Top Ten Bookish Merch Items I Really Want

So here’s a little fact about me. I don’t own any book merch. Like, I have a couple of small things like a keychain and bookmarks and stuff, but I don’t have any bookish jewelry, candles, etc. And it’s not because I don’t want any. I literally just forget to buy it lol. But anyway, here are so,e bookish items I really wish I owned. 

I found all these products on various sites, like Redbubble and Etsy. I tried to include the name of the shop for each of the items but I forgot to save some of them, so I am really sorry!!! 

1. THIS BOOKSHELF NECKLACE

 

2. THIS TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE CANDLE

 

3. THIS SHATTER ME CANDLE

 

4. THIS CARAVAL PILLOW

 

5. THIS FANGIRL MUG

 

6. THIS ILLUMINAE NOTEBOOK

 

7. THESE SAGA T-SHIRTS

8. THIS SHATTER ME PILLOW

 

9. THIS JUST LISTEN NOTEBOOK

 

10. THIS VAMPIRE ACADEMY T-SHIRT

Top Ten Books that Lived Up to the Hype (For Me)

Hype is a devilish creature that pretty much every book lover has fallen prey to at least once. It’s important to be wary of hype (I am definitely always skeptical of any book that is receiving too much attention), but it’s also important to remember that the reason a book is hyped is because a lot of people like it, which means you might like it too. 

Here are some books that were super hyped before I read them and then turned out to be some of my absolute favorites! It was actually kind of hard to narrow it down, if I’m being honest. 

1) Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples – This is the first graphic novel I ever read and I am so glad I listened to everyone who raved about it because I adore the series and I really enjoy reading graphic novels now!

2) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – This is actually the book that prompted me to start my blog MANY years ago (the blog I had before this one), so I read it pre-blogging, but the movie cast had just been announced so this book was picking up steam everywhere, not just in the community. And boy oh boy did I love it! I loved it so much, I was desperate to talk to people about it and started my blog lol.

3) Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff – I really wasn’t sure if I’d like this one but I decided to take a chance on it because I found the first book somewhere for really cheap, I think. And I absolutely gobbled it up. I recommend this book to everyone.

4) Heartless by Marissa Meyer – Holy crap. THIS BOOK. That’s all I can say. It tore my heart out of my chest and I loved every second of it.

5) Me Before You by Jojo Moyes – I read this after adoring the movie, but STILL. I love this novel and I still love the movie (which I want to go re-watch now). Another one that absolutely broke me.

6) Caraval by Stephanie Garber – I bought this because of the hype and then I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read it because WHAT IF IT WASN’T AS GOOD AS EVERYONE SAID but then I did a Twitter poll and the almighty wisdom of Twitter voted for me to read it, so I cracked it open. And then I couldn’t shut it. What a wild ride.

7) Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi – I remember when people were first receiving ARCs for this novel (I feel like that shows my age in the community). Everyone was raving about the writing style and I was so excited to finally get my hands on it when it was released and I loved it as well. And then I re-read it this year and loved it even more somehow????

8) Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell – As an English and creative writing student who got her start in fanfiction, this novel spoke to me.

9) Delirium by Lauren Oliver – I remember when this novel was first released as well. I saw it everywhere, and when I lamented not having read it yet, a wonderful person in the book community sent it to me and it ended up becoming one of my favorite books of all-time.

10) Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson – If I’m being honest, this spot kind of belongs to Morgan Matson’s books in general. This was the first book I ever read by her (and it’s still my favorite) and I only read it because I remember people talking about Morgan Matson a lot. Now, I’ve read all her novels and I SWEAR every single one of her books is carved out of my soul.

Top Ten Books that Bring Back Vivid Memories

I love how books can transport us anywhere, but they can also transport us back to important times in our lives. There are just some books you can think of and remember exactly where you were, what you were going through, etc. when you first read it. Maybe not every memory is good, but they’re the memories that make us.
1) Heartless by Marissa Meyer – I read this on the road trip back from Florida a couple winters ago. My dad and I were driving through the night and he wanted to pull off somewhere and take a nap, so I read part of this while we were camped out in a McDonald’s parking lot. 

2) Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon – Last summer, I read this while lying out at the pool with my best friend. Some of my favorite memories come from the past 2 summers, so when I think about reading poolside with this book, I just get really happy and nostalgic. 

3) Me Before You by Jojo Moyes – I have several vivid memories associated with the book. First, being emotionally destroyed by the movie and knowing that I just absolutely HAD to get this book. Then, I read part of this by the pool a couple summers ago. Then, I finished it late one night and sobbed my lil eyes out. 

4) Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl – I bought the first book in this series when I was a freshman in high school and talked to one of my friends about it because I loved it so much. Shortly after, I learned that I was moving to Arkansas and on the day I left, the friend I’d talked to about the series showed up to say goodbye and gave me this book as a going away present. It was so sweet and I’ll never forget. 

5) Paper Towns by John Green – This book takes me back to when I participated in BookTube-A-Thon a couple summers ago! I remember reading this one and watching the movie adaptation, 

6) Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead – Whew, this one is a doozy. In high school I moved around a lot and went to a bunch of different schools. I moved for the first time in 8th grade, away from the town I grew up in. I made my dad buy this book for me right before we left and I remember reading it in the U-Haul, huddled under a blanket with a flashlight while my brother tried to sleep. 

7) Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell – This is the first audiobook I listened to! I remember listening to it by the pool and as I was getting ready to film booktube videos and walking around my neighborhood. 

8) The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton – I had to read this book for a YA lit class my freshman year and I remember my friend and I lounging around my dorm room both zooming through it and freaking out about the events. 

9) Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell – I bought this book in Ireland and read it on the plane ride home! 

10) Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman – I remember reading this on the way to Florida one year for Christmas. My dad and I stopped into a hotel for the night and I stayed up super late finishing it! 

Top Ten Authors I’m Dying to Meet

This week it’s time for a throwback topic! I decided to talk about authors I’m dying to meet because I feel like I haven’t really talked about this that much? Idk.

Though I have been immersed in the book community for a VERY long time, I have never been to a book or author event. It breaks my heart but I guess that’s what happens when you live in Arkansas and can’t drive to events out of state. However, I am moving to New York soon, so I assume this will change.

1) Richelle Mead

Is anyone surprised by this answer because I’m not. Richelle Mead wrote Vampire Academy, which is my favorite book series of all time. If I met her, I’d want to show her my molnija mark tattoo and tell her about how her words and her world got me through some really tough times.

 

2) Tahereh Mafi

I just think Tahereh Mafi is so COOL. Sorry, but not actually sorry at all. Sometimes I scroll through her twitter and wish I was as incredible as her. She is so talented and creative and funny and gorgeous and badass.

 

 

 

3) Jenny Han

Not only do I love Jenny Han’s books, but she has always seemed like a fun, lovely person. I really appreciate her social media and I always love seeing the snippets of her life she shares. She’s classy and stylish and definitely sassy and I just think it would be a delight to meet her.

 

4) Lauren Oliver

I’ve always admired Lauren Oliver’s writing. In fact, her writing had a big influence on my own. And again, she seems so cool and badass. 

 

5) Morgan Matson

Matson’s books always speak to me. Like, I’m so shook by how she seems able to see into my soul and then write books with pieces of it inside. Much like Jenny Han, Matson is stylish and funny and I think she’d be such an interesting person to meet. 

 

6) Sarah Dessen

I mean, of course I have to include my queen on this list. Sarah Dessen’s books mean so much to me, and they have meant so much to me for YEARS. If I met her, I’d probably completely embarrass myself by fangirling all over the place, but it’d be worth it to be in the presence of royalty. 

 

 

 

7) Jenn Bennett

Jenn is a newer fave of mine, but I think meeting her would be incredible. If her social media is any indication, I feel like Jenn is such a genuine and kind person. I also have a feeling she has a goofy side. 

 

 

8) Victoria Schwab

I’ve actually only read one novel by Victoria Schwab, so the reason I would love to meet her is more personality than anything. I love reading everything she tweets because she is so real and transparent about her writing and her mental health issues and the mistakes she has made. I have a lot of respect and admiration for Schwab and I have a feeling she’d be really interesting to have a conversation with. 

9) Becky Albertalli

I enjoy Becky’s work, but once again this is more personality than anything. Becky has proven time and time again how intelligent, well-spoken, and compassionate she is. If I met her, I just know I’d be walking away from the conversation with an enormous grin on my face. 

 

10) John Green

I really debated whether or not I was going to include John Green on my list because, while I’ve read several of his books, I wouldn’t exactly call myself a John Green fangirl. Still, I think he’s a great person. He’s also incredibly intelligent and interesting, so I’m sure any conversation with him would be absolutely fascinating. 

 

 

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What authors would you love to meet? Which authors have you met and had a wonderful experience with? 

Top Ten Books With Red, White, and/or Blue Covers

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, which means Independence Day for those of you in the United States. I’m hanging out in Austria, so I kind of keep forgetting that the Fourth is a thing. Anyway, here are some rad books with patriotic colors on the cover. All of these books were at least a 4-star for me. 

1) Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead 

2) Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

3) Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

4) Speechless by Hannah Harrington

5) To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han 

6) Noteworthy by Riley Redgate

7) By Your Side by Kasie West

8) Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley

9) Gemina by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman 

10) Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Top Ten Books About Travel I Need To Read

I’m doing my Top Ten Tuesday a bit early because I have to post for a blog tour tomorrow but I still really wanted to do this topic. Don’t come for me.

I’ve always been fond of books about traveling to foreign (to me) lands, but after 4 months gallivanting around Europe, I’m even more inclined to pick up books about traveling, partly so I can relive the places I’ve already been and partly so I can read about places I haven’t been yet and add them to my travel bucket list.

I’ve read a lot of the popular books set in other countries, but here are the ones I haven’t read yet but need to! And, of course, I had to put some road trip books in here too because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s not to take my own country for granted. There’s so much of the US I have yet to see!

1) Wanderlost by Jen Malone – I love the premise of this novel. And according to goodreads, this novel partly takes place in Prague (one of my fav cities) and Austria (where I currently live)!

2) Open Road Summer by Emery Lord – I’ve read one other book by Emery Lord and it was just okay to me, but this one sounds much more up my alley. Apparently there’s a 24-city tour, so I hope I get to see tons of cool US cities in this one.

3) How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski – This one sounds like such a funny, entertaining road trip novel!

4) Love, Lucy by April Lindner – I love Florence so much!! All I had to see was that there’s a whirlwind romance in Florence and I was sold.

5) Romancing the Dark in the City of Light by Ann Jacobus – I love that this is about the darker side of Paris! I’d never heard of this one before today when I was doing research on books about traveling, but this one sounds utterly compelling!

6) In a Perfect World by Trish Doller – I’ve heard really wonderful things about this novel, and I love that it takes place in Egypt. I’ve recently added Egypt to my want-to-visit list, so until I can see it person, I’d love to see it in fiction!

7) The Way Back to You by Michelle Andreani and Mindi Scott – This seems like it’s going to be a really emotional road trip novel. I love the premise.

8) Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard – This is a bit different than the Europe-traveling so prevalent in YA. This novel takes us to Mayan villages and apparently islands and jungles. It sounds so interesting!!

9) The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith – I feel like Jennifer E. Smith is like a quintessential YA contemporary author and I’ve never read anything by her. This novel partly takes place in London, which I love. Also–fun little anecdote here–in the synopsis it says she misses her flight to London. Well, when I went to London, I missed my flight home. So it’s basically perfect.

10) Going Bovine by Libba Bray – I have a feeling this is different than the average road trip novel. Plus, I’ve been meaning to read something by Libba Bray for quite some time.

Top Ten Books I DNFed Without Meaning To

When I’m reading, I rarely make the decision to DNF a book. Like, I never think “okay, I have read enough of this book and it isn’t for me.” However, I do, very often, put down a book and say I’m going to come back to it and then just kinda…never pick it up again. 

So, here are some of the books I DNFed without really meaning to. Some of these I might try reading again one day, but we’ll see. 

1) The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler – This book is right up my alley. Like, right the heck up it. A YA contemporary with mermaids? Yes, please. But, as excited as I was to start reading, I had a hard time staying hooked. 

2) Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco – Again, this should be perfect for me. I looove Victorian England and I am also fascinated by Jack the Ripper but I just could not stay focused when I was reading this. I’ve heard wonderful things about this and I am determined to try again one day. 

3) Legend by Marie Lu – This one doesn’t make any sense because I’ve picked this up multiple times and each time I’ve enjoyed what I read and I’ve wanted to read more so WHY can I not make myself keep reading? 

4) King’s Cage by Victoria Aveyard – I don’t feel bad or confused about this one, tbh. 

5) Girl Out of Water by Laura Silverman – I was having a hard time connecting to the protagonist and staying interested in her life. There are a lot of aspects of this novel that intrigue me, so hopefully I’ll give it another shot one day. 

6) Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh – I was so excited for this novel, but it just didn’t do anything for me. So, I skimmed ahead to try to see where the romance was going (because that’s my priority when reading–don’t judge me) and I was disappointed and so I guess I just forgot to ever finish. Oops.

7) Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes – To be fair, I wasn’t much of a fantasy reader when I tried this novel out. I own most of the series, so I definitely need to try again. 

8) Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood – I started this novel when it first released IN 2012 lol. It was just different than I expected so I never finished. I suspect I’d actually like it more if I tried reading it now. 

9) The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert – I’ve heard so many wonderful things about this novel, but I just couldn’t get into it. Honestly, I didn’t get very far before I put it down, though. 

10) An Abundance of Katherines by John Green – It doesn’t help that I was assigned to read this for one of my classes. I very rarely 1) finish my class reading and 2) find my assigned reading interesting. 

Top Ten Books With My Favorite Colors On The Covers

I chose to pick my favorite books with either yellow or pink on the cover. There are so many beautiful covers in this world that use those colors, but I went with my favorite books rather than favorite covers!

BOOKS WITH YELLOW ON THE COVER

1) Aftercare Instructions by Bonnie Pipkin – This is a novel that really surprised me in 2017. It is emotional and unique and I feel like far too many people are sleeping on this book. Read my review here.

2) Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley – This novel has been one of my absolute favorites for years. It was one of the first contemporary novels I fell in love with (which is funny because contemporary is now my favorite genre). Re-reading it about a year-and-a-half ago only served to renew my love for it. Read my review here.

3) The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee – I just recently listened to this novel on audiobook and was completely and utterly charmed by it. It’s got adventure, humor, kissing…and so much more!

4) Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett – This was another recent read. And a truly excellent one at that! A complex contemporary that will set your heart on fire! Read my review here.

5) The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson – There’s not a ton of yellow in this cover, but IT’S THERE IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY, I SWEAR. Anyway, as I’ve said time and time again, Morgan Matson is one of my favorite authors and I love all her books. I’d say this one is my second favorite from her (so far!!). Read my review here.

BOOKS WITH PINK ON THE COVER

6) What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum – This is another novel from 2017 that unexpectedly took my breath away. It’s got a pure lil cinnamon roll narrator and autism rep and, again, why are people sleeping on this??? Read my review here.

7) Once and for All by Sarah Dessen – I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: SD is my queen of queens. A lot of her covers have pink on them, but since this is her latest release, I figured I’d pick it. Read my review here.

8) My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows – I feel like everyone has read this lovely novel. It was so hyped that I was almost afraid to read it, but the hype was well deserved because this is just the cutest, most amusing book. I cannot wait to see what the girls do with the sequel! Read my review here.

9) To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han – A long-time favorite. A book series that gives me the warm and fuzzies inside and makes me grin like crazy. 

10) Love and Luck by Jenna Evans Welch – THIS BOOK WAS RELEASED TODAY!!! And I am so in love with it. If you want a taste of Ireland and sibling relationships and A GOOD TIME, this is the book for you!!! 

Top Ten Books I’d Slay A Lion To Get Early

Disclaimer: I’d never kill a lion. 

1) The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee – I recently read Gentleman’s Guide and absolutely adored it! I have a feeling this is going to be an epic, hilarious sequel and I cannot wait for Felicity to take over the world. 

2) Save the Date by Morgan Matson – This is one of my most anticipated releases of the year. Morgan Matson is an absolute favorite of mine and I have read all her other books and I am desperate some more Matson. Plus, I loooove wedding books.

3) My Plain Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows – I adored the first installment from the Lady Janies, My Lady Jane. Much like Mackenzi Lee’s book, I can’t wait to see what other fun shenanigans these women have in store for us! 

4) Legendary by Stephanie Garber – The first book in the series, Caraval, was one of my favorite reads last year and if I don’t get my hands on this sequel ASAP I’m going to slay more than a lion–I’ll slay everything in my path. 

5) Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli – Technically, by the time this post goes live, this book will be released, but such is not the case at the time of writing, so I’m including it because I NEED. 

6) From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon – Of course, Menon crashed on to my radar with When Dimple Met Rishi, and, if I’m being honest, this one sounds even better! I love that it’s told through letters…and the sticky romantic situation that Twinkle finds herself in? Sold! 

7) Final Draft by Riley Redgate – After adoring Redgate’s Noteworthy, I knew I needed to read more from her. And it’s about a writer!! I have many excitements! 

8) A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer – Kemmerer has yet to disappoint me, and I trust her to knock this Beauty and the Beast retelling out of the park. Also, hooray for including a disabled protagonist! 2019 is so far away ahahahahahahha.

9) What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera – I haven’t read anything by Silvera (yet), but I just know they are going to be a POWER DUO! This book takes place in New York and has Broadway elements and it just sounds so cute and interesting. 

10) Broken Things by Lauren Oliver – I’ve never actually read any of Oliver’s thriller books–in fact, I haven’t read anything by her in a looong time–but she is one of my favorite authors in the entire world and the excerpt that I read of this novel is creepy and delicious and I think it’s about time I try out her thrillers.