Saturday B.S: Jenny @ HelloJennyReviews

Saturday Blogger Special

Episode 7: Jenny @HelloJennyReviews

So I will now be spotlighting bloggers as well!

In this tag I will be interviewing bookworms and introducing them to you guys each week! My goal for this is that you get to know these amazing bloggers, bookstagrammers, reviewers or whoever they are. To get a little more personal with them. Sure they share their opinion with you and event pictures and get to interview authors, but who gets to interview them and put them out there and show people who amazing they are?!

Now, feel free to interview your own blogger friends and join the tag :D This is all about getting to know other bloggers, get connected with bookworms all over the world :D

The only thing I do ask is that you do give me credit for this small tag, no you dont have to give me any sort of shoutout, but a link back to my blog even on just one letter would be great xD

Now, this week I get to talk to a close friend of mine in the bookworld, Jenny !

Lets get to it!

Name:

Jennifer

Picture of Jenny:

Where we can stalk you (links):

-Facebook:

Hellojennyreviews

-Instagram:

@hellokittyreads

-Twitter:

@hellojennyreads

-Goodreads:

HelloJennyReviews

-Blog:

www.hellojennyreviews.blogspot.com

1. How long have you been blogging?

About 3 years. I started off really crappy with just a mix of stuff and then I decided to do book reviews. THEN I found booktube.

2. How did you come up with your blog name?

Uhh. Well, first it was just some crappy, generic name, book-a-holics, but then I wanted to stand out and it was going to be HelloKittyReads but some NASTY person told me authors wouldn't like my name having a copyrighted character in it so from there I came up with HelloJennyReviews. Combines my name, something I love and my passion for writing reviews. So it worked.

V: Many people know of this NASTY person and would agree with her being NaStY

3. What do you look for in a book?

Love, lies, pain, torment, adventure, chaos. I like it rough. Haha!

4. What to do you include in your reviews?

I normally just for a small overview of the books title and some of the things that I liked. Then I get into individual characters, plot, world building and all that stuff.

5. Top 5 TBR books

1) Scarlet(currently reading), Cress and Winter - I am binge reading these, I guess.

2) Carry On

3) The Selection series

4) Consent by Nancy Ohlin - Student-Teacher relationship! Meeooww

5) Ten Thousand Skies Above You - UGH I neeed to finish this so bad

6. One random thing about you

I have horrendous OCD. I have tried to put my books in plenty of other orders but ABC by author is how it has to be now. I also have to have everything clean. I cannot focus when stuff is a mess.

7. If you were stuck on an island and you could only have 3 books with you, which books would they be

My Nook... Does that count? Bwahahaha. But if I HAD to choose.. UGH. A Thousand Pieces of You, my huge leather bound book of everything Edgar Allan Poe annnnddd Fangirl.

8. Blogging strengths or weakness

Strengths... hmmm. I will say that I am good at making things creative. I make pictures for everything and I can't have a plain, boring review. I like being colorful.

Weakness is definitely deadlines. I do Author Spotlights which means I have to have a book read by a certain time in order to post the spotlight on the date the author chooses and it can be hard because sometimes I just want to read whatever the hell I want and not something I HAVE to.

9. Favorite Series

Mara Dyer was one. Fireebird trilogy by Claudia Gray will probably be on. The Lunar Chronicles is becoming one. Shine trilogy by Jeri Smith-Ready.

V: The Lunar Chronicles is totes mine!

10. Author you are dying to meet

Claudia Gray, Marissa Meyer, Jeri Smith-Ready(who lives in my state-cries-) and Rainbow Rowell. I have met over 50 authors in the past 2 years.

V: Marissa Meyer is totally one of my as well! And 50 authors? Adopt me!

11. Ebook, audio book, paperback or hardcover?

Ebook or paperback to read, hardback to collect. Audio books... hmm, I think I have only listened to 2. One being The Fault in Our Stars because I could not get through that mind numbing book by reading it.

12. Most reread book?

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray. I dont reread many books.

13. How often do you post on your blog?

It used to be daily or close to it. Now I am on a sort of break trying to get my life together. I love blogging and it's one of my biggest outlets for stress but sometimes I just can't make myself sit down and do anything. Plus my external hard drive with all my reviews and pictures is acting up so I can't get to any of my reviews.

V: You know a blogger is serious when they have their reviews on external hard drives :o

14. Current wallpaper? *include pictures*

15. Any blogging tips for new bloggers/reviewers?

It's hard. If you want to do it then do it but know that you will be waiting years to get review books, if that is the reason you want to do it. I own over 1100 books so I started blogging because I wanted to review what I owned. After 3 years I still don't get that many reviews books. So please don't go into this thinking OH YAY FREE BOOKS!!! Because that isn't the right attitude to have. Also, be kind. The book community is amazing. We do get a few crazies here and there but the majority of the people I have met have been completely wonderful. Get involved with others. Make an instagram account and a twitter account. Make business cards. Make bookmarks. Just have fun with it. This was supposed to be a hobby but I don't think there is a way for book blogging to BE a hobby. It takes up just as much time as my actual job and I enjoy that.

So this was Jenny! Even though she is my personal friend, I still learned something new xD 

Don't forget to check out Jenny's blog and profiles, and stay tuned for next weeks Saturday B.S

Review: Q& A a day for Creatives

Rate:

5/5

Goodreads Description:

Q&A a Day for Creatives is your go-to source for inspiration, whimsy, and idea generation. Each page of this four-year journal features a compelling question designed to get you thinking drawing, and dreaming. Open the journal to today's date and fill in the appropriate space as you see fit. (Pencil doodles? Watercolor? Musical scales?) As the journal fills year after year, you'll own a showcase of your ever-growing creative output.

Review:

Such a wonderful book!

As soon as I got it, I smiled, its beautiful. 

Each page is a day and has 4 squares in which youll place the year and do whatever the day tells you.

I love it because it'll keep you thinking about the stuff around you and you will slowly get to see your progress throughout the 4 years the book offers.

I plan on writting a bit around my pictures, not just drawing what it says.

Just to add a bit of more personality to it

Recommend it?

Yes, its a wonderful gift for yourself and also for a friend

 

Topic Tuesday: Favorite Book Characters

Episode 9: Top 5 Guys and Top 5 Girls

So this week I shall talk about my top ten favorite book characters n.n I decided to go with top 5 women and top 5 male characters.

They go in no particular order of favoritism and I mention 2 things I like most about them n.n

Many of them are my favorites for being bas-asses and smart xD

Lets get on with it

Guys:

 Mark Watney: The Martian- Andy Weir

- Funny: He has a certain sarcasm that even though he is going through really shitty things, he still manages to maintain and pulls through. Sometimes characters with sarcasm can be a bit annoying, but not Mark.

-Strong: Not just physically but mentally as well, in the book it mentions that he IS mentally strong but even people on earth thought that his being abandoned would severely affect him, but it didn't

 Carswell Thorne: Cress- Marissa Meyer

-Funny: Like Watney, he is sarcastic and he pretty much does not have a filter which is just hilarious.

*Serious situation*

CT: Holy crap! is that all hair?!

-Charming: and he KNOWS it too! How can we not fall in love

 Edward Cullen: Twilight- Stephanie Meyer

-Romantic: Maybe a bit much, but who doesn't love a romantic, someone that would do all of these things for them (and no I'm not talking about obsessive, that's a con xD)

-Talented: I'm not talking about being fast and seeing well and all of the things that come with being a vampire, I'm talking about being able to play the piano and such. (Im a sucker for the piano)

 Severus Snape: Harry Potter- J.K. Rowling

-Loyal: Sure he lost his way for a time, but when it came to the love of his life, he turned against the bad and became a spy, that is pretty brave as well.

-Evil: By that I mean that he has a bad side, he is a bit evil, he is not all good. And I dig that. It's realistic, for people to have a bad side.

 Albus Dumbledore: Harry Potter- J.K. Rowling

-Bad-ass: I should not even have to explain this, all of the things he has done in his life as just bad ass.

*Biggest, baddest dude comes back from near death*

AD: GTFO, go near my people and I will end you... And I have a lot of people... WATCH YOURSELF!

-Loving: Even though he is a bad-ass, he is a bad-ass because he is so loving! He cares for people and their well being. Not just Harry.

Gals:

 Linh Cinder: Cinder- Marissa Meyer

-Selfless: All she wanted was to be left alone by her step-mother and be free, but once shit started going down, even though she kept wanting to leave, she didn't, she remained and she fought.

-Bad-ass: Again, she fought and did all of these things as the true.... No spoilers... As the true fighter she is!

 Katniss Everdeen: The Hunger Games- Suzanne Collins

-Strong: Sure, she started going a bit nuts, but god knows she fought and fought for everyone

-Inspiring: She lead a freaking rebellion, she inspired people to fight for what was right and she fought for those she loved, she could've just sat back and been like, I gotta live, you're on your own! But she didn't

She fought.

