"books are a uniquely portable magic"

it's weird not to be in school. let me tell you. for the past 18 years of my life, minus the 18 months on a mission, i've been in school! and learning new things every day. now suddenly, i'm a university graduate, with a job and it's weird not to go learn something new every day. don't get me wrong, i love my job, but i also miss learning. so i wanted to make a goal for 2015 that would help me to continue to learn, and since i love reading, i've set a goal to read one new book (at least) each month. i've only read one of these books all the way through before and so i am hoping to expand my knowledge and rediscover reading. you'll notice that these aren't really leisure books, or "easy" reading. i want to keep myself accountable so i'm going to list the books below and then I'll report on each one (kind of like school haha).

February-- The Anatomy of Peace (The Arbinger Institute)

March-- Intuitive Eating (Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch)

April-- The Infinite Atonement (Tad R. Callister)

May-- The Four Agreements (Don Miguel Ruiz)

June-- My Story (Elizabeth Smart)

July-- Yes Please (Amy Poehler)

August-- Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)

September-- Left Neglected (Lisa Genova)

October-- The Miracle of Forgiveness (Spencer W. Kimball)

November-- Critical Care (Theresa Brown)

December-- A Chrismas Carol (Charles Dickens)

i'm a little bit excited and a little nervous to read all these! but i hope that i can learn a lot and maybe inspire a few of you to read too!

to read

this year one of my resolutions is to read more. now that i'm graduating college and will be working full-time, i will have much more free time. i realized that when you just work, you can come home and do whatever you want. you can read. you can bake. you can go workout. it's wonderful not having homework! i do have two classes this semester which will require some time, but after April will be free of school for a little while.
and since i love to read and i'm tired of only reading textbooks, i've resolved to read more. i'm currently in the middle of the Harry Potter series, but i want to branch out. so here's what i'm gonna do.

2 classics
2 self-help (already chosen: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)
and
2 inspirational/religious

so far i've only chosen to read 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey. I had a goal to read it before i turn 23 so we will see if i can accomplish that! however, i need help choosing the other 5 books to read.
this is where you come in.
i need your recommendations on which books i should read! so please, leave a comment below on a classic/self-help/inspirational book that you love and that you think i should read!

"all was well"

[it's just a three post kind of day...]

guyssssssss. i finished reading harry potter last night! this journey that started over Christmas break is over. i was... very emotional. like not crying or anything. just feeling a lot of emotions. i've pretty much been even more obsessed than i ever thought i would be. i know, i know i'm a little late bloomer (for just having barely read the books). but hey, better late than never right?

so i wanted to write a really epic post about harry potter, but i just don't know what to say. there are too many words and yet not enough words. i've read many series of fictional books. but i have never been so affected by them as i am by Harry Potter. 

Harry Potter is about family, friends, loyalty, trust, courage, and fighting evil. i can't write eloquently because my mind is still at Hogwarts, so here are just a spattering of thoughts i have about Harry Potter.

- i feel like Fred is my brother. i'm still mourning his loss.

- draco is not perfect, but i pity him. he chose evil because of fear. but it was fear for his family, which makes him a good person.

- i love molly weasley! she is not just a loving mother, but she is a fighter!

- can i just leave this muggle world and go to Hogwarts already?

- i truly liked the first kiss between Hermione and Ron waaaay better in the book. i mean it's good in the movie too, but yeah.

- i gotta get me all 7 books and all 8 movies. pronto.

- it's sad that they don't talk about Teddy Lupin in the movies. that adds so much more to Tonks and Remus and makes their deaths that much sadder!

- i think Neville deserves more credit. i mean when Harry, Ron, and Hermione were not at Hogwarts he basically took over defending it's students and it's honor. he became the leader of Dumbledore's Army.

- i think i'm officially a potterhead. don't you?

mischief managed.

thinking thoughts on thursday

whew after yesterday's post you'd think i had nothing to say. but i do. i most definitely do. not about dating or love or being 'friend-zoned.' it's mostly just random stuff. but if you'd like (ahem, you have better like) you can go read yesterday's post and comment because guys i need all the help i can get.

my most favorite Elder gets home in 99 days!!!! eeee! i've made a countdown chain and everything. once you have a countdown chain it makes the home coming real. it's happening folks. dear spencer, let's play tennis this fall on the warm days. i am only confident enough to play with you because even if you laugh at me i know you still love me.

