DISNEY BOOK TAG!

If there's anything I like as much as books, it's Disney. I touched on that fact in my review of A Whole New World, but really Disney movies are my very most favorite in the entire world! So when I saw Kat from Katytastic on Booktube do a Disney book tag, I got ridiculously excited to do it myself! I'm sure this will be the first of many Disney-related posts, as well as book tags.

Firstly: The Little Mermaid

 - a character who is out of their element, a "fish out of water" -

Percy from both Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus. Poor kid is just living his life, going to school, struggling with homework, and out of the blue he's attacked by monsters and finds out he's not just a human. I mean, wow, what a bombshell. 

Secondly: Cinderella

 - a character who goes through a major transformation - 

Cress from the Lunar Chronicles. When we met Cress for the first time, she is an unbelievably timid girl, very much a damsel in distress type. By the end of the last book, she is living up even past her potential and does some incredible things to help her friends.

Thirdly: Snow White

 - a book with an eclectic cast of characters-

The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zac by [AUTHOR HERE]. This book isn't talked about much, but there are so SO many weird and awkward and unique and crazy characters thrown into just one story that you can't help but be entertained.

Fourthly: Sleeping Beauty

 - a book that put you to sleep -

The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this book to some degree... But it definitely lulled me to sleep on more than one occasion. It's very dense and hard to get into, so I found myself drifting off.

Fifthly: The Lion King 

 - a character that had something traumatic happen to them in their childhood -

Clary from The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. Even though Clary doesn't learn of this occurrence until later, the immense secret and spells performed on her were traumatic to discover after the fact.

Sixthly: Beauty and the Beast

 - a beast of a book (a big book) that you were intimidated by, but found the story to be beautiful - 

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Once upon a time, I decided I wanted to read a classic romance for fun and I figured this would be an okay place to start. Then I would put it off and choose to do things other than read it because it was so huge and dense and I thought I'd never get through it. But it's now my favorite classic of all time and I've read it more than once!

Seventhly: Aladdin

 - a character that gets his or her wish granted, for better or for worse -

Kyle from Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library. In this middle grade book, Kyle tries his hardest to win a ticket to the new library opening in his town because he wants to play the video games, but doesn't care at all for the books. When he gets his chance, he ends up learning a lot and his wish to visit the library was granted for the better.

Eighthly: Mulan

 - a character who pretends to be someone or something they are not -

Finn from Loop by Karen Atkins. When Finn accidentally gets taken from the past into the future, he has to pretend a lot of things: that he belongs there, that he is fro, this century, and that he isn't in love. And he does it so badly in such a fantastic way.

Ninthly: Toy Story

 - a book with characters you wish would come to life -

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick. I read this book and fell instantly in love with the Garrett family!! It would be awesome if they came to life...and were my next door neighbors!

Honorable mention: Harry Potter (OBVIOUSLY).

Lastly: Disney Descendants

 - your favorite villain of morally ambiguous character -

Sebastian from The Mortal Instruments. Y'all, this guy is so good at being bad and making you think he could be good. And then he shatters your heart into ten trillion pieces of sad. It's ridiculous. He is without a doubt my favorite villain.

And that was the Disney book tag! Let me know if you agree or disagree with my choices and who your favorite villain is!

Happy reading!

REVIEW: The Dragon Princess by E.D. Baker

Last week I reviewed The Salamander Spell by E.D. Baker (spoiler alert: I loved it!!). So I immediately dove into the next Frog Princess book, The Dragon Princess. While The Salamander Spell follows Emma's aunt as a young girl, The Dragon Princess follows Emma's daughter, Millie. I love when authors write books like this. I love following children of main characters because there are always references to the adventures of the main characters and getting to spend time with those characters at a different point in their life is so fun for me. Well, let's get into it, shall we?

The Short Story:

As with all of the books so far in E.D. Baker's Frog Princess series, friendship and adventure abound in this book. There are silly characters as well as scary ones, strong relationships and good examples of friends and family ties. The writing is simple, yet still attention-grabbing. If you like magic and fairytales and good lessons, you should try this series.

