Summer Reading

I love reading. I've always loved reading, but as I've gotten older, I've found myself reading less and less - life gets in the way, you know? I had really big plans for my summer reading. Summer isn't over yet, but my progress so far is kind of disappointing. Here's what I've read so far - 

Laurie Halse Anderson Forge

The second book in LHA's "Seeds of America" series; details Curzon's time spent with the Revolutionary Army. Took me awhile to get through as it is slower moving than the first novel. Still, loved it. LHA can do no wrong in my eyes.

George Orwell Animal Farm

I personally have no idea how I made it through both a Bachelor's AND a Master's degree in English without having read this book. It was an easy read - finished in an afternoon - but creepy as hale. Not messing with pigs no more.

Neil Gaiman American Gods

Boyfriend is a big Neil Gaiman fan and I'd only ever read Coraline, so I figured I should give him a proper chance. I sort of feel like I'm still digesting this book, even though I finished it in early July, so I'm still not totally sure how I feel about Neil Gaiman. Will report back.

Sara Shepard The Lying Game

To be honest, this book was NOT on my summer reading list, but was a last-minute addition when I found out that ABC Family will be debuting a series based on the book in mid-August. Twins! Separated at birth! One is privileged! The other is an orphan! SWITCH! I really love trashy YA lit series..

Anna Godbersen Rumors

Like the Luxe series! It's like Gossip Girl, but in the late 1800's. Honestly, it's a pretty bad series, but I have a serious penchant for imagining myself in giant poufy dresses, sipping champagne at fancy parties, and flirting with Chuck Bass-style bad boys. Which is basically all that happens in these books.

That's all I've managed to get through so far, but here's what else is on my list:

1. Laurie Halse Anderson Fever 1793 - can't get enough LHA.
2. Jay Asher Thirteen Reasons Why - I read a lot of YA lit, have you noticed?
3. Chris Cleave Little Bee - I'm a sucker for a good cover. I also, occasionally, enjoy being able to discuss books with other adults.
4. Suzanne Collins Mockingjay - YES. I STILL HAVE NOT READ IT.
5. Lev Grossman The Magicians - this books has been on my list multiple.years.in.a.row. And now there's a sequel!
6. Charlaine Harris Dead Until Dark - ALSO not on my original list, but the series was recommended to me by many friends.
7. Herman Hesse Siddhartha - I started this one. Not sure if I'll finish it. At least it's short!
8. Stephen King Full Dark, No Stars - another book to appease Boyfriend. I'm actually 3/4 of the way through. And have been since January.
9. Audrey Niffenegger Her Fearful Symmetry - I started this book last summer but it was due back at the library before I finished. Very intrigued.
10. Gregory David Roberts Shantaram - another recommendation. Also I think the word "Shantaram" is fun to say.

As you can see, I should not be spending ANY time doing ANYTHING EXCEPT reading for the rest of August. I'm a very ambitious list maker.

Have you read any of these books? What'd you think? What's on your summer reading list?

Vampires 101

What I've learned about vampires from TV, books, and movies:

1. Vampires are mostly dark haired and always fair skinned.
2. Vampires hate werewolves.
3. Vampire blood fixes everything.
4. When possible, vampires fall in love with humans.
5. A vampire in love with a human is likely to be: sickeningly sensitive & caring; a "vegetarian."
6. A human in love with a vampire must go through an annoying "but-you're-a-vampire" ordeal.
7. Vampires can control your mind by staring at you intently.

Just the facts, ma'am.
This post made possible by: Twilight, Stephenie Meyer, True Blood, The Vampire Diaries, and Sookeh.

TiLT #13

♥ First things first: FINISHING THE SEMESTER! ♥ Mani/pedis ♥ Gala's Ultimate Playgirl Gift Guide (shame she didn't post this a month ago - sooo many additions to my wishlist!) ♥ Lip gloss ♥ My grad friends! ♥ Diet Dr. Pepper ♥ Off-street parking ♥ Wegmans' naturals section ♥ HTC's Droid Incredible (f'real.. it saved my a$$ on my video project) ♥ Obsessing over my Netflix queue (I might be 12 years old) ♥ Reading for pleasure ♥ The knitting project I've been working on since 2008.. when I learned how to knit :oops: ♥ My favorite F+tM song this week ♥ A good night's sleep ♥ Sephora samples ♥ Christmas cards ♥ Starbucks peppermint mocha ♥ Kiss My Face olive oil soap ♥ Compulsive post-semester cleaning & purging ♥ Google Chrome for Mac ♥ Snow ♥ Tomato soup ♥ Twitter conversations ♥ NOT talking on the phone ♥ Catching up on Boardwalk Empire ♥ Warm mist humidifiers ♥ Borrowing books from friends, professors, etc. (it's like the library without fines) ♥ Holiday themed anything ♥ Boyfriend in one week ♥ Being in law school vicariously (ask me about torts!) ♥ Serendipity Peppermint syrup ♥ Christmas tree smell ♥ Tori Amos' "Winter" ♥ Cats (no, not the musical) ♥ Optimism over realism ♥ Throwback jams - Saosin? Cursive? Meiko? Yes, yes, yes! ♥ The Help by Kathryn Stockett ♥ Having health insurance come January 1st ♥ Ryan Reynolds (dibs) ♥

Phew! What a week. And it's only Thursday..! But I've got a wonderful, relaxing day planned: a mani/pedi, catching up with an old friend, and a hairs cut. I never make the time to do these things during the semester. How do you relax?
An unrelated question: are you a spender or a saver? If you're not naturally a saver, how do you make yourself save? If you're a saver, what kinds of things are you willing to splurge on? I spent wayyy too much on Christmas.. time to buckle down again!

A Quick Update

Chronicle Books has extended their Friends & Family sale till December 12th - use the code FRIENDS at checkout to get 35% off your order + free shipping :mrgreen:

No time for online shopping - gotta get back to paper-writing!  See y'all on Thursday!

Chronicle Books' Happy Haul-iday Giveaway

You KNOW I love a good reading party!!  Yesterday, when I was popular, I was introduced to several blogs that I was unfamiliar with (love!) and a few of them were participating in Chronicle Books' Happy Haul-iday wishlist giveaway.  Books?  For free?  I'm sorry, friends, but I could not resist!  Here's how it goes down:

If you're a blogger: Head over to Chronicle's website and make a list of books (up to $500!) that you want.  Post your book list to your blog and enter the contest by linking up at Chronicle.  THAT'S IT.  The last day to submit posts is December 10th and the winner will be announced on December 13th.

If you're NOT a blogger: Check out the list of blogs participating in the giveaway and comment your little heart out!  One blogger and one commenter on the winning post will win the $500 wishlist!  (Here's some boring official stuff that's probably important.)

Click "Read More" to check out my list!  And don't forget to comment - get you some! ;)

Indulgences

Today I bought a book for myself.  This one -

It's rare for me to buy a book to read for pleasure during the semester because I won't make time to read it, but I want to change that.  My workload isn't horrendous this semester, I just haven't been managing it.  I bought this book to encourage myself to get my homework done and to read before I go to sleep.  It seems so luxurious to read in bed, doesn't it?  Pillows fluffed up, cozy pajamas and blankets, everything done and settled for the day, nothing left to do but lose yourself in your book..

This may not work at all.  I might begin the book and hate it.  I might never even open the book.  I might read the book instead of doing homework.  But I've always been a terrible time-manager and this is my first small step towards gaining some control over my time.  It's an experiment! :D

TiLT #4

♥ 70º F. I've decided that this is my optimal temperature. I could go a few degrees cooler, but right around 70º is ideal.  If I could find a place that was 70º year round, I would be the most pleasant person on Earth.  (Boyfriend knows how cranky I get if I sweat when I'm not exercising.  It's not pretty.)

♥ Running buddies. Lots of Thursday love for Kristen at the Seredipity Diary for being a kick in my butt and my West Coast running buddy!  Sometimes you just NEED that spark to get you started again.  I love it!

♥ Finding out that your favorite band is playing your city.  In terms of Best Feelings and Most Excitement, I think this is probably topped by "I'm Pregnant" and "We're Getting Married."  I might also be biased, but that's another story ;) I'm so excited to see one of my favorite bands, matt pond PA, later this autumn that I'm even willing to go to the show alone if I can't find anyone willing to pay the $13!  Now if only Wilco and James Taylor would make stops soon...

♥ Reading.  For some reason, I've been spending way more time reading now that I'm back in New York.  I flew through an assigned book in 24 hours and am now s l o w l y making my way through Mockingjay.  I'm kind of worried I won't finish the book because I don't want the series to be over!

♥ Honorable Mention. Two hour lunches; lazy late summer days; finding sweet deals at Marshall's; Skype dates; PaperBackSwap.com; to-do lists and crossing everything off (2nd honorable mention appearance); Katy Perry's new album "Teenage Dream" (can you believe she used to be a Christian artist?!); autumn to-dos: apple picking! pumpkin patches! haunted houses!; the Great New York State Fair; obsessively cleaning and organizing; my glorious new French Press coffee maker; the organic fair trade shade grown coffee I bought for my first cup of French Press!; York peppermint patties (do they put drugs in those?  I could eat them all day).

DISTRICT 13 EXISTS

Check out what showed up today!!

I wish you guys could see the outtakes from my PhotoBooth session.  I could make faces at my computer for hours.  Sometimes I do.

Well okay, fine.  You talked me into it.  Here are two more gems.

See? I'm ready to eat that sh!t UP!

C'mon. Who's the prettiest blogger you know?

Gotta go.  Katniss is waiting!! :mrgreen: Will be back tomorrow with TiLT!