Bookish Things I Own and Love

As a book lover, bibliophile, and reader, I can't help but be drawn towards bookish things. If they're reading and/or writing related, I'm all for it. Here's some bookish things I own. Some I bought, but most are gifts from family and friends that just know me very well. 

 My Deathly Hallows necklace from Hot Topic! 

 A beautiful handmade gift that has all my favorite book quotes. 

 Sorry it's so inappropriately wrinkly! I bought this at a bookstore in Seattle. I will be doing a review on it on my next post maybe! 

 Got this butterbeer mug as a souvenir from our April 2012 trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

 Hogwarts hoodie from Hot Topic. 

 Jane Eyre scarf from a shop on Etsy. It was a birthday gift and don't recall the Etsy store name.

 A typewriter mug from Barnes and Noble.

 Two book-looking storage boxes. I think I got it at Michael's. 

 A gift from someone who knows me so well. Hogwarts houses bookmarks. So lovely.

 Another gift from a friend. I believe it's also from an Etsy store, but I don't know which one. But if you search for Harry Potter bracelets or jewelry, a lot of them will show up! 

A gift from my aunt. I'm not sure what it is, but they're little handmade Harry Potter copies. There's also only 6 of them, because my niece played with them and lost one of them somehow in my room.

And a wand. It's Harry Potter's official one from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Also a gift. 

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As you can see, most of this stuff are Harry Potter related things. Haha. I'd love to see the bookish things that you own as well. You can share links below to your own posts (if you have one or if you write one after this) or tweet - @ramblings2010 - or instagram - @jillmray - me the photo! 

Fandom Survey: Harry Potter edition

Name any fandom you know and then answer the questions below.

1. The first character I fell in love with - Ron Weasley. When he was first introduced on the Hogwarts Express, he really did stand out to me! He was funny, hilarious, and very memorable.

2. Character I never expected to love as much as I do now - Severus Snape. I guess when the series started, he was just this mean professor. We didn't know much about him. He had no depth yet. By the end of the series though, he has become one of my favorite characters.

3. Character that everyone loves but I don't - Hagrid! I find him useless and annoying for some reason.

4. Character I love that everyone hates - I can't think of anyone in particular for this one.

5. Character I used to love but don't anymore - Ginny. To be honest, I think this is because of the films and the actress that plays her. The image of the 'strong, wise, gorgeous Ginny' from the books didn't come to life for me, and so I feel like my view on the character just got tainted from that.

6. Character I'd totally smooch (LOL!) - Cedric Diggory. (when he was alive, of course haha)

7. Character I'd want to be like - Hermione.

8. Character I'd like to slap - Cho Chang!!! Forever and always.

9. A pairing that I love - Ron and Hermione, and Snape and Lily

10. A pairing that I despise - Cho Chang and Harry Potter.

I tag everyone to do this. Choose whatever fandom you want. It could be from a book or a movie or whatever you'd like. Enjoy! Happy friday!

Bookish Gifts.

It's Valentine's Day next week, and while I am not entirely into the holiday, I still find that it can be cute and fun. Here are some bookish gifts worth looking at and possibly even purchasing for a loved one or yourself.

buy here

here

here

here

Of course, these bookish items aren't JUST for Valentine's Day.

Buy it now, buy it some other time. Either way, anybody who is bookish would be able to appreciate these and the thoughts that come with them.

STORY OF MY LIFE.

Thought this was so true and hilarious I just had to share with all of you.

And speaking of, I'm curious to know what you all are reading currently.

Other than that, happy Friday, everyone!

little things like these make my day.

Since I've been having a horrible reading slump these past few months, I haven't bought or read a single book. Yesterday though, I finally, thankfully, felt this sudden craving to get a new book. I missed this feeling so much. So today, I decided to get one that I've been really wanting to read for a while now - The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

I think I can safely say, having read all of his books now - except for Paper Towns - that John Green has definitely made it to my top 'inspirational people' list. He is an amazing writer, author, person, spokesperson, and of course, an awesome leader of an even more awesome community called Nerdfighteria.

That being said, I was ecstatic when I saw it was available.

And not just available.

It was SIGNED.

And as if those weren't enough, when I turned to the first chapter, a little friendly note surprised me.

It just literally made my day so much better.

Made me proud being part of John Green and his brother, Hank Green's, huge and awesome project even more.

Has this ever happened to you?

Found a note inside a book? Feels so much personal that way for some reason.

Anyway, share your stories! And if you are familiar with the vlogbrothers.... then, DFTBA!

<3

the worst reading slump in two years.

I have blogged time and time again about this happening. Reading slumps are inevitable; we all know they're bound to happen. So usually when it does happen, I just have to stop reading, and carry on. Sooner or later, I will start to miss it.

Unfortunately for me, this slump doesn't seem like it's going away.

I have not read a single book in two months.

I haven't felt excited about picking up a book or talking about anything reading-related in a while now.

Surely there's something wrong with me. Tell me how to get over this odd bump, because I do miss the feeling. Not entirely sure how. Just give it time, I guess?

So tell me, what gets you over a reading slump? What gets you inspired to pick up a book again? And if there are any specific titles that never fails to do the trick, please recommend them!

Christmas Gift Idea: Bookish Jewelry

If you're not sure what to get a bookish friend or a family member of yours for Christmas, and you think they might like book-related jewelry things, check out just some of these finds from Etsy.

I personally love browsing at Etsy, as you find so many cool things over there! I have to warn you it can be dangerous though, because you might want to just buy everything.

buy here

buy here

buy here

buy here

buy here

buy here

What do you give someone who loves books as much as we do? Aside from actual books, of course... let me know!

hello, December!

My favorite time of the year is finally here!

I can't even tell you how excited I am for this month! From little things like the weather to the clothes that come with the weather to other things like the parties and events with family and friends, the festive mood everyone seems to have, the non-stop Christmas music we hear everywhere, the yummy holiday drinks, the holiday shopping, gift giving, and of course, the free time we get to actually lounge around and get some holiday reading done.

I'm also planning to blog every day until Christmas day, which I'm excited about! It should be fun, especially now that I should get more free time! Feel free to join me if you'd like.

So... that being said, here's to December 2011. Tell me your favorite things about the month! And of course, here's me wishing you have an amazing, memorable one. Have fun, be safe, be happy. And as always, happy reading <3

your favorite love stories.

Lately, I've been reading about not so heartwarming things. Zombies, vampires, dystopian fiction, mystery/crime thrillers, horror... the list goes on. I thought I should use December, which is my favorite time of the year, to catch up on love stories for a change.

To be honest, I am not much of a romance reader, but if you have any suggestions and recommendations, please tell me! Contemporary love stories would be best, but I welcome any kind, really. You already know I'll be ready to list them all down and get them from the library. So thanks, as always, and I hope you all are having a great November so far :)

p.s. - I am aware that this is the second 'recommend me something' post this week! I am having a bad reading slump that I want so badly to go away before December arrives!

reading goals and recommendations

Last year, I was able to read 102 books, and to be honest, I didn't even have any trouble doing so. There were just too many books to pick up and I was excited to dig into all of them. Back in January, I told myself I'd read 100 books again this year. But if you look at my 2011 reading list so far, you can see that I'm not even close. Also, unfortunately, I have not found any particular books that I found that I LOVED. I liked and enjoyed most of them, but didn't really find any favorite.

That being said, I would like to ask you again for recommendations. Please recommend a favorite of yours! I would like to read good books for December, so please, suggest away!

Here's to me hoping you have already found a favorite so far this year! Happy Reading!

Hunger Games!!!

I can not wait for this. It looks like it's going to be really good!

I do hope that they capture and show the darkness and violence that the series has well, because I think that's one of the things that makes the Hunger Games work, at least for me.

And if you're like me, you have probably watched the trailer repeatedly since it came out Monday. What do you think of it?

this. is. what. I. WANT. for. Christmas.

