Book Haul|| May.

Posted on May 30, 2019 by ashley @ socially awkward bookworm

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Hey!

I can’t believe it’s already the end of May and already time for another book haul post! I got quite a few books this month, because I couldn’t resist deals and I had a couple pre-orders release this month. I was also sent a few books from publishers, which was exciting! You can check out a full list of the books that I own over here. There’s links to different pages on my blog that show my e-books and one for my physical books. I last updated the pages in April. All book titles below are linked to Goodreads.

Books I Bought:

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Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett
Hope and Other Punch Lines by Julie Buxbaum
Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff/Amie Kaufman
Girl Gone Viral by Arvin Ahmadi
Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King/Owen King

I’ve been wanting Serious Moonlight for awhile now and when I seen it only $8 on Amazon, I couldn’t pass it up. So happy to finally have it. Hopefully I’ll actually get around to reading it ASAP! Hope and Other Punch Lines was also a little over $8 on Amazon too and I needed it because I love Julie’s books! I feel like everyone probably got a copy of Aurora Rising this month. I didn’t want to feel left out, so I got it. I also really love the cover. I’m not entirely sure how to feel about going into reading it though, because I didn’t really like Illuminae, which was written by Jay & Amie. So I guess we’ll see what happens with their new book. I love books about social media, so I was really stoked about Girl Gone Viral. Plus that cover is amazing. I seen Sleeping Beauties at an outlet store for $3 and it sounded good, so I got it.

Books from Publishers:

We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra
The Liars of Mariposa Island by Jennifer Mathieu (September)
Beyond the Black Door by A.M. Strickland (October)
All-American Muslim Girl by Nadine Jolie Courtney (November)

I was sent a copy of We Contain Multitudes from The Novl and I was so stoked when I seen it in my mail box. I absolutely loved this book so much. You can check out my review here. I also received a Fall ARC package from Fierce Reads, which contained the following books: The Liars of Mariposa Island, Beyond the Black Door, and All-American Muslim Girl. I am really excited about these three books. There’s I believe four packages you can choose from and I chose this one because all of these books sounded really good and it was also the one with the least amount of ARCs. I didn’t want to go crazy and have so many ARCs to read, because toward the end of the year reading usually slows down for me with the holidays happening and I didn’t want to end up falling behind on my ARCs.

Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky (October – Netgalley)
Virtually Yours by Sarvenaz Tash (June – Netgalley)

I was so excited when I seen there was a new book from Stephen Chbosky! I was approved on Netgalley for Imaginary Friend and I couldn’t be more excited!! I notice that it’s 720 pages (according to Goodreads) and that makes me nervous though, haha. BUT I am really looking forward to reading this one closer to October/Halloween. 😛 I was also approved for Virtually Yours, which I completely forgot about the request because it was awhile ago that I requested it and didn’t hear back. It releases next week, so I figured I wouldn’t be getting it by now. I’m excited for it though. Hopefully I’ll be reading that soon since the release date is coming up June 4th.

E-Books:

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Priest of Bones by Peter McLean
I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo
Everything Here Is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee

F*ck Marriage by Tarryn Fisher
Mirage by Somaiya Daud
Run Away by Harlan Coben
LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff

Getting LIFEL1K3 is again me trying to give Jay Kristoff another chance. I actually DNF Nevernight by him. It was only $1.99, so I thought might as well. I am really excited about all of these other e-books as well. I’ve been waiting for them to go on sale, so I’m happy they finally did. I think I mentioned it before how I have an Amazon wishlist of all the books that I am waiting for the e-books to go on sale, so I check it every day to see if any do. 😛

What books did you get in May? Have you read any of the books that I got? Feel free to link me to your book haul posts, so I can check them out.

My May wrap up should be posted in the next couple days. I am a little over halfway through my current read (Olivia Twist) and I really want to try to get it finished before the end of the month. I am determined to make this happen. Hopefully nothing comes up that gets in the way of my reading time over the next couple days!

In case you missed it;
Review|| Going Off Script.
Friday Finds #81.
Review|| We Contain Multitudes.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Review|| Going Off Script.

Posted on May 28, 2019 by ashley @ socially awkward bookworm

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Going Off Script by Jen Wilde
4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: Seventeen-year-old Bex is thrilled when she gets an internship on her favorite tv show, Silver Falls. Unfortunately, the internship isn’t quite what she expected… instead of sitting in a crowded writer’s room volleying ideas back and forth, Production Interns are stuck picking up the coffee. Determined to prove her worth as a writer, Bex drafts her own script and shares it with the head writer―who promptly reworks it and passes it off as his own! Bex is understandably furious, yet…maybe this is just how the industry works? But when they rewrite her proudly lesbian character as straight, that’s the last straw! It’s time for Bex and her crush to fight back.

I received an ARC of Going Off Script from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It was just released last week (May 21st).

I have never read a book by Jen Wilde before, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect with Going Off Script. I loved the way it sounded in the description and that cover is pretty amazing, so I was excited when I received a copy from the publisher. I had a lot of fun reading this book! I ended up really liking it a lot.

There were so many diverse characters in this story, which was really great! Some of the things talked about throughout the story are so relevant to today as well, which was another great point. I think so many people will find Going Off Script relatable. I really liked the characters and loved all the different friendships & relationships throughout the book. I think Bex struggled a little bit when she moved to LA, but she had so many good people in her life to help her though it and she was able to start living as her authentic self. It was also interesting getting a glimpse into Hollywood life and what happens behind the scenes of writing and producing TV shows.

