first week of December; I think I already know my favorite book of the year

I may sound like a broken record for talking about this book one more time, but I can't help myself. I loved this book so much that even though there's still a few weeks until the end of the year, I have already made up my mind that this book is definitely my favorite from this year. 

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is a historical fiction novel set in France during WWII and tells the story of two women during this time period. I already wrote a full review on this, so if you would like to read that, click here, but basically, I can not rave about this book enough. I have to recommend it to you if you haven't picked it up yet, because it is completely worth your time! 

It is just such a perfect and beautiful story; it is eloquently told and is such a page-turner that you may find it difficult to put down. At the same time, you would probably want to force yourself to put it down, for fear of the story ending. While I can go on and on about it, I still would not be able to give justice to the purity and very essence of the story. There simply aren't enough words to say about it without sounding repetitive and cliche. What I will focus on is how much it moved me. It moved me to tears as I was reading it, and it broke my heart so many times that I've lost count. And when I was done with it, all I wanted to do was talk to the characters, hug them, as I felt that they become my friends; they have become my sisters. 

On that note, I would like your top favorite reads this year so far. I am just starting to get back into reading after a bit of a break so I'm excited to pick one and read it before the year ends. Maybe it will become my favorite too. 

Christmas Wishlist

I've never made a wish list before, and I always have a hard time picking my gifts when asked what I want. Honestly, I would be pretty happy with fuzzy socks, candles, books, and pajamas! But hey, just because, I thought it would be fun to make an actual list for a change, here's mine. 

• Yosi Samra flats
  These have become my favorite flats. They are so cute but more importantly, they are comfortable.
• Banned Books pouch 
  MAKEUP BAG. That's all. 
• Le Petit Prince tank top
  The Little Prince is one of my favorite books!
• Marauder's Map dress
  Because it's perfect. 
• the perfect pink pea coat
  This specific one is from Romwe, but unfortunately they don't sell it anymore. 
• Frostbeard Studio candles! 
  I think the scents I would like are: Winterfell, Sexy Librarian, and Bookstore.

As for books, the only thing on my list right now is definitely Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Illustrated version! It is just so beautiful and beautiful and beautiful and I just want it but I can't justify buying it because I don't really need it, but let's be honest, I do.
I also would very much love to have The World of Ice and Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones because I love that expansive world so much. 

What's on top of your list this holiday season? 

On Grief and Coping

One of my close friends passed away in late August, and three months later, I still feel completely lost and heartbroken. I don't want to give away more details, out of respect to her family, who are also my friends, but basically, a tragic accident took her life. It was and still is devastating. There aren't words to describe the shock and the pain, but here I am, wanting to share, because I think at the very least, people should know who she is and how much of an impact she has made on so many people.

My friend, Medina, was 20 years old. She was young, carefree, and incredibly beautiful inside and out. Whether you were close to her or not, everyone felt her strong and confident presence. She was vibrant - a true beauty and a go-getter with a nurturing quality. At times, she would get into this mom-mode in which she would speak with such maturity and authority that I sometimes forgot how young she still was.

Why am I writing this blog post? I'm not sure. Maybe I'm writing this because I am not sure how else to cope. I've always found this blog to be a great outlet, and countless times I've gotten genuine feedback and conversations here, and I feel like talking about my friend and remembering her are the only things I can do right now. So here I am. 

That being said, I do also want to take my time to thank those that left me nice comments and messages on Instagram and Twitter when I shared the news in August; your support was not left unnoticed. I really appreciate having a group of people online that I've never even met in real life, help me through this tough time. 

While I'm not sure I am 100% there yet, I feel I've made some progress as I'm blogging again. I'm reading again, which was the hardest thing to do after it happened because she used to love my book posts on my IG. I'm also considering going on trips to places similar to the place she was once last, which is a big deal. Will I actually go? Maybe not, maybe yes, but like they say... baby steps.