Monday, April 30, 2018

April Snapshots


1. This month, I upgraded to a Taylor GS Mini. I've wanted a Taylor guitar for ages and playing this guitar has been a dream come true. Before I got this guitar, I had been playing the same guitar that I learned on 11 years ago and I knew that it was time for an upgrade.


2. It's no secret that I love candles and this month I added the Novelly Yours, Wizarding Women box, to my collection. I knew as soon as Novelly Yours started teasing about doing a Harry Potter themed box, that I would have to own it, and the items did not disapoint. I own a couple other Hermione themed candles and this one is a great addition to my collection.


3. I have been doing lots of rereading this month, I started with Simon vs. the Homosapien Agenda, then worked through the Lunar Chronicles, and I'm currently making my way through the Red Queen series. This mug was in one of the recent Owl Crate boxes, and I found it to be an excellent companion when I was rereading the Lunar Chronicles and I was drinking tea to combat allergy symptoms. /// 4. My Inej bookmark from Happy Hello Co + Red Queen. 


5. USWNT vs. Mexico. I have a bit of an obsession with female soccer, especially the USWNT, and it's always a joy to see this team play. - Jessica

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Warmer Weather (Playlist)


Do you ever start listening to a song and think that it's so good that it deserves to be on a playlist? That's what happened when I was listening to Us the Duo on shuffle and Look Up at the Sky came on. I also just reread The Lunar Chronicles and that song reminded me of some of the characters in the series. So I created a playlist with that song in mind. This song also made me think about how nice the weather has been and what I like to listen to on a perfect day. Here's the songs I picked for the playlist...




- Jessica

Saturday, April 14, 2018

Covers


I have been playing a lot of music lately, mostly on my guitar because I recently bought my dream guitar. All of this playing has resulted in a desire to want to share what I've been up too, and I just uploaded my first cover on Youtube, and I would mean a lot if you would be willing to dedicate some time to watch it. It's not a perfect video, but I'm so proud of it. - Jessica

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Books I Read in March


I had a really good reading month in March. I read 12 books, 5 of which were rereads. Here are the books I read and some of my spoiler free thoughts on them...

Shatter Me Series (Books 1-4) by Tahereh Mafi - This series follows Juliette, who has the power to kill people with her touch, as she falls into a plot to overthrow a corrupt government. I reread the first three books in this series in anticipation of the fourth novel, and I loved the original trilogy just as much the second time around. I absolutely love the direction that the fourth novel takes, and it really is the perfect continuation of the series and sets up so well for this next trilogy. I also really loved returning to the original characters and learning more about them. I read the fourth book in one sitting, because I couldn't put it down, and now I'm overcome with how much I need the next installment.

Illuminae Files Trilogy by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - This is a science fiction series, told entirely through files (emails, transcriptions, photos...). I reread the first two books in anticipation of the series final, and I loved revisiting this world. There were a lot of details I had forgotten, and that helped wrap up the events of the third book. The third books is just as mind blowing and incredible as the first books. This is one of my favorite series and I highly recommend reading it.

The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson - This book follows, Elena, who triggers an apocalypse, when she heals the fatal wound of the girl she likes. Shaun David Hutchinson is the author of one of my favorite books, We Are the Ants, so going into this book, I had high expectations. I ended up really enjoying this book, it has the same quirky vibes as the authors other works, and I really enjoyed how he wrote in some cameos from his other novels. 

Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston - This is an Anastasia retelling, set in space and surrounds a group of outlaws. I really enjoyed this book, the Sci-Fi elements add a really cool twist onto the classic story. I also really enjoyed the characters and the world building. I'm looking forward to picking up the sequel, when it comes out.

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren - This story follows Tanner, who takes a seminar class and meets Sebastian, a Morman, and quickly falls in love with him. I really enjoyed this book, it has great representation, and tackles a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding bisexuals and LDS followings. This was the first contemporary novel, I read this year and was the perfect book to read after watching Love, Simon. 

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo - This book follows a siren, who is punished and turned into a human, as she sets out to redeem herself and kill a prince known as the Siren Killer. I absolutely loved this book, it has fantastic character development. I felt like this book had all the capabilities of a slow burn series, but is only 342 pages. 

Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner - This book is pitched as Indian Jones meets Lara Croft, in Space, and it's honestly such an accurate description. I really enjoyed this novel, I loved the characters and the storyline is completely gripping. This book also played perfectly into my linguistics degree, and there's so many interesting puzzles and mysteries. I rated this book a 4.5/5 stars, because I do think there was too much "instalove" between the two main characters, but I still really love the direction this duology is headed. 

And those are all the books I read. I have a list of books I'm hoping to get to in April, including rereading the Red Queen series, so hopefully everything goes according to plan. - Jessica