All posts by Emily

writing gives me life! // plus a notebook giveaway!

September 25, 2015 Emily 24 Comments

I truly believe I would go insane if not for writing. No, it’s true! I know people say all the time “I can’t live without books” or “I can’t live without my cat” or “~~I can’t live without chocolate~~” (wait that one is true.) But I WOULD go insane without writing. They’d put me in a place for crazy people. (What’s that called again? An asylum?) There are several reasons that I’ve grown to depend on writing. Like, for instance:

Sometimes people drive me NUTTY! I’m not always good at socializing. Or getting along with people. It’s why I much prefer fictional people; they never get on my nerves. Sometimes – well, MOST of the time – I end up writing furiously in my journals about so-in-so and how they make my blood absolutely, positively BOIL… and yes I cringe at old diary entries but it got my blood back down to a normal temperature at the time. Something about getting my crazy thoughts on paper is so refreshing. And when that backfires because I’m terrified someone might find my diary someday and call the cops, I rename people and kill them off in my stories. Don’t judge. You know you do it too.

The best writing is emotional. I write all the time, even when I’m chill. But when I’m downright bloody mad or sobbing with salty, pitiful tears running down my ruddy cheeks (see? emotional!)… that’s when my writing is the best. It’s raw. It may seem a tad melodramatic later (because I am a very dramatic person, and I may have been an actor in another life) but it’s REAL.

MY writing could someday give someone else life, too! Isn’t that the most amazing thought? If you’re a writer, or a reader (which I know the majority of you are, unless you’re my cousin who says she dislikes books and makes me downright BLOODY MAD… oh hey, Sydney) you know what I mean. Don’t we LOVE books that make us think, that make us cry? The writer of those stories thought to share their writings and it affected us in a great way. Shared writing is incredible; powerful, even. In fact, I may make another post on why books give me life. WE WRITERS MUST STICK TOGETHER!

It’s much more reliable than talking. Oh, I’m a mess of a talker. True, I love discussing things and debating and sharing my thoughts with my family and friends… but I feel like it all comes out warbled and messy – my words are just all over the place! For example, if I was talking with my mom or dad about why writing gives me life, here I would have said “It comes out so much better than talking.” Now doesn’t “I’m a mess of a talker, it comes out warbled, much more reliable” sound loads better?? I stopped for a moment and googled synonyms and thought to myself “now what could I say here…” and it looks much nicer. My words on a screen or paper – whatever it may be – make me feel something more.

Writing is timeless. Look at Jane Austen. Look at Emily Dickinson, or Charles Dickens. They could never have imagined how long their writing would LIVE. They died years ago, but their writing is still very much alive. And even though they wrote it in another time, another place, CENTURIES ago… it still affects people. I like to think that my kids and grand kids will thumb through all the journals that take up so much space in my room (seriously. so. much. space.) and laugh at tiny 11-year-old or 12 or 13 or 14-year-old Emily and think “if Grandma could survive little sisters and mean girls at school, so can I!” Even if the only people who ever read what I wrote is my family, it’s enough. It’s enough to know that someone understood me, and it’s fascinating to have parts of my life documented.

Looking back. That brings me to my next point, and I’ve said it many, many times here. I LOVE reading my old writing. I can see how far I’ve come in just a few weeks, months, or years. I can see how I felt then. I can laugh at myself or cry or just smile. It’s COOL, okay?! Again, it’s just fascinating to have parts of my life documented – even if it’s only for my eyes to see.

If you don’t write already, you SHOULD. I don’t write all the time. Sometimes I won’t touch a notebook for weeks or months. I have notebooks where I write ideas for stories, and notebooks where I write about my everyday life. (“I had a PB&J for lunch.” “I lost my cat today.”) If that’s all you write, it’s still important! It’s like a physical “Time Hop.” (That’s an app where you can see what you posted one, two, three, and so forth, years ago on this day.)

SO, in honor of writing, and in hopes that you’ll take up a notebook and write anything at all down, I’m giving away this journal! It’s from Barnes & Noble, and pictures are below. Plus I just bought it for myself, so whoever wins can be notebook twinsies with me! 🙂 Please read the guidelines below and get going! 🙂

You have two weeks to enter. The giveaway ends on October 9, 2015. The winner will be announced shortly after on my blog and will receive an email from me.
The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email; if you don’t respond sooner I will choose another winner.
The giveaway is open to US residents only, please. Sorry to any international blog readers! (INT giveaways are headed your way soon, I promise!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

so do YOU write? what about? why? is there anything i forgot on my list? can’t wait to read your writings below. 🙂

discussions

thoughts on re-reading.

September 23, 2015 Emily 14 Comments

I used to be the queen of re-reading books. The queen. It’s why all of the books I got between 2010 and 2013 are practically falling to pieces. (That, and the fact that I also *used* to be a ruthless spine-bender. Don’t hate me!) I would throw my hands in the air in frustration because I could not find a book at the school library either a) worth reading or b) that I hadn’t read. So I’d reach back onto my beautiful, beautiful book shelf (I love it so much, it’s by far my favorite part of my bedroom) and turn the pages of a well-loved, familiar place.

*Happy sigh* Sometimes it’s even better than reading a book for the first time.

But I haven’t re-read a book in a very, very long time. Unless you count last April, in which I re-read the entire Selection series by Kiera Cass, as the fourth book was coming out and I wanted to be refreshed.

But I don’t count that; because it wasn’t a time where I thought “I don’t have anything else to read, and this one’s calling my name, I think I’ll read that” and re-read the book for pure pleasure.

I haven’t done any of that since… well, since I started book blogging.

I have SO many books on my plate. sooooo. many. Every time I say this, I get lots of comments saying what a wonderful problem this is to have, and YES, yes it is, I love having a towering TBR that I’m dying to get my hands on… but… I am a procrastinator, first of all; it takes me forever to get to a book mostly because I don’t really want to read it right then so I put it off. And yet I don’t let myself read a book I do want to read right then because I feel like I have a duty to uphold to that book, and the person who sent/suggested it to me.

And second of all, I am a person who gets stressed out very easily. I am not a “go-with-the-flow” person. I like to think I’m not a bossy or controlling person, but it’s true that I like to be in control. I like to have things done and out of the way – and I know what you’re thinking (“But you just said you procrastinate”), so you see my problem now. I get stressed a lot because I procrastinate and yet I like to have things out of the way. So the problem with having this problem is that I’m always stressed about reading the next up-and-coming book, whether it’s a popular book EVERYONE in the blogging community is reading or a book several of you want me to read.

And I never have time to re-read.

This is a TREMENDOUS problem, dear blog reader. I firmly believe that if a book is great, then it is worth re-reading. If a book is not-so-great, it’s not worth re-reading. My mom always used to ask me why I re-read books so much (she hasn’t asked in a while because I’VE NOT RE-READ ANYTHING IN AGES)… and I always replied “We re-watch movies, don’t we? What’s the difference?” It’s familiar, yet still enjoyable, and sometimes you need a cozy favorite to brighten your day.

As a bookworm, re-reading books is a high priority. Particularly in fall and winter – as Annie put it on her blog, “Something about the Fall season always makes my bones tingle with the longing to read, read, read — more so than usual, even.” And for me, curling up with a welcoming friend you love over and over again is even more enjoyable in Autumn.

As a result, I’m going to make it my goal in the months of October and November – and perhaps in winter, as well – to re-read at least three books. I may end up re-reading more than that, and if I do I’ll lengthen my goal in the winter months as well. I’ll be counting my re-reads towards the books I read in 2015, since they will be books I’ve read in 2015, be it for the first or umpteenth time. If you’re curious, these are the books I plan on re-visiting:

Better to Wish by Ann M. Martin
Interrupted: A Life Beyond Words by Rachel Coker
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Absolutely Truly by Heather Vogel Frederick

I’m not sure if I’ll re-read these books, specifically – the point of this for me, after all, is to get myself to read something I’m in the mood for and let go of my mental list of books to “check off.” So we’ll see!

what are your thoughts on re-reading? do you have a preference in when you like to re-read books? will you be re-visiting any this autumn and winter?

P.S. Short update: Maisy is HOME!!! For those of you who don’t know – my cat, Maisy, went missing when we were on vacation and we just got back Saturday. Last night my dad found her in our driveway and we are all (including Maisy!) so happy she is safe. 🙂

reviews

prom & prejudice by elizabeth eulberg (with pride & prejudice gif’s, of course)

September 21, 2015 Emily 9 Comments

After reading my first Elizabeth Eulberg book, Better Off Friends, I just knew I had to read another one! Prom & Prejudice was a must, because if anyone knows me at all, they know I’m a huge Jane Austen fan, and good ole P&P is a timeless favorite. It may be solely because I could EASILY see myself with Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy (*swoon*)… but make him a modern-day high school student who, in my head, is incredibly cute and well-spoken and ohmigosh, YES. How could I not have picked this book up?!

Title: Prom & Prejudice

Author: Elizabeth Eulberg

Publisher: Point

Publication Date: January 4, 2011

Source: used bookstore (2nd & Charles)

Synopsis: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single girl of high standing at Longbourn Academy must be in want of a prom date.
After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the prom. Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn on a scholarship, isn’t interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be – especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.
Lizzie is happy about her friend’s burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles’s friend, Will Darcy, who’s snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn’t seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it’s because her family doesn’t have money. Clearly, Will Darcy is a pompous jerk – so why does Lizzie find herself drawn to him anyway?

SEE MY REVIEW ON GOODREADS // BUY IT ON AMAZON

I flew through it in a day, it was so cute. It was only about 230 pages – not nearly as long as Pride & Prejudice! 🙂 And even though I knew how it would end, of course, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book at all. I highly recommend you be at least a little familiar with the characters of Pride & Prejudice before reading this book; it made it even funnier! And seeing the characters in a modern spin was just hilarious.

Immediately, I loved Miss Lizzie Bennet, and the other cast of classic characters. You’ve got Jane, Lydia, Colin (or rather, Mr. Collins), Mr. Bingley, his incorrigible sister, Caroline, the AWFUL George Wickham… and of course, Mr. Fitzwilliam (or in this case, Will) Darcy. They were all true to their original personalities in Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, and I felt like Elizabeth Eulberg took just enough creative license to make the story more modern.

