Sniffing A Book

I know it's an unpopular opinion, but I like to watch new shows before I read the books they're based on. If I hate the premise of the show, I'm certainly going to hate the book. But there have been a couple of TV shows over the years that have made me want to read the books that they're based on, just because I love the worlds that are built so much. Outlander is one of those shows that I heard about for so long, but I never really watched it. I knew everyone loved it, and it was really good, but I just never got into the idea of it. Then someone recommended the book to me. I know this is backwards from what this post was supposed to be, but I read the first book, and then watched the first season, and decided I was going to continue reading the series and then following it up with the show.  Currently I'm on book 4 Drums of Autumn. I know the last season has a lot of spoilers for it, but I'm still excited to finally get a chance to sit down and re...

Here are some of my favorite DIY bookshelves that I've found. Each picture is linked in the caption so if you want to know more, you can easily find it :)  Picture 1 Super easy bookshelf to make out of an old ladder.  Picture 2 This is such a handy idea! Super easy and cheap also! The cinder blocks would probably cost about $30 USD, then the pieces of wood for the shelving.  Picture 3 This is a little more complicated bookshelf, but still is classy and modern.  Picture 4 Super easy bookshelf that can be made with fruit crates. The great thing about this one is that you can customize it however you want. You can change the directions of the fruit crates so they're all the same way, make it more sporadic, as big as you want, and you can even paint/use finish on them to give them a cleaner look.  Picture 5 I love the use of space with this one. This is great for a home that doesn't have an extra room, or even a wal...

A Book Written in Verse: Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds A book with a villain: I'll be gone in the dark by Michelle McNamara A debut novel: Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas A one word title: Sovereign by Jeff Hirsch A book about someone who is neuro Diverse: Split by J.B. Salsbury A variation of the word "lie" in the title: One of Us is Lying by Karen M McManus Book with a Funny Character: Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris A book that's also a screen adaptation: Sailor Moon 9 by Naoko Takeuchi Water on the Cover: Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield A book with a weather element in the title: Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas Finish a Book outside: Sailor Moon 10 by Naoko Takeuchi A stand alone:  Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield Free space: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas A book set in High School: Percy Jackson Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan A library book: All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris A book...

5/5 City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare may have just become my favorite of the Mortal Instrument series. I really wasn't a fan of City of Fallen Angels, it felt like it didn't need to exist. But now that I've read this one it completely makes sense. Also the fact that you're not supposed to read them in order makes it more enjoyable as I could kind of see how it was supposed to be two separate series within the Mortal Instrument series almost.  This book takes place a couple of weeks after City of Fallen Angels. Jace is still missing, and no one has heard from Sebastian. But they come after Clary, and in the process, wound Luke with a poison dagger. Clary doesn't go with them, but just as Jocelyn suspected, Jace comes back for Clary again, and this time she goes with him. She goes into this new place thinking that she has the advantage because she has fairy rings to talk to Simon through, but eventually hers goes missing. It's painfully obviou...

Well we're a week into the April and I'm finally home from vacation. March was one of my best months for reading by far. I ended up getting one bingo, I was 2 books away from 2 more bingos, and while I had planned on reading them on the plane ride, I didn't make it to them after Clockwork Princess. For the Bingo: City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas Sailor Moon Pretty Guardian 5 by Naoko Takeuchi Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling Also finished: Sailor Moon Pretty Guardian 6 by Naoko Takeuchi Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan  Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris Sailor Moon Pretty Guardian 7 by Naoko Takeuchi Club Dead by Charlaine Harris Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris The Crimes of Grindelwald by JK Rowling

Let me start by saying that I completely judge a book by its cover. I pick up books I’ve never heard of to read the description based solely on if the cover is aesthetically pleasing to me. I’m sure I’m missing out on a crap ton of good books, but 🤷🏻‍♀️ If the cover is ugly, the only reason I’m picking up the boom is because a) a friend has read and enjoyed/recommended it to me or b) there is a show I like that’s based on the book or series. Books I never would’ve picked up: 1. Dead Until Dark:  I loved True Blood (even when it got weird), and while falling into a Wikipedia hole one day, I found out that True Blood was based on the Southern Vampire Mystery series.  2. Amulet #1 The Stonekeeper: while I was at Powell’s one day with a friend, I mentioned that I really wanted to get into graphic novels to try them out. She recommended The Stonekeeper to me because her son had enjoyed it. It’s not a cover I would’ve picked up as it looks like it’s for little kids,...

4.5/5 I'm pretty sure Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris is my favorite of the Sookie Stackhouse series so far. It's New Year's Day (technically) and Sookie is on her way home from the bar where she sees Eric running along the road. She stops and gets him in the car and home where she calls Pam. Pam and Chow show up and give Sookie the run down on what's going on: it turns out that a witch is in town that wants to make all the vampires pay her to stay out of their business, like a mob boss. Chow attacks one of her people, but there was a failsafe built in that took all of Eric's memories. He keeps all his basic understanding of how to function in the world, but not any information about who people are and what they mean to him.  "If my sister does this," Jason said, disregarding me completely, "she deserves to get paid for it." There was what you call a pregnant silence. I gaped at him. Simultaneously, Pam and Chow nodded. ...