GIVE ME ALL THE TV & CHRISTMAS: November 2018 Wrap Up

November 30, 2018February 28, 2020 fangirlfury5 Comments

November, you were filled with school, books, film, AND all the holiday season prep. I am a firm believer that the earlier you start celebrating Christmas, the happier you’ll be (and hopefully that happiness will translate to reading motivation!)

I read 6 books in November, which I’m really happy about because I mostly LOVED everything that I read. I also hit 100 books for the year- live love Goodreads for telling me this (I’m currently at 105). I think one of my New Year “resolutions” is going to be keeping better track of what I read on my own—I tried and failed to do so in 2018, despite some pretty amazing Excel sheets.
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Christmas Book & Fandom Haul 2017

January 5, 2018December 30, 2017 fangirlfury5 Comments

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Although January has already begun, I think that there’s always room for some Christmas spirit. Christmas hauls are among my favorite Youtube videos and blog posts to read and watch, so I wanted to feature some of my Christmas gifts here on Fangirl Fury. Santa and my parents did a fantastic job as always fulfilling this fangirl’s bookish and fandom desires with the following gifts.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith- I ASKED FOR A CLASSIC BOOK FOR CHRISTMAS, WHAT???? I saw I Capture the Castle float around bookstagram in 2017, and I became even more intrigued by the book when I saw that the latest edition had a foreword by Jenny Han and a blurb from J.K. Rowling. Between two of my all-time favorite authors’ contributions and its stunning cover, I’m so happy to have this book on my shelf, soon to be read!

Renegades by Marissa Meyer- Renegades was a bit of an unexpected Christmas gift, but Santa knows how much I love Marissa Meyer. I’m really excited to have my own copy of Renegades because I never realized how gorgeous the cover was in person. Although I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews, I am excited to give Renegades a go, but I think I won’t be reading it until closer to the release date of the next book in the duology.

The Midnight Star by Marie Lu- One of my reading goals for 2018 is to reread The Young Elites and continue on the series with The Rose Society and The Midnight Star. Like Renegades and my Marissa Meyer collection, this means that I now have all of Marie Lu’s books!

Alex and Ani Hogwarts Two Tone Charm Bracelet- My Alex and Ani bracelets are among my most worn and favorite jewelery, so I was beyond excited when they came out with their Harry Potter collection. I’m in love with this bracelet featuring the Hogwarts crest because although it obviously symbolizes Harry Potter, I feel that it’s a bit understated and will blend in well with the rest of my Alex and Ani bracelets. Plus who doesn’t want to walk around with Hogwarts pride??

Parks and Recreation Funko Pops—Leslie Knope, April Ludgate, & Andy Dwyer—Funko Pops are among my favorite gifts to give and receive, so I was super excited to receive more Funko Pops from my favorite TV show. I now have 5 out of the 6 Parks & Rec Funko Pops that have been released so far, and I admit that I probably won’t be getting Lil’ Sebastian anytime soon—me and Ben Wyatt are on the same page about that one.

Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley Nano Metalfigs- I received these mini versions of Hermione and Ron in my stocking. I’ve actually never seen these type of figures before, but I think they’re pretty cute and unique gifts for any Potter fan.

Book Con tickets- YES I WILL BE ATTENDING THE BEST BOOKISH WEEKEND OF THE YEAR AGAIN IN 2018! I’ve been going back and forth about applying to Book Expo this year, so I’m excited to at least have Book Con already in the works!

What bookish or fandom gifts did you give or receive this year? Share in the comments!

A Festive Review: My New Crush Gave to Me by Shani Petroff

December 23, 2017December 21, 2017 fangirlfury2 Comments

Summary: Charlie plans everything possible in her life, from scheduling her free time to co-editing the school newspaper with her best friend. What else does Charlie plan? Finding the perfect Secret Santa gifts in hopes of winning over Teo Ortiz, the perfect guy for her—star athlete, National Honor Society member—but the only problem? He doesn’t know Charlie exists. Enter J.D. Ortiz, Teo’s cousin, who is the complete opposite of Teo and Charlie—late to everything, disorganized, and the most annoying person Charlie’s ever met. But J.D. knows Teo better than Charlie, and with his help, Charlie’s plan for a Christmas romance may actually work.

My Star Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

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My Thoughts:

My festive reading continues this month with Shani Petroff’s My New Crush Gave to Me! Before getting into the holiday aspects of the novel, I want to talk about the book itself. The story is a bit fast-paced, as Charlie is in crunch-time mode to find the perfect Secret Santa gifts for Teo in time to ask him to Noelle’s birthday party. The speed of the plot by no means negatively affected my opinion of the novel, as we have the perfect amount of time to see Charlie and J.D.’s friendship develop. I also loved Charlie and Morgan’s friendship (yay positive female friendships!), and I liked seeing Charlie’s relationship with her mom. As a character, I liked Charlie—she was a bit typical YA protagonist (perfectionist, good student, etc.) –, but I think J.D. stole the show for me, between his humor and his care for Charlie. The book is a tad predictable in the romance department, but I did enjoy seeing Charlie and J.D. warm up to each other more and more. I thought Morgan really balanced out Charlie, and reading about their baking business was one of my favorite parts of the novel!

So how festive is My New Crush Gave to Me?

On a scale from 1 to 10, I have to give the book a 10 for its festive, Christmas vibes! Throughout the novel, Charlie is hoping for some sort of perfect Christmas, as her Christmas at home is different this year with her mom taking on a more-time consuming job at the hospital. With receiving J.D.’s help for her Secret Santa gifts, Charlie gets to celebrate old and new Christmas traditions, from decorating the Christmas tree and gingerbread house to going caroling for the first time. We also get to experience Hanukah, as Morgan and her boyfriend, Ira, celebrate the holiday. I think Charlie and friends decorating the tree with J.D.’s family was my favorite scene in the novel.

Overall, My New Crush Gave to Me was a fun, Christmas-themed read that’s perfect for the holiday season. If you enjoy Christmas movies and books with rom-com vibes, this one is for you!

I was sent My New Crush Gave to Me by Swoon Reads. By no means does this affect my rating or opinion of the novel.

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Have you read any festive reads this holiday season? Have you read My New Crush Gave to Me? Share in the comments!

Holiday Q & A

December 15, 2017December 14, 2017 fangirlfury4 Comments

It’s the most wonderful time of the year—next to summer, of course! I celebrate Christmas during the holiday season, and Christmas is my favorite holiday, but not just for the gifts. I just love the feel of the season- listening to Christmas music, decorating, baking holiday treats, and getting to buy presents (and okay, receiving them is pretty nice too). Today, I’ll be doing the Holiday Q & A, hosted by The Blended Blog. I’m so happy that they created this Q & A because I had so much fun doing their Fall Q & A last month.

holiday q and a

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Real or fake tree?

Real tree. I love the smell of real Christmas trees too much to not have one.

Favorite Holiday Cookie?

Snickerdoodles! They’re one of my favorite things to make and of course, eat. If you don’t feel like making them from scratch, use yellow cake mix.

Home on Christmas Morning or Travel?

Always home! I couldn’t imagine not being home on Christmas morning and I stay home the entire day in pajamas, watching Christmas movies with my family.

Clear or Colored Lights?

Either! If you’re going for a really festive look, colored lights are the way to go. If you’re looking for a bit more elegant or wintery look, I’d go with clear lights.

Send Christmas Cards?

My family typically sends one out every year with some sort of family photo.

Favorite Christmas Present received?

Santa Claus has always treated me very well, and I don’t think I can decide on just one gift, but I’m going to go with receiving Hamilton tickets last year!

Favorite Christmas Present Given?

My mom and I found classic handheld video games for my dad last year and he absolutely loved them. We gave him Space Invaders and a football handheld game.

Stockings or no stockings?

Stockings! I think stockings are great for giving small Christmas-y treats, like holoiday M&Ms and mini jars of nutella, and for more practical and everyday gifts like, hair ties and fuzzy socks.

Christmas PJs?

Yes!! My grandma gives me a pair of Christmas pajamas every year on Christmas Eve. My favorite pair came with a pair of Christmas shorts with mini Christmas trees and snowflakes.

Favorite Christmas carol?

I love Christmas music so much, and I always start listening to holiday music on November 1^st. This is the hardest question here, so I’m going to go with a few of my favorites: “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” by John Lennon, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” by Mariah Carey, “Cold December Nigh”t by Michael Bublé, “Do You Hear What I Hear” by Carrie Underwood, and “A Holly Jolly Christmas” by Burt Ives

Favorite Holiday tradition?

Decorating the Christmas tree with my family.

Early Shopper or Last Minute?

Early shopper. This year I picked up one of my siblings’ gifts before Halloween, and I finished up most of my shopping by Thanksgiving weekend. I sometimes pick up a few odds and ends closer to the holiday.

Favorite Christmas Movie or Show?

Another hard question! My favorite Christmas movies include Arthur Christmas, The Santa Clause, A Year Without a Sant Claus, New Year’s Eve, Home Alone, Elf, and Love Actually. TV-show wise, I always enjoy Full House and Glee‘s holiday specials.

Favorite Holiday Beverage?

It might be considered more of a Thanksgiving drink, but apple cider! If I want something maybe a bit more Christmas-y, I’d go with hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows.

Cookies and Milk for Santa?

Yup! When my siblings and I woke up on Christmas morning, my dad was sure to follow to take a photo of Santa’s eaten plate.

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Now here’s a question for you: What’s your favorite holiday-inspired book? I think mine’s Let It Snow by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle. Share in the comments!