Inside Kimmy's Mind

I present my June book haul!!! I have a total of 7 books this month and I read 4, so I think I’m doing pretty good. If I don’t enjoy the book then I get rid of it. I don’t see the need in forcing myself to read a book I’m not enjoying. I’m just trying to keep my book collection under control.

Here are the books I mentioned in the video:

• Never Never parts 2 and 3 by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher
• Confess by Colleen Hoover
• The Future for Curious People by Gregory Sherl
• Romeo and/or Juliet by Ryan North
• The After Party by Jana Prikryl
• One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Big things are happening and I’ll update about it as soon as I can, but for now know that I am extremely happy.

Happy reading

Punderdome -Puns of Fun!!!

This game was created by a father-daughter team, Jo and Fred Firestone. Their last name sounds like a superhero team if you ask me. The game requires at least 2 people to play but recommend having more than 3. I think playing this game with teams would be really fun and can’t wait to try that out.

First impressions: Excited to play

The game is nicely illustrated and brightly colored which makes it eye-catching. It’s packaged nicely, a place for everything included. The box is small and will fit snugly on a shelf or cabinet, so if you’re short on game storing space, worry not.

Continuing on, this is a game of puns.

That’s right! Puns!!! If you do not like puns, this game will either A)change your mind about them, or B)make you a punmaster! Either way, try it out before you decide against it.

Here are the written instructions:

The objective: Win a Mystery Envelope prize(before playing, the prompter fills Mystery Envelopes with a prize. i.e a candy bar or a dirty napkin) by being the first player/team to obtain ten pairs of cards.

• First, Prompter draws two cards and reads one Quick Pun question
• The player who responds quickest with a pun wins 30 extra seconds for the Prompt Round to follow
• Prompter flips cards, reads Green(situations) and White (topics)
• Players have 90 seconds to write down a single pun (word/phrase/sentence) that combines both topics and then give to the Prompter
• Prompter chooses best pun and awards that player that round’s Green and White Cards.
• The winner becomes the new Prompter- rounds continue until one team/player has ten pairs of cards

According to the game’s inserts, the game Punderdome started as a competition in Brooklyn, New York. The card game was only created in 2015, so it’s still fairly new but the live game show in New York began in 2011. This game requires a sense of humor and cleverness that might surprise you. I think I will enjoy this game much more if I play it with a larger group of friends.

I’m definitely adding this game to future game nights. It’s compact enough for trips out to bars or a friend’s house. I guess it also depends on the type of friends you have. Some might not find this as entertaining, but in my opinion, I think it will convert those skeptics.

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Thanks for reading

Wanted to film a Plan with Me video for this week. I added just a few things that I knew I had to do but obviously if more things occur I plan as the week goes on. For the most part, work is the only thing I can really plan ahead since  I know my work schedule by the end of the previous one. I have a few other videos planned for this week but didn’t think about it until after I filmed this video, so that’s why they aren’t there. Bare with me, I am terrible at planning out videos.

After I had written out the few things I knew would happen this week, I decided to make the end of the video just a montage of some planner supplies. Mainly, these Memento Dew Drop inks that I have fallen in love with. I’m a sucker for colorful things, and these are perfect for stamping my planner pages. Anyway, I’ve been thinking of some other videos to film and upload so stay tuned for some book and non-book related videos!

Thanks for reading and watching

I’ve been getting into poetry lately, so when I saw this book of poems by Jana Prikryl I decided to give it a try.  Critiquing poems is a bit harder for me to do compared to fiction. The cover was striking, however I couldn’t really get a good reading on what the poems might be about. Not that the cover has to allude to that.

There were a few poems I felt like I could interpret more easily than others, not that a sense of ease is what makes a poem good.  Not at all saying that. I jut feel, that in order to truly appreciate writing, especially poetry, the reader needs to be able to have sense of what is being said and have their own interpretation of the work, even if completely different from the author’s or anyone’s opinion.

The cover of the book is gorgeous, and I love the purple hues, however the poetry is not exactly my cup of tea. But like I said, there were a few that I could say I enjoyed. I just prefer finding that connection.

Crackers

Sometimes- sometimes we do not go so good
together. We go to school and other
times we change. I, to shake the clods, ignore
the phone; you can’t connect; resulting mood
is glum. What you have to say won’t bother
waiting for an occupied- it rings more and more

till I pick up. What’s up at home?
and similar caulk to plug us from the sea
exchange- what time we woke, who made the tea-
till we run out of talk. Then hold the phone

without a word, just a rustling soothing
box of crackers voice themself, and on
the final crisp you sigh the line has gone
to sleep, and hadn’t we best be moving?

I believe there has to be some type of connection between author and reader, and even though I can sort of form one in this piece above. I personally do not get that connection throughout the entire book. I found it a bit difficult to follow the poems, but Prikryl is a talented writer. However when it comes to poetry, at least for me, I like having this sense of being able to relate to the poems. Gives me a better understanding of the poem. Still, I enjoy trying out genres I don’t normally gravitate towards. It gets me out of my comfort zone and such any reader to try doing that. Sometimes I find it hard and revert back to my typical fiction.

Let me know, what type of genres do you stick with? And if poetry is your thing, let me know why you like it.

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Thanks for stopping by

Above is my May book haul, but I also want to focus on the new love of my life. Vera Rose Robertson, my first niece. I absolutely adore this little baby and I cannot get enough of that new baby smell. She is beyond precious and it’s still really surreal to have her here. Ever since my sister got married, I’ve thought about the day they would have children. But now that, that child is actually here, I can’t believe it.

I knew she would be adorable and I knew that I would love her with all of my heart. But I never stopped to think about how much.  I mean, it’s love, you don’t normally associate an amount with it. It just is.

But I love this tiny person more than I thought was possible.

I also love this transformation that my sister has gone through, first with being pregnant and now as a full-fledged mother. She’s had motherly instincts all along, being the oldest of three girls, she’s watched over me and our younger sister for years. But now she’s the mother of her own child and motherhood agrees with her.

I hope to be as involved with my little Vera Rose as often as I can. Taking on the role of a tia has also changed me, there aren’t many children in my life. Aside from the many children I see when I work as a birthday party coordinator at the museum. Working there as giving me a soft spot for kids, but being an aunt is completely different. Especially, since this is my sister’s baby. I can’t express enough how warm and fuzzy I feel. My heart melts with every smile and fart this little person makes. I can only imagine how I’ll feel when I have a child.

I can’t wait to hold and inhale her tomorrow!!! They weren’t kidding, babies smell so good, new and like the color pink. That’s right, if the color pink had a smell it would be new babies.

Thanks for stopping by

Armada by Ernest Cline

I feel as though this book might be a bit hard to review.

But first! Here’s a blurb from the back copy:

Zack Lightman has never cared for reality. He vastly prefers the countless science-fiction movies, books and video games he’s spent his life consuming – and too often he catches himself wishing that some fantastic, impossible, world-altering event could arrive to whisk him off on a grand spacefaring adenture.

So when he sees the flying saucer, hes sre his years of escapism have finally tipped over to psychosis. Especially because the alien ships he’s staring at is straight out of his favorite videogame.

I’ve heard a few booktubers claim how this book suffers from second book syndrome. I have yet to read Ready Player One, even though it is on my TBR list, so I can’t say whether or not this book suffers from this syndrome or not, but I did enjoy it. It’s written in the first person and I love that about books. I love being inside the head of the narrator.

Cover: I have the copy shown above, which is the paper pack cover. I was very happy to receive this edition because  I am a lover of paper backs. However, the hardback cover is gorgeous and gives nothing away to the plot of the story. But if you’re familiar with Cline’s writing, then you know he loves video game, sci-fi, and music culture.  I thought the cover above illustrated the book wonderfully. Giving it an Alice in Wonderland aspect. How? The mix of reality and fantasy for Zach, the main character. Who doesn’t fantasize about being in a different reality from time to time.

I can’t really say that you HAVE to enjoy video games or sci-fi to enjoy this book. But I think if you didn’t, then you wouldn’t pick up this book or his first one for that matter. Knowing his references makes the book hilarious and a bit nostalgic in a way. I think understanding and loving those things make the book more enjoyable. But even if I didn’t personally have an experience or a memory with said reference, knowing it makes it fun.

I’m a lover of video games, and even though I don’t consider myself an intense “gamer” I do enjoy playing games, so having the knowledge that comes with video game culture…even if only a bit definitely puts you in Zach’s shoes as he goes through his life video game life.

I’m excited to read more by this author, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to read Armada before Ready Player One but I don’t think it matters. Reading them in the order that they are released allows the reader to see growth within the author’s novels.

Happy reading

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

I’m sure everyone in the planner community has discovered these new Recollections planners. They are available only at Michael’s and they are adorable.

I am in love with them mine. But there are a few cons as well as the pros, I made a video that mostly just went over all of the things that I love about the planner and then went over a few other planner goodies that I got for the new planner. Clear stamps anyone? I absolutely love clear stamps.

Here are a few cons I failed to mention in the vlog.

• Misaligned rings:

With most ringed binders ring gaps are a problem. I checked all the mint binders and chose the one with the less ring flaws. I advised you to look through them as well before purchasing. However, gaps are to be expected…especially with cheaper option binders .

• Laying down flat:

Now, this is easily fixed with time. You will have to train it, not a huge deal though.

• Pen loop:

It was mentioned, but sort of glossed over. I would have preferred it to be elastic so it would fit any pen, but it’s too large and your pen might fall out.

At the moment, these are the only ones I feel are the main cons. I haven’t owned it long enough to discover more. I’ll keep you updated.

 

 

Thanks for reading

I finally graduated!!! I have earned my degree, and although it took me a bit longer than some, my experiences have taught me things that I wouldn’t have learned otherwise. This might just be me trying to make myself feel better about taking so long, but I continued on and didn’t quit. And that deserves some celebrating!!

I’m in the middle of job hunting and just spamming my resume out and I’m scared. I want a career, but since my degree is in English I don’t exactly have a set career. And I realize there are pros and cons to every degree, but when I look at others I feel as though mine is just all over the place. I can do many things, but then there’s that part of me that thinks, and there will always be someone who can do what I can, plus more. I’m trying not to let my negative thoughts and fears prevent me from applying to jobs.  Like I said, I’ve been spamming.

And aside from working and spamming potential employers, I’ve been reading a bunch and continuing my journey with the Booktube community. I’ve been enjoying it, I forgot how much fun I had updating Youtube. I have my next few videos planned out, and some of them have nothing to do with Booktube.  Here’s my latest video:

… continue reading this entry.

I purchased this amazing tote bag from Society 6 by Evie Seo. And yes, this tote is HUGE!!! I ordered the 18×18 but you have your choice of 13×13 or 16×16, which is probably the size I will order the next time. Yeah, I plan on ordering another tote down the line because there were a few other designs I can’t live without. But for another time, my wallet needs a break.

But I love the size, the only thing that would make this bag absolutely perfect is if it had pockets on the outside or inside. I added one on the inside to hold my cell, it’s not my best work but it works. Other than that, it holds everything! I still think Mija should design some things and have a Society 6 store for Mind-Speaks, but that might have to wait a while.

Below are my videos for my April book haul! I broke it into two parts since I wanted to discuss the poetry books I bought this month. I wasn’t really interested in poetry until I discovered these books!!! The second video contains all the fiction books I purchased.

 

I’m still figuring out editing. I will probably say that about every video I post, because Movie Maker isn’t the greatest program, but like I’ve said before. I’m working on it. I’m enjoying this entrance into the booktube community. I’m just trying to figure out more video topics, aside from book hauls. I love filming and watching these types of videos, however I won’t always be able to buy a bunch of books in order to film such videos. Hence, the need for other topics. I have a few ideas.

Thank for stopping by.

Another video!!! I’m still trying to figure out how to edit using Movie Maker, it’s not the greatest of programs but I manage.  I remember older versions allowing more freedom than this windows 8 version. The sound gets a bit low in some areas but luckily it doesn’t really happen until the end.

Books that I mention in the video:

• Coraline by Neil Gaiman illustrated by P. Craig Russell (graphic novel)
• Coraline by Neil Gaiman illustrated by Dave McKean
• Mirrormask by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean
• Slog’s Dad by David Almond and illustrated by Dave McKean
• The Unruly Alphabet by Aaron McKinney
• IRL by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang
• Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol
• Jinchalo by Matthew Forsythe

I’m pretty picky when it comes to art styles, and I might have been a bit harsh when it came to P. Craig Russell’s style of art.  It’s just not the type of style I like. My tastes rage from super cute and colorful to gritty and a bit creepy. It might be the way it’s colored, so it might be the colorists fault for why it doesn’t sit well with me. But don’t let my opinion change yours, this is just my opinion and tastes.

I’m thinking of making this a series, we shall see.

Thanks for reading