Favorite Books of 2016

2:16 PM Ally M.G. 0 Comments




This year I was unable to complete my reading challenge. I read a total of 49/60 books. I feel a bit bummed out, because I read 61/40 books. Life sometimes gets in the way, and we just have to accept that.

Some of the books I had the pleasure of reading and truly enjoying include:










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Warm Fuzzy Middle Grade Books

10:03 AM Ally M.G. 0 Comments

I am considered a super 100% legal adult, and I still read middle grade books. Even though I am expected to be moving from Young Adult to full fledge adult books I still find myself falling into the stories dedicated to middle grade readers. At first I felt a bit self-conscious, but now I have embraced it, because there amazing middle grade stories out there (better than some YA and adult books)



Take Harry Potter for example. The first half of the series is considered middle-grade and as Harry grows up (along side the reader) the books start containing more mature themes that the older audience will grasp quicker than a child.

Some of my favorite books are actually considered middle-grade books…what does that say about me? That I am a child..? You see, the reason I love middle grade stories is because most of the lead characters are selfless. Most of the time their goal is to help someone else out rather than accomplishing a personal goal. Sure you can argue “Percy Jackson went on an adventure to restore Zeus’ lighting bolt because he did not want to die!” And while I do agree with that statement, he also did it to save his mom. Then he realized he was not only saving his mom, but in part his dad, and saving his new friends.



It has to do with the concept of innocence and growth. As a child our worries were minuscule and we felt unbeatable, because the concept of death was still something that only happens in films. Middle grade stories are filled with characters who have a clean slates and do not carry so much baggage. You watch these characters obtain their baggage as you step into their world, and you see the beginning of their development.

Whenever we start a new book that is above the middle grade genre, you have to learn about the character’s baggage. You have to learn why a character behaves a certain way and makes decisions the way they do. While the mystery behind it may be exciting, the whole experience of it is different.



I am currently reading, The School of Good and Evil by Soman Chainani. It is the first middle grade I have read in a long while where the characters are below the age of sixteen. As I read the book it made me realize how clean the character’s slates are. Our two main characters’ current goals are so simple ( I know it will become more complex), but their starting goals are as easy as 2+2 = 4. Sophie want to go to magical school to learn how to become a princess, while Agatha (her best friend) does not want Sophie to be taken away because it means losing her only friend. 

How simple and clean is that. Of course, you will see that there is a lot more to the story as you read, but from the start you see how innocent their goals are. It takes me back to a time where my only goals were figuring out how to please my parents so they give me extra internet hours.

As a reader, I feel it is important to read children stories and remind ourselves that some things can be simple and clean. It is important because it reminds ourselves how to have fun on simple matters. It is important because it reminds ourselves to be a kid again. 

And as a parent, it reminds us that children are actually quite simple…until hormones kick in.

If you want to feel like a baggage free child that does not have a million and one things on their plate try checking out some of these middle grade stories.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Harry Potter
Boundless
A School for Good and Evil
A Bridge to Terebithia 



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Raven Song (Inoki's Games) by I.A.Ashcroft | Book Review

11:14 PM Ally M.G. 0 Comments


I was given this book for an honest review.

A century ago, the world burned. Even now, though rebuilt and defiant, civilization is still choking on the ashes.


Jackson, a smuggler, lives in the shadows, once a boy with no memory, no name, and no future. Ravens followed him, long-extinct birds only he could see, and nightmares flew in their wake. Once, Jackson thought himself to be one of the lucky few touched by magic, a candidate for the Order of Mages. He is a man now, and that dream has died. But, the ravens still follow. The nightmares still whisper in his ear.


Anna’s life was under the sun, her future bright, her scientific work promising. She knew nothing of The Bombings, the poisoned world, or the occult. One day, she went to work, and the next, she awoke in a box over a hundred years in the future, screaming, fighting to breathe, and looking up into the eyes of a smuggler. Anna fears she’s gone crazy, unable to fill the massive hole in her memories, and terrified of the strange abilities she now possesses.


The Coalition government has turned its watchful eyes towards them. The secret factions of the city move to collect them first. And, old gods stir in the darkness, shifting their pawns on the playing field. If Anna and Jackson wish to stay free, they must learn what they are and why they exist. Unfortunately, even if they do, it may be too late.


Raven Song is the first of a four book adult-oriented dystopian fantasy series, a story of intrigue, love, violence, and the old spirits in the shadows who wait for us to notice them again. Readers of Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, and Charlie Human will enjoy this dark magic-laced tale rooted on the bones of what our world could become.


--

A short way to describe this book is x-men with magic in a future dystopian world where nuclear bombs damaged America.

It has been 100 years since a massive bombing, and New York (and other major cities) now have a dome that protects them from radiation. In this world lives Jackson a businessman who isn't entirely normal. Jackson is trying to keep his father's business running while dealing with nightmares that plague his mind. Then on a job he runs into (finds) a girl by the name of Anna, who seems to have been displaced from her timeline. Together they find out about the mysteries of themselves, their government and the monster who lives underground.

Raven Song is a well-written book, with amazing characters who go through amazing character development from the first moment we meet them to the very last page. Raven Song is an urban fantasy dystopian book, filled with concepts you wouldn't think work well...but they do! It is so unusual.

The plot has you engaged and hooked from the beginning, keeping you guessing and full of questions. The whole time I read the book, questions where fluttering through my mind and I connected the dots as we slowly received more information about the world. Why it happened, how it happened, and who these characters are. This book was driven both by its characters and its plot which lets you know that the author knows how to flesh out characters and bring a world to life.

I am just so blown away how so many genres fit so nicely together. (A lot like This Savage Song by V.E Schwab), but this book had more magical magic unexplainable stuff.

Science. Magic. Broken world. Crazy lizard people.

Aschcroft starts the story nice and steady until it picks up and you are sucked in unto the world. He gives you small details that you think is unimportant and then later in the book it is like BAM MASSIVE PLOT DEVICE SUCKER.

You guys really need to read this book! And it is only 290 pages long! (Super short)

It is a super refreshing books for those who have fallen into a book slump, and it will end with you wanting to read more and itching for the next book.


Rating: 4.5/5





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All Signs Lead Back To You | Book Review

10:00 AM Ally M.G. 0 Comments



I was given All Signs Lead Back to You by Aniesha Brahma as an Advance Review Copy for an honest book review through Book Tours.

2013.
As the final bell for the day rang on their last day in school, Diya Rai, had a chill run down her spine. The chill of not knowing what the future holds for her and her high school sweetheart, Ashwin Chowdhury.
So she does a preemptive strike.
She dumps him before he can hurt her.

2015.
Two years later, Ashwin and Diya, cross paths. Each holds grudges, feelings and only one half of the story that completes them.
Told from alternating points of view, through a non-linear timeline, this is the story about first love, second chances and ALL the SIGNS THAT LEAD BACK TO YOU

All Signs Lead Back to You is a short love story, but not about the usually lovely dovey romance, but the love in friendship. A friendship that grew apart to later find one another and reconnect.

Aniesha Brahma uses a non-linear format in order to tell the story of Diya Rei and Ashwin Chowdhury. It goes from the present time of 2015 to 2012 or 2013. Using these time shifts the reader can understand the characters personality and the relationship they had with one another.

The writing is quite simple and very straightforward. It is not very description heavy and at some points I wish it was, because I had a difficult time picturing the characters clearly. 

It was an overall enjoyable book, but I wished the characters were fleshed out more. We were given glimpses to several characters like Nina, Trina and Rishabh but we weren’t really explained their purpose. Nina was fleshed out more than the other two. Trina and Rishabh are the significant others of Ashwin and Diya Rei. But other than that readers are to given much, especially when Trina and Rishabh are described as the complete opposite of our leading characters. There was brief mentions of Diya’s and I feel like that could have been milked more.


Like I said, it was an enjoyable book. And as someone who does not read contemporary I did not find myself bored or annoyed with the characters which is a massive plus. With only having 140 pages it was a very quick read, I personally read it in one sitting.

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YA in the Miami Book Fair

3:46 PM Ally M.G. 0 Comments


I will be attending the annual Miami Book Fair November 19 & 20th! Super excited because there will be a bunch of Young Adult authors attending and a few with books I have already read*. There are also some authors whose books are on my current To Be Read list and I do not know if I should purchase the books in order to get them signed or not. Especially when I do not own them...it is quite a predicament...

If you are attending as well, let me know and maybe we can meet up and chat for a bit!


YA Authors Attending


Sara Shepard:  The Amateurs: Book1
Ryan Graudin: Blood for Blood
*Leigh Bardugo: Crooked Kingdom: A Sequel to Six of Crows
*William Ritter: Ghostly Echoes: A Jackaby Novel
*Alexandra Bracken: Passenger
Nicola Yoon: The Sun is Also a Star
Box Brown: Tetris
E.K. Johnston: Spindle
E.K. Johnston: Star Wars Ashoka
Margaret Stohl: Black Widow Red Vengeance (A Black Widow Novel)
Liz Braswell: As Old As Time: A Twisted Tale
Maggie Thrash: We Know It Was You (Strange Truth)
Conor McCreery: Assassin’s Creed Vol 2: Setting Sun
*Renee Ahdieh: The Rose and the Dagger (The Wrath and the Dawn)
Mindy McGinnis: The Female of the Species
Katherine Mcgee: The Thousandth Floor
Maria Dhavana Headley: Aerie (Magonia)
Kimberly McCreight: The Outliers
*Victoria Aveyard: Glass Sword (Red Queen)
Lauren Gibaldi: Autofocus
Carolyn Cohagan: Time Zero
Rachel Cohn: Twelve Days of Dash and Lily
M-E Girard: Girl Mans Up
Kara Thomas: The Darkest Corners
Molly Booth: Saving HamletGeoffrey Philp: Garvey’s Ghost

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Former.ly by Dane Cobain | Book Talk + Giveaway

3:04 PM Ally M.G. 0 Comments


I received this book from Dane Cobain for an honest book review. 

When Dan Roberts starts his new job at Former.ly, he has no idea what he's getting into. The site deals in death - its users share their innermost thoughts, which are stored privately until they die. Then, their posts are shared with the world, often with unexpected consequences. 

But something strange is going on, and the site's two erratic founders share a dark secret. A secret that people are willing to kill for.


Let's begin with how interesting that sounds. When I read that blurb for the first time I was beyond curious. I am not a one to go away from my fantasy genre of reading, but this book really caught my attention. A social media that deals with the dead? All I wanted to know was how, and what is the secret that people kill for?

Former.ly is a small start-up tech company that has a social media website. Think like Facebook but it is private, only the user can see and it becomes public when he or she dies. And our leading character finds himself coding here.

Dan Roberts is the main character of Former.ly, but I could not click with the guy, which caused me many problem because I always seemed to be putting the book down to do something else. Dan is a very chill guy, maybe too chill. Nothing seemed to really faze him and it bothered me. Having girlfriend problems. Shrug. Company founders being sketchy and secretive. Shrug. Someone died for the first time. Shrug. 

When Dan finally started showing more effort and emotions about the occurrences around him is when I finally got intrigued and hooked with the story. Watching him risk his safety for the truth that surrounded Former.ly kept me gripped. Watching him from going from a loner and a guy that did not really care about anything to someone who threatens the very people who are capable of stealing his life away was beautiful. 

Unfortunately this took more than half the book. I personally enjoy complex characters that keep you wondering about who they are, and Dan did not give me that.

The plot was slow. Too slow for my personal taste, but once the first mysterious death happens it begins to pick up and questions begin to fill your mind. You, like Dan, will begin to distrust every single character in the story. Then end comes and catches you by surprise. Let’s just say the “good guy” doesn’t always win.

Cobain writing is simple and straightforward which makes it into a quick and easy read. While it has hints of a mystery novel it does not follow a generic mystery novel scheme. It felt more that I was reading a journal, in this case, Dan’s journal as he writes out his experience with Former.ly. Having lack of explanations on certain things made sense, even when it drove me a bit mad, but like many unreliable narrators this lackness is expected. ( Kinda like Nick was super unreliable in the Great Gatsby )

My only real complain about this story is that it was too techy. Some of the things would go over my head as some one who is not techy. But if you understand techy coding terms than you should be fine.

Overall, it was an interesting experience out of my fantasy genre. If you are looking for something quick/simple and set in our modern time this is a book you should give a try.


About the Author

Dane Cobain (High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, UK) is an independent poet, musician and storyteller with a passion for language and learning. When he’s not in front of a screen writing stories and poetry, he can be found working on his book review blog or developing his website, www.danecobain.com. His debut novella, No Rest for the Wicked, was released in the summer of 2015.

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All Signs Lead Back to You | Cover Reveal!

11:49 AM Ally M.G. 0 Comments



All Signs Lead Back to You by Aniesha Brahma


2013
As the final bell for the day rang on their last day in school, Diya Rai, had a chill run down her spine. The chill of not knowing what the future holds for her and her high school sweetheart, Ashwin Chowdhury.
So she does a preemptive strike.
She dumps him before he can hurt her.

2015
Two years later, Ashwin and Diya, cross paths. Each holds grudges, feelings and only one half of the story that completes them.
Told from alternating points of view, through a non-linear timeline, this is the story about
first love, second chances and ALL the SIGNS THAT LEAD BACK TO YOU.

About the Author
Aniesha Brahma is an author who realized her passion for writing at the tender age of six. She also happens to be the social media manager for BEE Books. Her debut novel, The Secret Proposal (2012) was published by General Press and was followed by When Our Worlds Collide (2015) by the same. She blogs at: www.anieshabrahma.com and runs an online magazine, BUZZ Magazine (www.buzzmagazine.in). She can be contacted at: aniesha.brahma@gmail.com. She lives in Kolkata with her family and her five super adorable cats! 

Twitter * Instagram * Facebook



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Real Fashion for Real People | Ad

3:06 PM Ally M.G. 1 Comments

I got sent a lovely dress by eShakti for an honest product review. I have already worked with this company before so I was super happy when I was approached once again.

eShakti is a company that makes sure that clothes look good on you! You have the option of sending your exact measurements to eShakti and the dress, top, jacket, skirt, or pant to be tailored to you body. Not only will they use your exact measurement you can also choose the length of the item. Also…their dresses have pockets.

I chose this cute little black dress with embroiled poppy flowers. Or at least I think they are poppy flowers. Pretty flowers. Once again I was blown away at the quality of the product. The embroiling is so soft i have to continuously remind myself to not run my fingers across it. The actual dress is made of cotton and it is not flimsy cotton either, but strong firm cotton that will survive the washing machine a million times.






The dress is a standard size of M-10, I could have sent over my exact measurements, but I have a pretty standard body and most Ms fit me pretty nicely. eSkati offers standard sizes of 0-36W for those people like me who feel that hey have a standard bodies. But if you have bustier than the standard person this website will be tailored to you.




As part of their ‘Real Fashion for Real People’ campaign is partnering with various bloggers to promote to real people that fashion can be made to fit perfectly with your body type without paying hundreds of dollars. You can see all those of us who are working with eShakti. Different girls, different body type, different fashion senses showing off Real Fashion by Real People. There is no cookie cutter of a person, so why should clothes be that way? 

As an avid dress lover I am proud to say that this dress is one of my favorites in my closet. (and I own a lot of dresses) It makes me feel like an elegant princess.

By signing up now, you can get a $30 off your first purchase.

Join the campaign and show off your Real Fashion for Real People by eShakti

Follow eShakti

Make Up - Artistry
Shoes - Modcloth 
Dress - eSkati 



1 comments:

TeaTime with Mercy

12:52 PM Ally M.G. 0 Comments

I was given some cute accessories by this Etsy store called TeaTime with Mercy.

Mercy makes handmade collar clips, keychains, chockers, necklaces and phone plugs.

Mercy is Miami based and loves all cute things. Many things in her store can fall under kawaii fashion culture. Especially the Sailormoon charms. Like I said everything is handmade, so she puts all her magical girl magic in her products and frankly it shows. 

My favorite charm so far are these Book Clips, Flower Clips and the Kitty cat clips.

Mercy is also has a few more products in the works. Like mermaid macaroons, victorian and unicorn collar clips, and many more keychains! Cookies, cakes and all the sweets.

You may also contact her if you want a certain item customized a certain way or if you do not see the item listed in the store. Mercy also takes special requests with certain items in order to provide you with the best product possible. She's super flexible and just wants all your dreams to come true~






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Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo | Book Talk

1:00 PM Ally M.G. 0 Comments


"Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known asjurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world."


Crooked Kingdom is the sequel to Six of Crows. And in my opinion...Leigh Bardugo's best work yet. 

From the Grisha world I only truly liked the stories of the six misfits and the impossible heist. Six of Crows is a fantastic story and I recommend everyone to read it. 

Crooked Kingdom is out of this world. After finishing Six of Crows you'd think Crooked Kingdoms would be about what happened in the previous book towards the end...but it's so much more. Bardugo did not make the ending of Six of Crow the main plot of Crooked Kingdoms and it was brilliant. 

This story focus more on Kaz and how devious he is, but also how loyal he is. Him and the rest of the crew work together to clear their name and get their 4 million kruge. Watching how the story slowly unfolded with single threads breaking and revealing more. 

I am not entirely please with the ending, not because it was a bad ending. Someone dies and it hurt my heart deeply. That someone truly deserved to live, and find happiness. 

Wylan's point of views were on point and it made me love the boy more. 

Six of Crows started as an impossible heist, but Crooked Kingdom revealed that it was actually a well thought out plan of revenge that took years to actually set in motion. A revenge that roots to the importance of what hurting family can mean. A plan that will you blow you away as it slowly unfolds and as its back ends are slowly revealed. 

Everyone was a different person and yet still themselves at the end of Crooked Kingdom. That's what I call delicious character development. 


Crooked Kingdom has officially joined my lists of best books of the year.

Rating: 5/5
GoodReads

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My Fall Reads: Releases and TBR

1:31 PM Ally M.G. 0 Comments


Red and yellow leaves. Cool weather. Pumpkin spice everything. More importantly: new books.
Fall is upon us and so is a wave of books that being queued up on my bookshelf and my amazon cart.

September


On the 6th of September two books were released. Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs and Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Mass.

Tales of the Peculiar is supplemental material about the world of Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children. This book expands on who the peculiar ares and we are given background of famous peculiars that were mentioned in the trilogy. While I have not actually read the book yet, it’s currently one my favorite books, aesthetically. It does look like a true victorian book hold mysteries and dark beings. Very fairy tales like…also there are annotations by Milliard Nullings! Millard is my favorite character in Riggs’ peculiar world.

Empire of Storms is book five of the Throne of Glass series. The Throne of Glass series follows the story of a female assassin…and that is all I can say without given too much away. Anyways, book 5 continues the story of the assassin’s life, struggle, and adventure. 

On the 27th of September Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo shall be released. This is the second book of the Six of Crows duoelogy. Six of Crows follows the story of six different misfits has they attempt the most impossible heist of their lives. Crooked Kingdoms is obviously it’s sequel.

October


On the 4th of October Magnus Chase and the Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordian is released. Magnus Chase is the cousin of Annabeth Chase from Riordian’s Percy Jackson series and Magnus has a norse godly parent. I am s***t from anything written by Rick Riordian and when announced his new norse series I pre-ordered the first book without a second thought. And now in book two Magnus has to find Thor’s hammer before something goes bad…like most Riordian books go.

On the 6th of October Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets ( Illustrated Edition ) by J.K Rowling is released. I do not need to tell you what this book is about and if you have not read it you are missing a lot of magic from your life.

On the 18th of October Gemina ( The Illuminae Files ) by Jay Kristof and Amie Kaufman is released. This book two of The Illuminae Files aka the most amazing book I read on 2015. It is sorta the sequel to the previous book, but it has different main character. It still has to do with the BeiTech Assault the happened in the first book. The best part of this book is the way the story will be told. 


November


On the 8th of November Heartless by Marissa Meyer is released. Heartless is the untold story of the well-known Queen of Hearts before she was the Queen of Hearts. Marissa Meyer does an A-mazing job re-telling classing fairy tale stories and giving each story an unforgettable twist.

On the 18th of November Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Original Screenplay by J.K Rowling is released. This is the screenplay of the movie that will be released on the same day. And as a devoted Harry Potter fan…I need this book.


These are the books the will be calling my bookshelves home in the next few months. I am pretty excited for all these books, and all the worlds to re-enter and explore.

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Back to University

1:09 PM Ally M.G. 0 Comments

I have begun my last semester to my junior year at University (*screaming*). As much as I enjoy going to University I have slowly gotten into the small spiraling doom of "What am I doing with my life!?" Thankfully, I have a general idea what I want to do in the future, kinda, it's very broad. 

Anyways, my favorite part of the start of the semester is stationary and cute little knick-knacks (that I will probably only use once;;)

Here are the stuff I will hauling around while survive a new semester of learning.



My agenda (or diary for you weirdos) was purchased last year in Marshall's and when I tried searching for it online I was unable to find it again..A moleskin journal that I have decided to fill up with all my journalism related classes. There is currently five subjects in there! whoops. Three subjects from Fall 2015 and two subjects for this semester. A cute notebook that I bought in Muji while in Japan so I can jot down quick notes. That notebooks holds everything from Japanese, story ideas, note passing between friends, drawings, poetry, and homework related things...( I know...I am a mess...)



Backbag is decked out with Pokemon pins and by decked out I mean I have two, because I need to show how much of a dweeb I am.



Of course, I always carry a book with me along with snacks to munch on. I am currently reading Nevernight by Jay Krisstoff and it is AMAZING so far. Here is a little blurb:

"In a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family. Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escape her father’s failed rebellion with her life. Alone and friendless, she hides in a city built from the bones of a dead god, hunted by the Senate and her father’s former comrades. But her gift for speaking with the shadows leads her to the door of a retired killer, and a future she never imagined. Now, a sixteen year old Mia is apprenticed to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic — the Red Church. Treachery and trials await her with the Church’s halls, and to fail is to die. But if she survives to initiation, Mia will be inducted among the chosen of the Lady of Blessed Murder, and one step closer to the only thing she desires."


Most of the stuff I purchased while I was in Japan. You can still check out the links! (The prices are kinda high)

Backbag 
Pokemon Lead Pencil 
Highlighters 
0.2 mm lead pencil
MUJI Pens 
Nevernight
Graze


0 comments:

More Potter? | Book Talk

3:30 PM Ally M.G. 0 Comments

I am, like a good chunk of the reading community, a Harry Potter fan. While I personally did not get truly 100% into the Harry Potter fandom until after the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 2007. I never really experienced a midnight release in my local bookstore Harry Potter style, but I have attended Harry Potter based conferences like Leakycon, Geekycon and Universal Studios Harry Potter Celebrations.

I consider myself a Harry Potter fan. A Potterhead. A Ravenclaw. 

I've devote myself a lot of time into this universe (along with a lot of money). I remember staying up till 4am, when Pottermore was a giant mystery, to solve the secret riddle to obtain the secret code in order to become one of the first BETA testers. I remember watching the live broadcast of the final Harry Potter red-carpet premiere in London. I remember going to the midnight release with my best friend at the time and crying my eyes out when the final credits rolled across the black screen. I remember begging my dad to take me to Universal Studios to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. 

When I read the last words, “All was well”. I was pretty upset because:
1) DEATHLY HALLOWS WAS PAINFUL 
2) No more Harry Potter. 
3) So many unanswered questions!

When Pottermore was announced I am pretty sure the whole fandom broke. Excited. Crying. All the feels. Legit Sorting Hat Test by the Queen herself! Wizards! Hogwarts! Duels!…and then we experienced a major disappointment. From not choosing our own user names, to lack of music, to house identity crisis, to a boring time. 

Thankfully all the new information the Queen uploaded satisfied this girl, and majority of the fandom. New canon information to give all of us, and allow us to expand our knowledge of the Wizarding World Universe. And brewing potions and earning house points was fun.

I sound like I am complaining, but I am not. I am happy, but I am also scared. Worried even. As more information is added there is more, aggravation? in the fandom…whether they don’t agree with a canon or if their headcanon was destroyed.

This brings me to the topic of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.



When it was first announced, the fandom rose and freaked out. WE WERE BACK IN BUSINESS!

8th story? YES!
Sequel to DH? YES!
Older Characters? YES!
Second Generation? YES!
Black Hermoine? YES!
Two parts? YES!
Only in West End London? wait…what.. NO!! That’s not fair.

Soon after the binding of the rehearsal scripts were announced and we were all screaming for joy! Midnight Harry Potter release once more….but most of us came to the realization that while The Queen, Ms. J.K Rowling, had her name in big bold letters on the book, she herself did not write the story.

Panic.

Is it canon? PANIC!

But even in this slight fear the Harry Potter fandom, along with myself, had our robes and wands ready for another adventure.

Fast forward to July 31st

Book is out.

I see the fandom split to: THIS WAS AMAZING to WTF IS THIS BS!

I personally was out of the country when it got released and seeing these two sides induced massive fear in me. Watching the fandom split into these two sides…even though they were both (well most of them) very nice about their opinions.

It got me thinking. When will it be too much Wizarding World? Maybe it is best to have unanswered questions in order to have thousands of fan theories and headcanons. Will it get to the point that I will start disliking HP because the way the world gets built? 

Now with the announcement of the three new e-books:


I am even more on edge. For I no longer know what to expect and I am scared to read them, along with Cursed Child. (Although knowing me I will purchase them release date.)

AAAAAH.

As much as I want to learn about the world, and other wizard schools. I want to keep the sense of what-ifs and mysteries of what is might be. I feel like it adds to our very own magic. It is what makes Harry Potter so unique I believe. BUT, at the same time I want to learn more about this world and I want J.K. Rowling to keep writing.

Also, I can't wait this Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them OMG!

0 comments:

Introverted and in a New Place - Update

10:06 AM Ally M.G. 0 Comments

It has been way over two months since I moved to the small country of Japan. One could say that after a month or so you get used to your new life and fall into a routine. This is not necessarily true in my case. As the days turn into weeks I have fallen into a routine that brings serenity into my day to day life. But I'm not exactly used it. 

I wake up daily at eight in the morning. I make breakfast. I wash my face and do the morning necessities. I speak to my parents on the phone while eating, getting dressed and all the jazz. Then I go to school, go to the gym or my teaching job, return to the apartment and study. Occasionally I stray from this routine and find something to do after my classes end. 

The thing about me is that I have learnt that living alone is not as fun as I imaged. I always pictured this perfect image of my life and how everything would be if I was alone in my own place. Oh how wrong I was. While I did image this in the states rather than in Japan. The feeling is the same though....I suppose. 

I am no longer lonely. I have made a handful of friends whom I can turn to so I can spend a day with company. 

I am still alone. 

And it is not something I find comfort in. Yes, there are wonderful sides to living by yourself. For starters, I can drink out of the jug without guilt. There are moments I feel guilty for drinking water out of my jug and then I remember...I'm not sharing with anyone...and then I remember that I am alone. 

Sure, I can strip my pants off the minute I step through the door, but I'm not exactly that type of person. 

I could turn up my music, rock out and dance, but I'm mindful of my neighbors. 

I can cook whatever I want, whenever I want. Then I remember there is never food ready for me unless I make it myself. 

I had drawn this beautiful image full of freedom and excitement. And the image was true on the freedom and excitement. The beauty of it is not all there. 

It's is funny, because introverts are know for enjoying solitude and I find that a complete lie. Yes, I like solitude, but only when I need to unwind and need personal space. Other than that, I hate solitude. Solitude sucks. 

In moments like these I ask, "Would dorming be better than having my own place?" Then I remember, that I'd be sharing space with over 25 people and I push those thoughts away. Sharing is caring, but there is only so much sharing I can do before I want to push someone into a bush. 

Living alone truly has been an adventure in itself. I have grown to appreciate my parents a lot more, and everything they do to keep the home environment homely. (Also, constantly having to do dishes sucks. No one to share the chore with. )

I'd say everyone needs the experience of living somewhere without their parents. But I recommend not to do it alone, unless you really want to. Like really really want to. 

I’m in a new place, and alone. But I am trying to accept that this an experience that is helping my comfort zone grow. Experiences I need to travel through. Being alone does not always mean being lonely, and that is what I am trying to achieve. I am no longer as lonely, but being alone was not all that it was cut out to be. 


I will continue moving forward, because the world is beautiful and only those willing to take the necessary steps are able to truly see it.

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Fallen Angel by David Lamour | Book Review

3:43 AM Ally M.G. 0 Comments



This book was given to me by David Lamour for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Death is coming for me and it seems like all I have left in this world are things that I know and things that I may never understand.

I know that angels are trying to kill me, but I'm not sure why they want me dead.

I know that I'm afraid to die, but I wonder if dying could possibly hurt more than living.

And most of all, I know that I feel love beyond all measure for a beautiful demon boy, but I don't know if he loves me back.

After the death of her parents, Evelynn is forced to leave New York and move to a town in the middle of nowhere Montana. 

Devastated by the recent events in her life, Evelynn is trying her best to be normal and regain her old life back. But as fate would have it, the world has different plans for her. Fate wants her dead, and there are a few people, including herself that disagree upon her written fate.

The concept and idea of story was very captivating to me. Angels, fallen angels and demons. Throw a little romance and magic and I am sold.

This book is fast paced and captivating, Lamour does a swell job keeping you attached the story. I personally finished the story in a day and a half because I just couldn’t put it down. The only reason I did not pull an all nighter was because I had Uni the next morning.

This is a debut YA novel and it follows all the YA troupes that most young adult novels follow. Thankfully, it was not super cheesy because Lamour makes his concept of Angels and Demons unique. He also gave his leading lady a delicious character development. She became a different person from begging to end and I ATE THAT RIGHT UP. 

You see, Evelynn is me. Her reaction to situations and questions to certain actions were exactly how I would react too. In general she is very relatable, because even though she is a damsel in distress she is not in distress. She's about making her own decisions, and takes matter in her own hands without anyone pushing her around.

Like most fallen angel novels, it is very heavy on the whole theme of Good vs Evil. What caught me off guard is how Lamour wove biblical concepts and made them fresh. He created a new way to see fallen angels, the creation of humanity and the faults of those who are suppose to be perfection (the angels). I don’t want to give too much away, because Lamour’s take on Angels and Demons is what makes this story so much fun.

My only problem is the love triangle that was shoved into our faces. Especially from the very beggining you (and Evelynn) know who has her heart and who she truly has feelings for. In my opinion I think she likes Brandon, but the way you like cute guys you know you don’t have heart-felt feelings for. And her back and forth between the two boys was so unnecessary, and deep down she knew it too. Thankfully, towards the end of the novel Lamour sets up the bases for a strong male-female friendship between Evelynn and Brandon.

Fallen Angel is such a small book for all the themes and stuff that happened. Before I knew it I was reading the epilogue thinking, “Holy stars, they are pissed. Oh fudge.” 

If you’re up for something quick-paced, supernatural with a new interesting concept to something that has been done before read Fallen Anger by David Lamour!

4/5
Amazon
GoodReads

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Gudetama Cafe

5:47 AM Ally M.G. 1 Comments

Something that is Japan Dake (only) is character themed cafes. There is a larger variety of character cafes, such as: Sailor Moon, One Piece, Alice in Wonderland, Gudetama...ect.

Gudetama is a character from the Sanrio company...and he is a lazy egg. He is the definition of someone who has no motivation to do absolutely anything and just melts onto the floor. Gudetama's name comes from a play on words of gude gude ( no energy or strength ) and tamago (egg). Hence, lazy egg.

In Shijo Kawaramachi there is currently a Gudetama themed cafe thanks to the collaboration with Maccha House.

I went to the adorable cafe with my friend Chelsea ( Gaijin in Japan ) and we went during not "lunch time" time and we waited in line for over an hour! Once we finally made into the shop we paid for the meal we wanted ( just like any cafe) and headed upstairs to take a seat.

The cafe is tiny, it had a capacity of about 20 people max, but there were usually 8-10 at a time. The cafe was decked out with Gudetama's face plastered over...pretty much everything. The lanterns, the walls, the food, the tables.


I ordered an ice matcha latte and a baked chicken and egg bowl (it had rice underneath). The latte was amazing, the whipped cream was the thickest and smoothest whipped cream I have ever had in my life! And the matcha drizzle? I cried from happiness. Also the Gudetama theme in this drink was  the marshmallow that was sporting Gudetama's butt!

The meal itself was very mediocre, but I was hungry during that time that it tasted like heaven had just dropped the most delicious eggs and chicken in the world into my bowl. When in reality it was just a bowl of rice with chicken and scrambled egg...that costed be about 11 USD. Pretty pricey if you ask me.


Chelsea and I then split a matcha partfait which had matcha (obviously) and various traditional Kyoto sweets, like ankan ( sweet red beans ), green tea ice cream, and green tea jellys.
The cafe is open till May 8th! So if you are in Kyoto during before then make sure to stop by the Gudetama x Maccha House in order to experience some Gudetama cuteness, even if it is to just drink a latter with a friend~

Gudetama x MACCHA HOUSE Matcha-kan

Address: 382-2 Komeyacho, Kawaramachidori Shijou Agaru, Nakagyouku, Kyotoshi
京都市中京区河原町通四条上ル米屋町382-2
From March 18 – May 8
Open: 10:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. (last order 9:00 p.m.)



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