Book Review: Atlantia by Ally Condie

Description from Goodreads
Can you hear Atlantia breathing?

For as long as she can remember, Rio has dreamt of the sand and sky Above—of life beyond her underwater city of Atlantia. But in a single moment, all her plans for the future are thwarted when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected decision, stranding Rio Below. Alone, ripped away from the last person who knew Rio’s true self—and the powerful siren voice she has long hidden—she has nothing left to lose.

Guided by a dangerous and unlikely mentor, Rio formulates a plan that leads to increasingly treacherous questions about her mother’s death, her own destiny, and the complex system constructed to govern the divide between land and sea. Her life and her city depend on Rio to listen to the voices of the past and to speak long-hidden truths.

Initial Thoughts
I'm really excited to read this. I loved her Matched Trilogy (and I talked about how much a bit in last year's favorite books of 2013 post), and am excited to read a stand alone novel. And the premise sounds exciting!

My Review
Maybe I hyped this book up too much in my own head prior to reading, but I really didn't ever get into this. I tried really hard. And I kept reading way past the time I usually would have given up, but I kept waiting for something. 

The book itself is mainly about two sets of sisters. And their lives Below. Below is the city of Atlantia, which was created after Above became too polluted to live in. Two of the sisters in the sets are Siren's, which have extremely powerful voices. And even knowing what Siren's are, the book never actually touches on anything about them, other than they are miracles and their voices are powerful. And it never goes too much into the relationships either of the younger girls have with their respective love interests- it barely glosses over them.
The author herself says this is a book about family, but the older sets of sisters don't have a relationship and we never really learn much about them at all, and the younger sets of sisters are close, but I never really felt the bond for myself. (And you know, as a reader, that you can feel that bond between characters if it's written well enough.)

By the end of this book, I just felt relief that I had finished it. 


When I initially finished the book, I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads, but I have since changed it to 2. I just really didn't like it very much at all.
I'm not giving up on Ally Condie as an author, but I definitely won't get too excited about her next book.


Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my local library. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Changing it up again - Book Reviews

Last time I changed up how I did my book reviews, I liked it. I thought the idea would have my reenergized to do book reviews. And it did, but doing both Judging Book posts and the actual review took up twice the amount of time. Which is the opposite of what I was hoping it would do.

So, I've decided to change it up again, but I'm basically going to be combining the two posts into one.



I'm going to do an initial review prior to my reading the book- it might be a quick note I jot down in my Goodreads when I add the book to my "to read" category (and I really need to do this because sometimes I cannot remember why I added a book) and transfer over, or just a quick draft of the book review post. After that, I will post my review. This will all be in one handy post. I also think it might be fun to see my initial impressions against how I felt after reading.


My first new review will be up Tuesday, Jan 6th! Hope you guys enjoy!

My favorite books read in 2014, and my yearly books read goal

Today, I'm going to be sharing with you all my favorite books that I read this year. These are books that I gave a 5 star review on Goodreads that I read in 2014, which I don't give out a lot of. I give out a lot of four star reviews, admittedly, but the 5 star review I save for the books that will stay with me, that I'll recommend to everyone I know. They're the books I shout about from the rooftops.

This Star Won't Go Out: The Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl by Esther Earl with Lori and Wayne Earl

A collection of the journals, fiction, letters, and sketches of the late Esther Grace Earl, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 16. Photographs and essays by family and friends will help to tell Esther’s story along with an introduction by award-winning author John Green who dedicated his #1 bestselling novel The Fault in Our Stars to her.

Why I Loved It: You can read my review here. It was the first book I logged as read in 2014, and I am still thinking about it.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK 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.

Why I Loved It: You can read my review here. But it begins with "Oh, my heart."

Shadow Spell (Book Two of the Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy) by Nora Roberts

With the legends and lore of Ireland running through his blood, falconer Connor O’Dwyer is proud to call County Mayo home. It’s where his sister, Branna, lives and works, where his cousin, Iona, has found true love, and where his childhood friends form a circle that can’t be broken…

A circle that is about to be stretched out of shape—by a long-awaited kiss.

Meara Quinn is Branna’s best friend, a sister in all but blood. Her and Connor’s paths cross almost daily, as Connor takes tourists on hawk walks and Meara guides them on horseback across the lush countryside. She has the eyes of a gypsy and the body of a goddess…things Connor has always taken for granted—until his brush with death propels them into a quick, hot tangle.

Plenty of women have found their way to Connor’s bed, but none to his heart until now. Frustratingly, Meara is okay with just the heat, afraid to lose herself—and their friendship—to something more. But soon, Connor will see the full force and fury of what runs in his blood. And he will need his family and friends around him when his past rolls in like the fog, threatening an end to all he loves…

Why I Loved It: You can read my review here. I believe it was better than both the first and third books in the series.

The Vacationers by Emma Straub

For the Posts, a two-week trip to the Balearic island of Mallorca with their extended family and friends is a celebration: Franny and Jim are observing their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary, and their daughter, Sylvia, has graduated from high school. The sunlit island, its mountains and beaches, its tapas and tennis courts, also promise an escape from the tensions simmering at home in Manhattan. But all does not go according to plan: over the course of the vacation, secrets come to light, old and new humiliations are experienced, childhood rivalries resurface, and ancient wounds are exacerbated.

This is a story of the sides of ourselves that we choose to show and those we try to conceal, of the ways we tear each other down and build each other up again, and the bonds that ultimately hold us together. With wry humor and tremendous heart, Emma Straub delivers a richly satisfying story of a family in the midst of a maelstrom of change, emerging irrevocably altered yet whole.

Why I Loved It: It's the perfect summer read. You can read my review here.

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
For more than a decade, Jenna Metcalf has never stopped thinking about her mother, Alice, who mysteriously disappeared in the wake of a tragic accident. Refusing to believe that she would be abandoned as a young child, Jenna searches for her mother regularly online and pores over the pages of Alice’s old journals. A scientist who studied grief among elephants, Alice wrote mostly of her research among the animals she loved, yet Jenna hopes the entries will provide a clue to her mother’s whereabouts.

Desperate to find the truth, Jenna enlists two unlikely allies in her quest. The first is Serenity Jones, a psychic who rose to fame finding missing persons—only to later doubt her gifts. The second is Virgil Stanhope, a jaded private detective who originally investigated Alice’s case along with the strange, possibly linked death of one of her colleagues. As the three work together to uncover what happened to Alice, they realize that in asking hard questions, they’ll have to face even harder answers.

As Jenna’s memories dovetail with the events in her mother’s journals, the story races to a mesmerizing finish.

Why I Loved It: I didn't guess the twist. It was engaging from the beginning, and I loved everything about it.



I definitely didn't meet my goal. I was on track, but then I got side tracked with Fall TV and "morning sickness". I read 38 books, and I had my goal set for 50.


This year I have my goal set for 30. I think that it's doable, especially considering I'll be off work for awhile. Granted, a portion of that time, I will also have a newborn. So, we'll see! 

FTC: All books were either purchased by me, borrowed from the library, or provided by NetGalley for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

ipsy vs Birchbox, October - December 2014

Since I have not done an ipsy or birchbox review since my last ipsy vs Birchbox, this is all new stuff! I'm still just going to do what I did last time- compare the boxes as a whole.


ipsy vs Birchbox October 2014
Here's my ipsy from October 2014

And here's my Birchbox from October 2014


Even though I have tried the Sukiface Exfoliating Cleanser in March 2014 New Beauty Test Tube, Birchbox was definitely the winner for me this month. I have used every single sample in it. For the ipsy, the lipstick is sitting in a stash of stuff I need to give away, the handcream is tossed in with the others, and the mascara was just meh. I didn't choose any of my samples in this Birchbox- I just let them curate my box for me.
Winner: Birchbox


ipsy vs Birchbox November 2014
Here's my ipsy from November 2014

And here's my Birchbox from November 2014


This month, I opted to get the Birchbox Buzzfeed Box (read more about it at the Ramblings of a Suburban Mom blog) when they asked me to choose a sample, and even though I picked it, I think I would've been happier just letting them choose the box. The mascara is an extremely wet formula that is just really doing me no favors, and I really, really disliked the candle scent. The only thing I kind of liked is the dry shampoo. The ipsy bag, on the other hand, was decent, and I've used the eye liner and eye base quite a bit. I will be passing off the lip sample and highlighter to a friend, but, overall, I just liked it more. I also really, really liked the bag this month!
Winner: ipsy


ipsy vs Birchbox December 2014
Here's my ipsy from December 2014
 
And here's my Birchbox from December 2014


This month, I picked the eyeliner in my Birchbox, and I received a rose gold that I have used at least three times a week since receiving my box. And I used the hair spray once, but I wasn't super impressed with the staying power. For ipsy, I have used everything, and really enjoyed the products they chose for me- and I FINALLY got to try the Tarte deluxe lights, camera, lashes mascara that so many people rave about. And that eye polish is a really pretty rose gold that I've also gotten a lot of use out of, and will continue to do so. And the bag is super cute, though I kind of think it would've been more appropriate for a February box, since it has a pink heart. 
Winner: ispy


So the score for this quarter is Birchbox - 1, ipsy - 2, and the overall total for both is Birchbox - 2, ipsy - 3, and both - 1. 
I am going to keep both of them because I still love the Birchbox points system, and wish ipsy did something similar. But I love that ipsy gives more makeup products. And at $21.00 for both, it's still not something I feel like I'm not getting my money's worth out of each month.
This series will continue in the beginning days of April!



If any of you are interested in signing up for Birchbox, please click there and use my affiliate link! I receive points which I will exchange for products that I can review on this blog.
If any of you are interested in signing up for ipsy, please click there and use my affiliate link! I receive points which I will exchange for products that I can review on this blog.


FTC: I pay for both subscription boxes with my own money. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Okay, so that was a fail.

I fully intended on coming right back. But once a habit is broken, it's hard to unbreak!


So my sort of New Year's Resolution is to start posting again!
I have a whole quarter of Birchbox and ipsy to show you all. I have stuff with my pregnancy I'd love to share. I've been reading books, and would like to get back into the BATR Book Club posts! (Though, you will have to follow me on Goodreads to see what I am reading, because it does take quite a bit of time to do posts.)

Overall, I just want to come back!

Also, you will notice my ads are gone. And I am no longer an amazon affiliate. I've come to realize I just want this blog to be a hobby.
With that said, Birchbox, ipsy, and Le Tote affiliate links are still up. I am, as of right now, not doing Le Tote due to my pregnancy, but plan on starting again after this is over with. I will only use those affiliate links to get things to review on this blog or give away. Same with Birchbloggers.


I'm currently working on some blogs that you should start seeing after the 1st of January! I'm excited to be back!

Surprise!

I'm so excited to announce, finally, that my husband and I are expecting our first (and possibly only) child!

As you can tell, I've been away from blogging now since October!
A lot of that is due to my pregnancy.


I had horrible morning sickness- I've been on Zofran since week 5, and am still on it. I had a bad day earlier this week on Wednesday, felt better yesterday, and have been good today. My doctor said as soon as I am good for 72 hours, I can start dropping down to one less pill a day, and I currently take four 4mg pills. I'm really anxious to get off of it, but it's also the only way I've really been able to eat real food.
I'm really hoping I'm not one of those women that is sick all the time, but if I am, I'll get through the next 27 weeks as best I can.


So if you're good at math, now you know that I'm 13 weeks along as of this week! I am due in early June.




I pretty much just starting showing late last week/early this week. It's seriously blowing my mind that that's me. It's weird. But in a good way.
I've slowly started transitioning into wearing maternity pants (I got a really great deal on two pairs at Destination Maternity), because they are just way more comfy. I might never ever wear regular pants again! (Okay, I'm joking. But really, maternity pants are amazing.)


I haven't had any crazy cravings yet, other than normal stuff. No pickles and ice cream over here, yet. I really haven't "craved" anything yet, at least no more so than I would when I wasn't pregnant. It's been more like "Yeah, I think I can eat that and it won't make me feel completely awful!"


We don't know what we're having yet, but I do plan on finding out at our anatomy scan- I'm not going to do anything elective on that end.
I did opt to do an NT Scan, and I will complete that sometime between my 16th and 18th week. Other than that, I've had just the initial ultrasound at 9 weeks, and I've heard the heartbeat. That was a total trip.
So far, I haven't cried during any of my appointments, which is amazing to me, because I'm a crier in general. Maybe when we find out the gender?

Speaking of the gender- I personally have no feelings one way or the other right now what gender we are having. Maybe because I know we are probably only going to have one child, I don't want to get my hopes up for one or the other. But mostly because I know that I will be happy either way. I like bow ties and sparkles equally!
Most people think/hope we are having a girl. Especially when they find out how high the heartbeat has been (171 and 169 during my ultrasounds, 183 at my 12 week doctors appointment, but I had just had lunch, and apparently that makes a bit of a difference) and I guess that is one of those old wives tales about guessing gender.



So, what does my pregnancy mean for the blog?
Well, if my morning sickness hadn't have been so bad, it wouldn't have affected anything. Other than after this post, I might have started talking a bit more about pregnancy.
I was considering cutting back on the posts, and go to a more "when I feel like it" type of posting. I will probably still end up posting two or three times a week- but I need to be able to step away if I need to. Especially now since the way I'm feeling is a little touch and go.
I also might do some pregnancy and baby blogs- if I find some product or book I love, I feel like it's completely in line with what my blog already is all about.

I'm hoping that, now that I'm feeling better, I can come back! I hope you're all still out there!

Where did I go?

If you've followed my blog, you know I post Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays... and that last Thursday's post, as well as this Wednesday and Thursday's posts did not go up.


I've been a little unmotivated lately. I'm going to be honest about it, and say I hope that it comes back around. But for now, I'm taking a little break from the three day a week posting, and my about me will reflect that.
I've been busy at work, busy in my personal life, and just tired in general.

I want to give every post my all, and I feel like I can't right now. Hopefully it will come back, soon, though!


Thanks for being patient with me. Hopefully I'll be able to get some new blogs going soon!