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My study space

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Studying at sunset <3

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my notion set up :) inspo from study gram and youtube videos

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Killing Commendatore - Haruki Murakami

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omg! i’ve been reading this book since February of 2020… i was never able to really dedicate time to finishing it. i’m happy i did finally complete it tho! Murakami is one of my favorite authors and reading this 700+ page book was definitely a feat.

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While sharing many similarities to other Murakami books, Killing Commendatore holds a different tone throughout the book that invokes a different reaction. The characters share similar characteristics to those in books like The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Kafka by the Shore, but the plot felt very different in that it was less fantastical. There was less of the usual traversing-through-another-world and more of this story was based on the real characters. In other Murakami books that I have read, the plot is a lot faster in pace, and the 'adventure' begins in an almost unidentifiable way because it blends into the rest of the plot so easily. In Killing Commendatore, the transition to any fantastical elements was more noticeable, but perhaps that was the intention. I think the length of this book is a little daunting, but I am glad to say that I have completed it and I'm more than happy to add another title to my Murakami shelf!

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i was surprised that there is very little mention of cats or ears in this book… was a little thrown off!

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Have you read any Murakami? and if so, what’s your favorite ?

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another study-heavy day! Took an IPE exam, and now i have to watch a documentary, read a research article, and write an analysis. I also wanna get ahead on my reading for another class :)

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day 10 of productivity - i start spring semester tomorrow so i took notes in preparation! so very excited and grateful :)

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Study challenge - got a week ahead for my International Political Economy class and completed my planner for the week :) also finished my research paper !!

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day 10 of productivity - i start spring semester tomorrow so i took notes in preparation! so very excited and grateful :)

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Day 7/100 of productivity!!

Got a 93% on my second stats exam, really proud of myself

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Oh my god... I loved this book. Beach Read by Emily Henry removes you from the life you live and places you directly into January and Gus's life. This story follows January as she starts to learn more about herself, her family, and the meaning of love. While the plot may seem predictable, there is so much depth to the characters that really surprised me. - One of my favorite things about this book was the character flaws. January and Gus both have their fair share of baggage but aren't going out of their way to try and hide it. Sure, Gus is mysterious and secretive, but those are some of the things that make him a flawed character. Another thing I loved was how aware January was about being a cliche- she constantly reminds herself to not be the 'dumb bunny' which I find self-aware and hilarious. Like, she knows that falling for the 'bad boy' that she knew in college was a cliche and yet she still does it! - I really would recommend this book to several people. If you're in a reading slump, this'll get you out. If you are trying to get into romance, this will be the final push! And if you just want something light... this book is perfect.

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day 5! learning more and more every day :)

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day 3/100 of productivity

Stats is still ~very~ difficult but i’m getting thru it! hopefully i will be able to understand more with studying :)

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day 1/100 of productivity :)

Today was my first day of my 3.5 week long semester in Statistics! I’m a little nervous but I think with hard work and a lottttt of studying i’ll do well!

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Heart Berries - Terese Marie Mailhot

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This memoir is indescribable. I read this from my heart. The life Mailhot has lived - the pain and love she has felt and given are unimaginable to me. Her writing is filled with rawness, with emotions that I truly cannot put into words. I do not have much to say except that I will be thinking about this memoir for months on end. While many reviews describe reading this book as difficult, I felt the exact opposite. Every page held a heaviness that I have never felt, but I could not stop reading. The style she uses throughout the book reads as letters but read almost as independent books. I wish I had purchased this book so I could just stare at the pages and take as much time as possible with them.

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Get a life, Chloe Brown - Talia Hibbert

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Wow! I am pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this! Although I have only heard good things about this book, I had low expectations since I don't read romance too often. Talia Hibbert's work immediately proved me incorrect. The author pulls the reader's attention with lovable, flawed characters that live painfully realistic lives.  While I wasn't able to relate to Chloe and Red, I felt like I knew them in real life. Both characters were developed deeply, their pasts explained to give proper context to the reader. They both had problems of their own that were not solved in a minute but had to be worked on.  The story was realistic, raw, and love-able. - While I did not find any flaws, I wish this book never ended. I want more revolving around Chloe and Annie's friendship, and I want to know how far Red went with his artwork! But, this feeling of wanting more just shows how strong Hibbert's writing is. The detail provided throughout the book really impressed me, and I really appreciated the diversity as well. This felt so different than a 'typical' romance book! I dreaded the "This finalizes the audio for..." as I was nearing the end. - I recommend this to anyone that likes romance books but do want to say that there is relatively graphic sex scenes so maybe young children should not read this.

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Woohoo! My FIRST read of 2021!! And What. a. Book! "On Fascism" - Matthew C. MacWilliams - This book provides a 'deep dive' into 12 historical events in the US that exemplify how prevalent and (worryingly) authoritarianism is in this country. Each lesson explains the event at hand, its context, and why it was an act of authoritarianism. Whilst reading, I was continuously shocked by how little I knew about each event. The blatant acts of fascism on behalf of government leaders have accepted by the US. How have acts such as the Japanese Internment camps disappeared from public discussion? The lack of conversation around acts such as the government providing funding for IAO while the public believed it had been dismantled is disturbing. As the author stresses, Americans have a responsibility to keep these events in mind and to not sit idle while we see them happen. I strongly agree with MacWilliams on the importance of recognizing the "others" argument as well as acknowledging and acting on our past actions. - While this may be considered a heavy read, I found it incredibly light. Each lesson is summed up with a coda, and the lengths are digestible. MacWilliams's inclusion of the 3 appendixes provides readers with quantitative information that is easily understandable. Compared to the plethora of other political science books I have read, this one sits at the top. - There isn't much criticism I hold for this book. I learned so so much about events that plague this country. While the author does not hide their beliefs, I feel as they added to the reading. I appreciate how MacWilliams did not assume that readers knew everything and took the time to explain acts, laws, and other items. I also appreciate the focus on issues relating to Indigenous peoples, as I feel they are rarely touched upon. Finally, I really loved the connection between Trump's actions and those taken by Sen. McCarthy in the 20th century. - I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in political science, as well as those wanting to learn more about authoritarianism, or anyone who needs to read this to gain insight. https://www.instagram.com/p/CJjd8PWlXQ5/?igshid=hrceg85eipos