novapsych is going on hiatus

Followers, readers, you've been fabulous.  Blogging has been great, I've had fun, and hopefully you've enjoyed reading novapsych!

I'll be heading off to college in a few days, and I'm really excited.  Unfortunately, with all the chaos of moving, getting settled in, taking a full course load my first semester, and hopefully meeting some fun people.... I'm just not going to be able to put in the time and effort that you, the readers, deserve.

I'll be leaving the website up, so all my past reviews and posts will still be available.  In the spring, after surviving my first semester, I'll make the final decision about whether novapsych will keep going or will have to say a permanent goodbye.  In the meantime, I'd like to thank you all for being so fabulous!  If you want to un-follow, I completely understand; and if not, I appreciate the loyalty.

Hopefully, I'll be back in the spring; but for now, adieu ~

Happy Birthday to Me

It's my birthday!

Manga: 'Real' Books?

I was reading manga the other day, when a friend asked what I was reading.  I told her, and she said something along the lines of, "Oh, never mind, I thought it was a real book."

I know several people that consider manga to be sort of a comic book - much different, and dumber, than a 'real' book.  I don't really think of them as different, and I like them both equally.  I don't think either format is less 'real' than the other - they're just different formats.  Sure, there's dumb manga, but there's also dumb books; and there are some really great mangas out there.

So I was curious what my readers thought: Manga - 'real' literature, or childish comic books?

Sorry!

Sorry for vanishing for a few days, and not posting or answering emails or anything.  I had a little food poisoning along with some good old-fashioned dehydration.  I pretty much spent the last three days asleep in bed with a 100 degree fever.

Anyways, what doesn't kill me only makes me stronger, right?  I'm back now, and I'll be getting novapsych running again ASAP.  Thanks for being patient!

Antique Books

I got a nice surprise today: a neighbor brought over some "donations," several old books she didn't have time or space for any more.  It was a wonderful medley, mostly from the 1930's, ranging from a Girl Scout Handbook to several lovely illustrated Dickens novels.

Personally, I love old books.  I love the way they look and feel and smell, I love the texture and the yellow tinge to the pages, I love the faded, embossed covers, I even like the fonts.  I adore the idea that each book has a story: a few words in pencil on the inside cover get my imagination racing, creating a whole life story for the first owner of the book.  I guess it's my mushy romantic side showing.

I also feel responsible when I hold old books - like if I so much as handle them roughly, their pages will fall out or their spines will crumble.  I take excellent care of my older novels, much better care, I admit, than I take of my newer editions.

While I'm all for new books - most books featured on this blog, of course, are very recent and modern - somehow they just don't have the charm of old books.  They're appealing in their own right, but they don't have the siren call of a gorgeous antique book for me.

I'm curious, now - what do my readers think of older books?  Do you love them as much as I do, or do you dismiss them as musty and dull?  Do you go out of your way to handle them, or do you avoid them?  Comment - or hey, write your own post and link back - and let me know!

It's the end of the year as we know it...

Yup, 2010 is over.  It's been a huge year for me!  2010 milestones: I applied to colleges, I got a car, I started a book blog.

So in honor of 2010, here's a quick recap of the highlights.

Best book read in 2010: Looking for Alaska.
Best book tour/promo in 2010: Nightshade.
Best book published in 2010: Still a toss-up for me.
Best movie of 2010: Inception.
Best TV show of 2010: White Collar.
Best news story of 2010: Repeal of DADT.
Best song of 2010: Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back tied with Na Na Na, both by MCR.
Best concert of 2010: Sick Puppies.

Worst part of 2010: managing to get seriously sick a record four times.

Anyways, 2010 was a fabulous year overall, but I still can't wait for 2011!

Happy New Year, everybody, hope you had an awesome '10 and hope your '11 is just as grand!

Merry Christmas Everybody!

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, or the the holiday of your choice.  However you choose to celebrate or even if you don't celebrate at all, have a great day and enjoy life! :)

100TH POST

That's right: this is the

ONE HUNDRETH POST!

I have the flu...

...and of course I have been slacking off and I don't have any pre-written posts for this week.  So novapsych will be on hiatus for a few days until I feel better.

Thanks for being patient, readers.

I'm going to go back to sleep now.

Concert

I just got home from a Sick Puppies show.

My ears are still ringing.

I had the time of my life.

Thanksgiving!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

And if you are not in the US, HAPPY THURSDAY!

In case you were wondering (Victory & Illness)

I just got home from my first Tae Kwon Do tournament.  I placed third in my age group (which is supposed to be one of the most competitive age groups).  This made me happy.

I got home and discovered that I had a fever, which explained the pounding head and sore throat I've had all day.  In fact I am having a hard time staying awake long enough to post this.

Also, I have a few huge school projects due plus a service project plus the tournament, and now I'm sick.  I'll try to keep novapsych running as normal, but if things are a little slow for a few days, please be forgiving :)

Nova

Happy Halloween!

Alright, I have to admit, Halloween is near and dear to my heart. I just love it.

(And you're never too old to play dress-up and/or extort candy from strangers, no matter what they say.)

Have a happy Halloween, everybody! Dress up, watch some horror movies, eat double your body weight in sugar, and read some scary stories!

Boo!

Nova

ROAD TRIP!

So, the ever lovely Nova is going roadtripping this weekend. There may or may not be Internet access and so there may or may not be new posts until Monday; until then, why not check out the Shay Doran puzzles (so cool!), or read some reviews?

Thanks for being awesome,
Nova

Shay Doran's Clues

I got a package in the mail today. Inside was a letter.

Thanks for helping me with this. I think if we all post pics on Facebook of the clues we find, then together we can solve this mystery.

Shay

Well, obviously I was excited.  And my clue was in the form of... an old book?

I was a little confused until I noticed two bookmarks.  Openig the book to the marked pages, I found

Although you probably can't see it in those pictures, there were words outlined in the design. The first read just "Efron Bane."  The second said, "Marise's death made him master of the Bane pack."

I've got no idea where this is going, but I'm excited!  And now I really can't wait to read Nightshade!

General Update Part Deux

First of all:




Friday Following funness :) This is my first time so I might very well be doing it wrong, but yeah... follow me, let me know, I'll follow you?  That's how this works, right?

Next order of business, I've decided to revamp the Friday meme.  It's just going to be Feature Friday from now on.  This might mean playlists, fashion, poetry, whatever I happen to feel like rambling about any particular week.  Approve?

Finally, just posted the review for The Hunchback Assignments.  You should check it out because I write awesome reviews :)

And that concludes this time's General Update.  If you read this far, YOU are AWESOME.

Thanks for reading, following, visiting, commenting... whatever it is you do, I appreciate it and hope you're liking novapsych!

Save the Words Sunday!

I stumbled on this crazily amazing link earlier today, and after wasting a few years on this site I just had to share it!

http://savethewords.org/

It's a collection of all the fabulously descriptive words that nobody uses.

It's actually a little depressing when you think about all those poor, forgotten words.

But you can spend a fun and very educational hour clicking around enjoying all the crazy words.  My new favorite word is "quibblism," or maybe "operiment," or even "stiricide (the falling of icicles from a house)."  I adopted all three.

Come on!  Let's spread the words!  Go and adopt and start utilizing those obscuriferous words!

(And come back and tell me which you adopted!)

General Update

Hi everybody! So, novapsych has hit its first monthiversery (yay) and I've got some followers (love you guys)!

And according to my Blogger Stats (yes, I creep all of you on Stats), I've had visits from people from Israel, the Philippines, the UK, Denmark, Germany, Brazil, Australia, China, Canda, and the USA.

I feel so very international right now, you have no idea.

And I really wish I could speak anything besides English.

Anyways, I'm having fun blogging and I hope you're all having fun reading, so good afternoon (or night, or morning, or whatever) and keep visiting novapsych!

PS: Tell your friends :)

General Update

Sorry for being slow, I'm having a few computer issues and school is starting, so I've had no free time this week.  Anyways, everything should be back on track by next week, weekly posts and reviews and all!

To keep you entertained while you wait:
http://yafantasyshowdown.weebly.com/index.html

Are you surprised at some of the battles' outcomes?  I know I am.  And does anybody else really want to see a Howl-Gen showdown?

Character Showdown

Have you ever imagined a face-off between your two favorite characters?   Katniss vs. Edward Cullen?   Hermione vs. Tally Youngblood?

Hold on to your seats, then, and click here: http://yafantasyshowdown.weebly.com/index.html

That's right, an official Fantasy Character Showdown!  Participation is simple: just vote for your favorite guy or girl in each match-up, (daydreaming about the fight scene is optional) and rally all your friends to help support them too.  Then check back to see who triumphs in the end!

Better hurry, though; the first round ends tomorrow!  Get out there, vote, and let the best man (or vampire, or werewolf, or ghost, or...) win!