FRIDAY READS! 10/25/13 + MAIL TIME!

Fan Art

I wanted to share this awesome fan art by Giulia Iacopini! This was from the House of Hades live show that I did with Christine, Tiernan, Cassidy, and Kat! Thanks again Giulia! This was the first time that anyone has ever drawn me and I love it! You are very talented!

@TheBookTuber @priceiswong @kat_tastic @CassJayTuck @xtineMAY I swear you are way better than this!! #itried pic.twitter.com/wRI5ikSRFk
— Giulia Iacopini (@IPGiulia) October 22, 2013

Here's the live show in case you missed it!

Favorite Books [Part 2] + Giveaway!

Watch part 1 
Enter the giveaway here! 

The books mentioned:
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey: my review
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken: my review
The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan
The Lost Hero: my review
The Son of Neptune: my review
The Mark of Athena: my review
The House of Hades: my review

The House of Hades by Rick Riordan

The House of Hades
By Rick Riordan
Series: The Heroes of Olympus #4

At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld.

The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea.

But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

They have no choice. If the demigods don’t succeed, Gaea’s armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood.

The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus - Goodreads

Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon 

Fall Has Arrived!

Fall has arrived and I'm in a DIY mood! I'm gonna be honest... I've been on Pinterest allll morning looking up some cute ideas and I've decided to share them with you!

Jake and I currently don't have many decorations up. We have a wreath on the door, a pumpkin and yellow mums by the front door, and a sparkly pumpkin on the table. Our house needs some work! My plan is to share a few ideas with you all and show you some things I might do, and then later take some pictures of my final projects!

I LOVE these glitter pumpkins to the left! (Lets be honest, I really just like anything that's sparkly) Plus, this DYI is super easy! All you have to do is paint the pumpkins with gold and glitter (or maybe even spray paint) and add a small candle on top! Love it!

I think that this cute little mummy jar idea on the right is adorable! Plus, it looks super easy! I just need to go and get some of that tape! It's great because this is one project that you can't really mess up! You just put the tape on it however you like! If you are wondering about the Smirnoff bottle in the background, I'm pretty sure that this was originally supposed to be a cocktail glass :) Afterwards, I'll probably put a candle in mine!

This next idea I think is perfect for Halloween! I'm thinking that this will probably take some time, (and knowing me I'll have to restart about 15 times before I get it to look right), but it's perfect! Now I just need a chalkboard! (I have no clue where you could find some stuff like they have below the board, but I'll be keeping my eyes open! (I'm going to have to find a spot to put this where the cats and Piper won't get it!)

So I'm kind of obsessed with this last DYI project. Mainly because OLD BOOKS are involved!!

Go visit Craftberry Bush to see every single step on how to make it! It's really simple! Basically you take a round piece of cardboard, and cut every page in a paperback book to get that round edge look! You just glue a stick to the back of the spine and then glue the back pages around so it completes in a circle! Of course you can use whatever ribbon you like, or maybe some burlap ribbon or twine! The creator of this also took a tea bag and stained the outside of the pages, which makes a huge difference! Obviosly I don't like destroying books.. I LOVE books.. but I won't feel bad about some old book that I read and didn't like from a garage sale. :)
Let me know in the comments if you are just as excited for Fall!
- Jess

Wonderfully Wicked Read-a-Thon!

 I'm so excited! Today is the first day of the Wonderfully Wicked Read-a-Thon by My Shelf Confessions! 

What is the Wonderfully Wicked Read-a-Thon?

The Wonderfully Wicked Read-A-Thon is a time when we all get together to dedicate the days of October 11-20 to as much reading as possible. You read as much as you can in order to get yourself a little further through that huge to-read pile! We know real life gets in the way and even if you can’t participate more than one day, you’re welcome to join in on the fun! 

In the meanwhile, we will be hosting book-related challenges where you can win some awesome prizes and have a Twitter party at the hashtag #WWReadathon! You can posts updates on your blog, Twitter, Goodreads or Facebook — as long as the profile is public and we all can enjoy your reading progress!

Interested in joining in? Click here!

My Reading List: 

 

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

Goodreads Summary:

Annabeth is terrified. Just when she's about to be reunited with Percy—after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera—it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can’t blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon masthead, Leo's fantastical creation doesn't appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace.

And that's only one of her worries. In her pocket Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving demand: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feels weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find—and close—the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her?

Annabeth's biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he's now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader, but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side.

Narrated by four different demigods, The Mark of Athena is an unforgettable journey across land and sea to Rome, where important discoveries, surprising sacrifices, and unspeakable horrors await. Climb aboard the Argo II, if you dare...  

Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon | IndieBound

My Review/Discussion:

Wedding Pictures Preview!

Jake and I finally got to see some wedding pictures! 

Here are a few for you guys to see! I can't wait to see the rest!

Cold Tea and Crumbs Interview

Hey guys! Just wanted to let you know that I did an interview over on Cold Tea and Crumbs! Click the picture below to check out the interview! :)

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Goodreads Summary: 

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call, 

To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring any bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth 

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem — when the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for an evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wished she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams. 

Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery — although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially infront of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely — enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart. 

Beginning at the "other" camp for half-bloods and extending as far as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment of the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophesy of Seven.
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

My Review/Discussion:

My Everyday Makeup Routine!

Ever since I started making videos in January of this year, I've been bombarded with questions like this one above. I finally decided that I should show you all my everyday makeup routine! And yes, I show you what kind of mascara I use :)

Friday Reads! 10/4/13

Top Ten Books That Will Make You Cry

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish Blog.

All 10 of these books made me cry at one point or another. I've decided to leave off my reasons so that I don't spoil any of you :D

1. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken 

2. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

3.  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

4. The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

5. Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

6. The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger 

7. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

8. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

9. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

10. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Did any of these books also make you cry? Let me know in the comments some books that made you tear up :)

- Jess

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

Goodreads Summary:

 Jason has a problem. 

He doesn't remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper. His best friend is a kid named Leo, and they're all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for "bad kids", as Leo puts it. What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea—except that everything seems very wrong.

Piper has a secret. 
Her father, a famous actor, has been missing for three days, and her vivid nightmares reveal that he's in terrible danger. Now her boyfriend doesn't recognize her, and when a freak storm and strange creatures attack during a school field trip, she, Jason, and Leo are whisked away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood. What is going on? 

Leo has a way with tools. 
His new cabin at Camp Half-Blood is filled with them. Seriously, the place beats Wilderness School hands down, with its weapons training, monsters, and fine-looking girls. What's troubling is the curse everyone keeps talking about, and that a camper's gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist they are all—including Leo—related to a god.
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

My Review/Discussion: