playlist

LIST OF NEWSWORTHY

The Neverland of Thesis
Population: 1.
Why can’t I be done and over with it? Ugh.

Rollercoaster Ride
I procrastinated at the beginning of February by listening to tons of music, reading books and bing-watching Orphan Black. The middle of February was filled with love-a-thon-ness. But the end of February took a complete one-eighty on me. I wallopped in a state of distress, was unable to finish RDR’s Virtual Book Club pick and failed my comment-on-at-least-one-blog-every-day goal. Sigh. I’m much better now, though.

TV WATCH

TV in February turned out to be pretty sporadic.

I finished the first season of Orphan Black. Watch it if you haven’t, you’ll not be disappointed.
The pilot episode of Veronica Mars was too good.
New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine still making Tuesdays worth it.
I just want for How I Met Your Mother to be over.

The pilot of The Mindy Project was just…okay. Or maybe I’m not in the mood for it.
I continued Teen Wolf this month and got to the middle of the second season. I’m pretty much just watching it for Stiles.

MOVIE WATCH

I haven’t been watching as many movies as I used to. I want to but then I don’t want to. Err.

Frozen (8/10) – I liked it a lot. I still do but I also feel like there’s room for improvement.
The Kids Are All Right (7/10) – Annette Bening is such a good actress. The movie gets points for spontaneity.

LIST OF READS

Still ahead on my Goodreads challenge this month. I feel weird about it. Then I think that it’s probably because of the few novellas I read in between the eight books.

Proxy by Mindee Arnett
Avalon by Mindee Arnett
Neverfall by Brodi Ashton
Everbound by Brodi Ashton
Evertrue by Brodi Ashton
Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen
I Am Pusheen the Cat by Claire Belton
All That Glows by Ryan Graudin
Split Second by Kasie West
The Last Best Kiss by Claire LeZebnik

LIST OF BLOGPOSTS

I started a new feature and posted about absent mothers and female bildungsroman in YA.
I started another new feature and talked about serial distress.
I took part in Love-a-Thon.
I posted my review of All That Glows by Ryan Graudin.

LIST OF BOOK BUYS

Split Second by Kasie West
Lady Thief by A. C. Gaughen

PLAYLIST

January turned out to be an all-around good start to 2014 despite my thesis defense almost happening and then getting delayed. I got disheartened for a while there but it is what it is. Sigh.

LIST OF NEWSWORTHY

Snowfall
It snowed! I saw snow after four years because college made it impossible for me to be in my city for when it happened. Anyway, it was beautiful and there was snowball fights and I never want it to end.

Macaron-ed
I had my first macaron ever and it was divine. My friends and I were having tea in a cafe and they offered us macarons to try them out since they started selling it only recently. There was a strawberry flavored one and the other one was caramel-ish. I’m never getting tired of them.

All the Books
I bought seventeen books this month because I just want to read all the YA fantasy series. So yeah I went ahead and bought three complete series: Graceling Realm, The Archived, and Fire and Thorns. This is also in preparation for the ereader that I’m buying next month (yes, this is totally, finally happening).

20K Tweets
I planned to reach 20K tweets before January was over and right now, I’m at 20.3K. If only I was this motivated in other areas of my life as well. Seriously, though, Twitter is the best.

TV WATCH

I didn’t watch as much of TV as I usually do.  And yes, usually, I do watch a lot of TV.

I watched the first episode of Sherlock this month and mentally shook myself to ask just why did it take me 2 years to watch it.
Awkward‘s season finale left me feeling all fuzzy and warm.
New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine make Tuesdays worth it.
The latest episode of How I Met Your Mother was so whimsical I loved it.

Reign threw me in for a loop and I’m loving the role-reversals.
I finally caught up on Revenge and it’s all gone so twisty!

MOVIE WATCH

This year, I aim to watch all the movies I so easily watchlist on IMDB. I might actually succeed. I think.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (thumbs up) – It was ridiculously funny and I loved Barry the strawberry. Why aren’t foodimals real?

