Fangirling – Christine Smith

2024 in Review // Stories, Writing, Life, & Lessons

Post published:December 10, 2024
Post category:Encouragement Fangirling Life Reading
Post comments:8 Comments

2024. What a year it's been. I cannot claim it's been my favorite year. There have been a lot of hardships in these almost 12 months. But goodness has there been so much growth and blessings in all of it. The countdown to the end of 2024 is upon us, and as we're rapidly reaching 2025, I've been doing a lot of reflecting on the year. This year was one of stretching. Of finding contentment in the hardships, seeking peace in the storms, and being brave in each day. I cannot claim to have handled it all with grace and…

2023 in Review // My Favorite Things, Writing Highlights, & Growth

Post published:December 4, 2023
Post category:Encouragement Fangirling Life Reading Writing
Post comments:9 Comments

2023—a year of unexpected blessings and reaching for new dreams and mourning losses and praising God for renewal and failing and learning and so very much growing. It was a year of life. And though some (read: many) days were hard, there were blessings in it all, and I am grateful for each day given. Somehow we have reached the final stretch of 2023 and I'm looking over at March like, "Weren't you just here?" But my word chosen to live by for 2023 was PRESENT. I tend to fly through my days, always looking ahead and never stopping to…

Hello Spring! // Some Spring Favorites

Post published:March 20, 2023
Post category:Fangirling Reading
Post comments:6 Comments

Happy first day of spring! I truly love this time of year. It's funny, when I was younger I claimed spring as my favorite season without question. But as I grew older my preferences shifted to much colder temperatures and for a good chunk of my life, I've firmly proclaimed winter as my Ultimate Favorite. But in the last couple of years? Spring has been trying to creep back as #1. I'm not sure it's quite stolen that spot back, I really, really love fall and winter and just cold weather in general, BUT my old love for spring, like…

The Trope Tag // A Battle Against the Tropes

Post published:March 6, 2023
Post category:Fangirling
Post comments:23 Comments

Story tropes—those endless things we all have varying degrees of opinions on. Some we love, some we hate. But what if we pitched them against one another in a great battle of preferences?? I'll be honest, I love talking about tropes and discussing my favorites vs. the ones I'd like to see dive into a black hole never to be seen from again. - ahem - Tropes can definitely give us bookdragons some pretty strong feelings, can't they? We all have some we'd far prefer which is why I'm so excited about today's post. The absolute delight and genius that…

{TV Series Review} Violet Evergarden // A Story of Beauty & Overcoming

Post published:June 27, 2022
Post category:Fangirling
Post comments:24 Comments

You know those stories that stick with you? That thrum something deep in your soul and you know will always hold a special place in your heart? I've recently viewed a TV series that did just that, and I simply cannot not share about it. I know I hardly ever (if at all?) review TV series on my blog but THAT'S HOW SPECIAL THIS ONE IS. The second I finished it I knew I'd be screaming about it for the rest of my life, and I make no apologies. Recently I've been dabbling into the world of anime, and one…

In Which I Review the Studio Ghibli Films // Part 2

Post published:April 18, 2022
Post category:Fangirling
Post comments:26 Comments

And I am back with reviews for the second half of the Studio Ghibli films! As I mentioned in my last post, I've fairly recently had a chance to devour almost all of the Studio Ghibli films and fell utterly in love with these Japanese animated movies filled to the brim with heart and magic and creating the every day into something enchanting. Truly, these are beloved stories for a reason. In my last post I reviewed the first half of them, and I'm here today to share all my (many) thoughts on the second half! Read Part One Here!…

In Which I Review the Studio Ghibli Films // Part 1

Post published:April 4, 2022
Post category:Fangirling
Post comments:35 Comments

The Studio Ghibli films have been loved and celebrated for decades now, though it was only recently that I immersed into the world of Ghibli myself. Ever since, I have been hooked. So today I come to you with Thoughts! Lots and lots of thoughts. Have I been teasing doing a Ghibli films review post since, erm, August 2021? Maaaybe. But hey, I'm here now! And what better time than right at the beginnings of spring? Because is it just me or does the windy, lively days of spring encompass the very heart of a Ghibli film? As I type…

The March Muchness Tag

Post published:March 21, 2022
Post category:Fangirling
Post comments:19 Comments

March Muchness continues on in all its mad glory, and today I'm coming to at last answer the questions to the official March Muchness blog tag! If you missed it, I'm throwing an Alice in Wonderland party all month long to celebrate my 11th blogiversary and launching my newsletter. Buuut it's mostly just an excuse to fangirl about one of my favorite stories of all time. Does one ever really need a reason to give Wonderland some proper love?? One part of March Muchness has been a BLOG TAG. And not just any ol' simple tag, but a Wonderland themed…

March Muchness // Wonderland Blog Tag, Bookstagram Challenge, & More!

Post published:March 1, 2022
Post category:Fangirling
Post comments:18 Comments

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! I come to you on this first day of March with a most delightful announcement of goodness and fun. And I. AM. EXCITED! March is one of my absolute favorite months. Though I'm a huge fan of winter, there is something exhilarating about seeing the world slowly come back into bloom after the cold stillness of February. March just makes me happy, and to add an extra dose of happiness for this particular March, I'm doing something special! In honor of recently launching a newsletter and the Discord server to go with it (titled, of…

Five Favorite Comfort Films

Post published:May 31, 2021
Post category:Fangirling
Post comments:56 Comments

Comfort films—those movies we turn to again and again in the midst of turmoil. The ones that calm our soul, bring a dose of cheer, that feel like a hot cup of tea on a cold day, filling our insides with goodness and warmth. As much as I adore books, I am also a huge movie fan (and even more so with TV series, but that’s a topic for another blog post). I just like good stories, guys! In all their forms. And though usually I am all for tales of epic quests and exciting adventures and end-of-the-world stakes (*cough*LOTR*cough*),…