Soldier (Talon #3) by Julie Kagawa

WOW...

That was a lot of emotions I went through.

And I know I will put myself through it again by picking up the fourth book RIGHT after I post this.

Julie knows how to pull me in and stab me right when it gets intense. WHY JULIE? WHY?

This book was action and drama from the first page to the last, and with each on the danger grew and grew and I was on the edge of my seat, itching to grab the book each minute I was at work. All I wanted to do was read it at the break table or right at the register (maybe if I ask my manager nicely he'll let me do that in the future...he does like me).

I found myself bouncing back and forth between Riley and Garret just like Ember was doing (sorry spoiler on the romance), and I couldn't pick one of them. At some times I felt Riley was getting a little too like...controlling, but by the end it seemed like he learned that he wasn't the only one and became a big boy.

But now I don't know where the story is gonna go, and I only have the fourth book in my possession because the store didn't have the fifth one available when I went the other day!!!! So now I'm debating picking up the fourth book until I have Inferno and start with other ones that I have waiting in my TBR pile for the next year.

Mean...I'm going to do it. But it's going to hurt me I just know it.

This review is also so short and quick because it's late, the year is almost over, I want to start the next book to POSSIBLY complete my reading challenge (if not it's only one book what's the big deal), and I have to get ready to work a closing shift at a party store on New Year's Eve. Wish me and my co workers luck.

I gave Soldier 5 stars because it was an amazing read. I love Julie Kagawa's writing and all the stories that I've read from her. There's only one series I haven't read yet but I have the first book so that's a start!

Please tell me if you've read any of these books so we can talk about all of these emotions I'm feeling, because I need someone to talk with me about the Talon series.

Get ready for me to try and post more in 2020!

À bientôt!

Rogue (Talon #2) by Julie Kagawa

Dragons, adventure, twins, and more were the reasons that I started to read the Talon series by Julie Kagawa.

Sadly it took me a while to go from reading the first one to getting my hands on the second, and then reading that one as well. But luckily when I started to read the second book, I was able to remember that first one (or at least most of the first one in the series hehe). But at least I have the next two books so I can read them now.

One of the things that I really like about the series is the fact that the main characters, Ember and Dante, were twins. It's a small thing, but being a twin myself made me understand the connection that they had more than if I had no siblings, so I really liked it. It was a way for me to feel more connected to the story. Though since they were separated in this book it was a different feeling. It reminded me of when my sister and I were both away at college. Hours apart from each other, but I still cared about her, just like Ember and Dante cared about each other while being apart.

And I'm always a sucker for two guys pining for the same girl, especially if I also like both of the guys. Though I must say I'm more into Riley/Cobalt than I am Garret, but that's just me haha. I admire how both of them care for Ember and they just want her to be happy in her choice, whatever that may be.

Then, of course, there's the whole dragon aspect of the book. Anything with a dragon and I'm in. I find them so interesting and majestic. Honestly, sometimes I get sad when I remember they aren't mythical (or at least not alive today, who knows if they once were real!)

When it came into play, I knew one of the plot twists before it happened because it just seemed TOO much of a coincidence. Right place, right time, but wrong at the same time, how could they not have seen that coming? However, I didn't know exactly how the twist would go, so it did surprise me at the same time, which is a way to tell it's a good story!

I don't want to spoil too much, even though the book has been out for a little bit, but someone might not have read it yet and I'd hate to ruin the experience.


I rated Rogue 5 stars out of 5. And I can't wait to start the third book, Soldier, just as soon as I get the time after editing a bit more for NaNoWriMo!

Have you read Talon and Rogue? What did you like about them? What did you think about Garret at the end of the book? I feel like it's the right move for him, but I know he's gonna come back to join them all again.


À bientôt!


Photo/Gif creds: dragon kite,

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

When I heard that Julie was writing another book, I didn't even read what the summary was, I just went searching for it. Then I learned it was about foxes (or more specifically kitsunes), dragons, magic, and Japanese folklore/legends, I got even more excited. I found the link and preordered the book as soon as I had the money. Then I had to wait for about a month.

Once the book finally came in, all I did was take a few photos and then put it on my desk at school. I'm not the best at reading a book right when I get it or reading more than one book at a time. I didn't get around to reading it until after I graduated college (which is still crazy to think about).

Finally, now that I'm done the book, I think I'm able to put into words what I liked about it, and (unsurprisingly because I give easy reviews and love Julie) there was like...nothing I didn't like about the book besides the fact it ended and I don't immediately have the second one in my hands right now.

Spoilers will be said, I've figured that since I read books so far away from release and sort of after their hype that I won't censor myself while writing these. I won't give away the main plot, or the big twists, but I won't keep small details to myself that I liked.

So let's start off with one of the things that really drew me to this book: foxes, or as in this book, kitsunes. Foxes are one of my favorite animals of all time (the other being a cat) so I loved the inclusion of the character of Yumeko. I almost wished that this book was a show or had pictures because I would have loved to see her in her fox form, or at least with her ears. I also felt that Yumeko as a character was compelling and the fact that her true nature of being kind and caring to others around her didn't change as difficult situations came in front of her.

