In which Leslie takes an unexpected turn

Many thanks to my mother who filmed this video for me. There's something to be said about doing a review mere minutes after I finish a book, and also not having to use a webcam.

Books featured in this video:
Top Ten Clues You're Clueless by Liz Czukas

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 78]

Yesterday was...sort of rough. I ingested caffeine without thinking through the consequences of that action. The main consequence is that I talk faster. I talk so much faster that my brain (not always engaged at the best of times) has no way to keep up. Essentially, my filter disappears.

Awesome! (This is why I avoid caffeine. Yesterday was an accident.)

By the end of the day I wanted to stamp this sentence permanently into my brain:

The meek think of more clever things to say than are said. - Elder Neal A. Maxwell

 Nice, right? I've never met a sentence that needed to be my motto more. Someone should make it into a pretty graphic so I can make it my desktop, phone background, and also maybe tape it to my hand. And then it can make the rounds on the internet.

Ideally it would look better than this.

I made this myself. I don't think I had to tell you that.

in which Leslie has an arithmetic fail

I once (like an hour before I filmed this) gravely miscalculated the number of books I had checked out from the library. The person I told this to responded (weeks later) suggesting I live in a literary nunnery. Not necessarily because of that. But it's very convenient.



I promise that I'll start talking more loudly.



Books featured in this video:
Chasing Power by Sarah Beth Durst
The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters
A Dangerous Place by Jacqueline Winspear
Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins

in which Leslie would've had a guest

We tried to film a vlog for you. We tried three times. There was a lot of great content, probably, but no one can ever know for sure because my Chromebook burned it up. So this is all you get.

Books featured (briefly) in this video:
Prudence by Gail Carriger
Fairest by Marissa Meyer

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 77]

Someone called me spiritually stunted yesterday. At least, insinuated that my taste in books (oh, I should post a vlog) is leading me to spiritual stunting. I was a little bit offended and thought "Would a spiritually stunted person post a faith-promoting message on her blog every Monday...ending two months ago?" Hmm.

I really thought I just didn't feel like posting a Mormon Monday for a few weeks, and then I just got out of the habit. But maybe it's just that I'm, you know, stunted.

Well, baby steps back in again. Got to promote some growth somehow.

A song that I've been thinking a lot about this week is "Nephi's Courage." It's a great song! I played it on the piano a few days ago and it's sort of been in my head ever since. It struck me that it's pretty much been since Primary that I've heard Nephi described as "courageous." Full of faith, yes. Giving us an example of receiving revelation, yes.

But on pondering the song I've realized that following the Spirit is really brave. I don't think I would be brave enough to follow the promptings Nephi received, at least not at this stunted stage of my life. Even humbly going into the wilderness with his family was brave.

There are quite a few courageous things we're called on to do, starting with keeping the Lord's commandments. Keeping on keeping on when life looks dreary. Keeping the faith. That's all the "keep" things I can think of right now.

Anyway, it can be hard to keep doing these things. But we should be like Nephi! Reach deep within ourselves and be determined to have courage. I can be courageous, and I can reply, "I will go, I will do the things the Lord commands. I know the Lord provides a way, he wants me to obey."

In which Leslie has a surprise!

I almost forgot to upload this. In fact I was so close to forgetting that this is the unedited version because the edited version is on my other computer. Luckily it's not too different.

Books featured in this video:
Re Jane by Patricia Park

In which Leslie picked up a couple more books

I picked up some more books from the library. Maybe what I should start doing is writing down which books I talk about in the video so you know if you want to watch it or not.

Man the lighting in this one is not ideal.

Books featured in this video:
Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins
A Dangerous Place by Jacqueline Winspear
Chasing Power by Sarah Beth Durst

In which Leslie recaps a couple recent books

On my lunch break I decided to talk about books I've finished...one I actually read, and one I couldn't make it through.

Books featured in this video:
Inherit Midnight by Kate Kae Myers
The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons

In which Leslie has way so many books checked out

New vlog! Filmed at the same time as my last video (because I'm wearing the same clothes). I talk about all the books I have checked out. There are a lot of them.

Books featured in this video:
Flunked by Jen Calonita
Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Geir
Now That You're Here by Amy K. Nichols
Shadows by Robin McKinley
Chasing Power by Sarah Beth Durst
The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters
The Mermaid's Sister by Carrie Anne Noble
The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons

makes a note of all your endless goings-on

So, cool thing, I started a vlog. It's...great. Probably post on Fridays and whenever else I feel like it. Now that I've started I feel a lump in my throat every time I think about opening my mouth again.

(This is the first and thus-far only episode. I'll probably post new episodes on the blog as they come.)

Books featured in this video:
A Hero at the End of the World by Erin Claiborne
Top Ten Clues You're Clueless by Liz Czukas
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
Inherit Midnight by Kate Kae Myers
Valour and Vanity by Mary Robinette Kowal