Well, prep for Valentine's Day is well underway for me... I've got my valentines for my 5 family members all drawn and ready for delivery, just like I do every year, and a box of 34 Good Dinosaur valentines was cheerfully distributed into the in-house mailboxes of our sorority house just this afternoon, after class.
However, there's so much in my life that I'm so in love with, that I'll never be able to give a valentine. How, exactly, does one inform their favorite tea mug, exactly how much they mean to you? So, I've gathered together a superfine, valentine list, of NINE of my favorite bookish things, that give me the honeyglows.
Tea and Cookies
No better accompaniment to a cozy day of reading than something that warms your hands and something that warms your soul. Bonus points if the tea is Twinings - with two lumps of sugar and way too much milk, like my Cuppatea Grandma used to make - and if the cookies are homebaked. The only kind of homeyness I think could ever compare might be...Lots of Pillows
My bed has usually stayed pretty Spartan for most of my life, but I've come to the conclusion, in college, that if your bed is as cozy as it should be, then you should never want to leave it. Two extra-plush sleepers, a sorority present, my trusty UW pillow pet, and a mattress switch-up later, and I'm well on my way to being lazy forever.
My College Bookshelf
I'm seriously kicking myself for not having a picture of them handy for you guys, because I really don't want you getting the wrong ideas of things: while I do have a full - in fact, far overly full - bookcase at home, I've also managed to snag a smaller, foldable bookshelf to stow away at college, completely packed with entirely new books, which I've purchased some time in the past month and a half. It's not much, but it's more than enough to me.Homemade Bookmarks
Recently, I unearthed a stack of slightly-worn bookmarks my Big and GBig had made for me, in the midst of our sorority's Big-Little Reveal celebration, back during my freshman year (Mine had been Beauty and the Beast themed, for obvious reasons). Thus, bookmarks have become a part of my regular reading routine again... but only because they were made with so much love!Funny Female Memoirs
There isn't a glance at my shelf where a handful of poppy, printed names don't jump off of their covers at me, and they're usually ones you'd find familiar, too. From the zany Amy Poehler, to the elegant and sedate Julie Andrews, reading accounts of the lives of other women - especially when graced with a dash or a dollop of comedic self-reflection - makes me feel like it's okay that I don't have it all sorted out just yet. Who knows what my story may end up looking like!Modern Day Jane Austen
Basically to the good folks and content creators over at Pemberley Digital - the teams in charge of The Lizzie Bennett Diaries and Emma Approved - I'm in love with all of you. Let's get group-married.Paranormal YA that Isn't Hot Monsters
Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Boys works the mystical and magical residue of Welsh myth and history, into a world where a happy house filled with assorted female psychics read tarot cards for small town Virginians. Libba Bray's The Diviners roar through '20s era New York City with a diverse, gender-balanced crew, that takes out grumbling ghosts, voodoo spirits, zombies, and other spooktastic specters with period-appropriate panache. These things don't go bump in the night so much as crash and bellow, and for that, we thank you.
Highlighting my Books
I'm an annotator by nature; any time a college professor or peer has an aneurysm about people dog ear-ing pages or writing in the margins instead of using bookmarks and post-it notes, I can't help but roll my eyes. They're your books, do what you want! And years from now, when you're re-reading, you can see in real time exactly what you thought was so important.
Reading Marathons
No, not reading about marathons. Basically, while wallowing in the interim of time that was alotted to pass before I went home for Winter Break, I decided to pass the time by dealing my 2015 Goodreads Challenge a decisive blow, in the form of mini reading marathons, consuming 2 or 3 books in a day. It was truly a beautiful thing.But here's one last bookish valentine I feel like I need to thank: you! Thank you to all of the amazing friends, family, and fellow bloggers who read the scribblings I jot down here. If I could buy all of you books and chocolates for Sunday's celebrations, I would.
What people, places, things, and more, do you wish you could give a valentine? Let me know, in the comments below!
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