Bout of Books 13

Gah! Bout of Books 13 is rapidly approaching, and I am so excited. This will be my fourth time participating because I've loved it every time. Not only does it motivate you to devote a whole week to reading, but it also connects you to readers all over the world. I always get to chat with the loveliest people on Twitter and find new bloggers to follow. And the challenges and prizes are just an added bonus. Bout of Books is always a fun time, so I'm really looking forward to it.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, but you want to find out more, here's some info from the official site:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 11th and runs through Sunday, May 17th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 13 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

If you're considering joining in, I encourage it. There's no pressure or competition. It's really just an excuse to read and have fun with other people who love books as much as you. What's better than that?  

Read-a-thons are also great for breaking reading slumps. For other tips, check out my recent post on how to deal with reading slumps!

Find me on Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram, and Bloglovin.

Happy reading!

Book Review: The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
The Mistborn Trilogy #3
Gollancz, 11 February 2010
768 Pages
Fantasy
5 Stars

Book Depository; Goodreads

Tricked into releasing the evil spirit Ruin while attempting to close the Well of Ascension, new emperor Elend Venture and his wife, the assassin Vin, are now hard-pressed to save the world.This adventure brings the Mistborn epic fantasy trilogy to a dramatic and surprising climax as Sanderson's saga offers complex characters and a compelling plot, asking hard questions about loyalty, faith and responsibility.

Dewey's Read-a-Thon End of Event Meme

And so ends this 24-hour read-a-thon!  How did you all do?

It started at 10 PM my time, and I was able to read until 3 am before I had to sleep.  Today, however, I wasn't able to read too much because of church and an unplanned nap.  C'est la vie.

I was able to complete a few mini-challenges, though, and just as I did the opening meme last night, here are the end of event meme questions.

Dewey's Read-a-Thon: Classic Words of Wisdom Mini-Challenge

It's time to take a break and participate in a challenge! This one is being hosted by Allie at A Literary Odyssey.

She asked that we choose a favorite wise quote from a classic text and explain its meaning to us.

Dewey's Read-a-Thon Opening Meme

Dewey's Read-a-Thon is upon us!  I believe that this is my third time participating, and I enjoy it every time.  I won't be able to read the full 24-hours because the timing overlaps with my church time, but I am going to try to read as much as possible.

If you haven't seen my TBR yet, you can find it here.

In anticipation of it starting, I am going to answer the opening meme questions.  Let's get into them.

Dewey's 24-Hour Read-a-Thon TBR

Dewey's Read-a-Thon starts in about 30 minutes, and I'm really excited for it. Though I had signed up, I didn't think I would be able to participate. Thankfully, however, my time zone has me reading through the night, so it won't interfere with my day activities too badly.

I don't normally do TBR lists, but I have found that such a short read-a-thon demands organization to maximize reading time. Therefore, I have put together a list to pull from.

Reader Ramble: How I Deal with a Reading Slump

There are seasons in life when I have so much time and motivation that I'm able to average a book every day or two.  I always feel so accomplished as I see my TBR shelf shrink, and I love to be able to spend an entire day lounging about with a book.

However, there are other times in life when I can't find it within myself to read.  Either I can't find the focus or I'm lacking the energy.  Or sometimes I'm just too busy to dedicate hours to leisure reading.  This has been true for me for the past six months or so, and I've developed a few strategies to help me through these reading slumps.

Top 5 Wednesday: Books That Feature Traveling

If you want to join Top 5 Wednesday, check out the Goodreads group.

This week's T5W topic is books that feature traveling from any genre.

Of course, the books that immediately came to mind are those that I always talk about, especially On the Road.  So, in an effort to talk about new books, I'm leaving those aside.

So, let's look at my top 5.

Top 5 Wednesday: Most Frustrating Characters

If you want to join in on the Top 5 Wednesday fun, please check out the Goodreads group.  All the topics are listed there, as well as everyone who participates, so you can explore other lists like mine.

This week's topic is Most Frustrating Characters.  You know those characters that you just want to scream at because they never do what you want them to?  This list is made for them.

Here are mine:

Top 10 Spring Reading Recommendations

The month of April marks the beginning of spring for many around the world.  The weather is thawing out, jackets are being left behind, nature is blooming, and students are preparing for final exams.  Traditionally, it's also a season of love and flirtation.

With all that in mind, here are ten books that I recommend for this beautiful season.

Top 5 Wednesday: Books I Wanted to Start Yesterday

This week's Top 5 Wednesday topic is books I wanted to start yesterday.  If you want to participate in weekly topics like this, check out the Goodreads group.

There are many, MANY books on my to-read list, and for the most part, I'm fine with their status.  I am a mood-reader, so I pick up whatever I feel like reading whenever I feel like reading it.  However, there are a few that I wish I had read already for various reasons.

March Haul & Wrap-Up

For most of you, April means the coming Spring and warm weather.  On Guam, it's always sunny, and the only weather fluctuation in weather is sunny and raining or not raining.  I still get Spring break from teaching, however, so I'm hoping to be able to get a good deal of reading in.  Before I start that, though, let's wrap up March.

Top 5 Wednesday:Favorite Jokester Characters

Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme where bloggers and Booktubers feature their top 5 choices for each week's topic.  If you want to join in, check out the Goodreads group.

This week's topic is favorite jokester characters, which is a great one.  A few immediately spring to mind, and one choice is bound to be on most people's lists.  

Let's get into it!