Hey all - so the school year is just about to start for me! Which means a lot of craziness; buying books, moving in, seeing old friends. With all the stuff that's going on and happening, I am going to be away from my computer for a bit while I organize my life at school.

I will be back September 8th with lots of new posts and I promise I'll keep to my posting schedule this semester!
Labor Day, Last Chance from minnie_mee on 8tracks Radio.


So with school starting, I have traveled over 300 miles from Chicago to the Twin Cities for the year. As everyone knows, with a new school year comes saying goodbye to your friends from home and high school. This year, my friend Rachel and I have decided to stay in touch via CD mixes. So I've decided to share with you the playlists I send to her each month too!

This first playlist is called Labor Day, Last Chance and is a collection of carefree summer- esque sounding songs. With Labor Day around the corner, school will officially start and summer will leave us for another year. This playlist contains some of the more lighthearted and upbeat songs I enjoyed this summer.

1. I Really Like You - Carly Rae Jepsen

 2. Streets of Gold - MAX

 3. Sugar, You - Oh Honey

 4. Geronimo - Sheppard

 5. Share the World - SPZKRT

 6. We Won't Go Home - The Colourist

 7. Slow Dance Night - The Century

 8. Pay No Mind - Madeon

 9. Cecilia and the Satellite - Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness



This is a tricky post to write... everyone has difficult times in our life. And I'm not quite sure what to conclude as the most difficult part of my life. Sure there are certain moments in my life that felt hard, and I was stressed, but I'm not sure if that can conclude as a difficult time or a difficult moment. I think whether or not two people go through the same hardships, they can experience it differently. For me, I think this moment would be when my parents were going through a divorce.

I was currently 16 years old, and my mom picked me and my brother up from our last day of summer camp. It was a relatively happy day because we had our "graduation" last day ceremony from the camp. However, once we got home our mom decided to sit us down and have a talk.

I'll spare you all the sad details, for the most part I think children who are saddened by the news react the same way. There are tears, there is confusion, and there is a lot of hurt. I basically felt all of the same typical reactions. If not to make this worse, my mom left us for the rest of the afternoon so my brother and I could process together alone. 

The second part of this time was also that my mom also had another partner. Divorce was something between my parents because my mother had already found another person she wanted to be with. So, not only did my parents choose to go through a divorce, I had to learn and welcome a new person into my life. It was a hard struggle to go through so many emotions at once. Especially as a teenager. 

Needless to say, it took a lot of time to get my life and my emotional health back on track. But now, 5 years later I feel that this experience makes me a part of who I am. It doesn't add or take away from anything in my life, but it does shape me. 


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This post is part of my Getting to Know Me Blogging Challenge, the goal of which to introduce myself to you. A list of each week's topic can be found in the Introduction post. If you would like to participate in the challenge or write up some blog posts from the challenge, let me know! I would love to read them!

Previous posts:

Week 18: Bucket List
Week 17: 5 Favorite Blogs
Week 16: Pet Peeves
Week 15: Ten Favorite Songs
Week 14: My Worst Habits
Week 13: My Biggest Fears
Week 12: Favorite Childhood Book
Week 11: My Dream Job
Week 10: In My Handbag
Week 9: My Favorite Quote
Week 8: If I Won the Lottery
Week 7: First Celebrity Crush
Week 6: Old Photo of Me
Week 5: 10 Favorite Foods
Week 4: My Guilty Pleasures
Week 3: Earliest Memory
Week 2: 20 Facts About Me

I recently got around to finishing The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith a.k.a. J.K. Rowling. This novel was Rowling's first take on a murder mystery. The story centers around the mysterious death of Lula Landry, a famous model known more to her fans as The Cuckoo.


The book follows Cormoran Strike, an ex- military turned into a private investigator. Strike is approached by the late Landry's brother, who firmly believes that Lula's death is not what it appeared to be. While the doctors and tabloids claim that Lula's death is a suicide, as her body fell from her apartment balcony, Landry's brother believes she is murdered and spends exuberant amounts of money to hire out Strike. 

Strike also has some problems of his own. Along with trying to solve his suicide / possible murder case, Strike is dealing with financial difficulties and a recent break up from a long term fiance. With his funds running out, Strike is sent one last temp employee to act as his secretary. Robin, the temp, proves to be a very useful addition to Strike's business, as she has the chance to fulfill her childhood dream of being a detective.

The story takes many twists and has many confusing aspects, all of which make it difficult to pin point any of the characters as the murderer. While the ending was fantastic and unexpected, I found the novel to be too long and far too dragging. I had started reading this book back in January and recently completed it in August. Needless to say I found Rowling's plethora of details too much, and they slowed down the plot too much. However, I was also able to pick up and put down the book with long periods of time in between from lack of interest. The plot was also fairly simple enough, that even though I did not remember specific details, that I still remembered what was happening. 


TLDR
Would I recommend this book? No, I found this book too tedious to read and full of too many details. Normally I like descriptions and detail, but the excess caused the book to move too slowly.

So this week's Music Monday is a bit different, instead of a playlist I will review Pvris' new album White Noise (as the title says).

This album is the band's debut CD and features a lot of their singles, like St. Patrick's Day and Holy. The band has grown so quickly in popularity that this year at Warped Tour they were moved from a side stage to the main stage within the first week.



I have been listening to this album non- stop since I got it, and I also have the music videos near memorized from watching them so many times. I must admit, when I first saw Pvris I had no idea who they were. The band is led by Lynn Gunn, and she has the most amazing powerful voice. She really is able to belt out her lyrics, all of which are written and made by the band. My favorite song is St. Patrick, which has a pleasant aggression and strength to it, while still sounding smooth and melodic. All the songs have a passion to them, and the lyrics hold a haunting meaning to it.

Alex and Brian also do a wonderful job, they are both able to play the guitar and bass flawlessly. There are no hints of hesitation in any of their music and together with Lynn's singing the album comes together perfectly.



I already have decided to partake in the 101 in 1001 list, but this list seems to be more achievable, realistic goals that I have ability to complete within the 1001 days. But a bucket list is meant for those dreams and wishes that seem more difficult to obtain because either they're too expensive, they're too "crazy," or you just don't have any idea how to get there. Bucket lists are for those things you want to do before you die - things that will make you happy no matter when in your life you accomplish them.

I think everyone should have a bucket list, and here are a few things on mine:

+ Go skydiving
+ Own a pet
+ Visit all 50 states of America
+ Get a tattoo
+ See Harry Potter World
+ Be kissed under the Eiffel Tower
+ Scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef
+ Experience Mardi Gras in New Orleans
+ Attend Coachella

What are some things that make your bucket lists?


* * *

This post is part of my Getting to Know Me Blogging Challenge, the goal of which to introduce myself to you. A list of each week's topic can be found in the Introduction post. If you would like to participate in the challenge or write up some blog posts from the challenge, let me know! I would love to read them!

Previous posts:

Week 17: 5 Favorite Blogs
Week 16: Pet Peeves
Week 15: Ten Favorite Songs
Week 14: My Worst Habits
Week 13: My Biggest Fears
Week 12: Favorite Childhood Book
Week 11: My Dream Job
Week 10: In My Handbag
Week 9: My Favorite Quote
Week 8: If I Won the Lottery
Week 7: First Celebrity Crush
Week 6: Old Photo of Me
Week 5: 10 Favorite Foods
Week 4: My Guilty Pleasures
Week 3: Earliest Memory
Week 2: 20 Facts About Me

This summer has held a lot of travel for me, and last week I was in Michigan visiting my boyfriend! It was a fun week that consisted of another mini trip, a film festival, and lots of lounging around together.

It took me six hours to drive there, but I did have a fun playlist to help me on my way! The first day I was there we headed straight to a bar to celebrate my birthday. Well more of a late celebration, since I turned 21 while I was abroad. The next couple days were full of excitement though!

The Traverse City Film Festival was occurring while I was in town, so we got to see lots of different movies.
The Open Space showing Guardians of the Galaxy
Michael Moore is the director and organizer of this festival, which takes place every year for a week. The TCFF has over 100 movies shown and has over 7 locations where people can enjoy watching the films. This year I watched three films; La Connection (The French), Guardians of the Galaxy, and When Marnie Was There. My favorite film was definitely When Marnie Was There, but that could be due to the fact that the film was made by Studio Ghibli. However, I did love the atmosphere of the Open Space, which is a giant outdoor screening area where we could watch movies for free at night. 

