Top 10 Books of 2014

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2014 has been an amazing reading year for me. Over the summer, I rediscovered my passion for good books and really got into reading again, So, without any further ado, here are my top books of the year. I'm not going to explain my reasoning as you can check out my wrap ups which I will link at the end and there is no specific order.

1. Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell

2. Winger - Andrew Smith

3. Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Maas

4. The Darkest Minds - Alexandra Bracken 

5. The Fault in Our Stars - John Green

6. Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green and David Levithan

7. The Retribution of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin

8.The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

9. Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins

10. The Giver - Lois Lowry

October + November

September

xx

 Kendall

How I rate books

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This has been a topic that I've seen touched on quite a lot within the past few months as people tend to think ratings aren't genuine, and of course, everyone rates a bit differently. I have found that I may be a lot tougher when it comes to rating, but as I don't usually type a full review on my Goodreads unless the book was given for review, it may be a bit confusing as to what the stars mean to me.

Of course, I rate every book differently. For example, I may rate a classic based on the complexity and statement, while a contemporary may just be rated depending on how much I like it.

1 STAR: I don't think I've ever given one of these. But it would just mean that I really didn't like anything about the book.

2 STARS: I didn't like the book, but I did like a specific character, scene, or message in the story. Or generally, I saw its merit. (Eleanor and Park, Pandemonium)

3 STARS: I liked the story, but it was nothing special. ( Hollow City, Ender's Game,We Were Liars, The Selection)

4 STARS: I loved the book, but maybe there were some points where I found myself bored, or there just were some flaws. (Throne of Glass, Anna and the French Kiss, Harry Potter (all of them so far) The Lightning Thief)

5 STARS: I absolutely loved the book. Though it may still have its flaws, they never impaired my enjoyment. (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, The Hunger Games, Fangirl)

I do also have a shelf that is my absolute favorite books that I don't own. but you're pretty safe picking from any of my 4 or 5 star books.

xx Kendall

An Ode to Christmas

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Christmas

The twinkling lights, soft fall of snow, 

the chilly air

Everyone seems happier,

letting the spirit of the season seep into their soul

The cheer of giving and receiving,

spending time with those you love.

Warm drinks, rich foods,

the wafting scent of baked goods.

Enjoy your Christmas

xx

Things I've learned in 2014

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1. Blogging is not easy

(And  I don't know why I thought it was)

2. Owning books is way more satisfying than borrowing them.

3. I get the most work done at around 11 PM

4. Scheduling posts is my best friend.

5. High school is nothing like what people say. 

6. Write down everything. Keeping journals is the best stress reliever ever.

7. I need to drink a ton of water to feel completely normal

8. You need to take initiative and not wait around for opportunities.

9. Reading allows you to live so many lives without ever leaving bed.

10. tumblr is not as great as people say it is.

11. There's nothing wrong with being an introvert.

12. You do not have to be friends with those who make you unhappy.

13. It's okay to not be like everyone else.

14. Music is really important

15. Some people generally suck, and there's nothing you can do about it.

xx Kendall

12 Things to Start Doing

Hey Guys,

I originally saw this on a photo on tumblr a while ago, and I thought it would be something good to get up before the new year.

1. drink more water

2. carry a camera everywhere

3. read more books

4. go for more walks

5. do yoga more often

6. enjoy the little things

7. go to bed earlier

8. go outside more

9. stop comparing yourself to others

10. stick yo your goals and stop putting things off

11. write down what you're feeling

12. smile more, especially at strangers

xx Kendall

Day Diary: Typical School Day

 

6:30 AM: I pull myself away from sleep, (but typically lounge around in bed for another 15 minutes or so), get dressed, do any makeup I feel that day. and pull my hair up.

7:00 AM: Cereal Time. That is all.

8:00 AM: I would have just gotten to school at this point. After catching up with some friends for a few minutes, I head off to my algebra class

9:00 AM: PE 

10:00 AM: This is either my advisory period or Spanish class, depending on the day 

11:00 AM: History Class, which gets interrupted by lunch.

12:00 PM: Lunch time!!! Arguably the best part of the school day

1:00 PM: My biology class which is basically the home of all inside jokes.

2:00 PM: English Class, which is probably my favorite class overall.

3:00: I finally get to go home, (hallelujah), treat myself to some coffee and a snack before homework time.

4:00-7:00 PM: This is typically my homework time. But, if I finish in a decent time, I also like to use this time for blogging and drawing.

8:00 PM: Due to my sister's weird gymnastic schedule, I typically don't have dinner until around 8 or so, but that's not really an issue for me.

9:00: This is usually my reading/drawing/instagram time. But, it can vary, depending on what I need to do for the next day.

10:00 Shower time. Honestly the time where I get rid of all of my makeup and dirt and oil is one of my absolute favorites. It feels really nice to get all cozy again.

10:30 And now, it's bed time!

xx

Kendall

The Journal Post

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Hey Guys,

So I don't know about other people, but for me, with reading comes writing, And with blogging, comes even more writing. While writing on computer documents is great and all, I'm a sucker for journals. 

And I keep a few.

The Daily Journal:

This one is exactly what it sounds like. Think your diary from 5th grade, just...better. I write in this almost everyday to document the things that have gone on and whatever I happen to be feeling at the moment, and it's great.

The Blog Book:

I've kept this journal as a vault for all of the post ideas I come up with for when I sit down on the weekends and write up my posts for the week. I keep a running list of all of my ideas and take notes on any content things I may forget.

The Book Journal:

Think Goodreads on paper. This is really handy for my monthly wrap up as I group up the books I read for every month and rate them simply. 

Not to mention I also keep a planner for writing down homework and a sketchbook that I draw in religiously.

Are you a journal keeper?

xx Kendall

The Biology Project

Hey Guys,

As I said I would, I decided to post my final semester project for my biology class since it was slightly bookish. Basically the assignment was to read a sci-fi book and then compare it to actual scientific fact. I hope you all enjoy

xx Kendall

The Inspiration Dump: The Typography Edition

I hope you all have an amazing week. xx 

Kendall

The Toll of Blogging Daily + My Apologies

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Hey Guys,

I want to preface this post with an apology. I have already slipped up on my blogging everyday. School and projects definitely got the best of me this week. 

However, I really want to try to pick back up on it. I'm pretty busy today as I type this, but tomorrow should be a pretty productive day and I hope I can type up a good amount of posts then. Also, winter break starts next week, and that will be the perfect time for me to get way ahead of my blogposts.

But it's really hard guys.

I have so much respect for people who do this everyday and have gone years with very few breaks. The mental toll this takes on me is pretty insane. 

But at the same time, I get it. This is really fun. Yeah, it's tiring and frustrating and sometimes makes me wonder why I agreed to this, but hey, it's fun. I have started to truly treat blogging as my job and a professional environment where I need to be presentable.

It's such an accomplishment when my posts go up everyday and to watch my views climb.

It really means the world to me.

xx Kendall