School is kicking my butt.

Welllll.

These past couple weeks have been crazy. I added half of my classes two weeks after they started so I'm super behind and trying to catch up. On top of that I'm taking a full load of 18 credits. Trying to keep my sanity intact while getting my work done is not going well, but I've been doing better. The only thing is lack of sleep, but at least I have all afternoons off to take naps if I need to.

Things have also been getting better with my roommate. We don't fight at all, but we do have our issues and it has been hard since we're both taking a full course load and she has started official nursing classes. Thankfully we're starting to adjust so it's been better.

I've been having a hard time balancing between schoolwork and personal reading time, but I've still been reading tons. I'm hoping to get more books read than last year, which should be a piece of pie. (Yes pie, not cake. Don't ask why.) I've been mainly reading ebooks off of my Kindle, since I have WAY too many, but I've also been slowly making my way through my actual bookshelf. Since I have close to 100 print copies now, between my bookshelf here at school, my bookshelf at my mom's, and my closet at my mom's. I'm a major procrastinator, so forcing myself to do homework is hard. I have quite a few chapters to read for Christian Foundations to catch up, but I'm thinking I might just skim the past ones and just read the ones for Tuesday's quiz. Much faster! Plus I still have CS to finish before tomorrow morning which requires me to borrow a book from someone because mine is STILL not here! Grrr.

Anyways, I just thought I would update all of you on my past couple of weeks. How is everyone else dealing with schoolwork? Any killer classes? Favorite classes? Let me know!

Bloggiesta Wrap-up

So I had waaay more homework this weekend than I expected, so I didn't get all of my goals done. Here's what I did:

• Series posts (I didn't even work on these >.< Hopefully I'll have time in the near future to mess around with my ideas for this one!)
• Guest post template (I decided against guest posts, so I nixed this goal and the next one.)
• Guest post questions
• Review template (Done!)
• Clean up sidebar (Done!)
• Create book blog (Done! See it here!)
• Clean up personal blog (transfer posts) (Done!)
• Elevator pitch (I decided against this for this blog, but I did include one in my About Me page of TLB. So I guess I sort of finished it?)
• Update Goodreads shelves (Still not done :/ I'm in the process of it and hope to finish it this week.)

Well if you don't include the ones I nixed, I only missed two goals! Pretty good, considering my weekend.

I also have an idea for a weekly Friday post, so be looking for that!

Bloggiesta!

It’s already time for the fourth edition of Bloggiesta! Are you a blogger? (With apologies to those who are not).  If so, this event is just for you! Bloggiesta is scheduled for January 21st, 22nd, and 23rd. The beginning of the year is a great time to evaluate your blog, see how you’re doing, and get re-energized for the rest of the year!
Some of you may be asking what is Bloggiesta? In short, it’s a blogging marathon.  A opportunity to cross those nagging items off of your to-do list and improve your blog while in the good company of other awesome bloggers doing the same thing. Our awesome mascot Pedro (Plan. Edit. Develop. Review. Organize) is ready to break out the nachos, enchiladas, drinks, mariachi music and whack a pinata or two!  It’s nothing short of an awesome fiesta!

What to do during the Bloggiesta?

• Write reviews.
• Write backup posts for a rainy day.
• Write that great post idea from three months back.
• Work on series posts.
• Write guest posts.
• Put out invitations for guest posts.
• Conduct and edit author interviews.
• Create template posts for your future reads (ie: title, images, linking, tags, etc,) so you can open up, write review and post without being bogged down with technicalities
• Clean up your tags, archives, books reviewed list, etc.
• Create a text file (or Google Doc) of cheat sheets (html codes, post url’s, etc)
• Improve your blog template, clean up sidebars, add a favicon, install those plugins that you’ve been meaning to do.
• Add or edit your about me page, review policy, disclosure policy, privacy policy, create landing pages (for example – an about me for Twitter readers page) or any other pages you might have.
• Any bloggy type housekeeping that you’ve been neglecting.
• Clean up and update your challenge lists.  Link up your posts with hosts.
• Make sure all of your social network profiles are up to date.  Be consistent in those profiles with color scheme, images, etc.
• Go get a gravatar.
• Visit the Blogging Tips group on the Book Blogs Ning and find ways to improve your blog.
• Work on any specialized projects that you may have going.
• Clean out and organize your feed reader and blog subscriptions.
• Create an elevator pitch.
• Make business cards.
• Find a blogging buddy.
• Analyze and re-evaulate your blog.
• Back up your blog.
• Learn more about blogging, read great articles, get inspired.
• Make sure you have properly copyrighted your blog and know what to do when somebody reposts your material.
• Brainstorm blogging topics.
• Manage your feedreader.
• Help other bloggers, answer questions, share your expertise (let’s face it – this is the best part of Bloggiesta!)
• The sky’s the limit!

This is my first year, and so I haven;t really decided how many tasks I will accomplish yet. Part of it depends on my workload, and as I haven't registered for classes yet I don't really know what my load is. I will update when I have a better idea :) For those who want to join, go to the original post here!

-----

Okay, I have officially decided on my list for this! How much of it will actually get done... well probably not much. I'm LOADED on homework this weekend :( But anyway, here we go!

• Series posts
• Guest post template
• Guest post questions
• Review template
• Clean up sidebar
• Create book blog
• Clean up personal blog (transfer posts)
• Elevator pitch
• Update Goodreads shelves

Well I already made my book blog,  The Librarian's Bookshelf! So please please go check it out :) I will slowly be setting it up so it's more pretty, and I have a poll over there that I would love for all of my readers to vote on!

Hopefully I can get some of this list done....

Help!

So you know how I said I was participating in Bloggiesta? Well one of my to-dos is the make a separate book blog. (More info to come.) I'm having a bit of an issue making the layout.... I found a perfect background and header to use but the site asks me to make a gadget and add it that way. However Blogger's default template covers it up and messes up things. How do I eliminate the default template? Anyone know?

EDIT:

I figured it out! :D I'm still finalzing things, but once it's set, I'll post the link :)

Review - The New World

This is the description of the book from Amazon:

In this dramatic prequel to the award-winning Chaos Walking Trilogy, author Patrick Ness gives us the story of Viola's journey to the New World. Whether you're new to Chaos Walking or an established fan, this prequel serves as a fascinating introduction to the series that Publishers Weekly called "one of the most important works of young adult science fiction in recent years."

 My review: 5 stars

Plot: Oh. My. GOOD. NESS. This book made me stop breathing. And it's a NOVELLA!!!! It was nothing but intense and had you pulled in wondering what on earth would happen next. Beyond amazing.

Characters: The mom and dad aren't in the story much, but they are good supporters of the main character, Viola. Due to the circumstance of the book, she is expected to be a strong leader, against her wishes. She plays her part well, and you want to comfort her because you feel her pain.

Setting: The setting is unique because it's mostly set in a ship, on the way to a new planet that they are moving too. It helps set the whole story.

Overall: Yes, I just gave a novella 5 stars. And yes, I am adding the rest of the series to my wish list. I. am. sold. Read it.

SQUEEEEEEEEE!!!

I. AM. SOOOOO. EXCITED!!!!!

:D

So Amazon recently released their Kindle lending program, where anyone with a Kindle ebook (that has been okayed by the publisher to be lent) can lend the ebook to another Kindle for 14 days. The only catch is the original Kindle loses it for those 14 days, and each ebook can only be lent once.

Ahem. On the the squee-worthy news.

I WAS LENT THE HUNGER GAMES :D

Yes yes yes yes yes! I have wanted to read these books for awhile, but was afraid of buying them in case I didn't like them. Now I can read the first one for free and then make sure I like them before I get my own copies :D So after I finish the last novella on my Kindle, this will be on the top of my reading list. Be looking for my *hopefully* great review!

