Adventures of Andrea

I see these posts on blogs a lot, and I love the positivity behind it. My friend Nicole also makes blog posts like this, and you should read hers because they're really cute. Anyway, I like the idea, so I figured I'd try them out! I don't think I'll do them every week, but I will do them occasionally. I also think I will talk about things that have recently happened that week and also things in the next few weeks that I'm looking forward to.

1. Painting our kitchen.
My boyfriend and I recently bought a house! And with that has come a lot of projects. We are slowly making the house our own, and our latest project is painting the kitchen. I sadly don't have any pictures on hand, but we're changing it to a nice, happy yellow color. It was a brown color, which was just a little too dark for me. I'm looking forward to buying decor for the kitchen and really making it ours.

2. Labor Day weekend.
My family always goes out of town for Labor Day weekend, and it's always fun to spend time with family and enjoy our lakehouse. This year we went to the nearby town for some shopping, took a golf cart ride and enjoyed the last of summer! Then yesterday, we spent time with my boyfriend's family for their annual Bean Bag Tournament, and even though neither of us won, it was still nice to enjoy the awesome weather and eat some good food.

3. Wedding time.
My boyfriend has a friend getting married next weekend and so we are going out of town to see him get married! It's an outdoor ceremony a couple hours away and it's casual, so I'm looking forward to a fun night with hopefully great weather!

And that's a wrap! I'm hoping to get back into blogging more frequently, so here's hoping for more blog posts!

As someone who reads quite a bit, sometimes I run out of books that I actually want to read. Usually, I solve this by watching Booktuber videos or searching through Goodreads, but a few months ago, I got the idea to read my way through the NYT Bestsellers List...specifically the Young Adult Best Seller List, since my heart lies in YA Fiction.

I do sometimes peek at the regular ol' Fiction Best Seller List and if something catches my eye, I'll read that too. I don't discriminate with my books.

I wanted to write about this, because I think it's always good to broaden your horizons with reading, and pick up books that you otherwise might not read.

Of course, there are some books on the Bestsellers list that I would have already planned to read, but there are also sequels, new standalones, new series, and I've also read some just plain horrible books too.

It's just one way that I've tried to find more books that I like. I know some people have some complaints about the way the Bestsellers list works, so I don't just rely on it for my book recommendations, but it kind of kicks my butt into gear when I fall behind on my reading.

Most recently, I've picked up the beginnings of two series, which I had never heard of before seeing them on the list. Maybe I would have eventually come across them on Goodreads months later, but I like staying on top of what's trending in the book world. :)

I'm not sure how many books I've read doing this, but I would estimate about 30 to 40, since sometimes the list doesn't introduce new books, or they have books I've already read.

How do you look for book recommendations? I'm always so curious to find out what people are reading, so let me know!

I love spring time. There's something about it that just makes me happy, and it just seems like the world is a brighter (literally) and happier place once winter ends. I don't have a lot of plans this month, but I would like to spend some time outside once it gets nicer.

Doing: 
I'm hoping (fingers crossed) to take some sort of quick vacation this month. My boyfriend has his spring break at the end of the month, so I'm hoping we can go somewhere! It would most likely be a quick trip to the next state over, but still would be fun!
I honestly can't think of anything else I have planned for March, although I'm sure that will change as the month goes by. I feel like March is sort of a transition month before the business of spring/summer really kicks in, so I'm okay with just taking it easy.

Watching:
Since I've been reading more, I haven't been watching as much TV. I feel like that's always the case. I either watch more TV and don't read, or read more and watch less TV.
Anyway, one show I have been keeping up with is MTV's Are You The One. Nicole got me into it, and even though it's pretty trashy, it makes us laugh. If you like any sort of reality show, you'll probably like this one. It's also really weird to me how most of the people in the show are actually younger than me now...but it's still amusing to watch.

Reading:
I read lots of books in February, which made me really happy! Owlcrate, a book subscription box that I get, did a daily readathon for part of this month and I knocked out a ton of books. A readathon is usually hosted on Twitter or Facebook, and people read for "sprints" of a certain amount of time and you can interact with other readers and it's just really helpful. I had three past Owlcrate books that I hadn't read (one that was from September!) and I finally got around to reading all of them! My TBR stack is much more manageable now. I don't think I have any planned reads for March, but I'm just looking forward to crossing off more books on my TBR list.
A February book post that will talk about all the books I read last month will most likely be coming soon. :)

Looking forward to: 
FabFitFun comes this month, which is always exciting. I really like this subscription box, and even though it's a little pricier than other boxes, it's only quarterly, so it's not too bad. The products are always full-sized, and I just feel like I always get my money's worth.
I just started a new job, so I'm looking forward to settling in at my new position. I'm really loving it so far, so I hope my first full month there will go well. :)

What do you guys like best about March, and what are you up to this month?

You all probably know by now that I read a lot of books, mostly of the Young Adult variety. And beyond that, probably YA fantasy are my specific favorites. Now when most people think of Young Adult books, they probably think of John Green or Twilight or Harry Potter. But there's so much more out there (yes, even beyond Harry Potter). Fans who read a little more YA fantasy might know Sarah J. Maas or Marissa Meyer, but there's still even more beyond those writers!

So since I get asked a lot for recommendations, I'd figure I would give you some recommendations for what I know best: YA Fantasy! So here are the top five underrated YA Fantasy series, in no particular order.

