June 20, 2015

Okay so...it's time to say Goodbye


This is not a decision I took lightly, I have been thinking about it for about a year, torn between wanting to continue and the realization that I just don't enjoy blogging anymore. 

So I decided to stop. 

I've blogged for the better part of my twenties (now I'm 31), and I'm really glad I did. I'm thankful for all my wonderful bloggy friends like Sandy, Aylee and Daisy, and the people who have been kind enough to comment over the years.
Thank you so much. 

Honestly, this is the thing I've stuck to for the longest time. 

But it's time to move on. 

I want to get back to writing - which got every harder the longer I blogged - and just enjoy being a fangirl and ship all the ships without having to worry about churning out content and feeling guilty because I'm not reading my review books (sorry for the books I didn't get a chance to get to, by the way).

I'll still be around at @DarthClavie and in my Tumblr (which is my new obsession) where you can find me being a Girl Meets World fangirl (Lucaya Forevahhhh!!! ) and re-blogging everything the amazing Sandy-belle posts. 

So... see you around, and once more THANK YOU for being awesome all this time

June 19, 2015

Book Review: Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot

Summary (GoodReads)

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Princess Diaries series, comes the very first adult installment, which follows Princess Mia and her Prince Charming as they plan their fairy tale wedding—but a few poisoned apples could turn this happily-ever-after into a royal nightmare.

For Princess Mia, the past five years since college graduation have been a whirlwind of activity, what with living in New York City, running her new teen community center, being madly in love, and attending royal engagements. And speaking of engagements. Mia's gorgeous longtime boyfriend Michael managed to clear both their schedules just long enough for an exotic (and very private) Caribbean island interlude where he popped the question! Of course Mia didn't need to consult her diary to know that her answer was a royal oui.

But now Mia has a scandal of majestic proportions to contend with: Her grandmother's leaked "fake" wedding plans to the press that could cause even normally calm Michael to become a runaway groom. Worse, a scheming politico is trying to force Mia's father from the throne, all because of a royal secret that could leave Genovia without a monarch. Can Mia prove to everyone— =especially herself—that she's not only ready to wed, but ready to rule as well?


My Thoughts:
It's no secret that I love Meg Cabot's books, I've read them pretty much all, even the older historicals she wrote under other names. And I actually really enjoyed where Forever Princess (Princess Diaries 10) ended - it was, I think, one of the best endings to a series I've seen.

So it wasn't without trepidation that I approached Royal Wedding, and I have to confess that it took me a couple of tries before I could really get into it and read it through - though that might be in part because I was stressed at work - in any case, I did finish it the other day and it was a lot of fun.

First, there was something both familiar and strange in Mia's voice, she's a lot calmer than she used to be as a teen but she still has a tendency to freak out (though her freak outs don't last as long and she's a lot more assertive). Michael was adorable, and I like that they are still together and going strong even though they both acknowledge that they don't get to see each other as much as they'd like (and then they take steps to remedy that).

Lily as a lawyer and Tina as a doctor totally made sense to me, I liked seeing where Mia's old pals were and that at least these two (Tina will forever be my favorite) were a big part of the story. I didn't enjoy the subplot with Boris, though, that needed resolution.

Another thing, I liked seeing Mia's perspective about her sister, Olivia. I really loved that relationship - and I really recommend the companion book "From the Notebooks of a middle-school princess" because Olivia is adorable, though it is a bit of a set-up book - and how she embraced her. That's 100% Mia.

All in all, I enjoyed the book, it was like meeting an old friend I hadn't spoken to in ages, it was fun to see what had changed and what hadn't.

I do recommend it, specially for long time fans.

June 7, 2015

Book Review: The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert

Summary (author's website)
YOU’VE GOT MAIL meets HOW TO EAT A CUPCAKE in this delightful novel about a talented chef and the food critic who brings down her restaurant—whose chance meeting turns into a delectable romance of mistaken identities.

In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lou works tirelessly to build her beloved yet struggling French restaurant, Luella’s, into a success. She cheerfully balances her demanding business and even more demanding fiancĂ©…until the morning she discovers him in the buff—with an intern.

Witty yet gruff British transplant Al is keeping himself employed and entertained by writing scathing reviews of local restaurants in the Milwaukee newspaper under a pseudonym. When an anonymous tip sends him to Luella’s, little does he know he’s arrived on the worst day of the chef’s life. The review practically writes itself: underdone fish, scorched sauce, distracted service—he unleashes his worst.

The day that Al’s mean-spirited review of Luella’s runs, the two cross paths in a pub: Lou drowning her sorrows, and Al celebrating his latest publication. As they chat, Al playfully challenges Lou to show him the best of Milwaukee and she’s game—but only if they never discuss work, which Al readily agrees to. As they explore the city’s local delicacies and their mutual attraction, Lou’s restaurant faces closure, while Al’s column gains popularity. It’s only a matter of time before the two fall in love…but when the truth comes out, can Lou overlook the past to chase her future?

Set in the lovely, quirky heart of Wisconsin, THE COINCIDENCE OF COCONUT CAKE is a charming love story of misunderstandings, mistaken identity, and the power of food to bring two people together.


My Thoughts:
I loved this book, I'll start by saying that. It was such a comforting read even though Lou was going through some stressful things, the Coincidence of Coconut Cake was full of warmth and sweetness and just positive things.

I loved how much Lou loved her job and that she was good at it. And how she loved food in all it's many expressions - I loved all the festivals she went to with Al. This is definitely not a book to read when you are hungry or have no access to food immediately because the food it describes is amazing.

I liked Al once I got to know him, he was very stand offish and a bit of a snob at the beginning, but being around Lou definitely chilled him out - while he remained essentially the same, just enjoying himself more. His friendship with the style editor - whose name just flew out of my head -was awesome. He was one of my favorite secondary characters. 

There is a lot of hart in the story, and I think that falls mostly in the Lou side of the equation, but she pulled it off. She is an optimist and real at the same time, and in the end she just wanted to do her own thing with her food, which I respected. 

I would have liked a longer conclusion - I'm big about seeing the characters happy once I stuck to them for n-number of pages - but it was a lovely conclusion anyway. 

I highly recommend this book, is one of the sweetest offerings of the year so far. 

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