That's What Chey Said: Other Hobbies

I've decided to bring back my discussion posts, because sometimes I'm just itching to talk to you guys about things having to do with books and blogging!  As of right now, I'm posting them every other week.  That being said, if you have any topic suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

This week I wanted to discuss hobbies, because as much as I love reading and blogging, I need a break from it every once in a while.  Here are some other things I love to do...

Writing

I've been writing for as long as I can remember.  It's my first love.  It's something I don't even think about anymore, I just do it because it comes natural to me.  When I was a teenager, I wrote a lot of fanfiction and I've always been embarrassed to admit it, but I still go back to it from time to time when I'm not feeling inspired enough to begin something original.  The ultimate dream is to have my work published.

Collecting Funko Pop Figures

If I could, I would splurge and get every single one on my wishlist.  I already have 12 of my favorite characters from some of my favorite shows, and there are so many more that I want to get.  It's an addiction and like any addiction, it will get out of control if you let it.

Binge-Watching TV Shows

Speaking of tv shows, have I mentioned how much I love watching a good one?  I can watch a full series anywhere from a few days to a month, depending how long it is.  Some of my obsessions are Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, True Blood, Criminal Minds, Gilmore Girls, Shameless...seriously, the list goes on and on.  I think you get the point.  I'm always watching something.

Going to Concerts

It's almost summertime, which means that many summer concerts are coming up!  Although I don't go to nearly as many as I used to, concerts are some of my favorite places to be.  There's nothing quite like being in the presence of a band you love, especially if it's the first time you're seeing them.

Video Games

Okay, so I'm not the biggest gamer, but when I get into it, I REALLY get into it.  Lately I've been playing Final Fantasy X, which is one of my favorite games ever.  It's been about 10 years since the last time I played and it's so easy to lose track of time.

There are so many other things I enjoy doing, but I'd say that these (including reading) are the top 6!

What are some of your other hobbies?

Review: The Secrets of Attraction by Robin Constantine

Title: The Secrets of Attraction
Author: Robin Constantine
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Age Group: Young Adult
Category: Contemporary Romance
Release date: April 28th, 2015
Pages: 384 (eGalley)
Rating: 3 out of 5
Source: Edelweiss
Goodreads | Amazon | Author

Madison Pryce thinks she's got everything figured out—she's working on a portfolio for a summer art program and hanging with her friends. Plus she has her hot boyfriend, Zach. But then a visit from a family friend turns Maddie's life upside down. 

Jesse McMann is still reeling from a breakup that shattered his heart and his band. Then pride (and some goading from his bass player and fellow barista) forces him to find a new drummer—and the inspiration to write music again. 

Kismet arrives in the unlikely form of Grayson Barrett, who tries out for Jesse's band, and whose girlfriend is BFFs with the cute girl who orders a chai latte after yoga every Thursday: Maddie. What Jesse and Maddie thought they knew about the secrets of attraction and the rules of romance changes once they start falling for each other.

Relationships don't come easily for Madison.  She has an attractive boyfriend, but it doesn't go much deeper than making out during study breaks.  Madison finds it difficult to let anyone in, and it's not too difficult to understand why with her family history.  Jesse is the opposite.  He let someone in and got his heart broken in the process.  These two lost souls manage to find each other and quickly realize that they're each other's missing puzzle piece.

For the most part, I enjoyed reading about each of the characters.  I generally love books that switch point of views with each chapter.  That way the reader can get a closer look into each of their lives; it's more intimate being able to know what they're both feeling.  Madison's dad has never been a part of her life, and for all she knew, he was a scumbag who left her mom before she was even born.  The closest thing she knew to a father was her mom's best friend who stopped by every so often with treats.  When she discovers the truth, her entire life is turned upside down.

Jesse was my favorite character.  He struggled to get over his ex-girlfriend and to forgive his best friend for betraying him, which is something I can personally relate to.  Driven by that heartbreak to start playing music again, this is where Madison crashes into his life.  They both help each other face their problems and move on.  The romance was a little predictable, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.  I loved that Jesse and Madison did things for each other that they would have never thought to do for anyone else.

The Secrets of Attraction was sweet, but there was nothing that made it memorable for me.  By the end, I found myself skimming the pages just to get it over with.  While it's a companion novel to The Promise of Amazing, it can be read as a standalone, which is what I did.  I'm not sure if reading that before starting The Secrets of Attraction would have changed my opinion, but as of right now, I don't plan to reach for the first book anytime soon.

Review: Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger

Title: Lying Out Loud
Author: Kody Keplinger
Publisher: Scholastic
Age Group: Young Adult
Category: Contemporary
Release date: April 28th, 2015
Pages: 309 (eGalley)
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Edelweiss
Goodreads | Amazon | Author

Sonny Ardmore is an excellent liar. She lies about her dad being in prison. She lies about her mom kicking her out. And she lies about sneaking into her best friend's house every night because she has nowhere else to go. 

Amy Rush might be the only person Sonny shares everything with— secrets, clothes, even a nemesis named Ryder Cross. 

Ryder's the new kid at Hamilton High and everything Sonny and Amy can't stand—a prep-school snob. But Ryder has a weakness: Amy. So when Ryder emails Amy asking her out, the friends see it as a prank opportunity not to be missed. 

But without meaning to, Sonny ends up talking to Ryder all night online. And to her horror, she realizes that she might actually like him. Only there's one small catch: he thinks he's been talking to Amy. So Sonny comes up with an elaborate scheme to help Ryder realize that she's the girl he's really wanted all along. Can Sonny lie her way to the truth, or will all her lies end up costing her both Ryder and Amy?

Sonny can't remember when her lying started and sometimes they just slip out of her mouth without meaning to.   Lying is just easier than letting anyone else in.  They've become who Sonny Ardmore is.  Although she's confident that she can handle just about anything on her own, just as she always has, these lies are bound to catch up with her.  In Lying Out Loud, we watch Sonny's lies unravel, stirring up trouble at work, school, and even those closest to her.

Ryder is one of those guys who looks down on everyone else around him.  He's the new kid and no one else can stand him because all he talks about is how his old school, friends and life was better than anything this town had to offer.  One thing was obvious, though, and it was that Ryder had an enormous crush on Sonny's kind-hearted friend, Amy.  She was too nice to tell him she wasn't interested, so when he asks her out via email, Sonny decides to take things into her own hands.

Sonny got on my nerves a little more than any of the other main characters in Keplinger's books, but when all is said and done, you realize why she acts the way she does.  She leads this double life, as does Ryder, which might be why they get along so well when she's pretending to be Amy in order to talk with him.  In person, every conversation just turns into a spat.  I wasn't particularly invested in the romance, but I was excited to see what would happen between Sonny and Amy in the end.  All the scheming and lying at Amy's expense makes it clear that their friendship is going to be put at risk.  I couldn't wait to see how Sonny would get herself out of this one.

I thoroughly enjoyed Sonny's story, which isn't much of a surprise, because I love all of Kody Keplinger's books.  The DUFF is still my favorite of the bunch, but it was great to see some familiar faces.  Since Amy is Wesley's younger sister, he had quite a bit of involvement in the story, and it was great to see where his romance with Bianca stood, even years after The DUFF was released.  In typical Keplinger fashion, Lying Out Loud is hilarious and snarky, yet ends with a good message.  If you enjoyed the author's debut novel, this is definitely the book for you.

April Wrap-Up and May TBR

Near the end of this month, I decided to make a comeback.  After a lot of thought, I returned to blogging for the first time since October 2013.  I realized I was so much happier reading and writing reviews than I was without.  You can read more about it in my post, Back from a Blogging Hiatus: Where I've Been and Where I Plan to Go.

The books I managed to read in April:

-Divergent by Veronica Roth
-Exquisite Corpse by Penelope Bagieu
-I Hate Myselfie by Shane Dawson
-Things We Know by Heart by Jessi Kirby
-Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger
-The Secrets of Attraction by Robin Constantine
-On the Fence by Kasie West

The books I plan to read in May:

I know it's quite the list for someone who wanted to ease back into reading and blogging, but as of late, I've been reading a book a night. 

 I think I can handle 13 in 31 days!

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Category: Dystopian
Release date: April 25th, 2011
Pages: 487 (ARC)
Rating: 5 out of 5
Source: Won
Goodreads | Amazon | Author

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. 

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

I'm a little ashamed to admit that I let this book sit on my shelves for years before picking it up.  When Divergent first came out, there was so much hype surrounding the story.  Everyone loved it, everyone fangirled over Four.  I added it to my TBR pile, just like The Hunger Games, The Immortal Instruments and other series that I often heard about but never intended to pick up immediately.  I'm ashamed because Divergent is an incredible story.  One of the best I've read in a long time.  It completely restored my passion for reading and pulled me out of the slump I'd been in for over a year.

Although she doesn't seem to be at first, Tris proves to be a strong and inspirational character.  There was nothing that I didn't like about her.  She was very caring and loyal, but when it came to standing up for herself against others, she truly was Dauntless.  The author didn't rush anything, from the main character's personal growth to the romance she develops with one of the faction's most valuable members, although the story was very fast-paced and packed full of action.

The way this version of Chicago was described only reeled me in more.  Having visited the city on multiple occasions, I could picture it perfectly.  Though I tend to lean towards stories that rely heavily on romance, the relationship between Tris and Four wasn't the main focal point.  I felt that the author gave readers a wonderful balance of romance, dedication towards family and friends, and being able to survive.  The message is very clear, and that's in order to be brave, you must also be selfless.  No one should ever be tossed into one category.

I was so captivated by the world that Veronica Roth created.  A world where everyone has their place, where you must leave your old life behind if you choose a different faction than the one you were born into.  I loved some characters and I despised a few, too.  Even days after finishing the book, the story is still on my mind.  Thankfully, I already own a copy of Insurgent, so it won't be long until I'm picking that up.