Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Not going to lie, what got me to pick up this book wasn't the fact that it was a New York Times #1 Bestseller. It wasn't that the series has creepily unforgettable cover photography. It was the fact that when this book is spine out it says, "YA Riggs" and that makes me ridiculously happy.

When sixteen-year-old Jacob witnesses his grandfather's murder, the creature involved in the death haunts Jacob's dreams and reality. To solve the horror behind the murder, Jacob travels to a mysterious island to uncover the truth. What he finds is Miss Peregrine, her home for peculiar children, and secrets that only time will reveal.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is a unique story that ties in real (and really creepy) black-and-white photos with an equally eerie plot. There are monsters, children with supernatural powers, and time travel in every chapter. These topics aren't in my usual reading repertoire, so there were portions of the book that I was tempted to skim over. The photography that is mixed in throughout the book is engaging and so unique, but what really kept me turning the pages was the authorship.

Ransom's writing is b-eautiful!

Ransom has mastered the blending of prose and poetry so well that it didn't matter that the story was supernaturally far-fetched. I won't be reading the rest of the series because the subject matter wasn't my favorite. But I recommend you at least check out and read this first book, so you can 1) see the clever way the book is designed and 2) get a taste of Ransom's beautiful writing. 

Title: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 

Author: Ransom Riggs

Publisher: Quirk Books

Published: 4/6/2013 

Available: Amazon, Book Depository, and Barnes and Noble

My Reading Resolution–2016 Edition

Here is one resolution I know I can keep...a reading resolution. 

A lot of readers like to set a goal of how many books they will read during the year: 50, 85, 101. I'm past the stage where I can stay up until two in the morning reading, so time constraints would make my reading goals seem weak sauce to you night owls. 

Instead, 2016 will be a year of branching out. YA fiction is my go-to, but there are so many other books out there that are worth exploring, I just need to give myself a push. This "To Read 2016" resolution list is to help keep me well-read. 

Feel free to join in, or make a list for yourself!

Christmas Wonders

Christmas Wonders by Robyn Buttars

There are a few key things that take the holidays from "this is nice" to "favorite time of the year": warm fires, Christmas music, Harry Potter, wrapping presents, and a good Christmas book. Christmas Wonders falls into that category of classic discovering-the-true-meaning-of-Christmas story, and is a great holiday read for families. 

The main character, Luke, is a nine-year-old boy whose mother passed away a few Christmases ago. Because of her death, the holiday was never celebrated in his household, and he doesn't know what a real Christmas should feel like.

When he and his father move to a new town, Luke is surrounded by a local tradition rooted in something called Christmas Wonders. As he learns to discover his own Christmas Wonders, he takes the entire town with him on an emotional journey.

"A Christmas Wonder is something you see, hear, smell, touch, or feel that reminds you of Christmas."

I love the idea of looking around and taking mental note (or even writing it down) of all the Christmas Wonders around me. Gratitude isn't a feeling limited to Thanksgiving! 

The writing in Christmas Wonders is a typical holiday fluff story, with the perfectly wrapped with a bow ending. So, if you're in the mood for a feel-good Christmas novella, I recommend this book. It's a light read and a nice way to celebrate the holidays. 

Title: Christmas Wonders

Author: Robyn Buttars

Publisher: Familius

Published: 13/10/2015

Available: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Deseret Book

One of my Christmas wonders are the Christmas cards and holiday greetings that I get. I love getting letters and cards from friends, and I especially love the family photos. I'm reaching that age where 9 out of 10 of my friends are married and have children, so it's fun to see everyone all dolled up for their family photos. 

This year, I decided to send out my own Christmas card. Since I don't have a husband, or children, and I it didn't seem appropriate to send a selfie snapshot, I decided to do a little shoot with my fur baby Darcie. 

Here's the thing...self-portraits with a dog are pretty much impossible. If you don't believe me, try it yourself...or you can look at Darcie's face in every single one of these photos. 

But...after an hour of trying to get a good shot of both of us, we finally had a winner!

~HAPPY CHRISTMAS~

The Book Lover's Tree

A few days ago while browsing Pinterest (one of my go-to mindless activities), I came across an amazing ad by Ikea.

Three of my most favorite things: Christmas, books, and build-it-yourself furniture! 

I know that non-traditional Christmas trees are a thing right now–everything from driftwood to drawing a chalk outline on the wall. While they're creative, I'm a personal fan of the traditional tree. And by traditional, I mean farm-fresh, smell great, vacuum-up-pine needles-every-day, traditional. 

But...I couldn't help but fall a little bit in love with these book Christmas trees. 

Click on the image for a closer look at how these book Christmas trees were made. 

Vintage Stacked Book Tree

3-Minute Book Tree

Shelved Book Tree

Spine-Up Book Tree

Evergreen Book Tree

Mother of All Book Trees

This tree was built in Poland, and they included a video showing its construction. You can read about the process and watch a short video here. 

Little Red & Co.

Halloween is one of those holidays that I mentally plan for all year long and then scramble at the last minute to finish my costume...mostly because I have a unique partner in crime.

While most people are busy getting couple's costumes for themselves and their boyfriend or themed costumes for themselves and their kids, all my costumes are partnered with my baby girl Darcie.

This year we dressed as Little Red & Co. (aka the wolf in grandma's clothes). You can never go wrong with a storybook couple's costume.

Just a tip: Most of this came straight out of the closet. I highly recommend looking through your closet before going out to buy an entire costume. You can often piece together things that you already have and save your money for the essential parts, like fabric for a red cape. Also, for accessories, try to first shop your local Goodwill, Salvation Army, CCA, or DI.

Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood Costume:

• Black T-shirt- LOFT
• Plaid Skirt- LOFT
• Black Striped Tights- LOFT
• Black Heeled Oxfords- DSW
• Red Cape- I sewed the simplest cape I could find by McCall's
• Basket- Goodwill 

The package said it could be made in 2 hours. It took me over a month.

The cutest bad wolf

Wolf in Grandma's clothes: 

• Glasses- Party City
• Hat- I made from scratch (without a pattern!)
• Shawl- scarf from LOFT

I thought you might enjoy some photographic evidence of how much Darcie hates Halloween, and how much I get a kick out of it :)

#CouplesCostume

Little Red loves this wolf!

Why Grandma, what big eyes you have!

I Quit My Job to Blog

For almost two years I have been working two jobs...part time at LOFT...part time at Familius.

Well, in the past 6 months, Familius has asked me to come on full-time, and of course I said yes!

Being the stickler that I am, I couldn't bring myself to give up my 50% employee discount at LOFT. I convinced myself that I needed the extra $80/a week to pay for things like groceries and electricity. Let's be honest. I used that $80/a week to actually pay for things like shoes.

Life has turned into one big cycle of going from one job to another, and I don't have time for much else. So, about a week ago I had a mini self-intervention to see if I was doing things that really were worth my time.

Yes, I can work two jobs and have more spending money...
OR, I can work one job and learn how to budget better.

Yes, I can work two jobs and have every day be planned for...
OR, I can work one job and have free time.

Yes, I can work two jobs and have work be my excuse to get out of things...
OR, I can work one job and meet new people and try new things.

Well, the one job won out, and I officially quit LOFT! Now I will have time to have things like hobbies again. It's time to clean up the camera lenses and start taking pictures. It's time to pull out that list of to-be-read books and start crossing them off. It's time to start writing consistently!

Peace Out Loft

You've been the best long-term temporary job!

Red Rising

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

"Ender, Katniss, and now Darrow."—Scott Sigler

Not going to lie, this endorsement is what snagged me! I've always enjoyed dystopian novels, but since The Hunger Games I feel that too many authors are trying to dabble in it. (Kind of like how vampire books took off after Twilight.) Thankfully, Pierce Brown not only rose to the genre's potential, he made his mark on it!

Red Rising is a mix of the Iliad and Star Trek where meddling Greek gods meet robotic weaponry and outer space war. The mix of ancient and futuristic references gives the book a very distinct and memorable feel. There were a few parts I had to reread in the beginning of the book, because it's so unique and the wording and vocabulary take a little getting used to. That's to be expected though. Any time you're dealing with slang or futuristic technology it's going to be an adjustment for the reader to get in sync with the language of the book. 

This world that Pierce creates is colorful (pun intended) with characters fueled with personality and motivations. Darrow easily won a spot on my list of favorite fictional characters. His depth and inner struggle of his wants versus the greater good is something everyone can relate to. He pushes the limits, not certain when he's crossed the line. Daring is a great quality. It's also a dangerous one, which makes him exciting to read about. 

Between the battle scenes and the suspense of the overall storyline, I finished this book in under 48 hours...something that hasn't happened since I read And Then There Were None in middle school. 

I highly recommend this book! 5 x 5 x 5! Seriously though, I've already sent it to friends in Brasil so they can enjoy it too.

Title: Red Rising

Author: Pierce Brown

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group 

Published: 28/01/2014

Available: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Book Depository