January Recap

Here's what my month looked like!

It's been a great month! The new semester started, and it is definitely kicking my butt. SOOOO much homework. But I get to take a screenwriting class and learn how to write a movie, and my British lit class this semester seems like it is going to be much better than last semester. 

I got a new tattoo and I died my hair red! I'm a-changin' (whether my dad approves or not). 

I started bullet journaling, so I feel like my life is just a bit more in order. Because of the bullet journal, I've gotten super into hand-lettering recently. I love to turn my favorite song lyrics into visual art! 

A couple months ago I applied for an alternative spring break program in which a handful of students gets selected to spend spring break in Atlanta and do community service to help the homeless. I was put on a wait list, and I got an email a few days ago offering me a spot on the team! I'm really excited about the whole thing. It kind of makes me sad that I won't get to spend my spring break in pajamas, but I definitely think it is worth it. 

Reviews: 

Top Ten Tuesdays: 

Top Ten Backlist Books I Resolve to Read in 2016

Top Ten Books I've Recently Added to My TBR

Top Ten Series I Will Always Fangirl Over

Features: 

Flashback Friday #3: The Truth About You and Me by Amanda Grace

The Eclectic Corner #2: 90210

Blog Tours:

Cover Reveal: In the After by Elisa Dane

YA Author Rendezvous Blitz

Misc: 

Social Media

Followers: 

Bloglovin - 20 (gained 9)

GFC - 7 (gained 5) 

Twitter - 56 (gained 17)

Instagram  - 10 (gained 10)

Facebook - 1 like (gained 0)

Total pageviews - 2348

Books read: 3.5 

Book with the most pages: Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson (449 pages) 

Books with the least pages: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (251 pages)

1 star reviews: 0

2 star reviews: 0

3 star reviews: 1 (actually 3.5) 

4 star reviews: 0

5 star reviews: 3

Most popular review:

Pageviews and comments -  

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

This one is so tough because I enjoyed everything I read this month, but I have to go with...

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Music: 

So, this singing duo came and performed at my school, and they were absolutely fantastic. Not only was their music (covers and originals) extraordinary, but so were their personalities. They are so quirky and kind! And they are the cutest couple to ever exist. 

Check out Shane and Emily and fall in love with them! 

TV Shows: 

Soooo we all know Shadowhunters premiered this month. I gotta say, I'm not really a fan. I can't bring myself to elaborate on that or it will turn into a rant. 

However, accompanying Shadowhunters was the premiere of the new season of Pretty Little Liars. I'd never watched the show before, but my roommate was a big fan. She has been watching the new season, and I got interested. So....the other day I went to Netflix and watched the first episode, which then turned into the entire first season--IN ONE DAY. It's so addicting. So so so addicting. 

THAT'S WHAT MY MONTH LOOKED LIKE. WHAT ABOUT YOURS? 

Sunday Post #5

• So, I got back from Florida on Tuesday, and I'm still trying to get back into the flow of blogging. I didn't really blog/read while I was there because I was focusing on hanging out with my family. It was sooooo wonderful. It was an amazing trip, and I wish it could have lasted forever. 
• I'm headed back to school this week. Where did winter break even go? I'm looking forward to seeing my friends again, but not looking forward to the whole school work thing. 

Reviews: 
This Song Is (Not) For You by Laura Nowlin

Memes: 
Top Ten Tuesday: Backlist Books I Resolve to Read in 2016

Features/Misc:
The Eclectic Corner #2: 90210
Social Media

Like I said, I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things after my vacation (and with the new semester starting) so I've got a very vague idea of what's going to happen on the blog next week. Everything is very subject to change! 

Reviews: 
I've gotten so bad at predicting which reviews I'll be posting. The new semester is starting next week, so I'm going to shoot low and go for one review.

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Book tours: 
Cover reveal for In the After by Elisa Dane via Xpresso Book Tours (Monday, 01/11/2016)

Memes: 
Sunday Post #6

Features/Misc: 
Flashback Friday #3

I got nothing, but that's okay with me! 

What has your week in books and blogging looked like? 

Lefty's Lowdown: This Song Is (Not) For You by Laura Nowlin

This Song Is (Not) For You by Laura Nowlin
(standalone)
Published: January 5, 2016 by Sourcebooks Fire
Source: I received an eARC for review from the publisher via Netgalley, but that hasn't influenced my opinion at all!

Summary from Goodreads:
Bandmate, best friend or boyfriend? For Ramona, one choice could mean losing them all.

Ramona and Sam are best friends. She fell for him the moment they met, but their friendship is just too important for her to mess up. Sam loves April, but he would never expect her to feel the same way--she's too quirky and cool for someone like him. Together, they have a band, and put all of their feelings for each other into music.

Then Ramona and Sam meet Tom. He's their band's missing piece, and before Ramona knows it, she's falling for him. But she hasn't fallen out of love with Sam either.

How can she be true to her feelings without breaking up the band?

This book is weird. There is no other way to put it. The characters are weird and the romance is weird. But weird isn't always a bad thing. I requested this book because it was about teenagers and music and I'm a teenager who likes music, but I had no clue what I was getting myself into. In This Song Is (Not) For You, Laura Nowlin uses quirky outcasts to explore ideas that we don't often see in YA lit. 

I wasn't lying when I said these characters are weird. Ramona is this ball of energy. She gets these ideas in her head that she is usually right about, but she feels so strongly about things she won't let anyone tell her she's wrong. She plays the piano and the drums. Her best friend (and the guy she loves) is Sam. He is pretty quiet and thoughtful and he plays basically every stringed instrument known to man. He is in love with Ramona, but he's too afraid to tell her. Then they meet Tom who is truly a unique character. He feels very strongly about changing the way people look at the world. He likes art and glitter. All three of these characters have very distinct voices and are very interesting to read about. It was really enjoyable to see them grow and figure themselves out and break out of social expectations. 

Here's a fun fact about me: I absolutely loooove when people challenge society's expectations and viewpoints. I love when people learn to accept themselves even though every one else tells them there is something wrong with them. That's a very prominent aspect of this novel, and I just adored it. I especially loved that this novel deals with asexuality. The author doesn't explicitly use the word "asexual" but that's what it is. I think that this book is really important because of this. I have a friend who is asexual and I still have a really hard time wrapping my mind around the concept. The thing is, I think there are a lot of people who don't understand the concept all that well, even though it's really important. I just think that This Song Is (Not) For You is great because it brings attention to asexuality (among other things), helps widen our understanding, and makes us think. 

Like I previously stated, the romance is really weird (again, not bad) and different and you might not fall in love with the situation, you might not ship it very much. I know I didn't. But I just can't stress enough how important I think this book is and the ideas in it. 

I'm very happy I read this book. I know I say that about pretty much every book I read, but that doesn't make it any less true. I think a lot of teens who are struggling to figure themselves out could benefit from reading this book. It's quick, it's fun, and it's riddled with music talk and self-discovery.

My rating:

actually 3.5/5