2015 Resolution Wrap Up

I had so much going on last year, I feel like I kind of forgot that I even made resolutions.  None the less, let's see how I did...

• Read 40 Books: I fell pretty short, only hitting 29.

• Declutter, Part Two: I did make some progress sorting through the junk in my garage, but I haven't actually gotten around to taking the big "donate" pile to Salvation Army.

• 12 Things Uniquely Austin:  I honestly forgot that this was a resolution I made.  I might try it again this year.

• Make Myself A Priority: Well, sort of.  I wanted to go to a doctor, optometrist, dentist, and hairstylist at least once.  I only did the optometrist and the hairstylist, but I did take a lot of steps to put myself and my own happiness first, which I am pretty proud of.

• Blog Better:  Hah.  Um.  Nope.

• 12 New Restaurants:  SUCCESS!  I managed to go to 12 new-to-me local places, and even fell in love with some of them. (*Cough*Bouldin Creek Cafe.)  The only downside is...now the dilemma of where to eat is even harder because I have too MANY choices.

So...I could've done a bit better.

But!

I completed one and made progress on two others so...yay?

Hello? Is this thing on?

Oh!  Hey!

I kind of fell off the face of the earth for a bit.  Here's the sparknotes of what's happened and where I've been:

I started a different job.  One that is a lot more exhausting than my previous one.  So...yep.  That's mostly where I've been.  I'm back full time at the Harley dealership that I worked at when I first moved to the Austin area, but this time I'm in a management role and not sales.  It's been a learning experience to say the least.

J and I split up.  It wasn't a negative, all out, blow-up kind of break up.  It just wasn't really working any more, so we're moving on with our lives separately.  It's also the first time I've ever really been independent as an adult.  I had my own apartment in college, but that was paid for through grants and loans and scholarships so I don't really count it.  It's actually been kind of nice living alone again for a little while.

I've regained an interest in getting my motorcycle license.  My dad offered to try to teach me how to ride.  However...my first attempt ended in me panicking, meeting a ditch on the side of the road, dropping my bike, and spraining my ankle.  Um...it's part of the learning curve, right?

Anyway.  The short of it is that I've spent the past 8 months or so trying to learn how to take control of my own happiness.  I'm still a work in progress, but I've come a long way.

I have missed blogging, so I'm going to try to get back into it.  I'm not as into subscriptions as I once was so...who knows if I'll still have anything to say. ;)

SXSW (Or: Excuses Why I've Been MIA)

Man.  I was doing SO well with maintaining a blogging schedule until it all fell apart a couple weeks ago.  I got a new job that actually requires me to leave the house, so I'm using that as my main excuse on being lazy.
Anywho.

Over the weekend, J and I partook in a few SXSW activities.  A couple of years ago I volunteered and got a badge, but we don't really have the time for that currently so last year and this year we've just wandered around and done all of the free things.

At SXSW Gaming, we basically touched, ogled, and played all the things.  This eye-tracking thing actually changes the direction you look in the game, which was equally confusing and awesome.

I also found out that I don't really look that different as a Klingon - if you ignore the odd boob job, of course.

 The longest line we stood in was for SXSWesteros.  It wasn't as epic as last year's, but at least J finally got to take his place on the Iron Throne.

One of my favorite stops during SXSW is always Yappy Hour.  A local shelter sets up with adorable puppys that are up for adoption, so you can play with cute fuzzballs while drinking free drinks.  We somehow wound up in the line to see Tuna.

J arm-wrestled a very attractive dude dressed up as Goku.  (Also, I learned who Goku was.)  It was pretty hilarious - the guy let everyone win, but not without effort.  J's feet were basically off the ground, and you can see how much effort J's putting in vs how relaxed Goku is.

Oh, and, uh...I MET FELICIA Freakin' DAY.  Y'all.  I adore her.  Being the graceful creature that I am, I almost tripped over a cord and landed on top of her.  She was super kind and gorgeous and I want to be her best friend.  (Side note:  Does anyone else feel like a jerk asking people to take photos with you?  I guess they're probably used to it, but it makes me feel so uncomfortable and like such a bother.)

We also walked a billion steps a day and got a ton of free swag and did all the normal things.  We never get to do everything that we want to do but...Felicia Day.  'Nuff said.

#DearMe

Last week, tons of awesome women put out #DearMe videos in celebration of International Women's Day (which was yesterday.)  I love the whole concept.

