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November YA Releases '18



  • Archenemies by Marissa Meyer [November 6th, 2018]
  • Pulp by Robin Talley [November 13th, 2018] (I'll have a review soon!)
  • Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald by J.K. Rowling [November 16th, 2018]
  • Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean [November 6th, 2018]
  • This Splintered Silence by Kayla Olson [November 13th, 2018]
  • Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan [November 6th, 2018]


Books That Have Changed My Life



  • Into the Wild by Jon Krakeaur 5/5

Into the Wild by Jon Krakeaur is a book I read for AP language in junior year of high school and when I found this book, I've never done so much research. I loved Chris McCandless and I loved how not everyone could understand why he was so great. I’ve always wanted to pack a bag of books and leave across the country but I could never have the guts. Jon Krakeaur wrote such a wonderfully read and painfully sad non-fiction story about a boy who found himself living a life outdoors and on the go. This book makes me think about my life in retrospect SO much, it’s ridiculous. I feel so angsty when I read this book and so ready to leave for the west coast. I am always thinking about this book and I don’t think I’ll forget it.
  • the Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephan Chbosky 5/5

I read this for the first time in middle school and then re-read it when I became a senior in high school. It’s something that has always stuck with me because of the emotions I feel while reading it. It deals with soo many important things like ptsd, rape, homophobia, depression, etc. This book is the ultimate coming of age novel for me. I love absolutely everything about it.  

  • The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 4/5

This is one of the first classics I ever read and I didn’t get it at all. I closed the book after finishing it the first time I read it freshman year of high school and thought I had only just read a book about a dumb boy roaming New York. As I grew older, I realized Holden Alexander is way too relatable and the entire centering theme of innocence is something I think about a lot. Also, I love coming of age. So good.


  • the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini 5/5
Do I really need to explain myself for this one? I can’t say it impacted me personally in ways I still realize today but it made me open my eyes more to situations other people can be in and how you impact someone else’s life. I cried heaps when reading this book. 

honorable mentions:
  • Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 4/5 
I read this for school in my junior year of high school and I haven’t let go of it. It really just made me appreciate literature more and become aware of what’s going on in the world around me.


  • All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven 5/5 

This book gives me a place to go whenever I'm sad. Her writing is genuinely so beautiful and I won't forget it.



How I Edit My Bookstagram Photos and Stories




Isn't it about time? I finally share with you all how I edit my instagram photos and stories! I'm often asked questions about my editing so I decided it's time to show you all of my tips and tricks. 



For my instagram photos and feed, I use two apps! 

Photos + Feed

1. VSCO - I use VSCO for the filters! My feed is just the M5 filter, +3 brightness and sometimes a little bit of grain. The app is incredibly easy to navigate and I'd highly recommend it for your photos.

2. Preview - I use preview to plan out my feed and captions. It's basically just an app that shows you how your photos would look exactly next to each other. It's super useful and allowed me to get more into the idea of having a theme.

Instagram Stories

1. Unfold - This is an app that allows you to create Instagram story templates. I use the free template set they give you (CS1) and the $1.99 template set called RP1. Here's a preview:



2. 8mm - 8mm is an app that allows you to edit and take videos into an old film-like style. I often use this on my stories for little videos and get questions constantly! It's $1.99 in the app store and I adore it.

3. Afterlight 1 & 2 - I use Afterlight 1 & 2 to edit photos into polaroids with washed out filters and light effects. I prefer 1 because I'm more used to and I bought the polaroid border on there awhile back but they're both great! You can use these for filters and editing photos for your theme as well.

4. Hype Type - This app just allows cool moving texts on videos or photos to change up your Instagram story! I don't use it as often because the free version has a water mark but if you're interested in something like that, it's a great app!


Wasn't that easy? People seem to think I put a lot into these stories, but it's just a few great apps! I know all of these are available in the U.S. app store but I'm not sure if it's on all of them. 

Let me know if you use any of these as well! 

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Fall/Halloween Decorating + Home Decor



I finally took some photos of my fall decor to share with you all! I love decorating my room but Fall is the time I really go all out. I'm going to be talking about the items and all photos of them being used around my room with be featured on Instagram. It was too dark whenever I was taking these photos to take photos of my bookshelves, chair, etc. Anyways, enjoy! Hopefully, you find some inspiration. 



I've had this little Halloween black cat/pumpkin pillow for so long but it's the cutest to put on my shelf at the end of my bed. I bought this cat awhile ago and I'm not sure if it's online but if not, I'll link something similar! I sit on top of this wooden palate that you can find at Michaels and it's decorated with a pack of pine cones I also found at Michaels!

Cat Pumpkin Pillow (Similar): http://bit.ly/2PdPXWp
Wooden Slate: http://bit.ly/2RvOzzX
Pinecones & Cotton (Similar): https://amzn.to/2PgFbyM 


I often own Fall candles and scents year round but this is the time of year to use them as decoration! I stock up on the Pumpkin Cinnamon scented candles from Bath & Body works. I also recently bought a Gunn Dean & Co candle which smells absolutely divine. The top right small candle I actually made myself! Making candles is such an easy and fun Fall activity, I would highly recommend! 

Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Candle: http://bit.ly/2DZcAN6 (ON SALE!)
Witch's Brew by Gunn Dean: http://bit.ly/2y2mHvt
Poesie Perfume: http://bit.ly/2DZNbmr



I went a little overboard at Michael's during their Halloween and Fall decor sale and ended up with this adorable bookish decoration! It's just the cutest stack of spooky books for the end of my shelf. 

Spooky Book Decor: http://bit.ly/2Pev6lZ


I have two of these cinnamon scented brooms hanging up in my room. It's ones of the best things about Fall whenever these start to show up in grocery stores. I even have a mini one in my car!

Cinnamon Brooms (Similar): https://amzn.to/2C2ArJ8

Please note that these are MUCH cheaper in store. You can find them in almost any grocery store around this year and Home Depot! They go for about $6 dollars in the U.S. :-)


These little shiny pumpkins were actually from the dollar store! They make great decor pieces for my bookshelves and cost almost nothing! The little leaves you might've been noticing in these pictures are also from the dollar store. 

I probably won't be able to find these online obviously but check out your local dollar store to see if they have any of these tiny ceramic pumpkins. 


While Romeo is a photo hog, the pillows I've been featuring in the background are actually from Target. I love using throw pillows as decor -- it really makes the place cozy!

Giant mustard yellow pillow (VERY similar): http://bit.ly/2zUeF9l
Tiny blue pumpkin stitch pillow (similar): http://bit.ly/2PgJ8mX 

I couldn't seem to find these on Target's website but the tiny blue one was in the cheaper section with Halloween decor for 5$ dollars U.S. 


I wanted to share this little DIY blood dripping corner with you all! I put this on my mirror as well and it's so cute. I just used red craft paper to cut out the drips and it just adds a little spooky detail. The bag is from pre-ordering Vengeful by V.E. Schwab (shout out to Tor!) and the painting above it is something I did!



Finally, I have all my Fall fake greenery/flowers. I got a fake eucalyptus from Michaels, fake babies breathe from the dollar store, and the cotton/white flowers from Michaels as well. As for the bottles they're placed in, I actually just cleaned a root beer bottle and a wine bottle. You can find similar ones at Michaels, though. 


I hope you all enjoyed a little look into my Fall/Halloween decor! Do you decorate for the season? Let me know! 

If you end up doing any of these or getting them, show me on Instagram! I'd love to see them :)

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Salt to the Sea [MINI REVIEW]




*please note this is an old review that I'm reposting on my new blog for archive reasons*

NO SPOILERS!


I have always been intimidated by historical fiction. Yet, I’ve always wanted to get my hands on a Ruta Sepetys book. Being partly German and currently attempting to learn the language, reading about WWII sparks my interest. But, a common element in Ruta Sepetys’ books is that it’s hidden history. Salt to the Sea is about four individual characters: a young Polish girl, a German sailor, a Lithuanian nurse and a Prussian art thief. Seeing the different perspectives all going through similar situations blew me away. They all aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff. The story shows how they got themselves there and how they deal with it. If you’re not informed about this ship before reading it, the journey through out it all will amaze you even more. We were also introduced to some precious side characters such as: the shoe poet and the blind girl. All these beautiful stories and people intertwine in such a heart breaking way, yet, I left the story with a sense of positive closure. Throughout each chapter, the story kept me gripping onto where I didn’t want to let it go near the end. I’m definitely going to be reading her other novels as i’m sure they’re just as wonderful. But, i’m so glad that this was my introduction to historical fiction. If you like historical fiction and haven’t read a Ruta Sepetys book, what are you doing with your life? I even mentioned this book to my current history teacher and he enjoyed it just as much. I read this book entirely in a day, on a school day. I barely ever reading after school because i’m so exhausted but I forced myself to stay awake and binge read this book. The heartache and day long binge were entirely worth it. 




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Spooky Reads for Fall



Thrillers\Mysteries are made for the Fall. It's the best time of the year to read spooky books! I've made a little list of all the spooky books I've read and plan to read. Enjoy!


  • Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl
  • The Diviners by Libba Bray
  • There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins
  • The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle
  • This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
  • Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
  • The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
  • A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
  • The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
  • The Call by Peadar Ó Guilín
  • Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart
  • Meddling Kids by Edgar Canteno 
Are you going to be reading any of these this Fall? Let me know!

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September '18 Playlist


xi. septembre

baby where are you - mountain man
coffee - beabadoobee
7 hours ago - honeywater
i knew this would be love - imaginary future
love (aint always so good) - isaac gracie
GOLD - BROCKHAMPTON
RENTAL - BROCKHAMPTON
wait a minute! - willow
SWEET - BROCKHAMPTON
1950 - king princess
infections of a different kind - AURORA (the entire album tbh)




the photo on this post is not mine. i found it on pinterest but if you know whose picture this is, feel free to tell me and i'll give credit.

September '18 Wrap Up




Well, I read one thing this month. Oops.



                                                      I have a review of Wildcard here!


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