September: A Month Of Good Things

Autumn is upon us.

For some it’s a harbinger of doom. A time to dread, autumn snatches away the golden days of summer, offering nothing but cold, dreary days without joy. To others it’s a time to celebrate scarves and pumpkin spice, boots and rom-coms, cooler weather and holiday goodness to come.

To me, autumn has always been about family. A time when—despite the hustle of life—we have opportunities to slow down and be together: carving pumpkins, baking pies, watching movies. As the desert attempts to free itself of hot nights and even hotter days, autumn offers hope.

Last year around this time I did not embrace hope. I allowed myself to drown in a sea of self-doubt and despair. Focusing on all the wrong things, I was controlled by every single one of my negative feelings and thoughts—my autumn joy stolen.

If there’s one thing life has taught me it's that hope is fragile.

Being a positive person might appear easy to those standing outside looking in. But let me assure you, it is not. Every second must be a driving force toward seeking the positives in life. No matter how small and fragile they may feel.

At times, it feels like a foolish endeavor—backhanded comments people make can leave you feeling silly, impractical, lacking. In these moments I am learning to accept others' opinions of me as just that: opinions. Their assumptions of what they *think* it means to be a positive person. Not reality.

This September I struggled with doubts and fears. Just as I did last year. The difference is I embraced my positives without shame, tuning out the misconceptions.

Instead, I talked about the books I love and acknowledged that while there are some who think my bookish taste is childish and silly, that’s their problem not mine. I revised Magic Story Of Magic and accepted the fact that it’s a love story—plain and simple. It won’t change the world and some might think it’s ridiculous. That’s okay. It’s mine and I love it. I slowed down and ignored the comments about how great it must be to be a stay-at-home mom with so much free time on my hands. My family knows how hard I work and I know how hard I work too. That’s all that matters. I embraced my love of mismatched socks and young adult books and didn’t feel the need to hide the fact that I still long to be Rainbow Brite. My age has never dictated what I do, say, or love. So why start now?

But mostly I took a step back and thought about what is important to me: being honest or being what everyone thinks I should be?

September was a good month filled with doubts and struggles and fears. It taught me once again that life isn’t perfect and it isn’t fair, but it is good. And the good you have to fight for. A lesson I learned long ago from my friend Ashley Morgan. It’s a lesson I’ll continue to learn day in and day out.

Happy autumn, friends. I hope it brings you joy. No matter how big or small that joy might be, I hope it gets you through the cold dreary days ahead filled with pumpkin spice everything and all the holiday hustle and bustle life brings your way.

A Book Review: Four Dead Queens

This month's book review is the murder mystery fantasy novel Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte.

goodreads
amazon

Book Description: Seventeen-year-old Keralie Corrington may seem harmless, but in fact, she's one of Quadara's most skilled thieves and a liar. Varin, on the other hand, is an honest, upstanding citizen of Quadara's most enlightened region, Eonia. Varin runs afoul of Keralie when she steals a package from him, putting his life in danger. When Varin attempts to retrieve the package, he and Keralie find themselves entangled in a conspiracy that leaves all four of Quadara's queens dead.

With no other choices and on the run from Keralie's former employer, the two decide to join forces, endeavoring to discover who has killed the queens and save their own lives in the process. When their reluctant partnership blooms into a tenuous romance, they must overcome their own dark secrets in hopes of a future together that seemed impossible just days before. But first they have to stay alive and untangle the secrets behind the nation's four dead queens.

Ang's Review: The nation of Quadara is ruled by four queens representing each of its regions: Toria, Ludia, Archia, and Eonia. The queens are restricted from going to their quadrants, sequestered in their shared castle with advisors. So when the queens start dropping dead, no one knows. It's the perfect crime. Or is it?

Four Dead Queens is a fantastic murder mystery. An intriguing who-done-it that will keep you turning pages until the very end. But wait, there's more.

The setting is a rich fantasy world. The two main characters Keralie and Varin are relatable and so flawed you just want to give them all the hugs while lovingly smacking them for being so dense.

The book had me guessing until the big reveal! Which is always satisfying in a WHAT THE HECK HOW WAS I WRONG kind of way!

If you are into murder mysteries and fantasy novels with a dash of science fiction, Four Dead Queens is the book for you!

Pick up a copy today on Amazon or other major retailers!

You can keep up to date on the author's news on her website.

Have you read Four Dead Queens?
What did you think of it?
Do you enjoy murder mysteries?

Ang's Top Five Bookish Habits

This month’s top five is my top five bookish habits. From the genres I read to how I review novels get ready to learn about a few of my bookish quirks.

1. Keeping Track Of My Reading Progress.

Whether I’m reading a physical copy or an ebook, I like to keep track of how much of the book I have left to read. Ebooks are simple: I use the percentage read option verses the page counting option. For print copies, I will pull out my calculator and place markers at the twenty-five percent, fifty percent, and seventy-five percent marks. I also like to place a marker (not a bookmark, mind you, since I lose them all the time and use random notecards instead) at the end of the chapter I’m reading. This way I can tell how much more I have left.

2. One Book At A Time.

I read one book at a time. I get antsy and confused if I try to take on more than one story. Plus, I get tunnel vision when reading a book and have to finish it before starting another story. And once I start a book, I have to finish it. It’s rare that I don’t finish a book which is why I don’t have a DNF bookshelf on GoodReads.

3. Rereading Books I Didn’t Like. 

This one might seem odd but I like to give books I didn’t like another chance. Case in point: Animal Farm. I despised it as a kid. Loved it as an adult. However, no matter how many times I reread Old Man and the Sea I never like it. And I have probably read the book (at least) four or five times.

4. Review What I Like.

I appreciate the need for critical reviews. But I have to be honest, I find no joy in writing them. And as stated above, I often give books I disliked another chance. Thus I write reviews for the books I like and reread the books I didn’t like another day. I have no regrets.

5. Read Anything And Everything.
And last, but not least:
I read anything and everything.
Adult.
Young Adult.
Middle Grade.
Picture Books.
Horror.
Romance.
Nonfiction.
Poetry.
The back of a cereal box.
There's no genre I won't try.
I'm an eclectic reader who just wants to read a good book.
If that good book is written for ten-year-olds even better.

What are your bookish habits?
Do you (like me) read one book at a time?
Or do you have at least five going all at once?
Do you keep track of where you're at in a book or wing it?
Do you read everything and anything or are you genre loyal?