Wintersong
By S. Jae-Jones
Wintersong #1
Published on February 7, 2017
436 Pages
Fantasy, Young Adult
This book was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I swear on my bookshelf that this has not affected my opinion of the book.
All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.
But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts.
Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.
Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Rainy Days Ramblings. The topics are diverse and span from books and authors to blogging and the meaning of life (at least in regards to literature). If you want to share your thoughts on the prompt, feel free to make your own post too!
Every year, I make a list of "must-reads" for myself. Every year I end up forgetting about that list, reading whatever I want, and then chastising myself for not reading those books at the end of December.
However, this year I am determined to finally read these books (or at least some of them) since they have been on my TBR for about one eternity.
Feel free to call me out on not reading these at the end of the year--I will probably deserve it.
This week's question is.....
What books or series that are languishing in your TBR are you finally going to try this year?
In today's world, it can be hard to believe that one voice can actually make a difference. While the Internet has become a place for anyone to express themselves, it is also so full of people that it can be difficult to be noticed.
In a world of noise, distraction, and chaos, I did not believe in the power of an individual's voice. My jaded attitude caused me to give up on the power of an individual's story. The books I read mainly consisted of fantasy, science fiction, and a tiny bit of contemporary romance. In case you didn't notice, the genre that is completely missing from my reading diet is non-fiction.
Instead of learning about the real world through memoirs and biographies, I dove into the escapist distractions of fantasy and science fiction. I used to read more for entertainment and fun than for knowledge and understanding.
However, my mindset completely changed when I started reading memoirs. By dipping my toes into the murky waters of non-fiction, I became invested in a new genre that not only taught me about the real world around me, but also how to be a better reader.
New year, new me. That's what everyone says, right? As if the simple change from one year to the next, which is really just the switch from one day to the next that we experience every 24 hours, could fundamentally change who we are.
Maybe that is just a pessimistic view. Maybe I am just a little bit cynical. Maybe I am wrong, but I don't believe in magic of New Year's resolutions. I don't believe that a kiss on midnight will automatically ensure romantic prosperity or that a decision made on a whim when the clock strikes midnight will create any change in your life.
I don't believe in New Year's resolutions, but I do believe in the power of everyday decisions and goals.
A New Year's resolution is a one-time decision, often occurring as the result of pressure from society to instantaneously become a better person, that rarely lasts beyond January 31st. Resolutions made on a whim lack strength, longevity, and effectiveness. If a goal is not backed up by resiliency and motivation, it will never survive.
But that is exactly the problem: motivation. In my inconsistent blogging life, motivation is the scapegoat for all of my problems. Motivation is the continuity of choices you make all-day, everyday, which is infinitely more powerful than a singular decision made on New Year's Eve.
I am a long-life procrastinator who is more often motivated by the panic of a close deadline than the ambition of getting things done early just for the sake of having them done.
As you can probably tell, this becomes an issue for blogging, especially since it is self-motivated for me. I am always motivated for schoolwork (because I am obsessed with my grades) and my actual work (because I like money), but blogging is more self-rewarding. Since there is no salary or grade for blogging (at least I hope not considering my less than stellar record), it can be hard for me to find the motivation to write a post, start a blogging project, or sometimes, even read at all.
Going back to my skepticism of New Year's resolutions. I could have made the New Year's resolution to finally make a blogging schedule, to read at least 100 books in 2018, or to double the number of followers my blog has. I could have come up with all kinds of crazy goals and desires to wish on at the stroke of midnight. However, I didn't.
Instead, I am working on increasing my motivation and making the decision EVERYDAY to be a better blogger, better reader, and a better person. If you are of the same mind set (or you just want some motivational ramblings), here are my top tips to get and keep your motivation.
