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Reading update: 291 pages into Crescent City

3/17/2020

Hi there! Just posting a quick reading update as there is nothing better to do at the moment with all the craziness going on. I am 291 pages into the 799 page novel Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas. In my last post about the book, I said it was dragging, and I'm glad to say that the book is gaining steam. I'm enjoying the story and character development and can't wait to continue reading.

Have any of you read the book yet? If so, how did you like it? (Please refrain from spoilers)

A lot of stuff is going down right now. Quarantines, jobs closing, whole cities (and countries) shutting down... It feels like we're living in the flashback of an Apocalypse film. You know when the people look back on how it all started. Fuck, I mean people are hording toilet paper like that's going to save them from catching the virus. It's just ridiculous.

The government is not doing enough. And of course they can't, not when the GOP continues slashing all the good stuff... anyway... stay safe out there. Make good choices. Don't horde shit. And ask your elderly neighbors if they need anything, they're the most vulnerable people right now and we need to support them.

CR

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I read all three of Gillian Flynn's novels, and now I'm traumatized.

3/7/2020

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The movie: amazing. The book: better.

I loved reading from both the perspectives of Nick and Amy. At no point was I not entertained. This book was amazing and I highly recommend it. The mystery and the trickery is so well written.

After reading this book, Gillian Flynn has become one of my favorite authors. I've never been a fan of horror, but the way Flynn weaves stories together is so interesting and unique, that I can't help but want to read more stories within the horror/mystery genre.

If I still had cable, then I'd have watched the HBO series adaptation by now, but alas, paying for cable is wasteful when you can find everything on the internet.

This book was shocking in a good way, but I would caution anyone who has suicidal thoughts or self-harm not to read this. The main character neglects her body in a horrifying way that might be too much for some readers.

Camille Preaker is a journalist trying to make a better life for herself in Chicago, away from the home town that reminds her of the death of her sister Marian at a very young age. Camille returns home to chase the story of a murdered girl, and finds out a lot about herself and her family in the process.

Can I just say, Charlize Theron wasn't right for the role in the movie adaptation. Libby Day is supposed to be a very small, very angry red head (yes, I'm aware that she dyes her hair blond in the book), and Charlize is all legs (and her anger doesn't convince me.)

Dark places was, well, dark. The protagonist Libby Day is really going through it you guys. When she was a kid, her whole family was murdered, and her teenage brother was convicted. This story is filled with crazy twists and turns, and I could have never guessed what really happened that day when Libby became the sole survivor of the Kinnakee Massacre .

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I tried reading the Princess Diaries series

3/6/2020

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Four years ago, I read the first book in the series for the first time in my life. I felt so much nostalgia for the films as I did and so I couldn't help but love the first book. The movies brought me so much joy as a child, and I still quote some of the lines to this day. My love of the films is something my mother and I share (this includes many other so called “chick flicks” and romantic comedies).

Continuing the series four years later, I found the second book a delight, as Mia’s relationship with Michael develops a lot more than it did in the films. But after the second book, I grew tired of Mia as a protagonist. By book five, she is still a high school freshman, with high school freshman problems and annoying teenage habits.

As an almost twenty-five-year-old woman, I found it hard to relate to her character and her experiences (not the princess aspect, which I could never relate to anyway, as I’m not a royal). I think I’m just too old for this series now. If I were still in middle school or high school I’d probably be going through all of the books very quickly, but as an adult, I’ve decided to throw in the towel.

I can’t stand Mia as a narrator anymore, and it hurts me to say that, but overall, Meg Cabot is a good writer, and If you like movies, give the books a try. Let me know if you were able to read more than just the first four like I did...
~~~
Cristina from the future here! Well, a day after the above content was written. I've reconsidered ditching this series. I'm not sure when I'll return to it (not anytime soon), but one day... one day! The change of heart came after I watched this video:

It was sweet, and made me want to give the series another try :)

CR

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2020 Reading Goals

3/6/2020

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Goals, goals, goals!

Hi there! I know it's already March, and I probably should have posted about my reading goals for the year in January, but better late then never, right? (And besides, the screenshot looks a lot better with some books already finished.) So, yeah. I've finished 10 books so far. My goal for the year is to read 24 books, but at this rate I'm hoping to surpass that number.

Listening to audio books is making it so much easier to read a ton of books. I found an app called Libby that allows you to borrow books from the library on your phone. I love it! You save money on books and get to read on the go. I highly recommend it.

I plan to post about the books I've read later on :)

Do you have any reading goals this year? Let me know! I'm tracking my reading progress both on goodreads and Instagram. Find me on either one if you want to talk books!

Goodreads

Instagram

Libby app

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Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood

3/6/2020

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NaNoWriMo Website

Hey! It's me, back again to talk about something besides my love for Bernie Sanders. Anyway, the other day I started reading the new adult fantasy series: Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas!

I'm about one-hundred pages in at the moment, and not fully immersed in the world yet, but it's starting to get interesting. To be honest, the first few chapters dragged. There was quite a bit of info dumping, but I do understand that it's a new series, and she's trying to get all of these new ideas and world building details across. I just felt disappointed as it wasn't the best opening. But, there is hope! I've heard the book gets better and picks up pace after the first hundred pages, so I'm glad that I'm almost at that point.

I have read the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah and enjoyed it, as well as 5/7 books from her series Throne of Glass, so I'm sure I will end up enjoying this book/series. It's always good to read the genre you want to write (as well as different genres to broaden your horizons), so I will devour this book and many others this year.

My own writing progress is slow at the moment, but the other day I did figure out a few major plot points, and feel more confident about moving forward now. I am planning to participate in Camp NaNoWriMo this April, so hopefully I can get words in. All the words!

I'll make another post once I've finished reading this 800 page monster. Until then, stay safe out there. Wash your fucking hands, and don't use the Coronavirus as an excuse to be a fucking racist! Bye~

CR

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It's Super Tuesday, Vote Bernie!

3/3/2020

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**If you're still on the fence about who to vote for today, just think: WWMRD. What would Mark Ruffalo do? Well, he'd vote for Bernie, and so should you.**

But on a serious note, today is an important day. Please think rationally. And go Vote!

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Starving Artist Aesthetic

Reading update: 291 pages into Crescent City

I read all three of Gillian Flynn's novels, and now I'm traumatized.

I tried reading the Princess Diaries series

2020 Reading Goals

Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood

It's Super Tuesday, Vote Bernie!

**If you're still on the fence about who to vote for today, just think: WWMRD. What would Mark Ruffalo do? Well, he'd vote for Bernie, and so should you.**

Cristina R.

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