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Flowers and Books, and Tags, Oh my! (A Post in which Ashton Answers Multiple Questions About Books and Relates Them to Plants)

8/8/2017

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Hooray For Tags!

       I was fortunate enough to be tagged in not one, but TWO book/flower tags on Instagram! I am going to be doing the #booksandflowerstag, #flowerbooktag, and as a celebration for both of these tags, I thought I would add a few questions of my own and call them the #flowersbookstagsohmy! I invite everyone to participate to get this new tag out into the world, as well as the other two!

#Booksandflowerstag

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I was tagged by Ink and Pages! You can check her out with the buttons below!
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Gerbera: a book that everyone should read // We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
       We Were Liars is an amazing summer mystery that I recommend to anyone looking to spice up their reading. The less you know about this one, the better. Just pick it up and enjoy.

Rose: favorite timeless classic // Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
       Of course, I'm going to say Harry Potter. If you haven't read it yet, where have you been for the last 20 years? Put down whatever you're reading and pick this book up!

Carnation: your prettiest book // These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
       This was one of the first young adult books I fell in love with and fell hard. I read it back in middle school and still recommend it every chance I get!

Baby's Breath: a childhood favorite //  The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards
       I highly recommend this book. I don't ever see people mention it, which is really sad because this book was the best book that I read in elementary school by far. I am really hoping to get a reread in here soon, so I can properly recommend it.

Peony: favorite romance book // Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
       If you need a warm and fuzzy, feel-good read, pick up this book. It is a wonderful romance story filled with lots of happy moments, cute jokes, and adorable romantic scenes. This book is for sure going to satisfy your romance needs and bust through any reading slump you might have.

Daisy: a summertime read // Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
       I just finished this book, and nothing has made feel more summer-y than this book. I immediately wanted to pick up and start traveling. This book is perfect for anyone who didn't get a chance to travel this summer, or if you've always wanted to go on a road trip.

Tulip: a cozy winter read // My True Love Gave to Me, edited by Stephanie Perkins
       This book is an anthology of 12 short romance stories all set around the holidays. It's a such a fun, quirky book, and is great if you don't have enough time to sit down with a full book during the holidays.
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BookTubeAThon 2017: TBR, Challenges, ReadAThon Thoughts, and Other Crazy Nonsense

7/24/2017

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#BTAT17 is Here!

       THE BOOKTUBEATHON IS FINALLY HERE!!!!! Nothing is more exciting in the summer than read-a-thon season! The BookTubeAThon is a yearly read-a-thon hosted by the lovely Ariel Bissett over on YouTube. It is an event that brings together book lovers and reviewers on all platform across the interwebs, including BookTubers, Bookstagrammers, and the fabulous bloggers on Twitter (who up until now I haven't realized are nameless nomads. Don't worry, Twitter peoples, you are loved nonetheless!). It is a time where everyone can join in on united reading through Twitter sprints and YouTube and Instagram challenges for all to participate in. If you want to participate and are looking for where to start, click play on the video below for all the details!
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Bookstagram: Tips for Taking and Editing your Photos

7/12/2017

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       I absolutely LOVE the book community on Instagram. There are great books, great people, and most of all, great photos! If you are looking to start a bookstagram, or just wanting to post a picture of the book you're #currentlyreading, here are some tips on how to edit your pictures.
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Part 1: Taking Your Photos

       Now, before we start going to town, we need to prep for our bookstagram photo shoot. Make sure if you are taking your photos inside, you take them where there is a lot of natural light. I am fortunate enough to have a sun porch in my house that provides the perfect place to take my pictures, but you can take your pictures any place with lots of light. Windows, doors, and the hole in your roof are all perfect for natural light.
       You also want to make sure the background of your photo is in order. If you're taking your picture in your bedroom or in front of a bookshelf, make sure that everything behind the focus of the picture is pleasing as well. Nobody and I mean nobody wants to see your dirty laundry on the floor behind your current read.
​       Tips for taking great photos:
  • Having a (semi-) consistent theme, where all of your pictures look nice together makes your page look very professional and cohesive.
  • Make sure your background doesn't distract from the focus of the photo. A busy background can take away from your whole picture.
  • Get creative! Use random knick-knacks from around the house, clothing items, your body, your friend's body, and create something new. If you start building things out of books, good things will happen.
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Quizzical: Volume 1 Issue 1 || Find the YA Genre for Your Mood

5/28/2017

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Quizzical: A Backstory

       Hello everyone, and welcome to a new piece on my blog: Quizzical. It's a piece where I make a book related quiz for you to enjoy. My first one is all about finding the genre of book for your current reading mood. I hope you have fun with it, and if you do, please let me know what other types of quizzes you would like to see in the future, along with other questions or changes I should add to this one. :)
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Happy Blogiversary, The Book Insider!

4/8/2017

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I've Been Blogging for 1 YEAR!

       Oh my goodness! I can't believe I've been putting book content on the internet for a whole year. I thought I would go through and share some of my favorite blog posts with you guys as a little celebration of my year of blogging.

       Here it is, folks: my first ever review. Now that I look back, I have absolutely no idea why I chose this book to be my first review. I had really high hopes for this book and ended up not liking it at all. It ended up being one of the few books that I've reviewed that I really didn't like.

Review: Armada, by Ernest Cline

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How to Blog on a Busy Schedule

9/13/2016

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Blogging

       So you want to start a book blog. It sounds like fun. But, the problem is, you also want to have a life. There is usually quite a bit involved if you want to have a successful blog, so I'm going to give you my tips and tricks on how to book blog on a schedule.
       1. Blogging
First things first, find a user friendly website builder. I use Weebly, but I know that a lot of bloggers use WordPress. Once you have decided on a blog name, design, and layout, you are ready to start cranking out posts. What I like to do is find a day of the week that I'm not busy, sit down, and write a few posts ahead of time. This way, I don't have to worry about writing a blog post when I have homework and practices to get to. Another tip is to come up with post ideas before sitting down to write. That way, you know what things you are going to write about, and you're not staring at a blank screen.
       2. Social Media
I definitely recommend getting an account where you can plan your social media posts ahead of time. I use Buffer, but I know some people use HootSuite, and other websites with the same idea. Nothing is more stressful for me as a blogger than worrying about social media posts. Another tip along these same lines is to take all your Instagram pictures ahead of time, especially when you have both time and good lighting.
       3. Reading Habits
After you start blogging for a little while, you start to see a decrease in your reading output. Make sure you are taking a book everywhere with you. You'd be amazed how much reading you get in while waiting in line or a few free minutes during lunch. Getting a book read is an essential part of book blogging, and I sometimes get so worked up about what's going on online, that I forget why I'm really doing this. It's to share what I've read online and discuss it with other people with the same interests.
       Do you have a blog or any blogging tips? Please share them in the comments below!

As she starts figuring out this weekend's post,
Ashton
This is going to take a while. I'm a fantasy author. We have trouble with the concept of brevity." 
— Brandon Sanderson​
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BookTubeAThon 2016: My Experience

7/22/2016

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What is the BookTubeAThon?

       The BookTubeAThon (BTAT) is a week long reading marathon hosted by Ariel Bissett. There are challenges across all platforms of social media, including YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram.
  1. Read a book with yellow on the cover.
  2. Read a book only after sunset.
  3. Read a book you discovered through booktube.
  4. Read a book by one of your favourite authors.
  5. Read a book that is older than you.
  6. Read and watch a book-to-movie adaptation.
  7. Read seven books.

The Reading Challenges

My TBR

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  1. Read a book with yellow on the cover. Carry On
  2. Read a book only after sunset. Half Bad
  3. Read a book you discovered through booktube. Carry On
  4. Read a book by one of your favourite authors. Carry On
  5. Read a book that is older than you. The BFG
  6. Read and watch a book-to-movie adaptation. The BFG
  7. Read seven books. TBD

Instagram Daily Challenges

Twitter Sprints

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  1. Read a book with yellow on the cover. Carry On
  2. Read a book only after sunset. N/A
  3. Read a book you discovered through booktube. Carry On
  4. Read a book by one of your favourite authors. Carry On
  5. Read a book that is older than you. The BFG
  6. Read and watch a book-to-movie adaptation. The BFG
  7. Read seven books. N/A
       I ended up finishing Carry On and The BFG, while I got halfway through The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love. 

BookTubeAThon Wrap Up

Bonus Excitement

       On Saturday, Ariel Bissett hosted a liveshow sprint on the BookTubeAThon YouTube channel, where she did a Q&A, and every ten minutes issued a challenge for everybody to participate in. Here was the challenge:
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       When I tune back into the liveshow, I was super excited to find this:
       Did you participate in the BookTubeAThon? What read-a-thon should I participate in next? Leave your comments below!

While she recovers from her reading extravaganza,
Ashton
"Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them." 
— Lemony Snicket,  Horseradish
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July Photo Challenge: #EandSBookChallenge

7/6/2016

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June Photo Challenge

       Before you go right to the photo gallery, I would like to thank @abookwormscorner and @slmsbooks.jpg on Instagram for creating this challenge, and for helping me to improve my photography skills. You ladies have provided photo inspiration and an awesome challenge to participate in.

@abookwormscorner's blog link: ​https://bookwormbookblogblog.wordpress.com/
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       What did you think of this month's challenge? Would you like to see me host my own challenge? Leave a comment below!

From her viewfinder,
Ashton
The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera." 
— Dorothea Lange
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Runaway Pages May Photo Challenge

6/1/2016

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May Photo Challenge

       Before you rush to the photo gallery, I would like to thank @runawaypages on Instagram for creating this challenge, and for helping me to improve my bookstagramming. You have provided photo inspiration and an awesome challenge to participate in.
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       What do you think about monthly challenges? I am definitely participating in another one this month, but I am thinking about doing one in the future. Would you participate?

From behind her camera,
Ashton
Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second.” 
-Marc Riboud
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My Book Rating System in Pictures and Comparisons

5/7/2016

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Rating System

       My book rating system is based on percentages, and I realize that may not be the normal way to rate books. I do feel, however, that it is an in-depth way for everyone as a whole to get a better sense of my feelings for the book in a quick glance.
       Verbosity Reviews gets my props for the idea for this post. Alexa and Kelsey do a wonderful job with their blog and without their inspiration, you and I would not be reading and writing this post today. So thank you ladies!

Idea Credits

1-20%
No (Just No)

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       For those books that you just can't stand to turn the page.
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       These are the books that you question the publishing process of.

21-30%
Uh-uh (Not recommended)

31-50%
Meh

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       Just meh.
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       The book that maybe didn't need all the hype or couldn't hold your interest.

51-70%
Okay (not my always)

71-80%
​Good

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       Good enough to make Sherlock smile, but not good enough to make you freak out about it.
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       These books get the Tom Felton sign of approval.

81-90%
Really Great

91-100%
​Loved It

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       The books that leave you in book hangover, and you can't help but fangirl about.
       That's my rating scale in gifs. I hope you found that entertaining and useful at the same time. Feel free to comment below the blog posts that you would like to see from me in the future!

From her book rating throne,
Ashton
He returned my smile with a half grin. "So what do you blog about? Knitting? Puzzles? Being lonely?"
-Jennifer L. Armentrout, Obsidian
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