Tag Tuesday: Coffee Tag

• Black - a book that is hard to get into but has a ton of die hard fans



Some of my best friends, whose opinions I respect so much, loved this book and the rest of the series. Therefore, I had extremely high expectations for the series and I was completely let down. I actually hated the book to the point that I am not planning on continuing with the series.

• Peppermint Mocha - a book that is popular around the holiday season



This is really the only holiday book that I have ever read.... oops. It was great though. 

• Hot Chocolate - a children's book that you love



At first, I thought about putting any book by Dr. Suess; they were the books that I learned to read with. Then I thought about putting any of the Harry Potter books as they are technically labeled as children's books. Eventually and finally, I settled on Matilda, this book was probably the first book where I really resonated with a character. I was a lot like Matilda; I loved to read, obviously,  and I was a bit of the outsider in my family because of that, that's still how it is actually, I never had the abusive issues that Matilda experienced or the terrible school teacher but I resonated with her nonetheless. I used to reread this book a hundred times and never get sick of it. I'm actually in the mood to read it again.  

• Starbucks - a book that you literally see everywhere



I see this everywhere I turn and I have no interest in reading it!!!

• Hipster Coffee Shop - a book by an author that you love



This is probably my favorite book out the Harry Potter series and JK Rowling, is hands down, my favorite author because of these masterpieces. 

• Oooops, I accidently got decaf - a book that you were expecting so much more from



*WARNING* This is probably an unpopular bookish opinion!!! I wanted to love this book so much because it is by John Green and I love everything else that he has written, but I couldn't get half-way through this book before I put it down. I just didn't like it. I haven't been able to identify why, but I didn't. I might pick it up again and give it another shot, but who knows?

• Perfect Blend - a book with the perfect combination of bitter and sweet



This is probably my favorite Nicholas Sparks novel ever, and I have read almost all of them. The love story between Landon and Jaime is perfectly romantic, sweet, innocent, complex, and everything you can imagine. The tragedy is predictable but it still hurts like nothing else could. The end is the definition of bittersweet. 

• Green Tea - a book that is quietly beautiful



This was one of those books that dealt with such difficult situations, a young girl's suicide and how it affects the people that she left behind, but because of that was so beautiful. It was impeccably written and the situations were handled with gorgeously. 

• Chai Tea - a book that makes you dream of far off places



This book just made me want to do a study abroad year even more and fall in love with a foreign guy. Maybe in Spain. 

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up For Education And Was Shot By The Taliban ~ Malala Yousafzai

A MEMOIR BY THE YOUNGEST RECIPIENT OF THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE"I come from a country that was created at midnight. When I almost died it was just after midday."

When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education.

On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive.

Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she became a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel Peace Prize.

I AM MALALA is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons.

I AM MALALA will make you believe in the power of one person's voice to inspire change in the world.

Book Review:

Malala Yousafzai, in my opinion, is one of the most inspirational people in the world! She openly spoke out for what she believed in even when her life was threatened by one of the most terrifying terrorist groups in the world; she defied the odds and lived after being sought out and shot in the head so that she could continue her long fight; and now she continues her fight by speaking at the United Nations, traveling the world to convince people to support her, and by being herself. Reading her story was eye opening. The cultural differences between our lives, though I knew of their existence previously, became much more real to me. The patriarchy, religious controversy, and conflicts that force a little girl to fight for her education against the Taliban, is something that I will never understand, but it is also that strength that I admire so much and hope that I can aspire to demonstrate as well. 

Malala's entire story, from playing with her brother, to her little feuds with school friends, to being shot by the Taliban, to speaking at the United Nations, is incredible. The family ties throughout her story are beautifully portrayed. I feel like I can really understand the dynamics of her relationships within her family. Her confusion, after waking up from being shot, is vividly portrayed. I really want to watch the film now, He Named Me Malala. If you have seen it or read this book, let me know your thoughts.  

Pages: 327                                                                                                                              Rate: 5/5

Favorite Quote: 

“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.”  - I think that this is one of the truest things that I have ever read.

The Women's Murder Club: 15th Affair ~ James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Detective Lindsay Boxer chases an elusive, possibly very dangerous suspect...her husband, Joe.
Lindsay Boxer has a beautiful baby daughter and a husband she loves unconditionally. She'd always been too focused on her career as a San Francisco police detective to wonder what domestic bliss might feel like, but now she knows, and she's never been happier. She can't imagine that a brutal murder at a luxury hotel, and the disappearance of a gorgeous blond woman from the scene, could have anything to do with her own life and marriage--yet soon both are unraveling, and Lindsay can't ignore disturbing clues that hit very close to home. 

