Book Review: How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasglow

Rating: 4.75/5 

Age Range: Young adult (I mean, I'm 21 and still thoroughly enjoyed this book)

"Here is what happens when your mother dies.

It's the brightest day of summer and it's dark outside. It's dark in your house, dark in your room, and dark in your heart. You feel like the darkness is going to split you apart. 

That's how it feels for Tiger. It's always been Tiger and her mother against the world. Then, on a day like any other, Tiger's mother dies. And now it's Tiger, alone.

Here is how you learn to make friends with the dark." [1]

I'll be honest, I just love to read, so when I went into this book, I had NO IDEA her mother was going to die. None. 

I rented this as an e-book through my library and I only read the title and I'm a sucker for books on mental health, so I borrowed it immediately.

So here I am just reading along and then her mom dies and I was completely taken aback. 

But this book is so much more than that. It gives so much insight into living with grief and how stressful and frustrating it can be to feel as if your grief "isn't as bad" as someone else's and how burdensome it feels to share your grief with your happy friends. 

It has its cliches, you know, like "the last thing I ever said to her was..." and stuff like that, but it makes up for that in the raw emotionally insight it gives us into Tiger's thoughts. This book is raw and beautiful and you'll probably, most definitely read this in a couple days like I did and you'll probably end up missing your mom like I did, and you'll probably want to hug everyone you know like I did (which sucks cause we're in quarantine). 

But you will also understand grief a little more and how important mental health is, and enjoy a lovely story in the process. 

How to Make Friends with the Dark is such a good read and the only reason it doesn't get 5 stars, is because I'm extra and there's literally a chapter that ends "and that's how you make friends with the dark" or something like the title and I was expecting that to be the clean, full-circle ending, and it wasn't. There was still more. But only like, a little more; enough to make you want to know more about the characters (like the guy she's into!!! and her best friend!!) but not enough to answer all your questions. 

So, no, the book wasn't perfect, but if you enjoy books like Turtles all the Way Down, then you'd love this as well. 

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Make-Friends-Dark-Kathleen-Glasgow/dp/1101934751

Book Review: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

Okay, if you know me at all, you know I absolutely adore John Green. I've read every single one of his books, had Turtles All The Way Down (TATWD) preordered for months (!!!), and I even watch his YouTube video with his brothers, follow him on all social media, etc. Totally unrelated - I am also a huge Amazon lover - I'm practically an expert. 

SO!

My two loves were combined when I accidentally stumbled upon Hank Green's new book waaaay back. At the time, there was only a pre-order button. No cover artwork, no description, just a name and the ability to pre-order. I, of course, immediately added it to me cart and just checked it every single day for updates. Religiously. Finally, a description was posted: 

The Carls just appeared. Roaming through New York City at three a.m., twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship—like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armor—April and her best friend, Andy, make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day, April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. News quickly spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world—from Beijing to Buenos Aires—and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the center of an intense international media spotlight. Seizing the opportunity to make her mark on the world, April now has to deal with the consequences her new particular brand of fame has on her relationships, her safety, and her own identity. And all eyes are on April to figure out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us.

I know what you're thinking, "Um what?"

Exactly.

I honestly was so unsure of this book reading this description. This is not my typical type of book. I am a huge sucker for love and romance, a good teen/young adult chick flick, a happy ending or happily ever after. I just don't usually stray far outside of my niche. That's what I love to read about and I know it, so why change it? So basically this book sat in my cart for months. The release date came and went and I had forgotten about it, but come Christmas morning, this book was under my tree, and once I started, I couldn't stop. I read this book all day until I was done, and I loved it so unbelievably much that I seriously bought it again just so I could have a signed version (to match my TATWD down one, of course). I don't want to give away too much about the story line, but I feel like diving into some of my favorite quotes will really give a good feel for how Hank Green writes and if it's your cup of tea or not. Let's begin!

Just because someone has power over you doesn't mean they're going to use it to hurt you. People who believe that tend to be either: People who have been victims of that sort of behavior, or... People who, if given power, will use it to hurt you.

Y E S Hank. This is such an eye-opening realization and reminder that the world is not full of only bad people!! There are good people out there who will not let their power and influence encourage bad behavior. Also, sometimes bad things happen to good people and it can ruin their outlook on life forever, which is something no one ever deserves to go through. What a sad existence it would be if you do not believe in good and love in others hearts.

The power that each of us has over complete strangers to make them feel terrible and frightened and weak is amazing.

I love this one, and I understand it can definitely come off as kind of dark, but I think it's really important to really just how much of an impact one person can make. 

I'm not much older now than I was then, but in a lot of ways, obviously, I'm a different person. So it is easy for me to recognize that I made some good decisions and some bad ones. But it's telling that, with this, I knew it was a bad idea even then but I still couldn't control myself. Knowing something is a bad idea does not always decrease the odds that you will do it. If I had examined my motivations on this one, I probably wouldn't have liked what I found, so I didn't.

This one is the best one. Don't even try to fight me on this one. It's like Hank read my mind and then wrote this girls' internal thoughts out on paper. I think April and I might be the same person. (Sorry Hank, I'm 20, not 23.) But in all seriousness, if you haven't had thoughts like this, then you have never been a teenager or young adult. Life can be scary, and there's so much you don't know, so many decisions that may require you to simply take a leap of faith, and that can be terrifying but also exhilarating. And you are going to make mistakes. You just are. That's life. And sometimes you'll make those mistakes very consciously and you'll try to ignore the selfish reasons in which you made that decision, and that's okay too! Your early adulthood is all about knowledge and growth, and the best way to learn is from experiences. 

I do things that are bad for myself, and my friends, and my health, and my world so I can get more power because I think I need that power to do good things.

But do we need power to make an impact? And do we need to do bad things to get it?


Overall, I found myself falling in love while reading this. It ranks in as my 2nd favorite book I've ever read. Only second to Turtles All The Way Down. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is such a great book, that tends to (at least for me) touch on a lot of slightly philosophical thoughts that many teenagers and young adults have. Especially as a girl, I related to April so so much, but this book was written by a man, so I can guarantee there have to be some boys that would definitely relate on some level.

Go out and buy this book, seriously, you won't regret it. '

And while you're waiting for it to arrive, leave me some more book suggestions and let me know what you think of Hank Green and his new book!

Life Update: College is Kicking My Butt

If you are a college student, this one's for you. 

MAJOR PROPS for not dropping out. I mean, I seriously consider the idea at least 3 times a week. I'm always like, "Well, I could just work full-time instead", or, "Well, maybe I'll finish my undergrad but screw Med School". 

(lol screw Med School (???), my dream is only to be a doctor...)


Honestly though, college is hard. I've spent the last week staying up until any time between 1 and 2 in the morning, and then I have to be up at 6:30 to get ready and leave for my 8am classes. Fantastic, right? However, I did get a 100% on my bio quiz (!!!!) Pray my Bio Exam will be close to that. Gotta pass the semester.

But, other than literal grades, I work like 15-20 hours a week and am in a sorority, so I'm busy nonstop. I start every morning at 7:15 am and I'm not home until 6:30 on good day, but 10:15 most of the time. I don't mind it though, I think I'm one of those people that needs to be busy to be productive. I definitely do much better under pressure, despite the fact that I stress out so much and have major anxiety. Seems kinda counterproductive, yet here I am.

I'm not here to in any way to discourage you from continuing your education though, it's actually quite the opposite! I believe everyone should continue their education after high school whether it be through the workforce or college or experience or traveling! Definitely do whatever you're passionate about, mine just happens to be an engineering degree and medical school, and even though it hits me hard sometimes, I really like school and I couldn't be more determined and excited to be a doctor some day!


OKAY, so on a totally not school related note: I GOT TAYLOR SWIFT TICKETS. My dad texted me the other night asking if I had plans August 18th and then sent me a ticket to go see Taylor Swift at Hard Rock in Miami, FL! I could not be more excited. I saw her on her 1989 tour and it was probably the best concert I've been to. Seriously, so incredible. I didn't even know every song on the album or anything, so I know that this tour will be even more amazing because I just love every song on Reputation. I'll be sure to post photos and such on here, but also feel free to follow me on social media if you wish to see a never-ending stream of all things T-Swift.

So I think that wraps things up. I'd like to do these Life Updates every now and then when I feel I have some things worth sharing or maybe even some good advice! I'm going to end each post with a quote, just to keep the positivity flowing: 

Book Review: Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

     
     Turtles All the Way Down by John Green peaked my interest upon announcement. I've read all of his other books, and while I haven't been a huge fan of his collaborative writings, I've really loved how relatable a majority of his works are. I'm a big fan of Looking For Alaska, personally, and the end left me reeling. 

(Please read it if you haven't already; it's incredible, I promise.)

I preordered a signed copy of this book online, and 

OH MY GOSH 

If you suffer with a mental illness, specifically anxiety or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, I want to state that this book may be a bit triggering, however once you get past the initial triggers, the book is incredible beyond words. I have no idea how John Green was able to write from the point of view of a teenage girl suffering with mental illness, but it is so relatable. This is by far my favorite book ever. 

My mother, who of course knows me personally, could not believe I had suggested this book to her. She was incredibly frustrated that I would read a triggering book and actually had to put it down a chapter or so in and come back to it later. When she picked it back up though, she was unable to put it down until completion. She called me right after she finished it and we had the same questions for each other. One of the things I have a love/hate relationship with is open ended conclusions in books and movies, and unfortunately John Green seems to be a fan. I can't say I have any complaints with the book overall, and I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. Even if you don't personally suffer from a mental illness, I really feel like this is an incredible way to start a conversation about it or even educate yourself on the matter. There aren't enough words on the book to describe how near and dear it is to my heart. I'll just end this review with my favorite quote from the book, and I actually have plans to get this tattooed at some point.

"Your now is not your forever."

Final Grade: A+

My Home!

So, I just got back today from Florida! My parents just moved there this past summer, and already it feels like home. I spent the week there for Spring Break and leaving the 80+ degrees and sunny days for blizzards and the 20s is not my favorite. But I got to see the Boston Red Sox play at JetBlue in Fort Myers for their spring training. They lost to the Baltimore Orioles (my boyfriend's favorite team), but honestly, it was one of the coolest experiences. It was my first ever baseball game and the weather was beautiful and we actually had amazing lawn seats! 

Later that week, I actually got to spend a couple days with just my mum and sister, which is so rare for us. Everything is usually a family event, which I love don't get me wrong, but this girls time was much needed. We went to Disney Springs and Universal Citywalk, and I swear I fall in love with Disney more and more every time we go. We ate SO GOOD while we were there, too. I had a Pineapple Fanta Float, birthday cake macaroon, a teriyaki mushroom burger, a cream puff & eclair sundae, chocolate covered pineapple, Italian poutine, and Norman Love chocolates. I also spoiled myself with Stitch things, because Lilo & Stitch is the greatest Disney movie of all time, don't fight me on this. 

 

All in all, Florida is just beautiful, and now I start the countdown until I move down there, too. May 12th can't come soon enough! 

More About Me

Hi guys! 

So that little 'Who Am I?' section probably to the right of this post here is so small and not super exciting (sorry, I'm working on it), so I figured I'd share more about me here, nice and big for all to see (where it's nearly impossible to ignore). So I'll try to make this much more entertaining!

Name? Taylor Marie McCabe

Birthday? October 27th & I'm 19 currently

School? I'm a junior at West Virginia University studying Biomedical Engineering

Family? My parents are still together and I also have a younger brother and sister!

Relationship? I've been dating my boyfriend Alex for a little over 4 years now!

Tattoos/piercings? I have 4 tattoos and 5 piercings

Favorite food? I have so many..french fries, cheesecake, glazed donuts...

Favorite color(s)? Baby blue and pastel pink (cotton candy colors, basically)

Favorite season? Spring!! I LOVE tulips (they're my favorite flower), and there is something so calming about the sound of rain. I'm also just not a big fan of being sweaty unintentionally or being freezing and without blankets..

Favorite social media? Without a doubt, Tumblr

Favorite tv show? Grey's Anatomy, Riverdale, Bates Motel, 9-1-1

Favorite book? PLEASE READ TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN BY JOHN GREEN. I promise you won't regret it. It's my favorite book of all time and I literally want a tattoo of a quote from the book.

Coffee or tea? I literally adore both

Jeans or leggings? Again, too tough of a decision

Read the whole thing? Still wanna know more? (Why?) Follow my social medias! 

Instagram: @taydayismyday
Twitter: @taydayismyday
Snapchat: @taytaymackabee
Tumblr: @taydayismyday