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:

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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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Zodiac by Romina Russell | Review

Zodiac | Romina Russell
Pages: 336
Genre(s): Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Released: December 9, 2014 | Razorbill
Format: E-Copy
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Rhoma Grace is a 16-year-old student from House Cancer with an unusual way of reading the stars. While her classmates use measurements to make accurate astrological predictions, Rho can’t solve for ‘x’ to save her life—so instead, she looks up at the night sky and makes up stories.

When a violent blast strikes the moons of Cancer, sending its ocean planet off-kilter and killing thousands of citizens—including its beloved Guardian—Rho is more surprised than anyone when she is named the House’s new leader. But, a true Cancerian who loves her home fiercely and will protect her people no matter what, Rho accepts.

Then, when more Houses fall victim to freak weather catastrophes, Rho starts seeing a pattern in the stars. She suspects Ophiuchus—the exiled 13th Guardian of Zodiac legend—has returned to exact his revenge across the Galaxy. Now Rho—along with Hysan Dax, a young envoy from House Libra, and Mathias, her guide and a member of her Royal Guard—must travel through the Zodiac to warn the other Guardians.

But who will believe anything this young novice says? Whom can Rho trust in a universe defined by differences? And how can she convince twelve worlds to unite as one Zodiac?

 Nostalgia 

Remember when we were kids . . . back when we were first introduced to the now legendary Harry Potter? (My ex-husband) 

Do you remember the excitement we felt as we read those books? The thrill of being sucked into the world of Hogwarts . . . the wonder of exploring this very institution, and discovering all it's secrets? What about the fear of coming face to face with, " He Who Shall Not Be Named? " I can pull these memories from my mind as if they happened just yesterday, but I haven't experienced these emotions in quite some time. The delight of feeling as if I was in the story . . . like I was one of the wizards. Or the anticipation of what was going to happen next. Not too many books I've read last year, moved me in such a way . . .

until I read Zodiac by Romina Russell.

Bow Down Bitches.

Romina Russell comes into the game kicking down all doors. Her strong debut novel wasn't anything like I've read before. I felt like a kid again, eyes wide and full of wonder, as we traveled through the galaxy with her eclectic group of characters. She's an amazing story-teller, with the ability to engage her readers in this book full of imagination, that will have you on the edge of your seat until your fictional ship has finally landed. 

Su·per·no·va

a star that suddenly increases greatly in brightness . . .

             

I'm not sure if it's because I haven't read too many science fiction novels set in space, (or too many science fiction novels in general for that matter) but Zodiac was truly a " mouth-open " experience for me. From the very first chapter, I knew I was going to love our main character Rhoma Grace. Rho was intelligent, witty, strong-minded and willed, just so sure of herself at the age of sixteen. I've read plenty of books with characters in her age group, and in my opinion, she out-shined them all with little to no effort.

Given more power than you know what to do with, how do you handle the responsibility of leading an entire galaxy, when no-one will believe that something sinister and incredibly powerful has returned to destroy it?

Even when she was looked down upon, and had her theories dismissed with simple flicks of the wrist and eye-rolls, Rho rose to the occasion with such determination. There were times she doubted herself, I mean she was young girl with a little too much on her plate, but again she stuck to her guns, and fought hard to gain the respect from the peers around her. Russell made sure to give her characters weaknesses ontop of their strengths, giving them such a realistic dimension. I found Rho to be very true to her Cancerian traits.

Boys I do adoreee.

A good story wouldn't be good without a hefty dose of testosterone, now would it?

Meet Mathias Thais:

Another resident of House Cancer, Mathias proved to be a strong character. He had a serious tone to him, rarely smiling and always focused. He was chosen as Rhoma's " Guide, " to train and mentor her along her journey as the guardian of the fourth house (Cancer). One of my favorite things about Mathias was that he was so protective of Rho. He reminded me so much of my Taurus bf. They're both laid back and chill, but when pushed or forced to defend themselves and others, they attack full force! Early on I felt that he had a slight crush on Rho, but Mathias being Mathias, he kept things very friendly, and almost businesslike, until . . .

