tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66352056280955792812024-03-13T00:41:26.184-04:00Waiting To Hold The WorldSarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.comBlogger591125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-17379850296872583612018-02-07T23:16:00.001-05:002018-02-07T23:16:07.524-05:00Keep Up The Good FightOn January 20th, for the second year in a row women (and men) took to the streets all across America to protest Donald Trump's presidency. A whole year has passed since Trump took office and nothing about the situation has gotten any easier. 2017 was nerve racking and eye opening at times, and I'm thankful for the politicians and protestors who fought so hard for the basic rights of <i>every</i> person in this country. As I marched through downtown TC beside my sister-in-law, her mom, my brother and nephew, I felt honored to have such strong and outspoken family by my side. I'm also proud to live in a town where so many people are willing to get out and take a stand.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">"Set a good example of what America means for the generations to come. They will need it." - Timothy Snyder <i>On Tyranny</i></span></div>
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I hope these marches keep people's spirits alive and help remind people to vote. Voting in local and state elections are what will make the biggest impact right now. We need balance in our government. We need representatives who are willing to work together to support what the majority of the people in this country want.<br />
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Before 2008, the first year I could vote, I barely knew anything about politics and our democratic system. I knew I supported a woman's right to choose, but overall I had no idea what I could do to stand up for those rights. Since that time, I have become more aware of my beliefs and the way our system of government works, but I still struggle to find the best way to make an impact. Over the past year all I've wanted to do is help, but I fell ridiculously short. Donating money to certain causes and action funds does some good, but my little bit of money will never change an entire system. Besides voting, I want to find more ways to be involved this year.<br />
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<i>How about you? Are you involved in your local, state, or national level politics? What are some of the best ways to get involved? </i>Seriously, I'd love suggestions or to hear about your experiences!<br />
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Thank you again to all the people in this country who are working hard every day to defend our freedom and democracy, you are what makes America great. I'm constantly awed and inspired by the courageous men and women who use their voices to speak out and create change.</div>
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-S</div>
Sarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-47529188981972040742018-01-15T07:27:00.002-05:002018-01-21T10:19:53.809-05:002017 Book Challenge Wrap-Up<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">The 2017 Reading Challenge did not go as planned. Working full time greatly effected my reading style and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">I didn't even come close to reading all the books on my original list</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">. Since I had less time to sit and read, I relied much more on audiobooks last year than in previous years. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">I still managed to finish 68 books in 2017, 26 regular books and 42 audiobooks.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">1. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2016 (</span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2016?cc=4f19e7eb" style="background-color: white; color: #8f8f8f; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">link</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">) - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26247008-truly-madly-guilty?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f;" target="_blank">Truly Madly Guilty</a> by Liane Moriarty</u></b><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"> ✓</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">2. A book with at least 2 perspectives (multiple points of view) - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7763.The_Joy_Luck_Club?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Joy Luck Club</a> by Amy Tan</strike> (</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">instead I listened to the non-fiction account of River Phoenix's life and death in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18209874-last-night-at-the-viper-room" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Last Night at the Viper Room</a><b> by Gavin Edwards) ✓</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">3. A book you meant to read in 2016 - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/424.Slouching_Towards_Bethlehem?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Slouching Towards Bethlehem</a> by Joan Didion ✓</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">4. A title that doesn't contain the letter "E" - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13537891-nw?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">NW</a> by Zadie Smith</strike> (</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">I'm currently reading<b> </b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/830502.It?ac=1&from_search=true" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">It</a><b> by Stephen King)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">5. A historical fiction - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6867.Atonement?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Atonement</a> by Ian McEwan</strike> (</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">I read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13642903-the-aviator-s-wife" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">The Aviator's Wife</a><b> by Melanie Benjamin) ✓</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">6. A book being released as a movie in 2017 -<strike> </strike></span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/830502.It?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">IT</a> by Stephen King</strike> (</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">I finished <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3398625-the-lost-city-of-z" target="_blank">The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon</a> by David Grann) ✓</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">7. A book with an animal on the cover or in the title - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7723542-a-dog-s-purpose?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">A Dog's Purpose</a> by W. Bruce Cameron</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">8. A book written by a person of color - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18813642-bad-feminist?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: underline;" target="_blank">Bad Feminist</a> by Roxane Gay ✓</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">9. A book in the middle of your To Be Read list - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34268.Peter_Pan?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Peter Pan</a> by J.M. Barrie</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">10. A dual-timeline novel - </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29044.The_Secret_History?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f;" target="_blank">The Secret History</a> by Donna Tartt</strike> (</span>I regretfully read <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31706452-since-we-fell" target="_blank">Since We Fell</a> by Dennis Lehane</b> instead<b>) ✓</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">11. A category from another challenge : A book you loved as a child (from the Popsugar reading challenge) - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/119322.The_Golden_Compass?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Golden Compass</a> by Philip Pullman</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">12. A book based on a myth - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17645.The_Penelopiad?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Penelopiad</a> by Margaret Atwood</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">13. A book recommended by one of your favorite authors - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22822858-a-little-life?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">A Little Life</a> by Hanya Yanagihara (recommended by John Green)</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">14. A book with a strong female character - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37380.The_Heart_is_a_Lonely_Hunter?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Heart is a Lonely Hunter</a> by Carson McCullers</strike> (</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">I read about r</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">eal life female activist Malala in <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18266072-i-am-malala" target="_blank">I Am Malala</a> by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb) ✓</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">15. A book written or set in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland) - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/943402.Let_the_Right_One_In?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Let the Right One</a> In by John Ajvide Lindqvist</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">16. A mystery - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/119073.The_Name_of_the_Rose?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Name of the Rose</a> by Umberto Eco</strike> (</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">I read the YA thriller <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33154067-final-girls" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Final Girls</a><b> by RIley Sager) ✓</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">17. A book with illustrations - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25855506-adulthood-is-a-myth?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Adulthood is a Myth</a> by Sarah Andersen ✓</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">18. A really long book (600+ pages) - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14201.Jonathan_Strange_Mr_Norrell?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell</a> by Susanna Clarke</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">19. A New York Times best-seller - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333223-the-goldfinch?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Goldfinch</a> by Donna Tartt ✓</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">20. A book that you've owned for a while but haven't gotten around to reading - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19501.Eat_Pray_Love?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Eat Pray Love</a> by Elizabeth Gilbert</strike> (</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">I have not owned <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12502523-breakfast-of-champions" target="_blank">Breakfast of Champions</a> by Kurt Vonnegut </b>quite as long as I've owned <i>Eat Pray Love</i>, but it's still been a shamefully long time<b>)</b> ✓</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">21. A book that is a continuation of a book you've already read - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6752378-city-of-fallen-angels?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">City of Fallen Angels</a> by Cassandra Clare</strike> (</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Instead I continued the arthurian saga <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64105.The_Last_Enchantment" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">The Last Enchantment</a><b> by Mary Stewart) ✓</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">22. A book by an author you haven't read before - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4929.Kafka_on_the_Shore?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Kafka on the Shore</a> by Haruki Murakami</strike> (</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">I read <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26026087-behold-the-dreamers" target="_blank">Behold the Dreamers</a> by Imbolo Mbue</b> for book club<b>)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">23. A book from the BBC's "The Big Read" list (</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Read" style="background-color: white; color: #8f8f8f; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">link</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">) - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32261.Tess_of_the_D_Urbervilles?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Tess of the d'Urbervilles</a> by Thomas Hardy</strike> (</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">A</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">lso listed was </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13425880-the-alchemist" target="_blank">The Alchemist</a> by Paulo Coelho</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"> which I read in 2017</span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">) ✓</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">24. A book written by at least 2 authors - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12067.Good_Omens?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Good Omens</a> by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman</strike> (</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Instead I read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32705659-the-magnolia-story" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">The Magnolia Story</a><b> by Chip and Joanna Gaines) ✓</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">25. A book about a famous historical figure - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16130.Alexander_Hamilton?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Alexander Hamilton</a> by Ron Chernow ✓</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">26. An adventure book - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7126.The_Count_of_Monte_Cristo?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Count of Monte Cristo</a> by Alexandre Dumas</strike> (</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">instead I listened to </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34667795-the-gentleman-s-guide-to-vice-and-virtue" target="_blank">The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue</a> by Mackenzi Lee) ✓</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">27. A book by one of your favorite authors - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24728470-m-train?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">M Train</a> by Patti Smith</strike> (</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">I devoured </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15837671-turtles-all-the-way-down" target="_blank">Turtles All the Way Down</a> by John Green) ✓</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">28. A non-fiction book - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14318.Chronicles_Vol_1?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Chronicles: Vol 1</a> by Bob Dylan ✓</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">29. A book published outside the 4 major publishing houses (Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Hachette Livre) - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24796231-the-story-of-my-teeth?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Story of My Teeth</a> by Valeria Luiselli, translated by Christina MacSweeney</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">30. A book from Goodreads Top 100 YA books (</span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/91711" style="background-color: white; color: #8f8f8f; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">link</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">) - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20820994-i-ll-give-you-the-sun?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">I'll Give You The Sun</a> by Jandy Nelson ✓</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">31. A book from a sub-genre of your favorite genre - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6340016-lit?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: line-through underline;" target="_blank">Lit</a><span style="text-decoration-line: line-through;"> by Mary Karr</span> a memoir about substance abuse</strike> (</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">instead I listened to the author-read celebrity memoir </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33825885-born-to-run" target="_blank">Born to Run</a> by Bruce Springsteen</b><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">) ✓</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">32. A book with a long title (5+ words, excluding subtitle) - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7331435-a-visit-from-the-goon-squad?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">A Visit from the Goon Squad</a> by Jennifer Egan</strike> (</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">I read <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1561322.No_One_Belongs_Here_More_Than_You" target="_blank">No One Belongs Here More than You</a> by Miranda July) ✓</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">33. A magical realism novel - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/320.One_Hundred_Years_of_Solitude?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">One Hundred Years of Solitude</a> by Gabriel García Márquez</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">34. A book set in or by an author from the Southern Hemisphere - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/172732.The_Motorcycle_Diaries?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Motorcycle Diaries</a> by Che Guevara</strike> (</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">instead I listened to <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33156573-born-a-crime" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood</a><b> by Trevor Noah) ✓</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">35. A book where one of the main characters is royalty - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21787.The_Princess_Bride?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Princess Bride</a> by William Goldman ✓</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">36. A Hugo Award winner or nominee (</span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/award/show/9-hugo-award" style="background-color: white; color: #8f8f8f; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">link</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">) - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15704307-saga-volume-1?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Saga, Vol 1</a> by Brian K. Vaughan ✓</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">37. A book you choose randomly - I left this one open, so I chose to read <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33917107-on-tyranny" target="_blank">On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century</a> by Timothy Snyder ✓</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">38. A novel inspired by a work of classic literature - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3679.On_Beauty?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">On Beauty</a> by Zadie Smith</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">39. An epistolary fiction - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/337113.The_Tenant_of_Wildfell_Hall?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Tenant of Wildfell Hall</a> by Anne Bronte</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">40. A book published in 2017 - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30375706-things-we-lost-in-the-fire?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Things We Lost In the Fire</a> by Mariana Enriquez </strike>(</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">instead I read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36184063-what-happened" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">What Happened</a><b> by Hillary Rodham Clinton) ✓</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">41. A book with an unreliable narrator - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17899948-rebecca?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Rebecca</a> by Daphane du Maurier</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">42. A best book of the 21st Century (so far) - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3805.The_Corrections?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Corrections</a> by Jonathan Franzen</strike> (</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Another book club pick was</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"> </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33917.The_Namesake" target="_blank">The Namesake</a> by Jhumpa Lahiri</b><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">) ✓</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">43. A book with a chilling atmosphere (scary, unsettling, cold) - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/89724.We_Have_Always_Lived_in_the_Castle?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">We Have Always Lived in the Castle</a> by Shirley Jackson</strike> (</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Why settle for fiction when you have a real life chilling atmosphere and truly terrifying read in <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29622748-dark-money" target="_blank">Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right</a> by Jane Mayer) ✓</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">44. A recommendation from "What Should I Read Next" (</span><a href="http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #8f8f8f; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" target="_blank">link</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">) - I had planned on choosing this book later in the year but I never actually used the link to pick my next read, whoops!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">45. A book with a one-word title - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6149.Beloved?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Beloved</a> by Toni Morrison</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">46. A time travel novel - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10988.Drums_of_Autumn?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Drums of Autumn</a> by Diana Gabaldon</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">47. A past suggestion that didn't win (</span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/18105142" style="background-color: white; color: #8f8f8f; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">link</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">) : A book about traveling, can be fiction or non-fiction - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27.Neither_Here_nor_There?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe</a> by Bill Bryson</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">48. A banned book - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5470.1984" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">1984</a> </b><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">by George Orwell ✓</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">49. A book from someone else's bookshelf - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2767.A_People_s_History_of_the_United_States?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">A People's History of the United States</a> by Howard Zinn ✓</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">50. A Penguin Modern Classic - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59716.To_the_Lighthouse?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">To the Lighthouse</a> by Virginia Woolf</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">51. A collection (e.g. essays, short stories, poetry, plays) - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13641208-tenth-of-december" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Tenth of December</a> by George Saunders ✓</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">52. A book set in a fictional location - </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37442.Wicked?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #8f8f8f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West</a> by Gregory Maguire</strike> (</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">The</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"> Republic of Gilead from <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38447.The_Handmaid_s_Tale" target="_blank">The Handmaid's Tale</a> by Margaret Atwood</b> may be inching closer to reality, but it's still technically a fictional place<b>)</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">I don't plan on participating in one particular reading challenge for 2018. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Having challenges listed on a blog or known to others may help hold some people accountable, but for me sharing tends to add unneeded stress. Even though I managed to read over 52 diverse books last year I'm still disappointed that I couldn't stick to the specific books on the list. So this year there won't be a challenge and all my</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"> reading related goals are staying off this blog. Maybe 2018 will be my best reading year yet? Or maybe it won't but there's bigger things in life to stress over.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Happy reading everyone!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">- Sarah</span>Sarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-72803332567214360612018-01-06T11:26:00.003-05:002018-01-06T11:26:52.191-05:00New Year, New Peace of MindHappy 2018!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-14mvxNiWKnI/Wk2fNMgnJ6I/AAAAAAAACJw/mEULZzSV55EmHKy-iLZ-60Dji7z-QOEGACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1207" data-original-width="1600" height="481" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-14mvxNiWKnI/Wk2fNMgnJ6I/AAAAAAAACJw/mEULZzSV55EmHKy-iLZ-60Dji7z-QOEGACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_3255.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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2017 brought a whirlwind of changes to my life, and I don't think anyone would believe me if I told them this past year was all sunshine and roses. Last year challenged me to accept the present. While I reached many of the goals I had set for 2017 and experienced joy on occasions such as the night my nephew was born, I still struggled to find happiness in my daily life. On a large scale I could see myself moving forward, gaining experience and growing as a person, but I still felt stuck. Maybe feeling stuck is something we all experience at one point or another, but the universality of the situation doesn't make it any easier. I learned a lot about myself this year and worked hard not to let those bad feelings get the best of me. As I've been told before, good things take time and maybe I just need to be a little more patient.<br />
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I spent the last night of 2017 laying out puzzle pieces and watching New Years Rockin' Eve with my parents. This was the first year I didn't feel like I was missing out on "the party" or secretly wishing I was spending the night with other people. I said goodbye to 2017 feeling content and at peace. I hope you felt that too, whatever you were doing.<br />
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<i>What has been said, what has been done, however you have felt over the past year is there to stay. Start 2018 off with a blank slate. Happy New Year everyone!</i><br />
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- SarahSarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-83694635557448388122017-11-06T22:28:00.000-05:002017-11-06T22:28:31.701-05:0011-6-2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Ojx3hP9bOE/WgEkOX8S7jI/AAAAAAAACIo/4VKwEyqxcJQqh7WBgLFVxNcXbBL1-qULQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1115" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Ojx3hP9bOE/WgEkOX8S7jI/AAAAAAAACIo/4VKwEyqxcJQqh7WBgLFVxNcXbBL1-qULQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_3168.JPG" width="444" /></a></div>