Overall, I really liked Going off Script. I thought it was fun, cute, and super relatable. There are so many diverse characters and it deals with a lot of pretty important things. I am really looking forward to reading some other books by Jen Wilde, because I thought she did a terrific job with this one. I definitely recommend checking it out.

Sorry for the mini review! I did really enjoy this book though. 🙂 I will hopefully have my May book haul and May wrap up posts up in the next few days. I’m trying to finish one more book and an audiobook before my wrap up post goes up. Crossing fingers! I am also planning to do a picture update post too, because it’s been awhile since I’ve done one of those. I hope you guys had a great weekend!

In case you missed it;
Friday Finds #81.
Review|| We Contain Multitudes.
Book Tag||Book Addiction.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Friday Finds #81.

Posted on May 24, 2019 by ashley @ socially awkward bookworm

fridayfinds

These are books that I have added to my Goodreads TBR shelves. I don’t own them (YET), but they are books that I really want to read one day!

Hey!

I am going to jump right into my Friday Finds posts. I have six books that I recently added to my Goodreads shelf to share with you today. I’ve included the book descriptions below and linked them to Goodreads as well, in case you want to add them to your TBR. You can see more of my TBR shelves over on my Goodreads account over here and feel free to add me as a friend!

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Scars Like Wings by Erin Stewart

Goodreads Description: Before, I was a million things. Now I’m only one. The Burned Girl. Ava Lee has lost everything there is to lose: Her parents. Her best friend. Her home. Even her face. She doesn’t need a mirror to know what she looks like–she can see her reflection in the eyes of everyone around her. A year after the fire that destroyed her world, her aunt and uncle have decided she should go back to high school. Be “normal” again. Whatever that is. Ava knows better. There is no normal for someone like her. And forget making friends–no one wants to be seen with the Burned Girl, now or ever. But when Ava meets a fellow survivor named Piper, she begins to feel like maybe she doesn’t have to face the nightmare alone. Sarcastic and blunt, Piper isn’t afraid to push Ava out of her comfort zone. Piper introduces Ava to Asad, a boy who loves theater just as much as she does, and slowly, Ava tries to create a life again. Yet Piper is fighting her own battle, and soon Ava must decide if she’s going to fade back into her scars . . . or let the people by her side help her fly.

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The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

Goodreads Description: No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden. Girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, drive women mad with jealousy. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood. That’s why they’re banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive. Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life—a society that doesn’t pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her own grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that it’s not just the brutal elements they must fear. It’s not even the poachers in the woods, men who are waiting for their chance to grab one of the girls in order to make their fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other.

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Brave Face by Shaun David Hutchinson

Goodreads Description: Shaun David Hutchinson was nineteen. Confused. Struggling to find the vocabulary to understand and accept who he was and how he fit into a community in which he couldn’t see himself. The voice of depression told him that he would never be loved or wanted, while powerful and hurtful messages from society told him that being gay meant love and happiness weren’t for him. A million moments large and small over the years all came together to convince Shaun that he couldn’t keep going, that he had no future. And so he followed through on trying to make that a reality. Thankfully Shaun survived, and over time, came to embrace how grateful he is and how to find self-acceptance. In this courageous and deeply honest memoir, Shaun takes readers through the journey of what brought him to the edge, and what has helped him truly believe that it does get better.

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Technically, You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson

Goodreads Description: When a guy named Martin Nathaniel Munroe II texts you, it should be obvious who you’re talking to. Except there’s two of them (it’s a long story), and Haley thinks she’s talking to the one she doesn’t hate. A question about a class project rapidly evolves into an all-consuming conversation. Haley finds that Martin is actually willing to listen to her weird facts and unusual obsessions, and Martin feels like Haley is the first person to really see who he is. Haley and Martin might be too awkward to hang out in real life, but over text, they’re becoming addicted to each other. There’s just one problem: Haley doesn’t know who Martin is. And Martin doesn’t know that Haley doesn’t know. But they better figure it out fast before their meet-cute becomes an epic meet-disaster . . .

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I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn

Goodreads Description: Kimi Nakamura loves a good fashion statement. She’s obsessed with transforming everyday ephemera into Kimi Originals: bold outfits that make her and her friends feel brave, fabulous, and like the Ultimate versions of themselves. But her mother sees this as a distraction from working on her portfolio paintings for the prestigious fine art academy where she’s been accepted for college. So when a surprise letter comes in the mail from Kimi’s estranged grandparents, inviting her to Kyoto for spring break, she seizes the opportunity to get away from the disaster of her life. When she arrives in Japan, she loses herself in Kyoto’s outdoor markets, art installations, and cherry blossom festival–and meets Akira, a cute med student who moonlights as a costumed mochi mascot. What begins as a trip to escape her problems quickly becomes a way for Kimi to learn more about the mother she left behind, and to figure out where her own heart lies.

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The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco

Goodreads Description: Generations of twin goddesses have long ruled Aeon. But seventeen years ago, one sister’s betrayal defied an ancient prophecy and split their world in two. The planet ceased to spin, and a Great Abyss now divides two realms: one cloaked in perpetual night, the other scorched by an unrelenting sun. While one sister rules Aranth—a frozen city surrounded by a storm-wracked sea —her twin inhabits the sand-locked Golden City. Each goddess has raised a daughter, and each keeps her own secrets about her sister’s betrayal. But when shadowy forces begin to call their daughters, Odessa and Haidee, back to the site of the Breaking, the two young goddesses —along with a powerful healer from Aranth, and a mouthy desert scavenger —set out on separate journeys across treacherous wastelands, desperate to heal their broken world. No matter the sacrifice it demands.

All of these books sound so amazing and I am dying to get my hands on them. Have you added any new books to your TBR? Feel free to link me to your posts if you have one or leave a comment letting me know what new books you added to your TBR recently.

In case you missed it;
Review|| We Contain Multitudes.
Book Tag||Book Addiction.
Review|| Somewhere Only We Know.

I hope you have a great day and weekend!

ashleyblack

Review|| We Contain Multitudes.

Posted on May 20, 2019 by ashley @ socially awkward bookworm

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We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra
5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: Jonathan Hopkirk and Adam “Kurl” Kurlansky are partnered in English class, writing letters to one another in a weekly pen pal assignment. With each letter, the two begin to develop a friendship that eventually grows into love. But with homophobia, bullying, and devastating family secrets, Jonathan and Kurl struggle to overcome their conflicts and hold onto their relationship…and each other.

I received an ARC of We Contain Multitudes from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It was released last week (May 14th).

My love for We Contain Multitudes is never ending. I loved it right from the beginning. I could have finished this book in a single day, because it was so hard to put down. The reason I didn’t finish it the day I picked it up was because I never wanted it to end! I was constantly putting it down, so I could always have more to come back to. There were also so many intense moments in the story that I had to put it down because my heart was going to explode!

We Contain Multitudes is told completely in letters between Jonathan and Adam. I loved that so much and that was another one of the reasons why it was so hard to put down. A friendship really blossomed between the two of them when they started writing to each other, which eventually grew into more. They told each other secrets and they really grew together over the course of the year. They were both going through their own struggles within themselves, home and at school, but they helped each other through it all.

Have you ever wanted to feel seen? That’s how it was with them. They seen each other when not a lot of people really did and that was such a beautiful thing. All the letters between them were written so beautifully and at times felt like poetry. There were so many feels in this book that I could not handle it all. My heart was happy. My heart ached. I felt everything. I loved both Jonathan and Adam more than words can express. I was rooting for them the entire time, because they both struggled with so many different things in their life and I just wanted them each to be okay! I really got invested in the story and these characters.

Overall, We Contain Multitudes was an emotional roller coaster. It was everything I hoped it would be. It was sad, but it was also so beautiful. I am going to be thinking about this book for a really long time and honestly, I already want to reread it. I loved it so much and I am already calling it my favorite book of the year. I highly recommend checking this one out.

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In case you missed it;
Book Tag||Book Addiction.
WWW Wednesday #61.
Review|| Somewhere Only We Know.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Book Tag||Book Addiction.

Posted on May 17, 2019 by ashley @ socially awkward bookworm

Hey!

I seen the Addiction Book Tag over on Marie @ Drizzle & Hurricane Books blog and decided that I wanted to do it as well! Check out my answers below and make sure to go check out Marie’s blog. She’s one of my favorite bloggers and posts so many great discussion posts and has all the best book recommendations!

Questions:

1) What is the longest amount of time you can comfortably go without picking up a book?

+ I would probably say like a day or two. If I don’t pick up a book I start to feel a little guilty, especially since I have so many books that I haven’t read yet.

2) How many books do you carry on your person (or kindle) at any one time?

+ I don’t usually take physical books out when I go places (don’t want to risk the damage), but I usually always have my Kindle with me. I think I have about 50 books downloaded to my Kindle now and of course I have like 400+ in the cloud haha.

3) Do you keep every book you buy/receive or are you happy to pass them on to make space for more?

+ I don’t keep every book that I buy/receive. If I don’t like it, I usually give it away or donate it. If I decide to do an unhaul of books I don’t plan to reread or that I don’t plan to read at all, then I usually give them away or donate them. I don’t have a problem with passing them to someone else, so I can make space for more. I rather keep books that I love or know that I really want to read than to have a ton of books taking up space for new books that I really want/love.

4) How long would you spend in a bookshop on a standard visit?

+ I could spend all day there if the hubby let me, haha. I like to make sure I have looked at every single book on the shelves, so I don’t miss anything.

5) How much time per day do you actually spend reading?

+ Not a lot, actually. Maybe an hour or two a day. It’s also not usually straight through either, because sometimes I get distracted with picking up my phone. I could spend several hours listening to an audiobook while I’m working though. I also like to watch TV shows too, so I split my time between reading and watching TV.

6) Where does the task ‘picking up a book’ appear on your daily to-do list?

+ Usually right after work or dinner? I have no idea, haha. I just pick one up whenever, but it’s usually at the top of the list if I don’t have other things I need to do first.

7) How many books do you reckon you own in total (including e-books)?

+ In total I own almost 1000 books! Fun fact, but also not so fun for my bank account, I accumulated that many books in just 3.5 years! I think I owned maybe 50 books (mostly e-books) before I started blogging in 2015. A little over 500 are physical books and a little over 450 are e-books. You can check out all the books I own over here. I last updated the pages a month ago.

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8) Approximately how often do you bring up books in conversation?

