The 100-book Challenge Update – January 2015

January Stats:
Total Books Started: 5
Total Books Finished: 3

Book 1: Girl Online – Zoe Sugg

I have been a follower of Zoe Sugg’s YouTube channel for around two years now. It was, in fact, one of the first YouTube channels that I followed. On on hand, she knows all about beauty and style, and on the other, she is very relatable. She has a way of capturing the interest of an audience (namely, me 7 million plus others), and engaging them in topics that, in any other situation, might not have been of interest.

This led to me being excited when, last year, she announced that she will be publishing a novel. And although it was classified as YA, and even Children’s books, I pre-ordered it on Amazon that minute it was available.

As expected, Girl Online was a very light read. It took me less than 24 hours to finish – something I haven’t done since the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It follows the story of a high school girl who keeps an anonymous blog, and who gets to travel to new lands and meet a prince charming of sorts.

The narration was gripping, easy to follow, and I was not tempted to skip any part of it – something that I can be guilty of at times. And even though there was a hype about Zoe using a ghost writer, that does not bother me in the least. If you have read any of Zoella’s blog posts, you can see that she is a talented writer, and that reflected in the book. It only makes sense that writing a blog post of a few hundred words is substantially different from writing a book of a few hundred pages, and professional help would be in order.

As for the story, the events were gripping, and kept me wanting for more! A good book is one that will make you wanting to flip to the next page, then the next, and the next. The idea of being in a foreign land, and finding love there may as well be every girl’s fantasy and some point. Capturing that in writing allowed the young girl in me to live this fantasy through Girl Online.

Nevertheless, when the book ended, I felt that the story wasn’t complete. There were still events that need to take place, I wanted to know what happened next! I am only hoping that it will inspire a sequel, to complete the story, and allow me more peace of  mind.

Time to Finish: 1 day
Rating: 4/5

Book 2: The Lunar Chronicles: Cinder – Marissa Meyer

Because I felt a bit disappointed that Girl Online finished too quickly, I picked one of the series I had on my list. In my haste to select, it turned out one of the series that were not all published – the fourth book of the series will be released in November 2015! So, currently, I am wishing I had left this till the end of the year rather than now, because waiting for 10 months for a book is not something I am looking forward to.

I am a fan of fairy tale adaptions. I enjoyed reading Confession of an Ugly Stepsister, and Marie Hall’s Kingdom series (Side note: As I am writing this, I found out that there are actually 11 books so far in the series, and I only read the first five, so YAY! for more books). Anywho, I selected Cinder because from the quick review I read about it, it seemed to be combining fairy tales with a bit of Sci-Fi.

The book was by no means a disappointment. The chapters were short enough to allow for pauses (because I almost NEVER set a book down in the middle of a chapter, and this was important because I was reading this while preparing for a major thesis-related task), yet gripping enough to keep me turning and – ahem – procrastinating.

The interesting thing was that the influence of the fairy tale on the book was not overwhelming. You have an orphan that is abused by her step-mom, and a handsome prince at a ball, a love story, and a missing… shoe? But that’s about it. The story is taking place in a futuristic version of earth, where there are major unions, and people living on the moon, and awesome technologies. Also, the setting is in East Asia!

So, if you enjoy fairy tales, but in the mood for something different, give this book a try, and tell me what you think. Just don’t expect to be reading the story of Cinderella, because then you will be disappointed. But be prepared for an ending that will leave you wondering if you had, in fact, reached the end of the book, or have a few chapters missing. And this will mean that you will want to pick up the next installment in the series immediately once this one is done.

Time to Finish: 3 days
Rating: 4.5/5

Book 3: The Lunar Chronicles: Scarlet – Marissa Meyer

Immediately after I finish Cinder I went scrambling for Scarlet. Luckily, the second book in this series combined the stories of Scarlet and Cinder, and answered many questions that the first book left unanswered.

I have to confess now, I have a soft spot for misunderstood villains, and this is the second book that makes me fall in love with the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood (the first being Marie Hall’s Red and Her Wolf). I can even honestly say that I like Scarlet’s Wolf more than Cinder’s prince.

So, as with Cinder, the story has a grandmother “eaten” by a wolf, a granddaughter with red hair, sweater and a name to match, a journey to reach the grandmother, and a wolf. But what’s beneath that is so much more. It will leave you doubting yourself and wondering if you are putting your trust in the wrong person, at several occasions.

Reading this also made me wonder why Disney haven’t yet come up with a movie for this classic fairy tale – the 1922 one does NOT count. So this is my next demand from Disney! It also made me want to watch the movie with Amanda Seyfried again.

P.S. this book also does not have a satisfying ending.

Time to Finish: 1 week
Rating: 4.5/5

Books I didn’t get to finish:

Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen: Not for a fault in the novel itself, but because the book I picked up contained all of Austen’s novel and it was HUGE, and I started reading it at a time where there were too many distractions around me.
Possibility of picking up the book again soon: 90%

A Game of Thrones – George R. R. Martin: I currently have to be on the road around 3 hours four times a week, not driving. I cannot read in the car because I get motion sick, so I got the audio book version of A Game of Thrones, and I am listening to that now. So far, I finished half of the book, and I can’t wait finish it and get the next one.

Off to get on with Cress – the third book of the Lunar Chronicles.

Which Disney Princess Am I?

I am by no means a girly girl, but, another credit goes to these guys and their ideas, just for the fun of it. So, for every Disney princess they compiled a bunch of statements, and I checked the ones that I can relate to.

Belle

[] You’ve kissed someone your friends didn’t like.
[x] You’ve been lost in the forest.
[x] You love to read.
[] You are not shy at all.
[x] One of your family members is a bit weird.
[x] You have done volunteer work.
[x] You have a wild imagination.
[] You love to take care of people in need.
[] You’ve had guys like you only because they think you’re pretty.
[x] You’ve rejected at least one person when they’ve asked you out.
Total: 6

Rapunzel

[] You’re an orphaned child or have an evil mother.
[x] You have many different hobbies to keep you busy.
[x] You can get really bored.
[] You have very long hair.
[] Your hair is/was bright blonde.
[x] You’re an artsy person.
[] You’re childish.
[] You can’t wait to stop the same routine each day and start living.
[x] You care about others and their feelings.
Total: 5

Alice

[] You have/had a pet rabbit.
[x] You love to play cards.
[x] You constantly know the time.
[] You get yourself in sticky situations.
[] You have been to a court.
[x] You have fallen asleep while doing your homework.
[] You have had a tea party.
[] You like hats.
[x] You’re late.
[] You know how to play croquet.
Total: 4

Jasmine

[] Your dad is rich.
[x] You are very clever.
[] You’ve been with someone way different from you.
[x] You’d never marry someone just because they were rich.
[x] You have set a lot of goals for yourself.
[] You don’t have a lot of (good) friends.
[x] You’re independent.
[] You are wealthy.
[] Your parents try to control your life.
Total: 4

Megara

[] Your boyfriend/crush is strong.
[x] You have gotten involved with the wrong people before.
[] You are very convincing.
[] You have fallen in love before.
[] You have had your heart broken.
[x] You find an interest in Greek mythology.
[x] You lie sometimes.
[] You pretend to be someone you’re not.
[] You have been used.
[x] Purple is one of your favorite colors.
Total: 4

Ariel

[x] Your parents expect a lot from you.
[x] You really try to follow the rules, but it’s hard for you.
[] You’re a bit of a trouble maker.
[] You love to swim.
[] Your favorite animal is some sort of sea creature.
[x] You collect something.
[] You have/had long hair.
[] You are adventurous.
[] You’re extremely curious.
[x] You believe everything people tell you/you’re a bit gullible.
Total: 4

Aurora

[x] You live/have lived with someone other than your parents.
[] You almost died at a very young age.
[x] You are gentle, loving, and/or thoughtful.
[] You have a decent singing voice.
[x] You like to sleep in late on the weekend.
[] You spend most of your time outside.
[] You’re adopted.
[x] You’re very romantic.
[x] Pink is one of your favorite colors.
Total: 5

Cinderella

[] One of your parents is dead.
[] You are expected to do a lot of chores.
[x] You love to dress up.
[x] You love animals.
[] You are waiting patiently for your Prince Charming.
[] Your mom is really strict.
[] You have sisters who seem kind of jealous of you.
[] You’re afraid to speak your mind sometimes.
[] You have left your shoes at a friend’s house before.
[] You have/had blonde hair.
Total: 2

Snow White

[] Sometimes it seems like your mom is jealous of you.
[] You’ve almost been killed.
[x] You have at least seven good friends.
[] You’ve had food poisoning.
[x] You have/had short hair.
[x] You get along with almost everyone.
[x] All of your friends are different.
[x] You love to have a good time.
[] You’re happier when you’re out of the house than in.
Total: 5

Tinkerbell

[x] You get jealous easily.
[x] You loved your childhood.
[x] You like to fly.
[x] You believe in magic.
[] You’re 5’2” or under.
[] You hate pirates.
[x] You love sparkles.
[] People underestimate you.
[] You get angry easily.
[] You have/had a treehouse.
Total: 5

Pocahontas

[x] You love to walk around and explore big cities.
[] You are more spiritual than religious.
[] You’ve been in an interracial relationship.
[] One of your family members is dead.
[x] Your parents are very protective of you.
[] Someone you know has been in the war.
[x] You love nature.
[] You have/had black hair.
[x] You would love to move somewhere exotic and beautiful.
[] You’re very adventurous.
Total: 4

Mulan

[] You can be a tomboy sometimes.
[] People wish you could be a bit more girly.
[] You’ve pretended to be someone you’re not.
[] You’ve had a physical fight with someone.
[] You have/had considered running away from home.
[] Your parents try to plan your life out.
[x] A lot of your friends are boys.
[] You sometimes find yourself in bad situations.
[x] You love your family so much that you’d do anything to protect them
Total: 2

So, the result comes of no surprise to me, with Belle being my favourite Disney princess. For fun, try the quiz and let me know who you get!

Art Journal #1 – Vacation

This is my first attempt at an art journal entry. I was browsing through pinterest and I came across this quote, and nothing sounds truer than this does. So, here goes. It is nothing elaborate, just a background of pattern paper, and some gelatos and distress ink. Let me know what you think!

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Photoset Challenge

I ran across this challenge on fuckyeahsurveys, and I thought, yeah, sure, why not!

Post a set of photos for whichever you’re asked:

ʘ Four tv shows you enjoy that were made in the last five years (I am counting series that started more than five years ago, but are still going till now here)

1. The Vampire Diaries
   
   
2. Sleepy Hollow
   
3. Scandal
   
4. Game of Thrones
   

ʑ Nine men with faces that you like the look of (I am assuming you mean celebrities, and in no particular order)

1. Ian Somerhalder
   
2. Colin O’Donoghue
   
3. Tom Mison
   
4. Tom Hiddleston
   
5. Jospeh Morgan
   
6. Ryan Gosling
   
7. Gene Kelly
   
8. Theo James
   
9. Gerard Butler
   

ɣ Nine women with faces that you like the look of (I am assuming you mean celebrities, too)

1. Jennifer Lawrence
   
2. Emma Stone
   
3. Emma Watson
   
4. Vivien Leigh
   
5. Julia Roberts
   
6. Zooey Deschanel
   
7. Rachel McAdams
   
8. Natalie Portman
   
9. Kate Hudson
   

ʬ Four tv shows you enjoyed that were made more than five years ago

1. Gilmore Girls
   
2. Friends
   
3. Charmed
   
4. Ally McBeal
   

ʡ Five style inspiration photos

1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 

Φ Six of the most recent films you have watched

1. How to Train Your Dragon 2
   
2. Maleficent
   
3. Divergent
   
4. The Maze Runner
   
5. The Other Woman
   
6. Blended
   

ψ Eight favourite cities or towns you have visited

1. Athens, Greece
   
2. Stockholm, Sweden
   
3. Nicossia, Cyprus
   
4. Abu Dhabi, UAE
   
5. Bari, Italy
   
6. Antalya, Turkey
   
7. Mykonos, Greece
   
8. Nafplio, Greece
   

Ω Three pictures of your favourite kind of weather

Δ Four selfies
Nope… ain’t gonna happen. I don’t do selfies!

ς Four places you would like to visit

1. London
   
2. New York
   
3. Rome
   
4. Paris
   

Ϫ Six tv shows you enjoyed as a child

1. Tom and Jerry
   
2. Full House
   
3. Spellbinder
   
4. Alf
   
5. Star Trek: The Next Generation
   
6. Merrie Melodies
   

Ϡ Four people from history that you find interesting

1. Jules Verne
   
2. Marie Curie
   
3. Leonardo da Vinci
   
4. Napoleon Bonaparte
   

҂ Nine favourite things to eat

1. Pizza
   
2. Brownies
   
3. Chinese Noodles
   
4. Fettuccine
   
5. Moussaka
   
6. Shepherd’s Pie
   
7. Cheez-it
   
8. Allsorts Liquorice
   
9. Chocolate Chip Cookies
   

҉   Nine favourite things to drink

1. Cafe Latte
   
2. Greek frappé
   
3. Fruit-flavoured black tea
   
4. Chai Latte
   
5. Salep
   
6. Iced tea
   
7. Cranberry Pomegranate juice
   
8. Hot Chocolate
   
9. Mint lemonade
   

† Three things you’re excited for

1. Graduation
   
2. Traveling
   
3. 2015
   

The 100 Book Challenge

I will be attempting the 100 book challenge for 2015. This might be a bit ambitious knowing that I will be starting the year off with writing my Masters’ thesis. But I will attempt to read as many books as I can.

I am compiling a list below of 100 books, in no particular order. Some if these books are books that I previously started but never got around to finishing, or that I have read in Arabic, or of which I have read an abridged version. But this means that I will have to read the complete book, I don’t consider that cheating.

You can probably tell that I enjoy fiction, fantasy, and science fiction the most, but I also enjoy classics and other genres. I also enjoy series, and nothing makes me sadder than finishing a good series.

If you have any recommendations for me, please leave me a comment 🙂

Edit: I started out this list with thought of listing 100 individual books. But since, as I mentioned before, I am a fan of series, I found that most of the items on the list were part of a series. Not that this is a bad thing. What worried me were two things; first, what if I start a series that I hate, then I will have to finish it to commit to the 100-book challenge. Second, what about all the other fantastic books out there that I want to read? Granted, I won’t be able to finish them all in one year – not unless I become unemployed and thesis-free – but I still want them on this list, and 100 is such a pretty number that I don’t want to change.

Therefore, any series in the list is considered as one book, with all the books in that series listed below. This way I can add all the books that I come across during what remains of 2014, and still maintain a 100-book list, that I most likely won’t get through for another decade!

1. A Song of Ice and Fire – George R. R. Martin
   1. A Game of Thrones
   2. A Clash of Kings
   3. A Storm of Swords
   4. A Feast for Crows
   5. A Dance with Dragons
2. Inferno – Dan Brown
3. The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
   1. The Hunger Games
   2. Catching Fire
   3. Mockingjay
4. The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared – Jonas Jonasson
5. One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel García Márquez
6. His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman
   1. The Golden Compass
   2. The Subtle Knife
   3. The Amber Spyglass
7. The Prophet – Khalil Gibran
8. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West – Gregory Maguire
9. Mirror, Mirror – Gregory Maguire
10. Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
11. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Stieg Larsson
12. Colomba – Prosper Mérimée
13. Fahrenheit – Ray Bradbury
14. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
    1. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
    2. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
    3. Life, the Universe and Everything
    4. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
    5. Mostly Harmless
15. The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
16. The Master and Margarita – Mikhail Bulgakov
17. Cairo Trilogy – Naguib Mahfouz
    1. Palace Walk
    2. Palace of Desire
    3. Sugar Street
18. The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
19. The Vampire Diaries – L. J. Smith
    1. The Awakening
    2. The Struggle
    3. The Fury
    4. Dark Reunion
20. Shifters – Rachel Vincent
    1. Stray
    2. Rogue
    3. Pride
    4. Prey
    5. Shift
    6. Alpha
21. Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
22. The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
23. Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
24. Emma – Jane Austen
25. Wuthering Heights – Emily Brontë
26. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë
27. Catch-22 – Joseph Heller
28. The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien
29. A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini
30. The Hunchback of Notre-Dame – Victor Hugo
31. Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
32. A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
33. Zorba the Greek – Nikos Kazantzakis
34. The Forty Rules of Love – Elif Shafak
35. How to Be Good – Nick Hornby
36. Camille: The Lady of the Camellias – Alexandre Dumas fils
37. A Doll’s House – Henrik Ibsen
38. Rhinoceros – Eugene Ionescu
39. The Rosie Project – Graeme Simsion
40. The Sheltering Sky – Paul Bowles
41. Foreign Affairs – Alison Lurie
42. The Age of Innocence – Edith Wharton
43. The Razor’s Edge – Somerset Maugham
44. A Room with a View – E.M.Forster
45. The Longest Journey – E.M.Forster
46. Where Angels Fear to Tread – E.M.Forster
47. The Sound and the Fury –  William Faulkner
48. The Maltese Falcon – Dashiell Hammett
49. Ender’s Game – Orson Scott Card
50. Mansfield Park – Jane Austen
51. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
52. Northanger Abbey – Jane Austen
53. Persuasion – Jane Austen
54. The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
55. The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel – Michael Scott
    1. The Alchemyst
    2. The Magician
    3. The Sorceress
    4. The Necromancer
    5. The Warlock
    6. The Enchantress
56. Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn
57. House of Night – P. C. Cast + Kristin Cast
    1. Marked
    2. Betrayed
    3. Chosen
    4. Untamed
    5. Hunted
    6. Tempted
    7. Burned
    8. Awakened
    9. Destined
    10. Hidden
    11. Revealed
    12. Redeemed
58. Dune – Frank Herbert
    1. Dune
    2. Dune Messiah
    3. Children of Dune
    4. God Emperor of Dune
    5. Heretics of Dune
    6. Chapterhouse: Dune
59. Girl Online – Zoe Sugg
60. Graceling – Kristin Cashore
    1. Graceling
    2. Fire
    3. Bitterblue
61. Inkheart – Cornelia Funke
    1. Inkheart
    2. Inkspell
    3. Inkdeath
62. Ella Enchanted – Gail Carson Levine
63. The Golem and the Jinni – Helene Wecker
64. Post-Human – David Simpson
    1. Sub-Human
    2. Post-Human
    3. Trans-Human
    4. Human Plus
    5. Inhuman
65. The Enchantress of Florence – Salman Rushdie
66. A Little Princess – Frances Hodgson Burnett
67. The Goldfinch – Donna Tartt
68. The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. – Adelle Waldman
69. The Luminaries – Eleanor Catton
70. The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern
71. Kissing the Witch – Emma Donoghue
72. The Lunar Chronicles – Marissa Meyer
    1. Cinder
    2. Scarlet
    3. Cress
    4. Winter (release on November 10, 2015)
73. Cruel Beauty – Rosamund Hodge
74. Scarlet – A.C. Gaughen
75. Winterspell – Claire Legrand
76. The Fault in Our Stars – John Green
77. The Maze Runner – James Dashner
    1. The Maze Runner
    2. Scorch Trials
    3. The Death Cure
    4. The Kill Order
78. Hyperion – Dan Simmons
79. The Book Thief – Markus Zusak
80. Apprentice Adept – Piers Anthony
    1. Split Infinity
    2. Blue Adept
    3. Juxtaposition
    4. Out of Phaze
    5. Robot Adept
    6. Unicorn Point
    7. Phaze Doubt
81. The Dark Tower – Stephen King
    1. The Gunslinger
    2. The Drawing of the Three
    3. The Waste Lands
    4. Wizard and Glass
    5. Wolves of the Calla
    6. Song of Susannah
    7. The Dark Tower
    8. The Wind Through the Keyhole
82. The Wheel of Time – Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
    1. New Spring
    2. The Eye of the World
    3. The Great Hunt
    4. The Dragon Reborn
    5. The Shadow Rising
    6. The Fires of Heaven
    7. Lord of Chaos
    8. A Crown of Swords
    9. The Path of Daggers
    10. Winter’s Heart
    11. Crossroads of Twilight
    12. Knife of Dreams
    13. The Gathering Storm
    14. Towers of Midnight
    15. A Memory of Light
83. The Iron Druid Chronicles – Kevin Hearne 
    1. Hounded
    2. Hexed
    3. Hammered
    4. Tricked
    5. Trapped
    6. Hunted
    7. Shattered
    8. Staked
84. The Sword of Truth – Terry Goodkind
    1. The First Confessor: The Legend of Magda Searus
    2. Debt of Bones
    3. Wizard’s First Rule
    4. Stone of Tears
    5. Blood of the Fold
    6. Temple of the Winds
    7. Soul of the Fire
    8. Faith of the Fallen
    9. The Pillars of Creation
    10. Naked Empire
    11. Chainfire
    12. Phantom
    13. Confessor
    14. The Omen Machine
    15. The Third Kingdom
    16. Severed Souls
    17. The Law of Nines
85. Jack West Jr. Series – Matthew Reilly
    1. Seven Ancient Wonders
    2. The Six Sacred Stones
    3. The Five Greatest Warriors
86. Red Rising – Pierce Brown
87. The Riftwar Saga – Raymond E. Feist
    1. Magician
    2. Silverthorn
    3. A Darkness at Sethanon
88. The Deed of Paksenarrion – Elizabeth Moon
    1. The Deed of Paksenarrion
    2. The Legacy of Gird
    3. Paladin’s Legacy
89. Rebecca – Daphne du Maurier

Books, books, books: The Book Sacrifice Tag

I started browsing tags, and reached this one here, called Book Sacrifice Tags. It is basically about the worst books that you have read. So, here goes:

1) An Over-Hyped Book: Let’s start this off with a Zombie Apocalypse! Let’s say you’re in a book store, just browsing, when BAM! ZOMBIE ATTACK. An announcement comes over the PA System saying that the military has discovered that the zombies’ only weakness is over-hyped books. What book that everyone else says is amazing but you really hated do you start chucking at the zombies knowing that it will count as an over-hyped book and successfully wipe them out?!

The Twilight Saga, Stephanie Meyer

Not one, not two, not three, but four over-hyped books to throw at zombies. I got the first book as a gift, and I read it. Being the person I am, there was no way I can let things go without reading the rest of the series. I simply HAVE to know what will happen next! So I bought and read them all. To give credit where credit is due, they do look pretty in my bookcase with the black covers, but that’s where it ends for me. Die, zombies, die!

2) A Sequel: Let’s say you’ve just left the salon with a SMASHING new haircut and BOOM: Torrential downpour. What sequel are you willing to use as an umbrella to protect yourself?

Insurgent – Veronica Roth

Don’t get me wrong. I did enjoy all books in the trilogy, and I would recommend them to anyone in a heartbeat. But I did not enjoy Insurgent as much as I thought I would. I found that most of the plot twists in the book could have been simply solved if Tris and Four were being honest with each other. That’s the only reason why this book is saving my new hair cut.

3) A Classic: Let’s say you’re in a lecture and your English teacher is going on and on about how this classic changed the world, how it revolutionized literature and you get so sick of it that you chuck the classic right at his face because you know what? This classic is stupid and it’s worth detention just to show everyone how you feel! What Classic did you chuck?

Cry, The Beloved Country – Alan Paton

This is supposed to be one of the iconic books in literature. I just couldn’t finish it. And I know that it is not smart to pass judgement on a book without finishing it first, but here’s what I believe: If I can’t really get through this book, then I don’t like it.

4) Your Least Favourite Book of Life!: Let’s say that you’re hanging out at the library when BAM global warming explodes and the world outside becomes a frozen wasteland. You’re trapped and your only chance for survival is to burn a book. What is the book you first run to, your least favourite book of all life, what book do you not fully regret lighting?

Breaking The Rules – Barbara Taylor Bradford

I am all for happy endings, but when the book has no twist or turn, no plot, nothing that will leave you gasping and wondering if some character or the other will make, then it’s just not worth it. I picked this on up in an airport. The backcover of the book made it seem like the best story there is! Then I kept waiting for something exciting to happen, and nothing did! She met her perfect guy, they got married, and they lived happily ever after. Any plot twist got solved within a couple of pages. There was basically no motive to turn the page to know what happens. But, I did get through it, at least.

Top 10 Shakespearean Insults

In no particular order:

1- Your face is as a book, where men may read strange matters. – Macbeth

2- [Thou hath] not so much brain as ear wax. – Troilus and Cressida

3- Sell your face for five pence and ’tis dear. – King John

4- [Thou art] a most notable coward, an infinite and endless liar, an hourly promise breaker, the owner of no one good quality. – All’s Well That Ends Well

5- Idol of idiot-worshippers! – Troilus and Cressida

6- [Your] brain is as dry as the remainder biscuit after a voyage. – As You Like It

7- God hath given you one face and you make yourselves another. – Hamlet

8- Methink’st thou art a general offence and every man should beat thee. – All’s Well That Ends Well

9- You are as a candle, the better burnt out. – Henry IV, part 2

10- I find the ass in compound with the major part of your syllables. – Coriolanus

And those are some of what I would like to say to certain people sometimes, but I opted for the passive aggressive outlet.

Definition

pro·cras·ti·na·tion:

prə(ʊ)ˌkrastɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n

• the action of delaying or postponing something. (Oxford)
• to put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done. (Merriam-Webster)
• the act or habit of procrastinating, or putting off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention. (Dictionary.com)
  
• slowness as a consequence of not getting around to it (WordNet)
• I’ll put up a definition later. (Urban Dictionary)

ha·ven:

ˈheɪv(ə)n

• a place of safety or refuge. (Oxford)
• a place where you are protected from danger, trouble, etc. (Merriam-Webster)
• any place of shelter and safety; refuge; asylum. (Dictionary.com)
• a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary. (WordNet)
• place of safety, place to repair to in a storm, natural harbour, port, coastal inlet, berth with channelled access. (Urban Dictionary)

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you procrastinate writing the first entry in this blog.