The Paper Doll

Suddenly I have jumped back on the Bandwagon of Geekdom

2012-01-23T13:21:00.000-08:00

So my friend and I started watching the Taiwanese version of Hana Kimi and all of the sudden, I found myself rereading the series. But like, HARDCORE reading the series; screaming when good things happened, squealing over how hot Sano is, etc. I even looked at the Wu Chun fan club and started listening to S.H.E. again. It's like high school all over again! I'm having a hard time coming to terms with it because I feel as if I'm regressing. This is the first time I've read manga in YEARS, and clearly it's showing.

I wish I could say I'm getting further in reading novels, but my school work is keeping me from getting to far on that. I did, however, finish the newest Bloody Jack book, and all I have to say is this: Fuck you, Jaimy!

I'm Eating French Fries for Dinner

2010-08-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

BAH! My classes start tomorrow! I'm excited, but also kinda surprised that it snuck up so quickly. It feels like just a few days ago that I was complaining about my roommates and staring down a 4 month vacation. Whew! But at least now I'll have something new to keep me occupied.

I'm a little disappointed in my lack of progress with the HP series. I'm still working on HBP, but I'm planning on finishing it tonight as soon as I clean my room and get everything ready for tomorrow. I'm at the part just after Harry has entered Slughorn's real memory. I think I can get through a hundred pages in one evening.

So yesterday I visited Melissa, who is living up here now, and we watched Miss Congeniality. It's such a good movie, although whenever I watch movies with my sisters, we are never short on laughs. I'm debating also watching Across the Universe while I clean my room and get organized tonight. I suppose we'll see.

T-Minus Nine Days Til Classes Start

2010-08-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

So I have a fairly good sized chunk of HBP done so far (although I'm not yet halfway through it). When I read this book for the first time, I didn't like how the first 2 chapters were side stories versus being about Harry himself, but this time, I thought about it and it actually makes sense. I liked the first chapter, which is reminiscent of the first chapter of GoF in the sense that it at first seems totally unrelated but then turns out to be a perfect intro to the book. I think it was a good way of showing how the Muggle population was affected by Voldy's return and also introducing the idea of Fudge not being Minister. The 2nd chapter, where Snape and Narcissa make the Unbreakable Vow, obviously creates situational irony since we know that Snape is obviously a double agent (although we really don't know anything since Snape is a triple or perhaps quadruple agent). Anyway, now that I'm used to it, I don't mind the fact that the first 2 chapters are seemingly unrelated.

Nate and I watched The Black Dahlia last night. I had wanted to see it for the longest time after first hearing of the actual murder case, but to be honest, the movie wasn't too good. Ok, well, that's not really true. It was a good movie, but it wasn't what I was expecting and I wish that they would have done it differently, like focusing more on the actual murder instead of the many sex partners of the main character, who was an investigator. The actual case is very frightening and horrible, so my advice would be to look up the tale but avoid looking at photos. They are really disturbing. Also...you know the Heath Ledger's Joker scars? I think they may have been inspired by this case.

Anyway, on a more pleasant note (or perhaps not), my 2nd roommate, Katie, is moving in tomorrow. I'm excited to see her, but I don't know how I feel about living with her right now. I know we'll get along fabulously, and I'm pretty sure we would make good roommates since we're friends but not best friends, but I've gotten so used to it just being me and Stefanie (who is like a part time roommate since she's rarely here) that I'm worried another person will sort of throw off the balance. I know that this is just me fretting needlessly about people like I always do (i.e. Katie and Kari visiting, etc), so I guess I'll just have to wait and see what it'll be like.

This Post is Actually About Books and Movies for Once

2010-08-18T12:58:00.000-07:00

So by some sort of happy coincidence, I find myself ready to go to work 1 and 1/2 hours before I need to even think of being there, so I figured I'd do a post.

I finished OotP! But there's something I feel quite bad about: this book has never made me cry. I know, I know, Sirius's death is horridly tragic, but the first time I read this book, I already knew that Sirius died. I didn't read the whole series when it first came out, but my grandma bought me all of the earlier books when they all came out, so I owned all of them. Before I got into the series, she told me that someone dies in the 5th book. Thinking it was Ron or Hermione, I pestered her about it until she finally said, "Sirius dies!" And I was just like, "...Who?" It's really bad, I know. I do love Sirius, but since I knew it was coming and at the time I had not attachment to him, it was never that sad. But like I said, I feel bad about it now.

So now I'm onto Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, of course. I'm only on the second chapter, but I hope I can get through this one pretty quickly.

So there are 2 new movies I want to talk about. First, Vampires Suck. It's a parody of all of the recent vampire related movies (i.e. Twilight) and shows that have been littering the entertainment circuit recently. The trailer is hilarious, and I really want to see it! It actually comes out today, so maybe I'll get a chance to. Here's the official trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHkPJ1ACLrg

The 2nd movie is the film adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I read the book last summer, and it was completely awesome. There are 2 more books in the series, which I hope to eventually read, but for now they're just making the 1st movie. I'm really excited to see this one too!

Not an Exceptionally Interesting Day

2010-08-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

So I have yet to finish OotP, which I'm slightly disappointed about, but there was a lot going on yesterday, so...I plan on going to the gym today and reading while I get the crap kicked out of me by an elliptical.

I'm still worried about my tuition check, which still hasn't come in. As odd as it sounds, I really want to pay for school and buy my textbooks now. It's frustrating that I can't, and meanwhile the prices for the books I need are increasing everyday. I just want to get this done, and the fact that I can't is stressing me out.

I'm really glad that it's rainy today. Hopefully it'll stay cool all day, because we have turned off the A/C in my apartment. Our electric bill for last month was more than 3 times what we normally, so we're trying to save electricity. That's part of the reason I want to go to the gym today: so I can hang out in the A/C (although since I'll be working out and sweating, it probably won't really matter).

Anyway, I'm off.

Fun Times

2010-08-08T16:09:00.000-07:00

I actually had a really great time with my friends this weekend! We went to the mall, walked around downtown, went to the beach, watched a bunch of movies, etc. I realized that I'm actually kind of an awful friend because when I'm not around people, I forget about the reasons that I like them and think only of the things that annoy me slightly about them. I'm glad that this weekend made me realize that. Maybe now I can work on it.

Anyway, I'm a bit further in HP - we read a lot at the beach. I'm at the part when Umbridge almost catches Sirius in the fire. I think after this week I'll at least have OotP done, and hopefully some of HBP done as well. I was thinking that I'll take a look at an anthology that I had to get for class so that I'm at least a bit prepared for it when the time comes.

Speaking of textbooks, I'm getting kinda nervous about buying mine. My check from my college fund was sent to my parents' house, and they didn't post it until today, so I might not get it until Wednesday or Thursday. This is problematic because I can't order my books until I cash that check, and I only have 22 days from today until classes start. The prices keep going up, and if I don't get my books soon, I might not get them before my classes start. But I'm trying really hard not to stress about this, because worrying about it isn't going to get that check to me any sooner. I'm trying to make that my mantra of sorts. Que sera sera - what will be will be. It'll work out. Hopefully.

Kind of going along with the school theme is my new school plan. In order to get into the College of Education, I have to have a gpa of at least 3.0, which I can do, no problem, but I'll be taking a lot of classes and they're 300 level courses, so they'll be difficult. So my goal is to A) keep my grades up, B) do my homework in a timely manner to avoid procrastination, and C) Actually do the readings. I think I can stick with it.

I've been listening to a lot of Simon and Garfunkel lately. I downloaded their greatest hits CD, which my dad introduced me and my sisters to when we were pretty young. I love their music. It's really well written and very good to sit and read to or to listen to on a rainy day. I love their hooks, like in America and The Boxer. So pretty.

TGIF...Wait, Maybe Not

2010-08-06T08:26:00.000-07:00

Today is the day my friends from back home come to visit. Wish me luck.

I'm kidding. I'm sure it'll be fun. I just hope I can handle them for a whole weekend. Especially Kari. I can usually only handle her for about 5 hours. So I guess we'll see.

I'm still at about the same spot in HP. My 15 minute breaks, while lovely, are a bit too short for me to really get anywhere reading wise. This may actually be why it's been taking me so long to get through the series. Hm...

I sold another book yesterday. Nothing specially, just my Logic textbook, but still, $40 will really come in handy this weekend.

So right now I'm listening to the Glee version of True Colors. It's so pretty. I like the original version too, but this one is lovely. If you get a chance, make sure you listen to it.

No More Class!

2010-08-05T08:53:00.000-07:00

AHH! My summer class is officially done! Woohoo! This is the first time all summer that I haven't had any classes, so it's basically like the start of my summer break. Kinda depressing when you realize that I had 4 months off of GV and only 3 weeks off of class. Oh well. At least now I have more of my gen eds done and can move on to more interesting and important classes at GV.

I'm working on HP - I'm only at the part where Harry sees Sirius at Grimauld place for the first time, so not very far, really. Hopefully I'll have a little more time to read now that I don't have class. My goal is to get through the rest of the HP series in 2 weeks. It shouldn't be hard - when I'm not working, I'll probably be at home doing nothing.

After I post this, I'm going to make strawberry cupcakes. It's not nearly as cool as it sounds, as it's from a box mix, but I'm sure they'll taste pretty good. I'm going to take some to Nate and then have some here for this weekend.

So I'm working really hard to get my finances under control. I don't have a lot of debt, but I don't have a lot of money either, so I'm just trying to ensure that I will never not be able to pay for something important, like rent or utilities. I figure that being organized about this now will really benefit me when I'm struggling later on in the semester. It's gonna be hard to get hours and everything, so hopefully I'll be able to get everything sorted out before then.

Nate's birthday is coming up, and I still need to get him a gift. I'm waiting until after I pay tuition and buy books to get him anything, but I know exactly what to get: Seasons 1 and 2 of Good Eats with Alton Brown and a new skillet. Nate really likes Good Eats, and since he doesn't have cable at all, I figured that getting him the dvds would be a good idea. I really hope he likes it!

Well, time to get baking!

Done with Four and on to Five

2010-08-04T06:07:00.000-07:00

So just really quickly before I go to class...I finished Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire! I started reading it out loud to myself since there was no one in my apartment and it went by so quickly! Ah, that one is my favorite in the series. Now I'm on to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Whew. The series looks much shorter from this side of GoF.

Tomorrow is my last day of class! Well, technically, today is the last real day, since we're review for the exam and then taking it tomorrow. I then get 3 weeks off of class in which I will be working my butt off to make a lot of money. We shall see how it goes. I'm happy, though, that I now get to do what feels like essentially nothing for the rest of the month. Ah, sleeping in!

Back for a Bit

2010-08-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

So since Nate got back, I've basically been there every day, which is why my posts are so sporadic. Sorry. BUT I found out that he isn't going away for any more band camps because the other school that he teaches at has their camp at their school (lame). It works for me, though, because I get to see Nate on a much more regular basis than I first thought.

So I finished Better than Beauty, and to be honest, I was slightly disappointed in it. At first it had good tips and everything, but then it just became a bit snobby and kinda obvious, like, for example, saying not to speak ill of people while speaking ill of a hypothetical person for speaking ill of someone else. It had a few good pointers, but it got to the point that I kept putting off reading it because it was really tedious.

I'm almost done with HP (I'm just after the 2nd task), and it shouldn't take me long to finish it. I plan on spending some good quality reading time today. I'm actually really disappointed in my reading list progress. I've only gotten through 1 full series (10 books), half of another (3.5 books) 2 novels, and 4 tip books, which don't even really count. I'm not even halfway through my reading list, which is a lot more reasonable (i.e. shorter) than last year's. Oh well. I'm gonna finish HP and then borrow a bunch of novels from the library. Hopefully I'll be able to do a lot of reading in the next 3 weeks.

So two of my friends from home, Katie (not the one I'll be living with) and Kari (who I'm kinda not too fond of, but whatever), are coming to visit me this weekend. I'm really excited to see them, since I haven't really talked to anyone other than Nate, Megan, and Stefanie in the past few weeks. Well, that's a lie, I had a texting conversation with Amanda (a former roommate that I still like) this morning, which was nice. But I'd like to do things with people, like walk around downtown or go to the beach. They'll be staying at my apartment, so I'm doing my best to clean it up and make it smell nicer...not that it's disgusting, I just want them to be blown away by the awesomeness of my place. That probably wouldn't happen if it stunk.

Good Movies with Cute Boys

2010-07-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

Today after class I went and saw Inception with my friend Stephanie (the non-roommate). It was kinda ridiculous, but not in a bad way. It was good, but it was one of those movies that takes a little bit of effort to stick with. It had Joseph Gordon Levitt in it, which surprised me. I like him a lot, and of course Leo DiCaprio is a great actor. It was kinda long, but I would definitely suggest it.

I'm kinda bored, so right now I'm watching Cruel Intentions. I own this one, and as a general rule I don't own movies unless I love them, so it obviously ranks high on my list. I am in love with young Ryan Phillippe - he's so gorgeous! I usually don't go for men with curly hair, but he's an exception. And...well, I'm not into guys who cheat on their wives with the nanny. BUT prior to all of that, he was quite attractive. I don't know, it just has a really great storyline and it's got the unexpected ending...I love it.

I got a bit further in HP today while I was waiting at the theatre for Steph. Sigh. It's not that it feels like a chore to read it, I just wish I could get to the better parts.

So I'm trying to make myself healthier. You know, eat better, exercise, stuff like that. I'm trying to drink more green tea and do my yoga video more often. When school starts up again, I want to take an actual yoga class if I have time. I don't know, I figure if I start with little things like flossing regularly and eating more fruits and veggies, maybe I'll start feeling better inside and it will help me feel better outside. Hopefully.

Not Super Lonely Yet

2010-07-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

So today has been fairly decent. I had work until 4:30, am currently doing laundry, and am going to the local planetarium with my friend and her astronomy class later. I'm kind excited about the last one - I took an astronomy class in high school and have always enjoyed looking up at the night time sky. So what if it's projected? It's still cool.

In my misery yesterday I completely forgot something that I was going to talk about: Glee. I had always heard it was good, but had never watched it because there are very few shows I actually follow on cable (the two exceptions being The Soup and What Not to Wear). But my friend had season 1 volume 1 on DVD and let me borrow it. All I can say is WOW. I wish I had been watching it this whole time. It's so good and addictive. I watched the first 2 DVDs straight through because I didn't want to stop. After that, I went to Nate's and we watched the rest together (I'm so lucky to have a boyfriend who can appreciate musicals). We both agreed: it's addictive. He said he thought it would be pretty "gay," but was pleasantly surprised. We're both waiting impatiently for volume 2 to come out so we can watch the rest!

I'm really not much further in HP or in Better than Beauty. I'll let you know when I am.

So my friend Megan (the only one out here, really) has mentioned a couple of times that she's kinda getting into anime, which is fine by me. I'm going to lend her Fruits Basket and Ouran High School Host Club tonight. Hopefully she'll like them so we'll have something new to talk about.

Tomorrow I'm going to have a cleaning spree. Now that all of the clothes are off my floor, I can see just how dirty it is. I mean, it's not filthy since I cleaned it a little more than a week ago, but there are papers and things everywhere. I'm kind happy to have time to do it - I actually like cleaning sometimes.

Staring Down a Difficult Week

2010-07-25T18:43:00.001-07:00

I've found that I have a really hard time updating this sometimes. It'll get better though.

I haven't finished Better than Beauty yet, but I have started Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I worked an 8 hour shift today, so I read a bit on my lunch break. They're not at the Quidditch Cup yet, but they will be soon. Reading the books really makes me want to watch the movies!

So starting this week, Nate will be away doing band camps pretty much non-stop until the end of August. I knew it was coming, but I have a habit of forgetting things that aren't constantly in my face. So basically, he mentioned leaving two days ago, and I was like, "Wait, what?" I'm really going to miss him. We've been spending so much time together lately that even though we both have work and stuff, I've basically seen him every day. To go from that to seeing him maybe for a day a week just makes me feel sad and lonely. I love spending time with him, and now, since band camp is so exhausting, I will probably be lucky to hear from him once every few days. Jeez, I'm depressing myself. This month will just be tough, I suppose.

Speaking of it being almost August...it's almost August! Where did summer go? I guess working and taking multiple classes really does make the summer go by much faster. Last year I stopped working in late June and I only had class 1 night a week starting in July, but since I'm working 20+ hours a week and have class Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings, summer's just flying by! I'm getting ready to do my back-to-school shopping and am starting to get all of my school stuff together. But more than that...I have 1 month to save up as much money as physically possible. When classes start on the 30th, I'll probably be lucky to get 15 hours a week. I can live on that, but I'd love to be able to save up $400 this month so that I don't have to worry about being able to pay rent for awhile. I really hope I can do it. At least my increased work ethic will help me get through this month without Nate. It'll help my take my mind off things, hopefully.

So yeah. I'm just hoping that reading HP and working will help me deal with my loneliness.

And Out Pops Another One (Posts, I Mean)

2010-07-21T20:08:00.000-07:00

I finished PoA. Whew, what a roller coaster! I forgot how intense the ending is. It really makes you sit up straight and read faster, even if you know how it's going to end. It's interesting now, looking back and seeing all of the little hints that point to things in future books. Very good.

I also finished Crazy Busy Beautiful. It actually had some pretty good tips, but most of them were covered in Get Positively Beautiful. There were a couple good new ones too, though, so it was helpful.

Before I start Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, I'm reading another little advice book called Better than Beauty: A Guide to Charm by Helen Valentine and Alice Thompson. It was originally published in 1938 but was revived due to its rather timeless advice. It's actually got some good points already, like, for example, how cleanliness includes not just your hair and makeup, but also the shape of your clothing, fingernails, and feet. I'm a bit eager to read about the actual charm part - it'll definitely come in handy at some point. It says in the book that not many people are remembered for their charm. I think I'd like to be someone who is.

I'm in a pretty good mood right now for some reason. I'm not really sure why, but whatever. I'll just enjoy it while it lasts.

The Trials and Tribulations of a College Student

2010-07-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

So I'm really no further into PoA than I was before...ok, well, that's a lie, I'm maybe one chapter further. I've been quite busy with work and class that I didn't really get a chance to get any further. Hopefully today I'll have some down time and I'll be able to get some more of it done. I really want to watch the second and third movies now, but I of course don't own them and don't want to spend money to rent them. Maybe online? I don't know.

I've been stressing out about school lately. See, as an English Education major, I have to apply for the College of Education (CoE) in the winter, and there are a lot of requirements that I have to get taken care of first. One of them involves having all of these classes out of the way, which is a lot more difficult than it sounds when you're trying to cram 5 years of schooling into 4. I'm stressed because I just found out that I may have to take an extra class this coming semester because it's required to get in. I've been trying to talk to my CoE advisor, but he's not really responding, so I'm kinda at a loss for what to do. I really need the extra time to work so I can pay rent, and having another class really isn't helping. I also need to get my grades up, and taking 18 credits is probably not the best way to go about that. GAH!

I want to eat something sweet. Yesterday Nate and I bought a cheesecake (way cheaper than making one) but we didn't get to eat it because it was frozen. I do want to make something though, something with fruit. That's one of the things I love about summer: fruit is in season, and you can make desserts from it that are both delicious and moderately healthy.

I've been thinking about it a lot, and I've decided that I really want to get back into writing. I'm taking a Creative Writing class this semester (it's a class I need for my theme), and I kinda want to get a head start. I must admit it's been a really long time since I've written anything, what with my abandoning fanfiction last year. I miss it a lot. I really love to write, I just never have any time to do it. I have always secretly wanted to be a writer, someone who could create one novel and never have to work again, but I always lose track of the story or lose interest before the second chapter. It's kind of a problem. Oh well, we'll see, I guess.

Back to the Daily Grind

2010-07-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

So I'm back from Chicago. It was fun, but at the same time, I kinda wish I hadn't gone with my parents. It's hard to have fun as a young 20 year old when my dad is busy taking pictures of me and my sister on the L.

I'm slightly disappointed in my lack of reading PoA. I'm only at the part where Sirius slices up the Fat Lady! So sad, I know. But hopefully I'll be able to finish it soon, because I want to finish the series so I can move onto other books.

Speaking of other books, I picked up Crazy Busy Beautiful by Carmindy from the library today. I think I'm just going to dive right into it, since it's not a novel, but more of a makeup tip guide.

Yup, so that's about it.

A Short Message Before I Leave

2010-07-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to Nate's place and read all of Chamber of Secrets while he wrote drum parts. It took me about 3 hours, and he was like, "You're done? What?!" It was kinda funny. I then explained that it was because it was at least my 3rd time reading it, plus it's HP, so it's not like it's a difficult read. The fact that he was slightly impressed made me laugh. So anyway, I'm moving onto Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and since I'll be away for a few days, I'm bringing Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire with me as well. Maybe I'll finish both while I'm in Chicago.

So I borrowed The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus from my friend. I really wanted to see it, since it's Heath Ledger's last film and all, but I have to say, I didn't like it. There was no plot, really, and quite honestly, after it was done, Nate and I looked at each other like "wtf." I did like the girl they picked to play the daughter (she was a model who's trying to break into acting, but I think she's lovely), but other than that, it was probably the weirdest movie I have ever seen.

Anyway, I must be off. I have loads of packing to do. Toodles, pip!

This Really Long Post Should Make Up for the 5 Day Delay

2010-07-13T10:39:00.000-07:00

So I finished Ten Stupid Things Women Do to Mess Up Their Lives. To be honest, this is the first self-help book I've ever read, and I think it was a good way to start. The author gets straight to the point about a lot of relationship issues and is really quite blunt. I feel as though although a lot of the issues were completely irrelevant in my life, it did actually help. So! If you ever need someone to just tell it like it is, I'd suggest this book.

Anyway, I'm moving onto Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Actually, I already started, but I'm only at the part where Ron shows up in the flying car, so it's basically the beginning.

This past weekend was my sister and stepbrother's grad party, so I was at home. It was nice, and I got a lot of free food to take home, but the best part was after everyone was basically gone. My stepbrother, Ryan, had his friend Patrick over, and my sister Shelby and I were watching HP and the SS with them. Patrick, not an avid HP fan, kept asking questions, and Ryan and I kept answering. He was like, "How do you know this?" It was kinda funny to me.

So I got a couple of those makeup how-to books I mentioned before from the library. I went through The 5 Minute Face and Get Positively Beautiful by Carmindy (the makeup artist from What Not to Wear) and Makeup Masterclass by Jemma Kidd. They had some really good tips. I have big brown eyes and pale skin, and I never really knew how to flatter my eyes without looking goth or sickly. I used some of the tips today, and I think it looks pretty good! I kinda wish I owned the books myself so that I could go back and look at the tips whenever I want, but this way I can make a note of my favorite ideas and not have to spend a dime.

Next weekend, I'm going to Chicago with my dad, stepmom, and Shelby. We're going to visit my grandma and uncle who live there, as well as be tourists and see the museums and everything. I'm pretty excited. The last time I went to Chicago, I was in junior high. Although, I have to admit, I would rather be going with friends instead of my parents. I feel like it'd be awkward if a group of cute guys walked by and I was standing next to my dad. Oh well, I need the vacation.

So I was talking to my friend Katie over the weekend about taking a camping trip next summer. We got to talking about Chicago and random plans, etc, when she mentioned that it would probably be better if we invited some of our guy friends to come with us because her parents might not let her go if it's just girls. Katie, like me, is 20 years old. And her parents might not let her go without some guys to protect her. Seriously. This is an example of the way that I feel a lot more mature than my friends from back home. I don't even have to tell my mom about when I'm taking trips, and I shouldn't have to because I am an independent adult who can handle and take care of herself. Now I understand being concerned about what could happen to a group of innocent, naive young girls in a new town, but the girls we'd be going with carry and know how to use knives. Also, there would be at least 5 of us, and I feel like a guy wouldn't try to rape all of us at once, you know? I just thought that it was ridiculous that although she's an adult, Katie's parents are still basically in charge of her life. This is why I'm glad I went away to school.

So I have recently decided that Amazon is my new best friend. I've had this box of manga and novels I haven't read in years sitting in my parents' basement ever since I left for college, and my stepsister suggested that I sell them on Amazon. So I ended up putting about 30 books up for sale and 5 hours later I sold one! I know it's just one, and I only made about $2, but still, it's money that I could use. I'm really hoping to sell a few more and maybe have a little extra cash laying around. That would be nice for a change.

I've been really interested in fashion lately. I really want to get some good, awesome pieces for school, like skirts, dresses, blouses, cardigans, blazers, flats, boots, and cute necklaces. I also want to learn how to wear a belt around my waist and a scarf around my neck and hopefully catch up with that trend. Sadly enough, I'm probably going to end up emulating Shelby, who has the cutest fashion sense of anyone I know. I also want to get a real makeup tray and some new nail polish colors. I feel like reinventing my wardrobe and look yet again! Hopefully I'll be able to get some money through my books and my resale clothes. Gah, I wish I wasn't a poor college student!

At My Bf's House...

2010-07-08T16:11:00.001-07:00

Ok, so Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is done! I finished it right before my class started this morning, which worked out quite well. I noticed something, though, which I know they covered later in the series but I felt was handled inadequately in SS: Dumbledore said that Snape was protecting Harry simply to settle the score with James, who saved Snape's life. However, as anyone who has read the series knows, Snape was only protecting Harry because he loved Lily. Surely Dumbledore, who is a practiced occlums (I think I spelled that right...), would have known that it was because of Lily and would have told Harry so. Maybe not, "Harry, Snape had the hots for your mum," but instead something about them being friends and Snape feeling that he owed and wanting to honor Lily. That's all I'm saying.

Moving on, I have decided that, because all of the books I put on hold a few days ago are coming in, and also because this one happened to be in my car while Chamber of Secrets was sitting on my bookshelf at home, I am going to read Ten Stupid Things Women Do to Mess Up Their Lives by Dr. Laura Schlessinger before I start CoS. I read a review about it being pretty accurate, so I figured I'd give it a try. I'm 86 pages into it, and it's basically a relationship and self esteem boot camp of sorts. It essentially says, "Stop blaming other people for your insecurities and your bad relationships. You have the power to be who or whatever you want, and no relationship or lack f self esteem can stop you from doing that." There's a heading that I quite like, which is "Not Superwoman - Just a Super Woman." I don't know if it's actually helping me with anything, but it is an interesting read.

So last night I finally convinced Nate to watch 10 Things I Hate About You (which is one of my favorites...Heath Ledger, yum, yum) with me, and as I expected, he thought it was pretty funny. He told me he doesn't dislike chick flicks, he just doesn't want to watch them because the idea that he likes them seems weird. Like everyone would know that he watched a chick flick with me. Anyway, it was nice to watch a movie I like for a change. We were going to watch The Little Mermaid (which he agreed with) first, but the video store didn't have it. It's a travesty, I tell you.

Yup, that's about it.

Complain, Complain, Complain

2010-07-05T19:21:00.000-07:00

So I was originally going to post yesterday, since I had nothing to do, but after work, I got a call from my friend Megan, so I went and hung out with her. We watched August Rush instead of battling crowds and mosquitoes. I've seen it before. Good movie.

So I'm a little bit further in HP, just at the part where Harry's learning how to play Quidditch. Reading the book is making me want to watch the movie, but I don't own it. Shocking, I know. I'm waiting to buy any of the movies until they come out with a boxed set of all of them. It'll be a while, but I think it'll be worth it.

So my boyfriend - Nate, sorry, it's weird saying his name on here - was supposed to stop by tonight, but he changed his mind at the last minute. I feel like this happens a lot. This is how I see our relationship: We're both standing at opposite ends of a bridge. I take a few steps forward, and he just stands there. So I move forward a little more, and he just yawns. This continues until finally I'm standing on his end of the bridge, and he hasn't moved at all. We're supposed to be meeting half way, but instead, it feels like I'm going all the way for him and he doesn't move an inch for me. (I actually came up with this metaphor after hearing Rosanna by Toto on the radio. I love that song, but the line "meet you all the way" suddenly struck a new cord with me.) I know that this is a huge problem, and I intend to fix it.

Anyway, I have class tomorrow. It's week four of eight weeks, so I'm almost halfway done. However, I really don't want to deal with four more weeks of that obnoxious girl. Hopefully she skips. The class itself isn't that bad. It's an intro to logic class, so it's pretty easy and it covers a class I need for my theme (for half the price of what GVSU charges).

So I just put a bunch of nonfiction books on hold at the library, and by nonfiction, I mean a few relationship guides, some fashion manuals, and all of Carmindy's (from What Not to Wear) makeup guides. Hopefully they will be worth it.

Not a Whole Lot to Talk About

2010-07-03T16:24:00.000-07:00

So tomorrow is the 4th of July, and I actually have no plans. Well, that's not true. I have to work. But other than that, no plans. There is a fireworks display tonight about 2 minutes from my apartment, and I'm thinking of going to that, but...is it really sad to do that alone?

So I'm about 80 pages into Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Yeah. I've read it so many times that I can't really pull anything interesting out of the first 80 pages. Sorry.

I would really like some pizza right now, but I don't want to drive to get it and I don't want to pay for delivery. Hmm...decisions decisions...

That's pretty much it for today.

Getting Out of This House

2010-07-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

So I finished Stop in the Name of Pants, and I just finished Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? I must say, as much as I lurve this series, the ending of the last book is a bit, erm, abrupt. It's like action, action, action, the end. The happy ending comes and then the book quite literally ends a paragraph later. Anyway, I love, love, love this series, and I can now cross it off my reading list.

Next I'm starting Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as part of my annual summer reading of HP. So yeah.

I'm taking a logic class this semester, and there's this girl in it who is so obnoxious that when every she opens her mouth I want to shoot her in the face. Seriously. That annoying. She wastes time arguing with the professor about giving us a day off of class (when he lets us out early every class and the semester's only 7 weeks long) and has even argued with the teacher when he told her (respectfully) that she was wrong about something. Everyone in the class hates her. She just needs to grow up. Gah.

Today I'm going to visit a friend who is still living around campus. I was in band with her, but I haven't seen or talked to her in a while, and I really need to get out of the house. There's only so much I can do all aloney on my owny. So it'll be nice to see her. And who knows, maybe she can introduce me to some new people and I can make new friends, which I definitely need.

It seems that the weather gods heard my complaints, because the past couple of days have been quite cool. My apartment is probably in the 60's and it's about 75 outside, which is lovely. I wish it could be like this all year 'round: warm enough to wear shorts, but cool enough that you won't bake it you wear pants. Too bad it rarely happens. I'm enjoying it, though.

Cooliosity

2010-06-29T17:59:00.000-07:00

So I got to read a bit further into Stop in the Name of Pants. I'm so close to being done. It's funny - the more of the Georgia Nicholson books I read, the more I begin to speak think using some of the words from the books, like oo-er, nippy noodles, and adding -osity to words. It'll be interesting to switch from this to Harry Potter.

Speaking of HP, the trailer for Deathly Hallows came out! Here it is:

http://www.cleveland.com/movies/index.ssf/2010/06/harry_potter_and_the_deathly_h.html

I'm pretty excited to start reading the series again, and even more excited to see the movie, even though I wasn't a huge fan of the 7th book. We shall see.

So I have been contemplating this for a while: Disney should come out with a TV show about modern day versions of the Disney princesses. It could be set in a high school with all of the princesses and all of the villains and everything. I think it would be cool as long as Disney didn't make it stupid like Hannah Montana or Wizards of Waverly Place. It wouldn't be a sitcom, but more of a drama, like the shows on ABC Family. It could bring in older watchers (and by older, I mean teenagers) while still incorporating Disney elements. I really kinda want to see it happen.

So apparently my boyfriend is considering buying a house. He's convinced he can get a foreclosed house for really, really cheap, and that it would be a good investment, I suppose. He's 22. I don't know, I feel like he's not really ready for the responsibility of owning a home. His bills would double, he'd have to do upkeep, etc. Plus...I don't know, I feel like it's his way of saying that he's growing up, and I don't really know what that means in terms of us. So I don't know whether to help him with this or to tell him it's not a good idea. We'll see, I suppose.

Ho Hum

2010-06-28T14:32:00.000-07:00

Fwah. Yes. Fwah.

I just got off of work and finished making dinner (chicken fajitas, in case you were wondering). I hope they're ok, because I completely forgot about the chicken and left it in the marinade for an extra day, so we'll see. I actually really like to cook and I'm trying to find new, healthy things to make. So far, nothing. But I imagine that if there ever comes a day when I have nothing going on and can devote a day to cooking, I'll make the healthiest meal ever!

Anyway, I read a bit further into Stop in the Name of Pants (strangely enough, as I was typing that, Ultraviolet, the song from the movie, came on my computer). To be honest, I like Masimo the least of all of Georgia's potential snogees. Everyone knows she's supposed to be with Dave the Laugh. Too bad she doesn't.

I don't know, I feel like I'm stuck in a rut. A style rut. This is what happens when you have to pay rent and can't afford to buy new clothes, I suppose. I really want to go shopping. I have 2 tank tops. Just 2. It's depressing, really.

I don't really have anything interesting to say, so that is all for now.

Ok, So I Feel the Need to Edit My Previous Post

2010-06-26T17:38:00.000-07:00

I realized that I kinda made it sound like life is peachy keen, and I kinda need to vent. So here we go!

I'm actually quite lonely this summer. Again. Last year I was upset because I was away from all of my friends from GV and my boyfriend, and this year I'm lonely because aside from my boyfriend, I'm not really friends with anyone on this side of the state. I mean, my new roommate is great, but she's gone a lot, so we haven't really gotten to know each other super well, much less hang out on a regular basis. But I really do feel like I have no friends. For example, this is the third Saturday night in a row that I have sat by myself in my apartment doing nothing. Don't get me wrong, I love my alone time, but this is ridiculous. I want some human interaction. I want to talk to someone about boys, makeup, drama, anything. I need a friend. Badly.

Also kinda on the similar subject...my boyfriend broke up with me about a month ago. We got back together 5 days later, but it's still hard to deal with that fact. I mean, things were never perfect, but I didn't think they were so bad that instead of talking to me and being open about his feelings, he had to break up with me. Those 5 days were horrid. But I really do hope that things will work out. We're talking more, and making sure to do things without each other as well as with each other (or rather, he does stuff, I sit at home...sigh). I really do love him, so hopefully things will be ok.

Another thing: when I first started writing this blog, I made a mental note to keep people anonymous in case someone I knew found this and realized that I was referring to them. But I decided that I don't really care anymore about first names, so here's a list of characters for reference: My boyfriend = Nate, my current roommates = Stefanie and Katie (Katie hasn't moved in yet), my former roommate who I hated = Nikita, my former roommate with whom I was severely annoyed = Stephanie. I think that's it. Obviously no last names, but whatever.

Anyway, if I can think of anymore things to discuss, I will post. Probably tomorrow.

...And Suddenly It's Summer

2010-06-26T15:16:00.001-07:00

I am driving 85 in the kind of morning that last all afternoon...Why Georgia by John Mayer just popped up on my song list, so there you go.

Ahem. I could try to play off the fact that I completely stopped updating for a couple months, but I'm sure that by this point we've all moved on already. So we'll just maintain an aura of causulosity. Yup.

Can you tell I've been reading the Confessions of Georgia Nicholson series? It was the first bullet point on my summer reading list, which I will hopefully complete eventually. I'm on book nine, Stop in the Name of Pants. Ah, Louise Rennison, how I love thee! There are only ten books in the series, so I'm almost done. Apparently she's starting a new series that'll be out soon, but I feel as though nothing could top this one. I really wished she had just kept it going forever. I'm not even ashamed to admit the fact that I am a 20 year old who enjoys reading about 14 year olds. Seriously, it's the funniest series I've ever read.

Next on my list is obviously the tenth book, Are These My Basoomas I See before Me? But after that I'm moving onto Harry Potter. Surprise surprise. But it is a summer tradition, and this will be the first official time that I will have read the entire series back to back. After that, I do believe an HP movie marathon is in order.

Geh, it is so hot! Everyone has this misconception about Michigan being cold all of the time, but no, it's not. In fact, when you're trying to cut your electric bill by waiting as long as physically possible to turn on your A/C, it's freaking hot. Bah.

So I'm all moved into my new apartment, away from my former horrid roommate (she removed me from her friends list on facebook), so all is well on that front. I have my own room (!), so life is splendid. Even better: I got a job in April, working at Marshalls. It's ok, but at least I get paid for it. I'm also taking classes at the local community college since they're about half the price of the university I attend, which is always lovely. After this summer, all of my credits have to be earned at GVSU, so I'd like to save my money while I can.

Aside from finishing my summer reading list, I do have another summer goal: to get in shape. I'm not exactly on the hefty side (I'm a size 3), but I, like everyone else in the world, have flub, and it's not attractive. I'm also ridiculously out of shape, so I'm trying to work on that too. So I'm attempting to do a dance workout video (oo-er) and a yoga video. There are also a couple videos on Youtube that I'm attempting, so we'll see, I suppose. I'm also trying to get into cooking more, because although I love doing it, I don't too often. So wish me luck as I attempt to juggle work, class, yoga, dance, a reading list, and a social life. We shall see.

It's Turning Out to Be a Very Good Day

2010-03-02T07:50:00.000-08:00

I'm listening to Supermassive Black Hole by Muse right now. I don't really know a lot of their music, but I love this song. "I thought I was a fool for no one, but, oh baby, I'm a fool for you..." Great song.

