leaf'd book blog

I like sharing lots of book things, including my blog theleafd.com

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Birthday Month TBR

Birthday Month TBR. All the creepy new books I will be devouring in July.

July is my birthday! Not just one day, the whole month… lol not really. On July 9th I will be turning 24. I have some ideas as to what I want to do blog-wise in order to celebrate but I haven’t settled on one idea just yet. There are a lot of good books that have popped up on my radar recently and I cannot wait to get to them. These are going to be books that involve my favorite tropes, settings,…

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Review of Force of Nature by Jane Harper

Review of Force of Nature by Jane Harper. This book felt like being lost in a forest and no one knows to even look for you. Five women go in, four come out and each has a different story.

Force of Nature (Aaron Falk #2)

By Jane Harper

Published February 6th, 2018

Rating 5/5 leafs

  Overview

This book was everything I have come to expect and love from Jane Harper. I have heard a YouTuber describe her writing as simple and powerful. It doesn’t need fancy plot devices because it’s just a good mystery and I completely agree with that.

Synopsis from Goodreads

Five women go on a hike.…

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I got the idea for this post from a YouTuber (a dash of ash) who did the same thing. I think it’s an excellent idea to show all the books since it is close to mid year. Also, I don’t talk about every book I read so I thought this would be informative. In this post you’ll see all 15 books I’ve read thus far this year, why I chose to read them, and what I thought.

1. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Why I Chose The Book: This book came out when I was still in college AKA not reading or following new releases at all. At first I wasn’t interested but I heard it was going to be a longer series so I thought they wouldn’t make a bad book have such a long series, right? I then read the Amazon preview and was interested.

My Thoughts:I was just disappointing when I finished this book. Romances are pretty important and these did not fit my tastes. I didn’t think this book was going to be the deepest book I had ever read but the action also didn’t grip me. With some distance, I’m thinking about picking up the sequel however because I do find myself wanting to know how things turn out. 3/5 stars

2. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Why I Chose The Book: This was a complete impulse buy! I had just started watching BookTube and the YouTuber SuperSpaceChick raved about this book. I have tried reading Holly Black books before and they didn’t click with me but I picked this up and read it very quickly.

My Thoughts: What a wild ride. This book completely took me by surprise. I agree with SuperSpaceChick wholeheartedly that this book is epic. It is full of intrigue and secrets which was very stressful but entirely addicting. I loved the main character, Jude. I loved how she stood up for herself against all odds and was brave even though the reader could tell she had a lot of fears. 5/5 stars

3. The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor

Why I Chose The Book: I picked this with my Book Of The Month subscription. Last year and this year I have gotten more obsessed with mystery thrillers and the description said it was for fans of Stranger Things, which I totally am.

My Thoughts: I have a full non-spoiler review if you want to check that out but, shortly, this was just okay. 3/5 stars

4. Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Why I Chose The Book: I enjoyed Laini Taylor’s first trilogy, Daughter of Smoke and Bone and her short story collection Lips Touch: Three Times. This book sounded musical and whimsical and dark. Plus the cover is gorgeous so I knew that I would like it.

My Thoughts: Although this book was everything I thought it would be, I did find one small problem. Personally, the romance was just too close to being Instalove. It is natural that the two characters would be drawn to each other but to me it felt like they were far more interested in their physical relationship too quickly. It also felt like Laini Taylor’s writing was just too indulgent at times. All of it was pretty, but I wish it would have been cut back slightly. I was still a 5/5 star book

5. Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Why I Chose The Book: Another YouTuber, Reagan from PeruseProject, recommended this book around Valentines Day. I was in the mood for some romance and so I picked it up on my kindle.

My Thoughts: This book does have some steamy scenes and is a really quick read but it was very much the start of a series. It set up the characters and how the world works. I think that it will probably get better as the series goes on. The one thing I did really enjoy was that Mac does grow a lot throughout the book. 4/5 stars

6. The Winner’s Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

Why I Chose The Book: This is the last in a very beloved series of mine. Rutkoski is the queen of tearing my two precious characters apart. I needed to know what happens!

