12 meses 12 libros: November: Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

This one is late too, but slightly less late than the last few months, lol.  Give me a break, doing the best I can, guys.

Anyways, November's theme was best sellers.  I actually had trouble deciding on a book for this month... part of it was that I mixed up the themes for November and October, lol, and part of it is that both of those themes were very broad.  That can give you a lot of freedom, but it also doesn't give you any ideas where to start.  But there's a copy of Jurassic Park at our library, I like the movie (and dinosaurs, of course) so I thought I may as well give this book a shot!

(Is this wrap around cover not absolutely cool and gorgeous??? Wow.)

I really enjoyed this book a lot!  I will admit, though it was well written and I liked it a lot, and it was good from the start, it did take it a while to really get going.  For that thrilling fast pace to kick in. It's similar to but different from the movie, and I can't really say which is better (they're both great in their own ways), but I think some of the characters are better in the book.  Lex is the only one I can think of right off that was less enjoyable in the book (she whines a lot... if you did a drinking game and took a shot every time she said, "I'm hungry!" or "I'm tired!" you'd die of alcohol poisoning).  But this was a super exciting story, kind of dark, really cool. I'm glad I took a chance on it.

I also reviewed this book here on my goodreads page.  Follow me there for more regular updates on what I'm reading and occasional reviews!

I started reading this book on November 24th and finished it on December 2nd.  I read about half of it and listened to about half of it as an audio book.

Bottom line, would I recommend this book? Definitely, especially if you like the movie or just dinosaurs in general.

12 meses 12 libros: October: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Yes, this is indeed very late.  Again.  I apologize.  I would like to say it won't happen again, but I can't promise that.  I can try, but I can't promise.  (Not like I'm not reading... I'm an editor, it's a big part of my job... I just hate not meeting up with arbitrary goals I've set for myself, and this makes my life even more difficult lol.  But you know.  It be like that lmao.)

Anyways, October's theme was a famous author from your country (not bestsellers, which is next month... as detailed in this post, I mixed them up, lol.  But turns out the book I picked for October and November both fit the themes for both October and November, so I think I'm still good).  I read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, which I had been wanting to read for quite some time.  I really love the movie, so I was looking forward to checking the book out.

Words can't describe how great this book is.  The characters are pitch perfect, compelling, and absolutely horrible people.  The plot (which I was familiar with, because of the movie -- a pretty faithful adaptation) is a wild ride and not at all predictable.  Even though I knew what would happen I was still on the edge of my seat, not wanting to put the book down.  I want to write characters with this much depth.  Even when you know for a fact that you're dealing with liars, you find yourself buying what they're saying.  A very skillfully written book.  I enjoyed it so much.

I share more of my thoughts on this book in my (equally glowing) Goodreads review here.  You should totally follow me, btw.

I started this book on October 21st and finished on November 12th.  (Again, I regret that I finished late, but what can you do.... it didn't take me that long because of lack of enjoyment.  I just have been a bit busier than I'd like to be, leaving me less free time to spend curled up with a book -- which is where I frankly belong, lol.)

Bottom line, would I recommend this book to a friend? YES.  Even if you've seen the movie, especially if you've seen and enjoyed the movie.  If you like fucked up stories about fucked up people, this one is It, baby.

my yearly "nano is hell" post

This is old news but writing is hard and NaNoWriMo is hell.  I'm trying really hard to keep up with all my various things I've got going on (not much, but I'm a candy ass so it seems like a lot) and I'm stressed due to Life Reasons, but like.  I'm keeping going.  Me @ me: you are SO brave!

Book Log August-October

It's ya girl, a reading fool, lol.  I really haven't gotten nearly as much reading done as I'd like to, for various reasons, but I'm trying to get back into the swing of things.  As usual, let me know if you'd like to hear more about specific titles.  Btw if you want real time updates on what I'm reading (and the occasional review of certain titles) follow my Goodreads... which I have had since 2011 and only recently started updating again lol whoops.

The Incredi-Files by John Edwards
Batwoman Vol.2
Super Sons of Tomorrow
Goosebumps Scary Summer (Graphic novel)
Goosebumps The Blob the Ate Everyone by R.L. Stine
Walk Your Dog by Elizabeth Stevens Omlor
American Girl Felicity Short Story Collection by Valerie Tripp
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Here Come the Girl Scouts! by Shana Corey
Magic Beans and Golden by Avon Van Hassel (I edited these books!  Go grab your copies on Kindle!)
Rise of the Black Panther graphic novel
Baby-Sitters Club #54 Mallory and the Dream Horse by Ann M. Martin
A Study in Scarlet/The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King
Jack and the Beanstalk: The Graphic Novel
Alice in Wonderland Remixed by Marlon McKenney
More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
The Flintstones: The Official Movie Book by Jody Duncan
Halloween by Curtis Richards
Kristy's Big Day (Baby-Sitters Club graphic novel) by Gale Galligan (adapted from Ann M. Martin)
Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas by Dav Pilkey
Little Women (Great Illustrated Classics edition) by Louisa May Alcott (adapted by Lucia Monfried)
Archie Comics Halloween Blowout 1 and 2 (Pep Digital #25 and #60 respectively)
Sabrina's Monster Manual (Pep Digital #112)
Josie and the Scaredy Cats (Pep Digital #166)
Rotten Ralph's Trick or Treat by Jack Gantos
Corduroy by Don Freeman
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

