I’m Back and how I failed spectacularly at the Tackle my TBR Read-a-Thon!

Hello people, I’m back from Portugal. After a crazy crazy week at home, I finally arrived to Barcelona yesterday morning (and at my house roughly 2h30m later… I have public transportation sometimes).

It was a SUPER CRAZY WEEK!! I’ll resume it for you, just because… I got there Friday night…

» Saturday I had a full day celebration at a friend’s house, to celebrate her birthday and PhD. After a day of eating and playing games, I finally got home at around 1 a.m.

» Sunday my brother picked me up at 9.30 a.m to go to the supermarket, then we went to his new house, looked around a bit, he showed me his 65′ and 55′ new TVs and played some PES, and then we had family lunch at our grandmother’s. After that, me, him and his wife went to a shopping mall, where he then left us and we went to IKEA next. We left IKEA completely drained at 10 p.m. and went to have a soup at another shopping mall… isn’t it great that things are open until 11p.m.?! After I had a freakout moment because I saw Throne of Glass in Portuguese, I went home.

– By now I’d been home for 2 whole days and had seen my dad a great amount of 1 hr on the day I arrived! –

» Monday I decided to sleep in a little… that was until my sister called me (and woke me up), to announce that she and her husband were arriving at Lisbon and if I wanted to have lunch with them. My answer was yes (because you never say no to dining out with your siblings, right?). SEAFOOD!!!! 😀 My bro and sis-in-law joined us as well, and then we (again) went to my brother’s new house. It was time to start washing the linens and stuff, and I spent the day assembling the kitchen diner table and the chairs… bless IKEA. On a bright note, I managed to get away and have diner with my dad 😉

» Tuesday I was able to stay at home a bit. I had to work on some stuff for my advisor, so that worked out well. And after 2 days of being stuck in the same page of Queen of Shadows, I was able to move up a few chapters (not many though). My BFF then went to get me and we made our usual route to some starbucks, a few shops, diner and a movie. 😀 (and then staying talking until past 2a.m. – I’m in serious need of some sleep).

» My plan for Wednesday was to relax all day and read, nothing more. I almost managed doing just that… But my sis called to let me know she would be picking me up soon… I said no, she said yes, she won! So, again, bro’s home – it’s a really nice house – we had a snack, we went to my grandmother’s, then to see a friend, then back to his house, we had diner at 11 p.m. and me and my sister-in-law’s sister stayed until 2a.m. playing Dance Central on the X-Box, while the men were upstairs with their PES.

» Thursday was a good day! I made progress on Queen of Shadows! I read and watched a bit of TV, relaxed, managed to actually read some blog posts that I had been accumulating, and then me and my BFF went to have coffee with a friend of ours that we hadn’t seen in awhile.

– Are you tired yet? – 

» Friday I went (guess…), yeah, bro’s house. They went to deliver furniture, mainly the couch and dining table  – very important – then we had lunch, me and sis went to starbucks, pharmacy, grandmother’s house. Then we had a family diner. My nephew arrived from the south of Portugal. After diner we all went to my brother’s house. Me and my BFF finally left past 1a.m. and I was super tired by then.

» Saturday (it’s almost over), I had a lunch with my family from my dad’s side. It’s always great to see my aunts 😀 ! By late afternoon I went shopping with my nephew and that was awesome, I had missed the kid. Then it was time to pack and sleep, because having a plane to catch at 6.45 a.m. is no joke.

      

My Grandmother/aunt’s house is full of these little treasures… Damn it, I was so cute when I was little…

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Now, for the actual #TackleTBR Warp-Up, I didn’t do any good in this Read-a-Thon… not good at all.

WHAT MY GOALS WERE:

• Finish my September TBR, which means reading Queen of Shadows (doing a buddy read – check the GR group 😀 ), An Infinite Number Of Parallel Universes  and  Finding Perfect. (Because I’ll finish The Assassin’s Blade today)

        

• Read at least 2 other ARCs – which ones will depend on my mood;

• Participate in 5 challenges;

• Find some new exciting blogs to follow.

WHAT I actually managed:

• I finished The Assassin’s Blade,  An Infinite Number Of Parallel Universes  and  Finding Perfect. I’m halfway done with Queen of Shadows, which won’t surprise you if you read the section above.

• I read nothing more, unless you count some form of fanfiction which I’m now apparently addicted to.

• I participated in 2 challenges: #TACKLETBR: SEASON CHALLENGE and #TACKLETBR: BOOKISH SCAVENGER HUNT!. I really like challenges, but to be honest, the ones in this read-a-thon were mostly meh… these two were fun 🙂 .

• I hardly had time to check on the blogs that I already follow, least of all find new ones… it was a busy week.

#TackleTBR: Season Challenge

I’m finally doing a challenge for the Tackle your TBR Read-a-thon! Today’s challenge is hosted by Jemima Pett and it’s the Season Challenge. I did a similar challenge last time I did a read-a-thon, you can see it here.

Today I’m challenging all people tackling their ‘to read’ list through the #TackleTBR Readathon to come up with some books related to the four seasons.

Your challenge, if you choose to accept it is to find one book with each of the seasons in each title – not A Man for All Seasons, but one for Spring, one for Summer, one for Autumn, and one for Winter.

If you can’t find the titles including the season, you can include a book that is specifically set or related to the season.  Obviously Christmas stories relate to winter (or summer, if you’re in the southern hemisphere); The Longest Day is summer.

You can find them on your own shelf (more fun), or in your library, online, or already in your TBR list (even more fun).

I’m going with books from my TBR 😉

Spring: Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes

Summer: The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Autumn: Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon

Winter: Winter by Marissa Meyer

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Quick update on this read-a-thon… I’m a bit behind! I finished my first 2 books, but I’ve been stuck with Queen of Shadows because I haven’t been able to find the time to read, and I so want to because this is AMAZING!

This is also my first challenge because none of the others so far spoke to me…

Tackle Your TBR Read-a-Thon (I might be going crazy!)

Hello!!! So, I’ve decided to join another Read-a-Thon!!! This time is the Tackle your TBR Read-a-thon, hosted by Wishful Endings. This might be totally crazy, given that this week I have a presentation about the progress of my PhD, and I’m leaving on Friday to go home, and I expect the next week to be a little hectic! Between friends, my brother in Lisbon, my nieces still on vacation,…, I don’t know how I’ll find the time to read. But I need to finish my TBR for this month and then some, so I decided that maybe this is exactly what I need.

The Tackle Your TBR Read-a-thon begins Monday, September 14th and ends Sunday, September 27th, with a wrap-up (including giveaway winners) on September 28th. You do not have to be a blogger to sign up. Just use your Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, or Tumblr, or leave a comment stating that you’ll just post updates on my blog commenting on my updates instead (just pick a place you’re going to post updates on). For the linky, you need to leave a link (so if you’re going to post on my blog, then leave the link to my blog, but your email so that I have a way to reach you). When the read-a-thon officially begins, you all will have a chance to add a sign-up/goals post (or leave it in comments in response to mine when that goes up on September 14th).

What can you read as part of the read-a-thon? Anything. It can be an audiobook, ebook, physical book, published, ARC, etc. There are no restrictions. The idea is to lower our TBR piles and any way you want to do that is just fine by me. 

My Goals:

• Finish my September TBR, which means reading Queen of Shadows (doing a buddy read – check the GR group 😀 ), An Infinite Number Of Parallel Universes  and  Finding Perfect. (Because I’ll finish The Assassin’s Blade today)

        

• Read at least 2 other ARCs – which ones will depend on my mood;

• Participate in 5 challenges;

• Find some new exciting blogs to follow.

I’ll keep this laid back, because I don’t expect to have that much time this next couple of weeks, and I suspect that most of my reading will be done on the airport and planes while I’m going to and from home. Let’s see how it goes 😀 !!!

Bout of Books 14: Wrap-Up

The Bout of Books 14 Read-a-thon as come to a close, and in retrospect, I think I did quite well.

I had set the goal of reading 3 books: The One Thing, The Wrath and the Dawn and Shatter Me. I managed to read the first two and I’m 2/3 done with Shatter Me, which is not bad, right? Better yet, I loved the 2 first books and I’m really digging this one as well. So, 3 books (+/-) in a week, and all of them good, I’m happy about it!

I also managed to participate in 6 of the 7 challenges of this read-a-thon. SIX!!! 😀

• Day 1: Fictional World Travel Challenge

• Day 2: Book Scavenger Hunt

• Day 3: MASH

• Day 4: 4 Seasons Book Covers

• Day 6: Book Road Trip 

• Day 7: What to Read Next

      

And during the course of this read-a-thon, I published 26 posts on my blog. So I’m calling this a success, even though I didn’t finish my last book yet, and I’ll be participating in more of these in the future.

 

 

Bout of Books 14: What to Read Next Challenge

Here we are, for the last day of the Bout of Books 14 Read-a-thon.

Today’s challenge is hosted by Sarah Reads too Much and this is the challenge:

For this Challenge, you need to recommend 3 books (and only 3 books) that you have read this year that you think should be recognized as something great – something everyone should have on their TBR list for this fall.  If you can, say a short little something about why you recommend these books.

I’m going for 3 books that not only did I read this year, but that also came out this year, from 3 different genres.

Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

I can’t praise this book enough. Everyone should read it, because not only does it has diverse characters and deals with issues of homosexuality and acceptance, but does it in a fun and light way, so that’s impossible not to have a smile on your face and fall in love with the characters.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

This New Adult Fantasy novel is just amazing. It’s a retelling of Beauty and the Beast done in a most wonderful way. Sarah J. Maas is a master with her words and world building, and this book will leave you wanting for more. More story, more of the characters, more everything.

