Ava

Welcome to tea, books, crystals, and other ish.

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Crystal Jewelry!!!

Hey everyone! Back to doing my favorite thing: saying I’m coming back and then not. BUT I am here to say that I am selling crystal jewelry on my instagram @crystallineintent (same name on TikTok as well if you wanna see behind the scenes)!! Give it a gander!! <3

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Attention all Penpaling People!!

Hello! I’m reopening my penpal application for anyone who is interested! Here’s a bit about me:

I thought I’d update this for anyone new and it’s been awhile! My name is Ava, I’m 18 and a college freshman at Radford University. I am majoring in Geology and minoring in Creative Writing! I love to read, write stories, listen to music (favorite genre is alternative), do yoga, play videogames, and draw from time-to-time. I love true crime as well! I love to collect crystals and I also am a tarot reader too. If you’re interested in penpaling with me, head to the link attached to fill out the form and I’ll get back to you ASAP! :)

Ava | Linktree

Welcome, traveler.

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HELLO!!!

I don’t have much of a presence on here, but I still feel bad about dipping for two months… although I have a valid reason.

Someone stole my phone at school! Yeah. Yyeeaahhh. I got a new phone but not everything backed up properly so Tumblr got lost in the cloud and I just now remembered it. Whoops.

So I have a lot of book reviews to post— they won’t be as in depth as I usually make them cause it has been awhile and the plots aren’t fresh, but I’ll try my best!

Anyway, that’s all!

Oh, and Happy Easter to those who celebrate :)

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Book 👏 Review 👏

First book of 2022 and it definitely did not disappoint!!

I picked this up simply because of the cover. I mean. Look at it. It’s cool. And the summary on the back? Does this book absolutely ZERO justice.

I loved this book. The characters and the way they interact is so intriguing and organic— some conversations feel like I’m a bystander eaves dropping. The world building is a little all over the place towards the end when everything finally comes together, but honestly, due to the circumstances of what is happening, the scrambled timeline works.

I bought this as a physical book and definitely want to buy the rest of the series, so I will definitely be trying my hardest to skidaddle over to B&N tomorrow after school!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone, you get an 8.5/10!!

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Book 👏 Review 👏

My… my heart is so full right now from this book. I’m staring at the Acknowledgment page as my teacher is talking about the Executive Branch and I just. Cannot. Wow. WOW.

The development of January and Gus was just to die for and my heart was squeezed so much. It’s up there with The Love Hypothesis. Maybe even above it.

The themes and messages are so… simply complex that it didn’t really hit until the end. And then it DID… you know??

Beach Read. You. Lovely you. You get a 10/10.

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Book 👏 Review 👏

Ohohohoooooo, I love this author. You’d best believe I’m about to read everyone of her books.

The most notable thing about this book is the setting. It takes place in 2021, but not just any 2021. Like, legit 2021. Like COVID and masks and politics. It was very jarring. It was refreshing, but I read to escape and I did very little escaping while reading this.

The graphic style Slaughter (I’m guessing) is known for definitely showed up. I legitimately shuddered and gagged at a few of the descriptions. As I should.

Anyway, False Witness, you get an 8/10!

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Book 👏 Review 👏

Murder mystery and psychological thrillers are my shit. And they were way before I got back into fantasy and stupid romances. I haven’t read one of these since quarantine, as murder mysteries tend to get repetitive, and I was craving it. And boy… this… this was one hell of a book to choose to get back into it.

Wow. This may be one of the most gruesome books that I’ve read. Before this, I thought Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh (my favorite of this genre to date) was bad. Absolutely not.

I figured out a lot of the plot twists before they happened (as I usually do) and I think that took away it’s spot for becoming my favorite. But it’s safe to say that there probably isn’t another murder mystery out there that is TOO similar to this one.

Despite my horror and roiling stomach while reading this, I am curious to see what else this author has written. I mean, come on, her last name is Slaughter.

Pretty Girls, I award you a 9/10.

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Book 👏 Review 👏

Okay… interesting. The story of Hades and Persephone are one of my favorites in Greek mythology (preferably the versions where she isn’t kidnapped). The dynamic between dark and light has always had me by the throat, so Hades and Persephone retellings are my thang. This is the first that I’ve read in literal book form that was exclusively that theme.

It was something. And I really can’t tell if I liked it or not. I like the idea that Hades is actually a softie and that Persephone isn’t as pure as she seems, which this story encompasses, but the Persephone that I imagine is NOT into kink play. Cause I was absolutely shocked reading that in the middle of my Government class.

There are a lot of plot holes and some things that weren’t really mentioned. Where is this fictional city of Olympus? There were mentions of Ohio and Star Wars so clearly it’s somewhere in America. How does this city work within America if that’s true? What is your name before you earn the title of an Olympian? How does that work? The world building just… wasn’t enough. It was all smut, which was written well but… give me some plot, you know?

I think there are better retellings out there and it’s now my mission to find the best of the best.

This can be read as a stand-alone. The next book coming out by this author, Electric Idols, is in the same universe as this one, but about a different character and… I honestly think I’ll pass.

Neon Gods, I think a 5/10 is good for you. Maybe a 6/10 if I’m feeling generous… I really don’t know.

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Book 👏 Review 👏

Literally in love with this book. This is EXACTLY what I needed after the crisis I had after the Mirror Visitor Quartet.

I could have finished it in a day, but I wanted to savor the pure chemistry and tension of the relationship between Olive and Adam. And it. Was. SO. Worth it.

There are so many funny moments that made me snort out loud, parts where I had to close the book for a second (both out of anger and to compose myself from the spicy parts that came up in my Sociology class), and I literally did a fist pump in the air. Like:

Me: *reads part I’d been hoping for*

Me: *fist pump* YESH.

My parents: 👁👄👁

And I never make visual reactions. So. There. Proof of how amazing this book was. The perfect cure for any book-caused void.

The Love Hypothesis gets my second ever 10/10. AS IT SHOULD.

Do you think we’ll get 3 in a row?

[studyblr]

if there’s one constant in my life, it’s that i will always point frantically at dogs and stars

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Book 👏 Review 👏

Wow. I’m quite literally speechless but am also having an existential crisis at the same time. It’s midnight where I live and I just had to call my boyfriend just to vent the absolute turmoil happening within me right now. My dad texted me to go to bed as a result :’)

I had such a fun time reading this series. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read before and it was so refreshing. There are so many wonderfully diverse characters to love (or to absolutely loathe) and a mind blowing world concept + plot.

Ophelia and Thorn have definitely made it into my top three favorite book couples— their relationship was completely different than what I’ve been reading for the past year/year and a half. Don’t get me wrong, I love the morally grey guys and all that, but they? They’re so sweet and just something new. I really enjoyed that.

The ending? Not my favorite. Not because it was written badly but because— well. I don’t want to spoil. Just maybe steel yourself.

Overall, I am very sad to part with these characters and this beautiful story line but I am so glad that I got to enjoy it. I can’t wait to read more from this author! Even if I have to wait months to get the translation :’)

To The Storm of Echoes and to the whole Mirror Visitor Quartet, I award you my very first 10/10!!!

[skyakafreckles]

I can't believe October is almost Octover

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Book 👏 Review 👏

…I… I am… INFURIATED. HWLELWKEJWJKWLELEJELWKRJEKWKE.

*throws iPad to the other side of my classroom*

THIS BOOK GAVE ME ENOUGH BLUE BALLS TO LAST A LIFE TIME AND THEN IT ENDS LIKE THAT??? LIKE. T H A T ??? WHEN DOES THE NEXT BOOK COME OUT. I CANNOT WAIT. I LITERALLY CANNOT.

*exhales*

So. Um. Other than that, good book! It was SUPER fast paced, but it honestly fits the style of the book!

Kingdom of the Cursed, 8/10– a point off for the AMOUNT OF BLUE BAALLSSS.

[books-and-cookies]

do you ever just... sit there reading and realise all of a sudden that "this book is so good. holy fuck. it's so good. someone hold me, it's so fucking good."

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Book 👏 Review 👏

Hello!! I am finally out of my reading slump and I’m back with another book review!

One of my clarinet babies recommended this to me and I’m so glad she did. I always read about High Fae (which is good, don’t get me wrong) but reading another kind of fantasy is refreshing! Especially witches— my kind of gals!

The descriptions and details in Kingdom of the Wicked are deliciously mouth watering. The twists and turns keep you on your toes— a beautifully written and fast paced read.

And of course, it wouldn’t be a complete enemies to lovers without our morally gray, dark haired, light eyed, hot character. Wrath is 😤🤌

Thanks to you, I’m out of my reading slump, so a 9/10 for Kingdom of the Wicked!! I’ve already started on Kingdom of the Cursed ;)

[cottageshadowwitch]

“Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.”

— Unknown (via thoughtkick)

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Ava | Linktree

Welcome, traveler.

Go ahead. Explore.