bookblog – Page 11 – Dee’s Reading Tree

Monday Cleaning Day

May 20, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

After doing a major TBR organization and clean-up on Saturday, my list on Goodreads is now looking a lot better and more manageable. Either way it’s always good to keep an eye on it and make sure I don’t go TBR happy again. Plus, all those pretty pictures on my Bookstagram lately have made me add so many books on there. Since my list is down to 76 books, this time I am only looking at the first five books I added in reverse chronological order.

Two Dark Reigns (Three Dark Crowns, #3) by Kendare Blake

I loved the first book in this series. It started out really slow, but once it picked up I couldn’t put it down. The same thing happened with the second book, except I got bored and actually put it down. Now, it’s just sitting there in my TBR basket waiting for me to pick it back up. Once I read that one, then I will read this one which is the third in the series.

Keep 🙂

Shades of Wicked (Night Rebel, #1) by Jeaniene Frost

I read a sample of this one and really liked it. Also, the reviews on Goodreads are great, it’s currently a 4.35/5 stars. I fear this author’s books might become my new guilty pleasure.

Keep 🙂

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

This one I picked up while on vacation at Fort Myers beach and I still haven’t gotten to it. It has good reviews and people really love the second one in the series called Daughter of the Siren Queen.

Keep 🙂

Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy, #1) by Emily A. Duncan

I feel like this book was just really hyped up online, but the reviews on my Goodreads seem like it hasn’t lived up to the hype. Maybe I will add it later on if someone can convince me otherwise.

Delete 😦

The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air, #3) by Holly Black

This is not even a question. I have been highly anticipating this book. I loved the first two books in this series and I can’t wait for the last one.

Keep 🙂

I’m so happy my new organization system seems to be working. I only had to delete one out of five this time. How do you guys decide what to read?

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TBR Organization

May 18, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

It all started the night before Mother’s Day. I had the perfect day planned, it included going to Barnes and Noble and then dinner with my husband and my kids. But as I was looking at my endless TBR list I decided it needed some type of system or it was going to drive me insane. What exactly did I need to look for at Barnes and Noble? With my two year old and my four year old tagging along I couldn’t exactly take a leisurely stroll around the store and browse to my heart’s content. That’s when I came up with a system.

To Buy

I made a Goodreads shelf named “To Buy.” I needed a list for the books I had yet to read but wanted to buy. The night before, I read samples of all the books on there and deleted the ones I didn’t really like. This made it so I didn’t even have to read the book at all in the store, I could just buy it with confidence. I then deleted the ones I still wanted to read but I didn’t want a hard copy of and I would be fine with an e-book.

I also put books in here that I already read but I want to buy for my bookshelves. For example, books that are part of a series I love and stand alone books that have made an impression on me and I would like to own hard copies of.

Own

This one is pretty self explanatory. Is a list of the books I own hard copies of, I don’t count e-books.

Classics

I have been at a loss of what to do with my classics. There are some that I have read and love, and there are some that I own and have been dreading reading. So I put them all in this list.

To be Released

I made this list to keep track of any upcoming releases from my favorite authors and favorite series. It’s a way to keep track of release dates and cover reveals as well. This way I have a quick reference if I need to brush up on a series before release date, or if I need to request an ARC.

Priority One

I really needed a shelf like this. This is where I put the books I really need to read next, whether it’s for a review or an ARC an author gave me, these are the books I must read soon before I even browse anything else. I don’t always do that, sometimes I stray into other books I really want to read just for fun, but I try not to. This list definitely helps!

Re-read (Second Chance)

This is the shelf where I put the books I did not finish but would like to try again. Maybe it was the mood I was in? I will give these books one last chance before I delete them completely.

How do you all organize your TBR? Any suggestions?

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Bookish Bucket List

May 17, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

On Fridays I add items to my bookish bucket list. Last week I added: visit Venice, Italy, own and read the Game of Thrones series, and go snorkeling in Hawaii.

Read Wuthering Heights

I actually own a very old version of this book, not sure if it’s first edition or not. I might have started it back in High School (more than ten years ago if you must know), but I never finished it. It is referenced in so many other books that I feel like I already know what it’s about, but I feel like I do need to read it someday.

Visit Paris, France

In Jojo Moyes’ book Me Before You, Louisa Clark yearns to visit this little café in Paris which Will described for her in great detail. Ever since I read this book I’ve wanted to visit this city and sit in one such place sipping on coffee and reading a good book, maybe this same one.

Own the Blood of Eden series

I feel like the Blood of Eden series by Julie Kagawa is so underrated, but I really loved it and would like to own it. It’s a dystopian saga, with a strong female main character, and vampires. What more can you ask for? I currently own the e-books, but I will be adding the real books to my collection soon.

What are some book related things you wish to do?

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The Space Between Time Review

May 16, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

He was our star, we circled in uneasy orbit. Mum was a moon; I sometimes felt like a small piece of space junk.”
Emma

This story is about Emma, a girl who on the surface seems to have the perfect life, but in reality struggles to deal with the consequences of her parents’ life choices. She spends her whole childhood wondering why her famous actor father would ever marry her neurotic mother, and why he would choose to isolate them to a small town in Scotland while he travels the world without them. We follow Emma from childhood into adulthood, through tragedy and heartbreak, while she attempts to find herself in a world set on sticking a label on everyone.

I then decide that I must still have all sorts of panoramas ahead of me, uncharted possibilities to be explored, and maybe that’s what life is all about: to journey, rather than find landfall, because the sea is empty of bad intentions and the land is full of bad people. That’s why I like to look at the sea…”
emma

I found Emma’s inner dialogue and narration hilarious and entertaining, and it only gets better as she gets older. There was a scene where she attended a Christmas school play which honestly was one of the funniest scenes I’ve ever read. There’s also this other narrative where Emma is having an argument with a guy during a parade which is absolutely brilliant as well.

Leith is now a place of reinvention where dockyard pubs, within which taciturn men silently drink beer and whisky, sit side by side with wine bars serving chardonnay on tap.”
emma

Laidlaw’s descriptions of people and places were original and easy to picture. I loved Emma’s grandpa Alberto with his temperamental mustache. I enjoyed reading about her friend Patsy, who was so full of life that I sometimes envied her, and I’m sure at times Emma was jealous of her as well. I especially liked Knox, the prickly anti-social toilet trained cat.

I want to be my own little planet, bustling quietly around the universe; I don’t want to be in someone else’s orbit…”
emma

This book was something else. I accepted an ARC from the author, Charlie Laidlaw, after reading a short description of the book and thinking it was interesting enough, and I needed some light reading. However, this was not in any way light, and I was not expecting to be totally blown away by it. This story was deep and profoundly real. It delves into hard topics such as suicide, depression, and anxiety, while also inserting humor in all the right places. I would recommend it to anyone wishing to learn more about what it means to be alive.

Charlie Laidlaw’s book releases June 20, 2019.

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Monday Cleaning Day

May 13, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

I have come to really enjoy writing these Monday posts. They create the illusion that I have some sort of control over my TBR list. On these posts I got to my Goodreads TBR list, I order it in reverse order, and from “date added.” I then pick the first ten books and I choose whether to keep them or delete them from my list. I obviously skip the books I decided to keep in past weeks.

The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson

The first thing I noticed when I looked at this book is that the cover is gorgeous. As you probably know, I am a sucker for pretty covers. My friends on Goodreads have rated this book 3 to 5 stars, which is promising. But, what really sold me on this was the fact that one of my favorite authors Sabaa Tahir (author of An Ember in the Ashes) rated it 5 stars. If she loves it, then I will love it.

Keep 🙂

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan

Lets face it, the cover is terrible. But, my friends on Goodreads who have read it all have given it above a four star rating. It seems like a feel good book. I just have to be in a certain mood to read those. But I will try it!

Keep 🙂

The Star Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes (#1 and #2) by Roshani Chokshi

Both of these look really good, and they have great reviews from all my friends on Goodreads. Also, another one of my favorite authors Sarah J. Maas, rated it five stars so now I definitely have to read it!

Keep 🙂

Truthwitch (The Witchlands, #1) by Susan Dennard

There are a lot of mixed reviews on this one. But many of my friends on Goodreads did not finish it, and many more did not like it. So I will have to pass.

Delete 😦

Shadow and Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

I can’t believe I still haven’t read these. I loved Six of Crows, and I am currently loving Crooked Kingdom. I am sure I will like these as well.

