Bows And Books Readathon // To Be Read

Hi Friends,
Today, I am going to share my TBR for the ‘Bows and Books’ readathon. The readathon began on March 21st and ends on March 24th. You can view one of the YouTube announcement videos to get all the details on the readathon and prompts. Since this is a shorter readathon, I will only try to get through two books. I have been in a major reading slump, so I do not know how well I am actually going to do with my reading this weekend.


Read A Book With A Bow On The Cover
Read A Book By A Female Author
Buy Book: https://amzn.to/3TrrGi5

High school nemeses fall in love in Kelly Quindlen’s She Drives Me Crazy, a queer YA rom com perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Casey McQuiston.


Read A Book With The Letters B, O, or W in the title

Buy Book: https://amzn.to/3x7iwzI

Andrea Hannah’s Where Darkness Blooms is a supernatural thriller about an eerie town where the sunflowers whisper secrets and the land hungers for blood.


If you are an Everand user, such as myself, you can find the audiobooks for both books in their catalog. If you would like to try out Everand, use my link (click here) to get a 30 day free trial. In the comments, let me know if you will participate in this readathon. Do not forget to follow the blog, so that you never miss a new post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The Valentine’s Day Sweetheart // Book Tag

Hi Friends,
Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m not sure if I have ever done a Valentine’s Day book tag, but if I have I hope it wasn’t this one. But, if it was sorry not sorry. I’ll just be a book tag repeater. This tag was created by Pampered Pages on YouTube. It’s just a fun, bookish tag inspired by one of the most romantic days of the year.



Reese’s hearts all the way! Honestly, as someone that doesn’t enjoy peanut butter it confuses me that I can’t get enough of peanut butter cups. Thus, these have to be my favorite type of Valentine’s Day candy.


Yes! I love me a good adult romcom or young adult romance.



This is hard for me to answer because I do try to read as much romance as I can during February but as a mood reader it’s hard for me to stick with one genre. But, I do generally like to read as many romances that I can in honor of Valentine’s Day.



Let me just say that I’m a happily married women, but if one of my fictional crushes happen to show up at my door the perfect gift would be a love note. I know that’s lame but my love language is words of affirmation.



I have a ton of romances written by the same author. I recently got most of the Chestnut Springs series, I’m only missing one book, and I’m so excited to start it! I have heard that they are just such great, small town! cowboy romances.



The one book that made me sob is ‘Five Feet Apart,’ which is the most heartbreaking and sweet young adult romance. Honestly, it’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s still such a good read. But be prepared to shed a few tears. Maybe more than a few.
Related Post: Five Feet Apart // Book Review



I’m going to be so basic and say Paris. It’s the city of love. I know that’s such a lame answer but it’s on of the places I’ve always wanted to visit.



I feel like I’ve answered this question way too many times, so I’m going with a release that I haven’t mentioned yet. That would be ‘Nothing Like The Movies’ by Lynn Painter. When I found out that ‘Better Than The Movies’ was getting a sequel, I knew that it would most likely be in my top 5 favorite books of the year.



I never remember a lot of my favorite book quotes so I did have to do some digging when it came to this question. I found two quotes that I absolutely adore that I think perfectly describe the feeling of being in love.

“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same” ― Emily Brontë, Withering Heights

“I didn’t fall in love with you. I walked into love with you, with my eyes wide open, choosing to take every step along the way. I do believe in fate and destiny, but I also believe we are only fated to do the things that we’d choose anyway. And I’d choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I’d find you and I’d choose you” ― Kiersten White, The Chaos of Stars



After looking at my bookshelf, I believe that I have more books with pink spines than red ones. This kind of makes sense, because most of my romances have more pastel tones for their cover art.


Those are all the questions in this tag, but before you go, let me know in the comments your answers to these questions. Don’t forget to like and share this post with others! As always, follow the blog, so that you never miss a post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Edited

Summerween 2023 // To Be Read


Hi Friends,
I know that I’ve just posted my July TBR, but July 7th was the start of Summerween! If you’d don’t know what Summerween is, you’re missing out. For all the details on the readathon, you can watch Gabby from GabbyReads announcement video on Youtube. Basically, this is just a week-long readathon that is all about bringing the spooky season into summer, hence the name: Summerween. There are only a few prompts, and I think my TBR is quite manageable to participate in a week long readathon.

Read A Thriller:
For this prompt I’m going to be reading ‘Every Last Fear’ by Alex Finlay, which, as you might know, is already on my July TBR. Why not kill two birds with one stone?

Read A Book Set In Fall: –and– Read A Book With Orange Or Black On The Cover:
Now I could be completely wrong, but I think that ‘The Haunting of Aveline Jones’ by Phil Hickes takes place in the fall. There are even leaves on the cover, and the color orange. So, I’m going to be using the book for two prompts.

Read A Manga, Graphic Novel, Or Novellla:
Last month, I started the ‘Fence’ graphic novel series by C.S. Pacat. I’m on volume 2, so I’ll probably end up reading that during the readathon.

There is one more prompt, which is simply to read at night or in the dark. I didn’t pick a specific book for that because I’ll probably use one of my already picked books to complete that prompt.

In the comments, let me know if you are also participating in Summerween. What’s on your TBR? Don’t forget to like this post and follow my blog!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Summertime Madness // Book Tag

Hi Friends,
I am back with another book tag! This time I am doing the ‘Summertime Madness Book TAG’ which was created by JakeEatsLife (formerly JakeEatsBooks) on YouTube.


Show a book with a summery cover! i.e. Sun, Beach etc.
I haven’t read this book, but I am hoping to read it before summer ends. The plot gives me hope that it will be a fun summer contemporary with a magical twist. I have high hopes for this book, since I really enjoyed the authors YA thriller’Horrid‘.


Pick one fictional place that would be the perfect destination for your Summer. Vacation!
I wasn’t the biggest fan of this trilogy, but the world was very cool. Yet, I am not sure it counts as a fictional world, since it is simple a dystopian version of the world we live in today. Still the sci-fi elements add to society seems awesome.


You’re about to go on a flight to your Summer Vacation. But you want to read a book that lasts for the whole flight so what novel do you choose?
YA thrillers are always fun and fast reads. This is one that has been on my TBR for quite some time, and it has great reviews. It is 330 pages, which makes me think it is a good flight pick.


You have a case of Summertime Sadness–what happy book do you pick up to shine a smile on your face?
I have probably mentioned this book a ton, but I predict it will be a 5 star read. The premise sound so heartwarming, and YA contemporaries usually make me smile.

 


You’re sitting at the beach all alone…which fictional character would be your beach babe?
Does beach babe mean guy or girl? Well, I am going to say guy but just platonic guy friend. For me, I will go with Cooper from Kasie West’s
‘Love, Life and The List”. He was a good friend to Abby, and seemed like a fun person to hang out with. However, he’s a teenager, so us hanging out might be a bit weird.


To match your ice cream you want an icy cool sidekick! Which fictional sidekick do you pick?
Ravi Singh from the ‘A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder’ books is an amazing sidekick. He is supportive and funny. And, he’s down to help solve mysteries, which I can get behind.

 


Share the Summertime Happiness! Who do you TAG?
I am going to tag some of my favorite book bloggers! I would love to see Ceri from ‘Read And Review It‘ do this tag, and Mackenzie over at ‘Lit Lemon Books‘.

If you want to leave your answers to the questions in the comments please do so. I love seeing the books that readers associate with each season in this case summer. Remember not to leave before hitting that follow button, because you won’t want to miss a post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

To Be Read // Suns Out, Books Out

Hi Friends,
I am going to be participating in the ‘Suns Out, Books Out’ readathon taking place from the 20th to the 26th of June. You can watch Lauren Love Readsannouncement video on YouTube to get all the details. There will be reading sprints happening through out the event, and even a buddy watch of the Amazon Prime series ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty‘. There is a group read, which is ‘The Counselors’ by Jessica Goodman. However, I have already read the book, so I wont be reading it for the readathon. Now for my TBR!


READ A BOOK WITH YELLOW ON THE COVER

Small Town Hearts by Lillie Vale is a queer small-town romance that will give you major butterflies.”
—Bustle


READ A ‘CHILLER’ A CHILL THRILLER

“A high-stakes hide-and-seek competition turns deadly in this dark supernatural thriller from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White.”


READ A BOOK CHOSEN BY A FRIEND

“Graphic artist Clay Riddell was in the heart of Boston on that brilliant autumn afternoon when hell was unleashed before his eyes. Without warning, carnage and chaos reigned. Ordinary people fell victim to the basest, most animalistic destruction. And the apocalypse began with the ring of a cell phone.”


READ A BOOK WITH AN ISLAND, OCEAN OR BEACH SETTING

“Practical Magic meets Nova Ren Suma’s Imaginary Girls and Laura Ruby’s Bone Gap in this lush, atmospheric novel by acclaimed author Katrina Leno.”


These are the books that I have chosen to include on my TBR, and just to clarify my husband chose ‘Cell’ for me to read. I will try to do a ‘Reading Log‘ or Instagram Reel for this TBR, if I remember. In the comments, tell me if you are taking part in any summer readathons. Please support my little blog by giving it a follow!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Splendid Spring Book Tag // May 2022

Hi Friends,
Today, I wanted to do a fun spring book tag for you all. Currently, the weather where I live feels more like summer than spring. But, I’m hoping this tag will make it seem more like spring. This tag was created by a YouTuber, Victoria Mann, and as per usual has a ton of fun bookish questions. So enough chitchat let’s jump right into the questions!










If you want to do this tag please feel free to. I would appreciate anyone that likes and shares this post, and anyone that takes the time to read my blog. Please help my blog continue to grow by giving it a follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The Ivies // Book Review

Author: Alexa Donne
Published: 2021
Genre: Young Adult/Murder Mystery
Rating:Full, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on Iconfinder

Synopsis
Everyone knows the Ivies: the most coveted universities in the United States. Far more important are the Ivies. The Ivies at Claflin Academy, that is. Five girls with the same mission: to get into the Ivy League by any means necessary. I would know. I’m one of them. We disrupt class ranks, club leaderships, and academic competitions…among other things. We improve our own odds by decreasing the fortunes of others. Because hyper-elite competitive college admissions is serious business. And in some cases, it’s deadly.


I hadn’t heard or seen anyone talk about this book, but the cover intrigued me so I picked it up. The book started off with a bang, with the first chapter captivating my attention. I wanted to see how the story play out. The book was set up as a murder mystery that shows the lengths people will go to ensure they get into a good college.

Although, the beginning was gripping, I found myself getting bored as the story progressed. The mystery element was there and the plot wasn’t bad, but for some reason the story was weak. It might have something to do with the fact that I have never felt the need to go to an Ivy League school. (Well, there was the small desire to follow in Rory Gilmore’s footsteps and attend Yale.) I don’t really think an Ivy League college is the only way to have a good future.

Olivia, our main character, felt like a typical YA protagonist. In my opinion, books that feature an expensive boarding school usually follow the rich and/or elite kids that attend it. However, there is always the one person that doesn’t feel like they belong. Olivia was that girl in this book. She doesn’t feel like she fits in amongst the wealthy.

Olivia’s friend group includes Avery, Emma, Sierra, and Margot, better known as ‘The Ivies’. You could tell that the girls weren’t genuine friends, as they secretly undercut each other at every turn. They didn’t have each other’s backs, and could be just as ruthless to each other as they were to everyone else. I guess there is some truth to the saying “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”.

I did find myself getting annoyed with Olivia at times, because her and her friends did awful things to people. However, Olivia kept making excuses for their actions. She might have not known about all the things her friends had done, but her hands were far from clean. She was naive, sure, but that’s hardly an excuse. I never really felt like she owned up to any of her wrong doings. And, somehow still turned out to be the victim.

Avery was clearly made out to be a Regina George type character. She carefully picked her friends; going so far as to select their Ivy League colleges for them. However, she wasn’t this mean girl that was obsessed with getting into Harvard. Well, she wasn’t only that girl. There was a softer side to her as well.

“We improve our own odds by slightly decreasing the fortunes of others.”

As for the rest of the group, they weren’t very fleshed out. We only got to know a little bit about each of them. Emma was probably the one we learned the most about, since she was murdered. We got a small glimpse at who Sierra was. As for Margot, the author didn’t really give any information on her. All we learned was that she didn’t care for Olivia. She didn’t think she fit in with their friend group, and was outright a bad friend to her.

Also, there was a side romance plot that, I guess, was cute. But, I didn’t care for it. I felt like there really didn’t need to be a romance in the story. Maybe I would have felt differently if Olivia was already in a relationship, but I’m not sure. I do, however, think that the outcome of relationship was surprising, and was the best twist in the book.

As for the murder aspect, the killer’s motive was somewhat weak, yet still relatable. I could actually see somebody killing for this reason. The story showed that having a high social status and money, doesn’t make you entitled to anything. Money can’t by dignity, or make you a decent person. The amount of energy these kids put into getting into college seemed exhausting. In the end, the teenagers in the book made getting into a fancy college seem like a ‘kill or be killed’ situation.

I had a lot of theories on how the book would play out, and some of my guesses were right. However, most of the time, I was dead wrong. This book had the potential to be on the level of Karen M. McManus’ books, but it lacked her amazing writing style and thrilling plot. The author has talent, but just didn’t hit this book out of the park.

A small thing that bugged me, but probably isn’t a big deal to most people, was the focus on Harvard. The book mentioned a few other big name schools, but getting in to Harvard played a major role in the story. Why does it always have to be Harvard? Is it too much to ask that we have a little more outside the box thinking? Okay, rant over.

I do want to mention that Alexa Donne happens to be an authortuber. This wasn’t something that I was aware of until after I read the book, but she has some great author content on her channel. If you want to get to know the author behind this book, then I recommend you check out her channel.

I hope that you enjoyed reading my thoughts on this book. It was an interesting read, yet not a book I would pick up again. Let me know in the comments below your thoughts on this book. If you like bookish content, then follow the blog before you go.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny