Weekly Rewind 11.1.14

Weekly Rewind

The new books on my shelves and my week in a nutshell.

Since I started this blog I've participated in Stacking the Shelves, which is a weekly feature hosted byTyngas Reviews, and I'm going to continue linking to that meme. Throughout my student teaching semester I was using my weekend post as a way to let people know what's going on in my life, so I've decided to rename my weekend post because this feature is more personal than just what books I've received. The Weekly Rewind will be about what's going on with me and my blog, as well as about the books I've added to my shelves.

My Life and Blog

Life: Holy moly, exhaustion is teaching 8th graders on Halloween when Halloween falls on a Friday! For absolutely NO reason, I woke up at 4:45 this morning and could not go back to sleep for the life of me. It's almost 9 now, and I am definitely hitting the hay as soon as I type this. Honestly, it wasn't TOO bad. My one class was a bit insane, but they were doing their Salem witch trial reenactments today (which was hilarious when they were in costumes) which they were pretty into. I debated just showing a movie, but figured it would be more fun for them if they were more active and watching their classmates acting out the various trials. This weekend I HAVE to finish reading the county essays for a meeting with the vice principal next week. I still about 60 to get through. I'm going to try to tackle half of them on Sat and the other half on Sun. I ALWAYS do this thing where I bum around on Sat and then hate life on Sun when I have to get everything done. And every single time I lecture myself about getting half the work done on Sat so it doesn't happen the next time. If only I would listen to the smarter part of my brain more often. It really does know what it is talking about.

I went down to my sister's last weekend for my niece's birthday party. My sister and her husband took me to a Halloween party Saturday night at one of the nicest houses I've ever been in. These people had this gorgeous indoor swimming pool room that had a bar and a fireplace and several sitting areas. Their master bedroom and the living room both had sets of double doors that opened up to the pool. Rich people, man, it must be nice. I danced all night with my sis which was so fun--and exactly what I needed. 

I'm down to 3 weeks left before my next trip home. I get the entire week for Thanksgiving (YAY!!!), so I'm flying out the Friday before after school. Sometimes 3 weeks seems like forever, but honestly each week goes by pretty fast. Life is pretty much just a crazy blur right now: Teach, grade, plan, sleep, repeat. 

New books: No review books this week which is good. I'm SOOOO behind that I cringe just thinking about it. As much as I miss reading, I just cannot feel guilty about it. I have been slowly reading the Lena Dunham book which I'm enjoying quite a bit. I read someone else say that if you like Girls you'll probably enjoy the book. I'm going to have to agree with the sentiment. I really enjoy Girls. I just like Lena Dunham. She's a weirdo, but I like that she isn't afraid to just put her shit out there. I do have a couple of fun things to share, though, so without further adieu, I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend. 

What I bought

The Target exclusive CD of Taylor Swift's 1989. I bought this on the way home from school tonight (I deserved a little present after today). I'm listening to it now, and am loving it so far. 

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

I meant to read this anti-superhero book when it first came out, but just never got around to it so I couldn't resist snagging the PB. 

What I snagged from the library

  

 

Books:

Wildlife by Fiona Wood

I had the e-arc of this, but I wasn't crazy about the format and so wanted to wait until it came in at the library. I've heard nothing but good things about this Aussie author and this book about two girls at an outdoor education camp.

Famous Last Words by Katie Alender

A Hollywood ghost story. Perfect for this time of year. 

Movies:

The To-Do List

I love Aubrey Plaza. She is so funny on Parks and Rec. I'm excited to finally watch this film about a girl who wants more sexual experiences before starting college.

Palo Alto

I don't know a whole lot about this movie besides Emma Roberts plays a girl who is crushing on her soccer coach. I'm curious about Gia Coppola who directs. The Coppola's are obviously Hollywood royalty, but this is the first of her films I (will) have seen. 

Well that's it for me this week. Feel free to leave a link to whatever weekend post you do (Stacking the Shelves, In My Mailbox, etc). I love to see what books people have recently snagged and especially enjoy hearing about my fellow bloggers' weeks. I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!

Discussion Post: Favorite Scary Movies

Discussion Post
Have I ever mentioned that I love a good scary movie?



For parents who were pretty strict in every other sense, my parents were fairly lax when it came to my TV and movie tendencies growing up. One of the first movies I can remember seeing in the theater was a film called Witness. For those who don't know the film, it features a fairly gruesome scene where a young Amish boy witnesses a man getting his throat slit (if I'm even remembering it correctly--I was pretty young) in the bathroom of a train station. This was terrifying to me, but it also gave me a thrill that I still seek out to this day. Throughout my childhood I watched horror films that were way too mature for me. By the time I reached junior high, I was already slightly obsessed with Freddy Kruger and thought Pinhead was the neatest looking dude around. Growing up with these films, it takes A LOT to scare me. I'm not one to cower behind my hands or cling to my husband (who, quite unfortunately, isn't even close to enamored with the horror genre as I am). No way! I say bring on your monsters, your loud noises, and your spooky music. Here are some of my favorites:

A Nightmare on Elm Street

There is something truly terrifying about a monster who haunts our dreams. We are never as vulnerable as we are when we are sleeping--and there is no getting around it--we all need sleep to survive. What makes Freddy and the franchise so awesome is that off-putting, almost slap-stick humor that just barely takes the edge off on who, in my opinion, is the scariest monster there is. 

Scream

What makes Scream so brilliant is that for a movie that is making fun of scary of scary movies, it is truly down-right scary in its own right. I clearly remember leaving the theater after watching this gem truly impressed with how absolutely meta the whole enterprise  is. Again, it's the humor, the winking at the audience, that raises this film (and its sequels) above the usual horror fare. 

Saw

This film is a little gorier than what I usually prefer, but that twist ending--which I won't spoil here--is AMAZING. I watched the first couple of sequels, but nothing they did could top the pure ingenious of that first film. Completely different than anything else at the time. 

The Cabin in the Woods

This film is pure genius. Period. 

Silence of the Lambs

This is another film I can clearly remember seeing in the theater. This is kind of a funny story. My sister and I had driven to Denver for some reason or another--I want to say she needed a dress for a school dance, but I have no idea if that is true--when we decided we would go see this R rated film. I was definitely not old enough to see an R rated film, but she must have been if my parents let her drive us the two hours it took to get to the city. She had grabbed my hand when we entered the already pitch black theater, and like the asshole I was as a teen, I shook her off. Pissed, she stormed up the row and sat down. Because it was dark, I couldn't see where she went and also just sat down. So that is how, at the tender age of, I want to say 14, I watched one of the scariest movies ever alone in a dark theater. That night vision goggle scene at the end? Nightmares for months. I have to admit that I do love Hannibal Lector, though. 

The Conjuring

While the ending got a little TOO crazy/unbelievable, I was pleasantly surprised by how genuinely scary this movie was. 

The Shining

Jack Nicholson. The isolation. Those twins. Everything about this classic film is amazing. 

Those are just a few of my favorites. What's your favorite scary movie? Sound off below! 

Happy Halloween!!!

Waiting on Wednesday (73) Proof of Forever

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. Click the link to see the original post plus a whole slew of links to other blogs. After you read this one, of course.

 Proof of Forever

 
Authors: Lexa Hillyer

Publisher: Harper

Release Date: June 2, 2015

Link to Goodreads:

BEFORE: It was the perfect summer of first kisses, skinny-dipping, and bonfires by the lake. Joy, Tali, Luce, and Zoe knew their final summer at Camp Okahatchee would come to an end, but they swore they’d stay friends.

AFTER: Now, two years later, their bond has faded along with those memories.

THEN: That is, until the fateful flash of a photo booth camera transports the four of them back in time, to the summer they were fifteen—the summer everything changed.

