Monday, February 22, 2016
Quotes (#24)
Morning Swooners,
So my friend recently told me that her sister wants to read Go Ask Alice and I thought i'd share some of my favorite quotes from the book. You know, just to make her want to read it even more lol. Hope you all have a great day!
“I'm not really sure which parts of myself are real and which parts are things I've gotten from books.” ― Beatrice Sparks, Go Ask Alice
“It's a good thing most people bleed on the inside or this would be a gory, blood-smeared earth.” ― Beatrice Sparks, Go Ask Alice
“I really am only one infinitely small part of an aching humanity.” ― Beatrice Sparks, Go Ask Alice
“I guess I'll never measure up to anyone's expectations. I surely don't measure up to what I'd like to be.” ― Beatrice Sparks, Go Ask Alice
“Maybe the new me will be different.” ― Beatrice Sparks, Go Ask Alice
“I'm afraid to live and afraid to die.” ― Beatrice Sparks, Go Ask Alice
“She didn't know whether she was running away from something or running to something, but she admitted that deep in her heart she wanted to go home.” ― Beatrice Sparks, Go Ask Alice
“I can't believe that I changed so little. I expected to look old and hollow and gray, but I guess it's only me on the inside that has shriveled and deteriorated.” ― Beatrice Sparks, Go Ask Alice
Labels:
Quotes
Hi everyone, I'm Alexis. Thanks for visiting my little piece of Heaven on the web. This is my space to share all the things I love with you. Especially books, poetry, movies, and anything else that brings joy to my life--In hopes that it will also bring joy to yours. I hope you love it as much as I do.
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Quotes (#23)
Morning Swooners!
So whoooooooo's happy today??? I AM!!! And I hope you all are too!!! Nursing school is driving me crazy and it's extremely difficult, but I just have to say that my life feels so content. So of course when I have these moments of happiness I like to share them with some happy quotes. Hope you all have a great day!!
“Find your Light; They can't love you if they can't see you” ― Bette Midler
“Find your Light; They can't love you if they can't see you” ― Bette Midler
“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.” ― Shel Silverstein
“It was only a sunny smile, and little it cost in the giving, but like morning light it scattered the night and made the day worth living.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald
“I don't think that there are any limits to how excellent we could make life seem.” ― Jonathan Safran Foer, Everything Is Illuminated
“There are different kinds of happy,” she said. “Some kinds don’t need any proof.” ― Jennifer E. Smith, This is What Happy Looks Like
“I do not think we have a "right" to happiness. If happiness happens, say thanks.” ― Marlene Dietrich, Marlene Dietrich's ABC
Labels:
Quotes
Hi everyone, I'm Alexis. Thanks for visiting my little piece of Heaven on the web. This is my space to share all the things I love with you. Especially books, poetry, movies, and anything else that brings joy to my life--In hopes that it will also bring joy to yours. I hope you love it as much as I do.
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
REVIEW: This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
10:00 a.m.
The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.
10:02 a.m.
The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.
10:03 a.m.
The auditorium doors won't open.
10:05 a.m.
Someone starts shooting.
Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.
Right now i'm sitting in my Pathophysiology class trying to write this review without turning into a giant puddle of tears. Let's just say this has been a major fail for me! This book has to be one of the most heartbreaking, gut-wrenching books I have ever read and i'm just having a really hard time giving it a review that will do it justice. My words just don't seem like enough right now.
I can count on my hands the number of books i've read that have made me cry. It was 6. Now, it's 7. I had such a hard time getting through this book because it was such an emotional read. It constantly reminded me of all those school shootings that have happened during my life and all I could think about was how accurate the book seemed. I've never personally experienced a school shooting (which I am unbelievably thankful that I can say) but I imagine that this author nailed the emotions of what it must feel like to be in one.
The scenes that unfolded during the 54 minutes this shooting occurred in was detailed and heartbreaking to read. I don't have children, but I know that this is a parents worst nightmare. Or really, it's a family's worst nightmare because the parents are not the only ones that are hurt when these things happen. This is something that the author portrayed in the book very well.
The story was told in four different points of view, and at the end, turned into three points of view. This one tiny detail caused me such sorrow, but I don't consider this a "spoiler" because when talking about shootings, you can kind of assume that there will be death involved. One of the deaths in the book involved one character that I actually really loved and I was so incredibly sad when he died. Of course I went through the eight stages of grief and hated the author for killing them off but then I realized that, like life, you have no control over these things. So I forgive you, Marieke! (haha)
Overall, I think you need to be mentally prepared before picking up this book because the emotional distress is so serious! Or then again, maybe i'm just a sensitive sissy? Either way, with books like this, you just never know! :)
Publication Date: January 5, 2016
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: Received from Publisher
Source: Received from Publisher
Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble
*This eARC was received from the publisher, but it did not influence this review in any way *
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
*This eARC was received from the publisher, but it did not influence this review in any way *
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
10:00 a.m.
The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.
10:02 a.m.
The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.
10:03 a.m.
The auditorium doors won't open.
10:05 a.m.
Someone starts shooting.
Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.
Right now i'm sitting in my Pathophysiology class trying to write this review without turning into a giant puddle of tears. Let's just say this has been a major fail for me! This book has to be one of the most heartbreaking, gut-wrenching books I have ever read and i'm just having a really hard time giving it a review that will do it justice. My words just don't seem like enough right now.
I can count on my hands the number of books i've read that have made me cry. It was 6. Now, it's 7. I had such a hard time getting through this book because it was such an emotional read. It constantly reminded me of all those school shootings that have happened during my life and all I could think about was how accurate the book seemed. I've never personally experienced a school shooting (which I am unbelievably thankful that I can say) but I imagine that this author nailed the emotions of what it must feel like to be in one.
The scenes that unfolded during the 54 minutes this shooting occurred in was detailed and heartbreaking to read. I don't have children, but I know that this is a parents worst nightmare. Or really, it's a family's worst nightmare because the parents are not the only ones that are hurt when these things happen. This is something that the author portrayed in the book very well.
The story was told in four different points of view, and at the end, turned into three points of view. This one tiny detail caused me such sorrow, but I don't consider this a "spoiler" because when talking about shootings, you can kind of assume that there will be death involved. One of the deaths in the book involved one character that I actually really loved and I was so incredibly sad when he died. Of course I went through the eight stages of grief and hated the author for killing them off but then I realized that, like life, you have no control over these things. So I forgive you, Marieke! (haha)
Overall, I think you need to be mentally prepared before picking up this book because the emotional distress is so serious! Or then again, maybe i'm just a sensitive sissy? Either way, with books like this, you just never know! :)
Labels:
2016 Release,
5 Stars,
Arc,
eBook,
Nijkamp,
Review,
Sourcebooks Fire,
YA,
Young Adult
Hi everyone, I'm Alexis. Thanks for visiting my little piece of Heaven on the web. This is my space to share all the things I love with you. Especially books, poetry, movies, and anything else that brings joy to my life--In hopes that it will also bring joy to yours. I hope you love it as much as I do.
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Valentine's Day Special~ Hello? by Liza Wiemer
I have an amazing deal to share with you today. Author Liza Wiemer's Hello? is on sale for $0.99. This book has been raved about by several of my blogger friends and i'm so happy I just bought my copy today!! So if you haven't read Hello? yet, here is your chance because starting today through Monday the 15th, the eBook will be on sale!
Hello? by Liza Wiemer
Publication Date: November 10, 2015
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Tricia: A girl struggling to find her way after her beloved grandma's death.
Emerson: A guy who lives his life to fulfill promises, real and hypothetical.
Angie: A girl with secrets she can only express through poetry.
Brenda: An actress and screenplay writer afraid to confront her past.
Brian: A potter who sets aside his life for Tricia, to the detriment of both.
Linked and transformed by one phone call, Hello? weaves together these five Wisconsin teens' stories into a compelling narrative of friendship and family, loss and love, heartbreak and healing, serendipity, and ultimately hope.
Told from all five viewpoints: narration (Tricia), narration (Emerson), free verse poetry (Angie), screenplay format (Brenda), narration and drawings (Brian).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
My debut YA novel, HELLO?, was published by Spencer Hill on November 10, 2015. I am also the author of two non-fiction adult books, short stories, and newspaper and magazine articles. A pre-school to high school educator now writing YA fiction full time, which I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! And I'm a diehard Green Bay Packers fan.
GIVEAWAY
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Labels:
Book Blast,
Contemporary
Hi everyone, I'm Alexis. Thanks for visiting my little piece of Heaven on the web. This is my space to share all the things I love with you. Especially books, poetry, movies, and anything else that brings joy to my life--In hopes that it will also bring joy to yours. I hope you love it as much as I do.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
REVIEW: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.
Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.
Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.
Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.
Let me start by saying that this is not my favorite Rainbow Rowell book that i've read so far. I think Rainbow is an amazing author, but this book didn't quite give me the feels I was looking for while reading.
Eleanor is a great character. She has been through so much in her life for such a young girl but I think she is so strong and brave. She has flaws just like everyone else, and there were things that I wish I could change in her personality. But, like life, you can't change things you don't like about people. I think that the particular flaws I find in her personality were actually very annoying, which is what made me slightly annoyed with her pretty much every time she spoke.
Park is also a great character. I loved that he was so in love with Eleanor and so concerned with everything that she encountered. In a way, I think he was a bit naive when it came to Eleanor and life in general. But he didn't have the same upbringing and struggles that Eleanor had so I can understand why he had the luxury of being so young and naive.
In a way I kind of loved the innocence of Park and I loved the toughness of Eleanor. I always like to see characters that have had hard times because it seems more realistic to me. I think I just didn't care to see these two characters together. I feel like they were so different and the connection wasn't quite right. I loved the environment and the story building for this book too. I just feel like it could have been perfect without the awkwardness of the two MC's. Overall, it was a quick read and I still (and will always) love Rainbow for her creativity and great writing!
Publication Date: February 26, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Source: Book Gifted to Lexi Swoons
Source: Book Gifted to Lexi Swoons
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.
Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.
Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.
Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.
Let me start by saying that this is not my favorite Rainbow Rowell book that i've read so far. I think Rainbow is an amazing author, but this book didn't quite give me the feels I was looking for while reading.
Eleanor is a great character. She has been through so much in her life for such a young girl but I think she is so strong and brave. She has flaws just like everyone else, and there were things that I wish I could change in her personality. But, like life, you can't change things you don't like about people. I think that the particular flaws I find in her personality were actually very annoying, which is what made me slightly annoyed with her pretty much every time she spoke.
Park is also a great character. I loved that he was so in love with Eleanor and so concerned with everything that she encountered. In a way, I think he was a bit naive when it came to Eleanor and life in general. But he didn't have the same upbringing and struggles that Eleanor had so I can understand why he had the luxury of being so young and naive.
In a way I kind of loved the innocence of Park and I loved the toughness of Eleanor. I always like to see characters that have had hard times because it seems more realistic to me. I think I just didn't care to see these two characters together. I feel like they were so different and the connection wasn't quite right. I loved the environment and the story building for this book too. I just feel like it could have been perfect without the awkwardness of the two MC's. Overall, it was a quick read and I still (and will always) love Rainbow for her creativity and great writing!
Labels:
2013 Release,
3.5 Stars,
Book Soulmates,
eBook,
Favorite Author,
Random Acts of Kindness,
Review,
Rowell,
Young Adult
Hi everyone, I'm Alexis. Thanks for visiting my little piece of Heaven on the web. This is my space to share all the things I love with you. Especially books, poetry, movies, and anything else that brings joy to my life--In hopes that it will also bring joy to yours. I hope you love it as much as I do.
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Quotes (#22)
So my friends over at Books and Swoons posted some great Twilight quotes the other day because they've been going through Twilight withdrawals. So in honor of that, because I have been going through severe Twi world withdrawals too, I decided to continue down the line and share some of my favorite New Moon quotes. Hope you all enjoy! Do you miss it as much as I do!?!??!
“After all the thousand times I’ve told you I love you, how could you let one word break your faith in me?...I could see it in your eyes, that you honestly believed that I didn’t want you anymore. The most absurd, ridiculous concept—as if there were any way that I could exist without needing you!” ― Stephenie Meyer, New Moon
“Time passes. Even when it seems impossible. Even when each tick of the second hand aches like the pulse of blood behind a bruise. It passes unevenly, in strange lurches and dragging lulls, but pass it does. Even for me.” ― Stephenie Meyer, New Moon
“Well, I'm so sorry that I can't be the right kind of monster for you, Bella.” ― Stephenie Meyer, New Moon
“I'm not like a car you can fix up. I'm never gonna run right" Bella” ― Stephenie Meyer, New Moon
“As long as you like me the best. And you think I’m good-looking—sort of. I’m prepared to be annoyingly persistent.” ― Stephenie Meyer, New Moon
“Because there was just one thing that I had to believe to be able to live - I had to know that he existed. That was all. Everything else I could endure. So long as he existed.” ― Stephenie Meyer, New Moon
“The absence of him is everywhere I look.” ― Stephenie Meyer, New Moon
“Did you know, you're sort of beautiful?' 'You hit your head pretty hard, didn't you?” ― Stephenie Meyer, New Moon
“It was like someone had died- like I had died. Because it had been more than just losing the truest of true loves, as if that were not enough to kill anyone. It was also losing a whole future, a whole family- the whole life that I'd chosen... ” ― Stephenie Meyer, New Moon
“'Damn it! This chick runs with vampires!' 'You can't really run with vampires, because they're fast.' 'Oh yea? Well we're faster!'" ― Stephenie Meyer, New Moon
Labels:
Quotes
Hi everyone, I'm Alexis. Thanks for visiting my little piece of Heaven on the web. This is my space to share all the things I love with you. Especially books, poetry, movies, and anything else that brings joy to my life--In hopes that it will also bring joy to yours. I hope you love it as much as I do.
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