One thing I liked about this book, which is something that not a lot of people like in their books, was the multiple POVs. I think because the first book to really get me back into reading was in multiple POVs that I like to read books that way, so having three different POVs in this book wasn't something that bugged me at all. It was also done in a way that I always knew who it was without putting their name. The first chapter of each section was sort of a third person POV, then it switched from Yumeko and Tatsumi every other chapter. So I was able to follow along.

I thought the concept of Tatsumi being the bearer of Hakaimono and having to control a literal demon inside of him was great. It added to his character to almost give a different take on the dark, brooding, male character with dark hair and beautiful eyes. At first, I couldn't tell if Hakaimono or Kamigoroshi was the demon, or if the sword was the demon, but that might just be me haha.

Now, I might not be the best person to comment on this because, well...I'm white and have never really looked into these sorts of contexts/stereotypes, but I felt that the way Julie wrote this book in regards to the kami and yokai was very researched and also kind. The kami weren't immediately seen as someone who is bad, just someone who can use magic. Yokai weren't 100% seen as bad, but they were more seen as demons then the kami but left alone for the most part.

As for romance in this book...I want Tatsumi and Yumeko to be endgame...just because their dynamic was so great, and I feel that she can defeat Hakaimono with her bare hands if need be to get him back.

Have you read this book yet? What did you think of it? And if you haven't, what's the thing that brought you to this book in the first place?

I can't wait to get the second book in my hands...just need to read a few more books on the TBR!

À bientôt!

Photo/GIF creds: my photo of the book, kitsune, heart,

The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell - A Book Review

I got this book as a Goodreads giveaway (my first win!) and I put off reading it for a while because I had so many other books in my TBR that I wanted to read, and I think that I wanted to wait for the right time to read it. And the beginning of my last semester of undergrad felt like the time.

Now, due to it being my last semester, I only read the book when my homework was done (or done enough that I didn't have to stress the rest of the night or into the morning). I really needed them good grades. When I was able to read I was able to get at least five chapters done at a time, so I was able to read through it decently quickly. Still, it took me SEVEN MONTHS TO READ IT IN TOTAL.

Reading speeds do vary from person to person, and even from book to book, but I get so ashamed in myself when I take this long to read a book. My reading challenge isn't happy with me either, but I'm still happy that I was able to finish it!

I was so enamored by the characters and the storyline. I found myself wanted to dress up like Esta or Viola while I was reading it because the description of their outfits was something I was into. So was Harte but I digress. ANYWAY, the twists and turns in this book threw me, even if I sort of saw them coming, because of how the reader was introduced to them. It was through another character's eyes and it was their shock that became my shock.


When I first got this book (or first entered the giveaway) I wasn't 100% sold on it, but thank goodness that I won it or I would probably never read this book as soon as I did! When I wasn't reading the book, I was thinking about it, wondering who the Magician was, what they wanted, and eating up every intense moment between Esta and Harte.

I really liked the mix of present day and past New York in the story too. The differences, while not the main focus of the book, were nice and perfect enough to transport me there. The inclusion of the Brink that surrounded the city I liked as well because it added danger to the characters, and brought even more intrigue to the plot.

My favorite in the story was Esta. Her love for everyone and the internal fight she had when just trying to go about her mission was something that I related to (not that I've ever traveled time) and I found myself rooting for her at every turn. I also really liked Dolph. He, in my mind, was like a cool mix of a father and uncle figure with the way he cared for those in his crew and those under his protection.

My rating: 5 stars

I recommend this book to anyone who likes magic and strong female characters too. I think, besides the villains who we all love to hate, there wasn't ONE character that I disliked, they were all well-rounded individuals with their own lives and helped move the story along.

Let me know if you feel the same way if you've read this book. I need to find more people who have read it to talk about it more now that I've finished!

À bientôt!

Photo/GIF creds: my photo of book and stones, Sam from iCarly,

$10 Library Book Haul - July 2019

If you've been following this blog since the beginning you know what this post is about. If not, I'll give a quick explanation. My city's public library will hold a book sale about four (maybe five) times a year. They fill a room with some books, movies, and more, that are going out of circulation. You bring a bag (or take one from them), fill it with all the things you find that you want, and just pay $10. It's honestly a steal with some of the finds I've gotten over the years.

This time the sale was held in the smaller branch of the library and spread out through three areas/rooms. Now even though there were fewer books than the other sales I've gone to, I found a great number of books!

I got to different journals, one was about horses, filled with sketches and quotes, and one with a green cover that caught my attention. I chose the horse one because it made me think of my friend who passed away. She loved horses and rode them in competitions and shows. I'm planning on doing something special with it and somehow getting it to her (or her parents) as a birthday/Christmas present.

The Kill Order by James Dashner - I read the Maze Runner series (some of my reviews are on this blog) and I really liked it, always wanted to read the prequel.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth - I love the Divergent trilogy and this was the only book that I didn't own, so SCORE!

Undertow and Raging Sea by Michael Buckley - These are the first two books in the series and I thought the concept/story was different and made me think of the Aquaman movie so I'll give them a try.

Silo series 1-3 by Hugh Howey (also called the Wool series) - One of my BEST FRIENDS and former roommate once told me about this series and how she loved it, and when I saw these three on the shelves I quickly scooped them up and put them into my bag. If she gives them the green light, then I'll take them.

