What Does the Bookworm Say? Negative Reviews

The topic this week is “Do I write negative reviews?” Don't forget to check out this topic at Nite Lite Reviews, The Reader's Antidote and The Windy Pages.

The simple answer to this question is yes! I don’t think there is anything wrong with a negative review. When an author puts their work out into the world, it’s natural that there are going to be some people who absolutely love it and some people who don’t like it as much and maybe even hate it.

When it comes to writing a negative review, I usually take more care and choose my words more carefully than if I were writing a positive review. I try to be very concise so that my words aren't twisted or taken out of context.

I think negative reviews are really important and I usually want to tell my readers why I didn't like a book. Whether a book had no plot, really annoying characters or a stupid love triangle; these are thing I like to talk about in a negative review even though these likes and dislikes are based purely on opinion.

When it comes to reading reviews, I always read the negative reviews because I really want to know why some readers did not like the book! I always want to weigh the book and the bad before I buy a book. And by writing a negative review I hope that I can help out another reader weigh their pros and cons before purchasing.

The only thing I really have to say about negative reviews is that I'm all for them! I like to write them and I like to read them! 

What do you think about negative reviews? Do you like to read/write them?

Have a topic you would like us to talk about? Let me know in the comments! 

What Does the Bookworm Say? Favorite TV Shows

I'm so excited for this topic because I watch a lot of TV. Let's just be honest! Watching TV is so easy and there is just so much to watch! I don't have cable or anything so maybe I don't watch as much as I think or as much as I could. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Resurrection: This show just started on ABC so if you haven't watched it yet you can probably catch up on all the episodes on Hulu! I really love this new show because it's so mysterious! There is so much going on and so many unanswered questions already! I hope enough people watch it so that it will stay around for a few more seasons.

2. The Mindy Project: One of my favorite comedies right now is The Mindy Project! For some reason I love all things Mindy Kaling and I think she's just incredible! It's only in the second season but I'm so excited for where it's going and I can't wait for it to come back this week!!

3. Downton Abbey: I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Downton Abbey! I watch this with my mom and sister and we can't get enough! Even though not a lot is going on, I've become attached to the characters and I pretty much hope the show never ends! And Maggie Smith is brilliant, as always!

4. Criminal Minds: I've watch Criminal Minds since day 1 and have loved it ever since! There's just something about serial killers that fascinates me! I especially love the episodes that are really violent and bloody but I don't know why!

5. Scandal: I LOVE SCANDAL! There's so much DRAMA!! I really hate it when people cheat on each other but for some reason I'm always rooting for Olivia Pope and Fitz! Maybe because the First Lady is so scheming and underhanded.  But it's so good and I am wrapped every week!

Honorable Mention: Parks and Recreaction, The Black List and Gray's Anatomy

Don't forget to check out the other bookworms and see what they like to watch: Thuy @ Nite Lite Reviews, Kimberly @ The Windy Pages and Nicole @ The Reader's Antidote. 

What Does the Bookworm Say? New Adult

What Does the Bookworm Say is a bi-weekly discussion post hosted here! To see what some other bookworms say on the topic you can read their posts at Nite Lite Book Reviews, The Windy Pages and The Reader's Antidote! 

So sorry for the late post guys! I've been sick and since it's spring break work has been pretty busy. This week we're talking about the genre New Adult.  

I guess I first heard about New Adult about a year or so ago.  I was confused as to whether or not it was considered YA or not because I was reading about it on a lot of YA blogs.  So I wasn't really sure what it really was. 

So, according to my understanding, it's written like YA but it's for a more mature audience because of the sexual content.  These New Adult novels are usually contemporaries following characters that are college aged.  

Even though I still haven't read a new adult novel (I planned to read one by now but it didn't happen), I have two that I really want to read and will hopefully do so soon!

I would really like to see a New Adult fantasy novel! Now that would be something that I would definitely read! 

Right now, New Adult is usually published by indie publishers.  This makes them a little bit harder to find in hard copy but also very cheap in e-book form.  Hopefully, sometime soon the big publishing houses will see how well New Adult is doing and start publishing some New Adult novels. I really think New Adult can be something big and exciting in the future! 

Do you guys like/read New Adult? Let me know in the comments!

What Does The Bookworm Say? Booktube

Hi! Welcome to this week's What Does the Bookworm Say? Today we are talking about our thoughts on Booktube, the Booktube community and who are favorite booktubers are. Also stop by Thuy @ Nite Lite Reviews, Kimberly @ The Windy Pages and Nicole @ The Reader's Antidote and check out their thoughts on Booktube.

Booktube is something that I have stumbled on pretty recently; as in within the past year. For those of you unfamiliar with Booktube it is a community of people on Youtube who make videos primarily about books. And it is a thing you guys. It is a BIG thing! I have seen it grow and evolve over the past year exponentially and more and more Youtubers are joining the Booktube community every day.

Through my travels of Youtube, I've noticed two very different types of Booktubers. There are the Booktubers who love read books and love to get book recommendations. They love fangirling over books that they love and the overall tone of their videos is always happy! I love watching people like that. They’re optimistic about sequels to books they love and they understand that book to movie adaptations are just that: adaptations. They have high hopes and the look on the bright side.

Then there are those Booktubers who have not quiet mastered the art of the critical review and sound like they’re complaining all the time. Nothing can be just right for them. They don’t like this cover or that love triangle which is all fine and good but when you’re talking about it in front of a camera you really have to get the tone right or it comes off as whining and complaining. Do you want some cheese with that whine?

If you start watching Booktubers for any consistent amount of time you will notice that they all talk about the same few books, always. For instance, right now I can’t watch a booktube video without hearing something about these four books/series: Vicious by V.E. Schwab, Under the Never Sky Series by Veronica Rossi, the Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu or The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Braken. Every. Single. Video. Granted these are all really great books and series but switch it up a little bit seriously! Booktubers need to get some new favorite books!

Another aspect I don’t really like about booktube is review videos. I have found that I would much rather read a book review. That way, if I haven’t read the book, I can skip parts of the review that I think might give something away. I can’t do that with a video review. If I skip to three minutes in, I might find myself lost.

The best types of videos to watch are book hauls, monthly wrap-up videos and for some reason I really like Q&A. Here are five of my favorite Booktubers and a great way to become introduced to the booktube community.

1. Little Book Owl
2. booksandquills
3. The Readables
4. Ermahgerd Berks
5. PeruseProject

Thanks for reading our discussion this week! Do you keep up with the booktube community? Are you a big fan? Let me know in the comments!

What Does The Bookworm Say? Cover Changes and Vampire Academy

Cover changes are usually hit or miss for me.  Some of my absolute favorite covers are changed halfway through a series and I get really mad about it! So now I have three hardcover books in the old cover and now your changing the covers for the last 3 books but your going to release the first 3 books in paperback with the new covers so at least some of your books match the rest of them in the series.  So frustrating!! Then there are other time when I just think that a cover is so ugly that I hope and pray that they will change it eventually because I feel like that ugly cover is keeping people from reading this AWESOME book!

The latter is literally what happened with me and Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. I can't tell you how many times and over the course of how many years I picked up Vampire Academy in the store and put it back on the shelf because that cover is SO ugly! When I finally did buy it, I was embarrassed to read it in public because of that hideous cover!

The first one is the copy that I had originally. Who is that one the cover! Is is supposed to be Rose? Why does she look like Angelina Jolie? Why is it such a close shot of her face? At this point I even welcome the movie cover as a much better alternative to the first one. I don't even usually like movie covers but I would take it over this!  The second cover is okay and in person, the face is really fogged in the background and the VA really stands out.  So the new covers are a little bit better and that's all I can ask for at this point. 

What do you think of the Vampire Academy cover changes? Let me know in the comments!! And don't forget to stop by Thuy @ Nite Lite Book Reviews, Kimberly @ The Windy Pages and Nicole @ The Reader's Antidote and see what they think about Vampire Academy cover changes! 

What Does the Bookworm Say? Favorite Romances

We're back this week with another discussion post of What Does the Bookworm Say?! Go check out my fellow book bloggers, Nite Lite Book Reviews, The Reader's Antidote and The Windy Pages, as we discuss this week's topic. In honor of Valentine's Day we are discussing our favorite romances. It is literally so windy right now I feel like I should be talking about my favorite horror novels! 

I usually don't read books that are strictly romance and I've certainly never read the typical "romance" novel. I usually go for adventure, fantasy or paranormal books before I pick up contemporary or romance.  Those are my go-to. I like a plot that is enhanced by the romance, not driven by it.  But there have been a few books that I've read and loved that I would consider romancey. 

1. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger: I loved this book so much. It is such a beautiful story of love and the course of two people's lives and how they come together and meet. It's so unique and all the characters are just amazing.  It's not only one of my favorite romance novels but it's just one of my all time favorite books. 

2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: This is not only a great story about love but also about friendships and the relationships between people in general.  I love the emphasis on making every moment count and living life to the fullest. 

3. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell: The great thing about Eleanor & Park is that is doesn't have a satisfying happy ending.  It is very realistic in the fact that most high school romances are not going to last forever. 

4. Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols: I loved Going Too Far and the two main characters because they have that type of healthy relationship that not only helps fix a lot of the past hurt in their lives but also challenges each other to be better people. John After is also one of my favorite males characters ever!

5. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins: I loved this book because it just shows how much we can miss out on if we let other people influence us.  Cricket let his sister's opinion get in the way of his feelings for Lola and it really created a barrier in their relationship.  But it's such a great story with a quirky main character that I just loved from start to finish. 

Even though these aren't the typical "romance" novel, romance is still the most prominent feature in these books so I'm going to call them love stories.  So what are some of your favorite love stories? Let me know in the comments!

What Does the Bookworm Say? Love Traingles

Hey! Welcome to this week's What Does the Bookworm Say? You can also read more of this discussion at Nite Lit Book Reviews, The Windy Pages and The Reader's Antidote. 

This week's topic of discussion is love triangles. Love or hate?

Oh love triangles. Love triangles are very popular in YA literature. But why? Why does the main character, who has never really every had a boyfriend in her life, now has the choice between two of the hottest guys she has ever met? Usually they're just mostly annoying and make the main character seem whiny and stupid. They're always such a stickey situation and they can really make or break a book. 

Most love triangles don't bother me as long as the main character can keep a good head on her shoulders about it.  And honestly I've never read a book where I have been truly torn between two love interests.  I usually always root for one of the love interests no matter what.  It's not hard for me to decide which team I'm on. So let's talk about some of the most popular love triangles in YA liturature.  

1. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi: Team Adam. I still haven't read Unravel Me yet so I have a feeling that might change but as I'm writing this I'm team Adam.  I remember Warner doing some pretty awful things in Shatter Me. 

2. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo: Team Darkling.  I'm so devoted to team Darkling that I can't even remember the other guys name. Again I havn't read Siege and Storm yet but I don't think that's going to change.

3. Twilight by Stepanie Meyer: Team Jacob. Even though I was super sad when Edward dumped Bella's annoying ass, my heart of hearts has always been with Jacob.  

4. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: Team Peeta! That's all.

5. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas: Team Chaol.  I've loved Chaol from the very first pages he walked on the scene.  Even though I can appreciate why people might like Dorian over Chaol, I can't help but absolutely loving Captain Westfall! 

What do you guys think about love triangle? Love or hate? Let me know in the comments!

What Does the Bookworm Say?: Reading Resolutions

Hey! And welcome to the very first edition of “What Does the Bookworm Say?” I've been blogging just over four year and I've really wanted to start up some kind of recurring discussion posts because there are so many great bookish things to talk about! So I enlisted the help of my blogger friends and this is what we have come up with. A twice monthly discussion post on Saturdays where we each talk about the same subject but it’s going to be awesome because I bet we will all say something a little different. So go check them out! Thuy @ Nite Lite Book Reviews, Kimberly @ The Windy Pages and Nicole @ The Reader's Antidote.

This week’s topic is: Reading Resolutions-yay or nay? If yay, what are your reading resolutions/goal?

When it comes to New Year’s Resolutions in my personal life I usually don’t make them. I figure that if I’m going to change something in my life I’m going to do it immediately instead of waiting until the new year. I’ll make little resolutions here and there such as: keep my room cleaner or check my email daily which I should probably try to do both of those more this year. But that’s about it.

When it comes to reading resolutions and signing up for reading challenges I am all about it! I love starting the year off fresh with new reading goals and a huge amount of motivation. I love giving myself reading challenges for the new year because it feels like I’m working towards what CAN be a satisfying accomplishment.

Because I have horribly failed multiple reading challenges in the past, I choose my reading challenges wisely. I choose ones that allow me a certain amount of freedom and I usually only go for the first level which is like 7 books per challenge. These challenges allow me to still read what I want while still satisfying the requirements. So here are my 2014 reading challenges/resolutions!

1. Personal Goal: 100 books

2. 2014 Full House reading challenge hosted by The Book Date

3. 2014 Dystopia Reading Challenge hosted by The Blog of Erised

4. 2014 End of the Series Reading Challenge hosted by The Reader’s Antidote

5. 214 And So it Begins Reading Challenge hosted by The Reader’s Antidote

6. 2014 Graphic Novel Challenge hosted HERE.

Oh I’m so excited for all of these and I can’t wait to see how well I do this year! Now that I’m thinking about it I should have signed up for some sort of graphic novel reading challenge. So what do you guy think about reading challenges/resolutions? Yay or nay? Let me know in the comments!!