Category Archives: miscellaneous ‘bookish’ things

blog segments, books, miscellaneous 'bookish' things

sisterhood of the world bloggers award!

November 3, 2014 Emily 2 Comments

Hey everyone! I love doing blogging awards, and recently Samantha from Bookish Serendipity nominated me for the sisterhood of the world bloggers award. I’ve never been nominated for this particular award (I couldn’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve been nominated for the Liebster award), so I was eager to participate in this one! =)

So first of all, a HUGE thank you to Samantha for nominating me for the award! I LOVE her blog, so be sure to go and check her out here!

Thank the blogger who nominated you, linking back to their site.
Put the award logo on your blog.
Answer the ten questions they’ve sent you.
Make up ten new questions for ‘your’ nominees to answer.
Nominate ten people.

The rules are pretty simple, but I like doing these sorts of things because it’s kind of a “get to know you” post, and you can find other bloggers to follow, as well! Here are Samantha’s ten questions for me… they were great ones, too! =)

What is your favourite fandom? Favorite fandom… hmm. Well, I can’t say I really get into “fandoms,” and I’ve never really cared for fandoms when it comes to books. (If you don’t know what a fandom is, by the way, it’s what fans of TV shows, books, etc., refer to themselves – think “kingdom” only “fandom”) But if I had to choose any, I guess I’d say the Mother/Daughter Book Club series by Heather Vogel Frederick. I’ve never grown out of those. (At least, not in the past three years. =))

If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would you choose? Paraphrasing from one of my favorite role models, Bethany Hamilton, “I wouldn’t change what happened to me in the past because I wouldn’t be where I am today.” There were several key parts in the past where I acted very selfishly, so I’d probably be like “Hey, girl, snap out of it!” =) But hey, I’m only 13! There’s definitely not much I’d change or that I really, truly regret because I’m still a kid and I’m still learning and growing.

Favourite book quote? OMG! You’re not making me choose one, are you? Surely not. If I had to choose, though…

When life robs you, sometimes you have to rob it back. – The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

What is the story behind your blog name? My dream is to open a small bookstore in a quaint downtown shopping area and publish historical/realistic fiction for all ages. (I know, very specific! I’ve even got my college majors picked out! More on that later :P) Anyway, think “You’ve Got Mail,” with the “Shop Around the Corner.” I was coming up with bookstore names. Some of them weren’t very good, and some of them I fell in love with. I just sat there, imagining how I’d decorate my bookstore and where it would be and what kind of authors would be privileged to do a book signing in my bookstore… my favorite name was “For the Bookish.” It was so perfect. Thus, my book blog name.

Top 3 favourite songs? Oh, gosh, there are so many. Lately, I’ve been loving “The Broken Beautiful” by Ellie Holcomb (beautiful song. beautiful music!!), “Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift (who hasn’t heard it? I mean really. I hear it all the time in stores and radios and such. =)), and “The Middle of Starting Over” by Sabrina Carpenter. (I love the style of her music! I’m looking forward to seeing more from her!)

What has been your favourite blog post to write? Ooh, tough one! (These are fant-abulous questions, Samantha!) I really love my very first post, in April, and then a recent post I did just a few days ago, “Confession: I am a Notebook Hoarder.” That was a blast, and fun going through all of my journals and such. 😀

If you could live in any time period, what would you choose? WWII! The Revolutionary War! The Renaissance! The 50’s! Ohhh my gosh, there are so many. I’m such a historian, too. History is probably my favorite subject in school, maybe even before English. I’d probably choose to visit the 40’s, because I’m so fascinated with WWII. Or Bible times, when Jesus was here. Yeah, definitely the latter. =)

Favourite Halloween candy? REESE’S. It’s chocolate and peanut butter. Is this a trick question?

Who is your role model? (in life, blogging, etc) I’m switching this to “Who are your role models,” if that’s okay. =) There’s no question here; my mom and dad. They work so hard to take care of my sister and I, and make so many sacrifices for us. I don’t know where I would be without them. (Actually, I do – NOWHERE! Ha. Ha.) <3

If you could go anywhere on holiday, where would you go? Bath, England. It’s where Jane Austen grew up and ever since I read Pies & Prejudice by Heather Vogel Frederick, I’ve been obsessed. My second choice would be NYC – I’ve never been, and I’d love to visit around the holidays – especially to see the 9/11 memorial.

