#TBRTakedown 2.0

Hey guys,

I feel like I haven't blogged in ages. Anyway, I thought I would write this to tell you guys that I am participating in the #TBRTakedown 2.0 which is starting tomorrow (Saturday) and it will be running for a week. So we end on the 31st of July. You can watch the official announcement video here:

I am so excited to be taking part in it and I'm even more excited that my whole bookclub is doing it as well. It's going to be so fun and the challenges for this are so much more doable. So before it begins, I thought I would share my TBR list for the challenge.

1. First Book in a series: Cinder

Sandee has hyped this book so much and I've heard and seen it everywhere so I really can't wait to get to it.

2. Sequel Book in a series: Heir Of Fire

I have read the first two books in the Throne Of Glass series and this is the second last book. The last book is coming out later this year. So I want to get this book read before that.

3. Out of your comfort zone : In Real Life: My Journey In A Pixilated World

I love Youtubers. That's no surprise. Joey isn't my favorite Youtuber and I don't really watch him but I watch Zoe Sugg obsessively and she read this while on holiday a few weeks ago and she loved it. At first I thought she was just promoting it because Joey is her friend but I've also seen a lot of good, objective reviews online so I'll give it a go.

4. On your shelf over a year (or the longest): Winger

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you would know that I've been trying to read this book every single month since last October. It's been on every one of my readathon lists and I'm determined to finally get to it.

5. Most recently hauled book: Elizabeth Is Missing

This is a bit of a cheat because it was not in my last haul but it was pretty recent so I guess it's okay.

Well that's all my books for the week long readathon. I'm so excited for it and I've been finishing up books in preparation for it. Realistically I think I will only be able to read 3 books max but one can hope. Are you joining the readathon? What are the books on your list? Tell me in the comments!

Girl Online By Zoe Sugg

Penny has a secret.

Under the alias Girl Online, she blogs about school dramas, boys, her mad, whirlwind family - and the panic attacks she's suffered from lately. When things go from bad to worse, her family whisks her away to New York, where she meets the gorgeous, guitar-strumming Noah. Suddenly Penny is falling in love - and capturing every moment of it on her blog. But Noah has a secret too. One that threatens to ruin Penny's cover - and her closest friendship - forever. -Goodreads

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First of all, I would like to say that I am a HUGE Zoella fan. That said, I'm going to be as honest as I possibly can in this review. So don't click off just yet.

So this book is all about Penny. An introverted photographer with a gay best friend and a problem with anxiety. One day, she follows her parents to New York for a wedding that her parents are planning and she bumps into a boy named Noah. Noah and Penny quickly fall in love but then, there are so many things going against them and they have to manoeuvre around them. Then, Penny discovers that Noah has been keeping a pretty huge secret and things start to fall apart. 

Now I enjoyed this book. I felt like it was a real throwback in the right direction. I've missed reading books where families are perfect and when you know there will be that big happy ending even though there's lots of chaos. In a lot of ways, people will find this book to be pretentious and a bit too optimistic. But here's the thing. This book was written for a younger audience.

I think it's ridiculous that people come to this book expecting a Stephen King novel and then walking away disappointed and angry that it wasn't. I mean, when Girl Online was first announced, I knew that  I was going to read it but I also knew that I couldn't expect to be reading a book that would be anything like the books I usually read. Just look that that book cover! 

That said, I think the themes that Zoe discusses in this novel are so important and very mature. The main character in the book gets panic attacks. As a person who suffers with anxiety and who has experienced panic attacks, I think this book really spoke to me. I felt understood and I was so happy that Zoe wrote this into her book because it really brings attention to this mental health problem that usually goes unnoticed by most. Considering her fan base, just think of how many people now have something to base what they are feeling on. Just think of how many people have learnt something new and who are better for it.

I know this is a book review and I feel bad for doing this but I feel its really important to address the controversy around this book because there is just too much of it. So shortly after the release of the book, people started suspecting that the book was ghost written because the acknowledgements page mentioned a known YA writer, Siobhan Curtis. That week, the publishers also mentioned officially that Zoe had help with writing the book. But the scope of that help was not discussed. So as you can imagine, the Internet blew up and poor Zoe was forced to stop doing 'Vlogmas' and take a break off the Internet. And following that, Alfie Deyes decided to take a few days off Youtube as well though that was probably just to protect her and not exactly what he wanted considering how much he whined about being excited to get back to vlogging.

Zoe said on Twitter that she did get help but that everyone needs help when they try something new. And that is what I believe. I believe that Siobhan came alongside Zoe to help her here and there. Maybe she had more help then what is normally given to authors but that would only be because this is her first novel and she is not a professional writer. I hate that people are starting rumours and controversy about her book simply because she is a Youtuber. Everyone is bashing her over the head simply because they are annoyed that she got that book deal when there are other authors out there who have been trying for years to break into the industry. Zoe has always wanted to be a writer. She even wrote a book when she was a kid. Zoe was not stealing a spot away from anyone. She was simply testing the waters with a hobby. After all, if she hadn't tested the waters with her blog and her youtube channel, she would never be where she is today. She is 24. Are you telling me that she is no longer allowed to try new things and use the fame that she made for herself to give her a leg up in the world just because she's already established herself in the beauty industry? Haters are just ridiculous. 

I'm sorry for ending my review on an angry note but I feel very strongly about people who try to tear others down simply because they will never be as successful as them. I really would recommend this book to anyone looking for an easy and cosy read. It's really good and sweet.

I posted this photo on Instagram and Alfie Deyes liked it!

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My Rating: 5/5

Just A Little Something

Hello readers! So today is the last day of my 30 day blogging challenge. After I post tonight, it will mark 30 consecutive days of being disciplined enough to blog everyday. I am honestly sad. I enjoyed this so very much and I just can't believe how fast 30 days flew by.

Blogging everyday has taught me many things. Firstly, I understand discipline when it comes to writing. Secondly, I learnt a lot about what a blog should be if I want it to be professional.

When I started this blog, I wanted it to be professional. I wanted people to read what I put out and I wanted to be able to call myself a blogger. As I wrote, I learnt that it takes a lot of work. Work which, by the way, I was more then willing to do. I also learnt that a blog simply dedicated to my life wasn't going to make me a big-time blogger. Unless I'm some famous person who is out there doing fantastic things everyday, why would anyone really care about my day and if I can or cannot take a nap?

So I began toying with the idea of turning my blog into a lifestyle blog. I'm drawing a lot of inspiration from Zoella and Sprinkleofglitter of course. I want to be able to be a blogger like them.

As I'm writing this, I'm also experimenting with different things. I've mentioned before that I'm not a girly kind of person. I'm not into make-up or beauty products or dressing up beyond what is comfortable and presentable. However, I want to be that kind of person. I want to obsess over something as frivolous as a hair mask (I learnt what a hair mask is today). So I then thought, what if my blog helped people who were hopeless at things like this? I would be learning with them that way. I might even try doing that.

The point is that I want to try making my blog into something that people would love to read. And a lifestyle blog seems to be the way to go. I know what you must be thinking. "How dare she have the audacity to think that she has what it takes?". I don't. I don't know what I'm doing and I think that's the point. Learning all this stuff so that I can write about it is going to be very scary for me. But then I think of my Instagram page, @obsessedwithvamps.

When I started obsessedwithvamps, I used to post pictures and get zero likes. I got zero likes because I had zero followers. Yet I continued to post. Little by little, one human at a time, people started following me. Next thing I knew, I had 9.9k and I'm about to hit 10,000 followers. 10 thousand people. That's crazy! But it shows me that nothing is impossible. I can start this and I can make it big if I keep at it. I just have to want it bad enough.

That's mostly why I adore Youtubers. They are regular people who were brave enough to start something and they made themselves who they are. They too started from zero which I find so inspiring. That is also why Zoe is my role model. She overcame so much to become who she is today and I really admire her so much.

So here's to the start of being a lifestyle blogger. Let's hope I don't mess this up.

September Item Favorites

Hey guys! So this month, I've decided to be braver. I'm going to do a monthy favourites for my music and a monthly favourites for actual items. I'm also thinking about doing monthly favourites for books but I'm not too sure yet because I'm not the fastest reader in the world. If you want to check out my August music favourites, click here. It will open in a new tab so don't worry. So this post is for my items. Let's do this!

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1) Typo Owl Coasters

Recently, my mom got me owl coasters from Typo. They are absolutely gorgeous and compliment my bedside table so well. I absolutely adore them. They were only $5 with any purchase from Typo which was super awesome because who doesn't love cheap stuff am I right?

2) Owl Throw Pillow

So, in line with my bedroom makeover, I decided that I needed to deck my bed out in cooler bedding. Also, I needed a new throw pillow cover to compliment my black and pink bedding. So I started hunting around on Redbubble but the sizes were all wrong for my pillow which was from IKEA originally. So my mom gave me the IKEA catalogue and I found the most gorgeous hot pink, owl throw pillow case. I immediately called IKEA to find out if they had it. They said that it had been discontinued and that they didn't have it anymore.

I was super upset about that because it was truly gorgeous. However, we still decided to go to IKEA to look for a different throw pillow cover. We got there and immediately found the hot pink, owl throw pillow cover. I was beyond happy (Really IKEA staff?? You don't have the product anymore?? REALLY??)

So I got it and it was gorgeous and complimented my bed so well. I was so happy with it. I don't remember how much it was exactly but I know that the throw pillow cover itself was about below $8 bucks. That said, I don't doubt that they have discontinued the item. I'm sure that it was just leftover stock so if you want it, better hurry.

3) Popcorn

I mentioned this a few days ago but I recently bought a box of popcorn that you can pop yourself in the microwave. I felt that I just had to mention this in my monthly favourites because I just love it so so much.

So this popcorn is about $4 for 3 big bowls and it is the Movie Theater Butter flavour. It's actually pretty hard to find. I found it in Fairprice (it's a local supermarket, my international friends). It was at the bottom shelf right in the corner so if you're looking for it, look carefully. I'm not sure if it's an international brand but the name sounds pretty American or British so you can try.

Popcorn is supposed to actually be a really healthy snack. I doubt this is very healthy because of the butter and salt in it but it's pretty awesome and certainly better then a pack of processed Doritos.

4) My TRXYE Jumper

I got my TRXYE jumper in the mail like 2 days ago. Ever since then, I've been wearing it as much as it is bearable in this hot Singapore weather. It is so comfy. I just can't even with this jumper. It is perfect especially for a Youtuber fan because the entire Youtube community came together to support Troye Sivan's album by buying one of his jumpers. So a whole lot of big-time Youtubers like Tyler Oakley, Zoella, Pointlessblog, Jim Chapman, Tanya Burr, Sprinkleofglitter and so many more are wearing this exact same jumper.

Now I know the price is actually pretty steep for a jumper but it was something I really wanted and so I saved up for it myself and it was a gift for myself for hard work done. I got it at $69 inclusive of shipping. I know. I know. I'm cringing too. But I am a huge Youtuber fan and I just really really wanted it so much so don't judge me.

5) SilkPro Hair Revival Serum

I'm cheating just a bit with this one. I've actually known and owned this particular serum for quite a few months now. But I just had to include it because it's so wonderful. So I found my first bottle in a local store. It was relatively cheap. If I'm not wrong it's only about $10 which was ridiculously cheap compared to the $30-$50 ones my hairdresser offered me.

So I got the serum and it was heaven in a freaking bottle. I'm not even exaggerating. This thing smells so good and it makes my hair so soft. I have naturally frizzy hair but this serum works wonders to tame it. It just makes my hair so soft and manageable. My hair also has really nice natural curls (it's nice now but when I was younger it was horrific) so the serum really helps to make my curls look even better. In fact, sometimes it makes my hair curlier (in a good way) and overall just compliments my look without me having to do anything else with my hair.

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*All prices are in SGD. Click here for a currency converter. (I'm so nice. I give you a converter. Am I not wonderful?)

*All photos are by me. Credits are needed if you want to use them okay? Let's be nice.

Things I Do On A Rainy Day

I always feel so sluggish about writing my daily blog post. But then I start writing and the words just pour out of me and next thing you know, I've written a novel.

