Life:
Have you ever embarrassed yourself? I haven’t in the last few years, and then in the last few months I have had two *cringe while hiding your face and hope the ground opens up and swallows you whole* episodes. This latest one I only have myself to blame *sigh*. I made the stupid mistake of texting my son’s 19 year old male swim teacher, instead of my bestie. It sounds harmless, but our texts are a little ridiculous. This one involved a Scrubs meme about raising kids together even though we aren’t ever going to be married, and then I rambled on about how my glutes hurt….not bad so far right?! I totally could have shrugged that off. But then I went on to say that I can FINALLY take my shirt off today without being in pain and that I’d see you in a bit hooker. Oh man, so unprofessional! He laughed at me in his text back, has probably not even thought about that text since then, but I’m still so embarrassed. And today we have lessons in the afternoon, since there was a huge snowstorm and even schools were closed on Monday. So yeah. Here’s hoping that my face isn’t bright red, and that I don’t stumble over my words when we talk lol. It’s gonna be a fabulous day lol!
In case you aren’t familiar with our Friday Star Posts, we like to take a look at what’s happened around here in the last week, what’s coming up that we are excited about and anything else that we may have to share!
♥ Enjoy!
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Just Finished and Loved:
Homegoing by Ya Gyasi → Anna’s Review
5 Stars! I can’t help writing about Homegoing for the simple reason that it is BRILLIANT. I don’t even know how many times I fell in love and got my heart broken but DAMN IT WAS WORTH IT.
Effia and Esi are born into different villages in eighteenth-century Ghana. Effia is married off to an Englishman and lives in comfort in the palatial rooms of Cape Coast Castle. Unbeknownst to Effia, her sister, Esi, is imprisoned beneath her in the castle’s dungeons, sold with thousands of others into the Gold Coast’s booming slave trade, and shipped off to America, where her children and grandchildren will be raised in slavery. One thread of Homegoing follows Effia’s descendants through centuries of warfare in Ghana, as the Fante and Asante nations wrestle with the slave trade and British colonization. The other thread follows Esi and her children into America. From the plantations of the South to the Civil War and the Great Migration, from the coal mines of Pratt City, Alabama, to the jazz clubs and dope houses of twentieth-century Harlem, right up through the present day, Homegoing makes history visceral, and captures, with singular and stunning immediacy, how the memory of captivity came to be inscribed in the soul of a nation.
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Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas → Jen’s Review
5 Stars! Punk 57 was beautifully deep, insanely seductive and emotionally raw. I was addicted just from the first page, and this book was impossible to put down.
“We were perfect together. Until we met.”
Misha
I can’t help but smile at the words in her letter. She misses me.
In fifth grade, my teacher set us up with pen pals from a different school. Thinking I was a girl, with a name like Misha, the other teacher paired me up with her student, Ryen. My teacher, believing Ryen was a boy like me, agreed.
It didn’t take long for us to figure out the mistake. And in no time at all, we were arguing about everything. The best take-out pizza. Android vs. iPhone. Whether or not Eminem is the greatest rapper ever…
And that was the start. For the next seven years, it was us.
Her letters are always on black paper with silver writing. Sometimes there’s one a week or three in a day, but I need them. She’s the only one who keeps me on track, talks me down, and accepts everything I am.
We only had three rules. No social media, no phone numbers, no pictures. We had a good thing going. Why ruin it?
Until I run across a photo of a girl online. Name’s Ryen, loves Gallo’s pizza, and worships her iPhone. What are the chances?
F*ck it. I need to meet her.
I just don’t expect to hate what I find.
Ryen
He hasn’t written in three months. Something’s wrong. Did he die? Get arrested? Knowing Misha, neither would be a stretch.
Without him around, I’m going crazy. I need to know someone is listening. It’s my own fault. I should’ve gotten his number or picture or something.
He could be gone forever.
Or right under my nose, and I wouldn’t even know it.
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Caraval (Caraval #1) by Stephanie Garber → Chelsea’s Review
5 Stars! Not for a long time have I found a more satisfying mix of sexy, fun, and smoldering hot hate.
Whatever you’ve heard about Caraval, it doesn’t compare to the reality. It’s more than just a game or a performance. It’s the closest you’ll ever find to magic in this world . . .
Welcome, welcome to Caraval―Stephanie Garber’s sweeping tale of two sisters who escape their ruthless father when they enter the dangerous intrigue of a legendary game.
Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.
But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.
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We also had Posts talking about our 2016 Favorite Singles and our 2016 Favorites From A Series.
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Reading Next:
Adorkable (ah-dor-kuh-bul): Descriptive term meaning to be equal parts dorky and adorable. For reference, see Sally Spitz.
Seventeen-year-old Sally Spitz is done with dating. Or at least, she’s done with the horrible blind dates/hookups/sneak attacks her matchmaking bestie, Hooker, sets her up on. There’s only so much one geek girl and Gryffindor supporter can take.
Her solution: she needs a fake boyfriend. And fast.
Enter Becks, soccer phenom, all-around-hottie, and Sally’s best friend practically since birth. When Sally asks Becks to be her F.B.F. (fake boyfriend), Becks is only too happy to be used. He’d do anything for Sal–even if that means giving her PDA lessons in his bedroom, saying she’s “more than pretty,” and expertly kissing her at parties.
The problem: Sally’s been in love with Becks all her life–and he’s completely clueless.
This book features two best friends, one special edition Yoda snuggie, countless beneath-the-ear kisses and begs the question:
Who wants a real boyfriend when faking it is so much more fun?
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Upcoming Releases:
Caraval (Caraval #1) by Stephanie Garber (Releases 01/31)
Whatever you’ve heard about Caraval, it doesn’t compare to the reality. It’s more than just a game or a performance. It’s the closest you’ll ever find to magic in this world . . .
Welcome, welcome to Caraval―Stephanie Garber’s sweeping tale of two sisters who escape their ruthless father when they enter the dangerous intrigue of a legendary game.
Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.
But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.
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By Your Side by Kasie West (Releases 01/31)
When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.
Only he doesn’t come. No one does.
Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn at first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?
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You can check out the rest of the books that we can’t wait to be released → HERE
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Oh Jen! That made me laugh, yet at the same time cringe in sympathy. I once did something very similar and now I’m completely OCD regarding sending emails!
I’m not alone lol!!!!!!!!! I’m definitely going to be OCD before sending out text messages! I don’t ever want to have to go through that again lol!
“It’s gonna be a fabulous day lol!” 😂😂😂 I do that kind of stuff too!! Once, a friend posted a FB photo of her son opening a present and captioned it, “Too cute not to post!” So I commented, “You’re cute too, why don’t we get a picture of you opening presents?”
And…it was actually her husband’s account! They had the same profile picture. Allllll the guys ragged on me for for that one, haha. Oh dear….
Anyway, laughing about it with friends is truly the best remedy! Thank you for sharing the laughs! ;D
Wow, I’m so glad to hear that the Starcrossed bloggers found THREE 5 star reads this week! Good for you!! I’m looking forward to this week’s review, as always!
Oh my gosh, I’m SO sorry! That’s so funny, yet cringe worthy too ack! People shouldn’t be allowed to have the same profile pictures on Facebook, I would have done the same thing and mistaken that I was talking to my friend and not her husband. But I completely agree, being able to laugh about it with friends is the only way to live through those moments lol!
I couldn’t believe we each found a book that we absolutely loved! I finished and loved Adorkable this weekend but I’m struggling with Wintersong right now. Chelsea finished it and is sitting at a 4, but I’m around a 3 so far….I’m a little over 100 page into the story. Here’s hoping I can stop comparing it to the movie. 🙁
Haha, it’s definitely one of those face-burns-whenever-I-remember-it moments, but I guess everybody has those ;D
Oh noooos, so sorry to hear about Wintersong. And I was so looking forward to it, too 🙁 Looking forward to your review and Chelsea’s! I see that her’s is up now, so I’ll go read it! Glad to hear that you liked Adorkable, at least. It looks super cute!
Yes, exactly lol!
I haven’t picked up Wintersong in the last 3 days, and I just keep sending texts to Chelsea complaining about the book ack. I’m seriously contemplating DNFing, but I want to know how it ends. If you pick it up, I hope you have a much better time with it than me!
Oh my gosh, that text story made me laugh so hard! I once sent a message to an ex-coworker that I meant to send to my husband (both of their names are Scott). I was pregnant at the time and I told him about an embarrassing symptom or two … um, oops!
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction recently posted…Bite-Sized Reviews of RoseBlood, Frost and The Glittering Court
OH NO!!!! *gasps out-loud!* That’s so embarrassing too! I guess we’re all bound to do something like that eventually. At least we can all cringe together lol! *hugs*