Harry Potter

I saw the last movie of Harry Potter on July 15th, but I've been thinking more and more about it. There are so many things I want to know about what happens after the end. I'd love if J.K. Rowling continued with a series about any of the children (especially Lupin's son) or went back and did a novel on Snape and Lily's romance.

By the way, I don't think either of the things I mentioned above spoil anything. If you haven't seen the movies or read the books, don't look at my pictures though, cause they have spoilers.

Here are two collage-sort things I made for two of my favorite couples ever.

How can you not love these couples? They're adorable and so romantic. Seriously, I think they completed the series in such a great way. I don't care what people say, they're my favorite until the end of time.

So, there is my little flashback for the day, my love for Harry Potter. I think I'm going to go and reread the series now. Adios!

I've been thinking . . .

I promised that, soon, you'd get another message from yours truly about life, love and all that other stuff. I've been thinking about it, and I know what I want to say. What I want you guys to hear and pay attention to . . .

So, we've all had our hearts broken. Maybe your "true love" dumped you via text message (been there, done that) or your best friend left you when the going got tough. Or, maybe, you lost a loved one, like a parent or sibling. We've all gone through storms and showers, right?

I'll tell you all what I've told countless friends and relatives. These are all my honest opinions. If you don't like it or agree with it, then fine. Go ahead and leave. I won't chase you down.

It's all right to cry. Let it out. Crying won't make you less strong or immature. If you don't cry, it'll all just build up inside of you until you have to bubble over. Don't let it get to that, because it usually ends with more problems than what you started with. Believe me, I've been there before.
If you lost your friend (not due to death, sickness or any of that sort) you need to ask yourself if it's worth it to try and patch things up. Sometimes, you realize that things just weren't working out. Adults and counselors try to tell you to make it work, sort things out . . . what if it isn't worth it? What if the friendship was toxic? Just hurting you and breaking you down? If it was, let it go. Move on and come out stronger. Don't let it tear you apart and eat at you.

For those of you who had someone die . . . I lost my grandparents (only two, not all four) within a year of one another, and I didn't even know my grandmother. It was tough. I saw the difference between losing someone you knew like the back of your hand and losing someone who was never around. My best friend lost her dad when we were only eleven or so in a freak accident. My advice for you: stay with your friends. Don't listen to people who try to make you feel childish for being upset. You have a right to scream and curse and be angry at the world. (I know people say you shouldn't, but it's all right. Let it out!) And remember, refer to the first bullet.

That year-long relationship was just ended with a text, and you're feeling like crap? I know how you feel. So, I'm only fourteen. So, my longest relationship was three months. Big whoop. I've seen adults divorce, my older relative in tears over boyfriends and my friends just shatter to pieces.

1. 
   
   Your parents are getting divorced or maybe you are. The love just isn't there. Think things over, really and truly. This applies for people getting married and divorced. Think of the bad times (arguments, fights), but remember the smiles, the laughs. Sometimes, it's easier to cut ties and go your seperate ways. I'm no expert on marriage, but it's not some light thing to just do for fun. Think it over. Really.





2. Your boyfriend (I'm guessing I don't have boys following me, but if you are a guy, or have a girlfriend, then just change this post to fit your relationships) broke up with you and you're feeling lost. I've seen it before. If you don't know why they ended things, ask them. Don't sit and sulk and wait for time to start moving again. Be brave, be strong and find out what went wrong. Don't let them end things with a text saying 'it's over'. Make them talk to you. You'll regret it if you look back in a few years and remember that you just let it all slip by. Don't let that happen to you.





3. It's three A.M. and you're sitting in your room, trying to figure out why your first boyfriend just broke up with you. You were dating for over a year. He was your first everything. Your friends ran out of things to say, and you don't know where to turn. Honey, it's okay to cry. It's okay to hide under the covers and let it out. Just break down, because if you don't crack and fall apart, you can't be put back together. Remember that time will go on, more boys (or girls) will come and you will come out of this, alive. It feels like the end of the world, but remind yourself that it's all right to cry and eat ice cream until you burst. You'll need time. Broken hearts can't be fixed or made invincible. The only cure for a broken heart is time, friends and a good dose of Ben and Jerry's.

• One more thing for relationships with friends/significant others: Don't let them use you as a personal yo-yo. Some relationships are toxic and no good, to put it simply. If your "true love" keeps breaking up with you and making you wonder why you two are together, let him go. Let him realize what he lost, not what he can mess around with. If your friends keep ignoring you and leaving you out of the loop, think things over. What are you getting from them? Giving them support and respect and trust is great for them, but if they're keeping secrets and letting you just fade away, it might be time for a change.

So, there's my message for today. Friendships and love are important in life, but don't let them take over to the point of stress. You might think differently. Maybe you think people shouldn't cry and that they should just move on and say "Screw it" to the person who hurt them. Good for you. We all have opinions and that's part of mine up there. Those are the things I wish someone had said to me when I was hurting.

Well, ta-ta for now, guys! Best of luck with life, love and surviving this crazy ride.

It's raining. It's pouring.

Or it was.

It's been raining and storming the past week, on and off. At least I got to go swimming today at my friend's house. Fun time!

So, I've been reading and writing. I've been rambling and wondering. And when I remember that summer is slowly slipping away, lounging back by the pool and procrastinating my summer work a bit longer.

There's not much to say at the moment. I'll probably come back on tomorrow and update you all with a bit of inspirational quotes or a message from myself about how life goes on. (It really does, doesn't it? Who would've thought?) For now, I'll tell you all that I'm going to be changing some things on my blog. A background, the music . . . I don't know. We'll see. :)

Au Revoir!

Two Reviews for the Price of One!

So, I picked up a book in the bookstore a few weeks ago and didn't get around to reading it. When I was in the tiny book store at my local mall a week or so ago, I saw the sequel. It was hardcover, and I didn't want to spend the outrageous twenty bucks. But because it had been scuffed a little on the corners, it was marked down to $4.00! I bought it and decided to read both books. So, here's a double review for you guys.
Expect another one coming as soon as I get my hands on the last book! Also, guys, sorry there's no pictures! It's not letting me post them at the moment. :( I'll post pictures of the cover in my next post if it lets me!

Title: The Summer I Turned Pretty

Author: Jenny Han

Summary: Belly (Isabel) measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer -- they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.


Stars: 4

Rate: 7


Pros: This book had really cute scenes that made me want my own summer romance, and I loved Belly's flashbacks of the past summers. The characters were all different and unique in their own special ways. I loved Jeremiah. He sounded so sweet!

Cons: Belly was a hard narrator to relate to at points, because she was immature. She had a selfish vibe that stayed throughout the story. While it was somewhat annoying, I got used to it and managed to move past it.

Overall Recommendation: This book is a good summer read for when you're sitting on the beach or on the plane ride to Florida. The story does have emotional, deep parts that may require some tissues, if you're like me. It was good story, though, overall.

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Title: It's Not Summer Without You

Author: Jenny Han

Summary: Belly, 16, lives all year for her summers at Cousins Beach. But when a family friend dies and the beach house tradition is threatened, she faces the season without her second family and without the boy she loves. In this follow-up to The Summer I Turned Pretty , Belly is still reeling from all that's happened since last summer. But mourning is even harder since Conrad has shut down, refusing to talk to Belly or anyone else. When he suddenly leaves school without explanation, his brother, Jeremiah, recruits Belly to help find and mend him. The trio find themselves at Cousins Beach after all, and the memories and feelings of the past come flooding back. Complicated and fragile, Belly's relationships with the two young men are put to new tests as she and Conrad come to terms with their relationship, and Belly and Jeremiah begin to build a romantic bond of their own.

Stars: 4.5

Rate: 8.5

Pros: This story was a good sequel. It had the obvious scenes that made me sigh in content, and then it had the parts that made my jaw drop. I fell in love with both of the boys and quickly picked which I wanted Belly to wind up with. I think Belly's choices with the boys and other topics were realistic enough to teenagers. There were things such as death, alcohol, romance and breaking rules . . . things that all people go through sooner or later.

Cons: Belly did grow up a little, and that was evident. Honestly, the only problem I had with this story was that it ended just when everything was coming together. The epilogue was confusing (as it was meant to be) and it made me feel like I was being left out of a secret, if you know what I mean.

Overall Recommendation: If you liked the first book, read this one. It was a good sequel and we all know we want to know which boy Belly falls in love with this time around.

Sisterhood Everlasting

Once upon a time, I fell head over heels in love with a series of books called The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I even went so far as to get two of my old friends and we decorated this awesome t-shirt, but we never really got around to sending it and such. What a shame.

Anyway, when I discovered that the sisterhood was making a return, I dug my Kindle out of my dresser drawer and bought it right away. Here, for you to indulge on, is my review of the fifth and final book of the sisterhood's story.

Title: Sisterhood Everlasting

Author: Ann Brashares

Summary: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Brashares comes the welcome return of the characters whose friendship became a touchstone for a generation. Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.
Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness.
Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.

Stars: 4.5

Rate: 9

Pros: Well, for starters, it was so interesting to see where all of the girls wound up. I loved how the story twisted and turned in so many different ways. Some of the things that happened were no-brainers, but others left my jaw hanging. It was a really emotional story that had so much background and character in it.

Cons: There were parts that dragged on, but not to the point of severe annoyance. While I did like the overall story and idea, some parts of the book (like what happens in Greece, for instance) made me frustrated and agitated. This book had a happy ending, but certainly not a happy beginning.

Overall Recommendation: This book was really great. If you have these little picture-perfect views, though, about how the girls should be and how they should've wound up, stop right now. If you can't set aside all those images that blossomed in your mind, then the book will feel like the crappiest thing on Earth to you, because it won't be what you wanted.

Once you set aside your own hopes for the girls, you'll really be able to dive into this book and love every page of it.

For fans of:

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

First things first, I saw I have a few more followers . . . welcome! It's nice to know that people look at this every now and again.

Onto the book review . . . The other day I went into the bookstore and decided to spend $30 on four books (Two of them were combined into one) I read Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, one of the books I bought.
So, here is that promised review. I'm changing up the format of my reviews a little, so no need for alarm ;)

Title: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour
Author: Morgan Matson
Summary: Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew—just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn’t seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she’s coming to terms with her father’s death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road—diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards—this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

Stars: 5

Rate: 9.5

Pros: This book was exciting and adorable, all packed into one road trip. I loved Amy's perspective on things. I also loved how the author held off on saying what exactly happened in the car accident that scarred Amy.

The end was great, too. The writing part was fabulous, but the receipt at the end of the book told so much, too. Throughout the novel, the playlists, pictures and doodles really added to the story. They weren't flashy or over used; just enough to really pull you into the story.

Cons: Well, first of all, it was hard to let this book end for me. I wanted it to keep going and going, but alas, that happens with all great books. While I favored the way the author held off on the specific details of the crash, a friend of mine told me how she thought it could be somewhat annoying.

I guess it depends on what kind of reader you are and just how patient you can be.

Overall recommendation: I loved this book. I told another friend to put it at the top of her list. It's cute with serious concepts woven into the story. Great read!

For fans of . . .