10 Facts About Me

After nearly three years of blogging and just hanging around in the blogosphere chatting with all of y'all, I kinda feel like you already know all there is to know about me. Like in my time blogging, I've never really held back with the more personal details of my life and maybe at times, I should have exercised more caution but honestly I think of you all as my friend and friends tell each other things! You guys certainly know more about me than many people in my life.

When I was thinking of ideas for posts to have up on my blog while I was away on vacation, the idea to do a "facts about me" post came to me. I legitimately thought I had already done one but one search and it turns out that no, I indeed haven't even though I have written plenty of other posts in a similar vein (like 101 things I love and 101 things I hate). Since I haven't done this type of post just yet, I thought this would be a good time to do it, as I'm leaving for vacation and such and it's the type of post that doesn't need a lot of prior planning or preparation. And I know this might seem horribly lazy of me but honestly you try scheduling for four weeks as a non-scheduler and a blogger who has never written this many posts in this short amount of time EVER. I'm feeling very very close to burnout. So I thought I'd give myself a little break and write this post instead, which also ended up a lot longer than expected although why am I still surprised that my posts are so long because I TALK SO MUCH. But anyway, hopefully this doesn't seem as self-indulgent and self-absorbed as I think it is and you guys enjoy learning a little bit more about me; I know for myself, I always enjoy finding out more about the blogger outside of blogging and of course, books.

10 facts about me.

1. I was born on December 17, making me a Sagittarius.

I have somewhat of a love / hate relationship with my birthday. I really like that it's during the winter and so close to Christmas as there is something about the winter holidays that's just so romantic and whimsical to me. However, I do not like having to wait so long for my birthday to come and I know that sounds strange because everyone has to wait the same amount of time but when your birthday's at the end of the year and everyone you know has already turned 16 or 17 or whatever, the wait just seems that much longer and it's not fun. But apart from that, there really isn't very much I dislike about my birthday. And on a side note, I've never really bought into the whole astrology thing but there might be some TRUTH to it or maybe it's just destiny because I find that the sign Sagittarius massively suits me. Everything I've read about the characteristics of Sagittarians (?) basically fits me to a T.

2. I am an ENFP.
For Careers this year (which everyone says is such a joke course but I thought was actually very useful), I had to take the Myers-Briggs test to find out what my personality type is. I've taken it three times and all three times I've basically gotten the same result (except once when I got ESFP but it said that the difference I got between sensing and intuition was very marginal, meaning that it could really go either way which makes sense for me). It was interesting to get my result because I basically thought everything really fit me except for the first one which is introvert vs extrovert. I think of myself more as an ambivert because there are times when I'm extremely introverted and other times when I'm extremely extroverted ALTHOUGH if you told me I had to pick, I always pick introvert even if I may appear more extroverted? But I guess I can't really argue if the Myers-Briggs test thinks I'm more extroverted. I also found this article recently on ENFP struggles and related so HARD the entire time so yeah, I'm a little more convinced now. Also fun fact, ENFPs are also known as "champions" and Nelson Mandela was one!

3. The back of my phone is covered in stickers.

Oh hey, check it out. There's my phone! In all its pink glory. I don't remember why exactly I thought it would be a good idea to put stickers on it any more but I have to say that I have yet to get super embarrassed about it. Maybe the day will come soon... But the good thing is that it's very hard for me to lose it and it's very easy for others to identify if I do lose it. I left my phone by my locker in the school hallway once and THANK GOD my French teacher picked it up and sent it to the office but when I talked to her, I basically just went "did it have stickers?" and she was like "a ton" and then I was like "sure thing, that's my phone!"

4. I don't mind brussel sprouts but I HATE okra.
I don't understand why everyone hates on brussel sprouts. They are honestly the most inoffensive vegetable ever. They don't taste like anything and they don't have a weird texture either. They're basically like cabbage balls. How do you hate that? And when they're cooked well, like with a balsamic vinaigrette glaze, YUM. Okra, on the other hand, is disgusting. It's slimy and honestly feels like I'm eating someone's slobber. Like in those animated movies where the dog is just like slobbering everywhere. When I eat okra, I feel like the equivalent of that dog slobbering on me. So honestly if anything people should be hating on okra, NOT brussel sprouts. This is a legit thing I'm protesting guys.

5. I pride myself on my fashion knowledge.
I read a lot of Vogue and Teen Vogue as well as blogs / websites like Who What Wear so I do kinda pride myself on my fashion knowledge. I'm not a whiz at it or an expert by any stretch of the imagination but I do know quite a bit, like more than the average person, I guess. Fashion's just always something I've been super interested in so I read / watch a lot about it and I would consider myself pretty up to date about trends, the latest popular brands, supermodels etc etc.

6. I was OBSESSED with Jesse McCartney as a child.
He was probably the first celebrity crush I remember having. I remember watching him and his music videos on Disney Channel when I was 6 or 7 and being like "who's this young charming blonde guy?" And even though that was nearly a decade ago, I still admit to loving him and frequently jamming out to his music. I guess some things just never change?

7. I'm turning 16 this year in December!
Oh fun. The big sixteen, right? I probably won't have a sweet sixteen mostly because I don't like having huge parties on my birthday. For me, my favourite thing is just to have a quiet dinner with my family on my birthday and then go home, take a bath, relax and watch a movie or read or go on Tumblr. So no sweet sixteen for me! But I'm going to try to convince my parents to let me get my G1 / driver's license because it's something I want REALLY bad but they're not too keen about (I think they're both very worried that I'll crash into a tree or something because I wasn't paying attention and I mean, yeah, I guess it makes sense why they would think that but still...)

8. Hairdressers always ask me if my hair is permed.
And no, it's not. I get this question a lot because my hair, for some weird reason, isn't like the Asian hair you usually see: straight, shiny and BASICALLY GORGEOUS. My hair is crazy. Like insane. It's not straight unless I straighten it. It's not shiny no matter what I do to it. And there's a lot of it, it's crazy thick. Most days, it hovers around wavy but right after I've washed it, it gets super curly and if it's been a long time since I've washed it, the grease kinda pulls it straighter if that makes sense. But it's also really poufy and frizzy. Like if it's hot out, my hair just poufs out or if it's raining and my hair gets wet, as it dries, it poufs out so I look like I've been electrocuted or something. Honestly my hair is such a struggle. IF YOU HAVE STRAIGHT, SHINY HAIR, just know that I envy you.

9. My favourite joke is "two peanuts are walking down the street and one is a salted."
I don't know why this makes me laugh so much but every single time, IT GETS ME without fail. This is my one party joke. It's the one I tell to EVERYONE. Again, I don't know why, I just think it's hilarious. Though I will be the first one to tell you that my humour is very strange and if it's a pun that everyone else groans at, chances are that I will find it absolutely HILARIOUS.

10. I own too many high-waisted pants.
I kinda feel like once you go high-waisted, you can never go back. Or at least, that's how it is for me. Basically everything I own is high-waisted now and if I'm not wearing something high-waisted, I feel weird. My mom hates the look of them but I don't know, I quite like them. I like tucking in my shirts and I like the illusion of longer legs being on the shorter side (5'2") so they're a look I really really love.

Now it's your turn: share 10 interesting facts about yourself! What's your favourite joke? Who was your celebrity crush as a child? What's one food you absolutely DETEST? Which personality type and star sign do you fall under? Or any other interesting fact about yourself that you think would be fun to share. Let's have a little chat and get to know each other better! 

2 Years of Blogging!

As of today, Thursday August the 28th, I have been blogging for two years.

YES, TWO YEARS.

I feel like I'm dreaming. I feel like this is all a dream and someone needs to pinch me right now. My brain hasn't even begun to process this fact because it all feels at once like a really long time but also a really short time. And usually I'm pretty good at being sappy and talking about how much blogging means to me and how much I love you guys but now that the moment has called for it, I just can't seem to muster up words that adequately describe how wonderful it is to reach such a big milestone.

If you told me back on that fateful day in 2012 when I first started blogging that I would manage to continue doing so for two years, I would have said you were out of your freaking mind. I NEVER stick with things for any more than five months at the most (and you will hear ALL about this from my mum, except that she prefers to refer to all my endeavors as "projects") so if you told me I would stick with something for two years, I probably would have laughed in your face. But it seems, accidentally, I've stumbled upon this great love of mine: blogging about books (and occasionally other random things).

There is this one quote that I like from E.M. Forster about passion. It goes "One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested." And so I am very, very fortunate to have found my passion after years of just being mildly interested in things. I have to admit, however, that none of this would have been as fun and as interesting if you guys weren't with me all along the way. And I mean, ALL OF YOU. Everyone who has commented on my blog, who has taken the time to talk to me, who has taken the time to read my posts and et al. THANK YOU. It is you who keeps me going, who gives me the motivation to continue to blog and even if I have no idea who you are, just the knowledge that some of you are out there and maybe somewhat appreciate what I do here makes me so happy beyond words.

But first, there are some people that I would just like to really, really quickly thank for being my...friends? I feel like I can say that now, right? Or just people I've only talked to once or twice but I still really, really appreciate. God, there are so many people I want to just SPILL MY LOVE OUT FOR YOU and tell you how much I appreciate your existence but we'd be here all day so just very quickly, these are the people I'd especially like to thank and give a quick shout out to!

Lesley, Chloe, Shannelle, Josephine, Liz, Mitchii, Shelly, Emily, Meg,  Rachel, Chiara, Emily, P.E. & Mari, Charlotte, Jen, Aimee, Emily, and Zoe: THANK YOU!

I think I might be missing a few people but anyway, that's what I came up with on the spot but again, I really do appreciate each and everyone one of you!

It's been a crazy ride, these two years. But I can honestly look back and be proud of everything that I've accomplished and thankful of all the wonderful things I've been able to experience and learn because of blogging and thankful of all the brilliant people I've met (or stalked) through blogging.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU AND A MILLION TIMES MORE. I LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. GOODBYE. MWAH.

xoxo

Life of a Blogger (5): 101 Things I Hate

Hosted by Jessi @ Novel Heartbeat. Life of a Blogger is a weekly feature designed to reveal more about the blogger outside of books and blogging.

