The penultimate November day

Since tomorrow is the last day of November, I thought that it'd be a good time to compare my TBR list to what I actually read. This month, I decided to be considerably more loose, and only selected 3 books to read this month that were predetermined, while the rest could be selected and read on a whim.

Ha.

What I was supposed to read:

• Winter
• Half Wild
• City of Bones

What I actually read:

• The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
• Warm Bodies - Isaac Marion ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
• #88 Love Life: 88 Thoughts On Love and Life - Diana Rikasari ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
• Modern Romance - Aziz Ansari ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
• Finding Audrey - Sophie Kinsella (buddy read with Nars) ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
• The other books listed in preceding post

Basically, I read everything BUT what I was meant to. 

(Insert "Watch out, we got a badass here" ironically)

After this, I won't be sticking to any regimens or plans, because evidently, I suck at them in the long-run. 

*Miley Cyrus' Can't Be Tamed plays in the distance*

On a completely non-bookish note, I also loved November for being a month wherein I was movie-marathoning like a madwoman. Saturday Midnight Skype Movie rituals contributed to that, granted, but trips to the cinema also became a favourite pastime of mine this month (or ever since the end of my practical internship). My favourite was probably The Good Dinosaur!

On a completely bookish note, I treated myself to a delight, in light of author Lang Leav's tour to Malaysia. 

Hopefully, the month is going to end off spectacularly to welcome the last month of the year.

Hi November !

So it's getting to be almost two weeks of November already - wow, like, chill, do you need a speeding ticket, Earth? - and, all I have to say for myself is that I've finally finished my hardbound, and am as free as Dobby, basically.

In honour of that, I thought I would indulge in immersing myself with things I enjoy; i.e., TV show binging, movie marathoning, book read-alongs, room decorating, and painting whatever the heck that looks even remotely like a smooth surface.

I've also started writing for NaNoWriMo with a couple of buds, so that's something that I'm pretty stoked about as well!

I didn't have many books in my reading plan this month, so most of it is basically just picked on a whim. While I was on holiday, I picked up and finished Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and Can You Keep a Secret? in the space of 4 days. Which is a new record for me, considering the fact that I am a sleep-loving sloth.

November favourites

On the whole, however, I think I read quite a few books I didn't quite like as much as I would've expected to.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Saenz:  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - Rachel Cohn & David Levithan:  ♥ ♥ 

Can You Keep a Secret? - Sophie Kinsella:  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Stories - Edgar Allan Poe: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Animal Farm - George Orwell: ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Why Not Me? - Mindy Kaling:  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Bossypants - Tina Fey:  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories - Charlotte Perkins Gilman: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

The Tinder Box and Other Stories - Hans Chirstian Anderson: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

I also read a number of picture books, because why the hell not?:

A Perfectly Messed Up Story - Patrick McDonell:  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

There's a Wocket in My Pocket! - Dr Seuss:  ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Marvin K Mooney, Will You Please Go Now! - Dr Seuss:  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Inside Out - Walt Disney Company:  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Red: A Crayon's Story - Michael Hall: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

The Day the Crayons Came Home - Drew Daywalt:  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

I was in the children's section in the amazing Kinokuniya store, as one often finds oneself when one is just a little melancholy (or is that just me?), and I found that though the books were targeted for a much younger audience, the heart and the humour of them can be appreciated by even the oldest people, if they were as brilliant as Dr Seuss.

What I've been up to while I listen to some interesting audiobooks (such as Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari, and The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket; both of which I have yet to finish!) is finally completing a double page of my colouring book. If you haven't heard of the new therapeutic adult colouring book craze, I don't know what to tell ya. It's completely relaxing.

Medium: water-soluble colour pencils, and watercolour paint

I'm currently juggling about 6 books as of now, and have put another 2 on hold. The reason why I can't read one book at a time like a complete sane person is, is because I have a super short attention span, and I am really eratic, and have specific moods. Like one moment I'll feel like reading an easy-going YA book, and the next, I'm craving a Stephen King book. You never know. I mean, I never know.

Hopefully, I'll be able to complete my 2015 Reading Challenge, which is to read 150 books this year. As of right now, I've read 137. 

Wish me luck!

October Shenanigans

So I'd say this month's quite a lucky month for me. I got a lot done, and had a lot of time to express creativity in outlets, as well as getting some gorgeous seaside vacation time in.

I squeezed in some major reading time, and I'm glad to have been able to stick to my reading plan. I even read some extra random ones, just because.

1. Very Good Lives - J K Rowling                                            ✯✯✯✯✯
2. Fantastic Mistakes / Make Good Art - Neil Gaiman                ✯✯✯✯
3. The Titan's Curse - Rick Riordan                                          ✯✯✯✯✯
4. A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J Maas                       ✯✯✯✯
5. Library of Souls - Ransom Riggs                                        ✯✯✯✯✯
6. A Little Something Different - Sandy Hall                            ✯✯✯✯
7. The Rosie Project - Graeme Simsion                                    ✯✯✯✯✯
8. The Battle of The Labyrinth - Rick Riordan                           ✯✯✯✯✯
9. Royal Wedding - Meg Cabot                                              ✯✯✯✯✯
10. Who Could It Be At This Hour? - Lemony Snickett                 ✯✯✯
11. The Last Olympian - Rick Riordan                                       ✯✯✯✯✯
12. The Demigod Files - Rick Riordan                                         ✯✯✯✯✯

I only have a rough sketch of what the November reading plan is like, but I think I'm going to allow more liberality this time.