Life Right Now

I can't think of the right words that could adequately explain my life lately, so I'm going to update you in list form.

• I started college on Monday and I absolutely love it. 
• I can't stop listening to Colton Dixon's new album, "Anchor."
• I'm extremely exhausted but it feels so good to be working through that for once in my life.
• I'm going to a concert Friday night and I couldn't be more excited about that. Holla!
• I had my first Intro into English Lit class today and I LOVED IT. We talked about books for an hour. (English Majors for the win)!
• My room is a disaster area and I need to make time to clean it. Oops. 

I'm not sure what else to write about really. This was a pretty lame update and I'm sorry about that. I will try to update with a better post soon. I did finally finish We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han and I will do a booking it post about that really soon! (hint: It may have been my favorite of the three). 

Okay, I'll talk to you guys soon. 

Byeeeee xx

It's Not Summer Without You | Booking It

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It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

       

Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach?

It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.

But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started--at Cousins Beach.

   

I. Adored. This. Book.

I don't know what it is, or why, but I even think I liked this better than the first one. There was just something about it that I loved. Maybe it was because it dealt with something a bit more serious (not that the first one didn't but, I don't know, this one seemed to more.) I absolutely loved seeing how much Belly grew up since the first book and how much Conrad and Jeremiah changed as well. 

Also, I still can't decide whether I'm for Belly & Conrad or Belly & Jeremiah. They're both pretty fantastic and it's hard to choose.

                     

*****

five out of five. 

(one more star than the first in the trilogy).

I loved it so much. 

read on.

xoxo, shi

goodreads 

Next on my bookshelf:

We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

Weekly Eye Candy | August 16

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So I am back with another weekly eye candy for ya.

This week I've basically just been reading. A lot. I don't know why, but I have just been in a read-y mood. That's part of the reason that I haven't really blogged all that much. But I'm back today do do another weekly eye candy. So here we go:

1. I love concerts. I'm going to see Royal Tailor / Jamie Grace / OBB / Rapture Ruckus / Moriah Peters on August 29th - yippie! and I'm seeing Bastille on October 17. So I am just absolutely stoked. (One Direction is playing a show 4 hours from where I live tonight and I'm aggressively disappointed that I wont be there.)
2. I just love bonfires. I've talked about it before. It's so summery, but I also feel like it could be a fall thing as well. And fall is my absolute favorite. So.
3. Harry Styles. 'Nuff said.
4. We've been spending our days exploring our small town lately and we found a place very similar to this. I love it.
5. I love these stupid e-cards.
6. See no. 5
7. Again, One Direction. Wow. This turned into a 1D thing fast. Oops.
8. I love friends. Yeah.
9. This is the place we found that I mentioned in no. 4. It's pretty.
10. BOOKS. okay.

That's all I have time to say at the moment, but I'll make another post later. 

xoxo, Shi

The Summer I Turned Pretty | Booking It

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The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

   

Some summers are just destined to be pretty.

When each summer begins, Belly leaves her school life behind and escapes to Cousins Beach, the place she has spent every summer of her life. Not only does the beach house mean home away from home, but her favorite people are there: Susannah, her mother's best friend, and her sons, Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly has been chasing Conrad for as long as she can remember, and more than anything, she hopes this summer will be different. Despite distractions from a new guy named Cam and lingering looks from Conrad's brother, Jeremiah, Belly's heart belongs to Conrad. Will he offer his to her? Will this be the summer that changes everything?

   

I thought that this book was sweet.

It wasn't my absolute favorite book I've ever read, but it was good. It was a quick easy read that definitely put me in a summer-y mood. I did tear up a couple of times and some of it had me laughing out loud. 

I could really relate to Belly.

Conrad and Jeremiah were lovely. Even though Conrad was a moody poophead for half of it. I still loved him.

I don't know who I was routing for more, either, Jeremiah or Conrad. I liked them both, so. 

                 

****

4/5

I liked it a lot and can't wait to continue with this trilogy.

xoxo, Shi

goodreads 

Next on my bookshelf:

It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

To all the Boys I've Loved Before | Booking It

To all the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Lara Jean keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren't love letters that anyone else wrote for her, these are the ones she's written. One for every boy she's ever loved--five in all. When she writes she can pour out her heart and soul and say all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly Lara Jeans's love life goes from imaginary to out of control. 

I'd heard so many good things about this book, so I just had to pick it up. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed. Lara Jean's character was so easy to relate to and understand. There was some spots that were humorous and some that were serious. Overall, it was a perfect combination of the too. Sweet and salty if you will. I loved all of it. It was also a quick read, which I wont complain about. I finished it in about two days (although, I could've done it in one if I didn't have to finish my summer reading first. Bleh). 

I highly recommend this book. 

                 

 *****

    five out of five. 

I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel to come out next year!

xoxo, Shi

p.s.

don't forget to add me on goodreads.

Next on my bookshelf:

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Dare to Believe | CRAVE

So, I'm not quite sure how I want to start this or where this is going to go, so I'm just going to write. It'll probably be very ramble-y and unclear, but that's okay. It's just how this goes sometimes.

The other day on facebook someone I'm friends with made a post. it said:

So these "Christian genocides" taking place are tragic, don't let me give you the wrong impression. BUT that being said its almost as if religion is still causing more problems than its worth. Just a thought.

I didn't say anything at first. I still haven't commented on it, but it has been bothering me a little bit since I first saw it. As you all know, I've been a Christian since birth. Born and raised to believe in the Lord. But The reason that I'm a Christian now isn't just because of my parents. Sure, I was raised with the the ideas of Christianity, but I've realized throughout my life how important a relationship with Christ is.

To be honest, if it wasn't for my faith in Jesus Christ I might not be sitting here writing this today. He has brought me through so much; times of doubt and self-destruction. He's my rock, my best friend, and the only one who will ever truly love me unconditionally.

Right after I read the post, I was listening to one of Colton Dixon's new songs called Dare to Believe. The chorus of the song says:

I will dare to believe You are the savior, living in me. And I know you always will be the God of the impossible, the God of every miracle. Before the world to see I will dare to believe. 

And this was what I wanted to comment on it. I'm going to dare to believe, because for me it's worth everything. He gave up his life so that I would be free from my sins. So that I could live and love fully. He's the God of everything, and I believe in it with my whole heart.

The thing is is that the world we live in is broken. Sin came in and took over; it's running ramp-id right now. There are bad things because of sin.

If You were just some carpenter from nowhere, an ordinary man with ordinary news, than we would not be here, still claiming You all these years. We believe the stories because their true. Some might call me crazy but I'm no fool. 

And I think that pretty much sums it up for me. It's more than stories, more than myths. It's truth. He's lived and died for me and he's still living. He will defeat the bad. The sin won't win. The terrible things that are going on in the world will not prevail. And because of that I have hope. Because I dare to believe.

I know that this wasn't the most thought out, orderly post, but it's been on my heart for a while so I needed to get it posted.

xoxo, Shi.

If I Stay | Booking It

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make--and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

This book was something very different than what I'm usually into. As you all know, I usually go for the YA romance books. But I had heard so much about this one that I thought I had to pick it up; especially before the movie comes out! And I have to tell you that I don't regret it at all. This book was actually stunning. The idea of it and the way it was written; ugh it was just fabulous. Gayle Forman did a fantastic job conveying what she wanted to with this novel. I loved it. 

"I realize now that dying is easy. Living is hard." 

"Sometimes you make choices in life and sometimes choices make you." 

****

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. While it was a fantastic book, the ending didn't really leave me feeling satisfied. I'm hoping that the second book will bring that satisfied feeling that the ending of this one didn't quite leave me with. 

In other news I was wondering if you guys would be interested in me making videos about my book reviews. I've been watching a lot of booktube lately and have been strongly considering it. So let me know if you'd be interested in that. 

Thanks for reading.

xoxo, Shi