Friday, January 6, 2017

2016...it's been interesting

Ah, 2016. So many books. So many movies. Last year I talked about my top three books. This year, I’m talking about five. Because why not?


Top 5 Books Read in 2016

1. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon- Just the cutest. Ever. And it all goes down in 24hrs.

2. The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson- A plot twist so good you’ll think you read the whole book wrong.

3. Cress by Marissa Meyers- Everyone comes together in the third installment of The Lunar Chronicles and it’s absolutely amazing.

4. Some Kind of Courage By Dan Gemeinhart- My horse crazy childhood nostalgia hit me full force in this middle grade western adventure.

5. Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson- A charming Contemporary that wraps you up with main character and all her adventures.

Top Movies & TV of 2016


All my favorite movies & TV shows summed up in a single sentence.

Doctor Strange : Woah.

Sherlock: The Abomadable Bride: Creepier than I thought it would be but genius.

Pride and Predjudice and Zombies: The Bennets and exploding zombie heads, just yes.

The Gilmore Girls: Team Jess

The X-Files: I want to believe, but only if Scully and Mulder are actual FBI agents.

Edward Sisscor Hands: The classic story of a misunderstood character stealing your heart and making you loathe the townspeople the entire movie.



Some Numbers


Number of Books Read: 25


Number of Books Attained: 39


2017 Reading Goal: 30


Number of Books Waiting to be Read: 14


Currently reading: The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson

Next Post: Full Review of The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson




















Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Her Royal Highness (To-Be)

Glitter by Apprilynne Pike
Published October 25th, 2016


Second review of the week guys! I'm on a roll.

Danica Grayson is a willful, pannier-wearing,17 year-old from the future. And She’s totally relatable.

Outside the Palace of Versailles, it’s modern day. Inside, the people dress, eat, and act like it’s the eighteenth century—with the added bonus of technology to make court life lavish, privileged, and frivolous. The palace has every indulgence, but for one pretty young thing, it’s about to become a very beautiful prison.


When Danica witnesses an act of murder by the young king, her mother makes a cruel power play . . . blackmailing the king into making Dani his queen. When she turns eighteen, Dani will marry the most ruthless and dangerous man of the court. She has six months to escape her terrifying destiny. Six months to raise enough money to disappear into the real world beyond the palace gates.


Her ticket out? Glitter. A drug so powerful that a tiny pinch mixed into a pot of rouge or lip gloss can make the wearer hopelessly addicted. Addicted to a drug Dani can
sell for more money than she ever dreamed.


But in Versailles, secrets are impossible to keep. And the most dangerous secret—falling for a drug dealer outside the palace walls—is one risk she has to take.


Glitter first attracted me because of the cover. Then I heard what is was about and it was one of those “I HAVE TO READ THIS RIGHT NOW!” reactions. Unfortunately, “right now” ended up being six months later. But, I did read it and it was amazing.

The world of Danica Grayson is a blend of Sci-fi and Historical Fiction that fit together perfectly. Pike does an amazing job of connecting you to Danica almost instantly. The 18th century persona the citizens of the Palace of Versailles don is an exciting, lavish, world full of secrets and strategy.

Danica’s two best friends Molli and Lord Aaron are always kind and supportive of her. Lord Aaron is gay and makes a few comments about another man looking good or Lord Spencer, his love interest. Their relationship is not described or dwelled upon and is not a major part of the plot. Molli is a redeeming character in the story. She is innocent, kind, and sweet-natured.

Our anti-heroine struggles with morals throughout the entire book. She’s unsure if the the price of freedom is a price she can live with. Danica deceives the court members of Versailles, smuggles drugs, and lies to her best friend, as well as her family.

As fiance to a king who she repulses Danica is his number one target. He knows he can’t have her till she turns 18 and they are wed but forces physical contact on her anyway. He kisses her lips and neck in the book several times. These scenes are not explicit and mostly happen in front of others as to convince them they are a happy couple. Towards the end of the book he shows physical abuse twice in the form of grabbing her neck and choking her..

There was however, a redeeming moment. Danica realized she was doing all these things for revenge against her mother and the king. She was pushing away one of the only people who still cared about her (Molli) and needed to stop. Upon discovering a truth that is a major spoiler, Danica stops doing things only for herself. She tries to make some wrongs right again and even apologizes to some of the people she hurt. Glitter had me addicted from page 1 (See what I did there)

Language: Mild

Alcohol/drugs: Glitter is a very powerful drug. In small doses it gives the person a feeling of elated happiness and in high doses it can kill you.

Violence: 6

Sexual Content: Aside from what is explained above there is one make-out scene and kisses here and there.

Spiritual Content: Morals and the feeling of guilt is something that is discussed a great deal. The book takes on an outlook at life that has hope but at a cost.

Currently Reading: My True Love Gave to Me by Various Authors
Next Post: Special Christmas post!

*Photo from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24033058-glitter?from_search=true

Monday, December 19, 2016

She-Warrior

Forest Child by Heather Day Gilbert
Published October 31st, 2016

I don’t usually gravitate towards historical fiction so when the opportunity to read this book came I wasn’t expecting to absolutely love it. But I did. Set in the Era of Leif Erikson, this story is about his brazen half-sister Freydis.

Determined to rise above her rank as the illegitimate "forest child" of Eirik the Red, Freydis launches a second voyage to Vinland to solidify her power and to demand the respect she deserves. She will return home with enough plunder to force her brother, Leif, to sell her the family farm in Greenland.

But nothing can prepare her for the horrors she must confront in Vinland...and nothing can stand in her way when her family is threatened.

In her race to outrun the truths that might destroy her, Freydis ultimately collides with the only enemy she cannot silence—her own heart.

What surprised me the most about this book was the realistic grit of the viking world Gilbert painted. It was refreshing to see a christian novel portray the good, the bad, and the sometimes gruesome. The action was fast paced and tastefully described. I hate when authors make action sequences so complex you have no idea what’s happening. This book definitely didn’t have that problem. The narrative held my attention and was purposeful, there were no filler sentences that didn’t fit.

Freydis as a character intrigued me. I wanted to know more about her as I read, to find out what drove her. At times her pride and malice frustrated me. But then Gilbert would let you see her affection and have you rooting for Freydis once more. The relationship between Freydis and Ref is something that interested me as well. Their marriage was far from perfect and I’m thankful Gilbert portrayed a life-like relationship that was raw and most of the time, strained.

I also enjoyed the setting of this novel and the history I learned as I read. If, like me, you dislike sad or frustrating endings do not fear. This story ended with all ties mended and relationships restored. A story full of action, betrayal, redemption, and girl power to the max. You’ll love Forest Child.


Language: None

Alcohol/drugs: Freydis eats a mushroom that causes hallucinations

Violence: 7

Sexual Content: Nothing that really stands out. A husband and wife lying together is noted throughout the book. Things are said in subtle ways as to make known what happened and nothing is sexualized. Think Bible terminology.

Spiritual Content: While the main character Freydis is not a Christian, Christianity is talked about a lot throughout the book and many of the side characters are Christians. There is a very powerful spiritual redemption at the end on the novel.

Currently Reading: My True Love Gave to Me by Various Authors
Next Post: Review of Glitter By Apprilynne Pike