Bookish Crafts - Bookish Sticker Magnets

 If you're anything like me, you like crafts. But to me, there's something that's even better than just crafts....it's BOOKISH CRAFTS. I spend quite a bit of what limited free time I have making bookish crafts, whether it's some of my tote bags or even my swag frames, but today I have something new I want to show you. 

Do you have bookish stickers? Yeah, I know this kind of falls into play with my swag frames, but when I pre-ordered Isla, I got these super cute stickers and I just didn't want to put them in  my frames, but I didn't want to stick them on anything either, because I WANT TO KEEP THEM FOREVER! Okay? Ha, so they just sat on my desk for weeks and weeks and weeks until last night, when I made them into something that I can 1) Keep forever and 2) Show off. 

Bookish friends, I give you.....

A tutorial for BOOKISH MAGNETS! BOOM!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED (pictured above):

• A pair of handy dandy scissors.
• A roll of magnetic magnet stuff. (You can get this at Wal-mart. Usually in the office supplies)
• BOOKISH STICKERS.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Measure your sticker up against magnet stripping, and cut to fit sticker. There may be a little overhang in the end. (No worries, you can cut it off later!)
2. Once you have enough magnetic stripping cut, peel your sticker off it's sticky thingy ma-jig (the paper, idk the official wording haha) and line up your magnetic strips on the backing, and stick! (see pictures below!)
3. Cut to fit. Like I said before you may have a little over hang (because I'm horrible at measuring I had lots, and I wasted a lot of magnetic strips. I initially planned on doing more sticker magnets, but alas, I ran out of magnetic stuff)
4. Viola! You now have a bookish sticker magnet! Now go put it on your fridge!

(Adding my magnetic stripping to the back of my sticker!)

My new bookish sticker magnets on my mini fridge! (Fun fact: I also use my fridge as a marker board for bookish quotes. That's what all that writing is behind!)


And there you have it my friends! Hopefully that was easy to understand! If you have any questions, feel free to holla at me below or on twitter! What bookish craft should I make next? 

Stacking the Shelves (21)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, where bloggers share their weekly book hauls! I absolutely love showcasing what I received over the week, and seeing what goodies everyone else got as well!!!

*NOTE: This is from the past two/three weeks* 

PURCHASED:

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Blackbird by Anna Carey

The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

Between the Spark and the Burn by April Genevieve Tucholke

Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley

WON:

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer *ARC*

Starry Night by Isabel Gillies

Storm Siren by Mary Weber

This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner *ARC*

Not in the Script by Amy Finnegan *ARC*

Lailah by Nikki Kelly *ARC*

Sway by Kat Spears *ARC*

Adrenaline Crush by Laurie Boyle Crompton *ARC*

Firebug by Lish McBride *ARC*

Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper *ARC*

The Fine Art of Pretending by Rachel Harris

Neverhome by Laird Hunt

FOR REVIEW:

I Want It That Way by Ann Aguirre

Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King

Captive by Aimee Carter

Endgame: The Calling by James Frey & Nils Johnson-Shelton

HUGE THANKS to Andye, Ann Aguirre, Rachel, Jen, Harper Teen, Tiffany, and Mac Teen! 

SO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BECCA LAND?

YAY! I posted blog posts every single day this week! WOOT! Finally getting into the hang of things again, and holy smokes! I've gained a ton of new followers. *waves* Sorry for not being around that much lately! Between working my day job and painting totes, I haven't had much time to read or even think about posting anything. It was really stressing me out, but I think I'm getting the hang of things again! YAY! Because I legit missed the heck out of all of you! *SQUISHES* Everything linked below is from the past few weeks, so if you missed it, you can catch it still! I've got a giveaway going on right now for a BADASS book (one of my absolute faves this year, with SIGNED swag!) and it has LOW entires so be sure to go enter that! Andye and I have an AWESOME giveaway coming up soon too, that I am DYING to share with everyone. *zips lips* I'm also going to be posting a few times each month on Adventures in YA Publishing now too! How exciting, right?! You can see my introduction linked below. I'm super excited about this new feature! As for me, I just finished reading The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas, and I was supposed to wait to read Heir of Fire as a buddy read with the bestie (SORRY SARAH!) buuuuuut I can't help myself. I'm off to drool over Chaol. Have a great weekend, friends! 

