turn off the boob tube & read: harry potter & the cursed mother

i have no idea why i was waiting so long to read the 8th harry potter novel, harry potter and the cursed child. well actually, i do know. shortly after the book came out, i read a spoiler online that suggested that albus potter and scorpius malfoy were in a relationship. that just kind of made me angry and felt very political. turns out that was completely inaccurate. i also wasn't too jazzed about the screenplay format and i didn't know how any other appendage to the harry potter universe could live up to the original 8. don't tell i'm not the only one who was less then thrilled about tales of beetle the bard. well i was way off base. it was thrilled to revisit these characters who i know and love. to see them in a way i hadn't before [as old people. which i currently am]. the first night i just dipped my toes in. the second night i stayed up until 11pm! that's like 4 hours past my bedtime!

i don't want to give away too many spoilers...well i do, but i won't. i'll try not to at least. the story follows albus, harry's son, as he attends hogwarts. it glosses over his first few years but here's the jist. he was sorted into slytherin, is best friends is scorporius malfoy, and is not talented at all like his father. he hates living in his father's shadow and the two have a tumultuous relationship. harry is visited by amos diggory and is shamed into feeling responsible for cedric's death. albus overhears the conversation and sets on a path to change history with the help of a newly discovered time turner. not only does he royally screw up... a couple times, but we also get to revisit some famous scenes that we know very well. in true rowling style, the books leaves on a happy note and i was pleased as well.

reading this book made me even MORE excited for my harry potter 30th birthday [less then a month to go!]. i think i joined the harry potter fandom around book two or three. i vividly remember seeing someone reading it at lunchtime in junior high and being curious. the rest was history! midnight releases, harry potter themed birthday party, getting the first movie on VHS like a boss, recieving my own olivander's wand, trying my first chocolate frog. harry potter is the essence of my childhood. and it is for so many as well! and i'm super excited for everyone to see how bossume my party is going to be. so go out and buy the book! it is definitely one you'll want on your bookshelf.

unlike the short life of bree tanner. stephenie meyers you sterred me wrong!

turn off the boob tube & read: golden winter

last week i was in full lock down mode finishing "golden son", the third and final book in the red rising series by pierce brown. i typically get ebooks now through my kindle but this book was so new there wasn't an electronic version. and i just had to know how it ended! and it ended GOOD! it wrapped up loose ends, had surprises, and there was even a wedding and a baby. i like happy endings. i don't want to read or watch movies that have tragic endings. unless we're talking SVU- i'll all about olivia benson. a fantastic sci-fi series (first written about here)! i'd call it a more grown-up version of the hunger games.

speaking of ending a series, i just finished winter, the last in the lunar series by marissa meyer. so good! it's a sci-fi play off of fairy tales. it centers around cinder, a cybord [a human who has been reconstructed with robot parts due to disease/accidents] but goes through a ton of other fairy tale characters. wold & red, princess winter [snow white], evil stepmother, cress [rapunzel]. it's so great to see these characters in a different way and explore their stories with a modern twist.

check them out!

currently reading: a million suns

turn off the boob tube & read: mindy

currently reading: magic study [snyder]

in my queue: a million suns [revis], winter [meyer], fate of 10 [lore], city of ember [duprau]

seriously me!

i can't remember the last book that had me turning pages and staying up late to read. honestly it's been quite a while. i waited for-ev-ver to get mindy kaling's second novel, why not me?, from the library and it was worth the wait. kelly kapour from the office was me in college- mindy lahiri from the mindy project is my spirit animal. so of course i would love her novels but this one was better. she name dropped, talked about the things we want to hear about, and gave juicy insight into her weird relationship with bj novak. and pictures! i love pictures!

am i smarted for having read her book? no. am i happier? i sure am! it's a great beach read and had me smiling from ear to ear.

sidenote: all of a sudden i've had all these books that i placed on hold at the library come to me. so i've turned my kindle on airplane mode and hoping they don't take them away from me until i can read them. anyone else do that??

turn off the boob tube & read + fall tv preview

i haven't posted about what i've been reading lately- because i've been watching too much tv. which is why i've combined this post. i still read almost every night when i take my bath but my time in the tub has been significantly reduced because having three kids is exhausting and time consuming. plus i just want to sleep or have time with my husband whose gone all the time. my first go-to for reading is my entertainment weekly. aside from that i just finished across the universe by beth revis. i got the book from one of those list that list the best YA fiction novels.

it takes place on a spaceship named godspeed. it follows a 17 year old girl named amy who was frozen on earth along with her parents. they were important personnel who were going to travel for hundreds of years to a new planet because earth was slowly dying. amy was woken up early by some unknown person. it follows the relationship of amy & the future leader of the ship, elder. they fight to uncover the mystery person who is unfreezing [and killing] the frozen people. it's a triology so i am excited to finish the other two. it's a very interesting concept- the world on the ship and what they think of earth is unique. not a must read but a good one none the less.

i also read the fourth selection novel by kiera cass. it follows eadlyn, the daughter of maxon and america. the country is upset and they restart the selection as a publicity stunt. eadyln is the next in line for the throne and is only doing it to get her parents off her back but as she gets the know the men that are chasing her, she starts to soften. the story didn't conclude so i have no idea how many more books will continue her story but i can't wa
it. these are a favorite of mine.

now onto the tv! man i love fall tv and this year is no exception. my #1 pick is....

quantico - set at an fbi training facility, it follows a class of recruits. it flashes back between their training and a bombing set in the future where the main girl from the training class [don't care enough to google her name] is the prime suspect of the bombing. it's pretty intriguing, despite the slightly offensive first episode that features a returned missionary in his garments. seriously, so good.

scream queens - i wasn't too excited for this show. i was afraid it would be another glee [that it sure isn't] because it's by ryan murphy and has lea michele. i wouldn't say i love it but it sure is a guilt pleasure. it's like a modern tv version of heathers. it's deliciously terrible in the best way possible. i read that it's going to be more like american horror story- with a new location and story each year. it's about a sorority in the south that is being hunted down and killed by 'the red devil'. it's a horror show that is funny and terrible. really, i wouldn't suggest it for most people.

fresh off the boat- technically this isn't a new show but new to me. it's in it's second season and a pretty good filler show while you wait for your good shows to come on. it's a funny comedy set in the 90's following an asian american family in florida. the mom is hilarious!

blood & oil- i feel like this is the new revenge. set in a small oil town, it follows a young couple [chase crawford, eat your heart out] as they pursue that american dream for moneymoneymoney. they get involved with this giant oil tycoon who has recently kicked his son out of the business. a fantastic night soap.

heroes reborn - i loved the first heroes and it's just not quite the same without peter petrelli and the cheerleader. still good... i guess. i'm not hooked yet with the characters. i still feel like they didn't give heroes the full number of seasons they deserve.

longmire - again, not a new show but new to us. we started watching it on netflix. it was cancelled then renewed by netflix and just released a new season. the new season is kinda...meh. the old ones are amazing and worth a gander.

the mindy project - same here. this is my favorite show by far and it's a little bit flatter now it's on hulu. it's a little bit more risque which i normally love but it's hard to keep the same momentum when mindy becomes a mom.

blindspot - this new show is intriguing but hasn't quite got my goat yet. a girl is found naked and tattooed in the middle of times square. her tattoos are a treasure map for the fbi to follow to stop crimes. it's got an overarching story that i'm not quite sold on yet but i haven't given up on it yet.

other favorite shows that are returning: empire, modern family, blackish, nashville, greys, HTGAWM, scandal, black list, once upon a time, brooklyn 9-9, new girl, madam secretary, the good wife, manhattan, the big bang theory, and downton abby.

turn off the boob tube & read: red rising [not a book about periods]

i found this book on a random pinterest suggestion site that told me about this book by pierce brown. man was i not disappointed! i feel like it was a good adult version of the hunger games book. it's got violence and some language [real and made up] but pretty amazeballs. since it's placed in the future, there was a lot of made up words that didn't always make sense and about a thousand characters [which made some things confusing] but totally worth it. and i even had to use my kindle's dictionary a few times so that made me feel smart! or dumb...

the book centers on darrow, a 16 year old miner on the planet mars, 700 years in the future. society is categorized into classes: reds are the worker ants- preparing mars for the future of man- and are treated t
erribly. pinks are sexual workers. greys are the military. golds are the upper class. darrow is married to eo, the love of his life, and works as a high risk drill miner. through some events, he ends up leaving his colony under the ground and finding out his whole life has been a lie. people are living on mar's surface and have been for years. reds work as slaves and will be forever. seeking revenge, darrow is sought out and transformed into a gold, infiltrating their academy which is a simulated land of war.

i feel like maybe i gave out too much already but this book really is great. darrow is hard and angry, not a super lovable character but what he accomplishes and why he does it is amazing. it's interesting to see how this alternate society works and wonder how some people can think they are better then others [not unlike today's society]. i really loved this book and have already stared devouring golden son, the second book in the trilogy. the film rights have already been purchased so i bet you this will be the next big thing. jump on the band wagon now!

turn off the boob tube & read: zombie apocolypse!

so i am not one for zombies. like at all. but my neighbor suggested this book series very highly and we seem to have the same taste so i gave it a go. i'm glad i did but man has it scared me a bit. i've read several dystopian books and all of them, including this one, have me terrified i am not up to snuff on my survival instincts. i was forced to go to girl's camp and learned nothing. katniss wasn't cool in my days. i know how to shoot a gun but i'm no angelina jolie. recently we've gotten into gardening and canning but i am still pretty new/unsure. so in case of trouble, do not come to me. i will most likely be dead in case of an apocalypse.

until the end of the world (the first book in the series), by sarah lyons fleming, follows cassie, a new york city girl and her friends as they survive a deadly virus that changes people into zombies. her parents were hard core survivalists who taught her a lot [and died before the book starts]. she broke up with her long term boyfriend/fiancee after her parents die and is dating peter when the book opens. the virus is sort of a rumor that cassie doesn't believe but after a call from her brother, she leaves town with several of her friends and head towards her parents house in upstate new york. the book series follows cassie as she makes and loses friends- and travels trying to outlive the zombie apocalypse.

the book is a three part series [with one novella]. i almost never buy books but the first one was a $1- and the prices steadily rose up from there. i got all 3 for around $10, quite a bit for me- an avid library user- but i'm glad i read them. there's some language but i guess that happens in adult books. i'm not one for gore but that survival instinct is addicting. i didn't devour this book like i have others but it's definitely addicting! now just to soothe myself back to sleep after those nightmares...

turn off the boob tube & read: healer series

i mentioned i got a kindle right? and i am LOVING it! it has renewed my love of books. i had several fears about a kindle:

1- reading off a screen
2- taking it into the bath
3- paying for books when i prefer to b
orrow from the library

turns out my fears have been pretty much unfounded. the screen aspect hasn't bothered me. you have to turn pages often but when you're really into a book, you don't notice it. i bought a fancy waterproof cover so i feel comfortable taking it into the bath. and my library has an ecatalogue that allows me to check out a ton of books. i bought one so far but haven't had time to read it yet. i've even started taking it with me while i walk [briskly, might i add] on the treadmill at the gym. really helps pass the time.

anywho i stalked a friend's goodread's account [thanks kari] and found a book series [Healers] by maria v. snyder. touch of power, scent of magic and taste of darkness are the three books in the series and i devoured each one. it's a midevil tale that follows avry, a girl who has healing magic and is on the run. healers are being hunted for not curing people who died of a mysterious plague [that would kill her too if he tried to heal]. she gets captured by kerrick and his band of men who want her to cure someone important. there's a war brewing between the fifteen realms with several mad men trying to take control. holy amazeballs, it's a great story. published by harlequin and has a few steamy parts to keep things interesting. mainly the series is a great strategy novel which i am not always a fan of but i appreciate. and the best part is that it was on loan from the library.

turn off the boob tube & read: let me be your neighbor

it's taken 4 years but i am finally friends with my neighbor. not neighbors, that's just crazy talk, but one of them. they have a little boy who is 8 [an immature and small 8] so landon plays with him really well. often his stay at home dad and i will talk and shoot the breeze while the children run amuck. it turns out his wife and i have the same taste in books. you know it's been really hard for me to trust people's recommendations in books lately because i've been burned people, BURNED. thankfully this time i was pleasantly surprised by her suggestions.

the fifth wave by rick yancy is a teen dystopian [surprise surprise, right?] novel. it centers around cassie. aliens came to earth in a giant ship, then did nothing. then they released different waves of attack. i don't want to give anything away but cassie, her dad, and brother survive and make it to a refugee camp... and things go awry. through the course of her journey to take down the aliens and rescue her brother, she meets evan walker [of course]. they're making a movie, due early jan 2016. jump on the bandwagon now!

partials by dan wells [an lds dude]. this one is another teen dystopian. it's in the future where an army of super-robot soldiers named partials, who were created to win a war with china, rebel against the humans and a mysterious disease nearly wipe out all the humans on earth. there is now a lone settlement in new jersery who has survived, 12 years after the war, but haven't been able to have babies survive the RM disease, except those remaining humans who were born immune. kira walker [a common last name in books, i'm finding] is a medic who is trying to cure RM and meets a handsome partial who helps her figure some things out. another amazing book! i am already on book #2 with #3 on my nightstand and i am dying to know how it ends.

thank me later folks.

turn off the boob tube & read: 5 love languages

i know i am kind of late to the game but give me a break, i am not one for self-help. really, i am a young adult girl in heart and mind. but i had heard of this book before so when i was it at costco for $10 and was waiting on a book from the library, i decided to take a gamble. let me tell you, it did not disappoint. the book was thin, chapters were quick and it was very well written. dr. gary chapman wrote this book and has since written different versions for kids, teens, etc. but this is the original. i never really thought about how i like to be loved but this book [and online quiz found here]. turns out i am a 'words of affirmation' and 'physical touch' gal. there other languages including quality time, receiving gifts and justin's language, acts of service.

i loved how dr. chapman gave real life examples, answered some questions that i thought of, and how it was short and sweet. what turns me off from self-help books is that they are so long and try to bore you with research. i don't want research, i want results. i think it's healthy to continually work on your relationship and improve yourself. i feel like the gospel is a huge part in improving myself and our relationship but this was a great new way to see things and make changes. as i said, my primary language is words of affirmation and so i typically show justin that i love him by writing him letters, sending him texts, etc. but that's not how he speaks love. he appreciates acts of service. he shows me he loves me by making me tables and mowing the lawn, but i don't speak love like that. blew my mind! since reading this book i have tried to implement some changes and be better at showing justin i love him in the language he prefers and i know how to communicate my needs better in ways that he can understand.

i would highly recommend this to anyone in a relationship- in fact i'm going to read the book for kids.

turn off the boob tube & read: mothering aka the losing of your mind

my friend meghan is really into self-help and parenting books. she loves learning how to help your family or your kids be better. ahh, i think we're good enough. actually i think it's pretty amazing to have an interest in something that could actually help you. i don't think these fantasy and YA novels really do much for me, other then helping me escape my reality. speaking of my reality, i am really missing my mom! it's amazing how much i depended on her- and i didn't even know it. it's not like we spent countless hours together or she babysat my kids all the time. we would just go to the store together- and talk. or i would go visit her on my nights without justin- and talk. i miss connecting with her like that- because i am not a phone talker and we both seem to just do better interacting in person. either way, i've been struggling some days with my kids. some days are just hard and i really need a time out to re-gain that spiritual perspective. i love reading my scriptures but it's hard to sometimes apply it to the situation i'm in. that's why i love this book! i seriously cannot stop reecommending this book to people. it's been amazing. mothering with spiritual power: book of mormon inspirations for raising a righteous family by debra woods.

meghan and i do this thing where we text eachother every day post-scripture study and share an insight we had. this is a great way for us to remind us to read our scriptures, to be spiritually uplifted throughout the day and also to read with a purpose [of sharing]. i am currently reading the later chapters of the new testament [come on paul, snooze alert] so reading one of these short chapters helps me feel spirituall fulfilled, even if what i ready isn't really applicable to me. seriously guys, if you are a mom or have a mom or will be a mom one day [that's everyone], check out this book. it's fantastic.

turn off the boob tube & read: the fault in our stars

i was pretty reluctant to give john green's novel 'the fault in our stars' a read. i knew it was a teenage love story about kids with cancer- i mean, really. how grim could he be? i am so glad i gave it a try! just in time for the movie [yes, i am apart of the bandwagon]. the way he writes- just beautiful. and real. he writes from the viewpoint of hazel grace, a 16 year old girl, and man does he capture the voice of a teenage girl. it's a love story about her and augustus waters, a boy in remission. the book was a quick enough read and felt so authentic. it's roughly their love story and their mutual love and quest to find out how their favorite book ends. i gotta warn you, it has language but i didn't bother me.


the title of the book comes from shakesphere's play julius cesar. "the fault, dear brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves". i think another reason i was reluctant to read it was the confusion of the title but having read the book, it makes perfect sense. serious. check it out- you'll probably have a long library wait like i did but it is worth it. until then, check out the trailer and just love shailene woodley.

turn off the boob tube & read: smorgasborge

holy macaroni it's been a while since i've given one of my book reviews. believe me, i haven't slowed down my reading but i guess i didn't think about reviewing them here. mostly because what i read is from suggestions from you folks! but here's what i've been reading when i'm not wiping someone's butt.

the alchemist by paulo coelho - a friend picked this for march's book club [we still have book club- granted almost no one wants to actually read so the last book we did was my selection of 'dad is fat'] and honestly, i don't get what the big fuss is. maybe because i read for the story and not the philosophical nuggets. it's a quick read: it's about a shepherd in spain who is approached by a god-like guide who urges him to make a quest for his personal legacy- a treasure at the egyptian pyramids. it's about his journey and what he learns along the way. it was originally written in the 80s and translated to english [you can tell]. not my cup of tea but here are some quotes i looked up on goodreads. because there were good quotes but i don't like to read books for that- that's why i read my scriptures.
it's the possibility of a dream coming true that makes life interesting.
there is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve- the fear of failure
everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives but none about their own

allegiant by veronica roth - i really loved divergent and am super stoked about the movie coming out in a few weeks but man, i am so disappointed in how it ended. call me old fashioned but i love happy endings and this did not deliver a happy ending. i just wanted more. still worth a read but not worth the purchase.

anyone else think this chick looks like bella swan?

delerium series by lauren oliver - this i got off my friend's goodread's account and i really liked them. it's a story about lena, a young girl living in portland, maine. it's an alternate world in which people have had a surgery to take away their ability to love. people who rebel against the surgery are kicked out of the society and live in the wilds. lena ends up getting the 'sickness' and falls in love with a boy named alex. great story that has a somewhat happy ending. i just wish she had divulged more into the ending and wrapped things up better with lena's other love interest.

entertainment weekly magazine - i first got this subscription free through my dad's coke rewards but i've since bought it [$10/year? well spent] and love getting my weekly magazines. seriously so good. i look forward to reading about upcoming movies and tv projects.

turn off the boob tube & read: the selection

one of my friends on fb recommended this book and being as how book club has slowed down with the holidays and i am wait listed to number something-ridiculous for some other books i love, i thought i'd give it a try. the premise is somewhat predictable- another princess book but it was surprisingly wonderful. i literally [said in a chris traeger voice] finished this book in 2 days. and i am eagerly awaiting the second book to be delivered to my library.

'the selection' by kiera cass is about america, a singer in one of the lower castes in this new society. she's in love with a boy in a caste lower then her [meaning they'll be ridiculously poor and hungry most of their life] but he convinces her to submit her name into a lottery of potential brides for prince maxon.  she's chosen [which means her family gets some money while he picks from over 30 girls] right as her boyfriend breaks up with her, hoping she can have a better life with someone else. she goes to the castle and the games begin- but america isn't trying to win over the prince, just provide for her family. believe me, it's great.

the cw tried to make this book into a pilot- twice- and failed - twice. the third and final book isn't out yet but i can't wait to see how it ends. seriously, the love triangle between american, maxon and whats-his-name [i really can't remember]. amazeballs people - check it out.

turn off the boob tube & read: white cat & fluffy

two in one month? lucky you. i love to read, i really do and this new book is another great addition to my YA collection of loves. my friend holly heard about this from her friend and had mentioned she wanted to read it. ironically i've onto the second book and she hasn't hit the first one yet but she did have several giant life changes happen so i'll give her another month or two :)

holly black's novel 'white cat' is about an alternative world where there are 'worker's or people who have gifts that allow them to change luck, kill people, transform things/people, change memories, etc. it centers around a boy named cassel who was born into a worker family [where workers are typically criminals and belong to criminal 'families'] but is not a worker himself. his mom is in prison, one of his brothers is in college and the other is in a crime family- and he is at a fancy boarding school. while there he sleepwalks onto the roof and almost jumps off-- and that's where the schenanigans begin.

i can't fully fall in love with these books; i think maybe because cassel i
sn't really a hero. or a girl, i really like books around girls. i do like that these books are different and have a different version of life then other books i've read. uniqueness really is hot commodity these days. worth checking out. but let's be honest, i'll never love these books [or really too much] more then i love my own black cat. fluffy, i still love you more then most people i know!

turn off the boob tube & read: dad is fat

here's mom being fat

justin found my most recent novel sitting on the countertop in our bathroom and instantly got offended that i was reading a book that would be about me trying to help him lose weight. well, sadly that wasn't the story. jim gaffigan's novel "dad is fat" is absolutely hilarious. i've read several comedian novels in the last year but this is by far my favorite [watch out book club! this ones coming to you]. it's written in several essays and are essentially all about parenthood and children. read an excerpt from the book [about comparing dogs to children] here. there are so many one liners, i couldn't put them all in here.

seriously guys, go check out this book. you will thank me.

turn off the boob tube & read: white cat

my friend holly is moving this weekend and i am beyond bummed. landon, poor landon, is really going to miss charlotte. he really loves her- bunches and bunches. charlotte likes me a lot.... landon she tolerates. anyways she suggested this book, white cat by holly black [author of the spiderwick chronicles] and i was not disappointed.

it was a quick read for me; i didn't love it but it was a good read. it's definitely different then other books in the paranormal genre so i liked that aspect. it throws you right in to this world of curse workers- people who are born with abilities to give good or bad curses like give someone luck, cause death, change memory, etc. they are commonly known in the modern world and everyone walks around with gloves on to protect themselves. it centers around a boy born into a crime family of curse workers yet doesn't have an ability himself. he's at a type of boarding school while his mother is in prison and is haunted by his past [he killed his bf/love-interest] and present [a white cat]. not scary at all but a good thriller. i've already requested the second novel to read in between my book club book [this month: interview with a vampire].

turn off the boob tube & read: the giver SERIES

remember a few months ago i wrote about the giver here- i loved this book but it was over too quick and didn't really conclude. at the end of the edition i had, it said one thing [i don't want to give away a spoiler- but i really want to bc i love spoiling things] in an author q&a but then i came to find out, there were three more books to lois lowry's series! i was so excited, hoping i could get some closure or see the story progress. and it did, just not in the way i expected.

the first book, the giver follows the story of jonas and his assigned role as the keeper of knowledge and what he chooses to do with the knowledge he's given. the second book, gathering blue, follows a girl named kira who lives in a different society and possess a different skill like jonas. these books in no way collide. the third, gathering blue, follows matty, kira's friend and her father in a different society as well. the son is the last book in the series and follows the mother of a boy jonas rescues in the first book who is in another different society then comes back full circle to involve jonas and kira. kinda trippy? i know. i really don't feel like there's one continuous thread with the four stories but each are amazing in their own right, but at the same time, don't fully conclude in the way i'd like them too, but only because i want more information. it does pose some questions that really make you think and are such great short reads. i really enjoyed them.

apparently there is going to be a movie made with meryl streep playing the chief elder - sounds fantastic. meryl can be cast at the batman and be the right choice [reference anyone?].

turn off the boob tube & read: beautiful creatures & the giver

being in carson has made me really miss my book club. when i was there a few weeks ago we did have a get together but i was the only one who read the book [even the host didn't!]. the book was the other queen by philippa gregory and was a definite skip [sooo boring - about mary queen of scots. it was like groundhogs day. a never ending plot that just repeated itself]. our book club is taking a hiatus for the summer [but our girl nights are not] but that hasn't stopped this book train. here are a few things i've been reading.

the beautiful creatures series was written by two friends, kami garcia and margaret stohl [i think that's a sign kitty-cait!]. set in the small southern town of gaitlin, south carolina. it's along the same thread of twilight exact reversed. a supernatural girl named lena and a mortal boy named ethan are in love but can't be together. it's definitely more supernatural and less love story then twilight but equally amazing. lena is a caster who has to chose to be light or dark on her 16th birthday. her family has a curse that forces them to chose dark but she resists that curse. i'm already on the 3rd book in the caster chronicles series and i'm hooked.

a friend of mine suggested i read the giver by lois lowry. this is one of those books you have to read in high school which i didn't, along with animal farm and those other boring political books. i had seen this book before but was not at all interested because of the cover [really creepy old man? that's the best the publishers could do?] it's along the same lines of the books i love. it's based upon a futuristic, dystopian society where you
are assigned a family, assigned jobs, and take pills to take away sexual urges [can you imagine?!]. it's about a young boy who at the age of 12 is assigned to the job of keeping all the memories of the previous world- a world full of color, music, war, and violence. it's a super short read and despite what the end of book discussion that i read, there are follow up books as well. i really enjoyed the story but felt like it ended too quickly and didn't really conclude. before i knew there were more books, i was so mad but thankfully a friend corrected my thinking. amazing book - a must read.

turn off the boob tube & read: twofers bc i have no life

hold onto your bloomers, you are in for a treat. i have virtually no life and no friends so i have been pounding the books pretty hard [twss]. thankfully my bff8's good read account is active and up to date, leaving me with options. i started with:

i am number four by pittacus lore [fake name for james frey and jobie hughes]

this is the first book in the lorien legacies series [should be a total of 6; four are already out]. i saw the movie.....eehhhhh.... and there are no plans for a sequel, so it sadly fell prey to the movie curse [i'm still mourning eragon]. the book was much better then the movie but still, not my favorite. it follows john smith, an alien from a planet that was destroyed by a different alien race. he comes to earth with 8 other aliens who are keeping their race alive. the other race comes to earth to find and destroy them but due to a curse, they have to kill them in order. john and his protector, henri, move around trying to keep themselves hidden but move to paradise, ohio. here john gets into high school troubles and falls in love them encounters the bad aliens. it's all good fun. i'll definitely keep reading the series but it's not my favorite. my favorite is.....

divergent by veronica roth

this is the first in a trilogy [third not out yet] set in a dystopian version of chicago. it's a little confusing to explain but due to wars, people were categorized into different five factions that fit their personality, whether they be completely selfless [leaders], brave [they're the protectors], intelligent [technology producers], honest and peaceful [they have fancier names but that'd be too confusing]. the story follows beatrice [tris] who, at the age of 16, choses to join a different faction. it follows her journey from the selfless to brave faction. it's amazballs guys, really. a tad confusing with the faction names but completely absorbing. i read the first 100 pages in one night and devoured the book within a few days. it's being slated for a film right now. hopefully it can escape the movie curse.

and since i only read in the bathtub i thought it naturally to show you were i keep my books - and not some stock photo from google.