currently reading this wonderfully written book!

I am not even halfway done with this book, but I am already in love with it.

I hope it ends well, and that I end up loving it when I'm done with it, but so far, it's awesome.

I love the writing especially, and the fact that it is incredibly bookish.

I mean, look at this part here! (contains no spoilers by the way)

I am sure some of you will feel like you could have written this part! I know when I read it, I automatically got up and took a photo of it. I knew I had to show you guys.

Ereaders can be awesome, but it's certainly not for everyone!

:)

Hope you are having a wonderful week so far. 

buying books is both good and bad.

The whole season of fall, I don't think I really bought any books. That is a pretty big deal, especially for me. I just wasn't into it at all, and couldn't find anything that captured my interest. This past January though, and this February, I have been slowly getting back to one of my favorite things.

BOOK BUYING.

Now this can be a good thing, and a bad thing at the same time.

Good for me since I am back to reading and loving it, but bad... for my wallet!

I mean, do I really need another book? I don't have space on my bookshelves anymore, and I really need to think about getting bins for my other books to keep somewhere else or something. But I couldn't help myself. To be honest, I am pretty excited about this growing enthusiasm. It's about time it came back!

Here's the books I got so far in 2013. It's not much, but it's a good place to start after a horrible reading slump. 

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Villette by Charlotte Bronte

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

World War Z by Max Brooks

What books have you bought so far this year? 

And is book buying exciting as exciting for you as actually reading it? For me it is! I'd like to hear from you. 

currently reading + intriguing introductions!

This book, World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, is what I'm currently reading right now.
A lot of people have been giving this book 5 star ratings, and since it's going to be a movie, starring Brad Pitt, I thought I should go ahead and read it too, since I am planning to watch it when it comes out. The trailer looks really cool, and the book's synopsis made me want to dig in. And while I haven't even really started reading yet, I want to go ahead and point out how incredibly intriguing this 'introduction' is! 

 It goes by many names: "The Crisis," "The Dark Years," "The Walking Plague," as well as newer and more hip titles such as "World War Z" or "Z War One."I personally dislike this last moniker as it implies an inevitable "Z War Two." For me, it will always be "The Zombie War," and while many may protest the scientific accuracy of the word zombie, they will be hard pressed to discover a more globally accepted term for the creatures that almost caused our extinction. Zombie remains a devastating word, unrivaled in its power to conjure up so many memories or emotions, and it is these memories, and emotions, that are the subject of this book.

This record of the greatest conflict in human history owes its genesis to a much smaller, much more personal conflict between me and the chairperson of the United Nation's Postwar Commission Report.

If that doesn't make you want to read more, I don't know what will! 

Are there any books in particular that you remember grabbed you right from the beginning? And also, out of curiosity, what are you all reading this week? 

Happy Friday!

valentine's day and my favorite love stories.

I feel like anytime I post a list of my favorite love stories, they always remain the same. Here are the ones that are constant, no matter what. 

Ron and Hermione from the Harry Potter series.
Henry and Claire from The Time Traveler's Wife.
Jamie and Langdon from A Walk to Remember.
Liesel and Rudy from The Book Thief.
Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre. 
Snape and Lily from the Harry Potter series.

I would love to hear your favorite love stories (or couples). 

I would also love to hear what you all are up to today? Today I am treating myself to Starbucks, and a book (or two). Happy Thursday, and Happy Valentine's Day! 

Movie Recommendation: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

If I can recommend one movie that I saw in 2012 that I think you should see, it's probably The Perks of being a Wallflower. It's surprisingly underrated, and I don't think a lot of people paid the attention it deserves. So this post, is dedicated mainly to tell you that you must watch this when it comes out on DVD on February 10th. 

I went into watching this film without really expecting anything, mainly because I always have lower expectations for movie adaptations. And I loved this book when I first read it when I was in high school. But I was pleasantly surprised for sure. This movie was flawless, in my opinion. Everything about it... I absolutely loved.

I love the pace, the overall development, the cinematography, the soundtrack, the writing. Most especially though, I loved the actors that played these dear characters. I give kudos to all of them, but especially to Logan Lerman, who plays the story's lovable main character. I don't want to say much about it, since I really don't want to give away anything, but let's just say his portrayal of him was heartbreakingly realistic. 

Watch it! And then let me know what you think of it. If you have seen it, let me know what you thought. I understand some people have said they took a couple of stuff out from the book, but I think that they did an awesome job fitting in what was essential. I can't wait to re-watch this! 

just finished and about to read!

I finally finished Beautiful Creatures. I really wanted to read this since the movie's out and all, and a lot of people have told me to read it. I don't know if I really "liked it-liked it" as much as maybe others did, but I thought it offered something kind of unique. I might watch the movie when it comes out on DVD or something, since I'm curious to see how the actors will portray these characters. I would recommend this book to paranormal/fantasy/YA readers and fans. I think I'm a bit tired of this genre at the moment, so I'm not all enthusiastic about it, but if you are, I say try it out!

(thoughts on movie tie-in editions? not a fan, but sometimes they're the only ones available!)

I also just bought Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, and I can not wait to read this. The premise is so intriguing, and it has been getting extremely positive reviews. Hopefully it lives up the hype. 

If you've read these two books, what did you think? Yay or nay? What are you currently reading right now? What the last book you read? What did you think of it? Hope you are having a good week so far!

Outfit Ideas: Hogwarts Houses

Sometimes thinking of what to wear can be incredibly boring and mundane. That's why sometimes, when I'm feeling blah and just want inspiration from something, I look towards books. 

For this post, I want to show some outfit ideas I put together that are inspired by the Hogwarts houses in the Harry Potter series. They may or may not be completely accurate, but when I see these pieces together, I always think of the color themes for the four houses. I thought I would share some with you.

Ravenclaw

Ravenclaw was a bit of a challenge. Blue and bronze aren't necessarily the easiest colors to put together. I also realized that while I have a lot of blues, I have no bronze colors in my closet. This was the only thing that came close to an acceptable bronze-y color.

Hufflepuff

This is more of a tough-Hufflepuff look. Leather jacket (faux), combat boots, black skinny jeans. I like it paired with the more feminine-looking yellow cami.

Slytherin

This is for the very girly Slytherin. The cardigan is more olive than Slytherin-green, but when worn altogether, I think it works. 

Gryffindor

I would pair this up with gold flats as I think it will just look so much better, but the nude flats is all I have. Also, a maroon sweater would look extra polished, so I would wear that instead of this hoodie for a different look. Red lips would be a nice touch, and a gold headband would be kind of cute.

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I would like to hear what you think! Do you think these are close enough to the houses' colors? Do you incorporate bookish things to your outfit? And if you have suggestions as to what book or character I should try to do next, please let me know! 

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for Readers

February 14th is coming up, and I figured a post on gift ideas for the reader/s in your life would be appropriate. Note that this doesn't only apply to this 'holiday,' but pretty much to any day of the year. Here's some things I myself would appreciate, and I know a lot of readers would as well.

1. Art.

A painting or a photograph of a book shop/library, or a print of his/her favorite book. I like the idea of this one sold on Etsy. I also really like the idea of having a copy of his/her favorite poem, printed and framed. You can write on it (if you have flawless handwriting) or print it nicely.  Wall decals are also kind of cool. 

2. Write something. 

If you think you are able to come up with a letter that expresses how you feel about somebody, or write a short story, a poem, an ode, or whatever... WRITE IT. Any reader will agree with me that there's nothing more special than the art of words. Remember though, write it ONLY if you mean it ;)

3. Book Jewelry. 

You can't go wrong with this one. Book jewelries are so precious. I personally wish I could buy them all. I would suggest that if you know a specific title that he/she likes, to search for it on Etsy. Most likely, something special will come up. 

4. A trip to a bookstore/library. Or a book event.

Any reader appreciates a bookstore trip. What would be even better is that if you can go to a bookstore or a library that he/she has never been to. A simple trip to this place will be special. If both of you have time, make a day out of it. Go to the store, get him/her a book or two, and proceed to # 5.

5. A coffee or cafe date. With a book.

I don't know about you, but I always love it when I can take the time to go to a coffee shop, sit down, and just read. There's something about this seemingly simple activity that I'm in love with. If you are with a writer, sit with him/her as he/she writes. It will mean more to him/her than you think. 

6. Books

If you really can't come up with any other ideas, that's okay. A book is always a good idea. 

Do you have other gift ideas to add on here? Also, what's the best reading or book-related gift you have ever gotten? Do share!