#4.10: Read 25 New Books, #6.5: Read BuzzFeed's 21 Best YA Books of 2013 – Perfect Ruin

I'm applying to colleges again (much excite, very stress), and everything that comes with college admissions is taking up a lot of my time. There are a lot of feelings going on, but I'll spare you an angsty sob story.

That being said, though, all these things I'm dealing with has prevented me from reading as frequently as I would have liked to. It took me over two weeks to finish this book, which is a shame, because it was really well written, and the plot was exciting, and it was just immensely entertaining overall.

It was a sci-fi book (is that the right genre?), though, so at first I didn't think I would like it. I actually had no idea what it was about when I picked it up at the library, and I didn't read the summary before starting it; I just knew that it was on my list and that I needed to read it.

Look at how artistic these purposely shitty photos are

"Morgan Stockhour knows getting too close to the edge of Internment, the floating city in the clouds where she lives, can lead to madness. Even though her older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. If she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in her best friend, Pen, and in Basil, the boy she's engaged to marry.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially once she meets Judas. Betrothed to the victim, he is the boy being blamed for the murder, but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find – or whom she will lose."


The only issue I have is that it had SUCH a cliffhanger ending. I mean, it'd be fine if I could just go straight to the next book, but I have to wait UNTIL MARCH, 2015. NEXT YEAR. But nevertheless, I definitely plan to read it when it comes out.




Thanks for reading, no one!

Autumn

#17: Watch a Complete Series

I originally had a really big idea for this post, and am slightly sad that it never came to fruition.

Have you heard of Monk? It's one of my all time favorite shows, and I was going to write all about it. I've already watched it through a couple of times, but I wanted to figure out the "numbers" of the show. In other words, I wanted to count all the murders that took place over the course of the series, the number of times someone tries to kill Adrian, the number of times Adrian is shown in an outfit other than his signature slacks and button down.

But life happened, and watching was put on hold. We only own the DVDs, so it's not like I can watch anywhere and everywhere like I can with something on Netflix, and we have yet to buy the last season. I've been watching other things while watching Monk again, so it hasn't been my top priority. And really, I've already seen every episode several times, so it's not like I'm watching something new (and am therefore kind of cheating on this task).

So, I will be writing about something else.

I really, really, really like history. And, consequently, I really, really, really like everything about the Titanic. Like, a lot. 

So when I saw this series available on Netflix, I got super excited. 

That excitement quickly turned into anxiety, however, when I saw that it would only be on Netflix until the 14th. So, I assumed binge-watching mode and got to work.

I really enjoyed this. The costumes were amazing, and, being a history nerd, I really appreciate getting a glimpse into how life was way back when.

There were a lot of aspects/subplots to this series, which I think was a double edged sword. On the one hand, it kept everything interesting, but at times it seemed a bit overwhelming and hard to follow.

BUT WHAT DO I KNOW I'M AN 18 YEAR OLD SOCIALLY INEPT FEMALE WHO HAS WATCHED THREE SEASONS OF HOUSE IN A WEEK DON'T LISTEN TO ME

Thanks for reading, no one!

Autumn

#4.9: Read 25 New Books, #6.4: Read BuzzFeed's 21 Best YA Books of 2013 – Where the Stars Still Shine

Just like the previous book I read, this one is also not part of a series. 

"Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from Laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she'd like to forget completely.

But when Callie's mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie's real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love–even with someone who seems an improbable choice–is more than just a possibility.

By turns heartbreaking and hopeful, this sweet and sexy romance offers a whole new take on happily ever after…"

OHMYGOD.

THIS BOOK

THIS BOOK WAS LITERATURE

It had everything I love in a book, and I couldn't put it down. I read it in the span of about three days, which I haven't done with a book in a long time. I only wish the ending wasn't so terribly sad, but other than that I wouldn't change a thing. (Don't want to give too much away, but seriously, read this book)

However, after reading such an amazing little piece of art, I am not very excited to read the next book sitting on my nightstand. It's another fantasy, and the only reason I picked it up was because it was the only one at my library available also on my list. 

Wish me luck.

Thanks for reading, no one!

#3.5: Make 20 Recipes From Pinterest – Chicken and Garden Veggies Quinoa Skillet

                      

Ingredients

• 1 large onion
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 tbs EVOO
• 2 large bell peppers
• 2 lbs chicken breasts
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup water
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 medium zucchini
• 1 bunch broccoli
• 10 oz grape tomatoes
• 1 bunch parsley/dill/basil

First, chop and prep the vegetables. 

I use this handy green thing specifically for onions. You only need to roughly chop them up, and cranking the handle minces them for you. I'd strongly recommend getting one if you're at all interested in saving your skin from mascara stains or your ego which is usually bruised when other see you crying uncontrollably.

Dice the chicken.

Heat the oil in a skillet.

Sauté the garlic and onions until browned, about four minutes.

Add bell peppers, and cook everything for an additional three minutes.

Add chicken. Cook for five minutes.

Add quinoa, water, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 12 minutes.

Throw in the zucchini and broccoli, and cook covered for 15 minutes.

Add tomatoes and whatever herbs you chose.

Eat.

This was soooo good. I didn't run into many problems while making this. The only major thing was I ended up adding way too much water (way more than the single cup that was called for), but it was mostly absorbed after being in the fridge for a couple days. 

I also discovered that I hate zucchini, so when I make this again I'll replace it with more broccoli, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Maybe I'll even add some carrots. I'm SUCH a connoisseur.

Thanks for reading, no one!

#4.8: Read 25 New Books, #6.3: Read BuzzFeed's 21 Best YA Books of 2013 – The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

Listing reading BuzzFeed's 21 Best YA Books of 2013 may have been a mistake; I'll have to read a lot more than I was originally intending to, and it's keeping me from rereading certain books that I haven't in a while (i.e. Harry Potter).

BUT that's why it's called a challenge, right?

I picked The Coldest Girl in Coldtown off the list to read because it wasn't part of a series (there are a lot of books on that list that are the second or third book in a series, and obviously I'm going to have to read whatever books precede those, so once again, I'm going to have to read a loooooot).

A little background about my reading preferences: I am not one for fantasy or sci-fi. The only exception to this is the Harry Potter series, which I've read 10 times and am still obsessed with. I like books about romance. I like books about people my age. I like books that are funny. I like stories that are real, in the sense that they could feasibly (or unfeasibly, whatever) happen.

Back to the book.

"Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mixture of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of range and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black."

Spoiler alert: it's about vampires. That initially turned me off, and I had a hard time getting into the story, but once there was romance happening, I was ALL IN. I thought the book ended in the middle of what could have been a great opportunity for even more romance, and there really was a lack of closure. Maybe this means there'll be a sequel? I sure hope so.

Thanks for reading, no one!

#16: Win a Contest

Several months ago I entered a contest through disneymovierewards.com. The grand prize was a trip for four to Disney's Aulani resort, themed as "Frozen in the Summer". Before you get too excited, no, I did not win a trip to Hawaii. But I was close!

I ended up winning an Olaf stuffed animal. Not a vacation, but I was excited nonetheless.

Cute, right?

You can even mutilate and dismember his body! Fun!

Thanks for reading, no one!

Autumn

#3.4: Make 20 Recipes From Pinterest – Chicken Pesto Quinoa Bowl

Time is passing so quickly, and to be honest, it's scaring the shit out of me. There's a lot on my plate at the moment that I don't want to deal with, and when that's the case, I distract myself with the Internet. A bad idea, really, as that in of itself makes time slip away even faster.

Anyway, I made this recipe over a month ago (I think?). It was one I found through Pinterest relatively recently, but it immediately caught my eye and I wanted to try it. Do you remember The Protein Bar? It was a restaurant I tried during my DC trip, and I wrote a little bit about it here. To summarize, it's a small restaurant chain that specializes in healthy, high protein meals, everything delicious and made with natural ingredients. 

I didn't get the Chicken Pesto Quinoa Bowl the two times I visited, but I think (lol idk??) I remember seeing it on their menu. 

Ingredients

• 2 c quinoa

• 2 chicken breasts

• 1 c spinach

• 2 T pesto

• 2 T grated parmesan

• 1 t lemon pepper

• 1 t garlic

• 1 T EVOO

Boil 4 cups of water, and add the quinoa. Simmer for 15-ish minutes, or until done.

Cut the chicken (and season with the lemon pepper) and garlic...

…and add to a warm skillet with the olive oil.

After the quinoa and chicken are done, add them plus the spinach, pesto, and parmesan to a large bowl, and mix.

All done!

I did have to make adjustments to the recipe, but once I did, it was sooooo good. At first, once I had mixed everything together, the flavor was weak. I ended up adding more pesto, parmesan, and salt, and wanted to add more chicken and spinach, but this could easily be solved by using less quinoa. It does make a lot anyway, so using less quinoa would be good if you don't want a lot of leftovers.

Thanks for reading, no one!

Autumn