Thursday, February 25, 2016

Farewell, Alison. (And a Short Hiatus)

Hey everyone! I just wanted to inform you that Alison will no longer be blogging at the Scribbling Sprite due to personal reasons. I'll miss her, though, and I hope you guys will too! So please be sure to give her a friendly farewell in the comments. She's been a great co-blogger!

Also, I will be going on a slight hiatus. Spring break is coming up, and I'm going on a mission trip (yay!) but I won't have time for blogging (boo). So I don't know exactly when I'll return.

That is all. I guess you may leave. Or you could, you know, sit and stare at the screen and cry about all this. I totally understand *nods understandingly*

K, bye!


Friday, February 19, 2016

The One Lovely Blog Award


Alexa @ Summer Snowflakes tagged us for The One Lovely Blog Award. Back in September. Heh. Okay, so I forgot, but I HAVE IT TOGETHER, I PROMISE.

Actually, this is an accurate picture of me right now...


Like I said, completely together!

Onto the rules!


One Lovely Blog Award


1. Link back to the blogger who nominated you.
2. Posts seven facts about yourself.
3. Nominate 15 bloggers of your own.

Ally's facts:

1. Pirates of the Caribbean is my favorite Disney movie.


Closely followed by The Kid.


2. I am a middle child

Source
 3. I love cookies more than the cookie monster himself.

In fact, I live by his motto.

"Today me will live in the moment. Unless it's unpleasant. In which case, me will eat a cookie."


4. Oh, and cake is good too.



5. I might be somewhat obsessed with Full House.

6. I'm an an INTP. 



 7. Basically, I just love all junk food.



*whispers* Top that, Alison.

Alison's facts

It's on, Ally.

1.  I am a big theatre kid.  I have been in a few shows, and even if I'm just in the ensemble, I am always at home on the stage.

Because Hadley is cute | Imma have to agree with you on that. The man is precious.

This is partly why I am so dramatic all the time.

TGIF - humor gifs ...For more funny gifs visit www.bestfunnyjokes4u.com/
source


2.  I also loooooove Broadway shows.  Even though I don't have enough money to see them.  I settle for soundtracks and movie versions of the shows I have heard of.  Except Newsies.

no one does this better than Steele

It was on tour and my friend called me the night before with an extra ticket.  So basically my dreams came true.

3.  I quote TV shows and movies ALL the time.  Most of the time it goes unnoticed or I just get funny looks for my creepy quotes.  But occasionally there is someone who gets it and we have a moment.

  will always
source

4.  I really like puzzles, partly because I can sit for hours and listen to music while I do them.  When I get a challenging puzzle that I really like, my family has to drag me back into the real world.

andy richardson | Tumblr OH LOOK YOU CRUSHED MY SOUL
source

5.  I am an excessive shipper.  Sometimes very excessive.  It often comes with a lot of emotional pain.


source

6.  I am an ENFP.

More Than Words inspiring quote. "There's a fine line between genius and crazy... I like to use that line as a jump rope.":
source
It is at this time Fi has begun to want to wildly gesticulate and panic about the ever ensuing day ahead. Almost busted my shins on the stairs while flying up after meeting Dee this morning... and oh yeah I've been up since about Monday morning... just had figure that damn cognition out man... wow... seriously tho Thank You God for understanding... twice (8/28/13):
source

7.  My dream is that my future husband will refer to this scene when figuring out how to propose.

I’ve never seen so many books in all my life! I can’t wait to see this scene live action.
source

I think I did well enough to at least rank with Ally ;)

We tag these select few:


And of course anyone else who wants to do this.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Quotables: Quotes About Books


"A room without books is like a body without a soul."
Marcus Tullius Cicero

Books are a uniquely portable magic. 
Stephen King

"I find television to be very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go in the other room and read a book."
Groucho Marx

source


“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”


“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.” 

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” 

source


“Sleep is good, he said, and books are better.” 