LIST OF READS

I’m actually ahead on my Goodreads challenge this month. Yeah, that’s how rarely I’m ahead when it comes to this challenge. Ha.

The Witch of Duva by Leigh Bardugo
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
The Tailor by Leigh Bardugo
The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine
Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale
Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
Just One Year by Gayle Forman

LIST OF BLOGPOSTS

I posted my review of Vicious by V. E. Schwab.
I posted my goals and progress regarding bout of books 9.0.
I posted a top ten list of my bookish goals and this year’s YA sci-fi debuts.
I posted my review of The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine.
I posted my review of No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale.
I posted my review of Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge.

LIST OF BOOK BUYS

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd
All the Truth That’s In Me by Julie Berry
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
Just One Year by Gayle Forman
The Archived by Victoria Schwab
The Unbound by Victoria Schwab
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson
The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson
Mammon Inc. by Hwee Hwee Tan

PLAYLIST

LIST OF NEWSWORTHY

Mother’s illness
My mother had a minor surgery to resize her AV fistula which was putting pressure on her heart because of the increased blood flow. It was a very difficult thing to deal with because the operation was several hours long and we had no idea whether her fistula would work after surgery. Thankfully, it did. But then a catheter had to be put in her neck (central venous) for the dialysis to occur. She had to endure a lot of pain and it was a difficult time for all of us. Her stitches came off only yesterday and now she’s better. Her dialysis is now supposed to happen weekly and we’re all hoping that dialysis will actually help restore her kidney functions.

#DecembeReads
So I saved up certain books to read in December because I like to torture myself like that sometimes. The only one I couldn’t get to was Marissa Meyer’s Scarlet but that’s okay because I will read it right before Cress.

I got Cinder-ed, Iko-d, Prince Kai-d and even Queen Levana-d. (I’m Prince Kai in Brittany’s Lunar Chronicles Quiz).

I tortured myself with Blood Promise. I cried a little but wow, what a smexy book.

I discovered the Raven boys; dangerous, fist-slamming Ronan, proper Gansey, complicated Adam and smudgy Noah. It was glorious and beautiful and gloriously beautiful.

I Chaolena-d myself. (Code for suicide-by-a-yell-beating-heart).

I finished reading Vampire Academy series. In fact, I spent my New Year’s finishing it and just, wow. I’m floored.

Icy and Desert-y Winters
We’re supposed to get snow in January and I’m dying for it already. I love snow so much that I will willingly move to Antarctica provided that there is WiFi, tea and books. Ha. So, I need to calm down with all the sweetmeats I’ve been consuming but what else am I supposed to do snuggled up in front of the fire reading?

TV WATCH

December was a month for catching up on all the shows. Well, not all but most. Okay, not most but few. Happy, now?

So many Steferine feels. Gah, I love them the best. Delena can go to hell and take Bonnie with them. I just want Katherine in The Vampire Diaries now. Please oh, please.
New Girl‘s Thanksgiving III was a really good episode though a bit clichéd.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is definitely a must-watch for me now. I loves it.
I’m enjoying all the pre-wedding stuff but please get to the wedding, How I Met Your Mother.
The Big Bang Theory *haves a laughing fit*

Well, I was leaning towards Mancis but now I’m all Sebary in Reign.

MOVIE WATCH

So I watched 56 movies in 2013 but I’m happy that I’ve read more books than I’ve watched ’em movies.

Gori Tere Pyaar Mein (thumbs err) – Haaa, right.

LIST OF READS

I cried. I laughed. I squealed. I died. December was the best month in terms of reading because feelsy feels.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas
Blood Promise by Richelle Mead
Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead
Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead
Homecoming by Richelle Mead

LIST OF BLOGPOSTS

I posted my review of Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis.
I posted a top ten list of YA standalone releases I’m looking forward to and a top thirteen list of authors I first read and loved in 2013 (Sarah J Maas is totally on it, pretend with me here).
I interviewed Lauren Miller and got to know how Parallel came to be.
I posted my review of Pawn by Aimee Carter.
I posted end of year book survey which is full of all my #DecembeReads. No regrets.

