Cover Lust, No. 66

In Colleen Hoover’s gripping novel, reminiscent of the bestselling works of Liane Moriarty and Jojo Moyes, a young woman decides to reveal the dark secrets of her seemingly-happy family before she leaves them behind, but when her escape plan fails, she must deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth.

I think this is my favorite CoHo cover!

The story also sounds different than her norm, and I'm curious to see where it goes. I'm not someone that loves every CoHo book just because she wrote it; confession time: I HATED It Ends With Us. As someone with a very similar background, I did not agree with the way children of abuse were portrayed at all, and the excuses for that one character...ugh. That said though, her stories are always absorbing! 

Second Chances: Favorite Series I Almost Didn't Continue

Hey guys!

Today I want to share some of my favorite series, specifically the ones that I didn't really care for at first, but loved them after giving the series a chance with the second book. Let's jump right in!

I almost didn't pick the next book up, and now it's one of my top 5 favorite series. I may try rereading this one, to see if my initially thoughts were accurate or if I was just in a slump. 

The first two books in this series are really rough, in both typos and other technicalities, but the idea was so intriguing that I pushed through. I'm so glad I did, because Perry is one of the heroines I connect to most!

I know I'm not alone with how the first Kate book went!

It took me 3 weeks to finish this book. The others in the series? A day each.
Sidenote: last book comes out in April. I'm sad!

Not my favorite urban fantasy series (and I hate the covers), but it's still really fun to get back with Mercy and the crew, even if the first book was another weeks long read. 

This book was fun enough, but I much preferred books 2 and 3. 

What about you? Any series or authors you're happy you tried again?

Burn, Rewrite, Reread Tag

Hey, everyone!

I had nothing to post for today, since I'm just about finished with It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover and I'm working out how I'm going to do that review, so....tag time!


I found this one over at Rebel Mommy Book Blog, and it's the Burn, Rewrite, Reread tag. Three rounds, books picked at random, and for each you pick three books from whatever Goodreads shelf you choose, and you have to decide which to burn, which to rewrite, and which to reread. Let's go!

Round 1: The "Read" Shelf

The Burn. I just didn't like this one!

The Rewrite. Lots of potential, just needed something extra.

The Reread. So creepy. So good.

Round 2: The "2015 Reads" Shelf

The Burn. This was okay, but not my favorite. I found Lola annoying, and she yanked poor Oliver around too long. 

The Rewrite. I totally would've killed off Jace.

The Reread. Loved this so much!

Lots of blue covers. :D

Round 3: The "2016 Reads" Shelf

The Burn. I'm generally a big fan of the Ritchie twins' work, but I didn't like either of the main characters in this one.

The Rewrite. I loved the first half of this book; it was phenomenal. The second half started going into "are you kidding me" territory. 

The Reread. Gotta love Kate!

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Facts About Me

Hey, ladies!

It's Top Ten Tuesday by The Broke and The Bookish! Today's topic is Ten Facts About Me, and those can be bookish, general, or whatever you fancy. Let's go!

10. I couldn't read until age 11

Okay, that's a bit of a stretch, but not by much. Up until the age of 11 or so, reading was a huge struggle for me. I couldn't move beyond the most basic of words, and even that was hard. The words didn't make sense, their sounds confused me, and I was so frustrated that I'd wind up crying every time I tried to work on it, and dreading it every day.

I hated reading with a passion, hated that my mind craved something more advanced, but I could not move past where I was. It felt like there was a block in my mind that wasn't letting me access the way I needed to learn to read. As a bright child in every other aspect of life, I felt stupid that I couldn't learn this most basic element.

Then, my mom got me my first audiobook. And everything changed. Without the pressure of reading myself, I could fall into the stories I wanted. I learned structure, pacing, pronunciation, and so much more. I fell in love with books, and wanted to learn more. Within a few months, I went from struggling with "fat cat on a mat" type of books, to devouring Romeo and Juliet, Pet Semetery, Harry Potter, Twilight, ect, completely cutting out the middle learning experience. One to the other, with no adjustment period. I'm so thankful for those audiobooks, and a mom who knew when to let me go at my own speed. 

9. Fake pregnant bellies creep me the fuck out

Anytime someone is pregnant in movies or on TV, it makes me cringe to think of that fake pregnant belly suit thing. I don't know why, but seeing it makes my skin crawl. I'll turn off whatever's on if I see one! 

8. My dog is my part time job

No, literally! And not just because she's a diva and a handful.  In addition to this blog, I write a pet-centric blog chronicling life with Nola, my miniature Dachshund. Believe it or not, it's my part time job, and actually makes a good bit of money.

7. I want a horse, even though they make me wary

When I move, I want to get a horse. I have a very healthy respect for those large, powerful creatures that sometimes borders on slight fear. However, that doesn't stop me from wanting one!

6. I hate to drive

I like going places, just do not enjoy being the driver. At all.

5. ADHD doesn't begin to cover it

I can't for the life of me focus when it comes to doing any form of writing, and that's not a good thing when you write (or attempt to write, anyway) two blogs. This post has taken me way longer than it should have, because YouTube! Reading! Food! Music! Need to stretch! Gotta brush my teeth!

4. Inappropriate on a spectacular level

That's me! 

3. Raunchy books crack me up

It's no secret that I love smutty novels, and read quite a few of them. Partly because, well, smut, and also because they're just so funny. The descriptions make me smirk, or flat out laugh out loud.

For instance, I was reading the third Outlander book yesterday, and came along a line that said:

"He was mightily roused"

And laughed and laughed. In front of my mother, sister, and youngest brother. Then proceeded to text that passage to my mom to share my mirth over it. We have an unconventional relationship, haha.

2. I can't stand silence

Can't stand it whatsoever. I always have music, an audiobook, the TV, ect going if I'm not around other people during the day, and a fan on at night, or I can't sleep. Call it a byproduct of growing up as the oldest of 7!

1. Clothes never fit me right

This has been a lifelong problem. Clothes never fit me right! Despite what magazines would have you believe, clothes aren't built for thin people, especially ones with no hips or butts, smallish chests, and long limbs and torsos, despite being average height. I'm constantly tugging up my shorts and jeans, pulling down my shirt hems, and pushing up fallen sleeves and tank top straps.

Novellas: Love Them or Hate Them?

Hey, everyone!


Today I want to talk about novellas, those shortish stories authors love adding to series. People seem to either love or hate them, so I thought it'd be interesting to talk about them.


Personally, I usually enjoy novellas. I (usually) like what they add to the story, and I'm always up to read more of a favorite series.
I've found that there's three categories novellas tend to fall into, regardless of how good the story itself was. Have you noticed this pattern?

1. Wow, that blew my mind and truly improved my reading

This is for those gorgeously rare novellas that really, truly add something to a beloved storyline. Whether it's an integral backstory that puts a character in a new light, a glimpse into the future, or an offshoot event that opens your eyes, these stories are incredible and vital. I've only read one so far!

I viewed the rest of this trilogy in a completely new way after reading this.

2. Enjoyable, but optional

These stories are enjoyable on their own, and add icing on the cake to the series.  However, it's entirely possible to read the full length novels and not miss much at all.

I really loved getting a peek inside Reyes' head!

5 star read, and well deserved for the couple. Not necessary to read, though!

3. Not worth reading

These don't add anything to the series, and you're better off rereading a full length story.

I adore both these authors and series, but I didn't really feel anything for these two stories. 

What do you think of novellas?

Hamiltag

Hey, everyone!


I saw this tag over at Rebel Mommy Book Blog, and since I had nothing at all to post for today, I decided to try it!

The Room Where It Happens

(A book world you'd put yourself into)

Paris, please! Plus, you know, Ansel. <3

The Schuyler Sisters

(An underrated female character)

I think Grace is really underrated! She's hilarious, strong, and relatable. 

My Shot

(A character who goes after what they want and doesn't let anything stop them)

Kate! One of my very favorite heroines. 

