Book Review: Immoral Code by Lillian Clark

I have started to receive intel on what books are coming out in 2019 and this book, Immoral Code by Lillian Clark, is definitely on my radar! Thanks to wonderful people at NetGalley -- I was able to get my hands on this beauty before everyone else and I must tell you -- if you enjoy mystery, espionage, computer coding, empowerment, and modern retellings of classic fairy tales; well this book is for you! The book is available for pre-order on Amazon.com and it is slated to be released on February 19, 2019.

Here is the book description: Ocean's 8 meets The Breakfast Club in this fast-paced, multi-perspective story about five teens determined to hack into one billionaire absentee father's company to steal tuition money.

For Nari, aka Narioka Diane, aka hacker digital alter ego "d0l0s," it's college and then a career at "one of the big ones," like Google or Apple. Keagan, her sweet, sensitive boyfriend, is happy to follow her wherever she may lead. Reese is an ace/aro visual artist with plans to travel the world. Santiago is off to Stanford on a diving scholarship, with very real Olympic hopes. And Bellamy? Physics genius Bellamy is admitted to MIT--but the student loan she'd been counting on is denied when it turns out her estranged father--one Robert Foster--is loaded.
Nari isn't about to let her friend's dreams be squashed by a deadbeat billionaire, so she hatches a plan to steal just enough from Foster to allow Bellamy to achieve her goals. Fast-paced and banter-filled, Lillian Clark's debut is a hilarious and thought-provoking Robin Hood story for the 21st century.

Book Review: Watersnakes by Tony Sandoval

I am coming up on the end of the year and I will admit I have been in a reading slump. I have plenty to read on my To Be Read pile, do not get me wrong, but I have not felt the urge to read. With going back to work and getting things back in order in my life and navigating being single as well as taking care of my parents -- life has been one hectic chaotic ride. Then I check my email and as per usual -- Net Galley has a book that just jumps out to me and had to be read in one sitting. Say hello to Watersnakes by Tony Sandoval.

This book was released on November 20, 2018. Here is the book description: Mila is a solitary teenager ready to put another boring summer vacation behind her until she meets Agnes, an adventurous girl who turns out to be a ghost. And not just a regular ghost, but one carrying the essence of an ancient fallen king and a mouth full of teeth that used to be his guardian warriors. Three-time Eisner Award-nominated writer/artist Tony Sandoval presents a wondrous world of secret places and dreamlike magic hidden in the everyday corners of our sleeping imagination.

Now I will say this -- I have not read anything by Tony Sandoval so I was excited to learn about a new author. I am also kind of disappointed that this book did not come out during Halloween as it is a stunningly illustrated ,beautifully creepy story but I think creepiness and all things Halloween is a all year thing so for that, I will let it slide. The artwork is simply beautiful; definitely dark which is an aesthetic I do enjoy and speaks to my big gothic heart. The story can be confusing at times and you need to re-read some points but that is all the fun of this story. Super weird, super gorgeous. This book will become part of my bookshelf. If you are a fan of Coraline by Neil Gaiman, you will love this book!

Countdown to Christmas 2018

Besides Halloween, I will admit I still get excited for Christmas time. Things just seem to be more magical in the month of December.Now for the third year in a row life has been hard -- this year from having my own health crisis to having heartbreak yet again but it was a lesson learned the hard way and quite easily which put me back on my path of growth. I am big on traditions and routines so here is an outline. Most of the things will be done either by myself or with my friends and family. Also, just because there is a date attached does not mean it will happen on that date unless it is specific events with tickets attached -- it is more of a checklist.

November 23rd: Visit the Union Square Holiday Market (Done!)
November 24th: Attend Halestorm and In This Moment concert at Hammerstein Ballroom (Done! Had a fantastic time!)
November 25th: Start reading the book The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand. Finish it by Christmas.
November 26th: Make Christmas playlist on Spotify (Done!)
November 27th: Get holiday cards. (Done!)
November 28th: Wear mistletoe headband. (Done!)
November 29th: Watch the movie Die Hard (Done!)
November 30th: Start writing out holiday cards (Done!)
December 1st: Watch the movie Scrooged. (Done!)
December 2nd: Visit Artists and Fleas at 568 Broadway (at Prince Street)
December 3rd: Order 2019 calendars on Amazon (Done!)
December 4th: Watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (Done!)
December 5th: Mail out holiday cards. (Done!)
December 6th: Get a holiday inspired manicure. Make sure one nail is sparkly!
December 7th: Watch A Nightmare Before Christmas. (Done!)
December 8th: Read one story in the collection My True Love Gave To Me (Done! Read the story Polaris is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han)
December 9th: Build a gingerbread house (Did not do this year as I did not want to do it by myself)
December 10th: Watch He-Man & She-Ra A Christmas Special (Done!)
December 11th: Get a holiday inspired candle from Bath and Body Works. (Done!)
December 12th: Go visit the Rockefeller Center tree
December 13th: Go watch some ice skaters in Bryant Park and walk around the Winter Village. (Done!)
December 14th: Go see Anna and the Apocalypse in theaters (Could not see it in theaters as it was taken out due to low sales. :( )
December 15th: Cozy up in some pajamas and watch the Pee Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special.
December 16th: Watch Home Alone (Done!)
December 17th: Start reading the book Together at Midnight by Jennifer Castle. Finish it by New Years Eve by midnight.
December 18th: Watch The Christmas Chronicles on Netflix
December 19th: Wear ugly Christmas sweater to work. (Done!)
December 20th: Watch A Charlie Brown Christmas (Done!)
December 21st: Start my Yule candle ritual. (Done!)
December 22nd: Watch The Original Christmas Classics (Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, The Little Drummer Boy) on DVD (Done!)
December 23rd: Watch Gremlins.
December 24th: Watch Red Christmas.
December 25th: CHRISTMAS!!! Watch The Muppets Christmas Carol and spend time with my loved ones.

Have a very merry holiday season!

Book Review: Shakespeare's Sonnets, Retold: Classic Love Poems with a Modern Twist by William Shakespeare and James Anthony

Ahhhh the Bard. His words are still studied and read today and it makes my big literary heart happy. When I received this galley -- my heart jumped for joy as I feel everyone should read Shakespeare as well as classic literature. While I love the poetic language of Shakespeare, it's nice to have a modern translation side-by-side with it; that way you get both the poetry and the meaning. I can understand the trepidation of reading the original work as his words can be hard to understand so when modern retellings are brought forth into the world -- people should scoop them up. I studied Shakespeare while in college and while it is rare that a remake or a retelling will be better than original; the use of current language in this book makes the Sonnets much easier to read and understand. This was a great read and I could see this text being used in classrooms and for teaching tools, especially in mine. Thank you James Anthony and Penguin First To Read for giving me the gift of this book!

Here is the book description. This book is set to be released on November 13, 2018 to major and independent booksellers. James Anthony has long enjoyed poetry with a strict adherence to beat, rhythm, and rhyming patterns, which he likens to the very best pop songs. This drew him to the rewarding 14-line structure of Shakespeare’s sonnets, yet he often found their abstract language frustratingly unintelligible. One day, out of curiosity, he rewrote Sonnet 18—Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day—line-by-line, in the strict five-beat iambic pentameter and rhyming patterns of the original, but in a contemporary language a modern reader could easily understand. The meaning and sentiment—difficult to spot, initially—came to life, revealing new intricacies in the workings of Shakespeare's heart.And so, James embarked on a full-time, year-long project to rewrite all 154 of the Bard's eternal verses creating SHAKESPEARE'S SONNETS, RETOLD. This collection of masterful reinterpretations brilliantly demystifies and breathes new life into Shakespeare's work, demonstrating the continued resonance of a playwright whose popularity remains over 400 years after his death. Now, the passion, heartbreak, deception, reconciliation, and mortality of Shakespeare’s originals can be understood by all, without the need to cross reference to an enjoyment-sapping study-guide. Coming with a foreword by Stephen Fry, this is a stunning collection of beautiful love poems made new.

Book Review: Choosing Me -- Love Letters from a Poet by Bill Weber

I am pleasantly surprised at the power of Instagram. It has brought forth to me some amazing people -- two life coaches, vivacious bookworms like myself, and inspiring authors. As most of you know I am going through a period of growth that is filled with positivity and that energy has manifested in my Instagram account.

When I was contacted by Bill Weber about his book Choosing Me -- Love Letters from a Poet, I felt this calling. I had to read this book. I had to HAVE this book. An opportunity arose for me to read it before everyone else. The universe is giving me all of this great energy and positivity and is sharing it with the world. This book is available for pre-order on Amazon and it goes on sale to the general public on December 1, 2018.

Here is the book description: Every time we make love is another opportunity to recognize how the spiritual principles of Yin and Yang represent themselves through the design of our bodies and the pleasures of the experience. It is another opportunity to experience the joy of transcending the illusion of duality, and another step along the spiritual journey of awakening to the true nature of our being. Making love is a physical expression of the interplay of Yin and Yang energy, , a joyous celebration of the human body, a sensual fountain of pleasures, a regenerating process of sacred energetic potential, and a hint of the joy of the heaven of enlightenment. Savor the sacredness of the being you are with. Savor the intimacy of the connection. Savor the ebb and flow of energy. Savor every sensation. Savor the sacredness.

Now I will admit -- when I started to read this book it made me blush a lot due to the content. There is an element of eroticism in these poems. I will admit -- the genre of eroticism/romance I normally do not read. I am happy and grateful that this book took me out of my comfort zone of reading. I am also happy and grateful that there are people out there who yearn to keep the spark of love alive in their relationships. It is the ultimate life force and my main priority is feeling good as much as I can. So when I started reading this book I felt happy. I felt good. That is what it is all about. It was also refreshing to see a man step out of his comfort zone of romance. His words just flow onto the page creating a myriad of images in my head; filling my soul with warmth. Plus the fact that this man is essentially honoring women, in particular his partner, it is a glorious sight to read and makes me wish to have a man in my life who is so expressive with his words.

If you are a fan of poetry, romance, love, eroticism, and feeling good as much as you possible can -- GET THIS BOOK. I highly recommend.

Book Review: This Is a Whoopsie! by Andrew Cangelose and Josh Shipley

As most people are aware -- my career is in education. I am constantly on the look out for inspiring childrens books that I can bring into the classroom; age appropriate content with a real life connection and how my students can relate to the story. Currently I am working in Kindergarten so building that foundation of literacy as well as social development is crucial at such a young age. When I saw this book available on Net Galley I immediately jumped on it. I mean, how can you say no to a cute moose on the cover? This book was released on October 16, 2018 and is by the same author of This is a Taco, which features a cameo of Taco.

Here is the book description: This is supposed to be a book about all the different things moose can do, like leaping and jumping and being really tall. But maybe Whoopsie isn't the right moose for the job. You might want to pick a different moose for this book. Maybe instead we can do a book about falling down a lot? Yeah! Whoopsie would be great at that.This hilarious book about a clumsy moose shows that sometimes being a little different can make one great story.

What I loved about this book is the message it provides -- finding what you are good at when you are constantly aware of what you are not good at. It is perfect to have that reflection and introspection but also knowing to not dwell in the negative self talk. It has a great message that we all make mistakes and that we learn from them. Plus the fact that I am a klutz myself, I was quick to identify with Whoopsie, which is also crucial with children's education -- if they can relate to the character in the story, the message and lesson will be learned. I also loved the facts about the animal known as the moose thrown in. Furthermore as I read this book I had a smile on my face. How can you not enjoy a book that makes you laugh? Finally the illustrations are clever and bring the reader in with a sense of feeling involved.

I absolutely adored and loved this book. It is really adorable and it is highly recommended for both the classroom and for home.

Countdown to Halloween -- 2018 Edition

My favorite holiday, besides my birthday, is Halloween. I am drawn to all things Halloween/Autumn -- vampires, zombies, werewolves, cheesy 80s horror movies, dressing up, anything pumpkin flavored or scented, sweater weather... Just love it! With that said I thought it would be cool to do a COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN activities list. Most of this stuff will be done by myself. Yes I know there are dates attached but I am using it more as a check off list.

October 1st: Watch the movie The Lost Boys (Done!)
October 2nd: Watch the movie Nightmare on Elm Street (original with Robert Englund) (Done!)
October 3rd: Watch the movie Hotel Transylvania.
October 4th: Read a short story a day in Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King (Done! Mile 81)
October 5th: Watch the movie Venom in theaters (Done!)
October 6th: Watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show. (Done!)
October 7th: Watch the season 9 premiere of The Walking Dead (Done!)
Watch the cartoon Its the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (Done!)
October 8th: See the movie Halloween in theaters
October 9th: Watch the movie Hellraiser (Done!)
October 10th: Watch the movie House of 1000 Corpses. (No way to watch it. Maybe next year I will buy the DVD)
October 11th: Watch the movie Psycho (original Alfred Hitchcock version). (Done!)
October 12th: Watch the Universal classic horror movies Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. (Done!)
October 13th: Visit Last Rites Gallery (Did not get to go. Its okay. Another time)
October 14th: Get candles with a cinnamon or pumpkin smell from Bath and Body Works for my room. (Could not afford candles from Bath and Body Works for instead I got candles from the dollar store with a vanilla apple cinnamon smell. They will do)
October 15th: Get a pumpkin spice chai latte at Argo Tea
October 16th: Watch the movie Beetlejuice (Done!)
October 17th: Watch the movie Interview with The Vampire (Netflix)
October 18th: Watch the movie Hocus Pocus. (Done!)
October 19th: Attend Stephen Lynch concert (Done! Had such a fun time!)
October 20th: Watch the movie Carrie (the original version with Sissy Spasek) (Done!)
October 21st: Watch the movie The Evil Dead
October 22nd: Watch the movie The Craft (Done!)
October 23rd: Howl at the moon....lol....maybe not but instead maybe get a beauty treatment that is pumpkin scented or fall inspired. (Still have my pumpkin sleeping face mask from last year. Score!)
October 24th: Attend She Wants Revenge concert. (Did not physically attend due to reasons but was there in spirit via Spotify playlist made by my best friend)
October 25th: HAPPY BIRTHDAY VERONICA! Watch the movie Veronica in honor. (Netflix) (Done!)
October 26th: Watch Tales of Halloween (Netflix)
October 27th: Watch the movie Coraline (Netflix) (Done!)
October 28th: Watch the movie Teen Witch (Done!)
October 29th: Get a fall inspired color manicure.
October 30th: Watch The Shining (Done!)
October 31st: HALLOWEEN!! Give an acorn to loved ones for good luck and fortune in the new year and get a tarot card reading for guidance for the year to come. (Done!)

What are you doing for October/Halloween?