General conference this year went really well.The funny thing about that is that it was the least amount of prep I have done.
I have a big board we use but I didn't feel like pulling it out of storage because it was behind a bunch of stuff. I usually do a lot of activities but I didn't have time.
So, I printed off a blank bingo sheet and some general conference topics that they could glue onto their sheet so it would be different. They each had a sheet to do this with for each session.
Each time they got a bingo they could pick out a candy. When they got blackout they could pick a small toy (picked up a few of them beforehand for only a few dollars). This is all they did. The whole time. Just bingo. And it was the best they have ever listened and the most quiet they have been as well.
They made a little tent and they were completely content.
The Top 5 Wednesday topic this week is the 5 authors that I have discovered this year that I like the most. You can join the Goodreads group created by Lainey or see other people's posts and videos here.
None of my choices are new authors that have been newly published. These are just the authors that I have read for the first time this year, so far.
#1: Anne Bronte
I read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall this fall and it was the first book I have ever read by Anne Bronte.
I loved it so much that I can't wait to read Agnes Grey as well.
She is such a great writer and I am so happy that I finally read her.
#2: Thomas Hardy
I really loved Far From the Madding Crowd. I loved Thomas Hardy's style and I am really excited that he has quite a few novels I can read next!
#3: Mary Shelley
I just read Frankenstein. Mary Shelley is such a talented writer.
I do plan on trying to read some of her other work.
#4: Brandon Sanderson
I read The Way of Kings last spring after hearing about Brandon Sanderson for a few years.
It is such an epic fantasy. So good. I want to keep reading this series and read his other works as well. I plan on reading his Mistborn books next. The only challenge is that his books are SO big. It is definitely an investment of time to read them. But I liked this one enough that I do plan on trying to read more of his books next year.
#5: Rainbow Rowell
I have read a few other authors for the first time this year but I decided that, although she is not my very favorite, I had to mention Rainbow Rowell for number five for one simple reason...
I have read FOUR of her books this year alone.
The first book I read was Fangirl. Then I read Eleanor and Park. Next I read Attachments and then most recently I read Landline.
I don't love everything about her books but she is extremely talented at sucking you in and drawing you into the characters. They feel real and that makes for a really good read. The only exception for me was Landline. I didn't really like that one and it didn't draw me in the same way the other three did.
Attachments was my favorite.
*Have you read any authors for the first time this year?
A couple of weeks ago I checked my email from my favorite local independent bookstore, The King's English, and was so excited when I saw that they were doing a signing with Leigh Bardugo. It was only a day before the signing but I knew I had to go.
Her Shadow and Bone series is one of my favorites and I can't wait to read her new book, Six of Crows.
I got there a bit early and they had us go a few doors down to the art gallery.
We got our seats and then pretty soon she came in.
Leigh was amazing.
She was hilarious, friendly, down to earth, and so much fun to listen to.
She read to us from a short story she wrote as a teenager and then read to us from the new book as well. She did a whole Q&A as well. It was so, so much fun.
I loved every minute of it.
They did a Bingo game during the presentation so that whenever she said a word that we added to our game board you could mark it off. And we were given the go ahead to yell bingo even in the middle of her talking. It was pretty funny. They had ARC's they were giving away and one Six of Crows package which had some fun goodies in a King's English book bag.
I ended up getting bingo at the same time as four other people and they only had 4 more ARC's. I think they were waiting to give away the bag later. The lady behind me offered to let me have the ARC but I told her she had yelled Bingo first so she should get it.
She insisted I should since she worked in a library and gets them often.
But then the store employee brought out the bag and gave it to her.
She then tapped me on the shoulder and said that we should trade because she already had some of the things in the bag from a convention she had gone to.
I was SO excited!
After the presentation we went over to the store and stood in line for a very long time to meet Leigh and have her sign our books.
I took this picture while standing in line with the books I bought and the book I brought along to be signed in my new bag!
Leigh signing a book for my mom. My mom couldn't come so I picked the book up for her and had her sign it.
I didn't have my copy of Six of Crows yet because I had pre-ordered it from Amazon and it hadn't arrived yet. So I had her sign my copy of Shadow and Bone.
I saw the Twilight tag on Tashapolis' channel on YouTube here.
With the 10th anniversary of Twilight happening this month (and the release of the new 10th anniversary edition with the new gender swapped Twilight, life and death) I decided now would be a fun time to do the tag.
#1: What movie and book is your favorite?
Breaking Dawn is my favorite book in the series. I didn't love everything about it but I did like the arrival of the vampires from all over the world (especially Garrett) and the happy ending.
Breaking Dawn part 2 is my favorite movie for the same reasons (especially Garrett).
#2: What has your experience been like with Twilight?
Interesting.
When I read Twilight for the first time it had been out for quite a while and they were just starting to make the first movie. I was obsessed.
I have always been interested in vampires, as most people who know me already know. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was one of my very favorite TV series' ever and Dracula is one of my favorite classic books. One morning I was browsing the Deseret Book website and saw Twilight. I had no idea what it was and read the blurb. I was fascinated that there was a vampire book being sold in Deseret Book so I immediately checked to see if my local library had a copy. They did. I got it and read it in one day.
I immediately bought the boxed set of the first three books. I read them all so fast. And I read them over and over again while waiting for the last book in the series.
I joined a website called Twilight Moms where everyone discussed everything to do with Twilight.
I went to all the movies in the theater and the midnight release of Breaking Dawn, the final book.
It was all a lot of fun.
#3: Who is your favorite character?
Jacob Black
I know that isn't probably the most common answer. But it's mine.
I love Jacob.
I do have two other characters that might not be on every one's favorites list but they are my close 2nd and 3rd so I will add them too...
Charlie Swan
And Garrett
#4) Team Edward or Team Jacob?
#5) Who is your favorite Cullen?
Carlisle
#6) What is your favorite song from the soundtrack.
This one is easy. I loved this song before the movie (I love Muse in general and once made eye contact with the lead singer back when they played small venues to only a hundred or so of us). When it showed up in the baseball scene it made that scene instantly my favorite part of the first film.
Muse- Supermassive Black Hole
As far as a song that I hadn't heard before the movies and now love...
Paramore- Decode
#7) How often do you watch a Twilight movie?
About once a year.
#8) Would you rather be a vampire or a werewolf?
If we are only applying the mythology from these books my answer would have to be werewolf. I would not want to drink blood and I like the human existence the werewolves are able to have.
#9) What vampire power would you want to have?
That's tricky. If I am choosing from the ones we know about in the books and movies...
At first I would think that I would want to be able to read minds but actually I wouldn't. That would get loud. I would probably want what Bella has that makes her immune from the other vampire powers.
#10) What is the most embarrassing thing you did because of Twilight?
Either being one of the only grown-ups at the Breaking Dawn midnight book release (I know that wasn't the case everywhere but the one I went to left me feeling a little silly) or just the amount of Twilight things I accumulated over the years...
Although, to be honest, I'm really not embarrassed about either.
#11)What is a part that made you cry in the books and/or movies?
I tried to think of something. I thought that there had to be something.
But no. I don't think I ever cried in the books or the movies. I think the closest I came was in the last movie when they manipulated the ending and I thought what I was seeing was really happening. But even then it was more sad shock, not tears.
#12) Name all of the movies from favorite to least favorite:
Breaking Dawn part 2, Breaking Dawn part 1, Eclipse, New Moon, Twilight
I obviously thought they got better as they went along.
#13) Same question for the books:
Breaking Dawn, Twilight, Eclipse, New Moon
#14) Why are they your least favorite?
Twilight was my least favorite movie because of the style. It was trying to be artsy. It is so dark (with a slightly green tinge). They were just figuring out how to translate the books to film. I don't think it was bad. I don't hate it. It's just not as good, in my opinion, as the rest of the films.
I hear a lot of people say that New Moon is their least favorite book. But the reason I hear most is that it is because Edward is gone the whole time. That's not it for me. I actually liked getting more Jacob. I like it the least because of Bella. I hate how she responds to Edward's departure.
Again, I don't hate the book. I just don't like it as much.
I hope you enjoyed reading all about my Twilight opinions.
*Are you a Twilight fan?
*Which are your favorite and least favorite books and films in this franchise?
*Who is your favorite character?
*Team Edward or Jacob?
And if you want to do this tag on your blog, I would love to see your answers!
A few weeks ago we got some news about Maddy at school. It is kind of exciting and so the girls and I decided to celebrate with a trip to the park.
(I will let you in on the news sometime next week hopefully!)
It was a really nice day. Chilly but sunny.
The next day the girls did not have school.
We went grocery shopping and I let them have lunch at the Target cafe. This is not something we do often so they were really excited.
When we got home my passport was in the mailbox!
I was so excited. The only countries I have been to besides the United States are Canada and Mexico and the last time I was at either of them we didn't need passports. So this is the very first passport I have ever owned. I love it.
We started the Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull when we finished Harry Potter.
So far we have finished the first book and we are on the second one.
