Goodbye Summer

It's been a while since I last posted. Mostly because I haven't been in the mood to review. Also because I haven't really been reading review-worthy books. I've mostly been reading easy reads that take zero focus or stimulation. Those books (in my honest opinion) aren't worth writing full out reviews for because they all sound the same and they aren't as fun to write.

As I'm writing this, my summer is officially finished. Which means a couple things: No more reading all day with absolutely nothing else on my agenda, and required reading for school. I am one of those nerds who actually looks forward to required readings for school because it gives me an excuse for reading books that other people find boring and weird for a 20-year old to read for fun. During the summer, there were a few times where I was in desperate need of some in-depth analyzation and all I wanted was a paper prompt on a book or movie or even a simple song where I could hyper-analyze it and make it into some huge masterpiece. I craved  that stimulation.

So I'm that person who is actually excited to start classes again because of the reading assignments and the papers.

The Diviners by Libba Bray
Started: July 15, 2015 4pm
Finished: July 16, 2015 4am
Stars: 5/5

I really loved this book. From the start I was on the edge of my seat in suspense, dying to know what was going to happen next. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I'm slightly on a book high after reading it.

The book takes you back to a time that, let's face it, everyone would love to experience. You picture every good thing the Jazz Era: the flappers, the feathers, the beads, the classiness of it all. You get a taste of the prohibition, the liberties people had then (17-year olds drinking in night clubs), the dancing, the gossip, and, of course, the city of opportunity, aka New York City.
But that's not all...
Bray also talks about the social topics of that time period! She talks about the black social situation, specifically Harlem! She touches on the homosexual taboo! She doesn't even narrow her focus on romance in the book. There are tropes and comments here and there, but that isn't even one of the top 3 plot lines. I found myself learning about the 1920s while I was swept into the supernatural of the book.

But enough about the social themes, it's a spooky read. There's talk about ghosts and cults and human beings acting out in evil even though they think it's action based on God's will. It's a smart book too. It references pop culture from the 1920s and talks about the popular cults and secret societies from this time. The brutality of the crimes give you a little bit of the hebee-geebees (spelling?? who knows), but all you wanna do is read m o r e.

I also read this book in 12 hours, if that tells you the degree to which I loved this book.

It was a funny read. No two characters were the same and she used a lot of them. They were each so diverse, each with their own tragic (or not too tragic) back story. But mostly tragic. She switched between perspectives seamlessly. I'll admit that Evie and a few of the other characters were a little annoying, but once you got a little annoyed by those characters, she switched perspective to a calmer character. By the time you got back to Evie (or other) you forgot why you were annoyed with her in the first place! The interactions between the characters were natural and realistic (I don't know how realistic for the 1920s, but for modern day it definitely was).

This book was a mystery/thriller/supernatural/historical/paranormal/aBEAUTIFUL READ.

I cannot wait for the next one. For Evie's stupidity, her banter with Sam, JERICHO, Memphis' consistent existential crises, Theta's "free" behavior, and the brother/sister relationship between Theta and Henry. But mostly Jericho cuz wow do I love that character.

[I'm trying to count this as my historical read for my 2015 Reading Challenge, but we'll see. I'll keep you updated.]


The Alchemist by Paulo Cohelo
Started: July 19, 2015
Finished: July 26, 2015
Stars: 4/5

The reason it took me so long to read this book is not because I didn't like it or because I thought it was boring. I may have hit a small slump in the middle of reading and then I transitioned to trashy novels that (like I said earlier) took zero concentration or mental thought. But once I started to read it again, I couldn't put it down. Kudos Paulo. Kudos.

I really loved this book. It was philosophical and deep, but oh so simple at the same time. The meaning behind this book and the metaphors and symbols blew me away. The English major in me really wanted to annotate the book, but I read my mom's copy and she hates people writing in books so that analytical journey is an adventure for another day. 

You could honestly read this book in a day. And I think it should be a required reading for everyone—regardless of age or gender. This book helps you open your eyes to the world around you and the meaning behind your own existence. It doesn't give you any answers to life or purpose for living, but it makes you aware that there might be those things living underneath your noses, you are only blind to them now. 

Even though it is a non-fantastical book, it carries this magic to it. In the descriptions and the characters, you sense magic in it. How I interpreted it was as the magic of life. Life carries it's own magic even though it's not witchcraft or sorcery or anything beyond our everyday comprehension. It adds the idea that wonder and the extraordinary exist in our mundane lives. It just puts you in a happy, optimistic mood after you finish it. I guarantee it. If this book isn't a classic now, it will be very soon.

[this book was my "book originally in another language" for my 2015 Reading Challenge]

SOP: Silver Springs by Fleetwood Mac

I Was Scolded

A little birdy told me that I made a mistake in my previous posts. When I mention my "friend" in my posts, I'm talking about my friend Maddie. She's usually responsible for my SOP's of any other criticisms or ideas. She's also reading my blog now so that means she knows how weird and nerdy I am. She's also the one who scolded me about not specifically mentioning her in my blogs. So there you go, Maddie.
She also gets to put up with me all year next year because we are roommates. She'll have to live with my nerdiness and weirdness. MWAHAHAAHAHA. I can also be really annoying sometimes (my sister can vouch for that) so she better watch out.
She's also visiting me in a few weeks so thats exciting!

And this is me scolding myself because I am behind on my Goodreads reading challenge (a whopping 1 book). It's been a struggle because for a while I was 2-3 books behind and it was stressing me out. I'm 34/52 checks complete in my 2015 Reading Challenge. Now that I'm doing the calculations doesn't stress me out as much as I was like twenty minutes ago.

But if you have any quick reads that are decent and will take me max 2 days to read please recommend them to me. Post a comment, send me an email, a message on Goodreads, send me a carrier pigeon with a note attached to its claw, whatever floats your boat. Because I like recs and am in major need of them right now.

I've also decided that my next book to read is Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell so I'll need some quick books to read while I trudge through that monster of a book. :) hehe

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Started: June 19, 2015
Finished: June 20, 2015
Stars: 4/5

I have seen this book at Barnes and Noble since May and from the first time I saw it, I was thinking that is a book that I'll like. But it took me a while to pluck it from the shelf. What I thought the book would be delayed my reading it. But it wasn't anything that I expected. I was expecting something that revolved around the romantic relationship between the two characters (like the typical fantasy/dystopian books these days), which isn't to say that those are bad, I'm just tired of them for now.

It didn't focus on the romantic part until closer to the end and it was only for max 15 pages.

It focused on decisions and coming of age. Find out who you want to be and the legacy you want to leave. It focused on being scared and angry and using those things to make decisions and change not only your own life, but the world around you. The fantasy world was so well developed and complex that I didn't need to reference the maps as much as I usually do. I was enraptured by the plot and the characters.
I really enjoyed it. Another series that I started this year to pine over until the next book comes out... Yay.

[this book was my "book by a female author" for my 2015 Reading Challenge]

The Night Circus by Erin Morgentstern
Started: June 20, 2015
Finished: June 23, 2015
Stars: 3/5

I loved this book while I was reading it. Throughout the book it talks about experiencing something that feels like a dream but is actually reality. And that's exactly how reading the book felt like.

The mystery and the magic of the book is what hooked you and made you want to keep reading. There wasn't much character development per say or dialogue, at least not as much as I was expecting.

I did feel like some of the events were under described so I was confused during a couple parts of the book. The ending also irritated me. I don't want to spoil the book by saying why, but I just thought it was like the author didn't know how to end the book or was tired of writing it and just picked the easiest way out.

This books isn't character driven and not really plot driven. It mostly revolved around the descriptions and the extravagance of the book. It was still beautiful to read and really well done.

[this is my "book with magic" for my 2015 Reading Challenge]

Into the Afterlife by Alexandra Bracken
Started: June 28, 2015
Finished: July 1, 2015
Stars: 5/5

I forgot everything that happened in the previous two books before I read this one. All I could tell you was the character's names. So naturally, I had to read the first two books before this one. And I modified my Goodreads so that the two re-reads counted for my challenge for this year. Oops.

I forgot how good this series was. Why did it take me so long to pick up the finale???

Even though this book is dystopian/futuristic/sci-fy, it was realistic and believable. The sad thing is that everything that happened in this series could potentially happen. Plus, every decision the characters faced were decided with reason. There wasn't anything ridiculous in this book: their actions, plans, words, expectations, emotions, thoughts, everything.

It even touched on issues like PTSD, anxiety, and depression without blatantly stating it. The usual character tropes that are being used in most modern books are twisted in this book. Each character is strong and different and each one has their faults. The author doesn't cover up the character's faults, but describes and explains them.

