Bookworm | Why Has Every Book I've Read in the Last Month Contained a Shitty Kid?!

All right so. Life has been busy and stressful and generally an emotional roller coaster. I'll explain once I am out of it. Also...wedding.


I've read, like, two books this summer. Both of them are part of my proclaimed favorite series. Both of them did not meet my expectations. The biggest reason is because our favorite heroes procreate and have shitty children. Let me rant review.


Drums of Autumn (Book #4 of the Outlander series)

I heard somewhere that Gabaldon admitted that she doesn't write linear, and I completely believe that. This is the first book where I really had to take a step back and wonder how neither her nor the editors caught the inconsistent pacing. I mean, we spend pages on medical exposition (and as a newbie to that sort of thing, I don't mind in the least), but half a page on important scenes such as Jamie meeting Brianna. OR, even worse, is sometimes we don't even get the big scenes at all!!!! Claire, Jamie, and Brianna mention important conversations that happened off screen---something that should NOT happen with a 800+ page tome! C'mon now.

Second, my biggest issue is with the characterization. Brianna is an asshole. Here's my main point. Yes, she originally was upset when Claire first told her everything that had happened. Even then I thought she was a brat, but it was at least a bit more understandable. HOWEVER, then when she (spoilers, obviously) goes back in time, she's STILL an asshole--especially to Jamie. Look, I know he's not your wuv wuv Daddy Frank, but show him some respect. Also, just because Gabaldon keeps telling me that Brianna and Jamie are alike, does NOT mean that I believe it!!!!! Yea, they have tempers but at least Jamie isn't intentionally cruel.

Also Claire is a wet blanket that both Jamie and Brianna take turns wringing out throughout the book. I don't know where her personality went but I hope I find it again in The Fiery Cross.


Because, despite all that above, I still love the series and will continue to read it. Rant over.


Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Apparently it's Book #8. I refuse to believe this)

Look, I get it. I know it's not completely written by J.K., it's just a screenplay, etc. But what a hot, hot mess for the people who will consider it canon. Yes, the screenplay contained parts that maybe were okay (re: the Malfoys), but everything else felt gratuitous and forced. Albus Severus is actually the worst---no, perhaps Rose is. Much like Brianna above, he knows everything that happened to his parents and still whines like a spoiled brat. Scorpius is honestly the only reason why I didn't throw the book across the room. The Trolley Witch felt like a bad acid trip. As the years went by (which also felt weird as hell!) I felt like they were attempting some sort of paralleled trio thing between Albus, Scorpius, and Rose but it didn't work. Speaking of the trio, Harry, Hermione, and Ron all seemed completely out of character (and yes I'm defending Ron. He's never been my favorite, but he was not a complete idiot in the series like he is in this play). The parallel universes were ALL gratuitous--the Albus scene was uncomfortable, the Snape scene was better but still felt weird, everything with Cedric felt bizarre and an issue that we all dealt with three books ago. And what an insult to the character of Hermione Granger to write that she would be a bitter, resentful bitch if she didn't end up with Ron Weasley. Utterly unbelievable.

The biggest thing? The plot holes. They were so big that I could step in and out of them like hula hoops. Please don't try and convince me that things happened behind the scenes of a book that always already published. I won't believe them. And don't try to convince me that Bellatrix slept with Voldemort. Because...no. AND please do your homework for your own book because half the jobs that our favorite characters had at the end of Deathly Hallows were NOT the same ones in Cursed Child!

If you want to write a new, original play, then please write a new, original play. Using the same characters and revisiting the same plots creates issues for the characterizations, the fans, the canon, and the magic of the world that seems to be completely undermined.

*drops mic*



I'm going to go read books that will make me happy now.

Bookworm | The Colossal 2015 Goodreads Challenge

I've been a blogging disappointment. I've promised more frequent posts, and then I moved. And then...two months passed. Let's just swallow that and move on, shall we? New April, new me!


But before that, a post that I promise ages ago. Here's what I did in 2015.

Musings | The 16 Resolutions

Happy 2016!

I feel like all of my other resolutions revolve around my main one, so here it is: I've made it a goal this year to become more organized. Ever since I graduated from school I have let my planner go to the wayside and my detail-oriented life has slipped a bit.


Oops?


Thanks to the BEYOND generous donation from Ashley (@makeuptia on YouTube she's perfect) I now have the pricey and notoriously hard-to-get inkwell press planner (squee!). The beginning of January was slightly hectic, so this weekend I finally sat down with my computer, planner, a cup of chai tea, and sorted out my life. There are some BIG changes that are potentially going down this year, and there's no way that I can fly by the seat of my pants like I did in the second half of 2015.



So, I believe that by declaring my official resolutions on here will keep my accountable, here they are. This year, I'm thinking of them less as resolutions and more as general goals that will be solidified by the end of the year. I think that's a good way of not setting myself up for failure, ha. 

16 Goals for 2016
1. Do some form of exercise every day, even if it means fitting in some quick yoga.
2. Speaking of, practice yoga 100x more frequently (shout out to Yoga With Adriene because holy shit, she's awesome). 
3. Read 30 books in one year (I did complete my 52 book challenge, which I promise a post is in the works but is taking me way too long to write.
4. Eat less red meat. Notice I'm not cutting it off completely, considering I would have broken that resolution on day 1 since eating pork on New Years is a sign of good luck in PA Dutch communities. ✌🏻
5. Shop small.
6. Blog weekly (oops, sry.)
7. Explore cruelty-free, vegan brands. 
8. Brush the dust off the Duolingo and learn some French, dammit.
9. Stop giving excuses and actually start writing.
10. Learn to use my time more wisely i.e. don't spend four hours watching makeup YouTube videos ok
11. Seek joy in situations where I want to kick something (this happens a lot and I really should just start meditating)
12. Actually try to get 8 hours of sleep every night (I write this at midnight knowing that I'll get less than that tonight hehe.)
13. Less coffee, more tea
14. Communicate better with friends (sorry to those who've waited on my texts for days).
15. Learn to cook!!! Real meals!!!!
16. Successfully move in and start a new chapter with my boyfriend. Ooh lala.


Ok that's all sleep time bye!

Bookworm | Station Eleven

Station Eleven
Emily St. John Mandel
Fiction




Ah yes. Yet another book club book. I have been eager to read this book for awhile, hence I pulled the "I'm the leader so I choose" card for the second month in a row and picked this book.



And the result is...meh?



The writing is very pretty, I'll give Mandel that. However, I couldn't figure out what kind of book this was. Post-apocalyptic survival novel? Shakespearean tropes? Six degrees of separation? Katniss meets the Walking Dead meets LOST meets creepy-ass preacher man?


While the goal was probably to utilize all of these themes, it didn't blend well.

Pros: The best narration involved the citizens of the airport and Jeevan who was trapped in the apartment with his brother. The idea of watching the world crumble outside your window is terrifying and was executed brilliantly. Miranda was the best character. As I said before, the writing was poetic and beautiful.


Con: What am I supposed to get from this book? That there will always be hope? How to survive 101? How one man is connected to so many people? The book jumped around, which is fine, but I never felt like any of it was justified. If there's movie, which I'm sure there will be, I hope it's executed a bit better.


Next up, Wild!

October In a Nutshell

I'm about 9 days late, but October was good to me. 

Bookworm | The Martian

After about five months at my job, I finally feel like I actually have my shit together.

Amazing, right?

I came up with the wonderful plan of starting a book club amongst the employees of my store, and the first meeting is tonight. And the first book is, you guessed it, The Martian.

...and I just finished it, you guessed it, this morning. Har. A creative writing major at her finest.

All right so the review:

The pros: Wow. 4 stars. I honestly really enjoyed this book. Mark Watney is friggen' hilarious and it just goes to show how much better things are if you have a positive outlook on life. I spent most of the book nodding and thinking, "that's exactly what I would say." It's great. The suspense is just enough that I was jazzed up by the end, but I wasn't necessarily sick to my stomach with anticipation. Though dang, those third person interjections of the planet really messed me up--you knew something bad was going to happen when Weir shifted from Mark's POV to the planet/equipment. No bueno. Anyways, the best line: "'Fuck you,' he said to the planet below." Trust me, it's fantastic in context.

The cons: It is so gosh-darn technical. Which, in logical sense, just goes to show how much research Weir put in to this book, considering that his occupation is not spacey. Yea, it reveals how nerdy he is about it, but damn. This author knows a lot about space. However, as far as reading it goes, especially in the beginning, it got really bogged down. There was some extreme skimming within the first 50 pages. 

And personally, as I said on my twitter, I kept being uncomfortably reminded of my C+ in high school chemistry. Well Mark, if you came up with a plan and it worked, props to you, but I certainly had no idea how the hell you figured it out. Ugh. Science. Shudder. 

Anyways, it's a great read. I highly recommend it, especially if you like spacey things. If you don't, it's worth reading just for the humor. 

"Look! A pair of boobs!-> (.Y.)"

Beauty | July Favorites

Herro everyone! I know it's almost a little too late to talk about July favorites, but I feel like I haven't talked about makeup in awhile and I've gotten WAY too many things recently to not talk about them! I've been traveling recently (hey hey...expect a post on that soon!) and I've gotten the chance to try out some new, lovely products.

MAC 217 Brush
Where. Has. This. Brush. Been. My. Whole. LIFE?! I have been drooling over this product for ages, and I finally broke down and bought it. Personally, I think my eyeshadow application is 10x better with this brush and I totally understand now why so many people fawn all over it. My friend called it a "makeup staple" and I totally understand why.

Stila "In the Light" Eyeshadow Palette
Okay, I may or may not have been searching for another product when I bought this, but since it's one of the more inexpensive palettes on the market, I figured this purchase wouldn't be too bad. I absolutely LOVE it! This product features Stila Kitten, which I'm pretty sure is one of their most famous eyeshadows, and I understand why. Every shade is very usable, and I'm obsessed with all of them.

Benefit Blush in "Hervana"
Once again, this is a product that I've been eyeing up for awhile, but haven't found a justification for buying it. Well, when I stumbled across the Benefit store on Fillmore Street in San Francisco, I absolutely HAD to! I can say with confidence that I made a good choice. I had originally expected it to be a bit more pigmented, but once it kind of settles in the cheeks, it is perfection. I love it. I'm wearing it today.

Tanya Burr Lip Glosses in "Afternoon Tea" and "Picnic in the Park"
I was SO excited when I realized that I could purchase Tanya's glosses via feelunique.com. While they're a bit pricey, I love the smell and look of these glosses. I use "Picnic in the Park" more because it's a beautiful, pinky, everyday shade and I love wearing it to work. I also love wearing a gloss made by a YouTuber that I watch? How cool!!


Andddd since I'm a bookie person, I have to include my book fave!

This book is the CUTEST book I've read in a while. A lot of people in the comment said it's like Sheldon falling in love from "The Big Bang Theory," but I personally found it more like Sherlock Holmes falling in love. Don Tillman is extremely intellectual, but unfortunately very inadequate when it comes to being social. He has given up on dating, since he thinks the negatives outweigh the positives, he creates a 16-page questionnaire called The Wife Project, which will mathematically find him a wife. It's a bit predictable in a light-hearted way, but sometimes you need that! I totally recommend it as a beach read. If you want to follow what I'm currently reading, feel free to follow me on Goodreads! Links are on the right :)

Those are my favorites! Now onto a long, detailed post on our San Francisco trip! Hope you guys are ready! 

xo

Bookworm | I'm Moving! (to Goodreads, that is)

My friends, it is time for us to embark on a journey. A journey to.....the Internet!


I have been a book hoarder my whole life (really though, is this surprising to anyone?), but it's getting to the point where I have piles of books in my room while no shelf space and I'm buying multiple copies of books because I don't remember what I already have. After finding both a hardcover AND paperback copy of The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory on my shelf the other day, I decided I need to take inventory.


So I hopped on to my Goodreads, which you should all befriend me on NOW , and decided to actually take it seriously, instead of just marking down books willy nilly. So, if we're already friends, you'll notice my activity will be picking up as I sort books. This also forces me to actually LOOK at the books in my possession and remember all that I have, as well as make them all my priority. Even just starting out, I'm already finding long lost favorites and books I've been meaning to read. For example, I've stumbled across....


A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray, which is one of my ALL TIME favorite books as a teen. I remember being obsessed with it, and I'm pretty sure I definitely sobbed at the end of the third book. I'm talking heaving, snotty sobs. It's so good.

Crown Duel/Court Duel by Sherwood Smith is another favorite book of mine that I had completely forgotten about! Romance, medieval setting, battles---it's all I've ever asked for. Once I remembered the title I immediately hopped on to Amazon and got myself a copy!


The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory is one of her War of the Roses books (though forgive me if that's not actually the correct title). Philippa is my favorite author besides J.K., but for some reason I can NEVER remember what books I have! I manage to pick one up at every yardsale or book barn, and as seen above, I always pick up the wrong one.

Anyways, I'm halfway through my bookshelves already and am eager to see what all I have. I also want to prove to my boyfriend that I have actually read most of the books I own! I'll keep you all updated as to who won that battle.


xx

Bookworm | The Crimson Petal and the White--FINALLY!

                                                               


This book has taken me YEARS to finish. Okay, more specifically, half a year, but for me, that is equivalent to ETERNITY. I have already posted a shorter review on Goodreads (and now I'll give a nice little plug HERE), but I thought this is great material for a cheeky little post!


Backdrop: Picture me ten months ago wandering around one of my favorite sites in London, Daunt Books, and passing by this book multiple times, though the enticing front cover kept catching my eye. I ended up purchasing it in October while my parents were visiting me, though I didn't really start the book until December because it was too thick to travel with. After I returned home, I spent most of Christmas break on my couch staring at the ceiling in grief of being back in America, and I didn't really get very far. Then, I went back to my home college, got swept up in scholarly and sorority life and, well....I never read  for pleasure during the semester. Thus, the book got stalled until I returned home for the summer.............and then it took me an entire month to finish. How ridiculous is that?! I, the acclaimed reader (and FAST reader, mind you) could neither finish this book nor give up on it.

Without indulging into too many spoilers, the book starts out following a few minor characters in the Victorian streets of London (with lovely, enticing imagery, by the way), and eventually remains on Sugar, who is a prostitute willing to do anything her customers want. She is fascinating, for as she smiles prettily and obeys, once the men leave she is furiously writing down a hate book against men and studying literature. I was compelled by her character and wanted to see her succeed. The story follows her rise in society, from a prostitute on the streets to a personal mistress to a governess. However, after a whopping 830-some pages (and SIX MONTHS), the book just...ends. While there is some resolution among the minor characters, the narration shifts from Sugar's POV and we only hear about her escape through the other main character, William. We never know what truly happened to his wife, and the narrator ends with a brief, sad sigh of "oh well, sometimes life just ends." Seriously? This book had so much potential and I feel like it just fell flat.


Alas, I'm glad I can at least say that I read it all the way through, even though I wish there was more...



Any new book recommendations? xx

Bookworm | A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night

Obviously not my picture!

"A Discovery of Witches" and "Shadow of Night" by Deborah Harkness


Guys. Guys.  Can I just say that I am SO happy that I chose to read these two books before I left for London?! I am totally in love. "A Discovery of Witches" and "Shadow of Night" are books one and two in Harkness' All Soul's Trilogy. The series begins with Diana Bishop, who is a witch that has denied her magical abilities and has chosen to pursue a life of studies. At Oxford, she stumbles across a magical book, which, unbeknownst to her, eventually turns her life around, starting with meeting the dark and brooding vampire, Matthew de Clermont. His presence, as well as the growing curiosity of other creatures, forces her to face who she really is.

Okay, so I know what you're thinking. Not another vampire book. Honestly, it is the best vampire/magical story I've ever read, outside of Stoker's "Dracula" and Rowling's "Harry Potter." Diana is an educated adult and Matthew is a 1500 year-old vampire, so any interaction between them is calculated and rational, which is wonderful and refreshing. The first book and most of the second book are written in the first person narrative, which I'm always a little leery of, but almost immediately I was too engrossed to care. And you know what also makes this series awesome? HISTORY. FACT. SCIENCE. The pages are filled with rich, historical details and as a semi-secretive history buff, I was in heaven.....especially in "Shadow of Night," where the majority of the story takes place in Elizabethan England. ELIZABETHAN. ENGLAND. A guaranteed good time...at least for a medieval studies minor like myself :P.

So, if you couldn't already tell, this series has quickly risen to a very high spot on my favorites list. If you're looking for a solid, pleasant read, I highly recommend it. The only complaint that I have is that the third book hasn't been published yet so I am stuck with a horrible book hangover and no means to remedy it!

Seriously....go read it!


Oh, yeah, and four days until departure! Cue the stomach jitters!

Have a great weekend! xo

Laying Down the Blueprints

I seriously need to work on this consistent-blogging thing. Life has swept me away into countless hours of folding t-shirts and ringing up customers. I can't believe it's almost the fourth already! We're celebrating it on Saturday so any pics will be uploaded over the weekend instead of tomorrow.


European planning is underway! Had a pretty lengthy convo with my traveling and school partner, Andy, and we've decided that for our winter break we're going to travel to Rome and then Madrid.  I've already discussed my previous adventures in Spain here, and because of that trip I hope to take a small detour to Jerez to visit my host family for a few days as well.

I've also been completely absorbed in Frommer's London 2013 and I cannot WAIT to be constantly surrounded by the magic of London. There are so many things to see and do, and I am so anxious to experience it all. I'm also open to any suggestions!

I'm hoping to have the book finished by next week so that I can give a full review!


xo