Review: Book Love

(An advance reading copy of this book was provided to me via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

And here I thought I wouldn't be able to fit in another book before the end of 2018; Then came along this little gem which I can easily declare to be a love letter to every bookworm on the planet 💌 😊📚

Book Love is a graphic novel that can easily be read by anyone, whether they're an avid reader or not. It's a super quick read, one that I finished in the span of maybe 90 minutes while multi-tasking XD Since this book is a collection of comics centred around the theme of an undying, life long love for books, there's no complicated plot or massive cast of characters to keep track of. This might just be the perfect book to start you off on the right foot for your 2019 reading list!

Let's talk art style: it's adorable. That's all that really needs to be said about Debbie Tung's illustrations, but of course I'm going to gush about the art for a little while longer XD There were numerous full page images and panels in this book that I could easily picture turning into a framed print in my home, not just because of how pretty and whimsical they are but because the actual narration about the author's love for books are what make these illustrations so lovable and relatable.

5 Years of The Written Word(s)!

Happy (Belated) Birthday, TWW(s)!

I mean, HOLY CRAP, right? Can you guys believe that my little baby blog is 5 years old now?! Feels like yesterday when I felt the sudden urge to show off all the fun & pretty things I was getting in the mail from my pen pals and from Postcrossing, just before the idea hit me of creating a blog to do exactly that.

A lot has changed in the last 5 years, both on this blog and in my life. Originally the slogan/tagline for this site I had decided on was 'Snail Mail - Geekery - Life' but was later updated to better incorporate my undying and all-consuming love of words and reading words and writing words and everything that goes along with that. Since then the definition of what TWW(s) is has grown and changed, and even with my posting activity not being what it was when I first started posting this has continued to be a place that I enjoy returning to as something of an online oasis - or blanket fort, if you will - designed especially for me 😍

Just for fun, let's take a quick peek at TWW(s)'s history, starting from December 20th, 2013:

The very first banner I created for TWW(s) - #Nostalgia

Back in 2013, I was in my 3rd year of university, and one of the courses I was in required us to start our own blog to update it regularly, to write posts in our chosen niche and to share said posts on social media. I didn't create TWW(s) for the purposes of that class; I actually created a blog that was originally titled 'Who Run The World? Geeks!' (you may have guessed I was a little obsessed with a particular song by Beyonce at this moment in time 😂) but after being told by my professor that the title was a little too long, it was later amended to 'Geeks Run The World'

Sound familiar? It should, because I would later start a series of interviews right here on TWW(s) by that same name, where I interviewed various geeks & nerds that inspired me for various reasons.

30 Day Anime Challenge - Week 4

It's finally the weekend!!!! I don't know about you, but for some weird reason I feel like I appreciate weekends more now than when I was still in school - weird.

Anyway, time for more anime! And this will be my last post as part of the 30 Day Anime Challenge created by A Geeky Gal. I'm a little sad to see this challenge come to a close, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop watching anime anytime soon! Just today my boyfriend told me about an anime series centred around swimming, think it's called Free!, so I'll be giving that a try sometime this weekend for sure.

Day 23 – What anime do you wish never ended?
All of them! Or at least most of them! Seriously, the majority of the anime series I have fallen in love with over the years have been based on a manga series, and they only create 1 single season for it and change up the anime's ending to kinda-sorta wrap things up. It's the worst! Like for Ouran, I collected the entire manga series in order to continue on with the characters and see what they would be getting up to, and I wish so badly that those types of anime series would cover the entirety of the story line - or even to create a whole new story line, sort of like what they did with Fullmetal Alchemist where yes, the first anime is nothing like the manga series but it's still it's own thing, which is cool in its own right, and then there's Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood for people who want to see the series leap from the manga to the screen.

