Landline Book Review

4.5/5 Stars

Landline follows a character named Georgie who is a comedy writer. She is married and has two kids. Her husband Neal is the one who does all of the cooking, cleaning and taking care of the kids because Georgie seems to always be working. For Christmas, the four of them are supposed to fly out to Nebraska to visit Neal's mom. Georgie decides she can't go because one of her shows that she has been working on has been given the opportunity to become a pilot. With her marriage seemingly crumbling, Georgie tells Neal that she can't go to Nebraska, causing Neal and the girls to leave without her. Georgie is so upset and winds up going to her mom's house. It's in her childhood bedroom that she finds an old phone. She later learns that this phone is magic. It allows her to talk to Neal from 1998, right before they got engaged. By talking to this version of Neal, Georgie realizes what she really wants in life and why her marriage may be crumbling.
Like all Rainbow Rowell books, I fell in love with this story. The characters were relatable and the story was fun but also semi heartbreaking. It was addictive, as all of Rainbow's books are. My only problem was that both Georgie and Neal could be annoying at times because they weren't communicating but it's easy to look past that small detail and love this book.

**Spoilers ahead. Don't read if you don't want to be spoiled**

An Ember in the Ashes Book Review

5/5 Stars

An Ember in the Ashes is a debut young adult fantasy novel by Sabaa Tahir. It follows two characters, a scholar turned slave girl named Laia, and a solider named Elias. Their society is sort of based on ancient Rome. There is an empire who has taken over these different groups of people. Laia is a part of the scholar group and her people are attacked by the soldiers. They kill her grandparents and take her brother to prison. Laia barely escapes. She goes in search of the resistance, a group of rebels who are trying to fight against the empire and bring order back to their world. She believes that they can help her save her brother.
Elias on the other hand is a trained soldier. He is a Mask which is the most deadly of all of the soldiers. He has been training since he was eight years old but he knows that he is different than the other students. He believes that what the empire is doing is wrong and he doesn't want to hurt people. He tries to escape but then is chosen to participate in a set of trials to become the new emperor. As one can guess, Elias and Laia cross paths and work together to figure out how to escape the empire.
This book was fantastic. I went into it with very high expectations because there was so much hype surrounding it. It was an epic fantasy story that was much darker than I anticipated. I found the pacing to be perfect and the characters to be interesting. The plot was fast paced but there was a lot of world building and information being thrown at the reader but because the story was so engrossing, it's hardly noticeable. This book was marketed as a stand-alone fantasy which was kind of annoying because the ending of the book left off at a cliff hanger. Thankfully, its sequel was announced a few weeks ago and that can be expected in 2016.

**Spoilers ahead. Don't read if you don't want to be spoiled**

Summer Bucket List

Summer has officially started for me! Even though I have technically been out of school since May, my family is now on summer break as well. Each year I make a list of things that I would potentially like to do or accomplish this summer. The list consists of little things, like finishing up a book series, to larger things like going on a trip. Summer is my favorite season because it seems like the possibilities are endless! I already have some summer plans but here are some of my "bucket list" items that I hope to accomplish!



1.) Go to Chicago: I live in Michigan so Chicago is about a 2 1/2- 3 hour train ride. I love exploring the city because there always seems to be something new to discover, plus the food is delicious. I want to either take a day trip with some friends or even go for a few days with my family!

2.) Spend an entire day at the beach: Last summer I participated in beach week which is an entire week where the seniors camp out at the beach. My friends and I had such a good time going out to the beach every morning and staying until sunset. I love going to the beach and even though camping out for a week might not be possible, spending a day there with some friends sounds great.

May Favorites

I'm a little late on this but here are some of the things that I loved in the month of May!

Once Upon a Time Season 4B Finale: Throughout the second half of season 4 of OUAT, I was really annoyed with all of the characters. They were acting without thinking things through and the episodes were boring. The finale completely made up for the crap that has gone on this past half season. I don't want to say much because of spoilers but let's just say that I am so excited to see how season 5 plays out now that some of the character's roles in the series will be changed.

Pitch Perfect 2: When the first Pitch Perfect movie came out, my friend Hannah and I went and saw it multiple times in theaters and since then I've watched it so many times that I can quote the entire movie. I was really excited when it was announced that a sequel would be coming out but I had high expectations. Although Pitch Perfect 2 wasn't as good as the first one, I still enjoyed it. This one follows the Bellas in their senior year of college and they seem to have lost their way. Everyone is trying to figure out what to do after they graduate while also focusing on winning the world a cappella championship. It was cute and funny and I loved that we got to see how the characters have developed through their years at Barden.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry Review

5/5 Stars
There are no words to describe how much I adored this book. After having sat on my bookshelf for many months, I finally picked this up and devoured it. The book is only 258 pages so it is a very quick read. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is about a bookseller named A.J. Fikry whose life doesn't seem to be going anywhere. His wife died in a car accident a while back and his store isn't making enough money. He is lonely and because of that, he drowns his sorrows in alcohol. His life is completely turned around when he discovers that a young child by the name of Maya has been abandoned in his store. There is a note that says that Maya is to be placed in A.J.'s care because the mother can no longer support her. The mother wants the child to grow up to be a reader and thought the bookstore was the best place to leave her young daughter. The novel then chronicles different events that happen in A.J.'s life once Maya has entered it. It is such a beautifully written story. A.J. is a fantastic main character who is funny and witty but also devoted and caring. After I finished this book, I immediately wanted to pick it up and reread it because it was that good. If you see this book in your local store, don't hesitate to pick it up. I guarantee you will love it.

**Spoiler section ahead! Do not read on if you haven't read the book!**

Top Tuesday #2

Let's talk about my top 5 favorite TV shows!

1.) Parks and Recreation 
This show has quickly become one of my favorite shows of all time. I love all of the characters and the story lines. All of the characters are hilarious and I often found myself laughing out loud. Although the hilarity is undeniable, this show also made me cry because there were some really sweet and heartwarming moments. Don't hesitate to start watching Parks and Rec. It is so good and you won't regret it.

2.) Once Upon a Time 
This is my fangirl show. Captain Swan is my favorite ship (couple for those who don't understand what shipping is). OUAT is a show about fairytale characters who get stuck in our world and have to figure out how to live. There is magic and mystery, romance, and a huge emphasis on family. It is so good, especially if you are someone who loves fairytale retellings.

April Favorites

The month of April was absolutely insane. I'm happy to say that I have finished my first year of college! I've been on summer vacation for a few days now and it feels really weird to not have classes or homework to worry about. Overall, April was a good month. Here are some of the things I loved in the month of April.

Books
 Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell: I adore this book. This was a reread for me and it gave me all the feels. It's so good. Go pick it up. I guarantee you won't regret it! I also did a full review of Fangirl if you want to check that out!

 The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen: I picked this book up for the Booksplosion book of the month read along, hosted by some of my favorite book tubers on youtube. This follows a girl named Kelsea who is now of age to become queen and take back her kingdom. The only problem is is that many people want her dead. This book is filled with political intrigue and a strong female protagonist. It started out very slow but I eventually became more interested and ended up really enjoying this book. Check out my full review if you want to know more!