Hey all, I’m so excited to see you here todayyyy!!! For guess what!!
*pauses to consider your nonsensical guesses*
No, I haven’t discovered a dragon in my backyard. That would be epic though. Nor have I obtained the entire written works of Beth Brower (I wish). Ooh, actually, yes, I’m escaping this nasty weather and going to Florida. But that’s not what I was leading towards.
I GOT MY BESTIE MADI TO WRITE A GUEST POST FOR THE VIEWING PLEASURE OF ALL YOU LOVELY PEOPLES!!! I haven’t managed to convince her to start a blog of her own yet, but hey. Baby steps, right?? Which is why I need you all to be immensely appreciative of her delightful post and in so doing convince her that she’s really good at this and should share her thoughts with us more often by way of her own blog.
At any rate, you’re not here for my ramblings today, you’re here for ✨Madi’s✨ Therefore, without further ado, I present my bestie, Madi!!! *appreciative applause*
le Appreciation
Hello, hello, Ava’s blogging buddies! Tis I, the great Madi! Ava has convinced me to do a guest post so here we are! (huzzah!! oh, this is I, Ava, btw 😊)
So a few months ago Ava got me to read The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion. They were SO GOOD!! I loved them! (ofc she did. no one I’ve convinced to read them as of yet has disliked them. if they did, I would question their sanity) But, to be more specific, I loved Islington. What’s not to love about the guy?! (I love him so much I made Ava make me a bracelet with his name on it lol. one of my favorite bracelets for sure…) (lol I still need to make myself a Hawkes bracelet) So I’ve decided this guest post shall be about Islington! I am going to list some reasons why I love Islington! (Journey, ya wanna do one on Pierce…??)
From the beginning…
We meet this guy in a library. I repeat: we meet him IN A LIBRARY!! When he needs a break from the party he’s at where does he go to get some peace and quiet?? A library!! Smart man. (I’m already sold. I’m the kind of person who examines books in pictures that happen to include a bookshelf to see what kind of bookish taste they have lol so this point speaks to me)
He likes to read!! I love a good man who likes reading! We may not have the same taste in books, but reading is reading. At least in this case… (here I refer to you this random thing I found on pinterest that both Madi and I find immensely amusing and kinda true…<<)
He keeps a journal!! (I am forever trying to get my friends to start journals and then trying to read said journals so I’m a big fan of this element) I just think that’s so cool!! And he’s such a lovely writer too! Oh what I would give to read his journals… (SAME GIRL SAME)
The way he and Emma interact is amusing at times. They have this friendly/unfriendly banter going and it can be fun. (banter is always a plus) And Islington is protective of Emma which is cool. (yesss give me the protective guys please I love it so blooming much. It’s so sweet and makes me melt every. single. time.) He also helps her get out of some crazy scrapes…(thinking of the result of a certain sweet pea incident…👀 among others ofc) Sometimes they act like they don’t like each other but they do.
Islington is also a duke! Which I think is pretty cool. He’s this fancy rich guy, but he’s also a normal guy. Which I love. (he merely masquerades as a normal guy. He is not normal. He’s better than normal)
He plays the cello very well. I saw a cello in real life for the first time a few weeks ago and it was bigger than I’d thought lol. Upon seeing it I was like, wow Islington, good job being able to play that thing. (*visible admiration* gotta love a guy who can play a musical instrument, ya feel me?) That thing is bigger than me! (does this mean our duke is also strong, to be able to manage such a large instrument…??)
He has dogs. Ahem, hounds. Who doesn’t love a good dog-lover?? (uhhh…I guess it can be kind of endearing…?? Personally not a big fan of dogs…*hides*) And his favorite’s name is Emma. Terribly amusing. (ok I had forgotten that part; that’s hilarious)
He reserves a special day each week for his own enjoyment. He only schedules things that he doesn’t mind doing. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to do that?? (SIGN ME UPPP)
He likes the great outdoors! He likes to traipse around his country estate and play outdoor games. You wouldn’t normally expect that from fancy, rich people such as Islington, would you?? (betcha Aunt Eugenia, rich and fancy as all get out, looks with disdain on the out of doors)
Islington’s past…*weeps* (*weeps with you*) He’s been through too much… When I got a glimpse into his past I loved him even more for being able to go through that and become the man he is. It helps one understand him better. (yesss I love that for him. Well, not the pain, but the character it’s given him. You know what I mean. *waves hand dismissively*)
Well, there you have it! My lovely(?) (yes lovely) guest post about my beloved Islington! I hope you enjoyed reading it! (oh I did indeed. I would say ’twas the best thing I’ve read all day, but I was rereading Emma Vol. 4 this afternoon and that takes the gold medal for reading material, I fear)
Do I have any other Islington fans out there?? If so, what do you like about him?? (you’ve said it all, mon frere. what is left…?? wait, he does fencing, doesn’t he?? that’s cool.)
Thank you Ava for this opportunity! (a pleasure, m’dear. Thank YOU for agreeing to it 😊) And thank you all for reading!! Until next time! (ooh next time?? as in another post?? as in you’ll be back…????)
Coda
So some of you know that my personal favorite is Hawkes, but honestly after hearing Madi talk about Islington for the past…however many months and then reading her thoughts on him, he’s definitely grown on me. He hasn’t upstaged Hawkes, mind you, but I adore Islington more than I already did because of *gestures at main body of post* all that. She makes some good points, y’know??
Thanks for humoring me, Madi, and thanks for reading, everyone else!! Love you!! *sends you all some sunshine*
Always,
Ava (and Madi 😉) 🎩
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13 Responses
MADI POST!!!!!!! TWAS SO GLORIOUS!!! Quite seriously, good chap, you need yourself a blog. I would subscribe instantly, your writing is most eloquent. (And I just adore Emma fans. We’re the best. 😉)
Honestly before reading this Islington was not especially high on my list of favorites, but after reading this post my opinions have changed. You have paintes him in a new light. Emma shall be forever changed for me. (In a good way). I want to reread them all now (Even though I just did the other day and I’msupposedto bewaitinguntilIfinishmybook. . .) ANYWAY that’s beside the point because the point is that I now adore Islingtonnnn!!! I actually have a journal named Islington! (Per Ava’s excellent advice). I have to fill up this other one before I can write in it though.
And was that a little aside addressed to MOI? Ah, twas indeed. I would adore to write a Piece Appreciation post for thee. Twould be a great joy. And then you, of course, must write one for Hawkes and the trio would be complete. (Emma doesn’t really need one because we all know we love Emma already).
Anyhow, thank you Madi for this delightful and insightful post and best of months to you. Beware tr Ides of March! 🫶✨
YES THE MADI POSTTT!!! Even after your glorious comment, she’s not convinced a blog is in her future. Tragic really. I’ll wear her down one of these days…and in the meantime she can be mentioned in all my posts and maybe write me one or two.
Exactly!! Islington was just…Islington. Lovable and precious, ofc, but not *glances around* MY BELOVED HAWKES. I wonder if Hawkes keeps a journal…hmm. I do believe that trying to space out my rereadings of Emma logically and reasonably shall be the struggle of my next eighty years of life. As I told Isabelle, I’ve currently stolen Madi’s copies of Emma and am rereading for the first time (she needs to bring me my next instalment soon. I NEED EMMA). Ah yes, the Islington journal 😊 I want a male journal one of these days so I can name it after Hawkes or Islington or maybe Pierce (or *gasp* Jack!! Am I the only one who kinda loves that guy??)
Yes!! Do write me a Pierce Appreciation post!! Perhaps it shall renew my appreciation for the fellow, Avenging Angel and all that. I will absolutely write one on Hawkes as well. Unfortunately for Madi, this means that I’ll need to borrow *gasp* all of her Emma books at once for research purposes!! Except the first one, I suppose, since I own that one at the very least. Yes ofc, we all adore Emma. Perhaps we are all Emma…
This was so incredibly amazing!!!
And YES I LOVE ISLINGTON SO MUCH!!! I agree with every. single. point. made. His journaling, bookish tendencies, his hounds, his witty banter with Emma…
I always love the bookish posts, and adore them evermore when they are Emma related!😊
This was such a wonderful post!💕
Aww, thanks Lola!! Which is your personal favorite: Hawkes, Pierce, or Islington?? Ofc we love them all and they’re on nearly equal footing, but I find it interesting how different people adopt a different character as their absolute favorite.
Aah, sorry I responded so late! I didn’t see this!😭
To answer your question, well, it’s between Islington and Hawkes for me, favorites wise. In my humble opinion, Islington and Emma are perfect for each other!!!🥰 Their banter and sparring is so delightful! And Islington as a person…he’s so caring and bookish and he likes dogs!!! (Always a plus in my book!) But Hawkes is so amazing, and he just needs a hug, and his poetry and quiet support and friendship is absolutely amazing amazing amazing.❤️ (all that to say I can’t pick a favorite😂)
That’s ok!! Sometimes I get so distracted that I just flat-out don’t respond 👀
Perfect answer 🥰 They’re all just so lovable and hurt by the past and gah I have no idea how Beth writes such characters. Asking for a favorite from the three is tricky because we love them all with an undying love, our favorite is merely a hairsbreadth further up the chart 😂
Yes! I aspire to write characters even close to as deep and beautiful as hers🥰
So true!!!😂
Huzzahh!!!! New Ava (well, Madi) post!!!! That somehow went to spam, stupid email inbox sorting thing!!!! *shakes fist and promptly behats it* And yes, yes. Madi needs her own blog. (nod nod) Journey and I have decreed it. Her writing is splendid. And Emma fans are the best!!! And I am with Journey on this also: Islington was not a favorite of mine (although he is still splendid), but you certainly have painted him in a new light. I am hoping to re-read Emma M. Lion when I get back home (so that I can ✨binge-read ✨ which I don’t have time for here in Thailand). And YESSSSS journals!!! Journals are the best. I’ve kept one for six months now (courtesy of Emma M. Lion. She inspired me) and it is glorious. I adore journals. They’re the best. I have yet to name mine, actually……. Ought I name it?
And hehe, I do hope Madi returns someday!!!! Or starts her own blog! If she does, I shall be the first to read it! 🙂
Huzzah indeed!! I was surprised I talked her into guest posting for me, actually. I’m so glad she did though, since I had the time of my life annotating it 😂 Even after comments from you, Lola, and Journey, she’s still not convinced to start her own blog, unfortunately *sobs* Ah well, perhaps I shall talk her into guest posting again sometime. Ooh, I’m rereading Emma rn!! Unfortunately to do so, I have to steal Madi’s copies…which makes her sad, since they’re such comfort books and to have one’s comfort books missing is a trial. And while rereading it, I can kinda see why Madi adores Islington so lol. Ah, you have begun a journal?!? HUZZAH. I love my journal with an undying love. Her name is Noelle Devereaux (I stole her last name from Islington 😊) and you should absolutely name your journal!! It’s so fun!!
Yes, she really needs a blog!
“he merely masquerades as a normal guy. He is not normal. He’s better than normal” makes me really want to read this…
Such a fun post!!
ooh yes, highly recommend!! You should read it!! All of them are better than normal 😏
An absolute delight to read, my dear Madi, give the people what they want and start a blog!!!
Islington is officially my favorite character, after Emma of course, and I absolutely agree with all your points! (I may wish to marry him *hides behind hands*)
– I have a friend who plays the cello and from what I gather it’s one of the hardest to learn so all the accolades to Islington for such a difficult and beautiful choice!
– being a dog person definitely puts him higher in my estimation!!
– who doesn’t love a traipsing, countryside fellow??
– protective? YES MA’AM!!!!
All in all, lovely post and I loved Ava’s comments throughout ;)!!