Hello, Again! How are you?

So it's been awhile since I posted here. With the pandemic still looming, it's been incredibly hard to balance my work and personal life. But I am happy to see that a lot of changes have been made since last year. I'll update you what I have been up to lately and what I am looking forward to for the holidays and the rest of the year. 

NEW APARTMENT

Sometime in the summer, my husband and I decided to relocate and we moved to an apartment that had a better work commute for the both of us. We ended up moving early September. I love the apartment! The living room has the best natural light since it's a south facing room. I finally have my own bookcase. I used to have all of my books in boxes at my previous residence. So, it's nice to see most of my books on shelves. However, I own way too many books and I have to donate or sell a bunch. I am trying to cull my collection and only keep my favorites or nostalgic books. Some of the books I own carry many memories like I met the author or the book created a huge impact in my life. 

The kitchen is probably the biggest room in the apartment which I love because I enjoy baking and cooking. I cannot wait to try out new recipes this year. I have been slowly building up my cookbook collection over the years. Although the bedroom is small, it's quite cozy and gets a decent amount of light for most of the day. I am very excited that I am close to town, public transit, a bomb.com diner, and a lot of great places to eat. I am super close to a bubble tea shop which is awesome in my book.

WORK

Work started back in person five days a week in mid-August. Let's say it's been rough since I was working 1.5 years at home with going into work one day a week. Transitioning from one to five days has been a lot on me. I always feel guilty taking off time since we are super understaffed. At least when I was working at home, I didn't feel the need to take a lot of time off. I guess it's healthy to take a break once in awhile but I despise going back to work with more things to go compared to when I left work.

Speaking of time off, I am going on vacation. Yes, I am a little nervous about it since I will be on a plane but I figured it's safer on a plane than me commuting on subway to work everyday. At least airlines are very strict with the masking protocols. My place of employment is super strict with surveillance testing even though over 95% of people here are fully vaccinated. We also have to do daily symptom checking. An app lets us know whether we are cleared to go on-site or if we are restricted.

WWoHP and Orlando Informer Meetup

So back to the vacation...I will be visiting the Wizard World of Harry Potter (WWoHP) in December as part of the Orlando Informer Meetup (OI Meetup)! I am so excited! It's legit the week after Thanksgiving and my friend, Jess, and I have been planning this trip since maybe earlier this May. We got a good deal on the hotel too. I cannot wait to return back to the WWoHP. I haven't been there since maybe 2016. Jess has never been to the WWoHP and I cannot wait to show her the magic. We will make a lot of memories in December. And I am so excited we are going during the holiday season. All the decorations will be up and the shows will be tweaked to include holiday theming. I cannot wait to have some frozen Butterbeer and also to try the hot Butterbeer. And can I say no humid, hot Florida summer! Yes, please!!!

Although I traveled around New England during the past couple of years, New Hampshire and Maine in particular, going to Florida is a huge step. Many of my conventions I had planned for 2020 were postponed to 2021 and then they are postponed yet again to 2022. I am not sure if the 2022 conventions will happen but at leas this magical trip will happen. Before people panic about the increase COVID cases and lax protocols in Florida, Jess and I are going to an afterhours event where there is less people going into Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Masking is required indoors. The parks are practically empty and I heard maybe 2 rides have lines. Most rides are walk-ons.

We enter the parks at 5:00 pm on Friday, December 3rd and on Saturday, December 4th. The public will need to vacate the premises by 7:00 pm on Friday and 8:00 pm on Saturday. We OI Meetup goers will then be able to roam around both parks until 12:30 am for the Friday meetup and 1:30 am for the Saturday meetup. And can I say that the admission includes unlimited free food!! Yes, you heard that right...Unlimited free food at the parks and also non-alcoholic drinks! So that means free Butterbeers and ice cream from Florean Fortscue's! Of course there is real food too. Can't load up on all that sugar all night long. However, each attendee with receive a $15 meal card for each day of attendance for eating a small meal before the free food sessions are launched. I believe the free food starts around 8:00 pm on Friday and 9:00 pm on Saturday.

For more information about the meetup, check out the Orlando Informer Meetup webpage. I heard that the meetup for next year is June 3-4, 2022. If you are interested, make sure to get your ticket early and book your hotel early. With the OI Meetup, you get access to discounted on-site hotel rooms. The discount is pretty substantial too. 

Also, speaking of Harry Potter, this month is the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone film. WOW! It's crazy how it's been 20 years! I remember being a freshman in high school when I saw the film for the very first time. 

All I can say is that I am looking forward to a magical end of the year. I might even do a mini HP marathon of the films before my trip. Be on the lookout for a blog post or two regarding my Orlando Informer Meetup recap. I cannot wait to share the magic with you!

Novel Notes: What Am I Doing at Home Edition

Hi everyone. Yes, I am still here. However, I haven't been in a blogging and a reading slump ever since maybe March 12th. As of now, I am working remotely until further notice. I have been immersed in the world of Animal Crossing since I received the game on March 27th in the mail as a birthday present to myself. And boy can I say that it was the best thing I bought in a long time! Not only did I find out that a lot of my friends have Animal Crossing but I met so many people playing Animal Crossing in geeneral. I love how I can visit my friends or my friends can visit me while we social distance. It's pretty much the best thing since sliced bread! I love how you can play at your own pace. There are mini-goals you can set for yourself but there is no rush to do anything by a certain time frame. It's very relaxing. I needed this. I needed to get away from the chaos of the world. I needed something that didn't require a lot of brainpower. Animal Crossing was the key to let me unwind. If you are playing Animal Crossing, let me know in the comments.

I am ready to read and blog again. Sure it took me a couple of months to unwind a bit. I mean it's hard to take in some much news regarding the pandemic. There is a sense of uncertainty. For those who don't know, I live in Massachusetts which is one of the states that have the most cases of COVID-19. Some parts of the country are reopening and it's nervewracking to see how some people are treating the virus. It's actually pretty crazy on social media.

Staying home was hard at first but now it seems somewhat normal at the same time. I am glad it's May and we are having less rain lately. I love the sunshine. I have been cooking more often and even subscribed to a subscription box for food which I thought I would never do in a million years. If you need produce to be shipped to your house, check out Imperfect Foods, Hungry Harvest or Misfits Market. I subscribed to Imperfect Foods and I got my first box a couple of weeks ago. I am loving the full box of fresh produce. Imperfect Foods also lets customers add on dairy, meat, grains and other pantry items. You can choose weekly or biweekly boxes. What I love is that you can opt to skip a box if you have too much food to go through or if you are on vacation. I can say that my grocery shopping trips will drastically decrease now since I can rely on fresh produce being shipped to my home. If you need a referral code to save $10 on your box, here's the link.

Memorial weekend was a much-needed break from work. Even though I will be stuck inside for most of the time, I am hoping to enjoy the nice weather. Last year I was fortunate enough to travel to the Dominican Republic for a wedding and family trip. It was definitely an amazing time and I probably will flip through photos and watch some videos from the vacation. I don't regret any of the trips I went on in the past. With the pandemic, I am happy I traveled to the places I've traveled to whether it's for a wedding, for fun with my husband or even to a Harry Potter convention. Enjoy life. Enjoy the little things. Enjoy the big things. Just enjoy everything you are fortunate to have and the opportunities that are given to you. Don't take life for granted. Life can be short. Just remember to stay safe.

What have you been doing for the past couple of months? Have you read any good books, picked up a new hobby or found a new show to watch?

Unprecedented Times

I know everyone in the whole world is facing a lot of unknowns and things that are increasing our anxiety. I wanted to let everyone know that I am still here even though my blog posts have been sporadic.  Here are some things you can do to help keep your mind off uncertainties and the craziness of the world.

Talking a walk (if your state/country allows it) - getting some sunlight not only boosts your spirits but you get a nice fresh breath of air and you can get some Vitamin D. Pokemon Go or Wizards Unite anyone? Just remember the 6 feet distance away from people rule. 

Reading a book - By reading you can escape to the depths of another world. Immerse yourself into a fantasy, horror, contemporary, thriller, sci-fi or even a non-fiction novel. There is a book for everyone. Try an audiobook if it's hard to focus reading. Libraries are providing many free digitally recourses like free e-books and audiobooks to borrow from. All you need is a library card. Check out Libby and  Hoopla. 

Playing video games - Discover new worlds through a video game. I am partial to playing Pokemon, Fantasy Life and Kirby but I am waiting for my copy of the latest Animal Crossing to arrive.

Playing board games - Tabletop gaming with your household is a fun way to interact with others and to bond. Play a favorite or try a new one. There are so many to choose from. 

Video conferencing - Meeting with friends and family virtually will help you stay connected with people face to face even if you cannot visit them physically. Many companies have lifted some pro capabilities. Check out Google Hangouts, Skype, Facebook video chat and Zoom. 

Online messaging - You can also stay connected with people online via various messaging apps like Facebook Messenger, DMing/PMing on Twitter or Instagram, or using Discord, Line, WeChat, WhatsApp, etc.

Crafting - Why not pick up a new crafting project or even a new hobby? I am hoping to start needle felting and learning how to do lettering sometime soon.

Cooking and baking - Stuck at home and you need to eat? Why not try a new recipe? Hone your cooking and baking skills while trying something new. Open up your palette to new dishes.

Watching TV - Whether it be movies or shows on Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, regular TV, etc., enjoy a new movie or binge watch some episodes of a new series. Netflix has a Netflix Party mode where you can watch a movie or episode with other people remotely.

Cleaning - It's that time for spring cleaning, at least here where I am located. This is a good time to declutter your home space. With many people working remotely, help create a more ideal work and living space.

Deep breathing and mediation - Find those anxious parts of you and attend to your mental health needs. Take deep breaths, meditate, do yoga, listen to calming music. Apps like Headspace and Calm might be helpful

Listen to music - Music transports your mind and feelings to another place that is different from a visual mode. Jam out to your favorites, reminisce nostalgia or discover some new tunes.

Learn a new language - Always wanted to learn a new language? This is the best time to do it. There are lots of videos online and apps like Duolingo.

Just remember what Dumbledore mentioned in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." We all can find a silver lining. We can find that sliver of sunlight amongst the darkest cloud. We will get through these dark times. We just need to be patient and we need to work together. Just like in the Battle of Hogwarts, we must work as a team in order for good to prevail for everyone.

Image from Pinterest

Novel Notes: Punta Cana Trip

It's been awhile since I wrote a non-review post and I wanted to say hi, everyone and that I am still here! It's been crazy busy at work as the semester waned but since now it's the summer semester, the students are off campus and it's a bit more manageable workwise. I was fortunate enough to go away during Memorial Day weekend. I ended up extending my weekend to go to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic for my husband's cousin's wedding, which was fabulous by the way. This was my first time going away for a destination wedding and the whole long weekend was so much fun. Besides the hiccups with all transportation, including us getting stuck in Toronto overnight on Memorial Day into Tuesday, the trip was amazing!

Not only did I get to spend more time with my husband's family, we finally got to relax and enjoy the wonderful views Punta Cana provided us. It was a paradise from Thursday to Monday! The water was the perfect temperature to cool you down during the hot summer day. The sun shined reflected on the water, making it dazzle as the waves washed over the shore. The sand was so smooth! The beaches here in Massachusetts are often filled with rocks and seashells so it was a nice change to walk on the smooth sand. The cabanas were great! We got a great view without too much sun. I am so happy I brought my sunhat and a lot of sunblock. The sun is so strong in the Dominican Republic.

The pool was great to keep cool without worrying about the rough waves of the ocean. The swim up bar was perfect though! I mean how many times do you get to still stay in the pool and get drinks? I succeeded in getting my fresh coconut to drink out of. I actually had quite a lot of coconuts that weekend. We also found a new delicious cocktail drink at the swim up bar that we ended ordering all the time during the trip. The Dominican Baby was the bomb!

For the wedding events, there was a cocktail party the night before the wedding which was nice since it was along the beach at a beach bar and we got to see the beach at night with all the lights. On the day of the wedding, on Saturday, we left to resort to travel to the wedding venue. OMG! I have never been to a wedding so beautiful. From the views along the water to the delicious food, everything was on point. The decorations created a whimsical romantic feeling to it and everyone had a great time! The drinks were great too! I loved the Passionfruit Mojito. The couple getting married were all smiles during the ceremony and reception. It's such a wonderful thing how two people and their families fuse into one.

 

The next day, we attended a catamaran trip with a good amount of the people who attended the wedding. We got to go snorkeling, ate some of the most delicious seasoned shish kabobs ever, enjoyed some wonderful views and we even got to swim/stand in the shallow section of the ocean to chit chat and to have fun.

 

The day before the wedding was crazy weatherwise. We had an afternoon T-storm that was so intense! I never heard thunder so loud before! The downpours were so intense that many of the walkways and the pristinely landscaped grounds were flooded! We lucked out that we got the storm the day before the wedding instead of the day of the wedding. 

My husband and I even got to play a little bit of Pokémon on our trip. I was super excited to relax at the beach while doing a Lapras raid and we were even fortunate enough to get some Heracross pokemon. I love exploring new areas with Pokémon Go.

Some of the things I had on my to-do checklist in Punta Cana included the following:

Drink coconut water out of a fresh coconut
Eat fresh tropical fruit every day
Enjoy the Dominican coffee
See the sunset at the beach
Catch a Heracross Pokémon
Buy a bottle of Dominican vanilla extract to bring home

I have to say I was able to do everything on my list and much more.

Everyone had a great time and I cannot wait to visit the Dominican Republic in the future. The husband and family are thinking about going to Santo Domingo the next time we go back. I cannot wait!

Novel Notes: What I Have Been Up To

So many might have noticed that I haven't been super active on twitter and on my blog. Let's say I have been pretty busy with life. One major life changing thing is that I will be getting married in a couple of weeks so a lot of my free time as been spent on planning and organizing everything for the wedding. However, it doesn't mean that I am not making time for reading and blogging. I am still finding time to read but I am reading at a more slower pace this year than previous years. I am still attending book events but I am being more selective about what book events I am attending. I am blogging only when I want to blog and I do not want to make it a forced activity just to keep up with numbers. That is not my intention at all. Blogging is avenue to escape the real world for a bit just like how reading is.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it to Boston Teen Author Festival this year and I will not be able to partake in a lot of the events on the day of the Boston Book Festival. On the same day of the Boston Book Festival, my sister and I are seeing Hamilton! I was lucky enough to snag a pair of tickets for decent seats on a weekend. Because Hamilton is Boston this fall, we had to try to be in the room where it happens and I can't wait to see Hamilton next weekend!

Lately I have been reading A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness because I want to try to re-read All Souls trilogy before jumping into Time's Convert. I also have a few other books on my TBR list that I hope to read this month. Because it's October, I want to read some atmospheric novels. Speaking of October, I am so excited about this month because October screams fall! The air gets crisper, the leaves change color and it's the start of the holidays. October is my favorite month but my favorite time of year is definitely September to December.

I love all the festivities during this time of year from apple picking to baking pies to celebrating holidays with family and friends. When it starts getting colder, out comes the out hot chocolate. Right now, I have been enjoying some pumpkin spice lattes and cold apple cider. Soon I will be starting with the baking. My specialty is baking snickerdoodle cookies. It's the one recipe that I perfected and it took me years to perfect it. It's my go to for parties and I love gifting tins of snickerdoodles to people during the holidays.

Some book events that I am looking forward to include the following:

☆ Wednesday, October 10th with Claire Legrand talking about Sawkill Girls at Trident Booksellers and Café.

☆ Wednesday, November 7th with Julie C. Dao talking about Kingdom of a Blazing Phoenix at Brookline Booksmith

☆ Wednesday, December 19th with Cassandra Clare talking about Queen of Air and Darkness at the Coolidge Corner Theatre

What are some things you are looking forward to this fall? What book events are you planning to attend in the next few months?