This was the perfect ending to this series. The ending left me satisfied and happy. There wasn't anything wrong with this book.

[this is the "book that made me cry" in my 2015 Reading Challenge]
I really didn't cry, more like tear up. But I almost never cry in books so that category has been tricky for me. This counts. 

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
Started: July 2, 2015
Finished: July 3, 2015
Stars: 2.8/5

This book is in the style of a journal, narrated by high school senior Greg Gaines, and it told after the events have happened.

Greg annoyed me. His narrating was annoying. He kept disrupting the story to tear his writing down and say how bad of a writer he is. And I get that it factors into his Excessive Modesty Mode, but it was annoying to read.  Mostly he talked about himself and his senior year, which is fine. But the Dying Girl maybe took up a third of the book, maybe that much.

As I was reading, I was waiting for plot development or for something exciting to happen, but it was a majority of backstory and narrating the high and low points of his senior year.

I had high expectations for this book and it wasn't really what I was expecting. It had the right idea, but the execution was lacking.

[this was the "book set in high school" for my 2015 Reading Challenge]


SOP: Unkiss Me by Maroon 5

I love Summer.

I've picked up a little more momentum and I'm only 2 books behind schedule now! YAY!

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
Started: June 5, 2015
Finished: June 13, 2015
Stars: 4/5

Typically, it takes me a looong time to finish non-fiction books. Regardless of their content. It usually takes me months to read nonfiction. I'm still "currently reading" Wild by Cheryl Strayed even though I haven't touched it since March.

But with this one, I was sucked in and I wanted to finish it. I wanted to know what next Mr. King had to tell me about writing and how I could become a better writer. And it was all gold. I'm trying to incorporate some of his advice into my writing.

I went to it with a pen and highlighter: underlining favorite parts of his writing and highlighting tips and tricks to writing. It was fun. I learned a lot and I have so so so so much more respect for him as an author and a person (which isn't saying much because I already had unreasonable respect for him).

He only talks about himself for 100 pages. That part was the hardest part for me to get through. Not because he didn't have an interesting life, but because autobiographies just don't hook me like good fiction does. No idea the logic behind it. Then he starts talking about the writing tool box and his actual writing routine and I was sucked in and ready to learn. I loved it.

That's all I can really say about it. I loved this book. I loved what he had to teach me and what I go out of it. I loved how he wrote it and the techniques he used. I loved it so much I was quoting it to my parents who didn't care in the least bit. I even passed it along to my equally-reading-obsessed neighbor. Well, I kind of forced it on him, but that's beside the point.

And now I'm rambling so I'll end with this: If you want to write and want to write better, read this book. He has so many great tips to share. Even if you think it's a bunch of hogwash, you'll at least take it into consideration and use it to develop your own writing technique.

[this book was my "nonfiction book" for my 2015 Reading Challenge]

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
Started: June 4, 2015
Finished: June 18, 2015
Stars: 2/5

I was unimpressed with this book. I tried really hard to get into it. But it was lacking in the suspense area. Among a few others.

First, it was really difficult to relate to any of the characters. I wanted to slap Ben. I just felt bad for Patty. And I wanted Libby to grow up. Diondra just annoyed the crap out of me. Lyle was the one character I didn't want to hurl across the room and he was given very little page time.

Usually, I'm all for the flashback chapters and the changing point of view. But the narration styles changed between past and present perspectives and that confused me. It also slowed the pacing of the novel and prevented me from getting sucked into the story like I was with Sharp Objects. The pacing was super slow. The narration had to do with that, but also, I was bored for the first 200 pages. I may have skimmed the book for about 40 pages because I was just reading it because I needed to finish it to get back on track with my book challenge. Because I've wasted a good three weeks on this stupid book. Ugh. The frustration.

I may have been expecting great things because of Sharp Objects and my mom said that this one was better than her first novel. I think Sharp Objects is the real winner out of these two, despite it's higher degree of twistedness (that's not a word, but I'm using it anyway).

[this book was my "thriller/mystery book" for my 2015 Reading Challenge]

SOP: Bad Blood by Taylor Swift

Summer lovin'... AKA Books

I always over hear people making great plans for summer of having lofty expectations: a summer romance, traveling, partying (? I actually don't know about that one, but I'm assuming?), making some radical memories, etc. Me, not so much. My idea of summer is this: laying out in the sun and reading. That's all I really need in my agenda for summer. This year I incorporated writing and maybe working out a little bit so I look good  while laying out in the sun (and so it looks like I'm actually productive during the summer and my mom doesn't nag me to work out).

My internship ends soon (two days to be exact). And do you know what that means??? I GET TO READ!! I'M FREE TO BECOME A SUMMER BOOK BUM!!

I'm a little excited.

Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger
Started: May 10, 2015
Finished: June 1, 2015
Stars: 3/5

You know how you have authors you admire, authors you want to be like, authors you want to be friends with and then authors that fit into all of the above? I, at least, have a mental list of my top authors for each category. (And a physical list but that's irrelevant.)

Well, after reading this book of short stories, I've decided I want to be friends with, write like, and admire J.D. Salinger.
I could honestly write an entire post (and possibly a 10+ page research paper) about how much I love J.D. Salinger. Seriously though. It's verging on unhealthy.

In my defense, it took me so long to read this short little book of a whopping 198 pages because I was working hard on my internship... [actually, it was probably because I had to take a pause between several of the short stories because I was soaking it all in and trying to understand it all.]

His stories were gold. They were simple and completely ordinary, yet they messed with me! I would sit at the end of finishing one and try to understand what he meant, what the story meant. Sometimes it was easy. And when I say sometimes, I mean maybe 3 of the stories the meaning clicked. Each of these stories was so ridiculous ordinary, but it had this complexity about it. If you want my English Lit opinion, I think it was supposed to resemble the uniqueness of our lives (the reader's) even though our lives are usually mundane. There is always something special or unique about our mundane every day life.

Nothing will ever live up to my experience of reading Franny and Zooey, but that doesn't mean that this should be disregarded. His writing is just i n c r e d i b l e.  He could've written a grocery list and I would read it with a pen in hand, trying to understand what it all meant. I would read way too far into every mark.  He's that good.

[this was my "book of short stories" for my 2015 Reading Challenge]

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Started: June 2, 2015
Finished: June 3, 2015
Stars: 3/5

Let me just preface by saying that Gillian Flynn is twisted and a pure genius. This book was really good. I had low expectations for it, honestly. And even though the characters were almost impossible to relate to (they had some serious issues), I was rooting for some of them and predicting the outcome almost instantly.
I even prevented myself from reading the last few pages which is always successful. I did try to coax my mom into telling me who did it when I was a third of the way finished with the book, she claimed she didn't remember. Yeah... Sure.

[this was my "popular author's first book" for my 2015 Reading Challenge]

I'm really not feeling up to reviewing these books right now, so I'm sorry that these two are short. Maybe in the near future I'll bulk them up a little bit... Until then.

SOP: Hate to See Your Heartbreak by Paramore

Cut the Pickle

By the grace of the high heavens, I have pulled myself out of the book rut.

However, I'm still 5 books behind schedule. And I have an internship that is 9-5, 7 days a week. That means there is very scarce time for reading. Especially binge reading.

Which is why I'm usually in a quiet, pensive mood these days. I'm mourning my summer reading schedule. And when I mean schedule, I mean all day, every day.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Started: May 23, 2015
Finished: May 25, 2015
Stars: 5/5

Sarah Maas has done it again.

I don't know how she does it, but every single sentence on every single page captures the reader. She uses language and manipulates it in every degree to present the best experience for the reader. Her descriptions are so graphic and detailed. Her characters are complex and relatable. Her sentences vary and only help her writing and the story overall. If only I could live in the world she created.

Contrast to Throne of Glass, this book is told in first person and I loved it. I thought Maas did a great job with the multiple perspectives like she does in her most notable series, but she can work the first person narration to a tee! She has the thought process to a point where you think they're your thoughts instead of the characters.

Here on my thoughts, though. Feyre resembled Celaena from Throne of Glass, very closely. They had the same strong-willed character, hard-headed and stubborn girl who happens to be the savior against the evil that threatens a certain land. And I don't mean that analysis in a bad way— I actually appreciate it. With that being said, I felt like I connected to Feyre more than I do with Celaena. What really got me was the relationship with her sisters and her father. You see how she struggles because she is so unlike them. You see her as she learns to accept herself and then her relationships with her family members seem to fall into place once she does so. It was realistic and carried a subtle message to be true to yourself.

Even the friendships that developed in the book were realistic and I may have loved that part of the book more than her Tamlin—actually, no. But very very close.

Then there's the whole Stockholm Syndrome aspect of the book, which initially threw me off from reading the book (but then I read so so so many positive reviews and it's Sarah Maas so naturally I had to read it. What can I say, I'm easily swayed). But not even 50 pages in, I was rooting for Tamlin and Feyre and Maas did not disappoint. The Stockholm Syndrome then became irrelevant and I didn't care at all. Their dynamic was complex and they are both so stubborn and it was really cute reading their story.

The last third of the book is where most of the action happened. There was blood, guts, adventure, evil (a lot of evil), twists and turns, and a plot twist to defy all expectations. I'm usually pretty good at predicting a book's ending, but I did not predict this ending. Not even close. I wasn't even remotely close in my prediction. Which I'm slightly ashamed to admit.

If you haven't read the book yet, then disregard this next paragraph. 
why was tamlin's heart made of stone? Is it still like that at the conclusion of the book? What the heck was that about? I need closure on that asap. Also, what became of her sisters? Clare? Her father? Helloooo, Sarah Maas, I need answers!!

I know I say this a lot in my reviews, but I need the next book. If only to answer a few questions. Also to quench my unreasonable obsession with fictional characters and their lives. But that's implied with most books I read.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fantastical, magical, enrapturing, and just a good, solid read. 10/10 would recommend.

[this book was "a book with antonyms in the title" for my 2015 Reading Challenge]

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
Started: May 26, 2015
Finished: May 28, 2015
Stars: 4.5/5

The cover got me on this book. I saw it sitting on the bookshelf among hideous covers in comparison to this and it called out my name. I had to take it home with me.

And am I glad I did.

I finished this not 10 minutes from now—as I write this review. My jaw still hurts from hanging loose for about 10 minutes and I keep checking the sequel's goodreads page, hoping the release date has updated to a much sooner date. Like next week. Or tomorrow. But alas, 2016 is a long way away. And there isn't even a summary where I can tease myself, waiting for its release.

I seem to do this too often to myself. I buy (and consequently read) the book very close to it's release date and then I'm stuck twiddling my thumbs, waiting for the sequel to come out.

Anyway, back to the book!

I don't know much about A Thousand and One Nights but now I find myself wanting to know more after reading this book.

Similar to A Court of Thorns and Roses, it too had a slight Stockholm Syndrome aspect, to a lesser degree but still there. It was told in multiple perspectives which confused me in the first 40 pages. But it had so much more mystery! It starts in the middle of the action. Within the first chapter (not the prologue because I didn't really see the benefit of the prologue) you have questions about what's going on and who's this and what the hell is going on! It really doesn't give you an answer to all of your questions until 75% of the book.

I loved the characters. I also really like asshole-type and stubborn and strong-willed and fierce characters, so naturally I loved Shazi and Khalid. Especially Khalid. And secondly, Jalal, Despina. Khalid and Shazi were just so stubborn that they naturally fit together and provide a great reading. A story of just these four characters and practically no plot could've satisfied me for 400 pages.

And then there were Jahandar, whom irritates me, and Tariq, whom despises me. Jahandar is a respectable father figure, yeah he's a little cowardly and let's his daughter practically sacrifice herself, but he does so because she is such a strong-willed character! And then he just has to try and save Shazi, but he manages to screw everything up. Ughhhhh. Idiot.  Tariq is just so childish. Acting like he is so high and mighty where anyone who has Shazi's love is immediately a fraud. Ughhhhh, it was irritating to read and I just don't like those types of characters (like Kilorn from Red Queen).  He just won't let Shazi live her own life and make her own decisions if they are different than his expectations of her. At least Rahim was there as a comic relief to Tariq's stupidity.

I also really hate love-triangles so that could be another reason why I hate Tariq.

I could've done without Tariq's character altogether. But I know that he has merit to the story. And provides conflict.

The ending to the first book ripped me to shreds. I'm JUST SO CONFUSED!!!! Why did that happen??? WHAT IS GOING ON!!!

That question basically sums up my reading of the book. In the best way possible though. This book kept me hanging throughout all of it. It gave me answers and then ripped the carpet from underneath my feet 10 pages later. The crafting of the plot and the sentences were beautiful. Honestly it was amazing how Ahdieh could keep my interest on literally every single page of the book, even in the parts about Tariq and his foolishness.

I feel like I'm rambling now, so I'll finish.

This book would've gotten a full-fledged 5 stars, but it was stupid Tariq who ruined it all. Ugh.

[this book was my "a book by an author you've never read before" for my 2015 Reading Challenge]


SOP: Snake Eyes by Mumford & Sons

So take that March/April/May Reading Slump!!

Except now I'm 4 books behind schedule. Send Help. Wish me luck as I try and get back on track.

I Have Bad News

I'm in a bit of a pickle...

It's May and I am 5 books behind schedule on my Goodreads goal of reading 90 books this year. That's a lot. 5 books.
When I saw that, my jaw dropped and my hand flew up to cover my awestruck expression. How will I ever recover from 5 BOOKS?!
(Needless to say, I'm internally freaking out. It's internal, because if I tell my parents about this horrendous dilemma, they'll only make fun of me.)
I guess you could say that the March/April Book Slump is now the March/April/May Book Slump. The books I've read since the powerful F&Z have been school books. I read them because it was for my grade.

Disappointing, I know.

On another, happier note, I have an internship for the summer! It's a lot of time though and zero cash. But it's interesting, good experience. This will probably affect my Reading progress for the summer. But I'll ignore that for the time being.

Also, two nights ago, I was blessed with attending a Paramore concert. So, naturally, I'm obsessed again with Paramore. They are incredible live— long story short. Haley Williams has so much energy. She does something very similar to P90X or Insanity Workout onstage while she's singing. WHILE SHE'S SINGING. No wonder she is so fit and thin. They are all I've been listening to for 5 days now. (Haha 5 is repeating itself in this entry. Sorry for the English-nerd comment.) Anyway, go see them or play your fave Paramore song. They will rekindle some kind of energy in you.

That's really all I have for you. Enjoy the beginning of your summer.

SOP: Still Into You by Paramore (obviously)

Hallelujah

Yesterday, I ran my first Half Marathon, 13.1 miles.

It was the best experience of my life so far. 

To sum up the days before the race: I went to a formal date party Friday night, Saturday night I had another party and stayed up until 1:15 acting as the designated driver because, hello, I had a race the next day, so no drinks for Macy! We were supposed to be out of the house at 5 am the next morning (4 of us carpooled and it was pitch black outside). Downtown OKC was packed with cars and parking took much longer than I had hoped. Crowds of people were walking towards the sight of the OKC Memorial Bombing and I was feeling a little anxious because I hate crowds—they stress me out. But when the gun went off to signal our race, I had this amazing energy flow through me, despite only getting 3 hours of sleep.

My training for 13 miles was half-ass at best. Spring Break broke my motivation to train. So I was nervous to run that much in one day. My friend Hannah Grace (further referenced as HG) ran with me because she experienced the same training woes. 

All I could think about before that gun went off was that the farthest I've ever run in my life has been 6 miles. That's a little less than half of what I was supposed to be running with a crowd of people. How was I going to run 13? I've never done that before. Do I even have the mental strength to run that?

The first 2 miles of the race felt like all the other races I've done (which have only been 5k races, 3.1 miles). My mind was resistant to the feeling of running. It seemed like I was more focused on finishing than I was enjoying the race. I hit the 3 mile marker and I thought to myself I'm done. I can't do this, Just call a cab and I'll wait at the finish line. 

I think HG saw me struggling in my head and she said, "Let's walk for a little bit." Wow was I happy. We walked for half a mile then picked up a run again. 

That's when the signs appeared.

People sitting and standing on the sides of the road held up signs of encouragement for their family members or friends. Things like: "You Got This Joe!" or "We Love You Mom." These were the generic signs. But most of the signs weren't only encouraging their loved ones, they encouraged every single person running. Those signs were countless and said: "Run Like Forest" or "You're Lapping Everyone on the Couch, Including Me" and "Just Keep Running" with a picture of Dory from Finding Nemo. There was "Run Like There's a Hot Guy In Front of You and A Creepy Guy Behind You" or "Toenails Are For Sissy's" and so so many more! That's when I started to feel really emotional and appreciated for these people. Who woke up at an un-Godly hour to cheer on their loved ones, but also to cheer on people they'd never even seen before.

My thoughts of struggle turned into thoughts of how great humanity can be. How awesome all these people are. And even how awesome I was—not in the conceited way, but my body was awesome because it could run, it could breathe, I could run 13 miles. 

I started dancing to the music that was playing in my ears, I was smiling while running (which I never thought ANYONE could do) because I realized that I was alive, I was running, it was perfect running weather, and I was doing great things while almost all of my friends were asleep. I was so happy and excited.

My mood only increased as the miles did. As we ran through neighborhoods maybe around mile 6 or 7, I witnessed families out on their front lawns clapping us on; standing by tables with fresh fruit, cookies, and cupcakes; or holding their own encouraging and hilarious signs. (I hit a poster that had the level up turtle thing from the Mario Brothers' Gaming Series and I did in fact feel powered up after that.)

Mile 10 was when I was coming closer to my limit. My legs were starting to cramp up, we were taking longer walking breaks, my feet were starting to yell at me, my body was reaching its limit, as much as my mind was bouncing around clapping. But then, the first marathoner was approaching our "group" on the other side of the street. He was alone and he was music-less. He was in the zone. And every single person on the half marathon side started cheering for him. We were clapping and I thanked God that I didn't have to run 26.2 miles instead of 13.1. Then I found the will to finish the race to the best of my ability. 

I realized so many things in the span of less than 3 hours.

1. People are incredible. Yes there are some horrible ones out there who do horrible things, but the majority of people are good and kind. They encourage strangers. They man fruit tables or "booze stops" for strange people running when they could be having a nice brunch with their family or still sleeping. 
2. The body is amazing. You can do so much and the only thing holding you back is you. Once you silence the negative parts of your mind, you can do anything.
3. Complete strangers care about you. Maybe not the way that you care about friends or family, but they still care.
4. Races can make you happy.
5. Life is amazing and life is short so why would you not be happy?
6. Running is fun only sometimes

Here are some pictures from my race. In case your curious.

I'm not going to tell you to run a race and feel happy like I did, because not everyone enjoys the same thing.  But go out and find something you love and that makes you realize life is amazing. Do something that makes you happy and that restores your faith in humanity. Because life truly is amazing and people are too. 

 SOP: Hallelujah by Panic! At The Disco

April Showers Bring More Books

Hello everyone. This blog is turning into a primarily book review blog and I'm sorry, but I'm not exactly upset about it.
Finals are coming up so that means papers are demanding to be written. This will probably be my last post of the semester. I can't tell you when the next one will be (like you're actually waiting impatiently by your computer for my rambling updates).

So because it's been raining and I've been reading....


Confess by Colleen Hoover
Started: March 11, 2015
Finished: March 12, 2015
Stars: 3/5

I'm usually clutching her books after I finished them and my heart is warm and happy, but I feel almost indifferent with this one and it's upsetting me a little.

Which is not to say that I didn't like it. I did like it once I had finished it. I just felt that her other books are stronger and better reads.

The problem I found with this one was that it seemed very rushed. I felt like the plot was fast pace where the characters were trying to catch up in their development. I felt like two parts of my brain were at two different speeds: one focusing on the characters and the other keeping up with the action between the two. I got the impression that she was just tired of writing it and just decided to end it where she did, leaving so much out of the book.

[possible spoilers ahead]

I also thought that Colleen left out important information about the characters. Like where were Auburn's parents and siblings? They were really only mentioned twice and then quickly pushed aside. I wanted more of Owen's history and relationship with his father and brother and even his mom. I wanted more of Auburn's past with AJ and more information about AJ! What kind of kid was he? Was he difficult to raise? What were her feelings about AJ through the whole process? And what the hell do the initials AJ mean???? That really bothered me. Also why Adam was in the hospital in the first place, but whatever.

I wanted to know what happened when Owen and Auburn finally were able to be together. I wanted to know how the dynamic of Auburn, AJ and Owen worked, and the reaction of Lydia to the whole situation. I get it that ambiguous endings are cool too, but too much was left ambiguous! I just felt like hardly any of the minor details in this book were resolved, I'm still left wondering what the hell was going on in that book. (It may have been because I was reading it so quickly and was soooo interested in the plot and the mysteries of the characters.)

I didn't intend for this review to be super negative because I did enjoy this book. I sped through it. It was pretty easy to read and the action of the book and the mystery of the characters keeps you invested in the book. But it was just not up to the expectations I had going into reading it. I guess, in retrospect, Ugly Love was a tough act to follow.

Also, in my world of authors, Colleen Hoover and John Green would get along great. They both have the ability to pull at the heartstrings, just at two different age groups. Both authors write exceptionally diverse characters in each book and have great imagery and setting development.

Confess was a good book, don't read this the wrong way. I'm mostly upset that I didn't get enough of the book. If you want a summary of my four paragraphs.

[this book completed my "book by an author you love but haven't read yet" book for my 2015 Reading Challenge]

Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare
Started: April 13, 2015
Finished: April 20, 2015
Star: 1/5

This play is so overhyped. I was really annoyed the entire play. I didn't like a single character. All them were so fickle and betrayed their loyalties or were just plain dumb. Antony and Cleopatra went back and forth through the whole play from "I love him/her" to "I hate him/her." Very fickle relationship. Definitely not a healthy relationship.

I will say that Cleopatra is a feminist character. She's assertive and the men don't like her mainly because they are jealous of her power. They want to "dominate" her because of her beauty and seduction and to have some kind of power over her. They are basically scared of her because she's so pretty and powerful.

But she's also super annoying. She changes her mind all the time, she loses her focus when she's around Antony and she is jealous for almost the whole play. When Antony marries Octavia, all Cleopatra can ask is if Octavia is pretty, and if she's prettier than Octavia. This isn't because she wants Antony to have the best marriage/life possible. No. This is because Cleopatra is moody and petty and wants to be the "fairest of them all." I may be a little extreme here or I was just really bitter when I read this, but that was my understanding.

Antony was equally as pathetic. Think Romeo on steroids and you have Antony. Cleopatra can manipulate him like none other. Basically everything Antony does in the play is because of Cleopatra. She is the cause for every action he takes.  And it seemed like he didn't have any reason because of his adoration of Cleopatra, which I understand was the entire point of their relationship. That love clouds your vision and you do stupid things because of love and whatnot. But Antony really perfected that theory.

To sum up Octavius Caesar, he's a jerk and a colossal asshole. He obviously has no idea how to run the Roman empire and he's an arrogant child.

I was just exhausted reading their petty relationship and the problems that they could've avoided had they actually used reason instead of rash passion and lust. Actions were based off of jealous a lot of the play and it was just irritating because they were all being so stupid.

I'm glad I read this so I can check it off my list (and I also read it for class but that's irrelevant), but I won't be reading this again.

[this book was my "classic romance book" for my 2015 Reading Challenge]


Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje
Started: April 13, 2105
Finished: April 21, 2015
Stars: 3/5

For starters, I had to read this book for my critical methods literature class whose theme is colonialism. I have read colonial themed lit since November and to say I'm little burnt out on imperialism, is an understatement. Because of this, I wasn't really looking forward to reading it.

So the first 30 pages of the book felt like torture and I was bored. And really really confused.

This book is not linear at all. It's like four different timelines and cut into little fragments throughout the book. It was really interesting to read and also slightly challenging. I had to figure out when what I was reading was taking place and who it was and all these different variables and it was cool!

The tone of the book is really detached. All of the characters are trying to distance themselves from part of their past or feelings or anything really. They all try to get lost in their work and to top it all off, they're trying to solve this mystery around a dead body that is possible linked to the government. There is so much going on in this book and it keeps you hooked on the semi-fictional world Ondaatje creates.

I loved reading about Sri Lanka and their different customs and cultures.
This book was sad though. There were so many issues that the characters were dealing with and the war itself set a somber mood for the story.

The ending was satisfying while still being like a cliffhanger. You felt a sense of closure at the end of the book, but you didn't actually get it. I wanted to know what happened! How the characters were doing at the end! Or maybe five years down the road! But the tone of the last chapter was hopeful. So you had this peace settle over you once you finished it. It was an odd feeling.

In retrospect, I really loved it. The characters are strong and well developed despite the fragments that Ondaatje gave us of their characters and backgrounds. It was a mystery in two aspects: one for the actual crime and the other for the characters and their connections and pasts. It was great.

[this book was my "book in another country" for my 2015 Reading Challenge]



SOP: Fluorescent Adolescent by Arctic Monkeys


Enjoy today.

March/April Reading Slump of 2015

Howdy, Readers!

Am I neglecting my responsibilities? Yes.
Am I procrastinating homework assignments? Of Course.
Am I telling myself I'm being productive because I'm blogging instead of taking care of my responsibilities? Duh.

This is the time of the year where I have major spring fever and just don't want to do anything except relax and read outside while I work on my tan. But, school has a different idea for me. Papers galore! Test today? Shoot. Meetings? Right, I totally remembered that.

And the cherry on top, Franny and Zooey (F&Z) left me in a crumble of confused pieces and it's taken me two weeks to read a book again. I guess that's when you know a book is powerful. I also kind of forced that book onto my friends. One finished it and she wasn't nearly as torn up by it as I was. I dragged the other to Barnes and Noble so she could buy it and write in her own copy.

It's my talent. Peer pressuring people into reading the books I like. They secretly love it.

Maybe you've read my review on F&Z and know just how it challenged my brain.  If you haven't or haven't read the book, go read the review real quick (here's a link to it) and maybe it'll help you get an understanding for how jaw-droppingly good this book was.

Keep in mind that I was in a slight reading slump. I had gotten my copy of The Winner's Crime in the mail right when I got back from spring break, but, alas, I had already started reading F&Z. So here's what my plan was, finish F&Z, then jump right into The Winner's Crime and then I would read the books for my classes.

That plan so did not happen. Because of the March/April Book Slump. It was awful.

So not only was I behind in one of my classes, but I was also not escaping in a book. Two not-good things.

So I finally got back on the reading horse. And let me tell you, the two books since have equally messed me up.

Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare
Started: April 2, 2015
Finished: April 6, 2015
Stars: 3/5

In case you didn't know this about me, I'm taking a strictly Shakespeare Class. That is the reason for my Shakespeare binge this semester. I've really enjoyed it.

I even enjoyed this book—to an extent. I'm just going to go ahead and spoil the plot because it's been 100+ years since its publication and honestly I wish someone warned me going into this book.

Titus Andronicus comes back from war with the Goths, with only four of his 25 sons alive. He is a well-loved and highly respected General of Rome. His only daughter, Lavinia, awaits the return of her adored father and her four brothers. Titus is very close to his daughter, his sons, and his brother, Marcus. However, he also returns with the Goth Queen Tamora, her three sons, and her lover as hostages. As as ritual, Titus sacrifices her eldest son to the gods as respect and thanks for bringing them home victorious and alive. That one small action causes all kinds of anger and revenge in Tamora. So somehow, she marries the newly crowned emperor and becomes powerful. And to gain her revenge on Titus, tells her two living sons to rape his daughter. They do and then cut off her hands and tongue so she cannot tell the story of her abuse.

That's all I'm going to say about the play. There's a lot of death. A lot of blood. It's just a damn gory play and really unsettling.

I liked the play because 1) it's Shakespeare, 2) the wit and motifs were clever, and 3) the themes in the play are really strong and really good. One of the themes is all about this strong father-daughter relationship between Titus and Lavinia. That really hit home with me because my dad and I are really close.
But how Lavinia is abused in the beginning of the plot really really unsettled me. It was so hard for me to read past that situation. It was refreshing to read this protection her father had over her and his ultimate care for her, but it was hard.

There is a close friendship throughout the Andronicus family, Titus and Marcus are close, all of Titus's sons watch out and protect Lavinia, she is close with them, her uncle, and her father.

There was also a really strong female character. The feminist in me was really excited that the villain was a female. She was intense and frankly scared me. Just picture the ugly, mean step mother from Cinderella or Snow White and then multiple that by a hundred. She was ruthless. And she literally gave zero shits. She had a Moor lover and bossed her sons around, bossed her husband around, toyed with Titus' mind and sanity, she manipulated everyone in the play and wow.

The situation with Lavinia is what gave this play a 3 star rating instead of a 4. I loved everything else except Lavinia's fate.

[this play fit "a book that scares you" for my 2015 Reading Challenge.]

The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski
Started: April 3, 2015
Finished: April 7, 2015
Stars: 4/5

Okay. I've been carrying this book around with me for 2 weeks, trying to pick up the courage to start it. But (as previously mentioned) I was in quite the slump.

Debatable spoilers ahead.

I also did a bad bad bad bad thing. I was maybe 100 pages into the book (if that), and I flipped to the last chapter or two of the book. I read it. And it toyed with me. Then I was scared to continue reading it because I knew I wouldn't like the ending. (Side note: I hate surprises. I'm one of those people who needs to what's going to happen or at least whether or not I'll like the ending of the book. I've been fighting the desire to skip to the last chapter of whatever book I'm reading and just reading little words or maybe the whole damn chapter. But it's a curse and I did it again with this book.) I felt anxious the whole time I was reading it because I knew what was coming in the ending. I knew that it was a rough end.

Small Tangent: MARIE RUTKOSKI WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE LEAVING ME WITH SUCH A STEEP CLIFFHANGER?!?!?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT MY EMOTIONAL STATE IS LIKE RIGHT NOW??? NOT GOOD. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS ASAP.

This book really affected my emotions outside of reading it. I was just down when I closed it for the day/night. I was feeling the separation anxiety between Kestrel and Arin probably more than they were and they were pretty damn unhappy!!

 There was so much angst and unhappiness in this book, on Arin's side (who is my fave character) and Kestrel's side. They wanted each other so bad, but couldn't because of society's expectations and the fact that Kestrel was engaged to Verex (who really grows on you throughout the book). If you haven't noticed before, I love character development. Kestrel is battling the entire book on what she wants, her role as a daughter, citizen, friend. She has this huge conflict with where her loyalties lay. She felt caged in, without any real decisions or options, she was alone—literally every one of her friends from the first book was gone. She was completely alone.
Arin was conflicted in a completely different aspect. He just wanted to save his people. His loyalty and honor is swoon-worthy and enrapturing. He felt conflicted on what was the right thing for his people and whether or not he was even capable of saving them and leading the Herrani. He didn't understand Kestrel the entire book, probably still doesn't at the beginning of the 3rd (which I'm hoping comes out sooner than 2016). Her whole goal was to protect him, and she succeeded, but she didn't protect his feelings. This girl, Kestrel, whom he spent so much time with and really knew her—her mental state, her emotions, her habits, he literally knew everything there was to know about her— and then she becomes this completely different person to protect him and save the Herrani as a whole.
It was hard to read. Because all I wanted was for them to get together and live happily ever after.

The language and imagery and writing in this book was incredible. I was really impressed with the types of descriptions Rutkoski used. It made these average, mundane objects feel like they were part of something divine. And they weren't useless descriptions, that are evident in some classics novels. Each description was beneficial to the overall plot and character development of the book. Her descriptions almost made you feel like what she was describing was going on right in front of you. It was so life-like and real to read.

While reading, I didn't really like the book. (Probably because of the major anxiety it gave me and I was just nervous the whole damn time.) But now that I've finished it, I really enjoyed the experience. The fact that an author could make me feel so strongly throughout the entire book, is incredible.

[this book was my book that was published this year for my 2015 Reading Challenge]

SOP: Kansas City by The New Basement Tapes

{so i recently found them. And basically the band is made up of a bunch of members of different bands and they come together and take Bob Dylan lyrics and put them to new music. Yes, it's the same guy from Mumford & Sons. Most of their songs are pretty good. I can't vouch for all of them. It's such a cool concept though.}

Until Next Time.

Just a quick review for you

Franny and Zooey  by J. D. Salinger
Stars: 4/5
Started: March 23, 2015
Finished: March 25, 2015

Wow. What a read.
I'm simultaneously having an existential crisis and experiencing extreme peace. Who knew that was possible. I feel like I need to sit in meditation and just take in the world around me and God around me after reading this book.

Salinger: you put me in 500 states of awe from this book. Most of them from your writing. The complexity of the sentences, the randomness and realism in each paragraph was incredible. The whole story seemed mundane, but this huge umbrella of wonder and divinity spread over the book without explicitly asserting itself.

What I took out of this book, was a family dynamic along with the idea of self-realization. Franny and Zooey have a love/hate relationship. Love, in the sense that they understand each other and ironically, hate because they understand each other and Zooey ends up preaching to her rather than helping Franny. They understand each other's thoughts and actions because they share the same foundation in their education and childhood, thanks to their eldest brothers. It seems the three main characters (Franny, Zooey, and Buddy) are all in a funk, for lack of a better term. They are all stuck in their life, not knowing where to go next and not even having the desire for the moments that they are at in their life. It's undeniably relatable: the feeling that you want to do something but you don't know what that something is and you don't have the power or the motivation to do anything. 

It wasn't really plot driven at all. You could call it idea driven or even character driven. Regardless of its structure, you learn from Franny's existential breakdown and Zooey's preachy character trait/flaw. I think this book should be read by everyone in their 20's and should be a required read for college.

There are so many lessons in this book, I can't even begin to name them all, but I'll quote a few for you:
"This is God's universe, buddy, not yours, and he has the final say about what's ego and what isn't... In my opinion, if you really want to know, half the nastiness in the world is stirred up by people who aren't using their true egos." -Zooey (166).
"I don't know what good it is to know so much and be smart as whips and all if it doesn't make you happy." -Bessie Glass, (118)
"You can at least try to, if you want to—there's nothing wrong in trying." -Zooey (197)

This book was artfully crafted and mysterious and enlightening and results in peace. Thank you Salinger.

[this book was the "bottom of your to-read shelf" book for my 2015 Reading Challenge]

SOP: All That You Have Is Your Soul by Tracy Chapman

{never have I found a more fitting song for a post}

There are reasons for my madness.

Writing is fun, but I find that lately whenever I get started, I hit a wall within 30 minutes. I can’t find any inspiration it seems. My response for my writer’s block is just reading more. This is my reasoning for not updating my own writing and blog writing/book reviews and I’m sorry. 

Reading is my best friend for a multitude of reasons:

• I can escape my problems and my anxiety just by opening a book and getting lost in the fictitious world.
• I get to go on adventures in fantastical universes and during different time periods and it only cost me $10.99.
• I am in awe of so many different writing styles and new words within a week.
• Sometimes I get new ideas for my writing as I read or most likely after I read.
• It is a semi-productive way for me to procrastinate school work or work that I actually need to do.

Those are only just a few of my reasons to read and, if you’re like me, and having an anxiety attack or worrying about problems that really aren’t that big a deal, pick up a book and just forget about your worries for an hour. You may have the same same panic attack return, but you’ll feel a little better.

But don’t live your life solely on my average blog. I’m not a professional, even though I like to think I am. 

So now that you know why I read way too much in the span of one week or even a month… Here are some book reviews for you.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Stars: 6/5

Started: March 19, 2015

Finished: March 21, 2015

As you may recall, I am an English major, therefore absolutely horrid at math— see the above improper fraction for the rating I’m giving Scarlet. Haha I think I’m funny. Anyway, this has been my favorite book in the Lunar Chronicles (TLC) so far. Hence my improper rating. IT WAS SO GOOD. I loved the narration, the colliding of storylines by Cinder and Thorne with Scarlet and Wolf. 

Scarlet is my favorite TLC character followed by Thorne if anyone is curious. I often discuss the character dynamics in my reviews and how well there written. Well, I feel that with these books each character is so well developed that their narrations are easily distinguishable from the others because they each have their own different and unique voice. Scarlet’s character is by far my favorite. She is the most realistic, I think. She is driven to act by her impulses and is a little too blunt and rash for my taste, but her character is realistic and more relatable— she’s not some long lost princess and just now discovered that and she hasn’t been locked away from society for the majority of her life. I find it more difficult to relate to Cinder and Cress because of those reasons. 

Thorne. I was annoyed by him at first because of how he reacted to Cinder in the prison. But I have a soft spot for literary sarcastic and pretentious assholes (eg: Noah Shaw, Will Herondale, Jace Herondale, Chaol Westfall, Mr. Darcy, to name a few). His comments were the comic relief for the whole book (and for Cress). He is a consistent character. 

Wolf’s character was so mysterious throughout the book and remains so. His character was one of the reasons why I was turing the pages so quickly, eager to know what happened. And I didn't not see his methods or motivations coming— it totally caught me by surprise.

I really love how Marissa follows the original fairytale, she adds her on spin on the tale and doesn't even follow it too closely. It makes it seem like you aren't reading an adaptation of the fairytale but this futuristic adventure tale of strong, independent and different heroines.  

[this book was my “title with a color in it” for my 2015 Reading Challenge]

Cress by Marissa Meyer

Stars: 4.5/5

Started: March 21, 2015

Finished: March 23, 2015

[spoilers ahead]

On Goodreads I rated this 5 stars because I really wanted to give it more than 4, but not on the level of a 5 so I rounded up to 5 (I really hate how you can't give half a star on Goodreads). Anyway, at first Cress's excessive innocence and the way she fawned all over Thorne annoyed me. But I realize that was the whole point of her situation. She was supposed to be way too naive for her own good because she was literally excluded by society for her entire life. If you think of it, she's really well socialized for her situation. The fact that she can communicate at all is representative of that. But even though she's been secluded and completely ignorant of the world(s) around her, she is still brave and strong in her own unique way. She wants to fight for the good, rather than blindly assisting the bad and that takes guts. I think that she is the true role model of TLC because of her gut instinct that she follows throughout the book.

Again, Thorne made me laugh throughout the whole book. He made light of his situation (being blind and all). I was pissed that Scarlet got kidnapped. Like what the hell. She's my favorite character and you're just gonna exclude her from the 550 page book?!!?! And leave Wolf just trembling with depression?!?!?! I get that she had a couple chapters (3) and she has to interact with Winter, but SERIOUSLY????? WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE SCARLET???

[this was my "book from the future" for my 2015 Reading Challenge]

If you haven't read TLC yet, you need to because they are all so well written and creative and adventurous and just so fun to read. So many twists and turns. 

SOP: Riptide (Cover) by Taylor Swift

This is probably my fave YouTube channel, the BBC Live Lounge. Famous artists singing covers of other popular songs live and it's just great. Check it out!

Signing off.

Macy

Have Mercy on my Reader Soul

I'm officially on Spring Break right now and have promised myself not to do any homework over the next week. It will most likely bite me in the ass when I get back to school and am drowning in all my schoolwork when all I want to do is keep reading and being a lazy book worm. Oh well.

Anyway. The things I've learned since being away from my family for 3 months:

• my younger sister can drive and it's the scariest thing ever.
• I'm actually so much like my mother it's both comforting and frightening at the same time.
• I have a newfound appreciation for the cold and actual snow (not the sad excuse Oklahoma has for it where it calls itself snow but it's really just a sheet of ice everywhere you step). 
• My hair does NOT look good after being stuck under a helmet all day.
• I am predictable in all of my likes and dislikes. (I like to say I'm consistent but whatever.)

So. It's been an enlightening past 2 days.

It's also been two days since my last post (and since I've started a new book) and I'm in dyer need to review a book...

The Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
Started: March 12, 2015
Finished: March 14, 2015
Stars: 4/5

Where to start with this...
We'll start with the plot. Usually when I'm reading I can predict or anticipate where the plot twist is going to go and who the big jaw-dropper is, but with this book, I couldn't. I had no idea where this book was going and it both frustrated me and excited me. I hate surprises and I need to know how a book is going to end. That's probably why whenever I read books (even when I loathe them with the fire of a thousand suns) I have to finish it. I can't be left in the dark.
That singular reason is why I finished this 549 page sucker. S/O to Robin for that.

It was a little difficult to get into the book. I was left confused by who the hell these people were and who they were serving and the whole spiritual aspect of this book. It took me about 100 pages to get immersed in the text and the characters.
I also thought several parts of the narrative was vague and I had to re-read the paragraph or page a couple times trying to figure out what the author was saying. I wanted more on her encounter with her dad (both of them) and I am still wondering what happened to Beast. I don't know if she touches on that in the sequels or not, but I'm still on the fence with whether or not I want to read those.

The characters were awesome to read. I really liked the mystery behind Duval and his true motives. I loved reading about the nobility and the Middle Ages's people. Every character was well-developed and dynamic and each had something to them that made them seem realistic.

I loved how Robin (is it weird to refer to her by her first name?) ended things between the convent and Ismae [small note: I really hated that name]. I liked that it was it's own story line(-ish) in the book. It held it's own issues and confrontation by Ismae and wasn't skirted in the end nor was it neglected in significance in the book. That result was a big part of the big wow for me by the end of the book.

[this was my 500 page or more book for my 2015 Reading Challenge]

I'll keep this post short and sweet after the novel I posted yesterday. Still sorry for posting that Beast...

Peace.

SOP: This is Gospel (Piano) by Panic! at the Disco

Greetings Loyal Readers and Welcome Spring!

Guess what.

I'm writing from an airport! (DFW Airport, to be exact.)

Shocker, I know. It rarely happens that I'm waiting for a plane and am sitting on my adored laptop typing up a wordy and annoying blog post.

I realize that the last time I updated you on my very exciting life (it's really not exciting... just books and papers and class—oh my!) was February 18th and I'm sorry. (if you wanna skip ahead to my book reviews then fell free, no one will ever know.)
I catch you up on a few things:

• I wrote a paper comparing Juliet to a really tragic character from ancient mythology named Myrrha for my Shakespeare class and I was probably too excited to write it because Juliet is so cool. (Look up her story it's really sad and just wow.)

• I got a lovely speeding ticket today and almost had an anxiety in the car afterward. (To sum that situation up, I don't like being wrong or not considered "an upstanding citizen" and it took everything in me not to break down in angry, ugly tears in front of my friend in the passenger seat and the very mean police officer.)

• The whole situation with the fraternity and racism on my campus this past week and the media harassing us in our parking lot and some people reacting in violence. 

• I've been reading for fun instead of focusing on midterms and papers and it bites me in the butt every time. 

• My roommate opened our window (the window that we've had trouble opening since August) and it has been the best couple days ever!

• I crushed my Shakespeare midterm after studying for it for two hours right before I took it (guess what? I procrastinated studying for it until the day of instead of using my time wisely because I was reading and watching Netflix and oops... but I crushed it anyways).

• I started watching that MTV show called Eye Candy and it's really cheesy but the plot is so good and the guys are sooooo cute. No shame. 

• I've also been keeping up with CW's The 100 and if you haven't heard of it look it up and start watching it. And if you're putting off watching it, go do it now. It's so addicting and captivating and alluring and a roller coaster to watch. Basically go watch it.

• I have read 21 books out of my goal of 90 for 2015 on Goodreads (23%). I've read 14 books on my 2015 Reading Challenge that I briefed you over in my first post of the year! Wuhoo!! Progress!

I realize that this is just scraping the barrel on my life and what's been going on in my life, but I figured hardly anyone reads these things where I just rant and rant so I'll stop venting. Mainly I want to talk about books. Yes. The breath and essence of my being. The thing that I wish I could get paid for. My gift. My beloved. [end dramatics]

So. Here's the list of my most current books for all you loyal and faithful readers (all two of you): The Tempest by William Shakespeare, The Winter's Tale by Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, Stepbrother Dearest by Penelope Ward, Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker, Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, and the first two books of the Wait For Me Series by J. Lynn. It's a lot to cover for a blog post so I'm going to sum up a few very very briefly.

If you wanna know what I thought about Romeo and Juliet just scroll down or find my post before this one. It will tell you exactly what I think about Juliet and Romeo. 

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker was okay. It was an easy read and honestly I just needed to read angst filled text. The last 1/4 of the book thoroughly pissed me off though. The plot twist was ridiculous and irritating and how she handled the situation was worse. It was just unrealistic and I hated the ending. Up until that last jerk of a plot line, I'd give this book a solid 3 stars. But given how pissed off and irritated I was at the end, it gets a 2. I did read it within two days so wuhoo for speed reading.

Stepbrother Dearest by Penelope Ward was good. A solid 3 stars all around. The characters were complex and there was depth to them. Their chemistry is what got me. I swooned and reacted in the best way possible. The only part that irritated me was her situation in New York. It made it seem like she was pouting. We didn't get any real glimpse into her life as an adult or anything. I wanted to know how successful she was! What life was like for her! Gosh darnit! Also read this within two days and I think I stayed up until 5:30 in the morning to finish it when I had class the next morning. It was worth it.

The J. Lynn books were solid reads. I gave both of them 3/5 stars. Very typical New Adult books but I like that kind of cliche crap so who cares! If you're looking for easy, yet good reads go to any of her books. She's a phenomenal writer and can manipulate language to her back and call. Solid, diverse characters.

Shakespeare's The Tempest was disappointing. I was expecting something witty and slightly romantic like all of his other works. It was mostly about a power struggle and tyranny and ruling and shit. 3 stars. It also took me f o r e v e r  to read.

Now getting to the fabulous books I've read recently.

The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare
Started: February 22, 2015
Finished: February 23, 2015
Stars: 4/5

I had to read this book for my Shakespeare and Classical Myth class and I was expecting it to be completely different than what it really was. You know that movie that came out not too long ago called Winter's Tale? The one with Colin Farrell (the British one) and it looked really weird with time travel and immortality or something? That's what I thought this play would be about.
Not true.
Not true at all. I can't even really sum up what exactly it's about but I can tell you this, ITS SO GOOD.

Theres a bromance in it and then betrayal of the bromance and then reconciliation of said bromance.
There is actual romance between the two children of the bromance dudes and the power Perdita (the girl) has over her beau is insane. She literally has him whipped from start to finished and it's glorious to read.
There's also this character called Hermione and she is a queen and strong and stubborn and independent and doesn't take no shit from anybody. She is persuasive and alluring to the point where her husband thinks the baby she's carrying isn't his (which is totally not true). AND HER NAME IS HERMIONE LIKE FROM HARRY POTTER!!! I have read something that is very probably to have influenced J.K Rowling when she wrote HP and developed Hermione's character, because HELLO they have the same name!!!!!
It's really amazing how I can incorporate HP in vast majority of my posts on this blog.

Wow, I also just love strong female characters.

[this book satisfied the "100 year old book" on my 2015 Reading Challenge]

The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Started: February 21, 2015
Finished: February 27, 2015
Stars 5/5

This is sci-fi or fantasy or whatever and IT WAS SO GOOD!!! Mare Barrow is stubborn, reckless, impulsive, some of my favorite qualities to read in a character. I really loved this book. It was a little confusing to read at first and a little slow but then I got to page 60 or so and my nose was glued inside. HOLY MOLY GUACAMOLE!!!

Think of the Hunger Games but without the annoying qualities of the characters and all the depressing factors. Actually scratch that. It's not like Hunger Games cuz I really hate those books. Think more Divergent. Yes. That sounds better. Divergent series minus the third book (because I have convinced myself that the third book did not happen and Tris and Four live happily together wherever they like in post-apocalyptic USA).

Anyway, sorry for the tangent and for this post getting so damn long. Possible spoilers ahead. READ AT OWN RISK.

I loved every single character in this book. I already talked about Mare, but CAL. Oh my goodness gracious. He's amazing and my fave. I love him. I really do. We're getting married soon. Be on the lookout for our save the date. (jk... kinda). Maven is dark and evil and a perfect villain. Seriously. For those of you who've read The Shadow and Bone series, he's like the Darkling. Maybe better. We'll see. Her friend Kilorn annoyed me. He was whiny and boring and all he did was complain to Mare. Sorry bro, can't handle that. If she ends up with him I'm going to be pissed. Mare's family dynamic was realistic and endearing. Most novels the parents are completely absent and the main character has at most 1 sibling. Mare's family is intact. It's atypical for the family to have more than 2 siblings or where the parents are present. It's easier to relate to her with her family and her emotions and relationships with her family members.

The plot was fabulous. It was complex and detailed and zero potholes in the structure. There was a KILLER plot twist within the last 2 chapters of the book and I was breathing heavily while reading and yelled "What the hell?" and freaked my roommate out at 1 am.  Needless to say, I need more of this fictional world and Cal and Mare are together and fantasy and wow. I just need the next book ASAP.

After I finished it, I went into a book hangover for a good 5 days and couldn't even look at another book without wanting to reread Red Queen. It's good. I had a couple dreams about it too. No shame.

Go read this book. Please. We can talk about it together if you want.

[this book satisfied my "author under 30" in my 2015 Reading Challenge]

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Started: March 6, 2015
Finished: March 10, 2015
Stars: 4.5/5

Think you've heard every variation of the fairytales ever? Think again. Because if you haven't read Cinder  you need to to fulfill the childhood still sleeping inside of you. It's loosely based on Cinderella, but with cyborgs. And a futuristic society. And princes, and robots and magic and mind control and embarrassment. It's great. She tweaked a few of the characters like one of Cinder's stepsisters, Peony, whom Cinder actually feels sisterly affection towards instead of distaste like the original Cinderella.

Cinder is sassy and intelligent and strong willed. She is inspiring to read. She never gives up and is so versatile. Expect some archetypical characters though (the mentor, the love interest, etc.). Prince Kai is enchanting. He is so eloquent with his words and wow swoon! The ending leaves you hanging for more! Ready for the sequels and I'm ready to venture to any book store to pick my copies up!

I really loved the narration. It's told in 3rd person selective, both from Cinder and Kai's perspective. I love books written like that. It really makes you feel like you're there in the story rather just stuck in the limited narrator's mind. I'm trying to write using this style and I really liked seeing how Meyer tweaked it in her book. She made it easier to read and easier to fall into her trap of hooking the reader into the story. So S/O to her narration.

The complexity of this plot was astounding. It was more than Cinder struggling against her stepmother or even against a fatal illness spreading through the country. It was her struggling against her true identity and her ancestry and a literal opposing force from outta this world (get it? hehe). There was so much going on in this book, but because of how well it is written and how captivating it is, you hardly notice nor do you even mind because it's a fabulous adventure going on behind your own eyes (or right in front? I don't know. Both maybe?).

[this book was my "nonhuman characters" for my 2015 Reading Challenge— because cyborgs aren't human right?]

