Since my post about my birthday wasn't the happiest, I feel like I should definitely post something about today. I'm still avoiding social media at all costs. I actually haven't been on at all today (as opposed to yesterday when I kept stealing glances), so I think I'm doing pretty well.
It was easier to keep it up today because I spent most of it with my family. We went for Japanese food today for my birthday. It was really amusing because I was the only one at the table who actually knew what it was we were eating most of the time, and I got to watch my family all struggle with chopsticks. It was fun, and it was nice to spend time with them. It was much easier to forget everything else and not obsess over things again today.
Even now that I'm home, I'm not thinking about it much. Writing about it in this post was the first it occurred to me again. I'm actually exhausted right now. The past week or so haven't been the greatest for me as far as sleep goes, and it has definitely all hit me in the last hour or so. I can hardly keep my eyes open. I don't know how I'm going to stay awake in order to go to bed at a reasonable hour tonight.
Hopefully I do get a good night's rest tonight though because I have to be up tomorrow for another exciting day. That also means another day of probably avoiding the Internet. This is shaping up to be the longest break I've taken in a while. That's probably a good thing even though I'm somewhat bummed about it.
I posted a video on Youtube this morning that's a book review for Become an iMature Student if you're interested. I really did not like the book, so the review is basically me going through things I didn't like.
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Life Post: I'm Feeling 22... And a Bit Tired, Honestly
I wanted to post something today since it's my birthday, but I'm doing it much later than planned. Today did not go that great all things considered. I know this all sounds extremely stupid to most people, but I say that mostly because of the One Direction fandom drama that's been happening. Before today, I'd never had a completely terrible birthday, so it wasn't like today had tough competition for the worst.
Today though I've had to avoid Twitter and Tumblr because being on both was just too negative and not how I wanted to be on my birthday of all days. Because of that, I've missed the majority of what's happened, yet I've somehow still gotten wind of enough that I can't believe how much has been happening. I'm just tired at this point, and I want it to stop. Even avoiding social media, I feel like it's all getting to me. I hate it.
I don't want this to turn into a huge negative rant about that though. It's still my birthday, and I'm ending it on as little of a sour note as I can. Of course, I have strong opinions about all of this stuff, but I'm avoiding actually going into that until another day. I probably will avoid social media again tomorrow since that's the day I'm actually celebrating my birthday with my family.
All in all, my birthday could have been better, but in my actual life, it wasn't all that bad. I can't complain on that front, and I'm trying to just focus on that. No matter how much One Direction is vying for attention at the moment.
Since I only posted my last one of these yesterday, I don't have much to post from other areas of the Internet. All I've done is post a phone vlog where I say essentially the same things I said in this post.
Today though I've had to avoid Twitter and Tumblr because being on both was just too negative and not how I wanted to be on my birthday of all days. Because of that, I've missed the majority of what's happened, yet I've somehow still gotten wind of enough that I can't believe how much has been happening. I'm just tired at this point, and I want it to stop. Even avoiding social media, I feel like it's all getting to me. I hate it.
I don't want this to turn into a huge negative rant about that though. It's still my birthday, and I'm ending it on as little of a sour note as I can. Of course, I have strong opinions about all of this stuff, but I'm avoiding actually going into that until another day. I probably will avoid social media again tomorrow since that's the day I'm actually celebrating my birthday with my family.
All in all, my birthday could have been better, but in my actual life, it wasn't all that bad. I can't complain on that front, and I'm trying to just focus on that. No matter how much One Direction is vying for attention at the moment.
Since I only posted my last one of these yesterday, I don't have much to post from other areas of the Internet. All I've done is post a phone vlog where I say essentially the same things I said in this post.
Monday, August 3, 2015
Movie Review: Paper Towns
I've been meaning to write this review since I saw Paper Towns, which now feels like ages ago, but stuff kept happening that put if off. Now I feel like the movie has become just hazy enough that I'll surely forget something that I had wanted to say.
I can still tell you that I loved the movie though. I thought it was so well done. It had been a long time since I had last picked up the book, and I loved getting to see moments that I had forgotten about all over again. The movie was hilarious over all. I feel like this movie is the best example of my sense of humor that there is, and I'm not someone who tends to find movies funny that everyone else apparently finds funny. So I appreciated that.
The actors really surprised me. I'll be honest and say that I was skeptical about Cara in a way that I'd be skeptical of any model that decides to act. She did a really great job though. The entire cast did. I think everyone was cast perfectly in their roles. It's hard to imagine anyone else playing the characters.
Hank Green did a video recently where he talked about the movie. I'm actually glad that I'm writing this after having seen that video because I agree with essentially everything he says in it. It does a great job of putting my feelings into words too. I'm going to go ahead and point you to that video instead of repeating what he said because a lot of my other points are already made in that video.
