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August 2015: Recap + On My Shelves

Sep 1, 2015


Adios, August! I know I say this every month, but where is the year going?! I can't believe we're this far into 2015. August was mostly slow with a few fun things mixed in! Now, if only I could get my reading mojo back...

1. Signed Books - I shared this picture on Instagram for the signed books tag, and it was fun to look through my books. I feel so lucky to have met so many incredible authors - and to have some bookish fairy godmothers looking out for me, too! These are a few of my favorite signed books, and I didn't even realize I had this many. 

2. #OTSPSecretSister - On the Same Page's Secret Sister Project started again in August! I was thrilled to come home to a lovely Austen-inspired note from my sister one day, and then I got an AWESOME package from her a week or so later (see the What I Acquired section!). I'm having so much fun already!

3. Mindy Mail Day - I adore Mindy Kaling. If I could have one celebrity friend, I'd pick her. I pre-ordered her upcoming book, Why Not Me?, and received some awesome goodies because of it. I love the Mindy pin and the licorice! Since I've got a few weeks before the book is out, I'm tiding myself over with The Mindy Project.

4. Painted Nails + New Ring - I love painting my nails, but I haven't done it in a couple months. I kept thinking about doing it this summer, but it was always right before bed and I didn't want to bother. Since I bought a new ring in August, I finally sat down with this polish and got to work. Why did I wait so long?!

Read 11 Books | Favorites:
Circling the Sun by Paula McLain
Bounce by Noelle August
Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead
Wild in the Hollow by Amber Haines

Challenge Progress:
3 Fantasy for Flights of Fantasy Challenge
3 Re-Reads for The Re-Read Challenge
3 Diverse Read for Dive into Diversity
2 Series for Series a Month
"We're all of us afraid of many things, but if you make yourself smaller or let your fear confine you,
then you really aren't your own person at all – are you?"
Circling the Sun by Paula McLain

"Who's the real you? The person who did something awful,
or the one who's horrified by the awful thing you did?
Is one part of you allowed to forgive the other?"
Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead

"Life is where you sleep and what you see when you wake up in the morning,
and who you tell about your weird dream, and what you eat for breakfast and who you eat it with.
Life isn't something that happens to you. It's something you make yourself, all the time."
Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead

"Guilt is anti-peace, and without the fruit of peace, there’s no real freedom and no real home.
Instead, there’s only the chasing of other, new desires we hope will fill the hollow."
Wild in the Hollow by Amber Haines

"But when we really delve into the reasons for why we can't let something go, there are only two:
an attachment to the past or a fear for the future."
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
[Most Popular]
Overall: Time Travel To: World War II
TTT: Top Ten Books That Would Be On My Syllabus If I Taught "Jane Austen 101"
Review: Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
Discussion/Feature: My Biggest Book Buying Quirk

[Personal Favorite]
Overall: So Obsessed With: The Mini Edition #3
TTT: Top Ten Auto-Buy Authors (My Austen syllabus was actually my favorite!)
Review: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
Discussion/Feature: Favorite Factor: August 2015
1. The Myth of Blogging Turf by Nina from Nina Badzin - Estelle texted me a link to this article, and I knew immediately I'd be including it in my monthly recap! I love what Nina has to say about blogging turf - and the fact that it doesn't exist. Her point about bringing your perspective to everything you write is excellent!

2. 5 Tips for Talking to Authors at Events by Cristina from Girl in the Pages - I've gotten to meet a number of authors since I started blogging, and I always feel like I've missed the opportunity for a meaningful conversation because I just babble about my love for their books. These tips are so helpful - I'll be keeping them in mind!

3. Review Writing: How to Stop Hating It by Lauren from Bookmark Lit - I don't hate writing reviews, but I'm definitely not good at staying on top of them. When I get in the mood to binge read, I can end up with a HUGE backlog of reviews to write. I'm going to try to use these tips to help when I fall behind and feel unmotivated.

4. Nerding Out: Culling the Shelves by Lisa from Bookish Broads - I've been in such a book culling mood this year, so I enjoyed reading about Lisa's experience! I loved that she shared tips for culling your physical and virtual shelves - and makes a case for why it's worth doing. I'm definitely hoping to break free from my TBR!

 Favorite Song #1: "Carry On" by Coeur de Pirate on Roses
Spotify's Discover Weekly playlist introduced me to this artist, and I'm so glad.
I had this song on repeat in August. The whole album was recently released - I need to listen!



Favorite Song #2: "Powerful" by Major Lazer feat. Ellie Goulding & Tarrus Riley on Peace is the Mission
This was another Discover Weekly find - probably because I listen to Ellie Goulding all the time.
When I wanted something with a little more energy, I turned on this song! SO GOOD.

Sherlock, Seasons 1-3 - I technically binge watched this is July, but I somehow forgot about it in my recap. Unforgivable, I know. Why didn't anyone tell me to watch this show sooner?! I'd been telling my husband we should try it, and we were hooked from the very first episode. It's so fantastic, and I adore Sherlock and Watson.


Suits, Seasons 1-4 - After binging Sherlock, we wanted to find another TV show fill out time during the summer slump. We decided to give Suits a try, and we were quite pleased with that decision. I enjoy the office dynamics, the cases and the tension created by Mike's lie. And I love Harvey and Donna's relationship!

Bought / Gift Card: Circling the Sun by Paula McLain, The Song of the Lioness Box Set by Tamora Pierce, Percy Jackson and the Olympians Box Set by Rick Riordan (for Nick), To Win Her Favor by Tamera Alexander and Wild in the Hollow by Amber Haines

From Alexa: A Window Opens by Elisabeth Egan, Six Impossible Things by Fiona Woods and If Only You Knew by Kristan Higgins AND A PEETA'S BAKERY SOUVENIR

From Rachel: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

From #OTSPSecretSister: The Storyspinner by Becky Wallace (and other fun goodies!)


Kindle: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas, Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari and We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie


For Review: Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers, A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro and The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig 


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#ReRead2015 August Recap

Aug 31, 2015


I read a little more in August than I did in July, but not much! I did, however, make time to re-read the Throne of Glass series in preparation for the release of Queen of Shadows on September 1. My most exciting update from August was that I met my goal of 36 re-reads in 2015! I have no intention of slowing down, so I'm excited to see where I'll be at the end of the year. I'm glad I made it a priority because it's changed my reading for the better.


August Re-Reads: 3 Books

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

If you're just joining the challenge, feel free to sign up now. 
And add your re-read recap and/or re-read reviews below!


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'Tidying is just a tool, not the final destination.'

Aug 28, 2015

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

 Release Date: October 14, 2014
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Pages: 214 pages
Source & Format: Bought; Hardcover
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 Summary (from Goodreads)
Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles? 

Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo’s clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list). 

With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house “spark joy” (and which don’t), this book featuring Tokyo’s newest lifestyle phenomenon will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home—and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.

Thoughts on The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
I believe Modern Mrs. Darcy's review of  The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up is what first brought the book to my attention. She discusses Kondo's basic approach to tidying, and I was so intrigued. A lot of what I was reading made sense, but I wasn't sold yet. Then, I kept seeing the book everywhere! When Rachel from Hello, Chelly wrote about her experience tidying with Kondo's method, I knew I had to try it for myself.

I like non-fiction, but I don't typically read self-help books. But I do love organization (as you might know if you read my blog), and I'd heard such great things. When I finally picked it up, I was able to finish the book the same day. It's a quick, short read - though you may find yourself referring back to it during the tidying process. After reading the book, I was very motivated to get started! I explained the process to Nick, and he was on board. We're both neat people, and I can honestly say that we didn't think we'd have much to clean out.

 Well, we were wrong. While I didn't follow Kondo's method to the letter (more on that in a bit), we still ended up discarding so much. We threw away at least ten trash bags of stuff, took seven moving boxes worth of stuff to Goodwill, and I had two big boxes of clothes to donate to a local organization. It was insane! I thought I'd cleaned out before, but this book made me approach it in a new way.

Here's some of my favorite advice:

 "People cannot change their habits without changing their way of thinking."
For Kondo, it's not just about her system of tidying up. She's got rules to follow, of course, but she ultimately wants to change your habits. The ultimate goal isn't just to clean up your house or get rid of stuff. She wants to change the way you think about what you own and what you acquire. I loved this aspect!

"Putting things away creates the illusion that the clutter problem has been solved."
I've definitely fallen victim to the idea that more storage leads to better organization. Kondo totally challenges that idea, and I found myself agreeing with her. If you have too much stuff, you won't solve the problem by finding new ways to store it. You're just perpetuating the problem, and your house won't feel any tidier.

"We should be choosing what we want to keep, not what we want to get rid of."
This was a very different approach for me! I'm usually going through stuff and trying to decide what to discard. But Kondo wants to make one simple, but meaningful, change: decide what you want to keep. Ask yourself if something sparks joy, if it still has a purpose and if it's something you want to keep in your home.

"Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest."
Kondo tells you to ask "Does this spark joy?" with every item in your home. At first, I thought it sounded cheesy. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized the value of the question. If I want to be surrounded by stuff that makes me happy, I have to discard the things that don't. I don't want to keep things "just because."

"The best sequence is this: clothes first, then books, papers, komono (miscellany), and lastly, mementos."
Rather than sort by room, Kondo believes you must sort by category. I've always tidied by room, but now I understand the drawbacks of that method. I loved when Kondo explained when you needed to go through categories in a specific order. I'll explain what I mean with the quote below!

"People have trouble discarding things that they could still use (functional value), that contain helpful information (informational value), and that have sentimental ties (emotional value). When these things are hard to obtain or replace (rarity), they become even harder to part with."
Kondo wants you to start with the easiest category to tidy and then work towards the more difficult categories. For example, clothes are easy because they don't have emotional or informational value, and they aren't hard to obtain or replace. Mementos are the hardest because they're sentimental and rare, so it takes longer to sort.

"To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard the those that have outlived their purpose."
Kondo believes we do a disservice to the things that we love when they're surrounded by things that we no longer need. I knew exactly what she meant! For example, I had a bunch of clothes that had outlived their purpose - and yet I wore those more often than the stuff I loved just because they were there.

 "But when we really delve into the reasons for why we can't let something go, there are only two: an attachment to the past or a fear for the future."
This was one of the most memorable parts of the book for me! If something doesn't spark joy, why am I keeping it? Kondo argues that it's out of fear. We're either too attached to the past ("I used to love carrying this purse!") or afraid of the future ("What if I need to use this again one day?"). I don't want to keep things out of fear.

That being said, I didn't follow all of Kondo's advice. There were a number of things that I ignored, such as thanking your items, emptying your purse every day, not keeping anything in the shower, etc. One of the biggest categories where I broke the rules was books. Generally speaking, Kondo doesn't recommend keeping many books because 1) you likely won't re-read and 2) if you haven't read it yet, you won't. There's wisdom in what she says, and I did reduce my TBR using her method, but I didn't completely follow it. Books bring me joy!

There were a few other things I chose to disregard, but I'd still recommend this book. For me, Kondo truly accomplished her purpose. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up made me think differently about the things I own, and I have a feeling it's going to change the way I think about what I acquire. My home makes me so much happier now - it just feels like everything is where it belongs. And I plan to be smarter about what I bring into my home because of it. I want to continue to love the place I live!

So Quotable
"Too many people live surrounded by things they don't need 'just because.'"

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Lights, Camera, Action!

Aug 27, 2015

Bounce by Noelle August

 Release Date: August 25, 2015
Publisher: HarperCollins | William Morrow
Pages: 304 pages
Source & Format: Publisher; ARC
Series: Boomerang #3
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 Summary (from Goodreads)
Playing the occasional club gig just isn’t cutting it for twenty-two-year-old cellist Skyler Canby, who’s trying to support herself and her mother back home in Kentucky. Persuaded by her best friend Beth to accompany her on an audition for the first feature film launched by Blackwood Entertainment, she figures why not? Beth’s a shoe-in for the lead, but maybe Skyler’s newly dyed pink hair will help her stand out enough to score a small speaking part. 

Never in her wildest dreams does Skyler imagine she’ll land the lead role or that she’ll have her shoes knocked off her feet by the kiss her audition partner, Grey Blackwood, plants on her—a kiss that feels very real and not at all “acted. ” 

After throwing a party that causes thousands of dollars of damage to his older brother’s home, reckless musician Grey Blackwood gets roped into working off his debt on the set of his CEO brother’s newest project. Grey spends his days fetching coffee and doing odd jobs around the studio, but he lives for nights when he performs with his band. He knows if he can stay focused, success as a singer is just around the corner. But that’s tough with a distracting pink-haired girl occupying his every waking thought. 

Thoughts on Bounce
Last year, I bought Boomerang on a whim after reading a bunch of positive reviews. Even though I don't read a lot of New Adult, I wanted to give it a try because it was co-written by Veronica Rossi. I trusted that she would write something enjoyable, and I was right! It wasn't a favorite, but I received a copy of Rebound for review not long after finishing and decided to continue the series. While it was the opposite for many readers, I actually liked Rebound even more than the first book. Both were a little predictable, but they were still fun reads. So, when a copy of Bounce showed up at my door, I was excited to find out what would happen next!

I noted this in my review for Boomerang, but reading these books makes me feel like I'm watching a romantic comedy. They're a little predictable, but I still enjoy the experience. I loved that the second book focused on secondary characters from the first book and the fact that this continued in the third book. It's cool to get glimpses of the characters from the previous books - and to see how they're connected! While I have my favorite characters, I think they're all well developed. They have families, friends, past relationships, interests, fears and hopes for their futures. They seem like people I would know in real life!

Bounce focuses on two main characters that I grew to love: Skyler Canby and Grey Blackwood. Skyler is a talent cellist who decides to audition for an upcoming film backed by Blackwood Entertainment. She's trying to support herself and her mother back at home, and any little bit helps. Remember Mia from Boomerang? Skyler is one of her roommates! And Grey is Adam Blackwood's little brother. Adam was the founder of Boomerang and the lead in Rebound, so I was excited to see more of his family. Unlike his older brother, Grey is reckless and a little aimless. He loves his band, but that's about it. After throwing a party that damages brother's home, he ends up helping out on set to settle his debt. And there's where he meets Skyler...

Of all three books in this series, this one was my favorite! With the first two books, I found the conflict annoying at times. But that didn't really happen for me with Bounce. There was still some drama, but it kept me racing through the pages instead of rolling my eyes. I liked that most of the tension came from their family relationships rather than past romantic relationships (as was the case in the first two books). I can't really explain it, but it seemed to lessen the overall angst and made the book more enjoyable for me.

Bounce is still a sexier book than I'd typically pick up, but less so than the previous books. I liked the dynamics between Grey and Skyler, so I ended up being quite invested in their relationship. They just seemed like such a good fit together! Grey is younger than Skyler, and I liked the way the age difference was handled. He has moments of immaturity, especially at the beginning of the book, but I loved seeing Grey's personal growth and attempts to take responsibility for his life. Skyler was such a fun character, and I loved her friendship with Mia and Beth. That was one of my favorite parts of the book!

You don't have to read Boomerang or Rebound before picking up Bounce, but I was glad I did. I liked checking in on characters from the earlier books! But if you were only going to read one book from this series, I'd make it Bounce. It was still a little predictable, but it was just so much fun to read. I couldn't put it down, and it perfectly fit the mood I was in. I wanted something that would make me happy, and this fit the bill! If you're a fan of New Adult, I think you'll find a lot to enjoy in this series. And if you're more like me and hesitant to try the genre, this is a great place to start! It's funny, sweet and has just the right amount of swoon.

So Quotable
"It's not that he makes me strong or whole. It's that with him, I remember how strong and whole I am."
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review.
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An Introduction to Jane Austen

Aug 25, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Every week they post a new topic and invite everyone to share their answers. I'm so obsessed with lists - so I obviously love this feature!

Top Ten Books That Would Be On My Syllabus 
If I Taught "Jane Austen 101"

I know it sounds nerdy, but I've always been fond of school. I enjoy learning, and I had fun picking out my classes each semester in college. There were professors who made me love subjects that I'd been ambivalent about before... and the ones who made me hate a subject even more than I already did. But my all-time favorite was a class I took with an excellent professor about a subject that I was so obsessed with: Jane Austen. It was a busy class - we read all six of her novels (and some of her juvenilia), a biography, some Austen retellings and wrote several papers about it all. But I LOVED it! So, I decided to share my version of that class today:

Jane Austen Course Syllabus

Class Information: MWF / 1:00-2:00 p.m. / 305 So Obsessed Hall

Film Screenings: T / 9:00 p.m. / 305 So Obsessed Hall

Course Website: www.soobsessedwith.com

Office Hours: I'm available immediately after class for questions. Additionally, you can chat with me via Twitter (@soobsessedblog) if you'd like to continue our Austen-inspired discussions.

Course Overview:

Unit 1: Selected Works of Jane Austen
We'll start the course by reading a selection of Austen's works so you familiarize yourself with her writing style and subject matter. To see her growth as a writer, we'll begin with her earliest novel - Northanger Abbey - which was published posthumously. My personal favorite, Pride and Prejudice, will be next. And we'll conclude with Persuasion - Austen's last full-length novel and another personal favorite.


 Unit 2: Jane Austen's Life and World
Once we've journeyed into Austen's work, it will be time to find out more about her life and the world in which she lived. We'll read a short biography first, and then we'll dive into a book exploring the customs and culture of England during Austen's time. The first book will help you better understand Austen, and the second will help you approach her work with new eyes.


 Unit 3: Jane Austen's Influence
There's no denying Austen's fame! We'll explore her influence on one individual through a memoir that celebrates the transformative power of literature, and then we'll expand our view and examine the Jane Austen fandom. What makes Austen so popular today? Let's find out!

Unit 4: A Twist on Austen's Tales
Next, we'll turn our attention to contemporary books that offer a twist on Austen's tale. They take the story that you know (and hopefully love) and present it from a different perspective. In the first, we'll see Pride and Prejudice through Mr. Darcy's eyes. And in the second, we'll visit Longbourn belowstairs.


 Unit 5: Modern Austen Retellings
Finally, we'll end with modern Austen retellings. These book look at Austen's plot and/or characters in entirely new ways. The first is a contemporary adult title with a number of subtle nods to Pride and Prjeudice - see how many you can spot! And the second is a futuristic young adult take on Persuasion. We'll have lots to discuss!


Welcome to my class, and please let me know if you have questions.
I'm excited to begin, and I hope you'll love Austen as much as I do!

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