Category: Lifestyle

5 Secrets to Successful Clearance Sale Shopping!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today I am excited to share with you five of my best tips for scoring big at clearance sales. I was recently scouring the racks at the mall looking for some new pieces for my spring wardrobe, and I realized that some of the tricks I implement when shopping can be helpful to others. Not only do I always buy things on sale, but I also worked in retail clothing stores during high school and college, so I learned my way around the clearance racks from the inside! Let me share with you my top five secrets to successful clearance sale shopping!

 

All of the tips I’m sharing with you today are based on shopping for clothing on clearance. However, feel free to adapt them to whatever product you are hoping to buy!

SECRET 1: Look through ALL of the clothing racks no matter the size!

Clearance racks get very disorganized at clothing stores no matter how many times the associates organize them, and items get put back in the wrong place all the time. I’ve gotten in the habit of looking through the entire clearance section of every store so I don’t miss out on amazing pieces that are just stuffed into the wrong place. Plus, sizes range dramatically from brand to brand, and sometimes even within the same brand. Make sure you don’t limit yourself by just looking through one size rack!

SECRET 2: Use a coupon to save even more money! 

Many stores allow customers to use coupons on clearance items. I like to plan out my shopping trips, and try to search for coupons at home before I go to the store. That allows me to read through the fine print on the coupon and see if there are any exclusions. However, if I end up in a store unplanned, I simply whip out my iPhone while shopping and do a quick search for coupons online. You can easily show the cashier the coupon right on your phone without needing to print it. This saves paper, too!

SECRET 3: Only buy items you will actually wear! 

I know first hand how tempting it is to buy clothing just because it’s cheap. This is especially true if it’s from a name brand I really like. Always make sure the item you are buying is in good condition, and that you will actually wear it. If you can’t visualize yourself wearing the item regularly (or for a specific event if it is a fancy dress, for example), don’t buy it. It’s better to buy an $80 blouse that you wear every week than ten $10 blouses you don’t really like and end up living in your closet.

SECRET 4: Try items on in the store! 

I always try on clothes in the store, but this is even more important when you are buying clearance items, as some stores do not allow returns or exchanges on discounted merchandise. You do not want to be stuck with ill-fitting jeans even if you did spend just $20 on them! Of course, some items can look very different on your body than they do on the hanger, so it’s always helpful to see how it fits your shape, too.

SECRET 5: Look at each item of clothing! 

In addition to looking through the entire clearance section, I recommend looking at each individual item of clothing. This is going to be a time consuming process, but I always find more hidden gems when I go through the clearance racks carefully. At my first retail job, my manager taught me how to tidy the hangers by pushing all of the clothing down to the end of the rack, and then moving each item to the other side to neaten it. This is now the technique I use when shopping! You never know what is hidden between bulky sweaters, or falling off a hanger in the middle of a stuffed rack.

That wraps up my five secrets to successful clearance sale shopping! While these tips do require you to take your time looking through the clearance racks, I think it is worth it in the end. You won’t find a hidden gem every time you shop, but I know when I implement these tricks I usually find much more! I hope that you found my shopping secrets helpful, and that you can use them the next time you go shopping! Feel free to share your finds with me on social media using the hashtag #PolishlandSaves!

What are your shopping secrets?! Share with me in a comment!

Book Review | Roseblood by A.G. Howard

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Roseblood by A.G. Howard

Published by Amulet Books on January 10, 2017

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Format: eARC

Pages: 432

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★

This YA novel from New York Times bestselling author A. G. Howard marks the beginning of a new era for fans of the Splintered series. Rune Germaine moves to a boarding school outside of Paris, only to discover that at this opera-house-turned-music-conservatory, phantoms really do exist. RoseBlood is a Phantom of the Opera–inspired retelling in which Rune’s biggest talent—her voice—is also her biggest curse. Fans of Daughter of Smoke and Bone and the Splintered series will find themselves captivated by this pulse-pounding spin on a classic tale.

Rune, whose voice has been compared to that of an angel, has a mysterious affliction linked to her talent that leaves her sick and drained at the end of every performance. Convinced creative direction will cure her, her mother ships her off to a French boarding school for the arts, rumored to have a haunted past.

Shortly after arriving at RoseBlood conservatory, Rune starts to believe something otherworldly is indeed afoot. The mystery boy she’s seen frequenting the graveyard beside the opera house doesn’t have any classes at the school, and vanishes almost as quickly as he appears. When Rune begins to develop a secret friendship with the elusive Thorn, who dresses in clothing straight out of the 19th century, she realizes that in his presence she feels cured. Thorn may be falling for Rune, but the phantom haunting RoseBlood wants her for a very specific and dangerous purpose. As their love continues to grow, Thorn is faced with an impossible choice: lead Rune to her destruction, or save her and face the wrath of the phantom, the only father he’s ever known.

