Why I Journal

I used to think journaling was stupid and overrated. I even bashed journaling on this blog in a post about why you should start a bullet journal: I wrote, "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." And that used to be true until I realized that I didn't have to write a detailed description of everything that happened during my day. I could just write whatever thoughts popped into my head as I was writing. So here's what made me pick up a journal and keep writing in it after not journaling for three years. 

I can write anything in it
One of the reasons I chose to keep a paper journal instead of an online journal was simply that a paper journal is more private as long as nobody reads it. I can write down anything without feeling like I'm being judged or having to worry about what others will think of my thoughts.

It lets me see my thoughts on paper
When I write what I'm thinking down, I can see what it is I'm thinking. I can actually remember it too! And in the future, it will be fun to see what I was thinking and doing now, because I'll end up forgetting the little things. 

Notebooks!
I have a notebook problem. I have about five unused notebooks that I'll probably never end up using, but every time I'm in a store with a stationery section it takes all of my self-control not to buy a new one. I can never figure out what to put in them, and so when I keep a journal, I can actually use one of the many notebooks that I own. Or I just have an excuse to buy another one.

I can write out my feelings
When I'm feeling angry or sad or confused, I can write about it in my journal. This is especially helpful if I don't want to talk about it but I can write about it. Sometimes if I write a rant about something when I'm angry, it makes me less angry and it also feels good to get it off my chest.

It's a keepsake
I touched upon this earlier, but in a few years, it's nice to be able to read the journal you kept and look back on what you were thinking and doing and see how you've changed. It's also really entertaining to read journals you kept when you were young (at least for me) because of how different I was then from who I am now.

It can help with goals
It's scientifically proven that you're more likely to accomplish a goal if you write it down. More than once in my journal I have written down that I wanted to accomplish something and putting it in writing makes me feel like I have to do it, which makes me actually do it. In addition, sometimes I'll write down goals that I have for myself in the front cover of the journal so that I can look at them easily.

You start to notice the little things
Not every day has huge events that you can write about. Sometimes I'll just write about little things from my day or little observations I made or something inconsequential. By doing this, I can remember the smaller parts of my day that I probably wouldn't otherwise. And if I do forget, rereading my journal reminds me again!

Journaling has now become a part of my everyday routine, and I'm very glad that it has. I didn't really expect to like it as much as I do, and the fact that I filled up my first notebook ever because of journaling makes me really happy. Do you journal? Why?

TBR Jar: What it is & How to Create One

    A TBR Jar? you ask yourself. What on earth is that? (Or maybe not. Maybe you already know what it is) 
    Well, as you might have guessed already, that is what I am going to explain. 

What is a TBR Jar?

    Remember my post So, What Exactly is this TBR? (if you don't, no worries. Also, you can click the name of the post and it will take you to it.) Anyway, in that post, I mentioned that there is no right or wrong way to make a TBR. The TBR Jar is just a visually pleasing, creative way of doing it.

    To put it simply, a TBR Jar is a jar with pieces of paper in it. Each piece of paper has a book title in it (the titles will be ones you want to read (your TBR). When you need a new book to read, simply pick a piece of paper out of the TBR Jar. Add to the jar as needed.

    I stumbled upon this idea online and decided to create one, then thought: This would be a really cool blog post! So as I go through the steps of how to make a TBR Jar, there will be pictures of mine. 

Step 1: Obtain a jar

If you're like me, this shouldn't be very hard. I just used an old Mason jar (which can also be used for canning). If you'd like the jar to be visually pleasing, you can find it elsewhere.

Step 2: Label the jar (optional)

    I just taped a Post-It note with 'TBR Jar' written on it to the jar. If you don't feel the need to do this, don't (in fact, I might remove the label sometime).

Step 3: Consult your TBR and write down the titles

You can write it on pretty much anything. I thought of writing the titles and then folding them into origami cranes, but I decided to just write them on Post-It notes.

Step 4: Add them to the jar

Enough said.

Step 5: Mix up the titles and draw your first one!

    Unless you don't need a new book yet. The one I chose was These Broken Stars. And remember, you should probably keep the titles you've picked to read next out of your TBR Jar so you don't end up drawing them again.

    

Every Soul A Star Appreciation Post

    I think I put Every Soul A Star on my post Middle Grade Books to Read This Summer, but I just put a brief synopsis of it. In case you've forgotten, here it is:
Realistic fiction coming-of-age story, told through the perspective of 3 young teenagers who all end up at the Moon Shadow campground to witness a total eclipse of the sun.
    The eclipse is fictional by the way, but the Great American Solar Eclipse is coming up on August 21st. The total eclipse (the whole sun covered by the moon) can only be viewed in certain areas. Learn more about the eclipse here. 
    Anyway, Every Soul A Star deserves a lot more attention and readers. Here's why:

The characters are very relatable (yes, even the one who lives at a campground in the middle of nowhere).
    Even though the three main characters are not going to be just like you, their struggles and feelings are ones you can feel too. Not to mention that they are all very different characters, so it's amazing that the author was able to do that.

It teaches you a lot about astronomy.
    Never heard of exoplanets, the Messier objects or don't know any constellations? That's okay, this book will explain it all, while still moving forward with the story. In fact, I'm almost certain that this book is the one that got me into astronomy.

It has a good message.
    Or messages. What the characters learn throughout the book is valuable, and they are all much changed by the end. 

It's long enough to tell a good story and short enough that it doesn't take that long to read.
    I mean, that's bad news if you wanted the story to continue, but... 

    Every Soul A Star is an amazing book! I wish there was a sequel and I think that anyone looking for a good book to read who thinks this book would be interesting should read it!
 

My August TBR

    August is upon us, and with that, the last full month before a lot of schools (mine included) start again. I recently made my August TBR, and decided to share it to this blog. 

August TBR:

• Small Great Things, by Jodi Picoult
• Girl in the Blue Coat, by Monica Hesse 
• Alex and Eliza, by Melissa de la Cruz 
• I'll Give You the Sun, by Jandy Nelson
• These Broken Stars, by Meagan Spooner and Annie Kaufman
• The Summer I Turned Pretty, by Jenny Han

TBR in my bullet journal

Books Read on Vacation

    

    I recently went on vacation and that's why I've been kind of MIA on this blog. There was no Wifi and bad reception up there, so I wasn't posting on this blog at all.

    Anyway, being my usual bookworm self, I brought 15 books on vacation (they wouldn't all fit in the original bag I had 😂). After reading 8 of them (don't judge, I was quite busy up there!) I decided to do a blog post about which ones I read. Without farther ado, here they are:

Daughters of the Sea: Hannah, by Kathryn Lasky

Hannah wants to be normal but she can see the outline of scales on her legs, she gets seasick if she's away from the sea, and she knows a sea change is coming (upper middle grade).

Matilda Bone, by Karen Cushman

Orphaned Matilda is sent to work for a bonesetter in this novel set in medieval England. Matilda is very religious and could never imagine herself doing chores or helping patients (middle grade).

The Moorchild, by Eloise McGraw

Because Moql is half human and half Moorfolk and can't shape shift, the Folk sent her to be the "child" of two humans, switching her for their real child and making Moql forget that she was Folk. As Moql grows up, she realizes how horrible the Folk have been to her human parents, and sets out to find their real child (middle grade).

Blood Rose Rebellion, by Rosalyn Eves

In a society where the upper class has magic, noble-born Anna is born without it and even accidentally breaks spells (YA).

My Lady Jane, by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

We all know the real story of Lady Jane Grey: she was queen of England for nine days then was beheaded. But what if she, along with her cousin, King Edward VI, survived? The authors completely rewrote their story (YA).

Across the Universe, by Beth Revis

Amy and her parents are just a few of the many cryo-frozen passengers on the ship Godspeed, which is heading to a new planet. It will take the ship 300 years to travel from Earth to the new planet. Except -- Amy is woken up 50 years early. Who tried to murder her? (YA)

Eliza and her Monsters, by Francesca Zappia

Eliza Mirk is the anonymous creator of Monstrous Sea, a comic with millions of fans. When a new boy named Wallace arrives at school, he turns out to be one of Monstrous Sea's biggest fanfiction writers. When Eliza's secret is revealed to the whole world, her relationship with everyone -- including Wallace -- is ruined. Will she ever be able to recover? (YA)

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Ann Brashares

4 friends are spending the summer apart for the first time ever. After finding a pair of pants that somehow fits all 4 of them, they dub them "the Traveling Pants" and promise to mail them to each other over the summer to remind them of each other. (YA)

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? 

Middle Grade Books to Read This Summer

    Do you or someone you know like to read middle grade novels? Are you looking for a middle grade novel that takes place during the summer to read while you're at the pool or on vacation? Look no further, for I have created a list!

Glory Be, by Augusta Scattergood
Historical fiction novel about eleven year old Glory, who is growing up in a town in Mississippi in 1964 and dealing with segregation after her town closes the public pool rather than integrate it.

The Hidden Summer, by Gin Phillips
Realistic fiction novel about two best friends who hide out in an abandoned golf course because their mothers had a fight and won't let them see each other.

Sure Signs of Crazy, by Karen Harrington
Realistic fiction novel about twelve year old Sarah Nelson, whose mother left her when she was two because she was mentally ill. She sets out to find out if she will end up the same way. Along the way, instead of a "typical boring Sarah Nelson summer" she realizes she might have an extraordinary summer.

Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo 
Classic novel about a girl named Opal who finds a dog she names Winn-Dixie. The book is about how he changed her life.

The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan
Fantasy novel about Percy Jackson, who discovers that the Greek gods are real and his father was one, and that he needs to go on a quest to stop the gods from having a war and destroying the world.

Every Soul A Star, by Wendy Mass
Realistic fiction coming-of-age story, told through the perspective of 3 young teenagers who all end up at the Moon Shadow campground to witness a total eclipse of the sun.

How to Plan a TBR

    It's July 1st, and that means that readers everywhere will be planning out their July TBRs. So how exactly do you do that? Here are the top 5 ways I would recommend finding books for your TBR:


Mental Lists.
Chances are when you see a book you want to read you store it away in your brain somewhere. Try racking your brains and think of books you've always wanted to read. Or if you do have a list, look at that.


Websites.
I use lists on Goodreads to find books I want to read. It's free and you don't actually need an account to look at the lists. There are also a lot of other book blogs that I'm sure have lists.


Word of the Mouth.
Most people like to talk about good books they've read. If you've heard of a book you think you'd like, add it to your TBR. Likewise, if you've read a good book and you think someone you know would like it too, let them know! 


Social Media.
Social media is also a great way to find new books. A lot of people will post about books they thought were really good. If you think you'd like them too, add them to your TBR!


Authors You've Read Before.
If you've read a book and enjoyed it, see if the author has written any more. If it looks good, add them to your TBR.


    What books do you have on your TBR? Maybe I can get a recommendation!


    

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!