I was a little disappointed that Mrs. and Mr. Bennet didn’t really make an appearance in the book; I have to admit that Jane Austen’s Mrs. Bennet is probably one of my favorite characters in Pride & Prejudice! But the main plot and characters were still there. Jane Austen’s book really can be modernized and still be much to the same story, because it’s simply so timeless. It was a little different, because Jane and Lydia Netherfield weren’t actually Lizzie’s sisters in Prom & Prejudice (I know right?? Whaaat?!), and Lizzie was actually an only child. But her relationship with Jane and Lydia was much like sisters, so it didn’t make that big of a difference. Jane and Lizzie were roommates at the prestigious Longbourn Academy, which worked well so that they still shared a room and spent a lot of time together.

Meanwhile, there’s the icky Wickham, who goes by “Wick” in this book. His character is easily made modern; he’s just as sly and smooth-talking as in the 1800’s-version of P&P. Lizzie handles him well, I think… I got a good laugh at the way she dealt with him at the end!

And then there’s Darcy…

Darcy was just as swoon-worthy in Prom & Prejudice… albeit prejudiced, at first. (But we can forgive him for his one fault, right? 😉 ) The way it ended was just perfect, because Elizabeth Eulberg did put her own spin on it, and it was adorable!

I have no intention of asking you to prom. – Will Darcy, Prom & Prejudice

So this book gets three and a half stars! I enjoyed it so much. It wasn’t my favorite book in the world (sorry, but PRIDE & Prejudice will always come first!), but the book was absolutely darling. Elizabeth Eulberg is such a great contemporary romance writer. SO FLUFFY! 😀

it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single book blogger in possession of a great book review must be want of comments

… 🙂

have you read pride & prejudice? or prom & prejudice? or both??! are you a jane austen and elizabeth eulberg fan, like myself? can’t wait to hear!

personal life

florida trip recap & mini stacking the shelves #23

September 20, 2015 Emily 17 Comments

Hi guys! Sorry I was MIA on you Friday and Saturday. We just got back from our AWESOME beach trip last night, and… my cat is lost. Yep. Maisy’s a stinker. Our other cat, Mittens, is an inside/outside cat (he was a rescue when we got him, and we couldn’t keep him inside, so he goes outside and comes inside. But he always comes home!) This drives Maisy nutty, however, because she thinks she can go outside too. My grandfather was at our house last Sunday and most likely Maisy got out unnoticed when he had the door open. We’re pretty worried… dad’s going to make some flyers and we talked to some of our neighbors. So if you could pray that we find her soon, that would be great. 🙂

In other news… I figured I would go ahead and do a beach trip recap, along with a picture of all the books I’ve gotten (!!!!) and everything, ’cause you don’t want to hear about my missing cat the whole time, right?! 😉

Florida was a TON OF FUN. I absolutely love the area we stayed in; we’ve been several times before and I can’t wait to go back! Our condo was right on the beach, so we had this gorgeous view. I loved watching the sun rise and set. It was beyond beautiful.

My cousins, Sydney and Olivia tagged along with us this week, and it was so much fun having them with! Sydney’s just five months younger than me and Olivia and Anna are exactly two weeks apart! You could say we’re built-in best friends! 😀 So one night we had a mini photo shoot on the beach since we all had these adorable dresses that were dying to be worn. Jump shoots are the best!

Remember how I kept talking about my new Hannah Everly skirt?! You may have noticed I’ve recently changed all of my profile pictures (or not, but now you know!) because I absolutely adore the pictures of me in my new skirt. 🙂 Hannah’s skirt is so amazing; the fabric is super nice and it fits me so well. It’s worth every penny!

There’s also this one that I love, too! I can’t decide which one I want as my profile picture, haha!!

The donuts were the best part though, just sayin’.

Also… we all came home with TURTLES! Meet Squirt. We found these little guys in one of the shops nearby. Everyone in my family knows I’ve been wanting a turtle FOREVER! They’re not freaky like my sister’s crabs (LOL… they look like spiders!) and you can still hold them, unlike fish. Of course I had to name her after my favorite Disney character. You know, Squirt? From Finding Nemo??

DON’T WORRY. That weird stuff on my hand is just water, from her tank. 😀

And you didn’t think I forgot about books, did you??!

The week wasn’t good BOOK-WISE. Let me explain. In the beginning of the week, I bought When Audrey Met Alice from one of the bookstores. I decided to read that one first because I thought it would be a funny, light beach read. Few chapters in. Content was icky. No thanks. Theeeen I opted for Rebel Belle, which I had borrowed from the library, and it was kind of weird. I kept going anyway because I really wanted to see if I liked it or not. And then it got really mushy, so I said no to that, too! FINALLY I started The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers, which was a recommendation from my mom. I’m half way in and LOVE it. I should have started it ages ago. 😉

Here’s the total stack of books I’ve gotten in the past 8 days. I’m so overwhelmed. It’s the best feeling in the world.

On the left is the Ascendance Trilogy series, plus I have a second copy of The False Prince, but it’s SIGNED!! (I mentioned my Aunt Corrie getting me a signed copy from the author last week.) Look at this!!

The on the right is my stack! On the top is The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor. My mom and dad picked it up for me at one of the bookstores – it’s an Alice in Wonderland retelling! Next are Upside Down in the Middle Of Nowhere and Absolutely Almost, which I talked about in last week’s post. And then I’ve got the books my lovely pen pal Brooke sent me: the first in the 39 Clues series, Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale, and Beauty and the Beast: The Only One Who Didn’t Run Away by Wendy Mass. Oh, and on the bottom is Rose Under Fire – the sequel to CODE NAME VERITY!! CNV had me sobbing with my heart in a hundred tiny pieces, but. I shall read the sequel anyway.