A. G. Howard brings the romantic storytelling that Splintered fans adore to France—and an entirely new world filled with lavish romance and intrigue—in a retelling inspired by a story that has captivated generations. Fans of both The Phantom of the Opera musical and novel, as well as YA retellings such as Marissa Meyer’s Cinder, will devour RoseBlood.

BOOK REVIEW

I was so excited to read Roseblood after hearing that it is a retelling of The Phantom of the Opera, and gratefully received an Ebook copy to review from the publisher. I loved the story concept behind Roseblood, in which a teenager named Rune attends an opera school in France where she meets a mysterious man who is helping her control her singing voice. Unfortunately, the book is executed all wrong for me, and I found it challenging to read to the end.

If you are going to read Roseblood, I definitely recommend being familiar with the original story. I saw both the stage and film adaptations of The Phantom of the Opera, but it has been years since I saw either, and I think I would catch on more to the little details in this novel if the story was fresh in my mind. I think watching the film before picking up Roseblood will help you understand more of what’s going on, and also increase your enjoyment of the book.

Moreover, my biggest issue with Roseblood is the book’s pacing. The story is very slow from start to finish, and it took me twice as long to read this than a normal young adult book typically does. Not only did it take a very long time for anything exciting to happen, but because there was such a long build-up, I kept putting the book down because there was nothing interesting to hold my attention.

Similarly, I found that the author missed many opportunities in the book. There were multiple times in the novel for a big and exciting reveal, but then the “Aha!” moment is answered quickly in passing. For example, readers know early on in Roseblood that Rune is some sort of paranormal creature. When we finally find out what kind of creature she is, it’s dropped into a sentence and never explained. These missed opportunities happen at other points in the story, making the moments where I expected big reveals very anticlimactic.

As I mentioned earlier, I absolutely loved the story idea behind Roseblood. However, the plot feels like it is reaching a bit to fit together. I appreciate all the research the author did to fit in a lot of historical details, but I felt like the building blocks holding the book in place were quite weak and could tumble at any moment. I’m disappointed that the plot felt so contrived.

Additionally, I was a bit put off by the romance. Although I really liked who Rune’s love interest is, and their history together, the love scenes felt too much like a cheesy romance novel. I fully recognize that this is a personal preference, and if you enjoy reading traditional romance books, you will probably adore the romance in Roseblood. When I couple the love scenes with the way the book ended, I feel a bit uncomfortable about the way things leave off, and disappointed that an awesome fantasy could end in such a way.

Finally, I want to talk a bit about Rune as a protagonist. She is a likable enough character, and I definitely empathize with her for all that she’s gone through in her life. Unfortunately, she has a huge character flaw in that she trusts people way too much. Rune will wholeheartedly trust whomever she is speaking with at that moment in time, but when the next person comes along with a contradictory opinion, she immediately changes her mind and trusts the new person. I wish Rune would use her own mind and intelligence more instead of blindly following others.

I also really did not like how Rune is so concerned with her love interest’s physical features. Although she does mention she would still love him if he were disfigured, Rune is beyond relieved when he has the perfect face and the amazing body that readers hear about far too often. When I contrast how much the book focuses on the beautiful person being good and the disfigured person being evil, I get a very bad taste in my mouth.

In the end, I am very disappointed with Roseblood, and would only recommend this to those who are Phantom super fans or those who really like romance novels. The slow pace, contrived plot, and lackluster protagonist just didn’t work for me.

BUY THE BOOK

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This post includes affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

100 Habits to Track in Your Planner | #PlanWithPolishland

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! I’m so excited to be sharing a new #PlanWithPolishland blog post with all of you. It’s been a while since I’ve written about my planning life, but you can catch new PlanTube videos on my YouTube channel HERE at least twice per week. Today I thought it would be helpful to share my ideas for habits to track in your planner. I discovered habit tracker stickers last year, and I’ve really enjoyed using them. I use a habit tracker for those tasks that I really want to be a part of my daily routine, but have a difficult time implementing. If you are new to tracking habits, or simply looking for planner inspiration, here are 100 habits to track in your planner!

This list includes the habits that I track on a regular basis, and other habits that I brainstormed with some help from family. I’ve separated the habits out into categories, which are alphabetized for your convenience. Please keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list, and that many of the habits can fit in multiple categories. I worded many of the habits in the vernacular I used in my own planner, so if you have any questions about what a habit means, feel free to ask me in the comments!

I also want to note that I only track 2-3 habits per week in my planner. I treat my habit tracker stickers as reminders for the things I want to work on right now. For example, if I’m forgetting to take my vitamins, I track that this week. Next week, however, I’ll probably track something else. It’s all about focusing on the now for me, but I know many people track the same habits each week. Do what works for you!

If you are looking for habit tracker stickers, I recommend THESE from Oh, Hello Stationery, Co.