Just as bombs are starting to go off in her personal life, an explosive tragedy rocks San Francisco, plunging the city into chaos. Pressed into duty to investigate a criminal plot that stretches around the globe, Lindsay again finds herself following signs that lead to her own front door. Thrown into a tailspin and fighting against powerful enemies trying to protect their operatives and conceal the truth at all costs, Lindsay turns to the Women's Murder Club for help as she desperately searches for the elusive, and deadly, blonde before she loses Joe for good. 

Book Review:

Dear, James Patterson. You just ruined my favorite couple. If there isn't a 16th installment to this series, I might actually die! You need to have Lindsay and Joe come through this fucking massive road bump stronger, healthier, and better than ever because they were the one ship that I never thought would sink on me!!! Don't let it sink!!! 

Now onto the review. I thought that the 14th installment in the Women's Murder Club series was the last one, until I was walking through Walmart with my best friend and happened to glance down their scant book selection, as you do, when I saw the big 15!!!!!! I about flipped, and yes, I spent the last $20 that I had on me, on this book. I flew through it and I am not okay!

Patterson, diverged from the normal crime-solving aspect of the series and entwined a bit more personal drama for Lindsay to deal with. He made her missing husband a suspect in multiple murders. With no way for Lindsay to get in touch with her husband, she continued to work the case, trying to have faith in her husband and raise their daughter as she did. It was so hard seeing her inner turmoil and the lack of confidence in her best friends. She held so much back from them, from the readers, and from herself. It was just an emotional roller coaster that I was not prepared for!

Pages: 384                                                                                                                 Rate: 4/5

Favorite Quote:

“With all due respect, Jacobi, that’s a load of bull. It was bad, but I handled it. That’s what the job is. I hardly have a scratch on me. So stop treating me like a victim. I’m fully functional and absolutely sane. This is my case and I’m on it. OK? OK?” - This is the epitome of how strong Lindsay is in this series but especially in this book. She was superb. 

Yes, Please ~ Amy Poehler

Do you want to get to know the woman we first came to love on Comedy Central's Upright Citizens Brigade? Do you want to spend some time with the lady who made you howl with laughter on Saturday Night Live, and in movies like Baby Mama, Blades of Glory, and They Came Together? Do you find yourself daydreaming about hanging out with the actor behind the brilliant Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation? Did you wish you were in the audience at the last two Golden Globes ceremonies, so you could bask in the hilarity of Amy's one-liners?

If your answer to these questions is "Yes Please!" then you are in luck. In her first book, one of our most beloved funny folk delivers a smart, pointed, and ultimately inspirational read. Full of the comedic skill that makes us all love Amy, Yes Please is a rich and varied collection of stories, lists, poetry (Plastic Surgery Haiku, to be specific), photographs, mantras and advice. With chapters like "Treat Your Career Like a Bad Boyfriend," "Plain Girl Versus the Demon" and "The Robots Will Kill Us All" Yes Please will make you think as much as it will make you laugh. Honest, personal, real, and righteous, Yes Please is full of words to live by.

Book Review:

So, for those of you who do not know, I have been trying, for about a year now, to get into listening to audiobooks. I have tried multiple different genres, readers, authors, concepts, etcetera, but was never able to find what I liked. Recently, I tried giving audiobooks another shot by listening to comedian Amy Poehler's audiobook. I figured that if I was going to like any audiobook it  would be by a comedian and most likely a memoir. I've discovered, whilst reading memoirs, that I don't have to absorb every word that is written and I don't have to comprehend every little detail either. Whereas with other books, I do. And when I listen, there are many times where I catch myself zoning out. Therefore, I can't listen to any books where I need to pay attention to everything.  

Amy Poehler is hilarious, hands down! I'm not one to watch much stand-up comedy or any form of comedy for that matter, but any time that I do, it's Amy Poehler and other Saturday Night Live comedians. I loved that it was read by Amy Poehler because I think that it made it so much funnier and passionate. I kind of liked how there wasn't a necessary flow related to time. She didn't start by retelling the details of her birth and end with the last major event in her life. She kind of jumped around with different parts of her life that impacted the subject matter that she was talking about. I was especially fond of how she didn't hide the hard stuff from her readers either. She made a point to tell us all of the truth and not just the pretty, gift-wrapped aspects of her life.  

I found it so funny when other people's commentary was put in, Seth Myers, her mom and dad, etcetera. It seemed like I was sitting with them, having a cup of coffee, and listening to them tell me stories about before I knew them. It was incredible! 

Time: 7 hours 33 minutes                                                                                              Rate: 5/5

Favorite Quote:

“Saying “yes” doesn’t mean I don’t know how to say no, and saying “please” doesn’t mean I am waiting for permission.”  - People are always telling me that I do not know how to say "no," and if I am being honest, I've said it myself too. But I have come to the realization that I do know how, but for me, I would prefer to say "yes." It is so much easier. And saying "please" is just me being polite not me being submissive!

July 2016 TBR

I've started both of the books on this list, so hopefully, I will finish both of them.

The Secret Circle book 2 - fantasy

Yes Please - memoir