Books Set in the 1930s

• I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith

❝Through six turbulent months of 1934, 17-year-old Cassandra Mortmain keeps a journal, filling three notebooks with sharply funny yet poignant entries about her home, a ruined Suffolk castle, and her eccentric and penniless family. By the time the last diary shuts, there have been great changes in the Mortmain household, not the least of which is that Cassandra is deeply, hopelessly, in love.❞

• The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough

❝Antony and Cleopatra. Helen of Troy and Paris. Romeo and Juliet. And now… Henry and Flora.

For centuries Love and Death have chosen their players. They have set the rules, rolled the dice, and kept close, ready to influence, angling for supremacy. And Death has always won. Always.

Could there ever be one time, one place, one pair whose love would truly tip the balance?

Meet Flora Saudade, an African-American girl who dreams of becoming the next Amelia Earhart by day and sings in the smoky jazz clubs of Seattle by night. Meet Henry Bishop, born a few blocks and a million worlds away, a white boy with his future assured—a wealthy adoptive family in the midst of the Great Depression, a college scholarship, and all the opportunities in the world seemingly available to him.

The players have been chosen. The dice have been rolled. But when human beings make moves of their own, what happens next is anyone’s guess.❞

• Black No More by S.S. Schuyler 

❝What would happen to the race problem in America if black people turned white? Would everybody be happy? These questions and more are answered hilariously in Black No More, George S. Schuyler’s satiric romp. Black No More is the story of Max Disher, a dapper black rogue of an insurance man who, through a scientific transformation process, becomes Matthew Fisher, a white man. Matt dreams up a scam that allows him to become the leader of the Knights of Nordica, a white supremacist group, as well as to marry the white woman who rejected him when he was black. Black No More is a hysterical exploration of race and all its self-serving definitions. If you can’t beat them, turn into them.❞

• The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinback 
• Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 
• Their Eyes Were Eye Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston 
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker 

Here’s a full list on Goodreads.

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We Should All Be Feminists [REVIEW]

This is an old review. I'm just now posting it to here, though! I kind of want everyone to read this. It practically sums up the entirety of feminism and what it means to be a feminist -- that being a feminist is not something to shame yourself or others for. The definition of feminism is easily known to be "the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men."  Adichie is able to break down the meaning of this and how this negative connotation constantly follows the word, pulled by more appropriately titled "ignorant." (in my opinion, at least.) She's able to demonstrate the unsolicited complications women generally face everywhere in the world, not just America. The situation is constantly misread from either old morals or sometimes, even culture. She shares the perspectives of many people who've opened their eyes to the issue of inequality. I'm so impressed with her interpretation of feminism. It's critical that people, men and women, are able to see the issues we face in this modern day and age, even it's been worse.

WILDCARD [REVIEW]

• Edition: Hardcover + ebook
• Page Count: 352 pages
• Publish Date: September 18th, 2018
• Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

*SPOILER FREE REVIEW*
please note that there isn't spoilers for book 2 but will be for Warcross

I was kindly sent a copy of Wildcard by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Wildcard is the sequel to Warcross by Marie Lu. To avoid any spoilers here on my blog, I'll be posting the description to the first book only. If you'd like to see my spoiler filled review, check out my Goodreads on the release date!

"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 Warcross 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.

Convinced she's going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game's creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year's tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika's whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she's only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire."

I loved Warcross last year so much that I read the entire book in one sitting. Little did I know, I'd have to wait an entire year for Wildcard to come out. I had written a mini review after reading Warcross because it was in the middle of the night and I was a mess. As if things have changed much, I ended up a mess at the midnight of the night after finishing Wildcard. I didn’t know what to expect, but I know it wasn’t all of this!

I'm familiar with Marie Lu's writing as I've read both of her other series. I've come to the conclusion that her writing style and stories are meant for binge reading. You can't help but want to sit there and finish all at once because she's somehow able to leave a cliff hanger at the end of every chapter. In Wildcard, I found myself genuinely shocked that there was so many twists and turns that I wasn't even expecting (especially the giant one at the end!!). I read so much Young Adult that I can easily predict what is going to happen most of the time. But, I wasn't able to do that with Wildcard. You know whenever you're laying down in bed reading a book but all the sudden you sit up and get closer to the book because that "OH THAT DIDN'T JUST HAPPEN" moment happens? I can't count the amount of times I did that on my fingers. It was ridiculous. As a writer, I strive to consistently shock within my writing but it seems almost impossible. Marie Lu seems to have done it no problem with both Warcross and Wildcard.

One of my favorite parts about Wildcard is that we get even more Warcross games! They’re so interesting to read. I usually get bored at action scenes because they’re always so over descriptive (Weird, I know) but I get so pumped for Warcross games. I’m honestly so dedicated to the Riders at this point. Catch me wearing their merch at the next championship. Let's talk about characters!

Emika - I knew Emika was going to be a kick butt character ever since the beginning. She was a broke girl in New York who couldn’t pay her rent but was a Warcross bounty hunter on the side. The missions she goes on in this book are so much more dangerous. She eventually becomes super wanted for obvious reasons. There’s this entire chase scene that you see her vunerability in and it was so pure. Not to mention, she’s still in love with Hideo. I have no idea why or how but her feelings for him are definitely there. It might have caused her to do many different and dangerous things out of love, but it was worth it. It’s not a YA story if the main character isn’t making bad decisions for love, right?

Zero - I oddly loved Zero when all we knew about him was the black shadow and he tried to kill Emika and basically everyone in that game. Getting to know him is truly one of the better parts of this book. His character is so deep and rich. You keep learning more and more ever second (I mean, she is hunting him.) Despite learning so much about him, there’s this weird mysterious vibe that stays with his character.

Jax - I LOVE JAX. I’ve never been a big fan of side characters but I couldn’t wait for more Jax content. Her entrance was honestly SO perfect and tough. Her background makes it even better because she was able to grow into an incredibly strong woman who doesn’t need anybody. I could read a book about her alone, to be honest. But as a side character to Emika, they were a perfect duo. They both came from nothing and learned to adapt by themselves. I loved Jax as her sidekick and I’m so glad she got the amount of content she did. She definitely deserves it.

Tremaine and Asher: I just wanted to quickly say that I absolutely adored their entire relationship and I'm so glad she included them into the story.

I knew Marie Lu was going to blow me away but once you think the book is over, it isn’t. I didn’t think I would cry at this book because I’m not that emotionally invested… Sike. I cried at that ending newspaper article. I’m genuinely surprised I didn’t predict any of this but I’m so glad it ended like this. Not going to lie, I do wish there was more though. To conclude, I’m definitely trash for this duology and I’ll be reading literally anything that Marie Lu writes from now on. I don’t know how she wasn’t an auto-buy author for me already but she is now. I can’t possibly give a book that made the reading experience that fun lower than a five star rating. So, five out of five stars from me.

Are you going to be reading Wildcard? Let me know!

Find my reviews on Goodreads + my blog!

Pre-order or buy Wildcard on Amazon | Book Depository | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble!

Marie Lu is currently on tour! Check to see what cities she’s going to.

    

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A Court of Thorns and Roses [REVIEW]

I'm listening to this on audiobook. *prays that I actually finish it because I've attempted reading it like 4 times*

LOL, here I am again. I haven't finished it yet.

"Though his bruise still marred my neck, I had looked pretty."

Ok let's just overlook that bruise he left on your body because he called you beautiful. *vomits*

rating: ★★½ stars out of ★★★★★

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS!

““I love you,’ he whispered, and kissed my brow. ‘Thorns and all.”” — Sarah J. Maas

I’m almost sure half of the people reading this feel differently than I do about this book. That’s okay, I understand. It’s okay to have different opinions as long we expressly them kindly. So, i’ll try my best. (Keep in mind, I gave this book FOUR different tries until I finished it.)

I genuinely bought this book because I loved Throne of Glass and think highly of Sarah J. Maas (I still do). I knew almost nothing about it. Usually, I’ll read Goodreads descriptions and reviews before buying a book. Unfortunately, all I knew was that it’s supposed to be a Beauty and the Beast retelling? I wish I had just read the actual fairytale because I barely noticed any relation besides Tamlin being able to shape shift. As for the plot, I was bored to hell. I tried four different times and I wasn’t interested in it at all. But, I felt that way about Throne of Glass at first so I’m not quite giving up on this series. No worries. Meanwhile, throughout each and every time I tried, it was dreadfully slow. 

So, our main character, Feyre, is a huntress who’s trying to support her less fortunate family and ends up shooting a fae male on accident. Whoops. Therefore, we meet Tamlin and Lucien who basically kidnap her and explain to her that since she, a human, killed a fae that she either die (like most of them do) or take the exception offered that she live with the high fae male.

Before I rant, I want to say I deeply appreciate the world building within this book. I love the idea of different courts and the faeries in each one. The entire story could’ve been mind blowing and addicting for me but I had a few things that just kept it from connecting.

I usually love Sarah J. Maas’ writing but I wasn’t exactly amused with it in this books. A lot of the famous quotes almost seem to familiar?? For example,

“Pity those who don't feel anything at all.” 


This quote reminds me way too much of the iconic Harry Potter quote, “Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love.”

Maybe I’m reaching, but there’s also been controversy about the “rattle the stars” quote from Throne of Glass being way too similar to another one. Google it, if you’d like. I’m not here to talk about that. Don’t get me wrong, I love her writing nonetheless. It’s just something I noticed throughout the book. But, that’s just teeny tiny factor that barely interfered with my rating.

One of the main faults within this book for me was how incredibly slow it was and how predictable it became after we were introduced the curse and when the girl basically explained the entire rest of the book to provide background information. It gave me absolutely no excitement to keep going and I feel like Sarah J. Maas could’ve presented this in a more mysterious form? Yet, we were kind of just handed all this information at once and it was disappointing.

Don’t even get me started on the characters. For one, I thought Feyre reminded me too much Bella Swan. She isn’t nearly as strong and independent as I expected her to be. I almost want to say she was so?? blind?? She was CLEARLY told what she was doing was stupid and how much she shouldn’t do it. Yet, here she goes, walking into the mess. She was practically a damsel in distress, which didn’t make sense if she was supposed to be this huntress that provided for her family. Sure, she does this for the good of other people. She’s generous but this relationship between her and Tamlin made me absolutely sick. 

For one, I’ve never liked Tamlin. I think this entire “high fae male” thing gives them the right to act like a total jerk when they first meet and then soften up later. It was really predictable for me. I could tell that sooner or later, he’d reveal some kind of love for her and she would fall in head over heels. She literally sacrificed herself at first to go find Tamlin and Lucien. Then, she realized how much trouble she had caused and needed to save absolutely everyone instead. I was clapping when she stabbed Tamlin. Oops.

"Though his bruise still marred my neck, I had looked pretty."

I beg your pardon? I don’t even remember the context as this point but this just makes me feel like Feyre is absolutely clueless. 

I’ve never felt comfortable with the relationships that Sarah J. Maas portrays i.e. Rowan/Tamlin. I understand the concept of a tough, strong, dominant man and how people find it attractive. Well, I don’t. So, that’s just a personal preference. But, I was rolling my eyes the entire time. I’m sure most of you that’ve read both books understand the hatred for Tamlin. It’s just that he was excused for being so rude to her while drunk because apparently, he’s supposed to love her! I didn't find him as attractive as most people do because he's actually crazy. I felt uncomfortable 24/7 reading about him because it was so unbelievable. On the other hand, I love Lucien and Rhysand but from spoilers and obvious hints, you can tell there’s something going on between Rhys and Feyre. 

I mainly gave this book 2.5 stars because I have never felt so exhausted from attempting to enjoy a book. But, I’ve seen such great things about the second one so I might try it. I attempted ACOTAR through just normal reading, to an Ebook, to audiobook (twice) which is when I finally finished it. I generally think all of my reasons for not liking this book are solely based on high expectations and being constantly let down to where I noticed all these small factors that just made me cringe. I’m so disappointed that I didn’t like it as much as everyone else seems to on here. I’m not ashamed of my rating, though. I really did try to enjoy this book but it was lack luster for me.


Find my review over on Goodreads as well!

The Perfect Fall Playlist

I am a huge lover in Indie Folk/Singer Songwriter music and I found it's all I listen to during the Fall. It matches the season so well and I have a giant playlist I thought I'd share with you. In case you want to make your own, here's some of the lovely songs that are featured on it:

New Slang - The Shins

Milk Thistle - Conor Oberst 

Welcome Home - Radical Face

Rivers and Roads - the Head and the Heart

Could It Be Another Change - The Samples

Nothing Like You and I - The Perishers

You Are Your Mother's Child - Conor Oberst

Bloom (Bonus Track) - The Paper Kites

Hero - Family of the Year

I Am The Changer - Cotton Jones

Atlas Hands - Benjamin Francis Lewis

White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes

Love is All - The Tallest Man on Earth

Evergreen - Honeywater

This Year - The Mountain Goats

I'm Happy You Exist - Angus Maude

You can listen to the full playlist here on Spotify!  Enjoy :)



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What I Do With Pressed Flowers

Good evening! I decided to make a little post dedicated to these lovely frames I have hanging above my side table. They both mean a lot to me and they make great gifts as well! The frame on the left is the flowers my boyfriend gave me when I was sixteen and the flowers on the right are from prom! I've pressed flowers from special occasions and put them in some frames. Here's how I do it:

Pressing the Flowers:

There's several different ways you can press flowers. I think the way I do it might be the easiest but it's up to you!

All I do is take fresh flowers and put them inside of an old book. I usually use a thick book and I weigh it down with regular weights you would use for working out. I had them pressed for months before I took them out but tried to press them down as hard as you can! Keep them in a place with no sunlight to keep the color longer. 

The Frames:

As for the frame, I buy the ones from Target that you put the picture or in this case, the flowers, in between two pieces of glass. Please keep in mind if your flowers are thick, you're not going to be able to press the flowers in between the glass and into the frame. It's quite difficult to do this if the flowers aren't completely flat and pressed so make sure they are. That's it! 

If you're interested in the types of flowers I used, here's the list:

the left frame: Daisies, Carnations 

the right frame: Babies Breath, Carnations

If you're interested in the frames, here's something similar! (I'm not exactly sure if this has two pieces of glass but it looks like it)

Good luck! If you every do this, please send it to me on either my twitter, instagram or tumblr! I'm @uponthepages on anything. 

Book Recommendations | MEMOIRS

• Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling  
• Bossypants by Tina Fey 
• Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson 
• Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
• Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
• Stitches by David Small
• Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham
• I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai
• Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Persepolis, #1) by Marjane Satrapi 
• Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
• Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig
• Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
• Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan 
• Hunger by Roxane Gay

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find any of these books on Amazon | Book Depository | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble!

Into the Wild [REVIEW]

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” -- David Henry Thoreau



Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a non-fiction cautionary tale following the one and only Chris McCandless (Alexander Supertramp) on his reckless journey away from home and into the wild. After graduating college, he cut off ties to his family, hitchhiked and worked his way to Alaska, headed "into the wild" in April 1992, and was found dead in August 1992. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a party of moose hunters. 

Chris McCandless stood as a nonconformist who despised materialism, hunger, and oblivion. One of the main reasons that Into the Wild is so popular because it's controversial insight on whether Chris McCandless was truly a hero after his death. Some believe that Chris McCandless was a hero for his overall view on life and it's beauty. Meanwhile, some people think he was absolutely foolish for going out into the wild with such "lofty" ideals and got what he initially deserved. Personally, I think everyone makes mistakes. Yes, he was arrogant and ignorant in a sense. But, he lived within his "magic bus" for nearly 114 days or so. There's several pictures of him that he'd taken on a film camera with the animals he had hunted and the notorious picture of him in front of bus 142.

It definitely can't be easy to live off the wild in a place like Alaska. I believe there was a scene in the book where Chris had been questioning himself; should he really go back into the wild for good? It obviously showed how he became lonely after awhile. His final odyssey in Alaska had made him recognize his intense need for companionship. As he quoted, "Happiness [is] only real when shared."

Regarding his death, Krakauer published results in the journal Wilderness & Environmental Medicine showing that the seeds did indeed contain a toxin. But it wasn't beta-ODAP. It was another amino acid, L-canavanine. There was a ton of theories on how Chris had exactly died. He'd been in some kind of paralysis that caused weakness and struggling. Due to that, he wasn't able to hunt for food which would lead to him dying of starvation.

But, there's more to Chris McCandless than just his death. Even at a young age, Chris McCandless was troubled. His school teacher even once said, "Chris marches to a different drummer." He did grow up in a very privileged situation. But, he decided to disconnect himself from his old life, including his family. He grew up with parents questioning divorce, constantly fighting. Chris states how his parents are idiotic for ever thinking they could "buy his love." even though they were just genuinely trying to be nice to him. He completely clashed with his family and the people he grew up around. I actually hated that. I wanted to bump my rating down because I feel like he had no true reasoning behind this adventure than young angst that had been building up while he read books and brooded over society. 

Yet, his ultimate impact on the people he met is what made me give in a 4/5 stars. Jon Krakauer was incredibly passionate about his story. These encounters with people throughout Chris' travels are significant to the plot. The reason I love this book is a letter he wrote to Franz, an old man who was moved by Chris entirely.

“make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt. So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservation, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. If you want to get more out of life, you must lose your inclination for monotonous security and adopt a helter-skelter style of life that will at first appear to you to be crazy. But once you become accustomed to such a life you will see its full meaning and its incredible beauty.”

Jon Krakauer did an excellent job portraying Chris and his intentions. This book was extremely well-written and structured. It intertwined his highlighted passages, his family relationships, the people he met when he traveled, and his letters perfectly. It remained grounded despite Chris McCandless being all over the place. Chris' idealism struck me while reading this book. Too many people do live their lives conditioned to a life of security and waste it away. When Chris wanted something, he'd chase for it. I truly admired that. I think this book proves an fantastic point and it's devastating that Chris McCandless died at such a young age. But, I don't idolize him. I think he could've gone about his feelings by taking a different path. Chris McCandless would be roughly somewhere in his 40's now if he had survived.

Put Me Down, I'm Terrible [BOOK REVIEW]

I was sent a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Put Me Down, I’m Terrible by Katie Lewington is a short poetry book based on the mundanity in life. We read about a couple in the car, a dentist, a donut shop, etc. throughout poetry. You’re looking at normal situations through a poet’s mindset. 

I adored the concept of poetry about something simple instead of complex situations that aren’t always relatable or outrageously befuddling. Yet, there’s something about this short poetry book that doesn’t fit right with me. I noticed unnecessary rhyming as an attempt of creating a reasonable stanza. I don’t know if it was the PDF file I was given, but there were several fragments I felt uncomfortable reading. Not because I felt offended or uneasy, I just don’t think it worked at points. It didn’t read poetically as much as it read like disordered dialogue. 

I’m tedious when it comes to rating poetry because I haven’t read many great modern poets. Yet, the modern poets I have read usually have a put together short book of poems that coincide and slowly begin to wrap around each other. I like poems to be substantial with a definite goal or purpose they’re trying to convey. Within Put Me Down, I’m Terrible, I didn’t feel that. I know it’s supposed to be several different mundane experiences. It just seems as if the author has left herself room to add poems that will help build the cohesion it’s lacking.

Don’t get me wrong, the idea is fantastic. It just needs to be executed differently. I enjoyed a few of the poems: CG, Is The Grass Any Greener?, Monday, etc. This author definitely has potential but I don’t find this book to be a strong point.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 2/5

You can find this book on Amazon.

Find all my reviews on my blog and Goodreads!

Slam Poetry Recommendations

Good afternoon everyone! Last night, I found myself in the deep hole of slam poetry on Youtube and decided to share with you some of my favorites. If you don't know what slam poetry is, it's just poetry that's written to be performed/spoken. They are usually performed at poetry slams which are events dedicated to people performing their poetry.

• "Pocket-Sized Feminism" by Blythe Baird
• "Rigged Game" by Dylan Garity
• "Explaining My Depression to My Mother" by Sabrina Benaim
• "Somewhere in America" by Belissa Escoloedo, Zariya Allen, and Rhiannon McGavin
• "OCD" by Neil Hilborn
• "21" by Patrick Roche
• "Relapse" by Blythe Baird
• "Social Anxiety at 130 BPM" by Aaron Burstein
• "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" by Olivia Gatwood
• "When a Fat Girl Gets Skinny" by Blythe Baird

If you want my full playlist on Youtube, just click here.

ON MY RADAR ➳ Pulp by Robin Talley

Release Date: November 13th, 2018

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

"In 1955, eighteen-year-old Janet Jones keeps the love she shares with her best friend Marie a secret. It’s not easy being gay in Washington, DC, in the age of McCarthyism, but when she discovers a series of books about women falling in love with other women, it awakens something in Janet. As she juggles a romance she must keep hidden and a newfound ambition to write and publish her own story, she risks exposing herself—and Marie—to a danger all too real.

Sixty-two years later, Abby Zimet can’t stop thinking about her senior project and its subject—classic 1950s lesbian pulp fiction. Between the pages of her favorite book, the stresses of Abby’s own life are lost to the fictional hopes, desires and tragedies of the characters she’s reading about. She feels especially connected to one author, a woman who wrote under the pseudonym “Marian Love,” and becomes determined to track her down and discover her true identity.

In this novel told in dual narratives, New York Times bestselling author Robin Talley weaves together the lives of two young women connected across generations through the power of words. A stunning story of bravery, love, how far we’ve come and how much farther we have to go."


Pre-order Pulp by Robin Talley on Amazon | Book Depository | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble!