See ya later, taters.

I've always said that if blogging ever felt like a chore or if I stopped finding joy in blogging, I would take a step back.

To me, blogging has become a chore.

Jamie from the Perpetual Page Turner first inspired me with her blogging manifesto, and I'm pretty much breaking every single rule. I'm jealous. I'm not putting real life first. Blogging is becoming a burden. I'm feeling guilty about reading certain books and not reading other books. I'm constantly comparing myself to others. I'm writing posts because I feel I have to, not because I sincerely want to.

Then, I saw this post from Just A YA Girl and I started to tear up. Literally, I started to get tears in my eyes. Yeah, I know that's dramatic and ridiculous but it is also TRUE. As if I needed another sign that I needed a break! 

I'm taking a blogging sabbatical for the summer. I'll still be reading and commenting and on Twitter, but I won't be posting here. I'll reevaluate how I'm feeling in September and see how my time away has impacted my desire and passion for blogging.

I'll still be helping with the DAC ARC Tours Blog with Tara from Fiction Folio.

You can catch the rest of The Legend of Korra recaps over at Tripping Books. 

Ginger will hold down the fort with Rewind & Review.

Thanks for your patience and support as I reflect on what this blog means to me and where I go from here. 

Best Besties and Best Baddies

Image from GReads!

TGIF is a bookish meme hosted by my girl Ginger over at GReads! Basically, she poses a question somewhat related to books or reading and people link up their responses. It's a solid way to share your thoughts AND meet some new bloggers in the process. 

This week the question is: Supporting Characters: We tend to gush over those main characters the most, but what about those supporting roles? Who are some of your favorites?

I looooove books that have great supporting characters in the form of best friends. I also loooooove books that have GREAT bad guys. I mean really, what else would our good guy or girl have to do all day if not stop the bad guy from taking over the world?!

Ron Weasley, Ginger Badass

My top three best besties are:

Ron Weasley. AS IF y'all didn't see this coming. But really, Ron embraces Harry immediately and treats him like a normal kid and not like the wizarding legend he is. He invites him home for holiday. He goes with him into dangerous situations despite the fact that THERE ARE SPIDERS ABOUT. He also calls Harry on his crap which is the best thing a bestie can do. Speak the truth out of love. Also, he's hilarious and I love a funny friend.

Peeta Mellark. Peeta is too good for Katniss. Yeah, I said it. You know it's true. He's kind and sweet and gentle but strong and clever and brave too. He is all of the best things in this world AND he makes bread. I love him so.

The Colonel. If you have not listened to Looking for Alaska by John Green on audio, I highly recommend it IF JUST to hear The Colonel. His deadpan wit with a deep southern drawl speaks right to my heart of hearts. Also? He really does care about Pudge and Alaska and takes friendship seriously. I love that about him.

Now for the baddies! Top three best baddies are:

Draco Malfoy. Where there is a list with Ron Weasley, so there must also be a list with Draco Malfoy. This kid is a total douche from day one which makes him ridiculously easy to hate and blame for all of the things. Of course, once we meet Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, we realize why he is the way he is. Still, despite being a baddie, he does have a really cool name.

Mayor Prentiss. If ever there were a man whom I feared would corrupt my soul just from hearing him speak to me from the pages of a book, it is Mayor Prentiss from the Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness. He has a touch of the great madness that could lead him to do great things...but instead leads him to genocide, murder, abandoning any human emotional connections and disregard for human life. He scares me in the scariest possible way in that there are people like him - REAL PEOPLE - in the world. Every day. 

Warner. Warner from Shatter Me is my FAVORITE kind of baddie because not only does he throw a wrench into the plans of our heroine, but he's also smitten with her. Juliette, of course, is repulsed by this but I'm all YEAH WARNER GET SOME because for all of the tough man act he tries to pull, he's trying to impress someone. Is he really the baddest of the bad...or is he just broken? I WILL FIX YOU, WARNER.

Who are your favorite supporting characters? Do you agree/disagree with any that I've listed? Holla at me and be sure to link it up over at GReads!

Legend of Korra Recap: The Spirit of Competition

Chapter Five: The Spirit of Competition

In a sentence or so: Sexual tension reaches crazy high levels. Complicated teen angsty feelings compromise The Fire Ferrets performance in the pro-bending tournament.

What went down: The Fire Ferrets are getting their practice on for the tournament that's apparently still happening despite public threats to take away ALL THE BENDING from Amon. I predict something serious is gonna go down at the pro-bending championship. Regardless, I want to see lots of pro-bending because it is SO FREAKING COOL. Anyway, Bolin has dropped all subtlety and is essentially like "Korra, you're hot and rad and I want to date you so let's roll". Meanwhile, Mako and foxy Miss Sato rub noses in public. I vomit. 

GET IT, GIRRRRRRL.

Bolin and Mako talk about Korra (very Edward and Jacob style, to be honest) and it's painfully obvi they both dig her and things are just going to get massively awkward. Mako's all "whatever bro, she's friend material" and Bolin's like "no way, she's awesome" because Bolin is smart and realizes that awesome friend material = awesome girlfriend material. Bolin decides to go for it with Korra and asks her out in the most awesome way possible (seriously uses the phrase 'sort of a date situation') and they hang out and Korra has a good time but Bolin thinks it's more and compliments the snot out of her and things get even more weird. 

So they're in the tournament and doing awesome until Korra spills her guts to Mako and then the balance is off because he's with hoecake. Then later he reveals that HE DOES HAVE FEELINGS FOR HER (shock to no one) but he's with hoecake so what's up with that and then Korra kisses him. 10 points to Korra for initiating that shiz! Bolin sees it, ugly cries and goes on an eating bender. Their team chemistry continues to be off but Korra goes all Supreme Bad Ass and saves the day in the last round and advances them in the tourney. Which means they have to face some scenester/emo bending group in the finals named the Wolf Bats. I predict many awesome one liners. 

They were bending before you knew it was a thing.

In a nutshell - Bolin likes Korra. Korra likes Mako. Mako is with foxy Miss Sato but also has feelings for Korra. So that makes it a love triangle/quadrangle, I guess. 

Also, it appears Korra may be stretching herself too thin. She's got the whole Amon Task Force thing going as well as the pro-bending tournament and OH YEAH learning how to air bend and bring the world back into balance. No big.

Why it matters: I should have known the focus was going to be on the relationship bizniz when the opening recap was focused exclusively on their love lives. So yeah, there was a LOT of focus on the lovey dovey business this week. And don't get me wrong, I am all about the teenage angst and kissy times and the whole Bruce Wayne/Mr. Darcy thing that Mako has going on.  Ultimately, I want to learn more about Korra and her journey as the Avatar. I hope this was just a necessary episode to clear the air and we can move back to subtlety next time. 

Quotes of the episode: "Girls. Seriously."

"You know what I'm talkin' bout Pabuu. Talkin' bout loooove."

"Please. Go on. I enjoy praise."

Future besties. It must be so.

Closing thoughts: I was not a fan of Korra leading Bolin on. Granted, I don't think it was intentional but Bolin is the coolest and she needs to be aware. I do believe that Bolin and Korra are totally gonna be besties when he finds a girl who's ready for his jelly. 

I love that Korra makes bad decisions (leading Bolin on, spilling her guts to Mako) and then makes some really solid decisions (pulling it together to advance the team). I love her flaws.

But really, I'm ready for that balance of teenage angst and awesome story lines again.