My thoughts and opinions on… Not My Problem

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I read the book Not My Problem by the author named Ciara Smyth. Honestly, this book is not one of my favorites.

Not My Problem is about a girl named Aideen. Aideen lives in Ireland. She does poorly in school and has one close friend. One day, Aideen stumbles onto her nemesis at a stairwell in school. Her nemesis is a girl who is named Meabh Kowalska. Meabh is upset because she has too many extra-curriculars on her plate. Aideen comes up with a surprising answer to her problem. Aideen volunteers to push Meabh down a flight of stairs so that Meabh gets injured. As a result of this, she will not need to do so many extra-curriculars. This incident inspires Aideen to help out her other classmates at school with his or her own issues.

Not My Problem seems like a good book at first. However, Aideen is a flippant and a out-of-touch character. She doesn’t seem to have a care in the world… and it is hard to sympathize with a person like that. The idea of pushing your nemesis down a flight of stairs is a bad idea. There is no clear explanation to why Aideen wants to help out her other classmates as the story continues. Aideen has her own problems in her life that she should focus on. It seems like Aideen simply wants attention.

Another thing that I did not like about Aideen is her relationship with Meabh. After Aideen “helps out” Meabh, the two grow closer. Sometimes it seems like Aideen uses Meabh. I also did not like the relationship the two had with one another at the end of the book.

Not My Problem seems like a book with a lot of promise… at first. However, I disliked the book by the time that I finished it.

Overall, I give this book a 3-star rating.

Always with infinite love,
Selena London

Book News: Blake Lively will play Lily Bloom on the movie version of the book named It Ends with Us

Colleen Hoover is a popular writer that has written books like It Ends with Us and Reminders of Him. Colleen’s hugely popular novel named It Ends with Us will be made into a movie. Now, there is great news on that front. Blake Lively will star as the main character named Lily Bloom on the movie version of It Ends with Us.

Blake Lively is well-known for her television role on the television series named Gossip Girl. This new movie role is different than Blake’s past television role as Serena van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl. However, we are sure that she will do amazing as Lily Bloom.

This is exciting news for any Colleen Hoover fans or for any Gossip Girl fans as well. I can’t wait to see her in this film.

Always with infinite love,
Selena London

Book News: After Ever Happy is released on Netflix

The book series named After is a book series written by the author named Anna Todd. There are five books in the series. They are: After, After We Collided, After We Fell, After Ever Happy, and, finally, Before.

These books were turned into a series of movies on the Netflix television streaming service. The books star the actress named Josephine Langford as the main character named Tessa (Theresa) Young. They also star the actor named Hero Fiennes Tiffin as the character named Hardin Scott.

In the book series and in the movies, Tessa and Hardin fall madly-in-love. However, their are always complications on the two’s journey together.

The movie based off of the book named Happy Ever Happy is now available on Amazon Prime and on the Netflix television streaming service. If you enjoy these movies, then, you should check-out the books, too. They are really great.

I’m an After fan.

Are you?

Always with infinite love,
Selena London

Book News: The Percy Jackson teaser trailer is out

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a popular young adult book series. The book series is written by the author named Rick Riordan.

In this book series, a young man named Percy Jackson discovers that he is a demi-god. Percy is the child of the Greek and the Roman God named Poseidon.

Now, the book series is being turned into a television show on Disney+. The teaser trailer for the Disney+ television show was just released. You should check-it-out above.

Two movies were already made off of the first two books in the Percy Jackson book series. The movies starred Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson.

It’s great to see another chapter in the world of Percy Jackson.

Are you hyped?

Always with infinite love,
Selena London

My thoughts and opinions on… Well Matched

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Well Matched is the third book in the Well Met series. Well Matched is a great novel written by a woman named Jen DeLuca.

Well Matched and this books predecessors are all about a specific friend-group in the town of Willow Creek. In this town, every summer there is a small but bustling Renaissance Fair that takes place. Many people in this friend-group volunteer and participate in the Fair. Volunteering at the Renaissance Fair is an act of love. They love the fun and the unique experience that the Willow Creek Renaissance Fair has to offer them.

In Well Met, a woman named Emily Parker joins the Willow Creek Renaissance Fair. This book, Well Matched, is about Emily’s sister.

Emily’s sister is named April Parker. She is a serious and a smart woman. April is at a crossroads in her life. April is a divorced woman with one daughter. Her daughter is about to go to college and April seriously considers the idea that she should move away from Willow Creek after her daughter leaves for school. And at the same time, April’s ex-husband wants to see her daughter for the first time in years. In the middle of all this, April’s friend named Mitch Malone asks April if she will act as Mitch’s girlfriend at one of Mitch’s family reunions. April agrees. The two are just friends at first. However, her ideas about Mitch change as things progress.

I really enjoyed this novel. In this novel, you get to learn more about April. April is different than her sister named Emily. She is a serious character. However, I still love April and was happy to get to know her. You only see April in bits and in pieces in the two earlier books in the Well Met series, so it is great to see the world from April’s eyes and from April’s perspective.

April Parker and Mitch Malone are two great characters in their own right… and the two are great together. Unlike the title of the book itself, April and Mitch don’t seem like they fit… at first. However, the two’s relationship blossoms as April and as Mitch spend more time together and as the two learn more about each other. You can see that the two are opposites. However, in this case the saying is true: Sometimes opposites attract.

Well Matched is another romance novel like the other two books in the Well Met series. I love the romance and the drama in this book. I love April and Mitch just as much as I love Emily and Simon from the other books. Additionally, I love the romance and the drama that happens around the Willow Creek Renaissance Fair. The Willow Creek Renaissance Fair is fun to be a part of for a little while as you eagerly flip the pages of this novel.

At the end of the day, I loved this books just like I loved Well Met. I love April and Mitch together. I love stepping into the world of the Willow Creek Renaissance Fair once again. I love the love and the romance.

So are you ready?

I give this book a 4-star rating.

There is one final book in this Well Met series. It is named Well Traveled. You can bet that I will need my next Willow-Creek-Fair-fix sometime soon. I will pick-up that book as soon as I can to check out the final chapter in the Willow Creek saga. Stay tuned for that book review.

Always with infinite love,
Selena London

My thoughts and opinions on… So, This is Christmas

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So, This is Christmas is a great book that I read just in time for Christmas.  So, This is Christmas is a romance novel by the woman named Tracy Andreen. 

So, This is Christmas is all about a girl named Finley Brown.  Finley just returned from her new boarding school in Connecticut named Barrington.  Finley doesn’t know if she’ll return.  Surprisingly, one thing does return home with her… her classmate named Arthur Chakrabarti Watercress.  Arthur learns all about Finley’s hometown named Christmas, Ohio from a website that Finley docters.  She wants her hometown to look as quaint and as picturesque as its name… and, unexpectedly, the website catches Arthur’s eye enough that he decides to spend Christmas in Christmas, Ohio with his aunt.

There are many great things that I enjoyed in this novel.  I liked Finley a lot.  Finley is a smart and a caring young lady.  She is used to being at the top of the academic hierarchy in her hometown; however, things are different at Barrington.  This doesn’t stop Finley from being smart. 

Finley also has a kind heart.  She deals with many difficult things while she is home for the Christmas holiday.  Her mom left home to spend time with her friends in another state.  Finley knows that this may mean that “divorce” looms somewhere in the future for her parents.  Her old best-friend named Mia is also dating her ex-boyfriend named Brody Tuck. Finley doesn’t know how to feel about this.

Arthur’s visit to Christmas, Ohio seems horrible to her at first.  However, Finley and Arthur slowly get to know each other. And, eventually, they slowly get to like each other.

Arthur is serious, polite, and posh.  At first, Finley doesn’t know how to take his serious attitude.  However, as the two spend more time together Finley discovers how kind and how thoughtful Arthur can be.  Finley and Arthur belong together… and you feel relief and joy when they finally do end up together.

Another fun thing about this book are the descriptions of Finley’s hometown.  Christmas, Ohio is a small town that tries to do Christmas right… even if some things aren’t as great as they appear in Finley’s doctered town website.  However, the people in Christmas, Ohio have charm and spirit.  The town seems like a place I would love to visit one day if it were a real place.

The one thing that I disliked about the book is the relationship that Finley’s grandmother has with someone.  Finley’s grandmother is named Jo.  She seems like an uptight and a serious woman.  Her relationship came as a surprise to Finley and to me.  The relationship was definitely one of the negative things that I discovered in the book. That is the reason that I do not give this book a 5-star rating.

So, This is Christmas is a slow but a sweet romance.  Finley is a great main character. Arthur is a thoughtful guy.  This is a great book to read for the Christmas season if you are looking for a nice romance novel to read in between helpings of Christmas cookies and hot cocoa.

I give this book a 4-star rating.

Always with infinite love,
Selena London

My thoughts and opinions on… Red Queen

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I finished the book named Red Queen by the woman named Victoria Aveyard.  Red Queen is a Young Adult fantasy novel that reminds me of books like The Hunger Games and Divergent.  It was a great book that I enjoyed.

Red Queen is about a girl named Mare Molly Barrow.  In Mare’s world, there are people who have red blood and people who have silver blood.  If you have silver blood, then, you are blessed with magical powers.  You are a part of the ruling class.  If you have red blood, then, you have no powers.  Instead, you are poor.  The silver class controls you.  The silver class sets the rules that restrict you and your life.  However, in an unexpected moment, Mare discovers that she has powers like the silver elite… even though she has red blood. The King and Queen of her society crown Mare as Lady Mareena Titanos because of this discovery.

This book is one of my favorite new books to read.  I really like the protagonist named Mare.  Mare is tough, wily, and feisty.  She thinks-on-her-feet.  She is strong and she is smart.  Mare tries her best to overcome the difficulties that she faces. She tries to help out the red class that she originally came from even though she discovers new powers that she never knew she had inside of her.

Another great thing about this book is the world-building.  The author creates a whole new world where the silver bloods rule and where the red bloods are nothing more than workers and slaves.  This world draws you in.  You can feel the anger and the frustration that people feel if they are from the red class.  At the same time, you can feel the power and the strength that people feel if they are from the silver class.

Another thing that I liked about this book was the well-written fight scenes in it.  There was a great fight scene at the end of the book where Mare shows her ingenuity and smarts… as well as her strength. 

The biggest thing that I enjoyed about this book is the love story in it.  Mare meets two princes when she leaves her home because of the discovery that she has strong powers like those who are a part of the silver elite.  Both princes seem like they could be the perfect match for Mare.  Both are smart and cunning.  In the end, Mare can only pick one.  But will she pick the right one?

Additionally, there was also a surprise in the book that shocked me. It made me re-think everything that I knew about the characters in the book. 

As you can tell, I really enjoyed Red Queen.  I give it a 5-star rating.

I will eagerly read the rest of the books in the series.

Always with infinite love,
Selena London

Book News: Julie Powell is dead

You may have heard of a movie named Julie & Julia. That movie is based off of a book also named Julie & Julia, a memoir of the author herself.

In the book and the movie, Julie starts a blog. Her blog is about one thing: cooking all of the recipes in Julia Child’s cookbook named, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” Her time limit? One year.

Now, the writer of the novel, Julie & Julia, and the inspiration for the movie is dead.

Julie Powell died of cardiac arrest on Wednesday, October 26. She was forty-nine years old. She died at her home in Olivebridge, New York.

The movie Julie & Julia stars the actress named Amy Adams. Amy Adams is Julie.

R.I.P. Julie Powell

Always with infinite love,
Selena London

Book News: Rick Riordan will release “Percy Jackson and The Chalice of the Gods” in the fall of 2023

Rick Riordan wrote a new “Percy Jackson” book that will be released on September 26, 2023. The book is named, “Percy Jackson and The Chalice of the Gods.” This is the first Percy Jackson book that is all about Percy Jackson since “The Last Olympian” novel was released in the year 2009.

“Percy Jackson and The Chalice of the Gods” will take place after “The Heroes of Olympus” books and before Rick Riordan’s saga named, “The Trials of Apollo.”

In this novel, Percy studies at an alternative high-school in New York City. He hopes to attend college in the fall at New Rome University… however, he needs three recommendation letters from three gods before being accepted into the school.

Percy Jackson is an iconic character for many kids and young adults. It is great to hear that Rick has written a new book from the perspective of Percy Jackson. Rick wrote many books in Percy’s world from the perspective of other heroes. It is wonderful to be able to visit Percy’s eyes once again.

Always with infinite love,
Selena London

My thoughts and opinions on… “Beautiful Creatures”

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The newest book that I have read is named, “Beautiful Creatures.” The authors of the novel are two women named Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

“Beautiful Creatures” is a book about a girl named Lena Duchannes. Lena moves into the town of Gatlin, North Carolina. In this new town she meets the love of her life named Ethan Wate.

The two are inexplicably drawn to each other. However, something separates that two. Lena is a “Caster.” That means that she is a witch with strange powers.

A shadow hovers over Lena. She fears that on her sixteenth birthday she will be Claimed as a “Dark Caster” despite her own volition. And if that happens she will be parted from Ethan forever.

I really loved this book. I was drawn into the mystery, the magic, and the love between Lena and Ethan. This book is all about the love between the two characters. Ethan tries desperately to figure out a way for him and for Lena to be together… despite another thing that impedes the two’s relationship… the town’s fear and hatred toward Lena.

There is also a prophecy that says that Lena must turn into a Dark Caster on her sixteenth birthday. Ethan tries everything he can to stop that from happening. His love for Lena encompasses everything… he doesn’t listen to the murmurings of the townspeople, the prophecy that looms above the two… instead, he focuses on being with Lena despite-it-all.

Another thing that is great about this book is the cast of characters in it. Each character is rich and filled with life. There is Lena’s uncle named Macon Ravenwood. Macon is Gatlin’s town recluse. However, he loves Lena and is a good man despite everything. He tries his best to protect Lena and to be there for her.

Another bigger-than-life character is Lena’s cousin. Her name is Ridley. Ridley was Claimed as a Dark Caster on her own sixteenth birthday. Lena feels that she will be forced to follow the same path as Ridley regardless of what Lena wants for herself.

Ridley is dark and dangerous. She causes problems for Lena and for Ethan in the town. Ridley wants Lena to become a Dark Caster like her. She wants to separate Lena and Ethan from one another forever. And she doesn’t take “no” for an answer.

I think you will like this book if you love books like Twilight, The Hunger Games, and Divergent. This book is similar to those books. It is a book about love and about destiny… with a bit of magic and mystery thrown in.

I give this book a 5-star rating. I loved it.

Always with infinite love,
Selena London