Novel Notes: I'm Finally Starting to Heal

It's been a month since I've moved away from a toxic environment where it was consuming my life. Ever since 2016, my life has changed and it for the worst. My quality of life has plummeted. I was no longer sleeping well, my appetite was all over the place and my anxiety started increasing to the point that I had panic attacks. I would be crying multiple times a week and I wasn't happy with my life. It was affecting the relationships I had with people as well.

I was trying to get out of the situation in the fall of 2016 and no avail. Things were a little bit better for a few months of the winter but then everything got swept into a whirlwind for most of 2017. The fall of 2017 was the absolute worst. I almost hit rock bottom but I was strong enough to find a way out! I needed this! Not just for me, but for people who have seen me be defeated. One wound was opened in 2016 and before it was able to heal, I was striked again and again in 2017. Enough is enough and with hard work and new changes happening, I knew that I needed to change things for 2018.

I was able to officially leave the toxic environment during the beginning of January. 2018 is a year of change! Last November my fiancé and I were officially engaged and we plan to wed later this fall! I am looking forward to a year of possibilities and opportunities that will last a lifetime. It's been a month since I moved forward and I am completely happy with my decision. My quality of life has improved. I feel like a new person. I feel empowered! I finally have a sense of peace.

During these couple of years, I've noticed that my blogging was sporadic. Because I am at a better place right now, I am hoping to create more of a schedule for Nicole's Novel Reads. I am ready to reinvent myself!

Novel Notes: Hello December

Novel Notes is a new feature where I will be discussing about my life. Some topics may include life events, travel and food. If you have suggestions about topics I should write about, please leave a comment at the end of the post.

Happy December everyone. Sorry for the decrease in posts lately. It's been a rough couple of months with life related events. Work as been taking a lot of my energy and time due to constant stress and the increases amount of time I need to put into my job. I had a wonderful Thanksgiving last month and I have been enjoying the weather lately. We're suppose to be getting snow this weekend in Massachusetts which is exciting yet daunting at the same time. Although I love flurries, I absolutely despise when too much snow accumulates. Walking on ice and through snow is rough and I walk pretty much everywhere. The only time I love a lot of snow is when it grants me a snow day or if I don't have plans to leave the house. However, I would love to see snow on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day! We haven't had a white Christmas in awhile.

I do have one exciting news for you. I recently got engaged! My fiancé popped the question on our 10th anniversary last month! It was so unexpected too! We hope to get married in 2018 or 2019 in October at a brewery somewhere in New Hampshire, Vermont or in Maine! My fiancé and I love visiting random breweries and vineyards in the New England states and would love to host a wedding with good beer, good food and good company. I am excited to get married but I am not really looking forward to the planning process.

I haven't read too much lately. I was able to read one book last month and I absolutely adored it! I read American Panda by Gloria Chao in one sitting the day I received the book. It's a heartfelt book about trying to live up to your family's expectations. You want to pursue your passion but at the same time you don't want to let down your parents. Part of the journey is finding the courage to speak up and to find out what makes you happy. If you enjoyed reading Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman and/or When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon, check out American Panda.

I participated in The Broke and the Bookish's 8th Secret Santa Swap this year. By chance I received a package from Sara from Forever17Books. She nailed this year's package perfectly! The wrapping paper is lovely and that card!!! Look at all the puppies! I am excited to read Tales of from the Shadowhunter Academy and Made You Up. The Nightmare Before Christmas socks are too cute and how adorable is the Ravenclaw winter beanie ornament with the pom pom? Thank you so much Sara for getting the book colors too! Yay blue and bronze! Also, I can't wait to drink a mug of the mint hot chocolate while reading a book next to the Christmas tree with the cute ornament hanging from the tree. Thanks again Sara for the holiday cheer! I love everything you've gifted and I know you put a lot of time and thought into selecting everything.

What has been happening in your life recently? Read any good books lately? Any huge life events that happened? How was your Thanksgiving?