The A-Z Bookish Survey

Since it is Tuesday and I've never done a tag on the actual Tag Tuesday so let's change that! I came across the A-Z Survey on My Shelf & Myself  and it looks really interesting. I've only read the first few questions so far so let's see how this goes.

Author You've Read the Most Books From:

I have to say Nora Roberts/JD Robb is the author I feel like I've read the most from lately. Robb and Roberts are the same person, she writes the In Death series under Robb but the rest of her books are under Roberts. I love the In Death series and I'm currently in the middle of the series. Since I love the In Death series I started branching out into Roberts books, and so far I haven't found one I haven't liked but Shelter in Place definitely my favorite right now. 

Best Sequel Ever:

This one is a little bit difficult because I don't read a whole lot of series, and a lot of the sequels I read I feel like hurts the book instead of adding to it. I'm going to count comics and I loved Saga book two. I can't wait to add more of the series to my shelves! I love meeting the grandparents and seeing how this story evolves with more people being added to the story.

Currently Reading:

I'm currently working on two different books. The physical book is Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center. It was my Book of the Month pick in July and I feel like I'm going to love it but I'm having a hard time just sitting down to read! It's not because I'm bored with the book it is because I just have so much going on that it is really interfering with my reading time at the moment. Then I'm also working on The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas on audiobook. I always have at least one of each format going but I'm definitely going through the audiobooks faster at the moment. 

Drink of Choice While Reading:

I don't really care, I know a lot of people love to have tea or coffee or whatever while reading but I don't always have a drink. When I do have a drink it's just because I already had my water sitting there.

E-Reader or Physical Book?

I'm not picky but I'm definitely a mood reader. I have a Kindle and I love using it but I've noticed that if I'm not really hooked into the book I'm reading on my Kindle then I drag through the book. So it really depends on the book for me to pick which version works best for me.

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Dated in High School:

I've had so many different book boyfriends growing up! I used to be in love with Shane from Morganville Vampires and Cole from the White Rabbit Chronicles! I have no clue why but I loved them growing up. You would think I would be in love Harry from Harry Potter too because of how obsessed with the series I am but I've never pictured any of them as fictional boyfriends. Today me would love to pick Roarke from the In Death series but he wasn't the nicest little boy growing up! If you've read this series you'd know what he went through and how he was before he met Eve. Another recent read that I just loved the character was Zane Bigelow from Under Current! He also had a very hard childhood but I just loved the man he grew up to be! My biggest issue with these guys is I love them with their female counterparts and I don't know how I would feel without these relationships in my life. 

Glad You Gave this Book a Chance:

So of course I have two book that instantly come to mind for this book and that is The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir and the Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Both of these books were Book of the Month books and neither one of these books would've been something I would've picked up on my own. But I absolutely LOVE both of these books. I could see me maybe eventually picking up the Wife Between Us but I would never have picked up Essie! I hate the way Essie looks. I never really hear anyone talk about the Book of Essie but I loved the way that book went. It was insane!

Hidden Gem Book:

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga! I don't think I ever hear anyone talk about this book ever! This first book was amazing and I loved the series but it was rough too. It's about a Jasper Dent who's father is a serial killer and I thought the perspective of Jazz was so interesting! This is a series and it definitely had its ups and downs but overall I loved the series.

Important Moment in Your Reading Life:

I think I'm currently working through one of the most important moments in my reading life. I've always wanted a library with floor to ceiling bookshelves. I never really cared about the shelves themselves just the fact that they are floor to ceiling and they are all piled with the books. Well I don't have a library BUT I'm currently building my own floor to ceiling bookshelves. They are pretty much done I just need to add the last two shelves! I'm so excited! They are about 7 feet tall and 16 feet wide! I cannot tell you how proud of this book shelf I am. This is the second bookshelf I've ever built and it is very different from the first one. My first book shelf I made is the crate shelf where you screw those wooden crates together. I love this shelf too, I sanded the crates and stained them. This one is actually industrial and screwed into the wall and everything! After it is completely finished and the books are 100% organized I'm going to do to the Aesthetic book tag! I can't wait.

Just Finished:

I just finished Red Rising by Pierce Brown! This book and I have a love/hate relationship. This was a book that I bought because of all the hype around it, and it really sounded so cool. Everyone is comparing the book to Hunger Games, even the synopsis gives you Hunger Game vibes. So when I saw it on sale on the Kindle store I bought it! I tried reading this book 2 times on my Kindle and only made it about 100 pages in and stopped. The book itself has a lot of slow parts and because of that it felt 10x longer on my Kindle. It was seriously like no matter how much I read I never put a dent in the book and it was really discouraging. But I wanted to read it not just because the hype but because it was really interesting overall. So I got it through Overdrive from my local library as an audiobook and I love that I did, because let me tell you I wouldn't have finished it if I had to read this book on my own. It got better in some parts then worse in others. I love the plot twists and the action but there was just so many slow parts that I really don't know how I feel about the book.

Kinds of Books You Won't Read:

I really try to keep an open mind about everything, especially since I'm a mood reader. One day I want to read romance then the next I want to read sci fi. I don't really read historical fiction but I want too because I love history, however I haven't really found one that I love unless you count Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I feel like that book would be considered historical fiction a little bit and I love it. Same with sci fi I don't really jump into this genre a lot. I mostly stick to drama, romance, and mystery. 

Longest Book You've Ever Read:

The biggest book I've ever read has to be Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. It is 759 pages, and the biggest book that instantly comes to mind for me, I'm not really sure how to look up books by page count on Goodreads so we are going to have to go with Deathly Hollows. I don't really read much books past 500 pages that often.

Major Book Hangover Because Of:

My last book that really gave me a book hangover was Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson. This chunker was another book from Book of the Month and it was so incredible! The book follows three women from the time they enter West Point to the time they reach their careers and then how the rest of their lives went. There was a lot of incredible moments that happened in this book and some really heartbreaking times. I did get a little annoyed with the three different perspectives but it was so incredible. I love this book.

Number of Bookcases You Own:

I have 3 and 1/2 bookcases because I'm currently working on building my floor to ceiling bookcase. I have another small bookcase but I use it more for our video games than for books. 

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

I love rereading books! I reread Harry Potter every year, sometimes multiple times a year since the illustrated versions are coming out. Since the In Death series is so huge I love rereading books to help keep me refreshed in the books. Lately I've been rereading books I loved as a teen just to see if I still love them just as much now as I did when I first read them.

Preferred Place to Read:

I can read literally anywhere. But my favorite place to read is during the day on the couch with the sun for lighting, and with the TV on with my dogs. When it is too quiet I will read aloud to my dogs so it isn't too quiet.

Quote That Inspires You/Give You All The Feels from a Book You've Read:

"Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." From Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. It will always be my favorite quotes of all time.

Reading Regret:

I think my biggest regret when it comes to reading is making myself read through books even after I lose interest in it. I just learned that it is okay to DNF book and that I'm not going to love every book I pick up. Heck I'm just now getting okay with giving books 1 star! 

Series You Started and Need to Finish (All Books Have to be Out):

I would really love to go back the Cassandra Clare! I loved the Immortal Instruments series! I read the first three books in a week, but I didn't know about how expansive the Shadow Hunter world is! I never knew about the prequels and the sequel series. I want to jump back into the world and see how it all goes. I also really, really want to read Alec and Magnus Bane's series! I'm going to have to try this series again.

Three of You All-Time Favorite Books:

Well of course Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling! The adult me has to pick Naked in Death by JD Robb. Then the teen me has to pick Evernight by Claudia Gray, I don't know how many times I've read this book as a teenager.

Very Excited for this Release More than All Others:

I think all of the books that I was extremely excited to come out have already came out this year, which was Under Currents by Nora Roberts and Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Worst Bookish Habit:

I'm sorry guys but my worst bookish habit is my TBR pile! I have so many books that are sitting on my shelves because I haven't read yet and I still keep buying more books! I have honestly been doing really good this year by letting the Book of the Month be the only book I get each month. There are a few times where I'll get some add-on's in my box or splurge here and there such as my birthday I had gift cards so of course I went to the book store.

