Book Challenge Update (Insurgent, Just one day, The yellow birds)

Insurgent by Veronica Roth (14/100)

"Fighting for survival in a shattered world... the truth is her only hope. The thrilling sequel to New York Times bestseller, Divergent. I have done bad things. I can't take them back, and they are part of who I am. Tris has survived a brutal attack on her formal home and family. But she has paid a terrible price. Wracked by Grief and guilt, she becomes ever more reckless as she struggles to accept her new future. yet if Tris wants to uncover the truth about her world, she must be stronger than ever... because more shocking choices and sacrifices lie ahead."

My Rating: 8/10

My Comment: Just as beautifully written and Divergent.

Just One Day by Gayle Forman (substitute for ''the secret life of celia door") 12/100

"When sheltered American good girl Allyson 'Lulu' Healey first meets laid-back Ditch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there's an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines."

My Rating: 7.5/10.

My Comment: I've always dreamt of being able to travel. Unfortunatly this is about as far as its gonna get. This book made me miss Paris again, the city of love. Read this book if you want some hidden travel tips and a romance story based on travel

The yellow birds by Kevin Powers (13/100)

"An unforgettable depiction of the psychological impact of war, by a young Iraq veteran and poet, The Yellow Birds, is already being hailed as a modern classic"

My Rating: 4./10

My comment: War stories bore me!!

100 Book challenge update! The end of your life book club, The pact

The end of your life book club by Will Schwalbe (10/100)

"The inspiring story of a son and his dying mother, who form a 'book club' that brings the, together as her life comes to a close. For fans of Tuesdays with Morrie and The Last Lecturer. Mary Anne Schwalbe is waiting for her chemotherapy treatments when Will casually asks her what she's reading. The conversation they have grows into tradition: soon they are reading the same books so they can have something to talk about in the hospital waiting rooms. Their choices range from classic (Howard's End) to popular (The Girl with the Dragon's tattoo), from fantastic (The Hobbit) to spiritual (Jon Kabat-Zinn), with many in between. We hear their passion for reading and their love for each other in their intimate and searching discussions. A profoundly moving testament to the power of love between a child and a parent, and the power of realing in our lives''

 Rating: 7/10

My Comment: A heart-warming story that brought me to snot and tears. This book motivayes you to read. One thing that I didn't like about this book, though, was the fact that too many books are mentioned which did confuse me at some parts of the book. Read this book if you want references on other books to read

The Pact by Jodi Picoult (11/100)

"In this contemporary tale of love and friendship, Jodi Picoult brings to life a familiar world, and in a single terrifying moment awakens every parent's worse fear: We think we know our children… but do we ever really know them at all?

For eighteen years the Hartes and the Golds have lived next door to each other, sharing everything from Chinese food to chicken pox to carpool duty-- they've grown so close it seems they have always been a part of each other's lives. Parents and children alike have been best friends, so it's no surprise that in high school Chris and Emily's friendship blossoms into something more. They've been soul mates since they were born.

So when midnight calls from the hospital come in, no one is ready for the appalling truth: Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head. There's a single unspent bullet in the gun that Chris took from his father's cabinet-- a bullet that Chris tells police he intended for himself. But a local detective has doubts about the suicide pact that Chris has described.

The profound questions faced by the characters in this heart-rending novel are those we can all relate to: How well do we ever really know our children, our friends? What if…? As its chapters unfold, alternating between an idyllic past and an unthinkable present,The Pact paints an indelible portrait of families in anguish… culminating in an astonishingly suspenseful courtroom drama as Chris finds himself on trial for murder''

My Rating: 10/10!!

My Comment: My new favourite book!! Jodi Picoult has never failed me. She is the only author that makes me wish that her books don't ever end. That's exactly how I felt reading The Pact. I started it early one Sunday morning and finished it that evening. It brought up three emotions: Anger, Sadness and Happiness. I highly recomend this book and I'm so glad that I listed it in my challenge.

-Heather McIntosh

5 unhealthy habits you hope to get rid of in 2013

  At the beginning of 2013 you probably sat down with a pen and journal and wrote down the famous " New Years Resolutions: New Year = New me'". And in that list you probably included a few bad habits you had gathered throughout the years, and decided that 2013 would be the year that you changed?

That above scenario sounds like me, expect I wrote that way back in 2010 and on January the 1st 2013 I found myself writing the same resolutions... again.

But even though I, like millions of you " goal-orientated" individuals out there who really do want to improve our lives... Sometimes we may slip up. But one day we will win! One day...

In the meantime, I decided to compile a list of habits I am continually trying to get rid off and I am sure you are too!

