Madeline Osigian

     It's the month of love and romance, with Valentine's Day around the corner. Personally, I find Galentine's Day (February 13th) more fun. Depending on the year, we may not have a significant other, but there is always an excuse to get a few girl friends together.      Last year, my roommate and I hosted a small Galentine's brunch and enjoyed the party planning, cooking, and dressing up aspects of it. But there is nothing quite like having someone else make plans for you.      Without further adieu, here are six perfectly bookish date ideas for the loved one (romantic or not) in your life. 1. Go on a picnic with books.      If the weather is nice, this is an any-time-of-year date. If the weather is looking like 25* plus wind chill where you are this February 14th, maybe opt for a living room floor picnic with the curtains open to give you a view of the snow and whatever wildlife may be outside.      For your m...

       The end of the year is here, and with it, I have completed my Goodreads reading challenge with flying colors. More important than the number of books one reads is the quality of those books. And while this year I did read my fair share of fluffy chick lit and some comedic nonfiction, a few books stood out from the rest.      Below are the 5-star books I read in 2022. The only way I give a book a perfect set of stars is if I find it life-changing. The following fiction and nonfiction lists merited that rating. Often, this means that I can't stop talking about the ideas from the nonfiction and that I had my mind blown by the fiction. NONFICTION      This was a fantastic year for nonfiction for me, and I found all seventeen of these radically impacted me in one way or another. The Comfort Book by Matt Haig Contentment: Seeing God's Goodness by Megan Hill Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life by Henry...

       It's time to set the record straight—what is Madeline's favorite book? Who is her favorite author? The questions you've been dying to know are answered right here in this very post. Strap in, folks!      It's time for a breakdown of my favorite books and authors. B O O K S       What is your favorite fiction book?      My favorite fiction book has got to be The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Every other book must capitulate to this one in my mind. It's 5/5 stars and makes me cry every time. I cannot wait to sob onto its pages for the fifth time in January 2022. While 500+ pages sounds overwhelming, the short chapters of this easy-to-read, beautiful young adult book make it fly by. Every word on every page is perfect, and it's narrated by Death, for lines like: "She was saying goodbye and she didn't even know it."      It's fine. I'm fine. Everything's fine.       What is your favorite non...

    It's April, and I say it's about time for another book list. There are so many books in the universe to read. (I've only in the past few days at the ripe old age of twenty-one decided I won't read every book published.)      But there are four authors that I recommend without fail any time I am asked what classics are worth reading. Below I highlight the best works (that I have read so far) from these authors, so you can easily start by picking up the best of the bunch.      So quit your Internet browsing and pick up these classics that are a dime a dozen (in cost, not value) at your local bookstore... 1. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (follow with A Tale of Two Cities or A Christmas Carol ) Some quick facts: 1800s Victorian-era writer and social critic Favorite theme: The poor and orphaned Where readers get hung up: Dickens was paid by the word, so he uses *all the words,* which can slow down the pace of the book. Where readers fall ...

     Maybe you don't think you have time to read a book.      Maybe you're trying to write the next great American novel.      Maybe you're tired of returning library books before you've finished reading them.      Maybe you're tired of getting lost on your phone and want to record your favorite moments from this year on paper.      In the past, I've written an entire series on how to get more out of your reading life and have briefly touched on writing . Ultimately, however, your reading life and writing life are up to you—your schedule and your priorities determine how much reading and writing you can squeeze into the average day.      This week, with the power out across the state and many people in search of a hobby to fill their days, it's time to return to the manual hobbies that laymen think of as academic. Reading and writing are not just for the degree-seeking student though; they are for...

Back with relatable content (like wanting desperately to avoid small-talk conversation while in the process of making a life-changing decision), Emily P. Freeman tackles the beast of decision-making in her latest book, The Next Right Thing . My Short and Sweet Review      If you've ever had a decision keep you up late at night, you know that "unmade decisions hold power." Freeman answers your nagging questions like "What work is required to make this decision?" and "How does my aversion to making decisions affect the quality and speed of my decision?"      As an adult, you have 35,000 choices a day. How you make them will shape your life. Are you ready to dive into making decisions that will make your life? Realizing the gravity of decisions and of their effects on one's character will propel readers to give as much weight to how they make decisions as to what decisions they make.      The way Freeman pairs contemplation with acti...

     I'm back to Mississippi College for academic year two of three. Freshmen fill the halls of the beautiful brick buildings I fell in love with long ago, and new classes bond us together.      And then I meet an English major, and my face lights up. There's an automatic understanding that we love the written word and want to use rhetoric to change the world.      "What's your favorite book?" one English writing major asks. Her friends hold their breath, waiting to see what I say.      " The Book Thief ," I say, a moment before her friends go wild.       "That's her favorite too!" they exclaim.

     Let's talk books.      It's been a while since we've talked about anything, and my reading life has suffered in a similar manner this past school year. Confession time--      I had not read a single book in 2018 until this month.       I have since finished six books and found it's easier for me to finish books I am already 30% or so of the way through than it is for me to pick up a new book and start from scratch. Since I've picked up the written word, I've barely been able to put it down without finishing whatever book I am working on.      And I'm supposed to be an English major! It just goes to show that reading slumps can happen to anyone and can be very severe droughts without you even realizing it.      So, for me to continue summer reading and to inspire you to crack open that dusty volume, I present the books I've recently finished and the ones I'm reaching for next: R...

     It's Valentine's Day. What better day for a little bit of Jane Austen love? I'm participating in this tag , which is really just an excuse for me to ramble on about my favorite author of all time ~ you guessed it ~ JANE AUSTEN! (I made a whole BookTube video about her too.) 1.  Which did you experience first, a Jane Austen book or a movie based on one?       Oddly enough, for each and every one of Austen's six works, I saw a movie before the book. Kind of ironic considering that my BookTube outro is "The book was better." I do think her books are better, but they don't necessarily have to be read first. Actually, I think watching a movie, which gives faces to characters, will help Austen newbies keep everything straight in her sometimes intricate plots.      The very first exposure I had to her stories was the Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle BBC  Pride and Prejudice (1995), which I don't regret in the least. I still thi...

     Today I am excited to announce a giveaway of Kelly O'Dell Stanley's new prayer journal,  Designed to Pray !      I've been going through my own copy of Designed to Pray (since I adored her other book Praying Upside Down [my review here] ).      This isn't your typical book format. Instead, it's laid out almost like a daily devotional but with prayer prompts, activities, and coloring pages. Designed to Pray gets me excited about praying and equips me with its brief lessons and focused prompts.      Prayer has been really hard lately. I've been trying to figure out what it looks like for me.      What is it that I am called to pray for, and how am I supposed to respond to God's Word in prayer? What are the postures, the sounds, and the heart attitudes of prayer?      If you relate to these struggles, Kelly O'Dell Stanley has written a kind companion for you. It's not abou...

(Ok, just look at how similar these movies are!!!)        Maybe it's because these are two of my favorite stories of all time. Maybe it's because I've compared them so long that I took it for granted that others couldn't see the similarities.      But in my mind, Pride & Prejudice and Beauty and the Beast are two of the most beautiful hate/love stories of all time. And they happen to have some wild similarities. :)      These are the connections I see between the two stories. As always, spoiler warning if you haven't read/watched these. Be sure to add yours in the comments below. 1. The strong female heroine is a great reader and walker with a lovely temperament.  Elizabeth and Belle are two of my all-time favorites. One is my favorite Jane Austen heroine; the other is my favorite Disney princess. They are both great readers and great walkers. As Darcy says, "[Her eyes] were brightened by the exercise," and "the im...

     This week I read Move Toward the Mess by John Hambrick. Its two hundred or so engaging pages are written in the vein of Love Does by Bob Goff, Radical by David Platt, and Crazy Love by Francis Chan. (If you've read any or all of those and don't think this one will offer a new perspective, don't worry. It's a new perspective, written in a fresh way, and worth reading.)      Here's an excerpt:      The title of this book swept me off my feet. "Yes!" my heart cried. I want to move toward messy people. That is my calling and the calling of all the saints.      The interesting thing about messes is that we are surrounded by them. We don't have to go hunt them down or travel the world. Messes don't just exist in huts and villages or in war-torn nations. Messes are here and now: up the street, in our church, in our city. John Hambrick does an amazing job focusing on the heart attitude rather than the actions that ...

     Let's go with a hypothetical. I graduate a semester early. Yay! No more high school! Then I run to my closet to pack for college. As I stand in front of my closet, I gasp. I have to choose books to take!      Which ones do I choose? These ten!      This is a little game I play at the end of every year: which ten books do I have to have with me at college / on a deserted island / when the Internet shuts down / for the rest of my days.      They have to be books I own and have already read . This year, I made a BookTube video to fully explain why I chose each book.      Here goes:      Books mentioned: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery Little Women by Louisa May Alcott A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith The Giver by Lois Lowry Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg Pride & Pr...

Image      And so we have reached our last day of getting to a better reading life. But really, we can improve our reading lives every single day.      Read. You have time for it.      Read. You have the books for it.      Read. You will enjoy it. Image      I've equipped you in every way I can think to get deep into books. Fill your house with them, stick your nose in them, and share them with everyone you meet. :)       This article made me smile; it's everything we've been talking about--how to get cozy with a book, make new habits, and read more. It's worth a read.      Then go read a book. It's the only way you'll make time for reading.       Carpe librum . Seize the book. ~Madeline P.S. Thank you so much for joining me on this whirlwind challenge! I hope you stick around for some beautiful inspiration! This post is part of ...

Image      Maybe you know what it's like: a book keeps you spellbound, hanging on its every word, and the characters play with your heartstrings until you're crying over their deaths. I know. I've been there.      "Sticks and stones may break your bones, but tv shows and books will crush your soul to a million pieces." (Which reminds me that this is all too true for tv shows too...I mean, you're reading the girl who cried in The Office  [that finale, man!!!] and Once Upon a Time . :P )      Today, we're examining all the ways books tear our hearts out and how we can cope with sad books. Image      Whew! I don't know if you've ever read The Maze Runner by James Dashner, but it is definitely one of those sad books. It even made my list of fictional characters that should not have died [spoilers] , one of my most popular posts ever.      Other books that made me cry: The Book Thief by Mark...

Image      If you want a better reading life, don't waste your time on boring books.       Some books just won't be your cup of tea.      Reading a book you don't enjoy takes more mental energy because you are pushing yourself through it. Instead, you should use that energy to read a book you want to read. Then you'll feel like you're flying through it in comparison. Image      Read books you love! Don't waste your time on books that just aren't for you. Get over them, and read one of the millions of books that you will love.      The winner of The Broken Way is Bethany Jones. The winner of the study guide is Kim Brown . Congrats, ladies, and thank you to every one of you who showed interest! I hope you pick up a copy of this amazing book! ~Madeline This post is part of my  31 Days to a Better Reading Life series .

Image      Even though we love beautiful books that swallow us heart and soul , they come with a word of warning.       Be careful of books and what is inside them.      Book are powerful, but not all are created equal. We want them to do us good not harm. Never forget that you have control over what you put into your mind.       For words have the power to change us.      Assuming we all want to be wiser, kinder, smarter, and all-around better people, we should seek out the books that will make us so. Good books don't just show up. They are carefully crafted by their authors and carefully sought out by their readers.      There is so much to read in this world. Make sure you're reading words that change you for the better.      Challenge for today: Read something that changes you for the better. ~Madeline This post is part of my  31 Days to a Better Reading...

Image      If you're already a reading enthusiast, you might not find it hard to lose yourself in a book. You know the beautiful feeling of looking up from a book to find that you were absorbed in it for several hours.      That's ok. In fact, that's the best.      When we have time and space to allow a book to wrap us up in its pages, I think those are the stories that stick with us the most. Image      Not all books can swallow you up like this. Not all books have redeeming value or stunning descriptions. Not all books have flawless character development and attention-grabbing first lines.      But some do.      Some teach you. Some change your life. Some you love forever. Some make you cry.      Some make you fall in love with reading all over again.      Those are the ones that are worth returning to again and again. When you find them, you wo...

Image      When you're deciding how much to read, it's good to have a bit of a format. Everyone's is different, just as everyone's favorite books are different.      But whether you're artistic or detail-oriented, laid-back or strict, a words person or a numbers person, a big-goals person or a daily rituals person, the methods below will work.      "How much to read" includes three basic things: A vague goal that inspires you A book count that grounds you A routine that guides you      All three are important for managing your reading life. Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start. Image       A vague goal that inspires // This means that your reading life has a direction. You want to read in a certain way for for a certain reason. I really shouldn't even call it a goal as it is more like inspiration. Maybe this inspiration is a person, a thought, a quote, a writer. ...

Image      I love reading.      I will read classics and contemporaries, non-fiction and fiction, theology and sci-fi.      But what I love most in any book are beautiful words. I want the stories to pull me in and stun me with their beauty. I want the spiritual memoirs to make me pause and take a moment to tuck truth into my mind.      Today, Ann Voskamp's beautiful new book, The Broken Way releases into the world. If you've read One Thousand Gifts , you know the way she weaves poetry and prose, stories of beauty and pain.       The Broken Way: A Daring Path Into the Abundant Life .      What a subtitle! This book is life-changing and renewing. (Confession time: I love The Broken Way  more than  One Thousand Gifts !) Subscribers will need to click here to see the video.      Now that Ann has introduced you to her book, let me share what I love about ...