+ I don’t usually bring up books that often in conversation, because the people in my real life don’t really read books. I might mention something once in awhile to the hubby, but that’s about it.

9) What is the biggest book (page count) you have finished reading?

+ Hmm….according to Goodreads the biggest book that I have read was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (870 pages according to Goodreads). I actually listened to that one on audiobook, so maybe it doesn’t count? Bigger books terrify me, so I usually listen to them on audiobook. The biggest book that I actually read myself (not audio) was City of Heavenly Fire (725 pages according to Goodreads).

10) Is there a book you had to get your hands on against all odds (i.e searching bookshops, online digging, etc.)?

+ I don’t think I’ve had this problem. The only thing I can think that fits this question is that if a book isn’t out in the US, then I order from online so I can have a copy. I’ve done that with a few books.

11) A book you struggled to finish but refused to DNF?

+ City of Heavenly Fire, haha. I really liked the Mortal Instruments from book 1-4, but after that they just started to go downhill for me. Even in book four is when it started to lose my interest. I feel like it should have ended after book three instead of dragging on. It took me around six months to finish that book. I felt like since I got halfway through it and forced my way through the series, then I had to see how it ended. I really didn’t like it all that much. I honestly would have LOVED the series so much if it stopped at book three. Now I just don’t really know how I feel about the series.

12) What are 3 of your main book goals for 2019?

+ Read 60 books by myself. Meaning don’t include audiobooks into that number.
+ Reading the Alphabet challenge, which I have done horribly at.
+ Read my unfinished series, which I have done pretty bad at.
You can check out more of my 2019 bookish goals over here.

13) Have you ever had the privilege of converting someone into a reader (maybe via inspiration or incessant nagging)?

+ I’m not really sure. I don’t think so. My older sister is the only one that really reads and I gave her my Kindle login info, so she has read a lot of the books I have on there. That’s about it. But even then, she doesn’t always read. She takes months/year breaks sometimes. She’ll read all the time and then just take really long breaks before reading again.

14) Describe what books mean to you in five words.

+ Books mean everything to me!

I tag anyone that wants to take part in this tag! Feel free to link me to your posts, so I can check them out. 😀 And just because…here are some random pictures my furbabies with my books.

I am off to Universal Studios tomorrow (Saturday) with the hubby, my childhood best friend, and her husband. I am really looking forward to hanging out with them again and to be going to Universal Studios. Universal Studios is having a water light show event, so we want to check that out and of course get some Butterbeer from Harry Potter World. 😛

In case you missed it;
WWW Wednesday #61.
Review|| Somewhere Only We Know.
Tag|| This or That.

I hope you have a great day and weekend!

ashleyblack

WWW Wednesday #61.

Posted on May 15, 2019 by ashley @ socially awkward bookworm

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WWW Wednesday is a weekly MEME hosted by Taking on a World of Words. Simply answer the following questions. 🙂

The three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

*All books linked to Goodreads below.

Hey!

I am really happy with my progress that I’ve been making this month. It’s steady, which is great. I could probably read more, but I like the pace I am going this month. I am reading the books that I need to read, writing my reviews, and actually enjoying them. I am also finding time to do other things like catch up with my LONG list of shows that I’ve recorded throughout the last few weeks. So that’s really awesome!

And speaking of shows, the hubby & I watched the entire season (only six episodes) of After Life on Netflix in one day and OMG that show is everything. We were both pretty much crying every single episode, haha. It was so damn good and I really hope there is another season. I love the shows that Ricky Gervais creates/stars in. I thought we were going into this really funny comedy show and I was so wrong. While it was still had so many laugh out loud moments, there were also so many that were sad and had us crying. I definitely recommend checking it out. Anyway, here are the books that I’ve been reading and hope to read next.

Currently Reading:

We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

I am currently reading my ARC of We Contain Multitudes and listening to the audiobook of Children and Blood and Bone. I am so in love with We Contain Multitudes so far. It’s told completely in letters between the two main characters, which I really love. I was sucked in from the minute I started the book. I could have had this finished the day I started it, but I don’t want it to end so I keep reading it really slow. I’ve owned Children of Blood and Bone since it released last year, but I seen that the library had the audiobook available so I decided to check it out. I hope I love it, because that cover for the sequel is amazing and I want to own it HAHA. 😛 So far it’s interesting though and I’m enjoying it. I’m a little over 100 pages into it.

Recently Finished:

Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkin Reid

I recently finished Somewhere Only We Know and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Somewhere Only We Know was such a fun and cute read. I really enjoyed that one. I’ll link my review at the end of this post if you want to check it out. I liked Evelyn Hugo, but I sadly didn’t love it. It was still good though and I’m glad I read it. I actually listened to the audiobook and the audiobook version was really great. The story itself just didn’t pull me in completely and I didn’t fall in love with it like I hoped I would and like I did with Daisy Jones & the Six.

Reading Next:

Going Off Script by Jen Wilde

Up next is another May ARC (Going Off Script), which I am really excited for. I also have about five audiobooks checked out at the library right now, so I will most likely start one of those once I finish the Children of Blood and Bone audiobook. I’m not sure which one I’ll listen to next, but my choices are Red Rising, Exit West, Since We Fell, The Last Mrs. Parish, and The Bear and the Nightingale. Have you read any of these? If so, which do you recommend?

