amarisafloria

If I'm being completely honest, there haven't been many debuts I'm interested in. It's most likely due to the fact that I have hundreds of backlisted books to catch up on, so I've been treading carefully. The following are my top six, but I am not closing myself off to new ones if they present themselves. If y'all love a book, I will always consider it :)


THESE VICIOUS MASKS BY TARUN SHANKER AND KELLY ZEKAS // February 9, 2016
"But then she discovers that Sebastian's strange tales of special powers are actually true, and that Rose's kidnappers have worse in mind for her than simply ruining her reputation."

THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE BY HEIDI HEILIG // February 16, 2016
"As long as he has a map, Nix's father can sail his ship, The Temptation, to any place, any time."

INTO THE DIM BY JANET B. TAYLOR // March 1, 2016
"Trapped in the twelfth century in the age of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Hope has seventy-two hours to rescue her mother and get back to their own time."


A STUDY IN CHARLOTTE BY BRITTANY CAVALLARO // March 1, 2016
"Jamie Watson has always been intrigued by Charlotte Holmes; after all, their great-great-great-grandfathers are one of the most infamous pairs in history."

COUNTING THYME BY MELANIE CONKLIN // April 12, 2016
"Thyme loves her brother, and knows the trial could save his life — she'd give anything for him to be well — but she still wants to go home, although the guilt of not wanting to stay is agonizing."

SUFFER LOVE BY ASHLEY HERRING BLAKE // May 3, 2016
"When Sam finds out she is that St. Clair, daughter of the man who destroyed Sam's family, he has a choice: follow his heart or tell the truth about the scandal that links their families."

Thank you for visiting my little corner of the internet. I'm so grateful for all the friends I've made because of this community. I hope your day is full of love. See you in December!

For me, October always signifies the beginning of the end of the year. And I mean this in a completely positive way. I love the way autumn leads into winter, with the changing of leaves, longer nights, and chilly weather. These last three months (Oct/Nov/Dec) are my favorite, mainly because society has jam-packed them with celebrations. There's always something to look forward to, which makes me happy!

Because October is the month of all things spooky, I stuck with the theme and chose four "scary" books I'd like to tackle soon:

A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis // I'll be honest, my excitement for reading this is 70% because of the cover. Specifically, the hand on the girl's foot. SO CREEPY. The designer's eye for detail makes my heart sing.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs // Yes, I am a bit embarrassed that I haven't read this one yet. Knowing that Tim Burton is directing (or has directed?) the movie has made me all the more eager to read this now.

In the After by Demetria Lunetta // I lost interest after I bought this off of the Book Outlet website a while ago, but I had to look through it for research during my summer internship and now I need to know what happens. It gives me The Walking Dead zombie vibes (though I don't watch the show) so it may be the perfect pick for you if you need a fix between each episode.

Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix // Quirk Books sent this to me last year, which I am so grateful for, and I have not read it yet. Not sure what is going on with my brain, but this is the perfect opportunity to get on with it, no? I love that it's formatted to look like an Ikea catalog, and there's even a Home Delivery Order Form. Dedicated to the game, y'all.

If you are looking for something haunting to read, I would highly recommend Through the Woods by Emily Carroll. The stories are a bit terrifying and the illustrations are really nice — well worth a look through.

Way before this blog became a book blog, I started two things called "The Weekly" and "Noted." Both features involved myself sharing some of the things that I've been thinking about/doing in list form, and now I'm bringing it back and combining them together! I thought it'd be nice to just sit down and share what I've been up to each week. Time to get a little personal ...


1. Ever since I finished Shadow and Bone, I haven't been in the mood to read anything except comic books. I guess it's because I'm a fresh comic nerd and I just want to read EVERYTHING. I've been on the same book (The Book Thief) since the end of August, but I think I'm going to save it for another time ... I feel like I'm forcing myself to finish it since I've been meaning to get to it for a while now, and I might end up hating it because of that.

2. I started running/working out again, and I have to say — on the days I exercise, I feel a lot better about myself. A lot of the minor health issues I have are related to the fact that I don't take care of my body, so I've been trying to make an effort to eat a little better and move around more often ... like take frequent walks to the library ;)


3. Marvel reading update: I'm working my way through She-Hulk (2004) and it's alright so far. I've only read the first two issues, but I think it's pretty cool how she works as both an Avenger and a lawyer. I'm hoping to get some sort of explanation as to how Jen Walters became She-Hulk and why she is the way she is, but *thumbs up* as of now. Other comic series I'm planning to read this coming week: Captain Marvel (2012) and Hawkeye (2012).


4. After baking macarons with Esther, a good friend and fellow book nerd, I decided to try it out by myself. (Well, I mainly watched her make it that time ... since I was afraid to mess up the recipe!) I'm not a baker - I've only made cheesecake in the past - but it was a lot easier than I expected. There are still a couple of things I need to work on, but I'm really excited to work on different fillings. Raspberry buttercream is up next! :)

5. Question of the week: What are some TV shows you'd watch/re-watch, but with your children? The first show that popped into my mind was Rugrats (my favorite as a child), but I also really want to re-watch Hey Arnold! I watched episodes as they aired when I was younger, but I can't remember if there were bits and pieces in each episode that tie together ... OH! I would 100% also watch Boy Meets World. I HAVE SO MUCH LOVE FOR BOY MEETS WORLD.

I hope these weekly things will be fun to read ... my life really isn't that interesting but I hope it sparks some kind of conversation!

While putting this together, I realized that I haven't started a ton of completed series. There are MANY (so many) that I'd love to read, but I'll leave that for next time :)


THE GRISHA TRILOGY
Y'all, I have NO IDEA why it took me this long to get reading. I bought Shadow and Bone from Book Outlet back in February 2014 and just never started it because fantasy is INTIMIDATING! But I just finished it about two weeks ago and WOW I LOVED IT. Leigh Bardugo is coming to my city at the beginning of October so I'll be finishing the last two by then!

THE DELIRIUM TRILOGY
I read Delirium before my TBR pile got crazy so Pandemonium and Requiem got left in the dust long time ago. Sorry, Lauren Oliver! I've heard it goes downhill but I'm still hoping to finish it someday.

THE TWILIGHT SAGA
Oh, Twilight. I was moving my books around yesterday and found a bookmark in New Moon, which I started in HIGH SCHOOL and never finished. Do you think it's worth a read? I don't remember if I liked Twilight or not, so it's a maybe for finishing up the series.

THE SUPERLATIVES COMPANION TRILOGY
These are just okay but I think I'll finish it because I just have one more to go. I'm not in a rush to finish it though, so it might be a while ...

THE BOOMERANG COMPANION TRILOGY
Boomerang was so much fun to read but I haven't been interested in Rebound or Bounce because they don't follow the same main characters. If you've read either, did you like them?

THE GIVER QUARTET
I really wanted to continue on after I read The Giver but I heard it's more of a companion series ... I was hoping for something that would follow and build on the ending of the first book :(

THE MAZE RUNNER TRILOGY
Not really interested in finishing this one since it took me a while to get into the first book ... and even then, I was never fully immersed. But I'm really looking forward to the second movie coming out this fall!

THE SISTERHOOD SERIES
I didn't know they changed up the covers! I have the first four in the original neon covers, and I'm pretty sure I read the first three books. But now I don't remember anything that happens, so I'll have to start over if I want to finish this series. That's the main reason why I haven't finished a lot of the series on this list—I've just forgotten what goes on and don't care as much as I used to.

THE SUMMER TRILOGY
I started The Summer I Turned Pretty way before I started blogging and just never finished the trilogy because I didn't have a copy of the second or last book. I do now, so I'll be catching up any day now ...

THE HARRY POTTER SERIES
Okay, this one is cheating a bit. I've read all seven books, but I started a re-read last year and stopped after Goblet of Fire. Kinda funny because the first time I read this series, I stopped at the same place and it took me ages to get on with it. Not sure why!

I will definitely finish the Grisha trilogy by the end of this month, but which other series do you think I should continue?

Everyone who has read The Start of Me and You will tell you that Emery Lord can craft an amazing group of friends. This story is mainly about Paige and how she comes to terms with losing her boyfriend, but we also get to see how important friendship is. I feel like this isn't highlighted much in YA—characters seem to deal with a lot of things by themselves—so THANK YOU TO EMERY LORD for emphasizing this! Paige and her best friends (Tessa, Morgan, and Kayleigh) are loving and supportive, even in times of disagreement. It's a rare thing, to have a group of gals you can honestly trust and share the ugly bits of your life with.


Every single character Paige interacts with is important in this story. Her parents, her sister, even her grandma. I have a big soft spot for old people, so the "Paige visits her grandma" parts were so precious to me. And guys, MAX WATSON. Nerdy Max Watson. I don't think anyone understands how much I enjoy a good nerdy guy. He's quirky, sweet, A GENTLEMAN—something that Paige takes a while to notice. But I love that it's not entirely about the romance. Along with friendship, it's about family and dealing with pain.

Is it predictable? Yes, but here's the thing, taken straight from page 124: "In books, sometimes the foreshadowing is so obvious that you know what’s going to happen. But knowing what happens isn’t the same as knowing how it happens. Getting there is the best part."

I've read a ton of YA contemporary romance but this is one of my favorites. Please buy yourself a copy (or borrow it from the library!) because YOU NEED THIS. If you are looking for a contemporary with a cute romance, something fun but also meaningful and realistic, or a good representation of friends who stick together through tough times, this book is for you :)

Hello again, my bookish friends! Yes, I am still here and alive. I will save the "sorry for not blogging" speech and just jump right into talking about the many things that happened in July and August. I am officially back from my big adventure in New York, so I thought I'd share a little update :)


1. Finding Neverland
A trip to New York is not a trip without watching a musical! As a big fan of fairytales, I knew the one I had to watch was Finding Neverland. It is "the story of how Peter became Pan," and it was magical. The story started a bit slow (mostly to introduce important characters) but it really was a lovely production. The themes from Peter Pan (the book by J.M. Barrie) were woven into the musical so well and I would highly recommend watching it if you get the chance to.

2. 1989 + Piece by Piece
I don't go to concerts regularly, so I was really lucky to be able to attend two (Taylor Swift's and Kelly Clarkson's) in August. Taylor's was, of course, INCREDIBLE. My two girlfriends and I were pretty far away from the stage so it wasn't exactly a party in our area, but I loved it all the same. It was my second time seeing Taylor in concert (my first one was back in 2011!) and while she has always been a great entertainer, it blows my mind to see how far she's come. Kelly Clarkson was also amazing — that woman can SANG. Her acoustic version of Piece by Piece was beautiful (it tells such a strong story) and when she threw it back to Breakaway/Behind These Hazel Eyes/Since You've Been Gone, everyone went nuts. But the cherry on top? Hearing Pentatonix. The first show my boyfriend and I watched together was The Sing-Off, and we both rooted for them to win so they have a very special place in my heart. They are UNBELIEVABLE singers/vocal artists!

3. Making pizza!
My boyfriend and I don't get a lot of opportunities to see each other (we don't live in the same city anymore) but he came over last week and we made pizzas for my family! It took us a lot longer than expected (two hours for three pizzas) but it was fun and really easy.



I've removed the graphic novels and comic books from the stats above so I can compare the count with written novels/novellas. It makes me feel a bit worse because now I can clearly see I've only read 31 books this year (really???) ... but maybe it'll also motivate me to read more!





Being surrounded by people who love to talk about books as much as I do has inspired me to start making videos again! I also think it's a good opportunity for me to work on expressing my thoughts — I'm crap at describing how I feel so this forces me to review the way I speak (as well as remove overused phrases like "um" and "and so" ...)

As you can probably tell from the video, I became obsessed with comics over the summer. One of my goals is to finish the Marvel NOW! series by the end of 2016. Quite the challenge, but I thought it'd be something fun to work toward :)


Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (S1/S2)
Obsessed would probably be an understatement if I used it to describe my feelings for this show. Although the plot seemed to be all over the place sometimes, I WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP WATCHING. It jumpstarted my love for all things Marvel (prepare to see me talk about Marvel everywhere), which lead the way to comics. Lots of it. AoS has quickly become one of my favorite television shows — if you haven't started it yet, please do so now!


Three favorites:

• Tori Kelly has always been a favorite of mine so seeing her releasing an album is already pretty cool. But then she goes and collaborates with ED SHEERAN. Yep. I Was Made for Loving You is a beautiful song.
• Neverland is a song from Finding Neverland (the musical I talked about earlier) and the way Zendaya sings it is perfect perfect perfect. I found a video of Jennifer Hudson singing it and while she has an AMAZING voice, Zendaya just has that wipsy sound that is perfect in conveying the tone of the musical.
• And of course I had to add Can't Sleep Love, which will be on Pentatonix's new album! Not sure when it's coming out ... but "#soon" as they say :p

Books I'm looking forward to this month:

• Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling — SUPER excited for this one! I love Mindy Kaling so so much.
• Dumplin' by Julie Murphy — I read this back in June and loved it. I can't wait until more people start talking about it.
• The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman — Just LOOK at that cover! Spoiler alert: IT'S SEE THROUGH. Like tracing paper material! The pages are beeeautiful.
• Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson — I'm currently reading it and am stuck on p. 150 because not much has happened yet. I AM STILL HOPING IT WILL BE GOOD because I have been eagerly anticipating its release.

Gosh, where do I even begin with June? If you've been reading my blog for the past month, you may remember that I moved to New York for the summer to intern at HarperCollins. It has been a dream come true (seriously) and not a single day has been dreadful. I am INCREDIBLY thankful for this amazing opportunity, and I can't wait to share what I've been doing — hopefully in the near future :)



1. New York (basically the entire month of June was a highlight)
My parents had plans to visit my grandma in New York, so it was perfect timing for me to fly east with them. (I sound like a bird HAHA.) Being able to explore bits of the unfamiliar city with them made the transition a pinch easier, and they got to hear all about my first day in person. After they left, I had no problem finding things to do by myself — I am naturally okay with that, but I do wish I could walk around and discover new things with friends back home sometimes.

2. Meeting Mary E. Pearson, Marie Rutkoski, and Emery Lord at Books of Wonder
There are so many more YA bookish events on this side of the country! I was lucky enough to attend two during the first week of June — one to celebrate the paperback release for The Kiss of Deception, and the other as part of the Boldly Bookish Tour! I didn’t get to stay long for either because my parents were still in town, but I loved being able to see and hear all of the authors talking about their books.



Loved: Dumplin' by Julie Murphy
Liked: Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan
Was okay with: Caged in Winter by Brighton Walsh
Found strange: Love is Red by Sophie Jaff

Number of books and pages read in June: 4 // 1336 pages
Number of books and pages read in 2015: 28 // 8108 pages



Inside Out
To be completely honest, I didn't love Inside Out. (Please don’t whip out your notepad and start a list of reasons you hate me.) I am *HUGE* fan of Disney (movies, music, you name it - I love it) so I did have expectations going in — and they're usually exceeded, but with this one ... I just couldn't get into it. I found myself constantly waiting for something exciting to happen, and then it was all over. I was also very annoyed by Riley, the young girl who houses the emotions. It was a good movie, don't get me wrong, but not one I'd choose to re-watch.

Gilmore Girls (S3 + S4)
When I first started watching this show late last year, I was obsessed. And then I stopped when Jess left because, well ... Jess left. LOL. BUT I AM BACK ON THE GILMORE GIRLS TRAIN, Y'ALL, AND I'M LOVING IT. No episode escapes me without laughter, ESPECIALLY when it involves Kirk. I highly recommend this show to everyone!

• 16 Titles To Add to Your Summer Reading List - Although I was planning for the look to be a little different, I was so happy that all these wonderful ladies agreed to contribute. It was fun to read everyone's responses and put it all together!

What were some of your favorite reads in June? Do you watch Gilmore Girls (and more importantly, how much do you love it?) What are some songs you've been listening to on repeat?

Summer has arrived, and with that comes the determination to build the ultimate summer reading list. There's something about summer that makes me want to tackle all the books—perhaps because of the sunny weather and desire to travel. I asked a bunch of ladies if they'd be interested in sharing their favorite summer reads with you all, so here they are today! I also decided to chime in to make things even :p




1. Dirty Rush by Taylor Bell
My best friends in college were in a sorority, so I always wondered what that was like, and well ... Dirty Rush answered that question. It's a great, quick read for the beach, and it's not just for people in or affiliated with those in the Greek system!

2. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
I love books that keep me on the edge of my seat, and The Girl On The Train was definitely one of those. Such a quick read, so it would be perfect for the beach or a plane ride.

3. Hallucinations by Oliver Sacks
In this vivid anthology, neurologist Oliver Sacks examines case studies of hallucinations: a woman who "sees" Kermit the Frog in her left field of vision after brain surgery; a man with Parkinson's who "feels" peach fuzz on the surface of any item he touches; and Sacks' own (somewhat controversial) experiences with visions and misperceptions. Hallucinations is a nonfiction page-turner and a must-read for anyone interested in the human mind.

4. Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion
The immediate subject of this collection of essays is California during the 1960's, but Didion's sharp, self-aware prose reveals insights about one's own surroundings and experiences. Slouching Towards Bethlehem is a powerful read for women in their twenties and aspiring writers. Two of my favorite essays are "On Self-Respect" and "On Keeping a Notebook."




5. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
I don't always get through the entire series every summer, but because I usually have a lot of big cleaning or organizing projects to do, I love listening to these books on audio while I work. The narrator, Jim Dale (for the US edition), is the best storyteller I've ever heard! Between him and my favorite stories of all time, work is a breeze, and I find myself wishing I had more projects to do so I can keep listening!

6. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Another favorite summer read of mine is I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. I reread it at least once a year, and the story is more enjoyable each time. I *love* historical novels, and this one has the best main characters ever. It's technically a book written for adults, but Cassandra is actually a teenager, and it has a very strong YA feel. Along with Austen's novels, this is the most enjoyable "character driven" novel I've ever read, and I can't get enough of it!

7. Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
This is the perfect summer read! Imagine laying out on the beach and listening to the ocean as you read a love story. Everybody enjoys a good modern romance.

8. Katwalk by Maria Murnane
This book is a favorite of mine because of the storyline. Do you ever feel like picking up and starting over from scratch? That's kind of what happens to the main character. She travels alone and ends up discovering her true potential during her journey in a new place. If you're still finding yourself, try reading this book.




9. Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
When I think of favorite summer time reads, I always think contemporary. I'm not exactly sure why that is but that is what my mind jumps to when I think sunny weather! Open Road Summer was one of my favorites of 2014 and I still love it! It showcases such a strong friendship and so perfectly captures what it means to be a best friend. I adore seeing such fantastic friendships in books so Dee and Reagan's just spoke to me. It's also perfect for summer because you get to travel along with them on Dee's concert tour stops over the summer and the country music aspect is so well done! And of course I can't forget Matt Finch, the sweetest, most adorable guy ever. All this combined for such a great summery book!

10. Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas
If you're going on vacation in the summer or going to be on the beach, I always think of Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas. It sounds like an innocent spring break trip to Aruba so perfect to read while you're also on vacation right? ;) It's one of my favorite YA thrillers, it will take you for a hell of a ride! It kept me guessing the whole time.

11. Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson
This is a sweet, ultimate escape of a romance — with believable characters and an achingly tense plot. I also felt for Kate's dilemma, which is a refreshing one for a heroine of a romance. This book is absolutely perfect for swooning in the sun!

12. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
I just read this book, and loved it so absolutely I had to share it for Amaris' post. It's a take on Beauty and the Beast, with a complex magical system and a brilliant, strong heroine. The story has so many surprises too — it kept me glued to the pages. This book has everything really — it's perfect for any season!




13. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
Besides just being my favorite summer read, this is my all time favorite book! I love the comical relationships between main character Remy and her girlfriends and Remy's love interest, Dexter, is oh so swoony!

14. Just One Day by Gayle Forman
There's something about journeys and traveling that reminds me of summer time! I love this book since protagonist Allyson visits London, Paris, as well as Amsterdam and she discovers much about who she is and wants to become!

15. Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill
Although Meant to Be takes place over spring break, it is certainly a book perfect for the summer time. It's cute, fun, a touch quirky AND it's set in London. LONDON, the place where cute British boys reside. Don't judge the cheesy title and cover—it's worth a read!

16. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
Summer means time to relax (at least in my strange brain), and what better way to do so than with a hilarious memoir? No complicated plot lines or unnecessary drama, and yes, something you WILL be laughing your way through.

Alexa mentioned to me that Ginger (from GReads!) has been doing something similar for the past two years, so pop on over to her blog for more suggestions. I hope you were able to find something new to read this summer! BIG thank you to all the ladies who were willing to share :)

Any book having to do with fairy tales is automatically placed on my “to read” list, and A Wicked Thing was no exception. I waited very patiently for this book to come out and once it did, I read it the second I brought it home from the library. I’ve seen a ton of authors take elements of fairy tales and incorporate them into their stories (for example, Marissa Meyer and The Lunar Chronicles series) but continuing a fairy tale is something new to me.

A Wicked Thing takes place right after Aurora (or Sleeping Beauty, as we may be more familiar with) wakes up from “true love’s kiss.” Society has been waiting for her to rise and rule the kingdom, but she has no direction and doesn’t know whom to trust. She knows her story ends with “happily ever after,” but she sure doesn’t feel like that’s happening for her.

I guess all the hype that accompanies fairy tales (I’m looking at you, Disney) placed my expectations for A Wicked Thing fairly high. I was hoping for lots of action, plotting, and risky decision-making ... but not much happened. Aurora is, unfortunately, locked in a room for the majority of this story and spends that time complaining about her situation. I understand she has absolutely no experience with what she’s dealing with, but she never does anything about it. People try to control her actions, and she doesn’t question it.

The few characters that Aurora interacts with seem either intentionally mysterious or underdeveloped. Are they good or are they evil? Or are they just poorly represented? (I may never know.) It didn’t really bother me that much, but it was hard to get a sense of who the characters are when things are tossed into the air like that.

Although I was a bit disappointed by the direction of the plot, I read through the story pretty quickly. It was still interesting enough for me to continue following Aurora and see what path she chooses to take. I can see the sequel having potential, but I’m not sure I will pick it up.

Hi everyone! I am really thankful to not have to work on Fridays this summer. I have been spoiled all throughout college by only having classes four days a week, so the transition to working 40 hours a week for the previous two months was extremely tiring. Three-day weekends mean tons of time to explore, so I'm hoping to visit a museum some time in the next few days. But it also means free time to relax and catch up on entertainment :p

DAUGHTER OF DEEP SILENCE BY CARRIE RYAN
I found this while browsing The Strand bookstore (in Manhattan) last week and am really excited to read it. Plotting and revenge are two things I would be absolutely terrible at, but there’s something about it (when executed well) that interests me. Good things have been said about Carrie Ryan’s zombie novel, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, so I’m hoping Daughter of Deep Silence is just as enjoyable. There hasn't been a lot of buzz about this one, so I'm glad I get to experience it with no expectations.

I haven't watched a show in ages, so I thought I would start something that a ton of people have been raving about. I've been digging science fiction recently—hopefully this is what I'm looking for! I have no doubt I'll fall into the black hole (aka spend the whole day in bed wearing pajamas, clicking "next episode" until I've completed them all ...)

WALK THE MOON'S TALKING IS HARD
Ever since I came across Walk the Moon on Pandora last fall, I have been meaning to give their entire 2014 album a listen. I do love "Shut Up and Dance" though, and I was that girl who put it on repeat for days ... so it is TIME to do that with another one of their songs! Hehe. I guess I would describe their sound as indie pop rock? Like 80's or 90's music. If you like Walk the Moon, which similar artists would you recommend?