Eleanor & Park: Book Chat

  
I have just finished reading Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. 

Where do I begin? 

We find ourselves in 1986 and we meet Park and Eleanor. We see them become friends, and eventually each others first love. We get to know them and their stories. 

There is subject matter that was tough to read. Eleanor has a jerk stepdad and deals with being bullied. Towards the end she makes a decision to get herself out of the situation. 

Then we have Park and his family life is the complete opposite of Eleanor’s. 

Can we take a second and talk about the punk rock that Park listens too? I happen to enjoy some punk rock every now and then. I also loved the fact that next to the comic books, music was what helped to forge a bond. Reminds me of a certain boy who asked me if I liked Elvis and I ended up marrying him. 😉 

Also, Eleanor, I forgive you for your comment on Batman. 

I would love to see another book with these two. At the end of the book, I was longing for more! I need closure! I wanted more!

I gave it 5 stars!

How you, my fellow readers? How did you like this read?

Till next time!

~Brandy

P.S. Tomorrow we start Wink Poppy Midnight for The Quirky Readers Club! It’s on the sidebar!

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Read and Chat With Me :)

So, I have been debating back and forth for a couple of months now. I decided to just go ahead and do it. I started a Goodreads book club!

I am super excited for us to read together and discuss the book we are reading. I will still be posting my non-spoiler review here on the blog. As well as doing a Goggle+ chat at the end of the month.  I would love to have you join me! I will have a widget on the side if you want to join.

I will be posting the book club read for each month here on the blog.

I will most likely put

The Google+ videos will be put on YouTube most likely. I’ll let you all know!

 

So without any more chatter, the book we will be reading:

Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke

  

I really hope you can join me!

~Brandy

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How I Read Book Tag

Good morning beautiful people! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend! I took a mini “spring-break” from blogging to enjoy a weekend with my family and drinking my protein shake for breakfast. Now I am back and I have a bookish tag.

I was tagged by Abi over at Life as a Homeschooled Teen go check her out her blog and her answers for the tag! Thank you Abi for tagging me!

Here we go!

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HOW DO YOU FIND ABOUT NEW BOOKS TO READ?

YouTube. If I am looking for a new book I got the BookTube community. Especially for the most hyped books. I also just go and browse the bookstore and pick up the ones that interest me. Although I just picked up two books nobody I know has talked about yet and the plots sounds amazing.

 

Here are my favorite YouTubers in the book community:

Polandbananasbooks

jessethereader

Tashapolis

abookutopia

Go check them out!

HOW DID YOU GET INTO READING?

Growing up I started out hating reading very much. I had such a hard time with it, and up until a few months ago we realized that it was dyslexia. As I have gotten older I have become a much better reader, still have days where I have my moments. I am very thankful to the teachers who helped me in reading early on when they noticed I was having issues. Because without them working to help me succeed and helped me to realize reading is actually fun. 🙂

HOW HAS YOUR TASTE IN BOOKS CHANGED AS YOU GOT OLDER?

I don’t think my reading taste has really changed. I may have expanded my interests, but that hasn’t changed what I love to read in general. As I have gotten older, I have given books I didn’t think I would enjoy a chance.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU BUY BOOKS?

When the bills are paid and I have a little extra money, you can find me at Barnes and Noble. So not as often as I would love to. But that is what makes the library such a great alternative.

 

HOW DID YOU GET INTO BOOK REVIEWING?

Again, YouTube. Originally, I was going to try YouTube, and I even filmed a couple of times. They didn’t turn out they way I wanted them to. Then I decided to try writing a review here on the blog. My very first review was on Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare The Infernal Devices Book One Review!. I have found that the book reviews are one of my favorite posts to do and I have many more reviews to do in the future!

HOW DO YOU REACT WHEN YOU DON’T LIKE THE ENDING OF A BOOK?

I try to understand why the author ends their stories the way they do. For the most part, all the books I have read have had good endings and I only cry because they ended to soon.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU TAKE A SNEAK PEEK AT THE ENDING TO SEE IF THERE’S A HAPPY ENDING?

I try VERY not to. I like experiencing the book from cover to cover. But there are those days where I can not contain myself and I have looked.

 

So I want to tag you the readers to do this tag. I want to know how you read! Comment or if you have a blog, blog it and comment with the link so I can read it!

Till next time!

 

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Lady Midnight:Book Chat

  
I have literally just finished Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare. My mind is in a whirlpool of thoughts and it all boils down to this: I LOVED IT. The writing, the story, the characters new and old… Everything was done so beautifully. It is worth getting the hardcover for the bonus short story…. In regards to that: There better be an answer in the next one! 

There were some surprises and I even startled my husband by loudly saying, “Holy crap!”. 

It bugged me that it took me a few days to read it because of life and work in general. Now that it is finished… I am in book mourning. I wanted to take it slowly and just read through it. Not to mention the nights I had to put the book down to go to bed and it was at a part that left me wanting more. A lot like Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies.. I can never just stop at one. So I went for another chapter many times. 

So we have already been introduced to Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn. We get to know them as young adults as Emma searches for answers about the deaths of her parents. We also get to see old familiar faces as well. Which adds yet another piece of the puzzle to the large and loved Shadow world. I loved seeing the similarities between Emma and Julian with characters we are already familiar with. Which I liked.

There were moments where the line ” The law is the law..” Is mentioned and I wanted to yell at them ” But the law is so dumb!” 

I have to take a moment and say how much I loved the Edgar Allen Poe theme.. ALOT! Poe is one of my favorite poets and to see it weaved in there… It was just gorgeous! And the fictional connection between one of his most popular and one of his last works be tied to such a bigger story was so neat. 

I am looking forward to the next book. I really enjoyed being in Los Angeles and I am waiting for the next mission!

P.S. I know this is short ( sorry!!!! ) I just don’t trust myself not to accidentally spoil it. Go read it! 

Till the next book!

~Brandy

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Hello 25

I am 25. Well actually, I turned 25 March 16th. So I decided that I will share 25 lessons I have learned. 

  1. Walk as though you have three suited men behind you. Walk in a room knowing that your beautiful, loved and meant to be respected. Your a queen, don’t let ANYONE treat you as anything less.
  2. Happy girls are the prettiest. Smile! There is more to life then the things that bring you down. 
  3. Sometimes loving someone means taking a step back. The people we love are human. People make mistakes and hurt us. Sometimes we have to step back and stand off to the side with the first aid kit to run in when it’s time. 
  4. Always be yourself. It doesn’t matter what everyone is doing be your unique you. 
  5. Kindred Spirits are jems in life. When you find your Diana or your Katie ( if your kindred is an Anne-girl too) hold them close and be there whenever they need you. Kindred spirits are a blessing!
  6. Laundry detergent matters. Trust me. Laundry detergent is meant to bubble, and your clothes need to actually smell clean!
  7. A good book is always to short. When love the characters, the story…it all just ends to soon.
  8. Don’t go to Wegmans after you had Pina Coladas. Just trust me on this.
  9. Apparently not everyone knows what a Wawa run is. I am so sorry!
  10. No matter how old you, your never to old for the magic of Harry Potter!  If you got your Pottermore results then let’s go to Hogwarts together!
  11. I am really a Jedi Shadowhunter Wizard.. I figured… 
  12. Barnes and Nobles will always smell amazing to me. Coffee and books… 
  13. Don’t put a price on good hair care. 
  14. Girls love hockey too. I will always watch hockey! 
  15. Sometimes Punk rock is nessesary. When you need, you need it.
  16. Just because I like to wear black doesn’t mean I am depressed.  I have quite the colorful imagination and I find that wearing black shoes those colors.
  17. Always be a lady. Keep it classy. Don’t stoop down to the level of those who refuse to be classy themselves.
  18. Your NEVER to old to have a dance party with Family Force 5. Crank it like chainsaw!!!!
  19. Phil Whickam’s voice gives me chills. A God given talent.
  20. Nothing beats an afternoon tea.   
  21. Don’t ever waste sunny days.  Life is to short to sulk.
  22. Better to write a crappy first draft then to never write it at all. Got a story? Write a first draft!
  23. Blogging is still one of my greatest adventures! I started my first blog at the age of 17. I have had a total of three blogs. It has been a lot of trial and error. But I am here and wouldn’t trade it for anything.
  24. You can never have to many mugs. I love having a wide variety of mugs to choose from.
  25. Always love others. Seems like this should be a given. But people have different opinions, can be rude, and nasty. Jesus called us to love anyway. 