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What I wore: Leather motorcycle jacket from Wilson's Leather (<a href="https://www.wilsonsleather.com/product/black-rivet-long-asymmetrical-lamb-moto-jacket.do?sortby=ourPicksAscend&from=fn" target="_blank">similar</a>), black open-front sweater from Macy's (<a href="https://www.macys.com/shop/product/charter-club-cashmere-ribbed-open-front-cardigan-created-for-macys?ID=4614711&CategoryID=260&swatchColor=Classic%20Black#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D2428%26ruleId%3D78%7CBOOST%20SAVED%20SET%7CBOOST%20ATTRIBUTE%26searchPass%3DmatchNone%26slotId%3D25" target="_blank">similar</a>), chambray shirt dress (<a href="https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/michael-stars-chambray-shirtdress/4579689?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&fashioncolor=VINTAGE%20WASH" target="_blank">similar</a>), black leggings from Lularoe, my favorite blue beanie (<a href="https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/halogen-slouchy-cashmere-beanie/4350119?origin=category-personalizedsort&fashioncolor=NAVY%20PEACOAT" target="_blank">similar</a>) and black leather boots (<a href="https://www.macys.com/shop/product/g-by-guess-harson-riding-boots?ID=4855179&CategoryID=25122&swatchColor=Black#fn=BOOT_HEIGHT%3DTall%26SIZE%3D%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D205%26ruleId%3D78%7CBOOST%20SAVED%20SET%7CBOOST%20ATTRIBUTE%26searchPass%3DmatchNone%26slotId%3D35" target="_blank">similar</a>).<br />
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- SSarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-998978563717968042017-11-01T22:43:00.001-04:002017-11-01T22:43:02.124-04:00Work It Work It Work It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Since starting my current job I've been trying to develop a personal style that both pleases me and fits with the business casual dress code requirements. Too often business casual clothes can look frumpy or bland, and I never want to sacrificing style for my job. Finding a wardrobe that worked best for me involved a bit of trial and error but I think I've finally found the perfect balance.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DKAGpef6TOM/We67doTb5zI/AAAAAAAACHc/ixjrvKwQyp8SEXWu-F_TaWA_9kZ4T9oMQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1206" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DKAGpef6TOM/We67doTb5zI/AAAAAAAACHc/ixjrvKwQyp8SEXWu-F_TaWA_9kZ4T9oMQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_3138.JPG" width="482" /></a></div>
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After obsessing over the Goldstein sisters' wardrobes in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" earlier this year, I found these Tina inspired trousers from J. Crew (<a href="https://www.jcrew.com/p/G7462" target="_blank">similar</a>). I love pairing those with this olive blouse from Loft (<a href="https://www.loft.com/shimmer-smocked-flutter-shell/443311?skuId=23675988&defaultColor=3172&colorExplode=false&catid=catl000011" target="_blank">similar</a>) and a cardigan sweater (<a href="https://www.jcrew.com/p/womens_category/sweaters/cardigans/harlow-cardigan-sweater/G8452?color_name=brilliant-sapphire" target="_blank">similar</a>). All I need now is a cropped bob and a long coat. I'll be off helping Newt hunt down escaped nifflers before you know it.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IsGZDBeA7Fo/WfYdQwT2dNI/AAAAAAAACIU/Rk_1bm89z5gQ0vCBC32kSZMs8tG9XtrsQCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_3146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IsGZDBeA7Fo/WfYdQwT2dNI/AAAAAAAACIU/Rk_1bm89z5gQ0vCBC32kSZMs8tG9XtrsQCEwYBhgL/s640/IMG_3146.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mdgMkZ6PjZs/We67fDE79RI/AAAAAAAACHk/MWaYXw-a4RwvSOo5AZ74KEv6dZxspxOQwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="904" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mdgMkZ6PjZs/We67fDE79RI/AAAAAAAACHk/MWaYXw-a4RwvSOo5AZ74KEv6dZxspxOQwCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_3141.JPG" width="225" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F2tNKCRESes/We67fA70HlI/AAAAAAAACHo/h8yCSGFyI7g7hf6QAotgOc8NBAt69nfxwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1312" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F2tNKCRESes/We67fA70HlI/AAAAAAAACHo/h8yCSGFyI7g7hf6QAotgOc8NBAt69nfxwCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_3143.JPG" width="327" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_TAUeF8UnkI/WfYdNYSUdkI/AAAAAAAACH4/M5fXGjl9iXcdalXs0FFu8Z1ITgDwxXefQCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_3140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1597" data-original-width="1600" height="638" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_TAUeF8UnkI/WfYdNYSUdkI/AAAAAAAACH4/M5fXGjl9iXcdalXs0FFu8Z1ITgDwxXefQCEwYBhgL/s640/IMG_3140.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MrD_e2P9AKM/WfYdQev8JEI/AAAAAAAACIQ/rbfELsTqS2gAbtkwwf1q0PkPwPMWMoz1QCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MrD_e2P9AKM/WfYdQev8JEI/AAAAAAAACIQ/rbfELsTqS2gAbtkwwf1q0PkPwPMWMoz1QCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_3145.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Just ignore the unironed shirt, clearly I haven't learned all the rules of fashion blogging yet.</div>
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When I asked my friend Sandy if she would snap some photos of me on our break, I wasn't expecting to feel so ridiculous standing out by a parking lot full of empty cars. Most likely the handful of people present at the time were not paying attention to what we were doing, but I could not stop giggling. Thankfully Sandy still managed to get some good shots.<br />
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<i>What do you guys like to wear to work? Any business casual staples you'd recommend?</i><br />
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- SSarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-54899985503688730432017-10-14T11:59:00.000-04:002017-10-14T11:59:05.762-04:00I'm Back Baby!Hey! Hi. How you doin'? Holy moly, it's been a while.<br />
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After almost eight months of silence maybe it's time to catch you up on my life. Several exciting things have happened while I've been away from this blog and I wouldn't want you to feel left out.<br />
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Most importantly, I became an aunt! I have a squishy, adorable, sweet cheeked nephew named Levi who was born in June and is the best snuggle buddy ever.<br />
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I also got a new job. At the end of January I left my position at the library and started working in the billing department of a local home care service. The new job was a <i>huge</i> adjustment at first. Both my schedule and my work environment completely changed, and it took months before I could handle anything other than work and sleep. I may have enough money to pay my bills now, but I miss only working three days a week.<br />
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In May I came home with "a brand new car!" (Read that in your best Oprah voice.) Words cannot describe how happy this car has made me. Let's just say, no-car Sarah was slowly losing her marbles and would not have lasted another month without having a serious mental breakdown. Every time I get in my car now I want to start singing "Independent Women Part 1" by Destiny's Child.<br />
Okay maybe I should still be admitted for psychological evaluation....<br />
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May was also the month my youngest cousin graduated from high school, a long lost friend helped me sign up for Beachbody, and I got bangs for the first time since I was 5 years old.<br />
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The summer months were packed with family gatherings, wine tastings, beach days, and birthday celebrations. I guess my life has been a lot more than work after all. Looking back on these pictures makes it all feels like a big blur though. Time has flown by this year and my body feels like it's barely stopped moving.<br />
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In August I was able to take the train to Chicago to spend an extended weekend with my friend Gabby. I hung out with her friendly cats, spent a ridiculous amount of time in various bookstores, walked around a handful of Chicago neighborhoods, and got lost inside the Art Institute. After a week in the city I felt more inspired to paint, write, and live than I do after most days in my home town. It's good to get out of the usual bubble and see other parts of the world, even if it's not visiting another country or half way across the globe.<br />
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My life has not lacked excitement over the past eight months, but I still missed writing to you all. I'm happy to be back and hopefully this time it'll last.<br />
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- SSarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-3427453773958863322017-04-23T22:34:00.002-04:002017-04-23T22:34:53.271-04:00April's RefrainI've had so much to say lately. So much I've wanted to write about on here. So much to catch you up on and too many words crammed in my head to get them all out in one place. It's been three months and I'm feeling a little rusty.<br />
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Forgive me. It's not for lack of ideas, or even lack of time, that it's taken me this long to write anything. Bridging the gap between an old habit and the feeling of starting fresh has been more difficult than it's ever been in the past. The more I thought about writing the harder it became, and the farther I let this blog slip away the easier it was to forget.<br />
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Maybe I'll fill in the gaps a bit more later, or maybe I won't, but for now I'll leave you with some music inspiration. Here's a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeBSEF9gJqYhio3RtbLCqe2CTkmKhXcj2" target="_blank">full playlist option</a>, or listen to each individual song below.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwEieJWAbls" target="_blank">Keep Running by Tei Shi</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QwEieJWAbls" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t99ZhG5LEVk" target="_blank">Crowded Places by Banks</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t99ZhG5LEVk" width="560"></iframe>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdzKagaiebo" target="_blank">Carry You by Novo Amor</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FdzKagaiebo" width="560"></iframe>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8oLdmyU3YA" target="_blank">Belong by San Fermin</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x8oLdmyU3YA" width="560"></iframe>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMJu5heX2sk" target="_blank">Only Song by The Wild Reeds</a></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JMJu5heX2sk" width="560"></iframe>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORpA_m1vctU" target="_blank">Love and Fear by Imelda May</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ORpA_m1vctU" width="560"></iframe>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s__nbrPlCT0" target="_blank">Hate That You Know Me by Bleachers</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s__nbrPlCT0" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7mIK4fqZf0" target="_blank">You Can Cry Tomorrow by Betty Who</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v7mIK4fqZf0" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZQD3d8IWFo" target="_blank">Say You Do by Tei Shi</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dZQD3d8IWFo" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss8t7a8n0U4" target="_blank">Muddy Waters by LP</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ss8t7a8n0U4" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ev9JTTSlZE" target="_blank">Happiness Will Ruin This Place by San Fermin</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7ev9JTTSlZE" width="560"></iframe>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBpMXuzHR3I" target="_blank">Silver by Waxahatchee</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MBpMXuzHR3I" width="560"></iframe>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPdgZxTKt_g" target="_blank">Nighttime Hunger by Overcoats</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BPdgZxTKt_g" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKEJqCCxJTs" target="_blank">Lifetimes by Oh Wonder</a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JKEJqCCxJTs" width="560"></iframe>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPbiklLnDQo" target="_blank">Fire by Beth Ditto</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IPbiklLnDQo" width="560"></iframe>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMK_npDG12Q" target="_blank">Green Light by Lorde</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dMK_npDG12Q" width="560"></iframe>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKnweJ9-u5I" target="_blank">Mama Say by Betty Who</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KKnweJ9-u5I" width="560"></iframe>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06ruzN27AHg" target="_blank">Don't Take the Money by Bleachers</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/06ruzN27AHg" width="560"></iframe>
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-SSarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-33151906370470694772017-01-26T16:29:00.002-05:002017-01-26T16:29:40.644-05:00Style Inspiration: A Blend of Vintage and Modern<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/34/2d/8a/342d8a6ca32e5dada6f05c8920d13700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/34/2d/8a/342d8a6ca32e5dada6f05c8920d13700.jpg" width="287" /></a><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/5c/67/a5/5c67a5293bb21d0fa504c38c36d26421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/5c/67/a5/5c67a5293bb21d0fa504c38c36d26421.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
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(<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/403564816591071351/" target="_blank">source</a>, <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/ASvr-97OgVJe9r_PHxqCBgbJn8QA3YtcI6VoAdrNvvcdwkuQAaUy3NM/" target="_blank">source</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/f3/3f/a3/f33fa36ef1e695e234df7becc2956bb5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/f3/3f/a3/f33fa36ef1e695e234df7becc2956bb5.jpg" width="440" /></a></div>
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(<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/AZsdIN6NfVZx-88o_-KJh7cJgTUNB2Nhlr9uh-VKeJvlZOCwMI6s32CvdsbGaA6MhmT5ulFRj5veCY0T-DJAZFU/" target="_blank">source</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/e3/be/5d/e3be5de77d623aa5f61ff67486aed8a0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/e3/be/5d/e3be5de77d623aa5f61ff67486aed8a0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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(<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/332844228694226663/" target="_blank">source</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/bd/7b/92/bd7b92c6a43bdd94d3dfaabd7ea8b698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/bd/7b/92/bd7b92c6a43bdd94d3dfaabd7ea8b698.jpg" width="290" /></a><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/ff/6d/60/ff6d60b06b1c2e5db32b93051d7501c5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/ff/6d/60/ff6d60b06b1c2e5db32b93051d7501c5.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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(<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/124763852157685460/" target="_blank">source</a>, <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/124763852157685285/" target="_blank">source</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/5c/fe/7a/5cfe7a6477bbc8e7a1a3dd3eb3f58f19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/5c/fe/7a/5cfe7a6477bbc8e7a1a3dd3eb3f58f19.jpg" width="318" /></a><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/f2/1d/d0/f21dd070c4c773341eeccc9c21e0cabf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/f2/1d/d0/f21dd070c4c773341eeccc9c21e0cabf.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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(<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/460985711838586149/" target="_blank">source</a>, <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/510666045229119317/" target="_blank">source</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/b9/e8/88/b9e8882008935ad3fa3bf3447174c490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/b9/e8/88/b9e8882008935ad3fa3bf3447174c490.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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(<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/ASaIy3UorgdYQ7BL07oyMEZkKucVI60_6PUL0Ts0ClVz8ugBTxwXAdQ/" target="_blank">source</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/26/0d/a9/260da9fade2b8a0d1400b5a834171ea8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/26/0d/a9/260da9fade2b8a0d1400b5a834171ea8.jpg" width="462" /></a></div>
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(<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/124763852157697067/" target="_blank">source</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/eb/a5/35/eba535c5e544121e9c0e10cb02f5790f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/eb/a5/35/eba535c5e544121e9c0e10cb02f5790f.jpg" width="498" /></a></div>
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(<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/124763852157621533/" target="_blank">source</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/dc/bb/25/dcbb25d9c3ee4cc01686f92be48d7bc1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/dc/bb/25/dcbb25d9c3ee4cc01686f92be48d7bc1.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/88/13/52/881352b93100123804170b8a7828c80d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/88/13/52/881352b93100123804170b8a7828c80d.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>
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(<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/124763852157621494/" target="_blank">source</a>, <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/124763852157693345/" target="_blank">source</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/1f/94/e2/1f94e281085d8b22d852bbc5a30520e8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/1f/94/e2/1f94e281085d8b22d852bbc5a30520e8.jpg" width="440" /></a></div>
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(<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/124763852157685394/" target="_blank">source</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/6c/95/3b/6c953b7ffe4895bb63c70eaf1481c452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/6c/95/3b/6c953b7ffe4895bb63c70eaf1481c452.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/be/86/51/be8651889076636b8a620e1a410d5e7f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/be/86/51/be8651889076636b8a620e1a410d5e7f.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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(<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/124763852157466970/" target="_blank">source</a>, <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/124763852157685351/" target="_blank">source</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/aa/32/14/aa321449a58b10e0dc68a9b3f44bcf9b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/aa/32/14/aa321449a58b10e0dc68a9b3f44bcf9b.jpg" width="326" /></a><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/e1/ed/d8/e1edd852b0bf2c9baf79db15048e2549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/e1/ed/d8/e1edd852b0bf2c9baf79db15048e2549.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>
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(<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/124763852157718423/" target="_blank">source</a>, <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/124763852157725821/" target="_blank">source</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/2d/2b/70/2d2b70cb9bb32a9604f8a2ea94626fc7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/2d/2b/70/2d2b70cb9bb32a9604f8a2ea94626fc7.jpg" width="282" /></a><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/5e/0c/6f/5e0c6f15dba837f5b7701b4daf8f833b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/5e/0c/6f/5e0c6f15dba837f5b7701b4daf8f833b.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
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(<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/490118371932815721/" target="_blank">source</a>, <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/124763852157817245/" target="_blank">source</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rSoZSZBjMRI/WILdox9fm0I/AAAAAAAACBQ/voKXbTTXc0gcBY60eLBhwi5ExVh0Gn8zQCLcB/s1600/IMG_2496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rSoZSZBjMRI/WILdox9fm0I/AAAAAAAACBQ/voKXbTTXc0gcBY60eLBhwi5ExVh0Gn8zQCLcB/s640/IMG_2496.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/c1/fe/45/c1fe45f7dedc85f502d3772ecbaf1f65.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/c1/fe/45/c1fe45f7dedc85f502d3772ecbaf1f65.jpg" width="241" /></a><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/3d/68/02/3d680295a1c7314cad7c5d367ab8dc00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/3d/68/02/3d680295a1c7314cad7c5d367ab8dc00.jpg" width="363" /></a></div>
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(<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/124763852157786576/" target="_blank">source</a>, <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/362891682458790215/" target="_blank">source</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/9e/78/e9/9e78e9b070c49e0ed114042a98063956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/9e/78/e9/9e78e9b070c49e0ed114042a98063956.jpg" width="235" /></a><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/7c/99/f3/7c99f3798d32d633f6999c120146ffb2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/7c/99/f3/7c99f3798d32d633f6999c120146ffb2.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
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(<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/124763852157788110/" target="_blank">source</a>, <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/124763852157685387/" target="_blank">source</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/ca/23/31/ca2331fdfb3ed16e8d4978d6789fccd5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/ca/23/31/ca2331fdfb3ed16e8d4978d6789fccd5.jpg" width="508" /></a></div>
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(<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/124763852157621453/" target="_blank">source</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/92/da/b8/92dab8edc50eee79fc045da89820f266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/92/da/b8/92dab8edc50eee79fc045da89820f266.jpg" width="407" /></a></div>
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(<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/175570085451516152/" target="_blank">source</a>)</div>
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My style has always been vintage inspired; so when I was seeking inspiration for my wardrobe this winter I wasn't surprised to find myself leaning on the past. Whether it's 1920's style hats and coats from the <i>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them</i> movie, or rich colors and plaid accents from the <i>Outlander </i>series, I'm constantly marveling at the lines and textures of vintage clothing. If you really think about it, all fashion is based on the past. Much like any aspect of the world today, it's all just a variation on what's been done before. The more modern outfits I've been inspired by lately all have nods to the past, whether it's wide leg pants, wool coats, full eyebrows, thick sweaters or mom jeans. Certain styles will remain in our lives forever.</div>
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Most importantly, what I'm really inspired by is the type of women wearing these garments, whether they're real or fictional. I'm inspired by strong women who can look feminine while also sticking up for themselves. Women who look put together. Women who are able to remain a bit of a mystery, and women who exude a sense of confidence. It's my goal in life to be one of these women. To be fearless and independent in my personal style and my life.</div>
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<b>- S</b></div>
Sarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-43431993811703329072017-01-12T23:32:00.003-05:002017-01-12T23:39:05.521-05:00December FavoritesThe holiday season is typically jolly but winter tends have a negative effect on my mood. So far, this winter has been especially cold, dark, and snowy, and it has me wishing I never have to leave the comfort of my bed again. In December I wanted to fill my time with entertainment that captivated me and made me forget all about the weather. Luckily that was pretty easy to find.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eNCBxpI7lWw/WHZXB-ILDlI/AAAAAAAAB_s/uTV_L65gz5MYE1LsGAviAuAgYDBSQMuRACLcB/s1600/IMG_2438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eNCBxpI7lWw/WHZXB-ILDlI/AAAAAAAAB_s/uTV_L65gz5MYE1LsGAviAuAgYDBSQMuRACLcB/s640/IMG_2438.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Podcasts, podcasts and more podcasts.</b> I've been on a huge podcast kick since last month. Mostly <a href="http://www.gilmoreguysshow.com/" target="_blank">Gilmore Guys</a>, <a href="http://ladieswholunchshow.com/listen/" target="_blank">Ladies Who Lunch</a>, <a href="http://www.wtfpod.com/" target="_blank">WTF with Marc Maron</a>, <a href="http://www.unqualified.com/" target="_blank">Anna Faris is Unqualified</a>, and <a href="http://nerdist.com/podcasts/nerdist-podcast-channel/" target="_blank">The Nerdist</a>. I can't get enough.<br />
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<b>Jane the Virgin.</b> I started watching this show at the beginning of December and sped right through the first two seasons. <i>Jane the Virgin</i> is an hour long dramedy that mimics a telenovela. Although things can get a little crazy and over the top, it does not shy away from real life issues. I had heard nothing but good things since the show originally aired and it did not disappoint. If you haven't seen <i>Jane</i> yet, go watch it. Right Now. And no, I'm not caught up with any of season 3 so no spoilers.<br />
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<b>Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.</b> In the past I've mentioned my mom's long term obsession with <i>Star Wars</i> and the family memories I have growing up with the films. When <i>Rogue One</i> came out this year my mom and I were both busy and we weren't able to see the film opening night. Honestly I wasn't even sure I wanted to see the film in theaters, but when my brother mentioned going to see it as a family my mom guilt tripped me into going along. Thankfully <i>Rogue One</i> was spectacular. Now I can't believe I almost missed it.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-01nJI27OHIY/WHfijDReGgI/AAAAAAAACAE/9HP01yDfhGMvU1q_ajPBJl-iX_ILo_XJQCLcB/s1600/DSC_0132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-01nJI27OHIY/WHfijDReGgI/AAAAAAAACAE/9HP01yDfhGMvU1q_ajPBJl-iX_ILo_XJQCLcB/s640/DSC_0132.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Bluetooth Speaker.</b> I got a <a href="https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/speakers/wireless_speakers/soundlink_mini_ii.html#v=soundlink_mini_ii_carbon" target="_blank">Bose portable mini speaker</a> for Christmas and have been loving it. I now have mini surround sound while watching Netflix on my laptop.<br />
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<b>Troye Sivan's Blue Neighborhood album. </b>This album came out in 2015 but I only listened to the entire album for the first time last month. All the music on <i>Blue Neighborhood</i> feels dreamy and youthful in a way that reminds me of summer time or warm vacations. There is something comforting and nostalgic about Troye's music that took me from dancing to total relaxation and back again.<br />
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<b>Kindred by Octavia Butler</b> - Best book of December if not the whole year. <i>Kindred</i> is a modern classic that was originally published in 1979. The novel follows Dana, an African American woman living in the 1970's, who travels back in time to meet her ancestors. This story took off right from page one and had me hooked the entire time. It's a sit on the edge of your seat, stay up until 3 AM, give you all the feels kind of book. I read <i>Kindred</i> for January's book club meeting and I can't wait to discuss these characters with the group.<br />
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My last favorite of December,<br />
<b>Holiday spirit and Christmas traditions.</b> The holiday season is usually filled with warmth and cheeriness, but this year seemed more merry than usual. I was amazed with the number of people who made a point of telling me "Happy Holidays," "Merry Christmas," or "Happy New Year" while I was at work. Each time someone said something nice it brought a smile to my face. It's the little things that make that time of year special. One of my favorite holiday traditions over the last four or five years has been watching the movie White Christmas at the State Theater with my friend Sandy. Now I get to experience one of my favorite classics with one of my favorite friends. Christmas traditions and all the lovely holiday decorations also made this year special. My family made new traditions by spending Christmas day at my parent's house instead of my Grandparent's like we've done ever since I can remember. The change was different but the day was just as fun! My dad and I even made a new egg casserole dish in addition to our traditional Christmas breakfast.<br />
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December wasn't too bad in the end. Thankfully I had plenty of help getting me through. I'll probably be enjoying some of these favorites throughout January as well!<br />
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<b>- S</b>Sarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-39305151062344809032017-01-07T13:24:00.002-05:002017-01-07T14:06:20.990-05:00New Year, New Book Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Now that the new year has begun, it's time to set new reading goals for 2017. Since I enjoyed the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/174195-around-the-year-in-52-books" target="_blank">Around the Year in 52 Books</a> challenge <a href="http://waitingtoholdtheworld.blogspot.com/2016/12/52-book-challenge-wrap-up.html" target="_blank">last year,</a> I decided to give it another go. I like the idea of reading one book a week and the prompts help diversify my reading habits. Once again I tried to choose books that were currently on my shelf or easily available through the library.<br />
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1. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2016 (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2016?cc=4f19e7eb" target="_blank">link</a>) - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26247008-truly-madly-guilty?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Truly Madly Guilty</a> by Liane Moriarty</b><br />
2. A book with at least 2 perspectives (multiple points of view) - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7763.The_Joy_Luck_Club?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">The Joy Luck Club</a> by Amy Tan</b><br />
3. A book you meant to read in 2016 - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/424.Slouching_Towards_Bethlehem?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Slouching Towards Bethlehem</a> by Joan Didion</b><br />
4. A title that doesn't contain the letter "E" - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13537891-nw?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">NW</a> by Zadie Smith</b><br />
5. A historical fiction - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6867.Atonement?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Atonement</a> by Ian McEwan</b><br />
6. A book being released as a movie in 2017 - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/830502.It?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">IT</a> by Stephen King</b><br />
7. A book with an animal on the cover or in the title - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7723542-a-dog-s-purpose?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">A Dog's Purpose</a> by W. Bruce Cameron</b><br />
8. A book written by a person of color - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18813642-bad-feminist?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Bad Feminist</a> by Roxane Gay</b><br />
9. A book in the middle of your To Be Read list - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34268.Peter_Pan?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Peter Pan</a> by J.M. Barrie</b><br />
10. A dual-timeline novel - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29044.The_Secret_History?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">The Secret History</a> by Donna Tartt</b><br />
11. A category from another challenge : A book you loved as a child (from the Popsugar reading challenge) - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/119322.The_Golden_Compass?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">The Golden Compass</a> by Philip Pullman</b><br />
12. A book based on a myth - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17645.The_Penelopiad?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Penelopiad</a> by Margaret Atwood</b><br />
13. A book recommended by one of your favorite authors - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22822858-a-little-life?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">A Little Life</a> by Hanya Yanagihara (recommended by John Green)</b><br />
14. A book with a strong female character - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37380.The_Heart_is_a_Lonely_Hunter?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">The Heart is a Lonely Hunter</a> by Carson McCullers</b><br />
15. A book written or set in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland) - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/943402.Let_the_Right_One_In?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Let the Right One</a> In by John Ajvide Lindqvist</b><br />
16. A mystery - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/119073.The_Name_of_the_Rose?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">The Name of the Rose</a> by Umberto Eco</b><br />
17. A book with illustrations - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25855506-adulthood-is-a-myth?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Adulthood is a Myth</a> by Sarah Andersen</b><br />
18. A really long book (600+ pages) - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14201.Jonathan_Strange_Mr_Norrell?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell</a> by Susanna Clarke</b><br />
19. A New York Times best-seller - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333223-the-goldfinch?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">The Goldfinch</a> by Donna Tartt</b><br />
20. A book that you've owned for a while but haven't gotten around to reading - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19501.Eat_Pray_Love?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Eat Pray Love</a> by Elizabeth Gilbert</b><br />
21. A book that is a continuation of a book you've already read - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6752378-city-of-fallen-angels?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">City of Fallen Angels</a> by Cassandra Clare</b><br />
22. A book by an author you haven't read before - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4929.Kafka_on_the_Shore?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Kafka on the Shore</a> by Haruki Murakami</b><br />
23. A book from the BBC's "The Big Read" list (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Read" target="_blank">link</a>) - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32261.Tess_of_the_D_Urbervilles?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Tess of the d'Urbervilles</a> by Thomas Hardy</b><br />
24. A book written by at least 2 authors - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12067.Good_Omens?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Good Omens</a> by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman</b><br />
25. A book about a famous historical figure - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16130.Alexander_Hamilton?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Alexander Hamilton</a> by Ron Chernow (currently reading)</b><br />
26. An adventure book - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7126.The_Count_of_Monte_Cristo?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">The Count of Monte Cristo</a> by Alexandre Dumas</b><br />
27. A book by one of your favorite authors - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24728470-m-train?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">M Train</a> by Patti Smith</b><br />
28. A non-fiction book - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14318.Chronicles_Vol_1?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Chronicles: Vol 1</a> by Bob Dylan</b><br />
29. A book published outside the 4 major publishing houses (Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Hachette Livre) - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24796231-the-story-of-my-teeth?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">The Story of My Teeth</a> by Valeria Luiselli, translated by Christina MacSweeney</b><br />
30. A book from Goodreads Top 100 YA books (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/91711" target="_blank">link</a>) - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20820994-i-ll-give-you-the-sun?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">I'll Give You The Sun</a> by Jandy Nelson</b><br />
31. A book from a sub-genre of your favorite genre - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6340016-lit?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Lit</a> by Mary Karr (memoirs about substance abuse)</b><br />
32. A book with a long title (5+ words, excluding subtitle) - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7331435-a-visit-from-the-goon-squad?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">A Visit from the Goon Squad</a> by Jennifer Egan</b><br />
33. A magical realism novel - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/320.One_Hundred_Years_of_Solitude?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">One Hundred Years of Solitude</a> by Gabriel García Márquez</b><br />
34. A book set in or by an author from the Southern Hemisphere - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/172732.The_Motorcycle_Diaries?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">The Motorcycle Diaries</a> by Che Guevara</b><br />
35. A book where one of the main characters is royalty - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21787.The_Princess_Bride?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">The Princess Bride</a> by William Goldman</b><br />
36. A Hugo Award winner or nominee (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/award/show/9-hugo-award" target="_blank">link</a>) - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15704307-saga-volume-1?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Saga, Vol 1</a> by Brian K. Vaughan</b><br />
37. A book you choose randomly - I'm leaving this one open for now<br />
38. A novel inspired by a work of classic literature - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3679.On_Beauty?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">On Beauty</a> by Zadie Smith</b><br />
39. An epistolary fiction - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/337113.The_Tenant_of_Wildfell_Hall?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">The Tenant of Wildfell Hall</a> by Anne Bronte</b><br />
40. A book published in 2017 - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30375706-things-we-lost-in-the-fire?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Things We Lost In the Fire</a> by Mariana Enriquez</b><br />
41. A book with an unreliable narrator - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17899948-rebecca?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Rebecca</a> by Daphane du Maurier</b><br />
42. A best book of the 21st Century (so far) - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3805.The_Corrections?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">The Corrections</a> by Jonathan Franzen</b><br />
43. A book with a chilling atmosphere (scary, unsettling, cold) - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/89724.We_Have_Always_Lived_in_the_Castle?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">We Have Always Lived in the Castle</a> by Shirley Jackson</b><br />
44. A recommendation from "What Should I Read Next" (<a href="http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/" target="_blank">link</a>) - I'll probably decide on this book a little later in the year<br />
45. A book with a one-word title - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6149.Beloved?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Beloved</a> by Toni Morrison</b><br />
46. A time travel novel - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10988.Drums_of_Autumn?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Drums of Autumn</a> by Diana Gabaldon</b><br />
47. A past suggestion that didn't win (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/18105142" target="_blank">link</a>) : A book about traveling, can be fiction or non-fiction - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27.Neither_Here_nor_There?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe</a> by Bill Bryson</b><br />
48. A banned book - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5470.1984" target="_blank">1984</a> </b><b>by George Orwell (currently reading)</b><br />
49. A book from someone else's bookshelf - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2767.A_People_s_History_of_the_United_States?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">A People's History of the United States</a> by Howard Zinn</b><br />
50. A Penguin Modern Classic - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59716.To_the_Lighthouse?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">To the Lighthouse</a> by Virginia Woolf</b><br />
51. A collection (e.g. essays, short stories, poetry, plays) - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13641208-tenth-of-december" target="_blank">The Tenth of December</a> by George Saunders (currently reading)</b><br />
52. A book set in a fictional location - <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37442.Wicked?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West</a> by Gregory Maguire</b><br />
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Like last year's challenge, these books are subject to change at any time. I'll try to check in every once in a while with updates, but this list provides a starting off point. Happy reading!<br />
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<i>Do you participate in any reading challenges? If so, which ones?</i><br />
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<b>-S</b>Sarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-90552163595746332162017-01-02T23:31:00.000-05:002017-01-03T01:14:48.696-05:00Goodbye 2016, Hello 2017!Despite what some people might say, 2016 was a pretty good year. My brother got married and my parents remodeled their kitchen. I read more books than ever before and fell back in love with fashion. My car broke down, but I survived without a replacement. Gilmore Girls came back and I watch it with one of my best friends (and coffee). I spent way too much time watching TV shows on the couch with my mom and wasted time trying to fill in crossword puzzles with my dad. Nothing happened, and yet everything happened.<br />
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This past year did not bring me wealth, love, or success in the traditional sense, but it did bring growth. I have changed as a person over the last twelve months. My life has become fuller and my horizons broader. I'm more confident in myself and I can't wait to see what 2017 brings!<br />
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I spent lots of quality time with my family this year and I wouldn't trade that for the world. I hope your 2016 was as enjoyable as mine. May your coming year be full of love and joy!!<br />
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<b>- S</b>Sarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-77041328719022715582016-12-30T21:28:00.005-05:002016-12-30T21:30:53.187-05:0052 Book Challenge Wrap Up<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">When I started the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/174195-around-the-year-in-52-books" target="_blank">Around the World in 52 books</a> challenge at the beginning of the year, I never thought I'd actually read all 52 books. Surprisingly, I came much closer to completing this challenge than I ever expected. Out of the 92 books I've read in 2016, I found books to fit 47 individual challenges. None of the books are used more than once, and I'm currently reading books for three of the uncompleted challenges. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">This final list looks different than the one in <a href="http://waitingtoholdtheworld.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-52-books-challenge-2016.html" target="_blank">my original</a>, or even my <a href="http://waitingtoholdtheworld.blogspot.com/2016/08/52-book-challenge-update.html" target="_blank">mid-year</a>, post. I decided it was more important to see how many challenges I could accomplish than it was to be true to the original list. For me, reading has never been about forcing myself to read specific books within a certain time frame, unless it was school related. Since this entire endeavor was only for personal gain, I tried hard to keep this challenge fun while also using it to expand on the variety of books I read throughout 2016. If my counting is correct, 33 of the books listed below were named in the original post. Some books have been moved around, while others were simply replaced.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>1.</b> A book you meant to read in 2015, but didn't -- <b>The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan</b> *</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>2.</b> A book set in a different continent -- <b>I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>3.</b> A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2015 (winner or nominated) -- <b>The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins</b> *</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>4.</b> A book by an author you discovered in 2015 -- <b>The Dumb House by John Burnside*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>5.</b> A book with a title beginning with the 1st letter of your name -- <b>Shrill by Lindy West*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>6.</b> The highest rated on your TBR -- <b>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Illustrated Edition by J.K. Rowling and Jim Kay*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>7.</b> A book about books -- <b>The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Forde*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>8.</b> A classic book with less than 200 pages -- <b>Candide by Voltaire*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>9.</b> A book that was mentioned in another book -- <b>To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>10.</b> A book by an author you feel you should have read by now --<b> </b></span><b style="color: #181818; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll*</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>11.</b> A book from the Rory Gilmore challenge -- <b>The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>12.</b> A childhood classic -- <b>The BFG by Roald Dahl*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>13.</b> Reader’s Choice -- <b>Just Kids by Patty Smith*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>14.</b> A book with one of the five W’s -or H in the title (Who/What/Where/When/Why/How) -- <b>Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>15.</b> A book set in the past (more than 100 years ago) -- <b>Persuasion by Jane Austen*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>16.</b> A book from the top 100 mystery novels -- <b>And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>17.</b> A book with a beautiful cover -- <b>Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte</b> <b>(Vintage Classics Bronte Series edition)*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>18.</b> A book on a summer/beach reading list -- <b>Bridget Jone's Diary by Helen Fielding*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">19. A non-fiction book -- <b>Sex Object by Jessica Valenti*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">20. A book with a first name in the title -- <b>Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">21. A book from the Goodreads Recommendations page -- <b>Fifth Avenue, 5 AM; Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman by Sam Wasson (currently reading)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">22. The first book in a new to you series --<b> City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments series)*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">23. The next book in a series you are reading -- </span><b style="color: #181818; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon*</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">24. A "between the numbers" book of a series (0.5, 1,5, 2.5, etc.) -- <b>Four by Veronica Roth </b>*</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">25. A book whose main character is in a profession that interests you -- <b>The Art Forger by Barbara A. Shapiro*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">26. A book everyone is talking about -- <b>The Girls by Emma Cline*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">27. A book with a beautiful title (in your own opinion) -- <b>When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">28. A biography, autobiography, or memoir -- <b>Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">29. A book by an author who writes under more than one name -- <b>Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith/J.K. Rowling*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">30. A fairytale from a culture other than your own -- Angela Carter's Book of Fairytales</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">31. A work of young adult fiction -- <b>Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">32. A historical fiction book -- </span><b style="color: #181818; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Voyager by Diana Gabaldon*</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">33. The 16th book on your TBR -- <b>The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">34. A book about mental illness -- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Brain on Fire by Susannah Calahan*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">35. An award winning book -- <b>Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">36. An identity book - a book about a different culture, religion or sexual orientation -- <b>Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">37. A book that you've seen the movie of but haven't read -- <b>Silver Linings Playlist by Matthew Quick*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">38. A book about an anti hero -- <b>A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">39. A </span>previous suggestion<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> that did not make it into the list -- </span><b style="color: #181818; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead* </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">(Read an Oprah Book Club book)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>40.</b> A novella from your favorite genre -- <b>Animal Farm by George Orwell*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>41.</b> A book about a major world event (fiction or non-fiction) -- <b>Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow (currently reading)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>42.</b> A top 100 fantasy novel -- The Princess Bride by William Goldman</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>43.</b> A book about a thing that goes bump in the night -- <b>A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>44.</b> A book you're embarrassed to read in public -- <b>City of Glass by Cassandra Clare*</b> (I wouldn't really say I'm ashamed of reading much in public but trying to describe this series to my family made me question myself)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>45.</b> A book related to a hobby or passion you have -- <b>Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>46.</b> A crime story -- <b>In Cold Blood by Truman Capote*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>47.</b> A book with a type of food/drink in the title -- <b>Milk and Honey</b> <b>by Rupi Kaur*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>48.</b> A dystopia -- <b>Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>49.</b> A book with a great opening line -- <b>1984 by George Orwell (currently reading)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>50.</b> A book originally written in a language other than English -- <b>Blindness by José Saramago*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>51.</b> A short story from a well-known author -- <b>The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury*</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>52.</b> A book published in 2016 -- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>The Yoga of Max's Discontent by Karan Bajaj*</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">All finished books are marked with *</span></span><br />
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The books on this list range from classics, new releases, translated fiction, non-fiction, children's books, YA novels, and historical romances. They're written by a mixture of authors spanning cultures, continents, times, genders, and races. 2016 has brought me some of my new favorite books written by truly brilliant authors and I can't wait to see what 2017 brings!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>-S</b></span>Sarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-72622277921028301762016-12-24T10:33:00.001-05:002016-12-24T10:33:27.364-05:00Christmas Lists Are For Kids?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is the first year I've gone without making a proper Christmas list. Ever since I was a small child I've made Christmas lists of epic proportion. Lists that were long, and detailed, and contained enough present ideas for five or more Christmases combined.<br />
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I'm no Dudley Dursley; I never expected my parents to buy me every present on the list, but I was particular. As the years go by the list has gone through several changes, from American Girl dolls and Barbies, to dance accessories and Pottery Barn Teen decor, to clothes and Apple products galore. When my parents started asking me last month what I wanted for Christmas this year, I completely blanked. For the first time ever I realized there was nothing I wanted that they could actually give me.<br />
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All the items I could think of this year were either too much for a Christmas gift, or just plain impossible. A spare $10,000 to help pay off my student loans faster. A trip to Scotland for my mom and I (or the whole family). A new car. Tickets to Hamilton: An American Musical. A significant other to love and spend Christmas with next year.<br />
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Maybe some people have the luxury of asking for, and receiving, a car for Christmas, but I know my parents can't afford a gift like that. Besides, what I really want is to be working a job that makes me enough money to afford my own car and gives me the ability to buy a new computer before this one gives out. I want financial freedom. I want my own tiny house. Unfortunately these aren't items for a Christmas list, more like Life wish list.<br />
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So I don't really want or need anything for Christmas this year, except maybe a couple pairs of socks. Is this what happens to everyone as they get older? Does this mean I'm officially an adult?<br />
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Have a very Merry Christmas and joyful holiday season!<br />
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<b>- S</b>Sarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-15317653052461047992016-12-15T15:58:00.002-05:002016-12-15T15:58:40.006-05:00The Bell Jar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>"I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn't make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet."</i> - Sylvia Plath (<i>The Bell Jar</i>)<br />
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I tried reading Sylvia Plath's iconic novel back in high school, but gave up after fifty or sixty pages. <i>The Bell Jar</i> is often praised for Plath's progressive representation of feminism, and I always hoped to give the book another try. I've had this copy of <i>The Bell Jar</i> sitting on my shelf for a few years now, so I was excited to finally pick it up this month.<br />
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If you had asked me before why I'd given up on the novel back in high school, I would have told you the book was too sad for my taste. The truth is, the story just hit too close to home. In fact, I'm glad I waited until I was older to try again.<br />
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Now Plath's words don't trigger sadness as much as they trigger a sense of kinship, normalcy, and hope. I know it's a cliché to love Sylvia Plath, maybe that's another reason why I stopped reading her book in high school, but there's a reason so many women (and men) love her work. She spoke a language people can understand and connect to. Her writing would have seemed revolutionary when the book was first published, as it shed light on the feelings of discontent and uncertainty that often accompany the standards society sets for women.<br />
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Although women's rights have greatly increased in America over the last 60 years, we are still fighting against gender stereotypes today. Women are often held to a double standard when it comes to sex, and many women are forced to give up jobs due to lack of affordable child care and unpaid maternity leave. For these reasons, <i>The Bell Jar</i> is considered a modern classic and remians relevant today.<br />
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<b>-S</b>Sarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-45335457045385579082016-12-10T12:56:00.003-05:002016-12-10T12:56:49.300-05:00The Knife and The ForkA lot has happened since we last spoke. I got new glasses. I baked my first cheesecake. We elected a new President and I spent more than a bit of money on Black Friday sales. Life has been a little crazy lately and my anxiety levels have me wishing it was socially acceptable to spend all day in bed, but alas, it is not.<br />
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A week ago I had a moment of insight inspired by a fork and a muffin. I bought a muffin on my way to work and as usual, I asked for a plastic knife. I find that using a knife allows me to cut the muffin into bite sized pieces while making the least amount of mess. However, when I sat down with my latte at the bookstore, what I found in the bag was a fork.<br />
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Right away I thought, "A fork! What am I going to do with a fork? This isn't going to work. What a disaster!" Then I took a moment and realized how silly I was being because of course a fork would work. Maybe it's not what I thought I was getting, or what I normally use, but eating a muffin with a fork would work just as well as a knife. I don't know who was to blame for the mix up. Maybe the lady accidentally grabbed the wrong utensil, or I may have just said fork instead of knife. Either way all that matters is that I had a working untensil and a muffin to eat.<br />
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I couldn't help but see this fork/knife debocle as a metaphor for life. In life we're not always given what we want, or what we believe we're being given. Occasionally life gives you a fork instead of a knife. Maybe the fork makes more of a mess, but it's still a useful tool for getting the muffin into your mouth. Am I getting too deep into this metaphor now?<br />
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The fork was a reminder to always look at situations with an open mind. Next time I feel stuck, I should consider looking for an unexpected solution. Of course, I'd still like to get what I want (wouldn't we all), but life rarely works how I want it to.<br />
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<b>-S</b>Sarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-10317088215709176902016-11-08T01:25:00.002-05:002016-11-08T01:34:11.258-05:00Tire Tracks Through Autumn Leaves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The weather was in rare form this past weekend. High temperatures and sunny skies felt like a gentle nudge from mother nature, telling me to get outside before winter arrives. After spending such little time on my bike this year I had been itching for some extra motivation. Over the past couple weeks I kept telling myself to get out, even marking good riding days in my planner, but never followed through. I knew I was running out of time for outdoor rides and by November 1st I figured it was too late. So when I saw the weather forecast for this past weekend, I knew it would be my last real chance.<br />
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My dad and I managed to carve out time on both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's ride was a short fifteen miles, but both of us were happy to be done by that point. I had waited too long since my last ride and my muscles felt sluggish. The views were beautiful and there were several times when I wished I could capture the scenery around me without having to stop. When I'm riding I just want to keep going and the idea of stopping to take a picture seems counterproductive. Still, riding along a path covered in yellow leaves or through a section lined with colorful trees makes me want to bottle those moments to share with everyone.<br />
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After the ride, and helping to clean up leaves at my grandpa's house, we made one last trip to The Dairy Lodge for the season. A cookie dough flurry made the perfect reward for the day's hard work!<br />
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On Sunday I felt terrible in the beginning. My whole body was sore and I had bruises from the ungraceful moment on Saturday when I fell over at one of the intersections. Thankfully after a mile or so my butt stopped hurting and my muscles warmed up. Not only did we keep a faster pace on the second day, we rode farther (twenty miles instead of fifteen), and we managed to climb a few hills on our way home.<br />
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Most of my thoughts lately have been consumed by the idea that I'm not enough. I have been overwhelmed with this feeling of failure, and I'm afraid I have been making all the wrong choices. A feeling of dissatisfaction makes me wish I were anywhere else but here. When I'm on my bike though, there's no where else I'd rather be. It's difficult to feel unsatisfied while surrounded by this beautiful place I get to call home. Deep down I know riding my bike doesn't solve any of my problems, but in those moments I no longer worry about where I am or how much money is in my bank account. All I want is to keep pushing myself forward. I climb those hills to prove to myself that I am strong enough, and when I make it to the top I have one less reason to say I am not a failure.<br />
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<b>- S</b>Sarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-24128783082866212002016-11-01T17:50:00.000-04:002016-11-01T17:50:38.465-04:00Going ShorterI went to the salon last Thursday and told my stylist I wanted to go shorter, much shorter. When I cut my hair short the last time it was the most drastic change I had ever experienced with my hair. I loved that cut and I loved the ease of short hair. I have been blessed with lots of hair, but what is a blessing can also be a curse. When my hair is long it takes hours to dry and style, something that I just don't have the energy or time to do on a daily basis. So instead of enjoying long flowing locks I'm left with mostly buns and pony tails. As much as having long hair makes me feel pretty and feminine, shorter hair just works better (and it can still be feminine).<br />
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It looks a little windswept after my walk home, whoops.</div>
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I was a bad blogger on the day of my cut and forgot to take a before shot. I had about 10 inches taken off in order to donate it. Since I didn't want to go as short as my last haircut I was worried my hair wouldn't be long enough to donate, but it worked out in the end. Having shorter hair again has made me feel lighter. I know hair doesn't really change anything, but sometimes it's the biggest, most immediate change you can control (one that can always grow back). The fact that I like controlled change probably says something about me, psychologically speaking, but at least now I can wash and dry my hair in under an hour!<br />
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<b>-S</b></div>
Sarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-69762202314509844142016-10-31T12:57:00.003-04:002016-10-31T12:57:41.943-04:00Happy Halloween!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I hope everyone had a fun filled weekend! I didn't dress up this year, but I'll make sure to celebrate the holiday with some candy.<br />
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-SSarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-15620809375055046182016-10-21T16:10:00.001-04:002016-10-21T16:10:05.304-04:00Catch-22<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>"'You have a morbid aversion to dying. You probably resent the fact that you're at war and might get your head blown off any second.'</b><br />
<b>'I more than resent it, sir. I'm absolutely incensed.'</b><br />
<b>'You have deep-seated survival anxieties. And you don't like bigots, bullies, snobs or hypocrites. Subconsciously there are many people you hate.'</b><br />
<b>'Consciously, sir, consciously.' Yossarian corrected in an effort to help. 'I hate them consciously.' 'You're antagonistic to the idea of being robbed, exploited, degraded, humiliated or deceived. Misery depresses you. Ignorance depresses you. Persecution depresses you. Violence depresses you. Slums depresses you. Greed depresses you. Crime depresses you. Corruption depresses you. You know, it wouldn't surprise me if you're a manic-depressive!'</b><br />
<b>'Yes, sir. Perhaps I am.'</b><br />
<b>'Don't try to deny it.'</b><br />
<b>'I'm not denying it, sir,' said Yossarian, pleased with the miraculous rapport that finally existed between them. 'I agree with all you've said.'"</b><br />
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The above is just one example of the brilliant writing in <i>Catch-22.</i> I knew going into this book that Heller's writing style was a dividing factor for fans and critics of his famous first novel. Thankfully I never read this book in high school since I would have hated Heller's non-lineal narrative back then. The novel's satirical elements would have probably gone over my head when I was sixteen but it's what solidifies this book as a new favorite now. War can be a tricky subject to approach, but Heller maneuvers it with such non-glorified honesty that he makes you understand just how frustratingly powerless and horrifying it is to be caught in the middle.<br />
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<b>-S</b>Sarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-15460566839906350302016-10-10T12:27:00.004-04:002016-11-05T13:13:09.065-04:00One Saturday In October<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My mom and I had the house all to ourselves this weekend while my dad was in Detroit. We spent most of our time binge watching the first season of Arrow, but we did managed to leave the house Saturday morning for cream cheese pastries. Our typical Saturday morning routines consist of coffee and a trip to the farmers market; my parents usually get coffee at 7/11 during their morning walk and I walk downtown for coffee. This week however, also involved breakfast at Brew and window shopping through downtown TC.<br />
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Saturday was the first chilly day of the season and I spent most of the morning wishing I had worn gloves. Luckily I did find this hat from Haystacks to help keep me warm. I purchased my <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Levis-15750-Womens-Boyfriend-Trucker/dp/B01FYRD6M2/ref=pd_sim_193_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=H0A1P4C0A2TEWFR6847B" target="_blank">denim jacket</a> after seeing it in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvFyPrPVotqsTlqxUmAOYRw" target="_blank">Estée Lalonde</a>'s recent <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh5BWT3LUY8" target="_blank">fashion haul</a>. I had been eyeing the jacket ever since she featured it in an OOTD on Instagram and I finally bought it two weeks ago. The sweatshirt is one that I bought this summer out in Glen Arbor. I don't typically buy tourist sweatshirts but I love the look of this one.<br />
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It was so cold Saturday morning that I had to break out my <a href="http://www.keenfootwear.com/product/shoes/women/targhee-ii-mid" target="_blank">hiking boots</a>. These boots are one of the best investments I've ever made. They're beyond comfortable and keep my feet warm and dry in all types of weather.<br />
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After our morning jaunt through town, we road out to Gallagher's Farm Market for pizza bread. I'm pretty sure my mom is addicted to that bread, at least as addicted as I am to cream cheese pastries. Then it was on home for a full afternoon of being couch potatoes. I hope your weekend was as good as mine!<br />
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<b>- S</b>Sarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-43503250469336087572016-10-04T23:04:00.003-04:002016-10-04T23:04:35.193-04:00The Kloosterman's Take Mackinac Island<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Saturday was my family's annual trip to Mackinac Island. We've been going to Mackinac since I was little, but the annual visits only started four years ago now. It's funny how my relationship with the island has changed so drastically over these past few years. My parents used to have to drag me Mackinac while I spent most of the time sulking and whining about the crowds. If you've only ever been in the island in the summer I'd highly recommend taking your next trip during the autumn months. I love seeing the fall colors and walking through the woods for hours exploring different parts of the island. There's so much life and beauty on Mackinac, but when the weather starts to cool a sense of calm begins to settle. As the tourist season winds to a close horses are shipped to the main land, fewer carriages run, and many of the stores offer sales on their left over inventory. Even used bikes sell for cheap. Whether you like hiking through nature, exploring pieces of America's history, or shopping to your heart's content, there's something for everyone on Mackinac Island.<br />
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Since the weather called for rain in the afternoon, we started the day with a hike around the island. The long hill is always first and the most painful. First up was the "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081534/" target="_blank">Somewhere In Time</a>" gazebo. In the last couple years we started a tradition of taking a family photo at this gazebo (see the first photo of the post). It's a fun way to document our trip each year.<br />
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Two roads diverged in a wood, and I... I took the one with the rest of the weirdos.</div>
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Near the end of our trip it started raining, so we took refuge in the shops along Main Street. We stopped for a late lunch at <a href="http://www.islandslicepizzeria.com/" target="_blank">Island Slice Pizzeria</a> followed by a quick jaunt through <a href="http://www.islandbookstore.com/" target="_blank">The Island Bookstore</a>. Of course I couldn't leave Mackinac without my yearly allotment of fudge. Despite the fact that Traverse City has several fudge shops, including Murdick's and Kilwins, it's never the same as getting it on the island. Overall Mackinac Island 2016 was a success, even with the rain. I'm blessed to have a family that gets along so well, and I can't wait to do it all again next year.<br />
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<b>- S</b><br />
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<br />Sarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-75786977698613014502016-10-01T00:02:00.000-04:002016-10-01T00:02:00.748-04:00Protect Your Freedom To Read!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week, September 25 to October 1, is <a href="http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/" target="_blank">Banned Book Week</a> in the United States. <a href="http://www.ala.org/bbooks/" target="_blank">Banned Book Week</a> began in 1982 and aims to raise awareness about the problem of book censorship. Although banning books might sound like a thing of the past, hundreds of books are still challenged in libraries and schools across the country, and books continue to be banned in countries around the world.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.ala.org/" target="_blank">American Library Association</a>'s <a href="http://www.ala.org/offices/oif" target="_blank">Office of Intellectual Freedom</a> gathers information every year on attempts to challenge and restrict books. Although the OIF aims to document all instances, studies actually suggest that for every reported challenge, four or five challenges go unreported. Too often that means that those challenges have succeeded. Thankfully attempts to restrict books are still stopped by those individuals willing to take a stand to protect our freedom to read, whether that be a librarian, teacher, student or community member.<br />
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The focus of this year's Banned Book Week is diversity. In <a href="http://time.com/4505713/banned-books-week-reasons-change/" target="_blank">an article</a> for the New York Times, the director of the OIF, James LaRue, commented on the recent shifts in the type of challenges which are more frequently "focused on issues of diversity -- things that are by or about people of color, or LGBT, or disabilities, or religious and cultural minorities." Too often the books that are challenged are those that offer a different viewpoint than our own, or that of the majority. If diverse books are allowed to be banned it limits our ability to understand the world and it's complexity.<br />
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<b>"Banning books gives us silence when we need speech. It closes our ears when we need to listen. It makes us blind when we need sight."</b> - Stephen Chbosky<br />
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If we allow books to be censored we limit not only our freedom but an essential part of our education. Many of the <a href="http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10" target="_blank">frequently banned books</a> are those being taught in schools across the country. Some of my favorite books from childhood and into adulthood have their place on the list of commonly banned or challenged books. Those books taught me what it means to be a good person and what it means to have sympathy for others. Those books taught me that good and evil exist in all of us and the world is not always black and white. Those books taught me to question the world around me.<br />
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Last year I made a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaPGZUCo5-g" target="_blank">video</a> talking about Banned Book week, but this year I wanted to share some of my favorite frequently banned and challenged books. The list includes only a few out of the many important, thought provoking, and diverse banned books, and I hope to read plenty more in the future.<br />
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<b>Looking for Alaska by John Green</b> (reason for challenge: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group)<br />
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<b>The Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling</b> (reason for challenge: anti-family, occult/Satanism, religious viewpoint, and violence)<br />
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<b>Persepolis by Marjane Satropi </b>(reason for challenge: gambling, offensive language, religious viewpoint, and graphic depictions)<br />
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<b>The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger</b> (reason for challenge: offensive language, unsuited for age group)<br />
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<b>One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey</b> (reason for challenge: violence, offensive language, and sexually explicit)<br />
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<b>The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie </b>(reason for challenge: anti-family, content regarding alcohol, bullying and violence, racism, sexually explicit, and offensive language)<br />
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<b>Ordinary People by Judith Guest</b> (reason for challenge: sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group)<br />
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<b>The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky</b> (reason for challenge: drugs, alcohol, and smoking, offensive language, homosexuality, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group)<br />
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<b>The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini </b>(reason for challenge: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group, and violence)<br />
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<b>The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton</b> (reason for challenge: unsuited for age group, anti-family, offensive language, smoking, alcohol, and violence)<br />
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<b>A Light In The Attic by Shel Silverstein </b>(reason for challenge: supernatural themes, encourages messiness and disobedience, and unsuited for age group)<br />
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<b>To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee</b> (reason for challenge: offensive language, racism, and unsuited for age group)<br />
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As long as there are books, there will be people trying to control them. The most important thing you can do is read. If you know of any challenges to books in your community, don't forget to take a stand and report the challenge. Help protect your freedom to read!<br />
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<b>-S</b><br />
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For more information follow the links throughout the post.Sarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-87283479908597184272016-09-29T13:57:00.002-04:002016-09-29T13:57:29.309-04:00Polka Dots and Tennis Shoes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Time to share another work day outfit! Since I'm constantly moving around at work it's easier to wear clothes that aren't going to need a lot of adjusting throughout the day. A nice pair of pants, plain t-shirt, and a sweater are essential.<br />
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The cardigan that I wore Wednesday is one that I wear frequently. It goes with almost anything and adds a little extra detail without being too over the top. The cardigan actually originated from my grandma's wardrobe so I'm not sure when or where she bought it. Luckily it fits well and is in great condition.<br />
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Sweater (<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/womens-clothing/sweaters/cardigans/PRDOVR~F7781/F7781.jsp?color_name=Hthr-Grey-Navy&srcCode=FAGGPF00001_99104458630_332808619_23390781979_256828692149_c_pla_aud-103150476483:pla-256828692149_9017565&sisearchengine=197&siproduct=F7781&noPopUp=true&gclid=CjwKEAjw97K_BRCwmNTK26iM-hMSJABrkNtbwBzYTRgYlAY-X2HV9dR98zQolOkhO7Z-6ucUNofe3hoCqEfw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank">similar</a>), J Crew <a href="https://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/Tshirtsandtanktops/shortsleevetshirts/PRDOVR~B1302/B1302.jsp" target="_blank">T-Shirt</a>, LOFT Jeans (<a href="http://www.loft.com/modern-skinny-jeans-in-dark-indigo-wash/412268?skuId=21341427&defaultColor=9513&colorExplode=false&catid=catl000015" target="_blank">similar</a>), <a href="http://www.famousfootwear.com/en-US/Product/54553-1035887/Nike/Greywhite/Womens+Tanjun+Sneaker.aspx" target="_blank">Shoes</a></div>
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I've been loving the sneaker trends lately. Now that I'm walking to work most of the time, it's nice to have some comfortable options without compromising looks or always carrying an extra pair of shoes. I recently bought these Nikes during a Labor Day sale and have been living in them ever since.<br />
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Yesterday was another gorgeous day for a walk, so I left early for work and stopped downtown for a latte and muffin. I've now finished about half of <i>Silver Linings Playbook</i>. The movie followed the story pretty well, but it's still interesting to read the slight differences in tone of the writing vs. how Bradley Cooper played the character of Pat. Matthew Quick, at least judging from <i>The Good Luck of Right Now</i> and <i>Silver Linings Playbook</i>, has a very distinct writing style and uses similar character types in both novels. Quick's characters may be complex, but his writing is simple and direct. Although I enjoyed <i>The Good Luck of Right Now</i>, <i>Silver Linings Playbook</i> is more accessible and probably appeals to a much larger audience.<br />
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<b>-S</b>Sarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-51242397116834569492016-09-21T14:21:00.003-04:002016-09-21T14:21:54.704-04:00Teal Colored Glasses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I received some really nice compliments on my new sweater yesterday. Without a doubt my favorite colors to wear are ones in the jewel family. When I saw this mixed-fabric sweater in teal at LOFT a few weeks ago, I had to pick it up. I love the way the back is cut. The design is the perfect mix of feminine and comfort. </div>
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I've been wearing cardigans and pants to work all summer (thanks air conditioning) but it's nice to finally be able to wear the same outfit all day long. Hopefully the days of sweaty quick changes are coming to an end. All the more reasons to love fall.</div>
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The weather was so nice on Tuesday. After work all I wanted was to sit outside and soak up the sunshine. There's nothing like lounging on the porch in the sun with a snack and a good book. Especially when the snack is a Sweet Tango apple that's fresh from the farmer's market.<br />
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I started reading <i>Silver Linings Playbook</i> this week. The movie has been a favorite of mine since it's release, but I have yet to read the original novel by Matthew Quick. A few months ago, we read <i>The Good Luck of Right Now</i> for Books and Brewskis and I greatly enjoyed Quick's writing style. Ever since then I've been itching to pick up <i>Silver Linings </i>and see how the books (and movie) compare.<br />
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<b>-S</b>Sarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635205628095579281.post-77091478288353476002016-09-18T12:51:00.001-04:002016-09-18T12:51:03.726-04:00Fall Fashion Wish List<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Fall has always been my favorite time to shop. I love fall colors. I love the back to school sales. I love big baggy sweaters, and I love being able to comfortably wear pants again. I've already purchased more than a few pieces of clothing during the last month (haul soon), but that doesn't mean I don't have more on my wish list. My wardrobe is in desperate need of a facelift and it feels like everything needs to be replaced at once. Hopefully I can snag a few of these before the season is over (or they're all sold out).</div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=38691507&category=W-TOPS-GOINGOUT&color=067" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Project Social Tee</span></a><br />
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From Urban Outfitters<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=36994390&color=001&category=MORE_IDEAS" target="_blank">Adidas Campus Originals</a> </span></div>
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From Urban Outfitters<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=38837068&color=004&category=W_ACC_HATS" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Classic Knit Beanie</span></a></div>
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From Urban Outfitters<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=37513330&category=W_APP_JEANS" target="_blank">BDG Twig Ripped High-Rise Skinny Jeans</a> </span></div>
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From Urban Outfitters<br />
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<a href="https://www.madewell.com/madewell_category/DENIMBAR/highriseskinnyjeans/PRDOVR~F1207/F1207.jsp" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">9" High-Rise Skinny Jeans: Rip and Repair Edition</span></a><br />
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From Madewell<br />
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<a href="http://www.hm.com/us/product/13740?article=13740-A&cm_vc=SEARCH" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Joggers</span></a></div>
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From H&M<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Levis-15750-Womens-Boyfriend-Trucker/dp/B00WVY4R66?th=1&psc=1" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Women's Levi Denim Jacket</span></a><br />
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<a href="http://us.topshop.com/en/tsus/product/petite-oversize-hoody-5873136" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Oversized Hoodie</span></a><br />
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From Topshop<br />
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<a href="http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/michael-michael-kors-ashton-zippered-booties?ID=2773019&CategoryID=25122#fn=BOOT_HEIGHT%3DMid%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D76%26ruleId%3D23%26slotId%3D16" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">MICHAEL Ashton Zippered Booties</span></a><br />
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From Macy's<br />
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The last item on this list was going to be a leather jacket but I'm still on the hunt for the right one. I have been looking for a leather motorcycle jacket for the last five years (at least), but finding a reasonably priced, petite real leather jacket in the right style has been a major challenge. If anyone comes across one and wants to send the information my way, please do.</div>
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<i>What's on your wish list this fall?</i></div>
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<b>-S</b></div>
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Sarah Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05217611155046996576noreply@blogger.com0