Book Beginnings on Fridays/Friday 56: The Wedding, and Book Blogger Hop

  

    Hi! Welcome to my triple-combo book blog meme post, the last in this week's Stepping Stones Book Reviews' Week of Book Memes. (To view all of the Week of Book Memes events I've done in the past, click HERE.) Earlier this week, I participated in my third #IMWAYR and a very special TTT list, taking a little break from Waiting on Wednesdays this time around. If you've already looked at any of these posts, thank you so much for reading and commenting! 

    This month, my Book Beginnings on Fridays/Friday 56 is going to feature an awesome, well-written book by Olivia "Livy" Jarmusch! If you've hung around my blog for the past few months, you know that I've been raving about this author and her books nonstop, both reviewing the first book in her Tales of Tarsurella series, and posting a special interview with her, as well as mentioning another one of her reads in this week's #IMWAYR. (I can't help it...everything she makes is so good!) If you're looking for fun, clean reads that guide you toward the Lord, Livy Jarmusch may be the new author for you. This book is the third in her Tales of Tarsurella series.

Top Ten Tuesdays: Things I'm Thankful For

 

    I absolutely LOVED the TTT topic for this week, and thought it would be a perfect way to celebrate Thanksgiving! Especially with how uncertain life seems right now, I think taking a second and remembering to be thankful for what we do have, instead of focusing on what we need or want, is something all of us should be aiming towards. I know that I have so many blessings already, and I'm wincing at the fact that I often take them for granted!

    Honestly, this TTT list may be my favorite. 😀 To see all the TTT lists I've done in the past, click HERE. 

    I could probably ramble on about this topic for several pages, but instead I just chose a few broad things to feature here, as well as a short paragraph about why I included that certain thing. Hope you enjoy the list!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #3

  

    Hi! Welcome to my third It's Monday! What Are You Reading? blog post, part of my monthly Week of Book Memes event. (To check out what I posted during my last Week of Book Memes, click HERE.) I'm so excited to be able to make this a regular, monthly post on my blog. It's definitely stretched me and grown me as I've gotten used to writing these posts about what's on my bookshelf!

 

    Last time I posted about this, I mentioned that I'd been stuck on a couple of books. It's true I haven't been reading as much as I've been writing. Last week, though, I went ahead and checked out some new books and flew through them! I'm feeling newly inspired by those, and I hope that taking a break from the books I have a harder time concentrating on will give me the tenacity to go back to them.

    Well, onto the bookshelf!

A Book Review: The Scarlet Letter

    Hey, everyone! This week I decided to do something a little different and review a classic I read for school. I'm definitely hoping to come back to it sometime soon...especially if I decide to participate in The Classics Club book challenge.

    This book review contains no spoilers!

Narnia Blog Tag

   

    Hey! I got tagged for S.J. Barnard's Narnia Blog Tag yesterday, and thought it was such a fun idea that I wanted to post about it IMMEDIATELY. I honestly didn't know blog tags were a thing before this, but now I want to participate in them as much as I do book memes!

    I'm definitely going to have a blast with this. 😁

    Here are the rules (as dictated by S. J. Barnard):

1. Thank the person who nominated you

2. Describe the rate of your Narnia fanatic (Nostalgic, Serious, Maniacal)

3. Answer the questions below

4. Tag 5+ bloggers

5. Have fun!

1. First off, a huge thank-you to Allie Andersen for tagging me! You can find her awesome blog HERE.

2. Here is S.J. Barnard's "Narnia Fanatic Rating System":

Nostalgic Fanatic—You read the book and/or watched the movies as a child and the word Narnia gives you a warm feeling

Serious Fanatic—You rediscovered the wonder of Narnia after you were older and have read the books and watched the movies

Maniacal Fanatic—You have lived Narnia from childhood, hid in closets on more accounts than is healthy, have read and watched all the movies including the BBC version

    Based on her definitions of "Narnia Fanatic", I'd say I'm a Serious Fanatic. I am not a huge Narnia fan, just because I didn't discover the series early enough to get really into it. (Back when most Nostalgics and Maniacs were diving into the wonder of C.S. Lewis's writing, I was more interested in fangirling over Warriors and Ever After High. 😋) Now, while I can't say I've fully read all of the series, I have read books one through six, and watched all the movies.

3. Below are my answers to all the questions. 

Who is your favorite Pevensie sibling?

Probably either Edmund or Lucy. Lucy is just so fun to spend time with, and Edmund's growth as a character is very relatable. I liked that Edmund was more "rebellious" and hard to deal with than the rest of his siblings seem to be.

What is the most underrated book in Narnia?

I'd say The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I know, I know, it's not THAT non-discussed, especially because of the movie based on it, but I still think that the actual book had some great scenes and themes in it that were cut out of the movie. Including the bundle of sass and interest that is Eustace's diary. I love snarky characters 😂

Who is your favorite Narnian king?

King Caspian, because he stuck to the original ideals of Narnia and I think was a good ruler overall.

Who is your favorite Narnian queen?

Honestly, I can't think of any except Lucy or Susan...so probably Lucy. (I still haven't really forgiven Susan.)

Which non-human Narnian do you like best?

Either Aslan, because he's Aslan, or Reepicheep, because of his loyalty. Reepicheep would be a good character to have on your side.

Which book deserves a movie?

The Horse and His Boy. Definitely. It was a fun adventure, I liked that this time it didn't have to be about the Pevensies (though their cameos were nice), and it would be a great way to get more people to enjoy Narnia, who haven't previously read any of the books or seen the movies.

What is one thing you did as a Narnia fanatic you do not regret?

Daydream about finding a magic world in my closet. Also, go to a girl's house last year and comment that her family's wardrobe looked exactly like the Narnia one.

4. To pass this prompt on, I decided to tag:

• Laurel from Laurel Jean 
• Elza from Elza Reads
• Lark from Lark Writes...on books and life
• Ashley from The Rustic Reading Gal
• E.G. Bella from Bella's Blog

5. Well, I think I had fun with this post and all the questions! Hmm, maybe I should think about getting back into Narnia...

    I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post, and hearing all my ramblings about this awesome series! What kind of Narnia fan would you describe yourself as? What would be your answers to the questions?

    When I first posted my interview with Livy Jarmusch earlier this week, I mentioned that there would be another author interview the coming week. Actually, what I meant to say is that it'll be posted AFTER next week, not during! Sorry about the confusion. Instead, I'll be reviewing a classic novel that is one of the most thought-provoking and powerful reads I've ever been able to get my hands on.

(The photos used were taken by Matthew Hamilton, Chris Bair, Siora Photography, Ulvi Safari, and Mika Matin of Unsplash.)

An Author Interview: Livy Jarmusch

     Hi, everyone! Today I'm pleased to post an interview featuring Olivia "Livy" Jarmusch, the bubbly and brilliant mastermind behind the Tales of Tarsurella series and the Regal Hearts books. Livy has personally inspired me with her writing, and I'm so excited to have another chance to feature her amazing books. If you're interested, I posted a book review of her debut, The Coronation, on this blog a few weeks ago. You can find that post HERE.

    I have slightly edited the interview to make it easier to read, without changing any of the author's answers. The interview is also spoiler-free!

    I hope you enjoy hearing Livy's thoughts on The Tales of Tarsurella, writing, and some of her personal favorites.

A Book Review: The Hardest Peace

      Hi, everyone! I hope you're having a good week so far. This week I'm reviewing one of the *few* books that has actually been recommended to me by someone else. I really enjoyed it and hope you will too! This is also my first time doing a full review of an autobiography, which I think is really exciting.

    This book review has no spoilers!