It's very expensive for what it is, but it is just soooo lovely. If you want one, you can check out the shop. There are some more designs, but I love this one because it looks like a classic. Well, quite literally.

If I got the Harry Potter Bluray set (8 films) instead though, I wouldn't complain either.

the character tag.

I haven't done one of these in a while, so I thought I should do one. I honestly have no idea where this one started from, so let me know if you know. If you would like to answer these questions, go ahead and link them below. Or just leave a comment, really.

1. Which character would you throw out the window?

Bella Swan. So needy, self-conscious, self-important, and weak. My own opinion only, of course.

2. Which character would be your best friend?

Realistically, I think I'd most likely be best friends with Ginny Weasley and/or Percy Jackson. They're both confident, strong, courageous, and beautiful people, who loves family and friends, but would rather not have the spotlight on them if they had a choice.

3. If you could make a character come to life, who would it be?

Katniss Everdeen. I think she could be a really important person in our society today.

4. What traits do you look for in a character?

It obviously depends on who the character is; the important thing for me is that they are as realistic and believable as possible.

5. What would you change in your favorite character?

My favorite characters are Snape and Ron, and I do not want to change anything about them!

6. Favorite male/female character?

Male - Snape. Female - Jane Eyre

7. What two characters from different books would you put together?

Katniss Everdeen and Hermione Granger.

8. Favorite book couple?

Ron and Hermione, Jamie and Langdon (A Walk to Remember), Liesel and Rudy (The Book Thief)

9. Cutest character?

Luna Lovegood. I actually wanted her to end up with Harry. They'd balance each other out so well, I think.

***

Happy Tuesday, Happy reading, Happy survey-answering!

the Vampire Diaries.

When this show started about two years ago, I intentionally ignored it. For some reason, I had this vision in my head that it was going to be sameoldsameold - it was going to copy Twilight and was going to showcase a typical love story between a vampire and a human. I used to even laugh at it when I'd see commercials for it.

Then one day, I was sick and very bored. I logged on to my Netflix account only to find that they just added the entire show. So being the bored person that I was that couldn't think of anything else interesting to do, I decided to watch the Pilot episode.... after all, everybody kept telling me that it's really good, that I might like it...

so I saw the first episode, and continued clicking, watching the next episode... and the next and the next. And I have to say; it was awesome.

Two weeks later, here I am, done with Season 1 and 2, and I can't stop thinking about Season 3 (just saw episode 8!) to the point that I have decided to actually write a post about it.

Everything about it is just great. The writing, the plot development, the scenes, and of course, the characters. And while it can sometimes be cheesy at times, believe me, it's in a very good-guilty-pleasure-not-cliche kind of way. The best part is that they have actually brought back scary and evil vampires. And guess what? They DO NOT sparkle!

Anyway, my point is, if you like supernatural/paranormal shows, try this out. It's obviously geared more towards the 'YA crowd' - it's no True Blood if you know what I mean - but to be honest, I actually like that about it.

My other point is; Don't judge it like I did for two years. It's good. I really enjoy it. If you do too, let me know so we can gush about it.

P.S. - Damon... is... <3

a costume, a shirt, and a book.

Can you guess what I'm going to be for Halloween?

It's probably not such an obvious costume to be honest - unlike my Snow White costume from last year - but I really like it nonetheless.

In other news, look at the shirt my sister got me!!! SO FREAKING COOL.

And that book? I'm currently reading it. So far so good.

What are you all up to this weekend and on Monday? And let me know what you are reading!

too early to talk about Halloween?

I think not!

Halloween's just around the corner, and I kind of want to start thinking about this already so I won't find myself procrastinating the last minute.

My friends and I sort of go all out during Halloween. We come up with ideas, plan fun stuff to do for the night... you get the point. However, we're a group of 'DIY' people and we'd rather make our own costumes or at least, come up with ones using clothes we already have. We promised we'd never resort to buying already-made costumes from actual costume stores - except for small accessories here and there that we may need.

Two years ago, I was a flower child hippie. Last year, I was Snow White. This year, maybe a 40-50s pinup? Rosie the Riveter? Hermione??

