Calling All YA Readers

Hello everybody!

I have some exciting news!

I found this great subscription box!

It's a book box called Uppercase Box. I say YA readers because it is one hand-picked Young Adult book a month plus bookish items. Cool right?

I know you probably all want to see it, so I present you with the three I received so far.

April: This Uppercase Box included a signed copy of The Start of Me and You  by Emery Lord. It also included a little framed picture, a handwritten note to me, book magnets, and an I Love Max Watson pin. Great first box! But they get better.

May: This box included a signed copy of The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey. Another framed picture, a book notebook, and a "Wicked is Good" sticker from The Scorch Trials.

June:This most recent box I received yesterday. And it was the best one yet! This box included The Wrath and The Dawn and a signed book plate by Renee Ahdeih. It also came with a BookiEmoji tote bag, stickers, and book mark. Probably the best part of all was the scarf that was inspired my the cover. 

I just started receiving these in April but I can't wait for more! I look forward to it every month and buy them for the rest of my life. Just simply go to uppercasebox.com to order your own. It's about $30 with shipping and it's so worth it. There's also an option to choose your own more specific box but I love the variety and surprise.

Happy reading!
Mackenzie

Birthday Book Haul

Hello!

So twice a year I allow myself to place a large order of books. The first is during June right after my birthday. So last Wednesday I placed an order and they have been slowly trickling in. Today I'll show you what I've gotten this week and then I'll update you when the rest come in.

Here we have Attachments, The Book of Unknown Americans, Redeployment, The Joy Luck Club, Elephant Company, The Children Act, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Euphoria, The Thirteenth Tale, Tell the Wolves I'm Home, Fight Club, and Horrorstor.  All of these were part of Barnes and Nobles 2 for $20 summer reading book promotion. ( Go check it out)

Clearly this is The Heir the fourth book in The Selection series.  The first three are still on their way.

Finally, March, The Strange Library, The Martian (which I'm reading now), I Am Malala, The Rosie Project, and The Clan of the Cave Bears

Lots of books to read and review. But since I read faster than I post reviews it may take a while for you to see these. If you think I should post more reviews a week leave a comment down below and let me know how often.

Keep reading!
Mackenzie

Instagram

Hey everyone!

Almost everyone I know is on social media. I've been on social media for a while but recently I've been using Instagram A LOT...like everyday. I've been finding Book photo challenges for every month. I have been trying to post a book related photo everyday on there. So if you would like to hear or see me more often please follow me on Instagram: mackenzieroy7

I also post lots of nerdy pictures on there. I usually use the hashtag #Bookstagram or #BookPhotoChallenge . Please check it out! If I get enough interest maybe I'll do a daily picture post here.

Happy reading!
Mackenzie

P.S. I have three polls going on the right hand side of the page, I would really appreciate your feedback. There's only nine days left to answer, so please, please, please answer! Thank you.

Poll

Hey there!

It's Friday! I just wanted to bring to your attention that I have added two polls. I would really like some feedback. Please, please, please answer the poll! I've already had a few answers. If you have any further opinions please feel free to comment or email me: mackenzie.roy@gmail.com . I'm open to suggestions. Also, feel free to suggest books or questions of the week.

Happy reading!
Mackenzie

New Layout

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to let you know that I added some new features to the blog. I have two new polls that I would really like for you to answer (they end next Tuesday). I added labels so you can easily check how many books I've read for each letter and check my latest updates. I've also added a subscription box so you can get emails when I post. Finally, I added an translation feature. I hope you like my changes! If not comment below and let me know I want to tailor it to my readers!

Happy reading!
Mackenzie

Goodreads Goals

Hey there!

So this isn't a book review but it's presenting you with a fun little internet tool. The website Goodreads (see link below) is a great way to keep track of books you've read, want to read, currently reading, etc. And there is an awesome little goal setter. At the beginning of the year (although it's never too late) you can set the number of books you want to read for the year. It tells you when you're behind, ahead, or right on track. Unfortunately when you complete your goal you don't get a small puppy or parade or what have you. But it is fun to complete a challenge for yourself! This is the third year in a row I've had my goal set at 60. I have yet to reach it. In 2012, I read 54 book. In 2013, I read 44 books. This year so far, I have read 21 books and I'm 2 books ahead of schedule. Maybe I'll actually complete it this year. Well, here's to hoping. And I hope all of you decide to get a Goodreads account and start your own challenge. I would love for you to tell me how many books you've pledged.

Click here to create your own account and create a goal!

Happy reading!
Mackenzie

What's Up?

Hey there!

So no one responded to my Q&A on Wednesday and that's alright. So I'll just tell you what is going on with my literary life today. So I am about to finish up the third book in the Just Breathe series, the first book in that series being Inhale which the review for that will be in a few Mondays, and then I'll probably start If I Stay by Gayle Forman after I finish the two short stories that go along with the Just Breathe series.

To answer my own question, my favorite genre is Thriller. It's not always that clear what can be considered a genre or a subgenre but I'm looking for an answer to either. You can still answer the question and I'll add it into next Friday's post.

Keep reading!
Mackenzie

October Update

Hey everyone!

It's been hard for me to post lately since I'm so busy with school, but I had a little time today so I thought I'd update you. I figured I'd tell you the books that I've read in the past month (not many) and what I'm currently reading and sometime soon I'll hopefully give you a review on those books.

So I have read

Among School Children
12th of Never
Warriors Don't Cry
Black Notice

And I'm currently reading Doctor Sleep by Stephen King.

Hopefully I'll come back with reviews soon.

Keep reading!
Mackenzie

Sad news

Hey everybody!
I come bearing sad news. So, it's been really hard keeping up with my reading and I barely post anymore because I'm so behind. And school had been so overbearing and I have to read school books that don't fit in with my letters. So I think this is going to now be a more casual thing where I'll post my reviews here every once and a while when I finish a book and if it fits into an animal name then YAY! But if not I still read it.

In happy news, I just got my copy of Doctor Sleep by Stephen King Can't wait to read it. I also, just wrote a short story that I would like to post on here when it's more fine tuned.

Keep reading!
Mackenzie

Stuck

Hey! So the book All Enemies by Robert Hugh McCauley, is the father of friend of mine from high school. My friend was adopted from Russia and was part of the inspiration for this book. It's a very political book with many technical terms and right now I'm having a hard time focusing on reading it especially since I'm not really a political person. I feel like it's important for me to read this book because it's written by someone I know and I want to diversify (real word?) the genres that I'm reading and broaden my horizons. So I promise by the end of this challenge I will have read this book, but right now it's too much. I'm going to read a book called Angel Sister by Ann H. Gabhart and hopefully soon I'll finish All Enemies.

Happy reading!
Mackenzie

Happiness Project Revisted

As I promised, I have created my own Happiness Project blog. I will probably blog more frequently on there just because there is more to keep people updated on. So if you read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and would like to read another as I go through all the toils and snares of life, feel free to follow my other blog as well and get a look into my life beyond books. Follow the link below and keep reading!



My Happiness Project


Thank you!
Mackenzie

Check In

Hey everybody!
So I just wanted to do a little bit of check-in so I don't leave all of you completely in the dark. I'm still only about a quarter of the way through Xenocide, I haven't been reading it much due to my assignment of reading Under the Dome. I am halfway through the book, which means I have been reading, on average, twice as many pages a day, than I said I would. It's an excellent book and I hope to finish it within the next week or so.

Keep reading!
Mackenzie

Procrastination Station

I'm writing this post as an apology, I'm such a procrastinator. Well, I usually procrastinate before doing my homework by reading, but I also procrastinate when I'm reading. When I get towards the end of a book, I procrastinate because I don't want it to end. When I start a book (shocker) I procrastinate because I'm not quite ready to let the last one go. That's what I'm dealing with right now. I'm about 50 pages in, I'm trying, I swear.

Keep reading! And don't procrastinate like me!
Mackenzie

James Patterson

I have many favorite authors and James Patterson is in my top 5, especially his Women's Murder Club Series. As you can imagine, I was very excited when I finally got 12th of Never (it came a little late because it had to be forwarded to my new address). I have now run into a little bit of a problem. 12 is not a letter in the alphabet and I don't want to wait until after I finish this challenge to read this book. What do you propose I do? Maybe it should be a bonus read? Or maybe use the first letter of the title? Let me know what you think I should do.

Keep reading!
Mackenzie

P.S. I apologize for any missing e's in my post, I'm missing the e key on this keyboard.

Decisions, decisions

So I've decided to read Speaker for the Dead the 2nd book in the Ender Wiggin series. That's all for now.

Happy reading!
Mackenzie

Just an update

Hey everyone! So I just wanted to give you an update. Its been a quick, busy few weeks since I last posted. I have finals coming up so I've been preparing for those. My sister had get confirmation today, so we had a nice little party. And on a sad note, I'm close to Boston so its also been a sad few weeks as well. But you're probably curious as to what I've decided to read, well I'm almost done with The Two Towers. I picked it up again when I couldn't decide what to read, and I have gotten through it fairly quickly. So if you have any suggestions on what I should read next, feel free to leave a comment.

Until then...
Happy reading!
Mackenzie

Jamilti and Other Stories

So I am again reading two books. In addition to The Happiness Project I am also reading Jamilti and Other Stories, which is for my literature class. Since there isn't much writing in this graphic novel I'm not counting it for the challenge but I will still write a review here.

Keep reading!
Mackenzie

Three books

So right more, I'm reading three books. The Two Towers (yes, still), X-It (I'm limited for x books and I need two), and finally Palestine (another graphic novel for my lit class). Hopefully I'll finish all of them soon

Keep reading!
Sorry I haven't posted in a while
Mackenzie

Lord of the Rings Series

I have figured out why the first Lord of the Rings book was so hard for me to get through. Lord of the Rings was not meant to be three books, but if it wasn't it would be a very, very long book. So the first book is pretty much like the beginning of a normal book, where you are getting to know the background and the characters and it's kind of slow. Then you hit the second book and it begins in a battle and off you go from there. Therefore, The Fellowship of the Ring equates to the beginning of one book and it picks up speed as you go through the series.

On another note, without giving away anything for those of you who haven't read it, but for those of you who have, in the first book with Gandalf, I knew there was more.

But anyway, back to reading The Two Towers, which is the second Lord of the Rings book for those who are unfamiliar with it.

Happy reading!

Mackenzie

The Complete Persepolis

I'm currently a college student and I'm taking a literature class in school, so some of the books I read for this challenge will be from this class. I'm supposed to start The Complete Persepolis sometime this week and I will be reading the and The Fellowship of the Ring. Yes, I'm still reading this but at a slightly quicker pace than before. I'm counting The Complete Persepolis under the letter P because it was originally just called Persepolis, so this seems fair to me.

Keep reading!

Mackenzie