Life of a Random

Like they always do, the Notebook Sisters have brought us another delicious tag that I had to participate in. Hope you enjoy! And go check out their take on the tag here and the rules and linky thing here (you only have a little over a day to join in :P). The Questions: 1. Just Alice: What book cover(s) has made you super curious? This cover is just so vivid and colorful and unique that it's practically irresistible. LOOK AT IT.  This. *muffled screech* I could look at this all day. The colors are so intense. But, what makes it even more curiosity-inducing is that bubble around the city and the cracked, dry ground outside.  I'll probably mention colors a lot. Those are what catch my eye first, like contrast or blending. And the clock imbedded in the cobblestone (I love cobblestone) is glowing and ugh. No resistance here.  The amazing painted cover coupled with the title just grabbed at me so hard that I bought this one. I was crossin...

   Links to the book: An American Girl in Italy by Aubrie Dionne Publication Date: May 29, 2014 Publisher: Harper Impulse Genre: Contemporary Romance An Italian paradise is the last thing she wants… but the one thing she needs! Surely any girl would kill for the chance to tour Italy’s most famous cities for the summer? To experience the warmth of the Tuscan sun, the culinary delights of the pizzerias and caffés and to stroll along the cobbled streets of the City of Love itself… Any girl apart from ambitious oboist Carly Davis that is! For her, the Easthampton Civic Symphony’s latest European tour is one massive inconvenience. She can’t even put her smartphone down long enough to snap a picture of the Coliseum. Only, there’s one Italian attraction that Carly hadn’t quite expected to be a part of the tourist route… Tour guide Michelangelo is as dark and delicious as Carly’s morning espresso. And when she needs a few lessons in the language of love to...

Sooo, I got back home last night from a tiny vacation with my family. It was awesome. I had so much fun and I can't wait to go back sometime. But you want details, don't you? Of course, you do. Me and my family went on a two half-day, one night trip to Florida. We hadn't taken a vacation in quite a while and so it was really refreshing and relaxing. And despite my good intentions, I didn't read one page of The Clockwork Prince like I planned to. It happens every time. For some reason, I just don't read on vacations. There's too much to take in and explore! We left early in the morning (around 5:40, I'd say) and drove for around seven to eight hours to Panama City Beach, Florida....which is the actual name of the city and not a beach. As soon as we got there, we changed into our swimsuits in the Burger King restrooms and headed out to the beach. It was beautiful. I've been to the beach in Delaware, which is northeastern America, and the o...

Hey, peoples! I'm technically on a blogging break for a few weeks, but I thought I'd post a little something on here since it's the weekend and I don't want you to get bored. :P Much love and chocolate (but not too much, I need some for myself). From The Desolation of Smaug And is it just me or does "Smaug" sound like "smog" in a heavy southern (american) accent? *grins*

I had loads of fun doing The Raven Boys vlog last time and I would love your feedback on it right here, if you don't mind. This is just so I can get a feel for how many people are actually benefiting or enjoying the vlogs I might do in the future. No pressure ;) Here's the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GHF9HZJ Thanks! Have some dessert.. I'm making myself hungry. *salivates* I'd better stop before I try to eat these delicious things off my screen. Also, I've decided to put Life of a Random on a very short hiatus. I need to pull back because my school year's winding down and I need to buckle down and do some intense studying. I say "short" because I should be back to posting regularly by the beginning of June or so. I'm really sorry but I need to concentrate on school (unfortunately). I'll still pop up around the blogosphere and comment on your blogs and I might post a couple posts here. DON'T FORGET ME. If y...

Did I ever tell you I have awesome blogger friends? I do. Last Saturday, two people made me extremely very happy. *jumps up and down excitedly* S.R. McKade and Unikke Lyfe both nominated me for a Liebster Blog Award on the same day!! !!!! Guys, you are both awesome people. Thank you SO much. Because I'm combining two Liebsters, I've decided to mix the rules for both (since they were different). I won't have eleven facts (I'll have six) but I will answer all twenty-two questions. I will then nominate eleven people and give them questions. (I know, I know. I am an awesome user of GIFs.) The 6 Facts: 1. I got my driver's license really late according to American standards (which is sixteen). I got mine a few days ago, and I'm eighteen. (Don't worry, it's not because I'm an awful driver. Not really anyway ;) ) 2. I hoard collect maps. Besides them being really cool, I don't know...I just love maps. And atlases.  3. I'v...

Publication Date: October 1, 2012 Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books Pages: 368 Source: library Format: Hardcover "I was sixteen the first time my grandmother died . . ." Sarah Parsons has never seen Amber House, the grand Maryland estate that's been in her family for three centuries. She's never walked its hedge maze nor found its secret chambers; she's never glimpsed the shades that haunt it, nor hunted for lost diamonds in its walls. But all of that is about to change. After her grandmother passes away, Sarah and her friend Jackson decide to search for the diamonds--and the house comes alive. She discovers that she can see visions of the house's past, like the eighteenth-century sea captain who hid the jewels, or the glamorous great-grandmother driven mad by grief. She grows closer to both Jackson and a young man named Richard Hathaway, whose family histories are each deeply entwined with her own. But when the visions start to threate...

Today I am joining the May blog chain that Teens Can Write Too! hosts once in every ten years monthly. ;) The awesome prompt is below.  Prompt: "What kinds of published books would you like to see more of?" I almost forgot to post today. I swear. Phew. I mean the only reason I remembered is that I had signed up for comment updates on the TCWT post. So. Yeah. Sorry for almost forgetting :D Books with Asian or Half-Asian main characters. I haven't read all that many books with Asian or Half-Asian main characters and even when I asked other people for suggestions, I only added six or so books to my TBR list. I love reading about them because I'm half-Chinese, half-American and it's fun finding similarities in culture or family life. Books with complicated clues that lead to discovering something (that's not a murder).  Let me explain. This probably sounds like I'm describing a really good (common type of) mystery novel or something,...

Publication Date: March 4, 2014 Publisher: Bethany House Pages: 317 Source: Bethany House Format: Paperback I did not go into this book expecting to like it. Let me explain...Usually, Christian fiction is churned out one after the other. Very similar plots, very similar characters, and very similar romances. But I loved this book because it wasn't like any other Christian fiction I've ever read! I liked it so much that I'm actually considering buying the first book since this is the second book in a series. Death by the Book is a historical mystery. That said, it totally rocked the mystery. I didn't guess the villain/murderer. Not even close. I had my doubts about every single person except the right one. The author did an amazing job of pulling my suspicion one way and then pulling it another way. I also felt like the author was being too obvious about the suspects, but it turns out she was weaving a complicated web of "suspects" on purpose tha...