Good Golly Miss Holly

Recipe // DIY Smoothie Cubes

2012-01-29T19:07:00.000+11:00

Today, I'm stepping a little bit out of the norm in terms of blog topics with a fun and fruity recipe. I was inspired to create my own version of Smoothie Cubes while browsing my newest obsession, Pinterest (follow me here).

You may have spotted a rather expensive variety of frozen smoothie cubes at your local supermarket. Basically, the idea is to have yoghurt and frozen fruit in convenient cubes for creating a breakfast smoothie.

I scoured the kitchen for fruits suitable for use and came up with frozen berries and a very ripe banana. If tempted to make this recipe again, I'd be very keen to try out different flavour combos but for now I'm steering clear of the ruby red apple and lemon, I found at the bottom of the refrigerator.

Simply place a heaped tablespoon of yoghurt in each muffin tin and top with desired fruit. Cover with cling wrap and pop in the freezer overnight.

Smoothie Cubes

What You'll Need:

- Texas Muffin Tray

- Cling Wrap

Very Berry Smoothie

1/2 Cup Fresh or Frozen Berries
3 Tablespoons Vanilla Yoghurt

Banana Bash Smoothie
1 Ripe Banana, Sliced
3 Tablespoons Passionfruit Yoghurt
3 Teaspoons Honey

Method

Scoop a tablespoon of yoghurt into each muffin tin.
Top with desired ingredients.
Cover with cling wrap and pop in freezer overnight.

Once frozen solid, pop out of muffin tray for use in a mixer with added oats and milk or simply juice on it's own. Freeze any leftovers in a zip lock bag.

Daily Dose - Australia Day

2012-01-26T14:29:00.000+11:00

I love that so many people have taken this meme under their wing and are enjoying the theme. It's brilliant to pop over to random blogs and catch some inspiring images. If you'd like to participate in Daily Dose, simply pull together some images you find magical and hope to inspire your readers with, then share the link below.

♥ holly

All images found on We Heart It!

Daily Dose - National Popcorn Day

2012-01-19T19:28:00.000+11:00

Believe it or not, there is a whole day devoted to the awesomeness of popcorn. And today, just so happens to be that day. Hope you enjoy this feature, if you do... feel free to participate by pulling together some of your favourite images to inspire your readers then share the link below.

♥ holly

All images found on We Heart It!

Redesigning My Blog: Voting Now Open

2012-01-18T19:11:00.000+11:00

Calling all web design experts and frequent blog readers! Once again, I am itching for a new layout and have scoured the web in the hopes of discovering a freebie but as others have documented, there just aren't many worthy layouts to be found.

I did manage to track down a few budget sites that seem to have a pretty good range and I've narrowed down the options to the final two you see below but I just can't seem to make the decision of which would be better suited to my blog.

vs.

Let me know your opinions in the poll below and hopefully you'll see the winning layout displayed here in a few days time.

Review: Wherever Nina Lies

2012-01-17T09:00:00.000+11:00

Title: Wherever Nina Lies

Author: Lynn Weingarten

Genre: YA, Mystery

Source: Library

Release Date: Feb 1st 2009

Buy the Book: Amazon

Rating: ****

My Thoughts: With three simple words, this novel can easily be described: road-trip, romance and mystery. All of which make Lynn Weingarten's debut effort sound as fun and carefree as any other book available in the teen section but what sets this one apart is the suspense that takes ahold of you at the mid-way point. I found it almost impossible to set this one down once the action and adventure had begun, I am surprised to say that the real mystery buried beneath these pages left me in awe.

Meet Ellie. She's pining for the return of her sister. After two years of misery, she's almost ready to give up on the search until a image belonging to Nina is discovered in a nearby thrift store. The clue leads Ellie to a house party where her sister once displayed artwork. Now yearning for her return more than ever, Ellie runs into Sean who initially seems like the perfect comfort but ultimately takes her out a longwinded road-trip for many more clues.

Once again, I was slightly bothered to find a Young Adult novel displaying overworked and uninterested parents. I can see how this would aide in the flow of the characters and their plot but just once, I would like to flip through the pages of a novel to find wonderfully realistic and caring parents. I also felt the ending was not as tightly wrapped up as I'd like and as there will not be a sequel at this point, I'm pretty sure my woes will not be answered.

Overall, I was amazed by just how much I enjoyed this novel and wish I'd picked it up earlier. I can't wait to see what the author has in store for us with her next novel, The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers.

In My Mailbox #83

2012-01-15T09:00:00.000+11:00

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren, feel free to participate by sharing the books you received in your mailbox this week!

Swap / Bought

AMAZING GRACE by Megan Shull
BLOOM by Elizabeth Scott
CROSSED by Ally Condie
FAT CAT by Robin Brande
SCRAMBLED EGGS AT MIDNIGHT by Brad Barkley
SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS by Lauren Barnholdt
STEALING HEAVEN by Elizabeth Scott
TWO-WAY STREET by Lauren Barnholdt
WHERE I BELONG by Gwendolyn Heasley

Review

AWAY FOR THE WEEKEND by Dyan Sheldon
BZRK by Michael Grant
THE FUTURE OF US by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
MELODY BURNING by Whitley Strieber
STELLA MAKES GOOD by Lisa Heidke
WISH YOUR WERE DEAD by Todd Strasser

Q: Which of these books would you read first?

Bookish Rec: Q&A Diary

2012-01-13T09:00:00.000+11:00

How cute is this little diary? I could hardly resist buying it off Amazon just a second ago. A very momentous event as it's my first purchase from the website so now I'll be able to share my YA book reviews with their community. Yay!

I would never have discovered this book if it weren't for a brilliant post by The Dainty Squid so I'm also going to pay it forward in the hopes of others also loving the idea behind this book, just like I did.

Basically, it's a five year journal for those of us who are lacking creativity. There is a question for each day of the year and the opportunity to answer each question five times, over a number of years. Imagine reading back your answers in 5, 10 or even years time and spotting the changes in opinion. Or better yet, imagine the next generation discovering this little book in years to come and being wonderfied at the differing answers.

A Sample of the Questions:

Q: What's your favourite television show?

Q: What's a new place you've recently been to?

Q: What's the oldest thing you're wearing today?

Q: What are you reading right now?

Q: What "type" of person are you?

Q: What motivated you today?

Is anyone else completing a diary similar to this? I've been inspired by the many list-making books out in the world right now and even thought about buying a travel journal just the other day but I think this will fill my creativity quota for now. Let me know of your experiences :)

♥ holly

The Best of 2011 - Music, Books, TV & Movies

2012-01-11T09:00:00.000+11:00

Two-Thousand and Eleven has been an absolutely awesome year in entertainment. I've discovered so many new great TV shows and I've been slowly working my way through my hugh reading pile. Most of all, I'd like to see a major catch-up of the best in music from this year but overall it's been a great year. Thank you 2011 for being a delight!

The Best Books Read in 2011

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

3.Across the Universe by Beth Revis

4. Divergent by Veronica Roth

5. Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Why? For anyone out there who has still not read The Hunger Games, you do not know what you're missing out on. It's the number one book I'd recommend to non-readers and I can't believe it's taken me this long to finally pay attention to all the recommendations I received for this title. I'm more keen than ever to finally see the movie in just a few months time. Are you ready for the mania?

A close second is The Wolves of Mercy Falls series which was utterly captivating and I almost want to go back and read those books right now. I fell in love with the characters and I even got the chance at meeting the author a couple months ago, woohoo!

It seems like this is the year of dystopia, not only for me but for many others too. There have just been so many great books in this genre released lately and I can't wait to check out more. For a faithful fan of contemporary, it's a really great juxtapose for when I'm feeling edgy!

The Best Albums of 2011

1. I Am The Avalanche - Avalanche United

2. City and Colour - Little Hell

3. Bayside - Killing Time

4. Adele - 21

5. Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math

Why? It seems like I've been anticipating the new IATA record for years and now that it's finally hear, I couldn't be more happier. It's everything I expected and more.

We also have one album that doesn't really seem to fit in with the others... Adele. From being entirely captivated with her voice from first listen to never being able to escape her misery on the airways, this lady has totally won me over in the best of ways. To say Australia is keenly awaiting a tour is a major understatement!

Unfortunately, I'm still catching up on many more highly anticipated albums most notably Neighbours by Blink-182 so hopefully they'll be jumping up my ipod playlist rather soon.

The Best Songs of 2011

1. Ed Sheeran - The A Team

2. I Am The Avalanche - Brooklyn Dodgers

3. Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math

4. Jessica Lea Mayfield - Our Hearts Are Wrong

5. City and Colour - Fragile Bird

Why? I haven't really been listening to as much music these days and it's probably due to all the time I spent reading this year. I'm a little bit ashamed to say my favourite song of the year was discovered on radio which is very unusual for me and thanks to the constant on-air time this song received, I've been able to hear it just as much as I'd like to.

A little bit out of the ordinary for me, is Jessica Lea Mayfield's Our Hearts Are Wrong which was actually first heard on one of my favourite tv shows for this year. It took me a little bit to get used to the uniqueness of the song but it's now more than regularly played on my ipod.

The Best Movies of 2011

1. Crazy, Stupid, Love

2. The Help

3. Source Code

4. Horrible Bosses

5. Super 8

Why? I saw so many movies this year, probably more than I ever have before and all due to the wonderful movie madness challenge. Unfortunately not many of those films had an official release date of 2011 so they weren't included on this list but I can say Crazy, Stupid, Love was awesome. I can't wait to re-watch this one and see if it's just as a good the second time around.

Also starring Emma Stone, is another favourite The Help which took me totally by surprise but more than anything Horrible Bosses brought the laughs.

The Best TV Shows of 2011

1. Parenthood

2. Once Upon A Time

3. The Secret Circle

4. Modern Family

5. Slide

Why? I can clearly remember spending many nights staying up late just to catch the latest episode of Parenthood so it is easily awarded my favourite of the year. It may be a tiny bit daggy but reminds me of a nice mix between Brothers & Sisters VS. 7th Heaven. I'm pretty confident I never would've looked twice at this show if it weren't for the awesome Lauren Graham and her starring role.

I also must make note of the many fall tv premieres I fell in love with this year, they have provided me with hours of entertainment and I can't believe I've never come across this phenomenon previously.

Q: What Are Your Highlights In Entertainment for 2011?

Bossypants by Tina Fey

2012-01-08T13:51:00.000+11:00

Title: Bossypants
Author: Tina Fey
Genre: Memoir, Humour
Source: Review Copy
Release Date: April 5th 2011
Buy the Book: Amazon
Rating: ****

My Thoughts:
For many weeks, I was puzzled to see Tina Fey's memoir sitting atop the New York Times Best Seller list so finally I cracked open the spine to see what all the fuss was about. I ended up discovering a purely enjoyable novel filled with direct honesty perfect for reading into the wee hours of the night against my better judgement.

It's truly remarkable to be able to say I finally enjoyed a novel (in recent times) outside of the YA genre and with such a curious cover image. As quoted by Tina's father on the topic: "I hope that's not really the cover. That's really going to hurt sales". And to be honest, I'm not even really that familiar with the author besides a few interviews on Letterman, her writer/actor role in Mean Girls and a failed attempt at being a fan of 30 Rock.

From the minute I hear of a novel made up with essays, I'm automatically deterred... just the thought of a certain topic being broken down and discussed in a report more commonly submitted at college is a major negative for me but luckily, Tina Fey has weaved together chapters in consecutive order from the most interesting stages of her life from first discovering her talent for improvisational comedy at a summer theatre program to her time at SNL as Sarah Palin and how motherhood has affected this all.

The only real negative I can find with Bossypants is the lack of laughs. I was expecting quite a few from a novel written by a comedian but what it lacks in laugh out loud humour, it makes up for in sly grins and eyebrow raisings. Tina regularly referenced topics I was rather unfamiliar with but it's done in such a manner of friendship that it's almost like having a conversation with a family friend.

Overall, I feel as I have a much better understanding of Tina Fey's hard-work and determination to do it all as a woman in a mans world. Well Done, Tina!

What Should I Read Next... YOU Decide!

2012-01-04T18:11:00.000+11:00

After stopping by the library today, I have now found myself with multiple books to choose from all with differing deadlines and I just can't make the decision so I'm going to leave it up to the readers of my blog for a bit of a change.

First up, we have Mockingjay. I've been pushing myself to finish up The Hunger Games series before the film is released but it just doesn't look like it's going to happen. I'm only fifty pages in and for some reason the final book in this series is just not clicking with me.

I felt like a bit of a change in my normal reading pattern so I went out on a limb and picked up Bossypants by Tina Fey which I am absolutely loving. At present, I'm about three chapters in and it's shaping up to be the best non-fiction book I've ever read. I can hardly wait to finish it off.

I also happened to get in a couple books at the library this week... Deadline, Uglies and Wherever Nina Lies.

If it weren't for the Random Reads meme which takes a haphazard book off your wish list and puts it at the top of your reading pile, I probably would never have ended up ordering in Deadline.

While I was browsing the shelves, I spotted a book I've been wanting to read for a very long time... Uglies. Unfortunately, on returning home, I realised I already have this book on order from The Book Depository.

And finally, Wherever Nina Lies which just looked like a bit of fun. I've seen it around a few blogs but I don't think it's topping any "best of" lists at this point.

