September To Be Read

I've been back to school for a week and I have read about 100 pages in total, in a week. Normally, I don't give myself "To Be Reads" for each month because I like to just read whatever I feel like. Unfortunately (but also fortunately), this school year is looking to be much busier and stressful with university applications, a co-op, producing a musical (and acting in it), looking for a job, plus school work from my other 2 classes.

Anyway, to keep myself on a good reading track I've decided to make a TBR each month to give me a loose idea of what to read! Here it is!

The first book I want to read this month is Glass by Ellen Hopkins. I just downloaded this on to my Kobo along with Fallout. I read that she has released a new book, Rumble, and I read Crank back in grade nine and thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm already a few pages into this book and I love the style of writing and the approach to such a twisted and controversial topic. It starts up just a few months after Crank leaves off and you learn more about Kristina/Bree spirals out of control again.

The next book I want to read this month is My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. I actually picked this book up a week ago at the flea market by my house and started flipping through and I'm about 100 pages in and really enjoying it. I've been wanting to read the book since I saw the movie and unlike most people, disliked quite a bit of it. I've heard that the book is quite different and the characters are so much more meaningful and easier to get attached to which makes me want to keep reading it, and finish it this month!

I also want to get through The Maze Runner by James Dashner this month. I actually bought this book a while back when there had been quite a lot of hype around it, and about a year before that I had attempted to read it for the first time. I found the book so boring when  first tried to read it, but there is indeed a movie coming out very soon for this book and it stars the one and only Dylan O'Brien and being the weird one I am, I must read it before I see it. So, wish me luck as I try to make it through this book.





Those are the three books that I HAVE to read this month and I will be very pleased if I finish them, now I've picked quite a few other books, some just from looking at my shelves and others from my TBR jar to take a swing at if I get the chance this month!

• Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
• The Wishing Spell (TLOS #1) by Chris Colfer
• Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead
• The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan 

I hope ya'll have a great month back at school this September! 

See you in the future!

~ Taya

Here's To Us: Why My Friends Are Awesome

Today has been a day where I am feeling all mushy and emotional. Both the good and the bad. Instead of focusing on things that are bothering me at the moment (that's a completely different rant) I decided to take a page from Caspar Lee's life and appreciate the amazing friends that I have in my life.

I was sitting here thinking about where I would be without the friends that I have, both the new and the old, and it's very hard to imagine them not in my life. I also lamented about them all over Twitter, which lead me here. So, just to embarrass said friends, I have decided to show my love for them on my blog today, so I hope ya'll enjoy, and that my friends aren't too mortified. 

First of all, I have to talk about the one girl who has made an a enormous impact on my life. That would be my best friend, Jessi (or Life of a Teenage Writer!!). I met Jessi in my grade nine vocals class and she was literally just the girl who always sang the wrong song and we didn't really talk all that much. Then grade ten rolled around and we shared a mutual friend who fortunately introduced us and over the summer between grade ten and eleven we bonded like crazy. Over the last two(ish) years we have been absolute best friends. Bonding over books, television, life, and more recently, blogging and YouTube. I have no idea what I would do without this girl in my life to share the good moments with and make the less than good much better. I am so proud of her for so many things, one thing specifically being her dedication to what she loves. Her YouTube channel and writing are like her children and it is obvious that she cares about it from all of the effort that she puts into it and she may not agree with me, but I am so proud of her. 

The next person I want to talk about is the one friend that I actually kept from elementary school and that is my friend of 14 years, Brianna! I remember being so little and coming up with the stupidest games (Shark anybody?) and her being the one true friend that I had for the oddly short feeling ten years of elementary school. Unfortunately, we decided to go to different high schools and instead of that opening a rift between us, it didn't change anything. Even though I don't see her very often, every time I see her it's like it's only been one day since we've talked. I guess I'll never really know what made our friendship stick, but whatever it is, I wouldn't change anything. I am so proud of her for not changing. It may sound silly, but despite becoming more mature and knowledgeable, she has always kept her giant heart and amazing sense of humor and I've always admired that about her.

Of course, I have to mention the Finn to my Rachel Berry, Joey. He was the one that lead me through the fear and nerves that I had in the thriving musical program at my school. Over my grade eleven and twelve year he became the one that was always there for me and was ALWAYS looking on the positive side of things and lifting my mood. His morning hugs are something that I already miss a ridiculous amount! He is so talented and determined, which will take him incredibly far in life and I can't wait to see his name up in lights. He made high school so much better and I can't wait to see him again! I am so proud of him for pursuing his musical theatre dreams and venturing off into the land of college!!! His work ethic and dedication too his craft is something that I am so proud of and aspire to gain in my own life. 

Then I have one of the more recent additions to my life, and that would be Milwaukee. He came in as this extraordinary dancer too our little arts program and I've always thought that we must have seemed so weird from his eyes on that first audition. Anyway, although we didn't become friends right off the bat, when we were coming to a close on the first semester of grade eleven, something seemed to click. I'm sure it had nothing to do with our shared love of country music, books, and movies, nothing at all. Over the past year he has become one of my closest friends and I can talk to him about anything, no matter how pointless or dramatic it is. I'm never going to forget tagging along to see Muppets: Most Wanted at ten o'clock and we had the theater all to ourselves (and lemurs...). I am proud of him for coming into the arts program at my school and blending with everyone so well, his personality seems to compliment everyone. I admire how talented and focused he is in all aspects of his life and I can not wait to see where his amazing talent takes him.

I didn't forget about this next person (I couldn't if I tried!) and that is my lovely little sister, Kyra. I wasn't quite sure where to put her, she isn't a school friend even though we technically went to school together, and I've known her longer than anybody I have mentioned. Despite the fact that we argue like 50% of the time, we can never stay mad at each other, it literally takes us about ten minutes to get over it and move on. She is my fangirl buddy who totally gets all the feels, all the time. We've bonded through pretty much everything and anything. Music, books, television, movies, video games, hot guys (what?). She is the one friend that literally has to be there for me, because sisters, hello. I couldn't have asked for a better little sister, and I'm not really sure what else to say because it's hard to describe the kind of bond that siblings share. I am so proud of her for recently tackling her first days of high school with such grace, that I bet she didn't even know she had! She is going to have so much fun in the next four years, despite how busy and hard it might get sometimes. You will kill it tot!!

Okay, there are so many more amazing friends that I need to talk about and they deserve all of the love and appreciation, but to be completely honest, my hands are starting to hurt and I really need to post this before I go to sleep. I'm just going to mention them: Sabrina, Patricia, Danielle, Amy, Elise, Ashley, and probably a bunch that I forgot (I'M SORRY IF I DIDN'T WRITE YOUR NAME! SCHOOL. BLAME SCHOOL.) If I haven't talked about you in this post, don't think I think any less of you, part two will come!!

Anyway, I also just wanted to mention that I am finally getting on a posting schedule for my blog and YouTube. Blog posts will be coming on Wednesdays and Sundays and YouTube videos on Tuesdays and Fridays.

So, to conclude this rambling mess of friend appreciation, I love my friends with all of my heart and I wouldn't trade you guys for anything. Thank you for putting up with me (I'm not quite sure how you do it...).

 Talk to you in the future!

- Taya