The Light of Ives: Memories Remain by Kristen Traganas- Review

Hi, everyone! I am back with another book review for y’all. So grab a cup of tea and get comfy.

I’ve teamed up with Booktasters again and they introduced me to Kristen Traganas’ The Light of Ives: Memories Remain. This being the first book in the series and I’m not quite sure when the next one will be coming out, but I’ll keep you all posted.

Let’s. Get. Reviewing.

Synopsis: 

Lucy is eager to leave Emerald Lake. She wants to live with the humans but is also afraid of leaving her friends and family behind. Is it worth it? Will the dark side of human existence scare Lucy away?

 

Review:

I’d like to start off this review by saying that I couldn’t put this book down. It kept me hooked, but I did find some sort of plot hole. The entire time I was confused because I wasn’t sure when the story took place. Was it set in the future or modern day? Maybe it’s just me but I couldn’t find anything indicating what sort of time period the Lucy and the other characters were living in.

Also, was Emerald Lake a separate planet or a city? I never understood that either.

Despite the plot holes, I found this book very interesting. The idea behind the lumenguards and the Indomites was interesting. But how can you tell a lumenguard from a human being?

There were a few things that I would’ve liked to know more about, but otherwise the writing was beautiful and kept me interested all the way through the book.

I would recommend this book for fans of any Neal Shusterman books such as Challenger Deep and Scythe.

Thank you to Booktasters and Kristen Traganas herself for contacting me and introducing me to this great book.

Thanks for reading everyone. I hope you all are doing well and reading some great books. Let me know in the comments what you’re currently reading. Also, if you have a book in need of reviewing you can contact me via Twitter or leave a comment with a link to your book. I’d love to read it.

Happy reading!

Hannah

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Shakespeare and Other Wonders

There’s Always a Hidden Meaning

In my AP Lit class we’re reading Hamlet. (Yay..Shakespeare.) I haven’t decided if I like Shakespeare or not, but I find the process of reading and analyzing his work very entertaining.

I’m often caught between words and end up having to read each sentence over and over again. That state of confusion just occurred during sophomore year when we had to read Julius Caesar. What made reading Julius Caesar different from the rest of the plays we read was those PSAT tests hanging over my head. I guess I didn’t really pay attention that well…so there’s an answer.

I’m glad that eventually I learned my lesson sophomore year, of course when the tests were over. Those tests didn’t even matter…I wonder why I was so wrapped around the fear of failing a practice test. *shrugs then sips cup of tea*

I find Hamlet interesting. The entire beginning was a total contradiction to the way we’re supposed to react. Shouldn’t Francisco be the one to ask Barnardo why the heck he showed up out of nowhere?

I wouldn’t have noticed that just by reading it. Which brings me to my point..what else have I missed when reading Shakespeare? What underlying meanings did I miss in Julius Caesar or Romeo and Juliet?

Analyzing text has always been a challenge for me. Especially analyzing the text of classics such as Hamlet and Gilgamesh. Believe it or not I find it easier to analyze poetry better than plays or novels. You’d think that would be more difficult..idk *laughing emoji*

How many of you struggled with Shakespeare? Are any of you quite familiar with it?

In Other News…

How have you all been?

Spring has sprung!!! I’m so excited. Nothing like fresh flowers to brighten the aftermath of a few gloomy months.

Stay tuned for a new poem coming your way!

-Hannah the amateur Shakespeare reader

Bit of Writer’s Block

It’s that time again.

I have writer’s block. I haven’t been able to write anything down. 😦

What do you do to get rid of writer’s block?

Some believe that writer’s block isn’t a thing. Do you believe it is?

Sorry for the shortest blog post in Fables and Tea history..but I’d like to know your thoughts on Writer’s Block. Let’s start a conversation in the comments!

Thank you so much for reading,

Hannah the writer who unfortunately has writer’s block

(I wonder how many times I can say “writer’s block” in one post…teehee let’s not find out.)

*stay tuned for a new poem tomorrow…possibly another snippet from my book*

A Little Slice of Society

Let’s just say I’ve been enlightened by the previous two weeks. I’ve realized that this “real world” everyone has been warning me about since 6th grade exists. I guess I tried to hide this monster of a thought underneath my bed for too long.

I started working at a restaurant two weeks ago. It’s awesome. Everyone is so lovely and I enjoy working there. It’s my first job. My little slice of society, as I like to call it.

It’s daunting to think that there’s a hold different world that your everyday school day. Elementary school-high school schedules aren’t how society works when you’re an adult. I’m going to miss that set schedule.

There’s also the perks of freedom and college. You get to pursue what ever you want. Of course there is a good side and bad side to that. Sometimes your hopes and dreams don’t really follow through. You try to shoot for the moon, but miss. At least you land among the stars…(my weird pessimistic take of that quote by Les Brown).

We learned about the Allegory of the Cave in AP Lit and that lesson has stuck with me throughout this entire semester.That specific lesson brought all of my worries and daunting thoughts into perspective.

You only can get used to it. As difficult as it sounds.

When I was in 8th grade, I was terrified of high school and not being able to keep up with the new lifestyle. I did. I have a feeling that this very thing will happen again when I graduate high school.

There’s a whole new world out there. I just have to practice navigating it.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this sort of spectrum recently. It’s quite nice to take those thoughts out of my mind and into my little slice of the internet.

Write on,

Hannah the bookworm

 

Showtunes and Busy Weeks

Hey, everyone!

Wow, it’s been a while.

I got a new job! Yay! I’m working at a Mexican restaurant part time with juggling school so I’m become busier that usual.

That also means my blog will have less activity, but don’t worry. I’m still here. If that’s okay by you all.

Weird Weather

How’ve you been? Hopefully the winter weather hasn’t been so terrible. March is here! Yet we got two inches of snow a few days ago. That’s insane! We had like 60 degree weather the week before!

Showtunes and my musical obsession

A couple of my friends, just like me, are obsessed with Broadway shows and listening to musicals. One of my friends told me to listen to Chicago the Musical. PLUS! The traveling Broadway cast is coming to my city and I reaaallly want to see it. 🙂

Emma Watson is Queen and Luke Evans though….

Have you seen all of the pictures from the Beauty and the Beast premieres? Oh my god, Emma Watson is stunning. It’s funny..I never liked Gaston in the animated version of Beauty and the Beast, but holy Toldeo Luke Evans is cute. *laughing face emoji here*

Is Beauty and the Beast Really About Stockholm Syndrome?

I love how Emma Watson explained to Entertainment Weekly that Beauty and the Beast wasn’t about Stockholm Syndrome. Yes, it definitely looks that way. Belle chose to be with the Beast in place of her father. She did it for her dad. She’s been well taken care of..besides the rocky beginning. There are so many great “people” surrounding her..including Ms. Potts and Chip. Then there’s always Lumiere and Clogsworth..the dynamic duo.

Beauty and the Beast is definitely more than Stockholm Syndrome. It’s about seeing through appearance. Don’t judge a book by its cover! (Teehee because Belle loves books just as much as I do.)

I hope you all have a great weekend. Write something today! If you have the time and motivation. Even if it’s as simple as a thank you card.

Happy Saturday! And happy belated World Book Day. I believe it was Thursday.

Keep writing,

Hannah the bookworm obsessed with musicals

 

New Titles and Changes of Plans//Fables and Tea

It’s been a weird week. A very weird week.

I had rehearsal all last week and I left rehearsal early because I was having some sort of stress induced anxiety attack.

I quit my high school’s production.

I let everyone down for the sake of my mental heath. I didn’t want to leave, but the hours and hours after school were causing my grades to drop and my sleep to decrease by the hours. It’s unprofessional and I know I should’ve stuck through with it until the end.

Then I realized how much stage fright I have..I would’ve been a wreck on stage. Theater for me is difficult and I had to drop it because I had so many other after school activities I wasn’t able to attend because of the musical.

Any who..I also changed the title for my book.

Lots ‘o change…it’s a good thing and a bad thing.

I hope you all are doing well. *raises tea cup* Here’s to a wonderful new week.

-Hannah the bookworm and anxious teen

 

Not Enough Caffeine For Rehearsal

Long story short, I love coffee. And I also love tea. YES I DRINK BOTH!

It’s kind of weird to have a hybrid of a tea lover and a coffee lover because normally it’s one or the other. You could possibly compare this with people who read the book first or see the movie first.

Normally in my case I end up reading the book first. And there’s also that horrible occasion where I find out that said movie has a said book..then I’ve seen the movie first.

Anyway, I’ve had a lot of caffeine this week. I’ve been so tired in the morning because of late night rehearsals and I have to have some sort of caffeine to boost my energy.

Plus it’s hard to pay attention in class when you’re super tired and just about to fall over from exhaustion. I have some source of caffeine here and there. Mostly tea.

Yes, this has been a sort of an unhealthy week based on my sleep schedule and caffeine intake but the week is almost over. And I run out of chai mix very quickly so…is there a lesson in this story? I love tea and coffee but next week in having decaf. *Laughing emojis*

hey, this show is worth the lack of sleep. I’ve never had so much fun working on a musical before…probably since this is my first one. It’s so fun. All the people working on this show are so dedicated.

I’ve been working a little more on my book and I’ve pondered a new title. And I like it…believe it or not in going to change it. Again…..

Thank you so much for reading this little snippet of my week. I hope to post something next week as well.

Keep writing my friends,

Hannah the bookworm and caffeine lover