Victoria Moschou's Blog, page 12

Story Time: The Choices We Make Are The People We Are

It’s funny how rewatching a certain movie can have such a huge impact on your life. How it can make you see things from a certain perspective. How it reminds you that you’ve made certain promises to certain people.

That’s what rewatching The Vow did to me. And, combined with a few conversations I had with my friends, as well as with a bottle of wine I drank yesterday, I decided to write this post today.

You see, I always thought myself to be bold. And yet, I chose to let things go with the flow these past five months. I chose to believe that if something is meant to be, it will be. But the thing is that, on what comes to the people we want to have in our lives, the people we choose to have in our lives, we are the ones who make our own fate.

And it is the choices we make that turn us into the people we really are.

Take my childhood friends, for instance. I had to find out from my mom that one of them is getting married and the other one is gonna be the bridesmaid. As if 16 years of friendship mean nothing to either of them.

But you see… I was always the one who tried to keep contact with them. I was always the one who put their priorities first and tried to see things from their perspective. Once I stopped doing that, once I finally decided to raise my voice and speak up for all the things that ate me from the inside out, they vanished. So, I’m glad with the choice I made to finally put some boundaries and love myself first.

The same thing happened with another friend of mine. One that, because he chose to tell me something five months ago and then vanished completely, made me think that he just wasn’t meant to be in my life. And maybe that’s right. But if I choose to let things be, if I don’t take a risk… then how the hell will I know?

So, I took a leap of faith. I took a chance. And for the first time in a really long time, I feel calmer than I’ve ever felt before.

This is the moment where I can actually say “What’s meant to be, it’ll be”, because I know I’ve done everything in my power. I made a choice. I can’t make other people’s choices and I never will. I’ll never force them to make certain choices, but I most certainly won’t live with “what if”.

I’m proud of the choices I’ve made so far in my life. Some of them were right. Some of them were wrong. Yet all of them taught me great, valuable lessons. I suppose today’s choice will do the same.

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It truly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted. I never will.

Let me know in the comment section don’t below if you’re risk averse or a risk lover. Have you ever made a choice that wished you hadn’t made?

Have a wonderful week, beautiful creatures, stay safe and stay positive.

Till next time… Toodles!

BOOK REVIEW: Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #1), by Leigh Bardugo ~ Greetings from Ravka! *SPOILERS & DISCUSSION*

“The problem with wanting,” he whispered, his mouth trailing along my jaw until it hovered over my lips, “is that it makes us weak.”

~ Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #1), by Leigh Bardugo

There are books you’ve read in the past and really liked. These same books come back one day, you reread them, and you fall deeply in love with them. Because they came back when you need them the most.

That was the case with the first instalment of The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, by Leigh Bardugo, which I reread last month and it honestly saved my financial a$$!

“Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.”

Starting with the non-spoiler section of this novel and focusing on the technicalities of the book, I have to say that, once again, I fell in love with Leigh Bardugo’s writing style, with the characters and the world she created. I loved the fact that it was pretty easy for me to make pictures inside my head, see the places and the people as if they were all real. I loved the multicultural elements, the fact that there was diversity, as well as the fact that there’s representation of a not-so-popular and common folklore, such as the Russian one.

Although the narration was a bit slow at first, due to the world-building and the introductions of the characters, that didn’t make me love the book any less. That is because there was action throughout the entire novel, from beginning to end, ups and downs, relationships flourishing and tumbling down, especially after certain revelations and plot twists.

More specifically, on what comes to the relationships, I loved that each and everyone of them, except perhaps one, took their time to because what they were in the end. I loved how we were introduced to certain traits of each character’s personality. It was nice to see that all of them had their flaws, even though, once again, the protagonist is, more of less, the Chosen One.

“Fine,” he said with a weary shurg. “Make me your villain.”

~ Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #1), by Leigh Bardugo

With that being said, let me move on to the spoilery part of this review. Although at this point, and with the show being the new Netflix phenomenon, I don’t think there are many people anymore who don’t know what happens in this novel.

Still, if you haven’t read the book, you haven’t watched the show, and you don’t want to be spoiled, I suggest you stop reading ASAP.

*DISCALIMER. SPOILERS COMING UP.*

Let me start this spoilery section by saying…

DARKLING, MY LOVE, COME TAKE ME TO THE FOLD!

Seriously y’all… I know that he’s an anti-hero (because to me, he’s certainly not a villain through and through) and I know that being in any sort of relationship with him would’ve been toxic to say the least, but… I can see where he’s coming from.

I don’t mind that there are red flags flowing in the air every other page (and honestly, I don’t know what this says about me as a person), but it would’ve been nice to interact with the Darkling and just have him take me away from this shitshow we call reality.

Still, even if it wasn’t the Darkling, I would’ve loved having someone like Genya as a friend. Again, I can’t say that she’s either a hero or a villain. She’s just… human. And that’s what makes, not only her, but every Bardugo character, special.

They all have light and darkness inside them. It’s what they choose to use more that makes them who they truly are.

Take Mal, for instance. Straight from the beginning, we know that Alina is in love with him, yet he takes her for granted until everyone discovers she’s the Sun Summoner and she’s taken away to the Little Palace for her own “protection”.

He’s absent for pretty much the entire book, until the very end, where he comes to say that he wanted to come and find her, he “sees her” and he will always be there for her. I know they are endgame and everything, but still… This felt a little bit like emotional manipulation to me.

If it wasn’t for the show, I would’ve been even crueler towards Mal, but the Netflix adaptation made me grow a little bit fonder of him.

““I love you, Alina, even the part of you that loved him.”

He grinned and my heart flip-flopped the way it always had.”

~ Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #1), by Leigh Bardugo

On what comes to the plot, it was nice to see that Alina wasn’t a natural. This made me appreciate the book more. She struggled with her training as a Grisha, she had to push harder to become good at physical combat and she became more mature, less naive, as the story progressed.

The final battle inside the Fold was literally EVERYTHING to me! It was nice to see all the progress Alina had made and how she was able to finally control her power, without any help from the Darkling. But the Darkling, as well… Boy, he was such a badass!

The finale left so many avenues open and, even though I know what’s gonna happen in the next book, I can’t wait to reread it and get back to the Grishaverse once more.

All in all, I loved the book and I ended up rating it with 5 out of 5 stars. I mean, come on! This is Leigh Bardugo we’re talking about!

Let me know in the comment section down below if you have read the book, if you’ve watched the show and what are your thoughts and feelings towards them both.

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It truly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.

Love you all to Pluto and back, awesome creatures. Have a wonderful weekend y’all, stay safe and stay positive.

Till next time… Toodles!

BOOK REVIEW: Chosen Ones (The Chosen Ones, #1), by Veronica Roth ~ Infuriating Characters, Amazing Plot! *SPOILER FREE*

Hello awesome nerds and happy Thursday everyone.

I feel like I’m finally getting back to my regular schedule here on the blog, with story times, reviews and general bookish discussions, but I don’t wanna jinx it or anything, mostly because things have been pretty surreal for me lately.

Still, today I’m back with a review I wanted to share with you for quite some time now. That is, of course, for the Chosen Ones, by Veronica Roth, an author for whom I have more and more mixed feelings as the years pass. Also, I thought this was going to be a standalone and today I found out it’s going to be a series. I don’t know if I’ll keep reading the books though, because as I keep thinking about my feelings on what comes to this particular book, my rating decreasing by the second.

With all that being said, let’s get to the actual review.

“The first novel written for an adult audience by the mega-selling author of the Divergent franchise: five twenty-something heroes famous for saving the world when they were teenagers must face even greater demons–and reconsider what it means to be a hero . . . by destiny or by choice.

A decade ago near Chicago, five teenagers defeated the otherworldly enemy known as the Dark One, whose reign of terror brought widespread destruction and death. The seemingly un-extraordinary teens—Sloane, Matt, Ines, Albie, and Esther—had been brought together by a clandestine government agency because one of them was fated to be the “Chosen One,” prophesized to save the world. With the goal achieved, humankind celebrated the victors and began to mourn their lost loved ones.

Ten years later, though the champions remain celebrities, the world has moved forward and a whole, younger generation doesn’t seem to recall the days of endless fear. But Sloane remembers. It’s impossible for her to forget when the paparazzi haunt her every step just as the Dark One still haunts her dreams. Unlike everyone else, she hasn’t moved on; she’s adrift—no direction, no goals, no purpose. On the eve of the Ten Year Celebration of Peace, a new trauma hits the Chosen: the death of one of their own. And when they gather for the funeral at the enshrined site of their triumph, they discover to their horror that the Dark One’s reign never really ended.”

As this is going to be a spoiler-free review, I’ll focus on the technicalities of this book.

Starting with the writing style, this is probably the reason why I kept reading the book. The plot was so very interesting and it was executed really beautifully. There was a reason why the author kept leaving hints here and there, why certain events occurred at exactly a certain time. The descriptions of the characters and the places were very intriguing, and the narration was quite fast-paced, too. What bugged me a bit was that, once again, there was a weird mixture of science-fiction, combined with actual events, combined with… parallel universes, I guess?

Still, the escalation of events was fascinating enough for me to keep reading the book, despite the fact that every single one of the characters was either flat, boring or infuriating.

