Fan Art by Sarah Tregay - Book Review

All I do anymore is book reviews. Sorry that I'm not actually sorry.

Today's review is on Fan Art by Sarah Tregay. Before I get into the full review I want to say upfront that I was disappointed by this book. I'll get into the details later, but I felt it had a lot of potential, but didn't live up to it.

Photo Credits: www.sarahtregay.com

SYNOPSIS:

Fan Art is the story of Jamie Peterson in his senior year of high school. He's eager to leave high school and start a new life, one where he can be openly gay. But before that, he realizes he's fallen in love with his best friend.

While Jamie fights to stay in the closet, a group of girls are determined to get Jamie and Mason together. But will telling his best friend the truth ruin a life-long friendship or start a new relationship?

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

Fun fact, when I got this book I was not immediately aware it was about a gay boy. Sadly, when I saw the name Jamie and skimmed through the description I thought this story was about a girl. (Sorry to my future nephew Jamie being born in a few months. Don't worry, I'll never mix you up with a girl.)

However, when I learned that this was a LGBTQA book I was even more interested in reading it. I have never read a book with a main character who is gay. I'm married to a man, so it's something I don't relate to, but I'm always open to learning more. So going into this I was excited to see this story from a gay perspective.

I feel that this is a story anyone, gay or straight, can relate to, to a point. Falling in love with your best friend and worrying about ruining the friendship. That's something that can happen to anyone, which is why this book was intriguing to me before I even knew it was about a gay teenager.

I also feel that making the main character gay and having him fall in love with his male, straight best friend is a great way to twist on the relate-able plot line. This book had so much potential to be something truly great, but I felt severely let down.

The story dragged on forever and I didn't understand why. This book was fairly long for what it was. I'm pretty sure I could explain the whole story in a few paragraphs (but I don't want to spoil anything in case you want to read it). There just wasn't enough substance and I had to force myself to finish it because I got very bored.

Yet somehow, this book ended so abruptly. While the boring things seemed to last forever, the ending seemed cut short. It was unfulfilling.

CHARACTERS:

I hate Jamie. I'm sorry. I do. He is incredibly annoying, moody, and he doesn't think straight (ha ha, that's punny and I didn't intend it to be). There were way too many instances when he would take something someone said to him and go off course with it. It was ridiculous. I kept thinking "There is no possible way anyone would get to that conclusion from what was said."

He wasn't a realistic character. Sadly, I have to blame the writing on this one. He's a seventeen year old who acted like a child, with tantrums, with not understanding basic speech by others, and just acting dumb. I've mentioned in other book reviews that I love YA fiction, but when an author can't form a good teenager voice and makes them either too smart or too dumb it can be very frustrating to read.

Jamie's family was interesting to me. His mother was so happy about him being gay. His step-father was very open and understanding about it. His younger, twin sisters were too little to know what was going on. But there there was his birth father, who was mentioned maybe twice. And each time he was mentioned I expected some conflict to come of it, but it never did, and they stopped talking about him immediately. It was weird.

Mason, his best friend, was a good person. Again, family issues were weird to me because there was always hints at conflict that never followed through. Mason wasn't that exciting of a character though, and you would think, with this book coming from Jamie's perspective, I would have fallen in love with Mason just like Jamie did, but I just didn't.

Then there was Eden, Jamie's girl best friend. She was a fun character, but still not a favorite. She also had family conflict that was never fully addressed or resolved. It's like every character had to have something strange in their family or past, but we just ignored it to focus on the love story. I don't understand why that happened, but I wasn't a fan.

I suppose my favorite characters in the whole book were Jamie's younger sisters... and it's probably just because I'm baby hungry. But none of the characters really stood out to me and I barely cared for any of them.

FAVORITE SCENE

Oh man... hmm.... I don't know. I really am not a fan of this book. Not a fan of Fan Art. I guess the one thing that stood out to me was Jamie's passion for getting a certain graphic novel published in the high school literary magazine.

Basically, a graphic novel depicting two gay guys playing a game and kissing was submitted for the magazine and Jamie very strongly wants it to be included, to a point where he's willing to get in trouble to make sure it gets done. I liked that. I liked his passion and that he was so willing to share the story with the whole school. That's probably my favorite part.

MORE RANDOM THOUGHTS

I read a couple reviews of this book on GoodReads because I wanted to see how this book was viewed by someone who is gay. I think that I'm not alone in saying this book had good intentions and had potential but didn't follow through.

There's a lot of great reviews on there, some positive, some not, but I would maybe suggest reading through those if you're still on the fence of whether or not you should read this book.

MY REVIEW

I don't think I can recommend this book to other people, because I just didn't like it. It's a cute story, I guess. It's not one of those depressing YA novels like what I've read a lot lately. It's very light and happy, there is conflict, but it gets resolved it a unique (abrupt) way. It's not the worst book I've ever read, so I wouldn't judge you if you go read it yourself, but I'm just not a fan myself.

What were your thoughts on Fan Art? Let me know in the comments below! Also, if you know a really good LGBTQA book I should read just let me know, I'd love to check them out!

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer - Book Review

Another book review? Yes, another book review. I'm currently in a rut. I want to blog, I want this blog to get more followers but I've been so discouraged because it feels like nothing I do helps me get more followers and it's just upsetting. So I'm sticking to what I enjoy, because it keeps me going, and for now, that's a bunch of book reviews.

Photo Credits: www.thelunarchronicles.com

Please keep in mind that this is a sequel. Scarlet is the second book in the Lunar Chronicles. So the synopsis alone had a spoiler to the first book, so maybe check that one out first. You can read my review on the first book, Cinder, by CLICKING HERE.

SYNOPSIS:

Scarlet is a retold version of Little Red Riding Hood. In futuristic France, Scarlet is looking for her missing grandmother. After meaning a street fighter named Wolf, who may have information about her grandmother's whereabouts, she is forced to trust him and they journey together to Paris unraveling mysteries together.

Also returning is Cinder, escaping from prison and teaming up with a fugitive space "captain" as she figures out what's next in her future.

I just realized how cheap these books are on Amazon. I should totally just buy them, I'm so sick of waiting for the library to have them available. The library in my city is not my friend. 

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

Fun fact, I read this book in one day. Yes. One day. July 3rd, I got home from church, laid in my bed and read through the entire book. It's not like I do this often and it's a pretty long book too so I'm pretty proud of my accomplishment. 

I liked this book a lot better than Cinder. If you read my last review you may remember that one of my biggest problems was not connecting to the characters. In Scarlet I felt the characters were more interesting and I cared more about their stories. 

The story was well written and less predictable than Cinder. There was a good flow to it and you knew more of what it was leading towards so it kept me interested. I love stories where you know where it's generally headed because then I have something to look forward to. 

Scarlet and Wolf are awesome. I'm a huge fan of shipping love interests (any other Olicity fans here?) and Scarlet and Wolf are amazing. I find it entertaining to have two people so different that are drawn to each other. They have arguments and are more realistic as a couple than two similarly minded people. I very much enjoyed watching their interactions together as they traveled together. 

Also, I love how protective Wolf is of Scarlet even after just meeting her. It's adorable. 

But, on that note, Scarlet is one of the coolest characters ever. She is not afraid to speak her mind or fight, literally fight, for what she believes in. She is such a strong female lead and I'm obsessed. And while she doesn't always need Wolf's protection, she accepts it and is grateful for it. She's just amazing. I love her a lot. One of my favorite strong female leads I've read about in a long time. 

I've also heard (because I am terrible and look at spoilers way too often) that the rest of the Lunar Chronicles has strong female leads. So bravo to Marissa Meyer. 

I also enjoyed the sequences with Cinder. Thorne is an incredible addition to the series. He adds a different level of humor and he's just a fun character to have around. Again, though, I don't have much of a connection to Cinder, which I feel bad about because she's kind of the main person in the series. 

FAVORITE SCENE: 

Train scenes between Scarlet and Wolf. I think particularly jumping onto the train, because the intensity of him wanting to keep her safe is just amazing. 

I also really enjoyed the way Wolf's fighting sequences were written. As a street fighter, there were a couple of these scenes for him and they were enjoyable. As someone who is writing stories about super heroes I can tell you that writing fight scenes are difficult (so difficult, it's the reason I've pushed all my release dates back) but Marissa Meyer handled them very well. 

Scenes focusing on Kai were also good. I love his character a lot and I just feel bad for him a lot having to become emperor at a young age. But every time a scene with him comes along I get excited, even though in this book he basically stayed seated in the same room for every one of his scenes.

MY REVIEW:

I really enjoyed this book. I liked Cinder a lot but this one was so much more enjoyable for me and actually made me love the first book even more. It also got me more excited for the rest of the series. 

I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone, but definitely read Cinder first. While it is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood a lot of it is unpredictable and it's a book that definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat. 

Side Note: I literally kept singing Little Red's part from "Into The Woods" in my head through this whole book. "Into the woods to grandmother's house!"

I've also had an obsession with James Corden lately and the very end of this clip always makes me laugh.

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven - Book Review

Hello friends! As I think I mentioned (maybe not) this summer I'm trying to get through a lot of books. I set a goal on Goodreads to get through 40 books this year and I've only finished 9! I'm so behind! But this summer I'm working on catching up.

Today I have another book review for you and if I could give this review a sub-title it would by "The Right Book at the Wrong Time." You'll learn more about why in my review. Heads up, this review gets personal, but I'll try to keep it spoiler free.

Photo Credits: www.jenniferniven.com 

SYNOPSIS (from Amazon):

"Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him. 

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink."

MY REVIEW:

This book is so difficult for me to review so I'll start with a checklist then explain why this was one of the hardest books for me to read (which may hint at spoilers so if you don't want anything given away then you can stop reading after the "Anyways..." below).

Good writing? Check.

Relate-able characters? Double check.

Well thought out plot? Check.

Researched material? Check.

Tugs at the heart? Major check. 

So yes, this is an amazing book. Initially after reading it, here is the review I posted on Goodreads (Can I advertise this app enough? My goodness!):

Five star book. I stand by that. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone and not just a soft recommendation, I believe that as time goes on I will shove this book into the hands of everyone I meet. I will read this book time and time again because it is worth it. This is one of the most important books I have ever read and I will force it on all my friends and family. Read it. Just stop reading my blog and read this book now. 

This book can easily be compared to The Fault in Our Stars as far as themes go. I loved TFIOS (the book, never saw the movie) but this one blew it all away. While very similar, Finch and Violet are much more relate-able than Hazel and Augustus Waters (how can you not say his full name, it's awesome). Not just in their situation but they were written as actual teenagers. 

Violet and Finch are very realistic teenagers and are written as teenagers, not overly intellectual showing it was clearly written by an adult, but also not incredibly dumb-ed down showing it was clearly written by an adult... one who seems has a low opinion of teenagers (I'm looking at you, book I'm reading right now). 

I'm such a fan of young adult fiction but get a bit annoyed when it's so clearly written by an adult. All The Bright Places is a smart book with smart characters, but they are a realistic teenage smart, which is something I really appreciated in this book. 

All The Bright Places also has a realistic and easy-to-follow plot. It tells a story in a very clean and concise way. While this is the first book I've read by Jennifer Niven, I believe that this is one of her talents, simply based on her "Twelve Writing Tips" on her website, which I highly recommend reading if you're an aspiring author like I am. 

There is sometimes a struggle with books like this where there isn't a clear ending you're working towards. Take something like Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, you know where it's headed the entire time and so each new chapter you know it will lead you closer to the ending. A book like All The Bright Places doesn't have an obvious ending it's headed towards. Yes there are hints, but for the most part you're just going along for the ride not knowing what's ahead. 

In many books with this structure, where it's just a story of people's lives rather than a specific "quest", I tend to get bored. A lot of books like this often through in random fluff to help with the word count and it gets monotonous to read. I did not feel this way with All The Bright Places and this book kept me reading. I read this book fairly quickly because I could not put it down. I basically did not sleep while reading this book. Just worked and read. What a life.

I very much enjoyed this book and highly recommend it, BUT it was incredibly difficult for me to read and while I suggest you continue reading the rest of my review, if you want to avoid any and all hints at a spoiler, maybe you should stop now. 

Anyways... 

As I mentioned this was also the hardest book I've ever read. The reason for that is that it touches heavily on the topic of teenage suicide and mental health, both of which are things I have personal experience with. 

At the age of 17 I attempted suicide and I can tell you right now that the emotions someone feels during something like that are portrayed incredibly accurately in this book. Suicidal tendencies and mental health is a serious topic and as someone with a personal knowledge of it, this book handled it very well and accurately. 

The problem was not the book. The problem was me. With my depression I have the annoying ability to "absorb" the emotions of people around me. If I'm in an upbeat environment I feel happy and when I'm around people who are sad, I get sad. Basically if anyone cries around me, I'll be crying too. Not to mention already dealing with my own depression, which makes feeling other people's sadness only harder on me. 

When reading this book the same thing happened. I very easily felt the emotions being described in this book. I literally had to stop reading in the middle of the night, pull my husband off the couch where he had fallen asleep, and have him hold me until I could regain control over my emotions. It wasn't about being sad because of what was happening in the book, it was literally feeling what the characters were. And it was terrifying. 

Now I feel so strongly about the importance of this book and if I had read it at a better time in my life I would not have reacted so negatively. But (in case you're new to my blog) I had a miscarriage last November and since then my depression has been at it's absolute worst. Even when I was seventeen and wanting to kill myself I did not feel emotional pain like I have this year. 

THIS WAS THE RIGHT BOOK AT THE WRONG TIME. 

This book is perfect. I want to buy it, I want it to be mine, I want to frame it in my home, I want to buy hundreds of copies and send one to each and every one of you, but I should not have read it at this time in my life. 

I finished it about a week ago and I have been recovering since. Part of me wanted to write up this review right away but I was too emotional. And then people spoiled Me Before You to me and I was also angry. Just a mess of emotions really. Still am a bit. Story of 2016 for me. 

Overall I recommend this book so much. I realize that's a weird sentence, but it's 100% true. 

UPDATE: Jennifer Niven replied to my Tweet about this post, so she's basically my new favorite author. Yep.

What were your thoughts on All The Bright Places? Let me know in the comments below! 

March Book Club: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Well it's a new month so we have a new book to read! This month's book is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. My mom gave me this book and I kept meaning to read it but got distracted and such.

Here is a brief look at what this book is about taken from Amazon .

“I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

I am very excited to start this book. My mom said she liked it and it is a #1 New York Times Bestseller so it has to be good right? I am often skeptical about books written as letters and when they change perspectives. But let's hope this isn't like Allegiant where the voices don't change at all so it's hard to remember who is speaking.

If you are new to my Book Club, just know that this is no commitment and you can choose to read with me or not. However, whether or not you join in for this particular book, I recommend joining our Good Reads book club page, found HERE. That way you can always keep up to date with new books and be able to interact with others reading along with us. I highly recommend Good Reads for anyone to help keep track of what books you want to read next.

So join in on my book club this month and don't forget to tweet about it and take your book selfies and use the hashtag #DancingCowBookClub so we can all join in together and see each other's progress! Enjoy!

Valentines Weekend Book Club!

So I really want to start up my book club again but I've been horrible at giving myself time to read. Last year I kept complaining about having to read books for school so I couldn't do book club, but now I'm just working and I have plenty of time, but I spend it watching TV instead. So lame!

I picked a new book from the library to read and I'm very excited for it (I'll get to the title in a second) and it's main theme is about teenage romance (the greatest kind of romance there is). But this weekend I want all my readers to read or reread a love story in honor of Valentines Day and then leave me a comment or send me a tweet about their favorite love story!

The book I chose to read is Eleanor & Park .

I have heard many good things about this book but I have never read it before. Here's a brief look into what it's about, from Amazon:

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love—and just how hard it pulled you under.

One of my favorite Youtubers, Meghan Rienks, has said this is one of her favorite books and she seems to have a similar taste in books as I do so I trust her opinion, at least for myself. To each his own. Which is why I'm giving you the option of picking your own book and telling me all about it so I can have more books on my reading list (which is packed but always ready for more).

As always, (but it's been so long we all probably have forgotten) we are an official Book Club on GoodReads. You can find our club HERE and anyone is welcome. Remember, there is no commitment, no stress, and I'll try to put up a new book each month. But this month is different since we're already half way through it and you're picking your own. But please have fun with the one you pick and don't forget to tell me about it!! I always want book suggestions!

Remember to Tweet about your book with #DancingCowBookClub so everyone can hear about the book you're reading. As always, thank you for your participation and I hope you have fun reading!!

More Updates

-Maybe someday I'll give you a real blog post. We'll see.

-Yesterday we found an apartment!! Yay!!! Only problem is, we can't move in until September 7th. Boo!! We are so lucky that my aunt and uncle are so extremely kind and are letting us stay with them. Honestly they are the greatest and we are so insanely grateful!

-I'm looking for a full time job so that's exciting. I honestly love working and hope I can find something soon. I've applied to a couple places, still searching for more. Now I'm just waiting anxiously for phone calls about interviews!!

-There is a fly attacking me as I'm typing this.

-Today I realized my blog has gone over 100,000 page views. I'm so happy and I'm so grateful for my readers for always supporting me! It's not because of me that this accomplishment was met, it's all because of you, and I couldn't be happier! Love you all!!!

-I said I was going to purchase my domain name but I've hit a bit of a road block with that. So that will have to wait a while. I hope you can forgive me.

-My grandma is the greatest. She lives with my aunt and uncle and since I'm jobless I am spending my morning with her, and she's the greatest. I love her so much!

-We went out to dinner with some friends last night and while there I was trying to think of some good Texas stories for them, but I couldn't really think of any. While I am still planning on writing about our Texas adventure, keep in mind that I honestly don't have very many good stories. Sorry.

-We also visited Best Buy yesterday (and I found Ariana Grande's new album, which I need) and I think I figured out what laptop I'll be getting when I save up enough money for a new one. But honestly, I do need one because I just use Chris's and neither of us is very good at sharing when it comes to the laptop. We both want it. But my laptop broke in January so we've been surviving quite a while this way.

-My grandma puts too much mayonnaise in tuna... but I still love her.

-I've been very on-again-off-again when it comes to my Book Club, but I'm going to try and be more consistent. September is almost here, any votes for what we should read???

Book Club July 2014: Pride and Prejudice

I know the majority of the world has already read this book, but I for one have not. So whether or not you've read it before, I would love for you to join me and my Book Club and read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen for the month of July!!

I've seen the movie, I know the story, and you might know it as well, but regardless I always think it's important to read the classics, and this is certainly a classic. Also, I was only able to bring a very limited amount of books with me to Texas and this was one of them, so it had to be a part of Book Club at some point.

Hey, have any of you ever seen that Mormon-ish, modern day version of Pride & Prejudice ? I always liked that because it was so cheesy and ridiculous. I would watch it with my old roommate Kristina and we would laugh so hard. I miss her.

Anyways, as always, around the 20th of the month I will post a discussion post, but you can always join in on the discussion on our GoodReads page! But try not to spoil it for everyone at the beginning of the month. Even though I already know the story...

If you haven't already joined my Book Club now is your chance!! We pick a new book every month and it's absolutely no commitment! But if you do join in I'd love to hear about it through social media with #dancingcowbookclub.

Happy Reading! 

The Automatic Millionaire Discussion Post

I still have a little bit of this book left to read. My goal is to finish it today... or it would be if it wasn't in my husband's car. Ugh! Anyways, it's the 20th so I'm giving you a discussion post! If you want a discussion post for the second book, Insurgent, let me know. I was think that since it was a "just for fun" kind of book, we didn't need a discussion post, but if you want one I'd be happy to create one. Oh, but I think our GoodReads page has a discussion post for it.

So far I have been absolutely loving this book!! I feel like I'm learning a lot and I've been very caught up in it and making changes in my life. With my husband and I at new jobs that actually pay good money (and my husband is killing it in sales) we're finally creating a financially sound base for ourselves. Reading this book came at a perfect time, and I'm so happy I chose to read it.

Alright, leave your opinions, thoughts, criticisms, etc. in the comments below and let me know overall what you thought about this book. I will include a few discussion questions below (hey, I used to major in English teaching, it's a part of me I can't forget) and if you have not read the book yet, I guess spoiler alert? It's nonfiction, it's not like we're giving away secrets. Although I think reading through the discussion may encourage people to read it, so I take back that spoiler alert.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(You don't have to answer the questions, feel free to talk about the book anyway you'd like, these are here to help you out if you need them.)

1. What's the most important lesson you learned from the book?
2. What story impacted you the most and why?
3. Does this book change the way you look at your financial situation?
4. Have you made any changes since reading the book?
5. Do you think this book will be helpful for future generations to come?

If this book helped you find a little extra cash, why not donate it to my Charity of the Month? 

Book Club May 2014!!!

Book Club is back!! I'm so incredibly happy school is over and I have time to read for fun! Because I am once again unemployed and have a long car ride ahead of me tomorrow, I am putting two book for Book Club this month! One is exciting the other is potentially boring. Or they might both be boring, I don't know I haven't read them yet.

Book 1: The Automatic Millionaire: A Powerful One-Step Plan to Live and Finish Rich by David Bach

This last semester I was supposed to take a class called Family Finance, but my schedule got all messed up and they dropped the class for me (super lame, it made me have to pay a larger tuition and I had already bought the book which I couldn't return). This book was one of the text books for the class and regardless of not being able to take the class, I still really want to read it.

Looking at our track record, Chris and I aren't too good at making money and keeping it. We tend to find ourselves in financial trouble and it's really hard sometimes. This summer we're hoping Chris makes lots of money with his new job but we're also hoping to learn how to manage our money better. I truly think this book will be a big help to us, which is why I want to read it for Book Club. You can read a summary HERE (also, this link takes you to Good Reads and this Book Club is on Good Reads, be sure to join in HERE).

This is the more boring book of the two. I'm not usually one to read non-fiction, but I really am excited for this book and believe I can learn a lot from it.

Book 2: Insurgent (Divergent Series) by Veronica Roth

This is the second book in the Divergent Series, you can read my review of the first book HERE. If you have not read the first book DO NOT read the second one. Don't skip!! If you want to substitute this book for Divergent I highly recommend it. Please don't skip straight to this book.

That being said, I'm including this book for Book Club in case you really don't want to read the first book, which I totally understand. I bought Insurgent two months ago but have been too busy to read it so I'm super excited I finally get my chance! I loved the first book, and we saw the movie last week and I can't stop thinking about it and just want to see it again!! Soooooo good!!!

______________________________________________________________

As always (but it's been four-ish months so you may have forgotten) around the 20th of this month I will post a Discussion Post where you can leave comments about the book and we can discuss it together. Sometimes I include questions about the posts that we can answer and discuss together (this is part of my former English teaching major (that I never achieved) kicking in). You can also join in on the discussion on Good Reads.

So welcome back to book club and if you're new, welcome as well! I hope to continue this club (no more breaks) and meet new friends who love reading like I do. Welcome to the Club! 

March Review

Unlike January and February, March did not fly by. In fact, March was incredibly long and eventful. In a day everything would switch. My life was changing every second and each new day was a different event some stressful, some exciting, some life changing, some tiring, I could go on and on.

Yet despite March being long and eventful, I don't have exciting stories to tell you and I don't want to talk about the stressful events and such. So instead of going into details about what happened I'm just going straight into my New Years Resolutions.

You can read over all my blog posts from the month of March by CLICKING HERE. That will give you a general idea of what I've been up to this month.

New Years Resolution Update: 

[To gain 100 blog followers] I just got over 200 in my total! Yay me! But the main goal is to get 100 in a single social media outlet. So while I'm  getting incredibly close and I am really proud of the difference these past few months have made, I still have more work to do. So don't forget to help me out by sharing my blog with others!

[To run a 5k] I haven't been working on this. I went to the gym for a week and worked really hard, but not on my running. And with all these changes going on in my life it's difficult to do this.

[To get six-pack abs] Again, haven't been working too hard on this. Although I did lose five pounds this month so that's a start.

[To improve my math skills] I am haven't a really hard time wanting to do this one. There's a lot going on in my educational path and future right now so this goal is going on the back-burner for a little while.

[To make school more of a priority] Again, there are many changes going on with me and my education (and we're not getting into them right now) but this goal is also going on the back burner for a little while. I'll explain later but read my I Hate College post and the follow up post to get the general idea.

[To eat healthier] I don't know about healthier, but I haven't been eating as much. I've been using the amazing app My Fitness Pal to keep track of my calorie intake and this means I'm not eating massive amounts of food with billions of calories. So I'm doing really well I guess, but I really should eat more fruits and vegetables.

[To save up more money] Things are changing, we're moving to Texas, we're making big life decisions, but we were successful in Money Free March (for the most part) so we are taking steps to saving more money.

[To not procrastinate] It's hard to work on a goal to not procrastinate when you're an expert at procrastination. So no, I haven't been working on this one. But I have planned out all the things we have to do before our move to Texas, so maybe that's a start.

[To read more] I'm procrastinating this one due to school but I have a big list of books to read this summer and will start up my Book Club again in May! Yay!

[To pray and read my scriptures everyday] I've been praying a lot more this month and listening to General Conference talks as I get ready in the morning. I just need to work harder on praying and start getting into my scriptures again. But I'm definitely working on this one.

I do apologize for lack of content and excitement on this post, but honestly as I was looking back over the month I had nothing to say about it. Don't forget to check out my March Favorites post from yesterday! 

THANKS FOR READING!! 

Charity of the Month: Reading is Fundamental

I am a college student working towards a degree in elementary education, but I was formerly an English major and before that a journalism major (I've been in college forever and still have like three years to go). I love books and reading, hence my Book Club, and I'm a huge supporter of teaching reading properly and promoting literacy.

For Charity of the Month this month I am promoting Reading is Fundamental who has a goal to create a literate America and give all children access to books. They have a lot of different programs and locations, but not in my area. But we can all still donate online by CLICKING HERE. The minimum donation amount is $25. You can also volunteer if you're in their area.

I love reading and as a aspiring teacher I want to help create a literate America. I currently volunteer with Read Today and help tutor a 5th grader on his reading twice a week. If you can't make a money donation, please try to volunteer to help others to read.

Thank you so much for reading and for supporting my Charity of the Month! 

My 2014 New Years Resolutions

2013 is almost over and I can honestly say this was one of the craziest years of my life. I started out the year with multiple jobs that I loved, engaged, making lots of money, enjoying life, living with my parents, etc. Then in May I got married to my best friend and the love of my life (Best day ever!) We enjoyed a fabulous, but eventful, honeymoon to Disneyland (and Ogden). We moved to Logan so we could finish college at Utah State (go aggies!!). I had a medical procedure done that I still haven't written about on this blog, but it was a big deal for me. I spent all summer looking for a job and finding myself very unsuccessful. I became horribly depressed (not my new husband's fault, I SWEAR!!!). I realized I had no friends in Logan and felt very much alone and focused the majority of my time on this blog. When school started I got my old job back as a janitor and had mixed feelings about it, but now it's going great. I worked really hard in school but felt extremely stressed most of the time. We ran out of money and couldn't get our bank account back in order and had to ask for help. We had to move to save money on housing. We were struggling for months until our financial aid paid us some money. And now here we are. 2014.

I can already tell 2014 is going to be a great year! It will be my first full year as a married woman and (hopefully) we won't be moving again so we'll be in the same place for the full year. Things already feel like they are looking up! I'm excited for what the year has to bring and I am so excited for 2014!

Before I get into my 2014 New Years Resolutions, let's take a look at my 2013 Resolutions and see how well I did (because I deserve a little shaming). Keep in mind that I haphazardly threw together my New Year's Resolutions last year and didn't do much thinking about them, although that's no excuse for my massive failures... Anyways, let's get into it.

My 2013 New Years Resolutions:

1. To limit my income of sugar and salt. (FAIL. I did really well at the beginning of the year because I had to fit into my wedding dress. But after that I massively failed and gained weight... a lot of weight.)

2. To learn to love cooking. (FAIL. I don't cook. I never cook. I've made some crockpot recipes but is that really cooking? I made cookies! But I did not in any way learn to love cooking.)

3. To become more flexible. (FAIL. I didn't just fail, I greatly failed, because not only did I get more flexible, I lost the flexibility I already had! I'm not flexible at all anymore! And I'm very very ashamed of it.)

4. To become a better friend. (Fail? I don't have any friends... so did I fail? All these failures are getting so pathetic!!)

5. To work harder for my education. (WIN! I count this as a win. There is always room for improvement, but I'm definitely working harder than I have in previous years. I've done really well this past semester and hope to do even better in future semesters.)

6. To learn ways to spend less money. (WIN! Yay! Winning streak! Last month I wrote a whole post about all the things I've learned to spend money, sort of, I'm planning another, better one in the future, but for now I'd say this is a win.)

7. To (finally) get a six pack. (FAIL. Pathetic again. As I said previously, I just gained weight, so this is a definite fail. (And for those of you who are confused, I meant six-pack abs, not beer.))

8. To be more organized and clean. (FAIL. I don't consider this a massive fail, but it's still a fail. But it's something I hope to continue to work on.)

9. To blog more. (WIN! This is a definite win. I've blogged so much more this year than last year, not only that, I've gotten a much bigger response than last year. So many page views and followers! It's been a fantastic year for this blog!)

10. To love Chris more each and every day. (WIN! This is a lifelong goal that can always be worked on, but I feel it's still a win this year.)


So as you can see, I didn't do very well this year. 4 out of 10 aren't the best odds, but we can still work on these right? After looking over these goals again and thinking about what's going on recently in my life, here are now my New Years Resolutions for 2014.

1. To gain 100 blog followers. (This can be through Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin', etc. So share this page with your friends to help me reach this goal! As a special incentive, soon I'll be doing a giveaway exclusively for my Facebook followers!)

2. To run a 5k. (This may not sound like a big deal, but I've never been a runner in my life, so it's a big deal for me.)

3. To get six-pack abs. (Yes, I'm bringing this one back. It's something I've wanted for a long time and I'm going to continue working towards it.)

4. To improve my math skills. (I'm being forced to take more math classes as a part of my new major, but this time around I'm going to have a better attitude about it and work harder to get better grades.)

5. To make school more of a priority. (Don't tell my mom, but sometimes I skip class. It's just hard for me to wake up early sometimes! But this year things will be different, I'm going to work harder in school and really earn my grades by working hard.)

6. To eat healthier. (Because popcorn for dinner tastes good, but I really should stop doing it. Also, how else will I get my six-pack abs?)

7. To save up more money. (We've had a lot of issues with our bank account lately but things are starting to look up. We want to make sure that our bank account never goes through that again and want to save up as much money as we can to keep us financially safe.)

8. To not procrastinate. (I am the worst at this, but I'm going to get better this year.)

9. To read more. (I started my Book Club but haven't even been reading the books! This year I'm going to prioritize my time and make sure I read the books I pick so I can't keep up with my followers.)

10: To pray and read my scriptures everyday. (I have been majorly slacking on this and I'm very disappointed in myself because being LDS has blessed my life in so many ways and my Father in Heaven deserves to hear my prayers and all the things I'm grateful for in my life.)

These are my goals of the year. Feel free to chastise me if I you ever hear about me slacking off. I'd love to hear about your goals as well! Leave a comment below to let me know!

I WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! THANKS FOR READING! 

The Secret Life of Bees: Discussion Post

Sigh. This is the second time I might not finish the book this month. I'm really frustrated with myself, but honestly I just have way too much homework to focus on this. Next semester will be my last semester as an English major and after that my reading schedule might open up a bit. For now, I'll try my best to finish to book on time.

As promised, I'm posting the discussion post on the 20th of the month. So here you go! Since I am really not that far in the book I don't have any questions for you to answer yet, they'll probably come later. Maybe a lot later... Anyways, thank you to everyone who participates! Feel free to keep commenting even if it's past the month we read this book. Remember you can also join our group on GoodReads.

One last thing, I want a holiday/Christmas book for December so if you have one in mind, just leave a comment on our Book Club page to let me know. Thanks!

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT:

• Have you seen the movie? Is it an accurate portrayal of the book? Why or why not?
• (feel free to ask your own questions in the comments below!)

Five on Friday

This post is a link up with The Good Life

one
It was my birthday week! I had the best birthday ever! I'm 23 now! That's so old! Just kidding, but I honestly feel like I'm growing up. I got married this year, I'm getting my college future figured out and tweaked, I'm just making big decisions and acting more grown up. It's kind of weird.

two
Omeros. I'm reading it for class. Or at least, trying to read it for class. For anyone who doesn't know (which I didn't know about this until recently, so don't feel embarrassed) Omeros is an epic poem written by Derek Walcott. It's over 300 pages. And a poem. So it's confusing. I feel so lost! So anyone who has read and understands Omeros, HELP ME!

three
This is the month of spending no money because honestly we have none. All my birthday money went to my birthday dinner with my husband. We keep craving Subway, but don't have any money to get it. It's difficult, but it's 100% necessary in order to get back into a safe financial state. Our goal is to be out of debt by next month which is very possible if we don't spend anything this month. It's hard, but it will all turn out good in the end.

four
The Secret Life of Bees. That is the new book for Book Club this month! These link up posts tend to bring quite a few new people to my blog, so I'm shamelessly advertising my Book Club in the attempt that I can get more people to join me. Basically I just pick one book a month to read and encourage all my blog friends/readers to join me in reading. Around the 20th of the month I put up a discussion post where anyone can leave comments and questions about the book. We also have a Good Reads Group that is available for anyone to join. And I'd love to have you join! I've never read The Secret Life of Bees so I'm excited. I haven't started it yet because I'm super busy with school but I'll find time this weekend I'm sure. :)

five
My coworker's birthday was yesterday and as a joke I made him a Christmas sweater from scrap paper. I also just blew up some balloons for him and wrote on them saying "Happy Birthday" and "You are old". But honestly, this kid has been listening to Christmas music since September. And the bookstore at work put up Christmas trees and other Christmas decorations. So while I hate all the hype about Christmas before it's even December, I'm getting really excited, and I'm kind of hating myself for that. I'm breaking my own rules!

I NEED YOUR HELP!! Last month I wrote about Halloween decorating under $10 and I'd like to know if you'd like me to do the same for Thanksgiving and Christmas! Please leave a comment below and let me know. Thank you so much for your help! 

THANKS FOR READING!! 

The Secret Life of Bees: Why I Picked This Book

To learn more about my Book Club, CLICK HERE! 

So I put this month's Book Club book to a poll. I chose four books that I own but haven't read. I did this because last month I receive too many library late fees for my book of the month, which extended to two months... 

The poll was tied for a long time and I was worried I would have to chose between the two, but at the last minute, someone broke the tie. 

I'm excited to read The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd because I've never read it, but heard so many good things about it! This should be a great book for Book Club this month and I hope you invite all your friends to join in! 

Remember that if you're joining in on my Book Club this month to let me know through Twitter with #dancingcowbookclub. You can also join our Good Reads page by CLICKING HERE. Feel free to leave comments or questions you have while reading the book on the Good Reads page or even leave a comment on this post. 

As usual, I'll put up a discussion post on this blog around the 20th of the month with questions to think about when you've finished the book. Again, there is never any commitment to my Book Club. You don't have to comment, or Tweet, or even read the book if you don't want to. It's just a fun option for those who love reading like me. 

For December I want to pick a Christmas/Holiday book so if you have any suggestions, please leave a comment. Please invite friends and family to join in on my book club as well! I'd love to see more people joining in! 

THANKS FOR READING! 

Beautiful Creatures Discussion Post!

First, thank you again to everyone who participates in my book club! I love hearing from you! Don't forget that you can join in my group on Goodreads by CLICKING HERE. It's just another way for us to discuss books and to share our favorite books with each other.

Feel free to comment on this post to discuss our book of the month, Beautiful Creatures. Below are some discussion questions, they aren't necessary, but feel free to answer them if you'd like. Also, don't forget to vote on the sidebar for next month's book! Thank you so much for joining in! WARNING: SPOILERS MAY BE CONTAINED BELOW!

Discussion Questions:

• What do you think of Ethan and Lena's relationship? Compare it to other literary relationships.
• Do you think the two female authors created a believable male character? 
• Do you see this book as a lesson that history repeats itself? 
• Do you think you would be Light or Dark at the age 16? (If you're older, think about how you acted at 16)
• Have your ancestor's past decisions changed your life? 
• If you've seen the movie, how do you feel about the way the director interpreted the book onto the screen? 

Pinterest Sunday: Gray, Queso, Wreath, Discount Cosmetics, Halloween Movies, Hearts, 65 Books, Favorite Song, Friends, Skirt, More Friends, Miss Kansas, and Dog Fighting Lobster.

I basically love everything about this outfit. Lately I'm a huge fan of TOMS (but not really because all of mine are off-brand TOMS, but basically the same thing) and I have always been a huge fan of just casual jeans. And I love gray. It's like this was made for me. 

Chili's Queso. When I click on the pin, the link doesn't work. But here's what the caption on the pin says: 1 can of Hormel chili- No beans 16-ounce box Velveeta Cheese 1 C. milk 2 teaspoons paprika ½ tsp. ground cayenne pepper 4 tsp. chili powder 1 tablespoon lime juice ½ tsp. ground cumin. 

Hopefully that's all it is! 

It's a little known secret that I love making wreaths, most people don't know because I've only made like two, due to lack of money. This one is super cute and I definitely want to try making one like it. 

Alright, so this pin takes you to this website: StackDeals where you can find tons of discounts on so many different products and stores. This is seriously one of the greatest things I've ever pinned.  

Halloween movies!!! I am getting so excited for Halloween!!! It's one of my favorite holidays for sure! The kid I work with is more excited for Christmas and keeps listening to Christmas music at work. I absolutely think he's crazy. If you have a favorite Halloween movie, leave a comment below. I'm gathering a list of all the good spooky/Halloween movies for a blog post! 

This ugly old used book store I used to work in is going out of business (Books of Yesterday) so they are trying to sell all their books, and they literally have thousands!! I need something above our bed and I was thinking of doing something similar to this, so we'll be making a stop at Books of Yesterday. If you are in Cache Valley and have never been there, you really should before they close. It's impossible to have them help you find what you want, but if you look around long enough, you can find some really good stuff! 

I'm always looking for new books for my Book Club and, oh wow, I'm also in my 20s! I love reading though so I'm always looking for more books to read. This pin takes you to this Buzzfeed page, which as of lately, I'm a huge fan of Buzzfeed. (To the Reader: You are always welcome to join my book club! There is no commitment and it's just for fun!)

I just love everything about this picture and don't have much else to say about it. 

22 Signs You're Still Addicted to Friends

I 100% know I'm addicted to friends... and I love it. 

I really like this outfit. The skirt is so cute and totally want one! 

More Friends... see? Addicted. :)

Last Sunday I watched the Miss America pageant and I really wanted this girl to win. Miss Kansas was just so real, and who better to be Miss America, and a face for our country, than a real woman who serves in the US Army? I was sad she didn't win. But congratulations Miss New York! She broke down barriers with her win too. 

As the picture suggests, this is the end of my post today. But seriously, that lobster is HUGE!! Imagine being in the ocean and seeing that thing coming towards you! Freaky!! 

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY!! 

Beautiful Creatures Discussion Post/ GIVEAWAY!!! (Now Closed)

So anyone looking regularly at my Book Club page may have seen that this month's book, Beautiful Creatures, has been extended through another month. There are three reasons for this:

1. I was unaware at how long the book was beforehand 
2. I didn't realize how ridiculously busy my schedule would be once I started school, and...
3. I think this book has a wonderfully creepy/dark sort of undertone that will be great for October and the Halloween season. So I don't regret leaving this book for another month.

So while I am not very far in the book (I honestly have no time to read for fun anymore) I am still posting the discussion post today for those of you who are on time. Congratulations to you! Try not to give away too much to me. 

If you haven't started reading yet, there is always enough time to start! And what better way to start than by winning your very own copy of Beautiful Creatures to read!!! 

I'm finally doing a giveaway on my blog and I figured the best way to start it out would be with my Book Club book. Here are the rules to this giveaway:

1. It is mandatory to like my Facebook page (found HERE) in order to enter; this is good for 3 entries into the giveaway.
2. You can gain more entries by following me on Twitter, tweeting about the giveaway, and commenting on one of my blog posts. 
3. You may tweet about the giveaway everyday to gain more entries.
4. This giveaway is only available to persons living in the United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii (I'm so sorry!!) 
5. This giveaway goes from September 20th through October 6th, the winner will be notified during the week the contest ends and the book will be sent out by the end of that week through Barnes and Noble. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I want to thank everyone that voted on the giveaway prize, it was great to see what ya'll were most interested in. The book was actually tied with a gift card, so that will be for my next giveaway (I'm hoping to do one about every other month, so stay tuned!) 

Anyways, back to the main reason for this post, please leave comments below discussing what you thought of the book Beautiful Creatures. Once I'm finished, I'll join in the conversation and maybe post a few questions for everyone as well. You can also join the book discussion on Good Reads if you have an account through them (this is a free app and website and a great way to find new books to read if you want to join). Don't forget to tweet about the book as well with #dancingcowbookclub.

Also, if you're behind and just finished last month's book, The Fame Game, you can join that discussion HERE. I'm more than happy to continue that discussion with you! 

If you have questions you'd like to add to the discussion, please leave a comment. 

Thanks everyone for joining my club!! 

Discussion Questions:

• If you've seen the movie as well, what do you feel about the director's interpretation of the book put on screen? Was there anything they left out? Anything you would have loved to see differently? 
• (more questions will be added when I'm finished)

(Discussion questions are completely optional, there are just added to get you brainstorming)