Writing Prompt #168: The ABC Book Challenge (The Letter R)

ABC Book Challenge - G

Memorable Books that Start with the Letter “R”:

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Ramona Quimby, Age 8

  • I devoured every title that Beverly Cleary wrote! I particularly loved the Ramona series.

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Really True Ruthie

  • Kit’s story is one of my favorites from American Girl, set in 1930s Ohio. I loved this individual story about Ruthie, Kit’s best friend.

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The Red Badge of Courage

  • I first learned about this book from Wishbone! It’s a good historical novel about the Civil War.

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The Rescue

  • I haven’t read this Sparks book in quite a while. Time to re-read it!

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Romeo and Juliet

  • I’ve read this several times. It’s a true classic from Shakespeare.

The Runaway Maryellen

The Runaway: A Maryellen Mystery

  • I love Maryellen’s series, set in 1950s Florida. This particular book was well-written, but a hard read for an animal lover like me!

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The Runaway Jury

  • How can I not list at least one Grisham novel?

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Ryan White: My Own Story

  • I stumbled upon this book at the local library when I was in middle school. I knew who Ryan White was, thanks to an episode of 3-2-1 Contact. But, reading his autobiography was even more powerful. I think I read this book at least five different times between middle school and college. I’m actively trying to get my own copy!

Books I’d Love to Read Starting with the Letter “R”:

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Ready Player One

  • My understanding is the book is vastly different from the movie adaptation (2018), but I’m excited to read it. Once Al finishes it, I’m borrowing his copy!

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Rebecca

  • I’ve heard about this book for years, but haven’t read it myself.

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Revolutionary Road

  • I think I have a copy of this? I haven’t read it, though. I look forward to reading this account of life for a couple in the 1950s.

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The Road

  • Again, another book I’ve heard good things about for a long time, but haven’t read it yet.

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Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian

  • I’m fascinated with true crime, and most anything related to the criminal justice system. This one sounds very interesting!

What books have you read, or want to read, that start with the letter R? Let me know!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Writing Prompt #167: “30 Day Disney Challenge” (Day 4)

30 Day Disney Challenge

Image Credit: Meerkat Musings

Day 4 – Your favorite prince

Li Shang!

Image result for disney princes li shang

Image result for disney princes li shang

Mulan is another one of my favorite Disney movies. I couldn’t wait to see it in theaters when it was released in 1998!

Image result for disney princes li shang

One of my favorite songs OF ALL TIME is “I’ll Make A Man Out Of You.” I know every word! And it’s so catchy. It’s one of my favorite scenes / montages ever.

Image result for disney princes li shang

Image result for disney princes li shang

Li Shang is courageous, determined, and resolute. And, not to mention attractive!!


Come back tomorrow for a new post!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Writing Prompt #166: “30 Day Disney Challenge” (Day 3)

30 Day Disney Challenge

Image Credit: Meerkat Musings

Day 3 – Your favorite heroine

Pocahontas!

Image result for disney heroines pocahontas

Image result for disney heroines pocahontas

Image result for disney heroines pocahontas

Image result for disney heroines pocahontas

Image result for disney heroines pocahontas

Yes, I know, the movie is definitely NOT historically accurate!

But, given that I live about 45 minutes from the Jamestown settlement, when the movie was released in 1995, it was the talk of school! A family friend made me a special Pocahontas dress, and I definitely had the toy jewelry set from Toys R Us!

And I wanted that waterfall in the movie to be REAL!

But, Pocahontas is one of my favorite heroines. I love the movie! She shows courage and strength!


Come back tomorrow for a new post!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Writing Prompt #165: “30 Day Disney Challenge” (Day 2)

30 Day Disney Challenge

Image Credit: Meerkat Musings

Day 2- Your favorite princess

This one was easier!

Belle, from Beauty and The Beast!

Image result for belle disney

Image result for belle disney

She loves books! She takes such good care of her father. She’s feisty! And she stands up to Gaston!

 

Image result for belle disney

Her yellow ball gown! So pretty!

Image result for belle disney

I’m swooning over this doll! Wow!!

Sure, she’s a bit naive, but she grows into a wonderful woman!


Come back tomorrow for a new post!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Writing Prompt #164: “30 Day Disney Challenge” (Day 1)

30 Day Disney Challenge

Image Credit: Meerkat Musings

I saw one of my friends post this on Facebook, so I wanted to do this on the blog!


Day 1 – Your favorite character

Ugh. I spent a good amount of time thinking about this!

I think my favorite character is Olaf!

Image result for olaf

Image result for olaf

I admit, I’ve only seen Frozen once. I still remember how excited I was – I felt like a kid! Al was so sweet to take me to see it in the theater!!

However, I fell in love with Olaf from the very beginning. He’s such a happy snowman!! Plus, I think Josh Gad was perfect for the role.


Come back tomorrow for a new post!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Getting Personal #158: February Goals

BeautyBeyondBones

Image Credit: BeautyBeyondBones

Welcome to February! It’s Valentine’s month!