I did it again

You may have noticed that I haven't posted about my October book.  I got behind again.  What with work, the online class, social commitments and other plans, plus not having a lot of energy (thanks depression! and also.... thanks life!) and not really feeling like reading as much when I was free, I haven't made as much progress as I planned.  I did actually end up spending a lot of my reading time in the last few weeks reading Halloween themed comics to get me in the mood for Halloween.  Plus, I bought them on sale on comixology recently, so I wanted to actually read them so I wouldn't feel bad about spending the money, lol.  But yeah, so... once again, I'm late on finishing this book.  It's not anything to do with the actual book (I'm enjoying that immensely) life just happens, unfortunately.  I'm also holding off on my actual book log post until I have the book finished.  I did start it in October, so I want to list it on my August-October book log post... and I don't feel right listing it if I haven't finished it yet, lol.  I had only been doing two months per post, but since things have been eh lately I haven't read as much as usual, so it would have been even shorter than it unfortunately is.  I go through phases recently where I either read voraciously or not at all.  I'm reading a little, but not enough... and the sheer amount of library book and whatnot I want to get through is intimidating me and making me read less.  Anxiety kicks in, lol.  So.... I'm fighting life as well as my own shitty brain.  But I love reading, I don't want to lose that hobby or that love, due to depression or fucking anything else... and reading a lot is one of the things that makes you a better writer.  So I will read as much as I can, but I also need to learn to lower my expectations, and not make it seem like a chore.  It's a gift... and I'm grateful.

🎃🎃🎃

I love Halloween.  The last couple of years though, because of various life reasons, I haven't felt much spirit for it.  (Christmases have been even worse, but I will get into that in December, lol.)  I feel it starting to happen again... stress creeps up, various things pull me down... and I miss out on having fun on what should be one of the most fun days of all.  I really, really want to turn this around.  I want to fix it, but I just... don't really know how.  So I'm doing my best to put on a game face and hope maybe if I tell myself that I'm happy I'll be happy.

I have made an error

So for some reason I got things a little backwards in my planning for the 12 libros 12 meses challenge.  I thought October was bestseller month and November was a famous author from your country.  Turns out it's the other way around.  But I've already checked out the bestseller Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn for this month... and I hadn't picked my famous American author yet.  Yikes.  BUT... Gillian Flynn is American, and between Gone Girl and Sharp Objects I'd say she is very well known.  So I'm sticking with this book.  And next month I'll try to find another bestseller that also happens to be by an American... that way it'll sort of even out, lol.

a post i promised a loooong ways back

So what have I been so busy with, you ask?  Well, I've talked about my editing work.  I've had a few more projects, including an ongoing one that involves transcribing audio (so I can only do that when I have the front room to myself).  I'm hoping to get lots more editing work, since I'm trying to raise money for the property taxes.  So since I'm trying to make a go of the freelance business thing, I did a five day challenge to learn how to brand and market myself and my services.  Marketing is still super tricky, but I'm trying, lol.  Then I also decided to do an online class about the history of royal fashion -- it's a free course, I obviously love history and historical fashion, and it's something to do with a friend.  I've also been trying to get back to duolingo because my Spanish is rusty af and I hate that, so I want to practice.  All of this, in addition to trying to get to the library from time to time, attempting to have a social life, running a gotdam household, and my requisite 6 hours of depressed crying per day, I've had a lot on my plate lol.  But there are also days when I've kind of taken care of everything that needs to be immediately be taken care of, and I'm just... hanging out.  So I keep busy but also still have nothing but time and I still manage to not get enough done, lol.  I don't get it either!  But you know.  A bitch does her best.

12 meses 12 libros: September: A Study in Scarlet/The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Yes, this is really late.  Life happens though, lol.  The theme for September was a work by a classic author.  That's a pretty broad category, and there are a lot of classics out there I had yet to have a chance to read.  I decided on a Sherlock Holmes book because, despite loving the character and owning a massive collection of the stories for like 20 years I had never actually read any.  (I know, for shame.)  I wanted to read The Hound of the Baskervilles since that is one of the most iconic and celebrated pieces in ACD Holmes canon, but then I also wanted to read A Study in Scarlet, since that was the character's debut and it made sense to start there.  Luckily my library had a copy with both in one volume!

 (I included covers for the version I read as well as individual covers for each story.)I really really enjoyed both these stories.  They're both very different in their plot and pacing, but the tone is consistent between the two.  There were times when I just had to put the book down and sit and think, "Wow.  That was so good!"  I enjoyed it so much, I will definitely be reading more Holmes stories.

I started reading this on September 26 and finished on October 11.  The length of time it took me to read a measly 300 pages doesn't reflect on the quality of the stories... I was just busy, depressed, and also took a couple days off between the two stories to read something else, lol.  Do I not get credit for the fact that it's technically two books though? Lol.

Would I recommend this book to a friend? Of course.

ha

took me until october 11 but i finished my september book, lol.  kinda busy at the moment with various things (i will probably talk about them later... not being cryptic, just don't have time at the moment lol) so i will make my usual post as soon as possible.  hopefully the october book will still be done before the end of the month!

Hm

I just started my September book yesterday.  There are a lot of life reasons for that (been busy, depressed, and stretched thin because of having a lot of other shit to do), but I'm still not happy about it... especially since I was looking so forward to this book.  I may not finish it before the month is up. :(  I'm gonna try though!

since I last posted...

A few things have happened.

• I finished editing two books for my friend
• My friend published (!) said books
• I may have some more editing work coming my way
• I got a Polly Pocket castle
• Oh, I guess I should have said this first but I decided to collect Polly Pocket lol
• Hung out with some friends
• Celebrated Mabon (aka Pagan Thanksgiving lol)
• Got really depressed, got better, rinse, repeat
• Started playing The Sims Freeplay and it is a blackhole of free time lol

you know that feeling when..........

...you're tired for no reason (or, you know, because of the untreated depression lol) and you have stuff to do, but you're tired and also struggling with executive dysfunction, so those things seem insurmountable, but then you feel guilty for not doing them because you're unemployed and have no children so what right do you even have to ever be tired?  It sounds so stupid, so very very stupid.  I'm such a bad, lazy, worthless person.  And also I've been trying hard to can the negative self talk and believe it or not I've gotten better, lol.  It's just really hard not to think negative things when you feel negative things.  It's shit honestly.

12 meses 12 libros: August: A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

August's theme was a book older than 100 years old.  I read/have read a lot of classics, and I have even more on my massive list to eventually read, so the difficulty this month was in deciding on one, lol.  I ended up going with A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett because the story has been one of my favorites for some time (I adore the 1995 movie) and we had a gorgeous copy right there at our library branch.

 

I really enjoyed this book.  Sara is a very endearing character and the story is very engaging.  I was so familiar with the 1995 movie, which has a fair number of differences from the book, that I was very curious to see how similar the two are.  Aside from the ending I'd say that film is a pretty faithful adaptation, and the fact that it was different gave me the experience of not knowing how this would end, and not knowing how things would come to be where they needed to be.  It was exciting to see what fell into place!  I liked the book enough that I could easily see it becoming something I re-read regularly. 

I started this book on August 11th and finished on August 18th.  It's not crazy long, but I took my time (and took my birthday off reading because I was busy allllll day lol).

Bottom line, would I recommend this book?  Yes!  Very much so.  Especially if you're the kind of person who has ever fancied yourself a princess. 👑

dirty thirty

Turned 30 this past wednesday.  Actually had a pretty nice and fun birthday.  And I was worried I would feel weird about this, but honestly it hasn't felt different.  29 felt more heavy for some reason, lol.

you know how sometimes it's just so fucking hot

Book Log June-July (Summer Reading Edition)

Moving on!  More books.  Trying to keep reading a lot... I had gotten sort of slowed down by life bullshit lol, but I want to press on.  Lots of kids books, some comics, and other good stuff mixed in.  As usual, let me know if you'd like to hear some more in depth thoughts on any of these titles.

From Rags to Riches: A History of Girls' Clothing in America by Leslie Sills
Understanding Coding with Lego Mindstorms by Patricia Harris
Princess Hair by Sharee Miller
Mi Mundo (My World, Spanish edition) by Margaret Wise Brown
The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures Vol. 2
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
Hello Kitty: Delicious graphic novel
Kindred (Graphic novel adaptation) by Octavia E. Butler, adapted by Damian Duffy and John Jennings
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
Black Panther Book Three
Super Mario Adventures graphic novel
Nancy Drew #48 The Crooked Banister by Carolyn Keene
I Love You for Miles and Miles by Alison Goldberg
Black Panther Long Live the King
Action Comics: 80 Years of Superman and Action Comics #1000
Ms. Marvel's Fists of Fury by Calliope Glass
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Golden Book Favorites
Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach

12 meses 12 libros: July: Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach

The theme for this month was a book you picked based on the cover.  A while ago (a month or two, I think) I went to a library sale.  If you ever have a chance to go to one of these, you definitely should!  You can get books for cheap and all the proceeds go to help your local library.  I got like 15ish books for less than $7 that day, and one of them was Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach.  You guys know I love kids books and I love Shakespeare, and I thought the cover looked cool and fun... it implied mystery, and the art style reminded me a bit of A Series of Unfortunate Events, so I knew this would be a good book for this month.

This was a really cute, fun little book.  I'd never heard of it, or the author, but I'm glad I picked it up.  I got to really like the characters, the mystery was fun, and there was a really nice (happy) twist that I didn't see coming, but in hindsight the clues were there.

I started this book July 21st and finished July 25th.  It's not terribly long (over 200 pages but it is a kid's book) and it only took me as long as it did to finish because I had other things going on (watching true crime videos on youtube mostly lol).


Bottom line, would I recommend this book to a friend? Yeah!  I don't think it's by any means a must read or a life changing book, but it's really fun and you'll probably enjoy it, especially if you're a big nerd who has ever wondered if Shakespeare is really Shakespeare.

i think i'm having what the kids call

a major depressive episode

unimpressed emoji

days are so interminably long in the summer.  you're hot and miserable and depressed, because you have clinical depression (although also because it's so goddamn hot and that would depress anyone), and things just suck more.  you just want to find some taste of joy to make the time pass but you don't enjoy anything because you're a miserable excuse for a human and also it's your own fault you're that way.  i am not happy.

am i allowed to pray for technology?

So yesterday I moved the screen on my laptop back by like half an inch, and I felt something give. The hinge broke, and now the screen is coming open a bit on the side.  I'm really stressed and worried about that, but I just really hope it's going to end up being fixable.  I definitely would prefer not to be without a laptop, and I certainly can't afford to replace it.

Right now I'm working on my camp nano project, and it's actually going really well.  The story is angsty and I don't like it, but I think I needed to get it out, because I've actually gotten a good amount of words out.

Would be a shame for my comp to kick rocks as soon as I'm able to write, lol.

12 meses 12 libros: June: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

The theme for this month was a genre you've never read before.  Over my years, I've read a lot of different stuff, and I've honestly dabbled in most genres, so I decided to go with sci-fi, since it's something I've read little of.  A youtuber I like mentioned reading Dark Matter by Blake Crouch last year, and it sounded interesting, so I decided that would be my sci-fi pick.  However right before I began the book, I realized that a lot of its reviewers describe it as sort of genre bending -- it's a sci-fi thriller.  So that fits even more than planned.

I liked this book a lot.  It was engaging and NOT predictable, which is a combination that always leads to a book I can't put down.  As I mentioned, I haven't read a lot of sci-fi, but this was definitely a book you wouldn't need to be a huge sci-fi fan to enjoy.  I'd also say you wouldn't even need to be a huge thriller fan... so long as you like compelling stories with really well fleshed out and believable characters you would probably enjoy this book.  It was a story that made me think (both about it and about myself... and life in general) and when I got to the end, I wanted more.  The ending was satisfying, but everything was good enough that I could have happily read more.

I started this book on June 22 and finished on June 25.  It's longish, but honestly it's a fast read, especially if you get kind of sucked into it.

Bottom line, would I recommend this book to a friend? Definitely!  I might even read more of Blake Crouch's work.

summer

It's officially summer, and it's very hot and inconsistent, and unpleasant in its inconsistency.  I've already been swimming three times this summer, which is probably the most I've swam in one season since I was a kid.  It's nice.  I dyed my hair purple with semi permanent dye... but my hair is so dark it isn't super obvious, but I like it anyways.  I'm trying to do little things to like... keep my emotions in check lol.  Depression is hard so I'm trying to just... live my life anyways.  That's the way to do it, right?

April-May Book Log

Trying to keep on top of reading, and trying to mix up the kind of stuff I'm reading.  (Still kind of enjoying more of the usual stuff though, lol).  Let me know if you want to hear more about any of these titles.

Black Panther: World of Wakanda
The Sleeping Beauty by Trina Schart Hyman
Beauty and the Beast by Deborah Apy
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
A Series of Unfortunate Events The Vile Village and The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Hooray for Diffendoofer Day by Dr. Seuss and Jack Prelutsky
Seneca by Karen Lee Baker
Why do Rabbits Hop? by Joan Holub
Why do Horses Neigh? by Joan Holub
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Thoroughbred Horses by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
Barbie Star Light Adventure: The Secret of the Gems graphic novel
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Pink
Black Panther Book One and Book Two
Horses by Yann Arthus-Bertrand
Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Supersons Vol 2
The Teddy Bears' Picnic by Jimmy Kennedy
Everything I Needed to Know I Learned from a Disney Little Golden Book by Diane Muldrow
Wonders of Draft Horses by Sigmund A. Lavine and Brigid Casey
Nice or Nasty: A Book of Opposites by Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen
Canto Familiar by Gary Soto
The Prince and the Pauper (Great Illustrated Classics edition) by Mary Twain, adapted by Shirley Bogart
Lizzy Bennet's Diary by Marcia Williams
Dinosaur! by Peter Sis
Little Golden Book Favorites: DC Super Friends by Billy Wrecks
Welcome to Super Hero High! by Courtney Carbone
Star War: The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight by Tony DiTerlizzi
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Animated Adventures Vol. 1
Ninja Turtles Pizza Party! by Joshua Sternin 
I'm My Own Dog by David Ezra Stein
Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird
Duck, Duck, Dinosaur: Bubble Blast by Kallie George
Cooking with the Grinch by Tish Rabe
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening the Robert Frost poem illustrated by Susan Jeffers

i'm a dumbass

i keep opening blogger to go and finish off my april-may book log post (i have a few books to add to it, and a few links to add) but then i get distracted and i don't get to it... but i will.  because these book logs are helping me keep track of what i'm reading.

on sunday, things at my pagan group imploded, so i'm not a part of it anymore.  i'm very upset and sad and hurt, but i'm trying to move on and not take any of it to heart.

i've been stressed lately and a lot has been going on, so it's hard to focus on things that i want to do (improve my mind through extensive reading) but i'm hoping that turns around, because i have several books checked out right now that i need to get through, plus there's the book that i can't discuss yet because it hasn't been published yet.... but i need to finish it.

so it's not like there isn't stuff to keep me busy.

but i will miss seeing my people every sunday.

lol

I had mentioned before that I was thinking of reading two books this month for the reading challenge this month... since I did just read a great illustrated classic and not like the actual proper book.  I was going to also read Animal Farm.  It's not too long, and I didn't dislike what I did read of it in school, I just didn't finish it for whatever reason at the time.  But honestly, I read enough books that I shouldn't feel like I've cheated.  The point was to read at least a book a month, and I certainly do more than that.  And I did fulfill the challenge.  Honestly though I need a break from Literature (tm) after the disappointment of The Prince and the Pauper... comic books and kids' books here I come, lol.

12 meses, 12 libros: May: The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain (sort of)

The theme for this month is a book you were supposed to read in school but didn't.  I was assigned The Prince and the Pauper in eighth grade, but our school was both poor and cheap and couldn't afford copies for every student to check out and take home... there was a set for the classroom, and all six classes that teacher taught used those books.  We'd spend whole class periods reading this book.  You may be wondering then how I managed not to read it?  Easy.  I got sick and missed several days of school, and I got really behind.  I had already found the book incredibly boring, so when I came back to school and needed to catch up skimmed the book.  I actually would skip words, lines, and even pages.  Just read every other one, lol. 

I had a few options for what I could read this month, but I ended up settling on this one.  But because I remembered finding it dull and too long, I got the idea to read the Great Illustrated Classics version -- basically an adaptation for children.  It maintains the same story but tries to make it accessible for younger readers.

So... let me be totally honest.  When I finished reading this book, dumbed down and shortened as it was, I literally said "oh thank God it's over" out loud.  If that gives you any idea of how much I didn't enjoy it lol.  The thing is, we all know the story... it's been adapted many times and inspired lots of other works.  My favorite version, of course is the Disney one where Mickey plays the dual role of prince and pauper.  But actually reading this version was just.... difficult to get through, because the characters are just utter fucking garbage, lol.  Prince Edward and Tom Canty are the most stupid and obnoxious children that I think have ever been committed to print.  This is like... how do you advertise so hard for maintaining the status quo at the same time as you promote challenging your world view and experiencing new things, lol.  The only thing that I could truly agree with this book about was the implication that privileged people are lowkey kinda stupid.  Also when you watch like the Disney version or what have you, the two boys at least have the agency to decide to switch places.  In this book, it's all a misunderstanding!  The plan was just to try on each other's clothes, and then they get swept up in everythign because Edward is so goddamn stupid that he thinks he'll still be recognized as the prince and he goes to continue throwing his weight around.  The only character I did like was Miles Hendon, but he wasn't enough to make me enjoy it.

I started this book on May 20 and finished on May 22.  It's over 200 pages but every other page is an illustration (which, btw, also weren't great).

Bottom line, would I recommend this book? Fuck no.

sigh

i hate that nothing about life is as it's advertised.  nothing about life is really all that good.  the saying "life's too short" is a fucking lie, i'm not even 30 (yet, not until august) and already my life has spanned multiple centuries and been excruciating and seemingly endless.  no one cares about you as much as you care about them.  no one really cares how you are when they ask, no one picks up on small clues that you want to change the subject, your closest friends laugh at you for stuff that isn't a fucking joke.  life is just plain awful sometimes and i feel so fatigued by it.  nothing is good anymore. maybe it never was.

I really do love Simon

I finished reading Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens agenda tonight, and I really want to talk about it.  It's not my assigned libro for the month so I won't make like a formal post on it (if you can call what I've been posting "formal" lol) but I do just have so many thoughts.

I didn't know about this book until I heard about the movie Love, Simon.  But the movie looked really good and really cute, so I wanted to see it.  But money being what it is (also transportation being what it is... and lack of friends to go places with me being what it is lol) I haven't seen it yet.  I've requested the DVD from the library so hopefully I'll get to see it shortly after the home release.  But anyways, since I couldn't see the movie, I decided to grab the book from the library and I'm really glad I did.

I would say this book was a total feel good read.  It's not sappy and gooey, and there are a lot of heavy emotions involved, but I was happy the whole time I read it.  I got invested in Simon as a character, fell in love with him as a person, and wanted the best for him.  He feels like a real teenager.  I really love him as a character... what a loveable idiot.

This book made me really want to read Becky Albertalli's other work too.  I'm going to request them from the library, I think.  

I'm kind of just rambling because it's late and I'm full of thoughts, but I really enjoyed this cute little book.  It was a fast read, and it felt so incredibly authentic, and it just made me feel warm.  SO wonderful.

pensive

When I was younger, I used to imagine myself in this adult life surrounded by people who loved me.  That was all I wanted... a few close, true friends and a small family (maybe a spouse, a kid or two, and some pets).  I figured that was all I would need to be happy.  But now I'm an adult, and I don't have that... and I'm not happy.  I do have a few friends, and I'm grateful for them... but I also have many people masquerading as friends who just drain me.  They don't mean to, I know they don't... but they take advantage of my kindness.  I've been hurt, and I have a hard time letting people in, but when I do let you in I'm loyal and true to you and patient with you... and people take advantage of that.  I had people who loved me when I was little (my grandparents mostly) but they're gone now.  I experienced love then, but I don't feel like I do anymore, and I keep ending up with people that I feel are unwilling to try and give that to me.  I seek people who don't know how to love because I don't know how to accept love??? I don't know, maybe.  Maybe I expect too much of people.  Maybe I don't understand the way others express emotions.  Maybe I don't even deserve better and should just stop.  I should just stop, lol.  Just accept it.

blargh

you know that feeling where you're weary of life lol... like not even for specific reasons, but because being alive and having to navigate everything that comes with it is A Lot

keyboard smash for emphasis

are you ever just literally so angry about shit that isn't even major or important, but enough little shit has piled up on one evening that you're just ready to go tf off on anyone who gets too close? because that is how i feel.  apparently it's funny that i feel like this though, because no one ever takes my feelings seriously.  and that's fine.

for my next trick...

The theme for my book this month is a book you were supposed to read in school but didn't.  It's a weird one, because there were a lot of books I skimmed through but I did always make an attempt.  I read enough to bullshit my way through an essay.  I'm not proud of that, lol, but there was a lot going on.  There's no book I skipped completely (to my memory) and the ones that I dedicated the least attention to I have to admit I have zero desire to reread now voluntarily as an adult.  I'm kind of thinking of reading two different books... we will see which, if either, of these I go with.  Or both, if time permits.

12 meses, 12 libros: April: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

(I wrote this post a couple of weeks ago, just after I finished the book, but I didn't want to publish it until after I'd posted about my March book.)

The theme for April was a borrowed book, which since most of the stuff I read is from the library it's all borrowed, so it was all Gucci.  So anyways, as the title suggests, I read Children of Blood and Bone by Toni Adeyemi, which is actually a pretty recent book (I believe it came out in February or March?).

I really enjoyed this book.  It appealed to me because it was this blend of sci-fi and fantasy but it's firmly rooted in African tradition and mythology.  The story is compelling and emotional too.  There's also some social commentary in here that you will get if you're paying attention to the real life climate in which it was written.  It was something different and something moving, and I'd encourage everyone to support this book, since the author is a young black woman who seems to really be going places.  This book was definitely better than your average debut novel.  I could have maaaybe done without the romance (though it didn't feel forced and it wasn't distracting, I'm just a bitter bitch and was also hoping romance would bloom between the two female leads instead) but if you're not super into romance I wouldn't let that discourage you.  It's not a huge deal, and the romantic stuff is never shown as more important than the hero's journey.

I started this on April 4th and finished it April 13th.  It's long, but once you get going it's a pretty quick read.  It only took me as long as it did because I had other stuff going on and didn't get to really dive into it like I wanted.

Bottom line, would I recommend this book to a friend? Abso-frickin-lutely.  I really enjoyed it, and I would recommend it to pretty much anyone... especially if you love fantasy and/or Afrofuturism.

12 meses, 12 libros: March: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

(Yes, I know March has been over for a while.  I'm doing this late because I got sidetracked by life and other projects so it took me AAAAAGES to finish this book, and that's not a reflection on the quality of the book, jsyk just fyi.  I did read and finish books in March -- at least one also fit this theme, so I'm not technically cheating... just arriving slowly lol.)

March's theme was a literary classic, so I decided to go for one of the two Austen books I'd never read yet (yes, I'm a bad Jane-ite lol): Northanger Abbey.

(I included an actual cover of the book as well as the cover of the Jane Austen collection I own and used to read this book.)

I didn't really know a lot about this book when I began reading it... it isn't as much a part of pop culture as some of Austen's other works (Pride & Prejudice and Emma especially) so I had heard a couple of the character names and the words "gothic" and "horror." I didn't really know what to expect, but honestly I picked this over Mansfield Park to read because it was shorter.  That being said, as soon as I got into it I knew I would like it, and I did.  It's different than some of her other works, and even though I have read enough of them to have realized there can be a pattern, I don't feel that this followed a pattern, and I didn't always predict what was coming next. 

It was fun though, and I'm looking forward to watching one or two film adaptations. ;)

I read this book from March 27th to 29th, then took a break and finished it between April 16th and April 27th.  It's not a long or difficult book, I just ended up reading slowly because I've also been working on Camp NaNoWriMo, and since I owned this book I prioritized it lower than a couple of more time sensitive library books.

Bottom line, would I recommend this? Definitely!  Especially if you're an Austen fan like me and you haven't gotten to it yet.

I wanted to keep up with posting on this blog weekly, but I just haven't.  I don't have anything interesting to say because nothing interesting is going on.  I'm just a sad sack most days, lol.  I try to manage the best I can, and I think I'm doing... okay.  Average at best, but you know.  Staying mostly afloat.  It's hard though.  I just feel like a failure every day.  I want it all to end, really.  But you know.  Doing the best I can.

so reading...

Today I finished my 12 meses, 12 libros book for April, and I'm currently writing my post about it.  However I'm going to save it and not post it today... I still have to finish and write up my March book, and I don't want them posted out of order (even though they got finished out of order lol).

February-March Book Log

 More books!  I'm trying to read more #literature this year, but I will still always love kids' books and comics.  Let me know if you want to hear more about any of these titles.

