Currently: Life Update and More!

Hello! I know it's been a while since I officially sat down to blog. Sure, you've seen posts here and there, but nothing consistent enough to satisfy my love for books and blogging. Today at work it just hit me how much I've missed it these past few months. This post is to update you a bit on what's been going on in my life, what I've been reading, what I've been watching, what I've been listening to, and what will be coming in the near future.

From January to April I studied my ass off for the GRE (that's the exam you have to take when you're going to apply to graduate school) and I FINALLY TOOK IT AND OMG WHAT A RELIEF. I can't tell you how incredible it felt to have that weight lifted off my shoulders. Guess what I did right after that four hour exam! If you guessed go to a bookstore, you're 100% correct. I also had to submit my graduate school application for my number one school by May 15th. You can imagine the stress I was under. But all that is officially over and I can relax (and by relax I mean anxiously wait to see if I was accepted or not).

Now that all that is over "can we get back to reading? Please. Yo."

The last book I read before my exam was Starflight, which I finished on February 29th and I took my exam on April 14th. All of March and almost all of April without reading a single book...my heart was heavy. Some of the things I've read since then:

    

I've only really read one full book since February, but I've started ALL THE BOOKS. Somehow I've fallen into a state where I want to read all the books, but I can't seem to get through anything. Below are some of the books I'm hoping to finish soon and you may or may not see reviews for these on here soon!

CURRENTLY READING

   

Please send all the good reading vibes so I can get through some of these. They're great and I'm really enjoying them, but I can't seem to sit myself down and actually get through any of them.

Music wise, if the above gif is any indication, I've become obsessed with Hamilton. Everything in my life somehow relates to it. I can't stop looking up cute drawings of the squad (Mulligan, Laurens, Hamilton and Lafayette). The good thing is that all of my friends have also fallen into this hole called Hamilton so I have more than enough people to freak out with me. We've even converted my friends brother and my other friends boyfriend. They were reluctant at first, but really who doesn't love Hamilton?

I recently watched Pulp Fiction for the first time. I don't have a lot to say because I don't want to anger a lot of people. I liked it enough, I didn't love it. Moving on, I watched Civil War this month, DUH! I don't care what anyone else says, SPIDER-MAN STOLE THE SHOW. I was incredibly skeptical because hello...Spider-Man looks and sounds like a baby in that trailer. But all was fine because he was hilarious and I can't wait for 2017. 

I also want to give a quick shout out to another movie that I've already seen twice this month:

It's about a deaf author living on her own who gets attacked by this man in a mask. This movie is so intense and will keep you at the edge of your seat at all times. You will root for the main character until the very end. Whatever that end may be.

Okay, so that's it! Now that I'm back I need book recommendations. What's your favorite book that has been released in the last two months?

Blog Tour: The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard Review + Playlist + Giveaway

Allison O'Malley's plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she's been in love with for as long as she can remember. What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison's mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn't trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother's sanity.

When I first read the synopsis for The Forgotten ones, I could have sworn it was a contemporary, coming of age/ finding yourself story. The last thing I expected was the paranormal twist that was thrown in there.

Alison's mom suffers from schizophrenia and she has spent most of her life thinking it was her fault that this happened since her mom was normal before she became pregnant with her. The reality is completely off base. Strange things begin to happen, like black birds camping out in her front yard and then her long lost father that she's never met suddenly shows up on her door step. From there things get even weirder.

I really fell in love with some of the characters. Especially the main love interest, Ethan. Ethan is a contagious character and I spent most of the first half of the book laughing right along with him. He's fun, sweet, goofy, adorable and smoking hot all at the same time. I hope we see more of him in the second book. Alison's best friend is also her cousin and neighbor, Nicole. They're inseparable but at the same time so different. Nicole is popular and outgoing while Alison is more focused on taking care of her mother and grandparents. Alison is 21 and instead of going out with her friends, she has a life plan revolving her mother. She's dedicated her entire life to helping her, which means she isolates herself from others. The infuriating thing about her is how she pushes Ethan away when he clearly just wants to help her anyway he can. It's understandable and frustrating at the same time. I understand that she doesn't need distractions because she has enough going on in her life, but if she just trusted Ethan a bit her life would be simpler. wouldn't let him get close to her even though she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

As I mentioned earlier the first half of the story has a very contemporary feel to it but the second half delves into irish folklore. Alison's father Liam is irish and she quickly learns that there's more to her backstory. There are many more characters introduced and while their names are a bit complicated, they add more to the story. Laura Howard does a great job with the world of the fey. I hardly read fairy books but this one was well done. I had a little bit of a difficult time getting into the story. My attention wasn't completely captured at first but by the end I was intruiged. The ending was filled with action and I'll be reading the second book in this trilogy. I can't wait to see where Laura Howard takes this story. If you're looking for a fairy book, start this one because it's well done and quick to get through.

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My "The Forgotten Ones" Playlist:

1. Heart Attack - Demi Lovato

This shows the side of Alison that's scared to let Ethan into her life.

2. Dark Side - Kelly Clarkson

Reminded me of Allison and the problems she has and how even though she pushes Ethan away she still wants him there with her. She has the dark secret of the fey world.

3. We Come Running - Youngblood Hawke
It makes me feel how she must have felt seeing all the beauty in the fey world.

4. All Alone - Fun.

Makes me think of her relationship with her mom and how she feels alone. Having to take care of her mom.

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Giveaway:

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Words to a Certain Tune (2): Blind Spot

There are times when I'm reading a book and I'll find a song that I start relating to it. This happens to me a lot when I read a very emotional book. This is a meme where I share a song I  think relates to certain book.

Tomorrow is the release date for Blind Spot by Laura Ellen and while I was reading this book I stumbled upon the song The A Team by Ed Sheeran. As soon as I heard the song I pictured the characters in the book, especially Tricia Farni. I think the song relates so well to her story in the book.

There’s none so blind as they that won’t see.
Seventeen-year-old Tricia Farni’s body floated to the surface of Alaska’s Birch River six months after the night she disappeared. The night Roz Hart had a fight with her. The night Roz can’t remember. Roz, who struggles with macular degeneration, is used to assembling fragments to make sense of the world around her. But this time it’s her memory that needs piecing together—to clear her name . . . to find a murderer.
This unflinchingly emotional novel is written in the powerful first-person voice of a legally blind teen who just wants to be like everyone else.

Both this song and this book have incredibly powerful messages and convey so much emotion. If anyone has read the book, what character did you like the most? I think Tricia's character was so intriguing. She was so different. There were many levels to her actions and motives and I think that relates with the girl from The A Team. You guys will definitely want to pick Blind Spot up as soon as it hits stores tomorrow. It's a powerful and emotional ride!

Words to a Certain Tune (1)

A lot of times when I'm reading a book I'll find a song that I start relating to it. This happens to me a lot when I read a very emotional book. I've been wanting to create some more features on the blog and this has been in the back of my mind for a long time. So I was thinking that I would share the songs I relate to certain books when I stumble upon them.

So this week I want to share with you the song and book I ALWAYS relate to each other when I think of one or the other. I was on vacation in Dominican Republic and I was reading Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver and the song I had on replay on my iPod was Slipped Away by Avril Lavigne.

What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last.
The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death--and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing. 

Let me know what you think and I hope you guys enjoy this new feature on the blog. If you guys have any ideas to make it better please leave them in the comments below :)

Back to Normal and A Little About Me

Hey guys! I know I was very absent last week. I'm so sorry about that but school has me a bit stress and finals are this month so I have papers to write and lots to study for. The blog should be up and normal tomorrow though. But I thought that today I would share a little bit about me. Something else I love in life besides books :)

So aside from books I really love music and it's a huge part of my life. During finals I usually listen to one particular artist all week (I guess as a routine to get ready for my tests) so I've been really into One Direction (yupp not even going to lie that I'm loving them right now). The song I've been listening to most is One Thing. This is their performance below.



Do you guys recommend any songs for my Finals Playlist? I listen to almost any type of music. Also, let me know what song you guys have been listening to on repeat! I would love to know. And if any of you are going through finals soon, GOOD LUCK or better yet...