YOU’RE NEVER WEIRD ON THE INTERNET (ALMOST) by FELICIA DAY

This book, wow, all the love for this book. Felicia Day, the “Queen of the Geeks” pours her story, hard work and soul into this book, and the result is amazing. I loved to get to know her, I have a newfound respect for her and this is such an inspiring and acceptance driven book… you should read it.

Bout of Books 14: Road Trip Challenge

Hello! It’s day 6 of the Bout of Books 14 Read-a-thon, meaning, just one more day! Yesterday I didn’t participate in the challenge, because it involved shipping people from different books, and I find it so hard to do that, I’ve been putting off doing the Rip it or Ship it book tag because of it.  But that’s ok!

Today’s challenge is a bit more manageable, the Road Trip Challenge, hosted by Steph in Wonderland. “For this challenge, I’d like for you to come up with a list of the top 4-5 states/places you’d love to visit and find a book (you either read or want to read) that takes place in that state/place or a book by an author who lives or is from there. :]“

Because this felt somewhat similar to the challenge from day 1, I decided to use TBR books for this one, and mark a real possible road trip, starting from Barcelona, where I live… so, here it is.

I’ve also started my third book, Shatter Me, today! Finished The Wrath and the Dawn yesterday evening and I’m still a bit hungover by it, such a stunning book, such heartbreak 😦 …

Bout of Books 14: 4 Seasons Book Covers

Hiii! It’s day 4 of the Bout of Books read-a-thon and I’m super happy with my progress! So, I finished my first book and review it here on the blog, and yesterday morning I started my second book of my read-a-thon TBR, which is The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh, and I’m already 230 pages in, I didn’t want to stop reading last night, but my eyes betrayed me and I just had to stop =( – this book is incredible!!!!

But without further ado, today’s challenge is hosted by Kimberly Faye Reads and is the 4 Seasons Book Covers Challenge. “For this challenge, you need to convey the four seasons in book covers – through color, title, cover, etc. You can be literal or take a more creative approach. Anything goes! Just show me four seasons in book covers.”

Given that most of my books are in Portugal anyway, I decided to use covers from my childhood for this challenge. So, I chose 4 books by Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, who writes children’s books and poetry, and whose books we portuguese children always read in primary school. They still read them, my youngest niece already has some. And they are gorgeous and amazing stories (that unfortunately I don’t remember), and the covers always reminded me of the 4 seasons somehow.

So, what do you think of these covers? 🙂

Bout of Books 14: Book Scavenger Hunt

The second challenge of the Bout of Books Read-a-thon is a Book Scavenger Hunt!

This day the challenge is hosted by The Book Monsters, and the goal is to fulfill the given 5 guidelines:

1. A Book that begins with “B”  (for Bout of Books!)

2. A book you’re planning to read/currently reading for Bout of Books

3. Blue Book(s)

4. Books from your favorite genre!

5. A book on your TBR shelf, or your full TBR shelves

  

So here it is:

Bout of Books 14: #FictionalWorldTravel

The first challenge of the Bout of Books Read-a-thon is the Fictional World Travel Challenge!

Basically is to show 3 to 6 books of fiction that take place in countries other than my own. I decided to go ahead and do it because it’s do damn easy – I can’t even remember a book that has action in either Portugal or Spain (not counting national authors).

1. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz –  El Paso,Texas, USA
2. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera – Bronx, New York City, USA
3. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare – Victorian London, UK
4. Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux – Paris, France
5. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden – Kyoto, Japan
6. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion – Melbourne, Australia

My first Read-a-thon: Bout of Books 14

For a few weeks now I’ve been seeing posts about this thing, Bout of Books 14, a read-a-thon. Now, I’ve been itching to participate in one, but generally the goals are a bit too high for my time availability. But this one has no set goals, I can make my own, so seriously, why the hell not?!

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 17th and runs through Sunday, August 23th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 14 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

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Reading Goals:

I’ll set my goals reasonably, because I don’t want to fail miserably on my first attempt at a Read-a-thon (and because I still need to get some actual work done during this week). So, I plan to read 3 books:

1. The One Thing by Marci Lyn Curtis – I started this one last night and I’m loving it so far. I’m having a really big problem putting it down, which again, is not convenient because I do need to work. This is an eARC and want to finish it tomorrow at most.

2. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh – this one is in my August TBR and I have to finish it by August 22, because I want to participate on the August readalong hosted by BIBLIOPHILE GATHERING.

3. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi – which is also in my August TBR, but I’ve been putting it off because I wanted to get a move on on some ARCs (to get my stats up on Netgalley). But I’ll wait no more, it will be done before next sunday.

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So this is it, let’s see how it goes. Ideally I would also be able to start a fourth book this week, but I’m not that optimistic considering my work load.