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WRAP-UP | March 2018

March 31, 2018 , Sat | Wrap-Ups | 0 or add you thoughts!

Can you believe it’s going to be April tomorrow?! I really can’t! I don’t often feel that time passes very quickly, but this month does seem like it flew by in some respects. It was an overall good month for me, including in regard to reading! I didn’t read as much as I sometimes do in a month, but that’s because I read The Hobbit and The Cruel Prince, two books I really took my time with and LOVED. So of course I’m happy to read any amount when it has been reading I’ve so greatly enjoyed. I was also very busy with work this month, as we are on deadline and I was simultaneously working on an extra project, so really this was a fantastic reading month, all things considered!

“‘First of all, Harry, I want to thank you,’ said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling again. ‘You must have shown me real loyalty down in the Chamber. Nothing but that could have called Fawkes to you.'”

I finally finished my reread of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets! I read this one quite slowly, just a few chapters a day, but I enjoyed that! I’ve read this many times before, but this was my first experience with the illustrated edition. I loved it so much! It’s incredible how I can still discover something new in these stories. Ahhhhh Harry Potter … read more

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WRAP-UP | December 2017

December 31, 2017 , Sun | Wrap-Ups | 0 or add you thoughts!

I had such a blast reading Christmas-y books this month! I also got to a few other great things too. Overall, it was a wonderful reading month to close out the year!

“Finally, thank you to the starlings of the West Pier, the adders of the Minsmere, the foxes of Kensal Rise, the painted ladies of Belle Vue, the pelicans of Lancelin, the hedgehogs of the top Dene, the dolphins of Curio Bay, the lizards of the Perenthian Islands, the saltys of Kakadu, the camels of the outback, the hares of Old Charlie’s, the humpback whales of Hervey Bay, the sparrows of Queen Street, the jellyfish of Seaton Carew, the bullfinches on our feeder, the emus of Coral Bay, the ravens of the Mynd, the jays of Hove, the lapwings of the A49, and the goldfinches of home.”

I enjoyed this so very much! Split into three sections—land, air, and water—this lovely novelty book explores some of the more unusual collective nouns of the animal kingdom. Sewell does a wonderful job of exploring the history behind each of them, and his dedication at the end was breathtaking. That’s the quote I’ve included. read more

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WRAP-UP | September 2017

September 30, 2017 , Sat | Wrap-Ups | 0 or add you thoughts!

September has been a dream for this bibliophile! I went to a local book festival and several exciting author events, and I got to visit the most adorable independent bookshop near me for the first time. This was also the month of exciting new releases! But most importantly, I read some wonderful stories. I’m fairly selective with what I call an all-time favorite, and I am designating two of my reads from this month as such, so that should tell you how good September was to me!

“I was not happy as a child, although from time to time I was content. I lived in books more than I lived anywhere else.”

This was such an incredible little novel. It is one of the two aforementioned new favorites, and I am already itching to reread it! Before this, I had only read Norse Mythology and a few chapters of American Gods. Now, I’m realizing what a mistake it has been that I haven’t previously made Neil Gaiman’s work more of a priority! This book delighted and surprised me in so many ways throughout. Absolutely charming! read more

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WRAP-UP | August 2017

August 31, 2017 , Thu | Wrap-Ups | 0 or add you thoughts!

Today is the last day of August! I don’t normally feel like time slips away from me, but goodness that went by quickly! Anyway, that means it’s time for another reading wrap-up! Here you’ll find a list of the books I read this month, in order, with a favorite quote from and some quick thoughts on each.

“She wrinkled her nose, less out of actual distaste and more out of the knowledge that she was supposed to find spiders distasteful. She really found them rather endearing. They were sleek and clean and elegant, and when their webs got messed up, they ripped them down and started over again. People could learn a lot from spiders.”

This was a fantastic sequel! Personally, I liked it even better than the first book, which is saying something, because I so enjoyed Every Heart a Doorway. This was a little darker, but in a different way, if that makes sense? A bit creepier, but less gory than the first. It also presents a new world, so that could certainly be a part of what made it exciting. The second book in a trilogy often falls a little flat for me, so even without reading the last book in this one (which releases in January), I can already tell you I’m very impressed with the series as a whole! read more

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