Misconceptions About Southerners: What We Want You To Know

1. Not all of us are redneck hillbillies or good’ns that live out in the honkey-tonks of the bayou next to Forrest Gump.

There are actually big cities in Alabama. I would know, since I live in one. I’m not saying it’s Chicago, but it’s not a tiny little town with run-down shops and dusty roads.

2. We don’t all listen to or even LIKE country music.

I cannot name one country song I actually like. I’m not a huge fan of most songs they overplay on the radio, but I’m not over here singing about turnip greens and girls in them short shorts while I drink a beer, either.

3. We don’t all have thickly Southern accents just because we’re from the South.

I don’t even say ya’ll. I don’t. It sounds weird to me. I may drink sweet tea or like Cracker Barrel, but I don’t talk like this:

I was up at that there gun store buyin’ me some firearms for when I do my target practice from the rockin’ cheer (chair), ya’ll.

4. We’re not all confederate flag-bearing, shotgun shootin’, fly-fishin’ country folks.

I know how to shoot a gun for my protection, but I’m not going to Bass Pro Shops every day and hunting White-Tailed Deer and Salmon for a living.

For those of you Southerners that do this, great. But if I say that I’m from Alabama, it doesn’t mean I know nothing about the real world because I live in the middle of nowhere. It doesn’t mean I’m a redneck shootin’ coons for hats, and it doesn’t mean I’m a tomboy and don’t know what a cell phone is. Just wanted to make that clear. 🙂

Update: I Made Up With the Guy I Bullied

I made a post about how badly I felt for bullying a guy in my grade. With the encouragement of my best friend, her mom, and my sister, I worked up the courage to email him an apology. He said he forgave me a long time ago. He said that he was doing better, that he was finally happy.

After three years of worrying, it’s a huge relief to know that. One thing has stuck with me since then. My friend’s mom told me something when we discussed all of this. She said that “he may not even remember what I said to him, but he’d remember that I apologized”.

People need to know that you care. Even when it’s hard, you have to show them. It’s amazing the weight that’s lifted from your shoulders, and more importantly, it’s amazing to know that they’re happy. That they forgive you.

That guy showed me mercy, and I’ve made a decision. If I have the power to show someone mercy, I will show them mercy. That’s what I’d want someone to do for me, and that’s what I know the Lord wants us to do.

The Honest Truth About How I See This Blog and What I Want it to Become

Let me be honest. I named this blog the “Writing Books Nook”, but about 2/3 of the content is about cooking, photo editing, music, weekly obsessions, and personal posts. I’ve done one book review, maybe two, and they’re not even that good.

I’ve learned that I’m not a book reviewer. I’ve learned that I am a slow reader who makes bad choices in books.

I have roughly 15 followers, and most are book reviewers or people who avidly write about books. I love books, always have. But when it becomes something I dread writing about or meeting a deadline for, I know something’s not right. I can’t honestly say I have a huge amount of passion for book reviewing. If I lose followers, I understand. My passion is for my book. For music. For Pentatonix. For talking about things that are important to me. For cooking and sharing my world- my crazy, all over the place world- with you. With people kind enough to make time to read this weird stranger’s blog and engage with her.

Thank you for sticking with me through all of my different phases, fads, and ideas. I hope you enjoyed the ride, even if you got a little dizzy at times. This blog was supposed to strictly be a book blog… but I have more to my personality than just books. I’m a choir nerd. I’m a Pentaholic. I’m a homeschooler. I’m a mini-chef at home. I’m a girl trying to shed 30 pounds. I’m a big sister. I’m allergic to dust, pollen, cleaners, indoor plants, sashays, air fresheners, and Benadryl. I’m a Southerner. I’m a shy, nerdy girl with so much more to her life than just books and reviews, who has a blog and wants to share her experiences, views, and thoughts that she can’t say out loud.

If you’re up for it, thank you for caring enough to let me share what I’m passionate about with you.

