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charlotteisnotthechosenone · 5 years

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2018 Wrap-Up & 2019 Resolutions

Books Read: 21

Pages Read: 8,751 (~24 pages per day)

Although I did not manage to complete my Goodreads goal of 30 books this year I am not too bothered about that. When I realised a few months ago that I wasn’t going to be able to I stopped pushing myself to try and read as much as I could and by the end of November I had stopped tracking my reading altogether. I didn’t want to finish tracking one year of reading and then jump straight into the next - I wanted a few weeks where it didn’t matter if I forgot to record my page count at the end of every day and hopefully that will make me more motivated to begin to start tracking my reading again in 2019. 2018 was the first full calendar year spent at university so I knew that my routine and therefore my reading routine was going to change dramatically. It was only really in September that I managed to get myself back into a regular routine of reading each night and as a result it was the last few months of the year where my reading was at its best.

While I did read some outstanding books in 2018 I found that a lot of the books I read fell into that fuzzy category. While I was lucky enough not to read a book I completely disliked this year I found there were a lot of books that I read and enjoyed but that there were not enough I absolutely loved and that is one of the things I want to try and rectify in 2019.

Because of this I didn’t want to make a whole post about my favourite books of the year as I honestly don’t know whether I would have that much to say but there are a handful of books I did really love and so wanted to touch on them here. There is a fierce battle for the top spot out of all the books I read this year so I think I am going to have to have joint favourites! The two books I enjoyed most this year were Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff and one of my most recent reads, The Toymakers by Robert Disnsdale. Two books which could probably not be more different plot wise but two books which completely blew me away nonetheless. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor and The Diviners by Libba Bray as well as being able to dive back into the world of Mara Dyer with The Becoming of Noah Shaw - a sentence which I am honest I never thought I would write.

For anyone interested the 21 books I read in 2018 (along with my ratings for each one in brackets) were:

(and for anyone that isn’t, my apologies - at least it isn’t that long!)

* Satellite by Nick Lake (4 stars)

* The Becoming of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin (4.75 stars)

* The Fever Code by James Dashner (4 stars)

* Alex & Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz (4 stars)

* Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (5 stars)

* Spare and Found Parts by Sarah Maria Griffin (4.5 stars)

* Replica by Lauren Oliver (4.25 stars)

* An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (4.5 stars)

* Vicious by VE Schwab (4 stars)

* Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas (4.5 stars)

* The Diviners by Libba Bray (5 stars)

* One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus (4.25 stars)

* Angelfall by Susan Ee (4 stars)

* A Court Of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas (4.5 stars)

* And The Ocean Was Our Sky by Patrick Ness (5 stars)

* Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (4.25 stars)

* A Storm Of Ice and Stars by Lisa Lueddecke (4 stars)

* Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor (5 stars)

* Stealing Snow by Danielle Page (4.25 stars)

* The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale (5 stars)

* Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling (4 stars)

Moving forwards and into 2019 for the first time ever I have set myself a set of reading resolutions I want to try and stick too. Resolutions is potentially even the wrong word for them - they are almost a set of pointers I can look back on to remind myself that reading should be fun and that I shouldn’t be constantly worrying about my page count and that it is ok if I don’t post in a while.

They are:

1. To keep a reading/bullet journal - I have already kind of started this one as I have everything ready and set up to make a proper start on January 1st. While I am not the most arty of people I just find that there is something so satisfying about bullet journals and using it to track my reading is the perfect excuse to start one of my own. I am also hoping to branch out with this and use it as a good way to track my studying as well.

2. To read books that I want to read and not those I feel that I should - by this I mean that when I buy new books I often feel like I shouldn’t read them straight away, even if I am really excited to read them, because I feel like there are other books on my tbr which have been there longer and therefore deserve to be read first. I think this may have been part of the reason I was reading some books that I didn’t have much enthusiasm for in 2018 and I hope that by reading books I am more excited for this may help to rectify the issue of reading books I only thought were ok.

3. To keep up with/be aware of new releases - every January I usually create 12 new shelves on my Goodreads so that I can keep track of all of the new releases that are coming out each month and for the first time ever I feel like I have absolutely nothing to put on these shelves. I do really enjoy watching booktube videos and keeping up with what is being released but with uni I find that I often don’t get the time for this. This year I am going to try to make time, even if it is only 30 mins a week, to relax and watch some of these videos and keep up with what is going on book wise. I find this a much more useful way to keep up with things book wise than using Goodreads as, while I do still use Goodreads to keep track of my reading, I often don’t get a lot of enthusiasm from scrolling through books on there and it kind of makes me not excited to read.

4. To read/prioritise sequels - while it is not always possible to sit down and read an entire series (due to some books in the series not being published etc.) I always find that when I come to read a sequel I am having to google what happened in the book before it so that the sequel will actually make sense to me. This is because I always leave it so long after reading the first book before picking up sequels and so I have completely forgotten what has happened in the previous book. Now I have absolutely no reason why I do this, especially considering that I generally buy sequels fairly soon after they come out so they are always sat on my shelves but I am hoping that by getting to sequels sooner this will mean that hopefully I will begin to enjoy them more.

5. Lastly I want to change up the format of my blog posts - one of the ways I hope to achieve this is by putting a bit more effort into them. I often find myself rambling on, struggling for stuff to say about a book but trying to put words down on the page just so that it will make a decent length review/post. Last year I tried to review every book I read but there are some books where even though I enjoyed them I just don’t have too much to say about them and if this is the case then simple - I just won’t post a review about it. I am going to try and not post am awful post just so that I can say one has gone up. I also again want to try and change up the way I do wrap-ups and TBRs (if I even decide to keep these) so that they are a little more informative and give people a taste for what I thought of a book without having to read loads of text. I am hoping achieve this through a new system of broken star ratings for each book. I maya also try and include some shots from my reading journal if it looks like it is going to fit nicely.

Reading this back I now realise how long this post is so if you have made it to the end, well done! I feel now like I have said a lot of things I have wanted to say for a while and that I can move forward into 2019 feeling fresh and motivated about reading again.

Happy New Year everyone!

#book #booklr #booknerdsanonymous #new #recentupload #ya #ya books #young adult #young adult books #wrap up #reading wrap up #2018 wrap up #2019 reading resolutions #2019 resolutions

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shutupandblog · 7 years

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cute tags

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk? // more milk! 2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day? // YES OMG YES. 3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? // forks, notes, socks....anything I find in that moment... 4: how do you take your coffee/tea? // tea: just with water. coffee: flavoured creamer.... 5: are you self-conscious of your smile? // YEAH. 6: do you keep plants? // my mom forces her plants onto me so I have unexpected children to take care of. 7: do you name your plants? // no, I'll feel bad if I forget their names. 8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings? // songwriting 9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? // sing out loud, man. but yeah. 10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? // fall asleep on back easiest but wake up on my side. 11: what's an inner joke you have with your friends? // innovation at its finest, man. 12: what's your favorite planet? // saturn 13: what's something that made you smile today? // finding some of my old songs and realizing that they're not ALL lost. I was a genius in 2014 and backed it up on usb wow 14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like? // open concept omf hit me with the natural light and big windows. no walls. big kitchen. no curtains. piano. hardwood. pictures in frames. 15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is! // "The Apollo astronauts' footprints on the moon will probably stay there for at least 100 million years." Source: https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0ahUKEwji75-ZwYXXAhWqxFQKHSroDssQFggxMAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmashable.com%2F2014%2F03%2F05%2Fsun-stars-space-facts%2F&usg=AOvVaw2BqM1yEL36GBccqMtEtOWs) 16: what's your favorite pasta dish? // i don't normally eat pasta so every time i see pasta i'll take anything. 17: what color do you really want to dye your hair? // grey and lavender. 18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up. // 19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it? // i keep a lyric dump journal! 20: what's your favorite eye color? // GREEN 21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that's been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. // my navy backpack was with my throughout high school and ib and i'm still using it in uni, so it's been to hell twice. 22: are you a morning person? // hell no 23: what's your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations? // listen to all my cd's and find new artists...song write...listen to more music... 24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets? // yes 25: what's the weirdest place you've ever broken into? // lol none 26: what are the shoes you've had for forever and wear with every single outfit? // threw them out yo 27: what's your favorite bubblegum flavor? // banana 28: sunrise or sunset? // sunrise 29: what's something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? // my one friend has a habit of crossing her legs and tapping her foot that’s in the air when she listens / hums music and it’s sO CUTE. 30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared? // yeah. my mom went through a rough time and I hated being awake. 31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks. // in general: no socks. Weird socks are cool. I usually take off my socks as soon as I walk in through the front door. If I wear songs, they’re ankle length. Can’t do anything higher than that. I hate tights, I don’t do tights. 32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. // i literally think we woke up at 4 to watch MAMA 2015 together. 33: what's your fave pastry? // i have no idea....bread pudding served on pie crust and ice cream? 34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? // it’s gone. but it was called bonsai and it was a giant ass panda and i miss it. I had to get rid of it because we were moving and its head got ripped off. Or, ripped in half should I say. 35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often? // I love them but I never indulge in it!!! alkjngakjdfd 36: which band's sound would fit your mood right now? // my mood right now? omg bts - wings. 37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean? // messy. 38: tell us about your pet peeves! // wet bathroom floors, getting my socks wet, sweaty in the winter, when people touch my things and don’t put them back where they are supposed to be so i can’t find it ugh, touching people’s food while doing dishes (SCRAPE YOUR PLATE @ SIBLINGS), people stepping on my shoes, looming too close to me while talking....etc.... 39: what color do you wear the most? // grey, black, pink. 40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what's it's story? does it have any meaning to you? // all my jewelry is meaningless bc I bought it all myself. Ahh- I have this one pearl necklace that my grandpa and dad bought for me in china and I haven’t worn it once. 41: what's the last book you remember really, really loving? // gallagher girls series 42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! // i’m not a coffee person 43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? // myself a few mornings ago when I was going to my lab and waiting at the bus stop. 44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? // when i was in hawaii doing the longest hike of my life and finally reaching the “end” of the island and you could see no city. Just sea lions, turtles and water. Dark stones. Wind. It was just myself and it was quiet and it was so beautiful. I have so many videos. 45: do you trust your instincts a lot? // fuck that shit, I got so many q’s wrong on tests because of it. 46: tell us the worst pun you can think of. // gravity sucks. 47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe? // onions omf 48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today? // the dark. and yeah. 49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought? // I LOVE CDs. Last record I bought: paramore- after laughter (i think). 50: what's an odd thing you collect? // cineplex tickets and guitar picks. 51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them? // my friend S- I associate her with the song “Tokyo Jellybean” by Ingrid St-Pierre. She’s one of my favourite artists. I have never told her this. 52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far? lol cracking a cold one with the boys bc my psych always opens a pop can in the middle of this lecture (ALL THE TIME) and i just get reminded. 53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? only heathers bc my friend showed it to me and I really liked it! 54: who's the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face? // my friend Y. 55: what's the most dramatic thing you've ever done to prove a point? // raised my voice? 56: what are some things you find endearing in people? // being completely absorbed in their work, drinking coffee and looking out the bus window, falling asleep in random places. 57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics? // uhh i just use this song to check if my right headphone is working lol 58: who's the wine mom and who's the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? // wine mom is T and vodka aunt is Y. I mean, if you meet them you’ll know. 59: what's your favorite myth? // im uneducated 60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? // i like poetry- short poetry. 61: what's the stupidest gift you've ever given? the stupidest one you've ever received? // I gave cough drops / i received paperclip holders 62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind? // i’m a morning water person 63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? // YEAH I AM. Bookshelf man. 64: what color is the sky where you are right now? // black 65: is there anyone you haven't seen in a long time who you'd love to hang out with? // no bc if I haven’t seen you in a long time, I’ve probably dropped you. 66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? // baby’s breath, blue bells, daisy. 67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? // I LIVE FOR THOSE DAYS 68: what's winter like where you live? // either snowy heaven or mushy hell 69: what are your favorite board games? // i’m basic, so monopoly. 70: have you ever used a ouija board? / no 71: what's your favorite kind of tea? // oolong or vanilla something.... 72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you'll forget it? // yeah i really need to 73: what are some of your worst habits? // drop my clothes all over the bedroom floor and leave them there. 74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. // a breath of fresh air 75: tell us about your pets! // i had a goldfish once but on the car ride home to my house it died. 76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren't? // STUDYING WTF AM I DOING ANSWERING A 100 QUESTION TAG 77: pink or yellow lemonade? // PINK 78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub? // i’m a spectator 79: what's one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? // painted me fake polaroids and stuck them in a colouring book omg 80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why? // tan. it’s the colour of my entire house. 81: describe one of your friend's eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. // didn’t pass engl man i can’t do this 82: are/were you good in school? // i WAS 83: what's some of your favorite album art? // rise against, fob, volbeat, ingrid st pierre, ts, bts. 84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones? // i’ve always wanted a roman numeral tattoo but i don’t do commitment. 85: do you read comics? what are your faves? // i only read peanuts and archie as a kid 86: do you like concept albums? which ones? // i only listen to pink floyd ..the wall. 87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives? // not a movie person. can’t comment. 88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? // idk.... 89: are you close to your parents? // sure 90: talk about your one of you favorite cities. // tokyo omg god save me 91: where do you plan on traveling this year? // the farthest i’ll get is my bed 92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch? // barely sprinkles a pinch 93: what's the hairstyle you wear the most? // up 94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday? // my auntie 95: what are your plans for this weekend? // this weekend is over and so is my academic career 96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot? // procrastinate 97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? // 1. don’t know, 2. scorpio, 3. ravenclaw 98: when's the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it? // real hike: this summer in hawaii, fake hike: w my friends downtown. I loved both times the same. 99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them. // Exo- what if/my answer, Taylor- all too well/never grow up, Shawn: running low, Alessia: my song, Bts: sea, Pierre Luc lessard: sans combat 100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why? // 5 years in the future. The past 5 years have been hard.

I tag: @kabul1998, @iamnotmadamebovary

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goarticletec-blog · 6 years

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2019 VW Beetle Final Edition first drive review: Bye-bye, Bug

New Post has been published on https://www.articletec.com/2019-vw-beetle-final-edition-first-drive-review-bye-bye-bug/

2019 VW Beetle Final Edition first drive review: Bye-bye, Bug

As they say, all good things must come to an end, and such is the case with the Volkswagen Beetle. Yes, after the 2019 model year, the iconic VW Bug is no more. And to commemorate the loss of one of the most recognizable cars on the planet, Volkswagen is pushing out two new Final Edition trims.

Volkswagen gave us the New Beetle in 1998, followed up by the lowercase-n new Beetle in 2011, the one off of which the Final Edition model is based.

The Final Edition Beetles are available in coupe or convertible body styles, with a couple of cues taken from the Última Edición — the last gasp of the air-cooled Beetle that was sold in Mexico in 2003. That earlier last-hurrah Bug was only offered in beige and light blue, so the newer Final Editions get their own interpretations of those colors in the form of safari uni and stonewashed blue. You can also get the Final Edition in pure white, deep black or platinum gray, but what’s the fun in that?

Other Final Edition touches include bi-xenon headlights, LED lights everywhere else and unique 18-inch wheel options. I like the ones from the Final Edition SEL, which hearken back to the Última Edición’s body-colored steel wheels with chrome hubcaps.

The Final Edition may get some model-exclusive design elements, but the powertrain underneath remains the same as any other Beetle. A 2.0-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine kicks out 174 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission sends power to the front wheels, and though there’s a manu-matic Sport mode option, gear changes are only handled via the shift lever — no paddles here, folks.

On the mean streets of Puebla, Mexico, the Beetle eagerly zips through slow-moving traffic. The Final Edition doesn’t drive any differently than other models of this generation, meaning it has the same light steering and taut chassis as before. It’s a really enjoyable car to drive.

Frugal, too. The EPA estimates the 2019 Beetle will return 26 miles per gallon in the city, 33 mpg highway and 29 mpg combined.

If you’re looking for an abundance of driver’s aids, look elsewhere. The Final Edition SE offers standard blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert, while the SEL adds front and rear park distance control. I don’t expect VW to add a bunch of technology to the last model year of a car, but adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist — things you can’t get on the Beetle — are standard on both the new Toyota Corolla hatchback as well as the Honda Civic.

Seriously, how cool are these wheels?

Volkswagen

Another disappointment, albeit small, is that there is only one USB port in the Final Edition Beetle. Thankfully, the rest of the in-car tech is excellent, with VW’s Car-Net infotainment system offering a straightforward interface with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard. The 6.3-inch capacitive touchscreen is a bit on the small side, but it fits proportionally with the interior and features clear graphics. Navigation is standard on the Final Edition SEL.

Inside, the homage to the old-school bug continues with a “kaeferfach” glove box. Otherwise known as the Beetle bin, this little storage bin is directly in top of the standard glove box with an upward folding lid, offering up an extra place to store your wallet and phone.

There is only room for four in the Beetle, and cargo space is limited. The coupe sports 15.4 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats, expanding to almost 30 cubes with the rear seats folded. As for the convertible, well, you’ll pay for all that sunshine. Trunk space decreases to a tiny 7.1 cubes.

Other colors are available, but the signature Final Edition hues are the Safari Uni beige and Stonewashed Blue inspired by vintage Bugs.

Volkswagen

In base S trim, the 2019 Volkswagen Beetle starts at $20,895. The Final Edition, meanwhile, comes in at $23,045 for the mid-level SE, or $25,995 for the SEL. If you’d rather go topless, the Convertible versions start at $27,295 and $29,995, respectively.

2019 may be the final year for the Beetle, but Volkswagen might have one more bug in its ear, as it were. The Beetle is gone for now, but Volkswagen is a company that loves to revive its retro designs and nameplates, so who knows, another Bug — maybe with electric power — could be in the cards someday.

“As we move to being a full-line, family-focused automaker in the US and ramp up our electrification strategy with the MEB platform, there are no immediate plans to replace [the Beetle],” says Hinrich J. Woebcken, VW Group of America’s president and CEO. “But as we have seen with the I.D. Buzz — which is the modern and practical interpretation of the legendary Bus — I would also say, ‘never say never.'”

Editors’ note: Travel costs related to this feature were covered by the manufacturer. This is common in the auto industry, as it’s far more economical to ship journalists to cars than to ship cars to journalists. While Roadshow accepts multi-day vehicle loans from manufacturers in order to provide scored editorial reviews, all scored vehicle reviews are completed on our turf and on our terms.

The judgments and opinions of Roadshow’s editorial team are our own and we do not accept paid editorial content.

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