Monthly Recap: August

My Life

This month I participated in my first ever Instagram challenge it was #Ausyachallenge. I did most of them but did get behind as I didn't plan ahead. I think I will do that for my next challenge. I enjoyed it and it was a lot of fun.

#AusYAchallenge day 25: Colour

You know that history challenge I said I was writing for in my June Recap. Well, I never did end up doing it because school got ultra busy and I didn't put any time into it in the holidays. I still would have liked to write the essay though. Maybe I will sometime in the future but for now it is on the back burner. 

On another school note I have the ticket for this year's school ball. I'm fairly excited because it's my first ball type thing ever. At my old school they had a senior dinner but that was totally different to this. My friends and I are just going as a group of friends though. No boys. With the information for it, it mentioned prizes. I didn't expect that and it also is asking for song suggestions. I'm not sure what yet though. I'm going to reuse a dress I already have but Mum is crocheting a shawl that she think will go well with the theme which by the way is The Roaring Twenties (though I keep think Great Gatsby. I think that's what I get for studying it this year in school). 

There's a French exchange student going to my school. My friends and I have taken her under our wings. She will be coming to the ball with us too. I've been learning french at school this year for the first time but haven't tried any on her. I think if there is one thing with my french I will never be able to do is roll my r's. She does it so well though.  

Something Frenchy 

I decided I wanted to get into origami again. I was excited and then disappointed in myself because I wanted to do better than I was. I probably shouldn't' have started off with trying a dragon, but I couldn't resist. I really wanted to make an origami iris for Mum's birthday because it's her favourite flower and she really appreciates hand made things.

What I've Watched

My family and I are still watching Gilmore Girls we have just started season 5. I started re-watching Fullmetal Alchemist today. 

Books I Read

I think I was a bit slow reading books this month and mostly I blame wattpad. There was one week and weekend where I had this huge phase where I only felt like reading all things wattpad. I even was staying up late reading which isn't often like me but I did get some books read and all my library books finished. I had to renew them a couple of times though. I blame school. But now I can get to my own books that seriously need to be read.

Pretty Cover!

• I finished reading Firebrand by Gillian Philip. I didn't like it that much at all. 
• I didn't finish reading The Fool's Girl by Celia Rees. I may pick it up at a later time but I'm not really sure about that
• I finished reading Crown of Midnight and liked it so much more than Throne of Glass and now look forward to the next book. A review will be up soonish.

So in all I would say that has been an ultra slow reading month. This makes me sad but next month is September in which I hope to do better.

Books I Plan to read

The Plot To Save Socrates by Paul Levinson

I bought this one at a library sale. It only cost 50c! It interested me because I am currently studying Ancient Greece in my Ancient Civilisations class. It sounds interesting with a bit of time travel. 

Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery 

As I am planning to reread these it makes sense to include one in the list. And I have actually started this already. 

The Skin Map by Stephen R. Lawhead

This is a book I bought with a gift card that I received for my birthday. Coincidently enough this one also involves time travel. The girl at the counter said he was good author as well. It's always nice to meet someone who has a bookish opinion. 

Here are some posts that I stumbled upon this month.

• The Write Life posted something in 2013 about 22 Gifts for Writers. I absolutely loved it and would recommend you check it out. I wish there were some more people I could give it too. 
• This person @ She's Novel wrote a great post near the end of last month on Maximising Your Writing Time. It splits into where your at with your writing too (beginner, amateur or professional).
• Cait @ Paperfury wrote about Should the "Special Snowflake" trope be retired and Left 20,000 Leagues Underground or is it Still Fun. It is a good topic to consider. 
• Victoria Grace Howell @ Wanderer's Pen wrote a great post about Keeping Morality in Fiction:  Perfect and Good Characters aren't Synonymous.

On the Blog

That Word Splendiferous

I Participated in Camp Nanowrimo

Throne of Glass in a Book Review

Beautiful People: August Addition

To come on the Blog

Next week I have a post planned about Naming Characters and the difficulties it can present. Then in the week after I have a book review of Crown of Midnight. I'm so excited to share my thoughts with you all. There will be another That word and then around the 17th I hope to post the next Beautiful people. One the 24th there will be the Monthly Recap and finally a few days later another That word will be squeezed in. 

Jumbled Thoughts of Realisations This Month

1. I tend to panic when I think I've lost my pens. They are quite precious. I can't write down my ideas nearly so well without them or blog plan for that matter. 
2. I realised how much I want to go to a writer's conference. In other words I really, really, really want to go to one. 
3. I have also realised how much I would love to do an exchange student thing overseas. It would be awesome. Even though I have never been much anywhere on my own. I've spent sometime this month seeing what my university will offer in exchange programs. I definitely think I will do it. Even though it will be scary. 

What have you done this month? Has it been busy? Have you done any crafts this month? Did you go to Realm Makers conference this month? What strange realisations have you come to this month?