To those of you who have been reading my blog for a while, it won't come as a surprise to you that I love Taylor Swift. I love every single song to bits and pieces and have all the lyrics memorized. I can even listen to a song and remember what book I was writing or what road trip I was on when I had that particular song on repeat. (For example, I got several hand cramps from filling up an entire notebook with chapters from The Sorceress on a long car ride down to Florida while listening to "Eyes Open.")
So I thought it'd be fun to match up a TS song to books most of you have probably read. Listen to them yourself and see what you think!
Hold on, baby, you're losing it
The water's high, you're jumping into it
And letting go... and no one knows
That you cry, but you don't tell anyone
That you might not be the golden one
And you're tied together with a smile
But you're coming undone
All I hear when I listen to this song now is Violet talking about Finch . . . It just fits so perfectly with everything that's going on with him from about the middle to the end (which I won't reveal because spoilers!!). Gah, so many feels!
I wonder if you know I'm trying so hard not to get caught up now But you're just so cool Run your hands through your hair Absent-mindedly making me want you
And I don't know how it gets better than this You take my hand and drag me head first Fearless
Tell me this isn't perfect for Cress and Thorne. I dare you. Everything about this song screams them, even the lyrics about driving down the road with her in the passenger seat could describe those two in the Rampion going about their adventures in space and being adorable together. (If you can't tell, I ship them just the tiniest bit . . . if the tiniest bit means a lot.)
So we’ve been outnumbered Raided and now cornered It’s hard to fight when the fight ain’t fair We’re getting stronger now Find things they never found They might be bigger But we’re faster and never scared You can walk away, say we don’t need this But there’s something in your eyes says we can beat this 'Cause these things will change Can you feel it now? These walls that they put up to hold us back will fall down This revolution, the time will come For us to finally win
Yeah, this song just screams dystopian books but Mockingjay popped into my head first. As far as trilogies go, Mockingjay was one of the better series finales upon rereading it. The song may be a liiittle too upbeat for how dark it is, but we all need some hope while reading it. :P
You, with your words like knives And swords and weapons that you use against me You, have knocked me off my feet again, Got me feeling like I'm nothing You, with your voice like nails On a chalk board, calling me out when I'm wounded You, picking on the weaker man
Auggie had to deal with a lot of bullies in his time at school, and I think this song both describes how hard it was to deal with it, but how he worked to build himself up and rise above it. I love this book, and if you haven't read it yet you should pick it up right now. It's one of the best middle-grades you will ever read.
5. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner - "Enchanted"
There I was again tonight Forcing laughter, faking smiles Same old tired lonely place Walls of insincerity, Shifting eyes and vacancy Vanished when I saw your face All I can say is it was enchanting to meet you
All I can think about when I hear the first verse of this song is Lilac and Tarver aboard Icarus at the beginning of the book. And then of course the rest of the song can be used to describe their relationship later on. It's always fun to say "I ship it" with these two, because they literally met on a ship and it can't get more perfect than that. ;)
So don't you worry your pretty little mind People throw rocks at things that shine And life makes love look hard The stakes are high, the water's rough But this love is ours
This is definitely Park to Eleanor. This song is super simple, too, with just a couple instruments accompanying the melody, just like the book. "Ours" is all about not listening to what others say about you and loving each other for the people they are. It totally fits!
There you'll stand, ten feet tall I will say, "I knew it all along." Your eyes–wider than distance This life–sweeter than fiction
This was one of the first match-ups I had in mind when I started writing this post! The song describes the relationship between Ellie and her true friends and family, the ones who are supportive of her and her dreams of becoming an author. (Plus, I couldn't pass up the chance to pair a song with the lyrics "sweeter than fiction" with a book about a writer named Ellie Sweet).
8. The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury - "Treacherous"
This slope is treacherous This path is reckless This slope is treacherous And I, I, I like it
It's incredibly dangerous for a genie and a human to fall in love, and that's exactly what's happening in this book. Zahra is determined not to let anything happen and endanger Aladdin, but it might not be enough. And thus we have "Treacherous" as the theme song.
I can see the end as it begins My one condition is Say you'll remember me Standing in a nice dress, Staring at the sunset, babe Red lips and rosy cheeks Say you'll see me again Even if it's just in your Wildest dreams
Something about this song has always seemed like Sam and Grace to me.They both know their relationship can't last once the winter comes, but they won't stop hoping. And even if all they have left are memories, it'll all be worth it.
10. A Dog's Journey by W. Bruce Cameron - "This Love"
This love is good, this love is bad This love is alive back from the dead These hands had to let it go free And this love came back to me Tossing, turning, struggled through the night with someone new And I could go on and on, on and on Lantern burning, flickered in my mind for only you But you're still gone, gone, gone
This has to be one of the saddest/sweetest books I've ever read. It's about a dog named Buddy who finds a way to find his owner every time he dies and is reincarnated as another dog. Of course the owner has no clue, but there's always something special about the dog she finds. So many feels crammed into one book. But anyways, the lyrics "these hands had to let it go free and this love came back to me" were what sold me on it. (I can't find a good enough video on YouTube for the song that has decent audio, unfortunately, but it's a fabulous song!)
11. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - "Wonderland"
Flashing lights and we, took a wrong turn and we Fell down the rabbit hole You held on tight to me 'Cause nothing's as it seems Spinning out of control Didn't they tell us don't rush into things Didn't you flash your green eyes at me Haven't you heard what becomes of curious minds Ooh didn't it all seem new and exciting I felt your arms twisting around me I should've slept with one eye opened at night We found wonderland You and I got lost in it And we pretended it could last forever
This is definitely a series I need to go back to, because I loved it when I was reading it. Something about both the book and the song struck me as magical and dangerous, and it fit together so well I can't think about any other book now when I listen to the song. (I could only find covers on YouTube of this song, too, but if you have any other way to listen to it, definitely do! It's one of my favorites from the "1989" album.)
Your turn! What songs, Taylor Swift or otherwise, would you match up with some of your favorite books? What are your favorite musical artists? Leave a comment!
Ohhh my God, 2016 looks like a fabulous year for YA! As Cait and several other bloggers predicted, fantasy is the genre that's making a comeback! I am so very pleased about this and can't wait to dive into some of these epic stories. Which ones am I most excited about? Here are my top picks:
On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.
In
the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are
ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.
Safiya
is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic
that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the
nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest
she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.
Iseult, a
Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the
lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart.
Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast
into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to
Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.
Safi and Iseult just want to be
free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With
the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain)
and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must
fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing
to get their hands on a Truthwitch.
Why I'm excited: Epic fantasy and witches and adventure! And it's been getting fabulous reviews. Also because I recently acquired a hard copy as a surprise a few days ago (which is where I first learned about it) and can't wait to start it. (Also Sarah J. Maas has a blurb on the cover, so you know, it has to be good.)
She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world...
When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is
thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years -- a world
where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She
must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic,
until her new master has selected his three wishes.
But when
the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp
forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in
love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must
decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?
As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself
suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling
of Aladdin from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.
Why I'm excited: Admittedly, this is one I've already read! BUT. I'm still super excited for the rest of the book world to discover how awesome it is. I haven't read many (actually any) Aladdin retellings, but this one was fantastic. (Although I did like the cover on the ARC better than the one it has now . . .)
passage, n. i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes. ii. A journey by water; a voyage. iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.
In
one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she
knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a
dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled
not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she
knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of.
Until now.
Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free
from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude
he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger
on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape
and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are
searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only
Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must
ensure she brings it back to them— whether she wants to or not.
Together,
Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and
continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will
do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they
get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the
Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta
not only from Nicholas but from her path home . . . forever.
Why I'm excited: Two words: TIME TRAVEL. One of the main characters is a violinist, too! Epic journeys and probably romance? All of this is a recipe for a flailing fest.
Every story needs a hero. Every story needs a villain. Every story needs a secret.
Wink
is the odd, mysterious neighbor girl, wild red hair and freckles. Poppy
is the blond bully and the beautiful, manipulative high school queen
bee. Midnight is the sweet, uncertain boy caught between them. Wink.
Poppy. Midnight. Two girls. One boy. Three voices that burst onto the
page in short, sharp, bewitching chapters, and spiral swiftly and
inexorably toward something terrible or tricky or tremendous.
What really happened? Someone knows. Someone is lying.
Why I'm excited: When I was going through the box of ARCs at my local bookstore, the first thing I read was "for fans of The Raven Boys and We Were Liars." I snatched it up right then. I didn't even read the rest of the description on the back until I got home, but when I did my excitement only grew. It looks like it has the potential to be one of those books that has beautiful writing that will make it impossible to put down.
10:00 a.m. The
principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech,
welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them
to excel and achieve.
10:02 a.m. The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.
10:03 The auditorium doors won't open.
10:05 Someone starts shooting.
Told
over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives,
terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the
ultimate game of survival.
Why I'm excited: This looks pretty heavy, but a book that only covers 54 minutes should be super interesting. It doesn't leave a whole lot of time for things like character development (especially with four different perspectives), but I bet it'll keep my attention without any problems!
The
universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are
wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New
Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to
killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize
their destinies?
With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless,
about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is
essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles. -- The Little Android: A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles. Glitches:
In this prequel to Cinder, we see the results of the plague play out,
and the emotional toll it takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may
not, be a glitch…. The Queen’s Army: In this prequel
to Scarlet, we’re introduced to the army Queen Levana is building, and
one soldier in particular who will do anything to keep from becoming the
monster they want him to be. Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky: Thirteen-year-old Carswell Thorne has big plans involving a Rampion spaceship and a no-return trip out of Los Angeles. The Keeper: A prequel to the Lunar Chronicles, showing a young Scarlet and how Princess Selene came into the care of Michelle Benoit. After Sunshine Passes By: In this prequel to Cress, we see how a nine-year-old Cress ended up alone on a satellite, spying on Earth for Luna. The Princess and the Guard: In this prequel to Winter, we see a game called The Princess The Mechanic: In this prequel to Cinder, we see Kai and Cinder’s first meeting from Kai’s perspective. Something Old, Something New: In this epilogue to Winter, friends gather for the wedding of the century...
Why I'm excited: BECAUSE MARISSA MEYER. We get more Lunar Chronicles stories?!?! YES PLEASE. I can't even begin to express how pumped I am to get a story about the captain as a thirteen-year-old boy aboard the Rampion. (Also that cover is GORGEOUS, as usual.)
Long before she was the terror of Wonderland — the infamous Queen of Hearts — she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.
Catherine
may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of
the yet-unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A
talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend and
supply the Kingdom of Hearts with delectable pastries and confections.
But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young
woman who could be the next Queen.
At a royal ball where Cath is
expected to receive the king's marriage proposal, she meets Jest, the
handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the
pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and
infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret
courtship.
Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall
in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and
monsters, fate has other plans.
Why I'm excited: Again . . . MARISSA MEYER. She can take any and every fairy tale in existence and snap her fingers and POOF, instant bestseller! I need her to write a Hansel and Gretel story now. Admittedly, I am not a fan of this cover and usually hers are beautiful, but PFFT. Small potatoes. This book is going to be amazing, I can smell the magic in the air already. (It smells like baking cookies, by the way, as all magic should.)
Natalie Cleary must
risk her future and leap blindly into a vast unknown for the chance to
build a new world with the boy she loves.
Natalie’s last summer
in her small Kentucky hometown is off to a magical start... until she
starts seeing the “wrong things.” They’re just momentary glimpses at
first—her front door is red instead of its usual green, there’s a
pre-school where the garden store should be. But then her whole town
disappears for hours, fading away into rolling hills and grazing
buffalo, and Nat knows something isn’t right.
That’s when she
gets a visit from the kind but mysterious apparition she calls
“Grandmother,” who tells her: “You have three months to save him.” The
next night, under the stadium lights of the high school football field,
she meets a beautiful boy named Beau, and it’s as if time just stops and
nothing exists. Nothing, except Natalie and Beau.
Emily Henry’s
stunning debut novel is Friday Night Lights meets The Time Traveler’s
Wife, and perfectly captures those bittersweet months after high school,
when we dream not only of the future, but of all the roads and paths
we’ve left untaken.
Why I'm excited: Look at that cover!! That cover is perfect. I may or may not have added it on my to-read shelf before actually reading the description. But it doesn't matter because gahhh, it looks so good! I don't even know what to think about it other than I need to read it right now at this very moment.
In a perfect world,
sixteen-year-old Phoebe Martins’ life would be a book. Preferably a YA
novel with magic and a hot paranormal love interest. Unfortunately, her
life probably wouldn’t even qualify for a quiet contemporary. But when
Phoebe finds out that Dev, the hottest guy in the clarinet section,
might actually have a crush on her, she turns to her favorite books for
advice. Phoebe overhauls her personality to become as awesome as her
favorite heroines and win Dev’s heart. But if her plan fails, can she go
back to her happy world of fictional boys after falling for the real
thing?
Why I'm excited: This just looks like a fun, fluffy, summer beach read. If I'm ever in the mood for a Jennifer E. Smith type of book, this is one I'll go to, for sure. Plus, the main character is a bookish fangirl, which we can all relate to!
The first thing you’re going to want to know about me is: Am I a boy, or am I a girl?
Riley
Cavanaugh is many things: Punk rock. Snarky. Rebellious. And gender
fluid. Some days Riley identifies as a boy, and others as a girl. The
thing is . . . Riley isn’t exactly out yet. And between starting a new
school and having a congressman father running for reelection in
uber-conservative Orange County, the pressure—media and otherwise—is
building up in Riley’s so-called “normal” life.
On the advice of a
therapist, Riley starts an anonymous blog to vent those pent-up
feelings and tell the truth of what it’s REALLY like to be a
gender-fluid teenager. But just as Riley’s starting to settle in at
school—even developing feelings for a mysterious outcast—the blog goes
viral, and an unnamed commenter discovers Riley’s real identity,
threatening exposure. Riley must make a choice: walk away from what the
blog has created—a lifeline, new friends, a cause to believe in—or stand
up, come out, and risk everything.
Why I'm excited: Yay for minimalist covers! I haven't read any YA novels about being gender fluid (except for Every Day by David Levithan, which maybe counts? Kind of?), so I'm excited to be more exposed to it. And I adore books about bloggers because I can relate to a lot of it.
Hannah Cho and Nick
Cooper have been best friends since 8th grade. They talk for hours on
the phone, regularly shower each other with presents, and know
everything there is to know about one another. There's just one problem: Hannah and Nick have never actually met.
Hannah
has spent her entire life doing what she's supposed to, but when her
senior year spring break plans get ruined by a rule-breaker, she decides
to break a rule or two herself. She impulsively decides to road trip to
Las Vegas, her older sister and BFF in tow, to surprise Nick and
finally declare her more-than-friend feelings for him.
Hannah's
surprise romantic gesture backfires when she gets to Vegas and finds out
that Nick has been keeping some major secrets. Hannah knows the real
Nick can't be that different from the online Nick she knows and loves,
but now she only has night in Sin City to figure out what her feelings
for Nick really are, all while discovering how life can change when you
break the rules every now and then.
Why I'm excited: (ALL THE COVER LOVE THIS YEAR, APPARENTLY.) Online relationshipsare something bloggers deal with alllll the time, but YA novels don't always cover it. This should be interesting! This book is also super short at only 240 pages, and I like short books sometimes. My prediction is that the next time I'm dealing with a book hangover, this will be the one that beats it.
One year from now, Dylan develops a sixth sense that allows him to glimpse another world.
Ten years from now, Brixney must get more hits on her social media feed or risk being stuck in a debtors' colony.
Thirty years from now, Epony scrubs her entire online profile from the web and goes “High Concept.”
Sixty years from now, Reef struggles to survive in a city turned virtual gameboard.
And more than a hundred years from now, Quinn uncovers the alarming secret that links them all.
Five
people, divided by time, will determine the fate of us all. These are
stories of a world bent on destroying itself, and of the alternate world
that might be its savior--unless it's too late.
Why I'm excited: Can we just say WHOA?! (The cover. THE COVER.) But that description!! I've never seen anything like this. I'm so excited to see what in the world this is book is going to be.
What books are you looking forward to reading this year? Leave a comment!
Expected publication: March 1st, 2016
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 336
The last thing
sixteen-year-old Jamie Watson–writer and great-great-grandson of the
John Watson–wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut
prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not
the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes,
the famous detective’s enigmatic, fiercely independent
great-great-granddaughter, who’s inherited not just his genius but also
his vices, volatile temperament, and expertly hidden vulnerability.
Charlotte has been the object of his fascination for as long as he can
remember–but from the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between
them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else.
Then
a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances ripped
straight from the most terrifying of the Holmes stories, and Jamie and
Charlotte become the prime suspects. Convinced they’re being framed,
they must race against the police to conduct their own investigation. As
danger mounts, it becomes clear that nowhere is safe and the only
people they can trust are each other.
Equal parts tender,
thrilling, and hilarious, A Study in Charlotte is the first in a trilogy
brimming with wit and edge-of-the-seat suspense.
I LOVE retellings, and Sherlock
Holmes has been a recent obsession of mine over the past couple years.
So naturally the super clever title and offbeat cover caused me to
snatch this ARC up off the shelf like the greedy little bookworm that I
am.
Overall, I thought the story was very good. It took me maybe
forty, fifty pages to really get into it, but after that I didn't feel
like the action lagged at all. Even if they weren't running through the
streets to chase someone down, I was completely entertained.
I
loved Charlotte's character, too. She felt like a descendant of Sherlock
Holmes, down to her speech pattern, but she wasn't a copycat. She had a
drug addiction, just like Sherlock, and played the violin beautifully.
But she was also more emotional, I think. She got more attached to
people, even though she viewed it as a "weakness," but it just made her
more endearing. I found myself actually cringing every time I thought
she was in danger.
This book was a mystery that didn't cut any
corners and, though it was somewhat confusing, made total sense once you
got to the big reveal. Well . . . I had to take a minute and reread
once or twice to make sure it completely sank in, but then it made
sense. It was as confusing as you'd expect a Sherlock Holmes story to
be. I didn't feel like the author cheated me out of something by tossing
me all these red herrings.
The only parts of the story that
didn't sit right with me were 1. Jamie's character, 2. A side plot that
felt thrown in, and 3. The matter of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Let me
expand on these.
Jamie was bland! I didn't dislike him, per se,
but . . . if it hadn't been for Charlotte, I wouldn't have really been
able to root for him, either. He didn't have much of a personality, it
was like his entire character depended on his relationship with
Charlotte. I usually have a really hard time when I can't connect with
the main character in some way, but the story mostly made up for it.
That
side plot . . . *headdesks repeatedly* What even?! I was SO CONFUSED
when I realized what had happened, and even then it took me several
pages to recover from it. It didn't have anything to do with the main
story at all! It felt like one of those bombs an author drops during
NaNoWriMo just for the sake of bumping up her word count by a couple
thousand words, and then forgot to edit out when sending the book in for
publication. (For those of you who have read the book, I hope you know
what side plot I'm talking about, because I'm dying to talk about it
with someone. Was it just me and I totally missed something about it, or
did anyone else agree?)
Apparently Cait and I had the same
thoughts with this one, but toward the beginning of the book, you find
out that the Sherlock Holmes stories are true and that Holmes and Watson
were real people. So far so good, right? But then they go on to mention
that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was still the one who wrote the books, when
during every other part of the story it would seem like John Watson did
. . . huh??
And they NEVER EXPLAIN how this makes sense. Not a huge deal, but still something I thought should've been worked out more.
So to sum it up, it's a fun read, especially great for a gray day when you're stuck inside with a blanket and a book. But definitely read it for the plot and not so much the characters, since the only one I really liked was Charlotte.
Have you read A Study in Charlotte? What did you think? And what are your favorite retellings, Sherlock Holmes or otherwise? Leave a comment!
Shipping is the best. It's one of my favorite things to do while fangirling over my favorite fandoms. But all too often we focus on the romantic ships and forget the other, just as important relationships. Don't get me wrong, I love my adorable OTPs as much as the next fangirl, but what about the friendships? I've been calling these "platoniships," and I have just as many of these ships as I do my romantic ones, if not more. A few examples . . .
Harry, Ron, and Hermione from the Harry Potter series
I so wish I could find an illustration of these three by Jim Kay, because his drawings are GORGEOUS.
This trio was the perfect balance of mischief and heroism. Sure they broke the rules sometimes, but you always, always rooted for them. And no matter how often any combination of the three fought, they stuck together when it mattered most. Harry wouldn't have been able to do 90% of the things he did without help from the other two. Teamwork at its finest!
The Marauders from the Harry Potter series
OKAY BUT LOOK AT HOW CUTE LUPIN IS WITH HIS CHOCOLATE
I. Love. These. Guys. So many fan-fiction possibilities with these four. And before, you know, Peter betrayed everyone, they were the best friends any of them could've asked for. James, Sirius, and Peter all broke the law and became unregistered animagi just so Remus wouldn't have to be alone! If that's not love, I don't know what is. Calvin and Hobbes from the Calvin and Hobbes series
These two may be at the top of my list. Even looking for a picture was difficult because there were so many different ways to portray them! I could've gone for sweet, silly, fun, etc. Ultimately I decided on this one, because I think at the heart of it, Calvin and Hobbes were about laughter. They wanted to goof off and smile and imagine whole new worlds they could have a blast in. This is my favorite comic strip series ever for that reason. The Doctor and Donna from "Doctor Who"
How awesome are Ten and Donna?! The answer is SO AWESOME. They're hysterical, fun, sassy, gutsy, and make a fabulous team. Not to mention a couple of the kindest hearts to ever walk the Whovian earth. The Doctor showed Donna wonders and Donna made the Doctor more human in the best way. They had some of the best chemistry any two people have had on TV ever. I'm still so sad they only lasted a season.
Sherlock and John from "Sherlock"
THESE TWO.However you ship it, you can't deny that they're brilliant together. Solving murders and giggling at the crime scenes while they do it? It's the perfect blend of drama and humor. And can we talk about how much Sherlock has grown over the seasons thanks to John's friendship? (And John because of Sherlock's, for that matter!) Yay for character development!
Sam and Dean from "Supernatural"
Who says siblings can't be friends? And these brothers have one of the BEST sibling relationships I have ever seen in fiction ever. EVER, I TELL YOU. Sam and Dean behave just like normal siblings would (teasing each other, pulling pranks, getting into heated debates about music and other pop culture stuff, etc.), and they would literally sacrifice themselves for the other in a heartbeat. Eleven seasons of this show and it's still going strong, all because of them.
Charlie and Dean from "Supernatural"
Dean once described Charlie as "the little sister he never wanted," and I think that's the perfect way to sum up their friendship. He's definitely an older brother figure to her, and that's exactly what Charlie needed in her life. After all the pain and loneliness she went through, Dean became her rock. And not only have they shared some sweet moments, but plenty of fun ones, too. (Who can forget the famous "Walking On Sunshine" montage?) Lorelai and Rory from "Gilmore Girls"
I totally think kids can be friends with their parents, and Lorelai and Rory are proof of that. They're supportive of the dreams of the other, they encourage and inspire each other, and they're so close they can practically finish each other's sentences. And when they do talk, it's hard to get a word in edgewise. The dialogue is constantly fast-paced. The wit is unreal. Watching them interact on screen is addictive. It's like opening a package of M&M's and just eating one. Which is absurd, because you never eat just one. You have to eat the entire thing, clearly. Watching a few minutes isn't enough to get your Gilmore fix. You need to watch an entire episode (or three).
Chandler and Joey from "Friends"
And for those of you who haven't watched "Friends," yes, yes they are riding on a statue of a dog.
Ah, Chandler and Joey. Once of the best TV bromances. Watching them crack each other up and go through life together is a joy. Most of my favorite scenes involve the two of them getting into all kinds of mayhem. ("What kind of scary ass clowns came to your birthday?") Could they BE anymore awesome?
Scott and Stiles from "Teen Wolf"
Out of all the possible ships, romantic or otherwise, in this show, Scott and Stiles are my favorite. They remind me a lot of Chandler and Joey in some ways, Stiles being the sarcastic one, although Scott is wayyy smarter than Joey. The unconditional support and friendship they have for each other gives me all the feels. I can never have too much of them in a single episode.
Cinder and Thorne from The Lunar Chronicles
Ermahgerd, I can't even with these two!!! Thorne is a fabulous Han Solo/Captain Jack Harkness/Dean Winchester type, the perfect blend of cockiness and sarcastic humor (even though everybody knows he's a total teddy bear on the inside). Cinder is smart and impatient and can totally kick butt in any situation. Watching the two of them collide and go from bickering to . . . well, more bickering has been one of the best parts of the entire series. I love them. I need more. Now. Rey and Finn from "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"
This is the best picture I could find considering how new the movie is.
Can I get a round of applause for brother-sister type friendships? Because that's exactly what this one is, in my mind. Banter and teamwork and protectiveness, FTW! I'm sooo freaking excited to see more of them in future movies. (And BB-8, of course, who's just a little ball of adorable sunshine.)
Parker and Hardison from "Leverage"
Parker and Hardison are a tentative addition since I'm only in the middle of season one and Caithas suggested I might end up "shippy shipping" them (her awesome words). But for now, how sweet are they together?! Apparently I'm a sucker for brother-sister friendships. Parker deserves all the hugs, and Hardison has the best ridiculous scenes. I love it so much. Your turn! What are you favorite platoniships? Leave a comment! :)
I've
never read any Arabian Nights retellings, so I don't have anything to
compare this one to, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had a Throne of
Glass feel to it, especially with the protagonist being a conflicted
sort of heroine in the sense that she's not completely good (think
lawful neutral). Or at least you think so. The author does a good
job of making you wonder if this is a character you should root for or
not for a sizable portion of the book, but ultimately makes you feel
sorry for her. All of the characters are complex and the story is a joy
to read. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes the Throne of Glass series or An Ember In the Ashes. It's a great, action-packed story!
This is my least favorite Rainbow Rowell book so far, but because Rainbow is a freaking genius, even my least favorite by her is really good. Her dialogue is fabulous, as always, and the plot moved at a fairly good pace. But for some reason her characters just . . . didn't sit right with me. Usually I love her characters, but these bugged me more than usual. I wasn't a fan of Neal, or Georgie a lot of the time. I did like Seth, and if it weren't for Georgie's kids, I would've rooted for her and him. But it was still a good story with an interesting premise.
Movies I Watched
"Serendipity"
4/5
A fun movie for the holiday season! I love simple romantic comedies like this one. It reminded me of "Sleepless In Seattle" at some parts. John Cusack is great, too.
"America's Sweethearts"
3.5/5
This wasn't any grand movie, just pure fun. Some of it was pure ridiculousness, but the whole thing made me laugh.
"A Lot Like Love"
4/5
I LOVE INDIE MOVIES. The soundtrack, the characters, the story, the simplicity, all of it was so good. It had a "What If" kind of feel.
"The Force Awakens"
5/5
Hands down the best Star Wars movie I've ever seen. It felt like the original stories, but not so cheesy and with better acting! The new characters were fabulous, the cameos were well done, and I liked the throwbacks. But I'm so excited to see more of Rey and BB-8 and Finn and Po and Kylo Ren and--everyone, really. There was girl power and humor and adventure and plot twists every minute. I can't believe I have to wait so long for the next one!
"Joy"
4/5
Not my favorite Jennifer Lawrence film (I much prefer her in The Hunger Games or Silver Linings Playbook), but she's still a fantastic actress. The story was simple and surprisingly entertaining for the seemingly mundane plot. It was definitely quirky. I liked it.
Quotes I Wrote
"What does one who dislikes Imagine Dragons listen to?"Joel glanced up at her, fidgeting with his hands. "Metallica?"
She laughed. Loudly. Joel blushed under the sound, though he liked the way it sounded. It was musical.
"I'm sorry," Laurel said a few seconds later, once she'd caught her breath. She shoved him playfully, Joel's skin tingling where she touched him. "I just didn't expect that answer from you. You don't seem like the Metallica type."
"As opposed to . . . ?" He trailed off, raising his eyebrows.
Laurel shrugged. "Fleetwood Mac? Indigo Girls?"
"Taylor Swift?" Michael suggested as he smirked at Joel in the rearview mirror.
"Not helpful, man," Joel shot back.
--Dust Settles
(A little explanation about this next one: It's a short story where the characters are living in a slightly futuristic Earth. A watch has been invented, but it's not your standard watch. Anyone who purchases one can put it on and see, down to the second, when they're going to meet their soulmate. It's the perfect way to find true love.)
I've still got two years on mine. Well . . ." She looked at her watch. "Two years, seven months, eighteen days, thirteen hours, and eleven minutes."
"You're lucky then," Joel said with what he hoped was a sincere smile. He was happy she had a watch . . . he was. And the little twinge of jealousy he felt for the person she'd meet when her timer hit zero was so slight, he could push it away for now. "You don't have much longer to wait."
"Nah," Laurel said quietly, still rubbing her thumb along the smooth edges of the railing. "I don't know if lucky's the word I'd use. I almost didn't buy one, you know. But my parents bought me one as a going away present before I came to college, so I didn't really have a choice."
"Why didn't you want one?"
Laurel frowned as if she were trying to remember something that was on the tip of her tongue, then straightened up and leaned against the railing so her back was to the yard. "I don't know. It's hard to put my finger on one thing, exactly. I mean, I never thought they actually worked, because they were so new and seemed too good to be true. I just don't think soulmates can be that easy. Love is special because it's difficult and because you have to work at it to make it last. It's someone you find by chance, someone you can fall for slowly and romantically. It shouldn't be instant. You have to find someone who gets to know you and your flaws and is willing to get a little messy in order to get the chance to keep you close. Love should be complicated. That's why finally finding it is so amazing."
--Dust Settles
"I've done some things. Bad things."
"So have I."
"And yet you let me stay here."
"Jordan lets me stay."
Melody shook her head a little and curled up into a tighter ball, digging her elbows into her stomach and pinning her arms against her chest with her bent knees. "It hurts," she whispered. "All of it hurts. How do you cope with it?"
"I remember," Lila spoke softly, her heart aching for Melody. "And I cry. And then I try to let it go."
"Does it work?"
Lila bit her lip. "Sometimes."
"And what if it doesn't?"
"Then you learn to carry on anyway. Because you have to. Because it's survival."
--'Til the Last Star Dies
Melody gazed with parted lips, wide eyes drinking in every detail. Lila didn't bother to look around. She'd been here a thousand times already, and even though cities like this always had something new to explore, she would much rather explore the girl in front of her instead. She had curves and edges and roads less traveled just like any place in the world, and she was so alive. There was a sparkle in her eyes, some life and laughter still there in those emerald green oases. Lila wondered if her own eyes held that kind of light. But no, light had died long ago, when she pulled away from Jordan, her rock, her best friend.
But maybe Melody could light a match, spark that flame again.
--'Til the Last Star Dies
Obsessions I Acquired
"Castle" - Because Nathan Fillion. And sassy detectives. And witty writers. And humor and murder and father-daughter relationships. I'm almost done with the second season, but I loved it from the very first episode. Go watch it!
"Leverage" -THE HEISTS. THE CHARACTERS. I'm not even halfway through season one and I'm in looove. The dynamic of the main five characters are what make the show, though. It's so good.
Picture of the Month
Meeting my friend Charlie at the train station when she came to visit during her winter break.
How was your December?
End of the Year Wrap-Up
It's time to say goodbye to 2015 and hello to 2016! But before we do, I'd like to take a look at the past year.
First of all, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone who has ever e-mailed me/tweeted at me/left a comment on my blog this past year. You guys make blogging worth it. I love getting to know you and talking books, movies, and all things fangirl. Some of my best friends live halfway across the world, and thanks to the wonderful internet, I get to meet all of you. I couldn't possibly list all of the awesome people I've interacted with over the past year, but I would like to give these three a special shout out.
Carly is great! Fangirling with her and exchanging comments filled with caps and emoticons has been so much fun. (Seriously, she leaves some of the best comments ever.)
Okay, so technically I didn't meet John this year, but I feel like I got to know him even better. His tweets and Facebook statuses never fail to make me smile, his taste in books and movies are really similar to mine, and even though he doesn't have a blog, he's one of my favorite online people.
All of my Tumblr friends
I say friends, but really they're family. I joined a Supernatural chatroom on Tumblr on a whim this past March expecting to find a couple hours of fun discussion, but I ended up with ten sisters. I can't even put into words how amazing they've been over the past year. We've laughed (a lot, and hysterically) and cried together, and I even met up with one of them, Charlie, a few times. My parents and a few of the girls surprised me this Christmas with one of the best presents I could ever ask for. Four of them are flying out or coming by train from different states to celebrate my sixteenth birthday with me this year, and I'm so over the moon excited. And two of them are coming back this July to go to a writer's camp with me! It's not exaggerating to say we talk every day. It just goes to show you how fabulous the internet and different fandoms can be.
New obsessions
1. Tumblr/fan-fiction
2. "Broadchurch"
3. "Jane the Virgin"
4. "Castle"
5. "The 100"
6. Playing the guitar/ukulele (surprisingly easy to teach yourself!)
7. My various book boards on Pinterest
8. This video.
9. Graphic design (by using Picmonkey, mostly)/fanart (I'm grouping these together since they both have to do with art and I really wanted to be able to fit 15 new obsessions exactly in this list . . . success!)
10. ALSO THIS VIDEO aka the video I show everyone when trying to convince them to watch "Supernatural."
11. "Supernatural Parody" by the Hillywood Show I was dying from laughing so hard the first time I saw this.
12."Veronica Mars"
13. "Firefly"
14. "Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog"
15. "Les Misérables"
Most played songs
"We Used to Be Friends" - The Dandy Warhols
"World On Fire" - Les Friction
"Who Are You Really" and "We Must Be Killers" - Mikky Ekko
"Black Sheep" and "Kill of the Night" - Gin Wigmore
"Just a Little Bit" - Kids of 88
"Once Upon a Dream" and "Young and Beautiful" - Lana Del Ray
"Eskimo," "Gamma Ray," "Worlds Collide," and "She Waits" - Louden Swain
"Pocketful of Poetry," "All About Your Heart," "California," and "Anchor" - Mindy Gledhill
"Jupiter," "Neptune," and "Turning Page" - Sleeping At Last
All of the music from "Les Misérables"
All of the music from "Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog"
"Stop, I'm Already Dead" - Deadboy & the Elephantmen
All of the music from the "Fan-Fiction" episode of "Supernatural"
"Lily's Theme" - Alexandre Desplat
"Favourite Colour" - Carly Rae Jepsen
"Home" - Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
"Ex's and Oh's" - Elle King
"Slip" - Elliot Moss
"More Than Words" - Extreme
"Kiss the Girl," "That's What's Up," and "Ho Hey" - Lennon and Maisy
"Dog Days Are Over" and "Breath of Life" - Florence + The Machine
"Budapest" - George Ezra
"Kaleidoscope," "End of the World," "All I Want Is Love," "Hold Each Other," and "Oasis" - A Great Big World
"Immortals" - Fallout Boy
"Jackie and Wilson," "Someone New," "In a Week," "Work Song," and "Like Real People Do" - Hozier
"Can't Help Falling In Love" - Ingrid Michaelson
"Can't Help Falling In Love" - 21 Pilots
Anything by James Bay
Anything by Jasmine Thompson
"Until We Get There" - Lucius
"Anything Could Happen" and "Love Me Like You Do" - Ellie Goulding
Anything by M83
"Terrible Things" - Mayday Parade
"Like I'm Gonna Lose You" - Meghan Trainor feat. John Legend
"Stolen Dance" - Milky Chance
"Try Again" - Miranda Dodson
"Pour Some Sugar On Me" - Def Leppard
"Home Sweet Home" - Mötley Crüe
"Sister Christian" - Night Ranger
All of the music from "Once"
"Hold On" - Echoes de Luxe
"Writing's on the Wall" - Sam Smith
"Kiss Me" and "There She Goes" - Sixpence None the Richer
"She's So High" - Tal Bachman
"Can't Pretend" and "Another Love" - Tom Odell
"Riptide" and "Best That I Can" - Vance Joy
"Shut Up and Dance" - Walk the Moon
"The Great Escape" - P!nk
All of the music from Glee
"People Will Say We're In Love" from "Oklahoma!"
Strangest/Coolest Google search used to find my blog
"award for patience" (I know the only reason I came up as a result for this search term is because I accepted a blog award having to do with patience, but I still find it ironic considering I am THE MOST IMPATIENT PERSON EVER.)
1. I met some of my best friends and adopted family on Tumblr.
2. I went to my first overnight writer's camp.
3. I did a summer internship at my local bookstore, Aaron's Books.
EDIT: I don't know how in the world I forgot to include this, but our family hosted two foreign exchange students this year, a girl from France and a boy from Spain. We had a BLAST. My brother, parents, and I all went to a family reunion on my dad's side in California, too! I loved getting to see everyone again, and meet some of my cousins for the first time. :)
Image from this year
One of my best friends and honorary big sister, Charlie, and me. (I don't tend to selfie well when I'm taking the picture, so thank you, Charlie, for taking this one!)
Favorite quotes from the #1. best book read this year
Which is, as you already know, undoubtedly You're Never Weird On the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day.
“But the heart of my story is that the world opened up for me once I
decided to embrace who I am—unapologetically. My story demonstrates that
there’s no better time in history to have a dream and be able to reach
an audience with your art. Or just be as weird as you want to be and not
have to be ashamed. That lesson’s just as legit.”
“No matter how lonely and isolated and starved for connection you are,
there’s always the possibility in the online world that you can find a
place to be accepted, or discover a friendship that’s started with the
smallest of interests but could last a lifetime.”
“Do the work you love. And love yourself.”
“Your qualification for finding a place to belong is enthusiasm and
passion, and I think that’s a beautiful thing. No one should feel lonely
or embarrassed about liking something.”
“Because if you can’t be your own weird self on the internet, where can you be? And what would be the point?”
“A lot of people mock fandom and fan-fiction, like it's lazy to base
your own creativity and passion on someone else's work. But some of us
need a stepping-stone to start. What's wrong with finding joy in making
something, regardless of the inspiration?”
“The creative process isn’t easy.
It’s more like a wobbly, drunken journey down a very steep and scary
hill, not knowing if there’s a sheer cliff at the end of it all. But
it’s worth the journey, I promise.”
“Knowing yourself is life's eternal homework.”
“But I AM saying don’t chase perfection for perfection’s sake, or for
anyone else’s sake at all. If you strive for something, make sure it’s
for the right reasons. And if you fail, that will be a better lesson for
you than any success you’ll ever have. Because you learn a lot from
screwing up.”
Favorite quotes
These definitely sum up 2015 for me.
2015 in one word
Exciting.
Goals for 2016
Writing:
1. Get an agent. (Hopefully for Beneath the Moon and Stars!)
2. Finish Ms. Holmes. (I'm aiming for another 30,000-50,000 words.)
3. Finish 'Til the Last Star Dies. (I'm guessing this will end up being around 100,000 words.)
4. Write more short stories to submit to contests. (I'm really liking writing them more than I used to!)
5. Work on my handwriting. (It's already pretty good when I write for other people, but I need to practice when writing notes to myself so I can actually read them later. :P)
6. Finish editing Beneath the Moon and Stars. (Just a few more meetings at my writer's group and I think I'll have it.)
7. Blog more. (My blogging fell a little behind this past year, but I'm hoping to post at least 1-2 times a week.)
Reading:
1. Read one book a week. (My reading was also not the best last year--I blame the black hole of binge-watching--but a book a week, even with how long the books I read tend to be, is completely reasonable.)
2. Finish Les Misérables. (I started it but, surprise surprise, got distracted. I'm reading the abridged version to start. :P)
3. Finish A Game of Thrones. (Shouldn't take me too long as I'm already 300 pages in and really enjoying it!)
Other:
1. Say "no" to more. (I tend to say yes to a lot of activities and social gatherings even if I don't really want to because I feel like I have to, but I'm going to work on saying no to more of it. I need time to write and read and recharge, having discovered this past year that I'm an introvert and what that really means, as opposed to what I'd been wrongly told it meant, which was shy and antisocial. I'm not shy--even though I detest small talk and the awkward first meetings that generally happens with most people--and I'm definitely not antisocial. I just need alone time. I hate that I'd been told over and over again by society that being introverted was some kind of negative thing, because I think recognizing this about myself earlier could've done me loads of good.)
2. Procrastinate less. (I feel like each year I make progress with this one, but I'm going to keep putting it on my list of goals for the year to improve even more!)
3. Dance more. (I love music and I love dancing--when I actually have a routine I can follow--so there will be lots of "Just Dance" playing happening in the Foley household.)
4. Be on my phone less. (I got a cell phone this past summer, and while I hardly ever actually use it to call people, I text. A lot. Most of my friends are far away, and even the friends that are close by I don't see as often as I would if I were in school, so my phone becomes my main way to contact them. But it can easily go from one or two texts to entire conversations with seven different people at once. It's my guilty pleasure, but also one I have to be super careful to control. I think this is the main reason I didn't read or blog as much as I would've liked this past year, so in 2016, my cell phone is going to remain tucked away upstairs for the majority of the day. I'll give myself breaks to check it, but I don't want to get sucked into it.)
5. Exercise more. (I did a little more this past year, but I think I can step it up even more this year. I'm thinking about giving myself the rule that I can't watch any of my binge-watching pleasures unless I'm doing some form of exercise.)
6. Eat pesco vegetarian, or straight up vegetarian, as much as possible. (I love fish, so this shouldn't be a problem.)
7. Eat less sugar. (I always try to eat even less than I already do, which really isn't much to begin with.)
8. Journal once a week. (My general "journal more" goals haven't worked, so each Sunday night I'm going to try writing a little bit, just to have something I can look back on years later.)
9. Learn basic sign language. (I want to learn different languages, and sign language just looks like so much fun.)
10. Learn basic French. (Mostly because I think the language is so pretty.)
11. Take more pictures. (Simple enough, but easy to forget when you're having so much fun just hanging out with your friends! But I want to try to take more with them when I'm out and about.)
Goals for 2015 that I've accomplished
Writing:
1. Finish editing Beneath the Moon and Stars. (I'm calling this one a success, even if it isn't finished, because I did everything that I could without my critique partners' advice. Now that I've gotten responses from everyone, I can continue and edit even more!)
2. Finish writing August Knight and the Sword of Gold. (Done! Edits will come later.)
3. Send Flightless Birds to my CPs/Beta readers. (Also done. My critique partners were absolutely awesome with this one, considering how long it was at about 500 pages.)
4. Try screenwriting. (I wrote a few scenes of fan-fiction pilot for a possible "Supernatural" spinoff series featuring Jody Mills and Donna Hanscum. I also tried an opening scene for a pilot of a dramedy about a writer living in a small town who also works at the Renaissance Faire . . . totally not semi-based off of my life.)
Reading:
1. Keep clearing out my TBR shelves. (Well I did do quite a few . . . maybe a dozen?)
2. Review more. (Probably not as much as I liked, but I read more ARCs, which naturally led me to write more reviews, even if I didn't always post them on my blog.)
3. Read the books I've been saying I'll read for the past six months. (I couldn't remember what books I'd written down for that, but apparently they were: Throne of Glass, Anna and the French Kiss, The Raven Boys, Code Name Verity, Looking For Alaska, Landline, and Paper Towns. I promised I would get to them ASAP, and I mostly did. I read all but Anna and the French Kiss, and I only started Code Name Verity before getting, you guessed it, distracted.)
4. Read the books from my Goodreads TBR. (I did read some, so I'll count that here.)
5. Stop getting distracted, or at least get less distracted. (Well, I did get less distracted, so that counts for something . . .)
6. Return to my favorites [genres]. (I read lots of fantasies and contemporaries this year, so yay!)
1. Eat less sugar and meat, eat more fish. (Done!)
2. Procrastinate even less. (I'm giving myself a pat on the back with this one. I improved a lot.)
Goals for 2015 that I didn't accomplish
Because it's good to recognize your failures, too.
Writing:
1. Finish writing Cosmo. (I should've written out a plot map for this one. I adore the story and the characters, but I've totally written myself into a corner, and I may or may not be procrastinating figuring out how to get out of it. I'll finish it one day, that much I know.)
2. Get an agent. (Although I did have one agent request a full manuscript, so I know I'm making progress!)
Reading:
1. Resist the urge to add dozens of books to my already crammed TBR shelves.(HA. HA HA. Would you like to see a picture of my TBR shelves at the moment?? I think I heard a yes somewhere out there.)
The top two shelves are my TBR shelves. LOOK AT THIS INSANITY. I swear it's double in size in the past year. Darn you, shiny book covers.
But I did always say I didn't have high hopes for that one, so it's not like it was unexpected.
2. Finish my Harry Potter trivia game. (Sadly, I got super duper distracted. But I did finish going through three books, so it's not like I didn't work on it at all.)
3. Read more middle-grade. (While I did read some great stuff, I only read a total of four middle-grade books. Not as many as I set out to do originally.)
General:
1. Exercise more. (While I did exercise more, I didn't exercise as much as I would've liked.)
2. Read the news more. (Er . . . this didn't exactly happen. I read it off and on, but not regularly.)
Bye, 2015! Now for the next adventure.
What are your goals for 2016? Anything big happen in 2015? Leave a comment! :)
