Category Archives: Literature

Nov3

I Love Mondays – Seriously!

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I Love Mondays – Seriously!

I never EVER thought I’d say this….but I love Mondays. I do, I do. Monday is the day I get all of my assignments in for my online classes at Tri-C and it just so happens that my schedule at Next usually allows for me to be off on Mondays, since I work all weekend. So for me, Monday turns into a day of sleeping in until whenever I want, lounging in sweats, wearing no makeup, and working on college assignments in bed. It’s the BEST. All of the assignments I get on Monday morning usually aren’t due until Sunday night, but because I’m off all day I try to get as much done as possible. I did a buttload of reading today, I’m talking over 100 pages in a textbook buttload. It sucked. But my diligence in completing the chapters and taking notes then going back through and highlighting them paid off. I got a 100 on my quiz for the week! My first perfect score of my college career! I was so freaking proud. I may be attending school in an unconventional way but I’m still just as much of a student as the kids attending school on campus. Getting that score proved this to me, and for the first time I really do feel like a college student. After about six hours of nonstop reading and note taking, I called it quits. Now I only have an essay to complete which isn’t due until the 16th – which is awesome considering I have NO clue what to write about. We have to write an essay explaining a concept to the reader. I’ve been racking my brains all day for a good concept to write about and I’m drawing a blank. Everything that there is to write about is just so broad and I’m having a really hard time narrowing stuff down to just one general idea. If any of you guys have any topics that you think might work for a college composition class, please let me know!

Today was full of educating and beautifying myself. After I wrapped up all of my school work, it was time for some pampering. My eyebrows were in desperate need of a good pluckin’ and thankfully my sister is the queen of the tweezers. That girl can shape up eyebrows like nobody’s business. After my brows were shaped to perfection, it was time to dye my hair. I like to dye my hair every month to keep my red nice and vibrant. As I’ve mentioned before, I use the Runway Red coloring in Vidal Sassoon’s London Luxe collection.

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This stuff is seriously MAGIC. It’s a must for any redhead that’s looking for bright, bold, “look at me” hair. I’m not lying or exaggerating when I say that my hair turns out identical to the color example on the box. This is also the color that I paid a lot of money to get month after month in a salon. You can’t beat five dollars a month for a box of color and salon quality results! Today I also began using Biore’s Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser.

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I must say that this stuff is FABULOUS. A sample of this cleanser was available in a magazine I was reading, so I ripped it out and gave it a try. I kid you not, that after one use almost all of my blackheads were eliminated. I knew that I had to have this cleanser in my arsenal of skin care products, so the next day I went to Target and purchased it. I have four piercings on my nose, two on each nostril and that’s where I tend to get a lot of blackheads. After I used the cleanser tonight, I took a look in the mirror and all of the blemishes around my piercings were gone. The charcoal in this product attracts all the dirt and grime like a magnet and leaves your skin invigorated with a rush of an icy chill. I can’t recommend this cleanser enough.

I forgot to mention the comfy cozy feeling I’ve had all day in my new sweats from Aerie.

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I’ve been snuggled up in these bad boys all day while working and pampering. I’ve been in desperate need of new sweat pants, as I haven’t bought a new pair in over two years since I don’t really feel the need. Especially when my sister’s vast collection of Victoria’s Secret yoga pants is right down the hall! But finally I purchased these sweats in the heather grey and in tan when I made my way to the mall a few nights ago. Both colors of the sweats were marked down 60% off, so I got both of them for about twenty-four dollars! You can’t beat that! If you go on http://www.aerie.com you can find these sweats and a bunch of other cute fall sale items for a crazy good deal! You may have noticed that I have a new book I’ve started reading in my sweat pant picture. I started Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson last night which was a big mistake because I couldn’t put it down! I’m about forty pages in, so I’m not far enough to give you guys a good synopsis of what’s going on, but expect an article by the time I’m half way through it!

So there you have it, my Monday Funday! Make sure you guys check in for my review of Dancing With The Stars tonight since it’s Middle Aged Monday. And if you have a good topic to write about for a concept essay, leave me a comment and let’s chat! Have a good night! -Sarah

Oct26

Lil Red Recommends! Part 3

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Lil Red Recommends! Part 3

Recommendations one through ten from yours truly ❤ :

1) Read The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. If you read my article about this book, you’ll already know how much I love it. I just finished rereading this novel by Rachel Joyce today and it still made me cry just as much as when I read it the first time. I’m really looking forward to reading Rachel Joyce’s other book, Perfect. So be on the look out for my thoughts on that once I start reading it!

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2) Go on a hike by yourself. Seriously this may be one of the best things you ever do for yourself. If you read my article An Ohio Hike, you’ll know that I had an absolutely lovely solo hiking experience this past week. I felt so at peace when I was walking through the forest with just me, myself, and I. Hearing the sounds of nature and being alone with my own thoughts was so calming. Walking through the beautiful Ohio Metroparks is definitely something I’d like to continue doing.

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3) Write a letter to yourself. I know, I know, so corny right? Contrary to popular belief – it’s not. One of my first college assignments this past week was to write a letter to my future self. My professor promised all of her students that she wouldn’t be reading our letters, just simply mailing them back to us when she felt the time was right. Our only guideline for the assignment was to be kind to ourselves. With that in mind, I wrote a letter straight from the heart to my future self. I wrote all of the positive affirmations I tell myself and then some and it felt so good. Seeing the words I speak to myself in my head on paper made phrases like “you’re beautiful inside and out” very real to me. If that makes sense? If you’d like to read exactly what I wrote to myself, you can check out my article Letter to Myself. Once you complete your letter, tuck it away somewhere special and whenever you need reassurance or positivity, it will be there for you.

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4) Listen to Mika!!!! This lovely gentleman is one of my biggest guilty pleasures. I was playing him on my way home from work yesterday night and had a blast. I completely forgot how much I enjoy his gorgeous vocals and insane falsetto. This is a true story, I discovered Mika years ago when they used his track We Are Golden in a Degrassi commercial on TeenNick. I loved the song so much that I had to hear more. Screaming “we are not what you think we are, we are golden, we are golden” in my car with the windows down last night was exactly what I needed after a day at work! Mika’s talent is so pure and impressive and I can’t get enough of it.

5) Check out the bands Fallen Captive and Below The Tide: Two of the fantastic gentlemen who work at Odd Fellows Tattoos in Akron (where I got my latest tattoo done) are also members of some pretty cool heavy metal bands. Travis Lamont who did my gorgeous Isis piece this weekend plays a mean guitar for Below The Tide while Mitch Pivarski of Fallen Captive lays down some insane vocals. Help support Akron Ohio’s local music scene by showing these guys some love! These gents are two of the best guys you’ll ever meet, and I’m so glad to have the pleasure of knowing them!

6) While you’re at it, give Odd Fellows Tattoos a like: I had the pleasure of getting my latest ink addition done here, and the experience was nothing but positive. You can read all about it in my latest article Body Mods! Part 2. This shop is inhabited by fantastic tattoo artists, piercers, and the all around coolest guys ever. Please show the Akron body art scene some love by giving their Facebook page a like. Make sure you browse through all of the photos of the amazing work that gets done there on the daily. And in case you haven’t seen my newest tattoo yet, here’s a pic of the goddess Isis, done by Travis Lamont, as well as their Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Odd-Fellows-Tattoo/667458826660986

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7) Pamper yourself: A few nights ago I took the most amazing bubble bath ever. I lit some fall scented candles in the bathroom, played the gorgeous Amy Winehouse on my iPod, and filled up the tub with some floral scented suds. This sounds like such an obvious thing to do, but sometimes we forget to give ourselves a little treat. I didn’t realize how tense I was from the days work until I sunk into the steaming water. Amy Winehouse is one of the best artists to play while taking a bubble bath – she makes everything so much more luxurious! Enya is also a highly recommended bath time artist as well! After I got out of the tub, I wrapped myself in a fluffy new towel to dry off. As an extra treat I lathered on some Satsuma body butter from The Body Shop. My skin was soft as a baby’s bottom after that! BTW, I believe all of The Body Shop’s bath and body care is half off right now on their website, so take a look if you’re interested! http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/

8) Listen to Say Hi (formerly known as Say Hi To Your Mom): I absolute adore Mr. Eric Elbogen of Say Hi. I’ve been a fan of this one man band for quite some time now, but have been listening to him very frequently as of late. I can’t get enough of the quirky lyrics of this Seattle native. From the haunting lullaby like tune of “I Think I’ll be a Good Ghost” to making a morbid lyric like “I’m gonna drink your blood” in “Blah Blah Blah” sound romantic – this guy can do no wrong. I stumbled upon this artist when he was still Say Hi To Your Mom. I was strolling through the CD section of Best Buy with my brother, when I pointed out the funny name of Eric Elbogen’s act and we shared a laugh. Once I got home, I was curious about what the music of Say Hi To Your Mom sounded like, so I looked it up, and the rest is history.

9) Do a Halloween activity: This Friday night my sister, her boyfriend, and myself went to The Haunted Schoolhouse and Laboratory in Akron. We had a blast! We only went through the Laboratory because we didn’t feel like paying for both houses. Both haunted houses boast four floors of fright. There were a lot of really cool rooms in the Laboratory, like an operating room, a room inspired by the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and a dentists office. The timing of the actors in the haunted house was so perfect. They would pop out right when we were more than half way through a room with the thought that we wouldn’t get a scare. It was like they were reading our minds, because as soon as we thought we were smooth sailing, out would come a masked man yielding a chainsaw! It was so fun holding on to each other and laughing every time one of the actors got us! I would love to go to the Haunted Schoolhouse before the Halloween season is over! I would also like to hear about popular haunted houses in your neck of the woods, so please leave me a comment about them!

http://www.hauntedlab.net/

10) Take a shopping trip: Today my mom and I went to TJMaxx to browse their fall and winter clothing. If you guys follow all of my OOTD’s, then you already know how much I love TJ’s! Unfortunately, there was nothing too impressive on our trip today, but it was still so fun to go with my mom and point out our likes and dislikes. It’s always a hit or miss when we make a TJ’s trip, so hopefully next time we go there will be tons of cute and new stuff! I can’t recommend going to one of your favorite stores for a little pick me up enough. In the words of Donna and Tom from Parks and Recreation: TREAT YOSELF!

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So there you have it, my Lil Red Recommends for the week! What’s your favorite Halloween activity to do? I’d really like to get in some more Halloween fun before the week is up! Please leave me a comment if you have any suggestions! Have a great night! -Sarah

Oct19

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

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The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

I’m currently in the process of rereading one of my all time favorite books, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce. I really can’t recommend this book enough. It. Is. Beautiful. Our story begins with an older couple, Harold and Maureen at the breakfast table. Their marriage has been unsatisfactory for years. A lot of bitter feelings, particularly about their son, David has really drawn them apart. The mail arrives during their meal, which includes the usual bills and catalogs – but there’s something else. A pale pink envelope addressed to Harold Fry. The letter inside is from a ghost of twenty years past, Miss Queenie Hennessy. The note informs Harold that Queenie has cancer, and she was writing to say good bye. Harold got up from breakfast, and wrote back to Queenie immediately. He informed Maureen he was walking down the street to the mail box, and was out the door. He began to walk. Once he reached the mail box, he fancied he would walk on to the next one, since it was such a nice day. Once he reached the second mail box, he figured he would go one farther, since it was only a block away. He walked some more, and eventually tired himself out, so he stopped at the gas station for some refreshments. At the station, Harold and the young lady working had a game changing conversation. Once Harold mentioned his letter to Queenie and her current medical condition, the young lady informed him that her aunt also had cancer. She told Harold that he had to remain positive. He had to truly believe that Queenie would recover. She said that the faith that she had that her aunt would feel better was the only thing that gave her aunt hope. Then, Harold had an idea. He would walk to Queenie. He would walk from Kingsbridge to Berwick-upon-Tweed. And while he walked those five hundred miles, Queenie would keep living. He called the hospice that Queenie was residing at and told the nurse to tell Queenie once she awoke from her nap that he was walking to her, and that she had to keep living until he made it there. He then called Maureen and told her of his plan, to which she scoffed and told him he wouldn’t get past five miles. He exited the phone booth and began to walk. He had no cell phone, no hiking equipment, and no map. He had the clothes on his back, his wallet, and a pair of yachting shoes. The more that Harold walked, the more people he encountered. They shared their stories with each other. These strangers would confide in Harold and hope for the best for him on his journey. While Harold walks, secrets of his past that he thought had been tucked away begin to spill out. His mother leaving, his drunk father, the constant mother figures walking in and out of his life, his son. All of these memories would come to surface as Harold walked. He walked for Queenie. He walked for Maureen, even if she was unhappy with his decision. And most importantly, he walked for David, whose approval Harold was trying to earn for years.

Every chapter of this book introduces either a new location Harold passes through, the story of a stranger, or a memory from the past. It really is a page turner! Rachel Joyce’s writing is just gorgeous. Her ability to paint a picture of the scenery that Harold is walking through makes you feel like you’re putting one foot in front of the other along with him.

Have any of you guys read this book before? What did you think of it?? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

Sep29

Gone Girl – Worst Ending EVER -_____-

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Gone Girl – Worst Ending EVER -_____-

I just finished Gone Girl and I am SO ridiculously disappointed in the ending. Like, seriously? The book was absolutely fantastic until the last thirty or so pages. That’s when it just got stupid. Now I can understand the lukewarm reviews on this book, because the ending sucked. The entire novel had so many interesting twists and turns, that the conclusion just seemed like Gillian Flynn gave up. She took an “easy way out” ending. I mean come on, shacking up with your sociopath wife and playing family with her until the day you die? Not impressed. It was obvious that Flynn was trying to end the book with this edgy, dysfunctional family feel, but it just left me feeling like I wasted a lot of time reading the book. Nick tried strangling Amy thirty five pages before the book ended for gods sake and we end with him being cool playing daddy to his and Amy’s child she conceived with his sperm she withdrew from the fertility doctors? What? I’m just so frustrated because I was loving Gone Girl SO much until the end!!! The finale was predictable, anti climactic, and just an all around bummer. In my opinion, it took Gone Girl from a ten to a four, easily. I’m just really confused as to why the book ended like this. Honestly, I wanted Nick to win in the worst way possible. He got shit on the entire four hundred pages of the story. Throw him a bone and throw Amy in jail! Now, I know what you’re thinking – An ending with Nick reining happy and victorious would have been just as lame as the published ending. And in a way that’s true. However, I feel like a lot of readers wanted the book to end that way. Nick was the under dog for a lot of the story, and I for one love a good under dog story. The tables turned on Amy from America’s sweet heart to a total psychopath, and I really wanted her to receive some type of punishment. Get a taste of her own medicine. Sometimes the ending that everyone wants is the best choice, rather than some bogus attempt of being edgy and creative. *Rolls eyes* So disappointed.

Where are all my Gone Girl readers at? How did you feel about the ending? How would you have liked the book to end? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

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Sep29

77 Degrees and Sunny:)

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77 Degrees and Sunny:)

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It’s a GORGEOUS day in Akron, Ohio! A lovely 77 degree day, which is surprisingly warm for the end of September. I had a job interview this morning at a really cool store called Next, in downtown Akron. The area I interviewed in is called Highland Square and it’s this super artsy hang out scene that I would really love to work in, so keep your fingers crossed for me! Once I got home from my interview, I broke out my shorts and a crop top, grabbed my favorite pair of oversize sunglasses, and went outside to my backyard deck to read. (My pentagon shades are from Target. I was so happy when I found these babies for fifteen dollars, while the Miu Miu pair which were identical to these were three hundred!) It felt amazing to sit back in a lawn chair and let the sun beat down on my face as I read. It’s so peaceful to be able to go to the deck, which overlooks a spacious backyard and crack open a good book. It’s a great reading atmosphere to be surrounded by nature: birds chirping, our flower and vegetable gardens, and a long stretch of bright green grass littered with fallen leaves. I’m so close to being done with Gone Girl, so expect to see a post soon with what I’m sure will be my “OMG!” reaction! Keep your fingers and toes crossed that I get this job I interviewed for today, and have a fantastic Monday! -Sarah

Sep28

Gone Girl: Halfway through AND FREAKING OUT!!!!!

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Gone Girl: Halfway through AND FREAKING OUT!!!!!

Alright, I promise I won’t post any spoilers, but I just got to part two in Miss Gillian Flynn’s ‘Gone Girl’ and I’m on the verge of having an aneurism. There’s so many twists and turns in this novel that I can barely keep up, in the best way possible!!! One of the major shocks in the book has just been revealed, and let me just say: I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!!!!! HOLY MOLY! Everything I was expecting in this book, every preconceived notion that I self righteously thought was true has just been blown out of the water. I seriously don’t understand some of the lukewarm reviews I’ve heard about this book, because it’s so well written, and creative as hell to boot! This book is the absolute definition of a page turner. I’ve been so happy that I’ve had time to binge read this weekend, because if I had other plans, they probably wouldn’t have gotten done – because I can’t put this book down to save my life. Every time I get a free few minutes it’s devoted to cracking this baby open and trying to fly through a chapter or two quick. The funny part about this shocking reveal at the half way point, is that I should have seen it coming. It’s almost like Gillian Flynn made this reveal happen to tease her readers a bit. I’ll tell ya what, it worked. Now I’m semi kicking myself in the ass for not coming to a conclusion sooner, but it just adds to the fun of reading this book! It’s keeping me on my toes, and I love it. Seriously guys, give this book a try, because it’s just fantastic. Where are my Gone Girl readers at? Can we PLEASE talk about this book and how freaking good it is?! Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

PS: THE MOVIE LOOKS SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!

Sep26

Gone Girl – 100 pages in and LOVING it!

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Gone Girl – 100 pages in and LOVING it!

I started to read Gone Girl, as I posted recently, and let me just say: I LOVE IT! I’m one hundred pages in so far and it’s just amazing. I’ve been so busy this past week that I’ve only had the chance to read a few chapters at night before bed, but so far so good! I’m really looking forward to having a binge reading session, because it’s such a page turner. When I put it down at night I almost get mad at myself for it. In the beginning of the book, I was very Team Nick, but now….not so much. I don’t think Nick went so far as to hurt Amy in any way….but I really am beginning to think that he had something to do with her disappearance. Every time I turn the page, he’s either lying to the police, talking smack about Amy’s family money, or Amy’s work ethic. Nick seems like such a bitter guy. I feel like he’s extremely unstable as well. All of these combined negatives about him are leading me to dislike every single thing he does, because I can’t tell if he’s lying or not now. I love the way Gillian Flynn alternates the chapters between Nick’s real life and Amy’s diary. It creates an almost back and forth banter between the two as each chapter goes by. It also makes it impossible to not read Amy’s diary entries after finishing up a chapter with Nick! I’m really looking forward to delving deeper into this book, because I feel like I’m just scratching the surface of all of the crazy stuff that’s about to happen!

How do you guys feel about this movie trailer? Who’s going to go see Gone Girl in theaters on October 3rd? I know I’ll be going as soon as I finish the book! -Sarah

Sep21

Gone Girl

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So after completing The Strain trilogy, which was absolutely delightful, I decided I’d like to start reading Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn. I have to say, I’m twenty pages in and I’m already hooked. Miss Flynn can write! She has a very dry wit to her writing which I like immensely. When a writer has a sense of humor that mirrors my own, it makes me relate to the characters in the book that much more. It makes me feel like their friend. It makes me feel like I’m in on the joke. Because I already have an instant connection with our main characters Nick and Amy, I feel like the twists and turns of this book are going to be even more shocking. I’m very excited to delve deeper into this story, and find out what all the buzz is about, because I’ve heard raving reviews on this book, but I’ve also heard some mediocre ones as well. I’d really love to finish Gone Girl before the movie comes out. I’ve seen the trailers for it, and let me just say, Ben Affleck is looking mighty fine! HUBBA HUBBA! Have any of you read this book before? What are your thoughts on it? Do you think the movie will do the book justice? No spoilers please!!!! I’m about ready to go cuddle up in my blankies and crack this book open! Have an awesome night guys, sweet dreams! -Sarah

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^ This picture has literally nothing to do with my post…but it’s just so damn funny to me that it had to be included!!!

Sep20

Out of Print

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Out of Print

I’ve recently grown very fond of the brand Out of Print. The T-shirts feature different iconic and often out of print book covers. Not only are the shirts adorable, but the purchase of them helps benefit a great cause. For each product sold, one book is donated to a community in need through the brand’s partner Books For Africa. All of the clothing is treated to feel soft and worn, like a well read book. I found my first shirt from the brand in a cute little boutique called Shoo in Wisconsin. I instantly fell in love with the Goodnight Moon shirt, as it was my favorite growing up. At the boutique they also had a little onesie for a baby with the Le Petit Prince cover on it, but unfortunately no adult t-shirt. I was so disappointed because Le Petit Prince is one of my all time favorites. I was so pleased to find it when I was browsing on ModCloth and just HAD to buy it! Whenever I wear either of these shirts, I get tons of compliments, and I always make sure I let the admirers know about the great cause they can help out by buying these shirts. Here’s the company website: http://outofprintclothing.com/ make sure you check it out, and find your favorite book! You can also purchase some select styles on ModCloth as well: http://www.modcloth.com/

Here are a few of my personal favorites that I’d love to add to my collection:

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Can’t wait to buy some of these soon!!! What book cover would you like to have on a shirt? Leave me a comment and let me know! -Sarah

Sep17

The Strain

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So my television obsession recently has been the FX series called The Strain. It’s based off of the trilogy written by the gorgeous minds of Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan. I just finished the trilogy after a solid month or so of plucking away at the 350 plus page books, and let me tell you: it was fucking crazy!!!! I’m not gonna give anything away, I promise….but jeez Louise! If you happen to watch the tv show and haven’t read the books, I can’t recommend them highly enough. I’m honestly not a huge vampire fan per say, but the unique take on the vamps in this series had me hooked. These vamps are absolute demons. With no sparkly skin and no teenage romance bullshit. So naturally, I loved them. The television series has been doing a terrific job of staying true to the books so far too, so kudos to that for sure. The tv show has also done a great job of hiring this sexy beast to be a cast member:

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HUBBA HUBBA! That’s my man crush Monday right there 😉
What are some book recommendations guys? I need something new to start reading since I completed The Strain trilogy! I’m thinking of starting Gone Girl, the movie trailer for it looked intriguing. Have any of you read it? Is it worth my time? Leave me a comment and let me know! Have a great night! -Sarah