 Hermione Granger: Harry Potter- J.K. Rowling

-Smart: Harry would've died without her and if Harry died, everyone would've died...

-Brave: All of the things she fought and she went up against along with Harry and Ron, take the whole series as an example.

 Annabeth Chase: Percy Jackson (And Heroes of Olympus)- Rick Riordan

-Smart: Come on, no one could've gotten far without her xD Must I even say it?

-Bad-ass: She faced her biggest fear ! I would've turned around and left xD Not just her biggest fear but all of these freaking monsters and Titans and... Everything!

 Ellamara Rodriguez: Cinder & Ella- Kelly Oram

-Strong: The trauma she went through and she still remained sane at the end.

-Brave: Everything she went through and she continue to go through without complaining.

Who are YOUR top favorite book characters? Email me with the subject line: Characters and let me know

Review: The Libby Garrett Intervention- Kelly Oram

Rate:

5/5

Goodreads Desription:

Libby Garrett is addicted to Owen Jackson's hot lovin'. But the sexy, popular college basketball player doesn't appreciate all of Libby's awesomeness. He refuses to be exclusive or even admit to people that they're dating. The relationship is ruining Libby and she's the only one who can't see it.

When Libby's behavior spirals completely out of control, her best friend Avery Shaw and the rest of the Science Squad stage an intervention hoping to cure Libby of her harmful Owen addiction. They put her through her very own Twelve Step program--Owen's Anonymous--and recruit the help of a sexy, broody, hard as nails coffee man to be her official sponsor.

...

Adam Koepp has watched Libby Garrett for years. How could he not notice the sassy girl with the purple skateboard and helmet plastered with cat stickers? But in all the years he's crushed on her, Libby has failed to take notice of him. Why would she when he was just a nobody high school drop out who served her apple cider several times a week? Especially when she was hooking up with a guy like Owen Jackson--a guy with a college scholarship and more abs than Kyle Hamilton.

Adam finally gets the chance to meet Libby when his co-worker Avery Shaw recruits him to take Libby on the journey of a lifetime. With his ability to play Bad Cop and his experience with the Twelve Step program he's the perfect candidate to be Libby's sponsor. But will he be able to keep his personal feelings out of the matter and really help her the way she needs? And will Libby hate him when he forces her to take an honest look at herself? (less)

Review: 

I can't even.

Kelly Oram has done it for like the billionth time to get in my top 5 list of favorite authors! 

She writes drugs

 ... Like... You get addicted to her reading, not that its bad... Maybe I should have used a different metaphor xD 

Anyways, I love Libby in her first book for this series (The Avery Shaw Experiment) she just brings this spark to the story, she doesn't have a filter.

LIKE ME!

She speaks her mind.

You fall in love with her, she is the type of girl you would want in your group of friends XD Im so freaking glad there is a book on her, its like Oram has answered many peoples prayers with this one xD

This book is funny, fluffy and intense in the best of ways.

Recommend it?

Dude, yes

Author Spotlight: Ciye Cho author of the Florance Waverly Series Episode 6

As always, LOVE working with authors almost as much as I love reading their books xD

I read this series a while back and absolutely LOVED it !

About the Author

Ciye Cho lives in Australia and works as a graphic designer. He writes YA novels in his free time--and his head is often lost in the clouds or some place far from reality...

About Ciye

1) I feel like you are a very mysterious author, there isn’t much about you personally

online, is this intentional? Or are you naturally a private person?

I’m an incredibly shy person. International nerd of mystery :-)

2) Graphic Designer as well as author, very impressive. How long have you been

working as a graphic designer?

I’ve been working as a graphic designer for over ten years. I also had a job as an app

builder a few years ago.

3) When I think Australia, I think of huge bugs (which I hate bugs), what is your

favorite part of living in Australia?

The laid-back atmosphere. As a side note, most of metropolitan Australia isn’t

anywhere near Crocodile Hunter territory ;-) (But that being said, there is a pack of

kangaroos near where I live.)

4) One thing people would be surprised to know about you would be…?

I’m obsessed with cats. I have a ginormous collection of cat knick knacks and figurines

that I’ve amassed over the years. My fascination with cats probably stems from

watching the musical “Cats” when I was a young kid.

Florence

1) First thing I want to know is: Where did you get the inspiration for the world of

Niemela?

I’ve always been fascinated with mer mythology, and I wanted to create a fresh spin

on the age old fantasy. One key inspiration was snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef

when I was younger. I can still remember the colors and sights—the vermilions,

emeralds, and shimmering sands…

2) How did you come up with your characters names? Do they have any particular

significance?

There are lots of different ways. For example, sometimes I try to find names that

sound like they match a particular character or group of individuals (e.g. most

Niemelans have mellifluous-sounding names that hopefully evoke the fluid nature of

ocean life; and Serillico has a sibilant name reminiscent of snakes hissing). With

regards to the main mer characters, I thought it was important to have humansounding

names (e.g. Rolan) in order to make them more relatable.

3) Did you ever have a moment in your writing in which the story seemed to take a

life of its own in a way that surprised you?

I didn’t plan the overall arc of the series ahead of time. So in many ways, each book is

a surprise in itself.

4) Did you have a character that you liked so much that you tweaked your original

story a bit to fit them more in it?

Yolee. Her role grew much larger in book two, simply because it was really easy to

write her into scenes. She has a way of popping up (literally) in the most unexpected

places.

5) Biggest challenge of writing the series?

Trying to tie together all the various elements and plotlines.

Random

1) Any strange writing habits?

In order to proofread a piece of text, I often need to distract part of my brain. It

seems nonsensical, but I find that humming allows me to focus more squarely on the

words. Weird, right? Perhaps my brain is wired incorrectly.

2) Favorite quote ever? A motto?

I can’t think of a quote or motto, but one of my most used phrases is “Will it catch

fire?” Don’t ask.

3) 3 things on your bucket list?

Visit Coney Island.

Ride a hot-air balloon.

Create a comic book.

4) Last thing you ate?

I’m currently having a cup of coffee and a peanut-butter-and-nutella sandwich. PBN

sandwiches taste just like Reese’s chocolate cups. Try one.

5) If you could travel to any point in time, what would that time be and why would

you want to go there?

Since we’re approaching a Star Wars-themed December, I think I’d probably go back to

1977 and watch the first movie. Afterwards I’d go on a shopping spree at Toys’R’Us and

buy up all the 1977 Star Wars action figures and merch, then travel back to 2015 and

make a killing on eBay. Yes, so high brow of me… Not!

6) What was your favorite subject in school and why?

Art. As an insecure teenager, I really found a lot of confidence in being able to express

myself in paintings and drawings.

 Buy the book!

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

 Seventeen-year-old Florence Waverley is out of her depth. Literally. Kidnapped and taken below the waves to the mer world of Niemela, she is the ultimate gift for merman Prince Kiren: a human familiar tied to his side. But nothing is what it seems amid the beauty and danger of a dark ocean.

Every Niemelan has a role to play, from the mermaids who weave towers out of kelp to the warriors who fight sea monsters. But in trying to survive, Florence will end up in the middle of a war between the mer and the Darkness. A conflict that will push her between two brothers: Kiren, the charmer inexplicably drawn to both her and the monsters; and Rolan, the loner who has been pushing her away since the day they met. But in order to take a stand--and find out where she belongs--Florence will have to risk it all: her life, her heart... and her very soul.

Topic Tuesday: Feed the bookworm

Episode 8: Where to get books for less

So today I will be covering places in which I have personally bought books in the past and how I have fed my book addiction with. I will be talking about basic questions like what you can find, and shipping. All very short and to the point.

I am not being sponsored by any of these websites, I wish I was though xD #morebooks

Bookoutlet.com

I have bought SO much from the bookoutlet, I have literally spent hundreds and gotten hundreds of books xD I was addicted to buying from the bookoutlet for a couple of months, specially since they would send 5 dollar coupons with most of my buys, its like they KNEW I couldn't say no to buying more with those coupons. Their deals are just amazing. Here is a bit of info on the bookoutlet:

-They dont always have the books you might be looking for but when they DO, they are crazy cheap. You can easily get lost with all of the books available.

-Shipping is 4.05 for one book and 80 cents per book if you're located in Canada, for people in the U.S it is 3.99 for the first 2 books and then 50 cents for each book after that. International people will have to actually log on to the site and check out how much it would be for shipping. 

-Tracking is available

- You can get notified when a book you're looking for it available for purchase

Bookdepository.com

-Free shipping ! You heard right! FREE SHIPPING! INTERNATIONALLY!

