My Current Fave Podcasts

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So I think I've mentioned a time or twelve that I've fairly recently gotten into listening to podcasts. I know. I am so late on the bandwagon. But I refuse to feel badly about that! Because I am thoroughly enjoying so many intriguing lines of thought.

I should clarify that I currently have a job wherein are long moments I am pretty much doing data entry type of things which do not require a ton of concentration. During said moments my mind will wander all sorts of interesting and strange places because my mind is a weird thing. What I have truly enjoyed about the podcasts I've listened to is that they cause me to ponder deep things. (Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good laugh and have listened to some podcasts that are purely hilarious convos. But I prefer the deeper ones that make me think harder.) The podcasts I will share with you tend to be the kind that involve searching for the whys of how we live and think, thoughts on beauty and story, how to walk and live a more surrendered life, and often I have added to my TBR simply because a quote will get mentioned which intrigues me. I don't know how else to describe it but to yet again say that these podcasts make me think.

My current reality is that while I have many dear friends surrounding me whom I love and with whom I love to converse, most of them are in a very different phase of life than I, which requires that the amount of time they have to converse about deep things is much more limited than mine. We do converse about deep things when we can, so this is simply a reality of their phase of life, not a criticism from me! And I crave deep convos. (I stink at small talk.) So imagine my appreciation for these podcasts where I get to listen to people ponder through serious things which only serve to make me ponder the same! My soul has been delighting in it. :)

There you go. My reasons for why I've loved discovering the podcasts I have. Now let's get to listing my current favorites, shall we? :)

Cooper & Cary Have Words :: A Swing and a Myth
This is two British gentlemen who, clearly, have words to share. The particular podcast I linked to is my most recent listen which I loved. In it, they talk about story and how creative work is all in thanks to and a small part of the larger Story that humankind is privileged to be within. A lot of food for thought which I am still pondering! Plus, I cannot deny, I just really like listening to their British accents. ;)

Speaking With Joy :: Modern Day Monasticism

Ms. Joy Clarkson and her thoughts were my very first foray into podcasts. I'd been following her on twitter and instagram for some time and finally decided to give her a listen as well. I love her thoughts on books, beauty, and the deeper things of life. The episode I've linked to focuses mainly on adopting rhythms of prayer into our lives, which is a discipline I have struggled to stay consistent within. Thus I appreciate her thoughts and encouragement. 

At Home With Sally & Friends :: Cultivating a Rich Inner Life Through Reading
This podcast is by Sally, Joy's mother. I haven't listened to a lot of her's yet, but I thoroughly loved this particular episode. Number one, because it's about reading. :) Number two, because I read Sarah Clarkson's Book Girl last summer and absolutely loved it, so when I saw she was a guest in this episode, I knew I wanted to listen. It's just a whole lot of good thoughts and encourages those of us bookish sorts. :D

Daily Grace :: Personal Goals and the Gospel

I have appreciated so many of the podcasts that The Daily Grace Co has put out. This episode came right at the beginning of this year, when I was in the midst of trying to reset and recommit after several months of letting goals and plans in my life slide away. I really appreciated the good reminders and helpful hints I was given. But it's still a great episode even if you give it a listen at other times of the year! Goal setting can be thing to reevaluate throughout the year, not just in January. Because I'm just human enough to let things slide again, long before 2020 is over.

Are you a podcast listener? Do you have favorites? I'm sure you do if you're a regular listener. Any good suggestions for me? :)

five things

Five things you will find if you open my purse/bag:

1. chapstick
2. earbuds
3. phone/laptop charger
4. old receipts
5. keys

Five things in my bedroom:

1. books (of course)
2. my laptop
3. dr pepper pillow
4. calendar
5. this amazing tote bag a friend gave me *all the heart eyes*

Five things I’ve always wanted to do in my life, but haven't yet:

1. write a story
2. travel to Italy
3. publish a book of poetry
4. own a pet
5. read all six published books by Jane Austen {I know! But I haven't read Mansfield Park yet...}

Five things that make me very happy:

1. books
2. friends
3. family
4. Jesus
5. hugs

Five things I’m currently into:

