Bout of Books 14 -- Final Wrap-Up!

Wow! This past week has been a whirlwind. I am so sorry that my update posts (and posts in general) went by the wayside. The end of the week was kind of crazy, and I had such a fun weekend that I totally forgot to carve out some time to blog! BUT, I did keep reading, so let's get on with my wrap-up for the entire read-a-thon!

Final Wrap-Up

Total pages read -- 1437

Total Books Read -- 7.3

Books finished -- Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins -- 5 stars

                             Avengers: Enemy Within by Kelly Sue DeConnick -- 5 stars

                             Hawkeye Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction -- 5 stars

                             Hawkeye Vol. 2: Little Hits by Matt Fraction -- 5 stars

                             Hawkeye Vol. 3: L.A. Woman by Matt Fraction -- 5 stars

                             Hawkeye Vol. 4: Rio Bravo by Matt Fraction -- 5 stars

                             Matilda by Roald Dahl -- 4 stars

Currently reading -- 99 Days by Katie Cotugno

     So far? I'm a third of the way through this one, and I'm definitely enjoying it so far. I love the 

                  format of each chapter being one of the 99 days, and I especially appreciate the fact that 

                  every day is accounted for; none of the days are skipped, even if there's only a single 

                  sentence for that chapter. 

Final thoughts -- I think I had another successful read-a-thon! Could I have been better about doing my daily updates? Of course. Thursday I had a legitimate excuse, but on Friday, I was definitely just lazy. But at least I kept reading! I ended up completing my TBR by Saturday, so I even got to start an extra book on Sunday! I am so proud of myself again, and so happy that I participated once more. The next Bout of Books will be held in January, and I will definitely be participating again. Click HERE to go to the Bout of Books site for the exact dates and more general information. 

Tell me: how did YOU do during Bout of Books 14? Let me know in the comments below!

Bout of Books 14 -- Day 2 Progress and Day 3 Challenge!

Day 2 Progress Report

Pages read -- 212

     Total pages read -- 491

Books finished -- 2: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins and The Avengers: Enemy 

                                 Within by Kelly Sue DeConnick

Currently reading -- Hawkeye Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction

     So far? I haven't actually started it yet; my plan for today is to (hopefully) finish at least two 

                  volumes of Hawkeye, so as soon as this post is up, I'm off to read!

Day 3 Challenge -- Bookish MASH

Today's challenge is hosted by Sarah over at Rocky Top Real Talk, so go check out her blog!

The challenge today is to play the bookish version of MASH! You remember MASH, right? The game you played when you were young to find out where you were going to live and who your husband would be...all that jazz. Well today, we're playing the bookish version! Instead of using celebrities or real people for our husband choices, we're using book characters! I also used some book-related items in other categories as well. Also, whenever we play MASH in my circle of friends, we always pick a "bad" choice for each category, just to make things interesting. 

AND, of course I took pictures. Whose blog did you think this was? 

I started out with a brand new notebook and turned to a random blank page.

Then I wrote out all my categories and left 5 blank spaces for each one. 

Then I got to the arduous task of figuring out how to fill them! This is what I came up with. 

I then did a little spiral and came up with the number 8 by counting the spaces! (Outsides included.)

Then I got to work! By the time I was done, it looked like this. 

Then I turned to a new page and wrote out my summary. (If you can't see the picture very well, I typed it out below, as well.)

"I live in a mansion in the underworld with my husband Roger Sullivan (from Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson) and out chimera cat, Sadie. (For an idea of what a chimera cat is, click HERE for a link to Venus, the Chimera Cat, even though she's probably not actually a chimera. They're just really cute!) We have no kids, but we do drive an SUV. I work as a receptionist. 

...I want a do-over! 

So as you can see, I didn't get the best outcome in today's MASH, but that's part of what makes it funny! And there's always another tomorrow, another MASH to play. I was very pleased that I ended up with Roger because he is so sweet and understanding...and let's face it. He's the only contemporary character on  my list. So he could really exist! And I still can't believe I got stuck as a receptionist among all those choices. *facepalm* But c'est la vie! '

I love MASH. Even in college, my friends and I used to play it all the time. This was such a great challenge. Thanks, Sarah!

So that's it for today, everybody! Be sure to check back all week to see my reading progress and to see me complete the challenges. If you're participating as well, I wish you all good luck! 

Tell me: how is YOUR reading week going so far? If you participated in the challenge for the day, link your picture(s) below so I can see them! Let me know in the comments below!

Bout of Books 14 -- Day 1 Progress and Day 2 Challenge!

Day 1 Progress Report

Pages read -- 279

     Total pages read -- 279

Books finished -- zero so far

Currently reading -- Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

     So far? Still loving this, though my heart hurts a little lot. 

Day 2 Challenge -- Scavenger Hunt

Today's challenge is hosted by Kristen over at The Book Monsters, so go check out that blog!

The challenge is to take photos that fulfill the items on the scavenger hunt list! I managed to complete four of the five hunts and (as befits the challenge) posted my pics on Instagram, so follow the link HERE to my profile to check out my entries! And once again, make sure to follow me if you haven't already!

The only hunt I didn't do was "Books in your favorite genre," because I'm wondering if I even have a favorite genre anymore. I used to think it was fantasy, but I've read more contemporary this year than anything else. But I still wouldn't say that contemporary is my favorite genre...so I think I'm an equal opportunity book lover! 

Also, fun fact: I don't actually have a full-on TBR shelf, so for that fifth hunt? I took all the books off those two shelves, collected a bunch of books from around my house, and rearranged those shelves with those TBR books. And after I took the picture, I put them all back where they belonged. What we do for the sake of good book pictures! 

So that's it for today, everybody! Be sure to check back all week to see my reading progress and to see me complete the challenges. If you're participating as well, I wish you all good luck! 

Tell me: how is YOUR reading week going so far? If you participated in the challenge for the day, link your picture(s) below so I can see them! Let me know in the comments below!

Bout of Books 14 -- Day 1 Progress Report and Challenge!

If you scroll down to the last post here on my blog, you'll see that I just announced my participation in the Bout of Books 14 read-a-thon, so here I am to do my very first update! 

I started reading at 12:01 AM last night, exactly as the read-a-thon started in my time zone, so I've already got a little bit of progress to report! 

Day 1 Progress Report

Pages read -- 72

     Total pages read -- 72

Books finished -- zero so far

Currently reading -- Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

     So far? I LOVE THIS BOOK. I pretty much knew I was going to; after all, I adored both Anna 

                  and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door. But I totally love Isla so much as a 

                  character. She's adorably awkward and neurotic, and I love the way she talks too much 

                  and in circles, even in her own head. I can't wait to see where this one goes!

Day 1 Challenge -- Fictional World Travel

Today's first challenge of the week is hosted by Leann over at Between Library Shelves, so go check out her blog! The challenge is to list books that take place in different countries around the world outside of your own country. And you're allowed to include books that take place is futuristic, fantastical or alternate versions of today's countries. I took a photo of my choices and Instagrammed it, so follow the link HERE to go check it out, and make sure to follow me if you haven't already!

So that's it for today, everybody! Be sure to check back all week to see my reading progress and to see me complete the challenges. If you're participating as well, I wish you all good luck! 

Tell me: what country would YOU most like to visit? And have you read a book set there? Let me know in the comments below!

Announcement: BOUT OF BOOKS 14

Hey, y 'all! It's time for another round of the Bout of Books read-a-thon! I participated in the last round in May and just had a really great time with it. (You can see May's posts by clicking the "Bout of Books" tag at the end of this post.) So I decided to do it again! Here's a little more information about Bout of Books if you're new to the read-a-thon! 

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 12:01 am Monday, August 17th and runs through Sunday, August 23rd 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

Just like last time, I plan on participating in all of the challenges, so I will be posting daily updates here on the blog to keep track of my progress. Since I'm a little late in getting this post up, expect an update post later today!

Bout of Books Goals!

I have my TBR planned for the week and I feel very confident that I can accomplish it, During the read-a-thon, I'll keep you updated on the books I'm reading and how many pages I've read, so here are the books I plan on getting to this week!

 

1. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins -- 368 pgs.

