The Weekly Hufflepuff #53 | I Talk About Periods So… Sorry Not Sorry

THE NETHERLANDS WON THE EUFA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP

At all the sexist men who said women can’t play football, they wouldn’t even be able to beat amateurs etc etc… EXCUSE ME WERE WAS OUR NATIONAL MEN TEAM LAST YEAR OH YEAH NOT EVEN QUALIFIED

I was really tired and not feeling well this week, so most of the time I didn’t feel like reading. Until yesterday, when I suddenly made a lot of progress in Heroine Complex. I’ve read a lot today too, and maybe I’ll finish it tonight. Depends on whether I’d rather read or blog. While I don’t want to get too far into it until I’ve finished it, I’m really enjoying it!

In other reading news, I’ve been clearing my Goodreads to read shelf. There are quite a few books I have no longer any interest in, but also books that I have no idea why I added them in the first place? I don’t see past, present or future Michelle interested in these? I am confused, but also like a weight lifted off my shoulder with all those books gone *she says as she adds 10000 more books*

As I already mentioned, I was tired and not feeling so well. First I ran out of my hay fever medicine during the weekend, meaning I had to order them on Monday and didn’t have them until Tuesday. Cue not being able to breathe while walking even a few steps outside. Which really ruined my trip to Stedelijk Museum with my mom. Though the exhibition we went to (it was the last week and neither of us had seen it yet) was… really disappointing? Not our thing at all. I love photography, but I guess Rineke Dijkstra is not for me *shrugs*

I also had the brilliant idea to continue taking my birth control pill three months in a row, thus skipping two periods because I really wasn’t feeling it and now my body is punishing me. I’d say don’t be like me but I know people who do this all the time?? A friend of mine just continues to take the pill for six months, gets her period and then continues to take it for another six months. HOW. I AM IN PAIN. MY BODY IS CONFUSED

So basically I haven’t been doing much rip. BUT I’M SEEING A FRIEND TOMORROW SO I’M EXCITED

I’m also hoping to actually go out more this week but who am I kidding I’m not even on my period yet and I’m already suffering

💛 I talked about Zanele Muholi, a photographer and visual activist from South Africa who photographs the LGBTQI community in South Africa
💛 I wrapped up July
💛 I shared some snippets in which one of my characters teaches you how to flirt and another one is a blue cow 
💛 I reviewed The Upside of Unrequited which I’m honestly falling more and more in love with?? I might change my 4 star rating to a 5 star rating? As much as I loved it once I had finished it, I still didn’t love it that much but,, now?? Lads I think I’m going to change it

💛 Savannah talks about what makes a good book blog and shares some of her favourites
💛 Alice has tips and a tutorial for using Edelweiss Plus
💛 Inge teaches you how to fold your book into a heart or in ‘home’
💛 It’s Angel’s fifth (fifth!!) blogoversary and she looks back on these past few years
💛 Shannon shares her weird (but wonderful) bookish habits
💛 Mia talks about why unhauling 30 books was the best decision she ever made
💛 CW reviews Want by Cindy Pon so let her convince you to read it because it sounds really good and important
💛 Em shares some LGBTQ+ music that she loves
💛 And talks about all the art she saw in Bristol
💛 Kira isn’t only celebrating her blogoversary, she’s also celebrating 100 followers so go increase that number because she deserves it
💛 Hannah wonders if using good grammar is worth it
💛 Ilsa interviewed Cait which was of course a really fun and hilarious interview because it’s Cait 
💛 Holly wrote a discussion post on the phrase ”well, at least you’re reading something”
💛 Mikaela shares 10 of her most secretive bookish confessions
💛 May celebrated her 6-month blogoversary (HOW HAS SHE BEEN BLOGGING FOR ONLY 6 MONTHS) and answered some questions 
💛 And she shared 9 reasons why we bookworms shouldn’t be trusted which is a genius way for non-bookworms to leave us alone so we can read all our books in peace and quiet 

And that’s a wrap! Any great posts I missed this week? What have you been reading? Have you cleared your Goodreads tbr shelf and thought ‘…why’? Let me know in the comments!

The Goodreads Book Tag

Goodreads, what would we bookworms do without it? Probably die under a pile of books or something dramatic like that. Closet Readers tagged me a while ago to do The Goodreads Book Tag, so here we finally are! Don’t forget to check out their blog! Also if you guys want to be friends with me on Goodreads, feel free to add me!

What was the last book you marked as read?

The Stone House by A.K. Benedict, one of the BBC Class books (while I’m writing this anyway. Who knows, maybe I’ll have read something else by the time this goes up. That’d be nice). While the writing was okay, I loved diving back into the world of Class and spending time with my favourite characters. It was definitely a fun read!

What are you currently reading?

Well, according to my Goodreads I’m reading four books right now, but I haven’t read one of them in forever so I should probably remove that for now. I also listed Les Miserables as ‘currently reading’ since I finally started it, but I barely remember the 15 pages (of the 1100+ hahaha) I read, so I’ll have to start over. I am actually reading What She Does Next Will Astound You, a BBC Class book, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

What was the last book you marked as ‘to read’?

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan. I think this was on my list before but I deleted it after reading Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares, since I really hated that one (read my review here). But with all the praise I’m willing to give Levithan another chance.

Do you use the star rating system?

I do! Though sometimes I don’t give a book a rating, especially when it comes to single issues from comic books. I just can’t rate those! Also Goodreads you finally gave us the rereading option, maybe we can finally get some half stars?

Are you doing the 2017 reading challenge?

I am! I’m aiming for 100 books and am currently at 79. YAY COMICS

Do you have a wishlist?

Always with me in my head. And technically my to read list on Goodreads is a wishlist too. Also there are the gorgeous editions of books that I already have but need

Who are your favorite authors?

Rick Riordan, J.K. Rowling, Stephen Chbosky, Marissa Meyer, Rainbow Rowell, Patrick Ness – to name a few

Have you joined any groups?

Uuh technically I have. Are they all active? No. Am I active in the groups that are active? I wish

How many Goodreads shelves do you have?

Six: read, currently reading, to read, favourites, manga and on hold. I have tried to make more shelves, but it became a mess so I deleted them and gave up.

I TAG…

All the bookworms who want to do this!

How organised is your Goodreads? Are you doing the Goodreads Challenge? How is it going? Let me know in the comments!

 

2016 Reading Goals

Just like last year I decided to set myself some reading goals. I’ll also be participating in some challenges (I might end up participating in more, but we’ll see). These are my goals/challenges for 2016:

SERIES CHALLENGE

Just like last year, there are some series I want to finish/catch up on. All of these books have already been published, so I need to catch up! Some of these are series I didn’t manage to finish this year, others are new. Of course I might add series during the year or give up on others.

• Geek Girl: (2/3)
• Also Known As: (1/2)
• Hex Hall: (1/3)
• Princess Academy: (1/3)
• The Selection:  (3/4)
• The Grisha Trilogy: (1/3)

YALFESTNL CHALLENGE

I’m going to YalfestNL in April, and of the authors attending I’m only familiar with Stephenie Perkins works. I already wanted to read the other attending authors’ books though, so this seems like a good excuse to finally read them!

• Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda
• The Shatter Me Trilogy: (0/3)
• Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children: (0/3)

I might end up reading Lobsters and the Seeker series as well, as the authors of those books are also attending, but they’re not priorities.

RETELLING CHALLENGE

I’m participating again in Mel’s (Fairytale) Retelling Challenge! I kind of failed last year, but it was fun nonetheless! This year I’ll be aiming for the Goose Girl level, which means reading 5-9 books.

• Fairest by Marissa Meyer
• Stars Above by Marissa Meyer
• Heartless by Marissa Meyer
• The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury
• A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
• Return to the Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz
• Nora and Kettle by Lauren Nicolle Taylor

I can’t believe I still haven’t read Fairest. Every time I’m at the bookstore they don’t have it, and instead of ordering it I keep spending my money on other books…Oops. Also I CAN’T WAIT FOR STARS ABOVE. AND HEARTLESS. I love how Marissa Meyer kind of dominates this list. ALSO SEQUEL TO ISLE OF THE LOST. MORE DESCENDANTS BOOKS- YASSS

THE 2016 CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGE

This year I’m also signing up for The 2016 Contemporary Challenge hosted by Jillian and Montana. I won’t pick out any books in advance for this one, as there are always contemporaries I want to read! I’ll be aiming for Peony: 11-15 books.

CLASSICS CHALLENGE

The year may not be over yet, but I’m 100% that I won’t complete this challenge this year, so let’s try again in 2016!

• Persuasion 
• Northanger Abbey 
• Emma 
• Mansfield Park
• Sylvie and Bruno 
• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 
• The Lord of the Rings: Read (1/3)
• Les Misérables 

GOODREADS CHALLENGE

Of course I’ll be participating in the Goodreads Challenge again next year! In 2014 I read 50, this year I read a little over 100, maybe I should aim for 150 this year? I DON’T KNOW I’M SCARED AND IT WILL PUT SO MUCH PRESSURE ON ME AND I HATE PRESSURE. I DEFINITELY DON’T WANT MY READING TO BE PRESSURED.

Basically, I’m not entirely sure yet. You’ll see once January 1st arrives haha.

So those are my goals and challenges for this year! Do you have any reading goals for next year? And are you participating in any of these challenges? Let me know in the comments!