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Hello guys! It's another day and guess what. It was another chill day for me. I watched Maleficent till 2am last night. I regret that so much. I woke up at 9am today which is really late for me. I woke up and heard the rain. It was absolutely pouring and it was really nice and cosy under my blankets.

I got up though because I hated the idea that it was already 9am. My mom and I went to visit my maternal grandma and that was very nice because I haven't really visited her in a while.

This afternoon, I finished season 4 of Teen Wolf, watched the premiere of Modern Family season 6, watched this week's episode of New Girl and of course I watched the usual vlogs that I watch everyday. So today was another chill day with a lot of laptop time.

I know. I feel lazy. I'm waiting for the October articles to come in so I can proofread them for the October issue of What's Up. They should be in soon then I can blog about that and I won't be so lazy anymore.

Oh! Today my TRXYE jumper came in the mail!

 I've been waiting about a month for it to arrive and I'm so excited. At this point though, I think I'm more excited about the fact that Zoe wears her TRXYE jumper nearly every night and she wears them a lot in her vlogs and stuff. So the fact that I have and can wear something that is 100% identical to Zoe Sugg's is mind-blowing for me. Of course I'm still proud of Troye Sivan though.

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So, things I do on rainy days. I live in Singapore. Which means it's very hot all year round. I personal prefer cold weather and I dream of living in a country with the four seasons one day. So when it rains, it's a big thing for me. I love to be at home when it's raining. I will usually curl up in bed with a book and a cup of tea. I will also take the opportunity to wear one of my warm and cosy jumpers because it's usually too hot for that.

Seven Things That Cross Your Mind A Lot

Hello everyone! Yay! It's another day. Today was great. As I mentioned yesterday, today was a super chill day for me. I got to be completely free of anything to do. I got to wake up late (I actually woke up at like 7.30am because I have the most annoyingly accurate body clock ever). I got to chill out and watch Teen Wolf and A LOT of Youtube.

 I also got back to work on my Instagram account. So last week I updated my phone to iOS 8. I guess it's a great system but currently it's annoying the hell out of me because not all the apps have been optimised yet and so everything is so slow and freezy. Especially Kik. Now I've mentioned in my Instagram guides that Kik is an extremely extremely important part of gaining followers. So now, my Kik is slow, laggy and it blacks out and freezes all the time. Basically that combined with my busy schedule for the past few days has kept me from doing anything to gain followers.

So today, I told myself that I would be getting back to work on my account because I am super close to 10K and I honestly can't wait for Kik to get it's crap together to start work. So this morning I gained slightly over 200 followers and I got 9.4K. I'm so excited for 10K honestly. I have a huge blog post planned for that. I just can't believe how far I've gotten with Obsessedwithvamps. It's surreal.

Today I popped a bag of popcorn and watched Teen Wolf. I haven't done this in forever so it was really nice. Salty popcorn is my favourite snack by the way and this brand, which was a new one I tried, is absolutely fabulous. It was perfectly buttery and salty and was just perfectly crunchy enough. Usually my mom buys the pre-popped popcorn from the store and it's always kernel-y. You know what I mean. When you get those brown, unpopped kernel bits that get stuck in your teeth and are so annoying. But this one was just heavenly. Literal perfection. I totally recommend it. It's like 4 bucks or something for three bags. Also I just dedicated a full paragraph to my popcorn. Wow.

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So, 7 things that cross my mind a lot. In no particular order:

1) I actually would really love to settle down in Brighton even though I talk about New York a lot.

2) I wish I cared about things like make-up and fashion but I don't so. 

3) ZALFIE IS SO CUTE MY HEART IS CRYING.

4) I want to be creative and cool but I also want to sit around and watch Youtube all day. THE STRUGGLE IS REAL.

5) I wish I was Zoe Sugg. She is like my literal queen.

6) Why does Troye Sivan have to be gay?

7) What if one day I became a famous blogger?

And because my mind is very noisy, I shall include 3 more ;)

8) I want a Zalfie or Janya relationship one day.

9) I wish I had Zoe's metabolism. The girl practically eats pizza three times a day okay.

10) I wonder what it's like to have my own house. I think my future house will be very pretty and cute like Zoe's.

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