So I finished Blue Bloods. I have to admit, I was a little surprised at how much I got into it at the end. It was kinda different than I thought it would be, as in which characters were bad and which ones were good, etc. It was a lot better than I thought it would be. I need to find a copy of the next one so I can read it too.

My next book is The Third Witch by Rebecca Reisert. This is one of my favorite books of all time. It's about this girl whose goal in life to to avenge her father's death by killing another man. It's actually based off of the Shakespeare play Macbeth, but I didn't know that when I first read it, and I loved it. I was really surprised when we read Macbeth in English that year. It made the play a lot more enjoyable because I had a glimpse at what was happening with everyone who didn't have an aside. It's so good. Everyone should read it.

So I have really big news...I got a call back from Pier 1 about a job! I'm so completely beyond excited! I haven't called back yet because the lady who does hiring isn't in today, but hopefully I get an interview and hopefully everything goes well. I really need this job, and I think that Pier 1 would be a really cool place to work. A little more appropriate than my last 2 jobs - a plant nursery and a hardware store. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Next week is my Spring Break, but I'm not doing the whole Cancun thing. Actually, I'm going to spend a day in Chicago with my boyfriend. I haven't been there since I was 15, and I don't really know what all there is to do anymore. The first time I went was in February when I was 14, so the fact that it's March doesn't really faze me. I guess we'll see.

The Weekend Part Two

2010-02-28T16:32:00.000-08:00

So nothing super excited happened today. I worked on my Japanese project pretty much all day, and have only about a fourth of it done. Translating things into Japanese on a computer takes forever, especially when you have to go searching for kanji. It's such a pain.

I woke up unusually early today. My neck was killing me. I hate dorm mattresses! I'm quite ecstatic to be getting a new one when I move May 1st. So, so happy. Hopefully I can get my boyfriend to rub my neck later.

Since I woke up so early, I watch A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, which is a movie no one but me, my sisters, and anyone who was alive in the 70s knows. My roommates came in halfway through and I tried explaining it to them, but there is just so much going on in that movie that it was a pretty difficult task. But it's a funny movie, if you like period comedies.

My roommate's girlfriend was here yesterday and today (she'll be leaving in a couple hours, I think), and it really made me sad that I don't get to spend time on the weekends with my boyfriend. I know I get to see him every other day, but with classes, my tutoring, his teaching, homework, etc. we really don't have a lot of time to just be together. It's kinda sad. I miss him when he goes away, and although, like I said, we spend a lot of time together, him being away makes me want to be around him more. But seriously, I'm not clingy. No really.

I haven't read any more of Blue Bloods. It's a weekday type of book.

The Weekend Part One

2010-02-27T16:28:00.000-08:00

Ah, it's been a busy day. I went out and got a bunch of job applications from the mall, did laundry, worked on a school project, and went grocery shopping. Also, my roommate's girlfriend is here, so I'll been hanging out in my room for most of the time, but I really don't mind. I love hanging out by myself in my room.

So this project that I'm doing is for my Japanese class, and I'm researching CLAMP, the mangaka group that did Chobits, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles, etc. I really like their work, and they've been a really big influence on the manga world, so I'm doing a video project on them. It should be interesting. The last project I did was on the Japanese School system, so...yeah.

I got the other book I ordered in the mail today. I almost forgot about it actually. It's On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God, the second book in the Georgia Nicholson series by Louise Rennison. I don't think I'll get a chance to read it for a bit since I'm still working on Blue Bloods, but hopefully I'll get the full series and be able to read it all the way through again.

Weekends are normally my time to relax, take care of myself, and get housework done. This week, though, is a start of a new era. I bought a yoga video on Friday, and I'm determined to at least do them twice a day on weekends. Hopefully I'll be able to find some time during the week to do them too.

I'm feeling quite optimistic about my current job search. Anywhere that hires for the summer starts accepting applications in March, so hopefully I'll get mine in and they'll like what they see. I could really, really use a job right now, although my school schedule really restricts the amount of time that I can work during the week. I guess we'll see.

My Brain Today: Friday, Friday, Friday, etc.

2010-02-26T12:38:00.000-08:00

Ugh, I'm so glad it's Friday. I seriously need a weekend right now. Although, since I'll be spending most of this weekend picking up job applications (round 2), it won't really be all that relaxing.

I've been seriously considering getting a yoga video so I can get into it at home. God knows I need the relaxation element in my life more. I'll probably go to Meijer tonight and see if they have any decent ones. Who knows, maybe I'll get to try it tonight.

So right now, I'm sitting in my bedroom, which is really quite different, considering that usually my roommate is in here. It's so nice that she's not. I've got this nice little setup going - I stuck a chair in my closet and I basically just sit in here and do the things that I normally do in my living room, except this way my roommates aren't trying to talk to me or watching TV or just being downright loud. It's quite nice once you get past the fact that the only place I can go for some peace and quiet is my bedroom closet. Ugh. I can't wait to move out.

I read a little bit more of Blue Bloods. Not a lot, but a little. I'm starting to piece together what's going on, and unless there's going to be a big plot switch, it's looking a bit predictable. We'll see, I guess.

So for my Japanese class we have to do these video projects where we watch a Japanese movie/anime and then discuss the cultural elements involved. Basically, it's an excuse for me to watch copious amounts of anime and Japanese dramas. So far, I've gone through Skip Beat!, Absolute Boyfriend, and The Wallflower. All of them are pretty good. I read all of them in manga form, and I even own The Wallflower DVDs. There are still 2 more that I have to review, so hopefully I'll be able to find another good drama and an anime. I love that I can use my Japanese class as an excuse to catch up on my Asian television.

Apparently one of my roommates currently has strep throat, so I'm really hoping I don't get sick. That would seriously not be what I need right now. Although for someone who is so sick, she sure has been doing a lot of shopping in the past few days. Apparently being too sick to go to class doesn't hinder her ability to go to the mall.

Ok, I need to go do laundry. I always like to wear something nice when I pick up/turn in applications. It leaves a better impression.

It's 11:00am, and I'm already annoyed

2010-02-23T07:53:00.000-08:00

So yesterday, I got one of the books I ordered. It was supposed to be "Like New," and I checked out the seller before I ordered to make sure they were decent, and almost all of the reviews were good. Well, my "Like New" book came in, and it's cover is bent, it has sticker residue on it, and someone wrote "99" in sharpie on the cover. Am I correct in thinking that this is not "Like New?" I would hate to see their "Used" books. My only concern in returning it is that I paid for it partially with a credit card, and partially with a gift card, and I'm worried that if I return it, they'll credit the gift card, which I already threw away. It really sucks. I think I'm going to call the company, but they're based in California, so I don't know if that would be worth it.

I got my blood drawn today. It's not big deal, but I now have a bandaid on my elbow and one on my hand, which is kinda obnoxious. They'll both probably bruise, so we'll see I guess.

A couple of minutes ago, I organized our freezer. It was a disaster zone, and we had talked about cleaning it out, but no one made any effort to do it, so as usual, the task fell to me. So I did it, and I was quite happy with it. You could see the labels on everything, and everything fit. Then my roommate came home, opened the freezer, and complained that all the food was mixed up. My question is this: if you don't put your name on it, how do I know whose food it is. How can I organize something by owner if I don't know who owns it? I thought it was really rude of her to complain about something that I took the time to do when no one else would. She could have easily organized it herself, and I think the fact that she didn't means that she has no room to complain.

For my Japanese class, we need to watch Japanese films and create a blog on our Blackboard site. I'm not sure what to watch. It has to be a mix of genres, so I guess I have some searching to do.

An Eventful Weekend

2010-02-21T21:19:00.001-08:00

So this has been a rather good weekend. Here's a recap of what I did:

Got another new phone. My first new phone wouldn't charge (again), so I got a newer new one. I had to drive to the Verizon store four times. It was not awesome.

Went to a Wellness Retreat. I did meditation and got a short massage, but seriously, it was wonderful. I've been really stressed out lately due to many monetary issues, but hopefully this helped. I'll see if I can get my boyfriend to rub my back today and maybe that'll help as well.

Took my WRT 305 placement test. They allow you to test out of WRT 305, which is very good for me, because there is not need for me to take a writing class that I will simply blow off and still get at least an A. No need at all. I think I did pretty well, but apparently it'll take 2 - 6 weeks for them to determine if I've passed.

Cleaned my kitchen. I swept, mopped, did dishes, put dishes away, took out the trash/recyclables, cleaned off the stove, and organized a cupboard. I feel quite accomplished. It's especially nice because in my apartment we have this checklist thing to determine who is and who isn't contributing to the overall cleanliness of our house, and I now have way more checks than everyone else. But seriously, that wasn't the reason I did it. I'm so tired of living in a cluttered, dirty apartment. I don't know where exactly my roommates were raised, but sometimes I wonder whether or not it was in a barn.

Hung out with my boyfriend. He had a competition in Dayton, Ohio yesterday and so he drove back home and I got to spend all day today with him. I rarely see him on the weekends, since he's so busy with drumline. It was really nice to be with him and hang out. I miss doing that on a regular basis.

Became addicted to The Tudors. I love this show. I've always had a fascination with Tudor England, and this only solidifies my love. It's quite brilliant. I would definitely suggest watching it, but be warned - the show definitely has an R rating. At some points, it's essentially soft-core porn. Really, if you're under 16 at the youngest, you probably should wait a few years. But to everyone else, it's awesome (Although I don't quite know how I feel about thinking King Henry VIII is attractive, as he was practically a whale in really life).

Things I did not do this weekend: read Blue Bloods. Unfortunately. Hopefully that will change this coming week.

What, Another One?

2010-02-19T17:34:00.000-08:00

This is the second time I've posted today, but honestly, I feel as if I've had enough to take about that it's worth a second post. It's funny, I went from not posting for 4 months to posting twice a day.

I haven't read any further in Blue Bloods. I will, but I didn't really have a chance today.

I just got back from grocery shopping. They had really beautiful flowers there, and they were really cheap, so I bought some. The ones I picked are these lovely pink roses with yellow tips. They're gorgeous. I think that part of the reason I wanted them so much was that I didn't get flowers - or anything, actually - for Valentine's Day, so I felt like I deserved them (I'm not bitter about my lack of V-Day gifts, since my birthday is 3 days before it).

Right now I'm watching What Not to Wear. I love this show! They play a new episode every Friday and show about 3 older episodes before that, so it's kinda my Friday night ritual (followed by The Soup). I get a lot of style tips from this show, although I really think they need to do a What Not to Wear show for younger people. Maybe invade high schools and college campuses and do a sort of Made type thing, but only with the clothes, hair, and makeup. I think it'd be really cool.

Speaking of fashion and makeup, I've lately been obsessed with this girl on Youtube who does makeup tutorials. She's called xsparkage, and she does some really crazy stuff, but it's all so cool. I used her Snow White concept for my Halloween costume, and I've tried a couple others too. Here's her channel in case you want to check her out: http://www.youtube.com/user/xsparkage

Yup, so that's about it now.

In a Much Better Mood

2010-02-19T07:24:00.000-08:00

So I went back to Verizon today and discovered that I can get a new version of my same phone for $50, which is better than the $279 they're charging for their newer models now. I'm going back to the store later today to pick it up. I'm really excited! All of that worrying for nothing! However, I will miss the more sentimental stuff that was on my old phone, like pictures and some text messages that my boyfriend sent me. But I guess it's not that important in the scheme of things.

I like parodies. It's something that I've always enjoyed. I'm currently working on 2 Harry Potter ones, to the tunes of Good Morning Baltimore (Good Morning Voldemort) and We Didn't Start the Fire (no title yet). When I finish GMV, I kinda really want someone who can do animation to turn it into a little short. Thinking about it makes me rather excited.

And...that's about it for now.

Maybe It WAS the Tea...

2010-02-18T14:17:00.001-08:00

So I'm in a much better mood today. I'm not really sure why. Maybe it's that I've accepted a couple of things that have happened and am working through them. Maybe it's that I spent about 2 hours cleaning, and cleaning usually calms me down. Who knows? But yeah, I feel better now.

I've started my next book, which is Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz. I first heard about this one a couple years ago from a girl who was reading it, and she said the books were awesome. However, it is a vampire novel, and I've been quite wary about vampire novels since the whole Twilight thing was blown out of proportion (I used to love the series. Now, thanks to all of the 13-year-olds who only like it because Rob Pattinson and Taylor Lautner are "hot," I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I am a fan). But we'll see. It's not too bad so far, except that it's about sophomores and juniors in high school, and I'm getting a bit old for that. We'll see.

This weekend, two of my roommates will be gone and the other two will be, for the most part, working. Hopefully I'll have some time to myself. There's this Wellness Retreat that I really want to go to. It offers little workshops for yoga and facials, etc. So I think it'll be fun. I'm also taking a test this weekend to test out of a writing class that I really don't need to take, considering I was an honors English student in high school. So hopefully that'll go well too.

