Friday, May 31, 2013

The Language of Sisters

The Language of Sisters by Amy Hatvany
ISBN: 978-1-4516-8813-9
Pages: 275
Appearance:
 
Summary: 
Ten years ago, Nicole Hunter left her troubled home behind her, unable to cope with the demands of a life with her disables sister, Jenny. Though her search for happiness-both in career and in love-has fallen short on her dreams, Nicole pretends that all is well. Then a shattering event turns her world upside down, and suddenly, she back in her hometown, caring for her pregnant sister and trying to heal her embattled relationship with her mother.
Reunited with her family and forced to confront the guild that haunts her, Nicole finally has the chance to be the sister she always wished she'd been. And when she is faced with the most difficult choice of her life, Nicole rediscovers the beauty of sister-and receives a special gift that will change her life forever.

I picked this book up from the library about a week ago. One of the first things that attracted me to the book was the title. As my family and friends know, I have a younger sister who is extremely annoying. We're 9 1/2 years apart and it's just hard to click with her. Emoji I wanted to see how other people handled their sister, even if the people in question were fictional characters. Thus, I borrowed the book. I was really curious to discover the secrets behind Nicole's guilt and the language that connected her to her Jenny and I was hoping that along the way, I might learn a thing or two.
The story line escalated pretty quickly. Within the first chapter, you learn that Nicole and Jenny have this heart and mind connection. Nicole hears her sister's voice saying, "Help," after 10 years of not seeing nor hearing her sister. She calls her mother and finds out what has happened to her sister while at Wellmans, the special needs home where Jenny lives. 
As the story continues, I really felt Nicole's desperation when she saw the relationship with her mom crumble and all the pressure around her that was suffocating her. While she loves Jenny, she really needs a sister who she can pour her feelings out to and she finds that in her best friend Nova.
Mother of 4 and another on the way, Nova is an amazing friend, mother, wife, everything. She has this strict motherly side and a compassionate, fun side. To Nicole, Nova has everything she doesn't: kids, lovestruck parents, a loving husband, a perfect home. Nova is by far one of my favorite characters, she just shines from the inside out with joy. Emoji Being the amazing friend that she is, Nova helps Nicole out with Jenny and with filling her (Nicole's) empty heart. She introduces Nicole to their next-door neighbor Garrett who is a single father of an angel child who seems to be able to talk telepathically to Jenny. 
Oh wow, I didn't notice that this review was turning out so long. One last thing, the biggest choice of her life. I won't ruin it for you, since I feel bad for ruining Safe Haven, but I have to say, that I loved the ending and I'm definitely going to check out more of Amy Hatvany's books! Emoji

They looked at Jenny and counted their blessings. So did I, I realized, looking at the dark cap of my sister's head as we turned the corner that led down our street. My heart aced with emotion I had forgotten I was capable of experiencing. I counted my blessings, too, but for entirely different reasons.
~Nicole

Was she communing with God? Conversing with angels? I could not believe her mind was blank, as so many doctors had told us over the years. I saw such life behind her eyes; I imagined piles of words in a her brain, laid up like a logjam desperate for release. The language we shared was a gift, a link between sisters. I believed that when I heard her voice within me, one or two of those jammed words managed to slip through whatever held the rest back. Whatever disease threaded through her brain, it had not touched her soul.
~Nicole

Oh, you know. Fine. F*cked up, insecure, neurotic, and exasperated. That's what 'fine' stands for. F.I.N.E. That's how I am.
~Nova

"Yeah, well, lesson number one of motherhood: choose your battles. This was one I didn't feel like fighting."
"And lesson number two?"
She reached into the freezer, pulled out another container, and dropped it between us. "Always-and I mean always-have more ice cream."
~Nova to Nicole

She resembled a crone from a fairy tale, a wise old woman entering the world under the guise of a child. On the first day of her life, I wondered already what lessons she would teach me.
~Nicole regarding Kyah

3.5 out of 5 stars

Foreverly Obsessed,
Riv





Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Signing off Change+Update

Hey guys~
I have no idea how to start this post, but I've changed my blogger name from EvlOne to SoulsticeX3 to match my Shelfari and Goodreads profile name so that it all matches together. Also, I'm gonna start signing off as Riv like I think I did waaaaaay back when. I'll still be EvlOne down in my heart. As once Evl, Always Evl~ 
Just wanted to let you guys know~

Also a list of updates:

  • Finished Starcrossed by Josephine Angellini so I'll try to post a review as soon as I free myself from the workload of HS...
  • Currently Reading The Language of Sisters by Amy Hatvany 
  • Finished The Golden Leopard by Lynn Kerstan, a review is coming ASAP 
That's it for news, oh wait!

I've been seeing a lot of blogs doing like Top Ten Tuesday or something like that 
(Idea from: alittleshelfofheaven.blogspot.com Check her OUT!! I love her blog!!)

So I was thinking about trying that out... So this is what I have in mind:
  • Music Monday (a song to start the week)
  • Top Tuesday (one item only)
  • Wattpad Wednesday (a story that I love/read on Wattpad)
  • Quoting Thursday (updated June 13)
  • Freaky Friday (Pictures/Gifs/Quotes/Any sorta random thing)
So what do you guys think? Drop a comment down below to share your thoughts and if you have an idea about Thursday let me know!!! Also, I obviously won't update every single day...just been on a blogging rush these couple of days  Please forgive me for spamming. 

Foreverly Obsessed,
Riv

And a random gif of Dean Winchester from Supernatural~
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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
ISBN: 978-446-54759-8
Pages: 340
Appearance:
 

Summary: (From Shelfari)
When a mysterious young woman names Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly beings to let down her guard, putting down roots int he close knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family. 
But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her...a past that set her on  a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo's emphatic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards...and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.




I read this book a couple months ago and I have to say, it's one of the best books I've read this entire school year (2012-13)!!! 
It is so easy to just fall in love with characters within the first couple of chapters. Katie is so shy and reserved but you can easily tell that she has a heart of gold.
Alex is truly a knight in shining armor. He's super sweet and an all in all perfect man.  Why am I always obsessed with fictional characters???
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Anyways, Kevin, I think that's his name...yup, confirmed with Shelfari...I utterly despise. He's so over-dominating, so arrogant, so frustrating, and a SOB.
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Yes, that is exactly how I feel. Sorry that these gifs are breaking up the review. And yes, I want to kill Kevin. For every single horrible thing he has done to Katie and for hurting my hero. You freaking knocked him over with a bar!! 
Hmmm...my favorite part of the book is definitely the ending. The whole book is amazing, but the ending is extra extra special. Katie finds that (quoting from the summary) "love is the only true safe haven" and she finds the surprise that her outgoing neighbor Jo has been the spirit of Alex's wife because after she died from cancer, her spirit stayed around to make sure he was going to be okay. When Katie came into town, she knew that Katie was the one for Alex so she made herself visible to Katie and they became friends. 
Sorry, I didn't want to spoil the book for anyone who has never read it, but that has got to be the absolute SWEETEST things EVER!!!
I need something to convey my feelings and since I'm starting to use gifs...

And now a new addition to my book reviews: 



"There are dreams that visit us and leave us fulfilled upon waking, there are dreams that make life worth living."

"Everyone has a past, but that's just it - it's in the past. You can learn from it, but you can't change it."

"I'm not sure anyone's life turns our exactly the way they imagine. All we can do is to try to make the best of it. Even when it seems impossible."

"People will tell you most of the story...and I've learned that the part they neglect to tell you is often the most important part. People hide the truth because they're afraid."

"That's the thing about life. A lot of times, it isn't easy at all. We just have to try to make the best of it."

"Love doesn't mean anything if you're not willing to make a commitment."

"Maybe I don't want to be defined by what I do. Maybe I'd life to be defined by what I am."


4 out of 5 stars



Foreverly Obsessed,

EvlOne




Monday, May 27, 2013

Retreat Boom

Hey guys, every single year I go to this retreat at Marywood University in Pennsylvania. So the pastor the church invited to speak turned out to be the pastor of my youth group. I was pretty excited cause a couple years ago I heard this really amazing speaker at the retreat that really convicted me. Sadly, the sermons were similar to the ones I heard a couple months ago that he (the pastor) preached to our youth group. They were good, I just had my hopes up for something new that would be mind-blowing. Still, props to the pastor Emoji
Other than sermons, small group meetings, etc. We had workshops. One of the workshops that I attended was called Knowing God's Will. I'm not going to go into all the detail, but it was one of the things that actually stuck to me this retreat so I thought I could share it with y'all. Emoji

So one of the big things that people had questions about was:

Who Should I Marry???

So as an answer, the pastor leading the workshop told the story of how he met his wife. And he said somethings that I thought were very interesting. So number one, keep your sights on God, but don't constantly pray about it. God has prepared a person for you, but he gives you the choice of the person. If you say yes or no basically. He compared meeting his wife to running since they both love running. He was running with his eyes set on God and along came his wife. He asked her where she was going and found out that she was also running towards God so he suggested that they run to him TOGETHER. Now that's not exactly what happened, but that's the analogy that he used which I thought was really cute.

So yeah, that's my post about the retreat. AHHHH I have so much HW left and it's already MONDAY!! How did time pass so fast?!?!?!?! Emoji UGH, okay back to French essay...
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I'm almost done with The Golden Leopard and Starcrossed so reviews are coming!! That is...if I don't die from the HW load...Emoji

Foreverly Obsessed,
EvlOne

Thursday, May 23, 2013

AHH More Books!!!

Hey guys~
My reserved books:


  • Dear John Nicholas Sparks
  • Monstrous Beauty Elizabeth Fama
Came in and I'm so excited!! I was literally jumping up and down in the middle of the library silently screaming in joy.  I've only read one other book by Nicholas Sparks (Safe Haven) and I loved it (yes, I'm currently writing the review) and I'm a new die-hard fan of his. 

While there, with so many books around, how could I resist? So I borrowed two more books. I'll probably write reviews for these next after Starcrossed and Dream Lake as these are new arrivals at my library and I can only borrow them for 2 weeks. So here they are!!

The Night Rainbow by Claire King
The Language of Sisters by Amy Hatvany

So yeah, I'm super excited to read these books and write reviews for y'all~ 

See ya around 

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Trip to the Library: May 21 2013

Hey guys~ Just went to the library and borrowed some books so reviews are coming up!! 


The Big Cat Series:

Other books:

So keep a head's up!

Reviews in writing:

  • Safe Haven Nicholas Sparks
  • Dream Lake Lisa Kleypas
  • Starcrossed Josephine Angelini
Also have 2 books coming from the library:
  • Dear John Nicholas Sparks
  • Monstrous Beauty Elizabeth Fama
I'll see ya arounds~~

-EvlOne