March '17 | London (first flight!) and lots of food.

This truly was an amazing month! And what is my monthly recap without mentioning the fact I ate some delicious food?

The best thing that happened was my trip to London with Debby and Daphne. It has been.. 8, perhaps 9 years since I first been to London and I fell in love all over again. I had an amazing time with my friends and I believe they got to see a side of me they didn't know yet, haha. I definitely can't wait to return any time soon, because there are still so many things left I want to see/do!

Highlights of the trip were: (check out my Instagram for more pictures)

-We went to Les Misérables, which was an amazing experience.
-We saw Seven Dials after we met Samantha Shannon, for her book signing for The Song Rising. She was lovely! She promises us a lot of pain in the upcoming books. I'm ready to endure all of it.
-British Museum, Natural History Museum (They moved Dippy, I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED), Victoria & Albert, where we also ate scones. Walked across the Tower Bridge, posed in front of Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, saw the whispering Gallery in St. Paul's and we bummed over the fact Westminster Abbey was closed for a special service. Also had a glimpse of 9 3/4 on King's Cross.

-All the bookstores. Debby showed me the wonderful store Forbidden Planet. I'm in love.
-All the food. We tried pies, English breakfast, fish & chips, the best cookies, ice cream surrounded with candy floss, a real Sunday roast, Scottish Eggs, Sushi, yuuuum. We also had the worst restaurant experience ever, so thanks Kimchee, never again.
-My first flight. Yep. It finally happened and I survived thanks to the support and beautiful serenade of Debby and Daph in the middle of the airport. We went with the train to London and went back flying. It was interesting. I did NOT like the start, but the middle part was okay (had to stop thinking about the fact you are floating around) and I liked the landing.
-A ride in a Double decker. I love those things.

I had a fun bookclub meeting. I finally had a house-warming for two friends, because things kept coming in between, and we went out to get hamburgers (I had a delicious hot dog) We went over to our friends to celebrate a birthday (I love the fact I can finally give someone books for her birthday!)  and I got addicted again to playing Mario on my Nintendo 3DS.

I'm getting more responsibilities at work, which is scary and really exciting. I have a feeling I might get a permanent contract at the end of this year *fingers crossed*

Once upon a time I fell out of blogging..

....And I still haven't found my way back. I keep struggling with writing posts, simply because I feel uninspired. I still enjoy writing and I want to be able to post more regularly, but every time I try to sit down I want to do something else. There is something holding me back and a while ago I figured out some of the things that bothered me, but I can't do anything about it. I need to find a way to deal with this problem and one of the things I need to do is take a step back for now.

I feel like my blog doesn't really matter anymore and I've been out of touch with bloggers I used to be close with. Every time I open Twitter, I wonder how much it matters whether I tweet or stay silent. Most of the times it feels like I can just disappear and no one will notice - and while I realize that blogging is something you should always do for YOU, it's demotivating to feel that way.

I think everyone has noticed that there are huge time periods between new posts and I hope you will stick around no matter what. My progress in returning back to the blogging world might be slow, but I'm definitely working on it. The Love-a-thon has helped me realize that I still enjoy visiting new blogs and that I want to keep up with reviewing books. Branching out to blogging about my bulletjournal has helped and perhaps I need to go and explore more other topics too, like bringing back Mel in Movieland.

It feels good to write this down. It's not an apology, because I've always felt those are unnecessarily, but this has been bugging me for some time. So. There. A post to admit the biggest, most terrible blogging slump I have experienced in my 5 years of blogging. I don't know how long it will take, but I will not quit. I'm just taking my time.

Recap February '17 | Photo shoot, Love-a-thon and bookshopping.

This was a good month, where I discovered my new addiction; the TV show Outlander. A few years ago I read the first four books, but for some reason I quit and now I remember again why I liked it so much. Hello, Jamie Fraser and your darn adorable accent. It's such an easy show to binge-watch. Trigger warning for sex scenes, violence and sexual abuse.

I went disco-bowling for a friend's birthday. It has been a while since I bowled and I was reminded of the fact that I am terrible at it, haha. But it was fun and that is all that matters.

To celebrate Valentine we went out to eat hamburgers and I got a pretty set of three piercings for my ear. We always like to acknowledge the day without making too much fuzz, so this was nice.

I went out to drink bubble tea and to do some book shopping with someone who is quickly becoming a friend. It was great to browse for new titles with someone who loves books as much as I do. Our boyfriends decided to hang out in the pub in the mean time.

The Love-a-Thon happened, I was one of the co-hosts, and I had a great time learning new people. It gave me new motivation to write reviews and to make more time to comment around the blogging community.

And I did something I never thought I would ever do. My mom talked me into going to a photo-shoot with her, a friend and my sister and she persuaded me by loaning a Belle dress. I decided to go with it and in the end I did get a few photo's that I like.

Review | Audrey Coulthurst - Of Fire and Stars.

Title:  Of Fire and Stars.
Author:  Audrey Coulthurst.
Pages:  400.
Published: Published November 22nd 2016 by Balzer + Bray.
Source: Edelweiss and publisher, thanks!

Betrothed since childhood to the prince of Mynaria, Princess Dennaleia has always known what her future holds. Her marriage will seal the alliance between Mynaria and her homeland, protecting her people from other hostile lands. But Denna has a secret. She possesses an Affinity for fire—a dangerous gift for the future queen of a kingdom where magic is forbidden. Now, Denna must learn the ways of her new home while trying to hide her growing magic. To make matters worse, she must learn to ride Mynaria’s formidable warhorses before her coronation—and her teacher is the person who intimidates her most, the prickly and unconventional Princess Amaranthine (called Mare), sister of her betrothed.
When a shocking assassination leaves the kingdom reeling, Mare and Denna reluctantly join forces to search for the culprit. As the two work together, each discovers there’s more to the other than she thought. Mare is surprised by Denna’s intelligence and bravery, while Denna is drawn to Mare’s independent streak. Soon their friendship is threatening to blossom into something more. But with dangerous conflict brewing that makes the alliance more important than ever, acting on their feelings could be deadly. Forced to choose between their duty and their hearts, Mare and Denna must find a way to save their kingdoms—and each other.

Rating:

Dennaleia has been betrothed to prince of Mynaria, Thandilimon, ever since childhood. Her marriage will seal an alliance they need as protection from hostile lands, like Zumordan. The only thing that will make this marriage a little hard is the fact Denna has an Affinity for Fire - and she is going to be queen of a kingdom where magic is forbidden. Oh, and not to forget the fact she falls in love with Thandi's sister Amaranthine, called Mare.

This book probably has the most ridiculous names I've ever seen. They are so freaking long! I kept using the short versions (Denna, Mara and Thandi), because good luck with their true names. I understand the need to come up with original names, but after a while they all started to sound like gibberish in my head.    

Thandi is the crown prince, future king and husband of Denna, but I feel like he hardly had any role in the story. He sometimes pops up to say a few words, before he disappears again. The story definitely focuses more on Denna and Mare. I get it, because the two of them fall in love, so they need more time together, but I don't think this was the right choice.

BUT, I definitely love the fact that two princesses fall in love with each other - and since the author decided to give Thandi hardly any role, there is no love-triangle. (Although we must not forget that Denna is practically cheating on Thandi, since they are officially betrothed) Denna doesn't even seem to give him a chance and spends all her time with Mare. They were sweet together, but also incredibly stupid. Let's just say that they are not the best in keeping their feelings/sort-of-relationship a secret from the outside world.

I think the author was trying to make Mare look like this rebellious, kick-ass girl, but instead she came across as childish and unnecessarily rude. I can't believe that someone who is 18 would ever act in such a way, especially a princess. I also don't believe for one second that the king wouldn't have given her away in marriage already. Denna is practically betrothed from the moment she was born, so why would Mare be any special? Until the moment where the two of them say they love each other, then suddenly the king decided he wants to ship Mare off. What a coincidence! Let's throw this in for some more drama.

Oh right, not to forget that there is also something going on to give the love story some plot. There are several assassin attempts, and one of them kills possibly the only character I absolutely loved, and Mare/Denna team up to find out who is behind it. For some reason, the king and his council decide that it has to be the Zumordan, without any prove, and they will not listen to reason. Very mature.

There are also some hints to magic. Denna is struggling with her powers, because her mother always forced her to keep it a secret. This leads to random outbursts and the discovery she doesn't only control fire. I liked this aspect, but it could have been explored more properly. I felt it got pushed away to make way for the romance and that is a shame.

Review | Erika Johansen - The Fate of the Tearling.

Title: The Fate of the Tearling.
#3 of The Queen of the Tearling.
Author:  Erika Johansen.
Pages: 478 pages
Published: November 29th 2016 by Harper
Source: I received an ARC copy from the bookstore Van Ditmar.

In less than a year, Kelsea Glynn has grown from an awkward teenager into a powerful monarch and a visionary leader.
And as she has come into her own as the Queen of the Tearling, she has transformed her realm. But in her quest to end corruption and restore justice, she has made many enemies - chief among them the evil and feared Red Queen, who ordered the armies of Mortmesne to march against the Tear and crush them. To protect her people from such a devastating invasion, Kelsea did the unthinkable - naming the Mace, the trusted head of her personal guards, Regent in her place, she surrendered herself and her magical sapphires to her enemy. But the Mace will not rest until he and his men rescue their sovereign from her prison in Mortmesne. So, the endgame has begun and the fate of Queen Kelsea - and the Tearling itself - will be revealed...

Rating:

SPOILER FREE if you haven't read the first two books either.

This series has a lot of ups and downs. The Queen of the Tearling blew me away. I was confused by the world-building, but I fell in love with Kelsea and the side-characters, like the Mace. There was something about her actions and the way it moved the plot into interesting directions that got me hooked.

The Invasion of the Tearling was SO different and it took me a good amount of time to get into it. Kelsea showed an even darker side and I appreciated the fact she was so flawed. We got more information about the Red Queen, who rules in Mortnesme, and how she became that ruthless person. The only thing I did not like was the new storyline that was added, because it really did not seem to fit the atmosphere of the first book. I always thought this story took place in a more Medieval setting and this new character made me realize that was not the case at all.

That storyline continues in The Fate of the Tearling and starts to play a bigger role. It shows the basics of the world-building and how Kelsea's world was created. The background information was interesting, but at the same time I didn't care for the characters who played a role in it. I kept flipping the pages in the hope the story would switch back to Kelsea. It was an interesting (and in the end brave) decision to create such a plot though. 

Kelsea has a long journey, coming from the girl who grew up in the Woods into a Queen who is capable of handling tough situations. I still admired her and the way she deals with everything that got in her way. I don't think she always made the best decisions, but she always made them with her country in mind and that loyalty is admirable. 

The ending was something I did not expect and took me off guard – and I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it. It matches the new approach the story took in the Invasion of the Tearling, but at the same time it did not give me enough satisfaction. This is probably one of those endings you can never completely hate or dislike, it just messes with your thoughts.

I liked the overall series, but I have to say that the sequels did let me down after The Queen of the Tearling. This might because of my different expectations or the fact I did not like the world-building in the end. I'm definitely going to keep an eye on the movie and any further books from this author, because she does know how to write.

These people are so damned proud of their hatred! Hatred is easy, and lazy to boot. It’s love that demands effort, love that exacts a price from each of us. Love costs; this is its value.

Love-A-Thon 2017 | Wrap Up + Giveaway.

We’ve sadly reached the end of the event! Be sure to stop by all four host blogs (Alexa Loves Books, The Novel Hermit, Super Space Chick & The Daily Prophecy) to read a little bit about our thoughts on the event, and our acknowledgements for the people who have so generously donated and enthusiastically participated.

I had a fantastic time this year and I am so happy I could host this event together with my co-hosts. They had so much creativity and it reminds me why I'm still trying to return from my blogging slump. You have no idea how motivating it was to see all these sweet messages going around the blogosphere! And I had a blast hosting one of the four twitter chats, because I got to chat with so many new bloggers. Keep this going after the love-a-thon!