Reader Rayna

Month: November 2015

  • Top Ten Tuesday: Non-Bookish Things I’m Thankful For

    Hey peeps, welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday as hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! I want to apologize for being so absent this month; it’s just been a really slow one.

    So for today it was a Thanksgiving freebie where you could pick the topic you wanted that revolved around Thanksgiving, and so I wanted to talk about the ten top non-bookish things that I am thankful for in my life. I won’t lie, one or two might be about books, but this list won’t necessarily be comprised of book related things.

    So here we go!

    1. My family – Pretty generic and cheesy, but it’s true. I am incredibly thankful for my family, especially my mom and dad. They’re very supportive and loving and they’re just amazing. I love them to bits and I can’t imagine my life without them. I’m also thankful for my brother and his wife, and my nieces and nephew. I love them all to bits.
    2. My husband – Though technically he’s my family now and all of that, I think he needs his own bullet point. I love him so much and we’ve been through so much together that I can’t imagine my life without him either. He’s wonderful, loving, funny, and my other half.
    3. My best friend – My best friend, Katie, is a wonderful woman with a heart of gold and I love her so much. We’ve known each other since kindergarten (almost 20 years, guys) and I seriously CANNOT picture my life without her in it. She’s been there for me through thick and thin, and she’s just a wonderful person.
    4. My current living situation – My husband and I have a first floor two bedroom apartment for a great price in this area and I’m so, so thankful for that. Though, yes, we’d love to be living in a house sooner rather than later, I’m just glad that we can financially support ourselves in this place for as long as we have been and will continue to do so until we do find our first house.
    5. My job – Though my job can bring on a lot of anxiety for me, I still am grateful to have it. It’s a full time job with benefits and in this economy, what more can I ask for? It pays the bills and it gives me something to do during the day.
    6. My books – Okay, here’s the book bit. I love my book collection, and though I am thinking about downgrading a bit and donating books I’ve lost interest in, I still am very grateful to have this passion and love of reading (even if I’m having extreme difficulty lately).
    7. My blog – Seriously! Without my blog, without you guys, I’d be so bored! This blog in particular is my most successful one – and I’m not just talking about how many people follow me. I’ve been so dedicated to this blog and posting as much and as often as I can to just, well, talk about my love for books and reading and writing. They’re all wonderful, amazing passions and I’m just glad I have an outlet in which I can share my opinions and views on. So thank you – all of you – for reading, following, and chatting with me.
    8. My car – My first “big girl” purchase that I’ll be paying off for the next six years, my car is so much better than the one I had before. Yes, the last one may have been given to me for free by my dad, but that doesn’t mean I liked it one bit. BUT, my new car is awesome and I love it and I’m so grateful that I was able to get it and that I’ve owned it for a year now.
    9. My bird – It’s just great having a pet around, and the fact that I get to have my bird live with us makes me feel happy and a little bit more comfortable in my apartment when I’m alone sometimes.
    10. God – In case you didn’t know, I am a Christian, and as such, yes, I am thankful for God, for Jesus, and for all He’s done for me and will continue to do for me.

    So that is my list of ten non-bookish things that I am thankful for this Thanksgiving season. I’m not 100% sure as to what my husband and I are doing, but I’m sure whatever it is there will be plenty of food and good times to be had.

    What are some of the things you’re thankful for? What are your plans for this holiday season? Do you celebrate Thanksgiving? If not, tell me what you’re thankful for in your life, anyway.

  • Top Ten Tuesday: Quotes I Loved from the Past Year or So

    Welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday as hosted by the lovely people over at The Broke and the Bookish. Today’s topic is about our favorite quotes from books that we’ve read in the past year or so. I think books always have that one gem hidden in them somewhere that always manages to shine through, so here are ten of the quotes I loved:

    1. “Happily ever after, or even just together ever after, is not cheesy,” Wren said. “It’s the noblest, like, the most courageous thing two people can shoot for.” – Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
      1. I love this quote because it’s just beautiful and true: happily ever after is extremely hard to achieve, but if two people work hard enough at it, then it’s the best thing ever.
    2. “‘Let’s go rattle the stars.’” – Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas
      1. I just love the simplicity of the statement, but there’s so much meaning behind it. In context, it’s war and fighting for everyone and their survival. Even without context, the line is just simply beautiful. Imagine rattling the stars: how much power, courage, and determination you’d need to do that. Stunning.
    3. “For too long, I’ve made my past my future, afraid to imagine anything else. And I acted like that – static – afraid of my own kinetic energy. Maybe it’s time to start imagining, maybe it’s time to be in motion. Maybe it’s time for me to fight back against the sadness inside of me.” – My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga
      1. As someone who has battled and dealt with depression and suicidal thoughts, I understand this line all too well. It’s the turning point, the realization that it will get better, that it’s okay to live. I love this line because of the desire to live, to push through it all.
    4. “We were both silent for a minute. And I wondered for the fist time whether ‘feeling feminine’ just meant feeling good in your own skin.” – None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio
      1. It’s important to remember that very phrase, regardless if you’re male, female, whatever you identify as: feel good in your own skin. It doesn’t matter what you look like, what you believe yourself to be, identify as, or what other people say: feeling good in your own skin is the most important thing you can possibly do. I’m still working on it, but I’ve gotten pretty good lately.
    5. “He talked about the ocean between people. And how the whole point of everything is to find a shore worth swimming to.” – Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
      1. I think a lot of times people, especially young people, go from relationship to relationship sometimes without realizing that it really is about finding that “shore worth swimming to.” And, when you do find that someone, it’s pretty great. And it doesn’t even have to be a romantic relationship: friendships, family relationships, coworkers, etc, are all important. Keep those “worth swimming to” close to you.
    6. “Words, I think, are such unpredictable creatures.
      No gun, no sword, no army or king will ever be more powerful than a sentence. Swords may cut and kill, but words will stab and stay, burying themselves in our bones to become corpses we carry into the future, all the time digging and failing to rip their skeletons from our flesh.” – Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

      1. Coming from a reader/writer perspective, this is a beautiful and true statement. Words are so much more powerful than anything in existence. They are there when you go to sleep at night, or when you’re trying to catch your flight. They’re there no matter where you go, and I think that this quote is just so beautiful.
    7. “Life is made of so many moments that mean nothing. Then one day, a single moment comes along to define every second that comes after. Such moments are tests of courage, of strength.” – An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
      1. Many people believe that our lives here are meaningless and that we exist just to exist, but sometimes there are those moments in time where we can’t deny that there’s something more, a bigger purpose than we realized. It can be big or small, but it’s there, and I think this quote nicely defines that, because it truly does take a lot of courage and strength to act on it when it’s there.
    8. “I see only reminders that nothing lasts forever, not even greatness.”
      “Some things last.”
      I faced him. “Really? And just what would that be?”
      “The things that matter.” – The Kiss of Deception by Mary E Pearson

      1. Again, this is so true. Not everything lasts forever, but the things that matter – especially if they matter to you – will last forever. To me, love and hope will last forever.
    9. “There is no pretending,” Jace said with absolute clarity. “I love you, and I will love you until I die, and if there is life after that, I’ll love you then.” – City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
      1. Honestly, this is just too romantic not to be a favorite of mine. So cute, so sweet, so much raw emotion. I love it.
    10. “Just because you can’t experience everything doesn’t mean you shouldn’t experience anything.” – Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
      1. Seriously: you’re not going to be able to do everything possible in your lifetime. But you still need to experience what the world has to offer you right here, right now.

    What are some of your favorite quotes and why? Let me know!

  • Fall Time Cozy Time Tag

    Hey peeps! I’m here with a fun tag post today that was originally created by Novels&Nonsense on YouTube. This seemed like the perfect time of year for this tag, so here we go!

    – Crunching Leaves: The world is full of color – choose a book that had reds/oranges/yellows
    on the cover

    For this one I’m picking Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. This book has a lovely cover, and really it’s my favorite cover of the trilogy.

    catchingfire
    – Cozy Sweater – It’s finally cold enough to don warm cozy clothing: what book gives you the
    warm fuzzies?

    Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell gives me the warm fuzzies. I love pretty much everything about this book: from the relationships to the struggles of a college student.

    fangirl
    – Fall Storm: The wind is howling & the rain is pounding – choose your favorite book OR
    genre that you like to read on a stormy day

    Any and all fantasy. I love the worlds that I can transport to when I read and I just enjoy being able to explore those places I’ve never been in my imagination. Or something that I know has a lot of cute romance in it. Why not both?
    – Cool Crisp Air: What’s the coolest character you’d want to trade places with?

    Uhhh… I don’t know. What defines cool?
    – Hot Apple Cider: What under hyped book do you want to see become the next biggest,
    hottest thing?

    I feel like I read mostly hyped books, but I think I’ll choose None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio. This book deals with an issue I’ve never heard of, and so I think it’s a good one for others to learn more about what it’s like to be intersex.

    noneoftheabove
    – Coat, Scarves, and Mittens – The weather has turned cold & it’s time to cover up – What’s
    the most embarrassing book cover you own that you like to keep hidden in public?

    None? I’m not really ashamed of any of the books I own, so… yeah. Love for all book covers!
    – Pumpkin Spice: What’s your favorite Fall time comforts food/foods?

    I can always go for some chocolate. Hot chocolate on a cool, brisk day? The best.
    – Warm, Cozy Bonfire: Spread the cozy warmth – Who do you tag?

    I tag anyone who wants to do this! I saw it around last year, but it’s always fun to do it again.

  • Books That Changed My Life

    So I was watching NayaReadsandSmiles video about some of the books and series that changed her life, whether that be her learning from the characters on how to be strong, or if the prose helped her through dark times, she has books that changed her life.

    And, well, I’m sure we all do. So today I wanted to share with you all some of the books and series that have and are currently changing my life.

    They’re in no particular order.

    1. The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. Honestly, did you not expect this series to be here? I love this series so much: from the characters to the world building to the action to the romances, this book has so many wonderful and beautiful things happening in it that I can’t picture it not having changed my life in some way. I really think this series changed my reading life. I have never loved a book series (other than the next one listed below) that changed my perception on reading and made me want to read more and more and more.
    2. The Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer. This book defined a generation, and many people are ashamed and afraid to admit how they once love, or still love, this saga. To me, Twilight was a game changer: it came during a dark time in my life when I was 14/15 years old, and to read about this ordinary girl in these extraordinary situations was incredible to me. It sucked me in and left me wanting more. I honestly don’t know where I’d be in my reading life without Twilight in it.
    3. The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. Though I am not quite finished with this series yet, these books have still impacted me greatly. It’s my first urban fantasy read, I think, and as such it just reinforced my beliefs in magic. This series is all about a girl growing up, learning truths, falling in love, and learning what it is to be different in a world stuck on normalcy. I may make it sounds more grandiose than it is, but this is how I view it and will continue to view it.
    4. The Remnant Chronicles by Mary E. Pearson. Specifically the first book, this book again changed my reading life. It was the first audiobook I had ever listened to on my own and as such, I’m glad I picked it. The narrators were all fantastic, using different voices for different characters in their chapters, and the story was phenomenal. It made me crave more, and again: a strong female protagonist, strong side characters, and just the overall sense of mystery and magic. This book makes my heart soar when I think of it.
    5. Fushigi Yuugi by Yuu Watase. This manga series will forever hold a special place in my heart. I read this in middle school into high school and I just remember my love for this 18 book series. There was romance, war, peril, court troubles, etc. It held everything I could ever want in a series and more. It changed my life in a way that it showed me to never give up, to always be true to who you are, and to never go into the restricted section of a library lest you be swept into a book’s world – and a dangerous one, at that.
    6. The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer. I read this book back when I was in my early teens and it forever changed my outlook on life. This book is geared toward a younger teen audience, which is weird considering how deep and dark the content is. But I’m glad I read it when I did because it became one of my most prized and favorite books of all time. It taught me that life is full of secrets, and to always, always fight for yourself and what you believe to be right.

    And there you have it: six series/books that have changed my life. Now most of these I read once I was a teen or an adult, but they still impacted, and are impacting, my life as we speak. I think it’s important to remember that, no matter what age you are, you can still learn and grow from reading.

    What books have changed your life? Do you still reflect on them every now and then or have you forgotten them all together? Would you ever pick them up again? Let me know!

  • All the Updates! | NaNoWriMo, Anniversary, Reading, Life, & Blog

    Hey peeps! So I just wanted to give an update as to what’s been going on in my life and in many parts of my life, especially in this upcoming month of November.

    Anniversary

    Today, November 1st, marks my one year wedding anniversary! I can’t believe a year has already gone by since I married my best friend. It’s been such a fast year and it’s been a good one at that. Today we’re going to be out and about going to restaurants and shopping (of course Barnes and Noble will be included in the shopping) and possibly star gazing, so it’s going to be a really fun time. Here’s one of the pictures from our wedding day last year:

    20141101-IMG_0709

    Reading

    Okay, last month was an epic fail in terms of reading. Even though I still managed to read something, I feel so lacking! I miss reading and diving into worlds and getting attached to characters. So for the month of November I think I’m going to try to read at least three books, even though this month is going to be crazy with NaNoWriMo and all that. BUT I do have the first week off for vacation from work, so yay for that! We’ll see how much I get done. My “currently reading” pile keeps getting bigger and bigger because I keep starting books and putting them down, so I really need to power through them.

    On my currently reading pile (which is just a stack on my shelves) I have twelve physical books that I have started and have yet to actually finish. Some are more read than others, but I’m still a fail in terms of having come anywhere near finishing them. I’m going to just try to read what interests me most because I really don’t want to pick up another book and get stuck again.

    The books are:

    And this doesn’t even include all of the e-books and audiobooks I have yet to finish, either…

    I’m a mess. Which book do you recommend I finish reading first? I’m kind of leaning towards Goblet of Fire or Magic Strikes.

    NaNoWriMo

    Speaking of NaNo, I’m participating this year! If you don’t know what NaNoWriMo is, click here to read my post about preparing for it. I actually decided that I’m going to continue writing the story I was working on during Camp NaNoWriMo earlier this year and so I’m happy with my decision to do that; I’ve been putting it off for so long and I really just want to finish it – at least the first draft. So wish me luck because it’s going to be one interesting month.

    Check out my profile to become my writing buddy and see what I’m writing! I’ll most likely update the synopsis some time this month, but you can check out an excerpt there.

    Life

    Okay, so life seems to slowly be getting back on track in terms of work. I’ve been working six days a week full-time over the past two months, and I’m just exhausted. Having a week off from work is exciting, but I also have no idea what I’m going to do with myself… other than read and write, of course. But I am excited that I actually have Wednesdays off again (as well as Sundays, as always), so that’ll be nice to be able to just have a day to do whatever I want.

    Also, someone decided to dent the hood of my car. I’m really annoyed by it – I don’t even care about having them pay for the damage, I just want an apology and an explanation. But I probably won’t get either, but we’ll see if maybe my landlord can help out with security footage and all of that.

    So I finally decided to bring my bird, Yoshi, to the apartment and I am so happy I did! He’s much happier now, I think, especially since we upgraded his cage, gave him a lot more toys, different perches for his foot health, and just… I’m happy! I’m finally taking care of him the way I’ve wanted to for years but have been prevented mostly by my parents (not that they were being mean about it). So yay, birdie! Here he is:

    yoshi

    He’s a lovebird, and no, he does not need a buddy with him despite common misconception. He isn’t hand tamed, but he’s got a great personality for handling, so I’m hoping that with time and patience I’ll be able to become his friend.

    If you want to see updates with Yoshi and our journey of becoming friends, you can check out our tumblr!

    Blog

    Alright, so I’ve really kind of neglected this blog in the last month; I think part of it is because I didn’t have much to say and the other part was just not really reading much or being part of the community as much. So sad to think, really. But I’m going to do my best this month to update weekly with NaNoWriMo updates, as well as anything else I can think of! I really want this to be a fun, engaging, and interactive place for you guys, so please let me know if you have any suggestions for topics, blog posts, or books! I’d love to hear them.

    I believe that’s it for updates! I’ll do them every now and again to keep you guys in the loop and to just get some things off of my chest every now and then, because who doesn’t need that every once in a while?

    But yeah, please let me know if you have any suggestions for blog posts or topics, as well as what I should read first from my list up above. Thanks a bunch and have a wonderful day!