June 2016 Favorites

Hey Guys!

It's Stephanie, and I was wanting to talk about my monthly favorites.  I do not know if this will become a thing, or if I will just do it when I feel like I have some good things. So, let me know if you like posts like this.

Wow it's June, the year is already half over where has the time gone?!  I swear yesterday was JUST April....  Without further adieu, let's get into my favorites!  I'm going to do a few different categories, and I'm sure they will change from month to month.  

First, my favorite book.  I would have to say Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson is my top favorite book of the month.  Maybe even this year.  It's about a girl named Emily, who is very shy and reserved, and her journey over the summer after her best friend Sloan disappeared.

This seems slightly random, but my favorite food this month is grapes.  When I was grocery shopping, I found some on sale and they are sooooo good!!

I planned on including some makeup or beauty items, but to be honest, I haven't used anything new that I can talk about. Yet.  I was thinking of talking about my current makeup routine and things like that.  

Lastly I wanted to mention what I've been doing with my free time (besides reading of course) I've been writing in my journal!  I picked this up when I saw someone share the bullet journal method, and I kind of adopted it to a style that works for me.  I can do a post about that if anyone had any questions on how to set one up!

Well, thank you for reading!!

Love, Stephanie

The Book Thief, A Review

The Book Thief
By: Markus Zusak
My Rating: 5/5

Full disclaimer about this book, it sat on my shelf for a good four years, yes years, before I got around to reading it.  Once I finally cracked it open, I was mad a myself for not picking it up sooner.

To get the first thing out of the way, this is a book about the Holocaust.  That was the biggest thing that kept me from picking up the book in the first place.  I could not bring myself to start reading it, I did not know how the author would handle such a dark time in history.  To my surprise, he handled it very well, and kept me on the edge of my seat through the whole book.

The narrator of this story is Death.  There is no way to sugar coat it, but it is very well thought out and done.  He talks about how busy he was during that time in human history, which is hurtful to think about but makes the story so good.

This book kept me pulled into the story from the begining.  I laughed, I cried (a lot) and I just fell in love with it. It quickly became one of my all time favorite books.

I loved the characters and grew attached quickly, which is not a good idea considering the time period this book is sat in.  I was completely invested in what I was reading because I needed to know what happened next.

Thanks for reading!!
Love, Stephanie

Have you read The Book Thief?  If so, what are your thoughts? 

Top Five Books I Did Not Finish

Hey Guys!

While I was browsing YouTube this morning I saw Padfootandprongs07 talk about her top five books she didn't finish so it got me thinking about what I haven't finished. 

Please don't be angry with me I'm at a point in life where if I'm not enjoying a book, I'm going to stop reading it.  That doesn't mean these books are terrible, and I'm sure lots of you thoroughly enjoy them, they just weren't for me.

The Casual Vacancy
By: J. K. Rowling

I wanted to love this book, I really did.  Something about it just kept me from diving into the story.  Maybe one day I'll pick it up again and give it another go.

Days of Blood and Starlight
By: Laini Taylor

Oh this book.  I loved the first one Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but each time I've tried to read the sequel, I just couldn't do it.

The Time Travelers Wife
By:Audrey Niffenegger

I picked this book up blind from the library.  They had a special event going that was masquerade themed and all the books were covered, but had a short synopsis.  I tried reading it, but it just wasn't what I was looking for at the time.  I also may pick this one up later and try again.

Mocking Jay
By: Susan Collins

Please don't throw stones at me for this one.  I own the trilogy, and enjoyed the first two books, but once I reached a certain part in Mocking Jay, I just couldn't continue.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
By: Jules Verne

I know, It's a classic.  I tried reading this book on my kindle, which I struggle with anyway, so maybe I'll pick this up in a physical form soon.

Well, there you go!  Five books I did not finish!

What about you?  Do you power through books you just don't love?  Or are you like me and are not afraid to DNF one?

Let me know in the comments!!

Thank you for reading!!
Love, Stephanie

Change of Theme?

Alright, here's the deal, while I love book blogging, I feel like there's no need for me to have two different blogs.  I have a WordPress where I mainly write all my reviews and such so I was thinking I would use this blog to kind of make things a little more personal.  

I want to share recipes, make up, fashion and other lifestyle things here.  

Updates 

• I have started writing a book! #JuNoWriMo
• I am bullet journaling now
• I've been reading a lot more
• Twitter is my jam

I think I'm going to keep the name of my blog, because I think it's cute and I like it.  I will just start posting different things on here to keep y'all on your toes!!



Well, that was a lot shorter than I thought, but I'm excited for the change!!

Love, Stephanie

Thoughtful Thursday, Harry Potter Edition

Hey Lovely Readers!

I've been kind of thinking about re-reading the Harry Potter series, again, and was looking at some of my favorite quotes from the books.  I grew up with this series, and it made me love to read so it will always have a special place in my heart, just like many Harry Potter fans.  I always get the question "who is your favorite character?" to which, I never have a good answer.  So here are a few of my favorites.  I think I'm going to add more later on another post, there's just so much to talk about!

I like Dumbledore for all his wit, and wisdom.  I feel like he's been another father figure in my life, and has just taught me things through the pages of the books.

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live"
-Albus Dumbledore
"Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it."
-Albus Dumbledore

I like Hermione because, she is smart and strong-willed.  Both of these things are reasons why I like, and look up to her.

“At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in, they got in on pure talent.”
-Hermione Granger
“It’s best to know what the enemy are saying,”
-Hermione Granger

Then I also like the twins, Fred and George.  The fact they add comic relief to the whole story makes my heart happy.

“We’ll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat.”
-Fred and George Weasley
“Give her hell from us, Peeves.”
-Fred and George Weasley

Thank you for reading!  I hope these brought back some good Harry Potter feels for you too!

Love, Stephanie

Lady Midnight Spoiler Free Review

Lady Midnight
By: Cassandra Clare
My Rating: 5/5

GoodReads summary:

“In a secret world where half-angel warriors are sworn to fight demons, parabatai is a sacred word.
A parabatai is your partner in battle. A parabatai is your best friend. Parabatai can be everything to each other—but they can never fall in love.

Emma Carstairs is a warrior, a Shadowhunter, and the best in her generation. She lives for battle. Shoulder to shoulder with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, she patrols the streets of Los Angeles, where vampires party on the Sunset Strip, and faeries—the most powerful of supernatural creatures—teeter on the edge of open war with Shadowhunters.”

My thoughts:

I have to get one thing off my chest before I say anything else about this book.
*Looks around cautiously*
I haven’t read The Mortal Instruments series yet.
I know! I’m awful, and I should have read those first, but you guys, I missed the boat when they first came out and don’t have the time to commit to reading them right now.

With that being said, I loved this book.  I wasn’t worried about things being spoiled too much because that has never been a problem for me.  I have been known to skip ahead and read the last chapter a time or two as well.

This is my first book by Cassandra Clare, and I’m sure it won’t be my last.  I loved her writing style, and her story building is incredible.  Her characters were good, and fun to read from.  Sometimes she would change points of view in the middle of the chapter, which threw me off a little at first, but once I got used to it I went with it just fine.

This book had a little bit of everything, it had action, mystery, and a little romance.  I also like how she showed a little mental illness in her book.  It wasn’t thrown in your face saying look at this guy he has a mental illness!!  It was done tastefully and I enjoyed watching the characters learn and grow with the book.

If you’ve been putting this book off because its size, I highly recommend you pick it up and start it today!!

Love,
Stephanie

The picture is a link to the Amazon page where you can buy Lady Midnight, and if you happen to buy from that link I do get a small commission.  Thank you for your support! 

Series I have yet to read

Hey Fellow Readers!

Today, I'm going to throw myself under the bus and call out popular series I either haven't finished, or straight up haven't started yet.  Hopefully this will give me the motivation to finish these this year!

Unfinished

Daughter of Smoke and Bone series
By: Laini Taylor
Books of the series I've read: Just the first one.




The Lunar Chronicles
By: Marissa Meyer
Books of the series I've read: Just the first one again.




The Hunger Games series
By: Susan Collins
Books I've read: Actually most of the series, I got partially into Mocking Jay, got mad and stopped reading.

Not even started yet

Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children
By: Ransom Riggs



Throne of Glass Series
By: Sarah J. Maas





The Mortal Instruments Series
By: Cassandra Clare



The Maze Runner series
By: James Dashner




I've heard some great things about these and want to love them too!  The Lunar Chronicles is probably at the top of my list right now.  Have you read all of these, or are you like me and have more reading to do?

Thank you for reading and your support!

February TBR

Hey Fellow Readers!

I thought I would do something I have yet to do and share my TBR (or my To Be Read) for the month!  I normally go to the library every few weeks or so to pick up more things to read.  This month will be no exception, I do plan on reading a couple more, but have yet to pick them up.
The first two books I have picked out to read are from the library.

The first one is:
between shades of gray
By: Ruta Sepetys

Here’s the synopsis from GoodReads.
“Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they’ve known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin’s orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.”
I haven’t read a lot of historical fiction, but I have heard great things about this one so when I saw it I thought this would be a good place to start.

Next I have:
I’ll Give you the Sun
By: Jandy Nelson



Here is another synopsis from GoodReads.

“Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah’s story to tell. The later years are Jude’s. What the twins don’t realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.”


Finally one from my own unread bookshelf!

The Unnaturalists
By: Tiffany Trent


Very short description for this one from GoodReads.

“In an alternate London where magical creatures are preserved in a museum, two teens find themselves caught in a web of intrigue, deception, and danger.”

This book looks like it combines a little bit of steampunk with a little alternate worlds.  I’m pretty excited to get into this one.  I mean look at the cover! I’m such a sucker for a pretty cover.

Are any of these on your TBR?  Have you read these and wanna talk about them?  Let me know in a comment!  Thanks for reading!

Thoughtful Thursday #5 Reading Habits Book Tag

Hello fellow readers!!

This Thursday I thought I would do something a little different and do a book tag that I've seen floating around recently!  I don't think I was tagged by anyone specific but this looked like fun.  I'll put a clean copy down in the comments, so if you want to do this it'll be easy.

The Reading Habits Book Tag

1. Do you have a certain place at home for reading?
 Normally I just read where I feel comfortable at.  During the day I will tend to sit in the living room where there's a lot of natural light.  Then at night I like to read in bed, or in my reading nook.

2. Bookmark or a random piece of paper?
To be completely honest, its normally a random piece of paper.  I do have a few pretty bookmarks I like to use, but 9 times out of 10, I can't find them.

3. Can you stop reading anytime you want or do you have to stop at a certain page, chapter, part, etc.?
I normally have to stop at a new chapter.  Its just so satisfying to mentally check off another chapter from a book.

4. Do you eat or drink while reading?
Probably more than I should!  I always have a coffee in my hand in the morning, then in the afternoon you'll probably catch me with some tea.  I just love caffeine.

5. Can you read while listening to music/watching TV?
Normally I can.  I never catch what's happening on TV or what music is playing because I block pretty much everything out, but it's nice to have that extra noise one in a while.

6. One book at a time or several at once?
I'm guilty of reading more than one book at a time.  I'm honestly trying to get better at it, there's just too many good books I want to read!!

7. Reading at home or everywhere?
Everywhere of course!  I always have my book I'm currently reading with me.  You never know when you'll have some free time!

8. Reading out loud or silently in your head?
Silently, unless I need to share something with my boyfriend then I'll read it out loud as dramatically as I can.

9. Do you read ahead or skip pages?
Me? What? Never!!  Okay fine, I will sometimes.  I always keep reading when I do though!

10. Breaking the spine or keeping it new?
This one is kind of tricky.  I normally have library books in hand so those spines are already broken.  With my own books though, like my manga, I tend to try not to break them.  Full novels however, I do break them a little.  I like them to have a "read" look to them.

11. Do you write books?
Nope, and I really don't have any plans to.  I don't have the patience to do all the editing.
 
Thanks for reading!
Now it's your turn!  Answer these questions so I can see if we have anything in common!

Stephanie

These Broken Stars
By: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
My Rating: 4/5

I have to say I loved this book.  I went into it with an open mind and without much knowledge of what happens other than the main girl has red hair and is wearing a pretty dress on the cover.  (I know, how dare I be sucked in by a pretty cover, again)

I had heard a few people mention it was a good science fiction, young adult, fantasy novel, so of course I was intrigued and picked it up.  The whole book is written from two different and switching points of view.  At first that caught me off guard, but I loved the differing views on what was happening around them.  I can only assume the co authors did these in turn, each writing a chapter then the other writing the next from the other view.  They blended well and it never seemed to be disjointed at all.

**I may get a little spoilery here so you've been warned**

Lilac and Tarver find themselves on a seemingly abandoned but terraformed planet.  They each are the last person they would want to be stuck with alone, but they have no other choice.  Lilac is the daughter of the wealthiest and most powerful man in the universe.  Tarver is a lowly country boy turned war hero.

They are traveling across the galaxy on the Icarus which is the largest ship of its kind which struck some people as too Titanic-like but I didn't quite get that.  I was more afraid of the mythology behind Icarus and how he flew too close to the sun.  Just as I was about to look up about Icarus, my fears were confirmed.  Suddenly they are pulled out of hyperspace and in the panic, Lilac and Traver end up in the same escape pod.

As they travel across this (mostly) abandoned planet they must learn to work with each other to survive.

I loved how their relationship grew.  It felt so natural to me and I couldn't stop reading to find out what happened to them. Need this book in your life? Amazon is pretty great for that, and if you buy through my link I get a small commission, so its a win-win!

A Book Review: The Martian

The Martian
By: Andy Weir
My Rating: 5/5

Guys, stop what you're doing at this very moment and go read this book!  Yes, even if you're in the middle of reading my review, I'll wait.

*Waits patiently on you*

Okay, now that you're done, we can get into the review!

Mark Watney, botanist, engineer, and first man to be alone on Mars.  After a severe dust storm forces the crew to evacuate Mars, Mark finds himself alone on the surface clinging to life.  His crew believing him dead flee from the red planet just before their only form of escape fatally tips over.  Having made it safely onto their escape ship, the whole crew wishes there was something more they could have done to save him.

Mark is on his own.  The first step was to grow some food.  Being a botanist did come in handy on Mars!  To grow food, Mark needed to "make" more water.  This is where the book lost me a little.  I'm sure someone else could read this and understand just fine, but it just went slightly over my head.  With some potato plants growing he started to use his engineering skills.  Mark starts brewing up ideas for communication.

After about a month of mourning, NASA takes a look at Mars. They would have to make any images they found public, so for obvious reasons they were very hesitant.  With a nudge from an administrator of NASA Venkat finally caved and gave him the satellite time he was after.  They expected to find a body, but instead they found Watney alive!  There was no way to communicate with him, but they knew he was alive and were working on a way to get to him.

Mark planned to travel to the Pathfinder site.  NASA lost contact with that rover long ago, but he's an engineer, fixing things is his job.  All he knows is if he can make it there he may be able to communicate with Earth, and let someone know he is still alive.

Its been a long time since I've actually wanted to read a book so full of suspense.  After seeing the movie, and hearing such good things about the book I talked about it so much I got it for Christmas. (Thanks Issac!!)

I have so much that I want to say about this book.  I'm a sucker for anything written in journal format and most of this book was done just like that.  Watneys humor kept me laughing through the darkest parts of his journey.  It kind of made me want to be an astronaut.  Kind of.

Stephanie Need this book for yourself? Here's a link to its Amazon page! I do get a small commission if you use my link so it's a win-win! Thank you for your support! The Martian Amazon Page

Thoughtful Thursday #4

Hey fellow readers!!

It's Thursday and you know what that means!! Another Thoughtful Thursday!!
I've decided to dig back to my freshman year of high school and go with a book I really enjoyed.

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice.

I had to do some looking to find these, I do not own this book and haven't read it since then.  I knew the first quote was a given.  I had this one hung up in my locker most of my freshman year.  

“People who cease to believe in God or goodness altogether still believe in the devil. 

I don’t know why. No, I do indeed know why. 

Evil is always possible. And goodness is eternally difficult.” 

-Anne Rice, Interview with the Vampire 

Then I found a couple of quotes from the book I thought were interesting in and out of context.  Vampires have been very intriguing to me for a long time. 

“The world changes, we do not, therein lies the irony that kills us.”

-Anne Rice, Interview with the Vampire

 “The only power that exists is inside ourselves.”  

-Anne Rice, Interview with the Vampire

A Review: Love Fortunes and Other Disasters

Love Fortunes and Other Disasters
By: Kimberly Karalius
My Rating: 4/5

This book has one of the cutest covers I've seen in awhile, and normally I don't pick up books based on that.  The day I saw this in the library was the day I felt a reading block coming on and I needed something light and cute to life me out of the soon to be slump.

I felt like I could see the little town of Grimbaud like it was something from Amsterdam, or even out of a Nicolas Sparks novel, but that's exactly how it's supposed to feel.  She sets the scene in the town square with cute decorations and love is always everywhere.  I just can't handle the cuteness of the whole thing.

I loved how the relationship developed between Fallon and Sebastian.  The whole time it felt real, and not rushed.  I felt the pain for her friends ill-fated love fortunes, and for hers.  None of them wanted to end up in spinster or bachelor villa when they graduated.  So they took it upon themselves to break free of the fortunes that hung over the town.

If you're in the mood for a cute light read, this should be your next one.

Stephanie 

Love Fortunes and Other Disasters
I do receive a small commission if you buy the book through my link. Thank you for your support!!

Thoughtful Thursday #3

Hey Fellow Readers!

Today I bring you another Thoughtful Thursday!  This time we will be taking a closer look at Orson Scott Card.  I'm a big fan of his Ender's Game series, and can not wait to keep reading the shadow series.

Lets start with one most of you have probably either read, or seen the movie.  I highly recommend you check out Ender's Game, it definitely surprised me.

Ender's Game.

“I think it's impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves.”
-Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game

“Sometimes lies were more dependable than the truth.”
-Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game

“If you try and lose then it isn't your fault. But if you don't try and we lose, then it's all your fault.”
-Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game

Short Review: The Rest of us Just Live Here

The Rest of us Just Live Here
By: Patrick Ness
My Rating: 3/5 Liked it, will not read again

 


Aren't we all sick and tired of reading about "the chosen one" by now?  Would you like to see when the rest of us go through when you are suddenly chosen to protect and save the world?  Well, I thought I was ready when I heard about The Rest of us Just Live Here, but I just couldn't fully get into it.

I will say it was an easy read for the most part. The chapters flowed well, the characters grew well, but something just seemed to be missing and I couldn't put my finer on it.  Maybe it was because he called the chosen ones indie kids, maybe it was the random bits of the indie kids lives at the beginning of each chapter.  I don't honestly know.  I do know that I still want to read more of his books, and plan on doing so very soon.

So long story short, if you already are a fan of Patrick Ness, please pick this one up.  If you are new to him and want to start somewhere I recommend picking up one of his other novels first.


Stephanie

 *Want to buy the book to read for yourself? The picture is a referral link to Amazon, and I'll get a small commission if you buy through it. Thank you for your support! 

Thoughtful Thursday #2

Hey Lovely Readers!

I'm back with another thoughtful Thursday!!

I thought I would go with someone that I read last year but never go to finish her series, but plan on doing so this year.  I've picked Lani Taylor, author of Daughter of Smoke and Bone.  I quite liked her first book and am disapointed in myself that I haven't picked up the other two yet, so quotes for today will just be from the first book.

Hope you guys enjoy!

“Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love.
It did not end well.” 
-Lani Taylor, Daughter of Smoke and Bone

 “Your soul sings to mine. My soul is yours, and it always will be, in any world. No matter what happens. I need you to remember that I love you.”
-Lani Taylor, Daughter of Smoke and Bone

“Peace is more than the absence of war. Peace is accord. Harmony.”
-Lani Taylor, Daughter of Smoke and Bone

“Because hope comes from in you, and wishes are just magic.”
-Lani Taylor, Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Ender's Game, A Review about the book (mostly)

Ender's Game
By: Orsan Scott Card
My Rating: 4.5/5 Loved it, will probably read again


This book seems a little intimidating at first, science fiction, space travel, and aliens.  No thanks, I would normally skip over that one.  To be honest, I only picked it up after watching the movie.   My boyfriend actually let me borrow his copy of it after he read it and said it was extremely good, and even better than the movie.  So that got me thinking "huh, I wonder how the book compares to movie."

The first thought I had was "wait, the kids are six?! I don't think they were that young in the movie!"  The answer is no, they did not show them that young.   They start off in battle school, training to fight an inevitable return attack by the Buggers, an alien species that almost wiped out humanity the first round. All of the kids grew up watching videos of the final battle with the Buggers. Then finally a heroic fighter pilot sacrificed him and his fighter jet to blow up the "mother ship" hoping that would put an end to the bloodshed.

Ender is a third child, which was unheard of, during the time in the books and was very uncommon.  Ender grows up before our eyes, and rather quickly.  He is so smart for only being six (must have something to do with being a special third child) and outsmarts bullies that are way larger than him.  His siblings, Valentine and Peter both went to the battle school Ender is in.  Peter failed out for being too quick to turn to violence and Valentine didn't make the cut because she was too kind.

The movie left out most of the subplot about Valentine and Peter, which I understand, but it is a shame.  For kids they are both highly intelligent and think like adults.  They were honestly two of my favorite characters in the whole series. 

With so much action, and a young unknowing hero, I couldn't put this book down and flew threw it.  So if you think this book it too intimidating, like me, just give it a chance!  You may just be surprised, I know I was.

Stephanie 




Want to start the series get the book here.  If you buy the book on Amazon with my link I do get a small commission.  Thank you for your support!!