2.12.19 // vaguely wintery library days
There have been so many beautiful sunrises lately 😍 About the only good thing about getting up early 🤣⠀ Today, I'm excited to be joining the #12daysofclinkstreet tour! We were able to choose any book published by @clinkstreetpublishing, and so as a sci-fi nerd, I was instantly drawn to Parallel, the new debut from L J Bacon. It has an intriguing premise…⠀ 🤔⠀ Have you ever had an incredibly vivid dream? A dream so real that you can feel, taste and smell the world around you?⠀ Déjà vu is a feeling which all too clearly tells you that you’re going somewhere you’ve been before, or experiencing something you know has happened to you already. Jacob knew that his weird dreams were much more significant than that.⠀ When Jacob suddenly realises that the life he’s living isn’t his only life, he will have to uncover ancient truths and the schism that changed mankind’s history forever. He must determine the point at which the parallel world was created; the world the other version of Jacob inhabits.⠀ He must discover who is controlling these split universes and why, before it’s too late...⠀ 💫⠀ If you're intrigued, then head over to my blog (link in bio) to read an extract!⠀ ⠀ @faye_reads @darkroomtours⠀ #alwaysreading #bookstagram #bookish #ilovebooks #bookworm #bibliophile #scifi #scifibooks #scifithriller #thrillers #booknerd #bookgeek #bookwrom #bookdragon #readersofinstagram #bookphotography #blogtour #readersofig #lovebooks #bookblog #bookblogger #bookbloggers #booklife #winterreading #alwayswithabook #ilovebooks #bookaddict #bookobsessed #fortheloveofbooks — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/2OSMwqn
It appears I'm on a mission to read everything Cal Newport has ever written, and so far I've enjoyed his work. I did find Deep Work a little more repetitive than his other books. It was less helpful than So Good They Can't Ignore You, but still had nuggets of wisdom I liked. 📖 ⠀ This was taken in a little room upstairs in @mrbsemporium – one of the most wonderful bookshops you could ever hope to visit! I'm so happy to live within walking distance again 💜⠀ ⠀ Read in: August 💙 ⠀ ⠀ #alwaysreading #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #bestofbookstagram #bookstafam #bookstagramcommunity #bookcommunity #alwaysreading #booksta #bookstagramappreciation #calnewport #deepwork #bookblog #bookblogger #bookbloggersofig #bookbloggersofinstagram #nonfiction #motivationalbooks #careerbooks #nonfictionreads #bookoftheday #bookrecommendations #bookphoto #bookcover #bookphotography #bookworm #booknerd #personaldevelopmentbooks #selfhelpbooks — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/2DNaoFK
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this a few months ago. It’s an odd thing sometimes, reading something before it’s released, as you are almost completely disconnected from anyone else’s opinion of it. I requested this from Netgalley as I love time travel stories and had just finished Convenience Store Woman and wasn’t quite ready to leave Japan just yet. In many ways, the writing is similar in its unfamiliarity. But what made me connect with CSW, left me feeling cold here (if you pardon the pun). ❄️⠀ Before… tells the story of a magical cafe where the select few are able to travel in time. However, there are many rules. One is that you can only travel in time, not space, and so you must sit in one exact chair - and remain in it the entire time or face the consequences. Another is you have until the cup of coffee that is poured to send you back is cold to return. Therefore you really don’t have long at all. As we discover in the book, these rules (and more) make time travel more tiresome than it’s worth for many, but the story flows between the few people that do give it a go. All have different reasons, different problems, different lives. ⏳⠀ It is a charming, whimsical story - more fantastical than science fiction, but with a warm heart. I only gave it 3 stars, but it wasn’t a chore to read at all. I whizzed through it in a couple of days, as I liked the premise well enough, I just finished it feeling that it was missing a little something for me.⠀ ⠀ Read in: August 💙⠀ ⠀ #alwaysreading #bookblog #bookblogger #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookbloggersofinstagram #bookbloggersofig #readersofinstagram #scifi #bookphotography #bookreviews #bookbloggerlife #booklife #ilovebooks #bibliophile #bookaddict #bookworm #bookobsessed #bookish #fortheloveofbooks #beforethecoffeegetscold #translatedfiction #timetravel #timetravelbooks #whatimreading #winterreading #bookworm #bookish #alwayswithabook #scifibooks — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/2OIAPTh
