Swoonuary: A Valentines Day Special With The Bookish Groupies!



Hello beautiful ladies, and welcome to the Bookish Groupies first annual event, Swoonuary! 

Are you in the mood for a sugary sweet romance? What about a contemporary so cute, you're left squealing like a school girl? If you are, then perfect, because that is what Swoonuary is all about! After reading quite a bit of fantasy and science fiction lately, the girls and I are ready to dive back into the land of hook ups & heartbreaks, happily ever afters, and happily never fucking again . . . well the last part might be something I'm looking for, but you get the idea. All month long, we've decided to read both romance & contemporary novels in Lieu of Valentines day, the day for all things cheesy. But what fun what it be if we didn't have other bloggers join us? That's where you all come in . . . 

Now before you start sweating bullets, there are NO RULES to this event! It's really about dusting off those lovey-dovey books that have been collecting dust on your shelves. But even better, it's about celebrating the holiday with some blogger friends here in the community, and how do we turn up? By reading! Well I turn up by having a couple of shots of patron, but YASSS reading. 

All that we ask is that you read atleast ONE romance or contemporary for the month if you're participating.Would it be cool if you read more than one? Of course, but we know you guys have other obligations, so how many you read & what you read, is completely up to you! When posting about Swoonuary, make sure you link back to one or all of us: Jennie, Mallory, Ang, Blessie, & Tika, and don't forget to add your name to the linky widget at the bottom of this post!

 There's no challenge, no pressure, we just want this to be fun. So if this sounds like something you'd want to partake in, let us know! We already have a few bloggers on board, ready to whip out they're roughed up romance novels with the Fabio covers! Let's get it ladies!


What I may, or may NOT be reading

Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven * read along! *
Never Never by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher
Find Me I'm Yours by Hillary Carlip


These are pretty much the " I'm taking you down come February "  books.
Translation: You will be read, come hell, high water, low water, or no water . I sound like my mother now lol

Amour Amour by Krista & Becca Ritchie
The Mason List by S.D Hendrickson
Beautiful Disaster by Jamie Mcguire


This is my " Mmmm, you may get read, or I may swap you out for something else " list. Depends on how I'm feeling at the moment lol.

That's pretty much it you guys. This event is just about coming together & reading some swoony reads! Whether it's a steamy, sexy read, or a book that has you so heart broken you're eating your favorite icecream & watching Lifetime, join the Bookish Groupies as we get ready for Valentines Day!

If you're participating, don't forget to add your name to the linky below! Spread the love by following other participants blogs or commenting on their posts. Oh & don't forget to have fun ladies!




Stacking The Shelves (6) | New Adult Edition



Stacking The Shelves is an anytime meme hosted by Tynga Reviews. It allows you to showcase the books you've recently added to your book shelves, whether they're physical or digital. 

I'm so excited about this Stacking The Shelves post. New Adult has easily become one of my favorite genres, and it's been quite some time since I've indulged in one. One of my 2015 resolutions was to step outside of my comfort zone & read more fantasy, science fiction, etc, and to be honest I've been doing very well! I've knocked out Zodiac, The Raven Boys & The Bone Season so far, and have many more I'm taking down in March. However, I miss my contemporaries! I miss the cute boys, the summer flings, the winter romances, the annoying girls who fall in love with boys they're not supposed to, the . . . okay I'm rambling lol. 

Anywho, here's my list of recent pick ups!


Amour Amour by Krista & Becca Richie 



This was actually a recommendation from Lola over at Hit Or Miss Books. We were chatting on twitter and she said, " This is a REAL New Adult book . " That's pretty much all I needed to hear.

Oh & one word:

Cirque du Soleil . . . SOLD !









Beautiful Disaster by Jamie Mcguire





So I'm searching on goodreads for some NA books I'd be interested in, and I come across Beautiful Disaster. It has a 4.19 rating, which is damn good, but what caught my eye and pushed me to make the purchase was this one little sentence in someone's review.

I am literally losing it. This book contains one of the most disturbing scenes I have ever read in any book. EVER.


Disturbing? Did she just say disturbing? I love disturbing!

One-Clicked 2.5 seconds later.



The Mason List by S.D Hendrickson






I found out about The Mason List via Amazon. The cover was pretty intriguing, so I headed over to Goodreads to add it to my never-ending TBR. However, after reading the synopsis, I knew I couldn't leave this book on my viritual shelf any longer. I thought it was cool that the story actually crosses both YA & NA, so you know I had to snatch it up!









Unbeautiful by Jessica Sorensen





Unbeautiful is a darker story that is centered around the subject of abuse . . . I believe. After skimming some reviews, readers are deeming it an emotional read, & I'm definitely in the mood for a good ole' Lifetime story.











Kaleidoscope Hearts by Claire Contreras





First of all, this book has a 4.29 rating on Goodreads! I love me a good ole' contemporary, and apparently from many recommendations, this is it!













Never Never by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher




Colleen Hoover is one of the few authors that made it to my " auto-buy " list, so it's really no surprise that I picked this up. I've been hearing mix thoughts on this book, mainly the complaint that it was too short, but that's cool with me. However, I'm a little confused on what genre this book actually falls under. I was recently informed that it's Young Adult, which was really effing dissapointing, but I also heard that it's indeed New Adult. I guess I'll be seeing for myself come February.





