Author: Kat @abookiesbooks

A Maas Filled WWW Wednesday: 1/13/2021

Guess what? It is WWW Wednesday.  This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words. And it involves answering the 3 Ws!

•What are you currently reading?

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

•What did you recently finish reading?

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

•What do you think you’ll read next?

To stay on trend:

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

As you can see I am binging Maas’ books at the moment. I really want to finish the Throne of Glass series. I have been trying for years now but the dedication to reading long books has not been there for me but I am going to finish soon.

As always, thanks for reading

A Bookie

Top Ten Tuesday: Resolutions

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. –That Artsy Reader Girl

Basically every Tuesday, their is a topic to write about, usually to list ten things under a certain topic.

This Tuesday, January 12th, it is about resolutions.

These are my resolutions:

  1. I want to read 15 books this year. This may not sound like a lot but I have been slacking on my reading these past few years so I need to read more.
  2. I want to blog at least once a week. I am paying for this blog every year, might as well keep up with it. Also, blogging is something that I really like doing. I am beginning to balance my time more so I should be able to.
  3. Finish my Netflix to watch list. I have SOOOOO many shows that I have not watched yet that I have always wanted to get to. I have a list I am going to write. Maybe keep track of the shows on here. I think to hold me accountable I will also me reviewing shows. Just like I did with Queen’s Gambit and Bridgerton recently.
  4. I want to drink 8 glasses of water a day. I do not have a tracker, this is more of just an integrity thing in my mind. SO far I am doing pretty well. I have been keeping to it quite nicely.
  5. I want to achieve a 4.0 every quarter. I have accomplished that so far in every course I have taken. I would like to continue that trend. If this does not happen though, I will not be sad or mad. College is hard.
  6. I wish to journal more. 2019 was a great year for me journaling. 2020 was not so. 2021 is already proving to be a bad year for my journaling but I haven’t been able to buy my journal yet cause they haven’t restocked my local Fred Meyer with the journal I use. I am a stickler for habit, so no I cannot just go out and buy any old journal.
  7. I also have a goal to either read or write every day. It would be better if I did both but we are working up to that.
  8. going along with the last one, I want to finish my secret project by the end of the year. Just a nice rough draft of the first part. I am sure we can all guess what it is but I would like to try to seem mysterious.
  9. I want to finish my homework before the day it is due. *Laughs to self because I definitely did my homework that was due today a minute ago*
  10. I want to make active progress towards reaching my long term and short term goals. I want to ultimately end this year feeling as though I did everything I could to reach where I want to be in 5 years.
  11. Bonus: I am trying to go meatless this entire year. I am allowing 2 f*ck ups a month because I live in a college town where everything is meat with a side of meat. It is want pizza rolls in the middle of the night after partying with my roommates, then I am going to do it.

I hope you guys all liked this list. As I said earlier, I haven’t been able to start journaling yet this year so I haven’t wrote down my resolutions thus far. I want to thank That Artsy Reader Girl (her website is linked above) for letting me be able to write down my resolutions for this Tuesday.

As always, thanks for reading!

A Bookie

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Late Christmas Book Haul pt. 1

Okay guys,

The post I have been waiting for…

My Christmas Book Haul!!

(Disclaimer: This is one of 2 because I got about $100 in gift cards for bookstores this Christmas so I am ordering new ones as I post this.)

  • Kingdom of Ash by Sara J. Maas

Aelin Galathynius has vowed to save her people ― but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. The knowledge that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, but her resolve is unraveling with each passing day…. –Goodreads

  • A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

She has left the Night Court – and her High Lord – and is playing a deadly game of deceit. In the Spring Court, Tamlin is making deals with the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees, and Feyre is determined to uncover his plans….-Goodreads

  • A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

Feyre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve….-Goodreads

  • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.

By her brother’s graveside, Liesel’s life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger’s Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor’s wife’s library, wherever there are books to be found….-Goodreads

  • The Ickabog by J.K Rowling

Once upon a time there was a tiny kingdom called Cornucopia, as rich in happiness as it was in gold, and famous for its food. From the delicate cream cheeses of Kurdsburg to the Hopes-of-Heaven pastries of Chouxville, each was so delicious that people wept with joy as they ate them….-Goodreads

  • Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer

When Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met in Twilight, an iconic love story was born. But until now, fans have heard only Bella’s side of the story. At last, readers can experience Edward’s version in the long-awaited companion novel, Midnight Sun….-Goodreads

I got some others but I left them back at my parents house when I came back home for college so I cant remember everything I got. I got some more special edition Harry Potter books but I do not want to list the wrong editions of them.

I want to thank my parents, my grandparents, and my secret santa for getting me all of these wonderful books. I am so excited to read them.

Look out for my part 2 when I order my other books.

As always, thank you for reading,

A Bookie

Show Review: Bridgerton

A mix between Gossip Girl and Pride and Prejudice?

Who knew that would be the one thing this world needed in this crazy time.

Bridgerton is a show about high class society in 1800 England. It focuses on the Bridgerton family, a mother and 8 children, making their way in high class society. The eldest daughter is entering society and trying to secure a husband. The entire town is under scrutiny by the Queen and a new faceless writer by the name of Lady Whistledown. Whistledown’s pamphlets begin circulating around the town, describing the gossip of the well to do families.

I loved this show so much. It has amazing depictions of the period. It includes scandal. It has scheming and love. It is everything someone like me could have ever wanted. I think that if you like Gossip Girl and you like Pride and Prejudice that you would love to watch this show. The main romance is a bit like PaP.

Shonda Rhimes is one of the producers on the show so you know it has to be good. I mean Rhimes knows how to put on a drama. From secrets and lies, this woman is brilliant. From darker shows like Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder, I would not expect her to produce such a beautifully bright show like Bridgerton. I love her.

The actors were also splendidly cast. Having Julie Andrews voice Whistledown, OMG AMAZING!!! Phoebe Dynevor, playing Daphne Bridgerton, does exceedingly well. I think she serves great looks throughout the whole series.

I have not read the series it is based on but it will be a purchase I am looking forward to acquiring. I put this in here so if you want to read it before you see it. Also, this show is NSFW half way through. Do not watch it with you children.

With that, I will leave you to the rest of you internet surfing. I hope you guess check this show out.

As always, thanks for reading,

A Bookie

Star Rating: 5

Show Review: The Queen’s Gambit

The game of chess has never seem interesting to me. My grandparents had a wooden chess set on an end table while I was young. I always played with the pieces but never learned the game. I was more into imagining the queen and the king had lives.

This show made me wish I knew more about the game.

The show is about Beth Harmon, an orphaned girl. After her mother dies, she is sent to live at an orphanage. In the orphanage she develops an addiction to tranquilizers and meets Shaibel, who is the first person to teach her chess. After several years, she is adopted by a couple. While the couple’s marital problems cause them to split, Beth involves herself in chess tournaments. She goes on to be world renowned and struggles with her addiction throughout the whole series.

To say the least, this show is a masterpiece. I dont think anyone could have made the game of chess as interesting as Scott Frank (Director) and Anya Taylor-Joy (Beth Harmon) did in this show.

I loved the show from the moment I put it on. The darker undertones of the scenes really held me enchanted. I binged watched the show and almost finished the whole thing in a day. |The show is only 7 episodes long, perfect for a rainy day or a COVID safe weekend.

Please watch it.

It will change your understanding of chess and life.

I cant say much more for fear of spoiling the series. Just go check it out for yourself.

As always, thanks for reading,

A Bookie

Star rating: 4.2

Book Review: The Escapist

Author: David Puretz

Publisher: Global City Press

Publishing Date: Jan 21, 2020

Genre: Literary Fiction

“It’s 2011 in America, the Iraq War is coming to a close, and the Occupy Wall Street movement has been gaining steam. And at twenty-one years of age, Billy Chute is sitting in the breakdown lane on the side of the highway in his ’98 Altima with his drugs in the cooler on the passenger seat floor, in the midst of escaping yet another stale reality. Still high on an opioid and amphetamine kick, his new escape crystallizes in a journal entry: Find dad. And those few simple words seal Billy’s fate- what started as another of his impulsive flights becomes a mission, and it terrifies him, for his father is like wildfire, burning all in its path, yet confronting his traumatic past may be Billy’s only sustainable way forward. 

A propulsive story with profound insights about freedom and imprisonment, motion and stasis, chance and destiny, The Escapist delves deeply into the internal and external calamities that shape this special human life and mind. Mental health, family conflict and abuse, drug addiction, and sexuality are intricately woven together in a turbulent pre-Trump America in this dynamic and layered narrative of violence and hope.” -Publisher

Review:

I recieved this book off of NetGalley and shall be giving it an honest review.


Now when I say, I do not know how to feel about this book, I mean I REALLY do not know how to feel about this book.


The thing about this book is that it was not the most well-put-together book, but I honestly could not put it down. I devoured this book.


I am honestly disappointed that I finished the book. Or I am disappointed in how it ended, I am honestly not sure.


I could not stop reading it. There were such vivid, eye-opening details in the book. Every single thing about drug use and the violence was described so deep and hauntingly, it entranced me. I was so pulled in by the description of his drug use, family issues, etc., that I almost could completely ignore the huge plot disappointments.


The plot was absolutely wack. It was like a Catcher in the Rye, but completely high on drugs. It was super chaotic which I thought paired nicely with the book until the end. The ending left me in a huge ball of confusion. I understood everything but there was a certain part with Billy’s sidekick that I felt completely unnecessary. I liked the book until they began bringing back certain people. It was utter chaos. And I like chaos in some aspects. This was not one of them.


Billy was a great character except he had the voice of a 35-year-old heroin addict when he was about 20 years old popping pills daily. Sometimes when people mentioned that he was “too young” it took me by surprise. I feel as though for him to have been a better character, he needed that extra feel of being young and stupid. But, all I got from him was being old and f*cked (pardon my French).


All the negative stuff aside, I did enjoy this book. Yes, it did have its downs but, I will have to say that once I picked it up, I could not set it down. I think the book would have been a lot better with a different ending and a whole chunk of it taken out, but what can I do?


Anyways, thank you for reading. I appreciate it. I hope you guys all check out this book when it comes out in January!

Star Rating: 3.6

The Friday 56

The Friday 56 is where every Friday you turn to page 56 in a book or 56% on your e-reader and then post a line or lines that intrigue you. It is hosted by Freda’s Voice.

The book I have chosen is The Nix by Nathan Hill

And the line is:

“‘It’s true,’ says Samuel, ‘You’re not very smart, and you’re not a very good person either'”

This book is really good. I have not finished it yet but it was one of the book I picked up on my trip to New York.

Thanks for reading!

The Friday 56

The Friday 56 is where every Friday you turn to page 56 in a book or 56% on your e-reader and then post a line or lines that intrigue you. It is hosted by Freda’s Voice.

This week my book is Lethal White by Robert Galbraith

The line is:

“‘Is he mentally ill, so he thinks he saw a kid strangled? Or is he mentally ill and he saw a kid strangled?'”

I think this is very clever and this is basically the question of the entire plot. I am not going to give any spoilers, you will just have to read to find the answer.

A SERIOUS Life Update: A Year of Adventure

Since I last posted (not counting yesterday), a whole lot of things have happened. Like a whole lot. I have experienced some of the craziest things in my life since January 3rd 2019. I have had so many crazy experiences but I am going to sum them all up quickly for you guys.

If you are a loyal follower, you know that I have had a hard time being on this blog and I dissappear for a while. But now I am back and have a bit more time on my plate then the last time I talked to you all. So let’s try this blog thing again, by talking about my life since we last talked.

Accepted Admission to college

I finally accepted admission to my dream school. I also attended an orientation day and bought a WHOLE lot of swag from the store. I got everything I needed ready and began saving my money for school.

WENT TO PROM

I went to prom with my yearbook friends. They were the some of the bestest friends I had in high school. I went with a guy friend from my work. I had one of the best nights of my life and I loved every moment of that night.

Graduated!

I graduated from my high school and began my life as an adult. Graduation was surreal. I honestly cant believe that I actually graduated. High school was crazy to me. I stayed in the same school district my entire life so I graduated with people I have known since I was 5. It was crazy seeing these people walk across the stage. It was crazy for me to say that I graduated and that I walked that stage. I made it through high school. I have never been more proud of myself.

Grad Party

I had an epic grad party. My mom put together this amazing party at our house. A whole lot of family came and all of my friends came and that was crazy. I had the best time and it was one of the best day sof my life. I will never forget everyone who came and supported me. I loved it so much.

Said goodbye to my teams

I said goodbye to my high school equestrian team and I attended my last county and state fair for 4-H. I spent most of my life in these programs and I was really sad to see it go. I will always appreciate those experiences I had because they taught me so much.

Went to New York

I went on a week vacation to New York with my Grandma. We went everywhere in Manhattan. I have fallen even more in love with the city that I ever was. I went to all these cute little and big book stores. I also went to see Wicked, The Lion King, and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (which only reaffirmed my love for this book depsite everyone else’s hate on it). All of these shows I cried at. They were the best shows I have ever seen. I appreicate my Grandmother so much for letting me experience this amazing place.

Went to college

And for the last event, I went to college!!! I went with one of my best friends. He and I are fighting through college together. It is alreayd a wild ride and I have not even finihsed one quarter yet. I love this place so much and I am excited to explore my major. I have alreayd declared my major which is Digitial Journalism.

Thank you for reading about my crazy life. There were so many other thi gs that happened to me this year that I just dont have the room to include in this.

Anyways thank you for your patience and being so supportive. Love yall.

Book Review: Lethal White by Robert Galbraith

Author: Robert Galbraith

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company 2018

Series: Comoran Strike #4

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 647

Synopsis:

When Billy, a troubled young man, comes to private eye Cormoran Strike’s office to ask for his help investigating a crime he thinks he witnessed as a child, Strike is left deeply unsettled. While Billy is obviously mentally distressed, and cannot remember many concrete details, there is something sincere about him and his story. But before Strike can question him further, Billy bolts from his office in a panic.

Trying to get to the bottom of Billy’s story, Strike and Robin Ellacott-once his assistant, now a partner in the agency-set off on a twisting trail that leads them through the backstreets of London, into a secretive inner sanctum within Parliament, and to a beautiful but sinister manor house deep in the countryside.

And during this labyrinthine investigation, Strike’s own life is far from straightforward: his newfound fame as a private eye means he can no longer operate behind the scenes as he once did. Plus, his relationship with his former assistant is more fraught than it ever has been-Robin is now invaluable to Strike in the business, but their personal relationship is much, much trickier than that. -Goodreads

My Review:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Oh sorry, excuse my freak out.

Oh wait

One more…

 Okay I think I have composed myself.

Sorry, the Comoran Strike series just always gets me SUPER excited. I waited three years for this book and I loved it so much.

I will have to say that it took me a year to read. I have been slacking on my reading all year. I feel really bad about it but this is not the post for that.

This is the post to talk about this amazing book. My review is a whole year late from when it really mattered but here we go, my complete and truthful opinion of this book.

So lets get into the meat of this. Great book, very exciting and riveting but the book was sooooo long. And yes long books are great and she is very good at writing good books but I think there was some filler in here that was unnecessary in the grand scheme of things. Lots of it made sense at the time but once the end conclsion came around, a lot of things that I read earlier did not make any sense. But, I will have to say that it took me a whole ass year to read this book, so when considering that, it could have not made sense to me because of the extremely long time it took me to read this.

But the character developments are really good in this. The best part about this whole book was the e***** of R**** and M****** m*******. It was the beginning of the story and the ultimate b****** of the two is opening the series up for a fifth book (even though i wish they would have progressed my wishes of S**** and R**** getting t****** in this book). But that is probably just me because I am a hopeless romantic.

Strike is one of my favorite literary characters. I love that he tries hard to help Robin grow and become a better detective. I also love to see the growth (and lack thereof) with him in relationships. His relationship with his girlfriend in the beginning is so terrible and he knows it which I love and hate. I have mixed feelings. I like the way the story is narrated. I like being able to see Strike and not just hear his thoughts. He is always so sassy but also he is really good at hiding his facial expressions when he finds a clue or something.

I loved this book so much. I was completly engulfed throughout the pages. It was just really hard to pick up once I put it down. I just really love J.K Rowling/Robert Galbraith

Thank you guys so much for reading! Let me know what you thought about the book down in the comments.

Star Rating: 4.6