Reasons why I don't finish/have a hard time finishing/straight up don't read books

1. the book is really boring
2. the book is really dense and academic and my brain has acclimated to online video streaming and social media so it's not what it once was
3. I have a mental block about reading for some reason/reading dry spell
4. I don't have time; I'm too busy
5. I hate the book
6. lack of energy
7. previous book hangover
8. the cover is weird/off-putting
9. the book is too intimidating
10. I don't read multiple books at a time so I feel like I must finish the book I'm on even though I don't feel like reading it, so I read nothing
11. it's a library book that I have to return so I never finish it
12. I have to spend my ref desk time slots doing homework or helping patrons instead of reading
13. when at home or on weekends, I do chores, run errands, or binge Netflix (or do the BookRiot #riotgrams challenge), so I have no time/energy to read
14. I've hyped up the book in my mind so much I'm afraid to read it
15. I'm not in a proper headspace for this book. or that one. or that-
16. I think this book is going to be sad/scary and I'm too anxious to read it
17. I don't think I'm mentally prepared for this book right now
18. this book sounds too pretentious or frustrating
19. I bought this book ages ago and and still haven't read it so I owe it the bare minimum of leaving it on my shelf to read someday
20. I have a book/some books from a series and don't have all of them
21. I have a series but don't know which one is the first
22. I have a series but don't know if I have gaps in it
23. I loved this book in college/high school/childhood but I'm afraid if I reread it it won't be the same
24. some smart friend/s recommended this book to me and I don't want to let them down (even though we never talk any more)
25. I have to read this book in order to decide whether to keep it and that's too much pressure
26. what if this book disappoints me 
27. this book has themes I know are going to be upsetting/triggering/angry-making to me
28. there are knicknacks on the shelf in front of the book and it's too much work to move them
29. seeing my dusty bookshelves reminds me that I need to clean my house and that depresses me
30. this book is going to be very simple and fun and easy to read, so I'll read it later

App game review: Garfield Snack Time

As a nearly life-long Garfield fan, I saw the game "Garfield Snack Time" (GST) and decided to play it. It's a typical match-3-or-more-items game, with bigger points for more items matched, and possible boosters or helpful items. Each game has a specific goal: get lasagne to the basket at the bottom of the field, get a certain number of points, collect a certain amount of each of the items, etc. There is a daily challenge that awards you with one coin or more, and the game urges you to connect your Facebook account or buy more coins and boosters with real money at every turn. Watching short video ads gives you 'free' turns or rockets. The app company also constantly hawks its other games, which is annoying.

The game is bright and colorful, with everything animated in a Jim Davis style. It's cute and very addictive. Everything is food-based, with the matchable items being food: blue popsicles, green fast-food soda cups, pink lollipops, red containers of french fries, and yellow pizza slices. Personally, instead of lollipops, they should have had cupcakes, as that is a food item I could see Garfield more readily eating. 

Something else that annoys me is that whenever you fail to make your game's goal, GST does not give you the option of watching an ad video in order to get five (or even one) more turns, the way many other similar apps do. Instead, you have to pay 70 coins to get five turns, or 120 coins to get five turns and 3 boosters. GST also does not set off your remaining rockets and other boosters after you run out of turns, which I think is incredibly unfair. 

Besides the aforementioned turn limits, there are stopwatch "bombs" that will go off in a certain amount of turns, evil anthropomorphic onions that create rings that block areas of the board and mugs of coffee that cover the items in a java lock, requiring you to match the item twice before it disappears. I hate this. Garfield LOVES coffee in the comics, so the java mugs should be a power-up, not a deterrent! The ad companies are very sneaky and often format their ad like an actual video, causing it to play sound (often loudly) despite my phone being on silent. There is a special place in hell for them. 

Anyway, which it's not being an unfair, frustrating and unsolvable pain in the butt, this game is fun, and I more or less recommend it. 3.5/5 stars

Classic literature books reimagined as eyeshadow palettes: The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

This is a very silly idea but I love makeup and books and anyway I haven't finished a book in a while so

The Pilgrim's Progress eyeshadow palette

Christian - matte neutral tan
The Great Burden - matte medium brown
The Slough of Despond - matte black
Hellfire - glittery/shimmery bright orangey red
New Garments - matte pure white
The Armor of God - metallic silver
Vanity Fair - glittery hot pink
The Delectable Mountains - satin grass green
The River of Death - shimmery deep blue
Mercy - satin pale pink
Great Heart - metallic royal purple
The Celestial City - shimmery white with gold microglitter

4 mattes, 4 glitters/shimmers, 2 metallics, 2 satins, a lot of Christianity

The palette itself would look like the original book (see above-right image) on the outside, and when you open it, it looks like a map of the story, with the shade names in the corresponding places. How cool would that be??

Hey Storybook Cosmetics, call me!