Tag: Do I Have That Book Challenge

I wasn’t tagged to do the Do I have that book challenge, but I saw it on Jessica’s blog and it looked like a ton of fun, so I had to participate! In the interest of full disclosure, I’ll mention that I am in the middle of moving and so many of my books are in boxes. This should be an interesting challenge, but here we go!

You can see the Youtube video that this challenge originated from here.


Rules:

1. Time yourself trying to find each prompt on your shelf
2. Try and beat the time of the person who challenged you.

3. Don’t forget to tag your challenger and the original creator.
4. Have fun!

1. Do you have a book with deckled edges?

I actually own two copies of An Assassin’s Guide to Love & Treason even though I haven’t read it yet.

2. Do you have a book with 3+ people on the cover?

A whole crowd resides on the cover of A Study in Honor.

3. Do you have a book based on another fictional story?

My Plain Jane!

4. Do you have a book with a title 10 letters long?

I’m sure I have many, but the first one I found was In the Woods.

5. Do you have a book with a title that starts and ends with the same letter?

Miss Mayhem!

6. Do you have a Mass Market Paperback book?

I don’t have many mass market paperbacks, but I do have What We Find.

7. Do you have a book written by an author using a pen name?

You know, I’m going to say that Ship of Theseus counts for this. It’s a story within a story. It might be a stretch, but I’m going for it.

8. Do you have a book with a character’s name in the title?

I actually forgot that I own The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

9. Do you have a book with 2 maps in it?

Dance of Thieves has a map inside the front and back covers.

10. Do you have a book that was turned into a TV show?

Though I’m not a fan of the series, I do own several of the Mortal Instruments books.

11. Do you have a book written by someone who is originally famous for something else? (celebrity/athlete/politician/TV personality…)

I thought I didn’t, and then I remembered that I have a book by Michelle Phan.

12. Do you have a book with a clock on the cover?

Timebound doesn’t have a clock on the cover, but it has an hourglass and I’m calling that close enough.

13. Do you have a poetry book?

Many thanks, again, to Benjamin Davis for sending me The King of FUNot only was it fun, but it helped me answer this prompt.

14. Do you have a book with an award stamp on it?

Looking for Alaska.

15. Do you have a book written by an author with the same initials as you?

I believe that the only book I own by someone with the initials “S.N.” is The Secrets Between You and Me by Shana Norris.

16. Do you have a book of short stories?

The first anthology that came to mind was Geektastic.

17. Do you have a book that is between 500-510 pages long?

I tried not to repeat books, but with so many of my books in boxes, the only one I could come up with was Dance of Thieves.

18. Do you have a book that was turned into a movie?

I’m sure I have several. One off the top of my head is The Fault in Our Stars.

19. Do you have a graphic novel?

I read a ton of graphic novels, but I get most of them from the library! I think the only one I actually own is American Born Chinese.

20. Do you have a book written by 2 or more authors?

I have many books by two or more authors since I own a few anthologies, but I decided to go with The Raging Ones for this prompt.


I had a lot of fun doing this one, but definitely lost track of time! (Oops.) I also included some ebooks that I know I own, but I didn’t see anything that said they had to be physical books. 🙂


I’m not going to tag anybody in particular to do this one, but please feel free to steal this tag if you think it looks fun! If you end up doing it, please link back to this post so that I can see your answers. ❤

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Book review: The V-Word by Amber J. Keyser

The V-Word by Amber J. Keyser
Rating: ★★★★☆
Links: Amazon • TBD • Goodreads
Publication Date: January 1, 2016
Source: Borrowed

An honest and poignant collection of essays by women about losing their virginity in their teens. The V-Word captures the complexity of this important life-decision and reflects diverse real-world experiences. Includes helpful resources for parents and teens.

Losing it. Popping your cherry. Handing in your V-card.

First time sex is a big unknown. Will it be candlelight and rose petals or quick and uncomfortable? Is it about love or about lust? Deciding to have sex for the first time is a choice that’s often fraught with anxiety and joy. But do you have anyone telling you what sex is really like?

In The V-Word seventeen writers (including Christa Desir, Justina Ireland, Sara Ryan, Carrie Mesrobian, Erica Lorraine Scheidt, and Jamia Wilson) pull back the sheets and tell all, covering everything from straight sex to queer sex, diving-in versus waiting, and even the exhilaration and disappointment that blankets it all. Some of their experiences happened too soon, some at just the right time, but all paint a broad picture of what first-time sex is really like.

Funny, hot, meaningful, cringe-worthy, gross, forgettable, magnificent, empowering, and transformative, the stories in The V-Word are never preachy, but provide a map for teens to chart their own course through the steamy waters of sex. With The V-Word girls can finally take control, learn what’s on the horizon, and eliminate the fear and mystery surrounding this important milestone.

Honestly, I have no idea what made me check this book out from the library, but I’m glad I did. I’m going to get to my review eventually, but first I want to share some thoughts on the whole concept of virginity. This is a conversation that’s come up a few times within the last few months and it’s something that I wish I could have talked about when I was a teenager.

The thing is, virginity is an arbitrary concept. It’s just something that someone decided should be a thing. It doesn’t actually mean anything. Your virginity is not an object that you give another person. It’s not something that you can lose. It’s not a physical part of your existence. Holding onto it or losing it doesn’t make you any better or worse than anyone else. It’s just a concept. That’s it.

All of that said, I was really excited to read this book, which features seventeen stories about first-time sex. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about it, but I ended up really liking it. Of the seventeen stories, I think my top three were

  • “Wanting Everything” by Amber J. Keyser,
  • “What Counts” by Carrie Mesrobian, and
  • “It’s All in the Choosing” by Kelly Jensen.

One of the really great things about this collection is the diversity: in addition to heterosexual experiences, it also includes a range of stories from lesbian, bisexual, and transgender writers. Some of the first experiences are pretty hot. Some of them are incredibly awkward and cringy. The book is very sex-positive, with the commentary never judging any of the writers for their experiences, whether they were good or bad, but always encouraging consent and safety.

The book ends with a discussion on safe sex that emphasizes having open and honest conversations with your partner, something that I feel can’t be stressed enough. It provides resources in the form of other books and online articles, giving an opportunity to learn even more about the topics that the book brings up. I think this is a great resource for teenagers, whether they’re considering having sex or not. I would have loved to read a book like this when I was younger.


#ps19: a book with a plant in the title or on the cover


Have you read The V-Word? Do you know of any similar books?
Let’s talk in the comments!

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