I love you, Friday

Hi friends! It's Friday! I am excited about it! Last weekend we were out of the house basically all weekend, so nothing got done around the house. I mean, we were either at church or with family last weekend, so that was all good, but my poor house needs a clean. So my plans for this weekend include giving my house a good cleaning, doing laundry, and all of that fun stuff.

Of course, I also have some actual fun plans too. Tonight is home-made pizza and movie night with Chris. Tomorrow, after I'm done my cleaning, I plan to film a bunch of videos for my YouTube channel, and get one or two edited. In the evening we are going to hang out with some friends, and if I have time in between I'll probably just do some reading.

On Sunday after church Chris is going golfing with his dad and brother, so I will enjoy my solitude in my house with a good book, maybe some letters. I'm slooowly getting back into writing letters, and it's been fun.

What I'm reading this weekend: Fire by Kristin Cashore. This is the second book in the Seven Realms trilogy, the first book being Graceling. This is an excellent fantasy series, I'm highly enjoying it so far!

This week I have been obsessed with tiny homes. Don't ask why, but for some reason I just really want to live in a tiny house now. We watched a documentary on Netflix, called TINY: A Story About Living Small, and it was quite good. Today I've been watching videos on YouTube about tiny homes. Some good channels are relaxshacksDOTcom, Tiny House Giant Journey, Living Big in a Tiny Home, and Kristen Dirksen, they have tons of tours of tiny homes. Also this one is amazing and I would live in it in a heartbeat.

What are your plans for the weekend? Leave a comment and let me know!

The Invention of Exile || Vanessa Manko

Title: The Invention of Exile

Author: Vanessa Manko

Length: 304 pages

Publication date: August 14, 2014

Genre: Historical fiction

Rating: 2/5

Austin Voronkov is a Russian immigrant to Connecticut in 1913. As an inventor and engineer, he loves the opportunities he has in the United States. He has met a beautiful American woman named Julia, who agrees to become his wife. But Austin is wrongly accused of being an anarchist, and as a result he and his wife are deported to Russia. Over the next several years, they move from place to place in Europe, having 3 children along the way. Because of the Russian civil war and unrest in Europe, the family decides to go to Mexico, where they will try to get permission to go back to the US. Julia and the children are eventually able to return to their home, while Austin must stay behind in Mexico. Over the years of their separation, Austin must deal with his feelings of isolation from what he knows, and struggles to stay connected to his family.

This book had a lot of promise. The summary sounded really interesting to me, right up my alley. I really enjoy historical fiction and I hadn't read anything set in this situation. However, basically everything about his book was a big disappointment. The writing seemed like the author was attempting to be very poetic, but it just came across as scattered. There were SO many sentence fragments, I couldn't even handle it by the end. The scattered writing also made the story feel horribly repetitive; in fact, if it had been written/edited properly, it probably would have lost 50 or 60 pages.

The dialogue was another problem for me. It was often strained, and not because of Austin's grasp of English. The characters felt quite disconnected from each other, like they were strangers being forced to interact, or bad actors without chemistry. I will say that the author was very good at painting a picture of the setting. I really did feel like I was in Mexico with Austin. Unfortunately, as this was a character based story, that wasn't able to carry the story.

I also had a problem with how the author handled the characters. A few side characters were introduced, and then dropped with no mention again. There is a significant antagonist of the story, a character that causes Austin incredible amounts of stress, to the point where he looks over his shoulder all the time for this character. This character seems like a big deal, yet two-thirds of the way through the book, it seems like the author literally forgot about him! He, the huge problem for Austin, just stops being mentioned at all. He doesn't have any last lines, Austin stops giving him any thought, and it makes you wonder if he was even in the book at all?

The ending was horrific - it was such an anticlimactic letdown! I actually kept trying to turn the page on my ereader because I could not accept that I had reached the end! It felt like a section of pages had to be missing! I was so upset because after struggling through the story, I didn't even have a good ending to show for it!

Now, in full disclosure, I did have a galley of it, and I truly hope that there were things legitimately missing from it that are in the final copy of the book. The story truly did have a lot of promise, but the writing was too weak to pull it off. This is a debut novel, and I feel like if the author keeps working at it, she could have some wonderful stories in the future. I also feel like a strong editor might have made all the difference with this book.


I received a digital copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Summer is here and I'm excited about it.

Summer is almost here! Well, today we have a rainfall warning, but it still feels more and more like summer. Church activities are winding up, and there's a lot more free time on the horizon. I never realized how much you love free time until I started working full time. That was an adjustment. Sometimes I really miss working part-time. I had a lot more time for housework and hobbies.

I have many plans for the summer already, such as:

• doing a bedroom refresh 
• having a garage sale with some friends and getting rid of so much junk
• doing some DIY projects, like painting a couple bookshelves and building an end table
• going to the zoo (I haven't been to the zoo in like a decade or something, and they've added a ton of new things since I was there last)
• writing back to my poor pen pals who probably wonder why I went off the radar
• getting so much reading done!

These are the two tables I'm looking at making. I might make both. We'll see.

I hope to enjoy some of the last two while sitting outside in my lawn chair apparatus. I call it an apparatus because I wouldn't know what else to call it. It's two Adirondack chairs attached with a table in the middle. Very handy. But the table is broken so I have to fix that. And I want to get some cushions, for maximum comfort. I've got my eyes on some seat pads from IKEA, because I'm too lazy to make them myself.

What would you call this thing? Anyway, here it is, freshly painted in my favourite colour. That table wasn't properly attached, so it came off and now I have to fix it.

I'm also quite excited for summer weather, as a lovely bistro just a short walk away from my house is selling gelato. I am pleased to announce the stuff tastes like heaven, and I anticipate walking over there many evenings with a book.

What are you looking forward to this summer?

Book review: If I Stay - Gayle Forman

I've been wanting to do book reviews for a while, and I don't think I've ever done any. Which is completely ridiculous, considering how much I love books and how many I read. So, here I commence.

I just finished reading If I Stay by Gayle Forman. I didn't go into the book knowing a lot about it, which I like to do. And I was not disappointed! I really enjoyed it. It's not a book to read if you're in the mood for a happy story, that's for sure. It does have happy moments in it, but the story certainly isn't. (TFIOS, much?)

A brief summary: Mia is 18, in her final year of high school. During a snow day, her family decides to drive to their friends' place to spend the day with them. But the day turns out much differently than anyone would have imagined...

The story takes place over the span of 24 hours. The author uses flashbacks to draw out the story, and I felt that she used the method really effectively. They never felt forced, and always flowed very naturally, to the point where you hardly realize that it's a flashback. I thought that overall the story flowed really well. It's a shorter book, but because the author knew how to draw the story out, it doesn't feel like it lacks for information or details at all.

The previous edition cover. I think I almost like this one better.

I did like the characters in the book for the most part. The main character, Mia, is a very thoughtful teenager. She is a cellist, going to be attending Julliard after she graduates high school. Her life revolves around her family, her boyfriend Adam, her best friend Kim, and her musical career. She doesn't have much use for partying and staying out late, which is funny because her parents were in the music scene when she was growing up, and she was going to parties when she was a child. Her father was in a punk rock band for many years, and her boyfriend is in an up-and-coming band, as well. She just can't get away from music, it is steeped into every part of her life. It plays a considerable role in the book as well. I did enjoy the contrast between reserved and serious Mia, and her eccentric rocker parents. It's so reversed from what you usually see. The relationships in this book played out really well. It was definitely easy for me to connect to the characters.

A still of Chloe Grace Moretz, who plays Mia in the film adaptation.

One of the things that bothered me most about the book - there is a character that is never given a name! Mia's parents' friends have a baby, and the baby is always referred to that - "the baby!" It drove me crazy!! I mean, there are characters just mentioned in passing that play less of a role than this baby, and they got names! Why, Gayle Forman, why??

Overall, I would recommend this book if you're looking for a story that draws you in. I could probably connect with the story in a deeper way than a lot of people would, because of things that have happened to me and others close to me. (Trying not to be spoilery here!!) I will probably be thinking about this story for a few more days. The movie version came out on Friday and I am looking forward to seeing it.

Plot: original, very well paced
Emotions: you will feel them
Characters: mostly realistic and well-rounded

And for those who like to be prepared for these things (I appreciate a heads up, for sure!)

Language: moderate, as there are a few f-bombs and other choice words
Sex: one scene that's not explicit but there is a lot of stuff implied
Drugs/alcohol: social drinking, no drug use that I can recall
Spiritual content: Mia's grandma believes that loved ones who have passed on come back as angels (in the form of animals); the family attends a funeral at a church where the officiant talks about the deceased going to be with the Lord.

My overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars

New book obsession.

Last fall, my family went on a trip to the States for a weekend. My mom, sister and I stopped at a Wal-Mart to look for something - I can't remember what now. I wandered into the book aisle, and I noticed this book called "The Hunger Games". I had heard that it was really good and that I should read it. Because I am the kind of person who buys a book based on its reputation before I personally read it, I bought it that day.

This past Saturday (not a couple days ago but the one before) I had finished reading Jane Eyre, and I knew that the Hunger Games movie was coming out in March, and figured I may as well now read the book now.

I read the whole book in 2.5 days. I couldn't put it down. I was obsessed with this world of Panem and I needed more. Last Tuesday I went to buy the next two books, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning to finish reading Catching Fire. The next day pretty much all I did was read Mockingjay. I just couldn't stop until I knew what was going to happen with these characters that I had grown to love - Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Prim, Cinna, Haymitch...

It's been almost a week since I finished the books and I'm still thinking about them. Chris is probably getting tired of hearing about "Hunger Games this" and "You should sit down and read this book!"

Me, every other day: "The Hunger Games movie comes out March 23!! *squeeeaaaal*"
Chris: *silence*

I am going to see this movie with my sister and a friend of ours, because they've also been reading these books the same time as me. (I beat them because my job sucks and I get no hours, so I have time to read all day) We are all very excited.

Would I be a super geek if I bought the China Glaze "Colors from the Capitol" collection and wore a different color on each nail when I see the movie?

Me: "Chris, is it okay if I pre-order this Hunger Games nail polish collection for $50?"
Chris: *silence*

It's safe to say that I am obsessed.

22/100 read.

I've seen this meme pop up here and there throughout the years. The BBC says that this is a list of must reads and most people have only read 6. It's been a while since I updated it, so I decided to do it again. I've put the ones I've read in bold, which is 22 out of 100. Well that's certainly better than 6, but I have long way to go. Maybe completing this list will be my goal for 2012.



1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien (currently on my shelf waiting to be read soon!)

3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling

5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

6 The Bible

7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell

9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott

12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy

13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

14 Complete Works of Shakespeare

15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier

16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien

17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk

18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger

19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

20 Middlemarch - George Eliot

21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell

22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald

23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens

24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh

27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame

31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis

34 Emma - Jane Austen

35 Persuasion - Jane Austen

36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis (um, this is different from 33?)

37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres

39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne

41 Animal Farm - George Orwell

42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving

45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
 
 47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy

48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood

49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding

50 Atonement - Ian McEwan

51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel

52 Dune - Frank Herbert

53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth

56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt

64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac

67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy

68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding

69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie

70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville

71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker

73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson

75 Ulysses - James Joyce

76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome

78 Germinal - Emile Zola

79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray

80 Possession - AS Byatt.

81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker

84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro

85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry

87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White

88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom

89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton

91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery

93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks

94 Watership Down - Richard Adams

95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole

96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute

97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare

99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo 


If you fill this out, I'd love to read it! Please leave a comment with a link if you do! :)

Playaway makes work happy.

Well, my friends, I have 2 days left at my job and then I'm out of there for good! Hurrah! Unfortunately, then I must find a real job. I've never really been unemployed before. I mean, I've been unemployed, but that was short term, or while I was a student. This is indefinitely. Scary business. So pray for me. I want a job that I can wear nice clothes to, and also where I can use my brain and talk to people. That's all I want. Simple, right?

Anyway, so the real reason for my post. A couple weekends ago Chris and I went to the public library, and I decided I needed some audio books. I figured I'd load 'em onto my iTunes, and then put them on my iPod. Then I found something that totally eliminated the need for that long process.

Introducing the Playaway audio book. This handy invention has made my work life better x100. So this is just your basic audio book, but it's on it's own little mp3 player-type device! Just plug in your headphones and go - simple as that! I chose books that I've never read before, so that it would be like killing two birds with one stone.

The books I've been "reading" the past week and a half:

Loved this one! Phileas Flogg reminded me of Sheldon Cooper.

I love you, Anne Shirley.

I fell in love with this book. (sorry for the crap picture)

This one bored me, honestly. This is one you need to read with your eyes, I think. Otherwise it just feels so repetitive. Also, Heathcliff is one of the worst literary characters (in terms of his personality/disposition) I have ever encountered and I loathed him. Sorry to anyone who feels differently.

This is another one that I would have preferred to read with my eyes. I'm so going as Hester Prynne for the next costume party I go to.

I've got some other books that I'll be listening to til the end of the week, and some other books that I'm reading with my eyes (hehe).

What are you reading these days?