Writer's Christmas + After Christmas Book Haul!

As a writer, I'm sure you had at least one item on your list that was writer-ly or readable, if not your whole list. I thought it would be fun to share what I received this year that speaks to the writer and reader in me.

1. Elephant Mug from Urban Outfitters — I've wanted this mug for at least a year now! It's even better in person and makes me smile and laugh when I use it.

2. Elephant Notebook — This gorgeous clothbound notebook with a little elephant on the front makes my heart so happy.

3. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up — There's nothing like a good bit of reading. I've wanted this book for a while, and I'm slowly on a path to more minimalistic living.

4. 3 Steps to Gluten-Free Living — I'm trying to go gluten free to see if it helps with some health issues, so I'm anxious to see if this will help me understand gluten free living and help me manage the transition.

5. Chocolate — Because y'all know this is essential for writing.

6. Palm Stone — It can be easy to become frustrated while writing, and a palm stone is the perfect trinket to work between your fingers for easing out the frustration or mulling over new ideas.

7. The Dear Hunter albums Act IV and Act V — My brother took a chance and got me these albums. I'm almost through the second and have loved them. These are great for background music while working on stories.

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Also, there's something about Christmas that makes me want to go book shopping. I know not the only one. However, after a Christmas that nearly broke the bank (don't get me wrong, it was so much fun), I couldn't make the big purchase I wanted. So I went to Goodwill and found some goodies for a whopping $12 total. Ah, how I love discount books.

1. Charlie Brown's 'Cyclopedia Volume 1: Featuring Your Body — My most random buy. My mother told me she used to own these as a child, and I can't pass up anything that has Snoopy. 

2. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking — I've had this book on my kindle for a while and have tried several times to get through it. I've liked the book, but I just have too hard a time using kindle. I was so excited to find it in paperback. 

3. Martin the Warrior — Between me and my brother, we own a ton of Redwall books by Brian Jaques. I can't remember if I own this one, but it was a buck and I haven't read a Redwall book in ages and thought it would be fun to grab. 

4. The Real History of World War II — Told you I was building up my World War II research books.

5. Beowulf — I've never read Beowulf in its entirety, only an excerpt in Literature class. Honestly, I thought the cover was cool, and it's always acceptable to add to your classics. 

6. The Silmarillion — The only J.R.R Tolkien books I've read are The Lord of the Rings series. I've heard for years that this is one of his best.

7. Splinter Cell — Certainly not my normal reading, but my brother recommended this one to me as there is a movie based on the book coming out soon. 

What Books or Writer-ly Things Did You Receive for Christmas?