What are you currently reading? Recently finished? Reading next? Have you read any of these books? Feel free to link me to your posts, so I can check them out!

In case you missed it;
Review|| Somewhere Only We Know.
Tag|| This or That.
WWW Wednesday #60.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Review|| Somewhere Only We Know.

Posted on May 13, 2019 by ashley @ socially awkward bookworm

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Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo
4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: 10 00 p.m.: Lucky is the biggest K-pop star on the scene, and she’s just performed her hit song “Heartbeat” in Hong Kong to thousands of adoring fans. She’s about to debut on The Tonight Show in America, hopefully a breakout performance for her career. But right now? She’s in her fancy hotel, trying to fall asleep but dying for a hamburger. 11 00 p.m.: Jack is sneaking into a fancy hotel, on assignment for his tabloid job that he keeps secret from his parents. On his way out of the hotel, he runs into a girl wearing slippers, a girl who is single-mindedly determined to find a hamburger. She looks kind of familiar. She’s very cute. He’s maybe curious. 12:00 a.m.: Nothing will ever be the same.

I received an ARC of Somewhere Only We Know from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It was just released last week (May 7th).

I had so much fun reading Somewhere Only We Know. I honestly have no knowledge of K-Pop, but it was interesting to learn a little bit about it as I was reading the story. I really liked the characters and the little adventures they went on were fun. I loved their personalities and they had such a great connection too, so it made reading all their banter and dialogue so much fun. SO MUCH FOOD!! Both Lucky and Jack are going through things in their personal lives, so it was nice seeing them let go for a little while and have fun. I also liked watching them grow and change throughout just 24 hours together and figure out what they really want out of life. I thought that was so relateable.

This book is written in two point of views (Lucky & Jack), which I actually really liked. I don’t always like that, but it worked for this story. I liked knowing what was going on in both of their heads throughout the story. It helped to better connect with them both. I thought Somewhere Only We Know was a cute and fun read. I enjoyed it so much! It was nice getting a glimpse into the K-Pop world. I liked Lucky and Jack’s adventures through Hong Kong and makes me really want to travel there one day. I’ve never read any books by Maurene Goo, but I now can’t wait to read more of her books! I would definitely recommend checking this one out.

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I think short reviews are my thing lately. I hope you had a great weekend! I am hoping to finish another May ARC this week, so I can get that review posted. I think I have three left after the one I am currently reading. I am crossing my fingers I can read and review them all this month, so in June I can focus more on my alphabet challenge and other books I own. I’ll catch up with your posts and comments in the next day or two. Mondays are usually really busy for me, so hopefully tomorrow. 🙂

In case you missed it;
Tag|| This or That.
WWW Wednesday #60.
Review|| Happy Messy Scary Love.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Tag|| This or That.

Posted on May 10, 2019 by ashley @ socially awkward bookworm

Hey!

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a tag on my blog. I am going to just jump right into it. Thank you Crystal @ Paper Royalty for tagging me to do the This or That Challenge. 🙂

INTROVERT OR EXTROVERT

I am definitely an introvert. People give me anxiety. Social situations give me anxiety. I much prefer a quiet place. It’s actually kind of annoying, because a lot of the things I want to do in life involve people or crowds of people….the struggle.

WIN THE LOTTERY OR WORK AT THE PERFECT JOB

This is a tough one, but I think I would probably rather win the lottery. I honestly just want to travel the world and take pictures, so if I won the lottery it would make that happen for me.

READING OR WRITING

100% reading. I am not a very good writer and I don’t really have any creative stories floating around in my head and wouldn’t even know where to begin. Books though…I want to read ALL THE BOOKS.

BREAKFAST OR NO BREAKFAST

I wasn’t really a breakfast person, but now that I started to work from home I eat breakfast. I usually eat yogurt and apples for breakfast.

MARVEL OR DC

Neither. I don’t like superhero stuff, to be honest. I think I’ve only ever watched like two superhero movies before and never read any comics. They just don’t interest me.

TV SHOWS OR MOVIES

I would have to go with TV shows. Movies are great and all, but I much rather watch a TV show. Sometimes it feels like there is too much invested time into watching a movie and with a TV show they are usually 30-minutes, so it doesn’t feel like forever. Even though I end up binge watching an entire season/series in one day. LOL. I just like the idea that I can stop after an episode, but you can’t really do that with a movie. Also, TV show episodes can be different than the previous ones; which is nice.

FRENCH FRIES OR SALAD

Ooooh this is a hard question, because I LOVE french fries. I would go with salad though, because you can change up a salad in so many different ways. I’ve also been eating a salad every single day for lunch for the last 2-3 months and I don’t hate it. 😛

DYED HAIR OR NATURAL COLOURS

I always pin ideas of different ways to dye my hair, but it makes me nervous haha. So right now it’s forever natural.

LEGGINGS OR JEANS

I am more of a leggings person, because I can never find jeans that fit me the way that I want them to. Like just recently I ordered skinny jeans online at Target but when I got them…they were NOT skinny jeans on me. That’s one of my huge problems. I have skinny legs and pant/jean legs NEVER fit me correctly. Blehhhh. So leggings all the way.

DISNEY CLASSIC OR PIXAR

I haven’t really watched a Disney or Pixar movie in such a long time. If I had to choose, I guess I would go with Disney Classic. I love Aladdin & Peter Pan so much.

I tag:

Marie @ Drizzle & Hurricane Books
Kelly @ Another Book in the Wall
Brandie @ Running on Words and Wine
Maren @ The Worn Bookmark

In case you missed it;
WWW Wednesday #60.
Review|| Happy Messy Scary Love.
Friday Finds #80.

I hope you have a great day and weekend!

ashleyblack

WWW Wednesday #60.

Posted on May 8, 2019 by ashley @ socially awkward bookworm

wwwwednesdayflower

WWW Wednesday is a weekly MEME hosted by Taking on a World of Words. Simply answer the following questions. 🙂

The three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

*All books linked to Goodreads below.

Hey!

I am making some pretty good progress with my reading so far this month, which is pretty exciting. I really hope it continues! I have quite a few ARCs that I need/want to read this month, so I am trying to read those right away. I am also trying so hard to stay away from the library this month, so that I can read the books that I already have and catch up on ARCs. Here are the books that I’ve been reading and hope to read next.

Currently Reading:

Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkin Reid

I am currently reading my ARC of Somewhere Only We Know and so far I am really enjoying it. It’s been a lot of fun so far. It was released yesterday (May 7th), so I am hoping I can finish it soon and get my review posted. I am also listening to the audiobook of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I really like the audiobook and the way the story is being told, but the story itself is not blowing me away. I’m finding myself a little bored a times. It’s not as good as Daisy Jones & the Six was, that’s for sure. I am hoping to finish the audiobook at some point today. Maybe this last little bit will be really great. I think I only have about three hours left on the audiobook.

Recently Finished:

Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson
Happy Messy Scary Love by Leah Konen

Shout was such a great book. I loved the poetry and I loved reading about Laure Halse’s life and the way that she told it. It’s a really emotional and deals with so many tough situations. Happy Messy Scary Love was such an amazing book. I loved it so much and flew through it in a day. It was so hard to put down. I had so much fun reading it. I’ll link my review at the end of this post if you want to check it out.

Reading Next:

We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra

Next up I plan to read We Contain Multitudes. I have been really looking forward to this one and I was so stoked when I received an ARC in the mail from the publisher. It releases next week, so I want to read this one ASAP and get my review up. I may or may not listen to an audiobook at some point as well, but haven’t found one yet.

What are you currently reading? Recently finished? Reading next? Have you read any of these books? Feel free to link me to your posts, so I can check them out!

In case you missed it;
Review|| Happy Messy Scary Love.
Friday Finds #80.
Wrap Up|| April.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Review|| Happy Messy Scary Love.

Posted on May 7, 2019 by ashley @ socially awkward bookworm

Happy Messy Scary Love by Leah Konen
5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: As everyone at her Brooklyn high school announces their summer adventures, Olivia harbors a dirty secret: Her plan is to binge-watch horror movies and chat with her online friend, Elm. Olivia and Elm have never shared personal details, apart from their ages and the fact that Elm’s aunt is a low-budget horror filmmaker. Then Elm pushes Olivia to share her identity and sends her a selfie of his own. Olivia is shocked by how cute he is! In a moment of panic, assuming she and Elm will never meet in real life, she sends a photo of her gorgeous friend Katie. But things are about to get even more complicated when Olivia’s parents send her to the Catskills, and she runs into the one person she never thought she would see.

I received an ARC of Happy Messy Scary Love from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It will be released May 14th.

I love books about social media or people hiding who they really are online; catfishing. It’s so relevant to today, because it is happening all the time. So I knew I would probably end up really liking Happy Messy Scary Love and I did! I ended up loving it. I breezed through it in a day, because it was so hard to put down. It was cute, it was fun, it was addicting!

I loved Olivia and her love for horror movies. Olivia was so relatable. She is under so many different pressures and then throw in the new feelings she has for her online friend Elm and everything gets so complicated. There are tons of horror movie references and name drops, which was awesome. I loved her friendship with Elm and all their fun banter and horror film talk. Lots of laugh out loud moments with them. There were a few emotional moments too. There’s a few things that Olivia is going through as well as her friends.

This is a short but sweet review, but Happy Messy Scary Love was a really great read and I loved it so much. I had a lot of fun reading it and I was sad for it to end. It’ll be releasing next week, so be on the look out for it. It is the perfect summer read.

happymessyscarylove

I’ll hopefully have some time today or tomorrow to catch up with all of your posts and to reply to comments. 🙂

In case you missed it;
Friday Finds #80.
Wrap Up|| April.
Book Haul|| April.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Friday Finds #80.

Posted on May 3, 2019 by ashley @ socially awkward bookworm

fridayfinds

These are books that I have added to my Goodreads TBR shelves. I don’t own them (YET), but they are books that I really want to read one day!

Hey!

I am going to just jump right into this post and share some of the books that I recently added to my Goodreads TBR shelf. I have included six books in today’s post, because I couldn’t narrow it down to five or less. I added a lot recently, lol. I’ve included the book descriptions below and linked them to Goodreads as well, in case you want to add them to your TBR list. You can see more of my TBR shelves over on my Goodreads account over here and feel free to add me as a friend!

Mary HK Choi new book cover reveal Credit: ohgigue Permanent Record by Mary H. K. Choi

My thoughts: I am DYING to get my hands on Permanent Record, because I loved Emergency Contact so much. I NEED THIS BOOK ASAP! It doesn’t release until September though. AHHH. The wait may kill me.