NOW: The girls must recreate the past in order to return to the present. As they live through their second-chance summer, the mystery behind their lost friendship unravels, and a dark secret threatens to tear the girls apart all over again.

ALWAYS: Summers end. But this one will change them forever.

Why I'm Excited:

I love a good friendship story--especially those that follow a group of friends. I always have. My favorites when I was little were The Baby-sitters Club and The Fabulous Five series, so books that follow a group of stories just make me so nostalgic. This sounds really interesting, too, how the girls have to relive a tumultuous summer. Fingers crossed this ends up in the next Harper dump.

What are you waiting for on this Wednesday? Link me up!

Hey lovely GFC and new followers, please follow me by Bloglovin. (I like to follow back, so please let me know if you're a new follower--and leave a link!) Thank you!!!





Weekly Rewind 10.25.14

Weekly Rewind

The new books on my shelves and my week in a nutshell.

Since I started this blog I've participated in Stacking the Shelves, which is a weekly feature hosted byTyngas Reviews, and I'm going to continue linking to that meme. Throughout my student teaching semester I was using my weekend post as a way to let people know what's going on in my life, so I've decided to rename my weekend post because this feature is more personal than just what books I've received. The Weekly Rewind will be about what's going on with me and my blog, as well as about the books I've added to my shelves.

My Life and Blog

Life: It was so nice being home last weekend. I got in on Thursday night super late and stayed until Monday evening, so I had 3 full days with my husband and kitties. It was the perfect time to be in PA as the leaves were turning and it was absolutely gorgeous out. I got to see some friends on Friday and Sunday nights, too, which was awesome. I really haven't made any friends here. I really like a couple of the women in the English department--really, everyone has been nice and welcoming--but I haven't made any real friends. I just work all the time. Every night I'm planning lessons for the next day or two while grading papers from the last day or two. It is none stop. Luckily, I'll have some material that I will be able to use next year, so the stress of planning will definitely be less. I've been focusing on the Salem witch trials the past couple of days and plan on staying on them for the next couple. It's such an interesting part of our history, and the students seem to be enjoying the lessons. 

This weekend I'm going down to my sister's house for my niece's birthday party. My sis and her husband are going to a Halloween party Sat night, so I'll probably join them. It will be fun to be around her and her family. One perk of FL is definitely being closer to her and her kids. I usually only see them once a year which isn't nearly enough.

New books: November isn't too crazy, thankfully. After September and October where I literally had more ARCs than days in the month, I only have a couple review books for the whole month. I'm honestly still not really reading. I'm just so tired by the time I've finished what I need to do for the next day, that every night I kind of watch TV for a little while and then go to sleep. I'll try to read for a little while before I sleep, but I never get through more than a couple of pages before I just crash. That said, I am really excited about the books I have to share this week, and Thanksgiving break will be here before we know it. I get the whole week off and already have my plane ticket. 

Well, that's about all I have to share with you today. I hope you are all having fabulous weekends! 

Review Books

  

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

A girl whose now dead parents found the key to crossing into alternative dimensions is chasing the boy suspected of killing them through said dimensions. So, I just read that sentence and it could have been much more eloquent, but I'm tired and lazy and have now typed out a whole new sentence instead of changing it. *shrugs* This cover! Am I right? So gorgeous. I would hang this one on my wall. I also like the whole multiverse thing although it is starting to get a bit old. Regardless, I'm excited for this one, and am going to try to make a real effort to get to it.

Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

This series that follows a group of teens with special abilities that help them profile suspects for the FBI is pretty fun. I didn't love The Naturals, but I did like it, and am excited to see where the series goes next. Although the love triangle is annoying and I heard that this one really focuses on it. 

Science...For Her! by Megan Amram

Per GR this book written by one of Parks and Rec's writers is: "Part hilarious farce, part biting gender commentary, Amram blendsCosmo and science to highlight absurdities with a machine-gun of laugh-inducing lines that leave nothing and no one unscathed."

