Goodbye to the old year; hello to the new year!

I don't know about you, but around here, last year was good—and really hard—and really, really good. Sometimes it's difficult to see how the two work together. We're a few days into 2016 already, but before we move on to the bright shiny year ahead, I would like to take a minute to dwell in thankfulness for 2015.Last year:

  • Andrew went into the studio with next to no songs, and emerged as from a cocoon with a brand-new album. And it is glorious.
  • Between the UK tour with Eric Peters, a release tour with Asher Peterson (and also Eric, and more friends besides), and the annual Behold the Lamb of God tour (with lots of friends, including Cindy Morgan), Andrew was on the road quite a bit.
  • Here in the Great Library, we read through the entire Wingfeather Saga together, start to finish.
  • We launched a brand-new feature on the website: The forum. And it was Good. We shared our favorite characters and quotes and more; we talked about movie-casting, about the ending of the series, about hard stuff we were going through in our own lives, about hope. We even made friends there. Andrew and I had hoped that the forum would be a good place to build community, but the way this actually worked out blew my mind. I am so grateful.
  • A little writing cottage, the Chapter House, began to grow at the Warren.
  • The whole Wingfeather series is now available as audiobooks, and The Warden and the Wolf King finally came out in paperback.
  • Andrew grew a very impressive beard. Behold:

Andrew's beard"To be alive and uneaten is a miracle worthy of notice," says Jennifer Trafton in The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic. Andrew and I both have a lot to be thankful for. If you're reading this, you're on the list. I hope that as you look back over last year, you find that you have things to be thankful for, too. (If you don't yet see those things, take heart. And come hang out in the forum. We'd love to encourage you.)Now for 2016!

  • The Wingfeather Saga is complete, but Andrew is still writing. He started a brand-new story just this morning! :-) Stay tuned for a Chapter House update, too!
  • The Book Club is also finished, but we can still read together. Although I won't be posting new excerpts, I am going to be reading through the series again this year. You can join me if you like. I'll be starting on January 18. More on that next week!
  • The community that's been building in the forum is so good. Andrew and I would love to see that continue to develop this year. You can help. :-)
  • Another hope I have for this year is that you might find ways to enjoy these books in face-to-face conversations with friends. Keep an eye out for a new Book Club tab in the menu above. It'll contain a reading guide, discussion questions, recipes, and maybe even activities—everything you need to get started reading with your friends. I'll post the kit for the first book next week. If you have ideas, let me know!

What else might happen this year? Around here, we're dreamers. Heads in the clouds, huge hopes, wild imaginations. And the Maker is also at work. Anything might happen! I think this will be our best year yet. Last year was good, and hard, and so good—and somehow, we can't stop smiling.Onward, dear readers!

The World is Whispering

Dear readers, I have so enjoyed experiencing these books with you this last year. It's hard to believe it's been a whole year! How sad to see our book club come to an end. But I'm not going anywhere. We had some great conversations this year, and we made connections with one another, and I am honored to be your librarian. I'm looking forward to what conversations we might have next year. :-)For our last excerpt of 2015, I picked Armulyn's song. Read it under your breath and feel the cadence.

The world is whispering—listen, child!—The world is telling a tale.When the seafoam froths in the water wildOr the fendril flies in the gale, When the sky is mad with the swirling stormAnd thunder shakes the hall,Child, keep watch for the passing formOf the one who made it all. Listen, child, to the Hollish wind,To the hush of heather down,To the voice of the brook at the stony bendAnd the bells of Rysentown. The dark of the heart is a darkness deepAnd the sweep of the night is wideAnd the pain of the heart when the people weepIs an overwhelming tide— And yet! and yet! when the tide runs lowAs the tide will always doAnd the heavy sky where the bellows blowIs bright at last, and blue And the sun ascends in the quiet mornAnd the sorrow sinks away,When the veil of death and dark is tornAsunder by the day,Then the light of love is the flame of springAnd the flow of the river strongAnd the hope of the heart as the people singIs an everlasting song. The winter is whispering, “green and gold,”And the heart is whispering, too—It’s a story the Maker has always toldAnd the story, my child, is true. —Armulyn, Royal Bard of the Shining IsleFrom chapter 96, "The Former Fangs Have Passed Away."
Will you post me one last excerpt from your reading this week? And I'll see you on Monday. (And in the forum!) :-) 

The Wolf King

Christina, age ten (now eleven) drew this last summer—the Wolf King himself. Isn't he regal? His face looks both solemn and mischievous. Thank you, Christina! Great job.photo

This week—our very last week of the Ban Rona Book Club—Madame Sidler will be reading the end of The Warden and the Wolf King, starting with chapter 91. Come back on Friday for an excerpt, and to share one of your own. Meanwhile, how about  hanging out in the forum? :-)Andrew has one more week left on his Christmas tour! Are you going? Check out his music site for dates and ticket info.

Two Janners

Have you ever had skittery, somersaulting thoughts like this? I have.

Janner’s heart somersaulted with shame, embarrassment, envy, frustration at himself, contrition, gratitude, and then more frustration. As soon as he settled on one feeling, the next one crowded it out. He sighed, wishing he could rest and let things be as they were. He felt as if he were two people: one boy who saw the situation objectively, who knew the right answers—which were to be content with his lot, grateful to the Maker, humble to his calling—and another boy whom he hated, who felt things hotly and demanded attention like a child throwing a fit.Even the good feelings betrayed him, because once he felt them he was proud of having them, which opened the door for the next multitude of conflicting emotions.No, he would think. ... Be glad... He would settle for a moment, even breathe a sigh of relief. Then like a rat in the kitchen, a dark thought would skitter across the floor of his thoughts.—From chapter 89, "The Maker."
This is our second-to-last Friday for the Ban Rona Book Club! What snippet did you love best this week? Post it in the comments! And if you'd like some conversation (about the above passage, or anything else), come on over to the forum.Have you had a chance to catch Andrew on his tour? He'd love to meet you! 

Paperbacks—Now shipping!

Complete paperback setYes, dear readers, the days of unmatched sets are but a tear-stained memory. Get thee to the Rabbit Room to purchase your velvety new paperback!But once you have your paperback, what will you do with your hardcover copy? Here are some ideas!

  • Save it for your grandchildren (it is a limited-release heirloom, after all).
  • Bury it in the backyard and make a treasure map.
  • Give it to a friend and then bully exhort them into buying the other three.
  • Put it in a shadowbox on your wall (well-lighted with a museum-style gooseneck lamp).
  • Pull out your colored pencils to illumine and illustrate it (if you do this, we want pictures!).
  • You could even (barbaric! says the librarian) make Christmas tree ornaments or other decorations out of the pages. (And really, if you have to cruelly dismember a book, Wingfeather Christmas tree ornaments would be pretty awesome.)
  • Put it under your pillow at night to ensure dangerous, delightful dreams. (Results not guaranteed.)

Any other ideas?Thank you, thank you, Bookbindery Guildmaster Pete!

Into the Book interview

Andrew Joyce at Into the Book recently interviewed Andrew about songwriting, storytelling, and whether hobbits enjoy totatoes. Check out the interview here.

This week, Madame Sidler will be reading chapters 87-90 of The Warden and the Wolf King. Only one more week to go! Check back on Friday for an excerpt, and to share one of your own; and in the meanwhile, we'll see you in the forum!Has anybody had a chance to catch one of the Behold the Lamb of God shows yet? :-)

The stories are true.