Ten Authors I first Encountered in 2015 // also, last week to enter the SS contest!

Before we get started I would like to remind you all that the deadline for the SEA Scribblers short story contest is December the 12th. If you haven’t entered yet then what are you waiting for?! Amazing prizes, epic photo prompts, a smallish word-count — what’s not to love? *bribes all the talented Writer Humans with chocolate chips* Oh! And you should totes remind/tell all your friends about it too. Go forth and write!

Actually read the post first. Then go forth and conquer the blank page.

The theme for this Tuesday is Top Ten New-To-Me Favorite Authors I read for the First Time in 2015.

1. Kate DiCamillo.

I was first introduced to the magical writing of DiCamillo by my friend Amanda. She read Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures and squealed over it and begged me to get it out of the library and read it. I devoured that book in a few hours. It was sweet, unexpectedly moving, and had a refreshing, childlike uniqueness about it. Plus, some of the scenes are done in adorable comics and interspersed throughout the book. And seriously, how could you go wrong with a squirrel who types poetry and flies at impromptu moments? Not to mention the children. THE CHILDREN. Ack. I love them so much.

I also did a read-along with Amanda of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. It was beautiful.

2. Suzannah Rowntree.

Right now, I’m reading Pendragon’s Heir and delighting in Rowntree’s writing all over again, but the first book of hers that I read was The Rakshasa’s Bride, which is a novella re-telling of Beauty and the Beast set in ancient India (the book is actually available for free when you sign up for her newsletter.) You all know how much I adore Beauty and the Beast and I fell head-over-heels for the richness and beauty of Suzannah Rowntree’s writing. I like pretty wordage (who doesn’t?) and I especially love how she weaves in the description and character emotions and interactions, and historical detail so effortlessly — the talent, people! O.O Her books are like cake to me, but better because I never feel like I’ve devoured too much. tho if you think about it, who feels like that about actual cake anyways.

3. Ashlee Willis.

I’ll be honest, I did not expect to love this lady’s writing as much as I do now. I hadn’t heard much about her around the blog-sphere or Goodreads, but I was curious when I learned she was publishing a darker re-telling of Cinderella. It sounded like one of those stories that lingers long in a reader’s mind once you’ve finished it — the kind you mull over several cups of coffee with. And those are my favorite sorts of books.

I read A Wish Made of Glass and it hit so much closer to home than I ever imagined it would. Reading it helped heal a part of me I didn’t even realize was aching, and this book is so precious to me now. Also Willis’ style is immersive and quietly beautiful. I’m always recommending her to people. Speaking of which, READ THE BOOK MY FRIENDS. Annie has spoken.

“Her words are fire and I am only a fluttering moth.”

4. Austin Kleon.

Allow me to tell you a thing. I have a particular bookworm quirk: I do not dog-ear. Ever. To me dog-earing a book is akin to tearing a page out. It is simply not done. This is why bookmarks exist, no?

So it might give you a decent idea how much I like Steal Like An Artist when I tell you that there are so many inspiring gems in it I have actually started to dog-ear the book. And not just once, but multiple times. I can not believe I just admitted that. What’s next? Flattening out book spines? *cringes*

“Draw the art you want to see, start the business you want to run, play the music you want to hear, write the books you want to read, build the products you want to use – do the work you want to see done.”
― Austin Kleon

5. Anne Elisabeth Stengl.

Technically I shouldn’t include Stengl since I read the first book in Tales of Goldstone Wood after Christmas last year, but I read the rest of the eight books this year so I’m mentioning her anyways.

This lady is one of the most talented and incredible authors whose work I’ve ever read. And when I say that I mean it wholeheartedly. I love her books to the point where I actually spent all my Christmas money on the first four and bought the next five as soon as I was able to (and I hardly ever buy books for myself.)