BLOG POSTS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:

• Review & Giveaway: Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine
• Tote(ally) Tuesday (4)
• Waiting on Wednesday (32) 
• 10 Awkward Scenarios Every Bookworm Has Encountered
• ARC REVIEW: Mary: The Summoning by Hillary Monahan

POSTS AROUND THE BLOG-O-SPHERE:

• Guest Review on Reading Teen- 100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith
• Guest Review on Reading Teen- Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick
• Guest Review on Reading Teen- Wildlife by Fiona Wood
• Guest Review on Reading Teen- Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld
• Guest Review on Reading Teen- I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
• My Welcome & Introductory post on Adventures in YA Publishing
• Guest Review on Reading Teen- Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

That's it for me!

Did you get anything amazeballs this week?

Link me up so I can come see! :)

ARC REVIEW - Mary: The Summoning by Hillary Monahan

Mary: The Summoning by Hillary Monahan Published by: Disney-Hyperion on September 2nd, 2014 Series: Bloody Mary #1 Pages: 256 Format: ARC Paperback Genre: Horror Source: For Review Rating: 2/5 BUY THE BOOK or ADD IT TO GOODREADS! FROM GOODREADS: There is a right way and a wrong way to summon her.
Jess had done the research. Success requires precision: a dark room, a mirror, a candle, salt, and four teenage girls. Each of them-- Jess, Shauna, Kitty, and Anna-- must link hands, follow the rules...and never let go.
A thrilling fear spins around the room the first time Jess calls her name: "Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary. BLOODY MARY." A ripple of terror follows when a shadowy silhouette emerges through the fog, a specter trapped behind the mirror.
Once is not enough, though-- at least not for Jess. Mary is called again. And again. But when their summoning circle is broken, Bloody Mary slips through the glass with a taste for revenge on her lips. As the girls struggle to escape Mary's wrath, loyalties are questioned, friendships are torn apart, and lives are forever changed.
A haunting trail of clues leads Shauna on a desperate search to uncover the legacy of Mary Worth. What she finds will change everything, but will it be enough to stop Mary-- and Jess-- before it's too late?
MY THOUGHTS:
Dear Mary: The Summoning, 
Well, that's quite a long name, so I'm just gonna call ya Mary from here on out? Kay? Anyways, I've always been intrigued about horror stories, but have yet to find one to thoroughly creep me the heck out. I was hoping you would change that for me. Did you? Not so much. You had some gory and disgusting scenarios in you, sure, but you seemed to just get repetitive with things, and I lost interest quick unfortunately.
I love horror. I watch horror movies all the time, and Bloody Mary? Who hasn't played that game? It still scares the bejeezus out of me! I figured that would be enough to scare me, but it just wasn't. Maybe part of the reason was because your characters Shauna, Jess, Anna, and Kitty just made such dumb decisions, and continued to make them even though they knew better! It annoyed me so much that I shut you and let you sit on my nightstand for a week and a half before I guilt tripped myself into finishing you, because I have a thing about not finishing books. I mean, what if I stopped reading you right before a part happens that would make me love you? Very rarely does that happen, and it didn't with you either. 
I guess the only reason I'm really giving you two stars is because you were different. The description was great, and you were very fast-paced. I think most horror fans will love you, but for someone who is hard to scare and watches so much horror stuff such as me? Well, you unfortunately didn't do much, Mary. I'm disappointed that I didn't love you. I guess if someone is looking for a quick, scary story worthy of a sci-fi channel movie, then you are the book to check in to! Other than that, I felt you had a brilliant premise that was just executed poorly. Honestly, I didn't even know you were part of a series until I started this review, but I won't be picking up the sequel. You didn't give enough time for me to connect to the characters to care about what happens to them. You were better than some of the recent horror books I've read *cough* like Welcome to the Dark House *cough* but not much. 
Meh, 
Becca

Have you read Mary: The Summoning?

What did you think?

Let's discuss!

10 Awkward Scenarios Every Bookworm Has Encountered

There are infinite amount of awkward scenarios that I, as a bookworm, have experienced, but I've narrowed it down to these ten, because they happen the most often. 

1. That moment when you're sitting there, minding your own business and fully engrossed in the latest novel of your choosing, and someone interrupts you by talking to you, over meaningless things....

Do I reply?

Do I ignore and try to keep reading?

Why are they still talking?

Oh good, they seem to have shut up...

*waits a few seconds*

Aaaand they're talking again.. son of a *****!

2. That moment when your best friend is talking about how they're embarrassed about how many books they have on their TBR list which turns out to be only like 8, and you slowly shut the door on your TBR room....

3. That moment when you're reading an emotionally charged book in public, trying your hardest not to bawl in front of complete strangers...

*sniffles* 

What? No! I'm totes not crying..

4. That moment when you go see the newest book to movie adaptation, and can't decide if you should feign ignorance or complain loudly that THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN IN THE BOOK!!!

5. That moment at Thanksgiving dinner, when your family starts asking if you are dating anyone yet, and you shamelessly say your latest book boyfriend, as if he is real.

"So, Becca, are you seeing anyone yet?"

"Oh, yes, Grandma. His name is Tobias Eaton, but he's busy fighting the war, so I couldn't invite him to dinner."

"Oh, Becca, that's wonderful. He sounds just wonderful!"

"But I don't know...I've kinda started having feelings for another guy in his absence. His name is Chaol. He's a guard!"

"Oh dear, Becca..."

*Thinks to herself* And then there's Logan, and Theron, and Adrian, and Etienne, and Josh, and Levi, and....*

6. That moment when the mailman comes to your door everyday for a week with packages, and he asks you what the heck he's been delivering to you all week and when you tell him it's books, he asks, "Don't you have enough yet?!"

NO DAMN IT! 

I GOTZ TO HAZ DEM ALLLLLL!

7. That moment when your friends ask you to go out on Friday night, and you fake sick because you have to know what happens in this book!!!!!! 

(who am I kidding? This happens every night!)

8. That moment when you put yourself on a boy ban, but have trouble explaining to everyone why, because the real reason is that you've finally come to the realization that no real life boy will ever compare to those in your books.

The struggle is real, friends.

9. That moment when you finish a book with a huge cliffhanger, rush to the bookstore to get the next book, and when the salesperson tells you, "oh we don't have any in stock"... 

Just know, I'm trying really hard to contain my fiery rage right now... 

10. That moment when someone asks you what the book you're reading is about, and you struggle with telling them, because it's just easier to look it up on the dang internet, yo!

Have you had any awkward bookish encounters?

Have any of the ones I listed happened to you?

Let's discuss!

Waiting on Wednesday (32)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, where you can spotlight an upcoming release you're eagerly anticipating!

This week I'm waiting on:

The Devil You Know by Trish Doller

Releases on: June 2nd, 2015 ADD IT TO GOODREADS!

FROM GOODREADS: Arcadia "Cadie" Wells has one primary goal in life -- to escape the sleepy Florida town where she was born and raised. Since her mother's death, she's sacrificed her boyfriend, her spot on the soccer team, and even her plans for the future to raise her little brother and help her still-grieving father. On a rare night out at a party at the local state park, Cadie meets a couple of good-looking tourists and impulsively agrees to join them on their road trip from one end of Florida to the other. But when their adventure goes tragically wrong, Cadie's new goal is to make it home alive.

Why I'm Waiting:

1. DAT COVER.

2. Dude. This is a thriller, and I'm currently obsessed with YA THRILLERS. 

3. What the heck goes wrong? Are the tourists killers? Kidnappers? Cannibals? MY MIND IS GOING CRAZY WITH ALL THE POSSIBILITIES!

4. It's in Florida, which is where my bestie lives, and I've never been or really read many books set there so I'm excited to see more of it through a book's POV! 

What do you think of my WoW?

What is your WoW for this week?

Let me know in the comments, and be sure to leave me a link so I can come back and leave you some comment love! 

Thanks for stopping by Pivot Book Reviews!

Tote(ally) Tuesday (4)

Tote(ally) Tuesday is a bi-weekly post on Pivot Book Reviews, where I showcase the most recent totes I've painted for custom orders on my Etsy!

A custom ordered Unhinged tote!

Eleanor & Park tote for sale & ready to ship!

I can also add any quote you want on the opposite side!

I FINALLY made my very own tote! 

This adorableness is ALL MINE! *hiss* :)

 And, I saved the best for last! I have to say this

is one of my very best totes EVER, which is awesome

for you guys b/c it's going to be given away soon. 

Be on the lookout! ;)

I mostly do custom orders, so if you have something in mind, you can contact me here, or email me at BECCAF97200 AT GMAIL DOT COM! 

Which tote is your fave?

 

What quote would you absolutely LOVE to see on a tote?!

REVIEW: Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine (AND GIVEAWAY!)

Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine Published by: Margaret K. McElderry on August 5th, 2014 Series: Of Metal and Wishes #1 Pages: 320 Format: Hardcover Genre: Fantasy, Retelling Source: Purchased Rating: 5/5 BUY THE BOOK! or ADD IT TO GOODREADS!
FROM GOODREADS: There are whispers of a ghost in the slaughterhouse where sixteen-year-old Wen assists her father in his medical clinic- a ghost who grants wishes to those who need them most. When on of the Noor, men hired as cheap factory labor, humiliates Wen, she makes an impulsive wish of her own, and the Ghost grants it. Brutally.
Guilt-ridden, Wen befriends the Noor, including their outspoken leader, a young man named Melik. At the same time, she is lured by the mystery of the Ghost and learns he has been watching her... for a very long time.
As deadly accidents fuel tensions within the factory, Wen must confront her growing feelings for Melik, who is enraged at the sadistic factory bosses and the prejudice faced by his people at the hand of Wen's, and her need to appease the Ghost, who is determined to protect her against any threat- real or imagined. She must decide whom she can trust, because as her heart is torn, the factory is exploding around her... and she might go down with it.
MY THOUGHTS:
Dear Of Metal and Wishes, 
WOWZA. That was my first reaction to you. I seriously could NOT put you down, which really surprises me, because when you first released, you were just a blip on my radar. I mean, sure, you have a gorgeous cover, but I hadn't seen much about you. Then I saw a few fangirly reviews, and happened to see you sitting on the shelf at my local bookstore, practically begging me to buy you. I couldn't resist. I'll admit one of the main reasons was because you are pegged as a Phantom of the Opera retelling, and even though I have never seen/read Phantom of the Opera, I am an avid lover of any and all retellings because they rock my socks, and you are seriously one of my faves.
Going into you, I thought you were a stand alone, but I am oh so happy to say that you are part of a duology. THANK THE LORD. I NEED MORE. *ahem* So I guess you were a mix of fantasy as well, which was even more awesome. Wen lives in a slaughterhouse with her dad , who is the medic and she helps him out with all the nasty and gruesome injuries. You do not fail at all with all the goriness, Of Metal and Wishes. I felt like there should've been blood stains on every page of you. So you aren't very much for the faint of heart or easily grossed out, but I still think if someone can overlook that, then they definitely need to read you. Anyways, there's a ghost that lives in this factory and people leave it gifts to grant their wishes. Wen makes a half-hearted wish, knowing that it won't ever come true, but then it does. She is filled with regret and guilt after it does, and decides to befriend the incoming foreign Noor, who every one despises, in hopes of redemption. Not such a good idea, because then all of her friends turn on her, but I loved that Wen went out of her way to help people that weren't her own, and desperately needed all the help they could get. The Noor are slaves, and everyone practically hates them. Enter Melik, the leader of the Noor, and the swoony boy that Wen starts to develop feelings for. FORBIDDEN ROMANCE?! Oh my gosh, you know the way to my heart. 
And that Ghost? Que epic creepiness. Seriously loved how your story line played out, and I'm dying for the next book to release. WHY SO FAR AWAY?! Ugh. Oh well, your sibling will definitely be worth the wait. 
You have SO much drama, mystery, and suspense, Of Metal and Wishes. You definitely stand out in my mind with a fresh retelling. You are unlike anything I have ever read before, and one of the best books I've read this year. Two words. Hauntingly beautiful. FIVE HEARTS.
Buying all your author's other books RIGHT NOW,
Becca

**

And because I absolutely adored this book so so so much (and because I've been pretty much nonexistent lately), I am going to giveaway a hardcover of Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine with a signed bookmark!!!

**Oh, and here's the rules/mumbo jumbo/stuff you may need to know before entering:**

US only! (Sorry I'm BROKE!)

Must be 13+ (or have parents permission to enter)

I am not responsible for packages lost in the mail.
NO PO BOXES.

There will be ONE winner chosen randomly by Rafflecopter. Winner will be emailed and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

I reserve the right to disqualify any entries I see unfit.

Please don't cheat. Cheaters never win. (Because I check ALL entries. You've been warned!!) 

Giveaway starts today and ends June 12th! 

HAVE FUN!!!! :)

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Waiting on Wednesday (31)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, where you can spotlight an upcoming release you're eagerly anticipating!

This week I'm waiting on:

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West

Releases on: May 5th, 2015    ADD IT TO GOODREADS!

FROM GOODREADS: When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends abou thim for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend-- two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley.

The probelm is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party-- three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.

Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and new-found relationship.

WHY I'M WAITNG:

1. DAT COVER. Isn't it beautiful?! 
2. It's KASIE FREAKING WEST aka my favorite-est author everrrrrr. (Pssst read her books. You can thank me later!)
3. I like the idea of her falling for a guy who she doesn't even know. This sounds like some 90's movie that I would've watched over and over and over (and over)
4. I see cars in the background, and I like me some cars (I own a 68 Camaro!) so I'd really like to find out how they play into this story.

What do you think of my WoW?

What is your WoW for this week?

Let me know in the comments, and be sure to leave me a link so I can come back and leave you some comment love! 

Thanks for stopping by Pivot Book Reviews!

Black Ice Tote & ARC Giveaway! (& an explanation for my somewhat absentness!)

Well, hello, my lovelies!

Wait, you might be wondering what the deal is. Who is this person? Where has she been lately? I've missed her tons!

Well, for that, I have to say I'm so so so sorry. I've been really crappy about uploading blog posts/reviews lately. I didn't really want to talk about why, but I have a few reasons. Well, first, I recently read an MS that I wrote last year, and have been deep in editing mode, because believe it or not, it was actually quite good. I'd been dreading this for awhile, because I thought it was a load of crap, but I had the weekend off and just decided to dive in. It definitely was a lot less horrible than I was expecting, and I've been stuck in that world for a little bit lately. (Actually, a lot) But still, it feels great to finally be writing something again. Who knows? I may even submit it to SwoonReads this month. Nikki Kelly & Temple West (and countless others) are urging me to, so this may be the first time I succumb to peer pressure! 

Anyway.... the second reason, if you haven't noticed lately, I created an Etsy shop about a month ago! Yes, yes I know. Some of you might not know that I enjoy painting/drawing in my spare time, but now you do! I started painting bookish totes as a side gig, just to do something special for some close friends, but they were a hit on the interwebz, and suddenly, everybody wanted one. So to say I've been busy would be a complete understatement. 

I've been swamped!!!!

 But the good thing is, all the proceeds I make from selling my bookish totes are going to send me to BEA next year so I can meet some of you IRL! EEP! I can hardly contain my excitement, because with each tote I paint, I get closer to making that goal, and I'm quite close actually! Thanks to all of you!!!

Okay. Now to the good stuff. 

Over the recent months, I've been contributing reviews over on Reading Teen (so if you miss me on here, you can check over there and usually there's something to satisfy your missing Becca needs!), and I love it, and Andye. We've become great friends, and I'm dying to meet her! I've already warned her that she's going to be mauled by hugs, because seriously she is the sweetest person I've ever met! <3 

After I read & LOVED (actually fangirled over in my review) Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick, we decided to do a giveaway. Not just any giveaway but one that was extra special for all of you anticipating the release of Black Ice. Ready to see what it is?

Heck yeah. I totes (haha get it) had to paint a Black Ice tote after all my love-age of that book. 

So not only do you get an original handpainted (by yours truly) Black Ice tote, but Andye (because she pretty fantastic) also has an ARC of Black Ice up for grabs with it!! 

You seriously do NOT want to miss out on your chance to win! Enter away, my friends! Alas this giveaway is for US ONLY, because unfortunately, Andye & I haven't completed World Domination yet, and are still lowly bloggers who aren't rich. I wish I was though. ONE DAY IT WILL HAPPEN! Til then, you can check out my Etsy and custom order a tote or even a pre-made one. I hear the Fangirl, Eleanor & Park, and Ruin & Rising totes are quite a hit. But don't take my word for it. Go see for yourself! 

DON'T FORGET TO GO READ ANDYE'S POST EITHER! 

(Seriously, it made me cry it's so sweet!)

P.S. Did you notice anything different about the blog? WHAT IS THIS ADORABLE PUPPY NESS?! Well, I won a new custom blog design from Stephanie @ ThesePaperHearts, and didn't she do a fabulous job?! Completely perfect for Pivot Book Reviews! Thanks again Stephanie! 

P.P.S Still want some more bookish tote-ness? (Look at all the customs here, here, AND here. I think that's all of them!) <3

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