Read: Greywalker & Island of Lost Girls

As I do every year, I have set a little "reading goal" for myself. Normally, I really try to challenge myself and set the bar pretty high. But this year, I'm following the trend of what I've actually accomplished the last couple of years and have set my goal at 40 books for the year. I figure with school, work, my photography (which has all of a sudden become really interesting to people), there just aren't enough hours in the day to try and do more. Forty books seems like a good round number.

Onto the first reads of 2014!

Greywalker by Kat Richardson
When Harper comes to in the hospital, she begins to feel a bit ...strange. She sees things that can only be described as weird-shapes emerging from a foggy grey mist, snarling teeth, creatures roaring. But Harper's not crazy. Her "death" has made her a Greywalker-able to move between our world and the mysterious, cross-over zone where things that go bump in the night exist. And her new gift (or curse) is about to drag her into that world of vampires and ghosts, magic and witches, necromancers and sinister artifacts. Whether she likes it or not.

I really don't know how I feel about this book. I really wanted to like it, but in all honesty it made my head hurt.

The concept of the story was really interesting, but the execution was a bit, shall we say, disjointed and confusing. It felt like there were chunks of time missing from the story which made it hard to follow. And when Harper, the heroine of our story would move between the "real world" and the "grey" it was a bit difficult to figure out just what was going on.

While there are other books in this series, I don't know that I'll continue on with the life of Harper Blaine, which is really hard for me to admit. Normally once I start a series I like to finish it, but this one just seems a little too far outside of my interest to stick with it.

Island of Lost Girls by Jennifer McMahon

While parked at a gas station, Rhonda sees something so incongruously surreal that at first she hardly recognizes it as a crime in progress. She watches, unmoving, as someone dressed in a rabbit costume kidnaps a young girl. Devastated over having done nothing, Rhonda joins the investigation. But the closer she comes to identifying the abductor, the nearer she gets to the troubling truth about another missing child: her best friend, Lizzy, who vanished years before.

Island of Lost Girls was a fast moving mystery focused around Rhonda. The story alternates between the present (when Rhonda sees a little girl being kidnapped by an adult-sized white rabbit) and the past (the summer her best friend Lizzy stops talking). There were a number of twist and turns in the plot that kept me saying "I'll just read one more chapter and then I'll go to bed" as the two stories intertwined. Parts of the book were a bit predictable which was frustrating, but it was still a fantastic read.

Music Monday: Say Something

I've talked about it here on the blog a number of times, how a quote or a song or whatever hits you at just the perfect time. It leaves you obsessing about it and what it says. I think in this case, I listened to the song about a dozen times while putting this post together.

That is how I feel about A Great Big World's song Say Something. This almost 4 minute song sums up how I've been feeling the last....well......let's say it's been awhile. And at times the chorus feels a little like a punch to the gut:
Say something I'm giving up on you
I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you
Anywhere I would have followed you
Say something I'm giving up on you

But that's what the music is for. To remind you that sometimes you need to feel something, even when you don't want to.

Sunday Confessions

I know. I know. We're back to the original title for this "series" even though half the time there isn't a confession to be found in the post. It just seems to sounds better....it fits.

Challenges // Tomorrow starts the next round of the Bout of Books Read-a-Thon. I have done it in the past and LOVED it. Seriously. How could you pass up a chance to participate in something that only requires you to read? It's wonderful. But I'm not doing it. In fact, I'm not doing ANY challenges this year. No 30 day workout challenges. No NaNoWriMo. No bookclubs. No nothing. I know it sounds very anti-social and pessimistic of me but the last couple of times I've tried to do them, I've failed. Miserably. Honestly. Who needs that kind of pressure in their life, especially when it is self induced and really the only person it effects is you? I'd like this to be a "pressure" free year as much as possible.

Laziness // My college classes start back up again this week, so I am taking FULL advantage of the cold Michigan weather to play hermit and just generally lounge about the house.

Hooking // For the last week or so, I have been crocheting like a crazy woman. I really had forgotten how much fun crocheting can be when you aren't making things for other people. Don't get me wrong--I love handing someone an animal I've made for them and seeing how excited they are to receive it (let's be honest--the dang things are adorable) but making so many of them started to be a bit boring. I've been enjoying playing around around with new stitches and even writing my own hat patterns!

When Girl Meets Camera

If you've followed Miles from Ordinary for any period of time, you may have come across a post where I discuss my love/hate relationship with photography.

It's like a bad relationship or something.

It's weird.

But bottom line is that I adore it. And while visiting MOMa while in NYC a couple weeks ago, I began to realize just how much I miss spending time with my camera and seeing things from a different perspective.

As I've done the last few years (but with no success) I have decided to ONCE AGAIN tackle a 365 photography project. One photograph a day for the next three hundred and thirty-three days (I've already managed to get two days under my belt). The thing that is different this year is that there are no rules. I'm not going for a theme (although I would like to do one self portrait a week). No plan. No agenda. Just me and my camera which has been woefully neglected.

I have to say I am pretty excited about the project and getting reacquainted with my camera especially with school starting up again next week. The daily project will give me a mandatory break to flex my creative muscle.

Should you wish to follow along I set up a little blog for the project: When Girl Meets Camera. I can't guarantee the photography will be any good or the words accompany the photographs will be meaningful, but there could be a gem or two!

Everything Will Be O.k.

Happy 2014 everyone!

It's a bit weird to be back to this blogging thing after pretty much taking December off.

It wasn't intentional. I just apparently needed a break and a break is what I got.

I've been struggling a bit putting this first post of the new year together.

Do I look back at 2013? Do I talk about what I am looking forward to in the upcoming year? Do I proceed as if today is just a regular 'ole Wednesday? It's an odd day to try and jump back into the swing of things.

But then again, things have been kind of "odd" lately to begin with.

While in New York, I had this weird moment of feeling completely uncomfortable in my own skin. It happened while we were at the John Mayer concert in Brooklyn and I just couldn't get comfortable with myself. It's been this feeling of not knowing who I am any more. And that feeling has stuck with me since I've been back home.

I find myself second guessing decisions I've made, feelings I'm having and I hate it. Should I have taken on the "new" position at work? Am I making the right decision with school? Did I completely misinterpret what he said and ruin a friendship?

Everything has been this big jumbled mess in my head and it's been confusing and exhausting.

On the last day that I was in New York, my friend Vickie and I headed to the Christmas market in Bryant Park to do some last little bit of shopping before I headed home. At one of the booths, I came across a little sign that has become my motto for the new year. It was tucked amongst the larger handmade signs, almost hidden, but as soon as I saw it, I knew I needed it for my desk.

A reminder that no matter how complicated or overwhelming things seem, everything will be o.k. and things will work out the way they are supposed to work out. Even if it's not always how we originally wanted them to work out.