If you have don't have the discipline of an Olympic athlete, don't do TBR's.

Something I have learned the hard way it seems. Normally when going about reading and picking a book I want to read, I'll make a list of potential novels like most readers I know do. Sounds super easy right? WRONG.

I've attempted so many times on completing my TBR's. 

And it's all ended in me sad facing at the lack of accomplishment. It's not because I don't want to read them. Because let's be honest, that's a silly thing to say. But it's because I've put this unnecessary amount of pressure to finish something that I just end up failing at. My mind tries so desperately to wrap my head around the plot and the characters and nothing clicks. It becomes about reading the line after line but visualizing nothing but jumbled up words on a page. It then becomes totally unmotivating. And before I know it I've put myself in a book slump.

Very contradicting. Very annoying. Very "lets pray to the god's and have them bless me with something to get me at least two books in on my list" 

Because I have come to that point. Because I'll try anything at that point.

Oh but that isn't my only struggle. 

It wouldn't be worthy of a blog post if it was just one thing. lol

I have also found myself struggling with the never ending book releases of some pretty amazing books. Sure it doesn't sound like the worst struggle. But when it comes to my TBR, it most certainly is. Books that were on my TBR get pushed back by the new releases and then my TBR never actually gets caught up with.

"wait; let's have a drinking game on how many times I just said "tbr" "

But if its one thing I've learned from all this; is this...

Read whatever you wanna read. If your not into reading a certain book, don't suffered through it. Just pick another one that catches your eye. Over time I've kinda forgot about what the real experience of devouring an interesting book is. I got caught up in my literary goals that my love for reading suffered. And let's face it, as a book lover that's like looking getting all ebooks; it just can't happen.

Maybe one day I'll catch up with all the books to be read. And maybe 50% of my library will contain all books I haven't read. With all the maybe's in the world, I will continue to remind myself that my love for reading isn't about the accomplishment's I'll boast about but of the thrilling excitement of finishing books I truly, utterly wanted to read in that moment.

So what are some of your reading struggles? Do you also struggle with your tbr? Lets talk about it in the comments below (:

Now to why I loved it!:

I loved this electric story of two star crossed lovers going against all the odds in 1980's New York. It brings the feel of Romeo & Juliet but lifts it and creates a version completely captivating. From the first page I was hooked!  It was both raw, sexy and addicting reading on how these two people would fall in love. 

I wasn't even born in the 80's but the feel and the descriptions make it feel like I was living in it. Elise is this powerful force to be reckoned with woman who's had to be tough with the life was raised in but somehow opens herself up to Jamey was raised fairly sheltered and wealthy. The author truly did do an amazing job with weaving these two characters thoughts and voices together without being too much. 

I know this from experience, slump are the worst. And I've had them all. From book slumps, to work slumps to even design slumps; which I'm currently in sadly. But because I've experienced them and fought my way out of them, I know the ways of the Yoda and overcoming this dark force.

SO HOW?

Mix it up. Routine and all.

Your probably in one because your routine is the same day in and day out. and with the same routine, the more you do something over and over the more it loses it's spark. So try a different genre or a different scenery.

Find the balance and relax

Believe it or not,  it can be stress. and your probably thinking how can the thing I do to de-stress be the stress maker? because your forcing it. Don't force it, it makes it worse. Your desperately trying to overcome it but at the same time its doesn't feel the same. I tried forcing it and I was stuck on the same paragraph rereading and lost my focus because I just couldn't get into the flow. So relax. Do a task that alternatively relaxes you like listening to music or meditating. After all, this slump is mainly because your mentally unmotivated.

Work around it and you'll find your way back.

In my experience, it makes it worse if you wait. and if its a work slump, it isn't something you can do without losing your job. If its a time sensitive slump, work around it. Slowly do tasks you know you can accomplish and then when you feel like your ready, read the book or work on your deadline.

Most importantly, Stay Positive

Your biggest disadvantage throughout this whole mess is your thinking. Don't devalue your commitment and  don't discourage yourself into thinking you can accomplish this. YOU CAN. Being stuck doesn't make you a bad worker or undisciplined. It's something that can happen to anyone doing anything. So don't let it psyche you out. Positive thinking with exponentially speed up and dissolve this dreaded slump of yours.

These are just four ways that have helped me in the past and continue to help me now. But all that really matters is what works for you. Everyone is different and some methods can vary. But I think as the end goal is always the same-to fight through the slump-to commitment and motivation will continue to thrive.

So tell me; have you tried any of these, and if you did, did they help?

When does one recycle? And how does one go about it? 

You've spent your good earned cash on a new hardcover that then sits on your shelf after you then buy another a few months later. Your personal library then grows to a significant amount but then your bookcases refuse to hold anymore books. How do you then decide to go about making change?...

After posting about how lucky I was in my last blog post. Subsequently I ended up receiving another book in the mail.  To my surprise it actually ended up being a beautiful package that I already received & posted about on social media....

 Normally I don't have this many books over a short period of time. I normally give myself a limit on how much & how many books I'm allowed. Not that I ever heavily enforced it but, personal limits, someone has to have them.right? Because if you're anything like me, you can get a little bit overboard on the amazing books out there. You inner cookie monster comes out, & you hoard all the books. Then your tbr list becomes never ending. & you end up complementing whether books have took over your life but then it's too late, because they have.

Thanks for the pretty rad package @littlebrown! Defy the Stars by @claudia_gray & some pretty awesome earrings

A post shared by jacqueline garcia (@distantandlocal) on May 11, 2017 at 4:33pm PDT

thanks @epicreads for this ARC! 📚 great additional read to my #tbr this month (:

A post shared by jacqueline garcia (@distantandlocal) on Apr 24, 2017 at 5:25pm PDT

& lastly, I received the last book in the Dorothy must Die series from winning a giveaway. The book is not only signed but I also received some pretty awesome book merch (:

Book mail thanks to @CenterSqBlog! Beautiful signed copy by @daniellempaige & some awesome book merch sunnies. Can't wait to read! (: pic.twitter.com/strrsqbb6I

— jacqueline garcia, (@distantandlocal) May 3, 2017

I do realize that I'm incredibly grateful and lucky to have received the books I was sent. I don't ever think for a second that I'm not. After having all these books in my life, they become a reminder on why I enjoy reading and sharing it with you. And because I was given so many, I don't think I'll be purchasing any books for a little while. lol ebooks for now.

& now I'll leave you to admire the book spines, because they're just as beautiful as the covers! (:

Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It has magic. It has a unique setting. It has "Rebellion" in the title. I had good hopes for this book.

The premise of the story was sufficient enough that it caught my eye. And a lot of people were comparing it to the Red Queen series, which I did enjoy. So I thought, "yessss, get me on board." But I found that the only similarity was that people were separated by their class & magic abilities.

The character, Anna is among the higher class of people called the Luminate who are granted the the power of magic during a binding ritual. It is said that she however is barren & the ritual didn't take. But during her sisters' debutante spell casting, Anna breaks the spell & reveals a power that other's would either take advantage of for a rebellion or kill her to prevent one.

It had me there. I was pretty much stoked to have her be a kickass character and not let others define what she should do. But she wasn't. She was ehh. Honestly her cousin Matyas seemed to outshine her. I was also hooked to be introduced to this awesome rebellion that could happen. But it somehow didn't stand out as much as I would have liked it to. And as much as I enjoyed the magic system or the abilities characters throughout the book had, it wasn't enough to binge read through.

However, I did really enjoy the historical setting. And how the author intertwined Hungarian mythology and 19th century history in a fictional fantasy setting. It's probably the only reason I kept reading. I'm also happy that she included a glossary to help the reader get informed about the right way to say and read Hungarian names and phrases. I would recommend that you read that first or bookmark it to reference back to while reading.

Although, the book didn't end on a high note with me, I'm glad I read it. It's not often I will read a book and end up wanting to read about the actual historic events during the period. But I did, and I wouldn't have known about the authors' choices for adding/inventing certain things for the book if I didn't read towards the end for her authors note.

It's not often I dislike a book. I hate it when I do. I actually enjoy most books I read. And try my best to always see the great things the author did in the story. And despite what I didn't like, the author still did really great things. And I would recommend it for just that. If you enjoy mythology, read this. If you enjoy a Eastern European setting, read this. If you enjoy a good easy read, this isn't a hard book to get through. And most importantly, if you enjoy debut books from authors, read this.




*disclaimer: I received this book from the Blogging for Books  program in exchange for an honest review.*

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I did end up reading Wintersong by S. Jae Jones. I posted a review of what I thought of it on my Goodreads page.
Check it out here : http://fave.co/2o9XAUk

Then I read This Savage Song by V.E Schwab. I read the shades of magic trilogy before and I was itching for more of her writing. Again I also posted a review of what I thought of it on my Goodreads.

Check it out here : http://fave.co/2orVw6i
After I decided to pick up Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. I've heard really good things about it so I figured why not.

Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. 

Now that I told you what I read, now I can tell you what I'm currently reading.

I've just started Stranger the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. I'm almost done with Caraval  by Stephanie Garber.

Either at the end of the month or beginning of next month I'll then write a wrap up of all the books I got through this month. But for now I thought iIt'd be nice to have a little update. It's always nice to not only have a reminder for myself of my goals but to also encourage you guys. Just because you set a specific goal for yourself doesn't mean that you can'
t succeed it and more. That aiming high can be fun and exciting and rewarding. And because I aimed high, I read more books then I thought I would.

Since the beginning of this year I did a little post about my reading goals. So far I have only hit one book slump and I think that's pretty good considering its four months in. And for this month I am feeling a little motivated. I don't know what it is about spring that gives me this energy for life and determination to do all the things I wanna do. But I'm rolling with it. I'm taking this new found spur of energy and reading as much fantasy books as I can, since this month that's the genre I'm really into.

Things We Lost in the Fire: Stories by Mariana Enríquez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was jam packed with short stories that left me wanting more. It sounds strange that I would want to read more of a book that was haunting, traumatizing and intoxicating. But Mariana Enriquez wrote them is such a beautiful way. Each story carried its own and supplied such intense details worthy of a camp fire setting. It was full of suspense, monsters and horror all surrounded in a contemporary Argentina. I haven't read anything like this in a while.

Now, this book isn't for the faint-hearted. Its heavy, dark and saddening. Each of the stories grips you and makes you feel as if you were right there experiencing those moments too. Its hard not to just want to keeping reading story after story but I wouldn't recommend it. Each one leaves you with a feeling that needs to be sunk in and evaluated and makes you question why your reading this in the first place, " are you that morbid" trails in your thoughts. But you realize, its these stories and how Mariana writes them. They captivate you and draw you in. At the end of the book; you feel as if you didn't read fiction at all, that these stories happened and that what makes it brilliantly frightening.

*disclaimer: I have received this book in exchange for a honest review for Bookstr.*

View all my reviews

This is my review from Good Reads. To Check it out and follow me click the link below,
View all my reviews

The way I see it; Is why keep a physical copy of a book you aren't going to read again? Seems like wasted space if you hold on to a book you only read once. Sure there's the exception of the book being an autographed copy or a special edition. But what about the trade paperback or the first book of a trilogy?

First deal with the exceptions:
Say you have the hardcover of a series and a new book is coming out. If your like me, you've probably forgot a few plot lines in between reading other books. Get the the eBook version, I think its so much faster to catch up with than the physical copies. I know I know, I sound like a walking contradiction don't I? I just said physical copies not read are wasted space. But we are talking about the exceptions remember, the UK cover edition of the books, the Autographed copy or the Special edition you might not want to wear out.

Then make a mental or physical list of books you know in your heart you'll absolutely read again.
We all have that one book in our collection that is worn to pieces from rereading, and its usually a trade paperback. And if you don't own a trade paperback, buy it; it'd be a darn shame to have the beautiful hardcover edition worn.

And finally, if you read the book once and it didn't pull at your heart strings or didn't resonate with you, donate it. Give it away to a friend who might like it, donate it to a charity, or even sell it if its still in good condition.
Do the rules apply to them too?
Well I don't think so. In my experience we only get the eBook versions to either read for a review or for a fast read. These are the books we don't really care about buying the physical copy for. And since not so much heart is really in owning the book, why reread it?
 Unless your dealing with the exceptions of course.

But if your not so much into protecting your hardcovers like I am, reread them. If you love the stories, the characters, the world building; it doesn't really matter if the book is a paperback or a hardcover. The story and plot are that matters and its why you keeping going back to it.

In 2016, I gave myself a goal to expand my experience for reading. I read books I wouldn't normally read and along the way I found a love for reading I didn't think I would have. I even got books sent it me by publishers which was unexpectedly amazing!

It surely wasn't easy though, I like anyone else had reading stumps and fell into the horrid reading slump after a reading binge. But with time and patience, I powered through.

Last year I focused on reading series's mostly. Maybe because I had a feeling I would enjoy the book and want more of it. And because I didn't want to catch myself just with a short fast read in one book and be put off by reading another.

I set my goal to read 50 books and happily surpassed it by one.


I though what better way to start this new year into a new reading challenge for myself. Id like to dabble in a few non fictions and explore more fantasy. And continually document my reviews of them on here with you all as I gradually have last year.

Here's to the new year and new exciting books!




Now my question to you! How many books do you think you'll read this year?