I tried to flesh out my own over the weekend, but this is how far I managed to get:

As I sat, staring at my mostly blank page, I realized that I still struggle with a good amount of the problems I had as a teenager - they just present themselves in a slightly different manner now.  I am still self-conscious, shy, awkward, and fearful.  I have no more direction in my professional life now than I did when I was 16.  Who am I to give anyone advice on things I have yet to overcome?  So, my #DearMe is to myself now almost as much as it would have been to myself at 16.

This sums up my attitude as a teenager.

Dear Me,

You deserve happiness.

Be strong.

Be brave.

Blood doesn't dictate who is family.

Never confuse companionship with love.

Be nicer to yourself.

It will all be okay.

Love,

Katrina

PS - Fuck the bitches and the assholes.  They don't deserve you.

Semi-Charmed Winter Book Challenge Final Check-In!

I actually finished the Semi-Charmed Winter Book Challenge!  At the beginning of February I was having serious doubts, so I'm pretty impressed with myself for pulling it off.  

Newly Completed:

10 points: Read a book with a food in the title.

Still Life With Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen.  Eh.  The main character is a photographer and I found myself more interested in her photos than her story.  It wasn't a terrible book - it was just a fairly uneventful one.  I honestly couldn't bring myself to give a damn about any of the characters (except maybe the dog!)  (252 pages, 2.5 stars)

15 points: Read a book that was originally written in a language that is not your native language.

Story of O by Pauline Réage.  This was the Vaginal Fantasy pick for February.  Man...I can't decide how I feel about this book.  It's a BDSM story that makes Fifty Shades look like Sesame Street.  I found the story fascinating and disturbing at the same time.  Oh, and a little depressing.  (204 pages, 3.5 stars)

30 points: Read two books with a different meal in each title.

The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill.  I listened to the audiobook version of this and the narrator did a wonderful job.  I went in expecting a run-of-the-mill mystery and was pleasantly surprised by some of the elements and twists.  I'm not entirely sure I'll continue into the series, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.  (272 pages, 4 stars)

Whiskey for Breakfast by Liliana Hart.  I actually blew through the first book of this Addison Holmes series in one day while I was sick.  The whole series is the literary equivalent of cotton candy: a little silly and not extremely filling, but enjoyable, fun and easy to consume.  If you enjoy mysteries and romance with a bit of humor, I definitely recommend the series. (246 pages, 4 stars)

Previously Completed:

5 points: Freebie! Read any book that fits the general rules. (Daughter of Smoke and Bone)
10 points: Read a book written by an author who has published at least 10 books.  (Karma Girl)
10 points: Read a book of short stories.  (Wolfsbane and Mistletoe.)
15 points: Read the first book in a series that is new to you. (Mind Games)
15 points: Read a book written by a local author.  (Ill Wind)
20 points: Read a book with a direction in the title. (Witches of East End)

20 points: Read a "bookish book" in which books play an important role. (Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore) 

25 points: Read a book with a song lyric in the title. (Parasite)

25 points: Read a book from a genre you don't usually read. (I Am Malala)

Final Score: 200 points

My Lust List (Or: Where Some of My Tax Refund Might Go)

One of the few things in my life that I DON'T procrastinate on is filing my taxes.  I usually split my refund between "responsible" purchases (groceries, student loan payments, etc) and "dammit I deserve something fun" purchases.  Here are a few of the things I'm considering for my "fun" options.

So So Happy is one of my biggest guilty pleasures.  They released a collaborative line with Iron Fist (another guilty pleasure brand of mine) on the same day that I filed my taxes.  Coincidence?  I think not.  I'd be happy with most of the line, but this henley and this sweater are my top two picks.

Ozzie Henley / Lucky Sweater

Speaking of guilty pleasure brands, I want practically every piece of  Her Universe apparel ever.  These two dresses (and this skirt) have been on my wish list for several months now.

Tenth Doctor Dress / Darth Vader Dress

On a less guilty note, both of these brands donate a portion of profits to animal charities.  Oh, and they also make super cute stuff.

The Tree Kisser / Arm the Animals

My job hunt is perfect justification for a new semi-professional looking bag, right?  Great, thought so.  Now I just have to decide if I like the grey or the black better.

Free People

I've been on a quest for the perfect wear-every-day kind of ring for about a year now and I think this one, but in silver, might fit the bill.

Elisha Marie

Okay, so admittedly the last thing I need is more shoes but look how adorable these are!  I mean, if cute shoes won't motivate me to be more active, I don't know what will.