Hopefully This is Something Tea Can Fix

2010-02-17T08:03:00.001-08:00

So I'm really not in a good mood right now. My phone's internal charging system broke, and I'm not due for an upgrade for another month. It's quite annoying, because I love this phone, and it couldn't've just waited another month. Oh no. So now I'm going to have to wait until tomorrow night until I can get my boyfriend's old phone to borrow until I can get a new one. And I don't like any of the new phones they have, so I may have to buy through a different site anyway, so I probably won't get the discount an upgrade would provide. And now I basically have to have my phone off for 2 days. It's just really frustrating. I wanted to spend my birthday money on a new mp3 player. Now I have to pay for a new phone.

Anyway...

Yesterday, I got a massage. It's not the first one I've had, but it felt really nice. Unfortunately, there are a lot of stressful things going on in my life (obnoxious roommates, phone issues, etc.) that are making my stress levels worse. I wish that I could have a month where nothing went wrong. Just one month. Is that too much to ask?

Speaking of obnoxious roommates...she asked me yesterday if I was mad at her. I was quite tempted to say, "I'm not mad, I just hate you," but of course, my tact prevented that from escaping my lips. It's too bad, though. It would have solved that problem.

Ugh. I'm going to go drink some tea. Maybe that will help me de-stress for a moment...

After a Semi-decently Nice Weekend

2010-02-15T14:37:00.000-08:00

What an interesting couple of days I've had! First off, I finished On Agate Hill. I was surprised that it spanned the main character's whole life. It was interesting, though, but also quite sad at points. Not tear-jerkingly sad, but sad in the sense that you feel so horrible for Molly that it's ridiculous.

Second, I got the book Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher for my birthday (yes, I am actually 20 now...please don't call me old). It's one of my favorite books ever. I read it a couple years ago and just got it now, so of course I reread the whole thing in a day. I would highly suggest this one, but please don't let the rather unhappy topic deter you from reading it. It's awesome.

Third, I attempted to read Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris, which my friend got me for Christmas. True Blood is based off this book, so I figured I'd give it a try, even though I'd never seen the show before. Come to find out, I'd read the book before. And honestly, it wasn't my favorite. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't super awesome either. So for obvious reasons, I didn't reread it. I hope that the series is better than the first book, because I'd still like to see it.

Lastly, I went home this weekend to see my boyfriend perform with Redline, and they did really well! I'd only been to one drumline performance before, so it's still kinda new to me, but it was interesting to see my boyfriend treated like a celebrity (Redline is a world-class line, so they're really prestigious). Here's a link to the show they performed, in case anyone else is into drumline. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pWuT-9DAmI

Also, my one pesky roommate is still annoying me a lot. It's getting pretty bad - I'm having a hard time pretending to be nice to her. Only 2 and a half months left. Only 2 and a half months left...

Going Home this Weekend...

2010-02-09T14:34:00.000-08:00

I still haven't finished On Agate Hill. I know, I know, it's taking forever. But I'm going to my parent's house this weekend, so I imagine I'll have some free time to read there.

Actually, the reason I'm going home is because my boyfriend is in Redline, and indoor percussion ensemble, and they have a performance this Saturday that is literally 10 minutes from my mum's house. It'll be cool to see him perform, although I imagine that he'll claim he did badly. I'm also getting a haircut - I'm growing it out, but enough is enough. I need layers. It's a little bad.

So my birthday's this Thursday, and I fell old. I'm going to be 20! That's TWO DECADES! Oh, I am turning into such an old lady. It's rather depressing. Also, there is nothing good about turning 20. You're already an adult, you can already go to Canada to drink (although I don't drink anyway), and you're still too young to buy alcohol in America. My friends and I were discussing this, and we decided that the only good thing about turning 20 is that we have officially conquered teen pregnancy. Which isn't really that great of an accomplishment.

A Fairly Lazy Day

2010-02-07T14:52:00.001-08:00

So I got a little further along in On Agate Hill, but not too much further. I'm guessing I have about 1/3 left. It's pretty good - I'm happy with the guy the main character ended up with a lot more than I liked the last 2.

So I'm currently watching Breakfast at Tiffany's. It's good so far. I've never seen it before, but I've always wanted to. My boyfriend's sister is obsessed with Audrey Hepburn. She even walked down the isle to a song from one of her movies. This is the first Audrey Hepburn movie I've ever seen. I really would like to see My Fair Lady, but perhaps some other time.

So I'm having another issue with one of my roommates - a different one this time. She uses a really, really loud voice when she talks. This might sound like a really stupid thing to be annoyed about, but it's like she's yelling all the time. Normal people speak about 3 decibels softer than she does, especially in the morning. It's sooooo annoying to be woken up to her voice. And I'm not the only one who notices. This morning, for instance, I was sleeping when she started up, and one of my other roommates was like, "Nikita, you are so loud! Kristy's still trying to sleep!" Which of course shut her right up. I can't listen to music with my ear buds in because she talked louder than the music (I think they just encourage her, actually).

Anyway, this has been a rather uneventful weekend. Hopefully I'll finish On Agate Hill Soon.

Living for the Weekend

2010-02-05T14:30:00.000-08:00

On Agate Hill is getting better and better. It's switched back to being from the main character's POV, this time in letter form. Only it's quite sad since I'm pretty sure the person she's writing to is dead. However, the main character is finally figuring out that perhaps the guys she;s engaged to isn't so perfect, and maybe the new guy she just met is. We'll see, but I like where it's going!

So my boyfriend and I talked and we figured a bunch of stuff out. It's a huge relief for me - I was really afraid to bring anything up. I'm not saying we're gonna get engaged tomorrow, but at least now I know that we're both thinking about it.

So yeah, it's the weekend, which means a couple of things: my boyfriend and several of my friends are going to be gone, so I'll get to spend some "me" time, I have job apps to turn in, some homework to do, and a bunch of movies to watch. It'll be nice. Hopefully.

Once Again Not Focusing on the Book So Much

2010-02-02T14:05:00.000-08:00

I read a little bit more of On Agate Hill, but I'm not sure if I like where it's going right now. It started out as a diary from the main character's prospective and it's switch perspectives to the headmistress of a school. I'm not sure if I like the switch, since I don't really like the headmistress, but we'll see.

So I've been having a little issue regarding my boyfriend lately. We've been dating for well over a year but we've never talked about the future, which actually really bothers me. I'm the type of person who likes to plan everything out in advance - I hate not knowing what will happen. I've been trying to find the best time to bring it up, but every time I'm about to, something happens and I can't (For example, his sister had a major allergic reaction to a medicine and ended up in the hospital for 3 days). I don't just want to spring it on him, but I have to know what we're doing together and if being with him for all this time is actually going to be worth it.

Also, I feel like he takes my presence for granted. When he's gone, he texts me and tells me he loves me all the time. But he never does when he's here. I think it's one of those "you don't know what you've got til it's gone" type of things, but it's hard to tell. I don't really know what to do, but I feel like this is something to talk about with him when we talk about the future. I don't know. We'll see.

Sorry to go on and on about this, but it's really been bugging me lately, and since I obviously haven't been able to talk to my boyfriend about it, I felt this undying urge to post it all here.

In addition to obsessing over my boyfriend, I've developed a fixation with nail polish. I got some on sale at The Icing, and I've basically been painting them since Christmas. We're not allowed to wear nail polish in marching band, so it's nice to be able to wear it again. I feel so girly!

Not Really Focusing on the Book This Time

2010-02-01T13:48:00.000-08:00

So I'm about half way through On Agate Hill, and it's getting good. Or rather, the book is getting good, but the story has taken a turn for the worse. Bad things are afoot!

I'm in the process of looking for a job. Actually, I have been since October, but it hasn't been going too well. We'll see though. In the past 2 weeks, I've turned in 25 applications, have a few more in my job folder, and plan on turning in about 15 more. I really hope I can get a job. It's kinda important, since A) I'm running out of money and B) I plan on living off campus next year and sorta kinda need to pay rent starting in May.

I'm having a huge problem with one of my roommates. Basically, I want to kill her. I can't stand her anymore and I swear to god, if she blows her nose in our house one more time, I will throttle her. Just talking about her makes me mad. Gah!

Beginning Again

2010-01-29T20:48:00.000-08:00

So I'm still working on On Agate Hill, and it's turning out to be pretty good. I'm only about 40ish pages through it. The main character is a lot younger in the beginning than I though she would be, but I'm assuming she'll get older as the story progresses. Who knows, we'll see.

That's about it. But I did keep my promise to update more, so...points to me there.

I'm Baaaaaaack

2010-01-25T15:25:00.000-08:00

Well I fell like a prize idiot. I never can stick to things long, and I guess this wasn't an exception. I am, however, going to update this a lot more.

Anyway, so much has happened since my last post. My boyfriend and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary in October, I went to Youmacon, my college football team went to Alabama, and as a band member, I went too, the semester came and went, I passed all of my exams, and here we are in the new semester. Woo.

So I haven't been reading much in the past few months - there was no time! But I am starting a new novel, On Agate Hill by Lee Smith. It's historical fiction, so if you like the Civil War era, you might want to pick it up. Or not. I don't really know yet.

One book I did finish in the past few months was the last Georgia Nicholson book, Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? by Louise Rennison. This is one of my favorite series ever, and it was sad to see it end, but the book was good! If you're looking for a laugh-out-loud-in-the-middle-of-a-silent-room-and-have-everyone-turn-and-stare-at-you book, this one's for you. But of course, read the rest of the series first. The movie, Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging, just came out in the US on dvd, and I'm quite excited for it.

Also, the latest Bloody Jack book, Rapture of the Deep: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, Soldier, Sailor, Mermaid, Spy by L.A. Meyer came out a while ago, and it too was awesome. This is another one of my favorites, so if the piratical adventures of a teenage girl is more up your alley, I'd look into it.

Hm. Well, that's about it. I'll try to make my postings a bit more regular from this point forward(although after a 4 month hiatus, any posting is more regular).

Fall is in the Air!

2009-09-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I finished The Little Lady Agency. It was pretty good. Not a smut novel, though. I was kinda looking forward to that part, but...oh well. I'm thinking of locating the next book in the series, but I'll need to find out what it's called first.

Happy early Labor Day! I'm home this weekend, and tomorrow I'm going to the Michigan Renaissance Festival with a couple friends. We get really into it, dressing up and everything. I have a whole costume, complete with a pink bodice and horns. It's going to be really fun, and I can hardly wait!

I like that fall is coming. Well, sorta. The weather here is so weird. It was cool all summer, then there was a week in August when it was hot, then it got cold again, and now it's normal fall weather. So yeah. But I like all of the things that go along with fall: cider, sweaters, football games (which I only like because of band), pretending to be cold and having your boyfriend wrap his arms around you, etc. But yeah, I'm looking forward to it. In fact, after tomorrow I'm moving all of my winter clothes up to campus. It's kind of exciting.

So once the weekend's over, I'll actually have a chance to read Darcy's Passion: Pride and Prejudice Retold through His Eyes. Actually, I kinda completely forgot that I had it. But I'm in a romantic mood, so I figured I'd pull it off the shelf. Hopefully it does the original justice.

It's a Short One

2009-09-01T17:40:00.000-07:00

So this is my second day of college. It's really weird to be back and to see people here, but it's not too bad. My Tuesdays and Thursdays don't suck too bad, at least.

The book I'm reading right now is The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne. It's cute so far, but it's probably going to take me a while to finish since I have three English class with books that I'll have to read. So we'll see.

Dead Tired

2009-08-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

Geh, band camp is so exhausting! I'm really tired right now. I'd be asleep, but I asked my boyfriend to call me when he's done with bowling and they won't be done til midnight, so...I'll probably just snooze until then.

So I started a new book, The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne. It's ok so far, but I'm not even done with the second chapter, so we'll see.

I don't know how much people really know about band camp, but it's pretty much eating my soul. It's gonna be a long week.

All Moved In

2009-08-21T12:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm all moved in! It's so wonderful being back, it's kind of unreal. Granted, I haven't really unpacked and I'm currently the only one here, but it's still really great. (Getting to see my boyfriend everyday is an added bonus.)

I also finished Murphy's Law. It kinda sucked. Well, ok, the plot sucked. The smut scenes were really good, but if I was rating the story as a whole, it'd only get a 3. It was just really cliched.

So marching band starts tomorrow, which means I probably won't be posting much in the next week. Then again, I won't be reading much, so it's not like I'd have anything to post in the first place.

Procrastinating

2009-08-18T12:46:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't actually started Murphy's Law yet. I've been really busy packing, organizing, and studying. I'll probably start it tonight or tomorrow, since I won't have to worry about my exam, which is tonight in about 2 hours and 10 minutes. I'm nervous but I'm also quick happy to be done.

Also...I'm moving back tonight! I'm so excited! It seems unreal that summer is practically over, but it doesn't even matter, because I'm going back to where I belong!

Ahem. But seriously, I will read Murphy's Law. Eventually.

Bite Me (Not Literally, but in the Insult Way)

2009-08-15T06:24:00.000-07:00

So I finished Vampire Knight Vol. 7 about 5 minutes after my last post, and all I have to say is this: DAMN YOU, KANAME! I'm sorry, but I don't want him to be with Yuki. I don't hate him, but I hate him with her. He's like the hot but annoying big brother that won't go away. Seriously.

Today I'm helping my parents out at our garage sale. Since we got rained out last weekend, they decided to hold it again today. I don't know how many people we're going to get, but it better be a lot. I rarely venture upstairs into the light before noon (my room's in the basement). Today, however, I woke up at 8:00. It better be worth it - I don't get to sleep in again until next Friday, what with moving and everything.

So I'm a fanfiction writer who has been on hiatus for a little over a year. A lot of people have been sending me angry messages about updating, but I didn't want to bs a chapter just to make them happy. Today, though, I will probably write most if not all of the next chapter for one of my stories.

Counting Down the Days

2009-08-14T12:57:00.000-07:00

So have four days until I move back. Ah, I'm so excited! But I'm sure that wasn't hard to figure out.

I finished Pride and Prejudice and Zombies today, and I really must say, Jane Austen has risen in my estimation. I've never really read her books, but after that one (although it was altered a bit), I really want to try a few more of her works. I'm probably going to watch Pride and Prejudice later today.

My next books is one my stepsister gave me, a romance novel by the name of Murphy's Law by Lori Foster. I don't know, the whole "anything that can go wrong will go wrong" thing might work for smut, so we'll see.

I went to Barnes and Noble earlier today, and I bought the next Vampire Knight volume and Darcy's Passion: Pride and Prejudice Retold through His Eyes by Regina Jeffers. I'm really excited for both of them. Obviously the Jane Austen aspect made me want to buy the latter, so hopefully it'll be good.

While I'm watching Pride and Prejudice, I'm going to make cinnamon bread for my boyfriend's roommates. I'm going to be staying at his place until I can move into my apartment, and I feel bad about intruding upon them. Last time I was there, they were trying to make bread without any idea what they were doing, and they mentioned wanting cinnamon bread, but not being able to find a mix. So I'm making some for them. I think it's a good idea, baking for them so they won't resent me. Hopefully it'll work.

Manga Monthly: Best of the Best Part 1

2009-08-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

So it occurred to me this morning that I haven't done a Manga Monthly in two months. So to make up for that, instead of reviewing manga that I've read recently, I'll just basically list my favorites of all time.

Fruits Basket

So the majority of people have read this series, but if you haven't, you really should. This is literally the most popular shojou manga in the U.S. and deserves that title, in my opinion.

Basically, the guys in this manga are to die for, and there are plenty to drool over. My personal favorite is Yuki, but they're all pretty great.

The series is over now, with the 23rd volume released last month. But if you're jonesing for some more Furuba-ness, check out the anime, which is also pretty good.

Dramacon

Although Fruits Basket is listed first, this series is actually my favorite of the favorites. It's so adorable. It's only 3 volumes total, but this series really doesn't leave the reader hanging.

This is actually the manga that made me want to go to an anime convention in the first place. The idea of this happening in real life is just much too tempting to pass up! If you like shojou, hilarity, and of course drama, this is the series for you.

Aquarian Age: Juvenile Orion

So this is pretty different than the 2 series listed above. This is definitely not shojou, but it does have a little bit of romance mixed into it's sci-fi, action-filled plot.

The art in this series is spectacular. Hands down the best I've seen in a manga. The eyes...and the boys. This is another one with enough hot guys to turn any anti-shojou girl into a drooling fangirl. Seriously.
Basically, this is the only shonen manga that I've liked and bought, so it must be a keeper.

Vampire Knight

This is another popular one. I like it because it reminds me a little bit of Twilight, but only a little bit. I like to compare the two mostly because they are both vampire series that I love, but the similarities end there. Aside of course from how good and popular they both are.
I want to one day so a Yuki Cross cosplay costume, or at least the school uniform. It's so intricate though.

Now that I think about it, this is basically a vampire version of Fruits Basket, without a few obvious details. It's good in its own way too, though, and definitely worth reading. The 7th volume comes out this month.

The Wallflower: Yamatohadeshiko Shichihenge

Well the title is certainly a mouthful. This is a very different series. It's mostly a comedy with some romantic and horror undertones. But it's also the most random series I've ever read.

I don't really know what to say about this series. It's just really, really random, and quite funny. I think it's up to volume 20 now.

Hot Gimmick

This is basically your typical love square with an interesting twist. I had always wanted to read this one, and when I finally did, I was not disappointed, and I'll bet you won't be either.

You can't help but feel bad for everyone in this story. Seriously. It's almost like no one wins. And the guy you want to win may or may not even win. It's so drama-filled it's like watching a soap opera, only with better characters and a semi-believable plot line.

For all the negativity surrounding it, I do really like this series, and I know a lot of other people who do too. It's pretty good.

Back On

2009-08-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

Well, we got power back. You don't really realize how much you depend on things like electricity until it's gone. But what am I doing, get all philosophical?

In exactly one week, I'm moving back to school. I'm so happy! I can't wait, really. But there's so much to do. I have most of my things packed, but I have to do some back to school shopping and of course get everything into my car. That'll probably be the biggest challenge. I drive a Ford Contour, so it's not exactly the biggest car, and I'm not exactly the lightest packer. So we'll see.

Anyway, I'm about halfway through Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It's not bad. I read about half of the actual Pride and Prejudice, and it's basically the same thing. Hopefully I'll be able to finish it before I leave for school.

So my friend and I saw 500 Days of Summer. I loved it! I really like Zoey Deschanel, and the plot line was awesome! Even the soundtrack was great. I was quite impressed.

No Power

2009-08-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

So there was this huge storm last night that knocked out my power, and it still hasn't come back on. I'm going through computer withdrawal. I'm currently sitting in the library now, charging my phone and checking my email. It really kinda sucks.

I finished The Heretic's Daughter. It wasn't bad. I don't think the title suits it, though. Now I'm moving onto Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith (and of course Jane Austen), which, well, sounds interesting enough from the title. Hopefully it'll be good.

So I have to admit, I'm kinda high maintenance. And now that the power is out, I don't really know what to do. It kinda sucks. Hopefully it'll come back soon.

Only a Few Days Left

2009-08-07T17:49:00.000-07:00

I've been quite busy these last few days. My family's having a massive garage sale this weekend, and it's a lot harder pricing hundreds of Barbie dolls than you would think.

So I'm watching a show about the top 100 songs of the 90s, and I now have to put a Backstreet Boys CD on hold at the library.

I haven't finished The Heretic's Daughter yet, but I'm getting close. It's good - a lot more adult than the other witch trial books I've read. I do have to suggest a book to those who do like the whole witch hunt thing, and that would be Witch Child by Celia Rees.

There are only 11 days left until I move back to school. I'm so excited! I've been waiting forever for the 18th, and now it's nearly here! It'll be bittersweet, though, because I can't get books so readily at school. I'll find a way.

Those Fangs Apparently Aren't That Sharp

2009-07-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

So I finished Evernight, and, well, it wasn't as good as I was expecting. Not bad, but...not great. I've read better vampire novels, obviously.

My next book is The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent. It's 332 pages of Salem witch trial goodness. I'm pretty sure I'll like it considering my extreme soft spot for books about witches.

My whole family left this morning to go on a week long camping trip, and I'm staying behind by myself. I'm thinking this will be a good and a bad thing. Good because I get to get away with pretty much anything now that I'm alone, bad because, well, I'm alone. So we'll see.

Ugly?

2009-07-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention that I saw the movie The Ugly Truth. Basically, this movie was a romance novel projected word for word onto the big screen. It wasn't bad, but it was a lot dirtier than I thought it would be.

Unexpected Turn for the Worst

2009-07-27T09:12:00.000-07:00

Ah, I had a really good weekend. I visited my friends and my boyfriend. It was nice to talk to my college friends again - I'm getting kinda tired of everything at home. We basically hung out all weekend. It was nice. And of course seeing my boyfriend was nice too.

So Evernight has taken a dramatic turn, and by dramatic I mean it doesn't fit the book. You know how whenever there's a twist in the story, if you go back you can always find clues? Well, that's not how Evernight is. There are no clues, and even worse, the twist confuses the entire beginning of the story. So basically, it doesn't make sense anymore. But I will continue reading.

15 Down, Countless to Go

2009-07-21T17:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I finished Tangled Up in Love after reading it straight through for a few hours. It's one of the few romance novels I actually own, and it's pretty good. Well, ok, it's a little cheesy, but if you're looking for a cutsie little pick-me-up, this would be it.

The next book on my list is Evernight by Claudia Gray. This is actually the 3rd time I've checked this one out, but I've never been able to actually read it before it was due. So...hopefully I like it, since the librarians are probably wondering why I keep checking it out.

This brings me to the 19th book on my list, and if I finish it, it'll be the 15th novel I've finished this summer. That means 1 novel for every 5.6 days I've been on break. Not bad, in my estimation, but not my best, let me tell you. Oh well.

Drop It Like It's Hot

2009-07-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

I'm once again turning my cheek on a novel - Sag Harbor just wasn't doing it for me. I feel quite bad getting all of these books, starting them, and then not finishing them. I mean, I can't like every book, but these books are the ones with the longer waits, so I just feel bad.

Anyway, I'm replacing Sag Harbor with a book I know I like, Tangled Up in Love by Hailey North. As I'm sure you could tell, it's a smut novel, but since Loose and Easy fell a little short, I feel that a second is warranted.

So it's pretty short notice, but I'm suddenly going over to visit a few of my college friends and my boyfriend this weekend. I'm pretty excited! I miss my friends a lot since we've been kinda scattered all over the state, so it'll be really great to see them. And of course, to see my boyfriend.

Hoo Hum

2009-07-18T19:59:00.000-07:00

I finished Loose and Easy, and it wasn't as good as I thought it would be. I wanted fluffy smutty-ness, and I got a complicated and at times downright boring plot. Oh well. I'm combing through the library's database as we speak so I can find a romance novel that is actually based on romance.

My next novel, then, is Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead (which is, by the way, probably one of the most unfortunate last names ever). I don't know about this one - I'm not usually a fan of books with male leads, but we shall see.

HP Review

2009-07-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

-Takes deep breath- HARRY POTTER WAS AWESOME!

Ahem. Sorry. It was really good, though! I wasn't a big fan of the book, but the movie was really good! Go see it!

That's basically it. I have to bask in the glow of HP-ness.

HP Tonight!

2009-07-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited - Harry Potter comes out tonight! I'm leaving class early to get to the theater by 9:10ish since there's gonna be a line. Hopefully we'll get good seats!

On a more book-related note, I'm about a page and a half into Loose and Easy. -Hides face in hands- I feel so ashamed! I know that I should read this book - I've been in desperate need of a romance novel for a looooong time. And there really is no excuse, because it's not like I'm actually doing anything. So hopefully I'll have a chance to sit down and read some of it tomorrow.

Camping Here in the Woods

2009-07-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

I just had a really great weekend. My boyfriend came over and we went camping with my family. I know it doesn't sound like much fun, but I'm really happy to have even seen him. I really miss him when I'm at home, and I'm just so glad he came. Now I just have to survive the remaining 37 days until I move back. That'll be the longest I've ever gone without seeing him. I'm a little scared, but then I'll get to spend at least 4 months with him, so that's good at least.

I have abandoned Anathem and instead am going to start Loose and Easy by Tara Janzen. I think after looking at the numbers in the paragraph above a romance novel is exactly what I need.

Slightly Unhappy Mood

2009-07-08T10:57:00.000-07:00

So I finished Harry Potter. Again. It still isn't my favorite of the series, but I'm still really excited for the movie! It'll be interesting, though, because I'll be going straight from class, so I'll have to change in the cow. So we'll see.

The next book on my list is Anathem by Neal Stephenson. It's 937 pages. I hope I can actually finish it before it's due on the 22nd.

GAH! I really want summer to just be over. I've already been on break for 11 weeks, and I still have 6 to go. Now that I'm not working, I'm going crazy. It's pretty bad. I really just want to get back to college.

Sparks Flying

2009-07-04T20:46:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July! Here's to a day of obnoxious family, barbecue blowouts, and lackluster fireworks!

My computer has been awful lately, but today my day got a hold of it and was able to fix most of the problems, so hopefully things won't be too band from here on out.

I'm still working on Harry Potter, but it's going a lot faster than all of the other books I've been reading. I'm already on page 399 and I've only started it a few days ago. With that said, I really hope they put the whole Ron-under-the-influence-of-the-love-potion part in the movie. It's coming soon, and I'm getting really excited! Speaking of the movie, apparently Rupert Grint came down with a mild case of swine flu, and I therefore think that warrants putting his picture on my blog. (Plus he's insanely adorable...I love his hair!)

"Eee, I Like It!"

2009-07-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

If you're wondering about the title, that is what my sister squeaked as she rubber the underside of a mushroom across her upper lip. It was quite funny and oddly fitting, so I thought, why not?

I finished If I Stay. Wow. I really liked this one. The thing between Mia and Adam is kinda what's happening with me and my boyfriend now, so I could really relate with Mia in that aspect. The ending was amazing. This book made me cry. I was flat out sobbing. Which means you need to read this.

So I have this "friend" who I kind of hate. She's one of those people that you can only tolerate in very low doses - 3 or more hours and you just want to strangle her. I reluctantly invited her to room with us at Youmacon, gave her all the details about cost, and mentioned that she should get a badge early. So she asks how she does that, and I was like, the website, obviously. Come on. And then, just like she did four times last year, she asked me to post a link to the site because apparently she's incapable of typing "Youmacon 2009" into Google. It doesn't seem like much, but I seriously can't stand her. Gah.

Japanese-ness

2009-07-01T14:43:00.000-07:00

I was given a project in my HIS 1510 class. It's on the clothing styles of ancient Japan, which is right up my alley, since I've been taking Japanese for the past 4 years. I'm kinda excited - we have to write a magazine article about our topics, and, well, I'm looking forward to it. Plus it gets me out of homework for next week, which is always a plus.

I haven't finished If I Stay yet, but I like what I've read so far. It's cute, but manages to have this extremely dark undertone to it as well. It's due tomorrow, so hopefully I'll finish it tonight.

So I'm currently searching for a good Asian Market. I haven't been able to find one that's close to my house, which is slightly depressing. I really want to get some red bean paste, which sounds really gross but is actually delicious. I like to eat it in anpan, which is basically a sugar-glazed roll with sweet red bean paste inside, like a weird donut. It's so good, but I can't find it anywhere!

So Good!

2009-06-28T21:55:00.000-07:00

I finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and oh my god, I loved it. It was so good! Ah, the ending is perfect! I think I'll have trouble sleeping tonight, since I'll be thinking about this book. Ah!

Which brings me to the next book on my list, If I Stay by Gayle Forman. It's pretty short, but that is never a good indicator of how long it'll take me to read. Hopefully not too long.

In two weeks, I'll be going camping with my family, and my boyfriend's coming. He's met my mom and step-dad, but now he'll meet my siblings too. And to add to the already large party, both of my sisters are bringing friends, my stepsister is bringing her boyfriend, and my aunt and cousin are coming. So that'll be 13 people. It should be interesting - I guess he has to meet my family sometime.

Geekdom

2009-06-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

I bought tickets for the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince yesterday. I'm pretty excited! A few of my friends and I are going together, so it should be fun.

I'm also attempting to buy tickets for Youmacon, which is coming in October. I wanted to do the whole Gothic Lolita thing, but I have a football game to play at that weekend (I'm in the marching band), so I can only go up Saturday and Sunday. It sucks, but I'm glad I can still go. My cosplay costume is Nodoka Miyazaki from Negima!: Master Negi. My two sisters may be coming, and one of them might do Gothic Loli while the other is going as Renge from Ouran High School Host Club. This is my second year going, and it should be a lot of fun.

In September, my boyfriend and I are going to Cedar Point. I really, really want to go! It's going to be his birthday/anniversary gift (our anniversary is October 12th). I haven't been there in years, and I'm so excited!

I'm Back!

2009-06-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

Ah, what a lovely few days I've just had. I got to see my boyfriend! And in another two weeks, I'll get to see him again, which would be lovely, except he's meeting pretty much my entire family. It'll be interesting. But at least this time I don't have to miss him for so long.

I'm nearly finished with The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It's really interesting so far, and I'm looking forward to finishing it.

No Happy Ending

2009-06-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

So I finished Wintergirls. I don't really know what to say about this one. It was intense, that's for sure. It was good, too, but I really could not relate with the main character. Not at all. That's never happened before. Usually there's something about every character that I can say, "Yeah, I know what she means," but not in this one. It's good, but certainly not a light-hearted read.

The next book on my list is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. I've heard a lot of good things about this one. I hope that it's a bit more cheery than the last book.

Random Smattering

2009-06-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

Whew. So I finished Something, Maybe, and I've just gotta say that I love teen novels. I love how lighthearted and, well, carefree they are. Obviously, not all of them are carefree, which is proven with my latest novel, Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. Yes, the author of Speak, which is an insanely good novel, so I'm looking forward to this one. Unlike Speak, though, the main character in Wintergirls seems slightly unbalanced.

I got laid off of my job today. I was expecting it, of course. They hire seasonally, so when the season ends, they get rid of the extra workers. There were 10 people let go before me, so I at least know they liked me enough to keep me around for an extra week. But now I realize how much money I won't be making, and it's kinda disappointing. Oh well.

On the bright side, I'm going to visit my boyfriend again next week from Monday to Thursday. That's only 4 days. I'm so excited! I really can't wait to see him!

This is random, but if you've ever seen the movie He's Just Not That Into You, you will remember Dan the Wiccan. (If you haven't seen it, you really need to, because it's awesome.) Well, he's in a Progressive commercial, so everytime I see him, I think, "It's Dan the Wiccan!" It's a little sad, but I like it.

Another One Bites the Dust

2009-06-15T17:35:00.001-07:00

So I finished Jane Austen Ruined My Life, and it was pretty good. Except for the ending. If you're going to write a cutesy love story, it has to actually end as a cutesy love story. As in the guy and girl need to get together. Not happening in this book. So it was a little disappointing, but still a good book. It makes me want to read Austen, though, so at least that's something. Perhaps I'll add a few of her novels to my reading list...

So I realized after my last post that I never said anything about The Lucky One, which I did in fact finish. It was pretty good! The ending was certainly a nail-biter.

I'm now reading a feel-good teen romance novel (and when I say romance novel, I do not mean a smut novel, although I will most likely be reading a few of them in the near future) called Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott. So far, it's adorable. There's this guy, Finn, who likes the main character, and I think I'm going to add him to my list of favorite fictional guys. Go Finn!

It's Been Awhile, Huh?

2009-06-11T09:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the extreme delay in my latest post. I've been sorting out some issues, etc.

Anyway.

I started a new book, One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell, but was unable to finish it - it was taking me way too long, and honestly, I don't think it was worth the late dues I would've had to pay to my library. It was rather dry. However, I did finish The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Wow. Seriously. This book was insanely intense. I definitely did not predict the outcome, and the climax to the mystery kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Although there were some pretty dull parts that focused on economic standing of Sweden, which I really know nothing about and don't particularly care to, it was still really good. I'll be reading the next book in the series (even though I didn't realize it was a series until about 3 days ago) as soon as my library gets it.

The next book on my list is Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo, which I'm hoping will be a bit of a lighthearted, easy read. After The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I'm kinda looking for something a little bit less dramatic.

So I've gotten my boyfriend to start reading the Harry Potter books. He'd seen the movies but had never read the series, so I convinced him to try them out. He's on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows now, although he skipped the 5th book because he couldn't find it at any libraries around him and wanted to finish the series. It's actually kinda cool that he's reading the books because I am an HP junkie and it's cool to discuss and debate the books with a new person with new opinions. And speaking of HP, the time to pre-order tickets and such for the 6th movie is now, people! I'm probably going to call my theater later today and figure everything out.

Speaking of my boyfriend, I've had a dilemma as of late, but it actually has less to do with my boyfriend as it does all of my friends' lack of boyfriends. There is one that really needs a boyfriend so she can stop being, I'm sorry, a whiny, vicious bitch, and another who needs a boyfriend because she just seems genuinely lonely. (And it probably doesn't help that her little sister, who is 3 years younger, just acquired and dumped her first boyfriend.) The latter friend, Katie, isn't a social pariah - she talks to guys, has guy friends, and is simultaneously athletic and geeky. What guy wouldn't want a girl they could play baseball/basketball/volleyball with and then discuss the original Star Wars trilogy with? But there is something holding Katie back, and it's frankly that she dresses like her mother: non-fitted t-shirts, too long to be stylish shorts, chunky white gym shoes, etc. Let's be honest, in this world, you cannot get by on personality alone. Sometimes you need to look the part. And Katie isn't hideous or deformed. There's no reason why guys wouldn't like her if they didn't instantly label her as a geek because of how she looks. It actually really bothers me, because I know first hand how cool she is, and I want her outside to reflect her inside. I'm not saying she needs to change, I'm just channeling my inner What Not To Wear. Is that bad?

Blog Problems

2009-05-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

So I posted the May edition of Manga Monthly 2 days ago, and it isn't showing up. It kinda annoying, but chances are that it'll show up after I post this, so that's basically why I'm posting this.

I got a webcam a few days ago, since I got my first pay check (!). So now I can actually see my boyfriend when I talk to him. It's pretty cool, and I'm glad I bought it.

Book 6 Down!

2009-05-25T17:43:00.000-07:00

So I finished Envy: A Luxe Novel today, and wow. Talk about drama. I really like this series - it makes me think less about the troubles in my life.

The next book on my list is The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks. Talk about a popular novel. There were 33 people in line to read it when I put it on hold (there are usually 2 or 3). So I'm going to read it and hopefully have it done by the 3rd of June when it's due. I'm kinda excited to read it since the author's so popular.

It's really rather sad that I'm working so much. I have tomorrow off, so I'm returning 8 unread books to the library. I can't finish them all with how busy I've been recently. It kinda sucks, but I'll put them on hold again and hopefully finish them before the summer's over. Hopefully.

I'm a bit worried, though, about my job. I really kinda hate it. Between work, my classes, and stressing out about my relationship, I have come to find myself completely overwhelmed. I could do 30 hours a week, but I can't do 40. If I can't get the 4 days in June that I want off to visit my boyfriend, I may quit. I value my time and work greatly, and I need the money, but I'd rather not have a job than be constantly stressed and making minimum wage. So I hope they give me the time off, because I would really rather not quit.

Day Off

2009-05-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

So today is my first day off of work in 6 days, which may not seem like much, but I put in 8 hours a day, which means I worked 48 hours this week. Fun. I'm working again tomorrow, but then I have Tuesday and Friday off, so it's ok. I'm also requesting some time off in June and July; I get to see my boyfriend again!

So I'm nearly finished with Envy: A Luxe Novel, but as I read it, I am also single-handedly supporting my public library with my late fees. It's not a big deal - I want them to get new books more than anyone. Of course, I would have more time to read if I weren't working all the time. Obviously I'm quite bitter.

New Book # 6

2009-05-20T16:33:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before that I work at a plant nursery. I'm a part time, minimum wage employee, and yet I am currently working a 48 hour week, with the promise of another one looming on the horizon. It royally sucks.

Anyway, the novel that I've replaced The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo with is Envy: A Luxe Novel by Anna Godberson. It's going to end up being overdue, since it's due tomorrow, but I don't really care. I personally love the Luxe series, and I will pay the price to read it!

A Lovely Weekend

2009-05-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

So I had a very good weekend. I got to see my boyfriend and spend all sorts of time doing things with him. But I felt quite crushed on the way home. I hate that I can't spend time with the guy I love on a regular basis. Stupid college relationships...not that I would trade this for anything. I like to describe my feelings through songs sometimes, and the song for the feeling I get being away from him is Cancer by My Chemical Romance (not the actual cancer part, but the rest of it).

Anyway, I did not finish The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on time, so that book has been currently suspended and I'll be moving onto the next novel as soon as I pay my late fees...but never fear, I'll get TGwtDT back! As soon as everyone else has read it.

So back to this weekend, I saw Angels and Demons on Sunday and holy crap. This movie really blew the previous one out of the water. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I have to admit, I originally wanted to see it because of Ewan McGregor, who manages to make priests look hot, but this movie was totally worth it. So go see it!

Class Act

2009-05-12T13:13:00.000-07:00

I officially have until Thursday to finish The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It's due on the 16th, but I'll be leaving for Grand Rapids on Thursday, so it has to be done by then. I already tried to renew it, but someone has a hold on it, so Thursday it is. Wish me luck.

Today is my first day of Spring classes. I only have class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but today is history, and I'm not exactly looking forward to it.

New Book #5

2009-05-11T13:57:00.001-07:00

My new book is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larson. So far it's very different from what I normally read, considering that it is a thriller versus a romance or teen novel. Oh well...I'm kinda getting into the story, so we'll see.

I start my summer classes tomorrow, or rather, I have one of them tomorrow. It's a history course, which I generally tend to not be a huge fan of. I really hope that I don't get lost on the way there - I did the first time I went.

Two Down, Many, Many to Go

2009-05-10T16:33:00.000-07:00

So I finished Just Breathe, and I liked it a lot! I ended up staying up really late to finish it, but it was worth it! Granted, I didn't totally love the ending, but the book as a whole was really great, so it gets 4 out of 5 stars.

I had to work today, and as I was ringing people up, this guys comes to my counter, and I swear to God that he was exactly how I pictured Will from Just Breathe. It was so weird. Same mannerisms, same features. I nearly swooned and died. So it was a good day today.

Yay TV!

2009-05-08T18:24:00.000-07:00

Ah, I really want to finish Just Breathe. I want to know what happens! Well, I mean, it's obvious what will happen. She'll have her baby and get together with Will, but I still want to finish it.

I'm super excited because The Soup is on tonight! It's on at 10:00 pm on E! It's one of my favorite shows, but I haven't seen it in a while because I didn't have a TV. So I'm looking forward to it.

Swine Flu?!

2009-05-07T13:47:00.000-07:00

Just Breathe is coming along swimmingly. The only thing I really dislike about it is that the perspective, after about the 5th chapter, starts switching between the main character and a man who is presumably going to end up in her life. It a little annoying because while it helps the reader gain insight into both parties' minds, I'd rather just read about the main character and be ignorant about her soon to be boy toy. But other than that, I'm enjoying it.

So today I went into work at 10:00 am and got back around 4:00 pm. I do really like my new job - the people there are pretty nice. The only part I have a problem with is being called in at 8:00 am as I was this morning.

On a totally random note, I never thought that the swine flu thing was a huge deal, and neither did half of the younger American population, if Facebook is any indication. But still, when I saw this, it made me laugh. It's Natalie Dee's 5/6 comic, entitled "It's Called the Circle of Life, Folks." Enjoy. http://www.nataliedee.com/archives/2009/May/

New Book #4

2009-05-06T10:58:00.000-07:00

So I've started my next book, Just Breathe by Susan Wiggs. It's pretty good so far. The story's about a cartoonist who is attempting to get pregnant and who finds out her husband is cheating on her. I'm only on chapter 4, but I can already tell that this one is gonna be better than the last 2.

Yesterday I decided to sit outside in attempts to rid myself of my pasty exterior, but instead I got a lovely sunburn on my shoulders and legs. It's pretty great. I hope it fades soon, though, since I'm journeying across the state to visit my boyfriend next weekend(!) and I'd rather not look like a tomato when I see him. Since, you know, most people don't find tomatoes insanely attractive.

Ah, Disappointment

2009-05-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I finished A Cedar Cove Christmas, and I have to say that I'm less than impressed. I liked the writing style up until the latter half of the book, but the story line, stolen directly from The Nativity Story, was cliched and dull. And come on, "the three Wyse men?" Stupid and lackluster. Not all that great. 2 out of 5 stars.

Book/Shoe Hunting

2009-05-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

I have decided to abandon Home. I can tell within the first 40 pages whether or not I like a book, and I could tell within the first 5 with this one. So it's being stricken from the list. Moving on.

Instead I'll be reading A Cedar Cove Christmas by Debbie Macomber. I know that since it's May, it's a bit out of season, but I think it'll be better than the last book, so we shall see.

So I bought this dress a while ago, and I love it. It's cream colored with blue embroidery and a lace-up back, and it's adorable. But here's the catch: it's one of those dresses that needs red shoes. You know, red patent flats or sandals, and I'd like either peep-toe flats or those simple strappy flat sandals. But I can't find them anywhere. I walked around my entire mall and looked online at all of the nearby shoe stores. There's nothing. I'm quite disappointed. I really love that dress, but I have no shoes to wear with it.

Theaters, Novels and Boys, Oh My!

2009-05-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

So yesterday my friend an I saw Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. I thought it was going to be really stupid, but it was actually pretty good. It was so weird seeing Matthew McConaughey with his clothes on...I'm not a super huge fan of either him or Jennifer Garner, but the story was cute and different, aside of course from the fact that it stole its plot from Charles Dickens.

I'm not making a whole lot of progress with Home. Unfortunately, it's due back at the library on May 9th, along with another novel, so I kinda need to speed up the process.

On a more personal note, I have 2 things to say: I got a new job and my boyfriend lives nearly 300 miles away. Yeah. My job is at a plant nursery, and my boyfriend lives on the other side of the state (we met at college). It'll be interesting trying to get through all of my books when my new job requires that I be available to work 6 days a week. Not too bad. I'll be getting a lot of hours, so it should be good. With my boyfriend, though, I'm really only gonna see him twice before school starts up again, unless of course he visits me. I don't really mind, but it's weird. Who knows, maybe the heart really does grow fonder.

On another totally unrelated note, I seem to like starting my paragraphs with "So..." I'll try to work on that...

Books, Books, and More Books

2009-04-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

So I went to the library to pick up my books, and I realized that I have until May 21st to read 26 novels. That's only about 4 weeks. Sure I could renew them, but just the prospect makes me picture this leaning tower of books with me standing at the bottom looking up. It's kinda daunting, but at the same time, I'm excited to have so many books to entertain me.

I started my next book, Home by Marilynne Robinson, today. I'm not sure how this one's gonna go. It seems OK so far, but I'm only 5 or 6 pages in. So who knows.

I think that tonight I'm going to watch Anastasia. It's one of my favorite animated movies, and the music is phenomonal. I always find it funny when people think it's a Disney movie...it's not, by the way.

One Novel Down

2009-04-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

So I finished Grace: A Novel, and wow. It was...not amazing, but really, really good. I nearly cried at the end, and I very rarely cry when I read, even at the saddest books. But although it was good, I thought it was a bit predictable. I guessed what was happening within the first 40 or so pages. But still, four and a half stars.

So there's this commercial that has a song that goes, "I think that possibly maybe I'm falling for you..." It's really pretty, and I quite love the song, Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQO7IUrqXqY I think I have a thing for commercial songs...

Adventures in Library-dom

2009-04-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

I love my library. Before college, I used to stop in once a week and pick up the books I had on hold. I usually go through 2 -3 novels a week, so the people at the library all knew me by name. They'd see me walk through the door, roll their eyes slightly, then head back and grab my basket full of books and CDs.

Now that I'm back from school for the summer, I put a lot of things on hold - 41 to be exact, and 18 of them came in today. 18 novels. I'm going to be very busy for the next few days.

So I just wanted to put this on here because it made me laugh. This is the 4/24/09 comic from Cyanide and Happiness. http://www.explosm.net/

Current Books and Movies

2009-04-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

I'm currently reading Grace: A Novel by Richard Paul Evans. It's pretty good so far. I'm not usually a fan of male narrators, especially 14 year old ones, but this one is probably better for it. It's about a boy who helps a girl escape her abusive home (that's what the inside cover says, anyway).

The Barnes and Noble that I frequent has a used books section complete with used manga. Of course, every time I try to turn in my manga, they aren't accepting it. It's quite annoying, considering I've had a bag stuffed with manga sitting in my room for the last 11 months.

My favorite movie right now is The Wedding Date starring Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney. The book it's based off of, Asking for Trouble by Elizabeth Young, is also really good, although the movie didn't recreate the book so much as it took the main idea and turned it into something completely new, and honestly, I like the movie better. I really love this movie and think that everyone should see it. Yes, that means you.

Manga Monthly Review: B.O.D.Y., The Wallflower, and Chibi Vampire

2009-04-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

So I actually had to search for manga to do this with, and because of that some of the manga I'm reviewing is stuff I read online as opposed to actual volumes. I know a lot of people frequent One Manga, but I prefer Manga Fox. http://www.mangafox.com/

B.O.D.Y. Chapter 6 - 12

I own the first volume of this, but I couldn't wait (or afford) to buy the second, so I read the chapters online.

I'm just gonna say it: Fuji is my idea of the perfect guy. Seriously. He's cute and wears glasses, but he's really good looking underneath them (I have a thing for guys who wear glasses). He's also stubborn, selfish, and not afraid to let Ryouko know how he feels about her. In other words, he's like a real person, and I love him for it.

I really think that the things that happen in this manga are a bit far fetched, even for shoujo. I mean, come on, the manager getting stabbed? Really?

The Wallflower (Yamatonadeshiko Shichihenge) Vol. 17

Ah, the wallflower. It's easily the weirdest series I've ever read, but I still love it.

I WANT SUNAKO AND KYOHEI TO GET TOGETHER ALREADY! It's been 17 volumes, and 18 and 19 are already out. I'll get on reading them and hopefully I won't be disappointed...

I know that the volumes are weird, but this one seemed really weird.

Chibi Vampire Vol. 4-6

So I really wish that I had picked a book that didn't end with a cliffhanger. Ugh...This isn't even one of my favorites and I was nearly screaming, "WHAT HAPPENS!"

I liked her grandmother - she had really cool hair, except that I wish it was that length all the way around. I hated what she did, though. It's like, oh sure, come on in and ruin everything, go ahead. But I did really like the way she described her husband, and how in love they were. Of course, him dying was sad.

Manga Monthly Review: Fruits Basket and Vampire Knight

2009-04-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

As an avid manga reader (and it's pronounced mAHn-gah, not mEHn-gah. I would know I take Japanese), I have decided to dedicate my first actual review to the growing book genre. Unfortunately, my current financial situation (or lack thereof) restricts the number of manga I can buy, so I'll only be doing a monthly review. So here's the review for the month of April. (Spoiler Alert)

Fruits Basket Vol. 22

Let me just start out by saying that Fruits Basket is one of my favorite manga series of all time. So anyway...

Ah, the Sohma curse. Broken at last. But honestly, I didn't like the way it was done. Where was the tension? Where was the drama? I know Natsuki Takaya tried, what with everyone crying when they were "let go," but I felt as if it went by way too quickly.

On a less negative note, I really loved the part in which Kyo hugged Tohru and he didn't change. It was really cute. As was Yuki hugging Machi. I did think it was a bit much that he kissed her, though. They're cute together, but that's moving it a bit fast.

I thought it was perfect that Hana befriended Akito, and then calls her Aa-chan. Adorable. But I wish the relationship between Akito and Shigure had been further developed. I really like them as a couple, but it looked to me like Shigure left Akito, and I wish that would have been clarified. I am really glad that Arisa and Kureno got together, but it made me think of something: Momiji wasn't in this volume at all. Where was he, when he should have been hugging his sister? Will he be reunited with his mother? What happens?

Obviously, Natsuki Takaya has a lot to cover in volume 23. Hopefully she will. I give it four stars.

Vampire Knight Vol. 6

Vampire Knight is another series I'm in love with. It of course doesn't hurt to have so many attractive male characters. With Zero, Kaname, and of all the other boys in the night class, it's like Ouran High School Host Club meets Twilight, minus the werewolves and Tamaki's blind stupidity. Anyway...

Yuki is probably the most oblivious character I have ever seen. Come on, who has to wonder why a childhood friend nearly kissed her? It's kinda obvious: he likes you. Honestly, I really wish he had kissed her. I love the Yuki/Zero pairing.

I really like Kaname. I like the gentlemanly things he does and the things he says, but I don't like him with Yuki. I didn't like that he asked her to become a vampire. He didn't have to - Yuki would have done it anyway - but the fact that he did really bothers me. I don't know if I like the character Kaname is turning into.

Zero is so noble in this book. Like, Edward Cullen noble. It's kinda annoying. I wish that male characters would stop assuming that girls are merely helpless little beings who cannot possibly survive without the help of a big, strong man. But I digress...I did, however really like the way he kinda slid up to Yuki to bite her neck, but the fact that he failed to kiss her again is very disappointing.

I want to see what happens with Senri and his dad. That should be interesting. Four stars.

This has been the Manga Monthly. Tune in next month when I review...more manga.

The Paper Doll's Books

2009-04-27T15:15:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome. This is basically going to be a mass of book reviews, book-related topics, and random personal stuff. Everything here is my opinion, and if you feel differently about something, that's your right, but please don't bother me with it. Thanks.