A tale of two books that made me cry...

Well. That's quite the title for a post! But I just read two different books and they both brought on the extreme FEELS. And, yes, I especially got literally teary eyed towards the end of one of them...

But how to talk about these two stories without massively spoiling them for the people who haven't read them?! I don't quite know how I will achieve this, but here goes.


"Nimona" - Noelle Stevenson

I've had this little graphic novel on my 'to read' list for a while. From the first page, all I could think was of how CUTE it was. Not just the artwork, but the character of Nimona, herself. She is hilarious and every word that comes out of her mouth was so entertaining...

And then the story got dark.. And I got anxious!

But at the heart of it all, it was such a beautiful story about love and friendship and coming to terms with things beyond your control and oh gosh, the FEELS!!!!



"A Gathering of Shadows" (Book 2 - "A Darker Shade of Magic") - V.E. Schwab

TRUE STORY: I tweeted this to V.E. (Victoria) Schwab just last night upon finishing this book and she replied within SECONDS:

 A few other tweets later, I literally FANGIRLED like a dork and thanked her for the books and the characters of Kell and Lila. Honestly, I felt kind of bad because my tweet got a lot of reactions and she seems so stressed over the fact that she is working on so many upcoming books. She told me I was the SEVENTH person to ask just that day.. yikes!! But she's so cool! She was flattered, truly ;)

ahhhhh.. But I can't help losing it. "A Gathering of Shadows" is the sequel to "A Darker Shade of Magic", which I read back in April. I even dubbed it my new favorite.

It's about a magical, (and red headed!), boy named Kell who has special abilities of traveling between parallel worlds, and more specifically, parallel LONDONS. The London, (England, people), we are familiar with on this planet is deemed "Gray London". Kell himself is from "Red" London, and there are also "White" London and the not-quite-existing-anymore "Black" London.

Kell was adopted by the royal family of Red London and raised to be a sort of protector of Prince Rhy, and official royal messenger between the worlds. Long story shot: shenanigans occur. Lots of shenanigans.

Too many shenanigans. Also: Kell wears a fabulous sounding transforming coat. (I want it).

A lot of disobeying/rebelling/rule breaking that, naturally, results in getting into serious trouble. I mentioned in my Goodreads 'review' that I love Kell so much because I feel like I can relate to him: and it's something that only just dawned on me with this second book. I won't get into the details, but basically, his desperation and resentment about the cards he was dealt in life, and wanting to RUN are something that hit kind of close to home. And there's a part towards the end of "A Gathering of Shadows" where it all came bubbling to the surface for him and he more or less erupted, and THAT is what brought tears to my eyes.

I could feel his agony..

Bravo, Victoria Schwab, for your creation of such an emotionally complex character that I've come to care a lot about.

And now to play the waiting-fangirl-game ;)



What's the last book you read that you loved so much it made you cry and/or harass the author on Twitter?!

If my life could be a BOOK, it would be written by Laini Taylor

It all started with a book that had a photo of a girl wearing a blue feathered mask on the cover. I picked it up and never wanted to set it down again...

You know when you find that ONE author that you're 100% positive of that you'll absolutely adore everything they write? I found her in August of 2014, and I'm forever thankful that I did.

That book with the blue-masked girl was "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" - which I mentioned in my "Month of Power Couples: Karou and Akiva" casual cosplay post on Monday! It was  a story I had somehow been dreaming of my entire life and finally found. Ok - that sounds uber corny, but it's true! The following two books in the series were no different, and I finally finished the series last year. It. Was. Epic.

In case you've never read it: it's a YA fantasy trilogy about a mysterious girl who has a magical secret: she was raised by monsters. Actual monsters. One of which happens to grant wishes! She is content with her life as a young woman living in Prague, attending art school with her best friend by day, working for her 'demon dad' by night.  Her life gets completely turned upside down, however, the day black hand prints start appearing in secret doorways. Things turn dangerous, and she comes face to face with a different kind of monster: an angel. With wings made of fire. She eventually learns things she never knew, but somehow once did, and nothing is ever the same again - and that's just the FIRST book, mind you. It's hard to really describe the rest of them without completely spoiling the story.


So I decided to hunt down other books written by Laini Taylor.

DROWNED
 
First up was a comic/graphic novel called "Drowned" illustrated by her equally awesome husband: Jim DiBartolo. It was super creepy and super awesome.

Mysterious ghosts, demons, and Lucifer himself. Dark and mysterious are the words that most often come to mind when trying to describe the feel of Laini's writing..


LIPS TOUCH THREE TIMES

She also wrote a book of three short stories called "Lips Touch Three Times". Each story dealt with some form of the supernatural, and my favorite story was the last one, dealing with creatures of her own creation called Druj. Talk about magical - the world she created in that one made me feel like I was actually there, and I wanted it to be real so badly, but at the same time not, because it was a dangerous place!

And that's basically my point: if my life were a book, I'd want it to be the most magical, epic, fantastical adventure ever written. And Laini Taylor would know exactly how to craft her poetic word-magic for it.

There were also illustrations by Jim at the beginning of each story, that I absolutely adored. 


STRANGE THE DREAMER 

A few months ago, it was revealed that Miss Taylor is set to release a NEW, two-book series later this year, and I cannot WAIT. According to this site, NOVL, it is to be titled "Strange the Dreamer", and it's about a character named Lazlo Strange, who works in a library...

I may not be a dude, but I DO happen to work in a library!

Could my dream of living in a fantasy world dreamt up by Laini Taylor be coming true?!

September can't come soon enough!
How about you? Who is your top favorite author/book/series? Whose dream world would you most want to live in?

Month of Power Couples: Karou and Akiva (Daughter of Smoke and Bone)

daughter of smoke and bone by whimsyandnoir featuring black home decor

I'm not big on love stories/romance, but if there is one fictional couple I wholeheartedly 'ship' without shame it's Karou and Akiva of Laini Taylor's "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" series.

Who is Karou? Well, she was just a girl with unnaturally turquoise hair and tattoos living a happy life in Prague, attending art school with her best friend by day, working mystical jobs with her secret, 'demonic' adoptive family by night.

Who is Akiva? An Angel-Warrior with wings and eyes of flame, hell bent on destroying all demons.

So how did two creatures from completely different, (and warring) sides come to fall in love? Well, I'm not spoiling it for you. You'll just have to read the book series. It is, without a doubt, my absolute FAVORITE Y.A. fantasy series...

This is a super casual take on what each of these characters would dress like - obviously, I don't know how to make wings of fire, and I didn't include any swords/weapons like they each carry around, and they both have this unnatural aura about them that I'm sure these outfits wouldn't do justice, but hey - it's all in how they make you feel, right?

Karou's style has that cool art-student vibe, and I totally wish I could be her. And Akiva is the tough otherworldly warrior with a rock and roll edge.

As always, click through the photo to see where to purchase each item.


Missed a "Month of Power Couples" Post? Check out:

1. "Ethan Roam and Dr. Grady"
2.Scully and Mulder
3.Team FEMME Free Will

Crown of Midnight: Giving Celaena Sardothien Another Chance

*SPOILER ALERT: I reveal some details in this review, so if you haven't read this series yet and have been meaning to, don't read this post!*
 
Alright, so I'll be the first to admit I may have been a little hasty in my initial review of the first book in this series by Sarah Maas, but I'm human! I'm allowed to make mistakes!

For (insert whatever reason here), I wasn't the biggest "Throne of Glass" or "Celaena Sardothien" fan. I guess I was being moody? I don't know. But there was one certain aspect of that first novel that I DID love: the mysterious, Fae-fantasy-adventure story line. And for that reason, I decided to give the series another chance. (I reaaaally wanted to see how that whole plot line developed!)

Never did I imagine that I would end up loving the second book, "Crown of Midnight"! And you know what else? I have a better understanding of who Celaena is, (and why she is the way she is), and don't find her as annoying as I initially did. She's officially grown on me, and I admire her badass-ery!

Some HUGE secrets about certain characters and plot twists that build up on what we were first introduced to in the first book are revealed, and that whole Fae/fantasy backstory gets so much more interesting and exciting. The mysteries and danger grow deeper, and Celaena, as well as her friends Dorian (the crown prince), Nehemia (Princess of Eyllwe), and Chaol (the Captain of the Guard), get tangled up in it all.  There were excruciating moments and heartache and parts when you kind of just wanted to throw the book against the wall, but hey, that's the mark of a good story, no?

And then of course, there was the 'love story' part to it. Normally, I shy away from 'romantic' story lines, (because they're so boring!), but with "Crown of Midnight", I actually found myself championing, (or rather, 'shipping'!) the growing relationship between Celaena and Chaol! It made me fangirl out for many reasons, but the main one being that I actually LOVE the character of Chaol Westfall, and honestly believe he's a much better match with Celaena than Dorian is. (She dated Dorian in the first book - sorry, Dorian, I just don't like you as much!). It just works so much better, as they bring out the best in each other. (See? I can't stop raving about those two together! It was like 'finally!')

But that ending.

I did not see it coming.

Celaena Sardothien's biggest secret is revealed. And trust me when I say you will never look at her the same way again. So yes, NOW I definitely know why people love this series so much. It gets better and better! I am officially convinced.

I've officially started reading book #3, "Heir of Fire", and it's just taking me for spin after spin. But you'll have to wait for that review when I finish it!


Are you a "Throne of Glass" series fan? Who's your favorite character? Who do you want Celaena to end up with?!

A Tale of Two Cat Winters Novels: The Cure for Dreaming + The Uninvited

After reading "In the Shadow of Blackbirds", Cat Winters' debut novel, I knew I had to keep an eye on what she came out with next. So far, her following two novels have quickly turned her into one of my favorite authors. She masterfully mixes history with fantasy, and adds a good dose of paranormal spookyness to round it all out. If you'll remember from my review of "In the Shadow of Blackbirds", certain passages actually managed to freak me out! (In a good way!) I'm a huge fan of ghost stories, so I was excited to read more from Ms. Winters:

"The Cure for Dreaming"

 This is a strictly YA novel: tame and actually not very spooky at all! It's not a ghost story, but rather a fantasy-fiction novel. Similar to "ISOBB", the book itself is sprinkled with old black and white photographs of the time period in which the story actually takes place: The setting is the start of the 1900's, when women across the U.S. were fighting for their rights not only to vote, but to be treated as equals. Our lead character, Olivia Mead, is a teenage aspiring Suffragette who gets tangled up in an unusual and "magical" situation when she is repeatedly hypnotized by the mysterious boy who calls himself Henri Reverie - an illusionist.

And that's when everything just kind of got a bit.. silly. Don't get me wrong, it's an interesting premise. And I suppose it's partly my fault, because I was expecting something dark and scary like "In the Shadow of Blackbirds", but instead I got Olivia seeing visions of the villainous people in her life as blood-sucking monsters and the nice people as glowing lamp-people who... float? It was a bit unexpected, is all. Henri Reverie essentially puts Olivia under a 'spell' of seeing the world for "what it really is", and in an effort to curb her 'rebellious'-pro-suffrage-leaning actions, her father pays Henri to hypnotize her even further, causing her to only be able to utter the phrase "All is Well" when confronted by situations in which she might speak up to defend herself or show anger.

Yikes. Honestly, I felt sorry for the poor girl.

Aside from the random visions, we never really get an explanation of Henri's powers of how he is able to genuinely hypnotize people, other than he was taught by an uncle. I was hoping for his back story to run a bit deeper than that, and for some actual magical explanations. So that's another aspect of where this fell short for me.

Overall, I did enjoy this novel, just not as much as "In the Shadow of Blackbirds". As I said, there were no ghosts or truly terrifying situations, just teenage drama and magicians. It was nice to have a feisty strong willed girl like Olivia for a lead character, though. That is one thing in which Cat Winters truly shines at: creating characters that feel relatable, even though they aren't from "modern" times. I give it a 3 out of 5 stars.

"The Uninvited"

It was back to atmospheric SPOOKYNESS for this story, and it did not disappoint in the slightest. The setting was actually quite similar to what we saw with "In the Shadow of Blackbirds": during the height of WWI and the Spanish Influenza epidemic, two catastrophic historical events that were wiping people out left and right. So of course there would be restless spirits involved. But completely unlike "In the Shadow of Blackbirds" or "The Cure for Dreaming", this novel is for a bit of an older crowd, due to the lead character being in her mid-twenties and involved in more 'adult' situations: some violent drama and stormy romances.

The Jazz Age was just starting to be birthed at this time, and Ivy Rowan, (our lead girl), gets swept up in the music and carefree culture of it to escape the stresses of her life.  Her family life is in turmoil after her brother dies in the war, all her friends are either dead from the flu, or living out of town in exile for being "German sympathizers", and she gets involved with a young German man herself, (named Daniel), after his brother was brutally murdered and wanted to help him out.

To make matters worse, Ivy keeps seeing ghosts. The women in her family have always had that ability, but it's especially scary for Ivy because these aren't ordinary ghosts: they are harbinger spirits. And when they appear, it means somebody else close to her will be next to die. So of course she's stressed. Of course she dives into an intense relationship with a boy she barely knows. Of course she is called to the speakeasy across the street that is open all night, every night, blaring hectic jazz tunes and filled with young people dancing with reckless abandon. Because what else can she do?

I can't go into too much more detail, because I don't want to spoil it, but trust me when I say I did NOT see all the twists and turns coming.

You'll just have to read it for yourself.

But I can't rave enough about how much I loved this story. It took me for a spin, and initially I did have reservations about certain things in the beginning, but I couldn't put the book down, and the story all fell into place beautifully.

Five out of five stars for this one.




So there you have it: two completely different stories by the same author. One a bit younger and more lighthearted, the other dark and tempestuous and jaw dropping. Historical fiction is Cat Winters' signature, and she does it expertly. You can tell that she really researches every detail for accuracy in her stories, and even gives you glimpses into this research by either the photographs, (like in "the Cure for Dreaming" or a list of all the actual jazz songs mentioned in "the Uninvited" that tie into Ivy and Daniel's love affair - it's brilliant!)

Get to reading!

Why You NEED to read Felicia Day's memoir, even if you don't know who Felicia Day is!

Ladies and gentlemen, one thing you probably already know about me is: I am slow.  Eternally "tardy to the party" to pretty much anything and everything worthy of not being "tardy" to.. that is my curse.

