tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11724527625355037112024-03-05T23:07:08.719-05:00Loving the Language of LiteracyI'm a teenage book blogger named Sofia Li that would die without books, and can't live without music. As my twitter bio says, "If you insult books or anything to do with them, you will be hit very painfully with a hardcover one. JK, although I did do that to a friend once." The story is actually here, so see if you can find it. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.comBlogger343125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-34826926774068704712016-06-12T16:00:00.000-04:002016-06-12T16:00:09.874-04:00On Love... Falling In and Out <div style="text-align: justify;">
Before you start to worry that I will be sharing my personal triumphs and trials in the universal quest to find someone that makes us feel like they care, you should know I'm not referring to <b><i>that</i></b> kind of love. (However if that's something you would be interested in, I have a few anecdotes up my sleeve) Yet, this is <i><b>a</b> </i>love letter, one to the eager book blogger I was two and a half years ago.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5567ac7be4b0a9ce53d9aa7f/t/5620a2eae4b0d21510b86977/1444979438478/tumblr_m7f3jia1al1qiz3j8o1_500.gif?format=1500w" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5567ac7be4b0a9ce53d9aa7f/t/5620a2eae4b0d21510b86977/1444979438478/tumblr_m7f3jia1al1qiz3j8o1_500.gif?format=1500w" height="232" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm still a reader... obviously *flips hair* but I think my actions have made it clear enough that book blogging and making BookTube videos have most definitely not been a priority. If there's one thing I've been preaching since the start, it's been that whatever you feel as if you need in your life, you make the time for. Yes, that might be a Peeta-Katniss-Gale reference.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/dd/83/ed/dd83ed08a318f039e177434d17c52893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/dd/83/ed/dd83ed08a318f039e177434d17c52893.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
I remember back in the early days, whenever I temporarily fell off the blogging wagon, I would write long, apologetic posts to my readers about why I was gone, what I was doing that could have possibly been more important, and ninety percent of the time the reasons I stayed away weren't in my control. This is also known as being a student and having obligations like homework and studying.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://data.whicdn.com/images/45463444/large.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://data.whicdn.com/images/45463444/large.gif" height="138" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Upon leaving for Oxford and more importantly, since coming back, I've realized it isn't that simple. There's been a lot of discussion about <b><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcjuSk1bGKw">autopilot</a></i></b>, whether it's been explicitly labeled or not. I personally don't have any issues with those who choose to produce book hauls, TBRs, wrap-ups, and the content we have come to consider "staple" in this amazing community. I remember making the decision after more than a year of constant uploads to cease doing monthly wrap-ups. They were one of my favorite types of videos to make, one of the most time consuming, and one of the most rewarding. I know now it wasn't for the reasons I stated in the video I dramatically titled, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6coKx2Sg4Ok">My Last Wrap-Up Ever?!?</a>"<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/k_e79nildNA/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k_e79nildNA?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
In truth, if you look at the content I produced whilst in England, it's completely writing oriented, and that's what I want to talk about today. When I started off blogging, <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/">Ashley from Nose Graze</a> explained something priceless about this community. When first creating a brand name which encompasses both the URL and usernames you use consistently on social media (if I had known anything about branding before I began blogging, I would have had the <b><i>same</i></b> URL and username), it is wise to choose something that has nothing to with what you <b><i>intend</i></b> to write about.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This is because it's <b><i>intention.</i></b> </span></div>
<br />
But what you want to say changes over time, experience, and most certainly, with the books you read. Loving the Language of Literacy obviously has a lot to do with literature, but the name never explicitly stated that I was a BOOK blogger or (and I'm thanking the blogging gods) that I was a YOUNG ADULT book blogger. This has nothing to do with the stigma surrounding the genre or the concept of "growing out of YA." It just has to do with the fact that one, I don't always read YA anymore and two, I don't want my sole focus to be on books.<br />
<br />
I understand the effort and time that will go into re-branding per-say, but I couldn't be happier. Sidenote : I'm not going to start blogging about cooking or my athletic endeavors mostly because I can sum both of those things up in a sentence. My sister and I made a meal for our family in the month of May and I haven't worked out officially since I ran the Mountain Goat back in the beginning of May.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What I will be discussing are my <b><i>passions</i></b>.</span></div>
<br />
Most of which you have heard little tidbits about since 2016 began and uncoincidentally, these passions are either language or artistically based. They might even end up better representing the words Loving the Language of Literacy than book reviewing ever did. This isn't to say I will never review a book again because it's a sure fact that some book will come along soon and steal my heart in a way all of the books I've read before it haven't in a long time. This isn't to say I will never do a book haul again because to be perfectly honest, my <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjw7an73qDNAhXDox4KHbX4Ab4QtwIIHDAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D9xso-PgDFwA&usg=AFQjCNHcKAzLhR-6Bz4sX8KjMAtZxiwpYQ&sig2=wERnlIPY1UUk4hBneaJfbQ&bvm=bv.124272578,d.dmo">Black Friday BookOutlet Haul</a> was one of my favorite videos to film.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.placesonthespectrum.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Drum-Roll-Please.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.placesonthespectrum.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Drum-Roll-Please.png" height="152" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">for <b>Creative Writing</b> and <b>Language Learning</b></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://66.media.tumblr.com/72d4bf7e5b2dfdf46fee7d3b37e02927/tumblr_inline_nrv981PZKC1tpr9ad_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://66.media.tumblr.com/72d4bf7e5b2dfdf46fee7d3b37e02927/tumblr_inline_nrv981PZKC1tpr9ad_500.gif" height="186" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Who is surprised? If you are, you must be new. </div>
<br />
<b><i>On languages...</i></b> Since the year began, I've learned that I'm just as fascinated with the scientific, mechanical aspects of language as I am with the artistic, imaginative ones. Language learning itself has become my new obsession not only because I love annoying my friends by saying things they don't understand but because I want to to communicate with as many people as possible. I remember walking into English one day when I was in Oxford for a lesson focused on modal and auxiliary verbs. I swear to goodness, I had a better time in that lesson than my teacher did. Basically, if my peers didn't already think I was a nerd for loving to read and make up stories, they do now that I have discovered my love for analyzing sentences and language structure.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://bestanimations.com/Books/writing/hand-writing-close-up-animated-gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://bestanimations.com/Books/writing/hand-writing-close-up-animated-gif.gif" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><i>On creative writing...</i></b> In terms of style, subject matter, and skill, I have grown exponentially. I don't even know where to begin besides the Champlain College Young Writer's Conference which I intend to make an entire video about because it was the best weekend of my life and I definitely think I could produce a killer sappy/cliche essay about everything the weekend taught me about courage and belonging. In gist, it is a magical place up at Burlington, Vermont where there are over 250 teenagers who all love to read and write as much as you do with a place for everyone from slam poets to song writers to novelists to playwrights to creative nonfiction-ers.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://latestcalendar.weebly.com/uploads/4/2/7/1/42714133/714104_orig.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://latestcalendar.weebly.com/uploads/4/2/7/1/42714133/714104_orig.gif" height="175" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><i>On schedule... </i></b>To be perfectly honest here, this summer is insanity for me. Regents are next week, then I spend the rest of June in Finland and Sweden. I'm home for the first ten days of July and then I head off to three weeks at Bard College for their Young Writer's Workshop. The first week of August is spent in California visiting family. The following is going to be my miserable attempt at getting back into shape amongst the fastest, fittest teenagers in New York State at Aim High Running Camp. Then it's back home to Syracuse for Cross Country preseason. And then it's back to the grindstone for another school year.<br />
<br />
Despite everything going on, the plan is to have one blog every Sunday following the themes of my language learning and writing progress as well as a video every Tuesday and Friday. Of course, if I'm particularly inspired, there will be more content coming your way, but this is the plan for now.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I admit this change is scary. </span></div>
<br />
Loving the Language of Literacy is changing and evolving and I'm basically rebranding everything I've worked towards in the past two and a half years. I always thought I would have my <b>book</b> blog and<b> Book</b>Tube channel as a sort of crutch when it came time for college applications - as if I could point to it and say, "Even if I quit or gave up x, y, and z, I never gave up this." But here I am, diving headfirst into my new passions and I couldn't be happier.<br />
<br />
If you're new, I hope you stick around, and if you've been following me for a while, I would love you to stick around as well during this time of evolution. My primary goal that ties my two loves together is for storytelling and I can't wait to share mine.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoM-iDVfw3AK1bDJF3PN1TITDIkb3enNrCd_u5hjNFswdaODWM0CXYzEstHVlC2pglynqF-ZFAg4Jcit9yLL28epfrMvEnE2i3_oFjvRM2cdvRLJfrSjJUAawNm1ni8Bj1PNV-ASVA8M/s1600/FE38BC7E-9618-45DB-830F-6E99F3E48CB5" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoM-iDVfw3AK1bDJF3PN1TITDIkb3enNrCd_u5hjNFswdaODWM0CXYzEstHVlC2pglynqF-ZFAg4Jcit9yLL28epfrMvEnE2i3_oFjvRM2cdvRLJfrSjJUAawNm1ni8Bj1PNV-ASVA8M/s1600/FE38BC7E-9618-45DB-830F-6E99F3E48CB5" /></a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-32364253356726167922016-04-10T22:00:00.000-04:002016-04-10T22:11:33.243-04:00Broken Hearts & Broken Art : A Poem | #NaPoWriMo Camp #NaNoWriMo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt4zmXR38k8FPUNRlor2a0rm_tmRMTU0Hcrc9zfznOSjeiVn4YXexfzlqLWCPI5iUtbRTGYXjl6bmRzoy46jX95SQKQHBjtikeZHB81mncqYRVeqZuW3h2BLNVP4O17kHJQM8g0Vw0Xs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-02-29+at+18.26.48.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt4zmXR38k8FPUNRlor2a0rm_tmRMTU0Hcrc9zfznOSjeiVn4YXexfzlqLWCPI5iUtbRTGYXjl6bmRzoy46jX95SQKQHBjtikeZHB81mncqYRVeqZuW3h2BLNVP4O17kHJQM8g0Vw0Xs/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-02-29+at+18.26.48.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">For the next 30 days on my YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCodtdymv5Nv0xUZHZefwShg">Loving the Language of Literacy</a>, I will be posting an original poem of mine along with behind the scenes knowledge of my inspiration, the creative process, and any other lessons / tips & tricks I have to offer. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/11a3vsCIR2U/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/11a3vsCIR2U?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<i>This is a poem I actually wrote and didn't particularly like but when I made the video, I somehow fell in love with it for the first time. This is the first real reflection of transition into a more slam poetry style and I really like this phase. </i><br />
<br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Broken Hearts & Broken Art</span></i></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
My poetry and my heart are never broken at the same time<br />
Maybe then, I could get some work done<br />
When I fall in love<br />
all the nutrients - that could go <br />
to the brain that might actually need it<br />
are instead detoured, no devoured<br />
by the selfish butterflies in my stomach<br />
and the time it takes to wonder<br />
what my first name would look like with your last<br />
When I fall out of love<br />
I am too busy - reading affirmations <br />
about independence and starting that couch to 5k program<br />
we said we’d </span>always try together<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
then relapsing when I see the polaroid from out first date, <br />
still taped to the mirror - then I speculate about what you’d say<br />
about my body, which worked so hard <br />
to squeeze into the jeans I would have begged<br />
you to take off of me,<br />
So I guess my only choices are to join a convent<br />
where I can dedicate my life to an eternal husband<br />
and dream about living the one I always wanted <br />
then trying to attend enough hours of confession<br />
to make myself feel worthy,<br />
or I could look myself straight in the eye while removing <br />
already cried-off mascara and telling <br />
the actually angst-ridden teenage girl <br />
not even close to approaching middle aged woman <br />
the truth ; that it was worth it.<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqj_S3yobOzz-Q2pIMZlvXFd9xsiM7mb0n-d6e97vsonLMtAttUZaBTIX3KNCsJ1VdtDBWpr4jzfAPtiAfzXbEuADdJJSN6Bn75mz4who69wHakjuysUoRq08xEEd7_bGZigmmuVDy-Q/s1600/Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqj_S3yobOzz-Q2pIMZlvXFd9xsiM7mb0n-d6e97vsonLMtAttUZaBTIX3KNCsJ1VdtDBWpr4jzfAPtiAfzXbEuADdJJSN6Bn75mz4who69wHakjuysUoRq08xEEd7_bGZigmmuVDy-Q/s320/Signature.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-87982430725080661482016-04-09T19:00:00.000-04:002016-04-10T18:06:01.144-04:00Understandings | #NaPoWriMo Camp #NaNoWriMo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt4zmXR38k8FPUNRlor2a0rm_tmRMTU0Hcrc9zfznOSjeiVn4YXexfzlqLWCPI5iUtbRTGYXjl6bmRzoy46jX95SQKQHBjtikeZHB81mncqYRVeqZuW3h2BLNVP4O17kHJQM8g0Vw0Xs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-02-29+at+18.26.48.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt4zmXR38k8FPUNRlor2a0rm_tmRMTU0Hcrc9zfznOSjeiVn4YXexfzlqLWCPI5iUtbRTGYXjl6bmRzoy46jX95SQKQHBjtikeZHB81mncqYRVeqZuW3h2BLNVP4O17kHJQM8g0Vw0Xs/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-02-29+at+18.26.48.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">For the next 30 days on my YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCodtdymv5Nv0xUZHZefwShg">Loving the Language of Literacy</a>, I will be posting an original poem of mine along with behind the scenes knowledge of my inspiration, the creative process, and any other lessons / tips & tricks I have to offer. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/w8jxT_vQRys/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w8jxT_vQRys?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<i>This is as close as I'm ever going to get to a volume two of the poem <a href="https://youtu.be/a88bN5jahQo">Outlier</a>. It's actually based off the format of a poem from the person who Outlier was based off of. He's a brilliant poet and I was trying and pretty much failed to emulate his style. It's different but it most certainly is a poem for all the complicated people in your life. </i><br />
<br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Understandings</span></i></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> I read it again <br />
Read into it, I guess<br />
Would be more accurate <br />
I've spent the past 2 months<br />
Analyzing every moment <br />
Of silence hung between <br />
Two confused people<br />
On a wash line<br />
Desperate,<br />
I ramble and I wonder<br />
What it would be like<br />
Again to have someone <br />
There for me<br />
But that is the worst part<br />
Because you are<br />
The closest thing I've got,<br />
I have tried so hard<br />
Not to make this about me<br />
Tried not to succumb <br />
To wanting a legacy <br />
And I'm trying not<br />
To use you like a cigarette <br />
-another way to alleviate <br />
The people I have struck <br />
Down as items on my to do list,<br />
I want to explain <br />
Why I've sent you paragraphs <br />
Of a person I won't remember <br />
By the time regret <br />
Kicks in tomorrow,<br />
I want to tell you<br />
The delusions are not<br />
My attempts at squinting <br />
To see what has never been <br />
There, but the only way <br />
I know how to tell you <br />
That I have tried to understand<br />
<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqj_S3yobOzz-Q2pIMZlvXFd9xsiM7mb0n-d6e97vsonLMtAttUZaBTIX3KNCsJ1VdtDBWpr4jzfAPtiAfzXbEuADdJJSN6Bn75mz4who69wHakjuysUoRq08xEEd7_bGZigmmuVDy-Q/s1600/Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqj_S3yobOzz-Q2pIMZlvXFd9xsiM7mb0n-d6e97vsonLMtAttUZaBTIX3KNCsJ1VdtDBWpr4jzfAPtiAfzXbEuADdJJSN6Bn75mz4who69wHakjuysUoRq08xEEd7_bGZigmmuVDy-Q/s320/Signature.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-18983472540014235192016-04-07T19:00:00.000-04:002016-04-09T13:56:46.529-04:00The Cynic Returns Home : A Poem | #NaPoWriMo Camp #NaNoWriMo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt4zmXR38k8FPUNRlor2a0rm_tmRMTU0Hcrc9zfznOSjeiVn4YXexfzlqLWCPI5iUtbRTGYXjl6bmRzoy46jX95SQKQHBjtikeZHB81mncqYRVeqZuW3h2BLNVP4O17kHJQM8g0Vw0Xs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-02-29+at+18.26.48.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt4zmXR38k8FPUNRlor2a0rm_tmRMTU0Hcrc9zfznOSjeiVn4YXexfzlqLWCPI5iUtbRTGYXjl6bmRzoy46jX95SQKQHBjtikeZHB81mncqYRVeqZuW3h2BLNVP4O17kHJQM8g0Vw0Xs/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-02-29+at+18.26.48.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">For the next 30 days on my YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCodtdymv5Nv0xUZHZefwShg">Loving the Language of Literacy</a>, I will be posting an original poem of mine along with behind the scenes knowledge of my inspiration, the creative process, and any other lessons / tips & tricks I have to offer. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dp-xHdHUIK8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dp-xHdHUIK8?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe><br />
<i>I wrote this poem not necessarily because this is the way I felt about the day but because it's the way people do feel when cynicism kicks in. It poses the question - is cynicism are requirement of making art? I most definitely think that it isn't, but it was fun playing with the topic.</i><br />
<br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">The Cynic Returns Home</span></i></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
After a day of being with people <br />
I go to the dark room,<br />
hang up the happiness<br />
I decided to try on today<br />
- a free trial <br />
some lady offered me <br />
in a department store,<br />
I dump the film <br />
into the only substance <br />
I’ve ever known <br />
to yield a solution,<br />
then - I wait<br />
for the man scraping<br />
his dentures in the train seat<br />
behind me an d the pained expression<br />
responds to the gaudy tie you purchased<br />
at the thrift store next door<br />
to show up in the background,<br />
that’s why I don’t <br />
like photos with extreme depth of field<br />
because they fill in the blanks<br />
we were supposed to paint<br />
with independent thought,<br />
and accidents don’t happen<br />
when the somber shows the score<br />
of who sold themselves out<br />
for a bit of verification<br />
that they told the truth, <br />
they told me to never end a story<br />
with “and then they wake up”<br />
but guess what? not doing so <br />
is what makes this a story<br />
because we don’t get photos<br />
mid laugh, mid cry, mid conversation<br />
without posing for them<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqj_S3yobOzz-Q2pIMZlvXFd9xsiM7mb0n-d6e97vsonLMtAttUZaBTIX3KNCsJ1VdtDBWpr4jzfAPtiAfzXbEuADdJJSN6Bn75mz4who69wHakjuysUoRq08xEEd7_bGZigmmuVDy-Q/s1600/Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqj_S3yobOzz-Q2pIMZlvXFd9xsiM7mb0n-d6e97vsonLMtAttUZaBTIX3KNCsJ1VdtDBWpr4jzfAPtiAfzXbEuADdJJSN6Bn75mz4who69wHakjuysUoRq08xEEd7_bGZigmmuVDy-Q/s320/Signature.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-77125958748048788892016-04-05T19:00:00.000-04:002016-04-09T13:51:39.477-04:00Windipop : A Poem | #NaPoWriMo Camp #NaNoWriMo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt4zmXR38k8FPUNRlor2a0rm_tmRMTU0Hcrc9zfznOSjeiVn4YXexfzlqLWCPI5iUtbRTGYXjl6bmRzoy46jX95SQKQHBjtikeZHB81mncqYRVeqZuW3h2BLNVP4O17kHJQM8g0Vw0Xs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-02-29+at+18.26.48.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt4zmXR38k8FPUNRlor2a0rm_tmRMTU0Hcrc9zfznOSjeiVn4YXexfzlqLWCPI5iUtbRTGYXjl6bmRzoy46jX95SQKQHBjtikeZHB81mncqYRVeqZuW3h2BLNVP4O17kHJQM8g0Vw0Xs/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-02-29+at+18.26.48.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">For the next 30 days on my YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCodtdymv5Nv0xUZHZefwShg">Loving the Language of Literacy</a>, I will be posting an original poem of mine along with behind the scenes knowledge of my inspiration, the creative process, and any other lessons / tips & tricks I have to offer. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lmTiHrO0uZY/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lmTiHrO0uZY?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>This was written to the prompt of writing about a word that has taken on a completely different meaning in your family or culture than the one that is commonly known. Coincidentally, the photo used for the thumbnail is one written exactly 10 years ago from the time the video was posted, give or take only a week.</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
I haven’t thought of her in ten years<br />
The little girl whose grand plan on a Friday night<br />
was family dinner at The Only Place in Town<br />
where she was happy to order sprite, a hamburger,<br />
and fries with a spice something like paprika<br />
Who was guiltiest about the cartoons she watched past her bedtime<br />
and holding one parent’s hand longer than the other,<br />
Her mother imagined the word as a way to preserve innocence<br />
while having a jolly good time doing it<br />
I hadn’t actually realized there was any other term<br />
for that bodily function we like to call a fart<br />
and giggle hysterically whilst placing the blame<br />
on the criss cross apple sauced person that’s most annoyed you today<br />
After everyone asks what I could possibly be referring to<br />
I stop using it<br />
and there designates where that little girl died<br />
Sometime when I began giving a crap.<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqj_S3yobOzz-Q2pIMZlvXFd9xsiM7mb0n-d6e97vsonLMtAttUZaBTIX3KNCsJ1VdtDBWpr4jzfAPtiAfzXbEuADdJJSN6Bn75mz4who69wHakjuysUoRq08xEEd7_bGZigmmuVDy-Q/s1600/Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqj_S3yobOzz-Q2pIMZlvXFd9xsiM7mb0n-d6e97vsonLMtAttUZaBTIX3KNCsJ1VdtDBWpr4jzfAPtiAfzXbEuADdJJSN6Bn75mz4who69wHakjuysUoRq08xEEd7_bGZigmmuVDy-Q/s320/Signature.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-81552721180619383422016-04-04T21:30:00.000-04:002016-04-04T21:30:15.454-04:00And Look... | #NaPoWriMo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt4zmXR38k8FPUNRlor2a0rm_tmRMTU0Hcrc9zfznOSjeiVn4YXexfzlqLWCPI5iUtbRTGYXjl6bmRzoy46jX95SQKQHBjtikeZHB81mncqYRVeqZuW3h2BLNVP4O17kHJQM8g0Vw0Xs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-02-29+at+18.26.48.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt4zmXR38k8FPUNRlor2a0rm_tmRMTU0Hcrc9zfznOSjeiVn4YXexfzlqLWCPI5iUtbRTGYXjl6bmRzoy46jX95SQKQHBjtikeZHB81mncqYRVeqZuW3h2BLNVP4O17kHJQM8g0Vw0Xs/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-02-29+at+18.26.48.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">For the next 30 days on my YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCodtdymv5Nv0xUZHZefwShg">Loving the Language of Literacy</a>, I will be posting an original poem of mine along with behind the scenes knowledge of my inspiration, the creative process, and any other lessons / tips & tricks I have to offer. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YkSvLgRAokI/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YkSvLgRAokI?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>I didn't actually write this poem to any particular prompt except for the feelings I had towards the school and my life in New York versus England.</i><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> And look, they didn't know she was coming<br />
With a purple jumper in her suitcase<br />
And skin cells that have sunk beneath stereotypes to feel the satisfying squish of English soil,<br />
Instead of a one way ticket from somewhere she never took the time to know<br />
And a caucus of politicians, too clawed into campsite trash bags to make any decisions<br />
So when they ask her - jokingly - if she's learned the language<br />
She will have to admit; she didn't allow herself to become fluent<br />
She's always imagined them catching their reflections in her armor<br />
too absorbed to notice the coagulated rust, let alone the person underneath<br />
Once again, she has the chance to invent the piece of themselves they manage to see in her, which is all they will remember anyways,<br />
or so she hopes.<br />
It started in Spanish class, when Ahmad is defeated by the predicate tense and announces to everyone that she would have known the answer.<br />
Then it was to object of her objections, who texted, to ask how she was doing.<br />
After, it was the guidance counselor, who received email number seven and told her to stop writing. <br />
That's when she realizes, her arrival will be noticed<br />
And that is the misery, or the miracle, of being missed</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqj_S3yobOzz-Q2pIMZlvXFd9xsiM7mb0n-d6e97vsonLMtAttUZaBTIX3KNCsJ1VdtDBWpr4jzfAPtiAfzXbEuADdJJSN6Bn75mz4who69wHakjuysUoRq08xEEd7_bGZigmmuVDy-Q/s1600/Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqj_S3yobOzz-Q2pIMZlvXFd9xsiM7mb0n-d6e97vsonLMtAttUZaBTIX3KNCsJ1VdtDBWpr4jzfAPtiAfzXbEuADdJJSN6Bn75mz4who69wHakjuysUoRq08xEEd7_bGZigmmuVDy-Q/s320/Signature.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-61442070198772832502016-04-03T19:00:00.000-04:002016-04-04T21:05:56.623-04:00Where I Haven't Been | #NaPoWriMo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt4zmXR38k8FPUNRlor2a0rm_tmRMTU0Hcrc9zfznOSjeiVn4YXexfzlqLWCPI5iUtbRTGYXjl6bmRzoy46jX95SQKQHBjtikeZHB81mncqYRVeqZuW3h2BLNVP4O17kHJQM8g0Vw0Xs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-02-29+at+18.26.48.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt4zmXR38k8FPUNRlor2a0rm_tmRMTU0Hcrc9zfznOSjeiVn4YXexfzlqLWCPI5iUtbRTGYXjl6bmRzoy46jX95SQKQHBjtikeZHB81mncqYRVeqZuW3h2BLNVP4O17kHJQM8g0Vw0Xs/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-02-29+at+18.26.48.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">For the next 30 days on my YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCodtdymv5Nv0xUZHZefwShg">Loving the Language of Literacy</a>, I will be posting an original poem of mine along with behind the scenes knowledge of my inspiration, the creative process, and any other lessons / tips & tricks I have to offer. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/S72kqvUCXU0/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S72kqvUCXU0?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="text-align: start;">This poem was prompted by a poem where someone who had never been out of England and pretty much remained in their small town all their life started listing all the things he hasn't experienced and places he hasn't gone but then writes about all the ones he has which are truly remarkable and irreplaceable in terms of the grand scheme of his existence.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
I have not been among</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the chosen ones, clad</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
in the colors and confidence</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
of those comfortable in climax,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I have sat next to a girl in Spanish class</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and learned what it means to love.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I have not been a recipient of the most</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
recognized award on the east coast, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
mispronounced name crackled and crunched </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
over the intercom as the few who care </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
