Dear Diary,
Who’s ready for another life update? I wanted to pop in and share a few thoughts, exciting travel deets, and a few recommendations for fall fun.
October was a pretty decent reading month for me. I, actually, tackled a bunch of the classics. A few were, in fact, rereads for me. I will say, checking some of the classics off my never ending TBR list is definitely a satisfying feeling.
Reading Update:
My first challenge was to reread all of Jane Austen’s novels. Last month I read Pride & Prejudice and Mansfield Park, quickly checking those off the official reread list. This past month, I was able to complete Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Sense and Sensibility. Poor lonely, Persuasion, is the only book I have yet to check off my list. This isn’t even a reread for me. I have never read Persuasion, so this will be a first time impression for me. Believe it or not, but I’ve probably owned a copy of Persuasion the longest and just never got around to reading. We can call it my November conquest. LOL!
I have TONS of thoughts on Emma & Sense and Sensibility. To read my review and rant on how Emma Woodhouse is one of the worst characters, of all time, CLICK HERE.
Keep an eye out, November 4th, for my full review on Sense and Sensibility. I have WAY too much to say about Mary Ann Woodhouse – another character I could happily do without.
From there, I went on to read Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and OH EM GEE. This book was very confusing to me in the beginning. I had a hard time understanding that the narration was going back and forth and jumping through time. I normally catch onto to these things fairly easy, but definitely struggled with the first third of this novel.
Once I caught onto the sequence, I got more into it’s gothic style and ended up with a book hangover. It’s hard to describe the hollow and uneasy feeling I was left with.
In addition, I kept the gothic phase alive and quickly flew through The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, followed by Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Alice is always a cult favorite. The version I picked was the audible original narrated by Scarlet Johansen. It was phenomenal.
Shenandoah National Park
How about a little Welcomed by Wilderness action?
The girls and I hit the road for a short drive to Shenandoah National Park and became official leaf peepers and tourists. It’s almost hard to put into words the beauty that the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Region behold; especially during the autumn season.
Photos don’t do the views justice. I mean, the photos are still amazing, but nothing beats seeing these landscapes in person.
Of course we took the Skyline Drive and stopped at multiple peaks, hiked, and explored as much as we could. The weather wasn’t the best, but you all know I love winter and was totally prepared. Other people in my group, not so much. (*cough KRISTEN cough*)
We even had an entire day to visit and explore the tiny town of Luray, Virginia. The self walking tour of the Luray Caverns was OUT OF THIS WORLD. I continue to be amazed at the hidden gems that exist all over our amazing country. Shout out to our 2019 Cross Country trip that opened my eyes to so many new experiences and sights.
Girls night took place at the adorable boutique Hotel Laurance in downtown Luray. What an adorable spot for a weekend away, if you decide not to go camping right in Shenandoah National Park.
Between the hiking, exploration, shopping, and the true beauty of Shenandoah National Park in the fall, I can’t recommend this trip enough! I could have spent several more days trekking all over this national park. If you are planning your next hiking or camping trip, make sure to add Shenandoah to your list! You’ll thank me, one day.
How I Grew My Social Media Following: Social Media Tips
I will be the first to admit and completely understand that I am not Kim Kardashian. I am not a famous influencer or blogger, I don’t have millions of followers and not everyone agrees with my life choices: my sense of style, my travel choices, my eating habits, and SO many other things. Who am I to give you social media tips?
With that being said, one day, I decided to create an Instagram account for the soul purpose of chatting about books, which will always be my number one love – and here we are three years later and this book loving hobby has evolved into a community of peeps who enjoy chatting about books, cozy comfort, outdoor adventures, and plus size style. Thanks to the community of loyal friends I’ve made on social media, every day I get to wake up and create content and write blogs on the things that I love.
It all starts with community. I am here to share with you the few, super easy social media tips that helped me grow a following and turn my dreams of book reading, content creation, and blog writing, into a reality.
CLICK HERE to tune into the latest episode of The Chapters & Tea podcast to learn the SIX tips that helped me turn my hobby into a passion filled career.
If you are interested in making your social media dreams more of a reality – stay tuned for next week’s podcast episode How to Start a Blog – one of the most important factors in making this career a reality.
In Conclusion:
October was a fantastic reading month. Hopefully, November pans out the exact same way. If you end up reading any of the same books I’ve recently read, send me a DM if you’re up for a bookish chat.
Until then,
Sarah
**Disclosure: Some of the links included in this post are affiliate links. That means that I could earn a commission, at no cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase.
