Monday, February 29, 2016

Music Match Monday: This Lullaby

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I'm finally bringing back Music Matching Monday! In case you didn't know, this segment is something I started a few months ago but have been neglecting for a few weeks now. Oops. BUT, I'm finally bringing it back by pairing another one of my favorite books with a song I think fits best with the story. So without further ado, here's why I think This Lullaby fits with this song so well.

Remy is our main character in this Sarah Dessen novel and she's never been one to stress about relationships since her mentality is that there's plenty of guys in the world and none are worth crying over. She has her standards for the guys she dates and she has no problem with cutting the bad catches loose. But when she meets one guy that is anything but perfect and doesn't at all seem like Mr. Right, she can't seem to let him go as easily. I think the song below fits this book quite well. What do you think?

TOO MANY FISH by Karmin

Friday, February 26, 2016

Book Fangirling Blog Award!


I was nominated by the beautiful Soudha from Of Stacks and Cups for the Book Fangirling Blog Award! An award for fangirling?! YAS! This wonderful tag was created by Hannah from BookFangirling so check out their awesome blogs, you won't be sorry!


  • Create a post to accept your award
  • Add the blog award button into your post
  • Link to me in the post so they know who has given you the award
  • Answer the questions I have set below
  • Nominate 5 book bloggers who you think deserve this award
  • Come up with your own 5 questions for your nominees
  • Link them to this post so that they know the rules



1.What is the one book you would love to get a first edition of? There are so many books that I've fallen in love with over the years of much reading but one book that has always had a special place in my heart is Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. It was the very first chapter book I ever remember reading and I fell in love with the story. I was obsessed with horses when I was little and I remember reading that book in one sitting MANY times. I swear I read it every single week for two months. I would love to own a first edition of that lovely story!

2. Would you rather visit Neverland or Wonderland? This is seriously such a hard question. In one world, you get to fly around with some really cool kids and in the other, you get to hang out with some rather interesting characters and go on some amazing adventures! I can't choose! But I guess if I had to choose, I would probably want to visit Wonderland since I think there's a lot more to see there and I've always wanted to have an Alice In Wonderland party. Getting to walk through Wonderland would be a dream come true.

3.  If you could invite all your favorite book characters to a party, who would you pick? Surprisingly, this one is rather easy to answer since I've thought about this question long before this since that's pretty much what my life is. Anyhoo, if I could invite ALL my favorite characters to a party, It'd be these amazing characters: Cinder, Captain Thorne, Tris, Four, Iko, The Baudelaire Orphans, Nancy Drew, and Olaf from Frozen. I know that the last one wasn't a book character but who doesn't want a happy snowman at a party? Oh, and I'd also invite Charlie and Snoopy. And Mulan. And Merida. And Tiana. Okay, I'm done.

4. Have you already met one of your favorite authors before? If not, which author do you wish you could meet one day? I actually met one of my favorite authors the other day! I attended the Ally Carter book signing at my local Barnes and Noble but unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures since my phone was dead. Oh, bummer. She's super nice though and I was freaking out in my mind. I had to play it cool. But I would LOVE to also meet John Green one day. Me and one of my best friends are huge fans of his (before TFIOS was cool) so maybe one day we'll get the chance to meet him! Fingers crossed!

5. Which character would you love to dress up as? Or maybe you've already dressed up as a favorite character before? If, yes, share a picture. I've dressed up a couple of times but once again, I have no pictures. Boo me. Anyway, me and my best friend both dressed up when we went to see Divergent in theaters on opening day and it was really fun! She dressed in all grey for her faction and I dressed up in all black for mine and we got a few compliments on our opposite appearances. I even had a cobalt blue hair extension. I also dressed up as Wednesday Adams for a Halloween party back in October. As you can tell, I love the dark characters.




1. If you wrote a fairytale retelling, what story would you choose and how would you change it up?
2. What was the very first fandom you ever joined?
3. If you had to choose a theme song for your favorite book, what would it be?
4. If you could live in any world from a book, where would it be?
5. If you wrote a book, what would it be about?




Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Review: A Frozen Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick

A Frozen Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick
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Rating: PG
Genre: Fantasy
Score: ❤❤❤❤
Stand Alone
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Disney Press
Published: October 13, 2015

Told in alternating chapters from both Anna's and Hans' perspectives, A Frozen Heart takes a sophisticated look at events of Frozen, exploring the couple's backstories, motivations, and doomed relationship. 

Review:
PROS:
1. Coming from a lover of Disney and a girl obsessed with anything and everything Frozen, I couldn't not pick this book up for myself when I ran into it at the store back in October. No way. Long story short, I finally got around to reading it and I was so excited to read a story I know I already loved. I adore book-to-movie adaptations so it was new to have a book that was the reverse of that. Reading a movie in book form? Sign me up! Watching the movie and reading the book version were very different experiences with some similarities so I'm pumped to tell you about it. Here's the review:




2. The first big difference with reading the book was the fact that we get to see way more of the story told from Han's point of view. I loved that part of the book since in the movie, most of the story follows only Anna and Elsa. In Han's POV, we get to see the events that play out that allow Hans to visit Arendelle and also get an insight into his plan to steal the throne. We get to see the way he thinks as well as see his actions while he's in charge of Arendelle while Anna and Elsa are gone and the intentions that transpire as Hans comes up with a way to secure his spot on the throne. It's all very interesting and it gives him a lot of backstory that we don't see in the movie. 


3. A lot of the book is, of course, identical to the scenes in the movie but there were some new scenes that were really fun to read, such as Anna and Kristoff's first meeting and getting prepared to go up the North Mountain and even what Anna was thinking and feeling while frozen as a statue. It was pretty interesting to read those new scenes as well as get more backstory on Kristoff, even though not much backstory is given but it was still nice to read. 

4. Reading the book was also fun because you already know what the characters look and sound like so imagining their journey is quite simple to do. even with the new scenes and material. One of my favorite things was getting a few questions answered in the book that the movie kind of skipped over. I won't say which questions were answered exactly but it did resolve some things, especially how Anna's childhood was really like with Elsa locked in her room most of her life.

The only things I didn't like about the book was that it felt a little more rushed in book form. It could be because of the dual POV's making the story feel that way since technically there are two stories playing out but it could also be because the story maybe just wasn't meant to be a written one. Some books are better suited for the screen and vice-versa but this one is a bit iffy for me. I did enjoy reading it rather than watching the movie for a change but I would honestly pick the movie over the book for this one. Now isn't that a first? 
I'm still a very big fan of Frozen and Disney and will forever be one, there's no quitting that. But I want to know what your favorite Disney movie is. So, what is your favorite and would you like to see that story in book form? Let me know in the comments!


Follow Elizabeth!

Saturday, February 13, 2016

I WROTE A BOOK!!


So . . . yeah, I wrote a book. As if the title of this post didn't tell you enough. Allow me to further get into the details about all of this excitingness! I can't stop thinking about how impossible it is that I actually have a book of my own creation that I now own two physical copies of that people can actually BUY! Like, what?! I'ts been a dream of mine since I was a young girl to be an author one day and I guess I technically am now. Yay for indie authors! I'm not entirely sure what to do now other than continuing to write new stories that are bouncing around in my head and tackling more books on my TBR but for now, let's just move on to the next part of this post.

LOOK IT ------------------------------------------------>
So, back in November there was this little thing called NaNoWriMo where people all over the world took to their laptops and pens to write an entire novel (50,000+ words) in thirty days. Now while that may seem like a lot (IT IS) it's actually not that bad once you get into the groove of writing every single day which teaches discipline to those writers out there who don't make a habit of writing crazy word counts every day (I write like three words a day). I've won twice and both times I was literally winging it with no concrete story-line so if I can make it out alive two years in a row then you have a pretty darn good chance of winning!

Anyhoo, after November, I took to editing my story which I have to say is a lot more fun than actually writing a story from scratch because, you know, it's already there for you. The only thing you have to do is read over everything and make a few changes to "sharpen up the edges" if you will. It took about two months before I had a semi-final draft that I was ready to print, part of that is because I've been binge watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S on Netflix and I'm very self-critical towards anything I create . . . Anyway, within a couple of weeks I had a physical copy of my book as well as a link to share with people so they can purchase it. Yay for blood, sweat, tears and whole lot of coffee.

So let me tell you what this book is about! This book is a story that consists of three of my all-time favorite things: Photography, coffee, and Frank Sinatra. There you go. Doesn't it sound like a bestseller?
Just kidding! But seriously, I love all of those things so much that I decided to write a story based around them. In the books I read, I find that there aren't a lot of weird or peculiar characters. By that I mean it's hard to find unique characters such as Lola from Lola and the Boy Next Door or even The Baudelaire Orphans from A Series Of Unfortunate Events. 

I LOVE unique characters like that because it's just so cool to see them go about their everyday lives, acting like their personalities are completely normal to everyone around them. I wanted to add some of that into my book as well so . . . I did! (the synopsis is down below).


SYNOPSIS: 
Evie Montez is a young photographer with an eye for the world around her. But with her sister Nora's wedding only a few weeks away with lots of planning still left to do and many other things to deal with like school and work, things start to take unexpected turns. Throw in a really cute guy who looks like he just stepped out of the 1920's and things can't get any more strange. Evie is used to keeping her feelings hidden but as she goes through twists and turns and many ups and downs, she realizes that some of the best moments are those that leave you more confused than ever.

Even though she's helping Nora plan for the future, Evie can't seem to shake things from her past that continue to haunt her. She's forced to come face to face with her secrets and pain when she starts to discover that second chances don't always come in normal packages. Like a photograph, the past never fades. But like the future, there's always something new.


So that's pretty much all there is to it! Really long post but whatever. Click the linkedy link below if you want to check out my book!


And if you want to read some of what I've written in the past for FREE, click this link:


So I hope you all enjoyed this post! Read on bookworms! See you guys in the next chapter!

Seven hours of essay writing later. .. Essay writing: I may have written 7 pages, but it is 7 pages of absolute garbage.

Friday, February 12, 2016

Review: Morph: Book 1 by William D. Colella

Morph: Book 1 by William D. Colella
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Rating: PG-13
Genre: Paranormal, Thriller, Novella
Score: ❤❤❤❤❤
Page Count: 46
Book #1 of the Morph series
Publisher: Kindle
Published: January 9, 2016

At age 13 in the early 1800's, Chelsea went to live in a mysterious convent with other girls like her, those who can morph their arms and legs into various tools and weapons and also live for hundreds of years. In 2016, she lives alone in Los Angeles, not looking a day over 30 years old and hunting the occasional serial killer. She learns of renewed efforts by a radical sect called the Pure Breds, whose goal is to eliminate all morphs from the human bloodline. Agents from the Department of Homeland Security forcibly bring her into protective custody and make her an offer to help stay alive.

- From the Author - 

While this book falls within the Young Adult category, its target age group is much broader, and it is my hope that those older than their teens, particularly those who enjoy paranormal thrillers or urban science fiction & fantasy, will also find it of interest. 

I was sent this book for review by the author in exchange for an HONEST review. All thoughts and opinions are my own with respect to the author.

Review:
PROS:
1. So since I'm a sucker for anything creepy, I was really eager to review this novella! I really love novellas and since this was a quick read, I thought it was worth checking out because of the very interesting synopsis. And I'm very happy to say that I ended up loving it! Here's my review:

2. First of all, I really loved that this book went back and forth between different POV's as well as different points in time like the very far past and the present. I thought it was really cool to get the story from other characters and see just what exactly was going down as well as look back in the past to see just how certain things occurred in order for our main character to have developed in the way that she did. That one aspect was part of the reason why I want this novella to be a full-length novel. It's different in it's story telling and I can't get over it! 