So, not as many as my previous posts on my library finds, but I'm still happy with what I got. I think I'll really like some of these books that I haven't read before.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Is there anything you think I should be looking out for before/while reading? I look forward to reading more books and finding new favorites!

À bientôt!

Library photo I created with Canva

Birthday Book Tag

So I saw this tag on Amber's blog The Literary Phoenix in October but I wanted to wait for my actual birthday to do it...so it's taken me a very long time to get this post out in a sense. My birthday is in May and this has been sitting in here for like half a year. But I'm finally ready to do this tag!  (I even asked my twin, Eryn, to answer some of these to see the difference of our answers, she doesn't read as much as I do so this will be fun!)

Count your birthday along your bookshelf shelf and then subtract the month.

I was born on the 26th of the month of May (5) so I (and Eryn) got: The Iron Warrior by Julie Kagawa

If you could spend your birthday with any fictional character, who would it be and why?

Me: I just finished Vampire Diaries and about to start The Originals and I just love Klaus...so him. I feel like he'd spoil me and just treat me right. Also...vampires am I right!?

Eryn: Meredith Grey - because she's perfect and beautiful, and lovely, and wonderful. (I have to let you all know her eyes went like...glazed over with admiration for Grey I only caught part of what she said at first)

Find a book that takes place in the season you were born in.

We were both born in May, springtime, but let's see if she finds a different book then me.
Me: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien - I know it takes place over a whole year-ish but there is spring
Eryn: The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks

Find a book that is the color of your birthstone.

I LOVE MY BIRTHSTONE! Emeralds so are pretty to me.
Me: Legion by Julie Kagawa - wanted to do a book I've already ready but...haven't read many books with an emerald cover
Eryn: The Choice by Nicholas Sparks - she has a theme also it had grass so close enough

Pick a book set in a time period, world, or country you would like to have been born in.

Me: Reign of the Fallen - to live in that world would be interesting me, I am still enamored by this book.
Eryn: The Help - the 1960's, because of the fashion

Do you have any of the same answers as my sister or I? You can see a very distinct difference between our reading and television choices, which of us are you more like? Also, if you happen to read this and find that you have the same birthday as us...PLEASE LET US KNOW WE LOVE MEETING BIRTHDAY BUDDIES!

À bientôt!

Photo/Gif creds: Iron Warrior, The Hobbit, The Guardian, Legion, The Choice, Reign of the Fallen, The Help, Meredith Grey, Klaus Mikkelson

Une promenade à travers l'histoire - My French Capstone Event

So, as many of you know, I have a French major. A big part of this program, and the major itself, is the French Capstone, a large research course taken by all French students as the last class before they finish the program. The capstone may be different in other universities, but for mine, it's this.

You, as a student, can chose any topic or subject to base your capstone on. You can do a paper, a presentation, and video project (almost did one of these but didn't have a good enough topic in mind), or even make an event. This is what I decided to do.

Making a public event is not something that I've ever done before as well, so I thought it would be a great experience to attempt this as well during my capstone. Really testing my skills and knowledge of how to plan events and create something many people can enjoy.

For my topic, I wanted to focus on Franco-Americans and their history. I have always been interested in this topic since I took a diversity of Franco-Communities class my sophomore year of college. I was so interested in the different aspects of the history and culture of Franco-Americans/French-Canadians and I wanted to know more.

So I looked for books, my advisor sent me the same articles that I read in that class, and I started to do my research and event planning. I read a mix of six different books, and about five articles, all which gave me great information and facts about the history and culture (and even the discrimination) of Franco-Americans. Then, when it got time to create the posters and chose my topics, I had a lot of work to do. There were so many aspects and facts that I wanted to feature. But I couldn't have them all.

I decided on having three large posters on Acadia and the Great Upheaval, Franco-American press and other writings, and lastly Franco-American names and their changes. For me, these were the most interesting topics surrounding them that I wanted to showcase. I did have a small paper about the discrimination of Franco-Americans, but I feel that so many parts of history mostly touch upon that aspect of history and I wanted to more show the better areas of their history. I was present at the event as well, for anyone who had any questions that I could answer, whether about the posters or another question off the top of their head. (I can answer some of these questions in the comments as well if you'd like). Here are my posters.

Franco-American names

Discrimination of Franco-Americans

Acadia and Acadian history

Franco-American press and writings

I also wanted to have two different aspects of Franco-Americans at the event. So I made a playlist of music by Franco-Americans (and some Quebecois songs because they are similar and connected in my opinion) and traditional food. For food I has Mulled Cider, Tourtière (pork pie), and Grand-Père dans le sirop (maple syrup dumplings) with ice cream. It was all so good! I think I'm going to make those dumplings when I get home over the summer because it was one of the best things I've ever tasted, if I'm being honest.

The Event

I held the event on the 29th of April, and I was surprised by actually how many people came and were interested in the subject and asked me questions! I felt so good to have my information and research pay off with people asking me so many questions and want more information on Franco-Americans. It was worth it, to myself and my education.

I had two different classes come by and take notes on my information, and most of the food was gone by the end when it was time to pack up the posters. I had so many people who came up to me and asked so many questions, and wanted to know even more than the information that I had hanging up. There was so much planning and research that went into this event, and then it was all over after three hours. It's jarring.

Presentations

me at student showcase

I presented about my Capstone event two separate times, and it was great to talk even more about my event and the outcome of it as well.

Student Showcase of Research & Engagement: This is an event that students can submit their projects and research reports and showcase them to members of the community. It was required for me to also have my capstone there and I thought it was fun to do it!

Celebration of French Achievement: This was a mix of awarding the students who won the Euclide Gilbert French Video award from the Franco-American Center of NH, and for all the French majors to show and their capstone research. I hadn't seen my classmates projects before this and I was excited to see them! They all did really great jobs.

You can watch the video that I made talking about the event (in similar and different detail) and see some of the event in video here on my YouTube channel. And don't be afraid to ask me any questions about my project and research! I'm very willing to answer questions and more of this topic.

À bientôt!

Photo/GIF creds: posters by me, Jordan's photo of me at SSR&E,

Monica Abroad: Quebec 2019

FINALLY!

I finally went out of the country. I finally traveled to a country where I can use and advance my knowledge and usage of the French language. I'm so happy to have been given the opportunity to travel with my class, and boy do I wish we could have stayed longer! So much happened on the trip, we went to so many places, this is going to be a long post, but it's going to be worth it in the end.

So it started Friday morning getting into vans and driving towards the border. It was a long drive, but I was excited to take it and we stopped for gas and snacks right beforehand so I was okay. I was in a van with my French classmates, as well as two of the classmates we Zoomed in every time from another school. It was so great to meet them!

After three hours of music, conversation, and a bit of napping, we finally reached the border. Out of all the people in my van, I was the ONLY one who had never been to Canada, or even just out of the country. I handed my passport up, and then we were across! I was in a new country.

Once in Canada, we drove to the Rose Cafe in Drummondville to have some lunch. It was an adorable Canadian cafe, and we got to eat in a greenhouse! I had a croque monsieur with a salad and Dragon Pearl tea. Then afterward I threw a penny into the fountain (yes, and it was next to a playground), and walked around the small shop before it was time to hop back into the car. I highly recommend this cute little cafe for anyone traveling to Canada/Quebec because this is just a quaint and simple place to introduce yourself to the country (or at least that's how I felt).

Next stop was La musée des Abénakis (Abenaki Museum). This was our first stop, and I THOROUGHLY enjoyed it. There was so much to learn there. We watched a movie about the Abenaki creation of the world (and the theater was interesting I felt like we were moving), walked around their permanent exhibit filled with historical boats, baskets, and even murals that coincided with the moon cycles of the Abenaki culture/time. Then we went into their temporary exhibit of Indians beyond Hollywood, where many videos and displays were set up to show the terrible depictions of Indians in Hollywood, and how they affected the actual Native culture (which we all sort of knew this but it was still messed up to read some of the posters and listen to the videos). Even played a game of 'Creating my own Hollywood Indian' where choosing the right Abenaki clothing was too authentic and I was told to try again, which led to some great end screens. After we looked all around the museum we walked around the gift shop where I bought a postcard with a map of the native tribes and a gift for my nephew and wished I had purchased the small Inukshuk statue.


With the Abenaki Museum done, we finished our journey (about two hours left) to our hotel in Québec. We stayed at Hôtel du Jardins, and most of us were able to sleep one to a bed, like me and my roommate Lindsey. Our room had to large beds, a television, mural of the mountains, and a gorgeous bathroom with a pretty mirror and a rainfall shower (which we both used just for the experience of it). Our classmates from the other university were on one side of us, and other French classmates on the other. A great floor and great neighbors. But we didn't stay in the hotel for long, we had to go get our first dinner in Québec!

The walk to dinner was, for the most part, difficult. We were just walking uphill the whole time. Stairs and steep hills and my knees hurt a lot and I ran out of breath at one point. But hanging in the back of the group to keep my breathing under control helped me and the tourism professor find a piece of graffiti that read 'Mort aux Nazis' and he took a selfie with it, as one should. We finally hit the restaurant, Chez Victor, which took in all 19 of us (15 students, two professors, and two children), into a room and worked hard to get us all our food in a decent amount of time while also getting to other patrons. I had a salad with some salmon, and my friend let me have some bites of his side of Poutine. After dinner, I walked home and went to bed a little earlier than my classmates, my lungs were in a bit of pain, as well as my knees from such a long car ride and then a long uphill walk.

First morning in Québec, I walked with my classmates to an ATM to take out some Canadian money which was something I was really looking forward to doing since I really like foreign money and the way that it looks, and then to a sweet little bakery called la Boîte à Pain where I purchased a croissant and a pastry with spinach and feta cheese. Both were AMAZING and I ate them both days, I also bought a baguette the second morning before we left.

Our first piece of business on Saturday, a walking tour of Québec, following a series of green dots that were in the sidewalk (if you've done the Freedom Trail in Boston it's like that). While walking we saw the Saint-Roch cathedral and some really cute shops, even stopping by the Gare au Palais to walk around a small market by the water (also the tourism professor sat on a bench completely under snow so that was fun), and then we just sort of...stopped following the path haha. After the small market, we were able to find Vieux-Québec, and a small road right by the Funiculaire, very close to the Château Frontenac (like right below it). We all walked down this street before going up and I found one of the cutest shops were everything is made with wool that comes from sheep at a local farm. After a small shopping break, we went up the funiculaire and then found ourselves at the Château Frontenac, where we also saw an anonymous group set up, I was told by a classmate that they were showing clips of animal cruelty in the food industry.

We continued to walk past the castle and find places to eat for lunch. I went with a group to a place called Paillard and got a very delicious pulled pork sandwich (which I didn't remember to take a picture of) and we got to watch a man with an accordion come into the restaurant and play for us! Then after lunch was done the French class went with the two professors (the tourism class was given an assignment that I know nothing of) to La Musée de l'Amérique Francophone (Francophone America museum). As a big francophone fan, I was very intrigued to go here! The building on the outside didn't seem like a big museum, but it was made up of two different buildings, with a chapel, and three different exhibits (very interactive/creative as well) to walk around and explore. There was an exhibit on art, the found colony of Jacques Cartier, and also one that talked about francophone heritage and ancestry.

Finished with the museum, the French class was allowed to walk around the city until it was time to meet up for dinner. I walked with my friend Christine to some shops, looking for souvenirs for family and just stuff for us as well. I'm shocked to say that I didn't buy myself many things, but I did get gifts for my family! We met up with more of our French class and walked to shops that led us closer to our hotel (with the help of Lindsey's GPS as well), and found ourselves walking around the shops near Saint-Roch. I wanted to go into the toy shop, just to try the tiny doors...but I'll do that next time I go because we all know I'm a child at heart. After that, we all went to the hotel to drop our things off and get ready for dinner.

We split up as classes this night because we couldn't find a place to hold us all, so my group of eight walked down a few streets and found a cute little pizza place called Piazzetta. The ambiance and feel of the restaurant were just perfect for all of us and the food was just as great! I got spaghetti a la bolonaise and a drink called Basil Park that just tasted like Sprite, so my kind of drink! We all had a great time talking and watching Anna teach Claire (our professor's daughter) how to play Miss Mary Mack and other hand games of the sort. We also decided to get dessert this night, and I got a sweet and tangy lemon cake in a jar. I almost want to make them myself when I get home!

After dinner, we went back to the hotel. Lindsey, Christine, and I stayed up and talked about the things we did during the day and what we liked best, and about things that we found funny that we saw/overheard in the streets of Quebec. After that conversation, I took a shower and went to bed, not ready for this trip to end.


Sunday morning, I packed, I walked back to the same bakery with my classmates, and then we all piled back into the vans with our things to head back home, but with another pit stop to round out our trip up north. There were a few mix-ups and wrong turns thanks to the van GPS (I think the van didn't like us for some reason) but we were able to make it to la Chute-Montmorency (the Montmorency waterfall, which is taller than Niagara) before ten!

The building in front of the waterfall wasn't even open yet, so we just walked around the building to look at the falls until then, since the stairs were closed and we'd have to take the cable car to go up (we got those terrible bracelet things that don't come off without like scissors and I pulled off so much arm hair). Montmorency was so beautiful, I can only imagine what it looks like during the spring and summer months when the snow and ice go away. Another place to revisit on my next trip up! The top of the waterfall was just as beautiful, and lush vegetation surrounded the walkway leading to the suspension bridge. I took a lot of photos of the waterfall from below and above, I'll have to size it all down for my Instagram post!

After I had seen everything about the Montmorency falls I went back down, bought a quick snack and drink for the drive back home, and also some last minute gifts for family that I couldn't find back in the city. Then we were off, another five-hour drive ahead of us (with a stop at Tim Hortons/A&W for lunch), but this time we had so much more to talk about.

My van was filled with talk about French, hearing people speak it around us, speaking it ourselves, and just a general reflection. We also jammed out to some great 2000s songs in the car because Christine is an amazing DJ and knew the right songs to play. We made it back to Plymouth, said goodbye to our classmates who still had about an hour to go back to their university (it's gonna be weird seeing them on a screen again after this!), and all got dropped off back at our homes. Lindsey and I unpacked our things (she's leaving for another trip very soon so she HAD TO) and invited our neighbor over to talk about the trip and everything we did.

I rounded out my evening watching the premiere of Game of Thrones season 8 and talking with my sister about a trip up to Plymouth to see me (as well as Easter coming up). Then I went to sleep, wishing I was back in Quebec, my heart left a part of itself in that city and I have no choice but to go back and leave more of it there!

I don't have a video for this trip due to me not having a camera or camcorder with me and me not taking enough videos on my phone, so I'll have to invest in one of those before my future trips! Any suggestions on which kind I should get?

What are some places in Quebec that you think I should visit next time that I go? Have you been to any of the spots that I saw while I was there? I want to know more, I love this city so much now!

All photos in this post were taken by me.

Monica Abroad: The Beginnings

I have always had the idea of making a series (both on here and my YouTube) that showcases my travels. While my blog would hold more of the instructional items and history of the trip, my videos would be more of the fun that I had. I've had this type of material planned since I had tried to study abroad in France, and I always wanted to call it 'Monica Abroad' because I thought it was funny (and I still do).