Adidas

I'm also stalking AirBnB to find a place for a weekend getaway with J.  Man, deciding how to spend my refund is harder than filing for it!

A Cart to DIY for

I am not one of those people for whom interior design just comes naturally.  I have a few of those people as friends - hell, my mom was one of those people - and their homes always look like it belongs in a magazine.  Or on Pinterest.  My home usually looks like two lazy (tightly budgeted) young people live in it.  Because, you know, we do.  Anyway, whenever I feel like I accomplish something in my house, I feel like I have to take a minute to brag.

So here I am.

There is this space of a couple feet between where our kitchen cabinets end and our back door begins that I've never really known what to do with.  J took to stashing the recycling bag there, which wasn't very attractive but...whatever, it meant he was more likely to take the recycling out.

After seeing endless bar carts on blogs and on Pinterest, I decided that was what I wanted.  The only problem was that I kept falling in love with carts that were WAY out of my budget.  I found a few DIY ideas where people spray painted Ikea carts gold to make them look fancier.  Gold isn't my color, but it at least put me on the right track.

I bought and assembled (and cursed) an Ikea Bygel cart.  The frame itself was fine since our appliances are all stainless, but the white shelves bothered me.

I then bought some marble contact paper and covered the three shelves.  Boom.  I now have a bar cart I like that cost me less than $50.

My next step should probably be to diversify the "bar" part of my cart.  If you come over, you can have your choice of vodka, a different brand of vodka, flavored vodka, a different flavor of vodka, or wine.

I also need to get something nicer to put straws in since this goblet from a casino in Vegas doesn't exactly match the nice bar set that KB gave me for my birthday.

I love it, but the thing I probably love most about the stupid thing is that I made it what it is.  I feel like DIY home decor is so much more rewarding than buying something.  (Not to mention SO much cheaper.)  The only problem is...now I'm on another DIY kick.  If you'll excuse me, I have some very important Pinterest scouring to do. ;)

What's My Age Again?

When I was in high school, 27 seemed like the age at which I'd actually be "grown up."  I have no idea why I chose 27 over 25 or 30.  Maybe I was splitting the difference, maybe it's just because it's my favorite number.  A week and a half into being 27, one thing's for sure: I don't really feel like a grown up.

I assumed, back then, that at 27 I'd be settled into the career of my dreams.  (When I was 16, I wanted to be a teacher, but I'm not sure what my dream was after I abandoned that one.)  I've been out of college for almost 5 years now and I still have no idea what kind of career I want to pursue.  I should probably figure that out.

At around 15, I decided that 27 was the "right" age to get married.  If you'd asked me at 19 or so, I'd have told you that I didn't really see myself getting married at any age.  I'm neither married, nor engaged, but I have found my person.  (We've been together for over 6 years.  I'm pretty fond of him, I guess.)

Do I feel my age?  I honestly don't know.

I have a mortgage.

I have acne.

This is my favorite hoodie.

I would rather stay at home with a book than go out to a club and party.

If I won the lottery, there are two things I'd spend a good chunk of the the money on: games

and home decor.

J threw me a Lego themed birthday, complete with Lego candles on my cake.

My chosen birthday activity was going on a hike.  (Which got rained out.  Boo.)

I had cake for breakfast.

My favorite places to shop are mostly grocery stores.

I'm 27.
I may get older but I'll never grow up.

Semi-Charmed Winter Book Challenge Check-In #3!

I did a bit better on Semi-Charmed Winter Book Challenge in January than I did in December.

Newly Completed:

20 points: Read a book with a direction in the title.
Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz.  I keep swinging between 3 and 4 stars for this one.  I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it.  It sort of reads like a young adult book, but it does have some sexy times thrown in here and there.  I'm about halfway through the first season of the show and MAN are there a lot of differences.  If you're a fan of either the book or the show, just keep that in mind while heading into the other.  (292 pages, 3.5 stars)

20 points: Read a "bookish book" in which books play an important role. 

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan.  The best word I can think of for this book is "charming."  It is definitely a book best for bibliophiles - the ebook vs audiobook vs DTE book element in particular is pretty relatable.  Certain aspects of the story reminded me of Ready Player One, which is one of my all-time favorite books, so that may be part of the reason I enjoyed this book so much.  (288 pages, 5 stars)

25 points: Read a book from a genre you don't usually read. 