This week, we're talking about... 101 things you hate.

I did the 101 things you love list a few months ago but weirdly, never got to doing the 101 things you hate list. I was actually a bit hesitant to do it just because I don't have a lot of things I hate, if any at all. Most of the time, I might say I "hate" something but it's just extreme dislike. But not hate. You know when you were younger and you'd say you hated someone and then this annoying kid would come over and be like "hate is a strong word"? No? Well, okay maybe it's just me. But yeah, I was that annoying kid. The word "hate" just makes me uneasy and it seems so... certain? unchangeable? Even so, I managed somehow to come up with exactly 101 things I hate. But not really. Don't think of it as hate, think of it more like extreme dislike, yeah? Okay yes, the annoying kid in me is coming out again. Let's move on.

I HATE

1. Losing someone
2. Pigeons (they're everywhere in Toronto and they scare the shit out of me.)
3. Spilling my drink (especially when it's on my shirt and/or my pants because then I get stuck wearing my gym uniform for the rest of the day because my clothes are gross and wet. Ugh. I suppose it's better than not having anything to switch into though.)
4. Cough syrup
5. Green tea
6. Hangnails
7. Slut-shaming
8. Dog drool (Dogs are cute, sure, but not when they drool on you!)
9. Geese
10. Stepping in dog poo
11. Mosquitoes (and mosquito bites)
12. Shaving
13. Screwing up my nail polish
14. Computer viruses (don't even get me started.)
15. Raw fish (which is why I refuse to eat sashimi)
16. The sound of coughing
17. Oatmeal raisin cookies
18. Homework
19. Going to the dentist
20. Split ends
21. The sound of snoring
22. Early mornings
23. Stepping in gum
24. Dijon mustard
25. Having to pee when I'm asleep
26. Retainers (I have them but ew, they're so gross!)
27. Losing touch with someone (I guess you could argue that this is the same as losing someone...)
28. Typos (I don't bother to fix my typos when I see them but it doesn't mean I like them. It's just I'm too lazy.)
29. Flossing (I still do it but I hate it. And I still don't have a good method of getting my upper teeth without drooling everywhere and getting frustrated. Problems.)
30. Losing stuff (which happens to me a lot.)
31. The feeling you've forgotten something
32. When people don't respond to my messages! (unless they're lame and it's clear that I don't expect a response but if it's important, then you should reply when you see it!)
33. Okra
34. Mispronouncing words and names
35. The feeling of hopelessness
36. Doing dishes (least favourite chore.)
37. Running out of chocolate
38. Periods (you know what I mean.)
39. Feeling left out
40. CD scratches
41. Ice-less water
42. Stickers that don't peel off nicely
43. Fevers
44. Public restrooms
45. Pimples (why do I have so many??)
46. Feeling bloated
47. Melted ice cream
48. Feet
49. Chapped lips (mine are always chapped and I hate it. I don't know what to do!)
50. Ripe bananas (I only eat bananas if they're yellowy-green or spotlessly bright yellow.)
51. Plane food (especially Air Canada plane food.)
52. The sound of motorcycles
53. When people don't pick up after their dogs
54. The sound of sirens
55. Running out of data
56. Tangled wires
57. When people use the pet name "baby" (don't mean to offend anyone if you do it but it just bugs me.)
58. Cockroaches
59. Not knowing where my things are
60. Seeds in grapes (which is why I don't like purple grapes.)
61. Twizzlers
62. Bacon (I know, this makes an abominable Canadian but bacon just grosses me out. It's okay if it's in little pieces because sometimes I find them in chicken caesar wrap and while it would be nice if it weren't there, it's okay because it's really tiny and I can forget I'm eating it. But those thick, long strips? Nooo thank you.)
63. Outgrowing my favourite item of clothing
64. Migraines
65. Wasabi (please sushi makers, when you're packaging the sushi in the little boxes, can you make sure that the rolls aren't touching the wasabi? Or the ginger for that matter.)
66. Running out of things to talk about (especially if you're meeting the person for the first time or if it's like a person you're really trying to impress/be friends with.)
67. Grapefruit
68. The feeling of guilt
69. Turkish delights (I don't know why Edmund was so gaga over them. Not worth it, dude.)
70. Pepperoni pizza
71. People talking to you when you're TRYING TO READ
72. Dandruff
73. Sunscreen (I rarely apply sunscreen when I go out which I know is so bad for my skin but I'm just so lazy.)
74. Slush (like that mixture of rain and snow and it's all like gross brown and gray.)
75. When people wear too much cologne
76. Armpits
77. Runny noses
78. Rum cakes
79. Crocs
80. Knotted hair
81. Blisters
82. Traffic jams
83. Being stuck in rush hour
84. Goji berries (my mum loves these.)
85. Dried up markers
86. Microsoft Office 2003 (2007 is okay but 2003 just bugs me and makes me want to scream.)
87. Emery boards
88. Mouthwash
89. Paper cuts
90. Cucumbers (to those people who say it tastes like nothing so therefore, it doesn't make sense that I don't like them: they do taste like something! Like weird cucumber taste! Gross!)
91. Nestea Zero
92. Internet Explorer
93. Working out
94. Snowboots (I really don't like putting on snowboots. They're so clunky and uncomfortable and mine are hideous. I know most people aren't great fans of Uggs either but I'll try to wear my Uggs as often as possible during the winter. Unless of course, I have no choice and there's like slush on the ground and several centimeters of snow.)
95. Caps (like baseball caps. They're fine on other people and in general but I really don't like wearing them.)
96. Splinters (and getting them out.)
97. The feeling of grogginess after a long nap
98. The smell of wet grass
99. Butterflies
100. Wine gums
101. White-Out


