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Emily C Gardner

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The Wondering Years by Knox McCoy
25 Bunny Books perfect for Spring
17 Wintery Children’s Books
A Bible Literacy Book Flight
An Epistolary Book Flight

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Are you inspired or intimidated by a blank slate? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ When we rearranged our living room, a space opened up in our bedroom for a bookshelf (one that my Gramma used to keep her African Violets on and has now traveled with me to many houses). It was a placeholder for computers and papers and dirty clothes for a few weeks while I was paralyzed by perfectionism 🙄. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ During little snatches of time I’ve filled it with books, one shelf at a time. Now I only have one shelf left to fill. (I’m thinking Austen and Austen adjacent for that one...). It’s not perfect, but is done. 😊

Pretty sure I’m the last person to pick up this amazing middle grade graphic novel memoir. CeCe Bell chronicles her hearing loss (from an illness when she was very young) in a way that is funny, educational and moving. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I was talking to Maggie, @mugandnook, about El Deafo and I feel like she summed up how I felt about this book perfectly, so swipe to read her thoughts 😊. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you’re needing another quick read for #middlegrademarch, put this on your list.

How do you feel about discipline being part of your reading life? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I’ve certainly read my fair share of books to escape the real world. And I do believe reading should be enjoyable - there should be no shame in abandoning books or reading whatever genre makes you happy. But this whole reading 15 pages a day of a hefty classic that doesn’t always hold my interest has taken discipline and I think that’s a good thing. (Don’t get me wrong, Anna Karenina is far more readable than I anticipated but I don’t always want to read about old school Russian farming practices when I get a chance to sit down and read.) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I want to be a better reader, which means I need to challenge myself to read broader, longer, and harder. For me, that won’t happen unless I’m disciplined in making it happen. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Agree? Disagree? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

My first read for #middlegrademarch and I think I liked this sequel better than its predecessor. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We’re back at the rambling and cozy Greenglass House with all of its lovely windows. It’s the beginning of Winter break and the Inn fills up with a motley crew of carolers and a pair of professional thieves. Hijinx ensue. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I loved the mystery steeped in folklore and storytelling. What I wasn’t too sure about in Greenglass House, I really enjoyed in this one (Trying not to include spoilers. If you’ve read the first one you probably know what I’m talking about.) The inclusion of Odd Trails, a role-playing game, was used with a subtler hand and helped explore themes of identity and self-worth. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Due to the title, it’s no secret that ghosts are involved. How do you feel about ghosts in books? I’m hit or miss. This was a hit for me.

GIVEAWAY! 🍃 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Happy Book Birthday to Placemaker: Cultivating Places of Comfort, Beauty, and Peace - the beautiful offering of @christiepurifoy. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ “The magnetic pull toward beauty is an inclination most of us carry but too few of us acknowledge. Even if we are aware of it, we seldom honor it as something planted in is for a purpose.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I pre-ordered this book back in August of last year because I knew I would love it based on how much I adored Christie’s first book, Roots and Sky. Everything about Placemaker was a delight that I continue to let germinate in my soul. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I received a free review copy of the book since I was on the launch team, so now I have that pre-ordered copy to give to one of you! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ TO ENTER: - Go follow @christiepurifoy. - Tell me in the comments how you cultivate beauty in your life. - Tag a friend - Share in your stories of you want an extra entry! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This giveaway is not sponsored by Instagram or Zondervan. I’ll randomly pick a winner 3/20. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

When your computer crashes, you make banana bread WITH the chocolate chips and focus on the Springy plant you added to the shelves. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What’s bringing you joy today?

When I was reading my first Cather novel, O, Pioneers!, last year, I was immediately drawn in by her vivid word pictures of the prairie and the kind of life that was to be lived out on such a beautiful and powerful land. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Cather’s remarkable gift of describing landscapes is on full display in Death Comes For The Archbishop - from the opening scene of Father Latour making his way through the conical red hills of Central New Mexico to the row of “old, old tamarisks with twisted trunks” in the Bishop’s garden. The natural world is painted with a sparse intensity that is no less evocative than the lush, flowery language used by writers like L.M. Montgomery. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The story found in Death Comes For The Archbishop is just as compelling as the landscape. Have you read it? Have you read any Cather?

GIVEAWAY! My mom’s favorite part of creating @booksnugs is the design process, so we want to give you the pleasure of customizing your own Snug. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It’s a Build-A-BookSnug Giveaway! One winner will pick the size, wool, liner, hankie, button of their Snug. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Background: I run the backend of my mom’s Etsy shop. 😊 BookSnugs are book sleeves crafted from upcycled wool blankets, vintage hankies, vintage buttons. Each one is hand-embroidered and named after a book. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ HOW TO ENTER: - Follow me @emilyreadsbooks + @booksnugs - Tag 2 bookish buds. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ BONUS ENTRIES: - Share in stories (be sure to tag me so I can see it!) - Swipe right to see available materials and build your Snug in a comment (if you win, you can change your mind). - Tag 2 more buds per comment. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This giveaway is not sponsored by IG. Winner picked March 12.

If January lingered on forever, February was gone in a flash. It was was also a weird reading month for me. Halfway through I found myself wishing it was already March so I could get to all the middle grade goodness on my shelves. (I did sneak in a truly fantastic middle grade read at the end of Feb that I will review soon!) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I’m trying to limit my book buying so I will be sticking to my unread shelf and the library for #middlegrademarch. These are what I’m hoping to read (alongside The first half of Anna Karenina) this month. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Have you read any from this stack?

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