Goodreads Description: After a year of college, Pablo is working at his local twenty-four-hour deli, selling overpriced snacks to brownstone yuppies. He’s dodging calls from the student loan office and he has no idea what his next move is. Leanna Smart’s life so far has been nothing but success. Age eight: Disney Mouseketeer; Age fifteen: first #1 single on the US pop chart; Age seventeen, *tenth* #1 single; and now, at Age nineteen…life is a queasy blur of private planes, weird hotel rooms, and strangers asking for selfies on the street. When Leanna and Pab randomly meet at 4:00 a.m. in the middle of a snowstorm in Brooklyn, they both know they can’t be together forever. So, they keep things on the down-low and off Instagram for as long as they can. But it takes about three seconds before the world finds out…

cinder Cinder & the Prince of Midnight by Susan Ee

My thoughts: OMG!!!!! Susan Ee finally has a new book coming out. I am DEAD. I loved her series Penryn and the End of Days so much and I have been dying for something new from her. Luckily this one comes out next month (June), so I don’t have to wait too long.

Goodreads Description: An orphan girl. A dark and twisted kingdom. An ongoing shadow war resulting in enslaved fairies. This is the world of Cinder. A world where a girl like her can be sold to be human prey for a ritualistic hunt. But on this night, even the predators might have something to fear. On this night, even a royal prince might find himself trapped by the expectations of the Dark King…and a girl like no other.

therewillcomeadarkness There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool

Goodreads Description: The Age of Darkness approaches. Five lives stand in its way. Who will stop it… or unleash it? For generations, the Seven Prophets guided humanity. Using their visions of the future, they ended wars and united nations―until the day, one hundred years ago, when the Prophets disappeared. All they left behind was one final, secret prophecy, foretelling an Age of Darkness and the birth of a new Prophet who could be the world’s salvation . . . or the cause of its destruction. As chaos takes hold, five souls are set on a collision course: A prince exiled from his kingdom. A ruthless killer known as the Pale Hand. A once-faithful leader torn between his duty and his heart. A reckless gambler with the power to find anything or anyone. And a dying girl on the verge of giving up. One of them―or all of them―could break the world. Will they be savior or destroyer?

themeaningofbirds The Meaning of Birds by Jaye Robin Brown

Goodreads Description: Before, Jessica has always struggled with anger issues, but come sophomore year that all changes when Vivi crashes into her life. As their relationship blossoms, Vivi not only helps Jess deal with her pain, she also encourages her to embrace her talent as an artist. And for the first time, it feels like the future is filled with possibilities. After In the midst of senior year, Jess’s perfect world is erased when Vivi suddenly passes away. Reeling from the devastating loss, Jess pushes everyone away, and throws out her plans to go to art school. Because art is Vivi and Vivi is gone forever. Desperate for an escape, Jess gets consumed in her work-study program, letting all of her dreams die. Until she makes an unexpected new friend who shows her a new way to channel her anger, passion, and creativity. Although Jess may never draw again, if she can find a way to heal and room in her heart, she just might be able to forge a new path for herself without Vivi.

somethinglikegravity Something Like Gravity by Amber Smith

Goodreads Description: Chris and Maia aren’t off to a great start. A near-fatal car accident first brings them together, and their next encounters don’t fare much better. Chris’s good intentions backfire. Maia’s temper gets the best of her. But they’re neighbors, at least for the summer, and despite their best efforts, they just can’t seem to stay away from each other. The path forward isn’t easy. Chris has come out as transgender, but he’s still processing a frightening assault he survived the year before. Maia is grieving the loss of her older sister and trying to find her place in the world without her. Falling in love was the last thing on either of their minds. But would it be so bad if it happened anyway?

alien Alien: Echo by Mira Grant

Goodreads Description: Olivia and her twin sister Viola have been dragged around the universe for as long as they can remember. Their parents, both xenobiologists, are always in high demand for their research into obscure alien biology. Just settled on a new colony world, they discover an alien threat unlike anything they’ve ever seen. And suddenly the sisters’ world is ripped apart. On the run from terrifying aliens, Olivia’s knowledge of xenobiology and determination to protect her sister are her only weapons as the colony collapses into chaos. But then a shocking family secret bursts open—one that’s as horrifying to Olivia as the aliens surrounding them. The creatures infiltrate the rich wildlife on this virgin colony world—and quickly start adapting. Olivia’s going to have to adapt, too, if she’s going to survive…

All of these books sound so amazing and I am dying to get my hands on every single one of them. Have you added any new books to your TBR? Feel free to link me to your posts if you have one or leave a comment letting me know what new books you added to your TBR.

This has kind of been a rough week for me. I got some not so great news, so I’ve been really down and stressing about things. This year was on track for being the best year yet, but now it’s going to be the most challenging. I need to figure out life again…ugh. I’m glad it’s the weekend though, because I am going to a pirate show dinner thing for my cousin’s birthday and that should be really fun. It’s like a live action show about pirates while you eat. Sounds fun, anyway.

In case you missed it;
Wrap Up|| April.
Book Haul|| April.
Nature, Dinosaurs, & Other Things.

I hope you have a great day and weekend!

ashleyblack

Wrap Up|| April.

Posted on May 1, 2019 by ashley @ socially awkward bookworm

wrapup

Hey!

I had a pretty decent reading month, but it also didn’t go exactly as I had planned. I’ve had books on hold at the library that were getting checked out to me one after the other. It was starting to overwhelm me and eventually I just returned the majority of them or put them back on hold instead. Books I hoped to read this month, I didn’t get the chance to. I need to take a break from the library (unless it’s for audiobooks). I have so many books of my own I need to focus on as well as some upcoming ARC releases. I did have a lot of 5 star reads this month though, which is cool. I was also able to read two ARCs and get reviews up for them.

Anyway, onto the books that I read in April! You can find a full list of these books and the other books I read this year over here. All will be linked to Goodreads below and I will also link to individual blog posts for them if I did a review.

Physically Read Books:
These are the books that I read myself (not audiobooks) throughout the month of April.

Heartstopper Vol 1 by Alice Oseman – 5 out of 5 stars
I loved Heartstopper so much. It was such a cute read and I loved the characters. It’s a graphic novel and it had such great illustrations too. I am impatiently waiting for volume two. I think it comes out in July.

Summer of ’69 by Todd Strasser – 5 out of 5 stars – Review
Summer of ’69 was so amazing. I loved it. I am a sucker for that era of time. It had so many feels. There were good things and bad things, happy moments, and sad moments. It ended up being way more than I thought it would be. Hella hippie vibes too. Feel free to check out my review for more.

The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir – 5 out of 5 stars
I thought The Book of Essie was such a great book. I ended up flying through it and loving it so much. It was pretty intense at times and it was interesting to get a glimpse of what it may be like as a reality TV show star.

Girls with Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young – 5 out of 5 stars – Review
I really loved Girls with Sharper Sticks. I loved all the girl power and stating up for yourself. There was so many amazing friendships between the girls. The story was pretty crazy and suspenseful. There were a couple predictable twists, but also so many that weren’t. I also feel like it’s such an important book and has an important message. Feel free to check out my review for more.

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus – 4 out of 5 stars
I have been dying to read Two Can Keep a Secret, because I love McManus’s book One of Us Is Lying so much. I thought it was really good, but it wasn’t as amazing as McManus’s other book I read. Some things were predictable and I kind of had an idea of what was happening and how it was going to end. I related to the main character Ellery so much though with her love for True Crime and always trying to figure things out. I am a sucker for true crime and I am constantly thinking of things as Ellery does haha. Maybe that’s why I figured things out before it was revealed? It was still so fun to read and I really liked it a lot.

Audiobooks:
These are the books that I listened to the audio versions throughout the month of April.

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James – 3 out of 5 stars
The Broken Girls was really interesting and a good read. It didn’t blow me away, but I still liked it. I don’t really have a ton to say about it, but it’s worth the read.

There There by Tommy Orange – 2 out of 5 stars
I had high hopes going into There There, but honestly…it was mostly boring. There was also so many different characters to keep track of that I eventually lost track of them all and had no idea what was even going on half the time. The ending of the book was when a lot of things went down, but getting there was a drag.

The Vegetarian by Han Kang – 3 out of 5 stars
I decided to give The Vegetarian a chance, because the description of the book was so crazy! I still have no idea what to think or say about it. It was really dark and disturbing, but also so interesting too.

Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid – 5 out of 5 stars.
Daisy Jones & the Six was a reread for me. I loved the book so much when I read it myself last month that I had to give the audiobook a chance. The audiobook was so great, because it has a full cast and they did such an amazing job. I love all the rock ‘n’ roll vibes so much. I highly recommend checking this one out.

Currently Reading Books:
These are the books that I started to read in the month of April, but didn’t get a chance to finish them yet.

Dopesick by Beth Macy
Cherry by Nico Walker
Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson

I was hoping to finish both Dopesick and Cherry before the end of the month, but that just didn’t happen. Hopefully I will be able to get the chance to finish them this month. I’ve been reading Cherry for what feels like forever. I like what I have read so far, but I was in the mood to read other books. So I’ve been putting it down over and over again. I really want to finish it though, because like I said, I like it so far. It’s was one of those library books that got checked out to me when the timing wasn’t right. Dopesick is so interesting and I’m really into it. It’s about the opioid crisis, which is so sad, so bad, and so real. I’m looking forward to finishing it. I know I’ve said it before, but I’m really into books about this subject for some reason. I am also reading Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson. I hate that I’m in the middle of three books at one time, but realistically I’ve been been putting Dopesick and Cherry on hold for now. I’m spending my free time actually reading Shout.

I’ve realized that I am not doing very great with my Alphabet Challenge so far this year. Out of 26 books, I’ve only read three for the challenge! I need to get ahead on my ARCs, so that I can dedicate a lot more time to those books on my ABC challenge. Like I mentioned earlier in this post, I need to seriously stay away from the library….I’ve been so bad this year with reading everything except what I already own. Because of that none of the books that I read/listened to this month are from my ABC challenge TBR, which is sad! I need to read 3-4 books from that list a month to complete it by the end of the year, ahhh. I don’t know if that’s possible, to be honest. I guess we’ll see what happens though. I’m still crossing my fingers that I can make this happen or at least read more than half of the list if I can’t finish it all! I need to go on a library ban. 😛

What books did you read in April? Have you read any of the books that I read? Feel free to link me to you wrap up post, so I can check it out!

In case you missed it;
Book Haul|| April.
Nature, Dinosaurs, & Other Things.
It finally happened!!

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack