Totally Didn’t Book Tag (2)

August 18, 20176 Comments

This was one of the first book tag I did, over 2 years ago, you can check out that post HERE, but I thought it was time to have another run at it. This tag was originally created by ReadLikeWildFire, and you can find her original video here.

1. Totally didn’t need to have a sequel/sequels

I really liked The Two-Night One-Night Stand by Ryan Ringbloom, but I thought that The Two-Night One-Night Wedding was totally unnecessary and ir didn’t live up to the first book.

2. Totally didn’t need to have more than one point of view

The Baller: A Down and Dirty Football Novel

Hmmm, so, I think The Baller by Vi Keeland should definitly have the 2 main POVs, what it shouldn’t have was that stupid third POV, by a character that has no place voicing anything…

3. Totally didn’t need to change cover art through the middle of a series

Now… I actually like the new covers for The Winner’s Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski, but they changed after I got my first book of the series, and now they won’t match! 😥

4. Totally didn’t need a love triangle

Yeah, I’m gonna say the whole DIMILY series by Estelle Maskame didn’t need all the triangles and cheating and things that went on during the 3 books… especially in the first couple of them. I still really like this series, and I recommend it, but just be aware that it takes 2 books for Eden and Tyler to sort their shit out.

5. Totally didn’t need this book to be included in this series

I really liked the Kingston Ale House series, but the 4th book, Worth the Wait, unfortunately wasn’t worth the wait for me, and I had so many issues with it.

6. Totally didn’t need a cliffhanger

Maybe I should have actually informed myself on this series before starting it, but I had no clue that this was a duology, also, I had no freaking clue that The Player by K. Bromberg would end in a cliffhanger!!! I need to read the second book soon.

7. Totally didn’t need to have just one point of view

So… I really like when a book is told only through the guys’s POV, I usually love it, but it didn’t work out well in Undeclared (Burnham College #2) by Julianna Keyes. Something was definitly missing in this book.

8. Totally didn’t need that much hype

You know those books with only good reviews that you just don’t get? Yeah… South of Sunshine by Dana Elmendorf is one of those cases for me.

9. Totally didn’t need a relative book reference
(Eg, For example: Hunger Games fan would love Divergent)

I’m drawing a blank here…

10. Totally didn’t deserve my time

How my opinion on this matter changed… take a look at any of the titles above, and then get away from them as fast as you can!

I will tag EVERYONE!!!

Olympics Book Tag

August 20, 2016August 19, 20164 Comments

olympicsbooktag

Hey guys! Today I’m doing The Olympics Book Tag, because I’ve been due to do a tag, right? Cátia @The Girl Who Read Too Much luckily tagged me for this one – THANK YOU CÁTIA! And this tag was created by Valerie @Little Dutch Bookshop.

Artistic Gymnastics

Artistic gymnastics are all about grace and beauty, especially on beam and floor, but if you only flex your toes for just a second on any other event, such as bars or vault, it can lead to a deduction that can cost you your golden medal. That’s why I want to know:

What is a beautifully written book?

So many books are beautifully written, but I need to say Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover, because this book was beyond AMAZING! I loved all the little nuances written and woven into the story, and it’s just beautiful to me.

Athletics

Athletics is all about speed. In most events the fastest person wins, but in other events your speed is also an important part of your chance you win that gold medal. So you can really say that speed is key. That is why I want to know:

What is a fast paced book?

Smut by Karina Halle is super fast paced. Also hilarious. Also very very good. READ IT!

Beach Volleyball

Beach Volleyball reminds me so much of summer! I mean, you can only play it on the beach, it is fun to do with friends. It makes you forgive all of the sand for getting into places you don’t actually want sand. That’s why I want to know:

What is a perfect book for summer?

I wish more people would listen to me and read Chasing Crazy by Kelly Siskind, because this book is hilarious and a total summer read (though I read it in plain winter, with lots of rain and cold).

Diving

Divers is all about getting into that water without making a splash, but it is also about strength and, when performed by two divers, about synchronicity. But all in all the fact that they dive that far into the water, knowing that when they mess up, it hurts is very respectable. That’s why I want to know:

What is a book you read without knowing anything about it before you started.