“When I have a little money, I buy books; and if I have any left, I buy food and clothes.” 

“Books are the perfect entertainment: no commercials, no batteries, hours of enjoyment for each dollar spent. What I wonder is why everybody doesn't carry a book around for those inevitable dead spots in life.” 

source


“Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?” 

“I cannot live without books.” 

“That's the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.” 

source


“Stories never really end...even if the books like to pretend they do. Stories always go on. They don't end on the last page, any more than they begin on the first page.” 

“Isn't it odd how much fatter a book gets when you've read it several times?" Mo had said..."As if something were left between the pages every time you read it. Feelings, thoughts, sounds, smells...and then, when you look at the book again many years later, you find yourself there, too, a slightly younger self, slightly different, as if the book had preserved you like a pressed flower...both strange and familiar.” 

source


“If you take a book with you on a journey," Mo had said when he put the first one in her box, "an odd thing happens: The book begins collecting your memories. And forever after you have only to open that book to be back where you first read it. It will all come into your mind with the very first words: the sights you saw in that place, what it smelled like, the ice cream you ate while you were reading it... yes, books are like flypaper—memories cling to the printed page better than anything else.” 
-- Cornelia Funke



Friday, February 12, 2016

Review: The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson

The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Genres: YA; Christian; Historical; Romance; Fairy Tale

Pages: 320

"The one who needs rescuing isn’t always the one in the tower.

Rapunzel can throw a knife better than any man around. And her skills as an artist rival those of any artist she’s met. But for a woman in medieval times, the one skill she most desires is the hardest one to obtain: the ability to read.


After yet another young man asks for Rapunzel’s hand in marriage, Mother decides they need to move once again, but this time to a larger city. Rapunzel’s heart soars—surely there she can fulfill her dream. But Mother won’t let her close to a man. She claims that no man can be trusted.

After being rescued by a knight on the road to the city, and in turn rescuing him farther down the road, Rapunzel’s opportunity arrives at last. This knight, Sir Gerek, agrees to educate Rapunzel in order to pay back his debt. She just has to put up with his arrogant nature and single-minded focus on riches and prestige.

But this Rapunzel story is unlike any other and the mystery that she uncovers will change everything—except her happily ever after."


It's no secret that I'm a fan of Melanie Dickerson. She writes sweet, clean fairy tale retellings, and I always finish her books quickly and with a smile on my face--as cheesy as that may sound. My tastes had somehow changed a lot since I last read one of her books (honestly, I've become a bit tired of Christian Fiction), and I found myself being more nit-picky than usual. A few things niggled at me while reading, so I decided to divide this review up into things I liked and disliked. 

What I Liked: 

Rapunzel: She was fun, she was capable, she was sweet. She wasn't super tough or anything, but she was still a strong character and I enjoyed reading about her. The only thing I dislike about Rapunzel was her attitude towards her mother, but I'll talk about that later.

No Insta-love: *throws confetti* I liked the romance, because it was sweet. This could have gone like your typical fairy tale but it didn't. It wasn't *BOOM* love at first sight, so that was a relief. The romance wasn't super well-developed, but as I said, it was sweet.

The Setting: Medieval Germany! I liked returning to Hagenheim.

Ohhh, and the cover is super pretty!!

What I Disliked:

The HAIR: Yeah, I know, this is a Rapunzel retelling. And there's literally hair in the title. But there was so much emphasis placed on Rapunzel's beaauuutifulll golden hair. Every character was obsessed.

Gothel: You MUST cover your hair, or men will see it and want you.
Rapunzel: Yes, Mother!
Gerek: Why do you cover your hair? None of the other girls do. Why do you cover your hair? Why, Rapunzel? Why?

Really. I got tired of all this hair talk. Fast. Because covering your hair didn't seem that important to me in the grand scheme of things. What the hair thing did do for the story, however, was give us a larger glimpse of the relationship between Gothel and Rapunzel. Which is, um, another thing that bothered me...

