Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! ;-)

Hey there, my lovelies!

So my blog schedule was a little bit chaotic and erratic those last couple of weeks which was once again mostly due to the fact that I was extremely busy. XD It always seems to happen before Christmas and I’m very sorry I didn’t manage to keep to my two blog posts a week policy. I’ll work on it, promise. *lol* Anyway!

This said: I’m finally on vacation and after studying my butt off those last couple of weeks I can actually take a break and enjoy two weeks of holidays! *lol* I really need them though so I probably won’t be all too active on here until the end of the year. I have no idea if I’ll be able to get up a blog post next Wednesday because I’ll meet my family and friends and probably will be busy with lots of reunions and Christmas celebrations. I’ll definitely get up a post on silvester though, so please stay tuned for that. 😉

After getting this all out of the way I finally just wanted to say THANK YOU for still being on this journey with me! My blog is still growing and I’m very thankful for each and everyone who stuck around with me! No matter if it were just the last couple of months or if it’s ever since I started my blog I’ll always be grateful for all the support I got/and still get from you. May it be by reading my reviews, commenting on my blog posts, for your lovely words that always seem to come at the right time or for clicking that like button. Just thank you! You have no idea how much I appreciate all of you and I really love this bookish community to bits and pieces!

And I’m sure you already guessed it by the title of this blog post: I want to wish you all a wonderful Christmas and an awesome time with your family and friends! No matter where you live, no matter what you’re up to those next couple of days, I wish you all the best and all the health and happiness! I’m sending positive and christmassy vibes your way and I’ll continue to cross my fingers for all of you! I wish you joy, hope, lots of love, luck and most of all I wish you good health!  Have a Merry Christmas, my lovelies and (fox) kits! ;-P

And as always stay healthy and safe!

*hugs’n’kisses*

The Sassy Library Fox

SASSY Saturday

Hey there my lovelies!

Welcome back to another round of my montly blog meme „SASSY Saturday“!

How does it work? Well, that’s easy! 

All you have to do is to follow those three golden rules:

1. Credit the creator of this tag (The Sassy Library Fox) and link back. (so I can see all your amazing answers!)
2. Answer the 5 questions below!
3. AND enjoy doing the blog meme!  

„SASSY Saturday“ is planned to be a monthly meme but if you want to do it more often feel free to go for it! This meme was created to get to know other bloggers, their new obsessions and to reflect on your own last month! Above all it was created to have fun though!  If you want you can also use the banner I created! This said let’s head to the good part:

S – Series you loved this month

Her Private Life: My Yoongi and I are at it again and are buddy watching another k-drama together. And this one was such a perfect choice for us because it’s about a museum curator that’s secretly a fangirl and adores Si-an the singer of a k-pop band! *lol* She’s the creator of a fanpage named „The Road to Si-an“ and I just love this series so much! It’s funny but also cute and has all those „awww“ moments I crave for atm, plus it surprised me which is always rare. So yep, this is amazing and I can totally recommend it if you’re part of a fandom as well. 😉

A – Author you discovered

Kacen Callender – Felix Ever After

I really enjoyed this book so much and it made me think a lot and I just love it?! Kacen Callender wrote such a good and thought provoking story and I was so here for it! XD I can’t wait to read more of them and I’m sure their other books will be amazing too! Also that gorgeous cover! I’ll never get tired of looking at those beautiful bright colours. ❤

S – Song you couldn’t get enough of

Never Not – Lauv

I love this song so much! It’s beautiful with wonderful lyrics and very slow and calm. And I can actually sing it with mostly hitting the right notes. *lol* I think every ARMY knows this one, because JK as well as Tae sang it. I’ve known „Never Not“ for quite a while but for some reason I just rediscovered it. Maybe because I need calming music lately.

S – Surprise – Something that totally caught you off guard

My reading slump! I had no idea that I even was in one until I realized that I barely read anything these days and that I’m always too tired to pick up a book. T_T I only managed to read 3 books and 2 mangas last month and it’s not funny. It’s not that I don’t want to read or that I’m not in the mood for it, it’s more that I just don’t have the time and when I do I’m so tired from work and my private life that I just can’t read without my eyes falling shut after 3 pages. >_< Send help!! I want to get rid of this slump. XD I need a vacation… badly.

Y – Your fave blog post of another blogger

3 Signs You Probably Should DNF That Book @ BooksWithNatasa

I never ever dnf’d a book but I really liked Natasa’s blog post and totally agreed with everything she said at the beginning of her blog post. So far it seems like I’m mostly lucky with my book choices but if I ever see one of those signs I’ll know what to do. *lol* Thank you for that blog post, Natasa! =)

What do you think about „SASSY Saturday“? Would you like to join the fun? Did you already know „Never Not“ through BTS as well? What kind of tv show did you watch last month and was it good? How do you get out of a reading slump?! Any ideas how I can get out of mine? (Aside of going on a vacation, of course. *lol*)

Talk to me and let me know! 

*hugs’n’kisses*

The Sassy Library Fox

400 Followers Celebration Post & My BookTube channel

Hey there, my lovelies!!!

I know three exclamation marks is very enthusiastic but OMG I am very excited right now! On the one hand I recently hit the huge number of 400 Followers on WordPress and on the other hand I actually went for my own BookTube channel and recently posted my first video! So YAY! =)))

To be entirely honest I didn’t think I’d reach either of those goals so I’m really happy I actually did! I think to understand my enthusiasm I have to give some sort of backstory here, otherwise you might just think I’m weird. (Oh, well, you already do that, right? *lol*) Anyway!

I don’t know about you but when I started on WordPress about 2 1//2 years ago I was a total newbie (weren’t we all?) and had no idea what I was doing. I saw all those amazing blogs and they were all so unique and special and really nice to read. So I thought I want my blog to be a nice and safe space too, where people can read and skim through my content and enjoy a couple of minutes without any stress or commitment. I saw those huge blogs with so many followers and thought: Oh boy, I’ll probably never get there but it will be fun to try. So I started my blog, drew my fox and my paws rating, made some banners on Canva and just went with the flow. Back then I admired the blogs that had 400 Followers because, wow that was a lot for me! And that’s exactly the reason why I’m so excited right now, because I’ve hit that number that always felt so HUGE! And tell you what? It still feels pretty huge! *lol*

So after reaching this goal and thanks to a lot of support not only from the goodreads community but also from my family and friends I finally decided to go for my own BookTube channel. For now there’s just an introduction video and I already know that I still have a lot to learn! XD This said I know I can do better and I’ll try my best to make this work. And before you even ask: Of course I’ll continue with my wordpress blog because it’s my baby and I just love to write and to chat with you guys. I see my BookTube channel as some sort of extension to my blog and I’m sure this will be a great opportunity to broaden my horizon!

This said: Is there some content you’d want to see either on my blog or on my BookTube? I’m open for every idea! =) I can’t really do a giveaway at the moment but I’ll definitely give you guys a shout-out on my channel! XD I pondered the idea of another Q & A but I don’t know if you guys would be up for it? I suppose I could even answer them in video form since I have BookTube now. *lol* What I can already say is: THANK YOU!!! To all of you, no matter how short or how long you’ve been following me! ❤ ❤ ❤

So what do you think? Talk to me and let me know! =)

And as always try to stay healthy and safe!

*hugs’n’kisses*

The Sassy Library Fox

250 Followers Celebration!

Hey there my lovelies!

So about two weeks ago I wrote a 250 followers celebration post (how come it are 265 now? *lol* Anyway! Let’s not challenge my luck. XD) and gave you the opportunity to choose from three different celebration options. 🙂

As it seems most of you want me to draw fan art so fan art it’s going to be! 😛 The only question that’s left to ask is: Which character should I draw?! And here is where you come into play! Let me know which bookish characters I should go for! You can write down your suggestions in the comments and I’ll put them all into a bowl so I can pull out one of them.

It’s been a while I last drew things in manga style so bear with me. It might take quite some time until you’ll be able to see the final result. I still hope it will be worth it though. *lol* I’ll definitely try my best to make this work! 😉 (I can already tell my inner perfectionist isn’t going to let me off the hook easily.)

Anyway! Let’s do this! I’m looking forward to all of your suggestions and ideas!

Fire away! XD

*hugs’n’kisses*

The Sassy Library Fox

 

P.S: Doomslug and Hermione Granger are already in the bowl. 😉

Totally Didn’t Book Tag

Hey there, my lovelies!

A while back Sahi @ My World of Books did this tag and I found it pretty interesting so I decided that I feel tagged and snatched it for my own blog! 😛 I think this might be kind of a challenge because the questions won’t be easy to answer, I still want to do it though. We all need a challenge every once in a while, right? And before I jump right in: If you don’t know Sahi’s blog already, take a look at it! She’s a great person and her blog has amazing content! 😀 This said, let the fun begin!

1. Totally didn’t need to have a sequel/sequels.

I’ll go with „The Maze Runner“ here. I just finished this series recently and the only book I really liked was the first one. From book 2 on this series made absolutely no sense and the only thing this series had going for it were Newt and Minho! *lol* This might be an unpopular opinion but I stand by it. 😛

 

2. Totally didn’t need to have more than one point of view.

Now that’s a tough question. I usually love books with more POVs so I can’t think of a single book that should have only had one. I can think of one POV I definitely didn’t need though. Adam’s POV in the „Shatter Me“ series. I really dislike his character and I probably should have never read the Novella from his POV. *lol*

3. Totally didn’t need to change cover art through the middle of a series.

English    vs. German 

 

I don’t know if that counts but I reread the „Precious Stone Trilogy“ a few weeks ago and this time around I went for the English version. I’ve to admit that I like the German version way better than the cover art of the English books.

4. Totally didn’t need a love triangle.

Haha! I’m so with Sahi when it comes to this answer! Yes, yes and once again yes! The love triangle in „The Hunger Games“ was totally pointless!

5. Totally didn’t need this book to be included in this series.

It’s been a while I read this series but I remember thinking that „City of Lost Souls“ was the weakest book in the entire series. The idea was good and some parts of it I actually enjoyed but at the same time I was kind of pissed that my HEA was destroyed and that everything started all over again.

6. Totally didn’t need a cliffhanger.

And once again I can only agree with Sahi. The ending of „War Storm“ frustrated the hell out of me too! I just wanted more than that! There were still so many open questions and I didn’t get any answers. Guess I’ll have to read „Broken Throne“ soon! Thanks for the tip! 😀

7. Totally didn’t need to have just one point of view.

This might be an unpopular opinion but I would have loved to see different POV in the ACOTAR series! I mean we see everything through Feyre’s eyes (okay a little bit from Rhys’s POV too) but since I love all those characters I would have enjoyed to know their thoughts! Especially Lucien’s! I need a Lucien Vanserra POV so badly I can’t even! *lol*

8. Totally didn’t need that much hype.

And here I go with another unpopular opinion, but seriously why did „Divergent“ get so much hype?! I loved the first book and it was amazing but boy did I hate what Veronica Roth did with the rest of the series. „Insurgent“ wasn’t as good as the first book and don’t even get me started on „Allegiant“. *sighs*

9. Totally didn’t need a relative book reference. (Eg, For example: Hunger Games fan would love Divergent.)

Okay, here comes the moment where I have to point out that Goodreads gives the weirdest recommendations and relative book references! I mean it recently told me I’d enjoy „American Psycho“ because I read Akairya (The Fractured Soul)! Just to explain this: „Akairya“ is a fantasy middle grade book and „American Psycho“ is… well it’s FREAKING „American Psycho“ that’s what it is!! *lol*

10. Totally didn’t deserve my time.

Oh gods, don’t even get me started! XD I guess the worst book that comes to mind is „Genuine Fraud“ though. It made absolutely no sense and it went exactly nowhere. I enjoyed „We Were Liars“ but „Genuine Fraud“ definitely wasn’t for me!

---

Since I kind of snatched this for my blog I’m not going to tag anyone! Feel free to do the tag if you want to though. =) Just make sure to link back to me so I can read your answers! What did you think about mine? Do you agree or do I actually have quite a lot of unpopular opinions? *lol*

Tell me and let me know! ;P 

*hugs’n’kisses*

The Sassy Library Fox

Fuss, Cuss & Discuss: Age gaps in books & why some people’s reactions confuse & amuse me

Hey there my lovelies!

It’s about time to implement my New Year’s resolutions and to start with my discussion posts! My last one was in September 2019 so shame on me for taking so long! *lol* Anyway, let’s not dwell on the past but rather focus on the future of my „Fuss, Cuss & Discuss“ post. 😉

I’ve been a member on goodreads for about 2 1/2 years now and there’s a topic that always returns and comes up again: Age gaps between book characters! Now the first thing you’ve to know about me is that my hubby and I have an age difference of about 9 years. Neither of us sees this as problematic and in all honesty when you reach a certain age and both of your lives head in the same direction, it actually isn’t an issue anymore.

So let’s explain my stance on age gaps and when they should be considered problematic (well at least in my opinion):

• 12 year old girl and 16 year old boy: NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! That would be so, so, so soooo damn wrong I can’t even!!! They are both at completely different stages of their lives. Their age gap might only be 4 years but at that age this makes all the difference!!!
• 20 year old girl and 26 year old girl/boy (let’s get a little bit of diversity into this 😉 ): Yes, go for it! They are both adults and they (supposedly) know what they want from life. (I have to mention that in Austria you’re an adult when you’re 18. At that age you’re allowed to drive, to drink and to marry. I’m aware that it’s different in other countries, hence the short digression. XD)
• 40 year old man and 60 year old woman/man: Well, they are old enough to know that their partner could be their own kid, but if they love each other and want the same thing, who am I to judge?

Well, that’s my opinion about age gaps in a nutshell. Still, in the bookish world there are more interesting things that can happen and it never ceases to amaze me how people think of them. One of the most interesting things are age gaps in YA and fantasy books. Why are they so interesting? Well, because in all honesty the way people react to those age gaps is amusing and sometimes, yes, I admit it, outright hilarious! *lol*

Want an example?

Okay, let’s go with „Throne of Glass“ here because this actually made me smirk when I read it. Warning: This is going to be spoilery so if you didn’t read the „Throne of Glass“ series or „Twilight“ yet, you better don’t continue to read! Fair warning, you still got time to leave this page! 😉

Are you ready?

So , in „Throne of Glass“ we have our MC Celaena Sardothien and at one point in the series we reach a moment where it’s mentioned that her former mentor and King of the Assassins Arobynn Hamel loved her and that she was intrigued by him too. At that moment in the series Celaena is about 17 or 18 and Arobynn is 38? Imagine the reactions of the people who read this! „Ewww“ and „This age gap is nauseous!“ were rather mild reactions. And okay, I admit it, that’s an age gap that wouldn’t be okay for me too, but then you always have to see things from the right perspective because and now comes the part where I couldn’t help but laugh:

People found it completely intolerable that Celaena and Arobynn had feelings for each other, but they were totally okay with the Celaena/Rowan ship! Which gets one big fat *LOL* from me! You wonder why? Well, because dear Prince Rowan Whitethorn might look like a 17 year old teenager but is actually 350+ years old! Funny just because he looks like a 17 year old teen it’s okay for them to be together? Let’s be real here: He’s about 312 years older than Arobynn and about 332 years older than Celaena! So if you ask me that’s a really unacceptable age gap. The about 20 years between Arobynn and Celeana are peanuts in comparison. *lol* Not that I don’t ship them, I’m all for the Celaena/Rowan ship but why do people think to ship them is totally okay and to ship her with Arobynn is wrong? From the age perspective it makes absolutely no sense.

The same thing could be used for „Twilight“ as well. I mean Bella is what? 17? And Edward is 100 years old? If you break it down to the basics Edward is a 100 year old creeper that watches a 17 year old girl while she sleeps! *lol* Yet everyone is riled up about the age gap between Bella and Jacob. Because, OH MY, Jacob is 15 and 2 years younger than Bella! The mere idea is so horrible, I can’t even! (notice the sarcasm in here! 😛 )

You can blame me for shipping Bella with Jacob but quite honestly if it comes to the age difference, those two are harmless in comparison to the Bella/Edward ship! XD Just saying!

And with that I’ve reached the end of my „Fuss, Cuss & Discuss“ post. There are like about a gazillion of other examples I could have used as well, but I’ll just leave it at that. I think after reading those two you already get the idea. 😉

So what do you say? Huge age gaps between the MCs of a book: YAY or NAY? Does it depend on the book genre? Would you be okay with a 15 years age gap between a faerie and a human? Would you see it differently if it would be a 15 year difference between the MCs of a contemporary book? Why is it okay in fantasy books? What’s your stance on age gaps in general?

Let’s fuss, cuss and discuss! 😛

*hugs’n’kisses*

The Sassy Library Fox

Your Questions – My Answers ;-P (Part II)

Hey there, my lovelies! ❤

In one of my last blog posts I celebrated 200 followers and invited you to ask me some personal questions. As it seems you guys are pretty shy. *lol* Well, at least there weren’t any scandalous questions coming my way so I had no trouble answering them properly. 😛 (For once I didn’t have to use my silver-tongued faerie skills to blur the truth. Haha!)

Anyway! I really liked your questions and it was a lot of fun to answer them so thank you for making this interesting! XD I hope my answers will satisfy your curiosity and if not, just ask me an additional question in the comments. 😉

This said, let’s head directly to your interesting questions! =)

Hamad @ The Book Prescription

What is your reading routine?

Trying to get as many pages into my day as possible? *lol* Just kidding! Or not. XD Well, mostly I read about 4 – 5 different books and I vary between them. Like I’ll read a book when I drive to work (I’m a commuter and it takes 1 1/2 hours to get to my job), another one when I head back from work and a third one when I finally collapse on my sofa at night. And yes, everyone who knows their maths must have figured that this were only three books, so here comes the explanation: Different days, different books! 😉 Ever since I became a part of goodreads I also began to use those little post-its in order to mark all those awesome quotes. And yes, sometimes my physical copies look like a little hedgehog! *lol*

Geanie @ The Library Lady Travels

How did you come up with such a great name for your blog?

Ohh I absolutely love that one! ❤ There actually went a lot of thought into it. XD I always loved libraries and they are some sort of sanctuary for me. Whenever I felt sad or lonely, I’d escape into the nearest library and would get lost in those endless rows of books. Even now I feel at home there. So once when I was there with my bestie she said she’d go into another section while I skimmed the English bookshelves. She was like: „You know where to find me?“ And I answered: „Of course! I practically live here and kinda have a registration form.“ *lol* So I knew that there had to be „library“ in my name. 😛 As for the sassy and fox part. Well, everyone who knows me in real life knows that I’m sassy as hell. So that was kind of a no-brainer. Haha! *shrugs* Regarding the „fox“ there went quite some thought into it as well. It’s not only my spirit animal but I also share quite some character traits with it. *lol* Plus according to Chinese and Japanese mythology foxes are some sort of shape shifters that can change into any form. Which fits my nature more than just well. And if I’d try to explain this statement my answer would turn into an essay so I better leave it at that. 😛 (I’m being deliberately cryptic here. XD)

Kaya @ A Fictional Bookworm

What is the number one thing you’d recommend doing (or not doing!) for a new blogger?

Just do your thing! And I mean it! When I started with my blog I had that idea of a fox themed site and I stuck by it. It was difficult to get my blog running because I had no idea what to expect or where to start. The important thing is that I WANTED it to work out though. So I started to draw my fox and my paws, made some pictures etc. As long as you have an idea and are willing to make it real everything is possible. Plus try to connect with other bloggers! It helped me so much to get tips from them! (I’ll always be thankful for the mention of Canva!!!) I think once you have something unique and manage to turn your idea into a blog, your baby is going to take off no matter what. 😉 As for the „not doing“ part: Don’t be a hermit. *lol* The blogger community is awesome and it’s fun to make new friends!

 

Alexandra Elend Wolf

What’s the biggest difference between reviewing books on GR and your blog?

I think the main difference is that I post more reviews on Goodreads. There’s a review for every book I read on there, even if it’s a very short one. On my blog I don’t post as many reviews and not as often, mostly because I write about other things on here too. For instance I do tags and write either personal posts or poetry. Goodreads is all about reviews, my blog is about my personal life and character too. 😉 So basically you could say not every review I write on goodreads makes its way on my blog. Only the good and the exceptionally long ones! *lol* Because lets face it: I actually DO write super long reviews and the word limit on goodreads makes it impossible to write down all of my feelings and thoughts. So I’d write a short version on goodreads and post the „extended version“ on here. 😉

 

Sara

Are you studying or working? If you are studying, you are a college or a university student? If you are working, what is your job?

I’m working and I’ve been working for the last 11 years or so. *lol* (Exception were the 2 1/2 years parental leave) I wish I’d still be a university student! Haha! Life was way easier back then. XD So to answer your question: I went to uni but only for about two terms. After I graduated I began to study psychology, history and international affairs, but unfortunately I realized that I just didn’t want to study any more and therefore started to look for a job. I guess I could have become a chef because I have a diploma but I decided to become an assistant instead. So that’s exactly what I’m doing right now: I work as an assistant at an NGO. 😉

This was a lot of fun! Thank you for asking me those questions! =) I hope my answers were insightful and interesting to read!

*hugs’n’kisses*

The Sassy Library Fox

200 followers celebration post

Hey there, my lovelies!

I can’t believe there are already 200 of you out there! When did this happen? Not all too long ago I celebrated 150 followers with a giveaway and now 50 of you joined my blog once again! 🙂

This is AMAZING!!! I thought I might get a 100 followers until the end of 2019 and here you are, double the size I anticipated and I couldn’t be more excited! ❤ I’m so glad you guys seem to enjoy my blog and I’m trying my very best to keep it running! (Even if it’s difficult sometimes because my kid, work and life in general are keeping me quite busy. >_<)

Anyway! The last time when I hit a 100 followers I gave you a chance to ask me some questions and because it was so much fun to answer them I’m doing a second round now! 😉 I mean there are 100 more of you now and I’m sure you might have some questions too! *lol* As I said the last time, there’s only so much you can write down in your „About Me“ section and there are usually only the basics.

So once again: Whatever you want to ask me, I’m here and will answer your questions honestly and truthfully in one of my next blog posts!

(Or at least as honest and truthful as a cunning and silver tongued faerie like me can answer them. 😛 I gave that warning the last time and only found it fair to mention it again. XD)

Ask me about my fave colour, hobbies, book, the meaning of life (even though I’m not quite sure if I’ll be able to answer that one) or whatever floats your boat! This is your chance to get some answers to questions you never dared to ask! (Yes, plural. You’re allowed to ask more than one question if you want, but I doubt I’m that interesting. *lol*)

This said: Fire away! I’m ready! Or as ready as I’ll ever be!

*hugs’n’kisses*

The Sassy Library Fox

My 1st Bloggiversary!!! =D

Hey there, my lovelies! ❤

Yes, you read right! It’s my first Bloggiversary (yep, I write it with two „g“s, don’t ask me why! *lol*) and I don’t even know how that happened! I mean: WOW! I’ve been blogging for a year now and the time went by so fast it still feels like I just started. XD But no, exactly a year ago I wrote my first blog post and I’ve been blogging like crazy ever since. 😉

I feel like I learned so much and made so many new friends on here! To be honest, I was kind of scared of failing when I started my blog but you guys were amazing and welcomed me with open arms. ❤ I can’t believe there are already 192 of you out there following my blog posts and discussing books with me! It’s such an incredible number I can’t even! XD Especially if you consider that to follow someone’s blog is actually some sort of commitment! I mean to get a notification whenever someone writes a new post?! That’s dedication!! (Dedication even my brother-in-law didn’t have!! *LOL* He followed me at the beginning of the year and unfollowed me 2 months later with the words: „I’m sorry, but I get so many mails I can’t keep up with your blog.“)

I know in comparison to other bloggers I’m probably frying little fish, but considering that I’m not only going to work 4 days a week but also have a little child I’m proud that I even managed to post twice a week. XD

Anyway! What I’m trying to say is that I’m sending a HUGE „thank you“ to all of you that still decided to klick that (ominous) button! ❤ *lol* I appreciate each and every one of you and I’m very glad to call you my friends!

So what did I achieve this year? (please bear with my nerdy self that loves a decent statistic 😛 )

• I invented my blog meme Hugs’n’kisses OR Dismissed by the Missus/Messrs which funnily worked out pretty awesome for me! Apparently I’m the only one who does it though so yeah. *lol* If you ever decide to give it a try please link back to me. I’d love to know if anyone else is happy with it! XD
• I started to write monthly Wrap Ups and it really helps to keep track of my reading progress!
• I implemented my own discussion post that’s named Fuss, Cuss & Discuss! (Let’s see how that one goes. I just started so I’m curious if a lot of you will join my discussions. 😉 )
• I discovered the „planning“ option! (Very, very useful if you’re working and don’t have all too much time! Haha! 😀 )
• I drew my library fox, my paws and the leave tendril! 😀
• I wrote a total of 124 (125 if you count this one too) blog posts and I just realized what a huge number this is! *lol*
• I got 944 comments and 1.781 likes for my blog posts. *whistles*
• About 3.504 people visited my blog and another 7.218 viewed it during those last 12 months.
• And last but not least, I have 192 amazing followers! 😉

Mhmm it’s been a wild year, but I get the impression that you actually want me to continue to write. *lol* 😛

Joking aside, I’m so going to keep up this blog! It’s my second baby and I wouldn’t know what to do without you guys! I might be busy with my family, friends, work, my child and life in general, but every Friday I have 3 hours to work on my blog and I make sure to use them as good as I can! XD

So once again, thanks for reading my reviews and blog posts, thanks for sticking with me and for clicking that follow button! Thank you for all the support and the nice welcome into the blogging community! I love you all! ❤

*hugs’n’kisses*

The Sassy Library Fox

 

 

 

Fuss, Cuss & Discuss: My top 5 requirements to grant 5 paws – Or the reason why I’m so easily pleased

Hey there my lovelies,

I recently sat in the train and thought about the main reasons that make a book an awesome book for me. (I guess I might have had a J.K. Rowling kinda moment there *lol* Only that she started to write the HP series when she commuted and I only came up with a blog post. XD Which is the reason why she’s such a good author and I’m not. *lol*)

Well, anyway *clears throat* after thinking about it for a while I came to the conclusion that there are five requirements that automatically make me want to give a book 5 paws and I thought I might share them with you. Plus since I wanted to go for a few discussion posts every once in a while I decided this might be the right moment to invent them. 😛
(Look at me, all business and professional. *lol* It only took me almost a year to get there…)

Of course, I wouldn’t be me if I wouldn’t make a blog post that rhymes so in future you’ll find my discussion posts under the name: “Fuss, Cuss & Discuss” which seemed to be pretty appropriate the moment I thought it up. XD

So without further ado here come “My top 5 requirements to grant 5 paws” Not necessarily in that order, mind you:

1.) Complex and 3D characters:

When it comes to books I love nothing more than complex characters! I live and breathe for them and if they aren’t only multi-layered but also morally grey I’m already looking like the cat who ate the canary. 😛 There’s nothing better than awesome characters and in my opinion a book lives and thrives on a great and diverse cast!

Best character driven books I know: The Raven Cycle Series by Maggie Stiefvater, The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb

2.) World Building:

Okay, I admit I might be pretty biased here but if I read a fantasy book or a book that plays in another world I want to have a map!!! XD There are authors who write the most beautiful and vivid worlds but if I don’t have a map on which I can follow I always feel kind of lost. So yes to be creative and to flesh out the world is wonderful and will instantly cause me to give the book one more paw. But if you add a map to it? Well, this gets extra kudos from me! *lol*

Great world building WITH a map: The Codex Alera Series by Jim Butcher, ACOTAR Series and Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas

3.) Emotions:

I can only speak for myself here but when I read a book I want to feel something. I want to laugh, I want to cry, I want to be either angry or happy, maybe even both, but most of all I want to feel with the characters. If a book manages to evoke emotions from me it’s already a good book. No matter if those feelings are bad or good, as long as I feel them with all my heart the book already did its job. *lol* I once told my family: “A book that takes you to another place and forces you to think is amazing. But a book that makes you feel, a book that causes you to laugh or cry, well THAT is a truly great book.” 😉 And I still stand by it!

Books that quite literally kill you with emotion: Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunter books – The Infernal Devices, The Dark Artifices; The Shatter Me Series by Tahereh Mafi

4.) Plot twists & storyline:

I hate plot twist, but I also love them so you might say I love to hate them? *lol* I’m not easily surprised but when a book actually manages to make me question my sanity I can’t help but love it for this audacity. XD I guess when you read as many books as I do there comes a point when nothing can surprise you anymore, or at least you think nothing can. Well, and then there comes an author who says: Muahaha! I dare you! And the next thing you know is that you’re emotionally destroyed because their storyline and plot twists ripped out your heart. So yep, I’m a sucker for shocking plot twists and well thought out story lines. 😛

A book series with plot twist that will get you on your knees: The Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown, The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

5.) Quotable:

As you can already tell from my super long reviews I love, love, love and love quotes! If a book has amazing quotes I’ll instantly like it. I collect them, I treasure them, I know some of them by heart and if anyone quotes books or movies to me I’m a goner. ❤ Some quotes are just beautiful and true. =))

Books with amazing quotes: Six of Crows Series by Leigh Bardugo, anything by Cassandra Clare, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

So this were „My top 5 requirements to grant 5 paws“! What about you? What makes a book a great read for you and do you agree on some of my requirements? If yes, which ones!? Let’s fuss, cuss and discuss! 😛

*hugs’n’kisses*

The Sassy Library Fox