Bright Side by Kim Holden





I have never, ever, ever, seen a book on Goodreads that was 2 points away from being 5 stars. After reading the synopsis & skimming some reviews, I came to the conclusion that by the time I reach then end of this book, I might be clutching my heart with a soggy wad of tissue in my hand, nursing the aftermath of a heartbreak, & you know what . . . bring it on!

I haven't been an emotional wreck since I read Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma. Maybe I've finally found a story that competes on that level of feels. We shall see . . . 







#Nerd (Hashtag #1) by Cambria Hebert





This cover is . . . uh, okay let's not talk about that lol.

I really think this is going to be a super cute story. First of all, I'm a sucker for college stories, & apparently the male lead plays football. * Squeals *
So okay, the story might be a little cliche, but if it's a good cliche that's okay right? I'm also a big fan of cute chapter headings which #Nerd definitely has. 








Have you read any of the books listed above? If so, share your confessions below  

The Bone Season By Samantha Shannon | Review

The Bone Season | Samantha Shannon
Pages: 452
Genre(s): Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopian
Published: August 20, 2013 | Bloomsbury USA
Format: E-Copy
Source: Purchased
Rating:

It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others’ minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing.

But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city—Oxford, erased from the map two centuries ago and now controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly—as soldiers in their army.

Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.

The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine—a young woman learning to harness her powers in a world where everything has been taken from her.



I think I like you . . . 


Fantasy/Sci-Fi : Psssst Tika. Do you like me now?
Yes No

Me: Mmmm . . .
Yes No Maybe


I can honestly say that I'm really starting to dig fantasy in a way. I'm being introduced to new concepts, new worlds, new . . . everything really. I became slightly attracted to Fantasy/Sci-Fi after I read Zodiac by Romina Russell, however, The Bone Season has swept me off my feet, and now I've found myself lusting for more novels in this genre. 

 We're quickly thrown into the criminal underworld of London, circa 2059. The city is ruled by Scion, a government in charge of not only arresting, but disposing of " unnatural " human beings. You see my dear readers, in this world there are two types of people:

Amaurotics: Normal humans.

Clairvoyants: Individuals who possess the supernatural ability to communicate with the spirit world.

Cool right?

Our main protagonist, nineteen year old Paige Mahoney would classify as a voyant. She's what they call a dream walker, a person who can mentally jump into the mind, or " dreamscape " of another person. Paige is part of an elite organization called the Seven Seals, and is the protege of one of the biggest Mime-Lords in all of London. Yup, my girl is the Creme De La Creme of this society. With Scion basically being hunters of the Clairvoyants, Paige must be careful not to get caught. But with one split second decision that left two guards dead, she finds herself arrested and shipped off to the forgotten city of Sheol I.


XX-59-40


To warn those who haven't read this book yet, the first two chapters are not a walk in the park. It was a little challenging to digest the mountainous amount of information and " slang " that was given to us. As the story kicks into uptempo with Paige being held in a voyant prison, little by little, piece by piece, this mind-fuck of a puzzle begins to fall into place, and boy are we in for one hell of a ride. 

" Welcome to Sheol I. "

After arriving in the Victorian city of Oxford, (Sheol I) it was very clear that this wasn't an ordinary prison. In Scion, the Amaurotics were treated as part of the society, but in Sheol they were automatically slaves, sentenced to life of eternal labor. Clairvoyants on the other hand, were giving the chance to earn their stripes with the help of their supernatural abilities. As part of their sentence, each human is assigned to a Rephaite overlord, who then becomes their master. The Rephaites have proved to be both cruel and ruthless creatures, (I still have no clue what they are) that not only torture their slaves, but control whether they live or die as well.

Assholes.

From the very beginning I knew that Paige was top-dog of the voyants, and with a power as strong and rare as her's it was no surprise that she was assigned to thee Arcturus Mesarthim himself. 


The Bae Season


One of the best aspects of this story are the characters. The clan of main and secondary characters are so well crafted, that you couldn't help but to get sucked into their individual stories. Paige Mahoney is hands down, one of my favorite heroines I've read thus far. She's strong-willed, incredibly resourceful, and was as fiery as the sun when it came to protecting the ones she cared about. She had her weaknesses, but instead of letting them dumb her down, she rose to the occasion and turned them into strengths, surprising everyone around her, including myself. My girl was sharp as a tack, quick on her feet, and was as cunning, and witty as they come.

Even though I truly enjoyed Paige's character, Arcturus also known as Warden, completely stole the show for me. As soon as he stepped on the scene, I knew his character would be different from the others. He was dark and mysterious, you know the typical recipe for every YA male, but was still nothing like the little boys I'm used to reading about. First of all, he wasn't human. I'm not exactly sure what Rephaites are, so I assumed that they were some type of human-like creatures. While his peers were heartless and displayed despicable behavior towards their voyant slaves, Arcturus treated Paige with the utmost respect. I loved his glowing eyes, and his chill personality. He had such an old soul, and a brilliant outlook on life, making him sooooo swoon-worthy ladies!

Oh and how can I forget the chemistry between these two?!