Adulting Tasks

  • Pay Bills
  • No Spend
  • Spending Log / Budget
  • 365 Day Penny Challenge
  • Read Newspaper / Watch News
  • Cook at Home
  • Plan Meals / Meal Prep
  • Make Coffee at Home
  • Didn’t Bite Nails
  • Sort and File Mail
  • Wake Up at “X” Time
  • Network
  • Set Out Clothes for Tomorrow
  • Hang Up Jacket
  • Get to Work Early
  • Check Sale Websites
  • Complete To Do List
  • Charge Cell Phone / Devices
  • Unplug Before Bed

Blogger Tasks

  • Answer Emails
  • Take / Edit Blog Photos
  • Post on Blog / YouTube
  • Reply to Comments
  • Comment on other Blogs / Videos
  • Post on Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest
  • Social Media Engagement
  • Update Old Blog Posts
  • Participate in Blogger Groups
  • Check Affiliate Programs
  • Search Review Websites
  • Plan Blog / Online Content

Etsy Shop Owner Tasks

  • Reply to Messages
  • Pack Orders
  • Ship Orders
  • Update Listings
  • Post to Social Media
  • Check Shop Statistics
  • Stock Inventory

Health & Beauty

  • Morning Skincare
  • Evening Skincare
  • Face Mask
  • Lotion at Bedtime
  • Floss Teeth / Oral Care Routine
  • Wash BeautyBlender
  • Paint Nails
  • Change / Wash Contacts
  • Take Vitamins / Prescriptions
  • Exercise
  • Walk Daily Steps
  • Drink 8+ Cups of Water
  • Eat 5+ Fruits & Vegetables
  • No Junk Food
  • Meat Free / Dairy Free / Sugar Free Day
  • Food Journal / Track Nutrients
  • 8 Hours of Sleep

Household Chores

  • Dishes
  • Wipe Counters
  • Change Kitchen Towel
  • Clear Kitchen Table
  • Bathroom Upkeep
  • Laundry
  • Make Bed
  • 15-minute Pick-Up
  • Declutter an Item
  • Take out Trash
  • Empty Car
  • Vacuum / Sweep Floors
  • Water Plants

Parenting

  • Pack Diaper Bag
  • Successful Nap Time
  • Bathtime
  • Check Backpack
  • Review Homework
  • Make School Lunch
  • Outing with Kids (i.e., park, shopping, playdate)

Personal Goals / “Me Time”

  • Read for Fun
  • Journal / Write
  • Q & A a Day Entry
  • Plan Tomorrow
  • Craft (i.e., crochet, cross stitch, scrapbook)
  • Practice Instrument
  • Duolingo (Foreign Language App)
  • Lumosity (Brain Games App)
  • Listen to Podcast
  • Crowdtap (Survey Website)
  • Meditate
  • Color
  • Call / Text a Loved One
  • Write Letters
  • Take Bath
  • Take Daily Photo
  • Positive Affirmations
  • Spend 15 Minutes Outside
  • Random Act of Kindness

Pets

  • Clean Litter Box
  • Walk Dog
  • Feed Pet / Give Water
  • Brush Pet
  • Brush Pet’s Teeth
  • Practice Tricks / Discipline

What habits do you track? Let me know in the comments!

This post includes an affiliate link. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Book Review | Buffering by Hannah Hart

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Buffering by Hannah Hart

Published by Dey Street Books on October 18, 2016

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 272

Source: Library

Goodreads: ★★★1/2

The wildly popular YouTube personality and author of the New York Times bestseller My Drunk Kitchen is back!

This time, she’s stirring up memories and tales from her past. By combing through the journals that Hannah has kept for much of her life, this collection of narrative essays deliver a fuller picture of her life, her experiences, and the things she’s figured out about family, faith, love, sexuality, self-worth, friendship and fame. Revealing what makes Hannah tick, this sometimes cringe-worthy, poignant collection of stories is sure to deliver plenty of Hannah’s wit and wisdom, and hopefully encourage you to try your hand at practicing reckless optimism.

BOOK REVIEW

I’ve been a subscriber of YouTuber Hannah Hart for a few years now, and I decided to pick up her second book, Buffering, after hearing so many good things about it. Buffering is a memoir that features a set of personal essays chronicling Hannah’s life. I highly recommend reading this book if you watch Hannah’s videos regularly, or even just every once in a while. I never could have guessed Hannah’s story, and I’m so glad I got this peek into her life.

I really appreciated Hannah sharing her story in Buffering. I found this book extremely inspirational, as Hannah has gone through some truly horrific things in her life, but she has continued to move forward and persevere. Because Buffering is quite short in length, I will not go into much detail about the essays themselves. However, they cover topics such as family, mental health, sexuality, and more. I can tell Hannah was holding back a lot of detail from the reader, and I hope she will open up even further in the future.

