Benny's Little Game

Little Game by Benny

I really recommend taking a look at this video. With a sticky tone and meaningful lyrics, I consider this a piece of art. Take a look!

How To Read More | A Very Useless Tutorial

The last book-related update I did was (about) 5 months ago. School's hard kids.
Having a blog in which books are the main topic, it should be a priority for your humble servant to read as much as possible; however, having entered a new school, and having a –brand new– boyfriend to almost take care of, it's hard.
This is not even a tutorial, this entry is about what I've been up to the last few months and how things will go on for us all here in Lorellas.
I started a new school this August (2014), and I had to adapt to these new schedules and horrifying hours... You see,
Wake up: 6 am (Who the Santa Claus wakes up at that hour?)  (Spoiler, me, everyfreaking day.)
Start school: 7 am
End school: 3 pm
Eat: 3:30/4 pm
Homework: Evenly distributed throughout the day cause I have nothing else to do, except for going to the gym, which I don't.
Dinner: 8 pm
Sleep: AT MOST 10 pm
You know, I had to really change stuff in my life just to be able to keep up with these times. I gave up breakfast and sometimes Lunch time so I could focus on other things.
HOWEVER! December is here and I've got plenty of time to catch up with my 2014 planned reads and create more entries for y'all.
Hope somebody's still there, and if you are: Thank you.
Lots of love,

FIVE Books To Read Before The Movie Comes Out (+ EBOOK DOWNLOAD / AMAZON LINKS)

1. The Giver by Lois Lowry 
Jonas' world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

Goodreads rating: 4.11/5 
AMAZON 
DOWNLOAD 





2. If I Stay by Gayle Forman 
Just listen, Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel.
I open my eyes wide now.
I sit up as much as I can.
And I listen.
Stay, he says.
Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?
Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it's the only one that matters.

Goodreads rating: 3.99/5
AMAZON
DOWNLOAD

3. The Maze Runner by James Dashner 
"If you ain't scared, you ain't human." 
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He's surrounded by strangers--boys whose memories are also gone.
Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It's the only way out--and no one's ever made it through alive.
Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Goodreads rating: 4.01
AMAZON
DOWNLOAD

4. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

Goodreads rating: 3.93/5
AMAZON
DOWNLOAD

5. The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien 
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.

Goodreads rating: 4.20/5 
AMAZON
DOWNLOAD (PDF)

Five Books I Hope I Will Be Reading on AUGUST 2014

Ink by Amanda Sun

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.
Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. 

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. 
Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?
Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.



We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

 Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

NEW SECTION: Wednesday Wishes

Lately I've been going around other book blogs, to find about more sections I could add to LORELLA.
Yesterday I found the blog ROOFTOPREADING and in it, the section "Wishlist Wednesday"... and I think it is a fantastic idea!
So I decided to create my own "Wednesday Wishes", in which I will post one or two things I wish I could have or could happen... WARNING! This can be about anything (seriously, anything), so at some point it may get a bit personal.....

Tomorrow I will be posting it, as for today, I expect to upload one post today... wait for it, beautiful!

[Another] BOOK TAG: How I Read Tag

1) How do you find out about new books to read?
Lately I've found out by BookTubers and Goodreads.

2) How did you get into reading?
I've always read! It is impossible for me to tell exactly when I discovered I loved it.

3) How has your taste in books changed since you've gotten older?
I guess I can say when I was younger I really liked fantasy....... then I didn't like it....... now I love fantasy and sci-fi. Although I've always liked YA, now I think I'm more aware of its existence, so... I love it.

4) How often do you buy books?
Almost every week I buy about three.... digital books. Sad face. I tend to buy one or two books every month or two... go on, laugh at me.

5) How did you get into booktubing?
Ah ha ha. I didn't. I'm not a book tuber, I'm a book blogger.

6) How do you react when you don't like the end of a book?
I overreact. A lot. My dad can assure you that almost always I'm ranting about a shitty ending.

7) How often have you taken a sneaky look at the back page of a book to see if it's a happy ending?
Oh, never. Don't say that in front of me! Pshhht!

8) How many people are you going to tag, and who are they?I guess I'll tag two other bloggers: Imogen's Typewriter and Ms Megan, since you two were the ones who got me into these tag posts... I'll also love to see all of you guys do a tag post! I'd love to know about your answers~

REVIEW: White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: White Hot Kiss

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Genre: YA, paranormal, romance

Length: 400 pages

Source: Kindle Copy

One kiss could be the last. 

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses. 

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever. 

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul. 

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

White Hot Kiss by is the first book I've ever read by Jennifer L. Armentrout. 
After hearing a lot of things (good things) about her, I decided to give it a try... since my final rate is 5/5 you can tell I wasn't disappointed. 
What I love about this is that the whole story doesn't revolve around the love triangle, but it is more about Layla finding out about her heritage and trying to do something about her future. Well done, Jennifer! Kudos to you. 
You guys know I'd never recommend a story only about romance –that kind of stuff repulses me (and it's not because I don't have a boyfriend. Maybe I don't have a boyfriend because it repulses me, have you considered that?) Don't let the cheesy cover fool you, it's not a 40 year old woman erotic romance. 
The story is quite original, it's about Gargoyles and Demons. I guess the cool plot wasn't the thing that kept my eyes locked in the book, but the fantastic characters and, of course, the awesome dialogue. 
I guess the story sets in today's world (or around this time), and it portrays contemporary characters, people you can relate to. Layla, contrary to some famous YA's, is a strong lady , who, from time to time needs to be rescued, but also does the rescue every other time. She doesn't annoys me like most female protagonists and that's a good, good thing. KUDOS!
I can't describe Roth without writing down a whole list of things why, if he was real, I wouldn't give up trying to get him to marry me. Demon or not. 
Sam and Stacey are those friends you can easily compare to your own, making you grow fond of them in only a few pages. 
The gargoyles are... different. I understand why so many people are afraid of them, but I also get why others love them. 
Jennifer L. Armentrout changes the things by not making everything black or white... and that'll be important for the main characters. 
I can't say anything else, but that I will be recommending this for anyone who's up for some sexy teenage love with a pinch of maturity that makes it not annoying at all.

5/5

MES EXCUSES: Viruses In My Throat

No, lovely reader, I don't speak french, I had to google that.
My apologies to you all because I haven't posted anything the past week, and I kind of have a good reason...
VIRUSES.
(Imagine the "aliens" guy saying that.)
On Tuesday morning I woke up feeling like it was going to be a terrible, terrible day. Wow, and was it a bad day. After I went home it all went downhill. Down, down below. So I was eating with my dad and I started tearing up, like some wild dog had started munching up my leg.
The moment you cry for no real reason, that's the moment you should get worried. Less than an hour later I was spread on my parent's bed, crying for help. Turns out I had a severe fever and some kind of virus... through the next two and a half days I received three very painful injections.
Now I'm fine, resting besides two dogs who just came out from the vet, one with stitches and bright teeth; the other with bright(-er) teeth. But that's another story.

FRIDAY FIVES: Little Acts of Kindness

For this Friday Fives I decided to show you some of my favorite videos in which kindness is shown towards each other and animals. After all, with everything that has been happening the past months, we all need to know that humanity is capable of doing little good things as well...

▲ Beagles See Sun and Grass for the First Time After a Life in a Laboratory

▲ Acts of Kindness Caught on Camera in 2012

▲ Humpback Whale Shows AMAZING Appreciation After Being Freed From Nets

▲Brave man saves drowning dog from river

▲The Most Beautiful Way To Stop A Bully

As you can see, some of these are not just acts of kindness, but how people and animals respond to them. 

Do you need more inspiration to go out and be the best version of yourself? 

FIRST IMPRESSION: Saeculum by Ursula Po––something...

First of all, I'm sorry, that last name is way too much for my vocabulary. Sorry, I'm ignorant. Poznanski. There you go.

The reason I picked this book.

It was lonely, in a corner behind stacks and stacks of books. It looked kind of inviting and lethal over there. Staring at me. Okay, pick it. 

Cover.

Its font looks sinister to me, and the black and white overall colors just look different to me. I believe this was a well-thought decision, I am really interested in how the content will relate to the cover. 

Other things.

The weight: I usually read books on my Kindle, so I'm not used to having a heavy book... but now that I feel one, once again, it just made me feel excited!

Book edges: Its edges are black, and it made me feel so intrigued. 

First page: Okay, I need a moment. Look at it! It is so creepy! The first sentence is: "Oh my god, so much blood!" Tell me this isn't interesting. Look at the font! Look at the style! 

Damn you, editors, you sure have made some good and interesting choices for Saeculum... this better be awesome. 

I am so looking forward to starting this book! 

Have you guys read a book that looked as cool, although was pure... poop? Tell me in the comments!

TAG: Reading Habits

1. Do you have a certain place at home for reading?

It depends on where I am at the moment. I mostly read on beds or outside when the weather's nice!

2. Bookmark or random piece of paper?

I love bookmarks, but I am terrible at keeping them. When I was younger I started doing bookmarks for every book, but it soon got old and I lose interest. Atm I've been using Gandhi's bookmarks because they're funny, but almost always I'll be using random pieces of paper. 

3. Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter/ a certain amount of pages?

Nope, I just can't stop reading anywhere! I need to be exactly on the end of the chapter so I don't get lost AND/OR feel the need to continue reading to get to a new chapter. I know, I'm a beast. 

4. Do you eat or drink while reading?

I usually don't do, I get distracted. When I'm listening to audiobooks I tend to have some healthy snack to maintain my hands and eyes busy. 

5. Multitasking: Music or TV while reading?

Some times I listen to music from 8TRACKS while reading, but mostly I'm too lazy to find a chill playlist.

6. One book at a time or several at once?

This has been bothering me for so long! Lately I've been... 

...reading several books at once. 

And I've surprised myself by my ability to keep track and interest on all of them! Maybe I'll continue like this for more time... Sorry, mom!

7. Reading at home or everywhere?

E.very.wheeaaa! When I really really like the book I can't stop thinking about it. Luckily I own a Kindle, which allows me to bring my book everywhere!

8. Reading out lout or silently in your head?

All my life I've read in my head, but a few months ago I started practicing my fluency by reading out loud... between you and me, I even do accents for certain characters... oops. 

9. Do you read ahead or even skip pages?

No! No, no, no. NEVER. 

10. Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?

Oh my god, no! Poor little books, I've never done that...

11. Do you write in your books?

I only do it in books for school, since I have to keep track of the analysis and all that stuff. Yeah, my annotations have saved my life a lot of times. 

12. Who do you tag?

Whoever wants to do this tag is welcomed to do it! Leave your links below so I can read all of them!

(I took this TAG from Imogen's Typewriter)

REVIEW: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Shiver

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Genre: YA, fantasy, romance

Edition language I read it in: Spanish

Length: 429 pages

Source: Bought

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without.
Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human… until the cold makes him shift back again.
Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

I had already been able to buy physical books after arguing with my dad for a complete evening. Sorry, dad. You were right. I shouldn't have spent any money on Shiver.

I may get shaking heads and bad comments after this, but Shiver reminded me way too much of Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. I didn't like it.
A hundred pages into the book and I was all like "Wow, this is like poetry! So good! [Forgive me for the following words] wow to gud #suchbook!"
The pleasure didn't last long. At about 150 pages I already had had enough. Too many words, too many extra pages. Too much –as they'd say in spanish– güiri güiri (weeree weeree, means too much talking).
Basically, Shiver is about a teenage girl who has been in love with a wolf for six years, since it saved her from being ripped apart by members of his pack. Every winter he returns and they pass hours looking at each other (including moments in which the wolf stared through her room window and saw her naked). Then, on summer the pack disappears.
It was kind of a good idea until the part in which Grace, the main character, gets a severe case of bestiality. I can't describe how uncomfortable I felt every time she talked about the wolf in a romantic way... I kinda can explain why Olivia (her best friend) left her after a few pages. Grace! Open your eyes! You're romantically obsessed with a wild dog! Nope, forget it, it was a werewolf, so everything is right now.
Not.
Now, let's talk about the character's development. Oh, we can't. Basically there wasn't any, unless maybe Grace became more annoying with every page turn.
I'm so, very sorry, but I couldn't help feeling so much hatred towards this book, maybe because is the first physical book I've read in a while and I expected it to be totally awesome... or maybe is the many words, not as many development I had to go through this morning while finishing it (finally).
This book is slow, has too many sense-less poems in it, and basically, isn't enjoyable for someone who didn't like Twilight... probably Twilight fans won't like it either, since it seems to be some kind of copy of Stephanie Meyer.

The only thing I could say I kind of liked...

...was the way Maggie writes at some points, although it can get annoying at times, she clearly has some talent. Perhaps she could use some polishing, but she's alright.
Also, the cover was wonderful, I really, really liked it. It has some hidden stuff, which is pretty cool. But the book itself isn't worth of this cool cover, and sadly, the cover is by the editors, not by the author.

Avoid this book, if you can. Don't waste your money.
2/5 

REVIEW: Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol (Graphic Novel)

Title: Anya's Ghost

Author: Vera Brosgol

Genre: Graphic novels, YA

paranormal

Length: 240 pages

Source: Bought on Amazon

Anya could really use a friend. But her new BFF isn’t kidding about the “Forever” part . . .Of all the things Anya expected to find at the bottom of an old well, a new friend was not one of them. Especially not a new friend who’s been dead for a century.Falling down a well is bad enough, but Anya’s normal life might actually be worse. She’s embarrassed by her family, self-conscious about her body, and she’s pretty much given up on fitting in at school. A new friend—even a ghost—is just what she needs.Or so she thinks.Spooky, sardonic, and secretly sincere, Anya’s Ghost is a wonderfully entertaining debut graphic novel from author/artist Vera Brosgol.

Having just found out about the graphic novels, and how popular the apparently are, I couldn't resist but buy one. I considered Neil Gaiman's as well, although I'd probably be reading his books soon. Better give it a try to another author.
Vera Brosgol with her creepy, funny and smart graphic novel, Anya's Ghost didn't disappointed me. It is a perfect page-turner, with its cool and simple drawings, hand in hand with witty dialogue and smart timing.
At some point Vera made me feel completely foolish, I had already made some foreshadowing on the next events. Oh, Vera, how could you do this to me? Although it was pretty astute of hers, she extended the plot beyond I imagined it to be.
To my surprise, some characters felt well developed at some point, I didn't expect that either from a graphic novel (although, again, I'm new to all that).
Specially, I appreciate Vera's perspective on school cliques and circles... you'll understand what I mean once you reach certain event.
I recommend it for anyone who has the opportunity to put their hands on this cool, paranormal novel.

5/5

Saeculum + Shiver (Mini-mini book haul)

Ahhh! New books! You have no idea how much I had to argue with my parents so that they'd let me and my brother go to Gandhi (the bookstore). As you know for my latest post, I'm the owner of a Kindle Paperwhite... and so, my parents believe that's all kind of reading I need.
No, mom and dad, no. N. O.
Apparently they don't understand my need to feel real books once in a while, and although the Kindle is most probably the best buy I have ever done, I need paperbacks, not just paperwhites. (Hah! See what I did there? I'm so funny.)
So finally, after soccer school my brother took me to the bookstore. Even though it's not as big as the one in my state, it had real books, and that's all that I needed. Also, it had plenty of spanish books, which is good since I've wanted to practice more my spanish (ah, the irony).
Sadly, he only letted me buy two books, but it may be enough for some time.
I bought Shiver (right, blue cover), which in spanish is temblor and Saeculum, which I believe is not even a word, or it is in another language.
I've started with Shiver already, and, even though it seemed to be a pretty transparent book, shit's getting real, dude. It is getting real. I'm really happy by now (page 80.), mostly in Sam's chapters, in which it feels like it's poetry. Excellent imagery, Maggie!
I'm really excited to start Saeculum, it seems to be so interesting. I tried to look for a review on goodreads, but it only seems to be in german, or something. That makes it more exciting.
I didn't really understood the description in the back of it, and I don't believe it is in english yet, so I'll translate it here for you.

(Spanish: SAECULUM PROMETE SER UN EMOCIONANTE JUEGO DE ROL, UN INOFENSIVO VIAJE AL PASADO. CINCO DÍAS EN UN PARAJE REMOTO SIN ESTUDIOS, SIN TRABAJO Y SIN TECNOLOGÍA DE NINGÚN TIPO. LA AVENTURA PERFECTA PARA DESCONECTAR Y QUIZÁ CONQUISTAR A ESA PERSONA QUE RECIÉN CONOCISTE. DE PRONTO, AL INTERNARTE EN EL BOSQUE, EL PASADO PARECE ALCANZARTE Y NO TE DEJARÁ ESCAPAR. ¿SE TRATA ACASO DE UNA ANTIGUA MALDICIÓN O DE UNA MORTAL CARRERA CONTRA EL TIEMPO?)

Saeculum promises to be one exciting role game, a harmless trip to the past. Five days in a remote area with no studies, no work, and without technology of any kind. The perfect adventure to disconnect, and perhaps conquer that person who you just met. Suddenly, when you get into the woods, the past seems to reach you and it won't let you go. Could it be an ancient curse, or the mortal career against time? 

So, tell me it doesn't sound exciting?! I dare you.
The one thing that it called my attention once I picked the book is that its pages' edges are black. Tell me that isn't special!
Woah, I'm more excited than I was before, damn you writing.
Have you heard of Saeculum? Or of Ursula Poznanski? Tell me in the comments!

I'm going to go back to my reading of Shiver and once I finish it you can expect a review in here, Lorella.

By the way, for those curious souls, the bookmarks say:
"Please, finish it, I'm excited to know the ending!" (not literally.)
"You took me to the space, to the space and to the sea. Where are we going now?"

eBooks, Real Books And Why I Have To Write This Post

(credit for this picture: daily kos)

I consider myself a book lover, although I don't have an impressive bookshelf like almost every book-eater has. No, for about two years I've been a proud owner of a Kindle Paperwhite (my baby), and so, my bookshelf has slowed its growing.
For those who don't know, I spent a year studying in NY, therefore I had to travel back and forth, from the States to Mexico, and back. And no, thanks to my baby I didn't have to cease my reading rate.
Contrary to my beliefs, I've read several people complaining about eReaders. Why? Because they constantly need to be charged. Because they can break. Because they're simply not the same as real books. 
Ebooks and eReaders are continually being slut-shamed (yes, I used that word) for no real reasons at all, as you can see.
Some people have compared eReaders and Books to CDs and iPods, arguing that people tend to create some affective connection with physical things, rather than with digital stuff, which is almost always more convenient.
Being digital, the books, of course, are weightless and volume-less, but they also lack some of the best things about real books, such as the texture of the pages or the smell of a new book.
I love my baby as much as I love any other real book, but lately I've wanted to return to my old bookstores and make a colossal book haul.
Here are some CONS and PROS I've discovered with time using my Kindle...

PROS OF eREADERS

• Easy to take anywhere. 
• Easy to handle.
• You can take your entire bookshelf with you. 
• (some covers are sO CUTE.)
• In-built dictionary (which is EXTREMELY handy!)
• MOST books are really cheap, some are even free. 
• You can take notes without damaging permanently your books. 
• The battery is really long, so basically you don't have to charge it more than twice a month. 

CONS OF eREADERS

• It's never going to feel like a real book. 
• You can only unbox once. 
• Your bookshelf stops growing (and it hurts). 
• The battery may die in the best part of the book. 
• You can't lend books. 

As you can tell, I'm on the side of eBooks, if there is even a side. I love technology, and anything that has to do with it. I love Sci-fi books and I can enjoy them while feeling I am in the future because of my Kindle (yes, I went there). 

I don't see why there has to be shaming in any kind of books, not if they're pdfs, nor in eReaders, nor in physical form. Why don't we just love each other, and the book we all read? Like with everything else, I think you need to find a balance between paperbacks and eReaders.

And as my final argument, I'm going to start reading White Hot Kiss, and, sorry Jennifer L. Armentrout, but that is not a cover I want to be seen holding in public. 

What do you think, any other cons or pros I should add to my list? And.. how do you feel  about White Hot Kiss's cover? 

REVIEW: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Title: Harry Potter and the 

Goblet of Fire

Author: J.K. Rowling

Genre: Fantasy, YA

Length: 734 pages

Source: Internet

The summer holidays are dragging on and Harry Potter can't wait for the start of the school year. It is his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and there are spells to be learnt, potions to be brewed and Divination lessons (sigh) to be attended. Harry is expecting these: however, other quite unexpected events are already on the march ...

As always, the Harry Potter series hasn't disappointed me, not in any way.
It's rare nowadays to find someone that has almost no idea of how the Harry Potter books go... well, hi.
When I was younger I didn't care much about the Harry Potter series, since I had never heard a lot of it (not in my country, at least). So years passed until I encountered Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone... and man.
You can almost feel how JK Rowling's writing techniques have improved (although it has always been a pleasure to be in Harry's adventures, since the beginning). Now, with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, I can no less than be amazed by the way she planned all this book to go.
As I told you, I've never watched (completely) the movies, so I am a almost a virgin to all that it comes with this series... and booooy, every turn and twist JK took didn't cease to impress me. Although I've said this, I feel like I could read this book a thousand times, because her writing just invites you to keep reading more, even though you know the ending.
I recommend this book a 100%, as I do with all the other three before this one.
I'm yet to read the last books, and even though it's been 4 books (getting increasingly bigger each), I'm excited to know what Harry will be getting into, and how JK Rowling will be portraying his adventures, always in the most magnificent form.

5/5

Writer's Block

I feel like there must be a post about writer's block on every blog: we're all humans.
I consider myself an amateur on everything that has to do with blogging, I constantly click around several blogs trying to find inspiration... which comes out as a failure most of the time.
I'd love to tell you guys about my makeup, but there's nothing that I'd write (left out, read) about it; about my bookshelf, although I can't write a review that hasn't been written already. What's left? Clothes? Pets? Movies?

Man, this writing thing is waaaay harder than it looks. Like everything.
What to talk about, what to talk about...

As any other blog has told me, the antidote for writer's block is: go out! Have fun! Blah blah blah. No time, no time for fun when you've gone for seven days without writing a thing.
So here I am, readers, writing down my frustration while resting on my bed, one dog at my feet, one dog eating by my side. Yelling "Bless you!" across the house towards my dad –who's probably having another sneezing attack.

There you go, boom, blog post done. Now that I've written some stuff down, let some much more out: it's time to write a real post.

That's my advice for this time: let. it. out.
Even if it turns out like this post did (merde), it'll probably warm you up enough to type some good words down.


Good luck!

Apps I Wake Up To In My iPad

About a year ago I got my first iPad. A big, white, piece of electronics that got the name of Shade (don't ask me why, I can't remember). Man, have I wanted an iPad! Apart from seeing it everywhere on Tumblr and Youtube, it seemed to be an amazing thing! It is like the future, isn't it? Like, something that would appear on the Stark Trek films. It was so exciting when I first got it as a gift from my new school. After some time I decided that, except for Netflix, the iPad was a complete waste of money.
A larger iPhone, yes, that's how I used to call it. Basically that's what it is, and it took me a long time before I discovered that it is its large-ness that made it so cool and popular. Some weeks after I had this revelation I learned how I could use it everyday and stop regretting not-having-sold-it-when-it-was-popular.

Of course the first app that opened my eyes was Bloglovin', and for anyone who hasn't heard of it and is reading this blog post... congratulations! You've managed to follow a blog manually! Wow! So cool! Okay I will stop it now. The thing about Bloglovin' is that it allows you to follow any blog you like (even a Tumblr blog –although it is not recommended... by me...) and have every post available for you, and your sweet morning tea, to check on– in only one dashboard. Call me antique but –raises finger– IN MY TIMES WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS KIND OF TECHNOLOGY! Coming back to the iPad subject, Bloglovin's app is wonderful. It is simple and easy to use, it lets you go from one post to another just by swiping your finger across the screen, and it also lets you follow new blogs (apart from all the other amazing things that I won't mention).
As you may not know, my summer has been... quite boring. Since I came back from New York I've been here for two weeks, wanting to hang out but having way too little actual desire to leave my house: what the Troy Bolton, weather? (Sorry, result of recently stalking him on IG.) It's been raining everyday, almost every hour, since I came back. Not good for my social life, nope. However, one thing that keeps me from sleeping all day long is this app. Everyday I wake up to check out what my favorite bloggers have been posting recently. Any better way to wake up? Nope, although Niall Horan standing at my door with a pack of puppies would be nice, let's admit it, it's not going to happen (yet).

Another app that I've been loving recently is Pinterest. Its excellent app brightens my morning and inspires me every day. By scrolling down some people's pins I've found out about some really cool hair-do's I'll be trying... WHEN THE SKY CLEARS UP! Also, since back to school time is coming, I like to keep excited (and stay away from nervousness as I am going to a new school) by searching school organizing tips and school supplies that I'll be wanting in my backpack– which I've also been looking for. In Pinterest you can find almost everything, as long as you type in the correct words. One thing that I love about it is that it allows you to look for several tags at once, a feature that I've been wanting in Tumblr for a-long time.

Third, of course, has to be Youtube. I hope this app doesn't need any explanation... if it does: bro, what are you doing with your life? I literally can spend hours going around youtube, yes I'm one of those who, rather quick, end up in the weird side of youtube. But I enjoy myself, so why not! If you had me as a Facebook friend you'd find lots and lots of links to random youtube videos in my profile page. Also, I follow lots of beauty gurus and other (usually british) people, so it's become a routine to wake up and open youtube to see if some of my fav gurus has uploaded any new video. Usually I'm not disappointed, no.

Moving on towards the last app I use the most is Netflix, and why not, it has most of my favorite tv shows and it's the BEST INVENTION EVER! I'm not joking, it is. Probably not but yeah.


Those were the apps I love to wake up to, however, if you know of any app that I seriously should be using leave it in the comments!

FIVE Books Series That Have Won A Place In My ~heart~

Cleaning up my bookshelf I found some books I enjoyed reading when I was younger, books that have created a special place in my heart, books that are in my bookshelf to stay.
From all those I decided to choose five book series which I have fallen in love with and I'm planning to read again soon.

5. The Fionavar Tapestry

I read The Fionavar Tapestry for the first time in spanish, and man, what a story. I still wonder why Guy Gavriel Kay's story isn't as famous as other author's. Anyways, lets get to the synopsis I've taken from Goodreads:
"Five men and women find themselves flung into the magical land of Fionavar, First of all Worlds. They have been called there by the mage Loren Silvercloak, and quickly find themselves drawn into the complex tapestry of events. For Kim, Paul, Kevin, Jennifer and Dave all have their own part to play in the coming battle against the forces of evil led by the fallen god Rakoth Maugrim and his dark hordes."
This amazing book series narrates the story of young adults while they discover the incredible land of Fionavar. You all should read The Fionavar Tapestry –and I'm not saying this only because I wish I could join a fanbase.

4. Junie B. Jones

These were some of the first books I read in english. I remember that in trips I used to take about five of these and read them all throughout the flight. Luckily, for my mom's shoulder, they're light and small.
Basically, Junie B. Jones' series is about a five-or-six year old girl who goes through personal and social problems. The series follows Junie as she goes from kindergarten to first grade. I recommend this series for kids, however some parent's may disagree with me due to Junie's grammar mistakes (often describing something as her "beautifuller"). As for myself, Junie B. Jones helped me dive into the english literature and for that she gets the 4th place in my list. JUNIE! YOU ARE MY FAVORITEST!

3. Molly Moon 

Okay, it's hard for me to explain how much I love these series. Any other kid has dreamt of having amazing super powers, like hypnosis, time traveling or (in case of Molly Moon AND) mind reading? Yes, no? Who am I kidding, ever since I can remember, I've always wanted to be like Molly Moon. (Psst! I even named my journal Petula!) As much as I know, I still lack of one book from the Molly Moon series, and, boy, have I looked for it. My kids will be reading these books, as soon as... as I have a kid and as soon as this kid we're talking about learns to read.

2. The Mistmantle Chronicles

It was hard for me choosing which of these last two would get the second place. Both of these last series are amazing and worth-reading. Mistmantle may seem as a children's book (yes, Urchin, the protagonist, is a squirrel, get over it.), but, man, has this series taught me something! Also, it contains a lot of... non-children content. I remember being a little scared at night because of... someone's pact with dark forces. Or being inspired by... someone's loyalty and honor. I can't say a lot, but I recommend this series to everyone, from kids to teens. Again, I need a fandom for this Chronicles. Soon. (Pd. Look at the amazing art work! Look at it!)

1. Chronicles Of The Tower

Finally, we've arrived to the first-est in the list! Chronicles Of The Tower are and probably will always be my favorite book series ever! Not only because Kai was my first book-crush, but also because its story is UH-MAZING! It's hard for me to explain how much I love this book series and how MUCH I want to read it again soon! Its cover's artwork is beautifully done, as well as some extra surprises inside. I recommend this book to absolutely EVERYONE! Laura Gallego is my favorite author ever, and, let me say, you won't be let down. Next, a very brief synopsis.
The story is about Dana and her invisible-for-everyone-except-herself friend, Kai. She lives in a farm and is constantly bothered by other kids for talking alone (or actually, with Kai). Soon the Master arrives and asks for her presence in the Tower. Dana will discover that the Tower is much more than it seems, that Fenris, the elf, and Master, both have a dark and hidden past. Oh, and the Valley they live in has a powerful curse.


All of these books have gained a first-line place in my bookshelf, and my younger self and I agree that these series are all amazing and worth reading!