This is not the last page.

Well hello hello! *coughs* I seem to leave the blogosphere for extended periods of time without warning or ceremony rather often, don’t I?

Yeah, I know I do. It’s scandalous.

Life (God) has given me so, so, SO much this year. I’ve gone out and done so many more things than I’ve ever done before! A big reason for that might be that I got my driver’s license in February and became an adult in May. That definitely has something to do with it.

Besides that, the activities and opportunities to do things have just… flowed in.

Here’s a list of some pretty cool things that I’ve gotten to do this year:

• Got my first part-time job. (Cleaning stalls. glamorous, I know)
• Learned many different dances/went to different dancing events!! (Line dancing and swing dancing are my favorite types)
• Went to breakfast/lunch/dinner with friends.
• Had a couple of sleepovers/movie nights with friends.
• Got my second (and current!) job at a western tack store!

That last bullet point would have to be the biggest blessing (besides closer friendships) that I listed there. My job is amazing; getting to meet lots of cool people, pushing me to be more outgoing than I already was, and getting to laugh and talk with coworkers that I truly enjoy working with (they’re both much much older than me, by the way), and learning many new things I never knew before that I, as a cowgirl, am grateful to know.

So, you can probably see why I haven’t been even slightly active here in a long while. I got my new job (which is 9-5, four days a week) close to the beginning of August, and my last post went live on August 15th. It has kind of taken me away from a lot of the things I really enjoy, reading, riding, and writing. Blogging is something I’ve discovered I can really easily do without. I make time for reading and riding, because those are my passions, and I still dream about my story ideas… once in a while… but blogging has taken a definite back seat, and I’m not at all upset.

All that to say, I’m not really much of a blogger anymore, BUT- I do plan on blogging more. I will write a post at some point; I just can’t say when. I still love this blog and how I designed it, etc., so I don’t want to let it drown. It’s floundering, but not drowning yet.

There are posts I’d like to do. One in particular: I want to rant and rave about the Harry Potter books, which I had the pleasure of reading for the first time in October. I’m reading them for the second time now, and I feel as if I can’t get enough of the story, the Wizarding world, and Fred Weasley. And Remus Lupin. And Nymphadora Tonks.

Another post I’d like to do is my thoughts on Black Widow, the movie, which is the first Marvel movie I’ve ever seen (I went with friends to see it in the theater! it was amazing!), and my thoughts on DUNE (it was amazing too!).

But… not right now. We’ll see when I decide to sit down and write those posts. For now, I just want to say THIS IS NOT THE LAST PAGE, and I’LL BE BACK. Thanks for reading.

Oh: and the official Sorting on The Wizarding World says I’m in Gryffindor. Rawr.

ABOUT KENDRA

I’m Kendra, a Christian and ENFP who reads, rides horses, and eats pumpkin foods. especially muffins. I have a weakness for a certain Hobbit by the name of Sam and could re-read N.D. Wilson’s Outlaws of Time series forever. mention Jane Austen to me and I’ll be your friend for life.

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5 Solid Reasons N.D. Wilson is the Greatest Modern Author

I’m not here to start an argument or step on any toes. This shouldn’t even be a matter of controversy, although I know it is.

I know a lot of people will have a difference of opinion on who is the greatest modern* author, and they’re completely welcome to it, just as I’m welcome to mine. I know there are many authors of today that I admire and love, and many who are excellent in their respective genres.

But… N.D. Wilson is the greatest modern* author, and I’ve got a pretty solid argument to prove my case.

*in case it wasn’t clear… by modern I mean 21st century, of course. 😉

Collab: Amelie’s Top Ten Favorite Books of 2021 (so far!)

Hey all! I’m here to introduce my second ever collaboration post. Technically my first ever formal collab.

Amelie @ Swordmaiden of the King has graciously agreed to this in order to help out my blog! When discussing our ideas for what to post about, we both decided that our favorite idea was listing our favorite books from this year so far. Though of course, it will be torturous at the same time. XP

Without further ado, here are Amelie’s top ten favorite books from 2021!

Welcome to THE PLOT THICKENS, the Book Blog you’ve been waiting for…

I hardly know what to say in greeting, except that… WELL. Apparently I’m not dead, after all!

Seriously, I have been gone for so long (my last post was published March 8th… heheh) and I feel terrible about that. My deepest apologies. Now that I have returned to declare I LIVE, I have another huge announcement, and to get the word out I’m going to need your help.

You can take down all the “WANTED: dead or alive” posters now. 😜

The Jane Austen This or That (this may be one of my favorite tags ever!!)

When I saw Hamlette answering these questions on her blog, I was intrigued. Then when I saw that her opinions on Mr. Knightley/Emma were the exact opposite to mine, I knew I just had to do the tag myself. Because I won’t stand by to see Mr. Knightley insulted. *shakes head firmly*

Am I the only one in the mood to watch ALL of my favorite Jane Austen adaptations right now?!

The 10 Fictional Characters I Relate to (you might be surprised!)

You know those characters that you just KNOW how they feel? Those characters who have struggles, personalities, or roles similar to yours? Lately I’ve been considering all the characters I relate to, in good and bad ways, and decided it was a definitely post-worthy topic.

The characters and their internal conflict really are one of the most impacting and inspiring things in a story. (yes, I’m a fan of Abbie Emmons) And of course this blog is, after all, to express “a fondness for fictional people & fictional worlds”. 😉 So in this post, I’m going to list the characters I uniquely relate to; not based off of the MBTI types or anything like that. Who knew that I, as an ENFP, could relate strongly to a character typed as either an ESTJ or ISFJ (it’s disputed)!

Book Review: A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen (the suspense, sorrow, and hardship of living on the eastern side of the Berlin Wall)

*takes a deep breath* Wow. This book is a heart-wrenching, heart-warming, heart-stopping masterpiece of historical fiction. My heart went through a lot in this book and I don’t think it has quite recovered.💔 And if you want to know the truth, this book is so relevant right now. People need to read about the realities of communism and socialism and remember what a horror it is.

If you’ve read my post on my favorite books from 2020, you’ll find that this book came in 3rd place on the list, and was undoubtedly one of the BEST of the best historical fiction books I’ve ever read. You’ll find out why in this post.

These are the Books I Disliked Most in 2020 (no offense to any of the books or authors mentioned herein!!)

The natural sequel to my previous post is here! The books I ha… um, severely disliked in 2020, all compiled in a list complete with the proper expressions of my dissatisfaction, annoyance, and general abhorrence of each one.

Fun fact: I like using long, sophisticated language when I feel the time calls for it. 😉

The qualifications for books I cannot stand are as follows (note: not all of them fall under all the categories given):

1. I feel no inclination to read said books ever again as long as I live
2. The writing is of a style which I can’t stand
3. The worldview of said books quite possibly was terrible (contrary to my own)

To be completely honest, there really weren’t many like that. But I can think of one in particular off the top of my head… which will fall in 1st place of my most hated books from 2020. Ugh. *shudders*

These Are the Books I Loved Most in 2020 (no matter what kind of a year it is, books are always better)

This post is written in honor of J.R.R. Tolkien’s birthday. Don’t forget to toast “The Professor!” this evening with your favorite drink (tea, coffee, etc.). 🙂

At the end of the year, the real most important thing to know is did I read good books this year. That’s the question I always ask myself with a great deal of pacing the room, scrutinizing my bookshelves with narrowed eyes, and sinking my chin on my chest and grunting to myself.

Since it’s the end of the year, and this IS, after all, a book blog, I think it’s high time we talked about what I read that was and wasn’t good. This post is dedicated to the good. And I’m looking forward to it with starry eyes. *sighs deeply*

It’s 2021: (should I throw confetti or cry or both?) Here’s my Goals for the New Year

Happy New Year, my fellow Book Enthusiasts! 2020 was quite the year. It was the first time I experienced what a fearful society was like. And I didn’t like it. Along with most people, I wanted 2020 to end. Thinking about it, that makes me sad.

How terrible to think that we spent all of 2020 wanting it to end! Sure, we accomplished things, read books, made memories… but we didn’t truly embrace 2020. And we’ll never get that year back. Though… does anybody really want to?? That’s a question for a philosopher. It’s complicated.

With the arrival of 2021 and what everyone regards as The Year of the Return of Normalcy (though who knows if the people making us wear masks now will consent to us not wearing masks then), I want to embrace the year no matter what happens. I want to consider it as a Year of Promise whether things go back to normal or not.

I’m done with waiting for the perfect conditions to enjoy and explore the life God has given me.

So I’m going to make some goals and reach for them with all I have, and just… look at 2021 as another year to be alive and DO THINGS.