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I love fast-paced action, clever characters, and complicated plots, and this series has it all. But what cinches a book as a favorite for me is when an author pulls the story through to anchor it in hope and love. For all the darkness, all the twisted natures and injustice, for all the lessons learned, there’s beauty in this story that shines brighter for the darkness it’s set against. What struck me especially in Morning Star was the theme of loving your enemies. There’s plenty of death and brutal justice to be had, for sure, but there’s also mercy, respect, and desire to understand and redeem. Yes, please. Challenges: #StoriesWithStephApr20 – Lykos: sci-fi #WildAdventuresApr20 – The 100: sci-fi #The LastFiveYearsApr20 – unique storytelling – I love how “classic” this series reads. #WelcomeWelcome2020 – 13th Day of the Gathering Season: amazing character growth – Oh my goodness, Sevro, I’m looking at you. #BookishWonderland2020 – Alice: fav female lead character – Love Mustang and her enduring desire for peace and love but ability to do the hard things. #30DaysOfColour – As the sky: blue #ReadGushApr20 – #meetthebookstagrammer – I love finding the epic in the ordinary – and vice versa. I adore and am inspired by Jesus (see above treatise on beauty and mercy and loving enemies). I’m 29 and work in publishing. I read and write epic fantasy. My favorite author is Brandon Sanderson, and one of my favorite pastimes is reading epic books to my brother with my cat. #bookishconlifeapr20 – Know it all – Literally all of the Red Rising characters. Literally all of them. #UndomielApr20 – Light Earendil: stars #ReadingAdventuresApr20 – Fire and Rain: fave read of 2020 – Definitely in the top of my 2020 reads! If you look closely, this headband has Red Rising symbols on it. It came from @shelflovecrate! And this art print is from @createexploreread (and is inspired by Lunar Chronicles). You can use my code HOPE10 for a discount at her Etsy shop!

I do hope to read *all the things* in April, however I also hope to finish outlining my WIP’s sequel /and/ start writing it during Camp NaNo… So these are the books I will definitely be reading in April… I already finished The Noble Servant by Melanie Dickerson. I’m continuing my Cosmere reread with Warbreaker! I’m continuing my slow readthrough of Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series. I’ve been determined to get more traditional/adult fantasy back into my reading diet again. I enjoy YA, but I feel like bookstagram pushes me toward it more than I’m naturally inclined. So I’m excited for The Rage of Dragons this month. The author says readers will likely have a good time if we enjoy “Robert Jordan’s expansive worlds, Brandon Sanderson’s detailed magic systems, Joe Abercrombie’s gritty combat, and Pierce Brown’s page-burning pace of action.” I’m game. Also, I don’t own a physical copy, but my library got its e-audiobook in of Imagine Me by Tahereh Mafi, so I’ll be reading that next. What are you reading in April? Challenges: #StoriesWithStephApr20 – Middle Earth: foolishly hopeful #TBR #WildAdventuresApr20 – April TBR #The LastFiveYearsApr20 – April TBR #WelcomeWelcome2020 – Caraval: magical books #BookishWonderland2020 – Down the rabbit hole: April tbr #ReadGushApr20 – TBR #bookishconlifeapr20 – Future Foundation: April TBR #CozyAsCanBee - tbr #Grimdragon – TBR: “Pull the lever, Kronk!” #ReadingAdventuresApr20 – Sunrise Serenade: TBR

What were some notables from your March reading? My Notables: 1. Sanderson! I’m reading at least 1 Sanderson book every month until Rhythm of War releases, and in March I read 2! My brother came home (like most college students in this #stayhome season), and I was able to finally read Starsight to him. Sharing Sanderson with my brother is one of my life’s great joys. 2. Dust! I received an eARC from @karaswansonauthor & @enclavepublishing and this Peter Pan retelling/sequel is just as beautiful as I imagined it would be. Kara is absolutely a wonderful human & author. Pre-order goodies link for Dust is in my bio! 3. Red Rising! I finally finished the first trilogy of this series and loved it. Overall Wrap-up (with book buddies when applicable): #AuroraRising – Read with Spider-Man. Probably worth the hype. #Elantris – My 3rd time through this novel, and I enjoyed it even more than the first 2 times. #ThereWillComeADarkness – Read with Moana as a comp title for my WIP. It was okay. #DefyMe – Read with Prince Eric. I adore Kenji. The rest of this series is becoming meh to me, but I’m excited to read the final installment that just released, to conclude the story. #TheBeautifulPretender – Read with Prince Adam. A solid Melanie Dickerson tale: Beauty & the Beast meets Princess & the Pea. #FindMe – KENJI. #AshPrincess - #LadySmoke - #EmberQueen – Read with Cinderella. An underrated YA political fantasy trilogy that should get more hype. #HouseOfSaltAndSorrows – an otherworldly/ghosty 12 Dancing Princesses retelling that I enjoyed more than I expected #TheGoldenSon - #MorningStar – Read with Hercules (most apt of this month’s reading buddies). I adore this trilogy. It’s dark and gritty, but speaks to my dramatic Greco-Roman-loving heart. Though not to the same scale, it follows in the tradition of Brent Weeks giving glimpses of true hope and heart in an otherwise cruel world. #Starsight – Reread with Ben + Loki. #Dust – A beautiful Peter Pan retelling/sequel that everyone needs to pick up!

Anyone else feel like the beginning of March happened far longer than a month ago? I bought The Silk Roads from my library’s bookstore in March, but I feel like I haven’t been able to go to the library in months. *weeps* I’m happy with this month’s little haul: Thirft: #TheSilkRoads by Peter Frankopan – nonfiction, a global history exploring the connections made by people, trade, disease, war, religion, adventure, science, and tech. I’ve been interested in this one for a while and was excited to find this beautiful edition at my library! Sale: #DefyingShadows by @townsendtales – And thus the trilogy is complete and together on my shelf and ready for binge-reading. Time-travel, adventure, romance, masked heroes. 😃🤩 Subscription Box: #TheKingdomOfBack by Marie Lu – I got this beautiful edition in @owlcrate’s anniversary box. Mozart, siblings, and magical worlds! I’m looking forward to it. Challenges: #StoriesWithStephMar20 – Lila Bard: March Haul #bookishgirlsfaves – March #bookhaul #ShatterMeMarch20 – March book haul #ReadGushMar20 – 🛍 #WildAdventuresMar20 – March book haul #ToWhateverEnd2020 – “You do not yield.” inspirational books #marchintomordor2020 – My precious: March book haul #bookishconlifemar20 – Grand Slam: book haul #readingadventuresMar20 – I Am In Control Day: book haul #bookstababesmar20 – March in the New Books: book haul #camphalfbloodbooktag – Athena’s Cabin: an intelligent character – Nannerl Mozart. Can’t wait to meet her!

“Not all who wander leave the house.” When I saw this on a @crabapplebooks mug I couldn’t stop grinning at its perfectness for book lovers. And, during this current season of becoming more acquainted with the insides of our homes, it seems apt that April’s challenge be an exploration of places we get to travel to through books. For extra motivation and the support of an excellent bookish shop, I’m also turning this challenge into a giveaway! At the end of the month I’ll give away a $25 gift card to Crabapple Books. This lovely store has reader and writer mugs (ceramic, camp-style, glass), journals, shirts/hoodies, zip pouches, and quarterly crates! @crabapplebooks is a wonderful supporter of our community. If you haven't already, definitely check out the shop! Will you join me for a reading adventure in April? Giveaway Details: HOW TO ENTER: · Comment on this post with your favorite book worlds. · Participate in #StoriesWithStephApr20 during April (at least one post). · Follow @stephaniehwarner EXTRA ENTRIES: · Follow @crabapplebooks (tell me in the comments) · Share this challenge in your stories (tag me so I know). RULES: · This will be an e-card (in US$), so you must be able to give me an email address to send it to, and guardian permission if you’re a minor. · Not affiliated with Instagram. And because people often ask—If you want to participate in the challenge but not the giveaway, that’s fine. The giveaway is just for fun, and you can participate in the challenge as many days as you’d like. Also, don’t stress about posting every day if that’s too much for you (it’s often too much for me!). Thanks for being part of my community. 💕

Happy Belated St. Patrick’s Day! Yesterday was full of good things for me, including productive work and beautiful friendship. Which was perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. To me, this day isn’t so much about green books, clovers, or Guinness as it is about reflecting on the hope through trial I see whenever I study one of my heroes: St. Patrick. He was a master of loving his enemies, overcoming hardship, humility but also ambition, bravery, adventure, pursuing God and a calling to love his neighbor even if his neighbor didn’t love him back. May we each tap into that spirit of St. Patrick this season, remembering to love our neighbors even when it’s difficult (physically or emotionally), to remain humble yet driven, and to pursue our faith whole-heartedly. Challenges: #StoriesWithStephMar20 – Parvin Blackwater: hope through trial (Saint Patrick’s Day) – And on further note, I took probably half of these from my unread shelf. So they’re here to represent the colors, not the concept. Did you remember to wear green this year? #CrabAppleMar20 – Power Couples: give some love to some kickass OTPs – Hmmm, here we have Warner & Juliette, Kai & El, Nym & Eogan, David & Megan… 😎 #ShatterMeMarch20 – Omega Point: superpowers - Ignite Me is winking at us. #Grimdragon – “I have spoken.” – I have three copies of To Best the Boys. #ReadGushMar20 – 🍀 #WildAdventuresMar20 – “When people say impossible, they usually mean improbable.” (Siege and Storm): lovable characters – Kenji! #bookishconlifemar20 – Green Monster: green books #readingadventuresMar20 – St. Patrick’s Day: green book or stack #bookstababesmar20 – Happy St. Patrick’s Day: green books or Irish authors #camphalfbloodbooktag – Ares’ Cabin: a book with a war scene #BookBookOwlHolidays –St Patrick’s Day: green books