So, funny thing… I requested Crystallum on Netgalley because I liked the cover and I was a bit into fantasy at that moment. So, I might not have read the blurb. Or any review of the book. So, until I read it, I was utterly convinced that this was some kind of fantastical/historical setting… not!

Equestrian

It’s all about the horses with this sport, they are as important as the athletes who ride them. It is amazing how much these animals can do! That’s why I want to know:

Who is your favorite bookish animal? (it can be a fantasy animal like a dragon)

My answer is still Clive from Wallbanger, because that cat is AWESOME!

Rhythmic Gymnastics

Rhythmic Gymnastics is all about flexibility. Gymnasts perform all kinds of contortionists moves, and that all while keeping their eye on a prop. And they are also able to include this prop in their, often graceful routines. It hurts my back looking at it, but I want to know:

Who do you find a very flexible writer?

I need to steal Cátia’s answer here, and say Rainbow Rowell, because it’s the only author I’ve read several genres from, and I loved all of those books.

I Tag:

YOU!!! Everyone!!!! Enjoy! 😉

New York Times By the Book Tag

July 16, 201624 Comments

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Hey guys, it’s time for another book tag. I decided to do this one because it seemed interesting, and I was tagged by Joey @Thoughts and Afterthoughts – thanks Joey!

What book is on your nightstand right now?

I just finished a book, so right now I have A Fine Mess by Kelly Siskind ready to be picked up. And on my “nightstand” is a bit of a stretch, given that the book is actually on my kindle and phone.

What was the last truly great book you read?

Oh boy… just one?! This is not possible, what about 2? So, Forbidden and Life After Juliet both received perfect 5 stars in the last month or so.

If you could meet one author (living or dead), who would it be? What would you ask?

I don’t know… maybe Rainbow Rowell?

And I would probably ask her what the words at the end of Eleanor & Park were, just because I’m dead curious.

What books might we be surprised to find on your shelf?

Hmmm, did you know I have Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn on my shelf? Yeah, I do. I haven’t read it yet, and at this point, I’m not 100% when that will ever happen, but I bought it after I loved the movie. But it’s not a book genre I reach for AT ALL.

How do you organize your personal library?

Organize? What is that? Eheh, I usually like to put series together and organize stuff by size. I’m a bit OCD when sizes don’t match – and that’s why my Anna and the French Kiss trilogy is not all at the same place.

What book have you always meant to read but haven’t gotten to yet?

Funny story… It’s not like I always wanted to read this particular book. But my friend gave it to me after she loved it, when the movie was coming out, and I honestly was never curious enough to pick it up… I’ll eventually read TFIOS though… one day.

Disappointing, overrated, just not good: what book did you feel you are supposed to like but didn’t?

Probably the Blackmail Boyfriend by Chris Cannon. This book had everything for me to fall madly in love with it, but I kept rolling my eyes and I kind of hated it. The characters just didn’t do it for me at all.

What kind of stories are you drawn to?

I’m really drawn to romance, and I’m not even a little bit ashamed of that. I love fantasy and mystery and all of that, but romance is a key point in the books I read. Not that I only read romances, but still… I love them!

If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?

So… you should know something about the Portuguese President… he’s an hyperactive dude who reads a lot. So much so that he had a show (before he was president, of course) where he would recommend books to people. I think he would appreciate Illuminae and all the work that is into that book, and the unique narrative form.

What do you plan to read next?

I’ll have to read a few books very soon, such as Impossible Love by Kimberly Readnour, Defying Gravity (Finding Perfect, #2) by Kendra C. Highley, Resisting the Rebel by Lisa Brown Roberts and No Breaking My Heart by Kate Angell.

That’s it. I’m gonna tag EVERYONE!!! Do this tag :D.

The Get to Know Me Tag!

May 15, 201645 Comments

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Hi guys! I’m almost reaching 1000 WordPress followers, and it’s Sunday, so I thought it would be cool to finally do The Get To Know Me Tag. I was tagged by Kat @Life and Other Disasters and Mariana @Book Is Glee, so do me a favor and go check out their blogs, ok? 😉

vitalstats

Name: Cristina, which apparently means “Follower of Christ”, which is ironic really.

Nicknames: My family calls me Xana, which is a diminutive of Alexandra (my second name); while I like Cris, and a lot of people have adopted this.

Birthday: June 18th 1984

Star Sign: Gemini

Occupation: PhD student

appearance

Hair colour: Dark Brown

Hair length: Right now it’s probably shoulder length… it needs cutting.

Eye colour: Brown

Best Feature: I really love my hair, always have. Even though it’s exasperating sometimes when it’s longer.

Piercings: I have my ears pierced – one each – but I rarely use earings.

Tattoos: YES! One. My brother decided that he wanted to give me a tattoo for my 19th birthday, so I said yes! (see image on the left)

Right or Left: Right.

firsts

Best Friend: My first best friend, whose name I still remember, is named Marta. We met when we were 11, and I had just moved to a new town. Funny story, a few days before school started, I went to the movies alone – I did that quite often because the cinema was very near where my mom worked – and on the same row as me was a girl about my age alone as well. It was her. We were then inseparable. Until I moved away 2 years later and she eventually moved to the USA.

Award: None… never got one 😦

Sport: I always loved Volleyball, actually, it was the only sport I was ever good at. I was even on my school team when I was 11/13.

Real Holiday: My first real holiday was to France and Disneyland Paris when I was 11. I never stopped traveling since then. But the first time I got on a plane was 2 years after, when we went to London for the first time.

Concert: I know I went to small concerts when I was younger, portuguese bands and so on. But the first concert, real concert, I remember attending was a few years ago when me and my sister-in-law took my niece to see Miley Cyrus. Yeah… that’s right!

favorites

Film: I can only give you my favorite animated movie, does that count? I’m saying YES, and it’s Tangled of course.

TV Show: Hmmmm, I haven’t been in television mood for awhile now, so I’m gonna say one show that I kept watching and waiting for despite my lack of interest in TV lately, and that is Law & Order SVU.

Colour: Tough one. Probably dark blue… like this one.

Song: Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell.

Restaurant: Really?! Can I say Starbucks? It’s not my favorite restaurant, but my favorite coffee shop. Restaurant, I would say that there was an amazing japanese restaurant near the El Corte Ingles in Lisbon, but it has been closed for awhile now.

Shop: I love the Come In, which is an English bookstore in Barcelona. Besides that, I always love to go to Fnac.

Books: NOT HAPPENING!

currently

Feeling: Hungry! Damn it, is it too early to have an afternoon snack?!

Single or Taken: Single. Very single.

Eating: I was hungry, remember? So I went and did some toast with guacamole (I don’t know what came over me, but I love it!) with some matcha-iced-soy-latte.

guaca

Thinking About: That this is a hell of a long tag. Also, that I need to finish the 3 books I’m reading soon. And that I only have one week left here, and this were disastrous this week at work. Also, I should be aligning DNA sequences instead of blogging right now.

Watching: Nothing. I’m listening to music and blogging.

Wearing: Sweatpants, tank top and sweater. AKA, home clothes.

future

Want Children: Not really?! I wouldn’t be opposed to it though. Some people want to have children, and that’s a goal, and I’m ok with that. For me, children and the thought of them wouldn’t make sense without the right person. So I would think about it, and probably want them, if or when I found the right person. I also would be totally fine with adopting, because the actual thought of HAVING them is not appealing to me.

Want to be Married: Not really?! Again, it was never something that I really considered. If I found the right person, and he would really like to go through the whole signing of papers and stuff, then sure. Otherwise, living together would be more than enough for me.

Careers in Mind: I’m still very much holding to the thought and idea of doing research for the rest of my life.

Where You Want To Live: London. Or New York. Or Tokyo. Or San Francisco.

doyoubelievein

God: No. Sometimes I would like to think that I believe in “something”, but definitly not in God or in any kind of monotheist religion.

