February Recap | Books & Ballet & Donald Trump. You Know. The Usual.

    

• Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes. Delicious drama? Check. Perfection on the technical level? Not even close. ★★★☆☆
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. SO MUCH HYPE I CAN NOT AVOID IT. Yes, I was disappointed. Yes, I am saddened. It was all satisfactory, but I was never blown away. ★★★☆☆
• Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. This book made me finish an ENTIRE BOX OF TISSUES. ★★★★☆

  

• The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry. Meh. This book was a mushroom. ★★☆☆☆
• Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. This book dragged on…BUT. THEN. MAGIC. It was scrumptious. It had its faults, sure, but don’t we all. ★★★★☆

In Total: 5 books. ONLY FIVE. I blame this on all the horrendous books I DNF’d. Dear books, stop slumpifying me. Thanks.

  

Top 5 Posts:

• Bookish Characters for President! (We Make Fun of Donald Trump a Lot)
• Six of Crows | Hype Victim. RIP.
• The Ways to a Raging Reader’s Heart
• January Recap | In Which I Compare Books to Bacon.
• This Valentine’s Day, Let YA Books Fill the Romantic Void in Your Life

My Favorite:

Bookish Characters for President!

Why? Because I got to mock Donald Trump, obviously. Mocking pleases me, being the disgusting potato I am.

In total: 12 posts. Not too shabby, friends. Not too shabby.
  
Things that happened to happen:

• My improv group began and finished our traveling performances. We rocked. Btw.
• Rehearsals began for the spring ballet show of The Odessey. It’s AMAZING. Probably my favorite. Including the Nutcracker. FOR MY RICK RIORDIAN-Y FRIENDS: One of my parts is being a lotus-eater. For some reason the setting isn’t a modern-day casino with Percy Jackson. Heaven knows why.
• I went swing dancing. For the first time. I attempted to channel my inner Gene Kelly and am 83% I failed. So.

What was your favorite read this month and can you please give me a food comparison? Thanks a bunches!

Advertisement

Even Pride & Prejudice Can be Conquered with These Books! | Top Ten Tuesday

Original Top Ten Tuesday Prompt: Ten Books I Enjoyed Recently (last yearish) That Weren’t My Typical Genre/Type of Book (or that were out of your comfort zone)

Revised Prompt Because I’m an Obnoxious Little Rebel: 5 books I loved even though they might not be the most intellectual reads (conquering my pride) and 5 books I loved even though they seem like stuffy old classics (conquering my prejudice). 

 

  
1. Stephanie Perkins‘ Books

For heaven’s sake, it’s called Anna and the French Kiss! You can’t get more ridiculously superficial than that!

And they are. The books are tremendously superficial, monstrously cheesy. But they’re good. They feed the guilty pleasure monster lurking inside. They create the stomach happy-bubbles. They quiet the fairy-tale deprivation.

So who cares if it’s a book I probably wouldn’t read in public? (The books conquered my pride. However, it seems my dignity is still very much intact) As long as they make you happy, then so what?

STOP JUDGING ME.

  
2. Sophie Kinsella‘s Books

Yes, I love rom-coms. Yes, these are rom-coms in book form. Yes, I love it. No, I don’t care if you’re feeling the pretentious need to judge me. SORRY.

These are adorable. Intellectual? Pfft. Not even close. But they’re a good time. They’re good for the soul. So.
  

3. The To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before Duology by Jenny Han

Again…To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before? P. S. I Still Love You? The covers are lovely, but the titles implore me to only read the books at home.

In fact, the titles are why it took me so long to read the books.

Silly me! That’s what I get for being a everything-judger title-judger. Yes, this book was cheesy. Yes, it was good anyway. But most importantly, it was more than superficiality. It had strong family themes surrounding the book, something I wouldn’t have realized if I hadn’t defeated my pride.
 

4.  Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

OKAY YES I WAS HESITANT AT THIS. It seemed, I don’t know, silly? Not meaningful? The point is, I’m a pretentious potato and this book seemed beneath me.

Moral of the story: I’m a blubbering idiot and have no idea what I’m talking about 89% of the time.

I loved it. I humbled myself and read it and I loved it. It was more than meaningful, it was beautiful. It was witty without being stupid, it was lyrical without being boring. It was so very real. 

  

5. Just One Day by Gayle Forman

“So she goes with some random guy to Paris? Pfft. How typical. How unrealistic?” -Me before this book. I am currently slapping me before this book.

If terribly done, it would be typical and it would be unrealistic. But it wasn’t. It wasn’t because GAYLE FORMAN IS ONE OF THE BEST WRITERS ALIVE. I don’t know how she managed to take something so romance-based, yet turn it into something so much more than that. I can only compare it to Jane Austen’s writing.

So there.

  

  

6. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

My friend actually recommended this to me when I was a small child. 

What I said in reply was: Oh sure! I’ll check it out of the library!

What I thought: Sounds OLD. And BORING.

SOMEONE KICK ME. Because Anne is my hero. Anne is everything.

  
7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I had to read this for school in 7th grade, and BOY WAS I UPSET ABOUT THAT. To ignorant, from-the-past Becca, this looked like the most boring, irrelevant book I could possibly be forced to read.

I was wrong.

I was so wrong.

This is magic. This is wondrous.

(I do indeed refuse to read Go Set a Watchman.)

  

8. The Secret Garden by France’s Hodgson Burnett

I was fury of a fifth grader, resolute in my decision to hate this book.

Here’s the thing, I’m not great at hating things. Especially when these things are books that intrigue and capture your heart, your mind, your everything.

This book is scrumptious.

  
9. The Adventures of Tom Saywer by Mark Twain

I knew it was going to be a boring little biography-style book of the perfect little boy. I just knew.

Well, it turns out I just knew wrong.

Tom Saywer is quite the scoundrel which was THRILLING to tiny-child-Becca. Of course, he became my new role model an example of what not to be.

 
  10. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Well would you look at that, the namesake for this post.

My prejudice for this one was actually not my fault. It was my sister who filled my poor, impressionable young mind with her groans while reading this masterpiece. I can take no blame!

This post has been immensely humbling. I shall never do anything like this ever again.

What books have humbled you? Don’t you hate/love it when they do that?

Owlcrate Unboxing! | Lunar Chronicles Goodness & Useless Whovian Madness

  
Owlcrate is a monthly YA subscription box featuring a delicious book and scrumptious bookish goodies. Want to know if it’s worth the $30 a box? Just read below for my take on the contents of the Feburary box, the theme of the month being Sci-Fi love! 
 I APPROVE. I shall commence using this tote bag to carry shenanigans and remind me of the shippity shipping feels. 

(Cress + Thorne is my favorite. FYI. I know you were wondering.)

 
I am not a Whovian. I do not care for Doctor Who. When I order a YA subscription box, I expect YA things. Is Doctor Who YA? NO. Ergo, I don’t want it. Get it away.  

I certainly like the cover!

I’ve only read one other book by H. G. Wells, and that was The Invisble Man. I despised it. So.

 

1. The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry
2. A letter from Emily Henry (so sweet!)
3. A signed (!!!) sticker pertaining to said book

I have heard a monstrous amount of good things about TLTSTW. A MONSTOROUS AMOUNT. It looks intriguing and mysterious, I’m excited to see how I like it!

  
This month’s box was split 50/50 for me. But I think that’s mainly because I’m not much of a science fiction person in general. I haven’t even seen Star Wars (shh). 

What I would recommend doing is looking at Owlcrate’s Instagram and such to see the theme of the box ahead, and then decide if you’d like to order it or not.

While the theme wasn’t perfectly tailored towards me, the goodies did delight! I am also quietly dying of anticipation for March’s box, with the theme of Writer’s Block!

