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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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December 30, 2017 , Sat | Hauls | 0 or add you thoughts!

Ahhhh to be a bibliophile at Christmas! My friends and family did SO WELL this year. Seriously, not only did they get me a lot of the things I had mentioned wanting, but they surprised me with things I’ve never heard of that are perfect. I’m only including the bookish gifts here, but everything was so thoughtful. I think the greatest gift was how known my loved ones made me feel by giving such perfect gifts. Feeling understood has always been something I struggle with, so these sorts of gestures mean everything to me.

My mom and dad got me two of the books that were highest on my list—the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Harry Potter: A History of Magic. The second of these is the companion to British Library’s exhibition, and even though there is a beautiful paperback version here in the United States, I just really wanted the UK hardcover. Being giant hardcovers, these are both quite pricey. They’re also books that I know I’ll cherish forever. Not that I don’t feel that way about most all of my books, but you know what I mean. Gorgeously illustrated, Harry Potter-related books equal lifelong treasure! So, I’m obviously quite thrilled to have been given them, which of course makes them even more special. read more

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November 30, 2017 , Thu | Wrap-Ups | 0 or add you thoughts!

Hello, friends! It’s the final day of November, which means wrap-up time! I read quite a bit, despite being busy, and really enjoyed everything! So yay!!

“Species that rebel against seasonal norms are loved for their courage. The mistle thrush that can be heard to sing when all other birds have turned shy, even during winter gales, earns our respect, and his nickname, ‘tormcock,’ comes alive on the wind. The red berries and dark-green leaves of holly have found their way onto Christmas cards and earned a little fondness, despite their prickles, because they refuse to let their colors be bowed by a decrease in daylight or a blanket of snow. Gorse will flower at any time of year, and our love of this resilience can be found in the old saying, ‘Gorse is out of bloom when kissing’s out of fashion.'”

If you are interested in learning more about the way we perceive nature, and how we can improve, and benefit from improving, our observational skills, this is a book for you! I picked this up mostly just because I thought the audiobook would be nice to listen to on walks with my dog. I ended up loving it and getting so much out of it. Gooley even walks the reader through observational exercises to explain the way we see certain things and how we might see them in more detail. It was so enjoyable! read more

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