5 Ways to Discover New Books

Hello and good day, 

Today I have a post about discovering new books, and five ways to discover new books. There are many ways to discover new books, but today I am going to share with you the 5 main ways I find near books
1- Through goodreads,
 this is a website:
I use goodreads to see what my friends and people are reading and what they think of the book, and so on. Also I use goodreads to see what other books are similar to what I've already read and love. I also use this to track the books that I want to read and the books I have already read and you can track the page number on there and give a little update (which comes in useful when I'm writing a book review).
2-Blogs and Youtube;
I like seeing what my favourite booktubers and blogger are reading, and what they have enjoyed and seeing if I would like it too. I tend to read a couple of reviews before buying and reading a book. By looking through book blogs and seeing what people read and enjoyed.
3- Taking to people;
By simply talking to people about what they are reading, what books they've be liking and such. I do this a lot, and I've gotten into a lot of really good Authors and book series this way.
4- Libraries and Bookstore;
 I've spent hours and hours, in bookstores and libraries go through the different sections, looking at the covers and reading the back of the book, and just finding little gems.
5-Online book lists;
Websites/newspapers that have lists of the top 100 or 50 books. I look at the guardian best book lists, a lot as they help me to discover new books and authors.


My Book Buying and Reading Habits

Hello and good day,

Today I will be answering some questions about books and my habits surrounding books. Whether in the real world or the online world. So I've come up with some questions and I'm going to answer them.

So on to the questions;

WHAT

What genre do you tend to read?

I primarily read young adult books. I also read fantasy books and adventure books

What type of books do you buy (Hardcover, e-books etc)?

I  tend to buy paperback books as they are cheaper then hardcover and in the UK hardcover books are really hard to get hold of unless you order them online. Also I buy e-books, as I have the kindle reading app on my tablet, phone and laptop. 

WHEN

When do you read? How much time do you spend reading? 

I tend to read on my journeys to and from college and work (if I am working at the time), I also read for around half an hour upwards before bedtime. 

When do you buy books?

Ebook- I buy one e-book at least a week. Actual books- I tend to buy once a month or every two month but I don't buy loads just a couple. Around Christmas and my birthday I buy more and stock up. I visit the library regularly so I borrow books a lot. 

As I am a student I have very little money so borrowing books is the best option for me momentarily. 

WHERE

Where do you read?

I read pretty much everywhere, on public transport,on the sofa, in bed, and anywhere I can sit down.

Where do you buy books?

I buy my books from a range of places. Online I buy from Amazon and the book depository. I very rarely buy form WHSmith and Waterstone as they are a lot more expensive. I'm more likely to buy books from the Works (a cheap UK bookstore) or from ASDA, as my ASDA has a decent selection of books which tend to be a super good price (they have a 3 for £10 deal sometimes)  

WHY

Why do you read? 

I read because I love the escapism, 'meeting' new people (the different character), 'seeing' new places (all the new strange worlds) and I love using my imagination and creativity.

Why do you buy books?

I love the look of books on my shelf (or stack around my room), all the colours and beautiful covers. I love to be able to keep them forever and be able to go back and read them, look at them. And eventually show them to my children and let them read them.

WHO

Who do you read around? 

I read around anyone, but I also like to read on my own, so I can escape into the book without interruption.

Who buys you books? Who do you buy books for?

My parents by books for me and at Christmas most people by me books. I buy books for my friend who read for there birthdays and Christmas.

DO and ARE and others;

Do any of your close friends read? 

Yes, a few of my friends read, so I'm always recommending them new books that I love, mostly so I have someone to fangirl with!

Are you quick or slow reader? How many books do you read a week?

I'm quite a fast reader but I never have loads of spare reading time (as I'm a law student). I tend to read  2 books a week  (sometimes I read more, sometimes less).

Are you doing the goodreads challenge? if so how many books? 

Yes I am and I'm aiming to read 50 books 

My goodreads

That's them all, have any book questions, ask in the comments!

Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Hello and good day,
Today I am reviewing the first book in the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth.

Synopsis:
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.


During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Genre:  Young Adult Dystopia

Review:
I could not put this book down and I read it in one sitting!!