Your Latest Book Purchase:

My latest book purchase was actually textbooks for my graduate courses but let's bounce back one purchase and we shall talk about my birthday book haul! I was lucky enough to get the whole entire Lunar Chronicles in my box set! I love this series and I finally got the series in book form and not just on my Kindle. I also got Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes, and the Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson.

ZZZ-Snatcher Book (Last Book That Kept You Up Way Late):

I love falling asleep reading so I do this all the time but I think the last book I did this with was Well Met by Jen DeLuca! It was such a cute little summer book.

Twenty Question Book Tag!

I've been trying to figure out what book tag to do next and it seems like when I'm not looking for something, or even looking for something else, I find it! While scrolling through Goodreads I found a book tag that people have been filling out since 2016! So why not do it? They call it Twenty Questions Booktag! So let's see what the questions are.

1. How many books is too many books in a book series?

I don't think there is anything wrong with a huge book series, it helps finding what to read next. For example I'm slowly working my way through the In Death series by JD Robb (Nora Roberts). I love this series and I'm all the time recommending it to people who like books where there is mystery, romance, and comedy all tied up in one book. The series is set a little bit in the future but it doesn't focus on that, it just makes it so she can throw in little details that are so interesting. The series follows a lieutenant named Eve Dallas in NYC. Each book is a different case and Robb is still adding to the series! I believe the 50th book comes out in the spring, she typically releases one in the Spring and in the Fall. I'm only on book 20 so I have a way to go but it's always a fun read. 

Even though I don't mind a huge book series I think the only stipulation to this is when series sprouts into multiple different series, such as Cassandra Clare's books. Don't get me wrong I love the first three books in the Immortal Instruments series! But I get so confused with how these three books are these people and then these three are in the future with new characters, but then these three are in the past with a whole other set of people. I believe if I would've kept up with this series when I was a kid it wouldn't be as big of a deal as it is now for me. I hate when I get attached to this group of people and then all of the sudden a new book comes and then it is a completely new cast. 

2. How do you feel about cliffhangers?

I get the purpose of cliffhangers, especially in series. But the only time I love cliffhangers is when I already have the next book to jump right into. I hate when there is a cliffhanger but then you have to wait a year to find out the answer to what happens.

3. Hardback or Paperback?

I prefer hardback copies because I think they look so pretty on my shelves, but I usually get paperbacks because they are cheaper. I always go with whatever version is cheaper unless it a book I've been waiting to come out and I know I'm going to really love it then I'll splurge on getting the book right when it comes out.

4. Favorite Book?

My all time favorite book is definitely going to be Harry Potter. I reread the series at least once a year, especially now when the illustrated versions have been coming out. I never get tired of it. But my favorite new to me book is the Naked in Death because it started my love for the series.

5. Least Favorite Book?

I hated Normal People by Sally Rooney, I just couldn't get into it and the writing style just kept messing me up. Necessary People by Anna Pitoniak was almost as bad too! I tried to stick with books I actually finished and these two I didn't DNF but I really wanted too. They were both Book of the Month books, which breaks my heart even more.

6. Love Triangles?

That's another thing that if it is done right I can get behind it, but it does get over used a lot. The most recent love triangle I read about was in P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han and let me tell you I hated this one so much! I just don't think Laura Jean and Peter fit together in the books but I love them in the movie. Then a love triangle that I found hilarious and really worked well in the book was in Well Met by Jen DeLuca, it doesn't appear as the typical love triangle. In fact I'm not sure if others would see it as a love triangle but I did and I loved how it played out.

7. The Most Recent Book You Just Couldn't Finish?

I accidentally DNF books all the time! I mean I pick them up with all intentions of reading the book, usually get a few pages in, and then I just stop reading the book because I'm in the mood to read something else. So I'm just going to say Red Rising by Pierce Brown, which I've DNF about three times already, and most of the time it was because I just couldn't stick out the slow parts. I've learned that if I can't read a book in one format I can usually do it in another format, but I only buy the books that I feel like I would really enjoy if it was in another format. Red Rising is one of those, I've tried reading it as an eBook which is why I kept just laying it down and not going back to it so easily. I'm now working on it as an audiobook and let me tell you it is so much better as an eBook. I'm really picky with what I buy when it comes to books, and usually only venture out through my Book of the Month subscription.

8. A Book You're Currently Reading?

I'm currently listening to Red Rising by Pierce Brown and working my way through Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center. But if you look on my Goodreads it also says I'm working on Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes, and The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson. I'm trying to plow through so many different books at one time before school starts back so let's see if this strategy works or blows up in my face.

9. Last Book You Recommended to Someone?

I think the last book I recommended to someone was Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson. This book is definitely a chunker, but the topic it follows is so intense! This was a great read and I loved it. Prepare to cry if you pick it up.

10. Oldest Book You've Read?

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, first published on 9/21/1937.

11. Newest Book You've Read?

Well Met By Jen DeLuca, came out on 8/18/19.

12. Favorite Author?

I know Harry Potter is my favorite series but Rowling isn't my favorite author. As of today my favorite author is definitely JD Robb/Nora Roberts. So far every book I've picked up by her I've loved and they've all been 4 or 5 start books! She does get predictable here and there but I still love her stories. I haven't read a lot of her older work yet but I'm working my way back.

13. Buying Books or Borrowing Books?

Growing up I would always say buying books because I always wanted to create a ginormous library one day. I still want to do that, and currently working on building floor to ceiling bookshelves in my living room, but I love borrowing ebooks and audiobooks through Overdrive. I guess I still buy most of my books but I'm slowly bridging into borrowing more and more books. 

14. A Book You Dislike that Everyone Else Seems to Love?

I'm currently working on the Illuminae Files series by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. Everyone seems to really love this series but that first book was a struggle for me to get through. I just kept getting so bored with it. I already have the third book because it was on sale and I honestly feel like I keep it because I like how the books look on my shelves.

15. Bookmarks or Dog-Ears?

Bookmarks!

16. A Book You Can Always Reread?

Harry Potter! Another series I been rereading a lot that I don't think get tons of love is Evernight by Claudia Gray and The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong. Even though I love rereading Evernight I've never finished the series out, but I have the books so hopefully one day I will finish it out. Then with the Summoning I loved the first three books, but I never finished it because the cast all changes and I can't handle that. I would love to reread my Cassandra Clare books and try to get caught up because I really want to read Alec and Magnus's new series that she's been working on.

17. Can You Read While Hearing Music?

Considering I live in a house with 9 other people and 5 pets I don't think I could read if it was quiet. Whenever I'm home alone with my dogs I read aloud because it is too quiet.

18. One POV or Multiple POV's?

It depends on how the book is laid out. Roberts books usually follow two or three people, and it is easy to know who you are following. But with Game of Thrones, even though it tells you who you are following there are just so many different POV that it gets so confusing. If the story is clear and easy to follow I don't mind the different POV.

19. Do You Read a Book in One Sitting or Over Multiple Days?

I definitely read books over multiple days. I hardly ever read a book in a whole day. There have been a few that I've read in a whole day such as the first three in the Immortal Instrument series I read all three of them in 5 days. But especially now a days I don't have the time to just sit down and read all day.

20 is supposed to be who I tag, but I don't. I'm just doing this for fun and to get a little more content going. So a bonus question for me so we still have 20.

20. According to Goodreads How Many Books Have You Read?

According to Goodreads I've read 326 books! I don't know if that's completely accurate I started my account in 2009 I think but I didn't start taking it seriously until a few years later. I know if look through the books I want to read I can see some that I've read but they still fall in this category because I never marked them as read. But I think 326 looks pretty good so far. 

ShayKay's Review of Well Met by Jen DeLuca

GoodReads: Well Met by Jen DeLuca

Synopsis from the Book

Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, to help her sister, but who could have anticipated getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?

The Faire is Simon's family legacy, and he makes clear he doesn't have time for Emily's lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the Faire grounds, he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she's in her revealing wench's costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they're portraying?

This summer was only supposed to be a pit stop for Emily, but now she can't shake the fantasy of calling Willow Creek - and Simon - home.

Thoughts Before Reading

This was my August Book of the Month pick, and I had a hard time figuring out which book I wanted to read. I really thought about skipping the month but I hate doing that! I try to make BOTM the only book I get now because we are paying for a wedding so my book spending had to be knocked down a lot, and the fact that I kept to this as well as I have (there have been quite a few slips here and there) I'm very impressed so far. But I was going to the lake and it is still technically summer, and this book seems like a really good summer read. So I predict this is going to be around a 3-star book and I'm okay with that. I'm ready to lay in the sun and read this book! Hopefully, it's one of those surprises I'm better than I seemed books! 

(8/15)

After Thoughts

I'm so proud of myself for finishing this book so fast! I really enjoyed this book! Emily sometimes got a little annoying but it comes with the territory of being a summer romance book. The fact that the book took place at a Renaissance Faire was also really interesting! It isn't a subject that I read about that much. I initially picked up the book because I didn't want to skip a month with Book of the Month so I settled on this one, and I'm really glad that I did. Even though Simon and Emily really didn't get along, in the beginning, I don't think I would clarify this book as instalove, while reading the book you see Emily struggle with her feelings toward him. She doesn't just wake up one day and decide I'm going to love Simon and forget about how much I hated him the page before, and I really appreciated that. The book was really layered, you didn't have just the romance expect. Simon has a backstory, the reason why Emily was even in Willow Creek is another story, and then you through in the actual Faire's backstory. I found it really enjoyable. There is a romance scene in the book so I would advise you to read it if you don't like reading about intimate moments. I gave the book a 4 out of 5 stars! It was surprising that it was so good and I love when you pick up a book that you are skeptical about and it proves you wrong.

(8/18)

My Blog's Name in Books Tag

Since walking further and further into the book community world I've been discovering more things, I just learned about BookTube about a year ago. Since then my blog has started being more than just a place to rant, it's now where I talk about books I like. I'm in no means a fast reader and I'm definitely a mood reader, so content is pretty slow going. I've thought about creating an account within YouTube, one channel for Sims and another for books. But I hate hearing my voice and I definitely don't like being in front of the camera! I've even worked on designing new blogs that weren't on Blogger so maybe it would look a little better, but I have content on here and I do like the way Blogger works overall. So I been thinking what else can I do between book reads? How can I keep putting out content and it be book related? So this is my first every book tag! Let's see how this one goes.

I found the idea of this book tag from The Bibliophile Girl, here's the rules she has listed out for this tag:

1. Spell out you blog's name
2. Find a book from your TBR on Goodreads (or anywhere else that you keep your TBR list) that begins with each letter
• Note: While doing this tag you cannot add books to your TBR just to finish out the challenge. 
• Since I have two main TBR piles I work with I'll be going off my Goodreads and my Amazon lists. Most of the books will come from Goodreads and only use my Amazon one if there is nothing listed on Goodreads

ShayKay's

S - Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand

H - Hollywood Wives by Jackie Collins

A - Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

Y - Year One by Nora Roberts

K - Killing Floor by Lee Child

A - All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Y - You Belong to Me by Mary Higgins Clark

S - Secrets in Death by JD Robb

       

Books

B - Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

O - Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

O - One Fifth Avenue - Candace Bushnell

K - The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

S - Scythe by Neal Shusterman

    

I think I should make this my TBR for the next few months! Out of the 13 books there's only one I don't even know why it is on my TBR list but it saved me! It was the only K title on my entire TBR, which is insane! I though Y, S, and O were going to be my hardest ones to find titles for but they were surprisingly very easy. I also have 10 of the books already. The only one that would be hard for me to read would be Secrets in Death, I'm only on book 25 in the series so it would be hard to get through the entire TBR pile without reading those in order. I could read the next book in the series though. Let's see how long it takes me to read all of these books! 

Books I Think Would Be Awesome Movies/TV

Disclaimer: This is just a few books that I've thought would be really interesting to see come to life. I tried to make it where no spoilers were made so there isn't much in-depth explanation as to what makes each book worth making into movies. If there is anything that I think is a spoiler I will make sure there is a notice before reading forward. I also suck at making comparisons of real-life people so please don't get too upset if I make a guess on who I think would be good actresses/actors of some of the characters in these books.

Movie Adaptations

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyers - I really love this world! I think it would be a really good movie adaptation. I would love to see it all come to life. I enjoyed it so much! I feel like with all of the remakes that are being made the live-action versions of Disney movies would make this the perfect time for the Lunar Chronicles to come out as a movie. It would be okay to see this as a TV show, but I think it would do better as a movie because of the way books are made. You aren't hit with all of the characters at one time and I feel as though it would be better to be hit with the new characters with each movie. I would just love to see this world come to life!

• Cinder - Janel Parrish would definitely be one of my top picks for the role of Cinder. Cinder lives in China and she blends in so, therefore, she has to have some Asian characteristics but she is also a cyborg I think Parrish would be really interesting for this role and not someone you would expect to be in a movie like this. Plus I've loved her ever since Pretty Little Liars Jamie Chung would be another actress I would like to see too. She was perfect in X-Men and Once Upon a Time. But I don't think I could pick the perfect actress for Cinder without seeing them with some cyborg parts since Cinder has a cyborg's leg.
• Kaito - There are three actors that are alive that I think would be a good Prince Kai. I think Ross Butler would be good but I don't know how I feel about him playing Prince Kai, and Thirteen Reasons Why was rough to get through and every time I see Butler now it just brings that whole show back. Alex Landi! I would love to see Landi in this role and I've loved him since I saw him on Grey's Anatomy, so I'm a bit biased by this. So this one I think is my favorite one yet! Jordan Rodrigues! I loved him in the Fosters and I think it would be interesting to see how he would do as Prince Kai. The one that isn't alive anymore that I think would've been absolutely perfect for this would've been Cameron Boyce! I loved him and I think he would've done perfect in this role.  
• Winter - You know who I would love to see in this role, Letitia Wright! She played the younger sister in Black Panther and I loved her! I think she would be the perfect Winter! Another actress I really like that I think would be really good Winter would be Amandla Stenberg, she played Rue in the Hunger Games and Starr Carter on The Hate U Give. The more I think about it I think Stenberg would be a better fit but I love Wright in the Marvel Universe!
• Scarlet - Can you guess who I would love to see in this role? Emma Stone! I know she wouldn't be perfect but I love her and I would love her as Scarlet!
• Cress - I'm not sure who I would like to see in this role. 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid - Let me tell you this book is something you just have to read! I absolutely loved it when I read it last summer and I have to thank Book of the Month for this find! The whole reason I wanted BOTM was to find books outside of my normal reads and I'm so glad I picked this one! It really helped me get out of my comfort zone. I think this book would do better as a movie because it is only one book and it would be very easy to keep all the details in it. I don't want to give too many details about the book itself but it is one of the top picks for a movie adaptation.

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkan - Anyone that has talked to me about books in the past year would definitely have been recommended this book! I would love to see this as a movie but I'm conflicted with it. I've seen good thrillers be movies before but I feel like this one would be a very tricky one to do right and still have the book come through. It would definitely be doable and the way the book goes it wouldn't make a good TV show.

The Twisted Tales by Multiple Authors - Just like with the Lunar Chronicles I think these books would be interesting and since there is so much hype in the live-action remakes I think these books would be really interesting to see as movies. These books take the fairytales that we know and twist the stories. You are either following the villain's side of the story or the main character make different choices than what they did in the movies and these books show the different consequences. My favorite one is definitely the Beauty and the Beast one, and I definitely read this book at the right time! I think these books would help balance out all of these remakes because they are completely different and new compared to the content we are getting right now. I don't want this to sound like I'm bashing these live-action remakes we are getting because I LOVE THEM! I'm the biggest Disney freak but I think it would be nice to have something new coming out too. 

