Victoria Moschou's Blog, page 83
October 24, 2019
To Blog or Not To Blog…
…in November? That is the question.
Hello awesome people and happy Thursday everyone.
I returned from my trip to Crete, sick I may add, and I’ve been spending the last couple of days stuck in bed, eating soup, drinking tea and basically trying to stay hydrated. Luckily for me, I’m feeling much better today, because I’ve got a really busy weekend and an even busier month coming.
Which is why I started wondering whether it would be wise for me to stick to my regular blogging plan, aka update the blog thrice every week, or just stick to my WIP for the month of November and just update you guys on what I’ve been reading, how’s the NaNoWriMo is going, what books I’ve purchased and received etc, only once a week (either on Saturday or Sunday).
I really want to finish the first draft of my WIP by the end of November, so I feel like, if I keep blogging on a regular basis like I do right now, something like that won’t be manageable, considering that I also have my day job, my Spanish lessons and my tutoring classes to prepare.
So, what do you guys think?
Would you be ok if I updated the blog only once a week during the month of November?
It’s because of you that I haven’t stopped writing, so I do take your opinions and views into account.
Thank you all for stopping by once again. It means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.
Till next time… Toodles!
October 21, 2019
The Halloween Book Tag
Hello wonderful people and happy Monday everyone!
Halloween is just around the corner and even though we’re not celebrating here in Greece as much as they do in other countries, for me, this is one of the funniest times of the year. Combined with books, marshmallows and a hot cup of coffee, it’s my personal Heaven!
Which is why, when I came across the Halloween Book Tag on Heather’s blog, I knew I had to write a post of my own as well.
So, sit back comfortably, folks, and enjoy!
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1. Favourite Scary (Must Read) For Halloween?
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Although I read it during my summer holidays last year, The Wicked Deep definitely has that eerie, witchy vibe everyone needs around that time of the year. It’s truly atmospheric and scary at times, and I’m sure you will love it if you like stories with witches, curses and ghosts.
2. Scariest Book Cover, Like Ever?
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Probably the UK edition of Red Sister, by Mark Lawrence, because it reminds me of the little girl from The Ring. 
October 19, 2019
The Autumn Tag 2019
Hello awesome nerds and happy Saturday everyone.
While you’re reading this post, I’ll be at my friend Mary’s wedding, having fun, dancing and spending some relaxing days at Crete. Since I didn’t go on vacation this year, I think I deserve a few days off the everyday madness. That doesn’t mean I’ll leave you here all alone, with nothing to read.
Since autumn is my favourite season of them all and I absolutely love working on book tag posts, I decided to share with you the autumn tag of 2019. I originally came across this super fun tag on Jemma’s blog, so definitely go and check her post!
So, without further ado, let’s get to the tag!
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1. Hot Chocolate – what is your comfort book?
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That is -of course- A Court of Mist and Fury, by Sarah J. Maas, for various of reasons. First and foremost, this book was there for me during one of the darkest periods of my life and it helped me realise that, even during the gloomiest, darkest of nights, the stars still shine. For me, books are all about the feels, and the second instalment in the ACOTAR series, definitely made me get all the feels! 
October 17, 2019
BOOK REVIEW: Truly Devious (Truly Devious, #1), by Maureen Johnson ~That was something different, that’s for sure. *SPOILER FREE*
~ Truly Devious (Truly Devious, #1), by Maureen Johnson
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Hello awesome nerds and happy Thursday everyone.
I feel like it’s been a long time since I last shared a book review with you, but that’s mostly because I haven’t been reading as much (and as fast) as I used to. Nonetheless, I finally finished the first instalment in the Truly Devious series and I thought I should share my thoughts and feelings about this book with you, because, truth be told, it was one of the most interesting books I’ve read in a while. And I’ll explain in a little bit why I said that.
For the time being though, let’s just get to the summary of the book…
“Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place” he said, “where learning is a game.”
Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym, Truly Devious. It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.
True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder.”
To put this simply, this is probably one of the coolest summaries I’ve ever read. It intrigues you, it makes you picture in your mind’s eye everything that has already happened and is about to happen in this book. Most importantly though, it misleads you.
Oh, yeah… You read that right.
This summary gives so much away, while this new murder happens somewhere towards the MIDDLE of the book. Maybe the writer wanted to properly establish the world and maybe she wanted to make the connection between the past and the present, but whatever the case, the constant time jumps, in addition with the slow pacing and the too many, if you ask me, characters’ introductions straight from the beginning, made it very difficult for me to fully focus on the story. Not to mention that, for almost ten chapters, Stevie looked like a 12-year-old to me, thanks to the fact that, at the beginning of the book, it’s being mentioned that aside from Ellingham’s wife and daughter, a 12-year-old girl disappeared the exact same day they were kidnapped.
Maybe it’s because of the fact that I don’t normally read mystery novels, but I expected to feel more excited while reading this book. Yes, I loved the idea of this remote boarding school for the brightest and coolest, and yes, I loved the slightly gothic, mysterious atmosphere, and OF COURSE I loved the representation and diversity in this book, from the anxiety rep, to the LGBTQ+ mentions, but I think that was about it, at least for the first 200 pages.
If you guys think I spoiled the book for you, trust me, you can start reading the book at page 200 and get the whole picture regardless. And that is because that’s when the true story begins. The time jumps decrease in number, the pacing becomes faster and there’s actual thrill and passion and plot twists, but most importantly… there’s actual plot!
I get it that you get to know the setting and the characters before delving deeper into the story, but for me, it just took too much to get to the actual plot point. And not only that but, aside from Stevie, who reminds me so much of me and how I deal when facing panic attacks, Janelle, who’s the epitome of brightness and kindness, and David, who’s a really interesting and complex character, the rest of the characters, and believe me, there are so many of them, simply felt flat. There was no depth and not much of development throughout the entire book, that I felt that, even if they weren’t mentioned, there wouldn’t have been that much of a change in the book.
What I adored about this book, you may ask? The last 100 pages. And the ending! Gosh, that ending! If the entire book was as good as these last 100 pages were, I would’ve given a 10/5 star rating to this one.
Instead, I ended up rating Truly Devious with 3 out of 5 stars. In any other case, I wouldn’t bother reading the next book, based on a rating as such. But the ending was just…
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Have you guys read Truly Devious? Did you like it?
I look forward to reading your comments, thoughts and feelings about this one in the comment section down below, because i feel like I have an unpopular opinion, yet again.
Thank you all for being here once again. It means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence for granted.
Till next time… Toodles!
October 14, 2019
Leigh Bardugo: My Newest Obsession
~ Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom
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Hello, hello, awesome nerds, and happy Monday everyone!
For the first time after a long time, I finally had the chance to relax and recharge my batteries during the weekend. Not only that, but I also planned every single day from October 11th till the end of 2019, in terms of everyday routine (such as work, Spanish classes and tutoring lessons), but also in terms of working on my writing projects and blog posts. 
October 12, 2019
GRIMM: How Original Works Inspired by Classic Tales Should Be
~ Grimm Brothers, Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales
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Hello awesome nerds and happy Saturday everyone.
As we head closer to Halloween, my posts will become darker, for nothing seems better this time of the year than good old, scary tales, hot mugs of coffee and marshmallows. And of course Grimm on Netflix! 
October 10, 2019
Perfect Halloween Reads: A Guide
Gloomy, rainy days, soft blankets, hot mugs of coffee/tea and amazing books. It’s time for the Halloween Books Guide to be shared!
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Hello awesome people and happy Thursday everyone!
I hope October’s treating you well so far and you’re having fun getting ready for the Halloween season.
Since I’ve already shared some Halloween-ish shows last week, I thought it would be cool if I also shared with you some of the books that I feel are perfect for this time of the year. If you’re mood readers like I believe I am, you will probably find this post to be really handy.
So, sit back comfortably, awesome nerds, and get ready to add a few books on your TBR piles!
1. THE HARRY POTTER SERIES
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This guide couldn’t start any other way, as for me the Harry Potter series if probably one of the BEST ways to enjoy to the fullest this time of the year. Every single one of the books starts more or less the same way: by saying goodbye to the summertime and welcoming the COOLEST season of them all, the fall! 
