Five reasons why you should reread books

People often act surprised when I tell them that I love rereading books. I mean, to be fair, in this day and age one ought to act surprised when anyone claims that they read (let alone reread) books, but even bookworms (or should I say "bookworms") (oh, burn) have given me surprised reactions when I proclaim my excessive fondness for reading books not just once, but twice, thrice, frice... (hang on.) I have books I have read more than ten times; dare I say twenty. Point made: I LOVE REREADING BOOKS. Reading a good book for the second time is almost always better than the first read. Rereading books is like being away on holiday for so long and sleeping in your own bed again. Or eating your mum's meals again. (I just came home from a camp, so these analogies are extremely fitting to my own life.)

Anyway.

So thus this list. Five reasons why you should reread books. (Lack of time is no excuse.) (Says the girl who just reread her first book after a year.) (Because of lack of time.) (Lack of time is real.)

1. The characters are your friends

Sounds cliché, blah blah revisit your friends blah blah. But seriously. Falling in love with fictional characters is real; believe me, I have spoken with enough people to know that talking about shared love for a fictional character may result in high levels of decibel. Real bookworms (yes, I am excluding some self-proclaimed bookworms here) get ridiculously excited about characters. And they become, in some sense, like a friend. And a true friend revisits their friend. Thus the reread.

(I feel like I could have said this whole paragraph in two sentences:
1. The characters are your friends.
2. You want to be with your friends again, so you reread the book.)

2. FAVOURITE BITS

Ok, you know those parts in books that just get the heartrate racing? The cute proposal chapter; that page where Nellie Oleson gets leeches on her legs, that page in Gone with the Wind where the words dance, that chapter in Wonderland Creek where Alice finds out she's in love?! <<< THESE MOMENTS OF FICTION. They are priceless.

So you gotta appreciate them, dude. You want to go back to them.

3. Nostalgia

Rereading a book will often take you back to the time when you read the book for the first time. Rereading Anne of Green Gables will just TAKE me back to 11 year old me. It just does that and the nostalgia hits me hard. It's pretty cool.

I am currently rereading one of my favourite books in the entire world, 'Hidden Places' by Lynn Austin. That book, man alive, it just does something to me - every time I read it (and it's been quite a few times by now) I get dragged into the plot, I cry when Betsy and Walter get together, I cry when Lydia saves Betsy from her marriage, I ROOT for Matthew and weep for Luke. IT'S JUST SO GOOD.

Oh wait we were talking about Nostalgia. So that too. :-)

4. It's just obvious to reread books you love

I don't know. It's like say pizza. (Yes, I am making a pizza analogy haha.) You eat pizza for the first time. You obviously love it and you obviously will eat it again. It's not like you're going to get sick of the flavour if you eat it a second time.

Same thing about books so there. Kabamshh. If that wasn't a solid argument I don't know what is. Pizza analogies for the win. :-D

5. You can read them differently 

When one reread books, one learns to appreciate them in a new way. One looks upon a character differently. One matures and thus views their mannerisms in a different way. One might find many new layers of plot one had never seen before. One may have one's mind blown if one rereads books many times. One may indeed.

Also when you reread a book you can also choose to read it very fast. Because you know it but you want to relive it quickly. So you basically speed-read your way through a favourite book and it's bally awesome if you ask me. And you didn't ask me, so I'll shut up. :-D

With that being said, Naomi shut up.

Combinations of things.

You know how you attach certain scents, memories, places or images with books and stories? I love how brains work like that - how it puts two different things in the same category and context; how it juggles with smell and weather and words. It's amazing. Like, The Help is yellow and lemons and the sound of a typewriter. Celia Garth and Violins of Autumn take me back to summer 2015 in Switzerland, the green shutters in the house we were staying at, and the dew on the grass in the morning. Eve's Daughters is me crying in bed and imagining the characters' smiles and the colour purple of the cover. The Book Thief is Christmas holidays, and my bedroom when the bed was at the other side of the room. On the banks of plum creek is lemonade and my old bed sheets with the pink and salmon-coloured hearts on it. Remembrance by Theresa Breslin reminds me of my old bedroom in the attic and Back Home by Michelle Magorian gives me memories of cute lamps, nylons, and my second cousin Rebekah. The Story Girl is me wishing so bad I could dive in it; and it's the colour of gold and the taste of orchard apples. Rilla of Ingleside is an emotional soundtrack like the Kings Speech soundtrack and late nights. Sense and Sensibility is grandma and my old pink diary. That chapter in Hebrews (Hebrews 11) about faith reminds me of strawberries for breakfast and talking about it on grey sofas with five friends. While We're Far Apart by Lynn Austin is dark red and chocolate and watching trailers of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland movies on youtube. The Sweetest Thing is light green and mental images of 1930 dresses. Gone with the Wind is dark hallways and mirrors and spring. Man, I love how there are so many combinations of things.

4 fictional characters that may have like 2 things in common with me.

First, here are three random facts I want to share with you: 1. I discovered Jack Johnson yesterday on Spotify and I just love his songs. Better Together is my favourite and I want to dance to it on my potential future wedding because I love it that much right now. 2. My grandma is friends with the film producer of Sherlock. (No seriously.) So my grandma practically hangs out with Benedict Cumberbatch. Guys, beat me. My grandma is the coolest. 3. I was in Scotland for a grand 15 minutes on Saturday. I walked in Glasgow and spotted four men in kilts. I have no pictures to prove it, so you'll have to rely on my word.

(Two sisters. Two very different personalities. I seem to be an odd mixture of both. Although I think more Elinor.)

