Hello world! Welcome to the last day of #PetitMas! Tomorrow is Christmas Day and I'm so excited. While I didn't exactly succeed in posting for 12 days straight, I still think I managed to do a decent job amidst the crazy final season so I'm not going to kick myself for missing a couple of days.

Today's post is going to be a video (gasps!) that I filmed recently talking about my 2017 Favorites in the book and music categories. The footage is pretty grainy since I filmed it at night and my camera is pretty old - it's also kind of out of focus since it seemed to have focused on my fox plush in the background. With those visual fails aside, I actually had fun filming and editing this (as well as playing with an possible intro) so I decided to go ahead and edit it anyway.

I hope the visual quality isn't too annoying for anyone, I'll definitely make sure in any future video that everything is clear and in focus. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through my little #PetitMas adventure - I hope you have an amazing holiday weekend and I'll be back before the end of the year for a final wrap up!

Who exactly is this gruff, sarcastic, but seemingly harmless boy who has returned to their hometown of Five Fingers, Michigan, after three mysterious years away? And why has June—an O’Donnell to her core—never questioned her late father’s deep hatred of the Angert family? After all, the O’Donnells and the Angerts may have mythic legacies, but for all the tall tales they weave, both founding families are tight-lipped about what caused the century-old rift between them.

As Saul and June’s connection grows deeper, they find that the magic, ghosts, and coywolves of Five Fingers seem to be conspiring to reveal the truth about the harrowing curse that has plagued their bloodlines for generations. Now June must question everything she knows about her family and the father she adored, and she must decide whether it’s finally time for her—and all the O’Donnells before her—to let go.

Deciding to pick this book up during finals was both a blessing and a curse. For one, the book absolutely captured my attention that it became so difficult to put it down when I had to study. On the other hand, it transported me to the little town of Five Fingers and gave me a temporary break from the stress of finals week.

I didn't expect to fall in love with this novel as much as I did, even now I'm debating whether I want to give it a 4 or 4.5 stars. Since this is my first time reading anything by Emily Henry, I didn't have a lot of expectations but I was completely blown away by the beautiful writing style. There's no good way to categorize the genre of A Million Junes - it falls somewhere between the YA contemporary and fantasy which I guess lands it in magical realism. 

“Letting go is not forgetting. It's opening your eyes to the good that grew from the bad, the life that blooms from decay.” 

The author does such a good job in bringing the magical world to life while keeping the story grounded. I loved how the author combined poetry with a sense of casualness slipped in between conversation and her beautiful metaphors that became the whispered thoughts of characters. There are certain aspects that can get a bit confusing such as the multiple timelines, but Emily Henry just manages to take big issues like grief and love - and make accessible to readers while prompting them to think bigger. 

“To love a handful of people very well, that's a good life.” 

There must be something about the family feud trope that, when done well, is such a game changer for me. A Million Junes draws upon the idea of Romeo and Juliet with this multi-generational feud between two families that comes to the test when a guy and girl from each side start to fall in love, but that's where the similarities end. I loved that there was no insta-love between June and Saul but that we got to really see their relationship blossom. 

“My inheritance is grief and sunlight and the ability to choose which to hold on to.” 

In addition to their romantic relationship, Emily Henry also does an amazing job building the other relationships around each character. I absolutely love June's best friend Hannah - the friendship between the girls is too amazing beyond words. While there are times that Hannah tries to push the boundaries (especially in regards to Saul), she proves over and over again her loyalty to June and willingness to stand by her friend. 

“Write the things you have the most to say about and the things you're afraid of messing up.” 

Pacing wise, I feel like there's never a dull moment. There are parts where events seem to take longer to unfold, but those are embellished with the beautiful quotes I mentioned before that it doesn't even matter that conclusions are taking longer to manifest. A Million Junes is written against the backdrop of grief and revenge against the possibility of love and forgiveness which combined with all its metaphorical goodness and emotions has secured a special place in my heart.

Adam Fletcher has none. 

A crippling car accident has pressed reset on Adam’s life, leaving the young man broken and lost. Britney, the woman who claims to be his best friend, tries to bring him back to society, while hiding the truth about her involvement in the crash.

Starting from scratch, Adam tries to make new memories. But, what use are memories if they are constructed from lies?

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Hello world! I've kind of lost track of what day of #PetitMas we're on, but I'm pretty glad that I haven't missed a day yet. Fun fact, I've never shopped at Primark prior to November of this year and I'm completely obsessed with the amazing prices and limitless options.

There's actually a Primark in Downtown Crossing which is just next to Chinatown where my church was so I made a trip there recently and picked up a couple thing. Okay, confession time, the things I'm including in this haul, only one is actually from this trip - I bought the other things when I went to Primark the first time in November. 

To kick things off, the first item I picked up is this pink ruffle blouse. Oh, forgot to mention, all of these are blouses because I'm trying to slowly acquire clothing pieces that I can wear to more professional events. Being an music education major, I am required to attend several music-related meetings and events. Anyway, I've already worn this to an all-state audition event that I had to volunteer at and it's just super pretty. The ruffle sleeve detail goes down to just below my elbow and it looks really cute with a black skirt or some dress pants.

The gray blouse on the left looks pretty plain but it's got this really nice bell sleeve (is that what they're called.) I think the little loop hole detail under the neckline of the blouse adds this nice extra detail and the black contrast really nicely with the gray. Also, I just love wearing gray...

Brace yourself cause I have another pink blouse. I feel like my closer friends understand how crazy it is that I have two pink colored clothing. I usually wear dark colored clothing but there's just something about pink blouses that just pull my attention. Anyhow, this is another blouse with the bell sleeves and it's got this really v-line ruffle detailing down the front.

 

So now we have the last pink blouse which is the only item I actually picked up from the trip that inspired this post. The sleeves kind of poof around since there are buttons and the extra fabric creates this little poof - I'll work on my clothing descriptions for the future... My favorite part of this blouse is the gorgeous lace detail on the shoulders. They kind of remind me the "cold shoulder" trend but the lace just makes it look more elegant (while still keeping your shoulders very cold). 

The last blouse I bought recently is this black blouse which I'm really in love with. It's kind of similar in style to the gray blouse from earlier but the white detailing is just more prominent. The neckline is a bit low for me so I find myself pulling at it a lot. I wore this on Friday for my jury and was really surprised by how dressed up I feel just by wearing it. I paired this with a pair of black jeans and some low heels and it actually worked so that was pretty cool.

I also picked up some fun things during the most recent trip but they're actually Christmas presents for my family so I don't think I should be putting them up just in case. Well, that concludes this haul. All of these blouses totals up to $30 which is absolutely crazy (three of them where on clearance) and like I mentioned, I'm completely floored by Primark's prices. Let me know if you're visited Primark before and/or what some of your favorite stores to shop at are :)

I picked up this pair from KLensPop over the summer while it was on sale along with the blue and brown colors since it was so cheap. According the website, these retail can retail for anywhere between $25-$60 and I somehow got them for $6.50.

The only downside to purchasing these on KLensPop is that you can never find the same pair of contacts, especially if you buy something in the sale section of the site so unfortunately, I cannot provide a link for you all to purchase these. However, there are a ton of similar alternatives on the site, so I recommend you give the website a quick browse. 

 As with all KLensPop contacts, they come with a plastic case and a pair of tweezers. The graphic diameter of these particular lenses is 13.5 mm with a standard base curve of 8.6 mm. The actual contact is slightly bigger as there's a thin clear ring around the graphics. The color itself, as you might be able to tell from the photo, has streaks of brown which allows the color to blend quite nicely into my natural brown eyes. As pink is such a unique color, it's always fun when people try to figure out what color my eyes are, especially since the pink adds this touch of red that always throws them off.

Apologies in advance for my pretty ratchet pictures, but I'm slowly getting the hang of taking these pictures (I think). As the graphic diameter isn't huge, the contacts don't give my eyes the huge doll-y look, but since I have tiny pupils, they still have a slight enlarging effect.

In terms of comfort, I probably have some of the driest eyeballs on the planet so I'm extremely picky when it comes to contacts. These probably rank lower on the scale of comfort as my eyes begin to feel dry within 2-3 hours of wear and I cannot go through an entire day without eye drops. They also seem to tire my eyes out pretty quickly even if I'm not staring directly at a screen or the page of textbook. However, they're still manageable and haven't turned my eyes red like some other ones I've tried so they still get a pa

The image on the left is the contact taken indoors and the one on the right is taken directly in front of a window. 

Comfort aside, I still think these contacts aren't the worse I've ever tried. They have a tendency to make my overall appearance look more red-based which you might be able to tell from the comparison picture - and that has to be my biggest complaint.

Regardless, they are still wearable and have a pretty color that I'm kind of sad to have to let them go soon. They've been starting to irritate my eyes a lot of quicker than usual recently, which is usually a sign that it's time to switch (even though the 6 month period of wear isn't up yet.) However, I still have the exact same pair in blue and brown so I'm excited to try those out and I'll definitely have reviews up comparing those once I get around to wearing them.

Overall Grade: B

I See London, I See France by Sarah Mlynowski 
| ISBN: 978-0062397072 | Pages: 384 |
Publication Date: July 11, 2017 | Source: Library
| Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars |
★★★☆

Nineteen-year-old Sydney has the perfect summer mapped out. She’s spending the next four and half weeks traveling through Europe with her childhood best friend, Leela. Their plans include Eiffel-Tower selfies, eating cocco gelato, and making out with très hot strangers. Her plans do not include Leela’s cheating ex-boyfriend showing up on the flight to London, falling for the cheating ex-boyfriend’s très hot friend, monitoring her mother’s spiraling mental health via texts, or feeling like the rope in a friendship tug-of-war. As Sydney zigzags through Amsterdam, Switzerland, Italy, and France, she must learn when to hold on, when to keep moving, and when to jump into the Riviera…wearing only her polka-dot underpants. 

I See London, I See France follows Sydney's last minute decision to join her best friend Leela on a four and a half week adventure across Europe. As this is a trip meant to rekindle their friendship after being apart for their first year of college, this novel focuses a lot on their friendship which unfortunately, became the first stumbling block for me.

No matter how hard I try, I could not get myself to like Leela beyond feeling a bit sympathetic for her situation with Matt. Once her ex shows up, the entire trip shifts its focus from friendship to romance to one-upping Matt when things don't work out. The way that Leela makes Sydney constantly change the travel plans to match her mood swings and doesn't full comprehend all the internal stress that Sydney has to deal with really just portrays her in a very selfish light which I could not get on board with.

“A friendship can't survive on childhood memories alone. We have to create new experiences, or the friendship will shrivel up.” 

In addition to the plans, once the guys appear at the baggage claim, the entire novel shifts to focus on them. Don't get me wrong, the spontaneous changes to their itinerary made for a fun adventure as they got to explore places that they definitely would not have (looking at you Amsterdam.) While I did find the relationship between Sydney and Jackson really sweet despite Jackson's playboy attitude, the progression of their summer romance just drew the focus away from the friendship aspect of the trip.

On a completely different note, I wanted to quickly touch on how this novel addresses mental illness. Sydney's mother is diagnosed with agoraphobia and she becomes Sydney's "little secret" that constantly plagues her thoughts. While I really admired the dedication that Sydney had towards her family, I wished that we could have gotten more than just snippets of Sydney's life as the caretaker and her constant frustration with her sister.

I apologize if this review seems a bit more negative as I did still enjoy this novel despite all the little things I seem to nitpick at. I have in my notes to address to abrupt ending, but that was before I realized this was a series. I don't think the sequel follows the same characters but I would like to see some more permanent closure to this story than what we got. Regardless, this was a fun novel that kept my interest throughout and gave me an adventure in Europe that was a nice break from reality.

Coming into college, I was initially worried about losing touch with some of my friends but that proved to be futile as I was able to still talk with a lot of them (thank you Internet!)

However, as I'm coming to realize, relationships are bound to change regardless of what you might  do to prevent that. College is coined as a time of self-discovery and whether that be good or bad, it causes people to change which in turn can cause relationships to fall through.

For me, one of the foundational blocks of friendship is trust. I've learned that time and distance can cause some estrange-ness but in the end, if there's that foundation of trust as well as occasional communication (if face to face meet up is hard) then friendships can endure.

Take that picture on the right for example (Sorry friend, you're my example) - we've been friends since middle school and despite being in completely different states in both high school and college, we've somehow managed to keep in touch and remain super close. There are periods of time where we don't talk for months, but because of that foundation of trust, there's this understanding that helps keep the friendship afloat (and yes, girls and guys can be JUST friends).

When that foundation is no longer there, it seems that memories are all we can cling to in a futile attempt to keep what is no longer there. This sounds kind of depressing but I've learned that sometimes I cannot save a friendship if the other side does not have the same view of trust towards me as I do towards them. It seems that with college comes a flood of new ideas and then people who knew you inside and out come up with new definitions that they tack to you and disregard the foundation that was built.

I don't mean for this to offend any of my friends if they happen to stumble across this post (unlikely anyway), but I just wanted to get some thoughts out. My memories of high school and the amazing relationships I had with my friends will always be with me. It took me only 3 semesters of college to realize maintaining friendships is not something that can remain constant. I think I've finally come to accept that sometimes things cannot remain the same or be fixed and it's time to let go.

Sorry for the pretty depressing post, I'll blame the finals induced stress but it feels good to put my thoughts into words (even if it's super jumbled and disorganized). Thanks so much for reading and please come back tomorrow for another day of #PetitMas!

SONAMOO'S I (KNEW IT) - HAPPY BOX PT. 2
I don't know about you, but I'm absolutely LOVING Sonamoo's new concept. I started following them after their "I Think I Love You" comeback, but didn't really get into them until the release of "Friday Night" which is Pt. 1 in their Happy Box Project. Everything from the addictive Spanish reminiscent melody to the stunning music video and dance was enough to get this song on my repeat list throughout the month! Also, the line: I don't want love baby, no pain no love has been forever ingrained in my mind.

Playback has finally returned to the K-pop scene after a 2 year hiatus and I could not be more excited! I'm so glad that Coridel Entertainment decided to finally let them comeback, but sad because they didn't end up promoting this song on any stages. Fingers crossed that they'll get a proper comeback in 2018! Want You to Say is an incredibly fun and upbeat song with such a great beat that I just could not get it out of my head after hearing it.

An honorable mention in the mini album goes to Euijin's "I Understand" cause that song is just so beautiful!

 VICTON'S REMEMBER ME
I have always been excited for Victon's comebacks since they debuted because they're Apink's brother group and if you know me, you know that I absolutely adore Apink. However, none of their songs have really stood out to me as much as Remember Me. The group has definitely been slowly changing their concept from "cute" to "mature" and this comeback just solidifies that transition. This song is so catchy and I have loved watching their comeback stages, especially since it seems that they are also garnering more attention! 

LOVELYZ'S FALLIN'
I've become a fan of Lovelyz after their "Now, We" comeback (and it was their first win!!) While I did also love their title track for this album "Twinkle," my heart was completely stolen by "Fallin'" which is one of their B-side tracks. I was so excited when I saw they performed it live on a couple of stages because it's such a beautiful and sweet ballad. All the girls' voices just shine through and the lyrics are so incredibly sweet. I'm so happy that they were able to win on The Show with "Twinkle" because they're finally getting the recognition they deserve :)

RED VELVET'S KINGDOM COME
Oh. My. Gods. Red Velvet has literally slayed my entire existence with the comeback and I don't even know what to do. SM has truly blessed us with three Red Velvet comebacks this year and I was not ready. This is another B-side track that I fell in love with though it was so difficult to choose which song to feature because "Peek-A-Boo" is literally a masterpiece as well. Actually, this whole album is just a work of art as it showcases the "velvet" and more mature side of the group and I am absolutely in love. "Kingdom Come" has this very 80's feel (I hope that's the right decade) and I literally melt every time because the harmonization of their voices is just pure perfection.

Like the novel, the movie is told in multiple perspectives which I really appreciated as it revealed various plot points that were crucial in the overall story-line. I absolutely adored the portrayal of the Pullman's family dynamic, especially from Auggie's perspective. However, I did find myself resonating with Via more - must be the older sibling trait that we both share. I really admired her character throughout the story, especially hearing things from her perspective regarding her role in the family. 

As I've mentioned before, it's been quite a while since I've read the book so I don't have all the details in my head and therefore can't do a proper comparison of the movie. My sister did comment that she felt like Auggie's face wasn't "as weird" as she thought it would be which I found really interesting. Sure enough, Auggie's physical deformity was obvious in the movie, but since it wasn't dramatically emphasized, it definitely brought some ideas to mind.

I couldn't help but think how when we read Wonder, it's so easy to have a certain portrayal of what a facial deformity looks like and everyone has to admit that they would definitely stare if they ever saw what they imagined in their head, in real life. Seeing that on-screen Auggie didn't look that different, or at least not as drastically different, just shows how society can view a small physical alteration and over-dramatize it. 

The message of Wonder is that everyone has the ability to choose kind which, after hearing what my sister said, resonated with me even more. I might be reading too much into this, but from my minuscule memory of the book and the impact this movie left on me, I can say that this was one of the best book-to-movie adaptations that I've watched.

Amy Harmon is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times Bestselling author. Amy knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, and she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story. Her books are now being published in eighteen different languages, truly a dream come true for a little country girl from Levan, Utah.

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Amy Harmon has written eleven novels — the USA Today Bestsellers, The Bird and The Sword, Making Faces and Running Barefoot, as well as The Queen and The Cure, From Sand and Ash, The Law of Moses, The Song of David, Infinity + One, Slow Dance in Purgatory, Prom Night in Purgatory, and the New York Times Bestseller, A Different Blue. Her next novel, The Smallest Part, will be released February 13, 2018.

Check out my reviews of her two previous novels: