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A reader's favorite guilty pleasure is assuming that the sharp wits, scathing remarks, and morally questionable actions of fictional characters are aimed directly at us. These books we have associated as our safety nets do anything to catch us during jarring experiences and the emotional turmoil that typically follows. For instance, every time I revisit Cassandra Clare's The Infernal Devices trilogy where she showcases a love triangle, I consistently brace myself from Will Herondale's cold remarks veiling his (obvious) affection for Tessa Gray and any cruel schemes completed by Jessamine, Nathan, Magister or other villains--not that the Magister's manipulation of his soul-fueled robot army sucks away any remorse I have toward his sorrowful past lending to his desires for revenge against Shadowhunters. Still, their flaws feel personal, their choices oddly intimate, and somehow, their imperfections make the story better. Moreover, despite the immediate hatred we are expe...

Despite the Christmas celebrations ending several days ago, I continue to nibble peppermint bark and sip hot chocolate until my blood resembles a concoction similar to a minty chocolate slush. Moreover, I continue to celebrate the winter holidays past a socially acceptable date and much later than any radio station will play "Jingle Bell Rock" or "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." So, as a naturally curious reader craving holiday stories even after the winter holidays conclude, I can only imagine the fictional favorites behind the twinkling eyes, rosy cheeks, and full heart that is the grand figure behind the Christmas festivities. Although the year before and especially the days leading up to his Christmas flight are exceptionally busy as toys are prepared by elves and sleigh avionics are strategized by Claus's team of engineers and reindeer pilots, I can only assume that Santa's mind not only readies for a long flight but also craves stories as rich ...

Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders... Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre:  dragon riders . But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them. With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant. She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise. Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and t...

Unless you live in the sun-blazing heat and humidity of Houston or anywhere close to the Earth's equator, summer rolls around only once a year. Nonetheless, summer in the United States is a time of change: the weather itself turns warmer as the sun works overtime, tropical storms and hurricanes become more occurrent as beach attendance rises, another academic year ends and readies for the subsequent classes to come later, and the awaited summer vacation and family traveling finally arrives.  Whether I went to my local park or partook in a family road trip to Florida, each vacation was the most anticipated part of my summer. Moreover, partaking in exciting adventures only gave me more brownie points when I inevitably returned to school and expressed all the amusement to my classmates and friends. Nonetheless, I still left energy to read imaginary stories as well as listen to my classmates' summer stories.  Meanwhile, to distract myself from the never-ending wait to reach a dest...

All foundations of great relationships rely on two things: partners with shared interests and specially made mix-tapes presented on anniversaries or all-nighter parties. Meanwhile, if you were in a relationship that resembled the great 80's and 90's classic movies, then the above statement is nothing but an obvious necessity for the relationship to continue. Although I cannot relate to burning songs to CDs or creating playlists for a significant other, my high school years were spent scouring Spotify and YouTube for the next "it" song. Thus, my time spent on these platforms were in the top 1% as a musical theater nerd and overall shy, hoodie-wearing hermit crab. Consequently, after engulfing Holly Black's Folk of the Air trilogy within three days and while surviving the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, I immediately began to soak my sorrows with both tissues and sad break-up songs. These sorrows were eventually subdued after re-reading the stories again, leading me t...