all right -day two, let's go. I feel like
every vlog you're gonna see from me this week is going to drop about ten percent
of energy. admittedly I went a little too hard yesterday. I did too much. I didn't
get enough sleep, I didn't finish my vlog until like 2:00 a.m. and it's still uploading now it's 8:00 a.m. I have an
errand to run every morning this week at 8:00 which is good because it gives me
an excuse to like, get ready and feel put together early in the morning, and then I
can begin my vlog. Well I can begin my vlog no matter what I look like, so I
don't know. all I know is I'm tired, but my video is currently uploading. it
exported like as I went to sleep, and then I'm gonna have to wait until my
lunch break because right after this I need to start working. today's another
busy day at work- I've got a lot of meetings and I'm gonna wait until my
lunch break to watch through yesterday's vlog and then add the captions, and then
it'll go live. I don't know why you need to know the behind-the-scenes of my
channel, but that's just what I feel like chatting about. one of my read-a-thon
rules for myself is to basically start the read-a-thon at the par that I plan
to end the read-a-thon. so basically don't over promise;
don't set expectations that my vlog is going to go up at like 2:00 a.m. or 4
a.m. because I know that I won't be able to keep that consistency. so I think
posting the following day around lunch for me makes sense. which sucks when
you're in the Pacific time zone because like for tons of other people it's
already like noon or I mean the next day for a lot of people. I feel behind but I
won't allow myself to feel like, pressure or like it's a race to get the vlog up.
everyone's vlog is different, everyone's capabilities is different,
everyone's time zones are different- so I'm seeing a lot of
reading rush stuff in my feed which is amazing and I can't wait to start
watching some of it. and I'm just going to go at my own pace. that's what's
happening. the first thing I absolutely have to do today is get coffee and I am
gonna take your recommendations so leave me down below anything caffeinated that
you think I should try from Starbucks this week and every day I will pick
something different. but I mentioned maybe doing this again on YouTube and
somebody did comment something that sounded very interesting. Literary Book
Babe said "new coffee favourite from Starbucks- oat milk honey latte with
blonde espresso, iced or not still bomb." so I am stopping at Starbucks. I'm gonna
wear my mask. I'm just gonna go through the drive-thru really quick- they all
wear masks, we never make contact. they put the stuff in like a bin- I'm sure it
might be the same for where you live. and then you can just grab it. at Tim
Hortons they have a hockey stick attached and they like leave it out the
window like with the interac machine or whatever it's called. "can you guys do an oat milk latte?"
"we don't have oat milk quite yet."
"okay can I do a venti iced honey latte?"
"Are you looking for that honey flat white? or are you looking for a latte and we can add honey syrup into it?" that was confusing.
alright I have no idea what I just got. I think it may be different-
like you might be in the States and I'm in Canada. so I apparently just got a
flat white but there is honey in it. Yum. This isn't my new favorite drink
but it's espresso and milk so like I mean it's good. okay yay, success. last year I
tried a new drink every day and on the last day I tried a dirty chai which now
sounds ridiculous that I hadn't been drinking dirty chais regularly, and now
for the last year I have exclusively ordered chai with espresso in it, I never
get chai just on its own anymore from Starbucks. thank you for the
recommendation. I can't wait to see what you guys tell me to get tomorrow. it is 4 o'clock and 31 degrees out I'm
gonna stay in my air-conditioned place. my air conditioning is fixed for now. I
don't feel like doing anything except sleeping. I don't want to read, I don't
want to vlog, I don't want to be awake. I think it's fact that I got no sleep
paired with like three hour-long zoom meetings today. I was reading an article
the other day about like why we feel so zapped of energy after a zoom meeting as
opposed to in in-person meeting and it was like- you put so much energy out
there but you're not receiving any energy back as far as like physical
human interaction. and that's why you feel so tired.
....do you ever get caught
saying "I read an article" when like you didn't really? like "no you weren't
reading an article Karen, you are scrolling down Instagram and saw a
pretty graphic with no sources cited." okay here's what I'm up to.
I actually love how the reading rush is doing these activities- I really
hope there's one every day. this is the one for today I've never participated in
these GIF/GIF challenges. (I know which one is right but if I don't
say both somebody will attempt to correct me) one of these story challenges
just because I always scroll past them so fast I don't actually like ever stop
to really look at what somebody chose. I don't know about you. but I'm doing it. so
"your reading fuel" is chai. "the color of my birthstone" that's aquamarine.
"favourite genre" is horror, thrilling things. "favorite reading spot" is my bed. she looks cozy. that's not really a bed,
I don't know what that is. but it looks like a good time. a day bad? I'm so uncultured. a sofa bed? a chais lounge? something like that.
"title of your current read" burn our bodies down not gonna be on here, how about just
burn. pretty. and "your favorite book to movie adaptation" I don't think there's
gonna be any GIFs for Perks of Being a Wallflower. so I'm gonna do Lion. What's it called? the actual book is
called hmm A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley. and that to date is I think one
of the only movies I've ever seen only once and have immediately claimed it as
an all-time favorite. I feel like I usually need to watch movie a couple
times. and the movie experience for that one was actually terrible. Robbie and I
were in the front row so we were like THIS watching the movie. and we just
cried the entire time. and Dev Patel is everything to me. so iconic. I also just
posted yesterday's challenge so you can see- why do I try to show you here
like- look here. look at it. I put it in VSCO and
chose a warm filter and I think it matched the book pretty. well my vlog
also went up and I've been trying to comment as much as I can,
you're all so lovely and leaving me such kind comments and I just feel so soft. oh
I did read- I didn't vlog it- I've given up on today's vlog, can we just be clear?
maybe I'll pick it back up tomorrow. I've read the next couple stories in here I
realized there are actually like 20 stories so I need to read more than one
to two a day. one of the ones I read this morning is Barbie-Q and I just really
loved it. Sandra Cisneros- The House on Mango Street- if you haven't read it, it's just one of my favorite things. and I don't
think I realize like sometimes I love a book by an author and I never think to
pick up more from them. and I feel bad that it took me so long to pick up
anything else, but it isn't just the book it's her. it's her writing.
I just love short stories that seem to be about one thing, like
she's just talking about glittery dresses and Barbies but it's actually
like a commentary on... it could be a commentary on so many things. like
poverty. you know when you went to school and you had to write down the
themes of the story you just read. consumerism. inner beauty.
appreciation for what you have. the idea that like, putting on a front and
like hiding your inner self. there's just so many things to get out of two
and a half pages. I should be picking up Burn Our Bodies Down now. that's what I
should be doing. and I have nothing else to talk about. nothing
interesting to vlog. all right, want to know what I just thought of that might
be fun. the girls from the reading rush posted a tag video the other day. I
haven't watched it yet because, you know, I'm doing the reading rush. but since
there's no technical video challenges I'm going to turn this into a challenge.
I haven't read anything but I see there's a list of questions 1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 questions. 8 books I think that you need to think
of an answer. each question needs to have a bookish answers is what I'm trying to say.
and I wonder if I like put a minute on the clock if I can find a book to answer
each question. because my shelves are already destroyed from yesterday. like
why not make it worse? ok a minute might be ambitious, let's just do it and see
what happens. "a book that stretches your mind" a book if it stretches your mind...
hood feminism. "what's a book that you started but never finished." are you
kidding? oh I'm overwhelmed never finished a book a book I never finished
okay I'm technically ready to go I just saw it. what's happening. oh I definitely
never finished The Field Guide to the North American Teenager. "a book to read really
quickly." Animal Farm. "what's your favorite long book" my favorite long book my
favorite long book this isn't technically true. "what's a book that had
ups and downs." I all of them. A House in the Dark in the Woods, or whatever. "a book
you were proud to finish." a book I was proud to finish? Inspection because it
wasn't that great. um "best book you've read during a read-a-thon." Love From A to Z.
*timer goes off* I only missed one question! "an underrated book you wish got more attention." The Gallery of Unfinished Girls by Lauren Karcz which
came to mind immediately because it kinda reminds me of Burn our Bodies Down.
I didn't win the challenge because these aren't even true. I mean they are true....
you can read this quickly. I didn't finish this. I gave this five stars and I
know I read it during a read-a-thon but is it the best book I've ever read in a
read-a-thon? I don't think so. was i proud to finish this? I mean...
kind of. did this have ups and downs? ah yes .this is not my favorite long book.
but this is the book that expands your mind.
oh my favorite long book is right here. it was so easy. I also read this during a
read-a-thon. I also felt proud to accomplish this. it also expands your
mind. it also had ups and downs. I also started at once and then didn't finish
it, and then finished it two years later. I think the only one this doesn't fit
for is an underrated favorite because this is not underrated in any way. but
other than that Illuminate could have been my answer to every question. okay
that was fun, kind of. what's up I'm carrying my camera around trying to think of somewhere in my house I've never vlogged before. I'm just trying to
keep things interesting. is it working? these are my stairs. are you not
entertained? I'm gonna find three questions to answer. @wonder.reads asked
me "how are you organizing your bookshelves now?" first of all how dare
you you know that's a touchy subject. my book
shows are still organized by genre but sometimes I move things around for...
"photography." I couldn't even keep a straight face. Jesse asked me "what's a
current goal you'd like to achieve soon?" Not Jesse making me aware of the fact
that I don't have goals... Gabby asked my "favorite horror movie" oh
my god just one? I have to be honest I don't think I've seen a horror movie in
the last 10 years that has genuinely scared me so my answers are from so long
ago they're probably still not movies that would scare me now, but as a teen, as
a preteen, like I still consider these my favorites because they made such an
impact on me. Jeepers Creepers to this day is still one of the only horror
movies that ever freaked me out. and then the newer Texas Chainsaw
Massacre will always be one of my favorites. oh my love this question "what
is your favorite waterfall hike?" I guess like this isn't interesting to anyone
unless you live like in British Columbia it can actually go to these places. but
if you don't know one of my favorite hobbies of all time is hiking and it's
encouraging to me when there's a waterfall at the end, so usually if I go
for a hike it's - it's to reach a waterfall. I think my all-time favorites
are Christie Falls in West Kelowna where there's like a rope swing and I put my
four-year-old on it. and that hike is I think the hardest hike I've ever done as
far as incline. like there are ropes, you have to like climb up things, like it's
it's kind of difficult I mean difficult for me like a 300-pound lady. my other
favorite is Brandy Wine. I don't know if it's in Whistler or just near Whistler. this one does not really have it designated like trail or anything, you're not really
supposed to go to the bottom of the waterfall. not many people do. if you
climb down you will probably not see anyone else there. and
there's also not really a place to like hang out, so like once you're
exhausted from the climb, there's a huge jagged rocks
you just get to perch on. but the view is crazy, like no photo will ever show
really what it is. I think those are my favorites. did you ask for one
favorite? oh my god again I can't just have one answer. Also in West Kelowna,
Bear Creek. It's not like a hike but it's my favorite waterfall. you have to
basically like walk through a river, up the river and then you have to swim
through a canyon, but then you get to a waterfall. Oh and then of course
Johnston Canyon in Banff. again isn't so much a hike, it's just like a kind of well
paved trail, and you can go off the path and climb down and it's actually
not even the waterfall that's that impressive but there's this really cool
rock. so those have been my favourite waterfalls to visit. that's it three
questions down. okay I have a hundred and fifty pages left of Burn Our Bodies Down. I am liking it. she found a photograph, she's connecting with family, that family
has secrets. her mother has secrets. the town has
secrets. why did her mother leave in the first place? why doesn't she want Margo
to go back and meet these people? what is she trying to hide? and now that Margo is
in this town she might not be able to leave. I feel like that's pretty much all
I can tell you. and I'm going to finish this right now.
and to hold myself accountable every 10 pages I am going to give you one word
that sums up my feelings or what just happened.
okay those 10 pages I just read I would sum up with a word...
"educational." the next 10 pages were "spooky." "Swoony?" Can I say swoony? "Painful." "Enlightening."
why am i doing this? "Perplexing." "Shock," "What?" "Oh." Okay. what do I say about Burn Our Bodies Down? I just finished it so I haven't had time to like gather my thoughts or really
think things through, or let things sink in. this is challenging to discuss- my
opinions and feelings are kind of at war. there's so much I desperately love about
this and it truly didn't do anything wrong. but it's just.. it's not like my new
favorite thing. and I think I'd hyped it up so much, obviously because I love
Wilder Girls so much and I predicted this was gonna be five stars. and I
was so desperate for it, and it's so good. and it has much broader like, market
appeal. if you didn't like Wilder Girls or you just couldn't get into it- this is
much less of a niche book. I think a lot more people could enjoy this and what it
does and where it goes and how it ends, etc. Conceptually? ridiculous. ridiculous.
it actually reminds me of another book that I need to talk to you about someday
but it would spoil this book and it would spoil that book. let me be so
specific. I've never felt this way about a book, but we're gonna split it into
fifths. the first 5th, perfection. the second
fifth, okay. the third fifth, okay. the fourth fifth, perfection. the fifth fifth,
okay. for me and what I'm looking for. I think with that math you can surmise
that it's my 3.75 oh it hurts me to say it even though it's 3.75 is so good, it's
just not everything I ever wanted. there are so many things I loved
about this, like I'm telling you the fourth fifth of this book.. like I
couldn't ask for any more. and the first part of the book; just like the slow
introduction and the ominous vibe that I always want so badly. I think it kind of
disappeared a little. it got maybe a little generic? it got maybe a little
just..normal? it was just kind of normal. when I know that Rory Powe's writing can
do so many things to my soul. I didn't I didn't get that for a good portion of
the book. there are so many beautiful sentences in here. I think the message is
so good. I love that we have a YA book without a romance. and a queer lead. I
don't know that I've ever read a YA book with a lesbian main character who
isn't in a relationship at any point in the book. and that's just so needed. like,
queer representation without being attached to a relationship, a romantic
encounter in any way- is just something I've always wanted. so I appreciate that
so much. the family dynamics I appreciate so much. I think I was really itching for
more out of the friendships. I think that was the main thing missing for me was an
attachment to somebody. because I felt an attachment
to Margot but then I didn't get to truly feel joy or her I guess. I almost wish
that the big reveals and like what's really happening on this corn farm, and
with this family, and with her mother, and all all the weird stuff that makes no
sense and then gets like a solid description- amazing concept- maybe I wish that had actually happened in the first even like third of the book. and then
after the reveals and the conceptualising has happened we get more stuff and it gets weirder. oh man it was a good read though. I didn't get bored
and get lost, It just wasn't everything I always dreamed.
but that's my bad- my expectations were HERE. okay and we're gonna wrap up the
vlog, I don't think this was the most interesting one, but hopefully we'll do
better in the future. here are some of my favorite photo
challenges that people did today- I am consistently amazed by the creativity-
these people cosplaying as characters. it's just super fun. and before I leave
you for the night I want to tell you three things that I want you to care
about. injustices and issues that need more awareness if you haven't taken the
time to educate yourself already. the first one is the death of Elijah McClain
who was a young black man who died at the hands of police over a year ago.
nobody involved has been brought to justice at this point. just yesterday the
Aurora City Council got together and said that they were going to make it a
priority to investigate the case further, but the conversation, as it has been for
the last year, has been continually pushed back and not prioritized. and the
people who responsible are still at their jobs every single day. I know there
are protests and marches happening across the United
States. what you can do to have the officers held accountable is sign the petition. link
down below. then donate to his family, or you can just share his story. and you can
call and email representatives in order to make things happen faster. there are
some phone numbers and emails and apparently a lot of things using his
name will go into spam so there's a specific link that I will leave that
helps bypass the spam filters by randomizing characters and such. the next
thing is yet another like ongoing issue/ crisis/horrifying situation, that again,
the North American media specifically is not prioritizing, and
that's the concentration camps in China. these stats come from the source PBS
that an estimated two million Muslims are currently being held in these
concentration camps. two million people. this mass incarceration is forcing that
people to denounce their religion and subjecting them to torture. again links
down below for ways to at least educate yourself, make change happen.
amnesty.org stopgenocide.org basically Congress needs to put pressure on China
to end this happening. I think when talking about all the effed up things
happening in the world. there are so many like, side conversations to be had.
there's so much misinformation, mixed information, sensationalized headlines,
that it's hard to know what's really happening or what to believe, or why
people are talking about a certain issue and taking away attention from
another issue. there's so many conversations happening and if you don't
spend at least a portion of your time in general
really looking into things happening in the world you're doing yourself a
disservice. and the entire world. the thing is, we could have this conversation
even in the country I live. The government and
people doing similar things to indigenous folks. so the third thing
today is I implore you to become more aware than you currently are of missing
and murdered indigenous people. here are some stats for you that are sourced down
below. "40 percent of sex trafficking victims are indigenous women."
"indigenous women girls and two spirits are murdered at a rate 10 times the national average."
"90% of missing and murdered Native "Americans" get no media coverage." this is
something that you need to look into yourself, there are databases of missing
and murdered indigenous people who "the powers that be/ the authorities" claim
that there has been no foul play involved and yet aren't willing to put
the resources behind finding these people or bringing their cases to
justice. I know there's a campaign you can donate directly to that helps publicly you share these things more
broadly. I can't tell you who to donate to because I think there are a lot of
different organizations within different tribes and within different parts of the
country that have different resources for different things, but I think the
first step again is educating yourself. I will link down below some social
media accounts connected to organizations that I think
can help you. and that's it. I hope you are having a good day, taking care of
yourself as best as you can, and doing well and staying safe. I will see you
tomorrow. bye!