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I love fast-paced action, clever characters, and complicated plots, and this series has it all. But what cinches a book as a favorite for me is when an author pulls the story through to anchor it in hope and love. For all the darkness, all the twisted natures and injustice, for all the lessons learned, there’s beauty in this story that shines brighter for the darkness it’s set against. What struck me especially in Morning Star was the theme of loving your enemies. There’s plenty of death and brutal justice to be had, for sure, but there’s also mercy, respect, and desire to understand and redeem. Yes, please. Challenges: #StoriesWithStephApr20 – Lykos: sci-fi #WildAdventuresApr20 – The 100: sci-fi #The LastFiveYearsApr20 – unique storytelling – I love how “classic” this series reads. #WelcomeWelcome2020 – 13th Day of the Gathering Season: amazing character growth – Oh my goodness, Sevro, I’m looking at you. #BookishWonderland2020 – Alice: fav female lead character – Love Mustang and her enduring desire for peace and love but ability to do the hard things. #30DaysOfColour – As the sky: blue #ReadGushApr20 – #meetthebookstagrammer – I love finding the epic in the ordinary – and vice versa. I adore and am inspired by Jesus (see above treatise on beauty and mercy and loving enemies). I’m 29 and work in publishing. I read and write epic fantasy. My favorite author is Brandon Sanderson, and one of my favorite pastimes is reading epic books to my brother with my cat. #bookishconlifeapr20 – Know it all – Literally all of the Red Rising characters. Literally all of them. #UndomielApr20 – Light Earendil: stars #ReadingAdventuresApr20 – Fire and Rain: fave read of 2020 – Definitely in the top of my 2020 reads! If you look closely, this headband has Red Rising symbols on it. It came from @shelflovecrate! And this art print is from @createexploreread (and is inspired by Lunar Chronicles). You can use my code HOPE10 for a discount at her Etsy shop!

I do hope to read *all the things* in April, however I also hope to finish outlining my WIP’s sequel /and/ start writing it during Camp NaNo… So these are the books I will definitely be reading in April… I already finished The Noble Servant by Melanie Dickerson. I’m continuing my Cosmere reread with Warbreaker! I’m continuing my slow readthrough of Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series. I’ve been determined to get more traditional/adult fantasy back into my reading diet again. I enjoy YA, but I feel like bookstagram pushes me toward it more than I’m naturally inclined. So I’m excited for The Rage of Dragons this month. The author says readers will likely have a good time if we enjoy “Robert Jordan’s expansive worlds, Brandon Sanderson’s detailed magic systems, Joe Abercrombie’s gritty combat, and Pierce Brown’s page-burning pace of action.” I’m game. Also, I don’t own a physical copy, but my library got its e-audiobook in of Imagine Me by Tahereh Mafi, so I’ll be reading that next. What are you reading in April? Challenges: #StoriesWithStephApr20 – Middle Earth: foolishly hopeful #TBR #WildAdventuresApr20 – April TBR #The LastFiveYearsApr20 – April TBR #WelcomeWelcome2020 – Caraval: magical books #BookishWonderland2020 – Down the rabbit hole: April tbr #ReadGushApr20 – TBR #bookishconlifeapr20 – Future Foundation: April TBR #CozyAsCanBee - tbr #Grimdragon – TBR: “Pull the lever, Kronk!” #ReadingAdventuresApr20 – Sunrise Serenade: TBR