Tris was an amazing protangist. She was unique in this world where everything is pretty much set in stone. I enjoyed her growth as a character and how she got more 'braver' as time went on and how she learn how to fight better. How she started of at the bottoms of the rank and creeped her way to the top.
I like the world that was built but it would have been nicer to have more history and background. Also we only really found out about three of the fractions, it would be better to find out more about the other fraction and how they work as a whole.
The writing is so fast paced and action filled I didn't even have time to think about those things until I was done reading. The story moves very quickly, and for the most part keeps the reader engaged. For most of the story we are following Tris on her initiation into the Dauntless faction. She came from Abnegation which is a faction devoted to being selfless, and they run the government as well. Obviously life is different for her now and she needs to prove she's brave. Throw in an adorable guy who likes her despite the fact that she's supposedly not pretty and has the body of a twelve year old and here is the romance. It's cute how he doesn't care that she's not beautiful.Four. I love how the writer built the theme of fear conquring around him.

I honestly cannot wait to read the next book, insurgent.

Rating:
5/5

UK vs US Book Covers #1

Hello, and good day

Today I have a book discussion for you! It is on UK and US book covers and how they are different and I am going to talk about the one I prefer. I may also talk about other countries covers too.

Sometimes they only look slightly different and sometimes it's a whole other cover. Sometimes I prefer the UK cover and some times another cover.

The Divergent Trilogy:

UK Covers:

US Covers:

My Opinion:

Personally I prefer the US covers, they are more eye-catching, and depicts the story better and the colours look nicer together. Also I think they match better together.

The Harry Potter Series.

The Harry Potter Series has a range of different covers in different countries. So am I going to just talk about the first edition US and UK covers.

 UK Cover-

US Cover-

My Opinion:
I like both sets of covers, so my opinion on these are quite broad. I really like the UK spines of the books, and I think they look fun and bright on the book shelf. They also both depict the story well, which is most important in my opinion. I like the US covers depict the darker aspects of the book, where the UK covers depict the fun and adventurous side of the books. I really like the contrast of the two.
The Diviners:
UK Cover-

US Cover:

My Opinion:
Personally I like the colours of them both. I think the US one looks a bit more mysterious which I like.They are both also similar with the eye and the sky line and the font. I like them both but I like the US one a bit more.

My Camping TBR

Hello and good day,

Today I am going to be sharing with you the books I am going to be taking on my camping, this Saturday I go away for a week, and I plan on taking three books. 

The books:

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak 

A Storm of Swords 2: Blood and Gold by George R.R. Martin

Thirteen by Tom Hoyle 

Un-read Books I Own

Hello and good day, 

Today I am going to be sharing with you the books I own that I haven't been read yet! I'm kind of on a book buying ban until I have read all them, I can only buy a book once I have finished five on this list (the exception being gift). I have 18 unread books, which compared to some people is none but I don't like having to many un-read books. 

The Books

(Goodreads shelf, always updated)

Starcrossed (Starcrossed #1) by , Josephine Angelini

The Reckoning (Darkest Power #3) by Kelley Armstrong

Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna #1) by Kendare Blake 

Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School, #1) by Gail Carriger 

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Thirteen by Tom Hoyle

The Iron Queen (Iron Fey #3) by Julie Kagawa 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium #1) by Stieg Larsson

A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold (A Song of Ice and Fire #3, Part 2) by George R.R.Martin 

The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson, #3) and The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4) by Rick Riordan

Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth 

The Fury and Dark Reunion (The Vampire Diaries, #3-4) by L.J.Smith

Natural Born Angel (Immortal City #2) by Scott Spear 

Specials (Uglies, #3) by Scott Westerfeld

Rebel Heart (Dust Lands, #2) by Moira Young

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak 

Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Hello, and good day,

Today I am going to be reveiwing the first book the Mortal Instruments series: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare.

Synopsis:

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . 

Genre: Young Adult Urban Fantasy.

Review:

This is the first book in The Mortal Instruments series (by Cassandra Clare). The first thing I want to say about this book, is that I wish I picked it up way earlier than I did. I had this on my kindle for ages with out reading, and then one day I was browsing around the works (a cheap UK book store) and saw this book for £2.99 so I picked it up, brought it, and then read it. And wow it was amazing. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.So now on to the book review it's self...

I was addicted to this book, and I couldn't put it down. Allot of people say that this is the slowest book in the series, but I found it very fast-paced and action packed. With a allot of twists.

Events in Clary’s life just get stranger when her mother disappears without warning and monsters start to infest her home.  Suddenly Clary is seeing odd and unusual things everywhere as demons, vampires, werewolves, faeries and warlocks start to be apparent all over New York City.

Luckily Clary’s path seems destined to cross with that of Jace, the good looking teenage boy that Clary first saw in the nightclub (murdering the blue haired boy) and he introduces her to the hidden world of the Shadowhunters.  A world where werewolves roam the streets of Chinatown, faeries live in Central Park, and vampires ride demonically powered motorbikes…

The Shadowhunters are Nephilim.  Traditionally Nephilim are the children of angels who have bred with mortal humans but in City of Bones the Nephilim were created when the Angel Raziel mixed his blood with human blood in the Mortal Cup.  The Shadowhunters exist to fight demons and are trained from birth for this purpose, the Mortal Cup can be used to create more Nephilim - making it a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands.

 There is a lot happening in City of Bones. Featuring a full cast of characters, twists jump out with every turn of the page as Clary moves through the discovery of herself and the truth that is locked in her memories. Clary’s best friend Simon is one of the more human and believable characters in this novel; his awkwardness is easily recognized from any boy you went to high school with, making him even more lovable.

The Shadowhunters and their world is fantastic. Clear and all too believable, next time I go to a club I know I will be searching the dark corners for the things that go bump in the night. I might even find them.

Rating: 5/5 Stars 

July 2014 Wrap Up

Hello and good day,

Today I will be sharing with you all of the books I read in July, I don't own physical copy's of some of them as I either borrowed them from the Library or I read the ebook on my kindle.

The Books 

(In the Order I read them) 

The Dead Girls Dance by Rachel Cain:

Review

Rating: 4/5 

The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan 

Rating: 3.5/5

Midnight Alley by Rachel Cain

Review

Rating 4/5

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Rating: 5/5

A Storm of Swords: Steel and Snow by George R.R. Martin 

Rating: 5/5

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

Rating 3/5

Black Butler by Yana, Toboso 

Rating: 4.5/5

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell 

(Favourite contemporary book so far this year)

Rating: 5/5 

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi

Rating: 3.5/5

Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine

4/5

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout 

5/5 

(Favourite paranormal romance so far in my life)

I read 11 books in July which I was very happy about!!

Trees of Reverie Wrap up

Hello and good day,

Today I am going to do my Treesofreverie wrap up. I am going to share with all the books I read, the amount of pages and challenges and reading prompts I completed. 

Thoughts:

I was really busy during this readathon, with work and studying (as I am training to become a lawyer). Also I got really ill towards the end. However I still and I reached my goal of at least 5 books and 2,000.

Books I Reads:

Midnight Alley (Morganville Vampire #3) by Rachel Caine :

384 pages

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare:

485 pages

A Storm of Swords: Steel and Snow (A Song of Ice and Fire #3 part 1/2) by George R.R. Martin:

623 Pages

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen:

453 Pages

Black Butler Vol 1 by Yana Toboso:

192 Pages

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell:

459 Pages

Persepolis: The Story of a childhood by Marjane Satrapi:

153 Pages

Feast of Fools (Morganville Vampire #4) by Rachel Caine:

367 Pages

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout:

335 Pages

 Book Started

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rich Riordan:

107 Pages read

Books Read: 9

Pages Read: 3,558

Reading Challenges and Prompts completed

Read a popular or well-known book -  City Of Bones

Read a book you’ve heard a lot of good things about -  City Of Bones

Read a book from your Goodreads to-read shelf- Midnight Alley

Re-read one of your favourite books -  City Of Bones

Read a book you’ve been meaning to read - A Storm of Swords 

Read a book you’ve been avoiding  - A Storm of Swords 

Read a book you’ve had lying around unfinished- Midnight Alley

Read outside

Read out loud (read a minimum of one full page!)

Finish a book in a series you’ve not yet completed- Midnight Alley

Read a book in the Fantasy genre -  - A Storm of Swords 

Start a TBR Jar/box/etc.

Start a reading journal

Read a book from thebookishdragon's Book Lovers List -  City Of Bones#

Read a graphic novel or manga- Black Butler Vol 1

Read a book in one day- Black Butler Vol 1

Read something recommended to you by a friend- Fangirl

Read one of your best friend’s favourite books- Fangirl

Pick up a book that looks like a fun/light read -The Moon and More

Go to the library and borrow out the first book that looks good -The Moon and More

Read a book in the Contemporary genre-The Moon and More

So all in all, I think I did okay. How did you do?