-Tracking available

-You can find ANY sort of book for a discounted price, even audiobooks

-Pre-orders can be made

Amazon.com

-Each country has their own rules for shipping

-Tracking available

-You will DEFINITELY find any audiobook, eBook and physical book

- Pre-orders can be made

-Sometimes discounts are made to the books

Thriftbooks.com

I have definitely bought A LOT from here as well,  but must point out the the books are often USED. They do tell you before you purchase, in what condition the book can be found.

-Free standard shipping in the U.S on orders over 10 dollars

-Shipping is 2.99 for people in Canada and the UK FOR EACH ITEM

-Shipping is 5.99 for people everywhere else in the world  FOR EACH ITEM

-Discounted books

-Not all books are available but you may get notifications for when it is

-Different editions available for purchase

-Extra discounts are often offered

Ebay.com

Again, tons of books bought

There isnt much to say except the following:

-try to find the cheapest book in the condition you want

-check to see if the seller is reliable 

-be patient

Library Sales

I have also bought my fair deal of books at library sales

- Its like a treasure hunt, you never know what you will find

-Pre-loved books

-Super cheap (have previously bought books for 25 cents-one bought 36 books for 9 dollars... Seriously)

#booksfortrade (instagram, twitter, even goodreads)

Be sure to check if the person you will be trading with is reliable, CHECK AROUND.

-Shipping can be very cheap depending on where the other trader is (for a single book exchange in the U.S its 2.72)

-Get rid of books you don't want in exchange for a book you do want

-In goodreads you will find who is a BAD trader and on twitter people will e very helpful in telling you who is a bad trader if you ask

Review: Meritorium by Joel Ohman

Rate:

5/5

Goodreads Description:

Under the System everyone is assigned a numerical Score that decides their worth to society and whether they live or die.

Charley has escaped from Meritropolis...

but in his quest to take down the System that has taken his brother from him, he must go through Meritorium, a city where gladiatorial games of life or death combat are waged between High Scores and Low Scores, man and beast.

Charley and Sandy must face man-eating plants, religious zealots, slave traders, and the ever present mutant animal combinations that roam a dystopian Coliseum presided over by Emperor Titus, the one man standing between Charley and the answers he seeks. Man is not an animal, but if they are to make it through Meritorium, will they even be able to tell the difference?

The lines between man and beast, friend and foe, will blur in Meritorium, the riveting sequel to the bestselling Meritropolis.

Review:

 So now that The Hunger Games is about to end in the next week... And here we all are trying our best not to cry at the ending...

And failing as well xD

We can now find comfort in this series!

ITS SERIOUSLY GOOD!

This is KIND OF like The Hunger Games but not really xD

Does that make sense?

Its like the author saw the concept of The Hunger Games and was like "Okay, Suzanne, I see you, let me try." And simply took the BASIC concept of fighting for your life and scores and make his own world.

He nailed it xD

This book will keep you at the edge of your seat.

It also kind of reminds me of The Maze Runner.... ISH

All I know is that if you love dystopias, The Maze Runner and The Hunger Games you will LOVE Meritropolis and Meritorium.

This book is the type of book that you should read when you question why there are so many dystopian books and why you like them. 

This book will REMIND you why dystopians are so interesting and why you want them all on your shelf.

Ohman did a wonderful job at creating this world and he has renewed my love for dystopian novels.

Recommend? 

YES!! 

Review: The Time Garden by Daria Song

Rate:

5/5

Goodreads Description:

A dazzlingly beautiful coloring book for all ages, The Time Garden will sweep you away into a whimsical cuckoo clock–inspired world, created in intricate pen and ink by the internationally best-selling Korean artist Daria Song. Then, explore the magical world outside the clock through the eyes of a fairy in the sequel, The Time Chamber: A Magical Story and Coloring Book.

Journey through the doors of a mysterious cuckoo clock into its inky innerworkings to discover a magical land of clock gears, rooftops, starry skies, and giant flying owls—all ready for you to customize with whatever colors you can dream up.

Cuckoo . . . cuckoo . . . cuckoo . . . When the clock strikes midnight, you’ll wonder, was it all a dream?

The Time Garden features extra-thick craft paper, ideal for non bleed-through coloring, and the jacketed cover with flaps is removable and colorable. Special gold-foil stamping on the cover and spine and a To/From page make it perfect for gifting to adults and kids alike.

Review:

There isnt much to say since its a coloring book. But I can say the following. Its beautiful, the TONS of tiny details in this book, there a millions of possibilities. 

All the gears in the clocks and the stars and patterns. 

This adult coloring book will definitely relax your for a long time.

Recommend it?

Yup