2016 Reading Goals

Like every blogger and vlogger out there, I have some hopes and wishes for the new year.

1. Trim my TBR: I'm sure this is on most people's reading resolutions, too. So far I have accomplished 1/24 of the TBR books I own. I'd love to get that to a manageable number by next December (perhaps under ten? Could that happen?).
2. Watch/read less book reviews before I've actually read the book. Stop relying on the Goodreads average ratings. Stop forming preconceived ideas before I've even began. This was something I noticed myself doing toward the end of 2015. I strive to form my own opinions this year! I strive to think deeper and share my thoughts and join in discussions once I know what I'm talking about.
3. I hope I can write more reviews for this blog! And have more book related discussions! Maybe I'll get up the courage and start Booktube! This isn't reading, but it's reading related, and it's stuff I hope to do, so there.
4. Since I will be really busy, I want to find ways to read when I can't. And by that, I mean I want to try out audiobooks. Especially this winter, I know I'll spend a lot of time in my car driving myself places. Perhaps I can crank out a Harry Potter or two just through the power of listening.
5. My last goal is to read more, enjoy what I read, and have the courage to cut books from my TBR if they no longer interest me. This is really important to me, as I will have only limited time this year. I'm a busy girl. So if something isn't grabbing me, I want to move on to another book quickly. Maybe I'll discover some kick-ass books this way.

And that was it! Short and sweet, my reading goals for 2016 are here just to push me. If I can reach 35 books, I'll be happy, but I'd love to shoot for 40. Some people are able to hit 50 or even a hundred, which is unrealistic for me. So keeping that in mind, I just want to read a ton. Don't we all?

Movies I Grew Up On

There are certain films I watched more than others as a child. I distinctly remember viewing them over and over again on long car rides with my siblings and parents in the back seat, entertaining me for hours even though I'd seen them hundreds of times before. In my opinion, these films are a crucial piece of who I am today, as they're partially responsible for my psychological development. Some of these movies stand out more than others:

The Princess Bride is among my favorite movies today. From when my parents first showed it to me and my siblings, to watching it years later with friends at sleepovers, I feel that I can quote nearly the entire movie. One particular year, my family went through a phase where we all read the book (by William Golding, which was really well written). Last month as my friends got together to watch Saw, Cary Elwes's character was not named for his name (which I obviously can't remember) but he was called Westley, or the Dread Pirate Roberts, by all. 

Hairspray: The reboot with Zac Efron was about the only musical I watched for two years. Because of this, I have its music committed to memory permanently. I don't think I'll ever forget the words to "Without Love" or "You Can't Stop The Beat" for as long as I live. 

Christmas with the Kranks was on tonight, and I realized I had to add it to this list. I feel like it was tradition, watching this movie every year with my family in our basement. We don't even own it, but we'd always find a way to rent it. And tonight, with Kendra finally home and Brad not locked away on his gaming websites, it was nice to finally relive this old memory. 

Perhaps my favorite Disney movie of my childhood was Mulan. I feel that it holds some very important pearls of wisdom regarding life, as it deals with important and relevant topics. I'll never stop loving this movie, and I'll never stop singing "I'll Make a Man Out of You."

The Parent Trap with Lindsey Lohan is a strange guilty pleasure. Something about the time the twins spend at camp, plotting their parent's reunion never ceases to amuse me. I've watched it more times than I'd like to count, usually on sick days when I'm stuck on the couch with only the movies saved on our DVR. 

Pirates of the Caribbean is probably the most significant of the movies I grew up on. A short while ago, I learned some of my friends had never seen it, and I was appalled. I'd assumed my whole life that kids of my age were being exposed to the same wonders of the world, one of them being Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom in pirate get-up. And the fact that not every little girl looked up to Kiera Knightly as I did just confused me. If only everyone had watched this movie as religiously as I did. But then, perhaps, it probably wouldn't have been as special to me. 

These movies are ones I never got sick of. I'd watch them again in a heartbeat. I'd marathon them with friends, I'd watch them alone, I'd watch them with family. I can't be the only one who finds these kinds of movies important? 

Tidbit

I don't write on here a lot, but in this moment in time I want to capture the things I love. While I'm at a point of high stress in my life regarding grades and extracurriculars, while all I want to do is sit down and sleep or read, I've got to remember these things. 

1. How happy the Throne of Glass books make me. It's possible that with them, I've finally found my favorite series. 

2. Tea is really great, sometimes just as good as coffee. I can always drink coffee, but for tea, I need to be in the right mood. Lately, I've been in the mood. Note to self: embrace it. 

3. There's nothing more inspiring than people who dig into/run to body smack into life. There are two great examples of these people in my life right now. One, a girl from my robotics team who inspires me to jump into things at every opportunity. The other, a wonderful friend who enjoys every type of involvement from car jam sessions to sappy snapchats to festive painting. To both of them- thank you. 

4. How much I love quiet music. It's really just my jam right now. Orchestral pieces, piano concertos, movie scores, simple beats, A n D r E w  B i R d. 

5. Books about people. There's nothing greater than the relationships between people. People interacting with people is the best type of book. 

6. My friends who put up with me always being busy. They always give me a lot and I can't give them much sometimes. But that is a-ok and we always make it work. 

7. My job, which has been fabulous. I love it so much. I love than I can go there and fold clothes or run shirts or help customers for 5 hours at a time and never have to worry about stuff that's going on in my life. It's an amazing reprieve from my chaotic schedule, a strange oxy-moron. 

8. Thanksgiving and Christmas. Yeah, I'm excited for the former, but I'm even more excited for the latter because my present s idea IS FREAKING AWESOME. 

9.  Concerts tickets to finally see Fall Out Boy and Twenty One Pilots. Gobless.