Quotes (#34)

Morning Dearies!

I know the week just started but i'm already exhausted. I have so much to get done this week for school and just thinking about it is making me sleepy (and sad lol) so to distract myself I decided to post some quotes from a book that I recently finished reading and still can't get out of my head. If you haven't read Flawed by Cecelia Ahern--pick it up asap!


“I know the difference between right and wrong. I understand the rules. But today I feel that the rules have been blurred, because today they were literally on my front doorstep.” ― Cecelia Ahern, Flawed


“I can't be afraid of someone whose human side I see and know.” ― Cecelia Ahern, Flawed


“But I can now understand why people read, why they like to get lost in somebody else's life. Sometimes I'll read a sentence and it will make me sit up, jolt me, because it is something that I have recently felt but never said out loud. I want to reach into the page and tell the characters that I understand them, that they're not alone, that I'm not alone, that it's ok to feel like this. And then the lunch bell rings, the book closes, and I'm plunged back into reality.” ― Cecelia Ahern, Flawed


“Courage does not take over, it fights and struggles through every word you say and every step you take. It's a battle or a dance as to whether you let it pervade. It takes courage to overcome, but it takes extreme fear to be courageous.” ― Cecelia Ahern, Flawed


“I’ve learned that to be courageous is to feel fear within, every step of the way.” ― Cecelia Ahern, Flawed


“My eyes move from side to side. I try to focus but I can't. I know why I'm here and I don't know why I'm here. I understand, and then I don't. I think it's fair, and then I don't. I wish I'd never done what I did, and then I'm glad I did. I want to scream, but I don't.” ― Cecelia Ahern, Flawed


“When the lows are so immense, victories are small. But they are there despite it. You just have to know them when you see them, little pockets of light and hope hidden away in darkness.” ― Cecelia Ahern, Flawed

Favorite Poem Friday (#3)

Morning Swooners!

Today's poem is a popular one but it's always been one of my favorites. I hope you love it as much as I do. Dare I say it will bring back memories long forgotten...Enjoy!

Annabel Lee by Edgar Allen Poe 

It was many and many a year ago, 

   In a kingdom by the sea, 

That a maiden there lived whom you may know 

   By the name of Annabel Lee; 

And this maiden she lived with no other thought 

   Than to love and be loved by me. 

I was a child and she was a child, 

   In this kingdom by the sea, 

But we loved with a love that was more than love— 

   I and my Annabel Lee— 

With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven 

   Coveted her and me. 

And this was the reason that, long ago, 

   In this kingdom by the sea, 

A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling 

   My beautiful Annabel Lee; 

So that her highborn kinsmen came 

   And bore her away from me, 

To shut her up in a sepulchre 

   In this kingdom by the sea. 

The angels, not half so happy in Heaven, 

   Went envying her and me— 

Yes!—that was the reason (as all men know, 

   In this kingdom by the sea) 

That the wind came out of the cloud by night, 

   Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee. 

But our love it was stronger by far than the love 

   Of those who were older than we— 

Of many far wiser than we— 

   And neither the angels in Heaven above 

Nor the demons down under the sea 

   Can ever dissever my soul from the soul 

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; 

For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams 

   Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; 

And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes 

   Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; 

And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side 

   Of my darling—my darling—my life and my bride, 

In her sepulchre there by the sea— 

   In her tomb by the sounding sea.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Morning Swooners!!

So guess what today is??? If you said that it's my birthday well then guess what? YOU ARE CORRECT because it's my MOTHER F*CKIN BIRTHDAY!!! Today I enter the 29th year of my life and I am so excited because, well, IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!! I get to eat whatever I want and do whatever I want and be whatever I want lol Well i'm actually kind of limited because I have a test today for one class and a midterm next week for another class but i'm going to own the hell out of dinner time today. Don't even get me started on dessert either, let's just say it's allllll mine and there will be zero limitations. I mean i'm exactly one year away from 30 so I think I have the right to enjoy myself this year...next year i'll be crying in a corner and won't be able to even think about food or treats. You'll see these quotes are as mixed as my emotions right now. I hope you enjoy them!


“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” ― Dr. Seuss, Happy Birthday to You!


“People who go around advertising their birthdays are douchebags. It's a fact. You can look it up on Wikipedia.” ― Katja Millay, The Sea of Tranquility


“It’s my birthday, Horus insisted. Wish me happy birthday! “Happy birthday!” I yelled. “Now shut up!” ― Rick Riordan, The Red Pyramid


“I saw the world I had walked since my birth and I understood how fragile it was, that the reality was a thin layer of icing on a great dark birthday cake writhing with grubs and nightmares and hunger.” ― Neil Gaiman, The Ocean at the End of the Lane


“You know you're getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.” ― Bob Hope


“…tomorrow was her birthday, and she was thinking how fast the years went by, how old she was getting, and how little she seemed to have accomplished. Almost twenty-five and nothing to show for it.” ― Louisa May Alcott, Little Women


“I was brought up to respect my elders, so now I don't have to respect anybody.”  ― George Burns


“You were born and with you endless possibilities, very few ever to be realized. It's okay. Life was never about what you could do, but what you would do. ” ― Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year

Favorite Poem Friday (#2)

Happy Friday Swooners!

This week's favorite poem is by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. I'd be surprised if you haven't seen it before but then again I know some people aren't into poetry. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do. 

How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43) by Elizabeth Barrett Browning 

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. 

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height 

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight 

For the ends of being and ideal grace. 

I love thee to the level of every day’s 

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. 

I love thee freely, as men strive for right. 

I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. 

I love thee with the passion put to use 

In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith. 

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose 

With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath, 

Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, 

I shall but love thee better after death.

REVIEW: Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

Publication Date: June 16, 2015

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Gifted to Reviewer 

Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):


If you could read my mind, you wouldn't be smiling.

Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off.

Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn't help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she'd be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam's weekly visits to her psychiatrist.

Caroline introduces Sam to Poet's Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more "normal" than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.

This book is called Every Last Word and you know what? For me that's what it was. I literally cannot even find the words to describe how I feel after reading it. I was completely enamored with this book from the moment I opened it and as soon as I turned the last page and closed the cover for the final time. I knew that I was in utter shock of how impressed I was with how the story turned out. To sum it up, i'll give you three words (in honor of Sam)-- glue sticks galore!

This story touches a little bit on depression and anxiety while also focusing on mental disorders and bullying. These are all some really important and heavy topics. I think this normally would have been fairly difficult to accomplish successfully, but the author does such a wonderful job at combining all these topics into one story while also giving it a realistic feel and a romantic feel at the same time. Kudos, Ms. Stone, for a job well done!

Sam, the MC who has OCD, was such a great character to meet and grow with. I loved seeing her growth from the beginning of the story to the very end. I think her story was believable and relatable to many young readers, even ones who don't have OCD, because many people go through the same situations as she did. From the crazy, backstabbing friends to the unplanned love interest with the most unlikely person...these things really happen and many people can relate to how everything was dealt with throughout the book.

Something else that I really loved about this book was the poetry. I've been a huge fan of poetry my entire life and from the moment I read that first poem to the moment I read the very last poem, my heart was so very full. It's such a great talent to be able to express yourself through poetry and I loved how the author was able to express so many emotions and sentiments through the eyes of so many different characters. It's a skill not many people (including authors) possess. 

Also important to note that I feel like I need to search the world to find my own version of Caroline because I truly believe that she is the best friend I never had (even though I already have the BEST best friends lol.) She's such a strong and loyal friend to Sam and it breaks my heart when we finally see how her story plays out. I wish that I could bottle up her essence and use it whenever I need to feel brave or smart or caring because those are just some of her qualities that I could always use more of. She's an inspiration to us all. 

Overall, I really loved this book and I wish I could expand my knowledge of the english language just so I could properly describe to you all what this book truly means to me. It's definitely a must read. If this book isn't already on your TBR--add it pronto!

REVIEW: P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

Publication Date: July 26, 2016

Publisher: Point Publishing 
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer 

Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble


My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Signed, sealed, delivered . . .
While zoning out in Chemistry class, Lily scribbles some of her favorite song lyrics onto her desk. The next day, she finds that someone has continued the lyrics on the desk, and added a message to her.

Soon, Lily and her anonymous pen pal are exchanging full-on letters— sharing secrets, recommending bands, and opening up to each other. Lily realizes she’s kind of falling for this letter writer. Only who is he? As Lily attempts to unravel the mystery, and juggle school, friends, crushes, and her crazy family, she discovers that matters of the heart can’t always be spelled out . . .

I cannot stress enough how much I absolutely loooovvveeeedddd this book!! I went in with high expectations because I heard so many great things about this author and this book and let me just tell you, I was not let down! I literally could not put this book down and I was so sad when it ended because it was over (even though it was the happiest of endings and so perfectly written I couldn't have pictured it any better.) Plus, don't even get me started on the poems/lyrics. Everything was so brilliant and perfect, my heart was on overdrive in the feels department.

Lily writes. She writes a lot. While in her chemistry class, her teacher takes away her notebook and demands to see her notes at the end of each class in an attempt to get her to focus only on her class notes. Well this doesn't have the effect he was hoping for because she soon begins writing messages and letters back and forth with another student who sits in her seat during a different class period. She finds herself falling in love with the person writing the letters and begins her journey to find out who that person is. 

Unlike many other books, I loved how we didn't have to wait until the end of the book for the big reveal of who Lily's pen pal was. We found out about half way through the book and had to go through the same worries and fears that Lily had to go through to figure out how she should handle it. All while still having a chance to fall more and more in love with the pen pal along the way. I think Kasie West did such an incredible job with slowly revealing to us the writer all the while dropping little easter eggs about who it was. This kept me feeling 100% connected and invested in the story.

Overall, I think Kasie West did an amazing job with this story and I can't wait to binge all of her other books because I am officially in love with her writing. If this book isn't on your TBR--It needs to be!

REVIEW: If You Wrong Us by Dawn Klehr

If You Wrong Us by Dawn Klehr

Publication Date: October 1, 2015

Publisher: Flux
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer

Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):


Becca and Johnny become entangled after a car crash steals the lives of two people they love. Officially, the crash is an accident. But Becca and Johnny are convinced: someone did this.

As they plot revenge against the person responsible, a bond—intense, unyielding, and manic—takes hold of them. And in an unexpected turn of events, they fall for each other.

Or so they think.

In an upside-down world where decay is beautiful and love and hate become one, Becca and Johnny find themselves grappling with reality. Nothing is exactly what it seems, including what they've come to believe about the crash. Question is: will they learn the truth before it's too late?

No. The question is: when they learn the truth, will they care?

I fell in love with the synopsis of this book when I randomly saw it one day at B&N. I love going to bookstores to find all the books i've been eagerly waiting for but i'm also a big believer in fate leading me to random books. So I instantly knew I would love this one.

This book goes back and forth between the POV's of Becca and Johnny. Alternating between the present in Johnny's view and the past in Becca's view. The event that brings these two together is a car accident involving Becca's twin sister, Johnny's mother, and a third party who shall remain nameless for the time being.

Before the accident, Becca and Johnny had no concrete connection to each other. Then, in a chance meeting at the accident site, they became closer and began their journey down this twisted and sad rabbit hole. In an attempt to exact revenge on the person Becca believes to be the culprit behind the car accident, they both do things that they regret. From beginning to end, being able to see the character arc for both of these two MC's was incredible. The Becca and Johnny that we see in the beginning of the book are not the same Becca and Johnny we see at the end of the book.  Being able to watch these two separate view points unfold had me captivated the entire time--hook, line, and sinker!

Becca becomes completely obsessed with getting revenge on the person she thinks is responsible for the death of her sister and she convinces Johnny to join her in her plan. Without giving away too much, i'll let you know that one of the two narrators was slightly disturbed and seemed a bit unstable throughout the book. The other narrator was completely naive and gullible. Seeing the true personalities of these characters while listening to their thoughts about each other was so fun to read. I also really loved that little plot twist in the end. It completely threw me off and I had no idea it was coming.

Overall, this book was a fun and quick read and i'm so happy I picked it up. Though there were a few unanswered questions in the end, they were minor and didn't take away from the story. If this book is on your TBR, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!