And don't even get me started on the anime for La Corda d'Oro - that anime, while amazing, was basically created for the sole purpose of selling the La Corda video games/dating sims. And yes, the series also continued as a manga series, but then they put out La Corda d'Oro: Secondo Passo which you would think would be a whole new second season, WRONG - it's 1 or 2 episodes to advertise the new series of games, and to introduce the new characters/love interests the game throws into the mix, and that's it! I know from scrolling on Crunchy Roll that there's a new La Corda series out there with entirely new characters, but as I haven't watched that series yet or done any real research on it I won't comment whether that anime was created for a similar purpose.

Okay, rant over - sorry 'bout that :P

5 Favourite Obscure Fandoms

Happy Friday, everybody! I know it's been a long time since the 5 Fandom Friday tag was active, but I recently realised how much I missed participating in this link-up and how much fun I used to have writing these kinds of posts, so I thought I would occasionally write a post using one of the original prompts that I never got a chance to write about before.

First on the block is a list of my 5 favourite obscure fandoms! Some of these are definitely more obscure than others, and some might eventually make it into the mainstream, but for now these are my rare fandom treasures that I have a deep, never-ending love for 💗

#1: The Cornetto Trilogy. Nowadays a fair number know about at least one of these films - but fewer know that these films consist of a non-traditional trilogy, or that they have been named the Cornetto Trilogy. Try bringing that up in a random conversation (especially if you live in North America where we have Drumsticks instead of Cornettos) and see the number of blank or confused looks you get in response. All three of these films were directed by Edgar Wright, my all-time favourite director, and all three star Simon Pegg & Nick Frost, both of which also helped a great deal behind the scenes in these films as well.

#2: HBO's The Newsroom. Okay, it is an HBO show, which gives The Newsroom a base level of attention and clout as is, and that's before you include Aaron Sorkin's name into the mix (the man behind The West Wing, Molly's Game, Steve Jobs [The good Steve Jobs movie, not the one with Ashton Kutcher], and The Social Network). But even though this show only aired for 3 seasons, it has quite the following and fan base attached to it, even to this day. I have told many a person how I felt that we needed HBO's The Newsroom to come back on the air, to cover this Trump presidency from the very beginning in the hopes that Sorkin's writing can bring some hope (and high-brow laughs) to Americans everywhere - and to this Canadian girl right here, of course 😉

30 Day Anime Challenge - Week 3

Happy Wednesday, folks! Still trying to catch up with my 30 Days of Anime challenge, and here is my 3rd week of answers to the prompts created by A Geeky Gal. Sorry that it's coming to you a little late, but at least these questions were a lot easier to answer than last week. Hope you enjoy these anime-centred questions & answers!

Day 15 – What anime has the best soundtrack?
This is a tough one, because I like a lot of the music in different animes for different reasons - for example, the overall soundtrack for Fruits Basket has a very relaxing tone, but is also upbeat and cheerful. Tbh, this music reminds me a lot of the music from the Animal Crossing games XDD I also love the music from Angel Beats. 

Day 16 – What is the last anime you watched?
I recently started watching Kimi Ni Todoke (From Me To You) - I read a large percentage of the manga a few years ago, and I'm enjoying the anime so far 💗 I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Sawako and the main boy (already forgotten his name XP) actually get together at some point, but I'm not too far into the anime yet, so no spoilers! It's one of the few animes based off a manga series that has multiple seasons, so that seems promising!

Wanted to mention that I also recently finished watching My Little Monster, and I thought it was super cute! And I reeeeally wish the anime had been longer cuz I WANT MORE! 😓

Why I Prefer September for Resolutions & Goals

Hard to believe that September is already almost over. This month has a special place in my heart for a number of reasons, but recently I realised that it marks much more than the end of heat waves and the start of "Leggings Every Day!" season - it might actually be the time of year when I am the most productive, and when I am in the best position to set some goals, and even some year-long resolutions for myself. Sure, New Year's is the traditional time of year to "turn over a new leaf" (even though all the leaves are covered in snow by New Year's - heh, see what I did there? 😜), but recently I figured out that I could make a compelling case for September being a much better month for me to focus on setting my goals.

I'd like to preface this post by saying that these points are 100% my opinion, and I'm not straight-out advising others to start setting their yearly resolutions now instead of in January, especially since a lot of the points below are only applicable to some people depending on where they live in the world.  With having to juggle numerous mental health issues, sometimes I find the need to get inventive and find new ways to be productive and to be a regular member of society. However, if you feel like the majority of these points apply to you as well then by all means, try setting your goals this fall instead of in the winter - maybe start off with some smaller ones first to see how you manage, but it never hurts to try something new 😊

Besides the fact that I am just not a fan of New Year's Eve and all the festivities and traditions that go along with it, my main argument for September being a better month for January for setting goals for yourself is this: Our brains are already conditioned to view September as a time for new beginnings, as it is the month when we used to return to school each year! Of course, this only applies to places in the Northern hemisphere, and only to certain areas of North America to boot - pretty sure a lot of the US states actually start their school year in August and finish school in May.

Even though I finished with my schooling in 2015, when it gets closer to September and I see segments on the news and articles in the newspaper about all the kids that are beginning their school year, there is still that lingering feeling associated with this month that puts my mind in a good place to set goals for the coming months, or even the coming year. Sure, maybe many people's brains are naturally wired to see January as the best time to set year-long goals, and given that it's the literal beginning of the year it might appear to be the logical choice, but there are no hard and fast rules that it is the only way to do things. Since I feel that my brain is in a better position to set myself some goals during the month of September, that is what I will be doing. Maybe you have your own personal history or experiences that make another time of year the best time for you to set - and reach - your goals, and if that's the case, go for it!

30 Day Anime Challenge - Week 2

Let me first apologise for just how late I'm getting this post up - in my defence, a lot of the questions for this week of the 30 Days of Anime Challenge were actually very, y'know, challenging! XD Having to narrow down my favourite anime characters, couples, and series overall was insanely difficult! I'm sure that a lot of you might have the same problems with trying to narrow down your favourites when there are so many amazing characters, couples, and anime series out there to choose from!

But now that I've gotten the ever-Canadian apologising out of the way, let's kick off Week 2 of the 30 Days of Anime Challenge, originally created by A Geeky Gal - big thanks to her because I can't remember the last time I watched this much anime, and I've been loving it so far! 😍

Day 8 – What is your favorite anime so far?
Dude, do you have any idea how hard this question is to answer?! Gah... Well, thanks to this anime tag, I have been watching a lot of new animes lately. A few of my recent favourites have been My Little Monster, Recovery of an MMO Addict, and Your Lie In April. Sorry, but deciding on recent favourites is as close as I can get to deciding on an overall favourite. I will say that two of the animes I have probably re-watched the most throughout my life have been Fruits Basket & Ouran High School Host Club, and those series will always have a special place in my heart.

Day 9 – What anime series will you never watch?
One of the first series that comes to mind, unfortunately, are the many facsimiles relates to Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Some of the different series sound vaguely interesting, but I think the combination of the art style with the overall style of the anime as a whole isn't something I could soldier through for very long. Also, as much as I have tried to like (and understand) it for my boyfriend's sake, I haven't been able to get into Mob Psycho 100.

Books I've Read This Year

How's everybody's Thursday treating them so far? This year, I've gotten behind on a few of my goals, one of them obviously being blogging XP The other main goal is the reading goal I set for myself at the beginning of this year. I created a GoodReads Reading Challenge for myself, hoping to finish 20 books. So far I've only read 9 books, but I'm hoping I'll be able to pick up the pace in the final third of the year and reach my overall reading goal 😊📚 I didn't get a chance to write reviews for each of these books, so I thought I'd write just a little blurb about each of the books - and/or my experiences reading them - that I've finished so far. Hopefully keeping track in this way will help to further motivate me to read the other 11 books before the end of the year.

90 Days of Different by Eric Walters: The idea of a character who has a set personality and set routine that can be found wanting, and challenging themselves and pushing themselves out of their comfort zone - sometimes of their own volition, sometimes with the help of a friend - is always a story premise that I will be drawn to. While the actual meat of the story was a bit lacking, and the middle felt like it was simply going through the motions of approaching its conclusion, I will say that the characters and dialogue writing itself was actually pretty hilarious. Eric Walters had be cracking up from the very first page, and that gargantuan sense of humour, as well as a genuine investment in the protagonist's journey, is what kept me reading until the very end.

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia: If I have one regret, it would be waiting as long as I did to pick up and properly start reading this novel. There are so many themes and moments in this story that I relate to - the internal and external struggles of Eliza of course, but this story also had its ways of genuinely surprising me, and it was even a shock to me when I realised just how much I had fallen in love with this story. The representations and expressions of suicide and suicidal thoughts struck a chord with me, as someone who has also struggled with similar notions, but I feel like anyone with any degree of mental health struggles will forge a deep connection with one or multiple aspects of this story and/or its characters.

Girl Online: Going Solo by Zoe Sugg: Many of you may know that I idolise Zoe Sugg, aka Zoella, and everything that she's accomplished at such a young age, especially as somebody who suffers from anxiety on a regular basis. I actually picked up this book last year, and was as eager to read it as I'd been with the first two books in the trilogy, but I actually only reached the point where Penny and her family began their journey to Ireland (not a spoiler, promise, it's probably mentioned on the jacket cover) when I stopped reading and didn't pick it up again until this year. The second time around, I was determined to start this book again from the very beginning, to refresh myself on the story and the new characters, and I'm certainly glad that I did. I was able to fully finish the book this time with zero problems, and it felt like a fitting conclusion to the Girl Online series that Zoella has crafted.

30 Day Anime Challenge - Week 1

How's it going, my nerdy friends? I've been somewhat addicted to finding cool & fun link-ups to participate in, and this one is no exception - a whole month of anime prompts! I'll admit, as I've gotten older, my interests in anime have declined, but I've never lost interest in it completely. Maybe this tag will actually rekindle my love for anime and help to introduce me to some new series 😄Big shout-out to Megan from A Geeky Gal for creating this tag! Instead of posting every single day, I figured I'd do 4 collective posts for each week of September. Hope you guys are as excited for a whole month of anime as I am - let's get to it!

Day 1 – What was your very first anime?
If we're going all the way back to childhood, I'd have to list such classics as Pokemon, Sailor Moon, and Dragon Ball Z. But if we're talking about first animes in the context of actually knowing what anime is, that would be Gundam SEED. I was just flipping through the channels at home one day during summer vacation and on channel 25 I found myself in the middle of a Gundam SEED, episode, one that was rife with drama and actually surprised me at how "adult" it was for being on a channel I've been watching since the 4th grade (it was on at 9 o'clock at night, but still). I was instantly hooked. Shows like InuYasha and Fruits Basket weren't far behind, as the school year following that summer was when I seriously became hooked on manga and anime.

Day 2 – Who was your first anime crush?
Easy - Athrun from Gundam SEED. For the majority of 8th grade, I would dream every night that I was a crew member on the Archangel and interacted with everybody from the show - including Athrun, who at this point was finally fighting for the right side. Don't get me wrong, I adored Kira, he was incredibly sweet, but something about Athrun drew me to him immediately.

Wednesday Wish Lists #35

Hope everybody's having a good Wednesday so far 😊 I know this mid-week hump can be difficult to muscle through, even when we try to focus on the coming-up weekend just over the horizon. If you're one of those people that's struggling to make it through the mid-week, know that I'm always around to send you funny & encouraging .gif's throughout the day in the hopes of making you crack a smile 😄 Don't believe me? Tweet me @KacieCruise and we'll have a good, old-fashioned, positivity-filled .gif-off XD

Until then, here's one thing - or five things - that make me smile on days when I'm struggling. In a world with such cool things in it, from subscription boxes to Her Universe dresses, you can always find something to put a smile on your face.

