Paint by Number Painting I Made for My Dad

Reviews Week 51

 Reviews Week 51

December 19th-25th

Book 182: Merry Christmas Cupid

By N. R. Walker

Read December 19th-21st

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I adore all of N. R. Walker's books in the Hartbridge Christmas series. This is the third book in that series and could technically stand on its own, but it is better after reading the other two. Especially with Jayden, Cass, Hamish, and Ren all making appearances. I love Gunter's friendship with Jayden and Hamish in this book, along with the romance. 

N. R. Walker always does an excellent job with the secondary characters in her books, along with the main characters. Gunter and Clay had a sweet story together that I enjoyed. My favorite part of this book was the relationship between Clay and his dad, Cliff. Cliff was such a great character. 

Another great addition to N. R. Walker's books. I hope that she continues on with this series next year, with the cop as one of the main characters. 

Book 183: A Christmas Carol 

By Charles Dickens

Read December 23rd

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December 23rd, 2022 read- 

I do not know how many times I have heard/read/ or seen this story over the years, but it is and always will be one of my absolute favorite stories. It is the quintessential Christmas story I have to experience at least once every year. There are so many incredible movie versions of this tale. This time around, I listened to Neil Gaiman's reading of the story and read the extra aspects of this version of the book. I love this visual journey through the story. It was wonderful.

December 15th, 2021 read- 

This is not the second time I have read or experienced this incredible story. I don't know how many times I have, but I adore it more and more every time I do. This time around, I listened to a version done by the BTE (a theatre from where I live), which was absolutely amazing. I cannot get enough of this story.

December 7th, 2017 read-

 I have read, watched, and listened to this story so many times I could probably recite every plot point. It will never get old for me. I first fell in love with this story when I was a child with Mickey's Christmas Carol. I do not know how many times I have consumed A Christmas Carol, but most likely, it's been over thirty.

You have probably heard of this story before, but for those that have not, I'll give a quick synopsis. We follow Ebenezer Scrooge and his encounters with four ghosts on Christmas Eve. Scrooge has lived a good part of his life mean-spirited. He is an arrogant, insensitive, and quite a cold miser, who spends every day miserable at the world around him. His old friend Jacob Marley (who has been dead for seven years) comes as a ghost that night to give Scrooge a chance to change his ways, so he doesn't end up like Marley. Marley has been doomed to wander the earth as a spirit, to carry the burden of his sins in the chains on his back forever.

The other three ghosts that Scrooge encounters are Christmases past, present, and future. They each help him see the errors in his actions and help show the overall message of this story. A Christmas Carol is known for its story and Scrooge's redemption. We want him to succeed; at least, I know that I do. Yes, he is a curmudgeon, but that does not mean there is no room for change. Like I have said before, I grew up with Mickey's Christmas Carol. One of my favorite characters from Disney cartoons was Scrooge McDuck. It was great getting introduced to this famous literary character through him, especially since Scrooge McDuck is based on Ebenezer.

As we follow Scrooge through his journey through his past, present, and a possible future, we learn a good amount about him. He is never really as cold-hearted as he seems. There are many glimpses of a softer side to Scrooge that shows that he really could change. Our other characters, such as Bob Cratchett and his family, are also a joy to read about. This is a family that has hardly any money, but they can still see the joy of Christmas. Spending time with their family is the most important thing to them. The ghosts are also each distinct from each other and bring about some quite interesting scenes.

This novel just brings a warm feeling to my heart every time I read it. This story is a favorite of mine that I know will never change. It's a classic for a very good reason. If you have not taken the time to enjoy this before now, please pick it up in some fashion. I believe that you will enjoy the overall message and get something out of it.

Book 184: Hogfather

By Terry Pratchett

Read December 22nd-23rd

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December 22nd-23rd, 2022 review-

Now, after reading every one of Terry Pratchett's books, I can say with great certainty that this book is my favorite from the series. It is one of the books that I could read over and over again. And I still never get tired of it. Terry has written what has become one of the quintessential books I feel like I have to reread every year around Christmas. I love how into Hogswatch Death gets and how he wants to make it better for everyone. The references are wonderful and always a joy to read. This is just a perfect book for me in every single way.

December 23rd, 2020 review-

This is the second time I have read this book, and I can confidently say this is still my favorite book in the series. The humor, discussions on life, humanity, belief, and countless references make this book perfect. Terry had such a way with words that was just amazing. Everything fits perfectly.

His discussions on belief throughout the series are some of the best sections of his writing. Whether that be about Gods or in this case the amphomorphic figures such as the Hogfather (the "Santa Claus" of the Discworld). Death especially has a lot of great lines about the importance of belief to humanity. He gets a lot wrong when he is trying to understand humans in general, but he understands them in a way that a lot never will. I always find the Death series books so interesting from his perspective. His enjoyment of the holiday and his journey with Albert are some really great parts of this book. He wants to make Hogswatch better for those that need it. I loved seeing him get excited about gift-giving, especially in the store. His determination to get his Ho Ho Hos right was just so sweet.

