My Music Playlist For When I Write

(: Hello,
Whenever I write my book, I always have music playing. It could be blaring, or it could be playing softly through my headphones, but the point is that music is so inspiring. The words and melodies always inspire me to continue writing. So I thought it would be different to tell you some songs that I listen to while I wrote my first book, "The Antidote." If you have any music suggestions or want to make your own playlist, then send it to me! I love new music(:

They say that music can effect the way you drive or speed, it is the same for when you're writing. My mind gets going by the music that is playing:

1. The Antidote by St. Vincent- I listened to this the moment I came up with my book title name and no it doesn't have anything to do with my book's themes, but I love this song. I always listen to it when I become doubtful(:

2. Pseudologia Fantastica- Foster the People- Honestly this song has the best melody and I can't get enough of this song. It actually gets my mind going and I have to hear it all the time.

3. Radioactive- Imagine Dragons- Whenever I was editing my book, this song was very popular so I thought I would include it because it inspired me to write sometimes because it has a sick beat....(:

4. Any Grouplove song will be perfect when I am writing as well. I listened to mostly Colours, Raspberry, Hippy Hill and Ways to Go. Literally every song of theirs is perfect. They talk about nonsense and when you try to piece it together, your mind gets going.

5. Stairway to Heavan- Led Zeppelin- I love this song and it is for when my mind needs to slow down a little bit. I think it is helpful to have songs that are upbeat and some songs that slow you down.

6. Smells Like Teen Spirit or Lithium- Nirvana- Nirvana is my cure for all things bad in life. Kurt is the best singer to me of all time. So I am super passionate when I hear Nirvana and it effects how I write so much.

7. Bohemian Rhapsody- Queen- This song is so fun and emotional all in one, therefore it's always nice to listen to something fun.

8. Brothers- Kid Cudi  or really any song of his.....

9. Jack White-  Love is Blindness

10. Jimi Hendrix- Voodoo Child

11. Ozzy Osbourne's songs- all of them<3

12. Kashmir- Led Zeppelin

13. Red Hot Chili Peppers- Under the Bridge

14. Rag Doll- Aerosmith

15.Regina Specktor- Hero

16. Band of Skulls- I Know What I Am

17. Black Hole/ Robot- 30H!3

- My go to artists are Imagine Dragons, Coldplay, Lorde, Prince, Lana Del Ray, Cage the Elephant, Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Def Leopard,  The Black Keys and Papa Roach.


I have many more songs that I love, but these are all my favorites to hear when I am writing. Let me hear some of your favorite songs!!(:


Taylor<3

30 Book Questions(:

Hey Readers,
Last one for a while, I promise(: 

1 - The best book you read last year: Allegiant by Veronica Roth
2 - A book you've read more than 3 times: Harry Potter (The entire series...)
3 - Your favourite series: I love so many but Harry Potter is my favorite ever.
4 - A guilty pleasure book: Fifty Shades of Grey
5 - A book that made you laugh: The Fault in Our Stars
6 - A book that made you cry: My Sister's Keeper
7 - Most underrated book: The Host by Stephanie Meyer
8 - Most overrated book: The Maze Runner #3 - Death Cure
9 - A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving: Love Letters to the Dead
10 - Favorite classic book: Les Miserables
11 - A book you hated: I do not hate any books(:
12 - A book you used to love but don’t anymore: I love all books I used to love!
13 - Your favorite author: John Green
14 - Favorite male character: Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower
15 - Favorite female character: Rose Hathaway from Vampire Academy
16 - Your biggest fictional crush: Augustus Waters.. duh
17 - A good quick read: 13 Reasons Why
18 - A book that disappointed you: The Maze Runner
19 - Favorite book-to-movie conversion: Harry potter, Divergent. THE HUNGER GAMES
20 - Favorite romance: Atonement 
21 - Favorite book from your childhood: The Littles Series!
22 - A book you can't wait for: I can't wait for the next book in the Lunar Chronicles- Winter.
23 - A book you've been meaning to read for ages: City of Bones.....
24 - A book that you wish more people would read: CINDER! It is fabulous. And Love Letters to the Dead. (READ THEM!) 
25 - Character you are most similar to: Laurel from Love Letters because I am figuring out who I am.
26 - A book that changed your opinion about something: The Perks of Being a Wallflower changed who I am completely.
27 - Most surprising plot twist or ending: Fight Club.... most definitely.. 
28 - Favorite book title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Looking For Alaska. 
29 - A book everyone hated but you liked: I LOVE Vampire Academy and not a lot of people seem to like it.
30 - Your favorite book OF ALL TIME: THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

Try out your own questionnaire! It's a lot of fun(:

Happy Reading,

Taylor<3

Favorite Fictional _?

Just another fun survey(:

Favorite Fictional _?

1. Favorite fictional couple?- Dimitri and Rose(:

2. Favorite fictional character? Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower

3. Favorite fictional TV show? Sex and the City(:

4. Favorite fictional movie? I love so many movies but I love Harry Potter, Divergent and the Hunger Games

5. Favorite fictional villain? I love Count Olaf

6. Favorite fictional hero? Tris Prior(:

7. Favorite fictional pet? I love Pete off Sex and the City!!!

8. Favorite fictional setting/universe? Harry Potter World

9. Least favorite fictional couple? Adrian and Rose

10. Least favorite fictional character? Lissa

11. Least favorite fictional TV show? I don't like a lot of shows but I hate Pretty Little Liars

12. Least favorite fictional movie? The first Twilight movie!

13. Least favorite fictional villain? The Maze Runner villains...

14. Least favorite fictional hero? Thomas from The Maze Runner

15. Least favorite fictional pet? Can't think of one!

16. Least favorite fictional setting/universe? I love all Fictional settings(:

55 Quirky Questions For Readers

Hey friends, 

I found this fun questionnaire from The Literary Lollipop(: You can answer some if you want in my comments(: 

1. Favourite childhood book: The Littles by John Peterson

2. What are you reading right now? Cinder by Marissa Meyer

3. What books do you have on request at the library? City of Bones

4. Bad book habit: I start reading too many books at once!!

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library? Cinder <3

6. Do you have an e-reader? Yes. Of Course!

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once? I am trying to get read of the habit of reading more than one book! 

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog? Since I have my blog, I have found out about way more books than I would have without it.

9.Least favourite book you read this year: The Death Cure (Maze Runners Series Book #3)

10. Favourite book I’ve read this year: Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira 

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone? I am always trying to read out of my comfort zone and try new things but I always go back to my favorite types of books.

12. What is your reading comfort zone? Fiction, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Romance

13. Can you read on the bus? Yes! I do every morning.

14. Favourite place to read: In my bed, at night.

15. What’s your policy on book lending? I prefer to lend a book after I’ve had a chance to read it, though that doesn’t always work out.

16. Do you dogear your books? Yes.

17. Do you write notes in the margins of your books? Not really, I like to just relax and read.

18. Do you break/crack the spine of your books? I hate when I do that so I try hard not to(:

19. What is your favourite language to read? English because I can't read it any other way.

20. What makes you love a book? THE CHARACTERS and the plot. The characters have to make me love the book honestly. 

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book? If the novel has changed my attitude in the slightest bit, I recommend it. If it makes me think, I will love it.

22. Favourite genre: Paranormal or Science Fiction

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did): I don't read nonfiction very often.

24. Favourite Biography: Girl, Interrupted. It's a memoir! 

25. Have you ever read a self-help book? (And, was it actually helpful?) I have not but I find books to be helpful to me in different ways all the time(:

26. Favourite Cookbook: I have do not have a favorite one but I always look at different ones for recipes.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction): Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

28. Favourite reading snack: Candy Corn

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience: I hated when people jumped on the John Green bandwagon when I had been for John Green since 8th grade (and I am 19 now..)

30. How often do you agree with the critics about about a book? NEVER. well, sometimes I agree but most of the time, they don't know what they're talking about... lol(:

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews? I try really hard to say something positive but if it is flat out horrible, I don't even bother reviewing it.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose? Greek

33. Most intimidating book I’ve read: Les Miserables in 10th grade. Now that I look back, it was so great and I had nothing to be afraid of.

34. Most intimidating book I’m too nervous to begin: Can't think of one right now.

35. Favourite Poet: Robert Frost

36. How many books do you usually have checked out from the library at any given time? one or two

37. How often do you return books to the library unread? Never!

38. Favourite fictional character: So many... This is too hard. Charlie from "Perks of Being a Wallflower" is my all time favorite though.

39. Favourite fictional villain: Count Olaf <3

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation: Young Adult Fiction always.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading: A week or two. I try to read every single day but I get so busy sometimes.

42. Name a book you could/would not finish: Night Circus and Red Rain. I don't know why but I couldn't do it...

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading? People laughing really loud is the only distraction I have normally! 

44. Favourite film adaptation of a novel: I have so many favorites but I would have to say I love the film adaption of "The Fault in Our Stars."

45. Most disappointing film adaptation: Twilight- the first one was terrible and it slowly got better and the last one was AWESOME. So my biggest disappointment was only the first one.

46. Most money I’ve ever spent in a bookstore at one time: $200....

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it? I never skim. I want to be completely surprised!

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book halfway through? If I was no longer interested in the plot or characters. I have to love the characters and if they aren't changing at all, I don't like it. 

49. Do you like to keep your books organized? No, I just read them and then reread them if I love them enough(:

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once they’ve been read? I keep every single book and never give my books to anyone.. I am a selfish reader.

51. Are there any books that you’ve been avoiding? I have been avoiding City of Bones after seeing their ridiculous film adaption....

52. Name a book that made you angry: Thirteen Reasons Why- I love this book but the characters were awful people!!!!-_- Love that book though.

53. A book I didn’t expect to like but did: If I Stay

54. A book I expected to like but didn’t: The Maze Runner Series- I liked it but not like I thought I would.

55. Favourite guilt-free guilty pleasure reading: Fifty Shades of Gray Series and Harry Potter. <3 I have read Harry Potter so many times and it is around 17 times... No shame.

Thanks for reading this questionnaire. It is a lot of fun, so try it out if you want(: Talk to me about any of your answers!

Happy reading,

Taylor(:

Top Five Favorite Male Book Characters

Hey Friends,

I am finally writing this blog post! There are so many character that I love but I narrowed it down (:

1. Charlie from "The Perks of Being a Wallpaper"- This is my favorite book and the person that I am completely tied to is Charlie. He is amazing and he is weak and vulnerable and that is what makes him so relatable. We are all vulnerable in some way and he grows. He is the truest character of all time. We love you Charlie. There has never been a book that has affected me so much<3

2. Dimitri- "Vampire Academy"- Let's face the fact that Dimitri is kick ass. Rose and Dimitri are awesome and I think their love story is the best love story in a paranormal dimension. I am a huge fan of Vampire Academy and I don't like Lissa. I am a huge Dimitri and Rose fan(: Dimitri is weird in the last few books but I love Dimitri circa before he was turned!

3. Augustus Waters- "The Fault in Our Stars"- The most passionate, awesome boy in a book ever. He is extraordinary and he doesn't want to be forgotten, and he isn't. I hate when he died but I love Hazel Grace and Gus beyond words. I love his letter in the end and I read it to myself a lot when I am sad. John Green is the best writer of all time. Can I hear a hell yeah?

4. Jared- "The Host"- The Host is so great and Jared is my favorite, even when he hits Wanda. His anger is what makes him so sexy. I was always rooting for Wanda and Jared and then I realized how wrong that would be. Thank god Meyer added Ian. Still, Jared was my favorite part of this book and I always wanted to read about him(:

5. Peeta- "The Hunger Games"- Peeta is weak but Peeta is so damn cute. He loves Katniss more than anything. I am a better Katniss and Peeta fan in the movie and that never happens. Katniss and Peeta's love is so much stronger in the movie. I wish Suzanne Collins had added more love between them and make it cuter!! But Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson bring it to life (: Absolutely love the Baker boy.

Bonus Character:

6. Patrick- "The Perks of Being a Wallflower"- Patrick or "Nothing" is amazing. He is so strong, so beautiful and dynamic. I love how true he is to himself, how defenseless he becomes and vulnerable. Patrick is amazing and like Charlie, he is trying to figure out what the hell to do, which I continue to struggle with everyday as well. I love real characters.

 So, Next week I am deciding between talking about my top five books or least favorite books. We will see (: Don't forget to tell me a favorite character you have, Boy or Girl (:

Happy Reading,

Taylor<3

Top Five Favorite Female Book Characters (:

Hey friends,
What are your favorite book characters and why? I thought it would be fun to tell you mine! I am going to do girl characters today and then my top five boy characters later(: Then I want to discuss favorite book couples! I just want to have fun with my blog for a while! Next week I want to talk about my favorite book series or novels as well. I want to redesign my blog and approach some serious topics and then some fun topics. I have been writing just to write and they're pretty random at times! SO here goes(:

1. Wanda( From "The Host")- Now, I loved Melanie but I loved Wanda. She was sent here on earth to do a peaceful job and ends up realizing that humans are not so bad. She meets an amazing guy who loves her even as her true self and he thinks she is beautiful either way. Wanda is so loving and awesome. I strive to be like her in that I want to always be peaceful and understanding as she is. Wanda loved Jared because of Melanie's feelings but she finally let her own will and desire pull through to love Ian. She was a fighter in the end emotionally. Melanie was the physical fighter. I think Wanda deserved to live and I was so happy she got to be in someone else's body in the end. It makes me realize that home can be found in the most unlikely places.

2. Laurel (From "Love Letters to the Dead")- Although Laurel is upset and depressed, Laurel is awesome. She finally finds her own escape to life and she found her own way of coming out of her shell through her sister. She was inspiring because she can believe in herself. Laurel overcomes so much in this book and I struggle sometimes with how I feel, but her voice was beautiful and she became a woman in this book. She shows that she is growing and even after the book, she had growing to do and she knew that. She finally came to terms with the way life was and knew she couldn't fight it anymore. She took her struggles and made them work for her. She became a better person and was a completely different person on the last page than she was on the first page.

3. Rose Hathaway- Okay, yes she is super freaking badass and sometimes cheesy. I LOVE HER though. She is strong and she rationalizes things out like I do except Dimitri of course. Rose is my hero and I can never not laugh while reading the Vampire Academy series. Although VA movie was a flop, to me it really wasn't. Zoey Deutch played Rose phenomenally. She was just how I imagined Rose while reading it. Rose is willing to keep her word and kill Dimitri. Although she lets him fool him, she is guided by love and I would like to live that way. Rose and Lissa want to be together forever as friends, but Rose loves Dimitri too. It was an uphill battle the entire series and yes, sometimes I was pretty upset with Rose for her choices, but I never stopped rooting for my girl!

4. Hermione Granger- Hello... Harry Potter is the best!!! Hermione is the number one heroine ever. She is smart, cunning and sweet. She is the best companion ever to Ron and Harry. She is someone they can always count on and she is so cool. She always does the right thing until she realizes that doing the right thing doesn't always bring you what you need. Sometimes you have to break the rules to be a part of the bigger game we call life. Hermione doesn't fool around when it comes to being a good friend. She finally gets a big love with Ron but never loses sight of the task at hand.

5. Hazel Grace- I love Hazel and how strong she continues to be the entire time. She isn't brave until Gus. Gus lets her grow and you as the reader get to see what it is like to have love make you stronger and beautiful. Falling in love is so sacred and to fall in love sick, is brave and maybe even selfish. They both knew they would be sick, but still were strong enough to love each other. Hazel Grace is a beautiful narrator and a funny one. I love her and because I have a strong love for John Green, I loved the way Hazel Grace was a kick ass person.




Okay Readers,
There is my spill on my favorite female characters! Hopefully I didn't ramble too much. Tell me your favorite Female book character! Don't feel sad boys, I am bringing them up soon(: I will bring love to both genders!

Others I didn't include were Alaska from "Looking for Alaska," Sam from "The Perks Of Being A Wallflower,"Tris Prior, Katniss from "The Hunger Games," Bella Swan, Ginny Weasley and many more. Every time I read a new character, I really want to relate to them and these were the top five for me!


See you soon(:
Taylor

The Maze Runner Series Review

Dear Friends,
I have recently read and finished "The Maze Runner" series 1-3. I have a few comments to make. I am lost in the end. What was it all worth? The first book of the series was awesome. I loved it and couldn't wait to get my hands on "The Scorch Trials." When I did get my hands on it, I wanted to put it down a lot.. It took me a while to get through it but I still had hope for the third book, "The Death Cure." The title is deceiving, things don't seem to get better. There really isn't a cure and I am lost as to why... the best character is killed. Yes, there is death and in my opinion, unnecessary death. I love the first book but why did it end like this?!

"The Scorch Trails" confused me because I don't get the point of these many trails and tests. What did they do? Why was Teresa supposed to kill Thomas if the scientists believe him to be the most important thing. Then they want his brain in "The Death Cure." It makes no sense. Was Thomas selfish for not giving his life to finding a cure? Or were these people just CRAZY? "The Maze Runner" was so original in the beginning. Throwing some boys in a maze for the human race was awesome! Sometimes I wished it would have ended there because this was just so cool. I had such high hopes and standards for the next two. That is why I was so sad when I read them.

I am going to read more James Dashner because he has so many twists so I can't wait to try more books. All in all I really recommend you reading "The Maze Runner" series because it is different and maybe you can understand things I couldn't! James Dashner is awesome and there is a lot of surprises you never expected.

On a random note, Teresa is my favorite character and nothing is ever for certain why she behaves the way she does. And Brenda? I hate her! Why does she get the guy?! I loved the series but things were so unnecessary in the end of the book. I can't wait to read more from James Dashner but I was beyond disappointed in the end. With that being said, I hope the movies can feel in some gaps.

Speaking of movies for GREAT series. Vampire Academy, in my opinion, deserves a second chance and a second movie. The series only gets better! We, as fans, deserve to see more! https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/frostbite-a-vampire-academy-film

If not, then I will just continue to picture the series in my head forever <3

Happy Reading,
Taylor Hondos