1. sitting in the library with a dear friend
2. convos with friends, whether deep or silly
3. Speaking With Joy podcast
4. READING
5. all things yellow

Five things on my To-Do list:

1. read all the books in the stack a friend gave me just last night
2. blog more regularly
3. journal just a little bit every single day
4. read more nonfiction
5. make time for solitude in my schedule

Five things some people may or may not know about you:

1. cookies are my favorite type of dessert {As long as they're not full of nuts, nuts don't belong in cookies}
2. I love dr pepper
3. good food makes me happy
4. that when I try to think about something people don't know about me, my mind immediately goes to food
5. even all these years later I am still fascinated by horses {but my LOVE of them has definitely been tempered a good deal}

Five things you enjoy doing during your free time:

1. read
2. time with friends
3. read
4. write/journal
5. watch a period drama

{another post from my drafts folder, be glad I updated it, the horror of what I wrote a few years ago... *embarrassed smile*}

books we relate to

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I was reading through my drafts here on blogger. You know, those posts you began but never finished? Perhaps no one else does this, but I had 12 draft posts just sitting there. A few definitely worth deleting because you don't even want to know just how old they were and how not-relevant to my life now. *shakes head at younger me* ;)

Anyhoo! One such draft was this one. Which only had two sentences. And a link to an old blog post of Suey's. Reading over the article again made my mind spin with ideas and lo and behold! Here I am with a post. Yay me.

So! Books we relate to. In the blog post (in case you don't want to go read it, no judgment don't worry) Suey's friend Jenny mentions about how a certain book really connects with her. (I'm assuming it still does anyway, this many years later.) I completely understood what she meant because as I thought on it, that is precisely one of the main reasons why I love certain books over others. I have a lot of booklikes, but books I love? I have to love and connect with the characters. I have to relate to something they are experiencing or something inherent in their personalities. That connection will take a booklike straight to booklove for me. (Not always guaranteed, of course, but more often than not.)

Connecting with a character is HIGHLY important to me. (I think that's true in my real life as well. I deeply love being able to connect with people around me. If I can find something we share in common and we have opportunity to chat about it? That person is forever a sweet spot in my heart, and that conversation doubly so.)

Here are a few literary examples for you:

Anne from Persuasion by Jane Austen :: I relate to so much of Anne's thoughts and personality. A great deal of her outer circumstances have created a rich inward life for her and I get that. Plus her phase of life is one I understand as well. She's a huge reason why I love this book so much. (That and Captain Wentworth, of course. I LOVE Wentworth a whole, whole bunch too! ;)

Valancy from The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery :: I love Valancy. I don't personally have an awful family who basically browbeat me like she does, but I completely understand how she feels a little lost and unknown. How uncertain she is. Oh how I get that! And I love journeying with her as she finds her voice. Her story fills me with hope.

Autumn from Life After by Katie Ganshert :: I read this book during the year after my mother passed away and cried a bucket nearing the end. I just completely understood the grief journey Autumn was on. Grief is hard and jarring at times, yet gentle and constant at the same time. It's a strange sort of being and Ms. Ganshert wrote so much of what I could not put words to. (The way this story spoke so wonderfully to my grieving heart has made me slightly hesitant to read it again, for fear of not loving it so much now, which is just silly I know.)

Cori from My Hands Came Away Red by Lisa McKay :: I would say I connected to so much of the feelings of many of the characters in this one, not just Cori. I haven't ever been in such a terrifying situation such as they are, yet I still understand their fears, their uncertainties, their struggles to work together as a team with others that they don't always understand. I just got it. Plus the fact that they're overseas in another country and culture that they don't understand and yet have to survive in, that spoke to my longing for travel even before I ever imagined getting to go overseas myself! :)

These are just a few examples. There are many more and we'd be here for pages and paragraphs longer if I were to truly analyze what I related to in every story that I LOVE. (So I won't do that to you. ;) But I can say, again, that the biggest reasons I will fall in book love with a particular story hinges on me being able to connect with something or someone within it. Otherwise, it's pretty much a no go.

