Classical Piece of the Week: Waltz in A Minor

Well, I've got to admit it: I've lost my inspiration this week. Not one piece has really caught my attention in the past 7 days, and I've been only listening to my old Classical Pieces of the Week ^_^ But I am lovin' one of the pieces I'm playing on the piano right now, so I decided to choose it. It's called Waltz in A Minor by Frederic Chopin. Usually, Chopin's song are pretty hard, but I'm glad he did compose easier ones, for people that are not as advanced like me. ;)

Book Review: Insurgent (Divergent #2)

Quick synopsis from Goodreads:
One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love. Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

Author: Veronica Roth

My Rating: 3.5 stars

My Review:

This is the kind of book that will jumble your head with endless thoughts and waver your emotions to extreme lows and highs. That being said, I will be making a list of what I liked and didn't liked, to avoid any some random bursts of madness or just plain randomness ;)...

Liebster Blog Award!

Yay, another blog award! This time, I was nominated by the lovely Erika Anderson from Living for the Books and also the always very awesome Annie from Leopard Kitty Girl Books. Both have fantastic blogs so I recommend you to go check them out!

The Rules:

1. Thank and link back to the giver
2. Answer the award giver's questions
3. Nominate 5 other blogs that have fewer than 200 follower
4. Ask 5 questions for one's nominees to answer   

Since I've been nominated by 2 different people, I'll just answer all 10 of their questions :)

So, without further ado, question time!

Erika's Questions:

1. Why did you start to blog? Well, I've always liked writing, and sometimes, I just felt like I needed to write my thoughts down on something, which sparked the idea of creating my blog! 

2. Do you judge a book by its cover? I'd like to say no, and that I'm not that kind of person, but in all honesty, yes, I do judge a book by its cover. I don't entirely judge it by only its cover, but I think it plays a big role in my decision to borrow it from the library or not.

3. If you could write a book what would it be about? It would be probably be about the life of a teenage girl or something. I'm absolutely horrid in writing adventure or fantasy stories...

4. Have you always been a reader? If not then what book got you into reading? Yes, yes, yes! I've been a reader since 3rd grade when I read the fourth book of Harry Potter. I love reading and I will never stop loving it!

5. Would you rather read one absolutely amazing book your entire life or read books that were only ok or bad for the rest of your life? Oh that's a tough one... But I think I have to go with reading one absolutely amazing book, because I would definitely have lost my taste in reading if all I was reading was a mere okay.

Annie's Questions:

1. What is your favorite genre to read and why? Hands down, YA! I just feel like I can relate to a lot of the characters, and YA books are always very fun to read!

2. Do you like reading books for school, or do you like choosing what you read by yourself? Definitely choosing what I read. Some books I read for school are not that bad, but I still prefer my own taste for books.

3. What is your favorite thing about blogging? Reading the comments! Lol, it's actually really fun, because it's nice to know that some people are actually reading my blog :)

4. Do you like to read better than you like to write? Yes I do! I love both reading and writing, but ultimately, I prefer reading.

5. Have you ever read a book that was so bad that you couldn't write a civilized review? Haha! Oh that's funny. Actually, when I read a book that bad, I usually don't have the will to finish it. But if I did write a review for it, it'd be probably pretty nasty ;)

Whew! Well that's all the questions! And now onto the nominees:

1. The Bookworm 
2.The Perks of Being a Bookworm 

Okay wow, I'm pathetic. I'll try to think of more nominees, but it seems like most of the bloggers I know have already received this award...

Well, here are my questions to you guys:

1. What do you like to eat the most? (sorry, had to ask ;)
2. When did you started to get really interested in books/reading?
3. Other than reading or blogging, what would you do on a rainy day?
4. Do you borrow books or buy books more often?
5. Quick, tell me, what is the weather outside like right now?

I hope you guys don't mind my lame questions, lol... Anyways, I'd like to give a big thanks to Erika and Annie for nominating me, and I'll see you on my next post!  

Classical Piece of the Week: Igudesman & Joo

So this week's Classical Piece of the Week will be quite different, namely, I have not chosen a piece, instead, I have chosen a music group. This music group is called Igudesman and Joo, and includes Aleksey Igudesman, a violinist, and Hyung-ki Joo, a pianist. I discovered this group thanks to my Youth Orchestra, as we will be going to one of their concerts in November.

One Lovely Blog Award!

 Hurray, I've been nominated for another blog award! This time, the nomination came from Kim, from The YA Book Geek. Kim never ceases to make me laugh with her thoughtful and humorous posts, so you should definitely go check her blog out!

Here are the rules:

• Include the blog award logo in your post.
• Thank the person who nominated you.
• Nominate 15 other people, and let them know you have done so.
• Give 7 random things about yourself. 

 So, without further ado, here are 7 random things about myself: 

1. I hate being late.

2. Every time I go to the library, I always borrow more books than I can read :3 (Sadly, I can't help it, because I'm always afraid that someone else will take the book if I don't take it myself!)

3. Everybody in my grade doesn't like band- that is, except for me :)

4. I would like to work in the journalism field when I get older.

5. One time I ate so many sweet potato fries that I felt sick XD

6. I can't help but put smiley faces and alike at the end of a lot of sentences, as you might have noticed... 
7. I'm a morning person :)  (I love to wake up early!)

My nominations:
1. Babbling of a Bookaholic 
2. Lectus 
3. Leopard Kitty Girl Books 
4. The Random Ranterer
5. College Life

Ok, so right now, you're probably going like: But that's pretty far from 15 nominations, Grace...

And yes, you are right, I only have 5 nominations, but I think they're the ones most deserving of this award, and so 5 it is.

Again, I'd like to thank Kim for nominating me for this award, and I hope you take a little time to check out the blogs I have nominated!

Classical Piece of the Week: Morning Passages

Honestly, gymnastic video montages have just the best music ever. And this Classical Piece of the Week is no exception. If you watched the video in my Old-School Gymnastics post, you know what I'm talking about, and if not, well, that's why I'm here to introduce it to you guys. The piece is called Morning Passages by Phillip Glass, and it's featured in the 2002 movie, The Hour.

Originally, in the film score, it's kind of like chamber music, with the piano playing the main melody, and other instruments coming in on different moments. But I like the solo piano version better, because I think it has more depth and emotions to it. The theme of this song is quite melancholic, with hints of softness and unique chords.

Will we ever be Satisfied?

So for Labor Day weekend, my family and I headed to the States to do some shopping. Of course, the purpose of this trip was to get new clothes, because I think we were all pretty bored with our old ones. But then I thought, we will eventually get sick of our new clothes, and thus we will have to buy new ones the next year, and so on. It's like we will never be satisfied with what we have, as we are always expecting more.

Rewinding Time. . .

You know that feeling when you're so excited for something, you can hardly wait for it to happen? And when that day does come, it goes by in a flash, and suddenly all you can think of is: Wait... It's already over?

I guess, it's just another way that life is telling you to not take things for granted. I know I say these things a lot, but I feel like it's so important to make yourself  believe that you don't have all the time you think you have.

Appreciate whatever life has to offer you.

Whether it's good,

or bad.

Because every second on Earth is precious.  

                                  Because at the end, time cannot rewind itself.

Classical Piece of the Week: Caprice No.13

Anybody who plays the violin must know about the great Niccolo Paganini. He and Lizst were the respective virtuosos on violin and piano of their time, and both brought great contributions to the world of music, both in performances and compositions.

Paganini has composed many violin pieces, and I think most of them are rather virtuosic in nature. Caprice No.13, might not be his most famous one, but since I'm learning it right now, I thought it'd be a great idea to introduce it to you guys. It's closer to an étude than an actual piece, but I think it's super fun to play, and to listen to.

. . .Wait, I Have School Tomorrow?

Well, one moment I'm enjoying my first day of summer vacation, and then suddenly I'm already buying supplies for the next school year. That's how fast this summer went by. It almost feels like every year is just passing faster than the previous, up to the point where I have not fully digested the fact that I Have School Tomorrow. I mean, what happened to summer? I had set so many goals for myself, yet I have completed only one. I thought I would have all the time in the world, but I guess not. The thing is, I always underestimate time (if that makes sense), as I always think that I have enough time to do what I want. I guess, as I'm writing this post, that I am learning new things myself. Do not take time for granted, as it just might be your downfall. (I think it's already mine...)

On another note, since I am starting school, along with other extra-curricular activities, my number of posts will most likely drastically decrease. I will try my best to write at least 2-3 posts every week, but it might vary from week to week, depending on how busy I am and if I actually have ideas for new posts.

Well, I'll try to enjoy my last day of summer vacation to the best of my capabilities, and to those that are still going to school, I hope you guys will have a fantastic school year!

Beautiful Blogger Award!

Hurray! I've been nominated for the Beautiful Blogger Award by the lovely Erika Anderson. She has a really fantastic blog, and I absolutely love reading her book reviews. You should definitely check out her blog, Living for the Books.

Rules:

1. Write a little something about the Beautiful Blogger who nominated you with the award. See above. Don't forget to visit her blog!
2.  Share 7 things about yourself.

So, here are 7 random things about myself:

1. I am absolutely obsessed with old school gymnastics! (1970-1990)
2. My two favorite gymnasts are Elena Mukhina and Olesya Dudnik.
3. I love the smell of old houses and new books.
4. I'm allergic to hamsters yet we have a hamster in our house... : /
5. I was born in the States.
6. Badminton is my favorite sport (and the only one that I'm relatively decent at playing, lol)
7. I'm in a Youth Orchestra :)

And here are the blogs/bloggers I nominate:

1. The YA Book Geek
2. The Perks of Being a Bookworm
3. The Bookworm
4. Ramblings of a Book Junkie
5. Pika Pages
6. Lectus
7. Forever is Now
8. Dahl's Doll
9. College Life

Whew... I nominated much more blogs than I thought I would, but nonetheless, they are all very deserving of this award :) So, don't forget to check out their blogs, and I'll see you on my next post!