My dear friend Eva tagged me with the four fictional characters tag (thank you!) and I've been wanting to do this thing for a while now, so here I am. Here I am, I hasten to add, before I start another busy week - this time less merrily occupied; replace spending time with fun-loving Christians with cleaning tables and emptying plates of breakfast in an old people's home - life is life, I shall refuse to complain! - I don't even know what this sentence is; let's just do the merry old tag, shall we. (I don't know why I say 'we' when I am writing this alone. You should not get any of the credit! :-P)

Okay, I thought this would be an easy job, but finding four characters that 'are very much like myself' is no easy feat for me. I told you in this blog post, I am a confusing human being. Extroverted one week; relishing in silence and just-me-and-wifi-and-notebooks-and-my-Bible-in-bed the other. Fond of poetical metaphors and nostalgic whimsies one week, mocking them in a Marilla-Cuthbert-no-nonsense-fiddlesticks way the other. However, of course, some things are generally and all-around Naomi traits (even though even those can differ and disappear for an odd hour or two), so okay. I'll try. But bear with me. I'll probably read this again next week and be like meh NO. :-P

Number Uno! The first that came to mind, in fact...

Jerusha Abbott in Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster

I remember when I read this first I was 100% sure I had found my fictional twin. Of course, Judy is way cooler than I'll ever be and her letters are way more entertaining than mine will ever be, but yah, we doodle odd stuff and we pop random thoughts in random places and we like reading and stuff. Just yeah, she reminds me of me. She's quirky and I want to be quirky. (She probably reminds me of the me I wish I was.)

Secondly, the gal I see myself in muchly is, and has to be, the main character from Lynn Austin's Wonderland Creek. There's reasons my blog is named so, after all.

Alice Grace Ripley from Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin

We're both book lovers. (Although, I have to be honest! I haven't been reading much lately. Eh. I still love it though, okay.) We're both not exactly animal people. We both love the idea of adventure but when it comes to sitting on a horse eh nope that's disgusting no. We both like a bath. We both love seeing people happy. Just... Alice and I are two of the same kind of peas in the same kind of pods. (Only, I'm not blonde. Although I was as a 3-year-old. There's a little tidbit about me.)

Thirdly, my friends, I must slight Celia Garth by suggesting that we have some common traits.

Celia Garth in Celia Garth by Gwen Bristow

I MUST REREAD THIS; it's been way too long, but one thing I can remember is that I wished I was like Celia Garth. Well, I'll never be like Celia Garth. But maybe we have some things in common - maybe the sense of humour, the love of being teased. Also, the things she thinks and says I really, really relate to. Maybe in a wishful way. I don't know. I'm adding her to this list anyways. I flatter myself.

And fourthly, and this is the one I had to brainstorm for for ages - I thought of Elizabeth Bennet (but I'd never go for a quiet guy and oh, I wish I was as well-spoken as Lizzy!) - I thought of Anne Shirley (but I don't talk that much and I'm not that poetical sorry) - I thought of every Montgomery heroine because I feel like I relate to ALL of them - and then I thought, well let's just be boring and go with Jo March because I like writing and... yeah, I like reading. (Lame.)

No. That will not do. I must be original.

Valancy Snaith/Stirling in The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery

I alllmost did Rilla of Ingleside but I think I just did that because that book just wrenches the life outta me (I don't relate to Rilla that much actually), but you know what Valancy and I like the same guy. Barney. Kay, enough. (Also, we appreciate nice clothes and quirky outings and views and cosy houses. And we both enjoy a good joke and a tease. I think this gives us enough in common.) (Of course, our situations are very different, so it's hard to weigh.)

Done.

*phew*

This'll have to do. (Maybe I should have said Elizabeth Bennet. We do have the same personality type, according to the Meyes-Briggs Personality test.) (Never mind.)

For those of you who know me better, do you think I chose a good sample of characters to represent me? Who would you have picked? Also. How are you doing, my friends? Tell me something about life. It's so funny, when you grow up, life seems to get harder and harder and better and better. That's because life is super super complex and every day we learn something more about its complex-ness. There, was was your philosophy session.

(Should I tag people? Okay, I tag any of my readers that I've met in real life and that have a blog. Emma, Sadie, Hannah... that's bout it, I think. (And you, Sarah, if you've got your blog yet!))

PS!! Oh, I just thought of a character that I relate to so much! Barbara in Call the Midwife. (Too late. Let's just click publish.)

What makes a good title?

Gone with the Wind . To Kill a Mockingbird . The Diary of a Young Girl . Pride and Prejudice . Under the Greenwood Tree . Anne of Green Gables . Rilla of Ingleside . Crazy Love . The Book Thief . The Little House on the Prairie .

I love all these titles. They've got something about them; a punch, a dash of whimsy - an air of unforgettable-ness. Maybe it's because their content is good (although I've never read Under the Greenwood Tree - I just like the title) - maybe we remember these titles just because they happen to be famous... but seriously, these are some good titles. Like, how did Margaret Mitchell come up with something as epic as Gone with the Wind?! It sums up her book in four words and it doesn't give away any spoilers. How does she do that?! How did Harper Lee find such an intriguing title for her masterpiece? To Kill a Mockingbird sounds exactly like the kind of book you'd want to open to find out more.

With all these amazing titles in the world, I have a dilemma. I CANNOT NAME MY BOOK. It isn't finished yet (although slowly the end is in sight!) but man, I am bad at thinking of a title. Either Google search shows me there are already 100 books with the same title (yes, slight exaggeration, I apologise), or either it sounds so stupid I just roll my eyes at my own laptop screen.

What I'd (ideally) want in a title are 1. Something personal to the book. 2. Something that sounds pretty (not ya know, something like, Amy Stubbins' life in London)  and 3. Something that sounds good... something that rolls on the tongue. (However much I love The Guernsey Literary Potatoe Peel Pie Society, I am not searching for something in that field.)

I have identified six types of titles. You must tell me which you like best (after all, you are my imagined future audience.):

1. The snappy one. Such as: Crazy Love . Cool! . Not a Fan . These are often for learn-more-about-life books. Their title sparks interest. Their title isn't, perhaps, what the book subject might seem. It's a punchy title and it's what makes hands grab books. I like a snappy title. (However, it would not suit my book. My book is an historical piece of fiction with a fair amount of deaths. A flashy-punchy-colourful title would be... odd.)

2. The whimsical one. This is where I should paste basically all L.M.Montgomery's book titles. Especially Magic for Marigold and Jane of Lantern Hill and Anne of Avonlea. They all sound exquisite. I wish I had the knack for such beautiful title but whenever I do they sounds laughably ridiculous, like I'm just trying way too hard. Ha.

3. The This-is-what-the-book-basically-is-in-short title. Such as The Diary of Anne Frank or The Book Thief or A Series of Unfortunate Events or The Little House on the Prairie. It's like a tiny resume but it sounds really good on the front cover. I want one like this but ah how do I do this. For my book that would be something like, The Girl who has Problems and other people too and then it Slowly gets Resolved. That's not an ideal title, you've got to admit.

4. The monstrously epic one. We've touched this subject. Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird and other titles such as Pride and Prejudice and The Hunger Games are like this. But probably just because they're famous. But still. These kinda books are epic even without trying. The title does all the work. (I've given up on one like this. :-/)

5. The one word one. These CAN be cool but they're often, in my 'umble opinion, boring and/or cheesy. Some books pull it off: Emma . Christy . Persuasion . Homestead . (I thought of naming my book Blessed but then I looked it up on Goodreads and bam, about 10 books with the same title came up. I never thought I'd say this, but I wish there were less books in the world, haha.)

6. The this-title-could-do-for-any-book one. These are the ones I generally go for because they're easy. Romance novels have these. Titles like Back Home or Far Away from Home or In His Arms or Stealing His Name or Only when We're Apart or stuff like Waves of Love. They sound original, but they're not because switch the two titles from two Christian Fiction novels around and it won't matter - the title will still suit the content. Basically. (I thought of Only if it's You and Green Eyes for my novel but one, these books already exist and two, they could be the title of 90% of the books out there. And I don't want that.)

So there you go. The struggle of finding a title for my novel. I guess I'll just finish the novel first and then decide. Or better still, I have Emma read the manuscript and she can name it. She is wickedly good at naming things. (As I write, she is probably naming cows and horses in Texas.)

What are some of your favourite titles? What makes a good title? Any tips for the titling-my-novel-process? Cuz I need tips.

nostalgia

nostalgia // noun // a sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past.

I love nostalgia. It's weird and beautiful and melancholy and perceptive and heart-warming. It's wistful and sentimental. It's happy and sad. I love that you can't have nostalgia for bad memories - and I love that nostalgia isn't really about memories, it's more about past aspects - like a particular smell, or a smile, or a book, or a room. I love that nostalgia can dawn suddenly, unexpectedly, and make you think, pause; remember, reminisce about the good days past. I love that it reminds us that life has been good and that life is good - because one day we'll be filled with nostalgia for now.

I love nostalgia. It's a nice word too; it sounds nice and it has a twist to it - it's a clever word. It's a word that every individual interprets differently - a word so personal and intimate that no-one can describe quite what nostalgia feels for themselves.

Cows in pastures makes me nostalgic; mainly because we used to live across the road to fields with cows (also chickens; although not in the same field) and I walked there plenty of times. Also, every year we'd go to this farm in Switzerland and yep, you guessed it, cows with bells around their necks - chewing their hearts out on the dewy morning grass - were always part of our stay there.

Newborn babies make me nostalgic. Their crazy small fingers; toenails; ears... their innocence, their pure perfection; their delicate, gorgeous, gorgeous beauty. I love their eyes - looking at things without knowing things, looking at faces and trusting people without knowing a thing. I love their little noses and their kissable feet and wrinkly fingers and ugh goshdarnit they're so terribly adorable. Even if they're ugly and wrinkled, they have tear-drop-worthy gorgeousness about their beings. You get it if you stare at one long enough.

A friend from Church recently had a little boy and I got to hold him (yeahhh for like, five minutes) and his black eyes peering at me from his teensy face just UGH IT'S LIKE MAGIC I TELL YOU.

I guess newborns make me nostalgic because I've so many memories of newborn siblings - going to the hospital and fighting for a turn to hold said new sibling. So many memories of sorting out baby clothes and smelling baby shampoo (best . smell . ever . Can I have an amen?) and feeling those small fingers cling around one of mine. Holding a new sibling always sort of felt like holding part of me... part of my blood; in my young arms - a freakin' human being with a life ahead. Blank pages to fill.

Ladybird books make me nostalgic. (For anyone who doesn't know, Ladybird books aren't books about insects... they're about all sorts of things. They were made in Britain, I believe, to learn kids how to read.) Whenever I was ill, I would take all of them (and we have a lot of ladybird books) and I would read them all in my bed. I loved reading about Peter and Jane and the dolls and the horses and the cookies and the beach and Punch and Judy and just yes I loved it. I personally think the stories are stupid now, but yeah speak about nostalgia.

The Cinderella Ladybird book pictured above makes me so so nostalgic because I have such a vivid memory of discovering it between some boring French grammar books at Grandma and Granddad's house and yes lil' seven-year-old me was like ahhhh this book is the best book ever. I put it back there and every time we revisited, I would go back and reread it. I still kinda want Cinderella's dresses. Obviously mainly the pink one on the cover.

Banana shaped moons make me nostalgic. Now I love full moons; glorious and cunning and smart in the dark sky - but spiky banana moons remind me of when I was little and I would freak out and point at it because IT'S SO EXCITING. LOOK MAMA THERE'S THE MOOOON.

Astrid Lingdren's stories make me nostalgic. I used to be such an Astrid Lingdren fan. I had no idea she was a Swedish author; for me she was the author of 'Madieke en Liesbet' and I thought she lived in Belgium and I felt like she wrote them right to me. 

I luuurved reading about Madieke (I think; Margaret in English? Not sure. I read 'em in Dutch and it doesn't feel right in any other language, haha) and her adventures in her red house with her sister Liesbet. I wanted to throw meatballs from the roof and have an Easter chocolate man and all that. I wanted to be like Lisa in 'The Children of Noisy Village' (the English title sounds so wrong; but I shall use it for my dear readers. Appreciate all I do.) and have an attic room and collect pictures and own a lamb. And have the perfectest life. :-)

Basically, I wanted to live in an Astrid Lingdren book. And the gorgeous, full-colour picture books that I found in the library (see picture above) didn't really help. (Seriously when I found that picture on Pinterest a whole GUST (no, WIND) of nostalgia swept over me.) (#personalfeels)

Seagulls make me nostalgic because I remember being so excited to see them on what-felt-like-the-longest-journey-ever to England. Seeing seagulls meant we were in Calais which meant we were going to board on the ferry, which meant we were going to see the White Cliffs of Dover (ugh yes the White Cliffs of Dover give me such nostalgia... please; don't get me started!), which meant we were going to be in England. I love seagulls. Also the sound of them... nothing screams more beach and coast. It's a beautiful sound.

Library cards make me so nostalgic. The stamps marking the history of the travels of a book, the library ladies stamping new stamps on the card (I always wanted to do it because it sounded like so much fun to do)... I miss the library card days, guys. 

So. Many. Library memories. I'm so glad that libraries hadn't yet 'fully developed' into computer-generated libraries in my childhood. I'm so glad I associate stamps and library cards with books. I'm so glad that when I visit a library now I still expect the crunch of the stamp to interrupt the bookish silence in the air. I'm sad that it doesn't. I don't care about the efficiency of computer-technology-look-it-up libraries; I WISH LIBRARY CARDS WERE STILL A THING.

I miss the tiny library that lived near the local church before it disappeared and joined the big, modern one. Just thinking about that adorable library makes me nostalgic because it was literally the cutest place in the world and I always wanted to go there when Mama went. I would come home with BAGS of books (frequently the same ones over and over) and it was the bomb. (*whisper* I know you have no idea what I'm talking about but please, allow me to have my trip down memory lane.)

Pettson and Findus books make me nostalgic. I got these from frequent library visits (and haven't read one in aaages) and my word, so much nostalgia. They're basically books about this old man and his cat (the cat is the coolest kid ever) and the pictures are just gold - filled with adorable detail; little weird creatures peeping from rugs and corners, little bits and bobs... I poured myself into these books. I want to reread them all so badly right now. (If I have kids, these are on my to-buy-for-their-birthdays list; for sure.)

Tapes make me nostalgic. REMEMBER THESE??? When you could put them in CARS? (Sheesh, I'm only eighteen. I should not be feeling this old.) My favourite childhood tape was one my dad made of my older brother singing Nursery Rhymes and Christmas songs. Oh, and there was one tape of annoying Nursery Rhyme songs that my sister Hannah and my brother Daniel ALWAYS listened to - I was so sick of it I hid it in the garden with my older brother. (Still good memories.)

The Martine/Tiny books give me nostalgia. I'm sorry to - once again - talk about books none of you probably know about, but the Tiny (not a word meaning small; it's a name. Don't laugh. Her name is Tiny. It's from the name Martine.) books basically are my childhood. They're MINE. None of my sisters like them much and I can't see why because I when I look back at my childhood I see Tiny books Tiny books Tiny books. 

We still have almost all of them - all 50-something. Tiny was this girl with the perfect life and the pictures are perfect and it's so unrealistic and I LOVED THEM SO MUCH... *goes downstairs to reread them all*

Film rolls make me nostalgic. The old camera has now long been buried and been replaced by a sporty grey lil' pocket-sized thing, and I miss the film roll days, readers. I always wanted to have it after the pictures had been developed... I always had a fascination for it, I guess. I mean, how on earth was my face on this brown see-through object?

There you go... some stuff that makes me wistful and sentimental and nostalgic. 

For some reason, so does a frying pan filled with eggs, but I have no idea why. So do the Little House on the Prairie books of course - I didn't dare even mention those because you'd all be like: "UGHH I KNOW SHHH DON'T SAY IT AGAIN." :-P 

Now, if you read all of this, consider yourself my friend. (I realise it might have been boring for some people. That's okay. Nostalgia is different for different people; I told you in the early realms of this post, if you've been paying any attention.) Does any of the things I listed make you nostalgic? If so, consider yourself my friend as well. Tell me about all the personal feels in the comment section; I'm all ears.

Fictional Characters

I'd like to be riding a bicycle, doing something important with an undercover spy name, riding through German fields, the long grass whipping my bare legs; bits of past pitter-pattering through my memory as the mauve evening clouds whizz behind me. (Violins of Autumn)

I'd like to be a beautiful city girl, hair blonde, like a doll in a shop, embarking on a forced adventure of horseback rides, squirrel meat, dark mines and little dark bedrooms filled with lotions and herbs hanging down in bunches from the ceiling. I'd like to be in the middle of a dazzling plot; to be the one who knows all the secrets and who has to keep quiet because someone's life depends on it. (Wonderland Creek.)

I'd like to have a long-legged man as a pen-friend, and write down witty, warm words to him after a day of school, random happenings, and a little bit of extravagant shopping. I would sketch some silly things in the letter margins, just for fun and sign off in French to show him how smart I'm becoming. (Daddy Long Legs.)

I'd like to be a poor, grey-eyed orphan with an imagination as brilliant as a thousand rainbows, a tongue with a gracious voice, and a vocabulary to dazzle even Shakespeare. I'd like to be adopted into a red-and-green island, with beaches and birches and ponds and orchards as friends, and enough blossom to fuel the imagination to the next level of brilliance. (Anne of Green Gables.)

I'd like to be the only long-haired girl in a town of fashionably-bobbed girls, and to stand out because of other reasons too; bold faith, bubbly smile; odd potato-sack dresses. I'd like to be someone's best friend, her little rock in her rocky time of life; I'd like to give her comfort and show her hope through God, good people, beautiful photos and melancholy, soul-dripping poems in a queer little book. (The Sweetest Thing.)

I'd like to have a charmingly croaky husband with a mysteriously locked writing room, a small house on an island surrounded by nature-book-worthy scenery, and an old, vulgar car with a Ladies name which, of course, I happily share with the mysteriously lovable husband. (The Blue Castle.)

I'd like to be in a story narrated by an abstract feature of life, a story of books, accordion playing, lists of words, and friends like the schoolmate with the hair the colour of lemons and the friend who painted over hitler to make a book for me; that secret dark-eyed friend in the cold basement. (The Book Thief.)

... This is why I love reading. I can be all these people just by burying myself into the pages and the words and the beautifully woven stories. Magic right there, readers.

Twenty random reasons why I love The Blue Castle

The Blue Castle will be one of those books I will love forever. The kind of book I will want to introduce to my potential daughter (AND SON) (AND PET GOLDFISH) (AND GREAT-GRANDMA IN LAW OR WHATEVER)  as soon as possible and it's the kind of book I will always recommend to those poor friends of mine who have not yet dipped their young imagination into this jewel of a book. It's fantastic - filled with whimsy, Montgomery-ness, wit, sparkle and quirkiness. I've reviewed this book many times in my head, but here is a quickly-thrown-together, random list of things I love about this little, unknown-to-many, genius book called The Blue Castle. 

(Which, by the way, I know practically word to word because I've reread it so frequently. One must brag about these things. :-P)

Lovely collage I found

1. BARNEY. Let's be real here; first thing on the list. Barney Snaith.

2. Her green dress and hat. I love how she learns how to wear it and how nice she looks in it. It sounds like something lady Edith in Downton Abbey would rock, too.

3. When Barney puts his 'tobaccoey' leather jacket on Valancy in the car. AHHH. #Barlancy

4. "Ever thought of ballooning?" Never gets old. 

5. Valancy's reaction when Barney takes her to his little house on the island. (Can we all take a moment to appreciate where Barney lives? Actual house goals.)

6. "Piffle," said Barney.

7. Also, basically any time Barney pretends to hate John Foster's books. Also, basically any time Barney is in the book. Also, basically Barney. His eyebrows, his tawny hair, his grin, his laugh, his mysteriousness, his HOUSE, his wonderful Barney-ness... I love Barney.

8. The name Valancy is gorgeous. I don't care what anyone says; I love it.

9. Uncle Benjamin's stupid jokes. "What's the difference between a stamp and a donkey?" "One you lick with a stick and one you stick with a lick!"

10. When Barney says he's not a pup, but a middle-aged dog, actually.

11. Valancy's moonlight dress. And her Christmas pearls. And her little moments of adorable sass and cute happiness.

12. Obviously also when Valancy proposes and she tells him she loves him.

13. However, all that is cast underneath the beautiful scene where Barney professes his love to Valancy, and he says sentimental stuff like, 'Girl, you're the core of my heart!' and HE SO PULLS IT OFF. The scene is a mighty tearjerker. Gah, I love these two.

14. When they go to the movies together and eat at a Chinese restaurant.

15. Lady Jane. I love Lady Jane. (For those of you who haven't read it: Lady Jane is, in fact, a car. And I do generally not admire or speak of these iron objects, but Lady Jane is an exception.)

16. The poetic beauty of Montgomery's seasonal descriptions. I used to find them boring, but now I relish in their richness.

17. "True happiness is to sneeze when you want to." - Valancy

18. While yes, some of Valancy (NOT DOSS)'s comments were very much out there, I love love her bite-back commentary scenes to her stupid and insipid clan. I love their shocked expressions and their lack of understanding life. I love it when they insist she has gone 'batty' and when Mrs Stirling wishes she 'knew how to go into hysterics.' This book is hilarious.

19. Valancy's married happiness. Oh and their first kiss. Cuuute.

20. ALL OF IT OKAY. There is something magical about this book - it is a little gem of happiness, sparkle, and utter, gleeful whimsy. Don't blame for using an excess of metaphors. I just read The Blue Castle and I am intoxicated yet again. (PS. Barney Snaith belongs to me. Goodbye.)

Other Really beautiful collage I found of this book.

Have you read this book? If you have not I'm afraid we must postpone our friendship to a latter date when you can tell me that you have. And that you enjoyed it. Just kidding, but really, go and read it. It's charm personified.

Now go yonder and fulfil your daily - or, in my case, nightly - duties. (Which includes suddenly realising it's late and thinking wow, wow, let's get some sleep, shall we.) Read books in one sitting and get as much of the boring stuff done before Christmas and check out The Bible Project on Youtube, because it's my favourite Youtube Channel at present. Make ugly selfies. Roll your eyes now and then. Write two blog posts in one day. Wow. I give the best life advice since Don't Worry Be Happy; (you know, that song with the catchy whistle-y tune.)

Books I'd love to read. (+ chocolate.)

Hello, my dear apples and potatoes and chocolate-chip loving human beings, how is life? What's your new favourite word and are you reading any book of the Bible in particular? (My answers would be 'crumbs' and the gospel according to Mark.) Can you say 'Irish wrist watch' five times at a fairly fast pace? (After a lot of practise, I have succeeded.) (Yesterday was national tongue twister day, did ya know?) (Also, my big bro became freaking twenty yesterday. I had chocolate cake. And Maltesers. And more cake. And then a carrot to make me feel good about all the sugar.)

Today I'm going to talk about books that I want to read very badly. Some of these, hopefully, will be gifts for Christmas (eek!) (squee!) (yay!) but ya know, it's fun to talk about books and to read your comments on them. Tell me if any of these are terrible, so I can change my mind about them and not buy them after all. I might not listen though, but these all look dang good. (Also, some I'm just so curious about. I must read them all.)

Waves of Mercy by Lynn Austin

This is definitely the first in my list of BOOKS I YEARN TO POSSESS IN MY BOOKSHELF. So far all the reviews seem to be glowingly positive and the synopsis at the back seems so riveting. At first I didn't like the cover, but now I just want to hold it in my hands and GAZE at it.. bahhh I want to read this so bad. :-P I love the sound of it and I love the names of the characters and I love that the main character is Dutch. Also, it's Lynn Austin + historical fiction, which ultimately means excellent new favourite book. 

Crazy Love by Francis Chan

I've heard of this book a lot. Many bloggers have recommended it glowingly and many Goodreads friends have rated it five golden stars. I want to read this real bad. (Especially after the two bookish Mind the Gap episodes: 1 / 2 /) (Also, 'real bad' sounds so Southern American, ha.) I always love a good inspiring book and I've recently yearned to read a great faith-based book - sometimes I feel like I should read more than just fiction. ;-)

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

I don't want to read this BUT YET I DO. It's so deliciously controversial and so deliciously famous and I yearn for more Scout Finch. I feel like my bookish inside-self can't settle down peacefully before I can claim to have read this book. But, of course, before I do, I must reread the MINDBLOWINGLY BRILLIANT To Kill a Mockingbird which I will love till I die. Also, I love Atticus. And I don't want to not to.

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

Someone recommended this to me after I once raved about The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society, saying that this book has a very similar concept, what with the letter-form and strangers becoming friends in random circumstances, and all that. Obviously, this makes me want to read this book because obviously and obviously. Oh and obviously. (Did I say duh?)

Steal like an Artist by Austin Kleon

The only thing that stops me from buying this darling (apparently ridiculously inspiring and drive-the-creative-ness-inside-you-mad-ing) is that it's not very LONG and therefore might be a disappointment. However, I still REALLY want to read this. I can just imagine how much it'll make me want to be crazy creative and judging from the amazon sneak peaks, it is adorable and darling and so inspirational.

The Complete Journals of Lucy Maud Montgomery

I WANT TO READ THIS SO BADLY. A sneaky peak inside the life of my favourite authoress? More sentences and words spun by this beautiful writer? Yes please yes. Unfortunately it is SO expensive to buy though, so I can't see this being in my possession any time to soon. But it's definitely high on my to-read list.

(Also, all these books. Give them.):

Voilà, a couple of gems I wish to devour. Do you have any books on your Christmas wish list? Tell me about them. Maybe also give me some words of consolation because after I hit publish I'm going to go downstairs and watch Downton Abbey Series 3 episode 5 which is the episode where the nicest character under the roof dies. SOMEONE HELP ME. SOMEONE HOLD MY HAND.

I sincerely hope each and every one of you is enjoying this confusing and beautiful and bronze month, and that you're keeping yourself busy and inspired. I recommend making jokes about awkward things and keeping firm hold of the amazing word of God. God is amazing. I love Him. I also recommend Michael Buble songs and Doris Day songs and chocolate hazelnut bars and big sweaters. Have a great night darlings. Remember that you're sleeping under beautiful silver stars.

(It is evening as I write, so therefore it is evening for all of you. ;-P)

"It seems queer to be writing letters to somebody you don't know. It seems queer for me to be writing letters at all--I've never written more than three or four in my life, so please overlook it if these are not a model kind." --- Daddy Long Legs, Jerusha Abbot

Dear Readers,

I have come to the realisation that I very much love reading 'letter-books', as I call them. I only wish there were more of them, because I have read, and possibly reread, all of those I am aware of. (Except Dear Enemy which I'll read very soon.) My love for letter books started with Daddy-Long-Legs. I remember the Sunday when I found it for 0.00£ as an e-book on Amazon and 'bought' it on my kindle. I started reading, and became more than hooked from the first letter Jerusha Abbot wrote to the long-legged stranger she adopted as a friend and baptised adorably as 'Daddy-Long-Legs.' I didn't stop reading till I had finished it - I took the book down to dinner... it was that good. It still is one of my favourite books to this date, and if you haven't read it, I implore you to. No, in fact, I insist upon it.

Then I heard about "Dear Mr Knightley"... a sort of modern Daddy-Long-Legs, apparently, with a mad Jane Austen fan as the main character. Of course I was going to buy it and read it and love it. I have to admit, I don't adore 'Dear Mr Knightley' but I'm still very fond of it, and proud to own a copy. Also, the cover is gorgeous, and the hero, Alex, is a darling. I love reading Samantha's letters. They aren't always the quaint, adorable, innocent and hilarious letters that Jerusha Abbot writes; but they are great fun to read. Her character has a lot of depth and the fact that she has to write letters to a stranger is really good for her, because she needs to empty her worries and her heart onto someone.

I read The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society (I know, it's a mouthful, but isn't it the most original title ever?) several months later, AND IT WAS OFFICIAL. I love love love letter books. The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society or, as my friend Emma and I call it: "The Guernsey book" (cuz no-one's got time to write the entire title, right? Life is busy and time doesn't stop) - is amazing. I recently reread it and loved it even more. It's one of my all time favourite books, (despite some things about it I don't really appreciate.) I raved about it on Goodreads; and promised myself that one day, I'll make myself a Literary society and write a letter to someone who used to own a book I own.

'The Guernsey book' has a huge place in my heart... it's just... blahh. It makes me so happy. The characters are all so special and unique; and the letters that go to and fro and create a whole beautiful story... it just warms my heart. It's probably the cleverest book I know of. (Thou must read.)

I was delighted when I was able to buy 'Ain't we got Fun' on kindle; with the Amazon vauture I won through Melody's Christmas story contest last Christmas. I had wanted to read it for quite some time because it looked adorable and it's a letter book. The book is basically the correspondence between two sisters, Bess and Georgiana, as they find happiness in their daily lives during the Great Depression. I loved it - again, it warmed my heart. Another letter-book I've read is 'Lady Susan', by Jane Austen, and oui, I really liked that as well.

I think part of the reason why I love letter-form books is that I'm a curious person by nature, and that reading other people's letters therefore makes me feel happy... because one normally doesn't get to do that. :-P Also, letter books are always funnier and more drawn-back and casual than normal books; and they mean stamps and envelopes and ink and people sending information, gossip and love to each other via paper and words and sentences. It makes me so HAPPY.

Celebrating my love for these, I wrote myself a novella called 'Nonsense, you aren't dead,' written in letters form. It has a very dramatically sad ending, and I am featured in it as the antagonist (no, really), but I flatter myself when I say that it is rather fun to read, although without a doubt rather silly. In a childrens' book I once wrote, I featured a lot of mean letters between two kids who are forced to be 'pen-friends.' The book is called 'Pen-Enemy.' I want to write a another letter-form book sometime soon - they are so much fun to write, and it gives you such a boost on creativity, because there are so many options about styles, characters, and who writes to who, and so on.

The goal for this letter for you is the follow question: Do you know any other letter books? Because I really want  to read some other ones; ones I've never heard of. (Don't say 'Dear Enemy' by Jean Webster, because I know about that one, and I plan to read it very soon. :-)) So... if you have any more letter-book recommendations... go and tell me, please! (Interesting letter-collections from famous people are welcome too, although I am aiming for works for fiction with a plot and everything. :-P)

Yours very truly and very devotedly and very lovingly,

Naomi xxx

PS What do think of a long quote as a blog title? It's kind of weird, but letters embrace weirdness so I'm going to go with it.

PS And yes, the pictures in the post are SO staged, but LET ME. :-D (Also, the letters in the pictures are from Emma, and aren't they diviiine?)

Lynn Austin and her novels.

All the Lynn Austin books in our house. (Minus a Dutch version of Hidden Places and another copy of Candlelight in the Darkness, which I've currently lent to twin friends at Church. Woe if they don't love it.)

I... I... I just* finished reading Hidden Places. (For the fifth time or something.) It was even more amazing than I had recalled. I cried and cried over Betty and Lydia, and my heart broke for Luke and Gabriel-when-he-was-a-boy. I turned over the pages just like it was the first time I was reading it; I was riveted and just in awe. I spent the whole morning curled in my bed trying to hide my face in the folds of the cushions and my pullover, so no one entering in my room would see all the melodrama I was experiencing, and when I finished it, I felt like a terrible writer, (which admittedly is the only downside about this book.)

*I wrote the first sentence of this post in the morning, but the rest in the evening. I felt a tad overwhelmed after finishing Hidden Places, to be honest, and wasn't capable of much good-post-writing. :-) It took me ages to write my Goodreads review, but I just about managed that.

Basically, Hidden Places is an amazing book, and Lynn Austin is an AMAZING writer. Message of April 30th, 2016. Lynn Austin's writing never ceases to surprise and amaze me. Almost every one of her books make me read and read for hours in one go, and almost all her books have a big personal value to me.

I suppose we could go way back to when I was about nine or ten or eleven, when my mum read them. She got most of them from her sister, my aunt, who gave them to her for her birthdays or she borrowed them from friends. Now and then a thick, beautiful-covered book would sit on her bedside table, next to her blue pot of Nivea cream and her lamp, and she would tell me it was 'really good' and that 'one day I could read them.' Well, really, I loved them already before I read them. It's like me with Pride and Prejudice 1995 - I loved that before I watched it; I loved it just by looking at the covers and rereading the blurb at the back. Especially the cover of Until we Reach Home, with the three girls looking at the Statue of Liberty in New York really captured my imagination. I looked at the pretty dresses of the four ladies on the cover of A Woman's Place and chose which one was the prettiest. I remember my mum 'fangirling' over them with some of her friends who read them as well, and how the Lynn Austin books kind of travelled around the circle of friends. Oh, and I remember asking several times if I could read them, and Mum said, 'Not quite yet.' (Which, now, I do understand, because it's not really a book for kids of pre-teens, but I did have to wait for these.)

And then I read my first Lynn Austin book, when I was twelve. It was While We're Far Apart, and I loved it. I remember telling Mama, "Lynn Austin's my favourite author too." And she was like, "You've only read one!" Turns out that I didn't really change my mind, ever, because she still is one of my favourite authors ever. I have only ever read one book of hers that I wasn't wildly enthusiastic about.

You know, a lot of contemporary books nowadays are kind of fluffy and... shallow. This includes about 90% of Christian Fiction, sadly enough. But Lynn Austin doesn't do fluffy - she goes to the deep, important, sometimes-gritty, sad, interestingly passionate stuff. Her characters are alive with colours, and her books all create this inner world in my brain which I always want to return to. Her books really are WORLDS. That's how I think about them, and I don't think that about a lot of books, really. There are many books I love as books, but I don't love Lynn Austin's books as books - I love them as... I don't know... whole scopes, whole scents, whole worlds.

Hidden Places and Eve's Daughters are my two favourite of her novels. Both of them kind of tear my heart to pieces - it's ridiculous and terribly wicked of Lynn Austin to do this to me, but oh well, I shouldn't have reread them in the first place, should I? The story of Aunt Batty, with her beautiful and flighty sister Lydia, and her lover, the darling Walter who is dying but who she loves so much she doesn't care. And then the story of Emma and Grace, and the kind-hearted pastor, Patrick O'Duggan. And then we have the stories of Alice Grace Ripley and Violet Rose Hayes, mysterious and romantic mixed with excellent pinches humour. I won't even START talking about The Refiner's Fire Series, because it'll take hours - I love that trilogy a ridiculous amount.

And do you know what else is good about her novels? They are always better when rereading them. I remember loving them on my first re-reads, like a world was opening, and like I just met a good friend. But now when I reread them it's like reuniting with a good friend - and reuniting is better than meeting.

This following month, I'm going to reread a lot of Lynn Austin books. Go through the old favourites, and all that jazz. Feel free to join me on my Lynn Austin marathon, and converse about her books in the comment section anytime! Because they're fun to talk about ammirite?

If Lynn Austin ever ends up reading this (firstly, I'm HONOURED, thank you for reading!) - I would like to thank her for her marvellous stories. I'm not like Matthew Wyatt, who had a terribly depressive life and needed an 'escape' through books - I have a happy family, and good siblings and parents who strongly approve of fictional books (ha!) - but your books have simply given me such inspiration for my own writing, such joy, and such a good view of things. Also, they have given me a nickname - Alice Grace Ripley - and the title for my blog! So thank you. :-)

PS. I hope you don't mind that I stole the name Wonderland Creek for my blog name, by the way. If you do I will change it, as a token of gratitude.

Interview with Emily Ann Putzke!

Emily Ann Putzke has written this book called Resist, and it's just released and let me tell you, as an honoured advance reader, I can tell you that it's GOOD. It's really moving as well as deep and... true. It really happened. The book made me cry, and I highly recommend it.

I'm honoured to be a part of Emily's book blog tour... and here's an interview with the One And Only Authoress of the One And Only Resist. :-D

1. When and how did you first 'discover' the Scholl family?

I first read about the Scholl family in November of 2014. Resistance during WWII really fascinates me, so I was looking on Pinterest for pictures and facts about the German resistance. That's when I came across Sophie and Hans Scholl. Their story really touched me, so I got all the books about them I could get my hands on. The rest, as they say, is history!

2. What inspired you to write down their story?

When I read the full story Hans and Sophie it made me sit there in awe and sorrow. Hans and Sophie were around my age and they had such a strong sense of right and wrong that they were willing to die in the fight against evil. I wanted the world to know about them and be inspired by their story as I have been.  

3. The story is obviously a very sad one (I cried while reading it) - did you cry while writing it? Is it a story you get emotional about?

I think I cried the most while doing the research because the story was still new and fresh to me. Maybe the writing didn’t make me cry as much because I put myself in Hans’ place for the entire novel … maybe some of his courage was passed on to me. “I knew what I took upon myself and I was prepared to lose my life by doing so …. please don’t be too grieved that I have to leave this earth so soon .... please know that Sophie and I couldn’t have acted in any other way.” But I can’t deny that the ending was hard and I had tears burning in my eyes as I wrote the final words.

4. Which character do you relate the most to?

I’m more reserved and introverted, like Sophie. I’m also similar to Hans, though. I can be a bit impulsive and jump into projects with lots of gusto like him. I can relate to both of them in different ways.

5. Are there any fictional characters in this book? Which characters did you make up yourself?

There are only a handful of fictional characters in Resist such as a few of the soldiers. Although, I did base some of the soldiers on people Hans mentioned in his Eastern Front diary. Roland, the medical student Hans serves with in France was fictional, as was the red-headed soldier, Otto. Everyone else was either real, or based on a real person.

6. Are there any soundtracks/songs you listened to while writing this book? Any songs that remind you of RESIST?

I listened to Schindler's List and Sophie Scholl: The Final Days. When I listen to them, they bring me back to writing Resist. It’s amazing what a strong hold music has on our memory!

7. Was 'RESIST' the first title you considered? If not, could you tell me what some of the other titles were? (I like these little behind-the-scenes facts. :-))

I really can’t remember having another title in mind except for maybe Resistance, but that didn’t feel right. I liked the sound of Resist from the get-go. Boring answer, sorry!

8. If 'they' would make a movie about Hans Scholl, who would you cast as Hans?

There is already a German film about Hans and Sophie Scholl that was made in 2005. It’s about their final days, however, so ‘they’ should make another film that covers more of Hans’ story. That being said, I absolutely love the actor, Fabian Hinrichs who portrayed Hans, but he’s eleven years older now. Does he have a younger brother? I’d cast him.

About the Author:

Emily Ann Putzke is a young novelist, historical reenactor, and history lover. You can learn more about Emily and her books on her blog, Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 

Thank you so much, Emily for writing this amazing book + for answering my questions!

People reading, head over here for the fantastic giveaway Emily's hosting!!! AND BUY THE BOOK, because it's quite something. :-D