Goals for 2015

I have some goals for 2015 I would like to share with everyone. I will update this throughout the year and probably make a little button on the side bar of my blog for it too. I would like this year to be a year of change. I am sick of being sick and I am tired of hiding behind the fact that I am sick.

- read 150 books

- learn something new

- lose 75lbs

- be less afraid of food/medicines

- save up for a new car

- start college

- get a real sleep schedule

- stay out of bed more

- sell more books

- clean more often/do laundry more

- Be more active on youtube/instagram/blogging

MORE TO BE ADDED LATER!

What are some of your 2015 goals?

Bout of Books 12.0

Clicky the picture to sign up.

I am participating in Bout of Books 12.0.
Click on the titles to see what the book is about.

The Books:
The Vincent Boys - FINISHED
The Vincent Brothers
The Truth About Alice
The S Word
Dangerous
The Book of Ivy
Anomaly


Day 1:
The Vincent Boys - 72 pages
Not my goal, but better than nothing.

Day 2: It's snowing today so hopefully that means lots of reading.
The Vincent Boys - 187 pages - DONE

Day 3:
The Vincent Brothers - 18 pages

Day 4: So far I am not going too well. I hope that changes.
The Truth About Alice -

Day 5:

Day 6:

Day 7:

25 Days of Reviewmas[Day 10] Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Title: Beautiful Creatures

Author: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

This was a re-read for me. I never wrote a proper review for it when I first read it so I’m going to now. The first time I read this I enjoyed it more than I did now. That simple reason being it was quite slow. Even though it was slow it never turned me from the book. I found it to be very interesting and just wanted to keep reading it more. 

I have been a fan of anything magic since I watched the show Charmed, so when I found out this dealt with magic I had to pick it up right away. This story made a twist when it came to the magic aspect, which I liked. Everyone knows magic runs in families since it is passed down from generation to generation. But with these two families, it’s a little different. 

With every kid they have a different power. Such as a Siren, an Illusionist, etc. With Lena everyone thinks she's what is called a Natural. 

At midnight the night of your sixteenth birthday it will be decided if you will be claiming Dark or Light. These families aren’t witches. They are called Castors. Only the Duchanne family is called that. Lena’s Uncle Macon is a Ravenwood and his family isn’t called Castor’s. 

In the beginning when Lena and Ethan first meet they seem familiar to each other and soon they figure out it was because they have been having dreams of each other before they ever met. These two have a very strong connection to the point where they can hear each other’s thoughts and talk to each other in each other’s minds even though they are far from each other. I found that fascinating and cool. 

I liked that we got to see how the whole process of what happens to a Castor when it comes to the claiming. How they get into their powers more and come into themselves. I didn’t like how Lena’s Uncle Macon didn’t tell her important details when it came to what would happen on her birthday, but I do understand why he did what he did. 

I really liked the characters. Especially Amma because she is such a stern, but loving character. She does what she does to protect those she loves and cares for. As does Macon. He does whatever he can do to protect Lena in any way he can. Ethan stands for what he believes in, no matter what those consequences may be. 

Though Lena is scared what will happen on her birthday, she does try her best to do what she can that’s normal before whatever may happen to her. 

I was upset with Ethan’s dad. I understand that he missed is wife, but Ethan lost a mother so he should have been there for him. 

I’m looking forward to see what will happen next for Ethan and Lena.

I rate this 4.5 stars.

25 Days of Reviewmas[Day 9] Angels in the Snow by Matt De La Pena

Title: Angels in the Snow(My True Love Gave To Me)

Author: Matt De La Pena

Oh, look. A Hispanic, male main character who thinks he has all the troubles in the world and tries to keep everything bottled up inside. He also happens to be cat sitting in a house with no food and starts reflecting on all of his life issues.

Oh, no! A "pretty", rich white girl who thinks she has all the problems in the world and thinks breaking up with her boyfriend after cheating on him will solve the fact that she cheated.

Oh, snap! A calico cat named Olive who likes to be scratched behind the ears. I think the cat is the best part about the story. 

I understand everyone has problems in life but I am sick of reading about people who think their problems are SO BIG. I am also sick of reading books where certain ethnic groups have to struggle to survive. 

What kind of name is Shy anyways? I will definitely not be reading any of Matt De La Pena's books after reading this short story.

Besides the cat, the one thing I did like was the sharing something private game before the girl would take a shower. 

Overall, I gave this story 1.5/5 stars(because of Olive).

25 Days of Reviewmas[Day 8] Isla and the Happily Ever After

Title: Isla and the Happily Ever After

Author: Stephanie Perkins

In the beginning of the book I hated it. Isla's character was portrayed as a little girl even though she was almost eighteen. She just felt very immature and it just threw me off.  I also didn't like Josh too much from Anna and the French Kiss so when I saw the book was about him I was like UGH.

The book did portray Josh differently than he was made to seem in Anna and the French Kiss. He just had a REAL personality rather than being the emo boy who drew,fought with his girlfriend and tried to her kicked out of school. He still drew and tried to get kicked out of school but we actually find out why he is the way he is.

I love the entire book compainion series. We get to learn about new characters but we also get tidbits of the lives of the characters from the previous books and I adore that.

I was so furious about the "Christmas" party. Isla had some pretty messed up insecurities and she shouldn't have even had a boyfriend before first working on her own problems. She hurt Josh for NO REASON other than selfishness and insecurities.

I found the relationship between Josh and Isla to be very creepy. Josh already had plans for her to move into an apartment with him and he told her what college to apply for. It wasn't abusive or anything. It just moved way too fast.

And Oh My God St. Claire and Anna!!! That was so amazingly romantic. 

The ending with the comic book and the play by play ending was so amazing. It was romantic and thoughtful and if that didn't prove Josh's love to Isla then I don't think anything would have. Luckily, she isn't stupid anymore by the time this happens.

Isla is seriously lucky that Josh even wanted her back. You need to learn to love yourself before you can love anyone else.

Overall, I gave the book 4/5 stars

25 Days of Reviewmas[Day 7] Labor Day by Joyce Maynard

Title: Labor Day

Author: Joyce Maynard

I bought this book solely because I saw it was being turned into a movie. I didn't know much about this book when I started it. All I knew was what I saw from the previews for the movie.

I really don't know what to say about this book. I am at a loss of words. I will start by saying that I love the narration of how it was told by the main character like he was reflecting back on his life during these six days that he and his mom had with Frank and how it impacted their lives. 

In those six days that Frank was with Henry and his mom, Adele, so much changed for the both of them. Adele turned into a happy person and was actually laughing and smiling because she fell in love truly for the first time and just wanted to be with Frank. All the while Frank was more of a father figure to Henry than his own father was. 

In a matter of six days all of this happened. Frank is such a nice and caring guy that you just couldn't believe he was in jail. 

Both Frank and Adele come from pasts that affected them both to where they just wanted to be left alone, but they found each other and it changes their lives forever. I found it beautiful because it shows how love works in mysterious ways. 

Not only did we get to see how Frank being around effected their lives, but we also got to witness Henry at the tender age of 13 when puberty hits. While his body is going through changes and hormones are making themselves known, he is dealing with a guy coming into their lives who is, in all sense of the word, a boyfriend to his mom and he feels mad that he is taking her away from him because his mom has never had any other guy around. 

This story is very touching. It shows you how even though life hasn't been the best for you there is still hope for you to find love in the strangest of places and that there is just hope for you in the future. It may take years and mistakes may be made, but it is out there. 

Once I picked this book up I could not put it down. There were so many emotions thrown at you that it is hard to put the book down. Even if it is just to eat. I really, really enjoyed reading it. I wish that we got more out of the ending though. It's a good ending, but I still want more.

I love this quote: "It's like life: sometimes the littlest thing turns out to be the most important."

Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 stars.

25 Days of Reviewmas[Day 6] Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Lola and the Boy Next Door was on level with Anna and the French Kiss. I loved it so much.

The beginning was a little slow and there was a huge emphasis put on the fact that her fathers were gay. But I did get through it. And the relationship between her dad's was very cute. They were definitely great parents. 

Another problem I has was the relationship wit Max was too over played and was too drawn out. Lola took way too long to break up with him and it was highly annoying. Their relationship was obviously just a game for him and Lola needed to realize that a lot sooner. And it shouldn't haven't taken her feelings for Cricket for her to break up with Max.

I adored Cricket. He was so shy and awkward that it was impossible not to love him instantly. I loved that he was nerdy but also attractive. He had a passion for building things, like my husband, and I think that is part of what drew me to him.

Calliope was mean. There are other words for her but they aren't appropriate for this audience. She did horrible things to both Lola and Cricket. In the end, she did seem to turn around but I don't think I could have forgiven her very easily.

The end was definitely adorable. I am so glad that Lola finally figured out what she wanted and ended up where she did.

Overall, I gave the book 5/5 stars.

25 Days of Reviewmas[Day 5] The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

Title: The Last Olympian

Author: Rick Riordan

I’m a huge lover of Greek Mythology. I will read any book or series I can get my hands on if it deals with it. So of course I had to read this series. This series has been such an emotional rollercoaster and this book is no different. 

Out of this whole series this book is definitely my favorite. There was so much action which I loved. Not only that, but our emotions were on a rollercoaster that never seemed to end. I love everything. 

One thing I love that books do is include a map so I enjoyed being able to look at the map during the war these characters became a part of to save Olympus. 

In the beginning Percy finally gets to visit his father’s palace, but under bad circumstances. Characters I have been unsure of, or didn’t like in the other books, made me change my mind in this one by their choices and standing up to fight. Such as, Nico and Clarisse. Percy grew a lot in this book. He became the leader that people needed to lead them into a war that wasn’t in their favor. 

They lost a lot heroes, but those who passed were brave as Percy knew they were. Through Percy’s journey in this war against Kronos we learned a lot about Luke’s passed. Why he left home and what is wrong with his mother. As Percy goes on he keeps on having the dreams he has about what is happening with Kronos. But he also sees that something is going on with Rachel. At the end we find out why Percy met her and what her destiny is and I think that it fits her. She is a strong character and I really like her.

As always Percy and Annabeth do well with fighting together in battle. During the war we get to see how much they care about each other and seeing them realize things just made my heart happy. Though we have tons of sadness with so much loss we get the happiness as well. We got to see how the gods and goddesses actually care and love their children very much. I believe Percy has sent the gods and goddesses in a good direction and that things will start to get better for everyone. 

I found this book to be a great ending to such a wonderful series with such strong characters. Rick Riordan has easily become one of my new favorite authors. I can’t wait to read more from him. I also can’t wait to get and read his Heroes of Olympus series. I’m glad to have gotten the chance to love these characters and read their stories and can’t wait for more. This series has been such a very entertaining read.

I rate this 5/5 stars. I would rate it more if I could.

25 Days of Reviewmas[Day 4]Of Monsters And Madness by Jessica Verday

Title: Of Monsters and Madness

Author: Jessica Verday

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Publication: September 9, 2014

Cover Rating: 4/5

Goodreads | Amazon

Oh, Dear sweet baby Jesus. I loved this book. I need more books like this. Edgar Allen Poe given a Jekyll and Hyde complex? Yes, please. Why are there not MORE books like this? Of Monsters and Madness started an uncontrollable love for Historical+Paranormal Young Adult books for me. And I never want it to end. It is just a shame that I cannot find very many books like this.

I love Edgar Allen Poe. I own 7 different copies of his greatest works in those huge books. So when I read that Of Monsters and Madness was about him while he was in Philadelphia, fiction, of course, I had to get it. And I am so glad that I did. I read it in one day and was so sad it was over.

Annabel Lee is a very interesting character. She makes the perfect love interested for Allen, the better half. The entire time I was reading I kept wondering when they would find out they are related, haha! That never did become a factor in the book but it was still fun to wonder.

Allen is the good half. He was the main personality before Annabel's father split him in two. Now Edgar is fighting to become the ONLY personality and it seems like he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Murder, arson, treachery. You name it, Edgar has probably done it.

The romance between Annabel and Allen was very quick and very hot. I don't normally care too much for instalove, but back that that was actually a thing. People would fall in love and get married so fast and have kids at such a young age.

I love the time period the book is set in. It might not be historically correct but I think the author did a great justice to the book by centering it around 1826. 

The fire and Grand-pere were probably the hardest things to deal with for Annabel, at least until she found out what was going on with Edgar and the town murders. Grand-pere was the only one who seemed to understand Annabel. He died extremely young though. But I guess for the time period he wasn't that young.

The book ended very strangely. Allen was recovering but Annabel needed Edgar to come back one last time to assist her with her father. What happened to her father? Who took him? There isn't going to be a second book so I was left with a bunch of questions floating through my head that I would really love to have answers to.

But the main point I want to get across to everyone is that I LOVED THIS FREAKING BOOK! 

Overall, despite the insurmountable number of questions I have, I gave the book 5/5 kitties.

25 Days of Reviewmas[Day 3] Oh, Tannenbrain by Rusty Fischer

Title: Oh, Tannenbrain(Poem)

Author: Rusty Fischer

This was such a cute, funny poem. 

The Zombies wanted to have Christmas just like everyone else. They were tired of brains and wanted more from death. So why not kidnap Santa? What could possibly go wrong?

Well, obviously, things do go wrong. But in the end, the Zombies still got their Christmas.

I gave the poem 4/5 stars.

You can download this and 11 other holiday stories on Goodreads.

25 Days of Reviewmas[Day 2] The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link

Title: The Lady and the Fox(MyTrue Love Gave to Me)

Author: Kelly Link

A few months ago I read a book called The Winter People by Rebekah L. Purdy. I LOVED it. It was a retelling of the story The Snow Queen, I believe. Well, The Lady and the Fox is very SnowQueen-esque but, sadly, I cannot say that I loved it. 

The story itself was very odd. The girl was a charity case pretty much. Her mother was in jail. And she falls for a guy that only appears when its snowing ON CHRISTMAS. That is on hell of a situation. 

She could have Daniel. But noooo. She has to want the mysterious, disappearing guy. 

And can we talk about the towns name Miranda goes to every Christmas? Phuket? Anyone care to tell me what they think that sounds like? 

In the end, Miranda tricks the evil ice queen and wins Fenny. So yay, Happily Ever After, right? 

The story was just bizarre. It also had an older feel to it but it talks about Cameron Diaz and zombies. 

Overall, I gave the story 2/5 stars.

25 Days of Reviewmas[Day 1] Midnights by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Midnights(MyTrue Love Gave to Me)

Author: Rainbow Rowell

A Christmas tale with a twist of tree nut allergies. That is how I would describe Rainbow Rowell's short story "Midnights."

Maybe, also, a story about a guy who will kiss anyone who tried to kiss him. 

I would also call it a waste of precious time for the girl in the book. If she really want the guy she should have just told him instead of wasting all of her younger years pining after him. 

The ending was cute but it could have happened a lot sooner. I just don't see the point in waiting so long to let someone know you love them. Either party could have died in the 4 years the story is told throughout. 

Overall, I gave this story 3/5 stars.

REVIEW: A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

Title: A Thousand Pieces of You

Author: Claudia Gray

Publisher: Harper Teen

Publication: November 4, 2014

Cover Rating: 5/5

Goodreads | Amazon

Claudia Gray is one of my favorite authors. I loved her Evernight series and I was wondering if she was ever going to write more books. Well, I got my answer in the form of A Thousand Pieces of You. This heartbreaking, tear-jerking, emotional roller-coaster ride of a book has now become my favorite book of the year.

I am not a big Sci Fi person. I actually kind of hate it. Same goes for fantasy normally. But when I saw that this book was going to be Sci Fi, maybe not Star Wars but still Sci Fi, I had to give it a try. I am so glad I did. There were times when I couldn't put the book down and then there were times when I couldn't pick the book back up in fear of what emotional turmoil I was going to experience next. 

Marguerite was such a strong and amazing main character. She had just lost two people that were huge parts of her life and yet she had the balls to go off on some dimension jumping vendetta to avenge what was done. Not to mention that fact that she was in the middle of a love triangle that she doesn't even know about yet.

Theo is a dick. There is no getting around that. He thinks he is God gift to girls which we later find out is pretty much just a cover up so he looks cool in front of Marguerite. He has some good intentions but it turns out they aren't for very good things. And then, to quote The Fresh Prince, "My life got flipped turned upside down." Let's just say, things got crazy with Theo.

Paul, oh Paul. I could just tell from the beginning that Paul was going to be one hell of a story. But we don't only get one Paul. Oh no. Claudia Gray has to mess with us and give us 2. Lieutenant Markov is the perfect Paul, in my opinion. 

But with us having two Paul's it kind of starts to prove his fate theory. Marguerite parents are proof enough but her going to Russia, being royalty and Paul ending up being her soldier escort, that just proves that he is meant to be in her life. In none of the worlds was Theo actually in her life. 

The love Paul has for Marguarite is eternal. Every Paul that knows her is in love with her. And the same goes if you reverse it. She loves every version of him the her other selves had contact with. It's completely amazing to see something like that. But it hurts so much more knowing that you can lose the person you love more than once if you go to different dimensions. 

One big question this book brought to mind was religion. If people think you go to Heaven or Hell then what happens to the other versions of you in other dimensions? You don't all die at the same time. And sometimes you don't even exists in the first place.

I loved how connected Marguerite family was. There was so much love in this book that you couldn't help but feel it yourself. 

The end of the book is just a huge cryfest. There really is no other way to describe it. So much happens that you just don't know what to do. I put the book down for an entire day because I was afraid to read the last 40 pages. 

The entire situation with Triad and Conley was scary to say the least. The fact that you could have someone spying on you and you really would never know. I don't know why Conley would want to create a world like that. He was pretty much just a power hungry toddler. Using Marguerite, against her knowledge and will, to test out his spy theory was beyond screwed up. But using her loved ones to get her to do what he wanted was even worse. 

I was so torn when Theo walked away. I know love is crazy and sometimes it hurts but Marguerite ended up with who she belongs with, I believe. It just hurt so bad seeing someone who would risk their life for her having to suck it up and walk away. 

On thing I almost forgot to mention. I loved the Schrodinger's cat reference. I actually laughed out loud and had to explain myself. Which didn't help because not many people knew what I was talking about. "There's a cat, in a box." I loved it!!!

Overall, I gave the book 5/5 stars.

Mini Review Monday[25] Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

We go on a whole new adventure with the characters Percy and Annabeth in this book. 

From the beginning we get introduced to a new character by the name of Tyson. He isn't the kind of character you would expect, but he is very loyal and would do anything to make sure his friends stayed protected. 

Not only do we get introduced to a new character, but also new creatures that they meet along the way and who they also have to battle. 

Percy managed to go almost a whole school year without causing any trouble except for the last day of school where it starts off the new adventure. 

A quest is given to another character and yet Percy, Annabeth and Tyson go on the quest anyway even though they are not supposed to. To help them on their quest the god Hermes helped them out and I liked that some other god helped them on their journey. It showed that they are not bad people. 

All the while Percy has been having dreams where Grover is in trouble. You learn it is called an empathy link and it can be deadly. I find it an interesting component for both Percy and Grover. 

Percy, Annabeth and Tyson continue on their journey you come to find out that Grover is running out of time. 

We get to see the characters develop more in the story on their new quest. Annabeth is a good strategist. When the characters get themselves into a tough spot Annabeth comes up with a way to get them out of it. 

Throughout their quest Annabeth starts to slowly open up to Percy about things from her past. Because she starts to do this you get a sense of those two getting closer together. We get a sense of how deep Percy will go to protect those he cares about even if it means he may die because of it and I really like seeing that in a character. 

One thing I really am enjoying is how fast paced this series is and all of the action. It keeps the story exciting and keeping you on the edge of your seat because you have to know what happens next.

When Hermes came up to Percy the first time to help them on their quest he said one thing that really reached me because it’s about how difficult family can be. “My dear young cousin, if there's one thing I've learned over the eons, it's that you can’t give up on your family, no matter how tempting they make it. It doesn't matter if they hate you, or embarrass you…”

Overall, I gave the book 5/5 stars.

PRE-PUBLICATION REVIEW: Hugs and Misses + Stars and Swipes Postcard books by Wilhelm Staehle

Title: Hugs and Misses, Stars and Swipes

Author: Wilhelm Staehle

Publisher: Quirk Books

Publication: December 3rd 2014

Cover Rating: 4/5

I adored both of these postcard books. Hugs and Misses would have to be my favorite though. They are so quirky and absolutely funny. They are meant to be sent out to friends but I don't know if I can do that. 

Hugs and Misses are 30 postcards with funny romantic pictures and scenes. My favorite on says "Love potions #1-8 were utter failures." I laughed at this but my husband didn't get it. I have a feeling a lot of people won't understand the humor but a lot of people will. 

Stars and Swipes are 30 post cards of funny American scenes. These ones I actually didn't like too much. I don't really care for military jokes and old war jokes. But they were still pretty funny. 

If you have a good sense of humor or know people that you could send these post cards to that would appreciate them then I would suggest picking these up.

Overall, I gave the books 4/5 kitties.

25 Days of Reviewmas!!

I have decided to do a really cool blog thing for the month of December. I know not everyone celebrates Christmas but I do. I will be doing 25 days of reviews. Mainly small ones. But at the end of those 25 days(Christmas Day) I will be doing a BIG giveaway. I have been plotting this giveaway all year and I figured this would be the perfect lead up to it. I actually can't wait to get this started. I love Christmastime. I just don't exactly have the best family to celebrate Christmas with. SOOOOOO. I will celebrate with you guys!!! Posts will begin December 1st. I hope you guys like this idea!

REVIEW: In The Shadow Of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

Title: In The Shadow Of Blackbirds

Author: Cat Winters

Publisher: Amulet Books

Publication: April 2, 2013

Cover Rating: 5/5

Goodreads | Amazon

I should have read this book in a day. Just sat down and said screw all of my other chores and responsibilities. Instead, I read the book in a week. I had a huge impact on me but I think it would have been sooo much better if I had read it in one sitting.

So, WWI and Spanish Influenza. Scary stuff. Especially with the war going on right now plus Ebola starting to spread. This book hit very close to home right now. 

Mary Shelley Black is such a stunning, spitfire character. She doesn't let anyone try to tell her where her place should be just because she is a girl. She is smart and very headstrong. 

Stephen is much the same way as Mary except, well, he's a guy. And guys are supposed to be headstrong and all those other macho blah blah words. But he is also very fragile. He has an artists soul and never should have gone to war. He wasn't brave enough to stick out his troubles at home so what made him think he could last in a war? Well, I guess he had to learn the hard way and lose his life in the process.

This book is so sad. Young love and death seem to come hand-in-hand when war is around. This story is no exception to that. It seems like everyone in this book has lost at least one loved one. 

I loved the historical and spiritual aspects of the book. I have been really into Historical+Paranormal Young Adult books lately. The world that Cat Winters created in this book feels so real. People believed in ghosts and spirits and all sorts of paranormal things back then and the author really brought that to life.

The one question I had through the entire book was "How did Julius know Stephen was dead when he JUST got home the same time Mary and Eva got there AND his mother JUST found Stephen the minute he walked in the door?" Julius told Mary that Stephen died a hero's death even before he could have known he was dead. Of course, that was answered. But the answer was a lot different than I thought. I always suspected Julius but the answer I got wasn't what I was thinking. Not by a long shot.

I have no idea how Mary Shelley survived everything she went through. She died multiple times, got sick and had a concussion. Come on now. If that doesn't say Strong, Independent Woman, I don't know what does!

In the end, I am glad Mary Shelley helped Stephen move on. And I am glad they were able to let each other go. Love is hard, but it's harder when you start it and never get to finish it. No, love is never finished, but Mary and Stephen's love was cut off so quickly, the never got to declare anything or share any pivotal moments that a couple should share. 

Now, the only question I have left is what will happen to Mary Shelley's dad? The war is over and I don't think he even had his trial yet. Will they let him go? Will they still charge him for war crimes? I hope they let him go. Mary Shelley has lost enough for the time being.

Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 kitties!