G. Bianco, 2019
 I’m the only idiot who orders books and gets them DAYS before I go to BookCon! Oh well, I must now live with my choices! (Also my friend says she’s going to start cutting me off soon... uh oh...)
This was my first time ordering from BookOutlet.com so I may have gone a bit overboard! For those of you who don’t know, BookOutlet is a discounted book website where all of the books sold are either bargain books (and have the red or black dot/line on the pages) or damaged copies, hence why they are so cheap! Here’s what I decided to get: Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett~ A modern take on Romeo and Juliet, Zorie and Lennon are best friends-turned-enemies. But when a camping trip goes sideways and they are left alone in the wilderness, will they reconnect or let their differences split them apart even more? Reason: I remember when this book came out and wanting to read it! So for $3.89 I decided to pull the trigger and buy it! 📕 Love and Other Train Wrecks by Leah Konen~ When two strangers meet on a train, that eventually breaks down, a small detour may lead to true love. Reason: How could I resist a whirlwind romance book like this?! 📕 Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen~ Julie loves Bryce (even though they are only 7 years old) and Bryce can’t stand Julie. However, when they reach middle school, things, and feelings, start to change when Bryce starts liking Julie and Julie can’t stand Bryce. Reason: This is one of my favorite books ever and I lent it to a friend in high school and never got it back 😕 so I decided it was time to replace it! 📕 Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell~ Cath loves writing fanfiction and geeking out over her favorite fictional character, but when her and her twin sister set off for college, will Cath need to grow up and leave her fandom behind her? Reason: Another book that I remember wanting to read when it came out but never did! Also, I want to read Carry On, but figured I should probably read this one first (since they relate to one another). 📕 This Is the Life by Alex Shearer~ Two brothers, who are now estranged, must come back into each other’s lives when one of them develops cancer and the other becomes his caretaker. Reason: The synopsis intrigued me and I couldn’t beat a 99¢ book!! 📕 True (sort of...) by Katherine Hannigan~ Delly, Brud, and Ferris are all from the same neighborhood, but are vastly different from one another. But throughout one summer, they have fun, tell secrets and truths, and learn a lot about friendship. Reason: This is another book I read when I was younger, but borrowed it from my aunt and uncle. So I decided to buy my own copy of the book. Also I kinda forgot what happens so I also wanted to reread it again soon! Has anyone read these book or used BookOutlet before? I’d love to know what you guys thought of them!📚
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 Did I need more books? No. Did I still buy some anyway? Yes...
I happened to be near the Book Revue, a local bookstore on Long Island, the other day, and I couldn't help but go in and see what goodies I could find! I think someone needs to host an intervention for me because as soon as I see a bookstore I just HAVE to go in! And then I end up more buying books, but I tried to limit myself to only buying bargain books! So here’s what I got: Caraval by Stephanie Garber~ When Scarlett and her sister, Tella, go to participate in Caraval (the once-a-year event where the audience participates in a show), the last thing Scarlett expects is for it to turn into a scavenger hunt for her own sister. Now she must find her sister in five days before she disappears forever. Reason: So this book was a case of #BookstagramMadeMeDoIt because of all the hype I’ve seen over the last book coming out! Plus it was only $6 so it seemed like a sign... The Rosie Project & The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion~ When Don Tillman meets Rosie Jarman, they are complete opposites. But theirs journeys become intertwined and results in a moving and hilarious love story. Reason: I’m a sucker for a good love story and this box set was only $10! Also my friend convinced me to buy it because she’d heard they were really good books! Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie~ This captivating tale follows Haroun’s attempt to restore the poisoned sea of stories. Reason: At this point I’m trying to complete my Penguin Drop Caps Collection, plus it was on the remainder table! Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare~ {Do I even need to write a summary of this? 