Burn

(Most heartbreaking end to a relationship)

Okay, so it wasn't an end-end, but I still cried!

You'll Be Back

(Sassiest villan)

If there ever was a truly fantastic anti-hero, it's Javier!

The Reynolds Pamphlet

(A twist you didn't see coming)

The ending of this one.... I was fairly certain by the end, but up until those last 5 pages or so? Good god!

Non-Stop

(A series you've marathoned)

I'm currently marathoning Chicagoland Vampires!

Satisfied

(Favorite book with multiple POVs)

Not big on multi-POV!

Stay Alive

(A character you wish was still alive)

To avoid being insanely spoiler-y, I went with Kate's sword. It was weirdly sad when it broke. 

It's Quiet Uptown

(A book that made you ugly cry)

A bit cheesy though it was, I still cried.

One Last Time

(Best series ender)

Hands down!

Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story

(A book/series you feel like will be remembered throughout history)

Unfortunately, I'd say Harry Potter. 

Say No To This

(Guilty pleasure read)

It's so bad it's good. 

What Comes Next

(Series you wish had more books)

I wish the last book would be done away with and we'd have more books!

Right Hand Man

(Favorite BROTP - apparently that's best friends or best bro friends, so says Urban Dictionary. News to me. )

Lo and Conner had a fantastic bromance!

What'd I Miss?

(A series you were late to)

I only just finished getting caught up on this series!

Confession Time

Hey, ladies!

Hope you all had a great weekend! Mine was pretty good, with one long work day and a great lazy day of reading.

We all have our own little quirks when it comes to reading. Whether it's a guilty pleasure or your weird OCD tendencies, everyone has their own quirk. I'm always curious to read these types of posts when others do them, so here are mine!

1. Bookmark? What bookmark?

I hate bookmarks! I always loose them, and they inevitably fall out of my book and make me miss my spot. 

2. I shamelessly dog-ear...but only the top right page

My books are full of dog eared pages, and I love the way it looks. You'll only find the pages turned down on the top right page, though! It drives me nuts when I check out a library book and the left pages are dog eared, or the bottom right. I'll furiously try and smooth them out.

3. I love friends to lovers romance

Few things make me swoon quite like those friends to lovers reads, especially if they're between best friends. I think it adds a beautiful, unspoken layer to the novel. It adds tons of backstory without sacrificing pacing.

4. Greedy, greedy, greedy

If I really love a book or series, I want the physical copy, eBook and the audiobook.

5. She can't sit through 3rd person

I've passed on so, so many books that are written in third person perspective. It almost never holds my attention! I can never get as absorbed in them, and they're always more face value to me. 

The one exception would be J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series, aka crack.

Replace sleep with a 3rd person book, and you have:

6. I demand happiness!

I don't mind angst, for the most part. I don't mind being put through emotional hell during a story. I don't mind bawling my eyes out. However, I need their to be a happy ending after all is said and done! No killing off the main characters, no couple splitting up, and absolutely no dead pets.

7. Lazy reviewing and lenient rating 

Ha! I wish. I review maybe 10% of what I read. It's quite pathetic. I chalk it up to being lazy. I also don't tend to review books I've given less than 3.5 stars. Unless I feel very strongly about it, why waste more time on something I didn't enjoy?

8. I'm sorry, what was that again? I was too busy staring at your gorgeous body.

I'm stealing this one from Joyous Read's confession post! I so often read books where other reviewers rave over the deep message and plot, and I'm over here swooning and drooling over Mr. Hunk-a-Lick-It. 

I read this:

And then I hear about the profoundness of the novel:

9. All play and no work

I read for pleasure. I'm not one of those people that will swarm to the latest "it" book that's causing every person that wants to look smarter than they are to read it.

10. Is there something wrong with me?

I do not understand the beard craze. I don't understand the long hair fetish. I don't understand the man bun frenzy. I am the minority here, and I don't get why.

Share your confessions below!

- The Bibliophile Babe

A Dick By Any Other Name (or, What's Wrong With Erotica)

Hey, ladies!

