Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Release Date: June 9, 2015
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Source: Borrowed

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 288
Amazon |  Goodreads

An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey’s daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother’s gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she’s never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.

So I have been in love with Sophie Kinsella and her witty books since what feels like the beginning of time! When I found out she was going to be coming out with a Young Adult book, my fave genre, I flipped! In the best way of course! ;)

Sophie's books have the most entertaining character's, that literally have me laughing out loud until I have tears running down my face. If you've never read anything by her, check out her Shopaholic series, it is hysterical!

While this book felt much more middle grade than YA, I really did enjoy it once I got into it. It wasn't as laugh out loud funny as some of her other's, but it was cleverly entertaining none the less!

The main character, Audrey has gone through a pretty traumatic event, which causes her to just retract into herself. For the first time in her life, she is dealing with some pretty big issues, like anxiety and depression. I personally suffer from both, and found her descriptions and the lengths someone suffering from these disorders will go to to avoid interaction or uncomfortable/unfamiliar situations, totally spot on! I wish this book had been around when I was teen! This is not a subject that is featured in very many YA or MG works, and I love that Sophie Kinsella took this on with her witty and entertaining style!

My favorite things about this book, besides the wit and humor, were the character's! They were so vivid and colorful, and delicously entertaining! Particularly Audrey's family, who are every bit as quirky as she is! I loved pretty much every scene with her mother and laughed hysterically at her antics. All in all this managed to be a fun, light hearted, and quick read despite the serious nature of the main character's issues.

If your a Sophie Kinsella fan, a YA or MG fan, or are just looking for a lighthearted, fun read, with a bit of depth, I highly recommend this one!

Swatch & Review : BH Cosmetics Galaxy Chic Eyeshadow Palette

Hi Lovelies!

I am here today with a swatch and review of the BH Cosmetic's Galaxy Chic eye shadow palette. I recently placed my first order with BH for the Carli Bybel (look for a review and swatch soon!) palette, and was amazed at the fantastic quality at such an affordable price! I just had to order more!

Now that I have moved out on my own, I have to be so much more conscience of my budget. Gone are the days of blowing a paycheck at Ulta or Sephora. *cries* Anyhooo....fortunately for me, there are some incredible brands out there that deliver loads of bang for your buck, and BH Cosmetics just happens to be one of them!

While I have not tried all of their products, I am loving all of the palette's I have ordered from them so far. The Galaxy Chic palette contains 18 baked eye shadows that come in a range of colors from neutrals, to smokey tones and vibrant colors.  I love the range in this palette because I can do an every day look for work or running errands, a smokey look or a bright super fun look. Whatever I'm in the mood for!

So let's get to the swatches!

From top to bottom we have Aphrodite, Prometheus, Jupiter, and Sun.  

From left to right we have Mars, Mercury, Cosmic and Milky Way

From left to right we have Neptune, Earth, Comet and Meteor

From left to right we have Asteroid, Mercury, and Mars

And our last 3 from left to right are Pluto, Moon and Electra

As usual, BH Palette's are very pigmented and go on very nicely! They are so fun to play with and are priced well! And the best part, since these are baked, you can apply them wet for an even bolder look!

I can't wait to really play with this and have some fun! I think the blue's are going to make an amazing mermaid look! Ahhh!!!

You can grab this palette by clicking on the picture below . It is on sale for $12! If you grab one, make sure you let me know how you like it! And feel free to share pics of any looks you created with it.

Until next time...

XOXO

Cristina

The Dawning of a New Era, or, Something Like That...

Hi Lovelies!

It's Cristina here with some exciting news and changes! By this time you will have noticed quite a few changes. From my blog name, to the design. And there's even more to come!

If you've been following me from the beginning then you know that this started out as a book blog. For several years now I've been on a hiatus. I was dealing with an inner struggle about a year into blogging. While I adore books, always have and always will, there is so much more to me than just that! I felt like my blog sort of put me into a single box and I felt very stiffeled!

I had many a conversation with my closest blogging friends about this. I had a a cooking blog, a nail art, blog as well as my book blog, and I just...felt like I couldn't ever be MYSELF. I have so many interests and things that I want to share with you, but I felt stuck.

That was really all my own fault, and how I had chosen to brand myself. While "the Princess of Storyland" was a perfect fit for me in that first year, as I continued to grow as a person and as a blog, it no longer seemed to be the perfect fit. I'm not sure why it didn't dawn on me sooner, but the solution was as simple as a name change!

A light bulb moment later, and "the Princess of Everything" was born. *sigh* I feel like now I can be myself! I can use my blog as an outlet to share ALL of the things I know and love! Books will still be a part of this blog, and always will be! But now, now i can finally share all of my other passions as well!

This blog is a little mix of everything! Beauty and Skincare, Hair tutorials, book reviews, crafting and DIY, recipes and so much more! I was very young when this blog started, and I've grown in leaps and bounds since then. I want this place to be home, not just for me, but for each of you as well. I want it to be a -place where we can talk about the latest trends, our favorite movie and tv show of the moment, our current read, as well as what in the heck are we going to make for dinner tonight?!?!?

I hope you continue to read my blog, and interact with me! Please feel free to chat, share your favorites with me and just make yourself at home! If you have any suggestions for content on my blog, or things you'd like to see, please feel free to let me know! This after all, is your blog too!

XOXO
Cristina

Review: Don't Look Now (PERSEFoNE #2)

Don't Look Now (PERSEFoNE #2) by Michelle Gagnon

Release Date: August 27, 2013
Publisher: Harpercollins
Source: Publisher
Format: ARC
Pages: 336
Amazon  |  Goodreads

Noa Torsen is on the run. Having outsmarted the sinister corporation Pike & Dolan, Noa and her friend Zeke now move stealthily across the country, protecting runaways before they become test subjects for P&D's horrific experiments. Noa knows all too well what that feels like: Whatever they did to her has left her exhausted and scared.

Back in Boston, Peter anxiously follows Noa's movements from his computer, using his hacker skills to feed her the information she needs to stay alive. But he's desperate to do something more, especially when he learns what P&D has done to his ex-girlfriend Amanda.

Then, in an explosive confrontation, Noa and her team are trapped in the one place they thought was safe. It will take everything Noa and Peter have to bring down the corporation before it gets them first. And with no one to trust and enemies hiding at every turn, they may be the only people alive who can.

This stunning second book in the critically acclaimed Don't Turn Around trilogy raises the stakes to their absolute limit and will leave readers begging for the exciting conclusion, Don't Let Go.

 

When Don't Turn Around ended I was dying inside! It quickly became one of my all time favorites and I needed more pronto! Don't Look Now has been one of my most anticipated books of 2013!

This trilogy is amazingly epic and I can't recommend it highly enough! I think this is a great series for girls, and boys as there is plenty of heart racing action! And it also helps that the story is told both through Noa, and Peter's point of view!

I am so obsessed with this series and am sad to see it end, but am dying for the next book! This one didn't have as much action as the last, but it was still pretty incredible! I was shocked, and left wondering what will happen, which is a good thing! It kept me guessing, and my heart went out to Noa and Peter, it felt like there was no one they could truly trust except for each other!

This was a solid followup to the first book in the series and I am excited to pick up where this one left off!

Review: Relativity

Relativity by Cristin Bishara

Release Date: September 10, 2013
Publisher: Walker Children's
Source: Publisher
Format: ARC
Pages: 272
Amazon  |  Goodreads

There are so many moments Ruby Wright wishes she could change. The moment her dad uprooted her from California to live in backwoods Ohio with their new stepfamily. The moment she moved away without telling her best friend George she loved him. The moment a car accident ended her mother's life.

But no one can rewrite time. At least, that's what physics-obsessed Ruby believes.

Then she stumbles upon a lightning-powered tree—a doorway to a series of parallel universes. How many possible worlds will Ruby have to explore to find the one with the perfect combination of people, relationships, and experiences? And is she willing to risk everything she has to get back what she has lost?

With a deft blend of science and heart, Cristin Bishara's thought-provoking debut novel explored the laws of time and space...and the even more mysterious nature of love and loss.

 

  

Ruby Wright's world has completely changed, and all she wants is her old life back. Her mother is dead, her father remarried and uprooted them from California to the cornfields of Ohio to be with his new family. She's had to leave behind her life, her friends, and everything she knew.

I felt so bad for Ruby's character. She was completely uprooted and moved across the country. She had to leave behind everything she knew and loved. She had to live with complete strangers, and a super creepy stepsister who has it out for Ruby!A new stepmom is not what Ruby wished for, and especially not a creepy stepsister.

I love books with paralell universes, and this one was quite different because it centered around a "wormhole". Ruby finds sanctuary in a huge old tree, in the middle of a large cornfield, and finds a wormhole. It transports her between 9 different paralel universes. Hopeing to find one that has everything she ever hoped for, Ruby goes on a journey. But she will soon discover that the grass is not always greener on the other side.

During Ruby's quest for the perfect universe, the perfect life, she learns about love, life and self discovery.

This was an enjoyable, and quick read. I really liked the paralel universes, which sometimes can be confusing, but the author did a great job with it.

 

Review: Asylum (Asylum #1)

Asylum (Asylum #1) by Madeleine Roux

Release Date: August 20, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher
Format: ARC
Pages: 313
Amazon  |  Goodreads

For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, New Hampshire College Prep is more than a summer program—it's a lifeline. An outcast at his high school, Dan is excited to finally make some friends in his last summer before college. But when he arrives at the program, Dan learns that his dorm for the summer used to be a sanatorium, more commonly known as an asylum. And not just any asylum—a last resort for the criminally insane.

As Dan and his new friends, Abby and Jordan, explore the hidden recesses of their creepy summer home, they soon discover it's no coincidence that the three of them ended up here. Because the asylum holds the key to a terrifying past. And there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried.

Featuring found photos of unsettling history and real abandoned asylums and filled with chilling mystery and page-turning suspense, Madeleine Roux's teen debut, Asylum, is a horror story that treads the line between genius and insanity.

 

My world was rocked in the best way when I read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. I've read a few other stories told with words and pictures since then and have been very disappointed. That is until I read Asylum by Madeleine Roux!

Asylum was a thrilling tale of 3 teens attending a summer College Prep course. Unbeknownst to to them, their dorm was converted from an asylum for the criminally insane!

Some pretty creepy things start happening and they soon learn that they are each there for a reason. It was a brilliantly written thriller and I loved every bit of it!

It was well written and I love how the author used old photographs to help tell the story. It really added to the richness of the story and took the creep factor up to a whole new level! I highly recommend this one!

 

 

An Update on the Girl behind the Blog!

Hey Guys!!! *waves*

I feel like it's been aaaages since I've blogged! I've missed it so very much! I hope all is well with my blogger/reader friends. I can't wait to catch up with all of you and catch up an ALL the books I've missed. I know its been a LOT!

I still can't believe that when I started this blog I was a mere 25 year old book nerd who couldn't wait to share her love of books with the world! In a mere 7 days I turn 29, and well...not much has changed! I still adore books, crocheting, warm cups of tea, the color pink, shopping and BUNNIES!

I've gotten glasses since then, and I feel like they are pretty EPIC! hehe Plus, they make me look smarter (at least in my eyes they do!) and I'm totally for that! :) Also, I may have ditched my naturally black hair for an ombre look that I adore! And I am currently thinking of something to spice up my hair this fall. Oooo...

Do ya'll remember my sweet and adorable bunny Toby? Love of my life and bunny extraordinaire? Well... Mr. Tobes was getting quite lonely when I returned to work full time. It broke my heart and I took him courting. He fell in love at first sight with this cutie-pa-tootie.

Just look at that irrisistable face!!! It's of no wonder he was so smitten. I named her Clementine and she is the sweetest little girl I could have ever hoped for! They are total best friends! They do everything together. And I mean EVERYTHING! They use the litter box at the same time, share the same salad bowl even though they each get their own, and are never more than a few inches apart from each other at any given moment! Aren't they precious!?!?!

So what's new with me? Last year I got a second job, working at a pharmacy, which is what I went to school for. I loved it but...a lot of changes came and I decided eventually that it was best to go back home to retail. Scaling back to just the one job was great. I went back and stepped into a role as a supervisor full time,  and I can honestly say I've had a super hard time juggling it and fitting in my passion for reading and blogging. I have so much admiration for all of you out there who manage to juggle life, and a full time job as well as your passion for reading and blogging.

On the health front, I was diagnosed with 3 more auto immune disease. One of them has done a real number on me and it definitely takes its toll. I was put on chemotherapy drugs and another additional biologic drug that I take weekly. The side effects...well they are pretty crap and I struggle daily. BUT I try my best to stay upbeat and positive. Life isn't always ideal but you can always strive to make each day the best that it can be! :)

That being said, going through everything I've been through in this past year, has been rough at times. It's definitely had its ups and downs, and I struggle with depression that kind of comes with the territory. Finding joy in the things that used to ALWAYS make me happy, isn't always something that comes naturally anymore.

The thing is, books, and reading are such a huge part of my life and always have been. I miss the smell of a brand new book, cracking it open and being transported to a whole new world that I can loose myself in for hours. Staying up way too late because I just can't put my book down. I miss all of those things. And I just didn't feel like myself with out them. I hadn't picked up a book in nearly a year, but slowly I'm inching my way back in, and realizing how much I've missed it in the process!

So for those of you who have stuck around with me and my blog, thank you! From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate you and your support. So look for some new reviews, features, tours and giveaways coming in the next few weeks!

See you soon! :)

XOXO