Book Review: Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger

Hey readers!

Finally you all get to hear about my most recent read! "Etiquette and Espionage" by Gail Carriger! I read this book for my stitchy book club for November/December.

Goodreads Summary: 

It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.

"Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners--and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's, young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage--in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education."

My Review: 3/5 Stars

My Thoughts:

As you saw above, I gave this book 3 out of 5 possible stars. In my book, 3/5 means the book was ok, but not one of my favorites. I did find this book to be enjoyable. I giggled at several things during the book, and I found a lot of the names in the book to be extremely amusing. I definitely plan on picking up the next two books soon. I really want to know what happens. 

A negative thought I have for this book was that it was really slow in the beginning. It took quite a while for it to pick up. This lost the book 1 star. 

There were a few things that confused me in the book. Mostly terminology. I do wish it had been explained more. This is the reason for the book losing the second star. 

The book turned out to have a steampunk-ness to it that I wasn't expecting. There are lots of mechanical things involved in the story, and I liked how they came into play. 

This story takes place in the way back, so this is before women were allowed to be interested in certain things because back then it wasn't proper. They were meant to look pretty and have good manners and raise children and love their husbands. The main character is sent to the finishing academy because she did not meet her family's standards for how she should behave and look. Also because of the time period, there are some things that could be taken as racist by side characters, but the main character is not in any way racist. She likes the different kinds of people she meets in the book, whether male or female, no matter their ethnicity, and no matter their occupation. I like this about her. She doesn't care about the rules and standards of her time. She's a little rebellious and it's so great to have that in a book! 

I ADORED Bumbershoot, the little mechanical dog, or mechanimal as they call them in the book. He's so cute and precious! And he comes in handy at a certain point in the book. 

I hope that Bunson's school for boy's comes into play more in the sequels, because the only reason it was in this one seems to be because the girl's school needed a boy's equivalent. 

I want to know more about what the school actually does besides training women to be sneaky and deadly. I need more! It's such an interesting concept. I also need more werewolves and vampires. Definitely more. The fact that there was also a supernatural aspect to the story thrilled me. There just wasn't enough of it. We pretty much just found out that they existed, and then that was it. 

I wish that there had been a little bit of romance in this book, but sadly there isn't. It does lay some groundwork for a possible romance between two characters in the sequels. We will see. 

CAUTION: SPOILER AHEAD

I am so freakin happy that Monique got shown up at the end of the book. I could not stand her and her uppity, "too good for anybody else" attitude. Ugh. I don't like petty in real life or in books. Haha! I'm wondering if she will be in the sequels and whether or not she will come around and be a decent person. 

XOXO,

Eden

Book Review: Talon by Julie Kagawa

Morning all!

So today let's talk about Talon by Julie Kagawa! This is another book I finished a couple of weeks ago, and I adored it and it doesn't have much hype around it, so I want to promote it a bit. :D There will be spoilers in the "My Thoughts" section of this post, so if you read it just know in advance that I warned you! They shouldn't ruin the reading experience for you, but you have been warned :)

Goodreads Summary:

"Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons. "

Review: 4/5 Stars

CAUTION: Spoilers Ahead

My Thoughts: 

I LOVE this world because it is set in the modern day. The dragons can shift into human forms, so they blend in. Most books that I've read that involve dragons take place in ancient times, so it was refreshing. 

You basically have two antagonists here: The Order of St. George, which hunts dragons, and Talon, which is the dragon organization. I really liked that you aren't rooting for one organization over another because they both absolutely suck. 

Our leading lady is Ember. She is so frustrating to start that I wanted to scream. She whines and whines and whines some more. She is a dragon who has been given the mission, along with her brother Dante, to assimilate with human society. She makes teenage friends and she enjoys being free from Talon. 

Our other main character is Garrett and he is a member of the Order of St. George. He is hunting for a dragon "sleeper" that has been reported in the area. (Ember). 

I think you guys can see where this is going.....forbidden love. 

There is a third character, Riley. He is a rogue dragon. He left Talon and is against everything they stand for because he knows the truth of what they do and what they are. He catches Ember's ear and she starts to agree. She wants to leave Talon too. 

This leads to a love triangle that is so forced its hard to get past. Since I can't change the fact that it exists, I decided to ship Garrett and Ember. However, by the end of the book I couldn't decide who I wanted Ember to be with. I like Riley too. Ember's dragon wants Riley, but human Ember wants Garrett. 

I hate that Ember refers to her dragon as a separate being instead of as a part of her. Thats so weird. I mean....she IS a dragon that can change into a human form......It doesn't make sense to me. 

As far as character development, I love how Garrett's character softens towards Ember and just in general. Ember grows into a strong and independent girl from the whiney thing she was before. Riley is just Riley. He's already developed. 

A note on Dante now....his character accepts everything and does everything that Talon tell him to do, no matter how morally wrong it could be. I really hope that he comes around in one of the sequels because it sucks that he and Ember are now on the terms that they are. 

I didn't really connect with any of the characters :/ 

I enjoyed this book. I really did. There are aspects that irked my nerves pretty bad, but nothing that made me want to put the book down and never pick it up again. I am really looking forward to learning more about the characters, especially Garrett and Riley. I have just gotten books two and three in the mail and I'll be reading those soon :)

XOXO,
Eden

Book Review: Legend by Marie Lu

Helloooooo readers!!!


Today I have a book review/book talk for you guys! I'll be discussing "Legend" by Marie Lu. I finished this book over my Thanksgiving break and I want to get this out to you and get all of my reviews caught up.

Goodreads Summary: 

"What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets." 

Favorite Quote:
"Each day means a new 24 hours. Each day means everything is possible again. You live in the moment, you die in the moment. You take it all one day at a time."

Review: 5/5 Stars!

CAUTION: Spoilers Ahead

My Thoughts:

I have no idea why it took so long for me to read this book. It has been out forever and I just picked it up. Ugh! I was missing out for quite a few years. I'm pretty mad at myself for it. But anyway....

This book is told from both June and Day's POV. It was necessary for this story and I enjoyed both POVs. You could tell who was who without looking.

So basically, a civil war has divided what is now the US into two different sides: The Republic and Th Colonies. In the Republic, children are made to take a test when they reach a certain age, and their scores determine where they end up working and living as adults.

June made a perfect score on her test, and she in in training for the Republic's military. She's very good at what she does. She has a brother who is an officer in the military and she is expected to excel. She has great character development. At the start she believes and does everything she is told, but over the course of the story she learns differently. This development begins at the point of her brother's murder. (I love the brother, Metias, and I wish he had been with us longer in the story.) June's reaction to his death was devastating to me. It broke my heart because he was all she had left in the world.

Day failed his test, so we think, and he was taken and experimented on. The things he endured are really awful. He managed to escape and he is now a rebel. He does everything he can to stop the Republic at every turn while also keeping his family safe. (His family has no idea he is alive, except for his big brother). His little brother comes down with a plague that is going around the poor sections of the Republic, and he breaks into a hospital to find a cure. On his way out, Metias tries to stop him and Day throws a knife that he is certain its Metias' shoulder. Because of this, we are under the impression that Day is the murderer.

I love that both of our main characters were so intelligent and that they were both such badasses (excuse my language) straight of the bat. There was nothing about June that was delicate like in a lot of stories. And Day was great.

I had suspected that the plague was being engineered and spread by the republic, but I was thrown off at the reason! I mean.....why would they test it for chemical warfare on their OWN citizens.....how stupid is that.....

I HATE Thomas. Spineless little punk..... He's a pervert and just all around disgusting. I hate him. Hate hate hate hate hate HATE!

I disappointed that the random numbers under the pier and under Day's house didn't play a bigger role. They only said that cattle and such was kept underground. Hopefully they delve into that a little more in the sequel "Prodigy".

At the end when Day's brother sacrifices himself to save Day and June made me cry. Heartbreak with REAL tears. It was so sad and hard to read.

I love the part when Day and June escape on the rebel motorcycles! It was like...."WOOOOOOO!" I was cheering them on until they were safe.

The end was sad, because June and Day had little to start with, and by the end they both had absolutely nothing left in the world. No homes, no family, no nothing.

I really liked this book! It was amazing! The action was wonderful, and the romance was great too. I liked that the romance played second fiddle to the political drama and the action.

If you haven't read Legend, please do me and yourself a favor and go get and read it ASAP. You won't regret it!

XOXO,
Eden

Book Review: Paper Towns by John Green

It's book talk time!!!

Today's book post is going to be about "Paper Towns" by John Green! I love this book! (I promise I don't love every book I read, I'm just really picking up good ones lately ;) )  I didn't even know this book existed until the movie came out in theaters, and I never watched it just so that I could read this book. I finally got to it last week, so lets jump into the review!

Goodreads Summary: 

"Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows. After their all-nighter ends, and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew..."

Review: 4/5 Stars

CAUTION: Spoilers Ahead

My Thoughts:

We have one POV in this book, which is Quentin's. I'll refer to him as Q from here on out. I really like Q. I think he is the perfect description of a teenage boy. I relate pretty hard to him because he is a nerdy kid. His friends are in band and they love video games and all things nerd. I was the girl version of him in high school. 

His friends are super funny. Radar and Ben are his best friends and their personalities add so much to the story. Radar is super smart and he refuses to bring his girlfriend over because his parents collect black santas. Ben is absolutely girl crazy and he finally gets a girlfriend. Lacey, Ben's girlfriend, was a friend that came to be during the story and I wasn't too sure about her at first. She ended up being a really cool character. 

A part of the book that I really like and relate to is when Q is cleaning out his locker on his last ever day of school and he is reminiscing. He's thinking about it being the last time he would open that locker with that combination in that hall with those teachers and those classmates. I remember my last day of high school and I felt the same way. It was really hard to leave and let it go. 

Margo's revenge on her ex boyfriend and her friend that he was cheating with is epic and they 100% deserved it. I wish I had been brave enough to do something like that! I laughed the whole time!

That same night when they break into Sea World and their crossing the moat, I was freaking out when Q saw movement in the water. I though he was going to get eaten by an alligator. (Im terrified of alligators y'all). 

I hate the part after Margo leaves when the police officer is talking to Q about how Margo is like one of many red balloons and yada yada yada. It was actually painful to read.....painful. WTF.. Also...Margo's parents are straight up bitches......there is not a nice way to describe them. 

I was so concerned that Margo had killed herself after Q had looked forever and couldn't find her. She didn't of course.

The trip to New York with Q and all of his friends was probably my favorite part of the whole book. It was exactly what a road trip with friends is. Anybody who has taken a trip with friends like this should definitely know what I mean. 

I was super surprised that Margo didn't actually mean for Q to find her. She left clues and everything for him, so I didn't understand why on earth she even bothered to leave them. 

The ending really disappointed me. I gave it the rating I did because of it. It left a lot to be desired. It left it open and it is clear that the book is a stand alone. Did she go home with Q? Did she go her own way? What the heck even happened?! It lost a star because of this. It was super unfulfilling. 

This book teaches people not to make assumptions about people they don't really know. Q thinks he knows the real Margo, but he is so far off. I think this a really powerful and meaningful lesson that every single individual should learn.

All of this being said, I really liked this book. I don't regret reading it for a second. However, I don't see myself reading any more of John Green's books after this. I don't love the style. 

I do recommend this book! Y'all check it out. 

XOXO,

Eden 

Book Review: Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Hello everyone!

Today I am coming to you for the review for "Their Fractured Light" by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner! This is not my most recent book finish, but I really want to review it here since I reviewed "This Shattered World".

Summary as per Goodreads:

"A year ago, Flynn Cormac and Jubilee Chase made the now infamous Avon Broadcast, calling on the galaxy to witness for their planet, and protect them from destruction. Some say Flynn’s a madman, others whisper about conspiracies. Nobody knows the truth. A year before that, Tarver Merendsen and Lilac LaRoux were rescued from a terrible shipwreck—now, they live a public life in front of the cameras, and a secret life away from the world’s gaze.

Now, in the center of the universe on the planet of Corinth, all four are about to collide with two new players, who will bring the fight against LaRoux Industries to a head. Gideon Marchant is an eighteen-year-old computer hacker—a whiz kid and an urban warrior. He’ll climb, abseil and worm his way past the best security measures to pull off onsite hacks that others don’t dare touch.

Sofia Quinn has a killer smile, and by the time you’re done noticing it, she’s got you offering up your wallet, your car, and anything else she desires. She holds LaRoux Industries responsible for the mysterious death of her father and is out for revenge at any cost.

When a LaRoux Industries security breach interrupts Gideon and Sofia’s separate attempts to infiltrate their headquarters, they’re forced to work together to escape. Each of them has their own reason for wanting to take down LaRoux Industries, and neither trusts the other. But working together might be the best chance they have to expose the secrets LRI is so desperate to hide." 

                                                     

CAUTION: Possible Spoilers Ahead

My Review: (5/5 Stars) 

For starters, I want to say that we have all been blessed by the fact that this trilogy's covers are in existence. They are absolutely stunning! 

I love the two new characters that we are focusing on in this third installment. Tarver and Lilac from These Broken Stars are, and will always be, my favorites, but Gideon is AMAZING. He's snarky and I love it. Sofia is great as well. The switching of the main characters does not bother me a bit in this series, because you still see the characters from the first novels. Their Fractured Light bring back Tarver and Lilac as well as Flynn and Jubilee. You actually see a lot of them, so that is a huge plus to me. I also want to point out that Gideon is mentioned in This Shattered World and Sophia actually appears in it. 

The character development in this story is fabulous. They both start out with nothing, and no one, and they are distrusting and untrustworthy themselves. You learn why they both hate the Laroux family (if you have read book two, then you already know what Sophia's hate stems from) I love that they grow as individuals and that their relationship grows as well. They have each other and can love and trust again. 

The action in this book is constant! There are points in it when you think that you're at the height of it, but then *BAM* more action! It really kept me on my toes. There are some twists here that actually make me worry for the characters, (not only Gideon and Sophia), and they literally sent me into a panic. A straight up panic. Not exaggerating at all here. I love it when a book can make me freak out like I did, because it means that you're truly invested in the characters and what happens to them. 

I adore this series and I was so sad to see it end. I've said this about the second book, but I can 100% extend it to all three books: These stories are heartbreakingly and achingly beautiful. The entire trilogy now has a place on my favorites list and I am SO glad that I finally picked them up! I definitely recommend them all to you guys if you haven't read them yet! You'll really be missing out if you don't! 

XOXO,

Eden

Book Review: This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

  Hey y'all!!

 My most recent book finish is "This Shattered World" by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. This is the second book in the Starbound Trilogy, and let me tell ya, it was fabulous.

Synopsis: 

 "The second installment in the epic Starbound trilogy introduces a new pair of star-crossed lovers on two sides of a bloody war.

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war." (from Goodreads)

WARNING!!! If you haven't read the first book in the series, "These Broken Stars", and you plan to, you might want  to stop reading now, because there could be a few accidental spoilers here. Also, if you haven't read the first book, I would suggest you read it before you read this one. There are connections that you'll need to make, and you'll need to have information from the first book to do so.

My Synopsis:

This story revolves around Flynn Cormac, a rebel on his home planet of Avon, and Jubilee Chase, a soldier sent to Avon to keep the peace. Avon has been in the terraforming process for years, and there has been no progress towards a more inhabitable world. It is a swampy, dank, dark planet. There is always cloud cover, and most locals have never seen the stars. Along with these conditions, the soldiers all seem to fall ill with a sickness that they call the Fury after spending a few months on Avon.

The rebels and the soldiers have been fighting for quite some time, and have recently entered into a cease fire. During this cease fire, Flynn runs into Jubilee on the military base, and decides to kidnap her in order to get some answers about why his planet has been so slow to be terraformed, why he and his people are forced to live with nothing, and he wants to ask questions about a secret facility that he stumbled across earlier that very same day. Flynn brings her to the rebel's base camp secretly, and while there, his comrades (or are they?) find her and are preparing to kill her, execution style. Instead of allowing this to happen, Flynn saves her and lets her return to the military base. This decision really does change his life forever.

Love eventually blossoms between Flynn and Jubilee. They are both fighting it. They think that they are two different, and that they have hurt each other too much for it to work. They feel that their people need them too much, but they give in. Their love is about forgiveness, and acceptance of each other and themselves. It is heart breaking and beautiful all at the same time.

My thoughts: 
When I started this book, I was so disappointed that Lilac Laroux and Tarver Merendsen, the star crossed lovers from "These Broken Stars", were not the main characters. The first book was so full of mystery and love and plot twists, and it just a breath-taking story. I was sure that it was a book that I would have to suffer through. Boy, was I ever wrong.

 I have to throw in that both Tarver and Lilac did make a cameo in the book, and I really appreciated how it tied the story together with the first book. It really needed it, and it just thrilled me that I would get to see more of their story, even if it was from afar. :)

This story is very different from the first, and I loved that about it. "These Broken Stars" was a little slow at first, and it was mostly about love and survival up until the last third of the book. "This Shattered World"was fast paced from the beginning. I flew through it!

There are similarities, some of which I can't get into because I don't want to completely ruin the book for you, but in the first book, Tarver is a soldier, determined and strong. He's very serious in the majority of the book. Lilac is a rich girl, that actually isn't all about parties and fashion and socialization. She longs to have a normal life, away from her manipulative father. In this book, Flynn is more like Lilac, except he has nothing. No home and no immediate family. He wants to end a war among his people. He wants to change the world, like Lilac wants to make a difference and stop her father. Jubilee is just like Tarver. She has lost more than he has, but personality wise, they are the same. They are all star-crossed, and each couple is perfect together. A match made in Heaven.

I seriously recommend this whole series to everyone who reads this. It is one of the best series I have ever read. EVER! It's the perfect mix of romance, fantasy, and science fiction.

Photo cred: readingaftermidnight.com (This blog site is amazing. Y'all go check it out!!)

Review for Their Fractured Light coming soon!!!!!

XOXO,
Eden

Fair Entries!

 Hey y'all! I hope that your weekend has been amazing and that you're all having a fabulous Sunday!  My weekend has been wonderful. This past week/weekend was one of my favorites out of the entire year: Fair Week! This year was my first year entering any of my cross stitch finishes to be judged. I chose five of my favorite finishes to take and I did surprisingly well!

The first project is called "September Cottage" and it is by Country Cottage Needleworks. I finished this at the end of August, just in time to display it in my kitchen for September. It is FFO'd (Fully Finished Object) into a no-sew cube. This is probably my favorite of all of the cubes that I have done, because of my fabric and ribbon choices. This project did not win a ribbon, but I am still incredibly proud of it.

Next, I entered "May Cottage" by Country Cottage Needleworks, also finished as a no-sew cube. This was entered in the "any other household decor" category, which for some reason fell under the crochet section. This piece placed first in it's category! :D

Third was "July Cottage" by Country Cottage Needleworks (last one of these, I promise), which is finished as a no-sew cube to match the others. (Surprise surprise). I entered this in the "any holiday decor other than Christmas" category. It took first place as well. :)

Fourth a piece titled "Four Seasons" by Lizzie Kate. This is actually a series of four designs that I chose to stitch all together. I finished this in November of 2015 and it was just recently framed. This piece was in competition against one of my Mom's framed pieces and....I beat her. :0 I took first place and she took second. I was really surprised, because her piece is very detailed.

This second framed piece is the one that my Mom entered :) I think its beautiful! (Sorry about the super wonky picture.)

Lastly, I entered my "Early Morning Santa" by Mill Hill. I FFO'd this as an ornament, and it was entered into the "tree ornament" category and competed against a ton of different kinds of ornaments. When I dropped it off, I kept thinking, "If only one of my pieces places, I really want it to be this one." I was so happy when I saw the first place ribbon on it. Yippee!!! I am beyond proud of this piece because it was my first time beading and my first time stitching on perforated paper.

I am so thrilled at my accomplishments in the fair this year, and I can't wait to enter more pieces next year!! I got a total prize of six dollars which will be put into savings for stitchy supplies :)



Happy Fall!!!


XOXO,
Eden

Hello All!!! :) (Introduction)

Good afternoon all!

My name is Eden, and I'm from a small town in Louisiana , where the people are super friendly and the weather is warm, hot, or hotter.  I'm 21 years old, and currently a senior at my college where I am studying Finance. I have two dogs, Hercules and Willie. Hercules (left)
is 3 years old and Willie (right) will be 1 year old towards the end of November. They are my children, and the reason I have stayed sane and level-headed since I have been in college.
















Now for the blog content.....
This blog is something that has developed from from my YouTube channel. My channel is called Eden at Stitchy Student and is strictly for cross stitch. I have been trying to incorporate book reviews and book talks into my channel as well as some of the book tags floating around the BookTube community, but for whatever reason, I have a hard time getting my thoughts into videos. I decided that a blog was the way to go!
I want this to be a record for me, as well as something all of you can enjoy along my reading journey :)

I also have a love of traveling, so when I do travel you will probably see entries from my adventures. I don't travel as often as I would like, so most of what you will see will be book related :)

  

(I totally used to be blonde guys)

  I hope that all of you who find this blog will enjoy reading it as much as I will enjoy writing it. :)

Happy Living to all of you!

XOXO,
Eden