What I snagged from the library

 

Books:

Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham

I've been dying to get my hands on this book for months. I was so happy when my hold went through. 

Movies:

Divergent

Finally! 

Well that's it for me this week. Feel free to leave a link to whatever weekend post you do (Stacking the Shelves, In My Mailbox, etc). I love to see what books people have recently snagged and especially enjoy hearing about my fellow bloggers' weeks. I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!

Waiting on Wednesday (72) The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. Click the link to see the original post plus a whole slew of links to other blogs. After you read this one, of course.

 The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly

 
Authors: Stephanie Oakes

Publisher: Dial

Release Date: June 9, 2015

Link to Goodreads:

When seventeen-year-old Minnow stumbles out of the woods one winter morning, she is haunted and handless and covered in someone else’s blood. She has just escaped the strict religious commune run by a cruel man named the Prophet. In exchange for freedom, she leaves behind her family, her home, and Jude--an outsider boy who changed everything. 

But the real world isn't the sanctuary Minnow imagined. Soon, she gets arrested and placed in juvenile detention. Now, Minnow is being questioned by an FBI psychiatrist about the night she escaped, the same night the Prophet was burned to death in his own home—a murder Minnow may be responsible for.

A modern retelling of the Grimm fairy tale, "The Handless Maiden," in which the Devil orders a girl's hands cut off, The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly is the story of a girl growing out of the wreckage of corrupted faith.

Why I'm Excited:

I have to admit that I've never been that interested in the whole cult thing. I'm definitely one who would never drink the kool-aid. This book, however, sounds so intriguing. I love that it is a retelling of a fairy tale while still sounding so original and different. I love a good mystery, and this sounds dark and awesome. I will most definitely be keeping my eyes open for this one.

What are you waiting for on this Wednesday? Link me up!

Hey lovely GFC and new followers, please follow me by Bloglovin as we all know Google Reader has gone/is going by the wayside. (I like to follow back, so please let me know if you're a new follower--and leave a link!) Thank you!!!





Weekly Rewind 10.18.14

Weekly Rewind

The new books on my shelves and my week in a nutshell.

Since I started this blog I've participated in Stacking the Shelves, which is a weekly feature hosted byTyngas Reviews, and I'm going to continue linking to that meme. Throughout my student teaching semester I was using my weekend post as a way to let people know what's going on in my life, so I've decided to rename my weekend post because this feature is more personal than just what books I've received. The Weekly Rewind will be about what's going on with me and my blog, as well as about the books I've added to my shelves.

My Life and Blog

Life: I'm home! This is going to be short because we are meeting a couple of friends tonight and I want to squeeze in a nap before we go, but it is so so awesome to be home and I'll definitely give a longer update next week. I hope you are all having fabulous weekends! 

New books: Just a couple to share this week, but I'm excited to read them.

For Review

Compulsion  by Martina Boone

The blurb is: Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse. That sounds pretty cool, but mostly I snagged this because that cover is so puuurty. I want to go there, please.

Atlantia  by Ally Condie

I'm not going to lie--I'm a little wary of this one. I hated Matched and didn't continue with the series. That said, I love the idea of Atlantis and Sirens and so on and so forth. I think that cover is pretty boring, though.

Get Happy by Mary Amato

A young song writer finds out that the father she thought had abandoned her has been trying to contact her for years.

What I Bought

My True Love Gave to Me by various authors
I just couldn't resist this short story compilation. One of my favorite books is Girls Night In, a chick-lit short story compilation. It does feel a little early for holiday stories, but the cover is so charming and I love all the authors. Fat Kitty approves. 

What I Snagged From the Library

Books:

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

I was so excited to snag the e-galley for this, and then just never got to it. I know it has little chance of being read right now (it's huge!), but I couldn't resist snagging it from the library. Maybe I'll find some time to read it...once I get through this next round of essays. 

Afterworlds  by Scott Westerfield

I have this e-galley, as well, but again I just couldn't resist snagging the gorgeous hardcover when it became available. 

Movies:

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

I'm excited for this one. For the most part, I love Marvel movies, and I've heard great things about this one.

Well that's it for me this week. Feel free to leave a link to whatever weekend post you do (Stacking the Shelves, In My Mailbox, etc). I love to see what books people have recently snagged and especially enjoy hearing about my fellow bloggers' weeks. I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!

Waiting on Wednesday (71) Zero Day

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. Click the link to see the original post plus a whole slew of links to other blogs. After you read this one, of course.

 Zero Day
 
Authors: Jan Gangsei 
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: May 12, 2015

Link to Goodreads:

Eight years ago, Addie Webster was the victim of the most notorious kidnapping case of the decade. Addie vanished—and her high-profile parents were forced to move on.

Mark Webster is now president of the United States, fighting to keep the oval office after a tumultuous first term. Then, the unthinkable happens: the president’s daughter resurfaces. Addie is brought back into her family’s fold, but who is this sixteen-year-old girl with a quiet, burning intelligence now living in the White House? There are those in the president’s political circle who find her timely return suspicious.

When the NSA approaches Darrow Fergusson, Addie’s childhood best friend and the son of the president’s chief of staff, he doesn't know what to think. How could this slip of a girl be a threat to national security? But at the risk of having his own secrets exposed by the powerful government agency, Darrow agrees to spy on Addie.

It soon becomes apparent that Addie is much more than the traumatized victim of a sick political fringe group. Addie has come with a mission. Will she choose to complete it? And what will happen if she does? 

Why I'm Excited:

This sounds very Homeland, don't you think? I've only seen the first season, but I can definitely see the similarities. I'm always down for some intrigue. I love any kind of double agent/spy-type story. I'm not crazy about the cover, but I think it is fine if that is what they decide to go with. Either way, I'll be keeping my eye out for this one.

What are you waiting for on this Wednesday? Link me up!

Hey lovely GFC and new followers, please follow me by Bloglovin as we all know Google Reader has gone/is going by the wayside. (I like to follow back, so please let me know if you're a new follower--and leave a link!) Thank you!!!





Weekend Rewind 10.11.14

 

Weekly Rewind

The new books on my shelves and my week in a nutshell.

Since I started this blog I've participated in Stacking the Shelves, which is a weekly feature hosted byTyngas Reviews, and I'm going to continue linking to that meme. Throughout my student teaching semester I was using my weekend post as a way to let people know what's going on in my life, so I've decided to rename my weekend post because this feature is more personal than just what books I've received. The Weekly Rewind will be about what's going on with me and my blog, as well as about the books I've added to my shelves.

My Life and Blog

Life: One quarter down! I have (another) hundred essays to read this weekend that need to get into the online grade book by Wednesday--plus a few other last minute grades--but the first quarter officially ended on Thursday. Today (Friday) was an in-service day. I had a three hour ethics training this afternoon, but was able to get a few things done this morning. I'm definitely feeling good about being 1/4 of the way through my first year of teaching. 

Six days until I'm home! I think I may have mentioned this already (ahem, once or twice), but I was smart and took Friday and Monday off this time, so that the long weekend will actually be three full days. I'm excited for some autumn. It has been so hot here! Again, a little over four weeks after that, I'll have 8 whole days at home for Thanksgiving. Then just 19 days after that I'll have 16 days at home--well, probably more like 14 because I plan on driving up for Christmas break. I need to get my car inspected and don't want to have to be at my husband's mercy to get rides. I plan to spend some quality time with some of my friends over the holidays, too, and he will be working for at least some of the time, I'm sure. While it is seriously so hard to be apart, it does help to have trips home planned to look forward to. Also, I really am loving the school where I work. The district, principals, and other teachers are all awesome, so that helps out a great deal, as well.

My slump is breaking a little bit. I have a few books that I'm pretty excited about in my possession, and have tried to read at least a few pages before I go to sleep. This weekend is definitely going to be dedicated to getting through the essays and entering in grades, but I do plan on going to see Gone Girl this weekend, and hope to get at least a couple of chapters read here and there. Maybe I'll reward myself with a chapter for every 10 essays I get through or something. Rewarding reading with reading: the life of an English teacher. 

New books: I have a few fun books to share with you today, so without further adieu I hope you are all having fabulous weekends. 

For Review 

  
 

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

So, I still need to read the second book (I'm actually reading it now), but just could not resist. I didn't really understand the first book--even though I read it twice--but I really did like it. 

Beware the Wild by Natalie C. Parker

A boy goes into a creepy swamp and a girl comes out in his place--and nobody remembers the boy except his sister...or something. Love this cover with the cool tree and font treatment. 

Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle

A behind-the-scenes look at a YA teen movie being filmed. The movie has a "famous love triangle", which sounds very Twilight/Hunger Games. Sounds like fluffy fun.
Loop by Karen Akins
Time traveling romance. Sounds cute. The cover makes me want rainbow sherbet.

Grace's Guide: The Art of Pretending to be a Grown-Up by Grace Helbig

So apparently this woman is a famous YouTube figure, but I'm not familiar. This book sounds funny, though, and I love a good memoir/advice book--especially an illustrated one.

What I snagged from the library

   

Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

I'm SO excited to finally have this in my hands. I love this series, and it was a loooong wait after that second book's cliffhanger. I can't wait to see how this series ends. 

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

I'm annoyed with myself for putting this off. I started this a couple of days ago, and while I'm honestly not that far into it, I am enjoying it quite a bit. 

Well that's it for me this week. Feel free to leave a link to whatever weekend post you do (Stacking the Shelves, In My Mailbox, etc). I love to see what books people have recently snagged and especially enjoy hearing about my fellow bloggers' weeks. I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!

Waiting on Wednesday (70) Radiance

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. Click the link to see the original post plus a whole slew of links to other blogs. After you read this one, of course.

 Radiance
 
Authors: Catherynne M. Valente 
Publisher: Tor 
Release Date: August 18, 2015

Link to Goodreads:

The first adult novel in more than three years from the bestselling author of the Fairyland books,
Radiance is a decopunk pulp SF alt-history space opera mystery set in a Hollywood—and solar system—very different from our own, from the phenomenal talent behind the New York Times bestselling The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making.

Severin Unck’s father is a famous director of Gothic romances in an alternate 1986 in which talking movies are still a daring innovation due to the patent-hoarding Edison family. Rebelling against her father’s films of passion, intrigue, and spirits from beyond, Severin starts making documentaries, traveling through space and investigating the levitator cults of Neptune and the lawless saloons of Mars. For this is not our solar system, but one drawn from classic science fiction in which all the planets are inhabited and we travel through space on beautiful rockets. Severin is a realist in a fantastic universe.

But her latest film, which investigates the disappearance of a diving colony on a watery Venus populated by island-sized alien creatures, will be her last. Though her crew limps home to earth and her story is preserved by the colony’s last survivor, Severin will never return.

Aesthetically recalling A Trip to the Moon and House of Leaves, and told using techniques from reality TV, classic film, gossip magazines, and meta-fictional narrative, Radiance is a solar system-spanning story of love, exploration, family, loss, quantum physics, and silent film.

Why I'm Excited:

I'm not going to pretend to understand what I just read, but this certainly sounds intriguing. I love that it is told using "techniques from reality TV, classic film, gossip magazines, and meta-fictional narrative". Mostly because I have no idea what that is going to sound like. I've always meant to read the Fairyland books, but never have. Also, that cover is gorgeous.

What are you waiting for on this Wednesday? Link me up!

Hey lovely GFC and new followers, please follow me by Bloglovin as we all know Google Reader has gone/is going by the wayside. (I like to follow back, so please let me know if you're a new follower--and leave a link!) Thank you!!!