October 7, 2019
Anxiety, NaNoWriMo Prep and Coffee Sessions
Anxiety can take many forms. It can be a repetitive thought that tells you that this meeting you have tomorrow will be as shitty as it can possibly can be. It can transform you into that organised freak that seeks perfection because anything else is going to disappoint your family. It can keep you up until 3am because you feel as if the oxygen you breath isn’t sufficient enough. And of course, it can be all of the above. Combined.
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Hello awesome nerds and welcome to a “story time” kind of post.
About a month ago, I told you that my days kept getting harder and harder, that I was in a reading slump and that my depression had been beating my butt. And that was true. And even though I tried to make the best out of the worst I was being given, this wasn’t always easy. That’s because I realised that, not only I was, and still am, in a reading slump, but I’m also in a… let’s just say life slump. My everyday schedule is hectic, I hadn’t worked on my writing projects for months up till recently (aka four days ago), a colleague is apparently sabotaging my work at the new academy where I started tutoring this past September, in general, it seems like there’s some sort of conspiracy that’s doing its best for me to stress even more than I normally do.
Oh, yeah… My life seems like a TV drama lately and I can’t do anything about it. Or can I?
Last Saturday I watched Emma’s latest video on YouTube, about how she was going to personally challenge herself. She said that she was going to wake up every morning before 8am and read for 30 minutes for a week.
That’s when it struck me. I was going to set a challenge for myself, too. I was going to start prepping for NaNoWriMo and manage to finish The Auras’ Chest sequel by the end of November. And not only that, but I was going to read for 30 minutes before bed, too.
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So, I’ve been doing this since this past Friday and, let me tell you, I’m feeling much better. I had forgotten how much I love the world I created, how much I adore my characters and how much I want to see them evolve and find their true destiny. I had forgotten how extremely satisfying it felt to read and get lost in my current read, even if sometimes the books I read don’t live up to my expectations. Most importantly, I had forgotten that I started reading fantasy in order to endure reality and that anything, anything could seem manageable after a nice cup of coffee.
So, here I am now, folks, a 26-year-old girl, who has no idea what life’s gonna bring for her next, but who’s willing to work on her craft, read her books, dance and have fun with her family and friends.
I’m not gonna let my anxiety take the best of me. I’m stronger than this (please, excuse the French) fucked up beast! And if you’re reading this right now and you’re dealing with a mental health issue of your own, know that you’re stronger, too. We’re all stronger than we think we are. We just have to find those little things in life that make us smile, even for just a few seconds. Those are the things that’ll help us face the darkness, our darkness. And those are the things that will remind us that we used to be happier once.
Don’t let the hard days win, dearies. I know I’ll battle my hard, dark, shitty days from now on.
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Thank you all for stopping by once again. It 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!
Love you all to Pluto and back, you wonderful souls.
Till next time… Toodles!
October 5, 2019
TV Shows and Movies You Should Watch This October
Hello wonderful creatures and happy Saturday everyone!
As the days get gloomier and chillier, so comes the time for more TV shows and movies. Especially during October, I feel like we all watch more witchy shows, thrillers and, generally speaking, “darker” shows.
So, here I am today to share with you some TV shows and movies that I think you should watch, too, this month. Because I’m already watching them… 
October 3, 2019
BOOK REVIEW: Demonic Debutantes, by Christine Bottas, Amber Boyd, Steven R. Brandt, E. A. Comiskey, Sophia Diaz, Holly Gonzalez, Kristin Jacques, Victoria Moschou and Josephine Templeton ~ The ULTIMATE read for Halloween! *SPOILER FREE*
~ Demonic Debutantes
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Hello awesome nerds and happy October everyone!
The Halloween month is finally here, which means we’re only days away from the official release of Demonic Debutantes, the book in which The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina meets Charmed!
And since I’m one of the authors and I finally got the chance to read the finished piece, I thought it would be nice to share with you a spoiler free, as unbiased as possible review, because… Well, to put it bluntly, you really need to read the book this fall!