And for those who don't already have the PC or Mac Kindle apps, get them. Seriously, they're free and there are plenty of free ebooks on Amazon. Just do it! Sooo worth it.

Review - Living Above Worry and Stress

 This is the description of the book from Amazon:


These topical guides will deal with issues that women wrestle with today: God's Will, Living in Christ, Prayer, and Worry.
Reaching an audience across race, socio-economic, denominational, and age boundaries, these guides will enhance the lives of women in America as they empower them in their weekly devotions. The study guides can be used for both individual and group settings.
Women are asking good questions about their faith. With our study guides, we want to join them in their quest for knowledge and lead them in finding the answers they are seeking.


My review: 4 stars

This was written as a 12 step study, although I read it straight through. While it had great advice and tips in each chapter for each separate emotion, it almost seems like it would be better to read the chapter that corresponds to the way you feel at the time. It also includes a leader's guide, so you can do it as you see fit.

Today has not started well.

As some people already know, my roommate and I have bunk beds, and I sleep on top. I have no problem with bunk beds, despite my fear of heights. As long as the bed is solid, I'm fine. This morning I went to climb down at about 8:30 to let my roommate in because she had locked herself out. Normally I have to climb down the end of our bed, which requires me turning around on my bed. This time I lost my balance and fell off of the side of the bed. And let me tell you, my bed is pretty high up. I managed to sort of catch myself and fall on my back rather than face first, but I hit pretty hard. Even just sitting here my back is throbbing. It also hurts to turn my neck in any direction. I'm hoping I didn't hurt it, but I've been pretty stressed this week and I hold stress in my shoulders and they tense up so I'm pretty sure this didn't help at all.

I hope to be okay, just take pain meds and rest some, but I could do with prayers. This was a pretty terrifying experience for me, since I don't like heights, and my roommate already feels bad enough that I don't want her to have to worry about me. Hopefully I can heal quickly!

Review - Outta the Bag (Me, Myself, and Why? Prequel)

Starting with this review I'm planning on separating my review into plot, characters, setting, and my overall opinion of the story. Hopefully I can give more in-depth reviews this way.

Here is the synopsis from Amazon:

FREE PREVIEW! READ THE PREQUEL TO ME,MYSELF, & WHY!

From New York Times bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson, comes OUTTA THE BAG the hilarious prequel story to her upcoming novel ME, MYSELF AND WHY, the first in a brand new series. In OUTTA THE BAG, Clive Better—the better-than-best plumber in town—attends a speed dating event where—instead of attempting to score phone numbers—he recounts his recent run-in with a freaked-out cat and a sexy-but-psychotic woman that has left him confused, scratched up, and rather aroused.  

My review: 2 stars

Plot: Since this was a prequel, it didn't have much of a plot line. And honestly, I felt the plot line didn't make any sense.

 

Characters: The blond that the plumber talks about it just plain WEIRD. I think she might have multiple personalities, because of how drastically she changes over the short time of the story. While she is interesting, she was just odd and didn't interest me much.

 

Setting: Since it was such a short story, there isn't much setting. Basically it's just set around the guy's plumbing truck. Nothing too exciting.

 

Overall: This book did nothing for me. I'm sorry, but I prefer my short stories to pull me into the series and want to look into it, and this book didn't. I was quite disappointed.

Review - Cat Calls

This is the description of the book from Amazon:

Tiffany's grandmother sees something wild in her future -- but is 16-year-old Tiffany prepared for the powerful shape it will take? When she takes over her grandmother’s fortune telling booth for a day, some really strange things happen… CAT CALLS is a short story by New York Times Bestseller Cynthia Leitich Smith -- set in the same dark universe as her novels Tantalize, Eternal, and Blessed.

My review: 3 stars

This one was a little weird for me. I t was good, and it had me hooked. But I felt like this short story should have been the book in the full series, rather than Tantalize. Also, I looked up the other books in the series and this series doesn't sound as appealing as the others did. Not something I would look for again.

Review - Remedial Magic

This is the description from Amazon:

Delve deeper into the world of the fae with a Faeriewalker bonus story.
Having a prodigy for an older brother is not so fun…especially one who is magic wiz-kid. But Kimber has a plan to finally step out of his shadow.

My review: 3 stars

Honestly this companion novel wasn't as good as the others I read. It was based off of a character that I couldn't even find mentioned in the original Faeriewalker series, and it seemed very out of place with the series. Pretty much the only useful thing it did was introduce the world the series is based in.

It also includes the first two chapters of Glimmerglass, the first Faeriewalker novel, and I was HOOKED. The second chapter end with such a cliffhanger! I literally gasped when I saw there were no more pages :P All three novels of the series are now on my wishlist :)

Review - Beasts and BFFS

This is the description of the book from Amazon:

A Bonus 13 to Life Prequel Story.
Meet Jessie Gillmansen as she realizes that things might not be what they seem in the town of Junction.

My review: 5 stars

As I mentioned in my last review, I typically don't like companion books. However this book was so intense, I was literally on the edge on my seat. One of my friends even came by and made me jump a foot! It also includes the prologue and first chapter of the series it is attached to, 13 to Life, and I added the books to my wishlist right after. These books sounds amazing and I can't wait to find out more!

I apologize for the massive attack of reviews, but more will come! I've started reading shorter books on my Kindle and since I read my ebooks fast I finish them in no time. And I try to post reviews as soon as I finish a book, otherwise I tend to forget. For my readers who don't read much, especially fantasy, I would still recommend looking up future releases on Amazon in the genre you prefer; you'd be amazed what books you find! Plus Amazon does recommendations, which are often very accurate.

Review - Retro Demonology

This is the description of the book from Amazon:

A Demon Trapper’s bonus story.
Before Riley Blackthorne can take on Grade Five demons, she has to trap her very first. Her debut solo trapping experience should be a breeze, just a harmless Grade One after all. But throw in some dippy hippies (whose peace signs and Patchouli really aren’t driving any demons away), one mischievous demon, and a run-in with the police, and Riley might not be able to pull it off...

My review: 4 stars

This is a companion novel to The Demon Trapper's Daughter, and it's actually pretty good. I want to read the original story now! Typically I don't like companion novels or short stories because of the lack of depth, but this one is just enough to get you interested and wanting more. If you like fantasy, I definitely recommend it.

Writing Prompt: The last time my heart truly melted was.....

I am linking this up with Mama Kat at Mama's Losin' It!

The last time my heart truly melted was when I was sitting in chapel Monday morning. Yes I know, not very long ago. But after being away from Fox for three very long weeks, and being chapel-deprived and people-deprived, it was wonderful. Sitting amongst half of the girls from my floor, and singing worship hymns, I almost started crying I was so happy. You know that feeling when you are so blissfully content that nothing in the world could ruin it? That was how I felt. My emotions just welled up all at once and I felt so peaceful. Here is where I want to be, and here is where I belong.

It is such a relief to be back. :)

Review - The Clouds Roll Away (LATE!)

This is the description of the book from Amazon:


Raleigh Harmon's life seems as impossible to solve as the high-profile case she's pursuing.
Closing her assignment with the FBI's Seattle office, forensic geologist Raleigh Harmon returns to her hometown of Richmond, Virginia, expecting a warm welcome. Instead she finds herself investigating an ugly cross burning at a celebrity's mansion and standing in the crosshairs of her boss at the Bureau. And the deeper Raleigh digs into the case, the murkier the water becomes...until she's left wondering who the real victims might be.
To make matters worse, Raleigh's personal life offers almost zero clarity. Her former confidant is suddenly remote while her former boyfriend keeps popping up wherever she goes. And then there's her mother. Raleigh's move home was supposed to improve Nadine's fragile sanity, but instead seems to be making things worse.
As the threads of the case begin crossing and double-crossing, Raleigh is forced to rely on her forensic skills, her faith, and the fervent hope that breakthrough will come, bringing with it that singular moment when the clouds roll away and everything finally makes sense.

My review: 4 stars

This book was not my normal genre, so it took me a long time to get into it. While I do love suspense and mystery (and my two favorite tv shows are crime labs) I don't like reading about detectives and such. So this book started out really slow for me. However, once it got started it was really good! One thing that kept me on my seat was the twists and turns regarding both the cross burning and her fragile relationships. I felt so horrible for her every time her former best friend said something cold!

I didn't know this before I read the book, but this is book 2 in the series. Book 1 is The Rivers Run Dry, which I hope to get my hands on soon, and book 3 is The Mountains Bow Down which I will hopefully get through an upcoming blog tour.

I received this book free from the Litfuse Group. This review is my own opinion.

Review - Emotions: Freedom from Anger, Jealousy and Fear

This is the description from Amazon:

Help in Understanding the EmotionsStrong emotions that we don't know how to handle effectively lie at the core of so many difficulties in the life of the individual. They can affect our relationships with loved ones, and how we function in our work. They play a profound role in how we feel about ourselves, and can even affect our physical health. And we are too often trapped in the dilemma of "expression" versus "repression." Expressing our emotions can often hurt others, but by repressing them – even in the benevolent guise of "self-control" – we risk hurting ourselves. Osho offers a third alternative, which is to understand the roots of our emotions and to develop the knack of watching them and learning from them as they arise, rather than being "taken over" by them. Eventually we find that even the most challenging and difficult situations no longer have the power to provoke us and cause us pain. Osho's unique insight into the workings of the mind, the heart, and the essence or "being" of the individual goes far beyond the understandings of conventional psychology. Over more than three decades of work with people from all walks of life, he has developed simple techniques and insights to help modern-day men and women to rediscover their own inner silence and wisdom.

Review: 3 stars

While this book had some good points, it was a just too weird for me. It referenced multiple religions, and sometimes in weird ways. Also at the end it gives many exercises that help the reader release certain emotions, but some of them were pretty strange. I wouldn't recommend this book unless you're really looking for something out of the ordinary.

Is the week over yet?

I was in such a great mood yesterday. I am so glad to be back and see people, that I just couldn't stop smiling.


Today has been a drastic difference. I woke up late because my phone turned off in the middle of the night, so I had 20 minutes to get ready. All of my classes today are boring classes: management, marketing and stats. I was starving by 10:30 but couldn't eat until 1:15 because of back-to-back classes. Certain people make hurtful comments about something I did, and I can't tell them they upset me. Other people decide to make my mood worse and blow something way out of proportion.


I honestly just want to cry right now. I'm so upset that I'm playing my own music with my earphones in, which i only do when I'm upset because my roommate just plays her music and I listen to that. But when I get upset I go into my own little world and play my own music, which for some creepy reason always plays depressing songs that match my mood and make me cry. So I'm sure I will start crying before I go to bed tonight. I'm hoping tomorrow will be better, as I only have two classes and one is CS, but I'm 99.9% positive I have it with the one person on campus I try to avoid with every cell in my body. And I don't have my friend in it to protect me this semester. So I'm slightly dreading it which is sad, because it's my major and I love the class itself. I'm considering just going semi-early and bringing my laptop and stealing a non-computered desk in the back so I'll have a better chance of him not sitting by me.


Also on a slight side note, a few of my friends from home go to my school's rival school. In the past we've always joked around about it just teasing each other. However in church on Sunday they took it way too far and basically said my school was a bunch of heathens, which really hurt. Yes, I know my school is more liberal than yours, but really? We have the same foundational beliefs. The only reason I'm bringing this is up is because Monday's chapel was on George Fox's foundational beliefs and how diverse we are. I would now like to quote some of it, listed under out statement of faith:


We believe in one eternal God, the source and goal of life, who exists as three persons in the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In love and joy, God creates and sustains the universe, including humanity, male and female, who are made in God's image.


We believe that salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone, to whom we must respond with repentance, faith, and obedience. Through Christ we come into a right relationship with God, our sins are forgiven, and we receive eternal life.


There is obviously way more, but I'd rather not post it so if you're curious go here. I just chose the big parts, the parts that make someone Christian. The rest of the statement of faith I personally agree with, and I am not Quaker. Yes, my school is founded by "liberal" Quakers, but the school is very open to any religion, and gives the opportunity to explore your own beliefs. So why do people have to tear a school down and call them heathens simply because we're rivals? What happened to fun rivalry, rather than an all-out war?


Honestly I wish I could just go away for a day and stop time so I wouldn't miss classes. (As nerdy as that sounds, and as boring as my classes sound, they're actually pretty interesting!) I think I might just read some tonight, since I've been neglecting my books quite a bit. Plus the ebook I'm currently reading is on emotions, so maybe it will help ;)

If you managed to make it all the way through this post, I applaud you. I hope I didn't make you want to run away screaming or break down crying. But hey, my blog is partially for me and I felt like I just needed to get it all out.

We Heart Wednesday

This is my first time participating in the weekly meme. You can choose any topic, but the only requirement is you get your images from weheartit.com!

This week I want to choose dorm life/floor mates.

I so want my room to look like this!

This does not even begin to cover the crazy adventures we have :) Just today, a few of us tried to get ourselves stuck in the elevator. Yeah, that's how we roll.

Blog cleaning!

I just finished cleaning up my blog list, and BOY do I feel better! I was following over 200 blogs people. 200!!! That is unrealistic for me to read them all, considering the amount of time I spend with people, doing schoolwork, reading or whatever. Quite a few were also either deleted or hadn't posted for a few months, so I just tossed them. I kept a few exceptions, those being people I know personally.

Because I followed so many blogs I would get behind in reading them a lot and skip tons of posts just trying to catch up. I'm hoping now that I've cut down significantly I will read most of the posts. I know I won't read all, but hey. I'm human.

If I removed you and you don't think I should have, let me know! It may have been an honest mistake.

Review - I'm Beautiful, Why Can't I See It?

This is the description of the book from Goodreads:

Emotional eating. It's a rising epidemic. Katrina looks in the mirror and sees "repulsive," "fat," "stupid," even though friends tell her she is one of the most intelligent and beautiful girls in her college. If I'm so beautiful, why can't I see it? Katrina wants to take back control of her life. Do you? Author Kimberly Davidson, a recovered bulimic, found spiritual and physical restoration and brings a clear message of hope and restoration in I'm Beautiful? Why Can't I See It? Anybody suffering from unhealthy eating patterns and low self-esteem needs unconditional love and acceptance, forgiveness, as well as needing to learn how to forgive herself and others who may have harmed her. This effective, proven, step-by-step 13-week healing devotional study is for anyone struggling with unhealthy patterns of eating and body image issues, including eating disorders (compulsive overeating, bulimia, and/or anorexia). Emotional (or disordered) eating is very serious, and God has specific processes for setting people free. I'm Beautiful? Why Can't I See It? can be used as a personal resource or in groups and is 12-step compatible.


While this book has plenty of great info and advice, it didn't apply to me as much as I'd hoped. It focused mostly on eating disorders, and some of the steps branched off of the expectation that the reader has an eating disorder. For that reason it was hard to read, as I don't have an eating disorder, but as a whole the book is definitely worth reading. Even if you simply compare yourself to others, wishing you were someone else, I would encourage you to pick up this book and try it out. You won't be disappointed.

Review - Pretty Little Liars

This is the synopsis from Goodreads:

Three years ago, Alison disappeared after a slumber party, not to be seen since. Her friends at the elite Pennsylvania school mourned her, but they also breathed secret sighs of relief. Each of them guarded a secret that only Alison had known. Now they have other dirty little secrets, secrets that could sink them in their gossip-hungry world. When each of them begins receiving anonymous emails and text messages, panic, sets in. Are they being betrayed by some one in their circle? Worse yet: Is Alison back? A strong launch for a suspenseful series.


I went into reading this book with hesitancy. I am already an avid fan of the TV series, and I didn't want my enjoyment of the show to be spoiled by the books, which while the cast of the TV show has stated there are differences, I won't know what the differences are and I don't want the show spoiled. The book turned out to be much better than I thought, however there are many things I did not like about the book compared to the show.

Since the show is aired on ABC Family, the show is mostly clean. However after reading this first book, I can see they cleaned it up a lot more than I originally thought. The book is much more graphic with many scenes (which I'd rather not go into detail here) and has fairly strong language, while the show keeps the language out almost entirely. Don't get me wrong, the book was really good. I just wish the book was a bit cleaner than it is.


While shopping today I bought the new TV tie-in edition of Flawless, the second book in the series (pictured at right), so I will hopefully have that one read soon and have a review up. First, I need to finish reading another book for a blog tour (that I am super late on!) and get that review up. Hopefully that one will be up in the next week.

Hope everyone is enjoying the end of Christmas break, and for those going back to school this week, hope it's not too overwhelming!

Harry Potter fans: Free e-book :D

So I have wanted The Unofficial Cookbook of Harry Potter for awhile now :) It contains recipes of various foods from the Harry Potter world! :D While browsing through the free e-books for my Kindle for Mac, I found a teaser of this book for FREE :D Find it here! Seriously people, even if you don't have an actual Kindle, Amazon has free apps for both Macs and PCs, plus various other platforms. Definitely worth checking out, considering the massive amount of free e-books there are! ;)

Resolutions

I decided to make two resolution lists this year: one for my blog, and one for RL. First I'll start with my blog:

1. Do more reviews. I tend to read a book just for the fun of it, and not worry about reviews. However there are some books I regret reviewing simply because either they were too good not to pass on, or because they were not as great as I had hoped.

2. Possibly make blog changes. I've been focusing more on book blogging on this blog, when originally this was my personal blog. I really love this layout and don't want to give it up either. I'm considering making a separate new blog just for book blogging, and keeping this one personal. Not to mention my private blog that I still post on every once in awhile. I just don't know if I want this blog to mix personal life and reading anymore.

3. Post more. I have started only posting reviews or when big stuff happens, and I regret that. I love blogging, and I want to do it more. I think I will go back to past post I did with my tentative weekly schedule, and start that. Hopefully that will get me back into the swing of posting more :)

And now for life itself:

1. Monitor my eating better. I have never been a healthy eater, and I know that. However, when I went to the doctor's for my kidney stones they told me that diets high in fat, salt and sugar are large contributors. Unfortunately, that's pretty much my diet :/ I want to be strong in cutting down on unhealthy foods and being aware of what I'm eating. Thankfully I can still eat sweets! :)

2. Spend more time with people, and less on the computer. This will be interesting, especially if I want to post more on here :P But I've been realizing how much time I waste just reading blogs or surfing FB, and how much time I miss spending with my family and friends. I haven't gotten to see my brother much, and while that's partly due to the fact that he's at my dad's a lot, I know I could spend time with him while he's here.

3. Read my Bible more. This past year I had a 365 day Bible that I read, but not too regularly. And while it was okay, I definitely prefer devotional readings to just simple Bible passages. I might look around for something :)

4. Get my license. Honestly, the only reason I haven't is because I don't have enough practice. I'm not afraid of driving; I just don't do it often enough. I just need to set aside time to go driving, especially now that I have someone over 21 in the house all day who could take me.

That's all I can think of at the moment.... but I will update this if I get more :) If any of you have resolutions, post them here so I can read them! Happy New Year!