Meet Hysan Dax:

A mysterious boy from House Libra. From the moment Hysan entered the story I was both smitten, and taken aback by his character. He commanded your attention with his witty banter and handsome boyish expressions, that I couldn't help but to forget about Mathias. With all the death and destruction happening around them, Hysan always managed to have such a bright air to him. Reading about him was like witnessing that first slither of sunshine, peaking through the dark sky in the early morning. Reminding me of myself, Hysan was extremely clever, with a love for technology and inventing things. He put the romance in this book for me, and it wasn't long before I was smiling like an idiot whenever his dialogue would appear. 

You can probably guess which team I'm on. 

House Leo July 23rd - August 22nd

I'm a proud Leo who is also a huge lover of Astrology. I'm intrigued by Zodiac signs, their meanings, and how true they always seem to be. I'm such a fan, that I base my relationships on whether I'm compatible with my potential companion. (Yes I looked up the compatibility between a Leo and Taurus. Don't judge me!) However, I am now an even bigger fan of how Romina managed to kneed and roll a simple concept, to formulate a recipe for greatness. 

With a teaspoon of fact and a couple tablespoons of fiction, I was on a imaginary high as I indulged in this story. The amount of " info-dumping " didn't quite bother me as it did others, especially since it was so well-written. Zodiac is an amazing tale of bravery, selflessness, and unity, making it an appropriate read for all ages. So if you're looking for a book that's: 

1. Action packed.

2. Well though out, with fun - imaginative writing, steady pacing, and unpredictable plot twists.

3. World building that's so well crafted, that you'll have vivid illusions of the characters, scenery, etc.

then I definitely encourage you to pick this up. Now actually. 

The Story of Awkward by R.K Ryals | DNF Rant

The Story of Awkward | R.K Ryals
Pages: 268 
Genre(s): Young Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy
Published: April 11, 2014
Format: E-Book
Source: Purchased

If you are looking for a narrative without emotion, without regrets, and without mistakes, this is definitely the wrong story. 

This is by no means an uncomplicated tale about uncomplicated people. It is by no means sweet or light. 

This story is ugly. 

This story is complicated. 

This story is emotional. 

This story is tragic. 

In short, this story is about being awkward. 

Peregrine Storke is an artist with an odd sketchbook full of pictures she’s drawn since she was a child. It is a book full of strange sketches and awkward characters, for there is no better way to hide from bullying and life than to create a world of your own. With a stroke of her pencil, she has given life to a spectacled princess, a freckle-nosed king, a candy loving troll, a two-horned unicorn, and a graceless fairy. 

At nineteen, Peregrine leaves her home, her sketchbook, and awkwardness behind. But what happens when something goes wrong in the world of Awkward? Trapped inside of her complex realm with the bully she thought to leave behind, Peregrine discovers there is nothing worse than falling for your own villain. 

That's one hell of a blurb right?

On christmas, after I cried my eyes out for receiving what I wanted, I decided to do what all readers do when a new e-reader is put into our hands . . . search for more books. There in the amazon store under free reads, was a book that stood out to me more than the others. The Story of Awkward's cover snatched my attention, and that intriguing synopsis is what pulled me in to one-click the book to my device.

This story is ugly.

This story is complicated.

This story is emotional.

This story is tragic.

Those very four lines had me truly excited to dive in. I remember jumping into bed, snuggled up with my son under my Spiderman covers, seriously anxious to start chapter one. Then I began reading. At first enjoying the flow of the story and how weird and awkward the main character seemed to be, and then . . . it seemed as if I hit a break wall of some sort. The impact from this collision felt more like a slap in the face. A slap which opened my eyes to realize that the very four lines that compelled me to make this purchase, were quite misleading. Quite isn't even the proper word choice here. Maybe I should rephrase it and say,

" Very F#$@ing Misleading. "

You see, there was nothing ugly about this story.
Nothing complicated.
Nothing emotional.
Nothing tragic about this story either.

I feel as though my version of the synopsis would be a better representation than the original.

I've read some pretty dark and ugly stories, and compared to those, reading this book was like eating orange sherbet on a hot summer day. Or maybe like running through a field of wild flowers, blowing those cute white flower thingies after making a wish. (Okay so I don't know the name of it, don't judge me lol) It was more " pretty " than anything. Reminding me of some sort of cute, princess-eyy, fairytale story like Cinderella or something. I've read some complicated stories, and in comparison, the main character wasn't complicated, she just wasn't ready to grow up. I couldn't connect emotionally to this story, so parts where someone would have shed a tear , (especially after what was supposed to be the " tragic " scene) caused me to do nothing but roll my eyes.