And with my VERY close class trip to Quebec coming up, I thought I would start with this wonderful series. I'll only be gone for a weekend so I'll fit it all into one blog post and one video, but I'm so excited. This will be my first time out of the country, and I'll be traveling to a spot I've been learning in class and somewhere I've been interested in seeing since I was a freshman in high school.

We have our locations picked as well that we are going to do, so I'll have to make a list of places to see the next time I go, because I will not go to Quebec only once in my life.

Before I post my first 'Monica Abroad' post, I'll have to figure out how I want to title the series, so if you have any suggestions let me know!

I plan to travel so much more in my life, this is only the first step before I leap into life.

Well, now I'm on to finish all my homework, do my laundry, go to work and make a poster for an event, and pack what I'll need for the weekend.

À bientôt!

Photo/GIF creds: Quebec City, suitcases, goodbye wave,

Bookish M.A.S.H. 2019

So I saw that Nose Stuck in a Book did this tag again, and is planning to do it every year...and I've needed more content lately, and since I loved the tag before when I did it first, I'm going to do it again too! So this begins my yearly game of Bookish M.A.S.H.!

The rules of M.A.S.H. are somewhat simple...you have multiple categories and four choices in each. Then you choose a number (spiral, number generator, etc.) and count down all the choices until there is only one left in each. That's your answer! If that's still too confusing to understand look at both of the posts linked here or look up the game online, better rules are put there than here.

For this of course I'm going to take all my answers and morph them into a story summary. I think it might be fun to also have some of the crossed out options from my last game as well and only come up with one or two new items for those categories (also at the time of writing this I don't have much brain power to think of other things haha). Next time I'll go completely new without looking back.

My last story summary of Steel-Forged Stars was really interesting and I'm still going to actually write it, just have to change some of the names! Let's see what this year's M.A.S.H. will have in store for me!


M.A.S.H.

Genre
Historical Fiction
Paranormal
Fantasy
Soft Crime

Love Interest
Meredy Crowther
Dakari
Minho
Kili (because the movie version tbh)

Setting
Medieval times
SPACE
Modern day city
Middle Earth

Best Friend
Arya Stark
Uriah
Bella Swan
Robin Goodfellow/Puck

Villian
A demon
Sauron/The Ring
(prince) Hadrien
Government leader(s)

Pet
Cat
Hellhound
Snake
Dragon

Job
Necromancer
Librarian
Hunter
Runner

Transportation
Train
Wings
Giant bird
Water travel

Power
Healing
Object manipulation/Telekinesis
Weather power
Mind control

Trope or Plot Twist
Forbidden love
Deathly Plague
Government experimentation
Secret power(s)

oh boy this is going to be fun to mix all together

The Newest story from Monica Laurette: Hidden in the Sky

Monica stays hidden in the city, not because of her job as a necromancer, but because of her wings and her powers. If anyone but her best friend, Uriah, knew how she could get around the underworld to destroy souls, she would be sent away to a prison island where her magic would not work.

Working with a cat, who also helps out in her work, and sharing a small house in the village closest to the castle, Monica is surprised when the niece of the King, Meredy, comes stumbling through her door during a storm, telling Monica that a demon who had escaped the underworld was now holding her family hostage.

Monica, Meredy, Uriah, and Bello the cat must now travel the lands of the kingdom, and the underworld to stop this demon who could also reveal the secrets Monica has tried so hard to keep in the dark.

Can Monica keep her powers a secret while also saving the royal family? What are these feelings she has towards Meredy? Just how will Monica, along with Bello, defeat this demon? And why does Bello's tail keep getting puffier with each passing day? Follow along the adventures in Hidden in the Sky, but beware your own secrets as well.


I hope you all liked this version of Bookish M.A.S.H.! What did your answers come out to be? Was there a choice you wish you hadn't crossed out (I know there were some for me! but the spiral must be obeyed!), let me know! Should I expand on this idea as well and make it a WIP (as if I need more of those)?

À bientôt!

The TMI Blogger Tag

So, I wasn't tagged by Katelyn to do this...but I love talking about myself so I'm going to try my hand at the TMI tag. So whether you are new to me and my blog, or you've been here a while, this is an updated 'About Me' post so to speak.

Let's get started!

How old are you?
21 (very close to 22)

How tall are you?
5' to 5'1" depending on the nurse

Which Hogwarts house are you in?
I took the quiz on Pottermore a while ago and was placed in Ravenclaw, and everything I've learned since then only confirms it more.

Any piercings/tattoos?
I have earrings, and two tattoos. Gemini symbol on the back of my left shoulder and the newest one is a black cat on the back my right calf (a sister tattoo with my twin who has a white one on her left calf). I want to get more tattoos though!

What place do you want to visit?
oh so many places. Let's do the top 5: France, Greece, Morocco, Korea, and Japan. I'm going to be visiting Canada very soon which is why that is not in this list.

Who are you favorite bands/groups?
*I'm going to include singular artists here* Pentatonix, Paramore, Halsey, Christina Perri, Evanescence, Rita Ora, and Little Mix.

What was the last song you listened to?
RBB (Really Bad Boy) by Red Velvet (my favorite K-pop group also)

What is your favorite TV show?
Sleepy Hollow, The Librarians, Law & Order S.V.U., Forensic Files, and The Curse of Oak Island. I know three of these were cancelled/ended but I still love them.

What is your favorite movie? 
How can I pick just one!? Here are some of them: The Last Unicorn, Beauty and the Beast, The Longest Yard (newest one), Thor: Ragnarok, and Anastasia. There are so many more but I'll just stop here.

Who is your favorite actor?
Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, James Spader (because of his voice), and Mark Hamill.

Who is your favorite actress?
Brie Larson, Carrie Fisher (love you space mom), Daisy Ridley, Elizabeth Olsen, Kiera Knightly, and Kristen Stewart.

Favorite author?
Julie Kagawa, J.R.R. Tolkien, Edgar Allan Poe, and Sarah Glenn Marsh.

Ebooks--yes or no?
Yes, as long as I can read it I like it.

What was the last book you read? 
Maria Chapdelaine by Louis Hémon.

What book are you currently reading?
The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

What is the book you're going to read next?
Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

What is the number one book on your wish list?
Song of the Dead by Sarah Glenn Marsh

What is your favorite book?
Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, and The Host by Stephenie Meyer.

Which is your favorite book-to-film adaptation?
Catching Fire. I felt that (after the Hunger Games movie) it was so well done. Following what Gary Ross did with the first movie and going off what happened in the book Francis Lawrence did such a wonderful job catching emotion and the drama of it all.

Who is your all-time favorite book character?
Katniss Everdeen and Meredy Crowther.

Who is your book boyfriend/girlfriend/fictional crush?
Meredy Crowther, Rowan (Iron Fey), Peeta Mellark, Rey (Star Wars), and Carol Danvers.

Do you prefer books with female or male protagonist?
I don't really mind either, but I am usually drawn towards female or split POV books.

If you hated reading, what would you be doing instead?
Probably singing, or constantly doing colorguard because that's my favorite physical activity.

What do you do when someone tells you reading is boring?
My go to phrase whenever someone has an opinion that they give (and a lot of people say a differing one to try and get a rise out of someone) is "It's not for everyone."

Going outside being active or staying in and reading a book?
Staying in. I'm not that active so I like to stay inside as much as I can.

Where do you prefer to read?
If I'm home I like to read in my room or on the couch. At school I like to read in my room because it brings a sense of comfort.

Which do you enjoy reading more--negative reviews or positive reviews?
I like to read both of them. I read the positive reviews to get a sense of what others like about the book and what's good, and the negative ones to see if there's anything in the books that I might not like personally to see if I should read the book.

What is your favorite book quote?
I don't honestly keep track of a lot of these. I do have saved quotes on my Goodreads profile, but for some reason I don't remember or write down many quotes from books that I read.

This was fun to do (while ignoring my homework at the same time, oh no). Do we have any of the same opinions or favorites? Let me know! I'd love to chat with you all.

À bientôt!

Should I Move to Wordpress?

Sometimes I wonder if Blogger is the best place for me and my blog. I started using Blogger three years ago when I made a blog for one of my classes to give chapter summaries. I thought it was an easy system to use, and had some fun templates to work with, so I decided to start my own blog.

Also, I'm not fully feeling my blog name anymore...because I don't fully have a theme on my blog and my blog name, Fiction Food and French, almost seems like a theme...but I have never blogged about food yet...which like...should I blog about food soon? Maybe if I ever go to a famous restaurant or try something cultural? I just don't know.

But I also know that fiction, food, and things French are a big part of my life and personality. I like writing and reading fiction, I like food, and I'm a French major with such a passion for the language and culture.

But it's also not just French that I like the language and culture for. I have a long list of other languages that I wish to learn soon and I love learning all I can about different cultures and the people who celebrate them.

I just feel that a large majority of people use Wordpress, and when I do tags and fun little bookish posts, I can't do the Pin-Back feature that Wordpress allows you to do to notify people that you tagged them. And I feel like that is a really cool and interesting feature that should be used.

I've looked at Wordpress before, and I'd be able to import all of the posts that I have made here onto a Wordpress account/blog if I made one, and I've also always wanted to have my own website and that's another thing Wordpress can have connected to the blog (I have no idea if Blogger can do that, and also Google getting rid of Google+ probably changes a lot of things about Blogger).

Mainly what I'm asking is those who use Wordpress: what are the best parts about it? How easy is it to create your own website/blog and what are your favorite parts of having a Wordpress blog? Does it matter which package I get, and like...are they really that expensive in the long run? I'm about to get out of school and make more money than small part-time jobs so it would probably be easier for me to pay for it.

And for those who use Blogger...what are features that I'm missing? Do you not care about not having the Pin-Back feature to tag other bloggers? It is maybe my inability to code that makes me just...not want to think about customizing my blog at the moment or thinking that it's too hard? Should I just not care about what platform I use and continue to use Blogger? Because I like having my blog...but maybe this platform just isn't right for me? Thoughts?

I know I need to learn how to code if I want to use Wordpress too...so either way I have to learn it.

For those with blogs that don't use either Wordpress or Blogger...what's your platform and what do you like about it?

Lately I've been really thinking about where I want to take this blog, the types of posts I want to do, and I want to revamp the whole look of my whole blog. I'm going to keep the posts I just want to change like the theme and look of the blog and maybe pick a new name that fits that just a bit better, and I don't know how to get myself to that point on my own.

à bientôt!

Photo/GIF creds: Elmo thinking, shrugging man,

Goodreads Book Tag

I am stealing this tag from Amber at The Literary Phoenix because I really liked it and I thought it would be fun to look more towards my Goodreads besides the system I put books into.

Now, some of these answers may be different from when you read this to when I have written this, but that's because I go one a lot and update everything at least once a week.

What was the last book you marked as read?

Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh

What are you currently reading?

I have four books in my currently reading at the moment haha, but three of them are school related. I am reading:

1. Maria Chapdelaine by Louis Hémon
2. A Distinct Alien Race by David Vermette
3. The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell
4. Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis.

What was the last book you marked as TBR?

Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

What book do you plan to read next?

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa. I plan what books I read next with the whiteboard in my room back home and write down like ten books I plan to read and in what order I plan to read them.

Do you use the star rating system?

Yes I do! And like many of us, I wish there was the option to use half stars, or even more stars than five, but I work with what I have!

Are you doing a 2019 reading challenge?

Yes I am. I normally don't set too high a goal for myself because I'm not that fast of a reader like I used to be. My goal this year is 15 books, I have only read 1 so far, and Goodreads is telling me I am 2 books behind schedule. But I currently two of my school books have to be done soon so that will change within the month.

Do you have a Wishlist?

I loved Amber's idea of having a 'To Buy' shelf on her Goodreads (and then added said shelf to my account after). I do have a wishlist on Amazon of the books that I want, but it's also a list mixed with movies and TV show seasons that I would like to own as well.

What book do you plan to buy next?

Song of the Dead by Sarah Glenn Marsh. Other than that I never know what books I plan to buy next. There are always so many choices and I'm bad at making those choices haha. I usually pick what book is next while standing in the bookstore or staring at my wishlist.

Favorite quotes?

This is one of the functions that I don't use that often on Goodreads, but I do have a few here, and you can see that there are a lot of Edgar Allan Poe ones.

Favorite authors?

My favorite authors are Edgar Allan Poe, J.R.R. Tolkien, Julie Kagawa (who is the only one featured on my profile), and I think the last time I checked, my most read author was Cassandra Clare (because I do each novella individually) so I guess I should include her here as well. Also, I can't find where that list is again to double check who is second but oh well!

Have you joined any groups?

I am currently in one group, which I joined like...actual years ago. I think I was a sophomore in high school so about seven years ago, and the group hasn't been active in five. It's a Witch and Wizard group called "Witches and Wizards" and it was a roleplaying group. I might look for different groups in the future, any suggestions?

Do you use Goodreads? Have any tips or anything that you think I'd like for it? Just want to be friends? I love friends!

À bientôt!

Photo/GIF creds: my photo of Shadow of the Fox, covers from Goodreads, writing,

10 Characters I’d Switch Places With (Just For A Day)

I saw Amber from The Literary Pheonix do this post, and I thought it would be fun to try myself! (Also check out Amber's posts she posts so many fun things and great reviews)

As a reader, I find myself connecting to characters all the time. But would I ever want to trade places with them for a day? Well, some of them I would, and I'll tell you why!

Odessa

Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh

One of the first characters I really fell in love with as a person, because she was so close to me. I just want to live in her world and experience the other side once.

Meredy

Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh

I love the magic of being able to control an animal and work with them, I want the BEAR! I can't wait to see more of them both in Song of the Dead!

Meghan Chase

Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa

I think the fact that she has a mix of Iron and Summer glamour is really cool and interesting, but I wouldn't want to get mixed up in all the danger, just a day in the life of the child of Oberon, please.

Gandalf

The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

He doesn't come into contact with the spiders in the books...also I want to do magic.

Wanda/Melanie

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

The concept and the underground world always intrigued me. I think it'd be fun to talk to a voice in my head that wasn't just my thoughts too.

Esme Cullen

Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer

Her motherly instinct and family are amazing, also the chance to be a vampire...YES PLEASE!

Clary Fray

Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

I want her ability to make runes that aren't in the book, and I've also always wanted to be a red-head as well.

Effie Trinket

Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Just think of the OUTFITS that I could wear. Also, I definitely like the movie version of Effie slightly more than the book one (because she didn't just vanish) so I want to be both.

Wisteria "Wisty" Allgood

Witch and Wizard series by James Patterson (and others)

As the series that got me into reading, of course, I would pick someone as amazing as Wisty. She can burst into FLAMES and uses a drumstick as a wand. Sooooo, I like her.

Ember Hill

Talon series by Julie Kagawa

One, she is a twin (I forget if she is the younger one or not). Two, I want to shapeshift into a dragon and travel all over the world with Riley.

There are other characters that I'd want to switch places with, but these are the current top ten in my mind. What are yours?

À bientôt!

Photo/GIF creds: all book covers from Goodreads (my canva edit to connect them),