LIST OF BOOK BUYS

2014’s gonna be serie-ous.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Everbound by Brodi Ashton
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Roth

PLAYLIST

LIST OF NEWSWORTHY

Sci-Fi Month
Rinn hosted Sci-Fi Month which turned out to be a pure success. I got my science geek out by posting, reading and watching everything science fiction.

Blogoversary
November marked my second year of blogging which I celebrated by changing the blog design (finally!). It felt surreal. I’m happy with my blog ’cause it finally feels mine mine. (Yes, sometimes I’m weird).

Book Feels
First, The Knife of Never Letting Go killed me then Vicious resurrected me with it’s villainy genius and then Not a Drop to Drink made my feels collapse into a heap of mush. I loved every minute. 

Also, V. E. Schwab offered to send trading cards when I couldn’t control my fangirling over Victor on Twitter. She is so cool!

Music Soulmate
Guys, I found my music soulmate. It’s Eve and we both love alternate music. This is the best thing ever! Hello, new music.

Illness Sucks
My mother’s a kidney patient and recently, her condition started deteriorating rapidly. She will start having dialysis again which is not good.

TV WATCH

I watched the first few episodes of Doctor Who. Loving the 9th doctor!
I’ve been watching The Vampire Diaries since 2009 so please show me something better than just the annoying Delena (it’s like they deserve each other, blargh).
The Originals is my favorite at the moment. Klaus, I love.
Winston is ridiculous in New Girl but the Coach? Not so much.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s pretty funny sometimes.
There have been too many backstories in the last few episodes of How I Met Your Mother. Get to the Mother or the wedding!
The Big Bang Theory is just, I love it.

I’m addicted to Reign but I’m hating Kenry. Like ew.
Awkward is going well with all the pun work despite Jenna’s stupidity.

MOVIE WATCH

53 movies and counting for 2013 but I’m happy that I’ve read more books than I’ve watched ’em movies.

Monsters University (thumbs forgettable) – I enjoyed watching it but that’s about it.

@artsymusings John Bender. Patrick Verona. JANIS!!! Olive <3 I want more movies like that. Nowadays everything is just sex sex sex. Lame.
— Eve (PaperGrey) (@apaperbird) November 21, 2013

LIST OF READS

I am proud of myself because of all the reading I got done this month.Whee, eight books.

Glitches by Marissa Meyer
Parallel by Lauren Miller
The New World by Patrick Ness
The Memory Coder by Jessica Brody
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano
Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Warm Up by V. E. Schwab
Vicious by V. E. Schwab
Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis
Pawn by Aimee Carter

LIST OF BLOGPOSTS

I posted my introduction to sci-fi month, Descending into the Sci-Fi Month.
I posted my review of Parallel by Lauren Miller.
I posted a top ten list of sci-fi covers that I want to see in print (which io9 featured on their website!) and YA sci-fi books for starters in the genre.
I posted a blogpost on essentials of sci-fi.
I posted my review of Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano.
I posted my sign up post for #Novemberthon.
I posted a blogpost on lack of good scientists in fiction.

LIST OF BOOK BUYS

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Vicious by V. E. Schwab
Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis
Just One Year by Gayle Forman

LIST OF NEWSWORTHY

Thesis Blues
I got done with my thesis and submitted it for review. The hardest part is over and now I just have to correct a few mistakes here and there (hopefully) and be done with it.

Cover Overload
A ton of cover reveals happened this month. I particularly loved the covers of Tease which is actually a shiny silver instead of grey in print and The Half Life of Molly Pierce.

Tweeple Crazy
Early October Eve, Reem, Lillian and I got all crazy during a Twitter chat. I reached 15K tweets, we raged, we laughed, YouTubed, Eve turned into a villain, Reem was awesome like always, Lillian got jailed. It was just fun, fun, fun.

I also took part in #bookishparty hosted by Judith and Cassie and thought I arrived pretty late to the party, it was still a lot of fun.

Frienemy and What Not
I met my BFF (we call each other frienemy ha ha) and other close friends after a few months, went for dinner, had a sleepover. It was so much fun and over all too quickly.

Vampire Academy Ruined
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know the train wreck that is VA’s poster. That tagline? Ew. Twitter really exploded all over it because duh, it is baaad. I’ve lost ALL my faith in the movie now. I can’t even.

Road Trips are Fun
I had to be back home before Eid and there was some issue with flights going on and the only available plane tickets were really expensive. Luckily my brother and sister-in-law were in Islamabad so we decided that I take a 4-hour bus ride to Islamabad, spend a day there and then road trip home with them. The trip took 15-hours and I tried to read Throne of Glass but I was too sleepy and tired so I just majorly slept and took a lot of photos.

Old is Gold
One of my high school friends lives in Islamabad now. We met after 6 years, had breakfast together and caught up on our lives. Such a great feeling.

Windows 8.1
I’m one of those people who just love Windows 8 and the slight improvements done in Windows 8.1 are just perfect. It’s all so sleek and shiny. 

TV WATCH

I really have no words for Revenge, I just know that this season is going to be the best ever!

The Vampire Diaries came back and it’s better than ever! Silas and Ripper Stefan is just too hot to handle.
The Originals also proved to be one of the top shows for me because well, it has the Mikaelson brothers and I now actually like Rebecca.
I watched the pilot episode of True Blood because Eve couldn’t shut up about the hotness that is Alexander Skarsgård. He didn’t show up. Instead there was a lot of ugly human-vampire sex. Ugh.
I’m feeling so much for Schmidt in New Girl.
I just love Adam Samberg in Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
I decided to not watch Sleepy Hollow anymore because it just doesn’t appeal to me all that much.
I wish they’d already get to the wedding in How I Met Your Mother but I’m not complaining much.
The Big Bang Theory is just so ridiculously hilarious this season. The last two episodes were the best ever!
Super Fun Night‘s premiere was so bad, I can’t even. How ugly can you get with fat jokes? I hope the show dies. Not watching!
I was excited for The Tomorrow People but it was more focused on the politics of it all than the superpowers. Meh.
I watched Mistresses and I don’t even know why. Oh yeah, I know. I want to finish the first season and be done with the awful show.
I finally finished the first season of Arrow and actually liked the last few episodes to want to watch season two.

Reign is a little too melodramatic for my taste but I’m definitely watching it.
Awkward is just aww, love it.
I’ve yet to watch Pretty Little Liars, Ravenswood, The Carrie Diaries and Dracula so yeah.

MOVIE WATCH

So I’ve officially watched 50 movies this year. I felt like tracking it so I’ve no idea if this is too much for me or what. I’m very excited for Non-Stop (Liam Neeson, guys!), Frozen, Pompeii and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.

Despicable Me 2 (thumbs up) – I love those minions. So adorable! 

3 (thumbs down down) – A Tamil movie I watched with subtitles on because well, I don’t know why but it sucked.

LIST OF READS

I read 0 books this month and I’m horrified because it has been years since that happened… It feels so weird. I mean it wasn’t like I didn’t want to read but then more than half a month passed like a blur. By the time I settled back into home, I just wanted to laze around and do absolutely nothing except eat, sleep and binge on TV shows.

LIST OF BLOGPOSTS

I thought of scraping this part out but well, here goes: 

I posted my introduction to Horror October.
I posted a blogpost on Horror in YA.

LIST OF BOOK BUYS

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Insomnia by Stephen King
Parallel by Lauren Miller

Grooveshark’s not working for me at the moment so I’ll post the playlist in a while.