Keep 🙂

Wonder Woman: Warbringer (DC Icons, #1) by Leigh Bardugo

I love everything Wonder Woman, and I love Leigh Bardugo, so essentially this book was made for me to read it.

Keep 🙂

King of Scars (Nikolai Duology, #1) by Leigh Bardugo

I guess I went on a Leigh Bardugo TBR spree for a while there didn’t I? I’ve heard great things about this one, and it has great ratings on Goodreads. But I will wait until I finish the Shadow and Bone trilogy and then decide if I want to read this one.

Delete (for now)

Ninth House (Alex Stern, #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Okay, I am noticing a trend here. It seems like Bardugo has started a lot of trilogies and duologies and has yet to finish them. That makes me nervous. Once again, I will finish the Shadow and Bone trilogy and then decide if I want to read this one.

Delete (for now)

Dangerous Beauty (Dangerous Beauty, #1) by J.T. Geissinger

This is one of my guilty pleasures. It has great reviews. I am keeping it there for whenever I am in the mood.

Keep 🙂

Verity by Colleen Hoover

I haven’t read one of her books in a while. It has almost all five star reviews, and barely any bad reviews. It looks like an interesting story. Also, look at that cover!

Keep 🙂

So I ended up looking at thirteen books, because they were part of a series. I deleted only three this time, but I still feel better about it.

P.S. You guys know how I said on my first Monday Cleaning Day post I had 70 ish books on my TBR list? Well…theres 109 there now, and I have no idea how that happened.

How are you guys doing on your TBR list? How do you manage it?

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Bookish Bucket List

May 10, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

Last week I added: read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, go to New York, and own the Shatter Me series.

Go to Venice, Italy

I totally blame this one on The Red Scrolls of Magic. I’ve always had a bit of curiosity when it comes to Venice, but this book solidified that for me. I must go there even if it does smell like sewer water. I want to go on a gondola ride, and have breakfast, lunch and dinner next to the water like Alec and Magnus. Now I just need the money.

Own and read the Game of Thrones series

The show is about to come to an end, and I know I will miss these characters. That is mainly why I haven’t read the whole series yet. This series is also a giant monstrosity in length and it will take me a while to read it in between all my other books. But I will!

Go Snorkeling in Hawaii

In the book Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon, all Madeline wants to do is visit Hawaii and see the Humuhumunukunukuapuaa fish. Try to say that three times fast. This is the Hawaii state fish, and her desire to experience the outside world is infectious. I’ve been yearning to go there ever since I read the book, and why not?

What are some bookish things you want to do in the future?

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WWW Wednesday

May 8, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

This is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where you answer three questions: What are you reading now? What did you just read? What will you be reading next?

I can’t believe it’s Wednesday again. But here is what I just read, what I’m currently reading and what I plan to read next. Although not everything ends up going to plan, I still try my best.

What I just read

The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare

This book was amazing. I knew I would love it because I love all her books and this was no exception. I missed these characters so much. My full review is coming up soon!

What I’m reading/listening to now

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

This is the first audio book I try, and it’s a good one. It is voiced by three different people which is great when a male actually voices the male character. I’ve been listening to the audio on my way to and from work and when I do housework. Then, I switch to the real book on my down time. I’m loving the story. I liked the Immortal Rules series by her, and I knew I would love this one.

What I plan to read next

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

I’ve started this book and then left it a few times and I don’t know why. The beginning drops you right in the middle of the action and it seems like it will be a great read. I think I just stopped it because Red Scrolls got released and I just had to read that one, but I will definitely finish this one soon!

What are you guys’ WWW’s?

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The Sparrow by Denna M. Davis

May 8, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

This book had a lot of potential. The story was unique, and the world building was well done. Unfortunately, the characters lacked depth and there was a tendency to over explain feelings and emotions which became very bothersome as the story progressed.

Come read my full review at:

http://onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-deesreadingtree.html

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Legendary Book Review

May 7, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

https://www.instagram.com/deesreadingtree/

I have a confession to make…I just recently managed to finish reading Legendary, and in honor of Finale by Stephanie Garber releasing today I am posting my review. For reasons I will explain, I was dragging my feet through this book, and I kept giving up on it. Finally, once I changed my frame of mind I got through it, and I enjoyed it.

Let me explain. I liked the first Caraval book which was mostly narrated by Scarlett Dragna. It was a four star rating for me. Legendary was narrated by her sister Donatella, and I had a lot of trouble liking her, but once I got used to her snarky personality and the reasons behind it, the story got a bit better. Another thing I disliked was the way she kept changing her mind. One page she would decide on one course of action, and then the next page she would decide something else. This would go back and forth until finally a decision was basically made for her. It was really annoying.

When it came to the relationship between the sisters, they seemed pretty close in the first book, like a united front. But in this book they were keeping secrets from each other, and suspecting one another, it was very frustrating. I found myself screaming at them to collaborate, because they only have each other.

I did enjoy the male characters Dante and Jacks. I found their behaviors were more consistent than that of the female characters. Dante was dark, sexy, intriguing and he knew exactly what he wanted when it came to Tella. Jacks was a great villain, one I kind of started to like by the end. I didn’t see too much of Julian which made me a bit sad because I like him. Hopefully we get more of him in the next book.

This world is easy to get lost in, and once I stopped fighting it and just gave into it I was able to enjoy the story a lot more. Garber did a great job as always when it came to the world building. The gowns, the people, and the buildings were all described in great detail. The last 200 pages of the book were fun and entertaining, and it felt like I was playing along with Tella. Once I stopped taking the story so seriously and I let the spirit of Caraval sweep me away I was able to enjoy myself a lot more.

After all, it is only a game. ♠️

Any of you lucky people who got an ARC already read Finale? Will I like it?

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Monday Cleaning Day

May 6, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

I’ve actually been looking forward to doing this all week. I went a little TBR happy for a few days there adding everything and anything to my list. Now every time I look at it my OCD starts getting to me. Just like last Monday I organized my Goodreads TBR list in reverse chronological order. I then chose the first ten books and decided to keep or delete it. I obviously skipped the books I decided were keepers last Monday.

Marked (Eternal Guardians, #1) by Elisabeth Naughton

I read one of Naughton’s books a long time ago, it’s called Wait for Me, and it was published in 2011. At the time I was into these romance novels, but this is not that time.

Delete 😦

Rapture (The Elfin, #2) by Quinn Loftis and Surrender (The Elfin, #3)

I did like the first in this series, but once again that was many years ago and I don’t think I will continue on with it. The recent reviews for it are bad, and many of my friends on Goodreads also agree that this series went downhill.

Delete 😦

Consumed (Firefighters, #1) and The Thief (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #16)

Like I said on my Guilty Pleasures post, I have to be in a certain mood to read J.R. Ward books. I have heard a lot of great things about both of these books, especially The Thief. I do love me some Brotherhood vampires every once in a while.

Keep 🙂

Glitter (Glitter, #1) and Earthbound (Earthbound, #1) by Aprilynne Pike

These books have really bad reviews from everyone on Goodreads. I remember reading a few of Pike’s books when I was a teenager, but I think I have outgrown them. It’s a shame, because the Glitter cover is so gorgeous.

Delete 😦

Storm and Fury (The Harbinger, #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I’ve been looking forward to this book which will be out in June. I really liked her Wicked series. I found it really fun and entertaining. Before that I enjoyed the Lux series.

Keep 🙂

To Best the Boys by Mary Weber

I’ve never read one of Weber’s books, but I have heard great things about this one, and that cover is gorgeous.

Keep 🙂

The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves, #1) by Roshani Chokshi

Once again this is another one I’ve heard lots of good things about. Everyone on my Goodreads friends list agrees this is a keeper. Also, look at that cover! I am a sucker for pretty covers.

Keep 🙂

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

I think I added to my TBR list to recommend it to a friend who likes these type of books and then I forgot about it. I have since told said friend and deleted it.

Delete 😦

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

I understand I’m way behind the times with this one. Everyone says it’s great. It has just been sitting there on my TBR list and I have struggled to get to it, but I will!

Keep 🙂

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

I really liked Flame in the Mist, but I struggled to get through Smoke in the Sun and eventually DNF it. I will attempt to read it again soon. But this one I’m really excited about because I love vampires, also the cover! It’s coming out October 8, 2019.

Keep 🙂

Once again I do realize I ended up talking about thirteen books and deleted six of them, but only because they were by the same author or part of a series. My OCD is thanking me 🙂

Have you done any deleting in your TBR list lately? Do you avoid looking at it sometimes like I do?