Miracles: Hmmmm, weird shit happens sometimes, so maybe?!

Love at First Sight: Attraction at first sight yes, love no.

Ghosts: Well… yes. It’s kind of hard to not think about that stuff when your dog starts to bark at the wall, with no apparent reason…

Aliens: YES! Ok people, the universe is a really vast place, and I find it very hard to believe that we are the only living beings out there. With that I’m not saying I believe in little green men, but I do believe that there is some forms of live out there.

Soul Mates: In a sense. I think some people are better suited for each other than others.

Heaven: No…

Hell: Also no…

Kissing on the First Date: Hell yes! If both parties want it, why not?

Yourself: Sure, sometimes :P.

I Tag EVERYONE!!! Do it!

The “I Messed Up” Book Tag

April 16, 201636 Comments

booktag_messedup

Hello guys 🙂 . First of all I want to apologise if I’ve been a little out of of it, and taking a little time answering to comments and whatnot, but I’m currently home in Portugal, and that means having to divide my time a lot more 🙂 . Either way, onto the The “I Messed Up” Book Tag, which I was tagged by Deanna @A Novel Glimpse… THANK YOU 😉 .

A character appearance that you misread or imagined differently:

This one is easy, and I’m saying Sybil Mira from The Lunar Chronicles. Truth be told I don’t think she’s ever overly described, but due to her personality and mannerisms, I’ve always pictured her in a very specific way, and that is like the actress Ruth Negga.

A character name that you’ve been pronouncing wrong:

I’ve tried, I’ve really tried, but I still struggle to say Chaol Westfall name correctly. I pronounce Chaol as “Cole”, when I should be saying “Kale”… Is it just me?

An overused trope that is your guilty pleasure:

I love love love enemies to lovers romances. It’s just so cute, to read all the angst, lol. I love it.

A cliché character type that you like better on screen than reading about:

The innocent ingenue girl. I don’t know why exactly, but sometimes they get to me on books, and I just want to kick their asses.

A word/phrase you learned because of its use in a book:

So… this is a bit embarrassing, but I remember a couple of months ago I was reading a book (don’t even remember which one, and the term “I’m getting a chubby” appeared on my kindle. Now people, remember I’m from Portugal, and we don’t learn these kind of expressions in school and it’s not like I remember ever hearing it, so I had to actually google it. Yeah… now I do know!

Have you ever not read or completed a required reading book for school?

OH YEAH! I’ve mentioned Os Maias a few times right? Let’s just say that it was a required reading, and I had the book, opened page one, read the title, and closed it right after and never ever picked it up again.

Have you ever (or wanted to) skipped a chapter from the point of view of a character you weren’t interested in?

I don’t think I’ve ever done it, but I’ve wanted to do it several times. For instance, Agatha’s POV on Carry On, or the Simon Snow parts of Fangirl.

Have you ever cancelled social plans to read a book?

LOL, nope, but I automatically don’t make plans if I feel like it’s a reading time. 😀

I Tag:

This or That Book Tag

March 12, 2016March 12, 201641 Comments

booktag_thisthat

Hello guys! It’s saturday, which means it’s time for another book tag. Today I’m doing the This or That Book Tag, and I was tagged to do it by Joey @Thoughts and Afterthoughts and Emily @Embuhleeliest.

The Rules:

Mention the creator of the tag (Ayunda @Tea and Paperbacks).
Thank the blogger who tagged you!
Choose one of the options, you don’t have to tell the reasons why you chose that but you can also do them if you want to.
Tag 10 other people to do this tag to spread the love!

One: Reading on the couch or on the bed?

I always read on the bed… always! But that can be because I don’t have a couch that I consider my own, you know? Like, back at home, the couch is mostly my dad’s, and here it’s in a common room… so yeah, the bed.

Two: Male main character or female main character?

It usually doesn’t have to matter, as long as they’re well written, but I confess that I’m very fond of male characters’ POVs.

Three: Sweet snacks or salty snacks when reading?

Usually none, but if I had to choose, I would say sweet.