I have the first two Stephanie Perkins books in paperback, but this came out last year in hardcover. So I've been waiting to buy it and read it until it came out in paperback, and I'm so excited to finally read it!

2. Hawkeye Vol. 1-4 by Matt Fraction and David Aja -- 138, 136, 120, 160 pgs.

I've been slowly collecting this series for a few months, and now that the fourth volume has finally been released and I have them all, I just want to marathon through the whole thing!

3. The Avengers: Enemy Within by Kelly Sue DeConnick, et. al -- 152 pgs.

I've become obsessed with Captain Marvel recently, and absolutely loved the first two volumes. But this one has been ridiculously hard to come buy, as it's selling for upwards of $30 on the Amazon Marketplace. But my mom decided to gift it to me (THANK YOU, MOM), so as soon as it gets to my house, I'm devouring this baby.

4. Matilda by Roald Dahl -- 240 pgs.

On a whim, I decided to round out my TBR with a children's classic, because I haven't read a children's book in a really long time. And I figured, "If I have these books for my future children, shouldn't I read them, too?" So onto the TBR it went!

The read-a-thon has already officially begun, so I'll be posting my Day 1 update fairly soon. Any time you want or need to go to the Bout of Books homepage, you can either click on the Bout of Books picture in the upper right sidebar of my blog, or the picture I'll put at the top of every update post. The picture in both locations is linked to the blog! 

Tell me: are YOU participating in Bout of Books 14? If so, what are you most excited to read this week? Let me know in the comments below!

Bout of Books 13 -- Day 7 Progress Report and Final Wrap-Up

Hello, and welcome to the day AFTER the Bout of Books 13 read-a-thon! 

Day 7 Progress Report

Pages read -- 196

Books finished today -- 2 (Austenland and Chew Vol. 1 Taster's Choice)

Week-long Wrap-Up!

Total pages read -- 884

Total books read -- 4

        Books read -- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas -- 5 stars (FAVORITE)

                               Deadly Class Vol. 1 Kids of the Black Hole by Rick Remender, Wes Craig and 

                                             Lee Loughridge -- 5 stars

                               Austenland by Shannon Hale -- 4 stars

                               Chew Vol. 1 Taster's Choice by John Layman and Robert Guillory -- 4 stars

Final thoughts -- I am SO happy I decided to finally join in on a read-a-thon! I managed to knock 4 books off of my TBR, and I made sure to read every day. Sure, it might not have been a ton every day, but at least I read some. I also managed to participate in 5 out of 6 challenges for the week, and I'm not usually one to participate in that kind of thing. But I'm so glad I did, because they were so much fun! I am extremely proud of what I accomplished this week, and I will definitely be participating in the next Bout of Books in August! Check out their website here for exact dates on the next round, and many more details about the read-a-thon in general. Thanks for such a great week! 

Tell me: how did YOU do during Bout of Books? Let me know in the comments below!

Bout of Books 13 -- Day 6 Progress Report

Hello, and welcome to the final day, Day 7, of the Bout of Books 13 read-a-thon! 

Day 6 Progress Report

Pages read -- 134

        Total pages read -- 688

Books finished -- 2 (ACOTAR and Deadly Class Vol. 1)

Currently reading -- Austenland by Shannon Hale

        So far? I am LOVING it. At time of posting, I only have less than 20 pages left. I think I 

                     actually do prefer the movie (cue the stone-throwing!) but I am really enjoying the 

                     book. And it's fun recognizing which lines in the book were transferred directly to the 

                     screen. It's such a fun book!

Time spent reading -- I have no idea. I give up on this front. 

Today is the last day of the read-a-thon, ladies and gentlemen! And I now know that I am not going to finish all five books that were on my TBR. However, I think I will end up finishing 4/5, so I'm pretty pleased with that! The plan for the evening is to finish Austenland, then quickly read Chew Vol. 1 before midnight, and I'm fairly certain I can do it. 

So check back tomorrow to see if I succeed! I'll be posting a Day 7 Progress Report, as well as full wrap-up for the read-a-thon!

