Follow and Feature / TGIF (8)

These two memes are a great way to get to know other bloggers! Just answer the questions and join the fun!

Feature and Follow is hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. How to participate: follow the hosts and the featured blogs, answer this weeks question and visit the other blogs! Since this meme is about following other blogs: leave a comment saying how you followed so bloggers can return the favor! You can follow Helene's World of Books via GFC, Networked Blogs or Linky. Your choice :).

This weeks questions: 

This week there are two questions. I liked them both so here are my answers:

Best cover? What is the best cover of a book that you've read and didn't like?

This is definitely The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate. I loved her Fallen series. I'm always a bit hesitant for the next book apart from a series, because in my experience most of the time it's not so good. But I loved this cover so much I just couldn't wait to read it. Unfortunately it was a big disappointment. I still like the cover though.  

Best cover? What is the best cover of a book that you've read and loved?

My new favorite series! I loved Spark (Elemental #2) better, but this cover is prettier! And I loved both books! See my review here. 

TGIF is hosted by GReads!. This features re-caps this weeks posts and proposes a questions to the followers. This will be the last one for a while. Ginger from GReads! is going to focus on her studies. It's sad because I really like this meme, but I completely understand of course! I hope Ginger will pick it up again in the feature. 

This weeks question:

Choose Your Next Read: How do you go about choosing what you read next? Do you have a schedule you follow, or do you read whatever makes you happy at the moment?

It depends on my mood and how big my MBRS (Must Be Read Soon) list is. My TBR pile is always huge. I tried a book buying ban a couple of times, but it has absolutely no effect on me. When I have a lot of review books and I have to read them in a certain order I make a list and most of the time I'll hold myself to it. When my MBRS list isn't that big and scary I choose what I read next when I finish a book. Mostly that means reading a book I feel like. 
Right now I have a list and so far so good. Now I just have to read all those books and write the reviews!

Happy Friday!

TGIF / FF (7)

I'm new to the blogging society and I think these two memes are a great way  to get to know other bloggers! If your new to my blog: you can follow me via GFC, Networked Blogs or Linky. Your choice :). If you follow me let me know, I'll return the favor! 

Feature and Follow is hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. Follow them and the featured blogs, answer this weeks question and join the following!

This weeks question:

Worst cover? What is the worst cover of a book that you've read and loved?

An easy one this week! That's Finding Sky by Joss Stirling. I absolutely loved the book, but the cover isn't really pretty and doesn't do the book justice.

TGIF is hosted by GReads!. This features re-caps this weeks posts and proposes a questions to the followers. 

This weeks question:

Back to School Reading: Which books would you like to see in today's high school Literature classrooms? 

At my school (I went to school in The Netherlands) they were all about "real" literature. Don't ask me what that means, because I still don't know (and I graduated five years ago). Basically it meant Dutch authors (no foreign authors) that called their own books literary. My opinion back then was that it just had to contain a lot of crap. So if I hated the book it was probably literature. I know harsh, but I hated the obliged reading. YA didn't really exist then, unfortunately. It was or literature (the grown up stuff as I called it) or children's books. 

I think they're a lot of books that should be in the Literature classrooms. So here's my top three:

Feature and Follow / TGIF (6)

I'm new to the blogging society and I think these two memes are a great way to get to know other bloggers! If your new to my blog: you can follow me via GFC, Networked Blogs or Linky. Your choice :). If you follow me let me know, I'll return the favor! 

Feature and Follow is hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. Follow them and the featured blogs, answer this weeks question and join the following!

This weeks question:

Q: What blogger inspires you? It can be any kind, it doesn't have to be a book blog.

For me that is Amber from Books of Amber. I love her blog and she has an amazing choice in books! She's also very funny, I laugh about a lot of her tweets!

TGIF is hosted by GReads!. This features re-caps this weeks posts and proposes a questions to the followers. 

This weeks question:

Pimp Your Review: Feature a favorite book review you've written in the past that you feel deserves more love! 

Review Bunheads by Sophie Flack
In general this book doesn't get enough credit! It's amazing and I think a lot more people should read it!

Last week posts:

Stacking the Shelves (6)

Review Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Upcoming (13)

Top Ten Romances That I Think Would Make It In The Real World

Waiting on Wednesday (8)

Review Pledged by Gwynneth White

Feature and Follow / TGIF (5)

I'm new to the blogging society and I think these two memes are a great way to get to know other bloggers! If your new to my blog: you can follow me via GFC, Networked Blogs or Linky. Your choice :). If you follow me let me know, I'll return the favor! 

Feature and Follow is hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. Follow them and the featured blogs, answer this weeks question and join the following!

This weeks question:

What would you do over if you were to start your blog again from scratch?

This is a tough question! I officially started my blog in January and at the beginning I had the beginning I dived in head first and didn't think it through. So I kinda stopped. Until the end of May, when I felt like I finally had the idea about what to do with my blog and I haven't stopped since! 
But there are some things that I would change:

*Pick another name. I entered the blogging world after starting my blog. I read a few before that, but not a lot. In my first week I discovered blogs with a variety on my name and I was a bit disappointed, because I really thought I was being original. Now I would discover the world a bit more first, google around and than pick a name. 

*Think about the design. Especially when I started blogging for real in May I kept changing my design. I'm happy with the one I have now, that goes for my name as well, but it would've been a lot easier if I just started with it. 

I think that's it :). Everything else I love about blogging!

TGIF is hosted by GReads!. This features re-caps this weeks posts and proposes a questions to the followers. 

This weeks question:

Unexpected Books: Which books did you have reservations about reading, but ended up loving once you did?

Most of the time it's the other way around and there are few books this way around. The most important one for me was:

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer: During my school years I read almost nothing. My grandma gave me this book after she got it as an ARC (she worked as book store manager). I put it in my bookcase and hadn't looked at it for months. Until I felt like reading a book, I fell in love with it and haven't stopped reading since. This book really got me out of the biggest reading slump!

Last week posts:

Stacking the Shelves (5)

Review Bunheads by Sophie Flack

Upcoming (12)

Top Ten Posts On Your Blog That Would Give The BEST Picture of YOU

Waiting on Wednesday (7)

Review Otherkin by Nina Berry

Feature and Follow / TGIF (4)

I'm new to the blogging society and I think these two memes are a great way to get to know other bloggers! If your new to my blog: you can follow me via GFC, Networked Blogs or Linky. Your choice :). If you follow me let me know, I'll return the favor! 

Feature and Follow is hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. Follow them and the featured blogs, answer this weeks question and join the following!

This weeks question:

Do your reading habits change based on your mood? Do you read a certain genre if you are feeling depressed or happy?

One thing that changes is the amount I read. If I'm really happy or sad, or e.g. nervous, I tend to read less than usual. I can always read YA and I mostly do.  My other favorite genre is Chick Lit, but that one's mood based. If I'm happy I read Chick Lit, if I'm not I tend to avoid it, because I learned in the past I won't enjoy the books as much as I would otherwise. 

Once in a while I like to read literature, but I only do that if I'm in a real reading mood. If I'm not there's a chance I just stop reading. Because I don't want to start a new book before I finished the one I'm currently reading.

TGIF is hosted by GReads!. This features re-caps this weeks posts and proposes a questions to the followers. 

This weeks question:

Book Olympics: In the spirit of the Olympics, which books would you give the gold, silver, and bronze medals to? It can be from any genre, new or old. 

I've chosen three books I read recently which I loved the most.
Gold: City of Swords by Mary Hoffman
Silver: Glitch by Heather Anastasiu
Bronze: Bunheads by Sophie Flack

Last week posts:

Stacking the Shelves (4)

Versatile Blogger Award

Review Rapture by Lauren Kate

Upcoming (11)

Top Ten Characters I'd Like To Switch Places With For 24 Hours

Waiting on Wednesday (6)

July in Books

Review Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Feature and Follow / TGIF (3)

I'm new to the blogging society and I think these two memes are a great way to get to know other bloggers!

Feature and Follow is hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. Follow them and the featured blogs, answer this weeks question and join the following!

This weeks question:

Summer Reading. What was your favorite book that you were REQUIRED to read when you were in school?

Call it a coincidence, but I was actually thinking about this last night. I hated most books I was required to read, just because it was required, but the title that left the biggest impression on me was:



On the Beach by Nevil Shute


I never stopped thinking about that ending. [A bit spoilery after this, I'm sorry] It's about the end of the world. Everything is dying: animals, people. But there are some exceptions. The people who don't get sick and die. The main character discovers he's one of them, but he chooses to die together with his wife and child, when they receive pills that will put an end to everything. I was like 14 years old when I read this and this never let me go. So beautiful. 

TGIF is hosted by GReads!. This features re-caps this weeks posts and proposes a questions to the followers. 

This weeks question:

Christmas in July: If Santa were to come down your chimney in the middle of summer, which books would you want him to leave for you under the tree?


This question is almost the same is the one from FF last week, but it's always fun to pick out books! But I'll choose different ones from last week. 


My wish list is endless and I don't want to leave Santa all broke I narrowed it down to my top three books. 

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Revived by Cat Patrick

Eve by Anna Carey

I've read amazing reviews about these three, so these is my top three for now. And now I can only hope Santa is really stopping by in the middle of summer!

Last week posts:

Review I Heart London by Lindsey Kelk
Stacking the Shelves (3)
Upcoming (10)
Top Ten Most Vivid Worlds/Settings In Books
Waiting on Wednesday (5)
Review A Witch In Love by Ruth Warburton

Feature and Follow (4) & TGIF (2)

I'm new to the blogging society and I think these two memes are a great way to get to know other bloggers!

Feature and Follow is hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. Follow them and the featured blogs, answer this weeks question and join the following!

This weeks question:

Q: Christmas in July! Someone gives you a gift card for two books (whatever that costs). What two books will you buy?


Just two books? That's hard, my wish list is so big. But well, I will play along nicely. I would choose:

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
I really can't wait to read this title!!


Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
For some reason I never put this book on my wish list, but I heard so many good things about it now that it's right at the top. 

TGIF is hosted by GReads!. This features re-caps this weeks posts and proposes a questions to the followers. 

This weeks question:

Throwback TGIF: Pick a previous question you posted on your blog in the past & revisit your answer. Has it changed since then?


Since this is only my second TGIF (and the answer hasn't changed) I'm going to cheat a little and just going to pick a question. 

A Book Blogger is Born: What made you decide to start your very own book blog?

I think my answer is the same as almost everyone who owns a book blog, I just really love books and talking about them. So that's what made me start my blog. I started at the beginning of this year, but I just hadn't really thought through how I wanted it to be, so I stopped posting. In may I felt like now was the time to really start taking it seriously and here I am, totally happy with my blog. And the book blogging community is awesome!

Last two weeks posts:

I was on vacation last week so here are the posts for the last two weeks!

Review City of Swords by Mary Hoffman
Best Books This Year (So Far)
Waiting on Wednesday (4)
Upcoming (9)
Review Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble
Cover Love
Review Glitch by Heather Anastasiu
Top Ten Tuesday Freebie!

Upcoming (8)

Stacking the Shelves

Review A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton

Feature and Follow (3) & TGIF (1)

I'm new to the blogging society and I think these two memes are a great way to get to know other bloggers!

Feature and Follow is hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. Follow them and the featured blogs, answer this weeks question and join the following!

This weeks question:

Jumping Genres: Ever pick up a book from a genre you usually don't like and LOVE it? Tell us about it and why you picked it up in the first place.

I'm really hesitant with picking up literature. When I was about 14 I decided I couldn't read children's books anymore, so I moved over to the "grown-up" section of the library and that was a really bad experience. So ever since I tend to avoid literature. I probably would like it by now, but I just prefer YA and Chick Lit. Of course I've read some literature and I absolutely loved Atonement by Ian McEwan. I picked it up for a assignment for one of my classes at the university and I was blown away by it. So I try to read more literature, but most sound so heavy or weird that I just don't. 

TGIF is hosted by GReads!. This features re-caps this weeks posts and proposes a questions to the followers. 

This weeks question:

Comfort Reads: Which books do you go to for comfort & familiarity? Is there a type of book you seek out when you're needing that extra bit of comfort in your life?

If I'm in a reading funk I mostly pick up a book I looked forward to for some time or a book I already read and really loved. The latter mostly means Harry Potter. The former varies of course. Mostly it's a Chick Lit, because overall I read YA, but when I want to read a book that comforts me Chick Lits are the ones for me! Mainly because I'm almost certain that I already know the world it's placed in and the characters are mostly a lot like me.

This weeks posts:

Review Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares

June in Books

Upcoming (7)

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books For People Who Like Ruth Warburton

Waiting on Wednesday: The Rise of Nine

Review Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Feature and Follow (2)

I'm new to the blogging society and I think this is a great way to get to know other bloggers. To participate, follow Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. Grab the button, post and answer this weeks question. With this hop, the main objective is to follow! 

This weeks question:

Birthday Wishes -- Blow out the candles and imagine what character could pop out of your cake...who is it and what book are they from?

The first person that popped into my head was Dumbledore from Harry Potter. I would beg him to please send me my acceptance letter to Hogwarts. But then he's already 12 years to late, so I thought it would be more fun to pick another character (although I could also ask him to make me 12 years younger...). 

But after some more thinking I would like to hang out with Isabelle Lightwood from The Mortal Instruments. She always seems so cool and I like to get to know her better. Or I would go for Andrea Sachs from The Devil Wears Prada. I admire her ambition and I would like to talk to her. 

Which character would you like to pop out of your cake?

Feature & Follow (1)

I'm new to the blogging society and I think this is a great way to get to know other bloggers. To participate, follow Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. Grab the button, post and answer this weeks question. With this hop, the main objective is to follow! 

Q: If you could "unread" a book, which one would it be? Is it because you want to start over and experience it again for the first time? Or because it was THAT bad?

I think the best thing about rereading books is that you discover more things. I've read Harry Potter for the seventh time now (well, at least the first four) and I learn more things every time. But a first time experience is of course unique and you can never do that again. 
So I think I would choose Harry Potter to be "unread", and maybe The Lord of The Rings. I was a bit young when I read it for the first time and I would like to experience it from an 'older me' perspective. 


One of the books I want to "unread" because it was so bad is What's new, Pussycat by Alexandra Potter. I love her other books, but I just really didn't like this one. I've finished it, but do not ask me how...