Have you ordered Owlcrate? If so, what month’s theme has been your favorite? Are you a Whovian? Do you want my brooch thing?

The Soundtrack of Les Miserables. As Books! | Top Ten Tuesday

Original Top Ten Tuesday Prompt: Books and songs and songs and books

Revised Prompt Because I’m an Obnoxious Little Rebel: The Les Miserables Soundtrack. As Books.

  
Who Am I is a song all about questioning oneself. (If I go, I am condemned. If I stay silent, I am daaaammmnnneeedddd etc.)

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is also about questioning oneself. Except instead of the moral battle of whether to turn oneself into prison or not, Mara Dyer is wondering whether she is sane. She is certain she. I mean she’s seeing things, but she’s certain she’s sane. Obviously.

 
I Dreamed a Dream is a horrifically depressing song. But the singer of it, Fantine, had a purpose. She would do anything for her daughter and that’s what she did.

Me Before You is also horrifically depressing. (Surprise!) But the protagonist Louisa, had just as much purpose as Fantine. Both characters were on a mission to save a life.

  Master of the House is about a innkeeper and his wife performing thievery, deception, and other lovely things.

Six of Crows is about a gang performing an epic heist. As you might have guessed, it involves thievery, deception, and other lovely things.

  

Do You Hear the People Sing is not only sung by some of the best characters in the musical (arguments against this are futile), it pumps you up and makes you want to start a revolution of your own.  I am 99% sure this is because of Enjorlas.

An Ember in the Ashes is all about passion and anger, most of it directed towards the terrible government. With revolutionary writing and revolutionary characters, this book would make Victor Hugo proud. (Well. Maybe. I’m not sure if enough people died.)

  

Red and Black is sung by (the luxurious, majestic, fierce, etc.) Enjorlas who can’t believe Marius could be stupid enough to fall in love while there’s a revolution to run. Idiot.

Yael from Wolf by Wolf would make Enjorlas proud. She doesn’t let romance get in the way of her goal: killing Hitler.

  

Heart Full of Love is a disgustingly beautifully sappy song, full of a chorus of voices, all expressing their love. (Enjorlas would be truly disappointed.)

Just One Day is the perfect match to this song, since it’s MY FAVORITE ROMANTIC BOOK EVER. Not only that, it features traveling and coming-of-age magic, something its song counterpart tragically lacks. 

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables. Ah. The song everyone hates because it turns you into a sobbing munchkin, but loves because it’s so indescribably beautiful.

All the Bright Places gives you the exact same feeling. Despair but awe, tragedy yet hope.

  
I bet this one really surprised you.

I only made it to 8. But. Well. I tried.

What musicals to book comparisons do you have in mind?

This Valentine’s Day, Let YA Books Fill the Romantic Void in Your Life

  

Eponine was pathetic. But you don’t have to be! YA books are here to keep you from being shot to save this scrawny, pathetic, heartsick Marius who no one really likes anyway excuse me I’m sorry but why is everyone ignoring Enjorlas  being sad and alone on Valentine’s Day. I’ve even compiled a list to fill that romantic void you have. You’re welcome.  

  
Sophie Kinsella smashes rom-coms and books together. 

Rom-Com. Plus book. Together. As one. Sophie Kinsella’s hilarity bleeds through into all her books, and an adorable little romance is always present.

If you’re looking for a fluffy and funny read, any of Sophie Kinsella’s books are perfect for you.

Stephanie Perkins will vomit cuteness into your life.

Paris. San Fransisco. New York. Not only are their some of the most beautiful, magical cities in the world featured in her books, scrumptious romances are too.

Looking adorableness in a delicious book form? Stephanie Perkins has got you covered.

  

Morgan Matson will make you laugh. Then cry.

Coming-of-age magic with a little romance madness, how could anyone resist. Morgan Matson makes you feel things.

Laughter. Tears. That’s a Morgan Matson for ya.

  

Everything Jenny Han is Adorable.

JENNY HAN. So. There’s delicious awkwardness, scrumptious sister-bonding, and the perfect rom-com romance. 

Awkward. Adorable. Jenny Han is the master.

  
Just One Day by Gayle Forman is perfection in Just One Book.

What do I love? Wanderlust. What else do I love? Coming-of-age deliciousness. And to top it all off—romance. 

Just One Day is so good you’ll want to eat it.

  
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Ha. Just kidding. This one might take you a little longer than a day to read.

See? Now you won’t be on your own for Valentine’s Day. You’re welcome, chum.

How are you going to be spending Valentine’s Day? (With one of these books, of course.)

 

January Recap | In Which I Compare Books to Bacon

    

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. This book and I had a rocky start, but it wasn’t long before the ingenious hacked document effect crept into my heart, sure to never let me put the book down. ★★★★☆

Lux: Beginnings by Jennifer L. Armentrout. This book. Oh my word. It hurt me. It hurt me to read it. Every line of terrible writing was a stab into my heart. Hating it, however, was an awfully good time. ★★☆☆☆

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo. Where is pizzazz? Not in this series conclusion, that’s for sure. ★★★☆☆

Jackaby by William Ritter. Was there bounds of potential for creativity? Yes. Was it wasted? Yes. The book was hurtfully generic and drab. ★★★☆☆

  

The Birds by Aristophanes. Essentially: Aristophanes writes play while high, is mildly entertaining and completely confusing. ★★★☆☆

I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella. It’s a rom-com. In a book. Together. As one. This is quality entertainment, my friends. Joy wrapped up in hilarity. ★★★★★

Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella. If Sophie Kinsella’s books were a food they would be bacon wrapped in cotton candy. Which sounds disgusting. Please ignore everything I say ever. ★★★★☆

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes. Secrets. Drama. Intruige. LOVE IT. However, I didn’t quite get an attachment to the characters that I desired, and I felt there could’ve been more creativity induced throughout. ★★★☆☆

In total: 8 books read this month. Not too shabby, considering how much time I spent blogging. I’m even 1 book ahead of schedule on my goodreads challenge. Go me.
  
Top 5 posts:

• How to Write Book Reviews Like a Queen
• 10 Weird Things Bookworm’s Google PART 2
• Cover-Judging! And Why I’m Not Sorry for My Superficiality
• To Self-Host or To Not Self-Host. Plus Dobby!
• How to Keep Blogging When You’re a Busy Bee

My favorite: 

Why You’re Actually in a Relationship with Every Book You’ve Ever Read.

Why? Because that post was 78% iconic romantic movie moments, 91% based on personal bookworm experience, 2% actual logic, and 100% a joy to write.

In total: 

18 posts written in January. This number sounded far more impressive in my head.

  
Things that happened to happen:

• My seven-month-old cousin traveled back to Australia, leaving me with my tears of baby deprivation.
• School began again. (ew.)
• Drama began again. (yay!)
• Ballet began again. (woohoo!)
• Blacklist came back. Clearly this month was pathetic enough for me to put this in my “life recap.”
• I was snowed in with my friend and her grandparents during the massive East Cost blizzard. There may or may not have been brownies, butterscotch, and Teen Wolf involved.

Did you read any scrumptious books this month? What kinds of crazy weather do you get where you live?

I am not Ruined. I am Ruination. | Spotlight Saturday #3

 Spotlight Saturday is a weekly feature, created by Josie at Josie’s Book Corner dedicated to spotlighting and pinpointing some of the things over the week that have caught my attention more than usual, things I’ve particularly loved, etc.

Also, I am aware it is Sunday. I’m a busy, busy bee.

  First of all, her graphics are the cutest thing. Second of all, she has translated half a book. (What? How? I don’t know. I’m astounded) Third of all, she has been studying her poor little blogging tush off so we haven’t gotten quite as many of her stupendous posts lately. But it’s okay because education. 

Michelle @ The Writing Hufflepuff!

You’re a bookish superhero.

  
OY! I have so many this week because the blogging community is full of the most wonderfully creative posts. You guys all rock.

McKenzie @ Bookish Things and Tea talks about the beautiful modern day classics of the world. I agreed with all of her choices, I was just nodding my little bookish head as I read.

Linh @ Thin Paperbacks shares her much needed opinion on the weak protagonist debate. Her position is so refreshing and I COMPLETELY agree with it. We need to hear from all kinds of characters in literature. That’s what makes the reading world so exciting—so many eyes to look through, so many things to learn.

Aentee @ Read at Midnight analyzes all the aspects of integrity in book blogging. The way she accounts for all her experiences is as entertaining and wonderful as all her posts. Plus she gives the reminder all us book bloggers need—stay honest with reviews!

Alex @ Fiery Reads asks why we hate love triangles. Plus she shares all her criteria for a good love triangle and it’s a beautiful thing!

  
I’m so close to finish Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo, I can taste the glorious end. This isn’t quite the finale I was looking for, I didn’t get all the pizzazz I expected. There’s a bit too much planning and talking about what to do and not enough doing. 

BUT. Once I finish this, I’ll be ready for Six of Crows. Oh, the hype around the book. I’m practically suffocating from it.  

  

Oh yes. Taking it back to my roots.

 

“Na razrusha’ya. I am not ruined. E’ya razrushost. I am ruination.” 

― Leigh Bardugo, Ruin and Rising

  

Who are your bookish superheroes? What song reminds you of your past? Most importantly, are you ruined or are you ruination? 

Ballerinas, Shakespeare, and Bollywood | Spotlight Saturday #2

Spotlight Saturday is a weekly feature, created by Josie at Josie’s Book Corner, dedicated to spotlighting and pinpointing some of the things over the week that have caught my attention more than usual, things I’ve particularly loved, etc.

 
Dear Silanur @ AloofBooks,

You rock. 

That is all.

Seriously, Silanur’s posts are the most fun, heartfelt gems and she includes so much passion in her writing. PLUS SHE IS SO SWEET OH MY GOODNESS.

  
Alexandra @ Twirling Pages brings us through the average ballet class AND features a lovely little ballet book. When you love reading and you love ballet, there’s nothing better than a delightful combination the two.

Cait @ Paper Fury shares some predictions for the YA Genre in 2016. They’re all wonderfully different and diverse, a joy to read like all of Cait’s posts!

Carolyn @ A Hundred a Thousand Stories gives the discussion I’ve been waiting for. A discussion asking what’s the big deal with likeable characters anyway?   

Josie @ Josie’s Book Corner starts the new year off right with her first Spiritual Sunday post. It’s full of so much hope and positivity, I’m going to be looking forward to these posts every Sunday!

So I’m currently reading Lux: Beginnings by Jennifer L. Armentrout. All I can say is writing a review for this book is going to be very…fun. 

Be sure to look out for that one 🙂

 The start of school brings a (very, very, very, very, very) few good things with it. Among them being the end of my drama troupe’s hiatus. This can only mean Shakespeare and improv, a scrumptious combination fabulous enough to make it onto this week’s spotlighted moment. 

Currently I’m rehearsing a scene from As You Like It in which I, Rosalind, obsess over Orlando. Essentially, it’s like every scene Rosalind is in. It’s quite fun though, especially because Rosalind is so dramatic and full of passion, it’s a joy to act!

 
Whoops…None for this week.

Any suggestions, chums?  

   
 
   After re-watching (only for the third time, I’ve got plenty more ahead of me) the movie Queen I was reminded of the pure Bollywood magic of this song. Brings out the inner Rajkumari inside of me. 

Also, watch this movie for a life-changing experience and a good time! Even if you’re not a big fan of Bollywood (if this is the case, why and what is wrong with you?) you will enjoy this fantastical goodness.  

  

This.

What are your spotlights this week? Any favorite bloggers (Me, obviously.), blog posts, or songs of the week? 

Illuminae | Becca’s Bookish Review

Title: Illuminae

Authors: Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Rating: 

 

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than a speck at the edge of the universe. Now with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to evacuate with a hostile warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A plague has broken out and is mutating with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a web of data to find the truth, it’s clear the only person who can help her is the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, maps, files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

Firstly, the whole hacked document effect was SO COOL.

Secondly, the whole hacked document effect was SO ANNOYING.

Fret not, I shall explain.

Text messages, classified documents, core data, the effect was quite creative. I was surprised as to how easy it was to get to know the characters and feel such an attachment to them. Unfortunately, it took a bit of getting used to, and since there were so many different pieces of the document forming the story, it started out feeling scattered. In some entries the information even felt factual and boring, which is not really what you want to find in fiction. But, I soon got into it, very into it. The book and I just had a rocky start, that’s all. It didn’t take long for it to rise up in my rating, the sneaky little bastard.

When you think of this book, you probably think action-packed, and that’s certainly what it is. But I was surprised by some surprisingly wrenching moments of the moral variety. What is right, what is wrong? Should we let our emotions lead us or should we think logically? Definitely a plus for the story.

So much cheese though. So much. Especially in the romance, there were some lines where I wanted to barf. 

Though the slow beginning, it wasn’t long before this story gripped my mind and crushed my heart. 

It’s worth reading.

End of story.

(I was going to do a discussion but since the notes I took consist of NO DON’T DO THANK and NOOOOO I think it would be preferable to wait until I find a book that allows more coherence from me)

I’ve Decided to Join the Craze! | Spotlight Staurday #1

Spotlight Saturday is a weekly feature, created by Josie at Josie’s Book Corner dedicated to spotlighting and pinpointing some of the things over the week that have caught my attention more than usual, things I’ve particularly loved, etc.

What better way to celebrate the new year than to join the best weekly feature around? I’ve been eyeing Spotlight Saturday and have always wanted to join in, so here I go!

  

Summer @ XingSing‘s posts never fail to make me smile. Her photos and graphics are so marvelously perfect! You should absolutely go check out her blog, plus, it’s her blogoversary and birthday month and she has a giveaway up in honor of it!

 
 Meena @ Tattooed Pages explains all you need to know about Bloglovin. I had always seen Bloglovin floating around, but I never really knew what it was all about. Thank goodness for this post! It explained EVERYTHING.

Sarah @ Commas and Ampersands gives us a mini tour of her bookshelves and IT IS THE BEST THING EVER. Her photos, her shelves, it’s all the cutest thing. I’m serious, everything in that post are goals.

  
Currently reading Illuminae by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, woohoo! To be honest, I’ve been reading it a little slow due to the whole hacked document effect. It’s very interesting, but it doesn’t quite flow. However, worry not! I won’t be DNFing this one.

  
My uncle and aunt came from Australia for Christmas, and with them their seventh month old! We’ve been touring Baltimore and D. C. this week, and it’s been a blast. And for all those curious, yes, the baby loves me the most.

 
Well, why not the WordPress app! It’s always helpful to just curl up on the couch, reply to comments, check out other blogs, and even write a post. It’s definitely one of my most used apps.

  

7 years  by Lukas Graham. Supposedly the lyrics have a deep, beautiful meaning. I can’t say I quite got that, but it’s a lovely song that gives your that nostalgic feeling. I would highly recommend checking it out!
 

“What if I fall?”

“Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?”

-E. H. 

I don’t think I need to explain.

 What are you spotlights this week? Favorite quotes, favorite blogs? Let me know!

Goodreads: Becca S
Bookstagram: beccaandbooks

Email: Kumquot@Comcast.net

Mailing Address: P. O. Box 86907

Montgomery Village, MD 20886