#BookLook || History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

history is all you left me by nobentspines featuring ballerina shoes

My Two Cents

This skirt is just so cuuuute. I really love it. Abstract and seriously colorful. Come to mama. 

About the Book

Amazon || Goodreads

Published January 17, 2017

When Griffin’s first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, dies in a drowning accident, his universe implodes. Even though Theo had moved to California for college and started seeing Jackson, Griffin never doubted Theo would come back to him when the time was right. But now, the future he’s been imagining for himself has gone far off course.

To make things worse, the only person who truly understands his heartache is Jackson. But no matter how much they open up to each other, Griffin’s downward spiral continues. He’s losing himself in his obsessive compulsions and destructive choices, and the secrets he’s been keeping are tearing him apart.

If Griffin is ever to rebuild his future, he must first confront his history, every last heartbreaking piece in the puzzle of his life.

#BookLook || Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty {Murderous, Secret, Space Adventure}

six wakes by nobentspines featuring leather gloves

My Two Cents

Literally just hand over the books and we can keep this little deal between the two of us. Pinky Promise. 

About the Book

Amazon || Goodreads

Published January 31, 2017

A space adventure set on a lone ship where the murdered crew are resurrected through cloning to discover who their killer was — and the secret to their mission. 

It was not common to awaken in a cloning vat streaked with drying blood. 

At least, Marie Shea iv had never experienced it. She had no memory of how she died. That was also new; before, when she had awakened as a new clone, her first memory was of how she died, from illness once and from injury once… 

Maria’s vat was in the front of six vats, each one holding the clone of a crew member of the starship Pituitary, each clone waiting for its previous incarnation to die so it could awaken. Apparently Maria wasn’t the only one to die recently.

#ARC Review || The Feeling of Forever by Jamie Howard || Let’s Talk Positivity

The Feeling of Forever by Jamie Howard

Amazon || Goodreads

Published Feb 7, 2017

eARC via NetGalley + St. Martin’s Press

Juliet St. Clair has spent her life under Hollywood’s spotlight. While being America’s favorite girl next door has had its perks, having to testify against her stalker to put him behind bars certainly wasn’t one of them. But when she thinks about walking away from it all, she can’t help remembering the enormous pile of medical bills her family is drowning under. Bills that just keep on coming.

Felix Donovan had it all–stunning good looks, gorgeous women, and a spot as the drummer to a band that’s sitting pretty at the top of the charts. Until one life-altering decision left him paralyzed from the waist down. He doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry when he wins this year’s Sexiest Man award, but the one thing he immediately does is send out a Non-disclosure agreement. Hiding his condition from the public is hard as hell, but he’s not ready to face the world while he’s still struggling to accept his new reality.

Except this year’s Sexiest Woman–Juliet St. Clair–never looks at him with pity, only desire. But falling for Juliet means a permanent spot in the tabloids, a decision Felix isn’t sure he’s ready to make. And when Juliet’s stalker re-emerges from her past, Felix’s secret isn’t the only thing at stake, it could cost Juliet her life. 

Hello collection of beautiful people—quite literally. We open this story at the photography session for the Most Beautiful Woman and the Most Beautiful Man. Juliet is gorgeous, and is severely frustrated that no one sees past her surface (she’s curious, and a reader, and addicted for Fringe). Felix was just in a horrible (sort of?) accident that left the lower half of his body immobile. This is a huge hit to his ego, his sense of self, and his hope. When these two meet at the session, it’s all sly joking and surprises that they’re both more than what is shown on the outside. And I mean hidden depths, epiphanies, and pasts that aren’t meant to be relived…

This book is packed full of positivity, so this post is going to three positive point that were brought home in this book—because we all need a bit of a pick-me-up.

THIS TOO SHALL PASS; NOTHING LASTS FOREVER

Let’s be real here—bad things are going to happen in life. Some things are worse than others. Some things are much, much worse than others. You’re going to see something that someone else has that you don’t, and you’re going to want it.

I can talk about how I have positive quotes on my walls in all the colors of the rainbow all I want; this helps me when the negative thoughts get too negative. I have to remind myself that I am okay, that this isn’t the end. Sometimes it works, and sometimes I need something more. Whatever that horrible thing is, it’s going to pass eventually. It could be tomorrow, next week, or twenty years from now.

I’m sorry that it takes so long sometimes, but look the people who love you in the eyes. Hug your pets tighter. Embrace the material things you love (LIKE BOOKS!) and let yourself wander.

So many things in THE FEELING OF FOREVER were out of the person who is affected by it’s control. I admire these people for not letting their disappointments consume them, for transforming their sadness into bravery and into hope. They were able to recognize that the moment they were living in is only a split second in time. I really like that notion.

(All that being said I REALLY want a book with our MC’s sister. I feel like she’s actually here to kick some serious butt.)

LOOK FOR THE PERSON WHO SEES ALL OF YOU; THEY’RE OUT THERE

I don’t know about you, but this girl is def not aromantic. I need romance like hot milk needs some scoops of chocolate. For me, there battle cry should have been “give me romance or give me death” though, not going to lie, liberty is real nice. Especially if we’re chatting about Lady Liberty.

When you’re looking for someone who sees all of you, I think it’s important to remember that that person may not be a romantic someone. It could be a best friend or a family member. I think that person is an incredibly important to have in anyone’s life. Who is anyone without al the preconceived notions that society shoves on their shoulders?

Whoever that is, hold on to them tight.

This is the story of people holding on tight, not giving up, and of resisting the easy path.

BE FEARLESS IN THE PURSUIT OF WHAT YOU DESERVE; IT’S OKAY TO MESS UP A BIT

Be blunt. Our MC isn’t afraid to lay her heart on the line, but she doesn’t do it in a way that makes you think that she expects anything in return. It’s more like “this is how I feel” and I love it. I think that’s brave, and I think that gets her more of what she wants in life. Which, as we all can acknowledge, is pretty fantastic.

Do the things that make you happy in life—whether that be acting, or watching Netflix, or reading all the books and learning all the things. Be productive and strive for success, but take the time to do the things that bring you that infinite joy.

Okay, so if you can’t tell, I really enjoyed this book. It has some intrigue, some hidden elements. It had romance and (some) diversity. It had a believable plot that moved at a nice speed. I’m not super picky when it comes to that though. Overall, just do yourself a GIANT favor and grab yourself a copy when it comes out. Or, better yet, pre-order it.

#BookLook || The Beast is an Animal by Peternelle van Arsdale

the beast is an animal by nobentspines featuring leather shoes

My Two Cents

You know, sometimes, I just look at the book looks that I throw together and just get really sad that I don’t have a really well paying job, a giant closet, and someone to carry my shopping bags for me. 

Okay, so this color of blue is one of my favorite shades of blue. It’s actually the color of my walls at home. What’s not to love about them in shoe form? 

Book Summary

Goodreads || Amazon

A girl with a secret talent must save her village from the encroaching darkness in this haunting and deeply satisfying tale.

Alys was seven when the soul eaters came to her village.

These soul eaters, twin sisters who were abandoned by their father and slowly morphed into something not quite human, devour human souls. Alys, and all the other children, were spared—and they were sent to live in a neighboring village. There the devout people created a strict world where good and evil are as fundamental as the nursery rhymes children sing. Fear of the soul eaters—and of the Beast they believe guides them—rule village life. But the Beast is not what they think it is. And neither is Alys.

Inside, Alys feels connected to the soul eaters, and maybe even to the Beast itself. As she grows from a child to a teenager, she longs for the freedom of the forest. And she has a gift she can tell no one, for fear they will call her a witch. When disaster strikes, Alys finds herself on a journey to heal herself and her world. A journey that will take her through the darkest parts of the forest, where danger threatens her from the outside—and from within her own heart and soul.

For Those Looking for a Bisexual Main Character {#Listicle}

Books from the past (pre-2017) and books from the present (post-2016) are filled with wonderful, delightful things. One of the topics that the world is becoming more aware of is the necessity of diversity and the value of seeing your face in a book. Everyone’s face is a little different: some are brown and queer, others are trans, while other’s still are disabled and in love and happy. I think tragedy is fine, but I think those who don’t see themselves quite as often also want a happily every after.

I want a happily ever after.

Granted, that may look more like this:

The following listicle showcases folks from the bisexual community. Some are even intersectional, which is actually the greatest. Some, still, are #OwnVoices. Read them all, babes. Read them all.

If you see a book you want added to my list (because it’s S U P E R short at this moment in time!), leave a comment and I’ll post it! 

Not Your Sidekick by C. B. Lee

Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley

Far From You by Tessa Sharpe

How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake

Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

Been Here All Along by Sandy Hall

A Darkly Beating Heart by Lindsey Smith

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

Under the Lights by Dahlia Adler

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Sources: Diverse Reading List 2017 | Gay YA Bisexual Masterlist |
Disclaimer: I def found these gifs on Google

#BookLook || Indelible by Adelia Saunders

indelible by nobentspines featuring beaded clutches

My Two Cents

I’m going to be real honest with you and just say that these shoes are the epitome of everything good in this world. I mean, do you see that glory? 

About this Book

Amazon || Goodreads

In this masterful, enthralling debut novel about fate and family history, a young woman sees the truth about people written on their skin.

Magdalena has an unsettling gift. She sees writing on the bodies of everyone she meets—names, dates, details both banal and profound—and her only relief from the onslaught of information is to take off her glasses and let the world recede. Mercifully, her own skin is blank.

When she meets Neil, she is intrigued to see her name on his cheek. He’s in Paris for the summer, studying a medieval pilgrimage to the rocky coast of Spain, where the body of Saint Jacques was said to have washed ashore, covered in scallop shells. Desperate to make things right after her best friend dies—a loss she might have prevented—Magdalena embarks on her own pilgrimage, but not before Neil falls for her, captivated by her pale eyes, charming Eastern European accent, and aura of heartbreak. 

Neil’s father, Richard, is also in Paris, searching for the truth about his late mother, a famous expatriate American novelist who abandoned him at birth. All his life Richard has clung to a single striking memory—his mother’s red shoes, which her biographers agree he never could have seen. 

Despite misunderstandings and miscommunications, these unforgettable characters converge, by chance or perhaps by fate, and Magdalena’s uncanny ability may prove to be the key to their happiness. Indelible pulses with humanity and breathes life into unexpected fragments of history, illustrating our urgent need to connect with others, and the past.

This Book Has Me Swooning Over Buildings. I’m Serious.

I went into this book with just about zero expectation. I tend to not enjoy books where there are kids involved. (what in the world is going on with all these readers hoping that Feyre is going to end up preg in A Court of Wings and Ruin???)

I stumbled upon Dare to Love by C. P. Santi on twitter. I’ve gotten SO MANY good recs on that social platform, but this one is one for the record books. The premise is this: a single mother who lives at a convent with her religious family finds this tatted up male sleeping in her bed. What follows is a want to love tug-of-war with herself, and ultimately, deciding if she is able to open her heart.

The name of this main girl is Gia, and she is strong as hell. She’s also got this great gig restoring architecture, and her passion is old churches. Which is just, so freaking cool. I didn’t really know all that went into that, but then I started researching and was like wow. Woah. Not my thing, I like writing more than numbers, but what a cool opportunity.

I’ve decided to compile a list of all the places I’d like to work on if I were in the restoration business. Enjoy, lovelies.

Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz
Plaza L. Ruiz, Binondo, Manila

Cathedral Parish of St. Andrew
Quirino Ave., La Huerta, Parañaque City

Catedral de la Santa Cruz y Santa Eulalia
Barcelona, Spain

So let’s chat about wanderlust a bit. If you could go anywhere (outer space included!) where would you go? 

Three Slow-Cooker Recipes to Pair with "Status Update" by Annabeth Albert

My friend Brian (who is basically the king of good book recommendations) set out to have me read STATUS UPDATE a little while ago. When I won his Twitter giveaway, this was the first one I set out to read. What a way to begin. I mean, really, y’all—I’m swooning. This book is about two guys who’ve got some issues on the relationship front, as well as some personal problems to work out. Luckily, they meet through their adorable mutts. When Adrian’s latest relationship fails, Noah decides to help this poor fellow out. Of course, we can’t just leave it there. Sparks fly.

In this darling book, which is my favorite of the three I’ve read by the author, Noah has a bit of an obsession with crock pot meals (we learn later the significance of said crock pot). I’ve decided to put together this little post to share some crock pot meals from the ever-glorious Pinterest. Two I’ve tried, and the other, well, I really, really want to.

First up is the recipe I have not tried yet…crock pot beef stew! These two males are stuck in this trailer in the cold of winter. Snow, cute as heck dogs. They’re hungry (I don’t mean just for each other) and I think this stew would have warmed them hair to hide. For me, a crock pot roast is the ultimate comfort food. Salt, pepper, chunks of beef and carrots. Not too many things that I could eat every week for the rest of my life. This recipe takes it up a notch a bit in terms of what to do, but I think that these guys would go an extra mile for the other, to make sure they’re all warm and cozy and full for the winter nights.

Next, let’s talk about the wonders of crock pot hot chocolate. I mean, yuuuummmmy. Sweetened condensed milk? Chocolate chips? Lord have mercy. Wake up in the morning to the rich brew that’s been cooking all night? That, my darlings, that is the life. And it’s gluten-free, just like the beef stew! So Adrian can have it without any issues. Isn’t Noah just super caring? (I know, I’m swooning too. What a catch.)

Finally, we’ve got ourselves something super delicious. I actually made with at the dorm for Sunday dinner. What am I talking about? Crock pot chicken gnocci soup. Ugh. So good. Again. It’s winter. Gnocci is so dang delicious. Chicken is also nice. Warmth. Hot guy. I mean—what? Either way, you can’t go wrong with soup on a cold day.

#ARC Review || Ready Set Rogue by Manda Collins

Ready Set Rogue by Manda Collins
ARC via Publisher + Netgalley
Goodreads || Amazon
Published: January 10, 2017 || St. Martin’s

WHO WILL WRITE THE BOOK OF LOVE?

When scholarly Miss Ivy Wareham receives word that she’s one of four young ladies who have inherited Lady Celeste Beauchamp’s estate with a magnificent private library, she packs her trunks straightaway. Unfortunately, Lady Celeste’s nephew, the rakish Quill Beauchamp, Marquess of Kerr, is determined to interrupt her studies one way or another…

Bequeathing Beauchamp House to four bluestockings—no matter how lovely they are to look at—is a travesty, and Quill simply won’t have it. But Lady Celeste’s death is not quite as straightforward as it first seemed…and if Quill hopes to solve the mystery behind her demise, he’ll need Ivy’s help. Along the way, he is surprised to learn that bookish Ivy stirs a passion and longing that he has never known. This rogue believes he’s finally met his match—but can Quill convince clever, skeptical Ivy that his love is no fiction?

When Lady Celeste Beauchamp suddenly dies, she leaves her entire estate to four ladies who, if they’d been born male, would most likely be at the very top of their field. These ‘bluestockings’ are the feminists of Victorian society, smart beyond belief, free thinkers, and just generally too amazing to comprehend. Luckily, they’re surrounded by the relatives of Lady Celeste, who was also a female scholar. These relatives adored her. When our leading lady, Miss Ivy Wareham, receives a letter from the deceased claiming that she’d been murdered and that Ivy and her nephew, the handsome marquees who is dead set against any of the four lady scholars inheriting the estate, with finding out who wanted her dead. Mystery, romance, scandal, and feminism. What could be better?

Reason Number One.These ladies are fierce as hell. They challenge the ideals that confine woman in Victorian society. By questioning the differing standards that men and women are held by—the word ‘ruin’ being placed on women and not men, and thereby treating females like rotten meat instead of living, breathing people—they make the people around them also re-evaluate how the world is run. I adore this more than I adore the romance. And y’all, I freaking love romance.

Reasons Number Two.THE ROMANCE. Did I not just inform you that the romance has me swooning? CONSENT IS CLEAR AND EXPLAINED. There are ramifications for actions. *muffles laughter* And Y ’ A L L, choices are given and not forced upon people. These folks don’t act like pretentious assholes when it comes to the romance. Who knew a working moral compass and the genuine ability to listen to what people are saying are helpful contributions to a relationship? Seriously? Who freaking knew?

Reason Number Three.The mystery. I am SO here for it. Unexplained death? The murderer still at large? WHO IS IT? What secrets are lurking in the mansion? What is lurking in the shadows? Our linguist turns into a regular detective for this segment of awesome. Her puppy-dog like sidekick follows closely behind.

BONUS: this is because I love all y’all. I ALSO LOVE THE FRIENDSHIP. Even more than romantic relationships (or however you wish to see them) basic friendships are incredibly important. These ladies are not accepted by the world that they live in because they are females who are smart and refused to conform to what the society believes a woman to be. In each other they find shared existences, experiences, and people who really appreciate and accept who the others are, and what they love. Isn’t that what everyone wants? Total acceptance? Understanding? Camaraderie?

Overall, this book was stellar. I laughed and swooned. How much more can I ask for?

The Controversy Surrounding Sensitivity Readers

 

 

 

Recently there’s been some conversation about the role of sensitivity readers in works of literature during the pre-publication process. 

I, in all honestly, had never heard of this as a job before (it is!) and was, naturally, super-duper curious. So, folks, let’s talk about what a sensitivity reader is and their role in the publishing world, as well as what exactly went down on Twitter. Of course, I’ll also give you my opinions of what’s up.

What is a Sensitivity Reader?

This is a job, usually paid for by the publisher or author, to make sure that the book in question represents marginalized groups accurately. They look for bias in the work, and looks for triggers, racist remarks that could be used against groups of people (color of skin, religion, gender, sexuality). This is done before publication so that if/when something is found that needs to be fixed, it can be fixed.

There is no set number of sensitivity readers that can be employed for a single work. In fact, the more the better (I think) because then you get a variety of perspectives and opinions.

What’s Up with Twitter?

It goes like this: someone was hired and PAID to be a sensitivity reader and got so frustrated with the racism against Mexicans in the said work of fiction (it’s a YA book, but for reasons, I’m not going to disclose the book or the tweeter. I’m sure if you looked hard enough you can find them both!) that they ranted on Twitter about the racist remarks.

This brought up a whole pot of things. People were arguing about whether she should have disclosed anything at all since it was her job to help the publisher and author with the book’s representation of marginalized groups.

What do I Think?

I think all feeling as completely valid. I get that she was angry, and offended, and so, so incredibly hurt. However, she had a job to do. By going viral she violated an agreement—whether or not it was put to paper (the confidentiality, I mean) between her and the publisher. I mean, they went and got a sensitivity reader because they had concerns. Those concerns were found to be there and in the book and super hurtful.

This is what she agreed to read for though. Give the author and chance to fix it. Explain where the author went so wrong. Paint the author the picture that you see, the one that hurt you so much. Now that you’ve gone onto social media though, publishers and authors aren’t going to trust you. That person who tweeted all that out?

There’s a pretty good chance she isn’t going to get another gig as a sensitivity reader. I think that’s good. She wasn’t doing what she was paid to do, with the discretion that she was paid to do it, once she went live.

I sincerely hope the author fixed all her racist remarks and understands that what she wrote was wrong.