How to Survive Your Book Buying Ban | Bookish Musings

Do you buy way too many books? Have you been spending more money on books than food? And have you not finished most of the books you bought in recent months? If so, a self-quarantined Book-Buying Ban is in order!

What's a Book-Buying Ban? Well, its exactly what it sounds like. Additionally, it's when readers, quite simply, stop purchasing books because their TBR (to-be-read) pile has gone up and too many books have been on the back-burner. 

I've put myself on the Book-Buying-Ban for obvious reasons. Also, my TBR list has actually hindered my book-shopping experience. Shopping for books is not as enjoyable as it used to be because I'm always thinking of unfinished books and it drives me nuts! It's not the book themselves, it's me and it's got to end.

Thus, I've compiled a list to aid me in Book-Buying endeavors because book-buying bans are a lot harder than you'd think. These tips have helped me successfully achieve my book-buying ban and I hope they help you as well :).

1. Set a goal, usually a number of books you'd like to finish before your next book purchase. Considering the number of books I had on my TBR pile, I set my goal to finish at least five books.
2. Set a deadline. This could be a holiday, birthday, the end of the month, etc. For me, I received a Barnes & Noble coupon that expires on November 16th, which became my deadline. Voila!
3. Resist temptation, in other words avoid bookshops! This is the most simple, yet most difficult obstacle to overcome. Personally, after a hard day at work I have the urge to visit my local bookshop and submerge myself with books and words. It is so tempting! But I think of my goal and deadline and steer (literally) away from the bookshop when driving home.
4. Pick up a random book that has been sitting on your shelf for months and start reading! Most likely, you'll realize the book is amazing and you'll wonder why you hadn't read it sooner. This is true! For example, The Salinger Contract by Adam Salinger had been sitting on my shelf for months. One night, I randomly picked it up and it became one of the best books I read this year.

And The Best Quote of The Year Goes To | Bookish Musings

"That the author is speaking only to us, that he is writing only for us, that no one on Earth has the same relationship to that author as we do. I have the same fantasy every time I read a book I love, no matter who wrote it, no matter when it was written. That the author has written his book only for me." The Salinger Contract by Adam Langer

Ghosts, Asylums and Vampires | Recommendations

"Autumn is the hardest season. The leaves are all falling, and they're falling like they're falling in love w ith the ground."

Fall is my absolute favorite season. I don't think I truly fell in love with this season until I went to Paris and saw the breath-taking trees au Jardin des Plantes change color. That was also the beginning of my love affair with the color Orange (as you can see my blog layout). Sorry Purple, step aside.

And what better way to celebrate the fall season than a 

*drumroll* 

HALLOWEEN BOOK RECOMMENDATION! ... list... favorites... get chyo hands on.

 

Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix was recently published last month and I did an in-depth review of an advanced-readers-copy last month right here. At first glance, the cover looks like an IKEA catalog, but if you look closely you can see the horror lurking in the... picture frames. The book is Saw-like but it's definitely refreshing. Employees of an IKEA-like furniture superstore called Orsk decide to take on a graveyard shift after finding continual signs of break-in and vandalism.They're in for a surprise as a simple floor sweep takes them deep into the horrifying history and secret of the land Orsk is built upon.

The Asylum by John Harwood is a Gothic horror treasure. His Victorian-inspired narration is nostalgic of the Classics, but also uniquely addicting. I love it! I also consider my discovery of this book a bit John Harwood-like (teehee). I had stumbled upon an obscure review in an out-dated Literary Review magazine. Immediately intrigued, I tracked down the only hardcover copy in Los Angeles at a small bookshop on the coast of Malibu. This horror thriller is about Georgina Ferrars who wakes up at an asylum in the English countryside with no memory of how she got there. On top of that, her identity has been stolen dun, Dun, DUN!

Halfway to the Grave is book one of the Night Huntress series, which is one of my favorite paranormal romance series. If you like this book, you're in for a treat because the series is complete with six additional books! Half human, half vampire Catherine Crawford hates vampires. In fact, she's made it her duty to go out and kill them with the hope of finding her vampire father. After meeting Bones, a sexy vampire bounty hunter, she forms an unlikely partnership with him to go after the bad guys. There's action, blood, snappy and witty dialogues, and sexy times. I also recommend the spin-off Night Prince series.

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa is book one of the Blood of Eden series and one of my all-time favorite YA series. It's a heady combination of vampires, romance, and dystopia, with a hint of Walking Dead nomadism and zombie-like abominations. The Immortal Rules follows Allison Sekemoto in a vampire-dominated world where everyday is a test of life or death. This is not your typical girl-meets-vampire love story. It's raw, gutty, and evokes controversial questions of humanity and morality. And Allison is one of my favorite YA heroines of all time. ALL TIME. She has so much character development. When people hear of character development, they think of a character becoming stronger, wiser, and perhaps more kick-ass, but Allison is already all of those things. That's why it's so remarkable seeing her grow in other ways. 

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead | Review

Discovered: Movie Trailer

Status: Read

Purchased: Kobo

Mode: E-Book

Goodreads Rating: **

Summary:

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . . -Goodreads

In-Depth:
I thoroughly enjoy vampire tropes and was excited to begin the Vampire Academy. Thank goodness, I didn't jump in and purchase the boxed set because I didn't completely enjoy the first book.

I admit, I don't read many YA books that emphasize high school life. It's difficult for me to read from a heroine's POV that is fully in high school mode when my own gap between now and high school is increasing. However, the vampire world building and the intricacies of social and class hierarchy were truly fascinating.

My biggest and only problem with the book was Rose. Yes, I heard this character goes through extensive character development throughout the series (thank goodness), but she truly annoyed me in Vampire Academy. I know that her reckless and passionate behavior are causes of her being shadow-kissed, but that doesn't excuse the fact that she was a judgmental douche. And it's hard to relate and cheer-on a judgmental douche. I did not like her judgments of Natalie just because she was "plain and boring". I cringed when reading what she did to Mia, despite the fact that Mia was just as horrible. And I had to take a break after her horrible behavior with Christian. I don't care if she's a badass novice soon-to-be greatest Guardian of all. My admiration for a character is built on character, not action.

Reading from Rose's POV was so irritating that I hurried to finish the book just to be done with her. I'm still thinking about continuing with the series just to see how much Rose develops but not anytime soon.  

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton | Review

Discovered: Goodreads

Status: Read

Purchased: Barnes & Noble

Mode: Hardcover

Goodreads Rating: ***

Summary: 

"On a brisk autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt. But her new home, while splendorous, is not welcoming. Johannes is kind yet distant, always locked in his study or at his warehouse office-leaving Nella alone with his sister, the sharp-tongued and forbidding Marin.

But Nella's world changes when Johannes presents her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. To furnish her gift, Nella engages the services of a miniaturist-an elusive and enigmatic artist whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in eerie and unexpected ways . . ." -Goodreads

In-Depth:
I picked up the book thinking it was a historical drama, yet I was pleasantly surprised with the suspense. It was addicting and the buildup was refreshing. Jessie Burton perfectly captured the emotion and chaos of pure shock. I literally dropped the book on one occasion.

Unfortunately, I was left hanging at the end with no closure involving the Miniaturist and her figurines. The revelation of the Miniaturist was definitely a surprise, despite the lack of the fantastical I had presumed. I can see how the Miniaturist was kind of a mirror-figure, rather than a prophetess, who provided a reflection on the lives of women. However, the book's tackle on one-too-many subjects muddied the subject of the Miniaturist herself. Don't get me wrong, I definitely enjoyed the family drama and Burton's touch on gender, sexuality, race, social classes, religion, and economy. But I picked up the book based on the premise of the title itself and I was left hanging.  

Book Riot Quarterly Box #BKR04 | Unboxing

Recently, a friend said to me "You read books to get away from everything." A bit flustered, I nodded along since she was kind of correct. But later I realized that there is this stereotype that voracious readers read books in order to escape the "suckiness" of everyday life. This could be partly true, but it is mostly horribly wrong.

Book Riot and Quarterly did an awesome job with this quarter's theme of how books, stories, pictures, words, and all that jazz bring about magic. And personally, the theme helped me address the previously mentioned stereotype. I don't read just to escape from the realities of life; I could do that by meeting up with friends, drinking, etc. There's more to reading than that! I read to tap into the magic most non-readers couldn't dare imagine. This connection I have with authors, stories, sentences, and pictures is a passion, not a past-time. 

So I'm really really excited to jump into this quarterly box! Despite all the magic floating around I feel like this box of goodies will also ground me in understanding, if not fully, the complexities of reading and the lasting effects of books. These days I've been floating from one story to another, maybe I'll even crack the readers' code to immortality. Just kidding, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore references anyone?

  

Without further ado~

#BKR04 in a nutshell

The one and only note from Book Riot! It's also my map to navigate and reference through all the awesomeness.

The first thought that popped into my mind when I flipped through its pages was "Wow book, you really get me!" What We See When We Read is that book I've been searching for without really knowing I've been searching for it. This edition includes personal foot-notes from Peter Mendelsund. Man, I feel special. And there are illustrations! I need more illustrations in my life so this is perfect.

I really like what Book Riot is doing with their Quarterly box genre selections. Last quarter, there were YA, romance, and fantasy books. This quarter The Salinger Contract is a thriller for bibliophiles. I never know what to expect!

These are Literary Quote Prints from Obvious State and I received quotes from F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jorge Luis Borges! My parents think I buy way too many prints for myself, but I guess it's alright as long as I didn't pay for these. Wait, I did pay for these! Then why do they feel like presents... #MyPersonalChristmas

Book goodies! Everybody loves good ol' custom-made stickers, buttons, and bookmarks. But wait, that's not just a bookmark! Its a free e-book, or a code to redeem a free e-book, called Maps and Legends: Reading and Writing Along the Borderlands by Michael Chabon, a series of essays championing story-telling.

And last but not least, a Read Harder water bottle. Yes Book Riot, I shall. I can't wait to whip this out at work tomorrow.

World After by Susan Ee | Review

Discovered: Goodreads

Status: Read

Purchased: Barnes & Noble Online

Mode: Paperback

Goodreads Rating: ****

Have you once imagined angels as ethereal cherubs, floating on cotton candy clouds? Well, the angels of World After will turn every perception you had upside down. 

__

Synopsis:

After dipping her feet in the world of angels, Penryn attempts to recuperate her family with the fledgling human encampment called The Resistance. However the Youngs are too strange even for a group of apocalypse survivors. Paige has become a child-Frankenstein with a questionable appetite and Penryn's close encounter with death has people convinced that she's much closer to the devil. Also, her mother's continued psychotic shenanigans aren't exactly neighborly. Amid rising tensions, people capture Paige thinking she's a monster; however, chaos ensues as the angels' latest science experiment descends upon the encampment. The encampment is in shatters and Paige has disappeared. In order to get Paige back, Penryn must embark on another mission that takes her deeper into the schemes and politics of angels.

In Depth:

World After is fascinating due to its blend of science fiction and horror. Angels running mad-scientist experiments? Maddening! I would've never imagined such a scenario in the angel trope as such scenarios are usually found in science fiction and extraterrestrial books. Yet, the angels of World After are like a different species altogether. They're cold, ruthless, and sterile. Although Susan Ee's take on angels is refreshing, I personally believe she may have strayed a bit too far from the angel trope. If you ignore the small bit about Judgement Day, World After is another novel of extraterrestrial invasion and human experimentation. Fortunately, this issue did not divert my enjoyment from the book. I found the angels' agenda shocking and their politics intricate and surprisingly human.

Revisiting Penryn's POV was also a delight. She is a force to be reckoned with in the YA genre. In World After, her strength, bravery, and sass grew as she was bombarded with more apocalyptic dilemmas and obligations. But Susan Ee painfully reminds us that Penryn is not a robot. She is very human and very young. Her act of locking away her problems behind a steel door shows that she's clearly a girl who was forced to grow up too early.

Yes, Penryn is mature beyond her years but she still has a lot to learn, regarding the complexities of humanity and sisterhood. Don't get me wrong, Penryn is an amazing older sister but after Paige's change, she has a hard time reconciling her sisterly emotions and familial obligations. Her sisterly emotions have not caught up to her post-apocalypse logic as she learns that providing food and shelter are not all there is to being an older sister.

Penryn faces more apocalyptic dilemmas regarding her feelings for Raffe. I'm going to agree with other reviewers and bemoan the lack of Raffe in World After. C'mon, he the YA eye candy! Yet, I do like how Penryn and Raffe's relationship isn't as explosive as other YA couples. In many paranormal romances, characters get together with such eagerness despite the obvious taboo; however, Penryn and Raffe are slow and definitely wary of each other. There is definitely a lot trust building in both Angelfall and World After and I'm sure the character building/romance will be phenomenal once we progress with the series.