Through the Eyes of a Bookworm

I haven't talked about books in a while, so here's a little bit about my favorite books...

My favorite novels off of my bookshelves...

A Separate Peace is one of my favorite novels from middle school. I found it for 50 cents at the local second-hand shop I volunteer at and I had to buy it! It's a serious novel about two boys that compete in everything until a serious accident happens and everything changes. I fell in love with it in 8th grade and now I want to reread and analyze AP English style :)

Oh Shakespeare! I read Macbeth in 10th grade and I found it really interesting. Though it may not be one of Shakespeare's favorites, I thoroughly enjoyed it (especially the 3 witches!)

I already talked a little bit about Jodi Picuoult in this post, but My Sister's Keeper is one of my all-time favorite novels. I would read it over and over again when I was in middle school. It was just so captivating and eloquently written. Also, I was kind of a weird kid 'cause I loved reading really sad novels (like really really sad books).

Emma is probably my favorite Jane Austen novel. I am a huuuggeee fan of Jane Austen and her feminist novels during a time where feminism was unthinkable. I love Emma because Austen's writing shines through in this satire about a girl and her matchmaking skills. By the way, the movie Clueless with Alicia Silverstone, was based off this novel!

Okay, so I bought this book (The Scent of Rain & Lightning) at Target for really cheap.... but I haven't read it yet! It sounded so interesting and I really want to read it. It's about a woman who learns that the man who murdered her father has been released from prison and is returning to her town. The main character also finds herself sharing similar feelings of loss with Collin, her father's murder's son who has spent his life trying to free his dad from prison. Interesting, huh? :)

The Scarlet Letter is a novel filled with symbols and deeper meanings, but it is a great story. I loved reading this last year and hearing my brilliant English teacher explain it. I would highly recommend this novel because it's a classic novel and the interesting plot of a scandal in Puritan society.

 #1 favorite novel of all time: To Kill a Mockingbird. I have mentioned this novel 1,001 times but it seriously is amazing!!! If you haven't read it go out a buy it right now. I'll wait..... Harper Lee is an amazing writer who shares the story of Scout, Jem, and Atticus in a beautifully written story about ethics, morals, and innocence. PLEASE GO READ IT NOW :)

Harry Potter. Enough said.
If the billions of fans and hype around the world isn't enough to make you want to read this fabulous novel about witches, wizards, and good versus evil than nothing will.

 I have not read Invisible Man yet, but it is on my to-read list this year! It is a highly acclaimed classic novel about racial tensions in the 20th century. I need to read this book very soon :)

 Oh gosh.... I read this book this summer and really liked it... but it's not that good. It's a cute, cliche teen romance novel, but I really enjoyed it! Something Like Fate is about a girl falling in love with her best friend's boyfriend. It was actually a cute and intriguing teeny-bopper summer romance novel.

Split is an amazing novel. I cannot say much more about it than you should read it. The author, Swait Avasthi, is actually a friend of mine and I love supporting author's novels. But I actually mean that this is an amazing novel! It's about a teenage boy who escapes his abusive father and runs away to live with his brother who escaped before him. It is suspenseful, thrilling, heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written. Read it! :)

Basically, books are my life :) I hope you liked this post and maybe you'll check out one of these books!

Nerd-o-Rama

HERE!

I am the featured guest blogger on Living in Yellow - the hilarious and down-to-earth blog from Erin! Erin is amazing - she's funny, sweet, and real. Go check out her blog now!!!

And now, onto the post...

 I am a major nerd. Harry Potter all the waaayy!!!

I'm wearing my Gryffindor T-shirt, my Luna Lovegood glasses, and my own special wand :)

 Hehe! Sorry for the mistake!

Do it.

Embrace your inner-nerd.

Everyone has some nerdish quality about them.

Don't be shy. Don't be embarrassed.

EMBRACE YOURSELF :)

I love to read, I love Harry Potter, I love playing Risk, I love to play videogames, and I actually like going to school and learning! (Shhhh.... it's a secret!)

#1  Black coffee for all you nerds??? We need some caffeine to help us through late-night papers, midnight videogaming, and weekend long comic conventions. Double espresso black is the answer.

#2  Top 10 Books Nerds Should and Like to Read...

• Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
• Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkein
• Eats, Shoots, and Leaves - Lynne Truss
• The Time Machine - H.G. Wells
• War of the Worlds - H.G. Wells
• Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
• The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
• The Year of Living Biblically - A. J. Jacobs
• Heir Apparent - Vivian Vande Velde
• Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling

#3

(Blouse, Jeans, Sweater, Suspenders, Glasses, Earrings, Shoes)

Have a great, nerdy day :)

Pumpkins, Picoult, & Plaid

 Lily is a sleepy puppy :)

Sorry for disappearing for 5 days..... :(

Buuuttt.. here's some autumn inspiration...

#1  Drinking coffee with a cool fall breeze is one of my favorite things about fall. Here are two delicious pumpkin coffee recipes:

PUMPKIN PIE LATTE

16 ounce mug

Double Espresso

2 pumps Monin Pumpkin Syrup

Fill with steam milk

Top with whipped cream

Dust with cinnamon/nutmeg

WHITE PUMPKIN SPICE MOCHA

12 ounce mug

Single Espresso

2 pumps White Monin Chocolate

2 pumps Pumpkin Spice Syrup

Whipped cream

Fill with steamed milk

Top with whipped cream and chocolate sauce

Dust with cinnamon/nutmeg

Enjoy!

#2  Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors. Her writing is contemporary and easy to read, but filled with deep insight and research. I love that Jodi truly researches each book she writes in depth. I saw her live for an author event, and for her book Plain Truth about an Amish girl, she spent 3 nights with an Amish family.

Nearly all of her books make it on the New York Times Bestseller List and are always widely recognized. Her novels deal with intense issues, but she writes them with heartfelt compassion. How can you recognize a Jodi Picoult book? The ending. Every book has a dramatic plot twist at the end of the novel that affects everything and everyone.

Here are my favorites of Picoult's...

Plain Truth - an Amish teenage girl gives birth to a baby in secret and denies knowing its existence when the baby's body is found, so defense attorney Ellie Hathaway defends her in court

Second Glance - Ross, a suicidal widower, is a ghost hunter whose never seen a ghost until he meets the mysterious Lia who gives him a reason to live

Vanishing Acts - Delia has a young daughter, a fiance, and a bloodhoud used to search for missing people, and her whole world is turned upside down when she has flashbacks of a life she doesn't remember

My Sister's Keeper (my all-time favorite!) - Anna was conceived by her parents in a preimplantation genetic diagnosis for the purpose of helping her sister survive leukemia, until Anna wonders who she is and does the unthinkable, tearing her family apart

Nineteen Minutes (check out the book trailer) - Peter has gone through years of physical and verbal abuse, until one day he can't take it anymore and his one act of violence turns the town upside down in a trial involving his best friend from middle school

Jodi has written 18 novels in total and they are all amazing (those are just my favorites). But you should also check out Songs of a Humpback Whale, Harvesting the Heart, Picture Perfect, Mercy, The Pact, Keeping Faith, Salem Falls, Perfect Match, The Tenth Circle, Change of Heart, Handle With Care, House Rules, and Sing You Home.

#3  PLAID MANIA

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

A Glimpse of Heaven

Have you ever stopped and thought about what happens next? What happens after this life on earth? Death, heaven, reincarnation, elsewhere...? Where do we go? Who do we become?

Every once in a while, I feel I catch a glimpse of heaven in the sunset...

On my way home from volunteering tonight, I saw this beautiful sunset and caught a picture of it. Something in me feels that there is something more behind this sunset than gravity and the laws of the universe. I feel like I see a glimpse of heaven...

#1 In my heaven, I would curl up with this super comfy IKEA blanket (it actually is my favorite blanket) with a cup of coffee and books. I love whip cream, so I would put some on my cup of coffee or my hot chocolate. I am in love with Serendipity's Frozen Hot Chocolate. Oprah released the recipe: check it out! It is sooooo delicious and just perfect for a comfy night in.

#2 I only pictured 2 books, but I have three books on my heaven book list:

1. The Five People You Meet in Heaven - a classic Mitch Albom novel about the people who teach you life lessons in heaven. This is a tear-jerker that will pull at your heartstrings, and make sure you check out the movie!
2. Life's Golden Ticket - one of my favorite non non-fiction novels (BTW: a non non-fiction novel is a novel that deals with real life non-fiction advice in the form of a fiction novel). It is an amazing must-read novel about second chances and the circus.
3. Elsewhere - probably my favorite books as a teen about what happens after life. A teen girl dies and goes to Elsewhere, in which the author tells an interesting, unique, and witty depiction about heaven and life after death.

#3

(Peace T-Shirt, Leggings, Face Scrub, Nail Polish, Slippers)

Comfy, comfy, comfy clothes are my ultimate favorite things to wear after a long, stressful, and tiring day/week. I love to unwind in leggings and a comfy tee. To have a relaxing and cozy night pull your hair up in a cute top knot, wash your face with this awesome face exfoliating scrub, and paint your nails with this cool mint color (Essie's Mint Candy Apple). After you throw on fuzzy sock slippers, your night will be complete.

Take a break every once in a while - you deserve it :)

P.S. Play some soft, calming music. My favorites: Jack Johnson, Amos Lee, Colbie Caillat, Adele, Mumford & Sons, The Script, Florence & The Machine, Fitz & The Tantrums, and The Goo Goo Dolls.

Where You Lead, I Will Follow

I am obsessed with Gilmore Girls.

Seriously. I own every season and watch them repeatedly to the point of madness. It is quirky, witty, and downright hilarious. You will laugh, cry, and hope to god that you have that kind of relationship with your mother/daughter.

It is seriously one of the best shows and I would recommend anyone to watch it. You will not be disappointed.

Anyways... here is a Gilmore Girls inspired post...

1) Confession: Gilmore Girls started my coffee addiction habits. Lorelai (mother) and Rory (daughter) are coffee fiends. Coffee is a must at all times and is a major theme to the TV show. Lorelai and Rory often get coffee from Lukes - the local diner in the town. Lorelai and Rory are both avid coffee drinkers, but Lorelai is a tad bit more ecstatic and vocal about her coffee needs. Take a look at this video...

Mmmm... coffee coffee coffee!!! :)

2) Reading, reading, reading! Another central theme to the show are books! Rory is obsessed and she gets Lorelai hooked too. Here's another video about Rory's obsession with books (sorry for 2 videos in one post)...

Here's a list of most books Rory has read...

• Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
• Moby Dick - Herman Melville
• Mencken Chrestomathy - H.L. Mencken
• A Room of One's Own - Virginia Woolf
• Emma - Jane Austen
• The Group - Mary McCarthy
• Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
• The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
• Howl - Allen Ginsberg
• Franny and Zooey - J.D. Salinger
• Inherit the Wind - Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee
• Letters to a Young Poet - Rainer Maria Rilke
• The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand
• Snows of Kilimanjaro - Ernest Hemingway
• Tender is the Night - F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen
• Atonement - Ian McEwan
• The Naked and the Dead - Norman Mailer
• Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Woolf
• The Art of War - Sun Tzu
• Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
• The Raven - Edgar Allen Poe
• On the Road - Jack Kerouac
• Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
• To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
• The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway
• Farneheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

There are soooo many other books Rory or other characters have read or talked about... but I think this is plenty :)

3) Clothes are also a huge part of the Gilmore Girls' life. They love to look cute and always do. Lorelai has a more quirky and trendy style, while Rory's style is more conservative, classic, and feminine.

Lorelai dresses very business appropriate, because she works at an inn. She also loves to wear dresses and is seen wearing boots multiple times. Rory wears a uniform to school for the first 3 seasons and we see her in comfy clothes a lot. As she grows older and heads to college, her look becomes more refined and ladylike with many cardigans, blouses, blazers, and skirts.

Here are some looks I put together...

LORELAI

(Pink Dress, Jacket, Blouse, Vest, Red/Black Dress, Boots, Scarf, Jeans, Necklace, Coral Dress, Heels, Earrings, Purse)

RORY

(Oxford, Blazer, Plaid Skirt, Knee-Highs, Tennis Shoes, Messenger Bag, Sweatshirt, T-Shirt, Jeans)

 (Cardigan, Blouse, Black Skirt, Purse, Flats, Earrings, Necklace, Lace Top, Floral Skirt, Heels)

Thanks for reading! If you don't watch Gilmore Girls, maybe you'll start now... :)

Friday I'm In Love

Oh the joys of Friday! Cheers to the freaking weekend!

To celebrate the weekend and end of summer (it is labor day weekend, after all), I compiled my favorites of coffee, books, and clothes from the summer. Take a look...

1) Mmmm.... I love summer coffee. Blended drinks are by far one of my favorite coffee drinks and I love the caramel flavor :) I also love iced coffee (it tastes so good on a hot day) and I added smoothies, because they are soooo delicious.

2) Summer reading has come to an end :( No more reading, while soaking up the sun. But, here's some of the books I read this summer...

Harry Potter series - a classic favorite of mine that I had to reread this summer, for the last movie came out

The Beautiful & the Damned - a book I had been wanting to read, and I finally got around to it during the summer

Things Fall Apart - a sad, classic novel that I read for school

Sophie's World - this *required* novel for school was equally philosophically intriguing and confusing

Flipped - one of my favorite books in middle school that I wanted to reread this summer (see the movie too!)

Something Like Fate - it wouldn't be summer, without a little teen romance novel... :)

Whatever Happened to Goodbye - ah yes, Sarah Dessen, a guilty pleasure of mine (see this post)

Wuthering Heights - a novel I have always wanted to read, and finally got the chance to this summer for school summer reading

3) Check out my favorite pieces from summer...

1. Jean shorts... enough said

2. I wear cute sundresses all summer long

3. Neon nail polish is really in right now, and I love these two shades

4. Another cute dress, perfect for a summer night out

5. Tees - a summer basic

6. This cute tank is easy and cute to throw on with some shorts

7. Another cute printed tank

8. It wouldn't be summer without flip flops, but these flip flops are extra cute and meaningful to me. These are J*Flops, a brand my cousin started and is currently running. J*Flops are extremely adorable flip flops, and get this, there are wedding flip flops! I'm serious - they're so cute and perfect when you're heels are hurting your feet at a wedding. So hop on over to J*Flops to take a look at the fabulously fun flip flops!

9. A cute braided belt to wear with shorts or a sundress

10. Classic aviator sunglasses

11. A cute, colorful pair of shorts

I hope you enjoy your Labor Day weekend and bask in the last few days of summer goodness :)

P.S. The title of this post is the name of a great song by The Cure (an amazing oldie band).

Lucky Number 13

Hey everyone!! Sorry I haven't posted in a couple days - I've been really busy getting ready for school and stuff (tomorrow). I can't believe I will be a senior!

This is it.

1) I got a giftcard to Caribou Coffee and it is super adorable. If you don't have a Caribou Coffee near you, you need to check it out. Their slogan says it all.

Life is short. Stay awake for it.

13 Reasons Why:

1. Sing out loud (yes, it is possible)
2. Be a HERO minus the dorky cape
3. Step 1:  rake leaves.   Step 2:  jump!
4. You are as wonderful as your dog thinks you are
5. Make today special
6. Smile first, ask questions later
7. Don't blend in
8. Marry your sweetheart
9. Look back if it makes you smile
10. Make time for silly
11. Live your life half full
12. Hold hands, not grudges
13. Pour yourself a cup of full of karma

Follow your heart.

