Author: Rachelle

College: I’m Done

Published on by Rachelle6 Comments

exhausted

Do you remember last year around this time? Those of you who have been reading my blog since back then know all too well my stress and anxiety about completing my degree.  Guess what?!  I took my last Final Exam today, and I went to school in my pajamas.  Why?  I graduate on Saturday, and so today was probably the last time I’ll be able to go out in public in my Cookie Monster pajama pants without it being completely inappropriate.

I’m still stressed out.  I’m still anxious.  But I’m done, and so I also have a sense of overwhelming elation.  Perhaps it’s because I got about three hours of sleep last night and I’ve been up since 5 am, but I feel like laughing and crying and hugging random people all at the same time.  I also feel like taking a nap.  Several naps.

So, you might not hear from me until Sunday when I post whatever pics turn out decently enough from my commencement ceremony.  Until then, thank you for joining me during this part of my life, and sticking with me even when I cut back on blogging.  I should be able to get back to a more normal volume of posting next week.

#FitReaders Check-In #49

Published on by Rachelle3 Comments
Geeky Bloggers Book Blog
  • This check-in is for November 30th – December 6th.
  • Final exams.  They drive me crazy and keep me from doing anything else that I would rather be doing, including exercising.  At least I did better than last week.
  • If you’d like to add me as a friend on FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Yoga Workouts: 0/5
  • Steps: 39,130/63,000
  • Miles: 16.33/21
  • Flights of stairs: 68/70
  • Active Minutes: 210/210
  • Total Money Donated: $38.88/$50.00

Classics Club: And the Winner Is….

Published on by Rachelle1 Comment

classicsclub

The Classics Club posted the Spin number – 19!  Below is my Spin list.  I’ll be reading Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe.  I’ll have until February 1st to finish it.  I haven’t yet decided whether or not I’ll do a read-along, but if I do, it won’t start until after Christmas.  If you’re interested, say so in the comments.

  1. Nabokov, Vladimir: Lolita
  2. Cooper, James Fenimore: The Last of the Mohicans
  3. Bronte, Anne: Agnes Grey
  4. London, Jack: White Fang
  5. Dumas, Alexandre: The Count of Monte Cristo
  6. Melville, Herman: Moby Dick
  7. Flaubert, Gustav: Madame Bovary
  8. Proust, Marcel: Swann’s Way
  9. Gogol, Nikolay: Dead Souls
  10. Carroll, Lewis: Alice in Wonderland
  11. Yeats, William Butler: Irish Faerie Tales
  12. Wells, H.G.: The Time Machine
  13.  Hawthorne, Nathaniel: The Scarlet Letter
  14. Hemingway, Ernest: A Farewell to Arms
  15. Hugo, Victor: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
  16. Tolstoy, Leo: Anna Karenina
  17. Heller, Joseph: Catch-22
  18. de Saint-Exupery, Antoine: The Little Prince
  19. Defoe, Daniel: Moll Flanders
  20. Dickens, Charles: Oliver Twist

Monday’s Minutes #49

Published on by Rachelle

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

  • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling – for the HP re-read.
  • Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
  • A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon

Half Blood Dirk Breath

Challenges:

S&S Bingo2update15

Total pages read: 347

Total # of books for the year: 85.  Final exams.  Enough said.

What are you reading this week?

The 2015 Book Lovers Holiday Gift Guide

Published on by Rachelle3 Comments
Image: Stephanie Kilgast
Image: Stephanie Kilgast

Several people who love me are having difficulty figuring out what to get me for Christmas.  So, I decided to do another Holiday gift guide for book lovers.  Like last year, it’s my wishlist.  Unlike last year, I have included more comic book stuff and broken up the list by price point as best I can.

I am not in any way affiliated with any of the companies linked to or mentioned here, and I’m not receiving any form of compensation for clicks, sales, or this post.

Gifts $20 and Under

Gifts Under $50

Gifts Under $100

 

Classics Club Spin #11

Published on by Rachelle9 Comments

classicsclub

It’s that time again!  The Classics Club is doing another Spin.  Below is my Spin list.  On Monday, a number between 1 and 20 will be chosen, and I’ll be reading the book from my list that corresponds with that number.  I’ll have until February 1st to finish it.  As always, depending on which book it is, I might do a read-along.  However, for the sake of the Holidays, I won’t start it until after Christmas.

  1. Nabokov, Vladimir: Lolita
  2. Cooper, James Fenimore: The Last of the Mohicans
  3. Bronte, Anne: Agnes Grey
  4. London, Jack: White Fang
  5. Dumas, Alexandre: The Count of Monte Cristo
  6. Melville, Herman: Moby Dick
  7. Flaubert, Gustav: Madame Bovary
  8. Proust, Marcel: Swann’s Way
  9. Gogol, Nikolay: Dead Souls
  10. Carroll, Lewis: Alice in Wonderland
  11. Yeats, William Butler: Irish Faerie Tales
  12. Wells, H.G.: The Time Machine
  13.  Hawthorne, Nathaniel: The Scarlet Letter
  14. Hemingway, Ernest: A Farewell to Arms
  15. Hugo, Victor: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
  16. Tolstoy, Leo: Anna Karenina
  17. Heller, Joseph: Catch-22
  18. de Saint-Exupery, Antoine: The Little Prince
  19. Defoe, Daniel: Moll Flanders
  20. Dickens, Charles: Oliver Twist

#FitReaders Check-In #48

Published on by Rachelle4 Comments
Geeky Bloggers Book Blog
  • This check-in is for November 23rd – 29th.
  • I only had one class to go to last week, so my intention was to go to the gym every day of the week to make up for all the steps I would be missing from not walking to and from campus.  Clearly, that didn’t happen.  I was worn out.  This last semester of college has been more exhausting than any other, and all I wanted to do was curl up with a book.  So, that’s what I did.
  • Yesterday, I finally got around to trying out a free fitness game app called “Zombies, Run!”  So far, I love it 🙂  I won’t know for sure if it’s helping me get closer to my goals, but even if it doesn’t, my walks are at least more fun and interesting.
  • If you’d like to add me as a friend on FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Yoga Workouts: 0/5
  • Steps: 27,947/63,000
  • Miles: 11.48/21
  • Flights of stairs: 45/70
  • Active Minutes: 110/210
  • Total Money Donated: $38.15/$50.00

Monday’s Minutes #48

Published on by Rachelle2 Comments

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

  • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling – for the HP re-read.
  • Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams

Half Blood Dirk

Finished:

  • Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
  • Fool Moon by Jim Butcher

Order of the Phoenix Fool

Challenges:

S&S Bingo2update15

Total pages read: 1,169

Total # of books for the year: 85.

What are you reading this week?

Discussion and Link-Up: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Published on by Rachelle5 Comments

Order of the Phoenix

Welcome to the fifth month of the Harry Potter re-read!  Each month I’ll be reading a book from the series, in order, until Harry Potter Book Night on February 4th.  Also, each month’s discussion includes a link-up for all your lovely HP related posts, and I’ll feature one or more of them from the previous month’s link-up.  This month, check out L.C.’s “Confession from Someone Still Waiting for Their Hogwarts Letter”.  Don’t forget to add your links to the link-up at the end of the discussion questions!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Discussion Questions

  1. Though Hermione formed S.P.E.W. in the last book, HP and the Goblet of Fire, she continues to plan and enact projects to help the house-elves gain their freedom.  She makes and leaves for the elves to find various items of clothing, despite everyone’s, including the elves, insistence that they don’t want to be free.  Do you think the elves really don’t want freedom and Hermione is wrong to continue trying to force freedom on the elves?  Or, do you think Hermione is right and should continue her work?
  2. We never get a solid explanation for why Professor Umbridge is so hateful towards most of the students.  Do you think it’s only because of her support of Cornelius Fudge and the belief that Dumbledore is attempting to overthrow him?  Or, do you think there is more to it than that?
  3. Harry is shocked to discover that his Dad was a bit of a bully, at least towards Professor Snape.  However, Harry’s thoughts concerning Draco suggest that, given the opportunity, he might take similar action.  Though Sirius and Lupin don’t go into detail about Professor Snape’s behavior as a teenager, do you think he is the way he is because he was bullied?  Or, do you think he was like Draco, and the bullying he received was retaliation?
  4. Dumbledore expresses his regret over not telling Harry the truth because of Harry’s age.  Do you think this is J.K. Rowling’s response to some of the adult criticism of her books, particularly HP and the Goblet of Fire, for including death and other dark subjects in the storyline?
  5. Do you think the Fountain of Magical Brethren shows a parallel between Wizards’ and Witches’ feeling of superiority and European Exceptionalism?  Do you think Dumbledore’s words about the statue being a lie and how the mistreatment of others is the root of what is happening now is J.K. Rowling’s message to her readers that much of the pain and suffering in the world today is a result of Europe’s past treatment of non-Europeans?

Do you have a Harry Potter related post?  Share it for the chance to be featured in next month’s discussion!

Sunday’s Sundries: Lit-Cube Unboxing

Published on by Rachelle

2015-11-28 12.54.38

I’ve been a subscriber of Book Riot’s Quarterly box since it started, but I’ve been feeling like the quality of each box has slowly declined.  So when I found out about Lit-Cube, a monthly subscription box, I decided to try it out.  I recently cancelled a monthly music subscription, and after deducting the amount I had been spending on that, what I’d be paying for Lit-Cube would be about the same as what I was shelling out for Book Riot’s Quarterly boxes ($55, four times a year).  I would also be getting more for my buck.  However, if I hadn’t cancelled that other subscription, I wouldn’t have subscribed to Lit-Cube, since it’s $34.98 a month, and I couldn’t afford that and the other sub.  To be fair, from what I’ve seen, that’s about average for monthly subscription boxes.

Every Lit-Cube box is put together around a theme.  Book Riot’s Quarterly box does the same, but the difference is that Lit-Cube’s themes are considerably more fun.  You’re not going to get Literary Fiction with Lit-Cube, so if that’s what you’re looking for, stick with Book Riot.  For this month, Lit-Cube’s theme was titled “Immortal Kiss”.  Yep, that’s right, vampires!  I don’t think Lit-Cube could have picked a better theme for the month I decided to give it a try, since, while I love all things vampire, I’m a bit picky too.  Here is what was included in this month’s box:

2015-11-28 12.57.55

  • Hardcover Edition of Tentyrian Legacy by Elise Waters ($19.99)
  • “Only Dracula Can Truly Love You Forever…” Lit-Cube Exclusive Lined Journal ($9.99)
  • Cotton and Silk “Holiday Skulls” Infinity Scarf ($9.99)
  • Lippincott Soap Company “Bite Me” Black Cherry Lip Balm ($9.99)
  • 5×7 Dracula-Inspired Water Color Print ($6.99)
  • Book Swag including a “Time Warper” series Pocket Mirror, a Ball-Point Pen that looks like a syringe, an Erin Hayes Autographed Bookmark, and QR Coded Bookmarks for other free and discounted ebooks.

Even if I don’t end up liking the books (I haven’t read them yet), all the other stuff makes this vampire-themed box worth the money I paid for it.  December’s theme is “You’re a Mean One, Grinch.”  I’m looking forward to it 🙂
lit-cube-300

Join Lit-Cube!