Bookish & Not-So-Bookish Thoughts

Bookish & Not-So-Bookish Thoughts is a weekly meme hosted by Bookishly Boisterous where you can talk about anything going on in your life-bookish or not! Head on over to link up & join in the conversation.

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1. I donʻt know about yʻall, but new lipstick always make me feel about 100% better about life. I got some new Spring colored lipstick in the mail and I am on top of the world. Even though I hardly ever wear makeup/only my kid sees me in makeup haha.

2. Spring cleaning is upon us and I hate it already! I donʻt know how we accumulated so much stuff but I hate trying to figure out where to put it or what to do with it. Also, every time I try to throw something away, I am overruled so thatʻs annoying.

3. Also, the kid has soooo much stuff! How does one tiny person have SO much stuff?!?! Oh yeah...she has a mother who is addicted to Amazon. Oops.

4. We are finally taking the cloth diaper leap! We bought a bundle of 10 diapers from Amazon (oh look...thereʻs that place again) to get started and to see if itʻs something that we want to do full time. Iʻm kinda obsessed with how freaking CUTE the diapers are! Plus, they were such a good price on Amazon. I canʻt wait to try ʻem out!

5. I am currently reading The Martian by Andy Weir. Iʻm really enjoying it! Itʻs so funny and actually pretty intense, too. Iʻm only about halfway through, but I canʻt put it  down because I really, really want to know what happens in the end! Is the movie as good as the book? Josh and I are planning on watching the movie once Iʻm done with the book.

6. I just finished reading Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern and Iʻm surprised at how much I ended up liking it. Iʻve heard a lot of mixed reviews for it, so I wasnʻt sure if I would like it much at all. Iʻm glad I picked it up. Itʻs a really sweet story.

7. We have been adding to our Hawaiian Language book collection! Since this picture was taken, weʻve added about 8 books to our collection and Iʻm so happy about that! I speak Hawaiian and I really want Honey to speak the language as well, we practice every day using conversational Hawaiian and through reading our Hawaiian language books!

8. Honey has a pretty big collection of 5-Minute Stories books. I like the fact that there are lots of different stories in one book. Honey loves the pictures. We both love that theyʻre short enough for her to actually sit through one (or two). We read at least one story a night as a family. Our current favorite is Precious Moments 5-Minute Bedtime Treasury.

9. I took the kiddo to see the Easter Bunny this week. She was so good! She didnʻt cry and she was in a pretty good mood for the actual picture. Sheʻs been in a mood lately so I was afraid that she might not like the Easter Bunny at all but she did very well. Plus, how cute is she in her little Easter dress?

10. Since cutting my hair, I prefer using it straight...it makes me feel good. But I have a hard time straightening the hair in the back of my head because  itʻs so short. So I had Josh do it for me! It was so funny! It was his first time ever straightening hair (of course) and he was so worried that he was going to burn me. But he did a good job (and no one got burnt). I wish I had gotten a picture though!

11. The internet on my computer has been extremely buggy lately. Sometimes, the router just will not connect to my computer at all! Itʻs super annoying and delaying all of my blogging stuff...like the post that I was supposed to on Wednesday. I think itʻs time for a good router...ours is so old! Suggestions?

12. How about a Throwback Thursday video? So...every year, my high school hosts a Song Contest which is exactly as it sounds. Each grade competes in a singing competition of Hawaiian music. Itʻs broadcast across the state of Hawaii (and now online) every year and itʻs a pretty big/well known tradition here. This yearʻs Song Contest is on Friday. Hereʻs a video of the class of 2008 Senior Women (my class) singing a song about Hawaiʻi during our last Song Contest.

What have you all been up to lately? Whatʻre you currently reading?

Top 10 Tuesday: 10 Books on My Spring TBR

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Head on over to find out how to participate & to check out other peopleʻs Top 10 Tuesday posts!

Top 10 Books on My Spring TBR

1. The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh -- As of right now, this is my most anticipated book in the near future. I cannot wait to get my hands on it!

2. The Lifeboat Clique by Kathy Parks -- I read the first few chapters of this book Epic Reads First Five and my MIND WAS BLOWN. I already bought it, but Iʻve been waiting until the TBR Pile Challenge is over to dive in to it since books published after March 1 are not allowed!

3. This is Where the World Ends by Amy Zhang -- This cover is just straight up beautiful and the blurb sounds great. As far as Advanced Readers go, itʻs gotten mixed reviews but I think Iʻll decide for myself if I like it or not!

4. Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard -- I have only heard great things about this and I canʻt wait to get my hands on it!

5. The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter --  This book sounds so hauntingly beautiful. Iʻm sure that this book will keep me up all night and will probably haunt my dreams but I want it so bad!

6. Nil On Fire by Lynne Matson -- I freaking love the Nil trilogy and Iʻm kinda sad to see it come to an end...but I am also so,  so, so excited to see what happens next! If you havenʻt read the first two books yet, go and read them NOW before this book comes out on May 31!

7. Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories -- Yet another collection of cute love stories from our favorite authors edited by Stephanie Perkins! To be honest, I havenʻt even gotten around to reading the winter stories yet, but who can pass on a good summer lovinʻ story? Not me! This comes out in May, so itʻll be a great Spring into Summer book!

8. The Crown by Kiera Cass -- Kiera is one of my auto-buy authors, so even though I havenʻt quite finished The Heir yet, you know that Iʻll be getting my hands on this one as soon as it comes out. And maybe having it will motivate me to finally finish The Heir, haha.

9. Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton -- ALLLLL of the early reviews that Iʻve seen for this book has absolutely praised it. Historical Fantasy has been my go to genre as of late, so Iʻm pretty excited to see that weʻve got another one to look forward to. Canʻt wait to read it!

10. Map of Fates by Maggie Hall -- I loved The Conspiracy of Us and I feel like I waited so long for this book to be released. Now that itʻs finally here, I canʻt wait to read it!

Whatʻs on your Spring TBR?

GUOTSBE: The Disney Princess Book Tag

Hello, hello and Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend...& that youʻre all ready for the week ahead. I, for one, am...maybe? Iʻm not really sure yet, haha. Ah well, may as well kick this week off with yet another Get Up Offa That Slump Blogging Extravaganza (hereafter known as GUOTSBE) post!

Todayʻs prompts from our lovely hostess, Rachel, are doing a reading challenge or ʻif you were a fictional characterʻ. Iʻm chose to do a challenge since Iʻve been planning on doing one on the blog for a while but never got around to it. Because Iʻm true to my Disney roots, Iʻm doing the Disney Princess challenge by Of Stacks and Cups!

Snow White - Name your favorite Classic

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

I first read this book during the summer before my freshman year of high school and I loved it, but it wasnʻt until I was a lot older and I understand what it was like to be invisible because of who I am based on my gender or the color of my skin that I truly understood and could connect to this book. This is a really powerful book about racism, but I think anyone who has felt invisible for whatever reason can relate to the story. I also think that this story is more prevalent now than ever before...READ IT NOW (if you havenʻt already).

Cinderella - Name a book that kept you reading well past your bedtime

Wolf by Wolf  by Ryan Graudin

The  number one contender for the best book Iʻve read so far this year is also the book that kept me up half the night...even though one of my bookish goals this year is to go to bed at a reasonable time no matter how good the book is. I just could not put this book down! I now recommend it to everyone I know.

Aurora - Name your favorite classic romance

 

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Honestly, I donʻt read a lot of classics or romances, but I read this one during my first year in college and liked it quite a bit! 

Ariel - Name a book thatʻs about making sacrifices & fighting for your dreams

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

*Sigh* This book. I loved this book and I couldnʻt stop thinking about it for this category, though it may not fit exactly. This is a cancer book and the MC has a "flamingo list" which is basically her bucket list. Cam and her family end up sacrificing a lot for Camʻs cancer, but she never stops going for what she wants....and thatʻs checking off her flamingo list.

Belle - Name a book with a smart & independent female character

 

Immaculate by Katelyn Detweiler

There are so many strong, smart, and independent female characters in the YA world, so there was a lot to choose from, but I think that Mina Dietrich is probably an underrated character so I went with her. Mina is a teenager who conceives a baby via immaculate conception, she then chooses to keep the baby all while dealing with drama from her friends, family, and the community. She continuously does what is best for her baby and I admire that about her. To me, she is a great example of a smart & independent female character.

Jasmine - Name a book with a character who challenged the social conventions of his/her world

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I mean...do I even need to explain myself? Cyborg, Lunar, fugitive runaway? Yeah...she definitely challenges the social conventions of her world.

Pocahontas - Name a book whose ending was a roller coaster of emotions

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Honestly, this entire book was an emotional roller coaster, but the ending was particularly heart wrenching.

Mulan - Name a book with a kick ass female character

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Kady Grant is the basically the epitome of kick ass female character. Iʻll leave out the spoilers just in case you havenʻt read it yet (to which I say: WHATʻS STOPPING YOU?!?!), but trust me...she is BAD ASS.

Tiana - Name a book featuring a hardworking, self made character

Dumplinʻ by Julie Murphy

I didnʻt enjoy Dumplinʻ quite as much as other people did, but I did enjoy Willowdean. She is smart and funny, but mostly she works her butt off. I loved seeing a YA character who actually worked and in a fast food restaurant, no less! She may not be completely self made just yet, but the girl has lots ahead of her!

Rapunzel - Name a book that features an artist

 

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

My sweet Josh <3! I love that child so much. Also, he is an artist. It works.

Merida - Name a book that features a mother/daughter relationship

 

Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern

Once again, no spoilers....mostly because I havenʻt finished the book myself and canʻt give any spoilers, but I love the mother-daughter relationship in this book!

Anna & Elsa - Name a book that features a great relationship between siblings

 

After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Laurenʻs relationship with her brother and sister are super sweet and I love how we get to watch it grow throughout the story. This book is about Lauren and Ryan, a married couple who decide to take a year off because theyʻre having relationship struggles, but this is more than just a story about romantic love. As I said, I love how we get to see Laurenʻs relationship with her siblings grow!

*BONUS* Moana - Name a book that features a journey

 

The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

Surprise bonus round! Even though Moana isnʻt out in theaters until later this year, I had to add my girl to the princess line up! In case you canʻt tell, Iʻm so excited for a Polynesian princess! My kid wonʻt have to ask why there arenʻt any princesses that  look like her! Anyway...moving on...The Girl From Everywhere is a story about time-traveling pirates and it takes place partially in old Hawaii, mythical China, and even modern day NYC. Plus, they use a boat to travel-which is also how Moana will be doing all of her adventuring in her movie!

I TAG: all of you--if you want to do it of course! If you choose to do it, please link me to your answers! Have you read any of the books on my list? Or do have suggestions for me that fit the categories? Let me know!

Take Control of Your TBR Pile Readathon

Happy Saturday, amazing people! Ok...so the 12th kinda snuck up on me and I almost completely forgot about the 24 Hour Take Control of Your TBR Pile Readathon hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer in conjunction with her March Take Control of Your TBR Pile Challenge.

But I didnʻt forget so hah! 

Guys....I did not complete a single book this week and I feel so bleh about it. Salt to the Sea gave me a serious book hangover and itʻs taking me a loooong  time to recover. Iʻm hoping that this Readathon will help a little.

Here are my reads for the Readathon (all of which Iʻm currently reading)

 

You can follow along with my progress & other participantʻs progress on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #TakeControlThon. The links to my Twitter & Instagram are in the sidebar...follow along, cheer me own, help me reach that finish line!

Good luck to all the participants!

Are you participating in the Take  Control TBR Readathon? What book/s are you reading this weekend?

Friday Five: 5 Bookish Things I Would Give A Kidney For

I am super excited to introduce Friday Five here on the blog! Itʻll be a weekly (hopefully) meme and Iʻm pretty excited about it. The topic will change week by week and will most likely depend on whatever Iʻm in the mood for. Let me know if yʻall would like to join along!

Did you know that it was World Kidney Day yesterday? One of Rachelʻs prompts for Get Up Offa That Slump is What Bookish Things Would You Give a Kidney for? in honor of world kidney day. I thought it would be fun to adapt it in to my new Friday Five concept! Sooo...letʻs gooo!

5 Bookish Things I Would Give a Kidney For

1. Belleʻs Library - Iʻm gonna be honest, Iʻll be very surprised if this doesnʻt make a few lists. I mean...letʻs take a moment to admire this thing:

What bookish person wouldnʻt want a library this gorgeous and comfy looking as this?! I could spend my entire life here and never get bored!

2. An endless supply of books for said library - By this I mean that every time a new book that I want is released, it would just be added to the library. I wouldnʻt have to trek to the book store to buy it, it would just be there.

3. A comprehensive Harry Potter Encyclopedia by JK Rowling - Ok, look, Iʻm glad that we have Pottermore and that the wizarding world of Harry Potter lives on on the interwebs but I donʻt like having to go online when I need some info about certain characters or events that happened in the wizarding world (I need this information more often than you would expect). I would much rather pull out a handy dandy encyclopedia of all things Harry Potter. My requests are simple...I just want intensive histories, backstories, and ʻwhat happened to them?ʻ anecdotes of every single character ever mentioned in the Harry Potter universe, also a full history of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, plus info about wizardry throughout the world. Really itʻs not much. Basically I want Pottermore in a print edition. OK, thanks.

