Survey: Reading Habits

I have a confession to make: I love surveys. I do. I was doing my daily blog lurking and I stumbled upon this survey on Shae's blog and I thought it was so cool so I decided to do it here. So, here it goes.


1. Do you snack while reading? If so, favorite snack?

I don't snack. That's one of my main issues actually, because if the book is engaging enough, I tend to forget to eat... *oops*

2. What is your favorite drink while reading?

It depends on my mood. I usually like to drink more tea when I'm reading, but coffee or water are good too...

3. Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the mere thought horrify you?

If the books are for college (and it's my book, the one I bought) then I will underline, mark, highlight and scribble the hell out of that book. If it's a fiction book then no way in hell.... I hate marks on my precious books.

4. How do you keep your place while reading a book?

I use bookmarks. Or a bus ticket if I don't have a bookmark handy.

5. Fiction, non-fiction, or both?

Both...Well, actually I read a lot of fiction. Sometimes I read the occasional non-fiction, but those are usually either autobiographies or books about Ancient history.

6. Are you the type of person who needs to read to the end of the chapter, or can you stop anywhere?

I like to get to the end of a chapter when I close a book. But if that can't happen then I'm okay to stop anywhere. Usually I try to stop after a dialogue has ended though, otherwise I forget what the characters were talking about *blush*

7. Are you the type of person to throw a book across the room or onto the floor if the author irritates you?

I have done that once or twice. I usually tend to just close the book and just pick another one.

8. If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you look it up right away?

If I can't understand the meaning from the context then yes.

9. What are you currently reading?

I'm between books. I'm not sure if I should start Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead or Frozen by Melissa De La Cruz.

10. What is the last book you bought?

I bought Three Essays On The Theory Of Sexuality by Freud.

11. Do you have a favorite time/place to read?

No. I'll read whenever and wherever. I do however adore reading when it's raining. The rain sort of gets me in the mood to snuggle up on the couch and read.

12. Do you prefer series books or standalones?

Series definitely.

13. Is there a specific book you recommend over and over?

Anything by Sherrilyn Kenyon. No specific book. Actually if someone ends up listening to at least one of the suggestions that I make and they like it, I'll end up doing some serious book pimpage

14. How do you organize your books?

By language first. Then in this order: genre, author, series. And if they're standalones, by publishing house (because some publish standalones in the same height and that makes me insanely happy) and by collection.

What about you? What would you answer on this survey?

Book Review: Reaper's Property by Joanna Wylde (+18)

Author: Joanna Wylde
Series: Reapers MC #1
Publisher: Ellora's Cave Publishing Inc
Release Date: January 9th 2013
My Rating: 5 cups
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Marie doesn’t need a complication like Horse. The massive, tattooed, badass biker who shows up at her brother’s house one afternoon doesn’t agree. He wants Marie on his bike and in his bed. Now.

But Marie just left her abusive jerk of an ex-husband and she’s not looking for a new man. Especially one like Horse—she doesn’t know his real name or where he lives, she’s ninety percent certain he’s a criminal and that the “business” he talks with her brother isn’t website design. She needs him out of her life, which would be a snap if he’d just stop giving her mind-blowing orgasms.

Horse is part of the Reapers Motorcycle Club, and when he wants something, he takes it. What he wants is Marie, but she’s not interested in becoming “property of”.

Then her brother steals from the club. Marie can save him by giving Horse what he wants—at home, in public, on his bike… If she’s a very, very good girl, she’ll get lots more of those orgasms only he can offer, and he’ll let her brother live. Maybe.

A Romantica® contemporary erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

When I first started to get curious about the motorcycle club culture Sons of Anarchy was about 4 seasons in, I think. I watched the pilot and I enjoyed it, but then stuff happened and I couldn't watch it anymore. Then after my exams at the beginning of the year I decided to start over with the show. Once I got into it I wanted to see if there were any books about that world and I stumbled on Reaper's Property.

