3 Reason to Cringe at ROOMMATES by Erin Leigh

Roommates by Erin Leigh
October 2015
Kindle Edition
Goodreads // Amazon 

Life is full of expectations. 
For Brady Coldwell it’s always been about the game.
Hockey is and always will be, his life.
His family sacrificed everything to get him here and he won’t let them down.
He knows what’s expected of him.

Natalie Banks is no different. 
She too knows what it means to have everyone sacrifice for you.
She knows about the debt that’s left owing in the end and the price you pay for making up your own mind.
But when an innocent mistake lands them as roommates, neither of them is prepared for the feelings they have or the consequences of their actions.
How do you negotiate matters of the heart?
How do you say no when it simply feels so right?

THREE REASON WHY THIS BOOK MADE ME DNF

Reason Number One: Gender Role Serotypes. *gags* Oh this book was stuffed with them. Super manly-he man with cave man qualities and must (excuse the medical terminology) copulate with anything that breathes. Usually this wouldn’t bother me so much. But it went hand in hand with the female gender role: super flimsy main girl who gasps when he says a curse word- “He says it like you might say bless you. It’s nothing to him, certainly not a demeaning word for ladies.” Pardon me while I flip a few tables and proceed to use a sailor’s hand book on how to communicate while at sea.

Reason Number Two: Slut Shaming. I was- what? Ten percent into the book and there’s some slut shaming. FROM THE DUDE AND THE CHICK. Oh, may the lord have mercy on your soul. Who granted them the authority to decide what someone wants to do, when they want to do it, and how they feel like doing it? Hmm? I can’t. I’m sorry. I really, really can’t. You want to have sex? Go have sex! You shouldn’t be put down for it, and you certainly shouldn’t be put at the mercy of another person’s opinion on how often you want to do it. *shakes head in a very disappointed manner* *flips a few more tables*

                          

Reason Number Three: The feeling of forced affection and the leading of it to really ignorant decision. It all started with the possibility of peeing in the shower. (and the lack of) Promptly followed by the assertion of being a pervert, irrational sobbing, the making of cookies, and (finally) a blossoming friendship. Do I have to say more?

BONUS: The assuming of virginity because the girl is ‘uptight’ when really it’s just a new situation with a new person who she expected to be a girl after being ambushed by her ‘best friend’ and therefore MORE IGNORANCE.

*angry growl*

So, lovelies. That’s my rant for the day. Maybe you’ll like this one, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll be enchanted with the asshole behind the curtain; I certainly didn’t make it to the part where the curtain is peeled away. And frankly, I don’t want to. I can’t really give this one a rating.

What is the most recent book you’ve DNF’d?

*original photo from LifeofPix 

Book Look: Legacy of Kings

LEGACY OF KINGS by nobentspines featuring a brown tube top

Goodreads // Amazon

Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn, and in their ashes, empires rise.

Alexander, Macedonia’s sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world but finds himself drawn to a newcomer…

Katerina must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission: kill the Queen. But she doesn’t account for her first love…

Jacob will go to unthinkable lengths to win Katerina, even if it means having to compete for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince.

And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet betrothed, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.

Weaving fantasy with the shocking details of real history, New York Times bestselling author of Sex with Kings Eleanor Herman reimagines the greatest emperor the world has ever known, Alexander the Great, in the first book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.

Sweet Temptation by Wendy Higgins // A Letter to Kai

A letter from one swooning teen girl to a nymph drummer:

Dear Kai,

We’ve been through quite a bit these past few book. I have wanted to make out with you, stab you, hug you, make out with you some more. Stab you some more too. I know, I know. That’s a pretty common reaction when it’s concerning you. Well that and wanting to sleep with you, you being the son of the demon of lust and all that.

All the other books were from Anna’s perspective, and I have to say, getting to know you from YOU was rather wonderful. And those moments when Anna’s daddy put the Fear of God (pardon the pun) into you and I just love her dad. He’s so protective of her. Of course him being the Lord of Substance Abuse sort of adds to the mystery. AND HIS LOVE STORY WITH HER MOM IS JUST SO AWHHHH.

But, you. Kai. You’re so sweet. And I love that I can see all aspects of you in SWEET TEMPTATION. You’re so worried, and so in love, and so curious. Since this books has you through all of the first three, it’s a bit of a condensed. It’s helpful to have the first three books under your belt.

I think that you are one of the most un-perfect, laugh-out-loud, sweetest not-humans I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading about. You love her. Love her love her. I sort of do and don’t wish for panty-dropping drummers like you in the real world. You show humans the dirty parts of ourselves. You make us look beyond what we are and into who we want to be. All the Lords and nymphs of the less-than-perfect ideals do. I mean, y’all are pretty much the definition of temptation.

Kai, you are really one of a kind. And I’m so happy I got to read a story told in your perspective.

Always,

Jackie

P.S. Totally have decided I want some drummers like you in the real world.

Goodreads // Amazon 

September 8, 2015

Review Copy via ReadingTeen.net

Bad boy Kaidan Rowe has never wanted for anything—money, popularity, musical talent…hot girls—but seducing them is part of his duty as a Nephilim, slave to the demon Dukes. As the son of the Duke of Lust, Kaidan has learned his father’s ways, becoming a master of passion, a manipulator of chemistry. Disobeying his father would mean certain death. Thankfully for Kaidan, he’s good at his job. And he enjoys it. 

Until he meets Anna Whitt—sweet, smart, feisty, and inexplicably good—the one girl seemingly immune to his charms. The daughter of a guardian angel and a fallen one, she has a certain power over him, one that makes him wish for more than he could ever deserve. 

Determined to save all the Neph from their dark lives as the influencers of sin, Anna joins forces with Kaidan to overcome the demons’ oppressive ways. In the light of her affections, Kaidan must undergo his toughest test of all, a battle of the heart.

Sensual and swoon worthy, this companion volume to the acclaimed Sweet Evil series from New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins, told from the perspective of the irresistibly sexy and mysterious Kaidan Rowe, gives readers revealing insights into his struggle, his intense connection to Anna, and most of all, the true emotions that drive him.

Author Note:

Sweet Temptation will encompass the entire trilogy in a condensed version, beginning with Kai's life before he met Anna, and taking readers through the epilogue of Sweet Reckoning. Sweet Temptation is a companion novel, not meant to be a stand alone story. It will definitely be a richer experience for those who have read the original trilogy.

Slam Poetry and the Poets Who Write It

The most well known one of this clan, at least the most well known to me, is Sarah Kay. I found her first on the video she did with Phil Kaye: AN ORIGIN STORY. But that's not where my love affair with this kind of spoken word insight began. I actually remember the person who introduced me, and four other barely-teenage girls to this world. The first poem in this form I ever heard was BLUE BLANKET by Andrea Gibson.

This poem sound deceivingly fluffy and the way Gibson preforms it, I swear she could bring an audience to their knees.

The thing about slam poetry is that nothing, no topic no taboo subject no words previously silenced, are left untouched. Honestly, this sounds a whole lot like freedom.

Anyways. I thought I'd leave you a list of my favorites. Or at least a few of them.

----

OCD: Neil Hilborn 

Okay, y'all. Bring the tissues and the chocolate. And prepare to want to hug a whole lot of humans. Also, prepare to want to leave the door unlocked. 

Explaining My Depression to My Mother: Sabrina Benaim

SWEET LORDY I JUST WANT TO HUG HER. This girl. She writes about fear and not knowing and the lack of understanding on all parts.

When Love Arrives: Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye

These two. The feeeeels. And they sound so good together. This poem---you can't not love it. Lasting forever or a day, tell love welcome.

40 Love Letters: Jeanann Verlee

I don't have words. It felt fun. And then it felt a whole hell of a lot like falling.

Submissive: Lauren Zuniga 

In this poem, Lauren talks about her first sexual experience with a woman in a way that keeps it light and fluffy and oh so funny. This woman is amazing.


Anyways. Poetry is grand.


Who are some of your go-to poets? Slam poets? Tell me who to watch next!

Dying to Try

HEY Y'ALL. I HAVE BIG NEWS.

But I'm sharing it with you in about a week from now. There will be pictures. And confetti.

For now I'll tell you about a book I'm DYING to read.

There's a few things you may not know about me: I have an obsession with photography, society, and really fuzzy socks. This post is about society. THIS POST is about a book about society that needs to GET ON MY SHELF.

ASKING FOR IT: The Alarming Rise of Rape Culture and What We Can Do About It 

Kate Harding

Goodreads // Amazon

Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s arrest. Congressman Todd Akin’s “legitimate” gaffe. The alleged rape crew of Steubenville, Ohio. Sexual violence has been so prominent in recent years that the feminist term “rape culture” has finally entered the mainstream. But what, exactly, is it? And how do we change it? 

In Asking for It, Kate Harding answers those questions in the same blunt, bullshit-free voice that’s made her a powerhouse feminist blogger. Combining in-depth research with practical knowledge, Asking for It makes the case that twenty-first century America—where it’s estimated that out of every 100 rapes only 5 result in felony convictions—supports rapists more effectively than victims. Harding offers ideas and suggestions for addressing how we as a culture can take rape much more seriously without compromising the rights of the accused.

____

What are some books that stray from you usual that you need, like, yesterday?