I'm really sorry this post is like 8 days long and ridiculous and mostly me just ranting and being weird. If you sucked it up and read it all the way through, kudos to you friend. (You should tell me who you are so we can be friends or something to let me know people like you actually exist.)

Also, I, out of spur of the moment, copied this into a word document and it's 4 pages. HAHAHAHA and 2,000+ words. I'm really truly deeply sorry for this. It's the English major coming out in me. Seriously, I'm laughing so hard right now.

SOP: Settle Down by The 1975

Juliet and Romeo

I am taking a Shakespeare and Classical Myth class and it is great. I really love it. [no sarcasm]
We've read A Midsummer Night's Dream (AMND) and today we wrapped up discussion of Romeo and Juliet. 
AMND was typical. I've read it three times now and seen the movie the same. So I'm not really going to write a review for it. Sorry. If you're curious about AMND, watch the movie with Michelle Pfeiffer and Christian Bale. It's pretty good and the screenplay is Shakespeare's work.

So, without further ado...

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Started:  February 12, 2014
Finished: February 15, 2015
Stars: 4/5

I was supposed to read this book freshman year of high school and I got to Act 3. In retrospect, I am proud of myself. I read this at a time when I did not like reading. I was lazy and thought reading was sooo not cool. And I also really hated the parts I did read. I thought Juliet was a ridiculous young girl who was an idiot for keeping everything a secret. I thought Romeo was equally as ridiculous. He was temperamental and a pervert for wooing Juliet in such cheesy ways.

Now that I have an addiction to reading, an astounding obsession with Shakespeare, a more mature mind, and less of an inclination to act cool around other people (because let's face it, reading is cool and those bitches are all missing out), I have a different perspective on Romeo and Juliet.

First of all, Romeo is still kind of ridiculous. He falls in and out of love so quickly. But his "melancholy" as we called in it class, almost like a depression is the cause of that. I won't get English-y on you and go into a character analysis for Romeo and turn this post into a analytical paper. So I'll just leave Romeo's character there.

But I will go in depth about Juliet. BECAUSE HOLY MOLY JULIET IS MY NEW FAVE EVER.

Yes she is 14. Yes she is under her father's authority. Yes her nurse takes the place of the mother-figure in the play.
Now that the background is clear, she is one strong character. She completely contrasts any of the other female characters/personas from this time period. And her character trope probably wasn't common until the mid to late-1900's. Anyway. Ignoring the fact that she was influenced by young love where things don't really make sense and the character is influenced by their feelings instead of logic, Juliet is defiant and independent.

First instance we see of this, is when her mom asks of her thoughts on marriage and Juliet responds "It is an honor I dream not of." WHAT??? She just said she doesn't want to get married to. her. mother. Her parental figure whom holds all control over Juliet unless Juliet's father is present. Her mother who plans her future marriages. Her mother who IS BASICALLY THE RULER OF THE FAMILY. Oh Juliet you defiant girl you.
Later, before her wedding night (her "special night" with Romeo) she starts her soliloquy and the whole thing is of how eager she is for the event. This is completely atypical of female characters from this period of time. It wasn't until the late 1900's, when female sexuality stopped being a taboo topic. If no one talked about it then it didn't exist. This is because it gave women some sort of power and equalized men and women (sorry for the slight feminism moment). But anyway, here's Juliet talking about sex and she has no fears, and she then takes the man's duty in their relationship by being the discusser of sex. In a Renaissance play, the female character is the one talking about sex, not Romeo the male character. Wow.

It gets better. Romeo is soooo distressed that he finds Juliet's "dead" body in the Capulet tomb and he is just smitten with the idea of death because he will meet Juliet in heaven and they can be reunited. *Swoon* [not] So he kills himself (without any inhibitions I may add) with a poison that he drinks. Dead. Then, Juliet wakes up from her not-death and she is heartbroken at seeing Romeo dead and then she has this long eloquent speech and then takes Romeo's dagger and stabs herself. SHE STABS HERSELF AND DOESN'T EVEN THINK TWICE. JULIET YOU STRONG CREATURE YOU. Wow. Like what. No hesitation no second thoughts, plunges a very sharp and deadly weapon into her chest.

I could go on and on and on and on and on about Juliet and even Shakespeare for his pre-feminism era ideas, but you're probably hoping I'll shut up and I'm still praying my professor will assign a character analysis essay prompt so I can in depth fully appreciate and analyze Juliet.

So now because I'm basically obsessed with Juliet, I'm referring to the classic play of Romeo and Juliet to Juliet and Romeo. Because she's basically the best thing to happy to me this year and she's a much better character than Romeo. Duh.

Okay sorry: for the rant, the nerdiness, the total irrelevance to you, and for the spoilers. I'm done.

Thank you William Shakespeare for Juliet Capulet.

SOP: Juliet by Joel Crouse
Hey Juliet by LMNT
  Love Story by Taylor Swift
{sorry I couldn't decide which one to put because they are all relevant and all soooooo goood.}

Let me get you caught up on my reading spree...

The Ruby Red Series by Kerstin Gier

Ruby Red: Started- January 26, 2015.
                  Finished- February 6, 2015
                  Stars- 3.5/5
Sapphire Blue: Started-February 7, 2015
                  Finished- February 8, 2015
                  Stars- 4/5
Emerald Green: Started- February 8, 2015
                  Finished- February 11, 2015
                  Stars- 4/5

The first book took me a while to get into the first book. But when I hit maybe page 100 I was sucked in to the plot and the characters and just the fantastical idea of it all. This series was originally written in German and translated into English Anthea Bell.

I really loved Gwyneth as the main character. I felt like her friendship with Leslie was realistic and it felt natural. Often, a lot of the fantasy or sci-fi friendships feel like they are based off of the mission that is the plot or the conversation just doesn't feel natural. This one definitely did. They talked about normal things like movies or books or other people and Leslie was completely supportive and understand of Gwyneth's situation and what Gwyneth was doing.

Gideon and Gwyneth's relationship and banter was interesting and amusing to read. It seemed realistic and they way the two of them handled some of the situations were immature, but I think that was the point and really helped highlight that they were supposed to be immature and not know all the facts.

Charlotte. Well, during the first half of the first book, I didn't feel a whole lot of feeling towards her. I thought that Gwen was just dramatizing how mean Charlotte was, but then I found myself rolling my eyes along with Gwen at Charlotte and things Charlotte did and said. She was extremely well written.

Ever single character was so dynamic and diverse and that is something that is so difficult to do and Gier really hit the nail on the head. This plot was so well developed as well. There was so much research and history that went into this book and it was really impressive and interesting to read.

The only real issue with this book was that it left a lot of loose ends hanging up in the air. I still have so many questions that I feel the characters didn't solve or the author didn't mention. I won't mention them because I don't want to spoil anything for any future readers.

This book could totally have a fourth book or maybe a novella just so I could know what happens in the end and so everything could come full circle. I don't know. I might just be hung up on the characters and plot from this series and may just need to find a new world to immerse myself in to distract myself from real life and the fact that this world is finished.

Seriously. If you're skeptical of reading this book. Go read it.

[This book satisfied my "trilogy" check on my 2015 Reading Challenge.]


Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Started: January 14, 2015
Finished: January 29, 2015
Stars: 3/5

This book was hard for me to get through. I couldn't sit down and binge read the whole thing. Which is, honestly, what I expected from a memoir. I'm not a big memoir person. It's hard for me to be immersed in a book of only essays.

With that in mind, Amy Poehler is still funny in her writing. She's sarcastic and cracks jokes and I was impressed by her writing skills. I liked what she had to say about careers and divorce and marriage and raising kids. I think the publicity looks over the tougher parts of life, even for an actress. I enjoyed reading about her childhood and what she experienced. I think it really has a lot to say about the person she is now.

Based on her writing, she seems like a very level-headed person.

There was one essay that really bothered me though. I won't say which essay it was because I don't really remember what the title was and I don't have my book with me at the moment. But I know that it really unsettled me. After I finished it, I put the book down and questioned whether I wanted to continue reading it or not. I was really close to calling it quits right there.

But then I thought about my reading challenge books and how I really needed to check memoir off sooner or later. And one of my best friends swears by this book so I'd feel guilty if I didn't read it. (And my mom read it in a shorter amount of time than I did and I was feeling competitive. So please don't share that because I am very proud person.)

Overall I laughed right along with her as she told her experiences. I really laughed when Seth Meyers wrote a small portion.

[This book satisfied my memoir book on my 2015 reading challenge]



SOP: Something I need by Ben Haenow
(caution: the video is really... cheesy and I'm sorry in advance)