Oh my gosh this is so sad

Well, I graduated from college!! FINALLY.

I thought that would allow me more time for reading and doing all of the things that I love, but this whole summer I have been super busy busting my ass working 5/6 days per week and working on my Etsy, moving for the first time in 3 years, and planning a super special trip to Europe (kind of...ehhhh- I leave in less than two weeks and not much planning has happened). Excuses, excuses. I will admit that this has been my worst year for reading EVER! Until a few weeks ago...

So in March, my friend from school insisted that I read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I was hesitant at first: though I've been wanting to read it for awhile, I was always too afraid to buy it or check it out from the library because it is always categorized as "Romance". Although there were many parts that were definitely smutty, it was a very fun read.

The months passed and I read halfway through like 5 books without finishing them...

Finally things started to settle down in mid August after being fully moved in and having some spare time to enjoy. After lending Ali Daughter of the Forest, she bought Son of the Shadows and Child of the Prophecy by Juliet Marillier, the remaining books in the Sevenwaters trilogy. I loved Son of the Shadows. Liadan was a really cool main character, having admirable traits such as loyalty and honesty. As with the prior book I was intrigued by the familial relationships. I totally just love the setting of the forest, and the druidic, environmental, and celtic mythology influences in the writing. I found that it was quite similar in plot to Outlander which was a little confusing for remembering which book was which- the main character a brunette curly haired healer, gets kidnapped and falls in love with one of her captors.

I wasn't as impressed with Child of the Prophecy. I didn't like the whiny, dishonest, insecure main character, who didn't seem to have many redeeming traits beyond being super magical and beautiful. TBH I didn't really like any of the characters other than Finbar who had a minimal role in this book. It barely took place in the forest. I guess it was interesting to view the drama of the previous books from a different point of view but at the same time the different point of view (Lady Oonagh) was clearly flawed and psychotic so it wasn't really like a sympathy check. Also the ending was kind of dumb, like she is marrying this guy who wants to travel the world and be adventurous and awesome but he is stuck on this island with no other company other than her and her children- and she hopes that one day her daughter will marry a shipwrecked sailor because she will have no other company?? It is so vastly different from #1 and #2 that it just didn't settle well with me.

Anyways, then Ali checked out Beauty by Robin McKinley from the library. I'm certain I read it when I was younger but I couldn't remember any of it, I probably liked it. Even after reading and disliking the Blue Sword four summers ago, I thought I would give the author another shot. I was disappointed to find the characters blah, the plot slow and not very engaging, with a weird pace. I kind of want to give her other Beauty and the Beast book written 20 years later a shot but at the same time I don't want to waste my time.

Then Ali checked out like 6 books and I was on a roll, so I read The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale. I really liked this one! The bad characters were infuriating and the drama was enticing. Hale is an excellent storyteller with a knack for pacing action and garnering the readers interest. Some of the characters were a bit flat but the story was enough to keep me going. It was just adulty enough to keep my interest, and the love between Ani and Geric was cute. I feel like I totally would have loved this as an early teenager.

Then I read Princess Academy by Hale as well. I'd heard of it but was reluctant to read it because of the stupid title- envisioning something along the lines of the Princess Diaries. However, I liked this one as well. Like the Goose Girl, this book read like a folktale. It was simple and sweet, and had very strong themes of family, friendship, teamwork, cooperation, loyalty, love, and hard work. I loved that Miri's physical traits were never really described, and she had a lot of character. She was caring, funny, and smart. I feel like book characters are never really funny so that was really cool to see. I connected a lot with her haha. Also her love with Peder was cute too, Hale seems to have a knack for writing uncomfortable and exciting first loves. I think the only downside to this book was the ending, the plot with Britta was like a little weird. Also it was a little bit too childish for my taste, but it's definitely a book I would have enjoyed in elementary school. When the 19 teenage girls were abducted by grimy ass bandits I just found it a bit unbelievable that none made a single suggestive comment or action, but hey that's children's fiction for you, and it was kind of refreshing to not have to deal with the added stress of the situation.

End of the Year

Well, more than just end of the year! I can't believe how little I've updated and worse how little I've read. I just didn't have the time at all with school in session. I didn't even try with all the reading I had for classes. I will likely have even less time this coming term, which means I will probably be missing out on a lot of sleep.

So I feel like I read The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan in June but forgot to post about it? It wasn't that memorable, it was just another basic story about a kid who turns out to have secret powers and trains until he is a very good sneak or something. I enjoyed it as a light summer read but considering how much I've forgotten about it I'm gonna say it wasn't that good.

I started Water Wars by Vandana Shiva after taking a globalization class in the spring, and even though it was short I got distracted and never finished it. Amazingly when I signed up for Environmental Sociology in the fall, it was actually required reading so I finally got to finish it. It was pretty good, very informative and straight to the point. It was very effective and easy to read. I feel like it was a basic introduction to a bunch of really complex issues. I would love to read more by Shiva, she seems to be an expert in just about everything.

Then at the very beginning of winter break I read another book that I had started several times in the past and never got past the first few chapters, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. I really enjoyed it this time around, I was always saving it to read when the weather was just as moody and dark as the book felt, so it was really cool to read. It was terribly depressing and everything went wrong for everyone and everyone was terrible, that was the only problem I had. Other than that it was fun to read because it was just so over the top dreary. I didn't even find it romantic, which I think I was supposed to, because I just couldn't tolerate how dumb everyone was.

Then I read A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid on the plane to California because I'd read an essay from the book in the Env. Soc. class. It was good, just sad and thought provoking. It makes one consider privilege and position and transparency as a traveler. It is specifically about the island of Antigua but the corruption and mess that was left behind after British Imperialism is probably applicable to the rest of the world. Like Water Wars, it was a short book that left me wanting to read other books on the topic!

But yeah that was all the books I read last year I guess. It's a bummer I got sick and lazy for the rest of break because I could have gotten a lot more reading done, and I'm scared I won't be able to finish the book I started recently before the term starts in a few days. I have like 3 other books that I started in summer and never finished because school started, so I did a lot more reading than is apparent in my final count [not to mention textbooks and scientific papers!]

So TOTAL BOOKS READ THIS YEAR IS 12

That is soo sad ugh! But whatever, this year I buckled down and was in school full time every term and was working too. This has probably been the busiest most stressful year of my life, and as far as art, reading, movies, music, spirituality, hiking, sewing, and everything else I love goes: I really didn't accomplish a lot. My mind has been so occupied with keeping sane under all the pressure that I just haven't had time for anything. I'm so excited, after this term I will be in school part time, and after that I graduate. After that, who the fuck knows: I don't really care I just want to chillll!!! I want to travel and make art and contemplate the mysteries of the universe!!! So this year I hope my book count will be wayyyy more. Unless I get tied down with work which I am going to try to avoid. But anyways, I will probably not post again for more than three months and that is acceptable with the amount of classes I am taking. Hasta la pasta for now.