Massive Book Review!

After school was over, I decided it was time to get back to book reading. As a child, I absolutely LOVED reading, but slowly, as I got more and more homework and other stuff, I stopped. But its long overdue that I start again.

So I went to the library and signed some (a lot) of books out and I thought I'd share them with you. Going from left to right is a short review for each book.

Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen

Garden Spells is about a woman named Claire Waverley who loves structure and things that stay. Throughout the book, she finds that the best things are found in things (or people) that don't have definite structures, and things that might not last forever. You find out why she's so terrified of uncertainty as old faces come back into Claire's life, and new ones appear. This book of magic realism is one where people find where they belong.

I've only read 2 of Sarah Addison Allen's books thus far but I love how she incorporates magic into normal daily life and how all the main characters are in at least their late 20s and still trying to figure out who they are. It really reminds you that you don't need to have your whole life planned out before you finish high school.

Rating: 4/5

The Sugar Queen - Sarah Addison Allen

This book made me cry! I was reading this one late at night, and parts of it really made me feel the feels. Josey is 27 and lives a life where she is constantly trying to right her wrongs from childhood. As a result of this, she doesn't really have a social life. She learns the importance of forgiving herself, and in doing so, she creates a life that she wants and finds meaning in the word "happiness." 

I love how Allen makes you get attached to all the characters, not just the main one and how all their different storylines mix to make one. Again, like Garden Spells, magic is incorporated smoothly into daily life.

Rating: 4.5/5

A Great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray

Gemma has immense power that most would not be able to even imagine. On her 16th birthday, Gemma suffers the loss of her mother, a death that she was able to witness in a vision. She is then sent to the Spence Academy to learn to become a proper lady of the 19th century. There, she finds out more about her mother, and learns about the responsibility and power that sits on her shoulders. This book is part of a trilogy (I am currently reading the other two books, reviews coming up!)

Rating: 3.5/5

The List of my Desires - Grégoire Delacourt 

Jocelyne lives an ordinary middle-aged life, wishing for something better. Suddenly, she is given the choice to change everything, to go from ordinary to extraordinary. Sadly, she spends too long debating what it is that she wants, and the choice is taken out of her hands in the most startling way.

For me, what really resonated with me is that sometimes, if you are given a chance to change something you don't like, you should just go for it, carpe diem! Jocelyne spent too much time thinking, and lost hers.

Rating: 3/5

Every  day - David Levithan

Imagine waking up to a new body and life everyday, but loving the same girl. This is the life that was given to A. Is it possible to sustain a relationship with such bizarre circumstances? This book explores topics of gender, sexuality, and the importance of outwardly features. As A dabbles with his affection for this girl, A learns what it means to truly love someone.

It was a really interesting concept, and I appreciate that the ending was as realistic as it could be (even though I am a total sucker for over-the-top corny endings hehe)

Rating: 4/5

The Five People you Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom

This book is an interesting approach to what happens after life, the 5 people you meet are people that wil help you understand your life. Eddie is a war veteran and maintenance guy at an amusement park; it was just another normal day— until he dies. The 5 people he meets help him realize that his life wasn't a waste like he thought it was and helped him understand why things happened the way they did.

Rating: 3.5/5

Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding

This diary is a peek into a 30-ish year old woman struggling with obnoxious people asking about her non-existant love life. Along with that, we also take a look at her perception of her body, smoking habits, and alcohol consumption.  We get to read a time-accurate break down of her life from January to December, trying to find love before it's too late. 

I'd just like to mention that I found it extremely weird that sometimes she would have like 54 cigarettes a day (like how!?!?!), also I found it a bit annoying that Bridget wrote in a very brief way and sometimes did not use proper grammar.

Rating: 3/5

Faerie Wars - Herbie Brennan

The storyline of Faerie Wars takes place in two different worlds, ours, and the Faerie world. It's a story of a rebel prince, Pyrgus who is in danger. He finds himself lost outside of his world, and in ours, and meets a boy named Henry. They, along with other allies, work together to find out who is coming after the prince and his family. Pyrgus learns what it means to be a prince, as he avoids death time and time again, and finally steps into his responsibilities.

This book had quite a slow start for a few chapters, but once it picks up, oh man, does it really pick up. I could not put it down! It is the first book in a series by Brennan, so again, I will be reading the rest of this series and maybe doing a full series review.

Rating: 4.7/5

This One Summer - Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki

I don't usually read graphic novels, but when I do, I apparently pick very good ones haha. Perhaps one of the things I love most about this graphic novel is how Canadian it is. Written and illustrated by Canadians, there are little references to Canada everywhere (eg. Tim Hortons, UofT, Niagara falls etc.) Seriously, if you're Canadian, I would say read this just to see if you can find all the references! 

Patriotism for my country aside, the art completely blew me away. I am in love with the art style, how everything looks to be a cross of watercolour and charcoal, and how the ink is an off black-ish purple, the font, and how detailed everything is.

The story follows one family on their vacation to Awago Beach. For as long as Rose could remember, they always came to Awago Beach and has many great memories there. This summer, however, is different. Her parents are fighting, and she gets in a mess of her own. This story is a great one of transitioning from childhood to teen-hood. 

Rating: 4/5

China Rich Girlfriend - Kevin Kwan

This isn't in the picture, but I also signed it out (I returned it before I took the picture, sorry!!) But here's a picture from the web:

China Rich Girlfriend is a sequel to Crazy Rich Asians. In this book, we have a detailed description of the lives of people so rich, you'd get a headache just trying to fathom how much money they have. A hilarious read about scandals and problems you'll never have, but somehow, Kwan still makes the characters so darn relatable.

Rating: 4/5 (I'd rate Crazy Rich Asians 4.7/5 though, I remember it being amazing)

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I have a plan to read as many books as I possibly can before school starts up again, so expect many many more to come! If you have any book suggestions, please leave them down below, I would love to hear what you've been reading, or what books you love. 

As always, thanks for reading,

--J

Exploring my City || Art Gallery of Ontario

A week ago, I visited the Art Gallery of Ontario (or AGO for short). Even though I wasn't there for very long, I managed to snap some pics. I hope this post inspires you to go out more often and see what you can find in your city :)

By the way, this trip to the AGO was free. Often, museums or galleries will have certain days/times of the week where there people can have free entry (sometimes this is limited to students only, though). So, before you plan any trips, check to see if you can get in for free! haha

This is what you see as soon as you enter. The architecture in this building is AMAZING!

One point perspective. Although, it is better to see things from more than one perspective irl

The epitome of art. Red Square with lines and an off-centered circle.

A lot of deep thinking to be done on this painting.

Till next time!

--J

HOW TO: Get rid of Mountainous Pimples

Have you ever had a pimple so large you thought it might have its own gravitational field? Well, fear not because I have the solution! (Yes, I did intend to sound like a bad infomercial.)

Anyways, there's this thing I've been doing for a few times, and it's seemed to have worked every time so I thought I'd share it with you guys.

You can get this from the Body Shop

Here's my secret: Every time you feel one of those really huge pimples starting to form, use a 1-2 of drops of tea tree oil (like the one shown in the picture) and rub over the area. Repeat for a few days until you feel that the eruption has passed. Even though the pimple bump is there for a few days, it never progresses into an actual pimple! (does that make sense?) Note, a little goes a long way!

Tea tree oil is an excellent way to get rid of an oncoming pimple because of its antimicrobial properties. This removes the bacteria that are the cause of the pimple so that the pimple stops developing. Note that tea tree oil (and other acne treatments) might also dry your skin out, so remember to moisturize!!

6 Musts to Have the Best Summer Ever

Summer is upon us!! (Almost) Although, for us Canadians, I doubt it'll ever be summer :( Here are a list of 6 things that will be sure to make your summer a much more enjoyable one!

1. Sunscreen

Yes, that is a silly band. Don't hate.

This one is a no-brainer! How can you have a good summer with burnt peeling skin? Ouch!! I like to use a good heavy duty one like the  Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen with a whopping SPF 60. It's sure to keep those harmful UV rays from hurting you!

2. Make a Summer Bucket List

A "best summer ever" means different things for different people. So, grab a pen and paper and ask yourself, what does "best summer" mean to you? Jot some ideas down, but don't make it TOO crazy and undoable XD. Now, the challenge is to do it all! 

Even though you may not be able to travel far, I'm sure there are still many nooks and crannies in your city/town that you have not yet seen, so do a google search and make that list! The picture shows some of the things that I would put on my "Summer of '16 Bucket List."

3. Camera

In the picture, I have an old point and shoot camera that I rarely use anymore (I basically pulled it out just for the picture haha). But, you can use any kind of camera to capture your memories this summer, whether it be your mobile camera (phone cameras are getting ridiculously good these days!), a point and shoot, a DSLR, or even a polaroid! I think taking pictures with a polaroid would be so cool, because they're printed instantly and you can use it to make wall art or a scrapbook.

4. Journal

This one kind of ties in with the last one if you have a polaroid. Like a camera captures moments, a journal can capture emotions and entire days. They can even help you plan your adventures! In my photo, I show a page of my bullet journal. I plan to get some washi tape to help my decorating process, and maybe even splurge on a polaroid! (we'll see)

5. A Favourite Summer Dress/Outfit

Don't mind my double chin peaking out ;)

What better way to explore the city than in what makes you feel most comfortable and happy? In the picture, I'm wearing a beautiful palm-printed dress that I got from H&M last year. It makes me so happy to be in it :)

6. Environmentally Friendly Transportation

Not that you need a "summer body" (any body you already have is just fine), but it is healthy to get in exercise whenever possible. So, when having these adventures during the summer, when you can, use an environmentally friendly method of getting there!

For me currently, it's the bike, but it could be by foot, penny board, or rollerblades. Not only can you tone up your body, but it's also completely free! (which is always a win with me haha)

Exploring my City || the ROM

The ROM, or the Royal Ontario Museum, is a state of the art museum located in downtown Toronto. Post-secondary students have free entry on Tuesday, so I jumped at the chance and went to visit a place I hadn't been in so long. Along the way, I stopped to take some photos.

How beautiful is this miniature city??

Best. Ceiling. Ever. 

My biggest complaint about the ROM is the shitty lighting and the stupid glass glare that I can't seem to get rid of LOL. Those two things are the reason that these pictures aren't the greatest quality, they tripped my mobile camera out like crazy. (Oh how I wish I had a DSLR :(...)

Thanks for reading,

--J

Random April Favourites!

This favourites really doesn't have any beauty products at all, as they usually do. But, here are the things that I enjoyed in the month of April.

Muji Products

Items from Muji: 2 black pens, light blue pen, dark blue pen, pencil case

Muji is a Japanese store that literally means "no name brand." And for that reason, I love it. I love how minimalistic and plain everything is. All of the labels can be stripped off for a sleek look. I haven't tried their paper or home products, but I'm sure in the future I will be making lots and lots of visits back to that store!

Mildliners by Zebra

I very recently got these highlighters in the mail from Japan, but they are an instant favourite. These pastel colours are so lovely and candy-like. Can't wait to actually start using these!

Avatar

I saw that "Avatar: Legend of Korra" was on Netflix and was immediately intrigued because I had seen some of "the Last Airbender" when I was a child. And, oh my goodness, let me just say that it's better than some of the shows that were meant for adults. A must watch. I also went back to "Avatar: The Last Airbender" just to re-jog my memory, and I'm so glad I did. I'm enjoying the two series immensely. I love how every second is either action-packed, hilarious, or adorable. Why can't we be benders?? ):

Drawing

It's been so long since I've drawn anything, and I'm so glad that I now have the time to do it again. I recently borrowed the how-to book from a friend and am having much fun drawing these chibis.

Word Swag

The last favourite is an app that I purchased in April. Word Swag lets you create stunning words to go with your stunning images. It's the app that I used to create the first picture of this post!

The First Year Experience

First year was an interesting year for me, but, now that its all over, I can look back and see what I've done. So here's a list of some of the things that I've done and learnt this year.

• This year was the first year I'd ever lived away from my family (except for summer camps, of course). It was a new type of freedom, which came with both good and bad things. A good side of freedom is being able to do whatever you want, when you want it. Want to eat snacks at 2AM? Go for it! But, being completely free isn't always good because you're stuck with doing things like laundry, and having to buy your own things.
• Unlike high school, attendance isn't taken in universities, as I'm sure most of you know. But, however, that doesn't mean you don't need to go to them-- even if in the moment they seem useless because near finals, you will regret that. I had a class where going to lectures seemed useless because the teacher would drone on and on about useless examples, however, when finals came around, I panicked because I learned that those examples were actually important (hopefully I don't make the same mistake again, haha) Contrastingly, sometimes lectures are truly useless. Like, my physics class, for example. Going there did not benefit me academically in any way. I was not more prepared for tests and I did not understand more material by going. In those instances, I don't think it would hurt to skip a few classes (or all the classes ;) )
• On Monday, I had to say goodbye to the campus, and my dorm, a place that had become my home for the year. It was bittersweet because yay summer! and because I had to leave knowing that I would never see my dorm again, or ever live on campus. 
• I learned that moving out can be fun, but it's super stressful. Many times, I caught myself wondering "How the heck did I fit it all into my suitcase when I came here?" 

So, what's happening now? Well, I recently found a summer job (but more on that later!) so hopefully, I will gain some new experiences and make money. As for next school year, that will be filled with moving out (to my own apartment!) and maybe, for the first time, getting my own pet.

Thanks for reading this catching-up post with me,
--J

PS: Now that it's summer, expect many more posts to come!