Raathi Chota's Blog, page 4
November 22, 2018
Book Review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson
I’ve always wanted to read all the books written by John Green, my favorite so far has to be Looking for Alaska, but I enjoyed this one as well. I picked it out in my school library even though they don’t have a wide selection, mostly a tiny reading/quiet room that was surrounded by books. Everything else in the library was non-fiction, desks, and sofas. Not a wide variety but I always go for a John Green book when I can.
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan, follows the story of two separate Will Grayson’s, both living in Chicago and in high school. Living different lives in their own complications only bring them together one night. One is gay, and the other has a gay friend, Tiny, who just brings them closer as the plot continues. There are twenty chapters, each Will takes their turn, so the novel is told in their perspectives, be glad I’m telling you this information as I got confused! I wondered why I haven’t met the other Will and why the one I was reading through had different friends every time and the worst, whether people or even himself, knew he was gay or not!Will Grayson 01 frustrated me a bit as a character. However, this only came in the middle of the story when he faced a complication with Tiny, his big friend and yes, that’s how he’s described, and that’s what people call him. On a side note, WG1 was such a raw and original character that I loved him for that. Especially how he was included in the story even if the other Will Grayson received more spotlight. He’s one of those rare characters that I can actually imagine as a teenager doing the things he did and the feelings he felt. Sometimes authors make aspects of a particular age group too advanced or two-dimensional in which us, the ones they are writing about, can’t relate to. Will Grayson 02 was adorable and was actually the first time I read about a gay character, I read this book before The Art of Starving by Sam J.Miller even though that review was posted before this one. Compared to that book, WG2 was a shy gay boy who hadn’t come out to anyone and relied on the internet to help him. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but when he meets Tiny, who’s the complete opposite of him, that brings them together even though Tiny exaggerated to have past relationships while Will barely had any…The parts I really enjoyed about WG1 was when he hung out with Jane Turner, they weren’t cringy, and there weren’t excessive scenes about them, just the right amount. Apart from the girl in his life, I also enjoyed the humor that came along with Tiny Cooper. From the time they meet the other Will Grayson and to the end of the book, more of Tiny Cooper’s self-titled, directed and produced (I don’t know what else he did by himself) musical was brought up and the night of his musical is the resolution of the story. It’s honestly a beautiful ending, not just one to put an immediate stop to the book, it was one thoroughly put out and not only decided because of its setting. WG2 didn’t live such a glamorous life compared to the other, sometimes I just wanted to hug him and assure him that everything would be okay. That also made the story more unique, both Will’s couldn’t be living a good life, it would be boring and unrealistic. His friend, Maura, I hated with a passion, especially what she did to him. It’s quite ironic that I’ve come across another character having a gothic friend when himself was different. Another example I’d seen were characters, Wren and Milo in Emily Gale’s, I’m Out With Lanterns. A prominent theme that really connected the Will Grayson’s were friendship. If WG1 didn’t have a friend like Tiny Cooper, WG2 wouldn’t have stuck around. In every novel, there’s a mini complication which seventy-five percent of the time are arguments which all three of the boys face. WG1’s situation is resolved quicker because the real page-turner is WG2 on show night of Tiny’s musical!If you want a bit of LGBTQ fictional characters and don’t know where to start, I suggest this book. It has a subplot and is a quick read which will keep you wanting more especially because of its humor!
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan, follows the story of two separate Will Grayson’s, both living in Chicago and in high school. Living different lives in their own complications only bring them together one night. One is gay, and the other has a gay friend, Tiny, who just brings them closer as the plot continues. There are twenty chapters, each Will takes their turn, so the novel is told in their perspectives, be glad I’m telling you this information as I got confused! I wondered why I haven’t met the other Will and why the one I was reading through had different friends every time and the worst, whether people or even himself, knew he was gay or not!Will Grayson 01 frustrated me a bit as a character. However, this only came in the middle of the story when he faced a complication with Tiny, his big friend and yes, that’s how he’s described, and that’s what people call him. On a side note, WG1 was such a raw and original character that I loved him for that. Especially how he was included in the story even if the other Will Grayson received more spotlight. He’s one of those rare characters that I can actually imagine as a teenager doing the things he did and the feelings he felt. Sometimes authors make aspects of a particular age group too advanced or two-dimensional in which us, the ones they are writing about, can’t relate to. Will Grayson 02 was adorable and was actually the first time I read about a gay character, I read this book before The Art of Starving by Sam J.Miller even though that review was posted before this one. Compared to that book, WG2 was a shy gay boy who hadn’t come out to anyone and relied on the internet to help him. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but when he meets Tiny, who’s the complete opposite of him, that brings them together even though Tiny exaggerated to have past relationships while Will barely had any…The parts I really enjoyed about WG1 was when he hung out with Jane Turner, they weren’t cringy, and there weren’t excessive scenes about them, just the right amount. Apart from the girl in his life, I also enjoyed the humor that came along with Tiny Cooper. From the time they meet the other Will Grayson and to the end of the book, more of Tiny Cooper’s self-titled, directed and produced (I don’t know what else he did by himself) musical was brought up and the night of his musical is the resolution of the story. It’s honestly a beautiful ending, not just one to put an immediate stop to the book, it was one thoroughly put out and not only decided because of its setting. WG2 didn’t live such a glamorous life compared to the other, sometimes I just wanted to hug him and assure him that everything would be okay. That also made the story more unique, both Will’s couldn’t be living a good life, it would be boring and unrealistic. His friend, Maura, I hated with a passion, especially what she did to him. It’s quite ironic that I’ve come across another character having a gothic friend when himself was different. Another example I’d seen were characters, Wren and Milo in Emily Gale’s, I’m Out With Lanterns. A prominent theme that really connected the Will Grayson’s were friendship. If WG1 didn’t have a friend like Tiny Cooper, WG2 wouldn’t have stuck around. In every novel, there’s a mini complication which seventy-five percent of the time are arguments which all three of the boys face. WG1’s situation is resolved quicker because the real page-turner is WG2 on show night of Tiny’s musical!If you want a bit of LGBTQ fictional characters and don’t know where to start, I suggest this book. It has a subplot and is a quick read which will keep you wanting more especially because of its humor!
October 7, 2018
Book Review: The Art of Starving
I was excited to read this book. I saw it a couple of months ago and saved a photo of it because the cover immediately drew me and added it to my Goodreads ‘Want to Read’ list. However, throughout the novel, I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. There were quotes that I'd include that I loved and there were parts I liked and disliked. The ending left me speechless in a way where I wouldn’t know how to start this review but here goes…
"here I was standing in water that was up to my ankles. Maya was out there, knee-deep in the same sea." - page 111The Art of Starving is a YA novel written by Sam J. Miller in 2017 that follows the life of Matt in his perspective as he writes a set of rules (chapters start in rules) to starve himself. Upon doing so, Matt realizes, the longer he starves himself, the more profound his abilities become. Matt uses it to his advantage on Tariq, his bully to find out why his sister (Maya) ran away from home. Matt knows Tariq was involved; he was the last person Maya was with that night. Matt won’t stop at anything until he finds out and when he does, it’s the last thing he expects…Quite interesting, huh? I follow Epicreads on Instagram, and they posted this, and I always love the books they share so I had to read it! Months later in the library, because for some odd reason, I couldn’t find it in the bookstores near me, I picked it out and read it that same day. Firstly, let’s start with the characters. Matt who’s our storyteller often becomes obsessed with his powers and doesn’t eat for long periods of time. I liked how he told the story because it’s vastly different from other gay, teenage boys. Matt's smart and I have to give credits to Sam J. Miller who used descriptive language well! I loved how he (Matt) described a setting or the feeling of hunger. His use of Metaphors, Personification and Similies were used well and not exaggerated. There's chapters where there’d be two lines of description while others received a paragraph (page 164) and that’s what I enjoyed a lot."Hunger was a pack of wolves, turning on their own, clawing and tearing at my stomach. Hunger made the world spin." - page 166I related to Matt in a way, not being anorexic and all but why he starved himself. Others would say it’s to ‘look for attention’ or ‘exaggerating,’ but his reasons were accurate for a teenager. We go through these new emotions that we don’t adjust with well and try to find ways to avoid or remove it instead of facing them and accepting that, that’s who we are. I loved Matt’s character for that.Onto Tariq who left me curious in the beginning because he wouldn’t talk much. Then all of a sudden, he’s interested in Matt. I don’t think he received much characterization throughout the book. He’s a good character who cared a lot about the things he did, but I wished he worked out in the end and received better closure."On a world that could be so hard on a person that her only escape was running away from everything she knew." - page 160Two characters that you will all fight me on is Bastien and Ott (Tariq’s friends). I don’t know why but I liked the antagonists and wished they were included in more chapters, that would’ve at least put Matt’s powers into more use. One scene I liked was when Tariq invited Matt to Bastien’s party, and Ott called out Tariq. That moment when he used his powers on Ott revealed a different side to him.I read a few reviews before I wrote this one and had to agree with a few of them. The powers weren’t necessarily that much in the novel because Matt would’ve eventually found out about Maya either through her or Tariq. He would’ve eventually become friends with Tariq, and thus, Ott would’ve explained himself. The abilities could’ve been used more or to a better extent. However, if Sam J. Miller did, then a subplot probably would’ve been removed."Try to fight someone else's war, and you will end up one of the casulties. Believe me, I should know." - page 169The beginning is quite exciting and leaves you on edge and wanting to read more to find out what happened. However, I found it dragging a bit especially when Matt spent time with Tariq. That escalated quickly where they became friends, but I understood Matt only agreed to spend time with Tariq to find out what happened to Maya. One part that I found a bit too farfetched and confusing was the rising tension where Matt controlled the pigs from The Slaughter House where his mother worked. There must’ve been another way to make him end up in the hospital?"We will be here when your bones join our roots in the earth." - page 180Well, at least one thing out of it was, we finally find out why Maya left. Yes, that far in the book, Matt’s main goal concludes.All in all, it was a good book that I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to anyone who wants something different from a regular mystery, love story. The plot isn’t everything in this book, but I’d have to give it a rating of three out of five. Find out more about Sam J. Miller and his other works here. "The human mind is weird like that. It'll do anything, construct any crazy story, rather than accept a truth that breaks the rules of the world as we know it." - page 349Follow my blog with Bloglovin'
"here I was standing in water that was up to my ankles. Maya was out there, knee-deep in the same sea." - page 111The Art of Starving is a YA novel written by Sam J. Miller in 2017 that follows the life of Matt in his perspective as he writes a set of rules (chapters start in rules) to starve himself. Upon doing so, Matt realizes, the longer he starves himself, the more profound his abilities become. Matt uses it to his advantage on Tariq, his bully to find out why his sister (Maya) ran away from home. Matt knows Tariq was involved; he was the last person Maya was with that night. Matt won’t stop at anything until he finds out and when he does, it’s the last thing he expects…Quite interesting, huh? I follow Epicreads on Instagram, and they posted this, and I always love the books they share so I had to read it! Months later in the library, because for some odd reason, I couldn’t find it in the bookstores near me, I picked it out and read it that same day. Firstly, let’s start with the characters. Matt who’s our storyteller often becomes obsessed with his powers and doesn’t eat for long periods of time. I liked how he told the story because it’s vastly different from other gay, teenage boys. Matt's smart and I have to give credits to Sam J. Miller who used descriptive language well! I loved how he (Matt) described a setting or the feeling of hunger. His use of Metaphors, Personification and Similies were used well and not exaggerated. There's chapters where there’d be two lines of description while others received a paragraph (page 164) and that’s what I enjoyed a lot."Hunger was a pack of wolves, turning on their own, clawing and tearing at my stomach. Hunger made the world spin." - page 166I related to Matt in a way, not being anorexic and all but why he starved himself. Others would say it’s to ‘look for attention’ or ‘exaggerating,’ but his reasons were accurate for a teenager. We go through these new emotions that we don’t adjust with well and try to find ways to avoid or remove it instead of facing them and accepting that, that’s who we are. I loved Matt’s character for that.Onto Tariq who left me curious in the beginning because he wouldn’t talk much. Then all of a sudden, he’s interested in Matt. I don’t think he received much characterization throughout the book. He’s a good character who cared a lot about the things he did, but I wished he worked out in the end and received better closure."On a world that could be so hard on a person that her only escape was running away from everything she knew." - page 160Two characters that you will all fight me on is Bastien and Ott (Tariq’s friends). I don’t know why but I liked the antagonists and wished they were included in more chapters, that would’ve at least put Matt’s powers into more use. One scene I liked was when Tariq invited Matt to Bastien’s party, and Ott called out Tariq. That moment when he used his powers on Ott revealed a different side to him.I read a few reviews before I wrote this one and had to agree with a few of them. The powers weren’t necessarily that much in the novel because Matt would’ve eventually found out about Maya either through her or Tariq. He would’ve eventually become friends with Tariq, and thus, Ott would’ve explained himself. The abilities could’ve been used more or to a better extent. However, if Sam J. Miller did, then a subplot probably would’ve been removed."Try to fight someone else's war, and you will end up one of the casulties. Believe me, I should know." - page 169The beginning is quite exciting and leaves you on edge and wanting to read more to find out what happened. However, I found it dragging a bit especially when Matt spent time with Tariq. That escalated quickly where they became friends, but I understood Matt only agreed to spend time with Tariq to find out what happened to Maya. One part that I found a bit too farfetched and confusing was the rising tension where Matt controlled the pigs from The Slaughter House where his mother worked. There must’ve been another way to make him end up in the hospital?"We will be here when your bones join our roots in the earth." - page 180Well, at least one thing out of it was, we finally find out why Maya left. Yes, that far in the book, Matt’s main goal concludes.All in all, it was a good book that I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to anyone who wants something different from a regular mystery, love story. The plot isn’t everything in this book, but I’d have to give it a rating of three out of five. Find out more about Sam J. Miller and his other works here. "The human mind is weird like that. It'll do anything, construct any crazy story, rather than accept a truth that breaks the rules of the world as we know it." - page 349Follow my blog with Bloglovin'
September 18, 2018
Favorite Characters to Write in 'Caught by the Bad Boys'
There’s a lot of characters I do enjoy writing in Caught by the Bad Boys and honestly, one of themisn’t Lana Willson.She’s an interesting character to write about because she’s the protagonist and going through all these conflicts, but I wouldn’t say she’s my favorite. When I look back at my notes for the next chapter I’m going to write I always get excited when someone, who hasn’t been in the book in a while makes an appearance.
First and most apparent is Keene Stoner. He’s the type of character I aspire to be, well not the ex-junkie part but his ways and logic. Lana and Levi see him as a big brother, and when they went to Ethan’s beach house, he was labeled as ‘papa bear’ so other characters also look up to him. Whenever there was a minor conflict, he’d always step in when things got out of hand. Other than that, Keene's a deep character who I can always rely on to indirectly give a message to my readers. Keene Stoner’s the type of character you’ll judge once you meet them and find out the basic stuff but he takes effort and understanding to relate.A lot of people can agree on this next character, Liam Sanchez. At the beginning of the novel he’s seen as this annoying skater jock, but once he’s in Lana’s life, everyone seems to enjoy him. A strategy I’ve used quite often is whenever something happened, and there’s this awkward silence, or nobody knows what to do next, Liam or Aidan will add in something humorous. The reason why I chose Liam and not Aidan, there’s more to Liam’s character than meets the eye. I can’t talk much about it yet because some people haven’t figured it out again even though I tried to drop a few hints. Since, it’ll leave some of you curious, that part of him is mostly revealed when he’s not being comedic. Melissa Singe is another character that I favored. Even though she isn’t that drawn into the plot that much. She was part of the mean girls (Jennifer and Kelly), but since Lana became friends with Benny, Nick (Melissa’s boyfriend) and Liam, she’s become part of the group. Melissa still has that bitchiness in her like when she helped Kelly ‘expose’ Lana and Uncle Griff but totally misinterpreted it. Obviously, Melissa had forgotten about it and was just an asset to Kelly’s plan. Further in the novel, when she becomes Lana’s friend, she doesn’t change completely. There’s still this sassiness in her that reminds me as well as the readers, what type of person she really is and that she speaks her mind. As of now, I’ve chosen my top three and spoke about them. I really wanted to do this for a while now, and people have always asked who my favorite characters were but never to write about. I feel like this gives a deeper insight as to how I write. For Lana though, she would need her own individual post.
First and most apparent is Keene Stoner. He’s the type of character I aspire to be, well not the ex-junkie part but his ways and logic. Lana and Levi see him as a big brother, and when they went to Ethan’s beach house, he was labeled as ‘papa bear’ so other characters also look up to him. Whenever there was a minor conflict, he’d always step in when things got out of hand. Other than that, Keene's a deep character who I can always rely on to indirectly give a message to my readers. Keene Stoner’s the type of character you’ll judge once you meet them and find out the basic stuff but he takes effort and understanding to relate.A lot of people can agree on this next character, Liam Sanchez. At the beginning of the novel he’s seen as this annoying skater jock, but once he’s in Lana’s life, everyone seems to enjoy him. A strategy I’ve used quite often is whenever something happened, and there’s this awkward silence, or nobody knows what to do next, Liam or Aidan will add in something humorous. The reason why I chose Liam and not Aidan, there’s more to Liam’s character than meets the eye. I can’t talk much about it yet because some people haven’t figured it out again even though I tried to drop a few hints. Since, it’ll leave some of you curious, that part of him is mostly revealed when he’s not being comedic. Melissa Singe is another character that I favored. Even though she isn’t that drawn into the plot that much. She was part of the mean girls (Jennifer and Kelly), but since Lana became friends with Benny, Nick (Melissa’s boyfriend) and Liam, she’s become part of the group. Melissa still has that bitchiness in her like when she helped Kelly ‘expose’ Lana and Uncle Griff but totally misinterpreted it. Obviously, Melissa had forgotten about it and was just an asset to Kelly’s plan. Further in the novel, when she becomes Lana’s friend, she doesn’t change completely. There’s still this sassiness in her that reminds me as well as the readers, what type of person she really is and that she speaks her mind. As of now, I’ve chosen my top three and spoke about them. I really wanted to do this for a while now, and people have always asked who my favorite characters were but never to write about. I feel like this gives a deeper insight as to how I write. For Lana though, she would need her own individual post.
August 14, 2018
CAUGHT BY THE BAD BOYS MERCHANDISE
As some of you may know, I've created merchandise since it was highly requested by you lovely readers! The website that I've decided to do it on (TeePublic) is having a sale from the 15th - 19th of August for their back to school sale!! There are currently designs (MERCH) available to purchase but from those dates I'll be adding a few more ;) All the links are on my social media pages or you can go to teepublic.com and type in the search bar, cbtbb or the full title as one word. Keep a lookout but in the meantime here are samples of some of the new products. I hope you like them because i really had fun making them, credits to my dad who helped in with them too. 
July 18, 2018
Around Albany, WA in a Weekend
No matter how cold it was that weekend in Albany, I still had a good time. A road trip that took about eight hours was worth it when we arrived and realized the place we stayed at, was two minutes away from the beach. We began our journey on a cold Friday morning in a white van. I tagged along in the far back with my sister while everyone else occupied the seats in front. The morning dragged a bit, so we kept ourselves occupied with our phones or slept because it was cold. Whenever we had road trips, my sister and I piled our seats with blankets and pillows. We had to make it as comfortable as possible. I’d even be too lazy to get out and would stay in the same seat for eight hours straight. That happened once only, don’t worry. We stopped for lunch in a little town where we met some lovely people. Our lunch consisted of burgers, soda cans, and candy. Not the healthiest but when you’re on the road, you nibble on anything. 
Once we were back on the road again, the way seemed calmer. Time flew by since I snuck a book in because my parents didn’t like the idea of reading in a car. I seemed totally fine, plus I read a thriller at the time, so I wanted—needed to finish it. We arrived at the accommodation an hour before sunset and offloaded the van. Our little home for the weekend consisted of three rooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, laundry room and living room. The TV had numerous amounts of channels, but I didn’t watch as much. Once we were settled my dad suggested we check out the beach because when we were outside, we could hear the ocean waves, hitting and splashing as they reached onto the shore. The beach itself was beautiful even in its cold weather. The sky displayed colors of pink, blue and purple before sundown and reflected onto the ocean. People still walked their dogs and often dropped the leash then threw the ball. You can see a little video here of what it looked like. We had an early dinner then went our separate ways. I shared a room with my sister who wasn’t that bad since it was cold and each of our single beds had enough blankets/sheets on to keep us warm. When we arrived I thought there wasn’t any WIFI, but thankfully my dad got an email, saying there was so thank goodness for that. One weekend I’d like to go without WIFI, who knows I might finish writing a book ;)
The following day we were up early and our entire day consisted of exploring Albany and its attractions. There weren’t many close by so we decided to do a few Saturday then on our way back home tomorrow, we’d do the others. First stop was The Gap and Natural Bridge. It was an excellent place to begin our day with beautiful lookout places in the Southern Ocean. We were forty meters above the sea and that day was windy. I remember a specific section where the waves were at its strongest, and you could see directly underneath. The lookout there was extraordinary yet at first frightening when realizing how high the waves would splash against the rocks. If I lived close by, I’d visit it often because to hear those waves and just take a walk once in a while is so good. 
Next stop was Albany Wind Farm where I’ve never seen such tall and big windmills in my entire life. From a distance, they look small, but once you get closer and watch the movement of each wing, you realize, damn that’s huge. We sat on a bench for a while and just took in everything with a spectacular view in front of us that seemed to go on forever. Greenery everywhere with windmills that’d pop up here and there. It was peaceful. 
Afterward, we decided to get some groceries for tonight’s dinner and just check out the local stores. I didn’t buy anything personally except for food items that I wanted for the road tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow we’d leave again, and I didn’t want to. Personally, for me, I either like a bustling city or a small, quiet place away from everything, only to be surrounded by nature, there’s no in-between. However, I don’t live in either so…The next day we set off early in the morning to get to the attractions that were more, out of Albany. Since the weather was in bad condition, we didn’t go directly down the Green Pools but took photos on one of the lookout places. The next area which was my favorite had to be the Elephant Rocks. At first I was a bit nervous to stand on high rocks surrounded by water, but afterward, it became a delight to take in my surroundings. There was even a walkway that led down a flight of stairs to the beach. The only way to get in there was to go right around or between two rocks. Water resurfaced, so we only had a few seconds to run in before our shoes got wet. My grandpa and I managed to run in quickly and snap a few photos. Beautiful like in those movies where they end up on an island and then one part is like abandoned entirely or sacred. 
Our last stop was The Valley of the Giants, Tree Top Walk. I thought I’d be nervous with heights and everything, but it felt different when walking across the bridges. Maybe because I knew how stable those bridges were or it didn’t look that high from where I was. We went right around and experienced fantastic scenery on the way, the weather cleared up a bit but still gave that autumn-ish look. Once we reached the ground again, only then I realized how tall the trees were and that we were actually that high. 
After that we finally settled on going home even though I didn’t want to, I hope I go back to Albany even if it’s for a week. I know I’d get a lot of writing done in a peaceful place like that. All photographs included were edited by me on VSCO.
Once we were back on the road again, the way seemed calmer. Time flew by since I snuck a book in because my parents didn’t like the idea of reading in a car. I seemed totally fine, plus I read a thriller at the time, so I wanted—needed to finish it. We arrived at the accommodation an hour before sunset and offloaded the van. Our little home for the weekend consisted of three rooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, laundry room and living room. The TV had numerous amounts of channels, but I didn’t watch as much. Once we were settled my dad suggested we check out the beach because when we were outside, we could hear the ocean waves, hitting and splashing as they reached onto the shore. The beach itself was beautiful even in its cold weather. The sky displayed colors of pink, blue and purple before sundown and reflected onto the ocean. People still walked their dogs and often dropped the leash then threw the ball. You can see a little video here of what it looked like. We had an early dinner then went our separate ways. I shared a room with my sister who wasn’t that bad since it was cold and each of our single beds had enough blankets/sheets on to keep us warm. When we arrived I thought there wasn’t any WIFI, but thankfully my dad got an email, saying there was so thank goodness for that. One weekend I’d like to go without WIFI, who knows I might finish writing a book ;)The following day we were up early and our entire day consisted of exploring Albany and its attractions. There weren’t many close by so we decided to do a few Saturday then on our way back home tomorrow, we’d do the others. First stop was The Gap and Natural Bridge. It was an excellent place to begin our day with beautiful lookout places in the Southern Ocean. We were forty meters above the sea and that day was windy. I remember a specific section where the waves were at its strongest, and you could see directly underneath. The lookout there was extraordinary yet at first frightening when realizing how high the waves would splash against the rocks. If I lived close by, I’d visit it often because to hear those waves and just take a walk once in a while is so good. Next stop was Albany Wind Farm where I’ve never seen such tall and big windmills in my entire life. From a distance, they look small, but once you get closer and watch the movement of each wing, you realize, damn that’s huge. We sat on a bench for a while and just took in everything with a spectacular view in front of us that seemed to go on forever. Greenery everywhere with windmills that’d pop up here and there. It was peaceful. Afterward, we decided to get some groceries for tonight’s dinner and just check out the local stores. I didn’t buy anything personally except for food items that I wanted for the road tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow we’d leave again, and I didn’t want to. Personally, for me, I either like a bustling city or a small, quiet place away from everything, only to be surrounded by nature, there’s no in-between. However, I don’t live in either so…The next day we set off early in the morning to get to the attractions that were more, out of Albany. Since the weather was in bad condition, we didn’t go directly down the Green Pools but took photos on one of the lookout places. The next area which was my favorite had to be the Elephant Rocks. At first I was a bit nervous to stand on high rocks surrounded by water, but afterward, it became a delight to take in my surroundings. There was even a walkway that led down a flight of stairs to the beach. The only way to get in there was to go right around or between two rocks. Water resurfaced, so we only had a few seconds to run in before our shoes got wet. My grandpa and I managed to run in quickly and snap a few photos. Beautiful like in those movies where they end up on an island and then one part is like abandoned entirely or sacred. Our last stop was The Valley of the Giants, Tree Top Walk. I thought I’d be nervous with heights and everything, but it felt different when walking across the bridges. Maybe because I knew how stable those bridges were or it didn’t look that high from where I was. We went right around and experienced fantastic scenery on the way, the weather cleared up a bit but still gave that autumn-ish look. Once we reached the ground again, only then I realized how tall the trees were and that we were actually that high. After that we finally settled on going home even though I didn’t want to, I hope I go back to Albany even if it’s for a week. I know I’d get a lot of writing done in a peaceful place like that. All photographs included were edited by me on VSCO.
June 30, 2018
First Q&A!
As many of you know for a while now, I wanted to a Q&A. I didn’t know when but now it seemed appropriate since Summer break began for most of my readers/fans. I’m having winter so it was nice to answer the questions you’ve all sent in through my social media platforms and answer them truthfully with a cup of warm tea beside me. Note sometimes it was coffee…Questions are answered in no particular order, I wrote them all down then began to answer…Q. Who do you ship with Lana? - omigaArt from WattpadA. Even though I’m the writer of this series and know how it’s gonna’ end, I can’t help but ship her with some of the older characters…Keene, Axel, Jaden etc. I guess because they’re more matured and in previous situations, have taken care of Lana or their intentions toward her were good. That will never happen by the way, they’re sort of her big brothers or people she can always go to for a different perspective on things. Q. Why are you such an amazing author? :D What inspires you to make this book? - HeyoMayoXD from WattpadA. Haha, I don’t know am I though? I’d consider myself as okay-ish :D Everyday life just inspires me to write this book, especially since I’m in high school I can observe people (please don’t think I’m weird) like the different type of social groups. The outcasts, populars, pranksters, smartasses, jocks and geeks and try to pick out their uniquness in each of them. Other than that what also inspires me to write this book is seeing others struggle, not being heard or being forced to hide it really makes me want to—ugh come out and take them by the hand and guide them! Most importantly, what really gets me writing this complicated book, is my readers and fans. The messages, comments and support you’ve all given, motivates me to continue what I love doing. Q. Does Liam still love Miranda? - DramaPrincess6 from Wattpad A. Well, I’ll have to ask hi— *Liam busts through the door as he senses that someone needs him. Author goes silent as she stares at him while he pushes his glasses up to read question* Liam: I’ll always love Miranda Q. Will there be a third book? - __smilefurever__ from WattpadA: There’s no need for a third book right now because the second book will lead the path for every character.Q. To Lana: Why don’t you trust Levi, Blake or even Keene enough to tell them about the conversation on the vinyl (aka murder she committed) - Adyalpha from WattpadA. Lana: I don’t want to involve anymore people, it’s bad enough that Benny, Liam and Nick are already stuck in this situation. I want them to move on with their lives especially when I go to Yale.Q. How many chapters are left? - thesoccerstar123 from WattpadA. I’m not quite sure yet but around forty something chapters…Q. How come Lana decided to date Benny and not Blake? What made Benny better than Blake? - InfinteLove81298 from WattpadA. You have to remember at the time Benny asked Lana out, Levi had just arrived and him and Blake both disliked Benny for what he did. They didn’t care about Lana’s feeling even though she was fighting with them too at the time. Lana could see how Benny chanced over the past few months and how he helped her compared to Blake and Levi, who either got into arguments with her or broke her trust even more. Also, with the whole murder sitatuion, Lana could only talk to Benny about it so that also gave her a sense of comfort. Q. When are Blake and Lana ever gonna get together? I have waited since they had their first kiss! - stilesblake from WattpadA. To be honest, I don’t even know I’ve been asking Blake that since he moved to Illinois. Q. How did you plot the story after the murder? As in the idea, the events that followed it, the mystery. PS - I love your books, you are an amazing author xx - Sweet_Lovexx from Wattpad A. Aww thank you so much! Well actually, after the murder I didn’t know what to do so I left it for a few days then after I binged random tv shows it all came like a tsunami. From there I took stuff that happened and imagined if it went the other direction, what would happen? Which led me to writing something so complicated I have notes everywhere. EVERY—WHERE. Q. To Blake: What do you think Benny’s intentions are with Lana? - quibbie2004 from WattpadA. Blake: To hurt her in the end like he’s always done but Lana refuses to acknowlege it because she tries to see the good in people. Q. How did you come up with the idea and who is your favourite character? Mine is Liam. Love you btw and amazing story! Keep going. - VictimOfMyFeelings from Wattpad A. Before I wrote this book I read a lot of romance and young adult so I thought it would just end up being a sweet cliche lovestory but suddenly it took a drastic turn when I became interested in thrillers. As weird as it may be and please don’t hate me on this haha, my decision always changes but I’ve been liking Marcus Sanders latelty. I don’t know why, it’s just exciting to write about him because he’s so unpredictable. Q. How long have you been writing? Do you have any other hobbies other than writing like playing an instrument or art? - xemmaxkatarinax from Instagram A. I’ve been writing since I started high school but only began novels around the nineth grade. In my spare time which isn’t a lot of time but when i do find the time, I love to doodle in my sketchpad that I’ve had for years or find a random recipe online and hopefully bake something delicious. I also love to swim but rarely find the time to anymore. Q. Do Benny and Lana stay together? (plz say they do I love them) - muskan422 from Wattpad A. What chapter are you on? I’m not quite sure what you’re refering to if something happened between them…Q. How long have you been writing for…And what made you start writing x - Kailee_casey from Instagram A. As answered before, I’ve been writing since I started high school and well, I guess I’ve always had a passion for writing. Ever since I was little, someone always put a pen and paper in front of me and told me write. When cleaning out I’d always find papers of either drawings or stuff I used to write and they used to be the most random of things. Though what really made me write books and novels were seeing people like myself, being quiet and not being able to find their voice. I’m a quiet person so the only way I can really show what’s going on in my mind is write.Q. To Benny: What are your motives with Lana? What are you going to with her?? You seem suspicious… - Aals765 from WattpadA. Benny: No motive, I won’t hurt her anymore but I’ll always love herQ. What is your favourite ship, is Liam and Miranda going to be together? Have you watched 13 reasons why, yet? - afiyaedwards123 from WattpadA. Favourite ship would be Aidan and Tiffany even though I don’t write a lot about them because their relationship isn’t as important to the plot but when I do write about them I find them really cute. With Liam and Miranda you’ll just have to wait and see ;) Also I have watched 13RW and it would be interesting find out where they take the story next because some of them are deep ass characters…Q. Do you have any advice to new writers? - AnGeL144K from WattpadA. Yes don’t stop writing even if you think it’s the end of the world and no one is reading or interested in your stuff. If you do feel like that a lot then go over your story, throw in something new or try a different genre/story etc. There’s a lot of resources nowadays to help writers and even reading! Read as much as you can if you really want to get into the fictional world. Q. What is your favourite book on Wattpad, and what genre of books/movies is your favourite? - tynelix from Instagram A. Favourite book on Wattpad would be High School Hitlist by autheras or Million Dollar Man by something_hopless yeah, I’d definetly read them again in the future! You can check out my reading listhere. I kind of like all genres of books but I’m very selective when taking one out because I read stuff in one go so it has to catch my interest quick. With movies I enjoy horror, comedy, thriller, action, sort of adventure, scifi indeed, sometimes fantasy and romance. Q. How are you doing? - __smilefurever__ from Wattpad A. I’m doing very good and yourself? Thanks for asking :)Q. Ik I’m like reallyyyy late bc I took a nap but how did u create all the characters like the personalities, the names and stuff? - remas._._._ from Instagram A. Don’t judge but I somtimes just sit and observe people. I’ll look at them and imagine them in a book I want to read and whether they’d make the cut or an entirely different version of them with a few similiar traits. Other than that, I also watch movies/series if I’m looking for a specific character but I also do a lot of research and download templets that help with characterisation. Q. Do you know bts? - borokhae from Wattpad A. Yes my friend is obsessed with them and I don’t know how I follow a fan account on Instagram but yeah and I’ve heard some of their music. Also watched them when they were on The Late Late Show with James Cordon. Q. Is there any hope Lana and Blake will end together. And when do you plan on updating buried love of the riches? - Cindy_honorato147 from Instagram A. You’ll just have to wait and see as you read the book. I’ve decided that I’ll update BLOTR when the sequel is completed then I can focus on it properly. Q. When CBTBB gets published, is it gonna be available worldwide? Also, will you be doing signings anywhere at all? - jadesplash from WattpadA. It will be avaliable worldwide as paperback or hardcopy and as an ebook. I hope I get to do signings, I’m not sure on that one quite yet. Q. Are we gonna get more Bana moments? - puja_0912 from Instagram A. You’ll have to wait and see ;)Q. If you were in the situation that Lana is in of the last chapter you published on Wattpad of Lights Out Boys, what would you do? - ButTheBooksThough from Wattpad A. I’d either scream as louad as I can and resist from them trying to do anything to me or I’d remain calm and plan something if I had no other choice. To be honest you can’t actually plan on what to do because when something like that actually happens, you’re a messy and you can’t think straight because your main goal is to just get out or get help. We’ve reached the end of the little Q&A! I hope you all enjoyed the answers and it helped to some interest. It was fun answering these questions over a few days because for a few I had to think. Thank you all so much for sending in questions and I’d be happy to do it again in the future!
May 26, 2018
Book Review: Suspicion
Joseph Finder's fast pace thrilling novel left me at the edge of my seat after every chapter. I found myself up in the early morning reading the book, hoping to finish it as soon as possible. Whenever I read a thriller, suspense, mystery novel I try to complete it within a week because there are many details, plot turns and character development taking place at once. The story follows Danny Goodman, a striving writer, and dad of a teenage daughter, Abby. When he finds himself in financial issues, the only way to solve them is to get help from his daughter's wealthy father. The following day, after the transaction is met, two men from the DEA knock on Danny's doorstep and demand some answers. After a suspicious encounter with the DEA, Danny finds out that Thomas Glavin, Abby's friend's dad isn't your typical rich guy and has ways on how he gets his money.Suspicion is a novel, bound to leave you wanting more as things unravel and Danny is left to question who he trusts the most, the DEA or new best friend, Thomas Galvin. When things get out of hand and Abby starts to get involved, Danny doesn't stop at any cost until the truth comes out about Thomas Galvin. I randomly found this book in the 'one dollar' section and honestly, judged a book by its cover because I didn't think a dollar book would be that good! The moment I bought it, I went home and read it because I had to see if it was worth its price ;)A few things I commonly picked up about the main character, Danny Goodman was that he was your typical gullible guy in a mystery novel yet unexpectedly surprised you. There were moments where I wanted to slap him because of his decisions or thoughts toward the situation when it was clear to the reader what the best thing was. Then he'd surprised us and actually do something that gave us more information about Thomas Galvin. Every character has their flaws, and I think, with Danny when it came to real life decisions he always let his emotions affect him. At one point, I wanted to throw the book across the room because he got into an argument with his girlfriend. Thomas Galvin actually opened my eyes to realize that not every wealthy character depicted in tv shows and novels are cruel and stuck up. He cared about his family a lot and always thought about their safety. Thomas was kind enough to lend Danny some money even though they didn't know each other that long. Part of me thought that was part of his act of not getting, but no, he was genuinely a good person and dad. What I disliked about this book was that the two people from the DEA. At first, I thought they were, good cop, bad cop but they eventually began to drag the story. Danny and they met up quite a few times, and I think that could've been suppressed into two meetings and probably a phone call? I get that Joseph Finder, tried to build up the tension but it took a while, and once I reached the climax, I'd forgotten little details that could've been remembered from the beginning. Also, it would've been interesting to find out more about the Galvin's. We're aware of the parents, daughter and two sons but barely see their perspective of what they think. It would've been nice to know what they felt about their father.Overall, if there is any suspense, thrilling fans out there, looking for a fast-paced novel then SUSPICION is for you! It's available online, and you can hear a preview by clicking here. I suggest having a big cup of coffee beside you because it'll leave you up all night trying to figure out the truth. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and wouldn't mind reading it in the future on a long flight or road trip. If I had to give a rating, I'd say four out of five stars.
April 20, 2018
Progress Post
It's been a while since I've posted something. There's school, not to mention a sequel to be written as well as preparation for the first book to come out. Fingers crossed, early 2019 Caught by the Bad Boys! I'm currently working on the sequel, Lights Out Boys which is being posted on Wattpad and Inkitt! Thank you for all the support from both websites. Remember, Inkitt has chapters that I haven't posted on Wattpad yet so if you're on the edge of your seat, waiting for me to update on Wattpad, I'm sure you can check it out on Inkitt! I am expanding my writing platforms and experimenting for future novels to be written. On Inkitt, as some of you may know, Lights Out Boys has just reached its rising tension. Since it happened around the same time, Caught by the Bad Boys had its rising tension then you can predict how many chapters from there ;) Who knows? Might it be shorter or longer than Caught by the Bad Boys?Since I'm on that note of the soon to be published novel, many have asked, how's it going. Well, as you know, it's quite a complicated story and very long. We're currently in the editing process which is the most important as well as time-consuming. Hopefully, once the editing finishes, everything should flow from there. If you're following me on any of my social media or check out my Wattpad profile, then you would have seen that I put my other book, Buried Love of the Riches on hold for the meantime. The Caught by the Bad Boys series is currently my main priority right now since I've been with those characters since 2016. Once both books are completed, I can put my primary focus back on BLOTR. This was just a short post for you all to know that I am not living under a rock or isolated myself from my own blog. Hence the title, to assure my readers where I am and what I'm doing :)
March 8, 2018
Favourite Wattpad Books
I’ve been on Wattpad since 2015, and through that time I’ve read a lot of books from a variety of genres. I began to write my novel, CAUGHT BY THE BAD BOYS in 2016, so that slowed down my reading time. However, I still have quite a few favorites that I’d love to share with you all. A few people have asked me to recommend them a few Wattpad books, so hopefully, this will help you upon deciding!
These books are in no particular order. 1. Highschool Hit List by autheras - A captivating high school, teen fiction story that’ll leave you reading until three in the morning. It is completed, and there’s a mini-sequel which I still have to check out, but I know it’ll be as good. 2. Man Hunt by TaintedRain - I usually don’t read horror books, but I came across this book that had twenty chapters, so I thought, why not? It’s a quick read but every moment is exciting. It’s mostly a thriller and suspense than horror. 3. The Ugly Ones by ulotrichous - I’m always on the hunt for short stories, and this one really caught my eye. I loved it because I related to it so much and would even reread it but if I was on a long flight. I finished this short story within two days (the weekend), and when I returned to school, I noticed things that never came to my attention before. Highly recommend this book!4. Misfits by bluebird0904 - I haven’t read those short stories that consist of phones most of the time so I thought why not try and I did with this one! It was fun because it led to something that made me swipe to the next chapter. It’s an enjoyable read if you’re looking for something quick and cliche. 5. Million Dollar Man by something_hopeless - This would have to be my ultimate favorite because I recommend this book to all my friends and anyone who asks for a good Wattpad book. I’m a sucker for bad boys so a book full of gangs, action, and drama would obviously make me weak. I didn’t put my phone down on this one because it was just too good. It had twenty chapters, but they get longer and juicer as you go ;)6. 7:15 by fivesaucewhoop - This is actually a fan fiction of Ashton Irwin from the band 5 Seconds of Summer. I’ve read quite a few when I went through a phase of loving them, but I’ll always like the storyline in this. The plot just drew me in as well as the blurb which is only a few words…I know it isn’t a lot, but I haven’t had time to read Wattpad for a while. Nonetheless, there will always be favorite. If you’re curious about other books I’ve read, check out my reading lists on my Wattpad profile!
These books are in no particular order. 1. Highschool Hit List by autheras - A captivating high school, teen fiction story that’ll leave you reading until three in the morning. It is completed, and there’s a mini-sequel which I still have to check out, but I know it’ll be as good. 2. Man Hunt by TaintedRain - I usually don’t read horror books, but I came across this book that had twenty chapters, so I thought, why not? It’s a quick read but every moment is exciting. It’s mostly a thriller and suspense than horror. 3. The Ugly Ones by ulotrichous - I’m always on the hunt for short stories, and this one really caught my eye. I loved it because I related to it so much and would even reread it but if I was on a long flight. I finished this short story within two days (the weekend), and when I returned to school, I noticed things that never came to my attention before. Highly recommend this book!4. Misfits by bluebird0904 - I haven’t read those short stories that consist of phones most of the time so I thought why not try and I did with this one! It was fun because it led to something that made me swipe to the next chapter. It’s an enjoyable read if you’re looking for something quick and cliche. 5. Million Dollar Man by something_hopeless - This would have to be my ultimate favorite because I recommend this book to all my friends and anyone who asks for a good Wattpad book. I’m a sucker for bad boys so a book full of gangs, action, and drama would obviously make me weak. I didn’t put my phone down on this one because it was just too good. It had twenty chapters, but they get longer and juicer as you go ;)6. 7:15 by fivesaucewhoop - This is actually a fan fiction of Ashton Irwin from the band 5 Seconds of Summer. I’ve read quite a few when I went through a phase of loving them, but I’ll always like the storyline in this. The plot just drew me in as well as the blurb which is only a few words…I know it isn’t a lot, but I haven’t had time to read Wattpad for a while. Nonetheless, there will always be favorite. If you’re curious about other books I’ve read, check out my reading lists on my Wattpad profile!
February 11, 2018
Book Review: Warcross
I regret not getting a copy of my own now I have to return it to the library. That's how good it was. I managed to finish it in less than a week, I stayed up until two in the morning to finish Warcross. However, since school has begun and I had to get settled, I apologize for the late review. 
For those who are not familiar with the popular Sci-fi, a young adult novel by Marie Lu, it follows a young girl, Emika Chen as she enters and hacks the Warcross game. Her life changes drastically as she takes part in the Warcross Championships as a spy for the owner, Hideo Tanaka who has his own problems to deal with. I’ve seen this book advertised a lot last year whether it was on Youtube, Twitter or Instagram. The cover itself called me every time it would pop up in my feed. I read reviews about it but only the first few paragraphs before they got into the story and spoilers. From the moment I saw Warcross, I wanted to read it. I liked how Emika and Hideo had a past to tell, and throughout the novel, we got to learn a bit more about them and their upbringing through specific situations instead of it all been thrown at once, which I also like to do because it leaves more of a mystery to it and the character. At first, I wasn’t sure about Emika, she’s a great character with colorful hair and cool tattoos, but her attitude toward the game left me dry. She was there for multiple reasons, but I wish she would’ve focused more on the games especially since she’s a wildcard. However, toward the end of the novel, she took me by surprise and left me reading until two in the morning. Well done Marie Lu. No matter how good Hideo Tanaka was described, I can’t seem to picture him. There’s always that one character in the book I can’t imagine, all my fault because it always happens. Hideo Tanaka, the start of everything at such a young age. His character left me on the fence instead of picking a side. I’ve always read about wealthy men, and their dark past that shouldn’t be mentioned and Hideo’s was as darkest as it got. Marie Lu played it out well even though I sensed it coming (I’m trying my hardest not to give away spoilers). I hadn’t entirely read about a past like Hideo’s, and I am excited to find out what happens to him, especially. Those who’ve read the book would understand.My favorite parts that I’d read over and over again would be when the games start, and they’re taken into the virtual worlds. I love how Marie Lu described every place and how each of them was different which had their own unique qualities. The first few chapters I even read fast because I wanted to get to the action and creativity. Along the way, I picked up how vital family played a role in the plot because Hideo’s past connected to Warcross and his reason behind it. As well as Emika and her rough past that she’s been through brought her to Warcross. When I read a book, I love to connect things and how they’ve come up to me instead of just popping out of nowhere. I adored this book and can’t wait for the second one which I hope to purchase instead of finding it in the library. I’ll even buy the first book, so I’ll have both. Marie Lu is an outstanding author, and I hope to read her other books shortly. I’ve really been into Science Fiction lately.I’d recommend this novel to anyone who’d like to get hooked into a world full of advanced technology and gaming. The fact that I imagined quite a lot of the scenes amazed me because I always have trouble with that because I do a lot of things at once but this book told me to drop everything and focus. I’m glad I did because, in the end, I’d give it a rating of five stars. Since I’ll be reading more of Marie Lu’s works in the future, you’re most welcome to check her out and the exciting things that she’s been doing!
For those who are not familiar with the popular Sci-fi, a young adult novel by Marie Lu, it follows a young girl, Emika Chen as she enters and hacks the Warcross game. Her life changes drastically as she takes part in the Warcross Championships as a spy for the owner, Hideo Tanaka who has his own problems to deal with. I’ve seen this book advertised a lot last year whether it was on Youtube, Twitter or Instagram. The cover itself called me every time it would pop up in my feed. I read reviews about it but only the first few paragraphs before they got into the story and spoilers. From the moment I saw Warcross, I wanted to read it. I liked how Emika and Hideo had a past to tell, and throughout the novel, we got to learn a bit more about them and their upbringing through specific situations instead of it all been thrown at once, which I also like to do because it leaves more of a mystery to it and the character. At first, I wasn’t sure about Emika, she’s a great character with colorful hair and cool tattoos, but her attitude toward the game left me dry. She was there for multiple reasons, but I wish she would’ve focused more on the games especially since she’s a wildcard. However, toward the end of the novel, she took me by surprise and left me reading until two in the morning. Well done Marie Lu. No matter how good Hideo Tanaka was described, I can’t seem to picture him. There’s always that one character in the book I can’t imagine, all my fault because it always happens. Hideo Tanaka, the start of everything at such a young age. His character left me on the fence instead of picking a side. I’ve always read about wealthy men, and their dark past that shouldn’t be mentioned and Hideo’s was as darkest as it got. Marie Lu played it out well even though I sensed it coming (I’m trying my hardest not to give away spoilers). I hadn’t entirely read about a past like Hideo’s, and I am excited to find out what happens to him, especially. Those who’ve read the book would understand.My favorite parts that I’d read over and over again would be when the games start, and they’re taken into the virtual worlds. I love how Marie Lu described every place and how each of them was different which had their own unique qualities. The first few chapters I even read fast because I wanted to get to the action and creativity. Along the way, I picked up how vital family played a role in the plot because Hideo’s past connected to Warcross and his reason behind it. As well as Emika and her rough past that she’s been through brought her to Warcross. When I read a book, I love to connect things and how they’ve come up to me instead of just popping out of nowhere. I adored this book and can’t wait for the second one which I hope to purchase instead of finding it in the library. I’ll even buy the first book, so I’ll have both. Marie Lu is an outstanding author, and I hope to read her other books shortly. I’ve really been into Science Fiction lately.I’d recommend this novel to anyone who’d like to get hooked into a world full of advanced technology and gaming. The fact that I imagined quite a lot of the scenes amazed me because I always have trouble with that because I do a lot of things at once but this book told me to drop everything and focus. I’m glad I did because, in the end, I’d give it a rating of five stars. Since I’ll be reading more of Marie Lu’s works in the future, you’re most welcome to check her out and the exciting things that she’s been doing!