Four: Trilogies or quartets?

The more books the better, so quartets.

Five: First person point of view or third person point of view?

I’m a sucker for a good first person POV!!!

Six: Reading at night or in the morning?

Anytime, whenever I can?! I love to read at night, but I also love when I can wake up on weekends, and I don’t have to leave the bed, and everything is dark, and I can just open the kindle app on my phone and read for a couple of hours… perfect!

Seven: Libraries or bookstores?

Bookstores! But let me tell you why, ok? Libraries here and in portugal are in obviously spanish, catalan and portuguese, and I don’t usually read in either of those languages.

Eight: Books that make you laugh or make you cry?

I love it when a book can do both. But I’m usually more in the mood for a book that makes me laugh than one that makes me cry.

Nine: Black book covers or white book covers?

As long as they’re beautiful, who cares? I do love how clean some white covers look though.

Ten: Character driven or plot driven stories?

Again, I like both, but I might just choose character driven for this one.

I will tag whoever wants to do this one 😉 !!

The Coffee Book Tag

March 5, 201633 Comments

coffeebooktag

Hey guys. It’s saturday, which means it’s time for another book tag, so because it’s cold and windy outside, I decided to to The Coffee Book Tag, and I was tagged by Summer @XingSings and Deanna @A Novel Glimpse, and if you’re not following these lovely ladies yet, what the hell are you waiting for?

Black: Name a series that’s tough to get into but has hardcore fans.

I have to be completely honest here and say A Song of Ice and Fire. I read the first two books, Game of Thrones and Clash of Kings, and they’re wonderful, but they’re not easy reads. It doesn’t help that there are like a million characters and their names are all fairly similar, and that each book is over 800 pages long.

Peppermint mocha: Name a book that gets more popular during the winter or a festive time of year.

For me, it’s Harry Potter. I always feel like Harry Potter and Christmas go together! I think it probably has to do with the movies, and the fact that they’re on TV every single Christmas, right?

Hot chocolate: What is your favorite children’s book?

I’ve got no clue! Yeah… no idea. I know that when I was younger I really liked the Uma Aventura series, and I own and read a bunch of them, so I guess I really liked them?!

Double shot of espresso: Name a book that kept you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

Have you read Illuminae???

Well that’s it! It freaking kept me guessing the whole time! (while somehow swooning like crazy and laughing out loud).

Starbucks: Name a book you see everywhere.

I’m assuming this question in terms of blogosphere, because in terms of “real-world” I only have one english bookstore that I go once upon a time. So I’m going with Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare, which comes out in 3 days :D, and everyone – me included – is super excited about it.

I was lucky enough to buy my copy of the book 2 days ago, I’m still in awe that I got it early :). Though, as promised, I won’t start it until the pre-orders arrive ;).

That hipster coffee shop: Give a book by an indie author a shout out

I really enjoyed Reasons to Love a Nerd Like Me by Becky Jerams, so today my shout out is for her.

Oops! I accidentally got decaf: Name a book you were expecting more from.

I read a lot of ARCs, so it’s only normal that every once in awhile I’ll read something that I really didn’t like, right? I hated The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel!

I was kind of excited about it because, well, it’s set in Portugal (which by now you should know, it’s my country), but also because it’s by the author of Life of Pi, that I didn’t read, but everyone raved about. This book turned out to be beyond weird…

The perfect blend: Name a book or series that was both bitter and sweet but ultimately satisfying.

I’ve mentioned a couple of times how much I loved Isla and the Happily Ever After, right? This book was beautiful, and fun, and sweet and bitter, but it made my list of favorite books ever.

So it was a totally perfect blend for me.

Green Tea: A book or series that is quietly beautiful.

Your Voice Is All I Hear by Leah Scheier is heartbreaking and quietly beautiful… also, totally worth the read and the heartbreak that follows.

Chai Tea: A book or series that makes you dream of far off places.

There’s little doubt that The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh will make you dream of very far off places… the descriptions in this book are brilliant, and each time that food was described? Oh brother…

Earl Grey: Favorite classic.

I haven’t read that many classics, but I did love Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice :).

This tag is done! Have you done this tag? Do you want to? If so, consider yourself tagged :D.

The Friends Book Tag

January 30, 201625 Comments

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Hey! Saturday again, which means it’s time for another book tag! Today I’ll be tackling The Friends Book Tag, and I was tagged by Deanna @A Novel Glimpse – thank you Deanna and people, go check out her blog. I love Friends :D, I’ve seen all seasons 3 years ago and totally fell in love with it.

The One Where Eddie Won’t Go – a character I wish would just go away:

Oh, we’re starting well here… I’m going to have to say Agatha from Carry On, by Rainbow Rowell. If you read the book, chances are you’ll agree with this.

The One Where Ross and Rachel Take A Break – favorite break up scene:

First of all, I do they they were on a break, and I even wrote a post about it… a long time ago. And favorite how? I can only think of sad break ups, because I’m usually rooting for the couple breaking up, I guess. Ok, I got one happy one :D. Juliette and Adam’s break up in Unravel Me… 😀 😀 😀 – that one made me happy!

The One With All The Kissing – a book with lots of kissing:

This one is funny! Most of romances end up having a lot of kissing, right? And I have to be honest that I’m kind of tempted to use Carry On again, but I won’t. Instead I’ll say Loud is How I Love You by Mercy Brown, that had a LOT of kissing and it’s so good!

The Last One – favorite series finale:

Hmmmm, Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare, was the perfect ending for The Infernal Devices trilogy.

The One With a Blackout – a scene I’d like to forget:

There’s a scene in Your Voice Is All I Hear by Leah Scheier that totally broke me. Actually, there are several scenes in this book that I would like to pretend never happened, even though they’re super important and they made me ache and they’re so good. One is on April’s front door and other is in Jonah’s bedroom, and if you read this book, you know what I’m talking about.

The One Where Chandler Can’t Cry – a book that did not make you as emotional as others:

I do get emotional on books, even if they don’t make me cry, I usually end up caring deeply for the characters. Well, when I finished Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews, I didn’t exactly care… the story was sad, and I liked the book, but I wasn’t emotionally invested in it.

The One Where Joey Doesn’t Share Food – a book you won’t ever lend:

Probably my new The Mortal Instruments books. They are NEW, as in, not even I have opened them, so they will probably never be opened by someone other than me. I wouldn’t mind lending the original ones, if I had to though.

The One With the Thumb – a recent read that you would give two thumbs up to:

Chasing Crazy by Kelly Siskind was such a fantastic read, I would urge anyone into the New Adult genre to pick this one up, it’s a delight. I laughed and cried and I loved it!

The One With the Ick Factor – a book with a pet peeve:

I’m gonna say one that really bothered me for the past 2 days: over-discription. Yep people, there’s a thing when something is described above the point or normalcy. I’m currently 40% in The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel, and Oh My GOD dude, I don’t really need to know every single thing that goes into an 1900’s automobile… I really don’t! (I do now!)

The One With The Lesbian Wedding – favorite LGBTQ book couple:

This will be a toss between Simons, which means I’m saying Simon and Blue from Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda (Becky Albertalli) and Simon and Baz from Carry On (Rainbow Rowell). They are just both too awesome for words!

And I’m done. Now I’m gonna tag:

Season’s Greadings Tag

December 27, 2015December 27, 20158 Comments

Hi, I think this might be my last Christmas-y book tag because really? How many more can I do, right? This time I was tagged by Deanna @A Novel Glimpse, so thank you and you guys should definitely check out her blog.

THE RULES:

1. Tag the creator (Abbielu @Cafe Book Bean)
2. Have fun answering the questions.
3. Tag 5-10 people to join in the fun.
4. Thank and link back to those who tagged you.
5. DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE RULES! YOU DON’T NEED TO BE TAGGED TO PARTICIPATE.

1. FAVORITE BOOK(S) TO READ DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON?

Any book! I’m lucky if I even manage to have time to read. Lately the only couple of times that I was able to was between 2 and 7 a.m. and that is not healthy.