Susan is such a great character too. It's enjoyable following her as she tried to solve what was going on with the Hogfather and her grandfather. I loved reading about her going after the monsters that are scaring the children. She is a strong character that I believe is one of the best in the series. Her perspective is just another great part of this book. Also, seeing her use her abilities, which she somehow inherited through her adoptive grandfather, just makes her scenes even better. She does not like getting in touch with these aspects. She would much rather be normal even though she is nothing close to normal.

The scenes in this book with the wizards at the Unseen University are just some of the best. I found it absolutely hilarious that they kept conjuring fairies and gods out of thin air by just talking about these ideas. Especially the Cheerful Fairy. I don't think I have laughed so hard in a long time.

One final aspect I would like to touch on is the references to other Christmas properties throughout the book. I love Terry's use of pop culture throughout the entire series, and this definitely did not disappoint. We get references to "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus", "The Little Match Girl", A Christmas Carol, so many songs, and many other properties. Some were comical, and others were just so touching, especially "The Little Match Girl". There are many writers that use pop culture in their books, and it just doesn't work. That doesn't happen with Terry's.

One of the best quotes from the entire series (let alone this book)

"All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."

REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.

"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"

YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.

"So we can believe the big ones?"

YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.

"They're not the same at all!"

YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.

"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"

MY POINT EXACTLY.”

My Favorites of Fall 2022

  🍂 My Favorites of Fall 2022 🍁 

Below, I have listed some of my favorite music, movies, movie trailers, YouTube videos, and TV that I have watched or listened to this fall. This has been a great season for some amazing entertainment.

🎞️ Movies:

1. Hocus Pocus 2 (watched September 30th)- I have been waiting for this movie for years ever since it was first announced that they were going to make a sequel to Hocus Pocus. The first movie is one of my favorite Halloween movies ever. This movie was so much fun! I loved the references to the original movie and the way that they took the story this time around. The beginning of the movie with the young versions of the witches was wonderful. Those girls did such an incredible job playing the characters, and they really felt authentic. I’d love to see a movie or show based on them as young Winifred, Mary, and Sarah. Also, the new girls that they had playing the present-day teenagers were great. Here’s hoping they do something with them in the future. This movie had me laughing so hard in parts and tearing up by the end. It was everything I wanted in a sequel to the original movie and made me incredibly happy. I will definitely be playing it on repeat, along with the first, for years to come. 

2. Sonic 2 (watched October 17th)- I watched the first Sonic movie earlier this year, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. This movie was just as great as the first. I enjoyed seeing Sonic make more friends in this one. Going into this movie and the first, I did not know much about the Sonic games at all. I have played a couple of them a bit, but not much at all. It was great seeing the new characters in this one that I know are popular Sonic characters, Tails and Knuckles. I'm interested to see where they are going to go in the next one. James Marsden and his family are great characters also, and I adored their scenes in this one. Especially at the wedding. His sister-in-law is hilarious. Jim Carrey was just as great in this movie as he was in the first, though I am upset that this is supposed to be his last movie. Here's hoping he changes his mind so he can be in the next one. 

3. Disenchanted (watched November 22nd)- Another sequel that came out this year for an old favorite of mine. I adore Enchanted with all my heart. The music is phenomenal, Amy Adams is wonderful as Giselle, and the overall story will always be a favorite of mine. Needless to say, I went into this movie highly excited, and I really enjoyed it. I like where they took the story this time around and how they played with fairy tale tropes again. That is one of my favorite aspects of the original movie, and this movie took that in an interesting way. I'm glad that they gave Idina Menzel a song this time around, also. You can't have an incredible talent like that in a movie and not give her a song. This movie was a lot of fun, and I'm glad that we finally got a sequel. It is not as good as the first for me, but I did not think that was going to happen because that movie sets a high bar. 

4. Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (Watched December 11th)- This is not a movie, but I'm going to count it as one anyway. I loved this special so much and the adventure that Drax and Mantis went on to cheer up Peter at Christmas. Also, Kevin Bacon is finally in a Guardians of the Galaxy story. It was a wonderful Christmas special that I know I will watch for years to come. So much fun. 

5. Ticket to Paradise (Watched December 20th)- For my birthday every year, I always try to go to the movies so I can get my free popcorn in December. I saw that our movie theater was still playing Ticket to Paradise with Julia Roberts and George Clooney, and I knew we had to go see it. My mother and I had such a great time watching this gem. I have loved Julia Roberts' movies all my life, and this is another really fun one from her. She and George Clooney have such great chemistry in this movie, and they play off of each other well. Kaitlyn Dever did a great job as their daughter, and Billie Lourd was great as usual. It is everything you would expect from a movie like this, and I was glad about that. Such a funny movie.