If there's one thing that I appreciated, it was the fact that Samantha didn't make romance a big factor in this story. There wasn't any annoying  " Insta-Love " or attraction, in fact, their sexual tension had such a slow burn, that it was almost agonizing waiting for it to burst into a flame, and when it did . . .

* Sips Water *

Is it time to fangirl now?


After posting that I was finished reading The Bone Season, people wanted to know two things:

" How was the writing? "

and 

" What about the world-building? "

Don't you fret guys, because both the writing and world-building are fantastic! In fact, the entire story is pretty freaking incredible! First of all, Samantha Shannon is an amazing story-teller. Her ability to drag you into the story, even with all the information you're ingesting, and terms you're trying to memorize, you still feel as if you're there. I was so intrigued by the different concepts that were introduced, especially her use of humans communicating with spirits, that it was so hard for me to put it down. I would stay up in the wee hours of the morning, trying to knock out more chapters because I just had to know how everything came together. Just after a few pages, I got a sense of how rich and imaginative the world-building was. Everything was so vivid with detail, that it was absolutely impossible not to see the world she laid out for us. There was a huge difference between London and Sheol I, which left the interior designer in me squealing with delight. I pictured London to be a modern city, loaded with busy streets, and vibrant residents, but with Sheol I being the hell that it was, it still blew me away with it's old world charm. Dusty cobblestone streets, with Victorian buildings lit up by lanterns, and laced with incredible architecture. . . . I literally felt as if I was in an entire different century, and that to me is brilliant.

I can literally sit here all day and talk about how much I loved this book. It was complex, creative, and most of all, beautifully written.  There were so many things I enjoyed about this story, and sadly I can't mention them all . . . or you'd be sitting here forever lol. The characters had such depth to them, that it was hard to forget them long after the story was over. The writing, concepts, and world-building, took you on such an adventurous ride, that when it finally came to an end, you were reluctant to get off. The Bone Season danced around the lines of fantasy, science fiction, dystopian, and weaved in some paranormal elements to create a spectacular piece of work, and if that isn't enough for you, then maybe good fiction isn't you're " thing ".

No shade though.   


Reader Problems Tag



I was tagged by two of my fellow members of the Bookish Groupies, Jennie and Angelique! Thanks so much girls!   

So without future ado, let's get started.

* Sooooo nobody was going to tell me that I didn't add a title at first . Yall so wrong lmao

You have 20,000 books on your TBR, how in the world do you decide what to read next?


Mmmm, good question. I think I go for the books I really, really want to read first. I tend to always make those first priority. Then after that, it's mainly whatever I'm in the mood for . . . I guess lol. 


You're halfway through a book & you're just not loving it. Do you quit or are you committed?


I hate having to DNF a book! So if I can, I push through and rant about how I disliked it in a review. But if it's completely shitty and I can't continue, I just throw in the towel, and throw the book in the dungeon of I'm never picking this up again


The end of the year is coming & you're so close, but so far away on your goodreads reading challenge. Do you try to catch up & how?


Last year was actually my first time participating in the challenge, and to my surprise, I surpassed my goal! I think the problem with some of us readers, is that we get too competitive with reading. It's supposed to be something we enjoy doing . . . it really shouldn't be any pressure involved whatsoever. So with that said, if I'm behind, then I'm staying my ass behind. I'm not stressing myself out, or getting all worked up because I didn't finish my goal. I read for pleasure ya know. 


The covers of a series you love do not match. How do you cope?


I may be the only one, but this doesn't really bother me . . . not that much atleast. When I buy a series I typically buy the proper cover, whether it's paperback or hardback so that they match. If one or two isn't the same, then that's cool. Now if it's a series that I absolutely love, then yes all covers must match! But I don't read too many series anyway, so I don't always have this problem. 


Everyone & their mother loves a book you really didn't like. Who do you bond with over shared feelings?


I actually felt this way recently when I read Ignite by Lily Paradis. That book was just:   but everyone loved it. * cringes *

Anywho, I always seem to find someone within the blogging community that agrees with my likes & dislikes, so it's never hard to find someone to rant with. Especially my Bookish Groupies girls, we're always ranting & raving about something lol.


You're reading a book & you're about to start crying in public. How do you deal?


Omg, I'm a Leo, and if you know a true Leo, then you'd know we are huge babiesss. We are such cry babies & if anyone ever denies it, they're lying! So if I'm out in public reading a book that's about to open the floodgates, I just play it off. I have long eyelashes, so I always pretend like I have something in my eye. I even say, " Ahhh, " and begin messing with my eyes lmao. Hey it works. 


A sequel of a book you loved just came out, but you've forgotten alot from the prior novel. Will you re-read, skip the sequel, try to find a synopsis on goodreads, or cry in frustration?


Okay re-reading a book is a big no-no for me. I just can't bring myself to re-read anything! I'm one of those people, if I forgot a little of what happened in the previous novel, and I read the sequel, everything starts to come back to me. There's definitely alot of " Ohhh yeah ", and " Oooo, I forgot about that " going on. 


You do not want anyone, anyone burrowing your books. How do you politely tell them no when they ask?


Ha! Lucky for me none of my friends like to read.  I do have to keep them from touching my books though. Like if you're not a reader . . . don't touch my precious books. What's the point of flipping through them if you hate reading? Put them down before I punch you in the throat!   


Reading ADD. You've picked up & put down 5 books in the past month. How do you get out of your reading slump?


Mmm. This doesn't happen often, * crosses fingers * but if it were to happen, I'll try to pick up a book I've been dying to read. Like if an anticipated read is approaching, or if there's an ARC for one available, I'll try to grab that & hope for the best. If that doesn't work, maybe step outside of the genre I keep getting slumped in. If all 5 books were contemporaries, then I'll dive into some mysteries, or maybe even some fantasy. 


There are so many new books coming out that you're dying to read! How many do you actually buy?


I generally only buy my most anticipated first. For example, if 10 new releases were coming out, and 3 of them were my most anticipated, then I'll purchase those first. Then after that, whatever intrigues me, or catches my eye with it's beautiful cover. 

I'm a cover whore and will make a purchase on this sole reason alone. Don't judge me. 


After you've bought the new books, you can't wait to get to, how long do they sit on your shelf before you pick them up?


This depends on the books. I freaking pre-ordered Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld, and it's still sitting on the shelf, chilling, un-read, probably wondering when I'm going to show it some love. Soon my darling . . . soon.

So yeah it depends on whether I'm super pumped to read the books or not. I tend to dive into the books I really, really, really want to read, before the books I just want to read. Make sense? lol

I'm such a weird reader I know lol. 

Sooo, that concludes my Readers Problems Tag. I feel like I don't have too many bookish problems, but it was definitely fun sharing my answers. Want to share your thoughts on one of these questions? Comment down below!


Into The Darkest Corner By Elizabeth Haynes | Review Feat Mama Veda!


Into The Darkest Corner | Elizabeth Haynes
Pages: 397
Genre(s): Adult, Psychological Thriller
Published: January 2nd 2013 | Harper Paperbacks
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Rating:


When young, pretty Catherine Bailey meets Lee Brightman, she can't believe her luck. Gorgeous, charismatic, and a bit mysterious, Lee seems almost too perfect to be true.

But what begins as flattering attention and spontaneous, passionate sex transforms into raging jealousy, and Catherine soon discovers that Lee's dazzling blue eyes and blond good looks hide a dark, violent nature. Disturbed by his increasingly erratic, controlling behavior, she tries to break it off; turning to her friends for support, she's stunned to find they don't believe her. Increasingly isolated and driven into the darkest corner of her world, a desperate Catherine plans a meticulous escape.

Four years later, Lee is behind bars and Catherine—now Cathy—is trying to build a new life in a new city. Though her body has healed, the trauma of the past still haunts her. Then Stuart Richardson, her attractive new neighbor, moves in. Encouraging her to confront her fears, he sparks unexpected hope and the possibility of love and a normal life.

Until the day the phone rings . . .


This is definitely a first here on fANGIRL confessions. My dear mother Ms.Veda, (everyone calls her Mama Veda though lol)  has decided to stop by my blog to share her thoughts on Into The Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes. To make things easy, (and because she's very dramatic and believes she was an actress in her past life) I'll be conducting an interview, using very basic questions to gather insight on what she thought about this thriller. 

This shall be very, very interesting. 


Hey ma, would you like to introduce yourself first?


Yes! Hello readers, my name is Ms.Veda! I'm a entrepreneur. I'm the founder of both an elder care business, and B.A.G.S - Boutique & Girlie Stuff LLC. I'm also a glam-mother (grandmother), and a diva with a passion for reading just like my children! 


Okay, first question. What did you think about the concept of the story?


The concept of the story was riveting! It was true to life, and broke down the walls of some of the misconceptions of domestic violence. Mainly the idea that many feel it should be so easy for the victim to leave the abuser, and also that the victim is actually being abused. When in reality, it's one of the hardest things to do . . . getting away. 


What about the writing?


I've read plenty of books in my day, so I know a well-written story when I see one! I found myself hanging on every word, anticipating the next sentence. The intensity of each chapter, made me want to turn the pages as quick as I possibly could. The words jumped out at me, allowing me to feel as if I was actually there. It's definitely one of those books that's like eating a bag of Lays Potato chips . . .  you just can't put it down.

Okay pause. I am laughing so hard right now. OMG!


Let's discuss the characters. What are your thoughts?


Catherine Bailey is our main character of this story. She's the victim of domestic violence, done by the hands of Lee Brightman. Lee was her police officer boyfriend, who was very handsome, masculine, cunning, yet mentally disturbed. He was pure evil! I liked that Catherine was very strong willed, independent, but also vulnerable. She suffered from PTSD and OCD, which were both caused by the abuse. In the end, she found the strength to fight back, and she eventually prevailed. You go girl! 

Oh and let's not forget Stuart! He was Catherine's new love. She met Stuart Richardson at a time where she was not only emotionally drained but mentally disturbed as well. He loved her hard, and supported her without "smothering" her, and for that, she feel deeply in love with him.


Overall thoughts & finally your rating.


Into The Darkest Corner is a definite page-turner. My mind released a visual outline of each character. Each movement made by Catherine. The book told the true story of domestic violence, of survival, of never giving up. Done in a layout that is similar to a diary, this story was masterfully written. It was a provocative, explosive, and incredibly sad, but still an excellent read!


13 Things Mentally Strong People DON'T DO by Amy Morin | ARC Tour


13 Things Mentally Strong People DON'T DO Amy Morin
Pages: 260
Genre(s): Non-Fiction, Self-Help
Published: December 23, 2014 | William Morrow & Company
Format: Hardback
Source: Publisher Via TLC Booktours
Rating:
In this inspirational, affirmative book, Morin expands upon her original message, providing practical strategies to help readers avoid the thirteen common habits that can hold them back from success. Combining compelling anecdotal stories with the latest psychological research, she offers strategies for avoiding destructive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors common to everyone.

Like physical strength, mental strength requires healthy habits, exercise, and hard work. Morin teaches you how to embrace a happier outlook and arms you to emotionally deal with life's inevitable hardships, setbacks, and heartbreaks--sharing for the first time her own poignant story of tragedy, and how she summoned the mental strength to move on. As she makes clear, mental strength isn't about acting tough; it's about feeling empowered to overcome life's challenges.



Soldiers

I Martika Willis, am a very strong minded person. So when I received some options for review, and seen that this book was listed as one that was available to me, I jumped quickly to accept.

 As soon as I began reading the first page, I knew this was the perfect non-fiction book for me. The introduction to this book is quite emotional, one that had me shedding a couple of tears because I easily related to the author. Ms.Morin lost her mother unexpectedly, and I lost my only sibling unexpectedly as well. " I knew that time doesn't heal anything; it's how we deal with that time that determines the speed at which we heal. " That ain't nothing but the truth girl!

 Having lost her mother, husband, and father-in-law, she decided to sit down and write " 13 Things Strong People Don't Do. " She states, " You can have all the good habits in the world, but if you keep doing the bad habits alongside the good ones, you'll struggle to reach your goals. " It took me months to realize this, and now that I have a better outlook on life, one that'll allow me to be a better Tika mentally, physically, and financially, I am more than ready to acknowledge the things that I Don't Do, that could possibly block my progression. 

As my mother says, " God only puts his toughest soldiers through the toughest battles, and it looks to me like you've won. "   


I like my ducks in a row. A neat row at that. 


In this book, each chapter consists of a topic that mentally strong people don't do. Here's the 


6. They don't fear taking calculated risks.

Oh I do, I sure do.

So, I read through the chapters, and once I reached chapter 6, I just knew this was my " thing " that I want to work on this year. If you ever get to know me personally, then you'll start to notice (probably not right away) that I do, and don't take many risks. I'm a pretty adventurous person, so sure I want to go bungee jumping, and will race you to the biggest and fastest ride at a amusement park. But in some " life situations " I feel that if I myself make the decision, that I might end up choosing the wrong one. 

For example, since I was a kid, I knew I wanted to work in the field of psychology. My very first career choice was to be a journalist, but once I discovered I had such an interest in the human mind, that changed to a child psychologist. As I grew up, and started talking to teachers about my career path, I then decided that I didn't want to put myself in a box by working with just children. That's when I finally set off to become a counseling psychologist. The problem is, recently I've been feeling that maybe that's not what I'm intended to do. My mother and I had a talk the other day, and she stated, " Just because you think this is what you want to do, doesn't mean this is what god has in his plan for you to do. " 

Ever since that day, I've been thinking about alot of different things. I've wanted to work in this field since I was a child. But then I suddenly realized that I always wanted to do other things as well. From elementary to high school, I always made sure that I entered some sort of writing workshop. I love to write, and when I was younger, I would write short stories, novels, and plenty of poetry. I would enter contests, and have actually won many of them. After taking some extracurricular activities in middle and high school, I then discovered my love for interior design and communications. When I was 19, I attended The Art Institute of Washington for Interior Design, but didn't continue because I felt that maybe I was making the wrong choice.  (that and the fact I couldn't draw lol) Wasn't I supposed to be sticking to psychology? That is what I'm suppose to be doing right? 

I also began to notice that even though my major was psychology in the two colleges I've attended, I've also always had my minor as " communication studies " or English. I chalked this up as, I was just interested in writing, journalism, and all communications had to offer. But what if this is actually what I want to do?! What if I do want to graduate with a degree in communications, instead of psychology like I've always imagined I would? Ever since I started book blogging, it has truly opened my eyes to what is out there, and what I really would love to do. So here's the thing. I'm not a calculated risk taker. I'm one of those people that like to have all my ducks in a row, to have a plan A, B, C, D . . . all the way down to Z. Everything has to have some sort of result where I'm aware of the outcome, and if It makes me nervous, or scares the shit out of me, then I won't make the move. So I'm vowing today to work on this. I'm pondering about my major, and have even looked up some career paths I can pursue with a degree in communications. It's take to grab my lady balls, and make changes that could possibly work for me. I'm scurrred though yall lmao. 

Wicked by Clover Donovan | ARC Mini-Review

Wicked | Clover Donovan (The Drake Chronicles #1)
Pages: 244
Genre(s): YA, Fantasy, LGBT
Published: January 13, 2015
Format: E-Copy
Source: Author
Rating:


For brother and sister, Ethan and Emma Drake, their world is about to get flipped upside down when they discover a malicious warlock is after their power and they are descended from a dark bloodline.

And not to mention their deceased father was the most wicked warlock to walk the earth.

While attempting to uncover their spine-chilling ancestry and keeping themselves alive at the same time, Ethan becomes tempted by the dark magic that lies within him...

Can Ethan and Emma figure out how to stop the warlock and save each other all at once? Join Ethan and Emma as they race against time to save their lives, their world, and fall in love in all the wrong places.



Not my cup of tea

Now, now settle down ladies, allow me to elaborate, yeah?

I've never been a huge fan of fantasy. I don't know how many times I'm going to stress this, but I really want you guys to understand that this is big for me ya know. Reading about all these . . . mystical creatures and such. I made a resolution this year, that I would start stepping out of my zone, and venturing into the uncharted land of castles, and 3 headed dragons, and male characters with wings . . . you know those types of things. So I was surprised that after reading the synopsis of Wicked, I was actually intrigued to read it. Go head and gasp . . . I know you want to.



Twin towers, I meant powers


Things take off pretty quickly from the very beginning of this book. It wasn't very hard to keep up, but it was a bit overwhelming when trying to piece together all the information that was given.


Tika's Dictionary Translation: So much tea being spilled, so little time to sip. 

Wicked takes us on an interesting ride as we meet our two main characters, Emma and Ethan. Twin brother and sister (obviously) are the spawns of a witch named Marina and the most feared and evil warlock in all of Elsmere, the infamous Nicholas Drake. With their dad being killed by a hellhound, (I pictured a huge dog with rabies) and their mother mysteriously murdered, the children were left in the care of their mother's close friend, Mason King. He vowed to raise both Emma and Ethan in the mortal world as " normal " kids, and also decided to leave them out of the loop regarding their dad and the powers they've inherited. But with dark magic running through their blood, it was only a matter of time before the twins discovered their ultimate potential.


Rollercoaster


Let me tell you right now, Wicked has alot going on. Like, a whole lot. From the very beginning we're discovering new secrets, and uncovering old ones, as we're thrown into the middle of the mortal, and magical world where vampires, warlocks, witches, and other creatures reside, better known as Elsmere. What I liked about the book, was that it was very fast paced, but this proved to be a bit of a problem for me as well. There were times where the plot would be accelerating at full throttle, and times where it would drag, almost like it was creeping up on you, before it took off again. 

Have you ever visited an amusement park, and the first ride you went on was incredibly fast? I'm talking snatch your wig off your head, make you have a asthma attack even when you don't have asthma, type of fast? Yeah? Okay well how about this . . .

Then have you ever got off that ride, and rode something a bit more slow? Like you're sitting next to a 5 year old, and in front of someone's grandparents type of slow? Well if you have experienced this, then you understand my feelings towards this plot, and if you haven't just . . . hush and imagine you did!


" I put a spell on you, & now your gone, gone, gone . . . so long! " 


You win so many cool points if you know where that's from!

Two of my favorite things about this book were the characters and how the author weaved so many magical elements into the story. We're introduced to a slew of people, which at times made it hard to keep up with everyone. But, there were two characters that not only bought some interest to this story, but some boy candy as well, and they are:

Logan Hardwicke and Adam Corwin.

Logan Hardwicke is the twin's new next door neighbor. He delivers a package that supposedly was accidently sent to his home, and immediately Ethan knows something is up with him. " He was cute, but he's not human, at least not fully. " They had little time to ponder about this revelation, because soon the siblings found themselves in serious need of help, and Logan is just about the only person who can lend a hand, until . . .

Dark warlock Adam Corwin steps on the scene with his beautiful self. He was confident, and had such a fiery personality, that I find myself eagerly awaiting his dialogue. " He's gorgeous - the guy's chin was square with a jaw-line that could chisel granite, and he had black tattoos teasing from beneath his sleeves. " Looks like Ethan and I have similar tastes. If you haven't already guessed, Ethan is gay, and soon takes a bit of a liking to Adam. I believe the feeling is mutual, being that they're dialogue has so much chemistry. These guys definitely mesh well together, making them so entertaining! Not to mention I adored their fighting scenes, especially when they kicked some vampire ass! Now Emma and Logan on the other hand . . . not so much. I'm not sure if this was intentional, but there is definitely some sort of division between these four characters. You see, on their 18th birthday, the twins will either remain good, or turn dark because of the magic they've inherited from their father. Like Logan, Emma has avoided taping into her dark magic, to avoid the change that could be made on her bday. Like Adam, Ethan taps into his dark magic a little more than he should, and will probably face the consequences of doing so in book 2.


That's a wrap!


Overall, the book was pretty enjoyable. I did stumbled across parts where I rolled my eyes, (mainly at Emma . . . well always at Emma actually) and times where the plot dragged and the dialogue became a bit choppy and confusing, but I still managed to finish. I jumped off my bed, yelling at Ethan towards the end, and that cliffhanger has left me feeling like Tainted, book 2, couldn't come fast enough. Who in the world is the mystery woman ?!