The reason why I'm so irritated that I had to DNF this book, is because it had the bones to be great. I absolutely loved the concept of an incredibly awkward artist who found an escape from reality through her drawings. This same awkward artist that was innocently living vicariously through these characters, in a world made up of nothing but pencil and paper. A world she formulated in her mind, that eventually became her new reality. It was as if the author created this amazing foundation, then as the story went on, she built a beautifully ambitious, but poorly executed house, that after a few chapters gave way and tumbled to the ground.

" Maybe I'm just not in the mood for it. I'll try again tomorrow. " Is what I kept telling myself as I tried to push through. But every time I powered on my Kindle to pick up where I left off, I could never get too far ahead. I was trudging through mud as thick as cement, and no matter how many times I put it down and picked it back up, this weird resistance kept me from making it to the end.

So yes I am disappointed that this book with so much freaking promise, didn't meet my expectations. I'm even more disappointed that such a captivating blurb, is slapped on a book that has zero connection to the words used to describe it. I don't know about you guys, but I hate having to classify a book as " Did Not Finish ", especially this early in the year . . .

Usually I wait a couple of months before I attempt to try again, buttt I think this one has already settled in it's new home on my DNF shelf. Blah.

2015 Resolutions & Goals !

Narrowing down my top 5 bookish resolutions for 2015 was not an easy task. There are so many different things I want to do and improve on, however, I felt the ones I chose were the most important. Atleast for me. Now time to elaborate . . . 

Read More Books

Now, when I say " Read More Books " I don't entirely mean just that. 

I've seen other bloggers reach goals that were up in the 100's, 200's and even the 300's. But you know what? I'm so proud of myself for reaching a goal I didn't believe I would accomplish. I set my reading goal for 50, because honestly 50 books seemed like alot, and technically it still is . . . to me. I'm ecstatic that I surpassed my goal by 10 books, and even more ecstatic that others have done just as well on their Goodreads challenges.

With that said, I actually mean that I want to read a wider range of books. This year I read sooo much YA it was literally coming out of my ears. I read a ton of New Adult, but didn't dive into too many Adult books, which I'm quite disappointed about. For some reason, all the review copies I was receiving were for mostly YA, I had a few NA, and literally ONE Adult novel. * sighs *.  I also want to pull myself out of my comfort zone and read more Fantasy, (this includes high fantasy as well * shivers *) Dystopian, * cringes * and many other genres that I may not have indulged in this past year. 

The second part to this goal, is reading more books that I WANT TO READ. 

When I first started blogging, I felt obligated to read EVERYTHING! I mean, this is what newbie bloggers are supposed to do right? WRONG ! I found myself accepting requests for review copies I knew damn well I didn't want to read. Around October, I was literally swimming in RC's, and soon found myself drowning in un-wanted books. By November I was so fed up, I stopped accepting copies for review. I started declining every request I received because I was up to my ears and was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed. Now I know better and next year . . . well THIS year, I'll be reading what TIKA wants to read.

Become A Better Reviewer

According to my readers, I make some pretty awesome reviews. However, I haven't been completely satisfied with them. The problem is, my reviews are just too damn long lol. I'm a very chatty person, and when I write it tends to come out a bit lengthy as well. I love my reviews, but sheesh you can't lie and say that they don't resemble college essays! I always feel as if I've composed a freaking thesis paper for heavens sake! So when I decided to re-tweak my blog, I also decided to come up with a method that will help shorten my reviews. I haven't perfected it yet, being that I'm so used to going into such detail with my reviews, but don't worry it'll happen guys. 

The second part to this goal, would be to make more discussion posts as well. I always have topics I want to talk about, but for some reason I always change my mind when I go to create a post. I love reading blogger's thoughts whether they're bookish or not, and I would love to get in on the discussion fun. This year fANGIRLconfessions will be generating some conversations, so make sure you join in!

Chat, Chat & Chat !

