Weekend Update + Stacking the Shelves

Happy Saturday everyone! I thought I'd start doing weekend updates, instead of just the occasional stacking the shelves, and include what's been going on in my life, what I've been reading and loving this week and of course, any new books I received! So here we go!

I didn't post last week so this is for the last two weeks! :)

Currently Reading: 

Finished this Week:

What I've Been Up To:

1. I'm running for Student Body President! Elections are next Wednesday and I'm super nervous, considering I'm running against some really popular people and I'm not exactly well-known around the school, but I truly care about my high school and the students, so I'm hoping for the best!

2. I was really sick last week so I didn't do too much in the form of productivity. UGH

3. I am one week away from my Driver's test to see if I can get my 'N' (meaning I can drive on my own), so I'm SUPER nervous about it, but also really excited! I've been trying to drive as much as possible, but it's hard to make the time around school!

Stacking the Shelves is a book haul meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews -This is a great way for us to share what books we added to our shelves each week.

Purchased: 

That's it for this week! I'm super excited about for this weekend since I have a Murder Mystery party to go to on Sunday, plus there's no school on Monday... whoo! Let me know what you got this week or leave me a link to your haul! 

Happy reading!
~Kristy

TGIF: Distractions

Hey guys! So, the other day I noticed I haven't posted for a while and I am SO sorry. I totally didn't realise it had been so long! So I was thinking of why I hadn't and came up with a few recurring distractions from reading and blogging. If you've noticed a lack of posts this week and last, well, here may be some reasons why the blog hasn't been as active. 

1. EXHAUSTION - Guys, I have been seriously lacking in sleep lately. I don't know what it is, but I just am not getting enough sleep. It's probably the fact that finals are coming up for high school, as well as huge projects being due and other activities that take up so much time and energy... Blogging and reading just have taken a secondary position to sleep... 

2. Homework - As noted above, it's a busy time of year for the high school student. With under a month left of class and exams coming up, the teachers seem to all have come together and decided that NOW IS THE TIME OF ULTIMATE PROJECTS BEING DUE. Seriously. 

3. Netflix - I am totally one of those people. Because sometimes, when your mind is overloaded with stress and work and everything like that, you just want to sit down with your laptop and watch some Supernatural. You know? I've been super obsessed with so many shows on Netflix this year and it's really not too healthy. I'm getting a bit better though, since I caught up with Supernatural. Before that though, nothing could keep me from my Sammy/Dean/Cas/Crowley. NOTHING. 

4. Taylor/Friends - So my friend Taylor doesn't know how to not talk to me when I'm trying to work. But I love her, so I deal with it. By not working and listening instead. *sighs* No but honestly, when friends truly need me, I'm going to put them as a priority. I just need to. 

5. Tumblr.  - It's actually awful. I said I wasn't going to be one of those people. But they took me in. They captured me and I just cannot escape. It's just... so mindless, this fake blogging thing. I LOVE IT but I HATE IT too. And I just.. I'm okay. I promise. 

So I feel super lame posting this, but I just thought I'd explain a bit about why I might go through some periods of not posting. Really, it's just a lot to do with procrastination and a ton of stress that I don't know how to deal with other than by putting it off to the side and sleeping. I'm trying to push past my distractions, but it's so difficult. So, I'd love it if you guys shared some of the things that distract you so that I don't feel so alone!

Happy reading!
~Kristy

Review: The One by Kiera Cass

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen 
Page Count:  323 pages, International Paperback
Date Published: May 6th 2014
Find it on Goodreads: The One
Source: Purchased

The Selection changed the lives of thirty-five girls forever. And now, the time has come for one winner to be chosen.
America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the competition approaches its end and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants.
From the very first page of The Selection, this #1 New York Times bestselling series has captured readers' hearts and swept them away on a captivating journey... Now, in The One, Kiera Cass delivers a satisfying and unforgettable conclusion that will keep readers sighing over this electrifying fairy-tale long after the final page is turned.

SUCH a satisfying conclusion to a trilogy that was addictive and kept me hooked the moment I started, yet frustrated me all the same. The Selection series is one that I wouldn't expect to love as much as I did, as it doesn't have very much... substance to it, yet something about these books kept me reading and swooning and craving more. I have very mixed feelings about America, the protagonist, but there's no denying my love for Maxon. 

The moment I picked The One up from the store, I knew I wouldn't be able to wait to read it... I needed it, then and there! But alas, I had a babysitting job to go to and had to wait an hour before diving in... Well, after I tucked the kids into bed, I started reading and... didn't stop. I ended up finishing this book in just over three hours, completely devouring it in one sitting. I don't have a clue what it is about the story, but it just hooks you in and keeps you wanting more... and after I finished The One, I WANTED EVEN MORE. I was so emotionally attached to the story while reading! I wanted to scream at America for some of the things she was saying and I wanted to punch the king, but of course, that would just end up putting a dent in the page instead. I don't have too much that I can say without spoiling the ending, other than the fact that I am super excited about how it ended, all though I did find it to be a bit rushed. I thought the lead up to the climax was a little drawn out in some parts and then the drop down from the highest point of intensity in the story was so sudden that it was a bit hard to get used to the fact that I only had a few pages left. But OH MY GOODNESS there's one point where it's unsure if a certain beloved character is alive or not and I got so worked up over it, I could hardly breathe until I found out their fate! I thought Cass was going to pull a DeStefano with my FAVOURITE character and I just couldn't handle that. No way. 

