Category: Blog

10 Unique Facts About Me

1. My fastest time in completing a Sudoku puzzle is 52 seconds.

2. I love to roller blade. Lots of things you see figure skaters do on ice skates, I can do on roller blades.

3. I wrote my first book when I was 12 years old. I’m sure I could still dig it up somewhere in my parents’ basement.

4. I self-published a book when I was 15 years old. But I DON’T recommend reading it. I was 15, alright? 😉

5. My favorite flavor is pina colada.

6. When I was younger, I used to be so obsessed with birds that I would spend hours outside just to take a picture of a tiny dot in the trees.

7. I can belch on command. As in sucking air into my stomach and belching it out. I don’t do it anymore because it’s unladylike XD

8. Bright lights make me sneeze. I believe it’s called the ACHOO syndrome, so going outside usually results in three sneezes. And I have NEVER sneezed in the dark.

9. Cats are naturally drawn to me. They find me. It’s something I seem to have inherited from my mom. (And no, I’m not a crazy cat lady. Not yet at least.)

10. I used to work in a bakery. I’d wake up at 3:30 a.m. and be at the bakery at 4:00 a.m. I made bread, donuts, pastries, cakes, and more. It takes AGES to get French bread to the shelves (from dough-making to proofing to the oven), so you’d better appreciate hot, fresh bread when you have it!

by Sydney Winward

Book Review of A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

Image result for a court of wings and ruin

Although I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first and second in the series, it was still definitely worth the read. The focus on war and serious details often gave me a headache as I tried to figure out what was going on and remember who was who. And then suddenly some of the characters were gay or bisexual. I honestly didn’t think it needed to be there. It only distracted from the story, hounding the reader with pages and pages of details that I don’t care to read about when there is a bigger picture in mind.

I would have liked to see Feyre and Tamlin talk at the end. I felt like the ending was too “happy” for what was going on with the battle. And the part after page 666, the same exact thing happened again that happened to Feyre Under the Mountain. It would have been nice to see something different in that regard, some variety.

Also, if the Bone Carver OR the Suriel would have told Feyre she was pregnant or something while the war was just around the corner, now THAT would have been interesting. But I’m sure that will happen much later on instead.

Either way, the book was good, but perhaps too long and filled with unnecessary details. 4 out of 5 stars.

four stars

by Sydney Winward

Bookstore Chaos

I haven’t had the chance to go to Barnes and Noble lately, but when I went just recently, my jaw literally dropped to the floor. It looked as if a thousand publishers threw up in there. Gone were the neat stacks of alphabetically-ordered books. Instead, there were one or two of each book in rows upon rows of shelves. It was a strange kind of organized chaos. I am amazed at how many authors are out there! Keep up the good work! And if you can, support your local bookstore! Amazon is all the rage these days, but nothing beats the familiar smell of coffee as you enter a Barnes and Noble bookstore, the tangible books you can feel with your fingers. Nothing beats the experience.

by Sydney Winward

Book Review of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

a court of thorns and roses

I first came across this book by scrolling through Pinterest and seeing the fan art associated with it. I kept seeing it again and again on my feed, and eventually, I got curious about who these characters were and how they tied together. This led to me checking the book out at the library, and I’m definitely glad I did!

With story elements from Beauty and the Beast and the Hades and Persephone myth, the book weaves a beautiful tale of love and sacrifice, and it begins to make us question what is real and what is not.

I absolutely love the characters. At first I didn’t like Tamlin at all, but he quickly grew on me. The same goes for Rhysand. He came across as evil and unfeeling, but we find that is anything but true. The ending scene with Rhysand and Feyre piqued my curiosity enough that I’m dying for the next book!

five stars

by Sydney Winward

Bloodscourge Is Finished!

tree carving

30,000 words and an entire book later, I finally finished Bloodscourge! I stopped halfway through to write a regency romance, and came back to it right after to finish the final 30,000 words. Now the question is…do I edit the book, or should I write the 2nd in my regency series…

Oh dear, regency it is!

by Sydney Winward

No Internet

You don’t realize how much you need something until it’s gone. For me, not having internet for over a week was painful. No writing. No book research. Nothing to occupy my time except for a 750-piece Cinderella puzzle that literally took a week to complete. But now we’re back online! Hello Bloodscourge, you will finally meet your end.

by Sydney Winward

Finishing the Book

I have been procrastinating for days! This is the fourth book in the Bloodborn series and I love the book to pieces. I have only a few chapters left until I am finished, and yet what am I doing? Surfing the web, scrolling through social media, eating snacks. The ending is too epic to handle, apparently XD Alright, just gotta write it. The ending, here I come!

by Sydney Winward

Book Review of Friends and Foes by Sarah Eden

Friends and Foes

I cannot even begin to express how much I adored this book. I found myself smiling like an idiot the ENTIRE way through the novel, not to mention drawing stares by laughing out loud at every other page. I love the dynamic between Phillip Jonquil and Sorrel. A light-hearted, amusing, and entertaining read, I highly recommend.

five stars

by Sydney Winward

Book Review of Lord Fenton’s Folly by Josi S. Kilpack

book review

I cannot even begin to express how depressed I feel after reading this book. Sure, it’s supposed to be a romance. It’s supposed to be set in the romantic Regency period. BUT wow that was a depressing read. Of course, the book promises that things will get better even before you open the cover. Unfortunately, you’ll find yourself waiting a VERY long time to encounter such promises.

However, I was pleasantly surprised at the emotions this book brought out in me, which isn’t something just any book can do. Four out of five stars!

four stars

by Sydney Winward