Top 10 Books of My Childhood - Childhood Favs Readathon

I'm one of the lucky ones - I've loved reading since I was a kid.  I have so many friends who tell me that they've only fallen in love with reading since they were an adult, or that they left it for awhile and have come back to it.  But I've always loved books and stories, partially due to my parents being avid readers, and partially due to the books I was given.  In times of struggle, I go back to these books of my childhood, to the familiar and safe, to see what they can teach me now.

My friend Bre over on Instagram (@brelikestoread) decided to host a readathon based around childhood favorites, and surprise! She asked me to co-host it with her! So while the majority of the festivities are going to be over on booksta, I thought it would be fun to put together a little blog post of some of my favorites from way back when, just to do some reminiscing.  But, if you're interested and you're actually seeing this in time, here's the little graphic I put together for the readathon:

(If you have any questions, feel free to message me on Insta or leave it in a comment here!)

And now, let's get into the faves!

1. The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis

 

 

"then he isn't safe?" said lucy.

"safe?" said mr. beaver; "don't you hear what mrs. beaver tells you?

who said anything about safe? 'course he isn't safe.

but he's good. he's the king, I tell you."

 

I know, I know, no one saw this coming. xD Narnia is my favorite book series of all time, so it's probably no surprise that I've loved it since I was a little kid.  I think I was around 10 when I read the books for the first time, and I read them several times after that.  But it's really only since I've been an adult that they truly solidified themselves as my favorite books; there's just so much more to see now that I'm old enough to read fairytales again.

2. Little House on the Prairie - Laura Ingalls Wilder

 

mid pleasures and palaces, though we may roam,

be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.

Technically speaking, Little House in the Big Woods was always my favorite.  I grew up on the picture books of these before I graduated up to the full novels.  We had the cookbook, the songbook, and several other educational materials surrounding one of my grandmother's all-time favorite series, and this is part of the reason I grew up secretly wishing to be a pioneer (a dream that has since died an abrupt death when I realized that nature hates me and my allergies, lol).  Are these books perfect?  No.  But they hold a lot of memories for me, and that's enough.

3. The Giver Quartet - Lois Lowry

 

 

"the worst part of holding the memories is not the pain.

it's the loneliness of it.

memories need to be shared."

 

We fast forward a few years to this one, which I read for the first time in 8th grade.  This was the first book assigned to me by a teacher that wasn't my mom that I actually loved.  It's heavy and hard to look at, but it's so powerful.  The rest of the series just make it better and better, and they all hold a super special place in my heart now.  It was also the start of Lois Lowry becoming one of my favorite authors - "Gossamer" and "Number the Stars" were other faves from her.

4. City of Orphans - Avi

 

 

so maks reminds himself that he's not a real hotel employee.

that willa's what's real. she's what's important.

he won't budge.

 

This was the first book to ever make me cry (that I can remember).  Avi was one of my favorite authors when I was 12-or-so, with "Seer of Shadows" and the Crispin books also being faves.  But "City of Orphans", man.  This book was just right.  I checked it out of the library over and over again, until it was steady and familiar and comfortable right when I needed it.  And I'm happy to report, as of reading it last year, that it still hits just as hard.  It's a beautiful story and more people need to read it, tbh.

5. The Books of Beginning Trilogy - John Stephens

 

 

"that's the whole point of life.

to love someone. don't you think?"

 

Of all the book series I loved as a kid, this is the one I'm the most scared to re-read.  I knew these books inside and out.  I had whole passages memorized.  This was truly the first time I felt like a solo fandom and I'm so nervous that if I read them again they won't be the same, you know?  One of these days I'll muster up my courage and do it.  But for now, they sit on my shelves, staring at me.  Full of family dynamics, magic, and banter - one of the first books I ever pre-ordered was the third book and I remember staying up until midnight just so I could download it.  Wow, I loved these a lot.

6. The Boxcar Children - Gertrude Chandler Warner

 

 

one warm night four children stood in front of a bakery.

no one knew them. no one knew where they had come from.

 

What was special to me about this series was how into it my sister got.  Neither of my siblings are big readers, but I would read these books aloud to them when we were little, and eventually, my sister started reading them on her own.  She'd check out stacks of them from the library and read them all in the week, which was a thrill for me.  I loved them a lot too, don't you worry.  They were kind of my first foray into the mystery genre, which I still love and keep coming back to.

7. The 39 Clues - Various Authors

 

 

five minutes before she died,

grace cahill changed her will.

 

This series was my obsession in my early middle school years.  Anything that was educational while also being entertaining was my jam (my homeschooler is showing, lol), and these were epic.  The idea of a world-wide scavenger hunt that relied on research was like a dream for me, and dang if these books didn't pack in the feels!  Amy and Dan's relationship is still one of my favorites, and I happily sorted myself into Janus as a tween.  Who needs Hogwarts houses?  If you were a fan, what was your Cahill branch back in the day?

8. The Underland Chronicles - Suzanne Collins

 

 

"who says I can't handle it? I can handle it!"

said gregor, clearly not handling it.

 

Will I ever be over my emotions from this series?  No, probably not.  After City of Orphans, these were the next books to make me cry (meaning, I full-on sobbed my way through Code of Claw and I feel no shame).  I don't know how Suzanne Collins can make me cry over vermin, but here we are.  I re-read these not too long ago, and I have to say that not only is this my second-most re-read series after Narnia, it's genuinely one of the best I've ever read.  The world building, the character development, it's all just utterly perfect and I'm emotional again just thinking about them.

9. The American Girl Books (but mostly Felicity)

 

 

"hello, river," felicity thought. "here I am, back again.

what adventures do you have in store for me this summer?"

 

I grew up on all the American Girls, but Felicity was my favorite.  To be honest, I'm not really sure why?  Other than that she was based in Colonial Williamsburg, and that's one of my favorite places in the world.  But Felicity herself and I couldn't be more different, so idk, lol.  My sister and I watched the movies obsessively, Mom used a study plan based on several of the girls for my history course for a few years, and I had several of the dolls (Felicity included, of course).  Many of my fondest childhood memories come from this series, and it still holds a special place in my heart for that.

10. Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan

 

 

"don't feel bad. I'm usually about to die."

 

I have several reasons for loving this modern classic of a series.  The first time I experienced it, I think I was 12 or 13.  A few of our church friends had been really loving it at the time, so my parents decided it would be educational if we read them all together.  My dad was one of the best narrators I've ever known, so his reading of the books was absolute perfection.  I fell in love with Percy's world, with the characters, with the writing style - basically everything about them, I loved.  And I still do.  Riordan is one of my favorite authors, and this series is a big reason why.  It's so well crafted and so entertaining.  Side note, if you haven't listened to the musical, you need to.


So there we are!  10 books (and series) that I was obsessed with as a kiddo.  Do we share any favorites?  Will you be joining us for the readathon?  Let me know all the things in the comments!

~ Abby

**I don't own the pictures in any of the collages - all images found on Pinterest**

Recent Reads - Quarantine Edition #2

About a month ago, I posted about what I've been reading in quarantine.  Guess what, I'm still at home.  But that's okay!  I'm honestly perfectly happy in my room with my books and my laptop and my window and my Spotify playlists.  And while my reading hasn't really gotten any faster, I've still read some pretty great stuff.

In my Never Say Goodbye review, I mentioned that I'm in a weird headspace reading-wise right now.  Either I read nothing for a week, or I devour three books in three days, and there seems to be no in-between.  Which, I mean, could be worse.  At least I'm loving the books I'm reading, right?

So here I am again with more mini-reviews of what I've been reading lately because I'm obsessed with all of them, tbh.

Martin Legacy - Abigayle Claire

 

 

"so what do you do on the days when you can't move on?"

julie smiled, though it wobbled a little.

"trust God and try again tomorrow."

 

Technically I made this collage back when I read Martin Hospitality, but I never shared it and in a way, it fits this one better.  God is good like that, huh?  I loved the first book when I read it last year, and I'm so glad that I finally read the sequel - I absolutely adored it.  Abigayle has a way of writing slice-of-life stories that keep hold of you until the very last page, and it's a roller coaster of emotions along the way.  I laughed, I cried, it moved me Bob.  (bonus points if you get that reference, lol)

Rating: 5 stars

Met Her Match - Susan L. Tuttle

 

 

"truth is, the only thing that's sure is God.

maybe try trusting him and stepping out where he's leading,

because it's always solid ground even when it shakes."

"shaking ground isn't solid."

"and that's why our God is king of the impossible."

 

Susan L. Tuttle quickly became one of my favorite authors last year when I read her two full-length novels, and this was novella the only work of hers I had left to read.  And I'm already dying for more.  Her books are perfect feel-good rom-coms, they make me so happy, and this was no exception.  Pem and Tobias were so great; I loved both of them individually and then even more together.  It was just a lot of my favorite tropes all rolled into one adorable story that I will 100% be revisiting in the future.

Rating: 5 stars

Wonder - R.J. Palacio

 

 

"if every single person in this room made it a rule

that wherever you are, whenever you can,

you will try to act a little kinder than necessary

- the world really would be a better place."

 

I'd call this book a modern classic - I've heard so much about it for so many years, but I only just last month got around to reading it.  I finished the whole thing in less that 24 hours, and it was so beautiful.  Auggie's story is one that I won't soon forget, and I can't wait to watch the movie, even though I know I'm going to bawl my eyes out. 

Rating: 5 stars

Kit Kittredge Collection - Valerie Tripp

 

 

"how come you're so sure?" kit asked her.

aunt millie considered kit's question. "I guess teachers

and gardeners are just naturally optimistic," she said.

"can't help it. children and seeds are never disappointing."

 

A couple of weeks ago, I was in kind of a "meh" mood, so I decided to re-read the entire Kit Kittredge series.  I grew up on the American Girl books, and while Kit wasn't my favorite as a kid (that went to Felicity), she does live during the Great Depression, which is the time period my novel is based on.  So, you know, I can count it as "research".  Totally.  But anyway I had a wonderful time revisiting these books.  Aunt Millie is an icon, Will Sheperd was totally one of my first fictional crushes, I would die for Stirling, and the film is genuinely such a great adaptation.

Rating: 4 stars

Once Upon a Marigold - Jean Ferris

 

"nobody ever gets enough appreciation

when they're behaving themselves,

but there's no end to hearing about it

when they're not."

This was so weird and whimsical and wonderful and exactly what I needed.  I picked up both this and the sequel at a used bookstore a few years ago, and just now got around to reading it.  It's so adorable.  Christian and Marigold are wonderful, it's got so much humor and heart, and even though I saw the plot reveals coming a mile away, they were still enjoyable.  It's not only a spoof of the classic fairytale setting, but a love letter to it.  It's not perfect, but I had such a good time reading it.

Rating: 4 stars


And there you have it!  Five more books I've read recently.  What have you been reading?  How's quarantine treating you?  Did you have a favorite American Girl character as a kid?  Let me know all the things in the comments below!

~ Abby

I Won a Short Story Contest!

*whispering to myself* it's not bragging to be proud of yourself, it's not bragging to be proud of yourself, it's not bragging- you've been debating whether or not to post this for like 2 months now get a hold of yourself.

So please don't think I'm bragging because I'm not, I'm just really excited.

So several months ago, I heard about a short story contest being held by the ladies of Tales of the Lonely Sun, and since the theme was Twisted Fairytales, I said to myself, "why the heck not", and signed up.  I've been wanting to work on short story writing anyway, and it was the perfect opportunity.

The fun thing about this contest is that we were assigned the fairytale we were supposed to retell (which was such a nice thing to my indecisive self), and the story I was given was "The Wild Swans" by Hans Christian Anderson - the story of a girl named Elise and her 11 cursed older brothers who are swans by day and men by night.  And I had no ideas.  None whatsoever.  The idea well was dry.



The point was to put a spin on the fairytale, and the one tiny idea drop in the well was a fairytale setting.  And that couldn't work.  On this vicious cycle went for about two weeks until one day I thought to myself, "Abby, you're writing a historical fantasy novel and loving it.  why not write make this historical fantasy too?"



And the spark that turned into "West" was born.  Originally, I had thought it might be cool to write almost a prequel to my Bonnie and Clyde novel, to help explain how magic got west, but Elise and her brothers decided they wanted to stand alone, and I respect that.  (and also the 5,000 limit.  that was mostly the reason, pfft)

So after settling (lol) on the Oregon Trail as a time period, coming up with names for all 11 brothers, and a lot of this:



I had a finished first draft.  And had a little cry.  Because the last time I finished the first draft of a story I was probably... 10?  11 maybe?  And here I was staring at a little story that I was really proud of. 

It went through a couple more drafts, and I sent it in.

And I had another little cry a month later when I heard that it won the contest.

So now I'm happy to present to you, "West".  The story of Elise, on her way to Oregon in 1846 with her brothers who are men by day and oxen by night.  Also featuring Michael King, the frontiersman I would marry in a second tbh, Jon, the nerdy big brother I would also marry in a second, Oskar, the general store proprietor, scarves made of stinging nettles, bottles of magic, and probably the Softest romance I've written.  I could gush about this story for hours (and have, to various friends), but that's all I will say for now, because you can go and read it for yourself.

- Click here to read West -

And if you're curious I also have a playlist that I put together while I was working on it and I've been vibing to it for the past two months, I'm not gonna lie.

Anyway, that's enough rambling from me for today.  I hope you like the story if you decide to read it, and even if you don't, I hope you liked my Muppets gifs.



~ Abby

Never Say Goodbye {blog tour + book review}

Just over a year ago, I had the honor to read and review Sarah Grace Grzy's first novel, "Live Without You", and I absolutely loved it.  So when Sarah Grace announced her second novel, I was super excited about it.  And I'm happy to report that it did not disappoint.

I devoured this in a day (yesterday, when I'm writing this), because I'm in this weird headspace during quarantine where I either read nothing for a week or I devour three books in three days.  It's strange, but the world is strange, so I'm not really surprised.  Anyway, I really loved it, so let's go ahead and get into the review.


Never Say Goodbye



((this cover, though *all the heart eyes*))

Author: Sarah Grace Grzy
Genre: Christian fiction
Content: None
Main Characters: Tyler Collens and Alyvia Emmerson

Synopsis:
Tyler Collens has seen grief and loss in his years of experience as a paramedic—but he never expected it to touch his life in such a personal way. The death of his wife eighteen months ago shook his steady world and changed him in more ways than he can count. Time and routine have steadied his feet, and he looks toward the future as he raises his infant daughter—but the past has a tighter grip on him than he knows.
Alyvia Emmerson has never been certain of who she is or where she belongs. Her dad’s abandonment as a teen broke a fragile piece of her heart, but ten years later, she has moved on. Living on her own, she at last has a project to devote herself to: revitalizing a shabby bookstore. But she didn’t count on her dream job revealing the shattered pieces of herself she thought mended long ago.
In this sophomore novel featuring beloved characters from Live Without You, Sarah Grace Grzy explores themes of grief, hope, and second chances in a story that touches both the heart and spirit.

Add on Goodreads ~ Purchase on Amazon 

What I Thought:

This was so wonderful.  I'm always a fan of a good friends-to-lovers trope, and it's in full swing here.  Sarah Grace's books are ones that you pick up and can't put down because you never know what's going to happen.  There's a lot to love about this story, but I think the thing that I adored most was the characters.

Tyler and Alyvia were such wonderful protagonists, full of hopes and dreams and hurts that felt real and raw.  I loved both of them from Live Without You, so seeing them step into their own story was wonderful.  Tyler and baby Murrae was the CUTEST relationship ever, oh my goooosh.  Also the line about "being a single dad looks a lot easier on Hallmark" cracked me up.  Alyvia was so relatable.  She's a full-fledged optimist who just wants to open her own bookstore and live above it.  Like, what a dream, right? 

And the two of them together were just the cutest oh my word.  Like I said, I love a good friends-to-lovers story, and the way their love story progresses is so perfect.  And they just go together so well, and I'm emotional.

The faith content was utterly perfect, woven in in such a beautiful way, with such a true message about letting go and letting God.  And as I expected, I teared up a little at the end.  The way everything came together was so beautiful, and I was just so proud of the journey that the characters went on.  I already can't wait to re-read it.

Overall Rating: 5 park playdates out of 5

About the Author:
Sarah Grace Grzy is a voracious reader, and if it weren’t for this crazy thing called 'Life,' she’d be tempted to spend all her days in front of a wood stove, book in one hand, coffee mug in the other.
A lover of learning, she finds enjoyment in many things and has more hobbies than she knows what to do with. Sarah Grace is a freelance web and graphic designer, and when not working, spending time with her ever-growing family, or reading, she can be found painting, playing the piano, or fangirling with her sisters and friends. She inhabits the State of Great Lakes, and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else—unless it meant she could have a baby penguin, in which case, she’d gladly move to the South Pole.

Connect with Sarah Grace: Instagram ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Clean contemporary romance was never one I would put on my favorite genres list, but the past couple of years, and a few lovely authors, have changed that.  Sarah Grace Grzy is definitely on that list of "I didn't know I loved this genre 'til I read your book" authors, so even if you're not typically a contemporary fan, you should 100% check out her work!

A huge thank you to Sarah Grace for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!  Have you read either of Sarah Grace's books?  What did you think of them?  Let me know in the comments below!

~ Abby

Readers (and Star Wars)

One of the very first posts I ever put up on this blog, waaay back in 2016, was one I called "Writers (and Star Wars)", in which I used Star Wars gifs to describe some of the most #relatable writer feels.  I wanted to post something fun for May the 4th this year, so here I am again, 4 years later, and this time, it's all the reader feels.

(and yes, I will try not to just make all the gifs The Child. but man, it's gonna be hard xD)



Anyway, let's go.

When you start a new book:



Let's do some QUESTING.


When your friend drags you into their fandom:



"Yay, I finally read your favorite book! Now why am I obsessed with it?"


Discussing that new fandom with said friend:



"But then this thing! And that thing!! And the ending!!!"


When the characters first encounter the villain:



Well this person is very intimidating.  I'm intimidated.


When you find a new cinnamon roll character to love:



Let me just put you up here where you'll be safe, kid.  There, now there's no way you'll die for dramatic effect right?  Right??


When the team joins up with a sketchy-looking dude:



Maybe let's not add the sketchy dude to the team?  The one that's probably going to turn around and betray us in the end?  Maybe let's just stop that here?


When the main ship starts being cute:



New OTP alert, everyone.



When you kinda-sorta saw the plot twist coming:



These are both me, simultaneously, trying to figure out how I missed that this whole time.


When there's suddenly an unexpected raunchy scene:



Why am I here and how quickly can I leave please?


When the characters start making dumb decisions:



Hey, stop that, you're the chosen one, you're better than this.


That feeling after an epic fight scene:



Okay, we made that out pretty much unscathed, way to pull together guys.


When there aren't enough pages left for everything that needs to happen:



This is fine.  Everything's fine.


When the book ends on a massive cliffhanger and you don't have the next book:



That's just rude, tbh.


When we all get out of quarantine and someone says, "Hey, wanna go to the bookstore?":



It's going to be lit... erary.


Hope y'all enjoyed that.  I had a lot of fun putting it together!  Happy Star Wars Day, my friends! May the force be with you. <3

Let me know down in the comments which of these you find the most relatable, and which Star Wars movie is your favorite! (Mine will always be episode 4, but The Force Awakens is also a fave)

~ Abby

Farewell, April

Well, look at me.  Posting a wrap-up.  And more than that, posting it almost on time!  Wow!

Let's be honest, there's not much going on right now.  Or at least there shouldn't be.  But in typical me fashion somehow I feel like I'm almost busier than I was before any of this?  Although maybe it's because I've been sleeping so late, lol.  Anybody else?

Anyway, let's get into the wrap-up.

- reading -  

I managed to read 7 books this month, even though I initially planned to read about a bajillion books.  Because my brain didn't want to let me read.  But I think maybe I've broken the slump?  I'm trying not to jinx it, lol.  And for what it's worth, I gave 6 of those 7 books 5 stars.  So I really have nothing to complain about, pfft.

