The Diary of A Young Girl Thoughts

I'm not going to write a review about this book because I don't believe we have the right to critique a diary written by a teenage girl when she was in hiding from the Nazis. I will never be able to understand what her family and many other families went through during this time where they feared for their lives solely because of their religion.

This is not a review and is just about how touching this book was for me personally.

Also there's spoilers in this review but they're history spoilers so you should know about this. Except I met a girl and when I told her I was going to Anne Frank's House she asked, "What's that?" I am ignorant at times as well, I'll be the first to admit I make mistakes at times, but there are some parts about history that everybody should know.

First of all, this book is a difficult but worthwhile and moving read. If you really don't know what this is, it's the diary of a Jewish girl, Anne, in Amsterdam from 1942 to 1944. Due to the German occupation of the Netherlands and since her family was Jewish, they eventually had to go into hiding to avoid being sent to a concentration camp. They hid in the top floors of a warehouse for two years and Anne wrote in her diary from the beginning to the very end. It's from the perspective of Anne talking about their daily life and also what was going on in the war. Eventually, they were discovered and captured.

I am disappointed I was never required to read this book in school, because it was so enlightening. I probably enjoyed reading it on my own more though rather than being required to, but still. I believe everybody should read this. It's also a little easier to read when you're younger because this is from the point of view of a young girl. Thus, there's a lot of talk of friends, boys, and getting your period for the first time. However, Anne was also a brilliant girl for her age and lived during a terrible time. You get the mix of the young girl, but also someone much older and wiser than they should be.

"On the contrary, beauty remains, even in misfortune. If you just look for it, you discover more and more happiness and regain your balance. A person who's happy will make others happy; a person who has courage and faith will never die in misery!"

She has some great tidbits and parts where she criticizes the adults' attitude towards the war. I think in some ways we receive a much purer account of the happenings through the diary of someone who hasn't had the chance to develop a bias or much of a political opinion.

Since she was so young there was a lot of hope and talk about "after the war." She had barely lived her life and people in their early teens are always thinking about when they're older so Anne was no different. There's one part where she talks about what kind of mother she will be and you just know she never got that chance. That was the hardest part about this book for me. Older people had already lived a larger portion of their lives and were able to have the more major experiences, but Anne and the many other children who died barely had a life. Their dreams and goals were never accomplished.

Except, Anne did achieve part of her dream:

"And if I don't have the talent to write books or newspaper articles, I can always write for myself. But I want to achieve more than that. I can't imagine having to live like Mother, Mrs van Daan and all the women who go about their work and are then forgotten. I need to have something besides a husband and children to devote myself to! I don't want to have lived in vain like most people. I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I've never met. I want to go on living even after my death!"

This was the moment where I started crying in my school library. I am happy that Anne got her wish in this respect as the cover of my book says more than 35 million copies have been sold. Anne's writings have also been read by millions of people that she's never met. It might not be the most enjoyable book to read, as she had wanted, but I do think it's useful and more meaningful than so many others. It is just heart-wrenching that World War II occurred for her to accomplish this dream. For being fourteen years old she was a superb writer as well. I wish she could have had a chance to write and live more.

"What I condemn are our system of values and the men who don't acknowledge how great, difficult, but ultimately beautiful women's share in society is."

Anne was talking about how much women have to go through to have children, but this quote reminded me of the Women's Marches that occurred around the world after Trump's inauguration and I think she would have walked as well. All she wanted was to spread happiness, although she was certainly not perfect herself. Teenagers are moody and dramatic and Anne was no different. This book is incredibly important because I don't think it hides that. It is still authentic as at times you roll your eyes at Anne and her behavior. I like that they show that even though a horrific war was going on, they could never stop being human. They still thought about boys, petty quarrels, or family traditions. Even though they were in hiding for being Jews, they never stopped being human.

This time period took away too many before their times and Anne's documentation of that is frightening in how fictional it all seems, but it truly happened. It can never be forgotten or allowed to occur again. We need to all try and share love and acceptance to become a better world.

Everybody ought to read this book because I think it'll affect everybody differently. It moved me so much and then seeing the house in Amsterdam made it all the more real. Overall, it is worthwhile and impacting.

Harry Potter in Edinburgh

Disclaimer: Sorry for my crappy photos, I only have my phone camera to work with and it doesn't always turn out the greatest.

That was the sign coming out of the airport when I arrived (after a 3 hour delay in Chicago and then missing my connecting flight in Heathrow to Edinburgh). It was a welcome sight after a stressful day.

Edinburgh is absolutely beautiful and an easy city to get comfortable in really quickly. It's pretty easy to learn your way around and it's also an incredibly safe city so you're not looking over your shoulder or tightly clutching your purse.

In addition to being a wonderful city that I'll probably rave about many many many more times, it's the birthplace of my all-time favorite series Harry Potter.

The Elephant House

She wrote some of the early copies of Edinburgh in The Elephant House (just a ten minute walk from my campus!) and the cafe has become a tourist hot spot. I think they do a good job of creating a balance though where in the front room there are Harry Potter souvenirs and all, but the back is still a normal spot to eat your panini and drink your latte. 

I bought a button because I wanted something small. And from the table I was sitting at was an amazing view of Edinburgh Castle and Greyfriar's Kirkyard (almost at that part).

When I decided to open the drawers at the table I was sitting out of curiosity I discovered notes and letters left for J.K. Rowling to find. It made me a little emotional because I started to think about how many people have come to this cafe to just be in the spot where magic truly arose from. She created such a tangible story for me and many others and I believe that's the true magic. While I've never met these people who left these notes I feel a connection to them that is unexplainable. This is the one series where it truly feels alive to me.

Greyfriar's Kirkyard

I spent nearly two hours in this graveyard... It was awesome. Not only is it a beautiful and historic graveyard, but J.K. Rowling also snagged some names for her characters from the tombstones. Take a peek at the last name on the list above and you'll see a man named McGonagall was buried there.

There's also a Thomas Riddell!! Spelled slightly different, but this is Voldemort's (or his father's) grave.

There was even a Moodie! Unfortunately, I couldn't find McGonagall's tombstone even though I was there for nearly two hours and I walked every inch of that graveyard! I will go back though and try again.

There are so many eerie skull and crossbones or skeleton images in this graveyard I loved it. This one was on the side of just a blank stone wall in the graveyard. They were so fun to seek out and then wonder about the story. Some graves were so damaged and old that the images and words originally on them were unreadable, which was sad. It's such a photogenic graveyard and I even saw people picnicking in it. 

This was my favorite of the entire graveyard. It reads "Non Omnis Moriar" and has a snake curled around an urn or some type of cup. I looked up what the Latin meant and it translates to "I Shall Not Wholly Die." If that is not the most Voldemort and Slytherin thing in the entire world than I give up on life. This was so cool to me I shared it with my friend Emma and my sister Casey (who both love Harry Potter as much as me). I still cannot get over how perfect this is because it's in the same graveyard as the original Tom Riddle. Did J.K. Rowling see this??? What does she think about it??? I'm going to tweet it at her I think.

Not Harry Potter, but Amazing Bookstore

Go to Armchair Books in Edinburgh! It's such an amazing secondhand bookstore. The books go up all the walls and it has a great selection too! I bought Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh. It's near Grassmarket (which is so much better than the Royal Mile if you ask me), you get to do some shopping at more authentic Scottish stores, have a great view of the castle, go up Victoria Street (an awesome short little street), and then go up West Port to go to Armchair Books. There's also a cat cafe across the street that I really want to go to! The bookstore is a little more expensive than the majority of secondhand bookstores I've been too, but it's worth going just for the vibe and to stroll through the aisles.

Okay that's all for now, but Edinburgh is amazing and even if you don't go for Harry Potter, explore the city more. It's filled with so many hidden treasures to find that I'm only starting to uncover and as I'm learning in my Visualizing Scotland class, look beyond the bagpipers and tartan. Scotland is a country much more than those stereotypes and it's really worth getting to know.

The Queen's Poisoner Spoiler Free Review

Summary (taken from Goodreads):
"King Severn Argentine's fearsome reputation precedes him: usurper of the throne, killer of rightful heirs, ruthless punisher of traitors. Attempting to depose him, the Duke of Kiskaddon gambles....and loses. Now the duke must atone by handing over his young son, Own, as the king's hostage. And should his loyalty falter again, the boy will pay with his life.
Seeking allies and eluding Severn's spies, Owen learns to survive in the court of Kingfountain. But when new evidence of his father's betrayal threatens to seal his fate, Owen must win the vengeful king's favor by proving his worth--through extraordinary means. And only one person can aid his desperate cause: a mysterious woman, dwelling in secrecy, who truly wields power over life, death, and destiny."

Jeff Wheeler's The Queen's Poisoner is the first in The Kingfountain series. Let me say though the assumptions you're likely to make from the summary above are probably wrong. I downloaded this book through kindle unlimited (I highly suggest this if you read a lot because it's I think $10 a month and you have a wide selection of books to download through amazon for free). Since I'm studying abroad I only brought my kindle to travel light and The Queen's Poisoner seemed really interesting. It also had a high rating and sounded like a typical YA book that would be enjoyable, if not rememberable. I was wrong! It was rememberable!

I assumed this book was about a teen boy in court who falls in love with that "mysterious woman" who's probably secretly royalty or something. It was actually about an 8 year old boy allowing the story to not center around a romance (thank the lord!). It does feel a little cheesy at times but it is from the point of view of a young boy and so it's a little difficult to get in that mindset when I'm a 19 year old girl. I think it did a great job of it though where Owen is innocent, but also a very intelligent boy whose life is in danger.

I also found this book really interesting because of how much it's based off of the War of the Roses. Last year I had to read William Shakespeare's Richard III for class and it was really cool knowing the backstory and the historical basis! The Queen's Poisoner is more about if Richard (or King Severn) had won at the Battle of Bosworth Field. It also adds in a magical element and I think it was done incredibly well. It was more intriguing to me and it quickly became a fun read where I wanted to know where the story went since my initial predictions were so wrong.

Overall, I found this to be a very fun and enjoyable read that kept me entertained. The second book is also on kindle unlimited and so I plan to read it eventually. It flashes forward about nine years in time where Owen is a teenager.

What I'm Reading Now

I'm going to Amsterdam the weekend of January 27th and I want to have read her diary before I go see her house.

Best of 2016 and Blurbs About Others

Usually I would have liked to do my sixteen favorite books of 2016 but I didn't have sixteen favorite books! I read seventy books this year (which is a lot still I know! Doesn't stop me from feeling like I could've done better though), but there were few that really stood out to me. Thus, I'm adding some honorable mentions and then at the end I have some brief thoughts about some of the other books I read. Not necessarily because I liked them, but ones were I still think about and might be interesting (they're probably not interesting to people besides myself, but hey this blog is my way to think deeper about things so yeah I'm adding them and if you don't care feel free to skip them!)

Also, something I've noticed that I do is I rate higher on Goodreads than I actually feel. I'm always like "Oh the author worked really hard they deserve appreciation." It takes me a lot to give a small amount of stars to a book and I think I need to work on this. I always want to be nice and I really never want to offend somebody for working so hard. However, I think I'm too nice sometimes. It becomes a question of whether I'd rather be nice or honest. It's one of my least favorite things about professional bloggers or booktubers because they often are paid to say nice things. It's totally understandable, but I really do want to be honest about my feelings for books. I just don't want to be mean either. This will be something I'm working on this year and I know it will be a struggle. Sorry nothing really resolved there, just some thoughts I have.

My Favorites

5. Captive Prince Trilogy by C.S. Pacat

Summary (taken from Goodreads):
"Damen is a warrior hero to his people, and the rightful heir to the throne of Akielos. But when his half brother seizes power, Damen is captured, stripped of his identity, and sent to serve the prince of an enemy nation as a pleasure slave.
Beautiful, manipulative, and deadly, his new master, Prince Laurent, epitomizes the worst of the court at Vere. But in the lethal political web of the Veretian court, nothing is as it seems, and when Damen finds himself caught up in a play for the throne, he must work together with Laurent to survive and save his country.
For Damen, there is just one rule: never, ever reveal his true identity. Because the one man Damen needs is the one man who has more reason to hate him than anyone else…"
Overall a very enjoyable series. It's a lot of smut, but it's good smut. Was definitely a guilty pleasure when I raced through these books in a matter of days. The world building is amazing and instead of reading for the smut I was also reading because the story was so addicting. They're easy to read, but very mature content.

4. Rereading Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

I'm not going to post a summary because if you don't at least know what Harry Potter is about then please leave. I still can't believe it whenever I meet somebody who hasn't read them. They're incredible and such a staple in life for me. I reread them all during the summer and I will 100% reread them sometime in the future. I'm currently in Edinburgh, the birthplace of Harry Potter (I will do a post about all the Harry Potter sites I visit eventually!) and this world is honestly my favorite place to visit.

3. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Summary (taken from Goodreads):
"Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.
Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two."

Sarah J. Maas is an amazing writer. Her world building skills are supreme and she has the ability to create beautiful relationships and character development. This is the second book in A Court of Thorns and Roses so read that first! While the Throne of Glass series was my favorite series of all time, this book may have just topped that. It's more mature so younger readers if you're not comfortable with mature themes in the relationships, this is probably not the series for you! It's so good though and one of the most addicting books ever I think. I'm so freaking excited for the third A Court of Wings and Ruin!

Small little blurb thought/worry that you can totally skip: Throne of Glass was my favorite series but I haven't read the most recent book in it and it came out in September! I know, I'm ashamed. The third book, Heir of Fire, was incredible though and when the fourth came out, while it was still really good, it wasn't as good as Heir of Fire and was a little bit of a let down. The one that I haven't read is the fifth and I'm scared it'll also not be as good. I'm also worried she's stretching the series too far to make it six books. This brings me into ACoTaR, it's supposed to be six books as well... The first two are superb, but again I'm worried they'll stretch too thin. It hasn't happened yet so it might not happen and she'll do it amazingly, I'm just concerned. Nothing's worse than when a great series or tv show gets stretched out too much and it turns bad (thinking about Supernatural tbh). I'd rather it end on a good note than go to far...

2. I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak

Summary (taken from Goodreads):
"Ed Kennedy is an underage cabdriver without much of a future. He's pathetic at playing cards, hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey, and utterly devoted to his coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery.
That's when the first ace arrives in the mail.
That's when Ed becomes the messenger.
Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary) until only one question remains: Who's behind Ed's mission?"

Marcus Zusak is an incredible writer. The Book Thief is also amazing so I wanted to try his other work. There were no regrets. It was a different type of story and more mature than The Book Thief, but I think Marcus Zusak succeeded astronomically in this other genre. Reflecting on this book I think I want to reread it, the ending was awesome and I want to understand it more. Loved this book so much, its ranking is arguably higher... Actually I just switched it. It was originally placed number three, but it was too good.

1. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Summary (taken from Goodreads):

"Lily hasn't always had it easy, but that's never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She's come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up - she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily's life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, and maybe even a little arrogant. He's also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily, but Ryle's complete aversion to relationships is disturbing.
As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan - her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened."

Colleen Hoover is known to do easy and fun romance books, but this one's more than that. A word of warning is it's cheesy and the characters feel a little too posed and clichéd. It's supposed to be a cheesy romance like that though in the beginning. The true meaning of this book comes through later though and was built up so well. This was my favorite book of 2016. It might not be an all-time favorite, but I think it was the best of the year that I read. It's one I think about a lot too and recommend to so many people. I think it's best to go into this book a little oblivious as to what it's about because it helps you get the largest impact.

Honorable Mentions

Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin

Summary (taken from Goodreads):
"For the resistance in the Third Reich, the war may be over, but the fight has just begun. Death camp survivor Yael, who has the power to skinshift, is on the run: the world has just seen her shoot and kill Hitler. But the truth of what happened is far more complicated, and its consequences are deadly. Yael and her unlikely comrades dive into enemy territory to try to turn the tide against Hitler’s army, and there is no alternative but to see their mission through to the end, whatever the cost.
But in the midst of the chaos, Yael’s past and future collide when she comes face to face with a ghost from her past, and a spark with a fellow rider begins to grow into something more. Dark secrets reveal dark truths and one question hangs over them all—how far can you go for the ones you love?"

This is the sequel and finale to Wolf by Wolf so read that first it's also superb! This was more mature and I remember loving it when I was reading it because the relationships are believable, but I've honestly forgotten a lot that happened during it. It made my honorable mentions though because I thought the series was amazing and a worthwhile read!


The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

Summary (taken from Goodreads):
"'The body you are wearing used to be mine.' So begins the letter Myfanwy Thomas is holding when she awakes in a London park surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves. With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to discover her identity and track down the agents who want to destroy her.
She soon learns that she is a Rook, a high-ranking member of a secret organization called the Chequy that battles the many supernatural forces at work in Britain. She also discovers that she possesses a rare, potentially deadly supernatural ability of her own. 
In her quest to uncover which member of the Chequy betrayed her and why, Myfanwy encounters a person with four bodies, an aristocratic woman who can enter her dreams, a secret training facility where children are transformed into deadly fighters, and a conspiracy more vast than she ever could have imagined."

This book is something different and refreshing. It's odd and also hilarious at times. Myfanwy is an amazing character and a strong female lady too! There's powers and it was done so well that it's believable that it exists in the real world. I forget where I saw this book recommended to me but it was some kind of list about amazing books. There's a sequel to The Rook, but I don't think I'm going to read it because I enjoyed the ending of this one so much and don't feel a need to continue it. I don't want it to get messed up in my head either.

Zenith: Part 1 by Lindsay Cummings and Sasha Alsberg

Summary (taken from Goodreads):
"There is darkness sweeping across the stars. 
Most know Androma Racella as the Bloody Baroness: a powerful mercenary whose reign of terror stretches across the Mirabel Galaxy. To those aboard her fearsome glass starship the Maurader, she’s just Andi, their captain and protector. 
When a routine mission goes awry, the all-girl crew’s resilience is tested as they find themselves in a most unfamiliar place: at the mercy of a sadistic bounty hunter connected to Andi’s past and a harrowing betrayal. 
Meanwhile, on the far side of the galaxy, a ruthless ruler waits in the shadows of the planet Xen Ptera, biding her time to exact revenge for the destruction of her people. The final pieces of her deadly plan are about to fall into place, unleashing a plot that will tear Mirabel in two. 
Andi and her crew embark on a dangerous, soul-testing journey that could restore order to their ship—or just as easily start a war that will devour worlds. As the Marauder hurtles towards the unknown, and Mirabel hangs in the balance, the only thing certain is that in a galaxy run on lies and illusion, no one can be trusted."

Okay so this was originally just the first part in the book that was made into an e-book but it got picked up by a Harlequin and will be published as a full book in August! I also know that a lot of this version has been changed and the book that's coming out will be a little different. It's still the same premise, just published all as one book now. From what Sasha's told me about it so far it sounds like it'll be amazing! I'm so excited for this sci-fi and I'm honestly not going to say anything more about it, but it's one that you should all seek out when it officially comes out.

Blurbs About Other Books

Night by Elie Wiesel
I feel like I need to reread this. I really enjoyed it but looking back it feels like it needs a reread to appreciate it more. The Holocaust must never be allowed to be forgotten because it's painful and sad, it needs to be remembered so history can't repeat itself.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy
A book my thoughts turn to occasionally, it reminded me of one of my grandparents' experience with aging. It's short and interesting and since I related to it I think it affected me more. Tolstoy writes some incredibly long books, but I think this is a good introductory to him.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
I enjoyed reading it but I think it was hyped up too much for me. Looking back it feels like a stereotypical sci-fi book that didn't make me feel much.

Morning Star by Pierce Brown
I absolutely loved the first book and that emotion carried into the second book for me since I read them one after the other. The third book was good, but not as impactful as the first one was. While I constantly recommend Red Rising and talk about it, I never think about Morning Star much. I might just need to reread the whole series.

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
Loved the first, but this one was disappointing. It felt way too much like a filler book where not much happened. Still looking forward to the third because I can see the second being just a build up and connector towards it. A Torch Against the Night Review

The last two 5th Wave books by Rick Yancey
It took me forever to read these. I think I assumed they'd be some more clichéd sci-fi books but they surprised me. They were quick reads and overall very good. Just not favorites of mine.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
I rated it five stars and it was really good, but didn't make my favorites list. Can't explain why because I enjoyed everything in it, but I have a feeling about it that it wasn't as good as I think it is. No idea what I mean by that, but it was overall a worthwhile read. Dark Matter Review

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
Really really good. However, I've seen the movie so many times and loved the movie that I knew everything that was going to happen. It's a little too good of a book to movie adaptation because I know the movie so well that I felt I knew the book too well. Because of this the mystery and suspense were lost to me. I couldn't tell if it was really predictable and I think it skewed my judgement. I want to read Red Dragon and Hannibal in this series too. The show Hannibal is amazing too fyi.

I'm Sorry I Suck!!! (Rambles and What I'm Currently Reading)

Wow I am so sorry it has been over three months since I last posted! I feel like I keep promising I'll post more and then I fail. I'm going to stop doing that because I think I'm jinxing myself.

While I love to read so much and I enjoy writing reviews slash just rambling about my thoughts, life gets crazy a lot! College is much more overwhelming and time consuming than high school ever was and academics are always my priority. It's easy for me to just come back from class and put on Netflix to numb my brain. I am trying to do better though!

This semester I am studying at University of Edinburgh in Scotland!!!

This is my school!!! (Not actually this part because it's under construction and it's also really the law school, but still!)

I'm trying to make this semester about me growing and learning more about who I am. I plan on traveling a lot, meeting people from different cultures, reading a lot, and becoming a more independent person. Very ambitious I know!

Living in the city where J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter is surreal. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle also lived on my campus at one point! I've been here a week now and there's so much to still see!

This blog is going to hopefully still be full of reviews as I want to get back into it (but no promises because I can never seem to keep them!), but I'll also probably post about my adventures because I can't help wanting to share them with the world. Studying abroad is an amazing privilege that I have and I don't want to take advantage of it. I want to embrace every part of it. This blog has always been a way for me to reach greater thinking by writing whatever I feel about books and I want to do something similar with being in Europe.

I'm sorry for all my rambles and I know I'm inconsistent, but that's something I plan to work on this semester. Hopefully I can do better! This blog is always something I want to keep doing because I enjoy it and even though I suck at posting I will keep trying!

ANYWAYS.... Onto a little book talk.

I'm currently reading The Queen's Poisoner by Jeff Wheeler. It's really good so far, not what I was expecting because the main character is eight years old and the summary didn't really say it was from the point of view of a child. I'm about a quarter through and enjoying it since it is surprising. So many books follow the clichés that I struggle with them. I'm not sure where the story's going and I like the mystery. I hope it keeps up!

I'm loving Edinburgh right now and I can't wait to spend four more months here! If any of you have the chance to study abroad I highly recommend it!