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FCJ #1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

#FirstChaptersJournal Book 1: HP and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling was the first book in my First Chapters Journal (FCJ) Project. I used Diamine Aurora Borealis in my Pilot Kakuno with a fine nib. Why did I choose this book? It seemed fitting to start my FCJ Project with a childhood favorite: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. It is still my favorite book from the series. There’s just something I love…

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Intro to First Chapters Project

Intro to First Chapters Project

What is the First Chapters Journaling Project? The First Chapters Journaling Project is quite simple. It’s a journal that I’m keeping with handwritten copies of the first chapters of my favorite books. I started the project in April 2021 primarily as a way to explore my newfound love for fountain pens and inks. The idea itself is not unique. There are many people out there that transcribe entire…

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Hello September!

Hello! It's been a while. What are you currently reading?

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Honestly, I feel like I’ve gone on a journey with social media, journaling, and reading the last couple of months. It’s been quite the roller coaster. My personal life hasn’t changed. (I’m still in dire need of a vacation.) My reading is still very off and on. But my journaling has been going strong, and somehow, that has translated into my social media…

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Stalogy Editor's Series 365Days Notebook Review

Have you tried the Stalogy notebook yet? #journaling

I have been using the Stalogy Editor’s Series 365Days Notebook for almost 2 months now. So I figured I’ve used it enough to really share my thoughts on this notebook. Features of the notebook The Stalogy features a very minimalist design. It has a plain softcover with some branding in gold. (All of the stickers on the cover photographed were placed by me.) I purchased the notebook in their 2021…

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Hello June!

I have been in a long reading slump, but my #journaling game is strong. lol. How do you get out of a reading slump?

Well, June kind of just snuck up on me. I was entirely not ready for this. My reading stats is still super terrible, but I’m not all that upset about it because I’m still interacting with books on a daily basis. It’s just in a different way… https://www.instagram.com/p/CPVw9W-pnfL/ Anyway, I need to figure out what I want to do with my blog. I’m not quite ready to give up on it yet. I still love…

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Hello, May!

How's your reading going so far this month?

Well, we’re a week into May now, and I’m just now doing my monthly update post. Whoops. Better late than never right? My reading has been fairly slow over the last month or so. I’m not quite sure why I’m in a slump, but I just couldn’t get into books that I know I love. Instead, my time has been spent getting into journaling a lot. I also started a transcription project where I’m transcribing the…

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Journal Chronicles (5): Galen Leather A5 Zip Folio

Today it's all about the Galen Leather Zip Folio on my blog. Do you journal on the go? #journaling

If you’re looking for a journaling system that contains basically everything you need for on-the-go writing, the Galen Leather A5 Zip Folio is a superb option. I purchased mine for my birthday back in February through Goulet Pens. Galen Leather is based in Istanbul-Turkey. So I was a tad worried about shipping due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. However, I think when I decide to purchase my next item,…

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Review: We Are Not Free by Traci Chee

We Are Not Free by @tracichee is a must-read in my book. #bookreview

We Are Not Free by Traci Chee was a tough book for me to read. Not because it was a terrible story or anything, but because it was hard to read about people that are culturally like me having to go through the horrors of WWII. We don’t talk about the forced relocation and incarceration of Japanese Americans much or at least it wasn’t discussed in my school taught history despite the very large…

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Review: The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo

Today's review is for THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL by Maurene Goo. Highly recommend checking it out if you haven't yet! I loved it! #bookreview

The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo was a sweet YA contemporary about relationships and how the more invested you become in something or someone, the more emotional risk you have in that relationship. I’m going to be completely honest… I was a Rose in high school. I never had a meltdown that leads to violence, but I definitely would have freaked out if someone pulled a “Carrie” at Junior…

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Review: The Right Stuff Season 1

Have you watched THE RIGHT STUFF on Disney+? What did you think?

The Right Stuff is a new TV series from National Geographic on Disney+. The first season spans the time between the start of the space program and sending the first American into space. I can’t compare The Right Stuff TV series to the movie (1983) or the book (by Tom Wolfe, 1979) of the same name. I haven’t watched or read either. So I won’t be commenting on how it compares. What I can say is…

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Review: Love Spells and Other Disasters by Angie Barrett

My #bookreview for LOVE SPELLS AND OTHER DISASTERS by Angie Barrett is up now! A fun YA romance, with magic and peer pressure.

Love Spells and Other Disasters by Angie Barett is a quick, fun read that is perfect for February. A girl that is skeptical of anything paranormal despite the fact that her mother is an expert on ghosts finds herself writing love spells that actually work for a school project. Of course, as they always do when tampering with magic and love, things go terribly wrong. The story was mostly…

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Review: I'm Not Dying with You Tonight by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal

I finally read I'M NOT DYING WITH YOU TONIGHT. What other books would you recommend regarding race equality?

I’m Not Dying with You Tonight by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal is a thought-provoking must-read. The story follows two teenaged girls, one black and one white, as they navigate through the racially charged chaos together that erupts at a Friday night high school football game. I’m Not Dying with You Tonight was a page-turner. It had a lot of action as the two teens survived the evening…

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Welcome 2021!

Hello 2021! Let's talk about reading goals. Anyone happen to have diverse reads recommendations for me?

I’m sure a lot of us were over the year 2020. It was by far one of the tougher years of my life. Although 2021 still poses many challenges (COVID-19, economic crisis, continuing social injustices, etc.), I’m hopeful that 2021 will move us in the right direction. Well… at least for most of us. There are some people that I think are just completely hopeless and will never change. Regardless, let’s…

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Review: Marry Me at Christmas by Susan Mallery (Fool's Gold #19)

Susan Mallery is one of my favorite authors for Christmas romances. What are your go-to authors during the holiday?

So I swear I reviewed this book when it came out, but for whatever reason, I could never find my old review. Maybe it got lost when I accidentally deleted all of my blog content a couple of years back. Whoops… Anyway, with it being the holiday season, I decided to reread Marry Me at Christmas by Susan Mallery and figured why not review my reread. I absolutely LOVE Fool’s Gold at Christmas. Susan…

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The Mistletoe Trap by Cindi Madsen (Heart in the Game #2)

Do you read Christmas themed romances? #TheMistletoeTrap by Cindi Madsen is a fun one! #bookreview

The Mistletoe Trap by Cindi Madsen is the perfect holiday read, especially if you enjoy friends-to-lovers romances. It has two best friends trying to spend as much time together over the Christmas holiday before heading back to their respective jobs states apart, a lot of meddling family members, and lots of laughs.

What I loved most about The Mistletoe Trapwas that although Julie is an…

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It's November, and the holidays are here!

I don't know about you, but I'm so ready for the holidays.

2020 has been a very tough year. & I don’t know about anyone else, but I feel like the first week of November was particularly difficult. The US Election was my tipping point, and I was officially maxed out on political news, COVID-19 news, economic news, etc. I was simply exhausted and over it all. Everyone definitely deserves some mental health days…

via GIPHY

So thank goodness for the…

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Review: The Duplicate Bride by Ginny Baird

Do you enjoy twin-swap plots in books? #bookreview

I was unfortunately disappointed by Ginny Baird’s The Duplicate Bride. I usually enjoy twin-swap books, and I found that the story flowed well between the two main character’s points of view. My issues with Jackie and the length of the twin-swap simply made The Duplicate Bride difficult for me to read.

In the story, Hope goes to take over her twin’s, Jackie, duties, while Jackie wraps up things…