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Past fun:
Inklings Week and An Interview with Jamie!
Next week is Inklings Week!
I honestly cannot express the profound influence two Inklings have had on my life and my writing — J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. If you are unfamiliar with the Inklings — they were a group of writers, readers and friends who gathered for discussions at the Eagle and Child pub in Oxford England. Notable members include the two luminaries I mentioned above along with —- and lots of others. Next week, on both Facebook and Instagram you can learn a lot more about their lives and writings. I’ve shared a little of their influences on me in my post, which will publish next week, so I won’t go into it here.
What I would like to do here is introduce you to Jamie Lapeyrolerie and the inspiration behind Inklings Week!
Katherine: When and why did you start Inklings Week?
Jamie: I first thought the Inklings should be celebrated in some fun way after reading Tolkien and C. S. Lewis: The Gift of a Friendship by Colin Duriez in early spring 2014. I read the book for the then monthly Inklings series I hosted and Duriez pointed out that they first met on May 11, 1926. In my discussion post, I wrote "First off, I think there should be an official holiday on May 11th (1926). This was the day Tolkien and Lewis first met...If these two weren’t a part of each other's lives, we wouldn’t have LOTR or Narnia. What a dark and dreary world that would be." It wasn't until 2015 though that I decided to make a week-long celebration of it. I love their works deeply and I wanted to take some time every year to celebrate that.
Katherine: I’m beyond delighted you did. Their works mean the world to me and I can’t imagine my faith, my love-for-reading, or my writing to be what they are without these two. You and I are devotees, but do you feel the Inklings hold relevance to readers today? Readers just meeting them now?
Absolutely! Their continued popularity shows that their stories and books carry timeless truths of human nature and resonate so deeply. I wrote this during my first Inklings Week and I still believe this wholeheartedly: "Their books have shown me what it means to be brave, what it means to be a true and loyal friend until the very end, what it means to love, what it means to fight for good against all odds, and what it means to embrace what you were meant to do. Their books have also helped me realize it’s okay to wrestle with faith, to understand God’s character in ways I didn’t see before, how to hope in the most dire of circumstances and that there’s always a chance to turn back. They wrote more than just books. They left a legacy (of their lives and their stories) that will continue to impact generations to come.”
Katherine: Well said, then and now. I completely agree! Lewis, in fact, recently reminded me that turning back is often the best approach. If you’re going in the wrong direction, progressing forward won’t fix things.
You and I clearly have two favorite Inklings — and justifiably so 😉 — can you talk about some of your favorite of their books?
Jamie: Does it work to say whichever one I just read? ha! Of J.R.R. Tolkien's work, definitely The Lord of the Rings. With Lewis, of course there's Narnia, but I really enjoy The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce because both force you to look at human nature in such different and creative ways. Both are such literary geniuses - I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall during just one of their Inklings meetings!
Me too… And you picked a few my favorites too. Thanks for chatting with me today!
And dear readers, please find all the live links within this post for next week and follow all the Inkling fun.
Additionally, there is a Monday Night FaceBook Panel at 6:30 MT/7:30 CT. Please stop by!
See you soon!
Katherine
December 2020: Welcome to the Sixth Day of Christmas.
A few friends and I got together to create a fun Christmas Giveaway. It's huge and there are so many fun books -- and 12 winners! For the grand prize there is also a $100 Amazon Gift Card!
Join the Giveaway by Clicking Here and check out all the authors involved. If you are visiting here on December 6th, the winner of today's drawing 
will not only receive a copy of my book, Of Literature and Lattes, but a copy of all the books that came before my day... That means Liz Johnson, Jill Kemerer, Sarah Sundin, Sarah Ladd and Tari Faris all have beautiful books for today's winner. Isn't that fun? The prizes build just like the Christmas song.
And, while I have you here, I am thrilled to announce that I have a new book coming out next fall! It doesn't have a title or a cover yet, but all that is coming soon. Even though, I don't know those details, I can tell you this -- I love this story and hope you will too.
Merry Christmas!
Here are the authors involved, the dates of their postings, and their websites...
12/1 Liz Johnson – www.lizjohnsonbooks.com/giveaways
12/2 Jill Kemerer - http://jillkemerer.com/blog/
12/3 Sarah Sundin - http://www.sarahsundin.com/blog/
12/4 Sarah Ladd - https://sarahladd.com/giveaway/
12/5 Tari Faris - https://www.tarifaris.com/blog
12/6 Katherine Reay - https://katherinereay.com/kreay2018/events-and-promotion/
12/7 Lindsay Harrel - https://www.lindsayharrel.com/blog/
12/8 Jessica R. Patch - www.jessicarpatch.com
12/9 Sara Ella - https://saraella.com/
12/10 Kristy Cambron - https://www.instagram.com/kristycambron/
12/11 Jennifer Deibel – https://thisgalsjourney.com/
12/12 Liz Johnson – www.lizjohnsonbooks.com/giveaways
Books and Coffee Parings:
What's a good book without a delicious drink to enjoy with it??
I had so much fun researching coffeeshops and how to pour the perfect espresso shot when writing Of Literature and Lattes. In honor of all that fun, I have paired coffee drinks with some of the books I have been reading lately. So read on to find your next great read and the delightful coffee drink to enjoy with it…
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Everyone needs to read this classic, if not so they can keep all the movie adaptations and homages straight. Happily, this tale stands the test of time and is as relevant and enchanting today as the day Miss Austen penned it on small bits of paper at her desk. Darcy is still swoon-worthy, and Elizabeth remains the heroine we all want to be.
Pairing: Classic Latte
Order a coffee that’s as timeless as this story…Pour it over ice, maybe use nut milk, but definitely don’t forget to add some sugar for that touch of sweetness.
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
Stay on your toes for this one. It’s riveting and excellent, and you don’t want to miss a moment. This story does what great fiction is meant to do — it invites you in and immerses you into a story so completely that you forget who you are as you take on the lives, hopes and dreams of the characters within.
Pairing: La Columbe Canned Draft Latte
So, crack open a can of cold draft latte and prepare for a great read… It’s a little edgy, a little creamy, carries the caffeine punch of a cup and half of coffee and, if you’re vegan or dairy-free, it comes in an Oat Milk variety.
Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan
The world knows C.S.Lewis. Now Callahan introduces us to the love-of-his life, his wife Joy Davidman. This novel explores their unlikely friendship through letters across an ocean and their even more improbable love story. You’ll love meeting Joy — and her strength, intellect, wit and perseverance make her a woman you’ll want to know better.
Pairing: London Fog Latte
This book was meant to be read while sipping a London Fog Latte — simply grab some strong Earl Grey tea, add a hint of lavender and steamed milk — and prepare yourself for a thoroughly American-meets-British experience.
This book spends a fair amount of time in Russia and it is set during the Cold War — what’s a better pairing than a warm latte flavored like fall and reminds us of the joy, family, and friends surrounding Thanksgiving.
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
When Horowitz puts a book inside a book and gives you two mysteries to solve, you’ve got to be on your toes. The “fictional” murder takes place in a small English village in post WWII London, but when the editor can’t find the last chapter and learns her bestselling author is dead, a “real” murder must be solved.
Pairing: A Triple Shot Latte
With a triple shot latte, I expect you’ll be tracking down the clues as fast as the detectives — in both murder mysteries.
The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck
Enjoy this invitation into the lives of five strangers. Each were invited to join The Fifth Avenue Story Society and, despite initial misgivings, they find themselves coming back each week and sharing their lives and loves with these new found friends. Hauck does a brilliant job of bringing this disparate group together all while weaving us into the tale as well.
Pairing: A Mocha Latte
This is a perfect read for that frothy perfection of coffee, steamed milk, and chocolate known as a Mocha Latte. We want to snuggle in here and join in each of these lives and stories, making them our own as good fiction invites us to do.
