It's my BLOGOVERSARY! (Has it already been a year?!)

Yay, it's the one year anniversary of my blog, The Humble Watermelon! It only seems fitting that this is also my 100th post!

My Journey to this Milestone
It all started in July 2012. I had already been on Goodreads for several months now, and I wanted to go further into improving my writing. So with a mind full of ideas and a lot of spontaneous thoughts, I went on Blogger, and created The Humble Watermelon, on July 26th. Then I joined a group on Goodreads called Blogger Lift, where I met loads of awesome people who also had their own blogs. Those people helped shape my blog into the one it is today, and I don't think I would be at where I am today without them.

Throughout the year, I've done book reviews, humanity-ish posts, and a lot of Classical Pieces of the Week! I hope to write many more posts, because writing has truely taught me so many things that are very valuable to me.

Blogging Friends
Once I found my place in the blogging world, I started making friends, and great friends they were (and still are!). I've interacted with a lot of people, so if I don't mention you, just know that you are still a very awesome buddy and I appreciate it so much that you read my blog!

Delaney @ The Awkward-ness: Delaney, you are an awesome human being. You were one of my first followers and one of my first commenters. You are always full of energy and you have great positive attitude that always rubs off on me! Thanks for sticking with me for so long, maybe stay for a little while longer? XD

Annie @ Fallen For Fiction: Remember Leopard Kitty Books? Cause I sure do! Annie, you really inspired me from the beginning, with your beautiful selection of words and excellent prose. I remember reading some of your posts and thinking, "Wow, if I could only write half as good as this girl!". You've been an amazing friend, thanks for making my blogging experience so much better!

Lottie @ Book Adoration: My favourite Wordpress girl, Lottie! When we became friends on Goodreads, it was just like an instant connection (or so I think)! Reading your blog since its beginning was such a pleasure for me, it has been amazing to see you evolve into such a talented writer! Your dedication has inspired me to be better at what I do. Thank you for everything, Lottie!

I'd also like to take time to thank Thomas, for inspiring me with his incredible writing skills and the passion he puts into his work; and also Ruby, the Queen of HTML, for all the time she puts into building her amazing blog, because the quality really shows.

To all of you: Thank you. For reading 2-3 of my posts. For leaving a nice comment. It means so incredibly much to me. And although it's already been a year, I'm still that same girl who get's so excited and pumped when she refreshes her blog statistics and notices that she has one more comment then before! Here's to many more years of way-too-loud typing, book-ish conversations, and late-night blogging!

Poem: A Book's Embrace

A little poem that came in mind while reading a very good book. Hope you guys like it! :)

A Book's Embrace
Tangled hair, oversized shirt
Hardcover cradled in hands
Staring at the words, staring at the world
A new dimension, born.

Blind,
deaf,
of the sun, the clouds,
the crying rain.

Alive,
vibrant,
from the depth of the black
ink.

A touch, a gasp
The soul is shaken
The breath is quivering
The heart is breathing.

A gift,
to be embraced by a book.

An Ode to the Mighty, the Humble... Watermelon.

I named my blog The Humble Watermelon, so I figured I should make at least one post on this lovely fruit. So today, I shall discuss about watermelon's history, tell you some interesting facts about it, and share three of my favourite watermelon pictures!

Ready to go on this Grand Watermelon Adventure? Yeah? Okay then, let's go!

Watermelon's Fruitful History:
Watermelon is thought to have originated in southern Africa, where you can find it growing in its wild state. There is evidence that it had been cultured in the Nile Valley, around the second millennium BC (2000-1001 B.C.). By the 10th century, watermelon had started being culture in China, and by the 13th century, Moorish invaders had introduced this fruit to Europe. Watermelon then moved on to North America, where they were grown by Native Americans in the 16th century. Today, China is the biggest watermelon producer, growing more than 69 million tonnes of watermelon in 2011!

5 Reasons Why You Should Blog!

I think this list is long overdue... So without further ado, here are 5 reasons why you should blog (or if you already do, 5 reasons why it's awesome!)...

1) It passes your time in a productive way: Yes, that sounds like something parents would totally dig, but hey, it's the truth! Blogging is quite beneficial, unlike updating your Instagram status every 30 seconds, which brings you to nowhere. (Yes, I am guilty of that)

2) It helps improve your writing skills: Now that's a big plus. When I first starting blogging, I was just an average writer with lots of things to work on. Of course, I still have loads to work on, but now I definitely think I'm a better writer. I choose better wording, and I have found a style that represents me.

The Diviners, a book review (The Diviners, #1)

by Libba Bray
published in 2012
a bone-rattling 5 / 5 stars
Goodreads / Amazon / Website / Trailer (super creepy)

"Naughty John, Naughty John,
does his work with his apron on.
Cuts your throat and takes your bones,
sells 'em off for a coupla stones."

Some might say that only movies can evoke the most imagery in one's mind. But after reading The Diviners, I would completely disagree. This book didn't just make me feel like I was living in the era of the storyline, it made me feel like I belonged to it.

New York City, 1926. This bustling city suddenly gets a new addition: 17 year-old Evie O'Neill. After committing much too many troubles, Evie is sent packing from her drab hometown to the streets of NYC to live with her uncle. There she discovers that her hidden supernatural powers are more needed than ever, as she finds herself caught in the midst of a murder investigation. 

To say that this book scared me would be a hell of an understatement. It left me sweating with fear, eyes with horror and mind filled with speechless terrors. Yet it kept me up t'il midnight, day after day, as I silently flipped the pages with such an anticipation that only a good book can make you feel. 

Classical Piece of the Week: Rêverie

Missed the last one? Here's a link to Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20.

Rêverie, by Claude Debussy

A soft glow casts upon the field's grass, 
still fresh from the early morning dew. 

Faint whistles can be heard through the trees, 
the notes weaving into a melody of harmonious birds. 

The ripples of the water are carried into the stream, 
along the smooth rocks polished with time.

The flowers sigh to the sweetness of its own aroma.
A lone cloud travels across the sky, pacing infinitely.

The day becomes alive,
and everywhere is the reflection of its beginning.                            

The Rain of Happiness

Yesterday, just as I came back from a short walk with my mom, it started raining. The gray clouds were settling in, the sun's beam growing weaker as the rain intensified. Normally, I would be relived that I had avoided by a split second from getting soaked by hard droplets of water, but this time, something changed in me. I quickly realized that though I was hurrying to close all the windows, I wanted to be outside. Wanted to feel the rain, the cold and the wind.

A New Project (on Youtube!)

Hi everybody! It's finally summer break, and I feel like I'm just as busy as I was during the school year! But it's more of a positive kind of busy, because I've been planning to start a lot of projects. My most major one has been starting a new Youtube channel. I already have one called "gdlgma", where I post videos of me playing violin, and sometimes piano and singing, but this new channel is completely different!

I called it "pensationnel", and it's basically me talking in front of the camera about different subjects. Think of it as "à la Vlogbrothers", but a French version and very amateur. I mainly created this channel to try and preserve and improve my French once I switch to an English school, and also because I enjoy speaking!

Creating this channel has really consumed my past week, but I will try and be more flexible, because I really want to increase my quantities of post on this blog, especially since it's the summer!

So I hope you will have a chance to check out my channel, I'd appreciate it so much! (So far I only have one video, haha!)

Click here to watch my first video! 

I'll see you all very soon!

-Grace :)