A Day in the Life (19)

Holy cow the last few weeks have been crazy! (Hence my impromptu disappearance).  To be honest I don't even feel like going into most of it - I could fill a week's worth with blog posts on all the drama haha!  Long story short, move to Baltimore Part 1 didn't go well (The electricity not being on when I moved in was only the beginning of a long, long saga), but I'm feeling pretty confident Part 2 will go much better.  But good things were lined up afterwards - last week was my best friend's wedding!  Everything went smoothly, and it was a really beautiful, awesome ceremony.  I'm so excited for her, and I think her new husband is perfect, and I was so honored to be a part of all of this.

This was her recessional piece - total classic with lots of fun oboe duets!

You know what else was exciting about that trip for the wedding?  I got to see Shannon!!  I was super, crazy excited about it!  And then after all that...we forgot to get a picture haha!  We ate at this delicious dim sum place - sadly I was still recovering from a week's worth of wedding activities so I didn't eat a whole lot, but I'm definitely going back there the next time I make it out there!  She also gave me a copy of The Kiss of Deception which was so freaking amazing!!!! Seriously guys. Go read this.  Especially if you like the ToG series - this book was fantastic.  And inspired a post I will hopefully get up tomorrow...and I might even review it.  And I'm not really reviewing things today!  She got a super long text from me when I finished reading it (I finished RIGHT as I landed too - perfect timing!) because I was so excited haha.  So I went from having a really, really terrible week, to a stressful but fun week, and then I got to finish it all off by meeting Shannon which was definitely a highlight of my month, so I call that an overall success!

This week has been more moving stuff, so I'm pretty exhausted now.  A week in a different time zone for the past month has been so tiring!  Luckily some friends offered to let my mom and me visit at their beach house which is GORGEOUS, so I'm currently enjoying some choice beach relaxation time! (Or I will tomorrow. And I'd have a picture for you, but it's pitch black outside, sorry!)  So that's a short summation of my...month pretty much lol

I'm kind of obsessed with cover songs, and this is a new favourite!

Because I haven't done this in like two weeks, and because one of the bloggers (you should really check her out, she's got loads of interesting things) I follow did a HUGE recap of what's been going on in the book world, this is going to be quite long.  I let myself bold 5 articles that I think are absolutely worth reading if you were on the fence about doing so, or don't want to skim through the long list!



Bookish Links

Here I go! Operation: Rekindle - Mitchii talks about all the suggestions she's received to help tackle her reading slump.
YA convention debates gender, sex, and strong heroines - I must have posted like every article ever about these topics haha
Don’t Categorize as “Special Interest” - Yes!!! This is so, so important!
Why We Need "Ugly" Heroines - Again, yes, yes, YES! I might make a Monday Musings post along similar lines pretty soon.
How Librarians Can Help Fight the Culture of Slut-Shaming - I'm going to start getting redundant here, but there just can't be enough said about this.

I read books. Does that make me a nerd? - An interesting article written by someone who is still a teen. I used to be right there with her, so I'm glad I've settled into my reading obsessed skin!

Imaginary friends: Philip Pullman on fairy tales - I mean, as someone who is crazy about both fairy tales and Philip Pullman, I was excited about this article haha

Is Bullying in Books Unrealistic to You? - I have been guilty of this before, so I'm glad that I've been set right on this front.  Definitely a recommended read on this list!

Why The Hunger Games' killer Katniss is a great female role model - I know there are many people who have difficulty with Katniss as a character, but this article really nails why I love her.  I don't think she's emotionally healthy - but I also don't think Suzanne Collins was saying that where Katniss is, is emotionally healthy either.  But I digress - read the article and I'll stop talking so much :)
Girls Ruin Everything: Stephenie Meyer, Lois Duncan, and Childhood Nostalgia - I can not agree with this more. I don't think we can credit another series (although HP probably comes pretty close) with getting so many people reading, and that in and of itself is amazing!

In a Balm of Space and Time, Healing - Gayle Forman on grief. This is a truly beautiful and inspiring article.
In Defense of So-Called "Bad Fanfiction" -You all know at this point that I love good fanfiction (and once again this is a call for any recommendations! I'm always looking for more!).  But there's a reason why I believe all fanfiction is valid and important (and a reason I'm unsurprised why it's so looked down upon). This article really touches on all of this so I don't have to :)



Fun Bookish Posts

What If Book Genres Were Pizza? - Yum!
Tough Travelling {1}: Princesses - A look at some of the types of princesses (and who they are) we've come across in our reading 

When I Grow Up: Careers For Children's Book Characters - This is so cute!

Science Fiction and Fantasy 101: Thinking Academically About Genre - An overview of how sci-fi/fantasy (and what books) would be approached if it were studied as a college course
Grim: A Twisted Fairy Tale Collection - I'm not big on short stories, but Yash talks about some really awesome fairy tale retellings - even some of the less popular ones like Bluebeard!
10 Diverse YA Historicals About Girls - I'm definitely adding these books to my TBR pile!
When Authors Are Wizards - I'm pretty sure all of us have experienced this at some point

Books and TV/Movies

Holly Black Will Write the Twelfth Doctor’s Next Adventure - Oh my god guys this is so exciting!
Max Landis Writing Show Based on Douglas Adams’ Dirk Gently Books - DOUGLAS ADAMS FOREVER!!
Joss Whedon: The Biography (Excerpt) - Joss Whedon. 'Nuff said. Read now.
Young Adult Book Authors Reveal Their Favorite Adaptations - Definitely some surprising picks on this list.
Dr. Seuss Mash Ups - These are so fun!
Game of Thrones Houses Get Their Own Makeup Looks - I really like the Baratheon one.
Frozen Writer Will Adapt A Wrinkle In Time For Disney - OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD



Harry Potter

It’s Harry Potter’s Birthday: Let’s Celebrate With Fan Art! - Holy cow guys, these range from beautiful to funny to heartbreaking.  Go take a look!
What Your Hogwarts House Actually Says About You - What's wrong with liking pineapple on a pizza exactly?
Harry Potter Words As Guessed By People Who Have Never Read The Books - HAHAHA oh man some of these are fantastic - take the description of Voldemort for example...
 Harry’s still Potter-ing around, but Hermione is my true hero - I think this is true for an entire generation of girls who grew up with Hermione, myself included.
YA Authors Sort Their Own Characters Into Hogwarts Houses - Levi is totally a Hufflepuff
What Secondary "Harry Potter" Character Are You - I'm Oliver Wood :)
Rewatching The Chamber of Secrets Film - Another post in the HP reread along!
20 Times Harry Potter & Tumblr Were Magical Together - The baguette chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter!
Which Hogwarts Professor Are You? - I'm Hagrid!



Nonbookish Links

Why Were People & Critics So Infatuated With Frozen? - This is a really, really interesting discussion that I recommend no matter what your feelings on Frozen are!
John Stamos to Play Jousting, Singing Knight on Musical Fantasy Sitcom Galavant - There are already so many reasons to be crazy excited for this show...but if you're looking for another one here you are.
Recaps From the Brightest Timeline: Community Season 6 Episode 4 “Repetitive Music Theory” - THERE IS NOT AN EPISODE AS PERFECT AS THIS REIMAGINING.

Recaps From the Brightest Timeline: Community Season 6 Episode 5 “Game Development” - ...although this one comes pretty close

Does Thor Qualify as a Disney Princess? - This is totally a valid question.

Haute Couture Versions of Pop Culture Icons  - The Sailor Moon characters are so freaking beautiful!
The Secret Folk Song Joss Whedon Co-Wrote While Making "The Avengers 2" - Have I mentioned that I'm obsessed with all things Joss Whedon?