I didn't think I was going to love it. I feel like I have to say that before I say anything else about the book. The MC club lifestyle and rules are so different from what I expected and from what I'm used to, that I didn't think I was going to enjoy the book. It was the same feeling I had when I first watched SOA. I am however glad that I started my journey into the MC branch of the romance genre with this particular book.

First, I loved how the story went from present to past in the first part of the book. I love it when an author manages to successfully juggle the two timelines without making them blurry or incomprehensible. And I love to get teased like that, because if it's done well, it keeps me hooked and it makes me want to finish reading. So that's what I noticed first about the book and what I loved.

Then there are the characters. Horse is not the type of hero I immediately fall for. Yes, he has the bike and the leather and the words and the attitude and all that, but it takes a while. At first he seems like a bad guy, a really bad guy, but then he surprises you. I love that with each chapter I got to discover him and understand his motives for acting in a certain way. Then there's the fact that he won't pussyfoot around a certain issue, nor will he beg for something that isn't going to happen. There's this heartbreaking scene between him and Marie where he's willing to give her everything he has and it's pretty clear that he's trying to make her understand his world and that's the scene when I finally understood him.

Marie is a normal woman that has had some issues in the past. She's a fighter though, she's not the type to rely on someone else to save her. She falls for Horse, but his world scares her a lot and it makes her see the violence that surrounds him more than the man. Which is completely understandable. I think I would've been disappointed had she accepted his world and the MC lifestyle with ease. So I liked that she does and says certain things that might seem hurtful (and even are) but when thinking about the danger element surrounding the Reapers MC and about her past makes them be the natural reaction I was hoping she'd have.

I think this was a very good book for a first book in a series. Oh, by the way, you have got to read the other books in the series. Man oh man they keep getting better and better. It's now an addiction for me :D So yeah, I'm anxiously waiting for the new book to come out, Reaper's Stand, which comes out in September *whines* But if you're a newbie to the MC world I say this is the perfect book to start with :D

Obsessed With Covers #14: Zomburbia, Frozen, Snow Like Ashes

Y'all know how much I love a pretty cover. I think about...40% of the books that end up on my shelves (be they physical or digital) do so because of the covers. Call me shallow but you have to admit that a pretty, shiny cover will catch your eye faster than a dull, boring one. Two, simple rules that I'll follow:

• 1, 2 or 3 (no more than 3, though) covers per week;
• books should be new-ish; no more than 2 years old.

Oh, before I share the covers that made me drool or want to stare at them for hours and hours, I have to say something. This is a semi-original idea. Why semi? Because almost every book blogger has something similar. The only thing I came up with was the title. If by any chance there's another blogger with a similar feature with the same title, I assure you I'm not stealing your idea. I'm just THAT bad with titles. Believe me, I'd love to be smarter and have a witty name for this feature, but I don't. So, no copyright infringement/theft/steal or anything of the sort was desired. All I can say is sorry :P

So, here are the prettiest covers I've seen this week.

This is suuuuch a creepy cover! I love it!! The blood, the slash on her cheek that gives the illusion that she's half grinning, her light-colored eyes are staring directly at you, it seems like she's looking at your soul. Or eyeing her next meal. Then there's the blood, the wound on her forehead and her creepy color...It all makes this cover amazing.










Zomburbia - Adam Gallardo

This is such a simple cover, which is actually why I like it. Of course, looking at the different editions, I found another one that I loved, that I had to include in this post as well...Now I'm torn, because if I ever decide to read this series, I'll have to seriously ponder on which edition to buy. There's the first version, which is more appropriate for the title, with the icy background and the icy-blue dragon that looks like he's very, very cold, poor thing. Then there's the second version, where the dragon looks like a pendant and it's rising over the sea or it's a portal to a different world / dimension.... So yeah, I've no idea what should I choose... The important part is that both covers are amazing and beautiful and maybe I'll buy both versions, just for the prettiness of them both.

