September Stories I Ate This Month

Sorry for posting this a few days late but happy Mean Girls Day!

It was a really lousy month for me in terms of stories. I was super busy with college and babysitting that I just didn't have the time to read or watch or even listen to anything. However, this month should be pretty good. I am going to try really hard to read as many spooky books as I can, maybe even finally crack open one of my Harry Potter illustrated editions for fun!

Movies

• Cheaper By The Dozen - rewatch
• Just as good as I remember it being. 
• A+
• Cheaper By The Dozen 2 - rewatch
• Not as good as the first movie, but still one of my favorite childhood movies.
• A
• Scooby-Doo: The Movie - rewatch
• Who doesn't love Scooby-Doo!?
• A
• Set It Up - Netflix original
• This was a really cute rom-com that I was pleasantly happy to watch. Plus, the ending was really cute.  
• A+

Books

• Heretics Anonymous - Katie Henry
• Such a unique and interesting read. It reminded me of a Breakfast Club in a Catholic school. It gave a really interesting take on tolerance and acceptance of differing religions, sexualities, and perspective. 
• A+
• Notes From My Captivity - Kathy Parks
• This was very different from anything I have ever read before. When I picked it up, I wanted a YA thriller style book (because fall and I just really wanted it to be October). It definitely served its purpose.
• A
• Any Man - Amber Tamblyn
• This was such an interesting read for me, as it was taking an issue so close to home for me as a woman, sexual assault, and flipped it on its head. This story chronicles the fictional lives of male sexual assault victims of a female serial rapist. So compelling. Finished it in 2 sittings. 
• A+

April Stories I Ate This Month

For everything that I have had going on this month, I was still able to read quite a bit. I don't think I will get that much reading in throughout May, but we'll see.

Movies

• Saban's Power Rangers
• I was skeptical about this movie when it came out last year. I grew up watching the original Power Rangers and even dressing up as the Pink one for Halloween and crushing on the Red one all of the time. I was worried that the nostalgia would hold me back from enjoying this new version. However, I really enjoyed it. I do wish that they had morphed sooner though. It felt like it took forever to get to them being Power Rangers. 
• A-
• Jeepers Creepers 3
• I watched the original two films with my great-grandma growing up. I own the first on VHS. I didn't even know that they had come out with a third one. It had been a while since I had watched the original two so I don't remember much about them but I was still able to enjoy this one. It had a similar spooky feel without being the most terrifying film ever. The same feeling that I have with the other two just without the memories. 
• B+

TV Shows

• Jessica Jones -season 2- a Netflix Original
• It is no secret that I love all of the Marvel shows that Netflix produces and really enjoy any Marvel superhero movies too. Although three years separate the first and second season of this show. I didn't feel disconnected. I'm really going to miss Malcolm and Jessica working together, but maybe season 3 will surprise us.I love the new connections that Jessica is making in her personal life though. 
• A+

Audiobooks

• When They Call You A Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir - Patrisse Khan-Cullors
• I was expecting her to talk more about the movement itself but she really delved into its creation and her motives behind it. It was a great insight.
• A+
• The Job: True Tales from the Life of a New York City Cop - Steve Osborn
• The typical New York City accent meshed with the hilarious yet action-packed stories of a New York City cop makes this perfect!
• A+

Books

• The Poet X - Elizabeth Acevedo
• I was excited to read this YA contemporary in poems. It reminds me a lot of Ellen Hopkins' books that I really enjoyed throughout high school. It delved into family relationships, family expectations, struggling with faith, first love, etcetera. 
• A-
• Blackout - Kit Mallory
• This book comes out on May 8th and I will be putting up a full non-spoiler review before that. I had the privilege of being sent an ARC by Mallory. And I love it! LGBTQ+ representation, mental health awareness, etc. 
• A+
• History Is All You Left Me - Adam Silvera 
• This book has been on my radar since it was published. I believe that this is the first book I have read where the main character was a gay man. I read the first 250 pages in one sitting and finished the last bit the following morning. I haven't done that in years! I got emotional and really felt everything Griffon was going through.  I can't wait to read more by Silvera. 
• A+

March Stories I Ate This Month

Even though I had Spring Break this month, I was unable to get much reading done or tv shows watched. Most of the stories that I have consumed are audiobooks because they are easy to listen to while doing other things. As I write this, I am currently listening to a memoir about the Black Lives Matter movement which you will see in next month's Stories I Ate This Month. I've started some tv shows but have yet to finish a season. I have not watched any movies. And I have started two physical books but I have yet to finish either.

Audiobooks

• The 15:17 to Paris: The True Story of a Terrorist, a Train, and Three American Heroes ~ Anthony Sadler, Spencer Stone, Alek Skarlatos, with Jeffrey E. Stern
• I followed this story on the news when it happened and then learned more about Alek Skarlatos no his time on Dancing With The Stars. It was really interesting to hear what each of the men heard, saw, experienced through their own eyes and the memories that have resurfaced overtime and those that have stayed hidden. Told in flashbacks. 
• A+
• It Takes Two: Our Story ~ Drew and Jonathan Scott
• I've been obsessed with the Property Brothers for a few years. I love all of the shows that they have done and cheered Drew on while he danced rather awkwardly on Dancing With The Stars. It was really interesting to listen to how they came into the success that they now have and what comes with the fame.
• A+
• Undaunted: The Story of America's Servicewomen in Today's Military ~ Tanya Biank
• I chose this book to read for a book report in my Minority Politics class. It was really eye-opening and hope-filling. I learned about the personal discriminatory experiences that these women have experienced while trying to fight for our country and also learned how they overcame the oppression and pushed forward. 
• B+
• The Red Parts ~ Maggie Nelson
• This memoir follows the story of Maggie as she learns about her Aunt Jane who was murdered before she could ever meet her. She sits in the courtroom as the real murderer is on trial decades later. Such an interesting perspective. 
• B+
• I'll Never Change My Name: An Immigrant's American Dream from Ukraine To The USA to Dancing With The Stars ~ Valentin Chmerkovskiy
• I've been obsessed with Val for years!! He has been my favorite pro on DWTS forever! Listening to his journey from Ukraine and how he learned to assimilate into the US and managed to keep his heritage alive. It was also such a unique perspective on ballroom dance competitions, family, etc. 
• A+

Books

• A Clash of Kings ~ George R. R. Martin
• I preferred the first book in the Game of Thrones series more than this one and I think that is one of the reasons it took me so long to get through it. However, it was still pretty good and I am excited to continue with the series.
• B+ 

Update on my Goodreads Reading Challenge

I have read 25 of the 100 books that I want to read by the end of the year! I am currently one book ahead of schedule. Thank you Audiobooks!

Friend me on Goodreads if you want! 

Orleans ~ Sherri L. Smith

First came the storms.

Then came the Fever.

And the Wall.

  

After a string of devastating hurricanes and a severe outbreak of Delta Fever, the Gulf Coast has been quarantined. Years later, residents of the Outer States are under the assumption that life in the Delta is all but extinct…but in reality, a new primitive society has been born.  

Fen de la Guerre is living with the O-Positive blood tribe in the Delta when they are ambushed. Left with her tribe leader’s newborn, Fen is determined to get the baby to a better life over the wall before her blood becomes tainted. Fen meets Daniel, a scientist from the Outer States who has snuck into the Delta illegally. Brought together by chance, kept together by danger, Fen and Daniel navigate the wasteland of Orleans.  In the end, they are each other’s last hope for survival.

Book Review:

As many of you know, I have been trying to expand my repertoire when it comes to literature recently. I have been reading many more genres and authors lately. This novel is a mix of Sci-Fi and Dystopian. One of the reasons that I picked it up was because it was set in my favorite city in the entire world!!! I want to live in the French Quarter of New Orleans one day!!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The setting was very unique as it was set in this post-apocalyptic time period type of thing. New Orleans was the only place affected by a blood disease and they were then walled off from every where else. This follows a teenage girl, Fen de la Guerre, who was just a little girl when the disease took over the city. She has lost everyone that she loves and now has to take care of a new born baby girl whose mother was a surrrogate mother to her before dying in childbirth. Besides just keeping the two of them alive, she also has to try and get this little girl out of the walled city before the disease enters her bloodstream. 

Fen encounters Daniel, an outsider, who thinks that he is very close to a cure for the disease. He has snuck into the city to find the scientists who entered the city before it was walled off. Most of those scientists have died at this point but he has hope that if any have survived they can help them. 

The ending was really upsetting. It wasn't bad nor sad, but it just didn't end in a way that I had expected nor wanted. It was still really good though.

Pages: 324                                                                                                                              Rate: 3.5/5

Ignite Me ~Tahereh Mafi

With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn't know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won't keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that's not all he wants with her.

Book Review:

The concluding novel to the Shatter Me trilogy was definitely not a disappointment. When I opened up to the first page, I just wanted to know how it was going to end, but as I continued, I never wanted it to end. I have fallen in love with these characters and this society. Mafi's writing makes you really believe that you have lived through the series with those characters, that they are your friends. I'm very upset that it is over. Every time I finish a series that I have invested so much into, I feel like a lost a part of myself, and I feel like that right now.

The beginning was great but the middle kind of dragged on I thought. I feel like more could have been done in the middle than was. In all reality there were scenes in the middle, that needed to happen, but more often than not, they were just page fillers.  

I probably would have given this book a 4.5 but because of how it ends, I'm giving it a 5. The love triangle that has been a main focus since the first book, ended perfectly. Juliette ends up with the right person, in my opinion anyway. He understands her and he put up with a lot while she was trying to figure out her own feelings. 

More explained in the discussion.

Pages: 416                                                                                                                                   Rate: 5

Book Discussion: SPOILERS:

So at the beginning, when Juliette wakes up, I was so scared of how she was going to handle it. I wasn't sure if she would retaliate before Warner could fill her in on what happened or not. At that point, I was mainly terrified for Warner. Thankfully, she listened to him, skeptically. That's when I started to realize how much she liked him. Mafi hinted at Juliette having feelings for Warner in the second book, but I wasn't sure how far that was going to go after he took off from Omega Point. 

When Kenji finds she and Warner at the sight of what used to be Omega Point?!!? Did anyone else want to scream and cry at the same time. I was so excited!! Their entire friendship was just so incredible throughout the entire series. They may have annoyed each other to no end sometimes but they were always friends first and last. That was another thing that I really loved about this novel in particular. We see so much more of their friendship than before. 

Adam, was an asshole in this novel. I understand that he had a right to be upset. She was falling for his half-brother, but they weren't really together anymore. Juliette kept pushing Adam away because she was scared of hurting him and I felt that their relationship ended a while before she started to like Warner, even as a friend. And she faught her feelings for Warner, for a very long time, because she didn't want to hurt Adam; yet, Adam responded like a completely different person than we had ever seen him be before. His initial reaction, though overly dramatic, I kind of expected, but how he acted afterward made me hate him. 

The end... Juliette finally kills Warner's, Adam's father. She finally takes over the Reestablishment. The world can finally go back to normal. But then I got scared again... everyone is dragging themselves out of the Battlefield so Juliette can see them, but Warner is no where to be seen. After everything that it took to get those two together, I was about ready to throw the book, and just then, he climbs up to where she is standing. I about died. 

Favorite Quote:

“I am no longer afraid of fear, and I will not let it rule me. Fear will learn to fear me.”

The Marvels ~ Brian Selznick

In this magnificent reimagining of the form he originated, two stand-alone stories--the first in nearly 400 pages of continuous pictures, the second in prose--create a beguiling narrative puzzle.
 
The journey begins at sea in 1766, with a boy named Billy Marvel. After surviving a shipwreck, he finds work in a London theatre. There, his family flourishes for generations as brilliant actors until 1900, when young Leontes Marvel is banished from the stage.
 
Nearly a century later, runaway Joseph Jervis seeks refuge with an uncle in London. Albert Nightingale's strange, beautiful house, with its mysterious portraits and ghostly presences, captivates Joseph and leads him on a search for clues about the house, his family, and the past.
 
A gripping adventure and an intriguing mystery The Marvels is a loving tribute to the power of story.

Book Review:

This, according to my best friend, is the second Brian Selznick book that I have read. She is very adamant that I read The Adventures of Hugo Cabret when we were in middle school and she is probably right because if anyone would know what I have read, it's her.  Selznick's novels are middle grade with a slew of black and white illustrations that make up the first part of the story. You can't just skip over the pictures and you wouldn't want to because they are wonderfully done. 

Once the written part of the story begins you just really want to know what is happening. You want to know what is up with our main character's uncle, the theatre, and you want to see how Joseph is going to figure it all out. It was a very quick read and something that I would probably read again. 

Be prepared for quite a bit of confusion because throughout this novel, you can't help but feel what Joseph feels. Also be prepared to cry at the end because I most certainly did. The book deals with some harsher issues than what you would think would be in a middle grade novel but it does it in such a way that you would really have to understand those elements to realize that they are there. I find those types of insertions to be the most important when they are in middle grade novels because though they aren't fully developed or explained, they subconsciously tell the that these types of things happen in life and that though they are painful, you will pull through them. 

Pages: 665 (including illustrations which make up the first 400+)                             Rate: 4/5

Book Discussion: SPOILERS:

The story behind the house!? I was not expecting that. I was not expecting that this house didn't have a full real history. I was not expecting that it was just created by a band of three men, ranging in age and skill. That was the most shocking part of the entire story but at the same time it made me realize why Albert was so protective of the house, and why he was so specific about how things were handled. 

Carry On ~ Rainbow Rowell

Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who's ever been chosen. 

That's what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he's probably right.

Half the time, Simon can't even make his hand work, and the other hand, he sets something on fire. His mentor's avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there's a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simon's face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here - it's their last year at Watford School of Magicks, and Simon's infuriating nemesis didn't even bother tbaz waso show up. 

Book Review:

For those of you who don't know, my favorite book this year, so far, was Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I really resonated with Cath, the main character. The life she was living throughout the story, though full of turmoil and confusion, was beautiful in so many other ways. Her struggle with anxiety and lack of relationship experience was all too real for me, as well. 

I was skeptical when contemplating if I wanted to read Carry On or not. This book is the fanfiction book that Cath writes in Fangirl. I loved the little snipets of it that we are able to read throughout Fangirl but I wasn't sure that a full novel surrounding it would be worth my time, in all honesty.

I loved it!! I loved that there were parallels to the Harry Potter series; yet, there was a complete new world of magic.  I don't that I would want 7 books and 8 movies with this story but I loved it either way. It was just a really fun read.

Book Discussion; SPOILERS!!!!

I have never read a story with a homosexual main character, not for any particular reason, it just never happened. Baz was outwardly gay from his introduction all of the way until the end. Simon on the other hand never seemed to portray any homosexual desires until farther into the book. I speculate that he may be Bisexual because I do think that he really cared for Agatha, his previous girlfriend, but it never was definitively stated. In all honesty, I love his relationship with Baz. They hated each other for so long but when it comes down to it they know that they can completely trust the other. They are just way to cute!!

I also really loved Simon and Penelope's friendship. They have known each other since they both started at Watford. She spends the night in his room, they tell each other everything, it would seem like they would make the perfect couple, but that isn't what it is about for them. They don't even have an inkling of romantic infatuation for one another They really are the best of friends and I hope that one day I can find a male friend like that, one whom I trust that completely but have no romantic feelings for.

Favorite Quote:

"At Watford, Magic is just the air that we breathe. It's not what separates us from each other; it's what keeps us together."

  

ARC: Hemingway In Love: his own story ~ A.E. Hotchner

IT IS FINALLY OUT IN STORES!!!!

Ernest Hemingway always held a few of his best stories back; kept them off the page as writer's insurance against a dry-up of ideas. But after surviving two back-to-back plane crashes, he resolved to share his most meaningful tale with his best friend, A.E. Hotchner. Over the course of almost a decade, Hemingway narrated the full story of his formative years, but the details were sensitive, apt to hurt the feelings of Ernest's wide, Mary, and arouse controversy among the involved parties who were still alive at the time. For half a century, Hotchner was obliged to keep these conversations to himself. Now, he tells the story as Hemingway told it to him. Hemingway in Love is the poignant and frank account of a legend living with his mistakes. It takes you from the Key West to the bohemian world of 1920s Paris, and from Cold War Cuba to bullfights in Spain. It places you across the table from Hemingway himself as he recalls days spent drinking with Fitzgerald and sparring with Gertrude Stein; as he reflects on the affair that destroyed his first marriage. This is the story of how Hemingway lost his great love, and the life he pursued after - one of sweeping adventure and quiet regret. 

Book Discussion: Spoilers

I posted my review on this a few weeks ago but not that the book is in stores I thought that it would be a good time for me to post a discussion. 

A.E. Hotchner was best friends with the late literary legend known as Ernest Hemingway. He previously wrote Papa Hemingway, which I have not read (do not yell at me)! In this story though he tells us things that he could not tells us in his previous memoir on Hemingway. 

He wanted to keep certain things out of the public eye while Hemingway's 3rd wife Mary was still alive and while other parties involved were still alive. This is because the story is about Hemingway's first love and first wife, Hadley, and how he always regretted having the affair that ended their marriage. Many intimate details were revealed on his marriage with Hadley and how he felt about her. The arguments and ultimate demise of his relationship with his second wife Pauline is revealed, as well as how it affected his relationship with his 2nd and 3rd sons. We also see snippets of his relationship with his last wife, the one that was with him until the end, Mary. 

Many details were revealed about Hemingway's depression and paranoia which eventually led to his tragic suicide. We also learn about his institutionalization as well. 

The Longest Ride ~ Nicholas Sparks

Ira Levinson is in trouble. Ninety-one years old and stranded and injured after a car crash, he struggles to retain consciousness until a blurry image materializes beside him: his beloved wife, Ruth, who passed away nine years ago. Urging him to hang on, she forces him to remain alert by reminiscing about their lifetime together. Ira knows that Ruth can't possibly be in the car with him, but he clings to her words and his memories. 

A few miles away, at a local bull-riding event, university senior Sophia Danko meets a young cowboy named Luke. Through Luke, Sophia is introduced to a world in which the stakes are high: Reward and ruin - and even life and death - loom large in everyday life. As she and Luke fall in love, Sophia finds herself imagining a future far removed from her plans - if the secret Luke's keeping doesn't destroy it first.

Ira and Ruth. Sophia and Luke. Two couples who have little in common and who are separated by years and experience. Yet their lives will converge with unexpected poignancy, reminding us all that even the most difficult decisions can yield extraordinary journeys. 

Book Review:

Every time that I have read a book by Nicholas Sparks, I have cried. I reread A Walk to Remember often and every time I ball like a little baby. I've done the same with The Lucky One, Dear John, The Last Song, etc. He has been one of my favorite  authors for years and I have loved every book of his that I have read and this one was no exception. 

I wasn't as big of a fan of Ira's chapters as I was Sophia's and Luke's but I believe that that may be because I was scared of reading the moment that we discover if he lives or dies in the car. Also, because Sophia reminds me a lot of myself (even though I have grown up in a remote area I feel that I would be better off in a city) I really loved her relationship with Luke, whose character is exactly the type of person I am interested in.

I loved that for the majority of the novel there really isn't any conflict between the couples. Ira and Ruth argue a bit about the past, but other than that they are just happy to be together again. Sophia and Luke don't really have any problems but the one that comes up later in the book and is resolved a couple of chapters later. I like when novels are like that because it doesn't cause me to scream and yell at my book from all of the frustration that these fictional worlds inflict upon me.

Overall, I really loved the romance (that wasn't sappy at all) and how the main characters kind of discover bits of themselves through their relationships together, I also am really freaking happy with the ending.

Pages: 398                                                                                           Rate: 5/5

Book Discussion: SPOILERS:

Brian, Sophia's ex, makes me really uncomfortable. I mean, I think that that was the point, but he just makes me want to curl up in a ball. He is so demanding and controlling and violent just from the few scenes that he is in. His entire character and that relationship was really unsettling to me.

I loved how Luke and Sophia were flirting from the moment he saved her from Brian and how they were both realizing that what they were saying and doing was something that they would never normally do. I feel that that is what a relationship is actually supposed to do to you, if you are with the right person anyway. You are supposed to feel and do things completely out of the ordinary for you but that somehow make you feel like whatever you're doing is perfectly right.

Ira and Ruth, they are the couple that I have always loved hearing stories about. The couple who knew from the second that they saw each other that they'd be together forever, even with the ups and downs. The couple who married young just because they were so in love and knew that no one else would ever compare. I wish that Ira and Ruth were able to have children because they would have been amazing parents. But the story that they were able to create out of their childless lives was amazing. The artwork and the people they affected left an impact on the future. Certainly on Luke and Sophia.

When Luke bought that painting in the end I was so excited. Even if him acquiring the whole estate didn't happen, I would have loved it because of what the story meant. But the actual ending made my day. I truly loved how it changed everything for Luke, Sophia, and Luke's mom. They were able to save the ranch and figure out what they wanted to do with their lives. I wish that there was a sequel to this book, which I don't say about many of Spark's books (because normally I'm super content with the endings), just so we could know what happens to Luke and Sophia after they fix up the ranch and get married.

Do they have kids? Where do they move? What does Luke end up doing now that he isn't bull-riding? How is Luke's mom?

Favorite Quote:

"I understand Ira."

ARC: Hemingway in Love: his own story - A.E. Hotchner

THIS IS NOT IN STORES UNTIL OCTOBER 2015! THE PUBLISHER SENT ME AN ADVANCED READERS COPY. MY DISCUSSION OF THE BOOK WILL BE POSTED ONCE IT IS IN STORES!

Ernest Hemingway always held a few of his best stories back; kept them off the page as writer's insurance against a dry-up of ideas. But after surviving two back-to-back plane crashes, he resolved to share his most meaningful tale with his best friend, A.E. Hotchner. Over the course of almost a decade, Hemingway narrated the full story of his formative years, but the details were sensitive, apt to hurt the feelings of Ernest's wide, Mary, and arouse controversy among the involved parties who were still alive at the time. For half a century, Hotchner was obliged to keep these conversations to himself. Now, he tells the story as Hemingway told it to him. Hemingway in Love is the poignant and frank account of a legend living with his mistakes. It takes you from the Key West to the bohemian world of 1920s Paris, and from Cold War Cuba to bullfights in Spain. It places you across the table from Hemingway himself as he recalls days spent drinking with Fitzgerald and sparring with Gertrude Stein; as he reflects on the affair that destroyed his first marriage. This is the story of how Hemingway lost his great love, and the life he pursued after - one of sweeping adventure and quiet regret. 

Book Review:

A.E. Hotchner was lucky enough to be best friends with the literary legend that is Ernest Hemingway. He was able to ask the man himself some of the toughest and most sincere questions. Through all of the joy that they had together, which is wonderfully portrayed throughout the memoir, come the pains that come with all lives but especially those that end in the tragedy that is suicide. 

We learn more about Hemingway's struggle with depression and anxiety through Hotchner's point of view of seeing his best friend lose his sanity and himself. We learn of how Hemingway ruined his first marriage and lost the love of his life. Then we follow him as he leads a satisfactory life after that with loves that could barely compare to his first love, his first wife, the mother of his first child, Hadley. 

It is beautifully written with sincere emotion. No detail was left undeveloped, unexplained, or unrecognized. It truly is my favorite memoir at the moment. 

Pages: 154                                                                                                          Rate: 5/5

Destroy Me ~ Tahereh Mafi

Set after Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me and before Unravel Me, the spellbinding sequel, Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

In Shatter Me, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner - and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she'll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of...

Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner's father, the Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son's mistakes, it's clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

Book Review:

 Destroy Me has made me even more excited for Unravel Me. 

Even though this novella is supposed to make you feel sympathy for Warner, I just cant. I hate Warner. I still can't get passed how he treated Juliette and his soldiers in Shatter Me. Even though we learn of his childhood, I can't feel for him. The only person in this series so far that I hate more than Warner is his father who I hate as much as Umbridge (nasty, rude, feline loving monstrosity, worse than the villain of the series, Voldemort) in the Harry Potter series. 

I really enjoyed that this novel was told from Warner's perspective though. I enjoyed seeing what is going on at Sector 45 since Juliette has escaped. I also enjoyed the fact that Warner's life was so completely disrupted because as I said before I hate him, and therefore like to see him lose control and struggle. What I really enjoyed about this is that he is feeling something that he has never experienced before and his reaction to it is king of laughable.

Pages: 109                                                                                                  Rate: 4/5

Book Discussion: SPOILERS:

How can Warner be in love with Juliette? She has only ever expressed hatred, fear, and anger in his presence. To really be in love with someone don't you have to see them experience joy and love themselves. Plus she has blatantly told him that she hates him and all that he stands for. Also, before this he was an unfeeling bastard.

I do feel bad that Warner was abused emotionally and physically as a child by his parents, that he didn't have a loving home but neither did Juliette and she would never purposefully do anything to hurt anyone. That would be like saying all children of abuse grow up to be abusers. That simply isn't true. And I am so glad that Mafi made that distinction in her own way,  with her story. 

Now Warner's father is a complete ass. He is a horrible human being. He killed a women and her three children because her husband and their father was a traitor. What kind of person does that?! He's always played mind games with his son and those below him. And he blatantly tells his son, who almost died, that he is a disappointment. I HATE HIM!!

Favorite Quote:

  "And I've fallen.

So hard.

I've hit the ground. Gone right through it. Never in my life have I felt this. Nothing like this. I've felt shame and cowardice, weakness and strength. I've known terror and indifference, self-hate and general disgust. I've seen things that cannot be unseen. 

And yet I've known nothing like this terrible, horrible, paralyzing feeling. I feel crippled. Desperate and out of control. And it keeps getting worse. Every day I feel sick. Empty and somehow aching.

Love is a heartless bastard."

  

You Deserve A Drink: Boozy Misadventures and Tales of Debauchery ~ Mamie Hart

Mamrie Hart is a drinking star with a YouTube problem. As host of the bady cult hit You Deserve A Drink. Hart has been entertaining viewers with her signature concoction of tasty libations and raunchy puns since 2011. Finally, Hart has compiled her best drinking stories - and worst hangovers - into one hilarious volume. From the spring break where she and her girlfriends avoided tan lines by staying at an all-male gay nudist resort, to the bachelorette party where she accidentally hired a sixty-year-old meth head to teach the group pole dancing, to the time she lit herself on fire during a Flaming Lips concert. Hart accompanies each story with an original cocktail recipe, ensuring that You Deserve A Drink is as useful as it is entertaining. 

Book Review:

I have been really into memoirs of those that I love for about the past year. Now out of all of the memoirs that I have read this year, Mamrie's is the TMI (To Much Information) of all memoirs. I love it so much because it is hilarious and honest with horrible puns that are so horrible they are hilarious. So hilarious that your cheeks hurt from smiling so much and your abs hurt from laughing so hard! 

Now I am 17 so it is not legal for me to dink but believe me when I can I plan on trying out these recipes and playing the drinking game that is the entire book! I don't plan on being a heavy drinker or anything but there are times where you just need to let loose and have some fun that you won't remember the next morning. 

Now, her writing was impeccable. It felt like I was watching her videos. She would cross out words and say something different (more appropriate), had a safe word to have her family stop reading, and had her signature jokes. Ay-Oh! I also loved that she included pictures, even though they were black and white. It really was just an amazing read!

Pages: 274                                                                                               Rate: 5/5

Favorite Quotes:

"I spent my days spread-eagle in front of a fan, with bright pink calamine lotion slathered all over my undercarriage. If you walked into my room, you'd think I was giving birth to a Pepto-Bismol baby."

I couldn't stop laughing when I read this line! It reminded me so much of Camp Takota (which you should watch if you haven't, it's on Netflix).  

Percy Jackson And The Battle Of The Labyrinth ~ Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson isn't expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears on campus, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to diabolical.

In this latest installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos's army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop them, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labryinth - a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn.

Book Review: 

This was probably my favorite installment of the series so far. It was so fast paced and I really loved the dynamic between Percy and Annabeth, plus the ending was perfection. (I'll talk about that in the discussion section.)

I really enjoyed the concept of the Labyrinth, it made the setting really interesting because you could interpret it all in your own way with the few details that Riordan incorporated in his descriptions. My only question on the Labyrinth is how the hell did they build a shifting, growing, elaborate piece of architecture. Deadulus, the architect, is technically Annabeth's brother. Yes he is thousands of years older than she but I just feel like there should have been more of a connection there. I feel this way about all of the family stuff in this series. No matter what the circumstances are when you discover a new sibling, once past the confusion, there should be so much love and adoration. I love that it is that way between Tyson and Percy but I feel that it is lacking with the other demigods. Like we know that Annabeth has siblings in her cabin but they are never mentioned or discussed and that kind of bothers me. 

 I love how nochalant Percy percieves this entire world now. He is so young and everything has been thrusted at him but none of it really phases him anymore. He's just like, "during the year I live with my mom in the city, get kicked out of school, try to not get killed by monsters. In the summer I live at a camp with  all of my cousins and my Cyclops brother and satyr best friend. Oh and I rarely hear from my father, the sea god. You've all heard of him, Poseidon."

It was just a really fucking great read.

Pages: 361                                                                                                          Rate: 5/5 

Book Discussion: SPOILERS

So lets talk Percabeth (Percy and Annabeth) first. So there is obviously some tension. You can tell that they both care for each other. She obviously doesn't let him do anything dangerous without her by his side, he is upset that  they have become so distant because of the issue with Luke. These two have been through so much together and they obviously have feelings for each other, I just wish they would do something about it. 

Another Annabeth related thing. Does the fact that her mother, Athena, and her father never having a physical relationship mean that Annabeth was born from Athena's head like Athena was from Zeus. She couldn't be born from her father's head because no mortal could withstand that. I'm just very confused. 

Now lets discuss the whole Kronos and Luke situation. I have hated Luke since the first book. I hate how he has betrayed Olympus, his friends, and his father. I hate how he is willing to let the Titans rise and ruin everything that Olympus has built. (The symbolism of this story line is really great.) But in this book I am beginning to feel bad for him in a way. He really is being used by Kronos, even though it is his own damn fault. The fact that Kronos is in Luke's body now, what does that mean for Luke? Is he still alive in there too or is he forever gone?

;Okay now lets talk about the end. I love that for Percy's birthday his dad showed up. I love that even though he could have heard about what happened from anyone on Olympus or anyone that wasn't Percy he makes a point to come to his sons party and see how he is. I couldn't stop smiling as I read that scene.

Favorite Quotes:

"And you, Percy, are my favorite son."

If I Stay ~ Gayle Forman

In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces - to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make.

Book Review:

I read this book a few years back but when I picked it up yesterday I didn't remember anything other than the choice she made in the end. Now I remember being completely intrigued by this novel a few years ago but it didn't do that for me this time around. Don't get me wrong it is a well written book with an interesting plot line, I've still never really read anything like it before, but I feel like it needed more depth and direction. 

I really like Mia. You can tell how much she loves her family and how she feels about being so different than them. You can feel the love that she has for Adam even though they are so young and have similar yet very different plans for their lives. I also love how she describes her relationship with her little brother, as an older sister to kids 1 year, 2 years, 6 years, 7 years, and 16 years younger than me I get how she has helped raise him because they are 9 years apart. That is a special relationship. Also she and I share a very big part of our lives, we both saw our mothers give birth, cut the umbilical cords, and were the first person the babies saw. That is a special bond, one like no other. 

Now though I love Mia, I feel that there was no character development for the other characters. Now a lot of that is due to how the book is written, through her eyes while having her out of body experience and reliving moments of her life. But I feel like there could have been more character development for Adam at least and even Mia. Mia did have some development but I still feel like there could have been so much more for her. 

The book was good  and I remember that I liked the second one better even a few years ago. I am hoping that that is still the case. This book is especially good for readers who are looking for a quick, easy, but yet interesting read.

Pages: 210                                                                                            Rate: 2/5

Book Discussion: SPOILERS:

I don't really have much to discuss about the book other than Mia's choice. In the end, Mia chooses to live without really making the decision. It just kind of happens. One minute she is watching Adam cry and the next she is able to squeeze her hand and hear him through her actual ears. I just found that strangely interesting. 

Favorite Quote:

"And that's just it, isn't it? That's how we manage to survive the loss. Because love, it never dies, it never goes away, so long as you hang on to it."

I've lost many people in my life, and this really is the only quote that I can think of that really seems to explain how we survive that pain.  