The other great highlight of my trip was my "special surprise" that Dylan had planned for my birthday. His mom kinda ruined the surprise by spilling the beans early, but it was a really nice celebration. Dylan planned and took me to Mackinac Island for the weekend!!

The trip was really fun! The island was a really unique place because there were no motor vehicles allowed on the island, meaning there were no cars anywhere on the island. Well, okay we saw one ambulance, but I feel like that is understandable and allowed. However, since there were no cars, all transportation was either by bicycle or by horse and carriage. It was really a cute island because people were riding bikes everywhere and there were horse drawn carriages everywhere!

We spend the weekend exploring the island in every way possible. We spent time biking around the whole island, hiking all the trails, and hanging out on the beaches. The difference about Mackinac Island beaches though is that there is no sand! All the beaches were rock beaches, so I enjoyed watching Dylan skip rocks. And well, I tried.. but that didn't work so well in my favor. The two of us also toured Fort Mackinac, since the island used to house a military fort for the British, then later the Americans. The rest of our time was spent being typical "fudgies" a term used to describe the tourists, since well we all go and buy fudge. To be fair, fudge is everywhere on that island!! So to fit in, Dylan and I went to Ryba and had some delicious peanut butter chocolate fudge.



The rest of my week in Michigan was a splendid time. I had the chance to just relax and hang out with Dylan, since I hadn't seen him since school. We also celebrated one of his friends 21st birthdays, and I have to say celebrating with guys is a lot different than having a party with girls. I had lots of fun though, and I can't wait to think when the next time I'll be back is!


This past week I took a small road trip by myself to go visit my boyfriend in Michigan. While I was really excited to go visit him, I had a daunting 6 hour drive by myself. So cue the music!

1. Renegades - X Ambassadors

 2. Ships in the Night - Matt Kearney

 3. Mess is Mine - Vance Joy

 4. Sugar, You - Oh Honey

 5. Trojans - Atlas Genius

 6. Home - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes

 7. I'll Drink to That - Outasight

 8. Run This Town - Lucy Hale

 This is just part of my 20 hours playlist - but I hope you enjoy! All the songs are upbeat and easy to sing along too. After all, you need something to keep you awake!


1. College Fashion
As a college student myself, I like that this blog is run by college students for college students. Each semester there are different students who write the blog, and their posts range from literature to fashion. I especially love their Hautelinks, which is just a bunch of fun links you missed to end your week.

*****

2. heyclaire
Claire is my internet love affair. I love all of her style, makeup, and hair. I've been watching her youtube channel for a couple years now, and now with her blog I have another way to peek into her life. She also has an adorable cat, Bruce, who appears occasionally in her videos. 

******


3. Steal Her Style
Steal Her Style is a great way to peek into singers' closets! I really enjoy seeing pictures of artists performing and in every day looks. Each post is accompanied by either the pieces worn, or cheaper versions.

*****


4. Le Happy
A few years ago, Luana was everywhere! She pretty much was the poster child for Tumblr and Lookbook. This is her blog where you can see not only her outfit pictures, but also posts like room tours and makeup tutorials. 

*****


5. Hyperactive Daydream
When I started blogging, this was one of the first blogs that I read. I love that Katie is a real person, and you can feel her passion through each of her posts. Each of her posts follows a nice theme, but there is a wide array of different things to read, so every person can relate.


* * *

This post is part of my Getting to Know Me Blogging Challenge, the goal of which to introduce myself to you. A list of each week's topic can be found in the Introduction post. If you would like to participate in the challenge or write up some blog posts from the challenge, let me know! I would love to read them!

Previous posts:

Week 16: Pet Peeves
Week 15: Ten Favorite Songs
Week 14: My Worst Habits
Week 13: My Biggest Fears
Week 12: Favorite Childhood Book
Week 11: My Dream Job
Week 10: In My Handbag
Week 9: My Favorite Quote
Week 8: If I Won the Lottery
Week 7: First Celebrity Crush
Week 6: Old Photo of Me
Week 5: 10 Favorite Foods
Week 4: My Guilty Pleasures
Week 3: Earliest Memory
Week 2: 20 Facts About Me





The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins is a thrilling fictitious novel told from the viewpoint of three different women, who's stories revolve around a mysterious event that captivates their town for the summer, leading to lots of confusion, chaos, and gossip throughout the surrounding areas.
As each character's story deepens, more information is slowly known to the police and to the reader. Let me warn you now - if you want to read this book you should stop reading here! Like all thrillers, it's best for you to dive into this book without having seen any spoilers!


Like I said, the plot alternates between the point of view of three women; Rachel, a depressed alcoholic struggling to get her life back on track after her divorce, Anna, the women who Rachel's ex-husband remarries after their affair, and Megan, a charming and complicated women, who is struggling with issues from her past. The constant changing between point of views provides an interesting plot twist that adds to the uncertain feelings throughout the story. While sometimes alternating points of views can be tricky, Hawkins does a wonderful job of switching between them and skillfully weaves their stories together.

Many critics claim that readers who enjoyed Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn will also like this novel. While I enjoyed both of these books, I do not agree with this statement. The plot of both novels follow a vague similarity, but the writing style and mysterious thriller aspects vary. Hawkins masterfully creates a plot that begins with a a normal story, three women and the descriptions of their daily lives. As the plot continues, the mystery begins when a woman goes missing. As the months go on, no one can provide any information and the case starts to go cold. BUT! When the missing women's body turns up, the case reopens and more secrets and scandal pour out through the media as the killer is still on the lose. 

I really enjoyed how Megan, the missing woman, is included as one of the narrators. However, to add to the confusion of the plot, her timeline is written in the past, so as to give some clues to the murder, but not give enough away that the mystery is ruined. Rachel gets dragged into the whole murder since she has created her own world, where Megan is Jess and Megan's husband is Jason, the perfect couple with a flawless relationship. All the viewpoints differ, but they all add towards solving the murder and each point of view adds a new layer and details.


TLDR
Would I recommend this book? Yes, this book had a unique plot structure with a good twist leading towards constant uncertainty and guessing throughout the story.

About a week ago in my blog challenge post, I decided that I would start a new series!
And here it is!

Cheesy as it may sound, Music Monday is where I'll post weekly about anything music related, from new playlists, different concerts, favorite songs, and other things! Music is a huge part of my life, and it brings me great enjoyment and relaxation. Music is able to help improve or add to any mood or event occurring in life (in my opinion).

So without further adieu, here's the first of many posts to come!

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This past week, Warped Tour traveled to my section of the woods. As tradition has it, my friends and I packed our bags and drove out for our favorite day! My friends and I have been going to Warped Tour since high school and even though we are almost done with college, we still trek out every year to attend.

Warped Tour started 21 years ago and was founded by Kevin Lyman. The tour isn't a traditional festival, since it's an all day festival that travels to different cities across the country. There are over 50 bands per each date, with most of them traveling with the tour. Warped Tour is great because not only do you get to see tons of bands, you also have the chance to meet them and lots of other musicians and music- like celebrities. I love Warped Tour because it's a day full of music that I love, music that isn't quite your traditional festival music - since it involves more screaming... and moshing...


Pierce the Veil
 
Asking Alexandria
Pvris

This year I saw over nine bands, met two bands, and hung out with five drummers from different bands. I had so much fun! This was also the first year that I could legally drink at Warped Tour, so it was a different experience to walk around the grounds holding a drink. Either or I had a great time, the weather was perfect, and I love being able to take a break from all the sets and sitting by the lake to enjoy just hanging out with friends. 

I managed to walk away pretty unscathed from Warped this year. Well my wallet took a slight hit, but that tends to happen every year. This year I spent my money on drinks, a snapback (which I got signed by Asking Alexandria!!), and the Warped Tour yearbook. 

I don't know how much I can stress that I love Warped Tour - the music and atmosphere is great but I also love the tradition I have with my friends every summer. So here's a list of my favorite songs from all the bands I saw this year. I hope you enjoy it as much as my friends and I did!

1. Dial Tones - As It Is

2. Where I Left You - Man Overboard

3. Caraphernelia - Pierce the Veil

4. King for a Day - Pierce the Veil

5. My House - Pvris

6. St. Patrick's Day - Pvris 

7. In the End- Black Veil Brides

8. Not the American Average - Asking Alexandria

9. I Was Once Maybe, Possibly, Perhaps a Cowboy King- Asking Alexandria

10. Bulletproof (Cover) - Family Force 5






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Hey Hi Hello my name is Ayim. I am a college student just trying to get through life. This is my blog.

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