Co-Written Story // Part 3

Chapter 1

December 2007

       Liam rolled over in bed.  He groaned, covering his face with a pillow.  The winter morning light streamed in from his window.  He groaned again and sat up, knowing Lia would be in soon to wake him up for Christmas morning. 

          Right on cue, Failia (his little sister whom he called Lia) bounded into his room singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" at the top of her voice.  And, like always, her voice was beautiful, sweet and in tune.  

          Lia stopped singing as she reached his bed and sat down next to him, instantly calm. 

       "Come on," she said.  "Mom and Dad are waiting."

       "All right.  I'll be down in just a sec," Liam replied.  

       Lia bounced off the bed and proceeded to skip out of his room, resuming her carols.  

       Liam looked out of his window into the snowy world beyond.  He loved Sheridan County.  The snowy winters, the North Piney Creek, the Big Horn Mountains.  Smiling to himself, he got out of bed, grabbed his robe, and headed out of his room.  

Co-Written Story // Part 2

       The form had emerged slowly at first, a shadow melting out of imagination and into the land of reality, and by the time its appearance had registered with Liam, it was nearly upon him. He skidded backwards, falling into the mud and crawling backwards. His back hit a tree, stopping him in his tracks.
        His hands groveled between the roots for something to use as a weapon - a rock or stick of some sort. He felt something sharp, maybe a discarded arrowhead or something else left of the natives, and clutched onto it as though it were life itself; as far as he could tell, it very well could have been.
       The form walked towards Liam, its gait steady and confident, its hands clasped behind its back.
      “Li’ani,” the voice whispered, the voice harsh and raspy yet carrying through the chilled air. Liam shuddered at his birth name. He tried to push himself onto his feet so he would at least die fighting, but the figure subdued him with a flick of his fingers: a dozen more shadowy figures emerged from between the trees, their faces shadowed by hoods pulled over their faces. Each one held a loaded bow, all pointed towards Liam’s heart.

Co-Written Story // Part 1

Go to the Co-Written Page to see more about this story! Here is the first 175 words.  

September 26, 2008    
   "RUN!"

       Liam ran down the hill, dragging Avery by the hand.  Liam felt a jerk on his hand as Avery tripped over a tree root, having fallen in the mud, unable to see in the dead of night. 

       "Go on," urged Avery.  "I'm just slowing you down.  I´ll hide here and meet up with you later."

       Liam paused.  How could he leave her? She was sure to be found without him; she didn't know the land like he did.  But, maybe she wouldn’t be seen, curled up in the roots of the big oak tree. 

       "Go," she said again.  "We don't have much time." 

       Liam bent down, kissed her forehead, and ran into the black night that stretched out before him. 

       He ran, down the hill and through the maze of trees that he knew so well.  Only, his perfect memory could not save him.  A moment too late, he realized that something was not right; the sight before him not only beheld the giant trees, but also the very person he was running from.  

Book Review // Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Hello again!

I am so sorry for posting so infrequently right now. Things have been a little hectic with going back to school and everything, so I am hoping to get back into the swing of things in the next couple weeks. I have been reading pretty often, however, and am a little backed up on writing posts, so expect a few more than usual over the next few days.

Also, Megan and I are discussing a new posting schedule - one that is less restricting and will allow for more posts on the blog. This is the tentative new schedule:

Top Ten Posts // Tuesdays by both Caelyn and Megan (prompted from The Broke and the Bookish)
Reviews // Whenever a book is finished and simultaneously posted on Goodreads
Features and Misc. // Again, whenever we feel like it.

In addition, I am really trying to get our social media up and running. Thank you to those of you who have followed us there despite the lack of posts! I have been building up a collection of photos and have an idea as to how to conduct the social media in my busy life. 

Whew. It feels good to have that all out there. 

Okay, now onto what this post is actually about. A book review!

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

"Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now the Winterians' only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter's magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter's defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, Winter's future king—she would do anything to help Winter rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter's magic, Meira decides to go after it herself—only to find herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics—and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own. "

I really, really liked this book...not quite a five star review, but really, really close. Now, this could have something to do with the fact that my brain was rather muddled as I decided to get sick on my FREE WEEKEND after working for pretty much 2 WEEKS STRAIGHT AT SCHOOL (yes, that includes an entire weekend).

No, no. No problem there.

I read this book (at least the beginning part of it) very fast, which could be another reason I didn't give it five stars. It was one of those things where my brain was slightly switched off and was kind of skimming for part of the time, which made me not super involved in the plot. But I still really liked it.

Things I Loved:

• All the twists and turns of the plot. There were totally some things that I did not see coming! The whole plot enthralled me, and there was pretty much something happening at all times, which I really liked. 
• The relationship between Mather and Meira. I love how flawed it is because I am really looking forward to seeing how it progresses. This might sound like a weird opinion...but I see a lot of potential growth there. 
• I really love that feeling in a book where something completely unexpected happens and your jaw just drops and you start saying, "No...did that really just happen?" out loud and get weird looks from the people around you. It is also one of those things where your adrenalin spikes and you feel like you need to go release all of your energy by talking yelling about it with someone who has already read it. Or not. This book had a lot of that, and it was so enthralling that, just...I don't even have the words. 
• The full on girl power and female strength (go Meira!). Meira shows us that girls, too, can change the world and make a difference.
• I also loved the uniqueness of the world. Each kingdom is so different and amazing that it is easy to tell them apart.
• The ending.
• There was a lot more that I loved, but I finished it about a week ago and not I cannot remember what else I wanted to say about it. Darn my school-stuffed brain. But there are a lot more positives. Just trust me on this one.

Things I Didn't Love As Much:

• Some of the characters annoyed me from time to time (namely: Sir), but I know, I know. There was a reason for it. But still!
• I was slightly confused at some parts about the layout of the land. The kingdoms also confused me for a little while, but it became clearer in my mind as I kept reading. 
• This is something really small and nitpicky, but as a writer, some of the names bugged me. Not so much those of people, but mainly those of places. I felt like they were jumbled from everywhere and did not have a flow to them (such as all Anglican names for one place, African names for another, etc.). But this is a really small detail that I really don't think a lot of people would notice. I apologize for pointing it out...

Overall, this book was very good and I highly recommend it. I just finished reading the sequel, so stay tuned for a review on Ice Like Fire tomorrow or the next day. 

The final thing I would like to point out is that you should visit our new and improved quotes page. Feel free to repost any of the social media quote photos (but only if you give credit to us). 

Thank you so much for reading, and check us out on social media (Twitter, Instagram, and Bloglovin'). Our links are on the top right of the blog's homepage.

Feature // Highly Anticipated Upcoming Books

Let me just start off by saying this...I kind of suck at blogging.

At least I do right now, but I am kind of hoping that it is one of those things that you slowly get better about as you learn about all of the things that it has to offer. But just to sum it up for those of you who are new, here is a list of my blogging accomplishments:

• 2 posts on Twitter and reaching 4 (cough cough) followers
• Some impromptu "Oh my goodness I forgot to take pictures so let me just use my phone to snap a horrendous close up of these two books on my carpet..." posts on Instagram (refer below)
• A total of, oh I don't even know, three weeks without a post? Wait, I think I might have posted last week...or the week before...

You get what I'm saying. I'm not a complete slacker...homework reacher a new high for this year last week and I was swamped with one essay and six tests over the course of four school days. I even spent the entire weekend studying for an AP Euro test...but now that's over and life seems to be returning to its regular routine!

As for an update on building the blog, we added links to all of our social media pages on the "About Us" page and added a quotes page. Also check out our "Must Reads" page for inspiration on what to read next. (I couldn't remember if I included this in any other posts...so here it is anyway...)

Today, I am not bringing you our typical TV Thursday post, but instead I am compiling a list of my most anticipated books for the coming months. I might include a few books that *just* came out, mainly because, as you can probably tell, I am running behind in life. 

Yes, this might sound like something that I could do for a Top 10 Tuesday post, but I want to do it now, so sorry. Stay tuned for a school related Top 10 Tuesday post next week, as I have something in mind to commemorate the beginning of school. 

A Collection of Upcoming Books I Wish to Read (In Order of Release Dates)

The Reader by Traci Chee

"Sefia knows what it means to survive. After her father is brutally murdered, she flees into the wilderness with her aunt Nin, who teaches her to hunt, track, and steal. But when Nin is kidnapped, leaving Sefia completely alone, none of her survival skills can help her discover where Nin’s been taken, or if she’s even alive. The only clue to both her aunt’s disappearance and her father’s murder is the odd rectangular object her father left behind, an object she comes to realize is a book—a marvelous item unheard of in her otherwise illiterate society. With the help of this book, and the aid of a mysterious stranger with dark secrets of his own, Sefia sets out to rescue her aunt and find out what really happened the day her father was killed—and punish the people responsible.

With overlapping stories of swashbuckling pirates and merciless assassins, The Reader is a brilliantly told adventure from an extraordinary new talent."

For some reason, I love reading books about reading...it is always something that I can relate to. As soon as I read the description for this book, I knew that it was something that I wanted to read, and I am hoping that I can read it soon. I have a few books ahead of it on my TBR, but it is pretty high up there. 

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

"A Torch Against the Night takes readers into the heart of the Empire as Laia and Elias fight their way north to liberate Laia’s brother from the horrors of Kauf Prison. Hunted by Empire soldiers, manipulated by the Commandant, and haunted by their pasts, Laia and Elias must outfox their enemies and confront the treacherousness of their own hearts.

In the city of Serra, Helene Aquilla finds herself bound to the will of the Empire’s twisted new leader, Marcus. When her loyalty is questioned, Helene finds herself taking on a mission to prove herself—a mission that might destroy her, instead."

Now this book is an automatic read, one that is actually the next book on my TBR. I am currently rereading An Ember in the Ashes to prepare for this, and I am loving it just as much as I did the first time through. Someone please remind me to go and order this book RIGHT NOW!

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

"Three dark queens

are born in a glen,

sweet little triplets

will never be friends

Three dark sisters

all fair to be seen,

two to devour

and one to be Queen

Every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown."

Something about this book caught my attention. For one thing, look at that cover...I mean, just look at it! How gorgeous is it? I need to get this book and then take some beautifully creepy pictures of it for Instagram. But also I love how unique the story line is, and I love how it has QUEENS! Queens, not kings are the heirs to the throne.

A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess

"I am Henrietta Howel. The first female sorcerer. The prophesied one. Or am I?

Henrietta Howel can burst into flames. When she is brought to London to train with Her Majesty's sorcerers, she meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, young men eager to test her powers and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her. As Henrietta discovers the secrets hiding behind the glamour of sorcerer life, she begins to doubt that she's the true prophesied one. With battle looming, how much will she risk to save the city--and the one she loves?"

With a huge Harry Potter reread hangover, I need some magical books to quench my thirst for all things wonderfully and (literally) magically not real. What better book to read than one about sorcerers? Not only sorcerers, but Her Majesty's sorcerers. I'm in.

Replica by Lauren Oliver

"From Lauren Oliver, New York Times bestselling author of Before I Fall and the Delirium trilogy, comes an epic, masterful novel that explores issues of individuality, identity, and humanity. Replica is a “flip book” that contains two narratives in one. Turn the book one way and read Lyra’s story; turn the book over and upside down and read Gemma’s story. The stories can be read separately, one after the other, or in alternating chapters. The two distinct parts of this astonishing novel combine to produce an unforgettable journey. Even the innovative book jacket mirrors and extends the reading experience.

Lyra’s story begins in the Haven Institute, a building tucked away on a private island off the coast of Florida that from a distance looks serene and even beautiful. But up close the locked doors, military guards, and biohazard suits tell a different story. In truth, Haven is a clandestine research facility where thousands of replicas, or human models, are born, raised, and observed. When a surprise attack is launched on Haven, two of its young experimental subjects—Lyra, or 24, and the boy known only as 72—manage to escape.

Gemma has been in and out of hospitals for as long as she can remember. A lonely teen, her life is circumscribed by home, school, and her best friend, April. But after she is nearly abducted by a stranger claiming to know her, Gemma starts to investigate her family’s past and discovers her father’s mysterious connection to the secretive Haven research facility. Hungry for answers, she travels to Florida, only to stumble upon two replicas and a completely new set of questions.

While the stories of Lyra and Gemma mirror each other, each contains breathtaking revelations critically important to the other story. Replica is an ambitious, thought-provoking masterwork."

I love how unique this book sounds. A book that flips so that the stories intertwine together? That reminds me of a Snow White picture book I had when I was little. I also love the idea for the story. All in all, count me in!

Thank you all for reading this post, and I am sorry for neglecting to post recently. I am working on it, I promise!

Book Review // My Lady Jane

Hello everyone! Sorry for the lack of posts these past few weeks. I went on vacation with my family and then school started, so there has been a lot of transition over the past few days. That is also why I have not been able to post on social media. I need to find time to take Bookstagram photos (hopefully this weekend!), so stay tuned for that. For now, here is a book review.

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

"Who on earth could feel comfortable enough to sleep in a room with no books?"

I really, really liked this book for so many reasons. It gets five stars. For one thing, it was centered around books. I mean, a book about books! What could get better than that? But that's not all...here is a list of all of the things that I loved about this book!

Things I Loved:

• The main characters - they are all so unique and really grew as the novel progressed. They also all possess traits that you would expect the actual people in history to have while being adapted to relate to our modern society.
• Magic, but not normal magic. This was magic that was used to show the disagreements between two religions - talk about plot device! Basically, people have the ability to turn into their animals - randomly or not at all at the beginning and with control as they learn to embrace their abilities and believe in themselves.
• Evil advisers, evil sisters, and evil animal-people-magic things. 
• Backstabbing and attempted (and believed) murder!
• I also really loved the whole (SPOILER ALERT) arranged marriage = falling in love thing. 
• The fact that the authors stole Shakespeare and had G write his poems. There was controversy anyway...
• The comedy! I was laughing so hard throughout this book. If you want to laugh, read this. 
• The dedication. Trust me.
• And lots, lots, LOTS more! I read this book a while back and I absolutely loved it, but I can no longer remember specifically why. Argggghhhh! Anyhow, I really want to read it again at some point, and I highly recommend it. Read it. Now. Seriously, I mean it.

Things I Didn't Like

• I can honestly think of nothing bad about this book. I'll get back to you on that if I thing of anything. 

Thanks for reading! I hope to be back with more posts soon! But until then, have a wonderful everything! :)

Top Ten // Expanded Series

By expanded series, I mean when the author takes her original series or book and writes novellas, prequels, sequel series, or books written about another minor character or a new character from the same world.
In no particular order, here they are.

1. Cassandra Clare's 3 series and 3 extended universe books
       -The Mortal Instuments (Series)
       - The Infernal Devices (Series)
       - The Dark Artifacts (Series)
       - The Shadow Hunter's Codex (Book)
       -The Bane Chronicles (Book)
       - Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy (Book)
I absolutely loved these books.  I loved that after reading the 6 books in The Mortal Instruments, I could read a prequel series and sequel series.  These other series told the stories of other characters in the same world, some which I had already met.

2. Kiera Cass's The Selection Series and Novellas
       -The Selection (Series)
       - The Prince (Novella)
       - The Guard (Novella)
       - The Queen (Novella)
       - The Favorite (Novella)
These books, as Caelyn already said, are great.  I loved the characters and enjoyed getting to know how they understood the story through Cass's novellas.

3. Rae Carson's Fire and Thorns Trilogy and Novellas
       - Fire and Thorns (Trilogy)
       - The Shadow Cats (Novella)
       - The King's Guard (Novella)
       - The Shattered Mountain (Novella)
See Caelyn's Top Ten Fantasy post for more info on these wonderful books!!

4. Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, a Novella, and her Life and Death
       - Twilight (Series)
       - Life and Death (Twilight rewritten)
       -The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner (Novella)
After loving the Twilight books, I was excited to see Meyer's anniversary novel, Life and Death.  In this book, she wrote the vampire as the girl and the human as the boy and changed the sex of almost all the characters in the book.

5. J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series and Bonus Books
       -Harry Potter (Series)
       - Tales of the Beedle and the Bard (Book)
       - Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them (Textbook)
       - Quidditch Through The Ages (Textbook)
Rowling took her fabulous series and wrote the wizard children's book and two textbooks from her stories.

6. Cynthia Hand's Unearthly Series and Novellas
       -Unearthly (Trilogy)
       - Radiant (Novella)
       - Lost Scene from Hallowed
These books get a 5 star rating from me.

7. Elizabeth Wein's Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire
Taking place after Code Name Verity, Rose Under Fire tells the story of a new girl yet characters from Code Name Verity play a role in the story too.

8. Veronica Roth's Divergent Series, Novellas, and Four
       -Divergent (Series)
       -Four (Book)
       -The Transfer (Novella)
       -The Initiate (Novella)
       -The World of Divergent: The path to Allegiant (Novella)
       -The Traitor (Novella)
       -The Son (Novella)
Four tells book 1, Divergent, from Four's (a.k.a. Tobias Eaton) perspective.

9. Amy Ewing's The Lone City Trilogy and Novella
       -The Lone City (Books 1 & 2)
       - The House of the Stone (Novella)
Book three is yet to be released and I eagerly await the day when I can finish the story of Violet.

10. R.J. Palacio's Wonder and Novellas
       -Wonder (Book)
       - The Julian Chapter (Novella)
       -Pluto (Novella)
       -Shingaling (Novella)
While these are younger books, they are beautiful stories with great life messages.  See the quotes page to read a great Wonder quote.

Feature // A Trip to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Hello everyone! I know that I haven't been posting much...but I am working on it! I might write reviews on some of the books that I read a few weeks ago, but for now I am rereading Harry Potter so I have not read any new books. I will probably write a review on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child sometime in the upcoming weeks, which I have already read once. However, I want to read it again before I write any reviews on it.

Anyway, a little over a week ago, I went to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It was an amazing experience!

We arrived at the park around 9:30 and parked our car. The walk through the Universal City Walk on its own was so cool and we stopped in a Harry Potter themed store before entering the park. And it was the best thing ever! They had things ranging from T-shirts of all the houses to notebooks with fancy Hogwarts seals embossed on the front, along with some that had metal seals on the front. There were stuffed Hedwigs and Marauder's Maps that actually worked. I don't even have words...I probably smiled in awe the whole time that I was in the store!

We spent a long time in there going through all the Harry Potter stuff and everything about it was so amazing. Even the decorations in the store looked like something that you would find in Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, or Diagon Alley.

After that, we entered the park. We went straight to Hogsmeade, where we started the day by looking in Zonko's Joke Shop and Honeyduke's. I was a little disappointed at the range of products in Zonko's, as they only had a few wizarding pranks and a lot of vintage-looking toys. Honeydukes, on the other hand, was incredible. There were so many options, including Chocolate Frogs, Peppermint Toads, Exploding BonBons, Chocolate Wands, and so much more. We ended up getting a Chocolate Frog, which was a little bit expensive, but it was totally worth it! The chocolate wasn't the best, but both the packaging and the Chocolate Frog Cards are so cool, as they look almost identical to how they did in the movies!

We ended up getting Salazar Slytherin for our card, which I am planning to use to decorate something or other. Or maybe I'll use it as a prop for photos (cough cough Harry Potter and the Cursed Child).

After going through the first two stores mentioned above, we decided to go one of the rides! We chose The Flight of the Hippogriff and got in line. Even the line was a cool experience, as there were tons of decorations from the movie. We saw Hagrid's Hut and Sirius' flying motorbike, but it was only on the ground here. 

The line was pretty long for such a short ride, but, again, it was worth it. Buckbeak was there as well, but I couldn't get a picture of him. I brought a book in my backpack to read in lines (The second half of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - a book so loved {it has been read upwards of fifteen times by different people in my family} that it finally broke in half.) and ended up being able to read most of what I had left to read that day.

After riding The Flight of the Hippogriff, we went through more stores. We ended up going into Filch's Emporium of Confiscated Goods, which had movie prop replicas, T-shirts, mugs, stuffed animals, and more. We also went into a big interconnected store that was Owl Post (lots of beautiful Hogwart's stationary, quills and ink, and Howlers!), which was decorated like anyone would imagine an Owlery to look like, Dervish and Banges, which had lots of different house goods like sweaters and scarves, and Gladrag's Wizard Wear, which had lots of Hogwarts robes. I loved looking through all of the goods because they looked so realistic! It was almost like being in Hogsmeade for real!

At this point, we decided that we wanted to find Ollivander's. We went through Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment, which was full of Hogwart Express goods and Death Eater stuff. The crowd in Ollivander's was by far the thickest. I looked through so many wands and referred to the descriptions of different wand woods. I settled on a Reed wand, which I felt best represented my personality. Aside from the wood wands, there were character movie replica wands. The ambience was just as I would imagine Ollivander's to be: cozy and cluttered. 

Upon exiting the shop and purchasing our wands, my sister and I started doing actual "magic" with them. They have special tips that connect to motion sensors and allow you to actually preform spells throughout Hogsmeade. 

At intervals throughout the day, there were performances by the Hogwarts Frog Choir, which was really cool! 

The next thing on our agenda was lunch, so we headed over to The Three Broomsticks. It was amazing! All of the tables and chairs were mix-matched, just as one would imagine they would be, and the food was really good. The only problem was they did not handle allergies and gluten-free cuisine very well. Our server seemed to be rather confused about what was and what was not gluten-free. When we ended up getting the food, however, it was really good. I would recommend eating at The Three Broomsticks if you are ever at Universal Studios.

My mom and I ended up getting the braised brisket to share and my sister got the chicken platter (I cannot remember their exact names), but both meals were really good. I was not a huge fan of the regular Butterbeer, as it was sparkling and I do not like sparkling beverages, but if you like things like that then you will probably like it! I believe people describe it as similar to cream soda.

After lunch, we walked through the shops some more and then decided to go one of the tram-tour things through the park and production studios (this was not a part of Hogsmeade). For some reason, I cannot remember the name of it! Anyway, the line was extremely long and I spent the whole time ignoring the beach balls that people were throwing around to read...

The tour was really cool, but afterwards we headed back to Hogsmeade. We got a frozen Butterbeer to drink in line and it was way better than the sparkling one (in my opinion). Although, I could have simply eaten the foam that was on top...talk about delicious!

The outside of the line was pretty normal, but there was a beautiful view of Hogwarts. There was also the Weasley's flying Ford Anglia!

The inside part of the line was incredible, but unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of it. They had us put our belongings inside lockers and I left my phone in my bag... Anyway, there were parts that came to life (including a few appearances of Harry, Ron, and Hermione!). 

The ride itself was incredible; it was full of flying, dementors, and giant spiders! Unfortunately, the ride moved a lot and had a wide range of motion (almost completely upside down at some points) and made me motion sick. I still went on it twice, though, mainly because it broke down the first time at the very beginning and we missed the intro bit by Ron and Harry. They let us go again without waiting in the line!

After the awesome ride, I was still a little motion sick, but we decided to get ice cream. We stopped at one of the food carts (warning: cash only) and bought Florean Fortescue's ice cream. I got the chocolate and my sister got the vanilla (the other option was peanut butter strawberry). Of the two, I would recommend the vanilla over the chocolate. I especially love the packaging!

At this point it was almost time to leave, but we walked through a few more stores and took a quick picture with the Hogwarts Express conductor in front of the Hogwarts Express!

I decided that I wanted to see a wand choose a wizard, so we stood in a short line to watch. My sister was chosen to be the one that the wand chose, and it was so cool! I would highly recommend seeing this if you are ever at the park!

We went back into Ollivander's for a while to make sure that the wands that we chose to buy were really the ones for us, and then watched the Triwizard Spirit Rally, which was really cool. My phone was only able to capture the beginning before running out of storage. After Beauxbatons, Durmstrang went on and preformed (there were lots of flips and stomping large sticks). I preferred this show over the Hogwarts Frog Choir personally.

We also took some photos in front of the entrance to Hogsmeade (you can see a lot of the village behind us)!

I loved the whole experience and it is hard for me to choose a favorite part. I am really hoping to go back again soon. If any Harry Potter fans ever get the chance to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, either in California or in Florida, I would highly recommend going. It is an amazing experience! Thank you so much for reading, and to finish off the post here are a few more pictures!

And two days later I was able to get my hands on this baby! Go midnight release parties!

Feature // OverDrive

This is meant to be my Friday post, but....  Here it is anyway. 

OverDrive is a free app that links with different public libraries.  Once you get the app and choose your library (you can sign in with you library card or make an account), you can barrow ebooks and audiobooks for 21 days.  If a book is unavailable, you can place a hold just like in a regular library. OverDrive connects with libraries in over 60 countries and about 30,000 libraries. I love this app and the fact that I pay nothing to read some great books.  

"Borrow eBooks, audiobooks, and more from your local public library - anywhere, anytime. All you need is a library card."

Book Review // Delirium

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

I love dystopian novels.  I have grown up with my mom telling me to always finish what I start, including books.  So I regret to say that I did not finish this book.  
The society in the book believed love was an awful disease.  The citizens awaited the day they turned 18 and could be "cured" from this disease running through their veins. The characters were believable, and interesting, but for me, this idea of love being a disease was too awful for me to get past and look at the people and characters.  So, for those who love a good dystopian book, try this.  Just for me, it didn't work.  

TV Thursday // When Calls the Heart

Every Thursday, we will try to bring you a post on a book and its TV show or a movie.   

Today I bring you, When Calls the Heart by Janette Oke and the TV show "When Calls the Heart".

The Book 

This Canadian book tells the story of Elizabeth Thatcher, a young school teacher who goes west to teach in a small, developing town.  Her half brother, who lives out west asks her to come out to teach, and she, wanting to try something new, leaves her home of servants and fancy dresses to live in a home where she must pump her own water, cook her own food, and deal problems like mice. 

The book is similar to the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingles Wilder - it tells the story of a life rather than of one big obstacle the protagonist must face.  I found this book interesting, but not very captivating.  This is the first book in the series of six.  

The Show

I watched the first two seasons of the show before I read the book, and I fell in love with it. 

While Elizabeth Thatcher is the young school teacher in both the book and show, there were more differences than similarities.  

Elizabeth heads west to teach in a town called Coal Valley, arriving just after a disastrous mine accident that killed most of the men in the town.  There she learns to fend for herself, meets a handsome Mountie (Canadian Mounted Police), and tries to fit in among the widows.  

I found the show much more captivating and attention holding than the book and I cannot wait for season 3 to be on Netflix. 

Top Ten Tuesday // Fantasy Books

Hello everyone! Sorry for not posting very much lately, but Megan and I have finally discussed it and have come up with a schedule for posting. It will soon be illustrated on the About Us page, so stay tuned!

Today is our first Top-Ten Tuesday (one day late). Basically, Megan and I will alternate weeks writing a top ten post. Today's subject is: Fantasy Books!

I have read a lot of fantasy books and they are by far my favorite genre. Here is a list of my favorite fantasy/fantasy(ish) books and series as of now. Each series is only going to count as a single number.

1 // Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

This one is pretty self-explanatory. I mean, who doesn't love the Harry Potter books? I am currently on my third read-through of the entire series and I still love it as much (or maybe even more) than I did when I read it for the first time when I was eight.

In my eyes, J.K. Rowling is a genius. I love how she is able to foreshadow the happenings of the next book in the one before it. Sometimes something mentioned in book one comes into play in book seven which absolutely blows my mind. She simply worked on coming up with ideas for five years before she wrote the first book. Five Years! Her precisions is what is what I strive for in my writing.

Here are some Harry Potter themed pictures. I am hoping to do a photoshoot soon so more to come (probably in Monday's post):

(The story of how this book turned out to be like this will be in Monday's post...)

(And these two pictures are a hint at what Monday's post will be...stay tuned!)

2 // An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

This book was...I can't even put it in words. I loved this book so much that I sat down in one day and read the whole entire thing. The world was so vivid and imaginative and all of the details were so amazing. I am so excited for book two, A Torch Against the Night, coming out at the end of this month! Every fantasy lover should read this book if they get the chance!

I also was able to meet Sabaa and get my book signed and it was amazing! Sabaa's signature is so cool!

3 // The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

This book doesn't seem to get the best reviews on Goodreads, but I loved this series so much. It was so imaginative and I felt like the world could be real, as it was so detailed and well thought out. It was sprawling with so much detail, not only for one country, but for three! I loved the main character and her struggles, along with the romances that the story has. This series is one of my favorites. 

4 // The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Okay, I know that this is not traditional fantasy, but the stories are based on fairytales, so it is close enough for me. I love all of the characters in this series, as each one is so well thought out and is unique from the other characters. They each have their own quirks!

I also love how all of the plot twists are based on the classic fairytales, but they are changed to fit a futuristic, sci-fi world. I love how all of the stories mesh together into one sprawling adventure. In addition, everything in the world is so creative and well thought out. I particularly enjoy how each happening has a scientific explanation in their world. 

5 // My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Not only did this book utilize (and change) history, but it did so in a very funny and entertaining way. I loved how unique all of the characters were and how basic parts of history were extravagantly explained through magic. It is more of a historical fantasy book than a pure fantasy book, but it is still a wonderful read!

All of the characters are fully fleshed out and I love how funny the book was. The three authors did a wonderful job!

6 // Graceling by Kristin Cashore

I really, really enjoyed this book. It was a fantasy world without traditional magic, but where people were born with Graces. Not all people have, and those that do are not treated the same as those without. This is a sprawling fantasy about a girl named Katsa. I loved how unique the story was and how developed all of the countries were. It was a really good book.

It also was a different read for me because it did not have any magic in it, but the author wrote the story very well! I highly recommend it. I have not yet gotten the chance to read Fire and Bitterblue, but they are high up on my TBR list (the main reason I haven't read them yet is because the bookstore did not have any copies of Fire, so I bought Bitterblue and keep forgetting to order Fire, which you are supposed to read first apparently).

7 // The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

This book was so cool and imaginative that I could not leave it off of this list! I was able to get an ARC of this book, and I have to say that it was a really good read. I love how magic and other fantasy elements are interwoven with history to make a compelling and exciting story. It was a very unique premise, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book! I highly recommend it!

8 // The Siren by Kiera Cass

I love all of the books that Kiera Cass has written, especially her Selection series (which is not on this list because I am considering it more futuristic/dystopian). When I found out that she was writing a new book, I was very excited, and when it came out, I bought it on the first day. It was a really good book. While not quite as good as The Selection, I still really enjoyed it.

I loved all of the characters and how fleshed out they were, along with all of the secrets revealed throughout the course of the book. It it a very unique concept, which I love, and I really enjoyed all of the diversity of its characters. There were girls from all over the world in the book! Overall, it was a very good read and I would recommend it.

9 // Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

This book series was...wow. I have never been one to read angel books, or to glom onto any particular type of book for the matter. But this series was really good and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy books but is looking for something set a little bit more in the real world! I guarantee that you will be rooting for the main character throughout all of her struggles, and that you will really connect with her and her personality. 

10 // The Selection by Kiera Cass

Okay, I couldn't resist. The only reason this book is down at number ten is because it is not a true fantasy books, so you get a list of fantasy with one really-good-but-not-quite-fantasy book tacked on at the end. I think its a pretty good deal. This series was AMAZING! I have read it three times and each time I can literally not put the books down. I just sit all day and read (there's nothing wrong with that, right?). But just read this series. Now. 

And another surprise list!

I decided that I wanted to make a small list at the end of this post of fantasy books and series that I really want to read and are high up on my TBR list. So, here you go!

1 // The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

2 // The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

3 // The Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare

4 // The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

5 // The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead

6 // Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

7 // The Winner's Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski

8 // The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

9 // Precious Stone Trilogy by Kerstin Gier

10 // The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Okay everyone! That is it for today...you got two lists - one incomplete and one complete! I hope you enjoyed this post, and make sure to check out our About Us page to look at our new posting schedule. Have a great day! 

Are there any fantasy books that you loved so much that you think we should read? Comment below!

Reading // Reading Challenges

Ever since I was little, during the summers, my family and I would make our own summer reading challenge.

As a little kid, one summer we made a farm on a wall- every book my siblings and I read would get an animal with the title and author.  

The summer as I entered high school, as we read, we looked for quotes that captured the theme, purpose, plot, etc. and typed them out.  

While reading, if you look for a quote like that or look for a meaningful quote you can appreciate or understand the book better.  So, I encourage you to try it next time you read a book.  

Writing // NaNoWriMo Mid-Month Tips

Hello!

I'm back with another post. Not a book review this time, as I have been rereading some old favorites recently, but maybe I'll write a review on one of them soon.

Lately, aside from reading, my project has been NaNoWriMo. I started off with great intentions, setting my highest goal yet of 50,000 words, but with a brain dead from finals, I had no desire to work on my plot. So, the first of the month rolled around and I left for vacation. I wrote nothing the first day that I returned home, so five days were gone without a word written AND without and outline.

And then I realized that I had no idea where I was going. I had ideas for the plot and knew the basics of the beginning, so I began to write that while I tried to plot. And here I am now halfway through the month with barely any plot. I have resigned my self to a lower goal of 30,000 words and have buckled down on my plot.

That's what I am working on currently, so I am counting my outline towards my word count goal. Progress is progress. Maybe I'll surprise myself by the end of the month and have a surplus of words written.

In the midst of July, sometimes it gets hard to keep writing everyday, so I have put together a few tips that have helped me wrangle my story and get my act together. I hope that they help you as well.

Tip #1

This tip takes place more at the beginning of a draft. If you are trying to plot and just have so many ideas that you don't know what goes where and what happens when, take a deep breath. Start making a list of all of the ideas that you want to include. Personally, I am typing mine and I plan to print it when I am finished compiling it. 

Format the document so that each idea or detail is on a new line. Print it out if you typed it and cut out each individual idea that you have. Now comes the fun part: lay them all out on your floor. If it's easier, you can pin them to a bulletin board or use magnets on a magnetic surface. Rearrange them, fill in the blanks, and figure out splits if you are writing a book series. At this point, you can write an in-depth outline, adding information or keeping the same way that you did with your list of ideas. 

When rearranging the pieces on the floor, I suggest that you keep a pen and highlighter with you. That way you can easily cross out parts that don't make sense or highlight important plot points. It will be messy, and that's a good thing. These are the seeds of your novel - they are not going to be perfect.

I also suggest keeping a stack of notecards with you. You can write in points that you miss or that you come up with as you are plotting and add them in, rearranging them with the typed portion. 

Tip #2

Take a personality test for your characters. I read this on a blog several months ago and I find it very helpful in discovering who my characters are. Hopefully halfway through the month you know at least the basics of who your characters are, but if not that's okay. You still have time to fix that. I took this test for a few of my characters. The results will give you access to an analysis of how a person with that personality type will react in certain situations and what they want out of different aspects of life. I printed out a few of these and put them in my story binder, making sure to label them with the name of the character that they represent. 

I personally think that it is a good idea to refer to this before you outline, as you will understand the motivation behind your characters decisions. Or you can take the quiz afterwards when you know what decisions your characters make, helping find out their true personality as you already know a lot about them. At that point, the test can help you expand your knowledge. Either way will work.

Taking this test for multiple characters can also let you know if their personalities are too similar or if they are exactly like you, which might be helpful information in the long run.

Tip #3

Don't choose a word count goal that is too high, especially if you have other commitments during the month. I started with a 50,000 word count goal and I realized that it was too high for me, so I lowered it to 30,000. In that number, I am including my outline and any work on other stories that I do. It has made it a lot less stressful for me, which I appreciate for the summer months. 

In addition, you do not have to finish your novel in a month. If you want to, that's great, but simply trying to reach your word count is great as well. As I mentioned earlier, progress is progress.

Tip #4

Make a Pinterest board!

I find it helpful when I am quenched for inspiration to browse Pinterest. Make boards for your characters, your worlds, or your story in general. I have also found some great pictures that inspire different aspects of my story or lead me to creating another one. 

It is a great place to look when you hit a road block, but I will warn that it is easy to get distracted and spend several hours pinning things, whether they have to do with your story or not. If you are worried about this, set a timer. When the timer goes off, reassess what you have found on Pinterest and figure out how and if you want to work it into your story. 

Tip #5

Make sure to give your mind a rest. Don't put so much pressure on yourself to finish that you crack. Take time to relax: hang out with friends, read books, or just think. Taking a walk is a good time to think about your story. Who knows, maybe you'll come up for the solution to that plot hole you discovered!

That's all I have today, as I have to get back to writing. Hoping to catch up to my word count goal today, so my fingers are crossed. 

Good luck writing to everyone!

Book Review // The Girl From Everywhere

Hello Everyone! I come to you today with a book review - and my first one for that matter.

The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

“His eyes were so inviting that for a moment, everything in me wanted to reveal this part of myself, as though the truth was a butterfly, wings fluttering, green and gold and quivering to be free. I was a closed book, a rolled map, a dark territory, uncharted; I was surprised by my urgency, but after all, to be known was to exist.” 

I really enjoyed this book. It is hard for me to put my feelings about it in words, but let me try.

Things I Loved:

• The characters, who were all fully fleshed out and had deep personalities. Each one had their own quirks and was very much their own person. They were all really deep and had great connections with one another. The author also created in-depth backstories for each one, which is really impressive considering they are all from different countries AND time periods. 
• This leads to the next point: DIVERSITY. This book was full of it! Each character seemed to be from a different place, some of which include modern day New York, 1860s Hawaii, Africa, and China. There is yet another character who is Persian. I loved it!
• The storyline is great! Is it unique, compelling, and has lots of conflict. 
• The prose! This was probably the best part of the book for me. Everything was written so poetically, and the book was rich with metaphors, similes, and allusions.
• I love how the author incorporated so many myths! Some of the locations that they visit are even "mythical," as the version of the place that they are sent to is based on what the mapmaker believed. My favorite was the pocket-sized dragon (I want one!). 
• Another thing that I almost forgot: the way that they time traveled. I found it very creative! I especially loved how it allowed people to go to mythical places, as I mentioned above. It literally made the story magical. 

Things I Didn't Like:

• The romance. Honestly, I was shipping Nix and Kash the whole time and there was very little romance. I wanted more!
• Some parts of the novel were slow and I felt like they didn't contribute to the book overall.

When all is said and done, I really liked this book. Not my favorite book ever - the four stars is because I felt like it could have been more compelling overall. And the romance... 

Other than that I loved it! I highly recommend it. 

An Introduction

Hello World!

You might not know us yet, but hopefully you will soon. We are Caelyn and Megan, the masterminds behind Bookish Blog.

What is Bookish Blog you might ask?

Well, it is a blog in which we write about pretty much anything we would like, as long as it has something to do with books, reading, or writing. We plan on reviewing books, writing posts about books and writing, and just having fun.

Click on our profiles or the "About Us" page to learn more about us, or go to the "Must Reads" page to see what books we full-heartedly recommend.

Finally, visit us on Instagram (@bloggingbookish) or on Twitter (@BloggingBookish).