Bookending Winter: Winter Vacation

Hello bookworms!! Welcome back to Bookending Winter – and your last day with me as your host!! Today’s prompt is Winter Vacation!!

Before we get started, I would love to thank our wonderful organisers – Clo (@ Cuppa Clo) and Sam (@ Fictionally Sam). I know I say this every day, but I do genuinely love them both. They both give such great book recommendations, and are such amazing friends!! I am honestly so blessed that they allow me to be part of this fantastic series!!

If you want to check out some of the past 26 days of prompts, please click on this link: Link to blog-hopping masterlist. And if you want to sign up (it’s still not too late), you can check this link: Link to Bookending Winter sign-ups.

Bookending Winter: Winter Vacation

It’s time for you to pack up and head to your favourite (fictional) holiday destination for New Year’s Eve! Where are you going? What is the weather like there? Who are you taking with you? What will you be wearing? What activities do you have planned? And most importantly, what books are you taking with you?!

Location, location, location!!

If you haven’t guessed by now, let me reassure you. The place on the top of my wishlist to visit is Nevermoor. Not only does the city itself seem uniquely magical and fun, but also just a little bit scary and adventurous – if you know what you’re looking for!!

And of course, I’d be staying at the Hotel Deucalion. I want to attend every gala that Frank organises, and see Fenestra lying across the reception desk. I want to visit the smoking parlour (not what you might think it is), and jump from the rooftop at New Year’s with my umbrella.

Good friends don’t let you do stupid things… alone!!

Yes, of course I’m taking some fictional friends with me (although this year has taught me that I am happy being a hermit). I don’t want it to get too crazy though, so I’ve tried to limit numbers to limit the amount of damage chaos they could cause!!

• Nesta Archeron – I think Nesta deserves a bit of a break from Velaris, and I’ve always identified with her more than the other two sisters, so she’s on my yes list.
• Ronan Lynch – I feel like Ronan could needle Nesta in a fun way, but without the underlying sexual tension current that Cassian would give her. This way we can joke and no one takes it too seriously.
• Henry “Monty” Montague – Monty is fun, slightly ridiculous and would definitely get up to some fun / trouble, but hopefully not enough to get us kicked out of Nevermoor. Plus I feel like he could take on all of Ronan’s dares.
• Tyrannus Basilton “Baz” Grimm-Pitch – Baz is fun, like Monty, but also be level headed enough to have fun with either Nesta or Ronan.
• Parker – Ok, so he’s just a side character in Going Off Script, but I still feel like he would be so much fun to hang out with. And I really want the chance to learn more about him!!
• Morrigan, Jupiter, Hawthorne, Cadence, Frank, Jack and Fenestra – It wouldn’t really be much of a trip to Nevermoor or the Deucalion without our favourite found family, would it? Of course I want everyone there so we can all get up to mischief together!!

“This is a hobo suit, darling.”

Clothes maketh the man… or something else that Darcy / Galahad says. But let’s be honest, Edna Mode is way more fun to quote. And in honour of everyone’s favourite fashion designer, let’s talk about what I would take to wear.

Obviously it’s all about the warmth to start with. It snows in Nevermoor, so we need coats, boots, gloves, scarves and hats for every time that we venture outside. I’m a big fan of tartan so lots of reds and black checks in my wardrobe would be great.

For the amazing party that Frank will undoubtedly be throwing, I want something fun and glitzy. But I also love an a-line dress that hits just below the knees (and must be twirl-able). I googled and found this one online and it’s basically perfect!! It even looks super winter-y with its navy colouring and LOTS of glitter!! It’s honestly the most perfect winter ball dress I’ve ever seen!!

Fun in the … snow!

Well, for starters, I want to explore every inch of the Hotel Deucalion. Hopefully with the actual Deucalion crew there they can show us plenty of it, although I’m sure the Hotel has other secrets too!! Once we’ve found as many of the secrets as possible, it’s time to hit the streets!!

Outside I want to find some tricksy lanes, go to the Nevermoor Bazaar and go on the Brolly Rail. If we can get into Wunsoc then I want to see all the classes that the students go to (and maybe even see Murgatroyd – but definitely not Dearborn).

Other things we can do include go sledding, watch Hawthorne fly a dragon, build snowmen, go to the huge and dangerous library, make snow angels, and see all the wundrous things around the city!! I’m sure we can create our own mini mayhem!!

Book, books and more books

Of course we are taking books with us too!! Wintery type books (for seasonal goodness):

• Winterwood – Shea Ernshaw
• The Girl in the Tower – Katherine Arden
• The Coldest Girl in Coldtown – Holly Black
• Wintersong – S. Jae Jones
• Ice Wolves – Amie Kaufman

And some recent additions to my TBR to round it out:

• Spoiler Alert – Olivia Dade
• Too Sharp – Marianne Delacourt
• Wildwood – Colin Meloy
• The Castle of Tangled Magic – Sophie Anderson
• Conventionally Yours – Annabeth Albert

Where would you like to visit, and what would you like to do?