Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel Review

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this because it was part of the End of the World book club, and I definitely don't regret picking it up! This isn't my favorite post-apocalyptic novel (The Girl with All the Gifts is still my all-time favorite) only because it was a little slower paced and less action-packed than I had hoped it would be. There is a little bit of a plot twist, but it wasn't anything super original or shocking; most of the characters don't have enough time to develop and evolve due to the number of characters present in the book. I like that the author chose to focus on different characters set in different times and locations, but I wish there would have been some sort of thread connecting them all together at the end. Honestly, the plot kind of falls flat for me, maybe because I've read so many dystopian/ post-apocalyptic novels. Either way, it's not my favorite, but I would recommend it to someone who is new to the genre.

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A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas Review

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've seen a few mixed reviews on this series. Some of my friends read it, and hated it, while some absolutely loved it. A few people have said that they couldn't finish it and just gave up on Maas. Honestly, I'm obsessed with this series!! I'm not sure if I'm just partial to her writing style, or the genre in general, but I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. She did give us a bit of closure at the end, and most of the lose ends are all tied up. I think she did leave some things untouched mostly because the next book is apparently coming out in 2018? I'm not sure if she's continuing the main story arch or if she's planning on writing a series of novellas; either way, I'm excited!!

I really do love this series for so many reasons. We see lots of character development, the pacing is pretty good (too fast in some places, a little slow in others, but I can forgive that), and the dialogue is spot on. There isn't any wasted energy, and by that I mean there really isn't a single scene that makes me think, "why was this necessary for the plot?" It makes sense, and it fits well with the rest of the series.

This sounds kind of silly, but I kind of wish there were fewer happy endings. I know, I know- horrible. I just think it would have been better for certain characters to suffer for their previous actions, but that's just me. I'm happy with the outcome so far. We'll see where we go from here :)

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Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo Review

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I know I'm way late on this bandwagon, but I really did enjoy this book! I'm glad I (finally) started this series (I'm not sure why I waited so long to read it... But better late than never, right?). The world is believable, yet unique, and I love the Russian elements. I don't know a ton about Russian folklore, but that hasn't been a problem; Bardugo does a wonderful job immersing her reader without overwhelming them. The characters are dynamic and vastly different from one another, however, this is a ton of room for development later on. I've already started the second book, and I can already tell that this well be one of my favorite YA series. I rated it four stars mostly because it was a little slow and it did drag on a bit in the middle. I don't mind, though, and it's nothing that will keep me from continuing the series (obviously!).

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Crystal Cluster Tattoo (Tattoo #18)

Hi again!

I wanted to write a post today about my newest tattoo :) I don't have too much to say about this one since it was pretty much a spur-of-the-moment decision, but I did want to blog about it. I'm bored out of my mind and need something to do!!

Side note- I'm glad I'm on spring break this week, and I'm thankful I have the opportunity to relax. However, relaxing is so insanely boring after awhile!! I need to find something free/ cheap to do this week. 

Anyway, here's a picture of my new baby!

So, I originally went in to get one of my other tattoos touched up. When I talked to the artist, she said she would touch it up for $60 or I could get another tattoo and she would do the touch ups for free. Obviously I chose the latter! I googled some random moon images and I found this little guy on Pinterest. It was originally just an outline, so Malicia took it and added her own flair to it. I love that she added stippling to the moon, and kept everything black and gray besides the crystal cluster. Seriously, it's absolutely gorgeous and I could not have asked for a better tattoo! The experience was amazing, and I've made a new friend in the process :) That's one of the reasons why tattooing is such a wonderful thing- you meet amazing people and you walk out with a beautiful piece of art on your body <3

I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty nervous for this one. I don't have tattoos anywhere near my feet (unless you count my bats, but those didn't take very long to do), so I wasn't sure what it would feel like. I've heard it's supposed to be one of the toughest places to get tattooed other than your ribs and hands. 

Honestly, this wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be!! I'm not just saying that to sound like a badass. My gypsy and Sailor Mars tattoos (calf/ side of the leg) were much more brutal than this little guy. The only part that really caused me some pain was the stippling on the moon. Granted, this one only took about an hour and a half to complete. Malicia is super light-handed so that probably has a lot to do with it. The way I had to sit for the tattoo was more painful than the tattoo itself! 

Overall, I am 100% in love with my moon and crystals and I can't wait to go back to Malicia!! I don't really know what I want on my other foot, but I'm thinking either a sugar skull or the sun with a warm-toned crystal cluster. We'll see!

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Thank you for checking out my blog today! I hope you enjoyed reading about my obsession with tattoos, and I hope I get to talk to you again very soon :)

Until next time!

Keri <3

Gratitude Tag

Hi again!

It's Friday night and I'm bored... So, here's another tag/ journal prompt thing I found on Pinterest.  This is technically a 30 day challenge, but I'm condensing it down into just one post instead.

Here we go!

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1. What smell are you grateful for today?

Fresh brewed espresso

2. What technology are you grateful for?

My iPhone and work computer

3. What color are you grateful for?

Orange.  I used to visit my local music shop and mess around on the different instruments, and I fell in love with a Yamaha Precision Jazz Bass (which is metallic orange).  I started taking lessons and ended up playing bass in my high school's jazz band for 3 years.

4. What food are you most grateful for?

Pizza with extra cheese

5. What sound are you grateful for today?

My dog's barks of excitement when I get home from work

6. What in nature are you grateful for?

The sunshine

7. What memory are you grateful for?

I'm most grateful for running into Corey at the Fayetteville Public Library on April 18, 2016.  We reconnected (as cheesy as that sounds), and everything fell back into place.  We picked up right where we left off, and it was absolutely wonderful.

8. What book are you most grateful for?

You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero- it has truly changed my outlook and overall attitude towards life in general.

9. What place are you most grateful for?

Orange Park, FL

10. What taste are you grateful for today?

Mocha

11. What holiday are you grateful for?

New Year's Day

12. What texture are you grateful for?

Soft, fuzzy blankets

13. What abilities are you grateful for?

My intelligence, my ability to read anything and everything, and my musical talent (if you can really call it that)

14. What sights are you grateful for today?

Snapchats from Corey

15. What season are you grateful for?

Fall

16. What about your body are you grateful for?

My eyes, because they're my favorite feature, and they're pretty crucial to my quality of life.

17. What knowledge are you grateful for?

I'm grateful for my knowledge regarding teaching, child development, and pedagogy.

18. What piece of are you grateful for?

The coverart of "Take This to Your Grave" by Fall Out Boy

19. What touch are you grateful for today?

Rhaegar's soft bunny fur

20. Who in your life are you grateful for?

Corey, Raechel, Sammi, Mom, Dad, and Drew (and the fur babies!)

21. What song are you most grateful for?

"The Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes" by Fall Out Boy

22. What story are you grateful for?

The story of Harry Potter- I can't say it was a part of my childhood, but it was my life in high school and college.

23. What tradition are you grateful for?

I love the fact that my family has always celebrated Thanksgiving dinner together.  For the past 23 years, we've all hung out on Thanksgiving Day, and I hope to keep the tradition going for as long as possible.

24. What challenge are you grateful for?

My job is not the easiest, and I'm definitely not in this position for the fame and fortune.  I hear a lot of negative feedback on a daily basis, I usually don't hear "thank you," and teaching can be extremely frustrating and trying at times.  But I love my kiddos, and I'm so thankful for my colleagues (especially my math coach!).  This year has thrown me many curveballs, but I'm grateful for all the challenges and obstacles I face because I know I'm becoming a better and more effective teacher each and every day.

25. What moment this week are you most grateful for?

Working with my colleagues and math coach to successfully implement a weekly math camp for my fifth graders.

26. What form of expression are you most grateful for?

Music or writing; I can't live without playing/ listening to music, or books, so they're tied for first place!

27. What small thing that you use daily are you grateful for?

Pencils

28. What small thing that happened today are you grateful for?

One of my students had an "ah-ha" moment today during core instruction.  

29. What friend/ family member are you grateful for today?

Corey and Sara

30. What talent or skill do you have that you are grateful for?

I'm extremely grateful for my musical talent.  I absolutely love playing the piano and the bass, listening to music on Spotify, collecting CDs, and creating playlists to fit my various moods and musical tastes.

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Thanks for checking out my blog, and I hope to see you again soon :)

Keri <3