Currently...

First thing's first: the Little Women read-along.

I am so, SO sorry, Dragons, but the last two posts for #WinterWithLouisa just won't be happening. I feel so bad about it and I'm so sorry that they're not coming!

I know this is an excuse I often use, but that doesn't make it any less true: school makes life difficult. Especially this year, which (although easier than my previous two years of high school) involves a LOT more work, thanks to college prep and college-level courses (one of which is MATH *cue the screaming*).

On a less depressing note, I've picked up an editing job! I'm currently proofreading and formatting a memoir for a family friend. And once I finish that, I GET TO MAKE A COVER!!!! *flails* I'M SO EXCITED!

Another thing I've completely failed to mention over the past few Highlights posts: my mom started a blog!!!! I helped her design it waaay back in August, it's called Lilacs & Lace, and you can visit it by clicking here!*

*Be proud of how discreetly I've dropped her blog link three times throughout a three-sentence paragraph. 😜

BOOK HAUL

No pics this time, I'm afraid! But perhaps I'll include them in my official December Highlights post?

1. Journey's End by Rachel Hawkins. Scotland. Magic. Mystery. Disappearing children. All packed into a cozy li'l MG novel? *nods enthusiastically*
2. Once Upon a Princess: Beauty's Curse by C.S. Johnson. I was a part of CJ's blog tour back in October, and was delighted to win the first novella of her Sleeping Beauty retelling series!
3. Wanted: a Superhero to Save the World by Bryan Davis. MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS WITH SUPERPOWERS. That's all I'm gonna say, guys. 😻
4. Mice & Marriage by Sophie Dawson. A girl terrified of mice? A cute guy who's totally prepared to help her? UM, YES.
5. A Dangerous Legacy by Elizabeth Camden. I own a copy of To the Farthest Shores, one of Elizabeth's other books, and I've heard such good things about her writing!
6. Where Do I Start? by Molly Evangeline. In other words, one of my favorite indie authors wrote a book on HOW TO INDIE PUBLISH. And so I finally bought it! On Black Friday! IN PAPERBACK! *cheers*
7. Children of Blood & Bone ARC by Tomi Adeyemi. After anxiously awaiting its arrival via a Goodreads giveaway, it finally showed up on my doorstep! It releases in March 2018, so keep an eye out. 😉
8. The Wrath & the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh. So I don't actually remember buying this, but I do remember wanting to read this and then stumbling upon a copy whilst reorganizing my bookshelf. And this is a newer book, so I'm not quite sure how it got there, but okay, I'll take it!
9. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. Reliving the day you die? WHAAAAT. *grabby hands*
10. Chasing Shadows by Ashley Townsend. I met up with Ashley again back in November, and, being in the midst of her gorgeous book Rising Shadows, was ecstatic to pick up a copy of the next in her series!

READING CORNER

1. Night by Elie Wiesel [4/5]. This was a difficult one to rate, seeing as I didn't really like it (it was really disturbing, guys), but I also had to keep in mind that it's a historical account. For such, it was excellently written! It just wasn't my jam. *shrugs*

2. Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay [2/5]. I usually reserve two-star ratings for either (a) content or (b) boring school reads. I really expected to like this because so many of my friends liked it, too, but... 'twas a solid nope from me. 🙁

3. Rising Shadows by Ashley Townsend [5/5]. *sings* THIS BOOK, GUYS!!!! If you haven't read this, then READ IT. If you have read it, then buy another copy and read it anyway! BECAUSE THIS BOOK = SO MUCH YES + WILL IS A COMPLETE DREAMBOAT AND MAY I MARRY HIM PLEASE AND THANK YOU.

4. The Brightest Thread by Tracey Dyck [5/5]. I know, I know -- it's probably not proper to rate books that are still beta projects. But this story, guys... I LOVE IT SO MUCH. And I can't wait for the day it makes its way into YOUR hands!! 💞

MUSIC ROOM

Olaf's Frozen Adventure! And The Greatest Showman! And Taryn Harbridge's singles, Lindsey Sterling's Warmer in the Winter, and Lana del Rey's hits! I also made a playlist for 2017:

My word for 2017 was

                            adventure --

and I'm so thankful for how 2017 played out. I've looked back at pictures and writings from January, and Dragons... I'm not the same person now as I was then. I've grown since January, both mentally and spiritually. 💜

My word for 2018 is

                        light.