What about you?

Currently...

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Hello, my lovelies! I realized that it was past time that I jumped back into this space only I hadn't realized quite how much time had passed since my last post. Yikes! So I thought I'd better start with a general post before heading into the reviews that I desperately need to catch up on. (Prepare to be bombarded in the next days! #sorrynotsorry) I hope, for any that are still hanging around here and interested in my thoughts, that all is going well in your corner of the world. Life has been a combination of busy and not as much wifi time with my own laptop as I've wished for. But that's neither here nor there. Life is good and there are exciting new (and challenging) ventures going on, for which I'm grateful. :)

Anyhoo! On to random happiness from my life...


Listening to:  I started North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell on a mini roadtrip the other weekend (only a three hour drive one way, so yes, it was mini) and am still making my way slowly through it.  I haven't reread that one for ages! And when I saw it was narrated by Juliet Stevenson, I decided it was a perfect idea. She is a fab narrator for all things Austen or British, in my humble opinion. :)

Reading: I have not done much reading recently! I know!! *sadface* It's just been a combination of a lot of things, one of which is there hasn't been a book that's just truly struck me enough to make me want to read it all the way through. I've started several, but not finished anything yet... *sigh* Other than North and South, of course, but I still haven't finished that one either... I've got some wonderful-sounding ones on my radar though, so here's hoping one or all of them will be amazing and cause me a book hangover or three. :D

Enjoying: I am currently at the library, which is delightful. And this morning I spent a couple hours at this charming little tea house that's just a slight bit of a drive from home (hence why I don't go often). I got there right as they opened and so had some quiet for half an hour or so, it was DELIGHTFUL. Quiet reflecting, hot tea, yummy deliciousness to eat....I enjoyed it ever so much!

Feeling: Excited, nervous, even a bit brave? I've been working on a small project for the past month that I'm a lot uncertain about. I have no idea what will happen with it or if anyone who now has access to it will appreciate it at all, but it's been a challenging and inspiring process to work toward. I officially sent it away from my little laptop, out into the void (so to speak ;) and now all I can do is wait...and hope. (And also prepare for the next one...challenge is good for me!)

Loving: Time with real life friends who encourage and challenge me onward. Various things came together for a deliberate choice on my part to work harder on those relationships. Am so grateful for them all! And incredibly blessed to realize I have so many good and wonderful people surrounding me...

Anticipating: The year ahead! I'm sure there will be difficulties, uncertainty, and any number of things that may not be pleasant (yet imagine all the delightful possibilities too!). I'm on a good track so far and excited to see what is yet to come... (Also hoping more blogging will happen as I have a couple writing goals to work toward. :)

Watching: Sunrises and sunsets and beauty all around me. I've heard that going somewhere else for an extended period of time can make one notice the beauty of home that you overlooked before. Am finding that very true! My eyes pick out details I usually glance right over. It's a glorious world we live in, friends, even with all the yuck in it. Won't you look up and notice with me?

Currently...

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Hello, my lovelies! Long time, no talk, right? My October went a lot differently than I imagined and time for blogging just didn't happen. But here I am! In the frigid cold of VA right now. Brrrr. I was not prepared for winter to arrive quite so soon, so I feel like an ice cube when I go outside. This lady has been used to HOT weather for over a year! So this 30 something degree weather means I am wrapped in all kinds of layers while all around me people are just barely wearing sweatshirts and sweaters. *sigh* My body had a lot of adjusting yet to do! :)

Anyhoo, I finally made it to the library today and though I have a review (or ten! *sigh*) to catch up on, I wanted to write something a little more general and fun. So! Here we are, life currently for me...


Listening to: No current audiobooks, but I have been keeping up with the latest season of the Speaking With Joy podcast. It's been good for my soul.

Reading: Currently I only have two books going and they're both nonfiction. Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton and The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer. (Both are excellent, in case you're wondering. Very challenging and inspiring.) I have read some fun stories recently and have a few on my to-read-next list, but nothing current...

Enjoying: My hot tea in the mornings. I mean, I enjoy hot tea always, but as it's been so cold, drinking something hot has felt extra good. My favorite is Lady Grey, in case you wondered...

Watching: Hallmark Christmas movies, of course! (You knew this already, though, didn't you? ;) I thought Merry and Bright was super cute, the actors had good chemistry (which isn't always true of these movies, I have to admit). There are a number of upcoming ones that I'm excited about, too. So! Yay for Christmas movies! :D

Feeling: Relieved. I've been fighting a cold for much too many days now, but I think I might finally be on the upswing! (I sincerely hope so anyway. Being sick is for the birds.) Perfect timing to head into the holiday season. I mean, I guess technically that season has already begun, but I haven't had a clear head to truly enjoy it yet. Looking forward to enjoying Thanksgiving and Christmas at home this year! Last year the holidays were fun, but very, very, VERY different. Plus I was sick over Christmas day last year (in a hotel room in Cambodia and it was NOT pleasant let me tell you). This year I cannot wait to see all my family together! :)

Dreaming of: The Christmas letter and poem I'd like to send out this year. Hoping to work on that in the next few days and I'm looking forward to seeing my words come together. (Wish me the best? I'm just hoping I can get both written and actually sent out! *fingers crossed*)


So! What's new with you??

Currently...

Photo by Hello I'm Nik 🇬🇧 on Unsplash

Listening to: I discovered podcasts this summer! I know, I know. They've actually been around for ages, but I hadn't ever listened to any. Until now. I've tried several, but one of my newest faves is Speaking With Joy. I even had the privilege of going to hear her speak (and sing) in person a couple weeks ago! That was pretty cool, I admit. Joy talks a lot about literary awesomeness, as well as art in many forms. She's a deep thinker and I like that.

Reading: I've been slowly savoring my way through Book Girl by Sarah Clarkson. Loads of book lists plus just wanting to take my time in delighting in it has caused me not to rush my way through it. I have been adding to my TBR as well as highlighting SO many sentences and paragraphs that resonate! If you haven't read this one, friends, I recommend it.

Enjoying: My birthday was last weekend, so a friend and I went on a non-strenuous hike (that description is a must when I'm the one going hiking, friends! A hiker I am not) and were rewarded with BEAUTIFUL views and quiet (which made for splendid conversation time). It was delightful!

Watching: Not too long ago I rewatched Under the Greenwood Tree. Fancy Day and Dick Dewey are very fun to spend time with! If you haven't watched it ever, please do if you get the chance. It's funny and sweet, with a bit of drama and romantic woes thrown in. (And seriously, those names?! Makes me kinda want to read the book this is adapted from...)

Feeling: Curious. Wondering what is yet on the horizon for me. After a busy, crazy eight months overseas, it's been....interesting readjusting to life at home again. And now I've been home for half the time I was gone! Time is crazy fast. There is so much I'm dreaming of and so much I'm wondering about...I am simply in a season of wonderment and uncertainty, yet enjoying a good life all at the same time. It's weird, but good? Kinda hard to explain, in other words... :)

Dreaming of: Adding lots of different types of books to my TBR. I've already got several non-fiction titles piled up on my bedside table! And after listening to Joy's podcast (and reading her sister Sarah's book!), I've been wishing to add a lot of different things to my TBR actually. I've always tended to veer towards certain genres and certain aspects of those genres when it came to choosing what to read next, but now I'm thinking I need to branch out and try new things...even if they don't intrigue me at first notice they could yet surprise me! And broaden my ideas and thoughts.
So. Any suggestions for me???

Intrigued by: The way that men really like to talk. At least, the men who live around my little town seem to! I have been greatly amused (and intrigued!) by the amount of gentlemen who call and/or stop by at work just to chat with my employer, apparently. I've decided that the stereotype of teenage girls talking a lot needs to change! I think the gentlemen around here can top anything a teenage girl could do. By far! :D


So what's new with you??

Mid-Year Freak Out Tag

Hello, my lovelies! I know I've seen this going around the blogosphere for many a year. (Who knows but that I may have actually used this idea myself before! Alas, since I cannot remember and don't want to take the time to research my own posts...) This fine day in July I happened upon it over here and thought it'd be fun to join in today. So here I am!