TV Adaptations

The House of Night Series by P.C. Cast & Kristen Cast- I loved this series when I was a teenager! I don't believe I ever finished this series but I would love to jump back into this series and finish it out! But from what I can remember from this series I feel like it would be better as a TV show. It started off really strong and there are so many books in this series that I think in order to see everything from the books I need it to be TV series.

The In Death Series by J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts - This is my all-time favorite series! I'm nowhere near being completely caught up in this series but it is one that I can't stop binge reading whenever I get the opportunity. This series means so much to me it is actually in my wedding cake topper for my wedding! This is a series has to be a TV show because there are almost 50 books in the series! I want as many of the details as possible in this series and I would love it! I think the hardest part would be getting the futuristic side of things but the way CGI is going I think it could be done so well right now. I can't pick anyone specific who I would want to play each character, but I think Emily Deschanel would be perfect for Eve Dallas, and that could be just because I'm obsessed with Bones right now.

• Eve Dallas - I still think Emily Deschanel would be the perfect Eve Dallas! 
• Roarke - You know who would be a hilarious pick for Roarke?! Patrick Dempsey! I mean I think he has the right look and the right attitude for it but I don't think I would pick Dempsey for Roarke. I would definitely pick Ian Somerhalder! You have to admit he would be the perfect Roarke!
• Detective Delia Peabody - I could see Lucy Hale as Peabody but I don't know how she would do as Peabody. I kind of want to see Rachel Bilson as Peabody, I loved her in Hart of Dixie and I loved Take Two even more!

The Maximum Ride Series by Robert Patterson - This is another series that would be too long for a movie and I think a TV show would be perfect! I think the series meant so much to me growing up and I would love to see it as a TV show. I think it would be perfect for Freeform. It is definitely one of those funky shows. I also think this another one of those shows that I think had to wait for technology to catch up with it, and it definitely has. So please give me this show! 

ShayKay's Review of Under Currents by Nora Roberts

Goodreads: Under Currents by Nora Roberts

Synopsis (Book Cover)

Within the walls of a tasteful perfectly kept house in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, young Zane Bigelow feels like a prisoner of war. Strangers - and even Zane's own aunt across the lake - see his parents as a successful surgeon and his stylish wife, making appearances at their children's ballet recitals and baseball games. Zane and his sister know the truth: There is something terribly wrong.

As his father's violent, controlling rage - and his mother's complicity - become more and more oppressive, Zane counts the years, months, and days until he can escape. He looks out for little Britt, warning her to Be Smart. Be Careful. In fear for his very life, he plays along with the insidious lie that everything is fine, while scribbling his real thoughts in a secret journal he must carefully hide away.

When one brutal, shattering night finally reveals cracks in the facade, Zane beings to understand that some people are willing to face the truth, even when it hurts. As he grows into manhood and builds a new kind of family, he will find that while the darkness of his past may always shadow him, it will also show him what is necessary for good to triumph - and give him strength to draw on when he once again must stand up and defend himself and the ones he loves.

ShayKay's Review

I'm so obsessed with Roberts! I love her work and it all started with the In Death series. Every time I venture outside of the series I'm not disappointed and this one isn't any different. Since I got this book on my birthday I could not put it down! The story is gripping from the very beginning. From reading the synopsis you go in knowing to be suspicious of the family, but just how dark is this family? 

****Spoilers Below****

The first part of this book was hard to get through because how can any parent treat their child the way that Graham does? Or even allow it to happen like Eliza? Even though Roberts books pretty much follows the same rules it is still captivating, such as a tragic event happens that changes the main character's life and then later down the road the main character has to confront the event.

It's been a little while since I finished this book, but I loved it! It does follow the typical Roberts's style but I can't help it I love what I love. I think she does great at telling a story and this one took on a tough topic that really happens a lot today, domestic violence. But she took some twists and turns that added to the story. My only complaint with this book really doesn't make much sense, I got really confused with the different point of views. In Shelter in Place you experience both of the main characters from the beginning of their trauma to the end game. But in this book you see how Zane went through terrible experiences with his family. But after this first part of the book we are introduced to the second point of view, Darby. I know in Shelter in Place both the characters share the same event but in two totally different ways and in Under Currents even though both characters experience domestic abuse they experience it in different ways. I know Darby walks us through some of the things that happened but I wish we could've seen that like we did with Zane. I still loved Darby and her story, I just wish she had an actual back story instead of just being told about it. Still loved this book and it was in the top 10 of my favorite Roberts books but is it the new number 1 favorite? No Naked in Death still holds that spot, and probably always will since it opened up the Roberts world for me.

Reading Slump

I think as I've gotten older my reading style has changed. When I was in high school all I remember doing is reading, and now I still read don't get me wrong I still love it. But I'm more of a binge reader now. I don't binge read a whole series I just mean that when I'm in the mood to read I sit down and I don't stop reading until I've finished the book. When I get into this kind of mood the book has me pulled into the story and I cannot walk away from it. I feel like the older I get the harder it gets for me to find these kinds of books. Then once I read a few books back to back I just fall out of reading for a while, usually called a book hangover. But this hangover lasts a few days to even a week or two before I find a new story that I can dive back into. So it's like my reading hangover turns into a reading slump. 

What do I do when I'm in these reading slumps?

There are a lot of other things I enjoy doing! My daily life includes work and hanging out with my puppies and family. I have a very hectic household so usually I'm reading to my dogs because it is something I love to do and seems to make them calm down. So when I'm not reading, especially right now, I've been working on different projects such as wedding stuff. I'm getting married next summer and we have been making a ton of stuff, I don't think our DIY stuff is actually cheaper than just buying stuff but I'm having fun building stuff. My wedding's turned super geeky, it's definitely a  Disney wedding. I'm currently trying to find some organization in our wedding room. Yes there is currently a whole room that has nothing but wedding stuff in it, and it is actually getting ready to be moved to a bigger room. I promise I'm not the bridezilla it sounds my mom has gone full wedding mode! It's been a fun bonding experience. 

I'm still working on my floor to ceiling bookshelf that I started building back in May. It is pretty much finished, there is even some books that are actually on it right now. I only have to finish the two longest shelves at the top. I'm hoping to buy the wood for it probably my next check, I've been saying that for a month now. But I swear I did buy the rest of the stuff I needed to finish it off a couple days ago, I'm just missing the actual shelves! I haven't abandoned all hope yet. 

There is the job front. I work a full-time job, and I actually start night classes next week to get my Masters in Public Administration.Which is finally something I hope will finally make me feel like I'm moving forward and not just standing still anymore. Plus I have this awesome idea in my head for a book (yet again) but I actually sat down and tried to put it on paper. The worst part is I get stuck on the details or I get stuck on the main event of the story and have a hard time connected the beginning of the story to the middle, and then to the end of the idea in my head! We'll see if I get anything I feel like is good enough to put out in the world.

Other things I enjoy doing is binge watching TV shows, currently working my way through Bones...again. I've always loved reading books while listening to TV shows so I don't get why I haven't picked up one book and just read that one thing yet. I enjoy putting puzzles together, another dorky side note I thought about putting together some of the Disney ones to hang up at my wedding. I really want the 40,000+ Disney puzzle and I keep thinking of different walls to hang it on, I've even figured out the border I wanted to build around it! But I can't bring myself to spend that much money on the puzzle. Maybe one day we will get there but today is definitely not that day.

But right now my main concern is taking care of Ranger! So we had an accident on Tuesday, while I was at work Ranger was playing outside and burnt his paws really bad. It's been really rough seeing him like this. When I took him to the Vet they made me feel like it was my fault but when I kept telling them what happened they just acted like I was making up a story. But let me tell you I had his hurt paws wrapped up with antibiotic cream on them then with socks on each foot. We only went to the vet for pain medicine because I know it is hurting him and antibiotics because we do not want infection! I mean I was doing everything right. I can't help he got hurt while I was work, and I feel awful about it even though I had nothing to do with it! Ranger hates being outside so I'm shocked he was even outside playing. It's been really rough.

Sorry for the rambling. I haven't posted in a really long time and I just wanted something new going up. Hopefully something starts going and we can get more work going up in the near future.