4. Lunch (or dinner) with J.K. Rowling - You know what, Iʻll just pitch my Harry Potter encyclopedia idea/need to Jo over lunch or dinner (or breakfast...whatever...Iʻm not picky). Iʻve wanted to meet Jo for...who knows how long?! While Iʻve been a reader my whole life, Harry Potter was the series that took my love for reading over the top. I would love to thank her for that and I would definitely give a kidney to meet her.

5. THE idea - Iʻm sure you writers know what I mean when I say THE idea, but Iʻll clarify for those who may not. The idea is that one idea for a book that absolutely captures you and you write it and it becomes published and itʻs loved and it basically puts you in the league with all your favorite authors. Iʻve wanted to be an author for as long as I can remember, but THE idea just hasnʻt hit me yet.

This post is definitely a light hearted one, but lets get serious for a second. Did you know that kidney disease is actually a pretty common, but often treatable disease? About 8-10% of the Adult population suffers from some kind of kidney damage. Your kidneys do so much for your body--from removing waste & extra fluid from your body to helping control your blood pressure and keeping your bones healthy! Kidney health is so important! Find out how you can take care of your kidneys every day HERE. 

What bookish (or non-bookish) things would you give a kidney for?

Bookish & Not-So-Bookish Thoughts

Linking up with Bookishly Boisterous.

1. That is basically how Iʻve been feeling all week. Iʻm in a kinda bleh, IRL slump mood. Iʻll get over it soon, but for now I am content to curl up in bed with a good book and my kid and forget that I have responsibilities and what not.

2. Iʻm currently reading The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig, which was one of my most anticipated books this year (mostly because it takes place partially in old Hawaii...how cool is that?!), but Iʻm just not feeling it right now. Iʻm sure itʻs because of the mood that Iʻm in because it is interesting Iʻm just weird.

3. Jelly bean season is in full force around here and I am loving it! I love the seasonal jelly bean flavors that come with Spring/Easter. I canʻt wait until the sales come so I can stock up on ALL THE JELLY BEANS! Haha.

4. We had a city wide black out last night due to high winds in our area and it got me thinking...what do kids these days (who spend the majority of their time playing on their devices) do when the power goes out and they donʻt have electricity to charge their devices? My phone died halfway in to the blackout, but we spent our time reading books, making shadow puppets, and telling funny stories. It was fun! And I was a little sad when the electricity came back on.

5. We finally finished our little library! Iʻll be posting a library tour next week, but hereʻs a little sneak peak.

6. I am almost done shopping for Easter basket fillings for my baby and nieces! Just waiting on an Amazon order and then itʻll be time to get things assembled!

7. I haaaate calling the bank. Actually, I hate calling anywhere that you have to wait in line for a representative. I donʻt have time to wait. Also, Honey definitely starts screaming as soon as get to talk to an actual person and we all know how fun that is.

8. I chopped all of my hair off on Monday! Itʻs sooooo short! A little shorter than I wanted but eh, hair grows back. Anyway, Iʻm kinda struggling with ways to style it so any (and all) hairstyle tutorials for short hair is much appreciated.

9. I love this article about extraordinary women in Hawaiian history. I definitely think that we need to take time to learn about the women who have influenced our lives and history, especially in our individual cultures. I love learning about influential Hawaiian women because I would like to be one of them one day. We spent International Womenʻs Day reading about my favorite Hawaiian women.

10. Has anyone else been keeping up with the new writing that J.K. Rowling is releasing on Pottermore this week? Itʻs definitely interesting to learn more about her wizarding world in North America but I know that thereʻs been some controversy surrounding the Native American Culture and how she used it in her writing. A lot of Native Americans do not appreciate how she basically explained away their culture beliefs to fit into her wizarding world and I definitely see where theyʻre coming from. I would be upset, too, if someone tried to explain away my culture for the purpose of world building. I mean...itʻs a culture not a plot line. Still love Jo, though. 

Thatʻs all this week! What have you all been up to? Share below or head over to Christineʻs blog to link up!

Interview With a Tasia

Itʻ time for the very first challenge of the Get Up Offa That Slump blogging extravaganza. Side note: does anyone else just love that word ʻextravaganzaʻ? I also like the word extraordinary. Thereʻs just something extra about those words...but I digress (also bad joke, haha). Anyway, before I figure out a way to get more mom jokes in here, Iʻmma get on with this interview thing.

Hi. Whatʻs your name?
     Oh hi. My nameʻs Tasia.

No itʻs not.
     Ugh. FINE. Tasia is a nickname but for privacy reasons I wonʻt share my full name here. Also, most everyone I know calls me Tasia, so yeah. Really, only my family members use my full name....and even thatʻs rare.

So people of the blogosphere are dying to know-HOW do you pronounce your name?
     Itʻs Asia with a T, so Tay-sha. Although people call me Tasha and Tah-si-ah all the time and Iʻll answer.

Right...how old are you?

     Donʻt you know that youʻre never supposed to ask a lady her age? Geez...who taught you manners? Just kidding! Iʻm 25 26.

Tell us about your home sweet home.

      I am from a small town in Hawaii. I was born and raised here, as in I live in the same house that I came home to from the hospital after I was born. Also, I consider Disney World home so that works too I guess.

Youʻre a Disney Person?

     YES I AM A DISNEY PERSON! I worked at Disney World for a while. I go to Aulani at least once a quarter. My family goes on Disney vacations every year. I am a Disney person through and through.

Alright, alright. Calm down! Tell me about your family.

     I have a mom and dad who live out of state with my two brothers (21 and 11). I also have a sister (22), a brother-in-law, and two nieces who live near me. I live with my grandma, my fiance, and my daughter who goes by Honey here on the blog. Sheʻs 7.5 months old. I also have aunties and uncles and cousins whom I love and am close to.

And youʻre a reader, huh?
     That is probably the understatement of the century, but yes I am a reader. Always have been, always will be!

What are your favorite things/genres to read?
     I am a huge fan of Y.A. anything although I tend to lean toward Historical Fiction and Contemporary. I also love a good thriller or mystery, although I have to read those books during the day because my imagination tends to get out of control. Iʻll pretty much give any type of book a try!

Cool! Other than reading, what do you like to do in your spare time?
     I like to write, journal, knit, crochet, paint, color, sew, and craft. I love creating things! I also like re-organizing my shelves and Honeyʻs shelves (nerd much). I like to bake and I love eating, haha! I also enjoy doing makeup from time to time. Oh...and I like shopping...but mostly at Target!

Ready for a Rapid Fire round?

   Sureeeee....

AND...GO

Favorite Color: Purple!

Favorite Food: ....Chinese food! Or Hawaiian food! It depends on my mood :D

Favorite Book: How to Love by Katie Cotugno

Favorite Series: The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling...I know, I know...but I grew up with the series. 

Favorite Book Character:

Favorite Disney Character: Overall, itʻs Tinker Bell. My favorite princesses are Rapunzel and Belle. My favorite prince is Flynn Rider. My favorite Fab 5 characters are Minnie Mouse and Daisy. My favorite Disney Pixar character is Frozone. My favorite alien is Stitch (he gets his own category). 

3 Bookish Facts About You:

1. I never go anywhere without a book. This has been true about me since I was a child. Itʻs much easier now that e-books and reading apps are a thing, but Iʻll lug a hardcover around if it comes down to it.

2. I am a hardcore mood reader. I canʻt do planned monthly TBR lists because of it. Iʻve tried, but when I pick up the book I planned on reading I tend to not be into it....so I just donʻt plan at all and I pick books as I go along. Unless Iʻm reading a series, in which case I will more than likely pick up the next book in the series, but not always.

3. When I was a kid and my grandparents would take me with them to run errands, they would drop me off at Borders and leave me there while they did what they had to do. Obviously this was a different time when you trusted leaving your kids alone, plus Borders was a safe place where we knew the workers and what not. But I would just browse the shelves and sit in the kids section & read until they came back to get me! #RIPBorders 

3 Random Facts About You:

1. I speak Hawaiian fluently. Short of giving yʻall a history lesson, letʻs just say that the Hawaiian language (native language of Hawaii) almost died and even now itʻs rare to hear people speaking Hawaiian conversationally. I embrace the language as a very important part of my culture.

2. Right now, Iʻm a stay-at-home mom, but Iʻm a pre-school teacher by trade! I quit my job to stay home with my daughter, but I do miss my job and my students every single day. Next to being a mom, being a teacher is the most rewarding (and the hardest) job Iʻve ever done.

3. I like playing video games, but I am far from being a gamer girl! My favorites are The Sims franchise, the Pokemon franchise, and the Cooking Mama franchise. I mosly like RPGs and simulation games. 

Where else can we find you on the interwebs?

     Instagram: @lali.mama

     Twitter: @taysherrrx

     Pinterest: HERE

     Bloglovin: HERE

     Goodreads: HERE

Well...that was fun! Thanks for letting us get to know you!

     It was fun! I canʻt wait to get to know you all, too!