Bailey

First things first...

DON'T BELIEVE WHAT THEY TELL YOU IN THE MOVIES

Who I thought Percy Jackson was...


Who Percy Jackson actually is...


Turns out this kid is like 12...who knew? Not me apparently.

It's refreshing to live inside the mind of a 12 year old boy every now and then. That's one thing I never thought I would every say, but its true. Events that would have been met with dramatic flare and a few choice words were a little lighter and made me laugh out loud.

I'd love to tell you I had some deep revelation on my way down, that I came to terms with my own mortality, laughed in the face of death, et cetera.
The truth? My only thought was: Aaaaggghhhhh!

Percy is a character I can get behind and care about. He's strong yet unsure of himself. Loyal to his friends and family. Clever even though he's put himself in that 'not smart enough' box. And I can't wait to watch him and his friends grow up.

Thank gods this is only the start of the series and I have a lot more to read.

I don't know how I feel about this. It sort of changed Barrons for me...and Mac a little bit too. Barrons is DARK. Really.
I'm not sure I should be in his head.
I don't think anyone should be in his head.

Going into this I really had only one expectation, Irish guys. I looooove 'em. Love them in a way that borders on obsession.


*I know Gerard Butler is Scottish, but damn he does Irish so well*

Okay, maybe more than borders. Which is why I was disappointed to find only the rare Irish boy in Dublin, Ireland. WTF? Why isn't Jericho Barrons Irish? Why doesn't he have just a hint of an accent? Boo.

With that said, its a good book. I liked Barrons, with or without the accent. He has a dry sort of humor that had me, on multiple occasions, wondering if he was serious or really just joking. And I want to know what the hell he is! Is he part Fae? Maybe some sort of shady guy? I have no idea...all of my guesses are just that, silly guesses. His 'adventures' with Mac had me laughing even though I'm not sure if I should have been. Whether it was his using her as his personal arm candy, her thwarting his attempts to show her off as said arm candy with rainbow outfits, or just their klepto moves, I was pretty amused. Seriously, between the two of them no OOP's were safe.



Maybe Mac should consider renaming her 'Objects of Power' though. We all know they're more OPP than OOP. Yeah, you know me...not so down with other people's property. But Mac and Barrons sure the hell are.
Crap, not only have I dated myself but I've gotten that stuck in everyone's head...sorry.

There's one thing with this that I'm wavering on and can't quite decide if I like it or hate it, it could equally go either way. I'd be a pretty lame Buffy fan I didn't notice the similarities between Ms. Lane and Ms. Summers. Its fairly noticeable one chapter in but obvious later on once she learns about her real self. Warehouse. Natural fighting skills. Spear toting. Need I go on? I half expected Barrons to tell her this was her destiny, that there was only one of her a generation.

For now I will think its a good thing because Buffy is just so damn awesome. That and I so rarely read a heroine who is worried about her favorite nail polish color being discontinued. My advice to her is buy up as much as possible now before its too late. That's why I have a stockpile of shampoos and conditioners in my linen closet. You won't find that particular TIGI on store shelves anymore. Look who's laughing now lady who rang me up.

You know that moment when you're watching a crime show drama and you see someone for the first time and you're like, They did it? I do that a lot, and I don't mean to brag (maybe I do) but I'm pretty damn good at picking the right one. Especially those totally random killers that weren't even suspects until the last possible second. My best friend says its just cause I get lucky by picking the first person I see, but lets be honest here people...I'm just that awesome.

Normally I'm pretty excited I'm right. Normally I'm surprised by their motives. (I only pick the who, not the why...I can't do all the work for these cops, sheesh) This time all I thought was...duh. It was pretty obvious. In fact, most of the book was pretty obvious.

I shouldn't be so shocked anymore. When the girl is in love with her male BFF and he's a man-whore you know exactly what's going to happen. She pines for him and he pines for her, masking his feelings by wagging his winky around to random girls. Why is it every other girl in NA books are sluts? Why do they always throw themselves at these guys who are always totally irresistible? Why does he always have an impossibly perfect body?



Why can't the guy have a 4 pack? You know, the kind those yummy malt beverages come in...a little Mikes Hard Lemonade abs, that could be interesting. And while I'm making suggestions, how about we not get his POV if he's going to be just like the girl except with more swear words. I think I would have enjoyed this much more without getting into Kyler's head. Not much pisses me off more than constant misunderstandings that can be easily fixed if both of them would just man up, or grow lady balls, and be honest. We could have wrapped up that little problem quickly and developed the stalking story line a bit more.

That actually had potential, other than the No shit, Sherlock factor. I know J. Lynn can pull off a better mystery than this. Her YA books are some of my favorite...and I think that might be why I was just so disappointed in this. Maybe it was written quicker than her others? Maybe if it was given more time the story and characters could have been fleshed out more. Maybe it could have been edited one more time and she could have decided if she wanted her characters in jeans or sweats because either they are magic and can switch back and forth or they were wearing those PajamaJeans. I was equal parts confused and annoyed.



I think I've come to realize that I prefer Jennifer L. Armentrout as a YA and not adult.

Le sigh...

In fact I was fairly certain there was no one in the entire world quite like Adrian Ivashkov.

How does one not fall in love with Adrian Ivashkov? I just don't get it.

Riddle time.

What do you get when you combine Aladdin, The Newsies, and Merlin?

No, not Disney's newest hit movie, although that's a fantastic idea. You get The Demon King. I know...what? It doesn't make sense, but it works.

This is the story of Princess Jasmine and Aladdin Princess Raisa and Han, the royal who isn't satisfied with just pretty dresses and court life and the former streetlord just trying to get by. Not so much Raisa and Han, since the majority of it is two separate lives running parallel to one another in a way that doesn't annoy you because you just know that when they collide completely its going to be epic.

So this is what the story has that I absolutely love:

*Street gangs run by kids in the midst of a turf war and a leader who decides to retire at the ripe old age of sixteen. Did I wish they ended with a big musical number? Obviously.



*Wizards. Who doesn't love wizards? Especially the charming kind with a powerful father that gives you the chills. I sort of like Micah even though I know I shouldn't. I have a feeling if really given the choice of forcing Raisa to marry him he wouldn't have done it. I have faith that he will redeem himself...hopefully.

*The Royal Guard. You had me at a soldier with a sword. I love Amon. I will proudly wear a Team Amon shirt.

*A princess who isn't shy with the boys. Raisa is so refreshing. In the obvious ways she's wise beyond her years and makes the hard decisions, and sometimes wrong decisions, you expect a proper heroine to. But in others she's just a teenage girl because she wants to spend her summer being wooed and kissing boys. And she will if given the chance. If you were in hidden corners of ballrooms or dark passage ways with attractive boys, what would you do? Me too.



*An ending that leaves me rushing out to get the second book. Or in my case, rushing to my libraries website and placing a hold on it.

In summary...everything I love about fantasy books, and just books in general, has been packed into this. Not in a way that has you groaning about having everything, including the kitchen sink. But in a way that has you excited that it has everything, including the kitchen sink. There is a very important difference.

Wait, so you mean to tell me there's more Adrian out there?



How come I didn't know about this sooner?

I was always Team Adrian even though we all know he had no chance in hell with Rose. So knowing he has been given a second chance is pretty much the best Christmas present ever.

He is the most conceited, snarky, self-deprecating, lovable guy ever. And I L.O.V.E. him.

“I don't suppose that she gave you the job based on looks alone?"
Adrian had been staring off but now flashed me a big smile. "Why, Sage, you sweet talker."
"That's not what I meant! What happened?"
He shrugged. "I told the truth."
"Adrian!"
"I'm serious. She asked me what my greatest strength was. I said getting along with people."
"That's not bad." I admitted.
"Then she asked what my greatest weakness was. And I said, 'Where should I start?'"
"Adrian!"
"Stop saying my name like that. I told her the truth. By the time I was on the fourth one, she told me I could go.”

Oh, and I don't hate Sydney as much as I thought I would, I actually quite like her. She has my blessing to try and make Adrian a better man...as long as she doesn't turn him into the Adrian that Rose did. That's my only request.

With Adrian, Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and even Abe, this has the potential to surpass VA. It is the perfect formula for a successful spin-off and I can't wait.

Dear Veronica Roth,

You are one crazy-ass, brave writer for ending Divergent the way you have. You took the dangerous road that might, and has, angered many fans of this series. Simply put, making the decisions you have took balls. Yes, I said it...you have balls. And I applaud you for that.



I know I'm not with the majority on this one and it surprises me, but I wasn't disappointed by this like I was scared I would be.

Was I heartbroken and angry? Of course.
Will I forgive Veronica Roth for what she has done? Probably not anytime soon.

But I understand it and almost expected it. As soon as Caleb volunteered to sacrifice himself I knew...KNEW...no matter her confusion and hurt towards him, Tris would never let him go through with it. I hoped it would end differently of course and if it weren't written as well as it was I would be angrier. The aftermath for Tobias was beautiful. Beautifully sad of course, but beautiful nonetheless. I may have had a harder time with that than I did with the death itself. I love you, Four. Seriously. Not many writers could pull something like this off and in my opinion she has. Its an ending I won't soon forget, nor do I want to.

I laughed with my favorite characters. I cried along with them, a lot. I swore out loud in anger at the surprises. And I loved it. It has started as one of my favorites and ended as one as well.

Now I only pray the movie doesn't F it up.

I have to admit, it took me longer that I would have liked to click back into what is, The Raven Cycle. I found my self re-reading sections because I felt as though I wasn't getting it, like I was reading with some sort of disconnect. I was frustrated because I knew somehow it was my fault.

But suddenly, as if someone flipped a switch...I was back. I realized it was because the writing itself and the world of Blue and her Raven Boys is a rare sort of thing.



I had to reboot myself, pretty much, to fall back into this world. As soon as I did I was in the zone, completely lost in it.

Maggie Stiefvater has a way with words, no denying it. But what she also does is create characters that are unique. We have teenagers that are aged beyond their years but still somehow young. I could literally just sit around and listen to their conversations for hours and hours. There are eople who appear to be one thing and then surprise us by being the exact opposite of what we expect. And then of course the ones who are exactly who we thought they were.

This is a world I still may not fully understand, but I will take the time to get there.

Oh, and by the way...in my last review I may have said it was far to hard to choose just one Raven Boy as a favorite but that isn't the case now. Hands down, its Ronan. Always loved the bad boy.

I'm exhausted. Emotionally drained.

There is this movie I saw on Syfy, Alice, it's a retelling of Alice in Wonderland. (If you haven't seen it, I recommend it. I love that sorta stuff.) In Wonderland, the people there drink tea made from all sorts of human emotions, pretty much anything you can think of. Love, lust, excitement, bewilderment...you get the point. Well after reading this I feel as though I have gone around and sampled every single tea they had to offer and now I have been emotionally over stimulated.

And I loved every minute of it.

Here is just a sample of the teas I drank while reading this:

SHOCK with a hint of TERROR
Once again I was blown away by pure horror/science-fiction of this story. I know that I've had some strange thoughts and 'what if' ideas. But I want to know what Susan Ee is thinking, what she's eating before going to bed to dream this shit up. Because that is the only place this can come from, nightmares. I mean that as a compliment, by the way.

PRIDE
Not pride in myself, all I did was read it obviously, but pride in Penryn. She's is an heroine that is easy to get behind for the simple fact that she doesn't see herself as one but has done heroic things nonetheless. So often I read about girls who just happen to be the only one who can save the day and have had this destiny laid out for her long before she ever knew it. But Penryn is just a girl who has a clear head on her shoulders and common sense coming out of her ass who honestly just wants to protect her family. If she saves the world from an army of angels in the process, so be it.

AMUSEMENT
I can't even count the number of times I laughed out loud. Between Pooky Bear, Mom's surprisingly useful antics, DeeDum and the banter between Penryn and Raffe, I almost forgot about all the horrific scenes. Almost.

LUST
Raffe. Wet. Fireside. I'm sure I don't have to elaborate.

GIDDINESS
There isn't a love story here...yet. But I see one and I'm so excited for it. Am I annoyed by how slow its going? Not at all. It's actually not that slow considering how little time has passed, but by the second book we normally have more than just a first kiss. Oh man, it was a good first kiss though, I'm still thinking about it and it wasn't even in this one!

And finally...

FRUSTRATION
When does the third book come out? Yeah...I'm not a very patient person.
Suppose I'll find a way to occupy myself until then.

No matter how celestial, no matter how powerful they are, this is our home and we will fight to keep it.

This is the beginning of something epic, I can feel it.

When it comes to this you really can't judge a book by its cover, or blurb. You may think you know what this is about but You. Have. No. Idea. Sure, it has biblical mythology, angels falling and all. But what I didn't expect was a psychological thriller, science fiction, horror film and Great Gatsby all rolled into one. Like I said, EPIC.

There are so many things I want to say, so many things that I'm just dying to spill but I can't. Because the best part of this book is the unexpected. The moments of W.T.F. The pure confusion and the...



No seriously. That's practically the entire last quarter of the book.

Before reading you may need to keep in mind that there are things you can't un-see...read...imagine...whatever you get the point. My mind has officially been blown and you have been warned.

P.S. Raffe is f'ing hot. Snarky, freshly showered or taking his rage out on inanimate objects in a room...I'd take it all. Even after digging out a latrine. Yeah, I like him that much.

No matter how celestial, no matter how powerful they are, this is our home and we will fight to keep it.

This is the beginning of something epic, I can feel it.

When it comes to this you really can't judge a book by its cover, or blurb. You may think you know what this is about but You. Have. No. Idea. Sure, it has biblical mythology, angels falling and all. But what I didn't expect was a psychological thriller, science fiction, horror film and Great Gatsby all rolled into one. Like I said, EPIC.

There are so many things I want to say, so many things that I'm just dying to spill but I can't. Because the best part of this book is the unexpected. The moments of W.T.F. The pure confusion and the...



No seriously. That's practically the entire last quarter of the book.

Before reading you may need to keep in mind that there are things you can't un-see...read...imagine...whatever you get the point. My mind has officially been blown and you have been warned.

P.S. Raffe is f'ing hot. Snarky, freshly showered or taking his rage out on inanimate objects in a room...I'd take it all. Even after digging out a latrine. Yeah, I like him that much.

Caution...Major Book-Gushing Ahead

Don’t compare yourself to Reagan, it’s like comparing apples and…grapefruits.

9/10 girls will relate to this book. Odds are, that one hold out does but just might not want to admit it. Hell, there are things I relate to and don't want to cop to.

I'm a Cath. Maybe you're a Wren. Maybe you're a Reagan. (God, I wish I was a Reagan) Maybe you're a Courtney. Maybe you're even a Levi or Nick. The point is, this book hits on practically every fear, every problem, every scary joy that is Freshman Year of college.

Months are different in college, especially freshman year. Too much happens. Every freshman month equals six regular months-they're like dog months.

So, here are my confessions, my Cath-isms:

1. My first semester of college was rough. Sometimes you can go too far too soon and that's when you realize you aren't the badass young adult you thought you were. I didn't think I would be the type of person who would let social anxiety hide out in a dorm room, even avoid the cafeteria, but I was. At on point, my father even drove from Virginia to Indiana to pick me up. The only good thing that came out of that was instead of gaining those horrible Freshman Fifteen, I lost it.

2. Boys scared the shit out of me. (I'm sure everyone will agree on this one) I can vividly remember jumping away from my first serious boyfriend Just. Like. Cath. It was startling, the similarities.

