Books & Beanies: Episode 1 & 2

 Hello, Souls, it's been a while. I apologize for that. I got out of the blogging mood but I'm trying to get back into it. My goals for this year (2024) include more blog posts, more nonfiction reading, and being mindful of my emotional state BEFORE I go into a spiral. 

    I've teamed up with two other authors - Patricia Bates and Brandi Gillilan - to bring you a unique book review experience. We're all crafters. We knit or crochet and for every book we read we will create an item (hat, scarf, etc...) to be donated to our local food banks. In December, all items will be donated in hopes of helping cloth those in need. 

    I will be doing mainly hats, but I'll do random scarves, dish rags, and scrubbers with my scrap yarn. All hats will be color-coded and I'll attach a "Handmade with Love" tag, as seen in the picture below:

 I'll also do a video review of each book, which can be found on my TikTok and in the Soul Squad reader group. My plan is to make posts on here for each episode too. They will most likely contain more than one episode (like this one) because I don't always have time to sit down and write a blog post...sadness...I know. Unlike with TikTok and Facebook, these will contain my written review and pictures of the finished project created for donation. 

    Please be sure to follow both Bates and Gillilan for their reviews, as we will be cross-posting each other's videos on our social media pages but I will not be able to share their videos here. I will do my best to provide links to their current videos in each episode I write, but I can't embed the video in the post.

    Before we get into the first books of the year, let my explain my color coding and sizing process. I had some questions regarding how I selected the colors for last year's book blanket and, to be honest, they were pretty random. This year I put a lot of thought into what colors I wanted to use. I'm using mainly gradients as they will create unique patterns on the hats. I also have a stash of solid colors that I will randomly select one from for hats that have rims. 

    I'm doing 3 different styles of hats and 3 different sizes:

    -Beanies: Have no separate rim. Is all one solid color. 

    -Stocking hat 1: Has a separate rim color.

    -Stocking hat 2: Has a separate rim color and a matching pompom.

    -Infant: This hat is the smallest size. It is met for newborns and 1 will be done for every picture book read.

    -Toddler: This hat size is usually grown into within the first six months of life and grown out of before 2 years old. 1 of these will be done for every picture book read. 

    -Adult: This is a standard hat size that is meant to fit everyone 3 and older. 1 of these will be done for every book read EXCEPT picture books. 

    The color coding I'm using this year is as follows:

    -Historical: Spring Green #490 (I Love This Yarn) 

    -Romance: Surprise Stripe #804 (I Love This Yarn)

    -Moody Mosaic: #710 (I Love This Yarn)

    -Holiday: Christmas #738 (I Love This Yarn)

    -Fantasy: Shocking Violet #426 (I Love This Yarn) 

    -Graphic Novel: Royal Gorge #875 (I Love This Yarn)

    -Picture Books: Cotton Candy Color Gradient (# and brand unknown) 

    -Retellings: Mystery Yarn (# and brand unknown) 

    -Coming of Age: Pale Rainbow Gradient (# unknown, I Love This Yarn)

    -Science Fiction: The Struggle is Teal #878 (I Love This Yarn)

    -Thriller: Burnt Orange (# and brand unknown) 

    -Nonfiction: Blue Gradient (# and brand unknown...kind of crappily wrapped yarn. Factory injured. Might change)

    -Poetry: Seafoam (# and brand unknown)

    -Mystery: Kaleidoscope #512 (I Love This Yarn)

    -Horror: Harvest Gradient (# and brand unknown)

Finally, it's time to get into our actual episodes...

Episode 1: Cursed Cocktails, By S.L. Rowland

Star Rating: 4.5, Genre: Fantasy, Age Level: YA+......I gave this a 5 star but it's really more of a 4.5 for me, but I always round up. This book is about what happens when someone asks themselves "What would happen if a blood mage elf opened a bar?". It's a cozy fantasy book. There aren't really any big bads. It's more like a side quest. Ultimately, this story is about a retired soldier who wants to honor his father's legacy and find a little peace in the world. It was really nice, like a fresh spring breeze. I can't wait to read more.

Episode 2: Remembering to be Thankful, By K.D. Hilt

Star Rating: 4 (Current). 5 (Originally), Genre: Coming of Age, Age Level: YA....Remembering to be Thankful is a continuation of the Finding a New Normal series. It’s a quick read about Ryder and Kay adjusting to life after the murder of their family. They have a lot to be ungrateful for this Thanksgiving but with the help of friends and family they might find out there is still a lot to be thankful for. This is a sweet Thanksgiving read with all the feels.