7 Reasons Why You Should Be Reading Books

Click on the pic below to check out my top 7 reasons to read books :)

The First Sentence Challenge! | Video

Soooooooooo last August my bestie came to visit me and I told her about this tag going around book vloggers on Youtube.  She liked the idea and agreed to do it with me.  No bells and whistles, just two best friends shooting a video about books for my book blog.  As YouTube standards go, the video has much to be desired but whatever! It was fun!

Why has it taken me forever to post it?

I mean, come on, it is February, Elyssa. 

Yeah well, life happens, school assignments, holidays and whatnot and yeah, there were tweaks I had to deal with even after my brother edited it.

(Btw, try saying edited it. Yeah, uh huh. The struggle is real)

So!  Without further ado, here is my first Just-For-Fun-Book-Tag-With-The-Bestie video – The First Sentence Challenge!!!

Oh yeah, and I know it’s real long so don’t at all feel bad if you don’t want to watch the whole thing! This was mostly for our enjoyment :)

Happy Friday, Y’all!

15 Book Blogger Challenge | Days 12, 13, 14, & 15

Here we go! I’m going to knock out the rest in one final post!

[12] How do you fight off blogger fatigue?

I’m not the best person to ask this question because I’m not great in this area.  However, I will say that I’ve become more aware of one fact lately – I write pretty decently under pressure.  School papers with looming due dates have forced me to squeeze out ANYTHING related to the essay prompt and then somehow mold it into a readable paper for submission to my professors.  So far, not bad!  I think that’s one very great way to fight blogger fatigue – you just have to take it seriously and do it.  Answer a prompt, write a list or how-to, ramble about your day.  It’s not getting graded so don’t worry about it being fabulous! And sometimes you have to crank out a few mediocre posts before you come out with something you really like.

Writing posts in bulk also helps a lot! That’s what I’ve been doing with these challenge posts.  I wrote them ahead of time and scheduled their posting.  This way I can write when I have time and/or when I’m in the mood and have material for the next few days!

But there is something to say about stepping away and taking a break. Take a walk, a nap, a snack break, a sabbatical, or whatever you need to clear your mind and refocus on what your priorities are!  You come back to your blog refreshed!

[13] Describe one under appreciated book EVERYONE should read.

All I know is that I don’t appreciate the importance of the Word and too often shove it in the corner to read at a ‘later time’ that never comes.  Everyone should read this book be it for religious or literary purposes – there is no way your life won’t be affected by the wonderful words contained inside!

[14] Tell us your deal breakers.

1. Unsatisfactory endings.  Have you ever seen Hitchcock’s Vertigo? Yeah, I hate endings like that.  Or Steinbeck’s East of Eden.  I don’t remember the ending…but I remember I wasn’t satisfied. Everyone has their version of  what ‘unsatisfactory’ is. I don’t necessarily need happy, but I need closure or resolution or something!! Gone with the Wind didn’t end with any closure but I was so done with O’Hara that I was like, “Whatever, good riddance!!” I was satisfied with Rhett’s decision.
2. Bad Grammar. No explanation needed.
3. Rambling. Even if it’s a great story, if there’s too much description and rambling, chances are I’m going to start skimming until someones starts dialoging!
4. Boring.  You’ve got to grip me or I’m not interested!

 

[15] Who are your book blogging mentors?

Ummmm…I don’t really have any :P.  I kind of just flounder and figure things out in bits and pieces!

FINISHED!

Well that was fun!

I’m still behind on many book reviews and some housekeep-y things but I’ll get to it slowly but surely!  For now, I’ve got school assignments beckoning me!

Have a beautiful day!

 

 

15 Book Blogger Challenge | Days 9, 10, & 11

I thought I’d knock out a few in one post this time :)

[9] Why do you blog about books?

A blogger blogs about what interests her, what excites her, what she loves.  I’m a book nerd, how can I not blog about books?  ‘Nuff said. ;)

[10] How do you choose what book to read next?

I’m currently reading through a series so that’s a no brainer – I read the next installment. Other than that, it really just depends on my mood.  Some books will grip me right away, others take a couple tries before it hooks me at just the right time.

[11] Show off! 5 of your best blog posts!

Oooh! Okay! Here are 5 of my favorite bookish posts:

• A Countess Below Stairs
• Gone with the Wind
• Persuasion
• Questions for the Book Lover
• When God Writes your Life Story

There you go! 3-in-1 :).

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge | Day 1

Found this challenge on a fellow blogger’s site and thought it looked like fun!  The original post can be found at Good Books Good Wine.

[1] Make 15 book related confessions:

1. I love, love, love the way my books look all lined up in their bookcases.
2. I, for real, spend a considerable amount of time shopping used books online, comparing prices, editions, and conditions.
3. When it comes to my material possessions, I’m pretty much worth the clothes in my closet and the books on my shelves. Considering the fact that I shop used/thrift 7 times out of 10, the resale value is pennies on the dollar.
4. If all the money I’ve spent on library fines could be refunded to me. . . let’s just say I could buy a good many books from my Amazon wish lists and still have money left over to treat myself to dinner.
5. I get physically giddy when walk into Barnes & Noble.
6. I bring a book with me everywhere even if I know I may not get a chance to read it.
7. I’m building a collection of all my favorite children’s books.
8. I do judge books by their cover.  Just sayin’.
9. I do love my Kindle Paperwhite but when all is said and done, I’m a hardcover kinda’ reader.
10. I feel sorry for people who don’t enjoy reading.
11. I know I might get grief for this one and I know the genre is an artistic one in it’s right but when someone says they read a comic book I still don’t consider it the same thing as reading a regular book.
12. Gilbert Blythe is ten times better in the book than in the movies.  Don’t get me wrong, he’s amazing in the movies, there’s just more of him to love in the books!
13. I heard they’re making John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars into a movie and I’m nervous they’re going to get Hazel and Augustus all wrong…
14. Reading outside of my intellectual comfort zone is such a thrilling experience!
15. I think people underestimate the power of the written word.

Have you any bookish confessions to make?  It’s quite a fun exercise, you should give it a go!

This post is linked up HERE.

Happy reading, y’all!

Questions for the Book Lover

This questionnaire was originally posted by Hero @ Heroic Endeavors but I found it on Kelli’s blog, She Learns As She Goes.  I love quizes & questionnaires so I thought I’d try it out too :).  Here we go!

Do you snack while you read?

Sometimes.  If I do, it’s usually popcorn :)

What’s your favorite drink while reading?

I love the herbal coffee Teeccino.  I put almond milk, sugar, and vanilla syrup in it and it’s super delish!  Of course, when it’s too hot outside for a hot drink, I love homemade lemonade.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?

It kind of does horrify me even though I read somewhere that it’s good to write in your books.  The only book I mark in is my Bible.  Wait, that’s not true, I mark all over my textbooks if I own them.  But beyond that, I do not highlight or write in the margins of my books.  If I want to remember something, I put a sticky tab or note on the page and write on that.

How do you keep your place while reading a book?

I use bookmarks.  My neighborhood library, when I was growing up, always had bookmarks at the front desk and I would get a new one every time I visited.  I still have a handful of those bookmarks and they’re super nostalgic and homey and sweet.  I do pick up new bookmarks every now and again at bookstores or libraries.  I do want some of those monogrammed ones….

Are you the type of person who tends to read to the end of the chapter, or can you stop anywhere?

I can stop anywhere.  I’d prefer to finish a chapter in one sitting but it’s just not realistic.  I snatch time to read in bits and pieces.

Are you the type of person to throw a book across the room or onto the floor if the author irritates you?

Is the author irritating me or the storyline?  Because it depends.  Gone with the Wind irritated me but I stuck through it.  I’ll only quit on a book if the writing isn’t clear, the arguments are bogus or I get bored with a weak storyline.  But to answer the question, haha, no I have yet to throw a book across a room.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you look it up right away?

I usually just figure it out by the context.  Lately, I’ve been writing down cool or unusual words to look up later.  I’m usually too lazy to stop and look words up in a dictionary.

What are you currently reading?

• The Bible
• Christ’s Object Lessons by Ellen White
• Of Thee I Zing by Laura Ingraham
• Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
• On Writing Well: What Every Blogger Needs to Know by Denise J. Hughes

Yeeaah.  I’m not one to read just one book at a time :P.

What is the last book you bought?

1776 by David McCullough.  It’s list price is $32.00. I bought it on Amazon for $0.01 + &3.99 for S&H.  Aw yeah, babe, I was a happy camper!

Do you have a favorite time/place to read?

I can read anytime and almost anywhere but I especially like reading curled up in bed or on the couch or armchair.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone?

I love both :).

Is there a specific book you find yourself recommending over and over?

I usually match book to person but I have recommended Crazy Love by Francis Chan several times, as well as Authentic Beauty by Leslie Ludy.

How do you organize your books?

I’m real specific about my books.  I sort by genre and then by height.  I’m not all alphabetical with my library, I prefer my books to look good on my shelves.

That was lovely!  Feel free to fill in this little questionnaire, and leave me a comment and link so I can check out your answers :).  I will be linking mine to Kelli’s post.

Y’all have a blessed Friday :)