This Little Life of Mine: February 2020

Friday, February 28, 2020

Dating Profile Friday: Citra Terranova

Name: Citra Terranova
Occupation: Currently training as a Scythe Apprentice
Likes: Reading (thought it's not as common anymore), Questioning the Thunderhead
Dislikes: Willful Ignorance

About Me: I currently serve as a scythe apprentice. However, I remain unconvinced scythehood is the calling for me. Therefore, I see no problem with meeting new people through this method. I can be found training, accompanying Scythe Curie on her missions, and searching through the thunderhead for information about important events.

Send me a message if you aren't too scared to do so.

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Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Scythe - Neal Shusterman

Title: Scythe
Author: Neal Shusterman
Format: Paperback
Rating: 5 Stars

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Thou shalt kill.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

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Take note folks: This is officially my first 5 star review this year. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill. Scythe is, hands down, MY FAVORITE BOOK I've read so far this year. I feel like there aren't even enough words in the world to describe how much I love this book.

This book starts off with a bang - Scythe Faraday shows up, gleans Citra's neighbor, leaves, gleans a kid at Rowan's school, and then chooses both of them to be his apprentices. So, dark beginning, morbid beginning - but we all know what we're getting into with this book. The description literally tells you people are going to die in this book. The actions and reactions of Citra and Rowan during the beginning chapters of this book are what drew Scythe Faraday to them though.

Anyway, let's get to the real stuff.

Why Did I Love This Book:

*The Characters - There were obviously some characters in this book that I hated with the fire of a million burning suns. Scythe Goddard and his minions were fucking horrible. They were the worst of the worst, and were the perfect examples of people who should never be allowed to be in positions of power. However, there were other characters I really loved. I liked Citra and Rowan a lot - at the beginning of the novel I like Citra more, but I actually came to like Rowan a bit more by the end. I also really loved Scythes Faraday and Curie. I think they have a hard job, and it's not at all fun, and even though I hate what they have to do, I think the two of them do it well.

I really liked seeing the growth and maturity that developed in both Citra and Rowan throughout the book. Some book group buddies and I were talking about how these two were at the beginning of the novel - and I agree that Citra seemed a bit more one dimensional and flat at the beginning of the book. I feel like she really grew into her part as a potential scythe by the end, and really developed a bit more personality and had some real growth. Rowan REALLY developed a lot by the end of the book - he was almost unrecognizable from who he was at the beginning, but I feel like that's a good thing, and I feel like it fits for him.

* The Moral Greyness of the book - this is a book that is really tough in terms of it's morals and ethics. I mean, these people have figured out how to be immortal, how to cure every single thing, and how to prevent death. People don't die unless a scythe gleans them. And every scythe has their own way of doing it. Is there a right way? Is there a wrong way? One could argue that the way Scythe Goddard and his followers glean is just cruel (and honestly, I would agree with them.) But in a world where all scythes have to kill in some way, what really is the best way? That moral greyness works for this story. The world is not always black and white. The world is complex, and this story shows that, even if it is in rather an extreme way.

*The story development - this whole story was just amazing. The idea of a society that has conquered death, and must find another way to control the population is really fascinating to me. I love a good dystopian in general, and THIS IS A GOOD DYSTOPIAN! Shusterman does a great job taking this story from where it was in the beginning and showing the readers all the complexities that go along with a society like this. Their are so many things to consider in a society like this, and the author does a great job of making the reader look at all sides of things and creates a world that you kind of both hate and want to be a part of.

Things That Really Stood Out to Me Or That I just Found Interesting:

*Scythe Curie is a rather interesting scythe, and I think I found her the most fascinating just because if the way she chose to glean people.
*They have professional partiers. Like this society literally has people who are paid to go attend parties as professional guests. I am both fascinated and yet a little horrified by this.
*Speaking of parties, SCYTHE GODDARD'S PARTIES! They make every other party ever thrown look like a fucking kid's event.
*I'm not sure Citra has as much of what it takes to be a scythe as Rowan does. She's smart and insightful, but at this point in the series, I have my doubts about her ability to be a good scythe. We'll see if my opinion changes once I get to the next book.

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So, fellow reader friends - if you've read this book, what did you think? Let me know in the comments - I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Top Ten Tuesday - Characters I’d Follow On Social Media

Hi reader friends! Welcome back to another Top Ten Tuesday - a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This weeks topic is: Characters I'd Follow on Social Media

It should come as no surprise that I'd follow:

Fred Weasley - He's one of the best characters in the book, and were he still alive, his social media would be epic.

George Weasley - See above, except that he is still alive. I'm sure his social media would be hilarious.

Luna Lovegood - She's a little spacey and would surely talk about nargles, wrackspurts, and the quibbler a lot, but she'd be a hoot to follow.

Outside the Harry Potter Universe, I'd also follow:

Arya Stark - What better way to learn how a girl should be than to follow Arya Stark?

Jon Snow - It's Jon Snow - that's all you need to know.

Jack (From the Wayward Children Series) - This child is weird and so, so messed up, but I love her and I'd be all over her social media.

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Your turn! Would you follow any of these characters? Are there other's you'd follow instead? Talk to me in the comments below.

Friday, February 21, 2020

Dating Profile Friday - Jack Wolcott

Name: Jack Wolcott
Hobbies: Creating Frankenpeople, drifting through the moors

About Me: I have a twin sister. Our relationship was sour at best. I find death and fascinating, but also enjoy creating new life in a sanitized laboratory. I spent too much time searching to get back to my own world. So, if you enjoy the darkness of the moors, we'll get along great.

Find me in my windmill. We'll walk through the lightening storms together and make our own fun there.

Monday, February 17, 2020

Books To Movies - Scythe

Hey reader friends! Today starts a new feature on my blog called Books to Movies. I take a book I'm reading or have read and imagine who I think would be great in the movie. After all, we all know Hollywood loves to take books and turn them into movies.

So, here are the five really main people from I'd pick to play in a movie version of Scythe. (Rumor has it this is already being made into a movie, but let me dream, okay?!)

Rowan - This dude is, so far, my least favorite character in the book. That being said, he's a major player, and has to have a movie counterpart. Also, while I'm not sure I'm really digging this dude yet, I do think that he has a keen sense of empathy that would totally help him be a good scythe.

If there were one actor who could play this part well, I think it would be

Citra - I like Citra for the most part. She's got some sass and attitude, sure, but I think that will benefit her.

Brighton Sharbino would, without a doubt, be my number one choice to play Citra in the Scythe movie. (If you're not sure who she is - she played Lizzie, the girl Carol killed on The Walking Dead.)

Scythe Faraday - I both love and hate Scythe Faraday. I'd say it's like 55% love, 45% hate. That might change. We'll see. He's intriguing and sort of morbid, which works.

The perfect guy to play Scythe Faraday is absolutely Daniel Sheehan. If you're not sure who that is - you're not alone. But after I saw a pic of him, I knew he'd be perfect as this character. Go check out his Facebook page and you'll see what I mean!

Scythe Goddard - Okay, okay, I lied! SCYTHE GODDARD IS A BEAST AND MY LEAST FAVORITE PERSON IN ALL THE SCYTHEDOM.

Scythe Goddard is the worst human ever - and that is why this character HAS TO BE PLAYED by one David Tennant. Now, look y'all - I love David Tennant. So much. I mean, the Doctor, Barty Crouch Jr, Killgrave - this guy did those characters and so many more so, so well. There are so many actors who could play Goddard well, but I'd pick David Tennant just because I know he's done so well in his creepy roles.

Scythe Curie - I'm not 100 percent certain how I feel about Scythe Curie yet. But I do know this: She has to be played by one Meryl Streep. Can't you just see it?! COME ON!

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Ok reader friends - what do you think? Do you agree with my choices? Who would YOU pick to play any of these rolls?

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

My Least Favorite Literary Villains

Dolores Umbridge

This pink loving, kid hating witch deserved every single bad thing that happened to her. That time Grawp scared the shit out of her? Deserved it. That time the centaurs carried her off while she was screaming about how she hates kids? They should have done even more to her. Fred and George interrupting her OWL exams to light off fireworks? TOTALLY AWESOME and totally deserved. Umbridge should have had so much more bad stuff happen to her.

Professor Snape

I know a lot of people LOVE Snape. I, personally, don't get it. He's a child abuser and a (not at all reformed) death eater, and even though so many people swear he's reformed I don't buy that shit for one single second. He is always prancing around with his nose in the air acting like he is so much better than everyone else, and sure some people are just going to be snobs. But the fact that he also treats the students of Hogwarts horribly - he makes fun of Harry on the first day of classes, and in front of other students. He refuses to let Hermione get her teeth fixed when that spell goes awry. He repeatedly watches Draco and friends bullying Harry and does nothing about it. He calls Hermione an insufferable know-it-all, and in front of other students at that. There is so, so much more he's done. He deserves to be a worst literary villain.

Voldemort

Y'all come on - if you don't agree with this one, I can't even talk to you anymore! He killed James and Lily, he tried to kill Harry when Harry was just a baby, he turned himself into a cult leader and developed a legion of followers who were just as fanatical about killing and torturing people as he was. He recruited a teenager who was still a student at Hogwarts, then convinced said teen that HE HAD TO BE THE ONE TO KILL DUMBLEDORE!

Cersei Lannister

Fucked her brother, had children with him, raised those children as though they belonged to her husband, raised her children with minimal discipline and acted like the sun shone out of their asses. It's no wonder Joffrey grew up to be such an entitled ass. Also, like, she and her brother were entirely responsible for Bran's "accident." WHO DOES THAT TO A KID?! She was manipulative to Sansa Stark, convincing Sansa to marry Joffrey and then showing Joffrey off to other women when she suddenly felt like Sansa wasn't good enough, and she wonders why people hated her. Actually she probably knew exactly why and just didn't care.

Joffrey Lannister....*cough* I mean Baratheon *cough*

Responsible for the beheading of Ned Stark, allowed his men to hit and thus physically abuse Sansa (because he was told he could never hit her because a king never hits his queen), called for the death of many people because someone threw cow poop at his face, and ordered the death of all his fathers' illegitmate children. The list goes on, and on, and on. Is it any wonder that Joffrey would be on a list of least favorite villains? Not only is he one of my least favorite characters, he's one that I genuinely hate. I mean loathe with every fiber of my being. I can't think of a single character I hate as much as him (and that's pretty impressive, because I really hated Snape.)

President Snow

He happily continued the hunger games during his presidency and pitted 24 children against each other to commit murder. He basically forced Peeta and Katniss into being a couple in catching fire, because dude's not as laid back and cool as one initially thinks he is. He found subtle ways to torture Katniss after the Hunger games were over (the quarter quell, the rose in her house.....). He showed no remorse about his part in the games. One could argue that he was a product of his time and of a corrupt government. But there are many politicians and people who don't turn into what he did. Sure, he grew up thinking that was acceptable. But if he had been a morally strong person who actually cared, I would argue that he wouldn't have turned into such a fucking dictator.

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What are your thoughts reader friends? How do you feel about these people? Do you have other villains you dislike even more? Talk to me in the comments!

Thursday, February 6, 2020

Of Curses and Kisses - Sandhya Menon

Title: Of Curses and Kisses
Author: Sandhya Menon
Format: Paperback
Rating: 4.5 Stars

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Will the princess save the beast?

For Princess Jaya Rao, nothing is more important than family. When the loathsome Emerson clan steps up their centuries-old feud to target Jaya’s little sister, nothing will keep Jaya from exacting her revenge. Then Jaya finds out she’ll be attending the same elite boarding school as Grey Emerson, and it feels like the opportunity of a lifetime. She knows what she must do: Make Grey fall in love with her and break his heart. But much to Jaya’s annoyance, Grey’s brooding demeanor and lupine blue eyes have drawn her in. There’s simply no way she and her sworn enemy could find their fairy-tale ending… Right?

His Lordship Grey Emerson is a misanthrope. Thanks to an ancient curse by a Rao matriarch, Grey knows he’s doomed once he turns eighteen. Sequestered away in the mountains at St. Rosetta’s International Academy, he’s lived an isolated existence—until Jaya Rao bursts into his life. Sparkling and elegant, Jaya’s unlike anyone Grey has ever met. Still, he can’t shake the feeling that she’s hiding something. Something that might just have to do with the rose-shaped ruby pendant around her neck…

As the stars conspire to keep them apart, Jaya and Grey grapple with questions of love, loyalty, and whether it’s possible to write your own happy ending.

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Hi reader friends - you're in for a real treat today: A review by upcoming book Of Curses and Kisses, by one of my favorite YA authors - Sandhya Menon, as well as who I'd pick to play some of my favorite characters from the book!

Let's start off with my review. I loved this book so much. It was, by far, my favorite beauty and the beast retelling I've read!

The story follows Jaya Rao as she travels to St. Rosetta's for school, mostly with the intention of sort of exacting revenge against one Grey Emerson because of a family curse that dates back before they were born.

This story has all the mystery and intrigue you'd expect from a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. From the first meeting between Jaya and Grey(when she didn't even know it was him until later) to the end, there are plenty of twists to keep you hooked throughout the story.

The characters in this book were wonderful. Even though Jaya started out as a character that some people could view as a bit frustrating, she had so much character development throughout the book, and I would say that she was my favorite character. She really showed a lot of growth and willingness to change and become a better person throughout the book as well, and I loved that. Her sister Isha would come in a close second. Isha was, from what I gathered, sort of an object of the presses fancy, and the press tried to paint a really terrible picture of her, even with the fun she has out and about. But I enjoyed her and think she was misunderstood.

I enjoyed the romance, and the slow development of that romance, throughout this story. There was obvious chemistry between Jaya and Grey, but there was also the tension from Jaya wanting revenge for the curse, so the romance between them built up slowly throughout this story, and it worked so, so well.

The development of the story worked very well - there was enough back story given that we know why Jaya was so upset with the Emerson family, but not so much delving into the past that we get bored.

When you finish this book, you can definitely tell it's the first in a series, and I am so excited to read future books as they come out. If you like romance, a little revenge, and great relationship/friendships between the characters, this is a book you have to get your hands on. If you've been a fan of Sandhya Menon's other books, you will love this one just as much.

Now, the moment I know you'll love: My Character Movie Picks.

If I were casting a movie of this book, this is who I would pick to play the following characters:

Jaya - Digangana Suryavanshi

Emerson - Felix Mallard

Isha - Jannat Zubair Rahmani

Leo - Abraham Attah

Daphne - Veronika Bonell

Rahul - Aarav Kumar

Alaric - Emjay Anthony

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Author bio: Sandhya Menon is the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi, Of Curses and Kisses, and many other novels that also feature lots of kissing, girl power, and swoony boys. Her books have been included in several cool places, including the Today show, Teen Vogue, NPR, BuzzFeed, and Seventeen. A full-time dog servant and part-time writer, she makes her home in the foggy mountains of Colorado. Visit her online at SandhyaMenon.com, on Twitter @smenonbooks or on Instagram @sandhyamenonbooks.

Buy links: Amazon | B&N | Indies

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If you feel like following the blog tour for Of Curses and Kisses, here is a nice list of previous and upcoming posts for this book, created by Rube of Bookish Owl Reviews.

February 4th

BookishOwl Reviews – Q&A, Playlist, Favourite Quotes

trishajennreads – Review

February 5th

The Heart of a Book Blogger – Q&A

February 6th

Star is All Booked Up – Review, Mood Board

The Book Nerd – Review/Movie Casting

February 10th

Brooke Reviews and Sweeps – Review

February 11th

Not Just Fiction – Q&A

Emma Must Read – Q&A, Playlist

February 12th

Subtlebookish – Q&A

Kirsty’s Book Reviews – Review

Stagey Bookish – TBD

February 13th

A Court of Books and Magic – Review

Books. Libraries. Also, cats. – Books to read if you liked OCAK

February 14th

Magical Reads – Playlist

Living Life the Write Way – Review

Flipping Through the Pages – Review, Mood Board