(My two friends and I were The Three Blind Mice for my halloween party, and I wanted to incorporate some part of it into my picture, hence the ears)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! October is officially over and I cannot believe it. Literally a month has never flown by so fast for me. Where did it go?? Christmas decorations are already up in stores, and though I'm extremely happy over that because I LOVE Christmas, that means I have to start stressing over what the hell I'm gonna buy my friends and family for it. Ugh. 

All We Have is Now by Lisa Schroeder 2 stars

What Grows in Heavy Rain by Lisa Martens 3 stars

Night Film by Marisha Pessl 4 stars

Slasher Girls and Monster Boys by April Genevieve Tucholke 3 stars

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo 4 stars

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes (audiobook)

My favorite was, unsurprisingly, Six of Crows. LEIGH BARDUGO IS MY QUEEN. My plans for tonight are going pretty chill, I'm going to be hanging out with my friend and we're going to order pizza and watch scary movies. Stay safe out there tonight and have a fabulous halloween! Enjoy the sweets :) Happy readings! 

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Happy Monday!

Hi guys! Okay, I have to get this off my chest since it's literally been the only thing on my mind since yesterday. HELLO BY ADELE IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE AND IF YOU HAVENT LISTENED TO IT YET GO PUT ON A SWEATSHIRT BECAUE YOU'RE GONNA GET GOOSEBUMPS WHEN YOU LISTEN TO IT. Her voice is stunning and the lyrics are so raw and powerful, I've had it on repeat for the past 24 hours. I even bought it on iTunes, which I only do for super special songs.
Anywho, another week has flown and just like that October is almost over. This month, by far, has been the fastest month for me. It's so weird how time flies. I mean, can you believe 2016 is only two and a half months away? IT'S A LITTLE SCARY.

Read Last Week
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Slasher Girls and Monster Boys by April Genevieve Tucholke

Currently reading
I'm listening to The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

To-Read
Night Film by Marisha Pessl
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Happy readings :)

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Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Publication Date: September 29th, 2015
Page: 462
Song I Played While Reading: Ghosts 'n' Stuff by deadmau5
Rating: 4 stars

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price- and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy, Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him right beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager

A runaway with a privileged past


A spy known as the Wraith

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes 

Kay's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction- if they don't kill each other first. 

I have no words. None. The thought-process behind this book was GENIUS and I don't understand how Bardugo did it. It's absolutely mind-blowing.
You might know Leigh Bardugo from The Grisha trilogy, which, now that I think about it, I have a weird love/like relationship with. Some days I'm like "I NEED TO REREAD THIS SERIES NOW BECAUSE IT'S LIFE" and other days I'm like "FUCKING BARDUGO, FIX THAT ENDING" or "I NEED A BOOK FROM NIKOLAI'S POV NOW".
You don't need to read that series to read Six of Crows, which is a good thing because then everyone can go out now and pick this up and read it. The writing was impeccable, the characters were FLAWLESS AND WONDERFUL AND FUNNY, and as I said earlier, this heist?? MIND BLOWING. The ending will leave you screaming for more. It did for me *insert my fav emoji: the nervous smiley face with the sweat droplet on his brow*

Spoiler-y section

Let's start with WHYYYY I gave this four stars instead of 5. Why, Mariah? Why? WHY?
The second chapter (Or the first from our crew's pov, whichever you decide) blew me the hell away. It not only solidified my love for Inej, but it gave me a sneak peek into what kind of cunning criminals we were dealing with here, and my oh my, did I fall in love.
Now, I had believed that my one true love would be Matthias, and Nina would be my girl-crush, mostly from what I heard about them and their pictures on the Six of Crows poster. Bardugo said she got physical inspiration for Matthias from Charlie Hunnam. If you guys don't know who that is, FEAST YOUR EYES.

(You're welcome)

And since Mr. Hunnam is the embodiment of my perfect man, I thought I was done for. I was ready to sign off as being Mrs. Helvar. But I was in for a hell of a shock when we meet him and... he's a stuffy, judgmental, turd head. And Nina? She wasn't as funny and wicked as I thought she'd be. She was more emotional and kind, which obviously isn't at all a bad thing, but it was unexpected and threw me off. 

This story was a little slow for me in the beginning, especially before breaking Matthias out and during the planning stages. I got a little scared for a minute, thinking "crap, what if this isn't as good as I thought it would be?! First Queen of Shadows and now this?!" Luckily, it didn't come to that. Once everyone warmed up to each other (i.e. Matthias started acting a little less frigid toward everyone and wasn't trying to strangle Nina) I became a happy girl and was sucked into the story. I warmed up to them as the story progressed and was obviously rooting for them, especially as I heard their crazy backstory. 

Inej and Kaz stole the show, though. THEY'RE MY OTP AND OF COURSE INEJ HAD TO BE TAKEN AT THE END. It was her fearlessness, her quiet and watchful demeanor that made me connect to her on a whole different level. I kept picturing this tiny, badass ninja, and I just would get all mushy inside and think "I WANT TO BE YOU.' Us shorties have to unite! 

The next shining star was Kaz Brekker, criminal mastermind and clean freak galore. You wouldn't think he would stand out from most of the dark, badass characters in YA literature today, but he does. His limp and huge fear of personal proximity, along with the 'no touchy' thing, could have easily broken him in such a cruel world. But he didn't let that get to him, and instead twisted it so it made people fear him more. I have a soft spot for people who do bad things and fully accept it, and Brekker  is quite possibly in the top three on my list now. And by bad things I don't mean kill people for fun or kick puppies. I mean the kind of person who understands there's evil in the world and isn't afraid of it.  The kind of person who will get the job done, no matter what situation he's in. The kind of person who stands by his word. THE KIND OF PERSON WHO PULLS OUT SOMEONES EYEBALL AND STILL LOOKS HOT DOING IT. That scene, though extremely nasty, made me fall in love with him even more. 

Jesper and Wylan were so damn cute I just wanted to squish their cheeks together and make them kiss. Though I do have a funny story on these two: I knew there was a gay couple in this story, and for some idiotic reason, I thought it was Kaz and Jesper, not Wylan and Jesper. You're probably thinking I'm a complete idiot because I saw the fucking ship name (Jylan? Wesper? WHATEVER IT IS) and still thought it was Kaz. To say I was shocked and confused when Kaz was thinking about his feelings for Inej was an UNDERSTATEMENT. 

Now, onto the heist. I was beyond grateful for the map of the Ice Court because that shit got a little confusing. As it sometimes happens with information overload, the crew would be talking about their plans and what rotation the guards were on and where certain buildings were and the ice moat and how was their water beneath it if there was no body of water around the court?? And my brain would just kind of stutter and refuse to suck anything in, so I would have to repeatedly read over those passages until it started making sense. Having a map really helped to visualize their plan, especially during the action sequences. God, the whole scheme was absolutely brilliant. There was so much action and suspense and jaw-dropping surprises. There were so many things that I so didn't see coming and I would curse Bardugo for getting the better of me. I'm not at all creative or cunning, so there's really no surprise there, though 

Overall, a little bit of a slow start for me (besides Inez's first chapter), but it quickly picked up speed and turned into one of the greatest heist stories I've ever read. Keep doin' you Bardugo, AND HURRY UP WITH EMPIRE OF CROWS. THAT ENDING MURDERED MY SOUL. 

Quotes

"When everyone knows you're a monster, you needn't waste time doing every monstrous thing."

""We enter from the north as planned," Kaz said.

Jesper knocked his head against the hull and cast his eyes downward. "Fine. But if Pekka Rollins kills us all, I'm going to get Wylan's ghost to teach my ghost how to play the flute so that I can annoy the hell out of your ghost."

Brekker's lips quirked. "I'll just hire Matthias' ghost to kick your ghost's ass."

"My ghost won't associate with your ghost," Matthias said primly, and then wondered if the sea air was rotting his brain."

"There was no part of him that was not broken, that had not healed wrong, and there was no part of him that was not stronger for having been broken."

"Matthias nodded. "If procedure hasn't changed, they'll do a quick head count at the first checkpoint, then a second count at the next checkpoint, where they'll search the interior and undercarriage for any contraband."

Nina passed the book to Inej. "The driver is going to notice six more prisoners when he opens the door."

"If only I'd thought of that," Kaz said drily. "I can tell you've never picked a pocket."

"And I can tell you've never given enough thought to your haircut."

"Trickery is not my native tongue, but I may learn to speak it yet." 

"She'd laughed, and if he could have bottled the sound and gotten drunk on it every night, he would have.

"I will have you without armor, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all. 

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Slasher girls and Monster Boys by April Genevieve Tucholke

Slasher Girls and Monster Boys by April Genevieve Tucholke

Publisher: Dial Books

Publication Date: August 18th, 2015

Pages: 385

Song I Played While Reading: Control by Halsey

Rating: 3 stars

A host of the sharpest young adult authors come together in this collection of terrifying tales and psychological thrillers. Each story draws from a mix of literature, film, television, or even music to offer something new and fresh and unsettling. Even better? After you've teased out each tale's reference, satisfy your curiosity at the end, where the inspiration is revealed. There are no superficial scares here. These are stories that will make you think even as they keep you on the edge of your seat. From bloody horror, to the supernatural, to unnerving all-to-possible realism, this collection has something for anyone looking for an absolute thrill.

I don't get scared easily from books. Creeped out a little, sure, but never absolutely freaked out where I have to sleep with the lights on. Since this isn't a visual thing, it doesn't scare me. Now, movies? Don't even get me started on those. I refuse to watch scary movies because they freak me out so badly afterwards. So I wasn't expecting much from this book, and that was exactly what I got. 

There are 14 short stories in this collection, and only two gave me the heebie jeebies, which was Marie Lu's The Girl Without a Face and Carrie Ryan's In the Forest Dark and Deep. Lu's was straight out of a horror movie, and like I said, I don't fuck with those, NO SIR, while Ryan's dealt with a creepy twist on Alice in Wonderland.

Most of these were enjoyable, a little strange or startling or even fascinating at times, with only one really boring me to tears, which was M by Stefan Bachman. 

Overall, I was a little let down with how not scary this was. There was too much supernatural stuff in here, which is something I don't find frightening at all. But I definitely recommend picking this one up to get into the Halloween mood! Some of my favorites, bedsides Lu's and Ryan's, where Hide-and-Seek by Megan Shepherd, Fat Girl with a Knife by Jonathan Maberry (this one was hilarious), and Sleepless by Jay Kristoff.

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10 Wishes I'd Ask The Book Genie To Grant Me (TTT)

This meme is hosted by the lovely ladies at The Broke and the Bookish :)

1. The ability to jump into a story and be a character for a day
This has literally been a dream of mine since the day I started reading. I used to wish for this at all my birthdays, all the 11:11's, eyelashes found on my face, ANY reason to wish for something. Hell, I still wish for this. To be Aelin, Rose, Sydney, Katy, Meira, Ruby, Blue, Juliette, Feyra, Tessa, Belly, Samantha... THE LIST IS ENDLESS. Just for a day, so I can really understand what it's like to be them, plus... I GET TO KISS MY MEN. *drools*

2.  Have an endless amount of money to buy books for one day

Wishing to have an endless amount of money for books for life would obviously be great... but I feel like that would be cheating. So I'd just want one day where I can go absolutely insane and buy/order every book I want. God, CAN YOU IMAGINE? Not only would I have raided the entire YA section of (multiple) bookstores, but the UPS guy would have his work cut out for him. 

3.  To have my own library 

A whole room of my books. With a ladder. And a fireplace. And multiple comfy chairs. And bean bags. And a window seat. And LOTS of tissues and finger food. IT'S PERFECT.

4. A website with summaries of books

Some days I get into this nostalgic mood where I want to reread all my old books and drown in the feels. Or I don't feel like rereading all the books in a series just so I can read the final one. So I wish someone would create a website filled with summaries so I can take trip down memory lane or save time. 

5. Only allow cover changes when the series is finished

Cover changes that occur in the middle of a series, or HEAVEN FORBID, the final book in a series, completely baffle me. Why? It looks awful on my bookshelves! I want them to match, no matter how ugly or corny. DO YOU HEAR ME PUBLISHING COMPANIES?

6. For Leigh Bardugo to write a spin-off story from Nikolai's POV

I heard she actually is... so maybe I should word that as "For me to have the spin-off series from Nikolai's POV now now now NOW NOW NOWWWWWWWW".

7. For all book-to-movie/TV show adaptations to ACTUALLY. BE. GOOD

Like Harry Potter good. Or The Hunger Games. Or ______ (insert whatever good book-to-tv show adaption you can think of, I can't think of any!) PLEASE PEOPLE, THESE ARE MY FAVORITE BOOKS YOU'RE SHITTING ALL OVER. 

8. For Queen of Shadows to be 5 stars BECAUSE WHAT THE HELL, SJM??

I can pretend that doesn't exist and QoS was absolutely perfect... but it wasn't. And I can't even describe the heartbreak I feel over it. 

9. CHAOLAENA. CHAOLAENA. CHAOLAENA. CHAOLAENA. 

THERE'S NO NEED FOR AN EXPLANATION ON THIS ONE. PRETTY PLEASE WITH SUGAR ON TOP *UGLY SOBS BC SJM LIKES TO RUIN MY LIFE* 

10.  And finally, a list of all the books I read when I was younger

Especially during my library phase. I read so. many. books. I MUST KNOW WHAT THEY WERE.

AH, THIS POST WAS SO MUCH FUN. What would you wish for? Link your post down in the comments! :)

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Happy Monday!

Hi pals! I'm SO sorry about missing out on my Happy Monday post last Monday, but I had just gotten back from SoCal and had a crap ton of stuff to deal with. I got really sick, plus got bed bugs from my friends couch, so to say it I never want to look at a washing machine or a pull-out couch again is an understatement. Luckily, I didn't notice the bug bites until I got home, so my whole trip was pretty smooth. I'm definitely glad to be home. I didn't end up listening to The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black on the way home, but did manage to knock out All We Have is Now.

Read Last Week
What Grows in Heavy Rain by Lisa Martens

Currently Reading
Slasher Girls and Monster Boys by April Genevieve Tucholke
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

To-Read
Night Film by Marisha Pessl
Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch

Happy readings! :)

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What Grows in Heavy Rain by Lisa Martens

What Grows in Heavy Rain by Lisa Martens
Publisher: Tablo Publishing
Publication Date: May 7th, 2015
Pages: 177 pages
Song I Played While Reading: None
Rating: 3 stars

Two Americans, two Costa Ricans and two Nicaraguans struggle through the rainy season in a small gated community in La Garita, Costa Rica. Through the rain and budding fruit, they battle through terminal illness, poverty, boredom, ex-husbands, theft, and sexual assault. The Costa Rican air has a way of turning even the most logical mind wild with passion.






I'd like to thank Lisa Martens for giving me a copy of her book in exchange for an honest review. 

This was an unexpected read. I'm not sure what I was expecting from it, but the actual contents of the story were much more in-depth and varied than I originally thought. We deal with a lot of intense issues, and I really enjoyed the way Martens handled them. It wasn't done too lightly, where it doesn't  even feel like the author is giving the issue justice, but it wasn't full fledged, either. It was the perfect balance. 
The characters were absolutely fascinating, since most of them lived completely different lives from me. It really humbled me, making me appreciate the things I had, since some of these characters really didn't have much. 
The writing was super vivid, making me feel as if I was there with the characters in Costa Rica. It helped that I had been there before, so I was able to visualize some of the buildings, flowers, and beaches she described. 
My only issue was the way the ebook was put together. I'm assuming it's because of the format, but we would bounce from different POV's without a paragraph break, and it made it really difficult for me to connect with them, since I would just start too and then I would suddenly be in someone else's head. There were also some grammatical errors, and at one point, Suzie, one of the characters, had been called "Sarah." It took me a full minute to assume it was a mistake (I hope?)
But besides that, this was a super enjoyable read! It was refreshing and new, something I don't normally read, and I'm so glad I did. 

(Picture and summary from Goodreads)

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Book Haul!

 Night Film by Marisha Pessl

 Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch

 Black Widow: Forever Red by Maragret Stohl

 Slasher Girls and Monster Boys by April Genevieve Tucholke

 Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

 A History of Glitter and Blood by Hannah Moskowitz

 Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman

Happy readings :) 

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Mini Review: All We Have Is Now by Lisa Shroeder

All We Have Is Now by Lisa Shroeder
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Publication Date: July 28th, 2015
Pages: 272
Song I Played While Reading: None
Rating: 2 stars

What do you do with your last day on earth?
Just over twenty-four hours are left until an asteroid strikes North America, and for Emerson and everyone else who didn’t leave, the world will end. But Emerson’s world already ended when she ran away from home. Since then, she has lived on the streets, relying on her wits and on her friend Vince to help her find places to sleep and food to eat.
The city’s quieter now that most people are gone, and no one seems to know what to do as the end approaches. But then Emerson and Vince meet Carl, who tells them he has been granting people’s wishes—and gives them his wallet full of money.
Suddenly, this last day seems full of possibility. Emerson and Vince can grant a lot of wishes in one last day—maybe even their own. 

I've never read a "what would you do on your last day of Earth" type of book before where it's actually the last day of Earth. And I'm scared to read anymore because, god help me, this book was terrible. I listened to the last page and could barely hold back the eye-roll.
All We Have Is Now was unoriginal and boring. I hate how harsh that sounds, because I usually like to keep my reviews pretty polite, but those are seriously the only adjectives I could come up with. Everything was dull, from the characters and their banter, to the people they meet, and to the "life lessons" we learn. 
Everything the characters go through and do all seemed to childish and immature. Not in the way they handled it, but in what they did. This story is definitely aimed more towards a younger crowd. I would almost give this a PG rating but the main character swears sometimes. The ending was predictable and abrupt, barely giving us any closure with our characters. I wish we had gotten more so I could have felt even a little bit of affection towards them. Instead, I felt annoyed. An ending can really make or break a book for me, and this got knocked a full star because of that. 
Overall, if you're looking for an easy read with fluffy characters, then I suggest picking this up. Just because this wasn't my type of book doesn't mean it can't be yours!



(Picture and summary from Goodreads)

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Top Ten Author Duo's I'd LOVE To See Write A Book Together

This meme is hosted by the lovely ladies at The Broke and the Bookish :)

1. Lauren Oliver & Jandy Nelson

PRAISE JESUS. I would NOT live through this book. It would definitely have to be a contemporary, but besides that I could care less what it would be about. All I know is that it would be magical and amazing and breathtaking. 

2. Sarah J. Maas & Leigh Bardugo

These two epic fantasy writers would create the most amazing world together, with heart-stopping action, strong characters, and swoon-worthy men. I NEED THIS NON-EXISTANT BOOK NOW.

3. Maggie Stiefvater & Markus Zusak

I've called these two the King and Queen of writing. If you've read any of their books (specifically, The Raven Boys Cycle and The Book Thief) then you know how incredible their writing is. I can't even begin to describe how, because I don't even understand it myself, but IT IS. Take my word for it. Or don't. BUT, know that this book would most likely become my favorite book ever. 

4. Sara Raasch & Laini Taylor

Another fantastic fantasy duo that would probably have me kissing the ground they walk on. Plus these two have colored hair. As in, pink and purple. IT'S MEANT TO BE.

5. Morgan Matson & Jenny Han

It would be contemporary heaven. I'd be drowning in the cutesy feels!

6. Tahereh Mafi & Ransom Riggs

The powerhouse couple of YA. IT'S A GIVEN.

6 was the best I could do! I didn't just want to start randomly putting people together. I really, really, REALLY think these duo's wold be perfect together. 

What duo's made it onto your list?? Link your post down in the comments! :)

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Underhyped Book Recommendation: The Wrong Side of Right

Kate Quinn’s mom died last year, leaving Kate parentless and reeling. So when the unexpected shows up in her living room, Kate must confront another reality she never thought possible—or thought of at all. Kate does have a father. He’s a powerful politician. And he’s running for U.S. President. Suddenly, Kate’s moving in with a family she never knew she had, joining a campaign in support of a man she hardly knows, and falling for a rebellious boy who may not have the purest motives. This is Kate’s new life. But who is Kate? When what she truly believes flies in the face of the campaign’s talking points, she must decide. Does she turn to the family she barely knows, the boy she knows but doesn’t necessarily trust, or face a third, even scarier option?

Set against a backdrop of politics, family, and first love, this is a story of personal responsibility, complicated romance, and trying to discover who you are even as everyone tells you who you should be.




The first thing that comes to mind whenever I think of this book is the raised hands emoji.

This signifies how right this book was. Everything was flawlessly done, from the characters, to the plot, to the writing, to the drama, to the intrigue over all of this political drama.
If there's one thing I don't read much of, its that. And it's odd because I find that sort of stuff fascinating. Seeing what it's really like to be a senator? Or a President? Or a King? Or really anyone in high authority? Pass it over! I (obviously) don't know what that's like, so this behind-the-scenes look at the ups and downs of it was intriguing.
The romance took a backseat to the more important issues Thorne tackled in here (which she also did PERFECTLY), but it was present enough that it made your heart burst with joy. I LOVED Andy. He was the perfect gentlemen, with a swoon-worthy dry sense of humor. Both him and Kate had strong morals, making them not only the perfect powerhouse couple, but the perfect characters that were able to stand on their own. They stood by their beliefs, never once wavering, even if it caused a lot of problems.
I was completely swept up in the story, loving how Thorne managed to balance all different aspects of life in here. Theres something for everyone; first love, family dynamics, political hot topics, personal discoveries, death, and the always wonderful coming-of-age storyline. I can't recommend this enough!

(Picture and summary from Goodreads) 

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Top Ten (Er, Five) Books I Recently DNF

This week's post was ten bookish things I want to quit, and one of the examples was books you recently DNF, so I choose that. This meme is hosted by the lovely ladies at The Broke and the Bookish :)

My Soul Immortal by Jen Printy
DNF'ing this book was a very difficult decision for me. It was an author request, and I couldn't fathom telling the wonderful woman that I couldn't finish her story. I mean, ouch?! But after sticking through almost half the book (which took about a week to do), I realized I was severely neglecting my other books and my blog, plus I knew that if this wasn't an author request I would've dropped it already. So I finally sucked it up, figuring Printy would appreciate the honesty.

The Secret History by Donna Tart

Talk about hype!! I was crazy excited to read this book because people were raving about it, and it sounded intriguing. "Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality they slip gradually from obsession to corruption and betrayal, and at last - inexorably - into evil."

Does that not sound amazing?! Sadly, I was severely disappointed. I pushed through 150 pages before I had to raise the white flag. Never have I ever been so bored while reading before, nor have I ever read such unimportant nonsense. I'm all for reading about someones day and what they do, because I find it interesting. But this was a legitimate day-by-date account of someone who, not only was unimaginative and pitiful, but who also lived a life that lived up to those two characteristics. I wanted to pull my hair out. Plus, even 150 pages in, we only got the barest hints of what was to come. Nothing was happening, or even beginning too. I wanted some excitement!

The Vacationers by Emma Straub

This was a promising story, one that had mixed reviews, so I was interested to see how I would perceive it. I got to maybe... page 30? I was bored, plus couldn't stand how snotty the mother was. She was a privileged brat. 

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

DONT HURT ME. I'm definitely going to pick this up again, since I'm dying to know how the ending turned out. People are always raving about how insane it was and I MUST KNOW. But at the time this book just wasn't holding my interest. It took me a week to get through half of it, and I finally decided to put it aside until a time when I would be interested in it. Hopefully that will be soon!

Your Voice is All I Hear by Leah Scheier

I couldn't stand how childish the main character was being about her boyfriend being schizophrenic. She outright refused to believe it, even though it was blantly obvious. Instead of getting him help so he could have recovered faster, they had to suffer through weeks of dramatic episodes that were harmful to himself and the people around him. Pretending it isn't happening isn't going to solve anything; it just makes the whole situation worse until it explodes in your face. 

What bookish things did you want to quit? Link your post down in the comments! :)

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Happy Monday!

Hi pals! I'm currently in LA visiting my friend at school. Thanks to my boss I've gotten into audiobooks, and was able to listen to one on my trip down here! Since I knew I never read whenever I'm with friends, especially away at school, I figured I could get some reading in during my drive. I listened to All We Have is Now by Lisa Schroeder and finished it before I even got to LA, since it was only 5 hours long. If I have time I'll post my review some time this week, but it'll probably come out next week!

Read Last Week
Hopeless by Colleen Hoover
All We Have is Now by Lisa Schroeder

My audiobook for the ride back
The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Happy readings :)

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Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: December 19th, 2012
Pages: 406
Song I Played While Reading: Coming Down by Halsey
Rating: 5 stars

Would you rather know a truth that makes you feel hopeless, or keep believing the lies?

Sky, a senior in high school, meets Dean Holder, a guy with a promiscuous reputation that rivals her own. From their very first encounter, he terrifies and captivates her. Something about him sparks memories of her deeply troubled past, a time she's tried so hard to bury. Though Sky is determined to stay far away from him, his unwavering pursuit and enigmatic smile break down her defenses and the intensity of the bond between them grows. But the mysterious Holder has been keeping secretes of his own, and once they are revealed, Sky is changed forever and her ability to trust may be the casualty of the truth. 
Only by courageously facing the stark revelations can Sky and Holder hope to heal their emotional scars and find a way to live and love without boundaries. 

I had been itching to read another CoHo book since Maybe Someday. I've heard so, so, so many incredible things about the rest of her books, and knew it was only a matter of time before I snagged 'em. My goal is to read them all by the end of this year.
Hopeless is the story of my twin, Sky, navigating her first year at public school, which also happens to be her senior year. She's been homeschooled her whole life, and only with the help of her best friend, Six, was she able to persuade her mother to let her go. And when I say she's my twin, I mean we're the exact same person. She loves to read, she loves chocolate (especially Snickers), she has a great relationship with her mom, she doesn't give a crap about what other people think about her, and she has a super dry sense of humor. I mean, it was freaky! But I also loved it because I was able to connect with her on a whole different level.
Dean Holder, even with all his flaws and secrets, was absolutely stunning. I knew from the moment we met him that he was a keeper. Sure, he was iffy and dodged around some things and acted a little crazy at some points, but... he was broken. And god damn it, if I don't have a weakness for broken bad boys. As the book progressed and the revelations started pouring in, Holder stepped up to the plate. I've never, in my life, seen a more supportive boyfriend. He was amazing. He was kind, and sweet, and caring, and patient, and so understanding it was insane. Half of the reason why I cried so hard during this book was because of him. My expectations for my future boyfriend are so damn high, it'll be a straight up miracle if I actually find someone.
And then the other half of the reason why I cried was because this book was so sad. I wasn't prepared for it. At all. Not only because, holy plot twist, but because this got shockingly personal for me. I wish I had gotten a warning beforehand just so I could have braced myself for it. One half of me understands why people don't add a trigger warning in their review, because then the whole secret/shock appeal would be ruined, but then the other half of me is angry because this is serious topic and you really never know what can set a person off. I was torn up on if I should say what it was in this review, but I decided against it, even though I'm itching to just type it out. If any of you are curious and don't mind being spoiled, then you can contact me on any of my social media accounts and I'll tell you what it is.
Hoover's writing, AS USUAL, was flawless. I still have trouble putting into words how it is, in fact, flawless, but I'm going to try here.
You know how Jandy Nelson and Lauren Oliver have very lyrical, magical writing? (I used those two because those are who come to mind first, but if you have a different author with that type of writing then just think of him/her!") Hoover is the complete opposite. Her writing is super straight-forward and blunt. There's no frilly, foo foo crap with a bunch of similes and metaphors. It's so insanely real, and raw, and gritty that it just touches you. She's able to completely nail every single emotion in her books, and it amazes me but also confuses me a little because hOW??
If I had to rate all of my CoHo books from least favorite to favorite, it would be Ugly Love, Maybe Someday, and then Hopeless. This book has touched a part of my soul that no other story has done before, and Hoover managed to do it realistically but beautifully. Life can be ugly and cruel and it can feel like everyone and everything is against you. But sometimes, if you find the right person or even the right cause, you can gain the strength to stand up again and come out a better person. I'm not saying anyone deserves to go through what Sky and millions of other girls have gone through (hell to the no), but I personally think, with the right amount of guidance and unconditional love, you can come out of that dark cloud with more understanding and peace than you ever thought possible.

Quotes
"One of the things I love about books is being able to define and condense certain portions of a character's life into chapters. It's intriguing, because you can't do this with real life. You can't just end a chapter, then skip the things you don't want to live through, only to open it up to a chapter that better suits your mood. Life can't be divided into chapters... only minutes. The events of your life are all crammed together one minute right after the other without any time lapses or blank pages or chapter breaks because no matter what happens life just keeps going and moving forward and words keep flowing and truths keep spewing whether you like it or not and life never lets you pause and just catch your fucking breath.
I need one of those chapter breaks. I just want to catch my breath, but I have no idea how."

"He frowns. "First of all, track is one of the most individual sports you can join. Second, I though you said extra curricular activities was the reason why you were here."
"I don't know why I'm here," I say. "Maybe I feel like I need to witness a good dose of human nature at its worst before I enter the real world. It'll be less of a shock.
He points a celery stick at me and cocks an eyebrow. "This is true. A gradual introduction to the perils of society will help cushion the blow. We can't release you alone into the wild when you've been pampered in a zoo your whole life."

""What do you do when you’re bored? You don’t have internet or TV. Do you just sit around all day and think about how hot I am?
I roll my eyes. "I read," I say. "A lot. Sometimes I bake. Sometimes I run."
"Read, bake, and run. And fantasize about me. What a riveting life you lead."
"I like my life."
"I sort of like it, too," he says.

"And while I could sit here and feel sorry for myself, wondering why all of this happened to me... I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to wish for a perfect life. The things that knock you down in life are tests, forcing you to make a choice between giving in and remaining on the ground or wiping the dirt off and standing up even taller than you did before you were knocked down. I'm choosing to stand taller. I'll probably get kicked down a few more times before this life is through with me, but I can guarantee you I'll never stay on the ground."

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September Wrap-Up!

Hi guys! September straight up flew by. I mean seriously, where the hell did time go? Just yesterday it felt like I was starting my class and now I'm writing my midterm paper. WEIRD. This was also quite the whirlwind of a month for books, and I read some pretty damn fantastic ones. I also started listening to audiobooks, thanks to my boss. We get pretty bored at work (we work in a snack bar at a country club), and there's only so much cleaning and restocking you can do in your free time when there aren't at customers before you go stir crazy.
So let's get into what I read!

- Wonderland by Robert McKay 4 stars

- Loosing Lila by Sarah Alderson 4 stars

- Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas 3.5/4 stars (feelings are STILL all over the place)

- Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo 4 stars

- Down to You by M. Leighton 2.5 stars

- Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge 3.5 stars

- The Girl on the Train by Rosamund Hodge 3.5 stars

- Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight 4 stars

- DNF The Vacationers by Emma Straub

- Cinder by Marissa Meyer 3.5 stars

- Hopeless by Colleen Hoover 5 stars

My favorite is either Hopeless or Queen of Shadows. They're two such completely different stories, so it's hard to pick between the two. In terms of ratings... it's gotta be Hopeless. If you're curious as to why QoS isn't 5 stars (because c'mon, EVEN I'M STILL A LITTLE CONFUSED AS TO WHY), then you can head over to my review here. Be warned: it's long. And a little crazy. And VERY in depth. But if it's a little daunting and you only wanna know the parts I didn't like, then click here. That's my goodreads review and it's straight to the point on my issues. 

Happy readings :)

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