Tag: reading

October Wrap Up 2020

Published on by Jessica C Writes10 Comments

Before we start the post, I want to acknowledge that today is election day, and I know that this day is stressful. Please take care of yourself. I hope that this post can provide some distraction from the events of the day.

Another month has gone by, just like that. And we are slowly coming to the end of 2020 (thank god, right?).

In terms of reading, this has been another one of those slower months for me. I read 7 books, which is one more than last month, and I read some really good books! So, let’s take a look at them :)

5 stars

  • Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: My first read of spooky season was definitely a successful one! This book was so eerie and it reminded me a lot of The Yellow Wallpaper and The Fall of the House of Usher. If you like gothic literature, this is definitely the book for you!

4.5 stars

  • Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo: This book was PHENOMENAL! I really enjoyed this, and I have a whole review up on the blog, so I won’t go into detail now. But it was a really great read, and I can’t wait for the next book to come out!
  • The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang: I am completely in awe of the fact that R.F. Kuang wrote a book this complex when she was 19?!?! That is phenomenal. This was a really great read, though it was a longer book, but I am so looking forward to picking up the next one!

3.5 stars

  • The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman: This was an enjoyable read! I found the story really interesting, but I was hoping for some more character development. It was a creepy book for sure, and I am definitely going to check out the next book.

2 stars

  • Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee: Some of you who have been following me for a while know how much To Kill a Mockingbird means to me. It is no longer one of my favorite books, but it still holds a special place in my life. I have been putting off the sequel to it for many years, mainly because my junior year English teacher told me I should wait until I’m a little older. I finally read it, and I understand why he wanted me to wait. I also wish he had just told me not to read it at all. It was a really disappointing read for me. It did not have the same impact that TKAM had at all, and it left me angry at the characters. I really wanted more from it, and I’m sad at how the story played out in it.
  • Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer: This was a whole 600+ pages of nothing. I honestly don’t know what I was expecting from this, but I really didn’t end up enjoying it. I was bored throughout most of it because it felt like I was just re-reading Twilight, but it was much slower. When I first started it, I really considered DNF’ing the book, but I got myself to power through solely because I had preordered it, and I felt like it would have been a waste of my money if I didn’t finish it.

1 star

  • Instructions for a Funeral by David Means: This was a short story collection that I was actually looking forward to reading, but it was really disappointing. The stories felt so disjointed, and I could not see the point to any of them. The author seemed to be going for those “slice of life” type of stories, but the actual writing did not work at all for me.

That’s all for my wrap up! I read some really good books and a couple of not so good books, but overall I’m happy with my reading! How many books did you read this month?

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo // Review

Published on by Jessica C Writes10 Comments

I finally read it. After owning a copy of the book since release week (roughly a year ago from now), I finally picked up the book and read it!

And I’m so glad I did.

Ninth House was everything I was looking for. I know that it’s gotten many mixed reviews, and it’s definitely not a book for everyone, but I thought it was phenomenal.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?

Still searching for answers to this herself, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. These eight windowless “tombs” are well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street and Hollywood’s biggest players. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive.

My Review:

Where do I even begin? First off, I went in with very few expectations for this book. I didn’t know much about it going into it, so it was really a pleasant surprise all the way through.

The book starts off very slow, and for the most part, it continued on with a slow pace for the majority of the story. That’s not to say that it was boring or lacking action, though. Quite the opposite actually. This book was full of mystery, murder, and morally grey characters. The entire time I was trying to figure out what was going to happen alongside our main character Galaxy “Alex” Stern.

Speaking of Alex, she is not a warm and kind character in the slightest. From the start, she is portrayed as cold and calculating, but I loved that about her. She had her guard up a lot, but once we found out why, you really start to feel for her.

Another character I loved was Pammie, or Dawes. We see her more towards the second half of the book, but she made a huge impression on me. She is quite the opposite of Alex, but the two made a great pair!

I also really loved learning more about Darlington. Although we do not see too much of him, he is central to the story.

The storyline was also so compelling. I didn’t want to put the book down, but at the same time, I needed to process certain scenes. Reading about the magic and the secret societies was really fascinating to me. I do wish we got to learn a little bit more about them and see more of the characters outside of Lethe. I’m hoping this gets fleshed out more in the next book!

The writing was also incredible. I loved the way we switched between timelines. It worked really well for this story, and it aided in many of the plot twists and shocking surprises we see.

Just a fair warning, this book is dark. Very dark. That is part of what drew me to it, but I know that not everyone is able to read books like this. It is gory and graphic, so proceed with caution.

TW: drug use, overdose, addiction, detailed rape (not romanticized, but pretty graphic), murder, gore, sexual assault, racism, and more that I may have forgotten.

All in all, I think this was a really solid adult debut from Bardugo. I am so excited to see where the second book goes!

I have now read all of Bardugo’s books (aside from her novella), and she is easily one of my favorite authors. The funny part is, it took me so long to finally pick up her books—it wasn’t until last year that I read Shadow and Bone, and I just finished SoC & CK this year!

That being said, she has pulled me in time and time again, and I will forever be reading her books.

If you’ve read this book, let me know what your thoughts were on it!

The Book Blogger Oldie Tag

Published on by Jessica C Writes17 Comments

Hello everyone! Today I am excited to be sharing another tag with you all. This is one that I saw Holly do based off of the Booktube Oldie Tag created by Monica Kim!

I have been blogging for quite a while now, so I would definitely consider myself an oldie. I knew I wanted to eventually getting around to doing this tag, and here I am, finally getting to it!

1. How long have you been part of the book blogging community?

As of September, I have been blogging on this site for 5 whole years! I still can’t believe that. You can read my 5 year thank you post here :)

2. What was your biggest misconception before starting a book blog?

Truthfully, I didn’t have any misconceptions because I sort of started book blogging…by accident? I began my blog as a lifestyle/beauty blog, and then slowly started making more reading-related content. Eventually, all of my content became centered around books, which is what got me here today! Basically, I just started writing about books and was already in the book blogging community before I even realized it.

3. How do you think book blogging has changed since you first started?

It is a lot more inclusive now, for sure. Back when I first started, I remember mainly seeing posts about super hyped books (John Green, Cassandra Clare, Sarah J. Maas, etc). Obviously, many books that are talked about now are still ones that are hyped many times, but I’ve also seen the community grow to more niche-based bloggers who post books outside of the traditional YA sphere.

Publishing as a whole has become much more diverse (though there is still a long way to go), but many people have now made an effort to include more representation in their reading (myself included).

4. What is your favorite book blogging memory?

My favorite memories have to be any time that I met a blogger friend in real life! The fact that I’ve been able to make such genuine connections online and then translate them to the real world is incredible to me! I wish more of my blogger friends lived near me so I could see them more often.

5. What are some books that you were introduced to because of book blogging?

Oh wow, there are so many. Prior to book blogging, I honestly didn’t really pay much attention to new releases. I would go into Barnes and Noble or the library and just pick a book that caught my eye based on the cover and synopsis. I miss those days a little bit, but I’ve also found so many incredible books because of bloggers.

Some that immediately come to mind:

  • The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  • The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
  • Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

6. What is something that frustrates you about book blogging?

It’s frustrating that we are still not treated with the same respect as the rest of the book community. I understand that blogging may not be as popular as Booktube anymore, but book bloggers are truly the foundation of the book community. I just wish that more people would recognize it as a valid and genuine platform because it has such a huge impact on a lot of people.

7. What is your hope for the future of book blogging?

I hope that it will continue to be more inclusive and diverse, that people will be friendlier and more welcoming, and that it will continue to improve every single day!

That is it for this tag! I had so much fun writing these answers, and I hope that some of you will join in and do the tag yourself!

See you next week :)

Thought Collective #4- On Becoming a Minimalist

Published on by Jessica C Writes10 Comments

I first heard of minimalism back in high school, and I was immediately drawn to it. I watched the Minimalism documentary, and I thought this is what I want my life to look like.

So I decluttered my space, but then carried on about my life. Weeks went by, then months and years. Every now and then I would go through the process of cleaning, organizing, throwing away.

It was a cycle that I kept going back into, but the habits of minimalism never really stuck.

It wasn’t until recently, though, I started listening to a few different podcasts, watching youtube videos, and had a huge mindset shift that I finally started to see the benefits.

Minimalism is a lifestyle that helps you simplify your life—this includes your mental and emotional life, too—in order to live a more meaningful and intentional life. I realized that I don’t care about shopping, I don’t need to own a lot of things, I am happy when I’m doing rather than buying.

I thought that I would take you through my 4-step process/journey of transitioning into this lifestyle, and maybe some of these tips will be useful for you, too!

  1. Prioritize: The first thing I did was made a list of my priorities. For me, this was school, writing, family/friends, paying off student debt, and health. Obviously everyone’s priorities are different, but make a list of 3-5 priorities in your life, and try to keep these in mind with everything else you do. You don’t want to have too many priorities because that will just make things overwhelming and you won’t be able to dedicate the same amount of time to all. The minimalists talk a lot about their 5 core values, and that might be a helpful place to start!
  2. Declutter: Obviously, a big part of minimalism is getting rid of that excess stuff you have lying around your house. Take your time with this process, and really think about what you’re keeping and what you’re not. I even recommend doing a second or third sweep of your stuff. Sometimes you come back to something and realize you don’t actually need it, you were just keeping it around for sentimentality. Aside from your physical space, there are also other things that you may want to declutter in your life- your relationships (cut out the toxic ones), your digital space (clear out your files, unfollow people on social media who don’t add value to your life), and your mind (I’ve incorporated meditation into my life, which has helped me stay in the present moment. It really keeps me grounded and my mind uncluttered).
  3. Change your Habits: Decluttering is important, but it doesn’t mean anything if you keep buying more stuff, keep creating more waste. Therefore, once you have started with a fresh, clear space, work on your habits so that you don’t go back to how you were living before. For example, I have been creating a budget for myself every month, and I try to stick to it as closely as possible. I just started this a couple of months ago, so there was quite a bit of trial and error involved in determining how much I spend in the beginning. Now, though, I’m pretty good at sticking to it! Also, before I buy anything new, I write it down in a wishlist I keep on my phone. I wait at least 2 days (if it’s a big purchase, I give it a week or more) before deciding if I really need it or not. This has stopped me from impulse buying a LOT.
  4. Put It to Action: Now that you’ve given yourself this blank slate, use it to your advantage! Go back to your priorities and start centering your days around them! For instance, I like to write. All I need for that is my laptop or a pen and paper. Now that I’m devoting less time to cleaning and organizing my stuff (because there’s less of it), I have more time to write! I also have more time to spend with my friends, and I’m focusing on the things that really bring me joy. I’ve honestly found a freedom in owning less and not wanting to buy more. I feel like a lot of weight has been lifted off of me.

Some resources that helped me:

  • The Minimalists: They have a podcast, a documentary, and a website that are all full of great information! I am currently going through their podcast, starting from their first episode, and I’m loving it!
  • Millennial Minimalists Podcast: I recommended this podcast in my last favorites post, but I just wanted to include it again because I’m really enjoying it!
  • Ashlynne Eaton: This Youtube channel is so cozy and nice to watch! Ashlynne also gives some really great advice, so if you are someone who prefers visuals, this is the place for you!

There’s obviously so much more I could say on this topic, and I really only covered the bare minimum here, but I think it’s a good, simplified place to start!

What are your thoughts on living a more minimalistic lifestyle? Have you tried it?

Spooky Book Recommendations (Pt. 2)

Published on by Jessica C Writes9 Comments

Hello! Last year around this time, I shared a list of thriller recommendations with you all. Over the last year, I feel like I’ve read quite a few new ones, so I want to share them with you (and the ones I didn’t mention in the last post).

