September Sneak Peak

Hello to all of you who are still sticking around! Summer is drawing to a close, and I must say it has been a busy one. I'm back at school for my senior year (although I still can't believe it), and the business continues.

Autumn is my favorite season for many reasons, and I'm anxiously awaiting the days of colored leaves and sweater weather and hot drinks. And as an added bonus, I have several new posts planned that will start going up soon!

BOOKS

As we all know, summer is almost over. And that means it's almost time to start discussing and reviewing the Summer Book Club books! I'll be honest, even I haven't finished all of them since my library doesn't have them all. Regardless, I'll be sure to let you know what I thought of the books I did finish, and if you've read the others, you're perfectly welcome to discuss them in the Book Club forum tab!

LIFESTYLE

For many of us, fall means back to school. To me, that means waking up early, doing homework, and submitting college applications for next year. But thankfully, it also means shopping for new clothes, organization items, and stationary. You can expect to catch a glimpse of the things I've bought (or DIY'ed) to get my room and my backpack organized this year!

BEAUTY

Fall and winter fashion are definitely my favorites, and I'll practically live in a sweater and a pair of boots once the weather gets cold enough! I'm hoping to share with you a few of my favorite outfits that might hopefully help you through the transition into cooler weather. Also, I've been trying some new beauty and skincare products out over the summer, and I'm looking forward to giving you a review of those soon!

MUSIC

At least for me and my hometown, the return of autumn also means the return of marching band. While this certainly keeps me pretty busy with rehearsals, football games, and competitions, it also gives me some fun new things to write about and share with you!

I hope you're as excited about fall as much as I am! What are you looking forward to most? Let me know in comments!

Book Club Picks!

Hey, guys!

Voting has closed on the summer book club options, and we have 7 books to read! I'll post the results below, and if you want more information on the books we've chosen, you can look back at my last two posts (here and here) or you can check out my shelf on Goodreads (here).

Just in case you haven't noticed it already, I've added a forum page specifically for the book club discussion. Feel free to go ahead and start conversations about the books in that forum, although it may be a few weeks before I have any real discussion questions or topics ready to go. If you've already read any of these books, that's awesome! You can go ahead and talk about them, just please be careful with spoilers and warn people of them or don't post them at all. We don't want the fun to be ruined for those of us that haven't read these books yet.

I will admit that I've had a bit of trouble finding some of these books because some of them are such new releases. If you can't find a book or can't afford to purchase them, don't feel obligated to read every single one. With the online forum style discussion, you can choose which conversations to participate in. That said, I encourage you to participate in as many as you can, and encourage your friends to do the same!

Also, if your favorite didn't get picked-- don't worry. I've become really interested in all of these, and they're definitely all on my to-read list now, so reviews on the rest of the list will be coming eventually! In the meantime, you can go ahead and read them with me, and we can always discuss them later.

Without further ado, the 2016 summer book club picks are: 




















Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn

It Wasn't Always Like This by Joy Preble

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

The Square Root of Summer 

by Harriet Reuter Hapgood

Storm and Silence by Robert Thier

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

And the number 1 pick, with 85% of the votes:

Everything, Everything

By Nicola Yoon

Summer Book Club Options (Part 1)

Hey, guys! I've compiled a list of 24 books to choose from for the books we can read for the summer book club. They cover a variety of genres, from realistic fiction to fantasy to historical to science fiction, but I will admit I took a lot of inspiration from Zoella's W H Smith book club. While they are all called young adult books, that doesn't mean that you won't enjoy them if you're not a teenager-- YA fiction can be enjoyable for all ages!

I've tried to pick relatively new releases, and I was hoping to pick mainly stand-alone books rather than series. Read through the summaries (admittedly from Goodreads) of the books below, and then you can vote for the ones you're most interested in over in the sidebar!

Title: All the Bright Places

Author: Jennifer Niven

Published: January 2015

Genre: realistic fiction

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him. Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

Title: Anna and the French Kiss

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Published: December 2010

Genre: realistic fiction, romance

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend. 

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?

Title: Beautiful Broken Things

Author: Sara Barnard

Published: February 2016

Genre: realistic fiction

Best friends Caddy and Rosie are inseparable. Their differences have brought them closer, but as she turns sixteen Caddy begins to wish she could be a bit more like Rosie – confident, funny and interesting. Then Suzanne comes into their lives: beautiful, damaged, exciting and mysterious, and things get a whole lot more complicated. As Suzanne’s past is revealed and her present begins to unravel, Caddy begins to see how much fun a little trouble can be. But the course of both friendship and recovery is rougher than either girl realizes, and Caddy is about to learn that downward spirals have a momentum of their own.

Title: Billy and Me

Author: Giovanna Fletcher

Published: April 2016

Genre: realistic fiction, romance

Sophie May is content with her life in her small English village, working in the local coffee shop and living with her mom. But when famous actor Billy comes to town to play Mr. Darcy in a new film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, Sophie's quiet life is quickly turned on its head. Billy is adored by women around the world, but he only wants Sophie on his arm. But being with Billy comes at a price, and Sophie is thrown in the spotlight after years of shying away from attention. Can she handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy?

Title: Cinderella's Dress

Author: Shonna Sayton

Published: June 2014

Genre: historical, fantasy

Being a teenager during World War II is tough. Finding out you're the next keeper of the real Cinderella's dress is even tougher. Kate simply wants to create window displays at the department store where she's working, trying to help out with the war effort. But when long-lost relatives from Poland arrive with a steamer trunk they claim holds the Cinderella's dress, life gets complicated. Now, with a father missing in action, her new sweetheart shipped off to boot camp, and her great aunt losing her wits, Kate has to unravel the mystery before it's too late. After all, the descendants of the wicked stepsisters will stop at nothing to get what they think they deserve.

Title: Cinders & Sapphires, also known by the title Secrets & Sapphires by non-US publishers

Author: Leila Rasheed

Published: January 2013

Genre: historical, romance

Rose Cliffe has never met a young lady like her new mistress. Clever, rich, and beautiful, Ada Averley treats Rose as an equal. And Rose could use a friend. Especially now that she, at barely sixteen, has risen to the position of ladies' maid. Rose knows she should be grateful to have a place at a house like Somerton. Still, she can't help but wonder what her life might have been had she been born a lady, like Ada.

For the first time in a decade, the Averleys have returned to Somerton, their majestic ancestral estate. But a terrible scandal has followed Ada's beloved father all the way from India. Now Ada finds herself torn between her own happiness and her family's honor. Only she has the power to restore the Averley name-- but it would mean giving up her one true love ... someone she could never persuade her father to accept.

Title: The Crown's Game

Author: Evelyn Skye

Published: May 2016

Genre: historical, fantasy, romance

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side. 

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Title: Everything, Everything

Author: Nicola Yoon

Published: September 2015

Genre: realistic fiction, romance

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly. Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster. 

Title: Forget Tomorrow

Author: Pintip Dunn

Published: November 2015

Genre: science fiction, mystery

It’s Callie’s seventeenth birthday and, like everyone else, she’s eagerly awaiting her vision―a memory sent back in time to sculpt each citizen into the person they’re meant to be. A world-class swimmer. A renowned scientist. 

Or in Callie’s case, a criminal. In her vision, she sees herself murdering her gifted younger sister. Before she can process what it means, Callie is arrested and placed in Limbo―a prison for those destined to break the law. 

Title: The House of Silk

Author: Anthonu Horowitz

Published: November 2011

Genre: historical, mystery

London, 1890. 221B Baker St. A fine art dealer named Edmund Carstairs visits Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson to beg for their help. He is being menaced by a strange man in a flat cap a wanted criminal who seems to have followed him all the way from America. In the days that follow, his home is robbed, his family is threatened. And then the first murder takes place.

Title: It Wasn't Always Like This

Author: Joy Preble

Published: May 2016

Genre: science fiction, fantasy, historical

In 1916, Emma O’Neill is frozen in time. After sampling an experimental polio vaccine brewed on a remote island off St. Augustine, Florida, she and her family stop aging—as do the Ryans, her family’s business partners. In a way, this suits Emma fine because she’s in love with Charlie Ryan. Being seventeen forever with him is a dream. But soon a group of religious fanatics, the Church of Light, takes note. Drinking the elixir has made the O’Neills and Ryans impervious to aging, but not to murder—Emma and Charlie are the only ones who escape with their lives.

On the run, Emma is tragically separated from Charlie. For the next hundred years, she plays a cat-and-mouse game with the founding members of the Church of Light and their descendants. Over the years, a series of murders—whose victims all bear more than a passing resemblance to her—indicate that her enemies are closing in. Yet as the danger grows, so does Emma’s hope for finding the boy she’s certain is still out there...

Title: A Long, Long Sleep

Author: Anna Sheehan

Published: August 2011

Genre: science fiction, fantasy, romance

It should have been a short suspended-animation sleep. But this time Rose wakes up to find her past is long gone-- and her future full of peril.

Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten subbasement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now, her parents and her first love are long gone, and Rose-- hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire-- is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat. Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes-- or be left without any future at all.

Summer Book Club Options (Part 2)

Title: Maid of Secrets

Author: Jennifer McGowan 

Published: May 2013

Genre: historical, mystery, romance 

Orphan Meg Fellowes makes her living picking pockets—until she steals from the wrong nobleman. Instead of rotting in prison like she expected, she’s whisked away to the court of Queen Elizabeth and pressed into royal service, where she joins four other remarkable girls in the Maids of Honor, the Queen’s secret society of protectors.

Meg’s natural abilities as a spy prove useful in this time of unrest. The Spanish Court is visiting, and with them come devious plots and hidden political motives. As threats to the kingdom begin to mount, Meg can’t deny her growing attraction to one of the dashing Spanish courtiers. But it’s hard to trust her heart in a place where royal formalities and masked balls hide the truth: Not everyone is who they appear to be. With danger lurking around every corner, can she stay alive—and protect the crown?

Title: Mirror in the Sky

Author: Aditi Khorana

Published: June 2016

Genre: science fiction 

For Tara Krishnan, navigating Brierly, the academically rigorous prep school she attends on scholarship, feels overwhelming and impossible. Her junior year begins in the wake of a startling discovery: A message from an alternate Earth, light years away, is intercepted by NASA. This means that on another planet, there is another version of Tara, a Tara who could be living better, burning brighter, because of tiny differences in her choices. 

Title: Peaches

Author: Jodi Lynn Anderson 

Published: April 2012

Genre: realistic fiction, romance 

Peaches combines three unforgettable heroines who have nothing in common but the troubles that have gotten them sentenced to a summer of peach picking at a Georgia orchard.

Leeda is a debutante dating wrong-side-of-the-tracks Rex.

Murphy, the wildest girl in Bridgewater, likes whichever side Rex is on.

Birdie is a dreamer whose passion for Girl Scout cookies is matched only by her love for a boy named Enrico.

Title: The Potion Diaries

Author: Amy Alward

Published: July 2015

Genre: fantasy

When the Princess of Nova accidentally poisons herself with a love potion meant for her crush, she falls crown-over-heels in love with her own reflection. Oops. A nationwide hunt is called to find the cure, with competitors travelling the world for the rarest ingredients, deep in magical forests and frozen tundras, facing death at every turn.

Enter Samantha Kemi - an ordinary girl with an extraordinary talent. Sam's family were once the most respected alchemists in the kingdom, but they've fallen on hard times, and winning the hunt would save their reputation. But can Sam really compete with the dazzling powers of the ZoroAster megapharma company? Just how close is Sam willing to get to Zain Aster, her dashing former classmate and enemy, in the meantime?

And just to add to the pressure, this quest is ALL OVER social media. And the world news. No big deal, then. 

Title: The Shadow Queen

Author: C. J. Redwine

Published: February 2016

Genre: fantasy

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

Title: Six of Crows

Author: Leigh bardugo 

Published: September 2015

Genre: fantasy 

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 rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

Title: The Sky is Everywhere 

Author: Jandy Nelson

Published: March 2010

Genre: realistic fiction, romance 

Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life - and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey's boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie's own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they're the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can't collide without the whole wide world exploding. 

Title: The Square Root of Summer

Author: Harriet Reuter Hapgood

Published: May 2016

Genre: science fiction, romance

Gottie H. Oppenheimer is losing time. Literally. When the fabric of the universe around her seaside town begins to fray, she's hurtled through wormholes to her past:

To last summer, when her grandfather Grey died. To the afternoon she fell in love with Jason, who wouldn't even hold her hand at the funeral. To the day her best friend Thomas moved away and left her behind with a scar on her hand and a black hole in her memory.

Although Grey is still gone, Jason and Thomas are back, and Gottie's past, present, and future are about to collide—and someone's heart is about to be broken.

Title: Starstruck

Author: Rachel Shukert

Published: March 2013

Genre: historical

Set in Old Hollywood, Starstruck follows the lives of three teen girls as they live, love, and claw their way to the top in a world where being a star is all that matters. 

Title: Storm and Silence

Author: Robert Thier

Published: March 2016

Genre: historical, romance 

Freedom – that is what Lilly Linton wants most in life. Not marriage, not a brood of squalling brats, and certainly not love, thank you very much!
But freedom is a rare commodity in 19th-century London, where girls are expected to spend their lives sitting at home, fully occupied with looking pretty. Lilly is at her wits’ end – until a chance encounter with a dark, dangerous and powerful stranger changes her life forever...

Title: A Thousand Nights

Author: E. K. Johnston

Published: October 2015

Genre: fantasy 

Lo-Melkhiin killed three hundred girls before he came to her village, looking for a wife. When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next.

And so she is taken in her sister’s place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin’s court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time. But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong.

Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air.

Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster. 

Title: We Were Liars 

Author: E. Lockhart

Published: May 2014

Genre: realistic fiction, mystery, romance

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

Make sure to go vote for which books you're most interested in! The poll will be over in the sidebar, and it'll be closing  just next week, so make sure your voice is heard!

Also don't forget to invite any of your friends to join us for the summer book club! 

Summer Reading

Hey, guys! 

I don't know abou you, but one of my favorite things about summer is all the time I have for reading. While some kids may hate that they're assigned summer reading, I'm spending as much of June and July as possible with my nose in a book. 

I love reading for so many reasons. For one thing, you can learn so much from reading, whether it's just learning some new vocabulary or its learning to understand what life is like from another perspective. Reading is also just so calming, being able to slip into a fictional world and forget about all your real-world problems. And with the tragedies going on in the world right now, having that simple escape to another place, another time, is more calming than ever. 

I thought that some of you may want that escape too, so maybe instead of me just reading and reviewing books, you might like to read them with me. That's right, I'm suggesting a summer book club. 

I'll compile a list of books, you can help choose, and then we'll read. I'll pick only books I haven't read before, so it'll be new for both of us. At the end of the summer, we can discuss the books, and I'll write up a review for anyone who didn't get to participate. 

If there's a book you've been meaning to read, feel free to suggest it! I'll try to pick a variety of genres so hopefully everyone can both find something they like and maybe try something new. 

If you're interested in participating or if you think this is a good idea, please let me know in comments below! And if you know someone else who might be interested, don't forget to let them know as well! 

June Book Review: Girl Online

Hey, guys!

This month I'm reviewing two books, Girl Online and Girl Online: On Tour, both by the famous British YouTuber Zoe Sugg, also known as Zoella.

I've been watching Zoella's videos for quite a while, and I finally decided to go ahead and check out her books as e-books from the library and read them while I was on vacation. If you don't know much about Zoe, she's a lifestyle and beauty blogger and YouTuber from Brighton, England. It's certainly not her defining feature, but she also has struggled with anxiety and panic attacks and has been helpful and honest about it in some of her videos. (For more info about her, I'll link to some of her videos below!)

I honestly expected her books to be more autobiography style, especially considering the fact that Zoe is certainly a girl online. Instead, her two books would better be called young adult fiction, although if you've seen her videos, it's fairly clear that she has included many personal experiences in her writing.

The books follow a fifteen-- nearly sixteen-- year old blogger and photographer from Brighton named Penny Porter, also known as GirlOnline, and her best friend, Elliot, and their adventures and misadventures. I won't summarize the second book, Girl Online: On Tour because it would spoil the end of book one, so I'll just say that you should definitely pick it up when you pick up the first.

One of the best things about these books was the very real way they handle some very real problems. Penny deals with severe anxiety and panic attacks, internet bullying, and has a friend-turned-frenemy to worry about, and Elliot has parent problems and issues concerning his sexuality. There's plenty of friend drama and boy drama in there as well, which, as petty as it sounds, can be quite common with teenagers.

As a teenage blogger with anxiety myself, I'm sure my ability to relate to Penny certainly contributed to how much I liked these books. You could tell that it was written by someone who really understood anxiety, and it actually included a lot of solid advice about handling panic attacks.

That said, there was plenty more to love about these books if you don't have anxiety. I could see how someone could call some of the romance cheesy and predictable (then again, most YA romance novels are), but it was enjoyable to read nonetheless. All of Penny's experiences certainly built up an emotional roller coaster, and it was really easy to slip into her world. I honestly could not put them down, and ended up reading both in a day, and then wishing I had more to read. I'm definitely hoping to own real copies of both books soon! (And her third book, when it eventually comes out...)

If you've struggled with anxiety or panic attacks, I would strongly recommend reading these books because it was so refreshing to read something by someone who really understood, and finding little bits of advice scattered about was really helpful. Even if you're just looking for a fun young adult romance novel, I would still recommend giving these a chance.

Side note to my readers-- while I may not have the huge supportive group of blog readers Penny had, I'm also thankful not to have experienced the ugly side of the internet, like she did. Thank you for your support and kind comments.

If you've read these books, want to read them, or have any other book recommendations for me, feel free to let me know in comments below!

Links:
Zoella's YouTube channel
Zoella's blog (and her two posts about anxiety here and here)
Zoella's video about her anxiety and her anxiety Q&A video
Zoella's book club video (aka my new books-to-read list!)

May Book Review: Beastly, Cloaked, and Towering

Hey, guys!

So while I was taking my mental health break, I did manage to read some books. Quite a lot of books, actually, as I read three in about two and a half days. 

Since I was still in a post-Lunar Chronicles slump, I went to the school library, desperate to find the next best thing. And as I'd just seen and maybe slightly obsessed over the school musical, Beauty and the Beast, I picked up Alex Flinn's Beastly. (It's been a month and I may or may not still be obsessing over the school musical...)

This, as it turned out, was a great decision. 

I will say, the first few chapters weren't my favorite. Kyle, the main character, was insufferably shallow and irritating. And yes, I realize that according to the story, he is supposed to be. Still Mr. Teen Prince here and his equally annoying girlfriend did not immediately catch my interest. 

But once I got into the book a bit-- which only took me a few hours-- the magic of the fairy tale really started to shine through. I wish I could tell you more, but I don't want to give you any spoilers. I mean, if you know the story (and after Disney, who doesn't?) then you pretty much know how it goes. Although I will say, there was one plot twist toward the end that actually surprised me a bit.

Unfortunately, there weren't any talking clocks or singing candlesticks, which was a little disappointing for me. Especially as I was-- and still am-- amazed by the performance of Lumiere and Cogsworth (mostly Lumiere) in my school's musical. 

So after I finished Beastly in about a day, I immediately went back to the library to turn in it and pick up the next few of Alex Flinn's books that I'd noticed on the shelf the first time. I walked out about five minutes later with Cloaked and Towering. 

Cloaked was not based on any particularly common fairy tales, except maybe The Princess and the Frog. But as it was a combination of several less well-known fairy tales, it felt a lot more like a new and unique story rather than a fairy tale retelling. 

Which is great, but slightly disappointing if you're on a Disney kick and were hoping for a really well-known fairy tale. 

Nevertheless, I really did enjoy this book and read it in about five hours. Yep. Five hours. Straight. And Alex Flinn, you didn't fool me with that plot twist this time! I mean, it was mostly a hunch based on the feeling that "if I was writing this, I would totally do that." Since, you know, I'm a writer. Sort of.

Towering, on the other hand, was-- as you might have guessed-- a retelling of Rapunzel. And a fantastic retelling at that. The plot, with all its classic fairy tale references, satisfied my craving for more Disney-style fairy tales, but it was completely not a Disney fairy tale at the same time. This book had such an interesting and unexpected plot, and I wish I knew how to describe it without giving too much away. Guess you'll just have to read it, right?

I would really recommend these books, particularly if you like fairy tales or romance. Even if you don't usually like fairy tales, I think these still have a lot to offer, particularly Towering. The other two are definitely a bit more fantasy, but all of them are modern and interesting and fantastic. 

Being a bit fairy tale obsessed just made them even better.

If you've read any of these books, want to read any of these books, or have any suggestions for what I should read next, feel free to let me know in the comments down below!

Book Review: The Lunar Chronicles

Hey guys! You may remember my review of the first book in this series, Cinder, from February. (If you haven't read that one yet, you might want to click here.) Since I finally finished all of the four main books, I'm going to review the series as a whole.

I really loved this series, and it's definitely now on my to-buy list! It was so good that it's left me in one of those book hangovers, where I don't want to read anything at the moment except more of that series.

(Thankfully, there's still two more minor books I haven't read yet, Fairest and Stars Above, so the series isn't quite over yet.
 UPDATE: I've read them now, so, unfortunately, it is over.)

Let me just say, Marissa Meyer is a writing genius. Her ability to remain remarkably accurate to the original Grimm fairy tales while also maintaining a dystopian, sci-fi plotline perfectly woven through all four books and all main characters is simply amazing. I honestly have not found anything like it.

The first book, Cinder, quite obviously focuses on the fairy tale Cinderella. I won't go into much detail since I've already reviewed this book individually, but Meyer did a wonderful job of transplanting all of the traditional Cinderella elements into a new setting. Again, if you haven't read the review on this one, you should really go read that first. I go into a lot more detail about this book there!

The second book is Scarlet, and this is a twist on Little Red Riding Hood. This one is, of all of them, probably the least accurate to the original fairy tale, but fantastic nonetheless. I was extremely glad when Cinder showed up again, because I was afraid this was going to be one of those series that doesn't connect between books. Boy, was I wrong! The books definitely connect, in more ways than you even realize to begin with.

Thirdly, there's Cress, based on the story of Rapunzel. After going back and reading the original fairy tale when I got my new copy of Grimm's complete fairy tales, I found so many little connections to the original story that it just blew me away. I can't actually list them all without giving you way too many spoilers, but seriously, I mean it when I say Meyer is a genius. I can't imagine how much time she spent studying the original stories and planning and editing her novel to get all of those little tie-ins in there.

I really should have stopped and read Fairest here, since it expands upon the main antagonist's backstory, which would have been good information to know before I read the last book. But I haven't actually found a copy at the library yet, so I'll read it whenever I get a chance. UPDATE: I just downloaded this on iBooks and read it in one night. Literally could not put it down! This was a fantastic addition to the series that really helps give a lot of backstory and understanding to the story.

Skipping ahead to the last major book in the series, Winter. I'm sure you can take one look at the cover and know what story this book is based on. That's right, Snow White. It may have been missing a few small things from the original (i.e. seven dwarves... unless I missed a reference somewhere), but it was definitely full of action. And, if you pay attention, there's plenty of other clever references to the Grimm version.

I really have no idea what Stars Above is about. Sorry about that, but I will definitely be reading it as soon as I can.

ALSO UPDATE: I downloaded this book as well, and read it in about a day and a half. It's a collection of short strories in the Lunar Chronicles universe. It was awesome to have more backstory for the main characters, as well as an epilogue to Winter and a new short story based on a different fairy tale!

Overall, I would highly highly recommend this series. It really has got everything: science fiction, fantasy, action, and romance, and I feel like most everyone could find something about the books that they like. They have definitely become some of my new favorites, and I'll be adding them to my collection as soon as I can.

Have you read these books? Do you want to? Let me know what you think in comments below!

March Updates

Hey guys!

Sorry I haven't been able to post much this week! I've just been super busy with SGA and prom and my AP classes! But I promise I do have some cool things coming up, so stay tuned!

BOOKS

I know I didn't get a book review written for March, but I'll be writing one really soon. I reviewed Cinder last month, but I enjoyed it so much I went ahead and got the rest of the series to read! I'm currently about halfway through the last book, and so a review on the full Lunar Chronicles will be going up soon! Make sure you've read my last review here!

Also on my to-be-read list is the book version of Disney's 2015 Cinderella film, which if you've been here for very long you will know I'm obsessed with! I got this book for my birthday, and it's adorable. It's written by Brittany Candau, illustrated (yes, illustrated!) by Cory Godbrey, and based on the screenplay by Chris Weitz. As soon as I finish reading it, I'll have a full review up on it as well!

I also got a copy of The Selection by Kiera Cass from by best friend, and I'm looking forward to reading and reviewing that for you guys too! If you've already read it, let me know what you thought of it in comments! (No spoilers please!)

Last but not least, I just picked up a beautiful copy of the Grimm Brother's complete fairy tales at Barnes and Noble the other day, and I can't wait to read that either! I may not review it, or at least not all in one post, but let me know if you're interested!

BEAUTY

I just went to prom this week, and it was a lot of fun! I did get my hair done professionally, but I did my makeup myself. I bought several new products recently, and I'm hoping to review some of those for you soon!

Also, if you're interested, I may go into more detail about my prom makeup look and the products I used specifically for that!

LIFESTYLE

I'm really excited about the guest post I have coming up soon for you! My best friend is hoping to be a future med student, and she's been inspiring to me with her organized journaling and studying methods. So, I've asked her to write a post about it, and honestly it's as much for me as it is for you!
I hope to have that post up soon, mostly because I'm excited to read it!

I've also been trying to convince her to start a blog of her own, but she's worried she doesn't have enough to stay. But really, if any of you have ever thought of starting a blog, don't sell yourself short! I never thought I would have this much to say either, so you really might as well just start writing and see where it goes.

This past month has had my biggest number of page views so far, at over double my previous record! So thank you to everyone who has been reading this blog and helping to grow!

Book Review of the Month: Cinder

Hello readers, it's leap day and I'm finally posting February's book review of the month! I apologize for it taking so long, but I'll admit, I only finished the book yesterday. Oops. 

This month's book is Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I know, I know, I said I would try to review something other than fairy tales all the time. But hear me out, this one is sci-fi. Sci-fi Cinderella? Sounds weird, doesn't it? It kind of is, but in a good way. 

Cinder is not your typical Cinderella story. Yes, there's a prince and a ball and a wicked stepmother, that's all still there. But Cinder is spunky, caring, and rebellious at times, not to mention the fact that she's cyborg. 

Yes, cyborg.

This story really isn't one about a girl who is stuck in some form of slavery until a fairy godmother and a prince save her. It's about disease and loss, politics and alliances, marriage and war. 

The book is set in the distant future, sometime after World War IV, somewhere in Asia. Countries have reformed into different alliances and commonwealths, and technology has definitely changed. Androids, hover cars, ID chips, and cyborgs are normal. However, there is one thing technology hasn't fixed. 

The world is suffering from a new plague, letumosis, and there is no antidote. You catch it, you die. Tests have been done to try to find a cure, but all have failed. More and more people die every day. 

And if a plague isn't enough, there's also a race of magical beings called Lunars living on the moon threatening to wage war on the entire earth if the peace negotiations don't go their way. 

That sounds like a fairy tale, doesn't it? 

As you all know, I love fairy tales and fantasy novels. I do like sci-fi, but it's usually not my favorite. This book, however, was fantastic. I could hardly put it down, even when I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open. I honestly wasn't planning to get into the whole series just yet, but I can't wait to read the next book. 

I would definitely recommend this book if you like fairy tales, fantasy, science fiction, dystopian, or almost anything, really. 

If you have book suggestions, or if you've read (or are reading) any of the books I've reviewed, feel free to leave me a comment let me know what you think! And don't forget to submit some Q&A questions for my upcoming posts- see my last post for more details!

What's New for TSM in 2016

Hello to all my readers out there! I've got a few brief updates for you, and I'm hoping to get some feedback as well!

If you haven't noticed, I've made quite a few little additions and changes lately. I've added a new post signature, updated the color scheme (hopefully to stay, this time), and uploaded a new logo, among other things.

For example, I have added a page for books I would recommend. This is basically just a compilation of the books I have mentioned in my monthly reviews, and I'll keep adding to it as I keep reviewing more books! I hope it helps you find things more easily and gives you a list to go to when you're looking for something new to read.

I'll still be continuing to review books every month, and I'm already planning out my next few reviews! I'll try to give you all a bit more variety in the types of books I review, since I know most everything so far has been fairy tales and romance. Let me know what genres you like, and if you have a book suggestion, don't be afraid to send it in!

In addition to those monthly posts, I've recently thought about starting to write a story through my blog. It would be a chapter a month installment of a longer work, or maybe just monthly chapters that don't necessarily fit together. I don't know what I'll write about yet, but if you like the idea or have suggestions, feel free to leave a comment for me.

I know most bloggers focus on some specific topic, whether its beauty and fashion, recipes, DIY projects, cars, music, etc. And I know I don't really do that, which makes me a bit weird in blogger world. I don't like trying to fit into a certain box of what I can post about. That said, I tend to post mainly about books and whatever random thoughts I have. If you would like me to branch out and give you more variety, whether or not it includes some of the topics above, we could give it a try. Just let me know what y'all want to see!

I've been trying to post once or twice a week, but I'm not on a strict post schedule anymore. If you want to stay up to date on the latest posts, you've got three options:

1. Check back here every so often
2. Follow me on social media (links in the left sidebar). I send out twitter updates when there's a new post, and I'll occasionally post reminders on instagram as well. 
3. Subscribe by email (link in the right sidebar). You'll get email updates whenever there's a new post up! 

Thank you guys for reading and commenting! This blog has been fun over the past year and I hope to grow and have more fun writing in 2016! 

Book Review of the Month: October

I don't know about you, but there's something about drizzly fall days that makes me want to curl up with a hot cup of tea and a good book. My book of choice? Currently, fairy tales. There's something about cold rainy days that makes me reach for a good fantasy novel. I'm in the process of rereading one of my all time favorites, The Hobbit, (more on that soon, I promise!), but this month's book review is on something new I picked up recently.

The book I'm writing about today is Mette Ivie Harrison's The Princess and the Hound, which is described as a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, with a fascinating twist- the "beast" is a woman. With an intriguing catch phrase like that, I couldn't help but pick it up and take it home.

As with any classic fairy tale, there's a princess. Her name is Beatrice, raised by her father, who was rather barbaric at times, and she is beautiful not as most typical fair-haired, blue eyed, delicate fairy tale princesses are. She was described as beautiful in her strength and uniqueness, with her fiery red hair and freckles. Lonely except for her loyal sort-of pet hound, Beatrice is not the kind of princess you expect. She remains quite mysterious for much of the novel.

And then, of course, you have the prince. He's described as young and handsome, of course, but once again he is not necessarily the confident, daring fairy tale hero you expect. The book is written from his perspective, and follows his childhood, so we get more of an inside look. It's obvious that Prince George is unsure and often afraid, although we get to watch him grow and mature as a character.

At times, it seems they're total opposites, marrying only for duty, and you might wonder if they will ever get along properly.

This one's been sitting on my shelf for quite some time, but I finally got around to opening it up last week, and then sped through it in about a day and a half. I couldn't put it down!

I will admit, I spent the first half of the book rather confused. I wondered when and how Beauty and the Beast would come into the story, when it almost felt that the plot was heading in an entirely different direction that what I'd expected.

And then, when I finally did understand the proclaimed tie in to the classic fairy tale, I almost didn't think it fit. Animals definitely feature very prominently throughout the novel, and different perspectives on them are offered from different characters. As an animal lover myself, I found it easy to relate. Still, to me, it wasn't Beauty and the Beast. Yes, there were some obvious similarities, as you will understand if you do decide to take my suggestion and read this book, but what I found was that The Princess and the Hound didn't feel like yet another retelling of a classic story.

It felt like a new story, a new classic, all it's own. It wasn't piggybacking off of the appeal of the original, it had a different appeal, all it's own. Even though I picked this book up expecting a retelling of a story I already knew, I was not at all disappointed to find I knew nothing of where the plot was taking me.

Fans of fantasy, fairy tales, and of course, romance, will definitely enjoy this book. It had great characters, a wonderfully complex plot, and a wonderful perspective on animals. And. there's a sequel (make that a whole series, as I've just discovered), so there's even more to love. 

A Few Brief Updates

Hey everyone! I know it's been way too long! It's been super busy here, with so many things going on for school, band and SGA. Not to mention trying to move at the same time. But anyway, I'll try to post at least once a week, so make sure you subscribe so you stay up to date on all the latest posts!

What you can expect to be coming soon...

• A new look to the blog! I won't be changing much, but fall (aka my favorite season!) is here now, and I'll be switching up a few things just to keep it all visually fresh. 
• A new book review! I have managed to find time to read a few books lately, and I may have a new review up as soon as tonight, so be sure to check back! 
• More guest posts! Even though I'm trying to post more myself, I'll try to let you get to know some of my friends and fellow bloggers here too! 
• As always, more music and strangeness! 

Also, please feel free to comment and suggest books, music, or blog ideas. I would love to know what you would like to hear from me or know about me, so let me know! 

The (Triple) Book Review of the Month: June/July

When I picked up several Sarah Dessen books to take to the beach, I was expecting mainly some light, somewhat predictable young adult romance novels. And, since that's what I was expecting to read, that's what I was expecting to review. But this is not exactly what I expected.

Let's face it: novels are generally not as realistic as we think. Things just don't happen the way they do in novels or movies or television. Not in the real world. The romance in these books was, I admit, slightly predictable, in the sense that it's easy to know which characters will be a couple by the end of the story.

The actual relationships, however, I found to be more believable and realistic than expected. The characters went through real challenges and dealt with real issues and real emotions. They just did it together, some of the time. And while each of the books I read did include some summer romance, as Dessen is known for, the romance did not feel like the main story line in most cases.

These books dealt with a lot of difficult topics that I think a lot of authors, especially in more young adult genres, might shy away from. Drugs, alcohol, rape, divorce, abuse, insomnia, eating disorders, loss and so on. It wasn't all butterflies and rainbows. It was hard to read at times, but harder to know that things like that really happen.

Still, these books, more than anything, dealt with family. It was in how Ruby dealt with her mother. How  Annabel dealt with her sisters. How Auden dealt with her parents and stepmother.

In Lock and Key, Ruby moves in with her sister after her mother abandons her in their tiny shack of a home. Ruby is used to fending for herself, and struggles to trust others and define what family means to her.





In Along for the Ride, Auden goes to spend the summer with her father, her new stepmother, and her baby stepsister at the beach before college. She is used to isolating herself for her studies, due to the influence of her intellectual parents, and now must learn to be her own person.





In Just Listen, Annabel and her sisters are young models, and have been since they were children. After having a rough semester at school following an incident with her best friend's boyfriend, Annabel is afraid of losing her friends, disappointing her mother, and telling the truth.





I really enjoyed these books, and if you like young adult romance and realistic writing, you definitely will too!

If you have a favorite book to suggest or a question about a book, feel free to leave me a comment!