Grandparents, Sickness, and Vacation

I've had a discussion topic in my head for a little while and planned on posting it today. It's funny how the world works though. Before I could write it, I had my open house for graduation, went to my grandparents', helped them pack, and got sick. Me + sickness = NOT GOOD. I don't get sick a lot, but when I do, it's not pretty. The only light I want to see is the TV screen, while my phone and computer hurt my head, oddly enough. 

Basically, after finishing my high school education, five semesters of college, and 46 credits...I was rewarded with sickness RIGHT before my mini vacation. So instead of pushing myself to really think about discussing something, I'm here to say that I'll be back on Sunday with a Rewind & Review. 

See you Sunday!

Are You an Elf or a Grinch?

When I go to bed, I tend to think about hard life questions. What will the world be like in five years? Will books become extinct? But during this time of year, I wondered, am I an Elf or a Grinch?

I love Christmas, but I think I actually relate to the Grinch throughout the whole year more and my Elf tendencies come out during November to December. To help your decision, here are a few personality tendencies for both types in certain situations.

You're an Elf...if you seek people out

You're a Grinch...if you like to keep your deliciousness to yourself.

You're an Elf...if you like to sing.

 You're a Grinch...if you don't.

You're an Elf...if you like to be happy.

You're a Grinch...if you can't handle feels like the ones in The Hunger Games

You're an Elf...if you like personal contact

You're a Grinch...if you have to seriously consider being around people after being alone for a long time.

You're an Elf...if you just can't contain your love.

You're a Grinch...if you have fun making a mental hate list and going over it when you're forced to be in certain public places.

You're an Elf...if you have tendencies to schedule like a extrovert.

You're a Grinch...if your schedule is more subdued.

You're an Elf...if sugar is as necessary as breathing.

You're a Grinch...if you're like me in the eating department

You're an Elf...if you feel bad after you do something.

You're a Grinch...if eye-rolling is a better response.

Are you an Elf or a Grinch?

Merry Christmas Eve and have a great Christmas tomorrow! 

Gallagher Girl Appreciation: Love, Quotes, and GIFS

Anyone who has read my blog before would know that I am an Ally Carter fan. I can find an excuse to put Ally Carter's The Gallagher Girls (or Heist Society) in pretty much any Top Ten Tuesday list. I find a way to add this series in many bookish conversations or non-bookish conversations because really, who says there's a limitation?

I don't exactly remember how old I was when I found the first book while perusing my library's shelves. I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (ITYILY) came out in 2006, but I possibly didn't read it until a while after. What caught my eye first was the boarding school uniform. Once that lured me in, I couldn't race to the check-out counter fast enough when I read the word spies. My childhood friend and neighbor and pretty much anyone who knew or knows me can attest to the fact that I think being a spy would be the coolest thing ever. We used to tail people around, but being so not covert (being more Liz than Cammie). Our favorite game was using walkie-talkies and hiding all around my yard, ducking behind trees whenever a car drove by. Simply, spies fascinated me and there was finally a form of entertainment that I could enjoy that was geared towards my age range. Hooray for YA!

If any of you haven't read this series, you need to and are such sad souls, I pity you. There are so many reasons/elements to this series as to why I enjoy it so much that I could never explain it all. But I did try and here's the resulting, condensed list.

• The sisterhood. The Gallagher girls stick together and while they're not all "best friends," they have a bond that no one can replicate.
• The ultimate group of friends. In the midst of the Gallagher Academy is the unique four girls with varying personality traits. I love the dynamic between Cammie, Liz, Bex, and Macey. I honestly think that's what most fans adore in this series. While there's mysteries, action, missions, and boys involved, the friendship between the girls truly stands out. 
• The previously mentioned action. It's not fight, fight, fight all the time, but there's kicking and jabbing and spy-like moves that make me want to shout, "Girl power!" or something similar to that notion. 
• The romance. HELLO THERE. In the first book, we had innocent Josh, who had the unique trait of actually noticing Cammie the Chameleon. Her first love, first romance, and they met during her first co-op mission, which is fitting. Of course, I always wondered if there was something dark about sweet Josh because I would so not be surprised considering this is Ally Carter we're talking about. Then we have mysterious Zach, who is so frustratingly cute and dark and...yeah, I was all, "Josh who?" when we met Zach. 
• The emotions. When there are five books and you have read them multiple times, you tend to get very invested into the story and the characters. The fifth book does things to me. 
• It's by Ally Carter.

A few favorite quotes from Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy and Out of Sight, Out of Time.

*Apparently, I forgot to mark quotes from the other books and I lent out the first book.*

"No, guys, we don't hate DeeDee," I said.

"Of course you can't hate her–that would be petty," Liz said in the manner of someone who had given it a great thought. "But we can totally hate her."

-

"What he hasn't seen," said Macey, positioning me in front of the mirror, "is casual Cammie." 

I felt like Barbie's less-than-perfect friend. 

-

Basically the all of page 203 in Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy because there's Zach AND Josh.

-

The Mother Superior, however, didn't seem very concerned about ancient terror organizations. She had the look of a woman who might tell ancient terror organizations to bring it on.

-

"Scoot," Zach told her, and Tina smiled, sliding down to make room for the two of us on the bench.

-
"You're too skinny," Liz said, a girl who I swear once bought a pair of pants that were a size double zero and had to have them taken in. 

-

Zach must have sensed it, because he moved his hand to the small of my back and rested it there. 

-

"Because death is the only thing that could have ever kept him from you." 

-

"Did you teach me how to kill?"

"No." He shook his head slowly. "You mastered those skills all on your own." 

-

"Goodbye, [name here]," I said, then climbed the stairs and went to the fifth floor to die. 

-

"We have you, Cammie," Bex said. "We have you."

My mom didn't say anything. Tears dripped off her face and onto mine as I stared up at the woman I wanted more than anything to become. 

"Do you hear the music, Mom?"

"No, sweetheart. No. I don't hear it." She shook her head. Terror and tears filled her eyes.

-

"He took me to the circus. And then he died."

And then I slept.

-

She didn't hesitate or slow; she just threw her arms around me and said, "You're alive." She squeezed tighter. "Thank God, you're alive." 

-

"You're here!"

"Funny, I was about to say the same about you."

-

"You don't get it, do you?" Macey threw her covers off and stepped barefoot across the floor. "We're not mad because you left." She practically spat the words. I wondered if Liz or Bex might wake up, but neither stirred. "We're mad because you didn't take us with you."

-

"You are back, Cam." Macey went into the bathroom and started to close the door. "Which means for the first time that you left, it's okay for us to be mad at you for leaving."

United We Spy, or what a Goodreads user more accurately called it United We Cry, will be out in America in two days. September 17th. Tuesday. I preordered it months ago, but when it comes to my door, I will be at work. You better believe that I will be devouring that thing right when I get home though. I think the concept of self-control and savoring it will not even be manageable or possible. To celebrate this last addition, here is a bunch of GIFs that describe my feelings more than I could ever express with words.

What I will be like on my way home Tuesday:

I know, Mom. I will be perfectly safe.

When I get the book in my possession:

How I hope my crying will be like, especially on my break at work:

How my crying/emotional state will really be like:

I do not drink or support being drunk, especially since I'm 17.
However, this is really appropriate since it has a work desk and all.

Really, this will probably be me to a T.

I emotional eat. It's a problem.

When I read the very last word and the talked-about graduation speech:

When I try to write a review and move on with my life:

So now we wait. I've reread the series, squealed about it and about the ever-decreasing wait time with Emily on Twitter, and now have made this somewhat therapeutic post. I'm as ready as I'll ever be. The only two problems left to solve are: 1. Will I really like her next series as much or as much as Heist Society? and 2. Who will I shove my United We Spy copy at to borrow since all of my friends in person are too busy as well as my sisters? It'll be great squealing with all the internet people, but it always feels great to actually hand a person the book to borrow. 

Have you felt this way about a series before? Are you excited about the sixth, and last, installment of The Gallagher Girls? 

The Song of the Lioness audiobook series by Tamora Pierce

After years of prodding from my best friend and a long time of seeing bloggers (ahem, Gillian) squeal about Tamora Pierce, I decided to give the author and her series a try. Since I'm now allowed to listen to audiobooks at work, because all the other ladies get to listen to their old lady radio and I don't even answer phones, I'm just sitting in a corner scanning papers ALL day. Not that I dislike my job or anything. I took the risk of listening to something I hadn't read before. The result?

Why, oh why, did I not read listen to this series sooner? I will not even claim that this will be a review. It is more like me trying to convey my emotions in certain parts. GIFs will probably be the best route so be prepared for an overload of them. 

There MAY be spoilers ahead. Proceed with caution. Please do not get mad at me.

Alanna of Trebond switches places with her twin brother Thom so that she can go be a knight and he can be a sorcerer. If you want to know more about that plot, go to Goodreads because I don't want to waste time recapping the whole series. So let's just say right now that she was awesome and I was surprised all over again when I was reminded on how young she was. She kicked butt, ya'll. When she had a run in with a bully, she worked even harder. Actually, she did that in every book with every challenge or challenger she faced. 

The secondary characters were amazing. All the boys she became friends with, including the lovable Gary, made me want to join their bromance instantly. The unrealistic side to this is that she was accepted a bit too readily since she was younger than they were. The disappointing side was that we didn't see much of them in the later books. However, we did get to see quite a bit of Miles, who was absolutely huggable. One of my favorite quotes, because it's so wise and what I always think when I have to make a decision to something, was provided by him.

"No can always be changed to yes, but it's very hard to change yes to no."

However, there was some romance to keep me happy. In the span of four books, she falls in love with three guys. With all the relationships, Alanna had a hard time admitting her feelings, but the first one was probably the hardest with her because of her femininity. 

• Prince Jonathan. She became his squire even after he found out she was a girl. After a bit, there was some ooh-la-la-ing going on between them. They quarreled and had their differences, but they were quite cute together. Okay, he was cute. 
• The thief named George. Alanna technically met him first and he was the first one to find out about her true gender, after his mother did. Unfortunately for him, Alanna wanted to keep things semi-platonic between them for most of the time. Oh, he flirted though and they had their heartwarming scenes. 

I am a Georgian.

• Liam, the Shang Dragon. Bleh. GET AWAY FROM ALANNA AND FROM ME. Sure, he seemed like the perfect guy at first. They both had the same desires, same goals, same mindset, same toughness. Whatever. He just seemed so old to me. I was thrilled when he was scared of her magic wuss. 

There was only one true villain and that would be Duke Roger, related to Prince Jonathan and the royal  CLUELESS family. Everyone except Alanna were blind to Duke Roger's schemes and at first, that seemed very unrealistic. Don't fear though! We obtain a reason in the end.

Action, mystery, quests, magic....I loved it all and was wrapped up in the story without fail. The first book was absolutely amazing for me. I loved the plot, the characters, the narration, everything. I remember liking the second book because of the added romance and other plot points. However, I don't remember much about the last two, but do think that some of the parts were dragged out too long. I just wanted my familiar characters back. 

I so wanted to like Thom, considering that he's Alanna's twin...but I couldn't. We weren't supposed to anyways, except for maybe a little bit at the end. He was arrogant, pompous, selfish, and standoffish. Everyone who met him were unanimously hating him because of his...attitude? Air around him? Aroma? Behavior? Whatever you want to call it, he had no friends. And deservedly so.

Although he was intelligent and wise with magic, he was stupid too, at least in the last book. Because in the last book, he wonders how a certain person feels towards "the woman who killed him." Say what now? Let's see. If someone killed me, I would have a range of negative emotions. Anger, resentment, and thoughts of revenge come instantly to mind. What, do you think that this person will just forget and be all, "Well, I deserved it. I don't blame her. La, la, la, la, la..." Idiot. 

Thom also said that Alanna was basically the only person he loved, but he sure didn't act like he loved her in the end. But that goes back to the above point on how stupid he was. 

What I loved about having Alanna as a main character was that she was always growing. I didn't realize starting the series that it was technically middle grade. She grew up from being about a pre-teen to around my age. She naturally changed mind on things and matured. You can never say that she didn't work hard because she always tried to be her best. Whether it was to defeat a bully or get a diamond or to do something else that demanded her magic or strength, she trained hard. 

How everyone felt about her from day one.

She certainly had her difficulties growing up though. Since she spent a large portion of her life as a boy, the transition of becoming a woman was tough too. Her time of the month? More awkward than others. Alanna gradually piqued more interest at dresses and while I wanted her to stay tough, I wanted her to be feminine as well. She deserved to feel beautiful. Unfortunately, because of her mixed emotions about how to conduct herself, and because there was one stick in the mud who made her feel like crap about wearing a dress for him, I might add she was confused as to who she was. She always dreamed about being a roaming knight, but she longed for home. She refused the thought of marriage, but started to crave love.

I would bet on it that Alanna said this at one point.

Because I feel like I have a million things to say and no words to say them, here is a gif collection of my feelings throughout the books at different points or throughout the whole thing because this brought on the feels.

Narrator review: I also have to mention the narrator since it was an audiobook series. The pick for the narrator could not have been better! Wow, wow, wow. Trini Alvarado, who played Meg March in Little Women, narrated all four books and was fantastic. You could clearly tell apart all the voices and her variation of all the men wasn't silly either coming from her. Sometimes she even sounded like Megan Fallows, who played Anne in Anne of Green Gables, which I really liked. I looked her up and she narrates another Tamora Pierce series so I will be listening to that asap. I think a narrator has the power to make or break an audiobook and she definitely didn't let Tamora Pierce or me down. 

And to sum up how I felt afterwards when I received major book hangover...

Thank you for being patient with me as I babble and squeal. Such a relief to get it all off my mind.

Have you read this series? Have you listened to anything narrated by Trini Alvarado? What Tamora Pierce series should I read/listen to next?