Sunday Social # 11

1. What is your favorite genre of music?

I love all kinds but right now I'm on a country, folksy kick at the moment. 

2. What is your favorite genre of movies?

I love all kinds of movies but I definitely love dramas and film noir. 

3. Do you watch reality TV? If so what was the first show you remember watching?

I liked Project Runway when I had cable. The things they make them come up with and do are crazy. Mum and I liked seeing the end because the stuff we thought was ugly would sometimes end up being the winner. 

I liked watching My Fair Wedding too but really only to see the end. He is crazy talented. And some people pick the weirdest themes for their weddings. 

Oh! On Netflix I watched The Colony which was interesting and weird. 

4. Who is an actress you’d want to be BFF’s with?

Tina Fey. 

She gets me. 

5. Who is an actor you’d be happy to be stuck on an island with?

Bear Grylls because we're going to get off this island dammit! 

Also if for some reason we can't....he's not hard to look at. 

Let the Storm Break - by Shannon Messenger

Let the Storm Break 
Author: Shannon Messenger
Published by: Simon Pulse



This book follows Vane and Audra a few weeks after the end of Let the Sky Fall. Audra's gone off on her own, Vane is training with the Gales who are still trying to set him up with his betrothed - Solana, even though Vane and Audra are bonded now. Vane's running on no sleep due to the terrible nightmares Raiden sends him on the winds at night. Everything is turning out wrong and the need for the Guardians to learn the forth language is becoming increasingly important.


There aren't many sequels that can outdo their originals but I think that Let the Storm Break can qualify as one of the few. This one was filled with more action and adventure and now with Solana in the mix, there is that whole added love-triangle thing. We finally get a glimpse of Raiden and realize just how crazy he is. We also learn a thing or two about bonding - what can happen, what's expected, how long it lasts.

The ending is a great cliffhanger which unfortunately for me means I'll just have to wait that much more impatiently for the next one.

If you loved the first book, you'll definitely want to continue with this one. More tornadoes, a new love triangle tension, and a great ending.

I give this book 5 out of 5 cateyes.

Sunday Social # 10

1. What was your college major? Did you ever change majors?
I graduated with an Associates of Arts in Liberal Arts. I flip-flopped my major quite a few times but always between English 

and Film. 

2. What is the best purchase you’ve made lately?
We bought Noah for 25$ and it was the best money I've ever spent.

3. What is something silly we don’t know about you and go…
I don't know what "silly" means. I wear different colored socks all the time, but that's mostly because I'm too lazy to look for their sole mates. 

4. What is your favorite Holiday?
New Years (Eve)! Because it's the day where you get to start a afresh and you feel emboldened to do things like clean all of the kitchen cabinets or start budgeting. Also, it's the day John and I made it official so it's a double whammy thing. 

5. What is the first thing you do when you wake up?
Check my phone to see what time it is and if it says I can stay in bed a bit longer I do. If not, I jump right up because I'm probably late. 

Let the Sky Fall - By Shannon Messenger

Let the Sky Fall
Author: Shannon Messenger
Published by: Simon Pulse


Ok, first thing's first: Let's get this outta the way.

Now that you've sung to your heart's content let's get to the nitty gritty of the book.

Let the Sky Fall, centers around Vane Weston, survivor of a terrible tornado that killed both of his parents when he was 7. Years later, Vane's living a happy life with his adoptive parents not knowing that there is something different about him. He's just trying to be normal - hang out with friends, go out on dates, and trying to forget about the dark-haired girl he dreams about every night. When the girl from his dreams shows up in real life, Vane is completely unprepared for all the things she tells him. Like how she's actually his guardian and they are both sylph's, controllers of the wind. Or most important of all, that he has to learn the languages of the wind before Raiden destroys them all.

Paranormal romance seems to be popular in the YA genre. There are tons of vampires and humans, angels and humans, but this is my first time being introduced to a sylph and humans. I didn't even know what a sylph was before reading this book. Anyway, I really liked this book. I loved the way that the chapters are split between Vane's and Audra's points of view. You're able to glimpse into their minds and see what they're both thinking and that makes it really easy to connect with them. Also, Vane is hilarious! There were some parts where I was giggling out loud to some of the things that he said. As annoying as he may be, he wants nothing but the best to come out of this entire thing and though he's scared, he steps up when he's called. I love that about him.

Audra's character was incredible too. She's just broken enough for it to come across as true. Her past makes her fight even harder for the future and I can totally get behind that. Sometimes I was frustrated with her because she was so dedicated to her job as guardian but it does help keep the steamy tension alive.

The book is the first in the series and the second one, Let the Storm Break, is already out for your reading pleasure. I loved the first book so much that I have already put the second on hold at my local library so I can read it this weekend.


If you're looking for a book with a good back-and-forth romance and a story about the Last Boy of his kind who must learn the four languages of the wind to defeat the Fire Nation Raiden before it's too late - then this book is right up your tornado alley.


I give it 4 out of 5 cateyes.

Icons by Margaret Stohl

Icons is the first in a series of books by Margaret Stohl. The tagline: Your heart beats only with their permission - was enough to get me interested.

The story follows Doloria, Dol, who lives in the year 2080 ATD (After The Day). The Day was when The Lords came to Earth and was the day many, many people died including Dol's family. But Dol didn't die that day, even though she should have, and she doesn't know why.

Years later, Dol is living in a remote countryside under the watchful eye of Padre and her best friend Ro. Here they are far enough away from the Icons that they do not have to fear their control. They know that getting too close to the Icons can kill them by stopping their electrical energy, the way it has stopped all the other electrical energy within its vicinity.

But on her 17th birthday Dol and Ro are captured and taken to the Embassy. There they meet Tima and Lucas and realize that the four of them are different than other people. Are there more people like them? What else do the have in common? Do they have anything to do with The Lords? With mounting questions and little answers, the four of them try to find out who they are and what exactly their purpose is.

I was immediately engrossed in Dol and Ro's life. You don't learn very much of it but you get a small picture of what their life was like. Quiet, rural, fresh, and dirty. But as soon as they get captured and you're introduced to Tima and Lucas, things get a little too-fast paced and a bit confusing. I understand that Stohl was trying to introduce the four main characters early but I feel that the introduction to Tima and Lucas was rushed. I also feel that as much as we know about Dol and as little as we know about Ro, the connection she has for him is enough for the reader to feel a connection to him as well. When it comes to Tima and Lucas however, the fact that they are thrust so hurriedly upon us, makes it harder to make any sort of connection with them.

However, the action and the story are intriguing. The more you find out about The Lords and their powers the more you want to know. In between each chapter are also letters, memos, and reports that are sent to the Embassy that give you little glimpses as to what is happening on a larger scale. These help you piece the story together and make connections without giving too much away.

And the end of the book you've found out a bit of what is happening but nowhere near enough to see the entire picture. It has definitely left me waiting impatiently for the next book, Idols, which is set to come out in July. I'm hoping that in this next one, we are able to learn more about Tima and Lucas.

If you're looking for an interesting read about aliens and the powers of human emotion - give this one a try.


Overall, I give it 4 out of 5 cateyes.

Book Swap!

About a month ago I signed up to be part of a Book Swap. I got paired with the the host, Tiffany at Endless Bliss and I couldn't have asked for a better partner!

Not only do she and I share a love for YA books but also apparently for men named John (though her BF spells it without the H).

We emailed a lot and I got to know her really well. I couldn't wait to check my email and see if she had written back yet. Talking to her was fun and easy. It wasn't hard to find things we had in common.

Which, you would think, would make it easy to pick out a book for her right?

I love book browsing and shopping but when it's for someone else I get really nervous.

What if they don't like it? What if the jacket sounds good but the inside is all wrong? What if she already has it!?

I ended up choosing two books for her that I hope will interest her. I can't wait to hear what she thinks of them - good or bad!

She got me two books, both the first in their respective series, and the cutest crawfish postcard ever!

I mean, seriously, look at that postcard.

Book # 1 is Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian.


I started reading it that night and though it was hard to get into at first, once I hit a certain point I couldn't stop.

Burn for Burn is a book about three girls, who aren't friends, and have nothing in common except for wanting to exact revenge on classmates. They eventually decide to help each other out, Stranger on a Train style.

I'm not usually one for revenge stories but once the girls started becoming friends and developing real feelings for each other, I couldn't put it down. I had to know what happened. Did they get caught? Did their plans work?

It was a good fast read and I can't wait to read the second book - Fire with Fire. The third and final book, Ashes to Ashes, should be coming out later this year.

The second book she got me was Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I haven't started reading it yet, but I seriously can't wait. I mean...look at that cover art!

This whole experience has been the best. It's always great to have friends who like the same things as you. This was great in a whole different way because you're able to actually MEET someone and then talk about things you love together.

Hopefully this will become a regular exchange because it really was something I greatly enjoyed.

You can head on over to Endless Bliss to see all the other book swap partners.