 

I talked a lot about what I read in April in my recent reads post, but I also got to the modern classic Wonder this month.  And read the whole thing in less than 24 hours because it was so beautiful.  Auggie's story was so sweet.  I didn't full-on cry, but I fully expect to when I watch the movie, haha!

I also got to revisit my Hundred-Acre Wood friends this month, both in the form of The House at Pooh Corner and by rewatching one of my forever-favorite movies, the 2011 "Winnie-the-Pooh".  It was so good for my heart.

- watching -

A lot of binging went down in April.  I expect it's the same for you, lol.  With plenty of time on my hands and a reading slump for the ages, I both rewatched some old favorites and discovered some new ones.

I started out the month with a rewatch of Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street, an Amazon Prime original that I adore with all of my heart.  It's so nostalgic and lovely, about childhood and change and things we all go through, and it's just pretty darn perfect.  Even though there are no gifs of it anywhere on the internet.  What's that about?

Playbill.com finally (FINALLY) streamed the proshoot of the Broadway musical Bandstand this month and while I already adored the show just from the cast album, seeing it was so much more. It's such a beautiful, heart-wrenching story and "Welcome Home" is always going to make me cry, okay?

I decided to start Boy Meets World this month!  I've loved "Girl Meets World" for a long time, and I thought it was finally time that I see where it started, especially now that it's streaming on Disney+.  Cory Matthews is an icon, the humor is fantastic, and I get why it's such a well-loved show.  I mean, I'm only on season 3, so who knows where we'll go from here, but I'm really enjoying it so far.

Also my sister and I just had a binge of a bunch of Barbie movies and it was maybe the best decision we've made in quarantine so far.

Anyone else watch these obsessively as a kid?  (and yes, I still know all the lyrics to the songs from Princess and the Pauper and yes, I'm thinking about putting that on my resume xD)

((can you tell I did a lot more watching than reading this month? Oops, haha!))

- listening -

I spent most of the month listening to my WIP playlist, tbh.  My April playlist is so small, lol.  And I spent a lot of time just listening to Jillian Edwards' new song "Heaven's Eyes" on repeat. Go listen to it, okay, it's so beautiful.

- doing-

Okay let's see, where do I start?

Life is weird.  But at least everyone's is.  I'm actually quite happy at home, so social distancing hasn't been that bad for me.  Rolling out of bed at 9 to go to Sunday School in the living room is pretty sweet, I'm not gonna lie.  The hardest part is having my extroverted family members home all the time, lol. 

Dance has moved to our living room, which is very strange and not something I'm totally loving.  Like, it's fine, and it's really not anything to complain about.  I'm blessed that my teachers have decided to try and keep us in shape.  Recitals have been moved back to July, and leaps don't really happen in our tiny space, but we're doing the best we can.  Oh, and since I'm super talented, I actually managed to sprain my ankle during Irish dance.  *pats self on back*  I typically like to sit with my feet tucked up under me and I keep forgetting that my ankle hurts when I do that... please send help.  Or cookies.

I also started using the planner my mom and sister gifted me for Easter, and I'm absolutely obsessed with it.  It's got pages to track reading and writing and all the good things, plus spots for blog post ideas, and places for me to make myself daily checklists.  Guess who's finally gonna get her life together?  This girl... maybe... idk...

Also, does anyone else feel like it took 5 years to get through March but April was over super fast?  Or is that just me.

- blogging -

So a couple of weeks ago, while I was lying in bed staring at the void of the ceiling and trying to will myself to sleep (who has a sleep schedule? not me, that's for sure), I was struck with the urge to blog.  I typed up 4 (yes, 4) blog posts at 2 in the morning.  So if my recent posts have seemed kind of ramble-y and confused, that's why, lol.  So I'm gonna try this at-least-one-post-a-week "schedule" and see if it works.  We'll see.  But there are a lot of really exciting books coming out soon and I'll be doing my best to write reviews of them and that should keep us settled at least for a little while, lol.

- 10 books that need adaptations -
- recent reads - quarantine edition -
- the narnia writing tag -

wow, look at that little list.  It has been a hot minute since I've had a list like that.  But anyway...


How was your April, friends?  How's quarantine treating you?  I hope you're staying safe and sane, and never forgetting that we're all on this wild quest together.

- Abby