The Sunday Mix (10)

Obviously, it is not a Sunday. But since I wasn't able to get this post up yesterday, and today's slot was empty, it all worked itself out. I basically have been having a lot more days out because of the beautiful weather we've been having (with the exception of these last few days, because man, it's been HOT). I got to see Taylor Swift in concert, visited family in Connecticut and have been hanging out with friends almost every weekend. Summer, I do love you - even when the temperatures are nearly unbearable. I'm also really excited for August - my birthday month + more adventures in store!

WHAT I READ

• Shelumiel asks - to review or not to review? I'm sure every reviewer has a different way of determining what they choose to review, whether it's every single book they read (that's what I generally do) or just a chosen few.
• Grace talks about how she makes time to read. I often get comments from people in real life about how often/how much I read and I have to explain how I manage. Grace sums it up real well and reminds me that it can be important to read news too.
• Hannah shares her love story for her anniversary. It's one for the books, for sure, and I definitely got goosebumps reading about how she and Nick fell in love. (In other news, our love stories have quite similar feels; we've chatted about that before.)
• Biljana Likic writes about heroines and gender roles. I think it's always interesting when an author choose to subvert gender roles for their story, particularly for females. It happens a lot in my favorite fantasies, and it works.
• Crini reminds us all that loving something is not a contest. Just because someone is not necessarily as vocal or expressive about {insert something here, like a book or movie} doesn't make their love any less valid or true. 
• Lilian suggests a few reads to help readers survive high school. As someone who survived high school solely because I could turn to books for comfort and inspiration, I love seeing what people would recommend to high school readers. (And I'd certainly have enjoyed these if I'd read them when I was still in high school!)
• Meg writes about how less is more when it comes to stuff. I find myself in complete agreement, since I've been working on being minimal with all the things I own. Except for books, perhaps, but we're all allowed a vice or two, yes?
• Aimee wrote an informative post about how to start a book blog. Her tips are pretty spot on, and if I'd seen this post before I started my blog four years ago, I would have been better prepared to manage it. Learning through trial and error was part of my process though, and I wouldn't have it any other way. (And if you're new to blogging and want an idea of how I manage mine, here's an entire series I wrote about that.)
• Did you know that you can officially unsend emails with Gmail? I'm very careful about sending emails out, but there is always the chance I'll send one before it's properly worded or to the wrong person. This option would be very helpful! (Thanks for alerting me to this, Rachel!)
• I loved this post about finding your true passion. Even at almost 26 years old, I'm only slowly learning what my own passions are. There's no right timeline for this situation, however, and I highly encourage you to read this piece if you need some inspiration & encouragement. (Thanks for sharing, Cassie!)
• This piece in the New Yorker asks if reading can make us happier. Personally, I think it's something that makes me happier. Reading is an escape from daily drudgery. It's a source of inspiration, a chance to learn something new, and just pure fun.
• Hazel suggests checking out this Kickstarter for waterproof books! It's such a cool concept, and I love the focus on classic novels. I'm personally really tempted to grab a copy of that Macbeth, since I love Shakespeare.
• The Epic Reads team share some really accurate charts for book nerds. When I saw this post, I literally nodded my way through it because everything just makes so much sense to me. If you're a chart nerd, or if you just want a simplified explanation of certain bookworm truths, then this post is for you. (You're welcome!)
• Have you heard of #OTSPSecretSister? It's an awesome project where you're assigned a sister and get to send them fun goodies each month. It's brought to you by three lovely gals: Alyssa, Amy & Brittany. (Clicking each name takes you to their blog!). Sign-ups started last Sunday, and are open until July 25.
• Eleanor Herman has written a guest post for Publishing Crawl about how fantasy is real. I'm just going to share a direct quote from her post here: "Fantasy distills and crystallizes our fears and courage, our desire and loathing, our compassion and thirst for revenge." YES.
• Rachel wrote about happily ever afters in novels, particularly the question of whether or not they're necessary or right. I personally enjoy a happy ending, but I don't always need one. Whatever feels most authentic to the story is what works for me.
• Brittany shares a list of 17 titles that gave her a book hangover. I've actually read most of these, and can most certainly attest to their power to leave you hungover on feels, on story, on characters. I'm planning to reread some of them too, as a matter of fact.
• Gillian brings back her Literary PSA feature by highlighting all the Tamora Pierce novels set in Tortall. Thanks to Macky, I read and loved all the Tamora Pierce books in the years before I started blogging - and I would happily revisit and recommend them time and again.
• Jamie talks about some of the podcasts she's been listening to. I think I'm most curious about Happier, since it's a podcast by Gretchen Rubin and I liked her novel The Happiness Project. I'm only recently starting to enjoy audiobooks though, so we'll see how I do with this.
• Meg Fee is one a blogger/writer I've been following for the longest time. The way she expresses herself in her posts is thoughtful, artful and personal, and I fell in love with her words from the first time I came across a post. I'm loving this reminder post she's written.
• Jen is back with another edition of The Literary Shopaholic, and this time she's focused on one of my greatest weaknesses: tote bags. Seriously, if you're in the market for a new tote and you're a book nerd, she's got you covered. (I may have bookmarked a ton of these.)
• Taylor Jenkins Reid was interviewed for Marie Claire, and her thoughts are just so inspiring. She makes me want to reexamine my own life and discover what I'm truly passionate about.
• How adorable is this post pairing desserts + books? These are two of my favorite things in the world, so you can totally understand why this post hit my sweet spot.
• Josephine tackles the concept of quantified reading. Are you all for quantity, quality or both? I'd like to think I go for both - reading a lot of books and reading good ones. I've been more likely to read books I'd enjoy this year, setting aside the ones I didn't feel were for me (though I've erred on that too, in a minor way).

WHAT I ACQUIRED

from publishers (Thanks Penguin Random House, Berkley NAL, Harper Collins, Harlequin, Bloomsbury!)
physical: Undeniable by Liz Bankes / The Lure of the Moonflower by Lauren Willig / Storm Siren by Mary Weber / Siren's Fury by Mary Weber / Just a Summer Fling by Cate Cameron
e-galley: The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick / Wildest Dreams by Robyn Carr

gifted (Thanks Lena!)
e-galley: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

bought
physical: Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
e-book: Chasing Impossible by Katie McGarry