Wizarding World (book nook)

Hello muggles! I am here today to finally talk about my adventures reading the Harry Potter series for the first time! My sister had read it when it first came out and had been bugging me for years to just read it. Therefore, I set it as one of my resolutions of 2019 to finish the series this year. I had a goal and I was set, ready to dive into the wizarding world. I had seen all of the Harry Potter movies, but I didn't remember a lot of it because I hadn't seen them in a very long time. So, most things were a surprise to me, especially later in the series. In this post, I want to break down each book one by one and tell you my thoughts. Although, I'm sure you all have read these books already and if you haven't GO DO IT! To put things in perspective I read all 7 books from February to July. That is 4,224 pages in six months. That is how good they are.

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. I WARNED YOU!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone:
I read the first book in the series in less than 24 hours it was THAT good. It was filled with so much fun and I was so happy for Harry when he found out he was a wizard. His muggle family sucked, so I was so excited for him to finally be himself. I was one book in and I was already obsessed.
Favorite Quote: "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that."
"'to the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure."
"It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends."

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets:
Spoiler alert, this is my favorite book from the series. It was the first time we truly saw Voldemort's power in Tom Riddle. Also, I love when Harry and Ron were visiting Hermonie in the hospital wing and they finally put all the pieces together. I loved that part, it was incredible. I just liked that they finally had all the answers and they were about to kick some ass even if they were only 14! I also love the way Harry defeats the Basilisk, so powerful. Just the tip of the iceberg with Harry's badassery. INCREDIBLE.
Favorite Quote: "When in doubt, go to the library."
"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban: 
This book is, no surprise, also incredible. A lot of people said this one was their favorite in the series and I understand why. First, it has so many new fascinating characters like Remus and Sirius Black, whom I both love. Also, it has so many interesting secrets and plot twists like when they time travel. I remember watching this movie as a kid and it being my favorite because of the time travel, it was so cool to see it. However, I will say the book is MUCH better than the movie, although I really did like the movie a lot. I won't spoil the ending, but wow. Amazing.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire:
This book is long as hell, but every single page was quite fun. I love the premise of this book because it isn't just about Voldemort, although he is in it, it is about the Goblet of Fire games! The games they play and all it entails is such a cool way to continue the wizard story. I also LOVE the scene where Harry's name emerges from the goblet of fire and everyone is like WTF. Then towards the end one of the chapters ends with 'Voldemort has risen,' and I ACTUALLY LOST MY SHIT. I knew it was coming, but reading it gave me chills and that whole scene in the maze was jaw dropping. Harry's blood, cutting arms, death, and death eaters. WOW. Also, this one has dragons and I love a good dragon.
Favorite Quote: "If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: 
When I finished book 4 and pulled book 5 off my shelf I was not prepared for as long as this novel was. This book is the longest of the series and to be honest my least favorite. It isn't because of the length, it is more about the fluff that J.K Rowling had in the beginning. There are like 350 pages of book before Harry and his friends even get to Hogwarts. It just seemed so extensive, but I also understand. I still loved this book, but it was a struggle to get through. This book definitely took the longest to read out of them all. My favorite part is when Harry and his friends are in the Ministry of Magic and they are fighting all the death eaters. That scene had me reading so fast and had me on my toes. HOWEVER, some characters died that I was SUPER sad about. :( Overall, a great story, just suuuuuper long.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: 
Y'all this book is a home run. I loved every part of this because some of my favorite parts of the books were the characters finally putting all the pieces together and the 6th book was filled with that. Dumbledore and Harry's relationship grew closer as he shared things with him and I love Dumbledore so much. He is one of my favorite characters and SPOILER ALERT: he dies and I cried. Snape is such a bitch in this book. I don't know whether I love snape or hate him, my feelings go back and forth the whole series. I know he has good intentions sometimes, but it's hard to trust him. Also, my brother-in-law, the whole time I was reading this book, he kept asking me if I knew who the half-blood prince was and I didn't till I read it and my jaw dropped. DAMN, SUCH A GOOD PLOT LINE!! SO GOOD.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:
Here I was at the last book. It was a long 6 months of reading and I have loved every page of it! The last book was so bittersweet to me because I was filled with so much happiness and sadness. I was happy to have finished, but sad I had finished. This book was all about the battle of Hogwarts and defeating Voldemort once and for all. There were twists every page I turned and it was a rollercoaster of emotions. When Voldemort stops the battle to speak to everyone and then to Harry directly, it gave me CHILLS. He says, "I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself......" and gives a big speech and it is something I'll never forget reading. It is such a powerful scene because Harry decides to sacrifice himself and goes to Voldemort. The whole part where Harry talks to his family who had died made me tear up and then the ending had me IN TEARS. I was heartbroken and lost when I finished the book because I knew I would never experience reading it for the first time ever again. The last book was a special read for me.

Overall, the Harry Potter changed my life as a reader. I feel different, in the best way, after completing the series. I loved every twist and turn and battle and Quidditch game. Thank you to all the people that told me to read these books. I thank you for pushing me forward and convincing me to make the best decision ever. I'm so happy with these stories and the world I entered through them. It is something special.

P.S. I'm in Gryffindor House and I am not sorry about it :)

xoxo Haley

There Is Only One Tree Hill and It's Your Home

Hey y'all its me. I know I have been gone for a few months, but I've been super busy. Plus the past 5 months I have been reading the Harry Potter series for the very first time. That blog post will be coming up very soon with many other exciting things coming! I am very excited about it. Now onto what this post is about, one of my favorite shows One Tree Hill.

One Tree Hill is a show that premiered on the CW in 2003, but I had not seen it until it came out on Netflix years after the show had already ended. A lot of people in my generation created a resurgence of love for the show and if you haven't seen it this is my suggestion you should. It is a great show with love, drama, and fun. I really truly think this show is fantastically made. Sometimes the drama that happens in the show is crazy and probably unlikely, but it is TV! What do you expect?!? The first time I watched it was with my friend Sarah. We randomly choose it on Netflix and immediately fell in love. We binged it together and ever since then we've loved it. Our names in each other's phones are even characters haha. Ever since we watched it in high school, we've wanted to go visit all the sites where the show was filmed. All of the outside locations you see in the show are actual places you can visit in Wilmington, North Carolina. So, after years, we finally did it. Here are my tips and tricks and details on all things One Tree Hill tour.

Here are the spots we visited and my suggestions if you are planning to visit them as well:

Spot one: Tree Hill High
411 N Front St.
Tree Hill High is not a real high school even though we all wish it was. Those scenes were actually filmed at Cape Fear Community College. This was located right by our hotel. We stayed at the Hotel Ballast, which in my opinion was a great place to stay because it was close to everything we wanted to do. We tried to get into the building to explore, but it was closed. If you want to walk the halls, maybe look up times the school is open. It was still awesome to see the school in person, I mean so many intense scenes happened there!!

Spot two: Karen's Cafe
300 North Front St
We all know Karen's Cafe right?! It is where Lucas hung out and Haley worked. Not to forget, Lucas' mom Karen and all her advice she gave right in those very doors! Also, it is once where clothes over bros stood and then when Brooke revived the cafe. SO much happened in that building. We were super excited to see where the magic was made, but unfortunately it is not Karen's Cafe anymore. It is not an outdoor equipment store. It was still cool to be standing on the street where the store used to be. Although, it wasn't Karen's Cafe we knew in our hearts it was and that was enough. Definitely cool to visit!

Stop three: The Dixie Grill
116 Market St
The next day we decided to eat lunch at the Dixie Grill! This is the diner where Sam, Brooke's foster kid, hung out all the time. Many scenes in the show were filmed in here including characters of Brooke and Julian! It was really cool to visit because it is still a running diner and that is where we ate lunch. They had really good food and so much OTH art on the wall. Cool atmosphere and definitely high on the list to visit if you plan on coming to Wilmington!

Spot four: Naley Bench
Along the Riverwalk
"Don't say I never gave you anything?" Remember that famous line Nathan says to Haley in season one? Well I do and I remember where they sat too. That is where we visited. It was along the Riverwalk in downtown and it was such a cool view! It was such a cool thing to visit because a ton of OTH fans wrote sayings and phrases all over the bench. If you plan on stopping by, don't forget a sharpie so you can add some sayings too! Also, the burning boat episode was filmed right near by, so make sure to stop and look at the view!

Spot 4: Shopping
Black Cat Shoppe: 8 Market St
Poodles Island Wear: 18 South Water St Suite 3
Krazy Mike'z: 1 North Front St
There are a couple of shops in downtown Wilmington that sell OTH merchandise. One of the shops is called Black Cat Shoppe. This is the same building that was the "CD Alley" where Chris Keller worked at early in the show. It was cool to walk in and see the layout, it was very recognizable. The other shop we visited was Poodles Island Wear. This was close to the riverwalk and had a few OTH things to choose from. However, our favorite shop was Krazy Mike'z. If you are looking for specifically OTH merchandise, I suggest this one. It had so many t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and more for all your OTH needs. I bought a shirt and hat from here and my friend bought a hat. It was so much fun.

Spot 5: Peyton Sawyer's House
1901 Chestnut St
We started to go to all the houses in the show. I suggest that you drive to these locations because they are all about a 10 minute drive from each other except for Peyton and Haley's house, which are actually neighbors. Peyton's house was really cool. It looked like someone lived there with a bike sitting out front, but it was immediately recognizable. I could envision the fight between Brooke and Peyton that happen in that very front yard.

Spot 6: Haley Jame's House
1811 Chestnut St
Like I said Haley and Peyton are neighbors. That is a tip to know if you take this tour because we didn't know that and were driving around trying to find it, when it is right next door. Haley's house was really amazing to see because of the iconic scene where Haley and Nathan have their first kiss! I could see it right in front of my eyes, it was amazing! Cute little home that we think someone lived in as well, so just be aware when visiting the homes.

Spot 7: Brooke Davis' House
2314 Tattersalls Dr
Personally, Brooke Davis is my favorite character. Her house is a huge, rich house in a really nice neighborhood. When we arrived we saw a few people in the window, so be aware of people living there. The house was easily the most recognizable for me and it was HUGE! It was so cool to see it in person and be the girl in front of the red door. I was blown away and so excited. Definitely my favorite house out of the bunch that we saw.

Spot 8: Dan Scott's House
1621 Country Club Rd
We stumbled upon the Scott's residence to find a giant truck in the front, so somebody obviously lived there so we weren't not able to see the basketball hoop that Nathan used to play with. We could just see the archway that was visible in a lot of scenes. It was super fancy and big. Nice house to live in for sure. Cool place to visit, just respect the people who live there.

Spot 9: Dan Scott Motors
821 South College Rd
We don't like Dan Scott, but we loved seeing all the different OTH spots and one of those was the infamous Dan Scott Motors. It is where Deb burned Dan to the ground and many other exciting scenes happened there. Now when you visit it, it is a Honda dealership. Still cool to be at the building and know that once Dan worked there. However, Dan deserved the middle finger I gave him :)

Spot 10: Keith Scott Body Shop
19 Covil Ave
Keith Scott is the Scott brother we love and we love the body shop he had in the show. Ironically enough it is still a body shop, just not Keith Scott's. It was super cool that it was still a body shop and they are used to pictures, so definitely give this place a visit. It is a little tight when you pull into the parking lot, but worth it! One of Sarah's favorite things from the show!

Spot 11: Lucas Scott's House
1829 Wrightsville Ave
We were so excited to see Lucas' house and take pictures sitting on his porch, acting like we were getting advice of a lifetime. However, we strolled up to the house and found a private property sign on the window. There was a sign that read 'respect our privacy,' so if you are planning to visit his house just be respectful. We just got a few photos on the sidewalk in front and left. We did not want to disturb the people who lived in the house (how lucky are they though?!)

Spot 12: Peyton and Lucas' Wedding Spot
East Shore Lake Dr
Sorry SPOILER ALERT. If you didn't already know Lucas and Peyton got married in a beautiful scenic area which you can actually go visit. It is a beautifully little park where there is water, trees, and a gorgeous view. Definitely go see it and take some cute pics because it was worth it.

Spot 13: The Rivercourt
USS North Carolina Battleship
This was both Sarah and I's favorite spot of the day. Although, the actual basketball court is demolished the whole view was beautiful. The river was bright blue and running in the prettiest way. Plus they still had the picnic table where Mouth and his friends would run play by plays of the basketball games. It was super cool! Another awesome thing was that they had a big picnic area where a TON of OTH fans come from all over the world to write amazing sayings from the show. There was so many, we didn't even have time to read them all. That sharpie that you brought will come in handy here because adding some of the quotes that mean something you to is a really special feeling. Probably one of the best parts of the whole day for me.

Spot 14: The Bridge
N 6th Street 
We all know the theme song to OTH by Gavin Degraw right? Well the iconic song plays over the bridge where Lucas dribbles a basketball. It is one of the most well known things from the show, even if you don't watch the entire show. It was amazing to see and a really sweet lady who lived next to it let us see it from her balcony. IT WAS THE BEST VIEW! She was super sweet and kind and took cute pictures of me and Sarah in front of the bridge. After that we walked further up while we blasted the theme song and danced around. We took a lot of pictures under the bridge that had millions of OTH themed things written on it. It was cool to be there, we wish we had a basketball. If you want to go and visit this, bring a basketball. It would be a perfect aesthetic! It also happened to be our last spot and it was the perfect way to end our OTH self-guided tour.

Here are some other spots you can visit, that we didn't make it to:
Haley and Nathan's Apartment: 4395 Birchwood Park Dr
Quinn and Clay's House: 650 New River Inlet Rd, North Topsail (outside of Wilmington and about 1 hour from the city)
Tric: 1121 South Front St (we believe this is just a brick building, no signs with Tric on it)
Naley Wedding Spot: Fort Fisher State Recreation Area (also far from downtown, about 45 minutes)
Brooke and Julian's Wedding: Grace United Methodist Church (also Lindsey and Lucas' almost wedding)
Brooke and Julian's Wedding Reception: 515 Nutt St
Brooke working at Carl's Crab Shack: 100 Front St (now Reel Cafe)
Platypus & Gnome: 9 S Front St (restaurant during season 5)
Jamie's Preschool: 25 S 3rd St

I hope you guys enjoyed this little different blog post! Definitely visit these spots if you can. 100% worth it if your a BIG One Tree Hill fan!
"Six billion souls in the world and sometimes all you need is one." - peyton sawyer

XOXO Haley

Book Nook 2019

Hey everyone I got an amazing book to share with you all today! It is called "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott. It is an upcoming movie due to premiere in March 2019. I saw a trailer for this movie and immediately was curious. Here's a link to it, you should watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cJ7MT1RTqs  I loved the trailer and the story and when I found out it was a book it sealed my fate. This was to become my next obsession. Here's why:

"Five Feet Apart" is about a young girl named Stella and a young guy named Will. They both have  cystic fibrosis. It is a disease where your lungs build up with mucus and slowly decreases its function. It switches off between Stella and Will's perspective every chapter. It is one of my favorite aspects of the book because it lets us into the thoughts, feelings, and reactions of each character. These two have been going to hospitals their whole lives and now this time they end up in the same one. Stella and Will meet and the rest is history. I can't and won't give anything away because this book is too good to give absolutely one thing away. I really want you guys to experience this book. It is immensely heart wrenching, beautiful, and exquisite. I am in love with this book, it has definitely moved its way to my top 10. I finished this book before one of my classes in my car. I was sobbing at the end in a parking lot and had to walk into class looking like a clown because of my tears. I'm not saying the books ending was bad/sad, but it hurt my heart just enough. Please go pick up this book and read it before you go see the movie in March. In the trailer, the movie looks pretty well adapted from the book, so I'm excited to go see it. I even saw direct lines used which excites me so much. I love the book and I'm expected to love the movie.

Favorite Characters: I can't choose between Stella and Will it is impossible. I love them both in different ways. Stella is so brave, strong, and powerful. She knows what she wants and isn't afraid to be vulnerable. I love her. Will is fearless, exciting, and funny. He is living for himself and no one else. I love him.

Favorite Quotes: "If I'm going to die, I'd like to actually live first."

"I know what it's like to have that fear. But the fear didn't stop the scary shit from happening."

"The pain reminds me that they were here, that I'm alive."

Book Nook 2019

2nd book of 2019 is complete! I'm really trying to keep up with this years reading challenge, but with school and homework, it definitely is tough. However, it didn't stop me from completing this book! It is called "The Night We Said Yes," by Lauren Gibaldi. It is a quick read with a cool writing technique.

This story is about a girl named Ella who is trying to forget a boy who disappeared and broke her heart. Then one night, at a party, he reappears in town and he wants her back. What will she do? It is quite the story. I like this one because the way it is written is unique. Every chapter switches from what is happening now to what happened a year ago when Ella met Matt for the first time. So, the story is written just over one night, but in 2 different years. The 'Then' chapters is about when they first met and what adventures they went on. The 'Now' is how Ella deals with Matt coming back into town. It is a little hard to explain without reading it. Furthermore, the title comes from a game they play in the then and now sections. All their friends have to say yes to all the things people suggest to do including truth or dare, skinny dipping, etc. Things get crazy and exciting. Will they end up together or will Ella leave it all behind? I recommend you read to find out!!

I'm sorry if that summary was confusing because it is difficult to explain exactly. It is an awesome book though, with a cute story and an easy read to complete.

Favorite character: Ella is awesome. She starts off shy and kinda of in the shadows, but she grows from it and learns how to be courageous and brave. I also like Meg because she is confident and doesn't care what others think of her. At the end of the day, my favorite thing is their friendship and their loyalty to each other.

Favorite Quotes: "At one point two people engraved their initials because they, for a split moment, felt love could conquer all and withstand time."

"I'm done being scared."

Book Nook 2019

Hey y'all I finished my first book of 2019! I am trying to actually complete the Pop Sugar Reading Challenge they have every year, so I'm hoping to read faster and get reviews out to you all!

This time it is "Sway" by Kat Spears. This book was one that had been sitting on my shelf for a long, hence why I crossed the "book i meant to read in 2018" prompt on my reading challenge. I have had it for awhile now and finally decided it was my next victim.

It is about a boy named Jesse who could sell hell to a priest. He gets people what they want and makes a job out of it. It isn't any ordinary job, he is very lowkey and undercover about it. Everyone calls him Sway because he is chill about everything. This job makes me a lot of money, but in this story it also gets him into trouble. A jock named Ken pays Jesse to get this girl Bridget to go out with him. Jesse accepts, but little does he know love is in his future as well. I won't spoil anything, you'll just have to read it yourself.

I loved this story. It was different from anything I had read before. Yes, it had a love story in it, but the way everything unfolded was new and exciting. There was a lot of mystery in the characters and comedy in the words. I liked the way it was written and the way the characters developed as the story progressed. I think if the characters weren't as interesting or likeable, this would have just been another teen romance, but they were and I really enjoyed how the story unraveled. I recommend it 100%, it's a good, fast read.

Favorite Character: I know it's cliche to say the main character, but Jesse was extraordinarily written out. He had humor and mystery and something about him made him intriguing. He was also caring even if he didn't want others to know about it. I liked the way he ran his life and the way he was so independent from others and his obstacles. It made his character development hella awesome.

Favorite Quotes: "Secrets are power."

"Sometimes what we want to be and what the world expects from us are two different things."

"'I wish my life was like a Taylor Swift song,' Joey said."
"'Not me' I said. 'It's got to suck to be that talented and good-looking.'"

"Can't bullshit a bullshitter."

"Good music never stops being good, no matter how old it is."

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.