we did
Judith: September was awful and I’m very happy it’s over. Okay, so it wasn’t all bad. But uni started again and I just had so much to do with starting my new class, interlinguistics, which is absolutely amazing: it’s all about the development of planned languages such as Esperanto, but also fictional languages like Klingon, Na’vi and Dothraki – I’m basically in heaven. It is a shitload of work, though, as we’ll be developing our own fictional language as the end project. I’m currently writing the grammar and though I’m loving it, it’s so much work. I also started my year as editor-in-chief of my student magazine, which is great, but also just so much work right now with all the introductions and meetings and pretending to lead stuff. Hopefully it will calm down a bit more soon. And then I just had my regular job to do (which included going to Manuscripta, the opening of the literary season), so September kept me busy alright. Personally, I wasn’t feeling great, but let’s not go into that right now. I would really, really like a vacation, please. It was also my youngest brother’s 13th birthday, which, rude. Who gave you permission to grow up?
Pictures (left to right, top to bottom): 1. Manuscripta, 2. my brother really needs to stop growing, 3. I made Queen of Shadows wallpapers for you to download here, 4. Alexa and Rachel made me this incredible #MaasThirteen pin and I love it so much, 5. browsing watercolor covers at Manuscripta, 6. magazine meetings
Ellis: September was busy. My contract at work ended, and while they wanted to extend it, it just wouldn’t have been doable now that I’m going to school full-time again. I’ll miss it though. I liked the variety of combining school with work and of the job itself, and the people there were pretty great too. But school is taking up almost all my time. I’m either on a train to one of the billion locations all over Flanders, mapping out how to get to said location in the first place, writing some reflection paper that I might have started way too late, going through the novella-length required reading that comes with each class, making plans for a bunch of upcoming group projects, or looking up places I can do my internship at. It’s a lot, but I like being busy. So far, most of the classes have been rather basic in terms of feminist and gender theory, but I’m hoping that’s because it’s only been two weeks. What I do really like is the people. They’re a lot less reserved than the people I used to go to school with. I love how I can practically sit down next to anyone and a conversation just happens. There aren’t really any cliques. I walk home/to the train with a different person every day and there are never really super long awkward silences after the first five minutes of chatting. I love it.
FLTR: steps leading to the campus I’m at every Tuesday; some goodies that were given out during one of the lectures to thank us for choosing the gender & diversity MA; the great Lumatere reread: the current state of one of my Finnikin of the Rock copies.
I was SUPPOSED to go visit my brother in Paris this month, but my parents decided to go on days when I was either at work or swamped with school work. And I think that’s pretty much it for this month. I occasionally run into old friends on my daily trips to and from the train station and we have mini catch-ups until one of us has to run to catch their train. So. Busy.
Ellice: September has been a whirlwind. HOW is it already October? The month started off with my birthday, which was both stressful (my 30th, WHAT?) and fun. I got an amazingly awesome package from Judith & Ellis that made me cry lots of happy tears (picture is below, with our book haul). I’ve got the sweetest cobloggers, y’all! This is the month that I also became addicted to stroopwafels. They are little round slices of Dutch heaven that Judith included in my birthday package, and I’m so sad because they’re all gone now. NOO! I must take a trip to the Netherlands and get some more! I also got a super sweet birthday/September package from my #otspsecretsister (you can also see those goodies below). She got me lots of awesome Ole Miss/sports-themed goodies because football is in full swing now! My Rebels started out doing really well and knocking off our arch nemesis Alabama, who they haven’t beaten on Alabama’s field since 1988– I was THREE. I went to the game the next weekend, which is one of my favorite things to do. We had tailgating and lots of food and friends that I haven’t seen in a while. The rest of the month has been full of work things, including a librarian’s workshop, which was fun. Now, here’s hoping that October has pumpkins, pretty leaves, and LOTS OF READING TIME in store for me! hehe ;)
we read
Judith: I only read one book this month, because between all the running around, I was in more of a TV mood. I read The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick, which I liked, because Tim, but also not, because of spoilery reasons. Ellis reviewed it recently, and I agree with everything she said. Still, Tim is precious and I love him.
Ellis: I didn’t read as much as I would have wanted to. It’s partly because of all the hectic running around, because then I’m much more inclined to crash and catch up on some TV shows, but I also think September is a general slump month for me reading-wise. I remember it being the same last year. I did, however, fiiiiinally have time to properly reread and break down over Melina Marchetta’s Lumatere Chronicles. I sort of knew what I was getting myself into, but I was still unprepared. And it was definitely made worse by the fact that Gillian read Froi of the Exiles and Quintana of Charyn around the same time because it’s just pulling-out-hair-at-the-roots breakdown piling on hysterically-laughing-and-crying-into-pillows breakdown.
It was only slightly more overwhelming than the experience that is Sarah J. Maas’s Queen of Shadows, which was my first read of the month. I also read Sister Mischief by Laura Goode, which is all kind of hilarious. I’m hoping to review that one soon though we’ll see how I end up interpreting that vague deadline. And now I’m making my way through Sarah Rees Brennan’s Lynburn Legacy, which is also just terrible on a person’s nerves. (Seriously, I have to put down Untold every other chapter.) So overall it has been a pretty excellent reading month, I just wish I’d have been able to read more.
Ellice: For me, September was mostly a month of reading children’s picture books, especially Halloween ones. My favorites are definitely Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman & Zacharia OHora and The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt & Oliver Jeffers (which aren’t Halloween ones, obviously, haha). I LOVE reading them as I catalog them for our library. They are adorable. AND…the BIGGEST BOOK NEWS for me: I have started The Assassin’s Blade. Though I’m reading it very slowly, I LIKE IT. I’m hoping I have some time this week to read the last 3 stories so I can… duh duh dunnnnn… start THRONE OF GLASS.
we watched
Judith: I watched not one but two shows this month, and it’s been ages since I watched a TV show, so I’m excited about that. Also, I really enjoyed both of them.
