July 8th Recommending Reads

For today's edition of recommending reads, I'm going with my favorite duologies. Duologies are those rare group of books where the story is told in two parts rather than the traditional three. I think a lot of authors, and even publishers, push for the standard three parts because that is the norm. But I really believe that the story and characters should determine how long the books last for. Whether that is 1 book, 2 books, 3 books, 4 books, etc. Every story is unique and deserves to be treated that way rather than trying to fit it into the standard way of doing things.

This are in no particular order. Plus for a few of these I have not even read the second/last book but I loved the first enough to know it would make the list. This was a lot harder to do than I was expecting because it is so rare for duologies. There are a few really hyped ones where the second one is coming out next year such as The Crown's Game/The Crown's Heir by Evelyn Skye, Passenger/Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken, and The Star-Touched Queen/Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi. But I have not read even the first book in those yet.

1. Winger and Stand-off by Andrew Smith
2. If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman 
3. Sekret and Skandal by Lindsay Smith (still need to read Skandal)
4. Control and Catalyst by Lydia Kang (still need to read Catalyst)
5. Not A Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust by Mindy McGinnis (still need to read In a Handful of Dust)
6. An Ember in the Ashes and A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir (This makes the list because the first was so amazing I trust the second one will be too when it finally comes out)
7. The Wrath the Dawn and The Rose and the Dagger by Renée Ahdieh (again still need to read The Rose and the Dagger)

So as you can see because of my problem with finishing series, I have many of unfinished duologies left on my shelves. But I'm slowly working my way down my shelves reading all the unread books and trying to catch up and finish series. 

What are some of your favorite duologies?

Managing my TBR

I know, I know. I said I was back but took another break. I was supposed to have LASIK two weeks ago, but they ended up doing a different procedure that has a longer healing time, so I wasn't able to read or use the computer. And now I can see with no glasses for the first time since I was 6 which is amazing! Now, I'm much better and hope I can truly get into my routine again. 

Which brings me to today's discussion post. My TBR. As book enthusiasts, we all buy a crazy amount of books. I consider myself a collector as well, so I'm also buying to add to my collection. That being said, I struggle with keeping up with the ever growing TBR, last year I wanted to eliminate my TBR, but instead my TBR when from the 50s slowly up to the 100s, and now it sits at just over 200. And I know that is insane, but there are just so many books that look interesting that I buy and never actually get around to reading them because other books come.

With over 200 books to chose from when it is time to pick the next book to read, I've started to have no interest in reading simply because I cannot pick a book. It is a daunting task when you have so many options. I've have tried a TBR jar, but with so many books now it is not feasible to have a jar with that many choices. I used to have my friend choose, but she mostly choose my most recent purchase or a book she was reading so it was not working out.

So I've come up with a new method for choosing books that I'm going to try. I really enjoy doing #RYBSAT and the ease of choosing it allows. That being said, I'm going to start at the top of one of my large bookshelves and work my way to the bottom, then on to the next shelf, reading every unread book there is. I may or may not skip over the next book in the series if I have more than one unread, it will probably depend on how anxious I am to read the next book. I'm really hoping this method can help motivate me to read and keep my TBR more manageable.

Here is the first shelf I will be working on. It actually has more read books then unread which hopefully will help the process. So once I finish A Gathering of Shadows it looks like Cruel Crown shall be my first read. 

How do you guys manage your TBR? Does anyone else have the same problem with too many options being overwhelming?

May 23 Recommended Reads

So I'm back after a long hiatus, but I'm really excited to get back into blogging and writing full reviews and reading what other people have to say about what they are reading. My first year of Grad School is over and I now have the summer to read and devote time to this blog and the community more than I did during the school year. Coming back there are probably going to be more discussion type posts and lists until I get back into the swing of writing reviews and posting them here.

That being said, I'm going to start a new series of posts today. Basically every once and awhile, I want to post a list of my top 7 books in a certain genre, of a certain length, or even that I read at a certain time. Plus I'm also open to suggestions of what you would like me to recommend. For this first post, I'm going to recommend seven of my favorite series (and series not trilogies, that could be a different post).

1. The Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling
2. The Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas
3. The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini  
4. The Falling Kingdoms Series by Morgan Rhodes
5. The Chronicles of Nick Series by Sherrilyn Kenyon
6. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
7. A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

This was harder to do than I was expecting, but at the same time it really made me think about what it is about each of these series that has really stuck with me (even the ones that are not complete yet). There is just something special about a series that lets you completely immerse yourself in the world and the characters. And there is something to be said about the wait, whether it is a patient one or not, for the next installment to see where your "friends" are headed to next.

What are some of your favorite series?

My Unfinished Series...

I feel like with my growing problem of starting series and never finishing them, I need to hold myself accountable for finishing series before I start yet another one. I did it with The Infernal Devices waiting almost 2 years before reading Clockwork Princess. I also waited a year to read City of Heavenly Fire. Don't even get me started on Divergent and how long it took me to read the last two books in that series. That being said I'm convinced part of the reason I do not finish series anymore is because of the disappointment with by Mockingjay and Breaking Dawn. I was excited for both of them and they were both huge let downs compared to other books in their respective series. I think that disappointment keeps me from finishing books because if I do not finish the series I will never be disappointed. So today's post is going to be a list of all the series I'm currently in the middle of and I'll also note if I own the next book in the series or not. Basically if I have started it and am not caught up with all current releases or last installments it will be listed.

1. The Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout (I have the entire series but still need to read Origin and Opposition)
2. The Dark Elements Trilogy by Jennifer L. Armentrout (I still need to read the last two)
3. The Syrena Legacy by Anna Banks (I still need to read Of Neptune)
4. The Magisterium Series by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare (The Copper Gauntlet just came out but I still need to read so it is on this list)
5. The Modern Faerie Tales Trilogy by Holly Black (I own the entire trilogy but still need to read Valiant and Ironside)
6. The Darkest Minds Trilogy by Alexandra Bracken (I have only read first book)
7. The House of Night Series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast (I own 1-4 and have only read the first two)
8. The Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie (I need to read Reached the final book in the trilogy)
9. Something Strange and Deadly Trilogy by Susan Dennard (I have only read the first book)
10. The Chemical Garden Trilogy by Lauren Destefano (I have only read the first book)
11. Penryn and the End of Days Trilogy by Susan Ee (I have not read End of Days but it is still a more recent release so not terrible)
12. Broken Hearts and Revenge Trilogy by Katie Finn
13. The Hush, Hush Series by Becca Fitzpatrick (I own Finale but have yet to pick it up)
14. The Scarlet Trilogy by A.C. Gaughen (I need to buy and read Lion Heart)
15. The Precious Stone Trilogy by Kerstin Gier (I have only read Ruby Red)
16. The Luxe Series by Anna Godbersen (I have read the first two books)
17. The Sweet Trilogy by Wendy Higgins (I have not read the new companion book, granted it only just came out but for completeness it is listed)
18. The Watersong Quartet by Amanda Hocking (I have read the first two and own Tidal, #3)
19. The Tiger Saga by Colleen Houck (I have only read the first book)
20. The Silo Series by Hugh Howey (I have only read the first book)
21. The Queen of the Tearling Trilogy by Erika Johansen (I own the 2nd just have not picked it up yet)
22. The Shades of London Series by Maureen Johnson (I own all three books but I have only read the first one)
23. The Brokenhearted Series by Amelia Kahaney (I have only read the first book)
24. The Control Duology by Lydia Kang (I have only read the first book)
25. The Chronicles of Nick Series by Sherrilyn Kenyon (I just need to read the most recent book Instinct, #6)
26. His Fair Assassin Trilogy by Robin LaFevers (I have only read the first book)
27. The Alienated Series by Melissa Landers (I have only read Alienated but I have an ARC of Invaded)
28. The Lorien Legacy Series by Pittacus Lore (I have only read the first book but honestly do not know if I want to continue or not)
29. The Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu (I need to read Champion to finish the trilogy)
30. The Jasper Dent Trilogy by Barry Lyga (I have only read the first book)
31. The Fate Trilogy by Heather Lyons (I have only read the first book and do not know if I want to continue, I never heart anything about the series)
32. The Shatter Me Trilogy by Tahereh Mafi (I have only read first book and I enjoyed it so I have no idea why I have not finished the trilogy already)
33. The Nil Trilogy by Lynne Matson (I have only read the first book)
34. The Not a Drop to Drink Duology by Mindy McGinnis (This is yet another where I have only read the first book)
35. The Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead (I have only read the first book, but still unsure if I want to continue)
36. Let The Sky Fall Trilogy by Shannon Messenger (I have only read the first book)
37. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer (I have only read the first book but hope to change that by the time Winter comes out)
38. Dorothy Must Die Trilogy by Danielle Paige (I have only read the first book)
39. Anna and the French Kiss Trilogy by Stephanie Perkins (I just need to read Isla's story)
40. The Black City Trilogy by Elizabeth Richards (I have only read the first book)
41. The Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children Trilogy by Ransom Riggs (I have not read the last book sine it just came out)
42. Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan (I read the first 3 way back when they first came out but never finished the series)
43. Under the Never Sky Trilogy by Veronica Rossi (I have only read the first book)
44. The Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth (I have not read Four, so I'm adding this one for completeness)
45. The Winner's Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski (I have only read the first book(
46. Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson (I own the whole trilogy but have only read the first book)
47. The Archived Duology by Victoria Schwab (I still need to read The Unbound)
48. The Zom-B Series by Darren Shan (I have only read the first book)
49. The Bone Season Series by Samantha Shannon (I have only read the first book)
50. The White Rabbit Chronicles by Gena Showalter (I have read the first two books)
51. The Article 5 Trilogy by Kristen Simmons (I have only read the first book)
52. Stand-Off by Andrew Smith (Andrew Smith is one of my favorite authors so this will not be on the list much longer I hope)
53. Sekret Duology by Lindsay Smith (I need to read Skandal to finish out the duology)
54. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater (I have only read the first book)
55. The Deanna Madden Series by A.R. Torre (I have only read the first book)
56. The 5th Wave Trilogy by Rick Yancey (I have only read the first book and did not hear great things about The Infinite Sea, so I'm hesitant)

56 unfinished series is insane, but it could be even worse. Next week I'm going to post another list post that has all the series I own but have not even started yet. Doing the series I want to start would probably be too long but what I do own will be more beneficial toward motivating me to lower my ever-growing TBR.

Here is a picture of most (40 of the 56) of first books of series on this list. Taking all these off my shelves really put into perspective how many I have yet to finish. The other 16 are series that I have started from either borrowing books from friends or from the library.

Should any of these series be moved up my TBR so I either finish them or get caught up sooner? Let me know in the comments.

Stickers on Books: Are they really necessary?

Today's post is going to be a rant of sorts. After spending the last 20 minutes of my day trying to remove a sticker from the back of the book, I felt compelled to question why stickers are placed on books.

I mean look at this. I should not have this problem any time I buy a used book (or even some new books).

It seems to only be the book industry that has this issue. Movies and CDs are covered in plastics which allow for easier sticky removal. But books do not have this ease. Books whether they are hardcover or paperback are covered with paper. Even when the dusk jacket is glossy it still attracts all things sticky.



Why is this something that happens to countless books? Why has it become commonplace to cover a book with stickers? Whether it is a price sticker or a sticker to denote that it is use or even a discount sticker. Countless stores place what I deem unnecessary stickers on precious books.

Now I'm one of those people who obsesses with how my books look. I hate that I have series that do not match. Whether that is because of a cover change or because I have half the series in paperback and the rest in hardcover. I like my books to look nice and super awesome on my shelves. I'm sure many other bloggers and book lovers have these same thoughts. And I hate the number of books I have that have stickers on them because I'm too scared to attempt to take them off or books where I have tried to remove the sticker only to be left with stickiness.

So again I'm left questioning this choice to cover my beloved books with stickers. I do not know how many times I have been at a used bookstore where I have picked up a book in near perfect condition, only to turn it over and see multiple stickers cluttering the back. This has caused me to put back many books for fear that I would never be able to get the stickers off. And we all know that once you try, if it does not come off you are in trouble and left with a sticky, gooey mess.

Now this also raises the question of there being a better method to putting "stickers" on books. There has to be a way make stickers that are literally less sticky. Ones that will easily peel off of books. There are so many other crazy things people have invented but yet we do not have a method for putting stickers on books that makes them able to come out with out ruining the book and leaving sticky residue.

I just think there has to be a better way for bookstores and online retailers to denote price or used status of books.

Let me know what your thoughts are on this.