morgan matson

Wedding Disaster Themed Books

September 7, 2019

Wedding season is ultimately upon us and it’s the perfect time to delve into some wedding-themed books! It’s been two years since my wedding and especially after all the planning and stress I endured with trying to trim down the guest list, table seating arrangements, the restaurant changing the whole menu, and family drama these days I would much rather read about weddings! These are the kinds of books that teach you that weddings aren’t perfect but it is the one day that you will never forget!

Save the Date by Morgan Matson

Charlie Grant’s sister is having a wedding coming up and she is excited to escape her impending college plans and leaving her childhood home to have a three day weekend with her big rambunctious family! Her plans for a picture-perfect family wedding go awry when the wedding planner escapes due to fraudulent activity. The wedding service “Where There’s a Will” steps in as replacements to do damage control. Charlie meets Bill who works for his uncle’s company “Where There’s a Will” and Charlie teams up with him to help save her sister’s wedding. Charlie and Bill have no idea the wedding disasters that are in store for them but through the disasters, there is a sweet romance that develops between them. Charlie’s whirlwind wedding weekend helps her realize that things are not always what they seem and that change isn’t always such a bad thing.

Save the Date has been described as a “Father of the Bride meets Sixteen Candles” kind of book. It is a book that will make you laugh, drive you insane, and it will most importantly leave you with the heartfelt message of change being inevitable but the love of a family being unchangeable.

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Olive is someone who has always felt supremely unlucky. Although her twin sister Ami holds all the luck in the world from meeting her fiancé for the first time in a meet-cute rom-com fashion and financing her entire wedding through Internet contests. Olive’s bad luck carries onto the wedding when she is forced to spend a day with her nemesis Ethan who is the best man. When the wedding guests get food poisoning from eating shellfish they are the only ones who didn’t get affected. And now there is the once in a lifetime opportunity for them to go on a free vacation to Hawaii. Olive and Ethan decide to set aside their hate for one another and pretend to play newlyweds until they realize that they are not pretending anymore.

I am a sucker for the hate to love romance trope and I think that Christina Lauren will create the perfect blend of hot tension that will leave me wanting more. There is just something about a romance set in Hawaii that provides those perfect summer love feels. I know I am going to enjoy cracking open this book by the beach with a margarita in hand.

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Rachel is the girl that has always played by the rules. She is a successful attorney who lives in Manhattan. Her best friend Darcy throws her a birthday party for turning 30 and her best friends fiancée is also in attendance. Rachel has always harbored a secret crush on her best friends fiancée and always feels that she can never measure up to her best friend. Until that night she decides to throw the rules out the window and ends up sleeping with Darcy’s fiancée. When Darcy’s fiancée reveals that he always had feelings for her it puts Rachel in a difficult position and it forces her to choose between the love of her life or her childhood best friend.

When I was planning my wedding, I spontaneously picked up this book thinking it was a fluffy chick lit and I was completely blown away. I saw the movie before I read the book (The horror!) and the amount of emotion and turmoil that the book exhibited was so much deeper than the movie. The indecision that Rachel goes through is so well-written and believable. I love how the topic of cheating isn’t written in a way to paint Rachel as the other woman and it really explores the emotional journey that the character goes through. If you want a wedding-themed book that explores the complicated nature of the relationship between two best friends then pick up this book!

Book Girlfriends I Would Ride or Die For

March 26, 2019

Featured on Frolic Media

We all have book boyfriends that we love and fangirl over but in honor of Women’s History Month, it’s time to honor the ladies in literature that I wish were my real BFF’s! These are the ladies who I would wear friendship bracelets with, buddy read with, go on road trips with, and for the age-appropriate characters have endless mimosas over brunch with!

Here is a list of my five book girlfriends that I would ride or die for…

Lara Jean from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before…

Lara Jean loves her boys from afar and prefers to profess her love for her crushes through the form of love letters which she stores in an adorable teal-colored hat box. Then one day all the letters are delivered to all her crushes and that’s when Lara Jean’s world is forever changed.

I want to live in the world of Lara Jean and raid her adorable vintage outfits and use her heart hole puncher! After all, how can you not love a girl who has a heart hole puncher? Lara Jean is a person who is inherently herself and she doesn’t care what other people think of her and that’s what makes her full of awesomeness! She also has exquisite taste in guys because Peter Kavinsky is one of my top book boyfriends. I would go thrift store shopping with Lara Jean and eat her homemade snickerdoodles any day of the week!

Daisy Jones from Daisy Jones and the Six…

Daisy Jones lived the rock star life before she became a rock star. She was famous for hanging out in clubs on the Sunset Strip, taking drugs, and sleeping with the most famous rock stars. Her dream is to be a bigger part of the rock ‘n’ roll scene by singing and writing her own music. When she gets the opportunity to be in the up-and-coming band The Six history is ultimately made and they become the iconic 1970’s band Daisy Jones & The Six.

My girl Daisy Jones has that ineffable and whimsical cool-girl quality that is difficult to emulate no matter how hard you try. Daisy Jones has the perfect balance of heartbreaking vulnerability and fierceness that at the end of the day all I want to do is hug her, tell her I love her and then dance alongside her to an Iggy Pop song! She is the girl that would be my ultimate concert buddy and that would totally rock out with me at a Coachella concert!

Janie Morris from Neanderthal Seeks Human…

Janie Morris is having the worst day of her life when she loses her apartment, job, and boyfriend all within a span of a day. Then she meets Sir McHotPants (aka Quinn Sullivan) who makes her an offer that changes everything…

My heart has a soft spot for Janie Morris because she was the first quirky character that I read about before I knew the word quirky was a trending thing at the time. Janie Moris is definitely a girl I can relate to in more than ways than one mainly because I tend to say the most awkward and off the wall things at inopportune times. I love Janie Moris because she is the epitome of adorkable and she is someone that can make me laugh simply for just being her geeky and random self! She is the perfect person to go “pretend knitting” with and swoon over her awkward encounters about Sir McHotPants!

Sloane from Since You’ve Been Gone…

The story begins when Emily receives a note with a list of thirteen things to accomplish for the summer. The only thing is that she has the list but her best friend has disappeared. “In a well-ordered universe” she would only accomplish things that are in her comfort zone…until she finally steps out of it and hugs random guys named Jamie and falls in love with an adorable red-head named Frank…

Sloane is the best friend that any introverted girl in high school could ask for! She lives her life on her own terms without a care in the world! She has an adventurous spirit and is the ultimate person you want to spend your summer with! Sloane comes up with the coolest summer activities such as going for a pizza crawl, finding the best cupcake in their town of Stanwich, and mapping out vintage flea markets in search for a nice pair of heart-shaped sunglasses. I love her passion for life and would totally watch a double feature of Troop Beverly Hills and Clueless with her while drinking soda from Twizzlers anytime!

Weetzie Bat from the Weetzie Bat Series…

Weetzie Bat is a magical realism story about a girl who lives in Shangri-La who is looking for more in her tiny sparkling universe. When she makes three wishes Weetzie realizes that life and especially love can be the most complicated of them all…

Weetzie Bat wears heart-shaped glasses and literally sees her Shangri-La world through “heart-shaped glasses.” She lives life to the fullest and she is the person you want to ride through the strip with while drinking pink champagne and eating pastrami burritos at Oki Dogs. Weetzie Bat is my inspiration growing up because she appreciated the beauty around her even when she was feeling the most pain in her life. She falls in love with the sexy and brooding filmmaker My Secret Agent Lover man who she shares heart-stopping kisses that taste like apple pie a la mode mixed with chocolate. Weetzie Bat is my muse, my inspiration, and when the world gets scary I try to adopt Weetzie Bat’s ability to simply see the beauty through the pain.

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Reads of 2018

January 1, 2019

Happy New Year Tuesday and happy birthday to me! I am officially in my mid-30’s! Gasp!

Top Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. Top Ten Tuesday this week consists of the best books of 2018.

1…Save the Date by Morgan Matson

I was highly anticipating this book for a solid 6 months and waited anxiously for my pre-order! I am so happy to say that I absolutely freaking love this book! If you know me then you know Morgan Matson is my contemporary homegirl! Morgan Matson has the ability to bring out those relaxing summer vibes along with the perfect blend of sentimentality! She has a gift of character development and she knows how to show the growth of her characters in a realistic pace. This book brought me to tears and hysterics at the same time which is hard to do! My love for Morgan Matson is real especially since I traveled all the way to Georgia from Miami just to meet her! Read my review about this book here.

2…Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

This wouldn’t be a Top Ten Tuesday without mentioning the book Girl, Wash Your Face! I cannot begin to tell you how important this book was for me this year. When I turned 34 this year, I had so many goals and I felt like I was in a race due to the fact that I am about to enter the mid 30’s and I was freaking out about not accomplishing my ultimate goal which is to finish my book. My Capricorn self is always making deadlines and I was pushing myself to finish writing my book by the age of 35. Rachel Hollis taught me that accomplishing your goals is not about being on a race and that it’s about working on them every day on a consistent basis. This woman offers real advice in a way that is relatable and feels like your vulnerably talking to that best friend after drinking a bottle of wine. She has taught me to stop the self-doubt and insecurity and to go after my dreams no matter what.

3…The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

If I could sum up this book in two words I would say that it is one of the most authentic and relevant books I have read this year! This book is about the Black Lives Matter movement and it encompasses so many issues that our society is facing today. The Hate You Give should be required reading for high school students because it really touches on issues of race, tolerance and stereotypical attitudes many people hold especially in the times we are living in today.

4…The Thorn Necklace by Francesca Lia Block

The Thorn Necklace is officially my writing bible resource whenever I am stuck on where my novel is going! This year of 2018, I actually took action and began to write my novel. Currently, I am on 13,000 words and wanted to get to 20,000 words by the end of this year but I keep telling myself that I went from writing 0 words to 13,000 words and that is a huge thing. This book has had such an impact on me and if you want to find out why read my book review here.

5…The Poet X

This is one of the most original and touching books I have read in 2018! Now I never planned to read The Poet X this year because I had no idea about this book AT ALL until I met Elizabeth Acevedo when she did a book talk with Tomi Adeyemi of Children of Blood and Bone. The minute I heard Elizabeth Acevedo speak I was completely blown away and I bought her book right on the spot! This is a coming of age story about a Latinx girl written in the form of beat poetry! The writing is FLAWLESS! I read this book and finished the rest of the book on audio since I heard it was highly recommended. The writing of this book filled up my soul and find out why in my book review here.

6…The Sun is Also a Star

Nicola Yoon’s debut novel Everything, Everything was an addicting read for me! Yoon’s lyrical, poetic, and creative writing completely transfixed me! The Sun is Also a Star was just as beautifully written as Everything, Everything and the only regret I have is that I put this book off for far too long! The relationship between Natasha and Daniel is insta-lovey but it is one of the few instances where instant love is written with that exquisite feeling of those first-love butterflies.

7…Analee, in Real Life

Analee, in Real Life, was like coming home to me. This is written by a Cuban writer with a Cuban main character! Analee is the MC and she is your typical awkward teenager who struggles with the growing pains and losing her mother to cancer. She ends up in an unexpected relationship with the popular guy in school and through this relationship, she learns a lot about herself in the process and most importantly learns to accept the beauty within herself. One of the things I loved about this book is her Cuban family and the Cuban elements sprinkled throughout this book that reminded me of my own upbringing. I love the message behind this book and the unexpected ending of this book! This book is like To All the Boys I’ve Loved before with a twist!

I am happy to say that I got to meet this author and I intend to read every single book written by Janelle Milanes! The Victoria in My Head will be my next read for 2019!

8…Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

This book was the ultimate feel-good YA contemporary romance of the year! If this book didn’t give you the warm and gleeful fuzzies than there is something wrong with you! I was fortunate to read this book and then see a private viewing of the movie right after!

I will forever ship the romance between Simon and Blue forever! Read my fangirly review here.

9…The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

I did a buddy read of this book with my mom and I didn’t expect this book to break me the way it did! At first, I thought this was just going to be a fun and gossipy read but I was utterly WRONG! The character of Evelyn Hugo was written in such a realistic fashion that I felt like she was a real person that I could just google and find her whole Wikipedia biography! I finished this book on a plane and I was a sobbing mess after reading it. Read more about all emo feels of Evelyn Hugo here.

10…Warcross

This book is not my typical read because sci-fi is definitely not my go-to read but the plot sucked me in! The book is a virtual reality kind of book and I have always been fascinated with virtual reality. The virtual reality aspect definitely piqued my interest in this book! The world was written in such a fascinating and realistic fashion and let’s just say I had a complete crush on Hideo Tanaka! He gave me the 50 Shades of Grey feels only the writing was ten times better! I want more of Hideo Tanaka and Emika Chen and need to read the sequel Wildcard for the year of 2019!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Could Re-Read Forever

March 6, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and I found out about this post originally from Reading Every Night! The title of this post speaks for itself! Below I am going to list the top ten books that I could re-read forever! Now with BookTube, Goodreads, and all the countless book options, we have at our disposal it’s become a bit difficult for me to reread books but this is something I would love to do more often this year! There is so much pressure to read all the books that are coming out that we lose sight of the books that we truly love! Here are all the top ten books that I could reread and have brought so much happiness to my life!

The Night Circus

I have a hard time describing this book! This book was absolutely magical but it was the kind of magic that is mysterious, terrifying, and intriguing all at the same time! The Night Circus is the kind of book that you have to take your time with and it’s not the kind of story that is fast-paced. The prose and the story itself will slowly pull you into the world of the circus and you won’t want to pull away long after your done reading it.

The Lovely Bones

I remember reading this book when I was about 18 years old and I literally couldn’t put it down. I was on a beach vacation and I was absolutely sucked into the world of this book! This story broke my heart in some many ways and it’s one of the books I will never forget.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

I ADORED THIS BOOK! Lara Jean is my spirit animal! Read my review here.

Moxie

Every girl in the world needs to read this book! Such an inspiring and kick-ass book! Read my review here.

Like Water for Chocolate

This was my first literary magical realism book and it is the reason why magical realism is my favorite genre! The language of this book is absolutely beautiful and it will also make you hungry after you read this book too. There are actual recipes inspired by this book. Read it now and make sure to read it with Tita’s Christmas Rolls!

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender

Luminous and inspiring! The magic of her words is just heart-stopping! This book is an absolute beauty in every sense of the word. Also, I want to add how excited I am for her upcoming book The Price Guide to the Occult! Leslye Walton took a minute to write her next book and I am sooo excited because it’s a book about witches and if you know me I am obsessed with anything having to do with witches!

Since You’ve Been Gone

Morgan Matson is my homegirl! See why here.

Paper Towns

I read this book over the summer and it was an absolute delight! John Green cannot disappoint! He is pretty much the king of the YA genre! After I finished reading this book the only thing that I was disappointed about was that it ended. I loved the adventure and the cat and mouse chase of the book! Read this book if you have ever daydreamed about having an Orlando theme park to yourself because it actually happens in this book!

Weetzie Bat

I have reread this magical realism book maybe 20 times in my lifetime! This is my favorite book in the whole entire world and it’s the one book that changed my life, opened up my world, and brought so much light to my life! This is the book that I read when life is just not going my way and it is the book that I read when I need some inspiration.

Love Letters to the Dead

This book killed me in so many ways! The prose of this book is so freaking beautiful and heartbreaking! This book will touch your soul! It was one of the few books where I was crying tears of happiness from the beginning to the end!

Birthday Tag

January 29, 2018

Hi, cool book people! So my birthday was about 28 days ago! January 1st! I just turned 34 this month and I am slowly dying inside! One year until my mid 30’s and I will be crying into my pillow! I know 34 is not a big deal but lately, for the past couple of years, I have been getting super emo on my birthday!

via GIPHY

So on to my birthday book tag! This book tag was created by @Always Books and I first found out about the birthday tag through @The Bookish Secret!

The Birthday Cake

A book with a plot that seems cliche but you adored it anyway.

Adored everything about this book and don’t get me started on one of my book boyfriends Etienne St. Clair! Ohlala! Read my book review about it here.

Party Guest

Your most anticipated release for the year.

If anyone knows me or has read my blog you know that I am a sucker for a Morgan Matson book! When I saw this book I literally squealed with delight and scared my cat in the process but it was all worth it! My book is already pre-ordered and I am counting down the days until June 5th!

Birthday Presents

A book that surprised you with how much you loved it.

A very dear friend of mine gave me this book about six years ago. At the time I was going through a very difficult time in my life and I just didn’t have the energy to read it then. But then two years later I finally picked it up and I was completely dazzled by this world! I had no idea I was going to be completely enthralled with this book! The world building that Morgenstern creates to describe the Night Circus is unbelievable! There are no words to describe this book! This is the kind of book you have to read and experience for yourself! I am eagerly anticipating Erin Morgenstern’s next book!

“Happy Birthday” Song

A book that deserved all the hype it got.

This book was insta-love for me the moment I laid eyes on the book cover! I started hearing about this in the booktube world shortly after I purchased it and I couldn’t wait to delve into it! From the moment I read the first page, I was in love! I mean come on! How can you not resist a geeky version of Cinderella and a Magic Pumpkin food truck?! This book screams adorkable! Read my review here.

Happy Music

A book with some very beautiful and truly memorable quotes.

Ava Dellaira words touched my soul and it was one of the very few books that brought me tears of happiness! The multitude of sticky notes that I had for this book was insane! There are so many quotes in this book that felt so relatable in so many ways and it’s the kind of book that I wish was published when I was in high school! Dellaira words are the epitome of beauty and truth and I am also dying for her next book!

Getting Older

A book you read a long time ago, but you think you would have appreciated it more if you read it as a more mature reader.

When I first read this book I was in the 10th grade and I remember being very intrigued by the stories that were told about Esperanza and her family. When I first read it, I hadn’t discovered my love for magical realism and I believe that there were many parts of this book that just went over my head at the time. I would love to experience and reread this book again!

Sweet Birthday Memories

A book that kept you incredibly happy during a sad or demanding period of your life.

Weetzie Bat is the book that changed my life and made me the person that I am today. Block is the reason why I love magical realism. When I first cracked open this book I didn’t expect that it was going to have such a profound impact on me. I was a sixteen-year-old teenager who was lost, misunderstood, and trying to figure out what I wanted in my life. I felt all those typical angsty teenage feelings of not feeling like I belonged anywhere and this book made me feel like I was going to be ok! Block’s poetic words made me feel so deliriously happy and taught me that there is beauty everywhere you go.

End of book tag!

Anybody that wants to do this book tag can totally do this!

I would love to hear your responses to this birthday book tag! Comment below!