I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai.  I very rarely read non-fiction and when I do, it's usually a book by some celebrity I have an interest in.  Malala's story is interesting, but her book is a little all over the place and sometimes read like a college entrance essay.  It sort of makes sense given her age, but I definitely think her story would've benefited if she had waited (and matured) a couple of years to write it.  (327 pages, 3.5 stars)

Previously Completed:

5 points: Freebie! Read any book that fits the general rules. (Daughter of Smoke and Bone)
10 points: Read a book written by an author who has published at least 10 books.  (Karma Girl)
10 points: Read a book of short stories.  (Wolfsbane and Mistletoe.)
15 points: Read the first book in a series that is new to you. (Mind Games)
15 points: Read a book written by a local author.  (Ill Wind)
25 points: Read a book with a song lyric in the title. (Parasite)

Current Score: 145 points

Still to go:

10 points: Read a book with a food in the title.
15 points: Read a book that was originally written in a language that is not your native language
30 points: Read two books with a different meal in each title.

30 before 30!

Since today is my 27th birthday, I thought it was time for me to make a 30 before 30 list.  Obviously these are just my personal goals and not a "You Must Do These Thirty Things Before You're Thirty" list for anyone else to follow.

1. Achieve (and maintain) a single digit inbox.
2. Start a long-term savings.  401ks and IRAs and retirement funds are so beyond me right now.
3. Pay off my student loan.
4. Go to San Diego Comic Con. Bonus points if I can manage to cosplay.
5. Make 2 new recipes every week for a month.
6. Buy a new(er) car.
7. Get at least one stamp in my passport.  
8. Finish writing a first draft of something.
9. Buy new living room seating.
10. Run a 5K.  Like, actually run it.  Putting in effort.  The whole thing.  (Have I mentioned I don't run?)
11. Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
12. Take a dance class.  
13. Audition for...something.
14. Go to a ballet performance.
15. Spend a weekend camping, unplugged.  Cameras are the only exception.
16. Clean out the garage.
17. Finish decorating at least one room in the house.  I mean, like, Pinterest-worthy decorating.
18. Take an improv class.
19. Do an ancestry DNA test.
20. Attend a music festival.  Bonnaroo or Coachella preferred, but there a few runner up alternatives.
21. Host a holiday and/or themed party.
22. Write a business plan for a company I'd love to start.
23. Visit more of the US. My end goal is to hit all 50 states, but I don't think I can reach that by 2018.
24. Begin to re-learn how to play the guitar.
25. Complete a 30 day cleaning challenge.
26. Figure out/land a career. AKA Get some direction in my life.
27. Develop a taste for hot tea.
28. Become (at least) conversational in another language.
29. Take a just-for-the-hell-of-it course.
30. Complete a fitness challenge.  Be it yoga, C25k, or something else altogether.

I'm going to try to blog about my progress in the future and I've decided that for every goal I don't achieve, I'm going to donate $10 to charity.

The DIY Gift That Bombed

J and I did not plan our relationship well.

You see, right after Christmas is J's birthday, then in the beginning of January is our anniversary; my birthday is at the end of January and then we fall right into Valentine's Day.  It's basically a month and a half of planning and buying gifts, so somewhere along the way we've started making a tradition of DIY anniversary gifts.  

Since I'm trying to declutter, it didn't make sense for me to craft him something that would just sit on the shelf so I wanted to make him something that he'd actually use.  I was stumped until I realized that the most obvious answer was in one of his favorite past times: baths.

I started out just making bath salts in his favorite scent.  They're pretty and all, but lacked the cheesiness factor that I prefer when giving an anniversary gift.

Side note: green bath salts in the making are disgusting looking.

I then decided to make bath bombs...with a twist.  If you're curious, here's how to make some of your own.  If you're not curious...move along, move along.

In a bowl mix together:

1 cup baking soda

1/2 cup citric acid

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup epsom salts

(optional) Cosmetic glitter!

In a smaller container, mix:

2ish teaspoons coconut oil (in liquid form)

6 teaspoons of liquid made up of scent, color and water.  The exact ratio depends on the strength of the essential oil and coloring.  (Make sure that both are bath and body grade.)  Keep in mind that it will be less strong once you get in the tub, but it's safer to be on the underscented/colored side.

Slooooowly stir the liquid mixture into the dry mixture.  If you add it too quickly, it'll activate and start fizzing.  This is bad, mmmk.  The consistency you want will hold its shape when you squeeze it together - if it's too dry, add a little more water.

Okay, so here's my twist.  I went to a party store and got a bunch of cheesy, cheap little party favor toys.  I used the King Cube ice tray I got from Popsugar long, long ago as my bomb mold.  You can also use a cupcake pan, candy molds, plastic Easter eggs...whatever you have sitting around the house.

Fill your molds half way with your mixture, add your toy, then dump the rest of your mixture on top.  Try to be a little more even and neat than I was, obviously.  Then, press down on the top of each of your bomb mold area things until it's firmly packed.  Let them dry overnight before removing from the random-thing-you're-using-as-a-mold. 

I was sick when I was trying to put these together, so I derped and forgot to take a picture of the finished tray.  (This is also why the photos I did take aren't Pinterest quality ;) ) I also stuck some sugar hearts (like for cake decorating) in the bombs before letting them harden.  

I wrote some sort of cheesy note corresponding with each toy (like this one for the bracelet that had Rockstar printed on it and "You make me smile!" for the smiley face ball) and wrapped each bomb and note up individually in aluminum foil.  You can also use saran wrap, but I didn't want the notes to show through and...well, shiny.

 I tucked all of the bombs into a box with a - you guessed it - cheesy note.

 The biggest downside of making these as a gift for someone you live with is that it sort of ruins the surprise.  J knew the house smelled extra fragrance-y, but he said he was actually expecting me to give him candles.

Cheap toys and bath products might not seem like the makings of a perfect gift for a 28 year old guy, but the bombs went over really well.  He's used two so far and apparently had been bragging to some of his friends about his "epic gift."

Not Another Reflections Post

By now, everyone and their grandmother has made a post on their blog reflecting on 2014.

Except me.

Here's why:

Okay.  To clarify, I didn't get too caught up raising poultry to write a blog post.  The point I'm trying to make is that I'm chicken.  Some of the blogs that I enjoy reading the most are the ones whose writers are unabashedly honest about their lives.  I am so envious of that.  I had a decent number of post drafts that sit abandoned because I couldn't muster up the nerve to put myself out there.  Then, when the "2014 In Review" posts started becoming a trend, I wrote one.  And promptly deleted it.  

A lot of things happened last year - and most of it was...unpleasant.  Rereading what I wrote, I had thoughts of "Why am I telling strangers this?  Why would they care?  What if I get trolled?"  It was just too much vulnerability at once; my self doubt won in the end.  So, I have made a decision.

Eff last year.

Reflect on that, 2014. 

2015 Resolutions!

Despite the fact that my New Year's Eve was pretty lame - I was in bed before midnight - I've been fairly busy so far this year.  So busy, in fact, that I sort of forgot to make resolutions.  Better late than never, right?

• Read 40 Books: Okay, sure, I didn't even hit my goal of 35 last year but I'm trying to push myself! 

2015 Reading Challenge

Katrina has read 1 book toward her goal of 40 books.

hide

1 of 40 (2%)

view books

• Declutter, Part Two: Last year I got pretty into ebaying things.  I really want to continue that and hopefully will move on to the stuff that's in my garage before the summer makes it unbearably hot.  (I also will continue my Operation Empties efforts.)

• 12 New Restaurants:  I seem to get stuck on going to the same restaurants again and again.  There have been a lot of local places on my "Want to Try" list for ages that we really need to give a go.  So, I'm going to go to at least one new (to me) place every month.

• 12 Things Uniquely Austin:  This is technically J's resolution, but I figure most of his activities will include me so I'm counting it as my own.  We've lived in the Austin area for 4.5 years now and we just don't take advantage of all it has to offer.  Sadly, a lot of the Austin traditions are slowly going away (or morphing into something unrecognizable) so we want to do what we can, while we can.

• Make Myself A Priority: I have a tendency to put my needs on the back burner when there is other stuff happening in my life.  It's unhealthy, so I'm making it a goal to go to the dentist, optometrist, doctor, and hairstylist each at least once this year.  Maybe a counselor if I can work it into my budget.  Yes, it seems silly that I feel like I have to make this a resolution and I'm not entirely proud of it.  I just need to get out of the habit of waiting to go until something is wrong. 

• Blog Better:  My main goal is to inject more of myself into my blog.  In other words, I hope to make at least a few posts a month that *aren't* just about subscription boxes.  On a related note, I'm trying to get into the habit of making a post schedule. Plus, I really need to stop procrastinating on doing a redesign. 

Happy 2015! :)

2014 Resolution Wrap-Up

The time has come to 'fess up on my success (or lack there of) in keeping my 2014 resolutions!  2014 was not a very good year (more on that another day) so I'l confess ahead of time that I didn't do as well as I would've wanted.

You can see my original post of 2014 resolutions here.

• Declutter: This was a big goal of mine for 2014.  I did...sort of okay?  I managed to sell a ton of stuff on ebay and did take a couple of loads of stuff to donate.  However, I also added a lot of stuff to my hoard collection of items.  I think I probably wound up breaking even as far as what came in vs what went out.

• Project Pan: I did pretty well in my goal to use up existing beauty products!  I managed to only let myself buy beauty products that filled an actual void and didn't buy stuff just because "oh my god there's a new flavor of Burts Bees WHYDOINOTOWNITNOW?!"  I didn't exactly keep up with my postings of what I finished off, though.  I think I might just do one big post of all of my 2014 empties.

• Read 35 Books: Yeah, no.  About halfway through the year I realized I wasn't going to hit this so I lowered my Goodreads goal to 30.  I managed to finish my 30th book with two days to spare.

• 12 Acts of Anonymous Kindness: I *did* manage to succeed in doing 12 acts, but I wasn't as creative in them as I had hoped to be.  I tipped a few kind servers 50%.  I wound up buying several strangers' meal/coffee/bar tab/whatever.  Totally not original, but it doesn't matter how creative it is if you're putting good vibes into the world...right?  Here are my three favorite "acts" of the year:

• I bought a few small gift cards to Half Price Books and then tucked them into the covers of my personal favorite books at the public library.  I adore our public library but I think that everyone should have a bookshelf full of books of their own, too.

• There's a group here that takes donations for the pets of homeless and displaced people.  Since Stella could never eat her way through half the treats we'd accumulated for her, we took a sizable pile of goodies (plus a few new things we picked up on the trip there) to donate.

• I made little goody bags of various kinds of candy, an ornament, and candy cane lip balm and then J and I walked around the neighborhood dropping them off at random houses.  We chose who got one somewhat arbitrarily - maybe it was because we liked their decorations...or because we see them working in their garden a lot...or because Stella decided to pee in their yard.  It sort of turned into a game and was a lot of fun even though we were cold and exhausted by the end.

While none of my resolutions were as exciting as my 12 New Things of 2013, I did enjoy working on my 2014 resolutions.  My declutter mission is far from over, but I'm more motivated now than I was a year ago to clear stuff out.  The extra income from ebaying things doesn't exactly hurt either.  The Acts of Kindness goal sort of reminded me just how little it takes to brighten someone's day.  There have been days where something as simple as someone letting me cut ahead of them in line on a Saturday at the grocery store was all it took to completely change my mood.  I just hope that at least one person's day was bettered by something I did this year. <3

Semi-Charmed Winter Book Challenge Check-In #2!

I read a few books that didn't count for the Semi-Charmed Winter Book Challenge so didn't make much progress as last month.  Here's what I did accomplish.

Newly Completed:

25 points: Read a book with a song lyric in the title. 
Parasite by Mira Grant. (Song: Parasite by Disturbed)  Some of it was a little predictable, but I really enjoyed it anyway.  I think I liked the Newsflesh trilogy better, but Parasite still managed to hook me and keep me engrossed. (512 pages, 4 stars)

10 points: Read a book of short stories.   

Wolfsbane and Mistletoe.  All of the stories involved werewolves and Christmas.  Some were good, some were awful and some were just plain weird. Unfortunately...there were more awful than good.  (340 pages, 3 stars)

 

Previously Completed:

15 points: Read the first book in a series that is new to you. (Mind Games)
15 points: Read a book written by a local author.  (Ill Wind)
10 points: Read a book written by an author who has published at least 10 books.  (Karma Girl)

5 points: Freebie! Read any book that fits the general rules. (Daughter of Smoke and Bone)

Current Score: 80 points

Planned:

15 points: Read a book that was originally written in a language that is not your native language. 
Battle Royale
20 points: Read a book with a direction in the title. 
Witches of East End
20 points: Read a "bookish book" in which books play an important role. 
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
25 points: Read a book from a genre you don't usually read. 
The Woman Who Would Be King

Still to go:

10 points: Read a book with a food in the title. 
30 points: Read two books with a different meal in each title.