Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Anticipated Debut Novels For 2015

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Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers from all over share their own top ten list based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top Ten Tuesdays here.

Top Ten Most Anticipated Debut Novels For 2015

I honestly don’t pay a lot of attention to when books come out, but I have to admit that I always like seeing which debut books are coming out.  These 10 really got my attention!  (PS- all links go to goodreads!)

  1. A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas.  Is it just me, or does it seem like there are quite a few Aurora/Sleeping Beauty re-tellings coming out?  This one seems particularly interesting, since it focuses on happily ever after.
  2. The Sacred Lies Of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes.  I don’t know why I’m fascinated with stories about girls escaping from religious communes, but I like the sound of this one.
  3. The Wrong Side Of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne.  This book is described as equal parts Princess Diaries and My Life Next Door, and as I love both, I’m even more curious about than I already was.
  4. Damage Done by Amanda Panitch.  A girl dealing with her brother’s crime, and a new, secret identity?  This sounds like my kind of book!
  5. The Distance Between Lost And Found by Kathryn Holmes.  A girl choosing not to talk after an incident with a preacher’s son, and then gets stranded on a mountain several months later?  I’m excited because I like the idea of a getting stranded on a mountain.
  6. The Conspiracy Of Us by Maggie Hall.  A YA book in the vein of The Da Vinci Code?  Sold.
  7. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard.  Just based on the summary, I totally see the comparisons to The Hunger Games and Divergent.
  8. Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen.  Family secrets abound in this book, especially because of a parent that has HIV.
  9. The Girl At Midnight by Melissa Grey.  This one really reminds me of Shadow And Bone, City Of Bones, and Daughter Of Smoke And Bone, which means I’ll (hopefully) like this book.  I mean, an ancient people with feathers for hair, living underground in New York City!  Totally different.
  10. An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir.  It’s set in a Rome-like world, which is super-intriguing.

Book Review: Home by Toni Morrison

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Home CoverBook: Home by Toni Morrison

Published May 2012 by Knopf Doubleday|160 pages

Where I Got It: the library

Series: None

Genre: Adult Literary Fiction/African-American Literature

You can find Home on goodreads

Goodreads Summary: 

The latest novel from Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison.

An angry and self-loathing veteran of the Korean War, Frank Money finds himself back in racist America after enduring trauma on the front lines that left him with more than just physical scars. His home–and himself in it–may no longer be as he remembers it, but Frank is shocked out of his crippling apathy by the need to rescue his medically abused younger sister and take her back to the small Georgia town they come from, which he’s hated all his life. As Frank revisits the memories from childhood and the war that leave him questioning his sense of self, he discovers a profound courage he thought he could never possess again. A deeply moving novel about an apparently defeated man finding his manhood–and his home.

What I Thought:

I really liked Home!  I read Sula and Beloved a few years ago, and while I liked them, I wasn’t completely into them.  But I figured it was a good time to give Morrison another try, and I’m actually really glad I did.

I really liked Frank, and how he had to deal with memories and what happened in Korea.  And he goes on a journey to help his sister, who went through some horrible things herself.  I really like seeing his memories and how he got to be the person we see at the beginning of the novel to how he became the person we see at the end of the novel.

I was struck by how Frank was trying to deal with everything that’s happened, and how he was trying to find his place after coming home.  You could tell how hard it was for him, and it’s something that still rings true today- with all of the stories of soldiers coming back with health issues and PTSD, and all of the recent events in places like Ferguson, you see how we’ve changed a lot, but at the same time, it’s still something that we’re dealing with.

Home is short, but Morrison makes every word count.  It’s simple and beautiful and this is one of the very rare books where I’m more interested in the actual writing than the story (even the story is great too).  Seriously, if you want to study writing, Toni Morrison is such a great place to start.  She can write, and she does it so well.

Let’s Rate It:

I really liked seeing Frank have to deal with so much, and even though his story takes place after the Korean war, so many things (like racism and PTSD) are still relevant today.  It’s also a simple but beautifully written book, and of the 3 books I’ve read by Morrison, I think this is a really good one to start with if you’ve never read Morrison.  Home gets 4 stars.

Currently Obsessed With: The Final Look Back At 2014

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Currently Obsessed With is a once-a-month but sometimes more feature where I talk about everything I’m into and everything going on in my life.

Instead doing a Currently Obsessed With post just for December, I thought it would be fun to do a year-end one!  It’s been quite a year for me.  Getting a new car is the biggest thing that happened this year (but getting it as a result of a totaled car was not fun) and finding out that my job went from temporary to permanent was also great.  Winning NaNo and realizing that I wanted to re-write was great, but spraining your ankle is not, especially when it means you don’t write anything.  You’d think not moving or being able to walk normally would be good for your word count, except for I kept getting distracted by Netflix and Hulu and the internet.

Nails & Beauty:

I’ve shared quite a few Julep Maven Boxes this year, and I really love getting them!  I’ve opted out for the last couple of months, because I haven’t been super interested in the colors they’ve had.  They’ve been colors I’m not interested in wearing because they’re not my style, and the ones I do like are way too similar to colors I already have, and I don’t need 3 variations of eggplant or navy blue.  I am really glad I upgraded to the customizable box, which is great when I don’t like a color, and want to switch to something I will wear. Obviously, it’s not helpful when I don’t like any of the colors.  But it’s still worth it.

Crochet:

I’ve crocheted quite a bit this year!  Like, I started a blanket that I would go on to abandon once it got crazy hot.  I did pick it back up again on Christmas, but it’s going to be put on hold while I finish up this one project- I believe I mentioned a super-secret crochet project that I will be finished with this month, and then I’ll actually be able to talk about it!

I crocheted a small bird, a Christmas ball coaster turned ornament, and a couple of scarves!  They were all Christmas presents- two for friends (the bird and one scarf, in plum), one for my grandma (the Christmas ball coaster ornament) and for a Secret Santa at work (the other scarf but in blue).

Crochet- December 2014 Collage

About that coaster ornament I came across this really cool pattern for Christmas coasters, and made one for my grandma.   I did feel like looking for cotton yarn, so I used some acrylic, and found that it would be a great ornament, since you have to make a chain so you can hang it on a hook.  It ended up being too big for an ornament, so if I decide to do it as an ornament again, I’ll definitely make it a round or two smaller.

Click here if you want the crochet bird pattern and here for the scarf pattern I used.

I also got a couple of really awesome crochet gifts, and they really are my favorite gifts that I got this year. Golden Snitch slippers and a Hufflepuff Ninja Scarf!  (My nickname is Snark Ninja, and since one end of the scarf had a lot of yellow, my one friend decided the other end needed a lot of black, which is quite ninja-like, hence a Hufflepuff Ninja scarf).

Books:

I have covered general year-end book stuff over the last few weeks: Top 10 New-To-Me Authors, Top 13 Favorite Books, Top 10 Resolutions, which is both bookish and non-bookish, I looked back at the resolutions I made a year ago, and the 2014 End-Of-Year Book Survey.

But there are still a few things I wanted to talk about!

I really want to read more diversely this year (I’ll totally be talking about that at some point in the next couple of weeks), and I used my audible credit to get 2 books- yay for 2 books for 1 credit sales!  I got Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Reading Lolita In Tehran by Azar Nafisi.  I have a couple of Adichie’s book on my TBR, and when I saw Americanah, during Audible’s 2-for-1 sale, I knew I had to get it.  Same thing for Reading Lolita In Tehran, which I’ve wanted to read for a while.  I’m actually glad I checked out the sale, because I found a couple of interesting books.

I got an Amazon gift card for Christmas, and that went towards some Kindle books!  I do have the Kindle app, but I don’t use it often.  Mostly for ARC’s, because for some reason, it’s a pain to get them onto the Nook tablet, and I’m way too lazy to figure it out.

Anyway, here’s what I got:

  • What If by Rebecca Donovan
  • Endangered by Eliot Schrefer
  • As Red As Blood by Salla Simukka
  • Out Of Shadows by Jason Wallace
  • Whatever Life Throws At You by Julie Cross.

And one final thing: Pottermore!  I was originally a beta tester when it first opened, but I went away from it for a really long time before coming back to it a few months ago.  I had quite a bit to get through, which was nice.  But I’ve been really disappointed with Order Of The Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince.  Given how big these 2 books are, there hasn’t been a lot of moments or new information, and it’s disappointing.

It does feel rushed to me, even though I know a lot of work has to go into illustrating the moments, and picking them, and adding in sound and the narration and everything.  I’m hoping that at some point, more things will be added to these two books, and that there are more moments in Deathly Hallows.  It seems unlikely but I’m still hopeful.

Book Stats:

I have yet to do a full break-down, but it’s always fun to do this.  I have some general numbers, plus it’s broken down by source, format and rating.

Basics:

Books Read: 140

Average Read Per Month: 11.67

Average Rating For All Books Read: 3.51

Source:

Own: 99

Borrowed: 3

Library: 1

ARC’s (through Netgalley or the publisher): 37 total (28 through netgalley, 9 directly from the publisher)

Format:

E-books: 117

Audio: 16

Print: 7

Rating:

0 Stars/DNF: 10

1 Star: 1

2 Stars: 12

3 Stars: 53

4 Stars: 58

5 Stars: 16

TV:

I’ve watched a lot of t.v. over the last year!  Once Upon A Time is a favorite, as is Gray’s Anatomy and Scandal. New favorites are The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, Heart Of Dixie, and The 100.  I’ve been watching Breaking Bad again, and I’m going to start up with Downton Abbey.  And hopefully, I’ll start doing my Gilmore Girls recaps again.  I am sad about the death of Edward Herrmann (and the others we’ve lost this year, like Maya Angelou, Joan Rivers and Robin Williams, amongst others).

Movies:

I’ve seen quite a few movies this year, and here are some of my favorites.

Animated:

  • Frozen
  • How To Train Your Dragon 2

Comics:

  • Captain America 2
  • Guardians Of The Galaxy

Movie adaptations:

  • Divergent made me love Four and Tris even more
  • Mockingjay, Part 1- I really liked that it focused on the characters
  • The Giver, which made me think of the book in a different way
  • If I Stay, which I liked but not as much as I thought
  • The Fault In Our Stars…it took me a good day to recover from all the crying

Also: I love that ABC Family has the occasional Harry Potter Marathon Weekend, which is what I did last weekend.  I watched Deathly Hallows, Part 2 for the first time since I saw it in theaters.  It’s so weird, because I can’t bring myself to watch it on DVD, because I feel like if I do, then the series is really, truly over.  I know it makes no sense whatsoever, since both books and movies have been over for several years now, but…that’s still my general feeling.  T.V. is perfectly fine for some reason, but I just can’t bring myself to watch it on DVD.

Around The Internet:

I’ve shared quite a few great articles throughout the year.  I’ve decided not to share any this month, but I did finally start a Pinterest board for all of them, which you can check out here.  I bookmark so many things, and I knew there had to be an easier way to keep everything in one place.  I don’t know why I didn’t think of it earlier.

My Favorite Things To Listen To:

Albums:

  • Frozen Soundtrack: I’m still listening to it.  A lot.
  • Guardians Of The Galaxy, Awesome Mix, Volume 1: It’s so much fun to listen to, and they did a great job with this soundtrack.
  • Divergent Soundtrack: Still listening to it months later.  It’s a favorite.
  • Shatter Me by Lindsay Stirling.  I am such a huge fan, and I can listen to Shatter Me over and over again.
  • Red by The Dallas String Quartet.  I love that it’s covers played on string instruments.  They are so good!

Songs:

  • Interception from Beautiful Creatures
  • Dark Horse by Katy Perry
  • Sleeping With A Friend by The Neon Trees
  • Ain’t It Fun by Paramore
  • I Will Be There by Odessa

One Podcast Recommendation:

  • Serial, which is now over.  I’m actually glad I started listening at what would be the last couple of episodes, since I got to listen to most of it at once.  But at the same time, I kind of wish I had more time with it.  At least I’ll get to listen to season 2 as it comes out.  Is anyone else listening to Serial?  If you haven’t, I seriously recommend it.

2014 End Of The Year Book Survey

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Every year, Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner does an End Of The Year Book Survey, and I always look forward to doing it because it’s so much fun to think about the books I’ve read over the last year in a really cool way.  I’ve done it in 2012 and 2013, so it’ll be fun to do it again.  Just to let y’all know, this is going to be a long post.  Enjoy!

Book Stats

Number Of Books Read:

140 + 10 DNF’s

Number Of Re-Reads:

I have no idea, since I don’t keep track of my re-reads (but maybe I should).  I know I re-read a few books.

Genre You Read The Most From:

I read a lot of YA Paranormal, with 49 books, followed by YA Contemporary with 37.

Best In Books

1- Best Books I Read, by genre:

Paranormal: Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

Re-tellings: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Dystopic: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Contemporary: Isla And The Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

2- Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More, But Didn’t:

It’s a toss-up between Eleanor & Park and The Book Thief- the latter of which I didn’t finish.  Both books have a lot of rave reviews, and they seem right up my alley, but these 2 books just didn’t work for me.

3- Most Surprising, in a good or a bad way:

Stiff by Mary Roach- she made science really fun and interesting!

4- Book That I Pushed The Most People To Read (And They Did):

This is a hard one, because I don’t recommend books to people often, but I really think people should read Crow by Barbara Wright.  I had no idea the Wilmington Race Riots even happened, and now I want to learn more about it.  Also the Queen Of Hearts Saga by Colleen Oakes.

5- Best Series I Started/Best Sequel/Best Series Ender:

Best Series I Started: The Crown by Colleen Oakes.  I just love this Alice In Wonderland re-telling.

Best Sequel: Witchfall by Victoria Lamb.  I just love the combination of paranormal and magic and Tudor England. Everything is coming together so well, and this book wasn’t just filler, which is nice.

Best Series Ender: We’ll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han.  It’s such a perfect end to the series, and I couldn’t ask for a better, more perfect ending.

6- Favorite New Author I Discovered In 2014:

Laura Weiss.  I just LOVED Me Since You, and now I want to read everything she writes.

7- Best Book from a genre I don’t typically read or was out of my comfort zone:

it’s a tie between The Autobiographies Of Maya Angelou, who had quite the life, and Tampa by Alyssa Nutting, which was uncomfortably disturbing but hard to put down literary fiction.

8- Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book I read this year:

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick.  It was hard to put down, and I wanted to know what would happen next, because the book was pretty unpredictable.

9- Book I Read In 2014 That I Am Most Likely To Re-Read In 2015:

Five Ways To Fall by K.A. Tucker.  I’ve already re-read it a couple of times, and I’m looking forward to re-reading it again.

10- Favorite Cover Of A Book I’ve Read In 2014: 

Teardrop Cover

11- Most Memorable Character Of 2014:

Jed from Dead Jed by Scott Craven.  He’s a kid who just happens to have a heart condition that makes him a zombie.  I really like seeing him trying to navigate middle school.

12- Most Beautifully Written Book Read In 2014:

Me Since You by Laura Weiss.  It’s such a beautiful book, and Rowan’s story was one I related to so well.

13- Most Thought-Provoking/Life-Changing Book Of 2014:

Pandemic by Yvonne Ventresca.  It’s a flu pandemic told by a girl who collects supplies and worries about things like pandemics to deal with a really horrible thing that happened with one of her teachers.

14- Book I Can’t Believe I Waited Until 2014 To Read:

The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight by Jennifer Smith.  It’s such a cute story, and I don’t know why it took me so long to read it.

15- Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book I Read In 2014:

“I believe some people are inherently evil.
I believe guilt is a powerful motivator.
I believe redemption is something you can strive for but never fully achieve.
I believe second chances exist only in dreams, never in reality.
I believe you don’t have years, or months, or weeks to impact a person’s life.
You have seconds.
Seconds to win them over, And seconds to lose them.”

-From Four Seconds To Lose by K.A. Tucker

16- Shortest & Longest Book I Read In 2014:

Shortest: Beauty by Nancy Ohlin at 118 pages

Longest: The Collected Autobiographies Of Maya Angelou at 1,186 pages

17- Book That Shocked Me The Most:

Tampa by Alyssa Nutting.  I was not actually expecting to actually read a teacher have sex with one of her 14-year-old students.

18- One True Pairing Of The Year:

I love Isla And Josh from Isla And The Happily Ever After.

19- Favorite Non-Romantic Pairing Of The Year:

I love the relationship that Charlie has with her brothers in On The Fence by Kasie West.

20- Favorite Book From An Author I’ve Read Previously:

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby.  I just love all of her books.

21- Best Book I Read Based Solely On A Recommendation/Peer Pressure:

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein.  I didn’t love it like I thought I would, but so many people loved it that I knew I had to read it.  Plus, of the ones I’ve read thar were recommended or I read because everyone else has, it really was one of the better ones.

22- Newest Fictional Crush From A Book I Read:

Raphael from Angels’ Blood by Nalini Singh.  He is one of my newest book boyfriends and I have no idea why.

23- Best 2014 Debut I Read:

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley.  It’s such a realistic look at how schools went through de-segregation, and it’s still hard to believe that it wasn’t that long ago that it happened.

24- Book That Put A Smile On My Face/Was The Most Fun To Read:

Wallbanger by Alice Clayton.  This book was absolutely hysterical and I couldn’t stop laughing.

25- Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting:

Out Of The Easy by Ruta Sepetys.  1950’s New Orleans came to life in this book.

26- Book That Made Me Cry Or Nearly Cry In 2014:

A bunch of them!  I really should have that as a category on goodreads…anyway, of the ones that made me cry, I think I have to go with Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, because I felt so connected to Cath and her story.

27- Hidden Gem Of The Year:

My Best Friend, Maybe by Caela Carter.  I was surprised by how much I liked this story of friendship.

28- Book That Crushed My Soul:

It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han.  I cried so much during this book, and it broke my heart.  It really did.

29- Most Unique Book:

Conversion by Katherine Howe.  It’s all about the stress that teens have to deal with in high school, and how that turned into physical symptoms.

30- Book That Made Me Most Mad:

Some Boys by Patty Blount.  Because of how everyone thought she was lying about being raped by the town golden boy, and that she deserved it, because everyone thought that he wasn’t capable of it.

Blogging & Reading Life

1- New Favorite Blog I Discovered In 2014:

I really don’t pay attention to when I start following blogs, but one I REMEMBER discovering this year is Diversity In YA.  It’ll be really helpful since reading more diversely is one of my goals for this year.

2- Favorite Review That I Wrote In 2014:

I think my favorite review from this year is the one I wrote for Isla And The Happily Ever After.  I acted like a total fangirl, but I’m okay with that, because it was a fun review to write.

3- Best Discussion/Non-Review Post I Wrote This Year:

I really like the two posts I did on a reading slump I was in.  I don’t know if they were my best posts, but they were definitely my favorites.  One post is just talking about it, and the other is just a follow-up.  Talking about it really helped me feel better about it.

4- Best Event I Participated In This Year:

The L.A. Festival Of Books was really fun, and I also had a great time at a book signing for The Kiss Of Deception.

5- Best Moment Of Book/Blogging Life:

I don’t know that I had a best moment- or even one that really stood out- but if I had to pick one, I think I’d pick being okay with having reading slumps, since they do happen sometimes.

6- Most Popular Post:

Top Ten Books For People Who Like The Iron Fey is my most popular post- 2.5-ish years after posting it!

7- Post I Wish Got A Little More Love:

I wrote a post talking about cookbooks, and my love of them.

8- Best Bookish Discovery:

9- Did I Complete Any Reading Challenges/Goals:

I did reach my goal of reading 140 books!

Looking Ahead

1- One Book I Didn’t Get To In 2014, But Will Be My #1 Priority In 2015:

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins.  I keep meaning to read but it never seems to happen.

2- A Non-Debut Book I Am Most Anticipating For 2015:

Prudence by Gail Carriger!  I am so glad she has a spin-off series about Prudence.

3- 2015 Debut I Am Most Excited About:

Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen.  I’m really intrigued by a girl who has deal with a parent who has HIV.

4- Series Ending/Sequel I Am Looking Forward To The Most:

Winter by Marisssa Meyer.  I am so excited about seeing how it all ends.

5- One Thing I Hope To Accomplish Or Do In My Reading/Blogging Life In 2015:

I am going to read more diversely, and it’s my #1 priority for this year.

6- A 2015 Release I’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone

I have yet to read any 2015 releases.

That’s it for my take on the survey.  Have a very happy and completely amazing new year!

Currently Obsessed With: The Looking Back At 2014 Resolutions Edition

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I know I can’t be the only one who is completely horrible at following through on New Years Resolutions, and given it’s the end of the year, I thought I’d take a look back and see how many of them I followed through on (and how well I followed through). Yesterday’s Top Ten Tuesday post made me want to revisit the ones I made back in January, so I went back to the Top Ten Tuesday post I did earlier in the year for the 2014 resolutions I made.

  1. Re-read more.  I don’t keep track of what I re-read, but I know I did some.  Maybe I need to keep track of what I re-read and when I re-read it so I have a better idea of how much I’m re-reading and what I’m re-reading.  Still, I did it to some unknown degree, so that’s good.
  2. Read what I have.  I actually did pretty good with it.  I bought quite a few books and read those, of course, but I did make more of an effort to read what I have.
  3. Listen to more audio books.  I read less audio books than I did last year.  I have so many that I need to listen to.  I really need to listen to more books.
  4. Feel less self-conscious about book-related things.  I’m pretty I’m more self-conscious about some of my reading habits.
  5. Stay on top of behind-the-scenes book blogging stuff.  I succeeded in varying degrees.  It comes and goes, but I’m also okay with not putting pressure on myself to stay on top of things at all times.
  6. Write reviews as soon as possible after finishing the book.  I stuck to this for the most part, but it was pretty hard when I was going through that reading slump.
  7. Comment more on blogs.  I started off fairly well with this, but then…I just kind of stopped.
  8. Adding in more personal posts.  I have my monthly recap posts, and sometimes I do a movie review or some other bookish but not book review post.  I actually did pretty well with it.  Well, better than I expected.
  9. I totally suck at exercising.  I had periods where I kept up with it, but what I really need to do is keep track of it, because that’s when I actually seem to do better with it.
  10. Trying new things with crochet.  I started a blanket that I still need to finish, but at least I started a big project.  I’m really proud of the Princess Anna hat I made for Halloween, and I also made fingerless gloves which is also something I don’t normally make.  And I made a capelet!  I also learned how to do foundation single crochet and the ripple/chevron stitch, and I really want to learn how to do more things, and make different things, because there are so many awesome things to make.

Of course, I did better with some things than with others, but I did accomplish some of what I wanted to do this year. Hopefully, next year, I’ll have better luck.

Happy new year!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Goals And Resolutions For 2015

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Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers from all over share their own top ten list based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top Ten Tuesdays here.

Top Ten Goals For 2015

I can’t believe it’s almost 2015 already!  It went by really fast, and it’s weird to think that I’m setting new goals for myself. There are so many things I want to do next year, and here are some of them.

Reading:

  1. Read More Diversely.  This is my top priority this year in terms of reading.  I really need to get of my reading comfort zone a little, and read all kinds of books by and about all kinds of people.  I am going to consciously choose a few books a month about a character or written by an author that is not like me- whether it is race, religion, or sexual orientation (or any number of ways, but those 3 are the first 3 that come to mind) I NEED to do this.  Recommendations would be helpful, if you have them.
  2. Also: buy less books and read more of what I have.  I don’t know how well it will work, but I know for sure that my audible credits are going towards reading more diversely, since the other formats I own tend to be not-so-diverse.
  3. Feel less reading guilt.  The guilt I feel in terms of so many things really takes over sometimes, and I need to be not-so-hard on myself.

Blogging/Writing:

  1. Comment more on blogs.  I know I said this last year, and I started off great, before getting completely derailed.  I so need to start commenting on blogs again.
  2. Work on world-building/characters and maybe an outline for last year’s NaNoWriMo novel.  Last year, I realized I really wanted to re-write it (as I was writing it), because I couldn’t work on the world-building ahead of time for the life of me.  I have a much better idea of where I want things to go now that I’ve written a first draft, so working on that should be a lot easier now.

Crochet:

  1. Learn how to do an adjustable ring.  MY LIFE WOULD BE SO MUCH EASIER IF I COULD ACTUALLY DO THIS.  Do you have any idea how many projects I avoid because I don’t know how to do it?  You probably don’t, but it’s quite a few.
  2. I also want to learn how to do new stitches this year.  I really need to try different ones just to change things up.  Still, I did do a little bit better since I tried a few new things.  Like starting a blanket, and learning the ripple/chevron stitch. And I learned how to do foundation single crochet!  The learning new crochet things will continue next year.

Other Goals:

  1. Exercise.  Everyone’s favorite cliche for resolutions.  I had random periods of doing it, but that went out the window when I sprained my ankle.  Actually, it did way before that, but do you want to know when I actually felt motivated to exercise? When I couldn’t because of my ankle.  Now that it’s better, I will (hopefully) do this!
  2. Use the nail polish I have!  I have a ton of nail polish, mostly because I have the Julep subscription box, and I get nail polish every month (well, every month I don’t skip).  On the plus side, I tend to not buy nail polish at Target or wherever, because I have a lot.  I really want to wear a different color every week, because I have so many colors I don’t even wear (or wear once or twice, and then I’m done).
  3.  Drink more water.  I don’t drink a lot of water- I drink things like tea and juice and soda and coffee, so I want to start adding in some water.
  4. I see all of these great craft ideas on pinterest, and I never do any of them.  I want to start making some of them.

Mini Book Review: On The Fence

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On The Fence CoverBook: On The Fence by Kasie West

Published July 2014 by Harper Teen|293 pages

Where I Got It: I own the paperback!

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

You can find On The Fence on goodreads & Kasie West on twitter and her blog

Goodreads Summary: 

For sixteen-year-old Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, being raised by a single dad and three older brothers has its perks. She can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows—including her longtime neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn’t know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world of makeup, lacy skirts, and BeDazzlers. Even stranger, she’s spending time with a boy who has never seen her tear it up in a pickup game.

To cope with the stress of faking her way through this new reality, Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with Braden by the fence that separates them. But their Fence Chats can’t solve Charlie’s biggest problem: she’s falling for Braden. Hard. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

What I Thought:

On The Fence is such a cute book!  I really did love it!

I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure about it at first, but as I kept reading, I found that I really started to love it.  I really liked Charlie, and how she changed throughout the book- going from a tomboy who feels like she doesn’t know how to be a girl, to be a tomboy who’s still a tomboy, but a little less so.  I really could relate to that, because sometimes, the world of make-up and clothes seems so overwhelming and confusing.

I also really felt for Charlie, who lost her mom as a small child, especially since she was in the car when her mom committed suicide.  I don’t blame her brothers and dad for not telling her, because she didn’t take it well the one time she tried.  I also totally understand Charlie’s reaction too.

I LOVED the relationships that Charlie has with her brothers.  It’s so clear that they look out for each other, and I like that Charlie was included in so many things her brothers did.  While I’m not completely in love with Braden and Charlie, they are cute together, and I really liked their middle of the night talks by the fence.  I did like that Braden was part of their family. And the people that Charlie meets because of her new job!  I liked seeing her make some new friends, and that she decided she wanted to keep working at the boutique.

Let’s Rate It:

On The Fence was such such a cute, fun and heartwarming read.  On The Fence gets 5 stars.

Book Review: Teardrop

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Teardrop CoverBook: Teardrop by Lauren Kate

Published October 2013 by Random House Children’s Books|304 pages

Where I Got It: Nook store

Series: Teardrop #1

Genre: YA Paranormal/Re-telling

You can find Teardrop on goodreads & Lauren Kate on twitter, facebook and her website

Goodreads Summary: 

An epic saga of heart-stopping romance, devastating secrets, and dark magic…a world where everything you love can be washed away. The first book in the new series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fallen series

Never, ever cry…Eureka Boudreaux’s mother drilled that rule into her daughter years ago. But now her mother is gone, and everywhere Eureka goes he is there: Ander, the tall, pale blond boy who seems to know things he shouldn’t, who tells Eureka she is in grave danger, who comes closer to making her cry than anyone has before.

But Ander doesn’t know Eureka’s darkest secret: ever since her mother drowned in a freak accident, Eureka wishes she were dead, too. She has little left that she cares about, just her oldest friend, Brooks, and a strange inheritance—a locket, a letter, a mysterious stone, and an ancient book no one understands. The book contains a haunting tale about a girl who got her heart broken and cried an entire continent into the sea. Eureka is about to discover that the ancient tale is more than a story, that Ander might be telling the truth…and that her life has far darker undercurrents than she ever imagined.

What I Thought:

I was really intrigued with Teardrop, and I like that it’s a modern re-telling of Atlantis.  Raising Atlantis is pretty unique, and while I feel like it’s come up before in books I’ve read, I don’t think I’ve ever read anything where Atlantis comes back.

There’s a lot going on, and there were times when things didn’t make a lot of sense, but as the story unfolded, everything started to fall into place, and you begin to understand why people did the things they did, particularly Ander and Brooks. I really liked that Ander and Eureka were on opposite sides, but that he did everything he could to protect her and keep her safe.

There is a love triangle in Teardrop, and unlike most books that feature love triangles, there is no clear love interest yet.  I actually really like that it’s not clear who she’s going to end up with (since move LT’s are super-obvious) and that it could go either way.  Given the love story between Leander and Selene that caused Atlantis to be banished, and that it very much connects to Ander and Eureka…and even Brooks connection to everything…I honestly don’t know which way I want it to go.

While we don’t get too much on Atlantis in this book- only why Atlantis disappeared, and the people it left behind- I really hope we see more of Atlantis and what kind of place it was in the coming books.  And I want to know more about the Sandbearers and Selene’s line!  I have so many things I want to know.

I really was surprised by so many things that happened, and Kate did a great job at revealing things at the right time.  It kept me guessing, and I liked that I wasn’t completely sure what was going to happen next.

Let’s Rate It:

I really liked Teardrop, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!  Teardrop gets 4 stars.

Book Review: Curtsies And Conspiracies

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Curtsies & Conspiracies CoverBook: Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger

Published November 2013 by Little Brown Books For Young Readers|223 pages

Where I Got It: the Nook store

Series: Finishing School #2

Genre: YA Steampunk

You can find Curtsies & Conspiracies on goodreads & Gail Carriger on twitter and her website

Goodreads Summary: 

Does one need four fully grown foxgloves for decorating a dinner table for six guests? Or is it six foxgloves to kill four fully grown guests?

Sophronia’s first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing! For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy (won’t Mumsy be surprised?). Furthermore, Sophronia got mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and had a cheese pie thrown at her in a most horrid display of poor manners.

Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers’ quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship’s boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a field trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot–one with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot-and survive the London Season with a full dance card.

In this bestselling sequel to New York Times bestselling Etiquette & Espionage, class is back in session with more petticoats and poison, tea trays and treason. Gail’s distinctive voice, signature humor, and lush steampunk setting are sure to be the height of fashion this season.

What I Thought:

I really liked Curtsies & Conspiracies!  It really is a Gail Carriger book, and it was a fun book to read!

Sophronia has quite a few adventures in this book, mostly because the school goes to London!  We see quite a few characters from her Parasol Protectorate series, and I really liked seeing them well before the start of that series.  I really do like Sophronia, who is such a great, adventurous person.  She has a lot to deal with, like being ignored by her friends, and realizing that she really does need them around her in order to do well as an intelligencer.

I have to say that I loved seeing an appearance from Lord Akeldama- he is the Lord Akeldama that I know and love from the Parasol Protectorate, and I’m glad he (so far) hasn’t changed much.  I really hope we start to see more of a connection to that series in some way.

I’m not completely in love with the characters, even though I really like them, especially the relationships that Sophronia has with Vieve and with Soap.  I already know where Vieve’s story is headed, but I still like seeing her before she becomes the Vieve that we see in the Parasol Protectorate.  And I really want to see where Soap’s story is headed, because I find him so interesting!

I really do love the combination of steampunk and paranormal, and Carriger does it so well.  Especially in this book, where we get more about this world- all of the inventions, and things that all of these different groups want.  I also love that we see fashion and etiquette, and it gives the book a very historical feel.

Let’s Rate It:

I really liked Curtsies & Conspiracies!  I have no idea where this series is going, but I am glad to be along for the ride, because this is such a fun series to read.  Curtsies & Conspiracies gets 4 stars.

Currently Obsessed With: All Things Christmas

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Currently Obsessed With is a monthly (but sometimes more) feature where I talk about my favorite things and what’s going on in my life.

Tomorrow is Christmas!  I love Christmas, and thought I’d share some of my favorite Christmas things- movies and music, mostly, but a few other things too.  It might not be snowy or rainy at Christmas where I live (it tends to be sunny on Christmas here in San Diego) but I still love how festive everything is, and I still manage to get into the Christmas spirit!

Movies:

  • A Charlie Brown Christmas is something I look forward to watching every year.  Because it’s not Christmas without it. I’ll probably be saying that a lot in this post.
  • Same thing with Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer, and all of the other stop-motion movies that air every year.  It’s not Christmas without them either!
  • Love, Actually is one of my favorite Christmas movies ever.  Seriously, it is.  Two words: Alan Rickman.
  • And we can’t forget about The Nightmare Before Christmas!  I only watch it at Christmas, and not Halloween.  I’ve tried, but for some reason, it’s not the same.
  • I always associate this time of year with watching Harry Potter.  I think it’s because for the longest time, the movies came out this time of year, and I don’t know why but Harry Potter is always something I really like watching (and reading) this time of year. Harry Potter is great any time of the year, but this time of year especially.
  • Home Alone!  I love Home Alone…and that reminds I have yet to watch it this holiday season.

Food:

I haven’t done any holiday baking this year, which is weird for me, but I really like all of the cookies and fun things that I seem to eat only during this time of year!  Rum balls, fudge, sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, molasses cookies, peanut brittle, chocolate covered pretzels…they’re all so good!  Trader Joe’s has this really good chocolate cheddar cheese that’s only available this time of year.  I know it sounds totally bizarre, but it’s actually really good and not as weird or as horrible as it sounds.  I love hot apple cider in the crockpot, and I’ve made it on Christmas the last few years.  I’ve also made some sort of holiday punch the last few years too.  I don’t know why I don’t make punch throughout the year.  I really should start a Pinterest board for holiday treats.

An Assortment Of Christmas Randomness:

  • Every Christmas, I wish I had more Christmas hats!  I have a Santa Hat that I always seem to have to go looking for every year, but I really want to crochet a few different hats- I know there are elf hat patterns, and I am pretty sure that there are Santa hat patterns too.  It was actually hard to find an elf hat crochet pattern for adults- I know that I could change up the pattern a bit to make it fit, but I am not confident in my ability to do that, or in my ability to come up with my own pattern for it.  I could with so many different colors- red, white, green…I have some bright pink and bright green that aren’t Christmas-y, but would still be awesome for an elf hat.
  • And speaking of crafts, there are a ton of Christmas crafts that would be so fun to make.  I’ll have to do some Christmas crafting one of these days.  Like, maybe I should find some I want to make, and if there’s something Christmas-y involved, get it after Christmas?  Because that’s when it all goes on clearance.
  • Christmas decorations!  I love seeing how people decorate their houses.  It’s so fun to just go out at night, drive around and see all of the lights.  I really miss Candy Cane Lane, which was this one really cool neighborhood that went all out with Christmas decorations, but I think there’s a newer version (with a different name, of course).  I may have to go see it one year.

Music:

I love Christmas music so, so much!  Once Thanksgiving is done, it’s Christmas music almost all of the time. Christmas music is one of my favorite things about Christmas, and I really could listen to the same songs, done by different people.  I love hearing how different artists do the songs, but I have a soft spot for the classic Christmas songs by Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra and anything from that time in music.  I put together a small playlist of some of my favorites.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas & holiday season, no matter what holiday you celebrate!