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

This is my most recent gothic/horror read, and it was phenomenal! This book was so atmospheric—it takes place in Mexico in a small, rural town in a mansion called High Place. It had such stunning prose, and the plot was unpredictable (exactly what I’m looking for in a book like this). I highly recommend checking it out!

When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole

I read this book recently as well, and it completely took me by surprise. I had seen a lot of people talking about this novel, so I was really interested in reading it. I was able to get the audiobook from Libro.fm, and I listened to it in a matter of days. The beginning was a bit slower paced, as we learned about characters and the backstory. But the last 50-75 pages were a RIDE, and it went in directions I never would have guessed. It’s definitely not your typical mystery, but it is good!

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

This is a retelling of The Turn of the Screw (see next rec), but in a modern setting: a smart home. It was super creepy, and it actually gave me goosebumps at times. I think it is such a phenomenal read, and I’m looking forward to reading more by Ruth Ware because I know I’ll enjoy her books!

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

So yes, I put a retelling of this story on this list as well as the original and that’s because I think they are both such good reads!! I read this book as part of a collection of other short stories by Henry James, but this one was one of the only ones I really enjoyed. It was so eerie and interesting. AND The Haunting of Bly Manor comes out on Netflix TOMORROW. If you don’t know, it is the second season of The Haunting of Hill House, but it’s basically a completely new story (sort of how each season of American Horror Story works). I am so so excited to watch!

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter

This was my first Karin Slaughter and it did not disappoint! I listened to the audiobook, and it was really well done. It was an intricate story that focused a lot on the characters, which I appreciated. I definitely want to read more of Karin Slaughter’s books—if you have any favorites, let me know!

What are some of your favorite spooky reads? I have so many on my TBR that I’m dying to get to—I’d love to read your favorite!

Finally Fall Book Tag 2020!

Published on by Jessica C Writes10 Comments

Hello everyone! I know that fall started a little while ago, but I definitely want to take part in this tag! Fall is my absolute favorite season, and this tag is a great way to welcome these next 3 months.

1. In fall, the air is crisp and clear: name a book with a vivid setting

Wilder Girls by Rory Power: This book was full of descriptions of the island where the boarding school is located that these girls attend. I could picture it so vividly in my mind, and it played like a movie while I was reading the book.

2. Nature is beautiful… but also dying: name a book that is beautifully written, but also deals with a heavy topic like loss or grief

How To Make Friends With the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow: This is the perfect book for this list. It was such a beautifully written story, but it is also very heavy and dark. Proceed with caution with this one. It is one that I loved very dearly.

3. Fall is back to school season: share a non-fiction book that taught you something new

The Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffington: I read this book pretty recently, and it was so fascinating. I don’t think people understand the value of sleep. We live (at least in American) in a world that thrives on work and productivity—and I’ve been swept up in that, too. Many people praise pulling all-nighters and applaud others for working hard for weeks on end. But sleep is vital to our success, happiness, and health. Without it, you won’t be able to thrive! Highly recommend this one, it was so fascinating.

4. In order to keep warm, it’s good to spend some time with the people we love: name a fictional family/household/friend-group that you’d like to be a part of

The King of Crows by Libba Bray: I chose the last book in this series because I feel like here is where everyone is the closest and the friend group is really prominent. These characters all care about each other so much, and they are such a tight-knit group. I would love to be part of it!

5. The colorful leaves are piling up on the ground: show us a pile of fall-colored spines

Here is a very random stack of orange, yellow, and red books that I put together for this!

6. Fall is the perfect time for some storytelling by the fireside: share a book wherein somebody is telling a story

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: This is the first book that popped into my mind. In case you don’t know, in this book, Evelyn Hugo is recounting her life to a journalist. This book is such a great fall read. It’s a slower paced book that is so beautifully written, and it is sure to put you in that cozy, autumnal mood.