My Thoughts: Marie Rutkoski knew her characters so well. They were so fleshed out they felt like real people (which is probably why I love them so much). Each of their emotions are very nuanced and Rutkoski writes this so well. Dear reader, if you want my advice about books. Try this series out! 5/5 stars

7. The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn

Why I Chose The Book: My boss actually recommended this to me. He had read it and loved it and I needed another mystery thriller to read.

My Thoughts: I have a full non-spoiler review of this so check out my thoughts there! 5/5 stars

8. The Bear and The Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Why I Chose The Book: The book community went wild for this one. I saw it everywhere. Then I was book shopping and the Barnes and Noble bookseller recommended it to me so I had to get it. It was winter which was the perfect time to read this.

My Thoughts: My favorite things about books are little details about the world in which the character lives. I want to feel like it’s a place I could be. This was exactly like that! I loved that, although this story is about Vasya, you get to hear from all of her family. Not only did I know Vasya better but I felt how close her family was which gave this book a warmth even though it was mostly set in deep winter. I can’t wait to read the next! 5/5 stars

9. The Cellar by Natasha Preston

Why I Chose The Book: I wanted another book like one of my favorites from last year, The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison. I think kidnapping stories are grossly fascinating. I also wanted to see how a Wattpad writer translated to a published book.

My Thoughts: To me, this wasn’t as good as The Butterfly Garden but it was a pretty good read. I didn’t really care about the perspective of her boyfriend trying to find her for most of the book because it wasn’t really interesting until he actually found the right person. Also the ending felt too easy although I liked how the author chose to say that the girls weren’t going to be totally fine for a while. 4/5 stars

10. The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli

Why I Chose The Book: I had seen a lot of initial interest in this book and that made me interested as well. Also it was about dragons!

My Thoughts: This book is really good and think Kristen Ciccarelli is just going to get better! Asha’s perspective seemed choppy to me at first but this is just portraying that she is not connected to her own emotions. She carries around a lot of guilt which I thought was heartbreaking and beautiful. I look forward to the next book a lot! 5/5 stars

11. The Dry by Jane Harper

Why I Chose The Book: The second novel and my current read, Force of Nature had just come out and everyone was raving about both. I needed to continue my mystery reads and did so with this book.

My Thoughts: I have another review of this book up on my blog so go check that out! However, I will say that Jane Harper is an exquisite writer and she really looks at human nature in her books. I didn’t know who was responsible until the very end! 5/5 stars

12. Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi

Why I Chose The Book: I needed to see what happened next for the character of the Shatter Me series. I was so excited that I preordered a signed copy of this. Barnes & Noble lost my order however so I just got it on Kindle.

My Thoughts: To me, this was not a good book. I felt like not enough happened for it to be it’s own story. I can’t wait for the next one because the ending was killer but I am disappointing. I gave it a 5/5 star rating because although I felt it didn’t do the last book justice, I did like it and I want everyone to read it too. I know it doesn’t make much sense but that’s where I’m at!

13. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Why I Chose The Book: I had been wanting to read this book for a long time but when I saw the movie coming, I knew I had to finally do it.

My Thoughts:

I think I would have enjoyed this more if I wasn’t rushing to see the movie. I knew liked the 80s culture but I felt Cline’s explanations of some things were way too much. I’m glad this book exists though because it really appeals to people like my fiance who plans on reading this soon. 4/5 stars

14. The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

Why I Chose The Book: This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. I loved that it was set in a rainy and mountainous west coast which seems perfect for witches!

My Thoughts: This book definitely lived up to my expectations. It had those lovely little details about the town of Sparrow that I love. I also really enjoyed getting to look inside the Swan sister’s minds. Also, this book was surprisingly deeper than I thought it was going to be. 5/5 stars

15. Sky in The Deep by Adrienne Young

Why I Chose The Book: It’s about vikings! How could you not pick this book up?

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this story. The writing is sparse and reflect the way Eelyn’s viking culture. I enjoyed getting tastes of both the Aska and the Riki clans. Eelyn wasn’t a typical “strong female character” but an actual one. She was scared and flawed but would do anything for her people. The next one is supposed to be a companion novel and I have no clue who it would be about but I’m excited. 5/5 stars

All The Books I’ve Read So Far In 2018 I got the idea for this post from a YouTuber (a dash of ash) who did the same thing.

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April and May were both very good months. I finished four books in April, which is pretty good for me, and although I only read one book in May, I wrote more than I ever have. I also purchased some of my most anticipated books of the year (aka The Summer Children, Ace of Shades, and Brightly Burning.)

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What I Watched

Hell’s Kitchen

The Gordon Ramsay watch-a-thon continues with the latest show being Hell’s Kitchen. This hasn’t been my favorite show because the contestants are the star, not Ramsay. Also some of the drama is entertaining but most of it is very very annoying, especially as we get later into the season. Most of the chefs do not take responsibility and they confuse being a major butthole with confidence.

Mad Men

I waited to watch this for a very long time because when it came out everyone was hyping it up just like they hyped up Breaking Bad which was also an AMC show. I did not like Breaking Bad and I gave it three whole seasons. I felt like the timeline was messy and confusing. But I love Mad Men. It’s really really good.

A Quiet Place

A Quiet Place was such a good horror movie. It was something that was scary but hopeful and both Emily Blunch, John Krasinski, and Millie Simmonds gave wonderful performances.

Deadpool 2

This was hilarious. I’ve mostly given up on ever catching up on all the Marvel movies and I’m okay with that but the Deadpool movies are easy because you don’t really need to watch any of the others. They have humor that everyone can understand and little jokes that poke fun at the franchise in general. Anytime they talk about the writers I just laugh so hard.

Most Popular Post

I didn’t blog a lot this month but my most popular post was my first participation in Top Five Tuesday with Top Two Ending Lines.

What I Read

 The Dry by Jane Harper 5/5 stars

 Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi 3.5/5 stars

 Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 4/5 stars

 The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw 5/5 stars

 Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young 5/5 stars

Book Haul

  I’m trying my hardest to read my current tbr and save money by buying less books. I am going to read from the library or only buy kindle books for a while.

Goals

I have succeeded on my past goals which included praying more, writing more, and not stressing out. Something about May really lessened my stress and made me so much more productive and inspired. The goals for June are to continue with these as well as:

Work on my blog. I have been fine with slacking a little on blogging as I was working on other things. However I have some great ideas for blog posts and I want to get them out.

Read. My lack of reading was a combination of just not wanting to, not reading a good book, and working on other things. However I believe my current read Sky In The Deep by Adrienne Young will pull me out of that!

Let’s chat! What have you been reading? What are your goals and/or tbr for the next month? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

April + May Monthly Wrap Up. Everything fun and noteworthy about my last two months. April and May were both very good months. I finished four books in April, which is pretty good for me, and although I only read one book in May, I wrote more than I ever have.

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Top Two Ending Lines

Top Two Ending Lines. This post is supposed to be "top five" but I couldn't think of any other finishing lines. These are the best I have read!

Top Five Tuesday is hosted by Shanah over at BionicBookWorm.

This post is supposed to be Top 5 Tuesday but I honestly could not think of any other ending lines that actually meant something to me. Maybe I’ll be able to include the ending line to my own story someday!

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

“He is slow, and the sea sings to us both, but he returns to me.”- Maggie Stiefvater

A…

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I saw Jamie from The Perpetual Page Turner do this about books she loved from past years that weren’t popular. They weren’t popular but that doesn’t mean that they weren’t great! Here are my choices for some great YA picks you might have missed over the years.

Fire by Kristin Cashore

I’ve seen a lot of people talk about Kristin Cashore’s Graceling book which was very good! This is a companion novel that, in my opinion, is even better. This is one of my favorite books and I have read it multiple times. The main character is selfless and that always makes me cry. If I’m crying in a book, you know I love it.

Strange Angels Series by Lili St. Crow

These books are on a little shelf in my room that is for books that I’ll never get rid of. They were so compelling that every time I got my hands on one of them, I sped through without stopping! The magic system is different than I’ve seen and it has vampires which I’ve seen more interest in the YA book community recently. If you’ve been missing vampires, I would definitely recommend this series. They are short and easy to read.

His Fair Assassins Series by Robin LaFevers

This is a really interesting Historical Fiction/ Fantasy series where these three women are “handmaidens,” that serve death. It is their religion. I love this series very very much. The settings are so atmospheric and the historical details make an amazing reading experience.

The Between Series by April Genevieve Tucholke

This series is so good. I can see why some people may not enjoy the romance- it seems instalove- but the second book really changes that aspect. The tone of the book is more magical realism than fantasy. The setting is my favorite part of these novels. The first one is set on a crumbling sea-side mansion and the second is a creepy road trip through snowy towns where the characters meet an interesting cast of new characters.

The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli

This book only had 4,900 ratings which was a lot less than most books I looked at on Goodreads. Trust me, it’s worth it! The writing style is sparse but beautiful and I loved the romance. I cannot wait for the other novels that are going to be companion novels in this series.

The Vengeance Road Series by Erin Bowman

This series is so entertaining! I had so much fun reading Vengeance Road last summer. The western setting is so cool and I’m sure that Retribution Rails is going to be even better.

Let’s chat! What are some books you like that are underrated? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

Some YA Books You Might Have Missed. These books are great but they aren't that popular. Check them out from some new reads I saw Jamie from The Perpetual Page Turner do this about books she loved from past years that weren't popular.

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April was a stressful month for me. I think it showed because the only thing I blogged was my March Wrap Up. So I wanted to do something that made me excited to blog again! Thus this post. I’ll still have a wrap up go live so you can know all about my month bookish-wise.

This was just a small thing that made me really excited. I had to work until a later hour at the end of the month and I needed some coffee and didn’t have any. Then my lovely coworker swooped in and save the day!.

Have you guys heard of Masterclass? It’s this really cool service where you can take classes from the masters. For example, you can take writing classes from James Patterson or Judy Bloom and you can take cooking from Gordon Ramsey! I have been missing classes since college and it’s very exciting to be able to expand my knowledge of a hobby.

This is a very awesome point. I have been writing more and more on my WIP. The story is something that is so me and I really enjoy seeing it develop. Consequently I have had no time for reading but I am fine with it (for the most part.)

It has been warm and I love it. I have not only added a new cactus to my plants, I have also bought herbs and vegetables. I am taking many pictures so hopefully you can see it soon!

These are the three products that have been the most exciting recently. The shorts are from Target and they are so comfortable, flattering, and sturdy. I feel like they would be the shorts that could survive a serious wilderness camping trip. The second picture is baretrap shoes and I feel like they are even better than Teva’s or Chacos. They are so comfortable and I am definitely going to hike in them. The third is a Miquelruis notebook which is even better than pictured there. It has colored sections to organize and a space for headings at the top of each page. I love the way the writing looks in it. It’s a great story notebook.

  The nice weather has lent itself to perfect hammock weather. I’m still trying to perfect how to eat in it a hammock though. I tried to do tacos and that was an adventure in spilling the cheese all over. I believe it would definitely be easier with something more contained than tacos. I’ll get better though!

What has made you excited recently? I would love to know! Tell me in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

Things That Have Made Me Excited is a post I did to collect all the random small things that have just made this spring fun so far! April was a stressful month for me. I think it showed because the only thing I blogged was my March Wrap Up.

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March was a pretty wonderful month. I went to visit friends from college and also to visit my grandparents in Alabama. I read three books but wrote a lot of words for my own story.

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What I Watched

The Strangers: Prey at Night

I think it’s safe to say I watched, like, 50% of this movie. I spent most of it hiding under my coat. I don’t know what I was expecting but it wasn’t this. There was not any hope in this movie at all. I will quote Fiance: ” Built suspense well but I could’ve ended the movie much quicker.”

9-1-1

Despite being really obvious at some points, I like this show. My friend is a 9-1-1 operator and I now know that she is a hero. I think the situations people get themselves into are my favorite part of the show although sometimes it gets so dark. It is very twisty and fast paced.

American Dad

Continuing on my Seth McFarland kick, I am watching American Dad. I found out that the best way to watch these shows is to start from the newest season and work your way backwards. This way you can watch the show where the writers know the characters very well and the image quality is at it’s best. Then you can go back and watch the older episode when you’re already hooked.

Most Popular Post

My most popular post for the month of March is Top Ten Favorite Book Quotes which I did all my favorite quotes from The Raven Cycle series.

What I Read

 Reviewed: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden 5/5 stars

 The Cellar by Natasha Preston 4/5 stars

 The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli 5/5 stars

Book Haul

  My Favorite Post

My post Plants I Plane to Grow This Spring was my favorite post this month. It made me so excited for Spring! I cannot wait to share more about my garden in the warmer months!

Goals

My goal have been the same for the past few months basically, don’t stress out. I have a few specific ones to add!

I would like to pray more often. If you did not know, I am a Christian. I use a prayer journal and write down all the things I’m thankful for, things that worry me/ I would like to work on, and my praise to God. Not only is it therapeutic but it also strengthens me as a person and my relationship with God. I use my prayer journal every few nights and would like to make it every night.

I want to write more! I have been on an amazing kick with my own fiction story and I want to continue it. thinking about being done with this first draft is so awesome. It will be such a milestone!

Let’s chat! What books did you get/ add to your tbr? What are your goals for next month? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

March Monthly Wrap Up where I discuss what I watched, read, and purchased. March was a pretty wonderful month. I went to visit friends from college and also to visit my grandparents in Alabama.

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Dual Thriller Review

Dual Thriller Review of The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn and The Dry by Jane Harper. To be short, I'm glad I read these excellent mystery books.

The start of my year has been especially thrilling thanks to the introduction of Mystery Thrillers to my reading regimen. I have always been drawn to mystery stories but I usually only read fantasy stories that contained mysteries. The Woman in the Window By A. J. Finn Published January 2nd 2018 Rating 5/5 leafs     Synopsis from Goodreads Anna Fox lives alone—a recluse in her New York City home,…

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[10knotes]

My favorite Gordon Ramsay moment is when his food was too slow so he took a jog and then fell asleep

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Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by This Artsy Reader Girl.

This Top Ten Tuesday topic was surprisingly difficult. Every book that I read that is not set in my surroundings is usually a fantasy book set in a made-up place. I know that there are lots of YA Contemporary Fiction books set in other countries but I don’t usually read those. I know that there are good ones but I feel like a lot of them have spoiled main characters that don’t want to be where they are and I get annoyed. These are the the books that I’ve either read or am interested in reading that are set in another country.

The Dry

The Bear and the Nightingale

The Chalk Man

City of Brass

Crimson Lake

Darkfever

The Hollow Girl

The Half-Drowned King

Akata Witch

The Astonishing Color of After

1) The Dry by Jane Harper

I’m reading this book now and it’s so good. The Australian setting is very creepy in a way that I didn’t expect. The small town is going through a drought and it is causing everyone to be very stressed, almost to their breaking point.

2) The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

The Russian setting in this book is so rich. The story would not be the same without the lovely details the author writes into it. I believe that Arden studied in Russia and her love of the place and the culture really shows.

3) The Chalk Man by C. J. Tudor

Although I didn’t love this book, I liked it for this post because it doesn’t really change the story. This story could take place in any setting. It didn’t affect the story very much which shows that places that are not my home, are homes for other people. That’s so obvious but it’s difficult to remember sometimes.

4) The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty

This book is set in Egypt and I’ve heard it described as Historical Fiction with Fantasy. Originally, I didn’t have a lot of interest in this but then more and more people are saying that it is one of their favorites of the year so far and I have been tantalized.

5) Crimson Lake by Candice Fox

This book reminds me of The Dry, being that it’s a crime novel set in Australia. I am super enjoying The Dry so I believe that I’ll really enjoy this as well!

6) Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

I know that I have been posting about this book a lot but that should just show you how little books I read set in another country! I really need to change that… This is set in Ireland. Fae stories are familiar to me but I feel like this being set in Ireland made it even better.

7) The Hollow Girl by Hillary Monahan

I looked it up and Kirkus said the main character in this book is Welsh-Romani so I assume it would take place in Wales? Either way, this book has an entirely different culture than I am familiar with so I would count that!

8) The Half-Drowned King by Linnea Hartsuyker

I really got into Vikings (a tv show on the history channel) at the end of last year and I got this book because of that. I think I would like to explore the culture of Norway and the vikings even more.

9) Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

This book is set in Nigeria which is different from any book I’ve ever read. I’ve heard nothing but good things about it! Like City of Brass, it seems like it is maybe a contemporary mixed with a fantasy element because there is magic.

10) The Astonishing Color of After by Emily E. R. Pan

Magical realism set in Taiwan? I am so there. This book has been everywhere and lots of people are loving it. I want to be one of those people!

Let’s chat!Have you guys read any of these books? Would you recommend them? What other books have you read in a different country than the USA? I know that I am missing a lot of countries and I need to fix that!

Thanks for reading!

Top Ten Books Set In Another Country. This list makes me realize that I need to read more outside of the USA. If you have any recommendations, please let me know! Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by This Artsy Reader Girl. This Top Ten Tuesday topic was surprisingly difficult.

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This post is inspired by my recent trip to Home Depot. I went with my friends to look at plants when our nursery of choice was closed for the day. I used to work at Home Depot in the garden department and that time made me very interested in plants. Just being there made me very excited for spring and summer! I loved gardening last year and this year I’ll be even more prepared and I’ll also have twice as much space to plant. So these are all the plants I think I’ll definitely be able to grow.

A String of Pearls

I think this plant is so beautiful. I haven’t done too much research on it but I feel like it might be a little tricky. Succulents need just the right amount of water and only on the soil. They do not like water on their bodies as it can cause rot. I plan on this plant being delicate but I am super excited for the challenge.

Cactus

I have had two succulents since last year and they have been doing well so I really want a cactus. I would like a bigger cactus but it is so hard to find them in good condition in Ohio. People just don’t know how to take care of them and usually over-water or the store sells them inside with no sun.

Lavender

I love lavender! I grew French Lavender last year and it made me so happy just smelling it. I want to grow a lot of it for my wedding so I can either have the plants all around or maybe harvest it and dry it and make a wedding gift out of it for the guests. Either way, it will be wonderful and make all my guests super relaxed!

Vegetables

Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Kale, and Bell Peppers

I love the smell of growing tomatoes. Just the thought of a fresh grilled burger with a garden tomato makes my mouth water. Sliced cucumbers with salt is one of the best summer snacks. I really want to learn to make kale chips which can be a delicious, healthy alternative to potato chips.

Sunflowers

I usually don’t grow flowers because originally I didn’t see a purpose for them. However, I would like to perhaps have a section of my garden that is bee and butterfly friendly. I want to give back to the hardworking bees and I love sunflowers. I might expand my flower preferences and have even more flowers that bees love the closer I get to summer.

Let’s chat! What plants have you had success with? What plants do you love? Do you know any plants that bees love? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

I had some success with gardening last summer so this year, I plan on growing even more awesome plants! Check it out and get some ideas for your own garden. This post is inspired by my recent trip to Home Depot. I went with my friends to look at plants when our nursery of choice was closed for the day.

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Red Queen By Victoria Aveyard

I gave this book a 3/5 stars. My main complaint with this book was that it wasn’t what the reader was promised with the first chapter. The first chapter shows you this cool fight between people with powers in an arena. There’s a little bit of this but mostly it’s about Mare learning to act like the royal Silvers. I just thought it was going to be different and it let me down.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

This was a 5/5 star read for me. It was ridiculously readable. Every character was so nuanced. I loved how I never knew what was going to happen. Holly Black was very creative when she got her characters into trouble and the way she got them out of it.

Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor

This book was spectacularly magical. Everything about the setting and characters felt luxurious and exotic. Laini Taylor is definitely a master story teller. However, I gave this book 4.5/5 stars. I felt like sometimes it was too much of a good thing. The expression “kill your darlings” refers to when an author gets rid of things that, while beautiful to the author, don’t move the plot forward. I felt like people were entranced by the beauty of this book and didn’t watch carefully for parts that were just beautiful for the sake of being beautiful.

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

This book was written in 2006 and you can really tell when reading it. Despite that, I gave this a 4/5 stars. I enjoyed how different the Fae element was compared to the other Fae stories I have read. I also enjoyed how the main character really embraced being feminine. Because of that, this book reminded me somewhat of Buffy the Vampire Slayer so if you enjoyed that, you might enjoy this.

The Winner’s Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

This whole series really resonated with me. I gave it a 5/5 stars because the author made me deeply feel the characters struggles. They are very conflicted because they feel strong ties to their country but also they could both recognize the wrong that each side was causing in the conflict. I loved how Kestrel was a formidable opponent not because of strength but because of her smarts and understanding of strategy. It made me cry and was such a good finale.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Although this definitely feels like the beginning of a series when reading it, it was still very good. The reader gets to see Vasya and her family from before she is born so you come to know the characters very well. I enjoyed how Vasya was wild and magical and everyone could recognize it, even if they didn’t respect it. This book was unexpectedly funny but very touching. At the end, Vasya is finally grown so I cannot wait to see what she does now. 5/5 stars.

Let’s chat! Have you read any of these books? What were your thoughts about them?

Thanks for reading!

All the fantasy books I've read this year so far! I made a lot of good choices so far! Red Queen By Victoria Aveyard I gave this book a 3/5 stars. My main complaint with this book was that it wasn't what the reader was promised with the first chapter.

[mygoodopinion22]

Top Ten Favorite Book Quotes

Good book quotes means good writing and who has better writing than my favorite, Maggie Stiefvater? These are a bunch of good quotes from her series The Raven Cycle.

This post is going to be so hard for me. I love book quotes but I never ever write them down! This is very unlike me, by the way. I write down everything. I just like recording things. I think, to help myself out, I think I’m just going to go with eight of my favorite quotes from The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater because beauty. The Raven Boys The Dream Thieves Blue Lily, Lily Blue The Raven…

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[mygoodopinion22]

February was a really interesting month. I did not do much and took no pictures so I’m not going to do any photos from my camera roll and instead share a story from my travels on Ohio roads.

Story

So I was driving to work at my usual time and happened to be behind a work truck. It was obviously for a business as it had a cover over the cab and tools plainly visible. We were all merging onto the highway and it was busy. I don’t know if you have this thought but I often wonder if anything from a work truck would ever fall off the truck. I was thinking this when the truck accelerated into a different lane and a metal gas can flew off the truck! I knew it was coming right at me so I tried to swerve but couldn’t avoid it. It bounced on the road and hit my car and lodged under the front. I was completely shocked but shortly heard the can scraping across the ground. Pulling over, I was so angry as I watched the work truck speed away. To be fair, they might not have realized what happened but I was still very upset and shocked. I was scared to get out and see if there was any damage but I could smell gas so I knew the can was probably broken. Fiancé came and helped me and there was no damage. My dad told me I was lucky it was raining because if it had been dry, the gas might have sparked and caught fire. Moral of the story, if you’ve ever wondered if something can come off of a work struck, it can and did!

What I Watched

This was the month of Netflix movies! I watched a lot of them and really enjoyed it. It is the most relaxing thing watching movies from the comfort of your home.

When We First Met

This was a really good movie. It was funny and heartwarming and a unexpected! I think it’s a really great rom com that stands up to 2018.

Hotel Hell

I watched all of Hotel Hell within the span of three weeks. The format of Gordon Ramsey’s show is kind of repetitive so it has the potential of getting old but I really enjoy it. My favorite part is seeing the pigheaded people that don’t want to change even in the face of their failing business. I get so frustrated with the little notes at the end of the episode saying that some owners returned to their old ways.

The Big Sick

The Big Sick is good but not for the reasons one might think. The romance between the two characters is barely part of it. The main point is Kumal’s relationship with family. Emily’s parents, played by Holy Hunter and Ray Ramano were my favorite characters.

The Vault

While this wasn’t the scariest or best-acted movie out there, it was compelling. I think the bank element is what saves it. It worked well to have a horror twist on a tense bank robbery movie.

The Ritual

This was my favorite movie that I watched this month. It was satisfyingly scary but also a great story. I love stories of camping in the woods and the tension between friends that it causes. I find it incredibly interesting that the conflict was man vs man, nature vs man, and then possibly the paranormal vs man.

Zumbo’s Just Desserts

This is Leah falling deeper and deeper into the world of televised cooking shoes and competitions. I love this show! It’s an Australian cooking competition run by the man on the picture, Adriano Zumbo. He is a master dessert chef and makes these fantastical, out-of-this-world creations. He’s also just a really big dessert dork. The one season that is on Netflix is amazing. I love how everyone in the competition is grateful to be there and most people are nice.

Most Popular Post

My most popular post was a Top Ten Tuesday with the subject My Favorite Romances. This was my favorite post as well!

What I Read

Reviewed: The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor 3/5 stars 

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor 4.5/5 stars

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning 4/5 stars

The Winners Kiss by Marie Rutkoski 5/5 stars

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn 5/5 stars

Book Haul

I am going to just post everything I got since my last wrap up because I missed January.

My Favorite Post

Well I already said My Favorite Romances was my favorite post but Random Things I’ve Noticed About Books was a very close second.

Last Month’s Goals

The only goal I had on my last Wrap Up was to not stress out. While I think I did okay, I know it wasn’t a complete success. I’ve been facing this dilemma recently. Since graduating school, I have been feeling a lot of pressure. I knew who I was at school but now I have to define myself again. My friends live far away, I’m still making decisions about my career path and the education that goes with it, and I have to navigate being engaged. I’ve talked to my friends who also graduated and they feel similar. So if you feel the same way, just know you’re not alone!

Let’s chat! What did you read this month? Did you have any five star reads? What was your newest television obsession? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

  All the things I did in February (not much) plus a really weird and unbelievable story about Ohio roads. February was a really interesting month. I did not do much and took no pictures so I'm not going to do any photos from my camera roll and instead share a story from my travels on Ohio roads.

[mygoodopinion22]

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl.

So… I’m late on my Top Ten Tuesday again so it will be going live on Wednesday! Happy Wednesday and thank you for reading my late post.

Anyways I don’t re-read books very often because the books that I really love stress me out! Even though I know what’s going to happen, the thought of some of my favorite characters going through their journeys again makes me so nervous. However these are the few books that I have read again and a few that I hope to reread sometime soon.

Books I’ve Reread

And that’s it! Those are literally the only books I’ve ever read more than once by my own choice. It makes me feel really… weird. I have read so many good books in my life and this list doesn’t reflect that! I wouldn’t say all these books are my favorite books but they were my favorites in my younger years and therefore have a very special place in my heart. Harry Potter and Fire by Kristin Cashore might count as favorites. I will never feel shame over loving my old vampire books!

Books I Want To Reread

All these books would be so fun to read again!

The Raven Cycle is my favorite but there is so much to that story that I feel like it would almost be the same as reading it for the first time.

I know that I need a good Rainbow Rowell book inspired cry soon.

The Shatter Me series would be pure entertainment! I would love to read that because I’ve been reading so many heavy thrillers recently.

I’m going to combine The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender and The House of the Spirits. They are both my favorite genre *magical realism* and I think they do an amazing job of balancing their light and whimsical tone with real topics. I need to read more of both of these authors asap!

Final Girls was such an interesting thriller. I’m going to need to wait a while to reread until what happens isn’t so fresh in my mind but I will probably reread this around Halloween like I did this year!

Let’s chat! Do you have a better track record than me at rereading books? How many times have you reread one book? I would love to know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

Another late Top Ten Tuesday to spice up your life on Wednesday. These are books that I could reread forever. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. So... I'm late on my Top Ten Tuesday again so it will be going live on Wednesday!