Category: Personal

Discussion: What’s the Longest Book You’ve Ever Read?

Posted January 16, 2016 by Jana in Discussion, Personal / 23 Comments

With all the excitement of the holidays last month, it has taken me since Christmas Eve to finish Winter by Marissa Meyer (I finished it in the wee hours of yesterday morning, and it was everything a Jana could have dreamed of.). Of course, this means I’ve had pretty much no content for my blog. lol. And I swear, I felt guilty that things were so quiet over here while I took three weeks to read one book. But then…

I realized, Winter is the longest book I’ve ever read (824 pages)! So basically this is a huge accomplishment. I usually feel very overwhelmed by big books because they are a major time commitment. They latch onto your emotions and take you away from this world. I’m so glad I was willing to give myself the time to read such a long book. AND it was one I bought! I read it for me, and I rarely take the time to do that.

Anyway, I’m wondering… What’s the longest book you’ve ever read? 

Top Ten Things I’m Thankful For (Besides Books!)

Posted November 23, 2015 by Jana in Personal, Top Ten Tuesday / 5 Comments

 

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at the other blog I write for, The Broke and the Bookish.

Obviously I’m thankful for books and reading and my Kindle and authors and publishers and publicists and all the bookish things in life. I’m also thankful for my blog and my readers and the IT guy at my hosting company who fixes all my problems and humors me when I panic about little things.. But today I’ve decided to talk about everything ELSE I’m thankful for in my life right now, away from my blogging life and my reading life.

1. My Health
While I have multiple health problems that can cause debilitating pain and sadness, I’m not terminal, nor will my health problems shorten my life. There’s a lot of people out there suffering with life-threatening injuries and diseases, and I’m not one of them. I’m thankful for that.

2. My Family
My mom is my best friend and my sister is my cheerleader. We have a lot of fun together, too! I’m thankful for them. The world is pretty scary right now, and so many have lost their families and loved ones to hateful acts. My family is safe and sound, and I could not ask for anything more.

3. My Religion
I don’t ever get religious here on the blog (I see religion as a very internal and personal thing), but my belief system and my knowledge have shaped me into the person I am. I would be so lost without it. I’m thankful for my Heavenly Father.

4. My Country
As I mentioned before, this world is scary. But I feel safe regardless. I’m free to do a lot of things that people throughout the world cannot due for fear of being harmed. I’m thankful for that freedom.

5. My Friends
There are many wonderful people in my life, who bring me happiness and give me a sense of belonging and community. These are people I’ve met through school, through church, through cultural events, and even through the Internet. I’m so thankful for the people in my life.

6. My Home
I have a warm and cozy house filled with running water, heat, carpeted floors, and things I love. Working at the library this semester, I met a lot of homeless people. It gets COLD here, and I’m so thankful for my house.

7. My Education
Throughout my years of education in elementary and highs school, college, and now grad school, I’ve had the opportunity to become well-read and well-spoken. I’ve learned about culture, religion, history, literature, art, math, science, and more. I’m so thankful I live among people, and in a place, where education is valued and encouraged, and I’m thankful I had the opportunity to get this education in the first place.

8. My Talents
I’m a singer, an artist, a teacher, a writer, a photographer, a designer, a jewelry maker, a seamstress, a baker, a decorator, a hair stylist, a make-up artist, an organizer, an event planner, a dancer, a gardener, a humanitarian, a mother (to children I do not have), a listener, an advice giver, a genealogist, a researcher, a typographer, a social butterfly, a friend. I am thankful for all the things that make me me.

9. My Sense of humor
I love to laugh and make others laugh. Laughter is a blessing, and I’m thankful for that.

10. My Life
I’m so happy to be here, and I’m thankful I get to live in this day and age. It’s a great time to be alive!

So, I got a little sappy. That was expected, though. Haha! During this season of thanksgiving, what are you most thankful for? Leave your link, and I’ll come visit!

Happy Halloween 2015!

Posted October 31, 2015 by Jana in Personal / 3 Comments

 

Happy Halloween to you! I hope you have tons of fun dressing up, eating candy, and spending time with friends and family! I’m going to be watching a scary movie tonight (although, scary for me is not the usual scary… I might be able to handle Gaslight or Midnight Lace with Doris Day. Maybe a Munsters marathon?)

What’s your favorite Halloween candy? Do you have any plans for tonight?

Happy 2015!

Posted January 1, 2015 by Jana in Personal / 3 Comments

Happy New Year! I’ve got high hopes for 2015, and I hope you do too! I love the idea of a clean slate, a chance to start over and make improvements. I’m not a huge fan of resolutions because my goals for life never really change. But I do have a strong resolve to make myself a better person this year, and I’m excited to see what happens! School is starting up again on January 12th, I’ve got a fun vacation coming up this summer, and lots of other little things in between! I hope you have a wonderful 2015!

Merry Christmas!

Posted December 25, 2014 by Jana in Personal / 3 Comments

Can you believe Christmas is finally here? I feel like the entire holiday season just flew by. I hope you have a wonderful day with your friends and loved ones, full of food, books, giving, and laughter. The blog is going to be pretty slow until the new year, as I am spending time with my family and getting the 2015 Debut Author Challenge ready to go! Make sure you sign up if you haven’t! Merry Christmas!