This Week: Stacking the Shelves, Wheelchair Basketball and School Holidays

This week was actually pretty eventful. First of all, we have this program called Crossroads at school, where we had all these speakers come and talk to us about safe driving and stuff like that. On the left is a photo of a cut-up car. One of the demonstrations was brought to us by Fire and Rescue NSW. They brought their hydraulic spreaders and cutters, and actually cut open the car to show us how they get trapped victims out. This was on school property as well – awesome! And they had this cool springy thing – you just flick it onto a window and the whole thing cracks and shatters safely. I took a lot of notes – who knows when I’ll need to write about a car accident scene?

 

On the right is a picture of our school gym. They brought along about fifteen wheelchairs, and half the class played wheelchair basketball before switching. It was REALLY difficult – I kept going in circles. I can’t even imagine what it must be like to be in a wheelchair full time. It was interesting how the sports wheelchairs have slightly slanted wheels. Anyway, all this was great research for Wanderland, and I understand a lot more just from that hour. The main point from that lesson was that we can just walk away from the wheelchair – people who are paraplegic/quadriplegic cannot.

I’m now on school holidays, so that’s also exciting. Aaaaaand I reached 60,000 words on the second draft of The Daisy List – I hope to finish it before the start of July so I can focus on Camp NaNoWriMo. Finally, I got a new phone for my birthday – now I can take more awesome photos of books/cats.

There were also a lot of books that arrived this week. So let’s go to Stacking the Shelves!

Stacking the Shelves is a book meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews. It’s all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual.

THE STACK

GIFTED/WON

   

I got Love Letters to the Dead as a birthday present from the lovely Cait at Notebook Sisters. Thanks so much Cait, I can’t wait to read this 🙂

I won The Year of the Rat from Amanda at The Bookish Manicurist. Aussie contemporary YA, yes PLEASE! Plus it came with such a cute note 🙂 (you can see it in the third picture)

I got Just One Day and Pivot Point from my sister for my birthday – yeah, I guess she’s ALRIGHT as a sister (she’s probably reading this, actually…).

I bought Geek Girl as part of the Bookworld sale. I’ve been wanting to read it for AAAGES.

FOR REVIEW

Broken Strings by Maria Farrer thanks to Scholastic Australia. This was a surprise and it looks AWESOME.

Let’s Get Lost by Adi Alsaid thanks to Harlequin Australia. I didn’t think this was coming, but it looks SO amazing, and the book itself is just really nice.

LIBRARY

I’d heard so much about these two that I couldn’t avoid it for any longer – I borrowed them. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein appeals to me because of the friendship, and The Sky So Heavy by Claire Zorn because I KEEP ON HEARING ABOUT IT. Can’t wait to read these two.

So yeah. Quite a few books this week. Thank goodness it’s school holidays so I can read them all! Right now I’m at my dad’s house for a week. I’m sure when I get back to my mum’s there’ll be a few more waiting for me…still waiting on a couple that I bought 🙂

BOOKS READ SINCE LAST WEEK

  

All were good! Searching for Sky and The Probability of Miracles were both amaaaazing. Look for the review of Searching for Sky soon (it will also include a book written by Little Me about a desert island and monkey butlers, so that’s fun)

CURRENTLY READING

My sister inSISTS (haha, sister…insists…no? Okay) that I read this soon because she is almost up to it and I should therefore hurry up and read it. Plus, the first one is awesome.

READING NEXT

Slightly worried about this one, because the reviews have been pretty negative, but still intrigued to see what I think of it!

GIF OF THE WEEK

Flamingos are just ridiculous. I mean, seriously.

POSTS ON THE BLOG

Monday: I reviewed Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Tuesday: I told you about the book covers I (to borrow a phrase from Cait @ Notebook Sisters) adore and abhor

Wednesday: I provided you with a very simple, 10-step process of conquering your TBR

Thursday: I reviewed the awesome Writing Clementine by Kate Gordon

Friday: I reviewed The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder (FLAMINGOS)

Saturday: I talked about book-buying bans

What happened with you this week? Is anyone else celebrating the start of school holidays?