The Long Story:

In this book, we follow Princess Millie, daughter of Emma and Eadric, who has a very interesting problem in her life. Most of the time, she is a princess, a young girl who has best friends and likes to learn and seeks adventure. However, when something upsets her (and, at her age, anger just happens sometimes... hormones, you know), she turns into a dragon. Yep. This is obviously an issue of convenience but especially an issue of secrecy and fear. People don't generally like dragons and Millie is the only child of Emma and Eadric, therefore their only heir. It doesn't help that Eadric's parents, Millie's grandparents, are wholeheartedly against magical things and creatures of any kind. Millie desperately wants a way to stop this change from happening or at least to gain control over it. With a temper like hers, who knows what can happen! So Millie and her friends set off to find a way to control her anger. And there is magic and craziness along the way.

Like I said in the short story, the writing in this series is so simple. This is a middle grade, and probably young middle grade at that, series, so the writing should not be flouncy and fancy. But it doesn't detract from the story. In fact, it makes it easier to follow and quick to read. 

Millie is awesome. She is such a protective friend and a great mix of her parents. I love the way her dragon magic works: her mother spent too much time as a dragon when she was pregnant with Millie. Zoe is a great friend to Millie as well, and serves as a way to show Millie's compassion. Francis... oh, man, I love this guy. He's Millie's cousin and he is adorkable (note the "k", of course) and determined and encouraging and very sweet. I stinkin' love him. I also love that most "trios" in YA and middle grade are two boys and a girl, but in this book it is two girls and a boy. Just a weird thing I noticed and enjoyed!

Overall: magic, great friends, DRAGONS (I cannot resist a dragon book), more magic, adventure, and self-discovery. Big fan.

5/5 stars.

What is your favorite magical creature to read about??

Happy reading!

REVIEW: TheStickerAlley Bookmarks!

Perhaps this title was a little bit misleading... sorry about that. This is a review, definitely, BUT not of a book! I recently placed an order from The Sticker Alley shop on Etsy and she makes bookmarks and stickers and such. I had been following her for quite awhile on Instagram (p.s. I'm @the.storied.shelf on Instagram) and drooling over her adorable designs, so when I saw she was having a SALE (boy, oh boy, is that a word that draws me in instantly) I absolutely had to buy something. 

And when they appeared in my mailbox, I squealed a little and jumped around in a totally awkward fashion. 

THEY ARE SO CUTE.

THEY. ARE. SO. CUTE.

I ordered her "4 random princesses" package with a note asking if she could try to include Belle (as she is my very favorite) and she did and I was so happy!! I also got Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Pocahontas, and Snow White in my random four and I love each of them!

I also ordered a "pick your own mini" and I chose her BB-8 bookmark. Fun fact about me: I'm obsessed with BB-8. Another fun fact about me: I've never seen a single Star Wars movie in my life, but I plan to. 

So these are her mini bookmarks and I chose the mini size because I've found when magnetic bookmarks are larger, they feel too heavy on the pages. I really like the size and weight of these bookmarks because they're very light and small but not so tiny that you lose them. 

The designs are PERFECT. I wouldn't change a thing. The little smiling faces on the princesses are adorable and their dresses are super accurate and gorgeous. The colors are splendid and bright and true to reality on both BB-8 and the princesses. They're all a little "sketchy"-style and that is something I LOVE in cartoon designs.

The only downside on these bookmarks is the quality of the paper. These are basically just paper, anything you'd have in your printer at home. It's easy to rip and therefore these bookmarks are quite delicate. This bugs me just a little because I like them so much and I'm afraid I'll break them by using them. But maybe I'm just a little too rough with my bookmarks...

On the very bright side, this sale I mentioned earlier? She was getting rid of stock using this paper quality so she could fill her shop with her new paper!!! I'm sure it is a vast improvement and I'd love to get my hands on some of the new ones so I can compare. 

Overall, I really love these bookmarks and I'd say they are worth a try if you like magnetic bookmarks and are okay with them maybe being slightly less durable (though I cannot speak for the new ones, which will presumably be more durable) and therefore a more affordable option. Check out https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheStickerAlley :)

4/5 stars.

Happy reading!

(This post is not sponsored. I purchased all products with my own funds and without prompting from the shop. All opinions are my own.)

REVIEW: The Salamander Spell by E.D. Baker

I mentioned in my 6 Favorite Series of All Time post the Frog Princess series by E.D. Baker. I read the original four-book series in middle school but it has stuck with me until now and I still love it just as much.
I recently found out that there are four more books that are part of this series! Imagine my excitement knowing the magic has yet to end! These books do not follow the same plot and characters are the first four, but instead are prequels and future stories.
The Salamander Spell is the first of these newer books and it is a prequel to the original series. So, if you read this review and feel interested in this book, you can definitely read it before reading the others. And then tell me all about it because I need someone to geek out about it with!

