Links + Loves

Here are some non-bookish articles I really liked this past month and my latest loves.

Links

1 / My two favorite quotes from the "25 Famous Women on Being Alone" list were said by Susan Caine and Audrey Hepburn.

2 / Since I love flowers, I was very curious about Apartment Therapy's post on "What Your Favorite Flower Says About You". I thought their descriptions for roses and peonies was pretty on point.

3 / Bungalow 5 describes what he considers a perfect day in Paris.

4 / "7 Assumptions We Need to Stop Making about Asian Americans" from Matador Network. Even though I think these are all pretty obvious, it's still worth sharing because #truth.

5 / Darling Magazine's breakdown of friendship break-ups is something I relate to. I've been in all the situations described.

6 / I don't deny that I love filters but I genuinely just enjoy enhancing my photos (without going overboard!). Career Girl Daily's "7 VSCO Cam Filters Settings For Better Instagram Photos" had me playing around with other settings more and I love how my IG photos have looked lately.

Loves

1 / I bought this mug months ago and barely used it. But then I used it a couple Saturdays ago and OMG it's amazing. It actually kept my coffee hot the entire day and when I knocked it over, nothing spilled.

2 / I was wary of all the hype around the beauty blender but I decided to give it a try and now I can't recommend it enough. I use it for foundation, concealer and blush.

3 / Knowing that fall was just around the corner, I started stocking up on booties and this is my first purchase. I've worn them so many times already. (Next up: need to find ones in black.)

***

Do you have any links or loves to share?
Would love to hear about them!

September Recap + Flights of Fantasy Update

Life lately

September has been a whirlwind. There’s no other way to describe it! I made the most of my Labor Day weekend knowing that the rest of the month would be crazy and it absolutely was. In the best way possible though. The rest of my weekends included: a bachelorette party, an engagement party (I’m going to be a bridesmaid for that wedding next year!) and of course my best friend’s wedding this past weekend, of which I was the Maid of Honor. So considering that it’s been all go go go lately, I can’t deny I’m relieved to have everything done. The introvert in me seriously needs a break to recharge and I plan to spend next month doing exactly that. But I am really happy for everything turned out beautifully.

This month's favorites

Read

Song "If I told you this was only gonna hurt If I warned you that the fire's gonna burn Would you walk in?  Would you let me do it first? Do it all in the name of love.."

Photo

On the blog

Book Reviews The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater The Possibility of Somewhere by Julia Day Leave Me by Gayle Forman Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake Like A River Glorious (Gold Seer Trilogy #2) by Rae Carson Afterward by Jennifer Mathieu The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia Everything else Empire of Storms Blog Tour: Aelin + Rowan Playlist

Features Links + Loves Flights of Fantasy Book Club #5: Sharon Shinn Short & Sweet (14) BookBags (41): Roald Dahl Blog Tour Stacking the Shelves (38) Personal What I'm Listening To | Podcasts Project Ice Cream continues Summer Bucket List Check-In

And my fantasy streak continues! It's funny because I was so sure that I wouldn't want to read any fantasy books this month after Empire of Storms but I had the opposite effect. I mean at first, I just didn't want to read anything else period. But then I found myself searching for another sweeping epic fantasy to just fall in love with. Nothing topped EoS (obviously!) but I did get hooked on a new series which I was happy about. Here's what I read this month: Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas, Feverborn (Fever #8) by Karen Marie Moning, A Darkly Beating Heart by Lindsay Smith, A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir, books 1-3 in the Elemental Blessings series by Sharon Shinn and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. That brings me to 8 books total!

How are you all doing on your challenge?

Feel free to link to any of your #FlightsofFantasy updates

 or a recent fantasy review in the linky below. 

And if you haven't joined the challenge yet, you can sign up here.  

Review: The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia

Collaborative feature with Alexa since Nov 2013. We read ARCs together and post our reviews on the same date.

The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia
pub 10/4/16 by Imprint
YA - Contemporary
Received ARC from publisher

Plot • Frankie Devereux has been living recklessly ever the violent death of her boyfriend. After one too many antics, she's forced to move in with her father, an undercover cop living in the Downs, the not-so-great part of town. She switches schools and it's there she meets Marco Leone, street car racer and bad boy with a past of his own.

Characters • I connected with both Frankie and Marco initially and I was all for the romantic tension that was obviously between them. But that feeling faded as the book progressed, which had to do with how the plot unfolded.

Writing • Even though it was a quick read, it reminded me way too much of Pushing the Limits and Crash Into You by Katie McGarry in terms of characters and story. Except I prefer McGarry's books.

Overall feelings • It had a really promising start but the insta-love and predictable over-the-top drama was just too much for me.

What's your dream car? • I really want a Mini Cooper Countryman! If I ever get tired of my Honda Fit, that'll definitely be my next car.