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 I swore to myself I would not buy the companion book to The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up . How many books do I need on tidying? After having moved four times in the past year and a half or so, I've cleared all my unnecessary objects. The first move in particular forced me to get rid of a ton of stuff, including around 300 odd books (which I should mention I miss terribly. I never realized that books are my favourite and most comforting decor items, until they were gone). There's just something about Marie Kondo's complete love of organizing, useful tips, and adorable book designs that I'm weak to. The moment I saw the little pictures, I knew I had to buy it. That said, as I'm reading this one, I feel like I'm more likely to use it in the future. The layout and images make an easy (adorable) reference guide that you can look back on and find what you need without much of a search.  

The excitement for this one was real. I absolutely love Kate Morton's books, she is amazing at blending past and present, and keeping you hooked trying to figure out how everything connects. The Lake House was no exception. I couldn't put it down and had to know what happened. I loved the characters and the story, it was just...so, so good. (5/5) "A missing child… June 1933, and the Edevane family’s country house, Loeanneth, is polished and gleaming, ready for the much-anticipated Midsummer Eve party. Alice Edevane, sixteen years old and a budding writer, is especially excited. Not only has she worked out the perfect twist for her novel, she’s also fallen helplessly in love with someone she shouldn’t. But by the time midnight strikes and fireworks light up the night skies, the Edevane family will have suffered a loss so great that they leave Loeanneth forever. An abandoned house… Seventy years later, after a...

First-Time-Reads The Driver's Clothes Lie Empty : ( Vandela Vida ) 2/5 A woman travels to Casablanca and is robbed of all her money and ID. Knowing that she won't get her possessions back, she feels liberated by her new freedom to be anyone she chooses. She becomes a stand-in for a famous actress and finds herself inhabiting the actress's skin off-set too.  This book was such a disappointment! It had such potential with the story, but the author chose to write it in a second person narrative ("you"). I absolutely hated that aspect, it threw me off, and rather than pulling me into the emotions of the story, it pushed me further away. However, if you don't mind books in this format, you may enjoy it quite a bit!   Emma : ( Jane Austen ) 5/5 Emma Woodhouse is content with her life and sees little reason to marry. However, she greatly enjoys acting as a matchmaker to those around her. When Harriet Smith comes to town, Emma takes her under wing an ...

As any proper book nerd knows, choosing one is hard/impossible. However, there are some standouts for me. This list is subject to change, and maybe in the future I will update it. We shall see. Author: Agatha Christie Christie's books are a guilty pleasure of mine, whenever I want a book treat, or am unsure what to read, hers are sure to please. I LOVE the Poirot mysteries, and have just started the first of the Miss Marple books. Series: The Harry Potter books (J.K. Rowling) I do believe I re-read these every single year. They helped define my middle and high school years. I don't think I will ever tire of them, and I doubt they will move from this spot. Stand Alone: The Thirteenth Tale (Diane Setterfield) I still can't explain what it is about this book that I love so much. Everything about it draws me in, and even when I reread it, I remember how I felt the first time I read it. It's about time to seek it out again... Movie Adaptation: The Devil...

"The Knockoff is the story of Imogen Tate, editor in chief of Glossy Magazine, who discovers her twenty-something former assistant Eve Morton plotting to knock her off her pedestal, take over her job, and reduce the magazine to an app." I initially wanted to read this one because everyone seemed to herald it the new Devil Wears Prada , but with issues currently faced by the magazine and fashion industries. I had high expectations going into this book, but I was a bit disappointed in it.   Imogen is woefully out of touch, so much so that it felt unbelievable. There is no way someone in her position could make it to 2015 without being able to read her emails. I've met and know a few people who are in high positions, and all of them have adapted with the times. Especially those in news related fields. As such, I felt annoyed by Imogen initially, thankfully she adapts and learns. It just seems like she should have experienced this long before this year. Eve, on the ot...

First-Time-Reads Why Not Me? : ( Mindy Kaling ) 5/5 Mindy Kaling's second book is just as amazing and hilarious as her first, I LOVED her stories, wisdom, and jokes. Go Set a Watchman : ( Harper Lee ) 5/5 The controversial, and much-debated sequel to "To Kill a Mockingbird," you can read my thoughts in this post . Throne of Glass , Crown of Midnigh t: ( Sarah J. Maas ) 4/5 , 5/5 One of those absolutely addicting teen-fantasy series. This one revolves around an 18-year-old assassin, who is released by the prince to be his contestant to be the King's assassin. It's actually decent, and the second book was better than the first. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series. The Knockoff : ( Lucy Sykes & Jo Piazza ) 4/5 I'm planning to do a review of this book next week, so look out for the post, which I will link here once it's up. Re-Reads   Saving Fish From Drowning : ( Amy Tan ) 4/5 Art collector Bibi Chen planned a tr...

Book shopping is the best shopping, isn't it? The Driver's Clothes Lie Empty ~ Vendela Vida A woman travels to Casablanca and is robbed of all her money and ID. Knowing that she won't get her possessions back, she feels liberated by her new freedom to be anyone she chooses. She becomes a stand-in for a famous actress and finds herself inhabiting the actress's skin off-set too.  I picked this one up because of the cover and was instantly hooked by the inside flap. I've summed it up quickly here. Where'd You Go Bernadette? ~ Maria Semple Told through 15-year-old Bee, this story is of her trying to find her bother after her disappearance. Along the way Bee learns more than she ever knew about her mother, including the secret past that Bernadette has been hiding for decades. This is one of those books I constantly see, pick up, and leave without. After reading about it in a Buzzfeed list, I decided to actually get it this time when I picked it up. The M...

I was hesitant to read the new Harper Lee book due to the controversy around its publication, but after receiving it as a gift, my curiosity won out.   *Potential SPOILERS ahead* First off, I did reread "To Kill a Mockingbird" prior to reading "Go Set a Watchman." I originally read "To Kill a Mockingbird" in grade eight and couldn't remember specific details, just the feeling of loving it. I do still like it now, as an adult. First off, I actually appreciated and liked the way Atticus is portrayed in "Go Set a Watchman." Rather than viewing it as a childhood saviour being torn down, I thought this book humanized him. In rereading "To Kill a Mockingbird," I found Atticus almost too perfect. He felt more like a character than a human. Perhaps it was Scout's childhood adoration that gives the impression, perhaps it's that he never seems to portray anything apart from calm and good. Despite reading in several article...

- Mochi and Pekoe continue to be absolutely adorable and sweet, but my gosh, have they grown. Both were just over two pounds when I got them and are now close to seven. Pekoe in particular, he now has giant paws and quite a big noggin. Mochi remains my delicate little lady. - August was a great reading month for me, and I somehow managed to read 13 books (one is not pictured. The Selection series takes the spot of hardest to put down. However, the one I most enjoyed was probably "Saint Anything" by Sarah Dessen. In an effort to save money, I've been re-reading quite a bit recently. It seems I'm going to run out of books to do that with soon. My Dad gave me "To Kill a Mocking Bird," which I haven't read since grade eight, and "Go Set a Watchman," which I'm halfway through and will most likely post about on Monday.  All up for adoption! My pal Dafney sitting on my lap (left)   - Planning seems to have become trendy recently, and...

There were two reasons I decided to give The Night Garden by Lisa Van Allen a try. The first was that it was on sale for cheap on the nook, and the second was that it was recommended for fans of Sarah Addison Allen's books. I am a HUGE fan of Addison Allen's books. They always leave me feeling happy whenever I read them.  First off there are similarities, both books deal with women who seem to have a magic gift with plants. I do think that Van Allen's character had a slightly darker storyline and parts definitely reminded me strongly of Sleeping Beauty. That said, this book didn't capture me the same way that Addison Allen's do. It fell flat, and I could predict the outcome. The Night Garden's descriptions lacked the prose of Addison Allen's books. I didn't feel like I'd entered this different viewpoint of a place in The Night Garden. That said, I did enjoy it as a quick, easy read. If you are looking for garden-magic, fairytale-like story,...

The gist of Sophie Kinsella's Finding Audrey is that a traumatic event happened to the main character, Audrey, shortly before the story takes place. When we meet Audrey she doesn't leave home apart from doctor's appointments. She wears dark sunglasses at all times, finding it hard to look people in the eye. It's not until she meets Linus, a friend of her brother, that she finds someone she can talk about her fears to. Rating: 3/5 *Potential spoilers ahead*  Kinsella conveyed Audrey's emotions quite well in the early parts of the book. The frustration at not getting better quickly, the exhaustion of always being on edge, and how hard seemingly simple interactions can be. By having Audrey refer to her anxiety as the lizard part of the brain, she accurately portrayed how out of control it feels. In the beginning we are shown Audrey's family and given a good sense of their relationships through Audrey's narrative. Her mother comes across as a bit...