CUT-OFF DATES

25/01/12 - WHEREVER NINA LIES by Lynn Weingarten

25/01/12 - UGLIES by Scott Westerfeld

01/02/12 - DEADLINE by Chris Crutcher

22/03/12 - MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins

??/??/?? - BOSSYPANTS by Tina Fey

I'm now questioning which book I should read first as I'm sure those pushed to the bottom of the pile won't get a chance at being read at all. Any suggestions?

How Many Books Are You Hoping To Read In 2012?

2012-01-01T13:55:00.000+11:00

Hello 2012!

After an amazing year of completing exactly sixty books in 2011, I'm now totally stumped as to what I should set my next reading challenge at for 2012. What are you guys aiming to read? Is it better to aim really high or just set yourself a slight increase on your previous year...

Last year I aimed for 111 in 2011 which really just sounded cool and a few different people were doing the same challenge but I pretty much knew that was an impossible amount for me to reach but it was nice to try and aim high throughout the year wondering whether I was going to get anywhere near that huge number.

It's only really my third year of reading so intensely and actually paying attention to what's happening in the bookish world so I'm not really sure where to go from here.

Let me know how well you went with your reading goal for 2011 and where you will be setting your limits for 2012

A FEW STATS FOR YOU...

65 - THE AVERAGE READING GOAL FOR GOODREADS MEMBERS

111 - THE NUMBER OF BOOKS I AIMED TO READ IN 2011

60 - THE NUMBER OF BOOKS I ACTUALLY READ IN 2011

?? - THE NUMBER OF BOOKS I'M AIMING TO READ IN 2012

Random Reads #1 - Rosebush

2012-01-01T09:00:00.000+11:00

"Basically it’s a meme where we pick a random book from our shelf to read. I’m using a combination of the sorting feature at Goodreads and Random.org to pick the book I’m going to include on my reading pile."

After spotting this meme over at Oodles of Books, I've been extremely keen to try out Random Reads as it looks like an extremely refreshing new way of discovering awesome books. I can hardly wait to see what will be pushed to the front of the pack after being long-forgotten. I may even attempt this feature next month with a few library requests to widen the choices even more.

I believe I added Rosebush to my collection more than a year ago with a trade through the Aussie Swap Group but I have no clue as to why it's still sitting unread at the back of my reading pile. I'm always on the lookout for the latest memory loss novels as I was a huge fan of Forgotten by Cat Patrick which deals with the same issue. The only reason I can pinpoint is possibily the rating score on Goodreads, with 3.68 it sits very far behind some of the more acclaimed novels with a strong 4+ rating. Hopefully I can work my way towards this one ASAP!

Q: What Books Have Been Sitting On Your Shelves Forever?

December Movie Madness

2011-12-30T19:16:00.000+11:00

Welcome to the final edition of Movie Madness for the year. I have to once again give thanks to The Blue Teacup for inspiring this feature as it's become one of my favourites for capturing the films I see throughout the month. If you're participating, feel free to leave your link in the comments :)

The Best The Worst

What I Saw At The Cinema

New Year's Eve (2011) ****

What I Watched On DVD

All Good Things(2010) **
Another Cinderella Story (2008) ***
Charlie St Cloud (2010) **
Remember Me (2010) ****

What I Caught On TV

Best Player (2011) ***
Bush Christmas (1983) ***
Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh (2008) ***
No Reservations (2007) ***
November Christmas (2010) ****
Pretty In Pink (1986) ****
Wimbledon (2004) ***

The Questions

The "Brilliantly Funny" Award

Bush Christmas. Even though this film isn't meant to be a comedy, I couldn't help but laugh at almost every scene. It's just so ridiculous, you can hardly imagine Nicole Kidman as ever looking or acting like she does in this film. Totally worth checking out, if you're able to track it down.
Most Anticipated

Pretty In Pink. I've been wanting to check this film out for awhile now especially after spotting it on an episode of Gilmore Girls. It didn't exactly live up to what I was expecting but it was pretty cool to see my first 80s teen flick.
Fave Actor
Robert Pattinson - Remember Me. I know it's a totally predictable choice but Robert Pattinson actually showed off his acting chops for me in this film, I'm now keen to see what else he'll be getting up to after Twilight wraps.
Most Memorable CharacterDavid Marks - All Good Things. Ryan Gosling plays such an incredibly creepy character in this film that I found it almost impossible to enjoy the movie at all. It was probably worth more ratings than I've given it but unfortunately my gut was too freaked to rate it any higher.
Most Surprising
November Christmas. When I flicked by this christmas movie the other day, I was pretty much just expecting to find a cheesy kid movie but really by the end of it, we were all sitting on the edge of our seats wondering whether this little girl would live past her childhood years.
Most Disappointing

Charlie St Cloud. Oh, Zac Efron. What a terribly predictable choice for your breakaway from the comedic teen flicks you're so known for. Could you have picked anything more bland/unbelievable... Let's hope 2012's Liberal Arts with Elizabeth Olsen is a little more inspiring.
Most Worthy of a Rerun

New Years Eve. I know a lot of people have been kicking up a stink about this film but I actually really enjoyed the mini- story-lines plus it was fun to play spot the celebrity as there are about 554 in this flick.
Worst Ending

Pretty In Pink. Sorry but I'm still a little peeved that Molly Ringwald picked the wrong guy in my opinion. Otherwise a totally enjoyable film.
Best Movie Poster

New Years Eve. I'm pretty sure with so many actors to mention, this poster could've turned out pretty ugly. Luckily, it's done really well :)

Overall Best & Worst

Remember Me. Okay so the ending may have been a bit of a cop out but truthfully, I didn't see it coming at all. I did, however really enjoy this movie and got totally invested in the characters within about five minutes and it wasn't just Robert Pattinson's good looks.

Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh. Really, I should've known better than to attempt a christmas film based on a TV Show that I've never even seen before. Although it was cool to see Miranda Cosgrove in a role other than iCarly.

Q: What Movies Have You Seen Lately?

Daily Dose - Christmas Day

2011-12-25T19:25:00.000+11:00

I love that so many people have taken this meme under their wing and are enjoying the theme. It's brilliant to pop over to random blogs and catch some inspiring images. If you'd like to participate in Daily Dose, simply pull together some images you find magical and hope to inspire your readers with, then share the link below.

♥ holly

All images found on We Heart It!

Faves of Twenty-Eleven | The Covers

2011-12-23T09:00:00.000+11:00

Once again, the lovely Nomes @ InkCrush is hosting the annual "best of" featurette in books, cover art, characters and even scenes. Be sure to check out the introductory post here if you'd like to participate!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

After checking out a few lists for awesome covers, I'm noticing a recurring choice of Across the Universe. Rarely do covers require a second-glance to fully take in the entire image and it's hidden elements which makes it an easy choice for a favourite.

Some more fan favourites include Past Perfect, Lola and the Boy Next Door & Matched for winning us over with their irresistible interpretation of the novels at hand.

A not so obvious choice of The Sky Is Everywhere was made purely due to the amazing formatting that is set within this quaint imagery. I'd loved to see many more books printed in a diary style format. Yes, please!

There may have been a slight change of the rules when selecting Pink and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. Those two both graced the web with their incredible covers but somehow I ended up with the ugly duckling versions that don't really do the books justice in either case. Needless to say, I felt inclined to include them anyway.

Last, but not least we have Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater which is ultimately the best cover of 2011 in my eyes. It's safe to say this was the prettiest cover that graced my nightstand this whole year and the cover art is one of the main reasons I held onto this book when my gut was telling me otherwise. Thank goodness, I prevailed and finally read this book as it's become one of my favourite series' :)

TEN FAVE COVERS OF BOOKS READ IN 2011

Q: What Was Your Favourite Book Cover of 2011?

2012 Reward Challenge - Stage 6

2011-12-12T19:48:00.000+11:00

"The Reward Challenge is almost the complete opposite to a book buying ban as you'll end up buying lots of new books throughout the challenge but only after you've completed a certain amount of reading."

Stage 6

Read Six Books = Reward

Read in November:

Stolen by Lucy Christopher ****
And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky ****
Past Perfect by Leila Sales ****
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins ****
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater ****

Read in December:

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi ***

Bought/Reward:

Let It Snow by John Green

Review: The Scorpio Races

2011-12-06T19:03:00.000+11:00

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Release Date: 18 October 2011

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Rating: ****

Review: Oh. The Scorpio Races! How you managed to tame me besides my best efforts. It's true, I was a little daunted by the sheer size of this novel and the extremely intensive writing style, I could even go on about the lack of romance but overall, I found it to be really quite a shining star.

After many attempts at publishing a novel on mythical horses, Maggie Stiefvater has finally found her groove with the capaill uisce pronounced CAP-ALL ISH-KA. A rare and often deathly creature literally dragged from the ocean each year for The Scorpio Races. Kate Connelly puts fear in the eyes of contenders when she is the first female to risk her life for the title with the help of Sean Kendrick, local horse whisperer and four-time winner of the race.

If I were given the chance to alter anything in this novel, I would start with the romance. Why, oh why would you hold back such an integral part of the story from us for so long, Maggie? Were you trying to create a much grander conclusion because ultimately I just got bored of the dull and sometimes tedious text. A little bit more adventure and action would not have gone astray, I almost felt like the novel could be cut down by half if it weren't for the detailing of the scenery ie. cliffs, ocean, island, etc.

Overall: For those of us who are purely interested in this novel due to The Wolves of Mercy Falls, tread very carefully. You may not exactly find an instant winner here but if you manage to get through this novel without drifting off, you'll find something really quite amazing buried beneath the text. An extremely unique novel not to be attempted lightly.

Cover: Sure, the cover art succeeds in the most important requirement of giving readers a small degree of insight into the plot and its character but what about the key demographic. If I'm not wrong, Maggie Stiefvater is a YA author and it seems like this cover would be much more successful in attracting a 40YO male than anything else. Bring back the fun, I say!

2012 New Years Resolutions (+ 2011 Wrap-Up)

2011-12-01T02:00:00.000+11:00

First and foremost, I'd like to keep ahold of my blogging and reading addiction all throughout next. If this were the only bookish resolution I were to complete in 2012, I'd be pretty happy. Let's hope the blogging and/or YA world doesn't go into total decline before the year is out but for now read on for more of my weird and wonderful goals!

2012 Bookish Resolutions

Read 75 Books in 2012 - I've been slowly upping this count each year and it seems to be working for me, I'll probably have to track down the slimmest books around to even come close to completing this challenge but maybe something miraculous will happen. 
Meet A Blogger IRL! - Last year my goal, was to get to know more bloggers which I succeeded in, now I'd like to actually meet one of them IRL. Any Takers, haha?! 
Reach 2000 Followers (and keep growing!) - Gaining followers is certainly not the be all and end all of blogging but the milestone seems crucial to getting even further with my blog. And hey, if no ones following it probably means no ones reading either! 
Write More Creative Posts - If last years goal was to step away from memes, I'd like the focus of this year to be on writing more creative posts to hopefully flex my writing ability a little bit more.  
Continue Swapping Books - I love, love, love trading books with fellow Aussies. it's the perfect way to add to my collection while also clearing out some of the unloved titles on my shelves. If I could do the same amount of swaps as last year, my goal will be perfected.

Boring Life Goals of 2012

Eat Healthier + Exercise - I'm pretty sure this resolution is one of the most popular but it's the very first time I've committed it to any list of my own. If I were to commit to an exercise regime once a week and quietly cut down on snacks, I'd be pretty happy. 
Attend More Music Events - Over the past couple years, I've been slowly seeing less and less live music especially since the all-encompassing Soundwave Festival seems to bring out all my faves for one day only. To complete this goal, I'll aim for a couple concerts throughout the year, Taylor Swift in March anyone? 
Keep Working - I've been lucky enough to pick up a few temp jobs lately which suits me perfectly although long periods in-between roles means more time for blogging, it's probably best if I aim for a more permanent role! 
Get My Drivers License - I've had my learners permit forever and believe it or not, I've never actually driven. Mostly due to the hassling I get from EVERY LIVING SOUL, I'm going to try and at least go for a lesson or something this year! 
Save Money and/or Budget - If I were to finally put a proper budget in place, it would be absolutely amazing but I'm doubting I'll ever actually get to that stage so purely kicking butt in the saving department will do for now :)

Now let's see if I accomplished any of the goals set last year...

Goals Completed In 2011

Attend A Literary Event - Yay, I finally attended my first book signing and while I didn't walk away with Maggie Stiefvater's signature, it was awesome to see her work her magic IRL. 
Get To Know More Bloggers - I think I'm confident in calling this one a pass, mostly thanks to the Aussie Book Swap, I've been getting to know lots of local YA bloggers and it's been awesome! 
Write 25 Book Reviews in 2011 - I'll have to check the exact number but I'm pretty sure I've reached this goal and I'm hoping my writing ability has improved along with it. 
Steer Clear of Memes - I wouldn't say I've kept clear from memes, more-so focusing on the memes that are actually really interesting to read and participate in so I'm calling this one a pass! 
Read The Books I Want - I guess this sounds like a pretty basic goal but with review and library books always turning up at random times, I often seem to put my most anticipated reads to the back of the pile. I think I'm safe in saying, I really kicked through this challenge by setting a new reading pile each month!

 ~~Goals Failed in 2011 :S~~

Read 111 Books in 2011 - While I didn't complete this extreme challenge, I'm pretty happy with the quality and quantity of books I did manage to complete this year.
Post More Consistently - I've actually gone in the opposite direction of this post, now I tend to post less often but with more interesting ideas so I guess I'm happy with how that went.
Seek Out Genres Other Than YA - I probably only read a few books outside of YA this year, after looking over my books read this year, I can see that I've only really attempted a couple chick-lit/romance :S
Get A Domain Name - It looks like I completely forgot about this goal, I guess free hosting is just too convenient although it would be nice to see http://www.goodgollymissholly.com.au/ in the address bar.
Complete A Reading Challenge - I guess this is another one to focus on in the future, I'm pretty terrible at consistently participating in a challenge but I guess inventing my own awesome reading challenge doesn't count, does it?

Q: What Is Your #1 Goal For 2012?

The TBR Shelf

2011-11-30T18:00:00.000+11:00

Thanks to Between the Lines for todays feature, The TBR Shelf. It's my very first time participating and so far it seems like a brilliant mini-combo of Waiting On Wednesday & In My Mailbox.

1. What's new on your Shelf?

BLOOM by Elizabeth Scott

2. What have you just finished on The Shelf?

LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR by Stephanie Perkins

3. What book are you most desperate this week to get on The Shelf?

THE ONE THAT I WANT by Jennifer Echols

Q: What Is Most Exciting About Your Shelf ATM?

Monthly Movie Madness

2011-11-29T18:03:00.000+11:00

Once again, I am prevailing with this movie feature. It seems without Quickflix, I wouldn't be making as many waves with my movie wishlist but we'll have to see how things turn out when my subscription is cancelled in a couple weeks hopefully I have a whole lot of classic xmas movies to share. Until next month, happy movie watching!

The Best The Worst

What I Saw At The Cinema

I Don't Know How She Does It (2011) ***

What I Watched On DVD

August Rush (2007) ***
Beastly (2011) **
How To Deal (2003) ***

What I Caught On TV

The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (2010) ****
Coraline (2009) ***
He's Just Not That Into You (2009) ****
Ratatouille (2007) ***
The Questions

The "Brilliantly Funny" Award

He's Just Not That Into You. I really wasn't expecting much from this movie but with a huge cast of amazing stars, it's almost impossible not to love.
Most Anticipated

Coraline. I have wanted to see this movie ever since I heard Hayley Williams ranting about how awesome it was. Unfortunately I didn't really seem to enjoy it as much as I had hoped :S
Fave New Actor
Victoria Justice. I've always held a huge dislike for the Nickelodeon channel star and her tv show, Victorious but for some reason this movie has won me over and I hope to see more of what she's got! Plus Victoria's awesome curls have inspired me to try them out for myself ASAP!
Most Memorable Character

Remy from Ratatouille. After a particularly bad run-in with a mouse a few months back, it's pretty insane to see this movie on my list of most-liked and I have to put it entirely down to the awesome personality and cooking skills of Remy!
Most Disappointing

Beastly. Why, oh why were you so terrible. I should've known better after feeling exactly the same way about the book by Alex Flinn but I think I was hoping for the best with Vanessa Hudgens, Mary-Kate Olsen & Alex Pettyfer.
Most Surprising

The Boy Who Cried Werewolf. I caught this by chance while flicking channels the other day and I'm really glad to have found it! It is definitely one of the better Made for TV Movies, Well Done Nickelodeon :)
Greatest Ending

August Rush. Although it was incredibly corny, it still managed to bring a tear to the eye :S
Most Worthy of a Rerun
He's Just Not That Into You. One of the few quality chick-flicks, I'm definitely keen to see this once again.
Best Movie Poster
Beastly. It works really well and even shows off a bit of the backstory of the film.
Overall Best & Worst

He's Just Not That Into You. I think it's a mix of surprise and great storytelling that has made this film a winner for me. If you haven't seen this one yet, probably due to the weakling title, go out and get it anyway :)
I Don't Know How She Does It. I should deffo pay more attention to the ratings on IMDB, they clearly called it a 4/10 way before I even thought about seeing it at the cinema but for some reason, I went along anyway and ended up mildly disappointed.

Q: What Movies Have You Seen Lately?

In My Mailbox #82

2011-11-27T09:00:00.000+11:00

Welcome to In My Mailbox #82

brought to us by Kristi at The Story Siren!

In Order of Excitement

Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols
Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst
Going Underground by Susan Vaught
Lia's Guide to Winning the Lottery by Keren David
Switched (Trylle Trilogy #1) by Amanda Hocking
Chasers (Alone #1) by James Phelan
Survivor (Alone, #2) by James Phelan
Quarantine (Alone #3) by James Phelan
The Hunger Games - Collector's Edition

Q: What books did you receive this week?

Daily Dose #24

2011-11-14T02:00:00.000+11:00

I love that so many people have taken this meme under their wing and are enjoying the theme. It's brilliant to pop over to random blogs and catch some inspiring images. If you'd like to participate in Daily Dose, simply make a post on Monday with a bunch of images you find magical and hope to inspire your readers with then share the link below.

♥ holly

All images found on We Heart It!

Review: The Book of Tomorrow

2011-11-10T17:09:00.000+11:00

The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern

Released: 3rd December 2009

Publisher: HarperCollins

Rating: ***

Review: Even though, I rarely venture out of my beloved YA, I can only sing praises for Kristi and her In My Mailbox featurette for introducing me to such an enchanting chick-lit novel of a leather-bound book that holds tales of the future for our protag.

After a lifetime of never having a care in the world, Tamara Goodwin is forced to readjust to life in the country-side without her father by her side when a worldwide empire is lost and never spoken of again.

To be expected, Tamara's mother goes into a state of total disrepair which leaves the sixteen-year-old with much distress throughout the novel. Another cause of concern, is the ever so curious character of Aunt Rosaleen who keeps a tight-lip on each and and every little detail, not even allowing Tamara to check the mail or look in a photo album.

Although, I did enjoy the alternative setting of Ireland, I often found myself skipping paragraphs when it came down to it. The long-winded descriptions of the countryside and its surrounds just weren't for me and are nothing I'd expect from an author as successful as Cecelia Ahern, whose 2004 novel P.S. I Love You was transformed into a film.

Overall: I feel the key reason I picked up this book wasn't as much of a centrepoint of the novel as I had expected yet I am glad this quirky book found it's way into my hands as it was highly enjoyable with many twists and turns.

Cover: I'm liking the cover, it shows a little bit of the magical side of the book while also being extremely pretty. The folded corner just makes you want to read the book asap, well it did for me anyway.

Q: What Did You Think of This Book?

The Reward Challenge - Stage #5

2011-11-06T13:27:00.000+11:00

I've never really been a fan of reading challenges, but I decided to put this one together purely to tackle my giant reading pile by rewarding myself with a pre-order here and there. A few bloggers have since joined in and now it's become a fully-fledged meme, so feel free to participate :)

Stage 5

Read Five Books = Reward

Read in October:

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter ***
The Book Of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern ***
Divergent by Veronica Roth *****

Read in November:

WTF by Peter Lerangis ****

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith ****

Bought/Reward:

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Books I'm Falling Into This Month

2011-11-01T02:00:00.001+11:00

It's a brand new month, which means new reading material for me! I've given myself a little bit of room, allowing for any surprise awesomeness that may turn up in the next couple weeks. I'm hoping for Nicholas Sparks, Ally Condie & Jay Asher most of all but we'll see how that pans out.

Below you will find my tentative reading pile for this month. I am really excited for quite a few of these books! November is probably one of my favourite times of the year as you can just feel the craziness of Christmas and New Years looming but with plenty of time to wrap-up everything before the end of the year.

Let me know in the comments if you've read any of these, what your thoughts on them are, or if you want to pick a few to read along with me! Be on the look out for upcoming reviews for these books.

The Personal Choice:

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins | After one of my most anticipated books of the year failed to turn up at my doorstep (I'd forgotten to finalise my pre-order at TBD), the lovely peeps at Aussie Book Swap were able to send me a copy out ASAP. I'm pretty sure I'll be reading this one first up as it's predecessor was beyond awesome.

The People's Choice:

Stolen by Lucy Christopher | This one is for all those Aussie YA fans out there in the world wide web who can't seem to find retailers who stock our beloved books. I'd passed this one by many times at the library but it wasn't until recently that I really took a closer look at the summary that really pulled me in. Let's hope this one turns out to be so much more than a Bear Grylls style diary.

The Publisher's Choice:

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E Smith | The first thing that really drew me into this book was the extremely pretty cover art, unfortunately I ended up with a totally different version but I'm still super keen to pick this one up. I guess it fits in with both the chick-lit and YA crowd?

Q: What are your thoughts on this months pick of books?

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