I also really loved the fact that we got even more background into the world of the rebels and learned more history of Illéa (?) and how the world in Cass' novels worked. It was a nice break from the girl drama of the Selection, getting some real action and adventure. I also loved the character development in a certain girl of the house... It was so great to see her grow! All in all, I was so happy about how The One ended, other than thinking it was a bit rushed. I thought the way everything was tied up nicely was a good way of ending this perfect escape story. There's not much interpretation needed at all for these books, but they are the most appropriate thing I can think of for someone wanting to escape into another world with hardly a worry. For those of you who have not yet read this series, do not go into it hoping for some great literature. Go in for the fun of it, enjoy the story, swoon over Maxon, and just escape into a world of ball gowns and princes. That is exactly what I was needing and that is exactly what was delivered. And I loved it!

.5

Have you read this series? Are you totally hooked on it like I am, or is it too fluffy? What did you think of the ending? 

Happy reading!

~Kristy

Weekend Update + Stacking the Shelves

Happy Saturday everyone! I thought I'd start doing weekend updates, instead of just the occasional stacking the shelves, and include what's been going on in my life, what I've been reading and loving this week and of course, any new books I received! So here we go!

Ugh okay, so it was a super busy week at school for me, so I didn't post much, which I apologize for! But I did get a couple of new books this week and finished one!

Currently Reading: 

Finished this Week:

I have some very conflicted feelings about this one, so I'm not sure how my review will be.... 

What I've Been Up To:

1. I finished my research essay on The Bell Jar and handed it in! I AM DONE!!!!

2. I've been reading a LOT more than I have been usually this year, which is so nice! And now that my essay is done and handed in, I'll have even more time to read and less to stress about!

3. I got my uni marks back! I got an A+ in my Computers course and an A- in the Intro to Disabilities course that I took! I was so ecstatic, especially about the Disabilities course, since I thought I had done terribly! 

Purchased Online:

Borrowed from a friend: 

Thanks Emma! I'm so excited to read this!!! :D

Alright, so that's been my week! How was yours? Did you get any new books or do anything exciting? Let me know in the comments or leave me a link to your haul/wrap up!

Happy reading!
~Kristy

Review: The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

 Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Publisher: Poppy
Page Count:  352 pages, Hardcover
Date Published: April 15th 2014
Find it on Goodreads: The Geography of You and Me
Source: Purchased

Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they're rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.
Lucy and Owen's relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and -- finally -- a reunion in the city where they first met.
A carefully charted map of a long-distance relationship, Jennifer E. Smith's new novel shows that the center of the world isn't necessarily a place. It can be a person, too.

A story of travel, communication, family, self-discovery, and of course, love, The Geography of You and Me is another wonderful tale of two young people coming together through incredible circumstances from the one and only Jennifer E. Smith. This book was exactly what I needed and completely met my expectations and probably even exceeded them. I was hoping to read a contemporary that had depth to it, something that was more than just a surface-skimming love story and that is exactly what I got. Geography is about two teens who meet in a city wide black out of New York City, which is a wonderful setting for a story in itself. Yet their paths cross at unfortunate times in their lives, as Lucy soon leaves for Europe with her parents and Owen heads west with his father, their destination a mystery to them both. Through alternating chapters with adorable and totally appreciated parallels, (one of my favourite aspects of the book!), the reader is completely drawn in to this tale of two teens on opposite sides of the world, trying to get back to each other for even just a moment. With the use of post cards and emails, Lucy and Owen attempt to stay in contact, yet discover it is more difficult than it would seem, trying to stay connected as life continues on around them. I loved how they both had lives separate from each other, met new people and learned new things, instead of being caught up about this mysterious person they had met for one night. I hate books that have characters who only think about their 'love' or whatever you'd call it and forget about everything else in their lives, so this book was greatly, greatly appreciated in that aspect and many others. Lucy and Owen together were realistic, as well. They were awkward and a bit bumbling, but they each felt a connection and wanted to figure it out, yet circumstance prevented that from happening. I adored how the book ended so ambiguously, leaving the reader wondering what would happen to the two teens. This was an incredibly enchanting novel that couldn't have come from anyone other than Smith and I would highly, highly recommend it.

Happy reading!
~Kristy

Weekend Update + Stacking the Shelves

Happy Saturday everyone! I thought I'd start doing weekend updates, instead of just the occasional stacking the shelves, and include what's been going on in my life, what I've been reading and loving this week and of course, any new books I received! So here we go!

Currently Reading: 

Finished This Week:

What I've Been Up To:

1.  I'm running for student body president at my high school! I haven't started campaigning yet, but I'm thinking of what I want to do for the school and trying to come up with some different ideas. 

2. I was sick last week, so I spent a lot of time after school in bed and trying to sleep, but I'm still trying to get over it a little... Although I am feeling a lot better than I was!

3. I got a regular babysitting job for twice a week and I'm super excited about it! I absolutely adore the kids and love taking care of them!

Stacking the Shelves is a book haul meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews -This is a great way for us to share what books we added to our shelves each week.

Purchased with Birthday Gift Cards:

So.. I may have gone a little bit overboard this week. I got quite a few gift cards for Coles/Chapters for my birthday, so it was a couple of exciting trips to the stores, as well as an online order that should be coming this week! I am so excited about all of these books and can't wait to read all of them! (yes, I may or may not have finished two of them already and am almost done a third..)

What did you get this week? Leave me a link in the comments and I'll check it out!

Happy reading!

~Kristy

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Covers I'd Frame

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.This week's topic  is: Top Ten Book Covers I'd Frame as a Work of Art. Ooooh I love this topic! I think book covers are so unique in their artistic quality, how they represent something so incredible inside: a story. Sometimes the cover can be completely gorgeous and the tale inside is not so much, yet other times a cover can be fairly generic but the story beautiful. Whatever the case, a book cover is the first thing we really see when we open up the wondrous new world of a book and I think some of them are just absolutely extravagant, so here are my top ten that I'd frame as art on my walls!

 

Happy reading!

~Kristy