3. I have written fanfictions. Not the sort Cath and Wren have, no slash or Harry Potter-esque. They were for a band I very much enjoyed, who am I kidding...I still love them. For me fanfictions were about letting some creativity out. I have so much shit up in my head, I fall asleep making up stories, that I had to let it out somehow. Were they good? Some people told me they were. Were they great? Probably not. But I envy Cath for even taking a Fiction-Writing class. I still wish I had taken Creative Writing when I was in school because maybe, but probably not, I'd have a book to review here. Bring on the one stars people.

Why would I admit these things? For one, if Cath can than so can I. But also to explain why I loved this one so much. Practically every time I turned a page I was thinking, Yes! I did that! or OMG, thank God I'm not the only one. I still set my phone to my son's father's number when walking somewhere that makes me nervous, ready to hit call if I need to. Fangirl has tapped into every one of my awkward thoughts and habits and made me feel okay about them.

I'm the Cool One. Somebody give me some tequila cause I totally drink it. There's no way later you're going to find me having a panic attack in your parents' bathroom. Who wants to French-kiss?

Who hasn't said something similar to themselves in the mirror? Don't lie.

There was also a love story. It wasn't focal but it was there. It was cute and it was incredibly innocent. There were times I thought that he might have said too many of the right things, but I'm not going to complain because I'm probably just jealous. I wish my first love would have waited in line for hours in the middle of the night wearing one of my t-shirts that I currently have hidden in the back of my closet.

This book has jumped right out of those secrets hidden in my closet and has found its way to my favorites shelf. And I will read anything Rainbow Rowell has to give, even if just to see if she throws a comment about Wyoming in to every single one.

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Grace Brisbane. There was nothing particularly special about her, except that she was good with numbers, and very good at lying, and she made her home in between the pages of books. She loved all the wolves behind her house, but she love one of them most of all.

I find it hard to describe why I like this book so much. I could probably break it down by each character, what I thought of them, why I cared about what happened to them. But that wouldn't really explain my feelings. And I can't really say it was the plot because, to be honest, I didn't have moments like I normally do with my favorite books where I was on the edge of my seat, gasping an O.M.G. It's not a thriller, there's no epic battles. Again, no Lion King moment I secretly wished for. But I'm actually okay with that.

Basically, I think it comes down to this. The book is easy. Not easy in a lower reading level sort of way. But easy to fall into the world. Easy to enjoy. Easy to connect with the characters. All of them were so believable even with their extraordinary pasts, their unordinary lives. If Sam were to say to me, "This isn't fiction Bailey, this is a true story." I'd probably nod casually and go with it. And that is all in the writing. Maggie Stiefvater has a beautiful way with words, plain and simple.

"I'm standing here in the shed, and I'm waiting to see if my seeds are going to poke out of the dirt. I don't know if its too early to look for signs of life or if, this time, winter has claimed my family for good."

I could go on and on about how much I loved Sam and Grace's relationship or how annoyed I was with Grace's parents sudden decision be finally actually be parents. But that would be gushing or just ranting and the words always sound better in my head anyways, so I won't.

I do, however, feel the need to mention how much I loved the newest addition, Cole. He was selfish, gorgeous, snarky, and damaged just enough for me to fall for him. Throw in Isabel and this is a beautiful disaster just waiting to happen and I can't wait to see more of them. Cole's arrival made the second book better than the first. He has fulfilled the bad boy quota that I didn't realize was missing with just Sam.

Sam + Cole = A hard freakin' decision if I were stuck in a love triangle.

Caution...Major Book-Gushing Ahead

Don’t compare yourself to Reagan, it’s like comparing apples and…grapefruits.

9/10 girls will relate to this book. Odds are, that one hold out does but just might not want to admit it. Hell, there are things I relate to and don't want to cop to.

I'm a Cath. Maybe you're a Wren. Maybe you're a Reagan. (God, I wish I was a Reagan) Maybe you're a Courtney. Maybe you're even a Levi or Nick. The point is, this book hits on practically every fear, every problem, every scary joy that is Freshman Year of college.

Months are different in college, especially freshman year. Too much happens. Every freshman month equals six regular months-they're like dog months.

So, here are my confessions, my Cath-isms:

1. My first semester of college was rough. Sometimes you can go too far too soon and that's when you realize you aren't the badass young adult you thought you were. I didn't think I would be the type of person who would let social anxiety hide out in a dorm room, even avoid the cafeteria, but I was. At on point, my father even drove from Virginia to Indiana to pick me up. The only good thing that came out of that was instead of gaining those horrible Freshman Fifteen, I lost it.

2. Boys scared the shit out of me. (I'm sure everyone will agree on this one) I can vividly remember jumping away from my first serious boyfriend Just. Like. Cath. It was startling, the similarities.

3. I have written fanfictions. Not the sort Cath and Wren have, no slash or Harry Potter-esque. They were for a band I very much enjoyed, who am I kidding...I still love them. For me fanfictions were about letting some creativity out. I have so much shit up in my head, I fall asleep making up stories, that I had to let it out somehow. Were they good? Some people told me they were. Were they great? Probably not. But I envy Cath for even taking a Fiction-Writing class. I still wish I had taken Creative Writing when I was in school because maybe, but probably not, I'd have a book to review here. Bring on the one stars people.

Why would I admit these things? For one, if Cath can than so can I. But also to explain why I loved this one so much. Practically every time I turned a page I was thinking, Yes! I did that! or OMG, thank God I'm not the only one. I still set my phone to my son's father's number when walking somewhere that makes me nervous, ready to hit call if I need to. Fangirl has tapped into every one of my awkward thoughts and habits and made me feel okay about them.

I'm the Cool One. Somebody give me some tequila cause I totally drink it. There's no way later you're going to find me having a panic attack in your parents' bathroom. Who wants to French-kiss?

Who hasn't said something similar to themselves in the mirror? Don't lie.

There was also a love story. It wasn't focal but it was there. It was cute and it was incredibly innocent. There were times I thought that he might have said too many of the right things, but I'm not going to complain because I'm probably just jealous. I wish my first love would have waited in line for hours in the middle of the night wearing one of my t-shirts that I currently have hidden in the back of my closet.

This book has jumped right out of those secrets hidden in my closet and has found its way to my favorites shelf. And I will read anything Rainbow Rowell has to give, even if just to see if she throws a comment about Wyoming in to every single one.

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Grace Brisbane. There was nothing particularly special about her, except that she was good with numbers, and very good at lying, and she made her home in between the pages of books. She loved all the wolves behind her house, but she love one of them most of all.

I find it hard to describe why I like this book so much. I could probably break it down by each character, what I thought of them, why I cared about what happened to them. But that wouldn't really explain my feelings. And I can't really say it was the plot because, to be honest, I didn't have moments like I normally do with my favorite books where I was on the edge of my seat, gasping an O.M.G. It's not a thriller, there's no epic battles. Again, no Lion King moment I secretly wished for. But I'm actually okay with that.

Basically, I think it comes down to this. The book is easy. Not easy in a lower reading level sort of way. But easy to fall into the world. Easy to enjoy. Easy to connect with the characters. All of them were so believable even with their extraordinary pasts, their unordinary lives. If Sam were to say to me, "This isn't fiction Bailey, this is a true story." I'd probably nod casually and go with it. And that is all in the writing. Maggie Stiefvater has a beautiful way with words, plain and simple.

"I'm standing here in the shed, and I'm waiting to see if my seeds are going to poke out of the dirt. I don't know if its too early to look for signs of life or if, this time, winter has claimed my family for good."

I could go on and on about how much I loved Sam and Grace's relationship or how annoyed I was with Grace's parents sudden decision be finally actually be parents. But that would be gushing or just ranting and the words always sound better in my head anyways, so I won't.

I do, however, feel the need to mention how much I loved the newest addition, Cole. He was selfish, gorgeous, snarky, and damaged just enough for me to fall for him. Throw in Isabel and this is a beautiful disaster just waiting to happen and I can't wait to see more of them. Cole's arrival made the second book better than the first. He has fulfilled the bad boy quota that I didn't realize was missing with just Sam.

Sam + Cole = A hard freakin' decision if I were stuck in a love triangle.