Greetings to you all, wherever you may happen to be!!
I have been tagged by the lovely creator of this lovely tag, Iona, at her lovely blog Story Blossoms. SHE HATH TAGGED ME!! Do me a favor and go check out her blog, even though I know a lot of you already read it, because it’s truly a splendid corner of the interwebs (how many corners is it physically possible for the interwebs to have?? Everyone always says they have a “corner,” but surely some people must make do in the wide plain in the midst of it all or just sitting along the flat edge somewhere like a wallflower)
That Which Must Be Followed
- Link back to the blogger who tagged you.
- Share the graphic on your blog
- Share the Outline on your post.
- Share something you are so grateful for about the change from autumn to winter
- List at least 5 elements or aspects in Books that are a glimmer for YOU, giving you warm, safe memories or feelings of joy.
- Tag 5 people whose blogs are a happy thought for you!
Autumn -> Winter
(I just figured out I can make arrows and I’m kind of awestruck)
Something I’m grateful for about the change from autumn to winter…I’m grateful for Christmas. If you think about it, the transition between autumn and winter is basically the month of December and the month of December is Christmas.
Christmas is delightful. We get to take an entire month to celebrate the birth of our Savior. We hug each other, buy gifts for our friends, hang greenery and sparkles all over, we remember that we love our world and our fellow human beings.
Autumn into winter is a time of embracing each other and remembering how terribly human we really are at the end of the day and the end of the year.
And now!! The glimmers!!
Hugs
Just hugs. In general. Some characters just need to be hugged and when they finally get either a physical or emotional hug, my heart is healed. If more people, real and fictional, would just practice hugging a little more, life would be much improved. I’m pretty sure hugging actually has physical and emotional benefits. Go look it up.
Petition to give the Mighty Nigel Hawkes a hug!! Sign here please: ___________
Poets
I am, for better or worse, a poet. I am plagued with rhymes and whimsical thoughts when I try to sleep or when I’m sitting at work. I adore seeing poets in literature. I don’t even care if they create epics worthy of being sung through the ages or whether they just can’t help rhyming from time to time. Any and all poet representation in fiction is delightful.
Extra points if their poetry creating process reflects my own (e.g. tearing out hair while searching for impossible rhymes and agonizing over syllable oddities).
Large Families
When the large family trope is done right, it’s so beautiful. Yes, we will squabble over the most random, trivial things, but we adore each other more than we’ll ever admit. The large family trope feels like home because for me, it is home. Having all four of my siblings home again has been splendid, and I look forward immensely to my cousins visiting soon (there will be…fourteen of them. ENTER CHAOS, STAGE LEFT).
Books with this particular trope include but are not limited to the Vanderbeekers and the Penderwicks.
Healthy Relationships
It’s not like I have oodles of experience or anything. But I can see where relationships aren’t properly aligned vs. ones that are.
When individuals keep their relationships rooted in truth and respect. When they don’t jump to conclusions and take a minute or two to use logic instead of emotions (I know!! It’s hard!! But we believe in you, dear fictional characters!!). When they put each other first, above their own self-centered desires (not their own needs, and I’m not saying that they should let their entire lives revolve around each other. I believe you know what I mean). When their relationship is based on a love for each others’ internal character and not their physical appearance.
Basically a First Corinthians 13 love.
This is everything, friends. I will never get over these relationships.
One that immediately comes to mind is Noelle x Dante from Glass Across the Sea. I adore the best-friends-to-lovers trope 🥰
Another would be the Christy Miller series. Todd is the epitome of all that book boyfriends ought to be. Stars, I love that guy so much. He is so close to God that he pulls Christy closer to Him too.
I know I wrote something similar to this in my last tag from Iona (see the True Love section), but it’s really important to me.
Old-Fashioned
Give me the old-fashioned books. Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, Winnie the Pooh…There is just something so wholesome about them. Things were so simple. It was acceptable to include chapters that didn’t further the plot. You could have the characters just sit and chat in the kitchen for an entire chapter. And it was fine!! There was more space to just dwell. And that, as a whole, feels like a literary hug to me.
Epilogue
On to the tags!!
*sifts through blogosphere to find untagged individuals*
K at The Pages
Luca at Lighten Up the Page
Sydney Witbeck at Chronicles of a Book Dragon
Mia at Mia Grace Reads
anndddd YOU!!! If you have read this and would dearly love to participate, this is your official invite *offers you gold edged invitation with a flourish* You have won the Golden Ticket, my friend!! *Golden Ticket from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory plays in background*
Thank you all for reading!! May you have the most splendid end of the year!!! Wishing you the very best 🥰
Always and Forever,
Ava ✨❄️
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18 Responses
This is a splendid point about corners. I have always felt my blog is on a wee plateau. Yess, all the book characters need hugs. *Signs the petition with vigor* I love big families too. They’re so fun and sweet. I especially like it when the siblings are either all boys or all girls too, for some reason. Fourteen kids in one house? This sounds like the perfect opportunity to cause lots of wonderful mayhem. (And Chicken Potato!! I must write up rules for you. . .) I simply adore these oddly specific posts. I hope Iona keeps making them, this would please me greatly. And your answers are, of course, splendid.
I do believe mine is in a corner somewhere, despite all this talk of plains and plateaus. It feels corner-ish.
Your signature has been added to the official list. Thank you for your participation. *bows*
Oooh, yes, that’s especially fun. Reminds me of Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott. The shenaniganry.
Well, we’ve only had twelve in our house…plans got changed and messed up because of some sickness. Alas. We’ve been making the best of it. There has definitely been mayhem.
I put too many oddly specific things in my last post and thus had to rack my brain for this one. And I was also hesitant to read Lola’s version several weeks past because I didn’t want to influence my own answers!!
I love this!!! And yesss, hugs are so fun. <333
And I could do this tag? (I really enjoy these tags. XDD)
Well, you said yes anyway, so I’m doing it. Plus I’m already writing. >:) XD
😂😂😂 I hope you enjoy!! *sits on hands waiting for your version*
YESSSS NIGEL HAWKES NEEDS A HUG!!!! I literally read through those books and every single time he is mentioned, I scream (in my head, not out loud) “Somebody give that man a hug!” I have signed your petition. It is extremely important to me.
Healthy relationships in books are also very important to me as well… it can be awful reading a book and seeing the main characters go through a meaningless, toxic (or just shallow) relationship. It’s so depressing.
Anyway, great post!!
RIGHT??? POOR MAN NEEDS SOME COMFORT IN HIS LIFE. At least he has a chair in Emma’s house to withdraw to from time to time. Hawkes is such a comfort character for me. Your signature has been added to the official petition.
Unhealthy relationships are one of the main reasons I DNF contemporary rom-com-ish books. I want something inspiring, something that makes me want to hug the main characters, not something that’ll bring me down. Blech.
Thanks so much!!!
I would like to sign the petition as well! Poor long suffering Nigel Hawkes!
Eeep yes, large families are THE best and AMEN to healthy relationships!!!
Thanks for the signature!! We now have…five signatures, including my cousin’s. We shall get that man a hug yet.
Love all of these!!! Especially the large families and hugs!🤗
*signs the petition to give Hawkes a hug. With a flourish. And blue ink!*
Also, in one of the novels I’m working on (soon to edit) the main character is a part of a large family. As I only have two siblings, this is not something I’ve personally experienced—do you have any advice or things you think I should include to write this dynamic well? (If you don’t have time to answer this I totally understand!) thank you!
Ah, splendid signature, my friend!!
Hmm…large family dynamics…that’s hard because I don’t know what your average sibling dynamic is versus a large family dynamic…we live with a lot of noise (when there are younger siblings). Sometimes we just want to do something…ALONE. But most of the time, it’s group adventures. There are times when the youngers feel left out and just want to be like the olders. For me, the olders have fallen into a confederation while the youngers have an uneasy alliance; they’ll go from happily messing about together to complaining to me about the other.
Honestly, it’s likely very similar to a smaller family dynamic but with more players and personalities that have to work together (and also the fact that going anywhere requires a lot of planning and money, who has the funds to fly anywhere with five kids??).
Not sure how helpful any of that is, but if you have any specific questions, feel free to ask!!
Thank you so much! This was very helpful!😊
Thank you for taking the time to share this with me, I really appreciate it!
Have a lovely day!💕
Aww, I love your glimmers, Ava!! This is simply fantastic!! Ach, let’s hear it indeed for large families-DONE WELL> and combine it with your other glimmer of hugs? CHAMPION.
I was so delighted to see you’d taken the challenge, Ava, thanks so much for taking part and passing it on *hearts and smiles and some homemade sticky cinnamon buns passed virtually your way!!*
Thank you so much for nominating me!!! I’m going to try and do a post with this tag soon 🙂
You’re very welcome!! I hope you enjoy it!!