BEST BOOK YOU'VE READ

I've read several good ones so far this year, but nobody has topped my love for Katherine Reay yet. She just knows how to write a story that I will love!

BEST SEQUEL YOU'VE READ

Because HAMISH IS AWESOME. And I love Rachel McMillan. What more do you need?

NEW RELEASE YOU HAVEN'T READ YET, BUT WANT TO

This one has been out for several months now and I cannot believe that I haven't read it yet. Must remedy that!

MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASE FOR THE SECOND HALF OF 2019

I am super excited for this one! The synopsis intrigues me and the author...well, I know I love her writing, so... Perfect combo! :)

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

This isn't really a bad book, I don't usually finish reading a book that I don't like at all. But I will say that while this one is fun, it simply wasn't as gripping a read as I was hoping for...

BIGGEST SURPRISE

This one was quite different than I'd been expecting, but I mean that in a very good way. Because I loved it! I pretty much bought it without knowing all that much about it other than the synopsis intrigued me and, as I was overseas at the time, I was desperate for an actual book to hold in my hand and to be written in English. Ms. Honeyman proved to me that I made an excellent choice! :)

FAVORITE NEW TO YOU OR DEBUT AUTHOR

This one was easy peasy! Amanda Dykes' book is AMAZING, people. SO, so good.

NEWEST FICTIONAL CRUSH

Drake is pretty much adorable, so yeah....

NEWEST FAVORITE CHARACTER

The Nina's for the win! Both of these main characters are named Nina and I happen to think they're both amazing. Plus they LOVE to read and both work with books every single day. One owns her own traveling bookshop and the other works in a bookstore. Also they both happen to be quite bookish and endearing... 

BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY

Hands down. This one is just....yeah. Good stuff, people!

BOOK THAT MADE YOU HAPPY

I loved this one so much that when it was time to take the library's copy back, I had to go to B&N and purchase my very own because I refused to not have this lovely story in my house and always around me!

FAVORITE BOOK TO FILM ADAPTATION

So I have not watched any of new film adaptations this year, but I did rewatch the '95 version of Persuasion and decided it was definitely my favorite of all the Persuasion adaptations out there right now. :)

FAVORITE POST YOU'VE DONE THIS YEAR

As I haven't done too many other than book reviews, I would have to go with this one:

Old & Familiar Friends

Rereading that post just reminded me of the happiness that books and especially familiar, well-loved stories bring to me. Ah, my heart!

MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK YOU'VE BOUGHT THIS YEAR

To be honest, I haven't bought very many actual physical books. Most have been on my kindle and let me just say that a kindle book cover is not nearly as glorious as a real book cover. So! That's why I chose this book again. Because it really is lovely and I really don't have any other prettier books that I've bought this year to choose from!

BOOKS YOU NEED TO READ BY THE END OF THE YEAR

All the things! No, but seriously. I have so many yet to be published that I'm excited over, I have so many yet to be read that I'm excited over, and I just have lots of books I want to get to! As I've been voraciously reading since I've been home again, I'm just looking forward to whatever bookish delights awaits me next. :)

Currently...

Hello, my lovelies! Why yes, it has been ages, hasn't it? To the maybe three people who are still reading this little blog of mine, it's good to "see" you! ;) I let my posting go VERY sporadic in recent months due to being overseas and all my available time being spent studying. I had high hopes that I'd be able to keep up the blogging thing to a certain degree, but alas... I barely kept up with my reading while I was over there! But I am home in America now and it has been DELIGHTFUL to see all my beloved stories again, sitting on their shelves looking all pretty and pleasing.

The last month and a half has been a mix of trying to come to grips with being back in my own culture again after 8 months (I know!), find a new job (which I did, yay!), and reading all the books I can get my hands on. It's been crazy, chaotic, and loads of fun.

Anyhoo! I thought I'd just do a general check in with y'all and let you know what all the latest is. So! On the fun stuff...

Listening to: This particular song has been on repeat loads of times when I've had homework to do or papers to write for classes. Even back home, it's still a fave. It's incredibly soothing while I'm doing something that requires my brain, yet also requires some noise in the background to help keep me focused.

Reading: Over this past weekend, I read 5 books. No, that is not an exaggeration. I pretty much didn't have any other plans, so I stayed in the entire weekend and read. #bliss Next up for me is The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White, which I have for review...

Enjoying: My chocolate stash! Friends gave me a sweet welcome home party a few weeks ago and when they asked me to make a list of what I wanted and what I'd missed while I was gone...you know my fave Lindor milk chocolate truffles was at the top! I've been trying to ration them out so they last a long time, but it's actually really hard. (go figure)

Watching: I recently rewatched Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and man, did I ever miss that movie. I did very little movie watching while I was gone and this one was a delight to see again.

Feeling: Happy. I've had lots of reconnecting with friends since I've been home. As well as have a new job, which is a huge answer to prayer! There have been hard moments and times when dear friends have had struggles that have reminded me that this life is not all puppies and rainbows all the time. But ultimately, I'm a pretty happy lady right this second...

Craving: Flavor in my food! I was in Thailand the most during my overseas time and let me just say that the Thai people LOVE their spice. I have now realized just how much I adjusted to that because there have been multiple times since being home where I feel desperate for some extra spice in my foodie life. And I never, ever imagined such a thing happening, I've always been a wimp when it came to spicy food... Craziness, I tell you. :D

Loving: Seeing old friends and reconnecting. Friends are life, people. And don't you forget it.

Anticipating: More books. More music. More life. Whatever that looks like in the coming days.

Eating: Guacamole. I personally made a batch the other night and it is...delish...mmmmm.... :D

Missing: Life in Thailand. It's wonderful to be home, but there's so much I miss about my life there. Khao soi (deliciousness), the ease of getting around on public transportation, riding motorbikes, the coffee shops (they were everywhere), and most especially my dearest friends who I may not see again for a long, long time, if ever. THAT'S one of the hard parts about life overseas...the friends you make when your homes are so far apart....


Yet even with the missing, I'm still thankful for the experience and happy to be home again. So! How about you? Life still trotting along swimmingly for you as well?? :)

3 Reasons British Accents Make the BEST Audiobook Narrators

Recently I was on a roadtrip and listened to all of Jane Austen's books as radio dramas. (If you're an Austen fan like me, I highly recommend listening to them! They're all excellently done. :) So you can imagine that I had British accents in my head for several days! And it got me thinking. Surely I'm not the only one who loves a good British accent, right? (I know some of you agree with me!) Thus the idea for this list was born. I'm sure y'all can appreciate these with me! :D

So without further ado, I give you...

3 Reasons British Accents Make the BEST Audiobook Narrators

1. You can learn how to pronounce "viscount" and "viscountess". (At least when listening to Richard Armitage !!!! read bits of The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer. He has quite a nice voice to listen to. Just sayin' ;)

2. Your inner voice will suddenly have a British accent, which is just lovely! (Unfortunately, this does not always mean you can suddenly speak with the accent no matter how much you wish you could! *sadface*)

3. Um, because British accents are the best. Duh. What else do you need? ;)


And there you have it! So have I convinced you?

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Top Ten Tuesday :: Favorite Novellas/Short Stories

I haven't participated in this in ages, I know. But as I realized that I actually had a bit of time to get a post written before this particular Tuesday arrived, I decided to go for it! So here I am. Plus! Considering I've recently read several novellas/short stories, this was perfect. :)

{P.S. It's now being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl}

To be precise, these are novellas that I consistently come back to again and again when in need of something short and unforgettable. They make me grin, swoon, or just plain enjoy myself!

1. The Cupcake Dilemma by Jennifer Rodewald

(because it's one of the sweetest friendship turned romances...)

2. A Sweethaven Romance by Courtney Walsh

(because the "boy from the wrong side of town" and the 

"good girl" never fails to get me every time...)

3. A Brush With the Law by Janette Rallison

(because Janette Rallison knows how to create

chemistry between her couples...)

4. Second Impressions by Pepper Basham

(because it's a combo of Jane Austen 

and swoony romance...)

5. Love in Three Quarter Time by Rachel McMillan

(because of Klaus...and Vienna!)

6. Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell

(because kindred spirits are adorably 

awkward sometimes...)

7. Heir to Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

(because it's Edenbrooke from Philip's point of view...)

8. Return to Chocolate by Erynn Mangum

(because nobody does chocolate and 

laughter like Erynn Mangum...)

9. The Perfect Arrangement by Katie Ganshert

(because Amelia's cute awkwardness makes

her a girl after my own heart...)

10. While You're Awake by Amber Stokes

(because it's simply adorable fun...)

What are some of your favorite novellas??

Currently...

Hello, my lovelies! I know, shocker that I'm actually posting something besides a book review, right? Life has just been....something. I'm not sure how to describe it exactly, but suffice it to say that regular posting (obviously) hasn't happened! But here I am. At least for today! :)

Those of you who have even stuck around to see if I'd ever post anything interesting again, welcome! So. Let's get to the real reason you clicked over here, shall we?

Listening to: I started listening to Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen while driving home from visiting friends recently. A 9 hour drive is surely ample time to get through a book, right? I haven't finished yet, but I'm most certainly intrigued! It's YA and about trolls, which is very different yet somehow it works. The only thing is...it's book one of a trilogy and I do not own the other two books! So once I'm finished, I may have to find the next books stat...we shall see. :)

Reading: Getting ready to start The Truth Between Us by Tammy L. Gray. It's book two of her current series and I'm excited to learn more about April and Sean!

Enjoying: This cool weather! Well, cool for July anyway. The past couple nights it's gotten down into the 60s and the daytime has stayed in the 70s and early 80s. After all the 90ish degrees and horrid humidity we'd been enduring, this is awesome! I love being about to sit outside in the evening and just enjoy...

Watching: Surprisingly, it had been an age since I'd watched a Jane Austen adaptation and last night I pulled out the 2009 version of Emma. I love Romola Garai and Jonny Lee Miller in that miniseries! They're my favorite Emma and Knightley. I LOVE the way JLM says that line: "If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more." Talk about making a girl swoon! All the heart-eyes for that moment. :D Also, I just like the way he looks at her at several different points in the series. Not to mention their friendship feels so natural.



Feeling: I'm at this weird sort of moment right now where I'm not really working full time (I'm preparing for a BIG trip coming up in August), yet have so much to do and still need enough work to cover my major expenses currently. It's an interesting balance and it just kind of makes me feel strange. I haven't not had a full time job for at least 20 years! This is weird. Good! But weird.

Craving: Penn Station. You know, the sub sandwich place? We used to have one where I live and it closed last December much to my dismay. (Even worse, I didn't even know it was going to close until I showed up one day and it was gone! Just gone! *wails*) I was visiting friends in Indiana recently and I spotted a sign for a Penn Station and made them stop for lunch. It was SO GOOD. I love their italian sub. But now that I've had one, I miss it terrible bad all over again! So maybe that wasn't the smartest thing to do... (But it was still delicious, so I regret nothing.)

Loving: While not working full time feels strange, I am absolutely loving the chance to catch up on my book reviews and blog posts! So hopefully I can get a few more written before I leave... :)

Anticipating: As I've mentioned, I am planning a BIG trip in Aug. (Which means that things will slow down even more around here for a great while! But I'm hoping I won't lose all of you completely. And I hope to be back! And/or still post a tiny bit while I'm gone, we shall see how much free time I have.) I will be going overseas for a few months and yes, it's huge and amazing and crazy-awesome. But huge! In other words, I have a lot on my To Do list. Here's hoping I get it all accomplished! Still, I'm excited to see what adventures I get into and to experience life in a whole completely different way.

Eating: All the foods I love! Since I'll be eating A LOT differently soon, I figure now is the time to enjoy all the American food I love and crave. I like to eat, so this is no hardship at all. ;)

So how are YOU? Any big summer plans still on your schedule?