My MIA Month

Well, it's been a month since I last attempted a Sunday post, and I really had meant to do one sooner. The last two weeks of summer just flew by, I felt sick for the latter of the two, and then it's just been my first few weeks back with classes and a new work schedule. Honestly, August was just one big blur and something about this semester just feels kind of surreal. I feel off and I'm not sure what to pinpoint it on... It's been a bit stressful, I'm not gonna lie.

I did get some books lately, but not too much. I don't think I'm going to be reading much these next few months, and therefore probably won't check out much either. And I'm not buying anything also, least not for awhile. So while I'm not going on hiatus, I probably will only do a Sunday post once or twice a month, same with my Friday posts. I'm not sure about other prompts or reviews at this time. Just fyi.

Anyway, this is just a post to clarify the reason for my lack of activity.

Flashback Friday XLVIII

Oh yeah, and I read things...

Showcase Sunday / Stacking the Shelves / The Sunday Post XLIX

Well the first week of August just flew by. Now I'm swamped with trying to figure out school costs and work schedules, and trying to convince myself to study some for my language class before the semester starts back up, and trying to organize my room, and trying to see all the latest summer films and hang with friends, and also just do nothing and pretend to be bored. You know...the usual. I'm really not ready for the summer to be over (AND IT'S NOT YET, GRAH!!! I'm talking to you, Walmart back to school displays). But it just feels like once August hits, the clock is ticking... And then people actually starting talking about how excited they are to be going back to school, bla,bla,bla...and I'm just sitting here, like, please.... Be quiet. Not yet. *sighs* I was only just getting used to it being so unbearably hot and having so much free time that I didn't even know what to do with myself. Anything you didn't get accomplished during the past two months has to somehow get crammed in around last minute lazing about, or just be forgotten entirely...

*sighs* But this is also going to be my senior year...finally. I'm half anxious/half relieved to be almost done. I wouldn't say I'm excited, exactly. There are so many classes I would have still liked to have taken, some I really wished I hadn't, and some things I would have liked to have done differently. Hindsight sucks, doesn't it? I'm hoping these last two semesters won't be entirely draining, as I only have three classes in each (along with extra things here and there). And I'm looking forward to at least three of them... I'm looking forward to having a nice winter break this year as well (yes, I'm already thinking about my next break...who isn't?). I'm hoping to maybe get in a nice vaca this fall, but I have my doubts... I'm also extremely hopeful that I'll somehow manage to be able to study abroad next summer. Right after I graduate, my minor's advisor is planning a trip to Japan and I'm really hoping that I can make it... I'd like to travel next summer, just in general. I want to make it to the beach, take a road trip, explore...anything, before I realize what's happening and that I've suddenly been thrust into the "real world". I'm not sure what exactly it is I'll be doing, but I'll probably be content with my current part time job as a library page, while free lancing with my art (and writing) on the side...we'll see... A friend of mine and I even considered starting a youtube channel together, just to do something...

I don't like being an adult anymore...

So anyway...that's my rant for the month. I'm hoping to get in a little bit more reading these next two weeks (among other things). *fingers-crossed*

Here's the borrowed and the bought from last week. I'm really hoping to catch up in/finish both Bleach and Naruto before next year. I'm also trying to branch out with more Marvel/DC comics. And I am really enjoying the 07-Ghost series. Beautiful. I just love it.

Bought some more manga volumes that came out recently, even though I probably shouldn't have. And I got 2 of the 4 textbooks I'll be needing for my Asian Philosophy class this fall, which are thankfully suuuuuper thin (and look rather interesting). :)

Borrowed:

Bought:

Flashback Friday XLVII

Here's the read for the last three weeks, actually. I didn't read as much during the read-a-thon  as I had originally planned. Didn't feel too hot. Life got in the way. Stuff happened... This past week has also been kinda crazy... *sighs*

Read:

Top 5 Wednesday XVII

August 5th - Favorite Maps

I love maps. What else can I say?

5. Eragon

 4. The Hobbit

 3. Inkheart

 2. Warriors

 1. Leviathan

Top Ten Tuesday XIX

So I haven't posted one of these in awhile...I'm going with the "want to read" option...

August 4: Ten Fairytale Retellings I've Read/Want To Read 

(or you could do fairytales I want to be retold or fairytales I love)

   

Make Me Read It Read-a-thon Wrap-up

So I took part in the Make Me Read It Read-a-thon two weeks back. I honestly wasn't able to read as much as I wanted to during the week... I didn't expect to get to more than 2-3 books, but a lot of unexpected stuff happened and I wasn't in the best of reading moods.

I read Batgirl 1: Batgirl of Burnside.

I haven't read any other Batgirl comics, or any DC for that matter. I feel like I might have missed something in the overall story arc. While this is the first volume, I have no sense of whether or not there is more background knowledge I should have had beforehand. It was also a different set up than I am used to, as each chapter seemed to have its own arc. While the story itself progressed, I felt like each chapter was bunnytrailing rather than moving strictly forward. It took me awhile to get through because of this, as well as there being a lot more dialogue than I am used to...
But that's not to say that I didn't enjoy it overall.

I also read Eleanor and Park.

I ended up listening to the audio for this one. I was very happy that the female narrator portion was done by the same narrator who did Rowell's Fangirl. I was also very pleased with the male narrator (I can't remember names right now). And while it was a sweet story, I really didn't like it as much as I thought I would. That's not to say that I disliked it entirely. The concept was heartwarming. The characters were engaging. But I wasn't really feeling the romance. And I didn't really know anything about it before picking it up, so I didn't know it would touch upon so many issues... I wasn't really in the right mindset for it. I'm not usually a fan of contemporary, either...

I'm hoping to have my full reviews out sometime next week.

Did you take part in the read-a-thon? Let me know how you did in the comments. :)

Showcase Sunday / Stacking the Shelves / The Sunday Post XLVIII

So I'm a little late with this... I haven't had the best of weekends, so I feel a bit behind in posts and such. I ended up taking a lot back last week, since I'm running out of room, have little time or motivation, or just lost interest in some books. I need to update some, finish off a few titles, and get a few more reviews out before the fall semester starts up. I don't want to think about it yet, but it's coming all the same... Just three more weeks of freedom...

*sighs*

Borrowed:

Review: This One Summer

This One Summer

by Mariko Tamaki & Jillian Tamaki

★★★★★

Synopsis:

Every summer, Rose goes with her mom and dad to a lake house in Awago Beach. It's their getaway, their refuge. Rosie's friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had. But this summer is different. Rose's mom and dad won't stop fighting, and when Rose and Windy seek a distraction from the drama, they find themselves with a whole new set of problems. It's a summer of secrets and sorrow and growing up, and it's a good thing Rose and Windy have each other.

In This One Summer two stellar creators redefine the teen graphic novel. Cousins Mariko and Jillian Tamaki, the team behind Skim, have collaborated on this gorgeous, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful story about a girl on the cusp of her teen age—a story of renewal and revelation.

My Review:

It’s been awhile since I read this, but I still wanted to get out a review. This was definitely a lazy day, summer read, but it was a bit more serious than I was expecting. It wasn't fluff. It dealt with real life issues, like teen pregnancy and the sorrows of miscarriage. 

The two girls in this story who are dealing with these encounters from an onlookers point of view are left with trying to figure out who they are in the world. They spend their summer as usual, except there's now the sneaking of horror films under the watchful eyes of their parents, a growing crush on one of the local older guys, arguments between these two girls that they hadn't ever experienced before, and a growing tension brewing in Rose's family.

It left me with this peculiar, nostalgic feeling, of summer vacations and friends you no longer talk to. It's definitely a good growing up book, where Rose and Windy experience new emotions and situations that make them that much older by the end of the summer. It was a nice book, but one that left you contemplating life rather than just with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

Overall, I really liked this book. It's different than what I normally go for, and even though I felt the art was a bit rough, I still felt it deserved such a high rating. It made the characters feel more realistic, more human. I also liked how it wasn't just black and white, or an explosion of color. The blue tint of the ink gave it a rather dream-like quality that I think enhanced the summery bliss and the tensions spread throughout the story, which also made it that much more believable.

It makes me miss the beach so much...

Suggested Reading Level: Young Adult+

Showcase Sunday / Stacking the Shelves / The Sunday Post XLVII

Well, I haven't been able to buy anything this past week (which is a good thing). But I did pick up a few more holds...

Borrowed: