The Right Kind of Tears

Last Monday, while we were reading about Nugget the brave, a pastor in Sioux City was writing an article about that very passage (chapter 15). Leeli and Nugget reminded him of his daughter's first experience with grief. His article is wise and tender-hearted, and I commend it to you.Thanks, Pastor Kevin, for sharing your musings on sadness and hope.

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This week, Madame Sidler will be reading chapters 22-28 of North! Or Be Eaten. Join us on Friday for an excerpt, and to share a favorite snippet of your own.

Is it worth it?

This week's reading—chapters 15-21—included so much deep emotion. Nugget and the dragons woke up wells of grief and remorse and longing which spilled out all over the pages. It was so hard to pick an excerpt this week—but here's this one. Oh, beautiful ache.

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He was only twelve, but he knew enough to realize that the way before him would be hard. Is it worth it? he asked himself. Was it worth losing his old life in order to learn the truth of who he was and who he was becoming?Yes.Like the pluck of a stringed instrument, the first edge of the sun broke loose and poured light over the world.—From chapter 18, "Old Wounds and New Healing"

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Was there a passage from this week's reading that spoke to you? Please share it with us! And as always, feel free to post an excerpt from elsewhere if you're reading at a different pace.p.s. Stop by the forum before you go. :-) We'd love to hang out with you awhile.

Scarorn the Cloven

Here is a fearsome combination of man and bull. Emmett discovered him wandering the Blackwood and learned that his name is Scarorn.Emmett, thanks so much for braving the Blackwood to bring us this drawing!

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This week, Madame Sidler will be reading chapters 15-21 of North! Or Be Eaten. Check back on Friday for an excerpt, and to share one of your own!ps. Andrew's been lurking about the forum again... can you spot him? There's a new thread in the Book 2 forum as well. Stop by and join the fun!

Fierce affection

Dear readers, this week's excerpt includes a wee spoiler. The farther we get into the series, the harder it is to avoid them. If you're brand-new here, though, we don't want you to feel like you're on the outside. You're welcome here. I will try not to post too many spoilers.But I love this passage.

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It was at this moment that Peet the Sock Man leapt from the rim of the gully at top speed, his arms spread wide like wings. Janner watched his uncle with awe.His socks had long since fallen away in shreds, cut to pieces by the talons at the ends of his reddish forearms. Peet’s white hair trailed behind him; one of his eyebrows lay flat and low, the other arched like a curl of smoke; and in Peet’s eyes blazed a single purpose: Protect. Protect. Protect.What struck Janner most about his uncle in this moment was not the graceful leap through the air or the deadly, mysterious talons, but that amidst all the danger and panic, Artham P. Wingfeather’s gaze was fixed on him with what Janner knew to be a fierce affection.There in the gully of the gargan rockroach, with toothy cows below and Fangs of Dang approaching, Janner felt safe.—From chapter 8, "A Thorn of Contempt."

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Do you have a favorite paragraph or so that you'd like to share with us? The above is from this week's reading (chapters 8-14), but you're welcome to share something from another part of the series if you like.We're looking forward to meeting you—be sure to stop by the forum for some tea and discussion. :-) 

A family portrait

Hannah sent in this great drawing of Podo, Nia, Leeli, Kalmar, Janner, and Artham. There's so much personality in their faces and postures. And Hannah, those wings are gorgeous. Guys, can you imagine Artham flying into battle, dual-wielding longswords? Awesome.

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This week, Madame Sidler will be reading chapters 8-14 of North! Or Be Eaten. Check back on Friday for an excerpt, and to share a favorite scene of your own! 

Into the gully

Yes! Our first excerpt from North! Or Be Eaten! Isn't this fun? This week, I read chapters 1-7, and present to you my favorite snippet. What I appreciate about it is the growing sense of foreboding as every "If" brings the Igibys closer to the doom pronounced by the last three words.

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Suddenly Janner found himself skidding down a steep bank. Podo had led Nugget into a deep gully and was halfway across the depression, amidst old branches, brown leaves, and rotting tree trunks. The trench stretched a long way in both directions, so they had no choice but to cross it.The donkey stopped dead in its tracks on the rim of the slope. Janner pulled at the reins while Nia pushed from behind, but the animal wouldn’t move. Its eyes were fixed on the gully floor, its nostrils expanding and contracting like a beating heart.If Janner had not been running in fear for his life, he might have remembered what Pembrick’s Creaturepedia had to say about such gullies in Glipwood Forest; he might have thought to warn his family before they scrambled down into the tree-clogged floor. If Janner hadn’t been thinking about the Fangs and trolls snarling through the woods behind him, he would’ve suggested firmly that the Igiby family find a way around the gully, even if it added hours and miles to the journey.If Peet the Sock Man, so familiar with the dangers of the forest, had been with them and not fending off the Fangs and trolls and horned hounds, he would’ve most emphatically suggested that the Igiby family not descend into the hole.But they did.

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What was your favorite passage from this week's reading—or anywhere else in the series? Post it in the comments!Don't forget to stop by our discussion forum for some great conversation about all kinds of Wingfeathery topics. We'd love to meet you and hear your thoughts! 

Recommencing the Ban Rona Book Club

Can I help you?Back in January, we started a very exciting adventure—reading The Wingfeather Saga together. Just a week ago, we finished On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, and this week we begin reading North! Or Be Eaten. For those of you who've been reading along with us, welcome back! And for those of you who might be wondering if it's too late to join in the fun, come on in—we're glad you're here. :-)Each Monday, along with a bit of fan art or some other fun thing, I'll post what chapters I plan to read during the upcoming week. You're welcome to read along with me, or go at your own pace. (If you haven't read book one yet, I'd encourage you to do that before diving into book two. But don't worry—it won't take you long to catch up. I'm taking my time.)Each Friday I'll post my favorite snippet from the week's reading, and invite you to share your favorite in the comments. Whether you're keeping pace with us, or are somewhere else in the books, we want to hear which parts you loved best!All week long there are conversations happening in our discussion forum. Andrew joins in when he's able, there are a few regulars you'll learn to recognize, and we'd love to meet you. Do you have a question or comment about something you're reading? Want to talk about your favorite character? Have you spotted a sly bit of sneakery on Andrew's part? (He likes to slip little book and music references into the stories when he thinks we're not looking!) We'd love it if you'd come over to hang out with us. We're all very friendly and the conversations have been great fun. Just click "Book Club" above (if you're on a mobile device, you'll find it in the dropdown menu). We've got tea and crumpets waiting.And now, North! Or Be Eaten!::vanishes::

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This week, Madame Sidler will be reading chapters 1-7 of North! Or Be Eaten. Check back on Friday for an excerpt, and to share your own favorite quotes.See you in the forum! 

Happy Easter

The stories are true.