The first one I watched was Unreal, which was actually impressive. I really like how all the characters are very much their own person and complex, well-rounded characters. I wish I could say more about it, but I already forgot a lot because I was so obsessed with the second show I watched, which was…
Friday Night Lights, and oh my god, it is AMAZING AND I LOVE IT SO. I’m currently taking a break because I was watching it non-stop, and also I’m a little bit afraid that it might get repetitive soon, but I’m still really enjoying it. I love Tami Taylor, Tyra Colette and Lyra Garrity; Matt Saracen is a puppy; and Smash is amazing. I’m also very attracted to Tim Riggins. I very actively do not care about Jason Street. Also, I have never actually properly seen football before this, and though the rules are still very vague (so you just run into each other for fun?), I think I’m starting to get the hang of it. Ellice will be so proud of me. Plus, I think I’m starting to develop a Southern accent.
I also watched Into the Storm which was very average, but it did have Alycia Debnam Carey in it, so bonus points.
Note from Ellice: YES YES YESSSSSSSSSS one of my favorite shows ever in the history of TV shows. I’M SO PROUD OF YOU J! Also, hahahaha, you’re description of football makes me the happiest. Also, basically, it’s correct. Eep!
Ellis:
EMPIRE IS BACK. BROOKLYN NINE-NINE IS BACK. FRESH OFF THE BOAT IS BACK. HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER IS BACK. I don’t know if this is the month Faking It also returned but it can join the watching-first-thing-in-the-morning-if-possible list of excitement (in that order) above. Of those, Empire especially makes my entire week. I think the latest episode (2×02) might have replaced, or is at least on par with, my favourite episode, which I refer to as the crisis ep (1×09 “Unto the Breach”), because not only was the acting mind-blowingly on point, it also had Tiana, Kelly Rowland, Becky G, Ludacris, incredible music, Andre being at a crisis point in his life (every little detail of which shows on his face and it is heartbreaking), Cookie-Andre moments, Cookie-Hakeem moments, a tiny Cookie-Jamal moment, a slightly less tiny Jamal-Hakeem moment, and so much more that made me rewatch it three times already. I JUST WANT THE BROTHERS TO BAND TOGETHER because I might have had a favourite before, but now I love them all equally, just for different reasons.
I’m also watching the current seasons of America’s Next Top Model and Project Runway, and rewatching my favourite older Project Runway seasons. I think when next season airs (let’s be honest, there will totally be a next season until the year 3000 or so) I’m just going to wait until all the episodes are out because I always want MORE. And I don’t even know what to do with ANTM at this point. I mean, I know I’ll watch every new cycle they put out but at this point it’s more of a The Real World/dating show than a modelling competition and no. N.O.
Ellice:
I’ve been rewatching Friends. Enough said. It’s glorious. :D
we listened to
Judith: Apart from the usual Halsey-on-repeat-situation (no, still not tired of this album), I became obsessed with Lorde’s Team, which I suppose has been out for a while already, but I never properly listened to it until now.
Also, I’ve been in love with Roo Panes since I saw him perform last year and I listen to Little Giant very, very often. Tiger Striped Sky is one of my favorite of his songs, along with Indigo Home.
Ellis: The love affair with Badlands is still continuing, obviously. While Young God and Gasoline are still high on the repeat-forever list, Control, Coming Down, Strange Love, and Hold Me Down are some recent favourites. I’ve also been playing Trouble, one of her earlier songs, a lot.
I think I’m pretty behind the times as far as listening to other music goes. But I usually only listen to the radio when I’m in the car so unless Meg steers me the right way I’ll probably always be excitement about a song that’s been out for three months or so. Oh well.
Ellice: Y’all know me and my eclectic music tastes (hahaha). I’ve been listening to country! My current favorite song (unfortunately there’s no “official” video for it yet):
we added to our shelves
Judith
Purchased: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas, The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Ellis
I didn’t really buy that many books this month, but got a lot of bookish stuff. My pre-orders of the Heir of Fire and Unmade paperbacks came in, and that was it. But. BUT. Meg made her gorgeous The Raven Cycle cover redesigns available as actually dust jackets and prints *cough* megmakesthings.com *cough* so naturally I had to get those. I’m not that big of a hardcover buyer so I only had a few to put them on (until I get the TRC hardcovers because now I have a reason to) but The Young Elites, Stray, The Fourth Wish, and Split Second don’t have super impressive covers anyway.
I also bought some T-shirts (which you might have seen me yelling about if you follow me on Twitter), one of which is Gillian’s I’m being perfectly fucking civil typography perfection that’s going to make me look like foulmouthed barbie every time I wear it (she did make the font smaller after she saw a picture of mine, if the size of the letters is holding you back from following my lead). And of course my Blackbeak Thirteen tote that I take everywhere with me these days.
Ellice: Y’all, I wanted to include pictures of ALL of my goodies this month, even non-bookish, because it was my birthday month and my friends are awesome! So forgive me for picture overload.
For review from Macmillan: Stone Field by Christi Lenzi | Love, Lies and Spies by Cindy Anstey | After the Woods by Kim Savage | Flawed by Cecilia Ahern
Gifted by Judith and Ellis: All of the awesomeness you see above (is that not the greatest mug?!)! Plus: Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway | If I Stay by Gayle Forman | Where She Went by Gayle Forman | Paris for One by Jojo Moyes
Gifted from my OTSPSecretSister: The Comeback Season by Jennifer E. Smith | Play On by Michelle Smith | All Played Out by Cora Carmack plus lots of Ole Miss goodies! :