Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars.

Before I start the huge rant that I am about to go into, I feel it is my duty to warn all my readers that there are major spoilers to the book and possibly the movie in this post. I haven't seen the movie yet because I wanted to read the book first-- but since it is an adaption, still be warned.


First off, I want to go ahead and say that this is not just another normal "this girl is dying of Cancer" book. Yes, she-- Hazel Grace-- is dying of Cancer and yes, as you might have guessed from passing the movie poster in the theater or the movie cover in the store, there is a boy involved. It is an adorable movie that many girls would love to see with their boyfriends and their boyfriends, if the movie is anything like the book, will probably be asked afterwards "What would you do if I was dying of Cancer" but believe me, it is not just a normal romance book of death and tears.. though those do come with it.

Hazel Grace is this amazingly strong person who doesn't believe she is strong. She wakes up each morning, fighting cancer of the lungs and more and pretty much just spends her life watching television with an over protective mother and an often gone because of work father. She was forced to go to some Support Group for Cancer kids and there she meets a boy named Augustus Waters who had his leg cut off due to cancer and was told he had about a 70 to 80% survival rate. He came because his friends Issac has Cancer in his eyes and wanted his friend to be there.

Anyway, there is an underlying part of this book that Gus and Hazel often talk about which is another book. A book that is beautiful and is also a Cancer book but it seems that the book doesnt end, or it does, but not properly so for the readers. This make Hazel angry and yearning for answers. Gus, being the amazingly perfect boyfriend that every teen girl will ever want in a man, spends his Wish (like the kids from the Make A Wish Foundation) getting him and her to Amsterdam so she could meet the author and ask him questions herself. (Sweet right!?)

Anyway, you think that this book is going to end with the girl dying, which you are ready for but here is the kicker.. this book talks up this amazing hearted boy who is in a high percentile rate for surviving.. and HE is the one to kick it. This pissed. me. off! I could see it coming in some small way but you really hope that it isn't true and the author isn't that big of an asshole. But he is.. not that he isn't a good writer. I mean he is just captivating in this story.. but you get angry too.

This book has its good points and its bad. I think it really leaves people with a fear of the oblivion with even more issues about the topic. Wondering if they will ever leave their mark on someone or something or ever be remembered. But for those who have someone, I think it will remind them that they are special, or at least to one person in their life.

Now, for the kicker. This books ending will SUCK and you will be left saying "Please tell me this book is missing the last twenty pages or something!" Yup, that's right.. just like the book mentioned in the story it Ends, but it doesn't really End. You have questions. Does she die? When? What about her mother? What about Issac? WHAT ABOUT SISYPHIS THE HAMSTER!? (A Joke you will get once you read the book.)

Now I know you might think, 'Well hey, why the hell read the book when she just told me all about it?" Because honestly, I haven't begun to explain in pure love and pure hatred, the detail of this book. Read it. Love it. Hate it. And keep it with you forever.

I explained this book on my Facebook and on a book review as the book that I do not know whether to hate with the deepest and darkest passion, or to love more then almost any other book I have ever read.

Read it for yourself and decide. Because there is no way I can begin to portray the beauty in this book with a simple review and my own feelings.

Read it my friends.

Read it.

A Stay At Home Single Mother-- Warning: RANT

I am tired of many things. I am tired of people thinking that being a Mom is not a job. I am tired of people thinking that being a Student isn't hard. Most of all, I am tired of people who only do one or the other, or work, thinking that doing all three is no big deal.. and then add a relationship to it

I just finished my first year of school out of, supposedly, three. I am getting my Bachelor's in Business Management with an Emphasis in Human Resources and a minor in Writing. I am going to Globe University which is an online college based out of the MN, School of Business. I am also a stay at home mother, who is single right now though my daughter and I still live in the same home as her father, whom the 7 year relationship between us ended in August.