Fangirl ~ Rainbow Rowell

A coming-of-age tale of fanfiction, family, and first love.

Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life - and she's really good at it. she and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it's what got them trough their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fanfiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere. 

Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go. She doesn't want to.

Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of he comfort zone. She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend; a Fiction-Writing professor who thinks fanfiction is the end of the civilized world; a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... and she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone. 

For Cath, the question is: Can she doe this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Book Review:

When I was at Target the other day Fangirl the collector's edition was on sale. It is such a pretty cover. Mine is not like the one above, it is pink with green writing and the inside covers, front and back, are covered with amazing fanart related to the story. Now this has been on my TBR list for a couple of months now so when I saw that it was 20% off I had to get it. And I am so happy that I did. It is a long book but it is so beautiful and an easy read. 

I really resonate with Cath's character. She is in her freshman year of college and I'm entering my senior year of high school, but I can't even think about this year because I'm too excited for the next. She is a dedicated fan of Simon Snow, and though Simon Snow isn't a real series, it super close to my biggest obsession Harry Potter. (If you want the similarities explained go to this link: http://lies.tumblr.com/post/61896796990/the-world-in-fangirl) She also struggles with anxiety and is an introvert. (Literally me!)

Besides the fact that I just really resonate with Cath and this world, the story is just beautifully written. We can feel the pain, confusion, fear, love, and everything in between. I also love her roommate Reagan. At first I was skeptical of her and wasn't really sure about the type of person she is, but as she pulled Cath out of her shell and showed that she had her back no matter what I really began to like her as a character. I also love Levi, who Cath assumes is Reagan's boyfriend. I'll talk moe about him in the discussion though because I don't want to give anything away to those who haven't read this amazing bit of YA contemporary fiction. I hated Wren up until the end when she finally came to her senses and was once again there for her sister. 

I also really loved that Rowell included so many mental illnesses/addictions in this book. Cath has anxiety, her father has depression or bipolar disorder (it was never really clarified), and Wren struggles with alcohol abuse. Those diseases were perfectly explained. I have anxiety myself and I know people with the other diseases mentioned and I have been hurt by them as well, so I know what it means to be watching those you love spiral. 

Pages: 433                                                                                                               Rate:5/5

Book Discussion: SPOILERS: 

When Cath is introduced I knew that she was like me. I knew that everything she would feel, I have felt too. Now I have never been in a relationship so I can't say that I have been in love like she is with Levi, once they finally end up together. But I have crushed on someone really hard and been really let down when I realized that they only thought of me as a work partner, like she does with that jerk Nick. 

Another thing that I loved about this book was that before each chapter we would get either a snippet of the Simon Snow series (which made me want to read a series that doesn't exist) or a bit of Cath's Simon Snow fanfiction. Now I have written fanfiction (nowhere near as long as Cath's Carry On, Simon) and I might be uploading some at some point to hear as well. Mine are much shorter than hers, which is described as being longer than any of the books in Gemma T Leslie's series. 

Now let's talk about Levi. So at first it seems like he is dating Reagan, Cath's roommate. They are always hanging out but we later learn that they aren't together, only after Cath and he kissed and fell asleep together. Now Reagan was really the only friend that Cath had, they weren't super close, like Cath didn't really tell Reagan about the guy who broke up with her over the phone after they'd only been at college for a little while for another girl. But Reagan was the one who helped Cath get out of her shell, like eating in the dining hall or just leaving her room for something that wasn't class related. So obviously before Cath knew that she and Levi weren't together she felt guilty for kissing him. And Cath suffers from anxiety so her guilt just multiplied 1000x. 

So when Reagan finally convinces her that it is okay and that she should go with her to Levi's party, you think everything is going to be fine. And it is, until they walk into the kitchen where Levi is kissing another girl. This really hurts Cath and Reagan vows to keep him away from her. This works for awhile until Cath's dad enters the hospital because of his depression. She has no one else to call to give her a ride back to Omaha. They fight and everything before she finally gets to see her dad. But when she does go back to school and he finally gets her to listen to him, they are able to start the most amazingly adorable real relationship ever. I just love it so damn much. 

I also learned how much you can hate a literary character who has only a handful of lines; Cath and Wren's mother. She is mentioned more than that but she only has one actual scene and I hate her! I thought that I hated Umbridge from the Harry Potter series the most but Laura comes as a close second. 

Now the mental illnesses were portrayed really well in this series without explicitly saying, "Oh he is having a manic episode" or "Oh she is having an anxiety attack." As a reader you just knew what was happening as the change of tone would change. Now maybe I was really sensitive to what was happening because I suffer from anxiety myself but I don't believe that that was the case. I really do think that Rowell just described it wonderfully. 

Addiction was also a theme that I could see pretty much the second it began, before Cath even knew what was happening to her sister. And once again that is just Rowell's magic as a writer. Wren's alcoholism affects everyone differently but I really loved how  it affected their father. Ever since the girls were nine years old, after their mother left, it has always been them, but it is explained that he never kept too tight of a leash on them. So with his own mental disease and everything I didn't really expect him to become so intense, but at the same time it made perfect sense. 

Overall I just really love this damn book. 

 Favorite Quote:

"Because I'm the kind of girl that fantasizes about being trapped in a library overnight." 

In Real Life: My Journey To A Pixelated World ~Joey Graceffa

It's not where you begin that matters.

It's where you end up.

Twenty-thee year old Joey Graceffa has captured the hearts of millions of teens and young adults through his playful, sweet, and inspirational YouTube presence (not to mention his sparkling eyes and perfect hair). Yet, Joey wasn't always comfortable in his skin, and in this candid memoir, he thoughtfully looks back on his journey from pain to pride, self-doubt to self-acceptance.

To his fans, Joey is that best friend who always captures the brighter side of life but also isn't afraid to get real. In the pages of his first book, he opens up about his years of struggling with family and hardships and troubles at school, with cruel bullying and the sting of rejection. He tells of first loves and losses, embarrassing moments and surprising discoveries, loneliness, laughter, and life-changing forks in the road, showing us the incalculable value of finally finding and following your true passion in this world.

Book Review:

I don't watch Joey's videos the second he posts them and I don't watch everyone. I haven't followed him since the beginning of time (well the beginning of YouTube, which face it is the beginning of time), but I watch enough of his videos to know about his autistic brother and alcoholic mother. I don't know much about those situations or what he had to go through because of them, but I knew enough to want to know more. That is why I bought In Real Life. 

In Real Life, gave us an insight into the Joey that we don't see often, his truest and most vulnerable self. We read along as he describes being confused with his sexuality from a young age, being picked on in school for being "feminine," arguing with his older sister, looking up to his step-dad, and fighting to forgive his mom, and protecting his little brother. I feel sympathy for him when he describes being the outcast in high school and alone in college. I'm excited for him when he takes the leap of faith and jumps into his dreams, focusing more on YouTube and moving to LA.

I could hear his voice as I read the book. I could hear the excitement, the pain, and the resentment. That is what I love about reading memoirs of people I have watched on YouTube forever. I just wished that he talked more about how his life is now in the end.

Pages: 240                                                                                                  Rate: 4/5

PS I Still Love You ~ Jenny Han

Lara Jean didn't expect to really fall for Peter.

She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren't/ Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.

When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean's feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once.

Book Review:

The sequel to To All The Boys I've Loved Before, is just as wonderful as the first if not better. Jenny Han is an impeccable writer, I loved her The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy and her co-written series with Soiban Vivian called Burn For Burn.

Contemporary young adult fiction is one of my most read genres and this book is at the top of my list for the genre. I preferred how Lara Jean and the other characters were portrayed in this  novel. They talked and acted a lot more their age than in the first book, in my opinion. 

The inner conflicts that Lara Jean has because of her knowledge of Peter's previous relationship, I feel is very common amongst people who are in their first relationship with someone who was previously in a very serious relationship. The bit of cyber bullying, I feel was also well done because it is so common today. Even when you think you are alone, you rarely are. And I also loved Peter's relationship with Lara's little sister Kitty, which we saw more of in the first book but was just as important in this book. What I didn't like was how Josh was practically nonexistent throughout this book. 

Pages: 352                                                                                     Rate: 4/5

Book Discussion: SPOILERS:

Lara Jean's relationship with Peter, started in To All The Boys I've Loved Before, as a way for her letters to seem like they were nothing  and for Peter to show that even after Genevive he was fine. But it began to be something more, more real. Then it was ruined because Lara Jean thought that Peter was telling everyone that they had had sex while on a ski trip in a hot tub, when they didn't. He actually never told anyone that and Lara and he get back together in the beginning of this book.

So from the very beginning these two have had their ups and downs but in this book their biggest issue within their relationship is Genevive. Peter and she are still friends, even though Lara knows that she is the one who posted their make out video on Anonybitch. He won't tell Lara why he has been hanging out with her, other than that she has family problems and he is just trying to be a good friend. This causes a lot of insecurities on Lara's part and for them to argue, which never really happened with them before.

Then enter, John Ambrose McClaren. Lara Jean had a crush on him in eighth grade, before her crush on Peter started. He moved away and her letter only recently reaches him in the book. They begin writing back and forth and he comes to her Tree House party with the rest of the group who were friends in eighth grade, including Genevive who tagged along with Peter. This is where a childhood game of theirs comes into play. It's like an intense version of tag. School and their homes are safe places but other than that everywhere else is fair game. Lara Jean never won and she is set on winning this time.  Eventually after she has tagged out John they team up for her to tag out Peter. She does this and they break up because she saw him comforting Genevive. She and John hang out more at the nursing home where she works and is friends with his step grandmother. Eventually she and Peter work things out and get back together and she and John remain friends, because it's not their time yet.

So in my review I also mentioned Peter's relationship with Lara's little sister Kitty. We see much more of that relationship in the first book, because this one focuses on Lara's feelings for two different people but Kitty is still important. She may only be 9 years old but Lara confides in her often and Kitty is a little schemer herself. But when Peter and Lara break up, Kitty is upset because she loves Peter to pieces. He was always so good to her and made her just as important to him as he would have done if she was his own little sister. So I loved to see that even after Lara and Peter broke up and were not talking to each other he made time for Kitty. He took Kitty ice skating and everything. And I loved that Lara allowed that. We don't see that much in young adult novels, but when someone is in a relationship their family tends to form relationships with their partner too and those relationships sometimes last longer than the romantic relationship.

Josh, Margot's ex boyfriend, Lara's first real crush and best friend, just stops coming around. He was always around in the first book. He and Lara hung out often. He and Kitty were so close. And he even hung out with their dad. But after he and Margot break up he just stops coming around, even though he was friends with all of them way before he and Margot began dating. That just really bothered me, because I know how strong of a relationship they all had with him and he just walked away from it. It shows a big difference between him and Peter and it makes me really glad that Lara ends up with Peter. 

The book was just great!!!

Favorite Quote:

"Us." Peter corrects. "I did it for us." He links our fingers together. "It's you and me, kid."