amarisafloria

Way before this blog became a book blog, I started two things called "The Weekly" and "Noted." Both features involved myself sharing some of the things that I've been thinking about/doing in list form, and now I'm bringing it back and combining them together! I thought it'd be nice to just sit down and share what I've been up to each week. Time to get a little personal ...


1. Ever since I finished Shadow and Bone, I haven't been in the mood to read anything except comic books. I guess it's because I'm a fresh comic nerd and I just want to read EVERYTHING. I've been on the same book (The Book Thief) since the end of August, but I think I'm going to save it for another time ... I feel like I'm forcing myself to finish it since I've been meaning to get to it for a while now, and I might end up hating it because of that.

2. I started running/working out again, and I have to say — on the days I exercise, I feel a lot better about myself. A lot of the minor health issues I have are related to the fact that I don't take care of my body, so I've been trying to make an effort to eat a little better and move around more often ... like take frequent walks to the library ;)


3. Marvel reading update: I'm working my way through She-Hulk (2004) and it's alright so far. I've only read the first two issues, but I think it's pretty cool how she works as both an Avenger and a lawyer. I'm hoping to get some sort of explanation as to how Jen Walters became She-Hulk and why she is the way she is, but *thumbs up* as of now. Other comic series I'm planning to read this coming week: Captain Marvel (2012) and Hawkeye (2012).


4. After baking macarons with Esther, a good friend and fellow book nerd, I decided to try it out by myself. (Well, I mainly watched her make it that time ... since I was afraid to mess up the recipe!) I'm not a baker - I've only made cheesecake in the past - but it was a lot easier than I expected. There are still a couple of things I need to work on, but I'm really excited to work on different fillings. Raspberry buttercream is up next! :)

5. Question of the week: What are some TV shows you'd watch/re-watch, but with your children? The first show that popped into my mind was Rugrats (my favorite as a child), but I also really want to re-watch Hey Arnold! I watched episodes as they aired when I was younger, but I can't remember if there were bits and pieces in each episode that tie together ... OH! I would 100% also watch Boy Meets World. I HAVE SO MUCH LOVE FOR BOY MEETS WORLD.

I hope these weekly things will be fun to read ... my life really isn't that interesting but I hope it sparks some kind of conversation!

While putting this together, I realized that I haven't started a ton of completed series. There are MANY (so many) that I'd love to read, but I'll leave that for next time :)


THE GRISHA TRILOGY
Y'all, I have NO IDEA why it took me this long to get reading. I bought Shadow and Bone from Book Outlet back in February 2014 and just never started it because fantasy is INTIMIDATING! But I just finished it about two weeks ago and WOW I LOVED IT. Leigh Bardugo is coming to my city at the beginning of October so I'll be finishing the last two by then!

THE DELIRIUM TRILOGY
I read Delirium before my TBR pile got crazy so Pandemonium and Requiem got left in the dust long time ago. Sorry, Lauren Oliver! I've heard it goes downhill but I'm still hoping to finish it someday.

THE TWILIGHT SAGA
Oh, Twilight. I was moving my books around yesterday and found a bookmark in New Moon, which I started in HIGH SCHOOL and never finished. Do you think it's worth a read? I don't remember if I liked Twilight or not, so it's a maybe for finishing up the series.

THE SUPERLATIVES COMPANION TRILOGY
These are just okay but I think I'll finish it because I just have one more to go. I'm not in a rush to finish it though, so it might be a while ...

THE BOOMERANG COMPANION TRILOGY
Boomerang was so much fun to read but I haven't been interested in Rebound or Bounce because they don't follow the same main characters. If you've read either, did you like them?

THE GIVER QUARTET
I really wanted to continue on after I read The Giver but I heard it's more of a companion series ... I was hoping for something that would follow and build on the ending of the first book :(

THE MAZE RUNNER TRILOGY
Not really interested in finishing this one since it took me a while to get into the first book ... and even then, I was never fully immersed. But I'm really looking forward to the second movie coming out this fall!

THE SISTERHOOD SERIES
I didn't know they changed up the covers! I have the first four in the original neon covers, and I'm pretty sure I read the first three books. But now I don't remember anything that happens, so I'll have to start over if I want to finish this series. That's the main reason why I haven't finished a lot of the series on this list—I've just forgotten what goes on and don't care as much as I used to.

THE SUMMER TRILOGY
I started The Summer I Turned Pretty way before I started blogging and just never finished the trilogy because I didn't have a copy of the second or last book. I do now, so I'll be catching up any day now ...

THE HARRY POTTER SERIES
Okay, this one is cheating a bit. I've read all seven books, but I started a re-read last year and stopped after Goblet of Fire. Kinda funny because the first time I read this series, I stopped at the same place and it took me ages to get on with it. Not sure why!

I will definitely finish the Grisha trilogy by the end of this month, but which other series do you think I should continue?

Everyone who has read The Start of Me and You will tell you that Emery Lord can craft an amazing group of friends. This story is mainly about Paige and how she comes to terms with losing her boyfriend, but we also get to see how important friendship is. I feel like this isn't highlighted much in YA—characters seem to deal with a lot of things by themselves—so THANK YOU TO EMERY LORD for emphasizing this! Paige and her best friends (Tessa, Morgan, and Kayleigh) are loving and supportive, even in times of disagreement. It's a rare thing, to have a group of gals you can honestly trust and share the ugly bits of your life with.


Every single character Paige interacts with is important in this story. Her parents, her sister, even her grandma. I have a big soft spot for old people, so the "Paige visits her grandma" parts were so precious to me. And guys, MAX WATSON. Nerdy Max Watson. I don't think anyone understands how much I enjoy a good nerdy guy. He's quirky, sweet, A GENTLEMAN—something that Paige takes a while to notice. But I love that it's not entirely about the romance. Along with friendship, it's about family and dealing with pain.

Is it predictable? Yes, but here's the thing, taken straight from page 124: "In books, sometimes the foreshadowing is so obvious that you know what’s going to happen. But knowing what happens isn’t the same as knowing how it happens. Getting there is the best part."

I've read a ton of YA contemporary romance but this is one of my favorites. Please buy yourself a copy (or borrow it from the library!) because YOU NEED THIS. If you are looking for a contemporary with a cute romance, something fun but also meaningful and realistic, or a good representation of friends who stick together through tough times, this book is for you :)