Tell me: in these final hours of the read-a-thon, how is YOUR progress going? Will you finish all that you set out to achieve? Let me know in the comments below!

Bout of Books 13 -- Day 5 Progress Report

Hello, and welcome to Day 6 of the Bout of Books 13 read-a-thon! 

Day 5 Progress Report

Pages read -- 140

        Total pages read -- 554

Books finished -- 2 (ACOTAR and Deadly Class Vol. 1)

Currently reading -- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

        So far? I'm having a hard time getting into this one. I have heard such great things about it, and 

                     I'm sure I would like it, too. But it's a little slow at the beginning so it's taking a while to 

                     read, even though it's so short. 

Time spent reading -- 1 hour

        Total time spent reading -- 7.5 hours

Confidence level ?/10 -- Now down to a 4. Oops! There's absolutely no way I'll be finishing both 

                                         Perks and Austenland. I'm not even sure if I can finish one of those. But I 

                                         may switch to Austenland and see if I can power through it!

Day 6 Challenge -- Favorite Read Photo

Today's challenge is hosted by Stephanie at Once Upon a Chapter, so go check out her blog! The challenge is simple: take a photo of your favorite read so far in Bout of Books 13. And since I've only finished one novel and one graphic novel, I decided NOT to participate in the challenge today. *sad face* Honestly, we all know what my choice would be *cough, cough ACOTAR cough* So instead, I'm just going to get back to reading for the day! But be sure to hop on over to Stephanie's blog anyway, especially if you are participating in this final challenge!

So that's it for today's update! Check back tomorrow for my Day 6 Progress Report! Then on Monday, check back for my Day 7 Progress Report as well as the wrap-up for the whole week! 

Tell me: how are YOU doing during the read-a-thon? And what has been your favorite read so far? Let me know in the comments below!

Bout of Books 13 -- Day 4 Progress Report and Day 5 Challenge

Hello, and welcome to Day 5 of the Bout of Books 13 read-a-thon! 

Day 4 Progress Report

Pages read -- 80 

        Total pages read -- 414

Books finished -- 1 (A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas)

Currently reading -- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

        So far? After finishing ACOTAR yesterday, I only managed to read 8 pages of Perks, so I'll 

                     need some more time to form a real opinion!

Time spent reading -- 1 hour

        Total time spent reading -- 6.5 hours

Confidence level ?/10 -- Moving on down to a 7. I only have three days of the read-a-thon left, so 

                                        I'm not sure I can read both Perks and Austenland, but I will make time for 

                                        both graphic novels. 

Day 5 Challenge -- Cover Color

Today's challenge is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, so go check out her blog! The challenge is to find at least four books with the same main color on the cover. And, true to form, I couldn't pick just one color! Though I may have fudged the rules a little...oops! You know me. 

COLOR ONE -- TEAL

So honestly, these are all slightly different shades of teal, but they just looked so pretty together, I couldn't resist!

Books shown: The Swan Gondola by Timothy Schaffert, Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson, True by Hilary Duff, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, and Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. 

 COLOR TWO -- TAN

It just so happened that Eleanor & Park and My Heart and Other Black Holes were right next to each other on my shelf, so I thought, Yes! It was meant to be. So I just found the other two to go with them! Though Broken Monsters has a little too much of the peach color. 

Books shown: The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien, My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga, Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes, and Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. 

COLOR THREE -- ORANGE 

I JUST realized I actually forgot to feature a book in this picture! The whole reason I thought of orange is because I saw The Martian on my shelf. And then I forgot to put it in the picture. *sigh* Oh well. This is still going to be my official entry! 

Books shown: Allegiant by Veronica Roth, The Pirate's Wish by Cassandra Rose Clarke, World War Z by Max Brooks, Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, and Sweet Filthy Boy by Christina Lauren. 

So that's it for today's update! Check back tomorrow for my Day 5 Progress Report and the Day 6 Challenge!

Tell me: how are YOU doing during the read-a-thon? And what color do you own the most books in? Let me know in the comments below!

Bout of Books 13 -- Day 3 Progress Report and Day 4 Challenge

Hello, and welcome to Day 4 of the Bout of Books 13 read-a-thon! 

Day 3 Progress Report

Pages read -- 182

        Total pages read -- 334

Books finished -- 0

Currently reading -- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

        So far? STILL loving it. Even more! So fabulous. Can't wait to see how it ends today!

Next read -- Deadly Class Vol. 2: Kids of the Black Hole

Time spent reading -- 2.5 hours

        Total time spent reading -- 5.5 hours

Confidence level ?/10: Still a 10! I WILL do this!

Day 4 Challenge -- From Modern to Classic

Today's challenge is hosted by Ranty Runt of a Reader, so go check out her blog! The challenge is to choose a book that you believe will be considered a classic in 100 years, and provide two reasons for your choice. Also, the book must have been published in 2005 or later. (Which means Harry Potter is out. *cries*)

I'm telling you. If I thought the last couple of challenges were difficult, THIS one is a doozy! At first, all of my inclinations were towards books I haven't even read yet, such as Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn or The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. But I wanted to choose a book I had read, just so I could extra-special enthusiastic about my choice. So I turned to Goodreads and searched my "read" shelf, looking for books published in or after 2005. 

Let me tell you. 2005-2007 was a dark time for my reading habits. Going down this particular rabbit hole, I was bombarded with things like Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl and The A-List. I was a major teen drama junkie back then.

So I narrowed the search and looked for books that I given 5-star ratings. Let me tell you, this was still difficult. I could easily go with the obvious; The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, or The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. These are books that have huge fanbases, including me, and I find extremely well-written. The Hunger Games really revolutionized the dystopian genre, kickstarting it into popularity again. And The Fault in Our Stars is the story of two broken individuals, (classics love broken people), and it's a very real snapshot of life in our time, told through teenagers with cancer. Both of these could easily be considered classics within a 100 year's time.

But for my answer, I decided to go with a book that was very recently released by an author I admire a great deal. A book that I find beautifully written, and heartbreaking, and very important. I think this could grow to become a classic in the future, and more importantly, I think it should become a classic. And that book is...

All the Rage by Courtney Summers

If you've read my review on this book, you should know exactly how I feel about this book. But for the sake of the challenge, here are my two (plus bonus) reasons I think this book could become a classic. 

1. It is beautifully written. It is often the books with the most beautiful prose that sticks in our mind for generations to come. It's easy to read an entertaining story that is told in a very straightforward manner and think it is a fantastic book. And it could be. But it might not be something that lingers. I think All the Rage will linger for a long time. I know I will be recommending it to anyone and everyone that I can. 

2. It is very indicative of our time. All the Rage is an eye-opening look into the rape culture that pervades our society right now. Hopefully, a hundred years from now, rape culture will be a thing of the past, or at least on its way out. But this book will continue to resonate as a part of our past, whether rape culture still persists or not. 

Bonus. It is not a huge phenomenon right now. Many books that become classics are not popular in their own time. It is only later, when rediscovered by scholars and other readers, that they become considered classic literature. All the Rage is getting very good reviews from those of us that read it, but it is not trending, it is not something you see all over the place. 

So that's it for today's update! Check back tomorrow for the Day 4 Progress Report and Day 5 Challenge! 

Tell me: how are YOU doing during the read-a-thon if you are participating? And what book do you think could become a classic in the future? Let me know in the comments below!

Bout of Books 13 -- Day 2 Progress Report and Day 3 Challenge

Hello, and welcome to Day 3 of the Bout of Books 13 read-a-thon! 

Day 2 Progress Report

Pages read -- 40

        Total pages read -- 152

Books finished -- 0

Currently reading -- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

        So far? Still loving it! So much. 

Time spent reading -- 1 hour

        Total time spent reading -- 3 hours

Confidence level ?/10: Still a 10! I CAN DO THIS. 

Day 3 Challenge

Today's challenge is hosted by Kristina Horrner, so go check out her blog! The challenge is to create a haiku about the book you are currently reading. So here is my best attempt! 

Feyre and Tamlin

A Court of Thorns and Roses

Romance will ensue

Ha! Okay. So that was cheating just a little bit. I mean, come on. It just worked so perfectly, how could I resist? So I'll try to do another! 

Huntress and Faerie

Beauty and Beast Retelling

With a Tam-Lin Twist

Okay. Slightly better. More descriptive. Summary. But still. Could be better. I mean, Kristina's is so funny! Maybe I should try a funny one. 

Two books, so much Fae

ACOTAR and Throne of Glass

Love those pointy ears

So this one is not strictly just about the book I am currently reading, but still. Sarah J. Maas wrote both books, and she really is obsessed with pointy-eared men. She said so herself last weekend. But let me try just one ore time to get it perfect. 

Tamlin, Lucien, Rhys

Where are all the ugly men?

Not that I complain

Okay, I think I'm done. I could probably come up with a million of these and none of them would be that good. I'm just not cut out for haiku writing, I guess. I'm just proud I came up with one, let alone four! 

Tell me: how is YOUR Bout of Books progress going? And can you write a haiku about the book you're reading? Let me know in the comments below!

Bout of Books 13 -- Day 1 Progress Report and Day 2 Challenge!

Hello, and welcome to Day 2 of the Bout of Books read-a-thon!

Day 1 Progress Report

Pages read -- 112
Books finished -- 0
Currently reading -- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

• So far? LOVING it! 

Time spent reading -- 2 hours (distracted while watching TV)

Honestly, I could have done a little better yesterday if I hadn't been so fixated on LAST WEEK'S episode of RuPaul's Drag Race that I had already seen. But also in my defense, I drove home four hours yesterday after Sarah J. Maas's event in St. Louis on Sunday. So I lost a ton of reading time, and I was exhausted! So I'm still confident I can complete my goals for the week!

Day 2 Challenge

Today's challenge is hosted by Lulo Fangirl, and here's her explanation in her own words! 

Create the ultimate character face-off.
Pick two of your all-time favorite characters. They can be from the books you chose for the read-a-thon (or not — totally up to you).
Even though they are both your favorite, you HAVE to choose one as the winner. And tell me why.
Sell me on why this ONE character is your favorite character of ALL characters.

This is such a tough challenge, but also a fun one! So I decided to do NOT ONE, NOT TWO, but THREE rounds of competition! So we have my favorite females, my favorite love interests, and my favorite best friends. Because I couldn't just pick one!

Round One:

Celaena Sardothien vs. Alina Starkov

Celaena 

Who: Main character from the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas

Why I love her: She's a teenage assassin who still loves dresses and eating and puppies. She's basically the best of both worlds--total badass, and complete girl. I love that she can be both. 

Alina

Who: Main character from the Grisha trilogy (Shadow & Bone) by Leigh Bardugo

Why I love her: She goes on such a journey throughout the series. She has to learn to deal with so much in such a short time, but her friends remain the most important part of her life the whole time. And she is unwaveringly loyal. 

Winner

.....

....

...

..

.

CELAENA SARDOTHIEN!

(Come on now, did you doubt for one second that Celaena would win?)

When I think of characters who have suffered in their lives, Celaena usually tops the list. She's been through so much in her life already, and it's only going to continue. There are only three books out so far in this six-book series, and already Celaena has gone through more character development than most characters do in their entire series. As much as I love Alina, I just can't imagine anyone overthrowing Celaena from her throne as my favorite female character. 

*Note on Round Two: Let's be honest. I can't use my newest book boyfriend for spoilery reasons. So all I'm going to say is Shatter Me. And you know.* 

Round Two:

Chaol Westfall vs. Carswell Thorne

Chaol

Who: The captain of the guard and prince's BFF in the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.

Why I love him: Yes, I am completely CHAOLENA forever and ever. Chaol is so loyal, but also ridiculously sweet, and fiercely protective of those he loves. The moment I fell in love with him was at the end of Throne of Glass, when he lays on the ground and puts his hand right outside the circle next to Celaena's. Like, I melted into a pool of butterflies at that scene. Plus, he's hot. Who could ask for more?

Thorne

Who: Captain and dashing rogue in the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer.

Why I love him: If Chaol is the good guy, then Thorne is the bad boy. Whom I can never resist. Thorne is sarcastic and thoroughly unable to take himself seriously, but he's always there for his friends when they need him. And once again, he's hot. I just love a sexy bad boy. 

Winner

.....

....

...

..

.

CHAOL WESTFALL!

(Once again, could you not see that coming?)

Though I love Captain Thorne to pieces, no one gives me quite as many butterflies as Chaol. Everything he does for Celaena, or Dorian, or the kingdom in general. He's so loyal and protective, and he's going through just as much character development as anyone else in the series. I will also love you, Chaol Westfall. And thank you, Sarah J. Maas for giving him to us. 

Round Three:

Jamie Roth vs. Kenji Kishimoto

Jamie

Who: Secondary character in the Mara Dyer trilogy by Michelle Hodkin

Why I love him: Let's face it. I just have a soft spot for male best friends. Jamie is relentlessly sarcastic, even in the face of danger. Jamie is always there for Mara, even when times are hard. (And I mean, REALLY hard.) He never abandons his friends. 

Kenji
Who: Secondary character in the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi
Why I love him: Kenji also falls into the relentlessly sarcastic category. He's overconfident and absolutely hilarious, even in the face of danger. (Wow, I really like this character type. Obviously.) He's friends with Adam to begin with, but the friendship he develops with Juliette is the one that made me fall in love with him.

Winner 

.....

....

...

..

.

KENJI KISHIMOTO!

What sets Kenji and Jamie apart in my mind is Kenji's soft side. Jamie has a bit of one, too, but he keeps his even more hidden. Kenji develops such a close relationship with Juliette that he's occasionally able to really open up to her and show her that vulnerable side of himself, the side that made my heart break for him. He's constantly protective of his friends, and he takes it upon himself to keep morale high, so he hides his fears and worries from most people. And that vulnerability is what makes Kenji my favorite best friend. 

WHEW. That was a little difficult, but I had more fun than I thought I would! That's it for today's Bout of Books post. Come back tomorrow for the Day 2 Progress Report and Day 3 Challenge! 

Tell me: how are YOU doing on the read-a-thon? And who would win in a face-off of your very favorite characters? Let me know in the comments below!

Bout of Books Day 1 Challenge!

It is officially Day 1 of the Bout of Books read-a-thon, and with Day comes the first challenge! Today's challenge is a simple bookish survey hosted by Writing My Own Fairytale, so let's get started!

1. How do you organize your shelves? 

HA! The answer to that is "I don't." I try. I try so hard, but then I buy more books and I have to reorganize them in any way that they fit. So I have one short bookshelf that's double-stacked. I have books laying on top of upright books. I have books in eleven places in my house, and less than half of those places are actually bookshelves. So I just put books wherever I can find a spot, honestly.

2. What is one of your favorite books that's not in one of your favorite genres?

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I primarily read YA and graphic novels now, and I've never been very into classics. Even though I'm a HUGE reader, there have been SO many times that I couldn't finish a book for school, and ended up just having to skim over it. Because I just find myself so bored with most classics. But Fahrenheit 451 is one of the rare exceptions. It's just so good, and maybe I love it because it's about books. Who knows? 

3. What is the last 5 star book you read? 

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. It was just so darn wonderful and beautiful and heartbreaking, which are my favorite three words when describing books I love. 

4. What book are you most excited to read during the read-a-thon? 

Well, I just got back from St. Louis where I got to meet Sarah J. Maas and have her sign a copy of A Court of Thorns and Roses for me. Eeep! And that's definitely the book I'm most excited for. So excited that I may have read the first ten pages before the read-a-thon officially started. Oops! #sorrynotsorry 

5. What book do you recommend the most? 

There are so many wonderful books and series I could have picked for this answer, but I'm going with a book I recently read and just can't stop thinking about how amazing it is. I think literally everyone should read All the Rage by Courtney Summers. It's such an important book about rape culture and the way society treats it like it doesn't exist. Such an amazing story. Go read it!

So that's it for today's challenge! I'll be back tomorrow with the Day 2 Challenge and my Day 1 Progress Report. So thanks for stopping by! 

Tell me: what is the last 5 star book YOU read? And if you're participating in Bout of Books, how is Day 1 treating you? Let me know in the comments below!