What were some notables from your March reading? My Notables: 1. Sanderson! I’m reading at least 1 Sanderson book every month until Rhythm of War releases, and in March I read 2! My brother came home (like most college students in this #stayhome season), and I was able to finally read Starsight to him. Sharing Sanderson with my brother is one of my life’s great joys. 2. Dust! I received an eARC from @karaswansonauthor & @enclavepublishing and this Peter Pan retelling/sequel is just as beautiful as I imagined it would be. Kara is absolutely a wonderful human & author. Pre-order goodies link for Dust is in my bio! 3. Red Rising! I finally finished the first trilogy of this series and loved it. Overall Wrap-up (with book buddies when applicable): #AuroraRising – Read with Spider-Man. Probably worth the hype. #Elantris – My 3rd time through this novel, and I enjoyed it even more than the first 2 times. #ThereWillComeADarkness – Read with Moana as a comp title for my WIP. It was okay. #DefyMe – Read with Prince Eric. I adore Kenji. The rest of this series is becoming meh to me, but I’m excited to read the final installment that just released, to conclude the story. #TheBeautifulPretender – Read with Prince Adam. A solid Melanie Dickerson tale: Beauty & the Beast meets Princess & the Pea. #FindMe – KENJI. #AshPrincess - #LadySmoke - #EmberQueen – Read with Cinderella. An underrated YA political fantasy trilogy that should get more hype. #HouseOfSaltAndSorrows – an otherworldly/ghosty 12 Dancing Princesses retelling that I enjoyed more than I expected #TheGoldenSon - #MorningStar – Read with Hercules (most apt of this month’s reading buddies). I adore this trilogy. It’s dark and gritty, but speaks to my dramatic Greco-Roman-loving heart. Though not to the same scale, it follows in the tradition of Brent Weeks giving glimpses of true hope and heart in an otherwise cruel world. #Starsight – Reread with Ben + Loki. #Dust – A beautiful Peter Pan retelling/sequel that everyone needs to pick up!

Anyone else feel like the beginning of March happened far longer than a month ago? I bought The Silk Roads from my library’s bookstore in March, but I feel like I haven’t been able to go to the library in months. *weeps* I’m happy with this month’s little haul: Thirft: #TheSilkRoads by Peter Frankopan – nonfiction, a global history exploring the connections made by people, trade, disease, war, religion, adventure, science, and tech. I’ve been interested in this one for a while and was excited to find this beautiful edition at my library! Sale: #DefyingShadows by @townsendtales – And thus the trilogy is complete and together on my shelf and ready for binge-reading. Time-travel, adventure, romance, masked heroes. 😃🤩 Subscription Box: #TheKingdomOfBack by Marie Lu – I got this beautiful edition in @owlcrate’s anniversary box. Mozart, siblings, and magical worlds! I’m looking forward to it. Challenges: #StoriesWithStephMar20 – Lila Bard: March Haul #bookishgirlsfaves – March #bookhaul #ShatterMeMarch20 – March book haul #ReadGushMar20 – 🛍 #WildAdventuresMar20 – March book haul #ToWhateverEnd2020 – “You do not yield.” inspirational books #marchintomordor2020 – My precious: March book haul #bookishconlifemar20 – Grand Slam: book haul #readingadventuresMar20 – I Am In Control Day: book haul #bookstababesmar20 – March in the New Books: book haul #camphalfbloodbooktag – Athena’s Cabin: an intelligent character – Nannerl Mozart. Can’t wait to meet her!

“Not all who wander leave the house.” When I saw this on a @crabapplebooks mug I couldn’t stop grinning at its perfectness for book lovers. And, during this current season of becoming more acquainted with the insides of our homes, it seems apt that April’s challenge be an exploration of places we get to travel to through books. For extra motivation and the support of an excellent bookish shop, I’m also turning this challenge into a giveaway! At the end of the month I’ll give away a $25 gift card to Crabapple Books. This lovely store has reader and writer mugs (ceramic, camp-style, glass), journals, shirts/hoodies, zip pouches, and quarterly crates! @crabapplebooks is a wonderful supporter of our community. If you haven't already, definitely check out the shop! Will you join me for a reading adventure in April? Giveaway Details: HOW TO ENTER: · Comment on this post with your favorite book worlds. · Participate in #StoriesWithStephApr20 during April (at least one post). · Follow @stephaniehwarner EXTRA ENTRIES: · Follow @crabapplebooks (tell me in the comments) · Share this challenge in your stories (tag me so I know). RULES: · This will be an e-card (in US$), so you must be able to give me an email address to send it to, and guardian permission if you’re a minor. · Not affiliated with Instagram. And because people often ask—If you want to participate in the challenge but not the giveaway, that’s fine. The giveaway is just for fun, and you can participate in the challenge as many days as you’d like. Also, don’t stress about posting every day if that’s too much for you (it’s often too much for me!). Thanks for being part of my community. 💕

Happy Belated St. Patrick’s Day! Yesterday was full of good things for me, including productive work and beautiful friendship. Which was perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. To me, this day isn’t so much about green books, clovers, or Guinness as it is about reflecting on the hope through trial I see whenever I study one of my heroes: St. Patrick. He was a master of loving his enemies, overcoming hardship, humility but also ambition, bravery, adventure, pursuing God and a calling to love his neighbor even if his neighbor didn’t love him back. May we each tap into that spirit of St. Patrick this season, remembering to love our neighbors even when it’s difficult (physically or emotionally), to remain humble yet driven, and to pursue our faith whole-heartedly. Challenges: #StoriesWithStephMar20 – Parvin Blackwater: hope through trial (Saint Patrick’s Day) – And on further note, I took probably half of these from my unread shelf. So they’re here to represent the colors, not the concept. Did you remember to wear green this year? #CrabAppleMar20 – Power Couples: give some love to some kickass OTPs – Hmmm, here we have Warner & Juliette, Kai & El, Nym & Eogan, David & Megan… 😎 #ShatterMeMarch20 – Omega Point: superpowers - Ignite Me is winking at us. #Grimdragon – “I have spoken.” – I have three copies of To Best the Boys. #ReadGushMar20 – 🍀 #WildAdventuresMar20 – “When people say impossible, they usually mean improbable.” (Siege and Storm): lovable characters – Kenji! #bookishconlifemar20 – Green Monster: green books #readingadventuresMar20 – St. Patrick’s Day: green book or stack #bookstababesmar20 – Happy St. Patrick’s Day: green books or Irish authors #camphalfbloodbooktag – Ares’ Cabin: a book with a war scene #BookBookOwlHolidays –St Patrick’s Day: green books

“They will try,” Jasnah said, “to define you by something you are not. Don’t let them. I can be a scholar, a woman, a historian, a Radiant. People will try to classify me by the thing that makes me an outsider. They want, ironically, the thing I don’t do or believe to be the prime marker of my identity. I have always rejected that, and will continue to do so.” She reached over and put her freehand on his arm. “You are not a heretic ... You are a king, a Radiant, and a father. You are a man with complicated beliefs, who does not accept everything you are told. You decide how you are defined. Don’t surrender that to them. They will gleefully take the chance to define you, if you allow it.” * * * I treasure how Brandon puts so much depth into every book – depth of character, depth of plot, depth of worldbuilding, depth of thought. Jasnah Kholin is one of Brandon’s prize gems, fit to be queen. She’s intelligent and innovative and fierce – and she’s got a soft heart buried in their somewhere. Hoping for more of her backstory in future Stormlight books. Challenges: #StoriesWithStephMar20 – Jasnah Kholin: fit to be queen #bookishgirlsfaves – Fantasy #CrabAppleMar20 – Power Couples: give some love to some kickass OTPs – Shallan & Adolin!! #CandleLoversMar20 – Brave #WildAdventuresMar20 – “There’s always another secret.” (Mistborn): plot twists – always #ToWhateverEnd2020 – Queen of Shadows: best reunion scenes – Jasnah + Shallan #marchintomordor2020 – Boromir: redemption – Blackthorn Dalinar!! #bookishconlifemar20 – Jackie Robinson: thought provoking – always #bookstababesmar20 – “I’m older than you, and you must know better.” Wise Characters

Did you survive the Ides of March? I took a risk and spent some time in this brutal Roman-Martian world today and managed to avoid coups, stabbings, and betrayal – at least in my real life. Coups, stabbings, and betrayal are the name of the game in the Red Rising series. Challenges: #StoriesWithStephMar20 – Virginia au Augustus: brutal world (Ides of March) #bookishgirlsfaves – Setting – like Rome reimagined in space #ShatterMeMarch20 – “My heart is yours. Please don’t ever give it back to me.” hate to love – Mustang & Darrow certainly start on opposite sides #CandleLoversMar20 – The Little Mermaid – like Ariel, Darrow is a fish out of water, his body changed to survive in a new life that might as well be a whole new world… also both have red hair (at least originally) yes this was a stretch…lol #WildAdventuresMar20 – “You have me. Until the last star in the galaxy dies, you have me.” (Illuminae): couple who beats the odds – Mustang & Darrow ...at least so far. I'm still reading 😃 #marchintomordor2020 – Samwise Gamgee: shoutout your besties #shoutoutsunday – So good to have a weekend together @kelljasmer and @ruthanneburrell! #bookishconlifemar20 – Roberto Clemente: book you’d recommend – This series is fabulous. Also very brutal and adult, so…all the trigger warnings.

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