Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout

The book Obsidian, by Jennifer Armentrout, is a paranormal, scifi y.a novel with plenty of action, sarcasm, hilarity, relatability, and swoon-worthy romance. 

Synopsis

Starting over sucked, being new sucked, and being neighbors with Daemon sucked. Katy just wants to be able to update her blog on reliable wifi, plant a garden, make a few friends, and survive her Senior year at a new school. But mysterious Daemon is making that nearly impossible. He may be hotter than the Sahara, but he was clearly an arrogant jerkface that Katy could literally stab and feel no remorse for. 

"I'd always avoided confrontation in the past, but this guy was flipping my bitch switch like nothing else." -Katy 

Or so she tells herself.. Strange things are happening around West Virginia. Girls are going missing, being attacked, and there is something just not right with Daemon and Dee Black. 

Katy gets swept away in the friendship between Dee and her obvious crush hatred of the infuriating Daemon. But can she maintain her friendships when people from out of this world literally want to tear her apart? 

Jennifer Armentrout sure knows how to create relatable characters, gripping tales, and searing romance. I couldn't get enough of this first novel in her Lux series. 

Katy, the main protagonist, is my spirit animal. Young Katy would rather spend her days indoors updating her book review blog, waiting on new book releases, or reading the next novel in her TBR pile. She is shy, snarky, hilarious, and represents us bookaholics brilliantly. I have never related to a character before quite like I do Kate. 

Daemon Black is the swoon-worthy jerk of a boy next door. Although he says and does some horrible things, they are always in Katy's best interest. You can't help but love, hate, and love to hate Daemon all at the same time. 

Dee Black is the perfect, starved for real friendship, best friend. Dee struggles to find her place in her world and Katy's. After all, Katy is the first real friend she has ever had. She doesn't let her big brother, all of 4 minutes, or her "family" break up her friendship with Katy. She fights to the end proving that nothing will stop her from finally living her life. 

I strongly recommend you check out this first book. And if you happen to like this one, I also suggest White Hot Kiss (another series by Jennifer Armentrout). 

I give it 5/5

Now for some of my favorite quotes to help guide your decision to read this novel. 

"I thought people in small towns were supposed to be nice, not act like the son of Satan." -Katy

"Sometimes being around children was the perfect abstinence program. Then again, not like I needed a program." -Katy

"The day my Internet was hooked up was better than having a hot guy check out my butt and ask for my phone number." -Katy

"Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Horrible attitude. It was the holy trinity of hot boys." -Katy 

"I was always able to lose myself in reading. Books were a necessary escape I always gladly jumped into headfirst" -Katy

 

 

 

Bad Habits of a Bookaholic

Today we are going to discuss the bad habits of a bookaholic.

A bookaholic is a person who buys more books than they can read. I have recently bought at least 6 more books this month and it is still near the beginning of the month. I haven't even read all of the books that I bought a year ago.

There is so little time in my day to read between work and classes that I barely finish a novel in a week anymore. And yet I spent over an hour in a half-priced bookstore over an hour away from my hometown.

I have become more of a book collector versus a reader lately. I hope to build a personal library full of books that I can read at any time.

To all of you readers/collectors out there, is it bad that my TBR pile is much larger than my read pile will ever be? Do you find yourselves buying more books than you will ever read in your lifetime?

Foellinger Freimann Botanical Conservatory

7 Travel Tips

 Yesterday, I took a day trip to Fort Wayne by myself to get away and have some photography fun. I used to be wary about traveling or going places by myself. But I am never going back! It turned out to be a very exciting and rewarding adventure that taught me a few things. So here are some tips for the budget travelers who want to get away from home without going too far away.

             1.  Always, and I mean ALWAYS, have the directions written down as well as in your gps. I cannot stress this enough. I lost my gps signal at least 10 times in the short hour and thirty minute trip. Maps confuse me to no end. I’d end up in Michigan if I tried to read a map. I was able to figure out what exits to take and which direction to turn because I had them written down and in my cup holder.

2.       

          2. Write down the DISTANCES between each turn and exit. Pay attention to the time on your clock when making these changes. It will save you stress and time if you do so. It is much easier to know that in 15miles you need to exit off of IN 24. And that it was 11:24am when you started. This way, if the gps signal is lost, you aren’t frantically searching the road for exit signs.

             3. Always have a parking plan before you go. I always forget that bigger cities require you to park in parking garages. Or that some garages are a good 20minute walk away from your destination. Luckily there was a parking garage right across from the building I was heading to. Also check to see if you can get free parking! I went to the botanical gardens and was surprised to learn that my parking fee was waived.

            4. Know where you want to eat. I spent a good 20 minutes aimlessly driving around trying to decide what I wanted to eat. Not only did it waste time and gas, but I ended up giving up and settling for fast food.

            5. Have your phone charged and pack extra chargers. You never know when you might need to make an emergency call or make a quick google maps search.

          6. Have fun and explore! Look for free events, parks, and museum dates before going. Are you a student? Call ahead and see what places offer good student discounts. My next trip will be planned out a little better so I have more time to walk around and explore. See as much as you can before you leave. You never know when you will be there again.

            7.   And most importantly, stay safe! Always travel in the day light. Never walk around at night alone. I got followed by a creepy old man and cat called by boys and men everywhere I went. I’m not used to that kind of treatment. I live in a much smaller town. It was quite an uncomfortable experience. If you feel threatened, find a safe place indoors to wait. If they follow you inside, don’t be afraid to let the staff know. Keep your safety in mind. 

Nail Technician

After the disaster that was my college education, I have decided to take a break from my bachelor's degree to pursue a license in the Cosmetology field as a Nail Technician.

I feel as though after the issue with my credits, I need a break to figure out what I really want to do as a bachelor's degree. I hated the degree program I was in, but stuck with it because I was a year away from graduating. However, circumstances have me now at a Sophomore level. I might as well take the time to figure out what I truly want to do before continuing my education.

Instead of just working full-time, I have decided to pursue a license as a Nail Technician as it is something I have always been interested in doing. I start on June 29th after I finish my enrollment application and pay the $50 application fee. I can't wait to start!

More to come later about Nail Technician school as I progress through the process.

Typewriter Tuesday

"Whatever you are by nature, keep to it; never desert your talent.
Be what nature intended you for, and you will succeed."
-Sydney Smith-

 

Thrifty Finds

Smith & Corona Silent typewriter

It was made in 1950, not the 1960s as I had thought. To know that I have a working typewriter from 65 years ago, amazes me. I bought this item for $19.96. On etsy, it is up for sale for $105! Now that is what I call a bargain buy! Some of the keys do stick, but I am hoping that I can eventually figure out how to fix it.

It took me 10 tries and stained hands, pants, and cell phone to figure out where the ribbon went through the vibrator. However, it is quite easy to change and fix once you know where to place it.


I might just go on a collecting spree of typewriters now!

She's an odd tan/grey/brown color with dark green keys, but I've never seen anything more beautiful than her. 

Do any of you writers, readers, or general bloggers have a typewriter?