Bookworm 2022

After only getting to read a handful of books in 2021, I made sure that 2022 was going to give me enough for a blog post!

I read a pretty good variety this year, including a professional book cover to cover, which I hadn't done in years. I rediscovered Reese Witherspoon's Book Club. And I also went back to graduate school, so I read three large textbooks on top of all of this 😅. This may be my last Bookworm, as it was difficult for me to remember details about some of these books after reading them so long ago. 2023 may be the year I finally join GoodReads!

Entertainment

The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey (w/Michaela Angela Davis)

Sick in the Head: Conversations about Life and Comedy by Judd Apatow

    I used to LOVE Mariah Carey when I was younger. She was a huge musical influence for me. I was excited to read her memoir because she has been notoriously private about her personal life. I now see why. She has had a lot of sadness in her life, and parts of this were difficult to read. What struck me the most about this book was how well-written it is! I knew she was a talented songwriter, but the writing in this book was truly memorable. Hearing the stories behind some of the songs made me appreciate them so much more. 

    I have been trying to read Apatow's book for several years, and unfortunately, I was disappointed. I think I was expecting more of an oral history of some of his work, and that's not what I got. 

Hello Sunshine Book Club

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen

The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

    These are four very different books and I enjoyed them all! My favorite of the four was Mina Lee. It was surprising, but not in the typical "twisty" way we have become accustomed to in so many thrillers these days. I think it also resonated with me as someone who has lost a parent. 

    Counterfeit was frothy and fun. Quick read too! I loved The Last Thing He Told Me, which had been recommended to me by several people. Crawdads started off really slowly for me and I couldn't understand the big deal for a while, but it definitely picked up about halfway through. I am conflicted about the ending though and would really love to chat about it-- don't want to spoil it for anyone here! 

    I also watched the movie about a month after finishing the book and thought they did a good job, but would have liked it better had I not read the book first. I feel like they made Kiya too "normal." Did anyone else feel like that? I pictured her a little more feral HAHA.

Twisty Fiction 

Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

    If you're looking for some good suspense, these both fit the bill! Both of these came from friends' recommendations and kept me guessing until the end. The Wife Upstairs is also a modern update of Jane Eyre, and I much prefer the update 😄

Other Fiction

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

    Both of these books sat with me for a while after I finished reading them. They are not light reads, but are beautifully written. Doerr's novel is against the backdrop of World War II, which I gravitate toward frequently. I have never read anything like The Vanishing Half. I recommend giving yourself some extra time with these two-- I don't think you'll be disappointed. 

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Down

    These are a couple of novels I read for one of my classes. They'd be best for 9-12 year olds probably, but I thought they were pretty entertaining, so I included them. Both feature an autistic narrator and even though I thought I had the "mystery" figured out from the jump, I was very wrong 🙈

Other

Shifting the Balance by Jan Burkins and Kari Yates

    This is the professional book I referenced earlier. I'm glad I read it and it helped me make sense of some of the literacy chatter going on. If you didn't like it, please carry on-- not looking for debate please. 

Growing Up in Fancy Gap by Delmon Quesinberry

    This was written by my great-uncle about some of his childhood experiences. My grandfather is no longer with us, so it was nice to be able to feel some connection to him. 

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

Bookworm 2020

 Apparently this is my first Bookworm post in six years! With all of the craziness of this year, one good thing that came out of it was that I finally got to read a novel for the first time in two years. 

Since basically everything I've read previous to now has been parenting books and articles, I'll start with the three I read this year:

The Montessori Toddler by Simone Davies

   This is a great introductory book that give practical advice and tips, and has wonderful reference charts for quick look-ups.

Ready Set Go!: A Gentle Parenting Guide to Calmer, Quicker Potty Training by Sarah Ockwell-Smith

    After giving it a go with the "three day method," and being extremely stressed, I read this book in one sitting and felt so much better about everything!

1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12 by Thomas Phelen

    I didn't love it; I didn't hate it. There were some good reminders and things to think about, but not a diehard fan like some I've seen.

Achtung Baby: An American Mom on the German Art of Raising Self-Reliant Children by Sara Zaske

    I actually started reading this a few months after Rainier was born (in 2018), and was only able to read it in bits and pieces until I finally finished it early in 2020. This was part parenting, part memoir, part German history. Some parts were a little sluggish, but it was mostly interesting to read about how things are done in another country, especially as a new parent!

Hope Never Dies: An Obama/Biden Mystery by Andrew Shaffer

    Yes, you read that title correctly LOL. As the pandemic really set in and things were starting to get tense, this was the perfect "fun" read, even though it was a murder mystery. The writing started off kind of pretentious, but once I looked past that, it was an interesting story. It was weird though because Biden became the Democratic nominee as I was in the middle of the book. Reading fake dialogue from a real person was a whole other experience in and of itself!

Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan

    One of my team members let me borrow this after I told her I liked to read books about the World War II era. It's over four hundred pages, so I laughed and said "When am I ever going to have time to read this?!" HAHA you win 2020. It is based on a true story and riveting! There are definitely some truly devastating parts, but as we know, real life is not always sunshine and rainbows. An inspiring read. 

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

    I have to be honest-- I had never heard of this book until I watched the Hulu miniseries (we'll blame it on the two year old). The series was so amazing and brilliant, that I decided to let it rip my heart out in print too. I hesitate to write this, but I think I liked the series better than the book. It hit me in a different way. Honestly, they made so many changes, it's hard to compare them. The series was able to dive deeper into the characters, and I recommend reading some of the things that Celeste Ng had to say about why that is. It is still a well written book and I would be interested in reading her other novel.  

White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo

    I know this book is "controversial," but it was interesting. Social justice is important to me, and even I came away from some passages thinking "yikes! I've done that!" There were lots of updates and clarifications of terminology that I found helpful, particularly that the term racist should be attributed more to actions that people. The book brought another level of awareness that people could benefit from. I started to notice more about situations around me and have felt an even stronger pull to speak up when necessary.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

    This was the long awaited The Hunger Games prequel and I think it was mostly worth the wait. It definitely was slower paced than the trilogy, but awesome to read the backstory of President Snow. I gained a lot of insight into his actions later in life. It made me want to go back and read the other books again (of course!). 

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

    A much shorter book than I anticipated, this memoir is a series of letters that Coates wrote to his son, describing his experiences as a black man in America. I've seen others say that it's a hard book to describe, and I agree. All I can say is that Coates is one of the most gifted writers I've ever read.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

    This book is soooo devastating, yet sooooo good. I cannot recommend it enough. If you struggle through nonfiction, but really want to learn more about the current situation in our country, this is the book to read. Thomas is such a talented writer and you can't help but relate to the main character in some way. 

Too Much and Never Enough: How my Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man by Mary L. Trump

    I debated reading this book, but curiosity finally did me in. Mary L. Trump is not the best writer, but this is different than the rest of the Trump books and articles because it explains the WHY. Donald Trump had a terrible upbringing that directly contributed to the way he behaves as an adult. I had to renew it from the library three times to finally finish it, which means I finished it during election season, but it was an interesting read!

Nothing Like I Imagined collection by Mindy Kaling

    I love Mindy Kaling. I want her to be my best friend. I love everything she writes. Next time you're watching The Office, check out who wrote the episode-- Mindy's were some of the best. To end 2020 on a high note, she put out a collection of six short story memoirs. They are funny, easy to read, and quick! Perfect for mommies! (Full disclosure-- I have one left, but I plan to read it by the end of the weekend.) If you haven't read anything by Mindy, you should start with these, but you should also read her other two memoirs. I always recommend them when people are looking for something to read! 

As you can see, my reads were all over the place this year, but well rounded reading makes a person better, right? What did you read this year? Does anything on this list jump out at you? 

Daddy's Little Girl

Monday marked seven years since Daddy passed. One day I will write about how that has affected my life, but today is not that day. Instead, I'd like to share something I wrote for my dad's memorial service all those years ago. I knew I would never make it through myself, so I had the pastor read it for me. It is shared here in its entirety:

In honor of my Dad’s love for Dave Letterman and his Top Ten Lists, these are my “Top 5 Things I Will Remember Most About My Dad.”

5. When I was in primary school, Dad used to be off of work one day during the week. On those days, he would pick me up from school instead of me going to daycare. We would always go and get purple and orange slushies and sometimes we would get stale bread or crackers and go feed the seagulls on the beach.

4. Everyone knows my Dad’s love for trivia and pop culture. What you might not know is that he passed that down to me. When I lived at home, we would always watch all the awards shows and comment about performances and winners. When I moved out, I could count on a phone call at some point during a big awards show, usually saying something to the effect of “What were they thinking?!” I must say though, that, growing up, I helped him add to his trivia vault exponentially by cluing him in to all the teenybopper information on music and movies.

3. My Dad used to come read to my class at school when I was younger. My friends and teachers were always so excited because Dad would read everything in character. No boring monotone from him. Every character had a different voice. And I thought I had the coolest dad because of it. Because of his work shift, he would also often go on field trips with my class, the greatest of which was our 5^th grade experience in Washington DC.

2. Dad never met a stranger. When I was a teenager, this brought me much embarrassment. “Do you have to talk to everybody?” I would ask him as we went from grocery store, to restaurant, to gas station. As an adult, it allows me to see how many connections and ways you can brighten a person’s day, just by having a couple minute conversation with them.

1. In recent years, almost every time my dad and I talked on the phone, at the end of the conversation he would almost always tell me how proud he was of me. It didn’t matter what we had been talking about, he would end with “I’m proud of you.”

And so I leave it at that, and would like to turn it around on him. I can say that I am proud to have a father whom so many cherished and cared about. Thank you all for being there for him.

Bookworm- The YA Challenge!

If you are a "faithful" reader of this blog (it's probably not that hard!), then you know how much I love to read. 

I have parlayed that love into a NEW blog venture. My friend Ashley and I have challenged each other (and ourselves) to read all of Time.com's 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time. 

Head on over to https://yabookchallenge.wordpress.com/  and check out the fun! Go ahead and subscribe by email or follow the blog, and you'll never miss a new post. 

Please share with anyone you think would be interested... we would love to have lots of you reading along with us and sharing your thoughts!

Can't wait to see you over there!

Bookworm 2014

So apparently the only post that is guaranteed around here is a book review post.

Although, I was worried when June rolled around and I had yet to pick up a book for pleasure. Thankfully, summertime is for reading and most of these were read during a four month time period. Without further ado...


Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant, Four by Veronica Roth

I finally got to read the entire Divergent series and the best part is that I didn't have to wait for anything new to come out. I loved the trilogy (ending aside) and especially the relationship between Tris and Four. I thought it was really authentic and heartwrenching. The added short story collection of Four was excellent as well. Getting more backstory on a character seems to be somewhat of a trend in YA these days, and I love it! I highly recommend these books, especially if you like The Hunger Games trilogy (although those were better.)


Reached by Ally Condie

This is the third book of the Matched trilogy, which I have previously reviewed HERE. Unlike the first two, I was not very enthralled with this particular book. By the end, I was just waiting for it to be over. Part of my disdain I think was that I didn't like who the main character ended up with. That is always a dealbreaker for me! Try them for yourself and see what you think.


Austenland by Shannon Hale

After the intensity of Divergent, this was a great story to just sit back and relax with. It's about a woman who is obsessed with Mr. Darcy and goes to an amusement park/dinner theater dedicated to Jane Austen to get over her obsession. It's a super fun read-- good for the beach! Apparently there is also a movie, which I must watch.


Pitch Perfect by Mickey Rapkin

This is what the movie was based on, but it's actually non-fiction. It follows three groups on their journey to the ICCA, which is essentially the a cappella equivalent of the NCAA tournament. The most fascinating thing about this book to me, is the fact that I have met some of the people in the book and didn't realize they were in it! I don't know if everyone would like this book without having all of the background that I do. It's a really simple read though, so it wouldn't hurt to try!


I Want my MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution by Rob Tannenbaum
If you haven't figured it out by now, I LOVE reading about pop culture! This book was completely awesome and exactly what I expected. I kind of wish they would do a part two on the more recent history of MTV, but I digress. It's an oral history of sorts, and as such, there are tons of contributors within each chapter. Sometimes that made it a little hard to follow, but it was so entertaining. It reminded me of Top of the Rock, which I enjoyed as well.


Did I Do That? The Best (and Worst) of the 90's by Amber Humphrey

Complete coffee table book, so easily consumable. Exactly what you would expect from the title. There were 2-4 pages per item, dedicated to everything from Captain Planet to Beanie Babies to boy bands. If you grew up in the 90's, you can't go wrong with this book!


And there you have it. Not quite as lengthy as some years, but I packed a lot into a short amount of time! I'm currently reading The Giver quartet and have already finished the titular book, but will wait and review those next year.

Hope you found something new to try... what did YOU read this year?

Girl Meets World- Live Blog

This is filmed like every other single show on the Disney Channel. *sigh*

I literally just teared up at the sight of Cory and Topanga. What is wrong with me?

I like the nudge-nudge *wink wink* of "when is it going to be my world dad?" 

Good shout out to the audience.

So Cory's daughter is still going to be the "Cory" of the relationship, clearly.

Digging the theme song!

Dad as teacher? Don't they live in New York City? How is their school that small?!

Minkus spawn?

What a coincidence... subway boy is the new kid!

Is Maya a Shawn clone?

Oh my gosh their son is so cute!!! Give him more screen time.

Who still has lunch tables that only fit three people?

Typical shenanigans...

Okay, the Maya/Shawn similarities are going a bit too far for my taste.

Feeny's a ghost?

Not enough Topanga in this show!

FINAL THOUGHTS: This show wants to be Boy Meets World so bad, that it's actually kind of painful. Every single character is a version of a character in the original show, which is good and bad. There are two audiences for this show: the typical Disney Channel watcher and those who watched Boy Meets World and want to see what happened to those characters. Unfortunately for the latter, I feel that the producers are trying to mold it into the original show, just with girls. Based on the preview of the upcoming episodes, it's going to be very "afterschool special" like. I want it to be a continuation, not a rehash. I'm more interested in the original characters from the show, which is why it's disappointing that so far they're not fleshing out Topanaga's character AT ALL. I will probably give it a few more episodes, just for the chance to see some old characters. 

Anybody else watch? What did y'all think?

The Voice Top 5

PERFORMANCES

1. Kristen "Foolish Games" - When I heard the teaser that she was singing Jewel, I was really hoping it was this song. She did not disappoint. What a gorgeous performance. 

 

2. Josh "All of Me" - First of all, I love this song. I am totally a sucker for songs that were written for weddings (see Dave Barnes' "I Have and I Always Will"). Secondly, he FINALLY sang a current song! It is a miracle! This is my favorite performance of his since the live shows started. It was heartfelt and emotional.

3. Christina "Some Nights" - She hasn't really done an "anthem" so far, so I was happy to see this from her. She still looks like the most seasoned performer up there. 

4. Josh "Love Runs Out" - Another "finally" for Josh. He FINALLY did an upbeat song! And it is current too! Vocally, I didn't enjoy it as much as his first one, but it was definitely his most entertaining performance to date, and much needed at this point in the competition. I could actually see him as a One Republic-ish artist.

5. Jake "Heaven" - This is the ONLY performance that I won't totally hate on Jake for. He actually sounded decent, but his voice is still not close to the caliber of the other people left on this show. 

 

6. Kristen "Gunpowder and Lead" - This was a good performance, but as a friend and I discussed, something was weird about the rhythm of this version, which was slightly distracting. She still sounded great though. 

7. Kat "Let It Go" - This is actually the most I've ever heard of this song. All my kids ever sing is the title line over and over. and over. While her voice on this song is less annoying than Idina Menzel, my suggestion for her is to stick with the rock thing.

8. Christina "Hide and Seek" - I'm still unsure what I think of this performance. It was difficult to hear her for most of the first half of the song, which doesn't matter in the original recording, because ALL of the voices are of Imogene Heap and it works. When I could hear her, she was yelly, which didn't really work with the tone of the song. I'm torn.

9. Kat "Chandelier" - I just did not like this. The song is quite strange and pretty much required her to screlt (scream + belt) the whole thing... and the tone of her voice does not make for a pretty operatic tone. Sorry I'm not sorry.

10. Jake "Good Ol Boys" - Another straight-up redneck performance from Blake's golden boy. Worst of the night.

LAST CHANCE

What was with all the Carrie Underwood songs? Especially from one artist who hadn't sung a country song the whole competition? Obviously I don't really care that Kat went home (she clearly hasn't been a favorite to be in the bottom so many times!). However, I am so devastated for Kristen. I really thought the final was going to be her, Christina and Josh. If she had been on Blake's team, I can pretty much guarantee she would have been in the final. That's really crappy that the coaches have that much sway. It should be all about the artist. They shouldn't be allowed to talk after Last Chance performances either. Those should stand on their own.

Final Thoughts & Predictions

Jake is the first one to the final?! Are you freaking kidding me? Mark my words, the only reason he is in the final is because Blake is his coach. Blake's fans will literally vote for anyone, as long as they are on his team. I have no problem with Jake as a person; he seems like a nice guy. However, this show is called "THE VOICE" and he does not have a great voice. He also hasn't grown as a singer or performer, unlike Kristen, who has grown leaps and bounds since the beginning of this competition.

Who Will Win: Josh Kaufman- He has clearly been the most consistent, and several of his songs are still in the top 100 ITunes chart, which will count for the final. He has also never been in the bottom. 

Who Should Win: Christina Grimmie- She is the chance for this show to finally be a viable option for winners to be successful after the show. I bet most of you can't even name one other winner of this show... and that's because none of them have done much with their win. Christina could change all of that.

Who I Want to Win: Josh or Christina- I am completely fine with either of them winning, because they've been in my top 3 basically the whole time. If Jake wins, I don't think I will be able to watch this show anymore. Seriously.

 

The Voice Top 8

So. Many. Feelings!

PERFORMANCES

Delvin "I Believe I Can Fly" - First reaction: nooooooooo! This is one of the most overdone songs in singing competition history. And it's never that great. However, Delvin sang the heck out of this song. He finally got to take those gospel chops and put them to the best use possible. The season 2 WINNER of "The Voice" did this song, and didn't come anywhere close to being as good as Delvin was.

Christina "How to Love" - Adam went on and on about how there's no other version with a girl singing, and blah blah blah. However, Delilah performed this when they were on The Sing Off a few years ago and I preferred their version. This was not bad by any means though. I just don't want her to get pigeonholed into this rap song turned slow jam thing she's had going on the past two weeks. I preferred last week's performance.

Kat "Get Lucky" - I thought I would hate this. I wanted to hate this. But I didn't. I was pleasantly surprised. I think to do a song in a different way and be good, it has to be SO different that you barely recognize it. This version definitely had that going for it. 

Josh "I Can't Make You Love Me" - Full disclosure: I have a very deep love of and connection to this song and am very critical of performances of it. It actually is my favorite performance of Josh's during the live rounds, but that's not saying much. I still am waiting for him to pull off something else as joyous as his Battle Round performance of "Happy," but that is just not happening. Apparently that doesn't matter though because people, myself included, seem to like him anyway :-)

Audra "Forgive" - It's really weird, but it sounds like the tone of Audra's voice has changed throughout the course of the competition. I'm not sure how that happens, but as someone mentioned on another blog, she now sounds like Carrie Underwood, which I never would have thought at the beginning of the season. 

Kristen "I Drive Your Truck" For me, this whole performance was kind of a mess. There was too much going on and I thought the vocals suffered.

Jake "Hillbilly Deluxe" - Not terrible, but I'm ready for this guy to go home. 

Sisaundra "River Deep, Mountain High" - As Simon Cowell would say, this could be seen on any cruise ship in the world. I was not impressed. Tina and Celine can both sing circles around her with this song!

LAST CHANCE

If Sisaundra had sung this well on Monday, maybe she wouldn't have been in the bottom half. I wish Audra had been performing songs like this the whole time. I didn't like Kat's performance, and I thought Delvin did well. I am officially ticked off at Adam. To me, he is solely to blame for Delvin going home. He essentially told anyone who was voting for his team to vote for Kat. I think that is completely wrong. Next season they should do away with judges' comments after the Last Chance performances. Let America think for themselves! Ugh, so sad and disappointed with the decision, especially since I can almost guarantee Kat will go home this week.

RANKINGS

1. Christina Grimmie

2. Josh Kaufmann

3. Kristen Merlin

4. Kat Perkins

5. Jake Worthington

The Voice Top 10

PERFORMANCES

1. Delvin "Bright Lights" - WOW. He killed it. There is nothing more to say. 

2. Christina "Hold On (We're Going Home)" - Drake? For real? This girl can sing anything. As I said last week, she is a true artist already. I have no idea what the actual version of this song sounds like, but it certainly can't be as good as this!

3. Tess "Ain't It Fun"- I was fairly skeptical when I saw she was singing this, since we've heard her only do ballads for the most part. However, I think she did it justice! This is one of my absolute favorite songs out right now, so I dug it. 

4. Sisaundra "Oh Sherie" - Y'all know how I feel about her, but there is no denying this performance.

5. Audra "You Lie" -  Reba saved this girl in my eyes. This was definitely my favorite performance of hers thus far. She had great dynamics and her falsetto was really pretty. 

6. Josh "This is It" - Josh has been one of my favorites for a while, but I don't understand these song choices. If he wants to be a current artist, I want to hear more current songs!

7. Kristen "Let Her Go" -This was another performance I was on the fence with. It was nice, but she didn't do much that varied from the original.

8. Kat "Landslide" - I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. Full disclosure: I don't like Stevie Nicks and Kat sounded too similar to her for my taste. (I really appreciate the Dixie Chicks version) However, I thought it was a good choice for her to do a slower song, one where she wasn't screaming like a banshee :-)

9. Bria "I'm with You" - Once again, not a good song choice for her. Her voice was not suited for the clarity this song required. With that said, I think the judges were exceptionally hard on her. She did all she could with the song that was given to her. I felt awful, because I would have totally been up there crying too.

10. Jake "Run" - Fan of country or not, this just was not good for the most part. He sounded super nervous at the beginning, and I didn't think it got much better from there. 

LAST CHANCE

Based solely on the Last Chance performances, Kat deserved to stay. It was the first performance I really enjoyed from her. However, Bria finally did the kind of song she should have been doing the past two weeks, but too little too late. It is TOTALLY the coaches' fault that she was in the bottom three. Tess completely copped out on "Who Knew" and didn't sing hardly any of the high parts. She deserved to go home.

RANKINGS

1. Delvin Choice

2. Christina Grimmie

3. Josh Kaufman

4. Kristen Merlin

5. Audra McLaughlin

6. Kat Perkins

7. Sisaundra Lewis

8. Jake Worthington

I think Team Adam is the team to beat!

The Voice- Top 12

As most of you know, I am obsessed with pop culture, television and singing. I always have a lot to say about each, but don't really have a lot of people to talk about it with. So, I decided to start doing some blogging about it, and am going to start with The Voice, one of my favorite TV shows. The live shows started this week, so each week I'm going to rank my favorite performances, the last chance performances, and the singers. Feel free to chime in on the comments section about what you like, don't like, or anything else you want to talk about!



PERFORMANCES

1. Christina "Dark Horse" -- I don't even like this song, which says a lot about the performance! I agreed with most of what the coaches said about it and the way she made it her own.

2. Kristen "Stay" -- Such an authentic performance and much better than I anticipated

3. Delvin "Unchained Melody" -- Great performance of a timeless song

4. TJ "Waiting on the World to Change" -- I actually really liked his take on this song, with the slight Caribbean feel. TJ's voice is so smooth!

5. Josh "Stay with Me" -- I don't know this song, but it was a likeable performance. I wasn't blown away though.

6. Dani "Just Give Me a Reason" -- While this was a good performance, I expected more from her after her playoffs performance.

7. Tess "I'll Be There for You" -- Boring song choice, but she sounded pretty good

8. Bria "Rolling in the Deep" -- This is one of my favorite songs, and I like Bria, but I really wasn't feeling this rock version.

9. Jake "Anymore" -- Boring, but I'm sure the country crowd loved it

10. Audra "Angel in the Morning" -- See above :-)

11. Sisaundra "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" -- She's definitely a good singer, but didn't bring anything new to this completely overdone song.

12. Kat "Magic Man" -- Didn't like the song choice. At all.


LAST CHANCE:
I'm not surprised that Tess was the one saved, but I thought she had the worst "Last Chance" performance. Hopefully she'll step it up next week! I was sad to see TJ and Dani go, as they were definitely not on the bottom of my list.


RANKINGS

1. Delvin Choice -- There's no denying he's my favorite simply because he's from Greenville! With that said, he is superbly talented and I hope he goes really far!

2. Josh Kaufman -- This guy's voice is simply amazing. He continues to make me smile, week after week. 

3. Christina Grimmie -- Future pop star. Period.

4. Bria Kelly -- This week's performance was the first one I didn't really like. Hopefully she'll have a better song choice next week.

5. Kristen Merlin -- She was not even on my radar in the early rounds, but she has gotten better and better each week. I look forward to seeing what she does in the coming weeks. 

6. Tess Boyer -- Her cover of "Human" the other week was amazing and I look forward to seeing her go back to that. (No more Bon Jovi!)

7. Jake Worthington -- I'm sure Jake will do really well after the show is over and I know country fans love him. Not a huge fan.

8. Audra McLaughlin -- Great voice, but I want to see her do some more uptempo stuff to move up my chart.

9. Cat Perkins -- Cat's not a bad singer, but I liked her much better when her name was Kat Robichaud on Team Ceelo last season. (Surely I'm not the only one who thinks that?!)

10. Sisaundra Lewis -- She is so full of herself I can't stand it. And boring. And unoriginal. Okay I'm done :-)


My general thoughts about this group are that there's not a ton of originality going on, and I already miss last season. There are several niche artists though, and I think they'll go far. I was really baffled by many of the song choices this week, as there were so many songs that weren't well known. They need to step it up for Top 10 if they're going to keep my interest!!

What did you think of the Top 12?

Bookworm 2013

Nothing like a "snowcation" to get me to write a blog post!

My goal last year was to read about a book a month, but I still read 10, so that's close enough, right?! Especially considering most of these were read before school started.

Of the ten books, no less than four are being made into movies, and two into a TV show. Does that mean I'm trendy or something?


THE BIG SCREEN:
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
      This was the first book I read in the new year and although it was interesting, it was SO DEPRESSING. It's about teenage cancer patients, need I say more? I can't say much without giving away the ending, but it was definitely emotional and tugged at the heart strings. If you're ready for a roller coaster, give this one a try. With that said, I'll probably skip this one in the theater.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
      Like many others, I absolutely loved this book... until the ending. I'm a sucker for thrillers, and this was all that and then some. What made it even more suspenseful was having to wait to finish because I had to turn it back in without having read it all and be put back on the waiting list! Pure torture. It is going to make a fabulous movie I'm sure. However, the one thing that will make me wary of seeing it is the same thing that makes me hesitant to recommend it to some: the "f word" was literally on just about every page of this book. I found it very distracting at times, and highly unnecessary to the story. Hopefully they'll tone it down a bit for the movie!

Matched and Crossed by Ally Condie
     Yes, I realize I read way too many dystopian trilogies. Which is funny, because in high school they made us read all kinds of dystopian fiction and I hated it! They just weren't as thoroughly intriguing as the ones now! Anyway, I have not finished this trilogy (these are the first two), but in these books, teenagers are "matched" with the person they are going to marry, and they have no choice in the matter. They are super fun reads, definitely page turners. I originally had this review in "the rest" section, but then saw they are making movies out of these too! Wow!


