Hello, all! ^^ I have just returned from Malaysia — which was a most interesting place where I spent most of my time sneezing, coughing, and perhaps eating far too much mochi and most definitely collecting far too many notebooks — and am hoping you all have had a wonderful week!! 🙂
Today, I am most glad to have been tagged by Iona at the wonderful Story Blossoms for another bookish tag!! This time the fall-into-winter edition of The Oddly Specific Things in Books tag. Many thanks to Iona for tagging me! (We shall ignore the fact that I have arrived fashionably late, as I’ve been tagged for two months now.)
Always Ava has done this tag as well, and I simply adored her post. And in response to the question she posed in the beginning, I personally always feel as though my blog is a little nook. A little corner, I suppose. Of bookish goodies, interviews, art, stories, and randomness.
The List of Things To Do
- Link back to the blogger who tagged you. (Thank you, Iona!!)
- Share the below graphic on your blog
- Share the List of Things To Do 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!
Something I am grateful for as autumn turns to winter….
A great deal, I think. A great, great deal. The way the air turns so much cooler and everything gets so freezing and chilly and yet you feel so warm and fuzzy as you’re cozied up in bed at home or at your well-loved desk. It’s hard to describe, but it’s sort of like… outside, everything is cold. But indoors, you have this little space that’s all yours, where you write or draw or read or imagine, and it’s just so warm in there. It so often just feels very much like a fuzzy warm blanket wrapping around me.
Slowing down as well, I think. Because as autumn turns to winter, it means the year is ending. And to me, it’s so often like I’ve already done so much this year and with the year ending, it’s often the time to slow down for me. To let go of all the worries and stress of 2025 and just… rest.
And Christmas!!! Christmas is simply fantastic. Tis the best holiday of all. The warmth, the light, the food, the laughter, the presents, and just… Tis simply fantastic!! ^^ There is no holiday better than Christmas.
And so, without further ado, here are some of my bookish glimmers!!
quiet moments in storms
This is something I have been trying to write in my own book, but I just absolutely love these kinds of moments. Scenes where there’s a storm raging outside, rain lashing down at the windows, but the characters are just sitting by the window, huddled together, and there’s just a warm, quiet moment when it’s most needed — whether it’s just a bit of quiet encouragement or a bit of storytelling.
stuffed animals
As a stuffed animal lover, I love love love whenever the main character or some other character has stuffed animals!! ^^ Stuffed animals are splendid, and they really do make everything better. You can hug them, sob into them, laugh maniacally with them (if there is no one else to laugh maniacally around with), and tell the most appalling of secrets to them.
They are wonderful. Splendid. Adorable. We loves them forever.
photography
I myself am an aspiring photographer — hoping to get better at it in 2026 — and I just love seeing characters who are also photographers. Photography is something I love because you get to hold up a camera, amidst all the chaos and busy-ness of life, and just capture that one little moment. A flower growing out of a sidewalk. A person holding a blue umbrella in the rain. Little moments of joy, of laughter, or just little moments in general.
I actually read a book once, a very long time ago, about photography! Twas a shorter YA book, I believe. About this girl and photography. And she met this boy. And… I do not remember the rest of the plot. But it was such a wonderful book and I loved it so much!!! I think the title was called Shutterfly, except I cannot find the book whenever I look it up! *sobs*
hugs
I am with Ava on this. Hugs are amazing. <3 And fictional characters really do need hugs. We cruel authors put them through so much… A hug every so often is most needed for them — be it from friend or family. A bit of comfort through all the terrible trials we put them through.
good food
Good food is always welcome here. There’s just something so great about reading well-written descriptions of steaming, warm food!! Especially if it is made by a mom or aunt or grandma or other wonderful family member.
characters who are quiet yet still impossibly brave
I love these characters so much. The characters who might not battle monsters or go into battle or be the Chosen One destined to defeat this evil wizard who’s going to take over the world. The characters who are quieter but are still brave and kind and true. I do think there is something so powerful about these characters. Not to mention in real life, people usually aren’t battling fire-breathing dragons while wielding real swords and armor. But there are people in real life like these characters. And I just think there is something so inspiring about that. <3
cozy little cottages in the midst of nowhere
Cozy cottages in the midst of nowhere. Really, what writer doesn’t like these? I adore cottages, especially when they’re so cozy and quiet and peaceful!! Tis my dream to live in one of those little cottages someday, actually. With a little writing room. And a cat. And a raven. And flowers growing in the windows and a whole bunch of olden-times, cottagecore stuff!
The Tags (in which i tag an individual whose blog url i lost)
*sifts through my Folder of Amazing Blogs to find untagged individuals*
Y’all, so many people I know have already been tagged!!! Ah well. I shall merely tag the few (hopefully) untagged individuals I can scrounge up, I suppose.
Autumn Grace @Shades of Art — her blog is so full of writing, books, movies, art, and general hope and faith-filled content!! It’s just so cozy and wonderful to read!! I love it so much!!
Hallie Kropf @Hallie Kropf Author — Hallie is one of my very good friends, and she shares monthly writing updates on her blog!!! They’re so fun and wonderful to read and tis a most relatable blog!!!
Lillian Keith @Lillian Keith Author — Lillian’s blog is such a wonderful one to read!!! (And she is a fellow middle-grade author!) It is so cute and full of bookish content!!
ImSoUnpopular @EowynUnpopular — Her blog is filled with ramblings about movies, books, and writing, and it is just so fun and relatable to read!!!
I also wanted to tag someone else… except I may have forgotten the name of her blog. And I just cleared my history today… so if anyone knows someone named Emma who runs a most lovely Christian book blog, do let me know!! Her blog is such a wonderful one, and I’d love to tag her for this!!
And I suppose that wraps up this little bookish tag! Do let me know down in the comments what you thought (or if you have your own glimmers to share!). I love hearing from y’all! And of course, you wish to snurch this tag from me, feel free to do so! :))
Now, I suppose I ought to get back to the many ideas in my Stirring Pot of Bookish Ideas to Write…
Till next time,
-Isabelle
Oh my gosh, I did not expect to see my name! Ha! Thank you so much for the tag!!
Of course!!! ^^ I love your blog, and I’d love to see your answers!!
Whoo hoo! A tag is never late, nor is it early, but arrives precisely when it intends to 😉 Thank you so much for taking the challenge, Isabelle, I love this! You make me want to read a book about a cozy little cottage in the middle of nowhere now <3 <3
Your trip to Malaysia sounds fun, if sadly filled with sniffles 🙁 I hope the notebook collecting made up for a little bit of that hehe. A question if I may: do you tend to draft your stories in a notebook first?
Hope you're having a great week! <3
Haha!! Oh my gosh, I love that, Iona! XD There really is a LOTR quote for every occasion. (And I so wish I could insert a GIF into this comment, but alas, you shall merely have to do with imagining that scene with Gandalf in your head). Thank you so much for tagging me!!! And oh my goodness, yes, you really should! They are wonderful. Simply splendid.
🙁 Indeed. I was still recovering from being sick and being dragged through airports and all throughout Penang didn’t help!! The notebook collecting and mochi did indeed help make of for that hehe!! And I got to take a lot of photos! (Hopefully I’ll be able to post them on my blog sometime!) I don’t typically draft my stories in a notebook, just because it’s so much slower and handwriting takes more… thinking, I suppose. Which, to me, when I’m first drafting, isn’t so helpful. If I’m typing, I can just throw words around super quickly everywhere! But I always write down my story ideas in notebooks and will often draft short stories and poems in them! Hope this answered your question! ^^
Y’all, I found her!!! Emma @Bookish Daughters of the King!! (Oh my gosh, I went down such a rabbit hole of Christian book blogs to find her.) But I have now found her! Emma, I hereby tag ye for this bookish tag!
Aww I love this so much! And I agree with all of those, especially quiet moments in stories and hugs!
(And the stuffed animals one! By the way, have you read Keeper of the Lost Cities? The main character has a stuffed elephant named Ella, I believe? And then more stuffed animals come later in the series, such cute, cozy little moments in the story!)
I’m so glad!! ^^ And yes, quiet moments in stories and hugs are wonderful!!! <3
IAnd yess, stuffed animals!!! I've... read KOTLC. I'm afraid I must admit, it's not one of my favorite series. (I used to be such a huge fan!! The worldbuilding is awesome, and I love the food. And the stuffed animals!! I loved Ella so much!!) But after a while, I honestly felt like the series was being dragged out too much, not to mention the amount of times book 10 was delayed. I still think it's a very cool world though! And it has very cool characters. Who's your favorite KOTLC character, if you don't mind me asking?
I agree about how it feels like it’s being dragged out. I still adore the first few books though, and I think the author is a brilliant writer…just I feel like the series needs closure!
My favorite character is most definitely Linh Song and Biana Vacker! (and Iggy, we can’t forget Iggy!) 😀 what about you? Do you have a favorite character?
Indeed. I love the first few ones as well!!! Alas, I lost my Amazon Kids+ subscription and therefore now can no longer read the series….. I believe I was gifted book 9 for Christmas though. I’ll have to dig it up. I think it’s back home in China somewhere.
And yesss, I love Linh!!!!! I think my favorite character is Tam. I… totally didn’t have the largest character crush on him for so long…. XD (Also, the Linh and Tam have Very Cool Hairstyles!!! I loved it. So much so I once asked my mom if I could dye the tips of my hair silver and she stared at me in disbelief. “Silver? You do realize that it might come across as looking like gray, right?” I don’t think silver looks anything like gray, but… yeah. Hehe.
Oh my goodness, I love Iggy!! He is the best. I love how Shannon let the fans pick Iggy’s color in each book!! That sounds like such a fun idea!
Oh my goodness, I love that you asked your mom if you could dye the tips of your hair! That’s amazing! And yes, it is such a wonderful to let the fans be a part of writing the novel in such a fun way! Wouldn’t it be so cool to be reading the book and suddenly come across Iggy’s fur color and be like, “this was my idea!” 🙂
Indeed. I mean, I had to at least give it a shot, right? XD (Though I do wonder what I would look like with silver tipped hair.)
Yes!! I really love that the author did that!!! (I honestly want to do this someday. Let the readers pick something in the book!!) It really would be so much fun. Who’s your least favorite KOTLC character?