2) "The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."  ~ Dr. Seuss

13 Books to Read Before You Leave For College:

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
3. Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison
4. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
5. The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne
6. A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway
7. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
8. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
9. Animal Farm - George Orwell
10. The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
11. Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare
12. The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
13. The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin - Mark Twain

3) I cleaned my room yesterday. I have 13 black skirts. Though I wear a black skirt for my uniform, I think owning 13 black skirts is a tad too much.

A black skirt is a staple in one's wardrobe. Buuuttt.... 13 black skirts is overdoing it. Here is a day-to-night black skirt...

[Day: Blazer, Earrings, Purse, Heels]
(Skirt, Tank)
[Night: Lipstick, Clutch, Bracelet, Flats]

First, wear an adorable blazer with a cute tank and a skirt. Throw on some heels, pearls, and a tote and your day is perfectly polished. At night, take off the blazer and add some red lipstick. Switch the heels to sparkly flats and the tote to a clutch. Add a bling bracelet and you are perfect for a night on the town!

Enjoy your Sunday and have fun going to school! (Lucky duck if you start school after labor day.)

Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar?

Uh-oh... Things are starting to disappear around my house. Not cookies, but ice cream bars.

My favorite latte bars have dropped from 4 left in the box to 1... I strictly told my family that these were for me only (since I bought them with my own money).

So now, it is time for me to play detective and solve the mystery of the latte ice cream bars.

1) Every good cop needs her cup of joe. Coffee and cops go together like peanut butter and jelly. In every good detective TV show or movie (or cartoon), there's an officer drinking his coffee and eating a jelly doughnut.

I wonder if cops feel cliche when they drink coffee and eat doughnuts on the job...

This is what I would look like if I was a police officer...

Hot stuff, right? :)

Yeah... I got my coffee in my hand, a doughnut in my mouth, and my aviator sunglasses.





2) As a kid, I loved Nancy Drew books. I devoured book by book, making my way through the series.

 I have 11 sitting on my shelf right now, and probably more throughout my house. They were awesome books with a kick-ass main character (girl-power, baby!). But, here are some other great mystery novels...

Gilda Joyce - She's a middle-school psychic investigator, but the author writes her with maturity, a know-it-all attitude, and a little bit of silliness.
Agatha Christie - A classic writer with hundreds of mystery novels. Any book you pick up by her is one of the greatest mystery novels. One of my favorites is And Then There Were None.
Sherlock Holmes - Enough said.
Owls Well That Ends Well - This is a funny mystery novel following Meg, whose yard sale doesn't go as planned when a dead body is found.
Bury Your Dead - A classic mystery novel about Inspector Gamache and finding the person who filled the eccentric man looking for a burial site of the town's founder.
Letter From Home - This novel is about Gretchen, an elderly woman looking back on the summer of 1944 during WWII, where her friend's mom is murdered in a small town.

(That's Kira-Kira sitting next to my Nancy Drew novels... It's an amazing novel about an American-Japanese girl who is taught everything by her sister Lynn, while her parents work night and day in terrible working conditions.)

3) Of course, every detective must look stylish when catching a criminal. Even if high heels are waaay to uncomfortable to run, jump, dive, or basically do anything besides walking, they must be worn. I find this very sexist on cop TV shows. The female police officers look gorgeous wearing 3-inch high heels and they can break into a sprint to catch the criminal. Seriously? I can barely walk in those things. But, here are my adorable detective clothes, because god knows I won't be running for anybody.

Blouse, Lipstick, Shoes, Trench Coat, Sunglasses, Pants

I am in love with that $1,200 trench coat. It's burberry and it's so stylish and I want to wear it everywhere. That is all :)

P.S. My dad gets really hungry at like midnight and goes digging through our kitchen... Mystery solved!