7 Reasons You Should Start A Bullet Journal. Like, Right Now.

    You might be wondering what a bullet journal is. To put it simply, it is a planner, but hand-drawn. Sound like too much work? I thought so too. But there are absolutely no requirements at all. You can put as much or as little in it as you want. There are a lot of pros of getting a bullet journal, and this post will hopefully get you to start one of your own.


It helps you organize.
One of the reasons the bullet journal is so popular is because it helps you stay organized. With the ability to write anything you want in it, it's like the mother of all planners.

I organize my tasks with bullet points.

It can become anything you want it to be.
The drawback of planners purchased from a store is that you can only put in it what it instructs you too. With a bullet journal, you can put in a meal planner, TBR, and daily reminders all on one page (if you have room). 

TBR in my bullet journal.

It's mind blowingly simple.
When you Google 'bullet journal' and click on images, you will get these elaborate pages full of intricate designs. Obviously there is a reason they are featured on the Internet! 
In reality, you don't really have to make it that complicated. All you really need is a blank notebook and a writing utensil. You can add drawings and highlight things if you wish, but you do not have to. In fact, in my bullet journal, I highlight things to make it more colorful, but I don't have a specific "code." I don't draw in it at all because I have 0 drawing skills.

It always helps to have an index so you know where to find things.

It's calming.
If you set aside a time to record things in your bullet journal every day (the beginning and end of the day works well for me), it is actually quite calming. At the end of the day when I record which tasks I finish, it not only feels calming to reflect on the day, I also feel a sense of accomplishment at what I was able to get done.

You can put huge reminders in and color them.

It helps plan ahead.
If you write down the major events at the beginning of the month on a monthly calendar page, you'll know when you have to start something big like planning a party, or that you can't travel a certain day because of an appointment. 

Small June calendar in my bullet journal.

It's not online.
Sometimes you just want to distance yourself from the Internet and bullet journaling is a good way to do it because it's all handwritten. In addition, if the Wifi ever crashes you can still use a bullet journal.

Heading for the 27th of June

It's easier to update than the typical journal.
Because you can get away with writing short notes to yourself about something you want to remember and things you need to do, it's easier to update. I don't know about you, but I always felt it was a struggle to keep a journal with daily 2-page-long entries because it just took so long. 

Simple reminder to post to the blog

If you are considering starting a bullet journal but don't know how because I didn't cover that, don't worry! I have a couple of links that I found that were pretty good starting my bullet journal:

• http://bulletjournal.com/get-started/ This is the official bullet journal website instructing you on how to get started
• http://www.thelazygeniuscollective.com/blog/how-to-bullet-journal This shows you how to make a very simple bullet journal and is one I found very helpful
• https://sites.google.com/site/bulletjournaling500/ Because I didn't necessarily say how you start a bullet journal in this post, I created a Google Site about it!

How to Get Over A Book Hangover

    We've all been there. You finish a book and close it. You sit there with your eyes closed and think about what just happened. And that's fine and good, and maybe even beneficial, but sometimes you've got to say, enough is enough! Especially if this is getting in the way of starting another book, or even continuing your daily life. Here's what I mean: sometimes going back to your normal day-to-day life after finishing a book that kept you up at night and scrambling to finish all of your tasks so you have time to read feels a little surreal. What is there to look forward to? This, my friends, is called a book hangover (in case you didn't know). They're pretty much unavoidable (unless, of course, you don't read). So how can you get over them?

You could always reread (maybe not such a good idea).

    But of course, that would not only make you think even more about the book and analyze it more deeply, it would also make it harder to climb out of the book hangover (trust me, I've experienced this after finishing A Court of Wings of Ruin. Also A Court of Mist and Fury). So I don't really recommend this type of thing unless you are aiming to think about this book for the rest of your foreseeable future.

Take a walk, clear your head.

Seriously, it is cliched advice, but it works. Walk your dog (that might distract you if your dog needs to be closely monitored lest they try to kill everything they see), bring some earbuds and listen to music, maybe just walk and observe what's going on around you. It will help take your mind off of the book.

Do not -- and I mean it -- try reading something else!!!

I cannot stress this enough! If you try reading another book when you're already on a book hangover, the book will seem awful because you are still thinking about that other book (unless you've got some sort of magical booknerd powers. If you do, I am jealous. Very jealous).

Give it time.

You know this book hangover isn't going away for a while, so just give it time. Step away from this book/series and go back to your normal life. For example, have you been binge reading a series and not had enough time for your family? Perhaps the first thing to do would be to call or talk to your family and make plans to spend more time with them. Or if you've been neglecting the cleanliness of your house, go clean it. After a while, this book will not be taking over your life anymore. At first, this might seem a little weird, but as you adjust, it will all seem normal again.

Continue talking about it.

Get it out of your system. Take pictures and post them on your Bookstagram (Instagram for books), Twitter, Facebook, etc. You might find someone who's been raving about these books like you have and you'll be able to connect with them about it. And if you're currently obsessing over a book that none of your followers have read, perhaps you'll get them to read it (this also happened after I started continuously posting about A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, and A Court of Wings and Ruin). Or if you don't have social media, just talk about it among your friends and family. It will either help or get you more obsessed. 

Write a review or mini review.

Even if you're not very good. Even if you don't share it anywhere or with anyone. Maybe writing a review will give you a sense of closure that the other things don't. 

Finally, when you are over that particular book, start a new one.

And let the cycle begin anew.

    I hope you liked this post on how to get over a book hangover. I invite you to share your stories or tips in the comments! Any and all ideas will be appreciated!!

City of Bones Review

City of Bones

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Synopsis:

    When Clary Fray goes to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she expects to have a night of fun and dancing. She actually becomes a witness to a murder committed by teenagers!

    Soon after that, Clary's mother disappears and she encounters the same teenagers who murdered the demon (that's what the teens tell Clary it was), and reveal that they are Shadowhunters, and they hunt and kill demons. Clary knows that they are telling the truth because she witnessed a demon attacking her house, right after her mother had disappeared. 

    But Clary is an ordinary mundane girl -- so how is she able to see demons?

My thoughts:

    With all the hype around this book/series/books by Cassandra Clare in general, I really wanted to like this book. I tried so hard to get into it, but it only got interesting near the end. I really liked the plot idea, but the characters were just kinda meh. They just kind of stayed the same throughout the story, which didn't make the book that exciting. However, there were a few character surprises towards the end that made me keep reading!

    I'm debating over whether to read the rest of the series right now. Does anyone have any reasons why I should or shouldn't continue reading?

My New Release TBR

  So Many Books, So Little Time

    

It's a mantra all of us bookworms will repeat time after time. Thanks to authors who keep coming out with new books, we continuously revise our TBRs (What's a TBR? Find out here) to accommodate for that new book in a series that continues off that last book, which was left on a cliff hanger (yeah, I'm talking about you, Sarah J. Maas). So that is why I have made a TBR of new release books. I definitely will not get to them all this summer at the rate that new ones keep coming out!

• The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas 
• Eliza and her Monsters, by Francesca Zappia
• Hunted, by Meagan Spooner
• Roseblood, by A. G. Howard
• Wintersong, by S. Jae-Jones

    If you have any other suggestions feel free to comment below! 

    What's your new release TBR?

So, What Exactly is This 'TBR?'

   Why, thank you for asking. TBR stands simply for "To be read." It is basically a list of books that you need to read -- kind of like a to do list, but for books. And they don't need to be a formal list, although they absolutely can. Some people just keep a mental list of "books I need to read." Ever done that? Yeah, you've made a TBR. 
    Some people chart out books they would like to read in the coming month or year, while others prefer the mindset "when I get to it/have time for it, I will read it."  A TBR can be an elaborate list full of so many color codes you can't remember them all, or a thought in your mind that says "I'd like to read To Kill A Mockingbird next."
    

Twilight Saga Review

The Twilight Saga

Author: Stephanie Meyer

Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company

Synopsis:

    When Bella Swan moves into her father's house in Forks, Washington, she is not happy. She'd rather be in sunny Phoenix than Forks, where it is almost constantly raining. 

    On Bella's first day at her new high school, she notices a strange family of 5 adopted siblings that all look strangely similar to each other -- the Cullens.
    Later, Bella is invited to a party where an old family friend, Jacob Black, tells her legends about "the cold ones" (vampires). She begins to notice that the Cullens look and act similar to the legends, and finally Edward admits the truth: the Cullens are vampires.
    After spending more time with Edward, Bella ends up falling in love with him. Throughout the course of the whole series, there are various vampires that feel the need to kill Bella (probably for her smell, which is even more enticing than most humans).

My thoughts:

    Going into it, I thought Twilight was going to be the worst book I've ever read (it wasn't). It wasn't the best book I've read either. In the battle scenes in this book, I felt like it was just like "I sat in my kitchen, knowing that people were dying out there" and then it was just very anticlimactic because the characters spent all this time waiting for a battle and barely anything happened.
    I also didn't like the character of Edward. He was just too overprotective of Bella -- literally kidnapping her when he went out of town for a weekend so she wouldn't get hurt. And he also feels that he needs to do "what's best for Bella" even if it really isn't (this happens in New Moon, the second book).
    So overall, I feel that the plot idea of this series was a really good one, however it was not the best it could have been. I think that teens and adults would like this book, although again if someone younger wants to read it, they should be aware that there are some mature themes and ideas in this book (mostly in the later books). There is not that much swearing, however.
    Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
    What did you think about Twilight if you've read it? 

Heartless Review

Heartless

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Synopsis:

        Catherine lives in Wonderland and is considering opening her own bakery with her maid, Mary Ann. After all, the king thinks what she cooks is delicious. What's not to lose? Well, the problem with this idea is that her parents would rather Cath married the king -- and Cath is almost certain the king will ask for her hand. 

    At a ball when the king is just about to propose to Cath, the new court jester makes quite a grand entrance. After encountering Jest (the new jester) on his own, Cath is swept off her feet. Before long, they are secretly courting each other. Cath knows that if she was open about this relationship, she would risk offending both the king and her parents. And a creature called the Jabberwocky starts attacking citizens and endangering the kingdom, Cath must figure out whether to play it safe and marry the king or follow her heart and endanger her life.

My thoughts:

    I'm not a big Alice in Wonderland fan but the origin story of the Queen of Hearts sounded interesting, so I picked up Heartless. It amazed me how Marissa Meyer was able to expand on Wonderland, and I really ended up empathizing with Catherine, even once she became the Queen of Hearts. 

    I really enjoyed Cath as a character and liked how even though she hated the king she still pretended she would enjoy marrying him rather than let him down -- although maybe it was just because he was the king. 

    I think that sometimes we just accept villains and think "Oh, they were always evil," or something along those lines. Maybe we don't always consciously think it, but still. I think it's cool when someone writes a backstory for one of those villains, because most of the time, they have an actual reason why they became, or are, evil. 

    Because of the romance aspect of this book, I would recommend it to teens and adults, however I think that if younger readers wanted to read it, they could.

    Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

    Have you read this book or Marissa Meyer's other series, The Lunar Chronicles?

The Sun is Also a Star Review

 The Sun is Also a Star

Author: Nicola Yoon

Publisher: Delacorte

Synopsis:

    Twelve hours before seventeen-year-old Natasha is set to be deported back to Jamaica after 9 years of living with her family in the US under an expired tourist visa, Natasha decides that she can't go through with it. She seeks out a lawyer's help in reversing the deportation. 

    Daniel, also seventeen, is at the same time going to a Yale interview. He doesn't want to go to Yale at all; the only reason he is going to this interview is because his parents, who immigrated from South Korea before Daniel was born, feel that this is what's best for him. 

    By chance (or was it fate?) Daniel and Natasha meet. They both know a relationship wouldn't last -- Daniel's parents won't let him date girls that are not Korean, and at the end of the day, Natasha will be deported. But they find themselves falling in love. Will this doomed relationship last? Or will it be as fleeting as the one day they have together?

My thoughts:

    Overall, I enjoyed The Sun is Also a Star very much. The author switched perspective between the two main characters (Natasha and Daniel) and also used small separate sections to give background information on the characters' histories, or information about other side characters, or just information in general (for example one section header is Hair: An African American History, because this topic is relevant to the book, however it is not crucial, and I liked that the author decided to add extra information about things like that. Even though it was a realistic fiction book, I still learned a lot, not just from the informational sections but also about the cultures that Natasha and Daniel come from. 

    I also liked how the author had the characters come from diverse backgrounds and have diverse lifestyles. It made me think a lot about how sometimes I feel that a lot of teen books have one culture incorporated into it, and I like seeing characters that are not all the same. 

    I think this book was geared towards teens about 13-16, although younger and older people can definitely read this book, although if a kid is reading this book, they should be aware that there is some swearing and mature themes and ideas discussed. 

    In conclusion, I think that if you are a teen who enjoys reading diverse books, realistic fiction, or books with romance in them, this book is for you!

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

    Have you read this book? If so, what did you think? If not, would you?

Introduction

    Hello! Welcome to my blog! On this site I will be reviewing the books I read, mostly teen and young adult fiction. If you have something to say about the book, whether you liked it or not, feel free to comment below the post. I would love to hear other opinions besides mine! Or, if you have any book recommendations, I would love to hear them too!
    On this blog I will post book reviews (as mentioned above) and book lists, whether they be seasonal (such as a list of summer books), listed by genre, or organized with titles like "Classic Books" and "Latest YA books."

I hope you enjoy!