Hi darlings,

If you follow me on IG, you already know I had an eventful weekend. I’ve had asthma my whole life, but it still manages to sneak up on me sometimes and this time was quite the ambush. I’m breathing like a normal person again now (yay!) but I’m mostly just focusing on taking all of my medications at the right times and cuddling with a heating pad.

That means I’m going to post a little less for the next week or so than I’d planned, but I still have lots of good stuff coming up for you. I hope you’re all taking care of yourselves!

xoxo,
Becky

PS: don’t forget that you only have a week left to get the special deal on my favorite pearls!

What I’m reading:

Rosemarked by Livia Blackburne. I just read this and I really enjoyed it! YA fantasy with a strong female character at the center. You know I love a badass ladyhero.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik. This is a reread. I read this book in December of 2015 and it knocked my socks off. (I reviewed it last January.) Quite a few of you have read it since then and emailed me to talk about it – which I love, by the way. Keep the emails coming!

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling. Mr. DitL and I are continue our audio reread of the Harry Potter series and it’s the perfect winter activity. A blanket, tea or hot chocolate, and a cuddle buddy are the perfect companions to any audio book.

Internets:

It’s time for Hanukkah!! So here’s how to build a menorah out of mini bagels.

Inside the Secret World of Tiffany & Co.’s Silversmiths​.

Welcome to the World’s Oldest Surviving Doll Hospital. This is so weird and creepy and delightful.

What anyone buying their first diamonds should know, according to Vogue India.

Do you know the story of George Washington’s diamond eagle? A fascinating jewel from early American history.

A bunny has been riding the bus in London because he has somewhere to be just like everyone else, okay?

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Hello my darlings! I’ve been pretty busy this week between Mr. DitL’s birthday yesterday and family arriving for Thanksgiving today, but I still wanted to stop by and say hello.

Thanksgiving may be a holiday based on subversive colonialist mythology, but it’s also a time of year that brings many of my favorite family traditions. I’m going to take a couple days off to eat pie, hang out with my cousins, and get some great stuff ready for you for December.

I hope you all have a great week, whether you’re celebrating Thanksgiving or not!

xoxo,
Becky

PS: Here’s my best Thanksgiving post ever, in case you want to revisit. I can’t top the vintage turkey ring, so why try?

What I’m reading:

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. I’ve read this book once before and it’s just as good as I remembered! I love when that happens.

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir. This is the sequel to Ember in  the Ashes. I’m only partway through, but I’m enjoying it so far. This series has some great female characters.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (audiobook). Mr. DitL and I have been revisiting one of our favorite audiobooks. We started listening to this again recently on a night when neither of us could sleep.

Internets:

Just in case you needed a reason to love Carrie Fisher even more: Carrie Fisher’s final gift to the Star Wars franchise was space jewelry.

How Alexander Hamilton’s House Got Moved. Weird and totally fascinating.

14 Times Carolina Herrera Proved That A White Blouse and Jewels Are The Chicest Combination.

Illinois high school introduces inclusive dress code.

The fascinating in-depth analysis of a single mourning ring from 1727.

In an Era of Strife, Museums Collect History as It Happens. This is a really interesting perspective on living in such eventful times.

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Good morning, my darlings,

I think the chill in the air means that it’s officially hot chocolate season, at least where I live! I don’t know about you, but the early sunset and lower temperatures make me want to do nothing but curl up in a nest of fuzzy blankets and read all day.

I’m not talking about a theoretical nest, either: there’s a reason all of my throw pillows have velvet pillowcases. From November to February, all I want is soft fabrics and warm drinks.

How do you react to the change in seasons this time of year? Do I have fellow hibernators out there, or are you all energetic in the winter?

xoxo,
Becky

What I’m reading:

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. I love love love love love this book. It’s one of my favorites from recent years. It came out in 2014 and I’ve read it 4 or 5 times already.

Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman. This is the companion novel to Seraphina. I’ve put off reading it for ages because I loved Seraphina so much that I was worried Shadow Scale would be disappointing….and it was. Sigh. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a pretty good book, as books go – but Seraphina was vivid magic and Shadow Scale is not. I know I’ll keep rereding Seraphina but I can’t imagine having a particularly strong desire to revisit Shadow Scale.

Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman.  This is the NEW companion novel to Serpahina, and it is once again vivid magic. This book follows an extremely minor character from the first novel – one of Seraphina’s stepsisters – as she lives her own adventure. It’s a creative world with fascinating characters and an engaging plot. My one complaint is that the characters from Seraphina feel a bit different in Tess of the Road, but I suppose that’s because it’s written from Tess’s perspective rather than Seraphina’s.*

* Please note that Tess of the Road will not be published until February, so you can’t read it yet. If you like good YA fantasy, pick up Seraphina now and put Tess on your wishlist. You might want Shadow Scale for context…but you don’t need to own it.

Internets:

Jewelry photography blog Jewelry Shoot made a list of his favorite jewelry bloggers and included Diamonds in the Library. Thank you, Jewelry Shoot!

The world’s primary source for red, pink, and blue diamonds is nearly all tapped out.

The wedding ring that Alexander Hamilton gave to Elizabeth Schuyler.

Conch pearls: what are they and why are they so rare?

Archeologists Discover 2,600-Year-Old Request for More Wine from Extremely Relatable Ancient.

What you need to know about the Harry Potter illustrated editions.

Common Venmo charges, decoded. This is surprisingly heartwarming. It’s really a short story told through Venmo.


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