Unfinished Reads | Summer 2016

A Game of Thrones by G.R.R. Martin

While it's very interesting, I was reading this for about 4 months and only got about 100 pages into it because it was so dense.

Instead, I ended up watching the show and loved it so much, that I do plan on giving this series another chance soon. I definitely want to try reading this again but plan on reading it at a slow pace then as well.

Rating: DNF

Where It Began by Ann Redisch Stampler

I was really excited to finally read this one after putting it off for years, especially since I had met the author a couple times.

Unfortunately, I found to be the main character and her parents to be unbearable. I hated the dialogue, the main character's thoughts, and the entire plot was just ugh to me. I was really disappointed with how much I disliked this one, but will definitely give this author another chance with other work. I technically "finished" this one but I really only skimmed the last half to find out what actually happened.

Rating: ★

The Summer of No Regrets by Katherine Grace Bond

There were a couple things that bothered me from the start, but the mostly farfetched beginning had me rolling my eyes, and I knew it was a bad start. I had a hard time liking the main character, or her parents. Also, the romance seemed very unrealistic.

I got about 21% into it before I decided I wasn't really interested in continuing.

Rating: DNF


Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

This was my first Vonnegut book and I was pretty excited because of the praise this author receives. Not sure if it was this book, or if maybe I am not going to be a fan of his writing, but Slaughterhouse-Five was so lame. Half the time I was wondering what in the world was going on, who was narrating the story, and really, what was the point? But I really wanted to push through so instead of continuing to read it, I downloaded an audiobook copy of it instead of hoping I'd get through it that way.

Wrong. I found myself daydreaming for a lot of it, and having to rewind it constantly to catch what I had missed. About 40% of the way through, I decided to give up. I definitely want to look into more of Vonnegut's books; there are plenty to pick from. I hope I have better luck with the next one.

Rating: DNF

Songs for a Teenage Nomad by Kim Culbertson

I wasn't feeling it; the writing felt choppy and I wasn't liking the main character or the immense amount of characters that she meets in the first few pages.

Maybe it's the ARC copy I have, but I wasn't really interested in finishing this one. Only read about 30 pages /:

Rating: DNF

Review | It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Title: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
Series: N/A
Genre: New Adult - Romance
Publication: August 2nd 2016 by Atria Books
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis: Lily hasn't always had it easy, but that's never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She's come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up - she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily's life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, and maybe even a little arrogant. He's also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily, but Ryle's complete aversion to relationships is disturbing.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan - her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

With this bold and deeply personal novel, Colleen Hoover delivers a heart-wrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. It Ends With Us is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.

Thoughts: Colleen Hoover has the magical ability to keep me up way past my bedtime to read her books. I was up until 3AM reading It Ends With Us. Then after sleeping for a few hours, I woke up and continued reading it. To say that It Ends With Us is an emotional roller coaster that broke my heart is an understatement.

I literally had no idea what It Ends With Us was about, but as soon as I was offered the opportunity to take another part in CoH0's newest book, I jumped at the chance. After reading one of her previous books, she easily became one of my favorite authors, and I think I will read anything that she writes from this moment forward. Once I had a copy, though, I didn't read the synopsis, because I hardly ever do, and dove right into this without the slightest idea what to expect.

Woah.

I can't say much about It Ends With Us without spoiling the story, but this book is so much more than just a romance. CoHo is known for taking a romance and twisting it a certain way that literally breaks your heart, and It Ends With Us is probably her most emotional book. And it's so difficult to write my feelings without giving anything anyway that I don't know what to say.

Things I loved about It Ends With Us 
- All the characters
- That it made me laugh (in public = I got lots of stares)
- That it made me cry (real tears, I even sobbed a few times)
- That it's a romance
- But also deals with tough stuff
- The story line
- The unexpected things that I don't even see coming
- How it helped me understand things I didn't before about a very difficult subject
- It hurt my heart
- Made me feel all kinds of feels
- The ending

Things I didn't love about It Ends With Us
- It kept me up until 3AM
- That I am done reading it

I guess it's easy to see that I very much loved It Ends With Us and am Colleen Hoover's newest, biggest fan. I definitely recommend it to anyone who loves romance, contemporary, adult fiction, books about tough subjects, and everyone else. This book is amazing and definitely one of my new favorites.

Reading Harry Potter as an Adult | Harry Potter and the Chamber ofSecrets

The Dursleys were so mean and hideous that summer that all Harry Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls' bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginny. But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins, and someone, or something, starts turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects: Harry Potter himself?

Confession time: I didn't like Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets that much
reading it now as an adult.

I KNOW.

I'm not sure if maybe I never noticed before, but Chamber of Secrets is probably my least favorite book in the series. It makes me a little sad.

A lot of sad actually.

But it's a different experience reading these now that I am not very close to Harry Potter's age, and I'm only just realizing how crazy dangerous some of these events are and he's just a child (again, I feel so McGonagall saying that, but it's true!)

I have to also admit that there were a few things that I disliked, and even found a little annoying. For example, I didn't really like Dobby, who never really bothered me before. I never really adored him or anything but now I had a difficult time seeing what the appeal was to him in the first place. Is that terrible?

Just writing this is depressing me, but I'll point out that I am rating this one three stars this time around which is lower than I ever thought I would rate a Harry
freaking Potter book.

I am looking forward to reading the third book in the series, but also a little terrified. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is one of my favorites (the favorite) because it introduces the character of Sirius Black (who is for sure, my favorite) but what if I don't love it as much?! I'm scared I'll come to the end of the series and feel like I've been living a lie LOL.

That's impossible, though...right?

Literary Fashion | November 9 + The Merciless

Like I mentioned in my last Literary Fashion post, the outfits I've created no longer match the character, but instead, match the covers of the book.

November 9 was one of my favorite books last year, so I definitely wanted to create an outfit that matched. I've used dresses really often, though, so in order to change it up a bit, I added some colored pants and a cute lace top. This one was fun to create and I wanted to incorporate most, if not all, the colors on the cover.

November 9 by Colleen Hoover 

“When you find love, you take it. You grab it with both hands and you do everything in your power not to let it go. You can’t just walk away from it and expect it to linger until you’re ready for it.”

The Merciless by Danielle Vega

This one was tough to create, to be honest, because while I wanted to match the cover, I also wanted to add some of the books themes as well, but also include sort of a Mean Girls theme to it. The Merciless is about a group of popular high school girls (a la Mean Girls) who go psycho and try to perform an exorcism. So I went with an "On Wednesdays We Wear Pink" theme to match the cover and reference Mean Girls. After adding heels and a skirt, though, I felt like the outfit should be more "high schooler" and I just can't imagine wearing heels to school all day (as you can see, I put lots of thought into these LOL.)

"We exorcise you, impure one, you satanic power." Her clear voice fills the cold corners of the basement.

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

When I was trying to figure what outfit to choose for this cover, I originally wanted a light summer dress but I couldn't find one in the right shade of blue. When I went with gold, I wanted a beautiful evening gown and then it turned into a much fancier outfit, which really has nothing to do with the book and everything to matching the covers almost exactly.

“You only really fall apart in front of the people you know can piece you back together.”

Which outfit is your favorite? Let me know and offer any suggestions for future books as well :)

Top Ten Tuesday | Ten Reasons I Love Goodreads

I know I stumbled across Goodreads on a lifestyle blog, it was a widget on the side and I clicked and became a part of Goodreads immediately because books are
my lifea huge part of my life. It also kickstarted my whole book blogging life. I started over on the website vox.com and then wandered around in different places before I landed on Blogger.com and my blog took off from there.

Fast forward to now (8 years later) and I still love Goodreads. Here are my top ten reasons why:

1. It's a social network for books/readers: I have found so many books, so many friends, so many blogs.


2. I can share what I've read with people in real life: my book blog life and my real life have never really connected, so I like that little feature that when you finish a book, you can post it on your Facebook wall. I just like people I know in real to know what I'm reading too LOL.


3. The Goodreads challenge: I always set a certain number of books and even though I have mostly failed to complete the challenge each year, it's my favorite


4. Goodreads groups: They're like virtual book clubs and don't have to be book related.


5. Tracking my books with shelves: one of my favorite features is how easily you can add books to several shelves, create new ones, edit old ones, etc. It's a simple system that I've been using for all these years to keep track of what I read.


6. Recommendations: Like I said, I have found so many books just by having a Goodreads account, but I also like that it offers recommendations on the side, that whole "Readers also enjoyed" and "Because you read___, a few similar books" because I always find more books to add to my TBR.


7. Quotes: one of my favorite things in the world is finding and saving quotes. I used to do this on a WordDoc but now I have Goodreads to keep track of all the ones I love. I always go back to it, add new ones, or use them for something or other.


8. I can read other readers reviews, and I do this often.


9. Quizzes and polls are fun and they have tons to participate in!


10. Goodreads Choice Awards were readers get to vote on books they thought were best for each year.

There are tons of other reasons why I love Goodreads and these are in no particular order, I just wrote them as they came to my mind. If you haven't signed up for Goodreads account, even if you aren't a regular book blogger, I still recommend it for keeping track of your books or finding new books that might interest you.

Review | One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Title: One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Series: N/A
Genre: Adult - Romance
Publication: June 7th 2016 by Washington Square Press
Format: e-ARC
Source: From publisher for review
Rating: ★★★★☆

Synopsis: From the author of Maybe in Another Life—named a People Magazine pick and a "Best Book of the Summer" by Glamour and USA Today—comes a breathtaking new love story about a woman unexpectedly forced to choose between the husband she has long thought dead and the fiancé who has finally brought her back to life.

In her twenties, Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, far away from the expectations of their parents and the people of their hometown in Massachusetts. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure.

On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever.

Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness.

That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect the ones she loves.

Who is her one true love? What does it mean to love truly?

Emma knows she has to listen to her heart. She’s just not sure what it’s saying.

Thoughts: “I think it’s a good sign, though,” he said, “that I was crazy about you at sixteen and I’m still crazy about you now.”

One True Loves was and wasn't what I was expecting. I was intrigued to read this one from reading the summary because I can never resist some heartbreak and a love triangle (seriously.) From the start we learn that Emma is engaged to Sam when her husband calls her to tell her he's alive. Rewind to when they all first met, how Emma and Jesse fall in love, how she loses him, how she overcomes the aching heartbreak, to present day when she meets and falls in love with Sam.

I did like the characters, all of them. I found myself relating to Emma more than I thought I would, loving Jesse and Sam, understanding her relationship with her sister and parents, and adoring her faithful best friend. There were a few things Emma did that seemed selfish, but she's only human, and I think I would've felt and acted similarly.

"You don't tie yourself to something unless you're scared you might float away."

The story made me laugh and cry, and when I finally finished the book I was relieved that Emma had found her happiness but also sad that it was over. The story was well-paced, the ending not too predictable. I was really confused about who she was going to pick, but after some time realized who she needed to pick. And I'm glad it all worked out in the end.

This was the first book I read by TJR, and I must admit there were a few things that bothered me about her writing, such as the way the first chunk of the book is written (told instead of shown -- ...and why was everyone always wearing chinos?) but I thoroughly enjoyed the story so I look forward to checking more of her work out.

One True Loves kept me up late at night, and I was so immersed in the story, all the feelings and emotions, that I finished it in just a few hours. I am really happy I got the opportunity to read this one, it was a refreshing change to everything else I have been reading. Reid really created a believable, heart-wrenching story that I loved experiencing, and will remember for years to come. If you're looking for a contemporary love story to sink into this summer, One True Loves is definitely one to check out.

Literary Fashion | The One that Got Away + All the Bright Places

When I started this feature three years ago, I was planning on making it a regular feature. Of course, I leave and come back to the blog so often it's hard for me to regularly post anything. Now that I am newly inspired to post regularly, I took some time to create a few new sets on my Polyvore account, and I am really excited to share them.

The outfits no longer match the character, though, but match the cover instead. I realized that by waiting so long to post these, that I'd forgotten most about what the character wears and such, so I decided to coordinate my outfits to the cover. I liked this a lot better, but I might switch it up, depending on how well I remember each character.

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

“You are all the colors in one, at full brightness.”

The One that Got Away by Bethany Chase

“Even these last few, terrible days, he’s been my first thought in the morning, my last thought at night. Eamon—not Noah.”

Review | Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

Title: Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
Genre: YA - Contemporary
Publication: May 5th 2015 by Viking
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis: Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and—lately—concern. When Peyton's increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. When everyone else is so worried about Peyton, is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident?

Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlor, play bluegrass on weekends, and pitch in to care for their mother, who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance. And here she meets Mac, gentle, watchful, and protective, who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time.

The uber-popular Sarah Dessen explores her signature themes of family, self-discovery, and change in her twelfth novel, sure to delight her legions of fans.

Thoughts: I mostly stayed away from Sarah Dessen books these past few years because I felt like they were all similar and sort of dull. I liked them but I couldn't see what the big deal was. I think I burned myself out by reading too many, back-to-back. I was a little weary when I downloaded Saint Anything, especially because of the length, but I wanted to give her writing another shot.

Saint Anything made me realize that I've been missing out. Not only did I love the story, I also adored the characters. I felt like Sydney was my friend and I just wanted her to find herself, be with Mac, and just hang out with Layla all the time.

The friendships, romance, and parent relationships all felt real. It had been a while since a book made me feel like this one did. Once I was finished, I missed the characters. I wanted to know more, know they were okay. I hadn't felt a connection to characters since All the Bright Places.

From several other reviews, it seems that this one was a bit different than other Sarah Dessen books, and I'm glad. I was able to definitely enjoy her writing a lot more this time around and am looking forward to her future work. I definitely recommend Saint Anything for anyone looking for a contemporary book to read this summer, this one is great.

Review | Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

Title: Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
Series: N/A
Genre: Adult - Historical Fiction
Publication: September 10th 2013 by Little, Brown and Company
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Synopsis: Set against Iceland's stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution.

Horrified at the prospect of housing a convicted murderer, the family at first avoids Agnes. Only Tóti, a priest Agnes has mysteriously chosen to be her spiritual guardian, seeks to understand her. But as Agnes's death looms, the farmer's wife and their daughters learn there is another side to the sensational story they've heard.

Riveting and rich with lyricism, BURIAL RITES evokes a dramatic existence in a distant time and place, and asks the question, how can one woman hope to endure when her life depends upon the stories told by others?

Thoughts: I had a hard time getting into Burial Rites, partly because of the difficult name pronunciation and partly because the story sort of dragged on for the most part. While the premise was interesting, the story itself was boring and we did not learn much about Agnus until much later in the book. By then, I was already skimming the pages to get to the end of the book. I never really liked the characters much, and really did not sympathize for Agnus or the family she was staying with.

Burial Rites was uninteresting, and simply not for me. I made myself get through the whole thing but really wished I hadn't spent so much time on it :/

Review | Things We Know by Heart by Jessi Kirby

Title: Things We Know by Heart by Jessi Kirby
Series: N/A
Genre: YA - Contemporary
Publication: April 21st 2015 by HarperTeen
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Synopsis: When Quinn Sullivan meets the recipient of her boyfriend’s donated heart, the two form an unexpected connection.

After Quinn loses her boyfriend, Trent, in an accident their junior year, she reaches out to the recipients of his donated organs in hopes of picking up the pieces of her now-unrecognizable life. She hears back from some of them, but the person who received Trent’s heart has remained silent. The essence of a person, she has always believed, is in the heart. If she finds Trent’s, then maybe she can have peace once and for all.

Risking everything in order to finally lay her memories to rest, Quinn goes outside the system to track down nineteen-year-old Colton Thomas—a guy whose life has been forever changed by this priceless gift. But what starts as an accidental run-in quickly develops into more, sparking an undeniable attraction. She doesn't want to give in to it—especially since he has no idea how they're connected—but their time together has made Quinn feel alive again. No matter how hard she’s falling for Colton, each beat of his heart reminds her of all she’s lost…and all that remains at stake.

Thoughts: Things We Know by Heart was a cute read, and there were a few things I really liked about it, but mostly it was very meh for me. It's been a few months since I listened to it and I already have forgotten what I did (and didn't like) specifically about it to be honest but I do know one thing: it was too cheesy for me. That's saying a lot. I love the cheese but I just thought that it was too much for one book. I guess some of it was cute, but mostly, felt unrealistic.

This was my first Jessi Kirby book, so I'm looking forward to reading another book of hers in the future, and hoping for the best.

Review | The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

Title: The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder
Series: N/A
Genre: YA - Contemporary
Publication: June 28th 2011 by Simon Pulse
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Synopsis: One moment can change everything.

Amber’s life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself.

Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell he’s also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets.

The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she’s drawn to him. And the more she’s troubled by his darkness. Because Cade’s not just living in the now—he’s living each moment like it’s his last.

Thoughts: I sometimes enjoy books written in verse, but sometimes don't. I've had The Day Before sitting on my shelf for years, and maybe I missed when it was actually magical because for me it was forgettable. I didn't care for Amber much, and while her situation did seem like something that was hard to go through, I had a hard time feeling anything for her. I think this story would have been so much better if not written in verse, but to each their own.

I have enjoyed Schroeder's work, though, so I shall definitely give her other books a chance. The Day Before was not for me.

Reading Harry Potter as an Adult | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

With the excitement of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opening up at Universal Studios Hollywood, and several other Harry Potter related stuff going on recently, I decided it was finally time. I've been trying to re-read Harry Potter for the past few years and this is the year to do it.

I haven't read the series since the 7th book was released back in 2007. Before that, I read them constantly. It was different reading them, and growing up with Harry Potter at the same time. So with it having been 9 years since the last time I read them, I finally picked up the first one.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone introduces us to a ten (almost eleven) year old boy living with a horrible aunt, uncle, and cousin who treat him terribly and make him sleep under the cupboard. Living a very miserable life, Harry soon discovers he's not only a wizard, he's also very famous in the wizarding world. Of course, we all know this already and if you don't, then it's hard to believe you are not living under a rock.

Reading it as an adult is a very different perspective. When I first read Harry Potter, I was eleven myself, and his adventures seemed amazing and so daring. Now that I read it now, all I kept thinking was, "HE'S ELEVEN YEARS OLD, HE'S A CHILD! WILL SOMEONE PLEASE STOP HIM FROM ALMOST GETTING KILLED," and felt very Professor McGonagall about it.

But after the initial shock of realizing I was reading a book about a child, I got really into the story. It's not like I didn't know what was going to happen, but there were so many little things I had forgotten. There was also so many things you don't catch the first time around, until you know how the story is going to end. There were also several times where I found myself tearing up simply because it had been so long since I'd read about these characters, and I missed them. And I know what is coming in the future for them, and I know the pain, struggle, and so many more dangerous situations they'll be in.

I found it also surprising what an easy read it is. I guess I never noticed until now, but these books are so short and so fun, and really just quick to get through. I got through the first one in just a few hours, and it would have been less if I didn't have adult responsibilities. I am definitely glad to finally be reading them again, and am looking forward to getting though the rest pretty quickly as well. The Harry Potter series, as many of you know, is a must read for readers of all ages.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Universal Studios Hollywood

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood opened up on the 7th of April, and of course, I had planned to be there. The boyfriend and I had plans to get our annual passes for the park and enjoy our first day on opening day.

What we didn't expect was for park tickets to be sold out for opening day. I was crushed, and after several reassurances that my life was not over, we agreed that the following week would be better. I'm glad we did this after because 1) It rained on opening day 2) The lines for rides were about 2 hours long and 3) My boyfriend ended up getting sick that day (while we were at Disneyland) and wouldn't have enjoyed himself.

Anyways, Thursday was the day! I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. I had a hard time falling asleep the night before.



That morning I was up bright and early, decided to wear my Hogwarts inspired uniform (black leather skirt, knee high socks, Dr. Marten boots, and my Slytherin cardigan of course.) I decided not to take my Sirius Black wand because I knew I'd be getting another one there.We arrived and entered the park at 10:00am and headed straight for Hogsmeade. I was jumping for joy as we went through the archway. Immediately to the right was the Hogwarts Express and I wanted to burst into tears.


I took a picture with the conductor standing out front. We knew from checking the wait times that the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride was a 45 minute wait, so we wasted no time and headed there first (although my boyfriend had to drag me there since I wanted to stop everywhere -- Ollivander's, The Three Broomsticks, etc.)



Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

The ride itself is inside Hogwarts, so our first view of the castle was while we walked to wait in line. The winding line outside the castle offers the best views of it. Once past the gate onto the school grounds, where I was warmly greeted with a "Welcome back, Slytherin" and a high-5 from a fellow Hogwarts student (employee), we were steered into the bag line. As it turns out, if you have a large purse or backpack, you have to rent a locker before the ride. I had a backpack so we had to make the quick stop, which turned out to be a bit of a commotion with all the people bustling around -- like a real train station! If you don't have a bag though, you can continue in the line. After the lockers, we made it back into the line.

As it turns out, and also read in several reviews after, waiting in line is actually quite enjoyable. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is considered to be the first ride (at both parks I'm assuming) to have a queue where guests enjoy being a part of. As a huge fan, I can agree wholeheartedly with this because as you make your way through the line, you also get to experience the inside of Hogwarts.



Winding through the outside portion of the line, there's a greenhouse with exotic plants, including Mandrakes. Once inside, there are statues, and classrooms, talking portraits, and offices, the hourglass with the points, and plenty of things to just "Oh" and "Ah" over. I had to pause in every section to get a few pictures in and really couldn't stop looking at everything. Walking through Hogwarts did not feel like a wait to be honest.

The ride itself is, in one word, magical. I have seen a few negative reviews on it already, but before I visited HP World, I knew nothing. I had NO idea what to expect and really wanted to just enjoy everything. Back to the ride. Universal is known for great, thrilling rides that really cannot be compared to other amusement parks. The Forbidden Journey is no exception. Not knowing what was in store, I really felt immersed into Harry Potter world, and loved the ride. I don't want to give too many details because it is really a ride that needs to be experienced first hand.

The Flight of the Hipogriff

After our first ride, we headed to the second ride of Harry Potter World. To be honest, the short little roller coaster looked laughable, but of course needing to experience everything, we quickly got in line. I am not a big fan of roller coaster rides but this one looked like something that I could handle. While the ride is short, the quick little roller coaster does provide a few stomach drops which come as a bit of surprise because it seems to move pretty slow from the line.

Butterbeer Carts



It is foamy and delicious. You can get it hot, cold, or frozen and since it was a warm day for us, we went for a frozen and cold. I definitely recommend the cold one better because it doesn't taste as watered down. And while it is quite delicious, it is also really sweet. Even for someone with a sweet tooth like myself, sharing one among two adults is perfect. And you have a choice of getting a souvenir mug!

Ollivander's Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC

For Ollivander's you can choose to experience your wand being chosen by waiting in line (approx 45 minutes when we went.) But we wanted to check out the rest of the park, so we decided to do this towards the end of the day. With an hour left before closing, we headed back. We were getting restless after only about ten minutes though because we really had no idea what we were standing in line for. We decided to skip it and I sadly accepted I would not get my wand this trip. Since we still had a few shops to check out, we went into one and realized Ollivander's was on the other side and we could enter that way. After asking an employee, I found out that the line is for a group of about 6-10 people taken into a room, and only one guest gets chosen for their wand. Once that's over, they are ushered into the shop and buy their wand there.



I felt like I was okay with missing out on that experience this first time, and had someone help me find my new wand. I asked about it, and the wands can be chosen by qualities or by birthday. I went with the birthday and got a Vine wand. Character wands are available and can be picked between interactive and non-interactive.

Interactive wands can be used for "spells" in several locations in Hogsmeade. Because of our time constraint though, I didn't get an opportunity to do this but saw people waving their wands a couple times so I got the idea and it seems fun.

& lots of shops!

I got to walk through all the shops, which include Zonko's Joke Shop, Honeydukes (where I got Bertie Botts Every Flavor Jellybeans and a Chocolate Frog -- and got Salazar Slytherin!), Dervish and Bange, Gladrags Wizardwear, Wiseacres Wizarding Equipment, Filch's Emporium of Confiscated Goods and the Owl Post. The only thing I missed out on was eating at The Three Broomsticks, but I'll make sure to check that out next time.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is truly amazing, and if you get the opportunity to go, I definitely recommend it. I cannot wait to go back and spend the entire day there, since there are a few things I missed out on. It really is a great experience for Harry Potter fans of all ages.

Review | Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr

Title: Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr
Series: Untamed City #1
Genre: Young Adult - Fantasy/Paranormal
Publication: September 4th 2012 by HarperCollin
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher for review
Rating: ★★★★☆

Synopsis: In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the carnival, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures—if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

All Mallory knows of The City is that her father—and every other witch there—fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable.While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the carnival.

Thoughts: I don't really know why but Carnival of Souls took me months to finish. Normally, when I find a good book I can get through it pretty quickly but this one took me a while.

I liked the plot, the story building was well done, and all the characters were interesting... but it somehow wasn't fulfilling. At some points I was almost bored too, but yet felt that this deserved a higher rating (that's why I gave it four stars.) Its difficult to explain my feelings because I thought it was really good yet there was something about it that didn't make me completely love it and I can't put my finger on it.

I think this is in large part due to having a cliffhanger ending + no sequel in the near future. There is a short novella I might pick up but would really like to see where the story goes.

Review | The Rules by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié

Title: The Rules by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié
Series: N/A
Genre: YA - Horror/Thriller
Publication: June 23rd 2015 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Synopsis: Junior Robin Brisset has no idea what she's in for when she accepts an invitation to one of Callabrese High's most exclusive parties. And when the trademark scavenger hunt begins, Robin must go against every rule she's lived by to survive.

Thoughts: The main problem I had with The Rules, was how dull I found it. While the story starts off pretty interesting, I didn't like the characters (there are so many to keep track of too,) couldn't understand how they were being killed off so easily or why they kept thinking splitting up was a good idea. Luckily, I had the audiobook version of this book, so it was easy to get through and not feel like I wasted too much of my reading time.

Also, the killer in the end? What the hell was that. I sort of predicted before it happened but was still disappointed the authors took it that way. Wouldn't really recommend this one, but it's not completely terrible. Just a little boring but with plenty of violence to keep me listening.

Review | We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach

Title: We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach
Series: N/A
Genre: YA - Contemporary/Science Fiction
Publication: March 24th 2015 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Synopsis: Before the asteroid we let ourselves be defined by labels:
The athlete, the outcast, the slacker, the overachiever.

But then we all looked up and everything changed.

They said it would be here in two months. That gave us two months to leave our labels behind. Two months to become something bigger than what we'd been, something that would last even after the end.

Two months to really live.

Thoughts: I was able to really enjoy We All Looked Up, which was sort of a mixture of contemporary/science-fiction. I felt like I connected with all the characters well, and liked them all. At some points I felt that the book dragged on a little much, but it made sense since there was a lot to go through for the end of the world.

I had seen in a review that the ending is sort of open, and while I expected this to disappoint me..it didn't. I really liked how it ended, since it didn't feel like a cliffhanger at all.

Overall, definitely an enjoyable read but I am glad I picked up an audiobook copy because I am not sure if I would've been able to finish it.

New Year + Goals

This past year was a good one. While there were a few things that were hard to just deal with, overall this year was amazing. I laughed a lot, read more than I did the year before, and just enjoyed a lot of little moments. I also remained pretty active on the blog, for the most part. Earlier in the year, I decided to finally stop reading books I didn't want to finish and I also started reviewing my old way.

As I've done the last few years, I wanted to share my new years resolutions and goals which are again, simple. They worked out well for the last two years which is what I like best.

• Read books: I've set my goal low for the last two years but it makes me a little sad that I don't get to read more. I don't want to set an unrealistic goal, but this year I am aiming for 52 books since I was able to accomplish my goal last year.


• Re-read Harry Potter: I set this goal for myself last year and unfortunately wasn't able to get around to reading the books but maybe this year I'll get to it!


• Stay healthy and happy: Like last year, I did well in staying healthy for the most part. While I fell off the healthy for a bit, I was able to jump back on it and lose most of the weight I wanted to. This year, I want to make sure to accomplish my weight goal, run more 5K's and maybe even be a part of a runDisney race. I also have a really happy year and hope this year is the same if not better :)

That's it! An even shorter list than last years but I am happy with my resolutions/goals. Happy New Year every one and happy reading. Let's make this year a good one ♥