I know I'm not a lifestyle blogger, I am a book blogger, but I've decided to share this little post with my lovely readers because we're basically like family at this point. 

Since joining Bookstagram and rebooting my blog, I've noticed how close to my followers and readers I really am.

What once felt like a community of booknerds, became almost like a second family to me. 

With that being said, I've become very comfortable with all of you these past few months and have begun to open up as well. 

This is where this post comes to play! I wanted to share a little inside of my life and an exciting detail on my growth. 

Throughout the past almost two years of officially becoming an adult, I've noticed I've been experiencing more downs than ups lately. 

I went to school and practically wasted money on a program that limited my creative use of writing; that basically limited my own opinions and desires. Crashed all my writing knowledge down by criticizing my writing because it "wasn't simple enough."

And that was just one small problem that begun what I felt like was an "adult curse."

I felt like I was at rock bottom. That at 19 years old, maybe I'll never get my life together. People surrounded me with comments saying I should go to school for a high paying job. To think fast because I'm not going to be young forever; that if I don't get a full-time job by 25, I will live my life broke.

I was surrounded by so much negativity; my thoughts ate me up and I felt like my mental illness was spiralling down, getting worse by the minute. I needed change fast.

With the thought that I went from seasonal depression, to depressing stages every two weeks -- lasting about a week or so, I didn't want to continue the life I was living.

I've became more interested in meditation and yoga. Trying to understand what I really wanted and what I mentally and physically really needed.

I've shared so many meaningful conversations, exposing tears and frustration with myself to the one person who listens and acts with the intent of causing nothing but positivity to myself.

This helped me realize what I truly desire for my future.

I knew I've always wanted to be a writer. I've always wanted to surround myself with some form literature; whether it was reading, writing, editing, publishing etc. Literature is what I love and what I'm passionate about. 

When I was younger, I always thought I shouldn't be the type to write books, or even be a blogger as a source of income. I always thought I needed to get some form of high paying job immediately; whether it was a doctor, a nurse, lawyer, etc. 

Growing up, to me, my future was filled with wealth more than happiness. Almost like, "I don't really like this job, I'm not really interested in it. But hey, if it gets me big bucks then I'll take it!"

As I grew and started the meditation process, I realized that isn't what I want for my future.

I don't want to dread going to work every morning. I don't want to savour only two days of the week when I can enjoy every second of my life.

Coming to the realization, I'd rather do what I love and make an average amount of money, than hate my job for the rest of my life but be wealthy.

Because think about it, a good person isn't rich in finances, but rich in soul.

I've decided to diminish all those thoughts I had about a job, growing up.  In order to survive, I don't need millions of dollars. I don't need a negative perspective on my career. I don't want to be the type of person who works a 9 to 5 job at a place that makes me waste seconds of my life, counting down the moments when I get to go home and relax, yet too drained to enjoy time with my family and kids.

I want to be able to live my truest life.

I've decided, it's never too late to dwell on your dreams. And as I've always wanted to be a writer; I've decided to do so. If this is what my heart desires and what it truly believes I'm made for then so be it.

I was so inspired by a lot of new and upcoming authors who are all around my age, some older. You don't need to be a certain age to write and you certainly don't need to be a certain age to do what you love.

I was especially inspired by Tomi Adeyemi and her video of her unboxing her book (which will be linked here if you want to watch it) before it was even published. In her early 20's, she's made that decision to take that route and do what she loves.

I've decided to do the same.

It's not going to be an overnight thing, of course. It's going to take months or even years to get to the point where I want to be. But I've decided as you lovelies are my readers, you deserve to be a part of my journey. I want to take you all on this writing ride with me -- the good and the bad! Therefore, I'll frequently post updates on my Instagram, but also little journals on my blog as well!

Of course, being a writer isn't going to be my only source of income right now, I'll still be working and frequently blogging. But in hopes that one day, I'll be surrounded by literature.

I wanted to thank all my lovely readers, and my main support system who have supported me and continued to support me.

On the road to happiness we go! And I'm excited to bring you all along with me!

Crown of Midnight is the second book in the Throne of Glass series. Following the events in the first book, Celeana finally won the king's brutal championship to become his assassin. But, Celaena feels as if the king is hiding something and uses her to kill only the innocent of people. When the king gives Celaena the task to kill someone very close to her, she starts to question her loyalty. Because the king isn't the only person hiding secrets. 

Sarah J Maas never fails to keep me on the edge of my seat!

Personally, I found this book to be the best of the series -- although I can't remember what happens later and I have yet to finish the series.

But honestly, Sarah J Maas' world building is phenomenal. 

I am in love with how put together this book is opposed to the first book. If you haven't read my review for the first book, I'll link it here but you can definitely tell difference between the two!

For example, when first reading the Throne of Glass, you really would assume the book is about Celaena and all her hardships, background story etc. on how she started off in the salt mines but now wants to win the championship and become the king's assassin. But, they added the whole magical aspect and it kind of brings a confusing turn as to what the plot is supposed to be. 

With this book, you can really tell the direction in which the plot and potentially the series is headed to. 

I also found this book's plot to be a lot more thought out and well written than in Throne of Glass, so you can definitely tell how much Sarah J Maas' writing has progressed. 

Personally, for the most part, this book was so hard to put down. It was honestly a series of suspenseful moments after one another. After your heart had time to relax from a scene, Sarah J Maas just kicks your heart even harder with the next one! 

And it's also the first book where important character' deaths occur which made me completely stunned. Like I said earlier, I don't remember what happened in this book so when Nehemia died I was in tears -- I thought she died later in the series, okay? 

And the ending really struck me as well. I knew Celaena was always Aelin but the way Chaol found out, I seriously got chills. 

Now diving into my favourite part; the characters! 

Dorian wasn't in this book much which was quite sad to me as I love Dorian so much but his limited scenes were made up through the adorable scenes of Chaol and Celaena. 

I mean, that time when Chaol found Celaena half drugged from a guy she was supposed to kill and she walked into his room because she knew he would protect her and he got so pissed because he scared her. And a couple hundred pages later, Celaena saved Chaol after being kidnapped. Ugh, adorable.

Chaol and Celaena's relationship really bloomed with this book in comparison to the previous novel. In Throne of Glass, Chaol basically hated Celaena. He saw her as nothing but a murderer and instead of protecting her, he protecting everyone around him who would associate themselves with Celaena. Now its the complete opposite, Chaol cares about her and that is what makes my heart melt.

Celaena herself also makes quite a development since the previous book. 

In Throne of Glass, she really only thought about herself, she was very arrogant and didn't really want help from anyone, just her freedom. She also really knew she was better than everyone and wanted to let everyone know.

In Crown of Midnight, you can really tell how much Celaena has bloomed throughout the book. You get to know her background story and where she really came from. What I also really loved about the evolution of Celaena's personality is her selflessness. Yes, she is an assassin for the king, but throughout the book, Celaena refuses to kill the king's requested humans to die and fakes their death in order to save their innocent lives.

But don't be alarmed, she will kill to protect.

I also noticed a lot of sass than aggression in her personality which I think provided a lot of comic relief to the novel as well.

The ending itself I think I fangirled a little over but at the same time, I knew it because of her response to Archer when he brought it up early in the book -- and I knew it beforehand but still.

Sarah J Maas just knows how to pull at my feels and I love it.

Crown of Midnight might be my favourite book of the series and I can't wait to get into the rest of them.

This novel follows our main character Anna who basically has some form of agoraphobia and lives alone in her house. Anna likes to "neighbour watch" where she inspects each of her neighbours' daily routines and what not. The Russells move into a home not too far from Anna's where she has a clear view of their window. Anna sees something in the window that she probably shouldn't have and has to figure out what happened and how she can prevent danger. 

If you follow me on goodreads, I know what you're thinking; you're probably wondering why I'm posting a review for this now when I've read it in January. I'm very behind in posting reviews.. 

Therefore, this review will probably be very broad since I can't remember much of what happens in this novel.

It was my first adult book I was willing to read and was not Stephen King so I was a little skeptical. But because of the praise it received, it really drew me to this novel and I'll admit, the praise is genuine.

The writing was phenomenal. 

I felt, for the most part this book was full of suspense. It was hard to put down over all. I think I read 2/3 of the book in about a day -- maybe even less because of how amazing the book was written and how suspenseful the plot was.

Character-wise, I really did like Anna. I felt like she was a great character to follow and interesting as well.

You really get to know her and the relationship she has with people around her; how most -- or all her communication she has with her family is through phone. I mean, she basically disciples her daughter through the phone and how she observes her neighbours in not necessarily creepy or nosy way, but as if it's almost subtle.

The only problem I had with this book was the ending. I feel like this is really common especially with mystery/thriller books is that most of the book is really fast paced, incredibly suspenseful; but once the ending hits, it's very quick, and not really worth an ending.

And I felt like this book was one of those books. The book was incredible for the most part, but once the ending it, I felt as if this book deserved a better ending.

Throughout the book, I tried to guess who the person she saw was only for it to decline.  If the ending had a better "wow" ending, I would have given it a five stars.

Also, in my opinion, the book seemed to be very similar to Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon but through a different genre and in some parts, different context.

With that being said, if you loved Everything, Everything and have been searching for a mystery/thriller twist, The Women in the Window is the book for you!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The only thing I would change is the ending.

A question I not only get very often but also see all over the book community is which reading medium is better: audiobooks, physical books or ebooks. And honestly, I feel like all are amazing ways to consume literature, but it depends on your lifestyle and preferences. 

So today, I'll share everything that makes each reading option amazing and hopefully it helps you pick your preference. 

**I do use all three forms to read my books**

eBooks or Electronic Books

Electronic or eBooks are basically a way to read books off of your phone, tablet, computer or even an eReader device. 

This basically means you're getting your literature electronically. 

I feel like this medium is more for people who prefer a modernized way to read whilst being able to bring more than one book on the go. 

Unlike physical copies, you can read your eBooks through any electronic platform. That also means that all your books are collected into one place and you can bring along all your books at once -- because they will be on your electronic device. 

Also, depending on the eBook source you use to purchase (or borrow) your books, they are the most inexpensive medium.

Physical Copy

This is the classic way of reading a book. 

The physical copies of books are the OG way of reading. 

It provides the best feeling of holding the book in your hands and best of all -- the brand new or old book smell!

Owning physical copies are just generally aesthetically pleasing and they are beautiful to look at when they are all gathered together on your shelves.

They also put less of a strain on your eyes.

Physical copies are my reading preference for all those reasons above -- the book smell, the satisfactory of holding a book in your hands and looking at all your books gathered together on your shelves.

They also make great models for Bookstagram photos!

Audiobooks

This is another modernized way of reading your books. 

An audiobook is basically ways to consume literature but through your ears instead of your eyes.

This is by listening to a CD or participating in a subscription service that provides audio sequences where people read the book for you, and you consume the writing through your ears. 

I feel like this medium is best for people who love to read but have very busy schedules. That is because, just like music, you can listen to an audiobook anywhere you go, whether its in the car, working out, when you're trying to sleep, etc. 

Of course, not everyone will like the same reading mediums. 

But this is a short display of each reading medium in hopes you'll find what works best for you! 

If you want to try out audiobooks, use my code AUDIOLATTE at audiobooks.com for a 30 Day Free Trial!

Writing in books: is that a Yay or a Nay for you?

Personally, for me I hated the idea of writing in my books; in fact, for some books, I still would never. 

But recently, I read a beautifully written essay basically saying, you don't fully enjoy the book you're reading unless you highlight or write in the books you're reading. Simply because highlighting, writing your thoughts etc., help your brain consume the information you are reading. That is why we highlight key definitions and phrases whilst studying. 

This brought up a fun, experimental idea. 

I love IT by Stephen King. I think by now, that is a well-known fact. I first read the book a couple months ago and since then, I have read it multiple times.. I mean multiple.

I thought it would be really fun to go through it and write down my thoughts on situations, highlight important aspects, maybe even draw in it. And because I didn't want to ruin my hardcover copy of IT (I do collect books -- especially Stephen King first editions so my hardcovers do mean a lot to me) I decided to get a paperback copy of the movie tie-in edition. With that, I defaced and annotated it like there was no tomorrow. 

With this blog post, I'll share how I did it and my general creativity in hopes it will inspire you to buy a second copy of your favourite book, heck use the copy you read in if you'd like, and embrace your creative side!

I used three different types of ways to annotate and deface my paperback copy of IT. I highlighted, wrote and drew in my copy and I'll share with you how I did it.

Colliding Skies by Debbie Zaken

Colliding Skies follows our main character Skye who has her heart set on the rest of her future. That is until aliens invade the Earth with intentions to help the Earth-lings. Skye ends up meeting and falling in love with one of the aliens, Ethan and the book revolves around the two trying to make a relationship work despite Ethan being an alien. 

**I was sent an eBook Advance Reader Copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Colliding Skies hits stores on March 6th!** 

I'll admit it. I am so obsessed with this book. 

I was very hesitant about this book because I'm not really into sci-fi/dystopian as much as I used to be so I was afraid I wouldn't enjoy this read, but my goodness, this book is addicting and phenomenal.

Because I don't have much negative things to say about this book, I guess I'll start with that. So when I first read this book, I noticed it is very similar to The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey which by the way, I am very protective over as I was obsessed with that book when it first came out.

So when Skye is looking up at the sky (lol) and she is talking about Cassiopeia and generally referencing constellations, I thought it was ever so similar to The 5th Wave; especially in the environment and just the general vibe Skye is in while she mentions it. 

But as the book goes on, I personally think although it has some attributes that are similar to The 5th Wave, it is very much so different. 

To me, it kind of reminded me of The 5th Wave and Obsidian mixed together. 

Other than that short little scene at the beginning of the novel, I really loved the book. 

I seriously fell in love with Skye and Ethan together. Their relationship was just to genuinely adorable and it's the type of adorable book relationship where it's not necessarily cheesy, but you love the two together so much that all you want and look forward to is the pair together -- if that makes sense.

I think Skye has definitely been added to one of my favourite characters of all time just because of who she is. She is a genuine and relatable character. She has a little sassy vibe to her, but also knows she isn't perfect and I love that being portrayed in literature. 

I also love how much she knows about astronomy which really makes this book interesting!

With debut novels, you really expect minor -- or major improvements that could be made on the writers part but with Colliding Skies, I feel like Debbie Zaken did a phenomenal job writing as the plot was paced very well. I don't think I've read a section of this novel and thought, "ugh, can I skip this chapter? It's so boring."

The novel is action-packed and filled with equal amounts of suspense. It's a rollercoaster ride I didn't want to exit from.

Colliding Skies was incredibly addicting and honestly, hard to put down.

Because of this book, I now want to read any and every book involving astronomy and a cute love story.

Would I recommend you pick up Colliding Skies when it comes out on March 6th? Absolutely! 

I get a lot of questions from people who don't read very much but really want to on how to read more often. And I feel like this has to be one of the most frequently asked questions because a lot of people are trying to get into reading a lot more now -- which makes my booknerd heart very happy!

With that being said, I thought I would do another Jess' Book Advice and reveal my tips on how to read more! 

Enjoyable Books

One of the main things I've noticed is that people start off with books that are overhyped more than books they actually have interests in. For example, if you dive into a book because it's talked about everywhere but you have no idea what the book is about, that will be an awful way to start your reading journey and evidently push you away from reading as a whole. 

My advice is to read synopsis' before you read reviews. Reviews are great, of course, but if you have no interests or you don't know what the book is about, it will give you a negative reading experience. 

Limit Time on Phones

We always have free time. Whether it is waiting in between class, waiting to be called in at a waiting room, waiting for your car at the auto shop or even before bed after a long day of work. There will always be a time where you are free. 

Our society's initial reaction when were waiting or have free time is to pull out our phones and check social media or play games on our phone where this time can be used to read your book!

Instead of spending hours and hours playing games on our devices or checking our social medias, we can spend that time reading a book!

Carry A Book Around

This, in some ways has relations to the previous advice.

My boyfriend and family always makes fun of me for carrying a book everywhere I go, whether it's to get dinner really quickly, to go out for breakfast, etc. and let's be realistic, there will always be one time where we have a bit of free time -- mostly just waiting for something and we pull out our phones and we get invested in this technological world.

If you carry a book around with you where ever you go, there will always be a time where you're waiting for someone/something or you have some sort of free time on your hands -- even if it's just five minutes, you can use that time to pull out a book and read instead of being on your device.

Start With Shorter Books 

This is something I notice a lot as well!

People will express how much they want to read so they pick up a 1000+ page book, stop midway and tell me their reading experience wasn't enjoyable because "books are too long and time consuming." 

If you like comics, or graphic novels, magazines; or even books around 200 or so pages, start with those. And once you get the hang of your reading speed, your interests, favourite genres etc. then move up to higher paged novels. When your start your reading journey with 1000+ paged books, you are draining yourself and missing out on a great reading experience.

Start with shorter books and move your way up. 

Don't Push Yourself

Something I commonly get is "I'm not a very fast reader but I'm going to push myself to read 356 paged in two hours!" and 15 minutes later, again, they tell me they are drained from reading and will probably never do it ever again. 

Reading isn't a race. We aren't in the olympics, fighting for the gold medal of "Who has read more pages in 15 minutes." Pace yourself. 

It is okay to read 80 pages in two hours. It's okay to read more in that time period, it is okay to read less. Let your mind consume what is written and enjoy it. Don't push yourself. 

Try Different Reading Methods

Not everyone is the same. Meaning, not everyone likes to read physical copies.

With that being said, find a reading method that fits you and your schedule. 

Let's say you are more tech-savy and prefer newer mediums of reading. Definitely invest in a Kindle or Kobo. Or even use a eBook reading app on your phone.

Or perhaps you are a mother of three young kids and the only free time you have to physically read a book is five minutes before bed but you love listening to music and podcasts. I suggest you try Audiobooks! That way you can listen to any book on the go. 

You don't have to stick to one specific method in order to read. Try what works out for you!

Hopefully these quick tips make it a lot easier and encourage you lovelies to read more! If they do, let me know on the comments section, or on Instagram!

*If you'd like to try out audiobooks, use my code AUDIOLATTE on audiobooks.com to get a 30 Day Free Trial! I receive commission*