So there you have it! I hope you all have a wonderful day! 

~Brandy

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FanGirl: Book Review

I am finally able to just sit down and actually blog a book review. I have wanted to share my non-spoiler opinion on yet another book. So here I am! I am actually taking a break from Lady Midnight to get this review up. See? I really love you guys! 😉 I have been pretty active on Goodreads and adding commentary with my updates if your interested in seeing how I am enjoying Lady Midnight before I post the review! My Goodreads is on the sidebar!


Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell was one book that was so realistic and so relatable. It is nice to read a contemporary novel that I felt like I understood exactly what Cath was thinking. Now I don’t write fan-fiction. I enjoy reading fan-fiction, but when it comes down to my personal writing, I have my own cabinet of characters that have stories, that honestly, I don’t really think in terms of what I would do with characters that have stories already. You know what I mean? I also didn’t have a song list to play during this book, because I listened to everything from Fall Out Boy to Chris Stapleton.

I loved Cath. I loved how quirky she was and how much she was into her fandom. I personally belong to a few. I loved how protective and caring she was with her dad, and twin sister. I also LOVED that she was rooting for Levi… the only thing I didn’t like? it was to short! I wanted to know more. I wanted to read more with Cath and Levi. We can read Carry On for Simon and Baz, but I really want to know how her writing goes, more of her and Levi… Other then that. I laughed, and nodded in agreement. It was that relatable. In fact if you saw me in Barnes and Nobles yesterday picking up Lady Midnight, talk about Fangirling moment…. I think I skipped in and to the shelf and then skipped out with the bag that held the book I have been waiting for. I also loved the scenes where cath was reading to Levi.. The feels! I loved tyhis quote from the book:

” I’m the kind of girl who fantasizes about being trapped in a library overnight.-Cath, FanGirl by Rainbow Rowell”

I recommend this read and I gave it 5 stars.

I know that this was short and sweet, sorry! Don’t want to spoil those who haven’t read it yet! Feel free to share what your fangirling over at the moment!

Till my next book review!

~Brandy

 

 

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Lately In Pictures

Well I have been really trying to  take more pictures. Most of the time I forget to pull out my phone and actually snap pics. For example last night: I went to see Audio Adrenaline, Danny Gokey, Family Force 5, Jeremy Camp, Mandisa, Phil Wickham, Newsboys and Citizens Way. Did I take pictures of this great concert. Nope. I forgot too. 

But, I have taken pictures over the past couple of weeks of my everyday life. I figured that I would share them with you today. Just a small glimpse of my life. 

Enjoy!

  What it looks like when I try to read in bed.

  Not only did I have to get readers, I got my hair cut!

  I also dyed my hair. Color is black cherry. So far I love it. Also a photobombing dog.

  Every so often my Church does Sunday dinners.

  A few weeks ago, I got this Ravenclaw shirt. Love it! 

  Colin and I went for a walk a few nights ago, and we matched. This happens occasionally and never intentionally. 

~Brandy


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Collective Thoughts 

  
It is 5:30am and I am awake. Wide awake and sitting in front of the space heater. As soon as my eyes popped open and I saw the time I could not believe that I was up this early. Yet the opportunity to sit and blog uninterrupted and be able to do my devotional before the sun comes up is to much to pass up. So I wander to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee, and going through the pictures from the walk I went on a couple days ago to be added to the blog. 

If you don’t live in Maryland, or you have never visited my lovely state. It is one of the most fickle states weather wise. We can go through four seasons in a week. Take this past week for example, we had snow last Friday and warm spring weather yesterday. We even had summer weather when I went for a walk and decided to take some pictures. 

Besides the fickle weather, we have some very pretty landscapes and old historic buildings. Which makes for wonderful photographs. I enjoy learning photography skills so that when I post pictures on my Instagram or here on the blog, that they do look nice. I called the picture above my “calander picture”. 

I prefer writing as a way to express myself creatively. Taking walks and taking pictures help the process. 

So I really want to challenge myself to try and write more short stories. I use to write short stories all the time. I am thinking of posting them here. I have ideas, just need to put them down on paper. 
 

In book related news: Lady Midnight is here!!!!!! I still have to go out and get my copy, but my birthday is Wednesday (Hello 25) and I want to get it around my birthday. 

I also just finished Fangirl by Raindow Rowell. I’ll post my review soon. But I loved it. I kind of can’t believe I didn’t read it till now. It has been sitting on my TBR for a few months now. 

Have I mentioned how extremely quiet it is 5 in the morning? I have ear buds in and just taping away…. Bliss. 

Lately I have been really soaking my soul in the lyrics of Trust In You by Lauren Daigle. I think with each season of life there are new challenges,but the fact that we need to trust in God fully, even when sometimes He doesn’t move the mountains or part the waters that we want Him to. It is hard to believe that sometimes His saying “No” is a good thing. I am always amazed when something better happens along and God’s hand is all over it. 

Sorry for the randomness of my post. Sometimes my life is a random collective of thoughts. Thanks for reading! 

Here’s to random thoughts!

~ Brandy

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Oh! What A Beautiful Day! 

  
Oh! What a beautiful day we have been given! 

As the sun sets behind the trees and the wind nips your nose kissing the warm air bye for the day.

The corners of my heart take in the joy of the evening as another day comes to a close. 

A peace fills my soul with the wonder of creation as the sound of the water rushing past me. 

As I sit and take in the beauty and listen to the sound of the nature around me, I sit amazed. 

A day that reminds me that Winter is playing it’s final song as Spring’s song begins. 

Oh! What a beautiful day we have been given.

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The Wrath and The Dawn: Book Review + Update

My blogging schedule has yet again gone wack. It will most likely become even more wack as my schedule becomes seriously crazy. So sorry! Till I can figure out a new schedule for my blog that will work with my personal schedule, my posts will most likely be random.

The cover for Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo has been real eased and it’s GORGEOUS. September can not come quick enough! 

I finally got over to the library. I haven’t been in like a year. I got a nice stack of books to start off with. 

  
 I already finished one book and that will what I am reviewing today. 

The Wrath and The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

  
So this was a book that took me by surprise. I really enjoyed this read, and I read it about as quickly as I did Six of Crows. Before I knew it, I was done and I couldn’t help but think, ” No way I am done already!”. 

We follow Shahrzad as she marries the murdeous boy-King and plans to avenge the death of her best friend. As the story unfold we learn that not everything is as it seems and Shahrzad finds herself falling in love with the king. 

This was a bit of a mix of Adladin and there were some elements that reminded me alittle of Esther. It actually is a retelling of A Thousand And One Nights. It wasn’t love at first sight but you can tell that Khalid is curious about the stubborn, snarky Shahrzad. I love seeing how Shahrzad and Khalid take down the walls they built around their hearts and let each other in. I really enjoyed reading the progression of their relationship. We also meet other characters that add for an interesting story for sure! 

If your looking for romance and magic, I recommend this book! I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads and look forward to what the sequel has in store. 

Till next time!

~Brandy

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