The Frog Prince Review

Hey guys it's Friday!

 I figured that I would finish the week off with a retelling of a classic fairy tale. The Frog Prince by Jenni James is a wonderful retake of the classic Frog Prince that we have all came to know and love. This book gives the reader an interesting twist on how a prince turned himself into a frog, in order to discover who his betrothed really is.

The description was taken from the Goodreads website:

 "A prince disguises himself to find true love—

Prince Nolan has had enough of Princess Blythe—the woman to whom he has been betrothed since infancy—and her simpering letters. Does the princess truly not have a brain in her head? Never before has he communicated with someone who seemed so childish and spoiled. It was time he met her for himself, to decide if he could actually follow through with this marriage. But to do it right, she must not see how handsome he is. He needs a disguise—something that would show him her true nature.

Nolan asks an old herb woman to transform him into a creature that is disgusting to any female—a frog. The spell will last thirty days unless the princess does the impossible and kisses him. Now the true test begins. Will Blythe prove to be as monstrously annoying as he believes she is, or will he learn to see past his judgments and find a loving princess waiting for him?"

Prince Nolan decides that he wants to meet the woman he married to see what exactly he is getting himself into. He decides that he needs to be turned into a frog, because it would give him the advantage to see just how Princess Blythe really is. When he gets turned into a frog and finds the Princess, he realizes that he got more than he bargained for, and is willing to see it to the end. Will Prince Nolan get his happily ever after or will he be forced to remain a frog forever?

This story had me laughing, and honestly gave me a new appreciation for The Frog Prince story in general. You will fall in love with Prince Nolan, and you get to see inside Princess Blythe's soul where you will be able to make your own judgement. Jenni takes the reader into a wonderful world and makes this fairy tale perfect for a newer generation. If you love fairy tale retellings, this is one retelling that you won't want to miss.

Go kiss a frog readers (only in your imagination through, don't really kiss a frog)!



Image taken from the Goodreads website!

Books On My Reading List For 2019

Hey Guys!

  So I decided to do a different type of post today than what I have recently done. I wanted to list some books that I am looking forward to reading in 2019. This is the year where a lot of amazing books are going to come out, and I am excited to read each one of them! I also thought this may interest my readers as well, in case you are looking for that special book to add to your reading collection this year. I have also made it a goal of mine to read more books this year, since I don't have to do homework anymore on the weekends! Some of these books will be published in 2019, and some have been previously published, but I haven't read them yet.

Let's get this list started! (These books are in no particular order)

• Stain by A.G. Howard

• Anastasia and Her Sisters by Carolyn Meyer

• Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley

• Again, But Better by Christine Riccio

• Romanov by Nadine Brandes

• Enchantee by Gita Trelease

• Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

• The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

All images taken from the Goodreads website. 

There are a lot more books that I can out on this list, but I decided to make this a two part post, because there are a lot of amazing books out there that I can't wait to get my hands on!

Enjoy the journey of reading friends!

Fierce Fairytales: Poems and Stories to Stir Your Soul Review

Happy Wednesday!

 I will be the first person to admit that I am not that big on poetry, however when I was walking down the book aisle in Target one day, I came across this book cover that drew me to it. When I picked up the book and read the description, I knew that this book had to come home with me, so that I could read it. And let me tell you, this was one of the best impulsive buys I have made in a while. Fierce Fairytales: Poems and Stories to Stir Your Soul by Nikita Gill, made me feel so empowered, and made me think about my life, and how I was able to relate to some of the stories.

The description was taken from the Goodreads website:

 "Poet, writer, and Instagram sensation Nikita Gill returns with a collection of fairytales poetically retold for a new generation of women.

Traditional fairytales are rife with cliches and gender stereotypes: beautiful, silent princesses; ugly, jealous, and bitter villainesses; girls who need rescuing; and men who take all the glory.

But in this rousing new prose and poetry collection, Nikita Gill gives Once Upon a Time a much-needed modern makeover. Through her gorgeous re-imagining of fairytale classics and spellbinding original tales, she dismantles the old-fashioned tropes that have been ingrained in our minds. In this book, gone are the docile women and male saviors. Instead, lines blur between heroes and villains. You will meet fearless princesses, a new kind of wolf lurking in the concrete jungle, and an independent Gretel who can bring down monsters on her own.

Complete with beautifully hand-drawn illustrations by Gill herself, Fierce Fairytales is an empowering collection of poems and stories for a new generation."

These stories have strong female and male characters in them that will make you see a lot of Fairytales and the world in general in a new light. The poems and stories do deal with some difficult topics, and will have you thinking about some of the Fairytales you know in a different light. This book will make you think about your life, and will help you find your inner strength to face anything the world may throw at you!

For Example, one of the poems in here that spoke to me was titled "Why Tinkerbell Quit Anger Management", which I have provided below from the book:

"I had to give up on their remedies. They kept trying to make me less angry, but I refuse to surrender my rage. Because whole kingdoms have already spent millennia trying to keep women subdued, only to be discarded in old age. My fury gets things done, it has saved lives, it has made the world listen where I could not speak, my anger has screamed. Think Helen of Troy when they took her freedom. Think the Rani of Jhansi leading rebellions. Think Joan of Arc leading armies on what she dreamed. So now I love my tinderbox heart so easy to light up, all it takes is half a spark. A woman's anger can change the world, I know mine can and this is not a gift I will give away. I am small and I am angry, it is how I channel my energy and I like me that way."

If this moved you in some way or lit a spark inside your soul, than go pick up a copy of this amazing book, because I promise they just keep getting better and better!

Go find your inner light readers!



Image taken from the Goodreads website.

The Genius of Jane Austen Through Quotes

Hey Guys!

 Today I wanted to do some quotes from my favorite author Jane Austen. Not many people know that the quotes that Jane Austen came up with were funny, intelligent, before her time, can fit in today's society, and are just amazing! I even used one of Austen's quotes at the bottom of my graduation invitations that had to do with education, and it fit perfectly. She has quotes about reading, life, relationships, inspirational, and in all honesty truthful. Here are some of her quotes that I absolutely love, that I found with Google!
























I hope you enjoyed these quotes! If you have a favorite quote by Jane Austen, please feel free to leave it in the comments!

The Secret Daughter of the Tsar: A Novel of the Romanovs Review

Happy Monday Readers!

 So today I will be reviewing a book that had me mesmerized and captivated until the very end. The Secret Daughter of the Tsar: A Novel of the Romanovs by the amazing Jennifer Laam. This book was the best book I have read in 2019 so far, plus I have always been obsessed with the story of the Romanovs, which lead me to getting this book in the first place.

The book description was taken from the Goodreads website:

 "A compelling alternate history of the Romanov family in which a secret fifth daughter—smuggled out of Russia before the revolution—continues the royal lineage to dramatic consequences

In her riveting debut novel, The Secret Daughter of the Tsar, Jennifer Laam seamlessly braids together the stories of three women: Veronica, Lena, and Charlotte. Veronica is an aspiring historian living in present-day Los Angeles when she meets a mysterious man who may be heir to the Russian throne. As she sets about investigating the legitimacy of his claim through a winding path of romance and deception, the ghosts of her own past begin to haunt her. Lena, a servant in the imperial Russian court of 1902, is approached by the desperate Empress Alexandra. After conceiving four daughters, the Empress is determined to sire a son and believes Lena can help her. Once elevated to the Romanov's treacherous inner circle, Lena finds herself under the watchful eye of the meddling Dowager Empress Marie. Charlotte, a former ballerina living in World War II occupied Paris, receives a surprise visit from a German officer. Determined to protect her son from the Nazis, Charlotte escapes the city, but not before learning that the officer's interest in her stems from his longstanding obsession with the fate of the Russian monarchy. Then as Veronica's passion intensifies, and her search for the true heir to the throne takes a dangerous turn, the reader learns just how these three vastly different women are connected. The Secret Daughter of the Tsar is thrilling from its first intense moments until its final, unexpected conclusion."

I know a lot of people are hesitant about reading books that are told from multiple characters point of view, however the way Jennifer transports the reader over different timelines is so seamless that the story just keeps flowing together, and all of the empty spaces are filled in perfectly. The story starts with Lena who's timeline is the same as the Romanovs, Charlotte is after the tragedy of the Romanovs, and Veronica's is present time. These three women are each special and strong in their own right, and their stories play a bigger role in the novel. I'm trying not to say too much about this book, because I don't want to give anything away, because trust me when the bomb is dropped, you won't see it coming until the moment Jennifer wants you to. Let's just say when I read it, I was screaming in the bathtub.

This story made me laugh, cry, and think about the possibility of this being true. The tragedy of the Romanovs was horrible, but Jennifer provides the reader with a historical fiction novel, that does not romanticize or disrespect the tragedy in any sort of form. If you love stories that make you get lost in time, with mystery, suspense, and just love history, you need to read this amazing book!

Have an amazing journey into the lives of the Romanovs my friends!



Image taken from the Goodreads website.

The Fake Boyfriend Experiment Review

Happy Friday Everyone!

 We have finally made it to Friday, and are on our way to an amazing weekend! Today I wanted to review a book that I read a while back that I could relate to at that time in my life. The Fake Boyfriend Experiment by Stephanie Rowe, is to me a YA romantic comedy, that left my sides hurting from so much laughter.

The description was taken from the Goodreads website:

 "Rafe Turner has a tattoo running from his wrist to his shoulder. His hair is a little too long. He doesn't need to rebel, because owning his life is already in his blood. He's way out of her league, for sure, but when Lily Gardner accidentally face plants through the window of his band's practice room, a connection is formed between Rafe and Lily that can't be shaken. When Rafe invites her to jam with his band, Lily knows the mega-talented drummer is exactly what she needs to fix her life. The fact that Rafe already has a girlfriend? No problem. It'll be enough if people simply think she's dating him…won't it? Lily is about to discover that finding her passion is a whole lot more complicated than a fake boyfriend…or two."

What would you do to get the attention of a sexy man that is out of our league? You create a fake boyfriend of course or at least in Lily's case she does. When Lily sees Rafe she has an instant crush on him, because honestly who doesn't love a good bad boy? Lily decides to let her friends think she is dating him, while she creates another boyfriend for Rafe to believe she is dating someone. Lily thinks she has everything worked out, but when the truth comes out will Lily lose everything she has or will she gain exactly what she wants?

Lily is every girl, who has created a fake boyfriend or has thought about creating a fake boyfriend, once in their life. Just because someone creates a fake boyfriend, doesn't mean they are doing it with mean intentions behind it, because sometimes it could be used to make someone seem more popular or it could protect you from unwanted attention. When I read this book, I connected with Lily on so many different levels. She is clumsy, silly, and everything she gets into will have you laughing out loud. The way Stephanie writes these characters will have you becoming best friends with them, and even maybe developing crushes on them as well. You get to see that Rafe is actually a man of different layers, and that Lily's deception works for a long period of time until the truth comes into light. You will laugh, cry, scream, and want to slap some characters in the process, but this is one book anyone who loves to read good feel books needs to read!

Have fun creating a fake boyfriend my fellow readers!



Image taken from the Goodreads website!

Fun Quotes About Reading By Various Authors

Hey Readers!

 So I decided that today I am going to do various quotes by authors on their thoughts of reading books. I decided to do this, because a lot of people are questioning why people read books and why some don't read anymore. Especially since Audible has become a huge thing now, and some people chose to listen to a book instead of holding one in their hands, which is totally their choice and is totally fine. I have tried Audible, and discovered listing to books just isn't really for me, which is okay because as long as people enjoy reading that's all I care about!

Here are some quotes I found on the internet!





















I hope you enjoyed these quotes, and that you can relate to them!

Until next time readers, go out an have an adventure!