My First Semester of College

Hi, everyone! It's been a long time since I've written a blog post or a review. I wish I could say that I was sorry for not posting often throughout the last couple months, but I'm not. I know a lot of people generally only go to college to get their degree and party, but I wanted my college experience to be so much more than that. I live in the same town as my university, but I chose to live on campus because of a scholarship I was awarded that pays for me to live on campus through marching band and winter guard.
Moving away from home was really scary at first. I had a panic attack the day I moved out, but I think I do better on my own living by myself than with my parents. I haven't had anxiety nearly as bad as I did when I was around my family and I won't go into all kinds of personal information, but living on my own has made me a happier person. I'm free in my mind and I don't berate myself as much as I did when I lived with my parents in my teenage years.
I also made a big decision in college. I devoted my life to Jesus Christ and it's the best decision I've ever made because I feel so much stronger having God in my life to guide me in the directions I need to take. I was raised Catholic, but there was a period of time when I lost my faith. I got really sick when I was an atheist and I found God again. It wasn't until my grandfather passed away my sophomore year of high school that I prayed regularly and started to slowly build a relationship with God. There was a time last year when I prayed to God about finding about a book that would bring me closer to Him and the next day I accidentally found Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis in a section of Barnes and Noble that I never wonder into. Reading Mere Christianity was one of the most life altering times in my life. It made me realize I wanted to belong to a community and when I came to college I found it.
I've also made a lot of great friends this semester, but the thing that makes me the happiest is the friendships that I was able to keep and develop further. My best friend and I have grown closer even though we go to different colleges and my other best friends who I attend college with have been such a positive influence with overcoming the stress of college work. I also found friends in old high acquaintances and I'm so happy to be able to have such wonderful people in my life. I currently don't have a boyfriend but that's okay. LOL I'm still waiting...
I also have the best major. Many people would disagree, but it's the best major for me. I'm majoring in Secondary English Education- which means I want to be a high school English teacher. I absolutely love the classes that I have taken so far for my major and I can't wait to get out of the extra fluff that I have to take that isn't valuable to my major.

So that's my first semester so far in college. I hope you have been wonderful! Let me know if you have had any major events happen in your life!

Tor Free Shorts Challenge + Free Amazon Story

I don't know if there is a Tor Free Shorts Challenge, but I'm all up for dominating this fun collection of imaginative stories.  Tor Shorts have some of the most simple, but elaborate story lines spanning into a small amount of pages. I'm embarking on my journey to conquer these beautiful stories.The best thing is that these stories are free! FREE! Something so awesome being free is just an absolute treasure trove. These stories are short and can usually be read within 5-30 minutes and that's such an awesome thing!  If you are interested in taking on the Tor collection, let me know!

So far I've read these stories:

    Bridge of Snow by Marie Rutkoski- 5 stars because this story is set in the Winner's Curse world with an excellent fairy tale story.

    The Witch of Duva by Leigh Bardugo- 5 stars because I love Bardugo and this story was A+.

    Red as Blood and White as Bone by Theodora Glass- 4.5 stars because the story's transitions were beautifully done, but I wanted more. 

    Ponies by Kij Johnson- 4 stars because it was super creepy.

    Among the Thorns by Veronica Schanoes- 3 stars because it was sick and creepy, but I wanted more.

    The Log Goblin by Brian Staveley

I've read a quite a few since I last talked about this challenge, so I'm going to be reviewing four Tor shorts!

Orphan Pirates of the Spanish Main by Dennis Danvers

1.5 stars

This Tor Short is super weird. I like weird and most of the time bask in the strange, but this weird plot line has no concrete path. This story follows two brothers who are very old in age; what should be the weirdest thing is that their parents were aliens, but these two plan on going to the abyss- the place their parents died. The premise is promising because alien parents sound awesome, but the writing is choppy and doesn't leave me wanting more. In fact, I wanted this super short read to be quickly over because it was doing nothing for me. This sadly isn't a Tor Short I'm quick to recommend.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 1.5

Plotastic Scale: 1.25

Cover Thoughts: I love the design of the cover, but it's the only thing this short has to offer.

 

 

All the Snake Handlers I Know Are Dead by Dennis Danvers

5 stars
This story... it is infused with heavy doses of magical realism and an ambiguous ending that left me squealing with happiness. This is the kind of story that makes reading short stories fun and rewarding. This was an absolutely stunning piece of work. I've read another Tor Short by Danvers and was very unimpressed, but this one was absolutely magnanimous in writing and story style.


The story follows Maggie, the crazy woman living on the mountain and she is having a snake problem. Enter a mysterious snake handler that seems to be otherworldly and this beautiful tale is born. All aspects- from the characters, to the pacing, to the writing- felt like a finely woven story that flowed from one point to another. This is one of my favorite shorts so far!

Character Scale: 5

Plotastic Scale: 5

Whimsical Writing Scale: 5

Cover Thoughts: I love the cover; even if it's not my favorite Tor illustration it's beautiful. 

 

 

The Too-Clever Fox by Leigh Bardugo

5 stars
This free Tor short is considered to be apart of the Grisha trilogy, but you don't have to read the books for this story to be enjoyable. It's a simple folklore tale in a vast fantasy world. I always enjoy stories of fantasy setting within fantasies. It's a weird type of inception in storytelling that if done right becomes a highlight of the writer. Bardugo definitely has the ability to build worlds within worlds and make them very enjoyable. This isn't really a fantasy story, but more of a cautionary tale about thinking too much of yourself.


The fox is known for being clever. He has outsmarted creatures since leaving the womb and when a hunter and his sister donned in animal pelts begin to kill off beloved friends the fox takes it upon himself to save the forest. It's a simple story and not incredibly imaginative, but Bardugo's writing style makes it feel like the most creative story around. She is a fantastic storyteller and I definitely recommend picking up this short! It won't disappoint.

Whimsical Writing Scale: 5

Plotastic Scale: 5

Character Scale: 5

Villain Scale: 5

Cover Thoughts: Wolf in a wolf's skin? I love this cover so much. It's one of my favorites!  

 

 

  Little Knife by Leigh Bardugo

2.6 in the Grisha trilogy

4.25 stars

Little Knife is a Tor Free Short that falls in the mythology within the Grisha trilogy. The story follows Yeva, a girl so beautiful that the rumors of her beauty give no true physical description because it always changes. Yeva's father produces the flour that makes the town so popular and after concocting a scheme for Yeva to marry the prince, he sets a task that will also rid the trees so he can plant more flour. Seymon, a water Grisha, hears the task and with the help of the river he succeeds. The Duke isn't happy and continues to set tasks for the suitors to win Yeva's heart.


I'm quite the fan of folklore set in fantasy worlds and this a great addition to Bardugo's fairy tale stories. I definitely enjoyed the story of Little Knife and felt that it was a strong representation of Bardugo's writing abilities. She's an incredibly strong writer, but this one felt a little lacking in comparison to the other Tor Shorts that she has written. At her weakest, she is still a very strong author in YA fantasy and she's an author that I've grown to love.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 4.5

This story doesn't really have fleshed out characters because it takes on the role of being a story with a moral. Stories with morals as the central focus usually lack in character development and this story definitely doesn't have fleshed out character development.


Character Scale: 3.5

The Villain- I definitely enjoyed the villainous undertones that characters like the Duke, Seymon, and Little Knife depicted. All of the villains were not evil, but people who were selfish. Little Knife could be seen as the hero for Yeva, but he was the villain to the town and that's incredibly fascinating.

Villain Scale: 5

I definitely recommend checking out this Tor Short. It's free and a great story that is definitely worth taking the time reading. I continue to be an avid lover of these Tor Shorts and this is one I stand behind.


Plotastic Scale: 4.5

Cover Thoughts: Oh, how I adore these illustrations. They are so visually stunning.

 

 

I'm a huge fan of Tor Shorts and I'm continuing to find some really amazing ones! I also have one free Amazon short story to review, so I'll just drop it right down below!

 

Gone by Elena Dillon

Prequel to Breathe

2 stars

I read Breathe a while back and saw that the prequel followed the sister who was kidnapped and murdered by her stalker. I was very intrigued by this and I'm trying to clean out my kindle so I decided to give this a quick read. The story follows Daisy who loves to volunteer at the NICU and Trane, the brooding anti-social misfit at the school. This story focuses more on the dynamic of Trane and Daisy becoming friends instead of her being stalked, kidnapped, and murdered.


I'm not disappointed with the direction that the short story decided to take, but I'm not overtly impressed either. The story is kind of depressing, but I also didn't feel a strong emotional attachment to the overarching layers of the plot. It felt kind of dry and unemotional content wise.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 2.5

The characters are bare bones and aren't incredibly fleshed out or developed upon. I felt more like I was watching two side characters on Grey's Anatomy that I liked watching, but wouldn't want to see for more than a few minutes within an episode.


Character Scale: 2

The fact that the stalking isn't really emphasized on being a stalker kind of annoys me, but I can also see how Daisy thought it may have been Trane.

Villain Scale: 1

Overall, I'm not entirely impressed by this short story. I did enjoy it more than Breathe. I personally don't think psychological thrillers are Dillon's strong suit and she should probably stick more to the contemporary genre since she focuses more on relationships that development of psychology and characters.


Plotastic Scale: 2

Cover Thoughts: I kind of like the smoke, but I'm not impressed or really into it.  

 

I'm kind of obsessed with short stories at the moment. Probably because I can read them and feel accomplished in my free time. Have you read any of these stories? Let me know your thoughts down below in the comments! 

Summer Book Haul Part 3

 Hi, everyone! Here's the third part of my summer book haul! I'm hoping to film more videos and write reviews, but my course load is very heavy right now. I'm going to keep trying to make free time if possible to do some blogging and filming because I miss it so much. Writing and filming has always been a fun outlet for me to de-stress and express my creativity and feelings/thoughts on novels. I'm excited to keep this blog alive throughout my college years and hope to see it expand and come to life as I keep evolving!

The Video:

 

The Books:

 

     
                                                    

 Seven more books to add to my very large summer library expansion. I honestly don't regret it. Since I've finished this video, I've read Valley of the Dolls, And Then There Were None, and The Girl on the Train. I'm happy that I've been reading the novels I've bought recently and I hope to continue the trend!

Have you read any of these books? If so did you enjoy them? Let me know down below in the comments!

The Twilght Zone: The Shadow

The Twilight Zone: The Shadow by David Avallone

4 stars



Anyone who knows me pretty well knows that I have a secret obsession with the Twilight Zone. I love to watch the marathons that play on TV on the Fourth of July and if I get up early enough in the morning I watch a few of the timeless episodes. Hell, I even went on the Tower of Terror at Disney just because I love Rod Serling as a narrator and wanted to experience the ride for myself (I'm never getting on it again). Naturally when I saw this was available on Netgalley I hit that green button and I don't regret it. Not only did this feed my love for the Twilight Zone, but it also introduced me to a pretty fascinating storyline. A story that I think Rod Serling would have loved to have on his show because it captured the essence of what lurks within the Twilight Zone.


The story is seemingly simple enough a superhero/vigilante under the alias of the Shadow has just shot multiple people in a Nazis American rally. His friend (and possible lover?), Margo, implies that he has lost his humanity and the man that he is under the mask. After an accident, the Shadow wakes up in alternate universes that question the authenticity of the shadow. It's a complex outline that fits the Twlight Zone format quite brilliantly and for that alone, I would give this novel 5 stars.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 4

But just because it's Twilight Zone inspired doesn't mean that it can completely save the story. I highly enjoyed the story, but it's not a favorite or anything remarkable. I did love the Nazis American concept, the Justice theme, but the characters felt a little distant. I like the Shadow, but I don't care about the Shadow and don't see myself ever wanting to return to his world.


Character Scale: 3

The art is the best. I do like the noir, crime style because it's very different. It felt very retro and I think that matched up excellently with the Twilight Zone because it's a black and white show, so it makes to have art reflective of the era. I'm just not totally in love with, but the idea is brilliant.


Art Scale: 3.75

Overall, I highly recommend checking this one out if you are a fan of The Twilight Zone because it's a great edition to this world and something i think fans, like me, will enjoy!


Plotastic Scale: 4.5

Cover Thoughts: I love the Twilight Zone so I'm digging this cover.

Thanks you, Netgalley and Dynamite Entertainment for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Are you obsessed with the Twilight Zone? Let me know down below in the comments!

Summer Book Haul Part 2

Hi, everyone! Today I was upload the second part to my very expansive summer book haul. The Internet was working surprisingly fast and the video uploaded in less than an hour, which is something I've never had happen before, even at my home. I have six parts to this book haul so I'll be uploaded these often. I'm hoping to start filming again- I just have to find the motivation! It's really hard to convince myself to film in a dorm where people can walk by and hear me talking to nothing. LOL But I'm going to definitely make videos more often in my second semester if I have the time.
You can watch part one in my book haul here.

 

The Books:

 

Eleven more books featured in my summer book haul, totaling up to 21 so far! 

Have you read any of these books? If so, let me know what you thought about them down in the comments!

Mini Reviews: Two Books I Read Two Summers Ago

Reasons why I'm a bad reviewer- it takes me forever to write reviews for books I've read unless I'm on a deadline. I'm horrible. I've tried to get better, but my reading to writing ratios has always been unbalanced. These two books have sat in my archive to review since June 2014. I honestly planned to write an in depth review at the time, but the more I would like at these two novels the less I seemed to have to say. These aren't the type of novels that stick with me or warrant having an in depth review for. I'm trying to also get better at knowing which books I should review in depth and which I should be quick and concise about...Hopefully I'll get better! So here are two books that I've dusted off my shelves to review (surprisingly I don't own either of these books for my shelves and don't plan on it).

Letting Ana Go by Anonymous

1.5 stars

Ana is a good girl and she feels as though she’s not good enough for the perfect façade her family presents to the public. The one thing Ana knows she can control is her eating. Ana is spiraling, but she’s not eating it’s the best she’s felt in a long time. I remember loving Go Ask Alice in middle school; it’s one of the books that I consider to be a part of my childhood favorites. When I saw the this was free on Simon Pulse It I jumped to read it (that’s how long ago it’s been- there isn’t even a Simon Pulse It, now it’s called Riveted) and I instantly disliked Ana. Ana is my biggest problem with this novel and that isn’t a good thing when the novel is a diary. At first, Ana is a normal girl with good, healthy eating habits- until Ana’s best friend and her “perfect” mom make a comment about Ana losing a little more weight. She starves herself because her friend said it would be FUN. This is a horrible example of eating habits and disorders to display to younger audiences. Naturally, she runs all the time even though she has no fuel in her body- goes to rehab- then collapses and dies- the typical “anonymous” storyline. I’m sorry but this a pile of crap and after two year of ruminating on this it’s one of those novels I forget about, but once I remember it I’m angry. It left a bad taste in my mouth. These type of storylines make it seem like eating disorders have no chance of recovery and overcoming the problem; using death to display tragedy after multiple failed rehabilitation or attempts at intervention is not a positive message to send to younger readers. Also Ana was a completely judgmental twat to her mom and it only fueled my dislike for her and this “novel”.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 2

Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 1

Villain Scale: 2 (very disappointed with the depiction of eating disorders)

Character Scale: 1

Plotastic Scale: 1

Overall, I suggest skipping over this one. It’s a newer anonymous novel so I don’t consider it to be a classic or necessary for your angsty teen reads (there’s better stuff out there). I suggest Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson instead because it’s a beautiful novel that portrays eating disorders in a stark, gut-wrenching story that has stayed with me since my middle school years.

Cover Thoughts: Typical anonymous cover with half a face in the dark. Bleh. 

 

 

Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Narrated by Emma Galvin

3 stars

Tandy’s parents are murdered Malcolm and Maud are suddenly gone and she was the last to see them alive. Tandy her three siblings are the prime suspects behind their parents’ mysterious murder and she’s not the most reliable person in the world when it comes to knowing what she has done. Malcom and Maud were perfectionists and they always asked for more, did someone in the family crack under the pressure or did something more sinister lurk behind her parents’ lives. I listened to the audiobook of this novel, which probably enhanced my overall enjoyment of the novel. Tandy is an unreliable narrator, she’s evasive and talks about how she’ll just “save that for later”, which if I had read I would’ve called her out on her BS as being an overdramatic brat, but listening to a possible psychopath narrate is incredibly entertaining. If I had read that she personally considers herself to be unreliable, I would’ve probably read on to see if she was crazy or not, but as much as I don’t like James Patterson* this formula for the novel worked. Either way I would’ve kept reading. Tandy is a very unsettling narrator and that’s one of this novels strong suits. It made listening a fun experience. I still stand by her being a psychopath and I’m going to stand by her being a female Norman Bates. I don’t plan on continuing with this series because I don’t support this propaganda in literature, but it was a fun listening experience.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 3

Kick-Butt Heroine: 3

The Villain- 2 (what a cop out)

Character Scale: 3

Audiobook Narrator: 3.5

Plotastic Scale: 3

Side Note: I personally don’t like James Patterson because he has turned novels into a market for cash grabbing. He’s the reason why people choose to read books not even written by the person promised. Patterson doesn’t write his own material- I picture him to be more of a business mogul showing and presenting ideas to the publishers and then someone writing those ideas for him. It’s unsettling and I personally don’t support it. I’ve never purchased a novel by Patterson and I don’t plan to. (I downloaded this for free from Sync Audibook in the summer.)


Cover Thoughts: UGLY.

 

What are your thoughts on in depth and mini reviews? Which do you prefer? Have you read any of these novels; if so, what were your thoughts? Let me know down below in the comments! 

Dealing with College and Blogging+ a Review

Hey everyone! I know it's been a while and you are probably wondering who I am and why I've popped up in your feed since it's been so long. I'm sorry that I haven't been around on the Internet lately. I don't comment on posts, read a lot of reviews, or even write anything that isn't required for school. Today though I had a few minutes to spare and wanted to do something personal. I love blogging, writing, and sharing my passion for books... its just I'm trying to find a balance to squeeze into college life. I'm on my universities color guard so I've been practicing constantly since band camp in mid-August and I'm juggling having six classes and keeping up with homework. I'm managing as best as I can. I hope none of you have forgotten me completely because I do plan on stopping by when I have the time.:) Here's a review I wrote today! Sadly it was an impromptu DNF, but it's my first review in forever!

 Who Killed Kurt Cobain?: The Story of Boddah by Nicolas Otero
DNF

I'm incredibly fascinated by theories that surround Kurt Cobain's mysterious death. When I saw this graphic novel was available on Netgalley, I instantly jumped on the opportunity to pick this one up. Sadly, this novel is not for me.


When it comes to graphic novels the biggest thing for me is the art. I want to absolutely love and worship the art. The art should make me want to blow it up and hang it on my walls, but in this novel's case the art made me want to slam my laptop shut and stop looking at it. It's grainy, unclear, the faces are misshapen and not proportional to the human body. There's also one page dedicated solely to sexual positions of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love. I get that Nirvana and Cobain are symbols for the punk era, but I honestly don't want to see 101 Sex Positions.


Art Scale: 0

The writing itself felt unattached and dissociated. I couldn't find any reason to keep reading the story because I didn't care about the story or where the story was going. I was unimpressed and unwilling to waste my precious time.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 0

Overall, I recommend this graphic novel for hardcore fans of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana because I'm sure that they will be able to appreciate this story much more than I did.


Cover Thoughts: The cover isn't horrible, but it should've been a hint that the artwork wasn't great.

Thank you, Netgalley and IDW Publishing for providing with me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

So, are any of you in college? Do you have any tips for juggling school and blogging as a college student? Let me know down below in the comments!