I can still tell you that I loved the movie though. I thought it was so well done. It had been a long time since I had last picked up the book, and I loved getting to see moments that I had forgotten about all over again. The movie was hilarious over all. I feel like this movie is the best example of my sense of humor that there is, and I'm not someone who tends to find movies funny that everyone else apparently finds funny. So I appreciated that.
The actors really surprised me. I'll be honest and say that I was skeptical about Cara in a way that I'd be skeptical of any model that decides to act. She did a really great job though. The entire cast did. I think everyone was cast perfectly in their roles. It's hard to imagine anyone else playing the characters.
Hank Green did a video recently where he talked about the movie. I'm actually glad that I'm writing this after having seen that video because I agree with essentially everything he says in it. It does a great job of putting my feelings into words too. I'm going to go ahead and point you to that video instead of repeating what he said because a lot of my other points are already made in that video.
Life Post: Seeing One Direction
I haven't written one of these in more than a week. Wow. There were several times where I actually considered writing one, but I decided against it since all of my time was really being spent writing. I finished up the first draft of my new Twilight fanfiction, and I've been editing it. Now I'm looking for beta readers as well in order to get it completed and up. I'm hoping to start posting it sometime in August.
In addition to that, I've been beta reading for other people. I do that one and off all the time, but the load increased a lot more than usual the past couple of weeks. There's one story in particular that I've been beta reading and am really excited about it. The concept of it is so cool, and it's also a crossover story of two fandoms that I love but have never beta read for anyone in. So that's pretty awesome.
Other than that, there has been one hugely notable thing recently: the One Direction concert. I actually meant to blog about it much sooner, but I've been exhausted ever since it happened. After the craziness of that day, I got behind on my to do lists, and I'm still trying to catch up. So this post is only just happening now.
The day was amazing though. We drove up to Indianapolis that morning, so we were there for essentially an entire day. Even though we got there hours upon hours before the concert, it took ages to find a place to park. We wound up on the top floor of a parking garage that was the only one with places still available. In a really crazy twist though, it was also cheaper than all the parking garages around it.
We got to the stadium hours early, and we wound up sitting around outside of it for a really long time. When it got a bit closer to when the gates were opening, we started walking around the building. We found a place where they'd blocked off the sidewalk because it's where cars went through. Fans were standing around waiting for One Direction to drive through. A bus drove through soon after we got there, and people freaked out. (I think it was crew, but I could be wrong. At the time, a lot of people standing around assumed it was One Direction.) The gates were opened soon after that, and a lot of people actually left.
Because of that, we managed to get up to the front of the barricade. I think a lot of people had assumed that was One Direction and that was it, but it was obvious from how the police were acting (and the fact that they hadn't removed the barricade) that the boys were still coming. The police were purposefully trying to get as many people to leave as possible. So we stayed.
It was maybe ten or fifteen minutes after that that the boys showed up. They had a police escort and a lot of black SUVs. I still can't believe I was even that close to them. I really can't. They waved at us, and I really can't believe I survived the moment. That was probably the closest I'm ever going to get to One Direction, and I actually just had to take a break from writing this as I relived the moment.
The removed the barricade right after that, and we went to go get in the stadium. The concert itself was amazing as always. I can't believe I've been to three One Direction concerts by now. The best part (although labeling any one part of it the best is difficult) was that we got to hear Drag Me Down live for the first time ever.
When they released the single as a surprise the night before, I'd been shocked. It had seriously happened right as I was going to bed, and our concert was the next day. It was unbelievable. Leading up to the concert, I really hoped they'd perform it, but I also didn't want to get my hopes up if they didn't. But they did, and everyone freaked out. After the song, everyone was screaming so much that the boys actually had to stand there for a bit and couldn't talk. It was a level of screaming that none of the rest of the show matched, and that's saying something because the screaming was always crazy.
Between seeing One Direction in their cars to being one of the first people to hear Drag Me Down performed live, that day was definitely one of the greatest of my life. I still can't believe it happened. I'm getting so excited all over again just thinking about it. It was amazing. So amazing. I can't even stress how amazing it was.
In other news though, I've been getting a bit of writing done like I said, and some of that has been on my writing blog. I tried to write a limmerick. I also wrote about Miles' name in The Society. And I wrote more flash fiction. Over on Youtube, I posted a vlog. I also reviewed the book Christendom Destroyed and did my wrap-up and TBR for the month.
In addition to that, I've been beta reading for other people. I do that one and off all the time, but the load increased a lot more than usual the past couple of weeks. There's one story in particular that I've been beta reading and am really excited about it. The concept of it is so cool, and it's also a crossover story of two fandoms that I love but have never beta read for anyone in. So that's pretty awesome.
Other than that, there has been one hugely notable thing recently: the One Direction concert. I actually meant to blog about it much sooner, but I've been exhausted ever since it happened. After the craziness of that day, I got behind on my to do lists, and I'm still trying to catch up. So this post is only just happening now.
The day was amazing though. We drove up to Indianapolis that morning, so we were there for essentially an entire day. Even though we got there hours upon hours before the concert, it took ages to find a place to park. We wound up on the top floor of a parking garage that was the only one with places still available. In a really crazy twist though, it was also cheaper than all the parking garages around it.
We got to the stadium hours early, and we wound up sitting around outside of it for a really long time. When it got a bit closer to when the gates were opening, we started walking around the building. We found a place where they'd blocked off the sidewalk because it's where cars went through. Fans were standing around waiting for One Direction to drive through. A bus drove through soon after we got there, and people freaked out. (I think it was crew, but I could be wrong. At the time, a lot of people standing around assumed it was One Direction.) The gates were opened soon after that, and a lot of people actually left.
Because of that, we managed to get up to the front of the barricade. I think a lot of people had assumed that was One Direction and that was it, but it was obvious from how the police were acting (and the fact that they hadn't removed the barricade) that the boys were still coming. The police were purposefully trying to get as many people to leave as possible. So we stayed.
It was maybe ten or fifteen minutes after that that the boys showed up. They had a police escort and a lot of black SUVs. I still can't believe I was even that close to them. I really can't. They waved at us, and I really can't believe I survived the moment. That was probably the closest I'm ever going to get to One Direction, and I actually just had to take a break from writing this as I relived the moment.
The removed the barricade right after that, and we went to go get in the stadium. The concert itself was amazing as always. I can't believe I've been to three One Direction concerts by now. The best part (although labeling any one part of it the best is difficult) was that we got to hear Drag Me Down live for the first time ever.
When they released the single as a surprise the night before, I'd been shocked. It had seriously happened right as I was going to bed, and our concert was the next day. It was unbelievable. Leading up to the concert, I really hoped they'd perform it, but I also didn't want to get my hopes up if they didn't. But they did, and everyone freaked out. After the song, everyone was screaming so much that the boys actually had to stand there for a bit and couldn't talk. It was a level of screaming that none of the rest of the show matched, and that's saying something because the screaming was always crazy.
Between seeing One Direction in their cars to being one of the first people to hear Drag Me Down performed live, that day was definitely one of the greatest of my life. I still can't believe it happened. I'm getting so excited all over again just thinking about it. It was amazing. So amazing. I can't even stress how amazing it was.
In other news though, I've been getting a bit of writing done like I said, and some of that has been on my writing blog. I tried to write a limmerick. I also wrote about Miles' name in The Society. And I wrote more flash fiction. Over on Youtube, I posted a vlog. I also reviewed the book Christendom Destroyed and did my wrap-up and TBR for the month.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Book Review: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
ISBN: 0553496646Expected publication: September 1st, 2015
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Read from June 18th to July 25th, 2015
Synopsis from Goodreads:
This innovative, heartfelt debut novel tells the story of a girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world. When a new family moves in next door, she begins a complicated romance that challenges everything she’s ever known. The narrative unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, texts, charts, lists, illustrations, and more.
My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.
But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.
Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.
Review:
I enjoyed this book a lot. The premise of it drew me in immediately. I've never come across another book about a character with SCID. A story that revolves around a girl who hasn't been allowed to leave her house since she was a baby sounded intriguing, and I would say that it lived up to that intrigue for the most part.
There is a plot twist that I saw coming fairly early on. Actually, I considered it, and then I sort of had the thought, "There's no way that's actually what will happen." I thought it sounded like too much of a cop out of sorts, but when it happened, it didn't actually have me feeling that way as much as I thought it would. I still don't know if I like that the book went that way or not, but I dealt with it and still found it to be a good book overall. The way the twist is played out was better than I had imagined it possibly going in my head. It didn't feel like quite as much of a cop out, but it did have this too good to be true feeling to it. Although the very end of the book felt unrealistic to me as I'm not really sure how that would play out if the book had carried on past that point.
That was my only "issue" with the book though, and I'm not even sure it could be considered an issue. This book was a fun, entertaining read. I really enjoyed how diverse it was from depicting SCID to racially diverse characters. I don't think I'd ever read a book before where the main character is half black and half Japanese. I appreciated that.
The book also includes romance, but the romance felt like it was of a lesser importance than romances often are in YA books. I liked that. I thought it was a good level of romance for the story, and I was happy that it didn't take away from other aspects of the story.
If this book captures your attention at all, I would say that it's worth a read. It's very enjoyable, and I appreciated it a lot, even if there were a few parts of the story that didn't necessarily hold up for me.
I received this book through Netgalley for an honest review.
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