Frozen: Heart of Dread by Melissa De La Cruz & Michael Johnston

I love the duality of this cover. The yin-yang showing both summer/spring and winter landscapes and the ashes on the ground that look almost like waves. I'm also curious about the title and how the cover fits with it... I might add this book on my TBR based solely on the cover.










Snow Like Ashes - Sara Raasch

August Random Reads (2): The Outsider by Melinda Metz

I decided to join in on Sarah's meme and I'll let Random.org choose my books for me because I seriously need to make a dent in my TBR mountain. Though I secretly believe my TBR mountain is a direct descendant of the Hydra, because no matter how many books I read from it, the pile keeps getting bigger and bigger. Anyway...

The rules are pretty simple:

1. If you’re on Goodreads enable sorting to your to-read shelf
2. Go to Random.org and type in the Min as 1 and the Max as how many ever books are on your to-read shelf.
3. Scroll down to the book matching the number Random.org picks.
4. Link up to your Random Reads post. If you choose more than one book per month, be sure to put a number by your name in the list so it doesn’t look like a duplicate.
5. Read and be merry.

Here's what Random.org chose for me: 75 *drum roll* That means I'm going to read The Outsider by Melinda Metz. Nice! I've had this on my TBR since I saw Roswell and found out that it's based on a series of books. Now I'm really excited.

Release Blitz: Upside Down by Lia Riley

Title: Upside Down
Author: Lia Riley
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Series: Off the Map #1
Publication: August 5th, 2014 by Grand Central

If You Never Get Lost, You’ll Never Be Found

Twenty-one-year-old Natalia Stolfi is saying good-bye to the past-and turning her life upside down with a trip to the land down under. For the next six months, she'll act like a carefree exchange student, not a girl sinking under the weight of painful memories. Everything is going according to plan until she meets a brooding surfer with hypnotic green eyes and the troubling ability to see straight through her act.

Bran Lockhart is having the worst year on record. After the girl of his dreams turned into a nightmare, he moved back home to Melbourne to piece his life together. Yet no amount of disappointment could blind him to the pretty California girl who gets past all his defenses. He's never wanted anyone the way he wants Talia. But when Bran gets a stark reminder of why he stopped believing in love, he and Talia must decide if what they have is once in a lifetime . . . or if they were meant to live a world apart.

Purchase

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

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About Lia

Lia Riley writes offbeat New Adult Romance. After studying at the University of Montana-Missoula, she scoured the world armed only with a backpack, overconfidence and a terrible sense of direction. She counts shooting vodka with a Ukranian mechanic in Antarctica, sipping yerba mate with gauchos in Chile and swilling XXXX with stationhands in Outback Australia among her accomplishments. When not torturing heroes (because c'mon, who doesn't love a good tortured hero?), Lia herds unruly chickens, camps, beach combs, daydreams about as-of-yet unwritten books, wades through a mile-high TBR pile and schemes yet another trip. She and her family live in Northern California.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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Excerpt

“That’s it, Talia,” Bran’s voice is encouraging. “You’re holding tight, that’s great. Now, I’m going to need you to release your left hand and reach up a few inches to grab the next hold.”

I grit my teeth. The way he talks, you’d think I’m scaling Everest. Or at least Kilimanjaro. Instead—

“’Scuse, us, we’ll be by in a tic. That’s the way, Andy, right around the lady.”

I’m the lady. Andy is a kid who doesn’t look a day over seven who scrambles past me in a flurry of Spider-Man shoes and gap-toothed smiles. His parents bring up the rear, smiling up at their wild monkey child with obvious pride.

And they aren’t the first group to pass me.

Five Swedish women, a couple, and a guy who looked to be in his mid-seventies have also shot past me during the course of the last quarter hour.

The top is so close I can taste it. Bran is being nothing but encouraging, but below me is a twenty-foot drop. Not enough to kill me, unless I fall with some sort of suicidal intent, but enough to make me feel incredibly uneasy about the boulder field.

Bran eases toward me. “Talia, take my hand.”

“Can’t let go.”

“Talia.”

“No.” This is it; this is the reason. Bran isn’t going to admit it here, while I’m bordering on a panic attack on a trail being conquered by elementary school children and senior citizens, but there’s no doubt this is A REASON to lose interest in me. I’m giving him a big capital-lettered reason, but I can’t stop. I physically can’t let go.

“Talia. Take a deep breath.”

“Breath taken.”

“Another.”

“Okay.”

“Give me your hand, no bullshit. I want your fingers in mine. You’ll be safe. I’m going to keep you safe. I need you to trust me.”

Somehow I do it. I give him my fingers. He assists me up. We’re doing this together. My head clears the boulder and I can see the steel marker that identifies the summit ahead. Holy shit, he’s right. I’m going to reach the top.

A few more steps, easy now, and we’re there. The kid in the Spider-Man shoes munches a Vegemite sandwich. I want to scoop him up in a smooshy squeeze. Except his parents would likely object, so I switch gears to give Bran a long and passionate kiss.

“I knew you’d get here,” he says.

“I didn’t.”

He turns me to see the view, his hands tight around my waist. “Your place is here, Captain, in the sun,” he whispers in my ear. “Don’t ever forget that.”

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Top Ten Tuesday #5: Top eight authors I own the most books of

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.
Each week, they will post a new Top Ten list that one of the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join, just link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Top eight authors I own the most books of

I'm not going to include digital copies here, or else I'd never finish counting. Only physical copies count on my list. 

               1. Marc Levy

He is one of my favorite authors of all time, actually. I own 13 of his books and I hope he'll keep on writing for a long time to come. He's one of the authors I rely on to make me laugh and cry and also teach me something with every book. He's also one of the few authors I don't get tired of rereading, even if I already know his books by heart.

               2. Sophie Kinsella

Another amazing author. I own 12 of her books and they actually have a special shelf that no other author's books is "allowed" to sit on. Yeah, it might seem strange, but the publisher I got them from made the smart choice to print all of her books with matching covers, so my OCD is tickled ten times more than it's used to :P 

               3. Charlaine Harris

For those who don't know she wrote the Southern Vampires Mysteries, the first big series I ever read and the one that introduced me to the magical world of urban fantasy. It was also the very first series I read in which many of my hopes came true when it came about vampires (if you're wondering, all of the vampires I've previously read about couldn't have sex. Poor guys, right?) I own the entire series (13 books). I don't see myself finishing it (because I heard how the series ended and honestly I've been rooting for that Viking vampire for so long, I can't bring myself to read anything else than a HEA for him), but this series will always hold a special place in my heart.

               4. J. R. R. Tolkien

I can't not mention another of my favorite authors. I own 7 of his books and I am anxiously waiting to get my hands on his other books. 

               5. Anne Rice

This is the author that started my love for vampires. I picked up one of her books out of curiosity and her vampires made me love them and fear them at the same time. It's also why I love these creatures so much. I own 7 of her books. Unfortunately I don't have her entire Vampire Chronicles series, but I hope one day I'll own the ones that I'm missing.

               6. J. K. Rowling

I think it's only natural Rowling is on this list. I own 8 of her books and I'm starting to warm up to the idea of getting the newer books as well. I hope I'll like them, I don't know yet. I'm also one of those people that still hope she'll one day return to Hogwarts :D

               7. William Shakespeare

These are actually my grandmother's books and they're actually older than me. I think they're older than my Mom, too. They're on a big shelf in my hallway and they're taking up an entire row. I have no idea how many books there are, really. But they're old and they smell like heaven to me :D

               8.  Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Ok, I think I flooded Twitter with my love for The Caster Chronicles series, but I do. I love it so much. I own the entire series and I'm now waiting for the nice people working at the post office to deliver me the Dangerous Creatures book.

What authors take up the most shelf space in your house?