That took an EXTREMELY long time. Maybe add "making a list of the things I hate" to the list of things I hate? Anyway, tell me in the comments what things you hate and maybe we can bond over them!

Life of a Blogger (4): Tattoos

Hosted by Jessi @ Novel Heartbeat. Life of a Blogger is a weekly feature designed to reveal more about the blogger outside of books and blogging.

This week, we're talking about... tattoos.

Okay wow, I haven't done a Life of A Blogger in a heck of a long time! I've been meaning to do them more regularly because I do love the topics and think they're so much fun. I might start catching up on them in the weeks to come. But anyway I thought I would jump in for this week since I didn't really have anything scheduled (haha, when do I ever have things scheduled?) and I have thought about tattoos in the past.

So first of all, I guess I should start with whether or not I have any tattoos? No, I don't. I think you have to be of a certain age to get them, right? Like 16 or 18? And I'm 14 so I'm not quite there yet. Also, I'm extremely doubtful that my parents would allow me to get a tattoo right now even if I could. I'm not sure if they would even when I'm 18 and am technically an adult. They're not too keen on the idea of tattoos but I'm hoping that if they're small and in less obvious places, they might relent.

I'm HOPING for that because I would like to get tattoos one day. Nothing big or extravagant and nothing with colour. I just want something tiny and sweet. I've kinda thought about getting a tattoo in all different parts of my body: my ankle, the inside of my wrist, on my finger, on my rib, behind my ear, and on my nape. But I don't think that's all going to happen. I feel like I like the look of tattoos but could probably not deal with the commitment. I mean, I know I could always undergo laser surgery to take them off but I might as well just not go through all that hassle just to do that. I wish there was like a tattoo kit where you could draw on tattoos that look real but are temporary.

Anyway, the only place I know I would want a tattoo there FOR SURE is my nape. Like, directly under my hairline. I'm not super certain what I want yet but I think I want the number seven in Roman numerals. And I think that might be the only tattoo I'd ever get because it's the only one I feel certain about. The other ones, I'm more iffy on and I also don't really know what to get there though I do have a Pin board with examples and they're all so cute!

Follow Annie's board inked. on Pinterest.

So yeah... that's about all I have on this topic! Feel free to link your posts in the comments below and tell me whether you have tattoos and if not, if you would like to get any!

Life of a Blogger (3): 101 Things I Love

Hosted by Jessi @ Novel Heartbeat. Life of a Blogger is a weekly feature designed to reveal more about the blogger outside of books and blogging.

This week, we're talking about... 101 things you love.

Life of a Blogger posts are one of my favourites to read because Jessi always comes up with such fun topics! I always like to try my best to participate just because I think it's a lot of fun but sometimes, that doesn't always happen due to REAL LIFE INTERFERENCE. Or... when I'm just being lazy. But this week's topic of 101 things you love was too fun to pass up on! I love making lists and I was in science learning about black holes when I started this list so it definitely helped kill some boredom! At first I thought 101 things was A LOT but now, looking back, I feel like it's too little. Regardless, brace yourselves because this is going to be a LONG list. In no particular order, these are the first 101 things I love that popped to mind.

I LOVE

1. My family
2. My friends
3. Blogging
4. Reading
5. Travelling
6. Chocolate
7. Dylan O'Brien (because he is the bae)
8. Mixtapes and playlists
9. Wearing perfume (because it makes me feel elegant and fancy. Plus, it disguises my sweat odour after Phys. Ed.)
10. Music
11. Christmas (because it is the best holiday)
12. Google (because what would I do without it?)
13. Marathoning movies
14. Watching popcorn pop (also, the smell of popcorn popping)
15. Sharpies (in all the colours. Also, Sharpie tattoos)
16. Top knots (because they're just so pretty and sophisticated. Mine aren't great but I've been improving!)
17. Craisins (eaten alone or sprinkled into some oatmeal)
18. Water balloon fights
19. Sleeping (this was a cop-out because who doesn't enjoy sleeping?)
20. Learning new things
21. Twitter
22. Musicals and plays (preferably seen live)
23. Impromptu dance parties
24. Shopping
25. Giving gifts (and receiving too, but giving is always so much fun because you get to see the other person's reaction! Unless they don't like what they've gotten...)
26. Roller coasters
27. Eating something great I made (I can't cook so when this happens, it's definitely something worth celebrating.)
28. Food Network (that channel is basically on 24/7.)
29. TLC (I just love reality shows, okay?)
30. Pretty stationary
31. Carrots (makes sense since I was born in the rabbit year.)
32. Being in the rain
33. Talking (some will say I talk too much, and too loudly)
34. Iceland
35. Pottery
36. Blank notebooks
37. My iPod (I have two, they're both super old but I love them to death.)
38. Jelly beans (especially the ones in fun flavours like BARF. Just kidding. Well, only partially.)
39. Starbucks (need any recs for what to get? I have tons!)
40. Crime shows (ie. Criminal Minds, Castle, Motive, Dateline Real Life Mysteries, 48 Hours, etc.)
41. Feeling like I've done something good for others/made a difference
42. Urban Outfitters
43. Feeling healthy
44. Finding someone with common interests
45. Birthdays (not just mine!)
46. Watching New Girl (regardless of how much worse it's gotten. Old habits die hard, I guess. Not that it's been a show for that long but...)
47. Coffee (anything but straight black though)
48. Animals
49. Watching award shows and critiquing fashion choices
50. Painting walls
51. Popping bubble wrap (my grandmother loves this too! No joke, she has a pile of wrap in her room that she pops for relaxation!)
52. Singing in the shower
53. Makeup
54. Cheesecake
55. Worn-in jeans
56. Pinterest
57. Making people smile and laugh
58. Nail polish
59. Root beer floats
60. Being in the snow (until it turns into gray slush.)
61. Keds
62. Getting dressed up
63. Swimming in lakes
64. Making lists
65. Ice cream (especially mint-chip and cherry.)
66. Tumblr
67. Rom-coms
68. Cookies
69. Gel pens
70. Feeling included
71. Stripes and polka dots
72. Bubble tea (I find Bubbletease has the best original Iced Milk Bubble Tea with Black Tea, but Ten Ren's has great flavours!)
73. Watching Youtube videos
74. Bath + Body Works (I always walk out of there smelling amazing. Cashmere Glow & Japanese Cherry Blossom are my favourite lines!)
75. Not having to get out of my pajamas
76. Tim Horton's (holla for the Canadian spirit!)
77. The smell of books
78. Dreaming about my future
79. Watching hockey
80. Stuffed animals (I have too many.)
81. Doing well on an assignment/test
82. Getting mail (excluding bills and flyers, of course because those aren't fun.)
83. Noodles and pasta
84. Campfires (brings back such great memories! Aside from when my eyes were irritated by the smoke.)
85. Karaoke (Dancing Queen is my specialty!)
86. Sleepovers
87. Excel Winterfresh Mint Gum
88. Plants and flowers (especially daffodils, daisies and ferns.)
89. Chipotle (especially their chicken burritos. Yum.)
90. Freshly washed blankets (because they're great to snuggle in.)
91. The sound of cellos
92. Bookmarks
93. Taking a nice, long bath to unwind
94. Being Canadian
95. Having no homework to do
96. The colour blue
97. The feeling after a great workout (not that it happens so much to me because ha, working out.)
98. Hiking
99. My computer (makes me sound like I'm too attached but it's true. I don't know what I'd do without my computer, and Internet!)
100. Werther's Originals candies (but really any candy is fine by me.)
101. Hugs (because they're just awesome.)


And that's my list! That took longer than I thought it would, but it was super fun trying to come up with things that I liked. It was a lot easier than expected but I'm not sure how next week's topic (101 Things You Hate) is going to go because I can't think of anything I really hate? Anyway, tell me in the comments what some of the things you love are and we'll have a little chat! 

If We Were Having Coffee #1

I saw this first on Jamie's site  and really loved the idea of it but didn't really think of writing a post myself. I don't shy away from being personal on this blog but I don't air it out either. March has been absolutely TERRIBLE and I feel like there are just some things I really need to get out - things that I don't think would do me any good keeping it in. I always feel much better when I talk through whatever stress or problems I'm going through and I think this would be a really great medium. So really, this post is more for me than anybody else but I just wanted to get some things off my chest and sometimes, talking to the Internet is more comfortable for me than talking to actual people I know. So, here we go...

Celebrating Six Months Of The Runaway Reader!

Six months ago, I made the rather sudden decision to pack my bags up at Random Reads and start all over with a new book blog, The Runaway Reader. I was really nervous at first because honestly, I made the entire move in less than five hours. Made a header, drafted a color scheme, uploaded some background, wrote my first post and done! There wasn't much thinking behind it except for the fact that I had been feeling more and more upset about what Random Reads was like and thinking that I would give anything to be able to wipe my slate clean and do it all over again. So when I revealed the news, I didn't know what would happen and how people would react.

