Book: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

 

★★★½/★★★★★

“What could I become if I stopped worrying about death, about pain, about anything? If I stopped trying to belong? Instead of being afraid, I could become something to fear.”

I remember my first Holly Black book , The Darkest Part of the Forest, which I didn’t finish since I had a hard time getting into it, believe me I tried, and when I heard about her new book The Cruel Prince, I thought twice. But when I saw the cover and heard everyone raving over it, I knew I have to try again. So with a hope that I will fall in love with Holly Black’s writing this time, I decided to read it.
The book as a whole is compelling and with its beautiful cover, everyone would totally love it. With a promising plot line and faeries on the go, The Cruel Prince for me is a new world since I haven’t read many fantasy books like this one. It’s intriguing for me and this faerie world gave me a break from my usual YA read.
I actually don’t know how to write a review for this one. I’ve been trying but haven’t gotten anywhere. So, this time I’ll try harder.

“If you hurt me, I wouldn’t cry. I would hurt you back.”

First of all, I want to say that I did enjoy this book. There are strong characters though I can’t say I’m Jude’s biggest fan (or any of them). She’s headstrong but a bit annoying at times though I get where she’s coming from. She wants to be a faerie, more likely wants to prove those who belittles her that she can be better than them so she does everything to acquire power or position in Elfhame. Taryn, Jude’s twin sister, is a miss for me. I get her role in the book but she didn’t quite interest me. She’s a bit immature and I like Vivi more. Now, Cardan is a complex character for me. I didn’t get him and had a hard time figuring him out. I didn’t like him until the latter part of the book and that’s only because I finally understood why he’s such an ass. The others, Cardan’s friends, the other faeries and such, well, I think it’d be better if they were developed as well because I was confused as hell. I didn’t know which is which and that was hard given that I wasn’t familiar with them. The world building was okay, plot line was good, I enjoyed the twists and turns of events and I think the ending was the highlight for me.
Like I said, I haven’t read many books like this one and the idea of faerie world to me is quite exciting. I actually expected more from the world-building but I guess that’s all I’ll get.

“If I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse.”

Overall it’s an okay read. I couldn’t get into it the first few pages and there were times I got bored but the middle part got me through it. For me, it’s not that world shattering or mind blowing like what others felt but it’s good enough that I want to read the next book. If anything, I think I’m more excited than what I want to admit since the ending left me wanting more. I want to see what happens next!

 

 Youngblood by 5 Seconds of Summer

.

Remember the words you told me, “love me till the day I die”
Surrendered my everything ’cause you made me believe you’re mine
Yeah, you used to call me baby, now you’re calling me by name
Takes one to know one, yeah, you beat me at my own damn gameYou’re pushing, you’re pushing, I’m pulling away, pulling away from you
I give and I give and I give and you take, give and you take

Youngblood
Say you want me, say you want me out of your life
And I’m just a dead man walking tonight
But you need it, yeah, you need it all of the time, yeah ooh ooh ooh
Youngblood
Say you want me, say you want me back in your life
So I’m just a dead man crawling tonight
‘Cause I need it, yeah, I need it all of the time, yeah ooh ooh ooh

Lately our conversations end like it’s the last goodbye
Yeah, one of us gets too drunk and calls about a hundred times
So who’ve you been calling baby, nobody could take my place
When you’re looking at those strangers, hope to God you see my face

Youngblood
Say you want me, say you want me out of your life
And I’m just a dead man walking tonight
But you need it, yeah, you need it all of the time, yeah ooh ooh ooh
Youngblood
Say you want me, say you want me back in your life
So I’m just a dead man crawling tonight
‘Cause I need it, yeah, I need it all of the time, yeah ooh ooh ooh
You’re pushing, you’re pushing, I’m pulling away, pulling away from you
I give and I give and I give and you take, give and you take
You’re running around and I’m running away, running away from you
Mmm, from you

Youngblood
Say you want me, say you want me out of your life
And I’m just a dead man walking tonight
But you need it, yeah, you need it all of the time, yeah ooh ooh ooh
Youngblood
Say you want me, say you want me back in your life
So I’m just a dead man crawling tonight
‘Cause I need it, yeah, I need it all of the time, yeah ooh ooh ooh

You’re pushing, you’re pushing, I’m pulling away, pulling away from you
I give and I give and I give and you take, give and you take

Youngblood
Say you want me, say you want me out of your life
And I’m just a dead man walking tonight

 

–azlyrics

Poem: Hurting

It hurts when you say things like that
It hurts when you don’t trust the words I say
It kills me to know that you don’t believe me
It truly hurts when we fight this way.

I know it’s hard because you’ve been hurt
I know it hurts when you can’t trust the words I say
It kills you to know that I’m hurting
Yet we still fight like this everyday
 

April 2018 Music Videos

Drinkin About You - Jake Miller (Apr 2)

Let Me - Zayn Malik (Apr 12)

Hair Too Long - The Vamps (Apr 20)

27 - Machine Gun Kelley (Apr 21)

Afterglow - All Time Low (Apr 25)

Youngblood - 5 Seconds of Summer (Apr 26)

Book: The Witch Doesn’t Burn in this One by Amanda Lovelace

 

★★★★★/★★★★★

didn’t
you know
there
could be

shelves
upon
shelves
upon
shelves
of books

written
about
your
strength?

-as always, the women save themselves in this one

Amanda Lovelace has become my instant favorite the moment I read The Princess Saves Herself in this One and when I found out that there would be a second book to this beautiful poetry collection, I just knew I needed to read it! The first book made me feel all sort of feelings it being so powerful and honest and emotional that it went straight to my all time favorite books! I think I’m just such an emotional person that I feel everything the book wantede to feel even though I didn’t go through all those experiences myself.

Like the first book, the second book is divided into parts, each telling us different messages, some hurt, some encouraging and some just plain honest.

say it
with me
now:
“i am a woman
i am a human
& i matter with
no conditions
attached.
you may not
see my worth,
but i do.
i do.”
-dear women

Overall, I LOVED this book as much as the first! Highly recommended if you’re looking for a relatable and encouraging words, especially if you’re a woman.

March 2018 Music Videos

No Excuses - Meghan Trainor (Mar 1)

The Champion - Carrie Underwood ft. Ludacris (Mar 2)

 I Believe - DJ Khaled ft. Demi Lovato (Mar 7)

Delicate - Taylor Swift (Mar 11)

Alien - Sabrina Carpenter & Jonas Blues (Mar 29)

Poem: With You

I see the beauty of life
when I look in your eyes,
Your touch, your words, your lips,
everything feels nice,
with you.

I feel my heart beating fast
whenever you hold my hand,
You smile, I smile, we kiss,
everything is perfect,
with you.

I love the feeling when you say 
“Take care”, “Eat well”, and “I love you!”
You make me happy, you make me feel important,
And I’m so in love,
with you.

Book: Worlds of You by Beau Taplin

★★★★★/★★★★★

My Demons

You deserve everything there is to give.
Breakfast in bed.
Diamonds on your doorstep.
Little notes hidden everywhere.
I want you to have all of my secrets
and all of my demons,
because you especially deserve
all the parts of me
I’m usually too afraid to share.

This. Is. Beautiful. This poetry collection by Beau Taplin will surely capture your heart from the very first page. It’s simply wonderful that I can not stop myself from reading. I knew right from the beginning that this will be a special book for me and I was right. Because until now I’m still in love with it. The words, the emotion and everything is perfect!

Fallback
My heart does not
have a fall back,
no plan B
or fail-safe,
it’s you
or no one else.

I’ve read several poetry books before but aside from The Princess Saves Herself In This One by Amanda Lovelace, this one is by far my favorite!! The book is divided into two sections, Heart and Spirit. The first part is all about matters of the heart, for when you’re in love, heartbroken, need encouraging or facing challenges. The latter is more on self-love, healing and understanding. Taplin’s words are inspiring and beautiful thay they all touched me! I loved it! I adore his work!

Overall, it’s highly recommended! Like, everyone should read this one!

Book: Frostblood (Frostblood Sage #1) by Elly Blake

 ★★★/★★★★★

“Those who can't control themselves will find themselves under the control of others.”

Well, it's not like I didn't enjoy this book but there are some things that didn't quite sit well with me. You may say there's nothing special about this book because you've read something like this before, I have, but there were surprisingly some elements that I did enjoy. The book itself felt unoriginal with all its Fire vs Ice and "the girl" saving the world tropes so in short, this book is your typical YA fantasy. 

The book tells the story of Ruby Otrera, a Fireblood living in a world of Frostbloods. She's probably the last of her kind since the Frost King orders the death of any Fireblood in their kingdom. When she is found by the soldiers, Ruby witnesses the death of her mother and village in their hands. She is then kept in prison for months until two hooded figures visit and offer her freedom. Soon, Ruby is training with Arcus and living in an abbey with the monks with a mission to kill the Frost King.

“Frostbloods are fully capable of feeling in every way. The danger is that those emotions, while powerful and deep, may be covered with a layer of ice that prevents the natural expression of them.”

I didn't instantly liked the characters but Ruby was a so-so. In the beginning she's weak, scarred and the typical heroine who questions the world why she's the chosen one. She doesn't make wise decisions and sometimes too stubborn for her own good. Arcus, I liked less especially when his character shifted from being all too mean to somehow bearable! I mean, one second he's mad at Ruby but the next he's all sweetheart. Argh! I loved the monks so I think there's that. The pacing was sloooow up until the middle of the book where everything started to get intense. There was actually a point when the whole book felt just like a long premise/introduction to the real book!

The world-building is okay since you already know what to expect. The romance, yes there is, felt forced. I think it would've been okay if there was none but there just have to be one! Then there's the division between the Firebloods and Frostbloods, with the former as dominant. Worlds with this kind of divisions always end up in war so we also know what to expect with this kind of trope. And like I said, I did like some things in this book. For starter, I liked the cover! And that counts. Another thing is the myth on how the Frostbloods and Firebloods were created, it wasn't new but I think that was interesting. There's also a bit of the twist I admit I didn't see coming. Aside from those, all the others we just okay for me.

Overall, Frostblood is an okay book. I'll probably read the next book at some point but not soon.

Poem: Trying

I lay down for today
Trying to forget the day’s sadness
And every yesterday’s

I close my eyes now
Trying to tell myself it’s okay
And that I will be

Then I dream about myself
Trying to wake up from this nightmare
And all the others

I try and try and try
Believing I’ll wake up soon
And then I try again

from me to you #37

Hiiiiiii! Oh I’ve missed blogging! So, I’m back from a week of vacation and it was great and fun and amazing! I mean, I really needed that off from work and everything else and now I feel… well, like myself again. 😁 Anyhow, I missed this! I missed writing, I missed reading blogs, I missed talking to you all lovely people but I especially missed reading! You see, when I filed that vacation leave I also told myself I would take a break from reading, too, because lately I was kinda not in the mood to read and yes, we call it a slump. I have books I’ve been meaning to finish for a while now that until now are still sitting on my night stand. But, but! now I’m back and I’m all fired up to read everything I left behind.

My friends and I travelled north and it was three days of fun and adventure. We visited museums, windmills, beaches, falls and even tried sand boarding! It was crazy fun though my expecience was not that good. My boyfriend and I shared a board and unfortunately it went a little off track causing us to crash. But still, we were okay and the experience were great for our friends. It was also Valentine’s Day on our second day and I was happy to spend it not only with my boyfriend but also with my lovely friends!

Well, I’ll tell you more about my vacation in a separate post because for now I just want you to know now I’m so totally back with blogging! I know I’ve missed out on so much but hopefully I catch up. Okay then, until my next post. Bye for now. Happy reading!

January 2018 Music Videos

 What Lovers Do - Maroon 5 ft. SZA (Jan 3)

End Game - Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran and Future (Jan 11)

 IDGAF - Dua Lipa (Jan 12)

Finesse - Brunor Mars ft. Cardi B (Jan 25) 

Say Sorry - Justin Timberlake ft. Chris Stapleton (Jan 25) 

 For You - Rita Ora & Liam Payne (Jan 26)

 Middle - Zedd, Maren Morris, Grey (Jan 28)

Capital Letters - Hailee Steinfeld (Jan 31)

Poem: Why?

10.42 pm

I miss you tonight
I miss your voice that tells me goodnight
I long for the sweet words that make me smile
Why aren’t you with me tonight?

I miss your touch
I miss it when you tell me you miss me so much
I want to feel your warmth all around me
Why are we losing touch?

I miss you
I miss you so much
I need you tonight and forever
Why aren’t you kissing me goodnight?

Book: Without Merit by Coolen Hoover

 ★★★★/★★★★★    

“Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness.”

So, I’ve probably said this a thousand times before that Colleen Hoover is a brilliant writer because yes, she is! I love all her books (even the ones I haven’t read, Lol) and now I can’t help but love her even more. Without Merit is my latest read from Hoover and I still can’t get over it until now. It’s one of the last books I finished last year.

Honestly, for me, it’s not Hoover’s best but it’s just as brilliant as her other books! There are relatable characters, exciting storyline and some unpredictable twists and turns. Also, I dove into the story without really reading the plot so I’d no idea what to expect but I trusted Hoover. Fortunately, Hoover never disappoints! I love every part of the book and yes, I’m in love with Sagan, as I am with Hoover’s other Male leads. Hahaha.

Without Merit deals with issues around a family who’s like any other. A family with divorced parents, sibling rivalries and a wicked step mom. It stars Merit Voss, a girl who feels left out because she doesn’t know a thing about her family, or rather she knows everything about the member of her family. There’s Barnaby Voss, her father who cheated on his wife with his wife’s nurse. Victoria Voss, her mother who never leaves the basement because she’s sick. Utah Voss, the older brother with a secret that hurt Merit. Then there’s Honor Voss, Merit’s exact opposite though they’re identical twins. The other Victoria, Victoria’s (the first) nurse, the one Barnaby cheated with. And of course, there’s Luck which I came to really love at first but ended up hating a lot! Sagan, well, he’s the only normal character in the story, I guess, and oh, the sweet innocent Moby too,, of course! Butspite having complicated characters, they are all well-developed and I love how the story unfolds. I can say I related much with the story and if anything, it gives us a good message: it’ll surprise you how much communicating with your family will strengthen your relationship with them!

“I like you enough to kiss you. Believe me. But I just wish you could like yourself as much as I like you.”

Merit and Sagan hit it off the first time they met and I’ll be honest, it was a bit predictable but I didn’t care. I love how the story went and every turn of the page was like “can’t you just get together now please?!” because I was rooting for them from the very first page. Anyway, I know I’m not really giving you an informative review but there’s only one thing you need to know about this book: it’s crazy but not far from the reality of some family out there.

Poem: One Sided

why?
do you only see your side
what you do, what you say
why?
we only make you mad
you’re always right, you’re always mighty

do you?
see the efforts we make
what we do, what we say
do you?
hear our side, our take
everything’s our fault, everything’s on us

can you?
at least listen for once
to our feelings, to our side
can you?
see we’re doing our best, our all
because we love you too