😂} Reason: I just really liked the cover (plus it was $2)! Property Of by Alice Hoffman~ A young girl falls in love with the president of a street gang, but is their love doomed before its even begun? Reason: I started reading it while at the store to see if I would like it and kind of just got entranced with it. Plus it was a retro copy that was only like $2! Has anyone read these book? I’d love to know what you thought of them! Also, what books should I grab on my next trip to the bookstore? Don't forget to check out my social media pages on Instagram (@the.overflowing.bookshelf), Twitter (@TheOVFBookshelf), and Facebook (@overflowingbookshelf) for more funs posts and shenanigans! Links are also on the contact page! Black tackles determination and proving one’s worth in first of The Folk of the Air Series5/24/2019  Imagine you are seven years old, just playing in your house, when a strange man knocks on your door. After a heated altercation between the strange man and your parents, your dad whips out a giant sword, but before he can do anything, the man kills both your mom and dad with a sword of his own. Considering this only happens within the first 10 pages of Holly Black’s The Cruel Prince, one can only assume that Jude Duarte, our protagonist, is in for quite the adventure. Now ten years later, Jude has be living amongst Faeries and been adopted by her parent’s murderer, Madoc. Since Jude is human, her and her twin sister, Taryn, face bullying and discrimination on a daily basis, despite Madoc’s high status in the courts. Determined to prove herself to Madoc and spite the terrible Prince Cardan, the youngest son of the King of Faerie, Jude becomes involved in the deceptions and politics of the High Court of Faerie. But with the kingdom on the brink of civil war, Jude will need engage in a dangerous alliance and risk her life to save her sisters, and Faerie itself. But how far will she go to obtain power? This book was HIGHLY recommended to me by a good friend of mine and told me I HAD to read this book. Boy, am I glad I listened to her! This book has everything fantasy readers love: a protagonist who feels they need to prove themselves, a villain or two that we can’t help but secretly love, the slow burn of a spiteful romance, and the impending doom that nothing will ever be the same again! Black creates characters that are wonderfully flawed that you can’t help but love and hate everyone, even Jude herself (in my opinion). Black’s use of first person point-of-view makes Jude’s story that much more raw and engaging, but it also enables Jude’s own flaws to shine through. Between the riveting storyline and the unpredictable plot twists that pop up throughout the novel, Black’s The Cruel Prince is definitely a book that should be added onto your TBR. Just make sure to have the sequel ready to go when you finish, because you won’t want to wait to see what happens next! So for all you fantasy, romance, young adult, and adventure lovers out there: this book’s for you!   When I heard Hank Green was writing a novel, I’ll admit I was both excited and nervous. I was excited because I love Hank Green’s humor and unabashed nerdiness; therefore, to see his personality and mannerisms expressed on Youtube transferred into a book was intriguing. However, would I enjoy his novel as much as I enjoyed all of his brother’s? Were my expectations for Hank too high because of John? It turns out I had nothing to worry about. Green’s novel follows April May, a graphic designer living in New York City, who stumbles upon a giant metal statue of what looks like a robot in the middle of the street. It’s about 4am and the streets are empty. Having the artist inside her come out, she recruits her friend, Andy, to come and record her reaction to it. After posting the video online, she sees that the statue, which April has named Carl, has popped up not just in cities across the U.S., but the entire world. As April is thrust into the spotlight for being the “Discoverer of the New York Carl,” she spirals into the dangerous world of fame and all the baggage that comes with it. But the question remains: what are the Carls and why are they here? What sounds like a weird sci-fi novel actually develops into a look at what fame can do to a person. Hank Green writing as a 24 year old girl who is grappling with turning herself from a person to a product is unique and well-executed. What worked really well was the fact that the whole book was a sort of recollection of the past few months in April’s life and how she handled the events going on around her. In many novels and stories, sometimes you have to question the reliability of the first-person narrator and how their perception of the events may be biased. However, April May’s witty sarcasm and self-reflective tone really made her a true narrator who doesn't bias themselves too much. She owns up to her mistakes and realizes her flaws and faults throughout the story. By doing so, Green creates a relatable character that really adds a little something extra to the novel. The overall plot was entertaining as well, with the mystery of the Carls looming over the entire novel. This book will have you laughing and leave you very intrigued by the end of it. I am anxiously awaiting the sequel because I NEED to know what’s going to happen next! Although it was a bit slow-moving in the middle, you fly straight through the last half. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys humorous fiction writing with a bit of a mysterious/sci-fi edge to it. This book is definitely worth picking up!  |
AuthorHi! My name is Elisa and my bookshelf is quite literally overflowing! Join me in my journey of reading as many books as humanly possible! Archives
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