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Showing posts with label Feature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Feature. Show all posts

Monday, 7 September 2020

Talking Personal: What The Last Five Months Have Looked Like

I'm probably not the only one to say this and most likely you're sick of hearing this, but it's absolutely mind-blowing that we are now in September. 

Since my last Talking Personal, not a lot has happened in my own personal life, but more so the world itself. Especially in Victoria. COVID-19 has really reared it's ugly side and with that brings a whole host of emotions, chaos and whatever else that could be wrong this year. Still, I'm trying not to dwell on the negatives. Even if some days aren't as great as others. So what have I been doing?

Well, I got stood down from work, so I've had 5 months of trying to fill out my days.

I re-found my love for reading. I read and read and read and read. So much reading during the months of April to July. It was so enjoyable and pushed me to reconnect with the book blog and booktube community. There's been some great people I've gotten to know because of it! And of course with reconnecting with booktube it means I've been filming videos again. Something I didn't realise I was missing until I restarted. 

I was able to reflect on myself and my goals, including 2020. Yes, this year hasn't turned out the way anyone has wanted it to be. Yet, to be frank, I lost control of the last 2 years of my life and couldn't see a way out. So being able to sit back and really deep dive on who I am and what I want really allowed me to realise that there are some things that will happen out of my control, but what matters is the actions and behaviours that I exhibit within these restraints that work towards goal progression. I am really proud of myself for being able to tick off each goal, no matter how small, in the last few months. It's shown me that I am capable of achieving what I set out to achieve. 

I watched a lot of Korean dramas for a few months, and started a Korean drama review blog. Unfortunately, it's collecting dust at the moment, as I've now moved over to rewatching Criminal Minds. When it comes to TV shows/movies I really cannot multitask or watch different ones at the same time. In line with Korean dramas or Korean culture I guess, is my attempt at re-learning Korean. It hasn't been as consistent as it should be when you're learning a language but I'm getting there. Slowly. 

Still, there's been a lot of eating, lying around and having a terrible sleeping pattern. Alongside getting dolled up for random photoshoots (don't laugh) and then finally, and the most recently, giving myself a haircut. I took scissors to my hair 2 weeks ago and I loved every moment of it. If anything, it means I've learnt a new skill that'll save me some money in the future!

    

I've been trying to see this as time given back to me. Time, a lot of time honestly, that you wouldn't expect to have until retirement really. I try to ask myself when I'm feeling unmotivated and dejected, how would I feel/what would I think looking back on this time now and how I spent it. Don't get me wrong, this isn't easy, if anything the extension of the lockdown makes it harder to stay positive and motivated. Everyone's feelings are valid. You don't have to be cheerful and energetic everyday. We've been deprived from the things that humans normally thrive on as well as added stressors that make it more difficult. But this is the situation we've found ourselves in. We can only do so much with what we have. It's a matter of what you want to do and how you want to face each day. 

Sending love and good vibes to everyone out there. 



Tuesday, 16 June 2020

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Want To Read During Winter


Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and The Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

I may have cheated with this list, considering it's only asking for 10 but I've included series, in particular fantasy series as "one" read. I tend to associate winter with longer and denser reads though, which would explain my wanting to read more fantasy, as well as any book that I know weighs a ton. Something about the idea of getting into bed with a cup of warm tea and a nice, chunky book paints the perfect winter night image for me!

Top Ten Books On My Winter TBR


1. The Nicci Chronicles Books 1-3: Death's Mistress, Shroud of Eternity and Siege of Stone by Terry Goodkind
Okay, so technically this is 3 books but they belong to one series that I'm trying to get into. The Nicci Chronicles is a, somewhat, continuation of Goodkind's well known fantasty Sword of Truth series. It follows the character Nicci on her adventures after the end of the previous series. I read up and was told that apparently I can read this series without reading the other so hopefully that is the case!

2. Rebel of the Sands Trilogy by Alwyn Hamilton
I happened to buy the entire series for a super low price so now I have all three and am ready to follow Amani as she attempts to cross the desert to escape her town, Dreamwalk. She's on a quest to escape her pre-destined fate and I'm hoping that I'm swept up on an exciting adventure as Amani finds freedom.

3. The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
Funny how this has made an appearance on my list when I only bought it yesterday. Yeah, oops. I picked up it purely because I really enjoyed Hardinge's writing and story development in A Face Like Glass. This follows Faith as she tries to unravel the mystery behind her father's death, and it involves a talking tree as well. Apparently.


4. East West Street: On the Origins of "Genocide" and "Crimes Against Humanity" by Philippe Sands
I added this to my 2020 reading list, which is basically made up of 13 books I want to complete by the end of the year (you can find the full list here). East West Street is a non-fiction read set during WWII and something I have been wanting to read for years now but keep putting it off. It's now or never.

5. A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
The premise of this revolves around the attempted assassination of Bob Marley during the 1970s, something that I was made aware of whilst watching a Netflix documentary. Marlon James presents a fictional recount of the complexities of the political landscape and overall difficult times across a number of years.

6. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
I also added The Hate U Give to my 2020 reading list at the start of this year, and am determined to now read it even more.


7. Carve the Mark (Carve the Mark #1) by Veronica Roth
Also, the second book, if possible - The Fates Divide. I've had Carve the Mark on my shelf for way too long to justify keeping it if I don't give it a go. The pressures on.

8. Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente
A re-read but I feel like it's time, not only because it's winter and Deathless is set in St. Petersburg during it's blistering cold, but also because it's been so, so long since I last read it that I'm sure I would appreciate it more now than before.

9. A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice & Fire #3) by George R.R Martin
Is this the year I continue on with this series? Also, now that I think about it, it's actually been so long since I last read the 2nd book that now I'm not sure if I can even continue to read-on? What to do?!

10. Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer
Ok, look I'm sorry. It's ridiculous but I know I want to read Midnight Sun when it's released so to prepare myself, I have to re-read Twilight. The last time I read this series would have to be maybe 6 years ago so this is definitely going to be something else.

What Do You Want To Read This Season?


Thursday, 11 June 2020

Let's Talk: How Life Experiences Have Re-Shaped My Reading Journey


Today's post has been something I've been thinking about for awhile now. I feel like in the last 12 months, I've come to realise how big of an impact life lessons, views and values we develop overtime and personal encounters are in our reading journey. I believe that for everyone who enjoys reading, it isn't ever really just a hobby or an activity to past time, but rather an act of building connections/relationships with books and finding out what your reading style and choices are as well as the overall experience that you're after.

I discuss, at length (oops) how I've noticed my reading has changed, whether for the best or the worst, and where I sit with my reading journey right now.


What Has Your Reading Journey Been Like?


Tuesday, 9 June 2020

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I've Added To My TBR & Forgotten Why

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and The Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Top Ten Books I've Added to my TBR and Completely Forgotten About

I swear this scenario applies to every single book I've added to my TBR list, or in my case, my "interest" shelf on Goodreads. I actually reserve my "To Be Read" shelf on Goodreads to keep track of the books on my shelf (IRL) that I haven't read, and the "interest" shelf for books I want to buy or read eventually. Here are 10 (out of 242 lol) that I don't quite remember why it piqued my interest:


What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler
YA Contemporary - Released: 2015
What We Saw is based on a real life story, which might be why I decided I wanted to read it. It depicts a story of a girl named Kate who left a party thinking she knew exactly every detail of the night, only to realise that there were so many facts she had forgotten or maybe facts others want to bury.

Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
Historical Fiction - Released: 2006
One, this is a translated novel and two, it is a romance historical fiction. I've read translated novels before so qualms there but historical fiction NOT set during the Tudor times is a step outside of my comfort zone for sure so I'm not quite sure what past me was thinking. In saying, the story is about an orphan girl who falls in loves and follows the boy of her dreams towards the goal of finding gold. Surely everything goes right for them, right?

Hallucinations by Oliver Sacks
Non-fiction - Released: 2012
I added this to my TBR in 2016 apparently, which was definitely not when I was into non-fiction so I have no clue where I even stumbled upon this from. I did some psychology study in 2015 so maybe that influenced my wanting to read about the human brain and hallucinations. Do I want to read it now? Look, probably not.

Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace
YA Mystery - Released: 2016
As much as I couldn't recall ever coming across Shallow Graves I will say I'm not surprised I was intrigued by this. It tell the story of a girl named Breezy who wakes up a year after leaving a party, unsure why she's at her grave and why there is a dead person already lying in it. Honestly, thank you to this topic because 100% I will be reading this.

Infinite Jest by David Wallace Foster
Adult Fiction - Released: 2005
The blurb is better at explaining the novel:
Set in an addicts' halfway house and a tennis academy, and featuring the most endearingly screwed-up family to come along in recent fiction, Infinite Jest explores essential questions about what entertainment is and why it has come to so dominate our lives; about how our desire for entertainment affects our need to connect with other people; and about what the pleasures we choose say about who we are.
Right now I'm just asking myself how I came by this ...?

The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich
YA Contemporary/LGBT - Released: 2017
I cannot believe past Tracey would be into a book called The Love Interest, but then I read the synopsis and was like ah, okay, I see. The title doesn't really give away what the story is truly about, two secret spies who are labelled "Nice" and "Bad". Their mission is to get close to a girl in the real life, but they're competing against each other. The catch? Whoever the girl doesn't choose will die. Cool, cool, cool, cool.

Muriel Avenue Sluts by Maggie Hasbrouck
New Adult - Released: 2016
I am also at a shock that this was added to my list but also not really. In fact, I really kind of want to read this now. The premise involves Julia Turnbow who is about to follow her mum's footsteps to become a sex worker for the exclusive world of the Philadelphia's Muriel Avenue Sluts. Amongst it all she has to deal with issues of abuse, betrayal and a whole lot of other issues she never thought she would face.

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
Fairytale Retelling (The Little Mermaid) - Released: 2018
I'm a total sucker for fairytale retellings so no surprises here. More surprised I never got around to reading this, but it takes The Little Mermaid and makes "Ariel" or in this case Princess Lira into a character who didn't necessarily want to be human and how she learns to find the middle ground between family ties and what the heart wants.

LIKEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff
YA Sci-Fi - Released: 2018
I haven't ready any Jay Kristoff books so I definitely think this was added on a whim according to the usual hype around rather famous YA authors. I'm not sure I'll be reading this but we'll see.

The Waiter by Matias Faldbakken
Historical Fiction - Released: 2018
Another historical fiction, translated novel. I guess even though I hadn't read anything of the sort, I really wanted to back then? This sounds super intriguing though, detailing a waiter's experience as he caters towards The Hill's, a famous restaurant in Oslo, wealthy diners. His day turns into disarray as a young lady arrives to meet someone she knows at table ten.

Overall, I would have to say I don't really remember ever coming across any of these titles or even what they were about until this post. If anything it means I can weed out what I really would like to read now and what I'm no longer interested in.


What Books Have You Forgotten About Adding To Your TBR?


Sunday, 10 May 2020

Top 4 Fictional Mother Figures

To celebrate today being Mother's Day, I wanted to highlight some of my favourite motherly figures who were influential on the protagonist and also left an impression on me.

Molly Weasley from the Harry Potter series
It's hard not to love Molly Weasley for who she is as a person, and how that reflects in her role as a mother. She places her children before her and always wants the best for them, even if that isn't always in her means or she showed it in a different way. The howler that Ron receives in both The Philospher's Stone and Prisoner of Azkaban conveys how great of a mother Molly is, as she isn't afraid to discipline her children to teach them about consequences and responsibility for their actions. I think everyone would pick her face off against Bellatrix Lestrange as their favourite Molly Weasley moment but, albeit that being super badass, I really liked the moment when Molly and Fleur saw eye to eye for the first time in Half-Blooded Prince. It was such a sweet moment between the two women, especially as Molly was able to realise that Fleur would love Bill as much as she does herself.

Myra from After the Flood
If you ever after a read purely about the sacrifice and love that a mother has for her children, this is it. Myra battles against all odds, stubborn and steadfast, in ensuring her younger daughter's survival whilst trying to come to terms with the absence of her eldest daughter. And she does all this in a post-apocalyptic, fully flooded, world. Both Myra and After the Flood has been my recent most influential read for its overall message, but definitely still worth the read to witness Myra in her journey.

Miss Honey from Matilda

Not only the ideal primary school teacher, but also turning out to be an incredible sisterly/motherly figure, it would be a shame not to include Miss Honey on this list. She didn't have a fault besides potentially caring too much but it's her nurturing and encouraging behaviour that makes her stand out. If anything, I just love that despite having such a tragic past, she never let that stand in her way and tried to make the children she taught feel happy and comfortable in a rather terrible school environment. Also, the fact that she did not freak out by Matilda's ability and instead, encouraged Matilda to seek more knowledge and continue to read. Bless her soul.


'Marmee' from Little Women
When you think of Little Women you most likely will remember the 4 sisters that take their town and your reading experience by a storm. However, credit lies with Marmee, who raises her children in the midst of a war and without her husband by her side. She doesn't have a strong presence per se but the values and lessons she teaches her daughters has earned her a spot on this list. In a time where most would be trying to marry their daughters off, Marmee encourages following one's passion and being true to oneself. How refreshing to see in such a setting!

I will say that, amongst my many reads, I haven't come across many characters in a positive motherly role. Instead, I find that most of the time the main character will have a rather traumatising or challenging relationship with their mum or not have a motherly figure, which spurs their story and character arc. So, moving forward, I definitely want to explore more mother-daughter relationship reads just to see what I will gain from them. I also didn't intentionally mean to name all characters starting with the letter "M", it just happened.

Who Are Your Favourite Motherly Figures?

Sunday, 2 June 2019

Talking Personal: Favourite Bits of 2019 So Far

The last time I wrote a Talking Personal it was in December, 2017. 2017?! The whole point of the post was to say that I'm getting right back into blogging but also that I would catch up with you guys after New Years 2018. L O L. Who I was kidding? Anyways, hi, I'm here, I'm alive. Let's get right into it!

2018 was a complete dud of a year in terms of posting. To be fair though, I blogged about my Europe trip and that comes pretty close to a Talking Personal doesn't it? I also wrote a wrap up to 2018 so we're going to dive straight into 2019!

Not much has happened if I'm going to be completely honest. I decided this year isn't the year to travel, so instead I've been looking into local events. I haven't done a lot exploring around Melbourne considering I live here so it's been pretty fun and exciting. It's also great that I get to recommend the different things that I've done to people I know!

Summer Highlights


  • Celebrating New Years Eve/New Years with a great bunch of people 
  • Seeing the Sciencework's moon installation - I hadn't been back to Sciencework's since 2006 
  • Going to an Australia Day event at Riva St Kilda - I'm not a huge music festival person, but this was so fun! 
  • Seeing Jorja Smith was incredible, she is amazing live.
  • The AFL season started again and that will ALWAYS be a highlight for any year.
  • I went to Moomba for the first time and actually really liked it. The layout around Birrarung Marr coupled with how nice the weather was that night made for such a great end to the summer.


 

  • The "Sunset Safari" at Werribee Zoo, which involved an African drumming workshop, the opportunity to see the animals after closing time and an African banquet that was delicious. The Werribee Zoo has a number of events popping up that's worth looking at.
  • I went to two different trance/hardstyle events, which, if I was honest, I would not expect to see myself there. The first one was "It's A Fine Night" and the second one "Paradigm". I did go to see two artists that I really like - Vini Vici and Mandragora
  • I also made it a mission to get to as many beaches as I could during the summer and I'd have to say it was a success
Other than those events, I had my last week of classes ever in my Masters this week and am en route to graduating if I manage to get all my final assessments in, so huge fingers crossed situation going on right now.

That's what my first 6 months for the year has been like! I had a great summer, exploring my home. Winter has kicked in, or more like fly kicked me in the face, because of how cold it's quickly become. I'm not 100% sure what the next 6 months will bring, but I guess that's part of life, being completed unexpected. Hopefully the next time I get to writing one of these I'll have a lot to talk about as well.

How has the first half of 2019 been for you?


Thursday, 7 December 2017

Talking Personal: 'Tis The Season To Get Back Into Blogging

My last Talking Personal post was in May. That was a good 7 months ago. We have a lot of catching up to do! 

The last time I did one of these, I had just come back from traveling. Since then, I’ve started a new job in a new role. The place has an amazing team and the position I’m in has given me much more of a learning experience, which I’m grateful for! I also started my Masters in August, just completing my first semester and somehow, miraculously, passed all 3 subjects. I’m currently studying a Masters in Criminology, which I am loving and I’m really excited to see where it can take me! 

Besides working and studying, I actually got up to some really fun things, which has made the last half of 2017 really exciting! 


I went on a Snow Trip and learnt to ski for the first time! Truth be told, I hate the cold. But skiing was super fun, albeit really hard and exhausting. I want to try and make it an annual trip so I don’t forgot how to ski. 




I got the chance to see The Book of Mormon, which was hilarious! I didn’t expect to love it so much. The cast all had amazing singing skills. On top of seeing the musical were a number of different concerts. I’ve been to so many more concerts this year than I have in my life altogether. Kehlani was superb and so fun, being really intimate and just full of love. Ariana delivered a great show. Drake absolutely killed it, I would see him 1000 times alongside J.Cole, who is a fantastic artist and so grateful to his fans. He was engaging and humorous, and so passionate about his music.




My birthday came and went, and was actually less exciting than previous years. The older I get, I feel like the less I’m keen to celebrate my birthday. Still, it’s been fun seeing my friends and family, and eating to my heart’s content! I got to celebrate Halloween though, which was super fun. Everyone’s costumes were great. 



Whilst taking a break from blogging, I did manage to start up an Instagram page for my food adventures. I absolutely love food, reading comes second - I know, how can I say that. So if I couldn’t share my love for reading, I figured sharing my love for food was the next best thing. Take a look at it here to see which places I’ve loved both locally and internationally! 

I’m going to be seeing The Weeknd tomorrow, which I’m really excited about!! He’ll top off the crazy list of artists I’ve seen this year. The next time I’ll catch up with you guys will most likely be after New Years SO Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years guys! Hope the rest of the year is amazing for you all.


How Have You Guys Been? Let Me Know What You'll Be Doing For The Holiday Season


Tuesday, 20 June 2017

Diversity In Books: What You Need To Read & What I Want To Read

When I was doing my research for this post, I realised that I barely, if ever, read any novels with diversity. I'm actually so embarrassed by that. Diversity is important, we talk about being unique and to celebrate our individuality. Yet, there is little reflection of this in our literature, and that's not acceptable. Only recently have I started to notice that YA authors are writing from POC/Non-Caucasian point of views, or including them and LGBQT characters in their story. It should be a norm to have stories that involve people from different races, sexuality, genders etc. because that's life realistically. 

I want to share with you guys 5 books to read if you want to look for something with diversity, but also 5 books I want to read myself this year. 

5 Books You Should Read

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini 
-- POC lead --
Alongside themes about family, loyalty, guilt and redemption, The Kite Runner is a huge eye opener on the turmoil occurring in the Middle East that has and is still affecting the people living there.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan 
-- LGBQT --
I'll admit it, I rarely read LGBQT books, but this one is in my top five reads and for good reason. Besides being such a great coming of age story, Green and Levithan explore sexuality and how confusing, scary and exciting it can be at such a young age.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
-- Race/Female Leads/Mental Health --
This was one of the first novels I read in high school that explored racial discrimination and the impact it had on people's daily lives. It also had such empowering female characters, hands down one of those reads that have left an impression on me, even to this day.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
-- Race --
Lee's novel is one of those that I implore people to read. TKAM speaks volumes on racial discrimination, humanity and respect. Even if you don't read any of the other novels on this list, please read this one!

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
-- Race --
For younger readers, Noughts and Crosses, is the perfect read. It's an alternative universe where the blacks are superior to the whites. It's such a powerful love story that depicts the harm when we treat people differently.


5 Books I Want To Read

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alice Saenz
-- LGBQT --
I've told myself to read more LGBQT novels this year, and up first is this story about Aristotle and Dante who are drawn to each other as friends, before discovering much more about themselves and their relationship.

The Colour Purple by Alice Walker
-- Race/Feminism --
Published in 1982, this was a controversial novel addressing coloured women and their life in rural Georgia. It's been censored due to its content, but I can just tell that this will be a profound read.

Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham
-- Race --
Technically this is more of a crime/mystery novel, but the murder centers around a "racial firestorm", so I'm intrigued to see how the depiction of segregation and discrimination is conveyed.

Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Justyce starts a journal to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, recounting his daily life. One day, his friend and himself are confronted by the police and soon Justyce finds himself under attack by the public for the truth about what happened. I'm not surprised to see that this soon to be released YA novel is addressing coloured people and their encounter with law enforcement, after the rise in deaths that have occurred in the US, so I'm holding out to see how this one will go down.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
This has been a super popular read in the YA community now, and much like Dear Martin, it explores police shootings of coloured people and the effects it has on the community.

What Diverse Novels Would You Recommend?

Friday, 2 June 2017

How I Plan My Blog Posts For Each Month

Seeing as I’m getting back into blogging again after the month away (read here if you want to know why), I wanted to share with you guys what I do before my blog posts go live. 

I work quite a bit and find that if I’m not on top of organising and scheduling I tend to panic and stress. There are times when I love being able to just write and have it published, without the whole process of what I’ll describe below, but on the whole I love that I’m on top of my posts and know that I have content being produced every week. 

Tools
Kikki.K Planner | iCal 

Plan When To Write
I won’t go into my planning system much (I’ll be writing about that in another post) but yes, I do use two different planners to plan for my blog. It may look excessive, but the reason I switch between a paper and digital planner is because each has its own purpose. I use iCal to plan out the month and my Kikki.K planner to plan out the week in detail.


At the end of the week, usually Sunday, I begin to prep for the following week. I tend to go through what I’ve planned for the week and see if the posts I’ve lined up are still what I want to post or if I have to change things up. Then it’s a matter of deciding when I’m going to start writing them. 

Draft
Recently I’ve changed over to using Evernote to draft. Originally, I was using OneNote but I prefer Evernote’s preface and know how to use it better. I've set up different Notebooks for the different "series" I have on the blog. I also like being able to highlight sentences/words, which I do when I find phrases feel awkward or don't read as well, to change later on. Checklists and reminders are great as well, if I’m in the middle of a post and need to remind myself to search something up later or put a due date for when the post needs to be up.


Sneak peek of a post coming up

At the top of my drafts is where I just dump all my thoughts before I start to write, especially when I’m writing a review. I try to put down all my initial thoughts of a novel right after finishing it so when I go back to write the review I know what I originally thought compared to at present. Also means I won’t forget things, which has happened before.

Finishing Touches
Once that’s all done it’s onto proofreading - or try to, sometimes I just never get around to it - and adding graphics or images to the post. I use Canva mostly for my banners and PicMonkey for putting images into rows to fit the post. A good example are my Top Ten Tuesday posts, where the images are evenly spaced out and have text underneath. I’ve tried the Pro versions for both but think the free versions are just as good. They both have mobile apps as well, which I really like for on the go editing. 

I copy everything over to Blogger, add my share buttons and any other links necessary then schedule! 

How do you guys plan out your posts? Which tools do you use?

Tuesday, 30 May 2017

Top Ten Tuesday: End of 2017 Anticipated Releases

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where we list our top ten according to the a topic of the week. Check out future topics here


Top "Ten" Most Anticipated Releases For The End Of 2017

So I'm going to cheat a little by listening a little, just a little, more than 10 on this list. Okay, maybe not a little - but there are so many exciting releases coming out lat 2017, I cannot wait! 

Grab a snack and settle in because I've got a fair few to introduce to you. 



Top Five I'm Most Excited For


Midnight At The Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew J. Sullivan (June 13th)
Lydia's regular customer, Joey, suicides in the backroom of her bookstore. She is left all his possessions but when going through them, finds his books covered in notes that may have a hidden message for her. 

Aftercare Instructions by Bonnie Pipkin (June 27th)
17 year old Genesis is abandoned at the Planned Parenthood clinic by her boyfriend after wanting to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. She has to brace for a future without any support, and embark on a journey to learn about herself.

Emma In The Night by Wendy Walker (August 8th)
Sisters Emma and Cass disappear five years ago. Then Cass returns and tells a tale of being held captive on an island. Psychiatrist Dr. Abby Winter thinks otherwise, delving into the family’s life and finding something much more darker than expected.

Warcross by Marie Lu (September 12th)
Warcross is much more than an online game for the millions of people who play it. When Emika finds herself thrust into the centre of it, she discovers the game is a lot more darker than it seems and soon she has to embark on a journey of survival. 

The Becoming of Noah Shaw by Michele Hodkin (November 7th)
Finally, 3 years after the finale of the Mara Dyer Trilogy, Michele Hodkin is releasing the start to the series written through the perspective of Noah Shaw and you guys have. no. bloody. idea how excited I am. 

Which Releases Are You Guys Most Excited For?

Thursday, 25 May 2017

Talking Personal: A Month Away (Far, Far Away)

It's been awhile has it not.

I was on such a blogging roll before I disappeared, but I do have a somewhat valid reason. I spent a month away in Japan and Korea! A very well deserved (?) holiday I would say. The last Talking Personal was in February, so hopefully I remember what I actually got up to!

Honestly, there wasn't anything super exciting between February and mid April. I worked as per usual, got my blogging game back on track and watched the most amount of movies I've ever seen a year in the span of 4 months. Favourite movie so far this year would have to be Logan. Checked out a couple of brunch places and saw Justin Bieber live! I didn't particularly love his concert but can still tick that off as something I've always wanted to do. I actually wrote a post about all the brunch places I've been to so read up on them here.




Something else that I managed to get around to was going to the gym again. I've been trying to get my fitness levels up and combined with playing in a Futsal team I'd like to think that I'm seeing some results. Shoutout to my girl Cindy for being my trainer, despite the numerous times I complain whilst working out. Footy season started as well, and it's been really good seeing Carlton lift - there is hope guys!

I flew out to Japan mid April, and spent 10 days with a friend before doing Korea and the rest of Japan alone. Everyone who goes to Japan comes back raving about it and yet, I felt like I didn't love it as much as I thought I would. Perhaps it's because I've lived in Korea - I have ties there, so many memories and such a comfortable feeling about the place - but I definitely prefer it over Japan. The two countries are similar in some ways, but have such different vibes. Japan has an amazing culture that takes time, a lot of time, to absorb. Korea is a lot more laid back, and really the best times are when you're eating, partying and shopping. I was super excited to return to Korea after 2 years and reunite with my exchange friends and shop - I went a little crazy shopping wise. I still think Japan was beautiful and I'm so grateful to be able to travel and see the world. I also got to meet some wonderful people who made the trip so much more fun. Expect to see haul videos and a travel VLOG soon! In the meantime here are a few snaps.



Hiroshima \\ Atomic Bomb



Disney Sea \\ Aladdin


Mt. Fuji


Bukhansan Peak \\ Seoul

I've been back for a week now and have jumped back into work again as well working on future content so keep an eye out.

How Have You Guys Been? Have You Been To Japan Or Korea Before? Let Me Know What You Thought Of It?