(warning: this is a dirty minded post with dirty language, in case you couldn't tell by the title)

I love romance books. Love them. I'll happily admit to needing some kind of romance in whatever I read; just a little something I can swoon and sigh and lust over. Plus, who doesn't love collecting those delightful book boyfriends?
I also love erotica. My Kindle is a treasure-trove of dirty, kinky fuckery. However.... sometimes I just have to laugh at the way genitals and sex in general described . Let me be more specific, alright?


For Him:

Instead of the acceptable cock, dick, or even prick or erection, you'll see:

- Manhood 
I just think of... I don't even know what I think of. A knighthood, maybe? It sounds ridiculous!

- Hardness 
Is an adjective, not a noun.

- Thickness
Ditto the above.

- Rod
What are you, going fishing? Wait...that makes me think whatever girl he's banging needs to, ah...wash. Thoroughly. With soap. Get what I'm saying?

- Ridged collum/pillar of flesh
 All I picture is a colonial style house with cocks in the place of the pillars framing the entryway.

- Member
Proud member of Club Cunt!

- Package
Hello, FedEx!

- Shaft
Elevator. Sunlight. Not as bad as some, but still!

- Organ
If that word doesn't kill the mood, I don't know what will.

- Penis
Nothing cools the hot and heavy quite like clinical terms.

- Root
I've always wanted to be boinked by a tree, said no one ever. I hope, anyway.

- Steel (or marble, granite, ect) wrapped in velvet (or silk)
It's everywhere. Literally everywhere.

- Engorged flesh
Sounds painful.

- Throbbing head
Cock-migraine, anyone?

- Inflamed anything
You should get that raging infection checked out.

- Thatch 
Manscaping is your friend!






Then there's the things you stumble upon in the holy-hell-I-get-why-you-were-free-now smut. And yes, these are unfortunately all ones I've come across (ha...oh my god, that was the best unintentional pun ever!).

- Meat
Beef: it's what for dinner.

- Heat seeking missile

- Stalk
Plants.

- Fun stick/joy stick
Uh huh. I just bet you're a fun time.

- Man/guy/boy part
Are you 8 years old???

- Boner, stiffy, wang, schlong 
Well, you've moved up in the world to a 13 year old's vocabulary. Good for you.

- Dong
Please stop.


- Pork sword

For Her:

Sometimes we have it even worse than the guys, if you can imagine. Okay words include: pussy, cunt, sex, clit, and occasionally core or center. Never:


- Cleft
I hate this one!! It's awful, inaccurate, and just wrong. Please, I beg of you, stop it.

- Nub
It's such an exciting, sensual term. Really.

- Button
Repeat after me: "I am not a remote!"

- Meat curtains
Can you pull them shut if it gets too bright?

- Nether regions/nether lips
This is just weird.

- Womb
This would be agonizing, and nothing should be penetrating that. Please brush up on basic anatomy before continuing your story.

- Intimate folds
Sounds like a sketchy laundromat.

- Vagina
Again with the clinical! It's all too often used incorrectly. If he's rubbing you on the outside, that's not your vagina. That's your labia. Speaking of...

- Labia
Are you trying to get me hot and bothered, or are you giving me "the talk"?

- Tunnel
Here comes the train....

- Velvet anything
No.

- Twat
Aren't you just a classy SOB?

- Snatch
You know how some people cannot stand the word "cunt"? I feel the same way about "snatch". *shudders dramatically*

- Crease
Do you need an iron for your pussy?

- Depths
Prepare your ship for a voyage in the sea of vag.

- Cavern
Spelunking, anyone?




For Them:


Now we have things that can go either way, or for the sex itself. Yay!


For pubes, if applicable:

- Thatch 
- Nest

Lovely. Personal hygiene is important, people! Neither of you should have to brave an Amazon jungle to get to the goods.

What about butts? Ass is the only thing that should ever be used. Otherwise, you run the risk of sounding like 50 Shades Ana, taking it up the rear but unable to call it anything besides a "bottom". You should not be having anal sex if you can't say ass.


We can't forget about fluids! Preferable is come, or cum. Acceptable is seamen, wetness, or release. Do not ever use:

- Spunk/jizz/meat juice
- Dick spit
- Frothy anything
- Cream of any form
- Nectar
- Honey
- Damp
- Fluid
- Moist/moisture 

To wrap it up, two of my favorites:


- Weeping anything
Sounds like an infection you've lanced.

- Sheathe

I had so much fun with that! Cheers, everyone!

- The Bibliophile Babe

5 Problems I Have With Romance Novels

Hey, everyone!


I love romance novels. I really, truly do. Contemporary, paranormal, urban fantasy, you name it, and I probably enjoy it (except historical....I hate historical). I'll even admit to having an issue sticking with a book if I don't get some form of romance in it. It's a weakness, I know.
However, my love does not blind me to the numerous issues within the genre. Sometimes I'll be reading a book and it just makes me grind my teeth in frustration and annoyance. I'm sure y'all can relate to these!

5. The Virgin and The Manwhore

While that'd make a fantastic title, I'm so annoyed with this trend. Why is the chick always the pure, innocent virgin who's never so much as gotten herself off? In that same vein, how does she go from not knowing her own anatomy to being a wildcat in bed and being able to deep throat a monster cock on her first attempt?

And the manwhore. Who really finds that attractive? Perhaps I'm just insanely jealous and possessive, but it'd rankle me to no end to know that my man's had his dick in everything that's walked by him in a short skirt.

4. I Ride Bareback...From The Get-Go

This is something that ties directly into #5, and always drives me up the wall. They don't know each other well, the man always has an extensive sexual history, and they get it on without a condom immediately. 

What. The. Fuck.

"I trust you!" She exclaims. "I'm clean," He assures.

Too bad! I don't care how much I trust you, we are both getting tested before you come anywhere near me. If you're not going to consent to testing....buh-bye, baby.

3. Tall, dark, and handsome...every single one of them, and that's it. 

I love the tall, dark, and handsome man. They're my biggest weakness. Nothing gets me hotter than that dark hair, chiseled face, and godlike body. Sue me.

However....I want something besides that. Give me some kind of uniqueness, some form of personality besides "oh my god gorgeous male gimme gimme now!". Make them have some unusual characteristic (Scar? Height? Something?), some strength of character besides sexual prowess. 

Some fantastic examples would be:

Barrons from Karen Marie Moning's Fever series.

 Oh my god, do I love that man. Deliciously sexual, unapologetic in who and what he is, so intense and charismatic, protective (and yes, even a bit possessive) and intelligent. He is the ultimate in alpha male fantasy, isn't he?

Bones from Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series. 

I'm doing a bit of an audiobook re-read on the Night Huntress books, and I've fallen hard for Bones all over again. Sexy, funny, protective, loyal, smart, brave...sigh. I just melt whenever he refers to Cat as his wife...not sure why. You have to love that dirty mouth, too. 

Dex from Karina Halle's Experiment in Terror series. 

Dex was such an unusual character. Attractive but not the typical ideal male vision, Dex was a breath of fresh air. He's a mass of contradictions; both a scared child and a fiercely brave man. His love for Perry made me swoon with every page.

2. Love triangle.

Nothing else to say.

1. Rigid Column of Flesh, Meet The Depths of the Cleft

Oh the joys of names for genitals in romance books.  My "favorites" have to be:

Button 

What are you, a remote?

Root

Sorry, it's an extremely unpleasant visual. All I'm seeing is a tree splitting someone up the middle.

Rigid Column of Flesh, Manhood, ect

Need I say more? Column could also be replaced with pillar. All it does is make me laugh out loud during what's suppose to be this oh-so-hot scene.

Penis, or vagina

It cuts a bit of the smexy-ness when it sounds so...clinical. My inner homeschooled know-it-all also gets extremely annoyed when vagina is incorrectly used. He's not rubbing your vagina from outside your panties. That's your vulva. 

So....what are your annoyances? :p

- The Bibliophile Babe