Category Feature Posts

Dec 2 2016
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Tackling the TBR [18]: December 2016

tackling the TBR

It’s once again time for my favorite feature: Tackling the TBR! There’s nothing I love more than picking out which books to read next, and this slightly organized method of reading has really amped my enjoyment to the next level. Bring on the mantras!

Read the best books first.
&
Life is too short to read books you’re not enjoying.

However you put together your TBR for the next month, the goal is to reduce the amount of obligation in reading and increase the fun.

Here’s a look at how the system works:

1. Identify the titles that take top priority in your TBR.
2. Combine them all in your own Tackling the TBR post.
3. Throughout the month pick from that pile as the mood strikes you.

Here’s what mine looks like:

December 2016 TBR Tackler Shelf:

No doubt about it – Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs is the highest priority on this month’s Tackler Shelf (I’m so excited!). I have a lot more 500+ pages fantasy this month, so I doubt I’ll be able to make it through more than half of these titles.

Tackler Carry-overs:

I decided to expand my TBR tackler selection list to include titles on previous Tackling the TBR posts that I either didn’t have a chance to get to or am currently part way through. It gives me a more accurate snapshot of my progress over time and more potential high-priority titles to choose from each month. I’ve already started 3 of the 5 carryovers on the list. :-)

Feel free to share your versions of how you manage your TBR pile (and the links to your posts if applicable) in the comments. Maybe we can help make each other’s systems even better. :)

What books are you Tackling this month?

by Niki Hawkes

Oct 31 2016
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Tackling the TBR [17]: November 2016

tackling the TBR

It’s once again time for my favorite feature: Tackling the TBR! There’s nothing I love more than picking out which books to read next, and this slightly organized method of reading has really amped my enjoyment to the next level. Bring on the mantras!

Read the best books first.
&
Life is too short to read books you’re not enjoying.

However you put together your TBR for the next month, the goal is to reduce the amount of obligation in reading and increase the fun.

Here’s a look at how the system works:

1. Identify the titles that take top priority in your TBR.
2. Combine them all in your own Tackling the TBR post.
3. Throughout the month pick from that pile as the mood strikes you.

Here’s what mine looks like:

November 2016 TBR Tackler Shelf:

This month TBR looks a little different than normal because I decided to tackle a single series – Kate Daniels. The 9th book in that series just came out and people are going NUTS over it. I’ve only read the first book and didn’t think it was anything spectacular, but I’ve been assured left and right that I just have to keep going and it gets amazeballs. I’m also totally excited for the final book in The Naturals series, Bad Blood, but am completely, overwhelmingly excited for Dragonwatch by Brandon Mull. I think November is going to be a fun month of reading.

Last month I only finished half of the titles on my TBR Tackler Shelf, but at least started the remainders which is why there is carryover this month (as usual).

Feel free to share your versions of how you manage your TBR pile (and the links to your posts if applicable) in the comments. Maybe we can help make each other’s systems even better. :)

What books are you Tackling this month?

by Niki Hawkes

Sep 30 2016
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Tackling the TBR [16]: October 2016

tackling the TBR

It’s once again time for my favorite feature: Tackling the TBR! There’s nothing I love more than picking out which books to read next, and this slightly organized method of reading has really amped my enjoyment to the next level. Bring on the mantras!

Read the best books first.
&
Life is too short to read books you’re not enjoying.

However you put together your TBR for the next month, the goal is to reduce the amount of obligation in reading and increase the fun.

Here’s a look at how the system works:

1. Identify the titles that take top priority in your TBR.
2. Combine them all in your own Tackling the TBR post.
3. Throughout the month pick from that pile as the mood strikes you.

Here’s what mine looks like:

October 2016 TBR Tackler Shelf:

This month’s TBR feels a little all over the place to me, but they’re either new releases that I’ve been excited about or titles I’ve been eyeballing for months. At the moment, the one I’m most excited about is The Leopard King by Anna Aguirre. It’s a new paranormal romance that I just found out about a week ago and I’m thrilled. 

Last month I did a pretty good job knocking titles off of my list, so this month only has a couple of carryovers.

Feel free to share your versions of how you manage your TBR pile (and the links to your posts if applicable) in the comments. Maybe we can help make each other’s systems even better. :)

What books are you Tackling this month?

by Niki Hawkes

Sep 26 2016
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The OCD Person’s Book Tag

chronicles of an obsessive bookblogger

The OCD Person’s Book Tag

I have had a couple of fun book tags cross my radar over the last couple of weeks, so I thought I’d do the one that looked the most insightful. A lot of these tags sound the same, but I really love the questions from this one – they are totally relevant to the type of questions I’ve been asking myself lately. It was meant to be a Gif tag, but since I never liked the way those look in blog posts, I’m taking my own spin on it (the boring one). :-)

You have a million unread books on your shelf. How in the world do you decide what to read next?

tackling the TBRI used to use a shortlist, where I pulled out twenty or so titles that interested me then play the eeny meeny game for ten minutes until I was down to just one. Now, I’ve started a new system called Tackling the TBR which I absolutely LOVE. It involves identifying my top priority titles, compiling them onto my TBR Tackler Shelf, and then picking from that throughout the month as the mood strikes me. It’s a system that guarantees that I read the best books first!

You’re halfway through a book and you’re just not loving it. Do you quit or are you committed?

I used to be committed to finishing any book I started no matter how much I wasn’t enjoying it. Nowadays, I realize with frightening clarity that I may not have a chance to make my way through all of the books I want to read (it would take me 40 years alone to read all of their unread books currently in my house), so if I’m not enjoying something, I take five minutes to spot-read to the end and then put it down. Life is too short to read books you’re not enjoying! Also, I discovered a DNF Q&A by Nikki over at ThereWereBooksInvolved (who kindly let me borrow the feature) which was the perfect solution to my dilemma on how to discuss these books fairly.

The end of the year is coming and you’re so close, but so far away on your Goodreads reading challenge. Do you try to catch up and how?

I’ve discovered during many failed readathons that I cannot possibly read any more than I already do. On one hand this is good because it means I’m maximizing my time, on the other hand I can’t simply push to get through books any faster. In November 2013 I noticed my goal of reading 100 books was 15 books behind schedule and climbing. I tried to pick up shorter books for a couple of weeks to catch up, but realized how stupid it was to push myself to read things I’m wasn’t in the mood for just to fix a number on a website. I adjusted my goal to 80 books and called it a day. :-)

The covers of a series you love do not match. How do you cope?

THIS is the worst thing ever – why would you do that? I can kind of understand why some books are available in paperback and others in hardcover (even though it’s still really annoying) but to change the style of the covering halfway through the series means there’s nothing I can do other than buy a second copy to fix it. I don’t cope. I cry. I avoid looking too long at those mismatch titles and cringe whenever my gaze lingers on them too long. It stresses me out. Hank Green has a really awesome book rant video that touches on this issue… I love it. Below are just a couple of examples of the titles that are ruining my shelves:

A sequel of a book you love just came out, but you’ve forgotten a lot from the prior novel. Will you re-read the book? Skip the sequel? Try to find a synopsis on Goodreads? Cry in frustration?!?

This problem is the reason why I have not finished quite a few series that I was really liking. It’s often those authors who took more than five years to get a next book published (JoAnn Bertin, Elizabeth Haydon, Jennifer Roberson, E.E. Knight, I’m talking to all of you), and so I’m stuck with the conundrum of reading the entire series over again (who has time?) or picking it up anyway and risking being totally lost. I have pretty good recall, but it really annoys me to not remember tiny details or side characters because I feel like I’m missing elements of the big picture. If it’s because I’ve put a series down for too long, I can’t really complain about that, but when it circumstances revolving around the author of the publisher that really hurts my heart.

You’re reading a book and you are about to start crying in public. How do you deal?

I don’t go out in public unless I need more books… or food.

Everyone and their mothers love a book you really don’t like. Who do you bond with over their shared feelings?

I know this sounds weird, but if no one agrees with me, I’ll bond with myself. I’ll write a really thoughtful review detailing exactly why the really popular book didn’t work for me and then I’ll sit there and reread it 1000 times, agreeing with myself with every pass. “Yes, that’s precisely why I didn’t like it – well said! I conveyed that point exactly like I meant to – awesome!” And on it goes until it gets too far down in my feed for me to find. Every once in a while someone who follows my blog will agree with me and the world stops as I bounce with joy. Here are a couple of the titles that just didn’t work for me. Don’t yell at me.

You do not want anyone. ANYONE. borrowing your books. How do you politely tell people no when they ask?

Anyone who has ever lent out a book knows that, if you even get it back at all, chances are it’s going to be trashed. I’ve only lent out a handful of books in my life, and every time they come back like they’ve been run over by a car (and in one case, my book actually was run over by a car... thanks a lot BJ). One of the biggest fights I ever got in to with my best friend as a kid was when I lent her one of my Redwall books with specific instructions not to crack the spine. When it came back to me with a single, solitary crack right down the middle, I was livid. I can’t remember ever being as furious as I was at that moment, (and for the record, she was pretty mad at me for being mad over something so trivial). Looking back, I admit it was a total overreaction, but even now my blood pressure rises whenever I see that same mocking copy of Mossflower on my shelf, tarnished forever. Nowadays I’ve taken a chill pill – I totally crack the spines on my paperbacks (in exactly 50 page increments), so it shouldn’t still be a big deal, but it’s the principle of the matter, you know?

As for telling people no, I try to be polite, but I think the look pure horror on my face offends most of them anyway. My mom, in particular, knows how anal I can get about my books… I outright refused to lend her anything ever again after she viciously cracked the spines on a few of my paperbacks. Thank goodness we share a nook account now – I haven’t had a book casualty in several years. Love you, mom. ;-)

Reading ADD. You’ve picked up and put down 5 books in the last month. How do you get over your reading slump?

I have reading ADD in the sense that, no matter how good the book is that I’m reading, I’m always eyeballing my shelves wishing I was reading those books too. I have never been in a reading slump, but that might be because I often have more than a few books going at once. If I get bored, I just rotate. At any given time, I have a physical book, and audiobook, and ARC, and the book on my phone for waiting rooms and whatnot going at once.

After you’ve bought the new books you can’t wait to get to, how long they sit on your shelf before you get to them?

10845984_10202966163624334_503165865379896020_nI have hundreds of books that I bought over ten years ago still sitting unread on my shelves. Since I’ve been more careful with what new books I’m adding to my collection, I don’t have very many unread books from the last couple of years (maybe 20 or so?). I would say the average wait time is about six months, even for books I’m dying to read. I just have so many! If it’s a book I know I want to read but it’s not a high priority, it will sit there for years.

There are so many new books coming out that you’re dying to read! How many do you actually buy?

When I was a bookseller for those 11 years, I bought EVERYTHING, which is why my collection is ridiculous. Now though, I’m looking at all of those impulse purchases I made throughout the years (we are talking hundreds and hundreds of books) and thinking “man, I really don’t even want to read half of these now… what do I do with them?” Even worse, I spent a pretty penny on entire series only to have picked up the first book and totally hated it. The bottom line is, I’m sick of looking at books on my shelves that I don’t even like or want to read, but I can’t get rid of them because I spent money on them and I’m weird like that. Nowadays, the authors I know I love get purchased every time. The ones I’m not totally sure about get checked out from the library first and then purchased if I end up liking them. That way, eventually my bookshelf will consist of only the best books. That is, if I can figure out what to do with all the ones I’ve already invested in…

Also, I started a 1500 for 1 challenge a few years back that has been working great for me. It entails that I have to read 1500 pages before I let myself buy another book. It used to be 4 for 1 (meaning 4 books read for every 1 purchased) but all that did was encourage me to read nothing but young adult. This new method is more proportionate to effort.

Tag!!! You’re it if you want to play along. :) Feel free to share in the comments if you do, as I’d love to read your answers to these OCD questions!

by Niki Hawkes

Sep 12 2016
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Top 17 Books You Might Like If You Enjoyed The Hunger Games!

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Almost as untouchable as Harry Potter, The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins sparked a love for dystopian and post-apocalyptic books in millions of readers, myself included. Hunger Games was definitely not the first of its kind, but it was the series that launched dystopian storytelling into the mainstream and led to an explosion of followers in the YA market. Even though the concepts had been told before, Collins reinterpreted them in a way that was exciting, accessible, and fun. After selling thousands of copies to customers every year, I quickly realized that I needed to be prepared for when they came back with “Ooooooh! I loved it so much! What can I read next?” From that question was born this list:

Top 17 Books You Might Like If You Enjoyed Hunger Games!

