogger is asked their favourite part about blogging the answer is near always the community. And I love that other bloggers are having a blast fraternizing with everyone but when I read it, it's a bit like, oh. Because I hadn't really talked to anyone. And only now am I realizing what I'm missing out on and it's a shame I didn't realize it until eleven months into blogging. 

Well, that's my little sob story. I'm sorry for hanging all that out there because I'm never comfortable with talking about my feelings but I just needed to let it out. Sometimes, talking is the best way to resolve your problems...and remind yourself how ridiculous you sound. Anyway, now that I'm trying to be more social, are there any friend applications? The apply-to-be-Annie's-friend office is now open. Just kidding, it's never that easy. 

I Am A Bedtime Reader | Day 2

It is Day 2 of the Book Blogger Challenge which means today we're talking about our bedtime reading rituals! 

Truth: I am a huge bedtime reader. Especially when school starts, before bed is usually the only time I have to read in peace. The first thing I do in preparation of crawling into my bed is changing into my pajamas. 

Then, I walk over to the bathroom and do the whole face-washing-and-teeth-brushing routine. During this time, I'll probably have my iPod blasting out Phoenix. And this is because: {a} they are upbeat enough for me to have a good time while going through my routine (because I absolutely despise washing up), {b} I totally have no idea what they're going on about half the time so chances of me singing along are reduced by, like, 30% and {c} they're just mellow enough for me to be able to switch to my quiet bed mode. 

After I've finished my little Phoenix jam fest in my bathroom, I head straight to my bedroom where a pleasant stack of books are already waiting for me! Before I do any reading though, I have to adjust the pillow and the bedding to make sure I am in the most comfortable position. And then I prop myself up with my elbows and I start reading! 

Usually, I read for at least an hour but sometimes, if the book is REALLY good, I read up to an hour and a half. I never like to read for too long because my eyes are getting really terrible and I don't want to make them worse. 

And that's pretty much my bedtime routine!