SOOOO. That was a long post! If you read this all, I shall give you a reward. Haha just kidding I’m completely broke. You know with the turtle I bought and also some cute clothes I got in Florida. Among other things. (Who am I kidding I’m always broke.) Anyway your reward can be getting to comment below! Because I love hearing from you!

Off to hand out ‘missing cat’ flyers to my neighbors. Please don’t forget to pray for my cat; she’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer. But we love her and we will find her! 🙂

Doesn't she look sooo happy?! Lol she was really ticked off at me for taking this picture. :D — Doesn’t she look sooo happy?! Lol she was really ticked off at me for taking this picture. 😀

Until Monday. =)

tags & awards

the name game & social media book tags

September 16, 2015 Emily 10 Comments

Most of you know how much I love doing tags. (And if you didn’t know that, now you do!) I love getting tagged, and they’re my favorite posts to read on other people’s blogs. Recently, I was tagged by Madi to do the name game book tag and Daisy to do the social media book tag, so I thought, “Why not do both at once?” Twice the fun, right?? Thank you so much, Madison and Daisy, for tagging me! I got both in my email at the same time and it made me day! 🙂

the name game book tag

The rules of this tag are simple: for each letter of your name, recommend a favorite book that starts with that letter. It looks pretty cool, but I have no clue what I’m going to do for E or Y… or I!

E: Every Soul A Star by Wendy Mass. Well, that just popped into my brain! Not as hard as I thought! I read this in fourth or fifth grade. I was a HUGE Wendy Mass fan back in the day! Her switching perspectives are the bomb, and this one is particularly hilarious.

M: Matched by Allie Condie. Stealing this one from Madison’s tag! She’s the one who got me to read this book, and I can’t wait to see how I like the next two books in the trilogy. I love talking about it with her, though we’ll have to agree to disagree on who Cassia is supposed to be matched with, haha! *swoon*

I: Interrupted: A Life Beyond Words by Rachel Coker. Can we just take a few years to recognize the AWESOMENESS that is this book?! It is by far one of my favorite, favorite books of ever. It’s a WWII love story/Christian fiction/girl-becomes-Christian book… it’s just sooo good, alright?

L: Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. Stargirl and Love, Stargirl are both under appreciated books by Jerry Spinelli, and I loved them both! I have to admit, though, I much preferred Love, Stargirl – even though it’s the sequel, which is rare for me.

Y: I DON’T KNOW Y I CANNOT find a book for this one!! Any ideas?

Thanks again, Madison! This was a lot of fun. Except for Y. That one is super hard.

the social media book tag

This is a pretty self-explanatory one, so I’m just going to delve right in.

Twitter: Your favorite short book. I’m copying Daisy over here by picking the first book in the Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace. It’s when the main characters are five, so it’s an easy one!

Facebook: A book everyone pressured you into reading. I’m going to go with… Cinder by Marissa Meyer. At the time I’m writing this, I HAVEN’T read it yet, but everyone I talk to who has read it loves it and they’re practically at my feet begging me to read it! So I shall!

Tumblr: A book you read before it was cool. Hm. I’m going to have to think about this one. I read a lot of less popular books, but I can’t really think of one I read before it became popular. Maybe… The Book Thief by Markus Zusak? I read it a good while before the movie was even announced, but I don’t know.

MySpace: A book you can’t remember if you liked or not. This is a tough one. I have an elephant’s memory. Really – even without book reviews, I remember nearly every book I read. I’m going to tweak this one and make it “A book you don’t know why you liked.” Lol! Annnd I’m going to say The Gossip File by Anna Staniszewski. I reviewed it last February and gave it three stars… but still… I don’t remember it even being that good.

Instagram: A book so beautiful you had to Instagram it. A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd! I’m reading it right now and I think I may just marry this cover. I love it so much!

YouTube: A book you wish could be turned into a movie. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein OR The Selection by Kiera Cass OR The Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer Nielsen! The last two are currently being considered for movies and you have NO idea how excited I am!

Skype: A book with characters you wish you could talk to, not just read about. Are you kidding me?! Is this even a question?? I would love to this with all the books I read. BUT if I had to choose just one… I would probably go with either The Mother-Daughter Book Club series by Heather Vogel Frederick (because Emma Hawthorne and I are one-in-the-same) or The Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer A. Nielsen *spoiler alert!* (because I’m secretly dating Jaron and I need to talk to my boyfriend, duh.) *end of spoiler!*

Goodreads: A book you recommend to everyone. The Book Thief. Code Name Verity. The Ascendance Trilogy. The Selection series. All of Ann M. Martin’s books. All of Rachel Coker’s books.

who do i tag?

YOU! You’re it! If you decide to do either one of these tags (or both!) let me know in the comments. I can’t wait to see your posts, everyone!

reviews

cornelia and the audacious escapades of the somerset sisters by lesly m.m. blume

September 14, 2015 Emily 8 Comments

You know, I’ve read a lot of sad books. I’ve read historical fiction books – which usually ALWAYS make me cry – and books about dying babies and WWII pilots. But sometimes, I don’t even shed a tear when I read those books! But with this one? I was bawling like a baby at the end!

Title: Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters

Author: Lesley M.M. Blume

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: July 11, 2006

Source: used bookstore

Synopsis: Eleven-year-old Cornelia is the daughter of two world-famous pianists—a legacy that should feel fabulous, but instead feels just plain lonely. She surrounds herself with dictionaries and other books to isolate herself from the outside world. But when a glamorous neighbor named Virginia Somerset moves next door with her servant Patel and a mischievous French bulldog named Mister Kinyatta, Cornelia discovers that the world is a much more exciting place than she had originally thought.

An unforgettable story of friendship and adventure that takes readers around the world and back again, Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters is a dazzling first novel by Lesley M. M. Blume.

It wasn’t sad – well, okay, it was a little – but the majority of the book had be laughing out loud! It’s just such a beautifully written story that I can’t even handle it. 🙂

I LOVED the main character, Cornelia. She’s an eleven-year-old girl who loves words as much as her famous pianist mother, Lucy, loves music. But she’s sick of being in the shadow of Lucy, and devours privacy and dictionaries like one devours chocolate! Then she meets her new neighbor, Virginia Somerset, who has traveled the world and met Indian princes and the Queen of England and possibly even King Arthur’s ghost! In each chapter, Virginia tells Cornelia a story of one of her and her sisters’ adventures (or should I say, audacious escapades). As the book progresses, Cornelia is inspired by Virginia’s stories and starts to come out of the shell that she’s built around herself.

My favorite part of the book was Virginia’s stories; she’d been to so many incredible places and met so many amazing people. All of the adventures that she went on made up her life, and who she was. It really inspired me… as well as Cornelia. 😉 Virginia understood Cornelia, because they were both readers and writers, and they both loved words. At first, Cornelia doesn’t tell her mother she’s visiting Virginia next door, because she wants to keep her to herself. (As would I!) She doesn’t want to be seen as “Lucy’s daughter” to Virginia, she wants to be seen as Cornelia. But of course, eventually, Lucy finds out, and the ending is just so wonderful. (Even though it made me cry!)

The ending came together so beautifully. I had a hunch how it would end, and I was right – and even though in my gut feeling I saw it coming, it was like I still didn’t believe it, and so it still touched me! It was just… simply beautiful! I can’t say enough about this book. I loved it!

Five stars, five stars, five stars! And two thumbs up!

so have you read this book? do you want to? (you better!) it was just… amazing!! what’s it like when you cry over a book?

stacking the shelves

stacking the shelves #22

September 13, 2015 Emily 4 Comments

Hey, everyone! First off, sorry this is coming a day late. Yesterday was an exhausting day and the internet was crazy. (I couldn’t get the pictures to send.) Anyways, I wrote this up last night, so here goes!

It has been a LONG past day. So, here I am, in the huge room in the condo on the beach in Florida we’re staying in. (That was a long sentence, lol!) Sydney (my cousin) is looking over my shoulder as I type. 😉 This afternoon on the drive down to Florida we stopped to have lunch with my Grandma, Grandpop, Great-Aunt and Uncle, Aunt, Uncle, cousins, and baby cousins! (Whew, that was a lot!) And, of course, I got books. (!!!!!!)

On the bottom and on the tippy-top I have books from the Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer A. Nielsen!!!! My Grandma bought me the ENTIRE series in hardback (whoo for all the books matching in hard-back!) and get this. My Aunt Corrie ordered me a SIGNED copy of The False Prince! I know you’ll be jealous, Brooke and Madison… mwahahahaha.

Above the three Ascendance Trilogy books is Writer to Writer by Gail Carson Levine. I mentioned getting this in yesterday’s birthday post (eep!! Still can’t believe I’m fourteen finally!) and my dad getting this for me. I never even said anything personally to him, but he read on the blog that I wanted it and got it for me! So now I own the book, which is really great, because there are SOOO many tips on writing in it. 🙂

Next up in the stack is Upside Down In the Middle of Nowhere by Julie T. Lamana. I had seen it at B&N yesterday (and before then, too) and added it to my TBR on Goodreads. My mom sent my great-aunt Connie a list to my (NEVER-ENDING) list of want-to-read books and she bought this one and the next one for me. Upside Down In the Middle of Nowhere is a (fictitious) story about a ten-year-old girl during Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. I’m really excited to read about it; the hurricane hit parts of Georgia and some of our friends ten years ago so it hits pretty close to home… (no pun intended, haha!)

Oh and also: The cover is just so darn cute! It’s simple but very eye-catching. LOVE.

Last but not least is Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff. I’ve only read one Lisa Graff book; A Tangle of Knots a few years ago. I don’t completely remember it but I do remember that I loved it! (Another one to add my never-ending to-be-re-read list!!) This one looks like a cute read, too.

Oh, and I almost forgot! My Grandma also got me a Barnes & Noble gift card which I definitely will be using soon! I’ll tell you what I get next week (or sometime this week if I post in between Monday and Wednesday.) She also ordered me this shirt. Can you believe how cute it is?!

The words are from “Pride & Prejudice.” I cannot wait to wear it. It’s so me! My grandma knows me well. 😀

And here’s a sneak-peek picture I took today of our view.

*sigh* I’m getting used to this. Don’t worry, I’ll be posting more pictures at the end of the week when we get home! 😉

xoxo

personal life

farewell 13! // a recap of my fourteenth birthday

September 11, 2015 Emily 26 Comments

Well, guys. It’s official today. I’M FOURTEEN!!!!

This is SERIOUSLY the dance move I’ve been doing for the past four weeks whenever I announced how many days there were until my birthday to my family.

The past year has been such a blur! I think I’m starting to understand adults who are always talking about how time flies. I guess it really flies when you’re having fun, and I did a ton of fun things this year. Though sometimes being thirteen felt more like this:

Most of the time I felt a tad more like Rapunzel.

Minus the flawless hair. Nope, still looks like Anna’s bed head.

Like when I went on a Disney Cruise. Or to Washington D.C. And met Kiera Cass. And on a completely spontaneous Florida trip. Not to mention the summer (and school year!) full of zoo trips, pool days, Six Flags or White Water trips, baseball games, loads of shopping sprees with mom, sleepovers with cousins, summer camp, and dozens and dozens of library visits. It’s been real, 13.

Alright, I’m gonna go ahead and warn you about the abundance of exclamation marks I’m likely to use in this post. I get excited, okay??!

On Tuesday – the 8th – I got a box of birthday goodies from Brooke in the mail! (Most of you know her – she’s the sweetest commenter and my favorite pen pal ever.) (hahaha Brooke, are you turning red yet??) She got me three books!!! SCORE. I got Beauty and the Beast by Wendy Mass, the first book in the 39 Clues series by Rick Riordan, and the second book in the Princess Academy series by Shannon Hale! Not only did I get those three books, I got a neat Japanese bookmark and the SOFTEST, warmest pink infinity scarf she arm-knit me!!! (Which will be worn a LOT, I can tell you.) I wasn’t expecting her box until Thursday, and Tuesday wasn’t such a fantastic day for me. So it was such a nice surprise getting it early! I could not wait to open it on Friday, so I went ahead and opened the box. 😀

So on Thursday, I stayed home (it’s usually a home-school co-op day, but I stayed home to get some schoolwork done so I wouldn’t have to do any on Friday!) and got my first Hannah Everly skirt in the mail!! I wasn’t expecting it in time for my birthday, and I am beyond happy that it came! I love it so much. It’s worth every penny! (And in case you didn’t know, she’s Rachel Coker‘s fabulous little sister. They’re both amazing – you should read Rachel’s books and buy Hannah’s skirts!)

Annnnd on FRIDAY (That would be today!! EEP)… I woke up and my dad wished me a happy birthday (mom was in the bathroom, LOL) and then I went to let my cat inside. Set our security alarm off. Whoo-hoo, what a start to my birthday. Splitting my eardrums! I then a cold slice of pizza (it’s good to me and it’s my birthday, don’t judge!) and baked my own cupcakes. Mom was joking “She’s making her OWN birthday cupcakes” but I just added butter, eggs, and water. Plus I was hungry. We ate most of the cake batter before the cupcakes… and I haven’t actually eaten a cupcake today yet – need to do that after this!

So then my mom and I got dressed (got all cuted up of course) and went shopping. (‘Cause what else is a girl supposed to do on her birthday?!) I got some new shirts to go with my skirt, and can’t wait to wear them when we go to the beach tomorrow for the next week!

My dad and sister met us for lunch, and of course there was ice cream! (More dessert, hello.) Then my dad had a gift for me (my other gifts were new makeup I got last week, the clothes to go with my skirt, and the beach trip – which we would have gone to anyway but is also partly in celebration of 14!) And guess what my dad got?? WRITER TO WRITER, by Gail Carson Levine! Remember I mentioned wanting it in a blog post the other day?! Sweet Daddy saw it and ordered it for me. 🙂

Afterwards, my mom and I went to Barnes & Noble. Now I know you’re all going to be astounded about this, but I DID NOT BUY ANY BOOKS. I DID, however, get this adorable notebook for myself!

I figured with all the library books I got, plus the books I owned and hadn’t read, plus Writer to Writer, plus (hopefully) some tomorrow when we eat lunch with dad’s side of the family… I have enough to take! 😉 I’m also 100% likely to buy some in Florida.

Oh, and we SO did not leave B&N without getting Starbucks. Pumpkin spice lattes, always come right around my birthday. Best time of the year.

And that pretty much concludes my day! I got SO many texts and DM’s and happy-birthday wishes on social media, and I feel so blessed and loved today! Thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday and just made my day even brighter. 🙂

I’d also like to end this post with this unreleased song by Taylor Swift. (She was twelve when she wrote it; sometimes artists record it in a studio or get it on recording at home and it gets leaked or released somehow.) This is one of my favorites; she wrote it about 9/11/01 (my birthday) and it makes me cry every time. Today is such an important day in American history and it’s so important to take some time to remember the 3,000 too many lives lost all those years ago.

I love the line where she says, “Down the aisle three men walked and said ‘We’re here to die for our God.’ He stood up and said ‘That’s funny, ’cause my God died for me.'” It’s so beautiful and sad and makes me remember the brave Americans who lost their lives and their loved ones who lost their family and friends.

So thanks for reading this little recap of my day! I hope you don’t mind I sometimes post things non-bookish-related. Hopefully I’ll be able to get a Stacking the Shelves up tomorrow. 🙂

Oh – and just for kicks – I made this comparing last year’s 13-year-old picture in Barnes & Noble to this year’s fourteen-year-old one. 🙂 You can read my birthday post from last year here!

Thanks for reading, as always!

guest posts

books i hope to read & re-read this fall // guest post featuring audrey

September 9, 2015 Emily 11 Comments

Hello, my dears!

I am so glad to back here after such a long period of time! Today, the ever-lovely Emily has asked me to do a guest post concerning my favorite thing ever…

Autumn! 😀

I LOVE Fall! All my favorite things run through September to November. I mean, it is the PERFECT dressing weather because we get scarves and hats, but it is also warm enough to rock short sleeves and stuff if you wanted to. All things pumpkin spice are just fabulous, and let’s not forget the most important thing…

Coffee & hot tea are great during the crisp golden days of Autumn which also means that it’s a perfect time to read!

*sighs at the thought of it all*

I LOVE FALL!

For some reason, I love to re-read books in Fall. Books that I just adore need to be re-read, and Fall is when I like to do it. But my TBR list is much too long to abandon for a whole season, so today I will be sharing with you all the books I plan to read and re-read this spectacular season! (However, November approaches which means National Novel Writing Month is coming up, too. I will be spending a lot of time on that as well.)

books i hope to be reading…

BLUE LIKE FRIDAY by Siobhan Parkinson

I can’t wait to get my hands on this one! It has been on my TBR list FOREVER and I really need to buy it soon before I go crazy! I wanted to buy this book about a year ago when I started writing my own novel. The storyline was very inspiring and had similarities to my novel. I wanted it for a sort of inspiration. Well, now I’ve finished my novel and I still haven’t read this!

SO B. IT by Sarah Weeks

I don’t know where I heard about this one, but the cover is really cool!

HATTIE BIG SKY & HATTIE EVER AFTER by Kirby Larson

This one has also been on my TBR list for some time. I really love the second cover, and the fact that the MC is a reporter, makes me wanna read this even more! I love reporter stories for some strange reason…

THE MOTHER DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB by Heather Vogel Frederick

Every book-blogger on the block has recommended this one to me and I REALLY need to read it! It seems to be favorited by everyone 🙂

STAY WHERE YOU ARE AND THEN LEAVE by John Boyne

I love John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pajamas so I am super excited for this one! Hopefully I won’t cry as much…

A CORNER OF THE UNIVERSE by Ann M. Martin

I LOVE THIS COVER. I found this book through Emily’s blog here at For The Bookish. I have a strange addiction to photos of ferris wheels. The funny thing about it is that I have a fear of heights. But they’re so romantically beautiful!

books i hope to re-read…

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee

Such a classic! Such a story!

THE HEART MENDER by Andy Andrews

Words can’t even describe how much I loved this book! It’s based off a true story, and so… so… so… amazing! Just read it!

WONDER by R.J. Palacio

I WILL name my future son August. End of story.

THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS by John Boyne

Time to pull out the tissues again. At least this time I know what to expect…

—

So the list is pretty long and I don’t know if I’ll be able to take (or afford!) all these books, but I’m going to try! I begin most of my NaNoWriMo prep in October, so I have to read all that I can before then! (Look out for a NaNo Prep post on The Measure of a Book!)

have you read any of these books? what is on your fall reading list?

XOXO,

Audrey

reviews

chivalrous by dina l. sleiman

September 7, 2015 Emily 6 Comments

EDIT: I wrote this review right after reading this book at the end of August (it’s September 5 today.) In several places, I’ve added edits because my feelings about the book have changed (and I’ll explain why where I added my after thoughts) and I’ve changed my rating for 3 to 4 stars. Be sure to look for Chivalrous on shelves in bookstores and online TOMORROW!

Hi, guys! I’ve been so excited to read Chivalrous by Dina L. Sleiman! It’s the sequel to Dauntless, which I got from my mom at Easter. I was sent an ARC of the book from the publisher, and was so, so excited! Unfortunately, I had a lot of cons. The last half of this book or so was awesome. The rest… um… I’m not so sure how I feel about it, honestly. Since I have such mixed feelings about this book, I thought I’d make a pros and cons list and then decide what rating to give it.

Title: Chivalrous

Author: Dina L. Sleiman

Series: Valiant Hearts #2

Publisher: Bethany House

Publication Date: September 8, 2015

Source: Advanced Reader’s Copy via Netgalley

Synopsis: Strong and adventurous Gwendolyn Barnes longs to be a knight like her chivalrous brothers. However, that is not an option for her, not even in the Arthurian-inspired Eden where she dwells. Her parents view her only as a marriage pawn, and her domineering father is determined to see her wed to a brutish man who will break her spirit.

When handsome, good-hearted Allen of Ellsworth arrives in Edendale searching for his place in the world, Gwendolyn spies in him the sort of fellow she could imagine marrying. Yet fate seems determined to keep them apart. Tournaments, intrigue, and battles–along with twists and turns aplenty–await these two as they struggle to find love, identity, and their true destinies.

Pros:
1) I loved (one) of the main messages in the book – that you can be feminine and still be strong and brave. The Main Character, Gwen, struggled with the two different sides of her character. She could be strong and masculine, but she also had a more softer side, and she realized she could be both.

2) Reading from all of the characters’ perspectives made the book ten times better. They all came together so beautifully. I also loved reading from Gwen’s lady’s maid, Rosalind. I feel like she should have her own book for her story! Though there is a con to Rosalind’s part of the book… (EDIT: I’ve removed that con, and I’ll explain why next to it below.)

3) I also liked the clear message that abuse is WRONG. Gwendolyn’s dad is very abusive to her and her mother, and Gwen would not put up with it. I definitely loved cheering her on. I also loved, loved, LOVED the message within that: Gwen ached for her father’s acceptance and love, but because of the way her dad treated women, she wasn’t so sure she believed in a God who allowed girls to be treated as such a commodity. Once she realized the Bible makes it clear men and women are to be equals, she came to know God for who he really was. And even though her earthly father wasn’t there for her, she could always feel the presence of her heavenly father. LOVE.

4) The MC from the first book in this series, Merry, made a FABULOUS appearance in the book. (As did several other familiar characters – this book is about Allen, Merry’s other possible suitor in the first book!) I wasn’t expecting HOW exactly she was going to appear, though, and it totally rocked my boat!

5) The ladies of the book ROCKED ON. Gwen, her mom, her lady’s maid (Rosalind), and the Duchess Adela stuck together. They were all different in their own rights, but all feisty, strong heroines.

My favorite part of the book was the main theme of the book: Girls can be masculine and strong and brave, and not have to be dependent upon men – BUT men and women draw from each others’ strengths and women can also be ladylike and still be as strong and equal as a man.

Cons:
1) There were many sections where Gwen or Allen (or one of the other main characters) would say something along the lines of: He awakened something inside of her, something that made her see how women could like ‘such touches’ or Allen’s face heated up at the thought of how children came about.

Erm… no thanks. I did not see how that was necessary to the book, and seeing how I’m only fourteen? … I don’t know. I just don’t think that should be promoted towards teens. (This book is, after all, “teen” or “young adult” Christian fiction.) I realize that the main character is sixteen, and she was preparing for marriage (it is in the middle ages, when people married a lot younger than they do now), but I still don’t understand why that had to be there.

(EDIT: After reading my review, Miss Sleiman was kind enough to email me to clear this up. She said:

“As for the light mentions of intimacy in marriage, Bethany actually asked me to aim these books toward older teens through adults, but I do try to keep in mind that even pre-teens might read them. I’m the mother of teens, and it’s my opinion that it’s healthy for teens to learn about those sorts of feelings that will be coming in their near futures from a Christian perspective. I have a heart to teach girls that those feelings themselves are not wrong or sinful as long as they make good choices despite the feelings. I think some girls wrongly take on guilt over those sorts of feelings, which could be damaging once they’re married. But my apologies if it was a bit much for you!”

I was so grateful that she took the time to explain this. However, my initial first reaction to this part of the book still stands, even though I understand why this was added to Chivalrous.)

There was also a part where a man was going to force a girl (who had a high social status and therefore more money than he) into marriage, so of course the issue of marital acts came about again. For me, this progressed the story and made sense to the plot line, and I understood why it had to be apart of the book. So it didn’t bother me as much. Just be prepared for this if you plan on reading the book.

2) The romance seemed to be too fast-paced for me (at first.) Gwen is a tough, non-romantic girl and then she just LOOKS at Allen and falls head-over-heels? I found that hard to believe. After that, it was fine, but the way she just switched at first, I was like “What?!”

3) The first half of the book was so. slow. It took me a week to finish the first half. I mean, I feel like RIGHT after I hit the 50% mark on my Kindle it started picking up. And then I finished the rest in a day and a half! I really wanted to put the book down for a good bit there.

4) As I said in the second pro, there is a con to Rosalind’s part of the book. I hated the way it ended! Is she going to have the third book?? I certainly hope so! I felt like there was so many loose threads there… I really really REALLY hope she gets her own book because I loved Rosalind!! (EDIT: So Rosalind WILL, in fact, have her own book. For those of you who have read this book and are reading this review, to clarify: I didn’t have a problem with the content of Rosalind’s situation. I loved it. I didn’t like the loose threads that were left as Chivalrous ended. But now that I know that Rosalind will have her own book to finish up that open ending, this con doesn’t really count anymore; so I’ve changed my rating to 4 stars instead of 3, since this was a major con and now it’s no longer a con.)

To give you all a heads up: there was a lot deeper content than in Dauntless.

Just to name a few as a heads-up: #1 – look at the first con in my list. It wasn’t so much the sexual content, since NOTHING was detailed at all, aside from one kiss scene, but it was just the subtle mentions, without actually saying “sex.” Personally, I did not like that part of the book. #2 – some very abusive men. I could handle it because the female characters are AWESOME (GO GIRLS!) but it was pretty heavy. #3 – there is an unwanted pregnancy, and the girl ended up “taking care of it.” #4 – Gwen’s mother is said to be an alcoholic, though it doesn’t go much further than mentioning her mom “clutching a glass of wine” or “slurring her words.”

Soooo… I’m still not exactly sure what to rate this book, since I had 5 pros and 4 cons. I think I’m going to go with three stars. I really, really want to give it four because the second half was AMAZING, but those cons really take away a star. 🙁 (EDIT: My original rating was 3 stars, but because of the con with Rosalind being cleared up, I decided to add a star to the rating.)

4 stars!

emily emily emily emily

anyway, if you decide to read this book, I can’t wait to hear your thoughts! i look forward to other books in the series. 🙂 don’t forget – chivalrous hits shelves tomorrow – september 8th!