The Weekly Progress is a type of wrap up post that happens every Sunday at The Sirenic Codex looking on the week that was.

Hi guys, I got back from brunch at a cool crepe/comic place, and I figured it's a good time to check in. In terms of reading, it's been slow for stuff out of school because school is literally taking over all my time. I should be studying right now, btw. But at least classes end soon... 

Currently Reading

I've read the first chapter and I'm so ready to run away, wild and free like those girls. 

On the Blog

We have lots of movie reviews coming up! First, Snow White and the Huntsman. 

Next, what's the best snack to eat with books?

In a fit of homesickness, I wrote this. 

Whatcha waitin' on? Mari picks the newest Mass book!

Also, Heir of Fire review from Mari.

I'm sure I've missed a lot because I haven't been doing TWPs lately. I want to say that will change, but I think I first need to catch up on school so I'm doing less drowning and more treading. 

The Week That Was

My update on school is that I'm starting to get to a point where there's a lot of work and stuff, but I'm able to enjoy school. Many of my classes are quite practical, and if they're not (like political theory), they're super fascinating and make me feel like I'm bettering myself by reading important texts from important people. 

I also really like my profs. Thank you "ratemyprofessor.com" for everything you do. I didn't pick any easy classes but I picked profs that are quite good. I'll leave you guys with a question: is it better to have a great subject and meh prof, or a meh subject and great prof? I'm firmly on the latter's side. 

Song of the Week

Eminem pisses me off. I love this song. I love the message, I love how empowering it is, I love Sia, I love the rapping and flow, whatever. I hate that Eminem also acts like a misogynist. At the end of the song he says don't take people's bullshit, and so here it is: Fuck you Eminem. Get your shit together. That "rape whistle" line in Vegas is utter bullshit and you should know better. I'll still listen to this song because of Sia and I love the song, but seeing the artist pull that crap irritates me. I should mention that I like Eminem's really popular songs, but I can't say I like him just because he pulls a lot of stuff like this. 

But anyway, here's Guts Over Fear, one of my favourite songs in recent memory. 

Have a great week!

-P.E.

The Weekly Progress is a type of wrap up post that happens every Sunday on The Sirenic Codex looking on the week that was.

This week was a bit like midterm week. I did two tests, and returned to school after Thanksgiving. It was nice to get the tests over with and I don't have anything coming up until next week. 

Books Read

0. 

Currently Reading

It's really hard to get into this book because I feel like the explanations have been poor. The world building is confusing and it's hard distinguishing the characters. I wish the story would stop being mysterious with so many references to the past and let me get to know the characters. 

On the Blog

Mari wondered about YA movies worth watching. 

The Witch Hunter was her WoW choice.

This week's Thursday Thoughts wondered if YA will stand the test of time, and had a little bit about my excitement for Gone Girl.

Then, a DNF review for Breathe For Me and some hype to end the week.

Frankly, I think we could have a better week and I know a lot of that is that I haven't been writing much. I have since written two posts I think are pretty good, so I hope you enjoy them soon!

 The Week That Was

It's hard to believe that I was home last week, because I was, and it was nice except for the fact that I was terrified of my upcoming midterm. I studied more than enjoyed the holidays, and I'm sad that fall semester only has one day off, and that was it. I guess I'm looking forward to winter break! I think I'm getting three weeks off, and it should be great. 

Song of the Week

I listened to lots of music this week, but this is the current song I'm listening to. It's a song everyone has probably heard by now, but it's fun and the music video is cute. :)

Have a good week!
-P.E.

The Weekly Progress is a type of wrap up post that happens every Sunday on The Sirenic Codex looking on the week that was.

This week was again, not the best post wise. The university work load is quite heavy, even more so now that essay topics and midterms are happening.

Books Read

I really felt like finishing a book so I read this one all the way up to midnight. It's a very important book, and you'll see why in about 15 days when my review goes up. :)

Currently Reading

I'm hoping this one will be awesome. It has a very inviting cover. The release date is quite far away, but I guess that's what NetGalley does to your reading. 

On the Blog

Perfect Lies by Kiersten White is very good. Read it. 

I'm super curious about Mari's WoW choice because I think I finished Jenna Black's Glimmerglass series and I liked them. I feel like The Gifted Dead will need a different writing style to be a good book, and I'm curious to see how Black handles it. 

More Thursday Thoughts! Recommendations, lack of YA, and personal pronouns in YA.

Mari listened to the audiobook for Where She Went, and here's her review.

Mari also did the gif tag. She ended up tagging me too, so my post is next week. 

The Week That Was

Again, the academic week blurred by. However, I guess I've found a club I really want to join, and that would be an international relations focused club that has a lot of good ties with the UN. Model UN is something that's so new to me, just because I didn't have it in high school, but it's a lot of fun.  Currently, I'm staffing because I don't have the experience to go for delegation (seems like most of the arts faculty at my school is comprised of poli sci or intd majors) and I'm doing Crisis, which is pretty exciting and chaotic. Has anyone else done Model UN?

Song of the Week

I really like the sound that Oliver Heldens uses in his music, and it always manages to feel different, and really fresh to me. It's a more electro heavy so I don't know how much appeal it has to non-electric fans, but I really like how it's quite groovy, and soothing. Here it is, Can't Stop Playing, the Oliver Heldens & Gregor Salto Remix. 

Have a good week!

-P.E.

The Weekly Progress is a type of wrap up post that happens every Sunday on The Sirenic Codex looking on the week that was.

It was another week of slow reading. It was a tough week because the honeymoon status of university life is wearing off, and now there are some actual issues I have to deal with. Either way, I've learned some and that's all that matters, right?

Currently Reading

Yes, I haven't really been reading all that much which is on me. But I don't believe Breathe For Me is helping. The story hasn't hooked my interest yet.

On the Blog

I defended cliffhangers, which are actually quite fun. 

Mari picked the book with the saddest sounding name ever, I Was Here as her WoW.

I reviewed Feuds. Can't really say I liked it. 

Then, Mari posted about some names she finds weird.

And I reviewed For Darkness Shows the Stars! The exclamation point means I liked it!!!

The Week That Was

It's a little embarrassing, but I'm behind on every subject. Seriously. There are so many readings (damn you poli sci!) and projects (language classes nope) and I switched math classes because my math teacher was so horrible, so now I'm behind in that too.

On the social side, I met up with some people and we went up Mont Royal. It was supposed to be for sunrise, but who has the time for that sort of thing??

All this was before 8 a.m. Needless to say, that's why I woke up very late today.

Anyway, I'll keep exploring Montreal, (and maybe I'll go into the many bookshops I saw!) and I hope you guys have a great week!

Song of the Week

You thought Animals was done? Nope. Milk N Cookies brought back the insanely popular track and now it's even more hard core. I love what they did, and they really made the song their own, which is important because Animals is a few years old now. Check it out!

-P.E.

The Weekly Progress is a type of wrap up post that happens every Sunday on The Sirenic Codex looking on the week that was.

The week has gone by in a blur of school work and classes. There are so many events on campus, and frankly, it's a lot of fun, if not overwhelming. There are so many things I want to join and this upcoming week is going to be about making them happen.

Books Read

I read two books! Wow, what an improvement! But I love love lovvveeeed the latter.

Currently Reading

Haven't started it yet, but I have hopes!

On the Blog

Believe it or not, there is a world outside the internet. Yes, it shocked me too. 

And I believe this is the second time Mari has picked a book from the Altered series as her WoW. She must really like them!

I posted my review for Stolen. It was a pretty disturbing read, although I did enjoy it!

Mari actually goes through reading limbos quite often, and it's something I don't understand, but it works for her. 

And have you ever considered your reading future?

This week was a bit heavy on discussion type posts because as you can see, neither Mari and I have been reading much for stuff out of school. 

The Week That Was

I was not prepared for how hectic university is. The work isn't hard, there's just a lot of it. There are so many readings, and there's also all these events that I want to take part in. And let's not even get started on the clubs. There are so many I would like to join, and right now, I'm being presented with so many opportunities that it's hard to focus on a single direction and go with it. And this is my favourite complaint ever!

Song of the Week

This is an older song, but as for as I know, I've never put it on here. Frankly, I love it. Sam Smith has been the vocalist in a surprising amount of awesome songs. And this is one of my favourites. La La La by Naughty Boy. Great melody, different, catchy. Everything I like. :)

Hope you all had a good week!
-P.E.

The Weekly Progress is a type of wrap up post that happens every Sunday on The Sirenic Codex looking on the week that was.

The first week of classes has come and gone! Here's what my week has been like.

Books Read

One, and it was for school. I read Antigone, and I enjoyed it. I liked how complex the story is, and it incorporates so many developments in a very short amount of text. I would not read this text for myself, but I do enjoy it because it provokes fascinating discussions. 

Currently Reading

I stayed up until 2 a.m. yesterday reading the first story. Surprisingly, I enjoy this foray into Four's perspective much more than in Allegiant. 

On the Blog

We had some reviews this week! First, I adore Torn Away by Jennifer Brown. I bawled and it hurts, but it's just a book that is so underrated and is definitely worth reading. 

We're at college, so Mari and I compiled our version of college reading lists!

Mari also reviewed Queen of Someday, which is a book I enjoyed more than she did which is always sad.  

And for Mari's WoW, she picked Red Queen, which at the very least has an epic cover. 

The Week That Was

Routine is starting to settle in. I've finally found a source of books (a million thank yous should be sent to Mari) and I've had a week of class. School is intensive, but it seems manageable right now. I guess the hard thing is now doing well in school. Note taking and organization are turning out to be such important skills. 

Song of the Week

So recently, I seem to be very into electro! Here's a more "hard" sound that still has great melodies, and I love how you can totally lose yourself in the music of this song. It sounds different from other songs too, which is always important because a lot of drops sound very similar. It's Error Code by Case & Point.

Have a wonderful week!
-P.E.

The Weekly Progress is a type of wrap up post that happens every Sunday on The Sirenic Codex looking on the week that was.

Okay so it's not a Sunday. It's a long weekend, and because Labour day is the last day before resuming school, for all intents and purposes, it is a Sunday. In fact, the spirit of this nostalgic day is that of a Sunday, so I see no reason that I can't write a TWP post now.

It's been a while guys. Now, the reading part of this list is shameful. Sorry.

Books Read

haha

Currently Reading

Currently reading is a bit of a stretch because I haven't started this one yet. Welp. 

On the Blog

I reviewed Fire & Flood, which didn't meet my expectations. but I still got something out of it. 

So Mari went on vacation and wants you to help her pick what books to read. Help a girl out?

I reviewed State Secrets and the Rebirth of Hillary Rose Clinton Yeah, I know this blog might not be the best audience for that sort of read, but remember, I know nothing about politics and my review reflects that.

Also, because apparently all my reviews go up this week, I reviewed The 5th Wave! And I liked it!

You might have noticed that this blog has been dead, presence-wise. Mari & I have been busy. Here's a very short summary of what we've been up to. 

So what do you do when suddenly, you move away from your co-blogger? You do some long-distance blogging.

Mari reviewed Four and she liked it a lot!

I didn't like Blackout, so I did my best to make my review as entertaining as possible. So, Supernatural gifs!

Finally, I reviewed Otherbound, and there are some strengths and weaknesses. Still, I think most would enjoy reading it. 

The Week That Was

I have lived in residence for a full week. I have finished orientation, and I did frosh. Tomorrow, I'll go to my first university class (at 2:30 so I can stay up and write this post!). I can honestly say that this week has been one of the most hectic weeks of my life. I have met many new people and experienced different parts of life. I've even visited home once. A lot of it is a big adjustment, like the walking and the lack of food. 

Apparently, some other universities have this thing where you gain 15 pounds. At my school, you lost fifteen pounds because it's downtown Montreal so you walk everywhere and there are ridiculously big hills and overpriced cafeteria food. On the otherhand, I'm getting extremely fit!

The biggest adjustment has to be the social attitude. I'm not with my parents anymore and people are different here, in good and bad ways. Some people do things I don't really do, like party every night, drugs, get drunk for fun. Still, many people are incredibly fascinating with incredibly diverse backgrounds. I love how international my school is, and I love meeting people. In fact, I have a hard time saying no to events, so that's why I've been out every night except two of eight, exploring Montreal or hanging out with my floormates until 11. 

Ahh, the college life. Does the compulsion to socialize and make friends ever go away?

Song of the Week

I haven't listened to many tracks, so I was super lucky when I checked out my Soundcloud feed a few minutes ago and this came up. It's an awesome song, and it has so much energy. It's very similar to Skrillex's earlier very popular stuff, I think, but I think it is a little more melodic. Either way, I very much like F.O.O.L.'s remix of Designer Drugs- Drugs Are In Control. A little electro goes a long way in life.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

-P.E.

The Weekly Progress is a type of wrap up post that happens every Sunday at The Sirenic Codex looking on the week that was.

I was away for a lot of August to visit family. It was a nice break and just relaxing, especially since my family lives in a different sort of setting than me. I live in the city, although a residential area. They live in a residential area, but one with lots of space between houses and they have deer eating the flowers in their garden regularly. Plus, there's a lake in view, so it's much more natural than I'm used to. It's good to change things up once in a while.

Books Read

Okay, so I haven't been reading much recently. Here are the books I've read while I've been gone. 

Hasn't been all that many. I liked Stolen, didn't like Feuds, Torn Away made me cry and cry and cry and Cold Spell was good. Of the bunch, the one I  recommend most is Torn Away. Make sure to bring a box of tissues while reading it. 

Currently Reading

I've been reading this one for some time now. I'm getting worried I'll never end up finishing it, and that's an awful thought. It's just that both these books need to be returned to the library before I leave for university. In six days. *deep breaths*

On the Blog

Oh wow, so I have a lot to cover. Let's get at it!

So before starting college, Mari and I wrote a little about what high school was like for us. So if you're starting high school and are worried, or are looking to reminisce about your high school days, check this out. Bonus: prom picture!

While I've been gone, Mari has gone through two WoWs: Boneseeker (ooh creepy!), and The Mermaid's Pearl.. 

There are so many reviews so I'll list them: 

• Cruel Beauty by Mari, and duh she loved it :)
• Black City by me, and I didn't like it. But read the review for the Supernatural gifs!
• Pointe by me, and it's a book you should read.
• Reality Boy by me, and like my grandmother says, "It's good but I didn't like it."

Mari also continued with #FridayReads and she's reading Biggest Flirt.

And did you know Mari can count backwards? Like what? (It's actually a really cool bookish survey!)

So if you've read Reality Boy, you will get this reference. If not, you don't need to read Reality Boy to get this post. Because these are my ransom demands.

The Week That Was

I got home and I've been taking care of things pertaining to moving away. I bought a laptop for university (and mostly for myself) and I'm currently in the honeymoon phase with it. I've kind of been figuring out money stuff too, which is really the suckiest part about school. Does anyone have any tips for that? Or how about university life in general? 

Song of the Week

There hasn't been that one song that has screamed to me that it deserves this title. I've listened to some Melbourne Bounce, and I don't like the pureness of the sound. I guess I like my music a lot more chaotic with many more melodies. So, as I always do when I'm looking for new awesome music, I checked out the latest from Protocol. And, here you have it, a song I've missed and that is pretty awesome. Saffron by Row Rocka, which is full of melodies, crescendos and these awesome little hints of Middle Eastern sounds, which fits the name perfectly. See, saffron is this reddish thing that comes from the middle of a certain flower, and it is expensive as heck, but having good saffron is one way to show your money. So, predictably, everything buys it and loves it anyway. 

I know I usually end with "Have a great week!" and I hope you guys do have one. But I need advice, so...

What are dorm essentials?

-P.E.

The Weekly Progress is a type of wrap up post that happens every Sunday at The Sirenic Codex looking on the week that was.

This week, I spent a lot of time exploring the health care system. Trust me, it's not something I'm interested in the slightest, but between grandparents, my aunt, and my parents, there was a lot of doctors I visited. This is not normal for me because I try to never visit the doctor unless it's urgent, or my mom drags me by threatening to take away my cellphone. *shrugs* 

Books Read

Really liked The 5th Wave, I was a bit disappointed in Fire & Flood which was much lighter than I expected it to be, and Queen of Someday was a nice read. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read Queen of Someday, which was my first NetGalley approval!

Currently Reading

The latter, I took a break on. I think I just didn't like some of the decisions made by Hillary, and I had to give it some time. I've barely started Stolen, but I've heard lots of good things, especially from the girls We Heart YA. 

Acquisitions! Stacking the Shelves!

Hosted at Tynga's Reviews. 

I thought I may as well combine the books I acquired in TWP. This time, they're all ebooks from the library because I was too lazy to walk to pick up actual books because I was busy. 

I'm not sure if I'll end up reading all of these, but I'd love to know which of them are the best!

On the Blog

Do you ever just see a book and know intuitively that you'll love it? I call that, The Siren's Call. 

Mari's WoW pick was Better Than Perfect, and I want to read it too. It's the type of story that appeals to both of us as we're starting our university experience!

We introduced a maybe-semi-regular feature, Thusrday Thoughts, and touched on the importance of designs, reading requirements, NetGalley, and fairy tales.

Then, Mari did a review for a DNF, Before You. 

I finished The Scar Boys, but I can't say I enjoyed it all that much. My review.

Generally, Mari and I try to space out our negative reviews so we're not all negative one week. The next few weeks are booked up though because of the extra time to blog, which works because I'm vacationing soon!

The Week That Was

I was supposed to go on a hot air balloon ride, which didn't happen because the weather got messed up. Other than that, lots of vising clinics for different things, and frankly, I'm really not at all into biology (probably my least favourite science of them all!) so I didn't enjoy the visits, even if they weren't for me. In particular, I was struggling not to flee from the blood test centre. *shudders*

Song of the Week

Whenever I'm hurt, it's this song I will listen to. It's perfectly heartbreaking and it makes me feel allll the feelings. The music matches the lyrics, and it's a song full of moments. The desperation of the lyrics, with the music just makes it a phenomenal song, and it's without a doubt a classic. I recommend listening to this one with earphones, with the song loud so you can really feel all the subtleties. 

Anyway, hope you all had a great week!
-P.E.

The Weekly Progress is a type of wrap up post that happens every Sunday at The Sirenic Codex looking on the week that was.

I'll go straight to the book stuff!

Books Read

It's weird because it feels like it's been forever since I read Reality Boy, even when I read it last Sunday. I thought it was okay, but not really my type. Otherbound was pretty good, but the beginning was stronger than the end, imo. Black City... welp. Of all the books I read, Pointe was by far the best. It dealt with a lot of issues fairly well. Most importantly, it established a pretty strong emotional connection. Btw, I love my mish-mash of genres. 

Currently Reading

I don't actually know much about Hillary Clinton seeing as I'm Canadian and don't pay much attention to US Politics. I'm really a beginner in trying to learn more about politics, but I wanted to read this book because the cover is fabulous, and I kind of wanted an intro into the world of politics and didn't know where to start, so I chose to start with a powerful woman. There's also some story that may or not be true circulating at my old high school that Hillary Clinton visited it as it is the most diverse school in Ottawa, and was shocked to see kids from so many different countries that are at war just coexisting and even being friends. Politics really didn't matter that much at my school. 

Still, HRC is heavy and not very readable (I can't get past two chapters at a time) so I'll be starting The 5th Wave, which I have very high hopes for, and reading them at the same time.  

On the Blog

Pretty good blog week. Mari and I were both active, and are trying to be more social with everyone while we have the time. 

The week started with my review of Rose Under Fire, which I thought had a very powerful message. 

Mari picked Adrenaline Crush as her WoW. 

She then reviewed Take Me On, and it sounds really good. 

I was hoping to have this post ready for Canada Day, but life was busy in June so it actually got posted 20 days later. Not bad! Three picks from CanLit.

Then, I reviewed The Chaos of Stars. Can't say I liked it. :( 

So, we had a pretty good week in terms of reviews. We also started an instagram (thesireniccodex) and I think it's an amazing tool. I use it to highlight what I'm reading, what I see other people reading, and if there's something funny in the text I can now show it to everybody. 

The Week That Was

Over the latter part of the week, I've been thinking a lot about the world and what I want to do in it. I'm very interested in foreign relations (hence the HRC book) and this is something I'm trying to figure out if I want to do more with or not. 

I think a lot of it stems from paying such close attention to what's happening in Palestine and Israel. Mari and I are both passionate about it, and although we don't always agree about what should be done, we can communicate and discuss without attacking each other. I'm just against the violence, and we throw this word around too much, but it's heartbreaking to hear about what's happening to innocent civilians. Anyway, I'm not going to get into controversial politics on our book blog, but it's something I want to learn more about, and it's what has been on my mind. 

Song of the Week

This song does an incredible job of going from these really sweet, quiet moments to this explosive choruses. It's a bit of an organized chaotic song, the type that has so many sounds going on that it kind of engrosses you. I love the vocals, wow, they gave me chills. I love how low it goes, then the melody is pretty great too. It has a nice electronic sound and it's almost too much, but it ends up being okay. 

Enjoy your week!

-P.E.

The Weekly Progress is a type of wrap up post that happens every Sunday on The Sirenic Codex looking on the week that was.

Okay, let's say it: I'm bored out of my freakin' mind. It's driving me crazy because there are so many things I want to do, and there are always so many reasons I can't. I can't afford some things, I have NO mode of transportation, and I'm honestly developing some sort of cabin fever thing. My family is becoming too much too- it's like, people are content to stay home all day doing nothing and that drives me insane. I can't just watch tv all the time. I need to move and see and do. That's probably why I made the blog design- I was so incredibly bored with the status quo. So do you guys have any recommendations? Ever feel this way? Also, it's raining all the time, which sucks because I want to go bike riding so badly. It's one of the only things that kind of relaxes me.

Books Read

Control was a pretty good read. Blackout was pretty forgettable. Reviews are upcoming for both. 

Currently Reading

I know this book has been getting some phenomenal reviews, but it just hasn't captured me the way I wanted it to. I can't exactly put a finger on why, except that to some extent the story is really not that interesting for me. It's a bit too real, which a lot of people love, but I like speculative fiction for a reason. 

On the Blog

Mari reviewed a book that touched on the topic of homelessness, which is something we both seem to care a lot about. 

Dove Arising was Mari's WoW.

I did what I always do when I can't think of stuff to write about: make a list. So here's some of my favourite male authors.

Reaction post for our new lovely blog design! I'm glad you guys like it so far.  

Mari tries #FridayReads and writes about the two books she's currently reading: Before You & Let's Get Lost. 

And to finish the week, I reviewed In The After which I liked, but it was slow.

The Week That Was

Nothing happened. Well, that's not true. I went to the library and had a pretty nice day just exploring downtown with my sister. I'm going to try to make an effort to get out of the house more in the upcoming week. I'll force my family to come with me too.

Song of the Week

This song is one that captures my mood a lot. I guess it's because I've been thinking a lot about the world, in particular trying to understand what is happening in Palestine and Israel. It makes me so sad because there is so much senseless death, and I want to be one of those people helping in some way, but I don't know what I can do. I guess I'll start by trying to contact my local Member of Parliament because I kind of hate Canada's policy towards the violence. This song is exactly about what I feel- trying to reach things that I can't see. 

Anyway, hope you guys all had a great week! Here's to next week being better!

-P.E.