The Short Story:

This book is sweet and charming, magical and delightful. If you like middle grade, fantasy, magic, perfectly innocent romance and friendships, and a little bit of mischief, give this series a try. If you need to get out of a reading slump, this should be your go-to choice!

The Long Story:

This book follows Grassina, the aunt of the main heroine in the original series. Grassina is present in that series as well, but here she is a young girl of 13. Her older sister, Chartreuse, is in training to become queen and the Green Witch. The Green Witch of Greater Greensward is the protector of the entire kingdom, the kindest magic-wielder, and the most powerful witch there is. Unfortunately, Chartreuse has not come into her magic yet and a whole lot of problems are happening in Greater Greensward. Grassina and Chartreuse's mother has been struck by a family curse and not-so-friendly  magical creatures have come to reside in the forest surrounding the kingdom. It starts to appear, to everyone's dismay, as though Grassina is possibly the only one who can fix anything. Along the way of trying to undo the wrongs and defeat the dangers threatening her life and her family, she meets several great friends and learns that love is stronger and friends are true.
Now, doesn't that just sound like the most sugar-sweet little book you've ever heard about? (Answer: YES). And it is such a satisfying read. It moves so quickly without feeling rushed and keeps you interested. The characters are charming and well-crafted. Perhaps they could be more complex, but this is a middle grade story and not a very long one at that. It reads just like a fairytale and is perfect for fans of Disney movies and retellings. 
My one and only thought that isn't entirely positive is that the romance went from zero to one hundred in about three pages. BUT the author justified the insta-love and I was happy with it. 
If you like fantasy middle grade that is light and easy to read, please give this series a try. Start here OR start with The Frog Princess, I don't think it matters and you'll love either one!

5/5 stars.

Happy reading!

REVIEW: The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

This week and weekend have been completely crazy for me! I worked all week and had to prep for a long weekend trip to St. Louis for my cousin's wedding. So, me being me, I decided to make my week even more ridiculous and add a Tolkien novel to the mix. Let me tell you, that was not a good idea. I like to really dive in and enjoy works by Tolkien because they are so dense and complex and fantastical, but this week I was simply not able to do that. I liked Lord of the Rings quite a lot, and thought myself a "fan" of Tolkien stories. But... it turns out I might just like Lord of the Rings itself.

Let's get into how I felt about this book... keeping in mind the environment in which I was reading it.

The Short Story:

The Silmarillion is complicated and extensive, but rich and lovely as well. The book lacks in a clear plotline sometimes and I found myself getting lost. If you like Tolkien's other novels (for obvious example, Lord of the Rings), you might like this. If you LOVE Tolkien's other novels, you will almost definitely love this.

The Long Story:

This book is essentially the history of the world in which the Lord of the Rings is set, from the creation of the world until the Third Age (which is when Lord of the Rings happens). Tolkien wrote this novel over the course of his life as a way of world-building for his own personal use, so it contains every legend and every story that he could come up with to set up the world we all know and love. Before Sauron, there was Melkor, also known as Morgoth. Similar kind of guy. There was another guy who created these highly powerful gems called Silmarils. Melkor wanted them. Bad stuff happened. And then a whole lot of other stuff that might or might not be related also happened. We see the creation and history of dwarves, elves, and men. We get an immense (read: PHENOMENALLY IMMENSE) history of this world and for those of you who cannot get enough of Middle Earth and its inhabitants and their shenanigans, give this a try. 

It really does start with the very beginning, which is very reminiscent of the Bible (logical, since Tolkien is Catholic). The creation story in this book is BEAUTIFUL and it made me totally convinced I was going to adore this book and never want to put it down. 

However... then the story took a turn and it became hard for me to read. In the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, we get tons of character development and detailed scenes and plot structures that make sense (even if travel scenes seem to take years sometimes...). In the Silmarillion, that isn't the case. It is so general it almost reads like a textbook. Lots of overviews of this thing that happened but not so many personal details or relationships or emotions. It made it hard to read.

I tried and tried, but I found myself falling asleep unintentionally and only reading a few pages at a time. So at the recommendation of @arielleahlm on Instagram, I tried listening to a podcast of it. I liked this at first, but it was too discussion-based for my taste. So then I tried an audiobook and this was exactly what I needed!!! I started moving through it a lot faster and I had an entire 13-hour road trip during which to listen to and finish this book. It was awesome.

