Stacking the Shelves #1//The Book Jackpot

So guys. I hit the book jackpot this week and I honestly don't know what to do with my life right now. All I want to do is read, which is generally a good thing but man I need to do real adult-y things (like go to work-blah).

I have 10 new books in the past 3 days for about $5 total! 5 were 10 cents each so that totally blew my mind! Three are non-fiction and one is a book that I found in my room that someone gave me and I totally forgot about though. That counts as new right? 

1. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Oh am I excited about this book. I can't remember ever hearing anything good or bad about it, I just remember hearing about it (selective memory, that's me!). The cover is beautiful and the blurb is SO intriguing! I dearly hope this one doesn't disappoint.

2. Everlost by Neal Shusterman

I found this at goodwill yesterday and despite having never heard of it before, I picked it up and was instantly determined to buy it. It has potential to be fantastic but I can also see it being not so good. So we will see.

3. Princess Academy: Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale

I love love love Shannon Hale. And the first book in this series is one of my favorite books ever so I hope this one lives up to it's predecessors!

4. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger

I know a lot of people have read and loved this book so I decided to give it a go! 10 cent books can't steer me wrong right?

5. The Lost Years of Jane Austen by Barbara Ker Wilson

Oh man. If ever a book had potential it's this one. I love Jane Austen books and a book about her written in her style? Oh yes please!

6. Man Walks Into a Room by Nicole Krauss

I wasn't so sure about this one. It was only 10 cents so I figured it was worth trying!

7. If We Survive by Andrew Klavan

This is the one a friend gave me that I never read. I finally read the blurb and I don't know why I didn't read it before! It looks so good! Sometimes I'm really dumb you guys. 

8. Houses that Change the World by Wolfgang Simson

This book looks so powerful! I can't wait to read it!

9. Do You Know Who I Am? by Angela Thomas

I adore books like this. They make me think and oftentimes I forget to think about what matters so this is good!

10. A Way out of No Way by Andrew Young

Not sure what I think about this author but the book looked so good I couldn't pass it up! I love studying this era.

I put a poll in the sidebar of my blog for you to vote on which book I should read first (of the fiction variety)! I couldn't add it to the actual post but do make sure to go vote! 

This post is part of a weekly link-up, head over here to find the original post! 

So what books are new to you all? Have you read any of the ones I picked up this week? What do you think of buying books at second hand stores?

6 Characters Who Are Bound to Make You Smile

I have found a link-up that is destined to be marvelous! I adore link-ups and everything that goes along with them. 

This weekly prompt is hosted by the girls at The Broke and the Bookish. The idea is to have a top ten post every Tuesday. 

This weeks prompt is "Top ten books which feature characters who..."

I adore books. I live off them. I sometimes feel as though my only friends are in my books. And my absolute favorite of these books are the ones whose characters are bound to make me smile and totally forget the complete horror of reality. 

You'll notice there are only six. In a "Top Ten" post. I tried dearly to come up with more, but it felt more like filler than me actually thinking the characters fit the post. So I modified it to be just six.

1.  Razo from the Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale

I love Razo. He is seriously one of my heroes. He's quick witted, funny, down to earth, and just all around a good guy. Plus, he's got the older brother protectiveness syndrome that I find quite wonderful.

2. Percy Jackson from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and the Heroes of Olympus series' by Rick Riordan

Oh Percy. An obsession with blue food, an astounding ability to be simultaneously the smartest character in the books and the dumbest character to ever have been written. There isn't a lot of in between for my dear friend the son of the Sea God.

3. Gilbert Blythe from the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery

Gil is the kind of character that if you aren't in love with by the end of the books, you need your head checked. He's just wonderful.

4. Dustfinger from the Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke

Dustfinger is amazing. His character has such depth. He is so pained and in anguish and trying so hard to find a lucky streak in life. It's hauntingly beautiful to read about him. (Though I suspect highly entertaining to write). I love how involved in his story I get when I read these books. 

5.  Sadie Kane from the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan

Sadie is pretty much one of my favorite characters ever. She's funny, sarcastic, totally real, and entertaining to read. On the days when I need a serious pick-me-up or escape from reality, I turn to Uncle Rick's books, and most often, the Kane Chronicles. (Although Percy Jackson never fails to disappoint either.) 

6. Leo Valdez from aforementioned Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan

What can I say about Leo? He's totally crazy, entertaining, uplifting, and optimistic. What do I not love about this guy? Oh yeah. He's fictional. 

What do you think? Did I miss any? Which characters can make you smile no matter what?

The Return

Blogglings, I'm back!

I am so sad to have been away from you for so long. But to be honest, I haven't had much of a reason NOT to write.

I've been busy, sure. I just got a new job, I'm helping with some more ministry opportunities, I have to feed my book cravings, and I am newly addicted to Supernatural. (I'm in season two I believe. This show is epic! So scary though!)

Even though I've had loads of time to write, I never have. I'm not sure why. Maybe a slight rebelling against work is behind it. Anything I don't have to do, I don't do it. It's a disease. I'm stuck in a rut of not wanting to do anything.

Has this ever happened to you? An ever DEcreasing desire to do the things you once loved? It's happened to me before but I never usually go back to the project. I'm rather surprised to have come back to blogging actually.

Whatever the reason, I'm back! And I hope to be back for good. Coming up here on RaP (ha! My blog acronym is rap! Never noticed that before!) will be some posts on two of my all time favorite book authors: Shannon Hale and Rick Riordan!

There will be musings, lists, character analysis, pictures, and things to learn from these fabulous authors. I do hope you'll stick around!

If you haven't already, consider subscribing so you don't miss any of the amazing posts coming up!

Oh Sequels, I Love Thee!

I love sequels. They are so much much, don't you think? You get to revisit the setting and charries you love. This week's link up by the Book Chewers is all about sequels! Be sure to go check it out and add your own post!

(We'll see if the button works right this time.)

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1. Best sequel you've ever read?

Oh man...I don't know if this is really the best or the first one that popped into my head (thank you Claudia Donovan...) but The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan was really good!

2. Worst sequel you've ever read?

Inkdeath. Ick. It disgusted me the whole time. I loved Inkheart and so when the sequels didn't shine...I was sad.

3. Sequel that outshone the first book?

Hmmm...Catching Fire. I love that book so much!

4. Do you often read sequels or do you read the first book and move on?

I try to read sequels a lot but my library does this annoying thing where they get the first book in a series and forget the rest. Annoying I must say.

5. What's a sequel that really surprised you (in a good or bad way)? Why?

Catching Fire. "What?? She has to go back?? Epical!"

6. What's the last sequel you read? (Briefly, what did you think of it?)

I honestly don't remember...I'm pretty much Dory just so you all know. ;)

7. What are 3 sequels you're planning to read (eventually...)?

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer, Sapphire Blue by Kirsten Gier, and...the sequel to Princess Academy that I can't remember the name of.

8. What's the first sequel you see when you look at your bookshelf?

Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery.

9. Best sequel cover!?

Enna Burning by Shannon Hale. I love the covers on her books.

10. What book(s) do you think desperately need a sequel...but don't have one?

The Book of a Thousand Days. Oh I love that book. :)