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North Texas Teen Book Festival(NTTBF19!)

Hey everyone! So some of you know that I not to long ago moved to Northern Texas for my job! I got into town around mid October and of course the first thing I find for myself is the local library. My library happens to be the Irving Library and they host the North Texas Teen Book Festival( here forth to be NTTBF). So that day that I found out about it I made sure to mark it on my work calendar to make sure I was marked unavailable  for any over time that day, and boy am I glad that I did so!

 

I am in several book group over on Facebook and I was able to meet up with two fellow book lovers! There was one other girl from another group that I was unable to meet with sadly but from what I heard she had a blast as well!

So I have only been to one other festival before actually and that one was so amazing especially for a first timer but that did not prepare me for the NTTBF. The amount of people and actives is just mind blowing to me!

So my day started early waiting in line for a coveted bracelet to meet the one and only Tahereh Mafi the amazing goddess who brought us the Shatter me series IE Aaron Warner( my one true book bae!) as well as the gripping and thought provoking A very large expanse of seas! Then I started to check out the booths, I was able to score an adorable tote from Penguin Teen with a quote from the book The Fault In Our Stars! Then I was also able to score some adorable pencils, a map , enamel pins and popsockets and a bandanna!   From there I looked around the book sale section that was run by Barnes and Noble and they gave away signed ARC’s of Stepsister by Jennifer Donnely when you bought a book! Then I moved on to a panel done by Katherine Tegan books an imprint of Harper Collins! There they talked about upcoming releases and a few that had recently come out! I was given an ARC(advanced readers copy) of Let’s call it a doomsday by Katie Henry!

From there I was able to go get one of the HIGHLY coveted tickets to meet the authors of the up coming books , The House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig and the book Wilder Girls by Rory Power. The ticket was free but only given to the first 150 to get in line. This ticket made me feel like I won the golden ticket in Charlie and the Chocolate factory , but instead of winning some boring old candy factory I got both arcs mentioned above as well as I got to meet the authors and got them signed! This event was held by Underlined (you will see their name pop up a few more times and I love them like can they hire me PLEASE!)

From there my new book friend and I had to take a quick break for lunch and to get some air there was just so many people and so much noise!  So after our little break we started hitting up the publishers booths and got drawn to Underlined (see told you lol) and we voted for favorite DC super hero (I’m a marvel girl Wolverine please!) but I did vote and it was just another layer of fun. Once that ended we looked around and came back to you guessed it Underlined where we waited in line and I was able to get an ARC of Killing November ( one of my top 5 most anticipated releases of the year). We waited for that to end because Underlined was doing another giveaway I had planned to do that one and then their next one for their amazing tote ( still so sad I wasn’t able to get one) but because I had the bracelet to see Tahereh Mafi I had to leave behind Underline and then go get in line to see Tahereh. Well getting in line for that a girl who knew I had missed out on getting a Becky Albertalli bracelet had an extra (friend had to go home I think I’m not sure) and gave it to me so I could meet her and she was so sweet and I’m so glad I was able to meet her! Then to the long line to meet Tahereh, I absolutely hate waiting for ANYTHING especially if I have to wait in a line but for Tahereh I would have waited HOURS to meet her! Once I got to her I had to keep myself from crying at getting to meet her! I have read over 3 thousand or so books in my lifetime now and the only series to top her Shatter Me series is Harry Potter and I blurted that out to her and instantly felt bad and tried to apologize which she wouldn’t hear of she said it was such a high honor to be placed where she was . She was so sweet!

From there I moved over to get A study in Charlotte signed by Brittany Cavallaro for a friend and she was very nice!

Then I made a stop to see Dhonielle Clayton  who I had met at my last festival and got to talk to her for a few minutes! There I ended up going over to get me book The Serpent King signed by Jeff Zentner at the recommendation of a few of my friends. He is so sweet!

 

As I said goodbye to Jeff I ended up having to sadly say goodbye to my time at NTTBF as it was the end of the festival. It was bittersweet to say goodbye but I am already looking forward to next year!

 

~TheMatchedSlytherin

Review: Bad Girl Gone by Temple Mathews

So this was my first read of 2019 and it was not a good start to the year. Not only that but it takes the place as the WORST book that I have ever had the displeasure to read. I have no problem DNFing a book but I just had to see what happened and the short answer is nothing worth reading.

 

First problem was the opening was set to this mystery feel and then bam! It’s normal and it lost what was obviously the only good plot point that it had going for it.

Second and actually probably the biggest problem I had with this book is that it had a pedophile in it. This is a YOUNG ADULT novel there was no warning and that’s just a subject that does not need anything written about it and it felt like it was almost glorifying it which is even worse. It was a very short part of the book but it shouldn’t have been used at all.

I could keep going and going about all the problems that were in this book but I hate to beat something to dust.

There was promise with the plot but it fell short and didn’t deliver. I would love if maybe there was a sequel or if it was the same plot but re written and expanded on and given some meat!

 

 

Until next time my loves!

 

-The, MatchedSlytherin

TheBookNewbie

Hey everyone! So by the title you’ll see I am new to the book Community. I am not new to reading but I am new to this amazing community! I don’t remember a time that I wasn’t reading. Some of my earliest memories is of reading and escaping from the mundane aspects of life.

So as I say that I don’t remember when I started or what I started with, but I do remember when I began to read with a ferocious appetite that never seemed to become stated. That book was Harry Potter and the Sorcerers  Stone! It was the Christmas of 1998 my family did a HUGE extended family secret Santa exchange and my dad’s aunt got my older brother that year. I remember his disappointment when he received a book so a few days later he appeared in my doorway and tossed me a book not knowing that it would change my life. This book (and the rest of the series to follow) became my savior from a childhood of problems and issues. It also brought me to one of my best and oldest friends! Since then it has also brought me other wonderful and amazing friends!

I have now lived and died thousands of deaths and yet the moment of starting a new life and a new adventure is still a moment I cherish. I am now excited to bring you all with me on these adventures and share these worlds and my thoughts with you!

 

Until next time!

 

~MatchedSlytherin

AKA

Amanda O’Ferrell