Read with Me - Tales of a Wannabe Author, Cosplayer, and Blogger

Hello, everyone! I'm back, and I'm here to review The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. I'm reading this book for my post modernism class, and I'll start out by saying that I was pleasantly surprised. This book is about a kid named, you guessed it, Oscar. He's a fat nerdy kid who no one really gets, and everyone is trying to push him into being someone he really isn't. Not that the rest of the family doesn't have their problems. They definitely do, and they all get told in The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao . But enough about that. Let's get onto the review! As I said before, I was quite surprised with this novel. In case you haven't noticed, I haven't had much luck loving my school books this semester. I didn't hold high hopes with this novel either, but as I started reading it, I found myself wanting to continue it. Even when we had stopped talking about it in class, I felt compelled to finish it. It kept me on th

Hello, everyone! I'm back and Earth Day is upon us, and what better way to celebrate than by reading a books dealing with some concerns that we should be thinking about today. Each book gets a link to their Goodreads summary an what Earth Day problem they deal with. This post is going to be short and sweet, guys. You know, to save energy. Enjoy! Overpopulation: Wither by Lauren DeStefano Apocalyptic Weather Changes: Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer Use of Fossil Fuels: Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne Deforestation: Breathe by Sarah Crossan Pollution: The Ward by Jordana Frankel Water Depletion: Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis Well that's it for this post! Comment down below on other books you think could make this list. Subscribe to the blog by adding your email to the Subscribe Box down below or off to the right. Add me to your circles by clicking the Google+ Button off to the right. Follow me on twitter @ KK_Donna_Blog for up to

Hello, everyone! I'm back and I'm here to review The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen. This is the book of the month for Booksplosion, and if you want to hear more about this book by your favorite Booktubers, watch out for a link on my twitter for their Book Talk. This novel is about Kelsea, a princess who has been hidden away, but now she must come out of hiding and take her place as Queen of the Tearling. That is, if she doesn't get assassinated first. But enough about that. Let's get onto the review! Let me just say how surprised I am with all the aspects of this book. It takes place in the future. So, we still have scientific advancements and a recognizable history. But something so sever has happened that the feel of the landscape, the customs, and the people are medieval. It's a very interesting take on a young adult book. Plus, there's magic. You can't beat magic. In conclusion, it has science, magic, and a medieval feel set in our future.

Hello, everyone! I'm back, and I'm here to discuss cover changes. It happens sometimes when a book comes out in paperback, or in mid-series, or when a series needs a revamp. I'm going to list some of cover changes that I find amazing, confusing, and downright awful. Now, I'm not counting movie tie-ins, but everything else is fair game. It's time to do what everyone tells us not to. Let's judge some books by their covers. Let's start off with the classics. That's right. It's Harry Potter. They've just had a recent book cover redo to go along with their 15 year anniversary. It was a bold move on their part. The first covers are considered icons, but I have to say that they did a pretty good job with the new covers. I like the overall style. There's a definite difference between the two, but I think they both convey the magic of the books quite well. Plus, the spines of the new covers look so magical on any bookshelf. Up next we have the Vampir

Hello, everyone! I'm back and I'm here to review Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass! I have to say, I was the gal who took the title metaphorically, and I was pleasantly surprised after I read the book. This story is about a female assassin who is forced into a competition to be the king's champion. If she wins, she gets to serve a power hungry king who could kill her any second, and if she looses, she will go back to prison and work in the mines, beaten everyday. Oh, and then there's her two love interests, but who cares about that when there's magic involved!? Enough about that, let's get onto the review! Let's talk about point of view for a second. There are a few point of views, but I will say that making this book in close third person point of view made it so much easier to read. There was also something I could get from each point of view that weaved into the overall story. It also gave me a break from Celaena, which as much as I love her, she coul

Hello, everyone! I'm back, and I'm here to tell y'all how I'm getting out of a reading slump. Just in case you aren't in the know, a reading slump is when you get into a mood where you don't feel like reading. I've been in a slump lately, and I thought I would just share my journey and fight of the reading slump. First, you've got to recognize what the problem is. Whether it be stress, anxiety, laziness, or a book hangover, you have to recognize what the cause is and plan accordingly. Once you know the cause, it is time to take action! If you think your reading slump is caused by stress or anxiety, try to resolve it. I think part of my problem is worrying about my future and what I'm planning to do after I graduate. One thing that has helped me is taking baby steps. I'm made some plans, one step at a time. One step then leads to another, and that makes me feel a bit better. It's help my stress and anxiety a bit. It may not be the same sit

Hello, everyone! I'm back, and I'm here to review The Turkish Embassy Letters by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. This book is a collection of letters that were written by Lady Montagu on her trip through Europe to Turkey. They document her travels, experiences, and the different people she met while she was traveling with her husband and children. But enough about that, let's get onto the review! I'll be the first one to admit that the travel writing genre is not my cup of tea. I prefer one continuing narrative that tells an overall story. However, I will also say that this collection of letters did contain some entertaining little tidbits that I wasn't expecting. Lady Montagu met a myriad of characters that told her great stories of their lives. She learned different customs and traditions that were a part of other people's cultures. One thing I have to give Lady Montagu props for is debunking myths of travel writers that came before her. We mentioned this brie

Hello, everyone! I'm back and I'm here to share with y'all my To Be Read List for April 2015. I'm hoping that making the list at the beginning of the month will force me to get some of my reading done, no matter what kind of emotional/book slump I'm in. Let's get onto the list! The first one I need to talk about is Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. I'm currently reading it, so I'm pretty confident that I'll finish this one before the month is up. Expect a book review very soon. The next on my list is a book from my modernism class. It's The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen. I haven't heard of this book before, but we'll be seeing how it ranks with the other school reads. Another school read that should be completed this month is Old Filth by Jane Gardam. This is another one that I'm not familiar with, but we have talked about it a little in class. It sounds pretty interesting, but we'll find out later this month. Of course, I will