my knee is killing me. i was told i had tendinitis in my knee when i was in high school, but it's never been as bad as it is now. pretty sure that diagnosis is wrong. i haven't been running in two weeks and i'm supposed to be training for a marathon!!!!! i'm kinda freaking out. i am so afraid that i have IT band issues which of course is no bueno. usually they tell you to stop running. uhhhhh. no. but then i remember that i don't let asthma stop me from running and i've worked my butt off to be a good runner and i'm not gonna let a little knee/IT issues stop me!!!! so i'm gonna keep running even if it is very painful. probably not a good idea, but oh well. i won't run every day though and i'm going to start doing yoga again so i can keep my knee strong.

i got my camera back today! be ready for a weekend rewind post. please bear with my nasty phone camera pictures for one more day.

this part? yes i took this picture. oh snape. . . you are great.

i'm almost done with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. guysssss, i got so emotional when Fred died! i knew i would, but it was like... heartbreaking. i'm right the middle of Harry and Voldemort's final fight. i don't know what else to call it. also, i love Mrs. Weasley. i already knew that too, but seriously she is awesomespice! (i took a Meyer Briggs personality test and Mrs. Weasley is one of the fictional characters who has the same personality type as i do. i feel great about that.) it was horrible when i had to put the book down at the end of my lunch break. i'm finishing it tonight. and then you can expect an epic post about The Boy Who Lived.

that's really all i'm thinking about today. i feel great. like i could conquer the world- almost. i might even flirt with some guys tonight. i decided i like the middle part as opposed to the side part. i got a bag of produce from home. i feel healthy and i'm getting stronger. life is good. and i am being completely 100% serious about that. hooray.

THE hunger games post

just some of my thoughts about the movie.
- it's really good! definitely better than Twilight (i guess i've heard people comparing it to Twilight so i just have to point out that it is way better)! i personally didn't think that it was too violent or anything. there is the debate about certain "dark themes" and the affect they will have on children. but honestly, the book had the exact same themes so if you read the books you aren't going to be surprised. these are classified as "young adult fiction" (i think) and are not children's books. so if you want themes appropriate for children, go watch... Happy Feet. or something. there are troubling themes, but they make you think. and that is the point of a good book- thought and action.

- the casting was excellent. Effie was exactly how i pictured her. Haymitch was just as unruly and sarcastic as i thought (although maybe a little younger than i imagined). of course i loved Katniss and Gale. i wish we could have seen more of their friendship.
- i didn't particularly like Prim.

- The Reaping was so emotional! i was worried they would make is cheesy and dumb. but no. they did not disappoint.  goose bumps.
- Peeta. i have had my internal battle between Peeta and Gale ever since i read the books. i am all about the girl marrying the best friend (Gale), but Peeta is really too perfect. and honestly, he is better for Katniss than Gale is. and, he has loved her forever! i love his adorable smile and how everything he does, he does for Katniss. although Ron/Rupert will always be my #1 home boy, Peeta is definitely on the "fake boyfriend" list.
[commence massive amount of fangirl pictures of Peeta.]

right before the most adorable smile

how debonair!

- oh, and i want Katniss's hair.

story night

every year, a couple days before christmas, my family gathers in our family room, around the fire, with sleeping bags, blankets, pillows and a variety of treats, to read christmas stories. my mom reads some of our favorite books to us until everyone is asleep. [usually we fall asleep really quickly, but not quite as quickly as mom does!] this year i think mom hit a record of falling asleep the fastest. dad had to take over and finish. my favorite book that we read every year is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

what is your favorite christmas book?

l-r. ben, hyrum and adam. me with my homemade sucker. the fire burning bright, adam and sarah on their ipods

when you lose my respect

"There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense."

Elizabeth Bennett

"My good opinion once lost, is lost forever"

Darcy

some nuggets from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

day of birth wish list

the most celestial day of the year (aka my day of birth) will be here in 10 days! here is a glimpse at what i wish for. within the bounds of reason. [except the dland ticket obvs] i can't believe i will be 21! i'm gonna be a real adult
.
day of birth wish list by rarnesen featuring canvas shoes

hunger games

Read this book: After you finish it you will directly have to read:
Warning: these books could cause adrenaline rushes, anticipation, excitement and lack of sleep. Do not drive while reading. Do not even try to socialize with anyone while reading.

Oh and p.s. after reading the 2nd book you will have to wait until book 3 comes out! You might go insane waiting!

Good Luck!

the goose girl

It's like chocolate, in book form. You can't seem to get enough. I take it back- not chocolate because that makes your stomach sick if you eat too much. It's more like, hmmm, going to Disneyland over and over again. What is my new addiction? Nope its no person, no food, no place, at least not here on earth. Please meet Ani- the Goose Girl, or Enna- the fire worker. All are characters in the amazing books by Shannon Hale- my new favorite author. Once I picked up Goose Girl, I couldn't put it down. It was like I was sucked into their world. I could see their faces, I was completely immersed. There are no words to explain how much I love these books. Read them! Read them!