Camping is Exhuasting... ugh

Sorry people, been on vacation for the last week. Was camping up in Maine. They said they had WIFI, so I brought my lab top so I could post, but unfortunately there was no signal. So my bad.
I need to unpack, then I'll update tonight.... TO BE CONTINUED.

Day 6 of the Challenge: Describe how you purchase books?

Why Hello peoples!

So I am on day six now of the blogger challenge. Day six ask for you to describe how you purchase books?

So this kind of gets broken down into three categories for me.

The first category being how I purchase my e-books for my kindle. If I am buying a new book for my kindle chances are it is either a continuation of a series I have already started OR it was suggested to me by Amazon recommendations. I have found many of my favorite series from taking a chance on the recommendations made to me by Amazon. It is a very rare occurrence that I buy a book off of those recommendations and do not enjoy it. So I usually skim through the recommendations and pick four or five and then I read the book descriptions. I then pick one that I think I am most in the mood for.

The second category would be books I loved reading so much on my kindle that I just had to go and buy them in paperback or hardcover

The third and final category would be books I buy for the first time in a store. Usually I stop in a store and check out the books section. I tend to look at the romance/ YA/ paranormal/ new titles sections. I then see if any cool covers catch my eye and if they do I usually pick them up and read the back. If the back of the book sounds good I buy it, if not I put it back. I usually take a peak at books I've heard about as well and take a chance to read a few pages to see if it is something that I would enjoy.

So that is basically how I choose what books I buy.

I have been slowly but surly learning to put this site together. I am hoping that I am getting better at this day by day. I am not quite sure though because I have yet to receive any type of comment or feed back from anyone. If any one has any suggestions PLEASE let me know. Also I think I am going to attempt to review my first book soon. If you have any helpful tips on the DO's and DON'Ts of book reviewing please share.

Thanks

Day 5 Challenge: Recommend A Tear Jerker

Day five people, recommend a tear jerker...oh boy this is tough. I feel like so many books make me cry.  Most books that make me cry probably aren't even intended to.
If you want a real tear jerker though I'd probably have to recommend Nicholas Sparks books. I balled my eyes out at the end of Dear John and the Guardian. Like literally couldn't read because I was sobbing. Message in  a Bottle and The rescue got to me as well just not as bad as the other two.

Another book that had me crying hysterically was The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffnegger.

The Chemical Garden Series by Lauren DeStefano got to me too, I think because I was a girl and I could picture myself in their situation.

Any book by Maria V Snyder usually gets to me because I love her characters, whether its the Healer Series, the Glass Series or the Poison Study Series, they are all such good books.

I basically cry when ever I read any of the Vampire Diary books by L. J. Smith, they are so good and I get so attached to the characters.

Also the Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson really got to me because of the "kid" factor.

The Hunger Game books by Suzzane Collins made me cry because I just felt so bad, it seemed like it was one thing after another in that book.

There are tons more but those are my favorites that I would recommend people read if they haven't already.

What is your favorite book that has made you ball you eyes out?
Let me know I would love to read it!

Day 3 & Day 4: Who are your blogging BFFS? & What is the last book you flung across the room?

Heylo everyone, or should I say no one because I am pretty sure no one actually reads my blog yet lol. I guess that is besides the point, I started this blog more for me anyways. Not that I don't want followers, I would love it, I just don't expect it, that's all. Anyways, I'm rambling. I had started a project a few weeks back to make my own corn hole boards from scratch. For those of you who are sitting there saying to yourself WTF is that, well you are missing out. Corn hole is a set of two board with a hole in them. You have two teams of two and throw bean bags full of corn into the holes. It is kind of like horseshoes. If you want to check it out look here http://www.playcornhole.org/  . Anyways today I finished painting them in a New England Patriots colored theme of course. They actually look pretty legit. I'm happy with it. But anyways that took up most of my day, which is why I didn't written anything earlier. I'll post a picture when their all done, not that anyone cares, but just because.

Now, to the point.... Day3 and Day4 of the Blogger Challenge. I decided to put three and four together because I knew my answer for Day 3 wouldn't be very interesting.

So Day3 is Who are your blogging BFFS?
Well I just started blogging and I don't actually have any other friends that blog. Nor do I really read any other blogs yet. I just started following some blogs and reading them but I haven't gotten through all of them yet. If anyone want to become blogging BFFS let me know. Or if anyone has any blog suggestions for me to read, I am all ears.

On to Day4: What is the last book your flung across the room?
See now this question I can answer, and I actually really enjoy it. I cannot tell you how many times I have wanted to fling a book or my kindle across the room. Sometimes I catch myself and I just scream instead. But I recently actually got so mad that I lost my composer and I flung my kindle across the room, thankfully it hit a couch and didn't break. But the book that pushed me over the edge was A Game of Thrones book. I forget if it was book two or three because I read all five in a row on my kindle... and I tend to blend series books together when I read them on my kindle. Because I cannot see the actual book. But I think it was book three which is titled A Storm of Swords. If you have yet to read Game of Thrones let me tell you, your are most def. missing out. They are the best books I have ever read. Usually you can kind of figure out the majority of the book by reading it, or at least I usually can. But these books are unreal. What ever you think is going to happen doesn't, characters you think are safe always get killed. These books are nuts. Anyways I don't want to give anything away in case  someone wants to start reading these books, but when I read the red wedding scene I through my kindle across the room. If you've read these book you know exactly what I am talking about and why I threw my kindle. I actually took a whole week off of reading because I was so mad and upset. I've never gone a whole week without reading since I graduated from high school, so its a big deal. I was that upset and frustrated. So I guess if you want to know more you have to read the book or just google it lol.

So if I do have any readers out there...Whats the last book that you've flung across the room? If you have more self control than I and haven't done that...then Whats the last book that mad you extremely mad, frustrated, or upset?

Day Two: What is your bedtime reading ritual?

Alright people, So for today's challenge they ask for me to explain my bedtime reading ritual. This is a little tough for me because I don't sleep much and when I do its not on the same schedule as everyone else. I'm pretty much nocturnal in some ways. I tend to sleep from like 4am- noon and that's just a ball park guess. But regardless of when I sleep I guess I can tell you how I get there. The ritual isn't always the same I tend to switch things up all the time. But for the most part I take a shower and brush my teeth. Put lotion on and then my pjs. Then I usually have to get a snack. I know your not suppose to eat late at night, but that is honestly when I eat the most and I'm still pretty tiny so I'm not going to change this habit. I usually got for ice cream, nachos, strawberries, or sometimes a salad. Then I go down to my room and turn on my nightstand lamp. I prop my pillows up so I can eat. Eating in bed gross I know, but I make sure I don't get any crumbs or anything. I am the only one allowed to eat in our bed it drives me insane with my boyfriend does it. Hypocritical, I know, its just a quirk of mine I guess. Then I turn on the TV. I tend to read with the tv on, I'm not one for silence. Then I grab my kindle and read while eating my snack. The reading usually continues until the wee hours of the morning, until I feel like I just can't keep my eyes open anymore. Then I pass out.

Well I've posted a few post so far and I think I am doing okay? Can I get some feedback from my fellow blogger?

What are the do's and don't? Am I doing okay? Lets who can be my first ever comment! Thanks people!

Day one: Make 15 Book Related Confessions

Well, I saw this challenge on a bunch of other book bloggers sites. I figured it would be an easy way for me to start out writing since I am still not entirely sure what I am doing. My thoughts were that this would give me something to write about without me having to come up with things. So I guess I am going to give this a try.  So for day number one it says to make 15 book related confessions mine are as follows:

1. I am a firm believer in the book is ALWAYS better than the movie or tv show... BUT, I still want all of my favorite books to be made into a show or movie. I think its just that fact that I want to see if other people pictured things from the book the way I did. Did we imagine the characters the same or how about the landscape? I love seeing how people picture things.

2. When I read a book I constantly put myself into the shoes of my favorite character and I want to be them.  Whether my favorite character is in love with a vampire or happens to be an angel with wings. I wish I had their life, and it usually makes its way into my dreams. Now that is a whole new level of obsession when the book your reading makes its way into your dreams.

3. I always fall for the bad boy in the book. Apparently I never learn my lesson in real or literary life. No matter how much I fight against it, I can't help but falling for the bad boy. I route for him throughout the entire book. I hope that he'll change for the girl and that they'll end up living happily ever after. I no that I am being naive, and usually it doesn't happen like I want. But I can't help it.

4. I am addicted to my kindle BUT if I really enjoy a book I want to own a paper copy as well. I have dreams of owning a house with a library room one day and I want nothing more than to display all of the books I've read. And I'm not talking just a book shelf with a reading nook, I want a full out library with rows of bookcases that reach the ceiling. You know what I'm talking about the ones you see in the old houses or in movies.

5. I hated reading in high school, I used to use spark notes to BS my way through reading assignments (Which I always got an A on thank you very much). I think it was because the books were of topics that I was forced to read. Once I finally found a book I was interested in, I became addicted. It was like discovering a whole new world. I didn't realize there were so many books out there that I would actually enjoy.

6. I pick out most of my books from Amazon suggestions. I started with Twilight, Harry Potter, and the Hunger Games. Once I realized how easy it was to fall in love with another world I was hooked. I hadn't ventured into the book world before so I was not sure how to proceed, so I put my faith in Amazon. They introduced me into the world of magic, angels, post apocalyptic America, love, zombies, and mythical creatures. I fell in love with the whole world of YA and of paranormal romances. They also pushed me towards some smut or "one handed novels" but I cant help but love those as well.

7. My favorite books have love AND sex, mixed in with something else like magic or adventure. I especially like the ones where a female character is torn between different men.

8. I get so addicted to series I usually read them very fast, and I HATE when I go to buy the next book and it isn't out yet =(. I am not a patient person. I am one of those people who needs to know what happens and I need to know now. I have over thirty series that I am waiting on right now. Which is very frustrating.

9. When I get a book I have been waiting for forever I am guilty of staying up over 24 hours until I finish reading it. And then I am super depressed that I read through the book that fast and that I have to wait until the next one comes out.

10. When I go over peoples houses and they have a great book selection and I ask which is their favorite and they reply "Oh there more for decoration, I've never read one" I want to scream and hit them over the head with one of their own books and then steal the whole lot and bring them home with me.

11. I like the look of leather bound books over paper backs.

12. I hate letting people borrow my books, because I  kind of think of them as my children. It really bothers me if one gets damaged or if one doesn't get returned.

13. I feel bad for my boyfriend because I do most of my reading at bedtime, and I tend to leave my nightstand lamp on, which drives him insane. But I just cant use one of those little book lights, there is not enough light and they annoy me because they never clip where I want or stay in place.

14. I love reading my books outside in the sun with a cold glass of white wine and my sunglasses on.

15. If there was a fire in my house I wouldn't leave without my kindle and my books. Then I'd have to grab my cat and high tale it out. But most importantly I need the books.

http://i1.wp.com/goodbooksandgoodwine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/15-Day-Challenge.jpg?resize=620%2C465

To Edit or Not to Edit?

So fellow blogger, Since I am new to this whole process, I have a question to edit or not to edit? I feel like a blog is a space where I can go to express my thoughts out loud therefore I do not really have the urge to sit and proof read what I write. I feel like it messes with my creative flow of thoughts. And the thought of proof reading and editing makes me not want to write as much. I am an awful speller, so running a spell check I can do and it doesn't bother me one bit. BUT I just feel like I don't want to have to re-read everything I write and go back and fix it because I tend to be a perfectionist and once I start nit picking I know I won't stop until I am satisfied.

When I write college papers for example I edit the crap out of them, but with something like a blog which is more care free and holds more freedom I am hoping it is acceptable to not edit. I know that means some things might slip through the cracks that are a little to wordy, or I might miss a run on sentence, but I am hoping people can look passed that and see this blog for what it is. Which I hope it will just be my ramblings of creative thought. I don't know whether or not I am delusional. Can people publish a blog on the internet and not edit the crap out of it? Am I insane to just want to write and not to second guess it? Well I have no idea to be honest. Like I said earlier this is my first time at ever attempting something like this. I realized after I posted my first post that I didn't read it through and proof it and I immediately was like ...oh no...should I have done that, should I go back and fix it? Anxiety like woah. But I don't want to have to worry about what I write and how good I sound, I just want a place to get my thoughts down. To get them out. To write my thoughts and ideas down so there not swimming inside of my head. I read so much sometimes I feel like I live in a world of fantasy, and maybe sometimes I do. So to edit or not to edit... I think I am going to settle on NOT.

Guess and Check.

While I was sitting in my 10th grade study class a girlfriend and I decided to write one of the notorious "Things to do before I Die" list. Slowly but surly over the years I have begun to cross things off that said list. One thing that I have repeatedly skipped over on this list was to start writing. It started with to write a read worthy blog, and continues on to publish a novel.  Whether I can ever achieve either of those is beyond me, but here is my attempt at trying. I came to the realization that I can't write a blog that people enjoy if I don't have a blog. So here I am, sitting on my couch with my cat (whom you'll no doubtingly hear a lot about) trying to figure out how one actually starts a blog. It isn't as easy as I thought it would be to set up. You have to pick colors, fonts, backgrounds, layout, and a number of other things that I am not entirely sure as to what they pertain to. So this is my first night of the guess and check system. It might take me a while to get things set up the way I want, but here is my attempt to try.

 I recently crossed of another large goal on my list which was to read over 100 books in one year. When I wrote this down in high school I never thought I would actually complete this task because I hated to read. It wasn't until I was in college and started to read books of my own choosing that I realized how much I LOVE to read. I admit it I am 100% addicted to my kindle and the story that I am reading at the time. So I think I'm going to do my blog about my fascination with the books I read. You'll also most likely hear about my cat, and quotes or lyrics I come across that I love, and food might be thrown in there as well. But primarily this blog will most likely take the  path of being about books that I've read, or books that I want to read. It may also be about stories that I am trying to write. Like I said this is my guess and check, I am not entirely sure how this endeavor is going to pan out for me but we shall see where this road takes me.

So maybe I should start with a background about who I am. Well  my name is Brittany, original I know, but most people call me Britt, BDev, or B.-ritt. I am a twenty three year old, broke college student who works at a sports bar to pay the bills. I live paycheck to paycheck with the majority of Americans and pay for all my own expenses. I go to college for business management with a concentration in marketing and a minor in psychology. I don't really know why, other than the fact that its a very versatile degree, and people tend to make good money.  I am not exactly sure what I want to do career wise. I enjoy traveling, writing, cooking, and reading. If I had my choice I think I would like to work in the travel industry, or event planning, maybe a casino/ hotel. I live in Massachusetts and I bleed boston sports. I am the only girl I know that plays fantasy football and wins. My favorite sports teams are the Boston Bruins and the New England Patriots. I drive a crappy car, I loved Dunkins iced coffee (even in the winter), and I am obsessed with reality tv shows like Big Brother, Amazing Race, and Survivor. I've been watching them since they were created and I just can't seem to shake them. Being on one of those show is also on my list of things to do before I die, but one task at a time. I have a boyfriend named Adam whom I love, we've been together for over two years. I also have a cat named Dunkin who I love to spoil. My life is never, ever, easy and things do not usually go according to how I have planned. I am a Pisces, so I am a dreamer by nature. I think that contributes to way I dive into a book to escape reality, and to why I write things down to express how I feel. I am a firm believe that I sound much better on paper than I do when I speak out loud.

So here is my first post. My guess and check number one. Please bear with me the next few weeks while I try to figure this whole thing out. If any one has any helpful tips or suggestions, please feel free to let me know. Thanks.