The Bookish Groupies | Co-Review Featuring The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1)



Hey everyone! 
Along with a couple of book blogger friends of mine, (Blessie of Mischievous Reads, Mallory of Mallory Books and Jennie of A Bookworm Called Jennie) we've created a small group called The Bookish Groupies where we'd host fun themed monthly read alongs, co-reviews, interviews, discussion posts and the like, and ANYONE is welcome to join!


* Enter fictional interviewer here * lmao

So girls, today you'll be answering very generic questions, to help give us a little insight on your experience with The Raven Boys. Are you all a bit nervous? I mean this is a pretty big thing . . .


Tika 
Not at all darling! I always knew I was destined for greatness . . . 

Blessie
* Face Palms *

Mallory
Oh Lordy.

Jenniee
* Punches Tika in the arm * I wouldn't say we're nervous, more so a bit excited to to be apart of this amazing opportunity!


Well then let's get started, yeah?


What were your initial thoughts prior to reading the story?

Tika
To be honest, The Raven Boys hadn't popped up on my " must read radar " until late last year. I remember reading such great reviews for it on the blogs of girls that I'm really cool with. Then after Christmas, while being a creep on IG and Twitter, on every post I scrolled past, was some sort of amazing praise about The Raven Cycle series. Some of my favorite veteran bloggers had nothing but good things to say about the books, so I ran over to Amazon, and one-clicked that baby to my Kindle.

So I guess I didn't have many initial thoughts prior to reading the story besides, 

" I need this book . . . like NOW "

Mallory
After hearing so many good things about the book, I was unsure if the hype would leave me hanging. I was worried that I would expect too much out of it. But from the very beginning it had me hooked.



Jennie
When I first started reading this book I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it or not. I liked the idea and the prologue was really unique and intrigued me but I felt it was a little slow. However as soon as the narrators changed between characters I really started enjoying it and everything fell into place!



Blessie
I didn't expect to like the book since I hadn't read a YA paranormal fiction in years. I'm not one to jump on the bandwagon, but I thought I'd give this book a try. I thought I wouldn't be able to enjoy YA reads anymore after having to DNF a couple prior to reading this book, but I was in for a shock.


Let's get into the concept & writing, was it a hit or miss?

Tika
It was definitely a hit! In my opinion, the concept of The Raven Boys, really put the book in a lane of it's own. There were fun, whimsical, and very dark elements to the story, which made it such a unique read. The story consisted of psychics, mediums, boys with major issues, a weirdly sane girl as our main character, talking trees that speak Latin, oh and let's not forget the tree that will give you so much anxiety (not literally) while showing you visions of the future. Yeahhh . . . I'm pretty sure I never read anything like this. 

As far as the writing goes, Maggie has such a magical way of telling a story. I felt the writing displayed some simplicity compared to other gimmicky novels I've read this past year, but was strong enough to completely pull you in, and keep you on edge until the very end. If you weren't holding your breath through most of the chapters, then you definitely missed the originality train. Maybe you'll get on at the next stop!



Jennie
The writing in this novel was really great and it did a fantastic job of keeping me curious and wanting to keep reading. I really liked the fantasy concept and the idea behind the novel was really creative.

Blessie
The raven situation going on the cover was intriguing, and Tika had said "Maybe the boys turn into ravens". Well, well, that's different. The whole story, along with Maggie's writing exhuded an eerie and enigmatic feeling, yet mixed with an exciting rush with all the supernatural situations going on. I think black magic is one of the most underrated supernatural concept since everyone seems to be going through the hype of vampires and werewolves and angels, but black magic is definitely making a comeback. 

Mallory
I love the way Maggie's writing is so dark and mysterious. In certain parts, the book actually made me look around my room. I was actually scared! I loved all the secrets and how they all kind of threaded together by the end. 


Now let's elaborate on what of our hottest topics: characters. Thoughts ladies?

Jennie
I loved the characters in this book! I loved how some of the psychics were really mysterious, especially Neeve, because that made me curious. I think my favourite 'raven boy' was Adam because he was strong and brave and put other people first. He's my ideal type of guy!


Mallory
Blue had me super intrigued with her deathly kiss and all. I really loved her story and how she struggled to be like the rest of her family. I also want her and Gansey together right now! Gansey is wonderful. At first I thought he was going to be a snobby Raven Boy, but boy was I wrong. He was so quirky and determined. Did anyone else picture him with a British accent? Adam was so sweet! I was so disgusted by his father and "that part" actually made me tear up.

I never really paid much attention to Noah, he was just there. But man did he come into play by the ending!
Ronan really creeped me out, I did feel sorry for him too with his dad and all.

Maura, Persephone, and Cala made an awesome team! Maura reminded me of Tika! Cala was so snazzy. Get it girl! Persephone reminded me of a cute little fairy, or should I say Purse-uh-phone. I liked Neeve at first, but I didn't really trust her. Whelk was my least favorite character by far!

Tika
 The characters were one of my favorite things about the story. I really liked our MC Blue and how despite all that was going on around her, she had such a great head on her shoulders. 

Urban Dictionary Translation: she wasn't bat-shit crazy.

Okay pause. Was anybody else pronouncing her name: Per-Sah-Phone? I literally had no clue I was wrong until the girls informed me that it's pronounced Per-Sef-Ah-Nee. Like whatttt lol? Anywho, Persephone and Cala, were such a pleasure to read! They're banter, especially Cala's feistiness, allowed the story to have some pretty hilarious scenes. 

Oh and how could I forget the boys! I loved them all, including Ronan and especially Gansey. They weren't your typical: " Hey, I go to a prep school and I'm rich! " characters. Gansey was completely opposite of what I thought he'd be. I loved him so much, that I nick-named him Great Gansey, after my favorite classic lol. Noah was . . . Noah. Ronan was a troubled kid, but I know deep down there's more to that asshole than what he's letting on. Adam, with his adorable self, was so frustrating to the point I wanted to strangle him . . . more than once. All of the boys were flawed individuals, with dark pasts and even darker futures, and you can't help but applaud Maggie for making such a great cast. 


Blessie
Blue was intriguing: I mean, who wouldn't be intrigued by her deathly kiss? Four boys... which one dies? And Gansey? He was literally a young version of Prince Harry. Posh and fun at the same time. This may sound really weird but I feel so attracted to Ronan and Noah's character. For sure, everyone's going to love Gansey because he's Mr. Perfect but Ronan was all dysfunction and craazy and creepy and let me not get started on the damn tattoos. Noah, on the other hand, was just like an adorable puppy. Although, he did get me creeped out in the first few chapters.



What were your likes, dislikes?


Blessie

The whole black magic thing was AWESOME. As for dislikes, the book kind of got confusing mid section, because of certain references that I wasn't able to pick up on immediately, but it got better eventually. And as for the mention of a love triangle in some reviews, I didn't even notice one. Mind you, a love triangle is a deal breaker for me so I know one when I see one, but instead, this book flowed more on the friendships formed by the group.


Tika
I have so many likes, and if I elaborate on any of them, I'd be spilling tea everywhere, and spoiling a wholeeee lot of people. So I'm going to be pretty vague and say, my likes were basically the plot, the twists, and the characters. The story kept my heart beating rapidly with anticipation, and I just loved how the characters meshed well together, even though they were completely night and day. My dislikes are easy, Whelk with his creepiness, and Neeve with her sneaky ass! I felt so uncomfortable while reading Whelk's POV, but that's a good thing! It made the story really creepy actually. As for Neeve, I felt like something was off with her from the moment she stepped foot into the story. I have to pick up book 2 to see if my intuition was right.


Jennie
I liked the story line because it kept me wanting to read on and there was always an unanswered question that I desperately need answering! There was a huge twist toward the end and I did not see it coming so that was really good. I thought the beginning was a little slow but that didn't last long so it's not a huge dislike. I thought the ending came too soon, like one minute the scene was really tense and the next they were back to normal life.



Mallory
My favorite thing about this book was learning. I learned so much about ley lines and psychology. But that also happened to be a tad bit confusing when we got too much information at once. But after I got used to it, I was amazed by it all. I also disliked reading from Barrington Whelk's point of view because I could not stand his character. But when I got to the end I was happy we had seen his side of it all. 


Overall thoughts and finally your rating.

Mallory
This book was exactly what I wanted it to be. It was dark and perfectly matched my weather. I was so satisfied with the ending and I just want to jump into the sequel ASAP! I gave it a full five stars.

Blessie

I GOT GOOSEBUMPS AND CHILLS. And I'm so stoked to grab the next book of the series. As for my rating? I'll give it a 4.5 for now. 



Jennie
Overall I really enjoyed this book! The things I didn't like were minor details so I can look over them and focus on the good things such as the characters and the mystery. I look forward to reading the next books in the series and continuing the read-a-long with my girls!

Tika
Overall, The Raven Boys was beyond amazing. I adored everything about this book, and I'm super pumped to continue the rest of the series with these amazing girls. If you haven't already guessed, my rating is . . . 
5 stars!

Feature & Follow Friday!



This is my first time doing the Feature and Follow Friday hosted by the wonderful bloggers, Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. The goal of this blog hop is to gain followers, discover new blogs, and make new friends! Sounds good to me!

This week's question is:

Do you have any fun collections (other than books)?


Yes! I have this weird, crazy obsession with anything Spiderman. I've been in love with him since childhood, and started collecting random items throughout the years. Whatever you can think of, I pretty much own, or have previously owned. I decided to pull somethings out of my closet to show you guys a little of what I have in my room. Alot of my other items are packed away neatly in my garage, so I decided to showcase what I was able to grab on hand. 





Most have these items I've had for yearrsssss. For example, I've had that large red cup since 2007, the blue cups since 2008, and the smallest cup since 2012. I received the alarm clock in 2009, which I never use because it will scare the holy spirit out of you! I have 5 packs of playing cards that I have never opened! (Two are in the big tin box ) One of those packs I stole from a kid's game at a cookout. Nobody knew it was missing okay! Believe it or not, today was my first time opening the small red tin can thingy. Inside are 5 cards with character images and bios on them! Who knew!

Peep my son's robe though YASSSS! lmao 

I own a pair of Spiderman boxing gloves and have beat many ppl's asses with them. * insert devil emoji *

Anywho, I have more items but it would have been really weird to show them lol. It's mostly underwear, socks, shirts, those types of things. 


So that concludes my post for Feature & Follow Friday! Any collections you guys want to share? Comment down below!



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