#and then me and my bf reunited in berlin

[loverboydotcom]

trying to psychoanalyse my multiple dreams about being in berlin last night

[2slowgoers]

Ghosts of Christmases Past

Hi L,

I find that since it’s the end of the decade it’d be a good idea to write a tribute to all my fleeting memories of our friendship. Initially a challenge from you because you think I forget everything, I’ve used it as an exercise to remind me of why we’ve been able to become and stay so close in the relatively short 5, 6 years we’ve known each other. I realised that oftentimes it’s not the memory of our interaction but more so a feeling that stayed with me. Thus, the list you’ll see below is vague because I don’t really recalls details, but they’re there because they left a mark (I did use a few hints from my phone album). I’ll be writing this in chronological order from our first meeting to the last time we met in November

I’d love to hear if any of the things I write down are not in your memory or are remembered differently :) Memories are such a curious thing. 

-I think we were in front of LDC? But it was ISO and we were all getting to know each other and you complimented my fashion ;p I really appreciated it. I think at that time I had a pretty good impression of you and thought we might get along (I think I have a pretty accurate first impression of people for myself).

-I also remember me, TT, and ST visiting you in your dorm at Goodhue during spring term maybe? You said that T’s bf at the time had come to visit but I don’t remember that. I just remember you weren’t too happy then but I don’t remember why :\ maybe you were stressed from work?

-winter term after you came back from studying and trekking abroad, I remember feeling nervous messaging you about your trip. Somehow it felt like we didn’t get to talk too much about it during that first conversation, or at least it wasn’t fully positive. I think you’d opened up about the struggles of traveling alone as a woman and getting harassed then?

-feeling replaceable when you and T got close, wondering if y’all would have dated if you’d met earlier. Anyway we talked (I don’t even know how I managed to approach you about this lol), and you talked about being friends with couples in your past

-summer after second year, going to Monterey with your family and eating at the Italian bistro bc your dad loves Italian food

-you visiting me in Seattle that summer and getting high with R. We had lunch with some college mates and were planning to go out but instead y’all just napped all afternoon. That was annoying but funny still

-visiting you in Berlin that fall -- going to all those weird bars, and in the last bar this guy came to sit with us and you talked to him, telling him we were all in relationships and he fibbed that he also was in a relationship. Later you told me his breath stank lol (let’s not mention all the other wildness that night -- still traumatised by the racist heckling and the people openly having sex at KitKat)

-meeting up in Venice (it’s still one of my fondest places that we went to together), trying to find cheap aperitifs and drinking them in front of a church, and lamenting over how romantic everything was and how many couples there were everywhere

-you, TT and ST coming to visit me in Budapest and us going to ruin bars. We left early and I remember being woken up at like 4am to open the door for TT. Also walking around Margitsziget (the island), and going to the open-air thermal bath. Do you remember zipping around in a whirlpool with throngs of people in it? 

-me doing your hair in T’s room the following winter, with you sitting on a pile of newspapers on the ground. I think we were trying to dye your hair brown

-us cooking at your house with your hs friend H and then the garbage can set on fire (?!); I think you were trying to make carbonara that time but the eggs weren’t going great or something; it was also the first time I’d seen anyone microwave tomatoes

-you and V trying to eat her frozen coconut water from a box and using a knife to hack at it. I was so scared for your fingers

-us going to the career center training with a quarter of a watermelon and eating it with spoons. I loved eating watermelons like that and feel like I haven’t really eaten that way since :(

-our birthday picnic and going to Valley Scare -- do you remember being scared? I feel like most of the folks were freaked out by the clowns and I was trying to not exhibit any fear so the attention would get directed to everyone else

-that one group confession/conversation we had in our room where people brought up their insecurities and feeling left out; I later confided in you about my hesitance with everyone trying to uplift each other through their looks

-going tubing toward the end of the year with J and trying to blow up those damn tubes! You had to blow mine up eventually because I was running out of breath

-the next time going tubing with everyone and it being a mess! Definitely thought we were going to die a few times (there was one particular moment where some of us were trying to latch onto a tree but there were bugs on it, and behind us TT and someone else -- was it you? -- got stuck on a shallow pebbly area)

-during graduation, I pulled you and T together to introduce to my parents, purposely to pad their meeting with T. I was hoping also that your dad would get along w my dad but they barely talked :[ 

-visiting you and H with T in August! I remember paddle boarding with y’all (lots of fun), watching you all play games, and going to eat pizza and trying kombucha for the first time. That was a much needed break from my family then

-you and J coming to visit for my bday! We went to Ktown and sang karaoke and ate bbq (J said that while we were waiting in line some girl passed by and gave me a judging side-eye); watching the Parent Trap with you; us all sitting in the pool area and chatting (K and JN came with a cake! it was so good) about the future and all its unknown

-the two wonderful weeks in Taiwan :) the pace was good and I really appreciated having you show me your city (and also exploring new places with you). I remember waking up early and staring out your window as you snoozed next to me; your smelly dog and me not knowing how to pet him; going to the most beautiful little thermal spa (and taking advantage of our time there alone); going to night markets with you and of course getting my ears pierced :)); playing with super fluffy cats at the cat cafe; scoping cute stores and cafes at the artsy warehouse area; eating that nasty eel in Tainan; biking around in Tainan and then you getting bird poop on your scarf (!); the cute capsule hostel in Kenting; driving scooters around Kenting and being terrified of the wind. I’d love to do something like that again, with a nice pace to explore a place that’s less familiar to us both and maybe through a decolonized lens :)

-seeing you and J in the Bay Area after you moved there. We were taking all kinds of photos with different flowers in your neighborhood; going to First Friday in Oakland; eating at a cafe in Berkeley and spotting Nick Robinson even though you and J were sure I was mistaking him; us eating cioppino in that one seafood restaurant outside (I don’t think it was very impressive)

-you came back again in like October and we went to see A in the burbs. It was practically blizzarding and we tried to go to that one mall but ended up at a Mexican resto. I think we ended up going back to her place to play Life? 

-spending Christmas, another precious chill time :) painting ornaments; decorating the tree; you and that puzzle (which still lies on our floor); cooking everyday; watching Strong Girl; going to that comedy show with my cousin and walking back in the cold; going to see the Christmas lights and paying money to see a rather unimpressive “4d experience”; buying a butcher’s knife and you hacking away at some chicken bones happily because I was too scared to do it

-hiking in March was also fun! You chose a beautiful and lovely b&b. I remember exchanging music with you (lots of Spanish electropop); eating that overpriced hotpot; and taking a bunch of photos while waiting for pizza

-seeing you again in June (feeling claustrophobic; going to that strange queer fashion show), 

-August (going to see Yuna <3; that bike trip where you and T were going so fast; eating food at that little pagoda with our hodgepodge of food which was actually pretty good; having Thai temple brunch), 

-September (2x! Spending time with my sister and all the stress incurred on us both that came with it before and after; I really appreciated you being there for me; getting good vegan food and trying but failing to find a plan for M; and trying to find hotpot mix all over the store but it was right under our noses?? -- the 2nd trip you came to Chicago and we watched Hamilton!!) 

-and then November (going to see Mean Girls in NYC and you were waiting in line with that white saviour-seeming lady and the guy in the t-shirt; trying to meet each other’s friends; eating at Modern Love --still the most inspiring place I’ve eaten in 2019 aside from the Mexican Michelin place T and I went to for our anniv; walking around the park and you giving me a leaf for a bookmark which I actually kept for like a month)! 

So many times this year lol, often unexpected and last minute. I’m sure there are plenty other memories rolling around in the back of my mind but these are the ones I wanted to highlight. Although I don’t know when we’ll reunite next, I have no doubt we’ll continue to support and uphold each other no matter the distance and time. You’ve been such a funny, supportive, insightful, and passionate part of many of my best memories in these past few years. I don’t say it enough but I hope you recognise the influence you’ve had on my life and those of others. Thank you, and I love you <3

Onwards to 2020!

W (December 30, 2019)

[haleyfury]

As I was preparing my traditional What I Read post for February, I realized that I did a few more bookish, fandom, and bloggish things that I want to talk about! Because I don’t just want to discuss books today, I’m going to be guiding you through what I wrote and watched this month, as well as some fun, in-real-life happenings.

February was a weird reading month because I feel like I didn’t read a lot, between school life and being busy on the weekends, but I managed to read X books! I tend to read less during the school year because I like not having to concentrate too much when I get to relax (hence a lot of Youtube and TV watching). I spent a lot of time reading for my English classes this month (2 books from my contemporary American lit class are included down below), and while I’m not including them on my list, I read Logicomix and Berlin: City of Stones Vol.1 for my graphic novels course.

If I don’t talk about the books below right now, it’s because you’ll find reviews for them in the next section.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden | 4.5/5 Stars

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith | 4/5 Stars

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black | 4/5 Stars

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado | 4/5 Stars

Her Body and Other Parties is the second book I’ve read for my contemporary American lit class, and it was a book that was on my TBR radar before I found out it was on the syllabus!?! I’m still slightly in shock that I’m reading books published within the past year in SCHOOL (not-so-patiently waiting for my school to add a YA lit class). Anyways, I really enjoyed Her Body and Other Parties for its genre-bending short stories and focus on women. My favorites include “Inventory”, “Eight Bites”, and “The Resident” (all of which you can find online!).

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman | 5/5 Stars

After the Quake by Haruki Murakami | 4/5 Stars

My contemporary American literature class is focused on the short story cycle, and it’s been really interesting to read so many short stories. I’ve heard good things about Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84, so I was excited to pick up this short story collection centering around the Kobe earthquake. When I’m reading for school, I often take the time to take notes as  I read, but I was so immersed in Murakami’s writing that I forgot to until I finished! My favorite stories were “ufo in kushiro” and “thailand”.

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas | 5/5 Stars

My reread review of HoF will be coming next week, just know for now that I was very happy to be reunited with Manon & Abraxos.

Like my reading, I feel like I didn’t post as much as I have in the past six months, but I only had two weeks where I went back to my original schedule of only 3 posts a week. I’m really happy with February’s content.

Reviews

The HYPE IS REAL: Scythe by Neal Shusterman

The Review That Time Forgot… Okay, It Was Me: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez

Before the Fae: Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight Reread Discussion

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

Keeping Up With Fantasy: The Bear and the Nightingale & The Cruel Prince

I READ A SUMMER CONTEMPORARY IN FEBRUARY??? | This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

CAN THE THUNDERHEAD GIVE ME THE 3RD BOOK? | Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

Book-Related

I’M CRAVING FANTASY & 100 BOOKS: What I Read in January 2018

Top Five Wednesday: Favorite YA Romance Novels

Fandom

My Experience Seeing Dear Evan Hansen ft. the Amazon Bookstore

TBB Asks: All About Love & Fangirl Things Q&A

My Funko Pop Collection-February 2018

Tags

Reputation Book Tag

I LIKE BOOK TAGS THAT AREN’T BOOK TAGS | Book Blogger Test

  The Greatest Showman– I’m about two months late to the party, but during the first weekend in February, my sister and I finally saw The Greatest Showman. In January, I saw so many people online completely raving about this musical-film inspired by P.T. Barnum (a sentence I thought I’d never write), and it was Zoë Sugg of Zoella and her vlogs that made me want to see the film. It’s safe to say that I absolutely loved The Greatest Showman, and I have been completely obsessed with the soundtrack. I run to “A Million Dreams” and “The Other Side” , guys. Besides the two songs that I just mentioned, I love “Never Enough”, “Rewrite the Stars”, “From Now On”, and “Tightrope”.

The Good Place – Almost every book blogger I follow on Twitter have raved about The Good Place. What really sold was me were all the mentions of PARKS & REC EASTER EGGS!

It was so much fun to be back in a Michael Schur show— HE CREATED Parks & Rec- and I just love how complex the storyline has become, not to mention the hilarious characters. As I’m writing this post, I’ve just started watching Ghosted again because you know, Adam Scott (Ben Wyatt is forever my fictional bf), WHO IS ACTUALLY IN SEASON ONE OF THE GOOD PLACE. I cannot wait for the third season to come out, and until then, I might need to watch another Michael Schur show (I’m thinking Brooklyn-Nine-Nine) or it’” be time for another Parks and Rec rewatch.

  The Belles Book Signing- During the second weekend in February, I went into New York City to spend the day with one of my best friends. We spent most of the day catching up and working on a film project of his-while writing will always be #1, my love for video has expanded this year with my film classes—and around 3:30, we decided to do something bookish and head to Books of Wonder for Dhonielle Clayton and Adam Silvera’s event for The Belles. Our first mistake was leaving about twenty minutes before the event, as the signing turned out to be the most crowded event I’ve been to. Our second “mistake” was continuing to take our time and then end up at the downtown Books of Wonder.The event was of course held at the uptown Books of Wonder location, so a few subway stops later we made it there. Luckily, we made it in time to hear Dhonielle and Adam answer questions from the audience and treat ourselves to some macaroons. I also convinced my friend to buy History Is All You Left Me, which is my favorite book of Adam’s, but unfortunately we didn’t say for the signing because there were about 70 people in front of us and I had a train to catch. However, I still had a great day in the city with my best friend and those macaroons were the perfect snack for the train ride home.

Being featured on Jacquelyn Middleton’s blog

Jacquelyn Middleton is the author of London Belongs to Me, one of my favorite NA reads, and London, Can You Meet. On her blog, Jacquelyn has been sharing so many bookstagram photos of her books and mine was featured in her post, “London Belongs… To You: Part Twelve“! I consider myself to be a VERY amateur bookstagrammer, so it was amazing to be featured along such amazing bookstagram accounts– I think one of my summer projects is going to be upping my Instagram game.

fangirlfury.com

I mentioned this in my Funko Pop Collection post, but on Valentine’s Day, I bought my blog domain! While I didn’t post until March, I created Fangirl Fury in February of 2017, and I feel so excited to own my domain a year later. You can now officially find me at fangirlfury.com. Whether this is your 1st or 150th time reading a Fangirl Fury post, I want to thank you for supporting my spot on the Internet. Here’s to another exciting year of blogging, reading, and fangirling!

I really liked writing a true monthly wrap-up, and I can see myself expanding my “What I Read” posts to this format. Do you like monthly wrap-ups? What did you read or watch in February? Share in the comments!

BOOKS, WRITING, AND LIFE HAPPENINGS: February Wrap-Up As I was preparing my traditional What I Read post for February, I realized that I did a few more bookish, fandom, and bloggish things that I want to talk about!