On the Topic Of...Slumps

If you've stuck around this summer (thank you, by the way!) you'll probably have noticed that things slowed down. Like REALLY slowed down. To the point where between June and the end of August, barely any posts when up here. So you're probably guessing what I'm getting at. Slumps: blogging slumps and reading slumps. ANd this post is going to serve two purposes: to explain where I disappeared to, and to talk about those unfortunate moments where, as bloggers and readers, we appear to lose all motivation.

So, you might be asking yourself, what did happen to me over the summer that resulted in me practically disappearing from the blogging world. Well here it goes. I graduated from university in the spring and then headed off to New York for BEA. And it was awesome. I came home really excited about all the books I brought home with me, I had all these ideas for what I would do on the blog. But then like got in the way. My family was visiting, I was working full time at a new job and the next thing I knew, blogging sort of fell by the wayside. It's not that I didn't want to blog, but my job involves me spending a good chunk of my time on social and writing blog posts. So when I got home at the end of the day, I was more interested in Netflix than I was in doing more of the same.

Eventually, I pulled myself out of it and got excited about writing reviews again. It helped that despite not blogging, I was still getting a lot of reading done. So now I'm left with a whole back log of reviews to write, but I'm actually looking forward to writing them.

So what did I do to get myself out of this slump? There isn't really one clear answer to that question. But the general idea is this: I didn't force it. Sure there were times when I felt really guilty when typing "Netflix" in the address bar of my browser instead of "Blogger," but I just wasn't in the mood to blog. What kept me going was reading. Eventually I read a book that made me want to share my thoughts with the world. And so I knew that I was back and ready to blog.

So here are the tips I can offer up to you if you ever find yourself in a slump. First and foremost, don't force it. The guilt that can come from that will probably suck, but in the long run, it's for the best. But also follow your mood. If you don't feel like writing a review, then don't. Same goes for what you choose to read. If you're in the mood for contemporary, read a contemporary. If you're in the mood for a dystopian, then read a dystopian story. You'll probably find yourself enjoying the story more if you're actually in the mood for it. That doesn't mean you should ignore any commitments you've made, but whenever you can, go with your mood. If you're like me, that may eventually bring you out of your slump and make you want to start sharing your thoughts again. And if that doesn't work, change of some sort can also help. Maybe it's time to get that new blog design you've been thinking about. Or that new feature you wanted to start. Something.

So that's what I've got to offer. It's not much, but it's something. What I've talked about in this post is what has usually gotten me out of a slump, but I'm always open to suggestions. What do you do when you're in a reading or blogging slump? Let me know in the comments!

Wait for You by J. Lynn

Title: Wait for You (Wait for You #1)

Author: J. Lynn

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Release Date: September 3, 2013

Source: ARC from BEA

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago--an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on there left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe--please God--make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn't need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she's building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that's just so…lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she has no there choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her. 

And some things are worth fighting for...

Over the past year and a half, I've become quite the Jennifer L. Armentrout/J. Lynn fan. And after having now read Wait for You, I can say that she does New Adult contemporary just as well as she does Young Adult paranormal. In case that wasn't clear, I LOVED Wait for You. So much so I read it all in one sitting.

All Avery wanted out of college was a fresh start far away from home and all the tormenting of her past. But after literally waking into Cam Hamilton, things take an unexpected turn, especially once she finds out Cam lives across the hall from her. Before long, Cam has wormed his way into Avery's life and Avery isn't so sure she wants him to go away anymore. But the closer Avery gets to Cam, the more afraid she is that night five years ago is going to come back and haunt her. But what if Cam is exactly what Avery needs to finally move on with her life?

I love Jennifer L. Armentrout's paranormal stories and as excited as I was about Wait for You, I was a little afraid that it wouldn't quite live up to my expectations. In the end, I got sucked in right from the start. I had told myself I would only read a few pages to see what it was all about and before I knew it, it was a couple hours later and I was a couple hundred pages into the book. And I wasn't about to stop reading any time soon. Wait for You completely captivated me. There was just so much more to the story than I thought there would be. The story made me laugh, but it also brought tears to my eyes and broke my heart at times. And even though I could guess what had happened to Avery right from the start, I just kept reading, waiting to see if I was right. But I also just wanted to keep reading, if only just to see Cam and Avery's relationship develop. Because it was't perfect and that's what I loved about it.

Even though I hadn't gone through what she had, I could relate to many aspects of Avery's personality and that's what made me like her so much. That and she was a lot stronger than she gave herself credit for. Now if only she had trusted the people who really cared about her a little more, things could have gone a little smoother. But then I wouldn't have been able to see all the great sides of Cam's personality. Because Cam might just be my new book boyfriend. Cam was everything I hoped he would be. He was the whole package: good looks, smart, loyal and one of the sweetest and most caring guys. And he bakes cookies and cooks breakfast. So yeah, I might be a little in love with Cam. But can you really blame me?

Wait for You was so much more than I hoped it would be. It might even be one of my favorite books this year. And in my books, Jennifer L. Armentrout can do no wrong, no matter what she writes.

Top Ten Tuesday: Fall 2013 TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is Top Ten Books on my fall TBR list.

I will preface this post by saying that some of these books have already been published, others are books that will be published at some point in the next few months. Regardless of if the book has been published or not, I am looking forward to reading all of these in the coming months.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth - There is a strong likelihood that Allegiant is on just about everyone's list and I totally understand why. After everything that went down in Insurgent, I can't wait to see how it will all come together. Plus we get Four's point of view.

Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes - I found myself liking Falling Kingdoms last year so I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. I've had an ARC of Rebel Spring sitting on my bookshelf for a few months and now that the release date is getting closer, I have the perfect excuse to read it.

The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead - Richelle Mead. Adrian Ivashkov. Enough said.

Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano - The premise of Perfect Ruin is that it takes place in a utopian world. And it's written by Lauren DeStefano. That's pretty much all I need to know in order to know I will want to read this book.

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry - My heart broke a little in Dare You To with what happened to Isaiah so I can't wait to finally read his story in Crash Into You. Plus, as far as I'm concerned, Katie McGarry can do no wrong.

How to Love by Katie Cotugno - I was lucky enough to get an ARC of How to Love while at BEA and I proceeded to read it on the bus ride back from NYC. But it's one of those books that I really, desperately want to reread. So since it's coming out soon, I'll most likely be doing just that.

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White - So far I have loved everything I have read by Kiersten WHite. And now she writes a book about mythology? Count me in.

Resist by Sarah Crossan - I loved Breathe. I want to know what happens next (though I may need a refresher between now and then). And that's all that really needs to be said about Resist.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black - Vampires and Holly Black. Do I really need to explain this any further?

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater - I only just recently read The Raven Boys but the moment I finished, I wanted the sequel. And now I have it. So you can bet I'll be reading The Dream Thieves and Ronan's story quite soon.

What books are on your fall TBR list?

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker

Title: Ten Tiny Breaths (Ten Tiny Breaths #1)

Author: K.A. Tucker

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: September 24, 2013

Source: ARC borrowed from fellow blogger

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Kacey Cleary's whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she's working hard to bury the pieces left behind--all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls' college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it's time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord. a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen "profession." But Kacey's not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can't handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn't want to feel. She doesn't. It's safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she's not beyond repair. 

But Kacey isn't the only one who's broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgivable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey's newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

If you saw my post over the weekend, you'll know that I'm really liking this whole New Adult phenomenon and the books it's bringing out. ONe of those books is K.A. Tucker's Ten Tiny Breaths, a book that took me completely by surprise and a book that I absolutely loved.

For the past four years, Kacey has struggled to keep it together. The only reason she's still standing is Livie, her fifteen-year-old younger sister. So when their uncle takes things too far, Kacey packs up their stuff and takes off for Miami with Livie. Surviving on their own is harder than Kacey thought, but with unexpected help from some neighbors, the Cleary sisters might stand a chance. But when Trent Emerson walks in to Kacey's life, everything threatens to fall apart, everything Kacey has worked so hard to keep in is on the verge of coming out. But Kacey isn't the only one keeping secrets, and Trent might be carrying a few darks ones himself.

I had no expectation whatsoever when I first started reading K.A. Tucker's Ten Tiny Breaths. All I really knew was what the synopsis said and that a friend thought it would be exactly my kind of book. So I figured, why not? And that friend wasn't the least bit wrong because I ended up absolutely loving Ten Tiny Breaths. I got completely sucked in to this story and I just wanted to find out more. This was as story that completely broke my heart. Everything the characters had gone through just didn't seem fair. But at the same time, through everything that happened, there was still alight at the end of it all. But what will stay with me are the characters who felt completely real.

I don't know what it says about me, but I love broken characters and that's exactly what I got with Ten Tiny Breaths. Kacey was so completely beyond broken, despite what she liked to think. And after everything, I so wanted for something good to happen to Kacey. So when Trent came into the picture, I thought he was the "something good." But that was before I realized that he was just as broken as Kacey. So the two of them together? Kind of disastrous in so many ways. But it wasn't all bad because I think Kacey and Trent both needed to go through this in order to get better. If only they had listed to the people around them, especially Livie. But talking about Livie is something I'll leave for a future review, because I have a lot to say about Livie.

I absolutely loved K.A. Tucker's Ten Tiny Breaths and I can't say enough good things about the book. If you are looking to give New Adult a try but aren't sure where to start, I would strongly recommend Ten Tiny Breaths.

On the Topic Of...New Adult

I know by this point everyone has shared their opinions on New Adult, but I've wanted to throw my two cents in for a while. Because as a 22-year-old recent university graduate YA lover, there's a lot I could say on the subject of NA. So here goes nothing.

Right now, New Adult is the new and hot thing and because of the "newness" factor, people are having difficulty defining exactly what it is, or what even qualifies at New Adult. From what I've understood, NA stories are typically ones where the characters are out of high school and are now in college, therefore older than YA but not quite old enough to be "full-blown" adults (for lack of a better word). And inevitably there always seems to be more mature romance involved--sometime to the point where it feels like the book is more about the sexual content than the actual plot.

But what appeals to me when it comes to New Adult isn't the more mature content, but rather the fact that the characters are older. I love YA and some of the characters that come from YA, but as a 22-year-old, I can sometimes find it a little difficult to relate to those YA characters. But with NA, the characters are much closer to not just my age (not that I'm THAT much older than YA), but also to where I am in my life. I find myself relating to those NA characters in ways that I haven't been able to relate to YA characters in a while. And for that alone, I'll take all the NA books I can. 

But as much as I appreciate how much I am able to relate to some of the characters in those NA books, sometimes I get a little frustrated with them. I mentioned already that one of the recurring themes with a lot of NA books is the more mature and increased sexual content. While there is a time and a place for that sexual content, there are some NA books that take it a little far, making it so the story is more about the sex than the actual story. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that sexual content as much as the next person, but is it too much that it happen in the greater context of an actual story? Just because I am complaining about this it doesn't mean that there aren't NA novels because there are and I've read them. Books like K.A. Tucker's Ten Tiny Breaths and One Tiny Lie blew me away and helped sell me on NA as a thing. The same can be said about Cora Carmack's books and I'm sure plenty of others I just haven't had time to read yet.

So my final say on New Adult: I can definitely get behind it, especially if it means more books like the ones I mentioned in this post. Im all for stories that are a little more mature, with characters I can really relate to.

What are your thoughts on the whole New Adult phenomenon? If you've read a lot of NA are there any you would recommend above others? Let me know in the comments!