I am bad at blogging.

It's been too long, kids.  Too long.  But you know what?  I regret nothing.

In my absence from this blog, I have discovered several old television shows.  I have watched the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, which inspired me to read Pride & Prejudice for the first time ever (I know, I am horrible for waiting so long.).  And I have re-read the entire Harry Potter series and then tested my knowledge of the characters and chapter titles on Sporcle.  My score on both of those tests was so high that it would be embarrassing if I wasn't so proud of it.  True Potterhead right here, peeps.  Fo realz.

Harry Potter isn't exactly the kind of series you review, unless it's just to tell people that they MUSTREADITRIGHTNAOW, but currently I am in the midst of re-reading another series that most definitely is review-worthy.  Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle trilogy is one of my favorites of all time, and I am planning one massive review of all three books once I finish with that.  And then?  Well, then I have a lot of books and reviews to catch up on, so there is more coming.  I promise.

So, basically...I'm back. 

Whaaaaaaattttt.  (If you get this reference, then we just became best friends.)

Top Ten Tuesday: Top ten favorite romances.

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where they post a bookish question and fellow bloggers answer in the form of a top ten list.


Oh boy am I excited for this one!  I skipped a couple of weeks because I had a hard time coming up with a top ten list.  But this one?  Man.  You guys know that I am a sucker for romance.  The problem here isn't coming up with the list--it's narrowing it down. 


Top Ten Favorite Romances, A List


1) Nastya & Josh from The Sea of Tranquility
I have so many feels about this one, I can't even.  Please see my review for full on gushing.  I am trying to restrain myself for now.

2) Lucian & Phaedra from Froi of the Exiles and Quintana of Charyn
Do I even need to explain?

3) Adam & Mia from If I Stay and Where She Went
I love that we actually got to see them be in a relationship.  I think YA needs more of that.

4) Clare Abshire & Henry DeTamble from The Time Traveler's Wife
Sometime in the near future I am planning to re-read this one and post a review about it, where I will go into much more depth about why I love Henry and Clare.  Again, though, it's the realness that does it for me.  They aren't without their struggles, but the fact that they go through hard times doesn't mean they break up.  So refreshing.

5) Gemma & Kartik from the Gemma Doyle trilogy
So much love for these two.  And I can't even talk about the ending of The Sweet Far Thing.  It's just pain, right in the feels.

6) Remy & Dexter from This Lullaby
Again, love this one.  Remy is arguably Sarah Dessen's 'bitchiest' character, and it is so much fun to see her soften up around goofy, lovable Dexter.

7) Jessica Darling & Marcus Flutie from the Jessica Darling books
Oh, Marcus Flutie.  How you make me swoon.  Such a great example of first love, and all its ups and downs.

8) Sam & Kent from Before I Fall
This is another one I'm planning to review in the near future.  Even though their romance develops over the one day that Sam lives over again, it's amazing what Oliver does with it.  Tons of swoon.

9) Belly & Conrad from Jenny Han's Summer series
Sorry, Jere fans.  Belly and Conrad forever.

10) Wes & Macy from The Truth About Forever
This is the book that taught me the meaning of the word sa-woooooooon.  Never did I imagine how perfect a game of Truth could be.



So those are mine.  What are your favorite romances?  I am always looking for good ones, so please share!

Apologies for my long absence and some Buffy fangirling.

So, I realize that it's been a while.  I would say that I'm very sorry, except for the fact that I've spent the last few weeks binge-watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and it is so awesome that I can't apologize.  I mean, you have Buffy.  And Giles and Willow and Xander.  And Spike.  Spike, bby, ILY!  Also Angel, in the early years, you know, before he got his own show.  And amazing writing, and season-long plots, and high school, and then college.  Realistic portrayals of growing up, including proper treatment of family troubles, love of all kinds, accepting responsibility, and, yes, even sexual relationships.  Basically I heart all seven seasons so much that I bought them on DVD to own forever, and I know I will be revisiting them a lot.

For now, though, it's back to my first love: books.  I have several new ones to catch up on, but first I am planning to revisit some old favorites.  I will try to be better about keeping up with the features I participate in as well.  Be looking for a review later this week, and Top Ten Tuesday tomorrow.

So once again.  I'm totally sorry for leaving you guys hanging.

 Ha!  Not.

But seriously.  Here is how I feel about Buffy.  And all of you.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Settings I'd Like To See More Of (Or At All)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where they post a bookish question and fellow bloggers answer in the form of a top ten list.



Today's list: The Top [Five] Settings I'd Like to See More Of

This is a fun one, guys!  Here goes.


1) Kansas
I am a Kansas girl, born and raised, and every time my home state or, even better, my hometown, gets mentioned in a book without any reference to BTK or The Wizard of Oz, I get a little thrill.  I love my home state--it's really very beautiful--so I am always glad when it gets a chance to shine.  You hear that, authors?  More Kansas, please!

2) The Midwest in general
So many books are set in New England, or Texas, or the coasts.  Let's show the middle of the nation some love, shall we?

3) College
This is another setting that gets overlooked.  Books tend to skip from YA to people in their mid thirties, and that's a shame because there is so much to be explored during the college years.

4) Road trips
Because I love road trip novels, okay?

5) The author's hometown 
One of the things I find so cool about John Green's novels thus far is that three of them are set either in places he's lived or places very similar to them.  I think this gives them a unique spin.  So many of us have mixed feelings about the places where we grew up, and it think it's great when authors explore that.

Review: Slammed

Slammed by Colleen Hoover


My rating: 4 stars


Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.
Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.
Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

ebook, 314 pages

Published January 5th 2012 by Colleen Hoover (first published January 4th 2012)  

Slammed is one of those books that I've been avoiding for a while now.  I've read good things about it, I've read bad things about it, and everything in between.  And while I hoped that I would enjoy it, I was worried that I wouldn't, due to many of the reasons listed in the one and two star reviews (of which I will list a few when I get to the Problems with the Novel section).  So I put it off, and I put it off, and so on, until my Amazon account was nice and loaded with gift cards, courtesy of the family Santas and I decided, hey, what the heck.  I bit the bullet, and I bought Slammed, and what do you know.  I liked it.  Haters gon hate, but I don't care.  And I'll tell you why.  I gave Slammed four stars because for the type of book it is, it totally deserves it.  For those of you looking at me like wha?, let me explain.

There are some books that you pick up wanting to be moved to tears (here's looking at you, John Green).  Then there are the books you pick up because you want to laugh (ahem, Jennifer Echols).  There are lots of other examples of this--books you pick up when you want to read something more literary, or something dealing with a specific issue, or something light and fluffy and feel good to get you through a long weekend.  All of those examples are fine and good, and they get me through most of my reading time.  But then there are the days when you need something different.  The days when you need the equivalent of watching the angst-filled, will they/won't they tension of a season of a late 90s/early 00's WB drama in book form.  You want the plots to be soap operatic.  You want the drama to be high.  You want, basically, to Feel all the Feels.  And if you're willing to mostly let reality go and accept that ridiculous things will happen, there will be a bad case of initial instalove (although they do develop an Actual Relationship, yay!), and lots and lots of crying, then Slammed is totally your book.

The synopsis is pretty self-explanatory as far as the beginning of the novel goes.  Layken and her mom and brother have to move after her dad dies.  She is Not Pleased about this, but then she oh-so-conveniently meets Will Cooper, Slightly-Older-but-Extremely-Attractive-Neighbor-Extraordinaire.  Sparks fly, they go on one magical date to a poetry slam (that is actually pretty cool, and I will touch on in a moment), and things look like they are heading for Happily Ever After.  Cue the Big Reveal and the HEA comes crashing down around their feet, leaving Lake and Will trying to figure out what to do now.  Is it ridiculous that they are so broken up after one date at their respective ages?  Hells yes.  Do I care?  Nope.  Because this is the part where the feeeeeelings step in, and I was totally down for the ride.

There are plenty of ridiculous things to move the plot along and add to the sadness and tension, which I won't go into here, because there are other reviews of this book where you can get spoilers, and because it really doesn't matter since if you're picking up this book, you should fully be prepared for a heavy dose of drama-rama.  I will say that there are an awful lot of dead/dying/missing parents between the MCs and the entire supporting cast, but hey, what can you do?  There is also a major over usage of italics, meaning that people talk like this all the time.  At least you're never confused about what word of the sentence to emphasize.  Heh heh.

Since we're all grown ups here, let's be real and say that from the beginning of the novel we know Will and Lake are going to be together.  It makes it a lot more bearable to read their dramz, knowing that.  It also means there's more time to appreciate the slam poetry, which really is a unique and excellent way for characters to reveal themselves.  Hoover certainly succeeds there.  And it also means that, for me at least, the most emotional part of the novel really didn't have anything to do with Will or Lake.  Instead it was a touching moment between Lake's new bestie and someone who shall remain nameless, so as not to ruin the surprise.  Let's just say it had me crying genuine tears, and really the whole book was worth it for that gem of a moment.

I feel like this review is getting a little rambly, so I'm going to cut it off.  Basically the gist of what I'm trying to say is this: know what you're getting into.  I did, and so I was able to enjoy this book.  But if you go into it expecting to be wowed with literary prowess and deep thinking, I won't feel bad for you if you come out disappointed.  It's just not that kind of book, and that's okay.  It's a good book for what it is: a high drama, tension-filled, and occasionally On the Money Sweet romance.  And I, for one, am glad that I finally picked it up.

Mini Review: The Lover's Dictionary

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan


My rating: 5 stars


basis, n.

There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you’re in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself.

If the moment doesn’t pass, that’s it—you’re done. And if the moment does pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it’s even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover’s face. How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves? Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of David Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Through these short entries, he provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time.

Hardcover, 211 pages

Published January 4th 2011 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

I gave my boyfriend (now fiancé!) a list of books I'd like for Christmas, and when he told me that he initially thought one of the books I'd requested sounded stupid but then found himself reading it while waiting in the checkout line, I knew exactly which book he'd gotten me.  Books that scream love and romance aren't exactly Danny's favorite--he's more a Game of Thrones kind of guy--but once we'd exchanged gifts he told me that from the few entries he'd read, he thought he might actually like to read this one himself, too.  After I finished the book, I knew that this is definitely one I'd like to share with him.

So often in books, and even television and movies, we only get the so-called good parts of a romantic relationship.  The meet cute.  The buildup.  The will they/won't they tension.  The inevitable swoon-worthy first kiss.  And then the book/movie/show either ends, or the couple is pushed to the background/time skips forward/something else happens to get us to the next good part: the fights and drama.  The middle part, or the relationships that really are true and everlasting, aren't really explored.  And I think that's doing people a disservice, because it's the middle part that's the most important, and can actually be the most beautiful.

That's what Levithan does here: he shows us what it's like to be in a relationship.  What it's like to exist in those quiet moments on the couch with your live-in partner.  What it's like to realize that you don't like everything your significant other does.  What it's like to be there for the awkward family stuff, for the fights that don't really make sense, for the moments that make it all worth it.  This book is a beautiful celebration of love, and all its ups and downs.  And I think we need more of that in literature, and hell, in other media as well.  Because this is what's realistic.  This is what love is.  Hard work.  The choices you make.  At times, frustrating.  But, overall, the best kind of reward.

Review: Through the Ever Night

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi


My rating: 5 stars

It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.

Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?

In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

Kindle Edition, 352 pages

Published January 8th 2013 by HarperCollins

Sequels are hard things, and I would argue that second books in a trilogy are even more difficult.  Because you have all these expectations that didn't exist with the first book, this story that people love that you have to continue.   As an aspiring writer who has no problem coming up with beginnings and endings but would rather keep daydreaming than figure out all that stuff in between, I will let you in on a little secret: middles suck.  They are just harder to write, more difficult to hammer out.  And because of this, we have a phenomenon that many of you are all too familiar with:  The Second Book Slump.  How often does this happen?  You start a new series and you put down book one and you're like, Holy shit, my life has been changed.  So you wait patiently (or, you know, not so patiently) for the second book, counting down days and constantly checking your pre-order status until you finally get your paws on book two.  Only when you reach the end of book two, you have a sad realization:  it wasn't as good as book one. Maybe the pace dragged.  Maybe the characters weren't as interesting.  Or maybe it's just that the whole book felt like a middle, instead of a beginning, middle, and end.

Sound familiar?  It happens all the time.  But I am here to tell you--Through the Ever Night?  Does not suffer from this problem.  If anything this book has even more action, even  higher stakes.  It's the middle of the saga,  yes.  But it is also a story with all its parts intact.  My initial reaction upon finishing this book was to quote a line (well, really a poster board) from the greatest Christmas movie of all time, Love Actually.  "To me, you are perfect."  And to me, this book really is. 

My favorite part of this book, and of the whole story so far, is the romance between Aria and Perry.  Part of that is because, as I have established many times before, I am a sucker for good romance.  The larger part, though, is because of how their relationship and characters are written.  This wasn't instalove.  Things don't just fall into their laps.  These two characters developed a real connection in the first book, and although circumstances at times call for them to be away from each other and to act differently than they would choose, they never fail to honor what they have.  You never doubt their feelings for each other.  And this isn't a relationship where the boy is constantly saving the girl, or vice versa.  Each of them have something to offer the other.  This is a partnership, not a Prince Charming situation.  I couldn't be more glad.

This realness and sense of partnership carries over to the secondary characters, and their relationships among themselves and with our two leads.  Roar in particular is wonderful in this one.  I love the friendship he has with Aria.  As refreshing as it is to have a romance in YA that feels like an Actual Mature Relationship, it's even more refreshing to have a friendship between a boy and a girl that is strictly platonic and yet still full of so much love.  Rossi shows that you don't have to have sexual tension for a relationship to be meaningful, and that's something of which other authors should take note.

As for the action?  I don't want to give too much away, but like I said, this book is fast paced.  Aria and Perry spend a lot of the book apart, and so their respective chapters end on cliffhangers a lot of the time.  It will have you racing through to see how things turn out, and it definitely makes it clear how high the stakes are for the two of them and everyone they love.

I knew after I read Under the Never Sky that I loved Rossi's writing and she would be one to watch.  Now that I have finished this one, she is firmly cemented among my favorite authors.  Countdown to book three, anyone?