It's Been A While

Thanks have been crazy for the past couple of years but I'm finally getting back to blogging!

Life Updates:

*I spent 6 weeks in Shanghai as an Au Pair before becoming very ill and having to return home. Tidbit- Don't get pooped on by a bird there, that stuff is toxic and burns your skin.

*I'm on the Board of the Friends of the Mayville Public Library. Treasurer to be exact. We raise money for the library so that they/we can buy anything they need. We also get items for donations, fundraisers, collections, etc.

*I'm back working at a daycare, which makes me a little sad. However, it's a job & kids are cool.

*I've been going through a lot with my anxiety and depression. It's been years and still have not had much luck in the medication department.

*I finished The Crown's Game last week and am torn about how I feel about it. Before that, I read Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake and This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab and both were to die for!

Let me know you're thoughts!

What's Up?

Goodness Gracious! I've sure let my blog slip to the wayside. I've been otherwise preoccupied; working, living, daydreaming. You know how it goes. I'm sure I'll have to participate soon in a blog hop, I kind of miss that!

Otherwise, I shall do a short recap of life since February:

March: Slipped on ice, got a concussion. Mood issues, Major sound sensitivity, Inability to form sentances and think clearly. Head and neck aches.

April: I finally got back to work after a month off.

May: It was my mom's birthday. That's all I can recall about May. Oh yes, also- my boss at work announced she was leaving. So me and two other ladies took over her duties. Now I do scheduling, payroll, invoicing, in addition to my normal job of watching children!

June: Work and Life.

July: There were fireworks. Ooooh. Ahhhh.

August: Work, field trips. On one, we went to the Horicon Marsh. So, out of a group of 4-8 year olds, I'm the only one who screamed at a bug.

September: I turned 28. Put purple/pink streaks in my hair.

October: Current month! Trick or Treat is on Saturday!

And that's that folks!

Oscars!

Last night was my favorite night of the year, Oscar night! Though I did enjoy Seth MacFarlane as host (I loved his joke about Daniel Day Lewis freeing Don Cheadle), I felt that the show just draaaaagged on! And for me, it wasn't the show that caused my feelings of boredom, it was all of the commercial breaks! I found  it overly frustrating... I understand that commercials are how things are paid for, but when the show is running over there really isn't any need to go to a commercial break every 5 minutes!

Moving on, did you see those dresses? BEAUTIFUL! Nothing really screamed "Worst Dressed" to me, which I found refreshing. Of course there were dresses that were just 'eh' (Kerry Washington in Miu Miu, Amy Adams in Oscar de la Renta, Olivia Munn). My biggest disappointment of the night was Anne Hathaway in Prada. It was so incredibly blah...

On to my favorites!

Naomi Watts in Armani Prive. She looked amazing, I loved how the dress was cut and it was sparkly!

Amanda Seyfried in Alexander McQueen. Simply stunning!

Jessica Chastain in Armani Prive. Classic in copper!

Jennifer Lawrence in Dior Haute Couture. I'll admit that I wasn't too fond of it when I first saw it. I'm just not a fan of uber-mermaid dresses. But the light pink is great, I love the subtle print on the dress, and she looked great! Plus, I kind of loved that she tripped (not in a mean way, but in a 'that's why she's my fake bff' way)

On a random fashion note. Zoe Saldana. Is it just me, or did her dress last night seem overly reminiscent of her 2010 Oscar dress? It's basically a toned down version... (2013 on left, 2010 on right) I'm not a fan of either. Thoughts?

Honorable best dressed mentions: Sandra Bullock, Stacy Keibler, Halle Berry.

YA Faeries & Fantasy Giveaway Hop

Fantasy. It's one of my favorite things. To many people, I'm sure fantasy means faeries and unicorns and far off magical places. And that is fantasy.  But fantasy can also refer to anything that is based in the actual present or past. Dystopian... fantasy. Science Fiction... fantasy. Most Romance novels... fantasy. 

Because of my love of fantasy, I was really excited to participate in this particular hop! I have a couple things to give away!

I have two books & a set of bookmarks to give away and will pick a winner for each...

First up, is a bookplate signed copy of Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck.


                                     
Synopsis:

Passion. Fate. Loyalty.

Would you risk it all to change your destiny?

The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

Second up, is my ARC of Shades of Earth by Beth Revis. It comes out January 15 and is the third book in the Across the Universe trilogy (now, since that's the last day of the giveaway, you won't receive it before the book is actually released. But hey, it's still an ARC and ARC's are pretty awesome!)

Synopsis:

Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceshipGodspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.

But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight.

Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing.

FUELED BY LIES.
RULED BY CHAOS.
ALMOST HOME.

Lastly, you can enter to win some bookmarks. The first one is signed by Jessica Spotswood and it promotes Born Wicked and Star Cursed. The second is signed by Victoria Schwab and promotes The Archived (such a great, GREAT book!). The third isn't signed but it's for Starters by Lissa Price (which if you haven't read it yet... is AMAZING!)

Interested? Enter below!


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I'm seriously incompetent when it come's to getting the Linky to work, so here's a link back to the list of blogs participating:

Faeries & Fantasy Blogs

A Photo A Day: January

One of my goals this year is to attempt to take a photo a day (hopefully!) for a month. Therefore, I may as well make it this month! The photo will be of something I did or saw on that particular day...

January 1, 2013 
Coloring in the Alphonse Mucha coloring book

January 2, 2013

The 18 books (mostly signed) that I have received in the past month.  Only 8 left to get! (I'm sure I'll be giving some away in the coming year, as long as you don't mind that some are personalized!)

January 3, 2013

Sending fanmail/Autograph requests: IRC & photos. 

January 4, 2013

The view out of my window, Main Street Mayville

January 5, 2013

Today I got a signed picture of Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) in the mail!

January 6, 2013

Icicles on neighbouring building

January 7, 2013

The Importance of Blood Donation!

January 8, 2013

The joy of carrying groceries up the back steps...

January 9, 2013

I made cookies (Oatmeal Raisin)

January 10, 2013

I received my signed copy of Origin by Jessica Khoury in the mail!

January 11, 2013

Received signed photo of Ginnifer Goodwin that I sent out in September back today!

January 12, 2013

Not a new picture but I'm missing my cat, Annabelle (she lives in Missouri and technically I've only spent a day with her. But she's still my cat!)

Books Read in 2012

In 2011, my goal had been to read 75 books and I made it to 82. This year, I didn't want to pressure myself so I set my goal at 50 books... which ended up being met by July. Well, I wasn't about to just stop reading because my goal was met so I kept increasing the goal by 5. 

My end of the year count was 90. Which, I'm really excited about but at the same time highly disappointed that I didn't make it to 100. If I hadn't slacked off for most of October/November, it would have easily happened. 

So here it is, my list of books read in 2012:

1. Grave Sight (Charlaine Harris)
2. Girl, Interrupted (Susanna Kaysen)
3. Grave Surprise (Charlaine Harris)
4. Dragon's Oath (P.C. Cast)
5. An Ice Cold Grave (Charlaine Harris)
6. A Game of Thrones (George R. R. Martin)
7. Grave Secret (Charlaine Harris)
8. The Sisters Grimm: A Very Grimm Guide (Michael Buckley)
9. Erec Rex: The Three Furies (Kaza Kingley)*
10. Crossed (Ally Condie)
11. Lenobia's Vow (P.C. Cast)
12. The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)*
13. The Warm & Witty Side of Attila the Hun
14. Vampire Crush (A. M. Robinson)
15. Just Listen (Sarah Dessen)
16. Keeping the Moon (Sarah Dessen)
17. Along for the Ride (Sarah Dessen)
18. The Truth About Forever  (Sarah Dessen)
19. Lock & Key (Sarah Dessen)
20. Dreamland (Sarah Dessen)
21. What Happened to Goodbye (Sarah Dessen)
22. Erec Rex: The Secret of Ashona (Kaza Kingsley)
23. Hex Hall (Rachel Hawkins)
24. Demon Glass (Rachel Hawkins)
25. That Summer (Sarah Dessen)
26. Divergent (Veronica Roth)*
27. Insurgent (Veronica Roth)
28. The Ash-Born Boy (Victoria Schwab)
29. Deadlocked (Charlaine Harris)
30. Across the Universe (Beth Revis)
31. The Fault in Our Stars (John Green)
32. Will Grayson, will grayson (Green & Levithan)
33. Spellbound (Rachel Hawkins)
34. Purity (Jackson Pearce)
35. The Sisters Grimm: The Council of Mirrors (Michael Buckley)
36. Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Story Behind the Song
37. The Enchantress (Michael Scott)
38. Fifty Shades of Grey (E.L. James)
39. Fifty Shades Darker (E.L. James)
40. Nikolas & Company: The Merman and the Moon Forgotten 
41. Before I Fall (Lauren Oliver)
42. Nikolas & Co: When Boats Breathe and Cities Speak
43. The Hunger Games: Official Illustrated Companion
44. Second Variety (Philip K. Dick)
45. Delirium (Lauren Oliver)
46. Billy the Kid & The Vampyres of Vegas (Michael Scott)
47. What Type Am I? (Renee Baron)
48. Pandemonium (Lauren Oliver)
49. Hana (Lauren Oliver)
50. F For Effort (Richard Benson)
51. Post Secret: Life, Death & God
52. Legend (Marie Lu)
53. F in Exams (Richard Benson)
54. Fifty Shades Freed (E.L. James)
55. Fathomless (Jackson Pearce)
56. The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell (Chris Colfer)
57. Deathless (Catherynne M. Valente)
58. Honor Bound: My Journey to Hell and Back with Amanda Knox (Raffaele Sollecito)
59. Girl of Nightmares (Kendare Blake)
60. Cinder (Marissa Meyer)
61. The Red Fairy Book (Andrew Lang)
62. An Apple for the Creature, anthology
63. Saving Halloween (Lisa Ard)
64. Turn Here (Jackson Pearce)
65. Glitches (Marissa Meyer)
66. Real  Murders (Charlaine Harris)
67. Lamia (John Keats)
68. A Bone to Pick (Charlaine Harris)
69. Three Bedrooms, One Corpse (Charlaine Harris)
70. The Julius House (Charlaine Harris)
71. Lips Touch, Three Times (Laini Taylor)
72. The Sookie Stackhouse Companion (Charlaine Harris)
73. Dead Over Heels (Charlaine Harris)
74. If I Had A Hammer (Charlaine Harris)
75. A Fool and His Honey (Charlaine Harris)
76. Last Scene Alive (Charlaine Harris)
77. Poppy Done to Death (Charlaine Harris)
78. A Tale Dark and Grimm (Adam Gidwitz)
79. The Saga of Larten Crepsley: Palace of the Damned (Darren Shan)
80. Doctor Who: Aliens and Enemies
81. The Saga of Larten  Crepsley: Brothers to the Death (Darren Shan)
82. Lies, Knives and Girls in Red Dresses (Ron Koertge)
83. In A Glass Grimmly (Adam Gidwitz)
84. Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Laini Taylor)*
85. Hidden  (P.C. Cast)
86. Days of Blood and Starlight (Laini Taylor)
87. The Archived - ARC (Victoria Schwab)
88. The Queen's Army (Marissa Meyer)
89. Annabel (Lauren Oliver)
90. School Spirits - NetGalley (Rachel Hawkins)

*denotes re-read

2012 Movies & TV in Review

Since I already did my post on my favorite books read this year, all I have left are movies and television. 

Television

This year, I made it a point not to get addicted to any "new" shows. Meaning all the shows that premiered this year... I haven't seem any. I did, however, discover two shows that have been around for a while but are new to me!

1. Doctor Who: Either you love it or you just don't get it.  Not that there's really anything to "get" but I've had a few people watch it and all I get from them are head shakes. No matter, I love it dearly and look forward to continuing on the journey (since I'm only on series five).

Favorite Episodes:

-The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances (s. 1)

-The Girl in the Fireplace (s. 2)

-Army of Ghosts/Doomsday (s. 2)

-The Shakespeare Code (s. 3)

-Blink (s. 3)

-Human Nature/The Family of Blood (s. 3)

-Utopia/The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords (s. 3)

-Partners in Crime (s. 4)

-Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead (s. 4)

-Stolen Earth/Journey's End (s. 4)

-The End of Time (special)

2. The Big Bang Theory: I think this is the most brilliant and hysterically funny show I've ever seen. Every episode brings laughter into my life and I think Sheldon Cooper is one of the best characters. I love his quirks.

Favorite Episodes:

-The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis (s. 2)

-The Adhesive Duck Deficiency (s. 3)

-The Zazzy Substitution (s. 4)

-The Shiny Trinket Maneuver (s. 5)

-The 43 Peculiarity (s. 6)

Movies

As usual, there was an abundance of movies released this year. Some great, some ok, some bad.

Favorites:

1) The Hobbit: Like the Lord of the Rings trilogy before this first installment, An Unexpected Journey is beautifully done. Peter Jackson continued to create a world in which I would love to get lost, Orcs and all. The only problem is that I can't decide if I like Bilbo, Thorin or Gandalf the most...

2) The Hunger Games: While the book was vastly more enjoyable, the film was still very well made. I left the theater fully satisfied that they hadn't mucked it up, as had happened with Twilight.

3) The Dark Knight Rises: I love Bane. Very, very much. He's just awesome. And, the end of this movie, at the cafe... Alfred... Bruce and Selina... I was very content.

4) The Avengers: For the most part, I'm a big fan of movies based on Comic Books. Well, at least these comic books (I'm not into Spider Man). All of my favorites in one movie... it was fun!

5) Prometheus: I actually just watched this on DVD today and I loved it more than I thought I would. I was gripped with suspense throughout the entire movie and even shrieked once or twice.

Honorable Mention: The Cabin in the Woods. Such twists, such enjoyment!

Worst of the Year:

1)Rock of Ages: I really, really wanted to like it. However, from the first five minutes I was very much doubting that I would... and I didn't. A musical at it's worst.

2)Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter: It had some decent moments but for the most part, I lost interest and had to fight to pay attention.

3) Magic Mike: There were some very enjoyable parts (the dance numbers) but then there was the unfortunate aspect of the actual story line. Too much movie, not enough taking off their clothes.

2012 in Review

2012 is nearly over, which means that the next few weeks will be spent trying to cram in as many books and movies as possible. Even so, I thought I would post a list of my 2012 favorites. While other lists focus on books/etc. that came out during the year, I'm going to focus on the books/movies/TV that I personally read/experienced during the 2012. This post will deal with, drum roll please...

Books

Favorite:

5. Before I Fall (Lauren Oliver) Well, to be honest, the reason this book made my list is because it stuck with me. The scenario is interesting: living the day you died over and over, making changes along the way, all the while learning more about yourself and the people in your life. I enjoyed the book and went on to read more of Lauren Oliver's work.

4. Cinder (Marissa Meyer) & Days of Blood and Starlight (Laini Taylor) Obviously, it's a tie. Cinder made my list for a number of reasons: It's based on a fairy tale, it features cyborgs, and the end isn't what you'd really expect. The next book in the series, Scarlet, comes out in a few months and I look forward to continuing the adventure. Days of Blood and Starlight, well... I haven't actually finished it as of this moment. I'm about half way through and am loving it. Laini Taylor is a brilliant writer and I love her world and characters. 

3. Hex Hall (Rachel Hawkins) Basically, the number three spot goes to all three books: Hex Hall, Spellbound, and Demon Glass. Especially the second half of Spellbound and Demon Glass in it's entirety. The series was fun and had some great characters. And now there's going to be a spin-off featuring Izzy Brannick. Fall 2013 cannot come fast enough.

2. The Enchantress (Michael Scott) This was the final book in the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series and it was spectacular. It was a wonderful end to one of my favorite series.

1. The Fault in Our Stars (John Green) This book moved me. Simple as that. I hoped with the characters, I loved with the characters, and I cried. A lot. I believe that this book should be required reading for everyone. John Green does an amazing job at making cancer realistic. Of course cancer is real, but it's the Big Scary. Typically, forms of fictional media tend to focus on the people in the story who do not have cancer. We view it from outside looking in. We see the physical toll it can take, but hardly ever get a glimpse of what that person is internally experiencing. With Hazel and Augustus, we see all of the damage caused. We see the glimmers of hope, as well as the moments when nothing seems worth it...

Honorable mention to every book by Sarah Dessen. I read/reread them all this year and adore every single one of them. They manage to make me wish I could go back to high school because, hey, maybe my life could be like anyone from her books.

Most Disappointing:

1. Crossed (Ally Condie) I had enjoyed the first book in the series, but found this one to be incredibly lacking. Ugh. The only reason I'm going to read Reached in the next couple weeks is because I need to know how it ends, even if I officially no longer care.

2. The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell (Chris Colfer) Good concept, average execution. Nothing new or exciting. It had some good moments but was mostly just, eh.

Crushes:

1. Cal from the Hex Hall series. Forget Archer, I was Team Cal. He seemed genuinely Good, and handsome, and useful.

2. Akiva from Days of Blood and Starlight/Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Any man/seraphim that falls in love with you twice/in two different forms, is a keeper. Well, then again... he did do a horrendous act. Oh, screw it. Put him on probation and just make some Seraphim/Chimaera peace/babies.

3. Eli/Dave/Nate/Owen/Wes from the works of Sarah Dessen. Swoon.

Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop

I decided to participate in this Blog Hop because I love the Holiday season. The weeks leading up to Christmas are something I look forward to every year.

For this giveaway, it will be winner's choice of prize. The only requirements are that:

1)It has to be $11 or under

2)It has to be from Amazon and eligible for Amazon Prime Shipping.

That's it. Anything you want, because it's the holidays!

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Here's the link back to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

December

I can't believe it's December already. It doesn't feel like it. We haven't had any snow (well, it's snowed but it was just a slight dusting) and today feels like Spring. It's fantastic.  Perhaps Mother Nature listened when I suggested that it only snow between December 22 and January 2.  I only want snow for the holidays.

Anyway, not much has been happening. I did finally decide to begin watching Doctor Who, so I got series one from the library. Well... the first episode was rather... corny. Mannequins come to life because they're being controlled by an alien thing hiding beneath the Millennium Wheel? Like I said, corny. But I kept watching and then "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances" happened and I was hooked. I must say, I enjoyed Christopher as the Ninth Doctor very much, though I was looking forward to David Tennant (as I had heard SO much about how amazing he is). And, everyone was right. David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor is phenomenal. I finished series four 2 weeks ago and have been putting off series five. I'm sure Matt Smith is great, but David Tennant is my Doctor. Just as Rose is my companion (I felt that Martha was just eh, though Donna is a close second to Rose). Doomsday broke my heart.

Other than becoming a Whovian, I've been reading. Not as much as I'd like to, but oh well! I'm up to 85 books read for the year and 2 weeks ago I received an ARC of The Archived by Victoria Schwab that I'd dying to read. The only problem is that I just haven't felt much like reading. Plus, the library finally got in "Days of Blood and Starlight" for me and I keeping telling myself that I must. read. it. soon.

Also, I've been working on my autograph collection. I received a couple signed book plates (Marissa Meyer, George W. Bush) and signed photos (Joan Fontaine & Mary Costa, aka the voice of Sleeping Beauty). I have a few more letters out, waiting for a response. I just love doing this :)

I'll be participating in a Blog Hop in a couple days, so check back!

Stuck In A Good Book Giveaway!

I Am A Reader Not A Writer

Giveaway

So, I've been contemplating which book to give away this time. The premise is to pick a book that you couldn't put down, and for me there are many... The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor and on and on and on.

While I do love love love all of the aforementioned books, there is a series that I consider to be one of the best I've read. Unfortunately, I don't feel it gets as much love as it deserves. It has really good reviews but I think that it's not as popular as it deserves to be. Therefore, I will be giving away a paperback copy of book one:

He holds the secret that can end the world.

The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330. Nearly 700 years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life.

The records show that he died in 1418.

But his tomb is empty.

The legend: Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects—the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. That's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it.

Sometimes legends are true.

And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.

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Giveaway!

I Am a Reader Not a Writer

I'm very excited to announce that I am participating in my first ever Blog Hop giveaway! Since my birthday and the release of Fathomless by Jackson Pearce (who writes pretty awesome books!) fall on the same day during this Hop, I decided that I'll give away a copy.

Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, and Jane can see the present, but all Celia can see is the past. And the past seems so insignificant -- until Celia meets Lo.

Lo doesn't know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea -- a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid -- all terms too pretty for the soulless monster she knows she's becoming. Lo clings to shreds of her former self, fighting to remember her past, even as she's tempted to embrace her dark immortality.

When a handsome boy named Jude falls off a pier and into the ocean, Celia and Lo work together to rescue him from the waves. The two form a friendship, but soon they find themselves competing for Jude's affection. Lo wants more than that, though. According to the ocean girls, there's only one way for Lo to earn back her humanity. She must persuade a mortal to love her . . . and steal his soul.

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Olympics, surgery and more...

The Olympics:

Pretty awesome, huh? I've always loved watching them and was particularly excited for these games since they were in London (which I've considered home ever since I spent my first semester of college there).

Lots of awesome things happened... Michael Phelps is officially the most-decorated Olympian, the US Women's Gymnastics Team won the Gold, the flag flew away during the anthem when Serena Williams won her Gold Medal ("And the flag was still there"...except it wasn't), Usain Bolt, and many more.

I also have to say, in terms of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies... The Opening was a wee bit disappointing, though it did have some amazing moments (Queen Elizabeth and James Bond). Now, the Closing Ceremony... I LOVED it. I mean, The Spice Girls performed!!! I was so excited about that that I spent a lot of time squealing in anticipation. I also loved Russell Brand's performances. Very entertaining. And... Eric Idle. I think I must have watched the Indian dance portion of his performance dozens of times and laughed every time...

Overall, I had a fantastic couple of weeks watching the activities and am saddened that I have to wait 18 months for more.

Surgery:

Last week my mother had her rotator cuff repaired and she's finally in better spirits. The first week was incredibly stressful for both of us and I am incredibly thankful that things are more under control at the moment.

Blog Hops:

Starting in September I will be participating in Blog Hop giveaways sponsored by I Am A Reader Not A Writer and I am very excited to do so!

Well, that's all for now :)

The Ash-Born Boy is here!

It's May 15th! 

Not only does THE NEAR WITCH by Victoria Schwab come out in paperback TODAY, but, to celebrate its release, "The Ash-Born Boy" is finally up over at  Disney Hyperion's website!

So, what IS "The Ash-Born Boy"? 

It's a free story Victoria wrote as a thank-you to her fans, and she wrote it to answer ONE question: "Who was Cole before he came to Near?"

Now, if you've already read THE NEAR WITCH, "The Ash-Born Boy" is guaranteed to change the way you see Cole.

And if you haven't read THE NEAR WITCH yet, don't worry, "The Ash-Born Boy" won't spoil anything!

So basically, either way, you should go read Cole's story ;) 

And if you want to wait and read THE NEAR WITCH first, don't worry! Cole's story will stay up on Disney*Hyperion's website, and if it ever comes down, Victoria will carve out a space for it on her own site. It will always be available somewhere, and it will always be free. 

And! 

Cole's story isn't the only goodie to go along with the paperback release. In the back of the paperback itself, you'll find the first chapter of Victoria's new book, THE ARCHIVED, which doesn't come out until January!

So what are you waiting for? 

Help Victoria celebrate today by taking a look at "The Ash-Born Boy," and don't forget to buy/order/pick up your own paperback copy of THE NEAR WITCH!

It's been a while...

And nothing much is new. Figures. Mayville isn't really the most happening city...


Anyways, I just read an AMAZING book. It's called "The Fault in Our Stars" and is by John Green. It's a New York Times #1 Bestseller that Time Magazine called "damn near genius"...and it is. 


Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now. 

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault. 

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.


The book was real, it was gripping and it made me sob uncontrollably for at least 20 minutes.

In other news, I will be in Madison this coming weekend for an EPIC weekend. Well, if your definition of epic involves best friends, Wii dancing and some alcohol... then yes, definitely epic. Perhaps more to come on that...

Tomorrow there will be an exciting post for fans of "The Near Witch" by Victoria Schwab!

Sinusitis Sucks

This past week has been exhausting. I had to go to Urgent Care on Wednesday evening so I could get a prescription for antibiotics. The R.N. at Fast Care at the pharmacy told me she wouldn't give me anything for another week (really? By that time my sinus infection would have healed itself), so we drove to the hospital. I got my prescription and feel loads better already! It's hard to work with kids and keep a non-irritable disposition when your face/neck/ears/head are that sore...

On the same note, my mother came home ill on Friday and finally let me take her to the E.R. this morning. 4 hours and one massive sinus infection diagnosis later, I finally got home and could chill out for the first time this weekend. It's stressful being stressed about the health of a loved one!

Well, in other news, I read 2 books this week. I read Crossed by Ally Condie. It's the second book in a trilogy. I did enjoy the story but I find that her books just lack something. Parts of the book are intriguing while other aspects (i.e. the ending) just don't seem worth my time. Still, I'd recommend it for an easy read. The other book, or should I say novella, that I read was Lenobia's Vow by P.C. & Kristin Cast. I enjoyed it up until the end. The last 15 pages or so were just disappointing. They draw things out throughout the book and then all of a sudden they just resolve everything quickly (Build up/climax/destruction/hope, with the climax/destruction/hope happening in those last few pages). I just can't stand that in a book. If I invest my time reading something, I expect a little more...

And that's it for now...

The 84th Annual Academy Awards

Last night was my favorite night of the year! Overall, I thought the show was great. Billy Crystal is always an enjoyable host. His opening film montage was amusing and I appreciate that he's not an overly insulting host. As for the winners, I didn't think there were any big surprises. While I had hoped Viola Davis would win, Meryl Streep is always a deserving contender and I found myself incredibly happy for her 3rd win. I thought that the best three acceptance speeches of the night belonged to Octavia Spencer, Christopher Plummer and Meryl.

Now to the fashion! There were many wonderful fashion choices seen on the red carpet last night.

disHonorable mentions for Worst Dressed:

Rooney Mara in Givenchy. The top of the dress just seems off to me and it seems that I may one of the few people who didn't appreciate the dress. I'm not a fan of her style...
Stacy Keibler in Marchesa. It seemed too '80s to me with the big flower on her hip. Perhaps in a different color it might have worked for me..
Kristin Wiig  in J Mendel. She seems to pick this nude color a lot and it just does nothing for her.

Worst Dressed:

3.) Berenice Bejo in Elie Saab. It looks very messy.

2.)Melissa Leo in Reem Accra. It's just so blah.

1.) Shailene Woodley in Valentino Couture. Very matronly and outdated.

Honorable Mentions for Best Dressed:

Sandra Bullock in Marchesa. I love the black and white of the dress with the touches of sparkle. I think she tried something a little different and it worked.
Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford. I love it's simplicity.
Milla Jovovich in Elie Saab Couture. I love the color. I love the sparkle. Beautiful!

Best Dressed:


3.) Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton. Honestly, I hated this dress at first, with the exception of the color. It's grown on me and I really love it. The color is superb on her and the dress shows her personality.

2.) Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen. The dress is different and it works on her. I love the gold pattern on the black. It fits well and looks beautiful.

Octavia Spencer

1.) Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji. She really works her shape. The dress is stunning and flattering. She's stepped it up with every award show this season and this was a great final dress!

Michelle Williams

Jessica Chastain