Here are my goals for the month of February:

  1. Order my new glasses.
  2. Donate blood.
  3. Finally finish the first draft of my 2012 WIP!
  4. Make journaling a daily habit / practice.
  5. Create my own media kit.
  6. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Al.
  7. Take unused / unwanted clothes to Clothes Mentor.
  8. Write more Commentary posts.
  9. Celebrate Drew’s 30th birthday!
  10. Take unwanted / duplicate American Girl items to Once Upon A Child.

Here’s the breakdown:

Order my new glasses.

  • I’m excited to get my first pair from Warby Parker!

Donate blood.

  • The next blood drive is Saturday, February 2nd.
  • If you are able, please donate when you can. The horrible winter weather in the U.S. has cancelled so many blood drives!

Finally finish the first draft of my 2012 WIP!

  • I’ve been jotting down a few ideas since the beginning of the year, and I feel confident that I will finish the story this month!

Make journaling a daily habit / practice.

  • I’ve journaled on and off for years, and I really want to get back into it. I just bought a beautiful notebook at Target, and I can’t wait to fill it up!
  • This goal was partially inspired by author Kristen Martin talking about her journaling practice on her podcast, “That Smart Hustle.”

Create my own media kit.

  • Inspired by Brianna Marie Lifestyle’s recent post, I want to make this happen!

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Al.

  • We haven’t even talked about Valentine’s Day yet!

Take unused / unwanted clothes to Clothes Mentor.

  • I have a huge pile of clothes that don’t meet Darby’s current consignment guidelines. There’s a Clothes Mentor location near my house, so I want to see if they will take them.

Write more Commentary posts.

  • I have several ideas for Commentary posts. I just need to write and schedule them.

Celebrate Drew’s 30th birthday!

  • Drew is one of my good friends from college. We’ve been invited to his 30th birthday bash this month. We can’t wait to celebrate! It’s been more than two years since we’ve seen him.

Take unwanted / duplicate American Girl items to Once Upon A Child.

  • In the same vein as Clothes Mentor, I want to take the big box of American Girl items to the new Once Upon A Child location and see if they will take them. Consignment is fun!

Do you have any goals for the month of February?

If so, I’d love to hear about them!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Getting Personal #157: January Goals Recap

beautybeyondbones 29

Image Credit: BeautyBeyondBones

January was a very busy month! I can’t believe we’re a full month into 2019!

Here’s the link to my January Goals post:

Ready?

Here we go!


  1. Help Al maintain our new and improved budget spreadsheet. — Accomplished!
  2. Check out savings and investing apps. — Accomplished!
  3. Clear the clutter in my Lady Lounge. — Semi-Achieved.
  4. Donate, donate, donate. — Accomplished!
  5. Continue work on my 2013 WIP. — Semi-Achieved.
  6. Reset our cleaning schedule. — Accomplished!
  7. Get back on track with The ABC Book Challenge posts. — Accomplished!

Here’s the breakdown:

Help Al maintain our new and improved budget spreadsheet. — Accomplished!

  • Al created a Google Doc, and we take turns editing it!

Check out savings and investing apps. — Accomplished!

  • I downloaded ibotta!
  • I’m still researching Robin Hood, but I like what I see.

Clear the clutter in my Lady Lounge. — Semi-Achieved.

  • I’m getting there, piece by piece. I’ve worked on it as much as I could this month, and I’ve been better about separating things to recycle, trash, and shred.

Donate, donate, donate. — Accomplished!

  • I made a couple of trips! I think I cleared out six boxes full of stuff!
  • I also sent a box of clothes to Darby for consignment.
  • Up next: Taking clothes to Clothes Mentor!

Continue work on my 2013 WIP. — Semi-Achieved.

  • I only wrote about 200 new words, but I also decided to change the overall POV.

Reset our cleaning schedule. — Accomplished!

  • The calendar is back on track now. And I’m less stressed!

Get back on track with The ABC Book Challenge posts. — Accomplished!

  • I posted every Monday in January!
  • Look for another post on Monday!

Final Thoughts

  • I was able to put Accomplished next to five out of seven goals!
  • The two goals that were Semi-Achieved: These were directly related to time and effort.

What about you? Did you have any goals for the month of January?

Come back tomorrow to see my February Goals!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Writing Adventures #4: “A Step By Step Guide to Creating A Media Kit”

I’ve been following Brianna Marie Lifestyle for quite a while! I saw this post in my email inbox recently. I felt it was such an important post – I needed to share it!

Here’s the link to Brianna’s post:


I’ve heard of Canva for a while now, but now I need to sit down and actually use it!

I really liked Brianna’s post, and I intend to follow every step. I really think it will help elevate me, and the blog!

Also, this post is reminding me to get a new headshot done – It’s beyond time to update it!


What about you?

Do you have a media kit?

Any recommendations?

Let me know in the comments!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Tag #71: A to Z Book Tag!

a to z book tag

Image Credit: Howling Libraries

I saw this tag on Destiny’s blog, Howling Libraries!

The tag was was originally created by The Perpetual Page Turner.

Here’s the link to Destiny’s post:


a | author you’ve read the most books from:

  • Ann M. Martin. More than 150 books between The Baby-Sitters Club series, Baby-Sitters Little Sister series, Mysteries, Super Mysteries, and a few others! I also had the Baby-Sitters Club Friendship Kit computer software in the mid-1990s.

b | best sequel ever:

catching_fire

c | currently reading:

Image result for all the missing girls book

d | drink of choice while reading:

  • Nothing. I don’t want to spill anything on my books.

e | e-reader or physical book:

  • My heart lies with physical books! However, I’m not against e-books.

f | fictional character you would’ve dated in high school:

  • Either Ron or Neville from Harry Potter.

g | glad you gave this book a chance:

  • WHO KNEW? … Reflections on Vietnam, J. Holley Watts. A powerful book / memoir of a woman’s service in Vietnam with the Supplemental Recreation Activities Organization (SRAO) program of the American Red Cross.

h | hidden gem book:

Image result for story of a girl book

  • Story of a Girl, Sara Zarr. I was assigned to read this in my Young Adult Literature class in the spring of 2011, and I fell in love with it. If I don’t have that copy at this point, I need to buy another one. I want to re-read it and review it here.

i | important moment in your reading life:

Image result for harry potter and the deathly hallows book

  • Finishing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows during the summer of 2008. I wasn’t interested in the series originally, even though a lot of my friends and classmates devoured them the minute the new book came out. However, I caught on quickly, and enjoyed all seven books. Finishing Deathly Hallows was really hard, and I clearly remember not picking up a new book for nearly two weeks that summer. I needed to heal first.

j | just finished:

evicted

k | kind of books you won’t read:

  • Anything that is truly horror, or glorifies abuse (Fifty Shades of Grey, for example).

l | longest book you’ve read:

  • The Bible.

m | major book hangover because of:

  • I don’t think this has happened to me in years. See the letter I for more context.

n | number of bookcases you own:

  • In my house, just one! It’s six-feet-tall, and I love it.

o | one book you’ve read multiple times:

The Great Gatsby - Complex

p | preferred place to read:

  • In bed before going to sleep, or a comfortable couch/chair if I’m reading during the day.

q | quote that inspires you/gave you all the feels from a book:

  • “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” ~ Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird

r | reading regret:

  • I can’t think of one.

s | series you’ve started and need to finish (all books are out):

t | three of your all time favorite books:

Image result for harry potter and the order of the phoenix book

A Walk to Remember (Hardcover).jpg

  1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling
  2. Looking for Alaska, John Green
  3. A Walk to Remember, Nicholas Sparks

u | unapologetic fangirl for:

Pleasant Company Catalogue Holiday 1991

The Smugglers Treasure Cover

  • All of the American Girl books. I started reading them as soon as I could, and I learned a lot about history through these characters. I’ve re-built my childhood collection (Samantha, Felicity, and Kirsten), and added plenty more. I’m also on a quest to own all 22 History Mysteries. Also, I highly recommend The Care and Keeping of You series for girls. There’s a book for boys, too!

v | very excited for this release:

Image result for parkland book

w | worst bookish habits:

  • I buy more books before reading my current stack. I can’t let a good book pass by me.

x | x marks the spot! start at the top left of your bookshelf and pick the 27th book:

The Lady's Slipper

y | your latest book purchase:

Image result for janesville an american story

Image result for mosquitoland book

Image result for the hate u give book

Image result for a sky for us alonebook

  • Last week, I bought four books from Barnes & Noble with a generous gift card from my mom for my birthday last year:
  1. Janesville: An American Story, Amy Goldstein
  2. Mosquitoland, David Arnold
  3. The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas
  4. A Sky for Us Alone, Kristin Russell

z | zzz-snatcher book—last book that kept you up way too late:

  • Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, Matthew Desmond.

Tag – You’re It!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Writing Prompt #163: The ABC Book Challenge (The Letter Q)

ABC Book Challenge - F

Memorable Books that Start with the Letter “Q”:

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Quit It

  • I need to re-read this, but I distinctly remember learning about Tourette’s syndrome for this first time because of this YA book.

Books I’d Love to Read Starting with the Letter “Q”:

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Q’s Legacy: A Delightful Account of a Lifelong Love Affair with Books

  • This one looks like pure joy!

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The Quest for Anastasia: Solving the Mystery of the Lost Romanovs

  • I’ve been fascinated with the story of Anastasia and the Romanovs for years!

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Questioning The Millennium

  • I’m really curious about this author’s perspective on the millennium. I remember Y2K – Do you?

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Quidditch Through The Ages

  • I’ve always wanted to read this!

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The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness

  • Secretly, I think I would have done well as a psychology major in college, since I enjoy books about people who have gone through journeys with mental illnesses or similar struggles. This one is going near the top of my next TBR.

What books have you read, or want to read, that start with the letter Q? Let me know!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