THE SMALL SCREEN: 
Requiem and Annabel by Lauren Oliver
     Requiem is the last book of the Delirium trilogy, which I have reviewed in previous Bookworms. After being rather disappointed by the second book, the third one was back to the standard of the beginning. It wrapped up the story very nicely and I will be interested to see how they make this into a television series! If you enjoy The Hunger Games and the like, this is another easy to read trilogy to hold your interest.


THE BEST:
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
     This is quite possibly one of the best books I've read. I could not put it down! The premise is deceptively simple-- a future dystopia, where most of their lives are lived in a "virtual oasis." A world wide video game contest begins and they must survive in the game, if they want to survive in the real world. I know that sounds super nerdy, and maybe it is, but I can't begin to tell you how great this book is. In addition to lots of suspense, there are tons of random pop culture references, which are vital to the contest. It was a completely fun read and by far the best book I read last year!


THE WORST:
The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares
     I had such high hopes for this book. This is the author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, after all. And I tried to like it, I really did. But I just didn't. The characters were annoying and their actions frustrating. The first two thirds of the book was way too drawn out and could have been cut in half. It finally picked up near the end, but by then I didn't care anymore. Don't waste your time with this book!


THE REST: 
The Aviary by Kathleen O' Dell
     The cover alone should make you want to read this book. Seriously. I read this book in two days over Christmas break. It started out a little slow but picked up quickly. It has a cool gothic feel, as well as The Secret Garden elements. I don't want to say too much, as I am hosting a book club in a couple of weeks on this very book! Good, easy read though.

The Top of the Rock: Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV by Warren Littlefield
     If you are a pop culture junkie like me, then you will probably thoroughly enjoy this book. Otherwise, you will most likely be bored to tears. I loved this behind the scenes look at the inner workings of NBC during its 'golden years.' You know, when they had shows like Seinfeld, Frasier and Friends, and were at the top of the ratings heap? There are contributions by many different producers, actors and writers, adding to the appeal. It's almost like an expanded version of Entertainment Weekly!

Bookworm- 2012 Part 2

We're going to pretend that I'm not writing this two months after I intended to :-)


For the second half of 2012, I found myself reading several sequels, most of which I had read the previous titles within the past couple of years.

Pandemonium and Hana by Lauren Oliver 
     Pandemonium is the first sequel to Delirium, which I previously wrote about a few months ago. I couldn't wait to dive in to this book, after the ending of the previous one. Unfortunately, it was a bit slow, which I think was partly due to the format of the story, which switched from chapter to chapter between "Then" and "Now." It did pick up more near the end, and, as with the first one, the last page of the book was gripping and I can't wait to read the final book!
     I'm not sure how to classify Hana. It takes place at the same time as Delirium and is told from the point of view of the main character's best friend. It was very short, which is mostly why I read it, and gave some more insight into the actions of this character. However, I don't really think it added much to my experience with the story, so I don't recommend reading it.

The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson
      I also wrote about 13 Little Blue Envelopes previously. I actually had no idea there was a sequel, but was messing around on the Richland County Library's e-reader app and found this book. I can't really say too much about this one without revealing what happened in the previous book. With that said, I didn't really like the conclusion of the story and think maybe it was better that we just not know what happened!

Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares
     This is the long awaited follow up to the popular Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. I loved those books, so of course had high hopes for this one. Well, just like the other sequels I read this year, I was disappointed. To talk about my reasons would be a huge spoiler, so I will just warn those of you still planning to read this book that the tone is very different from the previous ones. I still recommend that you read it to help you conclude the girls' story.



The two non-sequel books I read the second half of this year could not have been more different:

A Time to Kill by John Grisham
     I don't think it's a secret that I love John Grisham. And this book did not end my love affair. It was a very sensitive topic, and had some language I could have done without, but what a powerful story. I love that all of his characters are so developed and relatable. It is easy to imagine what they might do or say and understand the actions that they take. This is also the first Grisham novel I've read that I actually enjoyed the movie as well. Book recommended!

Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
     This is a book by a comedienne along the same lines as Tina Fey's Bossypants. While I didn't think this one was quite as funny, it still definitely had some laugh out loud moments for me. It gave me insight into her as a person, so that I didn't think of her as "Kelly" from The Office anymore. I think the book is great and it made me want to watch her TV show The Mindy Project. If you like her show, you should definitely read the book because it will make you appreciate the show even more (I promise!). Even if you don't watch the show, this is worth a read, just for a good laugh.



So, I think what I learned from this year is that maybe I should read less sequels... because they'll probably never live up to the original :-)

Friday Four

What I'm Watching: I think the real question is, what am I NOT watching?! We have so much on our DVR right now, it's ridiculous. We haven't watched any of the brand new shows yet, but right now I've been enjoying the return of Switched at Birth, Saturday Night Live, Flipping Out, Up All Night, Parks and Recreation, etc, etc, etc. Have I mentioned how much I love fall premiere tv season? :-)

What I'm Reading: I just finished Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? a couple of days ago. I am amazed that I actually started AND finished a book during school. However, to be fair, this book was not a full narrative, so it was easy to pick up and go after not having read it for a week. Funny book too!

 

What I'm Listening to: Thanks to Jamie, I am currently hooked on Imagine Dragons. They are a mix of The Killers, fun., SafetySuit, and are just plain catchy. Even if you have never heard OF them, chances are that you've heard their music. Two of their songs were played non-stop during the Olympics promoting the NBC show Chicago Fire. They were also covered last week on Glee. If you don't believe me that they are awesome, listen for yourself to two very different songs:

What I Ate: I had McDonald's for dinner last Friday night and then we ate at Fatz after church this week with Jamie's parents for his mom's birthday. (We're trying to save a little more money in this area!)

Some things never change...

Yep, last car in the parking lot on Friday afternoon!

Welcome to Room 210

View from the door to the classroom

Reading Center

Guided Reading/Small Group Area

Calendar

Interactive Word Wall

Word Work Center

Teacher Toolbox (Thank you Pinterest!)

Planning for the week (Thank you Pinterest!)

Writing Center

Well, I have four days of the 2012-2013 school year under my belt, and I must say, they have been quite pleasant :-)  I wanted to share some pictures of my new room, which has already evolved a little bit since I took most of these, but I will hopefully update you a bit throughout the year. Enjoy!

Friday Four - August 17

What I Watched: I finally finished up The Hills this week. I had DVRed them all when they came on MTV last month and had just been watching them here and there. I hadn't seen any of the last season previously, and I can't say I missed much. It was soooo over the top... and kind of hilarious :-)  It's been a good respite from thinking about school.

What I Read: I'm trying to finish Sisterhood Everlasting, especially with school starting in a few days!

What I Listened to: The radio and BOCA 2012

Where I Ate: We ate Zaxby's, Domino's and Cafe Caturra last weekend... definitely ate out more than normal, but it was yummy.

Friday Four - August 10

What I Watched: Besides more Olympics, I finally watched Waiting for Superman this week. I feel like I could write a whole blog post on it, but I'll spare you. It always is wise to remember that documentaries are not always completely objective. I understand the point of the film, but one thing it failed to address is motivation of parents. All of the families they followed WANTED to get their kids out of the situation they were in, and the school they were in. However, a majority of parents who have kids in failing schools don't care enough about school to worry about it. And that's the truth. End of rant.

What I Read: I started Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares.

What I Listened to: This week I worked to Stacie Orrico, Pentatonix, Toby Lightman and Shawn McDonald.

Where I Ate: We hit up Cookout after church this week. Can't say it was the best food of my life, but I didn't have a burger, so maybe that's why... I think I'll just stick with their milkshakes from now on :-) 

Thrifty Thursday - August 9

For the past couple of weeks, I've started building back our stockpile for school coming up. That means cracker packs, and individual applesauces, granola bars and pasta sauce, and soup for quick dinners. Nothing is worse than coming home from a long day of school and having to spend a long time fixing something to eat. With that said, I may be putting "Thrifty Thursday" on hold for a while, or bumping it back to once a month, as school starts back and I become much busier! Here are this week's totals:


PUBLIX

Total Spent: $32.02
Total Saved: $21.82


WALMART
Total Spent: $5.82   

TOTAL SPENDING: $37.84
TOTAL SAVINGS: $21.82

New 'Do

Just got my hair cut today. Pardon the bad quality and my paleness :-)

Jumping July!

July was another busy month for us. We were much more social than normal ;-) HAHA. Just kidding. Kind of.

Jamie's birthday was on the ninth and we went to The Melting Pot with a few friends to celebrate. It was my first time eating there, and I enjoyed it a good bit. Next time I want to go there for just dessert, because it was so delicious. Our friends Tara and Alison cooked us chicken wings later that week since they couldn't make it. We also went to parties for one of Jamie's work friends, and a going away party for a friend from church, as she moves away to get married.

Midway through July we went up to Virginia for my family's reunions. On Saturday, we get together with my grandpa's side of the family, and on Sunday, with my grandma's side. It's always fun to hang out with cousins that we don't get to see often enough. Here we are with my cousin Marshall and his wife Kimmie (she teaches first grade too!):

Our anniversary was on the 24th, and we celebrated the next weekend by going to our favorite Asian restaurant, Antai, and went to see The Dark Knight Rises. We don't go to the movies very often, so it was a rare treat! And VERY worth your time and money, if you haven't seen it yet.

The rest of my month was spent going to trainings and working in my classroom. I hope to have lots of pictures up soon of the finished product!