Swanfire Forever

Hello Lovelies,

I like stories. I'm sure that's no surprise to you all by now. I love the characters and the way they interact and develop throughout the story. And of course, I love the relationships.

Now, I have many favourite pairings.

Anne and Gilbert...

Katniss and Gale...

Kevin and Jane...

But my current all time favourite is Emma and Neal. Swanfire. (Spoilers for season three ahead. If you want to skip my ramble, but still want Swanfire feels, head to the bottom. There's my fan edit video down there. ^^)

*SPOILERS FOR SEASON THREE*

They're just so incredible! They have this intense past that makes them wary of love and trusting anyone. Then they create a deep history together. Then they meet each other eleven years later as broken, hurting people and realize that they're still completely in love with each other. And that terrifies Emma. The idea of loving the same guy that messed up her life earlier, even if he thought he was doing the right thing, is a frightening prospect. And for him, he feels hopeless. He knows he's done wrong by her. He can see the weight of his actions weighing on her shoulders. But he still loves her. 

Then he "dies" and Emma is left grieving even more than the first time he left her. The first time he left, she was mad and angry and had sworn never to see him again. It was completely over in her mind. When they met again, hope and fear began to spring up inside her. Maybe it wasn't over. Maybe they had a chance. Maybe they could make things right. Maybe she was completely terrified that she still loved him after all this time. When he died, not only did she grieve over him, but over the chance that they had and then lost. She had spent eleven years thinking he didn't love her, only to learn that he had loved her, deeply, but wanted to do the right thing. The grief is mixed with a different kind of anger. More of a "what if?" kind of anger.

While Neal is "dead", she reaches out to other places, trying to fill the gaping hole that he left. She needs something to fill it. She's been with Neal again and it's only grown the pain and need for something in her life. Here, we see her with Hook.

I'm sorry Captain Swan shippers, but it is my firm opinion that to Emma, for a good portion of the beginning of their relationship, Hook was an attempt to fill a hole. I don't think Emma really had any strong feelings towards him until some time into season four.  

It's funny, because Neal does the same thing with Emma. He has Tamara, who he tells Emma he "needs". It's my humble opinion that he's also trying to fill a hole. He can't have Emma, so he reaches out for anything that will numb the pain. 

     Echo Cave changed a lot in the dynamic of their relationship. For the first time since they met again, Emma is transparent with him, telling him exactly how she feels. I know she told Neal she loved him a few episodes earlier, but I think there's a really big difference between the two occasions. The first time, he was about to die. She didn't have to face any consequences of her confession. He would be gone. This time, she is telling him she loves him knowing that there will most likely be ramifications later. 

     After Neal gets out of his prison, he makes the bold declaration that he's never going to stop fighting for her, ever. He knows she loves him, he knows she's scared, and he knows that he's going to have to fight hard to win her trust back.

And this is where the writers did two horrible things wrong. They put Emma with Hook and they killed Neal. And I can't believe they did either. In my mind, Emma and Neal should have been end game. They'd been through so much and come so far, it seems unfair, cruel even, to have them not end up together. For heaven's sakes! They have a child together! Even if the writers had to stick Hook and Emma together, why did they have to kill Neal? It's just cruelty.

Anywho! If you've skipped my rant, my video is below.

Is anyone else really excited for season five to start??

Also! My sister Victoria and I have started up a book blog over at Sparrow and Acorn: Book Reviews if you want to check it out.

Depths of Despair

Hello Lovelies,

My heart is in the depths of despair, truly broken.

Jonathan Crombie passed away four days ago on April 15 and my heart has broken.

     For anyone who's followed my blog for a long time knows that I love Anne of Green Gables, the book and the movie. Despite my mother's vehement protests, it is my belief that Jonathan Crombie was the best Gilbert Blythe ever.

     I fell in love with him in the books and then again in the movies. The boyish grin. The kind sensitivity. The playful teasing. The curly hair. As melancholic as it sounds, a piece of my heart will always lie with the boy with the "curly brown hair, roguish hazel eyes, and a mouth twisted into a teasing smile".

     "A world without any Gilbert in it! Anne repeated the words drearily. Would it not be a very lonely, forlorn place?"

     Yes Anne, I'm afraid it will be. But he will forever live on in our hearts, in our books and on our screens as we watch you both fall in love time and time again.

     Rest in peace Jonathan Crombie. You were amazing.

50 Shades of Awkward

Hello Lovelies,

It's story time with Sarah! Gather round to hear yet another incident that proves that Sarah should not be allowed out in public.

I was shelving at the library downstairs in the adult section just minding my own business. I was most likely singing Disney, being the lovely awkward person I am.

So I'm shelving my books when all of the sudden, I see the most beautiful guy ever walk in. I mean this guy was a slice of pumpkin pie. He looked like Zayn Malik, who in my mind is probably one of the best looking guys out there. It was like in those cheesy movies when the guy is in slow motion and he runs his fingers through his hair and smiles and there's music. Except the only music was the Disney song I was currently singing. Probably Hakuna Matata.

Let's make something very clear. You know those girls who flirt effortlessly and just seem to ooze confidence and... flirtiness? I am not one of them. So I was perfectly happy admiring him from afar.

But does he stay afar? Nooo, he walks right over to me and I inwardly hyperventilate.

I'm fairly sure my train of thought went something like this.

Is he walking towards me? Oh gosh he is. Oh wait, maybe he's going to walk past me. Ah crap he's coming closer. What am I wearing? Ah crap! I'm wearing a Sesame Street shirt. Why do I even care. Oh look, he's talking to me and I have no idea what he just said.

"What?" I say, hoping that my mouth isn't hung open and I'm not drooling on my shoes.

He doesn't miss a beat.

"Do you know the book '50 Shades of Grey'? He asks, maintaining his smile.

What?

"Yes?" I manage to reply.

"Is it a sexual book?"

"Yeah."

"Like how sexual?"

My brain has exploded and I'm unable to reply in anything more than one or two words. I am also rapidly starting to resemble a tomato.

"Umm, pretty sexual."

"Oh, so it's like an erotica." He's still smiling. At this point, my daze has started to clear and I'm wondering if he actually knows what the book is about and is just enjoying watching me squirm.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Can you help me find it? I'd like to read it."

This was probably the only moment in the entire year I've worked at the library that I wish I didn't. I desperately wanted to get out of the conversation but because I worked there, I had to go help Zayn Malik's look alike find 50 Shades of Grey.

So off we go! Through the nonfiction, DVDs, CDs and paperbacks to the other side of the library where the book is.

I'm walking pretty fast. but he's tall and I'm a hobbit so my genius plan of outwalking him didn't really work.

"So have you read it?"

My brain engine sputters again and comes to a stop.

"No." I was actually pretty proud of myself for not sounding like a mouse.

He stops and looks at me with this smirkish smirk on his really attractive face.

"Do you want to read it?"

"No!" Any accomplishment of not sounding like a mouse has been replaced with the mortification of sounding like I'm on helium.

I show him where the book is and bolt out of there.

Later I come back to where the book was, shelving in that section.

The stupid book is still there.

Darn you attractive, cocky, perverted person.


Lovely Post of the Day

Recently, the lovely blogger Andrea wrote a post on her blog that just amazed me with its honesty and realness and relatableness and I really wanted to share it all with you.
It's called I Wrote This For You.

Along for the Ride

Hello Lovelies!

I've only noticed now that I've started almost every blog post with this greeting. Haha, I'm just a liiiiittle slow.

Yesterday was a fairly long day. I didn't get much sleep the night before due to a cold I've been fighting and then I had to work from 9 to 5 at the library, which admittedly, isn't the worst spot to work for a book lover. ;)

Lately, as I've mentioned, I've hit a bit of a book block, I just can't find a book that really captures my interest. But I now have a fairly good sized list of new books thanks to all of you beautiful people and some of my friends. Today I took out 'Along for the Ride' by Sarah Dessen. I'm sorry to all the Sarah Dessen fans out there, but she really doesn't do much for me. I've read 'What Happened to Goodbye', 'This Lullaby' and 'Just Listen' and found that her books are fairly... flat, in my opinion, which is why I was doubtful when a friend recommended I read 'Along for the Ride'.

But it was on my cart to shelve and I didn't have any other new reading material, so I figured why not. I took it out and figured I would read it later that evening.

I actually really, really enjoyed it. I'm not going to try and review it because I either end up giving you all way too much information, or deliberately try to avoid giving a lot of information which then results in a very vague awkward paragraph. So I'm just going to give you my opinion and go from there. But be warned that I might end up giving you spoilers. I swear it's not on purpose!

Yes, I'm aware the cover looks
incredibly teen cliche. Bear with me.

   

     So the basis of the book is this girl goes down to visit her father, her stepmother and their new baby. Her parents had split a few years back and due to the amount of pressure on her to do well academically and the responsibility she felt for her parents' fighting and eventual split, she never had the opportunity to be a child or teen. Because of the stress she continually feels, she's an insomniac. She goes down to visit her Dad for her summer and meets people, namely Eli who is also an insomniac due to some issues of his own. They bond over their inability to sleep and together they recreate a childhood for her...ish. So that's kinda the book in a nutshell. 

     The reason I really liked it was because I found the characters had depth in this book. I didn't feel like I was reading Cinderella with a faceless prince for the billionth time. Eli isn't perfect but he's not the  'bad boy'. He's a normal guy who's had issues and comes across as genuine. Auden (who's the main character. I don't think I mentioned that. Oops) isn't a damsel in distress who can't do anything for herself and she isn't the perfect 21st century strong, independent, young woman who "doesn't need no man." She's hurt and broken but real. 

Their relationship as it develops is... different. Has anyone ever read 'Dash and Lili's Book of Dares'? It kind of reminded me of that. They bond over the oddest ways. Like, when he learns she's never been bowling and they bowl at 3 am. Or when she says that she's never had a food fight and they do that too. When she ends up having a breakdown one night, he doesn't sooth her with his 'beautiful words' or 'gentle kisses'. He's just there listening to her cry and telling her that it isn't her fault. When he deals with his pain from his past, she's there for him as well, not as a lover or fairy godmother, but as a friend. 

Oh! Oh! And they don't sleep together! Boom! I'm sorry, that's a big pet peeve of mine. I hate reading books where these seventeen year olds know each other for like maybe a month and are madly in love and then end up sleeping together.

She doesn't change her dreams for him. She still ends up doing what she was planning on doing at the beginning of the summer and they still keep in touch.  There was still crappiness at the end in both their lives, they knew things weren't going to be perfect but they were willing to keep going. And maybe even get some sleep. 

I don't know, I guess I was just taken away by the realness of this book. I like reading real things. Real things make me happy.

Picture of the Day

This picture continually shows up on my Tumblr dashboard and every time I see it I think, "I really like this picture. I should grab it and save it to my computer." And I finally did it! Gold sticky star for me!
I don't know if it's the colours, the font of the words, the actual photograph or the use of the word 'darling' (which I absolutely love), but something about this picture just gets to me. There's no particular reason why I'm sharing it other than the fact that I really like it.

Reader's Block

Hello Lovelies!!

I have a problem.

Now, I know you're probably thinking, "Yes Sarah, we know you have problems. We read your blog." but I actually have a specific problem this time.

I have run out of books. Dun dun dunnnnn.

I've hit what I call a "reader's block". Like writer's block but instead of running out of inspiration to write and getting stuck, I've run out of inspiration to read. I've gone back and read all my old books and  I've tried finding new books but it's just not working. Nothing is capturing my attention. It's like book reading has become... a chore *gasp*.

I need to get over my reader's block. I need reassured faith that books can be well written and intriguing and amazing.

Do you have any book suggestions? Tell me some of your favourite books! Leave a comment letting me know what it's called, who it's by and the genre of the book.

On a totally different note, I have a moment yesterday that warmed my heart. Back in April, I decided to sponsor a child through World Vision. I had wanted to do this for years but my parents had said no because I didn't have a job and they didn't want me to sponsor someone and then have to pull out later because I didn't have the money. But I did it this past April and I'm sponsoring a little boy. Yesterday, my dad brought the mail home and came to me and said, "Sarah, there's a letter for you from ____ (Due to privacy reasons, I can't tell you where he's from)." I was kinda confused and was wondering if somehow the letter was sent to the wrong place and I had ended up with it by accident. No, my name was on the front of the letter. Huh.

I opened it and found a letter from my sponsor child! It was just adorable. I was really happy and I wrote him a letter back. If you ever have the chance to go on a service trip or sponsor a child or even help out somewhere near your home, I super encourage you to do so. It's incredible getting to help people and see the difference that you personally are making.

Ta ta for now! Leave a book comment!

Picture of the Day 

Has anyone seen the new X-men yet?? :)

Book Boyfriends Tag

Hello Earthlings!

My apologizes for not posting friday, I was away at a conference from thursday morning to saturday night and couldn't get to computer. I hope you've all been having a lovely Easter! Unfortunately, I've been sick (again) with a cold/cough and sound like a robotic frog.

Today is the next post of the Alphabet Challenge! Woop! Woop! And today's letter is 'B'. Over on the lovely Andrea's blog, Sempiternal Reader, she did a Book Boyfriend Tag and I thought, "Great idea! I can do that tag for my challenge." So today's topic is going to be my top five Book Boyfriends in no particular order.


1. Minho (The Maze Runner)

Minho is from James Dashner's book series "The Maze Runner" and he is just... gahh. He's one of the runners in the Glade so he's quite brave. He's super sarcastic, which I find to be a particularly attractive trait in fictional characters. Although he has a bit of a rough exterior, he has friends that he cares about who he will occasionally show his emotions to. I can't wait for the movie to come out in September. I really, really, really hope that they portray him well.

1. “Minho looked at Thomas, a serious expression on his face. "If I don't see you on the other side," he said in a sappy voice, "remember that I love you.” 

2. “Shouldn't someone give a pep talk or something?" Minho asked, pulling Thomas's attention away from Alby.

"Go ahead" Newt replied.

Minho nodded and faced the crowd. "Be careful," he said dryly.
"Don't die.”

"Great. We're all bloody inspired." Newt said.” 

2. Gilbert Blythe (Anne of Green Gables)

I love Gilbert. :) He's really very cute and loyal. I love the way that he didn't give up on Anne, even after she snubbed him time and time again. He can be a bit cheeky at times and he's definitely the boy next door type of guy. He has dreams for his future and he'll stop at nothing to get them. He's very kind and helpful. Basically the perfect guy. I guess I'd get bored of him in real life but he's wonderful in the book.

"He was a tall boy, with curly brown hair, roguish hazel eyes, and a mouth twisted into a teasing smile."

3. Gale Hawthorne (The Hunger Games)
*Minor Book Spoilers

This guy is probably my favourite right now. He's even more "gahh" than Minho in my humblest opinion. He's really brave and he's a natural leader. I mean, when he rescues those people when District 12 is being bombed?? Or when he takes the whipping in the square? Even the end of the third book did nothing to stop the love I have for this character. He is Katniss's faithful friend through and through. He's like ALWAYS there for her, always. He loves her so much and he encourages her throughout her time. He really is her support system. He's loyal and helpful to everyone around him. He helps in leading the rebellion and he isn't afraid to stand up for what it right. I was quite pissed when Katniss ended up marrying Peeta. Peeta was a wimp. 

"Okay, listen to me, you're stronger than they are. You are." (Gale to Katniss)

4. Four (Divergent)
*Minor Book Spoilers.

Kay, when I say Four, I really mean just Four. Not Tobias. I didn't like Tobias at all. Four on the other hand is strong. He's been through a lot and knows that life is hard. He knows that he must work hard to survive. He has a protective side that comes out around Tris. He fights hard for justice and is just really cool. I love the way Tris and Four's relationship develops in the first book but I don't like the second one. Four also isn't afraid to speak his mind, which is something I love in fictional characters.

I still haven't seen the movie!! :(

1. “Okay. Then...I can talk. Ask me something."
"Okay." He laughs shakily in my ear. "Why is your heart racing Tris?"
I cringe and say, "Well, I...I barely know you. I barely know you and I'm crammed up against you in a box, Four, what do you think?"...
"Maybe you were cut out for Candor," he says, "because you're a terrible liar.” 

2. “We've all started to put down the virtues of the other factions in the process of bolstering our own. I don't want to do that. I want to be brave, and selfless, and smart, and kind, and honest." He clears his throat. "I continually struggle with kindness.” 

5. Mr. Darcy (Pride & Prejudice)

This guy's a classic. He's a true gentleman, but has a bit of a brooding, mysterious side to him. I love his banter with Elizabeth and the way they communicate. He really loves his sister and his friend Mr. Bingley and will do anything to protect them. Even if he doesn't show it very often, he does care about the people around him.

I'm tagging everyone who's reading this to do this tag! :D
Also, if you're liking the Alphabet Challenge, you should head over to Aliology, cause she's doing it too!
Hope you enjoyed this post, I hope to see you all wednesday! :D

Song of the Day
I thought this would be appropriate. :)

Book Shopping!

Heyo!

Recently, I had one of those glorious Saturdays when I had no school to do. I know, practically unheard of, but I did. The sun was shining, I got to sleep in, my grandparents were over and I decided I would visit one of my favourite places in the world, Chapters!

So I did a little, mini book haul... I'm not really sure how many books count as a haul. Is it different with clothing? Like you have to buy five items of clothing for it to be considered a haul but at least seven make-up items when you do a haul then? I dunno, I'm calling my book shopping trip a mini haul.

Here are the awesome books I bought! Apologizes for the quality of the photos, I had to take them quickly before I ran out the door.

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh 
This is probably one of the funniest books I've EVER read. I actually can't read it in public because I laugh out loud and people give me weird looks. "Hyperbole and a Half" is a blog written by Allie Brosh and she has compiled a whole bunch of her posts into this book! Her blog posts have a whole bunch of cartoons throughout them and they are hilarious. She talks about everything from geese getting into her kitchen to her struggle with depression and she is really relatable. I definitely recommend it for anyone who likes to laugh. The only thing is, for anyone who's a bit squeemish about swearing, there is a moderate amount of it.

 The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
This is one of my many, many favourite books and I didn't own it and it was on sale, so I decided to buy it. I honestly love Nicholas Sparks' writing style, it's really emotional and relatable. I'm not a big sob story reader but I love his books. This one is about a girl and her younger brother who are sent to their dad's for the summer. The girl, Ronnie, really hates it there and is mad at her dad for leaving them. She has shut out anything to do with him, including her love of music. While there, she meets this guy Will. Throughout the book, she learns how to forgive and grow close to her dad again and learns to love someone else. It is a Nicholas Sparks book, so you can probably predict the type of ending it will have but it's a truly beautiful book. Anyone who enjoys sob, love, family stories, I would DEFINITELY recommend it. And for those of you who have seen the movie, the book is better.




A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly 
This book grew on me. I first read it and wasn't sure what I thought of it. Then I read it again and decided I liked it. Then read it again and decided that I really liked it and wanted to buy it. It's a murder mystery set in 1906. I'm not usually really into mysteries but I liked this one. It's based on the murder of Grace Mae Brown. The main character, Mattie, goes to work at a hotel for the summer. Grace gives her the infamous love letters to dispose of and Mattie has to try and figure out how and why she was killed. The book switches between her at the hotel and her in her hometown with her friends. I recommend this book but there is some sexual and violent content that could be disturbing for some people.

Kay! So there is my mini book haul for you all to see! How about you guys? Any books you've been enjoying lately or would recommend?

Song of the Day

I love this classical song so much! Yiruma is an amazing piano composer and this is definitely one of my favourites. Yes, this is from Twilight but the song was written WAY before that. It's a little melancholic but beautiful. Gahh, love it.

Favourite February Things

Gosh, where did February go? In fact, where have the past two months go? Didn't 2014 start like a week ago? I guess not...

So! February favourites! I'll say right now, I highly doubt that I'm going to be doing "beauty" favourites as I hardly ever buy new makeup, or hair stuff, or anything beauty related. Except maybe clothes. I love clothes. So my favourites are really going to be my favourite books, music, maybe clothing, pictures/photography etc. etc. And then I might throw in a random one like food or socks or weather.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 

     So a few months ago a dear friend (gosh, I sound like a grandmother) of mine gave me this book for my birthday. Anyone who knows me well knows I love books. So she gave me this book with the thoughts I would read it right away. Unfortunately, it got put off again and again until I forgot about it. A week or two ago, I found it in my dresser and picked it up to read.
     I am absolutely loving it! I love the author's writing style and the book is really interesting. I have been enjoying World War II books lately. The author's writing style is engaging and very creative. The words that he uses are truly remarkable. I haven't finished it yet but I definitely recommend it!


 Moringa Shower Gel, Body Scrub and Body Butter - The Body Shop

So this month I guess I will make an exception to the "no beauty favourites" because this stuff is incredible. I went shopping with another dear friend last weekend and neither of us were really in a clothing buying mood so we went to look at chocolates at Laura Secort and the wonderful smelling stuff at The Body Shop. I bought this lovely little package that had a loofa, shower gel, body scrub and body butter in it. The scent is very relaxing and floral. For some reason, it reminds me of something or someone from when I was really little.

Baptized - Daughtry

As I've mentioned in my "About Me" section, I am a huge Daughtry fan. In November he released his new album "Baptized". It was a different sound than his usual rock sound and I was a little hesitant at first. However, a few more listens through the album and I was hooked. I'm still loving it and it has been on my playlist all month. It's like a soft rock mixed with some pop and a few of the songs are folky. My favourites on the album are probably "Baptized", "Battleships", "Wild Heart", "18 Years" and "Cinderella". Go have a listen (not in the picture below, that's just a picture).


Peanut Butter S'more Bars

http://backforsecondsblog.com/2012/08/peanut-butter-smores-bars/

These. Are. Incredible. I'm not kidding. These bars a drool inspiring, snatch-before-anyone-else-gets-them, addicting slice of heaven. If you like peanut butter, or chocolate or s'mores you should definitely try them!!

The Hunger Games and Catching Fire

Yes, I'm a little behind on the times here. I only read the series this past month. I'd kinda been putting it off because everyone seemed to love it and I'm a bit of a rebel. Just a bit. But I finally gave in and read the series. The series were pretty good. I think I have fallen in love with Gale. Peeta's a wimp in MHO. So I wasn't enamoured with the books but then I watched the movies with a friend (yes, a dear one xD) and absolutely loved them. They were amazing! I'm trying not to say too much for the risk that there may be someone else out there who is just as behind as I am.

Picture I found on Facebook

Heehee, I love this movie and this picture is funny. Therefore, this picture is awesome.


That's it for this month's favourites!! What have your favourites been this month?

BTW Only 21 days until Divergent comes out! SO FLIPPING EXCITED!!


Song of the Day

This is a Daughtry song but it's not off of his new album. It's called "September" off of his album Leave This Town released in 2009. This is my favourite, favourite song and it has been for almost five years.