somethingtofathom

June 3, 2019 somethingtofathom Book Reviews

Girls On the Verge – Mini Review

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Rating: 3.5 stars

“Thirty minutes feels like forever when you’re standing in a hot alley with abortion pills under your tongue.”

I know 3-star books aren’t considered bad and this one definitely wasn’t. The reason why I rated it kind of low was that I couldn’t relate to any of the characters. It was an enjoyable read but I never found myself feeling strongly about it.

That being said, the topic of abortion is very important within the book. It’s addressed accordingly. Before I go more into the details of the story, I want to mention that I never read the Author’s Note at the end, but for this book I did. It gave me a sense of the authors’ motivation and knowledge of the topic, and it’s really impactful. Especially since the new bills have been recently passed to ban abortions and sentence women and doctors for abortions, it is more important to read this book.

This book takes place mostly in the present on the road, but with some flashbacks to when Camille found out, she was pregnant. Bea and Annabelle ride amongst Camille to receive abortion pills at the border of Mexico. It’s interesting to see them support Camille even though they have different views about abortion, especially Bea. Bea grew up in a very religious household and is against abortion but since Camille is her best friend, she fights her feelings against it in order to support her.

I believe that this was a very well written book, however, this book was very short, and some of it seemed like it was rushed. Although this book was realistic, I feel as though some of it wasn’t. Especially the timeline of their trip and the inferences along the way didn’t seem realistic.

Overall for me, this was an okay book but has a very impactful message within it that I believe that everyone should read.

June 2, 2019 somethingtofathom Monthly Wrap Up

May Monthly Wrap-Up

Hello! This month flew by. I cannot believe we’re entering the half-year mark already for 2019. This month was kind of weird because I finished my second year of college and moved in for the summer at my boyfriend’s house. The reading month has been a little weird because I started reading multiple things, but never completing any of them.

Before I finished the semester I started No Exit by Taylor Adams and The Weight of Stars by K. Ancrum.

81Ts04G+BLL.jpg I really wanted to read No Exit, and I started reading it, it didn’t hook me in. I got about roughly 60 pages in and it wasn’t really grasping my attention.

The Weight of Stars, I think I got a little further into than the other book but I think the beginning was still a little slow and it was a longer book. I think that since it was longer, it was going to be a struggle for me to push myself to read.

I heard really good things about both books and the plots of both seemed interesting, but I’m not so sure I should finish them at a later point. If any of you have read either book, let me know if I should continue or not.

After I got moved into my boyfriend’s house, I wasn’t really in the mood to read right away. I started helping his parents with a lot of things and using my time to do other productive things. Which I’m pretty happy with.

411odctHzGL._SX324_BO1,204,203,200_ I received Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston in the mail since it came out in May! I wanted to re-read it. I am just about halfway through it and still enjoy it just as much as the first time. If you want to check out my thoughts while I read it as an ARC click here. I plan to finish this book next month and I’ll let you know how I feel after re-reading it.

51e12LpzgHL._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_ The other book I picked up towards the end of the month was called Girls on the Verge by Sharon Biggs Waller. It’s a shorter book but very impactful. I’m also halfway through the book, and also plan on finishing it up in June.

Some goals I have in June besides finishing the two books that I mentioned was, finishing my buddy read with my boyfriend of All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood because we took a hiatus from reading because things got a little busy around here. I also want to re-read The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller because I have a very different outlook on eating disorders. I remember liking the book when I read it but since I’m more aware of eating disorders and mental health, my views may differ.

May 31, 2019May 31, 2019 somethingtofathom Stories

One Complicated Love Story – Part of Chapter One

Hello! Happy Friday! Last night I rediscovered my old account on Wattpad and I have a few works uploaded. I was also searching through my saved stories that I used to read and it brought me a lot of nostalgia. As much as I hate to admit, my guilty pleasure to read was the whole Bad Boy and Good Girl trope. That was essentially the only thing I would read, otherwise I wouldn’t read anything else.

The story that I’m sharing a snippet with you all today is one that I attempted to make of that trope. I’m not going to post the full chapter because it’s a bit long. I also have 11 full chapters written (that are unpublished). If you like the story, although it’s when I was 15, so it’s not my best quality, I would be willing to share the full chapters.

Let me know down in the comments if you currently or used to go on Wattpad, and what was your guilty pleasure reads. Also, let me know if you want to see more of this story!

Beginning of Chapter One

I woke up a couple minutes before my alarm clock like I usually do. I put on my glasses so I could see what I was doing. I reach over to turn on my light and cringed at how bright it was, putting a hand across my eyes. “Ryan!” My father called my name from the bottom of the stairs. I slowly climbed out of my bed, and yelled back, “What?!”

I grabbed a random T-shirt from my closet and pulled it over my head. I pulled out a pair of pale blue jeans and jumped them over my hips. I pulled my long red hair into a ponytail as I walked down the stairs. I went to go sit down at the table where my father was reading the newspaper, holding a glass of milk.

“You yelled?” I asked as I put some bread into the toaster.

“I was just making sure you were awake, that’s all.” He mumbled. I rolled my eyes as I went to bite the piece of toast.

After I was done eating, I put my plate into the sink and ran up the stairs to grab my backpack, and walked back down. A car honked outside.

“Bye dad, love you,” I said to my father.

“Yeah, okay.” My father is normally like this, not even saying goodbye to the only close person in his life. I shrugged it off as I ran to the parked car in the driveway.

“Hey, babe.” My boyfriend, Kyo greeted me when I got into his car. I kissed his cheek for my hello. As soon as I got buckled he pulled out of the driveway and drove to school.

“Ryan…” Kyo started to say. I looked at him and hummed a yes, for him to go on. “I think it’s time to break up.” He told me in a low tone.

I sat there for a moment trying to sink in what he just told me. I decided to finally speak, “Break up?! What! Why?” Kyo jumped, he didn’t even dare to look at me.

“Ryan, I’m sorry, really I am. But you know I’m just not feeling it anymore.” He tried to act cool, but his eyes told another story.

“After the two years we spent together, you decided out of the blue, you weren’t feeling it anymore?” I questioned him.

Kyo and I have been dating for at least two years. He hasn’t shown any sign of him losing interest.

Kyo parked his car in the street.

“I’m sorry.” His voice nearly broke. He got out of the car while I sat in the passenger seat for a while before getting out. I was hurt, but I don’t cry much, even in this situation. No matter how much I felt like crying, I couldn’t.

After I headed to class thinking of what could have gone wrong, but I came up with no solution.

May 31, 2019 somethingtofathom Artwork

Personalized Vans

551599ca80347 — When I was in 10th grade I took a graphic design class. For one of the assignments, we had to design a Van shoe, and as you can see I chose to do a cow pattern. I was obsessed with cow things as it was new found favorite animal. Cows are probably still my favorite animal today. Let me know down in the comments on what your favorite animal is!

May 29, 2019 somethingtofathom Bookish Posts

Duologies

Hello! Happy Tuesday! I was thinking about what books to recommend, and looking back at all the books I’ve read, I’ve realized it was either contemporary or longer series, but very few duologies. So for today’s post, I decided to list some duologies for those who don’t like series but want another book afterward the first one!

If you’ve read any of these, or think of some other ones, let me know down in the comments! **

Also, if I got any duologies incorrect and actually are series, please let me know as well!

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue & The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzie Lee

Gentleman: Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

Lady: A year after an accidentally whirlwind grand tour with her brother Monty, Felicity Montague has returned to England with two goals in mind—avoid the marriage proposal of a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh and enroll in medical school. However, her intellect and passion will never be enough in the eyes of the administrators, who see men as the sole guardians of science.

Six of Crows & Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Small Synopsis: Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . .

Warcross & Wildcard by Marie Lu

Small Synopsis: For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Strange the Dreamer & Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor

Small Synopsis: The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.

The Wrath and the Dawn & The Rose and the Dagger by Renée Ahdieh

Small Synopsis: In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad’s dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph’s reign of terror once and for all.

This Savage Song & Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab

Small Synopsis: There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Flame in the Mist & Smoke in the Sun by Renée Ahdieh

Small Synopsis: The only daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has always known she’d been raised for one purpose and one purpose only: to marry. Never mind her cunning, which rivals that of her twin brother, Kenshin, or her skills as an accomplished alchemist. Since Mariko was not born a boy, her fate was sealed the moment she drew her first breath.

Passenger & Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken

Small Synopsis: In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Scythe & Thunderhead by Neil Shusterman (As of right now it’s a duology, it might become a trilogy in the future)

Small Synopsis: Thou shalt kill. A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Wintersong & Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones

Small Synopsis: All her life, Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, dangerous Goblin King. They’ve enraptured her mind and spirit and inspired her musical compositions. Now eighteen and helping to run her family’s inn, Liesel can’t help but feel that her musical dreams and childhood fantasies are slipping away.

** Synopses are from Goodreads

May 24, 2019 somethingtofathom Stories

Writing Prompt #8

Prompt: “Just let me have like, three seconds to pretend everything is okay before we go back in there.”

“Just let me have like, three seconds to pretend everything is okay before we go back in there,” I tell Detective Carver. He looks at me with concern but doesn’t say anything right away.

“Fine, but if anything happens, I’ll step in,” He reassured. I nod and turn the knob on the dark grey, steel door. It’s cold to the touch, giving me a shiver down my back before I enter. I take a deep breath.

“Mr. Harrison,” I pause. He looks up at me deadpan. No expression. Nothing that allows me any hints to what he’s thinking. “Where were you on the night of the 26th of June?”

He doesn’t say anything for a few moments and then, “I already told you. I was working. I’m not going to be a broken record because you’re ignorance is blocking your hearing.” He spoke very firmly, no hesitations.

“How late were you working? Did you take any breaks and leave the building?” I ask him. I pull the metal chair out, scraping across the floor as I do so. I sit down to face him, waiting for him to respond.

“I didn’t leave the building until the time I left. I’m a lawyer, I have stacks of paperwork to go through. I don’t have time for a break. I probably left around 10, not entirely sure,” He said.

“You do realize that what you’re being charged for is a serious matter, and what you aren’t saying now, is probably going to affect you later?” I tell him, trying to see how he responds.

“I do realize. I’m not a detective, but I’ve spoken with dozens of clients. I’ve said nearly the same thing to them because it’s my job. I understand that you think I killed my wife, I didn’t because I was working,” He started to raise his voice. This tells me that there’s something bothering him, and it’s not grief. “Detective, let me ask you this, have you ever found your wife lying there, dead? Her pool of blood laying all around her?”

“No, I have not. I’m not married,” I respond. “That doesn’t mean you didn’t kill her.”

“I did not kill her. I loved her so much that I would-” He stopped. I look up at him, he’s getting emotional.

“That you what? Want to end her life?” I say. He goes back to a deadpan face after taking a deep breath.

“I want my lawyer, Detective,” He says.

May 24, 2019 somethingtofathom Artwork

Cow Words

Cute cow cartoon — In high school, I took a graphic design class and one of the assignments was to take a word and build what it was using the words. As you can tell, I chose a cow, and I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.