The Quiet Concert: November 2013

Showing posts with label November 2013. Show all posts

Stacking the Shelves (48) - Nov 30th

Stacking the Shelves - hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews features books that you bought, borrowed, rented from the library, received for review, etc.

This is what's on my shelf for upcoming reads:

These Broken Stars (Starbound #1) by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Unbreakable (The Legion #1) by Kami Garcia

What books are stacking your shelves??

November 2013 Recap

We had some interesting discussions on the blog this month: 'To Sign or Not to Sign' and 'Am I Being Unfair to YA'. Thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts with us!
We got to meet up in Maryland for an afternoon to scope out some bridesmaids dresses for Ashley's wedding!
Nicole discovered Chai Tea Lattes.
THANKSGIVING. We are currently suffering from food comas.

Top Ten Totally Random Little Things in Life That We Are Thankful For

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's Top Ten list is "Top Ten Things I Am Thankful For (could be bookish or not -- up to you)".

Ok, so we are obviously thankful for our family and friends and health and books and all that good stuff, but to keep things light and fun we decided to name Ten Totally Random Little Things in Life That We Are Thankful For. :)

Tea! It always puts me in a better mood. It tastes delicious, I feel healthy when I drink it, it often has caffeine in it, and it warms me up on a daily basis in my freezing cold office. The flavor I've been craving lately? Peppermint!

Christmas and everything related! This is seriously my favorite time of year. I love the decorations and the cookies and the snow and the music and the holiday cheer and on and on... It's magical.

Sunrises/Sunsets. Such simple, everyday things that can be so breathtakingly beautiful.

Nail polish. My latest obsession. Funny because I never used to be one to paint my nails. But I've been enjoying painting my nails different colors lately. It makes me feel girly.

DVR. Because I never watch shows when they actually air.

My Keurig! I love the instant gratification of making the perfect sized mug of coffee whenever I want, I use it everyday. I also love all the flavors k-cups come in.

Hoodies. I lounge around my apartment in hoodies all the time. They are so comfortable and I can rep my college at the same time.

The dog station at my apartment complex. They provide little doggie bags and a trashcan, makes walking the dog even nicer. No excuses for people not to pick up after their dog!

Phone Camera because lately I am always forgetting my digital camera and have to resort to my iPhone camera. It allows me to capture all those special random moments :)

E-Meal Planning. My fiance and I are trying this, we saw it on Living Social and figured we would give it a shot. The company sends us a 7 meals with a grocery shopping list and lets us know what is on sale. It makes coming home and making dinner almost stress free.

REVIEW: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Title: Before I Fall

Author: Lauren Oliver

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release Date: March 2, 2010

Pages: 320, Hardcover
Source: Audiobook, Library

Summary from Goodreads:

What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last.

The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

This story was wonderfully executed. The growth in Samantha's character over the seven days that she relived her last was honest and significant. Her thoughts and actions were easy to relate to. I felt like I would have reacted similarly had I been in her shoes. A little confused at first, and then determined to change my fate. I'd probably spend a day acting on impulses too. But then I think i'd rise above it all, like Samantha did, and try to make the most of my last day, try to make a difference. The plot and pacing just kept getting better and better. It was so easy to get swept up in this story.

I don't really have any criticisms for this story but I did finish this book not quite sure why Samantha got to relive her last day. Did I miss something? Like I understand she altered something big but why did she get to stay to do that? I think i'm thinking to much about it.

I am so glad that I finally read this book. I think it is deserving of the hype and is now my favorite Lauren Oliver book. I recommend it to readers who have not yet read this one. It's a sad book in the end, but a really beautiful story overall.