7. The nights are getting darker: share a dark, creepy read

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: I just read this one a couple of days ago, and it was such a phenomenal read. It reminded me a lot of The Yellow Wallpaper and The Turn of the Screw, so if you like those creepy, haunted house vibes, you’ll enjoy this one a lot! It was really atmospheric, and I enjoyed it a lot.

8. The days are getting colder: name a short, heartwarming read that could warm up somebody’s cold and rainy day

The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo: This book isn’t necessarily really short, but it is definitely a fun, fast-paced contemporary! It gave me all the feels, and I really enjoyed it. I also really want to read more of Maurene Goo’s books because this one was so good!

9. Fall returns every year: name an old favorite that you’d like to return to soon

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern: I am in dire need of a re-read of this one! You guys already know it’s one of my favorite books of all time, and I read it right before it came out last year. I desperately want to re-read it, and as soon as I find the time, that is what I hope to do! I think it’ll be one of my last reads of 2020!

10. Fall is the perfect time for cozy reading nights: share your favorite cozy reading “accessories”

Candles and fuzzy socks: I wear fuzzy socks all year round, but especially during the fall and winter, they are THE BEST. A true necessity to comfort during this season. I also love burning a vanilla, pumpkin, or cinnamon-y candle. It really sets the mood, especially if you dim the lights and lay under a warm blanket. Wow, that sounds so nice I might go do it right now!

That’s all for the tag! If you want to do it, feel free to consider yourself tagged by me :)

Let me know what you thought of my answers to these questions.

See you on Thursday!

September Wrap Up 2020

Published on by Jessica C Writes22 Comments

Happy October! We are officially in ~spooky~ season and I could not be more excited about it.

Today I am here to share all of my reads from the last month with you! There are 7 books on this list, which is lower than my average for the second month in a row…but it doesn’t bother me at all! I have not been focusing on reading, so the fact that I read SEVEN whole books? Still incredible.

Just another reminder that it doesn’t matter how many books you read in a week, month, or year!

Let’s jump into the books now!

5 Stars

The Switch by Beth O’Leary: I wrote a whole review for this book, so check that out if you’re interested in my full thoughts! This was such a fun and entertaining story, though, and it made me super happy. I’d highly recommend it.

When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole: This book is a complete opposite from the last one, but it was equally as amazing. I had no idea what turn this story would take, and it completely took me by surprise. It was absolutely thrilling.

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson: I watched the movie Just Mercy a few months back, and I had the book on hold on Libby since. I finally got the book in September, and it was as incredible as I expected it to be. It is a non-fiction story about a lawyer that discusses mass incarceration, wrongful accusations, the death penalty, racism, and more. I learned so much and I think everyone would benefit from reading it.

4 Stars

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara: This might be a shocker to a lot of you, but I actually didn’t give this book 5 stars. I think part of it was the hype. I was anticipating what was going to happen, and it ended up not being as overwhelming as I expected. Also, (and I may be in the minority here) I think it could have been about 200 pages shorter. But it was still an emotional and touching read!

All the Woods She Watches Over by Emily McCosh: This was a super fascinating short story collection! Emily is an authortuber and I saw that she was sending out ARCs of her book, so I requested one. It was very different from what I normally read (it was heavily sci-fi based), but I found it to be really interesting.

3 Stars

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson: This was a decent read. I think if you’re looking for a YA mystery, you’ll get that with this one! Personally, it just wasn’t as good as many other thrillers I’ve read (*cough* read Truly Devious *cough*), but I enjoyed it. I really liked the addition of some mixed media in it, and it was a fast read.

The Perfect Liar by Thomas Christopher Greene: My last read of the month, and not my favorite, unfortunately. This was just too predictable for me, which is not something I want in a thriller. I want it to shock me, and this didn’t do that. But the characters & their backstories were really interesting, so I kept reading. It was just okay for me.

What did you think of my reads this month? How many of them have you read?

What was your favorite book you read in September?

5 Year Blogiversary & Thank You!

Published on by Jessica C Writes42 Comments

I can’t believe that I’ve been blogging for all of 5 years now (as of September 20th). It’s absurd to me that I started this website back in my sophomore year of high school, and I am now a junior in college. So much has changed, and I have grown a lot over that time.