Yup, that is my main issue with every single one Veronica Roth book up to this day.

I cannot connect with the characters. They either feel way too flat to me or they get on my nerves to the point that I wanna throw the book out of the window. I know it’s a good thing when fictional characters make you feel intense emotions, but I don’t wanna feel pissed because the characters keep making foolish choices.

That was the case with the characters in Chosen Ones, too. And I feel that, if it wasn’t for the audiobook, it would’ve taken way longer for me to actually finish the book.

Overall, although I enjoyed the story in general, the characters annoyed me to a point that I’ve decided to not continue with the series. Even though the finale was interesting, the final plot twist didn’t really come as a shock to me, so I don’t feel like the second book is going to add anything to this story.

I feel that my rating will end up being a very generous 3.5 out of 5 star read for me.

Let me know in the comment section down below if you’ve read the book and what your thoughts and feelings are towards it.

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It honestly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.

Have a wonderful day everyone, stay safe and stay positive.

Till next time… Toodles!

May Wrap Up: A Rollercoaster I Won’t Forget!

Hello awesome nerds and happy Monday everyone!

Can you believe May is slowly coming to an end? I can’t. Because this month was such a rollercoaster of events, emotions and decisions that it truly left me… dizzy!

May started with the best of omens, as I had the first four days off, due to the Easter holidays. And yes, this was amazing because a) I really needed some time to recharge my batteries and relax, and b) I didn’t know what was going to happen next.

So, long story short, the publishing house with which I was going to work for the May bookbrewed box, pushed back the publication date of the book I wanted to feature, informing me literally one day before the official publication date they had given me at first.

Trust me, you can only imagine the horror!

I just a few hours, I had called the general manager of the publishing house, with which I had collaborated for the April box, and I emailed the PR manager of another Greek publishing house. It was kind of nerve-wracking, I had to make many decisions in a very limited time, and inform the subscribers. I’m truly grateful for all these amazing people, who showed empathy and were nothing but kind to me.

In the end, they all loved the May box, which turned out like that…

Stunning shot by the lovely Lina

Still, this wasn’t the only misfortune I had to face at work. Another vendor went sick and left me high and dry literally hours after revealing that the June box was going to feature an item designed by them. But it’s ok. Health comes first and, once again, I found a solution pretty quickly.

I honestly hope that a year from today I’ll have become a master on what comes to dealing with a crisis, and bookbrewed will be thriving at this point!

Aside from all that crazy stuff, I kept working with my IT team for the subscription box’s website, and I hope that we’ll be able to launch that, too, by the end of summer tops. Things were also crazy busy at our family business, plus I had to go with my dad and pick my cousin’s car up, because he had a work accident of his own a few days ago.

Talking about luck, now, huh?

Other than work, my days have been pretty boring someone would say. And that’s because I only had just a little bit of spare time during the weekends, I went out a couple of times with friends for a coffee, but other than that, I just wanted to stay home, read and relax.

I feel really lucky that I managed to finish three books in May, taking everything that occurred in consideration. Even if I wanted to read more (because my TBR is officially out of control), I only managed to read Shadow and Bone, Rules for Being a Girl and A Court of Thorns and Roses, probably for the gazillionth time.

Those of you who’ve been following me for the past four years here, you know I was skeptical about many things, even from the first time I read this book. The thing though is that now, and after certain events I experienced in the past few months, the red flags were rising, bright like the dawn, every other second. I don’t know if this had to do with the fact that I knew what to expect or with the fact that I myself evolved as a person, but this reread of ACOTAR was such an awakening experience for me.

I’ll simply stick to what I had written back in 2017. Straight from the very beginning I knew to which Court I should stick; like glue!

Aside from the books I read, I also received and bought a few more books, about which I’ll talk in more detail once I read them. Y’all know that some of the books I bought were simply a coping mechanism I tend to use after a traumatising experience. And my latest visit to the ENT doc was quite scary, if not traumatising.

How about you, dearies? How was May for you? How many books did you guys read? Are y’all ready for the summer?

Let me know all your thoughts and feelings in the comment section down below.

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It truly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted. I never will.

Have a wonderful week, dear ones. Stay safe and stay positive.

Till next time… Toodles!

Books I Want To Read In June (But I’m Pretty Sure I Won’t Manage To)

Hello awesome nerds and happy Saturday everyone!

I hope y’all had a great week and you’re ready to enjoy your weekend to the fullest. I know I will, since I said that I won’t work this weekend and I’ll try to keep this promise I gave to myself. After the work accident my cousin had last week, I was reminded that our health, both mental and physical, is very important, especially if we want to be productive at work.

Which is why I decided to simply do the things I love this weekend. Go for a walk or coffee, pamper myself with some health care and beauty products, watch some good movies and shows on Netflix, read good books…

Speaking of good books, even though I only read two books this month, if I remember correctly, I really wanna finish two more this weekend, so I can actually read at least four next month.

I know this seems like a moonshot, especially considering how hectic things are at work lately, but, a girl can always dream, right?

Which is why I’m gonna present to you the books that are my top priorities for June.

1. Soul of Cinder (Heart of Thorns, #3), by Bree Barton

“The Twisted Sisters are coming home.

Prince Quin has returned to the river kingdom, ready to spearhead a rebellion and reclaim the throne. He vows to destroy Mia, Pilar, and Angelyne if they oppose him—even if he must use his newfound magic to set the world aflame.

Across the four kingdoms, the elements have been tipped askew. Volcanoes erupt, glaciers collapse, and cities sink into the western sands. After losing Angie, Mia and Pilar journey to the glass kingdom to seek help, though soon their fragile bonds of sisterhood begin to fray. Mia’s sensations are creeping back, and with them, a deep and searing grief. Pilar, terrified of being broken, once again seeks comfort in her fists. But when they hear rumors of a misty island that promises to erase all pain, they suddenly find themselves with an answer—if they are willing to pay the cost.

As tensions mount, the sisters are drawn back to the river kingdom for a final reckoning with the boy they each loved. The shattering conclusion to Bree Barton’s Heart of Thorns trilogy challenges why we grieve, whom we love—and how to mend a broken heart.”

Y’all know how much I adore this series and how these books have been there for me when I needed a source of light and hope. I feel blessed and privileged that I got the chance to read part of this book before it was published, that there’s a character in this book with my name and inspired by me, but most importantly, I feel truly blessed and honoured to have Bree as a friend. She’s one of the most inspiring people I know and I will always cherish her in my heart!

2. Witches Steeped in Gold (Witches Steeped in Gold, #1), by Ciannon Smart

“Divided by their order. United by their vengeance.

Iraya has spent her life in a cell, but every day brings her closer to freedom – and vengeance. 

Jazmyne is the Queen’s daughter, but unlike her sister before her, she has no intention of dying to strengthen her mother’s power. 

Sworn enemies, these two witches enter a precarious alliance to take down a mutual threat. But power is intoxicating, revenge is a bloody pursuit, and nothing is certain – except the lengths they will go to win this game.

This Jamaican-inspired fantasy debut about two enemy witches who must enter into a deadly alliance to take down a common enemy has the twisted cat-and-mouse of Killing Eve with the richly imagined fantasy world of Furyborn and Ember in the Ashes.”

Although I only just received this book, I get all the summer vibes from it, so I’m definitely looking forward to reading it. I’ve zero clue of what to expect from it, but I honestly hope it won’t disappoint.

3. Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1), by Marissa Meyer

“Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless Lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. 

She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.”

I’ve only read amazing things about this book, so I believe the time has come for me to read it. You know I absolutely adore retellings, and since this one is a Cinderella retelling I’m super excited to see how Marissa Meyer has brought this story back to life. I’ve only read Heartless from her, but I wanna believe that I will enjoy The Lunar Chronicles more. Fingers crossed.

4. A Vow so Bold and Deadly (Cursebreakers, #3), by Brigid Kemmerer

“Face your fears, fight the battle.

Emberfall is crumbling fast, torn between those who believe Rhen is the rightful prince and those who are eager to begin a new era under Grey, the true heir. Grey has agreed to wait two months before attacking Emberfall, and in that time, Rhen has turned away from everyone—even Harper, as she desperately tries to help him find a path to peace. 

Fight the battle, save the kingdom.

Meanwhile, Lia Mara struggles to rule Syhl Shallow with a gentler hand than her mother. But after enjoying decades of peace once magic was driven out of their lands, some of her subjects are angry Lia Mara has an enchanted prince and a magical scraver by her side. As Grey’s deadline draws nearer, Lia Mara questions if she can be the queen her country needs.

As the two kingdoms come closer to conflict, loyalties are tested, love is threatened, and a dangerous enemy returns, in this stunning conclusion to bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer’s Cursebreaker series.”

I very much enjoyed both the first and the second book of the series, and now I really want to see how the conclusion of this series is going to be. Considering how things ended in A Heart so Fierce and Broken, I’ve really high expectations for this third novel in the Cursebreakers series.

These are the four books that are considered to be my top priorities, along with the ACOTAR books, which I’m currently rereading, Chain of Iron, which I’m enjoying and casually reading because I wanna experience everything to its full extend, and a Greek fantasy novel, which I will be buddy-reading with the rest of the bookbrewers next month.

What about you, dearies? Which books are you planning on reading next month? Have you read any of the books mentioned here and if so, which ones did you like?

Let me know all your thoughts and feelings in the comment section down below.

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It truly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.

Have a wonderful weekend, you beautiful creatures, stay safe and stay positive.

Till next time… Toodles!

BOOK REVIEW: Rules for Being a Girl, by Candace Bushnell and Katie Cotugno ~ The Best Feminist Book I’ve Read So Far This Year *SPOILERS & DISCUSSION*

“Remember, girl: It’s the best time in the history of the world to be you. You can do anything! You can do everything! You can be whatever you want to be!

Just as long as you follow the rules.”

~ Rules for Being a Girl, by Candace Bushnell and Katie Cotugno

Have you ever felt this incredible sensation when you realise that the timing is absolutely perfect for you to make a certain decision, go for a walk or even read a book?

That’s exactly how I felt when I got Rules for Being a Girl last week, by one of my absolute favourite Greek publishing houses, Psichogios Publications. It was love at first sight and I knew this would be one of those 5-star reads that you think about, long after you’ve finished the book. In all honesty, that’s exactly what happened. Because even though it’s been four days since I finished this amazing novel, I still catch myself thinking how empowering, motivating and bold this book was.

“It starts before you can even remember: You learn the rules for being a girl. . .

Marin has always been good at navigating these unspoken guidelines. A star student and editor of the school paper, she dreams of getting into Brown University. Marin’s future seems bright―and her young, charismatic English teacher, Mr. Beckett, is always quick to admire her writing and talk books with her.

But when “Bex” takes things too far and comes on to Marin, she’s shocked and horrified. Had she somehow led him on? Was it her fault?

When Marin works up the courage to tell the administration what happened, no one believes her. She’s forced to face Bex in class every day. Except now, he has an ax to grind.

But Marin isn’t about to back down. She uses the school newspaper to fight back and she starts a feminist book club at school. She finds allies in the most unexpected people, like “slutty” Gray Kendall, who she’d always dismissed as just another lacrosse bro. As things heat up at school and in her personal life, Marin must figure out how to take back the power and write her own rules.”

Since it’s been a while since the last time I wrote a spoilery review, let me remind you that, once again, there will be two sections in this post. The first part will be the non-spoiler part, where I’ll mostly talk about the technicalities of the book, how the plot and the characters, the descriptions and the narration were in general. The second part will be about some more spoilery things, which, if you haven’t read the book, I’ll warn you, so you can skip that part and come back, once you’ve read the book, so we can discuss it in more depth.

With all that being said, let’s get to the actual review.

To begin with, I had really great expectations since the day I found out about this book. I knew it would be terrifying to read about a similar situation with the one I had to endure back in 2012. I also knew though that it would be empowering and inspiring and 100% motivating.

I wasn’t wrong!

Rules for Being a Girl was exactly the perfect read for me right now.

It reminded me that we should raise our voices for what we believe in. It reminded me that we should fight for what’s right. It reminded me that “right” and “easy” are two very different things, and thankfully Marin chose to do the former.

I absolutely adored how quick the pacing was and how I could effortlessly connect with the characters (some of whom I could be friends with and some of whom were so freaking toxic that I wouldn’t want them to be near me, not in a million years).

I really liked that the protagonist moved from shock to denial, to acceptance and then to action. I loved the fact that she tried to fight for injustice and she realised that things aren’t always what they seem to be, and we shouldn’t make assumptions or jump to conclusions just because a certain someone seems to act a certain way.

Not only that but, aside from some cliché characters, about whom I’ll talk in more detail in the spoilery section, I liked that there was diversity and a lot of representation in the secondary characters, as well. It made the book and the story itself feel more real, and I enjoyed how there were black characters and gay characters, characters who played jazz and characters who had ADHD.

That is because, not everyone is white, straight and with no mental health issues. Everyone should feel included and accepted.

“It’s like now that I’m looking for inequality, I’m seeing it everywhere, categorizing a thousand great and small unfairnesses everywhere I go. Why didn’t I really see this before?”

~ Rules for Being a Girl, by Candace Bushnell and Katie Cotugno

*DISCLAIMER. FROM THIS POINT ONWARDS, THE REVIEW WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS. IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE BOOK YET AND YOU DON’T WANT TO BE SPOILED, PLEASE STOP READING.*

Moving on to the spoilery section of this review, I want to focus on two characters in particular; Chloe and Bex.

At the beginning of the book, when I realised that Chloe was Greek, I was like “Wow, that’s so cool! I’ll be able to connect a bit with that character.” and this made me even more eager to see how she was as a friend. Yet, straight from the very first pages, it was obvious to me that this girl was toxic.

I’ll tell you why.

To me, Chloe seemed like the bimbo friend, who always wants to be perfect and always wants the best for you, just as long as you’re not as perfect as she is and you don’t get exactly the best, just as she does.

Just please… Tell me I’m not an island and you’ve come across people like that in your life. Otherwise I may cry!

I know that teenagers can be cruel but she was supposed to be Marin’s BEST FRIEND. She supposed to be there for her, no matter what. She was supposed to be the person who knew Marin her ENTIRE life. And yet…

When Marin told her what had happened at Bex’s house, Chloe didn’t believe her. Instead, she started questioning Marin, making her second-guess whether or not what had happened was just her imagination.

Newsflash! It was a sexual harassment from an adult to a MINOR, through and through! And before you read too much into this, it would be exactly the same if Marin was 19, 25 or 50! It would be just as sick and perverted!

And this, leads me to the second person I want to talk about; Bex.

You’ve seen people like him. Charismatic, funny, seemingly smart and quite handsome. And you just want to believe that they want what’s best for you. But when a person like that tries to kiss you without your consent, then they are not charismatic, funny, smart or handsome at all! They’re simply sick. And you need to report them ASAP, when they have authority and you’re just a High School student, as Marin was.

This was Marin’s first mistake, if you ask me. She should’ve spoken straight from the beginning. She should’ve raised her voice sooner. Yet, it’s hard to do so, when your supposed-to-be bestie doesn’t believe you because she thinks she has a relationship with that same teacher!

It’s hard to do so when your toxic, sexist boyfriend makes fun of you and says you make out with teachers, in front of the entire school.

It’s hard to do so when the director of the school doesn’t investigate the matter more and simply believes what the teacher in question told him.

These where the things that truly drove me mad, along with the fact that, towards the end of the book, when Chloe told to Marin the entire truth, Marin forgave her so easily. I’m not saying she shouldn’t. It’s just that, Chloe’s situation with Bex was different, or at least the authors made it seem as such.

It also bugged me the fact that none of the girls pressed charges and Bex was simply thrown out of school. I mean, seriously? I needed something… I don’t know. Something more for the catharsis to come.

“Be flirty but not too flirty. Be confident but not aggressive. Be funny but in a low-key, quiet way. Eat cheeseburgers, but don’t get fat. Be chill, but don’t lose control.”

~ Rules for Being a Girl, by Candace Bushnell and Katie Cotugno

Still, these are simply details and they don’t make me love the book any less.

Overall, I ended up rating the book with 5 out of 5 stars, and I honestly think that you guys should read it if you haven’t done so already. I honestly thin young adults should read this book. I do believe we should all talk about the traumatising things we had to face in our lives.

No one is alone. #MeToo had to face harassment and assault. But I’m here now. So is Marin. So are all those brave, inspiring women and men, that plucked up the courage and took back the power their abusers had stolen from them. 

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It truly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.

Let me know in the comment section down below if you have any other feminist books to recommend to me.

Hope you have a wonderful day, dearies, you stay safe and positive.

Till next time… Toodles!

🗡 Beacon Book Box ~ RETRIBUTION ~ April 2021 Unboxing 🗡

Hello awesome nerds, happy Monday everyone and welcome back to another Beacon Book Box unboxing!

For those of you who don’t know, Beacon Book Box is a YA monthly-subscription box, in which every month you receive a new release, as well as a bunch of bookish items, focusing on a specific theme.

This past Friday I finally got my April box (Can the shipping get a little bit faster, please?) and the theme for the month of April was RETRIBUTION.

If you like what you’re about to see in a little bit and you wanna try Beacon Book Box for yourselves, you can always use my rep code VICTORIOUS5 at checkout, to save on your subscription or single purchase.

And so, with all that being said, let’s get to the actual unboxing.

THE GOODIES

Percy Jackson Pin Banner, designed by @shaked_creates

Arc of a Scythe-Inspired Sunflower Pot (with seeds!), designed by @catarinabookdesigns

Bridgerton-Inspired Lady Whistledown’s English Tea, from BeauTea Studio

Aurora Rising Art Print, designed by @arz28

Aurora Rising Glass Picture Frame, designed by @riddleandravens

#BakingWithTheBeacons Scythe Curie’s Brownie Cupcakes

THE BOOK

The featured book for the month of April was Witches Stepped In Gold, by Ciannon Smart. The book came with a SIGNED BOOKPLATE, a LETTER FROM THE AUTHOR and EXTRA CONTENT: an ANNOTATED CHAPTER which is simply EPIC!

If you haven’t heard of this book before, here is the blurb for you to read it:

“Divided by their order. United by their vengeance.

Iraya has spent her life in a cell, but every day brings her closer to freedom – and vengeance. 

Jazmyne is the Queen’s daughter, but unlike her sister before her, she has no intention of dying to strengthen her mother’s power. 

Sworn enemies, these two witches enter a precarious alliance to take down a mutual threat. But power is intoxicating, revenge is a bloody pursuit, and nothing is certain – except the lengths they will go to win this game.

This Jamaican-inspired fantasy debut about two enemy witches who must enter into a deadly alliance to take down a common enemy has the twisted cat-and-mouse of Killing Eve with the richly imagined fantasy world of Furyborn and Ember in the Ashes.”

Although my TBR pile is completely out of control at the moment, still this particular books gives me summer vibes (probably because of Jamaica) so I will try to read it soon. Especially since the world will remind me of Furyborn and An Ember in the Ashes.

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It truly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.

Let me know in the comment section below if you have read any of the books mentioned in this post and which was your favourite item from this box.

Also, if you liked what was included, follow the link provided about and don’t forget to use VICTORIOUS5 at checkout to save some money.

Have a wonderful week, dearies, stay safe and stay positive.

Till next time… Toodles!

Story Time: How A Moment Can Change Your Life ~ #MeToo

Hello beautiful creatures and happy Saturday everyone!

I hope you’re all staying safe, healthy and happy, and you’re ready to embrace the endless possibilities this weekend has to offer.

For me, this is going to be the first responsibilities and work-free weekend, and I really wanna enjoy it to the fullest, reading good books, going out for walks or staying in, drinking coffee and watching the final episodes of The Bold Type, before the fifth and final season premiere.

Speaking of good books, I got some book mail from Beacon Book Box and a Greek publishing house yesterday. Although I was glad for all the books and bookish goodies I got, one book in particular hooked me more than the others. I’m talking of course about the Greek edition of Rules for Being a Girl, by Candace Bushnell and Katie Cotungo.

“It starts before you can even remember: You learn the rules for being a girl. . . .

Marin has always been good at navigating these unspoken guidelines. A star student and editor of the school paper, she dreams of getting into Brown University. Marin’s future seems bright―and her young, charismatic English teacher, Mr. Beckett, is always quick to admire her writing and talk books with her.

But when “Bex” takes things too far and comes on to Marin, she’s shocked and horrified. Had she somehow led him on? Was it her fault?

When Marin works up the courage to tell the administration what happened, no one believes her. She’s forced to face Bex in class every day. Except now, he has an ax to grind.

But Marin isn’t about to back down. She uses the school newspaper to fight back and she starts a feminist book club at school. She finds allies in the most unexpected people, like “slutty” Gray Kendall, who she’d always dismissed as just another lacrosse bro. As things heat up at school and in her personal life, Marin must figure out how to take back the power and write her own rules.”

I’ve only read a few chapters and this book already sends goosebumps down my spine. To me, this is just a very “light” version of what I’m gonna experience once I pluck up the courage to read My Dark Vanessa, by Kate Elizabeth Russell.

And I say “pluck up the courage” because… well, it still scares the sh*t out of me to think of situations of sexual assault and harassment. I’ve lived through it. And yet, it’s still as scary as hell.

When I was 19, I was taking care of a friend of mine who had a terrible car accident. I was heading to her home one day, when I realised that two men were following me. Seriously, you guys. It’s creepy as f*ck! All of a sudden, the only thing you can think of is if there’s someone around to help you and if there isn’t, which is the best way to defend yourself.

I tried stepping up the pace, but so did they. And somehow, I don’t know exactly how, I knew it. If I didn’t move smart and fast quickly, things would turn out pretty badly.

Luckily for me, the moment I turned down a narrow alley, I saw a mini market. I remember rushing towards the small building like a thirsty person in the desert, the moment they find an oasis. Unfortunately though, my stalkers entered the mini market, too.

So, it was now or never. I moved casually in the shop, as casually as my terror allowed me to, and when I got to the cash register I mouthed “help me” to the owner of the shop. The middle-aged man, whose face has been tattooed in my mind for the past eight years, stared at me, then back at the two men who’ve been following me for the past couple of minutes.

That was it. Without second guessing, the shop’s owner started talking to me, as if he knew me forever. He asked me how school was going, how my family was and what plans I had for that weekend. Fun fact (yet not really) it was a Eurovision weekend that day, too.

I heard the two men walking out of the mini market, having bought nothing at all. I still didn’t feel safe enough to speak out loud, so I mouthed a “thank you”. The owner smiled at me. Next thing I knew, he was walking me towards my friend’s house, which was literally 20 meters away from his shop.

I know that this may seem like nothing to some of you, but to me, someone who’d been bullied at kindergarten, someone who had to face a horrible situation in middle school and someone who, if she hadn’t spoken that day, I don’t know where she’d be today, this isn’t nothing.

Don’t downplay the significance of the events someone has faced. Show empathy. Be there to listen to them. This way, more and more victims will speak up. More and more victims will raise their voices. More and more victims will feel less alone.

I know I don’t talk as frequently as I want to about stuff like that here, but I believe the time has come for this to change.

I’m here for you. I see you and I hear you. I want you to know that you’re always, always safe here, and if you want to talk to someone, I’m always here for you.

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It honestly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted. I never will.

Have a wonderful weekend, awesome nerds.

Till next time… Toodles!

The Bold Type: The Series My Friends Insisted I Should Watch and The One I Fell In Love With

Hello awesome nerds and happy Thursday everyone!

It’s been a crazy busy week for me and only today I managed to relax a little bit from work. I don’t want to jinx it or anything, but I honestly hope this weekend is going to be the first one after three weeks that I’ll finally have the chance to relax and simply live my potato life to the fullest.

And when I say “potato life”, I mean eat, drink coffee, relax on the couch reading my books or watching The Bold Type.

Back in February, if I remember correctly my friends Tatiana, Christina and Danae were raving about this series on Netflix that was fresh and motivating and all about girl-power. Back then, I really needed something to cheer me up, even if that something was just another chick show. Or so I thought it was.

It may seem a little bit cheesy, but trust me when I say, this is exactly the kind of show we need to watch on TV (if you still do that) or Netflix nowadays.

It’s all about how women should boost each other up and stand up for what they believe in. It’s about helping people because that’s the right thing to do and not making decisions based on gender, sexuality, ethnicity or religion. It’s about bravery and friendship and loyalty, and how you can achieve whatever you want if you’re… bold enough to go all in for it!

The Bold Type is one of those series that reminded me that. And truth be told, it’s been a while since I connected so much with a show character. I’m talking about Jane Sloan, and if you’ve watched the show, you know exactly what I’m talking about. My inner control freak and organised junkie is having a party every single time Jane makes yet another list.

If you haven’t watched this series yet, I highly suggest that you do. Especially since the fifth and final season is about to premiere pretty soon.

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It honestly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.

Let me know in the comment section below if you’ve watched the series and which character is your favourite.

Love you all to Pluto and back, awesome people.

Till next time… Toodles!

Shadow & Bone: The Netflix Phenomenon

Hello awesome nerds and happy Monday everyone!

I hope you guys had a great weekend, you relaxed and recharged your batteries. I, once again didn’t do that, because things are crazy at work and it seems like I’ll have to visit my ENT doctor because I feel something funny back in my left tonsil.

Fun times, once again.

The only thing that brightens my mood a little bit is the fact that I’m rereading Shadow and Bone, and I’m watching for the fifth time the show on Netflix.

What can I say about this show that hasn’t been said already?

To me, this is one of the best book-to-series adaptations done in recent years!

From the accuracy on what comes to the plot, of both Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows, to the cast and how exceptionally well they portrayed the characters, to the graphics and the production in general, Shadow and Bone was a show that I watched multiple times and, every time, I enjoyed it more than the last.

I loved the dynamics between the protagonists, as well as the secondary characters. I loved that there was evolution and development, both on what comes to the characters, as well as on what comes to the plot. What I loved the most though was that the storylines of Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows were intertwined, and they led to the events of Siege and Storm and the actual events that occur in the first book of the Six of Crows duology (no spoilers from me, dearies).

I’ve been talking about the series lot and after the incident that occurred with the double that portrayed Inej in certain scenes, I feel that I need to mention something else, as well.

Leigh Bardugo is one of those authors you can’t help but fall in love with the books she has written. Not only the plot is amazing, but the characters themselves feel like actual, real people. It’s rare to find characters with whom you can have a deep connection, characters you feel that could be your friends in real life. And not only that, but also there’s a lot of diversity in her books.

To me, it would be a shame to not have a second season of the show, just because there are people out there who want to make a scene out of nothing.

I mean, if it’s not diverse enough to have an anti-hero who’s limping, or a chubby, lovely lady who can make your heart skip a bit, then I don’t know what is.

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It truly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.

Let me know in the comment section down below if you’ve read the books and watched the show, who’s your favourite character and why, and if you’re looking forward to a second Shadow and Bone season.

Have a lovely week, dearies, stay safe and stay positive!

Till next time… Toodles!

P.S.: See you all in the Fold!