#1: Planners Anonymous Monthly Kit w/ Stickers! I've been pining over this subscription box for months now. Typically when I'm planning in my Happy Planner, I like to exclusively use the stickers created by Mambi, but I've learned from YouTuber and fellow Happy Planner girl Heather Kell that there are so many projects you can create using these beautiful kits! They can be used to create themed inserts for your planner, or for happy mail, among so many other possibilities. I tried pretty hard to get someone to gift me with a year of these boxes as a birthday gift, but nobody took the bait 😝

#2: Her Universe Tangled Ombre Dress from Hot Topic! Seriously, how can you not be in love with this dress? It helps that in a couple weeks I'll be attending a local Lights Festival, which is very much like the lantern festival held in the Disney movie Tangled, but I feel like this would also be a perfect dress for so many other occasions!

Back to Hogwarts Tag

Since I'm no longer a student, I tend to give most back-to-school content on the internet nothing more than a sideways glance - unless it's an advertisement for the backpack sale at Hot Topic of course ;) But when I came across this tag created by Michelle Anneliese, the creator of A Geek Girl's Guide, it reminded me of a simpler time when I used to look forward to the beginning of each school year - I'd figure out my first-day outfit usually a week in advance, I'd take pleasure in organising my backpack, and all the while I was waiting, like everyone else, for my damn Hogwarts letter to arrive!!!

This tag has given me the chance to imagine what it would actually be like to be a Hogwarts student, from favourite hang-out spots in the castle to what my go-to shops in Hogsmede might be. Figuring out the answers to these questions has brought me the closest to that start of school feeling since I completed my final year of university. So I hope you all enjoy, and I hope this post will inspire others to participate as well 🌟

Have to go shopping in Diagon Alley! What store do you go to first?

My favourite part of back-to-school shopping has always been the clothes! Guess that means Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions would be my first stop. But one of the many bookshops wouldn't be that far behind.

Wednesday Wish Lists #34

What's up, my people?! Realised today that it's been a very long time since I've done one of these posts, and today in particular has not been a very good day for me. The only thing that really had me feeling better was finding these mega-adorable collectable dolls on the internet, and that suddenly inspired me to do a round-up of a few things that I have been mooning over recently. You'd think looking at a bunch of cool stuff on the internet that I can't afford would put me in a worse mood, but it's somehow started to cheer me up a little. I think the reason is because I felt the sudden urge to connect with others over the cuteness of those dolls, and wanting to connect with others, especially my fellow iggles, is always the best cure for what ails me 😊

#5 Momiji Dolls! Gotta love targeted ads on Facebook Messenger! 😂 These dolls are beyond adorable, and one really cool thing about them is that there is a little open compartment under the dolls' feet where you can slip in a personalised message for one of your friends :) There's all kinds of these super cute designs and they've been around for years. I may not be able to afford one of these adorable figures just yet but I maaaay have signed up for their online newsletter - at least I'll be notified each time they release more cuteness for sale 😋

Currently... 30/04/18 - 05/05/18

What's up, internet? I decided that to continue to keep you guys updated about what's been going on with me over the past while that I would share a few of my Currently's from this past week. There's been a few new ones lately that I'm eager to share with you guys, so let's get started!

So I recently had a pretty fun idea for a couple of videos to create for my YouTube channel. As anyone who has been following this blog over the years will know, I am a snail mail enthusiast and I love sending things in the mail to people. And on that note, I know of a couple other YouTubers that I am a major fan of that have PO boxes, and so I thought it might be fun to film myself putting together a care package for a few of my fav content creators 💕

I already have two creators in mind that I'd love to send care packages to, the first of which is Hazel from Hazelnuttygames, who creates World of Warcraft videos & live streams. I recently decided to support her on Patreon and I adore her - tbh I kinda wish I was her 💜 The other content creator I'd like to send a package to is Misha from Mishacrossing. When I was hardcore playing Animal Crossing: New Leaf a LOT near the end of 2017, I was always watching her videos and live-streams and she's such a happy, positive person and I adore watching her videos. I recently became a patron of hers as well because I love the content she creates.

2018 Bucket List Part 1

Hey guys! This year, I am hoping to make a bunch of pleasant memories & to have more fun & unique experiences. Which is why I decided to create a bucket list for things I'd like to this year 😊 And it's a visual bucket list to boot! It has a permanent home at the very front of my Happy Planner, and it has a spot where I'll be able to include a photo from when I've actually checked the item off my bucket list! Without further ado, here are the first few things that are on my 2018 bucket list.

See the Cherry Blossoms in High Park

This item on the list is probable what inspired me to create this list in the first place - that and the Plan With Me video put up on the Happy Planner YouTube channel - because this is something I've wanted to do for a LONG time and decided that I needed to make a reality in 2018. From years of being obsessed with Japanese culture - and from the number of times I've watched Memoirs of a Geisha and from reading the book - I have loved the idea of these gorgeous Sakura trees that bloom gorgeous flowers and where the wind surrounding the trees is filled with flower petals. Ever since I learned that there was a whole park in Toronto filled with Japanese cherry blossom trees, I've been dying to go & visit while the trees are in full bloom.

Awesome Life Update!

So, I'm pretty sure I did that thing where I announced that I would be blogging here again and then disappeared again for a couple of months XD My apologies, but this time I really do intend to get back to posting, especially since I have a TON of ideas for posts I want to share with you :) Recently I realized that blogging, both here and on my secondary blog, is a type of self-care for me - it's fun, it's relaxing, and it sometimes even helps me work some things out in my head. Before I started dropping a bunch of posts on you guys, I thought it would be best to give you all a quick update on what's been going on in my life lately 💓

I'm an Auntie Again!!!

For those who follow me on Twitter or Instagram have probably already been spammed with baby pictures, but getting to meet my newest nephew is still probably one of the biggest updates in my life recently. Introducing Elliott Thomas Cruise. He was born on April 27th at 4:14 PM, weighing 8lbs 5oz and measuring in at 20" long. He is beyond adorable and positively perfect. I've made a pact with myself to visit my brother and sister-in-law, and of course both of my adorable nephews, every 3rd Sunday. I figure that way that we won't be bugging them too much, plus I'd be going with Kurt and it still gives him 2 Sundays in a row where we don't have to worry about running out anywhere. And hopefully if I come visit every 3 weeks, Charlie won't forget who I am XP

I'M BACK!

I've Missed You Guys SO MUCH!!!!!

What's up? Long time no see, how the hell are ya?

As you've probably noticed, it's been a long time since I've written any kind of a post here on The Written Word(s), and for that I am truly sorry. I suppose a number of things in my life were overwhelming me, and something had to give. Obviously that something ended up being the upkeep of my first and longest-existing blog.

So much has changed since last May, I hardly even know where to start. I suppose I should start with the biggest thing:

I'm Making YouTube Videos Again!!!

On January 15th, 2018, I released my very first gameplay video to my channel which I have named MotorDaffodil64. Back in November, I quit my job and decided that I needed a change, and more than anything I wanted to try my hand at making videos full-time. I know that I picked a helluva time to start making videos on YouTube (referring to the multiple controversies that have been circulating the platform since the beginning of 2018), and I know that it's not a job that's going to support me financially right away, but luckily I'm in a place in my life where I can take this leap without being in danger of going hungry or getting evicted.

So... Now What?

Now I get back to blogging! I already have a few fun things planned to share with you guys - a super easy & fun D.I.Y project, a review for a book I recently finished, and even a discussion about a great new video game that's spreading awareness for mental health and other invisible disorders.

I will also be trying to post the videos that I upload each week up here as well so you won't have to hunt them down on YouTube.

Thank you guys so much for reading for the past few years, and especially for coming back after I've had such a long absence. Don't worry, I'll be sure to keep you posted from now on!