3. I really loved the characters, particularly our main character Chelsea. She's such a strong person and doesn't hesitate at all when it comes to fighting back and standing up for herself. Now that may or may not be because her entire being is a weapon but basically, she can kick some serious butt. I also really liked her friends and even the detectives. You get to see how each character reacts and thinks and I love that in a book. 

4. Lastly, I loved the writing style of this novella. It wasted no time on unimportant details and there was just non-stop action as Chelsea has to struggle to keep out of the agents' clutches which of course leads to some violent consequences. Now this novella does get a little graphic but if you don't mind a little blood then I seriously recommend this book! I'm so excited for the sequel which comes out in March 2016!

- About the Author - 

William D. Colella is an award-winning writer and active participant in the emerging entertainment start-up scene in Los Angeles. Recent achievements include an official selection at the Beverly Hills Film, TV, & New Media Festival. His awards include the Screencraft Television Pilot Launch, SoCal Film Festival Screenplay Competition, and a Top 20 placement in the Annual Writer's Digest Competition. He is a graduate of the journalism program at the University of Arizona and currently lives in L.A. 

Follow William!

I hope you guys enjoyed this review. Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Review: Library Of Souls by Ransom Riggs (Miss Peregrine's Children #3)

Library Of Souls by Ransom Riggs (Miss Peregrine's Children #3)
24120519
Rating: PG
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal
Score: 4.5 stars
Page Count: 458
Book #3 in the Miss Peregrine's Children series
Publisher: Quirk Books
Published: September 22, 2015

A boy with extraordinary powers. An army of deadly monsters. An epic battle for the future of peculiardom.
The adventure that began with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and continued in Hollow City comes to a thrilling conclusion with Library of Souls. As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discovers a powerful new ability, and soon he’s diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children.

They’ll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil’s Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It’s a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all. Like its predecessors, Library of Souls blends thrilling fantasy with never-before-published vintage photography to create a one-of-a-kind reading experience.

Review:
PROS:
1. One thing I both love and hate about my favorite series' is starting and finishing the last book in that series. It leaves me both wanting more and satisfied with how things wrapped up and this series is no exception. Before I get all teary eyed talking about how yet another amazing story has ended, let's just get to the review (sniffle, sniffle).

2. I cannot seem to talk enough about how much I love these characters. There's just such a great aspect about them, how they're completely themselves without holding anything back. They are peculiar after all so they can't exactly be judged by each other. I love each and every character, my favorites being Olive and Horace, and I just love seeing them go through some changes as the stories go on in each book and how they all grow more confident, stronger and a little more annoyed beyond belief at the hollows and wights and even each other. Everyone is all about teamwork, even when it seems they can't trust certain people. They really learned to rely on each other when it came to rescuing Miss Peregrine and other peculiar children even when they weren't too sure about who they should trust or believe.


3. Do I really need to say anything more about the pictures in these books? They're just so freaking interesting! I love photography and hope to do it for a living one day (fingers crossed!) so I just adore looking at the photos strewn throughout these books and really looking at just how different and eerie they are. I love the more creepy ones that look like something out of a Tim Burton film but some of them can be quite humorous at first glance. Basically, if you love creepy, odd photos and photography itself, you should really read this series.








4. I just can't get over how unique this series is, especially this last book. There's a lot more action in this one than the previous two as well as even odder characters such as talking decapitated heads, walking bears, a mysterious man in a mask and much more. I loved the storyline in this book even though the ending was just a little bit of a cliff hanger and one of my favorite characters dies though I won't name names since, you know, SPOILERS. But I will say I was in denial about this certain character being dead up until now. The oddity that is Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children is just so enjoyable and fun and makes me even more excited for the movie coming out in December!


So since this post turned into more of a talk on how awesome this series is instead of an actual review on things, I will just say that I loved this book so much even though I didn't enjoy it as much as the previous two. I can't really put my finger on the reason for this but I did love it in the end and plan on hopefully rereading this series sometime in the future, probably when I need to be reading more important things but whatever.

So that's it for this book review! I really hope you guys enjoyed it. Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!


What's your favorite series of all time?