tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17310679801980558172024-02-08T05:20:41.907-08:00books & bridlesSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13919916610730331841noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731067980198055817.post-84363082685373428412013-03-27T17:17:00.002-07:002013-03-27T19:16:56.660-07:00RevampHello. It's spring 2013 and I need to jazz up this place.<br />
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New content coming <b>April</b> 2013.<br />
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13919916610730331841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731067980198055817.post-11277937300631842502012-12-19T10:58:00.000-08:002012-12-20T11:31:50.763-08:00looking ahead<div align="center">
<img align="middle" src="http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj122/awkwardreverse/paperblizzard_zps6ff25fad.png" /></div>
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Spent the afternoon cutting out a bunch of snowflakes <br />
and listening to bands I loved in high school.</div>
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With the New Year just a short ways away, I've started to think of resolutions for 2013. I didn't follow through with a few of the resolutions I made last year, so I thought I'd roll them over to this year and give it another shot.<br />
<b>01</b> Read 50 books (it's a scary thought, and I've never tried it, but I thought I'd give it a go this year. We'll see what happens!)<br />
<b>02</b> Learn a foreign language (for real this time)<br />
<b>03</b> Participate in Script Frenzy<br />
<b>04</b> Participate in <i>and win</i> NaNoWriMo (I was very disappointed I didn't win this year)<br />
<b>05</b> Enter in a horse show<br />
<b>06</b> Generally focus more on reading and writing<br />
<b>07</b> Possibly create and publish book reviews in a different media (possible details to come!)
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But before I start the new year I'd like to enjoy the holidays and tie up the loose ends of things that have been hanging over my head over the past few days (ie writing a book review, and <s>take out a loan to</s> pay off my library fine...)<p>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13919916610730331841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731067980198055817.post-69062317862090282702012-12-06T11:35:00.002-08:002012-12-06T12:31:49.514-08:00Review: 12 Days of Krista May RoseThe autumn semester is finally drawing to a close. The past few days have been ridiculously stressful as I've worked on my formal papers and essays. Tomorrow the last of my papers is due, and after that I'll be able to relax and enjoy the holiday season (and perhaps write a short story that's been buzzing around in my head)! This week, in between researching, outlining, and writing rough drafts, I was able to squeeze in a bit of leisure reading, and finished <i>12 Days of Krista May Rose</i> by fellow NaNoWriMo writer Rebeccah Giltrow.
<p>
<img src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353863914l/16170260.jpg" align="left" width="200px" height="300px"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16170260-12-days-of-krista-may-rose" target="_blank"><i>12 Days of Krista May Rose</i></a><br><b>Author:</b> <a href="http://rebeccahgiltrow.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Rebeccah Giltrow</a><br><b>Rating: ★★★★</b><p>Like an Advent calendar surprise, each tale of Rebeccah Giltrow's "12 Days of Krista May Rose" is a bittersweet treat. Beginning with her in utero Christmas, readers catch a brief glimpse into the inviting life of Krista May Rose during twelve very different Christmases of her life. Throughout the collection of related tales, life becomes more complicated for Krista, and for some of her Christmases, the glitter is rubbed off and she's left with a memory perhaps more bitter than sweet.
<p>
Rebeccah Giltrow's <i>12 Days of Krista May Rose</i> is a quick read -- perfect for the winter season to read between the business of holiday shopping and Yuletide festivities. Krista's experiences are sure to evoke nostalgic memories of readers' Christmases past. I easily fit <i>12 Days</i> into my schedule; it was a much needed break from the chaos of the holiday season at work and end of the semester assignments.
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Recommended for readers looking for a quick read and something to get in the mood for the winter holidays.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13919916610730331841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731067980198055817.post-25572960134401544372012-12-01T15:46:00.000-08:002012-12-10T08:23:30.496-08:00DecemberToday is the first of December and I regret to say that I am not basking in the glory of writing 50,000 words. I am, however, very happy that I participated in NaNoWriMo this year and am somewhat content with what <img src="http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj122/awkwardreverse/tinseltree.png" align="left"> I've written and plotted so far. My novel didn't end with November; I plan on picking it up again in January (or sometime this month, if I can find time between holiday festivities).<p>
Today I enjoyed a delicious lunch and <i>fika</i> (that's Swedish for coffee break) to celebrate the end of NaNoWriMo and what I feel is the official beginning of the holiday season. It's exciting to see houses decked out with tacky holiday lights and shops alight with tinsel and white lights. Everything is white, glittering, and beautiful. My silver Christmas tree is up and I'm ready to burn holiday candles (Christmas cookie flavour).<p>
Regardless of the overly-hyped and probably misinterpreted Mayan prediction of the end of the year, which is widely anticipated to end in an awful mess, I continue to have high hopes for December. Starting this month and continuing through the new year I'm going to start book reviews again. I took a hiatus of reading, reviewing, and blogging in November because of NaNoWriMo and end of semester work. Now that all that is wrapped up (semester ends next week!) I can focus on writing reviews and starting to work as a freelance copy editor.