Buffering is the fourth “YouTuber book” that I’ve read, and unfortunately it does contain some of the same writing flaws that I’ve discovered in those other YouTuber books. First, there are many instances of repetition in Buffering. People and places are introduced to the reader multiple times as if they had not yet been mentioned in the book. In addition, there are a few times when the memoir takes a turn and becomes a “how to” advice book instead. I think this is due to online creators being used to speaking directly to their audiences in video form, but it feels out of place in a memoir. I’ve also read several celebrity memoirs in the past, and neither of these scenarios seem to arise in them.

Moreover, I found that Hannah’s writing style was much stronger in the included journal entries than in the actual book. Perhaps this is due to the fact that Hannah is writing the book to her fans, and speaking to them as she would in a YouTube video. I wish we got more of the beautiful and poetic writing of Hannah’s journal entries. Hannah is a very intelligent person, and at times I felt like she wasn’t writing to her full potential.

Nonetheless, I’m glad I read Buffering, as it helped me learn more about Hannah. Not only do I respect and admire her even more than I already did, but this book provided me with more confidence in my own life. I know that it will help many other readers, too. Buffering is an emotional and hopeful read, and I think all of Hannah’s viewers should read it.

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Affiliate links used. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

2017 Love-a-thon Questionnaire

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! Today I am excited to announce that I am taking part in this year’s Love-a-thon, a bookish event dedicated to spreading positivity and love. The event runs all weekend long beginning today, February 18, and ending on February 20 at 12:00am EST. You can learn more about the Love-a-thon from THIS informational blog post. The purpose of this blog post is to share a bit more about myself so you can get to know me better. Whether you’re a regular reader of Adventures in Polishland, or you’ve stumbled across my blog through the Love-a-thon, welcome to my adventures!

Welcome to Adventures in Polishland!

My name is Christina, and I’ve been blogging here at Adventures in Polishland since April of 2012. I’ve been a reader for as long as I can remember. My parents read to me constantly as a child, only stopping once I took control of the books myself. My love for reading only grew as I did, but once high school and college came I let my passion for reading take a back seat to all of my schoolwork. During my second year of law school, I decided that reading needed to become a priority in my life once again. I began reading for fun whenever I wasn’t studying, and I’m so glad I jumped back into it.

I first discovered the online book community in 2013. I finished reading Divergent by Veronica Roth, and needed to talk to someone about it. I turned to YouTube and found Christine of the channel PolandBananasBooks. From there, I discovered the BookTube community. I couldn’t believe there were so many people online who loved to read just as much as I did! Once I discovered Bookstagram as well, I knew I had to start sharing about books, too.

My primary platform for sharing online is definitely this blog. As you may have guessed by the name, Adventures in Polishland started as purely a nail polish blog. Within my first year of blogging, I slowly began talking about other beauty products, too. However, I kept a separate (and much smaller) blog for lifestyle content and book reviews. After a while, I decided it was silly to separate out all of my online content, and in August of 2015 I decided to make Adventures in Polishland a lifestyle blog. While I still talk primarily about beauty products, I love to review books here as well. Adventures in Polishland reflects whatever is going on in my life at the moment, and books play a big role in that respect.

Favorites

  • Favorite food? Beverage? Chipotle Burritos have become a favorite for me. I get rice (white or brown, depending on how “healthy” I’m feeling that day), black beans, peppers and onions, mild salsa, corn, guacamole, and lettuce. My favorite beverage is black coffee. I don’t recommend drinking it whilst eating a burrito, though.
  • Favorite color? Green
  • Favorite things to do apart from reading? I love planning (with stickers!), watching YouTube videos, baking sweet treats, and talking with my nephew on FaceTime.
  • Favorite TV shows? Full House, The Big Bang Theory, Dancing with the Stars, Degrassi
  • Favorite movies? Legally Blonde, RENT, The Rescuers, Back to the Future
  • Favorite musical artists? Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga
  • Favorite places to shop? Antique stores, Target, Amazon, Michaels Crafts

Book Talk

  • Favorite childhood books? I loved the How Many Bugs in a Box? series, The Jolly Postman series, anything by Avi and Judy Blume, and (of course) Harry Potter.
  • Favorite books read in the last five years? The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron, All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, and Life of Pi by Yann Martel. This short list was extremely difficult to create and is in no particular order!
  • Favorite genres? I try to read a wide variety of genres, but my favorites are dystopian, fantasy, and hard-hitting contemporary.
  • Underrated book, series, or author you love? I really love the Game of Triumphs duology by Laura Powell. It’s an urban fantasy set in London in which tarot cards play a big role.
  • A book you want to see made into a film or TV show? The Balance Keepers trilogy by Lindsay Cummings!
  • Book boyfriend/girlfriend? Book BFF? Book family? Bishop from The Book of Ivy duology by Amy Engel is a great romantic partner. I would also love to have Emily from Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson as a BFF. It’s probably not a surprise that I would happily join the Weasley family from Harry Potter!
  • Books you want to read in 2017? I really want to get to Replica by Lauren Oliver, and I need to continue A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin.

That wraps up the 2017 Love-a-thon Questionnaire for me! I’m excited to take part in this bookish event and meet other people in the community this weekend. Thanks for taking the time to read this post!

Book Review | Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on January 3, 2017

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Format: eARC

Pages: 281

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★★★1/2

Love is more than meets the eye.

On his first day at a new school, blind sixteen-year-old Will Porter accidentally groped a girl on the stairs, sat on another student in the cafeteria, and somehow drove a classmate to tears. High school can only go up from here, right?

As Will starts to find his footing, he develops a crush on a sweet but shy girl named Cecily. And despite his fear that having a girlfriend will make him inherently dependent on someone sighted, the two of them grow closer and closer. Then an unprecedented opportunity arises: an experimental surgery that could give Will eyesight for the first time in his life. But learning to see is more difficult than Will ever imagined, and he soon discovers that the sighted world has been keeping secrets. It turns out Cecily doesn’t meet traditional definitions of beauty—in fact, everything he’d heard about her appearance was a lie engineered by their so-called friends to get the two of them together. Does it matter what Cecily looks like? No, not really. But then why does Will feel so betrayed?

BOOK REVIEW

My reading got off to a great start in 2017 with Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist. This young adult contemporary story is about a teenager named Will who was born blind. Will decides to attend public high school for the first time, and the book opens on his first day of school. What follows is an absolutely adorable story filled with romance, friendship, and seeing for the first time.

I was a bit nervous going into this book, as I read We Should Hang Out Sometime by Sundquist a couple years back and thought it was just okay. Unlike his earlier memoir, Love and First Sight sucked me in right away. The story is told from Will’s first-person perspective, and I absolutely loved his voice. Will sounds like a teenager does in real life, but his narrative flows really well. I was also very impressed with how Sundquist was able to use his writing to create a unique atmosphere for the reader. Since Will is blind, Sundquist describes things without any visual cues. I could feel the difference in his storytelling, and I really appreciated his attention to detail.

Similarly, Sundquist did extensive research in order to accurately represent what it is like to be visually impaired. While I am a sighted person, it felt like this representation was done quite respectfully. A big part of Love and First Sight focuses on how sighted people treat those who are visually impaired, and also what it is like to learn to see after being blind.  I learned a lot from this book, and I really like that Sundquist does not hold back when it comes to pointing out some of the horrible things sighted people do when around the visually impaired. For example, I was shocked at the secrets and deception in the novel!

Moreover, I absolutely love the romance in Love and First Sight. Will meets a girl named Cecily and the two get paired up for a project in journalism class. I was on board with their romance from the beginning, and I found it so cute! I am not usually a big fan of romance, but this one had me swooning and hoping for the best. Plus, Cecily plays an important role in the novel in addition to being Will’s love interest. I am impressed with how Love and First Sight is so multi-layered. I loved the theme of beauty in the novel, and what it means to be beautiful in society versus being beautiful to another person. I can see myself rereading this book in the future to get a new perspective on it now that I know what is to happen.

My criticisms of the novel are quite small. First, some sentences are repeated in the novel in order to introduce a person or theme. I did read an advance copy of the novel, so it is possible this repetition got edited out. In addition, I found Love and First Sight to be extremely fast-paced. However, I did think the ending was a bit too rushed, and I would have appreciated the action slowing down a bit to make the book last just a bit longer. Otherwise, I truly loved and enjoyed everything about this book!

All in all, I highly recommend picking up Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist. It is a very balanced novel in that it will make you laugh and make you cry, and you will be swooning over the adorable romance as well. Plus, I loved the inclusion of the board game Settlers of Catan! Sundquist gets some bonus points for that. I hope to see more novels from Sundquist in the future, as I adored his storytelling and will definitely pick up more books by him if they are released!

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

This post includes affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Book of the Month Club | January 2017 | Unboxing & Review

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today I am excited to share with you a new-to-me subscription box that I recently purchased. I’ve been eyeing up Book of the Month Club for a long time now, and finally decided to buy a subscription because of the amazing promotion the club is running in January. If you are a fellow reader, I definitely think this subscription will interest you. I made an unboxing video so you can see how my first box arrived, and I will also share my review of the service as well!

Book of the Month (hereinafter “BOTM”) is a monthly subscription service for books. There are a few different plans from which to choose, but I went with the 3-month subscription for $29.97, or $9.99 per month. This 3-month subscription also comes with a free tote bag that is a $20 retail value! Each month there are five books chosen from the BOTM judges, and you get to choose one book for your subscription. I really like that you pick the book you like best – you never have to worry about getting stuck with a book you won’t enjoy! In fact, if you don’t like any of the selections in a particular month, you are free to skip that month’s box without getting charged. Your subscription will roll over into the next month!