to listen learn my worth, but I have </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
sat on a grassy hill, overlooking the formerly</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
strange city, writing a goodbye to the boy</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
who bought me ice cream at the Lan</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and shared it there.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I have pedaled the Erie Canal on Christmas Day,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
desperate to get away </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
from the fibrous shadows floating across</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
my consciousness like a tumbleweed,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
passing every mile I have already run,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
until my inbox tells me; I must return.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I have not been the one whose name</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
everyone greets as they shuffle down the hall,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
who is tussled about tongues and tangled</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
itself in tension; but those in the english class before </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
me know I am the bane of Mrs. Eaton’s existence. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And I guess having my first kiss in the rain</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and reading my poetry in a room full of strangers</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
proves I can be both vertices on a chevron plain.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqj_S3yobOzz-Q2pIMZlvXFd9xsiM7mb0n-d6e97vsonLMtAttUZaBTIX3KNCsJ1VdtDBWpr4jzfAPtiAfzXbEuADdJJSN6Bn75mz4who69wHakjuysUoRq08xEEd7_bGZigmmuVDy-Q/s1600/Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqj_S3yobOzz-Q2pIMZlvXFd9xsiM7mb0n-d6e97vsonLMtAttUZaBTIX3KNCsJ1VdtDBWpr4jzfAPtiAfzXbEuADdJJSN6Bn75mz4who69wHakjuysUoRq08xEEd7_bGZigmmuVDy-Q/s320/Signature.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-70198213324351474912016-04-02T19:00:00.000-04:002016-04-02T20:14:44.202-04:00Outlier | #NaPoWriMo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt4zmXR38k8FPUNRlor2a0rm_tmRMTU0Hcrc9zfznOSjeiVn4YXexfzlqLWCPI5iUtbRTGYXjl6bmRzoy46jX95SQKQHBjtikeZHB81mncqYRVeqZuW3h2BLNVP4O17kHJQM8g0Vw0Xs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-02-29+at+18.26.48.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt4zmXR38k8FPUNRlor2a0rm_tmRMTU0Hcrc9zfznOSjeiVn4YXexfzlqLWCPI5iUtbRTGYXjl6bmRzoy46jX95SQKQHBjtikeZHB81mncqYRVeqZuW3h2BLNVP4O17kHJQM8g0Vw0Xs/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-02-29+at+18.26.48.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">For the next 30 days on my YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCodtdymv5Nv0xUZHZefwShg">Loving the Language of Literacy</a>, I will be posting an original poem of mine along with behind the scenes knowledge of my inspiration, the creative process, and any other lessons / tips & tricks I have to offer. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="text-align: start;">This poem was inspired by "</span><a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poem/179175" style="text-align: start;">Full Length Portrait of the Moon</a><span style="text-align: start;">" by Alice Oswald.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/a88bN5jahQo/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a88bN5jahQo?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Outlier </span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>He could be any child at all;</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The class president type</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>With a smile like ‘salutations’</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>And a heart of hindrance,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Or the pop culture enthusiast </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Who is assumed to have nothing to say,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>A voice like stepped-on broken glass when he does.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>A touch always trailing after</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The left impressions of </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Penciled intentions </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Already erased and erased</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>And what they think he’s after</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Is you </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>To leave him </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Alone.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>He forgets he’s supposed to feel grateful </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>If the people who chose him</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Would actually choose </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>To provide the care they signed for</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Maybe then </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The unbearable would become tolerable,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>When you ask him a question</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>He replies flatly</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Generating surprise </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>He expected to hear.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>“Brother can you spare a dime?”</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>On the archaic game known as apathy</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>For he lost his own</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Around the same time </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>He gave up thinking you would care,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Now you will only hear loose change</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>When he spends the residue of hope</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>And it clanks against the empty efforts </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>You had promised him.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>You know what “children” are like;</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Misunderstood. Angst-Ridden. Tired.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>They carry on as they’ve been taught </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Heads down the depths of disapproval </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>And tongues tied between</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Choked on charity and</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Silicon slicked slivers of ‘sorry’</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>As they grow into people</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>You wouldn’t recognize,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>His story is lost</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Amongst BREAKING NEWS and </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Other things that matter more</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>But what’s the use of deliberations</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>When all he’s ever wanted</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Is an end to the lonely. </i></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Version Revised by Kate</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>He could be any child at all; </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The class president type </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>With a smile like ‘salutations’ </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Or the pop culture enthusiast </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Who is assumed to have nothing to say, </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>A voice like stepped-on broken glass when he does, </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>A touch always trailing after </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The left impressions of </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Pencilled intentions </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Already erased and erased</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>He forgets he’s supposed to feel grateful </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>If the people who chose him </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Would actually choose </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>To provide the care they signed for </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Maybe then -</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>You know what children are like; </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>They carry on as they’ve been taught </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Tongues tied somewhere</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>between choked on charity and </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Silicon slicked slivers of ‘sorry’ </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>As they grow into people </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>You wouldn’t recognize, </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>His story is lost </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Amongst BREAKING NEWS and </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Other things that matter more </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>But what’s the use of deliberations </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>When all he’s ever wanted </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Is an end to being lonely.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqj_S3yobOzz-Q2pIMZlvXFd9xsiM7mb0n-d6e97vsonLMtAttUZaBTIX3KNCsJ1VdtDBWpr4jzfAPtiAfzXbEuADdJJSN6Bn75mz4who69wHakjuysUoRq08xEEd7_bGZigmmuVDy-Q/s1600/Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqj_S3yobOzz-Q2pIMZlvXFd9xsiM7mb0n-d6e97vsonLMtAttUZaBTIX3KNCsJ1VdtDBWpr4jzfAPtiAfzXbEuADdJJSN6Bn75mz4who69wHakjuysUoRq08xEEd7_bGZigmmuVDy-Q/s320/Signature.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-87721695807636210972016-04-01T19:00:00.000-04:002016-04-01T20:30:42.002-04:00Ask About When | #NaPoWriMo<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkchOv8y0DDQyRRcBxYvIspzb7LTrGzzZ3O7dy4h2JdtIurP7IXnGD6ANuTAWLA5TsstEJ_kHft3S7OwVQQiIcY_bRnpkqCxs8tD7XYzUmypvXcv6Hip_ySA3NJcCC79sWiK5xQL1pR_o/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-02-29+at+18.26.48.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkchOv8y0DDQyRRcBxYvIspzb7LTrGzzZ3O7dy4h2JdtIurP7IXnGD6ANuTAWLA5TsstEJ_kHft3S7OwVQQiIcY_bRnpkqCxs8tD7XYzUmypvXcv6Hip_ySA3NJcCC79sWiK5xQL1pR_o/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-02-29+at+18.26.48.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">For the next 30 days on my YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCodtdymv5Nv0xUZHZefwShg">Loving the Language of Literacy</a>, I will be posting an original poem of mine along with behind the scenes knowledge of my inspiration, the creative process, and any other lessons / tips & tricks I have to offer. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/r7s7JrFuHFw/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r7s7JrFuHFw?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Ask About When</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>They ask me to bare the innerworkings of my mind</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>So that they may glimpse the generator,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The creator, Some kind of all-satisfying answer,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>To the demands and prying eyes that come with age.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Yet what they should not be asking is</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Why I say what I do</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>How I come up with the notions</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Where this supposed wisdom is born</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Those are easy.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>#1. Because there is so much idiocy in this world</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>That frustration has become the motivation to speak</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>#2. Because someone or something else’s words </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Have inspired ones of my own;</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I am no original, but the culmination of</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Trial, Error, and Observation</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>#3. Because I am just another marionette</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Turned martyr, and remain as one of the few</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>That have learned to tug on my strings,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Yet no one has ever questioned the When. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>If they think for one second of any day</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>That I have no filter</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>That I have not carefully</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Calculated, Whittled, and Re-Sculpted</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>My words</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Constantly gambling on every </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Bat of an eyelash,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Fluctuation in frequency of tone,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Strike on the scoreboard that is</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Their impression of me,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Then they are even more moronic than I had thought.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I used to be the girl</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Whose only mar on a perfect record</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Was due to the fact that I had been</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Bursting to contribute my opinion</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>From gun control to the structure of the word purple</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>And then one day, I stayed long enough</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>To gauge their opinions of me</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Those subtle eye rolls only apparent to </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Everyone in the room except for myself</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Those imperceptible exhalations of “that’s just Sofia,”</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Now, in a new time, new place,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>As a person whose definitions of the world have been</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Through the laundry machine of time</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I still don’t reveal what the answer is in slope intercept form</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>And wouldn’t dare unfurl my opinions on the 6 ‘o clock news</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I guess that’s why they see me in the light that they do</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>As I have been in charge of every utterance of </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Thought that has ever touched down on a page,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Maybe now they’ll realize that opening up means nothing</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>When those answers have always been there</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>And there are still less complicated questions to ask</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Because I am only just Sofia.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>——— Sofia Shohue Liaw</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> They ask me to undress the innerworkings of my mind</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>So that they may glimpse the generator,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The creator, Some kind of all-satisfying answer,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>To the commands and prying eyes that come with age.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Yet what they shouldn’t be asking - </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Why I say what I do</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>How I come up with them</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Where this supposed wisdom is born</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Those are easy.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>#1. Because there is so much idiocy in this world</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>That frustration has become the motivation to speak</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>#2. Because someone or something else’s words </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Have inspired ones of my own.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I am no original, but the culmination of</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Trial, Error, and Observation</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>#3. Because I am just another marionette</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Turned victim, and reman as one of the few</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>That have learned to tug on my strings</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Yet no one has ever questioned the When. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>If they think for one second of any day</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>That I have no filter</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>That I have not carefully</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Calculated, Whittled, and Re-sculpted</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>My words</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Constantly gambling on every </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Bat of an eyelash,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Fluctuation in frequency of time,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Strike on the scoreboard that is</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Their impression of me,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Then they are even more moronic than I had thought.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I used to be the girl</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Whose only mar on a perfect record</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Was due to the fact that I had been</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Bursting to share and contribute my opinion</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>From gun control to the structure of the word purple</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>And then one day, I stayed long enough</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>To gauge their opinions of me</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Those subtle eyeballs only apparent to </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Everyone in the room except for myself</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Those imperceptible exhalations of “that’s just Sofia”</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Now, in a new time, new place,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>As a person whose definitions of the world have been</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Through the laundry machine of time</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I still don’t reveal what the answer is in slope intercept form</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>And wouldn’t dare unfurl my opinions on the news</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I guess that’s why they see me in the light that they do</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>As I have been in charge of every utterance of </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Thought that has ever touched down on a page</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Maybe now they’ll realize that opening up means nothing</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>When those answers have always been there</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>And there are still less complicated questions to ask.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Because I am only just Sofia.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <b><span style="font-size: large;">The Creation of Ask About When </span></b><br />
This is an exact copy of the explanation I wrote in April of 2015 and handed in along with the rest of my poetry portfolio. My voice is a lot different even then and while some of the things I said are no longer true, they were at the time and that's the point of writing, to see how far we have come.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
Ask About When is one of the few poems I have written and genuinely felt proud of from the moment of conception, which happened in the midst of Mr. K’s lesson (you can’t deny the muses when they strike), and throughout the lengthy revision process. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
In a class discussion, Mr. K brought up the observation that the particular 2014/2015 class was the most closed-off of any he had encountered so far in his teaching career as well as his opinion that most of the poetry that had been submitted throughout the unit was mediocre at best. From the very first line, Ask About When is my own answer to his statement, on levels both as a student and a person, where I present the issue at hand, and then combat it, all while spiraling deeper into why this topic has so much personal meaning. It addresses the crippling part of my personality - the reluctance and actual fear of participating in class - that I have dealt with since 2nd grade.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
There are two impressions of who Sofia is that influenced word choice in the second and third lines. The first being that I am a machine-like perfectionist (generator) and the second being that the words I speak and write are somehow insightful or intelligent sounding (creator). From the moment we are born, we are in a constant state of sensory overload accompanied with living that makes the commonplace person not as trusting and naive, which is what the first and fourth lines suggest, as I have been asked to put the way I think on display because people question my word.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
The second and third stanzas cover the questions people have always asked, the ones that beat around the bush and don’t actually fulfill their inquiries. This is simply because if I’m willing to answer you, whether out of the need to impress or compassion, that is answer in and of itself.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
The fourth stanza addresses the questions from the second in a more slam-poetry style and are some of the most important lines in the poem. In short, the only reason I seem “smart” is because I have realized that I have to play the game of life if my favor in I ever want to establish some sort of independence from others, but that doesn’t mean that I am any better or try to be.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
The fifth and sixth stanzas are the funnel of the whirlpool as I delve deeper and deeper into my social anxiety that comes with participation in class as well as showcasing my personal snarkiness that ties back to my frustration with idiocy. Furthermore, it alerts readers of my self-awareness and lets them know of my best attempts to draw a favorable hand.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
The seventh stanza is truly where I hit home as an explanation to what controls when I speak. In Kindergarten, I had perfect grades in every standard, both social and intellectual, except for the one concerning speaking out of turn. I had been a constant fireball of positive energy, continuously eager to learn and contribute my opinion. In 2nd grade, I became aware of my surroundings and the people around me, the fact that I wasn’t “normal,” and through the use of irony, lay my fear of judgement out on the table.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
The eighth and ninth stanza attempts to portray the gap of both time and personality that sits between my New York and Californian lives. I had thought it would be different coming to a new school, but the fact of the matter is that I’m still afraid and my teachers have picked up on this as well. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
The tenth stanza is my three line ode (even though I could have used 3,000 lines) to my passion for the written word and writing. As someone who considers themselves a poet (being good has absolutely nothing to do with the declaration), I love nothing more than being in control. I will tell anyone anything about myself through writing, but reader’s must remember that that is my own conscious decision to do so.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
The ending to Ask About When is something I struggled with because I thought, “Well, I’ve written all of this and made some pretty bold statements. How the heck do I wrap this all up?” The classic ending designed to make readers think was the original cutoff for the poem. Upon a peer editor’s suggestion, I spun the poem’s conclusion into something I feel sums up (as well as continues to perplex) its message. I am just a teenage year old fangirl who is learning how to navigate the waters of young love and spends her free time running and making videos, who uses the written word as her currency through time, who is stubborn and passionate (which keeps things interesting for my teachers), and who moved to Syracuse in the first place because I lost my mom (yes, I know that’s a euphemism). </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
Lastly, I think Ask About When is my own angst-ridden teenager-y shout into the void that’s supposed to alert people (who actually cared to read this far into my portfolio) of the fact that I have a problem and am doing the best that I can to do deal with it. And I hope, 10 years from now when I’m digging through old school assignments and poetry (once I’m a New York Times Bestselling author, of course), that this will only be a time capsule of the person I am today.</div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIUH_QABtrmdTjnrjHP8NdNTOWpFjb4NYJGELG6Ece-jwMqtjBJgmkC50tICIt42OIxaK01VbYpOjyhGCoqJAygV3-VD05jPEPn1XUFmSXeTxPMwpVy4N-dGZNXguketKhDTscAliur4/s1600/Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIUH_QABtrmdTjnrjHP8NdNTOWpFjb4NYJGELG6Ece-jwMqtjBJgmkC50tICIt42OIxaK01VbYpOjyhGCoqJAygV3-VD05jPEPn1XUFmSXeTxPMwpVy4N-dGZNXguketKhDTscAliur4/s320/Signature.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-85968035514071528632016-03-08T13:11:00.000-05:002016-03-08T13:11:07.504-05:00A February Wrap-Up... Of Sorts | A Sonderous Denouement <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCm8WD-AZ0-ETJ8SDf0CeyWVH8_gXaW9MKXWFlftcHETVRDHBr1g8gQUDFipu-Sarv8Y-iTgQghd5Y5sV1ZPBBhHloTAVI3SqdTEZcjm-MnGxbqMopaKktXDCLGrjWbAfNkt_PF5pSSaU/s1600/ASD.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCm8WD-AZ0-ETJ8SDf0CeyWVH8_gXaW9MKXWFlftcHETVRDHBr1g8gQUDFipu-Sarv8Y-iTgQghd5Y5sV1ZPBBhHloTAVI3SqdTEZcjm-MnGxbqMopaKktXDCLGrjWbAfNkt_PF5pSSaU/s640/ASD.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So the first thing I should probably say is that this post is entirely for myself. I'm pretty sure no one even remembers when Loving the Language of Literacy was a blog. It's 5:30 pm GMT on a Tuesday afternoon and I have a few things to say. The first probably being that an actual February wrap-up will be coming your way on this blog. As I said when I put Loving the Language of Literacy on an indefinite hiatus, the one thing I will always post here are my monthly wrap-ups as they are a concise way to see exactly what has happened as well as what my current </span>interests<span style="font-family: inherit;"> are at the moment, and as a teenager, that's probably one of the most important things. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What I have always said without an exceptions is that I will always be a reader and any old slump isn't going to squash that. I've also always said I would do BookTube indefinitely until I no longer had the time or interest to invest in my channel. That being said, since posting my first video in October of 2014, I have never really had a BookTube slump. Of course, there have been the months where I'm absolutely swamped, but in those cases, it's always been a situation where I wanted to, but just didn't have enough time or energy in a day. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Right now? It's a different case altogether. I started the year off strong as you normally do, but starting in February and most definitely carrying on until now, I have just been extremely uninspired in terms of reviewing, tags, and discussions, all the things I would have adored blabbing on about for half hour chunks at a time. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">However, this also doesn't mean that I haven't been doing things. In my last post, </span><a href="http://lovingthelanguageofliteracy.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/i-choose-to-be-full-time-student.html" style="font-family: inherit;">I Choose to be a Full-Time Student</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, I speak about my new obsession and hunger for knowledge and learning languages. A preface for all of this would be nice. I am in Oxford, England until the end of March for my parent's sabbatical. It's been a fully immersive cultural as well as educational experience and no matter how much I moaned and groaned about it initially, I've learned to love, appreciate, or at least understand life here. With that said, my time here has been spent doing so many more things I either didn't have to or have interest in whilst I was in the United States.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The first being is school work. My teachers back home sent me to England with a nice (take that with whatever sarcastic tone you would like) suitcase full of workbooks and other study material to keep up with the curriculum while I'm here. When you add in the school work from my school here in Oxford, you come to realize that I'm spending 7+ hours of day in school and commuting home, and then making a dent in all the work I was sent here with. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The next item on my daily to-do list that seriously rivals my TBR length at times is my language study. This includes French, Spanish, as well as writing in plain old English. I have won NaNoWriMo early two years in a row, I know how much hell I put my sleep schedule, my school work, and BookTube duties during that time. While I'm in no way saying my current studies require the same time and energy commitment, everything adds up. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I guess where all of this really started was almost an entire month ago. My school here in England made my schedule in such a way that my hands were really tied for getting even the essentials on my to do list accomplished. There was a week of February break, the majority of which was spent</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvzLhK_Lezs" style="font-family: inherit;"> road tripping around the english countryside</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Upon my return to school was five major tests that required my full attention. Following that was a week of work experience, an incredible program they have in place across Europe where students receive a week or two off of school and working in 9-5 jobs to get experience as being part of the workforce. That leads me up to the present day where I'm staring down the calendar, wondering how on earth we're already almost a third through the month of March and a bit worse for wear in terms of where I should be on all the schoolwork for New York. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And then as of recently comes my latest obsession. I am in no way making false claims of OCD, but I will say that I have always had obsessive tendencies. I call it passion, others around me call it "dedicating way too much of my time to it or talking about it." My latest obsession happens to be auditioning for my school's spring drama production. Yesterday, I was texting my friend Ella and she was genuinely surprised with the amount of passion I had for it and said to me, "I didn't even know you liked drama so much." I had to pause for a second because I didn't even know I liked it to this degree either and that's when I knew I was invested in another project. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Aside from everything I have mentioned in this post, daily priority wise, I'm spending the month of March reconditioning myself into the swing of running - a three to four time a week time commitment- in preparation for the mountain goat again which I am quite excited about. With reading, writing, household chores, keeping up with friends and family from home, my schoolwork from Oxford and New York, it's a wonder this slump hasn't happened earlier. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now comes the question? What do I do about it? Honestly and currently... the plan is just to hang on for the month of March and see where April takes me in all aspects of my life. I could be completely swamped with making up work my teachers didn't send me with to England. I could be attending rehearsals several times a week if I get a part in the play. I will be running or cross training four or five times a week in preparation for the Mountain Goat. I will also be participating in National Poetry Writing Month along with a little video project I have been cooking up and all the last minute prep work that will entail. I will also be home again with my glorious bookshelves which means a ton of reading of the books I couldn't bring with me to England.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In short, I started this post extremely frustrated with my current situation but have come to the conclusion I had already made for myself before leaving the United States for this terrific journey. I need to live in the moment and appreciate the last three weeks I have here. I most definitely need to finish that schoolwork from New York *raises eyebrow* I have been productive with my days and been accomplishing meaningful tasks as well as pursuing my passions. And I need to accept the future will do whatever future-y thing it decides.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Life will go on no matter how much bitching I do about it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tell me in the comments below what your opinions are with the post, how you utilize your time, how to "do it all," and any other thoughts you have.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIUH_QABtrmdTjnrjHP8NdNTOWpFjb4NYJGELG6Ece-jwMqtjBJgmkC50tICIt42OIxaK01VbYpOjyhGCoqJAygV3-VD05jPEPn1XUFmSXeTxPMwpVy4N-dGZNXguketKhDTscAliur4/s1600/Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIUH_QABtrmdTjnrjHP8NdNTOWpFjb4NYJGELG6Ece-jwMqtjBJgmkC50tICIt42OIxaK01VbYpOjyhGCoqJAygV3-VD05jPEPn1XUFmSXeTxPMwpVy4N-dGZNXguketKhDTscAliur4/s320/Signature.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-69284310547945308292016-02-05T19:00:00.000-05:002016-02-05T19:00:21.345-05:00I Choose to be a Full-Time Student | A Sonderous Denouement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Ddd1Z3Esd2ghRj05hf0ryfaT2-9HSNkozTxkxcv4-HS0gTP1s-0gKtyU1VK934MlDO9zIGOGw-v-iS2uokNUhoRmpZ-8VEhtXxQ_UGR-WGkJUPtpYKdMqswfgufOV3maxBFm8bSbfko/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-11-28+at+11.08.30.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Ddd1Z3Esd2ghRj05hf0ryfaT2-9HSNkozTxkxcv4-HS0gTP1s-0gKtyU1VK934MlDO9zIGOGw-v-iS2uokNUhoRmpZ-8VEhtXxQ_UGR-WGkJUPtpYKdMqswfgufOV3maxBFm8bSbfko/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-11-28+at+11.08.30.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><b>"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." --- Mark Twain</b></i></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have been in Oxford, England since the end of December and will be here until the end of March. However, being in a foreign country doesn't mean an extra long Winter break - even if I am skipping out on Upstate New York's extreme snowfall. Today is Friday, which marks the end of my third week attending British school which is definitely the kind of "experience" everyone said I would have. However, before you turn 18, school is the number one place you spend your time besides home and in the 21st century where extracurricular activities seem to be a staple for all... it might even be the number one place; full stop or period depending on what kind of English you speak. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Oxfordian school which I currently attend marks the third school I have been to in the past two years. The foundation years of my education were spent at an intensive pseudo-public-might-as-well-be-private school where the demands of the students both in and outside of the classroom were high, the standards were over the top, and receiving four hours of homework in one night as a fifth grader is not uncommon. In fact, when I transferred to my school in Upstate New York, I was surprised and even shocked at the lack of rigidity I experienced. What I can say truthfully is that no amount of YA novels would have prepared me for British school. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I am fortunate enough to have grown up in an upper-middle class suburb - both in California and New York. Therefore I have never been exposed to the culture of "inner-city life" and the public school education that goes along with it. One of the biggest shocks at my English school is the diversity of both socioeconomic class as well as race. In California, my school consisted of 70% Asian and 29.9% Hispanic without a single white or black kid in my graduating class. In New York, it's around 90% white, 10% whatever else. Here in Oxford, although physical appearance doesn't say it - we have uniforms perhaps specifically for that reason - the majority of attendees come from working class to below the poverty line families. Forty percent of the student body consists of Muslims, 30% some sort of Asian, and 30% other - which includes caucasians. Being new to the school, I could of course be pulling those numbers out of thin air but it's a general guesstimate.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you had asked me the first week what I thought of the school, I would have said it is extremely chaotic, disorganized, with dispassionate teachers, and reluctant, disrespectful students. While my first impression is harsh, I have come to understand the culture of the particular school and the way things are run and how they have been established. The sharp edges of my opinion have been hewn into their more empathetic, compassionate offspring, but I still am surprised at times with the way classrooms are run. After conversing with one of my teachers, it seems that is the general culture of British schools. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One of the biggest struggles my sister and I have at this school is the fact that we have already been taught the majority of the material because English schools chip away gradually at every single vein of mathematics and science whereas Americans tackle each separately. Earth Science is for Freshmen. Biology is for Sophomores. Chemistry is for Juniors. Physics is for Seniors. In Oxford, Earth Science is renamed as Geography and is an optional course. Physics, Biology, and Chemistry are taught simultaneously from (I believe) Year 7 or 8. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I am not going to say I know absolutely everything I'm being taught because that isn't true. What I will say is that the effort put into mastering the material and completing assignments is notably less. Therefore, when I get home every day from school... I have all the free time on my hands that I have always wanted. Without extracurricular activities or friends (seeing as we have been here less than a month and will be here for less than three months in total), there are so many doorways opened. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A couple of those doorways lead to idleness, but the ones I have chosen to use are ones that I never fathomed. Since starting school in mid January, I have been studying French, Spanish, and Math entirely at my own pace. Science, History, and English are basically waiting until the last minute :) In the past month, I have tremendously expanded my comprehension of language - both French and English and even investigated an area of study I had completely written off for myself and found passion in it. From numerous tweets and snapchats in January, you may surmise that area is Linguistics. I still have two months here and in that time, I am determined to become as fluent as possible - from being self taught and attending class - in French, as well as be ahead of Spanish when I return to the United States. Forging ahead in math is invigorating because I am in charge. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have always shrugged off the concept of being a "full-time student" for any age of education. However, the month of January has caused me to reevaluate this. This is mostly because of how eager I have been to return home from school every day and do... more schoolwork if you can believe it or not. This is because I am legitimately excited by what I'm studying and am allowed to choose. I have spent an extra hour and usually more a day on my French studies. My parents have told me to "get a life," and I think they would even be happy to see me waste away in front of the television every once in a while just for the sake of not having me take up half the kitchen table with flashcards, notes, and worksheets. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I must confess the combination of a lack of inspiration and this new use of my time is what caused me to be so absent from my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCodtdymv5Nv0xUZHZefwShg">YouTube Channel</a> in the latter half of January, but I don't regret any of my actions. I recently conquered all 50 of the skills in Duolingo's French tree and immediately after, asked my parents what to do next. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I am well aware of the need for balance, and I promise you studying isn't the only thing I do with my time once school is dismissed. Nevertheless, the Mark Twain quote I introduced this post with sums up everything I have learned since the year began. I never want to allow school interfere with the pursuit of knowledge and now that I have experienced the joys of being in charge of my education; there is no going back.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What do you think of the difference between attending school and getting an education? What do you do with your free time that some may consider "weird"? If you study any language(s), which one(s), and how do you go about it?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vkO8lDl4RLe7m1zcjbRKN54wTbtYcTrgX3zwJVndHYses2S6x7MQG6cZdgW6XGwh33gT0hDRSthES1RNBP7be2EHvfmu5uXla9PV5xBmdTvef2OQc8zG3SJLXuqeobl8v692VjHaY7M/s1600/0C42B092-642B-4799-867C-B803CE0B9E8A" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vkO8lDl4RLe7m1zcjbRKN54wTbtYcTrgX3zwJVndHYses2S6x7MQG6cZdgW6XGwh33gT0hDRSthES1RNBP7be2EHvfmu5uXla9PV5xBmdTvef2OQc8zG3SJLXuqeobl8v692VjHaY7M/s320/0C42B092-642B-4799-867C-B803CE0B9E8A" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-13388521759538846722016-01-31T19:00:00.000-05:002016-03-12T12:32:10.898-05:00January Wrap-Up | Oxford Adjustments | 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UhLnb1FqSM4IxjG7zLg1GWtUD-D_lQOa7xkyl3tDC74T0n9pQCm6AIkruCoruYd5kd_1Cf8XpeG4LcbuPohYohbeYcXV5m5vN1PC7jgn7DaShdJUkAolrzQtjDoIzB3loQlia-7gQqg/s1600/1DCDD18A-56CD-46C1-8E38-49D4E5B28821" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UhLnb1FqSM4IxjG7zLg1GWtUD-D_lQOa7xkyl3tDC74T0n9pQCm6AIkruCoruYd5kd_1Cf8XpeG4LcbuPohYohbeYcXV5m5vN1PC7jgn7DaShdJUkAolrzQtjDoIzB3loQlia-7gQqg/s640/1DCDD18A-56CD-46C1-8E38-49D4E5B28821" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>IMAGE FROM THIS MONTH</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Q7KNi2u_JVS0Me5AXnwliAMSU7xDEANuai5ZzQ-tGXGZW2Okz3-UdtYosqTphf9KezHpdlkntJWNGwk3DG2cJbpkr9LfXAFZekzAO8HNRjXLQIIBcK-fWivPiubftD47M8Rbo5_mNYk/s1600/ADC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Q7KNi2u_JVS0Me5AXnwliAMSU7xDEANuai5ZzQ-tGXGZW2Okz3-UdtYosqTphf9KezHpdlkntJWNGwk3DG2cJbpkr9LfXAFZekzAO8HNRjXLQIIBcK-fWivPiubftD47M8Rbo5_mNYk/s320/ADC.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxwIcH4TS-qeR-XjPIzfEbKVOiTAy-wqELvfuiXx9-yAAkIXJdlbDzDkENtdcbfmkpJqWCibBOYVCLxJpZwhZ7YwNlh2K9xaIJy6LgfoOBOziwPY3aruF6n29BTDwf8Ts9Ik4lvumBR8/s1600/COM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxwIcH4TS-qeR-XjPIzfEbKVOiTAy-wqELvfuiXx9-yAAkIXJdlbDzDkENtdcbfmkpJqWCibBOYVCLxJpZwhZ7YwNlh2K9xaIJy6LgfoOBOziwPY3aruF6n29BTDwf8Ts9Ik4lvumBR8/s320/COM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxs9K1m3HMLBiezD6_Ly2EkQwVJ52s9tqc749zlFtA6Pn-wHY7Raa5lUtk5R1rYO_yBImYaZ8G1OpZuh2OQ5VkVh_lP6NuFJXt4lzYdnDYgZW97790aC2wXWrdnC4N9uR-XMAeKLemLs/s1600/ATD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxs9K1m3HMLBiezD6_Ly2EkQwVJ52s9tqc749zlFtA6Pn-wHY7Raa5lUtk5R1rYO_yBImYaZ8G1OpZuh2OQ5VkVh_lP6NuFJXt4lzYdnDYgZW97790aC2wXWrdnC4N9uR-XMAeKLemLs/s320/ATD.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMsgS9bJOI8MgoCFR9GueGcOheaOUHX8AedfZY-5Cw_vWZtF1EZgSnxSSJNxqVbNyHVrv3efRsCBiTQQmReLcbhmhNL-9bAcPWP20zyMNymlYiwKZbnOeiV8ik2_9Yz_cF20HoB56s-U/s1600/WDYSS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMsgS9bJOI8MgoCFR9GueGcOheaOUHX8AedfZY-5Cw_vWZtF1EZgSnxSSJNxqVbNyHVrv3efRsCBiTQQmReLcbhmhNL-9bAcPWP20zyMNymlYiwKZbnOeiV8ik2_9Yz_cF20HoB56s-U/s320/WDYSS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>FUN/NOTEWORTHY THINGS THAT HAPPENED</b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Vacation |</b> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I might as well declare to the world that I was able to get an extra two weeks off of school. The english school district was a bit slow to process our paperwork, so my sister and I got that time to relax and become accustomed to the culture of this new place. We spent more time with each other in January than we have probably November and December combined mostly because we were all each other had and at home, we don't have a single lunch or class together. Whereas at home we are individuals, in Oxford school and life, we are a package deal. This is sometimes fun, sometimes annoying as heck, and most </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">definitely... interesting.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">Adjustments</i><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> | </b><span style="font-family: inherit;">In terms of my overall demeanor and outlook on my three months in Oxford, England, I had only shared pure excitement and exuberation towards the experience. However, during the first month of me being here, I went through the natural period of adjustment which, I'm going to admit, involved some resentment towards my parents, the situation, and the school my sister and I are temporarily attending. The reason I was so reluctant to make the move in the first place was because it felt as if I had just settled down in Syracuse, made friends, and actually love school only to be torn away from everything I had built. While there are still many moments I want to return to my freezing cold home of Upstate New York, I think I'm finally coming to terms with the reality of me being here in England and using my time in accordance. In essence, I have the power over my education and everything I learn from now until I return. I'm determined to better my French and even get ahead in Spanish. My schedule will have me finished with all the math work by mid February, and then I'll move onto Global and Earth Science - two subject I know I must begrudgingly carry out. Nevertheless, it's exhilarating to have so much power over my intellectual experience here. I had/still have a lot of negative thoughts and feelings towards my present school but I don't want to voice them because of the negativity it would impose on all of you as well the fact that the mindset will most likely change. In short, I'm making the best of what can truly be labeled as the experience of a lifetime, and I'm still connecting with my friends from back home - some of them on a level even deeper than when I had left because the new medium of communication required improvisation.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>D</i></b></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>uolingo</i></b><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> | </b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Considering the fact that I'm on a 23 day streak with a total of almost 7,000 experience points from Spanish and French instruction, I would say I'm only slightly obsessed with this app. Essentially this is the most perfect app for me that could ever have been invented because it gives me the personal validation of a game while also being educational. I swear through duolingo as well as my personal research, I have learned more french in the month of January than I have the 12 months of french instruction I have received through school. With my precursory knowledge of the </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">language, Duolingo was really the best thing ever to have walked into my life because I'm learning by doing. The app provides speaking, listening, reading, matching, and writing activities and I honestly think my overall comprehension of the language has doubled if not tripled. January was the month I discovered my avid interest in languages and linguistics and I'm beginning to consider it even as a possible career path seeing how much I adore learning the intricacies of not only the language, but the way they're used and the various connotations of translation. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>A Sonderous Denouement</i><span style="font-size: large;"> | </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">As seen in the quotes above (which are indeed original), I have been quite busy this month with my second marking period writing portfolio. I went with every single bell and whistle I could think of for my 68 piece compilation of prose, poetry, and creative non fiction. It was quite a time consuming endeavor but wholly worth it. The portfolio genuinely encompasses 20 of the most volatile, important weeks of my life in terms of my writing and development as an adolescent. I'm hoping to make a version available for the public soon with slight changes to retain my privacy. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-snnhsxFkkQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-snnhsxFkkQ?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe><b> </b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><i>BARD COLLEGE @ SIMON'S ROCK</i><span style="font-size: large;"> | </span></span></b><b style="font-family: '"verdana"', sans-serif;">Of Silence and Shatterings | </b><span style="font-family: inherit;">I heard about this three week, intensive writing camp back in September and had been eagerly awaiting the time when I could send in my application. Naturally, I procrastinated until the first week of January to actually get the most important aspect of the application written. This turned out to be </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Of Silence and Shatterings</i></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">, an extremely personal memoir and one of the best pieces I have ever written. I anticipated and hoped for the two weeks between the application being sent off and hearing a reply, but I am so happy to share with all of you that I got in!</span></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>WHAT AM I LOOKING FORWARD TO?</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Living Deliberately | </b>I think I put something along these lines in my December Wrap-Up, but I'm too lazy to check. I expressed last February how it seemed I was all gung-ho about the new year in January and then fell into a slump. However, I believe my inspiration slump occurred from mid-January to now and I am extremely eager to arrive into February, armed with my mission statement (see below). I'm keeping up with all the schoolwork from New York which is a test of time management and delegation. As I also mentioned, I spent a lot more time on Duolingo and in depth analyses of both Spanish and French. I want to mentally allow myself to do something like that in February, veer way off course from what I hoped I would do, and be absolutely okay with that. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Scholastic Writing Competition Results | </b>It's forward thinking to hope any of my pieces I had entered won, but the results are made live on the 3rd of February at 5pm. You can bet I will be on the website at 9:59 pm, Oxford time, eagerly waiting for the webpage to reload. The thing about the writing version of Scholastic Awards is that it features the entire region versus a local competition, so essentially all entries are competing against the entire Northeast of the United States which is what would make the win all the more meaningful. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>WHAT DID I READ?</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6coKx2Sg4Ok/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6coKx2Sg4Ok?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>FAVORITE BOOK OF THE MONTH</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQd125bEd8wgJjhWD4NED4ROfNIrQJM0QR8Ly_-e0rGGhKuf_rrNam0eeeUlk__2wRC9hexHU6V5kcx0BBDx2gNIZbIHqDQ_SuQvC_JR4B1E4Ne43BV_Mu5KlaZEafEtPKVe1ScbtS2K0/s1600/LTLMA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQd125bEd8wgJjhWD4NED4ROfNIrQJM0QR8Ly_-e0rGGhKuf_rrNam0eeeUlk__2wRC9hexHU6V5kcx0BBDx2gNIZbIHqDQ_SuQvC_JR4B1E4Ne43BV_Mu5KlaZEafEtPKVe1ScbtS2K0/s320/LTLMA.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I was originally planning on doing a full video discussion and why that may still happen, I might as well get the majority of my points out now considering my track record for BookTube hasn't been the best this month. Anyways, I have listened to the radio theater audiobook of <b><i>Little Women</i></b> no less than probably 50 times. I can recite whole passages and spent many, many hours of my childhood playing on the family room floor and being totally ensconced in the family Alcott created. However, it was certainly high time I crack down on myself and read the actual book in order to give myself credit for <b><i>Little Women</i></b> being one of my favorite books of all time in the eyes of certain people. When my friend Ella read the book last year, she expressed her objections towards the lengthy paragraphs of description towards absolutely everything from Plum Field to a character's reasoning for limes. Armed with this knowledge, the descriptions actually didn't bother me that much and I enjoyed the immersive feeling the book gave. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
***Spoiler Alert***</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Bhaer had always seemed a little like an afterthought in the audiobook because of the late stage of the story in which he came in. However, in the physical book, as readers, we get to truly see Jo's fascination and adoration of his character and it's quite amusing watching her do what she swore to Laurie and her family that she would never - fall in love in love. While Amy is a favorite amongst readers, I found that after the divide of Meg's wedding and she ceases to be a little girl, she becomes annoying. Her focus is so much on making a rich match and while Laurie's behavior deserves it, she brutally slaughters him. The way the two of them ended up together seemed positively ridiculous and I don't truly understand how Amy and Jo could have switched places in Laurie's heart quite so easily. In a way, the in depth view to characters such as Beth and Meg made me like them a little less, mostly because we actually see their faults and some of the foundation work of who they are that had been excluded from both the movie and audiobook.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
***End Spoilers***</div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>TV/MOVIE OBSESSIONS</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4F-K-BNCAgVS4lKFDLChUdd6eTR4HYk9mFvl9QVP5FnSRpKSd4oQHAN_BJSNGcJ9deVINpFBC4vlv1MEB2vpj3ppfghlaI3mkikX2qomvQOWCUK8yeJkh5VoYqYbHOtL4vzijFPuoys/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-31+at+13.20.02.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4F-K-BNCAgVS4lKFDLChUdd6eTR4HYk9mFvl9QVP5FnSRpKSd4oQHAN_BJSNGcJ9deVINpFBC4vlv1MEB2vpj3ppfghlaI3mkikX2qomvQOWCUK8yeJkh5VoYqYbHOtL4vzijFPuoys/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-01-31+at+13.20.02.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
During this month, I saw the new episode of SHERLOCK <b><i>The Abominable Bride</i></b> in an actual movie theater and the big screen experience was definitely an irreplaceable one. I've been a fan since the beginning, but this was the exact thing I needed to recharge my love. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Against my parent's better judgement, we went as a family to see <i><b>The Danish Girl</b></i> and to some of the scenes all I can say is "interesting." The generation my sister and I are in and the one of my parents are most definitely different in terms of views/opinions on the transgender moment but without a doubt, The Danish Girl is an essential movie for historical and current reasons because of its significance to 21st century society. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One of my parents took my sister and I to see <b><i>The Big Short</i></b> which, to someone who has never ventured into the economy that deeply before, was nothing short of a horror film. That's probably an exaggeration, but it definitely made my sister and I more aware of the adult responsibilities we will have in a few short years. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And finally, the thing most members of the bookish community have been buzzing about - regardless of being negative or positive - <b><i>Shadowhunters</i></b>. Being cheap and in England, I've only seen the pilot and for what it was, what it was setting out to do, and the restrictions, I think it was fine. I'm not in love, but I'm also not about to trash it. What are your thoughts about the episodes that have already aired and the ones to come? </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>SONGS THAT WERE ON REPEAT</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Aalbum%3A1kCHru7uhxBUdzkm4gzRQc" width="300"></iframe><br />
I am Hamilton trash. That is all I have to say.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A78zAVYPwRSK4HPYyuijZV0" width="300"></iframe><br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A1yJZwBqTyGTB7mz8nZyiel" width="300"></iframe><br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A4u3b7kZzzttfaukSxlyqL2" width="300"></iframe><br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A199PYVStx4WZPRaT7YNjwu" width="300"></iframe><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>FAVORITE QUOTE</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
“<i>When you really know somebody you can’t hate them. Or maybe it’s just that you can’t really know them until you stop hating them.</i>” --- Speaker for the Dead : Orson Scott Card </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"<i>What a person had in mind. Once you understand what people really want, you can't hate them anymore. You can fear them, but you can't hate them, because you can always find the same desires in your own heart.</i>” --- Speaker for the Dead : Orson Scott Card</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"<i>He loved her, as you can only love someone who is an echo of yourself at your time of deepest sorrow.</i>”</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
--- Speaker for the Dead : Orson Scott Card | It's pretty clear that 2016 will be known as the year of my obsession with Orson Scott Card. I don't know what it is, but I've always admired Card's writing style and his understanding of the human condition. He has this way of absolutely destroying the souls as well as lives of his characters but it's utterly purposeful and in other character's perspectives - for the greater good of humanity.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
“<i>Because talent isn't genius, and no amount of energy can make it so. I want to be great, or nothing.</i>” --- Little Women : Louisa May Alcott | This is one of my favorite quotes from the novel, not in terms of literary progress, but my personal connection with the statement and what I actually want to do with my art. ***Insert overly long essay about wanting to leave behind a legacy...***</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
“<i>It’s not rocket science, Nan. You show someone they matter to you—do whatever it takes to show that.</i>” --- The Boy Most Likely To : Huntley Fitzpatrick | Having been away from home for more than a month, there is nothing that rings more true than this statement. Long distance relationships of any sort require a hell of a lot of effort and people have to be prepared for that.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>QUESTION OF THE MONTH</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>What is your mission statement for the month of February and/or year of 2016?</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
"To learn as much as I can with the time I have, take as much as I can from this incredible experience, and work hard towards my goal of being a writer"<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vt2KHsaqGEyFaT9Y54LlEoOf7BaKlTrkNw1pZ1HUxJkVwmzwJ22s1tpJN5B6cyNOcMGatc3p_8lF0Bajk51zhRfltJO0f66JL74-nod192kIOMav7MIZ5dMmmZIfuApwwaI6E1emzX4/s1600/Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vt2KHsaqGEyFaT9Y54LlEoOf7BaKlTrkNw1pZ1HUxJkVwmzwJ22s1tpJN5B6cyNOcMGatc3p_8lF0Bajk51zhRfltJO0f66JL74-nod192kIOMav7MIZ5dMmmZIfuApwwaI6E1emzX4/s320/Signature.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-24427720054540487072016-01-16T19:00:00.000-05:002016-01-16T19:00:09.623-05:00It's the end of 2015!!! | December 2015 Wrap-Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UhLnb1FqSM4IxjG7zLg1GWtUD-D_lQOa7xkyl3tDC74T0n9pQCm6AIkruCoruYd5kd_1Cf8XpeG4LcbuPohYohbeYcXV5m5vN1PC7jgn7DaShdJUkAolrzQtjDoIzB3loQlia-7gQqg/s1600/1DCDD18A-56CD-46C1-8E38-49D4E5B28821" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UhLnb1FqSM4IxjG7zLg1GWtUD-D_lQOa7xkyl3tDC74T0n9pQCm6AIkruCoruYd5kd_1Cf8XpeG4LcbuPohYohbeYcXV5m5vN1PC7jgn7DaShdJUkAolrzQtjDoIzB3loQlia-7gQqg/s640/1DCDD18A-56CD-46C1-8E38-49D4E5B28821" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>IMAGE FROM THIS MONTH</b></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfw-D1owVE6EwhLcM50tPUOr3rP62MSTtOgi_bhyphenhyphenDr75nzkUel4lSQRyFiZ_tsoBJXgLymvn4NZcYnkgePnAGT3aKpReuZHVriX6HlulG6U_Bvq881jmAEiPxrnRdZdUaZnuqeynPrScQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-12-13+at+2.27.46+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfw-D1owVE6EwhLcM50tPUOr3rP62MSTtOgi_bhyphenhyphenDr75nzkUel4lSQRyFiZ_tsoBJXgLymvn4NZcYnkgePnAGT3aKpReuZHVriX6HlulG6U_Bvq881jmAEiPxrnRdZdUaZnuqeynPrScQ/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-12-13+at+2.27.46+PM.png" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>BLACK FRIDAY BOOK OUTLET HAUL</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana", sans-serif;">*</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">This month's wrap-up is unusually sparse because it has taken until halfway through January for me to get my a** in gear to actually put this together. However, eleven out of twelve months sounds good to me. No matter how much I have abandoned this blog, I will always have a wrap-up, even if it just lists noteworthy things that happened so that I may go back and remember all of the fun, idiotic, hilarious things I have done with my life.*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>FUN/NOTEWORTHY THINGS THAT HAPPENED</b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb22xd0ettGl6yLNFdKnRPkA2tIQwnzxmrhZQfwfqGd2UnLRss72BoTiL24giKHFUyjXzga1uNMqiBc1ru9x4NKwkDXvB9ivuIn-9Jz0bgcAENxjh8N4mXy6bwIwP1eJqbTsc5WQEhfdA/s1600/15BD.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb22xd0ettGl6yLNFdKnRPkA2tIQwnzxmrhZQfwfqGd2UnLRss72BoTiL24giKHFUyjXzga1uNMqiBc1ru9x4NKwkDXvB9ivuIn-9Jz0bgcAENxjh8N4mXy6bwIwP1eJqbTsc5WQEhfdA/s200/15BD.png" width="200" /></a><b style="font-family: inherit;">Hanukkah // </b><b style="font-family: inherit;">Birthday | </b><span style="font-family: inherit;">This year, my birthday was smack dab in the middle of Hanukkah. This is my second Hanukkah since moving to Upstate New York and it was an absolute blast both giving and receiving. I went with my family, Ella, and Ailin out to a fancy winery (no, I did not consume any of the aforementioned wine) and had the best pizza. We hung out reorganizing my bookshelf before that and after dinner went to my favorite ice cream place as well. Overall, this holiday season was such a fun time with family and good cheer all round. My "big" gift for Hanukkah this year was the Fitbit Surge and I have been OBSESSED with tracking my exercise and shaming myself on the days when I sit at home on my computer... not adding to my step count.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbD0RjG2gRVel7Rcbnw-RH-L06cUiSIip2MmWtOkHhw31quu124Vbgesn8E7KpPty4JxaNquzmPqG5jkW-hBTrVOLGPNQIzhrVrYrW1EmPdtouXpCT-R9-rC0Q7vT5C2w54LVAhoiThUk/s1600/FCP.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbD0RjG2gRVel7Rcbnw-RH-L06cUiSIip2MmWtOkHhw31quu124Vbgesn8E7KpPty4JxaNquzmPqG5jkW-hBTrVOLGPNQIzhrVrYrW1EmPdtouXpCT-R9-rC0Q7vT5C2w54LVAhoiThUk/s200/FCP.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;">Final Cut Pro |</span><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"> </b><span style="font-family: inherit;">My huge generous birthday gift from my family this year was the widely known editing software Final Cut Pro which I am so freaking excited to play around with and learn all of the functions and cool effects that can up the production value of my videos. I won't be using it for the first three months this year as I am abroad without access to my iMac, but as soon as I return, I am so excited to utilize it and learn everything I can. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuLaqfiSFKE5_ixeDZaICXhY1WNZyP5PRsFEUONl-PiutUpjYzWPLMKoEa4ATMd1ejZwHRAJ-ArmM8l2b4pZg0AQLm6vmVHyfd52l-eidPK538JztrIfG1CGwE-8AAnphD5L-HHLa_Pw/s1600/XMAS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuLaqfiSFKE5_ixeDZaICXhY1WNZyP5PRsFEUONl-PiutUpjYzWPLMKoEa4ATMd1ejZwHRAJ-ArmM8l2b4pZg0AQLm6vmVHyfd52l-eidPK538JztrIfG1CGwE-8AAnphD5L-HHLa_Pw/s200/XMAS.jpg" width="200" /></a><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">Christmas Eve | </b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">While I myself don't celebrate Christmas, I was invited to one of my best friend Nancy's family's Christmas Eve party and had an absolute blast. As you can see, Ella was there, as well one of Nancy's friends I had never met before who I had the pleasure of meeting. The four of us ate so much food, caffeinated beverages, and just chatted. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span> <br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-family: inherit;">Oxford England | </b><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you haven't heard the news over my social media or YouTube Channel, I am living in Oxford England from January to March. My parents are on sabbatical and my sister and I have had somewhat of an extended vacation. We've explored the city, ate a ton of food, and been to Blackwells Bookstore around three times a week (I think that number may have to go up to four in the coming months). My YouTube channel will have a ton of vlogs and cool footage of my experience of living there so you should definitely follow me there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AVcot9X63qo/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="200" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AVcot9X63qo?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"></iframe><b style="font-family: inherit;">Black Friday & Holiday Book Haul | </b><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm not sure how much more I can say other than I think I broke my bank account with the amount of books I have obtained over the past month. I made haul videos for both <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xso-PgDFwA">Black Friday</a> as well as the totally trolling title of "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVcot9X63qo">What I Got For Chrismas</a>" which is essentially of the books I was gifted for my birthday, Hanukkah, and a few I bought for myself. Yes, we have established I have no self restraint whatsoever.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHuXOpOfJNYypzJIn3lAwyvOUkXWNb7G4Dii_FgdJM4i0hQIZRNj4IK0ruwgZJk8-tCymjwdtuZGaFX8YBB_IDpg6ExVjdafyFZ4liLCzZ01K_NNqaqf0o8A5Z2YdPSd60yAV8tSN14c/s1600/PCL.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHuXOpOfJNYypzJIn3lAwyvOUkXWNb7G4Dii_FgdJM4i0hQIZRNj4IK0ruwgZJk8-tCymjwdtuZGaFX8YBB_IDpg6ExVjdafyFZ4liLCzZ01K_NNqaqf0o8A5Z2YdPSd60yAV8tSN14c/s200/PCL.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-family: inherit;">Podcast | </b><span style="font-family: inherit;">While I am not yet allowed </span>to<span style="font-family: inherit;"> disclose what the particular podcast is, I am allowed to say that during the month of December I was contacted by a sort of lifestyle blogger to explain how I balance all of my obligations (self inflicted or otherwise). It was an amazing opportunity and I was so flattered to read the initial email inviting me to take part in the interview. I will most definitely be announcing what the podcast is as well as a link to my episode when I can share more information </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>WHAT DID I READ<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">?</span></b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UeTvtTH57_w/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UeTvtTH57_w?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBrUjT7_Pd-boMWv5zDyAg9U2qWYWFC3GR4bUOx_7AGQ1O9Ggre-f0dzP4b9Y54drGF6ovQSWAegivPxfkv_A5IS0XNcHOLAKJEYKWApXFKACqPmwY5YnjzyY7pdK91Mn77gnIJqg8p0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-15+at+22.56.56.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBrUjT7_Pd-boMWv5zDyAg9U2qWYWFC3GR4bUOx_7AGQ1O9Ggre-f0dzP4b9Y54drGF6ovQSWAegivPxfkv_A5IS0XNcHOLAKJEYKWApXFKACqPmwY5YnjzyY7pdK91Mn77gnIJqg8p0/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-01-15+at+22.56.56.png" width="318" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Let's be honest, I just put this category here so I can ramble on about these books. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
I marathoned the <b><i>Girl of Fire and Thorns</i></b> Trilogy in November of 2014 and <b><i>Walk on Earth a Stranger </i></b>only solidified my love for her as an author. It was a well developed debut for the series and it was legitimately the Oregon Trail which was the best game ever that ruled my childhood. Lee was such a strong character and of course, Carson made her a feminist, but I loved how she remained true to and actually embraced her femininity despite her need for independence.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I listened to <b><i>The Rosie Project</i></b> in one sitting and I can't imagine how much fun the experience was. Our main character has aspergers which greatly impacts his voice and the way the story was told. His perspective was refreshing and the love story one that was completely unexpected, not before enduring every possible obstacle, most of which self inflicted by himself.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>The Bookseller</i></b> is Roald Dahl's adult short story and the hilarious wit featuring adult protagonists was quite a contrast to all of his children's stories. The scam behind the plot was deliciously well thought out and I was on edge the entire time waiting to see where the main character's diabolical plans would take them.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>The Adoration of Jenna Fox </i></b>is the second Mary E. Pearson novel I have read and I was intrigued with her debut. The premise was interesting and I love hearing about bioethics and the struggles characters and their authority figures must go through to save their lives and make monumental medical advances. I won't be reading the rest of the series but the first novel was quite an enjoyable time and gave me a lot to think about.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>Faking Normal</i></b> was such a great story of friendship and the intimate bonds between people who help each other cope with the terrible events that happened in their lives. Lexie is forced to interact with her rapist every day and Boddee has to cope with the loss of his mom. The two help each other and remain constants in each others lives despite everything.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>FAVORITE VIDEO OF MINE</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9xso-PgDFwA/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9xso-PgDFwA?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Without a doubt, this will probably be my all time favorite video I have ever posted. I got my reluctant sister to unbox with me and since we had no idea what these books were about or what was going on in general, it served as an extremely entertaining experience.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>SONGS THAT WERE ON REPEAT</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A4BFcFKI6rGcc2GQFqD5bz8" width="300"></iframe><br />
I have had Alexi Blue on my wrap-ups time and time again so of course I have to blast it to the world when she has a new original single out. The music video is so empowering and while the sound is pretty mainstream, the message is great.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>FAVORITE QUOTES</b></span><br />
<i>“My timing is off. But I had to get it out. Some things you have to tell, no matter how stupid they may sound. Some things you can't save for later. There might not be a later. ”</i><br />
--- The Adoration of Jenna Fox : Mary E. Pearson<br />
<br />
<i>“I decide that sometimes definitions are wrong. Even if they're written in a dictionary. Identities aren't always separate and distinct. Sometimes they ARE wrapped up with others. Sometimes, for a few minutes, maybe they can even be shared. And if I am ever fortunate enough to return to Mr. Bender's garden, I wonder if the birds will see that piece of him that is wrapped up in me.”</i><br />
--- The Adoration of Jenna Fox : Mary E. Pearson<br />
<br />
<i>“He's opening a door, but he already knows I won't walk through. The power of Bodee is in the way he reads me, sees through me, and then understands the truth behind the facade. He's the guy who can walk straight through the House of Mirrors on the first try. It's almost annoying. No one should ride tragedy like a pro surfer while I drown.”</i><br />
--- Faking Normal : Courtney C. Stevens<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>QUESTION OF THE MONTH</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">What are </span><span style="font-family: "verdana", sans-serif;">you</span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> most looking forward to in 2016?</span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vt2KHsaqGEyFaT9Y54LlEoOf7BaKlTrkNw1pZ1HUxJkVwmzwJ22s1tpJN5B6cyNOcMGatc3p_8lF0Bajk51zhRfltJO0f66JL74-nod192kIOMav7MIZ5dMmmZIfuApwwaI6E1emzX4/s1600/Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vt2KHsaqGEyFaT9Y54LlEoOf7BaKlTrkNw1pZ1HUxJkVwmzwJ22s1tpJN5B6cyNOcMGatc3p_8lF0Bajk51zhRfltJO0f66JL74-nod192kIOMav7MIZ5dMmmZIfuApwwaI6E1emzX4/s320/Signature.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-78670674351577881502016-01-07T19:00:00.000-05:002016-01-07T19:00:12.720-05:00Of Silence and Shatterings | A Memoir <div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCm8WD-AZ0-ETJ8SDf0CeyWVH8_gXaW9MKXWFlftcHETVRDHBr1g8gQUDFipu-Sarv8Y-iTgQghd5Y5sV1ZPBBhHloTAVI3SqdTEZcjm-MnGxbqMopaKktXDCLGrjWbAfNkt_PF5pSSaU/s1600/ASD.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCm8WD-AZ0-ETJ8SDf0CeyWVH8_gXaW9MKXWFlftcHETVRDHBr1g8gQUDFipu-Sarv8Y-iTgQghd5Y5sV1ZPBBhHloTAVI3SqdTEZcjm-MnGxbqMopaKktXDCLGrjWbAfNkt_PF5pSSaU/s640/ASD.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>This is a short story / memoir I wrote as part of my application to the Bard College at Simon's Rock Young Writer's Workshop. The guidelines were to write about a particular time words impacted you. This is actually my second attempt at following the prompt as the first ended up more of an essay versus a prose piece. It is non-fiction and 100% true. If you were one of the lucky people to read the actual draft I sent in, you may notice there are a few names changed for privacy reasons but that is the only aspect that has been changed. </i></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
This is the kind of story that spans an afternoon. It is told in first person, omniscient, where hindsight is twenty / twenty. If I do my job correctly, you will have no choice but to carry on with its weight and resonance emblazoned in the dark matter between cornea and eyelid.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Nothing is as simple as it seems. The world is not black and white but an innumerable amount of greys in between (not fifty, mind you), an infinite spectrum of individual experience and circumstance that makes us flawed and human. A book is not simply a few hundred pages bound between two pieces of cardboard, but a relationship trapped between realities until it is read.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sofia Li’s life had always been just that, hers, apostrophe ‘s,’ possessive noun. Until the summer of 2014, when it wasn’t. Her mother, Sabrina had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer in September of 2012. However, it isn’t until where our story begins that Sofia actually comprehends that the woman who adopted her from Shanghai, China when she was thirteen months old, can no longer take care of her. At this point, everything in Sofia’s life had changed.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“Well, time is up for the day. You don’t have to talk to me, but you need to express what you’re feeling to somebody. I’m going to speak with your mother before I leave. Do I have permission to tell her about what you’ve said today?” Bianca says, caps her pen, and slides it into its appointed place on her clipboard. Sofia wonders if the clipboard is devoid of words because Bianca’s reluctant patient refused to say anything of importance. The other, more likely outcome being that every line was scribbled in wannabe therapist shorthand as she meticulously recorded every time Sofia took a sip of water only to set the glass down and recross her arms. Bianca isn’t even a licensed psychologist, because those are the kind you go out of your house to see. Yet it seems the reluctant focus of this story can’t leave the house without making it a must-attend event, inclusive of mother, daughter, sister, life support machines, and everyone’s stares accompanying them. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“Fine,” Sofia replies, staring down into her lap. Bianca nods to acknowledge her response, remembering that indifference is even worse than sarcasm or petulance from adolescent guinea pigs. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sofia listens for the wood to cease creaking under the chunky, uneven blue carpet that envelopes the staircase. When she knows Bianca is on her way to the other end of the house, she untangles her arms and legs from their crossed positions to creep downstairs. Once there, she listens to the absurd analysis of her mental state Bianca tells her mother and aunt. As if they had conspired to do so, the door was left open just enough for Sofia to watch them converse in the Sunflower slash Mac & Cheese Room, the name dependent on who was referring to it. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Siri’s voice is speaking to them, reading aloud the carefully composed paragraph Sabrina had typed in preparation for this discussion. Sofia bristles against the monotonous recitation, so unlike how her mother would have expressed her concerns had she been able to speak. The cancer had compelled the doctors to perform a tracheotomy which in non-medical terms is an incision in the windpipe to help a person breathe. Be that as it may, freedom for the windpipe comes at expense to the vocal chords. The twenty-ninth of May was the last time Sabrina Li spoke to her little girl turned isolated teenager who now refused to communicate voluntarily. In addition, that was the last day our main character truly considered her mother alive.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sofia slunk away from their conversation, her mother’s concern conveyed in Siri’s bone-chilling voice still reverberating through her thoughts. Upstairs is safe. Upstairs is where Sofia has the slightest bit of control over the Pandora’s box her entire life had been carelessly chucked into. This was where she could wrangle in the forced interactions between the ‘pro’ and ‘an’tagonist.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
She exhales freely, selecting a book from the stack of ten that teetered precariously on the slab of wood deigning to call itself a nightstand. The particular title, raised to what would either be the chopping block or the podium of Sofia’s critical opinion was Audacious, a novel written in verse by Gabrielle Prendergast. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sofia dons her earbuds, now a necessary part of the armor, carefully worn so as to prevent any casualties between her family and her feelings. The soundtrack is a perfect match with the scene we are confronted with. The jungle of thorns erected in defense looms over experience as we have no choice but to delve into the horrors the antagonist has prepared.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Quite simply, no more panem et circenses than required, Sofia begins to read. She reads and reads and reads, only pausing to free a post it from its adhesive brethren and lay it on a page she has deemed worthy of remembrance. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Audacious follows sixteen year old Raphaelle, who, when confronted with the hierarchy known as high school, merely laughs in its face. She considers herself having broken free from the rose colored glass it seems that everybody else in her small midwestern town remains encased in. As an intentional act of self expression against the transient, flippant attitudes of those living in her community, Raphaelle takes a sexually explicit photo of herself, and that is the unquestionable point at which Sofia knows this is no ordinary book. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sofia soaks in each page, absorbing the antidote of action and disregard to consequences each word of Audacious provides. The story is the first sound she has heard in weeks, the solution of gorgeously gritty writing and relatable Raphaelle disbanding the heavily guarded wall of emotions felt towards her mother’s illness. Sofia’s identity had been a fast flowing river beneath a frozen lake, but the ice had finally cracked.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sofia’s disposition towards her present state wasn’t going to one-eighty into the empathetic kumbaya singing daughter people wanted her to be, but she was no longer the shell. Maybe she was exhausted, or maybe she didn’t want to resist rescue any longer. From Audacious leapt the spark, one of righteousness and awareness and get-off-your-ass-to-confront-the-world-ness that had been missing. Its fuse went straight for the jugular, which converted the angry, resentful skeleton of a girl into flesh, a circulatory system now running on the oxygenated passion it had missed for so long. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sofia wouldn’t respond to the situation at the extreme degree Raphaelle had, but she was finally respondent. At last, she felt she could curse whatever faith she had in humanity, in God, in whatever the hell had placed her in this position. Her summer days were spent playing bed nurse for her sick mother. Her nights endured as she awaited the banging of a gong to alert her to attention so she could resume the position kept during the day.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Reading Audacious unlocked every ounce of selfishness, passion, remorse, and sympathy that had been out of her reach. When Sofia closed the book, she was no longer content with the way she had been carrying on life since her mother’s prognosis worsened. Instead, the productive, motivated book blogger, and future Great American Author had returned.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
However, it was too late for her to slip back into the skin she had been separated from, and she would be forced to use every ounce of gained energy to continue living, for more than herself. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The twenty - seventh of July 2014 was the last day Sabrina would reside in the home she had spent half of her sixty years in. That very night, her sister Jennifer decided she and Sofia weren’t adequate enough to take care of their stage four sister and mother. The two of them watched the ambulance take her away, and by noon on the twenty - ninth, she was dead. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While Sofia Sage Li was the unwilling main character of this story, you as the reader deserve to know, I too am Sofia Sage Li. This is my story, scripted, directed, edited, and presented by yours truly. The narrative style maintained for two reasons. One of which being the predicted difficulty of writing from a first person account of how the events played out. The subsequent reason being, I don’t believe I am the same person the events of this story followed. Don’t worry, I promise there aren’t any dissociative personality disorders at play, but simple recognition of the evolution my identity underwent. The state of mind I kept up from the twenty - ninth of May to the twenty - ninth of July is what I hope to never return to seeing as it was the most negative, toxic, unhealthy one I have contained myself in. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I write this now with the knowledge that whatever you're struggling with, no matter how unhappy you are, it will pass. You have been shattered, may think of yourself as dirty or damaged, but the feeling can only last for so long. The pieces that are no longer relevant have been discarded. What remains is rearranged and plastered onto the mosaic of who you have become. The 25,815 words in Audacious arrived on the doorstep of my life exactly when they were most needed and I firmly believe the journey to recovery wouldn’t have begun as swiftly without everything this novel compelled me to feel when I didn’t want to feel anything at all.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I hope you enjoyed this and my goal is to share a lot more of my writing in 2016. I would love to hear anything you have to say about the style, characters, events, etc. Special thanks to the author herself <a href="https://twitter.com/GabrielleSaraP">Gabrielle Pendergast</a> for telling me the exact word count as well as reading the piece. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Thank you so much for visiting, keep calm, and read on!</i></div>
<i><br /></i>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUbqnj1Wew2ZQMvCoX_2-wua5zHnj7aglxbFWnnp-Pc4sw4JFSYr1DfwDgbdou48bfsLPiVEkMOqvlfM2CoMaaps0raLVK_Es9drk65XLeZQEBbrb2xNxO8dRHfYzbCJQ-FOBX5ddMyF4/s1600/5EB1168A-F02A-43EE-8BA0-AA33FD4A3D33" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUbqnj1Wew2ZQMvCoX_2-wua5zHnj7aglxbFWnnp-Pc4sw4JFSYr1DfwDgbdou48bfsLPiVEkMOqvlfM2CoMaaps0raLVK_Es9drk65XLeZQEBbrb2xNxO8dRHfYzbCJQ-FOBX5ddMyF4/s320/5EB1168A-F02A-43EE-8BA0-AA33FD4A3D33" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-38766633605289753102015-12-24T19:00:00.000-05:002015-12-25T01:23:11.743-05:00Don't Ever Change! Or Maybe You Should... | A Sounderous Denouement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCm8WD-AZ0-ETJ8SDf0CeyWVH8_gXaW9MKXWFlftcHETVRDHBr1g8gQUDFipu-Sarv8Y-iTgQghd5Y5sV1ZPBBhHloTAVI3SqdTEZcjm-MnGxbqMopaKktXDCLGrjWbAfNkt_PF5pSSaU/s1600/ASD.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCm8WD-AZ0-ETJ8SDf0CeyWVH8_gXaW9MKXWFlftcHETVRDHBr1g8gQUDFipu-Sarv8Y-iTgQghd5Y5sV1ZPBBhHloTAVI3SqdTEZcjm-MnGxbqMopaKktXDCLGrjWbAfNkt_PF5pSSaU/s640/ASD.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The 23rd of December was my last day school in the United States for the next three months. On top of the normally impending new year nostalgia, I knew this would be the last time I saw all of my friends for the next three months. Everyone around me has been incredibly kind and have done their best to assure me, "It's only three months, you'll be back!" Yet, yesterday was not nearly as simple as all of that.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have been living in Upstate New York for the past 13 months. It took a while to adjust to the new city as well as acclimate to the climate, culture, and of course - because this is every teenager's fear - the new social situation. To be perfectly honest, I didn't have anyone I would have considered a friend until the 2015 school year started. Sure, there were people I could talk to and eat lunch with, but I hadn't truly felt I belonged in this strange new place until not even four months ago. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Since the 8th of September, when the new school year began, I have made so many new friends and deepened relationships with others I had gotten to know the previous year. For the first time in a year, I felt truly accepted and like I belonged in this city I now call home. With recent friendships in mind, there came this extra layer of impending fear.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What if everyone forgot about me?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Obviously, I'm not begging for attention or a farewell parade to send me off to Oxford, but as any adolescent is bound to feel, I was and still am sincerely worried about what will happen when I return. These new relationships I have forged are still brand new and in their beginning stages, so will my absence cause everything that's been built up thus far to crumble? </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I still can't answer those questions.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The adults in my life have given me a lot of unsolicited advice on the matter. "You'll learn who your true friends are in the process," being the most common. One of these adults whose opinion I do trust and value counteracted that [let's call her Mary] by saying she didn't think it was true, that people are going to change regardless and so will I. Maybe I won't want or see my previous relationships with people as fulfilling as they had been when I left due to new insight and experience. Everyone will keep on going with their lives and maybe I won't fit back into the routine / mold I had set up for myself when I left. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While what she presented to me was a terrifying reality, it was also somewhat of a relief because it reminded me that while no one else is going to have their life on pause... neither am I. I am going to be living on another freaking CONTINENT for the next three months, experiencing what I have probably never even fathomed before in terms of a way of life and interacting with people so unlike who I have met thus far. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This entire situation has been weighing on me since I discovered that I was temporarily moving to England and in all honesty, is the only thing that has been holding me back in terms of full force excitement and anticipation towards my "new life." However, there has been another color added to the canvas of the situation. Yesterday, when I left my high school, two of my friends said something to me.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Don't change. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I interpret their words as, don't change who you have been to us for the past four months, not as an actual, "Don't you dare change a single thing about who you are while you are gone." Thinking about what Mary said, I knew that I am going to change. With that in mind, maybe my friends are also scared that the really weird loud writer who says random things at completely inappropriate moments is going to stop being herself. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I look back at the person I was when the school year began or even last month and I know so much has changed from even then and these friends have accepted and loved me regardless. High school is the most tumultuous, ever - changing place there is on the planet in terms of a social hierarchy and I now know it's going to happen. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Four months ago, I never would have imagined meeting my best friend in Spanish class - striking up a conversation with a girl in Homeroom and learning we both share a hatred of common core - taking a chance on the guy who sits in front of me in Creative Writing and him becoming my best guy friend - talking to the redheaded musical prodigy in Gym and I am now being invited to her family's Christmas Eve party (which I should probably be getting ready for soon) - finding a good friend with the guy in Global who I was paired up with for an essay. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You never know what you're looking for in life - whether it be people or things - until what you're looking for finds you and it turns out to be exactly what you always wanted. Of course, what you want is always changing as your priorities do and as your character develops, but that's the beauty of life because there are so many people out there who can be that person for you, that friend you never imagined having to laugh and cry and organize your bookshelves with. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In the end, change is the only constant variable of life and I honestly haven't a clue as to how my life is going to be or who will stare back at me when I look in the mirror on the 3rd of April when I return to American school in 2016. So just keep in mind that you are going to change, but the people who are meant to be in your life will change along with you.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vkO8lDl4RLe7m1zcjbRKN54wTbtYcTrgX3zwJVndHYses2S6x7MQG6cZdgW6XGwh33gT0hDRSthES1RNBP7be2EHvfmu5uXla9PV5xBmdTvef2OQc8zG3SJLXuqeobl8v692VjHaY7M/s1600/0C42B092-642B-4799-867C-B803CE0B9E8A" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vkO8lDl4RLe7m1zcjbRKN54wTbtYcTrgX3zwJVndHYses2S6x7MQG6cZdgW6XGwh33gT0hDRSthES1RNBP7be2EHvfmu5uXla9PV5xBmdTvef2OQc8zG3SJLXuqeobl8v692VjHaY7M/s320/0C42B092-642B-4799-867C-B803CE0B9E8A" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-22135411333193245102015-12-02T19:00:00.000-05:002015-12-02T19:00:06.236-05:00Have I grown out of Loving the Language of Literacy? | A Sonderous Denouement<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkJ_KFyWN4QT2Ib5HFlgJL5AY40cuFisbbSgxB_ymDNep2DM_6qbE4IGYZdUvJ-n4HTzIX605Fam34aOdWhIWQihmp2BSuK0ni5C4lIbCQzSfb4CSF4w1DSXaUCsWTbOEY7GQrx07d7U/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-11-28+at+11.08.30.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkJ_KFyWN4QT2Ib5HFlgJL5AY40cuFisbbSgxB_ymDNep2DM_6qbE4IGYZdUvJ-n4HTzIX605Fam34aOdWhIWQihmp2BSuK0ni5C4lIbCQzSfb4CSF4w1DSXaUCsWTbOEY7GQrx07d7U/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-11-28+at+11.08.30.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: right;">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sonderous :</span> the realization that each passerby has a life as vivid and complex as your own</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Denouement: the final resolution of the intricacies of a plot</span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Loving the Language of Literacy</span></i></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've made <a href="http://lovingthelanguageofliteracy.blogspot.com/2014/12/once-you-known-there-no-going-back-one.html">an entire post</a> pertaining to how I came up with the name and while there are some days when I get tongue tied with the name of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCodtdymv5Nv0xUZHZefwShg">my own YouTube channel</a>, I am never going to regret it. However, the topic I want to address today is branding and what niche you belong to. The popular British blogger Ashley Evans from <a href="https://www.nosegraze.com/">Nose Graze</a> who I discovered via the bookish community touches up on this subject quite a lot and has written a ton of concise, thought provoking posts pertaining to this very subject. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There is absolutely no denying that I have been inconsistent with blogging in 2015. To be honest, when I wrote <a href="http://lovingthelanguageofliteracy.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-evolution-of-labels-whats-been.html">The Evolution of Labels</a>, I knew it was the end of an era. I knew I wouldn't have the time to dedicate myself to blogging and my heart simply wasn't in the task anymore. There are countless reasons I prefer the platform of YouTube over blogging, analytics are faster, easier to comprehend, recognition is a tad easier to come by, and the entire creative process is so much more rewarding for me. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Regardless, that doesn't mean I have stopped writing altogether. I've mentioned this in many a YouTube video, but I'm taking the creative writing course at my high school, I'm extremely involved in my school's literary magazine, I go to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLufaMFXpvaaP8iNx4IMvFK2HrgncPokoI">weekly writing class</a> at my local YMCA, and I recently won NaNoWriMo for the 2nd year in a row. Needless to say, I keep busy. In fact, I'm writing more than ever. In the past year alone, I have worked my way through two spiral bound notebooks filled with poetry, prose, and overall teenage angst, and I'm on a third. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The original reason I began blogging was because I had opinions and I wanted them to be heard. Although most of my opinions pertain to books. There have been many occurrences where in social situations, acquaintances, peers, and friends will ask what my Instagram is and I tell them - with the PREFACE that the majority of pictures I post are of books. This has been an ongoing battle for me in the past year on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, and this blog. If it weren't for the bookish community, there's no way I'd ever have social media. I just don't see the need for it, I'm not going to post an endless slew of selfies, that just isn't me. Simultaneously, once people I know from "real life" discover my various platforms of self expression, I instantaneously get self conscious and have been afraid to press the POST button because it's nerdy, it's weird, or any of the other endless excuses I have. However, what I'm coming to realize is, they can unfollow me in a heartbeat and never have to see another bookish post again if they want. This is who I am, these are my interests, and the reason <i>I</i> created social media was to interact with those with similar interests, to get the stimulation and conversation I was <i>lacking</i> with these people I knew in real life... no offense to those who may be reading. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
However, two years is a long time. The first time I ever posted on this blog was December 7, 2013 which to be perfectly honest, feels like an entire lifetime ago. I was a completely different person and while the interest in books may have remained the same, my priorities, my focus, my passions, as well as the actual genres and types of books themselves are vastly different. I'm suffering from a little disease we all like to call growing up. I'm going to change as I experience new things and therefore what I want for myself and feel the need to share will be different. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
With all of that said, I have been wanting to discuss a wider array of topics and tackle different issues that stray away from the literature I still do love very much. I'm a teenager, the only constant variable pertaining to my identity is the fact that it won't be the same if you ask me two hours later. I have considered and even been asked - Why don't you create a second YouTube channel? Why don't you create another blog? I have my reasons, most of them neatly filed under the label of NOSTALGIA, but the simplest way to put it is - laziness. I barely have the time to upload bookish videos and the general upkeep for my channel, let alone an entirely different one. It's a lot of work to start from the ground up. So what I've come to realize is the same logic I used with feeling self conscious about what I was posting on social media; People can deal with me posting different things, they might even like it, and it they don't they can unsubscribe, unfollow, and never look back. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Of course, this has all come up for a reason, and it isn't just because the year 2015 is coming to an end and I feel the need to suddenly do ALL OF THE THINGS I didn't do the other 11 available months of the year. The fact of the matter is that before 2015 even ends, on the 27th of December, I am out of here. I am leaving behind everything I have established in the past year for Oxford, England, where I will be spending the next three months when my parents - University professors - are on sabbatical. I will be experiencing a multitude of newness, to an even sharper degree than packing my life up and moving across the country. Of course everything will still be here when I return, my therapist, family, and friends have all assured me of that, but in essence, the next three months won't count towards my Central New York identity. But they will matter to the person I am becoming and will be for the rest of my life. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'll go into a lot more detail about this in my next post, but as usual whenever I launch into a series of posts attempting to declare I am back in the blogging business, there needed to be an introduction. In a lengthy 2016 Resolutions video I'm most likely going to procrastinate on scripting after this, I'll have a more detailed explanation of what I hope to accomplish. These posts, A Sonderous <span style="font-size: 13px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">Denouement - more on the name later -</span></span> will catalogue this phase of my life in a way no others have previously. There aren't going to be a ton of images or GIFs or a time spent dedicated to each one. This is my journey and mine alone and hopefully, I'll be so busy living life I'll only have harried amounts of time to document it. I pondered keeping everything private but for the family members as well as the few readers I have left for the blog Loving the Language of Literacy might be interested in hearing about my life. If they don't... I'll have thousands of words worth of embarrassment for posterity's sake.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Tell me in the comments below what you think of the series, if you've struggled with branding / finding and fitting into your niche, and if you've ever had to pack up your entire life... even if it was only for a few months.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Keep calm, Read On, and I'll see you in a new post soon :)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Next Post : The Only Thing to Fear is Your Life Falling Apart... The England Debacle</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4yuxL-yo2yFdfIU8WfbM1vtMvw4uzghzNQ-arLk3RwlZgvu7vCa7fTK33tkc61u1FMR2Y02JToHFbMYb1QtWUgs7J9S_pqH8IlW6ewroBjguUVi3_5JUL8QhxZs73ZBXyBG3vQ7YKj4/s1600/Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4yuxL-yo2yFdfIU8WfbM1vtMvw4uzghzNQ-arLk3RwlZgvu7vCa7fTK33tkc61u1FMR2Y02JToHFbMYb1QtWUgs7J9S_pqH8IlW6ewroBjguUVi3_5JUL8QhxZs73ZBXyBG3vQ7YKj4/s320/Signature.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-56727002358104599622015-12-01T19:00:00.000-05:002015-12-25T13:20:23.427-05:00Wrap-Up | November 2015 ~ NaNoWriMo, My Birthday, Friendship, Black Friday & Writing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UhLnb1FqSM4IxjG7zLg1GWtUD-D_lQOa7xkyl3tDC74T0n9pQCm6AIkruCoruYd5kd_1Cf8XpeG4LcbuPohYohbeYcXV5m5vN1PC7jgn7DaShdJUkAolrzQtjDoIzB3loQlia-7gQqg/s1600/1DCDD18A-56CD-46C1-8E38-49D4E5B28821" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UhLnb1FqSM4IxjG7zLg1GWtUD-D_lQOa7xkyl3tDC74T0n9pQCm6AIkruCoruYd5kd_1Cf8XpeG4LcbuPohYohbeYcXV5m5vN1PC7jgn7DaShdJUkAolrzQtjDoIzB3loQlia-7gQqg/s640/1DCDD18A-56CD-46C1-8E38-49D4E5B28821" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>IMAGE FROM THIS MONTH</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXgCLMMDOXILFKgUjCXq937PmiJ_O-bxzOE_c4LxRshrz7xrTs38PVfL_pf-D27ehNTj5pVhL1wWcMxVqbaSxvd3YvtF5X23R18CK0M-Y5Z8pGpfEU4Sfdd-tC5nqOn46GoHZkBZELYw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-11-24+at+20.00.07.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXgCLMMDOXILFKgUjCXq937PmiJ_O-bxzOE_c4LxRshrz7xrTs38PVfL_pf-D27ehNTj5pVhL1wWcMxVqbaSxvd3YvtF5X23R18CK0M-Y5Z8pGpfEU4Sfdd-tC5nqOn46GoHZkBZELYw/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-11-24+at+20.00.07.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/sslluvsbooks/">Follow me on Instagram to see more </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>FUN/NOTEWORTHY THINGS THAT HAPPENED</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfFoSsA4GGXTsL2y5Mu2CEAtcKXZGfaG_8IoeSeIc6qs04wcSVFSvX1xP9d6s8gVDuMmgDZ2ELAew4qixMBfHnxOeBQuNmg2_AwbZ2yoW5saJjpOOJkyKVCZ4iPYy_WlY7OE9w84JWzk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-11-28+at+09.13.31.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfFoSsA4GGXTsL2y5Mu2CEAtcKXZGfaG_8IoeSeIc6qs04wcSVFSvX1xP9d6s8gVDuMmgDZ2ELAew4qixMBfHnxOeBQuNmg2_AwbZ2yoW5saJjpOOJkyKVCZ4iPYy_WlY7OE9w84JWzk/s200/Screen+Shot+2015-11-28+at+09.13.31.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1. </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">An Impromptu Birthday Celebra</span>tion</i></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> | I went up to Rochester on the third weekend of November for a visit to my aunt but without my knowledge, she and her best friend turned it into a surprise celebration. My birthday is actually on the 11th of December, but who says we can't start early? We went to one of my favorite restaurants in Rochester called the French Quarter and when I came back to the table from the bathroom, there was this glorious cake [pictured above]. The night before, I told my aunt that some of my friends had taken to calling me "Letters" and she actually wrote "Happy Birthday Letters" on my cake.</span></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqJjrYVSGzXZChGR4VNKK0QGnLUmlFKa1BAOaXv_ALoP0XbLrFaW-VomL8LJyhAEXcV_-cgK2D1Ng5b6c6QeKZY7GIIjsCTQRPdFhgeEZAmj46jv1Hx-3mWT-ErtqIRnKZzdXxbuiLnY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-11-27+at+22.09.50.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqJjrYVSGzXZChGR4VNKK0QGnLUmlFKa1BAOaXv_ALoP0XbLrFaW-VomL8LJyhAEXcV_-cgK2D1Ng5b6c6QeKZY7GIIjsCTQRPdFhgeEZAmj46jv1Hx-3mWT-ErtqIRnKZzdXxbuiLnY/s200/Screen+Shot+2015-11-27+at+22.09.50.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">2.</span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><i> I went CRAZY in Barnes and Noble... What's new? | Black Friday</i></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> | I pretty much flee and cower in sight of Black Friday and most definitely don't approach it with the mindset of "Buy! Buy! Buy!" except on the internet, which we all know that we're guilty of it. I spent my Black Friday with one of my best friends Ella and her younger sister Sarah. We took advantage of the wonderful sales/deals and even though I did get a lot of my holiday shopping accomplished as well as purchased a couple of books for myself - don't judge me, you should be used to this by now. However what made it such a memorable and enjoyable day was spending it with my friends who genuinely accept me for my booknerd self and we completely fangirled and recommended books to each other and generally annoyed the heck out of everyone else in Barnes and Noble.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw202X_QyHVnNxO6cllaVompo5EcLrVowJ9T_i1PicKqWKO5gI02R6KEZPL05SdAGNy7jyVPpM6z4aA6WAHZwfdYEmsG7EeyARe1dE-zqzlQbFILV40Ugng-t_9MAOdvzLmxxnPLiuUqk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-11-27+at+22.20.49.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw202X_QyHVnNxO6cllaVompo5EcLrVowJ9T_i1PicKqWKO5gI02R6KEZPL05SdAGNy7jyVPpM6z4aA6WAHZwfdYEmsG7EeyARe1dE-zqzlQbFILV40Ugng-t_9MAOdvzLmxxnPLiuUqk/s200/Screen+Shot+2015-11-27+at+22.20.49.png" width="199" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">3. <b><i>I have friends!!! o_o </i></b>| I know it's shocking, the girl who spends the majority of her free time on her laptop or ensconced in the world of books actually crawled out of her nest to interact with people. I've been in Syracuse for a year at this point and it has been the happiest year of my life. It has also taken a year for me to fully acclimate into the way life here is and to truly feel accepted in my high school. I mention friends specifically this month because of the person who has been my friend since I met her in Spanish 1 but this was the month we really bonded and got a lot closer. *whispers* In case you hadn't figured it out, we're the cute girls to the right of this text. I love Ailin <3 comment-3--=""><!--3--><!--3--><!--3--><!--3--><!--3--><!--3--><!--3--></3></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMNdS7pWnjmS10Y0QauoYj0ekscvjvy11jqgcMBLSYro6uiL-Rlkt0SEEe4WL8NJZP7z-6DghXaOslqGJVyKSsSS3iu9dnOlRn987yU4pXrKOjsgvsGLzRoz1Nz53SF0u9MeVVTSz4UE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-11-29+at+20.37.49.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMNdS7pWnjmS10Y0QauoYj0ekscvjvy11jqgcMBLSYro6uiL-Rlkt0SEEe4WL8NJZP7z-6DghXaOslqGJVyKSsSS3iu9dnOlRn987yU4pXrKOjsgvsGLzRoz1Nz53SF0u9MeVVTSz4UE/s200/Screen+Shot+2015-11-29+at+20.37.49.png" width="117" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">4. </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I drove myself to the brink of insanity aka I won NaNoWriMo</i></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> | If you are subscribed to my YouTube Channel, you may have seen </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLufaMFXpvaaNPvlftbzZOtX6o8e1i6mec" style="font-family: inherit;">the series of videos, I made in honor of NaNoWriMo 2015</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and you can go there to hear all about my work in progress </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Countdowns</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">. The funny thing is, I may have won on the 22nd of November but in actuality, I only wrote 17 of those days. I've come to realize stepping back completely to take a break works so much better for me and then just shooting to write more words on a daily basis. Anyways, this is a selfie I posted to Snapchat that is basically the anthem / image for this year's NaNoWriMo. While I accomplished everything I set out to do... I procrastinated and protested myself the entire time :) </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-mJgOEOGIpgCuNfZ2TgcIXUe-pNiV6xTiOpfzyTqokfUM1mAxsR1HQHkB25ooh9y-7kfa2GoGenfFllHm6UZ7vDxL6gnLd5dU1zCVIdxPtnZWTWSkeW1qN-WowNRfG0BEcwl6uT-BI0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-11-30+at+16.58.07.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-mJgOEOGIpgCuNfZ2TgcIXUe-pNiV6xTiOpfzyTqokfUM1mAxsR1HQHkB25ooh9y-7kfa2GoGenfFllHm6UZ7vDxL6gnLd5dU1zCVIdxPtnZWTWSkeW1qN-WowNRfG0BEcwl6uT-BI0/s200/Screen+Shot+2015-11-30+at+16.58.07.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">5. <b><i>More Writerly Things! | Editor in Chief and Creative Writing Connoisseur </i></b>| My high school has a literary publication twice a year and on a rotating leadership schedule, I have been put in charge during crunch time for the Fall edition of the magazine which pretty much means I'm going crazy... but what's new? We're a bit behind schedule (no surprise there) but as always under a stressful situation, we'll find some way to get it all done. The first marking period portfolio was due this month as well and I scrambled to get all the prose / poetry I've worked on this year into something presentable. I will transfer a lot of the work from there onto the blog so you can read my writing. </span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>WHAT AM I LOOKING FORWARD TO?</b></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2OkcNFQaaoGDfsiZZ1EEVxPImf901iF9ecN1Oc4JP5ynh7lj_VB318Il8cD0NxAwf6WqOONPVzkD5JHDqI-67zT5WL9e5fXCUi_EB8Z22OWHwRbUleabA5mM9-H9HYXGisddJZAf-t2s/s1600/DEC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2OkcNFQaaoGDfsiZZ1EEVxPImf901iF9ecN1Oc4JP5ynh7lj_VB318Il8cD0NxAwf6WqOONPVzkD5JHDqI-67zT5WL9e5fXCUi_EB8Z22OWHwRbUleabA5mM9-H9HYXGisddJZAf-t2s/s400/DEC.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I do not own this image or claim to</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">'m looking forward to many things to look forward to in December so I shall proceed with a long rambly paragraph. While I myself may not be Jewish, my family is and <b>Hanukkah</b> starts on the 6th of this month and as I type, I still haven't obtained some of the gifts I'm bestowing on various family members so I've gotta get on that. During that window of time, <b>my birthday</b> is on the 11th and we're celebrating on the 10th. Ailin and Ella (both pictured above) are accompanying my family and I to a fancy winery - I know, I'm definitely not 21 - for a nice dinner. In order to stretch myself even thinner, I have decided to <b>post on the blog</b> 3-4 times a week during December as part of a new series eponymously named <b><i>A Sonderous Denouement</i></b>. And the reason this series is coming to be is because my family and I are packing up everything and moving to <b>Oxford England</b> for three months. I obviously want to record my thoughts / memories in the time that I am there and I figured I should get into the habit now. Lastly, the end of the year means <b>reminiscing</b> about 2015 as well as concocting all of the <b>resolutions</b> for 2016. You most definitely can expect full blown rambly vlogs pertaining to my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiVYfvviuIU">Reading, Writing, Living</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vijeEVV9dIQ">Blogging, BookTube</a> resolutions for the new year. If you want to see my progress throughout the year on those resolutions, you can watch my<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78vMmhedHUY"> First Quarterly Update</a> and my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVYEH0bDYE0">Second Quarterly Update</a>.</span></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>WHAT DID I READ?</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/o932l8e3il4/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o932l8e3il4?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>FAVORITE VIDEOS OF MINE</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fFj7au9u_zw/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fFj7au9u_zw?feature=player_embedded" width="200"></iframe></div>
I invited Ailin over to make a YouTube video with me and she had delightfully appetizing idea to film the Bean Boozled Challenge so that is exactly what we did. Trust me, the video is 10 minutes of us giggling and spitting jelly beans into a trash can :) I'm dying to do more collaborations because I just love the dynamics of filming with someone</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pSteHOjHxVA/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pSteHOjHxVA?feature=player_embedded" width="200"></iframe><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In commemoration of the half marathon I ran in October, I decided to make a video comparing NaNoWriMo and running and I love how it turned out. The two are extremely similar in </span>the<span style="font-family: inherit;"> way they both require a lot of endurance, mental willpower, and leave you absolutely exhausted when you're finished.</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>FAVORITE YOUTUBE VIDEOS</b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hij7lxWcBAY/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hij7lxWcBAY?feature=player_embedded" width="200"></iframe></div>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/emmmabooks" style="font-family: inherit;">Emmmabooks</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> created an original tag and I made my own video answering all of her wonderful questions but I will not be releasing it soon because I'm saving it for a rainy day... aka when sh*t hits the fan and I'm too busy to film a video. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/em6R53sa8dM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/em6R53sa8dM?feature=player_embedded" width="200"></iframe><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/E70SkYQO37k/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E70SkYQO37k?feature=player_embedded" width="200"></iframe><span style="font-family: inherit;">My OTP Piersha - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/tashapolis">Natasha Polis </a>and Pierce Brown - made an interview video together and I know they're real people, not fictional ones but they're just the cutest not-couple I've ever seen. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/w6CCePrJlaU/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w6CCePrJlaU?feature=player_embedded" width="200"></iframe><span style="font-family: inherit;">During the month of November with all of her wonderful NaNoWriMo vlogs, </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/theotherelisabeth" style="font-family: inherit;">Elisabeth Paige</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> has become my favorite BookTuber/YouTuber. Her personality is amazing and utterly honest so it was so much fun watching her journey throughout the month and knowing I'm not the only one who struggled.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rOKXY8uxpJk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rOKXY8uxpJk?feature=player_embedded" width="200"></iframe><span style="font-family: inherit;">Savannah Brown wrote the viral poem </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSHnnPunShg" style="font-family: inherit;">What Guys Look For in Girls</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> a year ago and her channel is full of astounding, thought provoking videos that make me want to discover myself and the world while writing poetry in coffeeshops - clichely of course. </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6CCePrJlaU" style="font-family: inherit;">Hi, I'm a Slut</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> is one of her newer slam poems and I love everything about it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/BeyondBeautyStar/videos" style="font-family: inherit;">Claudia Sulewski</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> is in fact a popular Beauty / Lifestyle vlogger and she made her own Stripped Down Challenge. I got so inspired by what she said and by the utter honesty and rawness of her video.</span></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>TV/MOVIE </b></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>OBSESSIONS</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDWlzVmnw__zEXsamr5250QVKiPN_Ezhh2iaD3wIXLOFKRmjhWxTD0wVyEuFRfd9zxAJF4m42DqYVqXuljV-naY86VoDLlG1GY0AU3YVLSPPDn362EOVkici_l4OWJxPMjZtT4E7j1O8/s1600/Brooklyn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDWlzVmnw__zEXsamr5250QVKiPN_Ezhh2iaD3wIXLOFKRmjhWxTD0wVyEuFRfd9zxAJF4m42DqYVqXuljV-naY86VoDLlG1GY0AU3YVLSPPDn362EOVkici_l4OWJxPMjZtT4E7j1O8/s320/Brooklyn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Besides my normal appetite of <b>Fresh Off the Boat</b>, <b>Life in Pieces</b>, and <b>Nashville</b>, I saw Mockingjay Part Two, and I know the rest of the world did as well, but what I really want to talk about movie - wise is one my parents dragged me to over Thanksgiving Break which was <b><i>Brooklynn</i></b>. It's a historical love story featuring an Irish immigrant who makes a new life for herself in New York. She grows accustomed to the comforts and possibilities </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>SONGS THAT WERE ON REPEAT</b></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A5n5uyFpfopa4mNdSN0gTaH" width="300"></iframe><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A7aftSOGSOpSoIlVAQVBb71" width="300"></iframe><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Aalbum%3A4q3SkZWPYJtKno1RbnrjL4" width="300"></iframe><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Aalbum%3A7zD1Xp405071FTXmxySeD9" width="300"></iframe><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Aalbum%3A5OZJflQcQCdZLQjtUudCin" width="300"></iframe><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A6KbmPdLyJT2AaLPADA5K4X" width="300"></iframe><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDONWCP84aZQBMrmmL9h2ij_x_BZGHUCrp2SryfBjnnp0PdIS7KQtM5FTzUWJ7ZXQz8ICPvzIEUHZWf_YTAx_rOKI5yoLRiYoUZGwvrg3VwvyNyHVphHLbXDP_J1NUu4uotOnlR-xXjkk/s1600/SNTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDONWCP84aZQBMrmmL9h2ij_x_BZGHUCrp2SryfBjnnp0PdIS7KQtM5FTzUWJ7ZXQz8ICPvzIEUHZWf_YTAx_rOKI5yoLRiYoUZGwvrg3VwvyNyHVphHLbXDP_J1NUu4uotOnlR-xXjkk/s200/SNTS.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>QUESTION OF THE MONTH</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>What<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> is your favorite holiday tradition?</span></i></span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vt2KHsaqGEyFaT9Y54LlEoOf7BaKlTrkNw1pZ1HUxJkVwmzwJ22s1tpJN5B6cyNOcMGatc3p_8lF0Bajk51zhRfltJO0f66JL74-nod192kIOMav7MIZ5dMmmZIfuApwwaI6E1emzX4/s1600/Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vt2KHsaqGEyFaT9Y54LlEoOf7BaKlTrkNw1pZ1HUxJkVwmzwJ22s1tpJN5B6cyNOcMGatc3p_8lF0Bajk51zhRfltJO0f66JL74-nod192kIOMav7MIZ5dMmmZIfuApwwaI6E1emzX4/s320/Signature.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-27241705649386265122015-10-09T19:00:00.000-04:002015-10-09T19:00:04.508-04:00Mini-Reviews | What If?, Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, Devoted<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJrjAihzbuQ1YA5eSQeEx5eAmsoUfXBsRZ6yZqNnWAtvQ2ia3CjH3JG46pC5KcswUaDSmrbWvmCnrdVpXTymwaozC1-yvjpzlUUKp9lR013SuVsfBByCe-V2FzJBhMw_EMVdvejh2EC8/s1600/Mini-Reviews.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJrjAihzbuQ1YA5eSQeEx5eAmsoUfXBsRZ6yZqNnWAtvQ2ia3CjH3JG46pC5KcswUaDSmrbWvmCnrdVpXTymwaozC1-yvjpzlUUKp9lR013SuVsfBByCe-V2FzJBhMw_EMVdvejh2EC8/s640/Mini-Reviews.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In an attempt to spice up the blog, I've decided to post mini-reviews of everything I read. I've mentioned since I blogged consistently - goodness knows that was long enough ago - that I don't under stand how bloggers can possibly review EVERYTHING they read merely out of a lack of things to say about all of them. Nevertheless that doesn't mean I have to review them all in the style I've become accustomed to in the almost two years since I began reviewing. A post of this kind will go live every 2-4 books I read so you should get at least two or more posts from me a week - a stark contrast to the past few months.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDb-qvmDVJzUhBNaLUmSd4tWy-RcptEnGFFHBeuSK8BRDtJWjkYy75WCRJGF3unUzxUZ-DcEKei4bkOIxxz0oFXpSbL9thfpBu1iskak9K50t5KWasajht5P14DH-ceuhVXzwzLIMeajU/s1600/DJM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDb-qvmDVJzUhBNaLUmSd4tWy-RcptEnGFFHBeuSK8BRDtJWjkYy75WCRJGF3unUzxUZ-DcEKei4bkOIxxz0oFXpSbL9thfpBu1iskak9K50t5KWasajht5P14DH-ceuhVXzwzLIMeajU/s320/DJM.jpg" width="213" /></a>Synopsis : Rachel Walker is devoted to God.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
She prays every day, attends Calvary Christian Church with her family, helps care for her five younger siblings, dresses modestly, and prepares herself to be a wife and mother who serves the Lord with joy.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But Rachel is curious about the world her family has turned away from, and increasingly finds that neither the church nor her homeschool education has the answers she craves. Rachel has always found solace in her beliefs, but now she can’t shake the feeling that her devotion might destroy her soul.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22718682-devoted">Goodreads</a> ~ <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Devoted-Jennifer-Mathieu/9781596439115/?a_aid=sslluvsbooks">The Book Depository</a> ~ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1596439114/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1596439114&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a> ~ <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/devoted-jennifer-mathieu/1119966007?ean=9781596439115">B & N</a><br />
<br />
September 1 | 78% | Hardcover | I sat down at 7pm in my backyard and only got up once before finishing it at 10. <b><i>The Truth About Alice</i></b> made my<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m13azo-cXs"> Top 14 Books of 2014</a>. Naturally, I wanted to pick Mathieu's second novel up in hopes that I'd love it. Unfortunately, I was disappointed, not because of anything immediately discernible, but in this case, comparison truly is the thief of joy. I was driven to so much emotion with her debut and as well all know, I'm a sucker for multiple points of view. Religion is something rarely ever directly tackled in YA, even less so in a positive light. I commend Jennifer for tackling it. Even though the focus of the novel is Rachel Walker's escape from her cult-like Calvary Christian Church, she stays true to her core values despite being confronted by the variables of what society considers "normal" life aka 21st century pop culture. Something readers will most likely connect with is her passion for consuming the written word. Despite a particular piece of text bringing the story to a climactic point, she finds comfort in the characters and wonder only a good story can provide. While Rachel does seem extremely inexperienced, everything seems realistic and her budding romance is completely innocent and quite sweet. In terms of familial love, Rachel's actual family isn't understanding but in terms of her true family - friends that love, care for, and support her - she is well situated. The resolution to Rachel's story is a good one and readers will be left with a triumphant smile when you finish reading the last page. </div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUx7_9KQFCYsqzNm6IkQnssZf6mG4XjqHjOuW150_ulSFC1faIkSvh9XI7cz3kK_7rw2PYDKHrlO57xjati7HW4ux-4TJ1QUdE7vqmSVHvhDhLNLLnA3aq0VyOx-qKy3ShPSorP2aqajs/s1600/WI.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUx7_9KQFCYsqzNm6IkQnssZf6mG4XjqHjOuW150_ulSFC1faIkSvh9XI7cz3kK_7rw2PYDKHrlO57xjati7HW4ux-4TJ1QUdE7vqmSVHvhDhLNLLnA3aq0VyOx-qKy3ShPSorP2aqajs/s1600/WI.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUx7_9KQFCYsqzNm6IkQnssZf6mG4XjqHjOuW150_ulSFC1faIkSvh9XI7cz3kK_7rw2PYDKHrlO57xjati7HW4ux-4TJ1QUdE7vqmSVHvhDhLNLLnA3aq0VyOx-qKy3ShPSorP2aqajs/s1600/WI.jpeg" style="cursor: move;" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: justify;">Synopsis : Randall Munroe left NASA in 2005 to start up his hugely popular site XKCD 'a web comic of romance, sarcasm, math and language' which offers a witty take on the world of science and geeks. It's had over a billion page hits to date. A year ago Munroe set up a new section - What If - where he tackles a series of impossible questions: If your cells suddenly lost the power to divide, how long would you survive? How dangerous is it, really, in a pool in a thunderstorm? If we hooked turbines to people exercising in gyms, how much power could we produce? What if everyone only had one soulmate? From what height would you need to drop a steak to ensure it was cooked by the time it reached the ground? What would happen if the moon went away? This book gathers together the best entries along with lots of new gems. From The Lord of the Rings, Star Trek and the songs of Tim Minchin, through chemistry, geography and physics, Munroe leaves no stone unturned in his quest for knowledge. And his answers are witty and memorable and studded with hilarious cartoons and infographics. Far more than a book for geeks, WHAT IF explains the laws of science in operation in a way that every intelligent reader will enjoy and feel the smarter for having read. </span><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</span> <span style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21413662-what-if" style="text-align: center;">Goodreads</a><span style="text-align: center;"> | </span><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/What-If-Randall-Munroe/9780544272996?&a_aid=sslluvsbooks" style="text-align: center;">Book Depository</a><span style="text-align: center;"> | </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0544272994/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0544272994&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" style="text-align: center;">Amazon</a><span style="text-align: center;"> | </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-if-serious-scientific-answers-to-absurd-hypothetical-questions-randall-munroe/1118864093?ean=9780544272996" style="text-align: center;">Barnes & Nobles</a></span><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</span> <span style="text-align: justify;">Hardcover | School Library | 76% | I heard about </span><b style="text-align: justify;"><i>What If?</i></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> in a completely random BookTube video sometime during the month of September. Coincidentally, a few days after, it showed up in my school's library New Releases section. Therefore, I had to pick it up. To be honest, I went into this novel with the wrong impression. With the example hypothetic questions, I thought Munroe would answer them with an array of knowledge like psychology, history, english, and physics versus what it ended up being - all physics. I would definitely not recommend this book if you don't have interest in or a basic understanding of science. However, because physics is one of the areas I'm considering studying, I felt absolutely no shame for nerdily loving it. If I were to compare this </span><i style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;">What If? </i><span style="text-align: justify;">to another book I've read, I would say it's similar to </span><b style="font-style: italic; text-align: justify;">Hyperbole and a Half </b><span style="text-align: justify;">and</span><b style="font-style: italic; text-align: justify;"> The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian</b><span style="text-align: justify;"> in the way that the author uses comical sketches / graphics to better get their point across. The questions are ridiculous and random, but it was so interesting to see how Randall Munroe answered them in what he made to seem like a logical way. Overall, this isn't the kind of book you have to read cover to cover and if you're a physics nerd that wants the occasional laugh, I would highly recommend it.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</span> <span style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</span> <br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfbEwY9qfH7oYNaeuqKZpB0ziasKNRV25HIkZkccdtIm9OLTmzm8ivZWpcj5IXgHAldSMBf7vfZCIC_qSri7sol7VbweIOVFRI36u9OEJFmxhvzHaFHG91h79VDQKmrIISVsQqMdzULs/s1600/PJGG.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfbEwY9qfH7oYNaeuqKZpB0ziasKNRV25HIkZkccdtIm9OLTmzm8ivZWpcj5IXgHAldSMBf7vfZCIC_qSri7sol7VbweIOVFRI36u9OEJFmxhvzHaFHG91h79VDQKmrIISVsQqMdzULs/s1600/PJGG.jpeg" /></a>Synopsis : "A publisher in New York asked me to write down what I know about the Greek gods, and I was like, Can we do this anonymously? Because I don't need the Olympians mad at me again. But if it helps you to know your Greek gods, and survive an encounter with them if they ever show up in your face, then I guess writing all this down will be my good deed for the week." So begins Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, in which the son of Poseidon adds his own magic--and sarcastic asides--to the classics. He explains how the world was created, then gives readers his personal take on a who's who of ancients, from Apollo to Zeus. Percy does not hold back. "If you like horror shows, blood baths, lying, stealing, backstabbing, and cannibalism, then read on, because it definitely was a Golden Age for all that." Dramatic full-color illustrations throughout by Caldecott Honoree John Rocco make this volume--a must for home, library, and classroom shelves--as stunning as it is entertaining.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20829994-percy-jackson-s-greek-gods">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Percy-Jackson-s-Greek-Gods/9781423183648/?a_aid=sslluvsbooks">Book Depository</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/percy-jacksons-greek-gods-rick-riordan/1117609475">Barnes & Nobles</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Percy-Jacksons-Greek-Gods-Riordan/dp/1423183649/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=">Amazon</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Audiobook | Library via Overdrive | 66% | Upon recommendation, I listened to the audiobook of <b><i>Percy Jackson's Greek Gods</i></b> and more than ever, it felt as if Percy was telling me a story, and because it wasn't about him, he really got into the ironic humor interspersed throughout Greek Mythology. I think we all had our own versions of illustrated greek myths to grow up on and when I have children of my own, I am most certainly purchasing this so that I can share the experience from the point of view of everybody's favorite demi god. With that said, I don't think <b><i>Percy Jackson's Greek Gods</i></b> was a book intended to be read cover to cover simply because there are individual stories that stand out well on their own, but it becomes an assault of media when they're being told one after another. Not every story will be riveting which is a common issue of mine when I read anthologies or collections of stories. There are most certainly ones I would love to go back and read again, but I don't forsee the rereading of the entire novel any time soon. All in all, I got exactly what I expected out of <i style="font-weight: bold;">Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, </i>more adventures, laughs, and knowledge narrated by one of the best voices in young adult fiction.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkAMCLxAnYWF1b4J8Zc39swjp4PLh_dDUbHuCT3ZSgowxOAqw2HpDUxEjRmQd_UgK_arbdMvJg05R88mxQiUrX_14Cs4JTMvhU4M37x4kgzezznlwmpNvEqZkCh6Qbt9HwUAjaLg3uXo/s1600/Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkAMCLxAnYWF1b4J8Zc39swjp4PLh_dDUbHuCT3ZSgowxOAqw2HpDUxEjRmQd_UgK_arbdMvJg05R88mxQiUrX_14Cs4JTMvhU4M37x4kgzezznlwmpNvEqZkCh6Qbt9HwUAjaLg3uXo/s320/Signature.png" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-25906596251356743362015-09-30T19:00:00.000-04:002015-09-30T19:00:04.914-04:00September 2015 Wrap-Up | I Am a Running, Writing, Apple-Picking Machine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UhLnb1FqSM4IxjG7zLg1GWtUD-D_lQOa7xkyl3tDC74T0n9pQCm6AIkruCoruYd5kd_1Cf8XpeG4LcbuPohYohbeYcXV5m5vN1PC7jgn7DaShdJUkAolrzQtjDoIzB3loQlia-7gQqg/s1600/1DCDD18A-56CD-46C1-8E38-49D4E5B28821" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UhLnb1FqSM4IxjG7zLg1GWtUD-D_lQOa7xkyl3tDC74T0n9pQCm6AIkruCoruYd5kd_1Cf8XpeG4LcbuPohYohbeYcXV5m5vN1PC7jgn7DaShdJUkAolrzQtjDoIzB3loQlia-7gQqg/s640/1DCDD18A-56CD-46C1-8E38-49D4E5B28821" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>IMAGE FROM THIS MONTH</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoJfGx06EzBVfzdztiNZ3uCkSq2LK7Ohp55fctsFcjHcqP09sgfdl884yIFi9NyZSI7C-aJ4W2qNpUazTeRK2lWObp09_ZC1R1cGKsA06jKGzxhViIokFN5amWOO_j6m4eDSxNg2eHog/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoJfGx06EzBVfzdztiNZ3uCkSq2LK7Ohp55fctsFcjHcqP09sgfdl884yIFi9NyZSI7C-aJ4W2qNpUazTeRK2lWObp09_ZC1R1cGKsA06jKGzxhViIokFN5amWOO_j6m4eDSxNg2eHog/s320/unnamed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>FUN/NOTEWORTHY THINGS THAT HAPPENED</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span> <i style="font-weight: bold;">Gorgeous Sunflowers, Catching-Up & Looking Through Photo Albums | </i>I know my aunt reads my blog so I'm just going to go ahead and say, "Hi Ahja." Even though we now live in the same state, it has taken ages for us to finally get together. She arrived with a (quite literal) armful of the most gorgeous sunflowers I have ever seen and her comforting personality I didn't know how much I'd missed. We did a lot of catching up in pertinence to each other's lives as well as looked through old photo albums reminiscing about times past.<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDj3I9BpdSoUdUQ2TmfwO13GNYH60g0OcrMzKcLMKKJfpuyLpLcjm_bIfTGuEA6TFhjqKKaGR6HMgxWwNN5yGUjzj7vpwvhLxUj0xSwKBCYE93jt14rBtsJfird2x0lsbLaIGl-oUDmSI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-09-29+at+17.57.42.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDj3I9BpdSoUdUQ2TmfwO13GNYH60g0OcrMzKcLMKKJfpuyLpLcjm_bIfTGuEA6TFhjqKKaGR6HMgxWwNN5yGUjzj7vpwvhLxUj0xSwKBCYE93jt14rBtsJfird2x0lsbLaIGl-oUDmSI/s200/Screen+Shot+2015-09-29+at+17.57.42.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Apple Picking</i><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span>One of my parents have been talking about the "wonderful, life-changing joys of apple picking" since I moved to New York but we never got around to experiencing it as a family until the last weekend in September. My friend Isaac was invited along and it actually ended up being a nice afternoon for the five of us. Of course, Kathleen forgot her phone, so she ended up using mine to take stalker-y photos of the two of us.<br />
<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">School | </i>I'm probably one of the only teenagers to say this but I love high school. The one I attend runs on a block schedule which doesn't work for everybody's style, but I sincerely enjoy it because of the freedom and ability it gives to manage your time. This makes every period of the day 82 minutes - which is terrible for Gym - but I get to absorb my favorite classes for an even longer time and we are extremely productive. I love 8/10 of my teachers and can tolerate the other two. The workload isn't too difficult yet, and overall it's been an absolute blast. Even though I'm taking both French and Spanish, which has definitely been confusing.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNX7b81E2Yitkzu6WMjlXriGdpHiyNJUR_tJDsj7qlVzVzeVapYo6HOreo8Yb8Bp4iber2193lHhzJrnBMQ-g9kdgA5oI3NxQ_K_J7OvN_uiZc_cAZPvAJyJPysz0opWr6IiqRb25HR8/s1600/Shield-Nano-Blue-Brown-RGB-HiRes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNX7b81E2Yitkzu6WMjlXriGdpHiyNJUR_tJDsj7qlVzVzeVapYo6HOreo8Yb8Bp4iber2193lHhzJrnBMQ-g9kdgA5oI3NxQ_K_J7OvN_uiZc_cAZPvAJyJPysz0opWr6IiqRb25HR8/s200/Shield-Nano-Blue-Brown-RGB-HiRes.png" width="136" /></a></div>
<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Writing My Novel | </i>While I haven't tweeted the official #NaNoWriMo declaration of my participation - I should really get on that and stop procrastinating, anyone who follows me on <a href="https://twitter.com/sslluvsbooks">Twitter (@sslluvsbooks)</a> most certainly has seen my constant barrage of #NaNoPrep. I have a pretty solid outline for at least half of my story and I am genuinely ecstatic for it to begin - even though I still have a lot to do in order to submit material for my Creative Writing portfolio. I'm also planning on making an #AmWriting update video to discuss my works in progress as well as how my writing life has evolved in the past few months, especially since I haven't attended <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLufaMFXpvaaP8iNx4IMvFK2HrgncPokoI">writing class</a> in weeks because of scheduling conflicts.<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>Invitationals, Dual Meets & Pasta Parties</i></b> | I mentioned going to an intensive running camp as well as the Cross Country season starting in last month's wrap-up and the adventure has only gone up from here. We've had a total of five meets thus far - either invitationals or league and I've already run a PR for the season which I am extremely proud of. I'm planning on making an entire video about how life changing the experience has been but for now I'm just going to say that I'm in the best shape I've been in my entire life both mentally and physically. My team feels like a second family and we've been through a lot together - hill repeats, long runs, early makeup-less mornings, and post race hugs.<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>WHAT AM I LOOKING FORWARD TO?</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<i style="font-weight: bold;">NaNoPrep | </i>As an elective, I'm taking Creative Writing (surprise, surprise) and the huge assignment of each marking period is to turn in a portfolio and I'm planning on submitting a few poems here and there as well as the first few solid chapter of my NaNoWriMo novel in anticipation of it surpassing 50,000 words. Nevertheless, it's going to be a mad dash for 31 days until the great even begins.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7eEEdzb_t_O9Q9TaaawwDLDWd5XnlqoR36rLLmlf3tvZRILVNUj_16nZt7nK_k0m5rEKJ_ptIoodMHAvhr3whSz8h1s3gzeJ67VZWSTFVIkJAbwz4K1azi72XzLqVC4wLr4px_E1PAn0/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7eEEdzb_t_O9Q9TaaawwDLDWd5XnlqoR36rLLmlf3tvZRILVNUj_16nZt7nK_k0m5rEKJ_ptIoodMHAvhr3whSz8h1s3gzeJ67VZWSTFVIkJAbwz4K1azi72XzLqVC4wLr4px_E1PAn0/s320/maxresdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><i style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Running a Half </span>Marathon | </i>I plan to run my first half marathon in October and I am absolutely psyched. I've been doing so well endurance / speed wise in cross country as well as snuck in a few long runs so I anticipate a pretty good time. Nevertheless, it's the accomplishment that's important so I can go around telling people I'm a half marathon-er. Apparently it's a really run, generally flat course and I'm ready for it - even though I have a meet three days after, that's going to be interesting.<br />
<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Autumn | </i>It's been unseasonably warm in Syracuse as of late, but the autumnal skies did seem to arrive overnight - maybe the weather can take a hint and follow suit. I'm dying for a pumpkin spice latte, cozy sweaters, and fall foliage.<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>WHAT DID I READ?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>[to come]
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>FAVORITE VIDEOS OF MINE</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/053etUQ5ZJQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/053etUQ5ZJQ?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YEcv1KhkHSc/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YEcv1KhkHSc?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">TV SHOW OBSESSIONS</span></b><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>SONGS THAT WERE ON REPEAT</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/TObtwHlfLFk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TObtwHlfLFk?feature=player_embedded" width="300"></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I've been listening to Shawn Mendes' recent album all month as well, but the collaboration between Hailee Seinfeld and himself really took the cake.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QgfCl07oOZw/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QgfCl07oOZw?feature=player_embedded" width="300"></iframe></div>
<br />
I've been obsessed with Hailee Steinfeld since I discovered we share the same birthday and have watched her in several movies like Ender's Game and Pitch Perfect 2. While I'm not in love with the original version of this single, I love its message and when it's stripped down, I quite enjoy it.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A5UcsxVPmXd974EkMtowmNV" width="300"></iframe><br />
I stumbled across this song on an alternative station and have loved it ever since.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A4wvt9sLF9wrFamXpFPDSxf" width="300"></iframe><br />
I've been listening to Alexi Blue's covers since the day she posted her first one on YouTube and she has come a long way since then. This is her new original single completely unlike anything else she's released before.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A2xLKm5m3oV0TMlqa1Cyq6q" width="300"></iframe><br />
Jana Kramer's "I Got the Boy" has been on a nearly constant cycle since I discovered it last July and "Circles" has a similar ring and relatability to it.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A248hvFUDLVSnjCCX0DRsRn" width="300"></iframe><br />
I'm not sure we need any explanation whatsoever for this song, I'm the biggest Nashville fan in the bookish community and the Stella sisters are one of the best parts of the show, of course I'm going to listen to their new single constantly.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>FAVORITE QUOTES </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">(in theory, there should be fewer, but there were just SO MANY good ones, cut me some slack)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<b><i>“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.” </i></b><br />
<br />
I am quite serious about wanting this as my Senior Quote as I don't think I've ever read anything more relevant in terms of where I am in my life.<br />
<br />
<b><i>“The consequence of this is that I'm always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both."</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>“I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn't already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race-that rarely do I ever simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.” </i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
Obviously <b><i>The Book Thief</i></b> has been showered with praise for many years at this point, but the concept of the Death as a narrator was astoundingly executed and this quote truly expresses the respect and admiration he had for Liesel and humanity.<br />
<br />
<b><i>--- The Book Thief : Marcus Zusak</i></b><br />
<br />
<b><i>“You're the most important thing in this universe. You; this vessel; the people of this planet; lovers, warriors, artists, leaders, dreams more numerous than stars. Each mind unique, each thought created for an instant and then broken apart to form new ones. You don't understand the unbearable beauty of being you.” </i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
While I most certainly had my share of issues with the story itself, this quote puts things into perspective from the omniscient narrator in a way similar to Death.<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>--- This Shattered World : Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b> <b><i>“Some things exist in our lives for but a brief moment. And we must let them go on to light another sky." </i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
Anyone who has ever had a before / after stage of their life can definitely relate to this quote as it's about letting go but being appreciate of the time had.<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>--- The Wrath and the Dawn : Renee Adieh</i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>QUESTION OF THE MONTH</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>What is your favorite part of Autumn?</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vt2KHsaqGEyFaT9Y54LlEoOf7BaKlTrkNw1pZ1HUxJkVwmzwJ22s1tpJN5B6cyNOcMGatc3p_8lF0Bajk51zhRfltJO0f66JL74-nod192kIOMav7MIZ5dMmmZIfuApwwaI6E1emzX4/s1600/Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vt2KHsaqGEyFaT9Y54LlEoOf7BaKlTrkNw1pZ1HUxJkVwmzwJ22s1tpJN5B6cyNOcMGatc3p_8lF0Bajk51zhRfltJO0f66JL74-nod192kIOMav7MIZ5dMmmZIfuApwwaI6E1emzX4/s320/Signature.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-59542248116431563512015-09-21T00:00:00.000-04:002015-09-21T00:00:07.785-04:00Never Always Sometimes : Adi Alsaid | BookTalk w/ @sslluvsbooks<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGogeipfkvUb8X-G7LVol3xb46KPMEXqVoSBHymKYO2ui-3z4Hx8R4GWdfIc8fsNOvv5d3_EX9NIbPCP_JA8ga23kPTbk-0FY92eFJoK5WYEHu-28XrghEXQofPQYUp2bksWjOT0I3cGM/s1600/NAS.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGogeipfkvUb8X-G7LVol3xb46KPMEXqVoSBHymKYO2ui-3z4Hx8R4GWdfIc8fsNOvv5d3_EX9NIbPCP_JA8ga23kPTbk-0FY92eFJoK5WYEHu-28XrghEXQofPQYUp2bksWjOT0I3cGM/s320/NAS.jpeg" width="211" /></a></div>
Rating: 66%</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Series: None</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult,</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Publisher: HarlequinTeen</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Publication Date: August 4, 2015</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Page Count: 308</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Format: Hardcover</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Source: Library</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Never-Always-Sometimes-Adi-Alsaid/9780373211548?&a_aid=sslluvsbooks">The Book Depository</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/never-always-sometimes-adi-alsaid/1120976721?ean=9780373211548">B&N</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24338298-never-always-sometimes">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0373211546/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0373211546&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Goodreads Synopsis: </span></b>Never date your best friend.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Always be original.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sometimes rules are meant to be broken.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Best friends Dave and Julia were determined to never be cliché high school kids—the ones who sit at the same lunch table every day, dissecting the drama from homeroom and plotting their campaigns for prom king and queen. They even wrote their own Never List of everything they vowed they’d never, ever do in high school. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Some of the rules have been easy to follow, like #5, never dye your hair a color of the rainbow, or #7, never hook up with a teacher. But Dave has a secret: he’s broken rule #8, never pine silently after someone for the entirety of high school. It’s either that or break rule #10, never date your best friend. Dave has loved Julia for as long as he can remember. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Julia is beautiful, wild and impetuous. So when she suggests they do every Never on the list, Dave is happy to play along. He even dyes his hair an unfortunate shade of green. It starts as a joke, but then a funny thing happens: Dave and Julia discover that by skipping the clichés, they’ve actually been missing out on high school. And maybe even on love.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xAn9X1bO9tR2UUGLZSzIEVBmUCke4oLB-OTg-GJqCBrxUmpbnBX3d4X2JI0pLnlJvk1W-bLdYP49tugKyiTZEd85xq59mM6bD9Wy0nYbhogxPY_4rJ6pT5vYYNak-8nrUDOgAdN33-8/s1600/Book-Review.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xAn9X1bO9tR2UUGLZSzIEVBmUCke4oLB-OTg-GJqCBrxUmpbnBX3d4X2JI0pLnlJvk1W-bLdYP49tugKyiTZEd85xq59mM6bD9Wy0nYbhogxPY_4rJ6pT5vYYNak-8nrUDOgAdN33-8/s1600/Book-Review.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Disclaimer: </b><span style="font-family: inherit;">On Loving the Language of Literacy, the term "BookTalk" refers to a thorough review of the novel plus a spoiler-filled discussion. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Who Would I Recommend This Book To?</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Fans of Morgan Matson, Emery Lord, Robin Benway, Jenny Han & Rainbow Rowell</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Background & Backstory?</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I actually didn't intend to read this but was in the mood to get out of my school-induced reading </span>slump, so I picked this up for a quick cutesy contemporary.<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What Was My Reaction Upon Finishing?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Seriously?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jPSOrEOgC2Y/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jPSOrEOgC2Y?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
Plot | 80%</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Premise | 67%</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Characters | 50%</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Romance | 60%</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Originality | 90%</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cover | 75%</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Title | 55%</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Feels | 40%</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Writing Style | 57%</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Pacing | 70%</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Ending | 60%</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How Likely Is It That I Will Read Another Book By This Author?</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">45% | I'm not certain I'll read<b><i> Let's Get Lost </i></b>simply </span>because<span style="font-family: inherit;"> the feedback hasn't been stellar but I'll consider it if I'm in the mood for a </span>road trip<span style="font-family: inherit;"> novel.</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">Conclusion: </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Never Always Sometimes was a cute, diverse contemporary with well an unpredictable, well-developed plot and characters.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXG6T3f8lvEstzaEU4oSRDhckc5v5wisRzAdkaQ5dNt69UBEb-Hn04N4f2v_J_yGuaQ2zEFNz0NuPXSRdhQhrQbo_IJuRWABrifc1AJOjTH5oxlwQuZwn3DL-8xsD2ZTQ5CMlg3cOCCQ4/s1600/4-Stars.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXG6T3f8lvEstzaEU4oSRDhckc5v5wisRzAdkaQ5dNt69UBEb-Hn04N4f2v_J_yGuaQ2zEFNz0NuPXSRdhQhrQbo_IJuRWABrifc1AJOjTH5oxlwQuZwn3DL-8xsD2ZTQ5CMlg3cOCCQ4/s1600/4-Stars.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vkO8lDl4RLe7m1zcjbRKN54wTbtYcTrgX3zwJVndHYses2S6x7MQG6cZdgW6XGwh33gT0hDRSthES1RNBP7be2EHvfmu5uXla9PV5xBmdTvef2OQc8zG3SJLXuqeobl8v692VjHaY7M/s1600/0C42B092-642B-4799-867C-B803CE0B9E8A" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vkO8lDl4RLe7m1zcjbRKN54wTbtYcTrgX3zwJVndHYses2S6x7MQG6cZdgW6XGwh33gT0hDRSthES1RNBP7be2EHvfmu5uXla9PV5xBmdTvef2OQc8zG3SJLXuqeobl8v692VjHaY7M/s1600/0C42B092-642B-4799-867C-B803CE0B9E8A" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-83762874991730363632015-09-14T19:00:00.000-04:002015-09-14T19:00:00.182-04:00American Sniper : Chris Kyle | Book Review w/ @sslluvsbooks<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2OR4K187JbLIaIp4Pm-CGP9BpWmEQOgJlntzU6RJ9KxrchN1JBepBqGdV7IDscg8-QwYP_AvDFACmic4qNyJv9kmQwvtKlMK_S7mRjPLqFI4bw5N1CxPBwg_flLkscA47xqv6HiSBlA/s1600/ASCK.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2OR4K187JbLIaIp4Pm-CGP9BpWmEQOgJlntzU6RJ9KxrchN1JBepBqGdV7IDscg8-QwYP_AvDFACmic4qNyJv9kmQwvtKlMK_S7mRjPLqFI4bw5N1CxPBwg_flLkscA47xqv6HiSBlA/s1600/ASCK.jpeg" /></a>Rating: 73%</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Series: None</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, Authobiography, </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Publisher: William Morrow</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Publication Date: January 3, 2012</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Page Count: 416</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Format: Audiobook</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Source: Library via Overdrive</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11887020-american-sniper">Goodreads</a> ~ <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/American-Sniper-Chris-Kyle/9780062107060?&a_aid=sslluvsbooks">Book Depository</a> ~ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062107062/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0062107062&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a> ~ <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/american-sniper-chris-kyle/1103601416?ean=9780062107060">B&N</a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Goodreads Synopsis: </span></b><span style="text-align: justify;">From 1999 to 2009, U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle recorded the most career sniper kills in United States military history. The Pentagon has officially confirmed more than 150 of Kyle's kills (the previous American record was 109), but it has declined to verify the astonishing total number for this book. Iraqi insurgents feared Kyle so much they named him al-Shaitan (“the devil”) and placed a bounty on his head. Kyle earned legendary status among his fellow SEALs, Marines, and U.S. Army soldiers, whom he protected with deadly accuracy from rooftops and stealth positions. Gripping and unforgettable, Kyle’s masterful account of his extraordinary battlefield experiences ranks as one of the great war memoirs of all time.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A native Texan who learned to shoot on childhood hunting trips with his father, Kyle was a champion saddle-bronc rider prior to joining the Navy. After 9/11, he was thrust onto the front lines of the War on Terror, and soon found his calling as a world-class sniper who performed best under fire. He recorded a personal-record 2,100-yard kill shot outside Baghdad; in Fallujah, Kyle braved heavy fire to rescue a group of Marines trapped on a street; in Ramadi, he stared down insurgents with his pistol in close combat. Kyle talks honestly about the pain of war—of twice being shot and experiencing the tragic deaths of two close friends.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
American Sniper also honors Kyles fellow warriors, who raised hell on and off the battlefield. And in moving first-person accounts throughout, Kyles wife, Taya, speaks openly about the strains of war on their marriage and children, as well as on Chris.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Adrenaline-charged and deeply personal, American Sniper is a thrilling eyewitness account of war that only one man could tell. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xAn9X1bO9tR2UUGLZSzIEVBmUCke4oLB-OTg-GJqCBrxUmpbnBX3d4X2JI0pLnlJvk1W-bLdYP49tugKyiTZEd85xq59mM6bD9Wy0nYbhogxPY_4rJ6pT5vYYNak-8nrUDOgAdN33-8/s1600/Book-Review.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xAn9X1bO9tR2UUGLZSzIEVBmUCke4oLB-OTg-GJqCBrxUmpbnBX3d4X2JI0pLnlJvk1W-bLdYP49tugKyiTZEd85xq59mM6bD9Wy0nYbhogxPY_4rJ6pT5vYYNak-8nrUDOgAdN33-8/s1600/Book-Review.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Background & Backstory</span></b><br />
<div>
<span style="text-align: justify;">This will probably sound ridiculous, but I never intended to read this book. If you're subscribed to </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCodtdymv5Nv0xUZHZefwShg" style="text-align: justify;">my YouTube Channel</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, you may know this, but </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHzlqt1eOFQ" style="text-align: justify;">I recently became re-obsessed with audiobooks</a><span style="text-align: justify;">. Since August, I've had my visual book I'm reading - either on my Kindle or as a hard copy - and my audiobook simply because I find it a more productive and efficient use of my time as opposed to watching YouTube for hours on end (come on, we're all guilty of this). For the books I assume will take me a long time to read because of density or reluctance, I listen to them, and I've found this works wonders. </span><b style="text-align: justify;"><i>American Sniper</i></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> is a book I've been wanting to read since I saw the movie last February but because of its focus on the military, I knew it would take me forever to pick up a physical copy. I put it on hold via overdrive and when it became available, my thinking was, "What the heck? I might as well listen to it."</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What Was My Reaction Upon Finishing?</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Whoa.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
September 4-6 | With that said, <i style="font-weight: bold;">American Sniper </i>was everything I expected it to be and I had the same issues with the book as I had with the movie. A problem many reviewers (myself included) have with non fiction is the guilt that comes with any serious critique of the text. Pertaining to a novel, while you are insulting the author's decisions, they still are the AUTHOR'S decisions versus non fiction where you're insulting AN ACTUAL HUMAN BEING'S LIFE AND EXPERIENCE. I deeply admire and respect the sacrifices and choices Chris Kyle made for America, but this review is on how he conveyed his own journey as a sniper.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What I'd like to start off by saying is - Thank God everyone is different and that we have courageous men and women in this world who are willing to defend this country. It's common knowledge with firsthand accounts such as Kyle's, but to be part of the military takes an infinite amount of dedication and commitment. On a much smaller, less significant scale, I have a slight taste with the persistence it takes. I run cross country and there are days when I think to myself, "Who in their right mind would ever want to participate in a sport where the goal is to push your body to the limit and end the day with your tank completely empty?" Enduring is not for the feint of heart and the motivation can't come from someone else yelling at you. Navy SEALS' jobs are unlike anyone else and the training alone is enough to kill 99% of the people on this planet, which is of course, the reason why only the best of the best live to tell the tale.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On the flip side, there is no chance you are catching me any time soon marrying someone in the military. I know I don't have the strength of character to not have my family be my spouse's first priority. It's simply the way I was raised and my personal values. Chris Kyle's marriage and children suffered so much with the amount of dedication he had to the military and his sense of duty was simply extraordinary.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In terms of the way <i style="font-weight: bold;">American Sniper </i>was set up, I definitely think Kyle's co-authors could have structured it differently to accommodate for a larger audience of non-military personnel readers. As it was, they did a great job of interspersing other people's perspectives throughout Chris' narration. Nevertheless, as someone who is not familiar with the military, there seemed to be a lot of repetition in terms of Chris Kyle's focus as he regaled the tale of one battle after another. There were a lot of details surrounding what type of gun, situation, and kill it was that meant (on a comprehension level) absolutely nothing to me.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Another issue I hesitate to bring up that I had with Chris Kyle was the way he appeared to so easily fit into the stereotypical redneck mold. The south already gets enough grief with non-country music fans making fun of pick up trucks and beer, but it seemed as if Kyle could have been plucked from one of Luke Bryan's chart topping singles. He had an extreme amount of faith in God and his sense of duty to America was astonishing. It only bothered me because I am unfamiliar with it and I couldn't personally relate.</div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">Conclusion: </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>American Sniper</i></b> is a fully immersive, uncensored account of Chris Kyle's experience as a Navy SEAL sniper, but more importantly, a dedicated United States citizen.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhB5GoPWtxL6fdc-UnEYc2wqsCvpamujc9YpDBEQMI48cO7Opp505m06jGDRD35dKv5daKlspv35PRL6XXtU638hEp5enbfTqn81RduA0HLbzDwfeaiLV4uKkPx5EGhw6hK8XbZ8QUII/s1600/3-Stars.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhB5GoPWtxL6fdc-UnEYc2wqsCvpamujc9YpDBEQMI48cO7Opp505m06jGDRD35dKv5daKlspv35PRL6XXtU638hEp5enbfTqn81RduA0HLbzDwfeaiLV4uKkPx5EGhw6hK8XbZ8QUII/s1600/3-Stars.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vkO8lDl4RLe7m1zcjbRKN54wTbtYcTrgX3zwJVndHYses2S6x7MQG6cZdgW6XGwh33gT0hDRSthES1RNBP7be2EHvfmu5uXla9PV5xBmdTvef2OQc8zG3SJLXuqeobl8v692VjHaY7M/s1600/0C42B092-642B-4799-867C-B803CE0B9E8A" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vkO8lDl4RLe7m1zcjbRKN54wTbtYcTrgX3zwJVndHYses2S6x7MQG6cZdgW6XGwh33gT0hDRSthES1RNBP7be2EHvfmu5uXla9PV5xBmdTvef2OQc8zG3SJLXuqeobl8v692VjHaY7M/s1600/0C42B092-642B-4799-867C-B803CE0B9E8A" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-91741779198076671682015-09-12T07:00:00.000-04:002015-09-12T07:00:00.885-04:00The Wrath and the Dawn : Renee Adieh | Book Review w/ @sslluvsbooks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVY-xSyw7eUuiZqq-58TfCWgek9rSf8ACnVSjegrtXDfeD0grlzJkqC06HqZk4xdq5LAfgC3KiWnB5Z-X7PdeNuVN8BIan7Z9zdyC-LuGbpzhHRY2NK6um27voKz2MlNpoQ2jgOCHuUgg/s1600/TWATD.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVY-xSyw7eUuiZqq-58TfCWgek9rSf8ACnVSjegrtXDfeD0grlzJkqC06HqZk4xdq5LAfgC3KiWnB5Z-X7PdeNuVN8BIan7Z9zdyC-LuGbpzhHRY2NK6um27voKz2MlNpoQ2jgOCHuUgg/s1600/TWATD.jpeg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div>
Rating: 65%</div>
<div>
Series: The Wrath and the Dawn #1</div>
<div>
Genre: Retelling, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Fiction,</div>
<div>
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers</div>
<div>
Publication Date: May 12, 2015</div>
<div>
Page Count: 388</div>
<div>
Format: eBook</div>
Source: Overdrive via Library<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18798983-the-wrath-and-the-dawn?ac=1" style="text-align: start;">Goodreads</a> ~ <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Cress-Marissa-Meyer/9780312642976/?a_aid=sslluvsbooks">The Book Depository</a> ~ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cress-Lunar-Chronicles-Book-3-ebook/dp/B00F1QX7W6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1441401011&sr=1-1&keywords=cress+marissa+meyer" style="text-align: start;">Amazon</a> ~ <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cress-marissa-meyer/1114764513?ean=9781250007223" style="text-align: start;">B & N</a><br />
<br />
Synopsis : One Life to One Dawn.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and the Dawn is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xAn9X1bO9tR2UUGLZSzIEVBmUCke4oLB-OTg-GJqCBrxUmpbnBX3d4X2JI0pLnlJvk1W-bLdYP49tugKyiTZEd85xq59mM6bD9Wy0nYbhogxPY_4rJ6pT5vYYNak-8nrUDOgAdN33-8/s1600/Book-Review.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xAn9X1bO9tR2UUGLZSzIEVBmUCke4oLB-OTg-GJqCBrxUmpbnBX3d4X2JI0pLnlJvk1W-bLdYP49tugKyiTZEd85xq59mM6bD9Wy0nYbhogxPY_4rJ6pT5vYYNak-8nrUDOgAdN33-8/s1600/Book-Review.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Would I Buy It?</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">25% | </span>Because<span style="font-family: inherit;"> of my mixed </span>feelings<span style="font-family: inherit;"> surrounding this novel, </span>I know<span style="font-family: inherit;"> I won't be rushing out to Barnes & Nobles any time soon to purchase it. Yet if a bargain deal came around... I couldn't help myself if the beautiful cover snuck its way into my collection.</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Background & Backstory?</span></b><br />
This is actually my second attempt at reading <b style="text-align: justify;"><i>The Wrath and the Dawn</i></b> because the first time, I completely spaced out in terms of focus. I knew my loan from the library would expire in five days and I knew my friend Alex from The Books Buzz would kill me if I didn't at least attempt to read this novel.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What Was My Reaction Upon Finishing?</span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Whoa! *waits a few minutes* My feelings need to get themselves together so I can write a review.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
September 3-4 | There had been nearly relentless prepublication buzz surrounding <b><i>The Wrath and the Dawn</i></b> months before its release. I honestly don't know how marketing teams and publishers determine which books to pluck out of obscurity and hype up. Is it the "eye-catching" premise? The amount of money they've invested and hoped to dear god would pay off? I can most certainly see what people enjoy and I can agree on a few of their points. Nevertheless, it didn't knock my socks off and has made me wonder, what truly made Penguin go to such lengths to advertise this novel? Anyways, that's a topic for another day but the point you have probably gleamed is that <b><i>The Wrath and the Dawn</i></b> did not wow me.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqfjSvZUrfI">Whittynovels</a> provided a more in-depth review than I could ever compose and managed to scoop up all my tangled up thoughts to give readers a quite eloquent summary of her feelings. I've adored <b><i>A Thousand and One Nights </i></b>since I was little; <b><i>Shahrzad</i></b> has always stuck out to me because of the protagonists evidently strong will and the element of storytelling used as something that could save your life. Even though it's literal in <i style="font-weight: bold;">Shahrzad, </i>I strongly believe literature has the power to not only inspire, but save people's lives by showing them perspective that can completely turn their realities around.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Plot : Something I've heard critiqued upon has been the way Adieh just jumps into the action and the meat of the story, skipping the lengthy exposition and world building we've come to expect from kind of fantasy <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Wrath and the Dawn </i>proves itself to be. Personally, my problem with the story comes when we're scrambling as readers to keep track of all our characters and the wide scope Renee gives us. Something Whitney commented on was the fact that a ton of characters were presented but we were never given any second heads-up as to who anyone was and the role they played.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Characters : <b>Shazi</b> was quite admirable for her strength even if her motive was a tad confusing. Her personal vendetta against the caliph was quite obvious but we were never certain if it was because he killed her best friend, if she had the entire thing planned with Tariq, or if it's going to be a whole other over-arcing plot of political intrigue throughout the story. <b>Khalid</b> has been compared to a middle eastern Warner fro me<b><i> Shatter Me</i></b> Series and while I didn't agree with the comparison, I liked his character nonetheless. However, when we finally learned the reason for all of the beheadings and Shazi discovers some strings attached to that, I didn't see how probable it was that this other side to him was there all along. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How Likely Is It That I Will Read Another Book By This Author?</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">60% If the question were </span>about<span style="font-family: inherit;"> reading </span>the<span style="font-family: inherit;"> sequel, that's a lot less </span>likely. However, no one can deny the gorgeous writing and if Renee Adieh were to concoct another elaborate story, I know I'd at least have to give it a shot.<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Conclusion:</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">While the writing is extraordinary and the characters solid, I just wasn't hooked on the plot and the different perspectives as well as points in time were hard to distinguish. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhB5GoPWtxL6fdc-UnEYc2wqsCvpamujc9YpDBEQMI48cO7Opp505m06jGDRD35dKv5daKlspv35PRL6XXtU638hEp5enbfTqn81RduA0HLbzDwfeaiLV4uKkPx5EGhw6hK8XbZ8QUII/s1600/3-Stars.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhB5GoPWtxL6fdc-UnEYc2wqsCvpamujc9YpDBEQMI48cO7Opp505m06jGDRD35dKv5daKlspv35PRL6XXtU638hEp5enbfTqn81RduA0HLbzDwfeaiLV4uKkPx5EGhw6hK8XbZ8QUII/s1600/3-Stars.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vkO8lDl4RLe7m1zcjbRKN54wTbtYcTrgX3zwJVndHYses2S6x7MQG6cZdgW6XGwh33gT0hDRSthES1RNBP7be2EHvfmu5uXla9PV5xBmdTvef2OQc8zG3SJLXuqeobl8v692VjHaY7M/s1600/0C42B092-642B-4799-867C-B803CE0B9E8A" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vkO8lDl4RLe7m1zcjbRKN54wTbtYcTrgX3zwJVndHYses2S6x7MQG6cZdgW6XGwh33gT0hDRSthES1RNBP7be2EHvfmu5uXla9PV5xBmdTvef2OQc8zG3SJLXuqeobl8v692VjHaY7M/s1600/0C42B092-642B-4799-867C-B803CE0B9E8A" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-65226069137064898542015-09-10T00:00:00.000-04:002015-09-10T00:00:06.948-04:00Cress : @marissa_meyer (Lunar Chronicles #3) | BookTalk w/ @sslluvsbooks<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSeI37athLs1TS4qwYDJVO8ijJ8oDfdVmSjgjDz1pr-yKCzHHcsEYc6GtCRCmeDiXIbAwjkfkvu5G9FsroI-BNgb3FxnIf6zzMQFxyhHKBPmO6x-zTpEOyoDOJu7IFwaMvJBM9s3k_LeM/s1600/CRMM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSeI37athLs1TS4qwYDJVO8ijJ8oDfdVmSjgjDz1pr-yKCzHHcsEYc6GtCRCmeDiXIbAwjkfkvu5G9FsroI-BNgb3FxnIf6zzMQFxyhHKBPmO6x-zTpEOyoDOJu7IFwaMvJBM9s3k_LeM/s320/CRMM.jpg" width="212" /></a><br />
<div>
Rating: 67%</div>
<div>
Series: Lunar Chronicles #3</div>
<div>
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Fiction,</div>
<div>
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends</div>
<div>
Publication Date: February 4, 2014</div>
<div>
Page Count: 550 </div>
<div>
Format: Audiobook</div>
<div>
Source: Overdrive via Library<br />
<br /></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206828-cress?ac=1" style="text-align: start;">Goodreads</a> ~ <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Cress-Marissa-Meyer/9780312642976/?a_aid=sslluvsbooks">The Book Depository</a> ~ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cress-Lunar-Chronicles-Book-3-ebook/dp/B00F1QX7W6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1441401011&sr=1-1&keywords=cress+marissa+meyer" style="text-align: start;">Amazon</a> ~ <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cress-marissa-meyer/1114764513?ean=9781250007223" style="text-align: start;">B & N</a><br />
<br />
Synopsis : In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xAn9X1bO9tR2UUGLZSzIEVBmUCke4oLB-OTg-GJqCBrxUmpbnBX3d4X2JI0pLnlJvk1W-bLdYP49tugKyiTZEd85xq59mM6bD9Wy0nYbhogxPY_4rJ6pT5vYYNak-8nrUDOgAdN33-8/s1600/Book-Review.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xAn9X1bO9tR2UUGLZSzIEVBmUCke4oLB-OTg-GJqCBrxUmpbnBX3d4X2JI0pLnlJvk1W-bLdYP49tugKyiTZEd85xq59mM6bD9Wy0nYbhogxPY_4rJ6pT5vYYNak-8nrUDOgAdN33-8/s1600/Book-Review.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Disclaimer: </span></b>This review contains spoilers for the events that have taken place in the series previous novels - <b><i>Cinder</i></b> and <i style="font-weight: bold;">Scarlet. </i>On Loving the Language of Literacy, the term "BookTalk" refers to a thorough review including a clearly marked spoiler free and spoiler filled section.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Background & Backstory?</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw1Bx1UFBfg">August 2015 Reading Wrap-Up</a>, I expressed my distress having to do with the Lunar Chronicles. Besides <b><i>Queen of Shadows</i></b>, <b><i>Winter</i></b> is a many people's most anticipated release for 2015. I marathoned <b style="text-align: center;"><i>Cinder</i></b><span style="text-align: center;"> and </span><span style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Scarlet </i>back in Summer 2013 and I actually purchased <b><i>Cress</i></b> upon its release last year. The first two books in the series never impressed me, both earning a 3.5/5 stars and I consider it pretty average. Everyone insists </span><span style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Cress </i>changes everything in terms of reader's opinions but</span><span style="text-align: center;"> d</span><span style="text-align: center;">espite the hype from the bookish community, I never got around to reading it.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> Until last month when I started feeling left out because everyone wants to read <b><i>Winter</i></b>.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br />
</span> <br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What Was My Reaction Upon Finishing?</span></b></span></div>
<span style="text-align: center;"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">I can see why everybody said <b><i>Cress</i></b> changes everything. Why isn't <b><i>Winter</i></b> here!?</span></div>
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></span> </span> <span style="text-align: center;">Even though I had expectations for this novel, I don't think those are what hindered my enjoyment of </span><span style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Cress, </i>and I'm sad to say this but my opinion of the series overall didn't change with the addition.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br />
</span> <span style="text-align: center;">Something I didn't expect to enjoy was the third person point of view throughout the story. Often, I wish for first so as to get a more intense glimpse into their minds - </span>I don't sound like an evil mastermind at all. However, there are simply too many characters to accomplish a 1st person POV and so many places to be simultaneously. I enjoyed seeing the opposing forces and the tension knowing I was powerless as a reader to do anything for them. Plus it was extremely funny to see confusion from two different characters on the same matter - you know what I'm talking about with that android escort body *winks*.<br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br />
</span> <span style="text-align: center;">I suppose the largest factor established in </span><span style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-style: italic;">Cress </b>that we hadn't seen previously was the huge scope of the universe. </span>I've got to admit at times it was difficult to distinguish <b style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;">Cress</b><span style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;">'s </span><span style="text-align: center;">voice from little Cress or even Iko. She seemed so justifiably innocent and naive. Of course the fact that the audiobook's narrator's intonations weren't that different for the two characters impacted that. It was interesting to see her discover the Earthen world as we see it as "the future," but from the perspective of someone not Earthen but not Lunar either. </span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br />
</span> <br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: center;">***Spoiler Alert***</span></div>
<span style="text-align: center;"> </span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br />
</span> <br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Scarlet Benoit</b> had obviously been tested before but I personally recognized her strength as a character throughout the Lunar interrogations and torture sessions as she was used as no more than a play thing. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I finally know what everyone was talking about when they fangirled over <b>Captain Carswell Thorn</b>. I couldn't help but see him from Cress' admiring perspective even if he annoyed me to no end when I was reading <i style="font-weight: bold;">Scarlet, </i>and that admiration was multiple further when he protested against Cress' attempts in finding some shred of goodness in him. Plus, when he gave her a kiss to remember on the roof of the palace... that was just icing on the cake. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Emperor Kaito</b> has always been a favorite of mine and his stale mate situation tugged at my feels - especially because of the serious <b><i>Heir of Fire</i></b> vibes, if you catch my drift. It's obvious that all he wants is peace and good for the commonwealth but in many ways he's stronger than his father because of his desire to stay true to his values. Even though a huge issue I had was not being invested enough in the characters, I HAD to fangirl when he finally kissed Cinder and it seemed that they were united against Levana for the good of the universe.<br />
<br />
I couldn't help but feel frustrated most of the time with <b><i>Cinder</i></b> because of the serious middle-of-the-series syndrome she was suffering from in terms of character development. It's clear she's ready to undertake the responsibility as queen but at the same time, she has understandable albeit aggravating doubts about her own moral compass as her lunar powers increase.<br />
<br />
Our glimpse of <b><i>Princess Winter</i></b> is brief when she asks for Scarlet as a plaything but it's enough to know that she is seriously off her rocker. Obviously Winter is the final retelling of Snow White but I always assumed she would be sane. Whether it's merely because of living her entire life on Luna or being the daughter of someone as power hungry as Levana, she is clearly not. I am extremely intrigued to see where her arc goes.<br />
<br />
Despite severely disliking <b>Dr. Erland</b> I understood him and was heartbroken at the scene where Cress learned he was her father and the one after that where he was tortured by Levana and died. He played a crucial role throughout the series and I'm a bit nervous to see how the characters will cope without him.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How Likely Is It That I Will Read Another Book By This Author?</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">75% | </span>With everything said, I begrudgingly have to admit I will probably read <i style="font-weight: bold;">Winter </i>because the last chapter of <i style="font-weight: bold;">Cress </i>was too enticing not to continue with the series.<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Conclusion: </b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Even though my thoughts on the series as a whole are still extremely mixed, Cress was hands down the best addition to the series and set up the series for a hopefully stunning arc to be </span>completed in Winter.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhB5GoPWtxL6fdc-UnEYc2wqsCvpamujc9YpDBEQMI48cO7Opp505m06jGDRD35dKv5daKlspv35PRL6XXtU638hEp5enbfTqn81RduA0HLbzDwfeaiLV4uKkPx5EGhw6hK8XbZ8QUII/s1600/3-Stars.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhB5GoPWtxL6fdc-UnEYc2wqsCvpamujc9YpDBEQMI48cO7Opp505m06jGDRD35dKv5daKlspv35PRL6XXtU638hEp5enbfTqn81RduA0HLbzDwfeaiLV4uKkPx5EGhw6hK8XbZ8QUII/s1600/3-Stars.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vkO8lDl4RLe7m1zcjbRKN54wTbtYcTrgX3zwJVndHYses2S6x7MQG6cZdgW6XGwh33gT0hDRSthES1RNBP7be2EHvfmu5uXla9PV5xBmdTvef2OQc8zG3SJLXuqeobl8v692VjHaY7M/s1600/0C42B092-642B-4799-867C-B803CE0B9E8A" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vkO8lDl4RLe7m1zcjbRKN54wTbtYcTrgX3zwJVndHYses2S6x7MQG6cZdgW6XGwh33gT0hDRSthES1RNBP7be2EHvfmu5uXla9PV5xBmdTvef2OQc8zG3SJLXuqeobl8v692VjHaY7M/s1600/0C42B092-642B-4799-867C-B803CE0B9E8A" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-25807406745470982282015-09-07T00:00:00.000-04:002015-09-07T00:00:00.880-04:00Confess : @colleenhoover | BookTalk w/ @sslluvsbooks<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBLH2wD1YQzkVDjlfC8AtvQ6brGRgpR2NMi2hdjTUO07C8P8ffuZCQONZ5Bh34ohoDOl1z7JNqo5EIBOu662LjYTK5gJF2G2wlpnVbvi8AkLRCknRA2LYIGDV1EUrngWXJ95xK4w9m9Q/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-09-05+at+14.23.00.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBLH2wD1YQzkVDjlfC8AtvQ6brGRgpR2NMi2hdjTUO07C8P8ffuZCQONZ5Bh34ohoDOl1z7JNqo5EIBOu662LjYTK5gJF2G2wlpnVbvi8AkLRCknRA2LYIGDV1EUrngWXJ95xK4w9m9Q/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-09-05+at+14.23.00.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Rating: 95%</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Series: None</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Fiction, </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Publisher: Atria Books</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Publication Date: March 10, 2015</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Page Count: 306</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Format: Paperback</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Source: Library</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Confess-Colleen-Hoover/9781476791456?&a_aid=sslluvsbooks">The Book Depository</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/confess-colleen-hoover/1119883914?ean=9781476791456">B&N</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22609310-confess">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1476791457/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1476791457&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Goodreads Synopsis: </span></b>Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…</div>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></b> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xAn9X1bO9tR2UUGLZSzIEVBmUCke4oLB-OTg-GJqCBrxUmpbnBX3d4X2JI0pLnlJvk1W-bLdYP49tugKyiTZEd85xq59mM6bD9Wy0nYbhogxPY_4rJ6pT5vYYNak-8nrUDOgAdN33-8/s1600/Book-Review.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xAn9X1bO9tR2UUGLZSzIEVBmUCke4oLB-OTg-GJqCBrxUmpbnBX3d4X2JI0pLnlJvk1W-bLdYP49tugKyiTZEd85xq59mM6bD9Wy0nYbhogxPY_4rJ6pT5vYYNak-8nrUDOgAdN33-8/s1600/Book-Review.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">Disclaimer: </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">On Loving the Language of Literacy, the term "BookTalk" means that there will be both a clearly marked spoiler and non-spoiler section of the Review.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Would I Buy It?</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">75% | Honestly, the only reason </span>I don't own all of Colleen Hoover's books in physical form is because they're classified under "Adult" and therefore are priced accordingly. Translation = they're expensive. Nevertheless if I came across some sort of bargain I wouldn't hesitate for a moment in purchasing all her novels because of how much I love them.<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Background & Backstory?</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I started making my way through all of Colleen Hoover's novels in January of this year and </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Confess</i></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> was the </span>last<span style="font-family: inherit;"> book I needed to read before being caught up with all of the first novels in her various </span>dualogies<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and trilogies. </span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What Was My Reaction Upon Finishing?</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">*angels singing* Ahhhh!</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There's a lot of stigma and prejudice that comes with the New Adult genre. A lot of times the simple equation is mysterious boy meets mysterious girl, they have an inexplicable attraction, they can't be together, and there's usually some sort of factor like a child, car accident, or weird family connection that complicates everything. However, Colleen Hoover is something special. The stories she crafts tangle themselves up with reader's feels and wrench their hearts in the process, and of course, her male protagonists are super swoon-worthy.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Lately, Colleen Hoover has added some sort of extra multi-media addition to her novels. <b><i>Slammed</i></b> has slammed poetry the characters perform. The songs referred to in <b><i>Maybe Someday</i></b> are real ones you can find on Spotify, commissioned just for the book. <b style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Confess</i></b> takes it up another level, incorporating real confessions Colleen Hoover was sent by her readers and the book includes full color artwork based off of those confessions. The creativity of her novels is just another aspect to crown her queen of new adult. [<a href="http://lovingthelanguageofliteracy.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-role-of-pictures-in-young-adult.html">Click here if you want to know more about my opinions in pertinence to The Role of "Pictures" in Young Adult Literature</a>]</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even though I say this after finishing every Colleen Hoover novel, I think </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Confess</i></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> may be my new </span>favorite<span style="font-family: inherit;">. It all boils down to how much </span>you<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>connect with the characters and Auburn's story of first love was one that captured my feelings exactly. The prologue is heartbreaking and the way it follows her to the end of the book is shocking and merely supports the evidence that Owen Gentry is bae.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
***Spoiler Alert***</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Auburn Reed is an extremely determined, passionate, and committed character. Despite the circumstances revolving around her son's - AJ -birth, it was clear how strong their relationship is and how much she cared about him, the lengths at which she went for him were simply extraordinary. Owen Mason Gentry - OMG for short - appeared as a mysterious NA character and the circumstance for hiring Auburn was absolutely hilarious. His admiration and respect for Auburn wasn't like a lot of characters in literature and it was nice for a change to see a good character.</div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How Likely Is It That I Will Read Another Book By This Author?</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">99.9% | I am so freaking psyched for </span>the<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>release<span style="font-family: inherit;"> of <b><i>November 9</i></b> which </span>ironically<span style="font-family: inherit;"> is coming out on 10th of November this year.</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Conclusion: </span></b><i style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;">Confess </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">is another astounding work by Colleen Hoover, a model New Adult novel with incredible relationships and </span>character<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>development with a unique multi-media spin.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5hM235wFkBlA0S_ZZ9czLm5ht-RN04fC4nrBRPKbBx4KUTgxh6p1gDNJT3s1-bTk3D2B7IaB7hk_8rNwLyTlefrPfcJeV_DoFXgoTms6NsVNPpo4kqSmK6ofilMiqBc2DSOtRBHxMXs/s1600/5-Stars.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5hM235wFkBlA0S_ZZ9czLm5ht-RN04fC4nrBRPKbBx4KUTgxh6p1gDNJT3s1-bTk3D2B7IaB7hk_8rNwLyTlefrPfcJeV_DoFXgoTms6NsVNPpo4kqSmK6ofilMiqBc2DSOtRBHxMXs/s1600/5-Stars.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vkO8lDl4RLe7m1zcjbRKN54wTbtYcTrgX3zwJVndHYses2S6x7MQG6cZdgW6XGwh33gT0hDRSthES1RNBP7be2EHvfmu5uXla9PV5xBmdTvef2OQc8zG3SJLXuqeobl8v692VjHaY7M/s1600/0C42B092-642B-4799-867C-B803CE0B9E8A" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vkO8lDl4RLe7m1zcjbRKN54wTbtYcTrgX3zwJVndHYses2S6x7MQG6cZdgW6XGwh33gT0hDRSthES1RNBP7be2EHvfmu5uXla9PV5xBmdTvef2OQc8zG3SJLXuqeobl8v692VjHaY7M/s1600/0C42B092-642B-4799-867C-B803CE0B9E8A" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1172452762535503711.post-57419868191215372612015-09-03T00:00:00.000-04:002015-09-03T00:00:01.483-04:00August 2015 Wrap-Up | Road Trips, Kindle Paperwhites, 14 Books & Running <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfK5pV2VXQsSfT6TNNPwNHWO8DMk6EEGIuDUR5cB2VE-y2el1kjcFEeMcbUEemCQkpg1s9ur6uembPiz-221UDc4MuonILSBmtyMThTnRKY5bAnJzyUNFgEEt7i7riuTcBzVnyD6NCTU/s1600/4942D18A-EA02-46C0-B32C-1BC1899C3BCA" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfK5pV2VXQsSfT6TNNPwNHWO8DMk6EEGIuDUR5cB2VE-y2el1kjcFEeMcbUEemCQkpg1s9ur6uembPiz-221UDc4MuonILSBmtyMThTnRKY5bAnJzyUNFgEEt7i7riuTcBzVnyD6NCTU/s640/4942D18A-EA02-46C0-B32C-1BC1899C3BCA" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">IMAGE FROM THIS MONTH</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WINrRKPMCTJrKidjGPt6EVR9zcmgclzjw2rT0tmf-s9Fth3vzapcqBvv4Tj4qjMS_sMsrOSNiWAC8MIw15SdrnxRPKmdlykhgwrx5_2GriY7Wkjmg4RNTMdKWylRrVLdlhP0npFLM28/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-30+at+23.59.13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WINrRKPMCTJrKidjGPt6EVR9zcmgclzjw2rT0tmf-s9Fth3vzapcqBvv4Tj4qjMS_sMsrOSNiWAC8MIw15SdrnxRPKmdlykhgwrx5_2GriY7Wkjmg4RNTMdKWylRrVLdlhP0npFLM28/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-08-30+at+23.59.13.png" width="319" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">FUN/NOTEWORTHY THINGS THAT HAPPENED</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<i style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;">Cross Country </i>| I had never been part of a team before Spring of this year and I actually didn't enjoy track that much. Even without having had our first meet, Cross Country has completely changed my life. My team is freaking incredible and whether you're an underclassmen or an upperclassmen, the fastest, "most valuable person" or the slowest - like myself, you're treated as an equal and we all feel like family. Every single practice, whether it's an on or an off day, I always get an indescribable feeling of euphoria because of the accomplishment. Case in point; XC = awesome. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b><i>I Have the Power!!!</i></b> | J.K. I just have a Kindle Paperwhite, but it feels like the same thing. I got it mostly out of convenience because I can now read eBooks at school and other socially unacceptable places for a phone or iPad.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-family: inherit;"><i>All of My Long Tresses Are Gone</i></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> | Just kidding, the bottom layer is actually </span>the<span style="font-family: inherit;"> same </span>length<span style="font-family: inherit;"> as it was before but I got a lot more layers and angles put in. </span>You<span style="font-family: inherit;"> cannot imagine how much anxiety I had </span>because of the fear my hair would get so short I couldn't put it up in a high pony-tail for cross country. Luckily, I'm in love with the cut and you can watch my August Reading Wrap-Up to see it.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b><i>Shakespeare, Historic Mansions, and Hours in a Car With My Family aka "The Road Trip"</i></b> | My family and I went down to the Hudson Valley during the last weekend in September to see a production of "The Winter's Tale." While in the area, we went to Eleanor Roosevelt's House, the Vanderbilt Mansion, and FDR's estate. Accompanied with my audiobooks and kindle, I had a grand ole' time and the picture from the trip is above. </div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjrsFQ1sjCg2eavVKYVukTLsbf95GT-en4089OVo9Lb7GZdnz_9ZwMWHd84AYP7RclpazK3Mn74JiW-jiOcbEY9qfSf_4pFNSjRkctaLpjdnFeRfeFgs-mdseGLq55EymMI4naVSggnY/s1600/20493635705_449f7acdc3_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjrsFQ1sjCg2eavVKYVukTLsbf95GT-en4089OVo9Lb7GZdnz_9ZwMWHd84AYP7RclpazK3Mn74JiW-jiOcbEY9qfSf_4pFNSjRkctaLpjdnFeRfeFgs-mdseGLq55EymMI4naVSggnY/s320/20493635705_449f7acdc3_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Two Runs a Day, Campfire Card Games, and "Finding My Why" @ Aim High</i></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> | I spent an entire week up in </span>the<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Adirondacks with some of the best </span>people<span style="font-family: inherit;"> I have ever met. I cannot express how amazing the experience of running camp was. The sense of community and team atmosphere was absolutely overwhelming and served as a perfect launchpad for the 2015 cross country season. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">WHAT AM I LOOKING FORWARD TO?</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">School... </span>Surprisingly | I've gotten to know some of my peers through cross country and hearing all of their words of wisdom have gotten my excited to begin the new school year. While I know I'll have to go back to the balancing act between school, cross country, reading, writing, and BookTubing, I know I can do it and being in school will merely inspire me more as I interact with different people and have a ton of new experiences.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">WHAT DID I READ?</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Bw1Bx1UFBfg/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bw1Bx1UFBfg?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">FAVORITE VIDEOS OF MINE</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KVYEH0bDYE0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KVYEH0bDYE0?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="275"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In April, I came out with a video series where, through a series </span>between<span style="font-family: inherit;"> myself and the character Francesca, I update my viewers on how successful I have been with my New Years Resolutions. I released the newest installment this month and had an absolute blast with the process from scripting the video, to the multiple takes until I got the line down, and bringing it all together in editing. [<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78vMmhedHUY">1st Quarterly Update</a>]</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ADirzh8DiAk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ADirzh8DiAk?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="275"></iframe>This month, I collaborated with my good friend Alex from the Books Buzz on our discussion meant to answer the question - Are Sequels Destined to Fail? We both had different takes on the subject and I loved seeing the contrast between them. I take you through the different types of sequels as well as the deciding factors. [<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3QKSkD2e20">Alex's Discussion</a>]</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pHzlqt1eOFQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pHzlqt1eOFQ?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="275"></iframe>Throughout the month of August, I got back into the medium and listened to four audiobooks. When talking to my bookish friends, I realized that not everything is familiar to the medium and the discussion was my own PSA to my viewers on the benefits of audibooks as I explain how the actual process of reading is made so much more convenient.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">FAVORITE YOUTUBE VIDEOS</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GMoF4CFB-kI/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GMoF4CFB-kI?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="200"></iframe> I FINALLY picked up <b><i>The Mortal Instruments</i></b> this month and managed to marathon half of the six book series. Naturally, this was in part because of EmmmaBooks and I had to rewatch everyone's videos about <b><i>Shadowhunters</i></b> because now I actually understand what's going on and what all the excitement is about.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Gv-7VzwvEDE/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Gv-7VzwvEDE?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="200"></iframe><br />
<br />
In August I basically got obsessed with Elisabeth Paige's channel. All her BookTube-a-Thon videos had so much care and thought put into them and her channel just oozes with creativity. Her personality is awesome as well and I can't wait to continue watching her.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Gba1muf--MY/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Gba1muf--MY?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="200"></iframe><br />
<br />
Kristina Horner somehow manages to make sponsored videos in a way I never would have dreamed of anyone else doing. Her newest one focuses on a printer but she turns it into an entire discussion surrounding Digital vs Physical memories.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/BIfpuDYpPD8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BIfpuDYpPD8?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="200"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
Jamie from the Perpetual Page Turner has a superb blog and I adore watching her videos. She recently made a Welcome to BookTube tag video and despite the fact that it's overdue, I sincerely enjoyed hearing her reasons for joining the wondrous community known as BookTube.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/us82KcrnAQA/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/us82KcrnAQA?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="200"></iframe><br />
<br />
This wasn't a BookTube video but it was my most anticipated video of August 2015 because Tiernan came out with another short film and this one was even better than the last. I know he put a ton of effort into everything and it most definitely shows.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">TV/MOVIE OBSESSIONS</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://s1.dmcdn.net/Jh3Dy/1280x720-v1y.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://s1.dmcdn.net/Jh3Dy/1280x720-v1y.jpg" height="165" width="300" /></a>Emma and I insisted this month on going to see the latest Mission Impossible installment and it did not disappoint for what it was. You get exactly what you pay for, two hours of action, heart pounding adventure, unimaginable tech, political intrigue, and humor. There ended up not being any romance which surprised all of us but I found it refreshing for the franchise. Plus Benji remains as one of the best characters ever! </div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aeeXkf8LZ_8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="190" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aeeXkf8LZ_8?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="300"></iframe>Last month I talked about how I whizzed through all 100 episodes of the Lizzie Bennet Diaries in 4 days and of course, I had to continue my newfound obsession with classic literature redone vlog-style with Emma Approved. I went a bit slower pace this time in attempts to savor everything and I sincerely enjoy the tone as well as the characters of this one. The chemistry between the characters is extremely tangible and I came to adore Emma Woodhouse as well as admire the developments that had to take place along the way.<br />
<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PDOhS23KyCM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PDOhS23KyCM?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"></iframe>Did you honestly think I would stop watching adaptations of classic literature? Of course not! And I had to start watching the <b><i>Anne of Green Gables</i></b> adaptation since I grew up listening to the audiobook and watching so many different movie adaptations. I knew exactly where Anne was quoting the novel and fangirled the entire time. </div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaYgo8ICi_5DUdvdfUAfkYmGka3WFB9dyxLzxJcITQmcQbRsNjjn9ElMQjtd_v2te0JbGPqtQUwHJ-3hyphenhyphenAdJFQ5gORXdotM3AuKorC684m1Aa-uhOu_rV7ik0TMwaD-dYvgYVyzAyGD-I/s1600/ant-man-paul-rudd-talks-ant-man-with-nicolas-cage.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaYgo8ICi_5DUdvdfUAfkYmGka3WFB9dyxLzxJcITQmcQbRsNjjn9ElMQjtd_v2te0JbGPqtQUwHJ-3hyphenhyphenAdJFQ5gORXdotM3AuKorC684m1Aa-uhOu_rV7ik0TMwaD-dYvgYVyzAyGD-I/s320/ant-man-paul-rudd-talks-ant-man-with-nicolas-cage.jpeg" width="300" /></a>Emma is a huge fan of Marvel and being the dutiful best friend I am, tagged along. I was pleasantly surprised despite some cliche moments, it was extremely hilarious and I got exactly what I payed for in terms of content.</div>
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">SONGS THAT WERE ON REPEAT</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="150" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A1RBtvkiaOgIFbB2tTbBgeg" width="300"></iframe>'<br />
I haven't listened to Cassadee Pope for so long but this month her sound / lyrics seemed fitting for my life and this seemed to solidify my love for her as well as prove her position as a pop/country crossover artist.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A70OTIpw8x8UXUsuCHW9i1i" width="300"></iframe><br />
I have NEVER been a Directioner but I have been listening to this song on repeat all month long. Being newly broken up, it was an absolute power jam I loved to whip my newly cut hair around to.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A3uxVUNjF2jtt9zqgJCp9Zh" width="300"></iframe><br />
Carrie Underwood dropped her new single as well as the news that her 5th studio album <b><i>Storyteller </i></b>would be released on the 23rd of October. While <i>Smoke Break</i>'s sound is a tad different from <b><i>Blown Away</i></b>, this song was on repeat this month.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A2Guz1b911CbpG8L92cnglI" width="300"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I was merely listening to Spotify's alternative radio and this song sprung out at me. Their sound is a lot like the Fray's and I enjoyed listening to this song a lot.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A10lrU6CTeeFL599a4qDjGY" width="300"></iframe><br />
This song was featured in my favorite TV show of the summer - The Astronaut Wives Club - and it was so fitting for the show and just a great song overall by one of my favorite new artists.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A6o20dsWQsZjhydaq893DnE" width="300"></iframe><br />
This was featured on my 2nd favorite show of the summer - Mistresses - which just wrapped up its 3rd season during an extremely climactic scene following the arc between two of the main characters. It was absolutely perfect and the song sent chills up my spine.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A3HE50TVRquwXe9yv2HFoNL" width="300"></iframe><br />
Three Days Grace is a hit or miss band for me because a lot of the time it's heavier rock than I prefer but this was one of the hits. I love the beginning of their songs and dancing around my room randomly while blasting this.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">FAVORITE QUOTES</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
“Maybe smiling at people would be my new revenge on the bullshit world.” --- <i><b>Glory O'Brien's History of the Future</b></i> : A.S. King</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
“How can a fifteen-year old girl defend her love when that love is dismissed by everyone? It’s impossible to defend yourself against inexperience and age. And maybe they’re right. Maybe we don’t know love like an adult knows love, but we sure as hell feel it.” --- <b><i>Confess</i></b> : Colleen Hoover </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">QUESTION OF THE MONTH</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>How do you find a balance between school and/or a job and all the reading, writing, BookTubing you want to do?</i></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaa_Oh5TfOSohe1kZd8WB8FFF-7NxWk-OiPL__BWQaTm8PemaSGhletMB-xKeV2faVy42BV9UoBDY0VjaybzTcHx7ppXBsPYl5WICszd6YeOMJuwe_Hntu2a0pcjmXGjpbJRKSJZpf_M/s1600/FE38BC7E-9618-45DB-830F-6E99F3E48CB5" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaa_Oh5TfOSohe1kZd8WB8FFF-7NxWk-OiPL__BWQaTm8PemaSGhletMB-xKeV2faVy42BV9UoBDY0VjaybzTcHx7ppXBsPYl5WICszd6YeOMJuwe_Hntu2a0pcjmXGjpbJRKSJZpf_M/s1600/FE38BC7E-9618-45DB-830F-6E99F3E48CB5" /></a></div>
</blockquote>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12370043235220465638noreply@blogger.com0