[I just found this draft] --> It's almost Summer 2014

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Holy Moses.

I didn't post at all this school year.

I did not plan that.

My first year at Frostburg has been crazy amazing.

I'm about to move out and I still catch myself thinking holy cow "I'm actually HERE!"

It still blows my mind on a regular basis.

I have read not one book for fun since I moved here.

I racked up $50 in library fees, I was so sure I'd be able to read and post and do school work.

I was overly ambitious.

But as soon as I finish the last of my school work I'll be back at this.

Reviewing, updating lists. READING!

I've missed it so much, but I've had to ignore it.

I've also taken up watching wayyyyyy to much tv.

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^^^^^ I wrote this in the spring, and never posted it.
It does explain some of my absence.
I hope that maybe I can turn over a new leaf with Christmas break coming up quickly.
The end of the semester is rough, but with only four more weeks to go, I have confidence I can contribute to this blog more.
I have half a dozen drafts started, I'll be rereading those books and starting there.
I will also probably be adding in a little bit more about my hobbies, and school work.
I recently opened an Etsy shop and think that posting about it could help my traffic.
We shall see.


Read on.
Jessica.

Random Graphic Design Post. AWK.

So it's been well over a year since I posted.
And embarrassingly.... well over a year since I picked up a book.

College. Is. Insane.

As an art student, I have no free time.
I work, and go to class, and do homework.
I don't even have time to think about missing books.

I think I mentioned earlier, I am a Graphic Design student.
Since I came to school, I also added a Ceramics focus which takes up even more of my time.

For my advanced graphics class I produced a series of 6 aggregated typography posters.
My classmates loved them, and as a part of another project, and at my classmates' urgent requests I need to post them to the internets!!

Instead of starting a whole new blog for crafting, I thought I would just use the platform I already have, to get my future pins out into the Pinterest world.

Following this post will be six separate posts that each have a infographic full of fonts and a explanation of each, including usage rights and where you can find each font.

Design on.
Jessica.

My New Normal - Sara Michelle

My New Normal by Sara Michelle


Part two!!!
I was able to finally get the next three books in this series.
Hopefully Sara keeps writing these.
The last one so far has left open the possibility for more books.

These three were just like the first two.
Super gigantic print.
Super fast reads.

Book 3: The Others

Short synopsis:

Jason proves himself to be as creepy as they thought. After Ryan kicks him out of the shelter he and Cecilia fight. They make up fairly quickly but Ryan tells Ceilia that he and the other guys really think they need to go out to find more supplies. Cecilia isn't happy about this but a knock on the shelter door puts those thoughts on hold.

Book 4:

Short synopsis:

That knock on the door was Dr. Jenkins. A geological anomalies scientist who worked with a group that had known something like the earthquake would happen, just not when. Ryan and the other original guys decide that now with more people in the shelter they really need to go find more supplies. This book is written from Ryan's point of view. Another one was too, but this one is a much bigger deal. Ryan and two of the other guys go off in search of supplies and Ryan meets Jesska. Jesska shows Ryan the Hummer she found and the warehouse where she's been getting supplies. At the warehouse they meet Jason.

Book 5:

Short synopsis:

The encounter with Jason leaves Ryan and Jesska shaken. They gather supplies into the Hummer and set off to get back to the snow shelter. Meanwhile the other boys have gotten back to the snow shelter days ago. Cecilia is worried because Ryan didn't come back with the others, but when he and Jesska show up her fears are put aside. After emptying the Hummer they enjoy a huge feast, but the following day, things change. Amazingly enough  Sergeant Myles and a Red Cross emergency team show up and prove that it's not just the nine of them that made it out alive. They pack their stuff into trucks and head off to a survivor camp in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

I cannot wait to see what happens next in this series. I love these books.

Read on.
Jessica.

A Month????

Has it really been over a month since I posted?
Oye.
Working my regular summer job and teaching was rough.
Today is my last day of work.
And I have 17 more days before I leave for school.

In that month I did manage to read five books.
So I wasn't a total slacker.
But just finding the time to write about them has been rough.

I also read four more in the past few days...
So hopefully I can bust out nine book reviews.
Soon. :)

Read on.
Jessica.

Wherever You Go - Heather Davis

Wherever You Go by Heather Davis

 

This was a typical for me tragedy.
But it wasn't just tragedy.
It was about figuring yourself out, and knowing that it's okay to move on, and knowing that sometimes you have to do things that make you happy.

Short synopsis:

Holly Mullen lost her boyfriend in a car accident last fall.
She takes care of her little sister because he mom has to work two jobs.
And now her grandfather has to move in with them because his Alzheimer's is getting bad.
Holly makes sure everything in her life is perfect, but rarely does anything for herself.
Jason, her boyfriend Rob's best friend, realizes that Holly needs someone other than family in her life and starts helping her with her grandfather and sister.
Eventually Holly allows herself to feel something for someone other than Rob.
Rob hasn't crossed to the other side yet.
He can't been seen or heard or touched, no one knows he's still here, except Holly's grandfather.
Through him Rob is able to come to terms with his own death, with Holly's new boyfriend, and even with leaving Holly all together.

I loved this book. I think it was perfect.
It hit on a couple hard topics but did it gracefully, and with purpose.
There were many things hinted at in the book that you figure out in the end, but seeing the end result, before knowing the cause helps put consequences into perspective.
I also liked the way that Heather Davis portrays Alzheimer's.
My grandmother had Dementia, a form of it, and while every one's disease progresses differently, I often am disappointed at how authors make it seem like there are these extended periods of absolute perfect normalcy, when in my experience, that just doesn't happen.
It's not a game, something you twist to fit your story plot.
I think Heather's personal experience shows that she realizes this.
Holly's grandfather has 'good days' and 'bad days' and when Rob is visiting he has a hard time focusing on the present.
This is much closer to every real life patient I've come across.

Credit:
Amazon - in case you're into buying
Heather Davis - author website

Read A-Like:
I feel like I've read something similar, but can't put my finger on it at the moment.
If I can figure it out, I will update this!!

Read on.
Jessica.

Reading Funk. Ughh.

I have been in this funk lately.
I have no less than six library books sitting on my shelf, and every time I pick one up, I put it back.
It's not what I want to read, I'm not interested in the subject matter, or whatever.
I don't even know.
These are all books I picked, and I don't 'like' them now that they're home.
I hardly ever return a whole stack of books without reading them.
But I think I might, I need a fresh start for July.

I joined the Adult Summer reading program at the library.
I thought I was gonna kick butt.
But I'm pretty sure my mom is dominating me so far.

So here's to fresh starts for the rest of the summer.

Read on.
Jessica.

Bystander - James Preller

Bystander by James Preller

 

I picked this one out because of Before You Go. I really liked James Preller's style and that story so I thought, 'read all the James Preller books!'

This one though didn't hit me as hard. 

It is about a very tough and prevalent subject matter. Bullying. 

But I didn't like the main characters reasoning and decision making. 

Preller did do something that I love. 

And that is tying landmarks and places between stories. 

In Before You Go Jude works at Jones Beach Concessions and there are a whole bunch of locations, West End Two and Pier Six. 

Preller talks about the company and those locations in Bystander  

Short synopsis

Eric Hayes is starting a new life with his mom on Long Island.
He's starting a new middle school right smack in the middle.
Being the new seventh grader is hard. The groups and cliques have already formed.
But Griffin Connelly seems to want to be Eric's friend.
Eric quickly realizes Griffin and his friends are bullies.
After a school assembly about bullying, Eric also realizes that he while he isn't a bully, being friends with Griffin and Co. means he is a bystander.
Eric isn't sure how he feels about this, but finds out the hard way, that bullies retaliate.

I honestly didn't like this book, and it's taken me weeks to finish this post.
I can't pinpoint the reason anymore than just Eric's judgement and decision making.
I dreaded the ending, and while it turned out alright, I didn't feel the lesson was strong enough for a YA novel.

Credit:
Amazon - in case you're into buying
James Preller - author website

Read on.
Jessica.