Love and Luck | Book Review (Spoiler free)

Hello, blogosphere! It’s been quite a while since I’ve done a full-length book review…as in over a year…yet I still brand myself as a book blogger. Although I have done book-themed posts, this past year my blog has had more of a focus on writing, bullet journaling, and productivity/lifestyle. My audience seems to enjoy these posts, but I miss writing book reviews! ❤︎ Personally, I’ve had a lot of fun branching out and writing posts other than reviews! When I first starting blogging, my reviews were very simple and dry. This being said, from now on, I’ll add book reviews to the mix!

I hope you enjoy this post!

Synopsis

“I wanted this to be real life, not a detour…”

Addie is visiting Ireland for her aunt’s over-the-top destination wedding and hoping she can stop thinking about the one horrible thing that left miserable and heartbroken — and threatens her future. But her brother Ian isn’t about to let her forget, and his constant needling leads to arguments and even a fistfight between the two once inseperatable siblings.

But when Addie discovers an unusual guidebook, Ireland for the Heartbroken, hidden in the dusty shelves of the hotel library, she’s finally able to escape her anxious mind — and Ian’s criticism.

And then their travel plans change. Suddenly Addie finds herself on a whirlwind tour of the Emerald Isle, trapped in the world’s smallest vehicle with Ian and his admittedly cute Irish-accented friend Rowan. As the trio journeys over breathtaking green hills, past countless castles, and through a number of fairytale forests, Addie hopes her guidebook will heal not only her broken heart, but also her shattered relationship with her brother.

That is, if they don’t get completely lost along the way.

Expectations

I saw this book in a Barnes & Noble a couple of months ago and picked it up because the cute cover and the synopsis. I was in the mood for a cute YA contemporary!

Likes

The book was relatively fast-paced and got straight to the point. Unlike so many other YA contemporaries, there weren’t random spots in the story where nothing happened. Addie, Ian, and Rowan were always adventuring and continuing their journey. The story continued to progress but still managed to incorporate reflective moments where the characters developed.

The story centered around a secret road-trip through lovely Irish scenery. The detail to culture and geographical locations made the novel more realistic and enjoyable. I loved reading the characters grow as they traveled through the Emerald Isle.

The story as a whole was very sweet and included the best elements of a true YA contemporary: adventure, sibling feuds, and a little bit of romance. My favorite element of this novel over all had to be the writing style. Addie’s witty narration carried the story!

Dislikes

In general, the plot was very linear and predictable, all the way to the end. The book never surprised me, I always knew what was going to happen next. Even the major “plot-twists” of the novel were foreseeable. I would have liked to see a little more surprises to match the scenery and the novel’s element of adventure.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this was a cute and fast-paced read with enjoyable scenery and a predictable plot. The best part of this novel is Jenna Evans Welch’s witty and wise writing style. I would recommend this of you’re in the mood for a quick and bubbly YA contemporary read!

Story and plot: ★★★☆☆

Pacing: ★★★★☆

Character development: ★★★★☆

Writing quality: ★★★★☆

Enjoyment: ★★★★★

Overall: ★★★★☆

Thank you for reading this post. Please follow my blog to receive email updates whenever I post. If you are viewing this on a tablet or smart phone, scroll down to the bottom of the page and then slightly up to see the subscribe button. If you are viewing this on a laptop or desktop computer, the subscribe button is on the right. I really appreciate all of the support! 

Have you read this novel? Do you like reading book reviews? Let me know in the comments section down below.

Keep On Booking,

☆ Katie K ☆

Q&A | Two Year Blogaversary Special

Hello, blogosphere! Today is my two-year blogaversary, which is very exciting! I can’t believe I’ve had this blog for two years now, it’s crazy how fast time flies by. I’ve definitely grown a lot as both a writer and a blogger in my journey, from first learning about digital citizenship in elementary school, to creating my first blog, and then posting on Katie, That Bookish Girl. Blogging has changed my life in so many ways, and it’s an amazing way both to express myself creatively and vent through books, bujo, & writing.

I asked my Instagram followers (the username is @katiethatbookishgirl if you want to give it a follow) questions about books, writing, bullet journaling, blogging, and lifestyle, and got several responses. In today’s special blog post, I will be sharing my answers to your questions! I hope you enjoy!

1. How do you manage blogging and school? | I prioritize schoolwork over hobbies, and focus on the task at hand. To stay motivated to do my homework, I think how much better I’ll feel when everything is complete!

2. Any romantic book recommendations? | I don’t often read romantic novel, but below is a bulleted list of my current favorites.

• Words on Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton
• To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series by Jenny Han
• Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
• Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

I know it’s pretty short, but I think I will make a separate blog post about romantic novel recommendations!

3. What are your biggest writing inspirations? | My biggest writing inspirations are random things that I will see or hear, usually out in public or in nature that spark my imagination. Sometimes it’s a street sign with a particular font, a patch of wildflowers just blooming, or the raspy pitch of a stranger’s voice. I call them “thought butterflies” because if I don’t “catch” (write them down in time) they’ll fly away. 

4. This is not a question, but I love your account. 💕 | Thank you so much! I really appreciate all of the support!

5. Favorite author? | That’s a really hard question, and my response definitely changes often, but John Green is one of my favorite authors at the moment. Some of my favorite novels by him are The Fault in Our Stars and Turtles All the Way Down.

6. If you could have lunch with anyone (dead or alive), who would it be? | This is a really difficult question! I would probably have lunch with a female historical figure who had a tremendous positive impact on the world. I can’t narrow it down to one, but I would be honored to have lunch with Maya Angelou, Anne Frank, or Malala Yousafzai. (A plus is that all these amazing women have published books, poetry, or diaries).

7. What is your favorite thing about blogging? | My favorite thing about blogging is the tight knit bookish community. I love reading and commenting on other blogger’s posts. Whenever I don’t know what to read next, I can always turn to the blogging community and find my next read, and then get it a bookstore or my local library. (Although, sadly all the libraries are currently closed).

8. Do you want to pursue writing for a job? | Writing will always be a passion for me. Although it would be a dream to make a living solely off writing in my future, I don’t know if that’s a possibility. I definitely aspire to be a published or self-published author someday, and it is one of my life goals. However, I also love science, especially the biology and anatomy of the brain, so becoming a neuropsychologist would be an ideal path as well.

9. How are you so aesthetic, haha? | Thank you! I don’t consider myself to be super aesthetic, but my blog is driven by passion.

10. Where so you live? | I live on the coast in Southern California. 🙂

11. Why did you start bullet journaling? | The first thing that drew me into bullet journaling was the aesthetic Instagram pages filled with beautiful doodles and productivity tips. I decided to try it out for myself, and the system works a lot for me!

12. How did you get so many followers? | I don’t consider myself to have a whole lot of followers, but I always remain genuine online and post what interests me, hoping others are drawn to it as well.

13. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned about blogging? | The biggest lesson I’ve learned about blogging is that anyone has the power to create and express themselves. Oftentimes, we are indirectly discouraged at being different and thinking outside of the box. The blogging community is nothing of the sort, being diverse and accepting. We all have the power of the pen (or, the keyboard, I should say).

14. What are your top three books? | My top three current favorites that I’ve read recently are The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert, Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, and The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brain Selznick.

15. Why did you start your blog? | I started blogging because I wanted a platform to express myself through writing and sharing my favorite books!

16. What are your favorite posts to write? | My favorite posts to make are writing themed posts! Although I also love book reviews and sharing my bullet journal spreads, writing themed posts are simply my favorite.

17. How do you push forward and keep writing a story? I always stop after 10-20 pages… | Honestly, I’ve struggled a lot with this in the past and still do. My first suggestion would be to map out your plot. It doesn’t need to be in excruciating detail, just enough so that you know where you’ve going with the story. I also recommend giving yourself “inspiration breaks” or periods of time to remember why you’re writing, and rediscover motivation. I also have a lot more writing tips included in my last blog post.

Thank you for reading this post. Please follow my blog to receive email updates whenever I post. I really appreciate all of the support! 🌼💗

Are you a blogger or writer? What are your favorite things about blogging? What are your favorite things about writing? Let me know in the comments section down below.

Keep On Booking,

☆ Katie K ☆

 

NaNoWriMo: How I Wrote 18K Words in One Month // Tips for Reaching your Writing Goals

Hello, blogosphere! I haven’t been active on my blog lately because I’ve been busy with writing. But since the month of April is over, my writing challenge is complete. I will be refocusing on blogging this month.

Update: My two year blogaversary is tommorow, which is very exciting! I asked those who follow @katiethatbookishgirl on Instagram questions for tomorrow’s Q&A blog post, and have already gotten a couple of responses. If you are interested in me asking any questions about books, writing, bullet journaling, life, or blogging, be sure to submit some before I post my two year blogaversary special. 

In this blog post, I will be sharing with you my personal experience with NaNoWriMo last month and advice to help you reach your writing goals.

My goal last month was to write 18,000 words. I am happy to say that I completed my desired word count! 18,000 words is the most I’ve written on a single project in my entire life, and I couldn’t have done it without NaNoWriMo. Although I am not close to being finished with my WIP (work in progress) novel, I’ve made a lot of progress this April. I started off the month attempting NaNoWriMo for a second time, and surprisingly, it was a success.

I was on track during the beginning of April, but then fell behind towards the middle. I got a little bit discouraged but slowly picked it up and as able to write a lot on the last day.

If you are interested in reading a synopsis of my WIP read my “Venturing Into the World of NaNoWriMo” blog post.

Writing Tips to Kick Off Your WIP and Reach Your Goals

1. Plan your WIP ahead. For me, this included sketching a quick plot chart and making a map of the world. However, this may not be enough. Another option would be to fill out a character chart and have it out with you as you write.
2. Start off your story with a bang. Include a lot of action and foreshadowing in the first few chapters so you have something to work off of if you struggle with writer’s block.
3. Don’t give up. If you find yourself at a period of time in your story where you hit a wall (also known as writer’s block), don’t give up your WIP. Instead, take a short break from writing and hunt for inspiration. Go on a walk/run, garden, read, or search apps like Pinterest for writing prompts. After that, come back later and try something different. Once you get through that writer’s block, you’ll find that writing is a lot easier, and the words begin to flow and come together again.
4. Know that a first draft is a first draft. Don’t spend hours editing your first chapter when you could be writing your tenth. In my experience, it’s better to spend minimal time editing in the earlier stages and focus on spitting out your first draft.
5. Manage your time. When writing, focus on writing. I find it helpful to use timers/alarms and set goals on how long you want to write that day.
6. Have reasonable expectations. This is one of the most important things about working on a novel/story. It’s better to have gradual progress than no progress at all. Don’t get down on yourself if you don’t reach your word count goal within the given time frame. Instead, just keep on working and complete as much as you can. Having realistic expectations will help you remain focused towards your goal. There is no way to fail in writing other than neglecting the pen. when you’re making an effort, you’re making progress. You can do it!

Thank you for reading this post. Please follow my blog to receive email updates whenever I post. I really appreciate all of the support! 💛🌷

Are you a writer? Have you ever attempted NaNoWriMo? Let me know in the comments section down below.

Keep On Booking,

☆ Katie K ☆