My Dream Reading Space & Library

While I was scrolling through  Arhaus a couple of days ago, I was inspired to write a post describing my dream reading space! I don't know why it didn't come to me sooner! I think all bookworms occasionally imagine the perfect reading space, so I'm so excited to share mine with you all!

I've always told my husband that when we finally get our home, it must have an extra room which will be our reading space and library! I can't tell you how many times I've looked for the perfect sofa, lighting and the most important item to any bookworm’s space bookshelves! I have fell in and out of love with so many, but enough babbling and let’s get to it. 

My reading room must have a large window, where light can shine in through the day. So, I can read without artificial light when it is sunny, and watch the rain when storms roll in! I just love rainy days, and think they are perfect for reading; love to see and hear the rain as I read. The picture below is exactly what I am talking about. Picture found on google!

As a Beauty and the Beast fanatic and a bookworm, one of my all-time favorite scenes is when Beast shows and gifts Belle his library! I've always wanted one of those beautiful classic shelves that have the ladder, just in case you can't reach those top shelves. I found the perfect one on the Arhaus website! This shelf would look beautiful!!! There is one that takes up the whole wall and it is perfection! I could not find a picture, but click here and it will take you right to it! 

Now on to the sofa that I would put in front or near to window! There is so many sofas, but for me it would just have to be comfy, somewhere I could sit for hours, and not have to be changing positions. It would also have to match my theme or it would drive me nuts!!! I found the perfect sectional sofa on the Arhaus website, they had so many, but this one was my favorite! you can check out their sectional collection here to pick one you would like!  There is just so many ways one can sit on a sectional and get lost in a book, it also does not hurt that is gorgeous! 

Lighting is something essential for a library! I know that the large window will provide light during the day, but we will still need light for those late nights, when we can't put that book down, or those gorgeous rainy days! Guys, I am drooling over these lights they are gorgeous! picture was found on pinterest! 

A room is nor complete without a rug, where I can lay just in case I am not feeling the couch! This rug caught my eye first and I feel like it brings my room together! It’s so beautiful! you can find it here.

This was so much fun!!!! I really enjoyed sharing my dream reading space with everyone! Looking at furniture was also fun! I would love to read what you would add in your room or how it will look. Let me know on the comment section! Doing these made me excited for when I get to shop for my reading space! 

SandraTheBookWorm

Seat 2A

Book Review

Title: Seat 2A

Author: Dela

Rating: ★★★★★

Release Date: March 27, 2017

Publisher: Createspace 

Genre: Contemporary

Page Count: 340

Stalk the Author: Website, Blog, Goodreads, FB, Instagram, Twitter,  

Buy Me: Amazon US / UK / CA / AU

Add me on Goodreads!

Synopsis:

When Jessie Evans, a Georgia Southern University cheerleader, leaves for her best friend’s wedding the last thing she expects is for the seat next to her to be taken. After all, she’d only canceled Seat 2A hours prior after catching her boyfriend cheating. 

Kendal Vargas, son of a Spanish emigrant fashion guru, is on his way to Whistler for a “mancation”. Running to buy a neck pillow before his flight, Kendal bumps into Jessie Evans. Kendal is in a hurry. Kendal does not stop to help her. Kendal forgot his neck pillow and the plane is about to leave and hey—who could travel without a neck pillow?

Charmed by Jessie’s beauty, and watching her board his very plane, Kendal takes a whim and changes his seat to one he hopes would be next to her. Jessie ignores Kendal’s attempt to be chatty but when their connecting flight gets canceled overnight, the pair has a chance to make a real connection.

Seven years later, Jessie bumps into Kendal in the produce aisle of a Portland grocery store. No neck pillow is involved, except there is a beautiful little girl who looks just like him. Fate has given them another shot but will Kendal’s whims keep them apart?

My Thoughts:

I was sent an ARC by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I have been looking for a good contemporary read to get me out my reading slump and Dela's Seat 2A did the job. Jessie and Kendal were such fun characters and I really enjoyed reading their story! The way Jessie and Kendal meet is so different from previous novels I have read and I really enjoyed it. Jessie is headed to her best friend’s wedding and the seat next to her is supposed to be empty, Kendal is on his way to his "mancation" and when he sees Jessie, he decides to change seats to be next to her. I really liked the way they met and that they kept bumping into each other while on their vacation, I also found it very interesting that they both decided to give fake names, it made it more interesting. While on his way to meet Jessie Kendal gets an emergency call and has to leave without giving Jessie notice. Kendal looks and looks for Jessie to no avail until one day they bump into each other at the grocery and things get super interesting.

Both Jessie and Kendal are great characters, I especially fell in love with Kendal and he is now one of my top five book boyfriends! His character development throughout the book is so well written! I really liked how Dela wrote him, he wasn’t your typical perfect character and he had flaws, which made him even that more loveable and real. Jessie was a very relatable character; she was always playing it safe and thinking ahead, while Kendal lived without thinking about the future. That’s why Kendal and Jessie are perfect; they bring the best out of each other. Dela made me laugh, cry and had me at the edge of my seat at times! The steamy scenes were perfect and they weren’t used as fillers, they were just the perfect amount and let me tell you they. were. HOT. Oh, and don’t get me started on the ending! It was just perfect! I overall really enjoyed this book and I'm really hoping Dela decides to write more about this two because I will be the first in line to get it!

-SandraTheBookWorm

Tom Leveen Author of Hellworld!!

Author Spotlight!

This week I was able to interview the awesome Tom Leveen author of Hellworld which will be released on March 21st! 

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Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I was born, raised, and still live in Scottsdale, Arizona. It took me 20 years to earn my Bachelor's Degree. I've finished a marathon (in under 7 hours!), finished a Spartan Sprint, and studied fencing, Aikido, Tae Kwon Do, and Kenpo. I'm a Buffy fan, I read mostly non-fiction these days, and as of February will have spent a total of seven years working for various libraries in various capacities. Certainly not least, I've been happily married for more than 10 years and am expecting my second kid this summer!

In your own words, please describe the book.

A girl goes in search of what happened to her mother, the co-host of a ghost-debunking TV show, after she went missing five years ago. What she finds is far worse than any supernatural encounter the world has ever seen. 

Now, that's the plot. Thematically the book is about what we can do when our world feels like it has "gone to hell." It's about Alzheimer's disease and cancer and divorce and anything in life we cannot control and that we are powerless to change. It's very much a scary horror novel, to be sure, but there's more happening underneath the monsters and dark caves.

Have you written a book that you love, but you have not been able to publish?

Oh, sure. There's a middle-grade or two out there that I still hope will find a home. One in particular I've been coming back to for more than 10 years now, trying to fix the biggest problem: The main character doesn't struggle for anything! It's a sweet story but not intriguing because there's no conflict. It's the kiss of death.

Is there any author or book that influenced you in anyway either growing up or as an adult?

I was stealing Stephen King story ideas at a very early age. (I don't do that anymore.) Judy Blume, too, was a big influence, because she used BAD WORDS sometimes! Whoa. Later on, three books really impacted me and made me realize that stories about teenagers were not only legitimate stories, but could be more powerful than any adult novel. They were STARGIRL by Jerry Spinelli, CUT by Patricia McCormick, and SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson. Since become an author I've gotten to meet and thank Laurie and Patty but not yet Jerry Spinelli. Here's hoping!

When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I began writing stories in 2nd grade and never stopped. My first full-length story was a novella called DERRO THE WARRIOR in 8th grade, and I finished my first science fiction novel in high school. I wrote ZERO my first year of college, and that ended up being the second novel I published.

How did you come up with this title?

"Hellworld" is meant to be both literal and metaphorical in this particular novel. The characters really do open a doorway that leads to what we'd think of as "hell," but the monsters and creatures that come out of it are only part of the "hell on earth" the story is really about.

Is there anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?

Yes: I'd like to say that no matter how dark it might get out there, we have to find our tribe and stick together to get through it.

So far, what has been the greatest moment in your writing career?

A high school student won a writing award; I happened to be one of the guest speakers for the ceremony. During her acceptance speech, she told a story about how a year before, she'd been to one of my writing classes at a local library and that was what motivated her to write this story she'd just been given an award for. That was .... humbling. I had her sign one of my books. It was an unreal feeling of like, "So I did make a difference? Even if only this once?" That's not something that's easy to replicate.

How long does it take you to finish a novel?

That depends on the definition of "finish." I can write a rough draft in two to three months, but with revision and editing that's about six to nine months, depending on all sorts of things. When you include the publishing part, it's usually no less than three years from writing the first sentence to it showing up on bookstore shelves.

What are you working on at the moment?

Many things, many things...a lot of non-YA stuff, although I did just submit a YA fantasy sample chapter to my agent. I've wanted to work in some new genres lately, like horror and other speculative genres, but as always, that is dictated by the publishers. I've also had the opportunity to write for the SPAWN series of comic books under Todd McFarlane which has been a lot of fun.

Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead characters from your book?

