"God created you. Already chose you as His. You’ve got nothing to prove."
There are times that I find books hard to review because I loved them so much"God created you. Already chose you as His. You’ve got nothing to prove."
There are times that I find books hard to review because I loved them so much. This is one of those books.
Romance isn't a genre I'd count among my favorites, but every once in awhile, a truly special one comes along. I've loved every one of Susan L. Tuttle's books, but as of right now, this one stands as my favorite. Something about Blake and Harlow's story just melts my heart. They both do so much growing and changing throughout the book, it's just fantastic.
This book also never fails to make me laugh. This time through it made me cry, which was a pleasant surprise. It's great. It's a five star read and basically a comfort read for me at this point. I love it.
First read 2019: This book was so GOOD my heart is melted ...more
"The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning."
This is one of those books that wrecks your heart and then carefu"The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning."
This is one of those books that wrecks your heart and then carefully stitches it back together. It's heavy and it's sad and eerily similar to the real world, but I think that's what makes the ending even more beautiful. The characters are fantastic; Tirian the last King of Narnia, Jewel the loyal unicorn, Poggin the faithful dwarf, and of course Eustace and Jill, who have grown so much since their last Narnian adventure I'm so soft ;-;
I can see how some people wouldn't like this one. It's the one I've read the least of the series. The pacing is weird, the topics are heavy, there are ways that things are worded that wouldn't fly by today's standards.
But, oh, how I love the ending. It makes me cry every time.
quotables: - "The stars never lie, but Men and Beasts do." - And there was no change in the night or the wood, but there began to be a kind of change inside Tirian. Without knowing why, he began to feel a faint hope. - "This is my password," said the King as he drew his sword. "The light is dawning, the lie is broken." - One always feels better when one has made up one's mind. - "Nothing now remains for us seven but to go back to Stable Hill, proclaim the truth, and take the adventure that Aslan sends us." - "What's the good of talking about our going back! How? We've got no magic for doing it!" This was very good sense but, at the moment, Jill hated Eustace for saying it. He was fond of being dreadfully matter-of-fact when other people got excited. ((I love how he's still Eustace even though he's a better Eustace xD)) - "I was going to say I wished we'd never come. But I don't, I don't, I don't. Even if we are killed. I'd rather be killed fighting for Narnia than grow old and stupid at home and perhaps go about in a bath-chair and then die in the end just the same." "Or be smashed up by British Railways!" "Why d'you say that?" "Well when that awful jerk came - the one that seemed to throw us into Narnia - I thought it was the beginning of a railway accident. So I was jolly glad to find ourselves here instead." ((don't touch me, I'm a puddle of feels)) - "But courage, child: we are all between the paws of the true Aslan." - "Oh, can't we do anything to stop it?" said Jill in a shaken voice. "Nay, fair friend," said Jewel, nosing her gently. "It may be for us the door to Aslan's country and we shall sup at his table tonight." - "Yes," said Queen Lucy. "In our world too, a stable once had something inside it that was bigger than our whole world." - "You see," said Aslan. "They will not let us help them. They have chosen cunning instead of belief. Their prison is only in their own minds, yet they are in that prison; and so afraid of being taken in that they cannot be taken out." - "I saw it begin," said the Lord Digory. "I did not think I would live to see it die." - "And since then, O Kings and Ladies, I have been wandering to find him and my happiness is so great that it even weakens me like a wound. And this is the marvel of marvels, that he called me Beloved." - "I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the old Narnia is that it sometimes looked a little like this. Come further up, come further in!"
basically I'm an emotional mess from this book as always, and if you are going to read the books in publication order like I did this time around, make sure you leave enough time that you don't have to read the birth and death of Narnia in the same day. because it hurts a lot. just fyi....more
"Child," said the Voice, "I am telling you your story, not hers. I tell no one any story but his own."
Confession time: I DNF'd this the first time I "Child," said the Voice, "I am telling you your story, not hers. I tell no one any story but his own."
Confession time: I DNF'd this the first time I read it. I was probably 11, obsessed with Lucy Pevensie, and shocked and disappointed that this book didn't follow my favorite fictional siblings. Now, I want to kneel down and look that little girl in the eye and say, "Abby, this book is a masterpiece. Trust me on this."
The lessons of this book are so powerful. Shasta, Aravis, Bree, and Hwin are wonderful protagonists who should get more appreciation than they do. It's a story about doing your best with what's been given to you, and stepping out in faith even when you can't see the path. The true power of this book didn't hit me as a kid, but I get it now.
Also aside from Digory, who is basically me, Shasta is the most relatable Narnia character to me now. Most of his time is spent being stressed, eating, or sleeping, and I love him for it, tbh. Aravis is an icon, and I aspire to the level of cool she has.
Anyway yes this book is great and I can't believe I used to not like it. Five stars forever.
quotables: - "ready? now: for narnia and the north." - "I say, that was hardly fair," said shasta. "I did not do any of these things for the sake of pleasing you," said aravis. - the two boys were looking into each other's faces and suddenly found that they were friends. - I suppose that if he had been an entirely sensible boy he would have gone back through the tombs nearer to the river where there were houses, and wild beasts would be less likely to come. but then there were (or he thought there were) the ghouls. to go back through the tombs would mean going past those dark openings in the tombs; and what might come out of them? it may have been silly, but shasta felt he had rather risk the wild beasts. ((relatable? lol)) - one of the worst results of being a slave and being forced to do things is that when there is no one to force you any more you find you have almost lost the power of forcing yourself. - it was all shasta could do to prevent himself from shouting out similar instructions; but he thought, "the poor chap's doing all he can already," and held his tongue. and certainly both the horses were doing, if not all they could, all they thought they could; which is not quite the same thing. ((what a pure bean ;-;)) - "daughter," said the hermit, "I have now lived a hundred and nine winters in this world, and have never yet met any such thing as luck. there is something about all this that I do not understand: but if we ever need to know it, you may be sure that we shall." - "who are you?" he said, scarcely above a whisper. "one who has waited long for you to speak," said the thing. - he turned and saw, pacing beside him, taller than the horse, a Lion. the horse did not seem to be afraid of it or else could not see it. it was from the lion that the light came. no one ever saw anything more terrible or beautiful. - shasta was dreadfully frightened. but it suddenly came into his head, "if you funk this, you'll funk every battle all your life. now or never." - "now, bree," he said, "you poor, proud, frightened horse, draw near. nearer still, my son. do not dare not to dare. touch me. smell me. here are my paws, here is my tail, these are my whiskers. I am a true beast." - "I wish I knew that knight's name, for he must have kept me alive and starved himself to do it." "I suppose aslan would say that was part of someone else's story," said aravis. "I was forgetting that," said cor. - "it is very true," said edmund. "but even a traitor may mend. i have known one that did." - "rabadash," said aslan. "take heed. your doom is very near, but you may still avoid it. forget your pride (what have you to be proud of?) and your anger (who has done you wrong?) and accept the mercy of these good kings." - there was a short silence and then they all stirred and looked at one another as if they were waking from sleep. aslan was gone. but there was a brightness in the air and on the grass, and a joy in their hearts, which assured them that he had been no dream: and anyway, there was the donkey in front of them. - aravis also had many quarrels (and, i'm afraid, even fights) with cor, but they always made it up again: so that years later, when they were grown up, they were so used to quarreling and making up again that they got married so as to go on doing it more conveniently.
Sorry i know that's a lot of quotes but i basically loved every line from the second half of the book oops xD this book is great, you should read it, okay bye.
re-read 2021: You could see that they [the Narnians] were ready to be friends with anyone who was friendly and didn't give a fig for anyone who wasn't. Shasta thought he had never seen anything so lovely in his life.
Shasta is the most type 9 Narnia character and I will stick by that statement....more
"Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy."
Narnia continues to solidify itself as my favorite series of all tim "Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy."
Narnia continues to solidify itself as my favorite series of all time. It never fails to make me laugh, cry, and see things about God that I haven't seen before. When I was a kid, this was my favorite of the books. It's not quite top of the list for me anymore, but I still absolutely love it. It's iconic, how could I not?
This is a beautiful story about redemption, family, and God's sacrifice. There is light and dark and the battle between them. The allegory is strong with this one, and it's fantastic. I spent this re-read underlining my favorite bits, and there's... a lot of underlines... xD but there are just so many good bits!!
quotables: - "daughter of eve from the far land of spare oom where eternal summer reigns around the bright city of war drobe, how would it be if you came and had tea with me?" - "my dear young lady," said the professor, suddenly looking up at them with a very sharp expression at both of them, "there is one plan which no one has yet suggested and which is well worth trying." "what's that?" said susan. "we might all try minding our own business," said he. ((I LOVE DIGORY KIRKE, OKAY??)) - "quick!" said peter, "there's nowhere else," and flung open the wardrobe. all four of them bundled inside it and sat there, panting, in the dark. peter held the door closed but did not shut it; for, of course, he remembered, as every sensible person does, that you should never shut yourself up in a wardrobe. - "they say aslan is on the move - perhaps has already landed." and now a very curious thing happened. none of the children knew who aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different. perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone says something which you don't understand but in the dream it feels as if it had some enormous meaning - either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could go into that dream again. ((THIS. is my fave.)) - "then he isn't safe?" said lucy. "safe?" said mr. beaver; "don't you hear what mrs. beaver tells you? who said anything about safe? 'course he isn't safe. but he's good. he's the king, I tell you." - but as for aslan himself, the beavers and the children didn't know what to do or say when they saw him. people who have not been in narnia sometimes think that a thing cannot be good and terrible at the same time. if the children had ever thought so, they were cured of it now. for when they tried to look at aslan's face they just caught a glimpse of the golden mane and the great, royal, solemn, overwhelming eyes; and then they found they couldn't look at him and went all trembly. - "all shall be done," said aslan. "but it may be harder than you think." and then he was silent again for some time. up to that moment lucy had been thinking how royal and strong and peaceful his face looked; now it suddenly came into her head that he looked sad as well. ((hello yes now i'm crying)) - there is no need to tell you (and no one ever heard) what aslan was saying, but it was a conversation which edmund never forgot. as the others drew nearer aslan turned to meet them, bringing edmund with him. "here is your brother," he said, "and - there is no need to talk to him about what is past." - edmund was on the other side of aslan, looking all the time at aslan's face. he felt a choking feeling and wondered if he ought to say something; but a moment later he felt that he was not expected to do anything except to wait, and do what he was told. ((see, this is what I'm talking about. God's been working on this with me and suddenly I notice this line for the first time ever. I can't even with how cool He is.)) - (not a quotable, but I would just like to point out that the entirety of chapter fourteen, "the triumph of the witch" and chapter fifteen, "deeper magic from before the dawn of time" made me cry and I feel like they always will) - mr. beaver had warned them, "he'll be coming and going," he had said. "one day you'll see him and another you won't. he doesn't like being tied down - and of course he has other countries to attend to. it's quite all right. he'll often drop in. only you mustn't press him. he's wild, you know. not like a tame lion." - "then in the name of aslan," said queen susan, "if ye will all have it so, let us go on and take the adventure that shall fall to us." (this made me a lil weepy because a: susan was so determined not to enter narnia at the beginning and now she's so determined not to leave it and b: this sounds exactly like something jewel says in "the last battle" and now i'm emotional again) - "yes, of course you'll get back to narnia again someday. once a king in narnia, always a king in narnia. but don't go trying to use the same route twice. indeed, don't try to get there at all. it'll happen when you're not looking for it." - and that is the end of the adventure in the wardrobe. but if the professor was right, it was only the beginning of the adventures in narnia.
I'M JUST. I'M A MESS. sorry this was so long but I have a lot of feelings, okay? Five stars. Forever and always.
re-read 2021: "Not for me," said Peter; "I'm going to explore in the house." Everyone agreed to this and that was how the adventures began. It was the sort of house that you never seem to come to the end of, and it was full of unexpected places.
this book will always mean so much to me, man....more
This has so many FEELS. Happy, sad, fluffy, it's all here and it's all great.
The best way I can describe this series is that it's like Hallmark ChannThis has so many FEELS. Happy, sad, fluffy, it's all here and it's all great.
The best way I can describe this series is that it's like Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries at the same time. There's the fluffy, wonderful romance with just enough angst, but there's also the threats to national security. It's so good.
The characters continue to be my favorite part of the whole thing. The relationships, both platonic and romantic, are incredible. Addison and Vanessa are the //purest//, Bridget and Liam are the //cutest//, I'm always here for Chasity/Hanson, and I'm team David all the way. Millie and Willie are still the most adorable beans on the planet, and I loved how much time we got to spend with Steve this time around! The one who kind of surprised me was Asher, I didn't really care that much about him in the previous books (oops), but I absolutely loved him? Our sweet boy? is growing up? and I'm so proud of him?
Also all the faith content was spot on.
I read the whole of this in one day (why yes, it is 466 pages. yes, I am very proud of myself), and I honestly think that's the way to go with these books. There are a lot of moving pieces, and if you lose track of one it can be hard to get back into it. But reading it all at once, letting it consume your life for a bit, is a great experience. I never want to leave Tarsurella.
Which brings me to the fact that we're //getting a book four//??? About 85% of the way through, I was thinking to myself, "I have complete faith in Livy, but idk how she's going to wrap up all of these plotlines". And then "the end" came and WHAT. WE'RE GETTING ANOTHER BOOK??? I'M SO HYPED. I'm not ready to leave Tarsurella, as I said, and I'm really excited to get to see these characters again. (And yes, I do want to do a re-read of the whole series but I'm going to try and practice self-control xD)
I loved this sweet little story so much!! When I heard Taylor was releasing a Christmas novella, I knew I needed to read it because Christmas stories I loved this sweet little story so much!! When I heard Taylor was releasing a Christmas novella, I knew I needed to read it because Christmas stories are the BEST. I've absolutely love the Tradewinds series so far, and this was no exception.
The true meaning of Christmas in Jesus shines through, but it's also a story of friendship and family that brings all the warm fuzzies you want in a holiday book. Perfect to get into the Christmas spirit, and I can't recommend it highly enough.
Five stars from me!
**I was sent a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review**...more
"Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things-trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I "Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things-trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones."
This is not my favorite Narnia book. But that doesn't mean it isn't still great. While the other books have been lessons in discovering the faithfulness and grace of God, this one deals more with the consequences of our actions.
The thing I find interesting that gives this book a different flavor than others is that Eustace and Jill aren't friends. They're acquaintances at best. Jill is being bullied and Eustace used to be one of those bullies. But they're thrown into this new situation that even Eustace doesn't quite recognize (because as we know, things never happen the same way twice), and thus must join a begrudging alliance with one another. Narnia isn't filled with delightful memories or big dreams like the previous books. And Eustace and Jill, as people, are different from any other protagonist we've followed. They don't read the right sort of books, they grew up in a lifestyle that doesn't allow for wistful imagination. They bicker and they pout and they're stubborn as all get out. In some ways, they're like Digory and Polly, or Peter and Susan, but ultimately they're just people who have been pushed into a questing party with no idea how to go about leading a quest.
And in comes Puddleglum! A fan favorite character for sure. He's fantastic. He's the Narnian equivalent of Eeyore, but with a good deal more faith in Aslan. Some of the most iconic lines from the series come from this Marsh-wiggle, and I think if he and Reepicheep had met, they'd have been fast friends.
Prince Rillian is, frankly, an idiot, but he's a loveable idiot. But you know what, he's the spitting image of his dad at that age, so are we surprised? I love this little family and we don't even get to really see them, lol.
The faith lessons in this book are so cool. I never caught them as a kid, tbh. This book is both the most subtle and the most in your face about the lessons its trying to teach. If you forget Aslan's signs, you find yourself trapped in a giant's house for dinner. When you think more about comfort than your mission, you can miss the message. Non-believers can come to Christ and have a role that's just as important as those who grew up hearing the gospel. If you live for Aslan even when everyone else doubts him, you can defeat the witch.
It's not my favorite of the series. I can say that with certainty. But that doesn't mean I still didn't learn a lot from it. It's a more "grown-up" Narnia, one full of darkness and loss. But still, the people hope and trust that Aslan's plan will prevail. And it's beautiful.
quotables: - "you would not have called to me unless i was calling to you," said the lion. - “don't you mind," said puddleglum. "there are no accidents. our guide is aslan; and he was there when the giant king caused the letters to be cut, and he knew already all things that would come of them; including this.” - “and you must always remember there's one good thing about being trapped down here: it'll save funeral expenses.” ((only puddleglum can pull off such deep, beautiful quotes and also ones like this)) - “crying is all right in its way while it lasts. But you have to stop sooner or later, and then you still have to decide what to do.” - "i know you overlanders live there," said golg. "but i thought it was because you couldn't find your way down inside. you can't really like it - crawling about like flies on top of the world!" - "i'm on aslan's side even if there isn't any aslan to lead it. i'm going to live as like a narnian as I can even if there isn't any narnia." - "they were walking beside the stream and the lion went before them: and he became so beautiful, and the music so despairing, that jill did not know which of them it was that filled her eyes with tears." - “when you meet me here again, you will have come to stay. but not now. you must go back to your own world for a while.” ((catch me in the corner sobbing over this line))
Ultimately, it's 4 stars from me. Still magical, and still holds a special place in my heart.
re-read 2021: "Oh, come on, Pole, buck up," said Scrubb's voice. "After all, it is an adventure." "I'm sick of adventures," said Jill crossly.
good news, this book got bumped up from 4 stars to 5 on this read! it actually took me less time to read than voyage did on this go-around, which is wild. ah, how i loved it! jill and eustace are still little idiots, but they're my little idiots....more
"It just seems like everyone in this town has suddenly getting weird about zucchini."
That quote's pretty much all you need to know about this book. "It just seems like everyone in this town has suddenly getting weird about zucchini."
That quote's pretty much all you need to know about this book. And yet, it was an utter delight. Nancy Drew is just nostalgic and cozy for me. Is it perfect? No. But it's a ton of fun. I love River Heights, as weird as it is. Ned Nickerson is the best boyfriend ever (and dare I say, deserves better than Nancy?), Bess and George are #iconic sidekicks, and the other citizens of River Heights are loveable even if they're odd. The mystery genuinely has low stakes, which made it so nice to read on a rainy evening. It felt like revisiting my childhood, and it was perfect for what I needed.
"You have listened to your fears, child," said Aslan. "Come, let me breathe on you. Forget them. Are you brave again?"
This was good for my soul. Na "You have listened to your fears, child," said Aslan. "Come, let me breathe on you. Forget them. Are you brave again?"
This was good for my soul. Narnia always is.
Now, I'll admit, Prince Caspian has never been my favorite Narnia book. When I was a child reading it for the first time, I found it... boring? I guess? And I can understand why. This is the road trip book of the series. And like The Deathly Hallows (the road trip book of HP), I'm not a huge fan of the traveling. But the characters, this time through, are what made me love it. The once-grown-up-but-now-children-again Pevensies, sassy Trumpkin, my forever fave Trufflehunter, my sweet boy Caspian, the ever-amazing Reepicheep - they're all incredible and relatable and so important to me.
While PC wasn't my favorite Narnia book, the movie has always been a different story. I adore the Prince Caspian movie. We [my siblings and I] rewatched it recently and I remembered just how much I love it. It taught me so much about my walk with Christ, and WOW the book is different from the movie. In the book, Peter is 98% less angsty, Caspian doesn't have as much of a role, tbh, and just overall, it isn't as dark. Which I know is a lot of people's complaint with the adaptation. But one of the most impactful scenes from the film for me is the attack on the castle, which wasn't in the book. The realization that when Peter yells "For Narnia!" and fails versus when he says "For Aslan!" and succeeds was one of the most important lessons I learned about Christ and it isn't even in the booook. ;-; So this may be one of very few instances in my life where I say I like... the movie... better? Like, the book is great, don't get me wrong. Still a lot of fantastic lessons about life and living with Aslan, but the movie gave us the Softest Boy (that's caspian), and the line "maybe we have to prove ourselves to him", and Edmund straight-up SMACKING a guy ACROSS THE FACE with his torch (and jumping off the tower in what is quite possibly the most Iconic exit ever).