This site actually started out as a fashion and beauty blog, and after a few months, it slowly morphed into more lifestyle, self-help, and book blogging (which is where I sort of still am now).

From name changes, to new themes, and a couple of hiatuses, this blog has been through a lot, and I think each change reflects a different stage of my life. It’s fun to look back on all of my posts and the memories they bring me. I still remember my first few collaborations, and the friends I made way back when.

So, I wanted to say thank you to all of you who have brought me so much joy and made this place full of so much positivity for me! You are all the reason that I stuck around, even when I thought that I had fallen out of love for reading at times.

To give back to all of you, I want to give some shoutouts!

I want to highlight a few bloggers who are friends of mine, who I admire, or who are an overall huge part of this world for me! Check them out if you haven’t already :)

Huge thank you to…

Sofii, who puts so much effort into uplifting other bloggers, and who is always so kind and inspiring. Her posts brighten my day so much.

Noura, who always promotes diverse reads and shares such great insights on each book. Her blog just always stands out to me and I’m completely drawn to it!

Tiffany, who is such an amazing friend of mine, who I admire so much. She is one of the absolute sweetest people you will ever meet, and her blog is great.

Amanda, who I have been friends with for so many years now, and who updates her blog so frequently. She works really hard and has so many great review posts!

Ruby, who is such a kind soul, and who is constantly showing support to others. I really enjoy the content she puts out, and I think she is just incredible!

Kristin, who posts really unique content, and is someone who I am constantly inspired by. I always look forward to her posts.

Evelyn, who is always so so supportive of my blog posts! I appreciate her so much, and her blog posts are always great.

Caitlin, who is such a big presence in this community, and who always puts out amazing content! Her posts are thorough and done with so much effort.

Juli, who has such a pretty Instagram feed that I am constantly in awe of. She shares such great posts, and

Erin, who has one of the prettiest blog themes ever. I adore the aesthetic of her site, and she is such a friendly voice in this community.

Holly, who writes such unique reviews, and who I look up to a lot. I trust all of her book opinions, and each new post of hers is great!

May, who I’m sure you all know and love. Her place in this community is unmatched. She is such a huge advocate for diverse books, and her posts will not disappoint.

Chloe, who I’ve been following and adoring for years. I feel like we share so many of the same opinions, and her blog posts always resonate with me so much.

Marie, who is someone I deeply admire in this community. She works so tirelessly on her posts, and her blog is one of my absolute favorites.

THANK YOU 🥰🤍

How I Take Notes While Reading / My annotation Guide

Published on by Jessica C Writes17 Comments

Back in 2018, I wrote a post talking about how I annotate my books. I looked back on that post and realized that it definitely needs to be updated because I no longer follow pretty much any of the things I said in that post.

Over the year, my annotations went from being super colorful, with different colored pens/highlighters, sticky tabs, and more. Now, the only things I use are a black pen and yellow sticky notes.

Before I get into the specifics of how I annotate currently, I want to mention that there is nothing wrong with the colorful, intricate system of annotating. It just personally doesn’t work for me. If you like that, then maybe my older system will work better for you!

Anyway, let’s get into the post!

Symbols:

* First up is the asterisk—also known as my favorite symbol! I use this symbol probably the most when annotating. Basically, I use it to mark the quotes that I really relate to. When a character says something that I really connect with, I want to make sure I remember it, so when I flip through the book, I can find these marks easily.

! Exclamation points are used to highlight important parts in the story. This relates mainly to big plot points, foreshadowing, cliffhangers, etc. Anything big that happens, I keep track of it with this!

[ ] / __ If there are any specific quotes I like in a story, I usually mark them by underlining them. If I really like the quote, I underline it and put an asterisk next to it! When there is character description, world building, etc., I mark it by putting it in brackets!

? Whenever I’m confused by any part in a story, I put a question mark next to it. Sometimes this could be a word that I don’t know the definition to (so I’ll go back & look it up), or I just can’t understand an entire section (this is more common when I’m reading older classics). Other times, I am just confused by why a character did something, so I’ll put a ton of question marks next to the passage.

:) / :( The last symbol I use is smiley faces. If a character does something cute, or there is a happy moment in the story, I put a smiley face. On the other hand, if there is a sad moment, I put a sad face! This mark is pretty self-explanatory.

Writing I write down any quick thoughts I have about a book in the margins, directly onto the page. Usually, this consists of one or two words like “aw” or “I love him.” I’ve even written things like “LOL” or “OMG.” Sometimes I have a bit more to say, but usually I use this as a quick way to capture some of my thoughts.

Post It Notes:

I use yellow post it notes to write down any longer thoughts that I have, if I can’t fit them in the margin of the page. Usually, these are the specific things I want to mention about a book in a review post.

When I go back to writing my review, I refer back mainly to these post-its!

What if I’m not reading physically?

The majority of my reading this year has consisted of e-books and audiobooks, so obviously writing in the book is not possible. When this is the case, I literally open up a blank note on my phone, write down the title & author of the book, and then make a bulleted list of things I want to write down.

Sometimes I separate this into a pro/con list, but usually it is just my rambling thoughts as I read.

Here are some examples of that:

That is pretty much it for my note-taking while reading! I would love to hear how you annotate (if you do), so please share any of your methods or systems down in the comments.

I hope you all enjoyed the post & I’ll see you again on Thursday :)

Thought Collective #2- Let’s Chat About School.

Published on by Jessica C Writes10 Comments

I have always loved learning. As a child, I would look forward to the start of a new school year, more than any other kid. I couldn’t wait to be back in the classroom. I was also very independent, and I had so many different interests. In fact, I would become so enthralled by a topic that I would spend hours on my own researching everything about it. I would read books, watch Youtube videos, scroll through hundreds of websites.

My friends, family, friends of family, and teachers all saw my thirst for knowledge, and I was praised for it. I still am, to be quite honest. And I like that feeling. But at some point in my school career, my own, internal desire for more knowledge turned into expectations from others and a fear of failure or not being good enough. I felt so weighed down by the assumptions people had of me, by the presumptions that were place on me. So much so that eventually I cracked. I let my perfect exterior break, piece by piece, until I no longer knew who I was. I stopped caring about education.

In high school, I reached an all time low in terms of education. Learning became something that I was excited about to something I dreaded. I was not interested in anything I was being taught. I rarely studied, and when I did, I would have breakdowns at least weekly because I felt like it wasn’t getting through to me. Part of this was the environment of my school. I got accepted into a prestigious high school, and I was initially excited to go.

Unfortunately, my experience there was not good. The teachers expected a lot from us, and we were constantly made to feel like we had to be the best, and anything lower was not okay. The students all competed with each other and every conversation was centered around grades, studying, and anything related to school. I was looked down upon when I told people I was going to study communication in college rather than something traditional like medicine, business, or law.

To sum up, it was toxic.

Fast forward to the present. I just started my junior year of college this week. I told myself I would start fresh in college. I stopped trying to please others, and I was looking forward to studying communication. My love for learning returned.

Some of my negative habits and mindsets from high school are still with me (studying for way longer than necessary, getting upset when I get anything lower than an A+, etc.).

But my state of mind is so different now.

I just want you to know that if you feel like you aren’t doing well in school, or you’re currently hating what you’re learning, that can change! Don’t let the school system make you hate or fear learning. Because you should always want to learn!! Knowledge is such an incredible and powerful tool that can make you unstoppable!

And there are so many forms of knowledge- not everything is about being book smart! There are also so many ways to get an education that don’t require going to school. Reading, youtube videos, talking to your relatives and asking them questions, etc.

The moral of the story: learning is FUN!

I know this post is very ramble-y and doesn’t flow too well, but I hope some of you can relate to parts of this story! I want to hear about your experiences in school, and any thoughts you have about it!

Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments!