The Reading Nook - Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda Review

 I recently finished Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Adgenda by Becky Altertalli and here are some of my thoughts on the book.

 

This book took me completely by surprise, being a visual person the cover was ashamedly what drew me in to begin with, but that soon faded as I started reading.

This is contemporary YA book which was witty and funny in all the right places. Centered around Simon our 16 year old protagonist who is exploring his sexuality as he faces the highs and lows of highschool life.
This book follows a cute and adorable love story between our beloved Simon and a boy who we first only know as 'Blue' an anonymous  and rather charming email buddy. At first our not-so-openly gay Simon and Blue exchange harmless daily emails that soon turn into a blossoming e romance before our very eyes.

I enjoyed the fast pace nature of this book, the quirky ins and outs of friendships and the beautifully written family dynamic when it came to Simon's family. There are some very lovely moments written into this book,Some I loved and some I didn't really care for.  It showed the many facets to how people react when finding out someone in their life is gay. Which I really appreciated, it wasn't all just Oreo's and rainbows which is appealing to me as a reader.
Following Simon on his journey to revealing to the world that he is in fact gay, we  are taken on his journey as he deals with this development and how he comes to terms with this in a high school setting.
We watch as Simon lusts after a boy through email conversations while trying to keep a normal persona in school, which in time becomes hard to do as news gets out about his sexual preference.
 

I think a lot of people will connect well with this book, as memories of my teenage years flashed before my eyes during certain scenes in the book, the way love was portrayed within the pages was bang on how I remember it as a 15 year old girl, and I love that about this book, its a heart strings puller.

Most characters in this book aren't fleshed out, which is a shame because I feel the writer has created such a colour cast of characters that I wanted to get to know a little better, but never got the chance to. That really is my only criticism to this book. I just wanted some more meaty characters as Simon is such a well fleshed out character, I expected his friends to be on the same level within the book.

Overall I thought this book was a lovely light read, a little too perfect when it came to the ending, but certainly not a book that disappoints. Even though this book is like nothing I've ever read, I am quiet surprised how quickly and easily I read this. Simon's character makes this book worth picking up alone. And of course who doesn't love a good romance.  

I gave this book a 4/5 stars on goodreads. 

I got an E Arc Copy of this book from http://www.penguin.com.au/ and this in no way shapes my review. 

Seeya Soon! with some art! 

x Courtney

The Reading Nook - My Bookish History.

It was purely by accident I found the youtube world of books... also known affectionately as Booktube. Much like my stumble into the filofax world I was intrigued.

As a self labelled book nerd and all around book lover all through my schooling, I had a huge passion for books since I was a small girl. My family always revered books and reading, and one of my fondest memories was of my mum reading to my sister and I, a Roald Dahl classic,  Fantastic Mr Fox We sat still (which was rare) for hours as mum read to us, it was magical and one of my very favourite memories still to this day.

I read book after book in my early teens, spending summer holidays in Sydney with my Nan, pouring over her bookshelves as she picked age appropriate books for me,  which I devoured one after another, I loved books but that love became a somewhat dormant love for many years, I would read a book here and there, but that was it.

I stopped making time for books.

You wouldn't think that I was a dormant book lover,  between John and I, we had enough books to house two and a half utterly huge bookcases, like I said I loved books, and couldn't bare to part with the collection I had built up during my high school days. So I packed them up into boxes each and every move, and believe me,  I have moved a lot during those years.

 Our shelves before the rearrangement

Fast forwarding to present day, well a little before present day...to the day I found booktube, it was like a breath of fresh air had been breathed into the shelves of my books, like they sprung to life like the movie Ink heart. I sat up watching video after video, devouring like I once did the books which now grace my shelves.

These videos were of passionate readers with book backdrops that would make some libraries ache. Giving opinions and emotions, book rants and book loves. It was like almost coming home to hug the 15 year old version of myself as I lay on my bed, propped on my elbows,  feet up in the air turning the pages of a well worn John Marsden Book, Tomorrow when the war began. Even now I smile as I type this recalling the memories.

I spoke to my husband at high speed, explaining that we need to start incorporating reading back into our every day life, we needed it, our kids needed it almost more than we did, living in today's world where kids are bombarded with electronics and hours of TV I felt our kids were losing their ability to use their imagination, and books were the starting spark for that creative fire, action needed to happen

My teacup humans after a trip to a bookstore in the city.

We began by rearranging our bookshelves,  sorting them into genres and authors, we both came to the marriage with many many books so it was interesting to spend a Friday night with the man I love discussing our favourites, and creating homes on shelves for them. We bought in a slim shelf to put next to the bigger ones, to create TBR shelves, books that we intend to read, a his and hers if you will.

We began planning trips to op shops (thrift stores) as books in Australia are on the rather expensive side, so what better way to start collections than by trying to find second hand books that need new homes, the kids had ideas of what they wanted to find and most trips each of them came home with 1-2 books each, Elijah scouring the shelves to find weather and disaster books and Lily looking for books on animals. It has become a bi monthly adventure for the family, where we go visit different bookstores and each come out with a small haul.

The first books from an op shop trip - the Sibella Court book was my glory find that day.

I have honestly loved every second of our new journey as a family, it gives John and I a new avenue to explore together, as we talked very little about books even though we clearly are big readers once before, and now again.

It has been amazing to take some time each day with lunch, and at night to just curl up on the couch with a book and forget life for 30 mins, I had forgotten how truly magical it is to just immerse yourself in a book, I've found myself laughing out loud, sobbing my heart out and just plain giddy with the array of books I've devoured this month (which has been quite a large chunk!)

I even created a whole book in my Journal devoted to books! Writing down the books I read, and taking notes during them, has been a rather enjoyable task, also helpful if John and I decide to start our own Booktube Channel, which has been thrown around a lot lately.

I've even enjoyed the little bookcase image, where I've been pasting down little images of books I've been reading, I need to add a few more! as I've read much more than whats on the shelves currently.

I know reading isn't for everyone, but I think one should try it before they decide they aren't a reader! It helps open up your mind to so many ideas and thoughts! Its a mini vacation from the mundane routine of life. Its done wonders for the kids, with our daily allotted reading time, even to the point where Elijah has asked for longer books to read.

I will continue the Reading Nook on the blog each month with an assortment post of what I'm reading, and what have been my faves from the month, with mini back stories.

Even though this is a rather lengthy blog post, I feel it had to be written about, this post has been bubbling away in my brain for sometime now, and I felt it was time to get it all out. I hope I helped spark something in you the way Booktube did for me.

Drawing videos and blogs will be coming soon now that my husband is home! and I feel I can create again.

All my bookish love 

Courtney

My Good Reads Link - https://www.goodreads.com/LittleRavenInk

2014 - Update! Goals and Chasing Joy.

Good Morning!
Yes months and months have gone by, we have had Christmas and new years, and a long line of family birthdays! My my the last few weeks have been tiring and lovely all at the same time! I made it one of my goals to try and blog and do a video at least twice a month! (start small and work my way up) The school holidays are in full swing currently, with a lot of minecraft happening...

 we had a big Christmas this year, as we do most years now John and I are together, between us there is a lot of family members. Elijah turned 7! and is on his way to grade 2 this year! and little Boo, is ready to start her journey at big school staring Kindy this year aswell.

 2013 started off with a bang, with me getting engaged, and a whole whirlwind of things happening, including the highs and lows of my weightloss journey which I have written about in the past on here. I am still struggling with the balance between this journey and the rest of me. So I decided that for 2014 I would chase one thing, and one thing only.

I decided that this word would pave the pathway for my everyday for 2014, I want to chase joy, and chase it with my arms wide open...so if something doesn't bring me joy...I need to change it up.

With my word safely thrown over my year like a butterfly net, I decided I needed some other goals to live by, as it seems I always set out with the best intentions as most people do! but this year I really want to do the things I set out to do January 1st. I joined a group 12, 52, 365 where we pick goals to do once a week, once a month and everyday....or just one of those, I jumped in with a goal for each category!

To read a book every week for my 52 goal...currently I'm on my second book for week two began yesterday.  Below is the book I finished for my first week..and what a wonderful book it was.

 I decided that for 2014 I wanted to put pen to paper for at least 10 mins a day in my written journal, and in my art journal...of course my new beautiful art box my dad gave me, made that job an absolute pleasure to work in day in day out, I can tote my fave supplies from the studio to the couch each day with no problems...Its one of my fave gifts of the season.

My Midori Travelers Notebook  is my written journey, and it is where I put photos, and daily writings, which I am dating for the first time in years! my way of staying accountable is to date the pages so I dont miss any...everyday commitment. It doesn't take me long, I've been inking my pages up with splashes of distress stain just to give it some visual interest, and sometimes some photos or stickers, as I take so many photos, this is a way to use them in here, and in my art journal.

 It has been a long time since I've kept a proper written journal, and I am enjoying the process again. It doesn't take up much of my time, and I know once I reach day 365 I will have a nice little line up of finished Midori notebooks to show for it.
I will do a whole post devoted to my Midori Journal in the coming weeks, as I know there are many that would like to have a look at it.

 and of course, the other thing with my 365 goal is pen to paper in my art journal, now 2013 was not a good year for my art, I barely picked up my art journal in 2013, and when I did, what I created within the pages felt wrong..and lacking life and love. Once I finished my big sewing book, no journal seemed to feel like home...I even tried getting out 6 or 7 journals and working in heaps! which was a train wreck waiting to happen.
So this year, I picked up my strathmore journal which I got last xmas as a gift from my mum, and just started working in it, it already had pages from my Jane Javenport Stencil post in there, so there was some bright life on the pages already...so I ran with it... The Friday Pages blog post will come back this year, with everyday arting, there are quite a few pages that will need to be shown!

 Last year, I won a scholarship to the amazing Print and Scan Workshop with Jane Davenport...I was humbled and totally overwhelmed with emotions at getting a spot when only two were given away, this year I am taking my business to full flight, once I work through the course, and do all my homework, my images and journal pages will be available as Fine Art Prints in 2014. I also want to start working on one of a kind Fabric pieces featuring my artwork, so keep and eye out for that!
There will also be one off original canvases going up into the store as well, I have to finish off my commissions and then I will be jumping onto that moving train with gusto. As of now, I will no longer be doing commissions until further notice.

as for planners! well there will be many a blog post on those! from what I'm using for 2014, to the amazing binder that now has my wedding planner in it....stay tuned! It is lovely to be back, and thank you to all who emailed me over my hiatus to check to see if I was doing ok! It is such a heartwarming feeling when I got the odd email here and there. They are all appreciated.

How is your 2014 shaping up! and what is your word for the year!
xx Courtney.

Inspiration Tuesday - Paper and Words

 

Back on the topic of letters...welcome to Juliet's Wall of Love. Since the 1930s, letters addressed to Juliet keep arriving in Verona. As of 2010, more than 5,000 letters are received annually. he letters are read and replied to by local volunteers, organized since the 1980s in the Club di Giulietta (Juliet Club), This alone makes me smile, yes I have seen the movie, Letter's to Juliet, but this image fills my heart with such passion. Just the idea of the wall of love inspired me...filled with pages and pages of letters.

What is also inspiring me today are these

 

Tree Libraries in Berlin Germany. 

 

These hollow-log bookshelves were erected in Berlin a few years back to help encourage the reuse of books. The project adopts the idea of putting up a bookcase in a public space, in which people could release their used books to be picked up by others. In other words, books DO grow on trees! If you want something to read, just go pluck it from the book orchard.
*sigh* these should be everywhere! The beautiful feeling of an actual book is a fast fading notion! I will keep the love for books alive! one soft cover at a time.

I hope these two little things have inspired you! as they have me
enjoy your Tuesday
xx Courtney

a day in the city.

Today's Selfie after a day in the City.

We had another big day, with a trip to another garden place, to look at fruit trees and herbs, writing down what we want to plan, what we want to plant them in and so forth, one thing I'm making sure we have in our little potted veggie/fruit patch is strawberries.

after the plant place, I ducked into a little op shop to check for some treasures, I only came out with two little things, one being a beloved little Bambi mug, as my pet name from the boyfriend is Bambi, and a little Japanese pencil case for my handbag, so that my pens and pencils are safe instead of swimming around when I chuck them into my bag on the way out the door.

once we got into the city and parked, I spied an art store on the way to our bookshop destination, and I was drawn to the singular prismacolour pencils, so I nabbed a couple for my collection, including a new white one, as the white pencil gets an epic amount of use.

we took the kids to their first sushi train experience, and both devoured many a plate of chicken and avocado sushi. I was most pleased as sushi is a food both the boy and I adore! now we have the kids addicted aswell.

after we were all full, it was off to the big bookstore in sydney the kids picked a book each as is customary when we go to a book store, and I stole a pic from the big bay reading windows they have in the store. Beautiful old clock.

after much browsing I finally set my sights on this one, it won my heart the moment I flicked through the beautiful pictures of sad girls with a touch of whimsy. I will have fun curling up tonight to lose myself in this amazing little world.

so that is all I have for you today, tomorrow I'll be back with Supply Sunday, where Copic Markers will be my supply of choice!
take care
xx Courtney

A trip the the library

Not much happened in the nook today, we ventured out and joined our little library well, I say little but its HUGE! I cant wait to go there with no little ones and just explore the levels sit down and read in a corner and enjoy the feel of books around me. I did however borrow a few books including the sequel to flowers in the attic, as I drank down the first book within a day and a half! excellent start to my one book a fortnight goal!
I'm stuck in a little bit of an arty funk at the moment, so I'm taking some time to sit back and watch my course vids drink in the knowledge and just enjoy it all again instead of worrying about perfection.
enjoy your Thursday evening
xx Courtney