🎵 Music:

This season has been so great for music. I spent a lot of time listening to all of these songs and albums over and over again. 

1. Taylor Swift's Midnights album- I cannot believe that this is Taylor's tenth studio album. She has been one of my favorite singers ever since the first one. I love how poetic Taylor's songs have become over the years. She's always had a poetic side, but it's so much more now. My favorites from the album are "Maroon," "Anti-Hero," "Bejeweled," "Paris," “Mastermind,” "Hits Different," and "Dear Reader." The 3 AM edition songs are great and also "Hits Different" from the Target version of the album. I adore this album so much. 

2. "Where We Started" by Thomas Rhett and Katy Perry- This song is absolutely beautiful. Wow! Thomas and Katy's voices sound so wonderful together. I have always loved Thomas Rhett, and Katy's voice fits country so well. I hope she does some more. 

3. "Come What May" cover by Luke Evans and Charlotte Church-The original version of "Come What May" by Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman is one of my absolute favorite songs of all time. I cannot help but tear up whenever I hear it. This version is a new favorite for me. Luke Evans is a fantastic singer, and Charlotte sounds so beautiful along with him. 

4. "Circles" and "Pumped Up Kicks" cover by Niall Horan (From the Live Lounge)- Great mashup cover of two songs that I love. Niall melds these songs together in such a neat way. Loved it. 

5. "Out of My System" by Louis Tomlinson- Gotta say I'm so excited to have more Louis Tomlinson music. The new album comes out on November 11th, so not too long now!! I'll always love Louis's voice. 

6. "Bigger Than Me" by Louis Tomlinson- This song hit me hard when I first heard it. I love the message behind it, and I cannot wait to hear the rest of the songs on the album. Louis's voice is beautiful. 

7. "Love You Like the Movies" by Anthem Lights- I cannot say how many times I have listened to this song this season, but it has been a lot. It is one of my favorites. 

8. "Drive" by Ben Rector- Ben Rector's songs will always be favorites for me. 

9. "Coming Home" by Sheppard- I love singing along with this song. 

10. "Skeletons" by Brothers Osborne- I have come to think of this song as The Sandman show theme song. I love how well it fits and the episodes that it is in. 

11. "Levitating" by Dua Lipa- Love this song

12. "Dance- Acoustic" by Tim Halperin- Great song.

13. "Smoky Mountain Rain" by Ronnie Milsap- Beautiful oldie that had to make this list. I heard it for the first time this season and fell in love with it. 

14. "Devils in the Canyon" by The Strike- I love the songs that Spotify recommends to me. This was one of those gems and it is wonderful. Can't help but sing and dance along every time it plays. 

15. "Celestial" by Ed Sheeran- Love Ed's new song.

16. "Wink" by Neal McCoy- An old favorite that I have been listening to a lot lately. 

17. "Taylor Swift" by Matt Cooper- I love how Matt used Taylor Swift's songs and lyrics in this song. Beautiful. 

18. "That's My Job" by Conway Twitty- Another oldie that I heard for the first time this season. A great sad song with a wonderful message. I love the country songs that tell stories. 

19. "Falling for a Stranger" by Scotty McCreery- One of my favorite songs from him in a while. 

20. "So Close" (from Enchanted) by Jon McLaughlin- Beautiful!

📺 TV Shows:

1. WandaVision (Watched on October 7th)- Wanda is my favorite Marvel character besides Loki and Wong. I have been really looking forward to watching this series ever since I finished Endgame. It was everything I wanted it to be and so much more. The interconnectedness of the show was incredible, especially with the whole mystery of what is going on in Westview. There were so many beautiful lines during this show, especially in the ninth episode. 

2. Mandalorian (Watched November 28th -December 15th)- I'm very late
getting into this show, but damn is it good. I adore the relationship between Mando and Grogu so much. It would be great to just keep getting more and more adventures with them in the Star Wars Universe. Also, I really enjoyed the other characters in the show and seeing other parts of the Star Wars Galaxy, not just the same planets again and again. I had such an incredible time watching the two seasons and cannot wait to get the third next year. Grogu is one of my top favorite Star Wars characters. Lol

🖥️ YouTube:

1. Books and Lala

~ first sentence challenge + scavenger hunt w/ ROB- I'll always love Kayla's videos with Rob. 

~ Reading More Fun Mystery Novels 🔎- Cozy mysteries are my favorite types of mystery stories. I really want to read some of these that Kayla read in this video. Love her vlogs!

~ Autumnal Book Haul 🍂🐝

~ Reading Sci-Fi & Fantasy Authors I've Hated & Loved Before | 3RD TIME'S THE CHARM VLOG

~ Reading from 5⭐ Authors

~ reading like I'm 16 again | Re-Reading Favourite Books from 11th Grade- I love her reread series.

