Tag: PNW

Fire Update 9/10/20

Hey everyone!

So some positive news. The air is gaining some moisture and our fire district thinks the outcome is going to be positive. As of yesterday evening the fire had slowed a bit and we still haven’t entered any phase of evacuation in my hometown.

My dad is actually the mayor of my hometown so I spent a few hours volunteering with him. We’re taking in evacuees from neighboring towns, so I helped him get that squared away and I’ve been spreading resources on my Facebook page.

The biggest concern is that the wind will blow the fire in our direction. So I’m just hoping those of you reading this can send us some positive vibes, prayers, or whatever it is you do in times of need. We could use it, and we would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you all for being such awesome people, and thank you for the positive words yesterday. It’s been scary but we’re doing our best. Our house is full of family and we’re trying to celebrate life even in this sad time. We consider ourselves lucky that none of us have died in the fires, not everyone is so fortunate. We’re trying to remind ourselves that items can be replaced, but family cannot.

Again, thank you all. I’ll update again soon.

My favorite books from my childhood

As a kid I spent a lot of time reading to escape how boring reality was. For me, every book was a new adventure and as a kid living in a small town that was all I needed.

The very first chapter book that I read was “Because of Winn-Dixie” by Kate DiCamillo. I actually found this book while I was camping with my family at Moonshine park here on the Oregon coast. The book was down by the river, I picked it up and read the back. I was intrigued but afraid to take it because I didn’t want to steal it. So I left it there and when we went back the next day I picked it up and read a little bit. I repeated that process every day until we left. I then decided that the owner probably wasn’t coming back for it, so, I brought it home with me and finished it. To this day I am extremely fond of that book. I’ve always loved dogs and something about Winn-Dixie and his little smile won me over.

As a kid I also loved “The Hobbit” by the great J.R.R. Tolkien. I didn’t so much read this book but had it read to me. My grandmother read this book to my dad, then he read it to my brother and I, and I have every intention of reading it to Finn. It’s a family tradition at this point and it’s such a magical book, I feel like it really opened my mind to the fantasy genre. “The Hobbit” is like a really long and intense fairy-tale that embodies friendship, family, and adventure. I think it is an excellent novel to read to a child or read to yourself. I reread this book about once a year.

This next one is a little bit different, but I absolutely adored the “Young James Bond” series by Charlie Higson. I have always loved James Bond, my dad and I go see all of the Bond movies together. Higson wrote young Bond in a way that doesn’t come off as a cheesy, but very believable for the beloved spy. I honestly read those books so frequently that my copy of Silverfin, book one in the series, is absolutely wrecked. I actually got my copy of Silverfin on a whim while visiting the spy museum in Washington D.C., best souvenir I ever bought.

I couldn’t possibly leave out the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. I actually struggled with these books growing up. I had a hard time finishing The Order of The Phoenix because it was so long, it took three tries before I finished it. I read the last two books later in life mostly because I was tired of the bullying I received for reading Harry Potter at school. Luckily, times are a bit different and kids can like stuff like Harry Potter, Pokémon, and Star Wars without being bullied. Harry Potter will forever be my favorite kids series.

These are my all-time faves without a doubt in my mind. What did you read as a kid? Do you reread them often like I do? Let me know in the comments!

Let Me Introduce Myself

Now that I have established a few posts on my blog I would like to take a minute to tell you who I am. I know that I have a bio page but this is my opportunity to really tell you what I’m about.

My name is Savannah, I grew up on the Siletz reservation in Oregon and I am an enrolled tribal member. I spent the last five years studying at Oregon State University and obtained my BA in English and Writing. My passion for reviewing actually began during my last term at OSU. I took a class by a professor named David Biespiel, he was a member of the National Book Critics Circle and a super cool guy. In that class we learned the ins and outs of reviewing. I think I can honestly say he was my favorite professor and he is the reason I decided to start trying to seriously review books.

I am also an aspiring writer. The genres I prefer to write in are horror, young adult, and fantasy. I try to predominantly review in those genres because I find them to be the most interesting and entertaining, but I have no issue branching out if something seems worthwhile. My all-time favorite book series is The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien really inspired me to write, I love his lyrical descriptions and the depth he created in the Middle Earth world.

I get most of my reviewing content from NetGalley, I love NetGalley as a resource. If you’re a reviewer looking to get ARC’s and you don’t already know about NetGalley I strongly suggest you sign up on their website. You will be able to access a lot of awesome content for your site.

In my last year at OSU my boyfriend, Richard, and I welcomed a son into our life. His name is Finn after Finn the Human from Adventure Time. He is sooooooo cute and sweet, he’s actually cuddled up to me sleeping right now. I will probably talk about him from time to time because he’s cool as hell. Aside from our son, we have two fur babies named Stark and Daenerys, yes, like Game of Thrones. Another favorite of mine. I will probably talk about them too because they are funny and get up to a lot of shenanigans.

I do have hobbies other than reading and writing. I am an avid crocheter and I enjoy painting. I love being outside so I try and go camping every summer, and I go to the river a lot on my free time. There is honestly nothing more relaxing than a good book and the bubbling of the river in the background.

I hope that this post has been interesting and I look forward to interacting with you all. Thank you for giving me a follow and checking out my content.