There's no denying that since moving to Korea I've had way less time to read. Even so, I'm as determined as usual to reach my annual goal of reading 50 books this year. I am now on year four of this.  Anyway, I want a way to keep track of my thoughts on each book. So, I'll post here with a review of each book. Today's book is Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, and it's actually the ninth book I've read this year, but ideas sometimes come later than an actual start. What I liked Sloan's writing style is very smooth (does this make sense? It's the only word I could think fit what I wanted to say), it just flows well without jumping around. The book does draw you in, particularly in the middle. At that point the book goes through a few chapters of feeling like an exciting mystery. The chapter "Why do you love books so much?" was one of the best, in my opinion. I also liked how she captured both sides of the comput...

I tend to go through a phase every summer where I re-read, and this year was no exception. However, there were a couple of new ones, including The Silkworm . It kept pace well, and I could not put it down. Park Ji Yoon's " Yoo Hoo " is my perfect feel-good, summer song. Loving this dice necklace, it is perfect dressed up or down, and so cute! It was made by my grandfather for my mother, which makes it even more special to me. In terms of beauty, I am obsessed with Pixi's Shea Butter Lip Balm in Coral Crush. In addition to being an amazing colour, it's moisturizing and lasts - perfect! Also, this BuzzFeed post made me smile. I love my curls, but they can be a nuisance :)

When I last did this post, for January, I had read eight books for the month. However, February and March marked going back to school and not having as much time to read. I also read a couple of significantly longer books than I did in January. s! As I did with the last post, I've included the scores I gave them on Goodreads ^^ The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown - I read the first two books in the series way back when I was in high school. I remembered them well enough to read the third without going back, and I knew I had liked them. I liked the book, it was entertaining, but far from being a favourite or one I would re-read. (3/5) Looking for Alaska by John Green - I really enjoyed TFIOS, but this book bored me a bit. I felt like I was just trying to get through it. Could be that I am reading it at the wrong age, or that I didn't relate to the characters as much. It is choc-full of teen angst, and I seriously think I might have enjoyed it more when I was a teen. (2/5) Und...

I am one of those people who never leaves the house without a book in my bag. I should probably be grateful to the invention of the e-reader for significantly reducing the weight on my shoulder. However, I still prefer traditional books. (If I'm honest, I do like my nook for its convenience, but I don't enjoy reading on it as much. Why can't it count pages normally? I hate that pg three can last two or three clicks/page turns.) Anyway, regardless of form, I love to read! This month I somehow managed to read eight books. I started keeping track of how much I read with a goodreads account a couple years ago. I like that it's an easy way for me to go back and see what I read in a year and what I liked/disliked. I also enjoy doing the annual reading challenge. Although I tend to just type in 50 as a sort of minimum to reach. This month didn't see any major disappointments, just a couple slight ones. Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield - This is one of th...

Today was actually supposed to be the first day of school, which is exciting because it's my last semester! However, it snowed and classes were cancelled. Not that I'm complaining, I love snow!   When it's snowing, if I don't need to drive, I won't. And since I'm within walking distance of nothing, I generally stay in comfy clothes and do things that need to be done around the house . My snow-day essentials: 1. Sweatpants, I just think these are cute 2. A loose top because I pretty much live in over-sized tops 3. Slippers 4. My favourite Earl Gray in a cute mug, because I've an obsession with mugs 5. TV show marathon - currently I'm watching Merlin s.3! 6. A good book  Other than that, it's tea, tv and good book weather! I've been marathon-ing s3 of Merlin on Netflix, which is perfect because I can have it on in the background. I LOVE this show, I watched the first couple seasons a long time ago. Actually, I remember that I watched ...

With an official departure date and less than three months to go I decided to buy a couple of guidebooks for Seoul and South Korea. I have to admit my local Barnes & Noble had a very limited selection of guide books for South Korea. I was disappointed that my favourite DK Eyewitness Travel doesn't have one for either. I had their Paris guide when I went this summer, was amazing and extremely helpful. Seoul day by day - Frommer's South Korea - Insight Guides Living Abroad in South Korea - Jonathan Hopfner (Moon) Native Speaker by Chang-Rae This is a fictional novel that was recommended by the program I am going with. I figure I love to read and the summary captured me, so why not? One of their other recommendations was an amazing book (non-fiction), Still Life with Rice by Helie Lee. Description from the back of the book: Korean American Henry Park is "surreptitious, B+ student of life, illegal alien, emotional alien, Yellow peril: neo-American, st...