30 Days of Books: Day 12 - A Book You Used to Love But Don't Anymore

Check out my first post (HERE) for a whole explanation on this!  Jenni is hosting this round and she has a linky set up if you'd like to join in!  Check out her blog HERE.

Today's topic is: a book you used to love but don't anymore.

30 Days of Books: Day 11 - A Book You Hated

Check out my first post (HERE) for a whole explanation on this!  Jenni is hosting this round and she has a linky set up if you'd like to join in!  Check out her blog HERE.

Today's topic is: a book you hated.

30 Days of Books: Day 10 - Favorite Classic

Check out my first post (HERE) for a whole explanation on this!  Jenni is hosting this round and she has a linky set up if you'd like to join in!  Check out her blog HERE.

Today's topic is your favorite classic.

30 Days of Books: Day 9 - A Book You Thought You Wouldn't Like But Ended Up Loving

Check out my first post (HERE) for a whole explanation on this!  Jenni is hosting this round and she has a linky set up if you'd like to join in!  Check out her blog HERE.

Today's topic is: a book you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving.

30 Days of Books: Day 8 - Most Overrated Book

Check out my first post (HERE) for a whole explanation on this!  Jenni is hosting this round and she has a linky set up if you'd like to join in!  Check out her blog HERE.

Today's topic is: most overrated book.

30 Days of Books: Day 7 - Most Underrated Book

Check out my last post (HERE) for a whole explanation on this!  Jenni is hosting this round and she has a linky set up if you'd like to join in!  Check out her blog HERE.

Today's topic is most underrated book

30 Days of Books: Day 6 - A Book That Makes You Sad

Check out my first post (HERE) for a whole explanation on this!  Jenni is hosting this round and she has a linky set up if you'd like to join in!  Check out her blog HERE.

Today's topic is: a book that makes you sad.

30 Days of Books: Day 5 - A Book That Makes You Happy

Check out my first post (HERE) for a whole explanation on this!  Jenni is hosting this round and she has a linky set up if you'd like to join in!  Check out her blog HERE.

Today's topic is: a book that makes you happy.

30 Days of Books: Day 4 - Favorite Book of Your Favorite Series

Check out my last post (HERE) for a whole explanation on this!  Jenni is hosting this round and she has a linky set up if you'd like to join in!  Check out her blog HERE.

Today's topic is: favorite book of your favorite series.

30 Days of Books: Day 3 - Your Favorite Series

Check out my last post (HERE) for a whole explanation on this!  Jenni is hosting this round and she has a linky set up if you'd like to join in!  Check out her blog HERE.

Today's topic is your favorite series.

30 Days of Books: Day 2 - A Book You've Read More Than Three Times

Check out my last post (HERE) for a whole explanation on this!  Jenni is hosting this round and she has a linky set up if you'd like to join in!  Check out her post HERE.

Today's topic is a book you've read more than three times!

30 Days of Books: Day 1 - The Best Book You Read Last Year

I saw this on Jenni's blog a couple of days ago and I thought I'd be super fun to join in!  You basically do 30 days of topics (mine won't be consecutive because I want to be able to post other things and not have two posts on one day), one on each day and today is the day I'm starting with!  You can find the whole list of topics in Jenni's post (I've linked it above).  Let's get started!

Bookish Discussions: Do books have a purpose?

I know, I know, I'm finally doing another discussion post!  I recently published my review of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and it made me think a topic that I wanted to write about and discussion with all of you!  Today's topic is the purpose of books.

If you haven't read my review of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and you'd like to, I'll put the link HERE.  In the book, the author frequently tells the reader that they shouldn't be reading the book because there really isn't any purpose behind it and it's just a story.  When I was thinking about it, I first thought that the author was trying to say that we put way too much meaning to everything now and some things just come at face value.  Is that really true though?

The author also told the reader that they really shouldn't be reading the book because it's terrible and that they should really just stop reading now while they're ahead.  What purpose does that serve?  Honestly, I read books because I want to read them for some reason.

So the real question is, why do people read books?  Why do people spend hours a day sitting in one place turning page after page?  Do you gain anything from it?

Some people's first instinct is to say, 'of course not!  You're just wasting time!'.  But then I'm reminded of a quote from Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas:

“Libraries were full of ideas–perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons.”

Because isn't that the purpose of books?  To provide inspiration and spread knowledge and allow people to enter different situations to learn something about themselves?  No story is simply a story.  Even the tales back in ye olden days always had a point.

So what do you guys think?  Should we really not be injecting meaning into writing/stories or is there already inherently meaning in all books and literature?

Hug Your Cat Day Quotes

Okay so I posted this yesterday when Hug Your Cat Day was (it's May 15th) but I forgot that I didn't do any formatting or any introduction (I had it scheduled in advance and forgot to finish it)!  So here I am reposting although I'll set the date to say the 15th :D  This is me being totally sneaky.

Ashley from Falling Down the Book Hole does these posts now and again and she's been so nice as to allow me to join in!  She finds quotes from books relating to a certain holiday and shares them!  Because it's hug your cat day, I thought I'd find a whole bunch of quotes about cats and the different cats in some of the books I've read.  One of the quotes I found love from Mockingjay about Buttercup the cat is a spoiler but I couldn't leave it out so I've blocked it out.  Go ahead and highlight the test to see the quote!  So go give your cat a hug (or, if you don't have one, hug a friendly one) and think of these quotes :)

Review Wednesday: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Amazon  Goodreads  Book Depository  Barnes and Noble

Goodreads Blurb:

"Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.

Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.

Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—-cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—-but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.

And all at once Greg must abandon invisibility and stand in the spotlight."

Music Monday (1)

Music Monday is a weekly event hosted by Lauren over at Always Me.  Every Monday, you share one or two of your favorite songs you've been enjoying that week to help other people discover new music!  Here are my picks for this week:

R&R Tour Review Friday: Sweet Light by Alexia Halliwell

Amazon  Goodreads

The Hazelwood Series #1

Goodreads Blurb:

"Hostile. 

That was one word that summed up Lira Matthews in Kane’s honest-to-god opinion. Actually, calling her hostile was putting it lightly. 

Belligerent. Vicious. Scathing. All wonderful words that could be used to describe Lira. 

Never in his entire life had he met a woman like her. From the very moment she stepped into the small town of Hazelwood she intrigued him. It could have been her guarded, distrusting eyes or her sweet softness hidden underneath her tough façade — all Kane knew was he wanted her. 

To Lira, a Dean’s list medical student, Kane was just another hot mechanic. Sure, he had corded arms that made you gulp in desire and a kindness to him that made your insides melt, but they were from two different worlds. Two worlds that were never meant to meet — they both knew that. 

That was until Lira’s past catches up with her and she must decide whether she can face her fears or let it consume her whole."