What I Read This March

I can't believe the first quarter of the year has passed us already, it has gone crazy fast. I continue to read at a steady pace, this past month I read the following books:

Saving Lucas Biggs by Marisa de los Santos and David Teague ★★★★
A book from an author that you love that you haven't read yet - Marisa de los Santos is one of my favourite authors and when I noticed on Goodreads she had written a new book with her husband I knew I had to use it for this part of the challenge. This story was quite different to the others I had read but still very enjoyable. It took my brain a little while to wrap itself around the disjointed time travel but well worth it.

We Should Hang Out Sometime: Embarrassingly a True Story by Josh Sundquist ★★★★
A book you can finish in one day: I read this book after hearing a good review from a fellow nerd fighter and as I enjoy Josh's vlogs from time to time. It was such an easy, fun read I struggled to put it down. As a result I have his other book, Just Don't Fall in my tbr pile for April.

Enchantment Lake by Margi Prues ★★★
Not included in challenge.  

The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl by Melissa Keil ★★★
A book published this year (last 12 months): I had heard so many good reviews of this book I had too high expectations going in. With so many great cultural references, unfortunately for me there was just something missing. It was enjoyable but I didn't love it.

From Notting Hill With Love... Actually by Ali McNamara ★★★★
A book based entirely on its cover: I picked this book up before Valentine's Day from a library display but didn't get around to reading it until well over a month after that. I'm glad I hung onto it though, I really enjoyed all the movie references it held. Although I'm not the girl who believes that romantic comedies are realistic, I do like a good Hugh Grant flick. Reading this made me want to dig out my Hugh Grant box set, and there are two more in the series I may eventually read. 

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy ★★★
A book by a female author: I was hoping to use this as my crying book, but it just wasn't the one. The main character was not relatable thus I did not feel sorry for her, maybe that was the point. In a market full of "sick lit" this book fails to hit the mark.

Sleepaway Girls by Jen Calonita ★★★
A book you own but have never read: I probably should have chosen something that has been sitting on my bookshelf a bit longer, but I really wanted to read this one when I ordered it in January so technically it counts. I enjoyed reading this book, I would have liked going to summer camp if it were a concept in Australia.

This month I allowed myself to buy two books because they were pretty, a 10 year anniversary hard cover copy of Looking for Alaska and a hard cover Looking for Ali Brandi. I have just now realised how funny that combination is, but maybe that is just me. Anyway, I should stop buying books! I have already bought one this month..

What I Read This February

After getting back into work I have had a lot less time to read so this month has been pretty slow on that front. I managed to read six books, five of which I will be counting towards the years challenge. I am very happy to finally have completed Yes Please by Amy Poehler after starting it in November then getting distracted.

In February I read the following books:

My Life as an Alphabet - Barry Jonsberg ★★★★

A Book by an Author You've Never Read Before -I read this after seeing it recommended in a teacher's group I am apart of. It was quite an enjoyable children's book with some interesting characters.

Yes Please - Amy Poehler ★★★★

A Book you Started but Never Finished -Finally finished it. I liked the third section best as it covered the aspects of her career I was most interested in and she finally stopped complaining as much about the fact she had no time to write the book. I feel like if you are writing a book and getting paid to do so you probably shouldn't do it if you don't want to, there are plenty of ghost writers out there. Not as funny as you would expect, but apparently the audio book version is better.

Slated - Teri Terry ★★★

A Trilogy (book 1) - I read this for an online book club, it was okay. Not the greatest dytopian YA novel I out there, probably not the worst either.

Never Google Heartbreak - Emma Garcia ★★

A Book With a Love Triangle - Just your average romcom, thought I would read one for Valentines day..

Bob's Burgers Vol. 1 - Chad Brewster ★★★

Not Included in Challenge - It was a fun comic, if you like the show you will enjoy it. Each character gets their own section, Gene's was not great though. Received from Net Galley.

Fractured - Teri Terry ★★★

A Trilogy (book 2) - The library had it so I figured I might as well complete the trilogy. Explained a bit more of the goings on, maybe slightly better than the first book.

I am currently reading  Saving Lucas Biggs by Marisa de los Santos and her husband David Teague, I'm nearly finished and am enjoying it. This month I only purchased two books, and they cost me a grand total of $6 at the Lifeline Book Fair so doing okay on that front, both of which I will hopefully read as a part of the challenge. Hopefully March will be a more successful reading month.

Inception?

I had a dream within a dream within a dream last night. I feel super weird today..

Is this inceception? 

I don't think I understood that movie at all. 

Aaaaaargh! 

What I Read This January

This year I am participating in the Popsugar Ultimate Reading Challenge, so I thought I would use my very neglected blog to keep track of what I have read and how I have enjoyed it. The first month has been easy as I have had a lot of free time to read and peruse the library and my own collection of books for things that fit the list. I figure it will get harder as the categories fill up and I want to read what ever I feel like at the time. We shall see if I can stick with it!

In January I read the following books:

The Rosie Effect - Graeme Simsion ★★★

A book with bad reviews – this book received some terrible reviews, although it wasn’t as great as the first in the series it was an okay read. 

Anna and the French Kiss – Stephanie Perkins ★★★★

A book written by someone under 30 – I have been meaning to read this in a while and I finally got around to it. It was a very cute easy read, I kinda want to sneak the rest of the series into the year if I can.

Ghost World – Daniel Clowes ★★★

A graphic novel – An easy read, a good choice for my first ever graphic novel.

The Little Prince – Antoine de Saint – Exupery  ★★★★

A book that was originally written in another language - Weird in a good way just as I expected it would be.

Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison – Piper Kerman ★★★★★

A book with a colour in the title – Such a fascinating read, I didn’t think it would be as exciting as the show is but it was very interesting once it got into the story. I’m very glad to know that real life Larry is not a complete douchepants. 

Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares – Rachel Cohn & David Levithan ★★★★

A book set during Christmas – A fun little adventure. I really love this type of story and this pair of authors have done a few like this together, I want to read them all now.

The Bear – Claire Cameron ★★★

A book that scares you – I originally picked this one up at the airport for book chosen based only on it’s cover but decided to use it as a book that scares you as the concept really did terrify me (also I don't really want to read a SCARY book, I mean even as a child I was too chicken to attempt the Goosebumps series). Although not really scary I did put it down before the bear attack happened not wanting to read it. I really didn’t like the way it was written for most of the book but managed to make it through. I would have liked to read more about how the children recovered over time. 

Animal Farm – George Orwell ★★★★

A book you were meant to read in school but didn’t – I think this would have had more impact on me if read at a more impressionable age. Unfortunately my schools never had me read any of the traditionally read at school books like this.

Jasper & Abby: and the Great Australia Day Kerfuffle – Kevin Rudd ★★★

A book set in your hometown - KRudd should probably stick to politics, just sayin’. 

Winger – Andrew Smith ★★★★

A book set in a highschool – A good read. I borrowed it from the library after seeing it everywhere, I didn’t think I would get into it but then I couldn’t stop reading it. Heartbreaking.

I am still reading Yes Please and will hopefully get around to finishing that off this month. I only purchased two books this month, which is pretty good for me.  Sleepaway Girls and The Bear - one of which was at an airport so does it really count?

Wagamama update

I can't help but feel slightly to blame. They should have taken my advice.
I really, really, really want bento now that I definitely can not have it.
Alas.

On being a Nerd Fighter

Late in the summer of my twenty ninth year, I decided that I was a Nerd Fighter, presumably because I spent hours watching the Vlogbrothers on Youtube, reading John Green’s novels, and listening to Hank’s catchy nerd music, but mostly because I wanted to be one.

  

A Nerd Fighter is defined as, “Someone who instead of being made up of cells and organs and stuff is actually made out of awesome. Someone who fights against world suck”. As a Hufflepuff I don’t wish to toot my own horn so much and prefer the second half of the definition, I am indeed made out of the same goop as every other Human being, but I would love to make the world less sucky for nerds and other less fortunate sections of the community.

The first time I heard of John Green was after I returned to Australia after living in the UK for 18 months and having nothing to read, no job, and little money to spend when my sister lent me his first novel, Looking for Alaska which I devoured and read his follow up An Abundance of Katherines. I then proceeded to read a bunch of other YA novels she possessed and move on in my life. 

The first vlogbrothers’ video I ever saw was this one, I don’t remember when or who sent it to me I just remember having seen it before and LOTR was like one of my primary fandoms so it could have been like any of my friends/family/I could have found it by chance. 

Anyway, in 2012 thanks to The Fault in Our Stars I started seeing references to Nerd Fighters and John Green everywhere  (read: Tumblr). So I finally found out what Nerd fighters were and decided to take on the task of watching all of the videos from the beginning of Brotherhood 2.0 to present, it took me a few months and it was worth it. I learnt about micro financing and joined the Nerd fighter team on Kiva, in a year I have made 25 loans and I must say it is an addictive way of helping people around the world (for a free $25 loan). I’ve been to one gathering so far which was pretty fun, participated in a p4a, and read one book as a part of the nerd fighter book club. And tonight I am very excited to go see The Fault in Our Stars movie, like way excited. Candy metaphor cigarettes, cloud nails and tissues excited.  YEP.

And now for some lists of what I love about John and Hank just because (note: there are many other things to love but these are just short lists).

 

I love their relationship, how they chose to work on it through Vlogbrothers and how well they collaborate. I love reunion videos most of all, it is true.

The projects such as p4a that they coordinate to help reduce world suck.

They DFTBA

John –

He loves gingers as much, possibly much more than I do

His Hufflepuff pride

He is an older teen than me

How he has made me finally find a love of pizza

Attempting to make people imagine each other more complexly

Speaking openly and honestly about his experiences with depression and anxiety

When he says something terribly and then goes "I'm a novelist"

That he actually made "French the Llama" a thing when nobody thought he could

Hank –

He loves science as much as me, definitely much more than I do

His poster and shirt collection

His ability to create so many amazing projects and for making me 2D glasses should I ever be forced into watching a 3D movie in my life

His psychic ability to predict Harry Potter/J.K. Rowling things and write these predictions into song form

He rescued a greyhound which was named Tina Fey and named her Lemon

He limits the amount of animal products he consumes, and is passionate about the environment

I understand his feels as a younger sibling so hard

An Open Letter to Wagamama

Dear Wagamama,

Once again you have gone and broken my heart. First you got me addicted to your delicious juice combinations, then you had to go and replace them with less delicious alternatives. I was pretty disheartened, but I could take it. I still had access to sweet, sweet bento boxes. Not anymore.

You had to go and remove them from your weekend menu, didn't you.
Well thanks. Now I will be turning in my frequent noodler card and heading for greener pastures. Well, until you realise once again bringing back the bento brings back the lunchtime custom. It's not just all the new restaurants surrounding you making you empty, it's the lack of bento. The sooner you realise that you might as well not open for lunch without it on the menu the better. 

I don't want to have to choose whether I want to eat one of the items I love in the bento box for lunch, I want them all. You just can't make a girl choose! 
Here is my opinion of the order of deliciousness of the items inside a teriyaki chicken bento box from most delicious to least: 1) sweet potato kusabi, 2) teriyaki chicken and rice, 3) edamame, 4) pickles, 5) miso soup, and 6) leafy greens. 

I will truly miss weekend shopping and bento times. I have attached a photo of one such glorious occasion when a butterfly joined a friend and I for lunch.

I am feeling very emotional just thinking about it.

Yours sincerely,

A truly dissatisfied ex noodler.