Top Ten Things You May Not Know About Me

Anyone who follows my blog knows at least three things about me. One, that I am an avid reader. Two, that I absolutely adore my puppies, and three, I am obsessed with Kasie West. But there are a few other facts I'd like to share with you that you might not know about me! There have been a lot of top ten posts going up lately like the ones on Books, Bones, & Buffy and Finding Bliss in Books! It looked like so much fun that I thought I would give it a try, and trying to come up with ten random facts is extremely hard, in case you were wondering! Here they are though:
1. I am a Carnie.  Haha, got ya! This is kind of an inside joke between my dad and I. My family owns an inflatable rental company, and we rent out moon bounces and obstacle courses, etc. to birthday parties and other events. Not actual carnivals though! 

(My best friend and I in our sumo suits!)

2. I used to play roller derby.

I played for about half the year last year, and it was so much fun! I miss it a lot, but there started to be a lot of drama, and I just don't like drama one bit so I quit. Maybe I'll start up again one day. I still love skating so much. I skate nearly every day when the weather permits it! 

(Oh, another fun fact.. the track that my friend and I (on the right) are on was the same exact track used in the movie Whip It with Kristen Wiig, Drew Barrymore... Pretty cool, huh?)

3. I am a big prankster.

I LOVE to pull pranks on people. For Christmas last year, I gave my sister a fake scratch off ticket for $10,000. She totally bought it, and cried. Yeah, I felt pretty bad about that one, but it was still funny. Hmm, my mom gets a lot of pranks pulled on her. I've put blood oranges in her bag of regular oranges and she freaked out. My mom also runs a home daycare, so after all the daycare kids left, I put a fake turd on the toilet seat and waited for her to find it. Now that prank was just priceless!!

4. I used to show sheep in the FFA.

Yes, sheep. I have had ten different sheep all throughout high school. I was very active in my Future Farmer's of America chapter. I even served as an officer one year. I really miss having sheep! I raised most of them from the time they were born, and they are SO cute as babies! FFA was a great experience, and I loved every minute of it.

(Me and my favorite lamb of all time, Rowe in 2009)

5. I am a total homebody.

I would rather stay home than do pretty much anything. I am a complete invert. Some people think it's weird that I love to stay home and read or watch movies than go out and party, but that's just who I am.

6. My dad and I restored a 68' Camaro.

This car was a big pile of rust when we got it, but we worked hard, and this car is our baby now! Internet, meet Serenity!

7. I've never had a Valentine or New Year's Eve kiss.

and I'm a week shy of turning 23, but I couldn't care less. Boys have cooties as far as I'm concerned!

8. I've lost over 50 lbs two different times in my life.

(This is a before and after picture from the last time! I've kept the weight off for two years now, and plan on keeping it off until the day I die!)

9. I survived the two world's largest tornadoes EVER last year.

The first one was in May, and my dad and I were just getting out of the Warren theatre in Moore, OK from watching Star Trek: Into Darkness about ten minutes before it hit that theatre. We literally were just miles away from it, racing home. We could see the tornado through the windshield. I thought it was the scariest moment of my entire life at the time.

(This is the theatre we had just left minutes before after the tornado hit.)

Then, a few weeks later, I was stood corrected. The World's Biggest Tornado Ever, which was more than double the size of the tornado they had just deemed the same, was on a fast track straight to my house. It kept switching directions, and at one point in the evening, it was planned to go just south of my house so we decided to stay home, even though we don't have a shelter (and houses in Oklahoma don't have basements, either). At this point, I was extremely drunk, and here's a picture to prove it with the storm directly behind us.

(From left to right: My Aunt, Cousin, Cousin-in-law, Me, and Mom) 

Then, the monster switched back on course to my house, ripping up everything in sight. Imagine tornado sirens constantly screaming and then a distant rumbling in the background. It almost sounds like thunder, but it never ends. That's the sound of a tornado barreling down on you. We loaded up a few meager belongings, and our pets, and drove south. It was absolutely the most terrifying night of my life. Tornadoes started dropping from the sky all around us so fast that the meteorologists couldn't keep up. Stuff was flying through the air in front of us, all kinds of debris. I couldn't even look out the window, because I was bawling. We all thought we would have nothing left to come home to. No house to call home anymore. We survived though, and I have never felt more relieved than the moment we turned on our street and saw our house still standing. We had lucked out. Turns out, the main tornado of the night had lifted just a few miles from our house, and then dropped back down after it passed over. Crazy, huh? Our guardian angels were definitely watching us both those nights.

(This is a picture of the track of the tornado. My house is exactly where it says Yukon.)

10. I am very artistic.

But I don't really tell anyone about it. Most of the people that know me would be surprised to learn this about me. I love to paint and draw.

(This is a pair of Toms I painted!)

(This is a portrait of my best friends on their wedding day. I drew it for their gift.) 

So now that I've shared mine with you, what are some random facts about you?

Let me know in the comments, or leave a link to your random facts post!

Thanks for stopping by Pivot Book Reviews!

Defiance by C.J. Redwine - Book Review

Defiance by C.J. Redwine Series: Defiance Trilogy #1 Published by: Balzer + Bray on August 28th, 2012 Pages: 403 Format: Hardcover Genre: Fantasy Source: Purchased Rating: 4/5 Buy the Book   or    Add it to Goodreads!
FROM GOODREADS: Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city's brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father's apprentice, Logan- the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father's survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.
At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city's top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor's impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.
As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can't be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

MY THOUGHTS:
If you didn't know this about me already, I am a compulsive book buyer. It is impossible for me to go anywhere without purchasing a book, and if I don't go somewhere, I go to Amazon. It's bad, but I figure it's a better buying problem than most people have! Anyways, Defiance is another book that's been sitting on the TBR shelf for...well, we will just say quite awhile! I'd been craving a good fantasy book, and this was a light fantasy read for me but I loved it.
I've never read a book that had legit dragons in it until I picked up Defiance. Let me just say, IT WAS AMAZE-BALLS! I never ever would have though I would enjoy reading about Dragons, but it was just so bad-a. 
I was a little unsure about the alternate POVs at first, because I feel like when authors do that, it's really a hit or miss for me. But C.J. Redwine did a fantastic job switching between Rachel and Logan, and I didn't once have to wonder who I was reading from. I thought they both had unique voices, and I quickly grew to love them both. Rachel is such a bad-a. Gosh, sorry. That's the second time I've used that word in this review, but it's the truth. She the type of heroine who puts her feelings on the back burner, and just kicks some butt in a world where woman are all prissy little sissies. She has quite the little attitude, and it just made me relate to her even more, because apparently, as I've been told many times, I have the same type no matter how endearing and sweet I may sound! I couldn't imagine having to be taken care of by the guy who had rejected me when I professed my love for him, like Rachel did with Logan. Of course, a bit of time has passed since that happened, so Rachel hardened herself against Logan. I was not expecting Logan to begin forming feelings for Rachel, and the fact that he did made me love him even more. I giggled so many times reading his reactions to Rachel's appearance or his inner debates on what to say to her. He was like the girl of the relationship, and it made me wonder if guys really act this way in their head in real life. It's hilarious! This relationship is a slow burning romance, which is hard to find in YA these days. Most of the time, it's insta-love, but Defiance had none of that. Waiting for them to finally get together had me flipping the pages at an extra fast pace!
I also really loved the close relationship that both Rachel and Logan had with Oliver. He was such an awesome character, even if he always made me hungry for bakery goods! Every single time he talked about wanting to be a grand-daddy, my heart swelled with warmth!
Defiance is not lacking in the action department. I mean, how could it with Rachel being such a bad-a?! (Geez! Up to three times now!) Plus the villain is extra super malicious, and some of the things he did in this book really made me mad!!! I can't mention it, because it would be a major spoiler, but GOSH WHY DID THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN TO THAT PERSON?!?!?! There, that's all I'll say about that. But the non-stop action kept the momentum of the plot flowing, and kept me wondering at was going to happen next. 
Overall, I thought Defiance was a great read, and I'm glad I finally got to pick it up. I cannot wait to see what happens next in Deception. I made sure I ordered my copy the second I finished Defiance, and I'm sad it hasn't arrived yet. Don't let the Fantasy genre shy you away from this book. It is very light, and a great introduction to the genre if you're interested! I give Defiance 4 out of 5 stars!! :)

 

Was this review helpful? Have you read Defiance? Let me know in the comments!
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Bookish Banter #2

Welcome, welcome to the second edition of Bookish Banter! This is a weekly blog post where I talk about bookish topics with Elizabeth of Redhead Reader, Ellen of Pottermorebook, and Orsayor of Book Referees!

This weeks discussion is...

Receiving gifts- Gift Card or Bound Books?

MY ANSWER:

Wow! What a perfect question for this week, because my birthday is actually next Monday! But this is really a hard question for me to answer. It just depends on who is asking me, because for my parents, I just make a book wish list on Amazon and they buy me the bound books from it. But for someone that didn't know what books I liked or already have, I prefer to get a gift card that way I can get something I know I will enjoy! 

Keep an eye out next week for a giveaway! Even though, it's my birthday I want to celebrate with all of you! :)

Which do you prefer as a gift?

Did you like this new feature?

Have any topics you would like us to discuss in the future?

Let me know in the comments, and don't forget to check out the other three blogs to read their answers for the week! 

Stay updated on everything on Pivot Book Reviews and the ever popular Cover Puppies posts by following me! Don't be afraid to connect with me! I love talking about books with other book lovers! 

Cody Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - Book Review

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein Published by: Disney-Hyperion on Jan 1st, 2012 Pages: 343 Format: Hardcover Genre: Historical Fiction Source: Purchased Rating: Infinite amount of stars!! Buy the Book  or   Add to Goodreads FROM GOODREADS: Oct. 11th, 1943- A British spy plane crashes into Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.
When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution. 
As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage, failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy?
A Michael L. Printz Award Honor book that was called "a fiendishly-plotted mind game of a novel" in The New York Times, Code Name Verity is a visceral read of danger, resolve, and survival that shows just how far true friends will go to save each other.
MY THOUGHTS:
I finished Code Name Verity, and I have been trying to figure out a way to describe my feelings for this book in a thoughtful way for the whole duration of this evening. However, I seem to be lacking for words for how much this book touched my soul. There! This book seriously touched my soul (and made me bawl), but the feels that Code Name Verity pulled out of me were so intense!  I haven't read any historical fiction since I was in high school, so that's been roughly four-five years at least. I used to devour any and all the things related to World War II. I gobbled them up, but for some reason, I just stopped. I'm not sure why, but I stumbled across Code Name Verity in HPB one day and decided to go ahead and buy it, because I had been hearing some great buzz about it. It went directly to my TBR shelf, and has sat there for the past year. I'm sad that I let this beautiful and stunning book sit there for so long. I'm discovering a lot of FANTASTIC reads that have been collecting dust on that shelf in the past few weeks, it seems. I'm not sure why I ultimately decided to finally pick this one up, but I did, and I'm so so so so so glad that I did. Code Name Verity is a book that will live in my soul for the rest of my life.
I do not say that above statement lightly. I can probably count on one hand how many books have affected me in such a way. The genius of the entire plot and little connections is amazing! I will definitely be doing a re-read of this one, because I'm sure there was stuff that I did not catch the first time through!
I had heard that the writing style/POVs was unique, and I was a little unsure of what to expect before I opened the book up, but I really enjoyed the way it was written even if it took a little while to become accustomed to it. I was also worried that all the plane and historical mumbo jumbo would bore me to tears, but it actually fascinated me! I loved learning all about the different planes flown! The friendship in Code Name Verity is just so heartwarming and I love both girls so much. I want a friendship like this. The kind of friendship that you would do anything for that other person no matter what. Verity and Maddie are soulmate best friends. They were destined for each other, and complete one another so perfectly. I totes ship their friendship! There is a little bit of romance in CDV, but when I say a little, I mean, it is very little, but I REALLY wish there could have been just a hint more! Even though, I know this was more about friendship than any type of romance at all, but but but Jamie is just too cute! <3
Overall, Code Name Verity was quite the fabulous read, and I really think everyone should read this book at some point in their lives! If you couldn't tell already, I absolutely adored Code Name Verity to pieces, and I give it an infinite amount of stars as my rating, because it's just that amazing in my opinion. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another Elizabeth Wein book begging for my attention. (Rose Under Fire, if any were interested in which one!)

 X INFINITY!

Have you read Code Name Verity?

What did you think?

If not, do you think you will read it in the future?

Let me know in the comments! 

Thanks for visiting Pivot Book Reviews!! :)

Stacking the Shelves #5

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, where bloggers share their weekly book hauls! This is my fifth time participating, and I absolutley LOVE showcasing what I received over the week, and seeing what goodies everyone else got as well!!

Bought:

 

Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi (EEP! Someone hold me! I'm scared to read the last book in this series! But so excited too! I know, I'm a weird one!)

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan (GUYS! THIS ONE SOUNDS SO GOOD!! A killer gene? Say whaaat?)

Gifted:

Some awesome Swag from Courntey C. Stevens! I'm way excited to read her book now!

Won:

Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund

The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

(both from Danny of Bewitched Bookworms! THANKS SO MUCH DANNY!)

 

And then I won signed Splintered swag from Liliana at Lili Lost in a Book, which I'm extremely excited about! Liliana also sneaked in a few other bookmarks as well! Thanks girl! <33

I got quite a few goodies in the mail this week!! But I also got another thing...SICK!! I have some posts scheduled right now, and I'm trying to kick this cold's butt before it gets too bad but bear with me on responding to comments and stuff! I promise I will...I just don't know when!! LOVE you guys!

Be sure to check out my other posts (Especially Cover Puppies, if you are new to the blog!), and if you participated in StS this week, leave me a comment with a link so I can check out your weekly goodies! Thanks for visiting, and make sure you follow so you can keep up with my weekly musings!