I feel like September is going by so quickly, we're already in the second week! Before we know it, October will be here, and so I have to make the most out of time and read ;) For my literature class this semester I had to pick up The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, and although I've read it before in the past I was excited to re-read it once more and really give my opinions and thoughts on it. I'm sure the majority of people have heard of this book or probably been required to read it during middle or high school; I know I read it once in middle school and then picked it up once more for a previous class a couple of semesters ago. Finishing it this time around, I can say that this very small book has become a classic in my bookshelf and something that I can just easily pick up when I'm feeling nostalgic or want to connect to flashbacks of a similar life that Esperanza went through. I have to say that I really enjoyed this book primarily because I can relate immsenly to the various stories presented.

Before I get ahead of myself, if you have no idea what this book is about then let me give a brief synopsis. The House on Mango Street is a compilation of numerous vignettes that follow a young girl named, Esperanza Cordero, of Mexican-American (Chicano) descent who moves into a house on Mango Street* with her entire family.  Her neighborhood is primarily inhabited by other Latino's whose descriptions are vibrant and full of life, but exude dark undertones that seem to linger in the background of their everyday lives. Esperanza's neighborhood is one that is described where old tenants are moving out with the influx of Hispanic families moving in and one where passerby's roll up their windows and lock their doors. Looking from the inside out, many assumptions are made in regards to the characters appearance and demeanor, primarily based off of their culture and language, but hearing Esperanza's narration of her neighbors and friends demonstrates to readers how much struggle and heartache these people go through to get by.

So I know I said in my previous post I was going to continue reading the Losing It trilogy by Cora Carmack, and I did start by picking up the second book, Faking It, but I just couldn't. I'm not sure if the New Adult genre is for me. I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again as I turned the pages and it was extremely predictable. I just couldn't, so it was on to the next one. After that I was in a little bit of a reading slump so I decided I needed a paranormal, fluffy read and I managed to check out the eBook of Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins through my library's online service.

Now, I know a lot of people have given this book high ratings so I was a bit excited to start, but finishing it I kinda felt eh towards it. The main protagonist is Anna who is a half-angel/half-demon-something that is completely rare and has only happened one other time apparently. She's been raised by her adoptive mother, Patti, her entire life who loves her unconditionally. But as Anna goes through her childhood and adolescence she develops Niphilim qualities that include extensive eye vision, sensitive human touch and the ability to see people's "aura" indicating what they're feeling at the moment. She meets Kaidan, a Niphilim, whose father is the Demon of Lust. These Niphilim children have to essentially "work" for their fathers, each who control a different sin, by persuading humans to stray away from taking good decisions. Anna is different though and an all around "good-girl," delving deeper into her past and ancestry gives her more questions than answers as she might prove to have a bigger purpose than thought.

*WARNING: Spoilers ahead, if you have not read the book do not read on!