Book Survey!

In case you've been wondering, I HAVE been blogging more regularly! Haven't you noticed? *sigh* Nothing ever works out exactly how I want it to. But look at me now! Fun book survey I found from Kayley Hyde's blog. xD

1. Favorite childhood book?

Harry Potter by JK Rowling,  Eloise  by Kay Thompson, Amelia's Notebook by Marissa Moss

2. What are you reading right now?

Wanderlust by Elisabeth Eaves, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

3. What books do you have on request at the library?

Currently none. I mostly use the library for movies and buy my own books.

4. Bad book habit?

Buying more than I have time to read :/

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?

Nothing.

6. Do you have an e-reader?

No. I don't think I'm necessarily anti e-reader, but I just don't really have the desire to have one at the moment. I'm perfectly content with my worn down and portable paperbacks! :)

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?

One at a time. I'll typically read extra books for class on top of that (like now), but I usually prefer one "pleasure read" at a time.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?

By blog isn't book dedicated, but reading other book blogs and joining Goodreads has definitely inspired me to read more!

9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)

Haven't read enough books yet this year to say! Perhaps The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't quite as brilliant as I was expecting.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?

Probably not often enough. There are so many books within my interests that I normally don't want to waste time reading something I might not like. But a lot of times in class I'll read something I didn't expect to enjoy, but did!

12. What is your reading comfort zone?

Young adult, fantasy/sci-fi, travel memoirs, humor/comedy, and general fiction

13. Can you read on the bus?

Yep. Though perhaps not the Ithaca bus on South Hill. I get nauseous just sitting on it.

14. Favorite place to read?

Outside on the grass, anywhere near a sunny window. 

15. What is your policy on book lending?

Sharing books is great. 

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?

Not usually. 

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?

I have this weird thing about hardback books where I don't really like annotating them, so I use post-it notes instead. But with paperbacks (my preference), I annotate and underline a lot.

18. Not even with text books?

Same applies.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?

English. I could say I love to read in French, but that's a lie. (Unless it's The Little Prince)

20. What makes you love a book?

Having complex yet identifiable characters is a big plus for me. Also, the general eloquence of the writing and whether the topic or plot falls within my interests are important to me.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?

Friends' recommendations, vlogs/blogs

22. Favorite genre?

So hard to choose! I read a lot of YA fiction, especially since becoming a Nerdfighter. But I've also recently fallen into love a bit with books on travel xD

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)

Historical fiction. I adore Tamar by Mal Peet and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, which are both young adult historical fictions. I wish I read more in the genre.

24. Favorite biography?

I honestly have never really gotten into biographies, so I'm not sure if I have a favorite.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?

I suppose Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist could be considered self-help. 

26. Favorite cookbook?

I'm not a responsible cooking adult yet, so I don't really read cookbooks for fun.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and also the book I'm reading right now (Wanderlust by Elisabeth Eaves)

28. Favorite reading snack?

Tea. And maybe pretzels. 

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.

Twilight. The whole thing's just....ugh. It's not even worth it to explain.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?

I don't read critic reviews too often. The reviews I do hear mostly come from friends or bloggers/vloggers I like, so I usually agree with their reviews (since I kind of already know whether I share the same tastes/interests with them). 

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?

I don't read too many books that I don't like, probably because I don't step out of my interests a lot. But I'm not afraid to give a negative review if I don't like a book.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose?

French. Arabic would be pretty cool as well.

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read? 

Perhaps Sanctuary by William Faulkner just because his writing is so complex and I had to read that entire book in one evening before my class. It was stressful. 

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?

Probably Swann's Way by Marcel Proust because it looks/sounds big and scary. It's also currently staring at me from my bookshelf. 

35. Favorite Poet?

I'm not a huge fan of poetry and don't read enough of it in my spare time. But I do enjoy Auden and Whitman a lot.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?

Again, I don't check out books from the library that often. I usually buy.

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?

Rarely, if ever.

38. Favorite fictional character? 

Woah! Difficult to pick just one! A few of my favorites: The Doctor (Doctor Who), Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter), Severus Snape (Harry Potter), Cassandra Mortmain (I Capture the Castle), Holden Caulfield (Catcher in the Rye)

39. Favorite fictional villain?

Voldemort.

40. Books you’re most likely to bring on vacation?

Relatively small paperbacks. Regarding my current to-read stacks these include The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis, The Crack-Up by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Atonement by Ian McEwan, or A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

41. The longest you’ve gone without reading.

Last summer when I only read about two or three books the entire break. My 24/7 job doesn't leave time for reading :(

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.

Couldn't finish the Uglies/Pretties/Specials/Extras series by Scott Westerfield. I started them in middle school so I'm not even sure if they're that good or not. Everyone raved about them but I completely lost interest after the first one.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?

Thoughts, text messages, internet. 

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?

Fight Club. So great.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?

There's probably so many that it's difficult to choose. I seem to remember The Series of Unfortunate Events film being pretty atrocious.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?

On a Saturday a couple of months ago, I went to a warehouse book sale and bought about $24 worth in books. Then I came home and ordered $70 worth of books from Amazon. 

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?

Never. I normally know what I'm looking for, based off of reviews or recommendations. The back blurb works just fine for me.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?

I suppose if the plot is moving at an excruciatingly slow pace or if I'm disinterested in the characters.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?

At home, I organize by author. At school, I mostly organize by size or more fittingly "where will this fit on my shelf?"

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?

Keep books. I have no problem lending, but I don't like to give away books that are important to me.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?

I don't think so. I mean, you'll never see me pick up the Pretty Little Liars series but it sounds extreme to say I'm "avoiding" them.

52. Name a book that made you angry.

Breaking Dawn for an abundance of reasons. Mockingjay didn't quite sit well with me either.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk. Though I loved the film adaptation, a friend told me that he had tried reading the book and couldn't even finish it. I was weary when I had to read it in class last semester but ended up loving it just as much as the film!

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. It wasn't horrible but it didn't captivate my interest like I expected it to.

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?

Almost anything! xD

Brainy Lists

HELLO! I feel I ought to commence this post with a bang since it's officially the new year. I may be three days late in the celebratory festivities but let me tell you, there's always a celebration going on in my brain. Now that we've got the corny intro out of the way, let's catch up. Past two weeks= so many pajama pants, tea cups, sleeping in past 10, catching up on The Office/Buffy/Parks and Rec, reading books, going to the movies, game nights with friends, house cleaning, scone making....I think I covered about everything. So in conclusion, I think I've had the laziest two weeks I've ever had in my life. Perhaps it's good for me (I'm certainly not complaining) but it definitely hasn't helped me to feel very motivated or proud. I feel like an indolent slug. Not that it hasn't been great to make dents in my books to read/shows to watch lists and see my old friends-- but by now I'm rather anxious to get out of this town. That's why I'm beyond ecstatic to venture to Seattle, Victoria, and Vancouver in just a few days! Family vacations have always been a part of the holiday season so it's been weird to be home for so long. I honestly don't know what to do with myself if I'm not busy with deadlines and schedules! (Note: remember to look back on this post when I am constantly complaining about busy schedules in the future) Now I'm going to makes lists, because that's what I do to think.

Current excitements:
-the release of The Fault in Our Stars (jan 10th!)
-LEAKYCONLEAKYCONLEAKYCON (haven't officially gotten my ticket yet, but I'm planning to asap)
-spring break in Tampa with my lovelies
-Festivus with the Currie famille in Seattle
-going back to New York
-I should have more to be excited about....*ponders in corner* ...must establish new adventure soon.

Current stressors:
-my shit phone (surely expecting it to explode in the near future)
-finding a job/fitting in time for a job during second semester
-SUMMER JOB (camp vs. not camp, need money, avoid static, want adventure, finds nothing)
-umm....the actual acquisition of my leakycon ticket
-finding a house/apartment for next year
-WHAT TO DO WITH MY LIFE (nah....not that important)

*sigh*

12 Days Until Christmas

Hello! Again, I apologize for my somewhat sporadic attention paid to this blog. I promised myself to write more often but ever since I returned from Thanksgiving break in the city, I've literally been swamped with work. In fact, I should probably be working on my 6-page final research essay that's due Thursday instead of typing on here. But I'll think of this as a "warm-up" of sorts, to get the creative juices flowing. Other than having copious amounts of essays to write, exams to study for, and dance shows to rehearse, I've been in a particularly good mood due to the Christmas season, which is arguably my favorite time of the year! Yesterday Kim and I went to Michael's for room decorations, so now my bleak dorm room is bedazzled with fairy lights and my door is covered with penguin wrapping paper! Pair that with peppermint rooibos tea, my Harry Potter snuggie, listening to Tim Minchin's "White Wine in the Sun" on repeat, and watching old Christmas specials of Doctor Who and The Office and I'm practically the queen of all things festive. It would only be that much better if we had some snow on the ground. Ithaca's known for its snow and all we've had so far is a few wispies that are off the ground within 48 hours. I'd much rather have the snow come earlier and leave earlier than the other way around. So apparently it's not looking good for me. But hey, I'll be home in 9 days anyway. I'm already looking forward to it. Being lazy around the house, catching up on my Books to Read and Films to Watch list, making tea with mom, goodwill shopping and Doctor Who watching with Elizabeth, and getting to see everyone else I know and love. Just realizing it, this will be the first Christmas (and New Year's) that I've spent at home since maybe 2007? My family is always on our traditional travel escapade and festivus celebrations. But this year, we're not going to Seattle and Vancouver until mid January so it will be strange being in my actual house for the holidays when I'm usually in a hotel room. Sigh. All of this talk of being home for the holidays makes me anxious to finish up these bloody essays and finals. Curses to formal education! *rips textbook in half* *eats study guides* AND A HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL. xx

Current reads: Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk (just finished, actually. i highly recommend it, especially if you're a fan of the movie but haven't taken the time or effort to read the novel that started it all.)

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Also, copy and paste this url for a delightful recipe and fall in love: http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2010/01/chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-truffles.html

Holiday Kick-Off

“Humans. You're so nostalgic.” – the 11^th doctor

I don’t think a truer set of words could be spoken. And as soon as the holiday season is in sight, it’s nostalgia overload as we're bombarded with old-fashioned Christmas songs and memorable family traditions. And I LOVE every minute of it. I know it’s not even Thanksgiving yet (only two days!), but when I came home this weekend I was flooded with the craving for Christmas season to commence, and I’m usually a strict “Respect the Bird” type of girl when it comes to this sort of thing. Perhaps it’s the combination of Peppermint mochas becoming available at Starbucks, the release of the She & Him Christmas album (which I’m listening to right now), and flying back home and getting to see all of my friends and family. If only I didn’t have countless exams and research essays to complete between now and Christmas, I would be as happy as Pooh with a roomful of honey. Alas, you can’t have everything. So I’ll just have to revel in the freedom of this week and enjoy the pleasures of the moment.

            So far, I’ve had a fun and rather busy break from school. I left Ithaca on Friday morning, with only a two-hour layover in Detroit. Thankfully, I met some friends on the flight and was able to chat and have lunch with them in the airport during my break. Flight of the Conchords took up the rest of my wait, and was a nice distraction from a scheduling fiasco that had recently ensued. Once I arrived in great ole Indiana, I had some wonderful mother-daughter bonding over car rides and tea, and then drove to West Lafayette to visit my friend Andrew. We ate frozen yogurt (God bless the Midwest and their growing appreciation towards froyo) and watched The Shining, which I surprisingly had never watched all the way through before.

            On Saturday I slept in until noon like a good little teenager. Then I watched my high school friends in their production of Parfumerie, which was adorable and fun. Afterwards, Elizabeth and I decided to “paint the town red”, which only resulted in me sneaking some Chick-fil-a into a Steak n’ Shake and then us catching up on some Doctor Who. Several friends were visited that night and Sunday too. Though I love seeing old faces, I’ve experienced a tinge of sadness both times that I’ve visited home since I moved. I think it’s maybe because the realization dawns on me that I’m growing apart from certain people when we experience the awkwardness of having nothing deeper than small talk to discuss. It’s rather hard to grasp but hopefully it’s not a permanent thing.

            In happier news, it’s Tuesday evening and I’m off to New York again! Though thankfully, not back to school yet. My parents and I are “road-tripping” out to the City to meet up with Alex and have Thanksgiving/birthday/black Friday shenanigans. I’m rather excited for family bonding. And for this moment, I’m very content. Wrapped up in a blanket in the back seat of the Jeep, playing peaceful holiday music through my laptop speakers as rain relentlessly drips down the black windows. Car headlights glare off my face every once in awhile and I imagine that I’m already there. 

Current reads: Beloved by Toni Morrison and The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Child Fun

Yesterday, my friends Kim and Will and I made a fort out of blankets and watched The Tree of Life inside. Building forts is probably one of the most nostalgic things a person can do. What child didn't construct a fort or "castle" at one time or another? I have spotty memories of my brother and I building seemingly massive (to us) forts in our living room, unfolding the couch, titling the armchairs, and possibly even duct taping some furniture together. It was quite majestic. I suggest, if you're ever in the creative mood, to build one yourself. It feels rather rewarding when you're done and can sit inside. Watch a beautiful movie, drink some tea, read a book by flashlight, and feel like a child. With every universal possibility at your fingertips.

Current Obsessions

Here is a brief list of current obsessions:
 *Actually, "obsessions" is perhaps too strong of a word. It's more like "things that i really love right now and/or things that i reblog in bulk on tumblr"

-season 2 of Doctor Who
-dark chocolate covered pomegranates
-"Who do you think you are?" BBC special
-Harry Potter book rings on Etsy
-sponge candy
-red hair (specifically Karen Gillan's)
-fauchon green tea
-floral doc martens
-leakynews.com
-Like Crazy trailer
-Yann Tiersen
-hedgehogs
-"A Good Man is Hard to Find"
-kleenex
-missxrojas's videos
-"Rivers and Roads" played on high volume
-maps
-Kate Jablonski's choreography
-thai food, water chestnuts
-seafoam green
-travel fantasies

Here's a picture of Kimber and I at a Passion Pit concert last Saturday. Thumbs up for front row! xD

Books read: 30 (I fell way behind in my 50 per-year goal. Camp life will do that to you.)
Flights taken: 14
Cups of tea consumed: 8098987459494459404

Hey There Blog

I actually have a very reasonable explanation as to why I've disappeared from this blog for seven months. Would you like to take a guess at which explanation is true? Plausible scenario 1: I moved to an Indian reservation to get in touch with my inner spirit and mother nature. There was no such thing as the internet there. Plausible scenario 2: My right hand got smashed in an elevator door so I haven't been able to use a keyboard free of pain until now. Plausible scenario 3: I forgot my password to my blog and didn't realize until last week how to reset it because I have the deductive reasoning skills of a six year old, or Plausible scenario 4: I've been busy (and stuff).
I actually tricked you, because two of these are the both the right answer. Yes yes, NOT ONLY did I spend my entire summer and autumn on an Indian reservation but I ALSO smashed my hand in an elevator while I was there. (Don't scoff. Wigwams are high-tech these days.)
In all honesty, I sincerely apologize for being absent. This isn't an apology to the mere three followers that I have, as much as it's an apology to my blog itself.  I left the poor little pretty thing here in cyberspace for seven months to collect dust. How neglectful of me. HOWEVER- I've decided to take up the reigns of blogging once again, in the hopes that I can make it more of a daily hobby. I also feel that I need some sort of creative outlet, since I'm refraining from NaNoWriMo festivities this year. I had sincerely hoped to complete the challenge (it's actually on my bucket list!) but came to terms with myself that this was in fact, not the year in which I would be doing so. Too many exams, papers, and rehearsals to manage. But this month's not all bad, busy stuff. In two weeks I'll be flying home to Indiana to visit my family and friends and then I'm off to New York for birthday/Thanksgiving shenanigans and what not. November's always such a fun yet hectic month. The worst time for NaNo in my opinion :(
But alas, this blog post just serves to get me started again! I plan on covering a multitude of topics here; from opinions, film or book reviews, lists, exciting facts, daily adventures, and sometimes just my stream of consciousness. Best wishes! xxGrace

Last Leaf

Song of the Day: Afterwards by Danielle Ate the Sandwich

Quivering on the edge

between uncertainty and predictability

it lies.

Unnoticed by some,

a small tribute to the beauty of life.

Time changed.

What had once been glory was now ugliness

Hidden from the eyes of the ignorant

and hope was lost

like the final seal of an envelope

like the resounding slam of the door

like the forgotten memories.

And it perches almost eagerly

ready to fall

ready to let go

ready to leave this beauty behind

And it was just a question of when.

It was quivering, swaying, rocking

The pressure and the weight of it all

finally pulled on by that

little invisible thread

It broke off.

Almost peacefully, beautifully.

So full of this precious aura

circumferencing its edges

And the fall,

oh the fall!

How glorious was that feeling,

that feeling of invincibility

How ironic.

And in that moment of in-between

after breaking, but before loss,

it sighed.




Books read: 14
Flights read: 5
CCB's: 2

Happy Warmth

Song of the Day: What I Wouldn't Do--A Fine Frenzy

Surprisingly, I am extremely content at the moment. And the record shows that I have never ONCE in my life uttered that phrase during the chaos of Production Week. Yes, it's that time of year again. Our musical, Anything Goes, premieres on Friday which at times is a very scary thought. *shudders*

But right now I'm not even worried about that! Because I'm typing up this blog, sitting in my back patio at 8:30 on a sunday night. My car, Phoebe, claims that it's 73 degrees outside, which is truly amazing. Wasn't it just 37 degrees yesterday morning when I had to sit out in the cold at work? Wait, Grace. Don't think about that. Just focus on NOW. Because right NOW is incredible. 

I love warm weather! So much. And I think it's crazy how much it can lift a person's mood. I know for a fact, that during the dreary winter months I am a much more irritable person on average. I don't do it on purpose, but the season just has that sort of effect on me. But now that summer's in the air, it's the complete opposite. Summer makes me want to jump up and down and throw confetti in the air and give a dwarf a piggy back ride. And I truly can't wait for it any longer. Hopefully this excitement won't prolong the coming of it. 

This blog is going to be short--Not because I don't have anything interesting to say (I could just rave about warm weather ALL day long) but because I am at a steady race against the deteriorating battery life of my laptop.* Which frankly, annoys me because I could sit out here barefoot all night if I could! But I guess it's just technology's magic way of coercing me inside where some lemon curd cupcakes await me. Thanks technology--I'll never drop you in a bathtub or an ocean again. 

...I just got bit by my first mosquito of the season! I don't know whether to be annoyed or excited but I thought it should be documented either way. Now I'm going to smoothly segue into my next idea: Speaking of documentation, I'm going to start keeping tallies of certain things I do a lot. Don't worry, I'm not creative. I stole the idea from several other bloggers. I think I'm going to tally books I've read this year, flights taken this year, and CCB's (Cinnamon Crunch bagels from Panera's) consumed this year. Unless I get bored and decide to change.

Books read: 13

Flights taken: 5

CCB's consumed: 2 (despicable of me)

*Fun Fact of the day: I used to think a "laptop" was actually called a "labtop". I'm slightly Lysdexic. But I also thought that Volleyball was "Bollyball". Hmmm......

Today was Awesome?

I've been wanting to start a blog for quite some time now, but the time just never feels right. Whenever I get inspiration to write something, I'm away from my handy Macbook and whenever I'm here, staring blankly into the screen, all ideas effortlessly slip form my mind. But sometimes, things affect you in ways you wouldn't expect. I imagined my first blog to be written after some grand adventure that I had experienced or something; full of enlightenment and ready to share my thoughts with the world. Well, I'll tell you one thing: that wasn't today. Not even close. 


Today was a pretty mediocre, albeit boring, day to begin with. I woke up at an incredibly disturbing hour (much to the dismay of my jet-lagged brain) and went off to school where I endured the studying of elasticity formulas on springs, expository essays, tongue twisters en francais, and stubborn computers in Yearbook. Not to mention that I've had a mysterious side cramp for two days that feels as if an invisible unicorn is boring it's horn into my spleen. I'm calling the doctor tomorrow if it continues. And then I went to track practice. I won't go into detail, but there was some running. It's usually awful, even without a mythical creature causing you pain. And then there was play practice. Busy and hectic, but it was easily the best part of my day. Then I came home. I'll summarize the events so as not to bore anyone. 2 college rejection letters (well "waitlisted", but we all know how that goes), one of which was from my top choice that I've been dreaming of attending for about a year now. I took a shower, probably cried, and then was surprisingly graceful as I started to get out, reached for my phone on the toilet back, and slipped into the shower water slush, dropping my phone into the water with me. I should just blame my lousy pipe system that refuses to drain my shower water. 


And I do this thing, everyday, called my "Why Today is Awesome" journal. Inspired by the fiveawesomegirls and specifically, the suggestion of Wednesday girl, Kayley Hyde. And you know what one of the first things I thought of was after dropping my phone in the bathtub? "What the hell am I going to say for the awesome part of the day? Today sucked!" Isn't that comical? After all the crappy things that were thrown at me today, I was still too afraid to write down in my journal that today, in fact, was NOT awesome. And I started to wonder why. I think sometimes I, and perhaps other people too, are afraid to record the bad stuff of their lives. I refrain from writing bad memories down, so instead I can forget them. I delete bad pictures, bad facebook comments, and I've even ripped out old journal pages from middle school, thinking "I can't believe I was so ridiculous to write this-just because I was upset once." As if writing how I really FEEL is just too unrealistic to handle. Not that I'm condoning stupid actions either, because that's just well... stupid. And who knows. Maybe I'll look back on this blog post later and delete it because I sounded "stupid". Or "immature." Well, I hope I don't. Because life isn't always sunshine and rainbows 100% of the time. It's a (look out teachers- bad metaphor ahead!) seesaw that's never exhilarating unless you go up and down. That balance is what makes us truly human. Pushing out the bad stuff just keeps us from more we could learn about ourselves. And I don't want to only remember the parts of myself that I deemed acceptable to record at the time, and to save for my future self's eyes. I want to know every bit of who I was and who I am. 




Today is awesome because I'm not afraid.