A Midnight Clear* by Various Authors ★★★☆☆

Popsugar 2019 Reading Challenge Prompt: N/A

Brief synopsis: This anthology shares six not-so-spirited holiday stories. The stories range from more realistic to very fantastical - from mysterious meetings at The Stanley Hotel (yes, that one), to a wolf in human's clothing, to Santa's elves on trial for murder. These aren't merry, wonderful holidays stories. Instead they're quite dark.

Overall thoughts: This anthology of spooky holiday stories was fine. That's truly the best way to describe. It wasn't bad, but neither was it exceptional. I went in expecting dark, terrifying stories that made me uneasy, but this read more immature than I was wanting. The stories were cute. There were a few that stood out to me, but more than not were forgettable. It's a cute, quick read for anyone looking for a different type of winter book. Full review here.







Unpregnant* by Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan ★★★★★

Popsugar 2019 Reading Challenge Prompt: N/A

Brief synopsis: Veronica is a straight-A student, a goodie two-shoes, the precious and perfect daughter and student. She's set to go ivy league in the fall, but her plans may be set astray by the test she just passed - a pregnancy test. Determined to remove any hitch from her plans, she plans a trip halfway across the country with her ex-best friend to get an abortion in the closest clinic where parental consent isn't required. What follows is a misadventurous weekend of giant cows and elephants, strippers, ferrets, and stolen cars.

Overall thoughts: Oh geez, this book was well-written, laugh-out-loud funny, heart-wrenching, and smart all at once. I figured the book would be pretty good, because it's been optioned as an HBO film already. But I truly wasn't expecting the story I stumbled into. This is absolutely a book to read! Full review here.







The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus ★★★★★

Popsugar 2019 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in the title (utilizing "stars" as an astrology term, there's also heavy astrological focus within the book)

Brief synopsis: Audre is heartbroken after her mother sends her from her home in Trinidad to live with her father in Minneapolis. Luckily she makes a friend in Mabel, the daughter of her father's best friend. Though Audre likes Mabel, she tends to struggle with her belonging in a new place and doesn't want to share a truth about herself - she's a lesbian and that's why she was sent to live with her dad. Mabel is confused in her own right. She's had a boyfriend, but has felt more for a girl in her class and is developing complicated feelings for Audre. All of this is interspersed with flashback/dreams of Audre's grandmother, Queenie, as a young woman, and a book written by a Black man who's been in prison since he was a teenager.

Overall thoughts: More than anything, I'm pissed this book isn't receiving all the hype. I follow a lot of bookstagrammers, and I've seen this on virutally no one's radars. This novel is exceptionally well-written and is absolutely heart-wrenching. By the end of the book, I knew each of the characters as if I was part of their story. This book is relevant, smart, and a bit magical. I'd recommend it to literally anybody. Full review here.







Frankly in Love by David Yoon ★★★★☆

Popsugar 2019 Reading Challenge Prompt: N/A

Brief synopsis:Frank Li is first-generation Korean-American. His parents, alongside many of their friends, immigrated to the States from Korea before Frank was even born. They built their American lives from the ground-up. But Frank's kind of stuck in this weird limbo between his Korean heritage and his American upbringing. But here's the thing - his girlfriend in not Korean, and his sister was basically disowned for dating outside of her ethnic group. So Frank has to come up with a way to keep his love life hidden from his parents, but it's proving much harder than he expected.

Overall thoughts: I really loved this book and how it brings to light a lot of issues and concerns in terms of dating outside your race. I connected with Frank's story and the characters, and who doesn't love a fake-dating trope? But I was saddened and shocked by the lack of queer characters in a book that's otherwise fairly diverse. I also had some issues with the sexualizing of Black women. There are definitely some improvements to be made in Yoon's story-telling in terms of representation and Black feminism, but overall this was a pretty good debut novel. Full review here.







Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo ★★★☆☆

Popsugar 2019 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book set on a college or university campus

Brief synopsis: Galaxy Stern goes by Alex. She's a bit rough around the edges. An addict from a not so pretty background. Oh, and she sees ghosts - or grays, as the secret society members at Yale call them. Because of her special skill, she's recruited to serve as a member of the House of Lethe, the governing body that watches over the secret societies (like Skull & Bones). Her recruitment also lands her a spot at Yale, somewhere she could never afford or get admitted to on her own. Hell, she didn't even graduate high school. But to oversee ancient societies is much darker than she could've ever imagined, especially when a local girl is found dead on-campus, and things just get worse from there. 
*I think it's important to note that the novel has multiple rape/sexual assault mentions and scenes, which would likely be triggering for some folks. Please be mindful when reading this book.

Overall thoughts: After more hype than I can even begin to recount, this book fell incredibly short for me. I absolutely loved the premise - secrety societies, ghosts, magic - but the build-up was incredibly slow and I had a difficult time visualizing the world being built. I highly disliked the protagonist and felt the story's execution failed in a lot of ways. But about 300 pages in, I got pretty hooked, began to connect with the characters, and was finally wrapped up in the world. By the last page, I was sold and will definitely read the next book in the series. Full review here.







Permanent Record by Mary H. K. Choi ★★★★☆

Popsugar 2019 Reading Challenge Prompt: N/A

Brief synopsis: Pablo is a college drop-out and works the overnight shift at his local bodega. His mom's a doctor; his dad has a new hobby-job every week; his younger brother is in trouble for his questionable side hustle; he is in massive debt. When Leanna Smart, an ex-Disney star (and basically Selena Gomez meets Ariana Grande), enters the bodega in the middle of his night shift, they hit it off quickly and he soon gets wrapped up in the lifestyles of the rich and the famous, leaving his regular-guy life behind.

Overall thoughts: This book was a bit corny and over-the-top at times, but honestly, I really loved it. Choi's writing is so much fun to read. I appreciated the deeper themes within this book in terms of financial literacy and mental health, though I wasn't a fan of the story's protagonist. I would definitely recommend Choi based off this book. Full review here.




















* denotes book was received free in exchange of an honest review. All opinions, as always, are 100% my own. 

TW: Racism



I've heard nothing but good things about Permanent Record, and from the interviews I've seen with Mary H.K. Choi, she's basically the coolest human. So I had to snatch up her sophomore YA novel from Book of the Month. And I haven't read Emergency Contact yet, but absolutely plan. Also, her novel covers are so dreamy.


Pablo is a college drop-out and works the overnight shift at his local bodega. His mom's a doctor; his dad has a new hobby-job every week; his younger brother is in trouble for his questionable side hustle; he is in massive debt. When Leanna Smart, an ex-Disney star (and basically Selena Gomez meets Ariana Grande), enters the bodega in the middle of his night shift, they hit it off quickly and he soon gets wrapped up in the lifestyles of the rich and the famous, leaving his regular-guy life behind.


This book was so precious, but also very good on a deeper level. The plot itself is a bit corny and far-reaching. I mean, sure "regular" people can certainly date rich and famous people. But these people are so witty and their conversations just seem so... unreal? I don't know, it was precious in the book, and I loved it. It was just a little outrageous at times. Also, Pablo is frustrating and seems to act out a lot. He seemed so immature, which I get, but I would expect his actions as a high school-aged kid, but he was a bit older. So I was just so frustrated with him all the time. I hated the way he acted towards his dad, who was just a genuinely good person. Honestly, Pab was freaking incredibly selfish and while he started out very likeable, I ended up finding him pretty insufferable.

What I really liked, and what the meat of the story was for me,  were his thoughts and concerns about college and his deeply vulnerable sadness. As an academic advisor I have literally never seen a fictional book refer to an academic advisor before. I've seen faculty advisors and conversations with administrators, but never a literal "academic advisor," so that was incredibly exciting. But he talked a lot about his issues with the costs of college versus having no clue what you want to do and a lack of intentional and unconditional support. Those pieces of the book were the ones that stuck with me the most because these are real, critical concerns that advisors are often working to address and try to alleviate. So I appreciate Choi so much for including that in her book.

There were also scenes in the book where the characters are like "I don't know why I'm acting like this, and I catch myself doing it, but I can't do better." I thought it really captured the realness of some mental health concerns, though I felt those weren't really addressed as such.

As for Leanna, I wanted to like her. Truly. But as an A-list celebrity, she came with her own set of issues and problems. I would've loved to have chapters from her prospective so I could've understood her on a deeper level. But the way the book was written, I only ever saw Pablo's interactions with her, which felt like a disservice to her character. I think deep-down, she was good. As a reader, I just never really got solid confirmation on that.





The connections to college were what really pulled this book together for me. It connected me to the story on such a deep level. Overall, I felt the romance and plot were corny and sticky sweet, but it was a fun rom-com to connect with. I felt there was a complexity to the story that I really resonated with, but I struggled to support or understand Pablo's choices. The characters throughout the book are flawed and real in their characteristics, not to mention to cast is totally diverse. I would definitely watch this book as a film or series. Choi's writing style is effortless and fun to read. I laughed out loud several times through the course of the book. I would definitely read more novels from her.



Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆

PopSugar 2019 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book set on a college or university campus


TW: Sexual assault/rape, violence, death, sexism, classism



Have you seen the absurd amount of hype over Ninth House? I mean, there is a lot of hype. And I mean, what's not to love about the synopsis of this book? Ivy league, secret societies, ghosts. It's a whole thing. So I was pumped to see it as an option for November's Book of the Month pick, and it satisfied one of my many remaining 2019 reading challenge prompts. But if I've learned anything about hyped up books, it's that they usually don't live up to the hype for me, which is such a disappointment. 


Galaxy Stern goes by Alex. She's a bit rough around the edges. An addict from a not so pretty background. Oh, and she sees ghosts - or grays, as the secret society members at Yale call them. Because of her special skill, she's recruited to serve as a member of the House of Lethe, the governing body that watches over the secret societies (like Skull & Bones). Her recruitment also lands her a spot at Yale, somewhere she could never afford or get admitted to on her own. Hell, she didn't even graduate high school. But to oversee ancient societies is much darker than she could've ever imagined, especially when a local girl is found dead on-campus, and things just get worse from there. 

*I think it's important to note that the novel has multiple rape/sexual assault mentions and scenes, which would likely be triggering for some folks. Please be mindful when reading this book.


This book is slow as all heck. It took me so long to understand what was even happening. I was confused by the jumping back and forth between time periods and scenarios, and at times, the writing was a bit too messy for my liking. I just could not grasp the story. There's also the unique difficulty of world-building when it comes to fantasy novels. And it was a total struggle. I had a difficult time visualizing the world and what different scenes looked like in my head. I was probably two-thirds of the way through the book before I could see it clearly. BUT, once I got there, I was totally into it.

Somewhere around page 300 of 458 is when I finally became immersed in this novel. I became attached to the characters and have a longing to know more about them, though I didn't quite love Alex. There were many times where I felt she was being a bit too hardheaded, and things could have been resolved much better and quicker if she would stop being so damn stubborn. Granted, that's not a problem with the book. I can totally enjoy a book while disliking it's protagonist. This book was so twisty and every time I thought I knew what was happening - BAM, new twist. It kept me on my toes, for sure, once I was living in its pages.


I've got quite a fascination with secret societies, and even did a project on them during grad school, so I was quite taken with the subject of this novel. It's intriguing and kind of scary. I'd absolutely love to see it as a film or series (which would definitely help with those visualization issues). I also really loved the map of Yale at the front of the book, which I compared with actual maps of the campus. I've definitely got a thing for colleges, so that was maybe the most interesting piece to me. 






I know Bardugo is a fan favorite, but this was the first book of hers I've read. It also happened to be her adult novel debut. From what I hear, her YA novels are a true crowd-pleaser, but I don't know if Ninth House has inspired me to jump into those just yet, but I will definitely be picking up the sequel because now the characters have grown on me, and that cliffhanger was truly too much to bear.

Ninth House is a terrifying and fantastical spin into secret societies. While the novel started out terribly slow and hard to imagine, the story finally came to life for me and ended leaving me longing for more. for more, it didn't quite live up to all the hype, but I will be picking up the next book in this series.




Goodreads rating: ★★★☆☆

I completed my first round of 101 in 1001 starting in 2016 and ending just earlier this year. What is 101 in 1001, you ask? It's a list of 101 goals to complete in 1001 days (about 2.75 years). This is such a fun process because it's really interesting to see how many things you can complete when you set your mind to it (it's almost like a game!), but it's also really cool to see how your priorities and interests change over time, too. This is round two for me, and I'm excited to see the growth that comes from this challenge.










Adventure, Fun, & New Things

01. Travel to five new cities. (1/5) Queens/Manhattan, June 2019

02. Travel to three new states. (1/3) New York, June 2019






12. Experience Oktoberfest. ☑ Helen GA, September 2019

16. Visit five new breweries. (2/5) Hixtown Brewing,  June 2019; Printer's Ale, November 2019

20. Chill with alpacas on an alpaca farm. ☑ L&R Alpaca Haven, May 2019





21. Try 15 new-to-me restaurants. (15/15) ☑ Farmer's Table, May 2019; Taste of Thai, May 2019; Grindhouse Killer Burgers, May 2019; Revolution Doughnuts, June 2019; Iron Age Korean Steak House, June 2019; Queens Jamaican restaurant, June 2019; Queens Chinese restaurant, June 2019; Queens Bodega, June 2019; Tick Tock Diner, June 2019; Rose's Pizza, June 2019; Victory Sandwich, June 2019; Poke Bar, July 2019; Raging Burrito, July 2019; Troll Tavern, September 2019; Kuroshio Sushi Bar & Grill, November 2019; Bagel Meister, November 2019

24. Eat five new-to-me foods. (3/5) Thai coconut soup, May 2019; Pâté, June 2019; Chopped cheese, June 2019

25. See five live performances (concerts and/or theatre). (1/5) Disrupt Fest, June 2019





Fashion, Beauty, & Wellness

44. Get a Brazilian wax. ☑ September 2019

45. Start a vitamin regimen. I've tried two different vitamins for a few months each. I am trying to find what works best for me still, and I'm definitely open to suggestions.

46. Buy a pair of Everlane Day Gloves. ☑ Got a pair in pink.





Home

52. Update our bedroom furniture. ☑ My parents and sister actually got up a set for Christmas, December 2019

61. Donate or throw out 50 items and do not replace them. ☑ Had a yard sale and got rid of a lot, October 2019.





Finances

62. Pay off my loans & 63. Pay down my credit cards by half. I've been steadily paying them down since I started a new job. So I'm making progress.

65. Open a joint checking account at a credit union to use for bills. ☑ July 2019

67. Save $500. ☑ July 2019




Books, TV, & Music

75. Read all the books I already own that I haven't read yet. I'm working through reading what I've got, though I'm still regularly getting Book of the Month picks each month.

76. Read all Stephen King books. Working through them. Make sure to check out the previous link for updates.





77. Complete a reading challenge each year. Not sure I'm going to completely finish the challenge, but I still work through them each year. I've very excited for the 2020 challenge.

79. Create five mood playlists on Spotify. (4/5) GRL PWR, Spooby Fall Bops, Pretty AF, A Few of My Favorite Tunes





Love & Marriage

90. Take a four-year anniversary trip or experience. ☑ Helen GA, September 2019

93. Celebrate Andre's 30th birthday in a big way. ☑ July 2019





Give Back

96. Donate books to a free little library. ☑ May 2019





97. Give out five care packages to friends. (1/5) #1, May 2019

98. Pay for the person behind me. ☑ September 2019





Career & Development

100. Get a promotion and/or raise. ☑ Began a new job with pay increase at a different institution, June 2019.

Moving can be so stressful. There's the packing, which truly sucks, then getting those larger pieces from different rooms around the house (like upstairs!), and squishing it all into a vehicle and hitting the road, then unloading, and unpacking. There's also a bit of sad sentimentality that comes along with leaving a home behind (even if you're moving on to bigger, better things). It's quite a frazzling experience.

We're still on the hunt for the perfect house, but please don't ask me how house-hunting's going, because it's such a stressful topic. It will happen when it happens, I guess. But it's nice to be prepared for a move. I talked about some tips for moving a few years ago after we moved into the house we live in now, so hopefully those things still ring true. But today, let's talk about moving books. Those are precious cargo around these parts.

In the past, we've mostly just loaded up my family's pick-up truck, then we moved on to renting a U-Haul for our last move. But over time, our house has grown and we've acquired more things, so this move may require a moving company to actually help us heave our things many miles away. If it's in the budget, consider hiring a removal service such as MyBekins for some of your packing and moving needs too, as they will take care of much of the hard work for you.

So that's wham, bam - thank you, ma'am, and done.

Well, not quite, especially if you are a lover and collector of books. The thought of moving lots of books can definitely increase stress levels. I mean, what if they get damaged? What if there's not enough packing space? Those boxes and bags of books can get incredibly heavy. But no worries! Let's talk through some suggestions to make moving your books easy-peasy.



#1: Declutter your shelves

Before you start the packing process, do what you probably do with your other household items, and have a decluttering session. Go through each of your books and consider whether you need them in your life or not. If you are never likely to read them again, if you just didn't like a book the first time you read it, or if it's been on your shelf for years and years and you know you'll never read it, then it makes sense to add them to your sell/donate/giveaway pile.

So, rather than taking your unwanted books with you to your new home, you could donate them to your local library (I love the leave mine in the little free libraries around me!), give them to your friends, or make some extra cash by having a yard sale or selling them to your local used bookstore. You will then have less to worry about when it comes to the packing stage, and you will have space in your new home for all the new books you intend to buy.



#2: Pack your books carefully

To prevent damage to your books, lie them spine down, or lay them down flat. Be sure not to pack too many books in each box either, as you might only end up with your books on the floor should the boxes buckle under the weight. Of course, you don't only need to use boxes. Large paper bags for those individual titles that are precious to you, storage baskets, and even suitcases are suitable for carrying your books. I definitely like to utilize other items I'm moving (like those suitcases or baskets) to save room! Whatever storage option you use, be sure to use bubble wrap, paper, and items of clothing to shield them from the risk of damage.

Check out these other book-packing tips for more useful advice.



#3: Pack strategically

If you're anything like me, you probably have hundreds of books to carry with you. You probably tend to have a specific system for ordering your books on your shelves, too, whether it's by color, size, title, author, or genre. So with this in mind, be sure to put the books that are normally shelved together in the same boxes. And label your boxes too, as this will save you time and effort when you're sorting out your books at your new home. You might also want to take a photo of the way your shelves are currently arranged, as you will have something to refer to when you need a reminder of where your books need to go - unless you want to try something different this time around.



#4: Don't pack every book early

Finally, don't pack the books you are still reading (or intend to read) weeks before your house move. And especially if you don't intend to unpack immediately on arrival at your new property, leave one or two out of your main storage boxes so you have something to unwind with when you're settling into your new surroundings. I'd recommend leaving these aside in a tote bag you like to use. Put them with your emergency supplies, as you will then have easy access to them, and because having a book to read at all times is obviously an emergency.










*This is a collaborative post.