So here I am, coming to you guys for help, yet again. I want to find out what you're going to be for Halloween, who you have been the last couple of years, and if you any other suggestions. It needs to be unique, and no slutty costumes, please!! Very important. Haha. I'd love to hear your ideas!

the John Green project.

I recently re-read a little book called Looking for Alaska, written by none other than John Green.

I fell in love with the story and its characters once again, and discovered so many new awesome things about it. This re-read made me realize that I actually haven't read much from the said author, despite the fact that I adore him and his brother, a.k.a thevlogbrothers.

So I decided that I would read all of his books.

• Looking for Alaska - check
• An Abundance of Katherines - will read next!
• Paper Towns - on hold
• Will Grayson, Will Grayson - own it
• The Fault in Our Stars - coming soon; February 2012. Pre-order it and he will sign it!

Have you read any of these? Did you like them? I personally think his writing style stands out and his characters always seem to really shine through. So I am very excited to start discovering the rest of his work. Join me if you'd like!

Fall is here.

Autumn has always been one of my favorite times of the year. It's when the weather starts to get a bit cooler, while still having warm days. When trees change color, and when festive occasions take place. You all know I love my Winter (mainly during Christmas season!) but I feel like Fall is just so...

breathtaking.

There's also nothing better than being in bed, with a good book, while sipping some hot chocolate. Perhaps with the subtle sound of rain pouring outside.

Sounds great to me.

What is your favorite season?

everyone loves them... but me.

There's so many books out there that everybody seems to love and that everyone seems to adore. Sometimes I wonder why I don't share that feeling. It could just be because I'm totally crazy, or that I read something entirely different, but regardless, these are just some of the popular books I just really dislike.

• Moby Dick by Herman Melville - Ahh.. too many unlikable characters here! I never quite understood the love for this 'classic,' if I have to be truly honest
• City of Bones by Cassandra Clare - I'm really sorry. I feel like a horrible reader and book blogger for saying this, but I do not see why everyone loves this book, and this series as a whole. The characters I thought were one-dimensional, plain, and boring. They didn't come "alive" to me. They were just that. Fictional characters. And the concept of the series - been there, done that. The writing's sort of okay, but not spectacular. And why... please tell me why, everybody's crushing on Jace? He's a jerk!
• Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater - She is a really good writer. I don't deny that. I've always thought her prose was perfect and just so poetic. However, the book itself - its story, the characters, the fantasy/paranormal world... I don't buy it.I don't feel for them. I don't believe it. It was just the same old werewolf story that I've heard so many times. And to be honest, it was simply boring.
• The Twilight series - I read all of these and liked the first one somewhat. New Moon was just zzzzzz and Eclipse got me all irritated because of Bella's weak personality. Don't even get me started on Breaking Dawn... everything about that book was just plain wrong.
• The Shack by William Young - probably one of the worst books I've actually ever read. It is incredibly preachy and annoying to say the least.
• The Secret by Rhonda Byrne - This one is a prime example of a popular, best-selling book that I dislike. I don't know about you - but while I was reading this, I felt my brain cells slowly deteriorating away...
• The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown - Cliche, cliche, cliche. Unfortunately.

I apologize for the mean-ness of this post, especially if you enjoyed reading them, but as always, these are simply my opinions. Please, please do tell me yours!

created a random music video.

Hey everyone! I just thought I'd share this with you all. Last night and earlier today, I was feeling really inspired to do something creative. I wanted to write, but was too distracted. I started to blog, but couldn't think of anything at that moment. I wanted to read, but I wanted to do something else...! Something new, something in the 'creative department' that I haven't really done before. So I did this.

It's not that good or anything, and I absolutely fail at drawing (even stick figures!) but I thought it was kind of fun. Plus, I really like telling stories, in general and through music... it's not exactly a grand one, but it's a story nonetheless. Also, I LOVE this song.

So if you could watch, rate, and possibly subscribe, that'd be greatly appreciated. I might actually do more of these and see if I improve at all. Ha. Anyway, thank you as always.