If you love fantasy, if you crave rich world-building and lifelike characters, if stories with depth and beauty and emotion and heart-stirring moments call your name, if you like pretty writing, if you want to be swept up into a magical, vivid world and never be able to escape again…

Read Stengl’s books.

Then come and tell me all about it.

(I’m using one of the author’s graphics because I’m not keen on the book cover.)

6. Mirriam Neal.

I’ve been following this young woman’s blog for years now and she has been one of the most inspiring writers in my life. So I finally bought Monster in September. Sweet T.A.R.D.I.S of Gallifrey, it was every bit as heart-wrenching and beautiful and deep and unforgettable as I expected it to be. Mir broke my heart and I don’t think I’ll ever recover. pretty sure I have no wish to.

Neal is an author to watch out for, humans.

And she just recently landed a publishing contract for her fantasy Paper Crowns so excuse me WHILE I FLAIL AND TOSS GLITTER AND PAPER STARS EVERYWHERE.

7. Gaston Leroux.

I thought this book would be beautiful and dramatic and mysterious and sad and riveting.

It was.

Go you, Leroux.

*cries over Eric forever*

8. G.K. Chesterton.

Other than Sherlock Holmes and certain Agatha Christie books, my favorite mysteries are now the Father Brown books. Not every mystery is a murder, they generally have some very simple yet eerie twist, not every mystery is solved, and the villain doesn’t always get caught — it’s like Chesterton read my wishlist. And Father Brown is so adorable. I want to pat him on the head and give him peppermints.

I started The Man Who Knew Too Much and by the end of the book I had (metaphorically) flung it across the room and (literally) cried. In the best way possible, it messed with my brain and emotions and it is a genuine favorite.

Chesterton is very wise with an eccentric way of expressing his thoughts. He also nearly always hits the nail on the head. Also, more pretty writing, y’all.

“The thousand arms of the forest were grey, and its million fingers silver.”
― G.K. Chesterton

“Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.”
― G.K. Chesterton

9. Rosemary Sutcliff.

Her characters captured my heart almost at once, but what I really, really love is how sharply gorgeous her writing is — the sort that makes your breath catch from the wonder of it.

I feel as though there is a theme about pretty wordplay in this post….

10. P.G. Wodehouse.

Ahhhh, Wodehouse. I love thee well. ^_^

I shall just leave you with my mini reviews for Leave It To Psmith and The Code of the Woosters.

Carry on, lovelies!

“The mood will pass, sir.” // favorite bookish quotes of twenty-fifteen

This post is sharing all the bookish quote love, which makes me so happy I could dance a jig. Quotes and pretty line-age are my favorite. They make my heart sing and ache and I can’t describe how much I adore words, people.

So here is a generous handful — several handfuls, actually — of favorite quotes from my reads of twenty-fifteen.

(pretend it’s not Wednesday, everyone.)

“She didn’t like me,” the cat said, speaking in the language of his race. “I thought she’d say, ‘Oh, look at the fluffy sweetness!’ and fold me into her arms. Instead, she drew a knife on me.” — Golden Daughter 

~~~~

“To Marcus, running with the rest, it seemed suddenly that there was no weight in his body, none at all. He was filled through and through with a piercing awareness of life and the sweetness of life held in his hollowed hand, to be tossed away like the shining balls that the children played with in the gardens of Rome. At the last instant, when the charge was almost upon them, he swerved aside from his men, out and back on his tracks, and flinging aside his sword, stood poised to spring, full in the path of the oncoming chariots.” — The Eagle of the Ninth

~~~~

“He had a heart that could have held the entire empire of the world; and, in the end, he had to content himself with a cellar.” ― The Phantom of the Opera

~~~~

“The only thing I’m afraid of about this country is that its government will someday become so monstrous that the smallest person in it will be trampled underfoot, and then it wouldn’t be worth living in.” ― Go Set a Watchman

~~~~

“Who can say what astonishments are hidden inside the most mundane being?” ― Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

~~~~

“Pascal,” said Dr. Meescham, “had it that since it could not be proven whether God existed, one might as well believe that he did, because there was everything to gain by believing and nothing to lose. This is how it is for me. What do I lose if I choose to believe? Nothing!”
“Take this squirrel, for instance. Ulysses. Do I believe he can type poetry? Sure, I do believe it. There is much more beauty in the world if I believe such a thing is possible.” ― Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

~~~~

“To die will be an awfully big adventure.” ― Peter Pan

“There could not have been a lovelier sight; but there was none to see it except a little boy who was staring in at the window. He had ecstasies innumerable that other children can never know; but he was looking through the window at the one joy from which he must be for ever barred.” ― Peter Pan

“It is the nightly custom of every good mother after her children are asleep to rummage in their minds and put things straight for next morning, repacking into their proper places the many articles that have wandered during the day. If you could keep awake (but of course you can’t) you would see your own mother doing this and you would find it very interesting to watch. It’s quite like tidying up drawers.” — Peter Pan

~~~~

“Don’t make the error of believing the papers know everything, and strive to know everything the papers won’t believe.” ― Anon, Sir, Anon

“Murder was the venality of theft combined with the cruelty of ending a life; it was robbing a person of their story. It was spilling blood over the best chapters of a book to purposely mar the sanctity of the tale.” — Anon, Sir, Anon

~~~~

“We give all we have, lives, property, safety, skill…we fight, we die, for a simple thing. Only that a man can stand up.” ― Johnny Tremain

~~~~

“If all men matter, all murders matter. That which He has so mysteriously created, we must not suffer to be mysteriously destroyed.” — The Quiet One, a Father Brown mystery

~~~~

“Everybody makes mistakes, some more than others, some bigger than others. And I’m sorry to say, you cannot move forward in life if you are continually looking over your shoulder.” ― Monster

~~~~

And now for a plethora of P.G. Wodehouse quotes because I discovered his delightful comedic literature in April and I love it with all the love. I could rave on about it for paragraphs, but I will be kind and refrain.

~~~~

“There are moments, Jeeves, when one asks oneself, ‘Do trousers matter?'”

“The mood will pass, sir.”

― The Code of the Woosters

“She laughed – a bit louder than I could have wished in my frail state of health, but then she is always a woman who tends to bring plaster falling from the ceiling when amused.” ― The Code of the Woosters

“I don’t know if you have had the same experience, but the snag I always come up against when I’m telling a story is this dashed difficult problem of where to begin it.” ― Right Ho, Jeeves

“Am taking legal advice to ascertain whether strangling an idiot nephew counts as murder. If it doesn’t look out for yourself.” ― Right Ho, Jeeves

“There was a sound in the background like a distant sheep coughing gently on a mountainside. Jeeves sailing into action.” ― Joy in the Morning

“A hoarse shout from within and a small china ornament whizzing past my head informed me that my old friend was at home.” ― Joy in the Morning

“I asked you to wear a pink chrysanthemum. So I could recognize you, you know.”

“I am wearing a pink chrysanthemum. I should have imagined that that was a fact that the most casual could hardly have overlooked.”

“That thing?” the other gazed disparagingly at the floral decoration. “I thought it was some kind of cabbage. I meant one of those what-d’you-may-call-its that people do wear in their button-holes.”

“Carnation, possibly?”

“Carnation! That’s right.”

Psmith removed the chrysanthemum and dropped it behind his chair. He looked at his companion reproachfully.

“If you had studied botany at school, comrade,” he said, “much misery might have been averted. I cannot begin to tell you the spiritual agony I suffered, trailing through the metropolis behind that shrub.” — Leave It to Psmith

“We must always remember, however,’ said Psmith gravely, ‘that poets are also God’s creatures.” ― Leave It to Psmith

“He picked up one of the dead bats and covered it with his handkerchief. ‘Somebody’s mother,’ he murmured reverently.” ― Leave It to Psmith

“It seems to me that you and I were made for each other. I am your best friend’s best friend and we both have a taste for stealing other people’s jewellery.” ― Leave It to Psmith

“One of the King Georges – I forget which – once said that a certain number of hours´ sleep each night – I cannot recall at the moment how many – made a man something which for the time being has slipped my memory.” ― Something Fresh

“Mr Beach was too well bred to be inquisitive, but his eyebrows were not.

“Ah!” he said.

‘?’, cried the eyebrows. ‘? ? ?’

Ashe ignored the eyebrows.

[…]

Mr Beach’s eyebrows were still mutely urging him to reveal all, but Ashe directed his gaze at that portion of the room which Mr Beach did not fill. He was hanged if he was going to let himself be hypnotized by a pair of eyebrows into incriminating himself.” ― Something Fresh

“You can’t rush up to pretty girls in the street and tell them you are lonely. At least, you can, but it doesn’t get you anywhere except the police station.” — A Damsel in Distress

“There are doubtless men so constructed that they can find themselves accepted suitors without any particular whirl of emotion. King Solomon probably belonged to this class, and even Henry the Eighth must have become a trifle blasé in time.” — The Intrusion of Jimmy

“What passed for brain in him was to genuine grey matter what just-as-good imitation coffee is to real mocha.” — The Intrusion of Jimmy

“Ashe! What are you doing?” Ashe paused a moment to reply. “I’m kissing you,” he said.

“But you mustn’t! There’s a scullery maid or somebody looking through the kitchen window. She’ll see us.”

Ashe drew her to him. “Scullery maids have few pleasures,” he said. “Theirs is a dull life. Let her see us.” — Something Fresh

~~~~

Alrighty, humans. Have you read any of these books this year? Which quote(s) I shared are your favorite? What are some of YOUR favorite quotes from 2015? SHARE WITH ME SO I MAY APPRECIATE THE WONDER TOO. 

If there was a Book Genie // Ten Bookish Wishes

Yes, I am joining in Top Ten Tuesday  scandalously late. I make my own rules, y’all.
*cough*

In actuality, our Internet has been very sketchy this week. Bribing it with chocolate chips has accomplished wonders. Will this state of affairs last? Only time will tell.

Anywho.

If there was actually a Book Genie (which would be run-around-and-hyperventilate worthy) what ten things would I wish for? 

1. The rest of the Vivi and Farnham cozy mystery series. Please, please, please and thank you.
2. A book deal. Actually, more than one. That would be faint-from-excitement worthy.
3. More Halo books written by Eric Nylund. I would pay money for this. Which is a lot coming from my miserly soul. (I kid. Ish.)
4. An inexhaustible library card. No fines. No limit on how many books you can take out. The option of renewing something at least twice. Can you imagine?
5. The ability to experience reading a book for the first time more than once. Need I say more?
6. The skill to write stellar book reviews, with all deep thoughts and awesome photography. I would be a happy hedgehog.
7. The ability to enter a book at will. (Basically I want ALL the abilities.) But can you imagine being an invisible appreciator of Gandalf’s snark? Listening to Eanrin’s songs? Exploring the Pillar of Autumn?
8. Books by osmosis. You could absorb knowledge whilst sleeping. I need this in my life.
9. New releases to be on my doorstep the instant they are published. This requires no explaination.
10. More bookshelves. NAY. An entire library room in my house. Complete with comfy chairs (“I made him say, ‘comfy chairs’!”) and soft lights.

What about you, fellow bookworms? Do you long for a library of your own? An inexhaustible supply of a specific author’s works? A BOOK DEAL? Let’s compare wishes. 

What Makes The Perfect Autumn TBR?

 

(image via pinterest. words are my own.)

Autumn. The nip of chilly air. Trees blushing rosy red. Dead leaves rustling like paper in the wind. The scent of bonfires and ripe, sweet apples. 

Something about the Fall season always makes my bones tingle with the longing to read, read, read — more so than usual, even.

Autumn is when I dig out mysteries and cozy novels and books that tend to run more than 400 pages long. Something about the season’s air is perfect for curling up in your warmest flannel with a novel that makes you deliciously frightened. Or sprawling out on your (quilted, soft) bedcovers with a book that keeps you breathless with laughter. And autumn breathes the feel of poetry, which means well-loved — and new — poets are in demand.

Annie’s Autumn TBR: 

–The Phantom of the Opera (first read)

–The Silver Branch (first read)

–Behemoth (first read)

–Jane of Lantern Hill (re-read)

–A Tale of Two Cities (re-read)

–The Wrath and the Dawn (first read)

-A few Shakespeare plays

–Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times (first read)

–Rebecca (first read)

–Rooftoppers (first read)

–Pilgrim’s Inn (first read)

-A Scarlet Pimpernel book

–Fly Away Home (re-read)

–Halo: Fall of Reach (re-read)

–Ivanhoe (re-read)

–Winter (first read)

I also plan on reading a goodish amount of Wodehouse and Agatha Christie (pretend I haven’t been doing that already). Plus G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and C.S. Lewis, and various poets. 

And since this post fits the prompt, I’m linking up to the Broke and the Bookish.

Tell me all! What makes the perfect Fall TBR for You? What books/genres will you be digging into this season? Your Go To autumnal Read? And (this is important) do you drink cider whilst reading? Eat pumpkin pie? (Aimee and Amanda, I know you two don’t. We’re still friends, though. *gives you apple pie*)

Ten Books I Am Eager To Read In The Near Future

  
(image via Pinterest. words are my own.) 

This week for Top Ten Tuesday we all basically get to do our own thing. Did anyone else besides me panic momentarily? 

Hence: 

Ten Books I am dying to read soonish (probably during the months of ice-and-frozen-fingers-and-hibernating-in-a-nest-of-blankets-and-drinking-all-the-hot-chocolate).

  

  
1. The Phantom of the Opera.

This book has been described as epic and glorious and beautiful and heartbreaking and I can’t wait to get my icy fingers on it! I actually have a read-along planned with two friends for this October so I’m stoked about that. *flails*

  
2. Macbeth.

Let’s take a minute to swoon over that cover, shall we?

Now then. Much of the classic lit I’ve read has little nods to this particular Shakespeare play, and I want to know what it is all about. Every tiny snippet I’ve caught of it on-line is gorgeous. 

Plus, it’s a tragedy which means all the feels. 

Let’s do this. 

  
3. Red Rising.

Aimee read this and it sounds just my cup of tea (despite the fact, I’ll have to read it with white-out in hand). I love books that tear my emotions apart, and are rich with story, and moral conflict that makes me think. 
  

4. The Wrath and the Dawn.

Alright, I haven’t the faintest idea if this is clean or rubbish (any of you know?) but, it’s a re-telling of one of the most fascinating Arabian Nights stories, and I want to read it in the worst way.

  
5. Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times.

Steampunk! Metal fairies! Clockwork dragons! Time-travel! Villainesses! More steampunk! 

I NEED IT.

  
6. Shirley.

In a nutshell, after the heart-wrenching, rich beauty that was Jane Eyre I desperately want more of Charlotte Brontë’s writing.

  
7. Seraphina.

Mathematical dragons in an alternate-medieval world? 

YES PLEASE.

  
8. Pendragon’s Heir.

Because I’ve never read an Arthurian legend book and a friend of mine wrote it and it sounds all around epic.

  
9. The Book Thief.

This sounds like one of those unforgettable reads that is about as close to perfection as one can get. We need to become acquainted, this book and I. 

  

10. Show Your Work!

I blame Schuyler for my eagerness to devour this. That and Steal like an Artist being such an inspiring read. 

Have YOU read any of these books? Thoughts? Which ones intrigue you the most? What books are YOU dying to get your hands on?