What Got You Reading?

That Initial Spark

I do not know the exact time I started to enjoy reading, but I do know the books that started it all. As a little kid, I was always asking my mom to take me to the library or to the bookstore. Even though I have grown a lot since then, both in taste.....and size, it's important to me to almost pay homage to what got me started.

So, without anything further here are the books that started it all for me:

Never forget the little guys that got you where you are!! What got you started reading?

Should You Go Digital?

E-Readers vs. Good Old-Fashioned Books

Pinterest is my go to place for DIY ideas, cute pictures, fashion, and so much more. I love to explore all of the different quotes they have on there also. I came across one that really irritated me. While the picture was great the quote said "Kindles don't have this kind of magic!" Do people really think this? 

I admit, when I heard about reading books on a screen I thought that was definitely not for me. The actual holding of a book and sometimes the smell of a book had always enhanced my reading experience. I eventually gave in to the hype and got me an e-reader. A few years later I still have the same e-reader with over 100 books on it. I still love the feel of actual books, but there are so many things that my e-reader can do that a book cannot.

Facts about e-readers:

1. You can get a book anytime and anywhere

2. Libraries have digital books that you can check out

3. Easy to take on the go

4. You can read sideways, without getting in an extra weird position

5. There are a ton of free digital books out there

This is purely just my opinion, but it's not books that have the magic. It is instead the words and how they flow together that make reading magical. You can get that experience from an e-reader or an actual book. Also, just because you have an e-reader does not mean you can only read digital books. I like to read, but I also like to save money. If a book is on sale and cheaper than the digital version, then I will purchase the book. I have a wide collection of both digital and paper books. 

Book Review: The Complete Trylle Trilogy (Switched, Torn, & Ascend) by Amanda Hocking

Title: Trylle: The Complete Trilogy
Author: Amanda Hocking
Series: Trylle Trilogy
Pages: 912
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. She's not the person she's always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel--all because of Finn Holmes.

Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her. Every encounter leaves her deeply shaken…though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she'd ever admit. But it isn't long before he reveals the truth: Wendy is a changeling who was switched at birth--and he's come to take her home.

Now Wendy's about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that's both beautiful and frightening. And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she's meant to become…

I actually have a problem, no an addiction really, I cannot pass up looking at the books in every store I go to. On one particular occasion, I stumbled across a familiar author, Amanda Hocking. I picked up the book and was instantly drawn in. A complete trilogy was conveniently packaged into one and I thought that there was no way I could go wrong. I ended up finishing the book in about three days, thanks to some surprise snow days.

I know I'm rambling, so I'll get to the actual purpose of why I am typing now. The YA sections are full of stories on vampires, werewolves, faeries, and even zombies, but this was my first time experiencing trolls. Before you think "Eww!" be aware that these trolls are very easy on the eyes. They were quite different from the scary little things that live under bridges. This was a good change from the usual paranormal suspects.

Wendy Everly has never really fit in, and after an explanation by her "stalker" Finn Holmes she learns why; She is trylle (preferred term to troll). Being thrust into this strange new world she never knew about is not her only problem, turns out she is a princess!

Anyone would love to be a princess, unless you find out that there is a rival group and your kingdom is its main target! Wendy meets many people along the way that help her adapt to and excel in her new role. On top of everything she has to deal with, Wendy finds herself in a semi-love triangle between Finn Holmes and Loki Staad. The two guys are very different, and Wendy sees that. Unlike other love triangles, this one is resolved in a way that provides a lot of closure. Wendy matures throughout the trilogy and this is evident in her decision. Obviously I am not going to tell who she ends up with, but I will tell you who I rooted for throughout the book, and that was Loki. Hocking must have been a huge fan of The Avengers, because her Loki is just like the one from the Marvel film. He is witty, arrogant, and quite attractive.

The ending provides fantastic closure. It left me thinking about it days after, but in a good way, not in a "What was this author thinking?" way. I have seen that Hocking has written another series that takes place in the same world as the trylle, and I hope to get my hands on that series too!!