~reading for the thrills & chills 🎃🔪 weekendween vlog

~Instagram Controls my Weekend | Reading Vlog

~Reading Challenge Announcement | 2023 Buzzwordathon

2. SuperCarlin Brothers

~ J vs Ben: ULTIMATE Chamber of Secrets Harry Potter TRIVIA Quiz- I love the quizzes that they do, especially the Harry Potter ones. 

~ What If Mirabel Never Hugged Isabela? | Encanto Film Theory- Their theory videos are some of my favorites 

~ Elsa VS Pepa- Who is More POWERFUL? | Disney Film Theory- Loved their song cover. Lol 😂 

~The TRUTH About the Night Voldemort Attacked - FULL TIMELINE | Harry Potter Film Theory

~ What If Diary Riddle Came Back? | Harry Potter Film Theory

~ J vs Ben: ULTIMATE Prisoner of Azkaban Harry Potter TRIVIA Quiz

~ Proof That Dumbledore NEVER Liked Snape | Harry Potter Film Theory

~J vs Ben: ULTIMATE Disney Villain Trivia Quiz | BEAN BOOZLED PUNISHMENT- Almost got them all right. The falling one was definitely tricky. 

~PROOF That Severus Snape Is A Vampire | Harry Potter Film Theory- All I have to say is that I believe it. Lol 😂 

~Will Hogwarts Legacy Be Canon? | Harry Potter Game Theory- I cannot wait for this game. I like hearing their thoughts on it in this video. 

~What If Lupin Never Became A Werewolf? | Harry Potter Film Theory

~J vs Ben: HARDEST Goblet of Fire Harry Potter Trivia | PSYCHO HOT SAUCE PUNISHMENT- I love the punishments that they are adding.

~J vs Ben: HARDEST Frozen Triva Quiz| POLAR PLUNGE PUNISHMENT- I love that they are adding punishments to their quizzes. I love the Harry Potter quizzes but it’s always fun when they do Disney ones. 

~What If Dumbledore Never Put On The Ring? | Harry Potter Film Theory- I love the What If videos that they create. 

~The TRUTH About Kristoff’s Parents | Frozen Film Theory

3. The Library of Allenxandria

~ Book Jeopardy Season 2 Episode 2 | Philip v Ben v Kyle- I love Book Jeopardy so much! Great questions this time around. Loved the One Star Classics category. Hope he does more of those soon.

~ Ancient Greece 1. 2 | The Iliad and Greek Identity- Allen’s history series, along with the Book Jeopardy videos, are some of my favorite content on YouTube. I love the way he is doing these videos. They make me think of my History teacher from High School, and that makes me so happy. I look forward to seeing more of these videos. 

~ Reread, Rewrite, Burn! | Ft. The Lovely Christina!- Great challenge video with Christina! These are always a lot of fun. 

~ Ancient Greece 1.3 | Theseus Part 1 - Journey to Athens- Allen's descriptions of the labors of Theseus are amazing. So damn great. This journey throughout Greece is so much fun. I didn't even know anything about Theseus's labors, so this was so cool. 

~ Unpopular Opinions 2.0- I love unpopular opinion tags. I might have to do this one, sometime soon. 

~Ancient Greece 1.4 | Theseus Part 2 - Mazes, Maidens,and Minotaurs!- These videos are incredible. My favorite series on Booktube right now! His depiction of Hades is perfect. 

4. "Celestial" - Ed Sheeran Live on The Late Show- I adore this song so much and this live performance was beautiful. 

5. John Campea

~ Sandman Gets Renewed For Season 2 At Netflix- All I have to say is that the news of Sandman being renewed is the best news that I have heard all year!!

~ Super Mario Preview At The Game Awards Looks Irresistible

6. Reba McEntire - I Needed Christmas (2022 Version)- Beautiful song and great video. I want to see this movie. 

7. Niall Horan, Lewis Capaldi - I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (from Guinness Homecoming)- This is incredible! Their voices go so well together. 

8. Commercials H20 - Nostalgia Critic- I watch Nostalgia Critic's Commercial video every year, and this was another great one. They are always so funny!

9. James Marsden Begged Idina Menzel to Sing With Him on Set- James Marsden and Idina Menzel are great together. I loved seeing them again in Disenchanted, and I know that this will probably never happen, but I would love it if they got a tv series set in Andalasia. This video is so much fun, and I adore it. Also, their other videos together on James Corden's show were great.

🖥️ Trailers

1. The Super Mario Bros. Movie | Official Teaser Trailer (watched on October 6th)- This teaser trailer was so much fun. I've watched it a bunch of times since it has come out. The Bowser stuff in the trailer was great, and Jack Black was the perfect choice for his voice. The Mushroom Kingdom looked stunning, along with the animation. Illumination always makes good-looking movies. 

2. Spirited — Official Teaser | Apple TV+- This movie looks like it is going to be a lot of fun. I will always love Will Ferrel and Ryan Renyolds. 

Shows

1. A Christmas Carol play at the BTE in Bloomsburg, Pa (December 1st)- My family and friends love seeing the play performances at the BTE every year. I was so happy to find out that they were doing A Christmas Carol again because it is my favorite play and the BTE does such a great job. This year, I loved their interpretation of the play

2. Philadelphia Freedom: A Tribute to Elton John in Haas at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania (December 3rd)- I had a lot of fun at this show. Philadelphia Freedom is a Tribute to Elton John that was absolutely wonderful. Doug Delescavage did an incredible job embodying Elton and sings beautifully. My mother and I had an amazing time watching the show and I would love to go see him again in concert. 

Reviews Week 50

 Reviews Week 50

December 12th-18th

Book 178: Sabriel (The Old Kingdom Book 1)

By Garth Nix

Read December 11th-14th

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This is the third time I have tried to read this book, and I did not enjoy it. At least I was able to finish it this time around. One of my favorite tropes in fantasy stories is creatures being turned into cats. Such as demons, wizards, or witches. It excited me that one of these characters was in the book, and I wanted to read it immediately after hearing this. Mogget, the demon turned cat, was the best part of this book for me. I still didn’t enjoy this book as much as I wanted. 

The magic system and the world intrigued me initially, but Sabriel is a bland main character. I was interested in her school at the beginning and the others around her; I did not want to read much about her after a while. Then we get the character that Mogget nicknames Touchstone, who is even blander than Sabriel. His backstory was interesting, but there needed to be more substance to his character as a whole. 

Also, I was disappointed that we got so little of her father in this story, especially in the prologue. The story was supposed to focus on Sabriel, but I wanted more of him. There is a book that Garth Nix just published recently focusing on Sabriel’s parents that does sound good. I may eventually pick up other books in this series.

Overall, I wish I loved this book much more than I did. 

Book 179: The Serpent’s Secret (Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond Book 1)

By Sayantani DasGupta

Read December 16th-17th

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I do not know much about Indian Mythology, but I thoroughly enjoyed what was in this book. It took me a bit to get into Kiran’s character, but as the story continued, I grew to love her and this world so much. This book had a significant amount of Indian Mythology mixed in with modern humor. Learning about the mythological creatures I had never heard of before was neat. This book is excellent for fans of Rick Riordan and other modern takes on Mythology. 

The new dimension that Kiran goes to with the princes is intriguing, with the moving map, the winged horses, the Rakkhoshi, and the various kingdoms throughout. My favorite character in the story was a talking bird named Tuntuni, who was the royal advisor to the king. He was adorable, and I loved his sarcastic attitude throughout. I hope that he will be in future books in the series. 

Also, the inclusion of scientific elements such as astronomy were wonderful additions to the story as a whole, and I like that they were easy to understand. I loved the world that she explored with the riddles and the rhyming. It was so much fun. 

I love the messages throughout this book, and I believe it would be great for any age. This book shows the importance of family (both birth and adoptive). It had a lot of humor throughout, but the most crucial aspect of the book was the relationships, which were the heart of the story. 

Sayantani also included a note at the end of the book where she discussed the cultural elements she used throughout and where she got her inspiration. I’m glad that books are being published that tell these tales and give a voice to authors from many different cultures. This book made me want to learn more about Indian Mythology and Bengali culture. I especially loved the folktales that we got throughout. I cannot wait for the rest of this series to see where Kiran, Keel, Tuntuni, and the rest of the gang go from here. This book is an entertaining read that I recommend. 

Book 180: Once Upon a Wardrobe

By Patti Callahan

Read December 18th

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I, similarly to George, was introduced to Narnia with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis when I was about nine or ten years old. My grandmother got me the whole Narnia series for Easter after that, and I instantly fell in love with most of the series. About twenty years later, I still adore the series as I did when I was a child. 

“The way stories change us can't be explained,' Padraig says. 'It can only be felt. Like love.”

This book is a beautiful story about the love between a sister and a brother and the lengths she will go to for him. Megs' little brother George falls in love with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and wants Megs to find out where Narnia came from for C. S. Lewis. Megs goes to meet C.S. Lewis (who goes by Jack) to find the answer to her brother's question. Throughout the novel, Jack tells Megs about his life, and she tells her brother the story. I adored this novel with all my heart and soul.

“Once upon a wardrobe, not very long ago and not far away,”

I loved that this story occurred right after the first Narnia book was published. Going into this book, I knew a lot about Jack's life, but I loved learning even more. I also enjoyed how this book showed how deeply George and Jack loved reading and how it helped them in their lives. Once Upon a Wardrobe was an absolutely beautiful novel that I highly recommend to Narnia and C.S. Lewis fans. I know that I will pick up the other books by Patti Callahan, especially Becoming Mrs. Lewis. 

