Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Montly Rewind: August

I  am SO SAD that August is over! It's one of my favorite months but this year, especially, it was just wonderful. I'm also truly upset that it is September and classes are in full swing! I was so excited to return to college but I forgot a lot of the stress associated with being here and I'm really feeling it now, which is a bummer. I hope to have some great posts out this month, namely a guest post that I am head-over-heels in love with and a review I feel really proud of, but I mostly hope I can find time to read in-between my busy schedule. *fingers crossed*

3 Things About My Life This Month


1. I returned to Wellesley! It's a completely different experience to return to college than it is to move into college as a first-year student. I arrived on campus two weeks before the start of classes for Student Leadership Training and it was amazing! My best friend has been on campus all summer, working at Admissions, so it was so, so nice to finally reunite with her and we spent the better part of those two weeks glued to the hip.

2. Student Leadership Training & Orientation! Student Leadership Training was one of the most inspiring weeks to spend at Wellesley because I was surrounded by motivated, engaging students who were just incredible. I really love my Residential Staff team this year and I just know it's going to be a great year since I'll get to work with them. But, honestly, nothing beat the rush of Orientation. Not being a first-year for Orientation is the best decision anyone can make because it's SO MUCH FUN! We celebrated some of the best Wellesley traditions, got to know the first-years, and it was my first time running workshops and helping students in my leadership role, which was so rewarding. Long story short, if you're a college student considering becoming a Student Leader, you should definitely do it! It's a sacrifice to give up two extra weeks of summer but it's also so, so worth it!

3. My Birthday! So my birthday was during Orientation week this year, like last year, only it was on Registration Day instead of Placement Exam Day (so an improvement...). I was exhausted with all the work I had to do as a Student Leader on my birthday but this was one of the most special birthdays I've had because people went out of their way to really make me feel loved. My best friend decorated my door with hot men (because...HOT MEN!) and my House President actually delivered a cake to me that she decorated! It was so unbelievably sweet of them and I'm so lucky to know such lovely people!

Top 3 Books I Read This Month


1. Burn by Paula Weston - I loved this finale to Weston's Rephaim quartet and if you haven't already picked it up, I really cannot recommend it more. It's just so, so good--please read it!

2. Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White - I typically don't enjoy White's work but this was really the exception to the rule because it wound up being so good. I stayed up all night to read it and just really, really loved it.

3. A tie between After the End by Amy Plum and The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick. I enjoyed both of these books a lot, and in different ways, but they also forced me to alter my expectations quite a bit so I feel as if I'd have truly fallen for them had I had different expectations prior to picking them up.

3 Most Popular Posts This Month


1. ARC Review: A Wish Upon Jasmine by Laura Florand - Florand is one of my favorite romance authors of all time and I really loved her latest novel. Her books are all set in France, which is pretty much all the motivation I ever need to pick them up. Because France.

2. Monthly Rewind: July - I'm so glad that my first Monthly Rewind post got so much love!

3. Review: The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler - Easily my favorite book of the year, The Summer of Chasing Mermaids is so near and dear to my heart. Look out for a guest post and giveaway by Sarah Ockler later this month!

Post I Wish Got a Little More Love


My review of Kiersten White's Illusions of Fate because it's a novel I didn't expect to enjoy but it completely blew me away and is a spectacular stand-alone fantasy novel that features diversity and is devoid of insta-love and love triangles, which are all wins in my book!

5 Posts I Starred in my Blog Reader This Month


1. My Indian Parents Are Huge Fans of Cultural Appropriation, Even While My Generation Finds it Appalling: This article is basically MY LIFE and explains a lot of the struggles that Indian American children struggle with. On a related note, I cannot tell you the number of times I've rolled my eyes at a "yoga" class and people haven't understood that I'm not criticizing the exercise but rather that I'm incensed at the "Namaste" and "Om" that are thrown about as Westerners try to pass off "yoga" as part of my culture when, seriously, the "yoga" you are doing is NOT the "yoga" from India. (I know that may be hard to believe, but as someone who was born in India, I can confirm this.) You can read more about the differences between Western Yoga and actual Yoga at this post, if you're interested in stopping the spread of cultural appropriation currently happening!

2. 30 Things I Didn't Do Until I Turned 30: I'm not even close to being thirty, but this post struck a chord with me. Kate is a travel blogger who has visited over fifty countries in her short life--she is so cool! Yet, there were still so many things she hadn't done with her life until she turned thirty; many of them normal, everyday things. And though I read her blog, often with envy at not having traveled to the exotic locations she has, this post made me realize that there is so much I can still do before turn thirty--and even after.

3. Podcast: Episode 30 (Season 3, Episode 4) - "We Have Some Things We'd Like to Say": I loooove the Clear Eyes, Full Shelves podcast, so if you're not already listening...listen! In this episode there are so many important book industry issues discussed, from portraying people of color accurately in literature (and other sources of media) and the flaws inherent in marketing, namely the onus on readers to buy books when publishers simply aren't marketing the way they need to.

4. On Male-Dominated Spaces and Internalized Sexism: This post basically validates so much of why I attend a women's college. If you ever want to talk to me about my experience at a women's college (or want me to write a post about it) let me know because I absolutely LOVE my college experience and definitely want to encourage more women to consider women's colleges.

5. 10 Things Women In Their Twenties Need to Stop Worrying About: This is a Buzzfeed post but I love how Buzzfeed really tries to push the ideals of feminism while being firmly in the zone of more rights for both men and women. Anyway, I loved this piece and though I'm not in my twenties yet, it's still so applicable.

Obsession of the Month

I've been really obsessed with this mashup of the song "Lean On" with an old Indian song, "Rangeela" (which means colors). It's fantastic and I've been dancing to it all around campus. Oops!

Something I'm Looking Forward to Next Month 


Family & Friends Weekend! Since last year was my first year at Wellesley, my entire family drove up and spent the weekend with me here. But this time, it'll be just my mom and I'm so, so excited for her to visit so we can split the weekend between Wellesley and Boston! :)

12 comments:

  1. I'm glad that you had a great time being a Student Leader. It sounds like it was a lot of fun. YAY for hot men on your door and a hand made cake. :) Happy late Birthday!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ahh I really want to be a Student Leader next year! I did it for incoming 6th graders and 9th graders when I was in middle and high school, and it's just something I really love to do. I'm so glad the training and orientation is fun to lead at Wellesley! And happy late birthday, Keertana! So happy to hear that it was properly celebrated this year ;) AND HOT MEN ON YOUR DOOR? That's when you know your best friend is THE best.

    I'm really excited to read your review for THE BOY MOST LIKELY TO and to see what's up with this guest post from Sarah Ockler! And yes to ILLUSIONS OF FATE. :)

    I do hope that you find time to read in September, and good luck with your studies!
    xoxo,
    Jen

    ReplyDelete
  3. I feel like your best friend an I would get along really well Keertana, I love a girl that decorates her best friend's door with hot men. I APPROVE!!!! A belated Happy Birthday to you my friend:)

    I remember my sophomore year of college - SO much better than freshman because the stress of the unknown was gone and I actually knew people when I got on campus ;-) Hope your second year is the same!

    ReplyDelete
  4. If I haven't mentioned it already, Keertana, I just want to say how amazing you are that you are greatly enjoying attending a women's college. Wellesley! My God. Have you ever seen the movie, Mona Lisa's Smile? Ever since I've seen that movie, I wanted to actually set foot on Wellesley's grounds (maybe even kiss it). You're an amazing, admirable woman. <3

    ReplyDelete
  5. P.S.

    I feel I should also mentioned that though that movie was based on a fiction, I still think it's would be an honour to attend that college.

    ReplyDelete
  6. We've both been so busy lately and this post really makes me feel like we reconnected, so thank you! I loved catching up with the events in your life. I obviously need to read Sarah Ockler soon, as I promised I would.

    Like you, I'm sad August is over, but I love being back in the university with my students. I would never tell them that, but I missed them like crazy. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. First... Happy Birthday! You know I recently had a birthday and my door looks so lonely... ;) LOL That just looks like you had so much fun!

    I like you top 3 books. I so need to read Illusions of Fate and I think you moved it up the wishlist again.

    I just had a discussion with my mom about cultural appropriation. Yes, this is a topic I'd love to see more about.

    Oh and I love mashups! That one was good!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hello ,I read you post and enjoyed reading your experience being a student leader.Being a first year student , I find it intimidated to put yourself out there , but you made it fun and inspiring and less scary:)

    I would love to hear your experience at a woman's college!
    Nice post:)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm glad you discovered Laura Florand. She's one of my favorite authors.

    I've been meaning to read Illusions of Fate. I've enjoyed White's books so far.

    Karen @For What It's Worth

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am so happy to read this post, Keertana! It makes me feel so content to see my friends having fun with their lives :) That Student Leadership Workshop sounds so fun and I'm wishing I were there with you all! AND WOOOT! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Better late than never, right? I hope you had books along with that cake!

    Faye at The Social Potato

    ReplyDelete
  11. Happy b-lated birthday hon, it sounds like you had a very busy month! Glad some of the books that you read was a pleasant surprise!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Your monthly rewinds make me feel connected with you. I feel like I know you, Keertana, not only as a reviewer, but as a person. Good luck with you schooling. I had no idea what Student Leadership Training is, but it looks like you enjoyed it. Glad to hear you had a wonderful Birthday; it was great of you friends to decorate your door an deliver a cake. All you top books are on my tbr-list and hopefully I’ll read them in fall. I hope you’ll have a great time with your mom on Family & Friends Weekend!

    ReplyDelete

I love hearing from my readers and I read, reply, and appreciate every one of the comments I receive!(: If you're a fellow blogger, please leave a link to your blog - I'd love to drop by!

Unfortunately, this is now an award-free blog. I simply do not have the time to respond and forward on the award, but I truly appreciate the nomination regardless.