Convincing yourself that 3 hours of sleep is acceptable

So I am starting university next week, so I have not experienced this... yet. But in high school my classmates and I spent days getting minimal, if not no sleep at all ! But we would wake up feeling like we were on top of the world... until third period when one of us would burst in tears for no apparent reason. True Story. Not getting enough sleep really does make you go crazy.... trust me.

Emotional Eating

Chocolate is a girls' best friend, espicially during times of adversity. In general I do not really eat junk food. Most of my meals are prepared freshly at home, and this is going to be like this as I start college. But that does not mean that I am not tempted by the various food outlets on campus. Espicially when I am stressed out.

Skipping out on your workouts

First it starts out with missing one workout. You come up with excuses like: " oh, my car broke down therefore I cannot drive to gym". Uhm, hello? Grab a pair of running shoes and play tag with little kids at the park?

Then one workout, becomes two, three and before you know it you cannot even walk up a flight of stairs without gasping for air! [ true story].


Procrastinating

This one is espicially important since I will be starting university, and by the looks of my timetable so far... I am already stressing out about the workload. So this habit is a " no, no" because not only may it have a negative impact on the quality of your work, the stress of falling behind in class and the inevitable all-nighters does serious harm to your health.

Disorganisation

You know you are disorganised when you find your lecture timetables, the Afro comb you had been searching for and an old copy of Seventeen magazine all in the same folder! Seriously. Just as procrastinating may cause you to stress out, so will being disorganised. The best thing is to keep things in the proper place, so you do not have to stress when looking for something.


Imani Dlamini

Post-breakup Playlist

(Or any other point in your life when you feel like your heart has been ripped out and trampled on by a stampede of elephants.)

I am sure every young woman has experienced some sort of heartbreak in their lives. That moment of defeat when all you want to do is roll up in a ball listening to depressing songs all day long, while scribbling how much you hate your ex in your journal.

Initially I wanted this blog post to consist of a list of heartbreaking songs that were perfect for lying under the sheets with a box of Kleenex in self pity. 

Seriously?

 It is okay to sob but there will come a time when you need to get yourself out this post-break up slump and shout " Amandla( Power)".

Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)- Beyonce Knowles

This song absolutely kicked ass when it came out! I can still recall dancing around the school hall during Valentines day with my fellow date-less friends, trying to mimic Beyonce’s hand movements whilst screaming:

“Cause you had your turn and now you’re gonna learn what it really feels like to miss me”.

Golden – Jill Scott

This is just one of those feel good songs that always puts a smile on my face:

“ I’m taking my own freedom

Wherever I choose to go

It will take me far…. I’m living my life like it’s golden”

Irreplaceable- Beyonce Knowles

Yes, I know what you’re probably thinking:  Another Beyonce song? But she really does have great songs that should pull you out of that post-break-up slump.

“Baby I won’t shed a tear for you

I won’t lose a wink of sleep

Cause the truth of the matter is

Replacing you is so easy”

Riding Solo- Jason Derulo

“ I’m feeling like a star

You can’t stop my shine

I’m loving cloud 9

My head’s in the sky

I’m solo, I’m riding solo”

Me, myself and I- Beyonce Knowles

“ Cause I realized I got me, myself and I

Is all I got in the end

That’s what I found out….,.

I took a vow from now

I’m gonna be my own best friend”

Goodbye- Kristinia DeBarge

“ Am I supposed to be torn apart

Broken-hearted in a corner crying

Pardon me if I don’t show it”

Survivor- Destiny’s Child

“ Now that you’re out of my life

I’m so much better

You thought that I’d be weak without you

But I’m stronger”.

Imani Dlamini

100 book challenge update

I am quite proud of myself. So far in January I have read a tital of 9/100 books.

Here is a quick list of each of those 9 books

1. 100 Names by Ceclia Ahern (7/10)
2. Hidden by PC and Kristin Cast (9/10)
3. Struck by Lightning by Chris Colfer (8.5/10)
4. Destined by PC and Kristin Cast (9/10)
5. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (6/10)
6. Cross my heart by Katie Klein (8/10)
7. Vampire Academy (8/10)
8. Catch-22 by Derrick Jackson (7.5/10)
9. Thanks for the memories by Cecelia Ahern (7.5/10)

Being your own Frenemy

Have you ever had one of those days where you wake up with such a positive attitude, then by the time you get home from work or school and only focus on the negative things that happened that day.

If you cheated on your diet and feel guilty. STOP! If you are constantly bitching and moaning. STOP!

I always try to see the positive things in life but I must admit that it can be tricky. I used to be so depressed because I only always used to stress about the negative things but since I've grown and matured I can see that there is so much good things in my life and that tough times are only temporary.

We need to stop being our own frenemy and start being our own best friend.

"Whisper words of wisdom, let it be"'

- Heather McIntosh