Book 181: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: A Commemorative Pop-Up

Adapted by Robert Sabuda 

Read December 18th

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A great pop-up book adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. I enjoyed how Robert Sabuda used smaller pages on the larger pages throughout the book to add even more of Baum's text within the pop-up book. There was much more of the story than I had expected because he did this. This book was one of the best I have seen within the medium, and I enjoyed how it told the story. 

Robert's pop-up art is incredible, especially Oz's hot-air balloon and the tornado at the beginning. This is not a perfect adaptation, but I enjoyed it so much. Many of the pop-ups in the book are intricate and might not be the best for younger children. You have to be careful when you close the book.

Overall, this is a beautiful adaptation of a book I adore with all my heart. It is stunning to look at and is an excellent introduction to the Oz series. I will definitely be trying to pick up Robert's other pop-up adaptations, such as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Peter Pan, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Little Mermaid. 

Books On My Winter 2022-2023 To-Read List

 

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

☃️ Books On My Winter 2022-2023 To-Read List ❄️

Here are ten books that I would like to read by March 20, 2023. 

I decided to pick five books that are getting published in 2023 for this list. Three of these books I have ARCs of, and I cannot wait to get to them next year. The other five books are books that I have on my list of 23 books to read in 2023. 

1. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

2. Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson

3. Juniper Harvey and the Vanishing Kingdom by Nina Varela

4. The Adventure Zone: The Eleventh Hour by Clint McElroy, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy, and Carey Pietsch

5. Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper

6. The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll

7. Only You Can Save Mankind by Terry Pratchett

8. In the Lifes of Puppets by TJ Klune

9. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

10. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

Reviews Week 49

 Reviews Week 49

December 5th-11th

Book 170: We Wish You a Merry Christmas 

and Other Festive Poems

by Chris Riddell 

Read on December 3rd-5th

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I picked up this collection because I love Christmas, poetry, and Chris Riddell’s illustrations. It was a great little collection, and I enjoyed most of the poems. Many of them were ones that I had heard before. Like the titular poem, many are now known as Christmas songs. For instance: “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” “We Three Kings,” and “Deck the Halls.” My favorite Christmas poem is “The Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore. Neil Gaiman’s poem “Nicholas Was…” was my favorite poem from this collection. I haven’t read any of Neil’s poems before, and this one was wonderful. 

Book 171: Urbanshee 

by Siaara Freeman

Read on December 5th

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Going into this poetry collection, I expected the poems to be urbanized/modernized versions of fairy tales, myths, and fables. It is the first thing mentioned in the description. There were references and allusions to Zeus, Athena, and many other mythological and fantastical beings, but many do not have these aspects. I know I went in expecting more of that because of the description, but Siaara’s poetry is some of the best I have ever read or heard. I highly recommend reading this collection of poetry.

I really enjoyed how Siaara discussed such raw topics for her, such as race, religion, and the loss of her father. The poems that she wrote about him were my favorites. I looked up her slam poetry, and I completely recommend watching her perform these poems. They are incredible. She does an excellent job evoking emotions into her poetry that the reader can feel the entire time reading or watching her perform.

Siaara is an incredible poet, and I look forward to picking up Urbanshee for my poetry collection. Along with the powerful messages Siaara conveys, I thoroughly love how she formatted each of her poems. As a poet and a lover of poetry, I enjoy seeing how others decide to present their poetry to their readers. I highly recommend this to the poetry lovers out there. 

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC of the collection. All opinions are my own. *

Book 172: The Famously Funny Parrott  

by Eric Daniel Weiner

Read on December 5th

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This book was a fun collection of four humorous little stories for children. Freddie Parrott was a character with the right amount of ridiculousness that children would love to read about. He continued throughout the collection to cause trouble because he thought he knew more than he did instead of listening to his butler and friend, Peccary. 

I enjoyed the first two stories the most out of the collection. They, in my opinion, were the funniest parts. This book reminded me a bit of the Wayside Books by Louis Sachar, especially with his brand of humor that I know I loved when I was younger. It would be a great book for children, and I know that the little girl I watch would especially love the first story with the knock-knock jokes. 

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC of the book. All opinions are my own.*

Book 173: The Sheperd's Crown

by Terry Pratchett

Read on December 8th

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I started the Discworld series in March 2017 and have loved my time there. My favorite characters from the series are Granny Weatherwax, Death, Sam Vimes, Susan Sto Helit, Nanny Ogg, and Tiffany Aching. It has been a joy to see where the series has come since the beginning, and I'm sad to say that I have finished it. 

In his afterward for this book, Rob Wilkins explains that there is a beginning, middle, and end for this book, but that Terry was unable to finish it in the way he would have liked before his death. I can see what he is talking about, but that did not ruin my enjoyment of this book. It was great to have one last adventure in this world, and it felt like a fitting end to the series. 

