Needing A Break

I really hate to say this, because everyone is doing this lately. I really need to take a break from the book blog. I have very hard classes this semester, and it's just absorbing. I don't plan on stopping blogging, but I really need to stop worrying about it so much.

With that being said, I still will post my reviews for a few books that I have scheduled to post for. I'm not sure how long this break will be for, but my guess is until the end of February when my classes end. I will still have my reviews up for tours that I'm on, and for authors that I promised reviews to.

Thanks for sticking around, if you don't I totally understand that too!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Waiting on Wednesday {7}: Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where we all share what books we're eagerly waiting for!

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (January 15, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1442441852
• ISBN-13: 978-1442441859
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 

Synopsis:

"Three levels. Two loves. One choice. Debut novelist, Lenore Appelhans has written a thrilling otherworldly young adult novel about a place that exists between our world (Level 1) and what comes after life (Level 2).

'I pause to look around the hive - all the podlike chambers are lit up as the drones shoot up on memories ... I've wanted to get out of here before, but now the tight quarters start to choke me. There has to be more to death than this.'

Felicia Ward is dead. Trapped in a stark white afterlife limbo, she spends endless days replaying memories, of her family, friends, boyfriend ... and of the guy who broke her heart. The guy who has just broken into Level 2 to find her.

Felicia learns that a rebellion is brewing, and it seems she is the key. Suspended between heaven and earth, she must make a choice. Between two worlds, two lives and two loves." -from Goodreads.com

How Do You Store Books?

I've run into a major problem...I have no more room for books! AH!

I have started to stack books on top and on the bottom right. I eventually may have to stack books on top of books.

Do you have any creative ideas for storing your books without a book shelf?

I absolutely love these shelf ideas, but I have way too many books for this. Maybe I can do it for my son's books though!

Image from It's Overflowing.

Or are you like me, and just stack books on top of books? I even have about 3 Tupperware bins full of books that are in storage right now. It kills me to have them in storage. I just don't have the room! 

The Sunday Post {1} & Stacking the Shelves {4}

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer where we get to share news, book hauls, and recap the week on your blog. 

This week has been super hard. Bills and other money issues mostly causing this difficult time, but it will eventually get better. I start my classes again tomorrow! UGH I'm not ready! I have two super hard classes and then I'll be adding in a third sometime in March. Other than that though, I've been reading like crazy!

I am going to be trying my hardest to do two reviews a week. With my toddler, school, and keeping up on housework...well we'll see how this goes! I do promise one review a week though! My reading goal for the year is 100 books, so two a week is ideal. 

On The Blog This Week:

My 2013 Resolutions!

Review Policy Update

The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington (Review)

I also joined some reading challenges, you can find the list of what ones I'm participating in HERE. 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where we get to share our recent book hauls!

I didn't get very many books at all over this last week, but that's ok! I have so many to read right now it's kind of scary!

Won:

Matched by Ally Condie

Twelve Degas Dancers Boomarks

Thanks to Kayla at Bibliophilia, Please!

Free for Kindle:

  

Demon Kissed by H.M. Ward

The Light of the World by Tara Brown

Immortals After Dark Reading Challenge 2013

Immortals After Dark Reading Challenge 2013 is hosted by Darlene's Book Nook! 

I have most of these books and I've only half read A Hunger Like No Other (I DID NOT enjoy that book at all, hopefully the rest make up for it). This is a great way to push me through this series!

I am going to go for the Level 4 "Hungry for More" level of this challenge.

Normally I would copy and pasta the information from the challenge host's blog, but my editing thing on here is being evil. So please go check out her blog and the sign ups by clicking on the banner!

A Game of Thrones Reading Challenge 2013

The Game of Thrones Reading Challenge 2013 is hosted by The Lit Bitch! Click on the photo to be taken to the sign up page. 

I have yet to read these books, and I figured this would be a good push in that direction! Here is the information from her blog:

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: 01 Jan 2013 – 31 Dec 2013 (SIGN UP ANYTIME BETWEEN NOW AND THEN!!)
• Rules – Read all FIVE (5) books in the Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire Series) (books titles below).
• The reading challenge may crossover into other challenges.
• You can start anywhere in the series, if you have read 1 book or 4 already it doesn’t matter just read the series
• You can join anytime between now and the later part of next year.
• Reviews are great but not required.
• You DO NOT have to have a blog to join in -just email me at thelitbitch@me.com and I will be sure to include you in the challenge/subscriptions–  join the discussion and comments section to let us know when you’ve read a book and what you thought of it!
• Let your voice and opinions be heard! COMMENTS/DISCUSSION ARE APPRECIATED!

Books in Series Order:

1. A Game Of Thrones
2. A Clash of Kings
3. A Storm of Swords
4. A Feast For Crows
5. A Dance With Dragons

The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington

The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington

Book Synopsis: 

"Jade loves the house she's just moved into with her family. She doesn't even mind being the new girl at the high school: It's a fresh start, and there's that one guy with the dreamy blue eyes. . . . But then things begin happening. Strange, otherworldly things. Jade's little brother claims to see a glimmering girl in his room. Jade's jewelry gets moved around, as if by an invisible hand. Kids at school whisper behind her back like they know something she doesn't.

Soon, Jade must face an impossible fact: that her perfect house is haunted. Haunted by a ghost who's seeking not just vengeance, but the truth. The ghost of a girl who ruled Jade's school — until her untimely death last year. It's up to Jade to put the pieces together before her own life is at stake. As Jade investigates the mystery, she discovers that her new friends in town have more than a few deep, dark secrets. But is one of them a murderer?" -from Goodreads.com

What I Thought:

Jade just moved into her brand new house with her family. It's a nice big house  in a really nice neighborhood. Far from what Jade grew up with, but she wasn't one to complain about being somewhere with actual places to hang out. 

Shortly after they move in Jade's little brother says that he's seeing a glimmering ghost girl in his room. This has Jade spooked but she doesn't believe him at first. Then a whole bunch of weird things start happening around the house. Along with the whispers and rumors going around school about her new home, Jade now has to face the possibility that her house is in fact a murder house. 

Honestly I kind of wanted a bit more from this book. I was really quick to figure out who the killer was, I think I was maybe halfway through the book when I figured it out. There were a lot of accusations and other things that just made it easy to pinpoint. There's a reason I don't really read mystery books though, I always figure out the killer way before the ending. 

I also feel like parts of the book were very cliche ghost story. I don't mind things like temperature changes and what not, but when it's mentioned every other chapter it starts to grate on me. 

Besides those two major issues I had with the book, I also felt that it moved a bit slowly. It took me almost a week to get through this book, and it's not as long as other books I usually read. I felt like there wasn't a whole lot of action going on, just a lot of speculation and regular teenage things. I could have used a bit more in the haunting department personally, but I also read a lot of horror. 

I did enjoy Jade's personality for the most part. She is her own person and does not try to fit in with any particular crowd at school. She sticks up for what she believes in, and befriends people that otherwise don't have friends. Jade is really the perfect representation of what we try to instill in our own children. 

All in all I really did enjoy this book, but because of the details that I mentioned I can only say that I liked this book. I can't say that I thought it was amazing or even great. Just that I liked it. That's not to say that someone else may love it though! 

*ARC provided to me by Scholastic 

Rating:

I Liked It

Where To Buy It:

Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~ The Book Depository

Book Chick City's 100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2013!

I already set my goal this year for 100 books, so I figured why not join up with Book Chick City and complete the challenge! Click the banner above to be taken to the sign up page!

Here are the details directly from her blog:

CHALLENGE DETAILS

• Timeline: 01 Jan 2013 – 31 Dec 2013
• Rules: Read 100 books in 2013 (any genre)
• You don’t have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront you can change them, nothing is set in stone! The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.
• You can join at anytime. All books read in 2013 count towards the challenge regardless of when you sign up.
• At the beginning of Jan 2013, you will find a link to specific month to add your reviews.
• Audiobooks are accepted.
• Only fiction, no non-fiction.
• This challenge can crossover to other challenges.
• You DO NOT have to write reviews of the books you read, but if you decide to then a place will be available each month  for you to link up your reviews.
• You don’t have to have a blog to join in – for those without a blog but who use Goodreads, Amazon, LibraryThing etc, you can add the URL to where you track your books. If you don’t have a URL at all then choose a name you would like to use and then copy and paste the following link: http://wp.me/p2wdqf-6ZI

My 2013 Resolutions!

Alright, normally I wouldn't post my resolutions up here...but I just have to. If I put these out where everyone sees them, then maybe I'll have a better chance at sticking to them!

My Resolutions for 2013:

Health Goals:

Stop drinking soda! (So far, so good.)

Start eating better!

Exercise more!

Life Goals:

Finish my Associate's degree by fall!

Pass my RHIT certification test this fall!

Blog Goals:

Get some variety in here, more non review and non meme posts!

Post at least two reviews a week!

Reading Goals:

I have set myself at 100 books to read for 2013!

Try to read two books per week!

Read the books that I want to read, no more wasting my time on something I'm not into!

Review Policy Update

With 2013, there are a few changes when requesting a book review from me. I had far too many review requests last year, and I really want to get through a lot of books I haven't been able to read yet. Like Divergent and Delirium.


Straight from my Review Policy page;

I will no longer be accepting e-books (unless I personally contact you or they are from Netgalley).

Starting this year I am no longer taking requests from self published/indie authors, unless I have worked with you in the past! I apologize for this, but I got so many requests last year from indie authors I had to turn a lot down. It also made little time for me to read books that were in my TBR pile.