I decided to choose Girls in the Moon by Janet McNally for my January selection. This is a young adult book, and because I am primarily a YA reader, I thought this would be a great first pick. My book came with a sturdy bookmark that has a quick blurb about the book from the judge who selected it. I think I will really enjoy this book based on the blurb!

As I mentioned above, BOTM ran a promotion in January where everyone got a free copy of The Grownup by Gillian Flynn. I absolutely loved Gone Girl, and I’ve been wanting to read more from Flynn, so this was a great incentive for me to finally sign up for this service. I highly recommend signing up before the month is over if you also want this great freebie!

 

Another great thing about BOTM is you can choose to add two books to each month’s box for just $9.99 each. You get a choice from any of the past BOTM selections, so long as they are still in stock, and some other books, too. I’ve wanted to read The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon ever since it was released, so I decided to add it to my box. I’m so excited to get to this one in particular!

BOTM JANUARY SAVINGS

Whenever I purchase a subscription box, I’m very interested in the monetary value of the products, and whether I am saving money. I decided to crunch the numbers in several ways to determine my savings!

What I Paid: $19.98 ($9.99 January Selection + 9.99 Additional Book)

Retail Value: $66.97 or 70% off ($9.99 The Grownup + 17.99 Girls in the Moon + 18.99 The Sun is Also a Star + 20.00 Tote Bag)

Retail Value of the Books Only: $46.97 or 47% off

Amazon Value of the Books Only: $28.68 or 30% off ($5.99 The Grownup + 11.32 Girls in the Moon + 11.36 The Sun is Also a Star)

Amazon Value of Girls in the Moon + The Sun is Also a Star: $22.68 or 12% off

Thus, no matter how I crunch the numbers, I saved money by purchasing these books through BOTM Club! If you are a reader who loves to check out new releases and own your books in hardcover, I think this is an amazing option. I am so happy with my first box, and I am excited to see what the February selections are going to be. If you would like to get a free copy of The Grownup by Gillian Flynn, make sure you sign up in January! Please use my referral link HERE when you join.

Are you a Book of the Month Club member?

Let me know which book you chose for January in the comments!

This post includes affiliate links. Book of the Month Club Subscription purchased by me. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Book Review | Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley

Published by Dial Books on May 20, 2016

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 256

Source: #BooksforTrade

Goodreads: ★★★

Sixteen-year-old Solomon is agoraphobic. He hasn’t left the house in three years, which is fine by him.

Ambitious Lisa desperately wants to get into the second-best psychology program for college (she’s being realistic). But is ambition alone enough to get her in?

Enter Lisa.

Determined to “fix” Sol, Lisa steps into his world, along with her charming boyfriend, Clark, and soon the three form an unexpected bond. But, as Lisa learns more about Sol and he and Clark grow closer and closer, the walls they’ve built around themselves start to collapse and their friendships threaten to do the same.

BOOK REVIEW

After hearing great things about John Corey Whaley’s work, I was interested to pick up Highly Illogical Behavior very soon after its release. This young adult contemporary follows a teenager named Solomon who has agoraphobia, and hasn’t left his home in three years. One of his old classmates, Lisa, decides that she is going to “fix” Solomon for her college admissions project. We follow these teens as they become friends, and discover whether Lisa will be able to solve Solomon’s problems all on her own.

I was unfortunately left a bit underwhelmed by Highly Illogical Behavior. It took me a long time to get through this short book because I found it difficult getting immersed into the story. By the end, I did become attached to the characters, and I was overall pleased with the book. However, there are many things about this book that I find quite problematic.

First, Lisa’s character really bothered me. She is a know-it-all who thinks she has the capacity to be giving a fellow teenager mental health advice. I would like to say that she had good intentions, but Lisa is a huge liar and I feel like she never learns her lesson. I don’t think Lisa is necessarily a bad person, but all of her poor choices made her very unlikable for me. I can see how her character is purposefully written to be flawed, but I did not see Lisa truly grow even after sabotaging the people she is supposed to care for the most.

Moreover, Highly Illogical Behavior seemed very derivative of other books in the young adult genre. For example, I saw a lot of parallels between this story and Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. In the same way, this book includes one of my least favorite tropes in young adult literature, which is the absent parents. Lisa and her boyfriend Clark spent a lot of time away from home at Solomon’s house. They stay nearly all hours of the day, and their parents never bat an eyelash as to where they are. I find it difficult to believe that any parent of a teenager, especially the ones depicted here, would let their child stay out until 1:00-2:00am without even touching base. The inclusion of this trope in Highly Illogical Behavior took away from the story’s credibility for me.

