{TTT} Things That Make My Lil Bookish Heart Go Pitter Patter

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the awesome ladies at The Broke and the Bookish. Apparently, they are overly fond of list-making and love to share their bookish lists with the rest of us book nerds.  =) We're game.

This week's topic is Top Ten Bookworm Delights.

Jen's Picks:

1. Reading outside...but especially in a hammock - There is just nothing like reading outdoors! By a body of water, under a tree, or on a park bench...nothing beats it. I just find it so much easier to immerse myself in a book's world when I'm also communing with nature.

2. Pretty or unusual editions - I love the leatherbound series from Barnes & Noble. I also love gilded edges or the black edges like those for Six of Crows or deckled edges. Pretty much anything that makes the book special and look extra special sitting on my shelves.

3. Used book stores/the smell of old books - These two go hand-in-hand. I could spend hours days in Half Price Books, just browsing and sniffing books. It would be easier (and cheaper!) if someone would just get me that old book scented candle I've been longing for. ;0) I do have a birthday coming up...hint, hint. =D

4. Finding out a kid you know is a reader - Of course, my own daughter is a reader. I think I'd never stop crying if she wasn't. But it just warms my bookish heart SO MUCH when I discover that one of her friends or cousins or even one of my friend's kids loves to read to. (To add to this, I also love discovering that anyone I meet loves to read.)

5. Being completely shocked by a twist - I read a lot...and often. And not much surprises me these days when it comes to reading. So when a book has a twist that I didn't see coming, that totally stunned me, I am all in. (I'm looking at you, The Kiss of Deception.)

6. When a bookish friend finally reads your favorite book and loves it - One of my closest friends finally read The Scorpio Races -- which is arguably one of my very favorite books, having just re-read it for the 7th time earlier this month -- and it was just so amazing to know that she loved it as much as I'd hoped she would when I found out she'd never read it before.

7. Going back to read a book you couldn't finish before and discovering you love it - Admittedly, this doesn't happen very often, but when it does, oh, the happy dance that ensues. I try to give every book the benefit of the doubt, and I realize that sometimes, it's me or the mood I'm in, not the book. Which is why, in addition to my DNF shelf, I also have one called to come back to.

8. Re-reading books - I own books for a reason, and it's not just so they look pretty on my shelves. I actually intend to re-read them some day. Granted, I usually end up doing so via audio because of time constraints and the sheer volume of review copies I receive, but I do end up revisiting a lot of favorites throughout the year, especially if a new installment is forthcoming.

9. Discovering one of your favorite authors is writing a new series - And it's even better than you could have hoped. Maybe even better than the last one!

10. When the final book in a series meets/exceeds your expectations - Waiting for a series finale can be torture, but reading it and hating the way the author ended things is even worse. So when the final installment actually lives up to your expectations, it's kind of the absolute best.

I could have listed tons more, but I went a little overboard with last week's top ten, so I decided to reign it in a bit this week, lol. What are some of your favorite bookish delights?

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Labels: book love, bookish favorites, top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Books With All the Swoons

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the awesome ladies at The Broke and the Bookish.  Apparently, they are overly fond of list-making and love to share their bookish lists with the rest of us book nerds.  =)  We're game.

This week's list features the Top Ten Books That Will Make You Swoon:

April's picks:


Anna and the French Kiss was the first YA contemporary I've every picked up. Ever since then, I've been hooked. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight really had me swooning because love at first sight, I know it's cliche' but it's real. I knew the moment I saw my husband that we would be together. Delirium, I chose that because it's a world where love is not allowed, so every swoony scene felt forbidden Slammed, Oh how I loved that book. And On the Island, there are a lot of swoony moments that can happen on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere. :)

Jen's picks:


Kind of funny that two of my "bring me to tears" reads also ended up on my swoony reads list, but I tend to really love the books that make me feel ALL THE THINGS. Also, Maggie is good at writing the swoony boys, even if there isn't a whole lot of kissing in her books. =) And then there's Cricket. *sigh* Everyone needs a Cricket.

And this is why these books make me swoon:

So, which books made you swoon?  :)  Share the link to you TTT post so we can visit!

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Labels: all the swoons, book love, romance, top ten tuesday

The Making of a Library

I think it's safe to say that all of us book nerd types desire to one day own a library of our very own, complete with rolling ladder and comfy reading nook.  I know I do.  But I also dream of the organization of a library, the ease of use.

I find myself reorganizing my bookshelves with the seasons or with my moods, and because of this, they're all mixed together now, and I don't have a running list of what I still need to read. And I daresay that at least a third of the books on my shelves are unread.  I'm a spontaneous book buyer. If I see it and I want it, I usually buy it, funds willing.

I also can't say no to a good sale.  Or Half Price Books.  Or review copies.  But I digress.

I really want to make my dream library a reality.  And being the organized person I am, I want to catalog ALL THE BOOKS. Looking at my shelves, I can tell you what I haven't read at a glance.  But when I'm trying to decide on my next read, I want to have choices...I want to know all my options.  I'd also like to know which books I've passed on more than a few times so I can find a better home for them.

Ideally, I'd create a card catalog and have every single books' identifying information listed.  But that's a pipe dream.  Instead -- and also because I am a total spreadsheet nerd -- I'm going to use my awesome spreadsheet skills and organize an entire workbook around cataloging all of my books, present and future acquisitions.  It's worked so well with my review schedule and really helped me keep track of what I'm reading and need to be reading for review purposes.  It can't fail.  And maybe, one day, all of that info can be transcribed to a real card catalog of my own making.  One day...*sighs*

This also means I'll be reorganizing my bookshelves again in the very near future.  I keep changing it up...alphabetical order, favorites, read vs. not read.  I sort of want to color-code my shelves, but then I'd never be able to find anything.  Okay, that's not entirely true.  I kind of have a photographic memory and can easily recall the covers of books I've read or am at least somewhat familiar with.  But still.  That's not really organized, and it would end up peeving me rather quickly, resulting in another weekend spent organizing.

I want to get all of this done in the next few weeks -- at least the reorganizing part -- because I want to show off my shelves.  I've had a request or two for a bookshelf tour, and though I doubt I could ever gather enough courage to appear in such a video, I'd be more than happy to share my shelves with you guys.  Also, I've never counted my books, so I'll finally know just how many books I own.  (I'm currently giving away three boxes - which equates to 22 books -- if you're interested.)

This is kind of a big undertaking, and I probably should have made it one of my resolutions so that when I finish, I can say I've accomplished something off that list.  Either way, I'm pretty excited about this endeavor.  And if nothing else, it'll help me with Resolution #1, which was to read more for pleasure.  Which, for me, means hitting up some of those books that are sitting on my shelf collecting dust and feeling unloved.  :(  And all books need a little love...

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Labels: 2014, blogging goals, book love, home library, reading goals, resolutions, the making of a library