Living Literarily

I am not the kind of person who will reads the books synopsis before starting it. In order my priorities in choosing books are: 1. Author Style 2. Friend Recommendation 3. Popularity 4. Teacher Recommendation 5. Author 6. Cover 7. The Synopsis (always my last resort) Given my dislike for spoilers, I downloaded Rebel Belle  on my phone and finished listening to it in 2 days. I had no idea what to expect, but it certainly was words like "paladin" or "oracle" being calmly discussed in a classy southern drawl. I did not expect heels to become weapons or for me to be furious when an opportunity to break the enemy's neck is lost. I am not a violent person, and I do not like violent books. And while there was fighting, I was never disturbed by it. It is kind of like how the main character refuses to use the "F" word (which I much appreciated). There is an air of class thrown over the whole thing and you come out wondering if you want to move to the

I saw this book all over book social media and wondered if it was good as everyone was saying. It seemed like a stereotypical contemporary young adult fantasy novel. I kind of did not want to read it and waste my time on something I had read before in the myriad of other novels that fall under the same genre. Oh, I was very wrong. I fell in love with this book partially because it was like nothing that I had expected. It began slow and a bit sluggish at moments. There were facts and moments I didn't understand and it all seemed to be a bit surreal. I was uncomfortable with the erratic pacing of the book and wondered if I should just stop. If you feel this way, I encourage you to do what I did and not stop. IT is a lot less fantasy, and more character development and deep mental exploration. The magic naturally flows in and out of the world and every piece miraculously falls into place. The characters are real. They are gritty, they keep secrets from each other, and they a

I originally bought this book for its exquisite cover and title. It looks so interesting, morbid, and beautiful at the same time which fits perfectly into "my type". The slow-witted person that I am did not recognize the name of one of my favorite authors, Jennifer Donnelly. Her Tea Rose trilogy also comes highly recommended by me. Now, why does this book warrant five stars? First, the female lead is perfectly human, but still spunky and a strong feminist. Jo is the only child born to wealthy blue-blooded parents in the middle of the most fashionable part of New York. From the beginning you can see that she knows there needs to be a change. She was not meant for the life of leisure and breeding that the other girls her age are so eager for. Soon she is faced with the mysterious death of her father, confused by the differing accounts of his past, Jo begins to dig. Donnelly loves portraying strong females with ambition and passion. However, Jo is a bit different from