While this change of pace did help me get into the book, I still unfortunately didn't love it. I'm quite disappointed because I had been so excited for it, but it felt too distanced from characters for me. It felt very much like an outsider's perspective on the stories and that made me feel the disconnect and care less about what was happening. 

I liked this book to some degree, don't get me wrong. It just wasn't my style. Maybe at another time in my reading life when I have more time to take my time on this I could re-read it... but I'm not feeling it right now. 

I do recommend this book very highly to fans of Tolkien's world-building and writing style because in those ways it is just like the Lord of the Rings!

2.5/5 stars.

BOOKISH TIP: if a book is hard to read, try different formats. It might help.

What has been your most disappointing read? Or your most surprisingly awesome read??

Happy reading!

REVIEW: Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan

I'm going to tell you guys a story. I started on the Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices last year and finished them this year, about a month before Lady Midnight was released. In that month, I heard about the Shadowhunter Academy novellas and figured I didn't need to read them, so I wouldn't. Then I heard it would set up the Dark Artifices in some ways... and I thought "okay, fine, I'll at least give them a try." And guys, I've only read the first novella, Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy, and I know for certain I will finish the collection. Yes, I'm a convert. I'll admit it proudly. I flew through the novella and I can't wait for my library to let me check out the next ebook (The Lost Herondale, if you're curious). This review will be short because, well, it's one novella and there are spoilers!

WARNING: this novella collection is basically entirely a spoiler for TMI. So. If you haven't finished it, please come back later!

The Short Story:

If you like Simon Lewis as a character in TMI, you're going to like this. Period. His personality and humor is to die for and the setting of this collection is something very unique to the Shadowhunter world. Please give it a try if you're on the fence!

The Long Story:

This novella collection is about Simon Lewis and his journey to become a Shadowhunter after all the events of TMI. He is in such an awkward situation because he has few memories of all his friends (Clary, Jace, Alec, ISABELLE) but knows, from their telling him, that he should have many, many more memories than that. So when he gets the opportunity to be in the first group of both mundanes and young Shadowhunters to attend the newly re-opened Shadowhunter Academy, he jumps at the chance to get away from everyone. But, as one can imagine with a Cassandra Clare book, things get much more complicated than that!
I loved this novella; it had been months since I was in a Shadowhunter world and this was like a cookie for a hungry person: pretty small, but delicious enough to satisfy the craving for now.
I was worried about the writing and the world since there is a second author of these novellas, but I noticed no difference with the addition of Sarah Rees Brennan. The characters are still their expertly-crafted selves and the world only grew greater.
Simon is perfect, as always, and I'd never change a thing about him. Period. End of discussion. :)
The one complaint I would have is that it was so short.. but it is a novella and there are more for me to read ASAP.
I highly recommend you read this collection if you like the TMI and TID series and need more in your life!

5/5 stars.

Have you read these novellas? What do you think? Also, who's your favorite TMI or TID character?

Happy reading!

6 FAVORITE SERIES Of All Time

Y'all, while I enjoy a good standalone as much as the next person, there's really nothing like a good, long series. A story is built from the ground up and made ever more complex and intricate until the reader is fully separated from reality and now lives in the books.
I've read many a series over the past several years since I really started reading a lot, and I wanted to share some of my very most favorite series of all time and recommend that you guys read ALL OF THEM. Please. :)

Harry Potter series ((Queen) J.K. Rowling)

We all saw this one coming, did we not? I started reading the Harry Potter series in 2003 (I think) because my neighbor's mom told me I should read them. I remember going over to her house while reading the first book and asking how in the world I would pronounce "Hermione". Luckily, she knew. I devoured this series and read the books over and over til every spine was broken in multiple places and most pages in each book were dog-eared. I went to the midnight release of the last book and started reading it immediately and finished it in record time. In middle school, my mom actually took my Harry Potter books away because she thought I needed to read other things (side note: I'm glad she did because I might still be in that cycle today if she hadn't). So basically Harry Potter is my favorite series, with no contest, of all time.

Anne of Green Gables series (L.M. Montgomery)

Yes, I know, this is a children's book series. But really, it isn't. The first book takes place when Anne is a young girl but the 6-book series lasts til Anne is a grown and married woman with several children! Call that a children's series! And it is all so, so good. Anne is a spunky, opinionated girl from the get-go and she has this wonderful outlook on life that I often find myself thinking about. She is whimsical and dreamy and I want to be like her even now after college. For those of you who haven't read these books, the series starts with Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, somewhat elderly siblings, who have adopted a boy to help them around their house. When Matthew goes to pick up this boy from the train station, he is shocked to find a little red-haired girl named Anne, who says she is the one to be picked up by a Cuthbert. Not knowing what to do, Matthew takes her with him. Upon arriving home, Marilla is even more appalled at the situation. The two finally decide to keep Anne, and antics and shenanigans ensue from there! Anne does a lot in her life, not all of it good, and the story is so sweet and darling that you cannot help but keep reading.

The Frog Princess series (E.D. Baker)

Another children's series, but what do I care? Children's books can be read by anyone at any time, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise. This series starts out pretty standard: the story of the frog prince. But you can imagine, in a 4-book series, things get a little more complicated than just that. Princess Esmeralda is not the most "princessy" of princesses. She's clumsy and a little awkward and doesn't always do the right princess thing. Obviously, this is unfortunate for her because she is supposed to be completely different than who she is naturally. She runs away into the forest one day and meets Prince Eadric...the frog. These two go on adventures around their kingdom and others, saving the day (most of the time) and having fun (all of the time). The series is so clever and fun, and I highly recommend it for any fairytale retelling lovers out there.

The Lunar Chronicles (Marissa Meyer)

Speaking of retellings... This is hands-down, without-a-doubt, the best retelling series on the planet. And I think anyone who has read these books would tell you the same thing. This is a 4 (or 5 or 6, depending on which novellas you include)-book series in which each book is a retelling of a different fairytale: Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White. The first book, Cinder, is about a cyborg (human with robot parts) and mechanic who is enlisted by the crown prince Kai to help him solve this mystery that has been plaguing him. And that is all you get to know. Trust me, that's all the plot you want to know. The story takes place on Earth, in space, and on the moon (where there are people living... a special kind of people). There are androids and cyborgs and super soldiers (think Captain America, but... hairier?) and spaceships and amazing adventures. This series is mind-blowingly amazing and YOU MUST READ IT (or at least move it to the top of your TBR).

The Selection series (Kiera Cass)

This series is so hyped, but in my opinion the hype is totally justified. This series is captivating and addictive like nothing else. In case you don't know, this 5 (or 6)-book series is about America Singer, a girl from a lower status in life who gets chosen to be in the Selection. What is being selected? The bride of the prince. Who is selecting? The prince himself, Maxon Schreave. America does not want to be there at first, because she is in love with someone from her home, but things change rapidly as America meets people and learns things and discovers who she is. I know this is a controversial series because of one reason: lots of people broadcast hate for the main female characters of each mini-series within this collection. Here's my rant about that: Kiera Cass wrote these characters intentionally, and if we don't like them, perhaps we were supposed to! Perhaps we were supposed to feel frustrated and annoyed at them so we could see them grow and change and we would change along with them. Or perhaps you just don't like them at all, and if that's you, don't read the books. SO, for all of you who haven't even tried this series, please do. Give it a go. And remember that authors are smart and do things for reasons we are never going to know. I love this series, and I love all the characters!

Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus / Trials of Apollo (Rick Riordan)

(Confession: I haven't read Apollo yet. But I imagine it will fall under all the same praise as the others once I do.) I consider all of these series to go together, therefore they are one series in my mind. AND I LOVE THEM. If you've never read a Rick Riordan book, I give you permission now to click away and go get one and start reading immediately. His books are hilarious (as in, you'll likely actually laugh while reading) and his characters are so lovable. They are fun to read and entertaining and never too slow or too fast with always the right amount of sincerity and seriousness when needed. This series starts with Percy Jackson and the Olympians (The Lightning Thief), just so you know. Percy is a normal teenage boy one day, and the next he is being attacked at every turn by monsters from myth and villains from legend... and he has no clue what is happening. Then he finds out he is the child of a Greek god, so making him a demigod. What a life-altering finding! This leads him to Camp Half-Blood, where he realizes he isn't the only one and that this is a lot bigger than him. And the series goes from there, every book being a non-stop adventure and keeping you on the edge of your seat and sometimes rolling on the floor laughing at Percy's one-liners (these books are worth reading just for those, I do declare). Please try it. I really do not think you will ever regret it!

And those are my favorite series of all time! Woohoo! Maybe sometime I'll do a favorite trilogies or standalones because I have a lot of those, too.

What are your favorite series or just series recommendations?

Happy reading!