Okay so this isn't a huge problem I have, but then again it is. I started off being able to keep up with blogs, maybe because I wasn't following so many at that time, and then . . . I fell off . . . I think lol. For example, I'll come across a blog I love, follow it, comment a few times, then completely forget to go back and keep up with the posts. Bloglovin gets kind of overwhelming after you've followed a certain amount of blogs, making it hard to keep up with everyone. I found Google + to be my go to platform to remain informed on new posts and comments from my favorite bloggers. So far I've been doing good. Let's hope I keep it up!

Be more organized !

Lord. I cannot stress this enough. Be more organized Tika ! 

What's weird is, I'm a very organized person outside of the blogging world. I hate to procrastinate, so I tend to get shit done and out of the way. Now, I can't explain what happened, but around November (probably because of all those damn review copies) I really started to feel like I was all over the place. I want to:

• Be more consistent with posts.
• Stay on top of my reviews making sure they're clear, concise, and straight to the point! 
• Continue to respond to comments. (Which I do very well thank goodness)
• Start scheduling posts, to make sure I'm working on things ahead of time.

 I've also made a TBR jar, which I'll talk more about in a later post!

Stop Sugarcoating!

This is what bothers me the most, and I actually didn't realize I did it, until just a few weeks ago. I remember I wrote a review for an indie author. I got it posted, then went about my way. I stumbled across my review again on goodreads, and I was really pissed at myself because I felt as if I was sugarcoating my opinion. First of all, that's far from my personality. I'm usually outspoken and known to keep things completely one hundred. But, after reading the review I felt as if I wasn't completely honest . . . well I was, but I felt that maybe because I didn't want to come across as harsh, rude, or mean, I opted for a "safer" route. I'm definitely not continuing this in 2015. I was completely unaware that I would do this, maybe no-one ever noticed, because I didn't at first either. But sometimes you grow, and even though I've only been blogging for 5 months, I've learned sooo much. So Tika will definitely be sticking to her roots this time around. If I don't like a book or certain aspects in it, you'll definitely know it. 

Oh and of course I'll keep it cute and classy, yall know I'm too fancy to be rude and unprofessional !

Anddddd that's a wrap! Those are my top 5 resolutions for 2015. I plan to stick to these goals in hopes that I will continue to grow, becoming the best blogger that I can be. I wish everyone the best of luck, and I hope we all continue to connect and thrive together within this community. 

Let's get it bloggers !

Bye, Bye 2014 . . . Here Comes 2015!

A huge thanks to Blessie for letting me steal her image. (She actually took the picture herself!) She knows my creative juices aren't flowing much at this moment lol. 

So 2014 has ended, and I must say I had a pretty great year. I started blogging back in July, which has been a long time coming. My mother has been pushing me to blog since I was in high school, but like I always say, " Timing is Everything." Let's just say the timing could not have been anymore perfect. I actually began blogging after a suggestion from the author Candice Snow. She contacted me via Goodreads to read and review her novel The Birth of a Phoenix. I did, and after I sent her my review, I received a message saying, " Your writing is so quirky. I love how your personality shines through! I definitely encourage you to create a book blog to showcase your skills with others. " 

That was pretty much the push I needed, (sorry mother lol) and just a couple hours later, fANGIRLconfessions was born. 

Even though I'm still a newbie, after blogging for only 5 months, I must say I've made a great name for myself. I have greatest loyal followers, who really push me to continue to better myself, and I've met the most amazing bloggers along the way. After about 2 weeks or so, I met some pretty cool girls who I consider to be some of my best blogger friends. Blessie, Jennie, Erin, and Mal are some of the first bloggers I came in contact with. We've had long nights of chatting on KIK, now we have even longer nights thanks to Voxer, and have even had some read-alongs for a few books. I absolutely adore these girls, and wish them nothing but the best with their bookish endeavors. 

I've also just become acquainted with some girls who have blogs that I simply love. They visit my blog and support me faithfully, and I can't gather enough words to express how thankful I am. I stalk their blogs constantly, and have purchased or added soooo many books to my TBR because of them. Special shoutout to Joy, Noelia, Morrighan, and Evie! Of course there are more of you out there that I wish to showcase, but lord that would be such a long post lol. 

I just recently, and by recent I mean yesterday, just stumbled across some new blogs and I can't wait to become better blogger friends with everyone for the new year! There's so much more I want to elaborate on in this post, but since it's beginning to be mighty lengthy, I'll be publishing another post that focuses on my 2015 goals and resolutions.

Stay Tuned Guys & Happy New Year!