June was a month of fun. Besides my birth month and the birth of this blog [it's turned one for the umpteenth time,] I actually had a really good time. Things got pretty stressful towards exams but that's natural, right? I'm glad to be out.
Hold it! No I'm not. Currently, I'm doing summer school so I can get ahead. It's awful. My teacher is horrible and to her, one little mistake will get me an 80% in her course. I want this to be over so bad but I have another three weeks to go. Also, things are due the day they're assigned so I have about 12 hours to do a major project every single day. #Pray4Me
In other news, I'm getting less books. This is good. I've been so behind on everything, I don't think I could deal with another crapload of ARCs. I'm also really happy because quality vs. quantity and all that. The ones I got, in my opinion, are of the highest quality. Not that I'm biased or anything.
I got to take two shots with my sister for Canada Day and I wanted to practice my photography. We played with sparklers because neither of us wanted to hear lame fireworks. I didn't expect these shots to match but they do and I think they look cute! I'm the one on the left - I know, it's hard to tell.
Nova's fun thing of the month: I take pictures of plants with books and sometimes people are like, "oh, that's so pretty!" I appreciate all those comments but really, I can't take full credit. I am not kidding when I say that sometimes, I'll sneak into someone's FRONT garden and use their plants as props for a shoot. It gets really weird when it isn't in my neighborhood. One guy in a different neighborhood had a rock garden and I really wanted to use it but he looked angry and he was out watering his grass so it was like nooooope.
Review
Raincoast Books [Macmillan] are seriously my favorites. I received a copy of Tonight the Streets Are Ours, My Secret to Tell and Romancing the Dark in the City of Light. I haven't read any but both Leila Sales and Nat. D. Richards are authors I've had great success with! Ann Jacobus is a new author to me but I'm expecting great things!I also received an eCopy of Signs Point to Yes!
Lastly, I got a copy of The Scorpion Rules from Simon and Schuster. Very excited for that one!
Yes! That's it for the entire month. I'm so happy because while it isn't crazy large, they're great titles! I hope you're as excited as me for the release of these!
Library/Borrowed
Giselle @ Book Nerd Canada let me borrow her copy of Throne of Glass. So guys: I did it. I read Throne of Glass. This is news! I actually didn't want to read it initially because hype monster scares me but I did. And it was pretty good! I don't know if it deserves the crazy amount of hype but I'm told the series gets better so when I get Crown of Midnight, I'll definitely be diving for it.
I'm very happy to have finished school but not that I have to continue. It's actually awful - I don't recommend summer school for a course you really want to learn because it's so sped up. However, I hate history so much that I don't even care if I come out with this having learned nothing. How are you enjoying your summer?
Once again, your photos are so pretty. I didn't see the TTSAO on Twitter before. I can't even imagine it next to Romancing. . .. Well, I can, but still. :) How lucky.
ReplyDeleteMy summer is pretty okay so far, very low key, not doing a whole lot.
--Amber
Thanks Amber! <3
DeleteThey look very similar, right??? And ugh, I WISH I had a lowkey summer.
Argh, good luck with that summer course. Subpar teachers are the worst. :S I'm due to start summer school in a week myself, once actual school wraps up, so hopefully we shall survive together.
ReplyDelete*whispers* Fewer books. Anyhow, OMG YOU READ TOG. I've been staying off the bandwagon for similar reasons to yours, and also I'm worried the series won't pick up until CoM as everyone says, and I cannot abide slow books. Should I try anyways?
I'm so happy with fewer books and I didn't think I would be.
DeleteI'd say try anyway. However, Celaena can be kind of a mary sue so if you have a burning hatred for those, you might not like her.
SUMMER SCHOOL EW NO THANKS. I'm praying for you, Nova. Praying to my god, the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Hopefully those three weeks go quickly!!
ReplyDeleteLOL at stealing people's gardens. I should start doing that, sounds fun :P Except I'd actually have to go outside to do that...
People are right when they say Crown of Midnight is better - I didn't like Throne of Glass but I LOVED Crown of Midnight (and Assassin's Blade...even though it destroyed me...)
Flying spaghetti monster, I cry.
DeleteI take ALL my shots outside because the lighting in my house is awful.
I'm EXCITEDDDD
Good luck with the summer course! My driver's ed instructor is like that. We have a day to do reports, and they take hours to complete. You can do it though! I just read Signs Point to Yes and it is so adorable and dorky. I couldn't help but grin the whole time I read it. ARCs a good when they start coming less. I never thought I would say that but when you have other things going on and have all these ARCs reading becomes a chore instead of fun! Throne of Glass does get better as the story goes on, I've read the second and it is a bit slow for my taste but still a solid four stars.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a great summer Nova! <3
Amber ❤ The Book Bratz
Thanks for the support, Amber! It means a lot.
DeleteSigns Point To Yes? YAY! Now I'm excited to read that. i love dorky, it makes me flail.
Good for you for getting ahead! I wish I had knocked out some classes when I was in school over the summer, but we only had summer school for the kids who were failing.
ReplyDeleteYeah, we're June babies! *high five!!*
We have summer school for people who want to do next year's stuff early but yeah, I always thought summer school was for remedial.
DeleteI HATED SUMMER SCHOOL. I did it for two summers in high school so that I could get ahead (worth it: I graduated with 32 credits), but it was also miserable. I was always like "Ugh, I have assignments to do and it's SUMMER" and that was super frustrating. But I also had way easier teachers and it was all online so due dates weren't really a "thing." Thank God for that one. My teachers were all pretty lenient and great.
ReplyDeleteAw I love your pictures! Our 4th of July was tonight and I didn't really participate. I really wanted to, but I'm not sure any of my friends were doing anything. I sat out back with my parents and watched other people set off fireworks, which was significantly less fun. *sigh*
Yay for books! I saw you raving about Six of Crows lol. I'll definitely get around to it...super soon. ;D I have an ARC taunting me on my shelf so I need to hop to it.
To be honest, I'm nervous that when I reread Throne of Glass I won't love it as much the second time around. :( The first book was good, but I just don't know if I'll love it the same because I read it over one year ago! But who knows. I'll probably end up rereading the series some time in August so that I can be ready to go when Queen of Shadows comes out.
I didn't think summer school would be this hard *cries*
DeleteTHANK YOU SYDNEY YOU MAKE ME BLUSH. Meh, I don't like fireworks. there's something cool about sparkler's because they're so close. idk that's just me.
i don't think i can shut up about six of crows hehe
I live in the UK so we don't have summer school (as far as I know...) but it does not sound fun!! I'm so glad you liked Throne of Glass! Crown of Midnight is even better in my opinion!
ReplyDeletei'm so excited to read it!
DeleteI hope summer school starts to go by much faster for you. I'm sorry that you are having such a dreadful time. D:
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your new books, lady! Lately I've been all about quality over quantity. I didn't get many books at BEA for that reason. Helps me not to stress out so much about all the books I have to read!
it took me years but i think now i understand what quality over quantity means :)
DeleteAww, hope summer will be better for the rest. Summer school is different for me - only if I'm close to failing, but I honestly want calculus class for summer.
ReplyDeleteI still haven't read Throne of Glass. But I AM ahead in blogging. It's scary.
oh my gosh i'm so behind in blogging. not dreadfully behind but i only have six posts scheduled hehe
DeleteGlad to hear you liked Throne of Glass! I just bought myself a copy a few days ago so I hope I enjoy it too :) Tonight the Streets Are Ours has been on my radar for a while, so looking forward to seeing what you think. Hope you have a great week!
ReplyDeleteEugenia @ Genie In A Book
Tonight... has such a pretty cover and i've had great luck with Leila's books in the past! Thanks, Eugenia <3
DeleteBoo for stress, but yay for sparkles and books! (Though not at the same time. It sounds like a recipe for book malfunction!) Here's hoping for a less stressful July! :D
ReplyDelete[definitely the sparkles though]
DeleteSummer School? I FEEL YOU NOVA, I DO. Its the worst! I shall not discuss it in this comment though, because pretty books! Wow, Tonight the streets are ours has such a lovely cover; I can't wait to get my hands on it. On another note, your photography is bae. I've tagged you in the bookshelf tag over at my blog; I'd love to see your bookshelf tour! Here's the link: http://symphofwords.blogspot.in/2015/07/the-bookshelf-tag-excuse-to-take.html
ReplyDeleteThe bookshelf tag looks like so much fun! I'll do it when I have time, thanks so much for thinking of me <3
DeleteI often think getting LESS books is way better too!! I really need to work on that. I always feel so behind on review books... but then I go ahead and accept them all anyway! I have a problem. LOL Hope you had a great weekend! :)
ReplyDeleteSometimes, i forget that I request and then I request more and boom, i'm swamped. plus, there's some guilt too XD
DeleteHope you had a fabulous blog birthday and birthday yourself! Oh man, that's super exciting about Throne of Glass, I hope you loved it. Trust me, Crown of Midnight is even more amazing. Oh man, I feel you when it comes to the review copies!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jeann! Review copies are great but now I'm like "let's just chiiiiiillll"
DeleteI remember you got Six of Crows, right? If yes, COMMISERATE WITH MY SLAIN FEELINGS. And I wish I could borrow Signs Point to Yes. Macmillan has the best books, but they never approve me. But (very, very hopefully) there's going to be a time when I wildly request, and I'm going to get approved for all of them, and I don't know how I'll be able to deal.
ReplyDeleteBeing able to read advance copies is cool and all, but I'm cutting back because I have so many to read and yet to review as is, and I feel bad for being unable to review some published books. I feel guilty in a way.
OMG YES SHANELLE THAT BOOK KILLED ME. Macmillan DOES have the best book. I used to never be approved by them but somehow, things changed this year. I'm so stoked!
DeleteHappy belated birthday AND bloggy birthday! And good luck for summer school. Crown of Midnight is definitely better by the way, even thouuugh the first book might not be ALL that hype-worthy and stuff. I cracked up at the sneaking into gardens part, I hope you somehow manage to slither into the scary guy's garden, all for the sake of good pictures. Huhu.
ReplyDeleteThe garden part isn't even fake - that's the funny part. But the rock garden was so pretty, you should've seen it! And thanks for your kind words <3
DeleteUgh, summer school. I'm so nervous for high school next year AHH. And yes, Crown of Midnight was fantastic. I loved ToG, but CoM was EVEN BETTER.
ReplyDeleteAnd yep, Raincoast is awesome. I read Tonight The Streets Are Ours a few days ago and while I didn't love it, it was still a pretty cute book. Enjoy!
Also, do you have a copy of CoM or do you want to borrow mine?
When we meet, I'll give you a crash course on the things you need to know about high school [not very much tbh.] Raincoast is a fairy - they're just so lovely to me. Plus, they have AMAZING titles!
DeleteI already answered the DM but thank you so much for offering <333
Heck yes, June babies for the win. Great photo, looks like you two had fun! Good luck with summer school, it's never fun but I think you will be glad that you did it when it's all over! I feel like History is to basically just get through a class, it's a shame but I've already forgotten most of what I've learned in history.
ReplyDeleteI felt the same about Throne of Glass - I thought it was good but maybe a little over hyped. I hear it gets better though so maybe I just haven't gotten there yet! :) Sound like you had a great month!
ReplyDelete