First off, being a full time student is hard, even online. I have to be a full time student for my FAFSA to pay off my schooling, or at least most of it. Then, there is being a mother. Something very important to me. Right now my daughter is turning five in January and then will start school next November if I got everything correct. Until then, she is at home with me doing her pre-k stuff here at home.

Being single can be lonely. Especially when you watch your ex, who you are still friends with and care about (in a loving way but not a relationship way) start his second relationship since you have been broken up. And this time, really be happy. I am even friends with the girl, and she is great.  But yes, I can get lonely. Now, my original plan was to stay single and jobless unless I finished school in 2017. The school helps you find a good paying job based off of your degree and everything. Not to mention, I figured being in school full time would take away from me being in a relationship and giving that my full attention.. so single I stay.

Then I decided that maybe I will at least get a part time job when Abbi starts school. That way I can do it during the day while she is at school and get to be with her here at night, do our homework together, play with each other and I can put her to bed.

My ex though, was talking to me the other day because although I have reasons for staying single, I do tend to complain that I hate not having anybody. Anyway, he said to find someone while I am in school because it is perfect time to find someone who wont mind me doing something important to me. So I said "oh yeah, that is a turn on. Hi there, not only do I have a five year old child but I am also a student full time, if you want to do anything you will have to pay." So that started up his argument about getting a job. I don't think that actually helps the relationship thing any. He might go to work and have a relationship and find time to spend with his daughter, but he isnt a student. Can you imagine? Going to school full time and needing to set time aside for work, going to work even part time especially right now when my daughter is home all day, then finding time to actually spend with her and then trying to fit in a relationship too? It just doesnt work.

I am tired of having the argument that I can be a mom, be in a relationship, go to school, and go to work all at the same time. Some people can do it and damn bravo to them. But right now, it does not suit me. I can not do it because I tend to focus on one thing more then the other and juggling two things right now is a hell of a lot better then juggling three or four. I am trying to better myself..why can no one understand that? I guess it just makes me lazy or stupid. That is what I have heard before.

I will figure it out.

This is just a rant.

A Mommy's Job

I don't know about all you other mommy's out there, but when my little one get's sick I just want the whole world to be kind and realize that this little angel isn't feeling well. My daughter is just like me-- a great immune system. Sure we get cold's a couple times a year but that is about it. She is four and she has only ever thrown up once in her life-- not including spitting up as a baby but even that was minimal-- but the other day, she got sick eight times in three hours. Poor thing woke up the next morning with a 102 degree fever and we spent most of the day in the ER making sure she didn't have pnemonia or strep. Good thing is, it was just a 48 hour bug in the stomach.

Unforunately, this bug passed by quick from the little one to me. Now as a mommy I think all of usknow that when we are sick-- too bad for us. We need to keep pushing on and be there for our little ones and you know what? I am okay with that. Being a mommy means that we lose our chance at staying in bed all day when we are sick. We still need to be there for our babies to play or make them food, bathe them and be there for them. But if you are anything like me, knowing that being a mommy is the best thing in the world, then it doesn't bother you so much. Luckily, I was blessed with a beautiful and self-sufficient little girl who doesn't mind watching educational shows on Netflix and playing in the living room all day while mommy rests on the couch until she is needed.

We are both getting better though so thank you for all the well wishes from friends and family, and look for my next post soon!

Shadowhunters and High Warlocks

I am a huge reader, but a picky one. Anyone else? I could go months without finding a book that captures my attention but once a book or a series has it-- I am hooked.

This happened to me last year with the author Cassandra Clare. She has written The Mortal Instruments Series, The Infernal Devices Series, The Chronicles of Magnus Bane, The Shadowhunter Codex, and while working on the new Shadowhunter Series The Dark Artifices, she is also working on a new series with Holly Black called The Iron Trials.

Anyway, the Shadowhunter world has me hooked-- so much so that I plan to read everything she ever writes about them and I even have a tattoo on my foot, my first tattoo, of the Angelic Rune which is a major symbol for the books. Cassandra Clare got my back into writing and into writing the series I am currently working on.

But for the reason of the post-- I got my hardback copy of The Chronicles of Magnus Bane today. He is a bisexual warlock, absolutely adorable, and a main secondary character for multiple Shadowhunter series. These are little tales about him that happened throughout his centuries of living and I can not wait to get started. Since The Dark Artifices doesnt come out until next year, I needed something to keep me from going crazy without my Shadowhunters, so I am glad the book came out now. They had each individual story on Ebook but I am a lover of the real thing and I figured why not buy them once and all together anyway.

So readers, you tell me, is there a book, author, or series out there that you are just obsessed over? I know I am not the only one!

Oh The Weather Outside Is Frightful..

Hello everyone from the very chilly Illinois!

Is anyone else out there experiencing some very brisk, white-falling weather today?

I thought that since the weather was changing, I would talk about something that everyone seems to be dealing with. Higher Electric/Gas bills because of the colder weather.

Now, if your house is like mine, your electricity intake rules! I can keep every light in my house on most of each day a month and still only pay a hundred bucks on electricity charges. What really gets me and my ex/room mate in the winter is gas charges because our heater and hot water runs off of gas.

A helpful tip? Buying space heaters. Really, it does help. Especially if the case is that your house is great with electricity. I want to go ahead and review a product that I recently bought two of from Walmart.com. The Pelonis Fan-Forced Heater with Thermostat. This little fan-forced heater has done just an amazing job in our house. I bought two, one for my daughter's room and one for the living room where I am currently rested up.

In my daughters room, this little thing heats up the room fast and then shuts itself off when it reaches a very comfortable temperature that I have it set at and kicks right back on if it cools down in the room at all. It is barely even on because the heat just comes out of it so wonderfully and stays in the room for a good deal of time before fading.

In the living room, I obviously need it on a right level setting and it is usually kept on all the time because my living room, dining room, and kitchen connect, so the little thing has no rest when it comes to reaching these rooms, but it does a beautiful job. Keeps a very good temperature in the living room, slightly cooler in the dining room and a bit cooler in the kitchen, but I feel that if I wanted to get another one to heat from the opposite side of the house-- the kitchen through to the living room, my house would be a very nice, warm sanctuary from the cold.

Now, I am reviewing this product because I know that as much as we all want to go out ad get the expensive heaters or the faux fireplaces that can just blast our home with summer heat, we can not always afford that. So, for the low price of $14.94 at Walmart.com with free store pick up or home-delivery option, this little thing does the trick.

No need to worry about kids burning themselves because the fan keeps the heater cool to the touch and like I said, you can have it on low heat or turn the dial way up to high and you can have it on low, medium, or high forced air. But if you also want something you dont have to put away or waste money on in the summer, this little thing has just a normal fan mode too!

Really, from one cold mommy to a whole crowd of readers out there, this little thing did not disappoint.

Stay warm!

Guilty Pleasures on Netflix

So, as someone who does not have cable due to saving money, I am certainly someone who is obsessed with Netflix. Yes, this does mean that I have to wait for the new seasons of Supernatural ad The Walking Dead to come out, but I am okay with this, for the most part.

 My stream as a ton of movies I have yet to watch but is constantly growing because I add pretty much everything on there that I can find that I will watch at some point before it is removed from streaming. I also have a ton of shows from the oldies like Cheers, to the underground fandoms like The Secret Circle, and BBC Jewels like Doctor Who and Merlin. Not to mention that Netflix has educational shows that keeps my four year old more then entertained. Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood has been a godsend on teaching my daughter about potty training in the past, being polite and more.

However, I do think many people have a guilty pleasure whether on cable or on Netflix or Hulu. Mine used to be Gossip Girl before I finished it off, and since then I really haven't found a show that I wanted to watch that I would consider a guilty pleasure. Until recently. After watching Dancing with the Stars this season and last's on ABC's website, I was drawn in to a show that an actor and actress had both come from to DwtS. Ready? Okay.. it is..

Pretty Little Liars.

I know, I know! A Show about four teen girls seems to be asking me to watch a show with a lot of drama and teen angst in it, but really, it is actually a pretty interesting modern mystery that left me thinking "Holy Crap" at the end of Seasons Two. Currently I am in the beginning of Season Three and catching up until I am forced to wait for the next season. But really, I am loving it and sitting and swooning over cute boys again, handsome men, left wondering who A is or Red Coat and then also left wondering not only why I couldn't have such good friends in high school, but why my high school experience couldn't be that interesting too. Not that I would want a friend of mine to die or be constantly blackmailed or threatened by someone, but just by the intrigue of it.

Anyway, that is my confession. I love watching Pretty Little Liars. I think Ezra and Caleb are gorgeous, Toby is adorable, and my favorite girl is Aria. Really though, now I am curious....

Do you have a guilty pleasure on Netflix and are ya open enough to share.

--"A".

You Learn About Someone Through Their Pinterest Posts

When I first heard about Pinterest, I wasn't sure it was something I was going to be interested in. Getting on a site and looking at pictures.. nothing but pictures? Really? Then, I actually got on to one of my friends who wanted to show me some ideas for something I was thinking about doing and I was just blown away.

I think what I liked most about Pinterest was the huge community of people that surround it and how you can find people just like you or connect to people through images. I have about 70 different folders or more and those are just the ones that I have on public. Some things I look up I like to keep to myself. But I can find things from craft ideas and children learning ideas to pictures from my favorite fandoms, things on relationships, things on being single, on being a mom, a being a woman, learning to sew or cook or build, to Do it Yourself projects and home renovation techniques. Really, the site is amazing.

I have looked through some Pinterest boards and ended up becoming connected to people who are fellow Whovian's or Book Junkies like I am, and really, I love it. I go on, see that their posts are so similar to mine that if we were to meet in real life we would be instant friends. I think it is really great and in all honesty, you ca really learn a lot about someone through their Pinterest posts.

The First Post Of Many

Do you know what I just so happen to be doing right now? 

I am skimming through my Pinterest, listening to Just A Game by Birdy on my Spotify, and writing to you nice people. 

I have tried writing blogs before that had a specific theme to them. I wanted to write a blog all about being a new mommy a few years back on Tumblr, and last year I attempted to do a blog that reviewed movies and shows that I watched that were either new, I found on Netflix or rented from a local movie store, but I always found myself slipping behind and leaving my readers without posts for days, weeks, sometimes months.

I am a writer, you see, but as far as writing goes, I share the same disadvantage as other writers do and I sort of fall off the grid after a while when the motivation stops. As I was skimming through my Pinterest though, I found some comments about blogging on just your life. What happens to you each day or each week. Believe it or not, some people actually read that. I am one of them. Sure, there will come a person or two that leaves a comment saying "Why are you writing this junk? Who cares what you had for breakfast or that you and your daughter went out for ice cream? Who wants to read that you are having relationship issues? Boo hoo, someone just wants attention." 

But then I thought about it.. doesn't everyone in some way? I can choose to write in my blog anything I want, knowing that I may or may not get readers, knowing that if I do some of them could be supportive strangers or others could be inconsiderate people I know down the street. In the end though, I am writing about my life from my perspective and you as a reader can either choose to read or not to read. You can be supportive or be silent. You can keep reading, or you can ignore me all together and my "attention seeking posts" about my life, my daughter, hobbies, schooling and so many other things. I will keep writing, because I know that out there, is someone like me who wants to find a blog about someone who talks about their lives. Searching for that blog that does the occasional movie review, talks about relationship issues, or mentioned what they had for breakfast, just so I can sit on the other end-- or you can, and say "Hey, this is a real person just like me, and I like that movie too."

So here I am in all my emotionally-naked glory, warning you that this blog might not always be exciting, it might not always be agreeable, it might not always be pretty-- but it is real, I am real, and if you ever need someone to listen to you too, I am here.

This is my blog-- Life and Nothing Like It.