My final critique of this book is the ending. I did like the big event that takes place as the book comes to a close, but there are a lot of loose ends that did not get tied up for the reader. I wrote down a list of questions that I had after finishing the book, and I think an epilogue could have easily answered them.

Nonetheless, I really appreciate how Highly Illogical Behavior is #OwnVoices representation for mental illness, specifically agoraphobia. It was very helpful to see what Solomon goes through on a daily basis from his perspective and through the eyes of other characters. I thought it was great that Whaley includes both positive and negative receptions of Solomon’s mental health, as that portrays how he would be treated in the real world. Highly Illogical Behavior is also an #OwnVoices LGBTQIA+ novel, as Solomon is gay and Whaley is, too.

Overall, Highly Illogical Behavior is a good story that has an important place in the young adult world. While I did find a lot of issues with it, I also do recommend reading it. If the plot sounds interesting to you, read a few more reviews and see if you would get more enjoyment out of this novel than I did.

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2016 Reflections & 2017 Goals

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today I wanted to check in with the New Year’s Resolutions I made for 2016, and also share my goals for 2017. I go through different phases in my life where sometimes I want to make very specific goals, and other times I don’t want to make any goals at all. When 2016 began, I definitely had specific goals in mind. This year, however, I would much rather focus on overall themes than particular resolutions. What I’ve decided to do is check in with the five resolutions I made for 2016, and then share with you what I hope to accomplish in 2017.

If you would like to see my original 2016 New Year’s Resolutions blog post, you can read it HERE. I will be mentioning each resolution as I share my reflections with you.

My first goal for 2016 was to paint my nails more often and try out more nail art. The main reason I made this resolution was because I began this blog to talk about nail polish, and I felt like I needed to use the polish in my collection and share more with all of you. While I did blog a good amount about nail polish in 2016, I did not wear polish much in my daily life. However, I did a fantastic job at decluttering my nail polish collection and getting it down to a somewhat reasonable number for me. I’m at the point right now where if I don’t feel like painting my nails, I’m not going to, and there is nothing wrong with that. I will not attempt  to force myself to paint my nails more, nor try any new nail art.

My next resolution was to nail down a skincare routine. While I definitely did not achieve this goal, I did focus on skincare more than I had in the past. I still struggle when it comes to taking care of my skin, and I know I need to make skincare a daily habit. I see a huge difference in my skin when I use skincare products regularly, and I know taking care of my skin is important. I hope that in 2017 I can make my skin a priority.

Wow! I can’t believe how much my health has changed in one year. In my 2016 Resolutions post, I mentioned how I didn’t aim to go vegan yet, but as it turns out I made the switch in June. I began seeing changes in my health after a few weeks on a vegan diet, and I’m sure that is attributed to eating more products, whole grains, and legumes. I would still like to exercise regularly, as I majorly struggle with being active. I did go on a lot of walks in the fall, but I want to prioritize movement more in 2017. Health is very important to me, both physically and mentally. In 2017 I hope to care for myself mentally by journaling regularly and connecting more with people in person rather than online.

I also wanted to become a more organized person in 2016, and I made great strides with this goal. I got rid of many boxes and bags of my belongings, and I continue to declutter my space on a regular basis. I’m especially proud of the work I’ve done in my bathroom – I no longer hoard products, I only buy what I need, and everything has a place. I even got a lot of products and tools off of my bathroom countertop! My organization was aided by my paper planner, and the dedicated journals I began for my reading and my blog. In 2017 I want to continue to declutter my space. In particular, I want to get rid of the things I own for purely nostalgic reasons.

My final goal for 2016 was to read 40 books. I achieved this goal early in the year, and ended up reading 67 books total! This year I’ve decided to challenge myself to read 50 books. I should easily be able to accomplish this, but I wanted to keep the number on the small side to encourage myself to read longer books. I also want to read more adult fiction this year. I still love young adult, but one reason I love reading is because of the shared experience I can have with other people. My real life friends tend to read popular adult fiction, and I would like to be able to discuss those books with them.

Overall, I am happy with the progress I made in 2016, and I am looking forward to the strides I can make in 2017 as well. I am constantly reminding myself that every day is a new opportunity, and we are in full control to better ourselves at any moment. It’s okay to fail at goals, and it’s okay to change your goals and your direction. I hope you will join me as I discover what adventures 2017 has in store!

 

 

Top 10 Books of 2016!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today I am excited to share with you my favorite books of 2016. It was my goal to read 40 books, and I am very happy to announce I surpassed that and read 67 books this past year. My average star rating was 3.65, so it’s safe to say I read some wonderful books and some books that I wouldn’t recommend, too. My top ten list features my favorite reads of the year whether or not they were 2016 releases. I will also be sure to link to my full reviews if you would like more information on any of these books.

10. The Hundred by Kass Morgan [REVIEW] [BUY]

I read the first three books in The 100 series by Kass Morgan this year, and I really fell in love with it. This is a young adult science fiction series, and it follows four teenagers who grew up on a space station after Earth was savaged by chemical wars. Three of our protagonists are sent to Earth to see if it is livable again, while one is still on the space station. I love the survival aspect of this series, and I think Morgan’s writing is really well done. There are so many twists and turns that keep me on my toes, and I always have fun reading these books.

9. When We Collided by Emery Lord [REVIEW] [BUY]

I picked up When We Collided by Emery lord on a whim from the library, and I am so glad I did! This is a young adult contemporary book that follows two main characters, Jonah and Vivi. They meet one summer in Jonah’s hometown, and the book follows their relationship. Vivi is also suffering from mental illness, and we get to learn about how this affects her life on a daily basis. If you are looking for an emotional read, this is a great one.

8. If I Stay by Gayle Forman [REVIEW] [BUY]

Another emotional book I loved this year is If I Stay by Gayle Forman. I was really surprised with how much I adored this book, as it is really short and quite simple to read. This young adult contemporary follows teenager Mia as she decides whether to live or die after getting into a car crash. What I found so impactful about this novel is how we get to meet all of the people in Mia’s life both in the current day and in flashback scenes. It reminded me a bit of The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom in that respect.

7. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin [REVIEW] [BUY]

Next up is a book that I started reading back in 2013, but gave up on until this year. That is A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin! I’ve never watched the television show, and I’ve managed to avoid most spoilers, so it was a huge accomplishment for me to finally finish this book. There are some things I don’t like about this book, mainly the treatment of women and graphic violence, but the characters are so intriguing and the world so rich that I have to continue in the series.

6. The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter [REVIEW] [BUY]

If you are looking for a beautifully written young adult book, I highly recommend The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter. This story follows teenager Cassie as she checks herself out of a mental hospital. Cassie claims her mother put her in the hospital for no reason other than hatred, and that there is nothing wrong with her. I was captivated by this story, and quite impressed with the stunning writing. I can’t wait to see what other books Kletter writes in the future!

5. The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron [REVIEW] [BUY]

Another book that kept me on the edge of my seat this year is The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron. This is a young adult book that takes place in a world where everyone forgets his or her memories every twelve years. The main character is a teenager named Nadia, and she is the only person who has never forgotten any of her memories. With the next forgetting around the corner, Nadia is working to ensure her family will be safe and together when all else is forgotten. Along the way she begins a new friendship with a boy named Gray, and she is afraid he will forget her. I found this story extremely addicting, and raced through this book to find out what would happen!

4. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera [REVIEW] [BUY]

Another young adult contemporary I loved is More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera. I was a bit confused for the first half of this book because I felt like there was no point to the story, but once we hit a big reveal I fell completely in love with this book. We follow teenager Aaron Soto, who lives in the Bronx in a near future where there is a procedure called Leteo that removes memories. Aaron is completely against this procedure, but begins to wonder if he should get it. This is an #OwnVoices LGBTQIA+ book, and one that includes a very powerful message. I can’t wait to read more from Silvera, and already pre-ordered his next book!

3. All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood [REVIEW] [BUY]

If you enjoy edgy and controversial stories, All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood is the book for you! This adult fiction book follows a young girl named Wavy and her much older companion Kellen. Readers follow this couple from the beginnings of their innocent friendship through what becomes something more. This is a book that forces you to think about some of the universal truths about life. I absolutely loved the character of Wavy, and it was heartbreaking yet inspirational to read her story.

2. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany, Jack Thorne, and J.K. Rowling [REVIEW] [BUY]

I still can’t believe that 2016 was the year we got another installment in the Harry Potter series. I’ve been a huge fan of this world for nearly 20 years of my life now, and although the original series did not end the way I would have liked, it was still nice to be in this world once again. Of course, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a script and not a novel, but it was so much fun to preorder a Harry Potter book again and take part in the excitement of a new Rowling release. Many Harry Potter fans despise this book, but I absolutely loved it. If you take it as it is – the script of a stage play – I think it’s quite enjoyable.

1. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven [REVIEW] [BUY]

My absolute favorite book of the year is one I read in January, and that is All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. This is a young adult contemporary about Violet and Finch, two teens who meet on the roof of their school as they are pondering jumping. As you may be able to guess, this is an emotional book that deals with mental illness. While my heart was torn to shreds, I learned so much from this book. It is one I recommend to anyone and everyone, and a book I plan on rereading very soon.

That wraps up my top ten books of 2016! I read some really amazing books this year, and I’m happy that I got to share them with you. If you would like to keep up with my reading, feel free to add me on Goodreads HERE and follow my Bookstagram account HERE. Please share your favorite books of the year in the comments with me as well! I would love to know what reads you recommend.

This post includes affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.