It's Friday!! Woo! The concert recital last night was so great! So many amazingly talented musicians, and the songs were great! They covered everything from Fun. to Hans Zimmer. I thoroughly enjoyed myself!

It's that time of the month again! (No, not that time...sicko) It's the beginning of the month, which means it's time for March's BOTM!

This month I've chosen to read Robin Sloan's Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. Here's what Goodreads has to say about it:

The Great Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon out of his life as a San Francisco web-design drone, and serendipity, sheer curiosity and the ability to climb a ladder like a monkey have landed him a new gig working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. But after just a few days on the job, Clay begins to realize that this store is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few customers, but they come in repeatedly and never seem to actually buy anything, instead “checking out” impossibly obscure volumes from strange corners of the store, all according to some elaborate, long-standing arrangement with gnomic Mr. Penumbra. The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he has embarked on a complex analysis of the customers’ behaviour and roped his friends into helping him figure out just what’s going on. But once they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, they discover the secrets extend far beyond the walls of the bookstore.

Sounds exciting, eh? I've already read the first few chapters and I'm really into it. I'm not sure if it has to do with the fact that I work at a bookstore or not, but I almost missed my stop last night on the subway because I was so into it. Aren't you? Read along with me this month!

I'll be going back home again this weekend for Jess' birthday, so I'll be spending my train ride with my nose stuck in this book!

ALSO it's Friday and you know what that means!!

The weather is finally starting to get warmer, and I'll be jamming to this song while dreaming of the summer!

If any of you follow me on Tumblr, you'll know that I belong to a lot of fandoms, so reading a book about a girl's obsession with a certain Harry-Potter-esque fandom was something I simply could not resist.

Fangirl is a popular YA novel about a girl named Cath who writes fan fiction for a fictional series called Simon Snow (imagine HP, but with vampires). Cath has just started her first year of college, and is having a hard time adjusting without her twin sister Wren, who's decided she wants to do college on her own, without having Cath attached to her hip.

It's essentially a coming-of-age, as Cath sort of finds herself as an individual, and learns to accept herself as more than just a fangirl. She meets new friends like her edgy roommate, Reagan, and Levi, a super cute guy she reads her fan fiction aloud to. She also learns to cope with her dad's bipolar disorder.

It's a really cute, light read that does deal with some heavy stuff. Certainly easy to get through. I also love that Rainbow can write a fierce female character being okay with her insecurities. I mean, not every girl who writes fan fiction and wears glasses is a cool hipster chick, and she recognizes that. Cath is definitely relatable to anyone who's ever nerd-ed out on something, or felt a little bit like the new kid in school.

Another cool thing I really liked about the book, was that each chapter was introduced by either an excerpt of Simon Snow, or an excerpt of Cath's Simon Snow fan fiction, Carry On. By the end of the book, I was actually really into Simon Snow and Carry On.

Not what I would normally read, but it was super fun to get into. There were some minor things that I didn't like about the plot, (like how Cath's professor gave her a whole extra semester to write her story.. I mean, when does that ever happen?) but I found everything else really enjoyable, and it brought me back to when I was a teenager writing fanfics about my favourite books.

That being said, I'm giving Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell:

Four out of five stars!

If you wanna read Fangirl, check out The Book Depository to buy a discounted copy, or if you're into listening to your books (like Levi is in Fangirl) then check out Audible.com. Your first book is free!

Want to know what I'm reading next? Check me out on Goodreads!

Graphic novels.

The first word that comes to mind when I say that is "nerd". And while I'm all for embracing my inner nerd, the kind of nerd that I always think of is the pretentious know-it-all that couldn't possibly fathom the thought of a girl being into graphic novels unless it were for a boy, or to look super "cool". Am I wrong?

Regardless, I've taken a bit of an interest to graphic novels as of late. Y'all know I love to read, so it only felt right to expand my literary bubble to something more than just words on a page (though I do love those words dearly). I've never read a graphic novel before, though I've spend many an afternoon as a kid devouring comic books, but they aren't quite the same.

"They aren't?" you might be saying. Not quite. A comic book is essentially a magazine. It have a number of volumes, and is released on a regular time schedule, consisting of only short stories that usually continue on with each volume (so you wouldn't necessarily find out if Spiderman caught the green goblin by the end of that comic, you'd have to wait for the next issue to see what happens next) while a graphic novel is essentially exactly how it sounds. It is a full story with a beginning, middle, and end, paired with illustrations that are commonly seen in comic books. That of course isn't to say that a graphic novel can't continue in a series.

Being that I've never read a graphic novel before, the graphic novel I've chosen to take my graphic novel virginity is...

I'm about 1/4 through it, and I'm already making lists of all the other ones I want to read...

I never thought I'd be the type of person that would like graphic novels, but I really dig them.

Have you guys read any graphic novels? What are your thoughts on them?

Follow me on Goodreads to see what else I'm reading!

And so begins the 12 Days of Christmas! To start of the festivities I'm here to help you guys with all your holiday book buying needs, because let's face it, I'm not the only one who still has Christmas shopping left to do...

Being that I work for a major book company, I feel like I know books pretty well, so I've compiled a short (yet completely AMAZING) guide of some books that you might want to pick up for the book-lover you're buying for (or maybe you're like me and just want a good read for the holidays).

Rest easy, kinfolk, for I have just what you're looking for!

For the classic literature junkie, I suggest Longbourn by Jo Baker. Pride & Prejudice is relived as told by the servant-staff. Jo manages to capture the characters Jane Austen created in a very true-to-form way. Not to be dismayed by another P&P retelling, the story mostly focuses on the lives of the staff, with Austen's story kind of in the background. This story has all the key bits that an Austen novel possesses: arrogance, pride, whit, and romance. I am reading the book now and can't put it down!

If you're buying for someone who loved The Fault in Our Stars or anything by John Green, Rainbow Rowell's book, Eleanor & Park is definitely the best choice for the YA reader you're buying for. The story is a classic coming-of-age story about two "star-crossed" 16-year-olds with some really serious life issues. It's inspiring, and intense, but totally worth the read!

This book piqued my interest after I finished reading The Hobbit. It's a new collection of J.R.R Tolkien's poems, which if you have a fantasy nerd to buy for, is the perfect gift.

If you haven't heard of Malala Yousafzai, where have you been the last three months? She's been on countless talk shows talking about how she stood up for her right for education, and in doing so was shot by the Taliban. She has taken her inspiring story to pen and wrote her very own book about her experiences, and is a must-read for anyone interested in current events, and biographies.

Finally,

If you're buying for someone who isn't a big reader, give them the gift of audio books! I love popping in my headphones while I'm on the subway or on the train back to my hometown and listening to a good book! If you go to Audible.com, you can sign up and get your first audio book for free! You can even buy one for your friends or family!

Guys, I have a confession: Remember that post about my October reading list? And this tweet about my plans to read Allegiant all day and all night until it was finished...

I'm going to go read for the next two days. See you when I'm finished reading #Allegiant
— Kate Brown (@kay_tea) October 22, 2013

Yeah well, I haven't finished reading any of these books. I know. I work in a freaking bookstore for crying out loud. I've been in a bit of a reading slump. I don't know if it's because I just had no interest to read the books on my list (save for Allegiant, I have made quite the dent, I just haven't finished it), or if I just have had a bout of restlessness and can't sit down long enough to get into the book. Regardless, I'm going a different route this month.

I have some new books on my November reading list. It's not long because I'm still participating in NaNoWriMo, and I'd like to use most of my spare time to write. However I do want to get some reading in this month so I'm able to participate fairly in Goodreads' Reader's Choice Awards.

I've picked only two books this month (not including Allegiant because I'm almost finished) and they are:

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Via Goodreads:

Cath is a Simon Snow fan. 

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . . 

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving. 

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere. 

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to. 

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone. 

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? 

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories? 

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

Via Goodreads:

Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.

Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo's sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby. 

Emaline's mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he's convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential.

Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby? Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she's going?

Along with finishing up Allegiant, this month is a month of YA, which I like because the novel I'm writing for NaNoWriMo is also YA so hopefully it gets my creative juices going.

What are you guys reading this week?

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So I saw this survey a few weeks ago on Kristin's blog and I've been planning to do it ever since!

I'm a big reader, so I found this survey to be quite fun, and if you're into it you should totally do it too!

Author you've read the most books from.
Don't judge me but, Nicholas Sparks. I actually enjoy reading his books because I can breeze through them so quickly.

Best sequel ever.
Recently I'd have to go with Catching Fire from The Hunger Games trilogy. It's actually my favourite of the three. All time though I'm going to have to say Harry Potter, because the series got me into reading as a kid, plus it's HP, duh.

Currently reading
Allegiant. It's so good!

Drink of choice while reading.
Tea. Duh.

E-reader of physical book.
If I know I want to add the book to a physical library, I'll but the physical book, but I do like e-reading.

Fictional character you would have probably dated in high school.
HAH. Yeah right. Me? Date in high school? I was too big a nerd. But if I were a total babe back then I would certainly have to go with the same answer as Kristin. Jon Snow. Because he knows nothing, and due to me being a complete nerd, I'm certain I know everything.

Glad you gave this book a chance.
Warm Bodies. Not into zombie books, but I really enjoyed this one.

Hidden gem book.
The Guernsey Literary and the Potato Peel Pie Society. Longest book title, right? It's a small book, but soooo good. Especially if you enjoy books that are set during war times.

Important moment in your reading life.
I remember picking up The Diary of Anne Frank when I was a kid and just crying in my room about how they were being treated. I had never understood World War II to great extent because I was so young, but reading the true story of a girl that was there put things into perspective. It changed my life.

Just finished.
The Hobbit! It took me a while, but I did it!

Kinds of books you won't read.
I stand by trying to give books a chance (see Warm Bodies), but I do limit myself to some books. I will never read Fifty Shades of Grey, or anything like it, including Twilight. Also I don't particularly like Jodi Picoult novels either..

Longest book you've ever read.
At 766, Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix takes the prize. Thanks Goodreads.

Major book hangover because of...
The Fault in Our Stars. I read it in a weekend so I felt like I was just chill in' out with Gus and Hazel and then all of a sudden I wasn't. Bummer.

Number of bookcases you own.
Technically two. Jess and I share one bookcase for our textbooks which is kept in the storage room because it's an eyesore. The other bookshelf is in the living room, and it has both of our collections on it.

One book you have read multiple times.
I've only ever reread Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. And I don't technically "reread" I just reread the bits I liked best.

Preferred place to read.
I will read anywhere. On the couch, in bed, on the subway, break room at work. As long as I'm comfy.

Quote from a book you've read that inspires you.
"People can tell you to keep your mouth shut, but that doesn't stop you from having your own opinion" Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

"The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared" Lois Lowry, The Giver

Reading regret.
I went through a phase where clutter used to actually make me feel anxious, so I would throw stuff out to avoid having to find new space for it. During this phase I through out almost half of my library. I wish I had kept the books, or at least donated them.

Series you started and need to finish.
Veronica Roth's Divergent series. And I'm doing that as. we. speak. ish.

Three of your all-time favourite books.
1. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen; 2. The Giver by Lois Lowry; and 3. HP (Hufflepuffs unite)

Unapologetic fangirl for...
Chick-lit. I like reading Nicholas Sparks and Sophia Kinsella. What are you going to do about it?

Very excited for this release more than all the others.
Technically is just came out, but Allegiant by Veronica Roth. I work at a book store and you better believe I bought that sucker first thing in the morning.

Worst bookish habit.
I bend the spines of books I'm reading. I actually like the way it looks. Makes my books look well-used.

Your latest book purchase.
Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Zzz-snatcher book (the last book that kept you up way late).
The Fault in Our Stars. I just wanted to see if Gus and Hazel would get to Amsterdam and live happily ever after!

And there you have it folks!

Also, it's #backthatazzup Friday so go ahead and fill out this survey yourself whilst jamming to the magic that is Phil Collins. You're welcome.

The Scorch Trials: Where do I begin?

I first started reading this book in March (of 2012) when I was on vacation. I had finished The Maze Runner and absolutely loved it and was ready to dive into the next one, but I had a really hard time actually getting into it. I put it down and said to myself that I would read it again when I was “feelin’ it”. I started “feelin’ it” at the beginning of summer when I found out they were making the trilogy into a movie.

Here’s a little bit you should know about the book: it’s the second book in James Dashner’s The Maze Runner trilogy, which is a dystopian- esque series. If you haven’t read the first book, it’s about a boy, Thomas, who found himself waking up in an elevator having no memory of anything. He woke up inside this colony of sorts with other boys his age in what they’ve named “the Glade”. The Glade is surrounded by a maze that opens in the day and closes at night. During the day it’s safe to roam and investigate, but as soon as the gates close the the Glad, it’s a complete danger zone. Thomas finds himself stuck out in the maze after the gate closes and manages to survive the night. He’s also discovered that they were all sent there by an organization called WICKED. What the rest of the “Gladers” plan is to escape the maze with the help of Thomas. The Scorch Trials picks up after they have escaped the maze. Another note, a few days after Thomas arrives in the Glade, another person arrives, this time a girl. Her name is Theresa and she is the only girl in the Glade. Her and Thomas are also able to communicate telepathically. 

So I picked up The Scorch Trials again and made my best effort to finish the book. It took me another month to get into it again, I felt like it progressed really slowly. Unlike the first book, Thomas was constantly battling Grievers, and was developing relationships, which kept me interested, the first quarter of the book consisted in them wandering in the middle of the desert (they call it the Scorch). In this novel we pick up right where Thomas and the rest of the Gladers left off. They have escaped the maze and are now told by WICKED that they have been infected by a disease that will slowly turn them mad called the flare. They have  It wasn’t until the group found themselves meeting some friendly Cranks (people who were left outside the glade when the apocalypse happened, and are slowly going mad). We are introduced to Jorge and Brenda. It’s here that the book picks up. Thomas and the other Gladers make a deal with Jorge and Brenda that if they help them get to The Safe Haven, they will be able to receive the cure. 

From here on out Thomas runs into a lot of different obstacles and I had no trouble at all following this story line. There’s a bit of a love triangle that happens between Thomas, Theresa and Brenda, and I really enjoyed Thomas’s concern for Minho and the rest of the Gladers during a part of the book when they gang gets separated. Being the second book of a series, I was glad to see there was more character development, particularly with Thomas. At the beginning of the novel Thomas is still struggling with the Newt situation, and his feelings for Theresa.

I give this book:

Three and a half Leia’s. I have to say, that although the beginning of the novel was a pain to get through, and took me quite some time to be interested in, I did enjoy the character development, the fact that Dashner introduced only a few more core characters, and the action. By the end of the book I was already wanting to pick up the third book. 

If you've been following my goals for 2013, you'll know that one of my goals is to take more risks. When I thought of this goal, I had some things in mind like skydiving, or taking up scuba diving.  But the more I thought about it, the more I realized what I had in mind was just to do things that would take me out of my comfort zone.

Another one of my goals is to read more books (25 to be precise). While attempting to find some books to add to this pile of 25, I found myself engulfed in the world of "Booktube". This is an online community of people that read and review books. The more I watched the videos, the more I wanted to be a part of this community. 

I just find myself at a crossroads. I don't want to commit myself to something that I won't be able to keep up (remember that whole procrastinating thing). I mean, I could care less if no one watches the videos, I'm 90% sure no one reads this blog, but if you are reading this, I need your help. Should I start a BookTube channel? I'm motivated by affirmation, and if I'm not encouraged to do something, I likely won't do it.