1. Falling Kingdoms series by Morgan Rhodes
I'm not a huge fan of this series, but I'll admit that it's pretty engrossing. The books take place in a land called Mytica. It has a Game of Thrones type feel, because there is so many characters and a lot of different kingdoms. There are a few main characters that all go on different journeys in different lands. A war breaks out in this world, and magic, murder and betrayals are all featured in this novel. Seriously, I wouldn't get attached to any of the characters, because they'll probably die.
This series would be good for fans of The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, it's got the same violence and also the romance is pretty similar for both series.
Titles in this series: Falling Kingdoms, Rebel Spring, Gathering Darkness, Frozen Tides, Crystal Storm, and Immortal Reign (coming out this year, I believe it's the last book).

2. The Bone Season series by Samantha Shannon
I remember picking up the first book a few years ago and being really amazed because the author is the same age as me. This series is supposed to have seven books, and only two have been released. This series takes place in a world where they are different types of clairvoyants, and the main character, Paige, is a Dreamwalker. There's also an otherworldly that controls some of the clairvoyants, and Paige gets captured by them. Clairvoyants are considered criminals by the majority of the rest of the population. One of the reasons I really liked this book is because of the world-building. I have some problems with the romance that takes place, but ultimately I really liked a lot of the secondary characters and would like to see which way this series goes. I would recommend this series to those who are fans of Marie Lu. The darkness in the worlds reminds me of Lu's Legend series.
Titles in this series (so far): The Bone Season, The Mime Order, and The Song Rising (releasing this year).

3. The Falconer series by Elizabeth May
First, let me share the love I have for this author. I follow her on Twitter and she is GOALS. I don't even remember how I first found her series, but I read it late last year, and enjoyed it. Her work definitely doesn't get enough credit, and it's better than a lot of the more 'popular' YA books out there.
These novels take place in Edinburgh in the 19th century. The main character Aileana is part of the aristocracy, but also hunts fae. Here is obviously where the fantasy part comes in; fae are a part of this world and Aileana just so happens to be part of a line of female warriors that train to kill fae. IT has lots of twists and turns, but I enjoyed the history that was shown. I'm pretty certain the author has a background in anthropology, so I felt that the history was pretty accurate.
I feel like those who enjoyed Sarah J. Maas' Throne of Glass series would like this because 1. Fae (even if they are a bit different between the two novels) and 2. A pretty take-charge female protagonist.
Titles in this series: The Falconer, The Vanishing Throne, and The Fallen Kingdom (The last book is coming out later this year!)

4. Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab 
This series and author are already pretty well-known, but her writing is so good, she should be even more popular! This series is trilogy and takes place in a world where there are alternate Londons: White London, Black London, Grey London and Red London. One of the main characters, Lila, is from Grey London, which is a lot like our world. And the other main character, Kell, is from Red London, where magic is a huge part of the society. Kell is one of two people who can travel between worlds, and so he serves as sort of ambassador for the royalty of Red London. Black London was destroyed most likely by some sort of magical catastrophe; and White London is where society revolves completely around magic, and who controls it. The story follows Lila and Kell, who eventually meet (no more spoilers than that!) and go on an adventure that shows them some mysteries of the worlds they live in. I won't say any more, but I really enjoyed the sequel and also continue to love V.E. Schwab's writing.
I would recommend this series for fans of Maureen Johnson's, The Name of the Star series (they do both take place in London, ha!). The series share a sense of mystery, magic and intrigue that readers will enjoy.
Titles in this series: A Darker Shade of Magic, A Gathering of Shadows, and A Conjuring of Light (coming out in just a few days!)

5. Snow Like Ashes series by Sara Raasch
This series is already fairly popular, but I am surprised that even more people don't read it. I really enjoyed the world in this book, as well as the main character, Meira. In this world, there are several kingdoms, four of which are based around the seasons. Meira is Winterian, but the Kingdom of Winter was destroyed by the Kingdom of Spring when she was a baby. Basically, all of the Winterians are slaves for Spring, except for a few who escaped and have been on the run. Meira travels with a group of people, one of which is the King of Winter, who was saved (like Meira) when he was a baby. I won't say any more than that, but the conflict begins when the Winterians set out to find a locket that can help the King of Winter restore magic to the Kingdom. Each seasonal kingdom has its own magic, and Winter's was destroyed when it was.
It's honestly just a really cool world, and I really liked hearing about the other seasonal kingdoms. The series is a trilogy, but all books are released, so you can finish the whole series now! I would definitely recommend this for fans of the Queen of the Tearling series by Erika Johansen.
Titles in this series: Snow Like Ashes, Ice Like Fire, and Frost Like Night.

I can't believe it's already February! I'm still not over the fact that it's a new year, and now we are already in the second month! I don't have much going on in February, but my family does have a lot of birthdays this month! Other than that, just trying to make it to warmer, sunnier weather!

Doing: 
Like I said, not too much. One of my goals for the month is try to go to a museum (even though I've said that the past few months...). Other than that, I recently started a new job and am settling in there, and enjoying it! Two of my nieces and one of my nephews has a birthday this month, so I also have to get out and buy some birthday presents!

Watching:
I have gotten back into watching Scandal. I'm watching the latest season on Netflix, and am flying through it. I started watching the show on Netflix a few years ago, and immediately was hooked. Sometimes I think the show can be really annoying, but the plot and characters are way to engrossing for me to stop watching completely. I would also recommend the show to anyone who works in communications, because Olivia (the main character) pretty much works in public relations and it's so fun to see her job.

Reading:
I have an enormous stack of books to read this month. Hopefully I can get through them before they go back to the library. I still have three Owlcrate books to read (and I'm not going to renew the box until I get through all of them), as well as a few borrowed books from friends.
I'm probably most looking forward to reading the Truthwitch series by Susan Dennard. It's a fantasy series about witches who have all sorts of powers from seeing the truth to controlling the elements. The second book just came out, and I'm really liking the first book.
Also on the reading list (hopefully this month and not in March) is Jodi Picoult's book, Small Great Things. I'm borrowing it from Nicole, and I've heard positive things about it.
I'm thinking I might write a TBR post for February since I have so many more books to talk about!

Looking forward to: 
Getting my Blessbox this month! I got a January Blessbox, which is a new subscription box by a popular blogger. The one this month was okay, but I'm getting another one, since the theme for February was all about self-love and self-care and I can't resist that.
I'm also looking forward to longer days and warmer weather! I'm definitely more of a spring/summer kind of girl, and so now that the days are finally getting longer, it's making me so much happier.
Last, I've also started doing Yoga With Adriene (just search her on Youtube). She has hundreds of yoga videos on her channel, and it's been absolutely perfect for me. I'm currently doing her Yoga Revolution challenge, and it's reminded me how much I love yoga and how good it is for me!



Anyway, that's all from me! Tell me about your guys' months and what you are up to!

I was in a bit of a reading slump in January. It's so cold and dreary out, I was playing more video games, and figuring out my work life. All that said, I did read 8 books this month!

The Fate of The Tearling by Erika Johansen
The first book of 2017, which I reviewed in this post, was The Fate of the Tearling. I won't say much more about it, because I talked it about in the post, but I rated the book 2 out of 5 stars on Goodreads, so I wasn't a huge fan.

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab
This is the second book in a series, and I put it off for some reason, but I actually really enjoyed it. It takes place in a world with magic, and there are basically four Londons. Gray London, Red London, White London, and Black London. They are parallel worlds in a way, but magic plays a part. I won't tell you too much more, because that was enough to intrigue me to start the series. I gave it 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads!

Me Before You by JoJo Moyes
This is one of those books that everyone has been talking about for a while now. I don't know how I just got around to it this month, but I absolutely loved it. I think I read it in one or two sittings, it was that compelling. I really want to watch the movie now, too. This book is about a young woman who starts a job as the caregiver of a 30-something paraplegic man. Their stories intertwine and the way we learn about these characters and come to really love them is what made this book so worthwhile to me. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads! (I hardly ever give a book 5 stars.)

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han 
This was a cute pallet cleanser of a read, after the heavier topic in Me Before You. This is the second book in this series as well, and it's a read that is probably more geared toward early high schoolers. However, it's a super cute, quick book, and I liked it. In the first book of the series, the main character writes love letters to all of her past crushes, from middle school on. And then, all of these letters get sent out to her crushes, and she has no idea how. The series basically just deals with all that happens because of that. It's very high school, but like I said, it's a cute read.

Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken
Another sequel! I really loved this series though. It takes place in a world where time travel exists. There's a hierarchy of certain families who control people with this talent, and there is a bunch of lore and mythology that goes along with the world. I always love historical novels, even if they only show a slight bit of history, like this one. You get to read about all different times in the world, and I felt like the author did a pretty good job portraying everything realistically. I gave it four out of five stars on Goodreads.


Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Illustrated Edition) by J.K. Rowling and Jim Kay
I don't know how I haven't read any illustrated editions of the Harry Potter series yet, but my boyfriend got the first one for me for Christmas, and it was amazing. Obviously, I'm a huge Harry Potter fan, so the writing had me all nostalgic. But the illustrations really brought the story to life, and it was interesting to see a different interpretation than the one I have in my head. Of course, I gave it five out of five stars on Goodreads.

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
This book was probably one of my least favorites this month. I really, really liked the world in the book, but I hate love triangles. And the one in this book just felt so unnecessary. I really liked the main character though, so I did give this book three out of five stars on Goodreads. This is a series, but if you like books with adventure and a little mystery, you'd probably enjoy this book.

Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda
I'm a big Hamilton fan, and just a fan of Lin-Manual Miranda in general. I can also finally say that I'm going to say Hamilton this year. So excited, even though it's still months away. But this book really showed all the thought and every detail that went into the production of Hamilton. There's definitely some things mentioned in the book that I'm going to have to watch out for when I see it on stage. It's definitely an interesting read for any Hamilton fan.

So that's it! I know eight books seems like a fair amount of reading, but I just feel like I didn't read that much this month! I don't know why! Hopefully next month I'll be able to read even more! What did you read this month?

Every once in a while you read something that really resonates with you, and that happened to me the other week with Emily Rodgers' post about job-hopping millennials.

I've touched on this topic a few times myself, and have talked about how I need to take time to make my own decisions and not feel like I constantly have to be moving to the next best thing. And it's a struggle for me! While I haven't had 7 jobs in 3 years, I've switched and tried jobs more often than others my age.

I actually am in the middle of switching jobs right now, so it seemed like a pretty perfect time for this post.

Basically in her post, Emily talks about passion for her work, why she has left jobs and why that's okay. The first time the post really caught my attention was when she wrote this,

If I ever lose passion, or motivation behind a job, or if I stop caring, I’ll question it. And if those questions only have negative answers, I’ll start to look for a change. 

I may be none the wiser, but at least I’m trying to figure it out instead of staying hidden behind a good salary and a free gym membership. I’m exploring what I like and don’t like, and I’m happy to take a pay cut if it means my mental health is in check and I’m staying true to my principles.

The Fate of the Tearling came out a few months ago, and I was finally able to pick it up recently and finish the series! (It was actually my first finished book of 2017.)

The Fate of the Tearling is the third and last book in the The Queen of The Tearling series by Erika Johansen. The Queen of the Tearling and The Invasion of the Tearling are the other two books in the series.

Let me start by saying, overall, I really did like this series. The first book immediately had me hooked, and I remember quickly reading through the second. However...I was not a fan of the third book.

This is where the talk will include SPOILERS. If you have read the book, go on ahead. If you haven't and you don't want to be spoiled, don't keep reading! You've been warned. :)

Things I liked:

I have always been a fan of Kelsea. Since the beginning, she has been a strong, and most importantly, smart character. I'm not saying she never made bad decisions, because she did, but it was what was right for her at the time. I just really enjoyed having a realistic female protagonist, especially in a book that wasn't dominated by romance.

The world. One of the reasons why I picked this book up in the first place. The world of the Tearling is so cool. If you haven't read the books, and are reading my review for some reason, the world is a sort of dystopian. Basically, with a bit of magic, a group of people left 'our' world because it was really shitty, and started a new one. They wanted to set up a utopia, but obviously that didn't work out. I also really liked the flashbacks to the beginning of society through the various characters throughout the series. It gave you an insight to the past and you got emotionally connected to those characters too.


Things I did not like: 

I thought the reveal of who Kelsea's father was was kind of dumb. Honestly, I wouldn't have minded if it was just left open-ended. Giving us a random guard who never even knew that Kelsea was his kid kind of took the mystery and appeal out of it. I figured it wasn't Mace, but anyone else would have been a better choice.

The ending. I'm sorry, I'm sure there are people out there who loved it, but I just didn't at all. I felt like it took away from the whole series for me, and I'm still trying to separate out the things I loved about these books. I just felt like it wasn't a good ending for this world, or the characters. I'm all for resolution of conflict, but to make it so it didn't happen at all, it just seems dumb to me. That said, I still loved the series, but I'm going to have to pretend that ending didn't happen.

Also, if you are a fan of the series, there is a movie currently in pre-production with Emma Watson set to star. Pretty good news for all of us who liked the series!

Have you read The Queen of the Tearling series? What did you think of the ending?? Let me know!

I hate New Year's Resolutions. There, I said it. I think they're dumb, and I don't make them for myself. Now, that's not to say that I think that your specific resolution is dumb, there just has to be a specific process around it.

Most people say, okay I want to lose weight. And that's awesome. So they buy a gym membership and start going in January. And maybe they keep if up for the month, but slowly the motivation fades away, and by March, you're probably in the exact same spot you were the year before.

I am a person who makes a lot of goals for myself. Weekly goals, daily goals, monthly goals. And I know everyone isn't like that, but if you want to make a resolution for the whole year, you have to make goals.

If you walk in the gym January 1st, and you say all I want to do is lose weight. And day in and day out you just hop on the treadmill or elliptical, I promise you you will get bored quickly.

I'm all for goals, but don't let your resolution consume you and make you feel guilty. If you do want to lose weight, start off slow, and don't forget to change things up. Maybe in January you can say, I don't want to eat fast food more than once a week. A slow change will prepare your body for the year to come, and you still get that sense of satisfaction for keeping up your resolution.

If you start off 2017 by saying that you want to say yes more, make monthly goals for yourself! Casting a blind 'yes' resolution over your whole life sounds awful! You still need to take care of yourself, you can't go around saying yes to every outing or experience. You'd be exhausted, and most likely broke.

So on a personal note, I'll share some of my monthly goals with you to show that I'm not just all talk. For January, I really want to try a new fitness class. I'm a person that likes structure with my fitness. It's hard for me to just go to the gym and design a workout schedule for myself. I like classes, and my body feels better when it knows exactly what it will have to do.

This month, I also made it a goal to see my friends at least once. Time goes by fast, and I don't want to end the month without having hung out with them!

On a creative note, I want to blog at least four times this month, and start the year out on a strong note.

So I may not have a huge resolution to focus on, but I think it's healthier to focus on smaller goals. I still have an overall goal of keeping my body and mind healthy by working out and seeing friends, and also expanding on my creative goals by writing!

Of course, I'm not saying my way is the best way, but try it out and let me know!

P.S. I know this was more of a ramble-style post, but I hope you enjoyed it just the same.

Every New Year's Day, my family has the tradition of going to the zoo. Whether it's snowing or freezing, or we luck out and get a semi-nice winter day, we have gone every year since I was a baby. When I was a teenager, I didn't really appreciate this. It meant getting up early after New Year's Eve and spending the day in the cold. Now, the past few years, I've started to appreciate it more and more. I like starting the first day of the year spending time with my family and breathing in the brisk winter air. I always come home feeling a little bit accomplished, like, "I didn't spend the whole day hungover in bed, I actually did something with my day." 

I wanted to start this post with telling what I actually did start my January. I hope all of you were snuggled warm in your beds, or maybe a few of you were like me, and went out to the zoo. ;)


Doing:

I really want to to go on a small vacation next month, so I'm hoping to start planning that. But, I'm still excited! I like to travel, and I'm always up for trying new things. Speaking of new things, I really want to make 2017 a year where I try lots of new stuff. Whether that be a new food, a new exercise, a new show, whatever. I'm going to try and make it my goal to try something new each month, whatever it may be. I don't have anything planned for January yet, so let me know if you think of something. :)


Watching: 

I continue to struggle along with Gilmore Girls, although I do like it a lot better now that I'm further into the show. Besides that, I'm not really watching a lot. I do want to watch a couple movies this month, because I feel like I didn't watch anything in 2016, and there's a lot of movies I want to see now! Also, Broad City is coming back soon, and if you don't watch that, you need to, like right now.


Reading:
I'm still making my way through The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen, and I'm going to be so sad when I'm done. It's the last book in the series, and I've really enjoyed them. Up next will probably be the Hamilton book I got for Christmas. I'm a huge Hamilton fan (and I can finally say I'm seeing it this year!!!) and so I'm excited to start it. Also on the agenda are catching up on my Owlcrate books (oops!).

And that's how January is looking right now for me...I'm excited to see what the new year will have to offer.

This month's theme was 'Epic' and included items from Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia. While I love fantasy and fantasy series, this wasn't my favorite box. I don't like always getting small items that I can't do anything with. So that was a bit of a bummer...but here was everything in the box!

The first item, and one that will actually be useful to me, was Game of Thrones coasters. I have no coasters in my room, which usually means my books end up as holders for my drinks. (Oops!) So I was happy to get these. There's four of them, and they have the different Game of Thrones house sigils on them.

There was also a Harry Potter mini mystery funko pop! I love Harry Potter, and I'm never able to find the mini mystery ones anywhere, so I was glad to get this. I got Hagrid, which is perfect, because I also have a mini Fang. :)

Now onto the reason why this wasn't my favorite box. The other items were: the monthly Owlcrate pin (they create a little pin every month for subscribers to collect), another Lord of the Rings pin, a blank Chronicles of Narnia greeting card, and a sticker with a quote from A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab. Now I like all of these series and books, but it's a lot of little things that I can't really do much with. I've got the growing pin collection thanks to Owlcrate, but I don't really wear pins.

I also don't know what to do with the blank card, especially because it will probably end up getting thrown out if I send it to someone. So with these thoughts in mind and the fact that next month's theme is "classic remix" (which doesn't appeal to me too much, I've read so many retellings lately), I've skipped my renewal for January's Owlcrate.

This doesn't mean I'm done with Owlcrate! I still think they're a great subscription box, but since I was a little disappointed this month and next month doesn't sound amazing to me, I'll probably just get my next box in February.

Did you get this month's Owlcrate? What did you think?

First off, in case you don't know what TBR means, it stands for to be read. I was going to write a post about all the books I read in November, but to be honest, I got too overwhelmed with all the books I still have to read to focus on the ones that I already read!

So I thought I would talk about my current TBR pile, and you could get a peek into what I'm reading and what my reading tastes are like.

Right now I am currently reading two books: To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han and This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp. I'm not far enough into Jenny Han's book to really give an opinion yet, but I am halfway through This Is Where It Ends, and I'm not enjoying it.

It's a book about a school shooting, and it feels like I'm reading a dramatic soap opera YA book. It just doesn't fit the subject matter, and it doesn't do the victims and the situation justice. We will see how I feel about it when I finish reading it, but so far, I'd only give it 1 star.

My latest pick-ups from the library include The Woman In Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware and Me Before You by JoJo Moyes. I'm really surprised I haven't read either of these, and I've heard pretty good things about both of them. I'm hoping I like The Woman In Cabin 10, because I always love a good mystery.

Also in my pile are:

• Of Fire And Stars by Audrey Coulthurst. I don't feel too bad about this one yet, because I just got it in my December Owlcrate. Apparently, it's a book about a princess who falls in love with the prince's sister. Can't wait! 
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. My boyfriend got me the illustrated edition of this for our anniversary, and I can't wait to read through it and look at all the amazing illustrations. 
• The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson. I really don't know much about this one, I just found it on Goodreads. 
• Scythe by Neal Shusterman. I've read a few of Shusterman's books, and this one sounds pretty good. It's about a world that has conquered death, so now there are people who become 'scythes' who master the art of taking life. If they fail, they die instead. It sounds like a pretty cool concept!
• A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab. The second book in this series, and I can't believe it's taken me so long to get to it. I really like the world in these books, so I'm excited to delve back in.
• Vassa In The Night by Sarah Porter. This was my October Owlcrate...I'm ashamed. 
• Heartless by Marisa Meyer. This was my November Owlcrate. Still ashamed, but not as bad.

So here is my slightly delayed post about the November Owlcrate! The theme for last month's box was Wonderland, and it was themed around Alice in Wonderland. While I'm not a huge Alice in Wonderland fan, this box was probably one of my favorites ever.

First up, is the book itself, Heartless, by Marissa Meyer! Meyer is the author of the Lunar Chronicles which is a really cool futuristic/fairytale crossover that I have read and loved. I haven't started Heartless yet, but I already know that I like the author's writing so I'm excited to start. Heartless is about the Queen of Hearts and her backstory. I'm interested to see the villain's perspective for this!

There were three pretty awesome things in this box (there were more things, but these were my favorites).

The first was a cute Alice in Wonderland bookmark from Authored Adornments. It's a metal bookmark and the quote is imposed on the top of the bookmark. Hard to describe, but it's really cute!

Owlcrate has given a tea box once before and it was amazing, so I'm so happy they decided to give tea again! It's from Riddles Tea Shoppe, and it's called the Wonderland elixir. I still haven't tried it, but it smells amazing and it's supposed to be snowy this weekend, so maybe I'll make a cup.

Lastly, was a special cover of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. They did a special cover for the box, and it is so pretty and purple! I actually have never read Alice in Wonderland, although I've seen the movie, so this read was interesting for me! Definitely made me remember the movie, but it's a crazy read!

Owlcrate continues to be one of my favorite subscription boxes, although my Winter FabFitFun is coming soon, so we will see how I like that one!

The December box theme is "Epic" and apparently will have Harry Potter items, so obviously I signed up for that. :)

It's December! (How...) I cannot believe that 2016 has one month left and then it's on to 2017. I always like December, although I'm not a fan of the short days and less time with the sun! But December means Christmas and fun, wintry things, and I do love that.


What I'm Doing: In recent jobs news, I got a job! I won't say any more than that right now, because it really is very recent news! I'm hoping I enjoy it though! :) 

I've also been trying to keep up with my Christmas shopping since I have lots of little kids to buy for. I think I'm about halfway and it's only December 2nd, so I'm feeling confident.

I'm also excited to get together with my friends to do our annual Secret Santa exchange, to hang out with Nicole and exchange gifts and also to hold a 'Friendsmas' and just catch up with all my friends during the holiday madness.

I'm really glad I've already set aside time this month to hang out with my friends, because I know December can get crazy.

It's also my two-year anniversary with my boyfriend this month so of course, we are exchanging gifts for that and also treating ourselves to a massage! I can't wait! :D


Reading:
The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen came out at the end of November, and I'm so excited to finish up this series. The Queen of the Tearling series is a must-read for any fantasy fan, and it's really well-written. The character are not your typical YA characters and it's a great series!

I'm also excited to start Heartless by Marissa Meyer. I got it in the November Owlcrate, and the book tells the story of the Queen of Hearts. It gives more background into her childhood and how she became a villain, and I love stories like that.

I think those are the two books I'm really looking forward to this month, although I'm always reading more. ;)

Watching:
I have gotten to season 2 of Gilmore Girls! It's a slow show for me, as I just can't get that into it. I'm definitely more interested in it now, and I will continue, but I'm not a huge fan like some people I know.

Next, I really would like to watch Veep. Nicole and I are watching it at the same time, and I think December would be a good time to start...I need some positive political show in this crappy political reality.


I hope you all enjoy your December and have a great holiday season! :)

This book was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I am always up for getting more exposure for writers. When the author of Somewhere in the Shallow Sea, Dennis Macaraeg, reached out to me asking if he could send me a copy of his book, I immediately said yes.

Dennis described his book as a romance thriller, with lots of action. The bulk of the story takes place in the Philippines, and you could tell that Dennis was fairly familiar with the island nation.

The book revolves around Danny, a marine biologist. Danny's best friend Blake is kidnapped and taken to the Philippines. Danny and Blake have been working on a compound in marine biology, something that could possibly save fish species. Danny heads to the Philippines to save Blake, meeting up with some old friends, including his ex-girlfriend Helen. They go on a journey to try and save Blake, and hit some challenges along the way.

Now I don't want to spoil the story, but my favorite part of the book was probably the description of life in the Philippines. I learned many new traditions and I was very immersed in the culture that Dennis showed.

I wish the story had given a little more background on Blake, as I didn't feel like I knew him very well, even though the whole point of the book was to save him. Danny and Helen were more rounded out characters, and I enjoyed following them on their journey.

If you're a lover of travel books, and enjoy a short action novel, then you'll enjoy Macaraeg's novel.

I know this is late, but the end of October was a hectic time, so I didn't have a lot of time to sit down and talk about each product in the Owlcrate box! Hopefully you don't mind that it's a little late. :)

So the theme for October's Owlcrate was Once Upon A Dream (November's theme is Wonderland...and I think I will like that box better than this month's).

The book for this month is called "Vassa in the Night" by Sarah Porter. It's a story based on Russian folklore, and is a story about Vassa and her magical wood doll, Erg. I have to admit, I haven't started it yet. I'm a little cautious, because I've seen a lot of reviews from people who didn't like it, but we will see!

My two favorite items from this box are probably the Peter Pan beanie. It's green and has a little red feather on it, like Peter Pan does. I don't usually wear beanies, but this one is so comfy, I could see myself wearing it on a lazy day.

My other favorite item was a beautiful bangle charm bracelet that is inspired by the tale of Sleeping Beauty. It has a little blue gem on it, a spinning wheel, and a charm that says Once Upon A Dream. Sometimes jewelry I receive from others really isn't my taste, but I can actually see myself wearing this.

The other items in the box included a passport notebook inspired by the Wizard of Oz, a fabric button bookmark and of course, some promo items based on the Vassa in the Night.

All in all, I think I liked last month's box better. I did like the beanie and the bracelet in this box, but I had never heard of the book and the rest of the things aren't really things I'll use. Don't worry, I still love Owlcrate! :)

I liked writing my October beginnings post last month, so I figured I'd keep it up for this month. While I don't like November as much as I do October, I'm still excited for it! My family celebrates a couple of birthdays in November and also it's Nicole's birthday this month!

And if you're American, then we also have Thanksgiving at the end of the month, and how can I not like food and relaxation??



What I'm Doing: Job searching, yayyyy! :/ For those of you have applied for jobs, you know this isn't an awesome process. But due to some certain circumstances, I am back to looking on the job market! Don't worry, I'm not too upset about it. :)

I'm also looking forward to Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving isn't my favorite holiday, but I'm not one to turn down a day of eating and relaxing. And I actually get two meals since we visit my family and my boyfriend's family.

A big part of October was spent on Instagram, creating my 'bookstagram' account. I've really enjoyed growing my account and doing my favorite thing, talking about books. You can follow me @andrea.readss on Instagram, I plan on keeping up with it in November too. :)

I would also really like to get down to the city and visit a museum. I'm thinking maybe the Shedd Aquarium or the Art Institute. Not sure if this will happen, but I figure writing it down might force me into action!


Reading:
I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on "The Midnight Star" by Marie Lu. It's the last book in a trilogy, and the first two were so dark and gripping. I would recommend it to any fans of fantasy, and I can't wait to see how the story ends. It came out in October, so I may have to wait a little bit for my library to have a free copy!

Since joining bookstagram, I have seen non-stop glowing reviews of Illuminae and Gemina. I'm honestly not sure what the series is even about, but I think it takes place in space. Anyway, I just picked the two books up, and hopefully I'll like it as much as everyone else.

Watching:
Last month, I was working on catching up with Jane the Virgin. It's such a cute show, and I am officially all caught up. A new season is already airing, but I don't mind waiting until it's on Netflix.

The next show I'm going to try is (drumroll, please) Gilmore Girls! A couple of months ago I started watching it and got almost to the end of season 1, and I lost interest. But I'm trying it again, since everyone loves it so much! I figure it will be a good time to watch it since the new 4-part series is coming to Netflix at the end of the month.


Anyway, that's all I have to share for the upcoming month! Look forward to some unboxings and maybe some book reviews. :)

Since I read so many books, it's sometimes easier to just combine most of them in one collective post. :D

Some are worth mentioning, some not, but here's a list of the sixteen books I read in October.

It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
Mindwalker by A.J. Steiger
Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes
The Devouring by Simon Holt
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty 
The Falconer by Elizabeth May
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron
The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Replica by Lauren Oliver 
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes

Now this was a month where I had a more than usual amount of free time due to job circumstances and such. I'm pretty impressed with myself, ha!

My favorite reads this month were probably Crooked Kingdom, Empire of Storms and The Husband's Secret. I really enjoy Liane Moriarty's writing and a mystery novel was perfect for the month of October.

A lot of these books were also relatively new releases including: Crooked Kingdom, Empire of Storms, Replica, The Thousandth Floor and The Forgetting. While Crooked Kingdom and Empire of Storms were continuations in two different series that I really like, I think Replica was probably the most interesting book I read.

Replica was about two girls; Gemma and Lyra, and each girl had their own part of the book. Lyra's part started at the back of the book, and Gemma started from the front. You would flip the book upside down to read Lyra and then flip it again to read Gemma. The concept of the book was all about clones or Replicas, as they prefer to be called. Lyra has only known life in an institution where other replicas are made and die. Gemma has a connection with this facility through her father's business and some family secrets. It was a really good read, and I recommend it!

Another large part of my reads this month were all based around a "spooky" theme. Something Strange and Deadly, A Monster Calls and The Devouring were all about monsters and creepy things. I have to say The Devouring probably creeped me out the most, which was interesting, because it was probably the closest to middle grade reading if anything. But the concept and the monster were pretty scary.

Anyway, I'm sure you'll hear me talk more about these books at some point, but that was a brief overview of my October books!

You know the posts where people reflect on they've learned in their XX amount of years on this planet. Well, in honor of my half birthday (23 and a half...how...), I've decided to join the trend and give you some pieces of advice/things that I've learned.


1. Your first job probably won't be perfect.

At least, mine wasn't. There's definitely a fantasy when you leave school of working in a perfect Google-type, amazing, relaxing office. And sure, some people have that, but most do not. You might not like your boss, you might not like your salary, you may not have some of the perks you really thought you would. It's okay. It's your first job, and there are lots more out there.

2. Take a deep breath.

Sounds pretty basic, right? I'm a pretty excitable, anxious person, and I can get wound up easily sometimes. There are so many moments where I remind myself to stop, breathe and then continue on with whatever I was doing or thinking. That deep breath can really serve as a moment of clarity.

3. Life is scary.

The faster you realize this, the better. But life can also be wonderful, exciting and terrifying. You are going to have bad times, and they will suck, but you're also going to have some amazing times that will make the crazy ride worth it.

4. Say yes.

I always used to hate this piece of advice. As an anxious person, this freaks me out. I don't want to say yes to everything. But the message behind this piece of advice is just to think about your answer before you say no. Maybe you will find or do something you really enjoy.

5. Sometimes you won't be the smartest in the room.

For a high achiever like me, this isn't a good feeling. I hate feeling ignorant or stupid. But sometimes other people have things to say that you might not know. Listen. It will make you all the better for it.

6. Try to ignore the pressure from society.

I talked about this a bit in my last post (go check it out! :)) I feel like my generation is the first in a long time to feel a lot of pressure to always feel creative, to have an amazing, perfect job, to travel the world, and have the cutest, coziest apartment. It's exhausting. I know it's hard, but try to ignore the expectations. If you don't want to travel, that's your decision. If you like your cubicle office job, then who cares?! I'm so tired of this pressure to live this perfect life in your 20s, it's just not realistic.

7. Don't sweat the small stuff.

My mom always tells me that if it's something I won't remember a month from now, or even a year from now. It's a good piece of advice that I use all the time. Sometimes it's hard to let go of anger, but it's really for the best.

8. Text your friends. 

This is especially true when you leave school. Your friends are readily available to you anymore, everyone has their own jobs, their own significant others and their own lives. It's up to you to keep in touch and make plans. You don't go to the same school anymore, so you won't see them. It's a tough transition, but the friends who you truly care about will stick by you.

9. Speak up.

You are the only who knows how you feel. If someone says something that hurt you, tell them. Maybe they didn't even realize it. Or maybe they did, and then they're just an asshole. Your friends are psychic, they aren't going to know every thought running through your head, and if someone did something that upset you, it's best to let them know.

10. Find something you enjoy.

I don't care what it is. Maybe it's blogging, writing, candle making, reading, yoga, running, anything under the sun. But find something. Find something that makes you happy, find something that you're passionate about. Life is too short to just worry about your job, your next paycheck...all that adult type stuff. You have to have your own hobbies and interests too.

11. College is awesome, but it's not everything.

I know so many people who, when we were in high school, were obsessed with finding the best college and everything they were going to do and join when they were there. For those of you who might not have gone through the process, yes, college is awesome. There's freedom, choices and lots of things to do. But where you go to college, and even what your major is, is not the only important thing in life. When you enter the workforce, you will learn that there are people who went to a great school and are terrible at their jobs, and there will be people who went to a school with a bad reputation, and they are awesome. It doesn't matter.

12. You will probably make a couple huge mistakes.

It might be during school, it might be money-wise, relationship-wise, or maybe you screwed up a project at work. It might feel like the end of the world, but it's not. Actually, that huge mistake might give you some courage because now you messed up and you know the world didn't end. The sun will still rise the next morning, and you will be a little smarter.

13. Don't keep negative people in your life.

It's not worth it. The people around you to affect you, and if someone is constantly negative, chances are you're going to be like that too.

14. Don't make everything about finding 'the one'.

This one is similar to number 11. You can't be obsessed with finding a relationship, finding a boyfriend or girlfriend and running off happily into the sunset together. It just doesn't happen that way. When you do find someone (and you will!) it will most likely be when you aren't looking for it at all. Life is funny that way.

15. Budget.

I know this sounds kind of silly. But the first few years out of college are crucial for budgeting purposes. Suddenly, you have money. And for some people, they might have a substantial amount of it. We all go through that phase when we get our first jobs and go kind of buy-crazy. Get past that, and make a budget and stick to it. You'll thank me later.

16. Respect other people.

I don't care what race, sexual orientation, ethnicity or gender they are. We all deserve respect. The end.

17. Keep learning.

Just because you're no longer a student, that's not an excuse to stop learning. Go to a community college, find a language course online, do something. Education should never end, and there is always more to learn.

18. Take your time with the big decisions.

I learned my lesson with this one recently. When you get out of college or maybe before, there is kind of a voice of what's next. Breathe. It's okay. Everyone feels this way. Before you accept a job you don't really like, or before you decide to go back to grad school, just pause. We're young. You have plenty of time for decisions (you really always do, throughout any point in your life).

19. Treat yourself.

I know this might seem like it goes against my budgeting tip, but it doesn't. Your mental health is so, so important. Set aside some time for yourself each week to do a face mask, take a bath, read a book, do something. Do something that is solely for you.

20. Be kind.

A hard one to follow. Everyone is struggling. Everyone has something they are going through. I'm not saying you have to always be this calm, zen person all the time, but a little kindness goes a long way. You complimenting someone, helping someone out, it might be the highlight of their whole day.

21. Time management is key.

The world of adulting is a stressful one. For the first time in your life, you're paying bills, possibly renting or buying a house, maybe taking care of a pet. There is going to be a lot thrown at you at once. Manage your time. Netflix is amazing, I know, but you should probably make sure you paid the Internet and walked the dog first.

22. Not everyone is going to like you.

Again, this one is a hard one for me. But some people, they just won't like you. If you were like me and grew up in a small-ish town, where everyone got along (for the most part), this will be an uncomfortable feeling. But when you get to college or the workforce, you will probably stumble upon someone who just doesn't mesh with you. It's okay. Move on.

23. The only one who is responsible for your happiness is you.
Your friends, your parents, your significant other are all going to want to see you happy, but you are the only one who can make that happen.

1/2. Here it is the most important piece of advice that I could possibly give...Ready? You should NEVER, ever, ever, ever --


;) There's half a piece of advice for you.

Sometimes the words get stuck. And sometimes it's so unbelievably easy to make them flow.

I write for a living. Not as an author, mind you, although maybe someday. As a journalist, sometimes (sadly) you don't have time for creativity. Creativity gets shoved under the bus, because deadlines need to happen.

There have been some positives and negatives about this for me. Some positives: I've learned how to write in every mood. Bored, sick, tired, sad, angry, happy, excited, you name it. Because writing is my job, and such a deadline-oriented one at that, I had to learn how to write through any possible mood.

Some negatives: this wears me out. I love writing. I wouldn't have chosen it as my career if I didn't. But sometimes, at the end of a week writing articles, or researching articles, there's just no room left in my brain for creative writing.



Sometimes I have ideas hit me, and I scramble for my laptop, my phone or a piece of paper. This happened to me, for the first time, in a while I had a story idea. I was so excited about this, I started writing notes on my phone, even though I was in the middle of a work event. (Oops!)

I wanted to talk about this process, because I know that so many people struggle with not feeling creative enough. In our millennial generation, creativity is key. What can you create? What can you write, draw, sing, paint, fill in the medium of your choice here... It's not a bad thing, but it does put pressure on all of us, but we feel the need to be creative all the time, and that's just not possible.

Now, all of this ties into NaNoWriMo. Don't worry, I didn't forget the title of the post.

NaNoWriMo, for those who don't know, stands for National Novel Writing Month, and it takes place next month in November. The goal of NaNoWriMo is to write 50,000 words in one month. A novel. In one month.

The reason this all ties together for me is because NaNoWriMo forces you to shove creativity aside, in a way. The goal, as I understand it, is just to write. There is no editing or rewriting that takes place during this month, that can come later. All this month is about is getting those words down on the paper.

Now I've done NaNoWriMo once before (and wrote a novel that will never, ever see the light of day) and it was good for me. Not easy, but good. It forced me to get out of my own head space, it forced me to stop feeling like I had to write the perfect creatively creative thing. It forced me to just write.

That's why, I'm going to do it again this year. I need to get out of my own way, and just write. We don't have to strive for perfection in our creativity, we just have to create. :)