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

Book Info: The Testing by Joelle Charboneau

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Reason for Recommending: concept, character, atmosphere: The Testing series is one of my favorite recommends on this list. It reminds me of Hunger Games from a conceptual standpoint because both were stories that felt fresh and original (with a strong dystopic feel). I also love how the main character from the series compared to Katniss when it came to resourcefulness. Even thought the first book was fairly average compared to the rest of the series, the second book is one of my favorites ever. Overall, it’s definitely worth your time if you’re a Hunger Games fan.
                                                                                                                                                                     

red risingBook Info: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Genre: Science Fiction [adult]

Reason for Recommending: story, atmosphere: even though this book is an adult science fiction, it still reminded me strongly of Hunger Games. It had the same elements of overcoming oppression, deadly competition, and overall intensity that made the Hunger Games so memorable. I even liked the last book (Morning Star) more than I liked Mockingjay, if you can imagine…
                                                                                                                                                                     

Not a drop to drinkBook Info: Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

Genre: Teen Post-Apocalyptic

Reason for Recommending: writing, character, atmosphere: even though this book is more of a post-apocalyptic than a dystopian, it’s one of my favorite survival stories, possibly because of how brilliantly it’s written. I’ve always appreciated Katniss for her ability to adapt and do what was necessary to survive. Lynn in this story was just as determined, and I found her added bit of snarkiness particularly endearing. The book also has the same feel of desperation and urgency that made Hunger Games such a page-turner. I loved this book and would probably recommend it even if you didn’t like Hunger Games.
                                                                                                                                                                      

partialsBook Info: Partials by Dan Wells

Genre: Teen Post-Apocalyptic

Reason for Recommending: character, atmosphere, love story: The Partials Sequence has long been one of my favorite teen books to recommend (even though the third one felt a little rushed). I loved the main character for how clever she was, I loved the premise of the story and the excellent momentum it gained throughout each book, and I loved the world building for its creepy, post-apocalyptic feel. It also had a compelling Katniss-loves-Peeta type of romance that came about more organically than most teen books. All of these things add up to a no-brainer when trying to recommend titles. Read it.

angelfallBook Info: Angelfall by Susan Ee

Genre: Teen Post-Apocalyptic

Reason for Recommending: originality, relationship: To steal from what I said above, Hunger Games was definitely not the first of its kind, but it was the series that launched dystopian storytelling into the mainstream and led to an explosion of followers in the YA market. Even though the concepts have been told before, Collins reinterpreted them in a way that was exciting, accessible, and fun. In my opinion, if Angelfall had been a first-mover in the industry, I feel as though it’s unique twist on post-apocalyptical setting and excellent writing could have shaken up the market as well. Additionally, the main character and her younger sister reminded me strongly of Katniss’ relationship with Prim. That said, I only felt this way about the first book – the remaining two of the trilogy let me down a bit (but were still good).

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Book Info: Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Genre: Teen Post-Apocalyptic

Reason for Recommending: character, writing, story: Ann Aguirre is one of my favorite writers. Her characters are phenomenal and, in my opinion, every bit as memorable and well-rounded as those in Hunger Games. This post-apocalyptic “zombie” story brings to mind the same savage fight for survival that made Hunger Games so intense. Overall, it’s a great trilogy with a new spinoff coming out in 2017.
                                                                                                                                                                        

Legend by Marie Lu

Book Info: Legend by Marie Lu

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Reason for Recommending: story, character, love story: Legend has the same rising-from-oppression appeal as Hunger Games, but offered POVs from both the oppressed and privileged ends of the spectrum. I especially appreciated how clever the main characters were, thought the love story was convincingly organic, and enjoyed all three books pretty equally. When ranking dystopians, Legend always lands in the upper half of my list.
                                                                                                                                                                      

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Book Info: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Reason for Recommending: atmosphere, originality, character: The Darkest Minds was one of the more unique dystopians I’ve read and definitely gets an A+ for cool concept. Overall, it had the same gut-wrenching dystopic feel that satisfied that Hunger Games hangover for me. It also had fantastic characters and a fast-paced storyline.
                                                                                                                                                                      

Hunter by Mercedes Lackey

Book Info: Hunter by Mercedes Lackey

Genre: Teen Fantasy/Post-Apocalyptic

Reason for Recommending: competition, action, character: Hunter is one of my favorite books from this list – I loved almost everything about it. It has a clever main character who always thought things through (hello, Katniss – no harebrained heroines here!), And a competitive storyline with loads of action. Add to that a dystopic society where viewers revel as these teens fight monsters, and you have a series that captures many of the things I loved about Hunger Games while standing solidly on its own. I loved it.

Pure by Julianna Baggott

Book Info: Pure by Julianna Baggott

Genre: Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian [adult]

Reason for Recommending: atmosphere, intensity: Pure is most definitely NOT a young adult series, but I think Hunger Games fans would like it just the same. It’s gritty and ugly and yet somehow beautiful all at once and definitely one of the coolest books I’ve ever read from the genre. It’s also a very odd book, one that will probably stick with you long after you put it down. Overall, if Mockingjay was your favorite of the trilogy and you loved that gut-wrenching intensity, this series might be the one for you!

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Book Info: Uglies

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Reason for Recommending: concept, genre appeal: Uglies was one of the first movers of the teen dystopian genre and one which has always been easy for me to recommend to customers. It has a great concept (even though it’s not totally original, it was executed well), a well-imagined society, and a storyline that’s incredibly memorable. I consider it a staple for the genre, so if you love dystopians and haven’t yet picked it up, do it – do it now!

The Fifth Wave by Ricky Yancey

Book Info: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Genre: Teen Post-Apocalyptic

Reason for Recommending: character, story, atmosphere: if you want a story with a heroine as convincingly kickass as Katniss, this is a great place to start. The 5th Wave also offers a similarly unique storyline with loads of action and moments of high intensity. I don’t think it built relationships quite as well as Hunger Games, nor did it maintain the same momentum throughout all three books, but it still definitely worth checking out if you haven’t already.

Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott

Book Info: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Reason for Recommending: competition, atmosphere: basically, if Hunger Games were watered down a smidge and geared towards a slightly younger audience, you’d have Fire and Flood. This is not my favorite book on the list, but still merits a spot because, despite a few shortcomings, it was still a fun read. It had that competitive atmosphere I loved so much in Hunger Games and even brought to life several fun “arenas” for the contestants to race through. The ending of the second book led me to believe there was going to be a third one, but it has been a long time coming and there’s still no news on the horizon…

The Bane by Keary Taylor

Book Info: The Bane by Keary Taylor

Genre: Teen Post-Apocalyptic

Reason for Recommending: character, action, love story: The Bane is another post-apocalyptic story with an excellent and resourceful main character. It has a much more prominent love triangle than Hunger Games (likely because all three spent a lot more time together than they did in Collins’ novels), so if you wanted more romance admdst all the fighting, this is the series for you!

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Book Info: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Reason for Recommending: story, atmosphere: admittedly, I have a love/hate relationship with this book (the first half was awesome, the second half not so much) but I seem to be in the minority, so it made the list. It has a similar caste system as Hunger Games (extravagantly rich vs. the dirt poor), but it’s determined by blood color (red vs. silver) rather than district, which is an interesting twist.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Book Info: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Genre: Teen Post-Apocalyptic

Reason for Recommending: atmosphere: Under the Never Sky is futuristic and post-apocalyptic and the characters go through a similar desperation for survival (albeit a tad watered down). It also had that “not everything is as it seems” vibe that made Hunger Games so interesting. This one may not fully satisfy your Hunger Games cravings completely, but I bet you’ll still enjoy it.

divergent

Book Info: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Reason for Recommending: story, character – yes, I’m including this on the list even though, realistically, if you had any interest in it you’ve probably already picked it up by now. The Divergent Trilogy had a lot of good things going for it and is still worth a read if you liked Hunger Games because it will give you that same overall “feel.” It’s unfortunately not at the top of my recommendations. While I love to the first two, the third let me down enough to suck the wind out of my “series enthusiasm” sails.

                                                                                                                                                                         

I hope you find this list helpful and enjoy these titles as much as I did! I’ve added all of them to a shelf on my Goodreads page if you’d like to go read more about them. Happy reading! :-)

Have you read any good books similar to Hunger Games?

by Niki Hawkes

Sep 2 2016
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Tackling the TBR [15]: September 2016

tackling the TBR

It’s once again time for my favorite feature: Tackling the TBR! There’s nothing I love more than picking out which books to read next, and this slightly organized method of reading has really amped my enjoyment to the next level. Bring on the mantras!

Read the best books first.
&
Life is too short to read books you’re not enjoying.

However you put together your TBR for the next month, the goal is to reduce the amount of obligation in reading and increase the fun.

Here’s a look at how the system works:

1. Identify the titles that take top priority in your TBR.
2. Combine them all in your own Tackling the TBR post.
3. Throughout the month pick from that pile as the mood strikes you.

Here’s what mine looks like:

September 2016 TBR Tackler Shelf:

I have them listed in order of priority, and Elite by Mercedes Lackey is definitely the book I’m most looking forward to reading – Hunter was amazing! I’m also super eager to pick up Queen of Fire by Anthony Ryan because I absolutely loved the first two in the series and can’t wait to see how it ends (it might be one of my new all-time favorite fantasies… It’s that good).

Feel free to share your versions of how you manage your TBR pile (and the links to your posts if applicable) in the comments. Maybe we can help make each other’s systems even better. :)

What books are you Tackling this month?

by Niki Hawkes