Tuesday

a winter lookbook ft my 5 favorite books of 2017 (lots of representation!!)

I like clothes AND I like books. SO why not put them into one post? 


INSTEAD of doing a boring ol favorite books of 2017 post, I decided to compile it with some outfits I picked out and have been wearing so far this winter :D

wait wait. NOTICE ANYTHING DIFFERENT? 

I CHANGED THE DESIGN AND I LOVE IT.


ok back to it



THE OUTFIT


cardigan: urban outfitters (my favorite store <333 when i can afford it lol)
shirt: gap
jeans: hollister

THE BOOK: always and forever lara jean by jenny han


my opinion: The Lara Jean has been one of my favorite book series since.. well forever? It's a lovely contemporary that is delightfully light hearted, but still brings a good serving excitement. A lot of people felt that it should have been a standalone, but honestly, I can never get enough of Jenny Han's writing :') ALSO asian representation <3

hits close to home: This book focuses a lot on college and stuff.. which is basically the only thing my friends talk about #nerds (kidding. maybe) so it was an enjoyable read. 

when i got it: I got this book for Eid 2017 ((a muslim holiday)) and WHEN I SAW IT WAS SIGNED I FLIPPED. This was devoured read on the way to NYC in July!


THIS IS BLURRY. why.

THE OUTFIT


sweater: forever 21 (you would think it's from hot topic. BUT NO. you were bamboozled.)

THE BOOK : carry on by rainbow rowell


my opinion: OK I actually read this for the first time in 2016.. BUT I reread it like... 10 times this year... SO IT COUNTS. It's basically a fanfiction... in a real book? WHICH IS WHY I LOVE IT. It's gorgeously written and to be honest... I liked it a lot better than Fangirl. Probably because of the fantasy and amazing LGBT representation. It's everything that I need in a book.

hits close to home: I enjoy reading and writing fanfiction, and this felt a LOT like a Harry Potter fanfiction, which is the only fanfiction I really read so IT FELT FAMILIAR. bless u rainbow rowell.

when i got it: Sometime in 2016 I believe? Shortly after I finished Fangirl. And this year I read it over Spring Break, twice in summer, and then again in October :')



THE OUTFIT


dress: express (this dress is absolutely gorgeous, and I SNATCHED it at an amazing 14 dollars in a black friday sale. bless u black friday)

THE BOOK : the entire wolves of mercy falls series by maggie stiefvater


my opinion: OK. I only actually own Linger in hardcopy, the other three I have as ebooks because I needed to read them IMMEDIATELY, and I didn't have time to go to the store. but OMIGOSH I love these books so much. I had read the first two earlier, but I finished the series in 2 days last month and OMIGOSH. I read Sinner over and over again because I love Isabel and Cole so much that I'm tearing up thinking about them. 

hits close to home: I live around a forest! We don't have wolves but we have coyotes. Of course they don't turn into humans, but you can hear them at night, so it's kind of close?? I think the real reason I love this series is just because of all the contrasts and gorgeous writing. SCREAM.

when i got it: I read Shiver and Linger in late 2015, but I finally picked it up again AS PROMISED in November. Best. decision. EVER.

sorry more blurriness :( BUT MY SWEATER.

THE OUTFIT


sweater: GIFT! The person that got it for me doesn't remember where she got it from :( BUT ITS SO CUTE
sweatpants: forever 21

THE BOOK: we are the ants by shaun david hutchinson


my opinion: AND IN SECOND PLACE. This book was truly eye opening and the writing was amazing. ALSO more LGBT representation <3 This book is an art form in itself, it's a perfect combination of sci-fi and contemporary, and the undertones and concepts are... too ... good. AND THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. yes. Click here for my full review!

hits close to home: The realness of this book really pulled me to it, it's all so.. real.. even when it's not (I'm talking about the alien parts hehe). It's just such a good book, SO GO READ.

when i got it: I got this around ?? August maybe? PROBABLY THEN. And I read it in September!



THE BEST BOOK AND BEST OUTFIT

THE OUTFIT


I LOVE THIS OUTFIT.

sweater: rue 21
skirt: asos (best thing in my closet)
tights: nordstorm rack

THE BOOK: the hate u give by angie thomas



my opinion: BEST BOOK OF 2017. If you disagree unfollow. KIDDING. DON'T LEAVE ME. This book. Yes. Too many yeses. I just. yes. If you haven't read it. READ IT. After I finish this post, I AM going to go read it again. Beautiful book. :)

hits close to home: My parents are 'activists' sort of? So I'm familiar with the Black Lives Matter movement and I'm a strong advocate for it! This book empowers people of color, especially young people of color, which is EVERYTHING I LOVE. diversity and representation. yes. yes. yes.

when i got it: I got this as a gift for my birthday! (best BIRTHDAY GIFT) and I read it almost immediately, and loved it. OF COURSE. And since then, I've read it three more times heheheh

What were your favorite books of 2017? Have you read any of these? What are your favorite books with representation? Whatdya think of the new design? ;)


peace out y'all,
noor

Sunday

50 oddly specific OH MY GOODNESS NO bookworm moments

If I had a nickel for every time I screamed OH MY GOODNESS NO because of a book related situation.... I'd have a lot of nickels.


Being a bookworm is CRAZY and things almost never go our way. Maybe that's an exaggeration. A little one. But there are just a lot of stressful moments that come with the bookish life, so what better to do with my time than list them all out so you can relive the painful moment. ahem

ON TO IT.


1. Really really needing to read a book and then going to the library or bookstore and not being able to find it.

2. Spilling tea or coffee all over a book practically drowning in it in the scorching caffeine.

3. Reading a book that you thought would be amazing and it turns out to be a hotter mess than your spilled tea.

4. Not being able to find space on your shelf for your new book and then proceeding to evaluate all your life choices and ask yourself why you feel the need to spend all of your savings on books when you can just get it from the library or find some other way that doesn't drain all of your finances.

5. Using all your might to shove said book into shelf. It's like playing Tetris but less methodically.

6. When a book has tiny font and way too many pages. (unless you're into long books and if so then I wish I were you)



7. Losing your concentration while reading and realizing you missed out on like 20 pages.

8. Trying to figure out what books to bring on vacation and going into a crisis when you realized you packed too many and now your bag is too heavy.

9. Waking up in the middle of the night to see ten books on the floor because you put the new book in the wrong spot and all the books near it have collapsed. 

10. Having one book in the series that is taller or shorter than the others.



11. Having one book in the series that has a different cover than the others. (I'M LOOKING AT YOU CURSED CITY OF BONES MOVIE COVER) 

12. Watching the prices on your books rack up at the bookstore and wondering why you couldn't have gotten the paperback version instead.

13. When you're halfway through a book and you realize this is the exact same book as [INSERT EXTREMELY POPULAR BOOK HERE: ex: harry potter, lord of the rings, the hunger games, the fault in our stars]

14. When an author kills off a character for absolutely no reason *cough* JK Rowling with Remus *cough*

15. When a book's cover terribly reflects the story. Maybe this is why I shouldn't judge a book by its cover. BUT PRETTY COVERS.



16. Flailing over a book and knocking a lamp down and wondering how you're going to explain this to your parents.

17. The dreaded talk of explaining the broken lamp to your parents.

18. Feeling emotionally drained after writing a book review for a god awful book.

19. When you've read a book so fast that you didn't have time to absorb it in all of its glory.

20. Reading a really good book, then finishing it, and missing it and its characters to death.



21. Rereading said good book right after you've finished it and regretting your decisions after realizing how massive your TBR is. 

22. Just constantly regretting your decisions.

23. When you see a good book, see that it's not coming out for another two years, then grow grey and old in a rocking chair while you wait for it, and then you are slowly not so slowly consumed by your growing pile of unread books.

24. Trying to balance book life and life life and find yourself cooking dinner while balancing your book on a spoon.

25. Having the book being balanced on the spoon fall into your uncooked chili.



26. Deciding to try out new genres and then hating every book you read. ADVENTURE SUCKS.

27. Lying on the floor knowing you could be reading but you simply can't.

28. Realizing that your TBR will never stop growing. It's like Devil's Snare. Don't resist it.

29. When something or someone disturbs you while reading and then you lose your place so you have to travel through the gates of hell to find it.

30. Setting down your book for a millisecond and finding it on the floor, and you have YET AGAIN lost your place.



31. Dying inside when someone doesn't like a book that you recommended to them.

32. Knowing that eBooks are an option but REALLY LOVING NEW BOOK SMELL.

33. Coming across a difficult character name but ignoring it and pretending like you're saying it right but knowing inside that you definitely are not.

34. Hating a book but still keeping it even though the logical idea would be to donate it or give it away and that your shelves are literally overflowing.

35. Wanting to read 5598245047 books a year and telling yourself that it is definitely achievable as long as you read 15337657.663 per day.



36. Telling yourself that you can carry 10 books at a time but then regretting that decision when the books collapse on you crushing your small bookworm body. 

37. You regret all of your decisions. most of them.

38. Listening to music while reading and then your favorite song comes on and you flail so hard that your book flies out the window. 

39. Calling every good book your favorite book and then having to actually choose a favorite book one day and going into a crisis.

40. Lots and lots of crises.



41. Reading a bunch of 1 and 2 star books in a row and losing all faith in literature.

42. Being extra to set up your book photos when all of a sudden the sun has decided to take a vacation behind the clouds. CURSE YOU WINTER.

43. When you lend someone a book and they give it back to you looking like the book has just gone through a few wars, took a trip around the world by ocean, visited a few eruptions, and been submerged in some unknown substance. 

44. Showing up to the library/bookstore and seeing that it's closed. 

45. When the publisher puts stickers on the front of the book cover that you can't get off to save your life. I DON'T CARE THAT THERE'S A MOVIE ADAPTATION.\



46. Starting a book at one in the morning and being unable to put it down so you get approximately fifteen minutes of sleep that night. 

47. Running out of snacks during a heavy reading session.

48. Not having a blanket during a heavy reading session. CURSE YOU WINTER.

49. Getting paper cuts while turning the page and feeling like your life as you have known it is over. 

50. Wondering why you read even though it drives you nuts.

-1. Knowing that the reason why you read is because it fills you with the utmost joy and not knowing what you'd do without books because despite all the OH MY GOODNESS NOS, there are millions of OH MY GOODNESS YESES.


What are some of the reading related things that make you scream OH MY GOODNESS NO? Tell me what I missed! What's the biggest problem you face as as a bookworm? And hey, for some #positivity, what's the best thing about reading?



peace out y'all,
noor

a rather late welcome to december


I'm currently wrapped up in my holiday blanket, listening to Mariah Carey's Christmas album, with my fairy lights on. I'm ready.


HAPPY DECEMBER! 

YES I KNOW IT IS THE TENTH. YES I KNOW I AM LATE. Leave me alone.

I LOVE DECEMBER. December is the best month of winter. Don't attack me, because I'm right. No one likes January and February, get real. 

*wraps tinsel around you* let's talk about december!!




THIS MONTH'S EVENTS

YESTERDAY I had my very first high school DANCE. SCREAM. WHAT. It was tons of fun and everyone had a great time and WE SCREAMED OUR HEADS OFF to Shakira and the Spice Girls. Because what else would you dance to?

Needless to say, my throat burns.

I also have my orchestra concert on Thursday which is pretty cool and I love our songs because they're not too terribly boring :') We're playing a Karl Jenkins song so. YES.

ALSO HOLIDAYS?? I don't celebrate any holidays that are in December, but I STILL FREAKING LOVE THE HOLIDAYS. I put up a mini tree in my room and everything it's great. 



I am SO ready for the break. I need some serious time away from AP Euro. It's killing me, guys. Sadly, we're not going anywhere, but honestly, I don't mind some quality, lazy time at home.


TO BE READ




THE HATE U GIVE / angie thomas

This will be a reread jUST BECAUSE I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. It is everything I need in a book, honestly, and I love everything that Angie Thomas does.

DRAW THE LINE / laurent linn

I picked this one up a few months ago because I found it quite intruging, and nothing like I've ever read before. I'm not quite sure how I'll feel about it, but I am willing to give it a shot. RISKS ARE GOOD.

- MANSFIELD PARK / jane austen

Classics are something I've been trying to get into, and I feel like Jane Austen is definitely a perfect place to go. I've read a few of her novels, and my mom told me this one is very well written, so I'm excited to pick it up :D

A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES / sarah j maas

I KNOW. I KNOW. Everyone and their mother has read this but I never found the heart to read it? I'M SORRY. It's time though, I need to hop on this train, and maybe hop off after I finish this book ahha. Throne of Glass wasn't really my thing, but hopefully this won't be like that??


GOALS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE ACCOMPLISHED



- DRAW TWO NEW PIECES EVERY WEEK

Something I've been neglecting lately is my art, which is quite sad considering it brings me so much joy. I just have SO SO much to do, that I don't seem to make time for it. BUT I AM DETERMINED TO DO THIS.

- EAT. BREAKFAST. 

I wake up around an hour before my bus comes, and it goes something like this:

6:00 - just 15 more minutes!!
6:15 - noooo
6:17 - ok fine i'm going
6:18 - washing my face is nice i'm gonna do this for 5 minutes straight
6:30 - crap
6:35 - outfit time
6:37 - I'M IN A CRISIS. NOTHING TO WEAR.
6:40 - this is good this is fine
6:45 - brush my hair now and throw on some mascara
6:50 - this outfit is terrible
6:55 - AHHHHHH
7:00 - CRAP
7:05 - ok i made my bus. WAIT I DIDN'T EAT BREAKFAST

I NEED TO EAT BREAKFAST. Solution? PICK MY OUTFIT THE NIGHT BEFORE. PLS.



- DRINK THREE GLASSES OF WATER EVERY DAY

My dad and I found so many health benefits to drinking water? IT'S CRAZY. I'm terrible at it, I probably drink a glass a day because I always forget :')

But I'm really going to try to bump up my water game because it's important. I WILL BE HEALTHY.


NOVEMBER NONSENSE



The first picture is of a watercolor painting I did of the LEGENDARY Finn Wolfhard for my art class! IT TOOK ME SOOO LONG.

Here are some of my BEST Black Friday purchases including a Funko Pop of LUCAS. SINCLAIR. <3333 and Pokemon Ultra Sun (nerd)

THEN a gorg picture of Washington Monument from our DC trip!


I take wayyyy too many pictures of sunsets but they're all so beautiful. heart eyes.

This is a picture of me at 49,900 words?? WHY DIDN'T I TAKE ONE AT 50,000. i'm so strange.

I TOOK A SELFIE WITH ONE OF THE STATUES AT THE WOMENS MUSEUM AT SENECA FALLS. i'm so strange.


How is your December so far? How was your November? On a scale from Scrooge to Mariah Carey how festive are you feeling right now? 


peace out y'all,
noor

washington dc: a travel log in bad iphone photos

HELLO EVERYONE :D

A few days (hours..) ago I went to D.C AND HAD A BLAST. IT IS SO SO PRETTY. Even in the fall. AND IT'S WARM. ah. i loved it.

We went to a few museums (which were all free?) and had tons of amazing food, and I took so many pictures.. so many pictures. I wasn't actually planning on posting this, but sadly, I don't have time for anything else, so enjoy!


All of these were taken at the Smithsonian American Indian Museum :) I found it interesting how the official name of the museum was American Indian, when they weren't actually Indians...

The second one is actually a recreation of the Mayan calendar! Their method of time and calculating the date was magnificent, complex, but so interesting. 

The entire museum was so calming :P, they had pleasant music playing and the ceiling was covered in constellations.

THERE WERE SO MANY NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES. WOAH. i was overwhelmed tbh


The second museum we went to was the National Air and Space Museum! It was actually more air vs space :P

The second photo was the ACTUAL first plane that the Wright brothers created! Those guys had guts. I would never fly a strange flying vehicle that would almost certainly plummet me to my death.

The third photo is a scale model of our coveted solar system! The sun is so massive that a model of it to that scale wouldn't have fit in the entire exhibit and it would have taken up almost the entire museum. TERRIFYING. 


These are some quick little snapshots of buildings nearby!

The first and second are ones of the National Art Gallery, which we actually visited, and the third is of the Capitol, which is actually super freaking gorgeous.

Also the sky was so blue that day?!?!? CLOUDS BEGONE.




Some of my favorite works of art from the gallery :P

The first one is a Monet, and the third one is probably my favorite because of the insane colors. Sculptures like the second one always amaze me because how the heck do you form such good detail out of stone or copper or whatever. TRUE TALENT. AH.



Not only was the art beautiful, but the displays and fountains they had were stunning :P 

The painting is by Van Gogh, and my dad told me I had to take a picture of it. I think he even took a selfie with it... relatable.


The final place that we visited was the Holocaust museum, which was completely eye opening, and full of information.

The first picture was part of a display that included every single photo ever taken of a Holocaust victim. We were on the second floor when this was taken, so it extends all the way down, and covers all four walls.

The second picture is of a tribute to Anne Frank, and it included excerpts to her diary. We noticed a few people crying around the exhibit, overwhelmed by how young she was when she died, but how much she was able to understand about what was going on around her :(

The third picture is a collection of drawings by children preserved from one of the ghettos that they kept the Jews in. Most of the drawings had nothing to do with the situations, but they did include parallels to the Holocaust. 



Many of the walls and floors that we saw/walked on were castings or actual parts of walls and floors from the Holocaust. The first two pictures are of the cobblestones that mimicked the ones from the ghettos. They were difficult to walk on, as some were elevated, and some were not/

The third picture was a collection of bricks from the Warsaw ghetto pieced together to form a wall. 



Have you ever been to Washington D.C? What's the BEST museum you have ever been to? What is your FAVORITE planet? AND how was your November?


HAPPY DECEMBER EVERYONE!! And I apologize for the terrible photos, my parents wouldn't let me bring my DSLR camera :P 

peace out y'all,
noor