I am old and out of touch, so I'm open to suggestions! Having said that, by the time the filming was being done, I'd take the entire cast of STRANGER THINGS to make HELLWORLD. That would be cool!

Fun questions:

If you could be a character in any novel you’ve ever read, who would you be and why?

The first one that comes to mind is Tom Fitzgerald in THE GREAT BRAIN series. Total smart-aleck boy genius. I was only half of that, and you're free to guess which half. On that note, Encyclopedia Brown would be pretty cool.

If you were written about in the newspaper, on the front page, what would the headline say?

"Some Random Guy Found Weeping in Gutter Clutching Worn Copy of Kirkus."

What mythical creature would you want to be? 

I've always thought minotaurs were pretty cool. Big and scary!

If you could meet anyone from history, who would it be and why?

Very possibly Shakespeare. Which may sound cliche, but he was a total nut, he'd be fun to hang with for, like, a day. Or, closer to home, Carl Sagan.

Add Hellworld to your Goodreads TBR

Exciting News!!!

Blaze Publishing Rep!

Hello Everyone!! This morning I got some very exciting news, I am now part of the Blaze publishing rep team!!! I'm so excited to start sharing all the bookish news and books with all of y'all! So, please keep an eye out for all the awesome new posts that are going to come!

One Fling to Rule Them All and Pair of Dice Lost Valentines Sale!

Valentine’s Sale

Hello my lovely followers one of my good author friend is having a Valentine's Sale on two of her books! Below you will find the covers, blurbs and links as well as her author bio! Go check them out! I really enjoyed " One Fling to Rule Them All' So, I ca't wait to read more from her! 

Only 99c from Feb 1-7!

Title: One Fling to Rule Them All (The Games of Love, #2)

Author: Deanna Dee

ASIN: B00ZDVJVHE

Publisher: self-published

Genre: chick lit/romantic comedy

Pages: 184

Amazon Buy Link!

Blurb

It began with the forging of a great friendship.

For three months, Lydia Bell has watched Craig, her best friend and the love of her life, be in a happy relationship with someone else. But she’s over it. Or thinks she is until she hears Craig’s voice on the phone. Desperate to put her romantic feelings behind, she joins her roommates for a night out. Maybe she’ll meet someone.

And meet someone she does—a guy named Scott, who looks a lot like Craig. Despite their awkward introduction, flaming arrows fly, and soon Lydia is running off the dance floor to get away from feelings she shouldn’t have. So much for getting over Craig, and so much for Scott.

Until Monday morning, that is. Turns out Scott goes to her school. Worse, they share a class. As if that’s not weird enough, Scott is also trying to get over someone. To help both Lydia and himself, he proposes a fling, and reluctantly, Lydia agrees. Now she just has to hope this fling rules and doesn’t crash into a fiery mountain.

Free Feb 3-5!

Title: Pair of Dice Lost (A Games of Love Expansion Pack)

Author: Deanna Dee

Genre: romantic comedy, short story, Valentine’s Day

Length: 32 pages

 Amazon Buy Link

Blurb

Of man’s first misplacements…

Lydia is getting ready for a perfect Valentine’s Day with Scott, touring the Lord of the Rings exhibit at the Museum of Science. Everything’s great, except she can’t find the decorative D6s she got him. And he’ll be there any second!

Author Bio!

Deanna Dee is strictly human and does not, to her knowledge, own a hyena. She lives by the sea, which she takes full advantage of in the summer time. People, reading, and pop culture make up the shameless downtime of her life. The rest of it is writing, and she’s okay with that.

Connect with the Author:

Website

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Goodreads Author Page

Amazon Author Page

Trashy Crafter Shop Review And Discount!!

Our website is www.TrashyCrafter.com

our etsy shop is www.Etsy.com/shop/trashycrafter

About two weeks ago Kim from Trashy Crafter contacted me to tell me about her awesome bracelets made from recycled books and to ask me if I wanted to do a review for them, how could I resist, I love book jewelry and I had never heard or seen anything like it plus the bracelets are gorgeous. The beads you see on the picture above are made from pages of books that were going to be thrown away, but instead were made in to bracelets; how awesome is that. Kim doesn't only make bracelets she also makes necklaces and earrings. She was nice enough to send me the story of how and what inspired her to start her shop; she also sent me some awesome pictures of the process of making these awesome jewelry. 

Trashy Crafter's Shop Story!