With much love,

-Hannah

I Have A Confession… I Feel Horrible About It

Okay… I’m going to get totally off topic from this blog for a minute. If I lose followers for it, totally understand. I get it.

 

Let’s be honest. I have always been the shy, school nerd/teacher’s pet. In fourth grade, I got caught up in the wrong crowd, but I got out of it. I’m just going to come out and say it… I was a bully.

 

You hear all of these people say “Stop Bullying!”, but I… I’m ashamed to say I was part of it.

 

I’m changing names for privacy purposes, but let me introduce you to Jason. I met Jason with my friend McKayla in the third grade. He was huddled in the fetal position on the playground, crying. I noticed, and we walked over to him. McKayla finally got an answer out of him as to what was wrong, and it turned out that his parents had just divorced. He also said that he would ride his bike home and sit outside until 9:00 at night when his mom got home. That’s horrible for a third grader to go through.

 

Jason and McKayla stayed close friends, but he and I kind of just drifted apart. We still talked, though. In sixth grade, I… I started in on it.

 

Jason wouldn’t be able to pay for the school breakfast, and he couldn’t pay for lunch, either. He would ask me and McKayla for food daily, and McKayla’s mom found out. She packed him an additional lunch with McKayla’s every day. In addition to that, he would ask me for food. I would give it to him, but I eventually… I got to the point of being rude to him. I crossed a line many times, being a complete jerk to him. But he took it. Eventually, he threatened to tell people something embarrassing about me because he was tired of my bull crap. I told him to go ahead, then went and got him in trouble with the principal.

 

I had this “I’m so perfect, Hannah can do no wrong,” mentality, and I feel so stupid now. It never clicked in my mind that he only had one meal a day, when me, the fat pig, had three along with snacks. Jason didn’t have that leisure. I’d tell him, “No! You’re not taking my food!” just because I wanted to stuff my face. I see him around the neighborhood once or twice a year, but it’d be weird if I just came out and said, “Hey! Sorry I was rude to you every day in sixth grade and totally insensitive to your situation! Besties?”

 

I don’t want to be thought of as the know-it-all who thinks she’s better than everyone. Trust me: I never talk like that to anyone now. I learned my lesson. I regret what I said every single day. I feel horrible. I was a bully, if that’s what you consider it. I hate to say it, but I was. And I know he’ll probably never read this, but I am so sorry for saying that to him, for being such a horrible friend if you can even call me that.

 

I’ve learned to REALLY put myself in other peoples’ shoes. I now know that people look like they have it all together, but honestly, they don’t. I may look like I was the “shy girl with killer grades”, but I’m not perfect. I don’t have it all together. Everyone has their own battles. I feel so bad for being the person who discredited those battles that other people have. Now I think about that. And I sincerely hope that he forgives me, because I don’t think I will ever forgive myself for that. I was a bully. And I’m not proud.

 

But that was a lesson I had to learn. And I’m so glad I learned it, because I don’t want to be that person. I don’t want to be the bully.

Weekly Obsessions

I’m in a bloggy mood today, so even though it’s only been three days since the last post, I’m going to go ahead. 🙂

1. Song of the Week. Infinity- One Direction

2. T.V. Show of the Week. I haven’t watched much T.V. this week….

3. Food of the Week. Sierra Mist. I know it’s technically not a food, but… let’s just say my stomach makes dying whale noises on a daily basis, and anything I eat makes me sick. Sierra Mist is the only thing that calms my stomach… so yeah, TMI. 😀

4. Weird Thought of the Week. I’m surprised I’m not bald by now with the amount of hair I lose on a daily basis. First, I take a shower, and there ARE THESE HUGE HAIRBALLS THAT FEEL LIKE SPIDERS SLITHERING DOWN MY LEG. Then, I get out, and I feel these long blonde hairs stuck all over my arms and legs. I peel them all off and pull them out of the ends of my hair, then go to get dressed. I finish and begin to brush out my wet hair, and it insists on sticking to every article of clothing I have on, including finding its way down the back of my shirt. Finally, I blow-dry it, and I find MORE hair dangling at the bottom of the hair attached to my head and on my clothes.

Guys, consider yourselves lucky.

6. Book of the Week. You already know. The book is kinda sloooowwww…..

7. Quote of the Week. “I will break down the gates of heaven. A thousand angels stand waiting for me. Oh, take my heart, and I’ll lay down my weapons. Break my shackles to free…” –Run to You, Pentatonix

8. Bible Verse of the Week. “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” –2 Corinthians 12:9

Peacock It Is… :)

So this little guy will be my next work of art (if I can even call it that; I’m not very good). I’m ready to start the next picture, so I only gave it a day to see results. I got five likes and a bid doughnut hole of comments, so… I’m guessing the peacock. Anywho, it’ll take me a while to finish… So you see all of those feathers?! Two pages worth. And I put A LOT of detail into each of them… so it may take a while. I have be in the mood to draw, and I’m in that mood now, so… Happy Drawing or Writing or whatever I always say to end these posts! 😀

My B-E-A-utiful Artwork (Not!)

My not-so-original artwork… 😀

Okay, so… I finished this, what now? I have two others I’ve started, and I need a vote for which to continue first! Like for Peacock, comment for Whale Shark! 🙂 (Or just comment an answer.)

 

Peacock that I’m actually sorta proud of…

 

Barely started whale shark… and yes, that’s my leg in the corner.

Weekly Obsessions

I know, I know. You haven’t posted in FOREVER! I have been busy, okay? Okay. 🙂

 

1. Song Stuck in My Head. Rebel and the Reason- Reece Mastin

2. TV Show of the Week. Fear Factor reruns.

3. Food of the Week. 15-cal. Fudge Pops.

4. Weird Thought of the Week. I wonder if you can get toe arthritis…

5. Habit of the Week. Well, if you’re a fellow allergy sufferer, you get this. I’ve been sneezing, coughing up nasty crap, sniffling, wiping my nose and going through rolls of TP just to keep your nose clear, and functioning on eight total hours of sleep this whole freaking week because I have to lay like this:

All. Night. All. Freaking. Night.

6. Book of the Week. Emory’s Gift by W. Bruce Cameron

7. Quote of the Week. “Allergies are just delightful!” -Me

8. Bible Verse of the Week. “The Lord merely spoke and the heavens were created. He breathed the word and all the stars were born.” -Psalm 33:6

What Blogging is For Me

I feel like blogging is just a bunch of YouTubers or something that just don’t show their faces. They want to write out their feelings, thoughts, and stories, not use some camera and a bunch of filters to get their point across. Instead, they use different different fonts, colors, pictures, links, and words to express themselves. I just had that thought a few minutes ago… so yeah. Just a weird, random thought from me.

 

I Cracked My Phone Screen….

Okay, so if you combine my fear of bees with me startling at any movement, you get a broken phone screen.

Basically, I was letting the dogs out to go to the bathroom, and what I thought was a bee flew in front of me. I screamed, waved my hands in the air to keep it away from me, and dropped my phone face-down on the concrete, running inside.

When I came back out, it had a huge crack in it… so yeah.

 

But mine’s cracked, whoooaaaahhh….

 

That’s a Pentatonix song if you don’t get the reference…

Weekly Obsessions

1. Song Stuck in My Head All Week. Fix a Heart- Demi Lovato

2. T.V Show I’ve Been Watching All Week. Fox News.

3. Food I’ve Been Eating All Week. Croutons….

4. Habit of the Week. No new habits this week….

5. Quote of the Week. “If I had a flower for every time you made me laugh, I’d have a garden to walk in forever.”

6. Book of the Week. Emory’s Gift by W. Bruce Cameron

7. Weird Thought of the Week. I wonder what a splinter should look like…

8. Bible Verse of the Week. “We love each other as a result of Him loving us first.” -1 John 4:19

 

Weekly Obsessions

1. Song Stuck in My Head All Week. I Know You Care- Ellie Goulding

2. Food I’ve Been Eating All Week. Fage Strawberry Yogurt with Frozen Strawberries chopped up and mixed in.

3. Book I’ve Been Reading All Week. Where She Went by Gayle Forman

4. Habit of the Week. I’ve bitten and repainted my nails a lot this week.

5. Show I’ve Been Watching All Week. Shark Tank. 😀

6. Quote of the Week. “Music is a moral law. It gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” -Plato

7. Bible Verse of the Week. “Your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him.” –Matthew 6:8

 

Would You Rather?

1. Rather read only a series or stand-alone books? Stand-alone is what I typically read, but if it’s a really good book, definitely series.

 2. Rather read a book whose main character is male or female? I mostly read from the female perspective, but I don’t have much of a preference.

 3. Rather shop only at Barnes & Noble (or other actual bookstore) or Amazon? Barnes and Noble is pretty pricey, but I love going in the and seeing the cafe and running my fingers over the books. I love how it smells and the music section in the back with all of the new PTX albums and the memories I have there. I remember going there alone with my mom and sitting down in the cafe. She let me order the food, which was a triple chocolate cupcake that we split. Then, we went to the back, found me a book, and sat down on little stools and read for an hour. I love that store. 🙂

 4. Rather all books become movies or tv shows? Movies.

 5. Rather read 5 pages per day or read 5 books per week? 5 books per week.

 6. Rather be a professional book reviewer or an author? Author.

 7.  Rather only read the same 20 books over and over or get to read a new book every 6 months? Why do you hate me??? I guess a new book every 6 months if I had to choose.

 8. Rather be a librarian or own a book store?  Own a bookstore.

9. Rather only read your favorite genre or your favorite author? Genre.

 10. Rather only read physical books or eBooks? I have nothing against e-book readers out there… but I love the feeling of an actual book in my hands. I love the smell of the pages, old and new. I love that they don’t die or get their screen cracked/scratched. I love the actual book.

Books A-Z

I saw this post on Jenny’s Blog (http://jennyinneverland.com) and had to do it! 🙂

Author You’ve Read The Most Books Of: Lauren DeStefano. Her books are just… so amazing, and she really does know how to write well!

Best Sequel Ever: Fever (2nd book in Chemical Garden Trilogy)

Currently Reading: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Drink Of Choice While Reading: Bottled water, I guess?

eReader or Physical Book: Physical, for sure. I own a Nook Color, but real books don’t run out of battery life, get their screen scratched, or crash in the middle of reading.

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School: Um… I don’t date, but if I had to choose based on personality, probably Gabriel from the Chemical Garden Trilogy.

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It bored me to tears at first (I don’t know how, now that I’ve read the whole thing), but about 1/4 of the way through, it got interesting, and I couldn’t put it down.

Hidden Gem Book: The Internment Chronicles by Lauren DeStefano were pretty amazing.

Important Moment In Your Reading Life: When my English teacher, Ms. Seeley, told my mom and I that I was an amazing writer- and genuinely meant it; it wasn’t just an empty compliment-, that was pretty amazing.

Just Finished: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Kinds Of Books You Won’t Read: No erotica or horror. Just, no.

Longest Book You’ve Read: I read a 600-page book that I can’t remember the name of in seventh grade….

Major Book Hangover Because Of: A Dog’s Purpose and A Dog’s Journey by W. Bruce Cameron. I know, a book about dogs seems babyish. But those books…. let’s just say I went three months without reading another single book.

Number of Bookcases You Own: I’ve been buying a lot of books and not liking them as much as I expected recently and blowing like, 50 bucks in one trip to Barnes and Noble and finding out they’re like all about drugs or erotic or something that was NOT mentioned in the description. So… I don’t have book cases. I have bookends on my desk.

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times: I’ve read Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret literally ten times.

Preferred Place To Read: On my comfy bed or on this cute little bench I have in my room or upside down on the couch in the living room. 😀 I like, dangle my head over the edge and my head turns beet red and I get really dizzy.

Quote That Inspires You/Gives You All The Feels From A Book You’ve Read:“She leaned down and looked at his lifeless face and Leisel kissed her best friend, Rudy Steiner, soft and true on his lips. He tasted dusty and sweet. He tasted like regret in the shadows of trees and in the glow of the anarchist’s suit collection. She kissed him long and soft, and when she pulled herself away, she touched his mouth with her fingers…She did not say goodbye. She was incapable, and after a few more minutes at his side, she was able to tear herself from the ground. It amazes me what humans can do, even when streams are flowing down their faces and they stagger on…” -Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

Man, italicizing and doing bolds over and over is exhausting. 😀

Reading Regret: Two or Three Things I Forgot to Tell You by Joyce Carol Oates. As a sixth grader, reading that “you’re fat if you can pinch your skin between your fingers” wasn’t such a great influence. Plus, the F-Bomb went off in basically every sentence. I know I sound like a prude or something, but I don’t cuss. I was around it every day for years, and I just don’t like it. I’ve been cussed out by people a lot, and I just don’t want to use those words…

Series You Started And Need To Finish: If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman. I loved If I Stay, but I don’t know… Where She Went has just yet to be read. But I’ll read it, someday…. 😀

Three Of Your All-Time Favourite Books: Wither, Fever, and Sever by Lauren DeStefano. Amazing Books.

Unapologetic Fangirl For: Honestly, I don’t fangirl over books… I’m not in any books fandoms b/c sadly, Lauren DeStefano’s books are not huge *impersonates Donald Trump* like other books such as… The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, TFIOS, and Divergent… I am a Pentaholic, though, if you’re into Pentatonix’s music! I’m open to discussion on them! 🙂

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others: I always seem to find books once the whole series has come out…

Worst Bookish Habit: Judging a book by its cover (don’t pretend like we all don’t), getting two words in and deciding I hate the book, and staying up late at night until two AM (Thank you, insomnia.), getting bored, and deciding to go to the bathroom and sitting on the floor mat and reading just so light coming from my room or under my blankets won’t look suspicious…. It’s not weird!

X Marks The Spot: Start At The Top Left Of Your Shelf And Pick The 27th Book:Like I said, I haven’t bought many books lately… just the library for now.

Your Latest Book Purchase: All the Major Constellations by Pratima Cranse.

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late): Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

 

Well…. that’s it for me! Hope this gave you some suggestions of what you might (or might not) like to read!

 

Happy Writing,

-Hannah

 

Weekly Obsessions

1.  Song Stuck in My Head All Week. Stone Cold- Demi Lovato

2. Food I’ve Been Eating All Week. Orzo Noodles. Look ’em up. They’re so good! 😀

3. Book I’ve Been Reading All Week. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

4. Habit of the Week. Singing horrible harmonies to songs constantly. (A problem only music and choir nerds like myself will understand :D)

5. Show I’ve Been Watching All Week. SpongeBob Squarepants. I have a little sister, okay?

6. Quote of the Week. “We accept the love we think we deserve.” -Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

7. Bible Verse of the Week. “Because you belong to Him the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” -Romans 8:2

 

 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak- Book Review

Ahhh!

I just finished this book in the backseat of a Honda Pilot with my family right there. I was like:

Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Oh, come on, stop being a wimp. Oh, Say Something is on the iPod, here comes the floodgates. No. Don’t cry. Your family is literally right there. Whew. Okay. That wasn’t so bad. It’s done already?!

So, yeah. Emotional rollercoaster in this one. At first, I had no idea what was even going on. I have to admit: I didn’t really get interested until about 1/4 of the way through the book. But since then, I’ve been reading it constantly, and I finished a few minutes ago. Then, I just stared out my window. Why, Rudy Steiner, why? I mean, come on, at least give her one person to live beside. Sorry: went on a little rant there. But I just stared out of my window for like, twenty minutes.

 

What now?

 

I go through this every time, and I always know it’s coming, but it never fails to happen. Book hangover. Look it up. Even if it was extremely hard on my heart, I still loved this book and I’m so glad I gave it a chance.

 

Five stars for The Book Thief.

Weekly Obsessions

1. Song Stuck in My Head All Week. Rose Gold- Pentatonix 🙂

2. Food I’ve Been Eating All Week. Honey Nut Cheerios. Every. Day.

3. Book I’ve Been Reading All Week. My book I’m currently writing.

4. Weird Thought of the Week. I wonder how much chipped nail polish you can swallow while biting your nubs of nails and not die.

5. Habit of the Week. I said “Gotcha” a lot this week.

6. Show I’ve Been Watching All Week. Walking Dead re-runs and the new episode. I thought Carl was deeaaadddd. And then I was so happy. He only got his eye freakin’ shot out by that jerk of a guy.

7. Quote of the Week. “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” -Aesop

8. Bible Verse of the Week. “Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” Proverbs 15:4

 

You Know What I’ve Learned?

I guess I kind of always knew, but I just came to realize this more in depth recently… I can defend Pentatonix all day, but some people may not ever like them. But it irritates the crap (nice word) out of me when people act like there’s something wrong with me for liking them. I can listen to who I want. They mean so much more to me than you could ever understand. They were there when no one else was.

I assumed that One Direction was just a cheesy boy band, but maybe, for some people, One Direction was what kept them going during the hard times. So here’s what I am saying.

 

You may not like a band personally, or a specific singer, but if someone else does, who are you to judge that? That band or artist may have been someone’s family. Maybe someone met their best friend through sharing an interest in that artist. Or maybe that artist sings their favorite song. Maybe that artist was the only thing that kept them going.

 

You never know how much a song, a lyric, or a band means to someone. Please don’t criticize that band. It could’ve saved their life for all you know.

Pentatonix Won Another Grammy!

Congrats, guys. 🙂 I really love each and every one of you like family, and I’m so proud of how far you’ve come. You all are so amazing, talented, and such good people.

 

With Much Love For All of You,

-Hannah

 

#SOON

 

My Views On Homeschool

When I was in public school up until three or four months ago, I always assumed that homeschool kids were babied, anti-social people. I was so naïve. Most kids in public school still think that.

Newsflash: the world still goes round while you’re in school. People still go to work, they still go on walks around the neighborhood, they still go to the store. You’re not the only people in the world who work or do anything during the day.

Easy Way Out

Many people think this is what those who are homeschooled do. It’s not, trust me. The school system may seem fine and dandy to you, but that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone. Some people get bullied, and they have no one to go to because the authority doesn’t care or listen. You think you have it hard because you have homework? Some people finish piles of homework, keep their grades in all A’s, get bullied every single day, and still manage to go home and be strong for their family. Some people have it hard. They’re not taking the “easy way out”. Nothing about it is easy. You have this huge transition, you miss out on opportunities, you miss out on being part of a choir with other people who love it like you do, and you work a heck of a lot harder than you did in public school.

Nothing about that is easy.

 

Anti-Social

Like I said before, the world still goes around while you’re in school. There are still people to see and talk to and interact with. You go to the store. You meet people and become friends with other people. You still talk to your old friends, and most kids have even better people skills. My mom worked as a college professor for eight years. She’s told me countless times, even before we were homeschooled, that the homeschooled students in her classes were nicer, and they were typically very smart and mature.

That doesn’t sound anti-social to me.

 

Homeschool is not for everyone. But it’s been great for me and many others. Public school isn’t getting any better. If it’s for you, great. But there’s only so much a person can take in before they get tired of dealing with it.

 What do you think about homeschool?