Sundiata: The Lion King of Mali by David Wisniewski
Dog Man and Cat Kid by Dav Pilkey
Dinosaur Empire! (Earth Before Us #1) by Abby Howard
Pride and Prejudice (Marvel Classics graphic novel)
Star Wars ABC-3PO by Calliope Glass and Caitlin Kennedy
Marvel's Black Panther Prelude
Star Wars Adventures Vol. 1
Captain Phasma graphic novel
Nancy Drew / The Hardy Boys: The Big Lie graphic novel
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Lady Killer 2
Papa's Mark by Gwendolyn Battle-Lavert
Mr. Goat's Valentine by Eve Bunting
Cowboy and Octopus by Jon Scieszka
Barbie Millicent Roberts: An Original
Lest We Forget: The Passive from Africa to Slavery and Emancipation by Velma Maia Thomas
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
JB's Harmonica by John Sebastian
Jinx and the Doom Fight Crime! by Lisa Mantchev
Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne
Ash by Malinda Lo
Black Panther: The Young Prince by Ronald L. Smith
A Beatrix Potter Treasury
The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit by Emma Thompson
Cinderella by Paul Galdone
Dinosaur Hunter by Elaine Marie Alphin
Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo
Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo
Horses by Seymour Simon

Ugh

Due to depression and life stress, I didn't finish reading my March book for the 12 meses, 12 libros challenge.  I do plan to finish it and do a write up on it, but it'll be late (obviously, since we're already in April lol).  But I did actually read more than one book in March, so I'm still technically not breaking any rules or anything.  Just late.  April is kinda cool since the theme is just a borrowed book, and most of what I've been reading lately is borrowed from the library, so I've got lots of options.  I think I do know which book I'll do.

this year is going by way faster than the last one did

12 meses, 12 libros: February: Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

The challenge for February was a friend's favorite book.  I was recommended the book Good Omens, and I was excited to check it out since I've heard good things!  (Btw, I recommended the same friend read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass, and she'll have a post about it on her website!)

I had been wanting to read this for a while but never really gotten around to it, but the beauty of a challenge like this is that you get around to reading things you've been meaning to or wanting to (or needing to)!  I really enjoyed it.  It's funny, got supernatural excitement, and more British-isms than you can shake a stick at.  I did find myself getting more and more invested as the story went on... it took me ages, for example, to read the first hundred pages, but the last hundred pages I took down really quickly.  There are a lot of characters to follow, which can be fun, but if you do like I did and take a break while reading it, you may have to refresh yourself a bit on who some of them are lol.

I began reading this on February 13th, and (after taking a break for at least a week because of Reasons), I finished juuuuust on time on the 28th.

Bottom line, would I recommend this book?  Yes.

a woman of pinpointed interests

I've realized that all my social media accounts have been focused a lot on Black Panther (which was amazing, go see it if you haven't yet) and gun control (which I believe in).  So here I am, lol.  I don't give a shit about your right to bear arms, but I do give a shit about compelling story telling starring an almost all black cast of well rounded characters.  And I love superheros, most of whom hate guns.

12 meses, 12 libros: January: Carrie by Stephen King

As I mentioned here, I'm going to do this reading challenge thing to make sure I keep reading a lot.  I think it's important to my development as a writer, plus it's a better way to pass time than just slumming around on social media, lol.

Anyways, the prompt for January was a book you own but haven't read yet.  Like most book lovers, I have way too many of those, so I had a few to choose from.  Several years ago I got an old paperback copy of Carrie from a thrift store, and I believe it's the first paperback printing.  I mostly picked it up because it was old and nice looking.  Up until recently, I'd never read any Stephen King, and I'm not really a horror person, but I'm still glad I picked this book up.

I really enjoyed it.  To me it felt more suspenseful than truly scary (but I'm often not scared by the things some people are and the conversely really bothered by stuff other people shrug off, so take that with a grain of salt lol), but the conclusion is intense and emotional.  You get to know quite a few of the characters better than I would have expected you would.  There are snippets from articles and books sprinkled through out, written as if they were actual publications discussing the actual events of "Prom Night" and it makes the whole thing feel very real, plus it's an effective way of breaking up the narrative.

I started reading this on January 24 and finished on January 27.  It was a fast read.

I have a hard time assigning grades or stars to things when I review them, because that's so subjective.  Would I recommend this book? Absolutely.  Even if you've seen the movie(s).

The FIRST Booklog! (of 2018)

I'm going to continue to use this blog to keep track of the books I read.  Again, let me know if you want to hear more about any of these books.  Also, I saw this cool reading challenge on facebook:

And I'm going to try to do that all year!  (Also I like that it's in Spanish, since I've been trying to work on my Spanish again, lol.)  I think I will be doing individual posts on the books I read for this challenge.  Anyways, onto it!

Felicity Story Collection by Valerie Tripp
Donald Duck: Christmas on Bear Mountain by Carl Barks
Star Wars: Lando
Wonder Woman Vol 4 (Rebirth)
Batwoman Vol 1 (Rebirth)
Lady Killer
The World of Oz by Allen Eyles
The Crayons' Book of Numbers by Drew Daywalt
I Am Slappy's Evil Twin by R.L. Stine
A Series of Unfortunate Events The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket
Rules of the House by Mac Barnett
Star Wars: BB-8 on the Run by Drew Daywalt
5-Minute Star Wars Stories and 5-Minute Star Wars Stories Strike Back 
Cinderella Latina/La Cenicienta Latina by Bobbi Salinas
Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
Welcome to Felicity's World, 1774: Growing Up in Colonial America
The Enchanted Cat: Feline Fascinations, Spells, and Magick by Ellen Dugan
On Writing - A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
Lumberjanes: Unicorn Power! by Mariko Tamaki
Carrie by Stephen King
Horses of the Dawn: The Escape by Kathryn Lasky
Lego Star Wars: Secrets of the Dark Side by Matt Jones
The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton

i know it ain't easy

but why does it have to be so hard?

The LAST Booklog! (of 2017)

And yes, I know it's now 2018... but I'm up late on New Years Eve night, so...... 2017, lol.  Anyways, continuing logging the books I've read.  Again, let me know if you want to know more about any of these books or if I'd recommend them.  Looooots of children's books this time, even more than usual.

Lady Zorro: Blood and Lace
Zorro Vol. 1 Scars (Papercutz graphic novel)
The Mark of Zorro by Johnston McCulley
Young Zorro: The Iron Brand by Jan Adkins
Vampirina Ballerina, Vampirina Ballerina Hosts a Sleepover, and Vampirina at the Beach by Anne Marie Pace
A Madeline Treasury: The Original Stories by Ludwig Bemelmans
Frankenstein: A Monstrous Parody and Frankenstein's Fright Before Christmas  by Ludworst Bemonster
Goosebumps Night of the Living Dummy III and Son of Slappy by R.L. Stine
Baby-Sitters Club Mary Anne and the Library Mystery by Ann M. Martin
Golden Legacy: The Story of Golden Books by Leonard S. Marcus
Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys by H.A. and Margret Rey
The Complete Adventures of Curious George by H.A. and Margret Rey
Curious George Builds a Tree House, Curious George Subway Train Adventure, Curious George and the Sleepover, Curious George Haunted Halloween, Happy Thanksgiving Curious George, Merry Christmas Curious George, Curious George Christmas Countdown, Happy Hanukkah Curious George, It's Ramadan Curious George, Curious George Goes to a Movie, Curious George Feeds the Animals, Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory, Curious George Makes Pancakes, Curious George and the Pizza Party, Curious George's First Day of School, and Curious George and the Firefighters by (or in the style of) H.A. and Margret Rey

Colección de oro Jorge el curioso/A Treasury of Curious George (Bilingual edition) by H.A. Rey
Jorge el curioso/Curious George (bilingual edition) by H.A. Rey
Eres curioso todo el tiempo/Curious You on Your Way (bilingual edition) by H.A. Rey
The Journey that Saved Curious George: The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H.A. Rey by Louise Borden 
Abuelita Full of Life/Llena de vida by Amy Costales
¡Sí, Se Puede! / Yes, We Can! Janitor Strike in L.A. by Diana Cohn
Maya's Blanket / La manta de Maya by Monica Brown 
La oruga muy hambrienta/The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Bilingual book) by Eric Carle 

The Cat in the Hat/El gato ensombrerado (Bilingual edition) and How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss 
Contando con Frida by Patty Rodriguez
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Goodnight Goon by Michael Rex
Fairies 1, 2, 3 by Liza Gardner Walsh
William's Doll by Charlotte Zolotow
The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food, The Big Honey Hunt, and The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks by Stan and Jan Berenstain
Arthur's Nose, Arthur's Eyes, Arthur's Valentine, Arthur's Halloween, Arthur's Thanksgiving, and Arthur's Christmas by Marc Brown 
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Bedtime for Mommy by Amy Krause Rosenthal
Aurora's Royal Wedding / Ariel's Royal Wedding by John Edwards and Apple Jordan and Sleeping Beauty: A Magic Plan 
Disney Princess Storybook Collection
Cinderella Royal Wedding Look and Find
Jillee Bean and the One Good Thing by Samantha Hollister 
Palace of Lies by Margaret Peterson Haddix 
Super Sons Vol. 1 
A Series of Unfortunate Events The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket
Minnie's Giant Plan by Diane Namm 
Whobert Whover, Owl Detective by Jason Gallaher 
Swish and Squeak's Noisy Day by Birgitta Sif 
Dinosaur VS Santa by Bob Shea 
A Gift from the Lonely Doll by Dare Wright 
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg 
Santa Calls by William Joyce 
Christmas Around the World by Emily Kelley (this is a newer version than what I read... it does seem different, but I couldn't find the 1986 version I read on Amazon) 
Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffman 
A Royal Christmas (Disney Princess) by Lisa Ann Marsoli 
Elena of Avalor Feliz Navidad: A Royal Christmas by Tom Rogers
Sleeping Beauty and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Two Tales and their Histories by Carron Brown 
Mickey Mouse: Mysterious Melody by Bernard Cosey
Star Wars: Star Pilot by Laura Buller 
Lego Star Wars: Free The Galaxy by Himani Khatreja 
Mitzi Tulane, Preschool Detective in The Secret Ingredient by Lauren McLaughlin