Trashy Crafter creates handmade recycled book jewelry from damaged and outdated children’s books, novels, sheet music and maps.  It all started 5 years ago when my Mom Helen and I were at a local thrift store, we noticed them throwing away 100’s of damaged and outdated books, it was heart breaking, so we gathered as many as we could, took them home and tried to think of how to recycle them so they could be enjoyed rather than go sit in a landfill.  It took some time to think of it, but I remembered in my 3^rd grade class my teacher Mrs. Bryant taught us how to roll paper beads from magazines.  For some reason that really stuck in my head, even though it was 20 something years later, I decided to give it a try, and that was how Trashy Crafter was born.  

Mom and I started rolling the paper beads together at night at our kitchen table, and today it has evolved into a wonderful small business we take so much pride in.  We take damaged books and turn them into beautiful one of a kind handmade, recycled book jewelry people can treasure forever, you always have a book you loved as a child that your Mom, Teacher, Grandma, Sister or Librarian read to you, or perhaps one you read in high school or college.  Trashy Crafter can take the damaged books and make them into bracelets, necklaces, earrings and lanyards that you can wear each day and have a precious memory right with you, we say “Don't Just Read It, Wear It”. And to us, it’s the best of both worlds, helping the environment by recycling something beautiful that was just going to be thrown in the trash, and giving people the gift of wearing their most treasured memories from books they love, we'd say it’s a win win!

 

The Trashy Crafter team is made of me (Kim) my Mom Helen, my boyfriend of 8 years Dave and a few friends that help me from time to time.  We love Trashy Crafter, and to be honest it has become something bigger than us, the number of stories we get from folks who wear our jewelry is so touching. We've had people contact us to make custom jewelry for librarians or teachers who are retiring, Mom’s who are pregnant and expecting their first child, anniversary gifts for wives, birthday gifts for daughters or Moms, and have had so many people tell us that this is the perfect gift for someone that has everything, it’s so meaningful and unique!

 Within out Etsy shop at any given time we have about 50 or more books turned into jewelry, you can simply search for a title of a book you would like in our shop search bar, if we don’t have it, no need to fear, just send us a message, we do 100’s of custom orders a year.  Custom orders are fantastic if you have a certain book you would like turned into jewelry, we can use the book you own or can order a heavily used copy on Amazon.com and use that to make it. 

For the past few years we had done such a wonderful job of using all of the book pages and turning them into beads, but I always felt so horrible for throwing away the hard covers of books (often times they have such beautiful illustrations on them), so finally it hit me, why not turn them into stud earrings!  The recycled book cover stud earrings are our newest item, and let me tell you they are wonderful!  They are very light weight, colorful, fun, one of a kind (made from the actual book covers of books) and it’s a great conversation starter.  I have been wearing mine for the past 3 months testing them out, and have gotten so many compliments, I wear them every day! 

We also recently started a damaged children book donation program, as well as a broken jewelry program.  If you are a Teacher, Mom or Librarian that has damaged children's book that have been highly loved by your kids, but are no longer able to be read because they are ripped, missing page or scribbled in you can ship them to us and will recycle them into paper bead jewelry.  We have a list of books we are in need of, and if any of those are titles you have, you can ship them to us, and when you can get us 15 used book we give you a free trashy crafter bracelet set!  We also collect broken beaded necklaces and bracelets from folks around the world to reuse in our jewelry.  If you are at all interested you can send us an email at trashycrafter@gmail.com

My Thoughts:

I received my bracelet a couple of days ago and I absolutely LOVED it! The bracelet I chose is made from a Wizard of Oz book that was recycled! The bracelet is beautiful, I love everything about it and the fact that is made from books that were going to be thrown away makes it even more special. I love what Kim and her mother decided to do it’s truly an amazing thing! Kim being the amazing person she is has been kind enough to give all my followers 15% off your purchase for a whole month starting today! Just use the code "booklover" at check out at her Trashy Crafter Etsy Shop . I really hope all my followers take advantage of this awesome discount for this beautiful jewelry! 

-SandraTheBookWorm

July Wrap Up!

Wrap Up

In the month of July I read a total of nine books!! That for me is an awesome reading month! I will list all the books below with the ratings and a link to the review! How many books did you read in the month of July? Leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you!

5/5 stars
Sanguine Mountain Review
Interview With Jennifer Foxcroft


4/5 stars
No Review up yet, if you would
like one let me know in the comment
section.


4/5 stars
A Brave Day for Harold Brown Review


4.5/5 stars
Ignite the Shadows Review


4/5 stars
The Dragon's Heart Review


5/5 stars
I Heart Robot Review

4.5/5 stars

Captain Rum: A Wondrous Adventure Review

4/5 stars

A Few Quiet Beers With God Review

5/5 stars

One Fling to Rule Them All Review

-SandraTheBookWorm