February // The Month of Chiberia

Febuary's been an interesting month. It's been busy. It's been stressful. But it's also been full of birthdays!

Well... not anymore. It WAS on February 5th.

And why did I decide to call this February "The Month of Chiberia"? Because that is what Chicago is right now. Siberia. January was a cold month too, but I EXPECT January to be cold. But February? And piercingly, skin numbingly, painfully COLD? Come on.

This is how I dress every day for school:



But seriously. My aunt got me thermal leggings for my birthday because she UNDERSTANDS winter in Chicago.

This winter has been really dragging out. My birthday is generally greeted by the dirt-slush of old snow under foot, but this year it decided to add to that with below zero temperatures (and that's in Fahrenheit, so somewhere around -20 in Celsius). I am SO SO SO ready for spring.

I did a lot of school, that's what happened. I got my first D on an exam, as well as dropped my first class ever, and also had a huge meltdown in my father's lap about my lack of motivation. I am glad I still live with my parents.

But! I also had a birthday! I am now nineteen years old, and one year away from not-teenage-ness. Which is mildly frightening.

My parents, two friends, and I went to a French restaurant in the area and ate a lot of deliciousness. I also got wonderful bookish gifts, but you'll see those below in this month's book haul. :-)

This month was also my mother's birthday - on Valentine's day, actually - so my sister and I went out with my parents for dinner. I really like Valentine's Day in our household, because it's really about love of all sorts, not just romantic love. I've always grown up with it that way because of my mother's birthday, and even though I've never had an official "date" on Valentine's Day, I'm never just moping around at home either. It's pretty nice!

This month, Lent started, and for Lent, I gave up mobile social media (excluding Instagram because it's new for me). I usually only check social media on my phone, so my addiction to that has really decreased. I don't know what will happen once Easter passes and I re-download the apps, but we shall see. :-P

Not a big haul this month.

The Chronicles of Harris Burdick by a variety of people, including Lemony Snicket, Linda Sue Park, Kate DiCamillo, and Stephen King. 
AND I got it for $1 at my university's book sale! I haven't read it yet but it is extraordinarily intriguing.

Echo  by Pam Munoz Ryan. I just put up a review of this book and it was quite, quite magical. (Thank you Scholastic!)

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. My friends Lauren and Agata got me this book for my birthday and I am super excited to read it!

And, most importantly - The Mug of Awesome from my father for my birthday. Isn't it pretty? Here's how it looks filled with blueberry tea:

 

Beautiful People #6: Arietta and Lucas  

- Or, since the lovely Skylar provided me with a ship name, LARI! :-)

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Problems
We suffer so much for our passion, my fellow bibliophiles, don't we?


How was your Febuary? Was it as cold as mine? (I'm guessing that if you're in the Midwest or North West US, it probably was.) 


~Sophia