<p>
<b>Looking forward to in December:</b><br>
// Writing more reviews<br>
// Watching season two of BBC's The Hour (the first season was brilliant!)<br>
// Seeing <i>The Hobbit</i> and <i>Skyfall</i><br>
// Christmas shoppingSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13919916610730331841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731067980198055817.post-83098626160121417952012-10-19T09:46:00.000-07:002012-10-19T09:46:30.476-07:00Character Polyvore: Cassandra Mortmain<div align="center"><img src="http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj122/awkwardreverse/cp-cassandra.png" width="500px"></div>
Today I made a character polyvore for Cassandra Mortmain, the narrator of <i>I Capture the Castle</i>. So far the novel is excellent, and I'm excited to finish it once I catch up on my studies. It's taking me a bit longer than expected to finish <i>I Capture the Castle</i>; I've been busy with exams and finishing as much classwork as possible before NaNoWriMo starts <i>which is in twelve short days!</i> I'm hoping to get ahead in my literature classes so I can focus on writing in November.
<p>
October has been a beautiful month; nearly every weekend has been cool and sunny, and the leaves are just beginning to change. I had a riding lesson yesterday afternoon, during <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_hour_(photography)" target="_blank">magic hour</a>. The newly-turned red and orange leaves were illuminated and everything was perfect. October has flown by faster than I'd have liked and I cannot believe November is just twelve short days away. Over the last few weeks at work we've been bombarded with shipments of Christmas items and everything is red and green and glitter. I'm ready for frosty mornings, flurries, Christmas songs on the radio, snow days, finishing this semester, and winter candles (Yankee Candle's Christmas Cookie and Balsam & Cedar).Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13919916610730331841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731067980198055817.post-74291973637214513962012-10-13T17:44:00.000-07:002012-10-13T20:49:06.079-07:00October through instagram & a list<div align="center">
<img src="http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj122/awkwardreverse/1013-07.png" width="500px" />
<div class="caption">The graves of the Fitzgeralds // Saint Mary's Cemetery</div>
<img src="http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj122/awkwardreverse/1013-08.png" width="500px" />
<div class="caption">Driving to riding lessons // Obligatory instagram lunch picture</div>
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<br />
October: one of my favourite months and one I've been waiting for all year. The past two weeks have been really busy:
<ul>
<li>Designing a new layout for Books & Bridles. I'm so excited for Halloween.</li>
<li>Getting ready for NaNoWriMo 2012!</li>
<li>Finally got the instagram app, and I love it. Film and development is getting really expensive, so I'm now saving it for special occasions.</li>
<li>Getting ready at work for Black Friday and Christmas.</li>
<li>Riding lessons!</li>
<li>Visited the graves of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. Flowers, coins, and a copy of <i>The Great Gatsby</i> had been left in honour of Scott's birthday (24 September).</li>
<li>Scarf season is here.</li>
<li>The next season of The Walking Dead premieres tomorrow night!</li>
</ul>
<p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13919916610730331841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731067980198055817.post-2171739005174384472012-10-08T18:54:00.000-07:002012-10-20T17:18:48.580-07:00Review: The Great Gatsby<div align="center" class="caption">
<img src="http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj122/awkwardreverse/gatsbyinstagram1.png" /><br />
<i>"There was music coming from my neighbour's house through the summer nights. In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars."</i></div>
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<b>Rating:</b> ★★★★★<br>
Crowned the "Great American Novella", <i>The Great Gatsby</i> is an account of the height and demise of the era of Jay Gatsby: a wealthy and envied socialite in the the Roaring Twenties. Gatsby lives in Long Island in West Egg (an affluent knockoff of the more 'fashionable' East Egg), and is the neighbour of Nick Carraway, he narrator. Both Nick and the reader ride on the coattails of Gatsby and his life as a host of glamorous parties in the golden age of jazz and liquor. While Gatsby is a man with the world at his fingertips and an endless fortune at his disposal, the love of his life, Daisy Buchanan, flutters just beyond his reach. The star-crossed lovers get caught up in the fast times of the Twenties, surrounded by extravagance, ambition, greed, and tragedy.
<p>
Since seeing Woody Allen's <i>Midnight in Paris</i> a few weeks ago, I've been on a relentless 1920's kick, and I was inspired to pick up F. Scott Fitzgerald's <i>The Great Gatsby</i> again. Like nearly everyone else, <i>The Great Gatsby</i> was a required reading in high school, and I endured it my junior year of high school. I'll admit that I didn't particularly enjoy it the first time I read it (I only genuinely read the first and last few chapters; everything else was skipped or skimmed). This was mostly due to my teacher's tear-every-sentence-apart-and-look-for-symbolism tactic, which didn't win me over, and we never focused on character relationships (the Buchanans' dysfunctional marriage, for starters), which I picked up on in my second reading. This time I was able to appreciate <i>The Great Gatsby</i> for what it is instead of analysing a particular character's choice of dress colour.
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<i>The Great Gatsby</i> is on so many required reading lists for a reason: it captures the nostalgia of the 1920's and America in one of its greatest moments. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in classic literature and to those interested in seeing the film this Christmas. It's easy to get into and a quick read (I was able to finish it in a few days just reading it on my lunch breaks).Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13919916610730331841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731067980198055817.post-24716695352326451742012-10-01T20:21:00.000-07:002012-10-20T17:19:00.686-07:00october country<div class="postimg" align="center"><img align="middle" src="http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj122/awkwardreverse/october2-1.png"></div>
I have been waiting for this month all year, and I'm celebrating with the start of <b>books and bridles</b> and a new reading challenge. In preparation for NaNoWriMo I'll be spending the next thirty days outlining this year's novel, and reading four novels, one for each week of October (starting today). The current selections are:<br />
+ The October Country (Ray Bradbury)<br />
+ I Capture the Castle (Dodie Smith)<br>
+ The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald), a reread<br>
+ The Last Little Blue Envelope (Maureen Johnson)<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13919916610730331841noreply@blogger.com0