Rapunzel's attitude toward Gothel: Rapunzel let Gothel (her mother) walk all over her. Yes, there were a few instances of defiance, but it just wasn't enough. Gothel was obviously not right in the head. She just didn't make any sense most of the time, and Rapunzel realized this (sometimes...) but was still "Yes, Mother Gothel. Of course, Mother Gothel." Now, really. Just because a woman raises you doesn't mean you should overlook all of her INSANE tendencies. I mean, really Rapunzel. You're a smart girl, so use your brain.

Gerek's stupidity: That's a bit harsh, but I'm good at being harsh, so let's go with it. I liked Gerek. No, really. He was grouchy and prickly and I can relate okay? But he was pretty sweet too, actually. Buut, I also like logical things and the way that he thought was just....not. Gerek's thoughts (and I cringe at this) were basically, "if my dad was cruel and beat his wife then I must be the same! Therefore I can never marry a girl that I could actually love." Hahahahaha. NO. And maybe I'm cruel for not having any sympathy but that is so illogical. I just can't.

It was preachy: I'm always wary about including a criticism like this, because I'm a Christian! I appreciate authors trying to spread the Christian message, but I think that too often the plot of a story is sacrificed to do so. Personally, I think that if you are strong about your beliefs they should seep into your writing. But trying to pound them into your book so much that we're reading a sermon in the fourth chapter (and this is just an example; not trying to insult Melanie!) well, that's a little off-putting. And in this book, I felt that the reading lessons between Gerek and Rapunzel were just there to preach at the readers (they were using the Bible). Somewhat related to that, this book also used one of my least favorite plot devices. (Highlight to read spoilers) Towards the end, when Gerek was looking for Rapunzel, he only found her because God spoke directly to him. That was just too easy, in my opinion.

Overall thoughts: I should mention that this is the sixth book in the Hagenheim series, but could be easily read as a standalone. It was a sweet, fun, clean read, and I basically swallowed in one gulp. Recommend for fairy tale lovers, fans of Melanie Dickerson, and fans of clean and simple romances. Wasn't a favorite of mine (please forgive my nitpickiness!!), but I'll still be looking out for more releases by Melanie!

Content: Kissing. That is all. Clean!



Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Top Ten Fictional Couples (OTPs)

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

In anticipation of Valentine's Day, this week's topic is: 

Top Ten Fictional Couples (OTPs).



Anne and Gilbert, Anne of Green Gables

Enna and Finn, Enna Burning

Harry and Ginny, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince



Cress and Thorne, Cress

Lilac and Tarver, These Broken Stars

Shahrzad and Khalid, The Wrath and the Dawn



Erik and Eadlyn, The Heir

Gabriella and Marcello, Waterfall


Todd and Christy, The Christy Miller Collection

Elena and Hector, The Girl of Fire and Thorns

Those are my top ten YA OTPs! Share your own, or leave the link to your TTT in the comments!


Saturday, February 6, 2016

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award


So, Aerykah @ Expressions of Me tagged me for this award in... August? Yeah, I'm just way behind in things...

So, without further ado, I give you...

The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

Here are the rules:
1. Thank the blogger who nominated you, linking back to their site.
2. Put the award logo on your blog.
3. Answer the ten questions sent to you.
4. Make up ten new questions for your nominees to answer.
5. Nominate ten other bloggers.

The Questions


1. Are you a movie/book quoter? - YES. Especially The Princess Bride, Harry Potter, Winnie The Pooh, and The Hollow Kingdom.
"Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"
2. Would you say you’re an introvert or an extrovert? - Introvert. I love people, but I need my alone time.

3. Are you sarcastic? - Whaaat? Noooo....
4. What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream? - Moose tracks! 
5. Do you play any musical instruments? - Air guitar.
6. Do you schedule your blog posts or post whenever you can? - At the time of writing this, I have several posts scheduled. This post will be scheduled. Of course, by the time it's posted, I may have no plan whatsoever and posts may be scattered. *shrugs*
7. If you could travel to any place on earth, where would you go? - I couldn't pick one place. But I do have a pinterest board of places I'd like to see someday!
8. What is your favorite princess movie? - I love princess movies! Except for Cinderella... I think I'd have to go with Mulan. Most people seem to count that as a princess movie? But The Princess Bride is a close second!
9. Who is your favorite author? (you can list more than one) - Oh, bless you, Aerykah! (I would have cheated anyway, buuut) J. K. Rowling, Erin Morgenstern, L. M. Montgomery, Marissa Meyer, Rae Carson, Ted Dekker... To name a few?
10. What book(s) are you currently reading? - At this time I am currently reading The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson and Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers (audiobook).

(Actually, now I'm reading A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab). XD
Questions for the tagged
1. Spring, Summer, Autumn, or Winter?
2. Favorite place you've visited?
3. What type of music do you listen to? (Genre, artists, songs?)
4. What is your favorite book cover?
5. Do you like carrots?
6. What is your favorite word? Least favorite?
7. What's your favorite genre to read? To watch?
8. Best 3 TV shows you've ever seen?
9. Have you ever danced in the rain? (You should. It's good for the soul.)
10. Last book you finished?

I nominate these lovely followers!


I love tags/awards! Feel free to answer one of the above questions in the comments. Also, please share: what is your favorite book/movie quote?

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Review: These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genres: YA; Science Fiction; Romance

Pages: 378

"Luxury spaceliner Icarus suddenly plummets from hyperspace into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive – alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a cynical war hero. Both journey across the eerie deserted terrain for help. Everything changes when they uncover the truth."


Review


I wasn't expecting to completely fall in love with this book. Yet I was pretty much head over heels by Chapter 2.

I have to start this review with the characters. Because the protagonists are what made this novel. Tarver Merendsen is a young soldier, famous for his acts of courage in war. He's instantly drawn to Lilac LaRoux when they first meet--until he finds out who she really is. That is, the daughter of the richest man--well--ever. Tarver knows that he, not coming from any means, could never be with someone like her. (In other words, her daddy would kill him). Sounds reasonable, no?

So a wall is erected between them. Actually, after an... incident... they don't even like each other. (NO insta-love here, my friends!!). And then the crash happens. And Lilac and Tarver are thrown together by circumstance (actually, I think it was Amie and Meagan?). They must travel across a deserted planet to seek help, learn to depend on each other for survival, and try not to think about the whispers that keep following them.

My initial thoughts: Oh, really? A journey across deserted terrain? Booorrrrrinng. But that's where I was wrong. Remember what I said about the characters making the novel? Well, they really did.

Lilac and Tarver were instantly likeable and I seriously loved their dynamic. True, I usually prefer more action and a more complex plot, but the story of these two people completely captivated me. Their interactions with each other could be tense and complex and yet so funny (Oh, the snark). I like how their relationship wasn't rushed. They initially disliked each other; they were at each other's throats most of the time (fun!). But they had to learn to rely upon each other. Eventually they became friends. Then they became more. I think that throughout the course of their journey they came to know and understand each other. I thought it was a beautiful progression of their relationship.

My major complaint is that I wish the story were a little more science-y and a little less romance-y. Both aspects of the novel were written well, in my opinion. Like I said, I loved the romance. And the science fiction aspect was really cool too. I just wish we had seen a little more of that.

Tarver's and Lilac's narration was almost enough to make up for that, though. There was one moment in the story that had me absolutely reeling. And the writing? Beautiful. I couldn't stop reading and finished this book in less than a day. Absolutely recommend it to those who love romance and science fiction!

I had been so sure my father was coming for me, but now it's hard to find that certainty. This is a wilderness waiting to swallow me; I'd barely make a dent trying to fight it. There are no rules for me to learn, no points to be scored, no bluffs to be called. This is a hell I've never imagined.
And I think I'm going to die here.

Content: Minus one star for some mild language and innuendo.