I Have Returned!

It's safe to say that I took a little, unofficial hiatus from blogging. I did not do it intentionally, but I did feel that it was something I was in the need of, so I simply let it happen. I had a couple of vacations, which you probably know if you follow my Instagram (tyork0923), and I just decided not to stress myself out as the school year was ending and summer was beginning. I felt like I HAD to write up blog posts instead of WANTING to, and that was something that made me very uneasy. Instead of forcing posts that I was not interested in, I allowed myself to take the break. I was not reading, and had nothing to walk about, so it just made sense. I am happy to say that I am back now, though. Sure, my reading is still down and I will probably still have moments that I don't feel like writing, but I think for the most part it is over. So, this is me saying I should be back to the blogging, commenting, and reading. Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Headed to Cancun...

Hey all!

The husband and I are headed to Cancun tomorrow for a long weekend, so I will be back with another post on Tuesday! I hope you all enjoy your Memorial day weekend.

<3 Tiffany

That Time I Met Sarah Dessen...

About a week and a half ago, I had the extreme pleasure of going to an event at Half Price Books where I was able to meet Sarah Dessen and have her sign some of my books. This was actually my first official book/author event, and I was so nervously excited the whole week leading up to the event. Sarah Dessen has been one of my favorite authors for a very long time, and I could not believe that I was actually going to get to speak to her. This was something on my bucket list, people! I was so nervous I was going to say something dumb and make a fool of myself, but luckily that did not happen!

The whole event went incredibly smoothly, especially since I was not sure what to expect. They had most of Sarah's books for sale so that you could buy any that you wanted to have signed while she was there. I already had my preordered copy of Saint Anything, but I went ahead and picked up the recently released paperback version of The Moon and More; I have recently decided to re-buy all of her books in the newer paperback copies, and this made for the first one. When you bought your books, you were given a pass that had your number on it which let you know about where you would be in line when the signing began. We got there fairly early, but I was still number 106. My friend, Brenda, agreed to go with me so I wouldn't have to go alone, and it was so great having her there with me! (It gave me someone to fangirl/freak out to without seeming like a complete weirdo!).

When Sarah first arrived, she moved to the front of the room and had a seat on the table at the front so it would not seem as awkward with her sitting in the chair (I sit on the tables/desks all the time when I teach, so it was pretty funny). She shared some fun information about herself, and talked through the process of Saint Anything - the struggles and successes that came along with writing it. Then she read a little bit of the book, which was really amazing. There is something incredible about hearing an author read their own book aloud...or maybe that's just me! Then she took some questions, and answered everyone with such genuine, thought-out responses. You could tell that she really liked talking to her fans and appreciated all of the support. She had great advice for other aspiring writers, and helped me finally get into gear and begin writing myself.

I was incredibly nervous about how it was going to go when it was my turn to have my books signed. I watched several other people go through ahead of me to get an idea of how things were going, but I was so nervous and was super afraid that I was not going to be able to speak when it was my turn! Sarah completely broke the ice by complimenting my outfit and saying she saw me sitting up front earlier. It was nice that she had noticed me when I wasn't even expecting her to! That started a great conversation (though short, of course, she was very busy!), which led to the hug in the picture above. She had a lot of appreciation for the fact that I teach middle school, and that's always a nice thing to hear, especially since it happened to be Teacher Appreciation Week! Overall, it was a completely amazing experience, and Sarah was just as wonderful as I had expected!

Happy Sunday!

Hello everyone!

Sorry this past week I have been so absent, things have been a little bit crazy as I've taken on some new things, and finished getting my students prepared for their standardized tests this week. I also did not purchase any books this week (shocking, I know!), so I did not have anything to share in a Stacking the Shelves. No fear, I will be back to posting on a regular basis here this week! Until then, let's chat! What books are you reading currently?

25 Books/Series to Read While I'm 25

As I turned 25 yesterday, I started to think about if there were some books that I have been putting off reading for a long time, that I know that I really need to read while I'm in my 20s because it's the perfect time to do so. That had me using Google to search lists of books to read while you're in your 20s. While I took some suggestions off of the different lists, I also threw in some books that I feel are fitting. Ultimately, I wanted to make sure that this was still a list of books I really wanted to read, since I am pushing myself to make sure that I read all of these books before I turn 26. I think that it will be a fun challenge for myself, and I'm really looking forward to reading some of these books. Some are re-reads, and some are classics that I should have read a long time ago. Nonetheless, I think 25 is the perfect year to read them! 

1.Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

Why? This one is definitely a re-read for me, but it's a long time coming. I read the first book again last year, but had planned to get through much more than that. I love the HP books, and it is definitely my favorite series. It seems like the perfect time to finish my re-reads.

2. The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer

Why? This is another re-read for me, and it's also a long time coming as it has been years since I first read this series. You know, when the hype was high and everyone was reading them. Now that the hype has died down, and I've seen all of the movies, I'm interested in going back and reading these again.

3. Sarah Dessen's Books

Why? Yup, all of them. I am a HUGE Sarah Dessen fan, and have always picked up her books right away (so excited for her new release this year!!). Despite loving them so much, it's been a long time since I've read any of them, so I've decided to change that. Not only do I want to re-read them all, but I want to re-purchase all of them in the new paperback covers as well.

4. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

Why? This book was on several of the lists that I found on Google. Since I already have it sitting on my shelves, it seems like the perfect time to pick it up. I have heard good things about it, too.

5. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Why? This is another one that was on almost all of the lists that I looked at, so that had me pretty much assuming that I need to read it. I am also a big fan of memoirs lately, so I am definitely interested in giving this a read very soon.

6. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

Why? I think that I probably should have read this book a long time ago, so it's about time that I finally pick this one up. I hear that it's supposed to be really funny, and then I suppose I should watch the movie afterwards because I've never seen that either.

7. Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close

Why? This is another book that showed up on almost all of the lists, and I have been told by several people that I do need to read this book in my 20s. It might not completely relate to me, but I do think I would still really enjoy the story.

8. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

Why? This is another one that a lot of people have read that I have not. It's all about getting your dream career, which is something that I still daydream about as well. This is another one that I can watch the movie for once I read it because I haven't seen it yet either.

9. Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek by Maya Van Wagenen

Why? Because I really want to read it...

10. I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

Why? I have heard great things about this book and author. I want to start getting into some adult books, and this seems like a great starting point.

11. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Why? I have two copies of this book now, from the same friend. I think that is a pretty big sign that I finally need to read this classic!

12. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Why? This is another classic that I cannot believe that I have not read yet. They even talk about it on Friends, which I'm obsessed with...I know, shame on me.

13. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Why? This has been one of my favorite movies since I was young, so I think that it's probably about time I read the book it was based off of.

14. The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

Why? I have heard so many great things about this one. As I'm trying to pick up adult books, it seems like a pretty good choice.

15. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Why? This is another one that I have been meaning to read for a long time, but everyone tells me it's pretty depressing, so I put it off. It's another one where I can watch the movie afterwards though, which is especially great because Andrew Garfield is in it.

16. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Why? I am already passed by college years, which means that it's about time that I actually read this one. I have not read anything by Rainbow Rowell either, so it's about time that I change that.

17. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Why? This is another one that I should have read a long time ago. It showed up on all of the lists that I found, so I think that's a pretty big sign I need to read it now.

18. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

Why? I have heard great things about this adult novel as well, and it won the Goodreads aware in 2013. I think that is more than enough reason, especially since it showed up on a couple of the lists that I found.

19. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Why? This is another one that I just really want to read, and tons of my friends say that it's amazing. Then I can watch this movie as well.

20. He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt & Liz Tuccillo

Why? I LOVE this movie. It is so, so funny. I had no idea that the book was actually nonfiction, and while I'm not sure it will be completely relevant to me, I still really do want to read this. I'm sure it's going to be pretty amusing.

21. Something Borrowed by Emily Griffin

Why? This is another movie that I absolutely love. It's one of those that I could just watch over and over again. I have also had this book on my shelf for a couple of years, so it's about time that I finally pick it up and read it.

22. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Why? I have been meaning to read this one for awhile. A friend got it for me probably a year ago, and I still haven't read it. I did pick it up at the beginning of the school year, but things were hectic and I didn't get too far in. I've heard amazing things though, so I do want to read it soon.

23. Anything by Nicholas Sparks

Why? Yup, another popular author that I have not read yet. I have seen plenty of his movies (he sure likes to kill characters off at the end, doesn't he?), but I haven't read any of the books. This is the year that I'm going to change that, though!

24. Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Why? Like I said earlier, I really do enjoy reading memoirs. This one won a Goodreads award in 2012, so that definitely says a lot as well. I know this one is a movie now, and I have heard that it's a wonderful story. I'm just very interested in it.

25. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

Why? Yup, you guessed it, another memoir. I can't help it, I just really enjoy it. This one seems to be a lot of short stories, so that will be a bit of a change for me. This one has been on my radar for quite some time, so I'm excited about actually reading it.

I'm 25 Today!

I interrupt your regular blog posts in order to share that I turn 25 today! (Well, technically I already am 25 at this point, as I was born somewhere in the 5 o'clock hour). It's a bit hard to believe, and I am not sure where the time goes. However, I plan to make this year a fantastic one, and hope that it brings amazing things for me! Come back tomorrow to read a birthday-inspired blog post/reading list!

Happy Sunday!

Updated Pages

I have seen a lot of posts this month about spending time updating and changing some things on our blogs, and since I had a three day weekend off from work I decided it would be the best time to update some things that I had really neglected for the past few months. My first priority was to make sure that I updated all of the pages I have at the top of my blog. Some of them were terribly out of date, so I spent quite a bit of time fixing that.

If you look through my pages, I updated the About Me, Contact Me, Review Policy, and Reviews pages in order to reflect the most up-to-date information. Honestly, it was something that was important as a blog owner, but it also felt good to do it. It felt like a good update that needed to happen for the new year, and I am going to try to work very hard to keep them up-to-date as the year continues.

Along with my pages, I spent some time this weekend cleaning up my sidebar as well. I got rid of some things that I knew did not need to be there and that probably weren't used very often by my readers, so they were just taking up space. In addition, I added a "Top Commentators" widget in order to keep track of the bloggers who leave the most comments on my blog (you all rock, a post dedicated to you all is coming very soon!)

How about you? Have you spent time any time so far this year updating and changing anything on your blog? What do you think of the changes I have made? Do you see/think there is anything else I could or should do to improve my blog? Want me to look at yours? Let's talk about it in the comments below!

Happy New Year!

Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2015! (Full of a lot of great books, of course!)

<3 Tiffany

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

<3 The Yorks

Happy Thanksgiving, Y'all!

[My dad decided to make fun of me every time I said y'all last night at their house, so I think I'm going to try to use it as much as possible now, just for fun....hi dad! :]

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday! I know things have been a bit slow on the blog this week, but that's because things have been pretty busy around here for us, and they are not slowing down yet. My family does our Thanksgiving on Saturday (since we all have a spouse, and usually spend Thanksgiving day with their families), and Michael and I are hosting at our house this year. I am super excited, but also slightly nervous. I think that it will be great, though! Well, I better go finish getting the house ready, just wanted to stop for a moment and wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. (and Black Friday shopping...was anyone else out late like I was?)

Happy Friday! :]

Reading Slump | Help!

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Let's be real, we all know that reading slumps are a real, horrible thing. Despite our best efforts, it is natural that we will all go through them a time or two. However, some of us struggle with them more than others. Sometimes they happen fairly often, and last for entirely too long. At the moment, this is me, my friends. When the slump first started, I thought nothing of it. I had been on a bit of a reading frenzy, so I assumed I would take a few days off and then would hit the ground running again...

Nope.

Now, I have not completely stopped reading altogether. I had books for review I needed to get through, and I even picked up a memoir that I really, really wanted to read. I hoped that it was a step in the right direction; I was really enjoying the reading, and surely that feeling would make me pick up another book right away, and I would be fine again. Right?

Nope.

I'm at a pretty serious loss at the moment, which is why I have come to you, my lovely blog followers. What are some things that you do when you come to a serious reading slump? Any tips for how I can pull myself out of this and actually WANT to read again? I find myself with some spare time where I am "bored," the perfect time to do some reading...but then I just can't convince myself to pick up a book. Help!

Universal Studios Flordia Vacation - Part 2

Part 2 of our Universal Studios vacation is live on the personal blog HERE.

