September Wrap-Up

Books I Read

Looking For Alaska by John Green

4/5

Definitely much better than Paper Towns. I feel like it had more depth to it, though I am sick and tired of the "mysterious girl next door that's kind of a jerk but something about her just draws me in" character John Green seems to be so fond of. It was easy to get into despite the fact that the first hundred pages didn't have a clear plot in mind. But the last half flew by and it was a good story overall.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

4/5

Maggie Stiefvater did it again! Another great paranormal read with short chapters and likable characters and beautiful writing. It reads very fast, and it had a great kind of "Teen Wolf" vibe to it mixed with something else I can't quite put my finger on. Plus, it's a good book for this time of year now that it's getting colder out.

The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy by Sam Maggs

5/5

I loved this! It was such a fun book to read as a fangirl, and a great way to learn about new fandoms. For boys and girls alike, if you're into Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings or "Doctor Who" or . . . any fandom, really, this is for you.

None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio

4/5

Such a fantastic addition to the "We Need Diverse Books" community. I had very little knowledge on people who are intersex before reading this. I feel educated without feeling preached to, and the story itself did a pretty good job overall of giving us good plots and interesting characters that weren't completely defined by the protagonist's diagnosis. Kristin is intersex, but she's also a high-school student, a daughter of a single father, an athlete, and all of these other things. I highly recommend it.

Smile by Raina Telgemeier

4/5

Like all of Raina's books, this one is adorable. The illustrations are so simple, but it doesn't take away from the story. And as a kid who's gone through a ton of orthodontic work, I could totally relate to a lot of her situation. It won't take you more than an afternoon to finish.

Movies I Watched

"The Return of the King"

5/5

This was probably my favorite movie out of the three, even if it's the longest. I don't remember much from the books, but the friendship between Sam and Frodo in the movie is one of the best I've seen in a long time. And of course Merry and Pippin are always great. The only part that felt really dragged out was the ending, because I kept thinking it was going to end, and then it'd switch to another scene.

"One Crazy Summer"

 3.5/5

This was super goofy and cheesy, but fun. I liked it more than "Better Off Dead," because it had somewhat more of a stable plot in mind while keeping the same style of movie. I'll never see Curtis Armstrong as anyone but Metatron, though. It's still really weird to see him in any other role.

"Ocean's Thirteen"

4/5

After "Ocean's Eleven," this one was my favorite. I love movies that involve some great heist or crime or something that requires a thousand different steps to pull off. It's fascinating and keeps me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Plus, you laugh a lot with the Ocean's movies, too.

Obsessions I Acquired

Spotify. I use this all the time when I'm writing now, because it's so easy to create different playlists and find new songs. The mobile app is pretty convenient, though I much prefer the computer version.

Guitar/ukulele. I bought myself a ukulele recently and I've loved playing it. The chords are so much simpler! I probably should've started with that before doing guitar, but I've found that I can play both pretty well now considering I've just taught myself online. I've even tried writing a song or two, which was extremely difficult and probably won't be doing again anytime soon, but it was fun to try it out.

My Beneath the Moon and Stars Pinterest board. With all the editing I've been doing recently, I took a break to organize my Pinterest board and, well, that break stretched into four-plus hours of photo editing and fangirling endlessly over casting choices. Everyone just fits so perfectly.

This video. Oh. My. God, is this gorgeous. Apparently it was a routine on "So You Think You Can Dance," but I like this version better. And the subway station atmosphere fit perfectly. I've watched it no less than a dozen times now. There's something mesmerizing about it.

Picture of the Month

From my Pinterest board, this is a pretend movie cover I designed featuring a quote from the book (said by Lane, of course, because he's smooth like that). I love the simplicity of it, and the pretty font.

How was your September?