Okay sorry, this isn't a movie review, this is the book. Let's look at some quotables, shall we? (because this book has some of the most iconic Narnia quotes and I love it)
- "that's the worst of girls, they can never carry a map in their heads." "that's because our heads have something inside them." - "things never happen the same way twice." - "do you feel yourself sufficient to take up the crown of narnia?" "I don't think I do, sir. I am only a kid." "good. if you had felt yourself sufficient, it would have been proof that you were not." - "you doubt your value. don't run from who you are." (which was in the vdt movie and I feel... shocked and betrayed? I love this quote so much? how did I not know which book it was from? *revokes my own 'narnia fan' license*) - "to know what would have happened, child?" said aslan. "no. nobody is ever told that." - "the help will come," said trufflehunter. "I stand by aslan. have patience, like us beasts. the help will come." - "and then, farther back and still nearly at the top, peter's voice saying, 'oh, buck up, susan. give me your hand. why, a baby could go down here. and do stop grousing.'" (I laughed out loud) - "well, there's just this," said edmund, speaking quickly and turning a little red, "when we first discovered narnia a year ago - or a thousand years ago, whichever it is - it was lucy who discovered it first and none of us would believe her. I was the worst of the lot, I know. yet she was right all along. wouldn't it be fair to believe her this time?" ((;-;))
Overall, it's still not my favorite Narnia book. But my goodness, it's still so good. There's so much good in Narnia, so much meat that I'm just now uncovering, and I'm so excited to continue re-reading them. Dawn Treader's next and I am HYPED.
so yeah, 5 stars forever and always. but I adore the movie with my whole heart, and I thought you should know.
re-read 2020: caspian is a sweet baby angel who deserves the entire world, tbh.
re-read 2021: "I'm a beast, I am, and a Badger what's more. We don't change. We hold on. I say great good will come of it. This is the true King of Narnia we've got here: a true King, coming to true Narnia. And we beasts remember, even if Dwarfs forget, that Narnia was never right except when a son of Adam was king."
this book is literally so iconic what the heck...more
So many memories and secrets, so many burdens. Every life has such weight. I don't know how anybody carries even one.
i'm SHOOK, y'all. That was so So many memories and secrets, so many burdens. Every life has such weight. I don't know how anybody carries even one.
i'm SHOOK, y'all. That was so incredible. (There is more language than I prefer, but these people are all awful so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ) I don't think I've ever properly read a book with an unreliable narrator (perhaps with the exception of Blank Mastermind) (if I've read any others, I didn't identify it, lol) and this was that trope at its finest. I didn't know any more than Aiden did, which was fascinating.
I love when I can predict the endings of mysteries - I feel like that's a good sign of a properly set up whodunnit. But I had no idea on like... any of the twists in this. Which is partially because I'm only getting the clues from Aiden, and partially because I distrusted //everyone// at one point or another. Good golly, y'all, the twists were well done. Perhaps a bit out-of-left-field toward the end, (and we did get a bit of a monologue) but still pretty great. I spent the last 25% of this book (and my siblings can attest to this) glued to my Kindle and occasionally flailing because I couldn't even.
As far as characters are concerned, they're all horrid people. (with the exception of Rashton and Grace, they're great) (oh and also Michael. my sweet baby angel.) And that's the point. But even while they're terrible humans, they're made human by their fears and their general sense of lost-ness. I felt bad. This whole story would have been different with Christ, lol. They're all so depraved of human love and kindness and they're all seeking it. Which is just heart-breaking, tbh.
Anyway, all of this to say, this was an incredible murder mystery. I've never read anything like it and I don't know that I ever will. Five stars from me.
"Life doesn't always leave you a choice in how you live it." ...more
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