I ’m honestly really pleased with myself for reading all of these in the past month. That is all. Also, covers link to goodreads and titles...

I’m honestly really pleased with myself for reading all of these in the past month. That is all. Also, covers link to goodreads and titles link to Amazon. :)

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

I wasn’t sure what to think going into this one. It started with incredible speed—but I had no idea what was going on, lol. Even still, as the story unfolded, it drew me in: I loved the timey-wimey, riveting, complex, and beautiful plot; I loved Etta and Nick, smart and resourceful, cute and complementary, balancing each other out brilliantly... even while they struggled to balance caring for each other with achieving their conflicting goals. Most of all, I loved the writing, giving me an immediate feeling of time, place, and character, creatively portraying this amazing ride. I could barely pull myself away, and I just hope that, whatever happens next for Nick and Etta, it’s something good. 😊

Rating: 4 1/2 stars out of 5.

Content: language, instances of violence, implied sex scene

Once and For All by Sarah Dessen

To me, this one felt different than many of Sarah Dessen’s. The whole “who’s going to end up with who” thing was pretty clear from the beginning, but at the same time, the romance was super lowkey. Like, they had a lot of interaction, but (at least from Louna’s side) the attraction was much sneakier, stealing up on her from behind while she was busy thinking she hated Ambrose. It was interesting to see the enemies-to-in-love plotline done so subtly—and while tying in the flashbacks from her former relationship. Don’t wanna give spoilers on that one, but the way the two stories were woven together was absolutely brilliant. Saint Anything is still my favorite, but this one is very well-written.

Rating: 3 ½ stars out of 5

Content: Instances of brief strong language; sex scene, undescribed.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

The most interesting thing about this story was the complexities within the society and in the characters and how all of that was portrayed. It was basically the story of someone from the side of the oppressed suddenly joining the side of the elite; but it delved so deeply into the emotions that arise in both, from the obvious issues (like many of the Silvers seeing the Reds as basically worthless) to the less often considered (like Mare having to deal with her own prejudice against the Silvers, believing that all of them are the same evil... when many of them are as much people as the Reds are). All of the main characters—and even many of the sides—were deeply complicated individuals with pasts like dark forests full of a million twists and turns: they only got clearer as you took the courage to walk through them. I thought it was a very brave and meaningful take on such a society, and for that I do applaud the writer. While not my favorite, it was interesting and thought-provoking and that, I always enjoy.

Rating: 3 ½ stars out of 5.

Content: some language and instances of violence

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So have you read any of these? What did you think? What’s the last book you read and how did it relate to time? lol. Can’t wait to hear from you and I’ll see you in the comment section!

The other day, I was having a day where I really related to the first verse of this song. I had several things I needed to get done, and th...

The other day, I was having a day where I really related to the first verse of this song. I had several things I needed to get done, and then I just wanted to have the rest of the day off after a long week, but things just were not working out the way I wanted them to. It wasn’t anything huge, just a couple of tiny things that crawled under my skin and itched at my brain until I was so absolutely done. And I knew none of these things were actually big enough to justify the emotional reaction I could feel on the rise (which only made the whole thing feel worse), so I was trying to hold it together... but the feelings were there anyway.

Then, as I was doing homework (one of the things that wasn’t going my way, haha), I decided to listen to Francesca Battistelli for the first time in ages. This song happened to come on... and it was exactly what I needed. :)

This whole story time just to say that if this happens to be a song you need today, if this meets you right where you are, I encourage you to seek His face. To remember all that He is, all that He’s already done, to be reminded that He has proven Himself worthy of your trust and that He is faithful to work even the tiny details out. He’s holding it all, and you’re never too insignificant, too little, or too annoying, because He loves you. He adores you. He wants you to seek His face, to not look around, and to watch everything else grow strangely dim. 😊

Have you ever had a song come on with just perfect timing? Tell me about the experience in the comments! Can’t wait to hear from you!

Digging Ditches in the Wilderness by Talya . T his is so encouraging; I especially love the part “God LOVED nothing, because from nothing, ...

Digging Ditches in the Wilderness by Talya. This is so encouraging; I especially love the part “God LOVED nothing, because from nothing, He created ALL.” Such a beautiful reminder.

Is Getting Fat Really the Worst Thing That Could Happen to You? by Ana Harris. In which she’s candid about her struggles with weight and how she’s no longer letting it control her life. The truth in this post is amazing.

When the Guy Saves the Girl by Faith. A little old, but I love where she took this post! The Christ comparison is lovely.

Rainbow Before Storm by Keturah. Touching on trust, hope, and strength, this post is absolutely amazing.

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Well, that’s it for this week! Hope you all enjoyed, and I will see you in the comment section! :)

Hey, all, it’s Alexa! So, back in in July, I saw the captivating Cait @ Paper Fury do this tag from bookstagram , and I thought it looked ...

Hey, all, it’s Alexa! So, back in in July, I saw the captivating Cait @ Paper Fury do this tag from bookstagram, and I thought it looked delightful and delicious. Fast forward to this week, and I decided I wanted to do a tag post. So. Here we are.

1. Chocolate Cake (a dark book you absolutely love)

Yes, these are different series. :)

These are all so creepy. But the characters and writing are some of the most beautiful I’ve ever come across. It’s been at least 2 years (possibly closer to 3) since I’ve read any of them but I still remember them fondly (and frighteningly. But seriously they were good).

2. Vanilla Cake (a light read)

So I accidentally broke my unbreakable rule and read this book even though it wasn’t the first in its series (I didn’t realize until it was too late), but it was so cute and perfect and absolutely delectable that I completely did not mind. Bonus points for descriptions of ice cream that actually made me hungry. This book is wonderful, okay.

3. Red Velvet (a book that gave you mixed emotions)

I have to agree with Cait here: I’m mildly confused as to why red velvet is giving people mixed emotions. Like, it’s amazing, right? Why are we confused about this????

Source

Anyways.

So I’ve talked about this book in the last three posts, because when I get obsessed with a topic nothing will stop me from spewing my thoughts EVERYWHERE until I have eventually run out of them (thoughts, that is). But anywho, this book gave me tons to think about, plus it had beautiful characters and scrumptious writing… but it also hurt me greatly and literally took me weeks to decide whether I liked it or not.

via GIPHY

So, yeah. Even if red velvet cake shouldn’t, I think Heartlesscounts for the mixed emotions bit.

4. Cheesecake (a book you would recommend to anyone)

See, this is actually somewhat difficult for me. I’m very protective of my favorites (because—quite unfathomably—people don’t always like them :p), which means if I love something, I actually might not recommend it because I might suddenly discover a minor issue and then let fear hold me back from sharing. Sorry, not sorry?

But in all seriousness, I’m very aware of the fact that not everyone is going to like every book. There’s just no perfect story out there made to appeal perfectly to absolutely everyone. This is why authors have to pick their audience and ignore the rest.

But I digress. The closest I could find to answer this question was:

Despite my dissertation above, I seriously feel like it’s almost impossible not to find at least one thing to like about Septimus Heap. The series is so cute and the characters are so amazing and the writing is so funny and the plot so exciting… you’ve got to find something to love (I hope), even if you’re not a fan of all of it. So, yeah. Septimus Heap is the only thing I can think of that should be safe for just about everyone.

5. Coffee Cake (a book you started but didn’t finish)

OKAY, BUT WHY DOES COFFEE CAKE STAND FOR DNFING?

*clears throat and composes self*

I’ve DNFed quite a few, but if I DNF, I don’t review, so I don’t remember I read it. :p Anyways, I can think of more series that I have not finished, so I’m going to go with that instead.

These were actually really good, I just haven’t managed to get my hands on the last one (which is actually why I’m putting them in the tag, to remind myself to get on that. Haha, aren’t I clever. 😉 ).

6. Carrot Cake (a book with great writing)

And these are also different series, haha.

Absolutely marvelous, these. *squeezes books to chest* The writing is excellent.

7. Tiramisu (a book that left you wanting more)

So technically, the overarching plot of this story is completely over, but honestly? I would love to see books exploring the rebuilding stages of both the city and certain characters. Maybe what I really need is a fanfic squad... But anyways, I just love these books so much and I adore these characters and I want to see more of them.

8. Cupcakes (a series with 4+ books)

Cupcakes may not be the best descriptors for these, as they are all hulking tomes and basically whole cakes within themselves, but hey, I love them.

9. Fruit Cake (a book that wasn’t what you anticipated)

Instead of doing a book, I’m going to do a person in a book.

I don’t want to give spoilers, so suffice it to say there is a female character who did not turn out to be the person that I expected. Or more accurately, I had high hopes for her and she did something different, and well… yeah. The book was amazing, but this particular character made life difficult for the mains, and I had hoped she would change her ways. Aw, well. Perhaps in Wayfarer.

10. Lamington (favorite Australian book)

Guys, I am an uncultured American. I’ve never seen lamington in my life. Actually, I don’t even know what it is.

*checks google* *sees pictures of it*

Source

Well, then. Clearly this has been missing from my entire life, and I am now going to move to Australia. Catch you later, America.

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Haha, well, that was just as fun and delicious as it looked! :D Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

For my part, I tag Grace, Shar, and Keturah. Don’t feel obligated if you don’t want to/don’t have time, but I’d enjoy seeing your answers! And if anyone else wants to do it, feel free to steal! Just link me to your post in the comments below, and I will happily check it out!

Ah, I love the slow rise of this song and the triumph that comes around 2 minutes in. I can almost feel the former struggles and the joy as...

Ah, I love the slow rise of this song and the triumph that comes around 2 minutes in. I can almost feel the former struggles and the joy as they all slip away.

The emotion I feel behind it kinda reminds me of A Messy Beautiful Life by Sara Jade Alan. It’s about this theater girl who suddenly gets diagnosed with cancer, and her journey through that with all of her family and friends. It’s just a really sweet story, and I got to read and review it a couple weeks ago (well, the review went live today, but I actually read it a couple weeks ago), and if the book was ever made into a movie, I can see this song playing in the credits.

So what do you all think of the song? Have a book or movie that you’d pair it with? Can’t wait to hear from you all, and I’ll see you in the comment section!