An epic read, Do You Dream of Terra Two? may appear to be a standard sci-fi/space book, but it was so much more than that. It is set in an alternate history, where the earth is dying, but scientists believe there is a habitable planet in a nearby solar system. Six of the best and the brightest children are chosen and trained to go on an expedition to find it. The teenagers dedicate their lives to preparing to leave Earth forever on a 23-year journey to this new planet. ⠀ 🚀⠀ To begin with, I love tropes like this, where a small group are forced to stick together to survive. I'm a fan of 'bottle-episodes' of TV shows for this reason – you take away from distractions and are just focused on the characters and their interactions. I find it fascinating, and luckily each character in Do You Dream is well developed. Things immediately feel off, as the launch date gets closer. The first part of the book is the preparation, and so much goes wrong you wonder if they'll even make it into space. ⠀ 🌎⠀ Then, once they leave Earth, the book develops even further and is a mix of heavy character exploration and exciting plot twists. So much happens, I was quite emotional by the end of this book, having no idea how what I'd got myself into when I had opened it up. You feel as if you've been to space alongside them and it is an adventure of a lifetime... 😱⠀ ⠀ Read in: October 💛⠀ ⠀ #doyoudreamofterratwo #temioh #bookreview #alwaysreading #bookblog #bookreviewer #bookblogger #bookoftheday #mybookfeatures #bookstagramfeature #bookcover #bookrecommendation #bookrecommendations #bookrec #booksta #bookish #scifi #scifibooks #bookworm #bookaddict #bookobsessed #booknerd #booklove #instabook #bestreads #bibliophile #ilovebooks #bookstagram #fortheloveofbooks #whatimreading — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/2LdnzDU
It may be the first of December, but I have been away for a couple months, so allow me to indulge in some autumn reading while I catch up! This photo is of all the books I read in October – a wonderful variety I hope you'll agree!⠀ 🍂🍂🍂⠀ Autumn 2019 went by in a whirlwind… 🌪️⠀ As the nights draw colder and darker, October was the calm before the storm that is Winter and the related festivities. October has always been a good month for me. Historically it would be the start of a new term, a new beginning, full of bright-eyed hope and expectations. But now, I’m an ‘adult’, there are no summer holidays or new starts. This year it was more of the same, but that stability meant I could perhaps appreciate what else October has to offer. Those gorgeous autumnal leaves never get old, and now I walk through a park each day on my commute, I get to appreciate them even more. ⠀ 📙📙📙⠀ Bookwise, I did pretty well again with all the books I read were very good and all over four stars! I had a mix of science fiction, YA and The Testaments. Which I suppose is kind of ‘dystopian’ literary fiction? 🤔⠀ In the October round-up photo, I had also included Melmoth as I started it a few days before Halloween, but alas did not get round to finishing it until November, yet it was accidentally very appropriate reading for that time of year! 👀⠀ ⠀ I'm going to be playing catch up over the next couple weeks so I can start 2020 afresh! I'll be posting all the books I've read over the past few months but out of order – check the bottom of each post for the month it was read in. For a more organised look at my reviews check out my blog (link in bio). ⠀ ⠀ #alwaysreading #bookblog #bookblogger #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookbloggersofinstagram #bookbloggersofig #readersofinstagram #monthlyreads #bookphotography #bookreviews #bookbloggerlife #booklife #ilovebooks #bibliophile #bookaddict #bookworm #bookobsessed #bookish #fortheloveofbooks #melmoth #sarahperry #thetestaments #margaretatwood #redwhiteandroyalblue #fangirlbook #rainbowrowell #agoodgirlsguidetomurder #katemascarenhas #doyoudreamofterratwo — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/37VQuX1
The funny thing about working full time in social media and web content is when you get home you kind of… don’t want to do any more of it! 🙈⠀ My brain capacity to come up with reviews and captions lately has been none existent. It’s frustrating as I am still taking pictures and have so much I want to say, but the words just haven't been coming. 😞⠀ Starting a full-time job for the first time has had a massive impact on every other aspect of my life. Duh. I had anticipated this, but by September I really felt the brunt of all these life changes. I moved house at the end of August, and as I type this at the start of October, I have yet to fully settle in. I am almost two months into my job and I am still loving it – but have yet to find a routine I am happy with when it comes to work/life balance. Each weekend I seemed to have had busy plans, and so in October, I hope to reclaim my weekends, to build habits and routines I feel happier with long-term. This whole adult thing really does take up a lot of time, doesn’t it?! 😂⠀ 📚⠀ September’s reading was quality over quantity. So while things were slower than past months, I still had a great month…⠀ 🌊 An Ocean of Minutes ⭐⭐⭐⭐⠀ 😱 The Handmaid's Tale ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫⠀ 🦊 The Doll Factory ⭐⭐⭐💫⠀ 🎬 Waiting For Tom Hanks ⭐⭐⭐⠀ 🤖Machines Like Me ⭐⭐⭐💫⠀ Full reviews will be put up gradually over the month 🤞 ⠀ #alwaysreading #bookblog #bookblogger #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookbloggersofinstagram #bookbloggersofig #readersofinstagram #scifi #historicalfiction #monthlyreads #summerreading #bookphotography #bookreviews #bookbloggerlife #booklife #ilovebooks #bibliophile #bookaddict #bookworm #bookobsessed #bookish #fortheloveofbooks #anoceanofminutes #thedollfactory #elizabethmacneal #machineslikeme #ianmcewan #handmaidstale #margaretatwood — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/2VlQqty
––– Library Haul
i feel so stressed about school
● Seize time opportunities. If I have 15 minutes until your next class, I sit down and do homework in the hallway. If I have a long commute, I’ll do flashcards. This works because you most likely won’t have anything else to do anyways, so it’s easier to get your work done.
● Start something. When I get a lab report assignment, the first thing I do is pull up the directions and at least start the cover page and pull up some research links. It takes 5 minutes but it gets the ball rolling and makes it more likely that you’ll finish what you started.
● Auto-mode. When I procrastinating, it’s usually because I’m too busy thinking about what I’m going to do. Instead, I like to pretend I’m in “auto-mode” and just get started as fast as I can. auto-mode means shutting out distracting thoughts or pleas to watch one more funny cat video and forcing your hands to open your textbook. Works every time.
● Personally, creating time schedules don’t work for me because if I fall out of time, the whole schedule falls apart and I usually give up. Instead I use time games. I’ll tell myself something like “work as hard as you can until 11:00 sharp and if you finish, you can have a break”. This is great for developing self discipline because it’s in the moment so you can be more realistic and flexible.
● I don’t like writing down earlier due dates in my planner because it’s confusing so instead, it’s good to have some sort of mental rule. for example, my mental rule is to finish everything at least two days before the due date. following through with that will keep you on track.
● Do a little bit every day. If you have a big project, chip at it within a week rather than stressing out 2 days before it’s due. the same goes for studying for an exam. if you review lecture notes and attend office hours after class + work on flashcards throughout the week, then do a final review at the end, you’ll be well prepared and won’t need to cram. It’s a good habit and you won’t get stressed. Two birds with one stone.
● Use mornings too. I’m not really an early bird, but using mornings to get some work / chores done is great because it gives you a productive start to the day, which makes you feel proud of yourself for knocking out half of your tasks in the a.m.
a. Lay out your lecture notes / worksheets on the table the night before and open your work tabs on your computer so they’ll be the first thing you see when you turn on your computer.
b. Put your computer far away from your work space and go to sleep.
c. When you wake up, the first thing that you’ll see is your ‘paper’ work, so get it done first. then start on your ‘screen’ work (you’ll be less likely to get distracted if you do your ‘paper’ work first). when you open your laptop the first thing you’ll see are the work tabs you opened the night before. Your job is to go on auto-mode and get started.
Good luck with self-discipline. You’ll do great. -thoughtscholar
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