Ugh. This was probably my worst year of blogging EVER. So... these stats are pretty sad, but I always post a year in review so... not gonna stop now!

EDIT: This should have gone up at 11:59pm on 12/31/12. Dunno why it didn't.

Here is my year-end statistics post:

As of 11:59pm on 12/31/13

Followers: 1,718 (Up 4 from last year, but kind of obsolete now that Reader is gone.)
Newsletter Subscribers Gained: 2
Twitter Followers: 1,175 (DOWN 44 from last year. ouch.)
2013 Blog Posts: 65 (DOUBLE ouch! Total 1163)
Books Read: 46 (*hangs head in shame*)
Average Time Taken per book: 8 days
Pages Read: 15,850 (Approx. 345 pages per book)

Books Reviewed: 26
2013 Squeaky Books: 6 (Total 72)
2013 Semi-Squeaky Books: 2 (Total 41)

See you tomorrow for a look at how I did on my 2013 goals, and some 2014 goals!

I may have only read 46 books in 2013, but that isn't going to stop me from making a top 10 list! No sir-ee! So here we go, my top 10 books of 2013:

#10 Mind Games, by Kiersten White
GoodReads | Amazon* | My Review

This book was short and sweet, like a TV episode vs a movie. And it was a delightful read. I am still eagerly awaiting the sequel.

#9 The Looking Glass Wars, by Frank Beddor
GoodReads | Amazon*

I know I'm late to the party when it comes to this series, but I still really enjoyed it! Beddor has a great way with wordplay and storytelling.

#8 The Fury, by Alexander Gordon Smith
GoodReads | Amazon* | My Review

I still have nightmares about this one, guys. Even though it was HUGE, and I'm still not entirely sure what happened, I remember whipping through this book like it was a race. I almost literally devoured it. Almost. ;)

#7 Ever After High, by Shannon Hale
GoodReads | Amazon* | My Review

I might have surprised myself with how much I liked this book. I just... I just really liked it! It made me feel happy!

#6 What's Left of Me, by Kat Zhang
GoodReads | Amazon*

I really admired this book for how many things it got me to think about, and I'm talking deep things. Although I feel like the plot got a little fuzzy/boring in book #2, I still think this book is AWESOME, and I can't wait for book #3.

#5 The 5th Wave, Rick Yancey
GoodReads | Amazon* | My Review

THIS is aliens done right. It's been almost a year since I read this, and I can STILL clearly recall some of the story elements, as well as the emotions I felt while reading. LOVED IT! And the sequel cannot come out soon enough!

#4 Asunder, by Jodi Meadows
GoodReads | Amazon* | My Review

AH! I still love this series. I absolutely cannot wait for the third book to come out (less than a month away!!!), and I still think Jodi is a master storycrafter. How does she manage to fit all those awesome plot elements into ONE BOOK?!

#3 Transparent, by Natalie Whipple
GoodReads | Amazon* | My Review

Okay, I technically read this in 2012, but so late in the year that I'm counting it as 2013. This book was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO awesome. Like... I think I need to re-read it. Right now. See ya later. (Psst. Read review for more coherent explanations of awesome-ness)

#2 Pivot Point, by Kasie West
GoodReads | Amazon* | My Review

This book BLEW MY MIND. It was a tough call to put this in 2nd place, it almost got 1st. It's that awesome. I just... my feels went on a crazy trip in this book. And it was so mind-bendy! I am a little afraid that the second book won't be as awesome because it will rely on the same thing that made the first book awesome (the split timelines), but I still have high hopes!

#1 Cress, by Marissa Meyer
GoodReads | Amazon*

Whoa. Whoa, you guys. Whoa. I usually try to avoid putting not-released books on this list (notice a lack of Dangerous? That's intentional. I thought it would be mean. ;) ) but since this one is part of a series that's already awesome, I figured I'd just put it out here anyway because I think this is my favorite book of the series. I'm sorry to be mean and say that when it's still got a while before it comes out, but... whoa, guys. Just whoa.

But, to be entirely honest, 2013 was not a great year for reading for me. Not only did I not read very many books, but when I went to make my top 10... there were only 10 books I was even considering putting in. Usually I have to stress forEVER over the order and which ones to give up. This time it took me about 5 seconds.

So I NEED YOUR HELP! What were the great books of the year for you? What did I miss? Because I definitely feel like I wasn't as involved in the book community this year, and I'm SURE that some awesome books slipped past my radar. So help me! Please?

Release Date: March 4th, 2014
Genre: Fairy Tale, Middle Grade
Publisher: Little, Brown
Pages: 304
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

At Ever After High, an enchanting boarding school, the children of fairytale legends prepare themselves to fulfill their destinies as the next generation of Snow Whites, Prince Charmings and Evil Queens...whether they want to or not. Each year on Legacy Day, students sign the Storybook of Legends to seal their scripted fates. For generations, the Village of Book End has whispered that refusing to sign means The End-both for a story and for a life.

As the daughter of the Evil Queen, Raven Queen's destiny is to follow in her mother's wicked footsteps, but evil is so not Raven's style. She's starting to wonder, what if she rewrote her own story? The royal Apple White, daughter of the Fairest of Them All, has a happy ever after planned for herself, but it depends upon Raven feeding her a poison apple in their future.


What if Raven doesn't sign the Storybook of Legends? It could mean a happily never after for them both.

Blurb: The goal may be to sell Mattel, but this is still 100% Shannon Hale.

Review: I did have a concern going into this book, but it doesn't seem to be the same concern that most people had. In nearly every review I read I saw people saying "I was nervous about Shannon and Mattel working together." To which I say: ...why? For some reason I never had this worry. Yes, I knew that the goal of this book would be to sell the dolls, merchandise, etc. But I also felt pretty confident that Shannon wouldn't have agreed to any kind of book deal if she didn't know she could be true to her own writing.

So no, that wasn't my concern. My concern was simply that this book was clearly targeted for the middle grade audience. Not only am I not a middle grader, I actually really dislike middle grade books (just personally, not in general).

Both of these concerns were resolved by the same fact: This book was written by Shannon Hale. Despite the commercialism behind it, Shannon rocks out some awesome values. And despite the intended middle grade audience, the brilliant writing can make this appealing to all ages!

I'll admit that I struggled through the first few chapters. It was just dripping with puns, and at first the use of the word "hex" was just too much for me: "hexcellent" "hextbook" "hexting" AHHHH!!! But eventually it became just like any other book that makes up its own lexicon, and I got used to it. After that happened I loved this book. There were so many subtle things that I'm not even sure a middle grader would get, but I got it and thought it was hilarious. There were even some sections (particularly when the narrator is addressed directly) where I could hear Shannon reading the book in my head. So yes, this book is meant for middle graders, but in the same way Disney movies are made for kids: most adults can still enjoy it if they embrace a little bit of silly.

And I definitely noticed some awesome messages that Shannon had stuck into the book. There were several, but the main one that stuck out to me was how she portrayed the female body image. Yes nearly every princess in the book is described as being beautiful, but I can't remember one time a character was described as "skinny." One of the main characters puts her hands on her "broad" hips, and then later when called "plump" the character isn't bothered. And another character is positively described as having very strong legs (my favorite character in fact, guess who?). Now... I may be reading too much into this, but when I look at those dolls I see skinny waists, big eyes, and high heels. But when I read this book I see princesses that every girl can love and become. And whether or not Shannon consciously wrote this into the book, I LOVE it!

In fact, I loved everything about it. Was it fluff? Hex yes! Fluff to the max! But what did Austenland teach us about froth and fluff? It's the best part! And honestly, I am just as excited for the sequel to this book as I am for some of her YA books.

Other Reviews (TBA):

• TBA (Loved it!) I can't find one of these on a blog! Just goodreads. Anyone know where I could find one?
• Random Musings of a Bibliophile (It was okay)
• TBA (Didn't Like It.) Also couldn't find a blog with one of these. Instead I found a lot of GoodReads reviews that simply said "It was too fluffy and punny, I couldn't finish."

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Happy Christmas Eve, everyone! And if you don't celebrate Christmas: happy Tuesday with no school/work! And if you work in retail... I'm sorry. ;)

Anyway, I was trying to think of a good Christmas-y post, but I realized that I don't read a lot of Christmas books. So I thought, what books DO I read that would be good for Christmas/Winter Holiday season? And here's what I came up with! Enjoy!

The Giver, Lois Lowry
Goodreads | Amazon

This book has always felt like Christmas to me. Probably because of the end. ;)





The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
Goodreads | Amazon

Need I say more? Really?

I apologize for saying I was coming back and then disappearing for over two weeks. I was hit by the flu, which then turned into bronchitis, and weakened my immune system enough to allow the stomach flu to join the party as well. And after THAT funtimes was done, it was time for finals week!

BUT, the good news is that finals is OVER and this is the first time I've had a job that is totally closed over the holidays (yay for working for the public school system!) which means I have TWO WEEKS of no school and no work. And I'm gonna use them well!

Aside from the obvious spending time with family, here are my plans:

First, I've got to read 7 more books to reach my goal. If I count all the manga I've read I've already surpassed my goal, but I'm not going to count those unless I have to. Here are the 5 books I'm planning on reading right now, and hopefully I'll get more for Christmas!


I'm also planning on doing a lot of sewing this holiday! Are y'all interested in seeing any of my costume stuff? It's usually not book related (though I am planning on starting on an Ever After High costume after I finish the book). Let me know! But regardless, here's what I'm working on this break:

Not a costume, just for fun, I'm planning on making this dress as a Christmas present for myself.

That dress is my first priority, since I'd like to wear it the Sunday after Christmas. But after that, it's time for a NEW COSTUME!

I am SO TIRED of all of my costumes being so cold! I really got into costuming in the summer, and nearly all of my costumes are perfect for summer weather and MISERABLE right now. Therefore I decided I needed a winter costume. And then I realized that my favorite anime character of all time lives in an arctic climate. Perfect!

Thus, I present my next costume:

Olivier Mira Armstrong!

If you don't know who this is, that's okay. But she is the best character from the best anime in the whole entire world. AND she wears like 3 layers! Over the break I'll be patterning the uniform and creating a mockup. I'll probably have to do this more than once (patterning is HARD!) but I want to get round 1 done over the break.

On top of all of this I plan on FINALLY finishing Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, and casually watching Naruto Shippuden (my roommate really wants me to watch that show).

And of course I'll be reviewing awesome books and posting about awesome bookish stuff.

So? What do you think? Am I being to ambitious? What are YOUR plans for the holiday?

Release Date: March 4th, 2014
Genre: Romance, Mystery, Adventure
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co
Pages: 384
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

On the mysterious island of Nil, the rules are set. You have exactly 365 days to escape—or you die.

Seventeen-year-old Charley doesn’t know the rules. She doesn’t even know where she is. The last thing she remembers is blacking out, and when she wakes up, she’s naked in an empty rock field.

Lost and alone, Charley finds no sign of other people until she meets Thad, the gorgeous leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Soon Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she thought . . . and so is falling in love. With Thad’s time running out, Charley realizes that she has to find a way to beat the clock, and quickly.

Blurb: A nice relaxing read. Gritty, and yet fluffy.

Review: Sorry to review this so early, but I can't keep quiet about this one! This was the book that brought me out of my reading slump. It was really easy to get engaged, and the plot was very interesting. However... it was a strange paradox, the plot seemed gritty, and yet it always felt fluffy. I never really took it seriously. This is probably because the romance always seemed over-the-top and silly. But then again... I almost always say that teen romance is over-the-top and silly; so that isn't necessarily a trustworthy stance. And anyway, I really appreciated how easy it was to read (which could be interpreted as fluffy, I suppose) because it was like a happy roller coaster for my brain. Didn't have to fight it to like it.

Even though it seemed fluffy, I was definitely invested. I like that the book is a stand alone (it is a stand alone, right?), but it drew me in and I definitely wanted to know more about Nil. This is the kind of book that I really wish had a map and/or pictures. Ooh! And a prequel would be really cool!

This book comes out in spring, and I think it'd make a great spring break read!

Other Reviews (TBA):

• TBA (Loved it!)
• TBA (It was okay)
• TBA (Didn't Like It.)

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Okay, I know it's TECHNICALLY Wednesday, but I meant to post this yesterday and then my computer decided blogger was a site that deserved to be blocked. Blah.

Regardless, TV Tuesday is back! And I'm here to feature some MORE anime. Last time I featured two very popular series, today I'm going to focus on two series that will bend your mind (in both good and bad ways).

This is actually a pretty tricky series to find. The DVDs are very expensive, and I'm not sure where it "officially" available online. But if you just google "Watch Code Geass" I'm sure you can find it. It's an incredibly popular series, and for good reason.

This series takes place in an alternate-universe Earth where the British Empire has taken control of most of the planet. This show focuses on what happens after the British Empire (known as Brittania) takes of Japan, and renames it Area 11. The protagonist of the show is a young man named Lelouch, who is Brittanian, but is living in Area 11. We discover that he is the son of the Brittanian emperor, but he is in hiding and attempting to bring the empire down.

Lelouch is already a brilliant young man. He has a mind that works faster and sharper than almost any other. But he still doesn't know how he can take down the empire and free Japan. But all of that changes when a dying young woman gives him the power to command people, and they cannot refuse him.

Honestly, it took me a while to get into this series. I wasn't hooked until at least 15 episodes in (the whole series is about 50 episodes), but then I was HOOKED hard. Every step this show takes just bends your mind a little more. If you aren't confused by the end, then you aren't doing it right. ;)

But I didn't just fall for the story, the characters are also excellent! At first I had a hard time taking Lelouch seriously. But then after I finished I realized: I don't know if you are supposed to take him seriously. I have come to the conclusion that he was crazy the entire time. He's crazy-brilliant, but still crazy.

All in all, I love this show. And it's definitely one I will never forget. As a disclaimer: this show is rated TV-14 I believe, however there are a couple flashes of female chests and rears. It's more annoying than crude.

Trailer:


Trailer:

Release Date: October 29, 2013
Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Pages: 368
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

In the world of SORROW'S KNOT, the dead do not rest easy. Every patch of shadow might be home to something hungry, something deadly. Most of the people of this world live on the sunlit, treeless prairies. But a few carve out an uneasy living in the forest towns, keeping the dead at bay with wards made from magically knotted cords. The women who tie these knots are called binders. And Otter's mother, Willow, is one of the greatest binders her people have ever known.

But Willow does not wish for her daughter to lead the lonely, heavy life of a binder, so she chooses another as her apprentice. Otter is devastated by this choice, and what's more, it leaves her untrained when the village falls under attack. In a moment of desperation, Otter casts her first ward, and the results are disastrous. But now Otter may be her people's only hope against the shadows that threaten them. Will the challenge be too great for her? Or will she find a way to put the dead to rest once and for all?

Blurb: An AWESOME story, but not one to read if your brain is tired.

Review: I am a HUGE fan of the author's first book, Plain Kate, and so I had really high hopes for this book. I loved this story and the world and the characters. HOWEVER I never really understood what was going on...

This was one of those books (and maybe there's a word for this?) where they never actually come out an explain anything. You are just supposed to piece things together by watching the characters live their lives. And maybe it's just because my brain is super tired from my penultimate semester, but I just could never wrap my brain fully around anything. I found myself CRAVING an omniscient narrator who would explain the rules of the world to me, or a new character to stumble in so that the existing characters would have to explain what was going on to him/her. And even though a new character eventually DID stumble into the world, the existing characters DIDN'T explain anything. At least, not more than they already had. They expected the new character to figure it out, just like me.

Things that I wish had been more fully explained:

1. What exactly is "binding"? Where did it come from? How was it discovered? Why does string have power? Does ANY kind of knot have power?

2. Where do the dead come from? Are the non white-hands recognized as being the dead versions of people who were once alive, or are they just mysterious malevolent spirits? (honestly, I only JUST realized that the dead hide in shadows, and that's why the traveling folk don't come to the forest often. They're trying to avoid shadows.)

3. How is the society organized? I was kind of able to piece together the idea of the cords, but I would have liked to know more about the different kinds and options, what it takes to belong in each.

4. Why aren't there very many boys? Why do only women have power? Has there EVER been a boy with power? Do the boys leave because they DON'T have power, or just because it's the norm for boys to leave?

I THINK that all of these things were in the book somewhere, but they were never explicitly explained. And so I feel like in order to answer these questions I'd have to do a lot of guesswork and fill-in-the-blank. And even if someone were to tell me the answers to these questions now... I still wish I had been able to find them in the story.

With all that said, I did REALLY enjoy the book. Maybe if I had gone into it after having read some kind of author's note or summary it would have helped. OR if this had been a book club book and so I could now TALK to people about it. But as it is, here I am 400 pages later and I'm STILL not quite sure what happened...

Other Reviews (TBA):

• TBA (Loved it!)
• TBA (It was okay)
• TBA (Didn't Like It.)

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Um... hello. Long time no see, eh? How have you been? I've been good. Keeping busy, ya know. Yeah...

PLEASE TAKE ME BACK!

At the risk of sounding like a needy ex, I think I'm ready to get back into blogging, but also fearful that I've been gone too long. I'm SO out of the loop!

And that's why I need your help. If you're willing, here's how you can help me:

1st: Let me know if you're still here! I'm fairly positive that I've lost all my readers.

2nd: Let me know which book blogs are your favorite. I've completely lost all my Google reader data, and I'm just starting on Feedly. So I need to buff up my reading supply.

3rd: What have you been reading! What's new? What's exciting? What's awful?

I can't promise that I'll be posting A TON, but I am trying to ease myself back into the blogging scene. I've started reading in earnest again, and I MISS YOU! There's been a part of my life missing ever since I stopped blogging. And even though I've picked up some new hobbies there's still a space in my heart reserved strictly for my book blogging buddies.

So help me! Please?

I've always been afraid to reveal to people how nerdy I really am. Because most of the time people think I'm "normal" and are surprised when I reveal to them how weird I am. I like that. If I do it the other way, they usually assume I'm going to be socially awkward/introverted.

HOWEVER, I've gotten kind of tired of hiding who I am and what I like. So today I took a leap of faith:

Today one of my classes was doing "introductions" as the professor took role. People were being SOOOO boring. So I decided to play a little game with them. When it got to me, I challenged the class by saying "Hi, my name is Enna and I consider myself a multigenre supernerd. If there's something nerdy, whether socially acceptable or not, I'm probably into it. I challenge you to find something I'm not into."

And then this happened:

Professor: Did you go to [Salt Lake] Comic Con?
Me: I had a VIP pass.
Professor: Naruto?
Me: Temari is my favorite character.
Girl #1: You watch anime?
Me: I'm a huge otaku
Boy #1: Doctor who?
Me: Oh yeah. River Song is my hero. I suppose I should also now mention that I'm a Sherlockian as well as a Whovian. I've also been a book reviewer for the big six publishers, I'm a HUGE video gamer, and I do my own graphic design and HTML.

At this point the professor really started to get into it.

Professor: All right y'all. She has thrown down the gauntlet! Who can top her?
Me: I will awkward you all out of here.
Boy #2: I've got one. When I was in 7th grade I won a national pokemon card tournament.
Class oohs and ahhs.
Professor: Do you still play?
Boy #2: Nah. I don't have my deck anymore
Me: I have seven decks. Come on over and we'll play some time.

Then the professor decided he should probably continue with class.

I didn't even get to mention cosplay...



And random interjection: I recently got the opportunity to read Dangerous by Shannon Hale. Should I review that ASAP or closer to the release date?

Hey y'all! I'm getting ready to move, and so I've got a bunch of books for sale. Here are the cheap ones, and then I've got some signed books that I'm also selling down below. Take a gander! Prices below images! Fill out THIS FORM to request. First come first served!

Shipping is $3 for the first book and $1 per additional book. If you want delivery confirmation/tracking, it's $1 (no matter how many books you buy). If you're local then I'd be happy to waive the shipping costs and just bring it to you. :) Shipping in US states/territories only. Payment via Amazon gift card. (anonymous and easy! no paypal required!)


Hardcover:

• Wuthering Heights (collector's edition), $3
• The Book of the Night, $2.50
• Bitter Blood, Rachel Caine $5 (or both for $7)
• Fall of Night, Rachel Cain $5 (or both for $7)

Paperback:

• Inside the Shadow City, Kirsten Miller $3 (or both for $5)
• The Empress' Tomb, Kirsten Miller $3 (or both for $5)
• ALL OTHER PAPERBACKS $2.50
• The Keep
• Alchemystic
• The Angel Experiment (Or all 4 for $7)
• Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports (or all 4 for $7)
• School's Out Forever (Or all 4 for $7)
• Fang (or all 4 for $7)
• The Postmistress

ARCs (again, let me know and we'll work something out)

• Of Poseidon, by Anna Banks
• The Savage Grace, by Bree Despain

Paperback:

• Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy (Newberry honor book! Signed & dated), $7
• The Way He lived, Emily Wing Smith $5