26 February 2016

Recommendation Friday: MAD MAX: Fury Road

 MAD MAX: Fury Road
Released: May 2015
Rating: R


I know this movie has been out for awhile, but I finally had the opportunity to watch it. And I'm so glad that I did. It was so good!

ACTION is one of my to favorite genres and this movie is FULL o it. The cinematography, CGI, actors, vibe, desolate area, message, everything was so so good. My two year old nephew watched a majority of it with me, complete enthralled (before the 1am Zs took over...)

This kind of makes me want to watch the originals! Why are they not on Netflix!?

If you haven't yet → Go watch!!




25 February 2016

Book Review: FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Published: 29 October 2014 by Alfaguara Juvenil
Genre: YA contemporary
Format: Hardcover, library

Overall:  ½

Summary: Cath is a Simon Snow fan.
Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...
But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.
Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?
Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?


I had never really been interested in Fangirl until I started seeing it on Tumblr. People were posting their collection with the multiple covers and I figured it must be really good. It had to be..why else would you buy multiples of the same book?

I won't say I'm disappointed--I'm not--but I definitely wasn't as satisfied as I thought I would be.

We're pulled into the world of Cath--and even though it was in second person, you're somehow still in her head. I related so hard to Cath it was almost embarrassing. An introvert with social anxiety and obsessive issues. (I may be a bit more extreme.) That was my favorite part about this book; I LOVED about that aspect of the book. How Rowell deals with mental disorders in, many forms, was perfect.  It made me think too hard about my own issues, especially when someone who has never met me can express how I feel.

Why did I rate it 3½ stars? Something about Fangirl felt off, like something was missing. I could never tell what it was, but it caused me to feel detached to anything else other than Cath's emotion...if that makes sense.

I loved Cath, I loved her roommate, I loved Levi, I loved her writing, I loved Simon Snow... but I didn't love this book.

I actually am very excited to read Rainbow Rowell's other books, however.




How do you feel about Fangirl? Or if you haven't read it, will you?




22 February 2016

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading is hosted by The Book Date. Each week we spotlight the books we are reading, planning on reading or just finished reading.
[click on book cover to visit goodreads page]


Currently Reading:



Recently Finished:

[rating:☆☆☆½ -- review coming 02.26.2016]


Up Next:


I'm trying to read a "soul inspired book" whilst reading a regular fiction to switch back and forth.

Let me know what you think of any of these books if you've read them!
Also, a review for Fangirl will be up soon.

All the love. 
Enjoy the word. . .

18 February 2016

Drama of the Week - Signal

»Signal | 시그널«

Genre: Action/Crime/Mystery | Episodes: 16 | Air day: Fri & Sat | Air dates: 01.22 to 03.12


After watching the Chinese drama Love Me if You Dare, I needed another crime drama to fill the void that it left. [It was so so so good. HIGHLY recommend.] I hadn't heard of any of the actors in this drama and that intrigued me even more. I was being disappointed over and over by watching dramas based on the actors alone.
So far, this dramas has not disappointed. One of the best first episodes to a drama, and it has continued to impress.

I love the almost time travel aspect of it, reminiscent of the movie Frequency. It involves real life unsolved cases in Korea, some still unsolved to this day.
If you're into that sort of thing, I highly recommend. The lead isn't so bad to look at either. [reminds of a mix of the rapper Tablo and GOT7 member JB.]


Summary of the drama:
Inspired by a real series of grisly rapes and murders from 1986-1991, detectives from the past and present tap into a mysterious walkie talkie signal that allows them to work together across time. With hindsight and foresight on their side, can these detectives catch the depraved culprit, or are 10 women—including a 71-year-old grandmother and 13-year-old girl—forever lost?

Have you had a chance to watch this one? Let me know what you think below!

Get hooked on this drama on: dramafever



17 February 2016

Waiting On... Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a feature for bloggers to swoon over upcoming releases they can't wait to get their hands on.

Summer of Sloane by Erin L. Schneider
Release Date:
 03 May 2016
Genre: YA Contemporary

Warm Hawaiian sun. Lazy beach days. Flirty texts with her boyfriend back in Seattle.

These are the things seventeen-year-old Sloane McIntyre pictured when she imagined the summer she’d be spending at her mom’s home in Hawaii with her twin brother, Penn. Instead, after learning an unthinkable secret about her boyfriend, Tyler, and best friend, Mick, all she has is a fractured hand and a completely shattered heart.

Once she arrives in Honolulu, though, Sloane hopes that Hawaii might just be the escape she needs. With beach bonfires, old friends, exotic food, and the wonders of a waterproof cast, there’s no reason Sloane shouldn’t enjoy her summer. And when she meets Finn McAllister, the handsome son of a hotel magnate who doesn’t always play by the rules, she knows he’s the perfect distraction from everything that’s so wrong back home.

But it turns out a measly ocean isn’t nearly enough to stop all the emails, texts, and voicemails from her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend, desperate to explain away their betrayal. And as her casual connection with Finn grows deeper, Sloane’s carefree summer might not be as easy to find as she’d hoped. Weighing years of history with Mick and Tyler against their deception, and the delicate possibility of new love, Sloane must decide when to forgive, and when to live for herself.



   Why I am excited. . .
I am loving that cover. So so pretty. I have this weird thing about surfing/beachy movies... I love them! And I also love summer romance stories, so I a excited for this one. I feel like too much is given away in the synopsis, but that won't stop me from reading this next to the pool this summer. (I may or not be imagining I'm at the beach, instead!



What are you waiting for?! Let me know.



16 February 2016

Top Ten Tuesday [002] // Tune Tuesday

Top Ten Songs You Wish Were Books!
Broke and the Bookish actually gave a couple of options this week, and this is the one I chose. This was extremely hard for me to choose ten songs! Whenever I get inspiration to write, it usually comes from a book, so when I chose each song, I actually mentally plotted out what I would love to see happen with these!


  1. "No Woman I've Found" by Madison|LST [lyrics]
    With this one, you won't be able to find the song online anywhere... so I typed up the lyrics & put them in a google doc for you to read them. I would love the book to be from a male POV and he imagines all of these scenarios in his head involving this girl & the last line simply reads "she asks me to walk her in and then. . ." Ugh.. The amazing and annoying perfectness! Unfortunately you can't find this song anywhere online. Tweet Madison|LST and tell him to put it back up. :)  (@madisonlst)

  2. "Whalien 52" by BTS [song & lyrics]
    I know that if you read the lyrics, everyone would imagine something completely different. But personally, I see a guy who is overseas, falls in love with a girl and her family won't accept him. Even though he knows the language, culture, music. He just wants to be seen. Yeah... we'll go with that! 😂

  3. "André" by JoJo [song | lyrics]
    I imagine a girl in the midst of getting married and she's ridiculously stressed out and she finds a journal she kept when she first met her soon to be husband. In it she's reminded of all the amazing things about him and how she felt when she first met him; and it helps calm her down and realize that as long as she's with him... that's all that matters. That no matter where they end up "it all makes perfect sense."

  4. "Do You" by Rap Monster [song & lyrics]
     I imagine a girl who lives her life through 'self-help' books and carefully plots every single day. Until she meets someone (Maybe like Rap Mon?) who shows her that there is so much out there and shows her she can still do what the fuck she wants and that it's OKAY!! (no love triangles here).

  5. "Fearless" by Taylor Swift [song | lyrics]
    Honestly... I see it as a girly lovey dovey NA. Nothing special here. I just like how the love sounds like it could be powerful, beautiful, and fearless!

  6. "Sound of Pulling Heaven Down" by Blue October [song | lyrics]
      ↓AND↓ (6 & 7, I imagine pretty much the same thing)
  7.  "Darker Shades" by ¡MAYDAY! [song | lyrics]
    I imagine a world on the brink of an apocalypse. It's hundreds of years into the future and scientists were able to determine the end of the world, warning the population that things are about to go very very bad in a few months time. And instead of going into a panic, 4-6 friends decide that the only thing that matters is facing every fear they have...together. Including traveling as far as possible in the continental US, falling in love, losing virginities, trying alcohol, drugs. Doing everything that won't matter after awhile when you'll be gone anyways. Basically a book before the apocalypse. I would see it focusing on one girl in particular with a few chapters or paragraphs from her friends. 

  8. "널 사랑하겠어 (I Choose to Love You)" by: Dong Mulwon[original] or Hyorin [song | lyrics]
    A story that spans over time about two people who can't let go of each other. No matter where they are in the world and finally...after years of separation, other relationships, jobs, highs & lows--they are able to reunite and come together. Realizing they were truly meant for each other.

  9. "싫다Hate it" by Baek Ji Young [song & lyrics]
    A woman has lost her husband in the war and tries desperately to move on. I feel like someone who has actually been in thi situation (maybe not necessarily to war... murder... detainment...suicide...kidnap...whatever) can write such a story. I would want to be so gripped with emotion it would be hard to continue the story!
  10. "Far Away" by Nickelback [song | lyrics]
    The nostalgic feels that happen when I hear that first cord. I could still cry from it. This video shows a story with so much more than the way I lived this song. Think high school love I had a hard time accepting and letting go at the same time. (terrible time, love still freaks me out) I would love it to be almost exactly what I went through. It would piss off and annoy a majority of the readers, but that was me. I really really liked a guy, he liked me, I pushed him away--missing that opportunity and then pined for him for about 3 years. Trying so hard to send mental signals that I was ready. Eventually we graduated and all moved on. Annoying right!? *sigh*

That took an exceptionally long time to put together. But there it is, my Top Ten Tuesday list and Tune Tuesday! Maybe someday I'll actually write one of these. Loving the idea for 6/7!


15 February 2016

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading is hosted by Book Journey. Each week we spotlight the books we are reading, planning on reading or just finished reading.

Currently Reading:
» Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
» Get Real by Tellulah Darling

Recently Finished:
» Uprooted by Naomi Novik  [☆]
» The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod [☆]

Up Next:
» Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella
» To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
» Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff


Thoroughly enjoying Fangirl. It seems like it'll be just the book I need to pick up my reading streak. Get Real is on my kindle and will be my "between" and "treadmill" book. When I have time at work, at lunch, in the car, etc I'll read this one. Also while I'm on the treadmill, walking... I like to read on my phone or kindle. I'll be reading Get Real.

I didn't completely finish Uprooted, but I got very close. I just know that it was starting to go downhill fast. There wasn't enough of the "Dragon" and too much...too. I don't really know.

Anyways. . . hope you're enjoying whatever it is you're reading! Let me know your views on any of these books. ♥


Blog Tour - Character Profile : A Friendly Flirtation by Christine Warner



A Friendly Flirtation by Christine Warner
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: February 15th, 2016


Allison Hall is fed up with being a social outcast. Even at the tech company where she works for her brother and his best friend, Jared, she's the invisible nerdy girl. What she needs is confidence—and that requires a makeover and dating tips. And she knows just the man to help…

Jared Esterly is shocked when Allison asks for his assistance and turns her down, knowing that her brother—his business partner and best friend, Nick—would kill him if he dated her, even if it is just for practice. But when Al’s attempt to make changes on her own fails spectacularly, Jared reluctantly steps in. Things heat up quickly, and soon lessons move from the salon to the bedroom.

When overprotective big-brother Nick discovers Jared is dating Allison, their friendship and business partnership sour. Allison, consumed by guilt, must make a choice: stay with Jared, even though that means ruining his friendship with Nick and possibly his career, or leave the one man who sets her on fire.

Purchase

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About the Author

Christine Warner is living her dream in Michigan along with her family, three laptops (she might have a slight addiction, or maybe it’s a fear of one imploding from overuse) and a much loved assortment of furry friends.

Besides laughing and a good round of humor, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, reading, writing but no arithmetic.  A confessed people watcher, she finds inspiration for her stories in everyday activities.  She loves to read and write about strong heroes and determined, sometimes sassy heroines.

A girl gone wild, at least where social media is concerned, she enjoys meeting other avid readers and writers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and her website at christine-warner.com.


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Character Profile: Allison

Name: Allison Hall, but most people call me Al.

Hair: Blonde

Eyes: Jared describes my eyes as doe-like brown. I think that’s sweet.

Age: 23

Place of Residence: Chicago, the windy city.

Hobbies: I adore my job, but I do like to collect penguins. My mother passed away when I was very young and she collected penguins. I took over the collection and it’s a little out of control but I can’t resist them. I also like to cook, especially for Gramps.

Goals: I want it all—in my personal life and my professional life. Mainly I want to fit in and be a normal girl. Being a geek isn’t all bad, but when I asked Jared for help it was because I knew in order to truly be happy I had to find a balance.

Least favorite word: I’ve never really thought about it. I think I’m going to have to say I don’t have one. They all have their uses, don’t they? lol

Turn ons: Jared. Everything he says and does, the way he moves. I can’t get enough of him.

Turn offs: This might sound silly, but I’d have to say mean spirited people. Why can’t people just treat others how they’d like to be treated? In order to do that they’re going to have to be able to put themselves in others shoes.

Sound or noise you love: Jared’s voice. My stomach flips every time. Especially when he says my name.

Sound or noise you hate: I’ve never been fond of the alarm clock, which is why I always wake up before it goes off. lol

Favorite curse word: Gramps would have a coronary if he heard me cursing. The most I dare get away with is “heck”. I guess I’m not only a nerdy girl, but a good girl.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? I love penguins, so if I wasn’t a computer geek I think I’d like to work with animals. Maybe at the zoo or a park.

What profession would you not like to do? Hmm, interesting question. I love to take care of the people who mean a lot to me, but I don’t think I could ever be a doctor, or any type of medical caregiver. I know I’d get too attached and I wouldn’t be able to keep a professional distance.

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Your mother has been waiting to see you again. And then he’d wave his arm to the side and my mother would be standing their smiling. Just the thought of seeing her again makes my heart smile.


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