November 2014: Recap + On My Shelves
November opened with a bang, and it was full speed ahead for the rest of the month. I still can't believe it's December... I feel like I was just reflecting on the end of the year and setting goals for a new year!
1. Yallfest with Alexa - I'd been dying to spend more time with Alexa after meeting her at BEA this year. When we both mentioned our desire to go to Yallfest, we thought there'd be no way we could work it out. AND THEN EVERYTHING FELL INTO PLACE. Yallfest wasn't our favorite, but I loved every minute I spent with Alexa!
2. Meeting Laini Taylor - Technically, this happened when I was at Yallfest... but I feel like it's exciting enough to merit its own spot on my November loves list. The Daughter of Smoke and Bone series had a huge impact on my love for fantasy, so I was thrilled to get my books signed and fangirl for a moment.
3. Mockingjay, Part I - PEEEEETAAAAAAAA! I've been very vocal about my love for Peeta in the past, so I was anxiously awaiting this movie. This series is one of my all-time favorites EVER, including the last book. I loved everything about the movie and ended up being so glad they split it into two. Time for a re-read now!
4. Happy Thanksgiving! - I still can't believe it's already this time of year, but I love everything this season brings with it. I have so much to be thankful for in my life, and this holiday is a special one. In the same way you wouldn't just tell someone you love them on Valentine's Day, I want to better at giving thanks all year!
Read 17 Books | Favorites:
Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
Before I Go by Colleen Oakley
The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski
I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios
“You know not, yet, the sort of love that strikes like a lightning bolt; that clutches hold of you by the heart,
as irrevocably as death; that becomes the lodestar by which you steer the rest of your life. I would not wish such a love on anyone, man or woman, for it can make your life a paradise, or it can destroy you utterly.”
as irrevocably as death; that becomes the lodestar by which you steer the rest of your life. I would not wish such a love on anyone, man or woman, for it can make your life a paradise, or it can destroy you utterly.”
Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
“This is a long goodbye, yet not time enough. I have no aptitude for this. I cannot learn this.
I would hold on, and hold on, until my hands clutch at emptiness.”
Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier
"I stack each memory in the suitcase of my brain side by side like neatly folded T-shirts,
like I'm going on a trip and I don't want to leave them behind. I suppose I am. And I don't."
Before I Go by Colleen Oakley
[Most Popular]
Overall: Looking Back on BEA
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Discussion/Feature: Fall Into Fantasy
[Personal Favorite]
Overall: A Book for Every {Fantasy} Reader
Review: Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
Discussion/Feature: The TBR Tag
1. Do re-reads change my thoughts on a book? by Asheley from Into the Hall of Books - I've had re-reading on the brain lately because Kelly and I have been finalizing all of the details for The 2015 Re-Read Challenge. I devoured this post as soon as Asheley published it, and I knew immediately it would be in my monthly recap post. I've experience this myself, and it's one reason I wish more people would re-read!
2. STOP Apologising! by Cait from Paper Fury - I could draw little hearts and stars all over this post. I felt like Cait was reading my mind. I've talked about this before with blogging friends but always hesitated to write a post about it. Now there's no need! I'm always sad when I see people apologizing for "not posting enough." I love blogging, but it's a hobby. Real life always comes first, and there's no need to say sorry when it does.
3. Blogging How You Want and Why It's Important by Sydney from Utterly Bookish - I have Oh, the Books! to thank for helping me discover this blog and post. I love going through their weekly recaps and findings things I've missed! This post caught my eye because Sydney articulated some important truths. While I love blogging tips and tricks, I also think it's so important to remember that "blogging is a personal experience." PREACH.
4. Serious Talk: Friendship by Cassie from Books With Cass - I rarely cry when I'm reading books, so you're probably not surprised that I've never cried reading a blog post... until now. This post from Cassie brought me to tears! If you'd told me a few years ago that blogging would introduce me to people I'd one day call some of my best friends, I would have thought you'd lost your mind. But now, I can only echo Cassie's post. It's the truth!
Favorite Song: "Hate to See Your Heart Break" by Paramore feat. Joy Williams on Paramore: Self-Titled Deluxe
This song combines two of my favorite artists, so it's no surprise that I haven't been able to stop listening.
I can't get it out of my head! I keep playing it on repeat, over and over again... AHHH!
Jane the Virgin, Episodes 1-7 - I wrote off this show when I first heard about it, but then I decided to give it a shot based on Ellice's recommendation. And oh, I'm glad that I did! This is my favorite new show on TV. It's funny, heartwarming and just so dadgum charming. I can't get enough! It sounds ridiculous, but it just works.
Laggies (2014) starring Keira Knightley, Chloë Grace Moretz and Sam Rockwell - I absolutely love Keira Knightley, so this movie was on my radar as soon as I saw the trailer. It wasn't in many theaters near me, but I found it. It was quirky and odd, but so hilarious. I loved it! If you like independent movies, give it a shot!
Beyond the Lights (2014) starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nate Parker and Minnie Driver - I think Gugu Mbatha-Raw is stunning, and I was so intrigued by this movie after I read this Entertainment Weekly article about her transformation into a pop star. The movie was fabulous! It was emotional and so culturally relevant.
Marillier Mayhem | Daughter of the Forest, Son of the Shadows, Child of the Prophecy, Heir to Sevenwaters, Seer of Sevenwaters, Flame of Sevenwaters, The Dark Mirror, Blade of Fortriu, Wolfskin & Foxmask by Juliet Marillier
Shopping Spree | Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers, The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken, The Virgin's Lover and The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory
Southern + Slow Cooker = YES | The Southern Slow Cooker Bible by Tammy Algood
From Alexa | This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner and Not in the Script by Amy Finnegan
Won | Every Breath by Ellie Marney (Thanks Bookish Broads + Tundra Books!)
From Oxford University Press | Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
From Quirk | Jane Austen Cover to Cover by Margaret Sullivan
From Macmillan | Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Bought for Kindle | Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
NetGalley & Edelweiss | The Life Intended by Kristin Harmel, I Was Here by Gayle Forman and Things Know By Heart by Jessi Kirby
OMG you have me completely hooked on Jane the Virgin. I am powering through it and it is NOT a good time... I am in the middle of final papers! I really want to check out Laggies too. I love Keira Knightley and I liked Chloë Grace Moretz's performance in If I Stay.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm sooo jealous of your enormous book haul! Particularly jealous of Mortal Heart and The Winner's Crime. Your editions of Anna Karenina and Tuck Everlasting are super gorgeous. And, I CAN'T WAIT for you to read Alanna!!!
I really wanted to see Beyond the Lights. UGH. I think I probably missed my window though. Why wasn't there more advertising for this? Movies are so weird now. Thanks for sharing some great posts this month too. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm seriously so happy we got to hang out for pretty much an entire weekend together! It totally confirmed what I already knew to be true: that our friendship is the real deal. I hope someday we get to have more fun shenanigans and long conversations about books, blogs and everything else life throws our way! Seriously, it was the best. Plus, we got to meet Laini Taylor, which I still can't believe, by the way!
ReplyDeleteAh! You acquired so much good stuff, which is awesome. I'm particularly amused by the Marillier stack. Who knew one book would start an entire landslide of reading for you? (And me, potentially. I just need to finish acquiring the rest of these books.) Also, I really want to watch those two films. They didn't get much advertising, but you make them sound so great!
Here's to hoping December is just as awesome as November <3