living in dreams

 "Homesickness is a blessing, you know. ... It means you actually care enough about folks to ache for them, and vice versa. Not everyone has that luxury." -Random flight attendant,  Surprised by Oxford  (Carolyn Weber)

Time passes quickly. It is not something that waits. Where have the days gone?

"Catch it, catch it!" A small clay ball arced through the air. Four pairs of eager hands stretched up to the heavens, their owners' eyes hungrily following the path of the toy.  "I'm going to get it!" The youngest boy took a few stumbling steps backwards. "It's coming!" "No, that's not fair - it's my turn!" His brother turned around and gave him a hefty shove. "You got it last time, Androgeus!" "Don't push me!" Androgeus knocked him hard on the shoulder. "It's whoever catches it first, Glaucus, and so far it's been me, because I'm better than you, and-"  "Look, Asterion's going to catch it!" The third player, an elder girl, cut through her brothers' bickering. "Look! It's going right his way." The boys stopped and turned, and watched as their half-brother lifted his hands to receive the ball, which was, indeed, making its way straight down towards hi...

 Language: ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ Genre: Historical fiction, feel-good, children's literature    Synopsis Set in the 1600s, The Witch of Blackbird Pond  leads readers on a journey of self-discovery and finding a home in the most unexpected places alongside teenage Kit Tyler. Orphaned and forced off the island she had grown up on, Kit travels to America by herself, hoping to find refuge at her aunt and uncle's place. She is taken in, but discovers that a house to stay in is simply not enough. She finds herself a misfit, somewhat of an outcast, an oddball. Tangled events lead to Kit befriending an old, ostracized woman who had been bluntly labelled a witch by the townspeople, and a tender, yet risky relationship blossoms between the two outsiders. Thoughts After having heard of this book by several other people (and praised highly, too!), I finally decided to take it up. I was not disappointed. Definitely one of those homely, fe...

The stretch of sky washed in hues of blue. Darkening near the peaks but softening to a greenish teal closer to the horizon. Little bright spots of stars, like glitter. They punctuate the heavens and sparkle.  

T he bird on the floor stretches its wings and lifts into the air, filled with freedom.   The bottle-nosed dolphin frisks and dives, gliding through the sea, thrilled with freedom.   Striking the sky, the powerful stallion rears, pawing and snorting, strong-willed with freedom.   The wet white clouds tumble through air in a chase with each other, all swilled with freedom.   On little feet, the little child runs  laughing and giggling, into Mother's arms, distilled with freedom.

"You need to know what it is to be a slave before you can be a King." -Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, How to Fight a Dragon's Fury (Cressida Cowell)

Started: 27/1 Finished: 12/2 Language: ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆ Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ Characters: ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆ Overall: ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆ Genre: Historical fiction, goth, dark romance Synopsis A new tenant of Thrushcross Grange, Lockwood discovers the dark, disturbing history of his new dwellings and Wuthering Heights, the home of his landlord. As narrated by the housemaid, the tragic love triangle of Catherine Earnshaw, Edgar Linton and the fierce, jealous Heathcliff governs the two residences, old rivalries and prejudices spilling into the second generation. Emily Brontë explores the sinister, stormy side of love as well as its cousins hatred and vengeance, with some characters refusing to let go of past wrongs done to them while others dwell on previous romances, profusely claiming that their love, though terribly possessive and harmful to outside eyes, alone is valid and true.  Thoughts Wuthering Heights was certainly a change from Tom Sawyer ; instead of focusing on the carelessness of youth, this novel delves deep...