Five YA Book Cliches

Hey everyone! I hope you are having a good weekend so far! This will be a fun post. It’ll be about different cliches in YA books. The definition of cliche is: a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought. So, this post will cover some things that are in a lot of YA books!

#1: Raising one eyebrow

“He raises one eyebrow at me” is in so many books. It’s usually the love interest, and it’s just so common. And they usually smirk too. Here’s an example: “He raises one eyebrow at me, and smirks mockingly.” I can only raise one eyebrow if I lower the other one, and it just looks so strange.

#2: Weirdly colored eyes

This is another thing that’s in a lot of YA books. It’s either that they have have weirdly colored eyes, like gold or purple, they have beautiful eyes, like green flecked with gold, or they have some unusual shade of eyes. Like, their eyes are an unusual shade of green, like sea foam.

#3: Their eyes change color

I know of at least a few books where the narrator thinks the love interest’s eyes are one color, but then no! They get a closer look and see that they are actually a different color! It usually goes something like this: “I thought his eyes were blue, but now that I get a closer look, I can see that they are actually an unusual shade of grey.”

#4: Letting out a breath they didn’t know they were holding

This has to be one of the most common ones. It’s in almost every book. It’s never “I let out my breath” or “I hold my breath. Then I let out the breath”. Nope! It has to be that they let out a breath they didn’t know they were holding. How did they not know they were holding their breath?

#5: Their heart is pounding

This is also another that is in a lot of books. Like, a bunch. I think that almost every book I know of has a part where the narrator is thinking “I’m surprised they can’t hear my heart pounding” or “My heart is pounding so loud, I think it might burst”. But this is more believable than the letting out a breath they didn’t know they were holding.

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I hope this was a fun post! Are any of these in your current read? Comment if you want a part two! 🙂

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Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch Book Review (Spoiler Free)

“Sonia met my eyes in the mirror. ‘You know, people come to Italy for all sorts of reasons, but when they stay its for the same two things.’ ‘What?’ ‘Love and gelato.’ ‘Amen,’ Howard said.”

Jenna Evans Welch, Love and Gelato

Hey guys! I’m here with another book review! I hope you enjoyed my last one about A Curse so Dark and Lonely. Love and Gelato is a contemporary novel that was published in 2016 and it has 389 pages. Like many other books, my sister read this first, and she was saying that it was really good. My favorite genre of books is probably contemporary, so I really enjoyed reading this book.

Synopsis:

“I made the wrong choice.”

Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is go back home.

But then she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires her, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.

People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more.

My thoughts on the book

Characters

Carolina, Lina for short, is the main character. Some people might think that she seems ungrateful in the beginning, because she’s in this beautiful place, and all she’s thinking about is how she doesn’t want to be there. But I get it. Her mom just died, and she doesn’t want to go live with her father, who she doesn’t even know.

“Turns out there’s a reason they call it falling in love, because when it happens – really happens – that’s exactly how it feels. There’s no doing or trying, you just let go and hope that someone’s going to be there to catch you.”

Jenna Evans Welch, Love and Gelato

While Lina is in Italy, she meets Lorenzo, Ren for short, and they get to know each other. He is a very sweet, helpful, and kind boy. He helps Lina find out more about the secrets her mother kept and also explore the city.

Plot, writing, and other things

“A life without love is like a year without summer.”

Jenna Evans Welch, Love and Gelato

First of all, this book made me hungry! There were so much descriptions of food. So, if you are hungry (or don’t have any good food to eat) then you might not want to read this. It also made me want to go to Italy. It sounds like a very magical place to visit.

“So… Italian gelato. Take the deliciousness of a regular ice-cream cone, times it by a million, then sprinkle it with crushed-up unicorn horns.”

Jenna Evans Welch, Love and Gelato

I liked how this book is kind of a mystery. You get to find out all of these things as Lina and Ren are too about her mother’s life there and everything.

However, there is something that I didn’t like about the book. I think that it was not logical for Lina to not read the journal later in the book. If she wants to find all of these things out, then why doesn’t she just finish reading the journal first?

I also found some of the parts where she was reading the journal boring, but I get that they had to have that in it for the reader to understand the story.

I had to keep using the translator app on google to see what they were saying so I could follow along with some of the dialogue. I personally don’t really mind this, but some people might not be able to translate it because they don’t have any translating device. It’s fine if you don’t because there are just a few parts where they talk in Italian, but it is a helpful tool.

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”

Jenna Evans Welch, Love and Gelato

Conclusion

I rated this book five out of five stars, and I think that it was a sweet, light, romance, with just the right amount of mystery. I loved the ending, and am thinking about reading the next book, Love and Luck, which is about Lina’s friend, Addie.

I hope you have a good day! 🙂

How to Crochet a Granny Square

Do you want to learn to crochet a granny square? Well, here’s a great place to start! I will cover how to crochet a classic granny square and I’ll share a few variations that you can do. Granny squares are great beginner projects, and you can attach them all together to make a blanket, scarf, or purse, or you can make small ones and use them for coasters or washcloths.

What is a granny square?

A granny square is a classic crochet motif that is easy to recognize by its appearance. It is made using sets of three double crochets and chains.

How to crochet a granny square

You’ll need any yarn and the corresponding hook size.

To begin, chain 4. Slip stitch to the first chain you made to form a loop.

Round one: Chain three. (Counts as a double crochet.) Double crochet twice into the loop. *Chain three. Double crochet three times into the loop.* Repeat the instructions between * twice more. Chain three and slip stitch into the first double crochet you made.

Round two: Slip stitch in the next two stitches and into the chain three space. Chain three (Counts as a double crochet.) Double crochet twice into the chain three space. Chain three. Double crochet three times into the chain three space. *Chain one, and do three double crochets into the next chain three space. Chain three. Double crochet three times into the same space.* Repeat the instructions between * three times more. Chain one and slip stitch into the first double crochet you made in the round.

For the rest of the granny square, repeat this pattern: For the first corner: *Slip stitch into the next two stitches and the chain three space. Chain three (Counts as a double crochet.) Double crochet twice into the same space. Chain three. Double crochet three times into the same space*. In all of the chain one spaces: *Chain one. Double crochet three times into the chain one space from the previous round.* For the corners: *Chain one. Double crochet three times into the chain three space from the previous round. Chain three. Double crochet three times into the same space.* Rep all of these steps around, depending on if you are at a corner, chain one space, or the beginning. When you get to the end of the round, chain one and slip stitch to the first stitch.

You can make these as big as you want. When you want to be done with it, just fasten off and weave in the end! Then you’re done! This is a very simple pattern to follow, and it’s easy to memorize. Hope you enjoyed this post! Have a wonderful day! ❤

A Bookworm’s Life by Becky

Hey! This is a poem I thought of the other day. I just started writing because I was bored, and it turned into a poem. Hope you enjoy it!

They make you angry, they make you mad.

They make you happy, as well as sad.

They can make your heart whole, or break it in half.

Make you scream in rage, sob, and even laugh.

There’s the shocking betrayals, and the huge plot twists.

The moments that make you clench your fists.

But there are moments of joy, of true happiness.

Like when the main character and love interest finally kiss.

And then the pain that follows, when your favorite character dies.

After throwing the book, you just sit there and cry.

Then you turn the page, and you see it’s the last.

And you deeply regret having read it so fast.

Then you savor every word of this last scene.

And you slam the book shut, wanting to scream.

Because you can’t wait a whole year for the next part.

The sequel that’s guaranteed to break your heart.

I hope you enjoyed reading this poem. Is it relatable? Have a great day!

A Curse So Dark And Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer Book Review (Spoiler free)

Hey everyone! Today’s post will be a book review. A Curse So Dark And Lonely is the first book in the Cursebreaker series by Brigid Kemmerer, a YA fantasy romance based on the fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast.” It was published in 2019 with 496 pages. I was a bit hesitant to read this book, just because of all the hype it was getting and because my sister read it before me and was saying that it was so good. But she finally got me to read it, and I don’t regret it!

“I am always surprised to discover that when the world seems darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light.”

Brigid Kemmerer

Synopsis on the book:

Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

My Thoughts on the Book

Characters

Harper is our main character, and I loved her! She comes from the regular world, so it’s relatable to see how she would react when she is in the magical world. She was strong and determined, as well as stubborn, but she’s also caring. I love how the characters in this book are so relatable and deep.

“This early in the season, the other girls would sit by the hearth and gaze at me over crystal goblets, while I’d pour wine and tell stories with just enough devilishness to make them blush. If I put a crystal goblet in this one’s hand, she’d likely smash it and use the shards to cut me.”

Rhen, about Harper

I like how Brigid Kemmerer included a main character with cerebral palsy too. Harper’s cerebral palsy doesn’t hold her back, nor does it define her character. When she first is in the magical kingdom of Emberfall, she doesn’t hesitate to fight back.

Rhen is also a great character. He is flawed, seemingly a bit cruel or evil by Harper in the beginning, but then you get to know his past more, and all of the challenges he has had to face. He is usually trying to do the right thing, though that thing isn’t always so clear.

“My father once said we are all dealt a hand at birth. A good hand can ultimately lose – just as a poor hand can win – but we must all play the cards fate deals. The choices we face may not be the choices we want, but they are choices nonetheless.”

Rhen

Although Grey doesn’t get his own chapter until the end, I feel like I know his very well. He’s loyal and also reserved. He doesn’t usually let himself slip, but when he does, and the reader gets to see some of him, you get to know him even better.

Lilith is also such a creepy villain. I was always just worried she’d show up and ruin everything. Every time she came, I got so worried that something bad would happen.

Plot, writing, and other things

I like how this book was a very original retelling, but it was still very imaginative and creative. I liked the story very well. Kemmerer’s story was really good, evenly paced, and the ending! I liked how it was a romance book, but it also focused on the people of Emberfall, and the fantasy element as well.

One thing in this novel that I found unbelievable, was their plans to save Emberfall. I don’t think that that many people would believe them. But I won’t give away too much.

The writing style is easy to read. It’s a good paced book, there weren’t really any scenes where I was bored. There also weren’t really any parts that I thought were going really fast.

In a lot of books that are written in two POVs, you can’t tell which chapter is whose, and the characters are very similar in the way they talk. But in this book, I think that Brigid Kemmerer did the character voice really well.

Conclusion

I loved this book so much that I rated it five out of five stars. It is a very original, yet creative, retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” that has great, believable, characters, vivid writing, and an amazing story. It is evenly paced, and then, the ending, wraps everything up together well, but still holds some secrets.

I found this book very similar to “An Ember in the Ashes” by Sabaa Tahir, and also “The Wrath and the Dawn” by Renée Ahdieh. They are both fantasy books which I would recommend. I can’t wait to read the next books!

Have a great weekend. 🙂

Monthly Wrap Up: July 2021

Hey! How was your July? I can’t believe It’s already August! Anyways, for today’s post, I’ll be giving you a monthly wrap up for July.

Books

1. The Shadow of the Bear: A Fairy Tale Retold by Regina Doman. This book was so good. I read it after my sister, who also really enjoyed it. It’s a Snow White and Rose Red retelling, and although I’ve never read that fairy tale, I still enjoyed this book a lot. It’s about these two sisters who live in New York, and they are very different. And when Bear, a secretive person, lands on their doorstep, Rose is friendly and she’s delighted by his knowledge of poetry and music. But the other sister, Blanche, is more cautious and she is afraid of his apparent connections to drugs, murder, and a hidden treasure. 5/5 stars!
2. P.S. I Like You by Kasey West. This is a sweet contemporary YA novel. Lily is the main character, and when she scribbles a few lyrics to one of her favorite songs on the desk in chemistry class, it turns into writing letters to a secret pen pal. I loved this book so much! 5/5 stars!
3. The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. This is a children’s book, but I still loved it! It’s a historical fiction book set during WW2 about a ten year old girl. She has never left her one room apartment because her mother is too humiliated by the girls, her name’s Ada, twisted foot. But her little brother Jamie is going to be shipped off to London to be safe, she escapes and goes too. She is cast into a new adventure as she learns to ride a pony, read, and she looks out for German ships. So good. 5/5 stars!
4. Black as Night: A Fairy Tale Retold by Regina Doman. This is the second book after The Shadow of the Bear, so there will be spoilers for the first book. It’s based on the fairy tale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. I liked it just as much, or maybe even more, than the first one. Bear is in Europe for the summer, Blanche’s sister and mother are in Florida, and Blanche is by herself in New York. And she is becoming to be in grave danger. 5/5 stars as well.
5. The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jennof. This is a historical fiction book set during WW2. 16 year old Noa is cast out by her family, and she’s forced to work to clean a rail station to earn her keep. When she finds a boxcar full of Jewish babies, her life changes in an instant when she takes one. Astrid is a middle aged lady who works at the circus. When Noa comes and Astrid has to teach her the flying trapeze act, they are first rivals, but then become friends. It was so sad, with a tragic ending, but I still rated it 5/5 stars.
6. Zac and Mia by A.J. Betts is a contemporary book about two cancer patients. It is told in different POV’s and it follows Zac and Mia. Zac is a seventeen year old who is going through leukemia treatment. He believes in science, statistics, and math. Then Mia, an angry cancer patient, moves in next door. They start to talk and then they both have to go back to their normal lives. But they can’t stop thinking about each other. This was a very good book! 5/5 stars
7. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. This is a contemporary book about Cath, a teen who is going to college, who loves Simon Snow, a series of books for children. She writes fan fiction, hangs out in forums, and talks about it with her twin sister, Wren. But Wren doesn’t want to be room mates with Cath in college, and Cath feels like she’s on her own. 5/5 stars!
8. A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer. This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Prince Rhen is from Emberfall, and he’s also the heir of Emberfall. But he is cursed by a powerful enchantress. He repeats the Autumn of his eighteenth year, and the spell can only be broken if a girl falls in love with him. But he also turns into a vicious beast. Harper is from the regular world, and she accidentally gets pulled into the magical world when she tries to save a stranger on the streets. This is such a good book! I loved it! 5/5 stars!
9. Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch. After Lina’s mother dies, she goes to spend her summer in Italy with her father. But she is given a journal that her mother kept during her years living in Italy, and she is uncovering many secrets that her mother kept from her. She follows in her mother’s footsteps and she, along with her new friend Ren, explore the city. I loved this book! I also love what the cover looks like. 5/5 stars!

Run Streak

So, those were all of the books I’ve read. I also started doing a running challenge where I run (or walk) at least a mile everyday in July. I successfully finished it. I loved doing it. It was fun some days, and other days it was more of a struggle. There were a lot of days where I definitely did not want to get out there, like when I got a small cold, and a lot of days when I almost didn’t go for a run. It taught me discipline and perseverance. It is a good thing to do, but do make sure to hydrate and be aware of injuries. It’s also not recommended to run when you have a sickness below the neck. So, if you have a runny nose or cough it should be fine, but if you have a stomach ache or fever, you should take a break.

Writing

I got so much more writing done this month than in June. I am 30,101 words in. I am still on my first draft, and there is not much that I can tell you about it yet.

Crochet

I didn’t get much crocheting done in July. I was just busy with school and reading and stuff. I did get a few small key chains and bracelets done as well as a lovey (I’ll be posting the pattern soon!)

Other Stuff

Sorry about not posting last Wednesday. Everything has been really busy with school, (yes I do school through the summer) relatives visiting, going swimming, and a lot of household projects. My dad is doing a lot of household projects, and right now, he’s working on the kid’s bedrooms flooring and repainting the walls. He is taking out the carpet and putting hardwood flooring in and repainting the walls. Right now, he’s working on mine and my sister’s room, so everything has been crazy. We had to put all of our stuff in our little sibling’s room, and so a lot of stuff is unorganized. I will try to be more consistent with posting in August.

I hope you have a good day! I’ll post on Saturday, with either a pattern or a book review! Bye!