Wednesday, November 1, 2017

October Wrap-Up

Happy happy November!!! You know what that means: NaNoWriMo season is upon us. *sounds of cheering crowds* This also means I probably won't be posting on the blog again until December, so don't worry, I haven't fallen into a ditch or anything! I will see you all on or after December 1st.

Books I Read

Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too: A Book by Jomny Sun

4/5

"Adorable" and "heartwarming" are words that come to mind for this book. It's deceptively simplistic, because while the illustrations are in a minimalist style, the messages are super deep and philosophical. It was really cute and I recommend reading it if you're in a melancholy kind of mood but want something uplifting.

Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

4/5

Leigh Bardugo, my girl, killing it over here like the real Wonder Woman. The snark, the plot, the diversity, the conflict, the pain, all of it. Just all of it. Diana and Themyscira were portrayed exactly as I expected them to be while still remaining fresh and interesting. As always, Bardugo is the queen of dialogue (along with Rainbow Rowell--I could sit around all day listening to their characters talk), which added a layer of humor to a tense plot. While authors complain about "the dreaded middle" of any novel they write, this fabulous author right here completely nailed it. Funnily enough, my only complaints are with the beginning and the end. I found the beginning a little too slow and the end a little too jolting (this is mostly because of a plot twist I had a hard time believing, but I'm willing to forgive that since the rest of it was so darn good). Let's give it up for badass women!

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

5/5

After seeing all the awards the TV series won, I knew I had to read the book first. It. Was. So. Good. I lost a ton of sleep in order to keep turning pages and it was worth it. I don't think a lot of authors could have pulled off this sort of murder mystery in the way that Liane Moriarty did. You spend the entire book (except for the last thirty or so pages) knowing that there was a murder but you have no clue who 1. the murder is or 2. who got murdered. That's right, the victim remains a mystery until the very end. It was so addictive and clever and funny! I loved the writing style. Go read this now.

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

4/5

John Green's novel was well worth the wait. While TFIOS remains my favorite by him, this comes in second. I much prefer his female protagonists to his male ones. They somehow manage to pull off pretentiousness without being annoying about it. I loved Aza! I was really able to get in her head and sympathize with her. It was a fantastic portrayal of OCD and anxiety since I as the reader was able to feel exactly what she was feeling. The overarching mystery was a little too hyped up since I was expecting an epic investigation (especially with Aza Holmes' last name), but that wasn't the focus of the story at all. I also wasn't able to connect with the side characters as well as those in TFIOS, but Aza mostly made up for it.

Movies I Watched

No movies for me again this month, just a bunch of really good books.


Quotes I Wrote

Not a ton of writing this month, but get ready, because next month will have tons of quotes from my NaNo novel.

Obsessions I Acquired

"Brooklyn Nine-Nine" - This show is so funny! It's diverse, quirky, ridiculous, and addictive. I love the characters and all the shenanigans they get up to. Being a fan of cop and mystery shows (like "Castle" or "Sherlock" or "Veronica Mars"), I totally got into this one. It has all the best elements of a mystery show and all the best elements of a sitcom.



Picture of the Month 

My family and some friends of ours got to see "Fun Home" at a theater fairly close by and it. was. so. good.
Halloween costumes! I'm Wonder Woman and my brother is Blake from "RWBY." Both costumes took a ton of time and effort (thanks, Dad!), but it was well worth it.
We went to a "Gilmore Girls" convention in a small town in Connecticut that was super fun and intimate. Because of the small size and the nature of the tickets, it was really easy to meet all the actors who went, take pictures with them, and talk for a while. We even made friends with a bunch of the fans there. It was a great trip!

How was your October?

7 comments:

Jimmy said...

Finally I can comment on a post. You guys have done so much about things I have no clue about (Gilmore Girls) that I just kept quiet lately. But it looks like your October's been lots of fun and very busy.

My October? It was good because I was still hopeful that the Dodgers would win the World Series. I'll stop right there with that topic. Also, I made on offer on a rental home by UNM that I'm hoping my daughters and their friends will be able to live in for several years. (My youngest is 10.) I'm supposed to close November 21. I went to Oracle Open World in early October and saw The Chain Smokers in concert at the Giants' stadium. (Is it any surprise that it was good but still nothing nearly as good as seeing the Jacksons live?) I also met up with my cousin who was also on a business trip in San Francisco and went to dinner with him. In October I got over the fact that seeing Janet Jackson live in September with my family was still not nearly as good as seeing the Jacksons live when I was 16. I enjoyed the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. And last but not least, I started the final Harry Potter book! Oh, and I took a few days off of work and enjoyed the perfect October weather hiking outdoors. I like October.

Hannah said...

Brooklyn Nine-Nine! Yes! Do you relate to Amy or Rosa more? IT'S SUCH A HARD QUESTION!!!
I was a witch and a vampire for Halloween.
Good luck with NaNo. :)

The Magic Violinist said...

@Jimmy

Fun and busy is pretty much how October goes most years.

Sounds like you're busy, too! I can't imagine much beats seeing the Jacksons live. That might be your top live music experience. Ooh, exciting! The last book is one of the longer ones, but I didn't mind much since I wasn't ever ready for the series to end.

@Ivy

Yay, another fan! I definitely relate more to Amy, though that's not always a good thing. xD But Gina is one of my favorites of the girls. She's delightfully odd.

A witch and a vampire? Was that two different costumes or some kind of awesome hybrid?

Thanks, you too! :)

Boquinha said...

I want to read "Big Little Lies" and "Turtles All the Way Down." Fun review! And good to hear from Jimmy, too!!

The Magic Violinist said...

@Boquinha

They're both really good! And neither of them take very long to get into or finish.

Abigail Lennah said...

Kate, I swear you are the luckiest when it comes visiting a bunch of Broadway shows, whether on Broadway itself or just the tours. I'm currently reading Turtles All the Way Down! Can't wait to finish it. Happy NaNo season!

xoxo Abigail Lennah | ups & downs

The Magic Violinist said...

@Abigail

I absolutely love all of the opportunities I've had to see these amazing shows! :) Can't wait to hear what you think of Turtles!