My newfound admiration of Felicia Day is, of course, no different. Admittedly, I only ever became aware of her existence because of Supernatural. But even then, I just figured she was some random actress. Little did I know she was oh SO much more than that, and had an already-established and even bigger presence in the world of geekdom than I realized! For shame, on my part. I hereby apologize to you, Miss Day, that I was not one of the early pioneers of your devoted fan base that you spoke of in your book, but I just operate on a different wavelength than the masses, it seems. 

I finally finished Felicia Day's amazing memoir earlier this month, and I so wish I could give it more than "five stars"! It's going to be next to impossible to put into words why I adored her story so much, but I'm going to try anyways. Basically, her story was exactly one that I needed to hear, (er, read), at this point in my life. And I believe EVERYONE could use her honest message in their lives. And here are some of the reasons why:

Felicia Day taught me that:

• it is NORMAL TO BE WEIRD

Let that sink in for a bit. It's pretty much the whole message of the entire book. But honestly: have you ever been so confused (or maybe even embarrassed) about certain things in your life, like your family, or the way you were raised? Things that make you feel like "surely, NO ONE else in the world has had to go through this kind of stuff. I must be some kind of freak".  Basically, no, you're not.

Seriously, don't worry about it.

Felicia herself had one of the weirdest upbringings I had ever heard of: she never really went to school, but she was never truly 'home schooled', either. Yet somehow she still managed to get accepted into a huge university and graduate with TWO degrees.. basically, her oddball early existence is what somehow made her into who she is today.

So the next time you wonder if you're the biggest weirdo in the world because of something completely random, remember to use it to your advantage.

And along the same lines of that:

Felicia Day made me realize (and finally accept) that..

• It is not only OKAY to be exactly who you are, but that it's the ONLY way to live your life.

 And that's not to say that you won't feel like a loser from time to time, but if you compromise on who you are, or pretend to be somebody you're not, for even one second, you'll ultimately feel a million times worse.

So do the things you love, be a huge geek about the things that you are a huge geek about. All that matters is that you're happy, and when you are, then you can make others happy, too.

 

 

• No dream is too big/impossible to achieve (but you can't do it completely alone, either): work HARD, don't compromise your visions for anyone, Don't Give Up (it's okay to make mistakes - they don't define you)... etc.

 I was absolutely fascinated by the story of how she created her web show "The Guild". So much pain and sacrifice went into the filming, but it was her DREAM! And she saw it through to the end, even though there were times she wanted to give up on it completely.

And it was also a lesson in letting others help. She never would have been able to accomplish the series on her own, but the people she did allow on board also didn't make her change her vision. She and her team never sold their souls!

 

 

• It is OKAY to get help (and to be sensitive, neurotic and anxious) 

In times of stress, it's easy to get caught up in it, worrying about everything and everyone else around you that you forget about yourself. Felicia was very open in this book about her own struggles, and how certain things were wearing her thin, but also, how she finally got the courage to DO something about them.

Stress, anxiety, and depression are things that affect ALL of us, from time to time. And it's perfectly okay to admit that you can't go it alone, all the time. It doesn't make you a loser for asking for help, or for saying "no" when you need to. (A lesson that some of us are still learning, but it's nice to hear it from someone else!)

And finally, I just want to thank Felicia Day for being a 'big sister' to us all. With this memoir, she let us in on the "behind the scenes" world of being an atypical actress in the world of Hollywood, at such a crazy time in history. Through sharing her experiences, not only with the Hollywood-thing, but with the internet world, and situations like "Gamer Gate", she makes me feel a little braver about stepping up and doing my own 'internet thing', without fear. She's been there, (was often the first in a lot of things), she's giving us advice on how to navigate the tricky waters, and most enlightening of all: she's survived.

She's survived a great, many, weirdo things in life. And so can each one of us, dammit.

So thank you, Felicia, for your honesty, and your humor. It's really changed my life.

 

 

 

What I Read: July 2015 - Royal Rebels: Thrones, and Queens

 Yes, it's Friday, but unfortunately this is not a Fandom Friday post :(  Today's prompt was "Favorite Fanfictions", and since 'fanfic' is still brand new territory that I'm just now discovering, I can't name five favorites! So instead, here's my post on what I read in July!

Aside from Amelia Cole, everything else I read in July had a theme of "royalty", it seems! But these weren't your typical sort of 'fairy tales'. And they were each so different.

Red Queen - Victoria Aveyard

Starting with this one because it's the book I enjoyed the MOST this month. I literally devoured it in a matter of days. A coworker read it and told me that it was good, and she was right! If you're a fan of the Hunger Games, then I think you'd really enjoy this new series. In fact, they were very similar, in a lot of ways. At first that kind of bothered me, (as it seems every YA novel out there wants to become the Hunger Games, these days), but certain details were so different and felt fresh that I can honestly say that Red Queen deserves to stand apart from the rest of the 'wannabes'.

The similarities lie in how it's a story that takes place in the distant future/post-apocalyptic style setting that sees a sharp contrast between the people in power (uber rich and ignorant), and the people who serve them, (poor and with little hope of any kind of future for their children). Our main character/heroine (named Mare Barrow) is similar to Katniss Everdeen in how she takes charge for her family, sometimes doing 'illegal' things to guarantee their safety, even if it means putting herself in danger. Mare also has a little sister, like Katniss, that she feels has more of a future, and that she is willing to do anything for to guarantee that. There are also 'fights to the death' performed for 'entertainment', and a growing unrest amongst the ones who are treated the worst, and promises of a rebellion. Where the similarities end, however, is in the strong FANTASY aspect of this: the governing body of people in power run the whole show because they have special abilities that seem almost magical, and possible because of the color of their blood. It doesn't run red.. it's silver. And that, in their eyes, makes them better than the poor/normal red-blooded people, like Mare and her family.

The silver-bloods are essentially kind of like X-Men: some of them can bend metal, some can manipulate fire, or water, or the earth itself, and the creepiest ones can not only read minds, but control them.

When Mare has to (unfortunately) accept a job inside the silver royal family's palace to help feed her family, she gets into a fate-changing situation that puts her in mortal danger. Mare has an accident that almost kills her, but she (as well as the entire royal family) soon discover that silver-bloods might not be the only ones with 'magic powers'... And that's when Mare's entire world turns upside down and things get intense. Intrigue, mystery, life, death, questions of who (if anyone) can be trusted, and the consequences of choices and actions. That's what this story is all about.

And like any YA novel, there (of course) has to be some sort of 'romantic plot point', (which I think I've mentioned before, how it annoys the hell out of me), but it's not that bad in this novel. The main character's focus remains on the task at hand, for the most part.

Just pick up this book, already! It's amazing!

Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Maas

From one semi-fantasy novel to one that's full-on fantasy! This is the first book in a series that I keep seeing everywhere, (but the newer editions have vastly different artwork/covers.. just google them. Such a sharp contrast between this one (in the photo) and the new one!) But differing artwork aside, this was an interesting book. Actually, I still have a few more chapters before I finish it, so I guess this won't be a full-on review, but here are my thoughts so far: I was initially very excited about this one, but after the awesomeness that was Red Queen, (and maybe because of it), this one kind of feels like a bit of a let down. I just.. well, honestly, I can't quite pinpoint what about it isn't working for me, but it definitely wasn't what I was expecting.

We have our main character: Caelena Sardothien, a teenage girl whose been sentenced to work as a lowly slave in this land's salt mines until she dies. So how exactly did she end up there? Well, apparently she killed a man.. or a few. Turns out there's more to little Caelena than meets the eye: she's known as an assassin. Or, rather, THE assassin of her home land of Adarlan. (And there are different countries/lands.. and plenty more assassins where this girl came from).  And once upon a time, the fae/faery folk lived amongst the humans. But as usual, a king with just a little too much pride and stupid ideas of wanting to be the ONE true ruler of the world decides to shake things up and kills all the magical folk, and banishes the art of magic, itself. So Caelena gets a chance to fight for her freedom by competing in a contest run by the king. She has to beat a whole bunch of other 'assassins' to become the one true assassin for the one true king!

That's all fun and good, and all. So, like I said, I don't know why I didn't enjoy the first 2/3's of the book as much as I thought I would. I mean, I really wanted to.. The writing itself isn't too bad, (not amazing, but not bad..).. So maybe it's the character development? I honestly can't decide if I like Caelena or not. Sure, she's a tough chick who is also funny and sees humor and things, but she can also be kind of annoying, at times. And it takes too long to get her true back story, and even when we do, it still doesn't fully explain a whole lot. Her family was killed, and she was raised by an assassin, therefore she is an assassin... Okay. And of course, the two main dudes just happen to be madly in love with her... naturally.

But, hey, maybe it's just me. The part where I finally started getting REALLY into this book was when we finally see a hint of magic/fae resurfacing in this imaginary world. *SEMI-SPOILER ALERT TIME*: A ghostly former fairy queen starts haunting Caelena in her dreams, and that's when things start to get REALLY interesting.

And that's where I'm at in this book. I have no idea how it will end, but I do intend to find out. I just hope it doesn't end in a huuuge cliff hanger, but I have the feeling it might. 

Amelia Cole and the Hidden War (Volume 2)

I read the first volume last month,  and I'm really enjoying this series! Amelia has been promoted as "Protector" of the city, but she soon finds out that her new boss might not have the kindest of intentions in mind. There are new monsters threatening the city, and Amelia is pushing herself harder than ever, but she is determined to find out the truth and to save as many people as she possibly can.


Rat Queens: Sass and Sorcery (Volume 1)

I read this as part of the Iggle Comic Book Alliance for July, and I liked it a lot, even though I initially thought I wouldn't! The Rat Queens are essentially a 'girl gang' who get themselves into a lot of trouble, now and again, but their intentions seem good, for the most part. They are fiercely loyal to each other and good friends, too. My favorite character is probably Dee, with her purple outfits and skull jewelry! I'm eager to check out the second volume!


And that's it for July! Stay tuned for August.

Until next time,

G

What I Read: June 2015 - HOW TO GET A FREE BOOK, plus an AUTHOR INTERVIEW!

Very excited to tell you all about what I read in June! I was contacted by cool geek girl author Paige Lavoie who just had a new book published called "Confidence: The Diary of an Invisible Girl". She asked me to read it and post my thoughts on here, so here goes:

~ Admit it: if you were given the chance to take a peek inside someone's diary, wouldn't you take it?! Paige Lavoie's book sort of gives you that chance. This adorable novel is written entirely in a 'diary entry' format by self-proclaimed "invisible" teenage girl Barbara Jenkins. She confides in her journal so much that she even takes it to school, and jots down her innermost thoughts and feelings every chance she gets. She is sometimes silly, other times serious, but always so honest. Because of that, it gives you the feeling that you know this girl in real life, and when things get crazy, (as they so often do in a high schooler's life), you almost want to scream "OH MY GOD! WHAT'S HAPPENING?!"

Now, it's been a while since I graduated high school, (and I *so* didn't have access to the kind of tech that Barbara and her friends have - seriously teens these days have everything! I'm kind of jealous!), but I was still able to transport myself back to my memories of teenage-dom because Barbara was just SO relatable.. In a lot of ways, I feel like I *was* Barbara! I was that invisible girl with zero confidence, (braces didn't much help matters, either). I was into 'geeky' stuff. I would sometimes spend my lunch time alone in the library, (huddled on the floor in the section with all the Neil Gaiman books. True story!), and one of the greatest days of my life was when I discovered Hot Topic, haha. But at the same time, I knew what I was into, and what I didn't like. And I for sure didn't want to follow in anybody else's footsteps.

Barbara discovers this herself throughout this novel. In fact, that's where the whole "confidence" aspect comes in. What is confidence..? Well, to me it certainly means taking pride in the things you're into, and telling the world about them without fear of what they'll think or say. It's being true to yourself, courageously and without apologies, and not changing for anybody else. That's confidence. When Barbara and her friends start opening up about their true likes/dislikes, stop hiding behind a mask of 'normalcy', and accept themselves as they are is when they begin to blossom as individuals, and grow closer as friends.

But the drama.. OH, the drama! There's plenty of it in this book. It'll make you bite your nails in nervousness! The teens in this story get to deal with so many issues, but it was nice to see how they each dealt with their own respective problems, as well as how they helped each other through them. Simply put: their personal stories (that Barbara goes into so much detail about!) will suck you into their worlds and keep you turning the pages.

Overall, I truly did enjoy this book! It was different from most of the stories I've been reading, lately, but it was unexpectedly heartwarming, and laugh-out-loud funny at times. (Seriously - this Barbara girl. She's hilarious without even realizing it!) I recommend this novel to ALL girls out there with even a slight inclination towards 'geekdom', (Geekery? Geekiness?), and to all the proud IGGLES, both young and eternally-young-at-heart.

I hope this makes you want to check out the book for yourself! *Enter cool promotion time!*  For TODAY ONLY, you can nab an electronic copy of this novel for FREE by clicking through this photo: (no special codes or anything, literally just click the photo to get taken to the Amazon page and download it to your Kindle or smartphone app!)

Still need convincing? Well, maybe you should learn a bit more about the super cool and talented girl behind the book? Miss Paige Lavoie was gracious enough to answer a few questions for Whimsy and Noir: (She is seriously SO awesome!!)


~ AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR: PAIGE LAVOIE

1. You mentioned on your Goodreads page that "Confidence" was a result of NaNoWriMo - is that an event you take part in every year? Did you feel that it helped you?

2013 was my first year, and I can honestly say had I not been apart of NaNoWriMo I don't know that I would have finished "Confidence" NaNoWriMo gives you the push you need to write every day, and to (try) not to overthink things too much. I jumped in last year, but didn't end up finishing my story. I plan on taking part again in 2015, and hitting 50,000 words! :D 

2. Your 'geek girl' characters in "Confidence" are all so different, with their varied tastes. What kind of geek girl are you? Or, what kind were you in your teen years? Were you more like Betty or Barbara or Cassie?

Ooo what a good question! I think I relate most to Barbara, A lot of times I'm unsure of myself and overthink things! Unlike Barbara,  I actually don't read too many superhero comics myself though. I lean more towards cutesy slice of life series. 

3. (keeping in line with question 2) List your top 5 geeky loves:

 Right now I am loving Dragon Age, I'm getting close to the end of the main quest which is crazy! (I want more!!) Steven Universe because the story, songs and characters amaze me every single time. Food Wars, which is this really fun/silly anime my husband and I have been watching on Crunchyroll, Star Vs. The Forces of Evil on Disney Channel & Sailor moon. lol I guess I just really really really like cartoons. :p 

 

4. What books and/or comics are you currently reading?

I'm reading The Selection series by Kiera Cass which is a YA Novel. That kind of reminds me of a cross between The Bachelor and The Hunger Games and for comics I love Seasons of Su on Tapastic. It's currently on break and I can't wait for season 3 to start up. http://tapastic.com/series/seasonofsu

 

5. Who are some of your favorite authors?

For non-fiction I really like Gala Darling, her book "Radical Self Love" has been a great read. And for fiction my friend Kiri Callaghan is amazingly talented, her modern take on Alice in Wonderland in her novel "Alys" was so neat! I can't wait to read the sequel 

 

6. I'm so intrigued by your "Pumpkin Spiced" graphic novels as well. Do you plan on continuing/developing the series any more? Will there be more art/graphic novels from you in the future?

 I do! I actually update Pumpkin Spiced online every Wednesday, (It's on a mini-break right now while I prepare to print the next book) The next printed book should be out before the end of the year. As of now Pumpkin Spiced is my only comic in the works, but I'd love to start something new in the future! 

 

7. Besides writing and drawing, what else do you enjoy doing?

I recently jumped in on the Hula-Hooping craze. (though, I'm not very good at it) 

 

8. If "Confidence" were turned into a movie, who would you like to see cast? What songs/artists would be on the soundtrack? 

Starting with the soundtrack, I feel like upbeat indie-pop... I listened to a lot of Marina and The Diamonds while I was writing. :p As for the cast...Gosh, I haven't actually given it a lot of thought. Maybe we could get "Snoopy the cat" could play Cinnamonbunz. :p https://instagram.com/snoopybabe/?hl=en It would bring a lot of star power to the film. :p 

 

9. I can tell you're kind of a fashionable lady, from your IG photos: describe your personal style and tastes for us. Can you recommend any brands or seasonal essentials?

I love shopping or etsy, or local vintage stores. Sometimes you can find the best/most unexpected things. It feels like treasure hunting when you find something great in your size. I also really like Unique Vintage, I feel like they're constantly running crazy sales. But I'm honestly such a sucker for Target when it comes to shoes and cute socks. ^.^ 

 

10. What's next for Paige Lavoie, the authoress? Is there anything you'd like to tell us?

I'm working on a small collection of short stories in the paranormal genre that I hope to release on kindle this fall! I'm so excited! Each story is only about 1000 words long, so it was cool to get to explore everything from ghosts to werewolves in a fast/slightly rapid pace! And also, through the process of releasing "Confidence" I became so re-inspired by the story and characters, that I'm planning on releasing a second novel in the series (maybe even two!) It might be my project for this years NaNoWriMo...That is, if I can wait till November to start :p 

Thank you so much for having me! 

 ~ Thank YOU, Paige! Can't wait to see more from you! (Seriously looking forward to the paranormal stories too!)





Now, for the rest of what I read in June:

 

"Amelia Cole and the Unknown World" (Volume 1) - Adam P. Knave, D.J. Kirkbride, art by Nick Brokenshire, Rachel Deering, and Ruiz Moreno

I randomly discovered this at the library and thought it seemed interesting, so I gave it a shot! It's not a big name/mainstream superhero comic, (which is part of the reason it appealed to me), but it's just as fun and should get more attention! It tells the story of how a girl with "magic" abilities, and who can bounce back and forth between different worlds/dimensions, gets stuck in a strange place, with no way of going back to the world she grew up in. There are fun quirky characters (including a Golem! He kind of reminds me of Baymax from Big Hero 6!), and so much mystery that draws you in. OH, and MAGIC! Can you imagine living in a world where magic is seen as a normal part of daily life? It'd be weird, but cool at the same time. The lead character, Amelia Cole, is one seriously cool and tough chick who deals with her problems in a very mature and admirable way. She dives in head first, no questions asked!

I will be checking out the second volume: "Amelia Cole and the Hidden War" for July, so stay tuned!

"Ms. Marvel - No Normal (Volume 1)" - G. Willow Wilson, art by Adrian Alphona and others

This particular comic was the 'assigned reading' for June for the new Comic Book Alliance on the IGGPPC website. I'm glad I was able to get a copy and join in! This had been on my 'to read' list for a while, so I finally checked it out and was not disappointed! It felt like a fresh take on the (overdone) superhero story because it focused on an otherwise normal sixteen year old girl. I fell in love with the character of Kamala Khan for many reasons, but especially because she is an unabashed FANGIRL, like I am! I also loved the fact that she genuinely wanted to help people out, just because.

I really want to check out the rest of the volumes in the series, to see how it develops.  OH, and you should totally join in on the Comic Book Alliance from IGGPPC! click here for July's selection: IGGLES Comic Book Alliance - July selection.


And that's enough talking from me! I hope you enjoyed today's post! Share it with your friends, please!

Stay tuned for July's "What I Read" post!

What I Read: May 2015

"In the Shadow of Blackbirds" - Cat Winters

This novel was recommended to me by fellow blogger (and geeky internet buddy) Ann of the Nerdy Gimp back in March.  And I have to say "THANK YOU" to her, because I ended up liking this book a lot!  I love a good ghost story, and this book by Cat Winters was a fantastic and thoroughly enjoyable page-turner. After the disappointment that was the ghost story "Ruined" (that I read in February), I was eager to find another spooky story with better writing and flow. Thankfully, Miss Winters' writing and setting and character building was incredibly engrossing, and I'm really looking forward to checking out more of her novels!

But anyways, back to the actual story! It had been a while since I read anything with a 'historical' setting, so the fact that "In the Shadow of Blackbirds" takes place in the early 1900's made for an especially nice escape.  It centers around a teenage girl named Mary Shelley who makes her way to San Diego, California during the time when Spanish Influenza was sweeping the nation. (Keep in mind, this was back when there were no vaccines/cures/treatments for germy diseases like the flu!). It was truly a bleak time, with people dying everywhere. And those who managed to avoid the sickness didn't leave their houses without covering half their face with a white 'flu mask'. To make matters worse, a little something called WWI was also going on at this time: Mary Shelley's only parent was arrested for being suspected of secretly conspiring with the enemy, and her childhood friend/recent boyfriend Stephen enlists in the army and is killed shortly after he gets shipped off to fight in France.

So where does the 'ghost story' part come in? Well, not long after her sweetheart dies, Mary starts seeing him again.. or rather, his ghost. And here is where I (for some reason) *thought* it was going to start to become the typical yawn-inducing "lovey dovey pining away for lost love" YA story, (because nothing says romance like being haunted by your dead boyfriend, right?). Boy, was I sadly HAPPILY mistaken! The 'visits' Mary gets from Stephen are downright scary, suspenseful, and honestly kind of disturbing. He is an angry, 100% not at-peace spirit. And Mary Shelley needs to find out why.. and what the heck are these blackbirds he keeps screaming about?! 

 I made the mistake of reading this book before sleeping, in my bed with the lights off. Most of the scenes in which Stephen appears to Mary are at night, while she's in her bedroom with the lights off. I had to keep looking around the room just to be SURE that no pissed off ghost-boys were lurking in the shadows. (I guess I'm one of those people who gets easily creeped out, but yet I can't stay away from stories like this, haha). Cat Winters' writing is just that good!

The deeper Mary delves into the mysterious circumstances of Stephen's death, the darker the story gets. I highly recommend this novel to those who like solving mysteries and spooky occurrences, but with a taste of science! (Mary is a full on science-nerd who tries to find true answers to what is going on, and uses her brain to figure it all out. I love her!) Some other things I didn't mention were the sprinkling of old/historical photographs throughout the pages. At first I thought it would be like Ransom Riggs' "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" series, where he specifically wrote the story around the photos he used to portray characters and settings, but that wasn't the exact case with this book. Cat Winters just put them in for extra effect. And also, one of the huge plot points deals with the concept of 'spiritualism' and 'spiritualism photography' that was a big thing in this time period. People believed that their dead loved ones would appear in photographs and they held seances to try to talk with them. Very interesting information, indeed!

I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads. I enjoyed it that much.

"Waistcoats and Weaponry" - Gail Carriger

I admit, I'm still not 100% through with this one, but I read the bulk of it in May, so here it is. (It was a busy month!)  This is the third/final installment in Gail Carriger's spectacularly Steampunk "Finishing School" series. I've blogged about the previous two books here and here.  I'm absolutely crazy about this series. Sophronia and her friends are a bit older in this book, and their 'intelligencer' skills are much more developed and it's awesome! One thing I've mentioned about this series before is my love for the covers/artwork. The fan that the girl is holding in this one is described as a 'bladed fan' made of metal and leather and the tips are super sharp! What a fabulous weapon! Gail Carriger's writing and imagined Victorian-era world truly makes you want to experience it.

As usual, Sophronia and her gang, (which now fully includes her buddy Soap, and the dashing Lord Mersey), defy the rules in order to help out one of their own. They've gotten themselves in yet another sticky situation, (or situations - plural), and the entire fate of the werewolf world hangs in the balance! Meanwhile, Sophronia has to figure out her feelings for both the boys in her life, and what the heck is she going to do after school is done with?

Oh, the joys of being a teenager in the robot and supernatural-monster-filled Victorian era.

I may not be completely finished with this novel, but I know it won't disappoint in the least. I've enjoyed this series immensely and am sad to see it end! Check out Gail Carriger's books, already! All of you!


Stay tuned for June's selections!

In case you missed previous months:

What I Read: January 2015
What I Read: February 2015
What I Read: March 2015
What I Read: April 2015

What I Read: April 2015

"Skin Cleanse" - Adina Grigore


I don't usually read much 'non-fiction', and when I do, I don't blog about it. But I decided to talk about this book because it was actually really good and super informative. If you've ever suffered (or currently suffer) from any kind of skin ailments, (be it rashes/eczema, or acne), then you really ought to give this book a read. The author, Adina Grigore, is also the creator of the all-natural and organic skin care line S.W. Basics. She sheds light on the not-often-talked-about ugly side of the cosmetics and personal care products industry, (i.e. the NON natural stuff we all use/have used all our lives), and makes you think twice about ever wanting to touch any of your favorite chemical-laden products again. However, the big point of this book is not so much to scare you or preach to you: it's to help you find a real and lasting solution to your skin woes. Adina suggests (and effectively walks you through) the process of a temporary "skin cleanse".. (kind of like those juice cleanses for your insides that you've heard about, except for your skin only!). And not only that, she shares tips and recipes for incorporating healthier foods into your diet and the best part: instructions for making your own natural products! There are recipes for everything from natural deodorants and lotions, to face masks of all kinds. Bonus: it's a quick read! I recommend it!

 

 

 

"The Name of the Blade" - Zoe Marriott

 

 

And now for the fiction! In April, I read this YA novel, "The Name of the Blade". It sounded so intriguing: the story of a young girl of Japanese descent named Mio, living in London, England, who inherits a magical sword (a Japanese katana) from her grandfather. It gives her super-strength and power to fight off the ancient monsters that the katana also unleashed.  HOWEVER... all her life, before she truly came to wield the sword, Mio had been plagued her whole life by nightmares of a dying boy. She didn't know that she would one day meet him, and that his existence is somehow tied to the sword itself. Sounds interesting, right? Well, here's the downer: Honestly, I wish I could say I enjoyed this book more than I actually did. After a while, I almost wanted to put it down and not pick it up again. Why? Here's a general gripe I have about (most) YA novels: Ok, well maybe not a GRIPE, but an annoying observation: do they really all have to have some kind of "love story" tied in??? I mean, would it really have been so hard to make this a novel about a young girl who wields a cool sword and saves the world, and that's it? Did we really have to give her a "doomed love interest"? Like almost every other YA novel out there? It wouldn't have even been that bad, if not for the fact that the author made it so annoying that literally every single time this girl laid eyes on the dude, she had to "get weak in the knees" or "forget everything around her" and be SO obsessed that it distracted her from everything else... I got it the first time. But it kept getting mentioned over and over again. It just seemed pointless.

 

The second thing about this book that bothered me was that it just had too much "action". I get that it's part of the story, but sometimes when I read books with big fight scenes or what-have-you, it just never translates correctly. I got the sense that Marriott was trying too hard to cram every single detail about every single action involved in magical sword fights, that it just didn't work. It became hard to picture the scene after a while. I just didn't enjoy it.

 

Overall, I probably would give this 2 out of 5 stars. It had potential, and the imagination is clearly there, but the writing/plot development wasn't the best. Sorry.

 

 

 

"Fan Phenomena: Supernatural" - Lynn Zubernis and Katherine Larsen

 

 

I guess this could also count as "non fiction".. but then again, not really, since it's about a fictional show! Yes. A book about the show Supernatural. It was an interesting read, honestly. It consists of essays written by fans of the show: from normal every day people to college professors who use the show in their classes!  There are also interviews done with some of the people who actually work behind-the-scenes on the show, as well as chapters written by some of the actors. Overall, I learned a bunch of tidbits that I never knew about, learned how to better analyze certain details and apply psychology to them, and how certain scenes are lighted/filmed. I do warn you, though, this book is for HARDCORE fans, only. If you are only a casual watcher of Supernatural, you probably wouldn't like this.  Like I said, it was interesting, but it could have talked about so many other things. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Stay tuned for May's reads!
In case you missed January, February, or March 2015:

What I Read: January 2015

What I Read: February 2015

What I Read: March 2015

What I Read: March 2015

"In the Shadows" - Kiersten White / Art by: Jim Di Bartolo


This book. I LOVED it.
It's different from most novels in that each new chapter is preceded by a few pages of illustration telling you a part of the story that is essentially still to come. Like mini movie previews on paper. And this story itself can only be described as a suspenseful mystery of sorts, with touches of magic and the supernatural. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it!

It's the story of a young man trying to escape his dark past in the early 1900's. He makes some new friends when he goes to live at a boardinghouse owned by an old friend of his late mother's. His 'curse' seems to follow him, though, and soon his new friends become tangled in the dangerous mess. They meet and fight off strange characters, and try their hardest to delve deep into the mystery of who these villains and their secret society are.. and more importantly, what it is they want.

And the art! I wish I could show you all of it. It truly was beautiful, but at first, it didn't make sense to me because it doesn't follow the story that you're reading. It's not meant to,  I realized towards the end. And once you do finish the reading parts, the art story falls together nicely and finally makes sense. OH, and something rather cool: if you've read the "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" series and love it (like I do!), then you'll be pleased to know that the dude behind the artwork for this novel, Jim Di Bartolo, is actually married to Laini Taylor, the author of "Smoke and Bone"!  What a cool couple! Definitely talented, and the writing by Kiersten White is not too shabby, either. I recommend this book to everyone!

"Emerald Green" - The Ruby Red Trilogy - Kerstin Gier 


If you'll remember, I read the second book in this series by Kerstin Gier in February.  "Emerald Green" is the third and final installment that I read in March. The mystery of "the magic of the Raven"-girl Gwyneth Shepherd is finally solved! She, along with her partners-in-time-traveling-crime, defeat the evil doers we've encountered in the first two books, and Gwyneth also discovers a deep family secret that changes her life forever. Oh, and she also discovers that she's basically.. well.. nevermind. I don't wanna spoil it! But she does have a very cool "super power" that gives her an edge against the villains!

I can't talk too much more about the story without ruining it, so if you're curious, you'll just have to check out the series for yourself!

Graphic Novels

"Constantine - Volume 1: The Spark and the Flame" - Ray Fawkes, Jeff Lemire, Renato Guedes, Marcelo Maiolo

In keeping with my goal of discovering comic books that I like, I decided to look into the story of the character John Constantine. He made his debut in the Hellblazer series, (I'm told), in the 1990's by DC-imprint Vertigo Comics, but I haven't found copies of those originals. So instead I found a 'remastered' /new version by DC. According to most reviews on Goodreads, John Constantine comes off as way less "evil" in this new story than in the originals. In fact, to me, he didn't seem all that evil at all. He did bad things, of course, but with the intention of using the powers he acquires from said bad things for GOOD. Overall, I liked it. He seems cool to me. He's a 'magician' and he's British. What more can I ask for? (But, alas, no I did not ever watch the t.v. show that recently ended it's first season on NBC. I didn't know about it until it ended, and it sounds like it may have been cancelled.. boo).



"Justice League Dark" -Peter Milligan, Jeff Lemire, Ray Fawkes, J.M. DeMatteis, Mikel Janin

Mr. Constantine also appeared in this comic about the WAY COOLER/other 'Justice League' team: Justice League DARK. And yes, I say 'way cooler' because they are! I'm sorry, but 'traditional' (and more popular) superheroes kind of bore me. I like darker, more mysterious and more unconventional and underrated kind of heroes. This particular team consists of John Constantine, Zatanna, Deadman, the Shade (aka the Changing Man), and Madame Xanadu at the helm. I really liked this story, overall, and I want to read the rest in the series. Also, a little birdy told me that Guillermo Del Toro (only the guy that makes pretty much every movie I love), has been working on a movie script for JLD... which makes me TERRIBLY excited!!

Stay tuned for April 2015's reads! In case you missed January and February 2015:

What I Read: January 2015

What I Read: February 2015

What I Read: February 2015

Wow. I've been so busy that I didn't even realize we're already four days into March! Ha!

In February, I spent the night in a New Orleans cemetery chatting up ghosts, then I headed to a planet in a far away galaxy and ran from a war, and THEN, (just for extra fun), I skipped back to 18th century France a couple of times to attend a lavish party dressed in a Rococo getup.

Well.. not literally, of course!

Let's get to it, shall we?



"Ruined" - Paula Morris

"Ruined" is a YA novel that was listed as a recommendation based on other 'fantasy'/YA books that I've read. I've always been intrigued by the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, so when I read that this story takes place there, (and deals with paranormal stuff on top), I knew I had to give it a shot.

I think I read a description somewhere, (might have been Goodreads), that compared it to Twilight, which initially made me want to avoid this, (because "meh"), but I don't think it was all that similar at all. There's a slight "budding relationship" plot, but it never really builds up. And the main female character wasn't all obsessive and clingy like the Twilight chick was, but I digress!

It's a novel about a girl named Rebeccca who very suddenly and unexpectedly gets sent by her father to live in New Orleans for a while, with a distant relation. Rebecca is immediately taken aback by how different everything there is compared to her hometown of New York City. She ends up being kind of an outcast at the all-girls private school full of snobby brats, and ends up feeling even more weird when she learns she can see and speak to a ghost girl she meets in the cemetery one night. Over time, she learns deep dark secrets about the history of NOLA and about the ancestors of the girls she goes to school with. And the mysteries only get spookier towards the end of the book, when she finds out she is set to play a major role in the outcome of an old family curse.

Overall, the idea of this novel really did hold a lot of promise, and I wish I could say I loved it. But honestly, the writing and plot development was kind of elementary and predictable. It made for a super quick, easy read, though. And it did manage to make me want to visit New Orleans more than ever, now. *One of these days..*



 "Sapphire Blue" - Kerstin Gier (book 2 of the Ruby Red Trilogy)

I read the first book in this series back in January 2014! (read about it here)

Amazingly enough, I still remembered most of what it was about, though, and all the major characters, so it was easy to get back into it. This book continues Gwen Shepherd's story of time travel and mystery! She becomes fully initiated into the secret order and gets trained in 18th century customs to prepare for meeting with the famous Count Saint-Germain, whom she is terrified of because she secretly suspects he's guilty of horrible crimes.

We are also introduced to some new characters, including a ghostly gargoyle that talks to Gwen and spies on her crush for her, and also Gwen's grandfather in his young days!

I recommend this YA series if you need something fun to read. The main character is kind of silly and it's fun to know her inner thoughts about everything.. she's kind of a dork, but she knows it and owns it! I shall be reading the final book this month, and I can't wait to conclude the adventure.

~Graphic Novels:

"Saga" - Volume 1 - Brian K. Vaughan, art by Fiona Staples

This is one of those graphic novels/comics that has been suggested to me numerous times, so I finally decided to check it out.

First and foremost, the artwork is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I definitely have a new illustrator to idolize. And the story itself is really good, full of action and it's really keeping me guessing.

A couple comprised of a guy and a girl from two completely different planets/races, (who by all intents and purposes), are supposed to HATE each other, fall in love, get married, and have a kid. They then have to run for their lives before their government tracks them down and kills them.

On the one hand, it's a touching story of a family that loves each other and just wants to provide a better life for their innocent child, and on the other hand.. yeah, it really is kind of a turbulent and violent set of worlds and future that they live in.

Can't wait to see how the story develops!


And that was about it for February!

Stay tuned for March 2015's reads! In case you missed January 2015:

What I Read: January 2015

What I Read: January 2015

I'm doing my "book posts" a little differently this year. Instead of writing about what I'm reading as I read it, I'm going to wait until I finish, and then share my thoughts on it.

The first book of 2015 that I've read so far is "Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell. I was very excited to finally land my hands on a copy of this, as it's been kind of a popular book at my library. But of course, that only means that if it's *that* popular, then it must be a really good book, right?

"Fangirl" was an unexpectedly quick read.. I managed to get through it in a matter of days. And I say "unexpectedly" because lately I feel like I've been reading books by authors who use such eloquent and descriptive, flowery language, (Donna Tartt's "the Goldfinch", anyone?) and long sentences that take me quite a while to get through, sometimes. (And that's not a bad thing! I loved the Goldfinch, but I'm just saying.. it takes me a while to read because I like to savor the words, if that makes sense..?) Rowell's "Fangirl" was different. She doesn't go into great details with settings, or even her characters in this novel, and the whole story was dialogue-heavy, so that made reading through it as swift as a conversation with a friend.

The story focuses on a character named Cath, a certified geeky FANGIRL of a wildly popular (but entirely made up by Rainbow Rowell)  Harry Potter/Twilight-esque book and movie series about a character named Simon Snow. Just how geeky does she get? She happens to be *the* go to and world-famous online persona behind the Simon and Baz fanfiction stories. Cath loves living in the world of Simon Snow so much that she never wants to leave, but things start to get complicated when she and her twin sister Wren go off to college together, but start to drift apart in ways she wasn't prepared for. Family drama ensues. A budding relationship with an interesting dude blossoms. Cath's antisocial nature gets thrown for a spin when she's forced to (*gasp*) get to know other people, and her writing career takes a nose dive down the drain when she realizes that she can't call herself a real author if all she's good at writing is fanfiction, and using characters that already exist/belong to somebody else.

 I enjoyed this book immensely, especially because I felt I could relate to Cath so much. While I've never written (or even read much) fanfiction, I understand how it feels to be SO in love with a character and their  world that you never want their story to end! Everyone has a favorite movie, tv show, song, whatever that makes them so happy that it becomes a part of their life. These things change you, or they save you, and they give you so much joy that it only makes sense to want to immerse yourself in them completely, right? And sure, some people might think you're a little crazy, or even immature and childish to obsess over something fictional so much, but who cares? If it's real to you, then that's all that matters. And true friends understand that. After all, isn't that how fandoms are born?

So if  you happen to think of yourself as a fangirl or geek (of anything), who has sometimes struggled to fit in with "normal" humans, then I recommend this story. It's heartwarming, without being cheesy, and it's a good reminder to be exactly who you are, always. Your quirkyness is what makes you YOU.

I, myself, am proud to be a FANGIRL. Always!

Books I've read and am currently reading: November and December 2014

from top to bottom:

• Will O' the Wisp : An Aurora Grimeon Story - Tom Hammock, illustrations by Megan Hutchison

 I've been trying to get my hands on as many graphic novels as I can lately, and when I stumbled across this one at the library, it just had my name written all over it ;)
It's an interesting and mysterious story written by Tom Hammock,  inspired by the tales and folklore that he grew up with involving a certain type of "magic" known as Hoodoo. (Similar to Voodoo!)

Aurora Grimeon is a young girl who is sent to live with her estranged grandfather on a swampy island in Louisiana after her parents die. Weird things begin to happen and she starts to wonder if she is cursed, and the overly superstitious people that live in the tiny island village don't exactly help matters. She learns some Hoodoo spells and rituals from the local witch/priestess and investigates the strange occurrences that seem to get worse and worse each time. I really admire this character's bravery and knowledge, and there is also the CUTEST pet raccoon friend that she has named Missy. (I totally need a pet raccoon in my life).  And don't even get me started on the fantastic artwork. I recently discovered Megan Hutchison's work, and it's so amazing. The wardrobe she gave Aurora is right up my alley in terms of style, and I want to own every outfit she wears. I truly hope my own artwork can be as good as Megan's one day! (Check out her awesome Etsy shop here).
 

• Prince Lestat - Anne Rice

I only just got my hands on this book, so I haven't really cracked it yet. I've read through the handy "Blood Genesis" and "Blood Argot" intros to refresh my memory on the whole Vampire Chronicles series and the major events that are leading up to this book. It would seem that the world of vamps is being threatened by a "voice" that they hear, and they're all destroying each other and the world. I wonder what Lestat's role in this is...

• The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt

I've also only just started this, but I'm a couple of chapters in. When I first read the synopsis of this novel, it sounded intriguing, so I finally decided to give it a chance. It's a story about a young man who never really got over losing his mother as a teen, and a deepening mystery surrounding a painting that he more or less stole from a museum because it was her favorite. Overall, Donna Tartt is a brilliant writer that weaves words together beautifully, but certain sentences do tend to get a bit wordy and repetitive. Like I said, I'm only at the beginning, but it's sort of starting to drag on. The story at this point is very touching and sad. You really feel for (the character) Theo and want to comfort him after losing his mom so tragically. I'm kind of a deeply sensitive person, so it's actually been kind of hard to put myself in his lonely shoes. This is a dramatic novel, for sure. I'm looking forward to see what's going to happen.

• Alice in the Country of Hearts : The Mad Hatter's Late Night Tea Party - QuinRose, art by Riko Sakura

and

• Alice in the Country of Clover : Knight's Knowledge - QuinRose, art by Sai Asai

More graphic novels! (Technically these are mangas?). I haven't even touched these yet! They both looked interesting and I happen to  love anything 'Alice in Wonderland' related, so I wanted to see what this manga series is like. I'm not sure which one is supposed to come first, as I think they're both the first volume in two different series, but we'll see. As usual, the main thing that bothers me with these printed mangas is that the cover will be so colorful and eye catching, and then the inside is all grey scale and blah. Especially with a world like "Wonderland", I would expect all colors all the time! ;)  But that's just a personal gripe. I guess it's just the way these are printed.. saves time/money in the end, eh?


*NOT PICTURED, but also read:

• Hopeless, Maine: Personal Demons - Tom and Nimue Brown

 Similar to Will O' the Wisp (above), this was a cool and dark little graphic novel that I absolutely fell in love with. The artwork was also gorgeous, and the overall story was so imaginative and spooky and fun. It was about a little girl (and natural born witch, it seems) named Salamandra who ends up at a boarding school in a very remote and always dark and foggy village in Maine. She is an outsider who is haunted by a demonic spirit disguised as another little girl. Salamandra has to find a way to trap and defeat her, before she hurts somebody!




Until next time,

G.

Books I'm currently reading: October 2014

(from left to right)

• A Storm of Swords: Game of Thrones #3 - George R. R. Martin

Ok. I took a break from attempting to read the G.o.T. books after book #2. I can't really remember how that one ended, but nevertheless here I am trying it again! I swear each book in this series gets thicker and thicker. This one is no exception.. it took me about 30 minutes just to get through the prologue. (JEEZ!)
I'm not 100% sure I'm going to be able to finish this, and to be honest, I'm not really feeling it right now. So maybe this isn't a good choice to be reading for the month, haha. I don't know. I'm weird like that - I have to be in the mood for reading something to actually enjoy it, but we'll see. Honestly, my favorite part of G.o.T. is the Others/Whitewalkers, so hopefully there will be some of those here.

• Eat Pray Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

I had come across a quote from this author the other day that really resonated with me, and so I was curious to read her book. It's a real life memoir about the (literal) journeys she took to find herself during a low point in her life. After looking it up on Goodreads, I noticed that the reviews are less than positive, but I always try to keep an open mind and come to my own conclusions after trying out books, and most of the negative reviews seem to be personal jabs at the author's story that she is telling, about how she's so "self indulgent" or something. Honestly I just find that so mean. You really shouldn't judge somebody else's life like that, because there is no way for you to truly know what that person is going through and how they are feeling. So that's why I'm going to try to read this book through and judge for myself how it makes me feel. Currently, I find myself at a low point in life too, and while the details of my personal struggles may not be similar to Elizabeth's, that doesn't mean I can't find inspiration from her story. We all come from different walks of life, but that doesn't mean we don't all suffer every now and again. But anyways... I haven't gotten that far into the book, but it's not badly written/worded at all. The only gripe I will say that I have is how she structured it. She says she tried to separate it out like the 108 beads found in a Hindu japa mala, (which is kind of like a rosary), but truly, I kind of just wish she'd stuck to normal chapters and separation, because it kind of doesn't make sense right now. But then again, maybe it will!