Flash forward six months later and I can tell you that starting The Runaway Reader was the best decision in my book blogging career thus far. Never has a day gone by where I have regretted my decision to leave Random Reads. It feels to me like I've been blogging here since the very beginning and it's just some place I'm very comfortable. I felt like with Random Reads, I didn't really have any idea of what I was doing and when I wanted to be serious about book blogging, I wasn't quite sure how to transition. But now, I DO have experience and blogging comes much more easier to me. I have things worked out, I know what I'm doing and I know what I want in my blog. And I think that's the most important thing of all.

So here's to six amazing months of blogging and many more!!

Life of a Blogger (2): Introvert or Extrovert

Hosted by Jessi @ Novel Heartbeat. Life of a Blogger is a weekly feature designed to reveal more about the blogger outside of books and blogging.

This week, we're talking about... whether you're an INTROVERT or EXTROVERT.

Before I start, I feel like I need to clarify what being introverted and extroverted mean, respectively. I hope you don't think this comes off a bit condescending but I just find that people, including myself, get really confused about the definitions. I've talked to a couple people about this and I notice that we usually have a tendency to link being an introvert with being quiet or shy and being an extrovert as being someone who's loud and outgoing. But that is not the case at all, or at least not the whole story.

While being an introvert can certainly mean that you are a shy and quiet person, introversion does not imply that one must be shy and quiet to be an introvert. Really, all that an introvert is is someone who is more comfortable by themselves than with other people around them. So an introvert can definitely be shy, but that does not exclude being a loud person, for example, as a characteristic of an introvert. On the other hand, an extrovert is someone who's more comfortable surrounded by people. They're very social and tend to talk before they think (while introverts generally spend more time thinking).

Now having cleared that up, what am I?

I'm pretty sure, with only very little doubt, that I am an extrovert. I don't think I was as a kid but I think since I was a preteen, I've been an extrovert. I MUCH prefer having people around me than being alone by myself, especially in busy places. It's terribly awkward for me to have to wade through a crowd alone versus having people around me, even if it's just one. It doesn't mean I'm social all the time because there are times when I get moody and just shut everyone out, but most of the time I tend to lean towards extroversion rather than introversion. The only time I'm good at being alone is when there's a laptop, a television, a cellphone, or a book nearby. That is the ONLY time I will ever rather being alone than with other people. And usually when I'm moody, it's not even a matter about not wanting to be with anyone as it is more a matter of finding the right person to get me out of my funk.

I love talking to people and having people around me and while I'm not always really outgoing, I do definitely love having fun and letting my hair down. And that thing about how extroverts tend to talk before they think? Describes me to a T.


What about you? Are you an extrovert or an introvert? Do you like being surrounded by people or being by yourself?

Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014

Originally, I was going to write a post reflecting on 2013 but it just came out really blah. And while I'm not one to be worried about bad juju typically, I just don't think that it's good for me to have my first post of the year about stuff that probably isn't worth going over again. What's past is past, right?

So instead I'm going to focus on my goals for 2014. Since today is a new beginning (though I find, for the most part, it's more mental than anything), I'm going to wipe my slate clean and walk into 2014 with a fresh mind, and a fresh set of things I want to achieve.

So without further ado, my 2014 goals!

[via Mangao Designs]

Bookish Goals

1. Read at least 100 books this year. Since I'm starting to have less and less time for reading, I don't want to set my goal too high. I think 100 is a nice round number and it's something that I've achieved for the past few years so I know that I can do it. Of course, if I read more than 100, that's even better!

2. Expand my reading boundaries. I find myself reading a lot of contemporary YA so this year, I want to try and explore other genres and other types of books. There are so many great books out there and I just feel I'm going to miss out on all of them because I'm not willing to step out of my reading comfort zone.

3. Read at least 5 classics this year. Earlier this year, I made a list of ten classic novels I wanted to read. While I was working on compiling the list, I realized that there were so many classics that really appealed to me. 2013 was a flop, seeing as I really didn't read any classics at all so this year, I want to rectify that. 

4. Start recording what I read again. I stopped recording the books I read back in October and it's causing me such stress. I need to write a review for a book but I can't even remember the title! Obviously this whole not recording thing isn't doing really good for me so I want to start it up again. It's always good to have records and I find I do enjoy looking back on what I've read.

5. Read at least 5 non-fiction books this year. This kind of goes hand in hand with number two. I don't read a lot of non-fiction at all (except for maybe the occasional memoir) so I'm going to make it a point to get into it this year. And I'm only allowing myself one memoir.

6. Catch up on my NetGalley books. Even though I promised myself I wouldn't request any more until summer break, I went ahead and did so anyway. So now I have three books to read that should have been finished LONG AGO. And also one review request dating back to September. I really need to get my act together!

7. Complete reading all books I received in 2013. I have a bad habit of buying books that I don't finish and I still have about seven or six from 2013 that I need to finish. 

8. Reread more. This one is a bit more vague than the others because I wasn't sure if I wanted to put an exact number on how much I reread. All I know is that I do want to revisit some books I really enjoyed so I'm planning on doing that this year. Even one or two would be fine with me, as long as I do it.

9. Complete at least 5 series this year. You don't even know how many series I start and don't finish so I decided to sign up for the 2014 Series Challenge hosted by Read Sleep Repeat to reduce the amount of series unfinished on my list. I originally put the number down as ten but I realized that was a bit optimistic so I changed it to five.

10. Find and read more novels by Canadian authors. Similarly to non-fiction, I really don't read a lot of Canadian literature and I would like to change that this year! I feel like there are so many great Canadian authors out there that I'm not discovering because it's not really what I pick up.

11. Complete the 2014 Book Bingo Challenge (hosted by Another Novel Read). After seeing this on Book Blogging, I knew I wanted to participate. I do love me some bingo and this just seems like such a great and fun way to knock off some books on my TBR.

Bloggy Goals

1. Blog at least three times a week. Okay, so I know I said in my blogging manifesto that I wouldn't push how many times I blog but I know that with 2014, I want to have a stronger presence on here. It's also like wanting to prove to myself that I can juggle multiple responsibilities. I know two times a week is no biggie for me so I want to aim for three.

2. Redesign my blog. I'm starting to get really sick of those darn trees. They just feel so gloomy now so I definitely want to change things up a bit. Not sure what my plans are for my redesign but I WILL get to it this year.

3. Write more meaningful comments and comment MORE. I have been utterly crap at commenting this year so I'm absolutely determined to change this. Comment more and share more substantial and meaningful words.

4. Continue to reply back to my comments. I like when I get replies (even though I know sometimes, it's hard for bloggers to do so) so I'm going to continue to reply to my comments.

5. Start doing Top Ten Tuesday again. I used to do Top Ten Tuesday posts all the time back on Random Reads and I do want to get back to them because I love making lists. I find that sometimes, the topics don't really interest me so I'm not going to do them every week but maybe at least one week out of a month.

6. Write more discussion posts. I never used to write discussion posts but they're actually so much fun! I feel like I have so much to say and I do find that they are more popular so this is definitely something that I want to achieve.

7. Maintain a blogging schedule. I'm going to kick myself for putting this on my list because God knows how many times I've tried scheduling and it just simply doesn't work. But despite my failures, I'm pretty convinced that I can make it work somehow. I don't need a really fancy schedule as long as it keeps me organized.

8. Finish coding that damn drop down navigation bar. That goddamn nav bar will be the death of me. I just can't seem to make it work. It's already been there for like four months and I'm getting sick of seeing it so this is definitely top priority at this point. Even though I'm kind of dreading jumping back into the coding. It's just such a mess!

9. Stop apologizing for taking breaks. I apologize a lot and I'm not sure if it's because I'm Canadian or something (ha ha) but really, it's pointless for me to be apologizing for something that's not wrong.

10. Follow up with all my features. I have so many ideas for features - some that I've started, some that I haven't - so in the new year, I want to follow up with all of them. I feel like having special features are a great way to be creative so it's certainly something I want to keep up with.

11. Think about hosting a giveaway. Just think about. When I started The Runaway Reader, I said that I wanted to host a giveaway and honestly, since October I haven't given a thought at all. While I don't think it's likely that I'm going to get one up by December, I do want to start planning and thinking about how to make it work. 

12. Start vlogging. I've tried so many times to film a vlog in the past and it just hasn't worked but again, I'm determined to make it work. I feel like a Youtube channel could really add a little extra to my blogging and it just seems so much fun.

Other Goals

1. Start working on my novel. I came up with an idea I really liked in October and have put off writing it ever since, even during Nano! So this year, I'm making it my goal to start writing it. I don't need to finish it but I definitely want to get started.

2. Keep up a journal. I've already started journalling and I want to keep up with it throughout 2014. 

3. Get more exercise. I sit around too much! I was actually really good about exercising this summer but it's just slowly slipped from then. 

4. Take more photographs. I love taking photographs but I haven't been lately so I want to get back to it. Maybe once I start photographing again, I can convince my parents to get me a Canon Rebel.

5. Learn to code. I'm actually really interested in coding so I want to learn it. I had a very tiny education back in the fifth or sixth grade but I've completely forgotten everything I've learned so it's back to square one for me. 

6. Take up baking. I enjoy baking. I'm not good at it and I don't bake often but I think it's so much fun so this year, I want to take up baking. I made spritzies this year which were really good so I think next on my list should be chocolate chip cookies. 

7. Drink more water. Oh god, I absolutely suck at drinking water. It's obviously not very healthy for me so I'm aiming for at least two glasses of water a day this year.

8. Get organized. I'm so incredibly disorganized so I would like to get my things straight. I don't know if I can deal with spending two hours pawing over piles and piles of crap to find my things.

9. Stop being so forgetful. I am also so incredibly forgetful which is such a bad habit. Can't count how many things I've lost in 2013. I feel like I just have a really bad memory but even so, I'm going to aim to devise a way to help me keep track of my things.

10. Expand my vocabulary. Sometimes, I get bored by my vocabulary. I feel like I'm using the same few words over and over again so this is definitely something I want to work on this year!

11. Eat more healthy. I'm not too great at eating healthy either so I'm going to work on cutting out junk food and just stuff that isn't really good for you. 

12. Take a break from technology every once in a while. I find I'm way too dependent on my phone and my computer than is good so this year, I'm going to aim to take some time and unplug from everything. 

13. Try new things. This is a big one for me. I shy away from challenges and new things a lot so I want to be more spontaneous and not fear experimentation!

So those are my goals for 2014! I know that was just like a wall of text. Oops. But anyway, hopefully, with these goals, I'll be able to have a productive year. Yay! 

Now tell me. What are you goals for this year?
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This post is part of the Readiculous End of Year Celebration hosted by Shelly @ Readiculous Reads. Go and give her some love!

My Blogging Manifesto

Hi guys! I am officially back from my prep week hiatus and feeling totally re-energized about blogging.

It was important for me to take a break because I felt like I really needed to re-evaluate my blog and where I want to go with it. These past few weeks have been tough for me, in terms of The Runaway Reader and I felt like I was slipping further and further away from what I wanted the blog to be. And the problem was that I had no clue what I wanted in the first place!

So during my hiatus, I thought long and hard about what The Runaway Reader represents and came to some conclusions that I decided to form into a blogging manifesto. In the past, I never thought I needed one but now, it's becoming clearer and clearer to me that I do need one. I need something to guide me and lift my spirits up whenever I'm in another blogging slump. So without further ado, my blogging manifesto! 

Annie's Blogging Manifesto

1. My blog is a part of me and will always represent who I am.
2. I will treat this blog as a hobby, not as a duty.
3. I will blog with passion and integrity always.
4. I will not let anybody else determine how I blog.
5. I will always try my best to do as much I possibly can.
6. But at the same time, I will understand that I need a break sometimes and will not fear taking a step back from blogging.
7. While blogging means a lot to me, I will not compromise my life outside of the blog because of it.
8. I will not be afraid to go against the tide.
9. I will not feel obliged to do ANYTHING.
10. I will always make sure to display proper conduct.
11. In no circumstances will I ever participate in spreading drama or negativity.
12. I will not let myself get jealous or compare myself to other bloggers.
13. I will not think about blogging statistics.
14. I will be appreciative of each and every reader I have.
15. I will do my best to respond in a meaningful way to every comment when I can.
16. I will make an effort to be active outside of my own blog.
17. I will accept the fact that the day when I no longer want to/can blog will arrive and learn not to be fearful of it.
18. I will continue to blog because I love it and not because I have to.
19. But most importantly, I will appreciate and be proud of what I have accomplished and learned because of blogging.

So this was mostly just a post for me to refocus and re-evaluate some of my goals when blogging but if you have a manifesto too, I want to know how it works for you! 

What Happens When You Only Have 24 Hours In A Day

When I started blogging, I had no idea how time-consuming it would become. Back then, blogging was merely a hobby - something I would do to pass time. Back then, I still had TIME TO SPEND. But now, I'm in high school and while it's not busy busy, it definitely uses up a lot of the spare time I had in grade seven and always leaves me feeling exhausted. Between high school and blogging, I literally have NO time to do anything else except for a few minutes before bed when I sneak in some reading time.

And realizing that was a bit shocking for me. Time is only going to be harder to manage as I grow older so I need to be able to manage it well now and that means I need to rethink my priorities.

Obviously, school is going to be number 1. It's important for me that I do well and honestly, no matter how much I complain about the work I get, I love learning and I'm grateful I have the opportunity to do so.

As for what takes the second spot on my list, well, I'm not so sure any more. If you asked me a few months ago, I would have said blogging without delay. But now, I really don't know if it's as important to me as it was then. I mean, I still love blogging and I love reading posts and writing discussions and thinking up of ideas but when I actually go to DO them, I just don't want to. While I want to be able to leave comments on other blogs, I don't want to go through the action of doing it. While I want to have posts every day for my blog, I don't want to go through the action of doing it.

So I guess this post is also a bit of an apology for not being around as much. I'm still trying to sort out my thoughts and where I want to go with The Runaway Reader. I know FOR SURE that I don't want it to end but on the other hand, I'm not ready to handle a full-time blog.

Blogging just takes up too much time for me and now, I'm questioning if it's worth it to spend all this time when really, blogging gives me nothing in return. I mean, I'm happy that there are people who read my blog now and like it - that's obviously a huge deal for me but in the long run, this entire thing is so insignificant. And there are so many other things I want to do like learn how to bike and play the guitar and finish a novel that I HAVE to sit down and really wonder: is it worth it and if it is, how am I going to manage it all? There are just too many things I want to do and not enough time to do it all.

Ideally, I would have twenty eight hours in a day so I can have time to do everything I want but then, I have to be honest and ask, even if I have twenty eight hours, will I still want to blog? Is it a matter of time or a matter of will?

Hmm. Good question, Annie!

Right now, I really have no clue and that kind of makes this post pointless. What was my point for this again? Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I have a lot of things I need and want to do and if blogging has to go, then blogging has to go. I'm not ready to cut it off from my life yet so I'm going to have to learn how to schedule my time wisely but it's scary how much this has been on my mind.

Is the end near?