Tiffany is one of my favorite characters from the series, and I enjoyed seeing where she ended up in this book. I won't spoil any of the plot points here. The entire book hit me hard and had me crying for many reasons. I'm sad to see it end, but I will revisit these characters again and again for the rest of my life. 

Thank you to Terry for such a fantastic series with which I have had such a great time. You'll forever be one of the best writers, at least to me. And I'll end this review with some very powerful words from the book:

“FOR I CAN SEE THE BALANCE AND YOU HAVE LEFT THE WORLD MUCH BETTER THAN YOU FOUND IT, AND IF YOU ASK ME, said Death, NOBODY COULD DO ANY BETTER THAN THAT. . . .”

Book 174: Lost Legends of Nothing

by Alejandra Green and Fanny Rodriguez

Read on December 8th

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The world of Nothing is so such an immersive one that I enjoyed even more this time around. I love how much more information we got about the world's past, and I cannot wait to see what else we learn if the authors return to it again. Found family stories are always my favorite, and Nathan, Haven, Sina, and Bardou are such a great group. I love their dynamic, and I hope we get more of them soon. 

The art style was stunning, just like the last volume, especially the bright coloring. It's beautiful to look at, along with a fantastic storyline. I highly recommend picking up this volume along with the first if you have not. They are great reads with interesting world-building, fleshed-out characters, and unique mythology. Overall, it's a fun read that I believe fantasy lovers will enjoy. I preordered my copy as soon as I heard about it, and I love that I was given the opportunity to read it early. 

*Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*

Book 175: The Middle Age- Sword Troubles: A Sir Quimp Fantasy Graphic Novel

by Steve Conley

Read on December 9th

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This short book was a fun little story that I enjoyed reading. I remember this book was recommended to me a while back because I enjoyed the Groo graphic novel series. The comparison makes sense to me though I enjoyed Groo's adventures better than Quimp's. This did have one of my favorite fantasy tropes, which is the sarcastic talking sword. I can't get enough of that trope in books, and I love whenever I can find it. 

Book 176: The Middle Age- Better Than Nothing: A Sir Quimp Fantasy Graphic Novel

by Steve Conley

Read on December 9th-10th

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Like the first volume, I really enjoyed this book too. I hope that Steve Conley will continue with this series because I will pick up the next one. I like how he plays on fantasy tropes throughout this book and the first one. 

Book 177: William Shakespeare's Christmas Carol 

by Ian Doescher 

Read on December 11th

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Two of my favorite things in literature are A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and many of Shakespeare's plays. This is a book that I have wanted to pick up for quite some time, and I am happy to say that I finally have. Ian is famous for his Shakespearean versions of the Star Wars movies that I have yet to read. I had a lot of fun reading this and seeing the references to many of Shakespeare's plays throughout, along with the story. My favorite parts were Puck as The Ghost of Christmas Past and The Witches as the thieves. 

Buzzword 2022 Reading Challenge & 2023 Prompts

 I remember when Kayla from BooksandLala made the announcement video for this challenge at the end of last year. She has done the Buzzword reading challenge multiple times, and I always wanted to do it but never had. This year I was planning on doing it, but I forgot about it. On September 9th, 2022, she created a new video where she completed the challenge herself. Funnily enough, I have completed each of the challenges without even knowing it by that point. 

The Buzzword reading challenge was created by Kayla from BooksandLala, and the graphics below were also created by her. 

For the challenge, you pick a book that goes along with the buzzword or buzzwords for each month. 

2022 Reading Challenge Announcement- The announcement from last year

Completing My Year-Long Reading Challenge | Reading Vlog- Her new video

The books I read for each challenge

❄️ January- The 5 w's: Pick a book that has either the word who, what, when, where, why, or how. 

            When We Were Young by A. A. Milne

            Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J. K. Rowling 

            Somewhere out There by Don Bluth

            Part of My World: What I've Learned from the Little Mermaid about Love, Faith, and Finding My Voice by Jodi Benson

            Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein by Lita Judge

❤️ February- Pronouns: she, me, he, his, her, us, we, etc. 

    

            Part of My World by Jodi Benson

            Somewhere Out There: My Animated Life by Don Bluth

            Oh My Gods Vol 1 by Stephanie Cooke

            Oh My Gods Vol 2: The Forgotten Maze by Stephanie Cooke

            Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J. K. Rowling

            When We Were Young by A. A. Milne

            Now We are Six by A. A. Milne

            The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett

            We Wish You a Merry Christmas and Other Festive Poems by Chris Riddell 

            I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett 

☘️ March- Locations

            The City Under the City by Dan Yaccarino

            Castle Waiting by Linda Medley 

            The Land of Stories: Beyond the Kingdoms by Chris Colfer

            The Land of Stories: Worlds Collide by Chris Colfer

            Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

            A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R. R. Martin

            The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Primary Phase by Douglas Adams

            The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander 

            Encanto: Graphic Novel by Random House Disney

            The Lost Wonderland Diaries by J. Scott Savage

            The Twilight Library by Carmen Oliver

            Dragons at the Crumbling Castle by Terry Pratchett

            The Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Romeo and Juliet by Ian Lendler

            The Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Macbeth by Ian Lendler

            Blood of Troy by Claire M. Andrews

            The Sandman Vol. 3: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman

            The Vermilion Emporium by Jamie Pacton

            The Legend of Misty Mountains by Shiva Sethuraman 

            The Castle of Tangled Magic by Sophie Anderson

            Magic Kingdom by Extended Play

            The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum 

            Alice in Verse: The Lost Rhymes of Wonderland by J.T. Holden 

            The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

🐇 April- Big & Little 

    

            Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

            Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

            Part of My World: What I've Learned from the Little Mermaid about Love, Faith, and Finding My Voice by Jodi Benson

            The Little Mermaid and Other Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Anderson

            The Little Endless Storybook by Jill Thomspon 

            Delirium's Party: A Little Endless Storybook by Jill Thompson

            The Journey: Big Panda and Tiny Dragon by James Norbury

🌼 May- Directions 

    

           North Wind by Alexandria Warwick

           Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer

           Under the Whispering Door by T. J. Klune

☀️June- "All"

            All-New Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1: Communication Breakdown by Gerry Duggan

            All-New Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2: Riders in the Sky by Gerry Duggan

🧨 July- Book-Related Words

            The Wand in the Word: Conversations with Writers of Fantasy edited by Leonard S. Marcus

            The Lost Wonderland Diaries by J. Scott Savage

            The Twilight Library by Carmen Oliver

            Literary Critters: William Shakesbear's Journey for Inspiration by Sophie Corrigan

            Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Witches

            Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Dragons

            The Land of Stories: An Author's Odyssey by Chris Colfer

            Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Giants

            Story Thieves by James Riley

            Snow White and Other Grimms' Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

            The Library of the Unwritten by A. J. Hackwith

            The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

🏖️ August- Items

            Winnie the Pooh: The Little Things in Life by Catherine Hapka

            The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

            Spear by Nicola Griffith 

            The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander

            The Lost Wonderland Diaries by J. Scott Savage

            Secrets of the Looking Glass by J. Scott Savage

            Thirty Things by Cate Ashwood

            Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones

            Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

            A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett

            Under the Whispering Door by T. J. Klune

            The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

            The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning by Chris Colfer

            The Kite by N. R. Walker

            Christmas Wish List by N. R. Walker

            Crumbs by Danie Stirling

            The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House - 30th Anniversary Edition by Neil Gaiman

            Disney Masters Vol. 9: Mickey Mouse: The Ice Sword Saga by Massimo De Vita

            Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: Ice Sword Saga Book II by Massimo De Vita

            Instructions by Neil Gaiman

            Making Money by Terry Pratchett

🍁 September- Light & Dark

            Lightfall: Shadow of the Bird by Tim Probert

            The Twilight Library by Carmen Oliver

            

🎃 October- Creatures & Animals

            Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J. K. Rowling

            A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin

            Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Witches

            Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Dragons

            Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Giants

           Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Sirens

            Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Tricksters

            Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Ghosts

           Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Fairies

            Ogre Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

            Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein by Lita Judge

            Lightfall: Shadow of the Bird by Tim Probert

            Literary Critters: William Shakesbear's Journey for Inspiration by Sophie Corrigan

            The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

            The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett

            Rocket Raccoon and Groot by Skottie Young

            Dragons at Crumbling Castle by Terry Pratchett

            The Sea and Little Fishes by Terry Pratchett

            The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse: The Animated Story by Charlie Mackesy

            Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen

            The Journey: Big Panda and Tiny Dragon by James Norbury

            Sparrows in the Wind by Gail Carson Levine

            The Raven and Other Poems by Edgar Allan Poe 

🦃 November- Words ending in "ing"

            Castle Waiting Vol 2. by Linda Medley 

            Dragons of Crumbling Castle by Terry Pratchett

            The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

            The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning by Chris Colfer

            Winnie the Pooh: The Little Things in Life by Catherine Hapka

            Secrets of the Looking Glass by J. Scott Savage

            Thirty Things by Cate Ashwood

            Under the Whispering Door by T. J. Klune

            Fantastic Tales of Nothing by Alejandra Green

            Waking Beauty by Rebecca Solnit

🎄 December- Numbers

            Now We are Six by A. A. Milne

            The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

            The Famously Funny Parrott: Four Tales from the Bird Himself

            Castle Waiting Volume Two by Lina Medley

Buzzword 2023 Reading Challenge

Here are the challenges for this coming year. I plan on completing this challenge next year, along with my other reading goals. 

Reading Challenge Announcement | 2023 Buzzwordathon- Kayla's announcement video