Whew! Those were AWESOME questions. They’re gonna be hard to beat! =) Here are the questions for my nominees…

What inspired you to start a blog?
What blogger(s) do you admire?
Hobbies (besides blogging/reading/writing)? =)
Any pets? (If none, favorite animal!)
What sort of music do you listen to?
Top three favorite authors.
Describe your dream vacation!
If you were stuck on a deserted island with one person, who would you want it to be?
What is your favorite season and why?
What is the most comforting thing to you? (Family, baby blanket, scent, photograph, pet, etc.)

Now, for my nominees! I couldn’t find ten, so I only picked three =)

I nominate Ana @ Butterflies of the Imagination, Rose @ Searching the Clouds, and Sunny @ A Splash of Ink.

I hope all three nominees can participate! Now, I nominate you: answer any ten of the questions in the comments below!

books, miscellaneous 'bookish' things

reading classics. they make you sound smarter.

October 27, 2014 Emily 5 Comments

“‘Classic.’ A book which people praise, but don’t read.” – Mark Twain

I love reading classics. While most girls in my sixth-grade classes last year toted around huge volumes of Twilight or Pride & Prejudice & Zombies (*shudders*), I toted around my beautiful hard-back copy of Pride & Prejudice, which I read for the umpteenth time sometime in the spring. (Not Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, Vampires, or Werewolves, thank you very much.)

Some of my other dearest friends include Anne of Green Gables (many thanks to my aunt Corrie for buying me the annotated version when I was eight), Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (my Grandma got me that one!), Little Women (my Mimi introduced me to that little gem), and Great Expectations (one of my mom’s favorites.)

Now, I’m going to be completely, 100% honest here. I like saying I read classics because it makes me sound smart.

What? Whoever said quoting my favorite Emily Dickinson poem to my English teacher can’t earn you some brownie points?

I’m book-smart. Hence being book-ish. Not smart-ish. Ask my mom, okay? I’m a brunette, but look close and I’ve got some blonde roots! 😀

I’ve read more books than I even know where to begin to count. I wish I had less books taking up space in my room, but I just don’t have the heart to give them up. The thing is, though, I still haven’t met my reading goals yet.

I’ve been slacking off reading, and I’ve been reading the same book for a week. (Whhaaat? EMILY.) SO I’ve decided that in the next year, my goal is to read one-hundred classics.

Here is the list of classics I aim to read in the next year. I’m starting with The Secret Garden, since that’s the one I’ve got to read for school right now. Some of them I’m already read (Pride & Prejudice, Wind in the Willows…) but I’m going to read again. I chose this list because the majority of them I haven’t read, and they’ve been on my TBR for quite a while now.

Do you read any classics? Which ones would you like to read?

books, miscellaneous 'bookish' things, my writings

nanowrimo: my third year

October 25, 2014 Emily 8 Comments

November 1st begins one of my favorite months of the years. Not only is it officially the start of the holidays for me (Thanksgiving, anyone? My favorite holiday. All the food! YES, PLEASE. Oh, and let’s not forget Christmas! Then there’s Valentine’s day, and… President’s day… Anyway.) It’s also NANOWRIMO! NaNoWriMo, short for National Novel Writing Month, happens every November. Thousands of writers all over the world set out to write a 50k novel in 30 days.

I’ve decided that this year, I’m really going to commit. I had originally wanted my word-count goal to be 50,000 words, but since I’ll be out of town for ten days (don’t get me wrong, I am NOT complaining! I’ve been waiting to go on this cruise since January!), I lowered it to 30,000 – which means if I don’t write while I’m out of town and write every other day I’m at home, I’d only have to write about 1,578 words a day – which is like a chapter for me, since my chapters typically range from 1500-2000 words.

I first heard about NaNoWriMo through Heather Vogel Frederick (one of my all-time favorite authors!) three years ago through her blog. I took a composition notebook and filled it with plans for my novel – a sci fi novel about a girl who found out she was born on Jupiter. (I mean, really, what was I thinking?! I’ve never even read sci-fi, much less write it!) I’m pretty sure I read a blog post encouraging writers to step out of their comfort zone and write something different. Needless to say, I finished it in that composition notebook and I’ve no idea what happened to it.

Last year I didn’t even reach my goal, but this time around…

Yes, I have a plan. And this year I’m going to complete my word-count goal.

I’ve even been reading some blogs with some awesome NaNo/Writing tips… Tessa at Christ is Write wrote 10 tips to prepare for NaNoWriMo, Cait at The Notebook Sister shares her sneaky secrets to writing 10,000 words in one day, and Shannon, Jill, and Stephanie are always sharing some awesome tips at Go Teen Writers – but this week they’ve been talking about where to begin when writing a novel. (I dare you to go check out Go Teen Writers! It’s a gold mine for writing tips, I promise!) And, of course, the Young Writer’s Program for NaNoWriMo is always posting loads of writing prep on the blog.

Are any of you guys participating in NaNoWriMo this coming month? Let me know in the comments below!

books, miscellaneous 'bookish' things

confession: i’m a notebook hoarder

October 20, 2014 Emily 12 Comments

It all began when I was seven years old. I wrote a 20-page “novel,” front and back on loose-leaf wide-ruled notebook paper and decided it was too much to simply paper clip them all together and carry around on a clipboard. SO. I became obsessed with binders. They were, to put it simply, the love of my life.

Then my binders failed me. They broke! They wouldn’t bind everything together right! What’s the point of a binder that doesn’t bind things?! You tell me. I began using notebooks at the mere age of… oh, me, it was so long ago… ah, probably eight or nine. I’d ask my mom or dad if they had any empty notebooks (spiral or composition, wide-ruled or college-ruled. Pffft. I didn’t care back then. And by the way, I really prefer paper composition college-ruled notebooks. Just for reference.)

Then I’d fill it with all sorts of stories and such! (Come on, now. What else is a notebook for?! If you say ‘school,’ I’m going to throw one of my notebooks at you. I hate wasting notebooks on all that school hullabaloo.

emily — BEHOLD, about 1/4 of the collection.

Left: In case you can’t read that, it’s entitled “The Life of a 10-year-old Spy.” Written and completed in 2012 by 10-years-and-ten-months-old me.

Right: “Sat, May 15th, 2010
One more week of school! Hal-a-loo-ya! Jackson and Aiden [cousins] left. Anna [sister] is taking a nap. Me and mommy are about to go to the mall. Yay! Well, that’s pretty much it! Catch’a later, journal!”

I even filled my notebooks with Swiftie (capital S, thank you) propaganda, back in the fifth grade when I had a *slight* obsession with Taylor Swift. I blush looking at this now… “Yes, I am a Swiftie,” the picture says. “Are you?”

Even now I fill my notebooks with stories and such… here’s a story I wrote when I was bored last week:

and you shall never read it!… at least, not until two years from now when I shamelessly poke fun at it, too.

I also have a writer’s notebook where I jot down things that inspire me… I keep it handy at all times. The one I’m using now was given to me from my dad a month ago, and it’s got a Jane Austen quote on the front! My kinda notebook, let me just tell you.

I’ve got a prayer journal, a diary, a “short story” journal, a writer’s notebook… and I plan to keep all of them. Words are forever, after all. You can’t depend on blogs to keep your stories and records. I want my kids and grand kids to be able to flip through my journals, to touch my words, to see my handwriting… to be able to touch and feel my words I wrote as a kid – be it “Mommy’s taking me to the mall” or something more personal. Those tangible moments you can keep forever on paper, but not on FaceBook or Instagram or Twitter.

Do you have any notebooks? What do you write in them? Let me know in the comment section below!

miscellaneous 'bookish' things

ISFJ

September 29, 2014 Emily 2 Comments

Hey guys! So the other day, one of my favorite bloggers, Cait at the Notebook Sisters, blogged about her Meyer-Briggs personality type and fictional characters who have the same type as herself. Not too long ago, my family all took the personality quiz and it’s almost scary how accurate it is! I always find it interesting – and, hey, what can I say? I’m human. I like learning about/talking about/other people talking about myself. I also like finding kindred spirits like myself in people: fictional people, especially.

So I thought it would be interesting to look up fictional characters who have the same personality as me, just like Cait did – and boy, did I relate! (To some of them…!) I’m an ISFJ, and evidently, so are these fictional characters.

ISFJs are loyal, orderly and sensitive. They can be very shy around people they don’t know, but are the sort of person who will always remember your birthday, and are never accidentally offensive.

#1: Marlin from Finding Nemo.
Whaaaat? Pffft. No way. um, actually, yes way. I can totally see myself being a Marlin. And I even have my Dory and Nemo. (Not naming anyone, but… Sydney. Anna. Olivia.) They keep me on my toes, okay??

#2: Elinor Dashwood from Sense & Sensibility.
Yep, yep. Mmmm-hmm. I have sense, thank you very much – just like Elinor. Plus, I take good care of my lil’ sis, if I do say so myself… when I’m not teasing her.

Don’t deny it, El! We all tease our siblings at some point.

#3: Meg March from Little Women.
Another older sister! OLDER SISTERS UNITE! While I rather sometimes wish I were as daring as next-to-oldest sister, Jo from Little Women, I can definitely relate with Meg. She’s caring and devoted to her family, and, hey, she has smarts and patience – enough to teach the snobby King children all for the sake of her family.

#4: Cinderella from Disney’s Version.
Hmm… I can’t say I anticipated this one. Tell me, why would I put up with those awful stepsisters and that dreadful stepmother, waiting for my prince?! I’d have moved out and made enough bang-bang to own my own bookstore – I’d be so rich princes would come after me. No way. Nuh-uh.

#5: Slinky Dog from Toy Story.
Ahhh, Slinky Dog. I like him alright. He’s loyal to Woody, likes to play checkers (and if you notice, in the Toy Story movies, he picks the red checkers! JUST LIKE ME!), and sometimes, he needs to be stretched. HA! Hahaha. See what I did there?

#6: Winnie the Pooh from… Winnie the Pooh!
Deep in the hundred acre woods… where Christopher Robin plays… I really love Winnie the Pooh. I didn’t expect Pooh to be on the list, either, but not in a bad way. I’m proud to be a Winnie the Emily! He’s kind and friendly to everyone he meets, and he’s always optimistic. He also looovveeess his honey, and I loooovveee my chocolate.

Those are the characters I recognized in most of the lists I found via Google! (Disney cartoon characters and characters from some of my favorite classic novels were the only ones I really recognized! See a pattern, anyone?) To take the quiz yourself, go here. What personality type are you?

miscellaneous 'bookish' things

frozen hearts by topaz winters // cover reveal!

September 25, 2014 Emily 6 Comments

Hey guys! SUPER exciting post today.

‘Cause guess what?! Future author Topaz Winters asked me to participate in the cover reveal for her upcoming novel, Frozen Hearts. I’ve known Topaz for a while via the internet; I first met her on a Taylor Swift fan forum. (Strange world, right?! so of course I had to include a Taylor Swift GIF! What am I talking about, I include TS GIF’s in all of my posts.) She began posting the chapters in Frozen Hearts one by one on the fan forum before she had plans to publish it, so – lucky me! – I got to read the first thirteen chapters before she decided to self-publish!

I remember it fairly well, and can I just say – it was stinkin’ awesome. SO I was super-duper excited when Topaz emailed me and asked me to participate in the cover reveal for the up-and-coming novel available on amazon.com in 2014, Frozen Hearts. Check out this incredible synopsis:

“Rose, don’t try to tell me what’s real or not real. I live and breathe impossibilities.”

Rosalyn Lawrence is not the type of girl who strays from the norm. She’s not the type of girl who goes on whirlwind adventures or travels across the world and beyond or fights fire-breathing dragons to the death. After all, fairytales exist only in books, and Rosalyn is happy to keep it that way.

But when her beloved little brother Benjamin disappears, Rosalyn’s entire world comes crashing down. Then a boy with a wand climbs through her window and she learns that the grieving queen of a shockingly desolate enchanted land has abducted Benjamin. If she chooses to be sucked into the magic of this land, its power – and the power of an enemy she isn’t quite sure even exists – could destroy her.

A world of frozen fantasy is waiting for Rosalyn – and if she will succeed in bringing Benjamin home, she must learn how to trust herself, use her wits, and perhaps discover an inner magic she never knew she had.

I was even more captivated by the excerpt – Click here to read it! Isn’t it awesome?! I need the book NOOOWW. Now, I tell you, now!

One aspect I absolutely love, however, is that Topaz is only 14.

Yes, you read that right. Fourteen. I think that’s pretty amazing, don’t you?

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]http://forthebookish.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/emily-150×150.png[/author_image] [author_info]TOPAZ WINTERS is a songbird, word hoarder, and cheesecake connoisseur. Sometimes she composes music. Other times she writes books. If she knows you, she’s probably written about you. Topaz’s debut novel, Frozen Hearts, drops this year, and her first album in 2015. She enjoys strong coffee, ugly cats, and the taste of words. Topaz rambles about writing, music, and the meaning of life over at her website. [/author_info] [/author]

And now…

The most exciting thing about this post…

The cover!

It’s gorgeous, is it not?!

Be sure to head on over to Topaz’s website for more info on Frozen Hearts!

So long for now, lovelies!

miscellaneous 'bookish' things

when do you find time to read?

September 22, 2014 Emily 2 Comments

I read in my bedroom. At night. In the morning. In the afternoon. In that in between time everyone forgets about. I read at the grocery store, my hand on the shopping cart while my mom shops. I read in the car (to the point I’m so nauseous it can’t even be described in words). I read at dinner. I read at parties. I read at my friends’ houses under the covers when they’re sleeping. Basically: I read whenever I have a book nearby.

Unfortunately, lately I’ve been very lazy about reading books. I’m home-schooled for crying out loud, I should have so much time on my hands I don’t even know what to do with it all. But with my free time lately I’ve been watching YouTube videos, watching TV, eating the huge container of animal crackers I got for my birthday (seriously! I’m addicted), practicing my flute (OKAY, I digress. I’ve been pretending like I’m the perfect-most-intelligent-flute-player-who-literally-practices-in-their-sleep-flutist when, in reality, I didn’t even practice today. Or Saturday. And totally winged my testing on Friday and still passed. In my sister’s words, ‘Woot woot!’)

I know. HOW CAN I CALL MYSELF BOOKISH? I’m so vain, I put FOOD before books!

In all reality though, food always comes before books. Always.

Typically, I do read at nighttime before I go to sleep, and when I’m not talking one of my parent’s ears off in the car or elsewhere, I try to read, be it leisurely reading or school books (which do not count, in this case!) When I’m oh-so-very addicted to a book (such as The Selection by Keira Cass (!!!)), I read it allll. day. long. I’ll take it to dinner with me or in the car or (oh heavens, forgive me), church! Some books don’t get near as much of time (take the book I’m reading now, for instance – Destiny Rewritten by Katherine Fitzmaurice), and thus it takes me a long time to read – even though they’re super short books!

What about you? When do you find time to read?

miscellaneous 'bookish' things

happy birthday to me! // updates & more

September 12, 2014 Emily 8 Comments

Well, it’s official: no longer is a child writing this blog. ‘Cause guess what?! I’M A TEENAGER!

Yesterday was my thirteenth birthday (and the thirteenth anniversary of 9/11) and all day long I kept thinking, “OMG I’M A TEENAGER NOW!” I’ve always felt older than I actually am (don’t think of me as the kind of kid who purposefully tries to act like they’re older than they are), but I’m officially a teenager now. You’re only a teen for seven years, after all, and I’ll only be a “kid” for six more, so I’m determined to make the best of it, that’s why I asked for a great party Soft Play Design and Installation included so I can play with all my friends.

Lucky for me *sarcasm, ha!* my birthday landed on a Thursday this year, which is the day out of the week my mom, my sister, and I head to our home-school “co-op” from 9 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon – which I should not be complaining about, because just in May I was in public school from 9 in the morning to 4, sometimes 5:30 at night! Look at me, already spoiled by the very relaxing home-school schedule! 😉

So yesterday I brought cupcakes to my fellow home-schoolers and then last night my family and I headed to the heaven that is the restaurant Longhorn (my favorite restaurant!), and then to (guess!) Barnes & Noble.

I got a book I’ve been meaning to read for ages – you may have heard of it? 😉 – Code Name Verity. It’s a historical fiction that I’ve heard SO many awesome things about (including one from a good friend of mine), and JUST READ THE BLURB:

Oct. 11th, 1943-A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. Arrested by the Gestapo, “Verity” is given a choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution. They’ll get the truth out of her. Only, it won’t be what they expect.

How AWESOME does that sound?! I haven’t even begun it yet, but I’m uber-excited to.

I’m going to sign off here, so I can go stress-fully try to organize my book shelf, because it’s been bugging me. (THERE SIMPLY ISN’T ENOUGH ROOM!). Logging on to Spotify now so I can crack up the music and turn my room upside down with all the darn BOOKS I OWN! I KID, okay?! Really! ;P

miscellaneous 'bookish' things

best fictional father/daughter duos

September 8, 2014 Emily 7 Comments

Saturday night, my dad and I attended our fourth annual father/daughter ball, and it was a blast. Dinner, a great speaker, dessert (the best part of the night! … I kid, I kid!), dancing, and games (we won one ‘How well do you know your father/daughter’ game and a raffle prize!). I had a great time. As I was spending an amazing night with my amazing dad, I started thinking about my favorite fictional father/daughter duos and decided to share them with you all!

Jane Austen’s Mr. Bennet is by far my favorite fictional father. He’s so understanding and patient (he has to be to be married to Mrs. Bennet!) and his relationships with his daughters are unique. I love Donald Sutherland in the 2005 P&P movie.

Robert Quimby – otherwise known as Beezus, Ramona, and Roberta’s pretty awesome dad. (Is it just me or does Mr. Quimby’s facial expression look like Mr. Bennet’s in the pictures I chose?) Robert Quimby has a great sense of humor and despite having lost his job, he stays positive for his girls. I love that about him.

Best thing about P.L. Travers’ Mr. Banks from Mary Poppins? He’s really not fictional. If you’ve never read the book ‘Mary Poppins,’ GO GET IT. The movie does not do it justice, though I do love Julie Andrews. Then watch the best movie ever made, Saving Mr. Banks and WATCH IT. I was bawling like a baby at the end, by oh goodness, it was incredible.

The Long Way Home, the second book in the Family Tree series by Ann M. Martin, is my favorite of the three-book series (soon to be a fourth!) because I love Dana’s father, Zander. Though he makes mistakes, he loves his girls and his family and Dana clearly adores him. Zander Barnes reminded me bit of Mr. Banks, and there’s tear stains on my copy of this book, too.

These four fathers each remind me a bit of my own dad, and I cried with them and laughed with them and loved them! I really recommend you to go read all of the books they’re in; the books are fabulous, and I promise you’ll fall in love with the dads just as much as I did!

Who are your favorite fictional fathers? Why do you like them?

miscellaneous 'bookish' things

book shelf tour! // part one

August 10, 2014 Emily 3 Comments

Hello all! So today, I’ve decided to share my bookshelves with you! I thought this would be a good way for you to have a peek into my life, plus see all the books I’ve collected over the years! (By the way, these aren’t even all of my books. My sister has some of mine on her bookshelves so I can save some room!)

Okay, so first thing’s first – here’s an overview of my big bookshelf.

Technically, the proper term for this is an expedite, but whatever. I like it ’cause you an turn it on its side if you want, or hold important items in baskets on the shelves. (Like underwear, if need be, because your closet is tiny. Seriously.)

On the top shelf to the right of the basket is pretty much my favorites shelf, although some of these (Love on a Dime and Once Upon a Prince, specifically), I haven’t read in ages, so they really ought to be moved. Or, even if it’s not a favorite, but it’s a book I’ve read very recently, it goes on the shelf. (Aka Sarah’s Key and Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares), and then it sits there forever until it’s been months since I’ve read it and the book goes to a thrift store to make room for more (what else?!)… BOOKS. Besides the four mentioned, the rest are my FAVES! Go read them. NOOOWWWW.

Now, right below my favorites shelf is all of my classics! I like to keep all of them from the same publishing company (Barnes & Noble Classics) because… well, they just look so pretty like that. I also keep some folders with certificates and awards from school and my best writings, either all typed up and printed or in my best 1st-grade handwriting and tied with string. Aside from my B&N classics I have a copy of Swiss Family Robinson my Pop-Pop (grandfather) gave me and a very loved copy of The Hiding Place my dad lent to me. Unfortunately, I’ve yet to read it, but at some point or another it was my great-aunt Diane’s.

To the left of that shelf is my American Girl collection! Clearly, I love American Girl. Besides, they were what first got me into historical fiction and I love them. I have the entire Felicity series (one of them is a has-been library book my Grandma bought), the entire Addy series (except for #1, which I never had. They were also has-been library books from Grandma, so apparently they didn’t have the first book.) Then the Caroline series (all except for two, which a friend is currently borrowing), the Marie Grace and Cecile books, the two Chrissa books, another girl of the year book (Nikki), and my mystery ones. I also have four Molly books – two of which are both the same book. SO, obviously, I have a ton. And a very… varied collection. Phew. That was long.

Directly beneath my American Girl books is… well, this is just your average shelf. I have three more American Girl books (oh, and did I mention my sister has some more AG books in her room?!) and some old friends… see Ella Enchanted there? That spine has seen much better days. So has Penny from Heaven… and there’s my precious Lions of Little Rock down there… I made a vow to keep that one in good shape – but that’s definitely not to say I didn’t love it. I also have some Wendy Mass books, Liz Kessler books (which I really dislike these days), Countdown (which was awesome!), This Means War (never… read…) and a Babysitters Club chain letter book, which is really kinda cool.

Right of that shelf is… this shelf. (I don’t have a name for this one, either.) Starting from the left are my “In Grandma’s Attic” books (which I love! Thanks, Grandma!) and my Ramona Quimby books. These have seen better days, too. After that are my Baby Sitters Club books and The Main Street series (The Main Street series – OMG! I can not even begin to tell you how many times I’ve read them! They’re… they’re… OMG!!!!), both by Ann M. Martin. I have loads more Baby Sitters Club books on my Kindle, plus a couple Main Street books. Who knows how many Ann M. Martin books I’ve gotten from the library?! Thank you, Ann M. Martin, for my childhood.

Now, directly below that last shelf issss….

This shelf. Mostly I keep some composition notebooks and spiral bounds, along with a binder and some English textbooks from last year. Oh, and to the side of the binder is a Writer’s Digest magazine and my flute book. I also have a Mother/Daughter Book Club book (another spine that has been loved!), Kira-Kira (whatever you do, DO NOT read that book. It is the worst tear jerker in the history of tear-jerkers.) Next to two Confectionately Yours books (which are taking up space on my bookshelf.)

And finally, the last bottom shelf to the left is this one.

From the left I have a bible, Holly’s Heart books by Beverly Lewis, Mandie books, Trailblazers by Dave and Neta Jackson, The Story (which is the bible written in novel-like form… it’s kind of hard to explain, haha), and a signed copy of Dead Fred, Flying Lunchboxes, & the Good Luck Circle by Frank McKinney.

Weelll that’s it for this bookshelf tour! Part two will be short, since I’ll just be showing you by small bookshelf, but I hope you enjoyed touring the big bookshelf! 😀

What do your bookshelves look like? Lotsa books? A couple books? Messy? Neat? Do tell!