Thursday, September 28, 2017

Book Relationship Fails versus Real Relationship Fails: the Scary Similarities


So for those of you who don't know, I have a fourteen year old sister, who I love more than anything else in the world. One of the best things about her is the sheer number of inane acts she does, that happen to be hilariously entertaining. Four days ago she announced that she now has a boyfriend who lives in a city around an hour and 30 minutes away from here. They have never met each other and have only known each other through friends at camp and Snapchat. Sound like a YA romance novel yet? It gets better, today she came home to tell me that as she was walking with her friend at school and witnessed him get punched twice in the face. She then decided to break up with her boyfriend due to the distance between here and the place where he lives. Now let us compare this with a YA romance novel. We have the online romance aspect as seen in Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithian and John Green, Simon versus the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli , and Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon. You get your short romance like that of November 9 by Colleen Hoover and The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon. Crazy violence from like every book ever as well as crazy teenagers, which is basically the definition if a YA book. So my sister is basically a YA novel, which is great because I am currently writing a YA novel and I am basing so much stuff on her. Also beware future debate opponents because the hilarious things you say in round will go into my book! Anyways speaking of debate I need (Meaning I want to really badly because I honestly love it) to work on my dramatic interpretation so I have to end this post. Love you all and happy reading! -Becca
   

Monday, September 25, 2017

Terrific Tom Kha Gai (Chicken Coconut Soup)

I am so sorry for not posting on Wednesday! I have been extremely busy and sick as well as my homework load has tripled from last year. So I did not have any time to write a blog post and I did not want to post a draft and have it be bad. I figured it would be better to just wait and post something way better. So in honor of me being sick here is a delicious Tom Kha Gai (or Thai Coconut Soup) recipe. The original recipe is delicious and can be found at http://pin.it/DmmYiq3 by the food blogger Carls Bad Cravings. I did change the recipe to better fit my own tastes and so it would taste more like the version I get at my local Thai food place. Also here are some added benefits to this recipe, it can easily be made vegan, vegetarian, or paleo. It is already gluten free and dairy free! This is great for when you are sick because it will completely clear out your sinuses and definitely will improve your mood. Plus when you are sick it can be hard to taste, but this soup is so flavorful that it will overcome those horrible flu symptoms! Please enjoy and make sure to comment your thoughts and opinions!

Monday, September 18, 2017

Trying to Promote one's Book Blog

Lately I have been trying to promote my blog a little bit more than usual. While writing for only 20 people is fine with me it would be great to share my love of books (and cooking!) with a slightly larger group of people. Well I suck at promoting things because I have no desire to force anyone to subscribe or install some sort of thing where you can only view my full post if you share it, because that is just mean. As I was researching for friendly ways to promote your blog, I found that Pinterest can be a great way to share your blog. I of course, am kicking myself for not thinking of this earlier. I exclusively find my recipes and cooking blogs on Pinterest, but I had not put two and two together of sharing my blog on Pinterest. I had some of my posts up, but with no descriptions and terrible pictures. Now I am going through each post, creating a Pinterest friendly picture with the title of the post on it, and adding it to my posts before posting to Pinterest. I have a few posts up because it takes forever to edit the pics so they look fantastic, but just hang in there every one! I am a total Pinterest addict and I am hoping you guys are too, because I need you all to go add me on Pinterest this very moment! If you want to see what I like outside of book reviews and if you want to see all of my favorite recipes that I didn't create go follow me! Also make sure if you love this blog to repin your favorite blog posts!!!!! This will help my blog grow and allow me to continue to post knowing someone outside of my family is reading these posts! Just remember, I am doing this because I love books and I want to share my love of books, not because I want to make money (because I am definitely not making money!) or because I want to get famous (blogging would be the worst way to get famous! If I wanted to be a star I would be on youtube!). Sharing my blog posts is just sharing the love, which is great! So click that link below and follow me on Pinterest! Have a great Monday and happy reading!
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Thursday, September 14, 2017

Sometimes I Wish for a Little Calm in My Life

Sometimes I wish for a little calm in my life
Its ironic though
The girl who does nothing
Wanting peace

They used to call me the most flirtatious
Vivacious, loquacious
Now to them
I’m just a nerd

But I’m more than that word
I’m curvaceous, courageous
Still definitely loquacious
About my voracious reading

Why is it that I do nothing for fun
In their eyes
Reading and writing
Are just for school

Why do I still crave their acceptance
I’ll ignore my friends
Just for a short conversation
With someone “normal”

Why can’t I ask questions
About our discussions
Why is it weird
To have something clarified

Why can’t I have goals
And be confident
In achieving them
Without being considered arrogant

I just want to get to know someone
Be there for them
And truly understand that
They will be there for me too

And I know that life isn’t a romance novel
But sometimes I wish it was
Where the bossy, intelligent, beautiful, nerd
Finally feels like she fits in

And no my life isn’t terrible
In fact it's pretty damn great
Yet I feel as though I hold the whole world on my shoulders
Without any help bearing the weight

Sometimes I wish for a little calm in my life
A little lull where all makes sense
Where I don’t have to prove anything

Yes I know it's ironic right  

Monday, September 11, 2017

Amazing Book Series I Need to Finish Reading Part 2

There are a lot of book series I need to finish reading! You guys really seemed to enjoy my last post about it so I decided to make a part two! (and a part three, four, and five) For those of you who have been asking for my TBR lists for each month, this kind of serves as my TBR list. I hate to be boxed in to a set of books that I have to read with a time limit because it starts to feel like homework. This is why I only take a small amount of books for review at a time otherwise I never get to read books I pick and my blog stops feeling fun and starts stressing me out. For those of you who don't know, this blog is a way for me to share my feelings on books. It is entirely for fun. I don't have adds because I am not trying to make money. This is why I am not obsessed with follower count or having a large reach because as long as at least one person is reading this blog, then I am successful. Receiving books for review is just an amazing added bonus to this fantastic hobby. So because this is a hobby the most amount of deadlines I am going to put on myself is getting up reviews for authors who sent me their books in a reasonable amount of time and posting twice a week. (or every other day in the summer) This is especially important now that school has started for me. I have only had three days of school and I already have lots of homework so my blog is a way to totally decompress and do something I love. It is a good thing too, because my friends were getting really sick of hearing my very confusing book reviews on books they haven't read at 7:00 AM before school!(Though I miss this and I won't have a chance to do it again now that I am taking a zero hour class that starts at 6:45 AM!) Getting back to the matter at hand, I make these lists of books I have not finished instead of making a TBR list and it creates a better outcome for myself. If you really need a TBR list from me then I am going to say all books that look interesting to me in the world! Now time for some spoiler free reviews!

1. Talk About a Kickass Pageant Girl!

I honestly have no idea why I haven't finished this series yet. I love Rachel Hawkins and I own the last book, but for some reason I can't bring myself to read it! I guess the only thing I can say is that you know this series is good because even though Rachel Hawkins is one of my favorite authors, (I freaking love Hex Hall) when I read this book and fell in love with it, I did not see that she was the author! So I don't just love this book because I will read anything the author writes, it is actually really really good! 
Rebel Belle (Rebel Belle, #1)Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins
My rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Readers will adore this entertaining mashup of ancient mythology and southern belles that is Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins. Harper Price has never let anyone or anything get in her way on her path to success, especially not her enemy and school reporter David Stark. So on when some crazy weird events go down during homecoming leaving her without her crown and with insane new powers, Harper stops at nothing to figure out what is going on. But when her research leads her to being the protector of David Stark, she is ready to accept failure for the first time. As she and David start to spend more time together, Harper can't deny the growing feelings between them. There is just one problem, David might be doomed to destroy the whole world. There some things in this world that are just so satisfying to read and Rachel Hawkins writing is one of them. I love the idea of setting magical events in the south and this book fulfills everything I had hoped Beautiful Creatures would be! The adorable characters in this book remind me a lot of the non-daemon and nephilim characters in Sweet Evil. The plot line is pretty easy to follow, but definitely keeps you interested and the magic is honestly really cool. The best part is definitely the humor. Rachel Hawkins always manages to create humor in some of the most dramatic situations without poking fun at the drama. The characters have some pretty predictable character development, but they are so cute that it doesn't really take away from the story. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loved Rachel Hawkin's Hex Hall series and fans of romance, fantasy, and humor!

2. The Best Chapter Titles Ever

This book is kind of a stretch on having not finished the series because I technically finished the Percy Jackson series, I just didn't finish the Hero's of Olympus series. I have like 20 pages left on the Lost Hero and I just couldn't finish it. It felt kind of off compared to the rest of Rick Riordan's writing. Or maybe I just don't like all my mythology being mixed. Who knows, but I really need to finish the series because I know I will love it. Also (Please don't kill me) The Kane Chronicles is way better than Percy Jackson and I really wish he would write more books for that series.  

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1)The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
My rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

If you haven't read Rick Riordan yet then you must be living under a rock, because The Lightning Thief is the perfect blend of Greek mythology and contemporary YA that makes for a fantastic book. Percy Jackson has always been different. He tries and tries to be a good kid, but bad things always seem to happen around him. Pair that with his failure in school due to his dyslexia and you get the makings of a troubled kid. When things go too far on a class field trip, Percy learns that there is a reason he never fit in. Percy is a demigod and the son of Poseidon, which means he gets to stay safe at the awesome camp Half Blood. Percy finally makes some friends and when trouble sets him on a wild adventure to stop all out war between the gods, he can count on them to risk their lives right along side him. I am a totally mythology nut, which is why I am basically in love with Rick Riordan. He combines extremely well done humor with mythology and for me it does not get better than that. While I really liked this book, it is definitely not the best book of the series. The writing gets way better as the series continues and the characters start to become more and more developed. The plot of these books is always full of surprises and is a total thrill ride. Of course my favorite thing is the humor and nothing can ever beat Rick Riordan's chapter titles. I would highly recommend this book for everyone because it appeals to all kinds of readers.

3. How do We Make a Horror Novel Creepier? Just Sprinkle in Some Incest!

I don't know how I survived reading this book. I really hate anything creepy or scary. But somehow I managed to read the first two books and the first like 50 pages of the third book, along with the two extra books that are about Christopher's diary. I couldn't finish the third book because it felt like things were about to delve into the super natural (I have no idea if they do) and I know that would freak me out too much. I do want to eventually finish the series, but I might have to wait until I am an adult to avoid terrible nightmares!

Flowers in the Attic (Dollanganger, #1)Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews
My rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Readers will be sucked into this terrifying story that reaches creepy on every level in Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews. Cathy's mamma said it was only temporary. Just until she can get their grandfather to put her back in the will, then they can go back to their perfect lives, then she and her three siblings can leave the attic. But it has been weeks since her Daddy died and they lost everything and her mamma keeps coming back less and less. Its just Cathy, her siblings, and their horrible grandmother, punishing them so they don't follow in the sin of their parents footsteps. So Cathy has to live in the forbidden. forbidden noises, forbidden actions, forbidden love. Her Mamma said it was only temporary, but it turns out that her Mamma has told her was a lie. I hate scary books. I don't like to be frightened, but oh my god I loved this book! It pulled me in and I could not put it down! The characters are horrible and extremely well done. The plot is full of twists and turns and the romance makes you love it even though you want to hate it! The writing is really dark, but still has that child like innocence that makes the whole thing so much creepier. This book is really mature and even though I read it when I was 12 I would recommend it for those who are a little bit older. This book is perfect for fans of horror and thrillers and dark romances.

4. How I Wish All My Romances Would Happen

Wouldn't life be so much easier if we all just wrote love notes and then had everyone we wrote too just tell us if they loved us? No just me? Okay. So I loved this book and the only reason I haven't 
finished the series is because I am not allowing myself to buy any more books until my birthday and my library doesn't have it yet. But I really really want to finish it! This series is so freaking adorable and perfect to lose yourself in if life gets boring or stressful!
To All the Boys I've Loved Before (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #1)To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
My rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Jenny Han created one of the sweetest contemporary romance novels when she wrote the completely adorable To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Lara Jean Song has a tried and true way to get over a boy she loves. She writes them a love letter saying why they can not be together and stores them in her mother's old hat box. This way she never has to tell her sister's boyfriend that she is in love with him and she can live her life in peace. But when her letters are mistakenly mailed Lara Jean's life is turned upside down and suddenly all the boys she thought were out of her reach are starting to become possibilities. Jenny Han hit the ball out of the park with this one. While not only is the idea of love letters being mailed great in itself, she created completely three dimensional characters that are very relatable to the reader. The plot is also more than just a romance, which takes this book to a whole new level. Lara Jean might be one of my all time favorite characters because she is just so honest and very real. This book has humor, romance, friendship, and a loving family trying to be its best and in way reminds me of the Penderwick sisters. I love this book and all contemporary romance fanatics will love it too!

5. If My Boyfriend was that Hot I Wouldn't Want to Lose My Memories Of Him Either 

This book is the first YA book I read that I liked. I read this in like 5th grade and the only other YA book I had read was the Hunger Games, which I originally hated. This whole series so creative and amazing and I jsut found out there are six books (plus novellas) and there are two more that I haven't read. I own one of them so I just need to get off my butt and read it, but I can't stand for the series to end. Luckily my best friend Albany is going to kill me if I don't read it soon so I have plenty of motivation!
The Program (The Program, #1)The Program by Suzanne Young
My rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Readers will be blown away by this dark look on our future and what we will do in the name of preserving humanity that is The Program by Suzanne Young. Sloane can't afford to look sad. Every day of her life must look perfect and happy. If she doesn't pull it off and she shows weakness, she will loose the most important thing in her life, her memories. They say the program is doing good and it is the only known cure to the teen suicide epidemic that has swept the nation. Sloane doesn't care, she will not give up her life with her boyfriend James, the only person she can be real with. But they slipped up, they lost the fight and the depression has taken over. Now the program is going to take everything. I have never read any book like the Program before. This was the first YA book I ever read and enjoyed and it totally changed my life. The story is completely engrossing and the characters have amazing growth. it is insane how much is fit into a 400 page book and it is even crazier how believable the world is. Suzanne Young had me completely believing that our world could resort to stealing our memories to combat depression. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves science fiction as well as contemporaries and romance. This book is the epitome of a YA dystopian romance novel.

I hope you enjoyed this post! Make sure to comment your thoughts! (Good or bad I just love to get feedback!)

Thursday, September 07, 2017

August Reading Wrap Up

I always see people do wrap ups of their feelings on the books they read in the past month and I think that would be fun for me to do! This will lead to some books you have already read spoiler free reviews or full reviews for being featured because I sometimes write about a book immediately, but I hope you can overlook that for me! This summer was definitely not my best in terms of reading a lot of books. My issue was that this summer I not only took a bunch of vacation where I couldn't read, but I also worked, had summer homework, and studied for the SAT. So my reading load was really light. The good news is that of the books I did read they were really really good! I read six books this August, which is pretty light reading for me. My friends on the other hand were amazed because it turns out non-booknerds read around six books per year!

Overall rating for the month:❤❤❤

My favorite book:

  • The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

This was my favorite book of the month. I loved reading this and it got me out of a reading slump. This totally changed my mindset about Becky Albertalli and was really helpful in my reading this month. This book was fantastic and I would highly recommend this to everyone.
The Upside of UnrequitedThe Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
My rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Readers will love the adorably relatable tale of navigating love in high school that is The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli. Molly has been crushing on boys her whole life. She has harbored unrequited love for 26 boys, which kind of makes her an expert in crushes. Sadly she is an expert in secret crushes and at 17 years old still has not had her first kiss. When two new boys enter Molly's life, her twin sister Cassie is doing everything she can to get them past the crush boundary, especially since one of the boys is friends with a new girl Cassie is interested in. But with all this focus on falling in love and dating, can Cassie and Molly keep their amazing relationship as sisters? Let me start off by saying that I was not expecting much from this book. I did not enjoy Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and I was only going to read this because my sister was begging me too. I picked it up and read it all in one sitting. I even skipped dinner because I could not put it down and I love food. This book was fantastic and might be one of the most relatable books I have ever read. Molly and Cassie go through really typical high school problems and I felt myself really connecting with Molly. The writing is extremely cute and I loved the humor. I also was really able to relate to the characters about religion. There are not a lot of books where the main character is a teenage Jewish girl set in contemporary time. I have experienced so many of the same things as Molly and reading this book felt like putting on an old comfy sweat shirt. I loved Molly's love interests so much and I definitely understand the fear of rejection. This book was really well done and I highly recommend it to everyone. This is a great contemporary and perfect for all young adults, especially romance lovers!

My least favorite book:

  • How To Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster.

I really was not happy with this book. There isn't much I haven't already said in my review. This book is part of why I didn't read as much this summer so you can see why I don't like it.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the LinesHow to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines by Thomas C. Foster
My rating: ❤❤❤

I was not happy having to read this book. My school summer reading assignment included reading this book and taking notes and I really did not enjoy it. For reading books it wasn't very helpful. For writing essays I'm sure if I had a different assignment and in the future it might be helpful, but it was so boring that I was not happy at all. The reason this is rated three stars instead of two is because it really helped with my writing. I am currently writing a novel and this really helped develop my characters, plot, setting, and reason for writing. Overall this does go in depth into how to unravel a novel. The issue is that the way it goes in depth is by discussing a bunch of books I have not read yet and basically spoiling what happens. The book community does not like people who spoil books. I was already planning on reading Beloved by Toni Morrison, but now I know exactly what happens and I have no desire to read it any more. I am not accurately able to understand how these ideas are being used if it is being discussed with books I have never read. So reading this book and having to take notes sucks. But the bright side was that it really helped with my writing. I just wish it had helped with my reading like it was supposed to.

Reread:

  • These Broken Stars by Amie Kauffman

I listened to the audiobook version of this book for like the millionth time and it was amazing as always. I love this book and I always love to listen to it to get rid of stress.

These Broken Stars (Starbound, #1)These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman
My rating: ❤❤❤❤

Readers will be dazzled by this beautiful love story and feel that they just like the characters, are fighting to survive in, These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen could not be more different. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe, Tarver is a war hero stationed on Lilac's fathers' ship, the Icarus. When the impossible happens and the Icarus crashes, Tarver and Lilac are the only survivors. Stranded on an uninhabited planet, they must explore their surroundings and uncover the mysteries in order to survive and have hope in being saved. This book is like a science fiction version of the Titanic, except with a fantasy plot twist at the ending. I can't pick a favorite thing about this book because the majority of it was just so well done! I have to say this is the most beautiful cover I have ever seen and the rest of the series also has just beautiful covers. There are two amazing things about this book, the character development and the world building. The character development is obvious from the synopsis, but the world is entirely different from what I had expected. For me, this book feels like a mixture of Alienated, Obsidian, Across the Universe, and Titanic. I loved this book except for the ending because it got very confusing which is why I gave it four stars. I would recommend this book to a certain kind of reader who loves romance, fantasy, science fiction, and plot twists!

Other books read that month:
  • Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust
I loved this book and it so far is my favorite book I have been sent for review. It really made my month to have a publishing company want me to review a book!


    Girls Made of Snow and GlassGirls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust
    My rating: ❤❤❤❤

    Melissa Bashardoust hit the ball out the park with the fantastic, feminist fairy tale that is Girls Made of Snow and Glass. All Lynet has ever wanted is to be like her stepmother Mina, but she is constantly compared to the late mother she resembles so greatly. Mina just wants to love and be loved, but the unbeating, glass heart in her chest won't allow her to. Lynet has no desire to rule, so when her father takes away Mina's control of the Southern lands and gives them to her, she wants nothing more than to refuse. When a turn of events cause Mina to hate Lynet, she must go on her own journey to save the only mother she has ever known. This book was so adorable! I am always a fan of feminist fiction, especially when it's fairy tale related. The story felt like a mixture of frozen and Snow White, but still very original. I love how the story was from both Mina and Lynet's point of view, giving the reader different perspectives. Because it was a mixture of both of their stories the characters didn't feel extremely well developed until the very end, but I still felt connected to the them and able to relate to their feelings. The plot felt kind of slow at the beginning and then kind of rushed at the end, but the well done story totally made up for it. As a romance lover, I of course wish there was more of a love story, but it was really well done and a heavy influence of romance might have ruined the message. One thing I felt there was a lack of was comedy. There are very few places that made me laugh and I think it would have been improved if there was just a little more humor. Overall this book was really really good and I would highly recommend this to fantasy and feminist fiction lovers! Disclaimer: I was sent this book for review from the publisher, but it did not effect my review at all. My thoughts are my own and my reviews are always 100% honest.
    Read Full Review 

    • Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut ❤❤❤❤❤
    I loved this book. I read it for my summer reading assignment and I fell in love with Vonnegut's writing style. I am very happy I read this book and it was a great addition to my August reading. I just had to write an essay about it though so I'm not going to write a review.

    • PS I Like You by Kasie West
    I read this book while I was sick and it made my day. It was so cute and I would highly recommend it to everyone!
    P.S. I Like YouP.S. I Like You by Kasie West
    My rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

    P.S. I like you by Kasie West will make you smile, while warming your heart. Lily lives a crazy life with her insane family and lovable best friend. One boring day in chemistry Lily jots down a song lyric and to her surprise the next day the song is continued, along with a note. Soon Lily and her pen pall are writing everyday; sharing stories, songs, and secrets. Between her pen pall; her crush Lucas finally taking notice of her, and her best friend's ex-boyfriend Cade seeming to be all over her life, Lily's life seems to be blowing up. As her feelings start to grow for her pen pall, Lily must decide what she wants. This book is so cute and adorable that you just want to pinch its cheeks. While the writing is not complicated and the characters are not especially deep, it is exactly what I wanted. The story is comforting and like wearing an old, loved sweater. Lily is a very relatable character to young adults and I loved how sweet she was. The story was kind of predictable, but with this kind of book, this is kind of expected. I loved this book and it was a perfect read for the mood I was in. If you are looking for an intellectual read, this isn't it, but if you want a cute comfort read or just have something for a lazy day, pick up this book!

    Started but still reading:

    • The Limpet Syndrome by Tony Moyle 
    • Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold by Iain Reading
    •  Aaru by David Meredith

    Started but never planning to finish: None

    Favorite book pics:





    Monday, September 04, 2017

    Becca's Perfect Pound Cake

    I don't know about you, but I love pound cake. Before my dairy allergy emerged, every time I went to Starbucks I would get the lemon pound cake. Sadly I have not been able to successfully create a dairy-free lemon pound cake, but I have made a delicious regular pound cake! So I found a recipe from all recipes that I think was taken down where I got the original recipe from, but I am unable to link it as I can not find it now. Honestly, this is delicious and perfect for dessert and breakfast. (Or if you are me just eat a whole loaf for every meal!) This is a super easy recipe, so beginners have no fear! It only takes around 5 minutes of prep time and 1 hour of baking (Which means 1 hour of Netflix and chips!)

    Lately I have been having trouble making time for my blog and its making me very sad. School starts in a couple of days and I have been scrambling to make the most of the end of my summer. This is why I have only been posting poetry because I already have it written. As of today I will be posting only on Monday and Thursday because I am not going to have enough time to post every other day. This makes me super sad because I love blogging, but balancing two jobs, school (I am going for an IB diploma which means like three hours of homework a night!), and debate (I am at practice every day I am not working) means having to give up that third blog post of the week. So Basically no one is as disappointed as I am that I am having to cut down on my blogging, but this will hopefully allow for more reading time and for longer posts. I really hate having to post a bunch of poetry in a row because I didn't have the time to put together a post, because it feels like I am letting you all down. (This is not to say that I don't love sharing my poetry with you all!) In other news, I am writing a book!( I know pretty cool right?) It is a science fiction romance novel with a billion characters and an extremely confusing plotline. So it is basically my perfect book! So writing this book is also taking up some of my time, though because I have no deadines as it is just for fun, I am pretty flexible as to when I write it. So far I have about 50 pages written (Like 13,000 words) and a lot of notes about the characters and the plot! Please don't ask me to post my writing of my book as I am not going to. It will not be read by any one other than my very close friends and family until it is finished, so you are only going to get to enjoy my poetry for now! Now back to the matter at hand, my amazing pound cake! I chose this recipe because it always cheers me up and I am really sad about going to only two posts a week. I hope it is able to cheer you all up too! I was going to take pictures of it as I had some frozen, but before I could get any my mother ate it! Moral of the story, this pound cake is just as delicious after it has been frozen as it was fresh out of the oven! Alright lets get cooking!

    Ingredients


    • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 
    • 1 1/2 cups white sugar 
    • 1/2 cup butter, coconut oil, or vegan butter alternative (I love earth balance)
    • 1/2 cup sour cream or vegan sour cream (I use sour supreme which is by tofutti and is made with tofu)
    • 3 eggs (The fresher the better! My friends gave me some of the eggs from their chickens and they were so good!)
    • 1 pinch baking soda 
    • 1 pinch kosher salt
    • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (Or 1 vanilla bean, which I had a try and they loved!)
    • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (This is optional, but I wouldn't recommend not using it)

    Directions 


    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
    • Grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan (I would use Crisco, but butter or coconut oil will work too)
    • Cream butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract until light and fluffy
    • Add in sour cream (Putting around 1 tbsp at a time)
    • Add in eggs one at time beating well after each one
    • Add in flour, salt and baking soda and mix well
    • Pour into a pan
    • Bake for one hour or until a knife inserted comes out clean
    • Create glaze with powdered sugar, almond extract, and milk/milk alternative

    Book Recommendation 

    Do to a time crunch I couldn't write a recommendation today! This is why I have to go down to two posts a week. Don't worry I will write an extra long recommendation list to make it up to you!  



    Saturday, September 02, 2017

    The World is Like a Bookshelf

    The world is like a bookshelf
    Holding our stories on musty, dusty, wooden arms
    Flowers of opportunity bloom
    Off of its sides, curling like vines

    It envelops our lives
    Protective with its five white walls
    Malicious with its open face
    Allowing us to catapult ourselves

    Ending our book so many pages too short

    The world is like a bookshelf
    Holding our history on elaborate, tasteful arms
    Windows to our hearts sit
    Crowded and overpopulated

    It envelops our lives
    Caring with its open acceptance
    Resentful with its limited space
    Only nourishing some

    Only providing for some

    The world is like a bookshelf
    Holding our future on musty, tasteful arms
    Flowers of opportunities lost
    Wilt and fall down it's loving and unforgiving sides