Book Nook 2019

Here we go! 2nd review coming your way! This one is a book I started very late in December and it was my goal to finish it before the new year and I succeeded because it was hard to put down! It is by the one and only John Green, which is why I decided to read it because he is one of my favorite authors. It is his newest novel, "Turtles All The Way Down."

This book was fantastic. It starts off with a mystery where a CEO of a big company has disappeared and the main girl, Aza and her bff Daisy, are intrigued by the reward for finding him. Aza realizes the name and realizes the man is the dad of her former camp friend. They go to Davis and they get mixed up together. Aza suffers from a mental illness and that is expressed throughout the whole novel. In a way it gets in the way of Davis and Aza's romantic relationship. It is a roller coaster book with ups and downs.

This book touches on mental illness a lot and how obsessive they can be on one's brains. Sometimes mental health is like a leech on the host, that is how annoying it can be. I love the way John Green describes it in this book. It is an amazing way to put it because it can relate to so many people, including myself. You usually don't see the main character of anything suffering a mental illness and I like that he decided to do it anyway. The book lets you into Aza and the way she thinks and feels about her health and it is insane to see inside a person like that. It is fascinating and heartbreaking all in one.

This book is remarkable, I highly suggest you read it.

Favorite Character: I love them all, but if I had to choose I would choose Davis. He is understanding, smart, and kind-hearted. He takes care of his little brother while his dad disappears and he handles Aza and her mental illness with grace and care. The way he treats her is utterly beautiful in the eyes of someone who also suffers from mental health issues. Also, he writes and that reminds me of myself. Except he is way better at it then me.

Favorite Quotes: "I don't like to throw the L-word around; it's too good and rare a feeling to cheapen with overuse."

"True terror isn't being scared; it's not having a choice in the matter."

"Whether it hurts is kind of irrelevant."

"At some point in life the world's beauty becomes enough. You don't need to photograph, paint or eve remember it. It is enough. - Toni Morrison "

"No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again."

"I wanted to tell her that I was getting better, because that was supposed to be the narrative of illness: It was a hurdle you jumped over, or a battle you won. Illness is a story told in the past tense." (i love this one.)

"The term chronic pain captures nothing of the grinding, constant, ceaseless, inescapable hurt. And the term crazy arrives at us with none of the terror and worry you live with. Nor do either of those terms connote the courage people in such pains exemplify, which is why I'd ask you to frame your mental health around a word other than crazy."

"Your now is not your forever."

"The problem with happy endings is that they're either not really happy, or not really endings, you know? In real life, some things get better and some things get worse. And then eventually you die."

Book Nook 2019

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! I'm so excited for all the new books I'll get to share with you this year! I just wanted to start this off wishing you all well in 2019 and that you achieve your goals and succeed :)

To start off I'll be reviewing a book I actually finished at the end of 2018, I just didn't have time to review it on this blog yet. I actually will have 2 blog posts today of 2 books I read last year. First is, "Dad is Fat" by Jim Gaffigan.

Jim Gaffigan is a comedian and actor known for his hilarious stand up. He is one of my favorite comedians, so I couldn't resist picking this up at the bookstore. I knew that if I thought his comedy specials were funny, his books would be too. I was right. "Dad is Fat" had great sprinkles of his comedy and humor. The whole time I was reading it I could hear it in his voice, which was perfect because hearing him deliver it made it way more funny.

The whole book is about him as a dad. He has 5 kids with his wife Jeannie and it is just him navigating that in a funny way. He talks about his wife and the ways he adores her, but he also cracks jokes on her pregnancies. It is a wonderful balance of stories and comedy. I would say that this book is good for any parent. I think while reading it, I couldn't relate as much to some of the parental references. It's not that I didn't understand them, it is just not as funny when you haven't gone through it also. Misery loves company.

Gaffigan has 2 books and I believe this is his 2nd one. I would love to venture into reading his first one, "Food: a Love Story." It seems more up my ally and not as directed to parents. I'm not saying don't read "Dad is Fat" unless you are a parent because I'm not one and I enjoyed it very much. I am saying that it may be a good gift for a parent with a great sense of humor ;)

Overall, Gaffigan never fails to make me laugh even if I don't necessarily understand every aspect. His comedy is gold and if you don't like reading, I really recommend watching his Netflix comedy specials. He has 5, binge em, you won't regret it ! But, also read a book.

Book Nook

Hey guys I just finished a new poetry book! It is "Pillow Thoughts" by Courtney Pepppernell. It has been very popular with young adults and I use to see poems and quotes from this book all over the internet. I decided to hop on the train and pick up a copy for myself and see what all the fuss is about.

First of all, I love the cover of this book and the way it is organized. It has a jelly fish on the cover and the poems are split into sections based on what they are about. For example, "If you need a reason to stay" or "If you need encouragement." Super cute! They were accompanied by uniquely drawn jellyfish that related to each section title. It was quite adorable.

As for the content of the book itself it was just as good. Each poem hits a different part of yourself. It makes you think deeper. I love how you can pick up the book, go to the section you relate to and find something that works for you and how you're feeling in that moment. It is beautifully written with so much love and hard work. I really appreciate this type of writing because I would love to have a book of my own similar to this one day.

I'm very happy to recommend this fabulous book to all you readers. It is for all ages and all feelings. I loved it, definitely one of the better poetry books of the ones I've read. It has been the book that has inspired me to write again, so maybe after you read it, it can inspire you in some way. :)

Favorite Poems, I had a lot, but I'll share a few: 

Book Nook

HEY Y'ALL I FINISHED A BOOK. I have been so busy with school, I felt like I had no time to read. So, finally I have completed a book... actually it was 2 in one, so I guess I finished 2 books. One is a classic that you all have probably heard of and the second one is the sequel that has come out 25 years later!

The books are "Hocus Pocus" and "Hocus Pocus: The Sequel" by A.W. Jantha! I started reading these before Halloween and wanted to finish before Halloween was over, but I failed. However, I still finished them and it didn't make them any less enjoyable. I will say that these books are made for a younger demographic then me, but I was more interested in the story, then how it was written.

I was curious about these books because Hocus Pocus is a classic Halloween movies and it is one of my favorites and I, as a reader, was shocked to find it was a book and that I had never read it. Also, the cover of this particular copy I picked up also had the sequel in the same book! It was a no brainer. I read the original hocus pocus and it was like watching the movie, almost identical, it was fabulous! Then I started reading the sequel. This is what I'll be doing most of the review on.

The sequel was set on Halloween night in 2018, 25 years later after Max lit the black candle. Max and Alison are married and have a child. Her name is Poppy and she is the same age as Max was in the original book. She has a friend named Travis and has a crush on a girl named Isabella, who becomes their friend. Yes, you heard right, the love story was between two females! I love that they are so progressive and showing a female relationship like this, especially in a younger aged book. Then, the Dennisons throw a Halloween party and the 3 of them end up going to the Sandersons house with a Oujia board on the night of the blood moon and halloween. Spooky right? Well, low and behold, the Sanderson sister get brought back to live and trade lives with Max, Alison, and Aunt Dani. Now it is up to them to save them and destroy the bloodmoon stone before the witches use it to live forever.

The story has the same concept, but it has a different twist on everything. It is nice because of how similar the overall idea is. It was nice to not just read a similar book, it had many differences that made it feel like a whole new story. I really liked how they brought the story into 2018. For example, the witches tried to navigate an Iphone, which was pretty funny. Also, all the titles had a pun and cleverness to them. One of the titles was "Squad Ghouls" and that cracked me up.

Overall, they are both great books. Like I said they are more written for younger kids, but If you're like me and grew up watching Hocus Pocus, it was fun to read and reminisce. I definitely recommend this as a book. It was fun to know what happened after the movie.

Favorite Character: I mean how can I not pick Poppy? She has spunk, comedy, and loyalty. She was creative and kind-hearted. I mean what a lovely character.

Favorite Quotes: "Sometimes the world isn't as simple as we'd like it to be."

Book Nook

Yes, 2 posts right in a row because I'm late writing reviews on books I've already read. This book is a great one, "A Week of Mondays" by Jessica Brody. This book is a thick one, it was over 450 pages, but I read it in 2 days. I sat down two separate occasions and speed through this book.

This book is just what the title implies. The main character, Ellie, goes through an average Monday where she has to do a speech for the new class elections, try out for softball, and have the perfect night at the fair with her boyfriend, Tristan. Then the day goes wrong and at the end of the night she wishes she had a chance to do it all over again. Well, what do you know? The universe answers her and lets her relive the same Monday over and over again for well a week. Will she finally learn the way to get it right? Read to find out ;)

This book was incredible. Like I said I read this book in 2 days. Even though the story seems unoriginal, the characters make this story stand out. Also, the way that is written is very relatable, interesting, and quite hilarious. There was one of the Mondays where Ellie, the main character, decided to be a rebel and change everything up. The more I read, the more I said out loud "omg she is off her rocker." I felt like I was in the story and able to witness these stories and days first hand. You would think that having a novel based around the same events would be boring, but it was the exact opposite. It was always interesting and kept me entertained. I love this book. I'm not going to go to much into detail because that would give it away and be major spoiler alert for you, the readers. PLEASE GO READ IT.

Favorite Characters: Ellie because she reminds me of myself in so many ways. Wanting things to go right, trying to fulfill other's expectations of you, and being indecisive. She doesn't know what she is doing wrong and has obstacles everyday and the way she keeps it together (barely) is amazing.

Favorite Quotes: "I'm so tired of crying. I'm so tired of losing. I'm just so tired."

Book Nook

Hey guys this book I finished a couple week ago just didn't have time to write about it. It is by the one and only Gabbie Hanna aka TheGabbieShow, "Adultolescence."

This book is a vulnerable, heart breaking, truth-telling, book of poetry. When I first heard of Gabbie, it was when she was popular on Vine (rip), but she made me laugh and I followed her on Vine. Eventually Vine died and most of the viners moved to Youtube, including Gabbie. Honestly, I didn't follow her through her transition. Who she was back then was not someone I found real. I liked her humor, but her life seemed unrealistic in some way. She always had crazy stories about love and ghosts and it seemed repetitive. Eventually, I started noticing her more on social media even without searching for her. I started following her on instagram, twitter, and watching her videos. I learned to love her.

She isn't just a youtuber who tells stories and complains occasionally, she shares her emotions and who she is with others. The more real she became the more she related to others and it made me like her more. She then came out with "Out Loud" an amazing song that hit number on the charts. I played that shit on replay for days. Then she came out "satellite" and kept her music career alive. Then recently she came out with "Honestly" and "Honestly (encore)" which are literally bops of the century. HOLY COW. She is a musical genius and not only was she doing all of this she happened to write a book.

This book of poetry had to hit me the hardest of them all. Some of the poems she had in here made me stop and think about life for hours. The shortest statements could fill my brain with a billion thoughts. It was amazing on how much her writing I could relate to and be like, "I've been there." Those are my favorite moments in reading, when something in a novel hits home and it just shows you how your feelings are valid and that you were never really alone.

Gabbie, this book was incredible. Your bravery and vulnerability is inspiring to artists and writers who are in my shoes feel like they can do it too. Thank you for making this work of art.

For anyone in the mood for a good book of poems turn right here. You won't regret it I promise <3

Favorite poems:

Book Nook

Hey guys this book review is for a book I read in 2 days it was that good and entertaining. It is called "By Your Side" by Kasie West. It is a really quick read and that is why it only took me 2 days.

This book was such a cute, light-hearted book. However, it had some plot twists. It is about the character Autumn who gets stuck in the library over a holiday weekend and finds out she isn't alone. Dax, the bad boy with a reputation, is also there. The book summary makes it seem that the whole story takes place during this long weekend in the library, but it goes deeper than that. SPOILER ALERT... They get out and then the story goes deeper into the relationship Autumn has with another boy that she liked before she met Dax. Who does she go for? The relationships in each guy get more deep and more complicated as life goes on.

I loved this book. Even though the dialogue and language was a little too easy and sometimes cheesy, those are my favorites. The story is perfect and the type of things you wish would happen to you. A scene that I loved is when the 2 of them are stuck in the library and they find a deck of cards to play with. Autumn forces Dax to play poker with her and they end up playing for secrets instead of betting money. I thought it was a good way to show their personalities and find out new things about the characters. I also liked when they were competitive with each other the whole time and how quickly they became comfortable with each other's company.

You should really read this book. Like I said, it is a quick and easy read. It isn't hard to understand and the story keeps you interested the whole time. I commend Kasie West for the way she told this story, because it could have been boring or too cheesy. However, it was just my style and the perfect amount of cheesy.

Favorite Character: Autumn because I related to her the most. The way the character is written in the story makes her relatable and a real human person not a character in a novel. She is sassy, funny, smart, and independent. Also, a really important part of this character is she has an anxiety disorder. This aspect of her was intertwined in the book a lot and I like how mental health was brought into light. It helps people understand and visualize what it is like to deal with anxiety. It is so important to shed light on mental health in a way that makes it real.

Favorite Quotes: "No, but I just mean the act of falling in love. Shouldn't it be easy?"
"Yes. It definitely shouldn't be scripted."
"Exactly. It's not something you should have to analyze over and over again. If it's right, you should know."