Happy Sunday! :]

Universal Studios Flordia Vacation - Part 1

I have FINALLY had time to write up part one of our vacation (it's been a month, oops!). You can check out our first day of the trip at my personal blog HERE. Enjoy! :]

New Blog Design

I am thrilled to announce that the new blog design is live! I am out of the house at the moment, so I will share more information on it when I return! :)

UPDATE: I have returned home and finished switching some things around on the sidebar. I cannot tell you all how completely thrilled I am with this new design. I LOVE it. Lori over at Imagination Designs did such a beautiful job. I didn't really have any idea what I wanted, and she took the most limited information I gave her and made it into something amazing. Thanks again, Lori! 

I Have Returned!

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Did you miss me? My husband and I had a wonderful time celebrating our second wedding anniversary at Universal Studios, seeing the Harry Potter parks and everything else they had to offer. It was so nice to get away, and I think it was a much needed vacation for both of us. It was sooo much fun! I will probably share information about our trip on my personal blog, and when I do so I will also share the link here in a post.

That being said, I found that I really did miss blogging. I had been pretty bad about it as of late, and it was not until I went so many days in a row without writing that I realized that I really, really miss it right now. I HAVE to find more time to write more blog content, comment you awesome bloggers, and keep up-to-date with my blog-related social media. Along with that, soon I should be working with Imagination Designs to begin the new design for the blog! WOO! 

So, for now I will leave you with a question. How do you guys use social media to help promote your blog? Thanks in advance for any advice!

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

Hey all! I just wanted to apologize in advance for the lack of content you are going to see this week. At this very moment, my husband and I are about to head to the airport to spend a few days in Florida for our anniversary. We will be back sometime Sunday evening, and I really probably post something then. :] Have a great week everyone!

Blogger Spotlight: Tiffany (Me!)

Hey all! Unfortunately, the person I had lined up to be hosted on Blogger Spotlight this week did not get back to me. I did not want to completely forget about this week (or move forward the next person since I gave her a date to expect her post, I'm looking at you Inge!), so I thought I would just answer the questions myself to give you all a little bit more information about myself. Also, I am down to just two scheduled posts in the future, so if you would like to be hosted on Blogger Spotlight, please let me know! (My Google Drive freaked out not long after the first one, so if you signed up and I never emailed you, I wasn't able to see your information so go ahead and notify me again so I can email you!).

(This picture isn't completely recent, as I have cut off a lot of my hair since - it's about three weeks old - but it's one of my favorites of myself lately)

1. Tell us about yourself; nicknames, occupation, pets, family, etc. 

As you already know, my name is Tiffany. I don't go by a whole lot of nicknames - some people call me Tiff, though it's not something that I really like. My family is pretty big on "pet names" though, so a lot of my nicknames have nothing to do with my name. My dad likes to call me egg head, and my mom has been calling me Boo since I was young. I am a teacher, and am currently in my third year of doing so. I have moved to a new school in a new district (the one I grew up going to school in), and I am really loving it. I teach seventh grade reading, and my students have been great so far. My husband and I will have been married two years on the twenty-third of this month, we have owned our house for a little over a year, and we have a miniature Schnauzer named Sirius.

2. How long have you been blogging?

Actually, today it has been exactly seven months. It's hard to believe that it has already been that long, but it makes me very happy as well. I am loving this blogging thing, though it's been a bit more difficult lately going back to work, and starting at a new school.

 

3. How did you decide on your blog name?

I'm actually not completely sure how I came up with my blog name. I knew that I wanted a book blog, but I also knew I didn't want an overused or boring name, which was something I was really, really worried about. I'm not always the most creative, especially when on the spot. I spent some time thinking about it and managed to come up with my blog name, though. I am incredibly happy with it.  

 

4. What is your favorite type of post?

I am not sure that I really have a favorite kind of post at this point; it really depends on my mood more than anything else. Sometimes I really want to do a meme, like my Cover Concepts on Mondays or Top Ten Tuesdays (I have been really bad about these lately). Sometimes I just rambling on about things I enjoy, and other times I really, really enjoy writing up a review. Like I said, it really just depends on the mood I'm in.  

 

5. What 3 books would you recommend to everyone?

I am going to cheat a little bit because they aren't all separate books - I think that it's okay to cheat in times like this, though!

1. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling 

2. Any book written by Sarah Dessen (I am so thrilled that she released that she has another book coming out. I can't wait for it next year!)

3. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

 

6. What author are you dying to meet?

This has always been such an easy question for me. I would love, love, LOVE to meet and talk to Sarah Dessen in person. She is one of the reasons that I fell in love with reading and continued to read, and I just feel like she would be so fun to meet in person. I definitely wouldn't mind some autographs on my books, either! 

7. What Hogwarts house would you be in? (OR Divergent faction)
 I would definitely be in Ravenclaw, no doubt about it. While I think that I would enjoy Gryffindor as well, I am just not that brave. I put a lot of merit in knowledge and I love always having a book with me, so I think that definitely says Ravenclaw.

As for Divergent faction, I always struggle with it. I would say Erudite if they didn't end up being such horrible people. I think that I would probably end up being Divergent because I don't really match up with any of the factions.

8. Favorite Quote?
"I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." - HP; J.K. Rowling

Ten Random Facts: 

1. I would go to bed by 8 every night if I could. Sleeping early is one of my hobbies, apparently. I'm just so exhausted so early.
2.   I am obsessed with my Toms. I have a blue and white pair that I wear with almost everything. I just got a gray pair as well that I'm starting to break in as well as they actually match much more than my blue ones do.
3.  I am really picky and indecisive when I get dressed in the morning. If I don't feel good in something, then I will refuse to wear it because I know that it will bother me all day.
4. I cannot stand having stains on my clothes. Even if it is something small, it's all I will be able to think about for the rest of the day. I suppose it's slight OCD or something of the sort. 
5. I don't like listening to the radio in the morning because I don't like the talk show stuff. Instead, I make CDs to use in my car in the mornings and save the radio for the afternoon.
6. I like to sing loudly in my car. As I drive about 100 miles every day back and forth to work, I have to find some way to entertain myself.
7. I really do not enjoy listening to audiotapes, unless I have the book in front of me so I can follow along as well. That makes it impossible for me to listen to them in the car, though that would be a much better way to spend my drive most days.
8. I used to hate tomatoes, and now I feel like I could eat them on almost everything. It's funny how our tastes can change like that.
9. I have a slight (or huge) addiction to Target. I love everything about that store, and can spend quite a bit of time just walking around looking at everything, even if it's not something that I actually need.
10. I have lived in Texas since I was seven, and I absolutely hate the heat. 

Thanks for reading! Remember to contact me if you would like to be featured on a future Blogger Spotlight.

 
 

 

100 Followers!

I can't believe it, but today I reached 100 Bloglovin followers. Woohoo! I have had this blog for almost eight months now, and I think that 100 followers is amazing for that amount of time. Thank you so much for those followers who have been around from the beginning, and to the new additions for giving my blog a chance! This has been such a great experience thus far, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for this blog of mine!

Happy three day weekend! :]

Goodbye Summer.

If you follow me on Instagram, then you probably already know that I started back to work this week. As I am teacher in a new district, I had to attend their new teacher orientation, which was Monday through Thursday, and then I had my first day of Staff Development on my campus Friday. The week was pretty long and a lot of old and new information was thrown at me. Ultimately, I can't believe that my summer break is over already.

So, why am I rambling on about this? I just wanted to share that things might slow down here a little at first while I adjust to my new job. I will not be gone completely, and I will still try to update every day, but it might not happen. If I have signed up for a blitz or tour, it will definitely be posted. I will also keep up with my memes Cover Concepts and Blogger Spotlight. Reviews might be a bit slower as I am sure my actual reading will slow down as well, but I will still be here, no worries!

Anyway, enough rambling. I hope everyone is having a great weekend. I did not have a Stacking the Shelves because I actually haven't bought any books in August yet (WHAT? Crazy, I know!). However, I do plan to post my review of The Maze Runner, so look out for that tomorrow!

Personal Blog

Hey all! Today I would normally do something like Waiting on Wednesday, but there aren't too many books I am waiting on within the next couple of weeks, so I thought I would share something different. Before I had my book blog, I started a personal blog, but was not too active on it because of this here blog. Recently, however, I have decided that I want a place to share about some other things as well, so I have decided to pick up my personal blog again. NO WORRIES, this blog is certainly not going anywhere, and will still be my main focus!

I just wanted to share this information in case any of you wanted to follow along there and get to know more about me, outside of my love of books. If you're interested, you can find my personal blog HERE. I would love for you to follow along and we could chat about some other things!

Happy Wednesday! :]