I've spent 2017 adventuring beyond my comfort zone, expanding my knowledge and connections, making new friends. I want to spend 2018 being a light to those people, whether it be through talking, writing, emailing, acting, whatever. I want to be a light for God. 💕

WRITING DESK

I've been hard at work outlining The Scent of the Stars, and I'm very excited for where it's going! I might even have a few snippets for you, come January or February Highlights. 😉 For now, here's the Pinterest board:

November/December Goal: Outline TSotS.

Current/Overall Goal: Finish draft one by spring 2018.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER BLOG ROLL

ELSEWHERE IN THE BLOGOSPHERE

• Nadine Brandes revealed the cover for her new book, Fawkes!!!!
• Hannah S.J. Williams and Anne Elisabeth Stengl announced the very first Tales of Goldstone Wood coloring book! *flails* My copy arrived on Wednesday, and GUUUYYYSSS... IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL. 😻
• Shantelle Mary @ Between the Pages of this Bookish Life turned twenty-one! *throws confetti* HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, SHANTELLE!!!!

Q&A: THE WRITER'S "WHEN YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT ME" QUESTIONAIRE

Thanks to Deborah Kelty for creating this and tagging me!

1. WHAT WAS THE FIRST STORY YOU WROTE?

The first one I remember was a short little piece I wrote just before I turned five. It was about a ballerina who was having a birthday party. 😉

2. WHERE DO YOU GAIN INSPIRATION?

Music! The song Welcome Home, Son by Radical Face is sure to get my creative juices flowing.

3. WHO/WHAT ENCOURAGED YOU TO BECOME A WRITER?

For me, it was simply a calling. And then I read Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl... and suddenly, I started taking writing seriously.

4. IF YOU HAD A CHOICE BETWEEN PAST OR PRESENT TENSE, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

I typically use the present tense for first person, and past tense for third.

5. WHAT'S YOUR "KRYPTONITE"?

The INTERNET. *screams* It's-- so-- DISTRACTING!

6. WHAT'S YOUR "SUPERMAN"?

Breaking down the "how-to"s. I'd like to think I'm rather good at that. 😛 If you're ever in the mood for some writing tips, I have a whole page on that.

7. GUILTY PLEASURES?

Description! I might be a little too obsessed with the details. 😜

8. WHAT GENRE WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN WRITING, ONE DAY?

*bursts into song* STEAMPUUUUNK! I already have a trilogy planned out, and I look forward to starting it, someday!

9. FAVORITE WRITING SNACK?

I don't always eat while writing (because I get distracted CRAZY easily), but when I do,* it's CHOCOLATE.

*See what I did there? 😏

Thanks for bearing with me through this rather blunt post! 😬 2018 resolution no. 1: set aside proper blogging time, and TAKE BREAKS!

Speaking of breaks, I plan to be gone until January sixth. I'll also take a social media break, but that won't start until this coming Tuesday or Wednesday. I'd tell you why, but all I can say now is TOP SECRET REASONS. And I CAN'T WAIT TO TELL YOU ABOUT THEM!!!! I should be able to tell y'all in January. 😉

Until then, merry Christmas and happy New Year! Have delightful and safe holidays, my Dragons. 💜

❤,

LITTLE WOMEN Read-Along // Week 2 // Chapters 12-23

WEEK TWO IS HERE, Y'ALL!!!! If you happened to miss week one, you're more than welcome to check it out here. 😊

To be honest... I'm kinda behind. On my own read-along. IT'S EMBARRASSING. (But I am on week two's reading, so I'm not terribly far! 😉) Anywhozens, pardon me if this week's questions don't cover all of chapters twelve through twenty-three. I'm tryin', folks. 😀

LAST WEEK...

I am completely LOVING this story! Here are my responses to last week's prompts:

1. Favorite quote: "...But, dear me, let us be elegant or die!" (chapter three). 😜

2. Which March sister am I? I think I'm a mix of Jo and Meg. I love romance and elegance (like Meg), but I'm a writer and rather clumsy person (like Jo).

3. Pink ice cream, white ice cream, cake, fruit, or French bonbons? YES, I'LL JUST TAKE ALL OF IT PLEASE THANK YOU.

4. I want to DAAAAANCE. (Let's ignore the fact that I can't actually dance. *shrugs and stalks off to indulge in more of Mr. Laurence's sweets*)

5. So this question was totally the first thing I thought to ask! But it felt so complex by the time I spilled it all out, I decided to save it for the end. 😉 I really relate to Jo in this regard. There are so many things guys can do that girls can't! But I totally love being a girl, too; pretty clothes, slumber parties, read-a-thons... 💜

DISCUSSION PROMPTS

Same as last time: feel free to answer all or any of the following questions. 😄

1. In chapter eleven, the March girls experiment with doing nothing for a day (and it totally doesn't work 😛). If you could have a day free from undesired obligations (i.e. school, work, etc.), what would you do (while still remaining productive)?
2. In chapter twelve, Mr. Brooke begins to show Meg special attention. Do you ship it or "rip" it? 😉
3. Chapter thirteen opens with Laurie's "unprofitable and unsatisfactory" day. Have you ever had a day that was positively dull/unproductive? If you ever feel that sort of day beginning, what do you do to remedy it?
4. Still in chapter thirteen, the March girls journey to a hill to "sew, read, cone, draw, or do all at once". If you could bring anything (wireless!) and go along with them, what would you bring/do? Why?
5. Further into the chapter, Beth, Meg, Jo, and Laurie discuss Heaven. What do you imagine Heaven to be like?

NEXT WEEK...

Next week, we'll start volume two to discuss chapters twenty-four through thirty-five! (Hopefully, I'll be back on track by then!) 😁

Any favorite quotes? If you've read ahead, do you have any suggestions for next week's discussion prompts?

❤,

UPDATE

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the remainder of the Little Women read-along has been cancelled. I'm so, so sorry, my dear Dragons! I feel SO bad that weeks three and four aren't happening. 💔

I still plan to continue reading Little Women, and I hope you do, too! If you'd like to share your thoughts on chapters twenty-three+ with me, feel free to discuss them in the comments, below.

Again, I am so, so sorry about this! I hope you have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. 💖

LITTLE WOMEN Read-Along // Week 1 // Chapters 1-11

HELLOOOOO MY DRAGONS IT IS OFFICIALLY THE KICK-OFF OF OUR LITTLE WOMEN READ-ALONG AND I COULDN'T BE MORE THRILLED (Well, okay, if I had a book releasing or a play happening in less than a week then yes, I WOULD BE MORE THRILLED. BUT REGARDLESS. I AM VERY, VERY EXCITED FOR THIS. 😍)

THIS WEEK...

This week, we're discussing chapters one through eleven. But don't freak out if you haven't read that much -- this read-along is commitment-free! 🙂

DISCUSSION PROMPTS

Feel free to answer any -- or all! -- of the following questions. (Confession: most of these questions are geared towards girls... but, if you're a guy who wants to join in, you're more than welcome to answer the questions and tweak them as you see fit!)

1. Do you have a favorite quote thus far?
2. Which of the March sisters do you relate to most? Whose personality/worldview most resembles yours?
3. In chapter two, Mr. Laurence sends the March family "ice cream -- actually two dishes of it, pink and white -- and cake and fruit and distracting French bonbons..." Which of these foods would you most like to try (or eat again)?
4. In chapter three, Meg and Jo attend a ball. Regardless of how damaged or un-damaged your gown might be, would you prefer to keep to the shadows as Jo does, or dance and merry-make like Meg?
5. Jo believes that she is "the man of the family now [that] Papa is away" (chapter one). Throughout the beginning of the novel, Jo clearly expresses her wish to be born a boy. Do you sympathize with Jo? Is there anything you find that you might or might not do as a girl? What about girlhood do you particularly enjoy/appreciate?

NEXT WEEK...

Next week, we'll be discussing chapters twelve through twenty-three. Again, no pressure! If you're behind or ahead, you're welcome to pop in and out as you wish. 😁

So, what do you think of Little Women thus far? Any discussion prompts you'd like to respond to?

❤,

This December: LITTLE WOMEN Read-Along!

My dear Dragons, I have a confession: I HAVE NEVER READ LITTLE WOMEN. (THERE. I SAID IT.) I've seen the movie dozens of times over, cried every time at THAT ONE PART, and cried again at THAT BEAUTIFUL ENDING. With the holidays approaching, don't you think it's high time I read the book? Dragon... would you like to read Little Women with me?

Here's what to expect:

• Eleven chapters per week, which is approximately one-and-a-half chapters per day
• Book discussions every Friday, from December first to December twenty-second
• Chats with fellow fans of Louisa May Alcott
• Reading Little Women for the first time... or again, with new friends to fangirl with!

Here is the schedule:

1. December first: discuss chapters one through eleven
2. December eighth: discuss chapters twelve through twenty-three
3. December fifteenth: discuss chapters twenty-four through thirty-five
4. December twenty-first: discuss chapters thirty-six through forty-seven

No commitment is required. If you're interested in participating, feel free to pop in and out whenever you please, and if you fall behind or get ahead, that's totally fine! 🙂

If you'd like to continue the discussion on Twitter or Instagram, you're more than welcome to tag me and use the hashtag #WinterWithLouisa.

I hope to see you there!

❤,